ALL Ingratitude utterly setting apart/ we owe to call to our minds the manifold gifts of grace/ with the benefaittis'. that our lord of his most plentiueuse bonte hath ymen us wretches in this present transitoire life. Which Remem●braunce of right directly should induce us to ivy his godhead therefore continual and Immortal lovingis & thanks. and in no wise to fall to thignorance or foryetefulnesse thereof. Among which benefaittis' and gifts is granted us free arbitrement. And thereby with our good deserts supported and helped by his most dign mercy and grace we be enabled to be the children of everlesting salvation/ & to possess the joys of heaven. which are incomphensible and inestimably blissful and good. And by cause we be so frail and inconstant/ prone to fall/ feeble and insufficient of ourself to resist the frawdelente malice & temptation of our auncien enemy the fiend. Therefore he hath yiven us his mercy to be our Relief. Raison to be our lantern. and Remembrance to ordre our guiding. Thenne first of this precieux gift of mercy we may to our greet comfort verily trust to have it at all times in this w●rld● when we duly sue & call therefore. But we must know for certain/ that we can have no capacity nor power to receive it after the saison of our bodily life here. secondly by Raison we own in the most extreme love and dread to know and take him as our creator & redemptor. and all our wills to be subject unto his pleasure. Thriddely we own to remember how we may guide us for to stand in his grace/ Considering what we were/ what we be/ and what we shall be. And for as much/ as very prudence admonesteth & teacheth us how the conclusion of every thing should be most soverainely taken heed unto. Therefore I advise that this traities here after ensuing/ which is of four last things/ be we'll over-red and seen. And not only seen and red. but also weal conceived/ noted/ and often remembered. And if peradventure we find therein any cause of grouge/ or elles any motion to blot or rust● the clearness of our ghostly understanding stirring us to unmeasurable fear/ or any other presumptueux sinister/ or wine concept. Yet late us take it always to the best intent having no dispeir in our lords mercy/ for it is infenite. And know for truth/ that noon such evil moeving cometh/ but of th'instigation of our ghostly aduersaire/ whom we must virtuously resist/ and catholicly allewayes rest upon the most ferme pillar of our faith which is the very assured shield and moyen of our ghostly ●●●the And to have that grace in our necessity call we for help unto the holy ghost. that illumineth and teacheth every soul for to keep the ways of salvation to the enheriting of the eternal joy and glory. Amen   

THis present treatise is divided in four principal parties Of the which every part containeth three other singular parties as in the manner following is showed  

The first principal part is of the bodily death. And there unto belongeth three other singular parties.  
The first of the three is how remembrance of death causeth a man to meek and humble himself  
The second is how Remembrance of death maketh him to despise all vain worldly things  
The third is how Remembrance of death causeth a man unconstrained to take upon him to do penance and taccepte it with glad heart  
The second principal part is of the last day of judgement and containeth in himself three other singular parties  
The first of these three is how accusacion that shall be at the day of judgement is thing to be dread  
The second is how the last day of judgement is terrible and not without cause/ for there must be given a due reckoning and account of every thing  
The third is how the terrible abiding of th'extreme sentence causeth doubters to be had of the jugemnt  
The third principal part is of hell or of th'infernal jehenne and containeth in itself three other singular parties  
The first of those iij is how hell after holy scripture is named in diverse and many wises  
The second is how they that descend into hell been punyssh●d with many greet and sundry pains  
The third is how there be many diverse conditions of grievances in the pains of hell  
The fourth principal part is the blilsful joys of heaven there unto appertain three other singular parties  
The first of those three is/ how the Royalme of heaven is loved praised and recommended for his beauty clearness and light  
The second is how the Royalme of heaven is praised for the manifold goodnesses that be abundant therein  
The third is how the celestial Royalme is to be lauded for the perpetual & infinite joy and gladness therein    

Here after folowe● the prologue of the four last things  
MEmorare novissima et ineternum non peccabis. Ecclesiastici. septimo capitulo. Ecclesiasticus saith in his seventh chapter these words following. Bear well in thy mind the last thingis. and thou shalt never fall in sin. Also. saint Austyn. saith in his book of meditations. That man ought rather have in fere and eschew thabhominacion & filth of sin than any other cruelties of th'infernal turmentis. Lo thenne how the knowledge of these four last things and frequenting the memory and remembrance of them calleth us from sin/ and draweth us to vertu/ and conformeth us to all good works. Wherefore by the help of the divine inspiration I have purposed to rehearse and say a little of these four things As which they be/ and what they be. And also to declare somewhat of every of them singularly by themself/ preciously and dignely by sayings and authorities of saints/ and generally by examples and sayings of authorised clerks. It is to be noted that after the seeing of saints men say commonly/ there be four the last thnigis. And which they be it appeareth clearly by the words of saint Bernard in a sermon Where he saith in all thy works have remembrance of thy last thingis. Which be four. That is to weet first. Death bodily. second. The day of judgement. third. The pains of hell Fourth The glory of heaven. O what thing is more horrible than death. What thing is more dreadful and terrible than the day of judgement. What thing is more importable to be suffered/ than the gehenna and pains of hell And what is a more joyful bliss/ than celestial glory saint Bernard saide in the same sermone. These been the four wheels of the char/ whereof the remembrance bringeth man's soul to the everlasting glory of paradise These been also four moevynges/ that awake the spirit of man to that end/ that he dispraise all worldly things and return unto his creator and maker. Lo it is then both convenient and profitable that they be had continually in remembrance. And therefore saith the. Wise man. in the xxviij chapitre of Ecclesiasticus. Bear in thy mind the last and final things. And look alway perfectly upon them to th'intent that they may be seurely fixed and printed in thy memory. Now sin all this process principally and sovereignly enforceth himself tenduce every creature to have an assured mind and an hole Remembrance of these four last things/ and that they may cordyally be enprinted with in your hearts. Therefore it is consonant and according/ if it so may please/ that this present trayttye may be entitled and bear the name of the. Cordial.  
¶ Thus endeth the prologue of this book named Cordial Which treateth of the four last and final things that been to come. ¶ And here beginneth the first part of the said four last things.   

¶ The first part of the four last things  
THe first part of the four last things/ whereof the remembrance withdraweth a man fro sin is death present or temporal. And therefore seith saint Bernard in a book called the mirror of monks. The most sovereign philosophy is to think alway on death. And he that beareth it in his mind: in what place so ever he go/ shall never sin. saint Austyn saith in his book of exhortations. There is no thing that so weal revoketh and calleth a man from sin/ as often Remembrance of death. certain it is that thing which causeth a man to be humble to dispraise himself/ and to do penance.  

¶ How Remembrance of death maketh a man to 〈◊〉 humble and meek ¶ The first chapitre  
I say that recording the Remembrance of death maketh a man to be meek and humble himself And therefore saith. saint Austyn. in the book that he made of our lord. A man knowing himself to be mortal/ it shall put from him all manner of pride. In very truth all our other things as well good as had/ be incerteyne. But of death only we may be well insured. And how be it that the hour thereof is to us hid and incerteyn Yet alway she is approaching and shall surely come without long tarrying. And to this purpose seith Ecclesiastes in his xiijj chapitre. Bear well in remembrance that death shall not tarry It is also written in Toby that death hasteth and that there may no fleeing avail. Also by the common law of nature every man must pay his mortal tribute saint Bernard. saith in a sermon. O wretched man why dost thou not dispose thy self to be ready at all hours think that thou art now deed/ sins thou knowest weal that necessarily it behoveth the to die. Remember weal how thine eyen shall torn in thy heed and the veins break in thy body▪ and thine heart shall divide in two partis by the right sharp angwissh and pain of death. Who is he thenne that ought not to dread and make himself humble. When he knoweth certainly that he must return and become earth Now truly there shall be none exception of persons. But all shall pass that weigh. For as it is w●eton in the second 〈◊〉 of kings. When shall all die/ and the earth shall ●●●low● us/ as it doth water cast thereupon/ which never ●●●●●neth. We read also that this word. Mors in 〈◊〉 may weal so be called. For it is a bitter morsel unto all men in so much as no creature may escape it. And therefore it is said in the book of dispraising of the world ●eth cutteth down and distroieth all things create and made in flesh. She both beateth down the high men and low●● for she hath domination upon worldly living thingis. She reigneth Imperially over the nobles and dreadeth no living creature/ for her power is common over princes and dukes. She taketh aswell the young as the old And when she smites/ she hath mercy of no creature all things create in flesh perisheth under her hand Nor there be none so strong/ but that she beateth them down without rescue. And there is no thing bearing life but that she destroyeth and wasteth it without any escape And she neither taketh meed alliance ne friendship What shall I more say/ evidently death spareth no body For nether pour ne rich shall mow escape out of her chain. Certainly I understand now that death is th'end of all worldly living things. And therefore it is writon in jetha the poet. That death taketh away and doth anyntise all quick things. Lo is it not said that the wise Cathon and the good Socrates been deed. Which giveth example/ that there is neither science ne doctrine that may preserve one fro the ruinous dart of death. It is written in Ecclesiastes in the second chapitre. aswell dieth the wise man as the fool. It is written in isaiah in the xxxiij chapitre. Where are noble come the lettered men. Where been the preachers of the word of god. Where be they that were wont to teach the children These questions implied as much as to say they live not/ and began & passed in the common course which other & deed out of this world. Now by cause jetha named but only the two afore specified. I pray the tell me/ where is now Hector of troy/ where is become julius cesar wh●● is Alexandre the greet. Where is judas Machabeus Where is the mighty Samson/ where is Crassus the rich/ Where is the fair Absalon. where is Galyen the phisifien/ and Aincenne his fellow. Where is the wise Solomon. where is Aristotle the philosopher. & where is Uirgile the right expert poet. he not all these deed & passed out of this world as pilgrims & gests/ and departed hens in a right short space: yes certainly/ there is not one left a live of them/ alle their joys were but vanities & are failed & their days be consumed & passed And as the psalter seith man passed his days resembling a shadewe & one time he is hole and strong of all his membres and on the morrow seek/ & laid in the earth. And as. Cathon seith our life is given unto us to be full of doubt and of fragility This appeareth also clearly by a philosopher named Secundus whom th'emperor Adrian questioned with of the being & the state of man. Which answered as followeth. Man is subject unto death host of the place where he is/ a voyager passing/ semblably unto a piece of snow. Also like a red berry and like a new apple by which thing is evidently showed/ how frail/ how sleder. and also how little enduring is the life of a man And not only the life of pour people. But also the life of all human creatures be they never so rich or puissant. For death is a common thing and spareth no body. And all be it she is cruwel and perverse/ yet she keepeth equally one law in taking as well kings & princes as pour folks. Thus giveth she great cause to weep if it be well red and taken that is written of her. And therefore seith job in the xx chapitre of his book of the rich fires & orgulous man. All though his pride be enhanced unto the sky that his heed should touch the clouds/ Yet in th'end he shall torn to nought and be like a dunghill. And they that have seen him shall axe where is he now and no thing shall be found of him/ no more than of a fleeing dream passed in the night. Baruch in his third chapitre demandeth Where be now the princes of the people that where wont to have dominacion over the beestis/ and take recreation with hounds and with hawks of the air. And assembled great treasures of gold and silver/ wherein men give their affiance & trust. What is th'end of them that were busy and diligent here to forge gold and silver to gather and keep it. Certainly their time is eytermyned and they be descended into hell. and now been there other enhanced and live in their places. And therefore saith Prosper in his sentence. where be the orators not surmountable. where be they that have covenably disposed their feestis. Where been also the palfreymen that kept the shining palfreyes in their stables. Where been the captains of men of arms. And where been the lords and tyrants. Been not they all consumed and brought to powder Yes of their days: And so shall be of ours. Is not th'effect of life altered into worms. Behold and look into to their graves/ whether thou canst know there/ which is the lord/ which is the servant/ which was the power which was the rich. Discevere if thou can by knowledge the prisoner from the king/ the strong from the week the faith from the fowl Crisostom saith. What hath it availed them that have lived in lechery/ and in the voluptuousness of this present life/ till their last days Advice you now and behold in their sepulchres. and see if thou canst espy therein any sign of pride. If thou can have any knowledge of their richesses or of their lechery. ask where is become their rich array and their strange disguised garnementis with their voluptuous/ and nice lookis. And where be now their great companies and nombre of servants/ that followed them. Where be their laughings their playings and their outrageous gladnesses out of measurable temperance. Where is all this become. and whither is it passed Behold diligently first the end of one thing and then of that other and draw the near their sepultures. And thou shalt find nothing therein but only ashes. and the remnant stinking and full of worms. A remember thyself what is th'end of all mortal men/ be it so that they have passed the course of their lives in delectable pleasures or elliss in labour or in continence of their flesh. Yet all must die. saint Bernard. saith in his meditations Tell me now where be the amorous people of this world that late were among us. In truth there is nothing left of them but ashes and worms. Think thenne and remember often times. What thing they be/ and what they have been heretofore. Pard they have be men as thou art/ they have eaten and drunken/ lawhed and made great cheer in their times. And after in a moment they descended into hell. And their flesh delivered for worms meet/ and their soul given into hell. There to be tormented by fire unto that the body shall come and join again there unto And to be plunged together in thembracements or peyneful jehennes' sempiternel with them that have been their fellows in doing sins and committing vices without repentance penance and satisfaction. O what hath it prouffyced their vain glory their short joy and the puissance of this world the voluptuousness of the flesh the deceivable richesses the great nombre of their servants the unhappy concupiscens. where be their plays & disports their plays and disports. Where is their boasting and their worldly pride/ The more they had their delectacion and joyed therein here/ the more shall be their pain and sorrow there. And so after a greet voluptuous pleasure they shall have a miserable and a perpetual painful sorrow And their being shall torn them to Ruin and hard torments. Lo all that is common unto them may happen unto you. Thou art but a man. and homo de humo. That is to say a man made of earth. Thou art of th'earth/ and thou livest of the earth/ and to earth shalt torn again Of these foresaid amorous people of this world living fleshly and not dreading death/ which is their neyghburgh/ speaketh saint Bernard unto the brethren of the mount of our lord. O ye miserable sinners that suffer the wretchedness of this present life to return and lead you from the right weigh. And the mean time ye pass your days in making good cheer. Ye are descending to hell being on live. And thenne every of you may say the anguishes of sorrowful death have environed me And I have found myself in the peril of hell. These been the miserable creatures that this present life deceiveth Of whom is written in. job. the xxj chapitre. These felons whose life is enhanced in pomp and pride and be comforted by their riches/ They think that their seed shall abide always by the multitude of their friends and of their neighbours/ their houses to be always assured and in peace The rod of god not to come upon them/ their s●●en to conceive & not to be barren/ thincrease of them to grow and not to be take from them/ they rejoice themself in japees & disports/ they love the harp/ the taboryn/ the organs/ & all vanities. they continue a while in that mirth/ and suddenly they descend into hell. O how greatly is he defrauded and beguiled. O how foolishly is he mocked/ that for the flowering vain beauty of this world shall descend down into hell/ & lose the diadem of th'eternal glory. soothly the rich man that by sin hath deserved the pains of hell had been better to have lived virtuously in great need and poverty all his life. than to have great abundance of riches and at last for his sinful life to be dampened. Alas what proufiteth it thenne the great treasures and heaps of gold and silver. when sinners shallbe sent in to low tenebres of hell/ there to be pained and tormented everlastingly with out seizing. my right dear brother and friend what seist thou of the rich and mighty people of this world. Die they not aswell as other. In good faith me seemeth they be nothing privileged for as it is written in the book of sapience the seventh chapitre/ the entry of this life is one and commune to all and semblably so is the Issue. job seith in his xxj chapitre. This man dieth strong lusty and rich/ his bowel is be full of grece and his bones full of marry. And this other dieth lean and feeble full of sorrow and without any richesse. that notwithstanding they shall sleep both in powder and worms shall eat them. Lo bow the rich and puissant men of this world have their death commune and equal with the poor people. And therefore it is written in. Ecclesiaste in the x chapitre. The life of of puissant lordship is right brief For this day this man is a king/ and to morrow he is deed/ of such aching is red in the second chapitre of the first book of Maccabees how his glory is a foul dunghill and as vile as a worm he is to day enhanced: and to morrow there is no thing to be found of him. We have an example according of one of the highest and most excellent prince of this world That is to wete Alexandre the great king of Macedon that subdued unto his obeisance the universal world in such manner. that he was deemed to be only lord of the earth. And it is red that this Alexandre the great sometime king of Grece obtained many victories in many strange lands. And in his going by diverse regions subdeved unto his jurisdiction all the world And in another place is red of him that he was king of kings/ and that he saw all realms subject unto him whereby the wis of his renome and fortune made an hole monarch. That is to say an hole Empire of all the world For it was once all bond and subject unto him without disobeissaunce. And so he was greatest of all the large world. But what thing thereof ensued. After he had triumphantly gotten the only empire of the universal world/ was not that the stableness of regne/ the ꝑpetuite of might the health of his body/ and the long enduring of his life natural: Certainly no. But he was subdued by the same thing that is commune unto al. That is to wete Death Which is the last recourse after all fortune and destinies. Than might Alexandre we'll say at ●ou● of his death as. job. saide in the xuj chapitre of his book. I am he that sometime was rich and mighty. and suddenly am beaten down/ for he obtained only his Empire. But only by the space of xij years. And therefore it is written of him in an other place. That he reigned/ and was obeyed xij years. And after that he was subject unto death/ of whom liveth yet the renome & cannot die. Semblably complaining himself of the death he might say as is written in job the nineteen chapitre. My glory hath despoiled me/ and hath taken away the crown fro my heed/ she hath also utterly destroyed me/ wherthurgh I am lost. Lo how it appeareth manifestly hereby/ that death is th'end of all men. And also that how be it. julius cesar had all the world under his Empire/ Yet his glory failed him and rested lord but of a tomb of viij foot long. Whereby it seemeth that the majesty royal all worldly puissance all prosperous things/ and the ordinance of days: pass briefly from man without tarrying when the hour of death is common▪ And therefore seith an other poet If thou be wise thy wisdom departeth with thy death. If thou be abundant in richesse: it leaveth the at thy death. If thou be a prudent man: thy prudence finissheth with thy death. If thou be honest: by death it is taken from the. If thou be strong thy might faileth the by death. Certainly thenne I now know that the years that pass/ taketh from us all things Wherefore then if thou be rich strong or fair/ what wileth it. If thou be a bishop a prior or an abbot/ what wileth it. If thou be a greet excellent mighty lord/ If thou be a king or a pope/ what vaileth it. All passeth right hastily without long tarrying/ And here resteth but only the merits. whereof the good shall cause us to be glorified And therefore said Isidor in an omely. My right well-beloved brethrens/ we aught to think how brief and short is the worldly felicity/ how little is the glory of this world/ and how frail and failing is the temporal might thereof And therefore every man may say. Where be the kings where be the princes/ where be the emperors. where be the rich & mighty men of this world: they be all post like a shadow/ and vanyssed like a dream of the night. for though one would seek them they will not be found here. what shall I more say. the kings be passed & the princes be deed/ nevertheless there be many that weenen to live long & never to die But always to rest in this present life. Certainly they be fol●. For it shall not be so. But they shall die as other princes & men have done. For as Senek seith in his episteles to Lucyt. The issue of this present life is death It is written by a poet named jeta. The death undoth all living thing. and every life fynysseth by death. certain the worldly death concludeth all the vain felicitees of men For if thou did preach the faith of Abraham. The pite of joseph The charity of Moses. The strength of Samson. The sweetness of David. The miracles of Elizeus The richesse & prudence of king Solomon The beauty of Absalon. And in weeping occupied thextremities of all these in declaring their ends: the histories would show that there is but one conclusion. That is the say death. Here it appeareth right manifestly by the thing aforesaid. that beauty lineage conditions wit richesse nor worship can not keep a man/ but that he must stumble & fall & return to ashes for all thing that is engendered. runneth alway toward his death. ovid seith that all thing that is engendered asketh and requireth to come again to their universal mother That is to say the earth. For all that hath been and passed afore/ may be resembled to a running river. Semblably I feel it by myself wretch, that am brought all most to no thing, and have not known it/ for my days be passed fro me little, and little as a shadow. and I am dried as the wydered hay. Certainly we be no thing but powder. men's days be like the flowers in a medewe And themself may be likened to the hay. Now advise the thenne. for man is a thing that endureth but short space and is of resemblance to the flower, that groweth in the meadow. It is written in isaiah the xl chapitre. All human flesh is hay/ and his glory like the flowers of the field. Verily all people be hay/ and all hay drieth and wydereth, as the flower that is fallyn. But the word of our lord remaineth and is perdurable. Wherefore then doth a man set himself in pomp & pride being like the widered hay of field. It is written by Innocent in the book of our miserable condition. That human flesh is the vessel of filth, and a vessel of teres, a dry thouht, a stinking sack. The life of the flesh is labour/ The concepcion of the flesh is but filth/ The end thereof is rotynnesse. And the birth is but vile. It was first a sperm. That is to say. The seed of man/ and now it is a stinking sack. And after finally shall be worms meet in the earth. Now wherefore should a man then be proud. saint Bernard. seith in his book of Meditations. Wherefore should a man wax proud sithen the conception of man is in sin. And of all the birth in pain, the life in labour, and necessarily all must die. And after death turn to worms, And after worms to filth and stench. Lo thus finally every man is clearly converted and turned out of all humanity. Considre than the beginning of thy life, the middle, and also the last end. And thou shalt find therein a right greet occasion and cause to meek and humble thyself Now what sayst thou. what thinkest thou. what reckoning makest thou of thyself. art thou ought but powder of the earth. It is written in the xij chapitre, but more plainly in the iij chapitre of the same Ecclesiastes The powder returneth to the earth that it come fro. That is to weet to right a fowl rotten earth full of worms. And therefore writeth. job. in his xvij chapitre. I have said to rotennesse thou art my father and my moedre. and I have said to the worms ye be my brethren & my sisters. It is red in, Ecclesiasticus in the xvij chapitre that every man is earth and ashes, and thereof have take their being And also it was said to a man. Thou art but powdre/ and to powder shalt return And as Aleyn amonysseth & warneth the/ when thou shalt lie in the cold earth, thou shalt torn to powder & worms meet. & from thenceforth there shall no creature be in will to look upon the. For thy flesh shall be more rank in stench, than the flesh of a rotyn hound To this purpose seith that holy man. saint Bernard What is a more vile and stinking thing than the careyn of man. And what is a more odeous thing to be hold than a deed man. the more delectable he hath been in his life to the contrary his look shall be horrible after his death. What shall it proufite us richesses: delectations and worldly worshippis. The richesses defend us not from death/ nor delectations from the worms/ nor the worships from foul stinkings. O mighty God eternal/ in how myserabile chance is man enclosed. Certain my right dear friend: If thou thoughtest diligently of the things aforeseyde: Thou shouldest thereby find a right greet occasion to meek and humble thyself For the remembrance of death causeth humility in man. It appeareth weal by the third book of. Kings in the xxj Chapitre of. King Achab. Which when he heard by Hely the menacing of death/ and that it approached him: He meked himself in such wise that our Lord saide to the foresaid Hely Seest thou not how. Achab. humbled himself before me. It is said also that some tyme. when men made and created a pope: there was brought before him a piece of flax and there in set fire: saying these words following. Right thus passeth the vain glory of this world. Like to say. That as the fire burns lightly the flax: and converteth it in to ashes Semblably the glory of this world faileth and passeth Isidore reporteth also. That anciently it was accustomed at coronation of the Emperor of Constantinoble. When he was set in his most glory. A mason should come before him and show him three or four manner of marble stones, saying that he should cheese/ of which of those he would have his tomb made. It is red of saint Iohn the aumener that was sometime patriarch of Alexandre that had commanded to make his tomb/ and would in no wise it should be fully finished And ordained that in great and solemn festes. when he was in his highest honour, one should come unto him and say that thy tomb is not fully accomplished nor performed. give commandments that it be finished For thou knowest not how thou shalt die/ nor when that thief will come/ which is to understand the fiend That enforceth himself alway to destroy souls. And why did the pope the Emperor and the patriarch these thingis. Which were the men most excellent in estate of all the world/ but only to confess and knowledge to themself that they were mortal. and that they ought not to enhaunse themself in pride nor fortify them in hope of long life. Whereby they should have the more power in this vain worldly glory. But that they might have before hem then the remembrance of death to cause them to be the more humble in all their works And therefore seith a prophet. Know all people that men be comen and made of earth. And therefore they must necessarily die. It is also written in Ecclesiastes in the one & forty chapitre. All things that be come of the earth: shall be converted again to the earth. Whereof man is comen as it is weal known. And therefore seith Iheremyas the prophet in the xxij chapitre. Earth earth earth Now hearken my words. He called man thrice earth: by cause he may so be named in three manners First he is earth/ for he is made of the earth secondly his conversation is in the earth/ And finally he returneth into the earth/ So is he earth in his creation, in his conversation, and in his death/ He is earth by his nature in his life/ And in his Sepulture he hath savoured the earth/ he hath liked the earth, he hath desired and coveted the earth/ The body of man is taken and dolven in the earth/ And yet he forgetteth the celestial things/ and pleteth for the terrestreall And giveth battle for the earth. He goeth/ He cometh, and turneth about the earth to have the earth And often in angwysshes pain and labour/ now here now there/ And all for the earth/ and never seizing till be himself/ which is come from the earth be returned again to his first mother/ That is to say The earth/ It may be saide, as it is written in the third● book of Kings in the second Chapitre. Lo how I depart and pass the common weigh of the universal earth/ And for asmuch as we be bounden with slime of the earth, dung of the earth, and be right vile thing. Wherefore should we thenne be proud of ourself/ knowing we be come from the earth/ living in the earth/ conversing in the earth/ and finally shall return into the earth. as every day it appeareth evidently unto all people:::::   

