The Cordial, or a book de Quatuor Novissimus, translated out of French by Antony E. Rivers. S. Scales. & ●  

Memorare novissima etc.   
Ano Domnini 1478. Edward 4 a. 19 Liber adscriptus Bibliothecae Bodleianae Oxonn.   


Memorare novissima etc.    

Prologus  
ALle Ingratitude utterly setting a part/ we own to call to our minds the manifold gifts of grace with the benefaytties. that our lo●●● of his most plenteous bonte hath given us wretches in this present transitory life/ which remembrance of right directly should Induce us to give his godhead therefore continual and Immortal lovings and thanks. & in no wise to fall to th'ignorance or forgetfulness thereof. Among which benefits and gifts is granted us f●e arbytrement. And thereby with our good deserts supported and helped by his most dign mercy and grace we be enabled to be the children of ever lasting salvation/ & to possess the joys of heaven/ which are incomprehensible & Inestymably blissful & good. And by cause we be so frail & inconstant. prone to fall feeble & insuffyryent of our self to resist the fraudelente malice & temptation of our ancient enemy the fend Therefore he hath given us his mercy to be our relief Reason to be our lantern/ and Remembrance to order our guiding Thenne first of this precious gift of mercy we may to our great comfort verily trust to have it at all times in this world 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 season of our bodily life here. Secondly by Reason we own in the most extreme love & dread to know and take him as our creator & redemptor. & all our wills to be subject unto his pleasure. Thryddely we own to remember how we may guide us for to stand in his grace. considering what we where/ what we be/ & what we shallbe. And for asmuch/ as very prudence admonesteth & teacheth us how the conclusion of every thing should be most soveraynely taken heed unto. Therefore I advise that this treaties here after ensuing/ which to of our four last things be well over red and seen And not only seen and read/ but also well conceived/ noted/ and often remembered. And if peradventure we found therein any cause of litarge/ or else any motion to blot or rust the clearness of our ghostly understanding stirring us to unmesurable fere/ or any other presumptuous sinister/ or vain concept. Yet let us take it all ways to the best intent having no dispeyr in our lord's mercy/ for it is infinite. And know for truth/ that none such evil moving cometh/ but of thinstigation of our ghostly adversaire/ whom we must virtuously resist/ & catholyquely allewayes rest upon the most firm pillar of our faith. which is the very assured shield & mean of our ghostly health. And to have the grace in our necessity calie we for help unto the holy ghost that illumineth and teacheth every soul for to keep the ways of salvation to the enheryting of the eternal joy and glory Amen.   

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

¶ Pars prima.  
¶ The first principal part is of the bodily death. And thereunto belongeth three other singular parts.  
¶ The first of the three is how remembrance of death causeth a man to meek and humble himself folio ii  
¶ The soconde is how Remembrance of death maketh him to despise all vain worldly things folio xii  
¶ The third is how Remembrance of death causeth a man unconstrayned to take upon him to do penance and to accept it with a glad heart folio xu   

¶ Pars secunda.  
¶ The seconde principal part is of the last day of jugement & containeth in himself three other singular parts.  
¶ The first of these iii is how accusaconn that shall be at the day of jugement is thing to be dread folio xxiii  
¶ The seconde is how the last day of jugement is terrible & not without cause. for there must be given a due reckoning and account of every thing folio xxvii  
¶ The third is how the terrible abiding of the extreme sentence causeth doubts to be had of the jugement folio xxxiiii   

¶ Pars tercia.  
¶ The iii principal part is of hell or of the Infernal gehenna & containeth in itself three other singular parts.  
¶ The first of those iii is how hell after holy scripture is named diver see & many wyses fo. l  
¶ The seconde is how they that descend in to helleben punished with many great and sundry pains folio liiii  
¶ The third is how there be many diverse condiconns of grievances in the pains of hell fo. lix   

¶ Pars quarta.  
¶ The four principal part is the blissful joys of heaven/ & thereunto appertain iii other singular parts.  
¶ The first of thoos three is how the Royalme of heaven is loved praised and recommended for his beauty clearness and light folio lxx  
¶ The seconde is how the Royalme of heaven is praised for the manifold goodnesses that be habundaunt therein folio lxxii.  
¶ The third is how the celestial Royalme is to be lauded for the perpetual & infinity joy and gladness therein folio .lxxv.   
¶ Explicit tabula.   

¶ Here after followeth the prologue of the four last things.  
MEmorare novissima et meternūnon peccabis Ecclesiastici septimo capitulo. Ecclesiasticus saith in his seventh chapter these words following Bear well in thy mind the last things/ & thou shalt never fall in sin. Also Faint Austyn saith in his book of me dytacyons. That man ought rather have in fere and eschew the abhomynaconn & filth of sin/ than any other cruelties of the Infernal torments. Loo then how the knowledge of these four last things and frequenting the memory & remembrance of them called us from sin/ and draweth us to virtue/ & 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 tynges. As which they be/ and what they be/ and also to declare somewhat of every of them singularly by themself/ preciously & dygnely by sayings & authorities of saints/ and generally by examples and sayings of auctorysed clerks. It is to be noted that after the saying of saynces' men say't commonly. there be four the last things. 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 things/ which be four. That is to wite first. Bodily death. Seconde. The day of jugement▪ Thyrde. The pains of hell. Fourth. The glory of heaven. O what thing is more horrible than death. What thing is more dreadful & terrible than the day of jugement. what thing is more Importable to be suffered than the gehenne & pains of hell And what is a more joyful bliss than celestial glory. Saint Bernard said in the same sermon These been the four wheels of the char/ whereof the Remembrance bringeth man's soul to the everlasting glory of paradise. These been also iiii. movings that awake the spirit of man to the end that he dispraise all worldly things & return unto his creator & maker. Lo it is then both convenient & profitable that they be had continually in remembrance. & therefore saith the wise man in the xxviii. chapiter of Ecclesiasticus. Bear in thy mind the last & final thing is & look always perfectly upon them to th'intent that they may be surely fixed & printed in thy memory Now sin all this process principally & sovereignly enforceth himself tenduce every creature to have an assured mind & an hole remembrance of these iiii. last things/ & that they may cordyally be imprinted with in your hearts. Therefore it is consonant & according if it so may please. that this present treatise 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. whereof the remembrance withdraweth a man fro sin is death present or temporal And therefore sayeth saint Bernard in a bok called the mirror of monks. The most sovereign philosophy is to think all way 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 exortations. There is no thing that so well 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 be humble & meek.  
¶ The first chapiter of the first part pryncypal  
I Say that recording the Remembrance of death maketh a man to be meek & 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 bad be incerteyne. But of death only we may be well insured And how be it that the hour thereof to us is hid and incerteyn. Yet always she is approaching & shall surely come without long tarrying. And to this purpose saith Ecclesiastics in his xiiii chapiter. Bear well in remembrance that death shall not tarry. It is also written in Thoby that death hasteth & that there may no fleeng ●uayle. 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 thyself to be ready at all hours/ think that thou art now deed/ lyns thou knowest well that necessaryly it behoveth the to die. Remember well how thine eyen shall turn in thy heed & the veins break in thy body. & thine heart shall divide in two parts by the right sharp anguish and pain of death. Who is he then that ought not to dread & 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 way For as it is written in the seconde book of kings. When shall all die/ and the earth shall swallow us as it doth water cast thereupon/ which never retourneth. We read also that this word (Mors) in latin may well so be called. For it is a bitter morsel unto all men in so much that no creature may escape it. And therefore it is said in the book of dispraising of the world. death cutteth down and destroyeth all things create and made in flesh. She both beateth down the hie men & low/ for the hath domination upon worldly living things She reigneth Imperyally 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 smiteth/ she hath mercy of no creature. all things create in flesh perisheth under her hand Nor there be none so strong/ but that the beateth them down without rescuse. And there is no thing bearing life/ but that she destroyeth and wasteth it without any escape. And the neither taketh meed alliance ne friendship. What shall I shore say/ evidently death spareth no body. For neither poor 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 written in jetha the Poet. That death taketh away and doth anyntyse all quick things. Lo it is 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 seconde chapiter. Aswell dyeth the wise man as the foal. It is written in isaiah in the xxxiii chapiter. Were are now become the lettred men. where been the preachers of the word of god. Where be they that were wont to teach the children. These questions employed as much as to say they live not/ & be gone & passed in the common course with other & deed 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/ where is Alexander the great/ where is judas Machabeus/ where is the mighty Samson. where is Crassus the rich/ where to the fair Absalon/ where is Galyen the physician/ & Auycenne his fellow/ where is the wise Solomon/ where is Arystocle the philosopher/ & where is virgil the right expert poet/ be not all these deed and passed out of this world as pylgryms and gests. & departed hens in a right short space. yes certainly there is not one left a live of them. all their joys were but vanities and are failed/ & their days be consumed & passed. & as the Psalter sayeth man passed his day's resembling a shadow & one time he is hole & strong of all his members/ & on the morrow seek & laid in the earth. And as Cathon saith. Our life is given unto us to be full of doubt and of fragility. This appeareth also clearly by a phylosophre named (Secundus) whom th'emperor (Adryane) questioned with of that being & thestate of man which answered as followeth. Man is subject unto death dost of the place where he is a voyager passing/ semblably unto a piece of snow. Also like a reed berry and like a new apple by which thing is evydencly showed/ how frail/ how sleder/ & also how little enduring is the life of a man. And not only the life of pour people. But also the life of all humane creatures/ be they never so rich or puissant. For death is a comyne thing & spared no body. And all be it she is cruwell 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 welred & taken that is written of her. And therefore saith (job) in the xx chapter of his book of the rich fires and orgulous man. All though his pride be inhaunsed unto the sky that his heed should touch the clouds/ yet in then the he shall torn to nought & be like a dung hill. And they that have seen him shall axe/ where is he now/ and no thing shallbe found of him/ nomoie than of a fleeing dream passed in the night. Baruch) in his iii chapter demandeth/ where be now the princes of the people the where woute to have domination over the beasts/ and take recreation with hounds & with hawks of the air. And assembled great treasures of gold & silver/ where in men give their affiance and trust. what is the end of them that were busy and diligence here to forge gold and silver to gather and keep it Certainly their time is extermyned and they be descended in to hell/ & now been there other enhanced and live in their places. And therefore say Prosper) in his sentence. where be the orators not surmountable/ where be they that have covenably disposed their fes●●. where been also the palfreymen that kept the shining palfreys in their stables/ where been the captains of men of arms. And where been the lords and tyrants Been not they all consumed & brought to powder yes of their days. And so shall be of ours. Is not theffecte of life altered in to worms. Behold and look in to their graves/ whether thou canst know there/ which is the lord/ which is the servant/ which was the power/ which was the rich. Dyscevere if thou can by knowledge the prisoner from the king/ the strong from the week/ the fair from the fowl Crysostome) saith. what hath it availed them that have lived in lechery. and in the voluptuousness of this present life/ till their last days. advise you now and behold in their sepulchers/ and see if thou canst aspye therein any sign of pride/ if thou canst have any knowledge of their richesse or of their lechery. Axe where is become their rich array/ and their strange disguised garments with their voluptuous/ and their nice looks. And where be also now their great companies and great number of servants/ that followen them. where be now their laughings their playnges And their outrageous gladnesses out of measurable temperance/ where is all this become▪ and whether is it passed Behold diligently first the end of one thing & then of that other and draw the near their sepultures And thou shalt found nothing therein but only ashes/ and the remanaunte 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 denlectable pleasures. or else in labour or in continence of their flesh/ yet all must die (Saint bernard) sayeth 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 & worms. Think then and remember often times/ what thing they be/ and what they have been here tofore. Pard they have be men as thou art/ they have eaten and drunken/ lawhed & made great cheer in their times. And after in a moment they descended in to hell. And their flesh delivered for worms meet/ and their soul given in to hell. There to be tormented by fire unto that the body shall come & join again there unto. And to be plunged together in thebrachementes or painful jehennes sempiternal with them that have been there fellows in doing sins & commytting vices without repentance penance & satisfaction. O what hath it profited their vain glory/ their short joy and the puissance of this world/ the voluptuousness of the flesh/ the deceivable richesse/ the great number of their servants/ the unhappy concupyscens/ where be their plays & disports/ where is their boasting and their worldly pride The more they had their delectation and joyed there in here/ the more shall be their pain and sorrow there. And so after a great voluptuous pleasyre they shall have a miserable and a perpetual painful sorrow. And their being shall turn them to ruin and hard torments. Loo 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/ th●● art of th'earth/ & thou livest of the earth/ and to earth shalt turn again. Of these foresaid amorous people of this world living fleshly and not d●●dy●●ge death/ which is their neighbour/ speaketh (Faint Bernard) unto the brethren of the mount of our lord. O ye miserable sinner's that suffyre the wretchedness of this present life to return & lead you from the right way. 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 ●●●tures that this present life deceiveth. Of whom is written in (job) the xxi chapter. These fellows whose life is enhanced in pomp and pride & be comforted by their richesse They think that their seed shall abide alway by the multytue of their friends & of their neighbours/ their houses to be alway assured and in peace. The rod of god not to come upon them/ their kine to conceive & not to be barren/ then●●ece of them to grow & not to be take from them/ they rejoice themself in japes & disports. they leave the harp/ the tamboryn/ the organs/ & all vanities/ they continue a while in the mirth/ & suddenly they descend in to hell. O how greatly is he defrauded & beguiled. O how foolishly is he mocked/ that for the flowering vain beauty of this world shall descend down in to hell/ & lose the dyade me 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 & poverty all his life/ than to have great habondaunce of riches and at last for his sinful life to be dampened. Alas what proufyteth it thenne the great treasures and heaps of gold & silver/ when sinner's shall be sent in to low tenebres of hell/ there to be pained & tormented ever lastingly without seizing. My right dear brother & friend what sayest that of the rich & mighty people of this world. Die they not as well as other In good faith me seemeth they be no thing privileged for as it is written in the book of sapience the vii chapter/ the entry of this life is one and commune to all & semblably so is the Issue. job saith in his xx chapter. This man dyeth strong lusty and rich/ his bowels be full of grease and his bones full of merry. And this other dyeth lean and feeble full of sorrow and without any riches/ that notwithstanding they shall sleep both in powder and worms shall eat them. Loo how 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 chapter The life of all puissant lordship is right breyf. For this day this man is a king/ & tomorrow he is deed. of such a king is red in the seconde chapter of the first book of Maccabees how his glory is a foul dounghyll and as vile as a worm/ he is to day enhanced/ and to morrow there is nothing to be found of him/ we have an example according of one of the highest and most excellence prince of this world. That is to weet 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 divers regyons subdued unto his jurisdiccyon 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 voice of his renomee and fortune made an hole monarch That is to say an hole Empire of all the world. For it was once all bond & subject unto him without dysobeyssaunce. 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 ꝑpetuyte 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 all/ that is to wete. death/ which is the last recourse after all fortune and destinies. Than might Alexander well say at hour of his death as job said in the xvi. chapter of his book. I am he that sometime was rich and mighty / & suddenly am beaten down/ for he obtained onnly his Empire. But only by the space of xii years. And therefore it is written of him in another place. That he reigned and was obeyed xii. years. And after that he was subject unto death/ of whom liveth yet the renomee & can not die. Semblably complaining himself of the death. he might say as is wrytey in (job) the nineteen chapter. My glory hath despoiled me/ and hath taken away the crown fro my heed. she hath also utterly destroyed me. where through I am lost. Lo how it appeareth manifestly hereby. the 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 & rested lord but of a tomb of viii foot long. Whereby it seemeth that the majesty Royal all worldly puissance all prosperous things/ & the ordinance of days/ pass brefly from man without tarrying when the hour of death is comen/ & therefore sayeth an other poet. if that be wise. thy wisdom departeth with thy death/ if that be habondaunt in richesse/ it leaveth the at thy death/ if thou be a prudent man/ thy prudence finisheth with thy death/ if that be honest/ by death is it taken from thee/ if that be strong thy might faileth the by death. Certainly then I now know that the years that pass/ taketh from us all things/ wherefore than if that be rich strong or fair. what 'vaileth it/ if thou be a bishop/ a priour or an abbot what 'vaileth it/ if thou be a great 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 Isydore in an omely. My right well-beloved brethren/ we ought to think how brief & short is the worldly felicity/ how little is the glory of this world/ and how frail & failing is the temporal might thereof And therefore every man may say/ where be the kings. where be the prices/ where be the emperor's/ where be the rich and mighty men of this world. they be all past like a shadow & vanished 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 fools. For it shall not be so. But they shall die as other princes & men have done. For as Seneca sayeth in his epistles to Lucyll. The issue of this present life is death. It is written by a poet named jeta. The death undothe all living thing/ and every life fynysseth by death. Certain the worldly death concludeth all the vain felycytees of men. For if thou died preach the faith of Abraham/ the pity of joseph. The charity of Moses. The strength of Samson. The sweetness of david The miracles of Elyzeus. The richesses and prudence of king Solomon the beauty of Absalon. And in we pynf occupied the extremities of all these in declaring their ends/ the histores would show that there is but one conclusion. That is to say death. Here it appeareth right manifestly by the thing afore said/ that heaute lineage conditions wit richesse nor worship can not keep a man/ but that he must stumble & fall & rotourne to ashes. for all thing that is engendered runeth always toward his death. Ovid saith that all thing that is engendied asketh & requyreh to come again to their universal mother. That is to say the earth. For all that hath been and paste-afore/ may be resembled to a running river. Semblably I feel it by myself wretch. that am brought all most to nothing/ 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. Man's days be like the flowers in a meadow. And themself may be likeneth to the hay. Now advise the then/ 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 chapiter All humane 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 fallen But the word of our Lord remaineth and is perdurable/ wherefore then doth a man set himself in pomp and pride being like the wydred hay of the field. It is written by Innocent in the book of our miserable conditions. That human flesh is the vessel of filth/ and a vessel of tears/ a dry thought/ a stinking sack. The life of the flesh is labour. The conception of the flesh is but filth. The end thereof is rotennesse. And the birth is but vile. It was first a sparme. 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 sayeth in his book of meditations/ wherefore should a man wax proud sithence the concepconn of man is in sin. And of all the birth in pain/ the life in labour/ & necessaryly all must die. And after death turn to worms/ and after worms to filth & stench. Loo thus finally every man is clearly converted & turned out of all humanity. Consider than the begynnyng of thy life/ the middle/ & also the last end. And thou shalt found therein a right great occasion and cause to meek and humble thyself. Now what sayest that/ what thinkest that/ what reckoning makest thou of thyself. art thou ought but powder of the earth. It is written in the xii chapter/ but more plainly in the three chapter of the same Ecclesiastes. The powder recometh 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 xvii chapter. I have said to rotennesse/ thou art my father and my mother/ and I have said to the worms ye be my brethren & my sisters. It is red in Ecclesiasticus in the xvii chapter 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/ & to powder shalt return. And as Aleyn amonysseth & warneth thee/ when thou shalt lie in the cold earth. thou shalt torn to powder & worms meet/ and 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 rotten hound. To this purpose saith the holy man Saint bernard/ what is a more vile and slynking thing than the carrion of man. And what is a more odeous thing to behold than a deed man The more delectable he hath been in his life to the contrary his look shallbe horrible after his death/ what shall it profit us richesses/ delectations and worldly worships. The richesses defend us not from death. nor delectations from the worms. nor the worship's from foul stynkynges. O mighty god eternal/ in how miserable chance is man enclosed Certain my right dear friend/ if thou though▪ test diligently of the things afore said. thou shouldst thereby found a right great occasion to meek and humble thyself. For the Remembrance of death causeth humility in man. It appeareth well by the third book of Lrynges in the xxi chapter of king Achab/ which when he heard by Hely the menacing of death/ and that it approached him. He meked him self in such wise that our Lord said to the foresaid Hely. Seest thou not how Achab humbled himself for me. It is said also that some time/ when men made and created a pope. there was brought before him a piece of flax and therein set fire/ saying this words following. Right thus passeth the vain glory of this world. Like to say. That as the fire brenneth lightly the flax/ and converteth it in to ashes. Semblably the glory of this world faileth and passeth. Isydory reporteth also. That anciently it was accustomed at the coronation of the Emperor of Constantinople how he was set in his most glory. A masson should come before him & 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 Faint johan the aumener that was some time patriarch of Alexander that had commanded to make his Tomb/ and would in no wise it should be fully finished. And ordained that in great and solemn feasts/ 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 always to destroy souls. And why died the Pope the Emperor and the patriarch these things/ which where 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 saith the prophet. Lino we all people that men be comen and made of earth. And therefore they must necessaryly die. It is also written in Ecclesyastes in the xli chapter. All things that be come of the earth/ shall be converted again to the earth/ whereof man is comen as it is well known. And therefore sayeth Iheremias the prophet in the xxii chapter. Earth. earth. earth. Now hearken my words. He called man thrice earth/ by cause he may so be named in thy manners. first he is earth/ for he is made of the earth. Secondly his conversation is in the earth. And finally he retourneth in to 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 sanoured the earth. he hath liked the earth/ he hath desired and coveted the earth. The body of man is taken and doluen in the earth. And yet he forgetteth the celestial things/ and pleteth for the terrestyall. And giveth battle for the earth. He goothe. He cometh. And turneth about the earth to have the earth. And oftentimes in anguishes/ pain/ and labour/ now here/ now there. And all for the earth/ and never seizing till he himself/ which is come from the earth/ be returned again to his first mother. That is to say/ the earth. It may be said/ as it is written in the three book of the Liynges in the seconde chapter. Loo how I depart and pass the common way of the universal earth. And for as much 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 oure selfe/ knowing we be come from the earth/ living in the earth/ conversing in the earth/ and finally shall recourne in to the earth/ as every day it appeareth evidently unto all people   

