The history of kyng Boccus, [and] Sydracke how he confoundyd his lerned men, and in ye syght of them dronke stronge venym in the name of the Trinite [and] dyd hym no hurt. Also his diuynyte that he lerned of the boke of Noe. Also his profycyes that he had by reuelacyo[n] of the aungell. Also his answeris to the questions of wysdome, both morall and natural wyth moche worldly wysdome contayned in noumber. CCC.lxv. translatyd by Hugo of Caumpeden, out of frenche into Englysshe.

¶ Hic incipiunt questiones

The fyrst thyng than askyd he Yf god was euer and euer shall be GOd had neuer begynnyng Nor neuer shall haue endyng Before he heuy nor erth wrought Or eny thyng to effect brought He knew well how them to dyght And all thorow his owne myght Or he made aungell to be The noumbre of them well wyst he Of man of beste of euery dell Of fowle of fyshe all knew be well And what dede echone shuld haue Also which shuld theyr sowles saue Which they were shuld be forlore All together knew he before And theyr wordes and also thought God had orels a be vnperfyt and nought For of all that were of his makyng There nedyd to be non amendyng Ne empeyred shuld he a be nought Al though they had not be wrought He was / is / and euer shall be Of one power I ensuer the Ouer all truly is his myght And thre heuyns he hath dyght The one is bodely that we se An other goostly where aungels be The thyrd there god hym self is Where is a ioyful blys Where shall the ryght 〈…〉 ende 〈◊〉 dyd● on Whan this world is past and gone

¶ The seconde questyon . ¶ The kynge askyd where it aryght ben That god of heuyn myght be sen UIsybyl is god that warne I the And inuysybyl also is he For all thynges may he se And he may nor sene be For that / that is of bodely makyng May se no goostly thyng But goostly thyng that is in blys May se goostly thyng that is But whan goddys sonne so dere In to erth is come among vs here And the people shall walke bothe to Both he and his werke 〈…〉 true That shall be moost of goddys myght And shall in a mayden lyght Body to take of that vyrgyne And shall be borne without syn And do truly as a man shall do Saue syne that may he not do And god almyghty shall he be Hym shall men / here fele and se And except he body toke There myght no man on hym loke

¶ The thyrd questyon ¶ Than askyd the kynge hym more Yf god be ouer all & euery whore . NEuer yet god made thyng That is / or hath of hym felyng For we / such as we ar now Fele hym and I shall show the how We lyue here / war and go That comys alwayes hym fro And by the frute one kynd hym felyth That euery yere newly spryngyth The heueunes than fele hym also They turne in orbis as he had them do Sonne and mone and sterre bryght All they fele hym and his myght For all they fast abowt go Untyll they come where they cam fro The erth also hym truly felys For euery yere his frute he geuys Wynde and the fe● fele hym I wis For whan the most tempest is At his byddyng and at his wyll Withdrawe they them and hold them styll The deed hym felys on lyke maner wyse For at his wyll they shall vp ryse The bestes that in erth both crepe and go They fele hym / for they do also As he gaue theyr kynd to be And ouer them all verely is he .

¶ The .iiii. questyon . ¶ Which was the fyrst thynge That god made askyd the kynge Syr quod Sydrac vnto me lyst A fayre paleys made he fyrst Full of blys and full of lyght That the kyngdom of heuyn hyght After made he the world thus And helle depe vnderneth vs In to heuyn his fryndes he dyd lett His foes in hell were subiecte Man made he than as was his wyll The vmbre of aungels to fulfyll In stede of them that fall wore And shuld in heuyn come no more Aungel and man shall felowes be For one god honorys both he and we That is god of myght most Father / sonne and holygoost

¶ The .v. questyon ¶ The kynge than Sydrac be sought To tell wan aungel was wroght WHan god sayd worde but one Than aungel was made anon Lucyfer hym self dyd se That fayrest of all was he In pryde sone he dyd fall And despysed the other of his company all He was so good as hym thought As god hym self / that hym wroght Sume of the aungels turned hym to And thought that it myght be so Maysteres to make than he them hyght Aboue other aungels bryght Out of that palays was he cast An howre myght he not therin last For it was no ryght that he That agayne his lorde wold be Shulde eny part haue in that blysse And for hym they fared all amysse Truly all that were of his assent Sume of them to hell went And sume in to the thyckest eyre That of ioye is none espeyre They may no mercy haue Ne for pryde they may none craue

¶ The vj. questyon ¶ The kynge askyd wher of serue thay The aungels that in heuyn ar ay THe aungels the now heuyn ar in Shall neuer haue wyll to syn By cause they refusyd Lucyfer In blysse they shall be euer To who god hath gyuyn ywysse Order and offyce in his blysse ¶ Of aungels is there one maner That vnto folke tellyth here Both in water and in lande truly The gret thynges of god all myghty ¶ Another maner there is also That tell●● comyng folkes vnto Be it loude / be it styll The small bodys of goddys wyll The thyrd potestas callyd is That ar put in gret offys Lordshype ouer deuyls they haue And commaundes them as a man his knaue That they ne may ought can Ouer moch euyll to do to man ¶ A nother hyght pryncypates Maysters ouer good spyryts be thes And commaundes them to fulfyll Goddys seruyce vnto his wyll ¶ Than is there one that virtutes hyght Which tech men to go aryght ¶ Another is there gret of myght Dominaciones theyr name hyght Which be obedyent to the other before And in theyr subiectyon ar thore ¶ Another / and throni callyd is he There vpon is goddys se By them vsys god on hy His iugementes full gryssely ¶ An order is there chefe of all Which cherubyns we do call Many creatures of skyll Ar that order subiecte tyll For dylygently they beholde and se In the myrrour of goddys claryte And they knowe by theyr natures The preuytes of creatures ¶ And yet is there Seraphyn aboue They ar brennynge in goddy ●●out More than all the other be And they ar of suche dygnyte That no other spyryt certaynly is Betwyx them and god in eternall blys

¶ The vij . questyon ¶ The kynge askyd yf deuyls also All thyng knowe and all thyng may do UEryly syr quod Sydrac we do fynde That deuyls ar of aungels kynde And by cause they of theyr nature ware Of full grete conynge they ar And they ar more goostly Than man that hath body Therfore knowe they more than man By nature moche secrecy tell can Saue thynges that ar commy●ge Of that they know lytell or nothynge Thynges that I haue don or thou That knowe they well I now Of euyl wyll and euyl thought Thereof wote the deuyls nought Ne none but god alone I ensuer the Of a manys herte the preuyte The deuyls may well yuel do But good they ne haue wyll vnto And yet may they not fulfyll To do i● yuel all theyr wyll No more haue they myght vntyll Than good aungels them suffre wyll

¶ The viij . questyon ¶ What shape ar aungels & what thyn● They can do a sayd the kynge ON owyse haue they euyn The lyknese of god of heuyn For bodylese they ar and h●yght Full of fayre bed and of lyght And there is nothyng in kynde That they ne wote and haue in my●de No wonder that they of knowlege be For all thynges in god they se And all that they haue wyll vnto Without greuaunce may they do

¶ The ix . questyon ¶ The kynge than Sydrac askyd Yf god Adam with his hande formyd MAn and all that god hym lent Was made of his comaundment And who so vnderstande can A feble nature is in man And of a fowle thynge god hym dyght To confounde the deuyl and his myght For man so feble to 〈◊〉 that he came fro That is to hym gret so●●w● and wo Of the fouer elements as 〈◊〉 the Our parent Adam made be For his kynde 〈◊〉 was goddis wyll Shulde ●oue 〈◊〉 of the world fulfyll For god knewe ●e for 〈◊〉 the shuld syn And l●se the vertu that he was ●reat in And that he shulde as aman vnwysse Not longe lyue in paradyse All other thynges dyd he make To mannys behoue and for his sake And many wormes he made also As mees / freys and other mo Man to sorowe and byte s●ime tyde Be cause he shulde not fall in pryde And that he shulde remembre by this Howe feble a thynge that he is Whan so feble a thynge and so vyle Shall hym gretly wex and trobyll Of myre and rayne se men may How they ar trauelyd all day So besy shulde we of ryght God to serue with all our myght For vnto our delyte made he A●l thynges that we se And we and they were made also Unto god worshype to do

¶ The .x questyon . ¶ The kynge askyd hym than In what stede made god Adam IN Ebro● ar god ●olde it haue Where 〈…〉 was put in graue But fyrst he was ●et in paradyse A fayer stede tha● in the est lyese There is ioy and gr●t de●yre And trees a many 〈◊〉 of fruyte And euery frute 〈◊〉 of myght As god hastyth 〈◊〉 with vertu dyght One frute there is that yf aman Had ones ete of it / neue● after than He shulde hounger eny more And another also groweth thore That is callyd the frute of lyf Both good for man and wyf For who so etys of that tree Shall neuer syke nor olde he Whan Adam was thether brought There was Eue than of hym wroght So were they made as we fynde Of one flesh and of o kynde Be cause they shuld be wher they went As of one fleshe / so of one assent God made them that they shulde not syn The more mercy after to wynne And whan that god had Adam makyd He and Eue were both nakyd But therof shamyd they noght Untyll they had synne wroght Whan they of the appull had byten abyte Eyther shamyd of other was tyte For they sawe them than vnclad Of clothyng a grace that they had And in paradyse they wore Seuen howers and no more The thyrde hower after his m●kyng Gaue Adam name to all thyng The syxth hower ete his wyfe The appull that made all the stryfe The seuenth hower Adam dyd of yt ete And was chasyd and streyth out hete The aungel cam thyther anon ryght With a sworde of fyre very bryght And with the fyre be set he there The walles of paradyse that there were So that no man there in shuld wone Untyl the commynge of goddys sonne After his deth he shall vndo The fyre that it doth compase so And Adam and his frendes all Into heuyn conducte shall

¶ The xj . questyon ¶ Than as●yd he whyther went Adam Out of paradyse whan he came AFter that / he went anon There he was made in Ebron A hundreth yere there lede his lyf And had chyldren by his wyf But at lenght Cayn that was fell Dyd kyll his brother Abel Adam therfore came his wyf not nere By the space of a hundreth yere Makyng grete sorow that Abel was slayne Than bade hym the aungel go agayne And know his wyf as he shulde do Sayeng that the wyll of god was so For cursed of god was Cayn And a●l the sede that cam of hym And of that cursed sede forlorne Goddys sonne wolde not be borne That fu●fyl●ed Adam and ●eth begot he Of whos sede goddys some borne shal● be And wete thou syr that from Adam Unto the tyme that Noe came Neuer fell on erthe no rayne Ne none raynebowe was ne fayne Flesshe that tyme no man dyd ete No wynde than was / god none be lete The wether was all tymes there Fayer as somers day and clere And plenty was of all thynge Tyll mannys syn it made lettynge

¶ The .xij. questyon ¶ Dyd Adam eny other syn than it He broke goddys bode & the appul byt NAy / he dyd none other synne But a greater myght he not begyn For he couetyd god to be And for that the appul ete he And shuld no creature of wyte His creatorys bode ouersyt Yf you before god now were And some aungel sayde to the there That thou behynde shuldest se Or the worlde shuld destroyed be And god the bade loke on hym fast And no where els thy eyen cast Goddys bode thou shuldyst fulfyll And let all the worlde spyll For that Adam couthe no good Before god somtyme he stode And behynde he lokyd as vnwyse Wherfore he lost paradyse And in that one synne that he dyd Seuyn synnes were there hyd ¶ Fyrst pryde / for that he Desyred goddys lyke to be ¶ Inobedyence another also For he brake that god bade hym do ¶ Couetyse the thyrd dyd hym greue For he couetyd more than god wold gyue ¶ Sacrylege was the fouerth synne That Adam was wrappyd in For he toke vpon hym thore That god had forbyden hym before ¶ The fyfte may be called by reason Goostly fornicacyon For his very spouse he forsoke And to the deuelys counsell hym toke Wherby his ryght sponsale he brake And in aduoutre he stake ¶ The syxth to manslawter he drewe For he by that hym self slewe ¶ Glotony the seuenth was Whan he put hym in that caas To ete the appul that his wyf bad And that god hym forbodden had Wherfore in that etynge vnwysly Was syn inoughe as me thynkyth truly

¶ The .xiij. questyon ¶ What was the Adam from god dyd take And how shall he amendys make FRom god Adam moch toke That tyme that he hym forsoke All that he shuld there haue wrought That Adam shuld forthe haue brought That is that they shulde haue ouercomen The deuyll / and his myght haue nomen As the deuyll dyd Adam Bothe hym / and all that of hym came Bycause his syn was moche more Than was all the worlde / therfore It behouyd hym more agayne to yelde And this had he nought to welde Or fynde a man that shuld more be Than all the world / whiche was not he And therfore dyd he ete his brede In laboure and swete tyll he was dede

¶ The .xiiij. questyon . ¶ Forlorne for aye why was he nought Whan he so great a syn had wrought FOr it behoueth nedely to stande That god hathe ordeynyd before hand God ordeyned at the beginyng That of Adam and his osprynge Shuld the orders of goddis chosen Be fulfyllyd / and out losyn And after whan Adam forthought Was angryd that he had so wrought Mercy anone myght he none take For he myght not amendis make And yf god had forgeuen hym this And haue put hym agayne into blysse That aungell was cast fro before For a thought and for no more Than had god bene vnryghtwyse Therfore in synne and wreke he lyse Yf a man founde anone In a sloughe a ryche stone That were fowle and nothynge clene He shuld wasshe it as I wene And in treasure it not laye Untyll the fylthe were awaye But goddes sone that more shal be Than all the worlde / shall dye on tre Amendys for Adam to make And hym fro his penaunce take So shall he come out of helle And amonge goddes chosen dwelle