¶ How Remembrance of death maketh a man to despise all things::: ¶ The third chapitre of this first principal part  
Remembrance of death causeth a man to mislike all earthly vain things, and to repute them as no thing. Therefore saith saint Iherome. in his prologue of the Bible. That easily he despiseth all bad thing: that alway remembreth/ how he must die. The concupiscens of eyen is despised, when one remembreth that he shall shortly part and leave all earthly things The concupiscens of the flesh is despised: when one remembreth, that his body shall become worms meet In a moment the pomp and pride of this life is set at nought: when a man counterpeyseth in his heart, how he that would be above all other: shall be hastily cast into the earth under the feet of other. For this cause saith. saint Iherome. in a pistle that he sent unto Cypryane. Remember the weal of thy death: and thou shalt not sin. He then that alway beareth in Remembrance, how he must die: dispraiseth easily all things present: disposing himself to all good things that be to come. Certainly. Esau. considering how death was nigh unto him: dispraised lightly all worldly things. It is written in Genesis. in the five and twenty Chapitre. Lo behold I die/ and what shall proufite me all those things that I am born unto Isidore also advertising himself of the shortness of this prrsent life/ which is so soon passed & that all that men seem to have in possession here shall be left suddenly by death: exhorted every man to dispraise such things. saying if thou wilt be in rest and peace desire no thing of this world. and so thou shall be quiet in thy courage, if thou put from the all desires and corious business of this present life. Set a part all thing that may disturb and let thy good purpose be thou deed to the world. and the world to the. and as though thou were deed: behold the vain glory of this world. And as a man passed: dissever and departed the from the voluptuousness of this world. And as a man finished: have this world in no cheerte And as a man passed out of this world, purge the of all manner of filths. And also whyle●thou art a live dispraise all that thou mayst not have when thou art deed. Senek saith that there may not thing profit the so moche in that temperance and dispraising of all worldly things as shall do to think often of the short enduring/ and the incerteynte of this present life. Thenne my right dear friend Remember often in thy courage: how thou must die. It is red in a book made of the gift of dread. How long a go, there was right a wise philosopher that wholly abandoned him to the vanities of this world/ Which in a time herd red of the long life of Ancient fathers/ and of every of them was saide in the end he is deed. As is written in Genesis. in the fifth chapitre. then he thought in himself/ that semblably death should happen unto him as it did unto those. for he was right old. And hastily he entered into religion: and took th'order of ffrere preachers: and was after made master of theology in Paris. And from that day forth lived a full holy life. O how we'll had this man before his eyen the words of Ecclesiastes in the eleventh chapitre. saying. That man/ which had lived many years alway glad and joyful/ he aught to remember weal his last days/ and the coming of the tenebrous tyme. For then it shall be but vanity/ to argue of things passed for his remedy. Certainly at day of death appeareth vanity of vanities/ and how all things shall be then vain and nought For this cause it is written in Ecclesiastes in the third Chapitre. Alle things here be resting under vanity: and true it is all things of this world/ and every of them be vain/ For our life/ and every worldly creature is but vanity. And therefore saith the Prophet. That universally every living man is vanity. Thou weenest to live long: and many years to possess delicyously thy temporal goods. Certain my right dear friend/ It shall be all other wise For man is made semblable unto vanity and his days pass as a shadow. Behold now and see how thy days shall be but short/ and an other shall come and take thy possessions. To this purpose seith Chaton. Promitte never to thyself that thou shalt have long space of life/ For in what place so ever thou entre: death followeth alway the shadow of thy body And therefore if thou look upon the words that be saide. And also conceive diligently in thy heart that shall be showed the hereafter: thou shouldest rather say these words than other wise. I go now to my death/ and trust to live after by a long space. All be it peradventure this is the last day of my life. The holy and blessed man. saint Luke. seith in his xij chapitre. O thou fool/ this night thy soul shall be axed of the and be certain that the disposicion of thy tabernacules is but light. As is written in the second epistle of saint Petre. in the first chapitre. Think thenne that thou art deed: when thou knowest necessarily that after a nombre of years thou art certain to die. Therefore dispraise all transitory things that must be hastily left/ as is to say without any tarrying though it to be loath unto the. The poet telleth that wisdom/ rentis of lands possession of richesses/ the making of walled towns/ the building of houses/ the glorious manner of living at the table as well in pleasant drinks: as in delicious meats. the feire soft beds: we'll hanged and dressed. the white table clothes the bright burnyssed cups the rich garmentis contrary to good manner. the greet flokkes or herdis of beestis The greet countries of arable lands. the vyneyerdes plenteously set with wines. and the joy and the love of his proper children. Yet shall all this be relynquysshed pass and be lost/ and no thing be found thereof hereafter. By these things may be seen that in this present life is no thing stable nor permanent. which ought to cause dread. Therefore writeth Ecclesiastes in the second Chapitre. I have greetly exalted my works. I have edified me fair houses. I have planted wines. I have made gardens/ Wherein I have graffed of all manner of trees. I have also cast poondes. and stagnes. and have set trees in the forest. I have had servants and chamberers and greet company in my household more than ever had any afore me in Iherusalem I have had greet flokkes of sheep/ and droves of beasts. I have assembled for me gold and silver/ and gathered the treasure of kings/ and of the provinces/ my neighbours. And also have herd afore me singers/ both men and women. and many delectations of the children of men. And have done so moche/ that I have surmounted in richesse all that have been before me in Iherusalem Wisdom also hath always persevered in me. and all that ever mine eyen have desired I have not denied them/ nor defended/ but that they have used all voluptuousness. & they have had no delectation But in such things/ that I had ordained them. And when that I turned me & beheld well all these things/ & the works that my hands had wrought/ & looked upon the labour that I had many times sweat in/ & all for nought I perceived then & knew we'll/ that all my works were but vainte/ & affliction of spirit/ And that under the son in this world was no thing permanent nor sure. Now in trougth all things pass here like a shadow. Therefore seith john de garlandia That all thing of this world/ that was Is and shallbe: perisseth in the moment of an hour. What proufiteth than to have been. to be now. or to be hereafter. certain these be iij things blowing without flowers. for all thnigis that were/ be or shall be have a finishing. The world passeth and the concupiscens thereof also. And there for it is serd. Wherefore taketh a wiseman thought forto gete treasure which is soon lost. And saint Bernard seith in his book of meditations. wherefore maketh any man treasure here of riches: sethen without delay both that that is assembled and he that gathereth it passen and be lost together. O thou man what avail intends thou to have in this world: when the fruit is but ruinous and the end death. My cordial and good friend/ now would god that thou wouldest understand weal these things. and surely ordain for thy last things. Petre de Bloys. saith in a pistle. that the deceivable vain glory of this world beguileth all those that loveth it. For all that ever it promitteth in time to come/ or pretendeth in time present faileth & cometh to nought as water cast upon the earth. Behold then how frail/ how deceivable/ and how vain is the world and the joy thereof/ that we desire so mickle. O thou fool wherefore dispisest thou not lightly those things that thou seest so shortly fail & pass. Knowest thou not how the world is right nought and furious. And that in languyssing/ it perisseth by the gleyve of the right cruel death it is atrouthe that none argument can serve to the contrary. Wherefore. and by these things afore rehearsed: it appeareth manifestly how remembrance of death should cause despising of all worldly things and withdrawing a man from falling to sin.:.:.   

¶ How Remembrance of death maketh a man to take upon him penance.:.:. ¶ The fourth chapitre of the first principal part  
Following th'order before set. It is now to inquire diligently, how remembrance of death causeth a man to do penance & gladly to accept it. This appeareth clearly by jonas the prophet in the third chapitre, speaking of them of Ninive. which did penance for fere of death. Wherefore saint Iohn baptist. enduceth men also to do penance. As saint Luke writeth in his third Chapitre. saying. Do ye the dign fruits of penance. And he saith afterward. The axe is set to the rote of the tree. Which signifieth the threatenings of death. And therefore saith. saint Ambrose. upon Luke Alas lord if I have not he wailed my sins. Alas lord if I have not risen at midnight to confess me to the/ Alas if I have beguiled my neigburgh/ Alas if I have not alway saide trougth. The axe is ready set to the rote. Every man therefore thenne do penance/ and deserve the fruit of grace. For here cometh the lord to ask the fruit of our life. For this cause job considering the shortness of this present life, had liefer and chase to have repentance presently. than afterward whereby should grow no fruit. The same. job. said in his tenth Chapitre. Shall not my short days briefly finish. Yes in trougth. The life present is right short Alas than a little while let me complain and bewail my sorrow afore my departing into the tenebrous darkness of death without returning. And it is also said in job the xiv chapitre. That man's days be brief. It is written in the first pistle ad Corintheos in the seven chapitre. ●he time is brief. Were it not better than now briefly to abstain a little pain: then afterward when it can not profit to repent without proufyt and bewail it infynytely 〈◊〉 saint Austyn saith that better is a little bitterness 〈◊〉 the month: then eternally to suffer pain in all the hoo● body of man. Also he saith in a sermon. That the life of every man from his youth to his age is but short/ though Adam lived yet. and should this day die. what should it avantaged him to have lived so long. soothly little or nought. but he might say the time of my life is past And also saith a. Wise man. What should it proufyt a man to live. CC. years/ when at his death/ he shall think all his life is passed as wind. And. saint Austyn. saith upon the. psalter. If thou hadst lived since Adam. was chased out of paradise terestre till now/ and that thou shouldest die this day: thou shouldest think thy life not long, which so soon should pass. Now how long so ever a man's life be, take that it may be lengthened as much more to cause many years: Yet it shall fail and vanish as the shining of the morrow son. And the same. saint Austyn. seith in an Omely that we be more frail and brotyll: then though we were made of glass. For all be it that glass is brotill. Yet if it be well kept, it may endure right long. But man's life be it never so well and diligently kept it may not long endure Therefore it is written to the hebrews in the ix chapitre It is established and ordained every creature once to die And. Senek. seith in his book of remedies against fortune. That our life is but a pilgrimage/ and when one hath long walked: he must fynaly return. This necessity to die, and shortness of the life of man was well considered by the paynim Xerses Of whom. Saint Iherom. wrote in a pistle to Eliodorus seeing that this puissant king Xerses which subverted the monteyns and covered the sees, being once in right high place looked upon the infinite multitude of his host and tenderly wept/ by cause he knew that none of those whom he beheld should live over an. C. years. It is a thing right necessary in the world/ that man's life be not long lasting. And as Balam seith It is likened to a tree having ij worms freting in the rote/ the one black and the other white in the similitude of the day and the night which incessantely gnauwe the rote of the tree of life. saint Austyn. upon the seeing of. saint Iohn in his third chapitre treating upon this question. Quid est vita nostra. etc. This life is a doubtful life, a blind life and a needy life/ humours make it to bolne/ sorrows make it feeble, heat drieth it, eyer disposeth it to sickness/ meet maketh it to sweet/ fasting maketh it lean Pleyes maketh it to err/ wailing destroyeth it/ business constraineth it/ sewerte maketh it rude/ rekles richesse enhanceth it/ poverty abateth it/ weeping abasheth it/ youth maketh it wanton/ age maketh it to yield/ sickness maketh it to break. And after all this cometh death/ Which destroyeth and maketh ann end thereof with all his joys in such wise/ as when the joys be passed: all seemeth as they had never been Also it is red in the book of Sapience in the second Chapitre. That the days of our life nies but short/ and yet are they full of grievance. We be made: and wot not whereof. And after we shall be: as we had never been. For our days passen as doth a shadow. It is red in the same book of Sapience in the same chapitre That our life passeth like the trace of a cloud/ and shall fail as the little cloud/ that is broken by the might of the son beams. It is written in. job. the seven chapitre. Behold how my days be all passed/ and I shall go forth in the path, and shall never return again Also the same. job. saith in the ix chapitre. My days are passed more lightly than a courier or a messenger They are goon lightly away as ships done/ that be charged with appelles. Or as an egell doth i'll for his meet. job saith also. My days be passed more lightly than cloth is cut from the lome/ and they be all wasted without any hope of recovery. O lord god remember then is my life ought but wind/ and shall not my eyen return again to see the good things to come. To that purpose spketh Petre de Bloys in his book called Aurora My life shallbe sooner out of this world, than a web of cloth cut from the lome. Remember the then how thy life may be resembled to the wind. Lo now my right dear friend how short, how little, how mutable, how deceiving is this our life present/ for as it said in. Ecclesiastes in the xviij chapitre. It is great age in a man to be C year old. But by succession of time it is greetly aminysshed It is written in the. Psalter. The days of our years be lxx. and if we may come to. four score. year: the surplus is no thing but labour and sorrow. But what is it of lx year: or yet of. C. ought this to be taken for a long time and a greet space of years: Certainly nay in regard to ward the sempiternite. It ought rather be named a moment than a space of tyme. For to our lord a. M. year is but as yesterday. which lightly is past Vereily this life is short and transitory: painful and wretched/ it is not only to be thought nor poised for the shortness. But moche more for the nicerteynte thereof which is doubtful: and full of casuel apparel: and we be not sure thereof day nor hour. And when it showeth us suwerte and peace: thenne suddenly cometh death. and with it peradventure that falls thef Satan Therefore saith to us a poet. Who is he knowing himself to live many years: since we know not whether we shall die tomorrow or sooner. It is written in isaiah the xxxviij chapitre seeing. Dispose thy house: for thou shalt die soon: and not long live isaiah seith also in the same chapitre. That my life is kit from me as a piece of cloth from the lome. And when I began first the live/ then began death to approach toward me. For this cause it is said in the book of. Sapiens in the fifth chapitre. We be soon born. and soon leave our being. To this purpose saith Senek in his pisteles. Every day we die/ & every day is taken away from us part of our life Than thus what is our life: ought else but a passage, or a running toward death. And therefore it is not unreasonable that she be likened to an Orylage, which goothe alway from degree to degree continually moving till it come to a certain point/ & thenne it striketh suddenly upon the bell, which constraineth the sown. Semblably our life passeth alway and runneth till it come to a certain point. That is to wit. The hour of our death which our lord hath prefixed and no man may it pass/ and than our life falleth and faileth without remedy. Awake then and intend wisely to the end of thy life/ For thine Orylage hath but few degrees to run/ and every hour she overpasseth many And when it cometh to the last: thou shalt stumble suddenly into the cavern or cave of death. Now hearken what a Poet saith. The present life is short alw●ey fleeing/ and fadeth as a shadow, and departeth & falleth suddenly, when on wenes that she be most permanent and abiding/ and in the mids of our life: we be often at our death. And therefore have we in Ecclesiastes in the ix chapitre. That man knoweth not his end/ but as a fish taken with a net, & the birds with a trap. Semblably men be taken at inconvenient times. thus cometh our end & death is the last thing to all things bearing life. It is written in a book of the life & of the deeds of greet. Alexandre O how happy should a man be if he had alway in remembrance of the eternal joys. & dread death that is ordained as well to the nobles as to the pour people/ Which cometh to the greet peril & danger of the soul when it is unpurveyed Lo here thenne my right dear friend, thou seest weal that the life of man is but a thing dyked about, and enuirounde with ruyvous death, our flesh is but ashes. And such as was the beginning: such shall be the end saint Bernard. saith. when I Remember that I am but ashes/ and that mine end approacheth my dread and fere is without end, and I wax cold as ashes And therefore as. saint Gregory. saith. That man sollyciteth weal his good works: that thinketh alway upon his last end. And we should dread that every day should be our last day. And alway have in mind: that necessarily we must die. Who may have then a bold courage considering the shortness the gre●t incerteynte of our life. the approaching of our death which is coming. Who is he also that ought not think diligently that our days & our years fail and waste as the smoke. And that man naturally born liveth but a short space, and fadeth as a flower, and fleeth a weigh like a shadow. Who is he also that calleth these things to mind, and peises them weal in his heart. and so subdeweth the devil the flesh and the world and repenteth him in this short space/ To say you troth there be noon that defer and be negligent so to do: but only those that be all blinded in malice and lack of grace. O how greet a pain shall ensue of negligens Thappostel. saith to the. Hebrues. in the second chapitre. How shall we flee that despise so greet an health As to say. we might have heaven though we would. And saint Effran. saith. My right dear brotherens and friends: If we be negligent in the little space of time that we have now: we shall have no manner of excusation to allegge for remedy of our sins. Therefore dispraise not the shortness of this tyme. But do penance while ye have space here: for after it will be to late and without fruit. And better is to do penance here/ than infenytely & world without end to repent it. Now haste ye therefore & tarry not. Lest that ye finally be shut out with the v fatuat & fonned virgins saint Mathewe saith in his xxv chapitre. Lo here is the spouse come, & those that were ready: been entered with him to the wedding. whereupon saint Gregory saith. That the palace of the heart might weal asavoured how wonderful was that word. Here is the spouse which is come. How sweet was that word to them: that entered with him to the wedding. And how bitter was the other word. The yates be shut & closed. My dear friend If thou died savour & understand weal all this things & beheldest them weal in thine heart Certainly thou wouldest run with all diligence for to do penance. & would not lose so unproufitably, & without fruit the acceptable time & days of thy health. for no manner of voluptuous plaisers or other idleness. And as it is written in the apocalypse in the second chapitre. Remember the fro whence thou art fall or departed, & do penance. It is red how in days passed it happened in the Abbey of Cleruaulx that an holy man being in his prayers heard a voys making a peteous lamentation/ And as he asked who it was: A soul answered saying. I am the soul of a dampened man complaining mine unhappy cause of condempnacion. And then he demanded him of his pain/ which answered that of all things that causeth most pain to a dampened soul was loss of time, that god had ordained man by his grace that he in a little time might have done penance. which should deliver him from the everlasting pains of the gehenna of hell. To this purpose said. Hugh of saint Uictour. The lakking of the sight of our lord. & failing of all the goods of grace, that we might have had should surmount and be more grievous unto the. than all the infernal torments. let us do good works while we have time, lest we say in repentance. As is said in Iheremyas in the viij chapitre. That is to wit. harvest is past, Summer is finyssed, and we be not saved. Wherefore my friends I require and humbly pray you, That ye will amend yourself in short time and make you ready in this. x. hour. for the evening hasteth him. And the Rewardeur shall come to yield every man after his works. Hit may appear by these examples. how Remembrance of death should induce a man to do penance. It is red of a felonous and a cruel knight. which would never accept nor do any penance enjoined him by pope Alexandre And at last the pope gave him his Ring/ that he should bear it on his finger: by weigh of penance. And as often as he beheld it to think on his death. And when he had born it a space of time with that Remembrance on a day he come again to the pope saying/ he was ready to shrine him/ & to fulfil any other manner of penance/ that he would enjoin him. It is red of an other sinner that in like wise would do no penance/ & at last his confessor enjoined him that he should command his servant to present him every day at his table with the first mess/ a staff the rind scorched of. saying. Sir remember that necessarily ye must die. not knowing/ where/ when/ in what manner/ nor how. And as this was a good while continued, because of that Remembrance/ alle that he eat turned him to grief and trouble. And then he called again for his confessor. saying he was ready to do and obey any penance, that he would ordain. For his heart v●s marvelously brought in greet trouble by the fere of death, which he was in. Lo by these things aforhersed appeareth then clearly I enough how Remembrance of death causeth a man to humble himself/ to despise all worldly things/ & acceptably take upon him to do penance and consequently to eschew sins. And therefore my right dear brethren and friends, remember you often/ ye and right often, that ye shall die. And if ye bear in your minds the death, ye shalt weal come by that remembering to the most happy resort of life. That is to wit The heritage of our Lord Jesus' Crist   
¶ And thus endeth the first part of this treatise divided in four::::::   


¶ Here beginneth the prologue of the second party of the four last things::::  
THe second part of the four last things whereof frequenting the Remembrance revoketh and calleth us from sin: Is the last and final day of judgement of which the Remembrance draweth us not only from the deadly greet sins. But also from the small venial. And therefore it is red in. Uias Patrum. in the life of fathers. That an Ancient man seeing a young man laugh dissolutely: saide son we must give account of all our life, before heaven and earth Why laughest thou so fast. As who saith, If thou knewest how straight a reckoning shall be at the day of doom of all sins aswell greet as small: Certainly thou wouldest not laugh. But rather sorrow and complain. Now is here the place to weep and to put a weigh sins. And those that now weep for their sins shall laugh hereafter. saint Gregory saith in his Omely That the gladness of this time present aught to be but such/ as thereby the bittirnesse of the day of judgement be/ ●ot put out of remembrance. Therefore it is written in Ecclesiastes the xxxviij chapitre. Bear my judgement in remembrance. And also our lord by his prophet in the psalter seith. when I shall see or take the time, I will dame & do justice to every one. And johel saith in his last chapitre. All men arise and come togethers into the vale of josephath For there I shall fit & judge all manner of people about me Iheremyas. in his second Chapitre saith that our lord saith. I shall amownte with you in judgement. Of this judgement is written in Ozee the iiij chapitre, Ye children of Israhel/ here ye the word of our lord of the final judgement that pertaineth to our lord upon thinhabitants of the earth/ soothly this judgement is greetly to be doubted. Therefore saith the. Prophet. I dread for thy judgements. It is written in the book of Sapience in the fifth Chapitre/ They that see the greet judge/ shall be horribly troubled/ plaining and wailing the dread of their souls/ Certainly in this day shall all people be troubled, and they that dwell in the utterest party of the world shall fere those tokens and signs/ and they shall doubt them, and not without cause/ For they shall be marvelously horrible. saint Luke. saith in his xxj Chapitre. When the son of man shall show himself/ That is to say. The child of the virgin marry coming in a cloud in majesty with a greet puissance: thenne shall the signs show in the son, in the moan, and in the stars/ And on the earth shall ●e pressure of people dreading to be confused with the sound of the ●●awes of the see/ Men universally of all the world shall fall down for the dread and fere that they shall have then. O thou wretched man remember of the terrible coming of this judge: that is both god and man/ Which afore him hath a brenning fire/ And a strong tempest. I say there shall a fire go afore him Which shall flame holy about his enemies. It is written to the. Hebrues. in the tenth Chapitre. Right terribyll is the abiding of this judgement. And the fere thereof, which shall destroy his adversayres. And Malachyas. saith in his third Chapitre. See here the day that shall come flaming like a Chemenye. And thenne it shall burn all proud men: and tho●s that have committed felony. It is red in isaiah in the xluj Chapitre. Here is our Lord that shall come and judge by fire. And. johel in his second Chapitre saith. He shall have a fire before his face devouring and behind him a brenning flame. For this cause saith Malachyas in his third Chapitre. who shall he be then that shall mow see our Lord. For he shall be as a fire glowing, set to make clean, and purge silver Who is then he of devout courage that shall not dread with all his heart this judge & his coming. And therefore seith saint Gregory upon Ezechiel. Who may have that courage/ but that shall fere & dread the presence of the eternal judge/ when all things shall come then to the sight of every man. & all things done afore by delectation shall be with right greet dread called to remembrance. Certeyn as it is written in the proverbs in the xxxviij chapitre The evil men thinken not of the judgement. But they the desiren & dreaden god: have in their hearts all good things. saint Bernard saith in a prose Truly I dread ●ore the visage of the judge that shall come to whom no thing can be hid/ & shall no thing rest unpunished. And who shall he be of us that shall not dread when the iuge shall come which shall have fire brenning before him to the destruction of all sinners. Certainly this last judgement ought greetly to be dread and for iij causes. ¶ The first thaccusaments shall be in many manners. which all sinners ought grievously to wail. The second is the right straight sentence upon our governance that singularly shall be made to every thing. The third is the horrible feerful abiding of the judgement, which then by the Just judge shall be terribly given. These things all sinners ought tymerously dread. which by consequens the Remembrance thereof should withdraw man from doing sin  
¶ Here endeth the prologue of the second part   