¶ How Remembrance of death maketh a man to despise all things.  
¶ The seconde chapter 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 Faint Iherome in his prologue of the Bible. That easily he despiseth all bad thing/ that alway remembreth/ how he must die. The concupiscence of eyen is despised whennes one remembreth that he shall shortly part and leave all earthly things. The concupiscence of the flesh is despised/ when one remembreth/ that his body shall become worms mete. 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 in to earth under the feet of other. For this cause say Saint Iherome in a pistle that he sent unto Lypryane. Remember the well of thy death/ and thou shalt not sin. He thenne that alway bererth in remembrance/ how he must die. dispraiseth easily all things present/ dysposing himself to all good things that be to come. Certainly (Esau) considering how death was nigh unto him/ dyspraysed lightly all worldly things. It is also written in (Genesis) in the five and twenty chapter. Loo behold I die and what shall profit me all thoos things that I am borne unto. Isydore) Also advertising himself of the shortness of this present life/ which is so soon passed/ and that all that men seem to have in possession here shall be left suddenly by death/ exorted every man to dispraise such things. Saing 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 the desires and curious 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 thee/ 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 while thou art a live dispraise all that thou mayst not have when thou art deed Seneca saith. that there may no 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. Thene my right dear friend/ Remember often in thy courage/ how thou must die. It is red in a book made of the gift of dirde. How long a go●/ there was a right wise philosophy that holy abandoned him to the vanities of this wretched world/ which in a time heard red of the long life of ancient faders/ and of every of them was said in the end he is deed. As is written in Genesis. in the fifth chapter. then he thought in himself/ that semblably death should happen unto him as it died unto those/ for he was right old. And hastily he entered in to religion/ and took the order of the frere preachers/ and was after made master of theology in Paris. And from that day forth lived a full holy life. O how well had this man before his eyen the words of Ecclesiastes. in the enleventhe chapter. Saying. That man/ which had lived many years alway glad and joyful/ he ought to remember well his last days/ and the coming of the horrible tenebrous tyme. For then it shall be but vanity/ to argue of things passed for his remedy. Certainly atte the 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 chapter. all 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 a years to possess deliciously 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 then an other shall come and take thy possessions. Unto this purpose saith Cathon Promytte never to thy self that thou shalt have long space of life. For in what place so ever thou enter/ death followeth alway the shadow of thy body. And therefore if thou look upon the words that be said. And also conceive diligently in thy heart that shall be showed the here after/ thou shouldst rather say these words than otherwise. 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 & blessed man Faint Luke) saith in his xii. chapter. O thou foul/ this night thy soul shall be axed of the and be certain that the disposition of thy tabernacules is but light. As is written in the seconde epistle of saint (Petre in the first chapter Think then that thou art deed/ when thou knoweste necessaryly that after a number 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 be loath unto the. The poet telleth the wisdom. ●entis of lands possession of richesse. the making of walled towns/ the building of houses/ the glorious manner of living atte the table as well in pleasant drinks/ as in delicious meats. the feyre soft beds well hanged and dressed the white table clothes/ the bright burnyssed cups/ the rich garments contrary to good manner the great flokkes or herds of beasts. The great countries of arable lands/ the vyneyerdes' plenteously set with vines/ and the joy and the love of his proper children/ yet shall all this be relynquysshed pass and be lost/ and nothing be found thereof here after. By these things may be seen that in this present life is no thing stable nor permanente/ which ought to cause died. Therefore writeth (Ecclesiastes) in the seconde chapter. I have greatly exalted my works. I have edified me fair houses. I have planted vines. 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 great company in my household more then ever had any afore me in Iherusalem. I have had great flocks 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 syngers/ 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 all ways persevered in me and all that ever mine eyen have desired. I have not denied them not defended/ but that they have used all voluptuousness/ and they have had no delectation/ but in such things that I had ordained them/ & when that I turned me & beheld well all these things/ and the works that my hands had wrought & looked upon the labour that I had many times sweat in. & all for nought. I perceived then and known well/ that all my works were but vanity and affection of spirit. And that under the son in this world was no thing permanent nor sure. Now in troth all things pass here like a shadow. Therefore sayeth johan de garlandia. That all thing of this world. that was is & shallbe. perysseth in the moment of an hour. what proufyteth than to have been/ to be now/ or to be hereafter. Certain these be three things blowing without flowers For all thyngiss that were be or shallbe have a finyssing The world passeth & the concupyscens thereof also. And therefore it is said/ wherefore taketh a wiseman thought for to get treasure which is soon lost. And saint bernard saith in his book of meditations. wherefore maketh any man treasure here of riches/ sithence with out delay both that that is assembled & he that gathereth it passen & be lost together. O thou man what anayll intends that to have in this world/ when the fruit is but ruinous & the end death My cordial & good friend/ now would god that thou wouldst understand well these things/ & surly ordain for thy last things. Petre de bloys saith in a pistle. that the deceivable vain glory of this world beguileth all thoos that loveth it For all that ever it promytteth in time to come or pretendeth in time present faileth and cometh to nought/ as water cast upon the earth. Behold then how frail/ how deceivable/ and how vain is the world & the joy thereof/ that we desire so mickle. O the foal wherefore dispysest thou not lightely thoo●●●●nges that thou seest 〈◊〉 shortly fail & pass. Lrnowest thou not how the world is right nought and furious And that in languyssing/ it perysseth by the gleyve of the right cruel death/ it is a troth 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 third chapter of the first principal part.  
Following th'order before let. 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 ii●. chapiter/ speaking of them of Nynyue/ which died penance for fere of death/ wherefore saint johan baptist enduceth men also to do penance. As Saint Luke writeth in his iii chapiter saying. Do ye the dign fruits of penance. And he saith afterwards. The axe is set to the rote of the tree. Which signifieth the threatenings of death. And therefore saith Faint Ambrose upon Luke. Alas lord if I have not bewailed my sins. Alas lord if I have not risen at mid night to confess me to the. Alas if I have beguiled my neighbour. Alas if I have alway said truth. The axe is ready set to the rote. Every man therefore then do penance/ & 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 afterwards whereby should grow no fruit The same job said in his ten chapter. shall not my short days briefly finish/ yes in truth The life present is right short. Alas than a little while let me complain and bewail my sorrow a fore my departing in to the tenebrous darkness of death with out returning. And it is also said in job the xiiii. chapter. That man's days be brief. It is written in the first pistle ad Corintheos in the evii. chapter/ the time is brief/ were it not better than now briefly to sustain a little pain/ then afterward when it cannot profit to repent without profit & bewail it infynytely. Saint Austyn saith the better is a lityl bitterness in the mouth/ then eternally to suffer pain in all the hole body of man. Also he sayeth in a sermon/ that the life of every man from his youth to his age is but short/ though Adam lived yet. & should this day die what should it avamtaged 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 profit a man to live. CC. years when at his death. he shall think all his life is passed as wound. And saint Austyn saith upon the Psalter. If thou hadst lived since Adam was chased out of paradise terrestre till now/ and that thou shouldst die this day/ thou shouldst 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 asmuch more to cause many years/ yet it shall fail and vanish/ as the shining of the morrow son. And the same. Faint Austyn sayeth in an Omely. that we be more frail & brotyll/ then though we were made of glass. For all be it that glass is brotyll/ 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 chapiter. It is established and ordained every creature once to die. And Senek saith in his book of remedies against fortune That our life is but a pilgrimage & when one hath long walked/ he must finally return This necessity to die/ & shortness of the life of man was well considered by the paynim Xerses. Of whom saint Iherom wrote in a pistle to Elyodorus saying that this puyssant king xerses/ which subverted the monteyns & covored the sees/ being ones in right hie place looked upon the infinity multitude of his host & tenderly wept/ by cause he knew that none of thoos whom he beheld should live over an. C. years It is a thing right necessary in the world/ that mannes life be not long lasting. And as Balam saith. It is likened to a tree having ii worms fretting in the rote/ the one black & the other white in the similitude of the day & the night/ which Incessantely gnaw the rote of the tree of life. Saint Austyn upon the saying of Faint johan in his iii chapiter treating upon this question Quid est vita nostra etc.) This life is a doubtful life/ a blind life & 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 leanly/ plays maketh it to err/ wailing destroyed it/ business constraineth it/ sewer●e maketh it rude/ rekles riches enhanceth it poverty abateth it/ weeping abasheth it/ youth maketh it wanten/ age maketh it to yield. sickness maketh it to break. And after all this cometh death/ which destroyeth & maketh an 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 ii chapiter. That the days of our life nies but short/ & yet are they full of grievance/ we be made & 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 chapiter. That our life passeth like the trace of a cloud & shall fail as the little cloud. that is broken by the might of the son beams. It is written in job the vii chapiter. Behold how my days be all passed/ and I shall go forth in the path/ & shall never return again. Also the same job saith in the ix chapiter My days are passed more lightly than a curroure or a messenger. They are gone lightly away as ships done that be charged with apples. Or as an egell doth flee for his meet. job saith also My days be passed more lightly than cloth is cut from the loom. and they be all wasted without any hope of recovery. O lord god Remember then. is my life ought but wound/ & shall not my eyen return again to see the good things to come To the purpose speaketh Petre de bloys in his book called Aurora. My life shallbe sooner out of this world/ than a web of cloth cut from the loom Remember thou then how thy life may be resembled to the wound. Loo now my right dear friend how short/ how little/ how mutable/ how deceiving is this our life present/ for as it is said in Ecclesiastes in the xviii chapiter. It is great age in a man to be. C. year old▪ but by succession of time it is greatly amynysshed It is written in the Psalter. The days of our years be lxx & if we may come to four score year/ the superplus is no thing but labour & sorrow. But what is it of lx year or yet of Caught this to be taken of a long time & a great space of years. Certainly nay in regard toward the sempiternyte. 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 passed. Derely this life in short & transitory/ painful & wretched/ it is not only to be thought nor poised for the shortness. But moche more for the incerteynte thereof which is doubtful/ and full of casuel peril/ & we be not sure thereof day nor hour. And when it showeth us sewerte & peace thenne suddenly cometh death/ & with it peradventure the false thief Satan Therefore saith to us a poet. who is he knowing himself to live many years/ since we know not whether we shall die to morrow or sooner. It is written in isaiah the xxxviii. chapiter saying. dispose thy house/ for thou shalt die soon/ & not long live. isaiah saith also in the same chapiter/ that my life is it from me as a piece of cloth from the loom. And how I began first the life. then began death to approach toward me. For this cause it is said in the book of Sapience in the .v. chapiter/ we be soon born. & soon leave our being. To this purpose saith Senek in his pistles. Eueryday 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/ & therefore it is not unresonable that she be likened to an Orylage/ which gooth always from degree to degree continually moving till it come to a certain point/ & than it striketh suddenly upon the bell/ which constreyneth the swoon Semblably our life passeth always & runeth till it come to a certain point. That is to wite 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 & 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 in to the cavern or cave of death. Now hearken what a Poet saith. The present life is short always fleeing/ and fadeth as a shadow/ & departeth & falleth suddenly/ when one wenes that she be most permanente and abiding/ & in the mids of our life/ we be often at our death. And therefore have we in Ecclesiastes in the ix chapter. That man knoweth not his end/ but as a fish taken with a net/ & the birds with a trap. Semblably men be taken at inconuenyent 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 great Alexander. 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 poor people which cometh to the great peril & danger of the soul when it is unpurueyed. Loo here then my right dear friend/ thou seest well that the life of man is but a thing dyked about. & enuyrounde with ruinous death/ our flesh is but ashes. And such as was the begynnyng/ such shallbe the end/ saint bernard saith. when I Remember that I am but ashes/ and that mine end approached my dread and fere is without end/ and I wax cold as ashes. And therefore as▪ Saint Gregory say. That man sollycyteth well his good works/ that thinketh allway upon his last end And we should dread that every day should be our last day. And alway have in mind/ that necessaryly we must die/ who may have then a bold courage considering the shortness the great Incerteynte of our life/ the approaching of our death which is coming/ who is he also thou ought not think dilygentely that our days & our years fail and waste as the smoke. And the man naturally born liveth but a short space/ and fadeth as a flower/ and fleeth a way like a shadow/ who is he also that calleth thyese things to mind/ and peyses them well in his heart/ and so subdeweth the peril the flesh and the world & repenteth him in this short space. To say you troth there be none that defer and be negligent so to do/ but only those that be all blinded in malice and lack of grace. O how great a pain shall ensue of negligence. Thapostle saith to the hebrews in the seconde-chapitre. How shall we flee that despise so great an health. As to say we might have heaven if we would. And Faint Effran saith. My right dear brethren 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 time. But do penance while ye have space here For after it will be to late & without fruit. And better is to do penance here/ than Infynytely and world without end to repent it. Now haste ye therefore and tarry not. Lest that ye finally be shut out with the fyne fatuat and fonned virgins. Saint Mathewe sayeth in his xxv chapiter Loo here is the spouse come/ and thoos that were ready/ been entered with him to the wedding/ wherup on Saint Gregory say. That the palays of the heart might well 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 shit & closed. My dear friend if thou died savour & understand well all this things & beheldest them well in thine heart. Certainly thou wouldst run with all diligence for to do penance. & would not lose so unproufytably. & without fruit the acceptable time & days of thy health/ for no manner of voluptuous playsers or other idleness And as it is written in the Apocalypses in the ii chapiter. Remember the fro whence thou art fall or departed/ and 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 voice making a piteous 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 condemnaconn. 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 Hugo of saint Dyctour. The lacking of the sight of our lord/ and failing of all the goods of grace/ that we might have had should surmount and be more grievous unto thee/ then 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 viii chapiter. That is to wete. harvest is past. Summer is finished/ & we be not saved/ wherefore my friends I require & humbly pray you/ that ye will amend yourself in short time & make you ready in this ten hour/ for the evening hasteth him. And the rewarder 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 & a cruel knight. which would never accept nor do any penance enjoined him by pope Alexander. And at last the pope gave him his ring/ that he should hear it on his finger/ by way of penance. And as often as he beheld him to think on his death. And when he had born it a space of time with the Remembrance on a day he come again to the pope saying he was ready to shrive him & to fulfil every 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 atte his table with the first mess/ a staff the rind scorched of/ saying. Sir Remember that necessaryly ye must die/ not knowing where/ when/ in what manner nor how. And as this was a good while continued / because of that Remembrance/ all 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 was marvelously brought in great trouble by the fere of death/ which he was in. Loo by these things afore rehearsed/ appeareth then clearly Enough how Remembrance of death causeth a man to humble himself/ to despise all worldly things/ and acceptably take upon him to do penance and consequently to eschew sins And therefore my right dear brethren & friends. Remember you often/ ye & right often that ye shall die. And ye here in your minds the death/ ye shalt well come by that remembering to most happy resort of life. That is to wite. the heritage of our lord Ihesu christ.   
¶ And thus endeth the first part of this treatise divided in four.   


¶ Here beginneth the ꝓlogue of the seconde party of the four last things.  
THe seconde part of the four last things whereof frequenting the Remembrance revoketh & calleth us from sin. Is the last and final day of jugement/ of which the Remembrance draweth us not only from the deadly great sins. but also from the small venial. And therefore it is red in Vitis Patrun in the life of faders That an ancient man seeing a young man laugh dyssolutely/ laid son we must give account of all our life/ before heaven & earth/ why laughest thou so fast. As who saith/ if thou knewest how straight a reckoning shallbe at the day of doom of all sins aswel great as small. Certainly thou wouldst not laugh/ but rather sorrow & complain. Now is here the place to weep and to put away sins. And thoos that now weep for their sins shall laugh hereafter. Saint Gregory saith in his Omelye. That the gladness of this time present aught to be but such. as thereby the bitterness of the day of judgement be not put out of Remembrance. Therefore it is written in Ecclesiastes the xxxviii chapiter. Here my jugement in Remembrance. And also our lord by his prophet in the psalter sayeth when I shall see or take the tyme. I will dame & do justice to every one. & johel saith in his last chapiter. all men arise & come togydres in to the vale of josephat. For there I shall sit & judge all manner of people about me. Iheremyas in his seconde chapiter saith that our Lord saith. I shall amownte with you in jugement. Of this jugement is written in Ozee the fourth chapiter. Ye children of israhel/ here ye the word of our lord of the final judgement that pertaineth to our Lord upon thenhabytantes of the earth. soothly this jugement is greatly to be doubted. Therefore saith the prophet. I dread for thy judgements. It is written in the book of sapience in the .v. chapter. They that see the great judge/ shall be horribly troubled/ playning and wailing the dread of their souls. Certainly in this day shall all people be troubled/ & they that dwell in the utterest party of the world shall fere those tokens and signs/ & they shall doubt them/ & not with out cause. For they shall be marvelously horrible Saint Luke sayeth in his xxi chapiter/ when the son of man shall show himself. That is to say The child of the virgin mary coming in a cloud in majesty with a great puissance/ then shall the signs show in the son/ in the moan/ and in the stars. And on the earth shall be pressure of people dreading to be cunfused with the sound of the waves 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 burning fire. And a strong tempest. I say there shall a fire go afore him. which shall flamme holy about his enemies. It is written to the hebrews in the tenth chapter. Right terrible is the abiding of this jugement. And the fere thereof/ which shall destroy his adversary's. And Malachyas saith in his iii. chapiter. See here the day that shall come flammynge like a chemenye. And thenne it shall burn all proud men/ and thoos that have committed felony It is red in isaiah in the xlvi chapiter. Here is our lord that shall come & judge by fire. And johel in his ii chapiter saith He shall have a fire before his face devouring and behind him a burning flame. For this cause saith Malachyas in his third chapiter/ who shall he be then that shall now 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 and his coming. And therefore saith saint Gregory upon Ezechyell/ who may have the courage/ but that shall fere and 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 great dread called to Remembrance. Certain as it is written in the Proverbys in the xxxviii chapiter. The evil men thynken not of the jugement But they that desyren & dreaden god/ have in their hearts all good things. saint Bernard saith in a prose. truly I dread sore the visage of the judge that shall come to whom no thing can be hid/ & shall no thing rest unpunished. & who shall he be of us that shall not dread when that judge shall come which shall have fire burning before him to the destruction of all sinner's. Certainly this last judgement ought greatly to be dread and for iii causes. The first the accusements shallbe in many manners. which all synneiss ought grievously to wail. The seconde is the right straight sentence upon our governance that singularly shall be made to every thing. The third is the horrible fearful abiding of the jugement/ which then by the Just judge shallbe terribly given These things all sinner's ought tymerously dread/ which by consequens the Remembrance thereof should withdraw man from doing sin.  
¶ Here endeth the prologue of the seconde part.   