¶ The .xv. questyon . ¶ Why wold not god an anngel send Or a man Adam to amende ANd aungel had bought man & made him fre His vnderlyne than shuld he be Man in erthe was maked here For to bere aungell fere And yf aungell the kynde nam Of man / and a man becam Then were aungell of lesse posterite Than god hym made fyrst to be And man agayne myght man not wynne For all were they lockyd in one synne For this shall goddes sone of myght In a clene mayden lyght Our kynde shall he in her take And of two kyndys a man make God and man bothe shall he be And of his manhed shal he Begyle the deuyll / for euermore As that he dyd man before And of mankynde shall he not twynne Saue that he shall neuer do synne

¶ The .xvj. questyon . ¶ Why shall god be borne y● me tell Of a mayden / and she amayden dwell Syr on thre maners we fynde That god in erth made mannes kynd Fyrst made he man and gaue hym lyfe That nother came of man nor wyfe Man of man onely than he name As Eue that he made of Adam The thyrde maner than shal be Whan god of his powre I ensure the Shall lyght in erthe in a woman Without knowlegynge of any man And sethe the world fyrst began Euermore god lokyd vnto man That he shulde best do his wyll And his commaundementis fulfyll And of his kynde shall chosen be A clene mayden and a free That shal be withouten synne And all vertues her within Her father shall her sonne be And of his dought his mother make shal he She inuyolate / shall be in her lyght And dwell in her .ix. monthes ryght For the .ix orders shall he fulfyll Of aungels than in heuen are styll With mannes kynd that shall be borne And forthe haue comen here beforne He shall also throughe his myght Be borne of that mayden bryght And she after chylde berynge Shal be wemmyd of nothynge For as the sonne his lyght casteth Throughe the glas that hole lasteth And cometh out as he fyrst was Without wemme of the glas So shall god in that mayden lende And out of her body wende And she styll left a mayden ryght As the glas fro the sonne lyght

¶ The .xvij. questyon . Why is dethe callyd dethe tel me And how many dethes that therbe For bytternes is called dethe in dede And for Adam through euyl rede A bytter byte of the appul he bote That droue hym into laboure and swote And thre maner of dethes theris / One that not rype is As of chylderne that are yonge They fele no paynes stronge Another dethe there is also That bytter is to come vnto As a yonge man whan hym lyketh best And the deth be on hym fest Bytternes he feleth and wo Or the goost departe hym fro Goostly deth the thyrd it is There the foule is euer dede fro blys And all thre to man they came For the synne that dyd Adam And yf that synne ne had bene wrought Man ne shuld haue dyed nought

¶ The .xviij. question . ¶ Sendeth god ought to man to saye Of what deth that he shall dye NAye : he sendeth to no man But he that so moche can That he haueth no menyng of the dede And worketh after the best rede Sodayne deth shall he not dye For he shal go the redy waye And the good that byleueth aryght In god of heuen and his myght And worke as they ought to do To what deth that they go to Whether they be slayne with sword or knyf● Or with wylde bestes lese theyr lyfe Or in water drowned be Or hangyd hye vpon a tre Or of some fowle aduenture Maye then the lyfe no lenger endure Wycked deth are none of these In the syght of god and these For theyr good dedys more and lesse And goddes owne ryghtwysenesse May not he forgottyn in thought For they cursyd fyltynes of syn nought And yf they had oft don amys Through febylnes that in them is Truly yt shall be forgyuen all By the sharpe paynes that they suffer shall But he that in god trowes nought Ne his commaundmentis hath not wroght What may it hym a vayle That he haueth gret trauayle And prouys longe or he dye And though men hym fortunat say What deth so euer he dyes I I wys Wycked deth and short it is

¶ The .xix. questyon . ¶ Whan sowle fro the body shal shede How wendys the soule to other stede THe soule wendes fro the body Whan he dyeth full preuely But whan it is out gone Agayne to the body there cometh none A sorte of deuyls it take And moche ioye and dene therwith make And vnto helle they it bere With many paynes it to dere But after the tyme of goddes sone That he is comen in erthe to wone Of ledynge / shall be manners thre Soules to lede there they shall be ¶ One is yf a man had here leuyd Trustynge as god hathe hym instructed And his commaundmentes all hath wroght And from the ryght fayth erred nought Whan his lyfe in this world endys And his sowle from the body wendys Of aungels a great company Gaderys them with melody Untyl hym that his keper was Reioysyng greatly at that caas Takyng that sowle with play and songe And thankyng god euer amonge Untyl heuyn therwith they wende There to dwel without ende ¶ Another maner of ledyng is Yf aman haue done amys And wyll not his lawe fulfyll But hath all his lyfe done yll And ageyne that he dye shall He repentys hym of all And vnto god for mercy cryes Whan that sowle from the body flyes A good aungell it taketh in hast And delyuer it to a wycked gost at last And he shall it forth lede Payne to suffer for his mysdede But whan he hathe bete it all And sufferyd that he suffer shall Then the good aungell hym taketh away And ledethe hym to ioye for aye ¶ The thyrd maner yf man or wyfe In synne haue euer lad theyr lyfe And goddes byddyng wold not fulfyll But dyd all theyr hartes wyll Deuyls kepe that sowle anon Whan it is out of the body gon And bere it to the payne of helle Without ende therin to dwelle

¶ The .xx. questyon ¶ Now wolde I wyte whether wore Sowle or body made before Fyrst the body is made fulfayre Of fyre / water / erth and ayre And the fower complexyons that are In man / of thes fower they are Whan the body is made also Goddys grace comyth therto And blowyth in hym the goost of lyfe And after of hym made a wyfe Lorde and Syr he made hym be Of all that he in erth myght se But whan he the appul chose Clothyng of grace than dyd he lose Which hym greuyd very sore As ye haue herde here before

¶ The .xxj. questyon ¶ Which spekyth knowe wolde I The sowle of man or body NO myght hath the body Of hym selfe syk erly To speke / to goo / ne ought els to do But that the sowle hym geuyth to Men se ofre it chaunsys That aman on ahorse ryd yse And hym gydeth to and fro The way that he wyll go And the horse so compellede Goyth as the man wyll hym lede On lyke maner hath the body no myght Of spekyng / of goyng / ne of syght Nor of nought that he do shall But of the sowle it comyth all The body is of erth wrought And shall rote away to nought Therfore is he of feble ar nature Than the sowle that euer shall endure And the body ne is nothynge Unto the sowle but an hythynge Thou seyste well whan the sowle is gon A sowle caryn is the body on That speke ne store ought may Whan the sowle is gon away And by cause all thyng of the sowle is Therfore goyth she fyrst to ioy or blys And than felyth the sowle euerydele That the body doyth yll or well

¶ The .xxiij. questyon ¶ The sowle that a goost is on And hath nother flesshe ne bone ¶ Ne noght takys ne gyuys hym fro How may it fele other wel or wo A Goost is the sowle the soth to sey And neuer more may it dey Ete ne drynke wyll it nought And it is as swyfte as thought Felt ne sene may it not be Nor no stede may it occupe But whan the lyfe cometh to ende And the sowle shall fro the body wende Yf he helde goddes commaundement A clothe of grace to hym shal be sent Haue he be wycked ouer all A clothe of sorowe come to hym shall Throughe whiche clothynge fele shal he Ioye or payne whether it be

¶ The .xxiij. questyon . ¶ Who is more lord of the twey Sowle or body thou me say . THe body the more lorde is That ledeth the sowle oft amys But the more parell shuld abyde The sowle / yf that euyl betyde As yf there were now yong men tway Goynge in a parellous way And that one be bolde and hardy That other a coward that goeth hym by The coward thynketh as he goes Yf agayne vs come any fooes This hardy man shall me out bere So that me they shall not dere Thus goyth the cowarde hardely The hardy thynkyth what do shall I This is a coward that goyth by me Yf other than good come he wyll fle And I shall mys hym whan I haue nede Thus goyth the hardy man in drede All thus farys it wyturly Betwyx the sowle and the body The body says I wyll haue quyte All my wyll and my delyte Whan I am ded erth shall I be What than shall I recke what is of me ¶ The sowle says a felowe I lede That me beryth feble felowrede For if there come eny aduersyte I shall it fele and not be Thus is the sowl in peryll ay For that the body holdyth play

¶ The .xxiiij. questyon ¶ Where hath the sowle I the rede In mannys body his wonnyng stede IN the body euerywhere Wonyth the sowle if blode be there Blode is wessel for the sowle truly And of the blode is the body And where as blode raynyth nothyng There hath the sowle no dwellyng As in teth and heer also In nayles and in hyde therto Yf you say lyfe is in tho For they may fele who doth them wo Therto lyeth answere good For theyr rotys touchyth blode Pare them and clyp them who thou wylt And come theyr rotys not vntyl Shall they fele it neuer a dele Whether thou doyst them wo or we le

¶ The .xxv. questyon ¶ Why doth the sowle no lengar rest In the body / than the blode doth lest Lyke it faryth I the ensuer As fysshe in apond of water puer Yf a man a goter make The water of that ponde to slake The water rennith small & small Untyl it be ronne out all Than lye the fysshe of that ponde Betynge them selfe ageyne the drye londe And whan the water is all awey Than most they nedys dey Of the sowle it fareth so Whan the blode it rennyth fro As the blode out yssueth treuly So doth the sowle there wex feble quyely And whan the blode is out euery dele The sowle no lenger lyketh wele In that body for to dwell But departeth al so suell For his nature hathe he lost tho As fysshe whan the water is therfro

¶ The .xxvj. questyon . ¶ I praye the nowe that thou me saye How it is that ●he folk● so deye AMan dyeth on many wayes Summe whan that his dayes That god hym set fulfylled are Than it behoueth hym nedely to fare Somme of outrage that they do As of mete and drynke also And destroyeth theyr nature So that they maye not endure Understande that no man maye Ouer goddes terme leue one daye But with outrage maye he let The terme that god hym haue set Some dyeth in batayle and in fyght With staffe or swerde as falleth lyght And on many otherwyse also Mo than I can tell the vnto

¶ The .xxvij. questyon . ¶ How may man wete that it so is That god made man to his lykenes WE fynde of antiquite In bokes that somtyme had Noye That whan god of heuen kyng Had made beest and all thyng Than sayde one of the parsons thre That are in the Trinite Nowe althynge are made more and les Make we man to our lykenes And bycause he sayd make we Is to vnderstand that there ar thre And that he sayd is no lesynge Than are we lyke hym in makynge

¶ The .xxviij. questyon Sethen we of goddes lykenes be Why maye we not do as dyd he ? TO goddis lykenes are we dyght And therfore hathe be geuen vs might Aboue al other creature That he made here for to dure And for that likenes so know we All thynges that in erthe be We can labour / worke and wynne And we knowe almes fro synne All creatures maye we take And our seruauntis of them make And al other thynges that ar nought Unto goddis lykenes wrought Haue no conynge ne myght therto To do thyngis that we do Ne commaunde vs they ne maye As we do them euery daye But thoughe we be of his lykenes We maye not neuertheles Be al so stronge and wyse as he For hys handworke all ar we He is maker of all thynge And we are of his makynge He is lord and we subiecte as a slaue And for the lykenes that we haue Yf that we do not yll Aungels nombre we shall fulfyll For other lykenes than his Were not worthy to that blys

¶ The .xxix. question . ¶ Where becometh the blode all Of man / whan he dye shall . GOd made blode of water ryght And the body of erthe he dyght And as water in erthe synketh And the erthe the water drynketh For to mayntayne all thynge That waxeth and in erth sprynge Also mayntayneth trewly The blode / that is in the body And whan the sowle departe shall The blode he bereth with hym all And whan the harte is fro hym sent The blode is into the water went And the body that is drye And rype / may not longe lye That it ne drynketh the blode also As the erthe wyll the water do

¶ The .xxx. questyon . ¶ Whan the fyre quenchyd is Whether becometh it tell me this ? OF the sonne the fyre is ryght Therof haueth he hete and lyght And he be quenchyd he shall go To the sonne there he came fro Thou seest the sonne that lyght maketh And hete also there it on taketh On nyght whan he fro vs is went All the hete that he to vs lent And then lyght of hym also All dothe he take it hym vnto And ledeth with hym that he brought Fro hym departe ne maye it nought Also whan fyre is slaked here He withdraweth hym on the same manere Unto the nature for to go Of the sonne there he came fro

¶ The .xxxj. question . ¶ Why dyeth not the body thore Whan he leseth halfe his blode & more THoughe the blode be halfe aweye The body may not yet deye For the hete of the soule I I wys That the blode by mayntayned is Departeth not so lyghtly And I shall tel the for why The lytell blode that there is lefte Maketh that the sowle fro hym is not refte For it maynteyneth the sowle styffely And the sowle the blode and the body The weke that in a candel is Whan it begynneth for to mys The fyre slaketh and is a waye Euynso it is here to saye Of the blode the weke I make And by the fyre the sowle I take Whan the blode awaye is all The sowle no lenger dwell shall But the blode comforteth hym so Except some other euyll it forthe do Dyeth he not so lyghtly But holdeth hym on lyue contynually

¶ The .xxxij. questyon . ¶ Of what complexyon may it be The body / and of what nature is he OF the nature of erth it is tolde And his complexyon is colde And than is he makyd yare Of the fowre elamentis that are Of the erthe is the flesshe And the blode of water nesshe Of ayre the sowle maked was And of fyre the hete he has Se thyn flesshe is of erthes kynde And blode of water as we fynde Bothe are they colde of kynde to fonde But sowle that is of goddis onde That ought to be clene and fayre And is hote of kynde of ayre That sowle abydeth in the blode And heteth it and doth it good And the blode heteth trewly All the lymmes of the body