¶ How the Accusation that shall be at the day of do●●e is to be dread ¶ The first chapitre of the second part  
THe first thing thenne. whereby th' final judgement ought specially to be dread: is the many and diverse accusations. Which shall be there against all sinners. Wherefore it is to be known that we find in holy scriptures seven things that accuse sinners at the greet day of judgement. ¶ The first is our proper conscience. Which shall argue against the sinner, not secretly: but manifestly then afore all. It is written in. Damele in the seventh chapitr. Thy judgement is set. and the books be open. That is to wete. the consciences which then be openly uttered. In those books be contained the sciences of life or of death, of glory and of confusion, of salvation perpetual, or damnation eternal. It is red also in the twenty Chapitre of the apocalypse. That deed men shall be judged of the things written in their own books. That is to say. in their consciences. Therefore it is written in the Pistle to the romans in the second Chapitre. That their consciences shall bear them witness. For as witness of the evil conscience is th'accusation, the pain, and the torment of sinners: Right so shall the good conscience be help and salvation to the good creatures. The second thing that shall accuse the sinners/ shall be the fiends and the evil spirits. Which falsely and traitorously have procured and stirred men to sin. And of all that the sinner hath done they will accuse him/ as one thief accuseth an other of oon felony done by them both  
It is written in the. apocalypse. the. xij. Chapitre The fiend is called the accuser of brethren. And saint Austyn. saith. They be all before the judicial seat of Ihesu Criste/ And there the devils shall be ready. Which shall rehearse the words of our profession and shall appose to our face that we have done/ and wherein we have sinned/ and in what place/ and what we ought to have done/ and left it undone Truly our adversary that same fiend shall say then O right wise and just judge: Deme this man to be mine for his sins: For he will not be thine by grace. He is thine by nature: He is mine by his misery. He is thine by thy passion He is mine by persuasions. He hath been disobeysaunt unto the. He hath been consenting unto me. He hath received of thee, the stole of immortality: and of me this blakke garment that he weareth of perpetual death he hath left thy liver and hath taken mine, he hath left thy joy and bliss. and hath taken my sorrow and pain. O thou just judge. judge him therefore to be mine, and that he be condemned with me perpetually. these words said our lord unto. saint Austyn. The third thing that accuseth sinners/ shall be angels, and the happy good spirits. Certain it is to be believed, that he that hath given them our souls to keep: shall require to have Reason of that keeping And as those that never lie nor wol take upon them the sin or fault of other: must needs say. they be not to blame. But the gilt is in us sinners. Which would not obey nor believe them: Semblably it is nat the default of the physycien, which doth his cure as it appertaineth if he he'll not his patient which is disobe●s●unt unto him. And therefore it is written in jeremy the one and thirty chapitre. We have had Babylon in Cure, and yet she is not heeled. These be the words of the Angeles as they will say. We have done all that was necessary to be done to Babylon to th'end that she should be cured, and beled. But it is in her default that she is not be led. This. Babylon is to be likened to man's Soul The fourth thing that shall accuse sinners, shall be creatures. And if thou ayed me. Which creatures they be. I answer thee, all and every one of them by themself. For and the creator of all things be offended, all the good creature shall have him in hate: that hath displeased him For as. job. saith in his twenty chapitre. The heavens shall show and lift up the evil works of the sinners and the earth shall address him against them. For our Lord shall call unto him the heaven above, and the earth beneath to discern his people. And therefore saith Crisostom. upon the. Gospel of saint Mathewe. There is no thing that we shall mow remedy by answer that day: when the heaven and the earth the son and the moan. the night and the day and all the world shall bear witness ageyns us for our sins. Therefore saith. saint Gregory. If thou ask me. Who shall accuse the. I say to thee, alle the world. And that the creatures shall not only accuse the sinners. But also shall require the Creator of all things to take vengeance on them for their sins. To this purpose it is written in the book of Sapience in the fifth Chapitre. He shall arm all creatures to take vengeance on his Enemies And with him shall fight all the world against those: that have been Insensate. That is to wit Against sinners. all creatures seeing him that is maker of all things shall chase them to cause torments to be given upon those that have not be Just  
The five things that shall accuse the Sinners, they shall be myserabyll persons, that have suffered so many wrongs. For then they shall accuse those that have done them wrong pain & torment. At the time shall the word of the prophets be verified which seith. I have known weal that our lord will give judgement. for the pour folks that have suffered wrong. and shall avenge the quarrel of those that be impotent for he that beholdeth the deep bottoms of the sees, and sitteth a 'bove all the Cherubynnes and seraphins/ and goeth a 'bove all the winds: He is more terrible to be dread in his counsels and wills than is the sons of men. He shall judge thenne pour men's causes that have been constant. And shall hold ageyns those that have done them many angwisshes. Thenne shall the father of Orphans, and the judge of wydewes benge all wrongs, the paciens of pour folks shall not thenne perish. The subjects shall also accuse the felones and negligent prelate's & curates. And therefore seith saint Bernard. upon the. Canticles. O how cruel our lord shall be upon the sons of men. Certeyn the wretched synnere shall say thenne all for nought to the monteynes. Fall ye upon us and to the Rokkes cover ye us. They shall come thenne before the tribunal seat of jesus Crist where shall be herd full grievous accusations by those that have paid their wages, and born their dispenses wrongfully and their sins shall not be defaced, nor hid, of those that fraudulently have blinded their doctors and confessors. The uj thing that shall accuse sinners, shall be malice and sin. We read in jeremy the second chapitre. Thy malice shall accuse thee, and thy refusing shall blame the. For the sins shall thenne be bound unto the neck of sinners. To this purpose seith. Ozee in his xiij chapitre. The iniquity of effraym is bound together and his sins be not hid. We read mine iniquities be trussed and laid in mine neck, and as the stolen good taken in the neck of a thief accuseth him: semblably sin shall then accuse the wretched sinner. It is written also in the. Proverbijs. the fifth chapitre. iniquities shall take the felon' sinners and there every of them shall be taked and strained with coordies of their sins And the. Prophet. seith the cords of my sins have enuirounde, and goon round about me. By the which cords I say also the wicked folks by devils shall be drawn in to hell: Certainly they fall into their nets: and be taken by their baits. We read of the property of ann Irchyn which. that when he entereth into a garden: he loadeth him with apples stiking on his prikkes, And when the gardener comes: he would flee, but he is thenne so ladyn: that he can not away. And so he is there taken with all hi● apples. Semblably falleth it to the sinner/ that is all laden with sins, and at the greet day of judgement he is with them taken & accused. Wherefore saith the psalter Our lord shall be known in making his judgements & handweerkes, and the sinner shall be taken. Upon the which seith Crissostom Our own thoughts, and specially our works shall be afore our eyen, and shall accuse us afore god. And therefore seith. saint Bernard. Our works and we shall speak together and say. O miserable sinner thou hast made us/ we been thy works, we will not leave thee, but go with the to thy judgement. It is red in ezechiel the xviij chapitre. Like as the justice of the Rightwys man shall be on and for him Right so the felony of the felon' shall rest upon him  
The. Psalter. saith. Here ye all people, here/ and retain weal in your ears all ye that dwellyn in this world. Wherefore shall I not be dreadful in that evil day. That is to wite. The day of doom, Which shall not only be evil to me. But it shall be right evil to every sinner. Whereunto he answereth himself saying. I shall dread then: For the iniquity of my feet shall environ me. The seventh and the last thing that shall accuse sinners: shall be the torments and instruments of the passion of Ihesu Criste. And also Ihesu Criste himself. Wherefore saith. saint Iherome. The cross of Ihesu shall fight against the Ihesu Crist shall show and allegge his wounds again the And the trace of the saide wounds shall speak against the The nails shall compleyn on the. As saint Austyn seith in his treat of symbol. peradventure our lord hath kept in his body the trace of tokens of his wounds, to th'intent that at the day of doom, he will show them against sinners to their reproach. And in venquissing them say Lo here behold the man that ye have ocucified. See here god and man/ in whom ye would have no believe. Look upon the wounds that ye have made him/ knowledge the side that ye have wounded and hurt. which hath been opened for you. But ye have not weal entered therein. Ihesu Criste also then accusing the sinners, shall say as Naum saide in his third chapitre. I shall show thy defaults afore thy face, & shall show to the people thy nakedness & to the reams thy shame. Ozee in his second chapitre saith I shall manifest & show thy folly afore the eyen of thy lovers. and there is, no man may draw the out of my hands. O how desolate and how sorrowful that the miserable sinners shall be in the day of the greet judgement. For thenne as it is written in the first Chapitre of the. apocalypse. Every eye shall see him/ and all the lineages of the earth shall compleyn on him. then sinners seeing all this shall be full of anguissches and sere   

¶ How the last judgement shall be terrible. For thenne shall be given reckoning of all thing ¶ The second chapitre of the second part  
THe second thing that shall cause the extreme and last judgement to be dreadful, shall be the straight reckoning and accounts of our vile deeds in all thing. saint Luke. saith in his xuj Chapitre. Yield Reason of thy deeds, for after this life thou shalt mow no more work. My Right dear friend if thou shouldest give a reckoning and accounts of a. M. ll. before a temporal Lord prudent and wise thou wouldest be full we'll ware and take good heed how thou shouldest make him a Just and a due reckoning Have thou thenne moche more thouhnt and be more dread full to yield good reckoning and accounts of all thing that thou hast committed and done, and of thy duty left undoon. When thou shalt come before god, his angels, and all his saints. In whose presence necessarily thou must account. And not only of the greet things: but also of the small. Ye unto the least part of them. And as it is written in the third Chapitre of isaiah Our Lord shall come to judge with all his most Ancient people Zacharyas in his fourteenth Chapitre saith. Our Lord my God shall come, and his saints with him. That is to wite. To the general judgement. Which shall be done before all openly and not in hydelies. And therefore it is greetly to be doubted. For it is written in Zophonyas. in the third Chapitre. He shall hold his judgement in the morning by day light. and shall not hide him. There shall be thenne many diverse Reasons to give reckoning of all● things. First of our Sowle/ which hath been committed and given us by God. Now truly if a King had delivered his daughter to oon of his subjects that he entirely loved/ intending to make her a queen in his Ream. And if the saide subject had not kept her weal. Who would doubt: but that the King would have a reckoning, and know the cause/ how and why, his daughter had be so evil and ne●●ligently kept. What shall the King of heaven do then to him that hath taken his daughter to keep. That is to wit. The soul. Which he loveth specially and intendeth to enhaunse to Royal dignity in heaven though he have kept her evil, shall not God therefore ask to have thereof reckoning and Reason: Yes hardly It is written in Deutronomij the fourth Chapitre. Keep thoughtfully thyself and thy soul also And saint Austyn saith. It is a greater loss of one soul: then of a. M. bodies. saint Bernard seith in the Book of his Meditations That all this present world may not be esteemed nor valued to so high a prico as one soul. Also he saith. Wherefore makest thou thyself fat and enournest thy flesh with precious stones. Which after a few days worms shall eat within thy sepulture. And wherefore makest thou not thy soul fair with good manners and virtues. which atte the day of doom ought to be presented to God and his Angeles. Wherefore takest thou noon heed to make her fair and clean against that tyme. And why appliest thou rather to thy flesh, than to her. why puttest thou the chamberer before the lady as to be governed rather by thy flesh, than by thy soul. It is a greet abusion. saint Bernard saith him self in the book of dispraising of the world. Now a days the cure and the charge of the soul is despised and left, and thaccomplisshement of all their desire is after the will of the flesh. they dread not to do sin nor Remember not how they shall be rigorously punissed. My Right dear friend. wilt thou thenne love better things of little value. than those that be more dign and of higher price Enhaunse not thy body/ and suffer never the lady to become Chamberer. To this purpose saith Crissostom If we dispraise our soul, we may not save our body Truly the soul is not made for the body, but the body is made for the soul. Thenne he that dispraiseth the highest and first thing. and enhanceth the second and the lowest: hurteth both the one and the other But he that keepeth therein good ordre, exalteth & keepeth y● that is chef/ & dispraiseth that, that is second. for he healeth that, that is most dign and first. That is for to say the soul. If thou wolt than save thy soul, & yield god a good reckoning thereof. Instruct her with science, and divine virtues. Plato saith in his book of Thymeo The soul is joined with the body, to th'intent/ that she may learn science & virtue. If she come with winnings she so to be received of her maker. And if not she then to be sent into hell there to remain in torment and pains perpetual. secondly we must yield Reason and reckoning of our body. It is our Castle committed and delivered us by God. Wherefore saith. saint Bernard. He keepeth weal a good Castle/ that keepeth 〈◊〉 his body. There shall be axed reckoning of the ●e●yng of this Castle/ As weather the enemies of 〈◊〉 Lord/ which be vices and voluptuosness of the flesh/ have be received therein at any tyme. And if his friends and his servants/ which be virtues and good works/ have been shamefully chased out. If we have done so: it is a greet sign and suspicion of our perdition. And we shall needly yield Reason and reckoning. Therefore our body is as a Mare that our Lord hath given us to use for the proufite of our soul/ of the which we shall yield reckoning/ As in three things/ It is written in Ecclesiastico the three and therty chapitre/ The meet/ the rod and the burden is given to the ass/ The breed the discipline and the work is given to the servant/ Certainly our body signifieth aswell a mare and an ass/ as a servant unto whom is given the breed for sustentation of nature The Rod of discipline, for to refrain vanities. And the burden of good works/ for the persection of penance. Our lord then shall ask of this his mare his ass or his servant, if we have ministered to him his meet discreetly not to largely nourishing For he that nourisheth over deliciously his servant, shall find him after the more fires and proud. It is written in the. proverbs. the nine and twenty Chapitre And also not to give the body over little of that, that is necessary to it. For so we might be homycides of our own flesh. Against this speaketh. saint Bernard. in a. Pistle. to the brethren of the mount of God. saying. There be many other exercises of the body, in the which it is necessary to labour as in wakings fastings. Which impecheth not, nor letteth spiritual things. For if they were let other by default of spirit, or by sickness of the body/ he that so should take a weigh from his body th'effect of good work The true desire of his spirit. The good example to be showed to his neighbour. and the honour to God his maker. He should do sacrilege, and be culpable of all this things against God. Yet saith. saint Gregory. in his morals in the one and therty Chapitre. By abstynense should the vices of the flesh be quenched. Certainly yet when we put a weigh our enemy, we grieve our own flesh. secondly our lord shall ask us, if we have corrected our body with the Rod of discipline in refraining it from Rebellion and other vain jolitees. saint Bernard. saith upon the. Canticles. That the disacustuming of good works: must be chastised and helped by the bit of discipline. He saith also in a. Pistle. O how weal good disposition yieldeth discipline to the state of the body, and the habitation of the thoughts abateth the sleep of the heed/ she ordaineth the continuance of the visage/ she tempereth the tongue/ she refraineth the throat/ she appeseth the Ire/ and dresseth the going. thirdly our Lord shall ask, if we have laboured our body in virtue and in works of penance. Thereof saith. saint Austyn. in his book of Baptizing of children. That Adam was chased out of paradise terrestre/ because that delicious place it should signify, that labour which is contrary to delight should be showed unto the tender flesh of the children. And therefore our bodies may be called a labouring best/ which our Lord hath lent us to do and accomplish the works of penance. Hold not the body then in Idleness, in as much as thou knowest not, how long it shall abide with the. But perform the works of penance. Lest peradventure he asketh it again that hath lent it the. Crisostom. saith though thou have borrowed an Ox or an Horse, thou wilt a none set him a work/ least he be asked again of the on the morrow. Why wilt not thou semblably do with thy body, as thou wilt do with the Horse or Ox. Thus then nourish discreetly thy body/ which is lent the by Ihesu Criste in such wise as thy nature may be sustened, and the vices overcome and thy body corrected by the Rod of discipline/ so as it may be obedient and resplendishing in chastity. Instruct it to good labours, so that it chase away all Idleness and finally that thou mayst yield our Lord a good and a just reckoning thereof at the day of judgement. thirdly we must yield reckoning of our next kinsmen. First the Father of the son. As is written in the first book of Kings in the second Chapitre and the third of Hely that was punished for his children because he knew they did a miss, and corrected not their defaults. Therefore is also written in Solomon the Nine and twenty Chapitre. Learn and teach thy son. And to the same purpose saide A wise man. Iff thou have a son, correct him if he sin, lest by right thou abye not his trespass. secondly the Prelate shall give reckoning of his subject or diocesan. For it is writin in ezechiel the eghnt and therty Chapitre. My son I have set the to be a beholder and overseer of men in the House of Irahell when then thou hearest any of the words of my mouth show them on my behalf. That is to wite. if I say to a fellow. O theff thou shalt die an evil death And if thou show not my saying to him to th'intent that he may amend him/ If he die in that wickedness I shall ask of thy hand his life again. Item the same Ezechiel saith in his three and therty Chapitre Behold and see how I am myself a 'bove all my other herdemen. And I shall ask my bestayll of their hands  
The Lords or Princes Royal shall yield reckoning and accounts of their subjects. As it appeareth in the. Book of Numbers. in the five and twenty Chapitre. Where the worldly princes are commanded to be hanged on the gallows for the sin of their people be cause the people did fornicacion with the daughters of Moab Whithe they called their Sacrifice As is red in the said Chapitre. Such than be the princes and prelate's. As is written in Iheremyas the five and twenty Chapitre. Howl ye heard men and cry strongly, and cast upon you ashes/ for your days be complete, to th'intent that ye be slain and cast in the earth as precious vessels. Behold thenne these Prelates of the church, and the Princes universal of the Earth, that be constitute above all other ●oke how they govern by example. How they instruct by words. How they defend by deed the power people, that be committed to their governance. Certainly the Prelates owen to teach their people and defend them wisely from the assawtes of Heretics worse and more cursed than wolves/ and from their cawtellies wylyer than foxes. And the temporal Princes owen to do justice upon trespassers and defend their good subjects, and keep Wedewes, Orphans and wretched persons. And not to grieve any body by unrightful exactions, or Injust causes. They may know what is written in the. Book of Sapiens the Syxthe Chapitre. How there shall be a right hard judgement to those, that been precellent a 'bove all other. Certainly mercy shall be granted unto the good power man. But the bad rich man shall suffer greet torment. O ye prelate's of the church, and ye Princes of the universal world/ these words been addressed unto you, to th'intent, ye should learn wysedom/ and not to fall therefrom/ and that ye instruct govern and defend your subjects so we'll/ that ye may be sure at the last day of the right hard judgement. where the greatest and strongest pains shall be to th'offenders, that have been mightiest here.  
Fourthly it behoved to yield reckoning of all our wills and works. And Anastasye saith upon the Symbol. Quicunque wlt saluns esse. etc. How at coming of our Lord Jesus' Criste all mankende shall arise bodily, and yield reckoning of their proper works. That is it that is written by. Thapostle in the second Pistle ad Corintheos the fifth Chapitre/ Where he saith. It behoveth that we show us all manifestly before the judicial seat of Ihesu Crist to th'intent that every receive there good or evil according to their merits and deserts. It is red in Ecclesiastes. in the last Chapitre. Our lord shall being unto the judgement all things that be done/ And not only the greet & grievous sins/ but also those that we think be little or none. The pace of a man seemeth but a small thing. Nevertheless it shall be reckoned for at the final day of judgement. There for saith. job. in his thirteenth Chapitre. Sire thou hast weal marked my ways and my paths. and hast beholdyn the Traces of my feet. And after he saith in the Chapitre following. Thou hast numbered all my steps. Item also it is written in Ecclesiasticus the seventeenth Chapitre. His eyen behold incessantly all the ways off men. As to say he will Reward all that they done accordingly thereafter. We Rede in. Uitis patrum. an example of an Angel: that sometime numbered all the paaces of an hermit. Which pace is a less thing than an Idle word. Therefore saith saint Mathewe. in his twelfth Chapitre. That men shall yield reckoning and Reason at the day of doom of every Idle word, that they have saide. It is written in the. Book of Sapience. in the first Chapitre. He that speaketh evil and perversely, shall not mow hide him at the day of judgement. And correction shall not pass besides him. vain thouhtes seemeth but a little thing. Nevertheless it is written in the. Book of Sapience. in the first Chapitre. How felonous and evil thouhtes must be answered unto. For he will search all our thouhtes. I● is also written in isaiah. in the last Chapitre. I shall search their works and their thoughts. and shall come and assemble myself with people. That is to say to dame them as I shall judge them. Thereof speaketh. johel also. in his third Chapitre. I shall assemble all manner of people in the last days, and shall bring them to the vale of josaphath And there I shall dispute with them, teaching my people. and mine heritage of. israhel all our thoughntes, our words, and our works shall be then right straightly judged. And as saint Gregory. saith upon the. Gospel of saint Mathewe. the three and twenty Chapitre. all the hairs of our hedes be numbered. Semblably God considereth all our goings and stappes. And will that all our vain thoughts and our Idelle words shall not rest undiscussed at the day of judgement. Certain all our works shall be then as manifestly showed unto all people: as though they were written in our foreheads. As it is written in Ecclesiastico in the eleventh Chapitre. at end of man, all his works and deeds shall be uncovered and made open. fifthly it behoveth to yield reckoning and accounts not only of the sins that we have done: but also of the virtuous and good deeds that we have left undone. saint Mathewe. saith in the five and twenty Chapitre. Thenne shall the greet King say to those on his lift hand. Depart fro me ye wykked sinners and go into the fire everlasting. Which is made ready for the devils and their angelis. I have been hungered/ and ye have not fed me etc. which oon of the causes/ why the falls rich gloton fond no water to refresh him with/ was that he ne would suffer the poor Lazar to have the crumbs that fill from his table. Oon shall not Rekynne only of things done and forgetyn. but also of time lost in executing evil things/ and left that, that was good undone. It is written in Ecclesiastes the xvij Chapitre. That our lord hath given man a nombre of days/ and a season to th'intent he should use it weal and holsemly to his pleasure, and their own health Whereof many folkys taken none heed/ and Inprofitably waste their tyme. whereupon. saint Bernard. complaineth him to his scholars, saying. There is no thing more precious here than tyme. But alas now a days it is most vilely lost. The days of Salvation passen/ and no man hedeth it/ There is noon complaineth him of the loss of a day, and yet it can never be recovered. There shall not be lost an here of an heed nor a moment of a tyme. But all shall come to a due reken●ng. O what dread had. saint Ancelme. in his meditations. saying. O unprofitable and dry tree. What shall be thine answer the day when thou shalt be questioned to give reckoning of all thy work and account for the least twynkylling of thine eye and all the time of life that hath been lent the. How thou hast dispended it. And therefore saith Sapiens in Ecclesiastes. the fourth Chapitre. My dear beloved son, keep and spend weal thy time  
¶ The sixth and the last thing that behoveth to give reckoning and accounts for is all the yefts that we have received of our Lord God. surely our lord hath given us no thing. but that he will have thereof both Reason and reckoning. Where by it seemeth rather that he hath but lent it us then given it us absolutely. Certainly he shall call us to reckon For all his gifts be they spirituell/ as the gifts of grace to the soul/ or temporal as strength deliverance/ and beauty of the body. or worldly richesse power/ and worship in this life of all these things  
It appeareth by Example and by a Parabole in the Gospel of saint Mathewe. in the five and twenty Chapitre of the five talentes. which be pieces of money And of. saint Luke. in the Nynetenth Chapi●tre. How the noble man delivered to his servants certain richesses. Whereof they were fain to yield Reason and do account for every thing thereof particularly As it is written in. job. the xix Chapitre. Know● ye that at judgement all these things aforseyde shallbe reckoned for full straightly. Wherefore saith job in his ix Chapitre. What shall I do when our Lord shall rise up to judge all men. And when he shall questyone me: what shall I answer then O how lightly and how soon shall he come asking a due reckoning and accounts of all our works Our perdition is nigh/ and the time hasteth fast and is alway coming. That is to say. when our Lord shall come and judge his people. For as saith Abdeas. in his only Chapitre. The day of our Lord shall come in the evening at midnight At Cokke crow/ or in the morning. As is to say though he come suddenly. That he ne find you sleeping This that I say to you: I say it in like wise to all other Be ye waking thenne and sleep not/ For if ye wacche not/ I shall come to you as a thief. and ye shall not know when ne what hour. ¶ It is red in apocalypse in the last chapitre. Lo see how I come anon and brnig with me rewards to yield every man after their deserts. Now thenne my right dear friend/ sens thou must needly of so many things and of every of them yield due reckoning and account be not unpurveyed/ but wake diligently. Examyn thyself diligently/ and purge weal thy conscience to the bottom/ to th'intent/ that when our lord shall come to judge all thing: aswell deed as quick. Thou mayst covenably and reasonably answer/ and thereby to have his mercy grace and pardon of all thy sins. And this is that Ecclesiasticus ammonyssheth us in the xviij chapitre. seeing. examine thyself before the day of judgement. And that shall be to thy help in the presence of our lord Ihesu Crist   