¶ How the accusation that shall be at the day of doom is to be dread.  
¶ The first chapiter of the seconde part.  
THe first thing thenne. where by the final jugement ought specially to be dread is the many and diverse accusations/ which shall be there against all sinner's/ wherefore it is to be known that we found in holy scriptures seven things that accuse sinner's at the great day of jugement. The first is our proper conscience/ which shall argue against the sinner/ not secretly/ but manifestly then afore all. It is written in Danyele in the seventh chapiter. Thy judgement is set/ and thy books be open. That is to weet/ the conscyences/ which then be openly uttered In those books be contained the sciences of life or of death/ of glory and of confusion/ of salvation perpetuell/ or damnation eternal. It is red also in the twenty chapiter 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 seconde chapiter That their conscyences shall bear them wyttenesse. For as wyttenesse of the evil conscience is thaccusation/ the pain. and the torment of sinner's. Right so shall the good conscience be help and salvation to the good creatures. The seconde thing that shall accuse the sinner's/ shall be the fiends and the evil spirits/ which falsely & traitorously have procured & stirred men to sin. And of all that the sinner hath done they will accuse him/ as one thief accuseth an other of one felony done by them both. It is written in the Apocalypse the xii chapiter. The fiend is called the accuser of brethren. And Saint Austyn say the. They be all before the judicial seat of Ihesu christ. And there the devellies 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. deem 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 bendysobeysaunte unto the. He hath been consenting unto me. He hath received of thee/ that stole of immortality/ & of me this black garment that he weareth of perpetual death he that left thy liver & hath taken mine. he hath left thy joy and bliss. & 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. Faint Austyne. The third thing that accuseth sinner's. shall be angels/ & 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 will take upon them the sin or fault of other/ must needs say/ they be not to blame. But the guilt is in us sinner's/ which would not obey nor believe them. Semblably it is not the defa●te of the physician/ which doth his cure as it appertaineth if he heel not his patient which is disobeysaunt unto him. And therefore it is written in jeremy the one and thirty chapiter/ 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 the end that should be cured & heeled. But it is in her default that she is not he led. This Babylon is to be likened to man's soul The four thing that shall accuse sinner's/ shall be creatures. And if thou axed me/ which creatures they be. I answer thee/ all and every oon of them by them self. For and the creator of all things be offended. all the good creatures shall have him in hate/ that hath displeased him. For as job say in his twentyest chapter. The heavens shall show and lift up the evil works of the sinner's/ and the earth shall address him against them. For our lord shall call unto him the heaven above/ and the earth be nethe to discern his people. And therefore saith Crysostome upon the Gospel. of Faint 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 wytenesse against us for our sins. therefore say Faint Gregory. If thou axe me/ who shall accuse the I say to thee/ all the world. And that the creatures shall not only accuse the sinner's. 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 chapiter. 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 wite/ against sinner's. All creatures seeing him that is maker of all things shall chase them to cause torments to be given upon thoos that have not be just. The fifth thing that shall accuse the sinner's/ they shall be miserable persons/ that have suffered so many wrongs. For then they shall accuse thoos that have done them wrong pain and torment. At that time shall the word of the prophet be verified which saith. I have known well that our lord will give judgement/ for the poor folks that have suffered wrong. & shall avenge the quarrel of thoos that be Impotent for he that beholdeth the deep botoms of the sees/ & sitteth above all the cherubins & Seraphyns/ & gooth above 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 poor men's cause that have been constant. And shall hold against those that have done them many anguishes Thenne shall the father of Orphans/ & the judge of wydewes venge all wrongs/ the patience of poor folks shall not then perish The subgettes shall also accuse the felones & negligent prelate's & curates And therefore saith saint bernard upon the canticles. O how cruel our lord shall be upon the sons of men. certain the wretched sinner shall say then all for nought to the monteyns. Fall ye upon us and to the Rocks cover ye us. They shall come thenne before the tribunal seat of Ihesu christ/ where shall be herd full grievous accusations by thoos that have paid their wages/ and boren their dispenses wrongfully/ & their sins shall not be defaced nor hid of those that fraudulently have blinded their doctors and confessors. The vithing that shall accuse sinner's/ shall be malice and sin/ we read in jeremy the seconde chapiter Thy malice shall accuse thee/ & thy refusing shall blame the For the sins shall then be bounden unto the neck of sinner's. To this purpose saith Ozee in his xiii chapiter/ the iniquity of Effraym is bound together & his sins be not hid/ we read mine iniquytees be trussed & laid in mine neck/ and as the stolen good taken on the neck of a thief accuseth him semblably sin shall then accuse the wretched sinner It is written also in the proverbs the fifth chapter. Iniquytees shall take the felon sinner's/ & there every of them shall be taked and strained with coordies of their sins. And the Prophet sayeth. The coordies of my sins have enuyrounde/ & gone round about me. By the which coordies I say also the wicked folks by devellies shall be drawn in to hell. Certainly they fall in to their nets. & be taken by their baits/ we red of the property of an Archyn which/ that when he entereth in to a gardey ne/ he loadeth him with apples styking on his pricks. And when the gardener comes. he would flee but he is then so laden that he can not away/ & so he is there taken with all his apples. Semblably falleth it to the sinner/ that is all laden with sins/ and at the great day of judgement he is with them taken and accused/ wherefore saith the Psalter. Our lord shall be known in making his judgements & handwerkes/ and the sinner shall be taken. Upon the which saith Crysostom Our own thoughts/ & specially our works shall be afore our eyen/ & shall accuse us afore god. And therefore saith saint bernard. Our works and we shall speak together & say. O miserable sinner thou haste made us/ we been thy works/ we will not leave thee/ but go with the to thy judgement. It is red in ezechiel the xviii chapiter. Like as the justice of the rightwise man shallbe on and for him. Right so the felony of the fellow shall rest upon him The Psalter saith. Here ye all people here/ and retain well in your ears all ye that dwellen in this world/ wherefore shall I not be dreadful in that evil day. That is to wyce. the day of doom. which shall not only be evil to me But it shall be right evil to every sinner. where unto he answereth himself saying. I shall dread then For the iniquity of my feet shall environ me. The seventh & the last thing that shall accuse sinner's/ shall be the torments and Instruments of the passion of Ihesu christ. And also Ihesu Cryst himself wherefore saith saint Iherom. The cross of Ihesu shall fight against the. Ihesu Cryst shall show & allegge his wounds again the. And the trace of the said wounds shall speak against the. The nails shall complain on the. As Saint Austyn saith in his treat of symbol▪ peradventure our lord hath kept in his body the trace of tokens of his wounds to th'intent that atte the day of doom/ he will she we them against sinner's to their reproach. And in vaynquyssing them say Lo here behold the man that ye have crucified. See here god and man/ in whom ye would have no belief. Look upon the wounds that ye have made him. knowledge the side that ye have wounded & hurt/ which hath been opened for you. But ye have not well entered therein. Ihesu christ also then accusing the sinner's/ shall say as Naum said in his third chapiter. I shall show thy defaults afore thy face/ & shall show to the people thy nakedness & to the reams thy shame. Ozee in his seconde chapiter saith. I shall manifest & show thy folly afore the eyen of thy lovers. & that is/ no man may draw the out of my hands. O how desolute & how sorrowful that the miserable sinner's shallbe in the day of the great jugement. For thenne as it is written in the first chapiter of the Apocalypse. Every eye shall see him/ & all the lineages of the earth shall complain on him. then sinner's seeing all this shall be full of anguishes & fere   

¶ How the last judgement shall be terrible. For thenne shall be given reckoning of all thing.  
¶ The seconde chapiter of the seconde part.  
THe seconde thing that shall cause the extreme & last jugement to be dreadful/ shall be the straight Rekening and accounts of our vile deeds in all thing. Saint Luke saith in his xvi Chapitre. yield Reason of thy deeds/ for after this life thou shalt mow no more work. My right dear friend. if thou shouldst give a reckoning & accounts of a thousand pond/ before a temporal lord prudent & wise thou wouldst be full well aware and take good heed how thou shouldst make him a Just and a due reckoning. Have thou thenne moche more thought and be more dreadful to yield good reckoning and accounts of all thing that thou haste committed and done/ and of thy duty left undone/ when thou shalt come before god/ his angels/ and all his saints. In whose presence necessaryly thou must account. And not only of the great things but also of the small. ye unto the lest part of them And as it is written in the third chapiter of isaiah Our lord shall come to judge with all his most Ancient people. zacharyas in his xiiii chapiter 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 hydeles. And therefore it is greatly to be doubted. For it is written in zophonyas in the third chapiter. He shall hold his jugement in the morning by day light. and shall not hide him. There shallbe thenne many diverse Reasons to give Rekening of all things. first of our soul/ which hath been committed and given us by God. Now truly if a king had delivered his daughter to one of his subgettes that he entirely loved/ intending to make her a queen in his Ream. And if the said subject had not kept her well/ who would doubt/ but that the Lring would have a Rekening/ and know the cause/ how and why/ his daughter had be so evil and so neclygentely kept/ what shall the king of heaven do then to him that hath taken his daughter to keep That is to wite. The soul/ which he loveth specially/ and intendeth to enhaunse to Royal dignity in heaven if he have kept her evil shall not god therefore axe to have thereof reckoning and reason/ yes hardly It is written in Deutronom●i the fourth chapter. ●repe thoughtfully thyself and thy soul also. And Faint Austyn saith. It is a greater loss of one soul/ then of a thousand bodies. Faint bernard saith in the book of his meditations That all this present world may not be esteemed nor valued to so high a price as one soul. Also he saith/ wherefore makest thou thyself fact 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 Angels/ wherefore takest thou none heed to make her fair and clean against that tyme. And why appliest thou rather to thy flesh. then ne to her/ why puttest thou the chamberer before the lady as to be governed rather by thy flesh/ then by thy soul. It is a great abusion. saint Bernard sayeth himself in the book of dispraising of the world. Now a days the cure & the charge of the soul is despiseth and left/ and th'accomplishment 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 punyssed My right dear friend wilt thou then love better things of little value than thoos that been more dign & of here price Enhaunse not thy body & suffer never the lady to be come Chamberer. To this purpose saith Crysostome. 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. then he that dispraiseth the highest and first thing and enhanced the seconde and the lowest/ hurteth both the one and the other. But he that keepeth therein good order/ exalteth and keepeth that that is chief/ & dispraiseth that/ that is seconde for he healeth that/ that is most dign and first. That is for to say the soul. If thou wilt than save thy soul/ and yield god a good reckoning there of. 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 wynnynges she so to be received of her maker/ & if not she then to be sent in to hell there to remain in torment and pains perpetual. Secondly we must yield Reason & reckoning of our body. It is our castle committed and delivered us by god wherefore saith Faint Bernard He keepeth well a good castle/ that keepeth well his body. There shall be axed reckoning of the keeping of this castle. As weather the enemy's of our Lord/ which be vices and voluptuousness 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 great sign and suspection of our perdition. And we shall needily yield Reason and reckoning. Therefore our body is as a Mare that our Lord hath given us to use for the profit of our soul/ of the which we shall yield Rekening. As in three things. It is written in Ecclesyastyco the three and therty chapiter. The meet/ the rod and the burden is given to the ass. The breed the oyscyplyne and the work is given to the servant. Certainly our body signifieth as well 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 perfection of penance. Our Lord then shall axe 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 found him after the more fires and proud. It is written in the proverbs the nine and twenty chapiter. And also not to give the body over little of that/ that is necessary to it. For so we might be homicides of our own flesh. Against this speaketh Faint bernard in a pistle to the brethren of the mount of God saying. There be many other excercises 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 away from his body th'effect of good work. The true desire of his spirit. The good example to be showed to his neighbour/ & 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 Moralys in the one and therty chapiter. By abstinence should the vices of the flesh be quenched. Certainly yet how we put away our enemy we gryve 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 jolytees. Sayut bernard saith upon the canticles. that the dysacustoming of good works/ must be chastised & helped by the bit of discipline. He saith also in a pistle. O how well 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/ & dresseth the going thirdly our lord shall ask/ if we have laboured our body in virtue & in works of penance. Thereof saith saint Austyn in his book of baptizing of children That Adam was chased out of Paradyse 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 sent us to do & accomplysse the works of penance. Hold not the body then in yolenesse/ in an moche 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 lence it the. Crysostom saith. If thou have borrowed an Ox or an Horse/ thou wilt anon set him a work lest he be asked again of the on the morrow/ why wilt not thou semblably do with thy body. as thou wilt do w▪ the Horse or Ox. Thus then nourish discreetly thy body/ which is lent the by Ihesu Cryst in such wise as thy nature may be sustained/ & the vices overcome & thy body corrected by the rod of discipline/ so as it may be obedient & resplendishing in chastity. Instruct it to good labours/ so that it chase away all idleness & finally that thou mayst yield our lord a good & a Just reckoning there of at the day of jugement. thirdly we must yield reckoning of our next kinsmen. first the father of the son. As is written in the first book of Lrynges in the seconde chapiter & the third of Hely that was punished for his children because he known they died a miss/ & corrected not their defaults Therefore is also written in Solomon the nine & twenty chapter. Learn and teach thy son. And to the same purpose said A wise man. If thou have a son/ correct him if he sin. lest by right thou abye not his trespass. Secondly the Prelate shall give Rekening of his subject or diocesan. For it is written in Ezechyell the eght and therty chapiter. My son I have set the to be a beholder & overseer of men in the house of Ysrahell. when then thou hearest any of the wordest of my mouth show them on my behalf That is to wite If I say to a fellow. O thief 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 Ezechyell saith in his xxxiii chapter. Behold and see how I am myself above all my other herdsmen. And I shall ask my bestayll of their hands The lords or Prince's Royal shall yield rekening & accounts of their subjects As it appeareth in the Book of Numbers in the xxv chapiter/ where the worldly Princes are commanded to be hanged on the gallows for the sin of their people/ because the people died fornication with the daughters of Moab which they called their sacrifice. As is red in the said chapiter. Such then be the Princes & Prelates. As is written in Iheremyas the five and twenty chapiter. Howl ye heard men & cry strongly/ & 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 then these prelate's of the church/ & the prince's universal of the Earth. that be constitute above all other. Look how they govern by example. How they instruct by words. How they defend by deed the poor people. that be committed to their governance. Certainly the prelate's owen to teach their people and defend them wisely from the assawtes of Heretics worse and more cursed thanne wolves/ and from their cautellies wylyer then foxes. And the temporal Princes owen to do justice upon trespassers and defend their good subgettes. And keep widows. orphans. & wretched persons. And not to gryve any body by unrightful exactions/ or Injust causes They may know what is written in the book of sapience the vi Chapitre. How there shall be a right hard jugement to thoos/ that been precellent above all other. Certainly mercy shall be granted unto the good poor man. but the bad rich man shall suffer great tourment. 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 wisdom and not to fall therefrom and that ye instruct govern and defend your subgettes so well that ye may be sure at the last day of the right hard jugement. where the gretest and strongest pains shall be to th'offenders/ that have been mightiest here. Fourthly it behoved to yield Rekening of all our wills & works. And Anastasye say upon the Symbol. (Quicunque vult saluus esse etc.) How at the coming of our Lord Ihesu christ all mankind shall arise bodily/ and yield reckoning of their proper works. That is it that is written by Thapostle in the seconde pistle ad Coryncheos the fifth chapiter. where he saith. It behoveth that we show us all manifestly before the judicial seat of Ihesu Cryst to the intent that every receive there good or evil according to their merits & deserts. It is red in Ecclesiastes in the last chapiter. Our lord shall bring unto the judgement all things that be done And not only the great & grievous sins/ but also those that we think belytyll or none The pace of a man seemeth but a small thing. Nevertheless it shall be reckoned for at the final day of jugement. Therefore say the job in his xiii chapiter. Sire thou hast welmarked my ways & my paths/ & hast beholden the Traces of my feet. And after he sayeth in the chapiter folowyng Thou hast numbered all my steps. Item also it is written in Ecclesiasticus in the seventeenth chapiter. His eyen behold incessantly all the ways of men. As to say/ he will Reward all that they done according there after. We read in Vitis 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 Faint Matthew in his xii chapiter. That men shall yield reckoning and Reason atte the day of doom of every Idle word that they have said. It is written in the book of sapience in the first chapiter He that speaketh evil and perversely shall not mow hide him at the day of jugement. And correction shall not pass besides him. Vain thoughts seemeth but a little thing. Nevertheless it is written in the Book of sapience in the first chapiter How felonous & evil thoughts must be answered unto. For he will serche all our thoughts. It is also written in isaiah in the last chapiter. I shall serche their works & their thoughts. & shall come & assemble myself with people That is to say to dame them as I shall judge them. Therefore speaketh johel also in his third chapiter. I shall assemble all manner of people in the last days/ & shall bring them to the vale of josaphat. And there I shall dispute with them teaching my people/ and mine heritage of israhel. all our thoughts/ our words/ and our works shall be then right straightly judged. And as Saint Gregory say upon the Gospel of Saint Matthew the three and twenty chapiter. All the hairs of our heads be numbered. Semblably God considereth all our goings & stappes. And will that all our vain thoughts & our idle words shall not rest undiscussed at the day of jugement. 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 Ecclesyastyco▪ in the eleventh chapiter at the end of man/ all his works and deeds shall be uncovered and made open. fifthly it behoveth to yield Rekening 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 Matthew saith in the five & twenty chapiter. Thene shall the great Lring say to thoos on his lift hand Depart from me ye wicked sinner's and go in to the fire everlasting. which is made ready for the devils and their angels. I have been hungered & ye have not fed me ●● which one of the causes why the falls rich glotone 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. One shall not Rekenen only of things done and forgotten. but also of time lost in executing evil things/ and left that/ that was good undone. It is written in Ecclesiastes the xvii chapiter. That our lord hath given man a number of days/ & a season to then tent he should use it well and handsomely to his pleaser/ and their own health/ whereof many folks taken none heed/ & Improfytably waste their time/ whereupon Faint 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 noman hedeth it. There is none 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 reckoning. O what dread had Saint Ancelme in his meditations saying. O unprofitable and dry tree. what shall be thine answer the day how thou shalt be questioned to give Rekening of all thy work/ & account for the lest twynkeling of thine eye and all the time of life that hath been lente the. How thou hast dispended it. And therefore saith Sapyens in Ecclesiastes the fourth chapiter. My dear beloved son/ keep and spend well thy tyme. The sixth and the last thing that behoveth to give Rekening 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 Rekening/ 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 spiritual 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 Matthew in the five and twenty chapiter of the five talentes/ which be pieces of money/ & of Saint Luke in the nineteenth chapiter▪ How the noble man delivered to his servants certain richesse/ whereof they were fain to yield Reason & do account for every thing thereof particularly As it is written in job. the xix chapiter. I mow ye that at jugement all these things afore said shall be reckoned for full straytely/ wherefore saith job in his ix chapiter. what shall I do whenne our lord shall rise up to judge all men. And how he shall questyone me/ what shall I answer then. O how lightly and how soon shall he come ask 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 chapiter. The day of our lord shall come in the evening at midnight. Atte Cock crow/ or in the morning. As is to say. If he come suddenly/ that he ne found you sleeping This that I say to you I say it in like wise to all other. Be ye waking then & sleep not. For if ye watch not. I shall come to you as a thief. & is shall not know when ne what hour. It is red in Apocalyps in the last chapiter. Lo see how I come anon & bring with me rewards to yield every man after their deserts. Now thenne my right dear friend/ since that must needily of so many things and every of them yield due reckoning & account be not unpurveyed/ but make diligently. examen thyself diligently/ & purge well thy conscience to the bottom. to the intent. that when our lord shall come to judge all thing/ as well deed as quyke Thou mayst covenably & reasonably answer/ & thereby to have his mercy grace and pardon of all thy sins. And this is that Ecclesiasticus ammonysshed us in the xviii chapiter saying. Examen thyself before the day of judgement. And that shall be to thy help in the presence of our lord Ihesu christ.   