¶ The .xxxiij. questyon . ¶ Were sowles made at the fyrst for aye Or are they made yet euery daye ALl thyng that god thought to make al were at ons wroght That is to say at the begynnyng That he befor sawe all thynge And one commaundment made he All that was and that shal be But I saye not that they were In the lykenes that they now are All thynges in hym ware enclosyd verely Untyll they come to theyr beyng apertly Than he shapyd theyr fygure Euerychon after theyr nature But he commaunded all to be At ones / as we do se So at ones made he all thynge At his worde and his byddynge

¶ The xxxiiij . questyon ¶ May they haue eny excusynge That of god know nothyng ? SUch as god knowe not here Nor hym to lerne wyll not endeuere At the daye of dome shall he Know them for none of his meyne And tho that byleue and wyll not do The werkes that belongeth them vnto That sympely them vnderstonde As symple men that are in londe Yf they dampned be therfore Turmentyd shuld they not be sore And they that haue good vnderstondyng Of god / and do not his byddyng Fro payne they may them not defende But yf that they do here amende

¶ The .xxxv. questyon . ¶ Shall aman ought els do But that god commaundeth hym to ? GOd hathe kyndly made man To serue hym in all that he can And his commaundment to do And the deuyl to hate also And as we lordshyp wyl craue Of all thynges / and theyr seruyce haue Euyn so wyll god on all wyse Aske and haue of vs seruyse And that we byleue on hym stedfastly And worshyp hym with our body And loue hym aboue all thynge For we are all of his makynge

¶ The .xxxvj. questyon . ¶ How many worldes are of all And how do men them call ? THere are gostly worldes two And two bodely worldes also That one goostly heuen is There aungels are and all the blys And there the good generacyon Of Adam / shall hereafter wone That other goostly than is hell There the deuyls in paynes dwell ¶ The two bodely is in our syght As sunne / and mone / daye / and nyght And other thynges that we se That vs geueth claryte The tother trewly we can nat want The chefe thynge that we do enhaunte As the erthe that all thynge taketh And our wombe that nought forsaketh And fro the bodely that are Unto the goostly for to fare Whether it be lowe or hye Ne is it but a twynkelyng of an eye

¶ The .xxxvij. questyon . ¶ Is god of great yeldyng to tho That ryght in his seruyce here go IN al the worlde ne is no man That maye thynke ne tell can The good / the honour in many wyse That god gyueth man for his seruyse That in hym ttusteth and in his myght And his commaundment doth aryght And short commaundment ordenyd hath he Do good and lete euyl be His sonne shall he send here doune To dye for mannys saluacyon And tho that his seruyse haue in mynde In his blys they shall it fynde For he shall them worshype more Than eny aungel that is thore

¶ The .xxxviij. questyon ¶ The people that in that tyme shal be Of goddys sonne whan come is he ¶ And after shall they comenly Beleue in hym stedfastly ALl shall they in hym theyr trewth ley His own folke that is to sey But all shall they gatherede be Of dyuers spech and sondre countre But they shall not euerychon Haue commaundment after one Th● commaundment as men shall se Of goddys sonne shall truly one be After hym his mynisters twelue Shall commaund that selue But they that come after tho That in stede of mynisters shall go They shall well beholde and fynde The feblenes of mannes kynde And lyghter commaundment for that skyl Shall they make the folke vntyl And eche nacyon shall wene that he Be better than any other be But of them shal be at the fyne As it dothe by a great gardyne Where in many trees standeth And eche of them frewte bereth The tre that best frewte berys Be they appulles or be they peres The plentuousest of berynge And of best sauour in etynge That tre shall the gardynere Most loue and serue in tyme of yere A●so they that shall best byleue In goddes sone and theyr harte hym geue And best shall here in erthe do Whan tyme cometh there vnto They shall most worshypped be In heuen before the Trinite A myrrour that they shall beholde and se Full of ioy / that of no tong may expressed be

¶ The .xxxix. question . ¶ What commaundment by thy leue Shall goddes sone his folke geue ? IT shal be loue and abstynence And charyte and pacyence And that no man other do Than he wolde were done hym to God hymselfe for mannes loue Shall sende his sone from aboue And shall fele here abstynence And sufferaunce and pacyence And bytter deth at the last His folke out of payne to cast And who so beholde these fowre thynges All goodnes out of them sprynges For he that good loue hathe in god Loue in hymselfe is not all odde And he that hathe abstynence And charyte and pacyence And haueth the loue of god with all No doute he shall haue the lyfe eternall

¶ The .xl. questyon . ¶ The blesfulest thynge after thy wyt And dygniest / and fayrest whiche is it ? A Sowle that is good of man Of all thynges that I tell can Is the fayrest thynge that maye be For bryghter than the sonne is he And a worthyer thynge is there nought Of all that god in erthe hath wrought For of goddes owne onde it came Whan god blewe on Adam Therfore are aungels set therto To kepe it in all that they maye do ¶ Also the blysfullest it is For it is ordayned to that blys There neuer ende shal be Of ioye and blysse and game and gle And god gaue commaundement to al thynge For to serue man his blyssynge Than is mannes sowle blysfulest tho And worthyest and fayrest also

¶ The .xlj , questyon . ¶ The fowlest & the ꝑelousest thynge to se And most wyckedest which may that be Wycked sowle of man I wysse Is the fowlest thyng that is So harde harted man is none And he a wycked sowle sawe one In the ryght lykenes of it That he ne shulde lese his wyt Also it is perelouse For it gothe to a velayne howse There parell is and moche wo Where it neuer shall come fro The most cursyd is it aye For goddes sone on domes daye Before all his aungels thore Shal curse it for euermore And of the payne that it shall to Aungels and Archangels also Shall haue bothe ioye and blysse For that it had done amys

¶ The .xlij. questyon ¶ The good sowles shal they ought For the wyckyd sorow or take thought GOod men whan the wyckyd spyl Shal be al of goddys wyl And whan they the dome haue sene Of them that agayn god hath bene They shal be demt from goddis face Which shulbe al theyr solace For the dome shal be ryghtwyse That god shal gyue his enemyes And whan they are in al theyr paynes A monge the other hell hownes The good sowles shal glade be Them in theyr paynes on to se As we haue game to beholde Fysshe swyme in the water colde

¶ The .xliij. questyon ¶ Whether is better so god the saue Helth or syknes for to haue HElth of sowle is good to wynne To kepe it out of dedly synne For whan it is hole and fayre Of heuyn blys it shal be heyre And his dwellyng with god shal be For his laboure and dylygence If thou haddyst now a knyght That ware strong and stowt in fyght And ware hold bolde and hardy Hym thou woldyst holde the by And thou shuldyst in to fyght And ware he syke and of no myght No where woldyst thou with hym yede Wher thou shuldyst stonde in drede Lyke maner it is of sowles hele God wyl not with that sowle dele That feble is by the syknes of synne But he wyl therof blynne Ageyne the helth of the body To agood man saye I sykerly Is better hole than syke to be For in goodnes his helth vsyth he And they that lyue in synne and wo Sycknes is best for them tho Which for the payne of theyr sycknesse Shal they synne yet the lesse And withdrawe them therfro That in helth shuld not so do

¶ The .xliiij. questyon ¶ What poure is it that wold I lere That god hath gyuen to sowle here GOd hath geuen sowle vnto Akyngdome for to rule also That yf he kepe it aryght His kynges sete shal be dyght Before god in heuen blys And god shal saye to hym this Come my dere sone to me The kyngdome that I behyght the Thou hast it so kepte in all thynge That thou art worthy to be a kyng Therfore shalte thou crowned be Before my fathers maieste The sowle for the kyng take I And for the kyngdome the body And the commaundment of eche good kyng In his land shuld be done aboue all thynge Therfore what so the sowle wyll The body shuld it do with skyll And but the body do also As the sowle counsaylethe hym to Bothe together they shuld be cast In fyre of hell at the last

¶ The .xlv questyon . ¶ When goddes sone to the erth is sent And agayne to heuen is went Shall he any gouernour leue here In this world the folke to lere ? AFter that goddes sone vp shall stye Into his fathers companye His .xii. mynysters leue he shall That in erth hym companyd with all A holy hous amonge them all Shall they make / that they shal call Goddes house and so shall it be For therin may men god se After them shall other come also That theyr commaundment shall do A whyle / tyl it last maye And they shall fro daye to daye Wax ryche and of great myght And for theyr ryches anone ryght The lawe that goddes sone them lefte And his .xii. mynysters efte Febely than shall they it holde But for ryches shall all be solde And god shall then dystroye them tho For theyr synne and for theyr wo And than shall come great maystery Of the arte of astronomy And wyse men holde shall they be But coueytys shall shende all theyr gle

¶ The xlvj . questyon ¶ Goddys hows that thou hast tolde Who shal it kepe and haue in holde FOrsoth goddys sonne hym selue Shall amonge his dysciples twelue Commaunde one to kepe it ryght And stone of stonys shall he hyght He shall it kepe that it shall not spyll After man shal succede man according his wyl But after the tyme that goddys sonne Is come in erth for to wone A thowsand yere after than shal begynne In the worlde to sprynge synne Agaynst god and his lore And shal be wors than before After that men shall se Two great douues shal borne be That goddys lawe forther shall And myschefe destroye all That one douue shal be callyd mendar And that other amonester In the world they shal be bolde And pore men they shal be tolde The good shall loue them inwardly The wycked shal drede them wonderly And worshyp them with drede and sawe For they shal haue of them great awe Champyons they shal be stronge The faythe to holde and to fordo wronge Good kepars shall they be Of goddes house and his meyne

¶ The .xlvij. questyon ¶ He that no good doth but holdeth him styll Whether dothe he good or yll HE that no good dothe nor yl dedys The lyfe of beast ryght he ledys And that doth yl for he do 〈◊〉 And he that of good wy● a●ynne And doth not there he maye it do He dothe yll and synne also ¶ As yf a man were honger sted And gladly wold of mete be fed And he by an orchyarde were goynge There he moche freute sawe hangynge And dyeth for faute of mete And of the freute wyl not ete He doth euyll and amys For his owne defawte it is

¶ The .xlviij. questyon . ¶ Lordshyp whether shall it be Stoute and sterne or of petye ? LOrdshyp is goddes wyll Lawe and iustyce to fulfyll And yf myght Iustyce fynde Men shuld be of fysshes kynde The stronge shuld the feble ete And great the small that they myght gete And lordshyp ought stowte to be And stalworthe and of potence With ryght and skyll the wycked to deme And peas amonge the folke to set clene Alytel goddes sone beforne A kyng shall in erthe be borne He shal be profyte or he dye And in his prophesye he shall saye Blesyd be they god vnto That deme / and ryghtwysenes shal do Yf a wycked man be raynt And of his wyckednes be ataynt The lorde maye deme hym of his ryght And forgeue it of his myght But yf he afterward do amys Of the dome worthy he is

¶ The .xlix. questyon . ¶ Shal any man good do His kynde and his frendes vnto ? YF thy kynde good men be And they haue defawte of the And haue lost by myschaunce The good that shuld them auaunce Thou shalt them helpe and good them do And geue them good counsayle also Yf they be of wycked lyfe Be it man or be it wyfe And they be in wretchydnesse Throughe theyr owne wyckednesse As some that are of euyl mode He dothe yll that dothe them good That men putteth in all is lorne In a purs that is al to torne What helpeth it wax for to take And a serge therof make And before aman it lyght That is blynde and hathe no syght To suche aman helpeth it nought That lyght before hym be brought Also it is lost for to shewe Any goodnes to a shrewe

¶ The .l. questyon . Now I praye the tell me Gentylhed what maye that be GEntylry that is powre And ryches that aman hath here Of lande and rent and of fee And cometh of antiquite And that in coste hath to mayntayne For most ientyll is he counted certayne But some are ryche men of good And are churles kynd of blode A ryche man men call hym one But gentylman is he flone And he that ryche is wonderly A noble man of his body Curteys / wyse and holden fre A great gentylman is he And though he be a poure man And amonge men bere hym can As of norture in boure and halle A gentylman men shal hym calle But of poure men we al came As of Eue and adam

¶ The .lj. questyon ¶ How may it be colde euery yere Whan the wether is fayre and clere THe wether whan that it is fayre The hete comyth downe from the ayre And in to the erth he dryueth thore The hete that hetyd the erth before And so is hete al awaye On wynters dayes that is to say And whan the wether is trobelus and thike The hete may not downe lyght From the sonne by his myght So may it here be warme tolde And sumtyme in fayre wether colde

¶ The .lij. questyon ¶ May aman by eny trowe The goodmen from the wyckyd knowe GOod men them selfe declare ryght For of vysage they are bryght And theyr eyen also are bryght And louely they are of syght For the good lyfe they are in And they are trewly out of syn And bycause they lyue so chastly Swete wordes haue they comenly The wycked of euyl wyll they be And lowrynge are they on to se Of stablenes haue they nothynge Out of mesure is theyr spekynge Smarte goynge they haue also And they are seldome in ro And the wyckednes of theyr harte In worde and warke they shewe all smarte

¶ The .liij. questyon . ¶ The byleue that was here before Of false ydols that here wore Shal it euer raysed be So sterke as was in tyme of me ? CHyldren that shall come of the In god of heuen theyr byleue shal be And theyr chyldren yet also But they that shal come of them tho Shal turne vnto the wycked lawe That was before by olde sawe And they shal make a cyte Therin shall a towre be And that towre shal haue thore Foure and forty stages before And therin shal raygne a kynge Of al the worlde most masterlynge And an ymage he shall do dyght After his father and lyke hym ryght And all folke shall he make go to That ymage worshyp to do .