¶ How thorrible abiding of the last day and extreme day of judgement is to be doubted ¶ The third chapitre of the second part  
THe last thnig that rendereth the final judgement to be dreadful and doutable: is the terrible sentence that thenne shall be pronounced by the judgement of god the rightful judge. This sentence shall be terrible & fearful/ and specially for in things. The first is the doubt & the incerteynte of the sentence. for there is no man sure whether it shall be given with him or against him. And as it is written in Ecclesiastes the ix chapitre. They be Just and wise/ and their works be in the hands of god how be it there is no man here that knows whether he stand in hate or love. and all things to come/ be in noun certain. To this purpose it is red in Uitis patrum. how that an abbot called Agathon being in the article of death. And so lying by the space of iij days without moving or opening of his eyen. His brethren seeing him so lying/ pushed him/ saying unto him. Father abbot where art thou Atte last he answered/ I am in the presence of all folks/ Wherefore they said unto him/ Then thou dreadest & art afeard. Unto whom he answered. Though I have kept the commandments of our lord as virtuously as to me was possible: yet I am a man/ & wot not whether my works be agreeable unto him for the domes of our lord be all other than the judgements of men/ and that is the cause of my dread. I have neeither hope ne wanhope before god. saint Austijn. saith. That/ that we dame to be justice: we'll examined before the divine justice: is often invistice. And therefore it is written in the proverbs of Solomon the xiv chapitre. There is one weigh/ which seemeth just to a man/ but the end thereof leadeth him to death And forasmuch as this holy father Agathon counterpoising in his heart all these things aforesaid: all be it that he was right diligent to keep the commandments of our lord/ Yet alway he dead full sore the last day of judgement It is also red in Uitis patrum how there was sometime an ancient father/ which said. I dread iij things. that is to say. First when my soul shall departed out of my body seclide. when she shall come before our lord. The iij when she shall abide & here the final sentence of the last day of judgement. Lo see how many holy faders have dead this last day of judgement for the noun certain of the doubtful sentences that there shall be given. Now certainly it is a thing which of reason ought timorously to be dread. It is written in the Gospel of saint Mathewe in the seven chapitre & by the words of our lord Ihesu Crist. Many men shall say to me Sir sir/ have we not prophesied in thy name/ & cast out the devils of men & done many virtuous dedis. Then he shall say unto them/ I know you not nor ever knew you. departed fro me. If the prophets & those that have chased out devils & those that have done miracles in the name of our lord be so put a back/ who shall then mow be sure/ & who shall con live here so holily: but at day of doom he ought to tremble & fere/ Certainly none for upon the earth is there no body purely clean without filth not a child of oon day old for it is born in original sin. Therefore it is written in Isay the lxiiij chapitre. We be all made as a fowl cloth/ and we ought to dread all our works which shall be showed before us atte doom/ all though we think them good virtuous & just. Therefore seith job in his ix chapitre. I have dead all my works. Semblably saint paul which was a delectable chosyn vessel/ all be it he was then full clean in conscience in so much he said in the twenty-three chapitre of Thactes of Apostoles. I have been conversant with our lord with all my might & in good conscience to this day. And yet it is According whereto the same holy Apostle fearful wrote in his first Pistle ad Corintheos the four chapitre saide I feel not myself guilty in any thing/ that notwhithstonding I fear yet/ by cause I am not justified. saint Gregory said. The Just men dread in all their works. When they wisely considere how they must come afore the high judge. For as. Thappostel writeth unto the. Romans the xiv chapitre. We shall come all before the tribunal seat of Ihesu Crist. Alas/ thenne I wretched sinner what shall I say/ or what shall I do/ when I shall come before so greet a judge wtthout good works for my help  
The second thing which causeth this sentence to be terrible: Is the hard lamentable and intollerabile utterance of the said sentence. when our lord Ihesu Crist shall say. Go ye fro me ye cursed people. To that purpose is written in the. Gospel of saint Mathewe. in the xxv Chapitre. when the son of man shall come in his majesty and all his angels with him: Thenne he shall sit in the high judicial seat. & all manner of people shall assemble before him. And shall divide the one from the other as the shepherd keepeth the sheep from the wolves. Certainly he ordaineth & setteth the sheep on his rigbt hand/ and the wolves on the lift hand/ And then shall the king of glory say to those that shall be an his right hand. Come ye ●n with me that be blessed of my father/ and possess the royalme of glory/ that is enorned for you from the beginning of the world. I have been hungry/ and ye have fed me etc. Theene he shall say to those on his lift hand Depart fro me ye that be cursed/ and go into eternal fire Which is arredied for devils. And thereupon seith a wise man. The words of the judge in sentence are but short as come ye and go ye. For he shall say to those that be reproved/ Go on your weigh. And to those that be just/ come ye with me. O how gracious shall the word of our lord Ihuns Crist be. when he shall say/ come ye with me. O how hard bitter and intolerable shall the pronownsing of that word be. Depart ye fro me/ or go ye fro me. surely Go ye fro me is a full sharp word. And come ye with me is a full blessed word. saint Bernard saith. O how cruel shall those words be. Go ye fro me/ to them on the lift hand/ spoken by the king of kings giver of all life which shall say to other. Come ye with me. This is the cutting sword with two edges issewed out of the mouth of the son of man/ as it is written in the first and the nineteen chapitre of the apocalypse. Certainly he shall thenne smite the earth with the Rod●e of this mouth/ and shall slay the felonous sinner by his works. As it is written in isaiah the xj chapitre. O how terrib●● a thing shall be to here this voys Therefore seith saint Austyn upon the Gospel of saint Iohn. Thoes that fill bakkewarde by oon word of Jesus' Crist/ when he went towards his passion. What shall they do/ when they here the voys of the same Jesus' Crist/ when he shall judge all the world. for certain he shall bray like a lion. As Amos said in his iij chapitre When the lion shall bray/ who is he/ that thenne shall not be a feared. isaiah in his v chapitre seith. His bra●yng shall be like a lion. Iheremie also seith in his xxv chapitre. Our lord shall bray from an high/ & from his tabernacle shall descend his voys. Whereof the sown shall extend unto thextremity of the earth/ and shall make his doom and judgement unto the people. The voys of our lord shallbe thenne in greet magnificens. It is the voys of our lord that shall break down the high cedars of the mount of Lyban. That is to understand. His enemyiss proud people enhanced. And yet all be it they have been so raised It shall then fail and vanish as smoke. And at that judgement they shall be made humble/ and reduced to no being. This voys so coming from our lord shall be like a thunder beating the earth. Therefore saith job. trembling in his five and twenty Chapitre Who shall mow behold the thunder/ or sown of the magnitude of our lord. And the. Psalter. saith. Our lord hath thundered from heaven/ and the most high hath uttered his voys. job. saith in his xxxvij Chapitre. Our lord shall thunder marvelously by his voys and he doth many greet things/ Which ought not to be ensearched nor mused one. And saint Ancelme. saith in his Meditations Wherefore sleepest thou slougthfull soul worthy to be cast out of all light 〈◊〉 that waketh not nor dreadeth not this greet thunder sleepeth not/ but rather is deed. The word of our lord shall be in manner a Right hot lightning. Wherefore Zacharie in his ix Chapitre saith. His dart shall departed like a lightning/ And our lord shall sown the trump certain as it is written in isaiah in the xxvij chapitre In that last day shall sown the greet trump. And therefore saith. Crisostom upon the. Gospel of saint Mathewe. the xxiiij chapitre. The virtues of heaven shall be moved. now truly that shall be by a greet voys which is of the terrible trump/ whereunto all winds and elements obeyen. Which voys renteth stones and openeth hell/ and breaketh the gates of brass and breaketh the ligatures of deed bodies/ and restoreth the souls to the bodies again/ & constraineth them to come to the greet judgement. And all these things be consumed again more lightly than the flight of an arrow passing in the air. Witenesse of Thapostle that saith in his first pistle ad Corintheos in the xv chapitre. In a moment in the twynkeling of an eye in the swooning of the last trump shall be the judgement. Of this trump speaketh saint Iherom upon the Gospel of saint Mathewe/ saying. When & as often as I think on the last day of judgement: I tremble for fere/ be it when I eat or when I drink & in any of my werki●/ me thinketh always that terrible trump 'sounds in mine ere saying. Arise ye arise ye deed folks and come to your judgement. All men troubled or grieved/ aught by penance to think of ten-times on this day and it shall be a greet weal and ●ase to their souls. And therefore seith saint Gregory in an Omely. My right dear brethren and friends/ let that day of judgement be alway afore your eyen. For what grievous thing so ever ye here: it is but soft in comparison of that sore day. We ought also to fere and dread the same day For that is the greet journey: the journey of wrath and of bitterness Sophonyas saith in his first Chapitre. The weigh of our lords journey shall be full bitter. For there shall be no man so strong: but then he shall be troubled/ that shall be the very day of wrath tribulation angwisshe chalange misery and darkness of clouds of storms and of the sown of the trump isaiah in his xiij chapitre seith. The day of our lord shall come/ which shall be full of Indignation wrath & of furor johel also in his iij chapitre seith. The son shall be converted into darkness/ and the moan into blood afore the coming of the greet and horrible day of our lord. O how dread saint Bernard that same day when he saide. Whiles I that am a mortal man remember what I shall be after my death: The fere thereof putteth me in terrible doubts. For I am not verrely assured of that/ that I long after/ for the day of fere/ of wrath of Ire and of furor/ the day of wailing and the venging of sinners/ affrayeth me hideously. Of this same day seith he also in oon of his sermons. They shallbe all bare and naked before the tribunal seat of Ihesu Criste to th'intent that they may here the voys of his judgement Be cause they have stopped here ears from the ways of good counsel. Now what saith our lord God. Do ye penance/ nevertheless there be many that dissimilingly close their ears and will not here it/ and think it is to hard to do. O remember ye felons because of your obstinacy/ ye shall here therefore the hard and lamentabile word prominced unto you. That is to say. Go ye cursed people into everlasting fire. What shall thenne those pour wretched perpetual dampened people say. Seeing the holy blessed people called up joyfully into the eternal glory and bliss of heaven. And they that be dampened into the Infenite pains of hell. Certainly as it is written in the book of sapience in the v chapitre. They shall wepyngly say in themself for the greet anguish of their souls Let us do penance. for we be those that have blasphemed it. And as fools out of all wit and reason had in derision the living of the penitent follies/ thinking it was no worshpfull life. How be it we see them now taken and accepted with the son of god/ and their works allowed and cherished. so that they be accompanied with the happy & blessed saints/ and we with the dampened fiends of hell We have erred from the weigh of truth/ the light of justice hath not shined in us/ nor the son of rightwissnesse risen in us. We have left the ways of our lord Ihesu Criste and have goon dangerous and evil ways. that is to say. The ways of iniquity and perdition. What hath our greet pride proufited or avyaled us. or what advantage have we had of all our greet richesse/ pard all is past as a bird fleeing in the sky/ or a ship gliding through the water/ whereof the traces can not be apperseyved. Now then to make confession is over late. for their repentance groweth but for the pain they suffer And therefore they can obtain no pardon/ also they are passed the place of mercy and grace/ and be in the place of equity and justice. For when the judge/ which ought so greetly to be doubted hath pronounced his judgement and sentence/ saying. Go fro me ye wykked/ and come to me ye blessed/ their Remedy is past. To this purpose read we in Uitis patrum. How there was sometime an holy man/ which was tempted with the spirit of fornication and he besought our lord that his enemy the fiend which tempted him/ might appre visibly unto him/ and so he did/ Thenne the said holy man said unto the fiend. what availeth the thus for to tempt the people/ pard it is a greet folly/ for when thou hast brought any to sin thy trespass is the greater/ and consequently thou augmentest thine own pain. To whom the fiend answered. Certainly all that is true. but I know weal the more folks that I cause to sin/ the more I defer the coming of the day of doom. I dread that day above all things and the herring then of that hard sentence. Go ye wykked and cursed into the eternal fire/ which is made ready to the devil and his angels. And therefore I do my power to prolong the time of coming of that sentence O good lord what cause of dread have these fiends and these unhappy sinners thenne. If thou wilt be assured in this horrible and dreadful journey. Sow now in thy life the works of Mercy Pite and justice. O how blessed and how happy shall he be/ that now intendeth to the pour languishing needy people. For in that hard journey our Lord will deliver them therefore from all danger. It is written in the Proverbis of Solomon in the xj chapitre. The merciful man doth greet good unto his soul/ & doth also the dign fruits of penance For they that now sow teres and lamentations the reward thereof shall come and bring them into the lodging of joy and of gladness. But there be many that sown now presently thorues and cokill/ weening to reap & Inn good wheat/ but iwis fools it will not be so ● For as Thappostel seith ad Galathas in the uj chapitre. Such as a man hath sown here: such shall he reap thenne for himself. And therefore saith our Lord by his prophet Ozie in his ten Chapitre. Ye have sown felony and have reped Inyquite and he that hath sown sin and evil works/ he shall be repyn and Inned into the pains of hell. But he that hath sown virtues and the good works of penance: He shall reap and gather the everlasting glory. And all that have done weal: shall rest in the joys of heaven. And those that have done sin and wickedness shall go and rest in the pains of hell. Certainly their works follow them. As it is written in Thapocalypse. the twenty chapttre. After their works men shall be both saved and dampened. It is red in the. Gospel of saint Iohn. the v. chapitre. An hour shall come in the which all that be in Monuments or tombs shall here the voys of our Lord. And they that have done weal: shall go in the Resurrection of life And they that have done wykkedly: shall go unto the judgement of death. It is written in the second chapitre of Thapocalypse how the judge shall say. I am he that ensercheth the hearts of persons and shall give to every of you his Reward after his works. And as seith Abde●s. It shall be done unto the: as thou hast done To the same purpose is written in Iheromye the l chapitre. And these be the wordees of the eternal judge unto the evil angel speaking of the dampened sinners/ yield and do him after his dediss and works. And therefore if thou wilt have a good harvest and abundance of fruit sow good works largely in the time of this present life/ for he that soweth them now largely/ shall gather them then abundantly. And he that now soweth them sparingly: shall then gather them scarcely. And he that soweth them with blissingis: shall gather them with greet joy & gladness. As it is written in the second Epistle ad Corintheos in the ix chapitre. For he that soweth his seeds in sin & maledictions/ semblably shall Inn & gather them. And as it is written in a Proverb. The seed that man sows in this present life/ shall be his house/ when the judge shall say. Come ye & go ye. The third thing. why the doom of the judge shall be terrible: Is to remember how dampened souls shall be by the mourning sentence/ full of all sorrow eternally separated and departed from god and his saints of paradise/ and put on the lift hand unto the fiends of hell Certainly incontinent and without tarrying that this o●rible sentence shall be pronounced by the mouth of Ihesu christ The perpetul devils shall be there arredied and ready for 〈◊〉 take and ravayne the souls of the wretched sinners Which they shall lightly bring unto the everlasting turmentis and pains. This may appear unto us by a figure in the book of Hester the seven chapitre of the mynestres of king Assuer. Which were desirous and ready to take Amon. as it is contained in the same Chapitre. How the word was not all out of the mouth of the said king. But that the mynestres had covered the visage of the same Amon. In like wise the devils in this hideous journey shall be more then ready to receive the souls of these wretched sinners. And this is written in the lamentations of Iheremy in the first chapitre. All his persecutees have taken him. john Crisostom. saith in the book of Repairing of forfeiturs. Remember these cruel and terrible tormentors that never may show mercy on any body and leadeth down the unhappy sinners unto everlasting torments. And Hugh of saint Uictour. seith. That the horrible ministers of hell shall be appareled and are died incontinent as the sentence is given/ to take the condemned unto torments. And thenne the wretched unhappy caitiffs lamentably shall say they have caughnt me like as a devoring lion lurkyngly hath taken his prey. O what sorrow & pain/ whereof may not be esteemed in man's mind nor by telling pronounced. Wherefore saint Bernard saith in his Meditations What thinkest thou/ What weeping/ What wailing/ and what sorrow shall be when the sinners shall be expulsed out of the company of Just men/ and put from the sight of God and delivered and cast unto hands of the devils to go with them into everlasting fire. and utterly banished from all the joys of heaven to abide in the darkness there suffering pains for their demerits after the quantity of their sins. And thenne the myserabile sinners being in despair of the Redempcion shall entre into the lowest parties of the earth in the hands of our lords glaive there to remain without seeing of any light. Of this pain of separation or departing saith also Crisostom Some fools ween and think to have their wishing if they may escape the ge●●●ne of hell. But as to me I say that there be other torments much more grievous. That is to say to be estranged & cast a weigh from the grace of the sovereign glory/ and I dame that the banishing therefrom is the most eager and grievous torment. whereupon saith saint Gregory. He is greetly tormented that is constrained to be put a part from the presence of our lord. And I dame that it is the most grievous thing that may be/ and passeth all the gehennes of hell. The same saint Gregory saith of this word of the Gospel of saint Mathewe the xuj chapitre. He shall be cut and sent into the eternal fire. Certainly the gehenna of hell is a thing in tolerable and none can comprehend how intolerable it is Nevertheless if there were a M gehennes in hell: there is none so lamentable pain/ as to be exempt from the honour of the blessed glory of heaven/ and to be hated of our redeemer Ihesu Crist maker of all thingis. For as saint Austyn seith. The wikked reproved shall liefer abstain all the torments of hell/ then to behold the rightful judges face angered with them. johel seith in his second chapitre The earth hath trembled for his face and moving of his eyen/ the son & the moan have darked/ the stars have withdrawn their shining/ the people have been tormented beholding his visage. Certainly sinners shall thenne perish before his face. thorough the greet sorrow they shall have of themself. And when they shall see him turning his visage from them: it shall move them to miserably. And thenne the judge eagerly shall say/ as is written in jeremy the xviij chapitre. In the day of ther● perdition I shall show them my bakke/ and not my face. O what shall be that separation. O how bitter and sorrowful shall it be to the sinner to depart fro the face of our lord When he shall horribly say. I tell you I know you not. And therefore saith a wise man. The departing of friends is right sorrowful. But the separation of the body and the soul from the presence of the deite is the most sorrowful thing. For all this things aforesaid and many other/ which infenitely might be rehearsed/ for briefness of time I pass them over. But yet awake ye awake ye my dear friends: and lift up your hedes/ abhorring and fearing that timorous and dreadful day of judgement. For as Sophomas in his first chapitre saith. The day of our lord approacheth nigh and shall not tarry. It is written in isaiah in the xiij chapitre. Sorrow ye & cry for the day of our lord is nigh. Sleep not thenne. For ye know not the day ne the hour. as is written in the. Gospel of saint Mathewe. the xxv chapitre. It is also written unto the Tessalonyes in the last chapitre of the first epistle. My brethren ye knew weal that the day of our lord shall come by night as a thief. and when men shall think themself assuredly in peace. He shall come suddenly and take them in a mortal default. Wherefore my brethren Rest not in the sin of wretchedness. least that day surprise you not suddenly as a thief/ Surely we be all the children of day/ and the sons of light. Then let us not sleep as other do. But let us awake and be sober as it is written in the same chapitre. It is written in the Gospel of saint Luke. in the one and twenty chapitre give attendance in yourself. Lest peradventure your hearts be fulfilled with gluttony & drunkshippe and in other vain works of this present life. And lest that the forseide dangerous day fall not suddenly unto you/ which shall fall universally to all those that shall be upon the earth Be ye thenne in your prayers/ so that at all times ye may be the more dign and able to flee all the dangers that be to come when ye shall be afore the son of man. As it is written in the same chapitre for a trougth. There shall be thenne trembling fere and sorrow intolerable. And therefore said johel in his second chapitre. Our lords day shall be greet & right terrible. And who shall be he that shall mow sustain or suffix it. isaiah said also in his ij chapitre. they shall entre into the caverns amongs stones and hid places of the earth for dread of our lords face & of the glory of his majesty. When he shall arise to smite & punish the earth. And as it is red in Abacuk in the third chapitre. In his fersnes he shall tread down the earth: & the people shall be abashed of his furor. isaiah in his. x chapitre seith. What shall ye do in the day of visitation and of calamity coming from far parties/ to whom shall ye run to have succour & help. Certainly the sinner shall have then no refuge solace nor succour. And therefore said Ancelme in his book of meditations. On the right hand shall sins be accusing the wretched sinner/ on the lift hand infenite nombre of devils/ undrenethe the confusion of hell which is greetly to be doubted/ & over this the presence of the wrathful judge/ and without all the world brennyg/ and within this the consciences glowing. This aught to be remembered. Alas the miserable sinners taken in that trap/ whither shall they flee. It shall be thenne impossible to hide them. It shall be an intolerable dreadful thing to appear in that day. The said sentence is more fearful and dangerous/ be cause it judgeth not only the body. but also it condemneth the soul. To that purpose is there red an example. how that there was sometime ij brethrens/ whereof the one was a fool & ignorant/ and the other was wise/ which went togethers in a weigh/ and as they walked/ they come at last to a forked weigh: which led to sundry places Whereof the one was fair and pleasant/ and the other sharp & no thing inhabited/ And when the fool saw the fair & delectable weigh/ he said. Brother go we this weigh Thenne the wise brother answered. I know well that this weigh which thou wilt lead us is fair & delectable/ but nathele● in the end it will bring us to right an evil loging And therefore I counsel that we take the other weigh. For all be it that it be sharp and not inhabited/ finally it will being us to right a good & honest harberough and full of rest. Whereunto the fool answered. I will rather trust mine eye in that I see/ than thine in that thou seest not/ And so set him forth in the soft and delectabile weigh Which thing the wise brother seeing that he could not make him relinquisshe his purpose: followed him. And when they had gone together a little space/ they fortuned anon to be taken with soldeours. which dissevered them and put them into diverse prisons. Now it happened that the king of that country commanded on a day/ that all prisoners should be brought afore him that he might judge them according to their demerits. And when these two brethrens came afore him/ and echeon knew other. the wise brother saide. O sir king and our judge/ I complain me greetly of this man my brother/ for as we went togethers in a weigh he being reputed a fool and I iwis/ Yet nevertheless/ he would not believe me nor go after me the good weigh that I toughnt him/ but hath made me to follow him in the evil weigh wherein we were taken/ and so he is guilty of my death. And to the contrary the ignorant fool said to the same king. Sir I have greater cause and stronger Reason to complain me against my brother. for where he ought not to have believed me nor followed me lightly in the weigh/ which he knew weal was evil and dangerous for & he would not a followed me: I would have returned again & followed him. whereby I should in no wise have fallen in this danger. and therefore he is very guilty of my death. When these words were had on either party The king pronounced & gave a sentence/ saying. Thou fool thou wouldest not trust thy wise brother/ and thou wise haste followed this fool in his evil ways. wherefore ye both shall be hanged & condemned to death. Semblably shall it be at the day of judgement in the consummation of this world when by the almighty power of god the soul of every man & woman shall return again & be rejoined to their own bodies appearing before the high judge to receive doom & judgement of all things known & forgotin. for the folissh body because it would not follow the counsel of the wise soul And the wise spirit because it would not resist but ensieu the folissh body/ they shall be both dampened together in the last extremity of judgement. For this cause the sentence of the judge is called a sword with two edges. as is written in th'apocalypse in the first chapitre. For it shall strike the wretched sinner both in body & soul. It is written in the gospel of saint Matthew in the x chapitre. dread him that shall mow lose & put both the body & the fowl in the gehene of hell. The quality of the said judge yieldeth & showeth the said sentence to be dreadful & dangerous. Certainly it shall be pronounced by a circumspect & a right prudent judge/ which shall never fail/ for every thing is notarily to him known. for god knoweth the hid things of the heart & searcheth the works of men. Wherefore it is written ad hebreos in the iiij chapitre. All things be open to his eyen/ for he looketh into the hearts/ as it is red in the first book of kings in the xuj chapitre. Also it is red in ecclesiastico the twenty-three chapitre The eyen of our lord be moche clearer than the son. for they behold all the ways of man/ & the profound deepness & the hearts of men/ & see all the hid things of the earth. And as Boece de consolacione saith. Greet curiosity to do well is introducte unto us/ because all that we do is done afore him that seeth all thingis. Iheremy seith in his xxij chapitre Thine eyen be open upon all the ways of the children of Israhel/ & I shall yield to every of them after his ways and after the fruit of his administrations. Certainly the judge is greetly to be dead/ which looketh upon all things both open & shut/ and all secret things to him known all dark things to him be clear/ all dom̄ things answer unto him. and all thoughts speak to him without voys and all silences confess them unto him. This sentence is to be given by the Just judge/ which w●l not be bowed and he shall judge all the circuit of the earth. and the people in equity. He gruggith not at the might of any body/ nor he excepteth no person what so ever they be/ nor he ne well be appeased then by any gifts. It is written in deutronomij in the x chapitre. God is greet mighty & terrible/ which will favour no person nor he resceiveth no gifts. Certainly a pure and a clean conscience thenne shall be more worth/ then the purses full of silver. The habondance of riches shall not proufite thenne/ nor any thing that longeth to rich people. But only shall proufit● the works of Pite and of justice. It is written in Ezechiel in the seven chapitre. Their money shall be thenne their dunghill/ neither their gold nor their selves shall mow deliver them in the day of furor of our lord. Then shall appear the fraud and the falsehood of this world/ & the vileness of all richesse. O how sweet a thing and how greet a joy shall it be then to those that have hated this world/ and how sorrowful & bitter shall it be unto them that have had it in lust & in delectation. This sentence is also to be given by the judge that will not be corrupt then by prayers nor appeased by desires. And as it is written in the Proverbis of Solomon in the uj chapitre. He will not obtempee then nor bow to any requests what so e● they be. Crisostom seith the angels will not then intercede nor pray for the men/ for the just judge will show there no misericorde/ but will yield to everich after his merits & demeritis equally not bowing justice. And therefore seith he by his prophet Ezechiel in the seven chapitre. I shall do the right after thy ways & shall judge the after thy judgements and I shall make the know that I am thy lord. For the cause said job all dreadfully. Irefine all my works knowing that thou ne wilt spare any thing the delinquentes or trespassers Of all these things speaketh saint Bernard in a prose which he made/ saying. Certainly our lord shall judge justly & shall except no person/ nor shall be corrupt by any prize/ nor gifts. Semblably he shall not bow for any man of prayer O my right dear friend labour then diligently to bear justice thither as thou shalt find no misericorde. For as it is written in the Proverbis of salomon. The richesse shall not proufite in the day of vengeance/ but justice shall cause then deliverance from death. And if the scholars that can not their lessous dread greetly to be examined of their master/ left they should be eagerly punished: how moche should the sinners dread then thextreme examining of the soveraygn judge. when they have not studied in the book of justice & of truth. Certainly in the apposaile is examined all things that now be nought. the unjust sinners shall be punished & the seed of felons shall perish. and to the contrary the just people shall be then in the eternal memory and shall not dread in any wise any evil accusation. It is written in Ecclesiastico the xviij chapitre. Make ready justice afore the judgement. This final sentence shallbe also given by a judge cruelly moved/ which in no wise shall mow be appeased For our lord Jesus' Crist that naturally is now amiable & meek as a lamb shall appear thenne as a lion right cruel & greetly moved. And therefore saith Ozee in his xiij chapitre. It may well be the words of our lord by the covetous gletons & proud people at the day of judgement/ saying thus They have fulfillled themself in their pastures and arreised up their hearts/ and forgotyn me/ I will be to them as a lioness & as a leopard in the weigh of assirience. I shall come against them as a she bear/ which hath lost her whelps/ and shall break their judgements within & shall destroy them like a lion. How might oon remember a more cruel thing then by those beasts. Our lord shall say to the felons that shall be condemned/ as is written in Ezechiel in the seven chapitre. The conclusion is come/ & now cometh the end upon the/ & I shall send my furor into the Certainly sir as the fire brennys the forestis & the mystis break upon the mountains. Semblably in the tempest thou shalt then persecute thy sinners & trouble them in thine Ire And thenne thy wrath shall be chased like fire & shall abash the people in thine anger. It is written in isaiah in the thirty chapitre. The name of our lord shall come from right far his fierceness shallbe ●rennyng & grievous to bear/ his lips shallbe fulfilled with indignation. and his tongue shallbe like a devouring fire. & his spirit shallbe like a broke running over the brinks for to destroy people and to bring them to no thing. job took sometime this furor in a vision when he said. Who shall be that living man that shall do so mekel with the that thou wilt defend me from hell and hide me till thy furor be past. Certainly the furor of the judge shallbe so greet thenne/ that it can not be expressed by any words nor thought by any courages. Verily all the judgements and sentences that have been against & upon the humyane lineage sith the beginning of the world/ be but like a little flame or a spark in regard to the furor of Jesus' Crist. which he shall exercise in the last day of judgement. And how straightly shall he that is risen deboneir & passed up into heaven return to do judgement/ and therefore seith saint gregory in an omely upon the word of saint Iohn evangelist that saint thomas oon of the xij apostles called didimus/ which is to say long doubting said thus. My brethren & friends order your life your works & your conditions and purvey. for he that is risen meek & amiable shall come hard & straight at the day of judgement/ Certainly at the day of examination/ which is so greetly to be doubted/ he shall show himself clearly among angels & archangeles & among the trones & dominations/ among the principals & potestates/ & all the skies shall be moved/ & the earth & the other ele●mētes in the fere & dread of his service. Set then afore your eyen this judge that is cause of so greet abashment/ and fere & d●ed● him both now and hereafter. To th'intent that when he 〈◊〉 come/ ye shall not see him in fere/ but be well assured he ought to be dread now to the end that he should not be doubted then. Certainly if oon of you had to say or allege a cause again your enemy and s●ulde to morrow pnsent you to my judgement/ peradventure ye wol pass all the night without greet sleep/ remembering yourself in great pain and thought what things might be alleged against you/ & what ye would answer to thobjections/ and should dread greetly lest I should be sharp unto you/ & would fere lest it should be thought that ye were culpabill/ and would search what I were/ and whether I should be come. Certainly not long after I have be man/ I shall become worms/ and after worms powder. Now than if the judgement of him that is but powder is to be dread and had in so greet fere. By what intention is it to be thought that fere must be most dreadful/ which is of the judgement of the most greatest & highest majesty. All these things said saint Gregory in the chapitre aforesaid. Yet is there some thing more concerning the said sentence. that is to wit/ that there is no puissance can resist it. And as it is written in the book of sapience in the xj chapitre. who shallbe he that shall resist the virtue of thine arm. isaiah also said in his xlvij chapitre. I shall take vengeance on them and no man shall resist me. verily noon shall mow resist it. but needly all must appear there generally will they or not. they shall abide before the angels the sentence of the sovereign judge/ which spoke by isaiah himself in the said chapitre to the sinners that are to be condemned. & thus thy shame shall be known and thy vylen reproach shall be seen. whereupon I will take vengeance and shall no man mow resist it. job said in his ix chapitre. God is he that in his wrath no man may resist. And as it is written in the book of Hester the xiij chapitre. Fair lord god king omnipotent all things be set under thy jurisdiction and is non that may resist thy wil Certeyn thou hast made the sky the earth & all that is contained in the circuit of the world/ thou art lord of all thingis/ and is none that may resist thy will/ This is the greet mighty & puissant lord/ of whose greatness & might there is no nombre nor end and he shall dread none be they never so mighty. It is written in the book of Sapiens in the uj chapitre. Our lord shall dread no body/ what so ever he be. for he hath made both greet and small. It is red in the apocalypse in the uj chapitre. Our lord shall not d●ede the greatness of man what so ever he be. The kings of the earth/ the princes of the world/ the tribunes/ the rich/ the strong & all men aswell bond as free/ shall hide them in the caves & among stones of the roches/ saying to the mountains. fall upon us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth in throne/ & the wrath of the lamb/ for the greet day of Ire is come. It is red in the same apocalypse in the xviij chapitre. The kings of the earth shall weep/ & they shall specially complain that have made fornication with Babylon & have lived in delectations. when they shall see the smoke of his embrasingis & shall will them to be far for fere of the torments/ Certain as saith saint matthew in his xxiv chapitre. There shall be then greet tribulation/ and so greet/ the sithence the beginning of the world till now wa● there never none like. secondly there is an other thing that agrog●th the said sentence That is to say/ that there is no place there for sinners to hide them in. And as saint Ancelme said. It shall be then a thing impossible oon to hide him/ And therefore he saith in his xxiv chapitre. There shall no tenebres be there nor no shadow of death that they may hide those that have done iniquity. saint Benard said in oon of his sermons That before the judicial cheire of Ihesu christ shall they stand all naked/ that have stopped their ears to the voys of counsel. wherefore they shall here the voys of the judgement/ as it is before alleged. My right dear brother & friend dread this day and doubt cordyally the said judge and lord that shall dame all thingis/ to th'intent that thou mayst the more diligently eschew all sins. And it is red in an other place/ That in dreading our lord it withdraweth every man from evil doing. There is yet an other thing which abrogeth this sentence/ there is no place to apele to any other/ nor space for to flee. To that purpose saith the Psalter. Whither shall I go backward from thy spirit/ & how shall I i'll backward from thy face/ if I mount up into the sky/ thou art there/ if I descend into hell thou art present there besides me. And therefore seith our lord of sinners by Amos in the nineteen chapitre. They shall i'll/ and there shall be noon saved of them. If they descend into hell my hand shall pull them up from thence. and if they hide them in the mountain of Carmele/ I shall seek them till I have put them thence. And if they hide them in the bottom of the see/ I shall send a dragon which shall devour them And if they go into servage emongiss their enemies/ I shall send a sword which shall slay them. and shall cast mine eye upon them in wrath & not in love. job saith in his x chapitre. Our lord ought to judge all thingis/ and is noon that may escape his hands. Certainly I see clearly the hand of our lord almighty will find us overall And therefore saith the Author of the char of the soul What wilt thou rich man do/ that never shalt live surely whither shalt thou retraye the/ whither wilt thou turn thy body/ for thou art not sure here nor elliss where. fore and thou sty up into the sky/ or descend into hell. he that hath domination is that cruel and mighty king. If thou go into the see/ that king hath governance there/ thou shalt not mow thenne go no part surely/ for thou shalt be found every where. Certainly thou shalt have no place to flee to. neither in thy death/ nor in thy life. O how weal comprehended this Elezearus/ that said. I will neither i'll qui● nor deed from the hands of the almighty. As it is written in the second book of Machabe the seven chapitre. Lo by these our lords saiyngiss it appeareth in many manners that final judgement is to be redoubted of all/ and shallbe for th'accusation of diverse things/ which must be violently suffered sustened and born. and for the just Reason that must needs be yelden singularly and generally of all things. And for the diffinitif sentence that shall be then pronounced right horribly by the Just judge. The Remembrance then of these things diligently continued. that is to say of the final judgement and of the sentence that shall be given there/ as it is said/ shall preserve and defends and not without reason every man from falling into syngne/ and eschew to do evil to the end/ to come finally to the glory with the happy saints of paradise▪   
And thus endeth the second part of this treatise divided in four parties:::::   