¶ How the horrible abiding of the last day & extreme day of jugement is to be doubted.  
¶ The third chapter of the seconde part.  
THe last thing that rendret the final jugement to be dreadful and doubtable. is the terrible sentence that then shall be pronowuced by the jugement of god the rightful judge This sentence shall be terrible & fearful/ & specially for iii things. The first is the doubt & the Incerteynte of the sentence/ for there is noman sure whether it shall be given with him or against him. And as it is written in Ecclesiastes the ix chapiter. They be Just & wise. & their works be in the hands of god. how be it there is noman here that knows whether he stand in hate or love/ & all things to come. be in none certain. To this purpose it is red in Vitis patrum. How that an abbot called Agathon/ being in the article of death And so lying by the space of iii 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. than thou dreadest and art afeard. Unto whom he answered. Though I have kept the commandments of our lord as utuously 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. & that is the cause of my dread. I have neither hope ne wanhope before god. Faint Austyn sayeth That. that we dame to be justice/ well examined before the divine justice/ is often injustice. And therefore it is written in the proverbs of Solomon the xiiii chapiter. There is one way/ which seemeth just to a man/ but the end thereof leadeth him to death And for asmuch as this holy father Agathon counterposing in his heart all these things afore said. all be it that he was right diligent to keep the commandments of our lord. Yet alway he dread full sore the last day of jugement. It is also red in Vitis patrum how there was sometime an ancient father/ which said. I dread iii things/ that is to say. Fyrst when my soul shall depart out of my body. Seconde when she shall come before our lord. The iii when she shall abide & here the final sentence of the last day of jugement. Lo see how many holy faders have dread this last day of judgement for the none certain of the doubtful sentences that there shallbe given. now certainly it is a thyng which of reason ought time rously to be dread. It is written in the Gospel of saint Matthew the vii chapiter & by the words of our lord Ihesu christ. Many men shall say to me. Sir syr. have we not ꝓphecied in thy name. & cast out the devils of men & done many vertuous deeds Than he shall say unto them I know you not nor ever knew you. departed from. 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 now 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 one day old for it is bow in original sin Therefore it is written in I say the lxiiii. chapiter we be all made as a fowl cloth/ & we ought to dread all our works which shallbe showed before us at doom. all though we think them good vertuous & Just. Therefore say the job in his ix. chapiter I have dread all my works Senulably saint Poule which was a delectable chosen vessel. all be it he was then full clean in conscience in so much he said in the xxiii chapiter of Thactes of Apostles. I have been conversant with our lord with all my might & in good conscience to this day. And yet it is according where to the same holy Apostle fearful wrote in his first pistle add Coryntheos' the saueth chapiter said. I feel not myself guilty in any thing/ that notwithstanding I fear yet by cause I am not justified. Faint Gregory said. The Just men died in all their works/ when they wisely consider how the must come a fore the high judge. For as Thapostle writeth unto the romans the xiiii. chapiter. we shall come all before the tribunal seat of Ihesu christ Alas then I wretched sinner what shall I say or what shall I do▪ when I shall come before so great a judge without good works for my help. The seconde thing which causeth this sentence to be terrible. Is the hard lamentable and Intolerable utterance of the said sentence/ when our lord Ihesu christ shall say. Go ye fro me ye cursed people. To that purpose is written in the Gospel of Saint Matthew in the xxv chapiter/ 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/ & shall divide the one from the other as the shepherd keepeth the sheep from the wolves. Certainly he ordaineth & setteth the sheep on his right hand/ & the wolves on the lift hand And then shall the king of glory say to thoos that shall be an his right hand. Come ye on with me that be blessed of my father/ and possess the Royalme of glory/ that is enorned for you from the begynnyng of the world. I have been hungry. and ye have fed me etc. then he shall say to thoos on his lift hand Depart from me ye that be cursed/ and go in to eternal fire/ which is arredyed for devils. And theruppon saith a wise man. The words of the judge in sentence are but short/ as come ye & go ye. For he shall say to those that be reproved Go on your way. And to those that be just. come ye with me. O how gracious shall that word of our lord Jesus' christ be/ when he shall say come ye with me O how hard bitter & in tolerable shall the pronownsing of that word be Depart ye fro me. or go ye from. surely Go ye from 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 from/ to them on the lift hand, spoken by the king of king's giver of all life which shall say to other. Come ye with me This is that cutting sword with two edges yssewed out of the mouth of the son of man/ as it is written in the first & nineteen chapiter of the Apocalypse. Certainly he shall then smite the earth with the Rod of this mouth/ & shall slay the felonous sinner by his works. As it is written in I say the xi chapiter. O how terrible a thing shallbe to here this voice. Therefore say Saint Austyn upon the Gospel of Saint johan. Those that fill backward by one word of Ihesu Cryst/ when he went towards his passion/ what shall they do/ when they here the voice of the sante Ihesu christ how he shall judge all the world. for certain he shall bray like a lion. As Amos said in his iii. chapiter. when the lion shall bray/ who is he that then shall not be afeard. I say in his .v. chapiter saith. His brayeng shall be like a lion. jeremy also saith in his xxv. chapiter. Our lord shall bray from an high/ and from his tabernacle shall descend his voice/ whereof the swoon shall extend unto thextre mite of the earth. & shall make his doom & jugement unto the people. The voice of our lord shall be then in great magnifycens. It is the voice of our lord that shall break down the high cedars of the mount of Lyban. that is to understand. His enemy's proud people enhanced And yet all be it they have been so raised It shall then fail and vanish as smoke. And atte that jugement they shall be made humble/ and reduced to no being. This voice so coming from our lord/ shall be like a thunder beating the earth. Therefore sayeth job trembling in his five and twenty chapter. Who shall mow behold 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 voice. job saith in his seven and therty Chapytre. Our lord shall thunder marvellously by his voice/ and he doth many great things/ which ought not to be ensearched nor mused on. And Faint Ancelme say in his meditations/ wherefore slepeste thou slougthefulle soul worthy to be cast out of all light/ he that waketh not nor dreadeth not this great thunder slepeth not/ but rather is deed. The word of our lord shall be in manner a right hot lightning/ wherefore zachary in his ix chapter. saith. His dart shall depart like a lightning And our lord shall sown the trump certain as it is written in isaiah in the seven and twenty chapiter. In that last day shall sown the great trump. And therefore saith Crysostome upon the Gospel of Saint Matthew. the four and twenty chapiter. The virtues of heaven shall be moved. now truly thou shall be by a great voice. which is of the terrible trump/ whereunto all winds & elements obeyen/ which voice renteth stones & openeth hell/ and breaketh the gates of brass and breaketh the lygatures of deed bodies and restoreth the souls to the body's again. & constraineth them to come to the great jugement. And all these things be consumed again more lightly than the flight of an a-row passing in the air/ witness of Thapostle that saith in his first pistle add Coryntheos' in the xv chapiter. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye in the swooning of the last trump shallbe the jugement. Of this trump speaketh Faint Iherome upon the Gospel of Saint Matthew. saying/ when & as often as I think on the last day of jugement. I tremble for fere/ be it when I eat or when I drink & in any of my works/ me thinketh always that terrible trump 'sounds in mynere saying. Arise ye arise ye deed folks & come to your jugement. All men troubled or grieved aught by penance to think oftentimes in this day & it shall be a great weal & ease to their souls. And therefore say Faint Gregory in an Omely. My right dear brethren & friends/ let the day of jugement 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 & dread the same day For that is the great journey the journey of wrath & of bitterness. Sophony as saith in his first chapiter. The way of our lord's journey shall be full bitter. For there shall be noman so strong. but then he shall be troubled that shall be the very day of wrath tribulation an guysshe chalange misery & darkness of clouds & storms of the swoon of the trump. isaiah in his xiii chapiter saith The day of our lord shall come/ which shall be full of indignation ●●ath & of furor. johel also in his iii chapiter saith. The son shallbe converted in to darkness & the moan in to blood a fore the coming of the great & horrible day of our lord. O how dread Saint Bernard that same day when he said/ whiles I that am a mortal man remember what I shallbe after my death The fere there of 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 & the venging of sinner's/ affrayeth me hydeously. Of this same day saith he also in one of his sermons/ they shall be all bare & naked before the tribunal seat of Ihesu christ to th'intent that they may here ye●oys of his jugement. Be cause they have stopped here ears from the ways of good counsel. Now what sayeth our lord god. Do ye penance/ nevertheless there be many that disymylyngly close their ears & will not here it/ & think it is to hard to do. O remember ye felons because of your obstinacy/ ye shall here therefore the hard & lamentable word pronounced unto you. That is to say. Go ye cursed people in to everlasting fire▪ what shall then those poor wretched perpetuell dampened people say. seeing the holy blessed people called up joyfully in to the eternal glory and bliss of heaven. And they that be dampened in to the jufynyte pains of hell. Certainly as it is written in the book of sapience the .v. chapiter They shall wepyngly say in themself for the great anguish of their souls. Let us do penance/ for we be thoos that have blasphemed it/ & as fools out of all wit & reason had in derision the living of the penytent folks/ thinking it was no worshipful life How be it we see them now taken & accepted with the son of god/ & their works allowed & cherished so that they be accompanied with the happy & blessed saints/ & we with the dampened fiends of hell We have erred from the way of troth/ the light of justice hath not shined in us/ nor the son of rightwiseness risen in us. we have left the ways of our lord Ihesu christ & have gone daungeroꝰ & evil ways/ that is to say The ways of iniquity & perdition/ what hath our great pride proufyted or availed us. or what advantage have we had of all our great richesses/ par de all is passed as a bird fleeing in the sky/ or a ship gliding thorough 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 that they suffer. And therefore they can obtain no pardon/ also they are passed the place of mercy & grace. & be in the place of equity & justice. For when the judge/ which ought so greatly to be doubted hath pronounced his jugement & sentence/ saying. Go fro me ye wicked. & Come to me ye blessed/ their Remedy is paste. To this purpose read we in ●itis patrum. How there was some time an holy man/ which was tempted with the spirit of for nycacyon/ & he besought our lord that his enemy the fiend which tempted him might appear visibly unto him. & so he did. Thene the said holyman said unto the fiend/ what availeth the thus for to tempt the people/ pard it is a great folly. for when the hast brought any to sin thy trespass is the greater/ & consequently the augmentest thine own pain To whom the fiend answered. Certainly all that is true/ but I know well the more folks that cause to sin/ the more I defer the coming of the day of doom. I dread that day above all things/ and the hearing then of that hard sentence. Go ye wicked and cursed in to eternal fire/ which is made ready to the peril and his angels. And therefore I do my power to prolong the time of coming of the sentence. O good lord what cause of dread have these fiends and these unhappy sinner's then. If thou wilt be assured in this horrible and dreadful journey. Sow now in thy life the works of Mercy pity and justice. O how blessed and how happy shall he be/ that now intendeth to the poor languishing needy people. For in that hard journey our lord will deliver them therefore from all daungere. It is written in the proverbs of Solomon in the xi chapiter. The merciful man doth great good unto his soul/ and doth also the dign fruits of penance For they that now sow tears & lamentations the reward thereof shall come & bring them in to the lodging of joy and of gladness. But there be many that sown now presently thorns & cockle/ wening to reap & Inn good wheat/ but ywys fools it will not be so. For as Thapostle saith ad Galathas in the vi chapter. Such as a man hath sown here/ such shall he reap thenne for himself. And therefore saith our lord by his prophet. Ozee in his ten chapiter/ ye have sown felony & have reped iniquity & he that hath sown sin & evil works/ he shall be reapen & joined in to the pains of hell. But he that hath sown virtues & the good works of penance He shall reap & gather the everlasting glory. And all that have done well 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 followen them. As it is written in the Apocalypse the twenty chapter. After their works men shall be both saved and dampened. It is red in the Gospel of Saint johan the fifth chapter. An hour shall come to the which all that be in Monuments or Tombs shall here the voice of our lord. And they that have done well/ shall go in the Resurrection of life. And they that have done wickedly/ shall go unto the jugement of death. It is written in the seconde chapiter of the Apocalypse 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 saith Abdeas. It shall be done unto thee/ as thou hast done To the same purpose is written in jeremy the l chapiter. And these be the words of the eternal judge unto the evil angel speaking of the dampened sinner's/ yield and do him after his deeds and works. And therefore if thou wilt have a good harvest and habun dance 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 sparyngly/ shall then gad them scarcely/ & he that soweth them with blessings▪ shall gather them with great joy & gladness. As it is written in the seconde epistle add Coryntheos' in the ix. chapiter For he that soweth his seeds in sin & maledycconns'/ semblably shall Inn & gather them And as it is written in a Proverb. The seed that man sows in this present life/ shallbe his house when the judge shall say Come ye & go ye. The third thing. why the doom of the judge shall be terrible. It is to be remember how dampened souls shall be by the morning sentence. full of all sorrow eternally separated and departed from god & his saints of paradise/ and put on the lift hand unto the tends of hell. Certainly incontinent & without carrying that this horrible sentence shall be pronounced by the mouth of Ihesu christ. The perpetual devils shall be there arredyed & ready for to take and ravayne the souls of the wretched sinner's/ which they shall lightly bring unto everlasting torments and pains. This may appear unto us by a figure in the book of Hester the vii Chapitre of the mynystres of king Assuer/ which were desirous and ready to take Amon as it is contained in the same chapiter. How the word was not all out of the mouth of the said king. But that the mynystres had covered the visage of the same Amon. In like wise the devils in this hideous journey shall be more than ready to receive the souls of these wretched sinner's. And this is written in the Lamentations of jeremy in the first chapiter. all his persecutees have taken him. johan Crysostom saith in the book of Repairing of forfaytours. Remember these cruel and terrible tourmentoures that never may show mercy on any body & leadeth down the unhappy sinner's unto everlasting torments. And Hugho of Faint victor. saith. That the horrible mynystres of hell shall be appareled and arredyed incontinent as the sentence is given/ to take the condemned unto torments. And then the wretched unhappy caytyffes lamentably shall say. they have caught me like as a devoring lion lurkyngly hath taken his prey. O what sorrow and 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 whenne the sinner's shall be expulsed out of the company of just men/ and put from the sight of God and delivered and cast unto the hands of the devils to go with them in to 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 miserable sinner's being in despair of the Redemption shall enter into the lowest parties of the earth in the hands of our lords glaive there to remain with out seeing of any light. Of this pain of separation or departing saith also Crysostome. Some fools ween and think to have their wishing if they may escape the gehenna of hell. But as to me I say that there be other torments much more grevoꝰ. that is to say to be estranged and cast away from the grace of the sovereign glory/ & I dame that the banishing there from is the most eager & grevoꝰ torment. whereupon saith saint Gregory He is greatly 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/ & passeth all the gehennes of hell. The same saint Gregory saith of this word of the Gospel of Saint Matthew the xvi. chapiter. He shall be cut & sent in to the eternal fire. Certainly the gehenne of hell is a thing intolerable 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. & to be hated of our redeemer Ihesu christ maker of all things For as saint Austyn saith The wicked reproved shall liefer abstain all the torments of hell/ then to behold the rightful judges face angered with them. johel saith in his seconde chapiter. The earth hath trembled for his face & 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 sinner's shall thenne perish before his face/ through the great sorrow they shall have of themself. And when they shall see him coming his visage from them▪ it shall move them to miserably. And thenne the judge eagerly shall say as is written in Iheremie the xviii chapiter. In the day of their perdition I shall show them my back/ and not my face. O what shall be the separaconn O how bitter & 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/ & therefore sayeth a wise man The departing of friends is right sorrowful. but the separaconn of the body & the soul from the presence of the deyte/ is the most sorrowful thing. For all this things afore said and many other. which infinitely might be rehearsed/ for briefness of time I pass them over. But yet awake ye awake ye my dear friends & lift up your heads. abhorting & fearing the timorous & dreadful day of jugement. For as Sophonyas in his first chapiter saith. The day of our lord approacheth nigh & shall not tarry. It is written in isaiah in the xiii chapiter. Sorrow ye and cry/ for the day of our lord is nigh. Sleep not thenne. For ye know not the day ne the hour. as it is written in the Gospel of Saint Mathewe the xxv. chapiter. It is also written unto the Tessalonyes in the last chapiter of the first pistle. My brethren ye knew well 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. lest that day suppryse 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 chapiter. It is written in the Gospel of Saint Luke in the xxi chapiter. Gyve attendance in yourself. lest peradventure your hearts be fulfilled with gluttony and drunkenship & in other vain works of this present life. And lest that the foresaid dangerous day fall not suddenly unto you. which shall fall universally to all thoos that shall be upon the earth. Be ye thenne in your prayers. so that at all times ye may be the more dygue and able to flee all the dangers that be to come how that shall be afore the son of man? As it is written in the same chapiter for a troth. There shall be then trembling fere and sorrow intolerable And therefore said johel in his seconde chapiter Our lord's day shall be great & right terrible. And who shall be he that shall mow sustain or suffer it. isaiah saith also in his seconde chapiter. They shall enter in to the caverns amongs stones & hydplaces of the earth for dread of our lord's face and of the glory of his majesty how he shall arise to smite & punish the earth. And as it is red in Abacuk in the iii chapiter In his ●●●snes he shall tread down the earth/ & the people shall be abashed of his furor. isaiah in his ten chapiter saith/ what shall ye do in that day of visitation & of calamity coming from tar parties/ to whom shall ye run to have so ●our & help. Certainly the sinner shall have then no refuge solace nor socours. And therefore said Ancelme in his book of meditations. On the right hand shall sins be accusing the wretched sinner On the lift hand infinite number of devils. underneath the confusion of hell/ which is greatly to be doubted/ & over this the presence of the wrathful judge/ & without all the world burning/ & within this the conscience glowing. This aught to be remembered. Alas the miserable sinner's taken in the trap. whether shall they flee. It shall be thenne impossible to hide them. It shall be an Intolerable oredefull thing to appear in that day. The said sentence is mure fearful and dangerous/ be cause it judged not only the body/ but also it condemneth the soul. To that purpose is there red an example/ how that there was sometime ii brethren/ whereof the one was a foal & ignorant/ & the other was wise/ which went togydres in a way. & as they walked/ they come at last to a forked way. which led to sundry places/ whereof the one was fair and pleasant. and the other sharp & no thing inhabited And when the foal saw the fair & delectable way he said. Brother go we this way. then the wise brother answered. I know well that this way which thou wilt lead us is fair & delectable. but nevertheless in the end it will being us to an right evil lodging. And therefore I council that we take the other way. For all be it that it be sharp & not inhabited/ finally it will bring us to right a good & honest harberoughe & full of rest/ where unto the foal answered. I will rather trust myneye in that I see/ than thine in that thou seest not. And so set him forth in the soft and delectable way which thing the wise brother seeing that he could not make him relynquysshe his purpose/ followed him And how they had gone together a little space/ they fortuned anon to be taken with soldeyours/ which dyscevered them and put them in to diverse prisons. Now it happened that the king of the country commanded on a day/ that all prisoner's should be brought afore him that he might judge them according to their demerits. And when these two brethren came afore him/ & eachone known other/ the wise brother said. O sir king & our judge. I complain me greatly of this man my brother/ for as we went togydies in a way he being reputed a foal and I wise. yet nevertheless. he would not believe me no: go after me the good way that I taught him but hath made me to follow him in the evil way wherein we were taken/ and so he is guilty of my death. And to the corntarye the ignorant foal said to the same king. Sir I have greater cause & stronger Reason to complain me against my brother/ for where he ought not to have believed me nor followed me lightly in the way/ which he known well was evil & dangerous. for & he would not a followed me. I would have returned again and followed him/ whereby I should in no wise have fallen in his daungere/ & therefore he is very guilty of my death. when these words were had on either party. The king pronownsed & gave a sentence saying Thou foal/ thou wouldst not trust thy wise brother/ & thou wise haste followed this foal in his evil ways/ wherefore ye both shallbe hanged & condemned to death. Semblably shall it be at the day of jugement in the consummaconn of this world. when by the almighty power of god the soul of every man & woman shall return again & be rejoined to the your own bodies appearing before the high judge to receive doom & judgement of all things known & forgotten. for the foolish body because it would not follow the counsel of the wise soul/ & the wise spirit because it would not resist but ensue the foolish body. they shallbe 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 chapiter. For it shall strike the wretched sinner both in body & soul It is written in the Gospel of saint Matthew in the ten chapiter. dread him that shall mow lose & pu● 〈…〉 the the body & soul in 〈…〉 gehenne of hell The quality of the said judge yieldeth & showeth the said sentence to be dreadful & daungeroꝰ 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 thyngiss of the heart & sercheth the works of men. wherefore it is written ad Hebreos in the four chapiter. Alle things be open to his eyen for he looketh into the hearts. As it is red in the first book of Lrynges in the xvi chapiter. Also it is red in Ecclesiastes the xxiii. chapiter The eyen of our lord be moche clerer thenne the son. for they behold all the ways of man/ & the profounde deepness & the hearts of men/ & see all the hid things of the earth. And as Boece de consolacde saith. great curiosity to do well is introducte vn〈…〉 because all that we do is done afore him that seeth all things. Iheremy saith in his xxii chapiter. Thine eyen be open upon all the ways of the children of Israel & I shall yield to every of them after his ways & after the fruit of his admynystrations. Certainly the judge is greatly to be dread. which looketh upon all things both open & shut/ & all secret thyngiss to him known/ all dark things to him is clear/ all doom things answer unto him/ & all thoughts speak to him without voice & all sylences confess them unto him This sentence is to be given by the Just judge/ which will not be●owed/ & he shall judge all the circuit of the earth. & the people in equity▪ He grudgeth not attethe might of any body/ nor he excepteth no person what soever they be/ nor he ne will be appeased then by any gifts. It is written in Deutronomii in the ten chapiter God is great mighty & terrible. which will favour no person nor he receiveth no gifts. Certainly a pure & a clean conscience than shall be more worth. than the purses full of silver. The abundance of richesse shall not profit then/ nor any thing that longeth to rich people. But only shall profit the works of pity & of justice. It is written in ezechiel in the vii chapiter. Their money shall be then their dounghylle/ neither their gold nor their silver shall mow delyuer them in the day of furor of our lord. Thenne shall appear the fraud & the falsehood▪ of this world. & vileness of all richesse. O how sweet a thing & how great a joy shall it be thenne to those that have hated this world. & how sorrowful & bitter shall it be unto them that have had it in lust and 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 proverbs of Solomon in the vi chapiter. He will not obtempre then nor bow to oni requestis what soever they be. Crysostom saith the angels will not then intercede nor pray for the men/ for the just judge will show there no misery cord. but will yield to every after his merit & the merits equally not bowing justice/ & therefore saith he by his prophet Ezechiel in the seven. chapiter. I shall do the right after thy ways & shall judge the after thy Iugemēt● & I shall make the know that I am thy lord. For that cause said job all dreadfully. I resyne all my works knowing thee/ that ne wilt spare any thing the delynquentes or trespassers. of all these things speaketh Saint bernard in a pse 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 manner of prayer O my right dear friend labour then diligently to bear justice thither as thou shalt found no misery cord. For as it is written in the proverbs of Solomon The riches shall not profit in the day of vengeance/ but justice shall cause then deliverance from death And if the scholars that can not their lessons dread greatly to be examined of their master. lest they should be eagerly punished. how moche should the sinner's dread than thextreme examining of the sovereign judge/ when they have not studied in the book of justice & of troth. Certainly in the apposayle is examined all things that now be nought/ the unjust sinner's shall be punished/ & the seed of felons shall perish. & to the contrary the just people shall be then in the eternal memory & shall not dread in any wise any evyil accusation. It is written in Ecclesyastyco the xviii chapiter. Make ready justice afore the jugement This final sentence shallbe also given by a judge cruelly moved which in no wise shall mow be appeased. For our lord Ihesu christ that naturally is now amiable & meek as a lamb shall appear th●nne as a lion right cruel & greatly moved. And therefore said Ozee in his xiii chapiter It may well be the words of our lord by the covetous gluttons & proud people at the day of judgement/ saying thus. they have fulfilled themself in their pastures & arreysed up their hearts. & forgeten me. I will be to them as a lioness & as a leopard in the way of assy●yence. I shall come against them as a she bear/ which hath lost her whelps/ and shall break their jugementis within & shall destroy them like a lion. How might one remember a more cruel thing then by thoos beasts. Our lord shall say to the felons that shall be condampned/ as is written in ezechiel in the vii chapiter. The conclusion is come/ & now cometh the end upon thee/ & I shall send my furor in to that Certainly sir as the fire brennes the forests & the mists break upon the molyteynes. Semblably in that tempest thou shalt then persecute thy sinners & trouble them in thine Ire. And then thy wrath shall be chased like fire and shall abash the people in thine anger. It is written in isaiah in the thirty. chapiter. The name of our lord shall come from right far/ his fierceness shall be burning and grievous to bear/ his lips shall be fulfilled with judygnacyon/ and his tongue shall be like a devouring fire/ and his spirit shallbe like a broke running over the brynkes for to destroy people and to bring them to no thing. job took sometime this furor in a vision how he said/ who shall be that living man that shall do so mickle with the that thou wilt defend me from hell & hide me till thy furor be paste. Certainly the furor of the judge shall be so great then/ that it can not be expressed by any words nor thought by any courages Derely all the judgements and sentences that have been against & upon the human lineage sith the begynnyng of the world. be but like a little flame or a spark in regard to the furor of Ihesu christ/ which he shall excercise in the last day of jugement. And how straightly shall he that is risen debonayr & passed up in to heaven return to do jugement and therefore saith saint Gregory in an Omely. upon the word of saint johan evangelist that faint Thomas one of the xii. apostles called Dydymus which is to say long doubting said thus. My brethren and friends order your life your works and your conditions/ & purvey/ for he that is risen meek and amiable shall come hard & stray●e at the day of jugemet Certainly at that day of examination/ which is so greatly to be doubted/ he shall show himself clearly among angels & archangeles and among the trones and dominations/ among the pryncypals and potestates/ and all the skies shall be moved/ and the earth & the other elementis in the fere and dread of his service. Set then afore your eyen this judge that is cause of so great abasshement. and fere & dread him both now and hereafter. To th'intent that wheune he shall 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 one of you had to say or allege a cause again your enemy and should to morrow present you to my judgement peradventure ye will pass all the night without great sleep/ remembering yourself in great pain & thought what things might be alleged against you/ & what ye would answer to thobjections/ & should dread greatly least I should be sharp unto you. and would fere lest it should▪ be thought that ye were culpable/ & would serche what I where. and whether I should become Certainly not long after I have be man. I shall become worms/ and after worms powder Now then if the jugement of him that is but powder is to be dread & had in so great fere. By what entencyon is it to be thought that fere must be most dreadful/ which is of the judgement of the most greatest and hyghest majesty. all these things said saint Gregory in the chapiter aforesaid. Yet is there some thing more concerning the said sentence/ that is to wite/ that there is no puissance can resist it. And as it is written in the book of sapience in the xi chapiter. who shall be he that shall resist the virtue of thine arm. isaiah also said in his xlvii chapiter. I shall take vengeance on them. and no man shall resist me. Veryly none shall mow resist it/ but edely all must appear there generally if they will or not. they shall abide before the angels the sentence of the sovereign judge/ which spoke by isaiah. himself in the said chapiter to the sinner's that are to be condemned. & thus thy shame shall be known and the vylen reproach shall be seen/ wheruppon I will take vengeance and shall no man mow resist it. job said in his ix chapiter. God is he that in his wrath no man may resist. And as it is written in the book of Hester the xiii chapiter. Fair lord god king omnipotent all things be set under thy jurisdiction. and is none that may resist thy will. certain that haste made the sky the earth and all that is contained in the circuit of the world/ thou art lord of all things/ & is none that may resist thy will This is the great mighty and puissant lord/ of whose greatness & might there is no number nor end & he shall dread none be they never so mighty. It is written in the book of Sapience in the vi chapiter. Our lord shall dread no body what so ever he be/ for he hath made both great & small. It is red in the Apocalypse. in the vi chapiter. Our lord shall not dread 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 fire. shall hide them in the caves & among stones of the roches. saying to the mountains/ fall upon us/ & hide us from the face of him that sitteth in the throne/ and the wrath of the lamb/ for the great day of Ire is come. It is red in the same Apocalypse in the xviii chapiter. The kings of the earth shall weep/ and they shall specially complain that have made fornication with Babylon and have lived in delectations/ when they shall see the smoke of his embrasynges and shall will them to be far for fere of the torments. Certain as saint Mathewe saith in his xxii chapiter. There shall be then great tribulation/ & so great. that sithence the begynnyng of the world till now was there never none like. Secondly there is another thing that agrogeth the said sentence That is to say. that there is no place there for sinner's to hide them in/ & as Saint Ancelme said It shall be then a thing impossible one to hide him And therefore he saith in his xxiiii chapiter. There shall no tenebres be there nor no shadow of death that they may hide those that have done iniquity. Saint Bernard said in one of his sermons. That before the judicial cheer of Ihesu christ shall they stand all naked/ that have stopped their ears to the voice of counsel/ wherefore they shall here the voice of the judgement as it is before alleged. My right dear brother & friend dread this day & doubt cordyally the said judge & lord that shall dame all things/ to the 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 agrogith this sentence. there is no place to appeal to any other/ nor space for to flee To that purpose sayeth the Psalter whether shall I go backward from thy spirit. & how shall I flee backward from thy face/ if I mount up in to the sky/ thou art there. if I descend in to hell thou art present there besides me. & therefore saith our lord of sinner's by Amos in the nineteen. chapiter. They shall flee and there shall be none saved of them/ if they descend in to hell/ my hand shall pull them up from thence/ & if they hide them in the mounteyne 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 in to servage amongs their enemy's. I shall send a sword which shall slay them & shall cast mine eye upon them in wrath & not in love. job saith in his x. chapiter. Our lord ought to judge all thyngiss & is none that may escape his hands. Certeyly I see clearly the hand of our lord almighty will found us over all. And therefore saith the Author of the char of the soul/ what wilt thou rich man do/ that never shalt live surely. whether shalt thou retraye thee/ whether wilt thou turn thy body/ for thou art not sure here nor else where fore and thou sty up in to the sky/ or descend in to hell/ he that hath domination is the cruel & mighty king. If thou go in to the see/ that king hath governance there/ thou shalt not mow then 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 well comprehended this Elezearus that said I will neither flee quick nor deed from the hands of the almighty. As it is written in the seconde book of Machabe the vii chapiter. Lo by these our lord's sayings it appeareth in many manners that final jugement is to be redoubted of all/ & shall be for thaccusaconnaccusation of diverse things/ which must be violently suffered sustened & born. & for the Just Reason that must needs be yelden singularly & generally of all things. And for the diffynytyf sentence that shall be thenne pronounced right horribly by the Just judge. The remembrance then of these things diligently continued/ that is to say of the final jugement & of the sentence that shall be given there/ as it is said shall persevere & defend & not without reason every man from falling in to sin/ & eschew to do evil to the end. to come finally to the glory with the happy saints of paradise.   
¶ And thus endeth the seconde 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 four last things whereof the remembrance preserveth from sin is hell or the infernal gehenna. And therefore saith Anastasye of saint Anthony the hermit. when the peril tempted him to any sin/ he remembered the pains of hell due unto sinner's▪ which thought was so imprinted in his heart that finally he thereby vanquished the peril and was delivered from his temptations and rested free from all sin. It is to be noted how touching this matter present three things are principally to be considered. Fyrst the diverse nomination of the painful places of hell. Secondly the many fold afflictions of th'infernal mynystres. Thirdely the strange & diverse manners of the torments of hell of the which iii things the remembrance proufyteth greatly and withdraweth a man from falling to sin.   