¶ The .liiij. questyon . ¶ Why was it not goddes wyl That man leuyd not a weke with one fyl HOnger one of the paynes is For syn that Adam dyd amys And man was made so ( yf he wolde ) That he euer leue shulde Without trauayle and without wo But whan he was fallen god fro Myght he not agayne come hym to Without trauayle and wo also And trauayle shulde hym not lyft But yf he had hunger and thyrst And honger / thyrst / keelth / and hete With other paynes that men with mete Shuld man nothynge of haue wyst Had the man not synned fyrst And with honger and thyrst maye Glotony be done awaye And for to mene in mannes thought The glotony that Adam wrought And that synne to wasshe a waye Kyndly hym hongereth euery daye

¶ The .lv. questyon . ¶ The ryche men dye they also Lyghtly as the poure men do ? Ryche and poure that men fynde All god made them of one kynde One whyle waxeth the poure ryche And somtyme made poure is the ryche Up and downe catel is brought But kynde of man ne changes nought Honger and thyrst hete and colde Ioye and sorowe many folde Slepe and wake etynge and drynkynge And many mo kyndes of lyuynge This hath the poure men as well As the rych of kynde euery dele But the poure by reson Are of strongar complexcyon Than the ryche that deyntely doth fede But they in trauayle theyr lyfe do lede But whan deth knocketh truly There is no nother remedy But both alyke shal fare Rych or poure whether they are

¶ The .lvj questyon ¶ Shall men iuge the ryche also As they the poure do IUge they shal them of ryght Stryghter than the poure wyght And euer the rycher that he be And he mysdo ageyne the The more payne shulde he bere Shulde no ryches hym out were And yf men deme the ryche sore The poure shall hym drede the more But for the poure mannys dede Hath the rych no drede But god rewardys them than The rych more than the poure man And demyth both ryghtwysly After as they are worthy So shuld men deme the quycke Rych and poure al alyke

¶ The .lvij. questyon May the wycked as wel for ay Haue goddys loue as the good may A Wycked man that hath do synne And of wyckydnes wyll blynne Cryeng god mercy wyllyng to do it no more He shal be in goddys fauoure The good are goddys where they go The wycked are fall hym fro Yf aman athynge haue lore That he loued wel before And he may it after fynde That shal he more haue in mynde And more shall therof be glad Than of all the othere that he had By man faryth god euyn so Yf aman ageyne hym mys do And it dedly synne be Far fro god fallen is he But yf he wyll mercy craue Sykerly he shall it haue For therof is god fulfayne And than fyndeth he hym agayne And of his fyndynge is he glad For the great loue that he to hym had Thus maye wycked aswell all daye Haue goddes loue as goodmen maye .

¶ The .lviij. questyon . ¶ How may the chyld that ful of loue is Come out of the mothers wombe tel me this GOd that all hath made of nought More wonders hathe he wrought And as he hath power therto The one body in that other to do So hath he myght it out to brynge For at his wyl are all thynge Whan tyme cometh that woman shall Be delyueryd of that she gothe withall All the ioyntes of her body Open and enlargeth them kyndly All one saue the chyn before And in that tyme the chylde is bore As a lykenes of dethe that ware But as sone as the body bare The ayre hath sauoryd that is here The bones that febely mowe stere Begynne for to drye anon And waxeth harde growyng to bon And all the lyghthes that ware open In the woman agayne are cropen Harken I shal tel the how If aman his fyngar drow The ioynt wyl open and vndo And after shet agayne to So it faryth with woman after chyldynge Throughe the grace of the heuynly kynge

¶ The .lix. questyon ¶ May eny woman bere mo Chyldren in her at onys than two A Woman may bere kyndly Seuen at onys in her body For the matryce of woman If you vnderstande can Hath seuen chambres and no mo And eche one is separat other fro And she may haue in eche of tho A chylde / and so with seuen go If goddys wyl be fyrst therto And the kynde of woman also If hote of kynde be the woman And hath great lykyng to the man One chambre or two or thre Of them that in her matryce be Of great wyl open ther agayne That aman hath by her layne The sede falleth in them anone And they close agayne eche one And yf that sede acordaunt fynde It waxeth further in his kynde And yf that other chaumbers be Open / and it be that she Knowe man agayne that same nyght Or on the morowe by daye lyght Or the second daye / later nought And the sede be therin brought They spere to and holde it fast And norysshe chyldren at the last And so longe they shulde be borne Latter than other are beforne As they ware gete sonderly But vnderstande not therby That euery tyme that aman Knowes flessly awoman That the seed in her rote take Many thynges may lettynge make But it behouyth that he and she Be both to gether atempre For yf aman alecheroure be And haunteth many as men do se The seed of hym is of no myght For feblenes of fowlynge ryght And yf aman holde hym fro That he no woman come to And than doeth as ye wotte The seed of hym is so hotte Whan it is to his chamber brought It brennyth and wastyth all to nought And yf the man be of tempre And yf the woman not so be But brennyng hote and of good wyll It shall the seed in her spylle And yf they both be of tempure Theyr seed shall in his chamber dure Fest there in and so ground fast That yt shall come to man at the last And yf theyr together comynge Be glade and mery in all thynge Of glade semblant theyr chyld shal be As they ware both at the assembly And yf they assemble them wrothly Tother shal be the chyld truly If the one be glade the other nought And the chyld be bytwyx them wrought The chyld shal be somtyme blythe And somtyme great felnes kythe And yf that it befall so That the one of them two Hath eny man greatly in thought Whan the seed is to his chambre brought That seed may lycknes take percaas Of hym that in theyr thought so was

¶ The .lx. questyon Which is the best thyng that may be Or man may haue tel it me HUmylyte is the best thynge That is vnder heuyn kynge For he that hath with hym humylyte He is indued with vertues thre Unto god and hymselfe also And his neyghbore vnto Al thynges are loued therby And god loueth it greatly The aungels that in heuyn are For humilyte myght not fall in care With the other that fell out For they ware vnleel and stout The great flode scapyd Noe By the goodnesse of humilyte That hym made of nought also And at his wyl them shal for do Trustyng stedfastly that he Was euer and without end shal be And kepe wel the commaundment That his sonne whan he doune is sent Shal in erth gyue man vnto Towarde god and man also To do good and wyckydnes let be And couetys and enuy fle And take vnto hym pacyence With charyte and abstynence For who so hath thes thre I I wys aleel man is he And after for his humilyte In heuyn may he crowned be With aungels before god of myght Wher euer is day with out nyght

¶ The .lxiij questyon ¶ Hardynes of man and drede Wherof come they I the rede BOldnes and drede of man Wherof they come tel I can They come of the complexcyon And I shal tel the areson Thou knouest that men made ware Of the foure elementes that are Saue that god gaue hym goost And after aman hath in hym most Of wete of dryeth hete or colde Shal his complexcyon betolde And thes foure euen be Raynynge in man / than shal he Be neyther coward ne hardy Lysten I shal tel the why If kelth not ouercome the hete Nor the drye ouercome the wete Equalyte than of hete / kylth / wete and dry The herte of man shal than lye For the euynhode of them tho And styre neyther to ne fro And yf the hete the kelthe ouer go And the hete the kylth also The body begynneth for to shake And the herte to styre and quake And for the hete is hardy anon And dredyth not that he lokyth on If the colde be mayster ouer the hete And ouer the drye be the wete The body waxeth colde at nede And the hert weke and ful of drede

¶ The .lxiiij. questyon ¶ Wherof may it be fall Man to haue meselry or scall SCall and meselry also Of the woman come they tho A woman that is hote of kynde And aman her in her floures fynde The floures are both hote and drye And the man than by her lye And gete a chylde perauenture That chylde shal be of nature Other be scalled or mesel The nature it is so fell That it in the woman takes Of a blode that it all makys Menstruum that blode we call That bredyth meselry or scall Which raygnyng in woman It is but foly to come to man But aman shal knowe his wyfe In entent to get a lyfe To worshype god that hym wrought And whan she is with chylde brought He shulde come ny her no more Untyl the chylde ware bore Nor fourty dayes shulde nought Such precept to Noe the aungel brought

¶ The .lxv. questyon ¶ Ware althynges of goddys makynge Made at the fyrst begynnynge GOd made of his myght althynge At his worde and byddynge But al the creatures that he forth brought At one tyme made he them nought For it ware agayne kynde by my thought A thynge that of matter is wrought But yf the matter ware before Or that thynge of it made wore For longe is stone or tre Or the hows made be Also fynde I many thynges yet As wormes comyng of mannys swet As lees and other wormes mo And some of mannys flesshe also And of mannys flesshe them fede As wormes that in handes brede Scarbode is of fylt a neet A worme that is so gret Of howndes come howndflees to And wormes of wyckyd ayre also And yf thes thynges latter be Than that that they come of / thynkes me That god at the begynnynge Made not at ones al thynge And al thynges he made I I wys Unto the lest worme that is

¶ The .lxvj. questyon ¶ Tel me now after thy wyt The frute in erth who norysshys yt AL the frute that in erth growes And al that man therin sowes Al noryshys god of his myght And for that hath he them dyght The foure elamentes to fynde Eche one noryssheth in his kynd The erthe sustayneth whan he to hym taketh The ayre noryssheth and it maketh The water it fedeth and grene it maketh Of fyre / here and waxyng it taketh These foure make rype euery frute Wherof men suffyse theyr apetyte Ryght as who shuld sethe mete Foure thynges behoueth hym to gete Fyre and water ayre and vessele Or els is it not sodden we le

¶ The .lxvij. questyon ¶ The bestes that haue no wyte How wax they ragyous tel me it GOd made ech beste as we fynde And gaue ech wyt after his kynde And ech kynd hath knoulegynge After his wyte of some thynge And that wyte may sone away In maner as I shal the say Aman may rekyn and fynde sone The .xxvii. daye of the mone In tyme of Iune ryght esterly A sterre hym sheweth on the skye And be it nyght or be it daye Yf a beast it beholde maye Or the vmbre in water on nyght It shal waxe ragyous anone ryght And yf it man or beast than byte It shal become rageous streyte

¶ The .lxviii. questyon ¶ What beast is it that ye fynde That lengest leueth in his kynde ? AN Erne leueth longest as I trowe Of all the beastes that I knowe The erne euery daye wyl flye In to the ayre vp so hye Hygher than any man maye se And fresshe and newe becometh he And in longe lyfe he contynueth That so oft hym selfe renueth The adder also hath longe lyfe And vnder erth he dwellyth ryfe And vnder stonys and in brynkes The kelyth of the erth drynkys His hyde he newyth euery yere And becomyth yonge and fayre Be he not slayned with beast or man A thowsand yere wel lyue he can And whan a thowsand yere is gon Horne his hede growyth on And shortly after begynneth he A fayr dragon for to be But al they fare not so Some dye or they come therto And some are slayned here and there Or els al to fell they were

¶ The .lxix. questyon ¶ Fedyth god al thynge That is in erth of his makynge GOd made althyng good And to al he sendyth lyues fode Frute on erth and flesshe on lande And fysshe in water and on sande To mannys fode is ordenyd all And therby he lyue shall Beastes so are fed also Of that the erth comyth fro Fowles some in erth are fed And some in water theyr lyfe is led The fyssh lyueth by his mete And ech of them wyl other ete The worme in erth is fede also And thys sendyth god them vnto Unto al that he hath lyfe lent He hath mete to them sent

¶ The .lxx. questyon ¶ Fysshe & fowle and beastes echone Haue they sowles or haue they none Ryghtly sowles for to sey Is such that it may neuer dey For yf the body do wel here The sowle shal be assocyat to aungel clere And that is callyd sowle of skyl That god gaue only man vntyl Wherfor euery other creature Is vnder man by ryght nature And for that shuld he Ouer al beastes mayster be Haue sowle that most wysdom can Or els ware beast lyke to man Beastes and foules and fysshes al Haue no sowl ryghtly to cal If thou say as some men do Al that lyueth hath sowle ther to Trough which sowl the body sterys Etyth / drynketh / seyth and herys It is no sowle it is but an onde That god hath lent them here we haue fonde For no good ne can they do But that man them noryssheth to Than haue they wyt of mannys techynge But of them selfe haue they nothynge If wyt of them selfe wore Theyr sowle ware of myght the more But theyr sowle that I a yeanyng cal Whan the body ded shal fall It faryth as an onde of thy mouth Whan it is gon no man it couth But vanysshys in the ayre awaye And no lengar ne dure may

¶ The .lxxj. questyon ¶ They that in tyme of goddis sonne be Shal they lyue as longe as we OF body such as now are we But so great shal they not be And we are now of lengar lyfe Than shal be than man or wyfe For the world is now stalworthyare Than shal be than and myghtyare And the erth gyueth vs to More frute than it shal them do And the plenty that the erth yeldys Both in woddes and in feldys Is now of moch more myght Than it shal be than with ryght And the wyne is strongar now Than shal be than and to more prow Wherfore ought we by ryght nature Haue lengar lyfe and lengar to endure Than they that in thos dayes are And febleare so forth shal they fare For he that may than the people amonge Lyue a . C. yere he lyueth longe And euer shal men dounwarde go Of lyfe and of strength also But in wyt wax they shal And in malyce with all And of theyr bodyes lessen shal Twyxen this and domys day

¶ The .lxxij. questyon ¶ Tel me now some ensure How longe this world shal endure NO man in erth may veryly The preuyte know of goddys secresy It is so great that wyte it ne can Nother beast / aungel ne man Ne no thyng but it be he That with god be full preue And that he loueth alther most As his sone or the holy gost For they with hym are all one In godhed / or els wote it none For euery erthely man wyl nought Tel to euery man his thought Ne his wyl in preuyte But yf he preuy with hym be Also reserueth god hym to Many thynges that he wyl do That he wyl of no kowlegynge Geue to man / ne to nothynge But to his owne sone onely For he is next and most hym by And that tyme that goddes sone Shal in erthe a man here wone Men shal hym aske yf the worlde here Shal endure seuen thousand yere And anone answere he shall And saye ye / and more withall For of the fathers preuyte Of the more / shal none the wyser be We fynde wele that god of heuen Hath made planettes seuen The world to kepe by daye and nyght And to eueryone geueth that is his myght And euery one is assyngned to A thousand yere to kepe also And whan euery one haueth on this wyse A thousand yere done his seruyse Than shal euer god fulfyll The world longer at his wyll For as al planettes gouernours be Euenso gouerneth them he And for he is aboue all Wote none but he what shal befall

