BE thou not defowled with any vncleannesse , Gal. 5. be thou not spotted through any foule luste : Lette lecherye growe no more in the , Chastitie ioyneth a man to god . To chastitie is behyght the kyngedome of heuen . If thou yet fele the styrynge of thy fleshe , if thou be touched with prickynges of thy flesshe , if thou yet be styred with the suggestion of lust , if the mynde of lechery yet tyckle thy wyll , if thy flesshe yet fyght ageinst the , yf lechery yet tempteth the , if luste yet styreth the to synne : sette before the the mynde of deathe , put before the , the day of thy deathe , set before thyn eyen the ende of thy life , put before the the strayte dome that is to come , put before the , the harde turmentes that ben to come , sette before the the euerlastynge fyre of Hell , put before the the horrible peynes of Helle.

PRay with wepynge continually , The. 5. pray busily , beseche god daye and nyghte : Mourne and sorowe euer for synne . Aryse in the nighte to prayer , lette prayer be to the a continuall armour .

This is the fyrste vertue ageinste temptation . Diuels ben ouercom by prayer : Prayer auaylleth ageynst all iuelles .

DRynke forsoth is instrument of lechery . Fyre by castynge to of wodde , increaseth more and more , the more mattier is in the fyre , the more is the flame .

THyn eien ben the fyrst dartis of luste . Sighte is desyre of womanne , mynde is caughte by the eien . Psal. 118. Withdrawe thyne eien from wantonnes : set theym not in the beautie of fleshe . Beholde not a woman for to desyre her .

Do away the cause of synnynge . Eccl. 25. Laye besydes the , the mattier of trespasynge . If thou wylte be sure from lechery , be thou disceuered from woman in bodye and in syght .

IF thou be departed in bodye from women , thou shalte falle from the intent of synne . If thou sytte besydes a serpent , thou shalt not longe be vnhurte . If thou be longe afore a fyre , although thou were made of iron , somtyme thou shalt melte . If thou abyde ryght nygh peryll , thou shalt not longe be sekyr : oft tymes leysure hath ouercome , whome wylle myghte not .

GIue the moche to redynge , take hede in Meditation of scripture , busye the in the lawe of god , haue a customable vse in diuine bokes . Redynge declareth trewely , what thou shalte shone . Redynge shewethe , what thou oughtest to drede . Redynge telleth whether thou goest . In redynge wytte and vnderstandyng increaseth . Thou shalte moche profyte in redynge , yf thou doo as thou redest .

BE thou meke , be thou groundid in mekenesse , be thou leest and lowest of all . By mekenesse make thy selfe leaste . Set thy selfe tofore no man . Auant not thy self , bost not thy selfe wantonly . Streche not forth thy wynges of pryde . So moche thou shalte be the more precious afore god , that thou settest lyttelle price by thy selfe . Beare therfore shamefastenesse in chere by myndynge of thy defautes . For shame of thy syn be dismayed to loke proudly . Walke with a lowe chere , with a meke mouth , and a sadde visage . In hyghe worshyppe , haue great mekenesse . Al thoughe thou be hyghe of power , restreyne hyghnes in thy selfe . Let not worship make the prowde . The hygher thou art in dignite , the lower by mekenesse make thou the.

BE not sory in thy diseases . In thy syckenesse thanke thou god . Be busye rather to be hoole in thy soule , than inbodye . If prosperitie come , be thou not proude : if aduersite falle , be thou nat heuy . Knowe thy selfe , that god hath proued the in sorowe , for thou shuldest not be prowde . Be euen therfore in all thynges . For ioye ne for sorowe , chaunge neuer thy mynde . Understande well , there is nothynge , but hit may falle as god wyll . And if those thynges be thought on before , they ben the easier when they fal . And what so euer therfore happeth , suffer it mekely with fre wyl .

BE more redy to suffre disease than to do hit . Be patient , be meke , be softe , be busye . Kepe patience in all thynges : Kepe softenesse : Kepe mekenesse . Set before a sharpe worde , the shelde of Sufferaunce . Thoughe any man styre the to wrathe , though he whet the , though he blame the , though he repreue the , though he chyde the , thoughe he do wronge to the : be thou stylle , holde thy peace , sette not therby , speake not a worde , stryue not therageynst , by sylence thou shalte the sooner ouercome . Lerne at Christe manlynesse , take hede at Christe , and be not heuy : he suffrynge wronges lefte to vs ensaumple , Mat. 26. he was bobbed and buffetted , Luc. 22. spytte vpon , and scorned , nayled hande and foote , crowned with thornes , dampned to the crosse , and euer more helde his peace .

Therfore what disease that falleth to the , wytte it well , it commeth to the for synne and for thy best . And so tempre thy disease by consideration of rightousnes . And thou shalt suffre it the lyghtlyer , if thou take hede , wherfore it cometh .