¶ How hell is named by holy scripture in diverse wise.  
¶ The first chapiter of the third part principal  
IT is now first to be Declared principally the nomination of the painful places of hell/ wherefore it is to be known that hell is a place full of fire and is so called de Infero infers. That is to say to bear in/ for the souls of sinner's be borne in to it for to suffer pain there eternally And therefore saith job in his seventh chapiter. He that shall descend in to 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 dyalogys' said. Certainly it must be believed that there is only but one fire in the gehenna of hell/ but it tormenteth not all sinner's after one manner/ for every man shall have pain after the quantity of his guilt and trespass. Isydorus in the book of sovereign goodness saith that the fire of the gehenne of hell shall shine & light 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 thoos that be dampened is doubled by sorrow & pains that tormenteth the soul & fire that brenneth the body. Of this fire of hell speaketh the Psalter saying. The coals shall fall upon sinner's which shall be cast in to the fire having no comfort in their myseryes/ our lord shall tormment them with his Ire & the fire shall devour them. wherefore it is written in isaiah in the ix chapiter The people shall be as meet unto the fire/ it is also said to every sinner in Ezechyell in the xxi chapiter. Thou shalt be fires mete. In Iheremy the xu chapiter saith our lord to the dampened folks. thembracing fire inferior shall broyll and burn upon you all. this fire is of that nature that perpetually it shall brene and shall never have need to be renewed. It is written in job the twenty chapiter. The fire which can never be quenched shall utterly devour them O how sore shall our lord venge him then upon the dampened sinner's. As it is said in Ecclesiastico in the vii chapiter. The flesh of sinner's shall have vengeance by fire. This fire of the gehenna of hell is different from the material fire principally in three things Fyrst in fyrsnesse & eagerness for the power of it in burning is infinity/ wherefore saith saint Sebastyane how the angel of heaven rouned him in the ere/ he said that our sensible fire is no more like the fire of hell/ then the fire painted upon a wall is like our materiale fire. Secondly in enduring. For our materyale fire may be quenched and so may not that. It is written in Isay in the last chapiter/ that the fire for sinner's shall not be quenched. Thirdly in wasting. for our sensible material fire may consume and waste all things as the philosopher saith but the fire infernal may not waste nor consume neither the body nor the souls of sinners by burning. job saith in his twenty chapiter of the sinner's being in hell. He shall buy full dear now that he hath done & yet he shall not be wasted. johan crysostom sayeth also that our material fire consumeth all thing that is laid in it/ but the fire of hell tormenteth continually thoos that be therein/ & yet it preserveth them always in lengthing their pains. 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 the cause saith the holy scripture that the sinner shall be clothed with corruption not only of their life but in languishing and torments always coming. Certainly no voice could expone nor no word could express the greatness 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/ & 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 druoure/ no more is it to give no comfortable light. It is an obscure fire/ and the flame thereof tenebrous. Secondly hell is called locus inquietus. that is to say a restless place ever enduring and shall never have end/ wherefore it is said in this life that there is one place which is alway still/ that is to wite the centre of the sky. Other be sometime troubled as mean parts 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 and obscure Certainly the unrest and trbulation cometh there specially of three things. first the variance of pains as one saith/ the weather is troubled/ when it is now meddled with rein. now with hayll. now with snow. or such storm which as it is said/ be of all those manners in hell as wytenessen prophets saying. It shall rain upon sinner's both fire & brimstone. and the spirits of tempest shall give them part of their torments. Secondly of the mynystres infernal. As it is written in jeremy the xvi chapiter. Those devils that ye have served/ neither night nor day shall suffer you in rest. Thirdely thenter changed cry. as it is written in isaiah the .lxv. chapiter. ye shall weep for sorrow & by contrition of soul howl. In truth our lord shall answer to all those that so shall howl and cry. As it is said in jeremy the xxx chapiter. Wherefore criest thou & howlest thou now by contrition sith thy sorrow is not to be heeled. I have punished the thus for thy wicked felonous sins. Thirdely hell is called a place right distempered. As Avernus. That is as mickle to say as a thing without a temperance of delight for the pains be no thing moderated there/ but continue in great excess/ of troth there is therein without measure excessesyve tenebres/ which be called exteriores. as saint Mathewe saith in his xxii Chapitre. we have example of this in Exodo in the ten chapiter. By the manyable tenebres that were sometime in Egypte. O how mickle shall the tenebres of hell be more grievous than those. It is written in job in the twenty chapiter. All horrible tenebres shall come on him. again then shall the ●●●ners say. As it is said in the Psalter. They have cast me in to the lowest lake and in the tenebrous place and in the shadow of death/ they have lodged 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 jeremy. They have lodged me with thoos that be sempyternally deed/ there is therein an excessive heat. As job saith in his xiiii. chapiter. The heat is great therein, and 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 sinner's in an oven full of fire. Also our lord shall torment them with his wrath/ and fire shall devour them/ there is there also a right sharp cold. As is written in job in the said chapiter. It is said the water of snow is colder then all other waters/ Yet the waters of hell may not be compared with of chylling nor cold. And therefore sayeth full gen●yus in his pistles. There is in hell ii principal manner of torments/ that is to wite by in tolerable cold and by inquencheable heat. It is written in the xxiiii chapiter of Saint Matthew There shall be in hell both weeping and cold certainly the efflucconn of teeris by weeping cometh of heat/ but the inward sorrows is caused by cold. To this purpose witnesseth job in the said xxiiii. chapiter. The sinner overpassed with the cold water of snow/ goeth after in to the great fiery hetes. It is found also in a little book of the deeds of Alexander the king of Macedon. That when he was for clommed with the Isse & with the cold of the snow he would go to the fire of coals. O how miserable and painful shall this trouble be to thoos that shall not die nor have lightening in that piyson of hell/ but be tourmented there Infynyt●ly 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 Aueroys in the iiii. chapiter of poetry. That hell hath a continual sorrow and weeping without 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 profit them no thing/ and from above cometh there no help to them/ there falleth on them no myserycorde. wherefore they be in despair of any grace in time coming & know certainly that they with out remedy and not to be quite out of the prison/ and so they rest sempiternally in wailing in sorrow and in desolation. It is written in the book of sapience in the iiii. chapiter. That the dampened souls shall be utterly in desolation. Also the dampened soul saith in the first chapter of the trene of The remye. I am cast in desolation & am convict in to weeping. It is written in isaiah in the xxxiiii chapiter. 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 & print often in thy heart & mind these things above said to th'intent▪ thou may eschewe & withdraw the from sin. & there by have the most precious glory & felicity perdurable.   

¶ How those that descend into hell be cruelly punished.  
¶ The seconde chapiter of the third part payncypall.  
Now to proceed following by order it resteth to be exponed how there be many & diverse afflictions given by the solderyours of hell. Those soldiers been to de the devils/ which been tormentors & hangmen full abominable to behold and cruel in their deeds/ never weary to tourmente nor to give pains. I say first that those devils be horrible to behold. And therefore they be so painted in the church with hideous & horrible figures/ to this purpose it is red that where sometime a religious man was laying in his dortor among his brethren. It happened in a night that he cried horribly/ where through all the brethren of his covent resorted unto him/ & they found him staring & his eyen fixed upon a wall firmly without moving & would answer to no question that they demanded him/ he was so moved with a mernelous fere. & in the morrow his prior came unto him & asked what him ailed that night/ & he answered. He had seen the peril. And thenne it was questioned him/ what shape he was of. And he answered that his shape ne might lightly be described/ & said/ if there were here an oven full of fire & yonder the peril. I had as leef enter in to the oven/ 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 thine he ye/ if it were a thing sitting/ that one of these princes of tenebres/ that be of so many hideous and marvelous shapes should come and appear amongen you with his great cruelty and unformed tenebrous body. what temporale or spyrytuale wit might sustain to behold him. It is red in the book of Ditis patrum. How there was sometime an ancient man that said. I trow there is no living creature/ but and he same the peril in the same form that the dampened souls see him/ he should no more life after/ but shortly should die. Also Faint Gregory saith of one called Cryssoryus/ which being full seek saw beside him a great 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 great troubles that all men died the sight of them/ and not without Reason/ for their horrible figure tormenteth those to death that beholdeth them. It is written in job the twenty chapter horrible things shall go and come upon them And that Faint Bernard showeth whenne he said. O my soul what fere shall thou have/ when thou shalt leave the presence of all things where in thou haste joy/ the sight of that/ that is agreeable unto the and all thy familiarity. and shalt enter alone fearfully in to the region/ which is to the unknown/ when the right terrible and horrible monsters shall come in great companies against the. O how great a deformity shall be in thoos horrible devils that shall appear in figures of right cruel beasts. And as it is written in the xi chapiter of Sapyens. Because they permitted errors as done serpents and other superflue beasts/ thou hast sent them a multitude of doom beasts in vengeance to the intent that they may know wherein they have sinned/ they to be tourmented by the same. Certain it is not impossible that the most mighty hand that hath create and 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 vapures of fire giving stinking smokes putting out of they eyen sparks burning of fire. but all these things should be to the hurt of sinner's and also the beholding might slay them/ as it is written in the chapiter afore said. job said in his xvi chapiter. Mine enemy hath behold me with terrible eyen. He also saith in his xli chapiter. His look and beholding is like a glistering of fire out of his mouth streming as it were burning lamps. and popilleth as water boiling out of a pot. Therefore saith a Poet that there be therein serpents vomyshing out of their mouths burning flammes with the which blasts the souls of the miserable sinner's been all perished Secondly the fiends be cruel by effect. where as it is written in job the xvi. chapiter. They are assembled against me. they have opened their mouths upon me as a ravyssing lion/ they have tempted me. they have mocked me & grennyngly & felonesly showed me their teeth. Also in Ecclesiastico in the xxi Chapitre. is said. Their teeth be like the teeth of lion's/ which devour the souls To this purpose is written in the first pistle of saint Peter the .v. chapiter That how the peril is like a braing lion/ which gooth seeking to devour some soul. Certain the peril shall be apppointed at the last day for to devour sinner's. It is written in isaiah in the lvi. chapiter. O ye all beasts of the fields & wilderness come ye for to devour. jeremy in his xii chapiter 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 dyspleasant unto him/ when one spoke to him for his saluacon/ he would not only leave to do good/ but it loathed him to here speak thereof/ & 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 at the departing from his body. than he began suddenly to cry & with a great voice had them break of & leave their orisons & prayers & depart/ for he was given unto an horrible dingon 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/ since he was given unto him/ & 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 seest make the figure of the cross upon the. To who me the said Theodorus answered with a lamentable cry. I would feign bless me/ but I can not/ for I am to hardly pricked 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 Faint Gregory telleth an example in the fourth book of his dialogs 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 marvellously well disposed toward god/ Butler 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 devoured/ which with his tail hath knit together my feet & also my knees & putteth his heed in to 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 sinner's which be written in Iheremy in the li chapiter. He hath eaten me like a dragon. This dragon is hideous & great & hath seven. heads & ten horns in the same as it is written in the Apocalypse in the xii. chapiter. There hath been a great battle in the shy so that saint Mychyell & 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 & so that dragon ancient serpent/ which is called the peril sathan enforceth himself to make war upon the universal world here. And for the cause it is red in the same chapiter. That harm come to that earth & to the see/ for the peril is descended among you with all his great furious anger This devil hath a marvelous great hate unto all good people which disposeth them to take possession in the towme of heaven/ from whence he was put out & chased in to theterrnal pains/ & the more that the day of doom approacheth the more tempteth he more cursedly & more forceth himself to do evil in destroying of souls. O how great is the wickedness & the malice of this peril of hell. whereof Saint Bernard talketh in a prose saying O how felonous shall then this tormentors be which shall pain & tormente sinner's. how terrible shall their vengeance be in venging vices wret chednes & sins Certainly their cruel malice is yet augmented in diverse manners. first because they be so innumerable & of so diverse sorts. The Psalter sayeth. why be those so multiplied that tormenteth me/ & there be many that dress them a yen me. and as it is written in job in the xix chapiter They have asseged my tabernacle about me It is written in ●itis patrum. That there was a good ancient man that saw the duyll enuyroning the people & were as thick as beys that make honey/ wherefore it is said also in the Psalter. They have compassed me as beys be cause they be many & of great might▪ as Thapostle witnesseth in his pistle add the Epheseos in the vi chapiter. where he calleth them princes & potestates & governors of the world be cause they be subtle and mighty to noy souls. the Psalter saith. The strong have fought my soul This strength is under stoned by the devils. It is red also of that strengthe in job the xli chapiter. There is no might upon the earth to be compared with that/ thou hath done so that it dreadeth no man save him that seeth all thing from above & is king over all the children of pride the devils shall ernstfully exercise their might in pride to the punission of sinner's & them shall cruelly torment. It is written in Ecclesiastico the xxxix chapiter. There be spirits that be ordained to take vengeance & hath confirmed the torments in their furor enduryngly till the consummaconn of the world. job saith in his xvi chapiter. He hath compassed me with his spears & hath not spared me. but hath hurt my reins/ he hath cast my bowel to the earth/ & given me wounds upon wound & this come sholdering against me like agaynd Thirdely the malice & 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 Danyell in the iii chapiter The mynystres shall not seize in sturing the fires of the furnaces to the causing of pains. Therefore said a wise man that there be tormentors. which be more to be loathed then serpents/ & they be black & deformed & will not be beaten down And they be never weary to do harm/ but newly encreasen their malice all way ready & boiling desirously to put souls to pain/ and Incessantly they exercise their cruelty more and more. And it is said to all sinner's in deuteronomy in the xxviii chapiter. Thou shalt serve for thine enemy when our lord shall send the naked unto him in hunger and thirst and in alpoverte. And then shall thysore wounds enereace perpetuelly. O how great 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 sinner's in Ezechyell in the seventh chapiter. That how they shall feel this Anguysshyous pain/ they shall desire and require to have peace/ but then they get none/ for they shall have conturbation and sorrow upon sorrow. It is written in Thapocalypse the xiiii Chapitre. That thoos that have been beestly shall therefore have no rest by day nor night. Thenne mow the sinner's well say. as it is written in isaiah in the xxxviii. chapiter. I shall not see our lord god in the living land/ nor I shall no more behold any man/ that is inhaby tower of rest. Semblable as it is written in Ihere mye the xlv Chapitre. Alas I am unhappy/ for our lord hath added in me sorrow to sorrow/ for I can found no Rest. Sorrow shall be then caste at his heed/ and all iniquity shall descend upon him. Now by these things above said it manifestly appeareth how such as descendet in to hell be punished with many diverse pains/ and therefore me thinketh dear brethren how it should be often in your Remembrance to defend you from falling to sin/ whereby ye should lose the company of the happy & blysshed saints and the celestial glory. which is perdurable and shall dure world withouten end.   