¶ The .lxxiij. questyon . ¶ Leue ony men in the world mo Out of the erthe that we on go Syr yles are many in the see A thousand & fourehōdred & two ther be Some are inhabyted men withall And some not / nor neuer shall There are some that men in dwell Of our lykenes euery dell And of hyth but hanfulls thre And berdes hangyng to theyr kne Theyr here downe to theyr helys is Of flesshe they fede both of goose and gryce Theyr beastes are small euerychone A speche they haue by them alone ¶ A nother yle is by the see And therin are smal meyne A spanne longe are they and nomore And all of fysshe lyue they thore In the water are they be lyght And vp on londe they are on nyght ¶ Yet there other yles be With men al so great as we With one eye in the front no more And vs with two they drede ful sore They ete flesshe / and with the fellys Clothe they them / and with nothynge ellys ¶ Yet there is a nother also The folke that longeth therto Are tayled ryght as shepe eche one And then lyue by fysshe alone ¶ Yet is there one of oure shapnesse But they are moche lesse And they are euer in fyght and were Agayne a great maner of fowle is there In colde wynter tho fowles great Take they / and hold them for theyr mete ¶ A nother is there yet nere hand There is a maner foule dweland Thoughe they were in fyre brought Brenne ne shuld theyr fethers nought ¶ A nother folke is there feyre and sounde That haue vysage lyke a hounde ¶ Yet is there folke in a countre And feble and lene they be On sonne and on the mone they byleue And sacryfyce to them they geue But when they wyl sacrifyce make Sum wyl his best frendis take And praye hym company hym bere At the sacrifyce he shal do there Than shal he cause to be made a fyre And when it brenneth ful shyere Than shal he crye that al may here For loue of the sonne so dere Or the mone whether it be Or an ymage made of tre Lepe I in this fyre al hote For my meryte wel I wote Thus hym selfe there he brenneth And the deuyl his soule wynneth And tho that bere hym company Anone shal do the same foly The tother folke aboute bydene Syt tyl they be brenned ful clene And than shal they theyr asshes take And relykes shal they therof make ¶ Another lande there is also That sacryfyce the deuyl vnto Of theyr bodyes / and are ful blythe They cause to be made a sharpe sythe In lykenes of a hors sho And that shal haue haftes two By the heere than shall he hanged be Hye on lofte that men may se The sythe in his necke shal men laye The haftes in his handes twey And he shal crye as a man in a rage For the loue of his ymage That is my god this shal I do And kerue his owne necke in two The hede hangeth styll on hye The body falleth hastely That body shal be with honoure takyn And done out all that is therin And salted as they wyl it haue And by that ymage do it graue Upon the graue shal wryten be His owne name / and howe that he Made to that ymage sacryfyce And on what daye and in what wyse ¶ Another maner is there yet Of folke that are of lytell wyt Whan they sacrafyce shuld make A hye tree they do take And do styke it in a place With many about makyng solas And aboute that same tre Foure swerdis naked shal set be The poyntes vpward euerychone Than shal he betaken anone He that sacryfyce shall do Be bounden fote and hand also And vp drawen shal he be Into the ouermost ende of the tre Ther shal he crye the folke vnto In the worshype of god this I do They slake the rope they hym with drow And he fallyth sharpe I now Upon the swerdes he doth lyght And goyth to the deuyl ryght Than shal men that body take And a fayr stede for it make Two dayes / and that whyl shal be A crye made in al the cowntre That such a man made sacryfyce And yf eny are so wyse To come and aske eny bone Hast them and come thyther sone Or he to his graue be brought For of theyr bone want shal they nought Than come some vnto that stede And vnto hym make theyr bede And at theyr goddys fote shal he Afterward grauyn be ¶ Yet is there a countre ferthermore Whan a man is dede thore Yf he haue a wyfe then shal she All quycke by hym grauen be And also the man by the wyfe Yf she or he forlese theyr lyfe ¶ Another folke there is and that Wyll ete for deyntes hound and cat ¶ Another is when he wyfe shal wed He dare not with her go to bed The fyrst nyght / but he causeth blythly Another gest to lye her by For it is peryl a says to lyfe To touch fyrst a weddyd wyfe ¶ Another maner ther is wel fedde But they wyl neuer wyfe wedde They say that one wyfe ne can Holde her euer to one man ¶ Yet is there one that men do call Lande femynne that men call All of wymen and no men For therin lyue no man can That passyth fyue yere of age Ouer fyue dayes ther to haue herytage But in foure sesons of the yere Men and they gathere ful nere Hauynge with them felowrede Lokyng after no syburrede Viij . dayes fare they thus no mo Or the men depart them fro And yf any a chylde haue Be it so that it be a knawe They shal it kepe and norysshe wel Fyue yere / but more no dele And than shal they dryue it sone To the lande there men in wone They labour and tyl theyr met to wyne And ouer them they haue a quene That commaundyth them as quene shuld do Holdyng them in peas and ro Countres are there many mo But longe it ware to tel of tho But of thes some shal mere At the comyng of the false prophyte But many shal there fyrst be lorne For a kynge that shal be borne That shal the world seke valyently And shal do wryt them as men fynde truly And many of thos shal he spyll And with other theyr landes fyll

¶ The .lxxiiij. questyon ¶ Why are some men blake in towne Some whyt and some browne IN thre maners it comyth to That a man is colouryd so One is through kynde As we in our bokys fynde For yf the man broune be And the woman as wel as he And yf they to gether haue engendrure It ought to be broune of nature If the one be broune the other whyt And they assemble with great delyt Whos seed with most delyt festys Whan it in the chamber restys That seed shal the chyld be Lyckenyd most and shape of ble Another maner there yet is If a man be fedde amys And pourly lye and pourly go It makyth hym not colouryd so As he shuld be with ryght If he ware kept day and nyght The thyrd cause it is also The land and the ayre therto For euer the hoter the londe is The browner is the folke Iwys The colder lande the whyter aye For theyr skyn is not brent al day

¶ The .lxxv. questyon . ¶ Tell me nowe per company Wherof cometh felony ? Wycked humours make malencolye And that engendereth felonye The wicked humours kindel smert And gloweth son whyle about the hert And chafeth it as a fyre And maketh it derke and blacke for Ire And that darkenes answereth than Up into the brayne panne And whan the braynes are derked so Great dele of wyt they for go And smyte anone in felony And that maketh the hart so drye But whan that the humours sease And of theyr glowyng do release The herte resteth and styll lyeth And the derkenes fro hym wendeth The lymmes lyghten euerychone And in good poynt becometh anone

¶ The .lxxvi. questyon . The beastes that god in erth hath wrought Of one hewe why are they nought ? FOr they of goddes lykenes not be Dyuers colours haue they perde And by cause they on the ground frete Dyuers herbes to theyr mete Some are colde and some are hote And some are drye and some are wete And yf a beast / whan it great is Gothe etynge on the gras That most is hote and drye also The yonge shal blacke hewe come vnto And yf the most parte be hote Redde shal that yonge be god it wote And be they moyst it shal be graye And be they colde whyte for aye And yf that a beast fynde In one place erbes of sondry kynde And she fede her of them all Of dyuers hew the yonge shal fall And after that she most of eteth Most of that hew the yong geteth And of all beastes fareth it so Wylde and tame where so it go And al hath god dyght this thyng At his wyl and his ordaynyng

¶ The .lxxvij. questyon ¶ They that ete or drynke more than nede is Whether do they wel or amys ? HE that eteth more than he shuld And more than his kynd wold He doth harme his body vnto And some vnto his soule also And dystruccyon of mete doth he That other withall myght fed be A gayne god such aman is Wors than a beast I I wys God ordayned man to fede After that his kynd hath nede And the remnaunt to saue Untyl after he nede haue And a man that is wyse Shal ete onys a day or twyse A man that etyth at meel Untyl hym thynkyth that he is wel And layth efte aboue more Or that be dygestyd before His stomacke encombres he And the hete that therin shuld be And so his kynde he bryngyth doune And hym selfe to corrupcyon And his wyt in that is lesse Than a beast that etyth gresse For there is nether hors ne kowe From that he hath etyn I nowe That wyl ete eny more Tyl after he hongar sore And seyng a brute beast doth yt More shuld a man that hath wyt Wherfore I say a mys they do That ete more than nede is to

¶ The .lxxviij. questyon ¶ Which is the best thyng of the man And the worst that thou reckyn can THe best thyng of the man I I wys And the worst the tonge it is For by his tonge a man may get Syluer and golde drynke and mete Loue / worshype and fauoure And enhauntynge of honoure Also for the tonge he may Haue shame and bylony alday For such wordes may he say That perauenture may cause hym to dey The tonge hath nother gold ne fee But moch honoure makyth she And the tonge hath no bone But it doth breke many one And also wel / ware it the wyl Myght it speke the good as yl

¶ The .lxxix. questyon ¶ Whether hath aman more conyng Of hot mets or of colde etyng A Man that vsyth hot metys He chasys his body whan he etys The senewes norysshys he therby And al the vaynes of his body He warmyth the brayne and the hert And makyth them of wyt smerte Colde metes dothe not therto But keleth senowes and vaynes also And styreth the humours wycked and yl That the het held styll And they kele a mannys wyt Wherfore necessaryly behouyth it Whan the wyttes are so colde That they the lesse conynge holde

¶ The .lxxx questyon . ¶ How maye aman fle felony And wrathe and malencoly ? Fyrst shal amam haue in his thought Hym that him hathe made of nought And thanke it hym in al sake That he at his likenes wold him make And he shuld hym bethynke also Of the deth that he shal to That no man may fro shrynke Also shal he hym bethynke How god hath geuen to many Mayme and sekenes of body And to some rotyng of lym And what helthe he gaue to hym Ete and drynke after skyll And slepe as that reason wyll That euyl well ouercome he shall That hym stereth to greue withall And so maye he felony Ouercome and malancoly

¶ The .lxxxj questyon . ¶ Whether to haue is more bate Loue of woman or her hate ? A Good woman is good to loue And holde vnto mannes behoue For of good women comethe nought Neyther in warke nor in thought But good and worshyp where she goeth And euery man therfore her commendeth For but good and trewth and lawe Doth she mene to her felawe And such a woman loue men shal And do worshyp and honour with all A wyckyd woman shal men hate And fle from her in the gate If men may not fle her styl Fynde menys to eschew her wyckyd wyl For men shal neuer haue but folye Of wyckyd womannys companye Moch peryl and great blame And amonge men eschap moch shame Her maners are ful of vyce Moch lyke to a cocatryce Whych is a beast as men of tellyth And in the water most he dwellyth He hath a great hed and a longe And many reth crokyd and wronge Twyes in the yere he is greued With wormes that in hys teth do bred And whan he felyth them so The lande doth he drawe to And lyeth agayne the sonne aldaye Gapynge as wyde as he maye Than comyth a foule that god wold make The wormes out of his teth to take Aprycke on his hed is dyght Shapen as an edyl ryght The fowle crepeth in al nyce In to the mouth of the Cocatryce And the wormes etyth echone The Cocatryce felyth anone That the wormes destroyed be Anon her mouth closyth she And wold that fowle ete for his mede That hath don to hym that good dede The byrd felys her not wel And wotyth that she wyl hym spyl With his mouth that is sharpe before The Cocatryce smytyth thore In the mouth agayne the palat That she openyth her mouth wyth that The byrd fleyth out in haste And spedyth her awaye faste Such seruys yeldyth wyckyd wemen For al his good dede / vnto man Wherfore shal good men styl Fle from theyr wyckyd wyl

¶ The .lxxxij. questyon ¶ A man that is in helth and yonge How angerys he for a lytel wronge I Shal tel the how and why The hert is lorde of the body The body is his wardeyn And his seruaunt with al his meyn For al that lyketh the hert vnto Lykes to the body also The eyne are gythers of the herte The erys messyngers smerte The tonge his aduocat is she And the fete his somers be The handes are his knyghtes ensured The hertys castel is the hed The braynes so are castel as I haue sayn That of the hert reseuyth fayn If the hert a worde here veryly Be it scath or be it mery He may it not wyte ne know But his messyngers to hym it show And yf that the tydynges hym lyke He reioysys of it wonderlyke And al his men haue ioy and blys That the hert so mery is But whan the messyngers tel hym eny thyng Wherto he hath no lykyng He styrreth and quakyth wrothfully And al his men are than sory Al are they wroth and quake also As the wote them selfe do His enemyes are glad therfore On his men waxyng glowyng sore If the hert be strong and wyes And loue the castel there he lyes And his men wyl se vntyl And theyr scath not norysshe wyl Blame / charge / and the wroth all Upon hym selfe take he shall Holdyng hym faste it agayne Than shal his men rest and be fayne And his foos ouercome be That haue reryd his meyne But yf the hert be feble and vayne His enmyes brennes hym agayne And yf he haue no myght in resestyng Theyr assaut hym assaylyng And his men are as feble as he And remembres nought her aduersyte But to mysdo they styre them smerte And al the sorowe bydeth the herte Wherfor the body may take no scath But the herte felle it rath

¶ The .lxxxiij. questyon ¶ How may a man blameles be ¶ To loue a woman & hym not she LOue may they together wel As in god I the tel For god them together festyd louely Of both makyng one body By cause frute shuld be bytwyx them two To goddys name worshype to do Wherfor shuld eyther loue other in blys As the wyl of god is ¶ Of loue ther is another maner After as the world vsyth here As a man to loue his wyfe For her fayrnes and her good lyfe For ryches and her lewte And wyt that in her may be Aman that a good wyfe hauys That hym bothe wynnys and sauys And is of good maner withall The world wyl that he her loue shall And for these skylles shal woman After the worlde agayne loue man But who so loueth other wele And of these vertues haue no dele Moche to blame are they trewly For they loue vnskylfully .