LOue peace without fourthe , loue peace within forth , kepe peace with all men , witholde all men in myldenes , beclyppe Charitie . Proue more thy selfe to loue then to be loued . Make pece there hate is . Haue stablenes of mynd . Haue goodnes of wylle . Be redy in good desyre . Eccl. 28. Speke gladly to all men : Flee chydynge . Beware of stryfes . Do away the occasion of Stryfe , Despyse stryfe , and lyue alwaye in peace , stryue not in any wyse .

BE not glad vpon the death of thyn ennemie , Eccl. 8. leste parauenture vpon the fal the same , lest god turne his wrath from hym to the. For who so euer ioyeth in the fall of his ennemie , he shal soone fall in the same . Be glad to sorowe vpon hym that is diseased . In other mens miseases be not hard harted : and for other mens mischeues mourne as thyn owne .

IN all thy busynesse , in all thy warkes , in all thy lyuynge folowe good men ▪ folow holy men , haue before thyn eien the ensample of sayntis , take hede to worke wel after the vertues of holy men , lerne to lyue well by the teachyng of ryghtousnes .

DEspise thou praysyng , cherishinge and fauour of people . Studie rather to be good than to seme good . Take none hede who prayseth the , or who disprayseth the , leste praysynge deceyue the , or blamynge lette the. If thou sette naught by praising , lyghtly thou shalte sette besydes the blamynge . Therfore suppose not thy selfe good , thoughe thou beholde good in other mens tonges , aske thyne owne conscience , deme thy selfe by thin own dome , and not bi other mens speche , but in thyn owne mynde inserche thy selfe . There may no man knowe better what thou arte , then thou that knowest thy selfe . What profyteth the , sythen thou arte wycked ▪ to be holde good ?

FLe thou symulation , feine not holynesse in darke clothynge . Such as thou woldest ben holde , suche be thou in dede . Shewe thy profession in lyuynge and not in tokens . In clothynge and in goinge haue with the symplenesse : in thy gate and in thy mouynge clennes , in thy bearynge sadnes , in thy walkyng honestie , nothing of vilany , nothynge of vncleannesse , nothynge of wyldenesse .

Be ware in thy gouernance , that there appere nothinge of beastlynes . Gyue not to other cause for to scorne the. Gyue thou not to any man cause to backbite the.

SHone yuel men , Nu. 16. beware of wicked men , fle shrewes , dele not with brothels : flee the companies of those men , whiche ben euer redy to vices . Ioyne the to good men , Desyre the felowshyppe of discrete men : Seke the company of vertuous men . Who so goth with wyse men , he shall be wise : & who so draweth to fooles shall be lyke to theym . For lyke to lyke is woned to be ioyned .

SHutte thyne eares , Eccl. 28. that thou here none yuell . Forsake vnchaste speches . Fle vnhonest wordes . For a vayne worde soone defouleth the soule : and that that is lyghte done , that is gladdelye harde soone .

LEt nothynge passe out of thy mouthe , that myght let vertue . Let the soune of thy voyce breake forthe nothynge , but that nedeth . Let that procede frome thy lyppes , that fouleth not the eares of the herers . Uayne worde is token of a voyd conscience . The tonge of man sheweth his maners : and suche as the worde is suche is the soule . Mat. 12. For the mouth speketh of abundance of the hart . Luc. 6. Refreyne thy tonge frome yuelle speache and ydell . For an ydell worde shal not passe vnpunished . Who soo wyll not refrayne his tonge from ydell wordes , he shall fall lyghtly into sinneful wordes . Let thy word be without reprefe . Let it be profitable to the helpe of the herers . Besy the not to speke that that liketh , but that that nedeth . Take hede what thou spekest , & what thou spekeste not . And both in speking & not speking be ryght well ware , take good auisemente what thou sayest : lest thou mayst not call agayne , that thou saidest . Fle thou the chaunces of tonge . Let not thy tonge lese the. Haue euer more silence to thy frende .

Speke when time is , be stil whan tyme is . Speke thou not ere thou here . Lette askynge open thy mouthe .

BAckebyte not the synner , but be sory for hym . Kyt from thy tonge the synne of backebytynge . Here not an other mans life . Defoule not thy mouthe with an other mans syn . That thou backbiteste in an other , drede hit in thy self . Whan thou blamest an other , repriue thyn owne syns . If thou wylte backebyte , thynke on thyn own sins . Loke not on other mens defautes , but se thyn owne . Thou shalt neuer backebyte , if thou wel beholde thy selfe . Here no backebyters : Lysten not to tale tellers . For like gilty ben the backebiters and the herers . Desire not to wyt that that perteyneth not to the.

That that men speake betwene them selfe , besy the not to knowe . Aske thou neuer what any man speaketh , sayth , or doeth : be not to besy , leaue besines that perteineth not to the. By as great besynes amende thyn owne synnes , by howe moche thou beholdest other mens .