¶ How there be many conditions of torments increasing the pains of hell.  
¶ The third chapiter of the third part pryncypale.  
NOw resteth to declare the third part of this matter/ which is in showing the condition of thinfernal torment 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/ complaining the perpetual death/ painful languyssing in despair/ & the wrath & blaming of the creator of all things with other many torments & pains innumerable to be recited/ which doubtless shall be well fel●e & understand there by sinners/ as it appeareth in diverse places of holy scripture/ & as it is written in Thapocalypse in the xvi chapiter. They have eaten their congees for great sorrow & have blasphemed the god of heaven for their anguysshies & their wounds. saint Gregory saith that he that is condemned to the cormentes findeth more pain there thenne can be supposed or thought. sayne The room sayeth that the force of the sorrow in hell shall be so great that it can not address his courage/ but as the force of the said so row will constrained. certain the sinner shall say then as is written in jeremy in the viii chapiter. My woe increaseth in sorrow upon sorrow. The eagerness of the pains of hell shallbe so great that sinner's shall hate & dispraise life/ which universally is delighted & with a burning desire wish to found death which every man would flee. As it is written in the Apocalypse in the ix chapiter. A day shall come that men shall desire & wish for death/ & shall not have it/ they shall require death & it shall flee away from them. In truth our lord witnesseth the eagerness of the pains of hell in Iheremy in the ix chapiter/ where he saith. I shall feed my people with absynth/ 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 eagerness was well considered by a young man which was deliciously nourished. Nevertheless he entered in to th'order of preachers/ and when he had been in the said order a while/ there came a man from his kynesfolkes to amonisshe him to departed thence or he were professed/ showing him how delyciously he had been brought up & therefore he might not sustain the dures pains & troubles pertaining to the said order. The young man answered. I have entered in to this order knowing well that I was voluptuously nourished and might not well suffer. But I remember well that the troubles pains of hell shall be importable/ wherefore I had liefer to sustain the little pain of this order/ then the pains which are incomparable. For job say in his vi chapiter. the snow shall fall upon them that shall dread the little mist. This consyderation moved an here mite called Pyers to enterprise a marvelous penance. which he accomplished/ as Saint Gregory showeth in the four book of his dialogs this hermit 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 horn of Irlonder called Pyers. this monk affirmed how he had seen the grievous torments of hell. the innumerable painful places & flames of fire. and 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 bade him go thence & attentyfly to remember how he should live from thence forthward to keep him out of the danger of the pains. After that he had heard that voice. he revived and came to himself lityll and little and showed unto his brethren there all the thyngiss that he had felt and seen/ and from that day forthward he used & lived a blessed life in fasting & doing penasice. so that by his conversation after it might well seem the pains of hell are to be dread The seconde condition increasing the pains of hell is the multyplyeng of the torments there. In certain they be innumerable. And as the psalter saith. The pains/ which be without number have enuyround & beclipped me. It is written in deuteronomy the xxxii chapiter. I shall assemble many divers pains upon them. & I shall accomplish or spend the shot of mine arrows in them. & as it is written in Isay the .v. chapiter. 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 jugement he shall smite all sinner's with them. These arrows are the diverse pains of hell/ where as sinner's shall be then tormented in many manners the Psalter saith. The arrows of the mighty. that is to say of our lord be sharp amongs the coals of desolation. Our lord saith in deuteronomy the xxii. chapiter. I shall ●mbrewe 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 avenst them the teeth of wild beasts with the furor of those that ramp & devour upon the earth. Outward the sword shall destroy them. & Inward fere & dread shall waste them Of this multitude of pains speaketh saint Gregory in the viii chapiter of Saint Matthew saying. They shall be cast out in to thuttermeste tenebres/ that is to say hell where shall be an unsufferable cold/ an unquenchable heat/ a immortal worm/ a intolerable stench/ a darkness manyable/ and an horrile vision of devils threshing and beating a confusion of sinners a separation of all joys And therefore said a wise man/ that hell is a mortyfyeng pit full and accomplysshid with all pains and myseryes. The Psalter sayeth. It shall rein brimstone upon sinner's and the spirits of tempestis. which be part of the sorrows and tourmenntes of hell. And that saying is to be noted by cause that there be many other parts of tourmentis impossible to be expressed. all that ever we have spoken of the pains of hell is a full little thing in regard of the great infinite multitude of them/ but to th'intent that the multyplycaconn of the ●e pains may be the more expressly declared. It is also to be noted how dampened souls shall be full of all myseryes & so rows. for they shall ever have weeping eyen grinding of their teeth. stench in their noses wailing in their voices. fere in their ears/ burning of fire in all their members/ & therein shallbe bound hand & foot. Lo how the wretched sinner descending in to hell shall be fulfilled with all torments. It is written in job the xu chapiter of the dampened man how tribulation shall hold him. & anguys she shall enuyrone him. And in the xiii chapter of isaiah. How all men's hearts shall be abashed & feared for the sorrows & tortions that shall hold him having the pain that women suffer traveling of child/ echo ne shall sorrow upon his neighbour/ & their broiled faces shall affray eve rich other. Therefore Baruch said in his vi chapiter. Their faces be blacked with smoke/ for the faces of all sinner's shall be brought to the likeness of a round pot. as it is written in johel the seconde chapiter. Also it is said in Ecclesiastyco the xlviii chapiter. The pains of a woman travelling shall come unto them. The same also is written in Ozee the xiii chapiter. So as it appeareth there be many scourges & fleyles in hell for to beat sinner's therewith. Certainly the dampened soul shall mow say with the Psalter. The sorrows of death have compassed me/ & 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 & without him. O what vestiment shall this be that shall be women with so painful threads/ & those without number/ which can never be undone nor taken away. for with an inmortale string it shall be inseparably bounden 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 xiii chapter saying. Thy vestiment shall be worms. The consyderaconn of these many fold pains revoked & called david from sin & caused him to do penance. & therefore he said to our lord. How many sorecribulaconns' haste that she wed me. & that converted haste revyned me. The consyderaconns also of these for said pains moved sometime an hermit for to take-uppon him a right sharp painful life. which he led in his hermitage. as it is red in Vitis 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 one of the days of torments that be or deigned & reserved for sinner's in time to come Beda showeth us in his writing of Englond. how that in the time of young constantine there died a knight about the years of our lord viii C. and vi which knight revived. & after for the pains that he had seen/ he fled in to an hermitage/ as it is red in Vitis patrum/ & he made him a little house by a Ryvyer side. In the which ryvyer he would run oftentimes all clothed in the winter tyme. & would suffer his clothes to frese unto his flesh/ & then after he would leap in to a bayn as hot 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. & he said to them If ye had seen that I have seen/ ye would do as I do. & 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 increasing the pains of hell is the everlastingness thereof. It is written in the book of sapience the four chapiter. Our lord shall mock them. That is to understand sinner's after they shall fall from their worship among them that be sempyternally deed. Faint Matthew saith the xxv chapiter. They be those/ that shall go in to torments. In Judith the xvi. chapiter is red/ that our lord shall send worms of fire against their flesh/ that they may brenne and yet live and feel the pains for ever. To that purpose speaketh isaiah in his last chapiter thus. Their worms shall not die/ neither their fire quench. And therefore saith our lord in deuteronomy in the xxxii chapiter. The fire is kindled with my furor and shall burn in to the lowest part of hell/ and that shall be perpetuelly and endlessly. isaiah in his xxxiii chapiter saith. O which of us shall mow suffer and endure the devouring fire/ who shall mow be among those that shall be burnt sempyternally. In the xxxiii. chapiter of the same isaiah is said. The ground where they dwell shall be converted into burning pitch night and day/ and shall not quench/ and the smoke shall be from generation to generaconn upon them during the world of worlds. It is written in the Apocalypse in the twenty chapiter. The peril shallbe sent in to the lake of fire and sulphur and brimstone. where the evil beast 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 in to the lake of fire there for to dwell in the shadow of death/ where is none order/ but sempiternal horror and sorrow. It is written in job the ten chapiter/ and also Saint Gregory sayeth in his morals a right horrible word. That is to wite. then shall the miserable sinner's suffer a great pain with a great fere/ a great 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. and that fault shall never fail And a poet showeth how that miserable death can not die nor finish/ but seemeth all way that it beginneth and reneweth weepings and languysshynges. Peter de bloys said in a pistle. There shall be none order 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'intent that the condampned souls may miserably always increase in their pains and sorrows and be nourished in eternal death. The Psalter saith. They be casten in to hell as sheep and death feedeth them. Mowe then this sinner's have their feeding of death. what shallbe their drink. Herkene what is written in deuteronomy in the xxxii chapiter. the burging of the grape & the vine that they shall have/ shall be aisel and gall of Dragons/ and the venom of the Adder called aspe. which is incurable. O wherewith shall the sinner's be nourished/ seest that not how they be perpetually tourmented with the most cruel death/ they shall live then in dying/ & shall be deed living. Faint Bernard sayeth in a book that he sent unto Pope Eugeny. The biting worm & the living death. I grouge and secre greatly. I dread to fall in to the hands of the death that ever liveth/ and of the life that never dyeth. Faint Gregory saith. That the fellow sinner's shall die of immortal death. O good lord eternal why hast thou suffered me do contrary thy will & 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 fouled nor smonged with the filths of sin/ & that hath not reioysshed him in the sensual voluptations of this transitory world/ nor in temporal vanities. certain I am feared that we miserable sinner's have erred from the way of life/ & 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 & perdition. It is written in isaiah the xlix chapiter/ we have laboured in vain & for nought we have wasted all our strength. what hath our pride availed us/ what hath profited our pomp & the vanity of the richesses of this world/ what be we amended by our jewels. or precious garnementes. by our delicious meats and drinks/ our glotonyes'/ our laughings & idle disports. now what avantageth us all things. wherein we have vainly unproufytably/ & damnably spent our tyme. Alas alas/ we have lost & passed our days without fruit. and may be likened to worse then a dounghyll/ and all those things be passed/ but our wretchedness shall remain to our eternal torments. Our lord shall say to every dampened soul. as is written in job in the twenty chapiter. He shall suffer torments & pains after the multitude of his wicked operations. and in the xviii. chapiter of th'apocalypse is written. As much as he hath glorified himself in delights & pleases/ as moche torment & pain shallbe given him therefore to remain therein eternally. Now is it not a great folly for the rich or vain pleasure of this world or any other miserable thing a man to submit him to perpetual torment both of his body & of his soul. johan crysostom 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 delectacynns/ set thereto an other. C. & yet. C. & after that ten hundred if thou wilt yet what comparison is this to theternity. May not all the time of our bodily life. though we intended never so voluptuously be resembled unto a dream of the night in regard of the sempiternal life. Is there any person that ought will to have one pleasant & delectable night in diemes/ & therefore to found the sempiternal pains/ & so change for a pleasant dream so little enduring/ to have the pains of hell. which be perpetuel. what shall we speak of this pleasure/ or of those pains. The pleasyrs pass lightly away/ & the pains must remain everlastingly. Now take it. that the time & the space of the pleasyrs & of the pains were egale. Is there any that aught to be so mad or so foolish/ as to cheese for to have for one day of pleasure here a day of damnation in hell. Remember how that one hour of bodily sickness in this world putteth away all pleasure for the season. Right so Remembrance how the perpetual pains ought to resist against all sins. O how great torment and pain shall be to the dampened souls/ their everlasting damnation and perpetual death is so hard & so sore/ that I wot not how/ that I could express it grievously Enough. for certainly it can not sufficiently be spoken. conceived in mind nor comprehended in heart. Now take we that there were a piece of metal as great as might be comprehended within the concavity of the viii 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/ & the dampened souls delivered out of their pains. I answer and say you nay/ for the perpetuity shall be then but at the begynnyng. there can be no ꝓportion in a thing infinity/ as Arystotyle the phylosophre saith in his viii book of his physykes. Certainly if dampened souls mighten know & understand that they should be delivered out of thintolerable pains of hell as soon as the said piece of metal were so wasted & gone/ as is above said yet they might have hope of their redemption against that season/ and have some manner of comfort. knowing that their torments should some time taken end/ yet the years would be incomprehensible and innumerable. Now surely one of the greatest pains is the desolation and default of hope ever to be redeemed and delivered out of th'eternal tourmentis For as it is written in Isay the xxxiiii chapiter. The sinner shall be in desolation time and world withouten end. It is written in the book of Trenys the third chapiter. Mine end and mine hope in god is perished. jeremy in his xv. chapiter asketh/ why is my sorrow made imꝑpetuell and my wounds in desperation/ whereunto is answered in the ten chapiter of the Proverbys. That how the fellow sinner is one's deed. there is then none hope to be had. Intend & remember this all ye that be for geters of our lord/ lest that this most cruel & sorrowful place of hell swallow you/ from whence ye may never be pulled out. Loo now ye may see clearly/ how the wretched sinner can not be redeemed out of hell. wherefore my right dear friends I amoneste & require you/ bear that remembrance well in your minds/ and conceive well the Example of the piece of metal above specified. And now tell me what thou feelest. and what thine own heart deemeth and judgeth in this matter. I ween certainly thy discretion will give thereunto credence/ for true it is/ & to troth by Reason that must needs apply. Also bethink the of the diverse provinces of lands & imagine every region of them. Consider the sees the rivers & the poondes. Enclose in thy mind the circuit of the world/ & go every where thereof. Flee up in to the air/ and then descend in to the lowest part of th'earth/ & of all this think in thy mind/ thou hast made an hole substance & imagine & extend how great a thing this should be/ & if it might not be consumed by tract of time/ & then tell me what thou thinkest of thynfynyte pains of sinner's. whether should be long enduring the consuming of the same substance. or the relessing of the perdurable pains. I ●●owe thou wilt agree. that there can no thing be compared to a perpetuity/ wherefore we ought all in our courages tymerousely to tremble & fear it. Now who is he that dreadeth it not. who is he that abasheth not thereof. who is he that had not liefer abide the consuming of the foresaid substance. than the time of eternity. let this said substance and this time of eternity be couched upon thine heart and thou shalt found it a profitable thing & greatly 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 & Remembrance of the Intolerable & infinity pains should revoque/ sequester and withdraw the from sins. O lord god that this perdurable pain is to be eschewed & dread. And wepynly we ought to Remember our sins by great contryon/ that we might there by come to the everlasting salvation. Loo hear afore hath be showed the increasing of thinfernal pains/ and how they may never cease nor finysshe. which was well considered by one sometime called Fulson of Mercelles/ which was in his days an excellent jouge lyre all abandouned and given to the vanities of the world. In a day he bethought him of the pains of hell & of the eternity theeof/ & Remembered in his heart. If he were compelled to lie in a fair and a soft bed well hanged and pleasantely dressed & 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 there upon Remembered him how he should then mow sustain th'intolerable ꝑ petuell pains of hell/ which are languerouse & from thence none may depart. This foresaid Fulson considering that left all his vain worldly delights and made himself a monk/ and lychen was archybysshop of Tholouse/ where he lived and guided him right holily in the service of our lord. The consideration of the perpetual pains of hell should endure & comfort every good soul to fight & resist mightily against his ghostly enemy/ for if the fiend vanquish & overcome him/ he may be sure to lie therefore without great repentance & grace in the sempyternale pains of hell. And therefore for Jesus' sake with all your might fight & resist vigorously against the cruel enemy of all mankind/ which doth nought but lieth in a wait for to bring us all to damnation. Egesyppus saith in his book of the destruction of jews. How that one of the great captains of king Alexander being chief of an host/ saw on a time an Innumerable army coming against him to fight with him. And when his people saw them come/ they disposed them to eat and to drink for to make them of the more bodily might and put therein their trust. This good captain seeing that they gave more hope to their bodily strengths than to the power of him. whom all other mights can not resist. said in this wise. O ye noble and worthy men/ let us dine now together/ for we be like to souppe this night in hell all in a company. This people hearing these words to eschew that heavy supper/ put their affiance in our lord & set on/ and fought so vyguorously/ that they with Triumph and honour overcome their enemies. Consydering that Remembrance of the pains of Helie should withdraw us from worldly delights. Hit is red in Vitis Patrum. How there was an Ancient man that said/ when a woman will ween her child and make it to loath the sweetness of her milk/ she will put upon her paps heed a little mustard or some other bitter thing/ when the child feeleth that/ it withdraweth & putteth a way his appetite from the sweet milk. So semblably the sour Remembrance of the perpetual torments & pains of hell ought to revoque a man from all the vain delectations of this wretched world. job saith in his vi chapiter. May not a man cast 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 pleasant/ & the tribulations full bitter. But who is he that should not gladly suffer tribulations in this life for fere of the sempiternal pains of hell And who is he that ought not to despise the delicious pleasyrs of this world forto have the most happy joy of everlasting bliss. It is said also in the legend of Faint johan the evangelist. That rich and mighty folks were converted by his predication/ and relynquysshed all their worldly richesses. Yet they saw after some/ that were their servants raised in the flattering glory & fortune of this world wherefore they repented them/ that they had lost all their goods so. which thing Faint johan understood by the holy ghost. and prayed unto our lord for their salvation/ and then our lord changed certain pieces of timber unto fine gold/ and hard flint stones unto precious jewels. and so they were restored unto greater treasure and richesse/ than ever they had lost for our lord's sake. Thenne it happened that Saint johan revived from death a youngly man which showed unto chose folks the eternal glory that they had lost for ●●ichesse of this world/ & how the pains of hell died but abide them when the folks heard & understood that they were so abashed & in so great fere. that forth withal they myspraysed/ despised and refused all worldly richesse and delights and wilfully returned unto their pou●●te for their salvation. It is red in Vitis patrum. How there was some time a young frere that said unto a father of his order. I am slothful & 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 shallbe perpetuelly enduring. & therefore if thou print that well in thine heart/ though thy cell were full of worms. thou shouldst not grouge/ but wouldst abide in it patiently for to eschew these pourable pains. For every sinner must endure the eternal torments of hell/ or the right sharp pains of purgatory/ or else he must do and suffer suffysant penance in this world. then what unhappy creature is he that is so blind and so ha●tred with ungrace & laud of Reason/ that had not liefer suffer here suffysante panaunce than in hell to be tourmented & punished with outen end. Isydore say. Think in thine heart all the sicknesses & pains of this world all the bytternesses 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 thoos. Faint Bernard saith in a pistle. Thou diedest 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. Certain all solitary life is to be confonted by that Remembrance. And if thou knewest th'extreme discussing of all idle words/ silence should displease the no thing. Faint Austyne in a sermon saith. How delectable thoughts cause often human nature to be conquered and overcomen with the delights and the voluptuous concupiscence of this world/ which eschew all labours. and are nought but pleasyrs and follow all ways delectations. But when that thoughts fall to Remembrance of the necessity and dangerous last judgement with the eternal Pains. What other for fere of those torments/ or sometime for hope of the most rich Reward it moveth a man from all the passions of his pleasyrs and vountarily to rise up in battle against them encending to have victory upon his first delectable vain pleasant thoughts. Abacuk say desyrousely in his iii chapter. Rottynnesse will enter in to my bones/ and spring under me in my life by cause I should rest me the day of tribulation. Behold here my right dear friends how fructuouse and how hoolsome is the Remembrance of the Infernalle pains. The psalter saith. Sinners they be transported in to hell. Wherefore by good meditations every man in his life intend to the resistence of that daungere. Or else they must living die perpetually. It is red. How he is e●re●sely happy that beholdeth the de●●●enebres. 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 suffysantely showed you the manifold manners of the diverse pains of Helle/ and how vayllable and to what profit groweth the memoryale Remembrance thereof. O mortal man/ what error/ what folly/ and what fault is in thee/ when it lieth in thy free arbitrement to have joys everlasting and willingly castest thyself in to the Infernal torments and pains/ from whence none may return. but burn there in fire world without end.   
¶ And thus endeth the third part of this treatise divided in four parties.   