Here beginneth the prologue of the third part of the four last things to come  
THe third of the iiij last things whereof the remembrance preserveth from sin is hell or thinfernal gehenna. And therefore saith anastasy of saint anthony the eremite/ when the devil tempted him to any sin/ he remembered the pains of hell due unto sinners which thought was so enprinted in his heart that finally he thereby venquisshed the devil & was delivered from his temptations & rested free from all sin. It is to be noted how touching this matter present iij things are principally to be considered. First the diverse nomination of the peinful places of hell. secondly the manifold afflictions of thinfernal minestres. thirdly the strange & diverse manners of the torments of hell of the which iij things the remembrance profiteth greetly & withdraweth a man from falling to sin   

¶ How hell is named by holy scripture in diverse wise ¶ The first chapitre of the third part principal  
IT is now first to be declared principally the nomination of the peinful places of hell. Wherefore it is to be known that hell is a place full of fire & is so called de infero infers/ That is to say to bear in/ for the souls of sinners be born into it for to suffer pain there eternally. And therefore saith job in his seven chapitre. He that shall descend into hell shall not come again ne ever return unto his house. And also hell is oftentimes called gehenna of fire. The foresaid saint Gregory in his fourth book of his dialogues said. certainly it must be beleud that there is only but oon fire in the gehene of hell but it tormenteth not all sinners after oon manner/ for every man shall have pain after the quantity of his guilt and trespass. Isidorus in the book of sovereign goodness seith that the fire of the gehenne of hell shall shine & leight to the dampened folks in increasing of their pains to th'intent that they may see their own sorrows/ it shall neither light nor shine to their consolation nor give them cause of any rejoicing. The pain of those that be dampened is doubled by sorrow & pains that tourmentith the soul and fire that brenneth the body. Of this fire of hell speaketh the saw●●r saying. The coals shall fall upon sinners which shall be cast into the fire having no comfort in their miseries/ our lord shall tourmente them with his Ire & the fire shall devour them. Wherefore it is written in isaiah in the ix chapitre. The people shall be as meet unto the fire/ it is also said to every sinner in Ezechil in the xxj chapitre. Thou shalt be fire● meet. In Iheremy the xv chapitre saith our lord to the dampened folks. then brasing fire inferrour shall broil & burn upon you all▪ this fire is of the nature that ●petually it seal brens & shall never have need to be renewed It is written in job the xx chapitre. The fire which can 〈…〉 be quenched shall utterly devour them. O how sore shall our lord venge him then upon the dampened sinners As it is said in Ec●lesiastico in the seven chapitre. The flesh of sinners shall have vengeance by fire. This fire of the gehenna of hell is different from the material fire principally in 〈◊〉 things. First in fierceness & eagerness fo● the power of it in brenning is infenite. wherefore seith saint Sebastian. When the angel of heaven rouned him in the ere. he saide that our sensible fire is no more like the fire of hell than the fire painted upon a wall is like our materiale fire. secondly in enduring. For our materiale fir● may be quenched/ and so may not that. It is written in Isay in the last chapitre. that the fire for sinners shall no● be quenched. thirdly in wasting. for our sensible materiale fire may consume & waste all things as the philophre seith but the fire infernal may not waste nor consume neither the body nor the souls of sinners by brenning. job saith in his xx chapitre of the sinners being in hell. He shall buy full dear now that he hath done & yet he shall not be wasted. john Crisostom saith also that our materiale fire consumeth all thing that is laid in it/ but the fire of hell tormenteth continually those that be therein/ & yet it preserveth them always in lengthing their peines. Therefore it is said that it is not to be quenched not only because it can not be put out but that it shall not seize to destroy them that shall come therein. For that cause saith the holy scripture that the sinner shall be clothed with corruption not only of their life but in languisshing & tormemendes always coming. Certainly no voice could expone nor no word could express the greetnes of the pain/ nor the ferventness of that fire. Alas what shall we do therefore there/ & what shall we answer for in hell shall be but grinding of teeth/ yowling/ crying/ & weeping in pain/ but thenne penance is to late/ and from all parts shall comfort and help be put away. there shall be no thing but augmentations of pains. as that fire of hell is not of nature to devour. no more is it to give no comfortable light/ It is an obscure fire/ and the flam̄ thereof tenebrous. secondly hell is called locus inquietus that is to say/ a restless place ever enduring & shall never have end. wherefore it is said in this life that there is one place which is alway stil. that is to wit the centre of the sky Other be sometime troubled as mean partis of the air/ semblably it may be proved that the lowest part is always in trouble without rest. And therefore it is called tartarus For after papy tartarus is as mickle to say as troubled & obscure. Certainly the unrest & tribulation cometh there specially of iij thingis. First the variance of pains as one seith the weather is troubled/ when it is now meddled with rein now with hail/ now with snow/ or such storms which as it is said/ be of all those manners in hell as witnessen prophets saying. It shall rain upon sinners both fire & brimpton/ & the spiretes of tempest shall give them part of their ●●urmentes. secondly of the ministers infernal. As it is written in Iheremy the xuj chapitre. Thoes devils that ye have served. nether night nor day shall suffer you in rest thirdly of thentercheaunged cry. as it is written in Isay in the lxv chapitre. ye shall weep for sorrow & by contrition of soul howl. In troth our lord shall answer to all those that so shall howl & cry. as it is said in Iheremy the thirty chapitre Wherefore criest y● and howlist thou now by contrition sith thy sorrow is not to be heeled I have punished the thus for thy wicked felonous sins. thirdly hell is called a place right distempered. as avernus/ that is as mickle to say as a thing without a temꝑance of delight for the pains be no thing moderated there/ but continue in great excess/ of troth there is therein without mensure excessesive tenebres. which be called exteriores. as saint Mathewe saith in his xxij chapitre. We have example of this in Exode in the x chapitre by the maniable tenebres that were sometime in Egipte. O how mickle shall the tenebres of hell be more grievous than those. It is written in job in the xx chapitre. all horrible tenebres shall come on him again then shall the sinners say/ as it is said in the Psalter. They have cast me into the lowest lake and in the tenebrous place and in the shadow of death. they have logged me in the obscure place as deed fro this world/ wherefore my soul is angry with me. Semblably it is written in the Lamentations of Iheremy. They have logged me with those that be sempiternally deed/ there is therein an excessife heat. As job saith in his xiv chapitre The heat is greet therein. & the cause is that it breaketh not out but is closed in/ as the heat in an oven. The Psalter saith. When thou art an angered thou shalt put the sinners in an oven full of fire. Also our lord shall torment them with his wrath. & fire shall devour them. there is there also a right sharp cooled/ as is written in job in the said chapitre. It is said the water of snow is colder than all other waters/ yet the waters of hell may not be compared with of chilling nor cooled. And therefore seith Fulgencius in his pistles. There is in hell ij principale manner of torments that is to wit by intolerable cooled & by inquencheable heat It is written in the xxiv chapitre of saint matthew. There shall be in hell both weeping & cooled. certainly the effluction of teeris by weeping comith of heat/ but the inward sorrows is caused by cooled. To this purpose witnesseth job in the said xxiv chapitre. the sinner oupassed with the cooled water of snow/ goeth after into the greet fiery heats. It is found also in a little book of the dediss of Alexandre the king of Macedon. That when he was for clomme● with the Isse & with the cold of the snow he would go to the fire of colis. O how miserable & painful shall this trouble be to those that shall not die nor have lightning in the prison of hell. but be tormented there infenitely. Fourthly hell is called a noyful wailing place/ and therefore after Papie it is named Acheron/ that is as mickle to say as a place without joy lacking all goodness. For this cause saith the Commentator Averroes in the iiij chapitre of poetry. That hell hath a continual sorrow & weeping with out consolation. In troth the dampened folks there beneath have no comfort in the world for the orisons & prayers that been said in the church militant may profeite them no thing/ and from above cometh there no help to them/ there falleth on them no misericorde. wherefore they be in despair of any grace in time coming and know certainly that they without Remedy and not to be qui●ee out of the prison/ & so they rest sempiternally in wailing in sorrow and in desolation. It is written in the book of Sapiens in the iiii chapitre. That the dampened souls shall be utterly in desolation. Also the dampened soul seith in the first chapitre of the trene of jeremy. I am cast in desolation & am convict into weeping. It is written in isaiah in the xxxiiij chapitre. That the wretched sinner shall be in desolation during the world of worlds. Alas alas what pain is that to be endured. O most cruel pain. O desolation full of all torments. & therefore o thou man remember the and print often in thy heart and mind these things abovesaid to th'intent/ thou may eschew and withdraw the from sin. and there by have the most precious glory and felicity perdurable.   