¶ The .lxxxiiij. questyon . ¶ Wherof comethe the fatnes & why That aman hath in his body ? OF flewmys that in the body renneth Cometh fathed who so them kenneth And yf the flewmys be swete Throughe the body they shete And the hete of other thynges Sle they / and themselfe sprynges And lordshyp they haue anone Ouer the humours euerychone And whan that they maysters are The swetnes of them turneth yare In to grece / than gather that And maketh so the body fat Yf the flewmes be salte within The flesshe and the body they brenne And company anone they take Unto colours yelowe and blake And whan they in lymmes & veynes sprede And tho colours with them lede So longe as they therin dure They let the body of norture And holdis it so lene alwaye That it no grece gather maye Therfore it is good to many one To let the flewmes out of hym gone For aman may be slaynyd therby Or make great scabbe on his body .

¶ The .lxxxv. questyon ¶ Shal a man awoman chastyse With betyng whan she doth amyse GOod wymen to dele with al Theyr mysdedys shal be but smal And yf she haue ought mysgon She repentys her anon Shonysshyng her mysdede Men shal than her chastyse and lede With fayr wordes and soft And shal noman morne her oft Whan a wickyd woman hath myswrought And shonysys it ryght nought But doth vse it al tyte And hath therin great delyte If man her blame that she dyd so Another tyme shal she wors do If men them vpbrede or bete The lesse she shal her folye lete Men shal her warne twyes or thryes With fayrewordes yf he be wyes And with gyfte and fayre hetyng Wyl not leue that thynge Man shal her let and fro her go For it helpyth man no nother to do Unto woman that wyckyd wyl be For of the deuyls wyl is she And the deuyl her dwellyth in That causyth that she cannot blyn Wherfore there is no better wone But let the deuyl and her alone

¶ The .lxxxvj. questyon ¶ What thyng is gelousy to knowe And why is man in gelousy so OF gelousy are maners mo For to tel of than one or two One gelousy of god it is Whan aman heryth spekyng amys Agayne god or agayne his lay As herytykes do al day There shuld aman be ryght gelous And to his lawe ware defyrus Yet shal a man gelous be Ouer his frende yf eny haue he And that gelouse is commaundment Of clene hert and louyng entent Yet is there a gelousye That comyth of fowle hert and folye And of wyckyd humours also That the hert gatherys vnto That gelousy comyth of woman suerly Enhauntyng them wyckydly The hert brennys of wyckyd thought Rest in the body may it nought Mete and drynke he forgettyth al quyte With al his ioy and his delyte If aman be in such a stryfe For her that is his owne wyfe Out of his thought he shal it late And thynke that it may hym not bate His borden from his backe he thro And cast it vnto grownd lowe And thynke yf she good wolde be Shuld non her kepe so wel as she And thynke tyll he faryth so He sekyth after sorow and wo And yf he loue one wodly That not is his owne properdly He trauaylys in gelousye Of brennyng hert and great folye In angwysshe great lyue he sha And his tyme losyth al He is lyke that man I I wys That nyght and daye fyghtyng is Agayne the wynd it for to take His owne at his wyl to make And euer the lengar he doth so The forther is the wynde hym fro

¶ The .lxxxvij. questyon ¶ Shal aman loue his frende And opyn to hym al his mende HIs good frende aman loue shal With good hert and clene with al After his myght and with hym dele And of his charge bere somdele For yf he ryght good frende be No goodnes forgetyth he But of dyuers maners are they al Many that men frendes call Some ther are that wel can shake And aman fayre semblant make Sayeng that he is his frende Untyl he knowe ought of his mende He proferys hym his wyl to do But there is no trust ther to What he doth he rekenyth not nor hew But that it be his owne prow For dyd he ought agayne hym He shuld fynde hym fell and grym And he loueth me lyghtly inbate That for a lytel wyl me hate He that loueth me for myne And not for me / that is venyme But he is frende to mannys behoue To trust in and to loue That nought assentyth to the wyl Of hys frend that may turne to yll And seruyth not glosyngly But chastyse hym of his foly And though he apertly hym mysdo He ne says hym no word vnto In that frend shal man haue fyaunce And loue hym and hym auaunce

¶ The .lxxxviij. questyon ¶ May aman his profyt do And no trauayl haue therto SIthen adam ete through wyckyd rede The appul that god forbede Fro that tyme vnto nowe Myght neuer adam do his prowe Ware he neuer so myghty Without trauayl of his body The worlde that men on affye Is but vanyte and folye Therfore it behoueth pouer to trauel smere And ryche men in theyr hert As to thynke how they shal saue And multyplye that they haue And also thynke on heuyn kynge To make hym selfe a good endynge Better it is before to trauel hard So that the proue come afterward Than of trauayl here to slake And fowle endyng after to make For without some trauayl May no man in the world auayl

¶ The .lxxxix. questyon ¶ Shal men do good & almes dede Unto pouer that haue nede DO good / men shal to a pouer man That hym selfe helpe ne can And what befall ne rekyn shal But for goddys loue do all Unto the rych is lent rychesse To helpe the pouer that hath dystresse He shal thynke that pouer borne be Of adam and Eue as wel as he And to his lycknes are wrought And that he hath his ryches nought Of hym selfe but of goddys loue His body to kepe only But his sowle with al to tyle And thynke that after a whyle He shal dye and go hens somwhere And nothynge shal he with hym bere But as he came so shal he fare Both pouer / nakyd and bare Therfore shal he pouer gyue vnto Gladly departyng therwith also For that he geuyth that shal he fynde And that he leuyth hym behynde Is the worldys and not his Whreof he shal haue lytel blys

¶ T●e . lxxxx . questyon ¶ How shal aman hym order me say That is among the folke alday A Man shal hym contayne wysely Among men and curteslye And with fayre semblant euery whore Spekyng at mesure and nomore And here other speke whan they begynne Thoughe he haue no delyt therin For it is great curtesye To cast vnto hym his eye That he spekyth holde with al And to his wordes lysten he shal Yet shal he kepe hym euery a tyde With out bost and also pryde Thoughe he more rycher were Than eny other that are there For euer the myghtyare he be The better behauyour of shuld be he For to be curtys and meke If he wyl honoure seke And yf he shal speke eny whore He shal hym bethynke before And cast than in his hert ryght wel Or that he speke eny dele And whan that he shal tel his wyl Gyue bold and fayre semblaunt there tyl And be abasshed of nothynge Whyl he is in tellynge Aman that shal a reason show A baysshyng as he doth it out throw His knowlege is then lost among For they wyl say that he sayth wrong Be he among foles brought There his wysdome helpyth nought Wherfore he hym contayne Untyl he be among wysmen agayne As foly among wysmen is wyke Wysdome among folys is lyke

¶ The . lxxxxj . questyon ¶ Is a ryche man lesse worthy That he losyth his good holy ¶ Or a poure worthy the more That ryches on hym encresyd wore AS longe as the rych hath his good He is regardyd as of noble blode He is callyd and herd ouer all And euery man hym trust shall If his good fall hym fro He losyth myght and honour also With corage and doutynesse And becomyth coward neuer the lesse At cownsel shal he be not regardyd His wordes shal nothyng be trustyd No man shal his tales beleue No fayth shal men to hym gyue And the talkyng shal be I I wys That he was / and now not is ¶ The poure whan he waxyth ryche His neybors shal theyr trust in hym pych He is holden wyse curteys and good Thoughe he be a churle of blode His word is hard and byleued wele Thoughe it be lesyng a great dele Frendys he fynd anone ryght That somtyme set of hym ful lyght Yf he come ony where to the mete He shal be set amonge the grete To counsayle shal they cal hym gladly That before regarded hym lyghtly By the ryche it fareth euen so As men seeth by a marchaunt it do That boroweth great good al day Of ryche men that lend may And haue nought therof greatly But trauayleth and lyues therby And whan the ryche his good wyl haue Than is the marchaunt but a knaue And whyle he the reches occupyed He was of them ryche counted Of this world it fareth so Of al that men may gather them to Hath he nought but whyl he is here His lyuelode / and he be on bere Hath he nomore than he fyrst with began He cometh and goeth a poure man But the pouer that rych was Is holden gentylare per caas Than he that nought hade Nor nought hath for he is bade

¶ The . lxxxxij . questyon ¶ The wyckyd maner of men we se And wickyd custome whereof may that be OF wickyd wyl and wickyd herte And of malyce that gathers smerte For man hath the wyt To know his maner & reson it And to lete it yf he wyl And to change it from euyl He that wickyd custome hath also Good may he not thynke ne do Nor his herte in rest be For in vnclene thought trauayles he Through the which suerly His tyme he wastyth and body As he that goyth beastye That he myght sykerlye go by That goyth aboute without townes Both by dale and by downes And nedles trauaylys hym amys For al his owne folye it is

¶ The . lxxxxiij . questyon ¶ Seyng yron is so hard and stronge And for to werke it somwhat longe ¶ How was fyrst made & wherwith Tonges hamour and the styth GOd commaunded al thynge And al are of his makynge And wyst wherof man had nede For to do with eny dede To hym his messyngers he sent The aungel that to adam went He bade hym yron take in his hande And than was it as nesshe as sande And therof fyrst made a styth And hamour / tonges to worke with He went and shapyd them euerychone And they became harde anone And whan it to the dyluuy cam Noe of such lomes made than That ware forged after tho And kept them and after made mo And so to this tyme wrought are they And shal be to domysday

¶ The . lxxxxiiii . questyon ¶ Do they amys that alday swere By theyr god what so he were HE that swerys by his god falsly For he shuld trust in hym perfytly Whether he good or wicked is He doth euyl and amys For I trow there is no man quyke That his god holdyth wyke And falsly for couetys Swerys on hym by many wys He is deuyl and deuyls lyke And wors than an herytyke For his god falseth he For thynge that lytel whyle shal be And thoughe his god be false and wicke And he forswere hym by hym thycke His neyghbour for to begyle He synneth greatly I tel the treulye Lawe nor treuthe hath he none Nor amonge men shuld gone That by his god falsely wyl swere For he wold aman with falsed dere

¶ The . lxxxxv questyon . Shal aman of his body In althyng be chast treuly ? CHastyte a man shal holde Of his body many folde Of false othes and of lechery And of al other velany Of euyl syght of euyl speke Of euyl goyng and of handelyng eke Not to slepe in euyl ne in euyl rede Nor ete nor drynke in euyl stede Ne none other thynge do But as ryght hym gydeth to Al that is euyl is to fle And of al that shal a man chast be Sethe god at his lykenes hath sent Shape to man / and wyt hym lent Euyl to knowe and it to forsake Than doth he amys that therto wyl hym take And he that hym therfro holdeth al To goddes company he shal And to his aungels also Whan tyme comes there vnto

¶ The . lxxxxvj . questyon ¶ Whom shal amam loue with al to go And whos company fle fro IN fayre dewes that may them mete shal aman go and in herbes swete There may he go sykerly Without hurte of his body For who so in the fyre goose He brennyth both fote and toos By this shalt thou vnderstande With whom aman shal go company / and Go with the good to and fro So shalt thou not mysdo Nor noman shal to the say Wher thou goyst by the way But worshype / honour of the wyl talke And than in the dewe thou doyst walke But yf aman in hym selfe be good And he turne there to his mood To haunt folys company To hym therof shal come foly And euyl report and wyckyd name And vylony of folke and blame And they shal say he wold not go there But he of theyr maners were Ware he not of theyr assent Therfore in theyr company he went Euery good man wyl hym fle And thys vpon the fyre goyth he Wherfore shuld men with good go And that are folys fle them fro

¶ The . lxxxxvij . questyon ¶ Whether is better so god the saue Ryches or pouerte for to haue RIches are there bodyly And there are also goostly And who comyth the one vntyl May haue the other yf he wyl For he may haue that is nede The sowle and body both to fede He shal fynde how hym he serue shal And his commaundment do al Iche man shal fynd to do it wel And for his ryches the more euery dele If men worshype the pouer ought That is but wynde and turnyth to noght For of that honour that he had May he not be fede ne clad Wherfore to bodyly profyt Than is it more delyt Men say a rych chorle is he That pouer and worshyppyd men se

¶ The . lxxxxviij . questyon ¶ Shal aman honour that are ny don Lyke a rych man and agrom THat man that deme wyl lelly He shal also debonarly Apouer ney do honour to As he shuld to a rych do Thoughe the rych be hye set And the pouer stande on his feet But yf they both in lyke caas be Of iugment to here the sentence perde Nomore shal he be dysdaynyng To here the pouer mannys sayeng Than he shal be of the rych mannys matter So as the pouer mannys be as good or better Iugment came of god wherfore it shulde Be delyd euyn yf men wolde

¶ The . lxxxxix . questyon ¶ Delyt the pouer in pouerte also As the rych in theyr ryches do APouer man that hath no mete And to fyl the wombe he may gete He delyteth hym more therin Than the rych with al that he doth wyn For yf the pouer haue his fylle Of mete and drynke he hath his wyl And the rych is hongre ay To gather more than he may And haue he neuer so great fee He may neuer fyllyd be For better at ese than is Iwys The ful man / than the hongre is The pouer so of his hongar sesyth The rych in his hongar contynuyth He that longe hath seke leyne Whan he is helyd he is feyne And in his hert reioysyth more Than they that euer in helth wore Whan the syckenes of the pouer That hongre is may ought couer With mete and drynke that he hath gat More delyte he hath in that Than he that is in ryches sad That neuer no defaut had