¶ And here beginneth the ꝓlogue upon the four part of the four last thyngiss which be for to come  
THis third part of the four last things which be for to come. whereof soveraynely the Remembrance withdraweth a man from sin. Is the mind of the everlasting celestial glory. And if a man refrain himself from mourder of from any crymynale cause for fece of losing of his honour or temporale goods. how moche more ought he refrain/ 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 sinner's/ but to those that of their free will love and worship the lord god/ and thou thyself art that joy. For this cause it is written in the first pistle add Coryntheos' the vi chapiter The fellow sinner's shall not possess the kingdom of heaven/ but shall confusedly be put therefrom as the vile gluttons and dishonest folks be chased out of th'emperor his court/ and not suffer to sit among kings and princes at their excellent and solemn tables. And Cassydore saith that every man is put & cast from the deyte after the quantity of his sins. And certainly his casting fro. is mesured after the delectations that he hath had in them Now should not thenne every creature eschew to do sin. & have it in abhomination as a mortal thing/ knowing that thereby is lost the celestial eternal glory. O what shall I poor wretch barren of know seek say▪ or how shall I talk of this glory incomprehensible. certainly there was never eye that saw/ nor ere that heard/ nor here that thought the joy that god hath ordained for those that he loveth. As is written in the first pistle add Coryntheos' the ii chapiter. Therefore what shall I now more say or write/ in this work I am as one born blind that disputeth in colours having no confidence to mine own proper wist. But there for I must refer myself to the testymonyes of scriptures/ by the which I will speak. It is to be noted/ how albe it in the heavenly glory there be innumerable thyngiss plainly approving the joy & felicity thereof. Yet I will specially show how it is to be rocomeded for iii things The fist for the sovereign & excellent clearness thereof. Secondly for the moste abundance of the goodnesses that be therein And thirdely for the most blyssull joy thereof ꝑdurably enduring. the beauty thereof. nor the clearness can not be mesured/ the infinity goodness can not be esteemed. nor th'eternal joy can not be compared nor sufficiently praised. Of these iii things I shall treat briefly by order in this last part.  
¶ Thus endeth the prologue of the forth & the last part of this book.   

¶ How the Royalme & kingdom of heaven is praised for his beauty & clearness.  
¶ The first chapiter of the fourth part and the last principal.  
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. chapiter 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. xiii chapiter. I shall be happy if the Relyques of my seeds may see the dearness of Iherusalem/ whereof the gates be made of sapphires & emeralds & other precyous stones. The circuit of the walls with fair bright stones. & all the places paved with fine gold. It is written in Thapocalypse the xxi chapiter That city was made of fine gold pure & clean as glass. The fundament of walls enourned with all precious stones. The twelve gates shall have twelve Margarytes. And the streets of the city shall be of fine gold shining as bright as glass. The temple is not yet spoken of▪ Certainly almighty god is the temple thereof/ and the Lamb is the light. The forsaud city 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 xxii 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 enduryngly world withouten end/ which saying may well accord with that/ that is written in isaiah the lx chapiter. Thou shalt have then no need of the shining of the son nor resplendishing of the moan. For our lord shall light & illumine the sempyternally. In troth he is a glass without any spot & a light Illumyning everlastingly As it is written in the book of sapience the vii chapiter. Also our lord shall be the resplendishing of glory. As is written to the Hebreos in the first chapter. which resplendishing shall be an hole light. Abacuk in his iii chapiter saith of this resplendishing all the saints shall take in the Royame's of heaven clearness and sempiternal light. wherewith all they shall rejoice them incessantely in great felicity. It is also written in the book of jugys the .v. chapiter. Those that love thee/ shall shine and resplende as the son doth in his rising. Also is written in the book of sapience the iii Chapitre. How those that be just shall shine in their faders Royalme like the son. O lord sempiternal ground of all virtue. how good and how glorious is the Royalme/ and how ought thy tabernacles to be beloved. how great is thy beauty/ how habundante is thy resplendishing in thy city. how marvelous 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 free arbytremen te. So great is the beauty of justice/ so great is the sweetness of thine eternal light. That if it were not expedient to delight therein but one hour of the day for to have that joy only. The in numerable days of this present life full habundante of all temporal goods ought therefore reasonable to be myspreysed & forborn. Now certainly it is not unreasonably spoken/ nor without a great ground/ that better is to be one day in that court than a thousand in this world. O celestial Iherusalem. O shining house full of all brightness I wish my pilgrimage to reach unto thee/ and to be possessed in the by him that made both the & me. And therefore sayeth Saint bernard in his third book upon the Gospel Missus 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 and glorify him that is king above all kings and lord over all lords. In the resplendishing contemplation of whom the just people shall shine as the son in the Royame's of their father. To this purpose sayeth the Psalter thou shalt replenisshe me with gladness in thy face job sayeth also in the xxxiii chapiter. His face shallbe seen in great joyful gladness. All those shall behold & have sight of that most sweet Visage/ that have truly served our lord & saviour Ihesu christ in humility of heart/ in good labours & virtuous works. isaiah saith in his xxxiii chapiter They shall see the king of kings in his great beauty. O how blissful. O how agreeable. O how sweet & how happy shall be the beholding of our saviour Ihesu christ to those that have ꝑfyghtly loved him Certainly they shall mow joyfully say as is written in Abacuk the iii chapiter. I shall rejoice me in our lord & disport me in Ihesu christ my god O how greatly shall those rejoice them that shallbe fulfilled with the celestial joys/ & what gladness shall they have that shall be illumined with the vision of the resplendishing face of our lord god. The which joy & gladness shall be permanent & abiding world without end.   

¶ How the celestial royalme is to be commended for the goodness that is therein.  
¶ The seconde chapter of the fourth part & the last principal.  
THe Royalme of heaven is secondly recommended for thabondante 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 attained by hope without it be comprised with charity & so it may will be attained. the Rewards of the happy saints can not be numbered nor esteemed/ th'abundance thereof is without end. & is so precious that it can not be sufficiently praised. Of the superabundant rich goodness of this celestial Royalme is written in Deutronomis in the viii chapiter thus Our lord god shall lead the in a good country/ which is Endued with waters. with fontayns. with springs. with fields. with mountains Out of the which shall come floods & rivers. He shall lead the also in to a land/ where groweth wheat/ barley/ & vines/ & where grow fygues & apples/ grains & olyfs/ oil & honey/ & there without any necessity thou shalt eat thy breed with abundance of all good is Now certain this is a right comodyous country fulfilled with sweetness/ this is the country/ to the which were sent the sons of Adam As is written in the book of jugys the xviii chapiter/ which said at their Return. we have seen a comodyous plentiful country right rich/ will ye not myspreyse it nor cease we not/ but let us go take possession thereof. For there is no labour/ & our lord shall give us a room therein/ whereby we shall have none necessity nor lack. For there is no thing that enoyeth/ and all good delectations be there Saint Austyn say that the eternal beatitude & we'll be specially in two things. That is to wite. In the absence of all evil/ and in the presence of all we'll. Now if that wilt axe me/ what things be in heaven. I can answer the none otherwise/ but all thing that is good is there. and all thing that is nought can never come there. And therefore saith saint Gregory. There is no good thing desired nor lacked there/ neither there is any thing within it that hurteth or enoyeth. It is written in the last chapiter of th'apocalypse 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 crone shall govern and bring them to the fountain of the water of life. And more is following in the same chapiter he saith. Show me the flood the river 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 johan in the. iii chapiter. O how happy and how blessed is that country/ where god shall be all thing in all thing and where is no poverty. nor lack of any thing that is good. This country is the celestial pasture/ wherein shall need nothing to be wished. For in this pasture shall our lord beayte and feed his true lovers whom he will beclyppe perpetually. Therefore saith our lord in Ezechyell the xxxiiii. chapiter. I shall put them in their countries & feed them in the mountains of israhel. Now certainly the happy saints of heaven be well fed with knowledge of the sovereign truth/ which is to them a full fructnouse pasture. be it when they enter in contemplation of the divinity/ or in considering the grace of the humanity. And in both these they shall found cause to be sacyate and fed with delectations. And they shall feel the fruit of sovereign sweetness/ & as the Psalter saith. He hath given 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/ and then I shall rest in the eternal joyous surety always waxing green and never to dry. Here is now showed how good is this country where in the happy men shall be fed/ which is so fruit full and plenteous. Certainly this is the country 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 goods of thine house. Now what be the goods/ that saints shall be fulfilled with. but only the grace of the incomprehensible glory. Saint Bernard saith in a sermon of the dedication. The reasonable soul made after the image of God may well be occupied with all other thyngiss. but it may not be all fulfilled. Certainly she comprehendyng god may not be fulfilled with less thing than god. we shall not only be fulfilled with this unrecytable glory. but also we shall be drunken & assotted thereon. It is red in jeremy the xxxi chapiter. I shall make drunk the souls of the priests of grace/ that shallbe at the great supper which is ordained for good folks. He shall set and administer them meet of glory. and give them drink of merueylous joy & sweetness Than it shall be said to those that shall eat there. As is written in the canticles the .v. chapiter. My right dear friends. Eat and drink and make you drunken. In isaiah the xxix chapiter also it written Make you drunken/ but not with wine/ & where with 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 new servants be drunken with the plenteousness of thine house/ & 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 city of god/ which is full of all richesses/ & resplendysshed with all goods. Therefore sayeth Isay in his xxiii chapiter. Thine eyn shall see Iherusalem full abundant of all goods. The great multitude of the copious abundance of the things before said of this city should not holy satisfy to call us thither/ but also right specially the restful multitude of this peace. wherein those that be happy/ shall delight them enheryting the country above specified The same isaiah saith in his lv chapiter. ye shall pass out in joy/ & shall be brought in to peace. O how great shall the abundance of this peace be in Iherusalem/ wherein it shall remain perpetuelly without any waire. Isay yet saith in the ix & xxxii chapters. My people shall be in the beauty of peace/ & in the tabernacles of confidence/ & in the rich abundance of rest. Also Thobye saith in the xiii chapiter. O Iherusalem city of god. happily blessed be thoso that love thee/ and rejoice them in thy peace. It is in Ezechyell the xiii chapiter. 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 human understanding. Now thenne he that will be particypable of so great a joy & peace with the saints 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 sufferance is wonnen that most noble rest/ & 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 mortal world etc.   