PUt fro the swerynge , Do away the vse of swearynge . Iac. 5. It is perillous sothely , for to swere . For ofte swearynge maketh custome of swearynge . Eccl. 23. And a man moche swearynge , shal be fulfylled with wickednesse , & the plage shall not departe from his house . Trouthe nedethe none othe . A feythfull speche holdeth the place of a sacramente : as who sayth , a faythfull worde is as moche as all the swearynge of the worlde .

DO the good that thou haste behote . Deut. 23. Be not lyghte in worde and harde in dede . Eccl. 5. Thou shalte be moche gyltye to god , Baruc. 6. if thou yelde not that thou haste avowed . They displeasen god , that fulfil not their vowes . They bene accompted amonge hethen menne , that performe not theyr vowes , I saye not vowes that bene yuell but good . For if thou through thy foly hast made a fonned vowe : throughe the dome of a discrete man be hit wysely turned into good .

THere maye no man fle frome him self : and though an open fame harme the not , yet thin own conscience , damneth the. For ther is no peyne greatter then pryckyng of conscience . If thou wilte neuer be sory , lyue well . A siker conscience suffreth easily heuines . A good lyuer is euer more in ioy : the conscience of a sinful man is euer more in peine . A gilty soule is neuer more siker . Nother wound nedeth shall feare the , if thou liue well and trewely .

IF thou wolt multiply thy vertues , shewe them not . By thy wyll , hyde thy vertues priuelye for drede of pride and vayne glorie . Fle to be seene , & then thou deseruest mede . That thou maistlese by shewynge , kepe it by hydynge .

SHewe the synnes of thyn hart , make open thy shrewed thoughtes . A syn shewed is sone healed : a defaute forsoth hyd , is made more syn , by silence it encreaseth more and more . Trewely than hit behoueth to shewe yuel to amend it .

BE thinke the longe before the dede : Auise the longe before the warke . That thou wylte do , inserche it longe , proue it longe : and so do it , when thou hast long bethought the. Do than as thou hast proued , in thynges that ben certayne . Of wel doinge tary not , ne put it not ouer tyll to morowe . In good thynges taryenge harmeth , & letteth tho thynges that ben nedefull .

THere is no thinge better than wysedome , nothynge better than cunnynge , nothynge lustier than knowlege : nothyng worse than lewdnesse . It is an hyghe counnynge to knowe what thou shalt flee : and it is an hyghe wretchednesse , not to knowe whither thou goeste . Therfore loue wisedome , and it shal be shewed to the : go to it , and it shall come to the , be busy there aboute , and it shal lerne the.

LErne that thou canste not , lest thou be founde an vnprofitable techer , the good that thou haste harde , sey it : the good that thou hast lerned teache hit . The more that is youen , the more it waxeth : but yet let dedes go before the worde . The whiche thou shewest with thy mouth , fulfyll hit with warke : that thou teachest by wordes , shewe it in ensample . For if thou teache and doo hit , thanne shalte thou be holde glorious . In thy techyng kepe the from mans praysynge . So informe other , that thou kepe thy selfe . Soo teach , that thou lese not the grace of mekenes . Beware , lest whyle thou reysyste other by teachynge , thou fal not thy selfe by praisyng . When thou teachest , vse not darknes of wordes : saye so that thou be vnderstonden . The diuersitie of persons is to be seen : And whan and how thou teachest , be aduised . Speake common thynges to all men : And to fewe men shewe that is hydde . Be not ashamed to speake , that thou canste well defende . That thou wantest of cunnynge , aske of other men . By cunnynge trewly shewed , hyd thinges ben opened , & harde thinges made lyght .

BE not besy to knowe : that is hydde , coueite not to knowe . In disputynge do away stryfe : do a waye frowardnes , and assente soone to trouth . Say not ageynst ryghtousenesse . Stryue not to auoyde that is ryght . Loue more to here than to saye . Here in the begynnynge , and speake laste of all : the last spech is better then the fyrste .

IF thou wolte be in reste , desire nothynge of the worlde . Thou shalte haue rest of soule , if thou put fro the the busines of the worlde . Cast fro the al that may let a good purpose , be mesured to the world , and the worlde to the , as thoughe thou were dead . Beholde not the glory of this worlde . Set not by that whyle thou lyuest , that thou mayste not haue when thou arte dead . What so euer thou gyuest , gyue it with a good wyl . Do mercy withoute gyfte : gyue almes without heuynes . The good wil is more than that is gyuen . That that is giuen with good wyll , Eccl. 3● . that god acceptethe : 2. Cor. 9. but he that gyueth with heuynes , shall lese his mede . There is no mercye , where is no good wyll . Do nothynge for praysynge , nothynge for worldely opinion , but onely for life euer lasting . Amen .