¶ How those that descend into hell be cruelly punished ¶ The second chapitre of the third part principal  
Now to proceed folowyngly by order it resteth to be exponed how there be many and diverse afflictions given by the soldeours of hell. Thoes soldeours been to understand the devils/ which been tormentors and hangmen full abominable to behold and cruel in their dedis/ never weary to tourmente nor to give pains. I say first that those devils be horrible to be hold And therefore they be so painted in the church with hideous and horrible figures. To this purpose it is red that where some time/ a religious man was lying in his dortor among his brethren/ It happened in a night that he cried orribly where thorough all the brethren of his covent resorted unto him/ and they found him staring & his eyen fixid upon a wall firmly without moving/ and would answer to no question that they demanded him. he was so moved with a marvelous fere. and in the morrow his prior came unto him and asked what him ailed that night. and he answered/ He had se●n the devil. And thenne it was questioned him/ what shape he was of. And he answered that his shape ne mought lightly be described. and said. If there were here an ovon full of fire and yonder the figure of the devil/ I had as lief entre into the ovon/ as long to behold on his most horrible figure. And as saint Bernard saith in the Psalm of Qui habitat in adiutorio. O my right dear brethren what think ye/ if it were a thing sitting/ that oon of these princes of tenebres/ that be of so many hideous and marvelous shapes should come and appear emongiss you with his greet cruelty and unformed tenebrous body/ what temporale or spirituale wit mought sustain to behold him. It is red in the book de Uitis patrum. How there was sometime an ancient man that said. I trow there is no living Creature/ but and he saw the devil in the same form that the dampened souls see him/ he should no more live after/ but shortly should die. Also saint Gregory saith of oon called Crisso●ius/ which being full seek saw beside him a greet multitude of devils wherefore he cried full hydeously after help/ he turned him this way and that way/ to th'intent he should not see them/ but he was so fervently troubled with them in fere/ that right soon he died. certainly all those that see the devils be in such greet trouble that all men dread the fight of them. and not without Reason/ for there horrible figure tormenteth those to death that beholdeth them. It is written in job the xx chapitre. Horrible things shall go and come upon them. And that saint Bernard showeth when he said. O my soul what fere shall thou have/ when thou shalt leave the presence of all thingis wherein thou hast joy/ the sight of that that is agreeable unto the and all thy familiarity/ and shalt entre alone fearfully into the region/ which is to the unknown/ when the right terrible and horrible monsters shall come in greet companies against the. O how great a deformity shall be in those horrible devils that shall appear in figures of right cruel bestis. And as it is written in the xj chapitre of Sapiens. Because they permitted errors as done serpents and other superflue beasts thou hast sent them a multitude of doum beasts in vengeance to th'intent that they may know wherein they have sinned/ they to be tormented by the same. Certeyn it is not impossible that the most mighty hand that hath create & made all the universal world of thing unseen/ should send a multitude offers bears of hardy lions and other many furious beasts of diverse shapes casting v●pures of fire giving stinking smokes putting out of their eyen sparkis brenning of fire/ but all these things should be to the hurt of sinners and also the beholding might slay them/ as it is written in the chapitre aforesaid. job said in his xuj chapitre Mine enemy hath behold me with terrible eyen. He also saith in his xlj chapitre. His look & beholding is like a glistering of fire out of his mouth streming as it were brenning lamps/ and popilli●h as water boiling out of a pot. Therefore seith a poet that there be therein serpents vomyshing out of their mouths brenning flames with the which blastis the souls of the miserable sinners ben all perished. secondly the fiends be cruel by effect/ where as it is written in job the xuj chapitre. They are assembled against me/ they have opened their mouths upon me as a ravissing lion/ they have tempted me/ they have mokked me and grennyngly & felonesly showed me there teeth Also in Ecclesiastico in the xxj chapitre is said. Theeir teeth be like the teeth of lions/ which devour the souls To this purpose is written in the first epistle of saint Petre the v chapitre. That how the devil is like a braing lion/ which goeth seeking to devour some soul. Certain the devil shall be appointed at the last day for to devour sinners. It is written in isaiah in the luj chapitre. O ye all beasts of the fields and wyldrenesse come ye for to devour. Iheremy in his xij chapitre saith. Come ye all beasts and assemble and make you ready for to devour. saint Gregory in his Dyalogis talketh thereof and saith. That there was sometime a monk not yet verily monk in deed but so named/ which was called Theodorus. It was right displeasant unto him/ when oon spoke to him for his salvation/ he would not only leave to do good/ but it loathed him to here speak thereof. and as Theodorus was at the article of death all his brethren of his covent assembled about him in prayers & devout orisons that they might help & defend his soul atte departur from his body. then he began suddenly to cry & with a greet voice had them break of & leave their orisons and prayers & depart/ for he was given unto an horrible dragon for to be devoured/ which he said for their prayers might not devour him/ & yet he had swallowed his heed/ & prayed them therefore go thence & pray no more/ but let him do that/ that he purposed to do/ sens he was given unto him/ and the foresaid Theodorus said/ why suffer ye me so long to be in this case then said his brethren unto him. What is it that thou sayst/ make the figure of the cross upon the. To whom the said Theodorus answered with a lamentable cry. I would fain bless me/ but I can not/ for I am to hardly prikked and oppressed with the violence of this dragon. And when his brethren heard him say so they fill flat to the earth with weeping tears/ and began again their prayers and orisons devoutly for the help and Redemption of this Theodorus/ which soon after suddenly began to cry with a loud voice saying. I yield loving thanks and grace to god my creator/ for now that dragon/ which should have devoured me is driven and chased away fro me by your good and devout prayers and orisons. Also saint Gregory telleth an example in the fourth book of his dialogues that how in the parts of Anchone in a monastery called Congolathon be fell sometime that there was therein a monk which was taken for a very holy man marvelously weal disposed toward god/ But when his brethren went that he had fasted he was accustomed secretly to eat. And when he was at the battle of death/ he called generally for all his brethren/ saying unto them. I am delivered now unto a dragon to be devoureed/ which with his tail hath knit together my feet & also my kneys & putteth his heed into my mouth/ & draweth my soul out of my body. and after he had said those words he died forth withal. It may seem these words be for the condemned sinners which been written in Iheremy in the lj chapitre. He hath eaten me like a dragon. This dragon is hideous and greet and hath seven hedes & x horns in the same as it is written in the apocalypse in the xij chapitre. There hath been a greet battle in the sky so that saint Michiel & his angel hath fought with the dragon & his angel which might not resist/ & sith their rooms in heaven could not be found but were cast down and so the dragon ancient serpent/ which is called the devil sathan enforceth himself to make war upon the universal world here. And for that cause is it red in the same chapitre That harm come to the earth and to the see/ for the devil is descended among you with all his greet furious anger/ This devil hath a marvelous greet hate unto all good people/ which disposeth them to take possession in the room of heaven/ from whence he was put out & chased into th'eternal pains. and the more that the day of ●ome approacheth the more tempteth he more cursedly & more forceth himself to do evil in destroying of souls. O how greet is the wikkidnesse and the malice of this devil of hell. Whereof saint Bernard talketh in a prose saying. O how felonows shall then this tormentors be/ which shall pain & tourmente sinners/ how terrible shall their vengeance be in venging vices wretchedness & sins. Certainly their cruel malice is yet augmented in diverse manners. First because they be so innumerable and of so diverse soortes. The Psalter saith Why be those so multiplied that tormenteth me/ and their be many that dress them against me. And as it is written in job in the nineteen Chapitre. They have asseged my Tabernacle about me. It is written in Uitis patrum. That there was a good Ancient Man that saw the devil enuyroning the people and were as thik as bees that make honey. Wherefore it is said also in the Psawter. They have compassed me as bees be cause they be many & of great might/ as Thapostle witnesseth in his pistle add the epheseos in the uj chapitre. where he calleth them princes & potestates & governors of the world be cause they be subtle & mighty to noy souls. The psalter seith. The strong have sought my soul. this strength is understand by the devils. It is red also of the strength in job the xlj chapitre. There is no might upon the earth to be compared with that/ that hath done so that it dreadeth no man save him that seith all thing from above & is king over all the children of pride the devils shall ernstfully exorcize their might in pride to the pumisson of sinners & them shall cruelly torment. It is written in Ecclesiastico the xxxix chapitre. There be spirits that be ordained to take vengeance & hath confirmed the torments in their furor enduringly till the consummation of the world. job seith in his xuj chapitre. He hath compassed me with his fperis & hath not spared me/ but hath hurt my reins/ he hath cast my bowel to the earth/ and given me wounds upon wound & this come shuldering against me like a gyand. thirdly the malice and cruelty of the devil is comforted & is more grievous be cause they are never weary of tormenting. As it is written in the book of Daniel in the iij chapitre. The ministers shall not seasse in stirring the fires of the furnace to the causing of pains. Therefore said a wise man that there be tormentors/ which be more to be loathed then serpents/ and they be blakke and deformed and will not be beaten down. And they be never weary to do harm but newly encreasen their malice all way ready/ and boiling desirously to put souls to pain. and incessantly they exercise their cruelty more and more. And it is said to all sinners in deuteronomy in the xxviij chapitre. Thou shalt serve for thine enemy when our lord shall send the naked unto him in hunger and thirst and in all poverty/ And the●●e shall thy sore wounds enereace perpetually O how greet shall the pains be there to dampened folks which shall last continually in anguish and misery without intermission lacking peace or rest. It is red of the sinners in Ezechiel in the seven chapitre. That when they shall feel th●es anguisshi●us pain/ they shall desire and requir● to have peace/ but thenne they get none/ for they shall h●ue conturbation and sorrow upon sorrow. It is written in Thapocalypse the xiv chapitre. That those that have been blestly shall therefore have no rest by day nor night Then mow the sinners we'll say/ as it is written in Isay in the xxxviij chapitre. I shall not see our lord god in the kuing land/ nor I shall no more behold any man. that is inhabior of rest. Semblable as it is written in jeremy the xlv chapitre. Alas I am unhappy/ for our lord hath added in me sorrow to sorrow/ for I can find no rest. Sorrow shall be thenne cast at his heed. and all iniquity shall descend upon him. Now by these things above said it manifestly appeareth how such as descendeth into hell be punished with many diverse paynee●. & therefore methinketh dear brethren how it should be often in your remembrance to defend you from falling to sin/ whereby ye should l●se the company of the ●●●py and blessed sein●ee● and the celestial glory/ which is perourable and shall dure world withouten end   

¶ How there be many conditions of torments increasing the pains of Helle ¶ The third chapitre of the third part principal  
NOw resteth to declare the third part of this matter/ which is in showing the condition of thinfernal torments/ which be full diverse. Certain there be sundry conditions that specially increase by occasions the pains of hell. ¶ The first is/ bitterness weeping/ grinding of teeth/ compleyning/ the perpetual death/ painful languissing in despair/ and the wrath and blaming of the creator of all things with other many torments and pains innumerable to be recited/ which doubtless shall be well felt and understand there by sinners/ as it appeareth in diverse places of holy scripture. and as it is written in Thapocalypse in the xuj chapitre. They have eaten their tongues for greet sorrow and have blasfemed the god of heaven for their anguishes and their wounds saint Gregory saith that he that is condemned to the torments findeth more pain there then can be supposed or thought. saint Iherom saith that the force of the sorrow in hell shall be so ● greet that it can not address his courage/ but as the force of the said sorrow will constrain. certain the sinner shall say then as is written in jeremy in the viij chapitre. My woe increaseth in sorrow upon sorrow. The eagerness of the pains of hell shall be so greet that sinners shall hate and dispraise ●●f which universally is delighted & with a brenning desire wish to find death/ which e●y man would flee. As it is written in Thapocalypse in the ix chapitre. A day shall come that men shall desire & wish for death/ and shall not have it/ they shall require death & it shall flee away fro them. In truth our lord winesseth the egrenes of the pains of hell in Iheremy in the ix chapitre/ where he seith. I shall feed my people with absinth/ commonly named worm wooed the which is a bitter herb/ & I shall give them to drink gall. Whereby is signified the bitterness of the torments of hell. It is red that this egrenes was weal considered by a young man which was deliciously nourished/ Nevertheless he entered into then●● of pr●chers/ and whe●e he had been in the said ordre a while/ there came a man from his kinsfolks to amonissh him to depart thence or he were professed/ showing him how deliciously he had been brought up. and therefore he might not sustain the dures pains & troubles pertaining to the said ordre. The young man answered. I have entered into this order knowing weal that I was voluptuously nourished and might not weal suffer. But I remember weal that the troubles pains of hell shall be importable. wherefore I had liefer sustain the little pain of this ordre/ then the pains which are incomparable. For job seith in his uj chapitre The snow shall fall upon them that shall dread the little mist This consideration moved an eremite called piers to enterprise a marvelous penance/ which he accomplished. as saint gregory showeth in the iiij book of his dialogues this eremite died by a sickness/ & yet after his death his soul was restored again to his body. Also saint Gregory saith. that there was sometime a monk borne of Irelond called piers/ this monk affirmed how he had seen the grievous torments of hell/ the innumerable painful places & flame● of fire. & told how he had seen there certain mighty men of this world hanged up in the said flames. And he said as he was brought for to be cast in: suddenly appeared an angel clothed all in white/ which saved him and had him go thence and attentifly to remember how he should live from thence forthward to keep him out of the danger of the peines. After that he had heard that voice he revived and came to himself little and little/ and showed unto his brethren there all the things that he had feeled & seen. and from that day forthward he used & lived a blessed life in fasting & doing penance/ so that by his conusation after it might well seem the pains of hell are to be dread. The second condition increasing the pains of hell is the multiplying of the torments there. In certain they be innumiable. And as the psalter saith. The pains/ which be without nombre have enuiround & be clipped me. It is written in deuteronomy the xxxij chapitre. I shall assemble many diverse pains upon them/ & I shall accomplish or spend the schot of mine arrows in them. and as it is written in isaiah the v chapitre His arrows be full sharp & all his bows are bend. our lord hath many arrows in his quiver/ which he hath not yet shot forth/ but after the judgement he shall smite all sinners with them. these arrows are the diverse pains of hell where as sinners shall be then tormented in many man's. the Psawter seith. The arrows of the mighty. That is to say of our lord be sharp amongs the colis of desolation Our lord satth in deuteronomy the xxij chapitre. I shall embrwe mine arrows in their blood/ my sword shall devour their flesh/ they shall perish by famine/ & the birds shall strangle them with a full bitter morsel. I shall send against them the teeth of wild bestis with the furor of those that ramp & devour upon the earth. Owtward the sword shall destroy them/ and inward fere and dread shall waste them Off this multitude of pains speaketh saint Gregory in the viij chapitre of saint Mathewe/ saying. They shall be cast out into thuttermeste tenebres/ that is to say hell where shallbe an unsufferable cold/ a unquenchable heat an inmortale worm/ a intolerable stench/ a darkness mamable/ & an horrible vision of devils threshing & beting/ a confusion of sinners/ a sepation of all joys. And therefore said a wise man/ that hell is a mortifying pit full & accomplished with all pains & miseries. The psalter seith. It shall rain brimstone upon sinners & the spirits of tempestis which be part of the sorrows & torments of hell. And that saying is to be noted by cause that there be many other parts of torments impossible to be expressed/ all that ever we have spoken of the peines of hell is a full little thing in regard of the great infenite multitude of them. but to th'intent that the multiplication of these peines may be the more expressly declared. It is also to be noted how dampened souls shall be full of all miseres & sorrows/ for they shall ●u have weeping eyen grinding of their teeth/ stench in their noses wailling in their voices fear in their ears/ beenning of fire in all their membres/ & therein shall be bound hand & foot. Lo how the wretched sinner descending into hell shall be fulfilled with all torments. It is written in job the xv chapitre of the dampened man how tribulation shall hold him/ and anguish shall enuyrone him. And in the xiij chapitre of Isay How all men's hearts shall be abashed & fir for the sorrows and tortions that shall hold him having the pain the women suffer traveling of child. each on shall sorrow upon his neighburgh/ and their broiled faces shall affray every other. Therefore Baruch said in his uj chapitre Their faces be blakked with smoke/ for the faces of all sinners shall be brought to the likeness of a round pot/ as it is written in johel the ij chapitre. Also it is said in Ecclesiastico the xlviij chapitre. The peines of a woman traveling shall come unto them. The same also is written in Ozee the xiij chapitre. So as it appeareth there be many scourges and fleyles in hell for to beat sinners there with certainly the dampened soul shall mow say with the Psalter. The sorrows of death have compassed me/ and the pains of hell have founden me. It saith. It hath compassed me for this cause. For it is to him a vestiment or covering of malediction/ which shall be both within him and without him. O what vestiment shall this be that shall be woven with so painful threads/ and those without nombre/ which can never be undone nor taken away/ For with an inmortale string it shall be inseparabily bound unto the sinner. This shall be a sore and a biting vestiment to be suffered. This is the vestiment that is written of in isaiah in the thirteenth Chapitre saying. Thy vestiment shall be worms. The consideration of these manifold pains revoked & called David from sin & caused him to do penance. And therefore he said to our lord How many sore tribulations hast thou showed me/ & thou converted hast revived me. The considerations also of these foresaid pains moved sometime an eremite forto take upon him a right sharp painful life/ which he led in his hermitage/ as is red in Uitis patrum. It was axed of him/ why he would so slay himself. And he answered. All the labour of my life is not sufficient to be compared to oon of the days of torments that be ordained and reserved for sinners in time to come. Beda showeth us in his writing of England/ how that in the time of young Constantine there died a knight about the years of our lord eght hondeet & vj. which knight revived/ and after for the pains that he had seen/ he fled into an hermitage/ as it is red in Uitis patrum. and he made him a little house by a Rivier side. In the which Rivier he would run often times all clothed in the winter time/ and would suffer his clothes to freeze unto his flesh and then after he would ●epe into a bayn as hoot as it was possible to him to suffer. And this life he led unto his death. And when folks saw him do so/ they blamed him therefore/ and he said to them. If ye had seen that I have seen: ye would do as I do/ and rather more. saint Gregory saith. The vision of the pains of hell is the most excellent moving that can be to penance and contrition. The third condition encrescing the pains of hell/ is the everlestyngnesse thereof It is written in the book of sapience the iiij chapitre. Our lord shall mock them/ That is to understand/ sinners after they shall fall from their worship among them that be sempiternally deed. saint Matthew saith the xxv chapitre. They be those/ that shall go into torments. In judith the xuj chapitre is red. That our lord shall send worms of fire against their fleish/ that they may burn and yet live and feel the pains for ever. To that purpose speaketh isaiah in his last chapitre thus. Their worms shall not die/ neither their fire quench. And therefore saith our lord in deuteronomy in the xxxij chapitre. The fire is kindled with my furor and shall been into the lowest part of hell/ and that shall be perpetually and endlessly. isaiah in his xxxiij chapitre saith. O which of us shall mow suffer and endure the devouring fire/ who shall mow be among those/ that shall be bren●e sempiternally. In the xxxiij chapitre of the same isaiah is said The groaned/ where they shall dwell shall be converted into brenning piche night and day/ and shall not quench/ and the smoke shall be from generation to genation upon them during the world of worlds. It is written in th'apocalypse in the xx chapitre. The devil shall be sent into the lake of fire and of sulphur and brimstone/ where the evil breast and the false prophet shall be tormented night and day in the world of worlds. And he/ that shall not be fonden in the book of life/ shall be sent into the lake of fire there forto dwell in the shadow of death/ where is noon ordre/ but sempiternal horror and sorrow. It is written in job the x chapitre. and also saint Gregory saith in his moralis a right horrible word. That is to wit. Thenne shall the miserable sinners suffer a greet pain with a greet feet/ a greet flame with a darkness/ and death without death/ an end without finishing/ for that death shall ever live/ and that end shall begin alway again & that fault shall never fail. And a Poet showeth how that miserable death can not die nor finish. but seemeth always that it beginneth and reneweth wepnigis and languisshingis. Petre de bloys said in a pistle. There shall be non ordre of any manner of torments neither sparing, but endlessly the pains shall renew & begin again/ death can not die there/ for it shall be always permanent and never ceasing to th'enten● that the condemned souls may miserably always increase in their pains & sorrows and be nourished in eternal death The Psawter saith. They be casten into hell as shepen & death feedeth them. Mowe thenne these sinners have their feeding of death: what shall be their drink: Herkene what is written in deutronomij in the xxxij chapitre. The burging of the grape and the vine that they shall have, shall be aisil and gall of dragons/ and the venom of the Adder called asp/ which is incurable. O wherewith shall the sinners be nourished, seest thou not how they be perpetually tormented with the most cruel death/ they shall live then in dying/ and shall be deed living. saint Bernard saith in a book that he sent unto pope Eugeny. The biting worm/ and the living death I grouge and fear greatly. I dread to fall into the hands of the death/ that ever lyuth/ and of the life that never dieth. saint Girgorye seith. That the fellow sinners shall die of inmortale death. O good lord eternal why hast thou suffered me do contrary thy will and work mine own sorrow, why helpest thou not me out of sin. whereby I might escape this perpetuel death. O how happy/ o how blessed shall he be that shall not be fowlid nor smouged with the filths of sin/ & that hath not reioysshed him in the sensual voluptations of this transitory world/ nor in temporale vanities. Certain I am feerd that we miserable sinners have erred from the way of life/ and that the light of justice hath not shined upon us. We have not followed the ways of our lord. but have taken the unhappy ways of iniquity and perdition It is written in isaiah in the xlix chapitre. We have labured in vain & for nought we have wasted all our strength What hath our pride availed us/ what hath proufited our pomp/ and the vanity of the richesses of this world/ what be we amended by our jewels, or precieux garnementes by our delicious meets and drinks, our glotomies/ our lawhingis and idle disports. Now what avantageth us all things, wherein we have vainly/ unproufitably/ and damnably spent our tyme. Alas alas/ we have lost and passed our days without fruit, and may be likend to were then a dunghill/ and all those things be past. but our wretchedness shall remain to our eternal torments. Our lord shall say to every dampened soul/ as is written in job in the xx chapitre. He shall suffer torments & peines after the multitude of his wicked operations. and in the xviij chapitre of thapocalypse is written. As much as he hath glorified himself in delights and plaisers: as much torment and pain shall be yeven him therefore to remain therein eternally. Now is it not a greet folly for the rich or vain pleasure of this world or any other miserable thing a man to submit him to perpetual torments both of his body & of his soul. john crisostom saith in his book titled of the reparation of defaults/ what continuance of lechery & space of delectations wilt thou compare to the sempiternal pains. Now take that thou live C year in delectations set thereto an other C & yet C/ & after the ten hondert if thou wilt. yet what comparison is this to theternity. May not all the time of our bodily life/ though we intended new so voluptuously be resembled unto a dreem of the night in regard of the sempiternal life. Is there any person that aught will to have oon pleasant and delectable night in dreams/ and therefore to find the sempiternal pains/ and so change for a pleasant dream so little enduring/ to have the pains of hell/ which be perpetual. What shall we speak of this pleasure, or of these pains. The pleasures pass lightly away/ and the pains must remaygne everlestingly. Now take it/ that the time and the space of the pleasures and of the pains were egale. Is there any that aught to be so mad or so foolish/ as to cheese for to have for oon day of pleasure here a day of damnation in hell Remember how that oon hour of bodily sickness in this world putteth a way all pleasure for the sayson. right so remembrance how the perpetual pains ought to resist against all sins. O how greet torment and pain shall be to the dampened souls/ their everlesting damnation and perpetual death is so hard and so sore/ that I wore not how/ that I could express it grievously I now● for certainly it can not be sufficiently spoken/ conceived in mind nor comprehended in heart. Now take we/ that ther● were a piece of metal as greet as might be comprehended within the concavity of the viij spear. and every M year there should be taken from it a little piece like a grain. and so consequently till it were all brought to no thing: should not the eternity be finished by that time. and the dampened souls delivered out of their pains. I answer and say you nay/ for the perpetuity shall be thenne but at the beginning/ there can be no proportion in a thing infenite. as Aristotile the philosopher saith in his viij book of his physic's. Certainly if dampened souls mighten know and understand that they should be delivered out of thin tolerable pains of hell assoon/ as the said piece of metal were so wasted and goon, as is above said/ yet they might have hope of their redemption against that saison/ and have some manner of comfort/ knowing that their torments should sometime taken end. yet the years would be incomprehensible and innumerable. Now surely oon of the greatest pains is the desolation and default of hope ever to be redeemed and delivered out of th'eternal torments. For as it is written in Isay the xxxiiij chapitre. The sinner shall be in desolation time and world withouteen end. It is written in the book of Trenis the third chapitre. Mine end and mine hope in god is perished. Iheremy in his xv chapitre asketh. Why is my sorrow made imperpetuel and my wounds in desperation. Whereunto is answereed in the x chapitre of the Proverbis. That when the fellow sinner is oones' deed/ there is thenne noon hope to be had. Intend & remember this all ye that be forgeters of our lord/ lest that this most cruel and sorrowful place of hell swallow you/ from whence ye may never be pulled out. Lo now ye may see clearly/ how the wretched sinner can not be redeemed out of hell. Wherefore my right dear friends I amoneste and require you/ bear that Remembrance well in your minds/ and conceive well they ample of the piece of metal above specified. And now tell me what thou felist/ and what thine own heart deemeth and judgeth in this matter. I ween certainly thy discretion woe begyve thereunto credence. for true it is/ & to troth by Reason then must nediss apply. Also bethink the of the diverse provinces of londs & imagine every Region of them Considere the sees the Riveres/ and the poondes. Enclose in thy mind the circuit of the wild/ and go every where thereof/ Fly up into the air/ and then descend into the lowest part of th'earth. and of all this think in thy mind. thou hast made an hool substance and imagine and extend how greet a thing this should be/ and if it might not be consumed by 〈◊〉 of tyme. and thenne telle me what thou thinkest of thinfenite pains of sinners Whether should be long enduring the consuming of the same substance/ or the relessing of the perdurable pains I trow thou wilt agree/ that there can no thing be compared to a perpetuity. wherefore we ought all in our courages timerousely to tremble and fear it. Now who is he that dreadeth it not. who to he/ that alussheth not thereof. Who is he/ that had not liefer abide the consuming of the foresaid substance/ than the time of eternity Late this said substance and this time of eternity be couched upon thine heart/ and thou shalt find it aproufitable thing & greetly to thine advantage. For if thou wilt not correct and revoke thyself from thy sins by the love that thou owest to bear unto god. Yet the mirror and Remembrance of th'intolerable and infenite pains should revoque/ sequestre & withdraw the from sins. O lord god that this perdurable pain is to be eschewed and dread And wepyngly we ought to remember our sins by great contrition/ that we might thereby come to the everlesting salvation. Lo here afore hath be showed thincreasing of th'infernal pains/ and how they may never cease nor finish. which was well considered by oon sometime called Fulson of Mercelles. Which was in his days an excellent jougulier all abandouned and yvien to the vanities of the world. In a day he be thought him of the peines of hell and of theternity thereof/ and remembered in his heart. If he were compelled to lie in a fair and a soft bed well hanged and plaisantly dressed and for no necessity might depart out of it/ Yet all were it never so delicious/ it could not lie in his power continually to endure it And thereupon remembered him how he should then mow sustain th'intolerable perpetual peines of hell/ which are languereuse and from thence none may depart. This foresaid Fulson considering that/ left all his vain worldly delights and made himself a monque. and sithen was archibsshop of Tholouse/ where he lived and guided him right holily in the service of our lord. The consideration of the perpetual peines of hell should induce and comfort every good soul to fight & resist mightily against his ghostly enemy/ for if the fiend venquisshe and overcome him/ he may be sure to lie therefore without greet Repentance and grace in the sempiternal pains of hell And therefore for Jesus' sake with all your might fight and resist viguorously against the cruel enemy of all mankind/ which doth nought but lieth in a wait forto bring us all to damnation. Egelippus saith in his book of the destruction of Jews. How that one of the greet captains of King Alexandre being chief of an host/ saw on a time an innumerable army coming ●●ens him to sight with him. And when his people saw them come/ they disposed them to eat and drink forto make them of the more bodily might and put therein their trust. This good c●pitayne 〈◊〉 that they yaff more hope to their bodily strengths/ than to the power of him/ whom all other mights can not 〈◊〉/ said in this wise. O ye noble and worthy men ● have us dine now together/ for we be like to souppe this night in Helle all in a company. This people hearing these words to eschew that heavy supper/ put their affiance in our lord and set on/ and fought so viguorousely/ that they with Triumph and Honour overcome their Enemy's. Considering that Remembrance of the pains of Helle should withdraw us from worldly Delights. Hit is red in Uitis Patrum. How there was an ancient man/ that said. when a woman will ween her Child and make it to loath the sweetness of hire Milk/ she will put upon her paps heed a little mustard or some other bitter thing. When the child feeleth that/ it withdraweth and putteth away his appetit from the sweet milk. So semblably the sour Remembrance of the perpetuelle torments and pains of hell ought to revoque a man from all the vain delectations of this wretched world. job saith in his uj chapitre. May not a man taste of a thing/ which should cause him the right bitter death. That is to say/ the pains perpetual. Prosper saith. In this present life the temporal delights be full plaisant/ and the tribulations full bitter. But who is he that should not gladly suffer tribulations in this life for fear of the sempiternal pains of hell. And who is he that ought not to despise the delicious plaisiers of this world for to have the most happy joy of everlesting bliss. It is said also in the legend of saint john Evangelist That rich and mighty folks were converted by his perdicacion/ and relinquisshed all their worldly richesse Yet they saw after some/ that were their servants raised in the flattering glory and fortune of this world. Wherefore they repented them/ that they had lost all their goods so. Which thing saint john undrestood by the holy ghost/ and prayed unto our lord for their salvation. and thenne our lord changed certain reces of timber unto fyn gold/ and hard flint stones unto precious jewels. and so they were restoreed unto greater treasure and richesses/ than ever they had lost for our lords sake. Thenne it happened/ that saint john revived from death a youngly man/ which showed unto those folks th'eternal glory/ that they had lost for the richesse of this world/ and how the pains of hell died but abide them/ When the folks heard and undrestood that/ they were so abashed and in so greet fear/ that forth with all they mispraysed/ despised and refused all worldly richesse and delights/ and wilfully returned unto their poverty for their salvation. It is red in Uitis patrum. How there was sometime a young frere that said unto a father of his ordre. I am sloutheful and weary to sit always thus still in my cell. To whom this good father answered. thou hast not seen nor understand the torments that be to come in hell/ which shall be perpetually enduring/ & therefore if thou ●●inte that well in thine heart/ though thy cell were full of worms/ thou shouldest not grouge/ but wouldest abide in it patiently forto eschew these perdurable pains. For every sinner must endure theternal torments of hell or the right sharp pains of purgatory/ or else he must do and suffer suffisant penance in this world. Thenne what unhappy creature is he that is so blind and so haltered with ungrace and lak of Reason/ that had not liefer suffer here suffisant penance than in hell to be tormented and punished withouten end. Isidore saith. Think in thine heart all the sekensses and pains of this world all the bitternesses and sorrows what so ever they be. comparing them distinctly with the gehenna of hell/ and thou shalt mow well know that all pains here be in Regard as no thing unto those. saint Bernard saith in a Pistle. Thou dreadest to wake on nights/ to fast and to labour with thine hands. But remembering the perpetual flames all that aught to be but light unto the/ Certayne all solitary life is to be comforted by that Remembrance. And if thou knewest th'extreme discussing of all Idle words/ silence should displease the no thing saint Austyne in a sermon saith. How delectable thoughts cause oft human nature to be conquered and overcomen with the delights and the veluptuouse concupiscence of this world/ which eschew all labours/ and ask nought but pleasures/ and follow always delectations. But when that thoughts fall to Remembrance of the necessity and dangerous last judgement with theternal Pains. What other for fere of those torments/ or sometime for hope of the most rich Reward it m●eueth a man from all the passions of his pleasures and voluntayrely to rise up in battle against them intending to have victory upon his first delectable vain playsante thoughts. Abacuk saith desirousely in his iij chapitre. Rotynnesse will entre into my bones/ and springue under me in my life by cause I should rest in● the day of tribulacion. Behold here my right dear friends how fructuouse and how hoolsom is the Remembrance of th'infernal pains. The Psalter saith. Sinners they be transported into Helle. Wherefore by good meditations every man in his life intend to the resistance of that danger. Or else they must living die perpetually. It is red How he is eureusely happy/ that beholdeth the dyepe tenebres. That is to say. To register in his heart the infernal torments/ and that with a continual remembrance in contemplation to frequent that sure memory. Now me thinketh I have suffisantly showed you the manifold manners of the diverse pains of hell. and how vaillable and to what proufite groweth the memorial Remembrance thereof. O mortal man what haerrour/ what folly/ and what fault is in the/ when it lieth in thy free arbitrement to have joys everlesting and willingly castist thyself into the infernal torments and pains/ from whence noon may return/ but brenne there in fire world without end   
And thus endeth the third part of this treatise divided in four party's   


