Here beginneth a little treatise called Ars moriendi.   

  

Here beginneth a little treatise shortly compiled and called ars moriendi. that is to say the craft for to deye for the health of mannes soul.  
when ony of lyklyhode shall deye / then is most necessary to haue a special friend / the which will heartily help & pray for him / and therwith counsel the sick for the weele of his soul / & more over to se that all other so do about him / or elles quickly for to make him depart. ¶ then is to be remembered the grete benefaytes of god done for him unto that time / & specially of the passion of our lord & then is to be rede some story of sayntes or the vij. psalms with the letanye / of our lady psalter in parte or hoole with other. And ever the image of the crucyfixe is to be had in his sight with other. And holy water is oft-times to be cast vpon & about hȳ for avoiding of evil spirits the which thenne be full redy to take their advantage of the soul yf they may. ¶ And then & ever make him cry for mercy & grace and for the help of our blessed lady & of other sayntes in whom afore he had a singular trust & love / & thereupon to make his prayers yf he may. ¶ when death cometh or ony grievous pangs other grete sickness / then prayer or deuocy on assuageth / wherefore it is wisdom for one to pray afore ony sickness come / and also when one may in his sickness yf he will not be deccyued. ¶ So he is happy & may be glad that such a time of most need hath a faithful friend & that will say beside the prayers afore rehearsed & cause / other also to say devoutly in remembrance of the charity of Ihesu christ & of his passion / and for to haue the rather his mercy & help .iij. Pr̄nr̄ and .iij. Auees with a Credo / & therwith to exhort him by a priest or for need by an other in the maner as it followeth.  
BRoder or sister remember well that god saith by his prophet & evangelist. blessed be tho that deye & depart in our lord / that is to say from the world & his pleasures / & deye in the true faith of the church & repentance for his sins. ¶ sir ye haue grete cause to be glad for to depart from this wretched world & fall of all misery / & think that ye needs must depart / & desire heartily to be with Ihesu christ your maker / redeemer / and lord god / for he shall give to you now your inheritance that he dyde bye for you with his precious passion and blood / wherefore this time of your departing shall be better to you than the time of your birth / for now all sickness sorrow & trouble shall depart now from you for ever. therefore be not agreued with your sickness & take it not with grutchynge but take it rather by all gladness. ¶ Se at all times that ye be stable in your faith & believe / and say your Credo yf that ye may or elles desire an other heartily to do it for you here afore us openly. And arm you ever with the sign of the cross ✚ as a christian man for your defence against your ghostly enemies / in the which doing / god will be greatly pleased & the rather take you for one of his folk by protection & grace and as his child of salvation. ¶ haue ever a good & true believe / and no thing may be impossible unto you. And ever beware that ye fall not in dyspeyre for that greatly wolde displease god / & can not be remedied. And remember the sins done afore time shall never hurt you as to damnation / yf they please you not now & that ye be sorry for them. ¶ saint jerome saith / yf one should take his sickness or his death with grutchynge / it is a token that he loveth not god sufficiently / all is rightwise that we snffre. ¶ desire with saint Austen of our lord here to be cut with generation & to be burned with sickness & sorrow / so that ye may be saved hereafter for ever. ¶ Now meek yourself & he sorry that ye haue ben so unkind to please & to keep his commandments & presume not as of yourself ony goodness / and say with all meekness thus. ¶ Good lord Ihesu christ I knowledge that I haue sinned grievously / and by thy grace I will gladly amend me yf I should live / haue mercy now of me for thy bitter passion. ¶ Than ask him these questions following afore his death.  
BE ye glad that ye shall deye in christian believe. let him answer / ye / know ye that ye haue not so well lived as ye should / ye / haue ye will to amend yf that ye should live / ye / believe ye that Ihesu christ goddes sone of heaven was born of the blessed virgin Marye / ye / believe ye also that Ihesu christ died upon the cross to bye mannes soul on good friday / ye / do ye thank god therfore / ye / believe ye that ye may not be saved but by his passion & death / ye / ¶ As long as the soul is in your body thank god for his death / and haue a sure trust by it & his passion to be saved. And counsel him to say yf that he may these following words of grete virtue.  
I Put Crystis passion betwixt me & mine evil works / and betwixt me & his wrath. Now lord god be merciful to me a sinner. ¶ The pease of our lord Ihesu christ and the virtue of his passion with the sign of the holy cross ✚ and the vndefoyled virgynyte of the blessed Mary his mother / and the blessing of all sayntes / & the proteccy on of all holy angels with the help & prayer of all sayntes be betwixt me & all mine enemies now and in the hour of my death & departing Amen. ¶ Also these verses following be of grete virtue in the time of death / & to be said of the sick yf he may or by an other for him. Disrupisti dnne vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis. et nomen dm̄ inuocabo. Deus {pro}picius esto michi peccatori. Dnne thou xp̄e ego cognosco me graviter peccasse. et libenter volo me emendare per grām tuam. Miserere mei {pro}pter amaram passionem tuam. Dnne thou redemisti nos in sanguine tuo. laus sit tibi {pro} amara passione tua Largire clarum vespe. quo vita nus{quam} decidat. said premium mortis sacre perennis instet gloria. ¶ Also to our Lady. Maria plena gracie matter misericordie. tu nos ab host besiege. et in hora mortis suscipe. And at last. In manus tuas dnne commendo spiritum meum. In noie patris et filii & spiritus sancti Amen  