¶ How the Royalme of heaven is praised and landed for the joy & bliss that is therein everlastingly.  
¶ The third chapiter of the fourth part and the last principal.  
thirdly the Royalme and kingdom of god is to be recommended for great joy & gladness that is therein eternally enduring/ & there upon saith Saint Gregory in an Omelye. who hath that tongue that can suffysantely declare and express the joys of that sovereign city. Or who hath convenably the understanding to comprehend/ how great those joys be to the companies of angels/ and to the happy souls. And how inestimable is that most blissful eternal joy and glory in beholding the visage of our lord god having no manner of trouble nefere of death/ but live in rejoicing them of that most precious gift of grace/ which shall ever be permanent and without corruption. Certain that Royalme the city of our lord must be understand Iherusalem/ which Iherusalem is most bontevousely plenteously and blessedly edified. O city of cities/ which is so habundantely full of blissful joys to the happy souls loved be yu. It is written in isaiah the last chapiter. Rejoice you with Iherusalem. & disport you in her to the end/ that ye may know and be fulfilled & 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 and glory of that noble city speaketh Saint Austyn in his book of the city of our lord saying. O how great shall the felicity be there. where shall be neither pain/ nor harm/ nor we'll/ nor good thing hid/ but intending holy unto the lovings and praisings of our lord. It is written in isaiah in the lxiiii. chapiter. There was never eye that saw without the that joy/ which that haste ordained to them that abide thee/ nor more great gladness can be than that thou wilt give those that thou lovest which they shall possess perpetuelly. It is red in the same isaiah the xxx Chapitre. They shall come in to zion and all lovings and sempiternal joys upon their heads. The Psalter say. Our lord hath known the days of those that be pure & not smouged/ and their heritage shall be perpetual. It is written in Thobye the xiii chapter. Lord thou art right greatly eternal/ & thy Royalme is in all worlds. Saint Austyne saith in his book of the city of our lord. we shall be understanding & shall see/ praise & love on't lord. This shall be in then the/ which is withouten end. Now what should we desire to be our end. but to serche & seek the ways to attain the coming in to that royalme wherein joys have none end/ which royalme is the royalme of all the world's/ and certainly thy power and lordship is upon all generations. Thoby saith in his xiii. chapiter. blessed be our Lord/ which hath so high raised Iherusalem to the intent/ that his royalme be above in the world of worlds. O how glorious is the Royame's/ where in the blessed saints reioy see them with Ihesu christ/ and they clad as in white aulbes follow always the lamb Now of this world to come speaketh saint Austyn in his book of the debate by betwixt virtues & vices saying The love of this prelence world is departed from me/ for there is no creature/ but he must needs finish & die here. Hit all other wise of the love of the world/ that is to come. In the which all be so vyvyfyed/ that they can never die after therein. And therein is none adversity/ no trouble/ none anguysshe no pain/ no disease ennoing. nor weariness. but therein reygnen sempyter awl joys. The Psalter saith. The just folks eaten and drinken/ and rejoicen them in the presence of our lord delycing them in gladness. And all sorrow & wailings fleeth from them It is written in Tjapocalypse the xxi chapiter. Our lord shall dry the tears of their eyen. Moreover/ there shall be then no weeping. saying. sorrow. nor death. for all that shall be passed before. isaiah saith in his xxv chapiter. Our lord shall take away the tears of every face/ & shall take away the reproofs of his people in every land/ & then the folks shall say Here is our lord god/ whom we have abiden which shall save us/ we have sustained and suffered for him. And therefore we rejoice us with and by him in salvation. O how great shall be that joyful gladness to those that shall be glorified not only in loule/ but also in body It is written in isaiah the lxi chapiter. They shall be double possessed in their land. And in the Prouerbis the last chapiter is written. all his familiar household servants shall be clad double. That is to wite with two aulbes that one is the body. which they now possede. though there the soul. & they shall not only have joy of their own proper good works. but also singularly of the merits of the happy saints. Our lord saith in jeremy the xxxiii. chapiter. I shall inhabit them assuredly/ & they shall be my people. I shall be their god. and shall gyne them an heart and a soul▪ not only by the unity of substance/ but by the boside of charyce. Behold me right dear friends/ if the soul of a martyr/ of a confessor/ of a virgin & yours be allones Consequently it seemeth that ye shall rejoice you in their joys & that your souls shall be semblable unto the apostles or any other saints. Saint Gregory say how charity shall be so plenteously there that that will. which he hath not for himself. he shall rejoice in seeing an other to have it. Certainly those marvelous and manifold joys can never enter man's heart here and there every heart shall be replenished and fulfilled with them. For within and without/ above and benethen. and in every part the happy souls shall marvelously reioy see them. In the Inward part by the pureness of their conscyences. In the outward part by the gloryfyeng 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 & delectable company of all the saints of heaven. Now truly there is no man that can imagine or think the greatness of the joys that be there. I ne can tell the rejoicing of the Inhabytantes in henen reigning there among the angels of our lord god perpetuelly. It is written in the Gospel of saint Mathewe in the xxv chapiter. enter thou in to the joy of thy lord/ enter thyself in to that joy/ and with all thine heart enter therein Of those immeasurable quantytees of the celestial joys speaketh Saint bernard in his book of meditations. Their gladness hath all thing in possession/ therein all festynges be possessed. and the men accompanied with angels shall remain there perpetuelly without having any manner fleshly infirmity. There is infinite joyousnes/ there is sempiternal beatitude/ & after the one is there to receive it/ he shall remain therein ꝑdurably/ there is rest without labour/ peace and friendship without envy. quietness & surety without danger & the most pleasant swe tenesse in the vision of our lord god. Saint bernard saith. The joys & sweetness of that country is so great/ that if a man were therein but only the space of an hour all the joys & delectations of this present life might comparabyly by Reason be myspraysed. & all joys swecenes & beauties that could be thought & had here/ be but pains bytternesses & filths in regard of those/ right as the might & bounty of our lord god exceedeth & surmountheth all other worldly things O good lord god/ what have I willed to have in this earth when in heaven all things should be moche more desired than any power here. gold. sylner. or any precyous stones. Now what shall I more say of this country & holy city of Iherusalem where in the streets is sungen Incessantly Alleluya with joyous & sweet melodious tunes. As is written in Thoby the xiii chapiter. It is red also in Isay the li chapiter. xlll joy & gladness shall be founden in the country with actions of graces & voices of lovings & all shall say in his Temple/ loving honour and glory be to the lord. And therefore the voice of gladness and health shall sown in the tabernacles of just folks. In the city of our lord sown continually thorgans of the saints/ which have utterly forgotten the trybulaconns' pains/ labours/ & wretchednesses of this world using in enjoying the celestial bliss. O how swetely/ how pleasantly. and how clearly sing those in delasol that before have wept in gamut & in are. Of this city speaketh Saint Austyne in his book of meditations saying. O city/ which is a celestial house and a sure contree containing all thing/ that may cause delect acyon. There is thinhabiting of rest. The people is there without murmur or grouge. O how many glorious things be said of this city. the inhabitation of our lord is in the as in a thing enjoying all good things. There is peace/ pity/ bounty/ clearness/ light/ virtue/ honest/ glory/ rest/ loving/ love/ good concord/ joy/ swetences/ bliss/ and perdurable life. Of all those and the perdurable life shall the happy souls be certain and sure without any losing thereof. isaiah saith in his xxxii chapiter. There shall be surety for ever. Ezechyell saith in his xxxviii chapiter. They shall inhabit firmly in eternity without any manner of fere. It is red in the proverbs of Solomon in the first chapiter. He that hath well hearkened/ shall rest without fere and enjoy in abundance. Faint Austyn saith. That the eternal surety enourneth and fulfileth the beatytudes of all the celestial goodnesses. where if that sempyternyte should fail/ all the other celestial goodnesses be they never so sweet/ should be the less to be praised. Faint johan saith in his xviii. chapiter. In assuring us/ there is no man that shall bereave you your joy. O house of our lord. city of the great king/ how Innumerable and how great be thine eternal joys with the manifold gladnesses of those happy souls that be inhabited with the. Now surely lord they be well blessed that be inhabited in thine house in loving the during the world of worlds. who is he having an hole Remembrance that is so Ignorant/ that he thinketh not that all the company of heaven loveth the not divinely in heaven. The assurance of this perpetrell celestyale joy and gladness may be understand in that/ that it is compared unto the olive tree. As Ozee saith in his xiiii chapiter. His glory shall be like an olive tree. which is & continueth green winter and summer. Of this eternal glory saith also johan Crysostom in his book of the Reparation of the fall of man. How great shall the voluptuoulnesse be/ how great shall the joy and gladness be to the soul to be with Ihesu Christ reco●●ned to his proper generation and assuredly and undoubtedly to behold and see our lord. The greatness nor the quantity of that joyful bliss can not be told nor recited. For one rejoiceth him not only of that we'll and pleaser that he useth and hath presently in oeure/ but much more by cause he may be sure. Those joys pleasers and bliss shall never admynyshe nor end. Loo who is he that shall be partner to that joy/ which is endless. Certain it is ordained for folks/ lord's and other shall rejoice them in the glory of our lord that have followed his traces in this world/ whereby they shall reign with him glorified worshipped and crowned eternally in heaven. O my right well-beloved brethren how greatly shall ye rejoice you/ if ye be transported unto that eternal glory Certain ye shall say thenne in crying and singing as it is written in isaiah the lxi chapiter. I glad and joyful shall rejoice me in our lord/ and my soul shall be merry in my god/ by cause he hath clad me with the vestiment of salvation. Of truth as it is written in job the xxii chapiter. Thou shalt be abundant then in the delectation of the most mighty lord/ and shalt lift up thine eyen toward god/ and the light shall shine in thy ways Of this light is written in Ecclesyastyco the xi chapiter. It is a delectable light to see the son That is to understand Ihesu christ. which to know and behold perdurably passeth and surmounteth all the joys of this world/ & is no marvel. for that knowledge and vision is the food glory and life sempyter awl of the happy saints. Saint johan saith in his xviii chapiter. the eternal life is this/ to know the sool very god and Ihesu christ/ whom thou sendest down in to this earth for our redemption. Now thenne he that may obtain and come to that blissful knowledge after divine lecture & to see god face to face/ that shall be the most excellent joy and a springing of all joyful gladnesses. saint Bernard saith in his sermon. verily that is a true and a sovereign joy/ which is conceived and had not only by one 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 thee/ let me see thy gracious face full of all joy and gladness Alas my delectation is prolon prolonged from me till I may have that great weal. and till I may be drawn unto god my saviour/ I shall shed tears night and day. Certainly the vision by the which our lord is seen face to face is in the third heaven/ and if it might be said/ it is the paradise of thousand heavens/ wherein the fountain of clear water is seen by the happy life. isaiah saith in his lx chapiter Thou shalt see then the face of our lord/ and shalt be abundant in delectations and joys sempyternally. O how good art thou lord of Israel to them that have rightful hearts/ which will give them so great so rich and so pleasant joys. My right dear brethren ye here gladly speak of these delectations and joys. and take pleaser therein. Nevertheless ye ought not to be Ignorant to understand that the blessed saints come never to these joys/ but by great pains and labours. Saint Gregory sayeth in his Omely The greatness of the rewards giveth me courage/ and my labours ought not to fere me/ for one may never attain to the great rewards but by great labours. That noble preacher Faint pole in the seconde pistle to Tymothe the seconde chapiter saith. How that there shall be none crowned/ but such as have manfully foughted. Verily every man shall receive his Rewards/ which shall be after his labours. There be diverse that will not live well/ and yet they desire to die well. They may know the death of saints is full precious in the presence of our lord/ they may know also when our lord hath given rest to his souls they shall dwell in his heritage permanentely by cause they have be those that always have followed him in resisting temptations. Many of you would regne with Ihesu christ/ but ye will suffer no thing for his sake. Balaam ariolus was such one/ for in considering the castle of the children of israhel he intended the having of the eternal beatitude/ and said in himself. Die my soul as just folks die/ and be my last things semblable unto theirs/ he delighted greatly their glorious end/ but he grouged to take their labours and pains where by they had deserved the glory eternal. O god lord Ihesu we would gladly regne with the. Nevertheless we will not labour nor be partycypable to thy sufferances Thou chaseste misery and poverty/ and we have taken us unto voluptuousnesses and delectations. Thou hast taken upon the and suffered bytternesses and sharpenesses to thy body/ and we have chosen and followed our sensual pleasyrs. Faint bernard said. The son of god is borne/ to whose will was granted all that might please him. He chose to be borne in the most grievous time/ & the blessed lityll babe borne of a poor mother uneath having clothes to wrap and cover it in the crib. Certainly Ihesu christ/ which never is deceived chase that/ the most molested & grieved his flesh. Loo then it is best sweetest and most profitable to cheese the bardeste pain in this world. And who so ever amonesteth or teacheth otherwise one ought to beware of him and give him lityll credence. It was once promised by isaiah a little child/ that could reprove the evil and cheese the good. The evil was the voluptuous pleaser of the body & the good was the pain and affliction thereof. A truth this child is the son of god/ which chose thafflicconns and reproved & forsook the voluptuous pleasers. As saint Bernard said. O right dear child/ thou hast chosen from thy beginning here corporal afflictions/ & in sufferance hast entered into thy glory which was properly thine owen/ and we living in delectations would enter in to that glory/ wherein we be but strangers and not dign to come thither/ but by thy grace. There against speaketh Faint Austyn saying. If it have behoved Ihesu christ lord and king whose name is above all names to have suffered & thereby hath entered in to his eternal glory/ what hope or trust shall we have to come thither without sufferance/ syther we be strangers/ and can have none enter there but by him. O how foolish and how hard hearted we be trust in rejoicing us in this world and after to regne with Ihesu christ in heaven/ he entered there in all naked/ yet was he therein lord/ and we would enter therein that be alcharged with superfluous garnementis with richesses of gold and silver & precyous stones. He entered therein chaste and fasting & thou wilt enter therein full of gluttony and lechery. He died upon the cross for to redeem thee/ that deliciously slepeste 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 unresonable. hearken 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 borne his/ taste of the vinegar as he deed. The reverence nor the ease 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 and pleasyers'. And therefore when thou shalt pay onto our lord thy de●●e of natural death which thou owest unto him. i'll voluptuousness. break thy delights/ refrain thy flesh/ & die thenne in the love of Ihesu Christ. Saint Iherom saith in a pistle that he sent unto julyan how it was a great difficulty and a thing as is impossible a man to use and have the wealth and pleasyer of this world pure/ and also of that to come. and that the filling of his belly here should feed his soul/ and that he should from delights and pleasers here/ go to delights and pleasers there/ and that he should appear glorified in both worlds. He sayeth also in an other place/ that it is impossible a man to be abundant in worldly richesses/ and ensue Ihesu christ. For nature will not that two contraries be meddled together. Certainly we may not both be servants unto god and to the peril. Other I am deceived/ or in the end they shall be beguiled that believeth it not. Think how the richesses of this world turn to necessities in tother world/ the dampened Dives eat and drank and lived deliciously wearing precious garnementes here/ but when he was deed/ because he would not believe Moses/ he apperce●ued his defaults and felt them well when he was in the torments of hell/ saint bernard showed this also by a speech that was betwixt christ & saint Peter. where he said thus Abraham said to the false rich glutton. Thou hast had many great wealth's in thy life & the leper hath suffered many pains▪ but now he is in joy & consolation. & thou art in pain & torment everlasting/ what shall we more say. After that we end so must we be judged/ weeping is thextremity 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 very 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 tourmented/ and for rejoicing in their consolations here/ is ordained them a sempyter awl pain/ what may be the end of those that have here so great multitude of solaces & pleasers. Doubteles no thing but afflictions and sorrows. consequently thoos that retain the pleasyrs and solaces of this world. that not with standing the universal torments and sorrows remaynen unto them. They have taken unto them the courages of wretches/ and all such as their courages be led by their good angels/ despise and refuse the goods of this present life/ and chose to suffer penance therein/ whereby they attain the goods of our lord with all solace. Faint bernard sayeth let thy soul then renounce to be in consolation here in this valley of tears myseres and sorrows for torments and pains shall come unto those that receive here their joys and solaces. Now then dispraise and despise shoes transitory vanities. and flee the worldly delectations and joys/ and beware that thou glorify not thyself but in the cross of our lord Ihesu christ. Petre de bloys wroot unto a king of England upon the book of job/ weenest thou that one may have joy in this present life/ and also in that/ that is to come. Nay▪ without his joy here be sprengeled with bitterness and sorrow. Thou art deceived to presume to have perfect joy both here and 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 tourmented in the fire of hell that desired a drop of water for the refreshing of his tongue. It was answered him. Thou haste received the wealth of the world/ and Lazar the pain therefore he hath now delectation and joy/ and thou art in the pain & torment. The said Peter de bloys said/ we might well repute and call fools the holy kings and prophets/ th'apostles. the martyrs/ the confessors and the delicate and tender virgins which all have myspraysed & fled from the worldly richesses/ and have offered and taken them to the tribulations and shamous deaths for the love of Ihesu christ. If they might have obtained by voluptuous delectations the joys of heaven. which they have not gotten but by an guys and pain in this world. Veryly friends/ what so ever be said believe firmly and hold for certain. Ye shall never enter heaven but by the ways that the disciples of Ihesu christ have taught you. That is to wite/ by tribulations by good words/ good works. and good faith. And what have the disciples taught/ have the not showed us to live so berly and justly and to retain with all our power/ humility/ charity/ patience/ constance & all other virtues. to misprayse the world & all the parts thereof. to flee richesses and delectations/ to do penance/ & vigorously to rejoice in tribulations Now do then semblably after them and their doctrine/ & ye shall live for ever eternally. Be ye of constant courages in all your anguishes and labours having hope in the help of our lord/ and he shall soon heel and relieve you. Labour manfully as good knights with Ihesu christ and weary not in your self saying. Our labours be great/ and we so feeble/ that finally we may not persevere in this purpose. recomfort your self/ and herkene well the words of Faint Gregory saying. There ought no time be thought long/ nor any labour great/ whereby is gotten the glory eternal. As johan Chrysostom said upon the Gospel of Faint Mathewe. If ●●●e 〈◊〉 he have begun his journey think the way laborious/ he aught to be thought slothful if the perilous wawes of the see be thought easy and sure to the maroneiss by the delectation that they have to their owen profit for winning of temporal goods thereupon. Semblably the storms frosts and reins to the labourers of theart for their winning/ the wounds and strokes to the good knights and champions for their honour and advantage. if all these be thought easy/ much 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 none heed of thy painful life here/ but behold whether it will lead the. Take Regard to the pleasant life here/ but Remember how soon it will fail the. Trewely ye may well think that the royalme of heaven is no thing appertinent unto 'sblood guards nor the eternal beatitude ordained to reckless and you'll folk's. As Pope Lion said in a sermon. And the Gospel of Saint Mathewe saith the xi Chapitre. The Royalme of heaven is wonnen in suffering of force and violence in this world. And it may well be believed/ for Ihesu christ said that suffering violence getteth it A Pot said. Your living must be sharp/ your labour painful/ and your clothing grievous and so must all your other things be here/ if ye will be lodged there above in heaven. This may appear manifestly unto you. Also in the Acts of the Apostles the xiiii chapiter is written. How our entry in to heaven must be by many tribulations. O how well was it understand by Saint Austyn That one may not enter the bliss of heaven but by tribulation and pain in this world. For he said. A my soul if we should always support and sustain torments and pains here. and also suffer by a long space the gehenna of hell/ to th'end that we might there by 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 great a we'll/ as to be partners to so parfayte a glory. Petrede bloys said. My members fail me by age/ and be enfeebled by fastings/ 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 in to tears/ yet were it not suffysant passion in this present time in comparison to attain thereby the glory to come/ which shall be showed unto us. If a man known what thing he is/ and what it is of him and of god/ he would think that suffering of thousand deaths for his sake were but as no thing. Behold now how good and how profitable it is to suffer penance for our lord's sake. Sustain it then gladly & endure it benignly taking an example by morderers & thiefs condemned to death. which would greatly rejoice themself. if they might by the hytting of of one of their ears have their lives saved. Rejoice yourself semblably in great gladness/ for in doing of a little penance here ye may escape & exclude the death of your souls & win the eternal joy. then thou man that art mortal suffer for to attain the life that to perpetuell/ such pain as thou wouldst endure for to save thyself temporal/ which is in incertain & of little enduring. To this purpose it is written in Ecclesiastico the vi chapiter. Thou shalt a little labour/ and here in this world is the lytlenesse 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 iii chapiter. it that be weary of a little/ yet dispose you well and your Remuneration & reward shall be right great. Faint Effram said. My right dear and beloved brethren/ the labour of our institution is but little/ and the rest is great/ our affliction dureth not long. but our retribution/ that is to wite/ the delights of paradise. The joy and gladness there shall endure world withouten end. The wise man said in Ecclesyastes the last chapiter. Behold how little I have laboured/ and I have found for me great 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 great 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 pleasers 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 allec tyfe desiring to come to the original & rote there of/ and to have part of that most precious bliss/ which is our inheritance. Now in concluding finally it may appear by great evidence and Inuynsyble reasons. that the four last things above alleged/ which is to wite/ the bodily death/ the day of jugement/ the gehenna of hell/ & the glory of peradyse defenden and withdrawn from sin in many manners/ such as have the same four last things withouten oblivion in a contynuale Remembrance. Where by they acceyne and edytye their souls to remain eternally in the most glorious bliss of heaven. And when any fall to sin/ it is by cause they have not the said four things cordyally imprinted in their minds. And alas nor the sufferance of our lord. There be to few that consider and poise the said four last things. Many there be that think to live long/ and to repent them in their age/ and there by appease the judge and flee the danger of hell And in that hope live in delectations and idleness. And yet after they think so possede heaven eternally. O what presumptuous folly is it to believe and trust thereto. That argument concludeth not/ but mocketh 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 Ecclesyastes in the seconde chapiter. If we do no penance/ we shall fall in the hands of our lord. and not in to the hands of man. Alas now who is he that suffysantely bewaileth his sins/ that hath good patience with his enemy/ that hath compassion upon the poor people/ & relyeveth them in their necessities/ that duly ministered justice/ and that for no vain glory ne lucy of the world will offend his conscience Our generation is so wretched and so frail that our hearts can not address to the weal/ but rather to the harm/ we favour and delight worldly things/ and seek not after Ihesu christ/ we love vices/ we flee virtues/ and lie and rest in our owen sins as beasts do in their owen dung/ and therein rote miserably. Our lord lokoth upon the son of man/ and beholdeth if there be any axinge grace or in good disposition/ but well away he seeth to few Inclined thereto/ and many disposed to the contrary in all sin and wretchedness/ where by is to be dread/ that the miserable time of this world is nigh comen/ which Mycheas prophesied of in his vii Chapitre saying. Holiness is perished in the earth/ and among the men is there none that is right wise. O Remember well how every man almost now a days seeketh for his owen particular cause and 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 saluaconn/ so be they blinded in their malicious folly. O cursed malice & unhappy folly. whereby the life is vountarily lost. and the death won. the weal despised. and the harm accepted/ our lord displeased/ and the fiend obeyed. Now thenne my right dear brethren and friends strike not of your heads with your own swords/ as to say/ let not your owen deeds be your destruction perpetual. Rise out of sin. look up and remember you what oyfference is betwixt eternal damnation and perpetuale joy and bliss. Forsake & renounce your sins/ and defend you from the fiends power/ which ye may surely do with contrition/ and in axinge help and grace of our lord. iwis it is marvel that man/ which above all earthly thing is a creature reasonable ensueth not the verayorygynall of reason/ 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 our folly lose though souls that thou hast bought so dear with thy most precious blood. Certainly the cause is lack of prudence/ good council/ grace/ and cordial Remembrance of the said four last things. O our redemptor almighty and merciful Ihesu/ grant us so thy grace/ that we may yet surely purvey for our last things/ and so cordyally frequent the Remembrance of thy godhead that it cause us here after to compel and revoque our sins. resist our ghostly enemy/ and conform us in all good works unto thy blessed will/ to the obtaining finally with the happy saints of thine eternal glory. To which bring us the father/ and the son/ and the holy ghost reigning in unity sempyternally world withouten end.   
AMEN   

THis book is thus translated out of frenshe in to our maternal tongue by the noble and virtuous lord Anthony earl Ryvyres. Lord Scales and of the Isle of wight. de and dyrectour of the muse's apostolic for our holy father the Pope in this Royame's of England Uncle and governor to my lord prince of Wales/ which book was delivered to me wyllyam Caxton by my said noble lord Ryveires on the day of purification of our blessed lady falling the tewsdaye the seconde day of the month of Feverer. In the year of our lord a. M.. CCCC. and lxxviii for to be imprinted/ and so multiplied to go abrood among the people/ that thereby more surely might be Remembered the four last things undoubtably coming. And it is to be voted that sithence the time of the great tribulation and adversity of my said lord/ he hath been full virtuously occupied/ as in goning of pilgrimages to Saint james in in Galyce/ to Rome/ to Faint Barthylme we/ to Faint Andrew/ to Saint Mathewe/ in the Royalme of Naples. and to Faint Nycholas de Bar in Puyle. and other diverse holy places. Also he hath procured and gotten of our holy father the Pope a great and a large Indulgence and grace unto the chapel of our lady of the Pyewe by Faint Stephen's at Westmestre for the relief and help of christian souls passed out of this transitory world/ which grace is of like virtue to thindulgence of Scala celi. And not withston ding the great labours and charges that he hath had in the service of the king and of my said lord prince/ as well in wales as in England which hath be to him no little thought and business both in spirit and in body/ as the fruit thereof experymently showeth. yet over that tenriche his virtuous disposition/ he hath pnt him in devoir at all times when he might have a leisure/ which was but starmele to translate diverse books out of frenshe in to english. Among other passed through mine hand the book of the wise sayings or dystes of philosophers/ and the wise and wholesome proverbs of xprystene the 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 great zeal and spiritual love our ghostly help and perpetual salvation. And that we shall abhor and utterly forsake the abominable and damnable sins. which commonly be used now a days/ as Pride/ perjury/ terrible swearing/ theft/ murder/ and many other. Wherefore be took upon him the translating of this present work named cordial/ trusting that both the readers and the hearers there of should know themself hereafter the better/ and amend their living or they depart and lose this time of grace to the recover of their salvation. Which Translating in my judgement is a noble and a meritorious deed/ wherefore he is worthy to be greatly 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 there by greatly be provoqued and called from sin to the great and plenteous mercy of our blessed saviour/ which mercy is above all his works. And no man being contrite and confessed needeth to fere the obtaining thereof/ as in the preface of my said lords book made by him more plainly it appeareth. then in obeying and following my said lords commandment. In which I am bounded so to do/ for the manifold benefits and large rewards of him had and received of me undeserved. I have put me in devoir t'accomplish his said desire and come maundemente/ whom I beseech almighty god to keep and maintain in his virtuous and laudable acts and works. And send him thaccomplyssnementaccomplishment of his noble and joyous delyres and pleasers in this world. And after this short dangerous and transitory life everlasting permanence in heaven. Amen. Which work present I began the morn aiter the said purification of our blessed Lady. Which was the day of Saint Blaze bishop and Martyr And finished on the even of the annunciation of our said blessed Lady falling on the wennesdaye the four & twenty day of March. In the xix year of kynge Edward the fourth.   

¶ imprinted at westmystre Anno uss.  
¶ Registrun quaternon.  
. abcdefghiklm.   printer's or publisher's device  


Memorare novissima etc.   

Memorare novissima etc.