party of the four last thingis/ which be forto come And here beginneth the prologue upon the fourth  
●His third part of the four last things which be forto come. whereof soveraynely the Remembrance withdraweth a man from sin/ Is the mind of the everlesting celestiale Glory And if a man refreygne himself from mourdeur or from any criminale cause for fere of losing of his honour or temporale goods. how moche more ought he refreygne/ dread & eschew all sinful operations/ whereby he might lose the most blissful sempiternal joys. saint Austyn saith in a book of his confessions. There is a joy/ which is not to be given to the fellow sinners/ but to those/ that of their fire will love and worship the lord god/ and thou thyself art that joy. For this cause it is written in the first Epistle ad Corintheos the uj chapitre. The fellow sinners shall not possess the kingdom of heaven/ but shall confusedly be put therefrom/ as the vile gluttons and dishonneste folks be chased out of th'emperor his court and not suffer to sit among kings & princes at their excellent and solemn tables. And Callidore seith that every man is put & cast from the deite after the quantity of his sins. And certainly his casting fro/ is measured after the delectations that he hath had in them. Now should not thenne every creature eschew to do sin/ and have it in abomination as a mortale thing/ knowing that thereby is lost the celestial eternal Glory. O what shall I pour wretch barren of knowlych say/ or how shall I talk of this Glory incomprehensible. certainly their was never Eye/ that saw/ nor Ere/ that heard/ nor heart/ that thought the joy/ that god hath ordained for those that he loveth. As is written in the first Epistle ad corintheos the second chapitre. Therefore what shall I now more say or write/ in this work I am as oon born blind that disputeth in colours having no confidence to mine owen proper wit. But therefore I must refer myself to the testimonies of scriptures/ by the which I will speak/ It is to be noted/ how albe it in the heavenly glory there be innumerable things plainly approving the joy and felicity thereof. Yet I will specially show how it is to be recommended for three thingis. The first/ for the sovereign and excellent clearness thereof. secondly/ for the the most abundance of the goodnesses that be therein And thirdly for the most blissful joy thereof perdurably enduring. The beauty thereof/ nor the clearness can not be measured. The infenite goodness can not be esteemed Nor the●ernale joy can not be compared nor sufficiently prased. Of these iij thinger I shall traite be●●fly by order in this last part:::  
Thus endeth the prologue of the fourth and the last part of this book::::   

How the Royalme and kingdom of heaven is praised for his beauty and clearness  
fIrst the kingdom of heaven is to be recommended for the sovereign beauty & clearness thereof. as it is written in the book of Sapience the v chapitre wherein it is called the royalme of beauty. The Psalter saith. Lord I have loved the beauty of thine house. It is also written in Thoby the xiij chapitre. I shall be happy if the Relics of my seeds may see the clearness of Irlm whereof the gates be made of sapphires and emeralds and other precious stones. The circuit of the walls with fair bright stones/ and all the places paved with fyn gold. It is written in the apocalypse the xxj chapitre That cite was made of fyn gold pure and clean as glass The fundament of walls enourned with all precious stones. The twelve gates shall have twelve Margarites. & the streets of the Cite shall be of fine gold shining as bright as glass. The temple is not yet spoken of. Certainly almighty God is the tempell thereof/ and the Lamb is the light. The foresaid Cite hath no need of the Son/ nor of the Moon to light it with all. For the clearness of our Lord shall Illumine it. and the Lamb shall be the lantern/ and the people shall mow walk by that clearness. It is also red in the xxij Chapitre of Thapocalypse. It shall never be night there Wherefore there needeth no candle nor lantern/ nor light of the son. For the brightness of our lord shall light and illumine them enduringly world withouten end Which saying may well accord with that. that is written in isaiah the lx chapitre. Thou shalt have thenns no need of the shining of the son/ nor resplendisshing of the moan. For our lord shall light and illumme the sempiternally. In troth he is a glass without any spot and a light illumining everlastingly. As it is written in the book of Sapiens the seven chapitre. Also our lord shall be the rsplendisshing of glory. As is written to the Hebreos in the first chapitre. Which resplendisshing shall be an whole light. Abacuk in his third chapitre saith of this resplendisshing all the saints shall take in the royalme of heaven clearness and sempiternal light. wherewith all they shall rejoice them incessantly in greet felicity. It is also written in the book of jugis the v chapitre. Those that love the/ shall shine and resplende/ as the son doth in his rising. Also is written in the book of Sapiens the third chapitre. How those that be just shall shine in their s●dees Royalme like the son. O lord sempiternal ground of all virtue/ how good and how glorieuse is thy royalme and how ought thy tabernacles to be beloved. how greet is thy beauty/ how habundante is thy Resplendisshing in thy ci●e/ how meruyleuse is the bright clearness thereof/ and how sovereign is the sweetness of thy celestial country For this cause saith saint Austyn in his book of fre●●●●trement. So greet is the beauty of justice. so greet is the sweetness of thine eternal light/ That if it were not expedient to delight therein but one our of a day forto have that joy only. The innumerable days of this present life full habundante of all temporal goods ought therefore raisonable to be mispreised and forborn. Now certainly it is not unraisonably spoken/ nor without a a greet groaned/ that better is to be one day in that court than a. M. in this world. O celestial Ihrlm. O shining house full of all brightness I wish my pilgrimage to reach unto the/ & to be possessed in the by him that made both the and me. And therefore saith saint Bernard in in his third book upon the Gospel Millus est angelus Gabriel. O how glorious is the royalme of heaven. The kings have assembled them in a mount. that is to understand/ to love praise & glorify him that is king above all kings & lord ou all lords. In the resplendisshing contemplation of whom the just people shall shine as the son in the royalme of their father. To this purpose saith the psalter thou shalt replenish me with gladness in thy face. job saith also in the xxxiij chapitre. his face shall be seen in greet joyful gladness. All those shall behold & have sight of the most sweet visage/ that have truly served our lord & savour Ihesu christ in humility of heart/ in good labours & virtuous works Isay saith in his xxxiij chapitre. they shall see the king of kings in his greet beauty. O how blissful/ o how agreeable oh how sweet & how happy shall be the beholding of our savour Ihu christ to those that have ꝑfaictly loved him. Certainly they shall mow joyfully say as is written in abacuk the iij chapitre. I shall rejoice me in our lord & disport me in Ihu christ my god. O how greetly shall those reiose them that shall be fulfilled with the celestial joys/ & what gladness shall they have that shall be illumined with the vision of the resplendisshing face of our lord god/ The which joy & gladness shall be permanent and abiding world without end   

How the celestial royalme is to be commended for the goodness that is there in  
THe Royalme of heaven is secondly recommended for thabundante goodness thereof. saint Austyn saith in his book de civitate dei. That/ that god hath ordained for those that he loveth/ may not be only atteigne● by hope without it be comprised with charity & so it may well be attained. The rewards of the happy saints can not be numbered nor esteemed. thabundance thereof is without end/ & is so precieux/ that it can not be sufficiently praised. Of the superhabundante rich goodness of this celestial Royalme is written in Deutronomii in the viij chapitre thus. Our lord god shall lead the in a good contrary/ which is endued with waters/ with fontayns/ with springs/ with fields/ with mountains. Out of the which shall come floods & rivires. He shall lead the also into a land/ where groweth wheat/ barley/ and wines. and where grow figues & apples/ grains and olives/ oil and honey and there without any necessity thou shalt cete thy br●ed with abundance of all goods. Now certain this is a right comodieux contrary fulfilled with sweetness/ this is the contrary/ to the which were sent the sons of Adam. As is written in the book of jugis the xviij chapitre/ which said at their Return. We have seen a comodieuse plentiful contrary right rich/ will ye not mispreyse it nor cease we not/ but late us go take possession thereof. For there is no labour/ and our lord shall give us aroom therein Whereby we shall have noon necessity nor lak. For there is no thing that enoyeth. and all good delectations be there. saint Austyn saith that theternal beatitude and we'll be specially in two things. That is to wit. In th'absence of all evil and in the presence of all we'll. Now if thou wilt ask me/ what things be in heaven. I can answer the non other wise/ but all thing that is good/ is there/ and all thing that is nought can never come there And therefore seith saint Gregory There is no good● thing desired Noah lakked there/ neither there is any thing withine it/ that hurteth or enoyeth. It is written in the last chapitre of Thapocalypse. They shall no more have hunger nor thirst/ nor the son nor the hetes shall no more hurt them. For the lamb of god/ which sitteth in the middle of the throne shall govern & bring them to the fountain of the water of life. And more is following in the same chapitre he seith. Show me the flood the rivier of the water of life. Who hath thirst/ come and drink/ who will have of that water of life come and take it. And he that hath of that water/ shall never be thirsty. as it is written in the Gospel of saint john in the iij chapitre. O how happy and how blessed is that country/ where god shall b● all thing in all thing/ and where is no poverty/ nor la●● of any thing/ that is good. This contrary is the celestial pasture/ wherein shall need no thing to be wished. For in this pasture shall our lord bait and feed his true lovers whom he will beclippe perpetually. Therefore seith our lord in Ezechiel the xxxiiij chapitre. I shall put them into their countries and feed them in the mountains of israhel Now certainly the happy saints of heaven be weal fed with knowliche of the sovereign truth/ which is to them aful fructuouse pasture. be it when they entre in contemplation of the divinity/ or in considering the grace of the humanity And in both these they shall find cause to be satiate & fed with delectations. And they shall feel the fruit of sovereign sweetness. And as the Psalter saith. He hath yiven the thy fill of the fine fatness of the flower of the wheat. The fatness of the flower of the wheat is delectation of sweetness caused by the love of god. Of the which flower of wheat by the same love moat my soul be fulfilled/ & thenne I shall rest in theternal joyous surety always waxing green & new to dry. Here is now showed how good is this contrary wherein the happy men shall be fed/ which is so fruitful and plentiveuse. Certainly this is the contrary of life. In the which we must hope to see the goodness of our lord. The Psalter saith. We shall all be fulfilled with the goode● of thine house. Now what be the goods/ that saints shall be fulfilled with. but only the grace of thin comprehensible glory. saint Bernard saith in a sermon of the Dedication. The Resonnable Soul made after th'image of god may well be occupied with all other thingis/ but it may not be all fulfilled. Certainly she comprehending god may not be fulfilled with less thing than god. We shall not only be fulfilled with this unrecitable glory. but also we shall be drunken and assorted thereon. It is red in jeremy the xxxj chapitre. I shall make drunk the souls of the priests of grace. that shall be at the greet supper which is ordained for good folks/ He shall set and administre them meet of glory/ and yive them drink of marvelous joy and sweetness. Thenne it shall be said to those that shall eat there/ as is written in the Canticles the v chapitre My right dear friends. Eat and drink and make you drunken. In Isay the xxix chapitre also is written Make you drunken/ but not with win. and wherewith thenne shall they make them drunken. with joy and with gladness and with felicity/ and with many manners of the celestial glory. O good lord/ god eternal/ how sweetly shall thy good and true servants be drunken with the plentiveusnesse of thine house/ and with the voluptuousness of the For in the is the fountain of life/ the fountain of beatitude and of glory permanent and never failing. Certainly all sweetness belongeth to thine house. It is the house of our lord/ the cite of god/ which is full of all richesses/ and resplendished with all goods. Therefore saith Isay in h●s twenty-three chapitre. Thine eyen shall see Iherusalem full abundant of all goods. The greet multitude of the copi●use abundance of the things beforsaide of this cite should not wholly satisfy to call us thither/ but also right specially the restful multitude of this peace. wherein those/ that be happy/ shall delight them enheriting that country above specified. The same Isay saith in his lv chapitre. Ye shall pass out in joy/ and shall be brought into peace. O how great shall the abundance of this peace be in Iherusalem wherein it shall remain perpetually without any were. Isay yet saith in the ix and xxxij chapters. My people shall be in the beauty of peace/ and in the tabernacles of confidence and in the rich abundance of Rest. Also Thoby saith in the xiij chapitre. O Iherusalem Cite of god/ happily blessed be those that love the/ and rejoice them in thy pess It is in Ezechiel the xiij chapitre. The saints see in the vision of peace/ there is joy & peace with peace/ which is so precious/ that it surmounteth/ and is by yond all humane understanding. Now than he that will be participable of so greet a joy and peace with the saynctis eternally an high in heaven/ he must learn now to suffer humbly and have patience here a low in earth. For as it is written in a book called Aurora drawn out of the Bible. By souffrance is wonnen that most noble rest. and there is none so wise that can rejoice that peace/ but only it is had by travail and suffering of tribulations and pains patiently in this mortale world ●●●   