¶ here followeth a short & sweet remembrance of the sacrament of the altar or that it be reccyued of the sick person or of ony other afore ther comunynge  
WElcome blessed Ihu my lord god & saviour to whom is apropryed all mercy & pity. remember good lord how freyll my nature and substance is / and haue mercy & pity on me grete sinner / after thy grete mercies & for thy bitter passion for I knowledge and believe faithfully as a christian child of thyn / that thou here in form of breed / is the same my lord god that of thy goodness come down from heaven & was born and took my nature of the blessed virgin Mary / & died for me and rose the thyrde day & after ascended in to heaven / and there reigneth with the father & the holy ghost & all sayntes for ever immortal / the which for our grete health frailty & daily transgression & in remembrance of thy grete love & passion hast ordained this thy blessed body in this wise to be taken of me and of all other willing to be saved. ¶ I know well that I am far unworthy to be called thy child or servant for the grete multitude of my sins / how be it thou mayst make me rightful & able the which only of synners hast made grete sayntes of heaven. By the thy grete power and might grant me now to take the meekly in all fear & in wailing for my sins & with spiritual gladness. Come now good lord in to my heart and cleanse it of all sin / entre in to my soul & make it hole / & therwith sanctyfye me within & without / and be my defence for body & soul rebuking and putting a side all mine enemies far from the presence of thy power / that I then so defended by the may haue a free and sure passage to thy kingdom where I shall not se thee in this form by mystery but I shall se the face to face where I shall never hungre ne thirst / but ever be in joy with thee and thine / there to glorefye thee & to worship the to laud & to pray the world without end Amen.   

¶ By these following aren venyall sins taken away yf they be done devoutly.  
IN taking holy water holy breed / also by saying of the Pat{er} nr̄ / and spyrytually for this clause & petition. dimit nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittim{us} debitori{bus} nostris. ¶ And also by knocking of the breast for ones sins and also for saying of De{us} {pro}pici{us} esto michi pccōri / and by saying the common Confyteor at mass or at other time. Also by receiving of ony of the sacrament{is} of the church / & specially of the body of our lord. Also by hearing of mass / & by the sight of the sacrament of the altar there or elles where. By the blessing of a bishop or of a priest at his mass. By ony of the deeds of mercy / by pardons / by martyrdom / & penance / by forgiveness to a trespasour / by good ensample giving / or for conuertynge of other to good life / by patience thanking in trouble / & by contrition of sins with displeasure of hem. And for every good dede doing with good intent & devotion Amen.   

¶ The famous doctor John Gerson Chaunseler of Parys taking his ground of holy scripture & according with holy doctors saith thus.  
Ovre most merciful father lord god / knowing our frailty & readiness to al sin / is ever redy during this wretched & mortal life by many & diverse ways to forgive us ever our trespass & to grant and give us his grace / yf so be that truly we do ordain unto him these .iij. virtues so lowynge / so that they be said & done with all the heart devoutly. The first is that thou shalt say. blessed lord I knowledge that I haue sinned grievously against thy goodness thus & thus rehersynge thy sins / & I am displeased therwith by reason of the which I do penance & will do / for I know well that I haue grieved the merciful lord & broken thy commandments in the which thou only ought to be worshipped. The second / say this. Good lord I haue a good purpose & desire with thy help / to be right ware hereafter that I fall not in to sin / & I intend to flee the occasions after the possibility of my power. The thyrde is this. gracious lord I haue good will to make an hole confession of all my sins / when place & time convenient may be had according to thy commaudnement{is} & al holy church. these .iij. verytees or true thes who so ever saith with his heart vnfaynyngly in what place that ever he be / he may be sure that he is in the state of grace & saluacyon & that he shall haue ever lasting life though all he had done all the sins of the world. And yf he decessed without ony other confession for lack of a priest as sleeping or sudden death / he should be save suffering afore hard pain in purgatory / wherefore it is good counseyl that every christian man ones or twice on the day early or late or elles at lest on holy dayes examen his conscience / & remember yf that he may with al his heart vnfaynyngly this said .iij. trewthes / & yf he can so do / he may be sure that he is in the state of grace / & yf he may not / but is in will to sin again / & to haue his delectation with dede / & will not flee the occasions of mortal lynnes / & so drowned in sin will not arise / such one may be certain that the Pope may not assoil hȳ not for thy good it is that such one use much prayer & give almesse & do other good deeds after their power / that god the rather may lighten their hearts & the sooner torn to goodness Amen.   