¶ The . C. questyon ¶ Shal a man ought make his roos Of eny thyng that he doos THes wyse men shuld bost them nought Of nothing that they haue wrought For o●fence wa●e it god vnto And his owne dyshonour also Be he neuer so doughty Ne so valyaunt of his body And he bost hym of his dede Men shal scorne hym to his mede And though they say it not / they hym holde For a lyer of that he tolde But a coward of no bounte For men shal wene he doughty be Of moch more his bost wyl make Than euer durst he vnder take Than say some that by hym sat That he is a lyare in that He was neuer worth a torde But a bostar in worde And he that doughty man is tolde And a hardy and a bolde Kepyth his tonge where he doth resorte Sufferyng other of hym to reporte That is moch more his honoure For it is an old auctoure He that hym selfe bostyth in towne With an horse tord men shal hym crowne

¶ The . Cj. questyon ¶ Why are howndes faster in theyr kynde Than other beastes that men do fynde OF all the beastes that I wote Is none of nature so hote As is a hounde in his nature And whan he shal make engendure Of theyr hete the great glowyng Maketh them together fastenyng As two peces of Iron fare In the fyre whan they wellyd are Ley that one that other vpon And geue them a stroke anon Throughe hete they together bynde And so fare houndes in theyr kynd

¶ The . C.ii. questyon ¶ He that of a nother mannes wyfe couetis is Or of his good doth he amys ? HE that is couetous and wode After other mannes good Other his wyfe whether it be Great synne and amys doth he And suche aman as we of tel Is called the deuyls grype of hel For the deuyll coueth aye To drawe vnto hym that he maye And for such a couetous is knowen That more wolde haue than his owne For a man shuld with another do As he wold men dyd hym to What man wold hym take fro His wyfe or his goodys mo I trowe it wold make hym loth And sone make hym wroth Wherfore shulde man hold hym euen As the aungels do in heuen There none couetyth others blys But holdyth hym content as he is

¶ The . C.iij. questyon ¶ May no man eschape / but dye By ryches / myght ne eny rede me sey EUery man is made as thou hast herd Of foure thynges in this mydelerd Of fyre / water / erth / ayre Both the fowle and also the fayre And thes foure ech one be Contrary to other in qualyte And the body may not blyn Where thes foure are gathered in But to gether haue they batayle Ey vnto one of them doth fayle And be the one downe clene brought The body lyueth lengar nought Therfore where so a man be Be it on land or on see The deth cleuyth euer by hym As it ware his owne lyme His lyme myght he away cast But deth cleueth ouer fast So that powre ne rychesse Ne conyng ne doughtynesse No excusacyon may aman make Whan god wyl the deth hym to take For good and bade shrewe and wich Yonge and old pouer and ryche Strong and feble folys and wyse Great and smal may none scape thys The deth that he most to go Unto the erth there he came fro

¶ The . C.iiij . questyon ¶ Syttyth god to aunswere ay Them that folye speke alday Hym to ferforth aman strykys That answerys hym that folysly spekys But yf his folye shuld hym dere Than is it good that he answere Somtyme spekyth a fole folye And noman wottyth of whom ne why And men aunswere hym nothynge Is none the wors of his sayenge But yf men aunswere hym thore They bold hym to speke the more And than is a fole al hot To speke more than he wot And his wordes wyl not lete To confyrme with wordes grete And so engendryth great folye And great hathred and enuye And yf men hym answeryd nought His iangelyng were to ende brought Therfore he goth on the egge of a sword That answereth vnto a foles word

¶ The . C.v. questyon ¶ What conyng of all that you tel can Is most greuous vnto man ? OF all conyngis the greuosest That is clargy and eke the best The sotylest and the most of wyt And the moste worshyped is it And therfore is it called arte For it arteth on eche parte His herer vnto conyng And of al thyng knowlegyng And sonest may it auayle But art of the most trauayle Than is wrytynge of al that be For he that wryteth may not se A bought / cs he is in wrytyng Nor here no speche nor other thyng Nor thynke / nor lysten / ne nought do B●t al onely there vnto Therfore of all trauayles thou wotest Than is wrytyng alther most

¶ The . C.vj. questyon ¶ They that trauayle for to wyn And can not lyue / why wyl they not blyn MEn that trauayle and ese them nought In great couetyse are they brought And great traldam lyue they in And yet they cannot blyn But they shal trauayl and go ther fro And al that trauayle in such wo Shal another of it make hym blyth That lytel dyd for it / but labour lyght I say not that is gottyn in hast Shal a man dyspend in wast Ne shal of that fele no dysese But he shal with that syt at ese And neuer the lesse at mesure spende Of such as god wyl sende Ese them that not haue And lyfe and sowle so may he saue But he that of trauayl can not late For couetys of wordly bare And hath I now without that He shal neuer man be fate But euer the more he may wyn The more care is he in Wherfore it is good in trauayl stronge Thoughe a man wyn / to rest among

¶ The . C.vij . questyon ¶ On what maner may it ryse That men wax soles and vnwyse ON many maners cometh it to That men foles wax also Some are symple as foles borne Some by euyl theyr wyttes haue lorne And some by lesyng of theyr blode Some for theyr braynes wax al wode Some of wickyd humours begyn And some for the hete that they haue be in Some by cause theyr hert is of feble myght And some for euyl syght on nyght And some that wake ouer fast That dryeth the braynes at the last And many maners are there mo That workes vnto man great wo

¶ The . C.viij . questyon ¶ Is the sowle or the body wo Whan one shal depart another fro FOr soth it greuyth them fulsore And ful mornyng are therefore Felyng great ang●ysshe and wo Whan that one partyth the other fro And yf it at theyr wyl wore They depart wold neuer more If a yong man toke awyfe That he louyd as his lyfe And she hym more than althynge Who so betwyx them made departynge Departyng them agayne theyr wyl That shuld plese them both ful yll So is it betwyx the sowle and the body They are spoused to gether inwardly And so great loue together holde That they neuer depart wolde And yf they febely haue wrought Sythen they together ware brought Than chely is the sorow al Whan that they depart shal For the body rottyh awaye The sowle goyth to payne for aye Than it is no wonder that they be wroth And dredyng of thyr departyng both

¶ The . C.ix. questyon ¶ Whether shal men hold the more A old man or a yong man that wore UNto neyther shal men holde There both are for fooles tolde For yf the yong a foole is And he be instructed amys The hote nature wyl in hym glowe And humours as a lowe Which hetyth his hert and his blode And makyth hym iolyfe and wode And whyle that hete lasteth so A short rede shuld he assent to But an old fool yf there be one That hath lytel hete or none And he be tangeled with iolyte A ryght kynde fool is he For his tyme he had before And now wold haue one more And that iolynesse men in hym fynde Is of force and of no kynde And so is he ioylyfe amys For he sheweth more than in hym is As he that flesshe wold sethe kyndly With the claryte of the sonne verely But to such fooles olde Shal no wyseman hym holde

¶ The . C.x. questyon ¶ Why raynys it in one yere more Than in a nother and wherfore SOmtyme that it raynyth so In one yere more than in a nother do Fyrst of goddys wyl I it fet And than of gouernal that he hath set As of mouyng a the planetys And of the sygnes that them metys After as they meue lowe or hye Make they the yeres were or drye And al comyth of goddys wyl Rayne it / snewe it / or be it styl

¶ The . C.xi. questyon ¶ Why hath not god man so wrought That he ne had synned nought IF god had man fyrst so dyght That he after ne synned myght Of meryt ware no man worthy For no goodnes of his body Al the meryt agayne . shuld go Unto god there it came fro And of goddys blys no man worthy wore But he deseruyd it had before And ware man made on such manere That he myght no synne do here His goodnes of hym lefe ware nought But his that hym so hath wrought For of that that the behouyth nede Arte thou worthy to haue no mede But the man that of his wyl May do both good and yl And doth the good / worthy he is For to come vnto that blys That god hath ordayned hym vnto And that the deuyl shuld also Shame hym / that god had man ordayned To haue the blys that he of myscaryed By the werkes of his owne wyl The good to take and fle the yl

¶ The . C.xii. questyon ¶ Is it good to haue entormetyng Agayne euery man of althyng AMan shal clyme on a tre That he thynketh esyest be The frute for to come vnto If he wyl his profyt do And he that on the sonne beme wyl clyme He may breke his necke some tyme For he that clymeth ouer hye May happe somtyme to wrye Euyn so it faryth with mannys demenar That entermetyth a boue his powar Late them that are rych and fers Entyrmet them with theyr pers And the pouer whare they fare With such other as they are But sometyme the pouer is pert perde To stryue with the rych in his pouerte But with the rych to entyrmet He may lose and nothyng gete And yf that it so befall That arych hym to cownsel call Entyrmete hym of no more Than that he is called fore Late rych with the rych man Do the best that they can And worke they good worke they yl Euer the pouer hold hym styl With his lyke about he go And entyrmete hym as with the Whare he shal haue drede none To hurte his hede agayne astone

¶ The . C.xiii. questyon ¶ Tel me now for what sake That god wold that world make GOd made the world as was his wyl The palays of heuyn to fulfyl Of the which aungels fel out before For the pryde they in wore And for that the trynyte Was not worshypped as it shuld be Than made he man that blysse to wyn That aungel had lost by synne But al tho that here are wrought Shal not to that blys be brought None but tho that are worthy For the good dedes of theyr body

¶ The . C.xiiii . questyon ¶ How was the world made as it is And how holdys it tel me this WHan aungel had don amys And was fal out of blys God commaunded there vnto Be made the world & it was so Fyre & ayre them hyest drew truly For they ware lyghtest sykerly Erth and water doune them drest And the water vpon the erth doth rest And al foure by and by Ware hangyng in the mydel of the sky And fastenyng haue they none But of goddys myght alone God made the world of the lykenesse Of an egge more ny lesse Be the shelle take I shal The fyrmament that closyth al Be the whyte the water take I That is betwene the erth and the sky Be the yolke that is innermest Take I the erth that is lowest And whan the yolke is sodde harde Awhyt is in the mydwarde Wherby I take hel For it is fortherest from the shel And so is hel heuyn fro Ferrest put in sorow and wo And echone is as thou mayst se There god them ordayned fyrst to be

¶ The . C.xv. questyon ¶ Is eny other folke than we That of the sonne hath the claryte Dyuers other the world are in And fer from vs they byn Under vs they are loo That theyr fete agayne owrs go And who so al the world myght se In one sonne both be we But somtyme whan here is nyght Than haue they the day lyght And here somtyme shynyth the sonne Whan that they none se cone For whan the sonne to rest goyth thore Halfe pryme is it to vs and more And the roundnesse I I wys Of the world makyth this Our somer and our wynter also Is both on vs and them vnto But after the sonne drawyth to endyng Whan here is erly than there is mornyng And in other placys mo Of the word it faryth so That some haue somer very hot There other haue wynter cold and wot And god hath of the sonne I I wys Made the way that makyth al this

¶ The . C.xvj. questyon ¶ How longe may the world be And how brode and thyke is he HE that the world beholdyth all It is rownd as a ball And for his roundnes it behoue thanede That al one lyke be long and brede Bud the thycknes also Is euyn wyth them two And in caas it ware al playne lande As the palme of my hande Aman shuld euery daye Go certayne myles by the waye And shuld haue no lettyng Of water ne no nother thyng The world for to thorow fare He shuld not come there His purpose throughe to go By a thowsand dayes without mo And that same shal he fynd that doth yede The thycknes as wel as the brede

¶ The . C.xvij . questyon ¶ Why shal god clene also The folke of this world vndo GOd shal thys world destroye I I wys For a better than it is For ware it now that here stode A rych palays and a good And the man that it longyd to Another hows had also Wel sympler and lesse worthy And it fortuned than chaunceably That of the palays fel awalle And lose therof the stones and al And that walle myght he not make But he wold the stones take Of the lytel hows besyde I trow there shuld no nother betyde But he wold his paleys dyght As shortly as he myght And of his hows haue lytel care But that his palays fulfylled ware He ware a fole that wold chese The better for the wors to lese So faryth god I warne the wele For of his palays fel a great dele And of this world no nother careth he But that his palays fulfylled be

¶ The . C.xviij. questyon ¶ The fowles that in the ayre flye How are they borne on loft a hye THe thycknesse of the ayre ahye Is the chefe cause truly That the fowles a lofte are borne Els ware theyr flyght forlorne The ayre is thycke and moyst also And wyl dysclose and close agayne to And whan the fowle is a lofte His wynges styreth he ofte With the warpyng of his wynge He doth the ayre a sondre mynge Which waxeth thycke and he is lyght And that hym holdyth in his flyght And that the ayre is thycke aboue Aman may wel proue Who so in his hande wyl take A yarde and it smertly shake It shal bowe in the shakyng And that doth no nother thyng But thycknes of the ayre withstandys The yard in shakyng of thy handys And so it withstandyth the fowles al In theyr fleyng that they ne fall

¶ The C.xix . questyon ¶ Among al other tel me yet The rayne that fallyth whens comith it BAyne is water of the see And with blast of wynde mountys he And whan the wynde is on hye The sonne that is hote kyndly Draweth the water fast hym to The wynde puttyth fast after also As that men may se somtyme A dew lyeng tyl halfe the pryme But whan the sonne his hete yeldys That dew in towne and in feldys He takyth vp and draweth fast And cometh to the ayre at the last And is there thyckened in cloude Than comyth wynde and blowyth lowde And beryth it in the ayre euerywhore Tyl it be waxen thycke and more Than begynneth it to be heuy sone Aod may not longe a boue wone But fallyth in rayne hastely And whan the rayne is doune clenly The cloude becomyth whyte and fayre Which is a the keelth of the ayre And that wastyth the sonne there nere And so becomyth the sky clere