¶ How the royalme of heaven is praised and lauded for the joy and bliss that is therein everlestingly ¶ The third chapitre of the last part  
thirdly the royalme and Kingdom of god is to be recom̄end●d for the greet joy and gladness that is therein eternally enduring. And thereupon saith saint Gregory in an Omelye. Who hath that tongue/ that can suffisantly declare and express the joys of that sovereign Cite. Or who hath cowenably the understanding to comprehend/ how greet those joys be to the companies of Angeles/ and to the happy souls. And how inestimable is that most blissful eternal joy and glory in beholding the visaige of our lord god having no manier of trouble ne fear of death but live in rejoicing them of that most precious gift of grace. which shall ever be permanent and without corrupcion. Certain that royalme that Cite of our lord must be understand Iherusalem/ which Ihrlm is most bontiveusely plentiveusely & blissedly edified. O cite of cities/ which is so abundantly full of blissful joys to the happy souls loved be thou. It is written in Isay the last chapitre. Rejoice you with Ihrlm/ and disport you in her to th'end/ that ye may know & be fulfilled and fed with the pap of consolation. and that ye may be abundant in all manners with the delectations of that glory. Of the which immeasurable felicity & glory of that noble cite speaketh saint austin in his book of the cite of our lord saying O how greet shall the felicity b● there/ where shall be neither pain/ nor harm/ nor we'll/ nor good thing hid/ but intending wholly unto the lovings and praysingis of our lord. It it is written in Isay in the lxiiij chapitre. There was never eye/ that saw without the that joy/ which thou hast ordained to them that abide the/ nor more great gladness can be/ than that thou wilt yive those that thou lou●st which they shall possess perpetually. It is red in the same isaiah the xxxv chapitre. They shall come into zion and all lovings & sempiternal joys upon their hedes. The Psalter saith. Our lord hath known the days of those that be pure and not smouged/ and their heritage shall be perpetuelle. It is written in Thoby the xiij chapitre Lord thou art right greetly eternal/ and thy Royalme is in all worlds. saint Austyn saith in his book of the cite of our lord. We shall be understanding and shall see/ praise and love our lord. This shall be in th'end/ which is withouten end. Now what should we desire to be our end but to search and seek the ways to attain the ●omyng into the royame/ wherein joys have none end/ which royalme is the royalme of all the worlds. & certainly thy power & lordship is upon all genations. Toby saith in the xiij chapitre. blessed be our lord/ which hath so high raised Irlm to th'intent/ that his royalme be above in the world of worlds. O how glorious is the royalme/ wherein the blessed saints rejoice them with Ihesu Crist. and they clad as in white aulbes follow always the lamb. Now of this world to come speaketh saint austyne in his book of the deb●te bitwix virtues & vices saying. The love of this present world is departed from me. for there is no creature/ but he must nediss finish and die here. Hit all other wise of the love of the world/ that is to come. In the which all be so vivified/ that they can never die after therein And therein is noon aduersi●e/ no trouble/ non anguish no pain/ no disease ennoing/ nor weariness/ but therein reignen sempiternal joys. The Psalter saith. The Ius● folks eaten and drinken/ and rejoicen them in the presence of our lord delighting them in gladness. And all sorrow and waylingis flieth from them. It is written in Thapocalypse the xxj chapitre. Our lord shall dry the tears of their eyen. More over/ there shall be thenne no weeping/ crying/ sorrow/ nor death. for all that shallbe passed before. Isay saith in his xxv chapitre. Our lord shall take away the tears of every face/ and shall take away the reproofs of his people in every land. And then the folks shall say. Here is our lord god/ whom we have abiden which shall save us/ we have susteigned and suffered for him. And therefore we rejoice us with and by him in salvation. O how greet shall be that joyful gladness to those that shall be glorified not only in soul/ but also in body. It is written in Isay the lxj chapitre. They shall be double possessed in their land. And in the Proverbis the last chapitre is written. All his familiere household ● servants shall be clad double. That is to wit with two aulbes. that oon is the body/ which they now possede. tother the soul/ and they shall not have only joy of their owen proper good works. but also singularly of the merits of the happy saints. Our lord saith in Iheremy the xxxiij chapitre. I shall inhabit them assuredly/ and they shall be my people. I shall be their god/ and shall yive them an heart and a soul/ not only by the unite of substance/ but by the bond of charity. Behold me right dear friends/ If the soul of a martyr/ of a confessor/ of a virgin and yours be alloons. Consequently it seemeth that ye shall rejoice you in their joys/ and that your souls shall be semblable unto th'apostles or any other saints saint Gregory seith how charity shall be so plentiveusly there that/ that we'll/ which he hath not for himself/ he shall rejoice in seeing an other to have it. Certainly those meruileuse and manifold joys can never entre mannis heart here. and there every heart shall be replenished and fulfilled with them. For withinne and without/ above and benethens/ and in every part the happy souls shall marvelously rejoice them. In thinwarde part by the pureness of their consciences. In the outward part by the glorifying of their bodies. In the lower part by the renoveling beauties of the heavens and of the creatures there. In the highest part by the clear and visible sight of our lord god. And in all other parts by the joyful and delectable company of all the saints of heaven. Now truly there is no man/ that can imagine or think the greetnes of the joys that be there. I ne can tell the rejoicing of thinhabitantes in heaven reigning there among thangeles of our lord god perpetually. It is written in the Gospel of saint Matthew in the xxv chapitre. Entre thou into the joy of thy lord. entre thyself into that joy/ and with all thine heart entre therein. Of those immeasurable quantitees of the celestial joys speaketh saint bernard in his book of meditations. Their gladness hath all thing in possess on. therein all festinges be possessed/ and the men accompanied with angels shall remain there perpetually without having any manier fleshly infirmity. There is infenite ioyeusenes. there is sempiternal beatitude. & after that oon is there to receive it/ he shall remain therinpe rduraby. there is rest without labour/ peace & friendship without envy/ quietness & surety without danger. & the most pleasant sweetness in the vision of our lord god. saint bernard saith The joys and sweetness of the contrary is so greet/ that if a man were therein but only the space of an hour all the joys & delectations of this present of might comparabily by reason he impraysed/ & all joys sweetness & beauties that could be thought & had here/ be but pains bitternesses & filths in regard of those/ right as the might & bounty of our lord god exceedeth and surmounteth all other worldly things O good lord god what have I wessed to have in this earth when in seven all thingis should be moche more desired than any power here/ gold/ silver/ or any precious stones Now what shall I more say of this contrary and holy Cite of Iherusalem. where in the streets is songen incessantly Alleluya with joyeuse & sweet melodieuse tunes. as is written in Thoby the xiij chapitre. It is red also in Isay the lj chapitre. All joy & gladness shall be founden in that contrary with actions of graces & voices of lovingis & all shall say in his temple/ loving honour & glory be to the lord And therefore the voys of gladness & health shall sown in the tabernacles of just folks. In the cite of our lord sown continually thorgans of the sainetis/ which have utterly forgotten the tribulations/ pains/ labours/ & wretchednesses of this world using & enjoying the celestial bliss. O how sweetly/ how playsantly/ & how clearly sing those in delasol that before have wept in gamut & in a●e. Of this cite speaketh saint Austyn in his book of meditations saying. O cite which is a celestial house & a sure contrary conteigning all thing/ that may cause delectation. There is thinhabiting of rest The people is there without murmeur or grouge. O how maany glorious things be said of this cite. thinhabitation of our lord is in that as in a thing enjoying all good thingis/ There is peace/ pite/ bounty/ clearness/ light/ vertu/ honest/ glory/ rest/ loving/ love/ good concord/ joy/ sweetness/ bliss & perdurable life. Of all those & the perdurable life shall the happy souls be certain & sure without any losing thereof. Isay saith in his xxxij chapitre there shall be surety for ever. Ezechiel saith in his xxxviij chapitre They shall inhabit firmly in eternity without any manner of feer. It is red in the proverbs of salomon in the first chapitre. he that hath well herkend/ shall rest without fere and enjoy in abundance saint Austyn saith. That theternal surety enourneth and fulfilleth the beatitudes of all the celestial goodnesses where if that sempiternite should fail/ all the other celestial goodnesses be they never so sweet/ should be the less to be praised. saint john saith in his xviij chapitre In assuring us/ there is no man/ that shall bereave you your joy. O house of our lord/ Cite of the greet king. how innumerable and how greet be thine eternal joys with the mamfolde gladnesses of those happy souls/ that be inhabited with the. Now surely lord they be weal blessed that be inhabited in thine house in loving the during the world of worlds. who is he having an hole Remembeaunce that is so ignorant/ that he thinketh not/ that all the company of heaven loveth the not ●uiinely in heaven. th'assurance of this perpetual celestial joy and gladness may be understand in that/ that it is compared unto tholifue tree. As Ozee saith in his xiv chapitre. His glory shall be like an olifue tree/ which is and continueth green winter and summer. Of this eternal glory saith also john crisostom in his book of the Peparation of the fall of man How greet shall the whiptuosnesse be/ how greet shall the joy and gladness be to the soul to be with Ihesu Criste returned to his proper generation & assuredly and undoubtedly to behold and see our lord. The greetnesse nor the quantity of that joyful bliss can not be told nor recited For oon rejoiceth him not only of that we'll and playse● that he useth and hath presently in ocure/ but much more by cause he may be sure. Those joys playfiers and bliss shall never adminish nor end. Lo who is he that shall be partner to that joy/ which is endless. Certain it is orde●gned for all folks/ lords & other shall rejoice them in the glori of our lord/ that have followed his traces in this world, where by they shall regne with him glorified worshipped & crowned eternally in heaven. O my right well loved brethren/ how greetly shall ye rejoice you/ if ye be transported unto that eternal glory. Certain ye shall say thenne in crying & singing as it is written in Isay the lxj chapitre. I glad & joyful shall rejoice me in our lord/ and my soul shall be miry in my god/ by cause he hath clad me with the vesthment of salvation. Of truth as it is written in job the xxij chapitre.. Thou shalt be abundant thenne in the delectation of the most mighty lord/ & shalt lift up thine eyen toward god/ & the light shall shine in thy ways. Of this light is written in Ecclesiastico the xj chapitre. It is a delectable light to see the son. that is to understand Ihu christ which to know & behold ꝑdurably passeth & surmonteth all the joys of this world. and is no marvel. for the knowlich & vision is the food glory & life sempiternal of the happy sainctis. saint john saith in his xviij chapitre/ eternal life is this/ to know the sool veray god & Ihu christ/ whom thou sendest down into this earth for our redemption. Now than he that may obtain & come to that blissful kn●wlich after divine lecture and to see god face to face/ that shallbe the most eycellente joy & a springing of all joyful gladnesses. saint Bernard saith in his sermon. Meraily that is a true & a sovereign joy/ which is conceived and had not only by oon creature. but also by the creator and maker of all creatures/ which joy thou shalt have when he shall show the his face. Wherefore the prophet desiringly said. Lord I require the/ late me see thy gracious faceful of all joy & gladness. Alas my delectation is prolonged from me till I may have the greet we'll/ and till I may be drawn unto god my savour/ I shall shed tears night & day. Certainly the vision by the which our lord is seen face to face is in thou third heaven. and if it might be said/ it is the paradise of. M. heavens. wherein the fountain of clear water is seen by the happy life. Isay saith in his lx chapitre. Thou shalt see then the face of our lord/ and shalt be abundant in delectations and joys sempiternally. O how good art thou lord of Israel to them/ that have rightful hearts/ which will yive them so great/ so rich/ and so playsante joys. My right dear brethren ye here gladly speak of these delectations & joys/ and take playser therein. Nevertheless ye ought not to be ignorant to understand that the blessed saints come never to these joys/ but by great peines & labours. saint Gregory saith in his Omely. The greetnesse of the rewards yiveth me courage and my labours ought not to fear me. for oon may never attain to the greet rewards but by greet labours. That noble precheur saint Powl in the second epistle to tymothe the second chapitre saith. How that there shall be none crowned. but such as have manfully fought. verily every man shall receive his Rewards. which shall be after his labours. There be diverse that will not live we'll/ and yet they desire to die weal. They may know the death of saints is full precieuse in the presence of our lord/ they may know also that when our lord hath yeven rest to his souls they shall dwell in his heritaige ꝑmanently by cause they have be those that always have followed him in resisting temptations. Many of you would regne with Ihesu Crist but ye will suffer no thing for his sake. Balaam ariolus was such oon/ for in considering the castle of the children of Israhel he intended the having of theternal beatitude/ and said in himself. Die my soul as just folks die/ & be my last things semblable unto theirs/ he delighted greetly their glorious end/ but he grouged to take their labours & pains/ whereby they had deserved the glory eternal. O god lord Ihesu we would gladly regne with the Neutheles we wol not labour nor be participable to thy sufferances. Thou chasest misery & poverty/ & we have taken us unto voluptuousenesses & delectations/ Thou hast taken upon the & suffered bitternesses & sharpenesses to thy body/ & we have chosen & followed our sensual plaisirs. saint bernard said. The son of god is born/ to whose will was granted all that might please him. He chose to be born in the most grieueuse time/ & the blessed little babe born of a pour mother unne thehaving clothes to wrap & coure it in the crib Certainly Jesus christ/ which never is deceived chase that/ that most molested & grieved his flesh Lo thenne it is best/ sweetest and most profitable to cheese the hardest pain in this world. And who so ever amonesteth or teacheth other wise oon ought to beware of him and yive him little credence. It was once promised by isaiah a little child/ that could reprove the evil and cheese the good The evil was the voluptuose pleasure of the body/ and the good was the pain & affliction thereof. A truth this child is the son of god/ which chose thafflictions & repriefued and forsook the voluptuous plaifiers. As saint Bernard said. O right dear child. thou hast chosen from thy beginning here corporale afflictions. & in sufferance hast entered into thy glory. which was properly thine owen. & we living in delectations would entre into that glory. wherein we be but strangers and not dign to come thidre/ but by thy grace. There against speaketh saint Austyn/ saying If it have behoved Ihesu christ lord & king/ whose name is above all names to have suffered & thereby hath entered into his eternal glory. what hope or trust shall we have to come thidre without sufferance. sithen we be strangiers/ & can have none entre there but by him. O how foolish & how hard hearted we be to trust in rejoicing us in this world & after to regne with Ihu christ in heaven. he entered therein all naked. yet was he therein lord. and we would entre therein that be all charged with supfluous garnementis with richesses of gold & silver and precious stones. He entered therein chaste & fasting. & thou wilt entre th●in full of gluttony & lechery. He died upon the cross forto redeem the/ that deliciously slepist in thy bed. Should then the servant have that the master had not and will not buy it/ as he deed. Certainly nay. and me thinketh it were a thing to unraisonable. Herkene now what a poet saith. The lord hath sweat upon the cross shall not the servant do the same: Now bear your cross for he hath born his. Taste of the vinegar/ as he deed. The reverence nor the case of the servant should not be more than that of the lord. If thou wilt follow him/ thou must ensue his torments/ and hold for certain/ thou canst not come in heaven by delights & pleasures. And therefore when thou shalt pay unto our lord thy debt of naturale death which thou owest unto him/ i'll voluptuousness/ break thy delights/ refreigne thy flesh/ & die thenne in the love of Ihesu Crist. saint Iherom saith in a pistle that he sent unto julyan how it was a greet difficult and a thing as impossible a man to use & have the wealth and playsier of this world pure/ & also of that to come/ and that the filling of his belly here should feed his soul/ & that he should from delights and pleasures here/ go to delights & pleasures there. and that he should appear glorified in both worlds. He saith also in an other place. that it is impossible a man to be abundant in worldly richesses/ and ensue Ihu christ. For nature will not that two contraires be meddled together. Certainly we may not both be servants unto god & to the devil. Other I am deceived/ or in th'end they shall be beguiled/ that believeth it not Think how that richesses of this world torn to necessities in tother world. the dampened dives eat & drank & lived delicieusly wearing precious garnementes here. but when he was deed/ because he would not believe moyses/ he aꝑpceived his defaults & felt them well when he was in the torments of hell saint bernard showed this also by a speech that was betwixt christ & saint petre. wheer he said thus abraham said to the falls rich glutton/ Thou hast had many greet wealths in thy life/ & the leper hath suffered many pains/ but now he is in joy & consolation/ and thou art in pain & torment everlesting. what shall we more say. After that we end so must we beinged/ weeping is theytremite of joy & ye may not have joy in this world by adversity/ but by adversity here ye may have theverlasting joy. Certain it is manifest/ that this worldly goods be not ver●y goods/ neither they be true/ that so accept them. The sentence of Solomon is just. His sentence is/ that it is better to be in the house of lamentation/ than in the house of worldly felicity For those that in their life here have received worldly prosperities/ shall after therefore be tormented. & for rejoicing in their consolations here/ is ordained them a sempiternal pain. What may be th'end of those/ that have here so gre●t multitude of solaces and plaisiers. doubtless no thing but afflictions and sorrows. Consequently those/ that retain the plaisiers and solaces of this world/ that not withstanding/ the universal torments and sorrows remaynen unto them. They have taken unto them the courages of wretch●s. and all such as their courages be led by their good angels/ despise and refuse the goods of this present life/ & chose to suffer penance therein. Whereby they attain the goods of our lord with all solace. saint Bernard seith. Late thy soul thenne renonce to be in consolation here in this valley of teers miseres and sorrows for torments and peines shall come unto th●es/ that receive here their joys and solaces. Now thenne dispraise and despise those transitory v●nitees/ & flee the worldly delectations & joys. and beware/ that thou glorify not thyself but in the cross of our lord Ihesu Crist. Petre de blois wrote unto a King of Engelande upon the book of job Wenist thou/ that oon may have joy in this present liff and also in that/ that is to come: Nay. without his 〈◊〉 here be sprengled with bitterness and sorrow. Thou art deceived to presume to have perfaicte joy both here & there to use this world and take the delights thereof/ and nevertheless to obtain the richesse of the glory celestial/ and to joy with Ihesu christ. Herkene more/ what is said in the Gospel by the rich man. which was tormented in the fire of hell that desired a drop of water for the refreisshing of his tongue. It was answered him. Thou hast received the wealth of the world/ & Lazar the ●eine. therefore he hath now delectacion & joy/ and thou art in the pain & torment The said Petre de bloys said. We might weal repute & call fools the holy kings and prophets/ th'apostles/ the martyrs/ the confessors/ and the delicate & tender virgins which all have mispraysed and fled from the worldly richesses/ and have offered & taken them to the tribulations and shamouse deaths for the love of Ihesu christ. If they might have obtained by voluptuous delectations the joys of heaven/ which they have not guoten but by anguys and pain in this world. Verily friends/ what so ever be said believe firmly and hold for certain. Ye shall never entre heaven/ but by the ways/ that the disciples of Ihesu Crist have taught you. That is to wit/ by tribulations by good words/ good works/ and good faith. And what have the disciples taught. have they not showed us to live soberly and justly and to reteygne with all our power humility/ charity/ patience/ constance and all other virtues. To misprayse the world & all the parts thereof/ to ffle richesses and delectations/ to do penance/ and vigureusly to rejoice in tribulations. Now do then semblably after them and their doctrine/ and ye shall live for ever eternally. Be ye of constant coraiges in all your anguisshes and labours having hope in the help of our lord/ and he shall soon hele and relieve you. Labour manfully as good knights with Ihesu Crist. and weary not in yourself saying. Our labours be greet/ & we so feeble/ that finally we may not persevere in this purpose. recomfort yourself/ and herkene weal the words of saint Gregory saying. There ought no time be thought long. nor any labour greet/ whereby is gotten the glory eternal. john Crisostom said upon the gospel of saint Matthew. If one ere he have begun his journey/ think the way laborieuse/ he aught to be thought slothful/ if the perileu●e wawes of the see be thought easy and sure to the mariners by the delectation/ that they have to their owen profit for winning of temporale goods thereupon. Semblably the storms frosts and reins to the labouriers of th'earth for their winning/ the wounds and strokes to the good knights and champions for their honour and avantaige. If all these be thought easy/ moch more pain ought to be taken without feeling any grouge for the recover of the celestial bliss/ which is ordained for the Reward of them that will deserve it. Take noon heed of thy painful life here. but behold whydre it will bede the. Take Regard to the playsant life here. but remember how soon it will fail the. truly/ ye may well think/ that the royalme of heaven is no thing appertinent unto sluggards nor theternal beatitude ordained to reckless & you'll folks As Pope Lion said in a sermon. And the Gospel of saint Matthew saith the xj chapitre. The Royalme of heaven is wonnen in suffering of force & violence in this world And it may well be believed. for Jesus' christ said. that suffering of violence getteth it. A poet said. Your living must be sharp/ your labour painful/ & your clothing grievous/ and so must all your other things be here/ if ye will be logged there above in heaven. This may appear manifestly unto you. Also in th'acts of th'apostles the xiv chapitre is written. How our entry into heaven must be by many tribulations. O how well was it understand by saint Austyn/ That oon may not entre the bliss of heaven but by tribulation & pain in this world. For he said. A my soul if we should always support and sustain tormented and peines here/ and also suffer by a long space the gehenna of hell/ to th'end that we might thereby surely see our lord Ihesu christ in his glory and be accompanied with his saints Now were it not an excellent dign thing to have so greet a we'll/ as to be partiners to so perfaicte a glory. Petre de bloys said. My membres fail me by age/ & be enfeebled by fastingis/ and broken with labours/ and I melt with tears of mine eyen. But if all my brain and the marrow of my bones were converted into tears/ yet were it not suffisant passion in this present time in comparaison to attain thereby the glory to come. which shallbe showed unto us If a man knew what thing he is/ and what it is of him and of god. he would think that suffering of. M. deaths for his sake were but as no thing. Behold now how good & how profitable it is to suffer penance for our lords sake sustain it then gladly & endure it benignly taking an example by mordereurs & thieves condemned to death/ which would greetly rejoice themself/ if they might by the kitting of of oon of their ears have their lives saved. Rejoice yourself semblably in greet gladness. for in doing of a little penance here ye may escape & exclude the death of your souls & win theternal joy. Then thou man that art mortal suffer forto attain the life that is perpetuell/ such pain as thou wouldest endure forto save thyself temporale▪ which is incertain & of little enduring. To this purpose it is written in Ecclesiastico the uj chapitre. Thou shalt a little labour and here in this world is the littleness of penance. and thou shalt soon eat and drink the generation thereof. that is to understand/ the fruits of the glory/ which be engendered with the labour of penance. It is written in the book of sapience the iij chapitre. Ye that be weary of a little yet dispose you well/ and your remuneration and reward shall be right greet. saint Effram said. My right dear and beloved brethren/ the labour of our institution is but little/ and the rest is greet. our affliction dureth not long/ but our Retribution/ that is to wit/ the delights of Paradyse. The joy and gladness there shall endure world withouten end. The wise man said in Ecclesiastes the last chapitre. Behold how little I have laboured/ and I have found for me greet rest. By the reasons above written it appeareth manifestly/ that though our labours here be but little and good/ our rewards in heaven may be greet and many. for the joys there are impossible to be comprehended or declared by us. for there was never earthly heart/ that could imagine the pleasures thereof nor to any comparison eye could see/ nor ere here the delectations melodies and swetnesses that be there. and the goodnesses iwis can not here directly be savoured nor felt/ but it may well be surely thought/ that all that ever is felt delectable or good in this present world is but as the resplendishing and a shadow of the goodness of heaven/ which we ought to take as an allectif desiring to come to the originale and rote thereof/ and to have part of that most precious bliss/ which is our inheritance. Now in concluding finally it may appear by great evidence and invincible raisons/ that the four last things above alleiged. which is to wit/ the bodily death/ the day of judgement/ the gehenna of hell/ and the glory of paradise defenden and withdrawn from sin in many manners such/ as have the same four last things withouten oblivion in a continual remembrance. Whereby they attain and edify their souls to remain eternally in the most glorieuse bliss of heaven. And when any fall to sin/ it is by cause they have not the said four things cordially enprinted in their minds. And alas nor the sufferance of our lord. There be to few that considere and poise the said four last thingis. Many there be that think to live long and to repent them in their age/ and thereby appease the judge/ and flee the danger of hell. And in that hope live in delectations and Idleness. And yet after they think to possede heaven eternally. O what presumptuous folly is it to believe and trust thereto. That argument concludeth not. but maketh and deceiveth all such/ as have hope or confidence therein. Therefore do penance to your salvation/ or ye shall perish and die in your sins to your damnation. It is written in Ecclesiastes the ij chapitre If we do no penance/ we shall fall in the hands of our lord/ and not into the hands of man. Alas now who is he/ that suffisantly bewaileth his sins/ that hath good patience with his enemy/ that hath compassion upon the power people/ & relieveth them in their necessities/ that duly ministereth justice/ and that for no vain glory ne lucre of the world will offend his conscience. Our generation is so wretchid/ and so frail/ that our hearts can not address to the we'll/ but rather to the harm. we saveure and delight worldly things/ and seek not after Ihesu Crist. We love vices/ we flee virtues/ and ly● and rest in our owen sins as beasts do in their owen dung/ and therein rote miserably. Our lord looketh upon the son of man/ and beholdeth if therebe any axing grace or in good disposition. but well away/ he seeth to few inclined thereto/ and many disposed to the contrair in all s●nne and wretchedness. whereby is to be dread/ that the miserable time of this world is nigh comen. which Micheas prophesied of in his seven chapitre saying. Holiness is perished in th'earth/ and among the men is their noon that is right wise. O remember well how every man almost now a days seeketh for his owen particulere cause & lucre/ the shedding of blood and the wronging of other What shall I more say. few there be that will intend to any good perfection/ nor open their eyen for their salvation. so be they blinded in their malicious folly. O cursed malice and unhappy folly/ whereby the life is voluntairely lost/ and the death won/ the weal despised/ and the harm accepted/ our lord displeased/ and the fiend obeyed. Now than my right dear brethren and frndes strike not of your hedes with your own swords/ as to say late not your owen deeds be your destruction perpetuale. Rise out of sin. look up and remember you what difference is bitwix eternal damnation and perpetuale joy and bliss. Forsake and renounce your sins/ and defend you from the fiends power/ which ye may surely do with contrition/ and in axing help and grace of our lord. iwis it is marvel that man/ which above all earthly thing is a creature raisonnable/ ensueth not the veray originale of raisin. but dispraiseth & forsaketh that/ that is most profitable & eternally good for that/ that is mortale and most harmful. O good lord what unhap causeth it and wherefore should we by out folly lose thoo souls that thou hast bought so dear with thy most precious blood. Certainly the cause is lak of prudence/ good counsel/ grace/ & cordial remembrance of the said four last thingis. O our redemptor almighty and merciful Ihesu/ grant us so thy grace/ that we may yet surely purvey for our last thingis/ & so cordyally frequent the remembrance of thy godhead that it cause us here after to repell & revoque our sins/ resist our ghostly enemy/ & conform us in all good works unto thy blessed will/ to thobtaining finally with the happy saints of thine eternal glory. To which being us the father/ & the soon/ & the holy ghost reigning in unite sempiternally world withouten end. AMEN    

THis book is thus translated out of frenshe into our maternal tongue by the noble and virtuous lord Anthoine earl Ryviers/ Lord Scales & of the Isle of wight. Defenseur and directeur of the c●uses apostolic for our holy father the Pope in this royalme of England. Uncle & governor to my lord prince of wales. which book was delivered to me william Caxton by my said noble lord Ryviers on the day of purification of our blessed lady/ falling the tewsday the second day of the month of Feverer. In the year of our lord. M. CCCC lxxvijj for to be enprinted/ and so multiplied to go abroad among the people/ that thereby more surely might be remembered the four last things undoubtably coming. And it is to be noted that sithen the time of the great tribulation and adversity of my said lord/ he hath been full virtuously occupied/ as in going of pilgremagiss to saint james in Galice. to Rome. to saint Bartylmew. to saint Andrew. to saint Matthew. in the Royalme of Naples. and to saint Nicholas de Bar in Puyle. and other diverse holy places. Also hath procured and gotten of our holy father the Pope a greet and a large judulgence and grace unto the chapel of our lady of the pielle by saint stephens at Westminster for the relief & help of christian souls passed out of this transitory world. which grace is of like virtue to thindulgence of Scala celi▪ And not withstanding the gre●t labours & charges that he hath had in the service of the king & of my said lord prince/ as well in wales as in England. which hath be to him no little thought & business both in spirit and in body/ as the fruit throof experimently showeth. Yet over that tenriche his virtuous disposition/ he hath put him in devoir at all times when he might have a leisure. which was but startemele to translate diverse books out of french into english. Among other passed through mine hand the book of the wise sayings or dicts of philosophers. & the wise & holsom ꝓuerbis of xpristime of pyse set in metre. Over that hath made diverse ballads against the seven deadly sins. Furthermore it seemeth that he conceiveth well the mutability and the unstableness of this present life. and that he desireth with a greet zeal and spiritual love our ghostly help and perpetual salvation. And that we shall abhor and utterely forsake thabominable and damnable sins. which commonly be used now a days/ as Pride/ perjury/ terrible swearing theft/ murdre/ and many other. Wherefore he took upon him the translating of this present work named Cordyale/ trusting that both the readers and the hearers thereof should know themself hereafter the better/ and amend their living or they depart and lose this time of grace to the recovery of their salvation. Which Translating in my judgement is a noble & a meritorious deed. Wherefore he is worthy to be greetly commended. and also singularly remembered with our good prayers. For certainly as well the readers as the hearers well conceiving in their hearts the foresaid four last things may thereby greetly be provoqued and called from sin to the greet & plenteous mercy of our blessed saviour/ which mercy is above all his works. And noman being contrite and confessed needeth to fere thobtaining thereof/ as in the preface of my said lords book made by him more plainly it appeareth Thenne in obeying and following my said lords commandment. In which I am bounden so to do. for the manifold benefits and large rewards of him had and received of me undeseruid. I have put me in devoir ●●ccomplisshe his said desire and commandment/ whom I beseech almighty god to keep and maintain in his virtuous and laud●ble acts and wakis. And send him thaccomplisshement of his noble and joyous desire and pleasures in this world And after this short dangerous and transitory life ever lasting permanence in heaven Amen. Which work present I began the morn after the said Purification of our blessed Lady. Which was the the day of saint Blaze Bishop and Martyr. And finished on the even of th'annunciation of our said bilissid Lady falling on the wednesday the xxiv day of March. In the nineteen year of King Edward the fourth.