¶ Here followeth a singular prayer to be said in the fest of the dedycacyon of ony church or at ony other time.  
O Myghtyfull & most pyteuous lord god Ihesu christ which of thy grete goodness hath ordained all things that ben in heaven and in earth for the use and weele of man / to the intent & end that they shall serve him / and he the alone. And how be it that in each place thou ought to be served and worshipped / yet it pleaseth the much more such service and prayer in a place or church that is dedyfyed / enueyled and hallowed by a bishop and his ministers with hymns / psalms / and letanyes / and other suffragyes with their mysteryall obseruantes ordained therfore / and for by cause thy precious body and blood is there daily offered up unto thy father in heaven in knowledge of thy grete love & passion that thou hadst for man. ¶ And yf it pleased thee in the old testament with thyn angels night & day to be assistant & to here the prayers of thy servants in the temple / where was but flesh & blood of unreasonable beasts offered in sacrefyce / much more we trust that thou wilt visit & be assistant to us night & day with thyn angels in this thy new temple and church / where thyn own body & very blood daily is offered up unto thy father of heaven / & therwith received according to thy desire & will of us thy servants though synners for our salvation & thereto here the prayers of us & other that intend to love worship & thank thee in the best maner we can or may. ¶ Now then blessed lord full of all mercy & pity / that will that we call vpon thee & hath promised to here the prayers of thy servants grant now & at all times to us and to all other of thy superhabundant mercy & grace / that who so ever come unto this church or to ony other with deuoconn & pray in what case that ever they be / prosperity salvation / trouble / or adversity / that their petition behouefull & necessary prayer may be herde / & that the pardon granted to them may in her souls & bodies with all other things appertaining unto them may take effect in every parte graciously. ¶ And over this grant us of thy pity / pease & accord in thy church & realm / and to our founders faders & moders / friends / benefactors / and to all christian souls / forgiveness of their sins with release of their pains & joy perpetual. And finally we desire of thy bounteuous goodness seasonable weather with fruits & to exclude from us pestilence hungre moreyne & sickness and all enemies ghostly & bodily and therwith grant us of thy grace good life & endless bliss. Amen.   


¶ Here followen the .xij. degrees of humility.  
¶ cast thy sight donewarde / & show meekness both in thy heart & body.  
¶ Beware of high speech & clamorous / & se that thy words be few / well set / & reasonable.  
¶ Be not light for to laugh / but use ever sadness  
¶ Be still & keep silence / to need require that answer must be had.  
¶ keep well the common rule as the holy place hath used.  
¶ think the most vilest of all other & so pronounce thyself.  
¶ knowledge the unworthy & not profitable to ony thing / & so believe in dede.  
¶ Make oft confession of thy sins / & that with grete contrition.  
¶ keep patience in thyn obedience / at all thy pains & trouble.  
¶ To all people be thou subget for thy masters sake  
¶ Thyn own will forsake it / & love it in no wise  
¶ And ever keep thee from sin for fear of him above.   

¶ The .vij. degrees of obedience.  
¶ The first is to do that is commanded of thy sovereign without grutchynge.  
¶ The second is to make none excepconn / neither of the time neither of the dede that is to be done.  
¶ The thyrde is to be glad & cheerful in thy heart to do such deeds commanded without ony compulsion setting a side all beastly conditions.  
¶ The .iiij. is to be quick in such dede doing leaving all other occupations for that time or ony maner of excuse.  
¶ The .v. is to do such things with all thy might & power / thinking that thy reward shal be grete.  
¶ The .vi. is to do hem also with all meekness both in spirit & gesture.  
¶ The .vij. is to continue such obedience to thende of thy life ever following thy master Ihu christ that was made obedient for thy sin unto death.   

¶ The .xij. degrees of patience.  
¶ The .xij. degrees of patience thou mayst behold here.  
¶ To evil done to the or adversity make noo resystence.  
¶ Do not evil for evil ne give an evil answer  
¶ love thyn enemy & do good for evil to him in recompense.  
¶ grudge not against adversity / but take it as sweet encence.  
¶ account it for best medicine / and be glad in thy pain.  
¶ thank god therfore / and look for more with all benevolence.  
¶ And when thou hast no grutchynge in these then mayst thou be fain.   

¶ The .xv. degrees of charity.  
¶ these make perfect charity after Pouls epistle  
¶ Be patience contynuell for ony adversity.  
¶ liberal to the needy / and good do for evil.  
¶ Of other mennes welfare envy not ne by heavy  
¶ let not by thy crokednesse good works to multiply.  
¶ Swelle not inward by malice yf thy neighbour prosper.  
¶ love to be in low degree & loath to be high.  
¶ To labour for other as thyself do thy utter devoir.  
¶ Be not moeuyd for ony cause to vengeance or to Ire.  
¶ think none evil to an other for ony provocation.  
¶ joy thou not in wickedness but sorrow thou rather.  
¶ Be glad in truth & ryghtwysnesse and hate symulacyon.  
¶ For such right bear adversity or ony trybulaconn  
¶ To that the church teacheth the put full credulyte.  
¶ That god hath promised trust it well without defallacyon.  
¶ In hope abiding his reward and everlasting glory. Amen.     

¶ Here endeth a little treatise called ars moriendi Enprynted at Westmynstre by Wynken de word.  
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