¶ The . C.xx . questyon ¶ Hayle stones that fal also From whence and wherof come the OF water gathered vnder the sky And of kylth of the ayre on hy As whan a cloude is but thyn Lytel poure hauyng hym in And aboue in the ayre flye Wyndes that are colde and drye And whan that cloud shuld in droppes fall With coldnesse are they frosen all And that that shuld haue fall rayne to ground They fall than in stones round

¶ The . C.xxj. questyon ¶ Wherof are the tempestes al That somtyme among vs fall IN that yere that somer is cold And the moysture manyfold That is in the ayre holdyth styl And may not clensyd be at wyl But gatheryth fast and holdyth thore And in wynter encresyth to more Than be fallyth in some partye That the erth cleueth for drye The spered wyndes than come out And spred them al about In to the ayre theyr waye they take And therof great tempest make

¶ The . C.xxii. questyon ¶ Tel me now for it is wonder Wherof cometh the thounder ‛ RIse out of the erth arecke truly As a smoke men may se perfitely And exalacyons they hyght Which ascende in to the ayre ryght Hote and drye are some of tho And some hote and moyst also Whan they al the hyest are Of the ayre the wynd that is thare He that / that is hote and drye May the hastlyar vp a hye And whan the wete cometh thore For moysture gatheryth wynd sore And waxyth colde therby And thyckeneth also wonderly And than is it in sondre cast And cloudes made with wyndes blast And the exalacyon that is drye Is cast a mong the cloudes hye From one to another as a balle But at the last out it shal And whan he brekyth it asonder Anoyse it makyth that we call the thonder For drye among the wete wyl nought Dwel whan the wete pressys hym ought And by ensample thou mayst se On what maner it may be Let a man his handful holde Of whet or syluer which he wolde The more he the hande togethtr prest The more wyl it out threst And so it is to vnderstande Of the tother before hande

¶ The . C.xiij. questyon ¶ The wynde that blowyth by land & see Wherof euer may it be I Haue tolde here before Evalacyons what they wore And he that is hote and drye As I sayd wyl vp a hye Now whan it comyth clowdes amonge If the clowdes be thycke and stronge They cast that exalacyon To and fro vp and doune And be cause it is drye at the last It turneth in to wyndes blast And ware that exalacyon hote It turneth in to rayne wote

¶ The . C.xxiiij . questyon ¶ How yssueth water of hylles hye That semed rather to be drye ALso as the veynes lye In mannys body lowe or hye So the erth that we on go Is vnder ful of veynes also And open the hyde the veyne vpon The blode spryngeth out anon Euyn as wel vpon the crowne As on the fote beneth downe So the veynes that in the erth lye Haue water runnyng lowe and hye Up and doune to and fro As the veynes in erth go And there they the erth feble se Hye or lowe whether it be It brestyth out and rennyth there Hylle or dale whether it be

¶ The . C.xxv . questyon ¶ The water that is in the see Why is it salt tel you me IN the mydel of the world a see is Where the sonne euer brennyng is And by that brennyng hete Are the waters that shuld be swete Become bytter and salt also Which see renneth the other vnto Wherof al salt it is And the hete of the sonne makyth moche of this Ware it that the see styl stode And ware the water fresshe and good The stynke therof so great shuld be That al the fysshes in the see Shuld dye anon both great and smal And that ware vnto man great bale And on the land shuld be such stynke More than I can expresse or thynke Which shuld on lande so be here That it shulde al the people dere

¶ The . C.xxvi questyon ¶ Wherof euer may it be The lyghtenyng that we here se CLowdes somtyme on the sky Renne to gether vp a hy With so great fyre and so kenne That fyre lyghtenyth them betwene And that is that we lyghtnyng call And somtyme downe wyl it fall Somtyme slekenys it a lofte In the cloude and that is ofte

¶ The . C.xxvij . questyon ¶ The waters that ebbe & flow also Wherof come they & whyter do they go ALl the waters that euer be Al they come out of the see And thyther agayne they go Unto the see wher they came fro The waters that fall in erth synkyth And as a spryng the erth them drynkyth And whan they are come thether In veynes gather they to gether And they that go in by one syde By another out they glyde The erth takyth and geuyth all The waters that are and on erth fall

¶ The . C.xxviii . questyon ¶ Hylles and roches ware they nought Made whan the world was fyrst wrought FRom the fyrst tyme of adam Unto the tyme that Noe came Was neuer hyl ne rocke with al But as playne about as a ball Rayne fell than to erth none No tempest was nor storme But in the tyme of Noe For the great iniquyte And for the synne that adam wrought God sent astode that sesyd nought Xl. dayes and xl . nyghtes Al the world destroyed he thore Saue them that in the arch wore And the course of the stode them among In his comyng was so strong That where it neysshe ground fonde It dyd fret away both erth and sonde Stone and rocke felde and towne Al was turned vp se downe But whan the flode began to slake And lytel stremes for to make Stones on hepes so with stode And turned no more for the flode And whan some with stode so Mo them gathered vnto The neysshe ground the water doth fret For no hardnes it doth let And afterward the sonnys hete With frost and snow to gether do mete Dryuyng the stones to gether harde And became rockes afterwarde Wherfore by the forsayd skyl That flode made both dale and hyll

¶ The . C.xxix . questyon ¶ Shal the dyluuy come eny more In the world that was before GOd hath hyght vnto man kynde As we in our bokes fynde That neuer shal come to destroy man Such a dyluuy as than ran But yf of synne man not amende A sharpe scourge he shal them sende That scourge is a swerd of wrake That one shal agayne a nother take And o●e shal a nother for do And destroye the world also

¶ The . C.xxx . questyon ¶ Whan Noe shuld to the arch go And of ech beastes toke with hym two Why wold he euyl beastes take As scorpyons / adder / and snake NOe dyd them in the arch ley For two thynges that I shal the sey That one for the commaundment That god hym be the aungel sent And that durst he not breke For he sawe moch wreke Of ech one two god byd hym take For he wold not them al new make Wherfore his precept dyd he And of them came / that now be ¶ That other was for mannys he le For but yf venemous beastes fele Ware dwellyng in ech countre So ful of venom the erth shuld be That it shuld enuenym al thynge As frute and corne that in erth dyd sprynge And so shuld no man therof ete But he dyed by that mete And the beastes ne lyue I I wys But of the venym that in erth is And they clense the erth by kynde Of the venym they therin fynde And al theyr venym is truly Of the erth that they lyue by For take an adder for asay The venemost that men fynde may And in a vessel hym do That no erth come hym to With flesshe and bred kepe it thore Fyftene dayes and no more Al his venom shal be gon And hurte may he do none For venom in hym none doth abyde Except he on the erth do slyde

¶ The . C.xxxj questyon ¶ Wherof euer comyth the gold That man so precyous doth hold THe myne of gold without mys In veynes of the erth waxyng is And syluer also with metals mo Which the erth come fro But gold and syluer men fynde betwene The erth there it is pure and clene Men gather it and dyght it so With arte that they haue therto But there men it most fynde Is a lande by the west Inde In gyse of brasse men fynde there By the banke of the see euerywhere But euery man can not it dyght For to brynge it to the ryght

¶ The . C.xxxi . questyon ¶ Tel me now yf thou wote How out of the erth spryng waters hot WAters that al hote so sprynge Haue it somwher in theyr renning By brymstone hath his cours And not fare from his sours By the hete of the kynd of brimstone The water becomyth warme anon And warme spryngeth out also And who so leyd his nose therto He shuld anon fele ful we le Sauoure of brymstone somdele

¶ The . C.xxxii . questyon ¶ Among al other tel me one Wherof comyth the brymstone QUycke brymstone that men call Cometh of lyghtenyng that doth fall Upon roches by the see Eyther on hylles whether it be And so hard downe are they cast With ayre aboue and wyndes blast That they fall the erth within And that erth they lye and ●ry● Which erth ex●st hyght therby For it is brente so wondersly And that turneth to brymstone Which wellyth vp somtyme anon

¶ The . C.xxxiij . questyon ¶ Carboncles and other stones mo Wherof may come al tho OUt of Nygre that is a see Where cokyls are in great plente And hang to gether two and two Openyng in the water hangyng so The rayne falleth from aboue And entres in them there they houe Whan they haue receyued the rayne astound They close them and go to ground And at the ground / lye they thore Wel a . C. yere and more And they that are of that countre Whan they seke them in the see Theyr vysages to couar they begyn With netes blathers blowen thyn And in blacke sowe them also For the fysshe wyl fle them fro Than go they doune them to wyn And perlys fynde they them with in Whyte and rounde but neysshe they be But whan they come out of the see And the ayre haue them smyt vpon They become ryght hard anon But tho that are not in season Nor theyr tyme haue after they wente doune To be fulfylled by the ground They stynke as a pyllyd hownd The Carboncles come also Of cokyls as perles do But Carboncles of smal hayle fall And in fresshe water be they all They by the grounde wylbe Two hundred wynter wel or thre And they stynke and fare amys Whan theyr tyme not fulfylled is But al the rayne that doth fall Turne not to stones al The rayne that the fyrst day fallyth Of the mone in Ianuary / that men callyth And the mone be in that sygne That vnto that thynge be dygne If that rayne in the cokyl go Perles shal come of tho And hayle that to fal is wone The eyght daye of the mone In feueryere and the mone be ryght In a sygne that Cancer hyght And the cokyls that hayle in take Carboncles therof they make But that rayne and hayle ech dele Fall ful seldome wyte you wel

¶ The . C.xxxiiij . questyon ¶ Of this world now tel me How many landes therein be LAnde but one is there none Who so al hole myght se there on But for departynge of the see That departyth them in thre Thre landes are that we call With out smale yles all But al are one lande to gethere fest And al vpon one grounde they rest And who so myght the lande be holde That no water let hym sholde Al hole and one he shulde it se And so made god it to be The water aboue in sonder it castys But vnder hole and fast it lastys

¶ The . C.xxxv. questyon ¶ Myght eny man on drye lande wel Go the world about euery dele IN erth no man myght go The world about to ne fro For he shuld fynde many lettynges And that of many thynges He shuld fynde wastenes ful great There nethere were drynke ne mere But wylde beastes many one Redy to tere hym as a bone Ware a hundreth men on one wrought And yf that ne let hym nought The open erth shuld lettynge be That swellyth and geuyth agayne the see And many lettynges other mo If he est and west wyl go And yf north and south go he Many other lettynges be For thre zones shal he fynde Where no man may lyue in one kynde One is hote and colde are two May no lyuyng thyng be in tho And goddys wyl it is also Sha● no man be myghty therto

¶ The . C.xxxvj . questyon ¶ Myght eny man sayle nyght & day That had the wynde with hym ay ¶ So long that his shyppe came vnrent To the turnyng of the fyrmament A Man that in a shyppe wore Thoughe he sayled euer more Yet shuld he not come nere the sky And I shal tel the why The erth is rounde as a ball In the mydel / and the sky ouer al Is alyke fer there fro And the water also Al about on the erth doth stande And thoughe a man toke vnderhande To sayle an hundred yere He shuld the sky be al so nere Whan that he from home went As whan his hundred yere ar spent

¶ The . C.xxxvij . questyon ¶ Why made not god man to be Ay yong / ioylyfe / and of pouste ¶ Rych and longe lyfe hym lent And at his deth to blys haue went HAd god made man on that manere As that thou tellyst here God as I thynke in my thought Had the deuyl great wrong wrought Which for a thought fel to hell And mo with hym than I can tel Shuld aman than be of longe lyfe Rych / yonge / and ioylyfe And haue here al his delyte And than fare to heuyn quyte Noman is worthy to come thore But yf he haue don wherfore God hath graunted vs vnto Be cause we shal here wel do Helth with out sycknesse Ioy and delyte and great rychesse And lyfe also without ende For the deth that men here to wende Than is it for to reken ryght No other but as a by●des flyght That flyeth here in / yonder out And be a man neuer so stout Nor so yonge / nor fayre to day To morow shal it al a way I wold not lyue a thowsand yere And al my delyte haue here And than vnto heuyn gon I had leuer be there a non For one delyte that is thore Is worth a thowsand here and more And therfore ware it moche scate Thether for to come so late

¶ The . C.xxxviij . questyon ¶ Whiche are the aungels tel me this That receyueth mannys soule to blys EChe man an aungel hath hym to To kepe hym that he not mys do And whan the soule at the ende Shal out fro the body wende And it vnto god be dere The aungel that was his kepare here Shal come with great melody And of aungels great company Receyuyng hym vnto mede And to ioye hym lede After the tyme that is to sey That goddys sonne shal dey But or he dey on the rode Al go to hel wycked and good But al alyke shal they nought Be payned / but as they haue wrought And some shal be in fre pryson Tyl tyme of his passyon But whan the great dome shal be Men shal agre at wonder se Sowle and body to gether go And to gether fele ioye or wo And the sowle that to hel shal went The deuyl that hym holpe to shent Shal receyue hym and sey hym to Thou hast don as I bad the do Thou withstodyst not my wyl Nor my techyng vnto yl Wherfore shalt thou go with me Euer more in payne to be Thus shal they be receyuyd thycke Good with good / and wicked with wicke

¶ The . C.xxxix questyon ¶ I pray the mayster sey me now Which is better of the two ¶ Good werkes without chastyte Or werkes wickyd / and chast to be GOod werkes wolde I chese Thoughe I chastyte forlese For be thou chast of thy body And thou worke wickydly What vertu than hast thou in the Percaas is than thy chastyte For sycknesse that thou may not dure Or for kelth of thy nature Or for age that thou may no more What meryt art thou worthy therfore And than for to go sle a man Or to robbe in wode or fen Or thy neyghbore to begyle sotelly Or his good to forlese falsly What is worth such chastyte Whan thou of othere hast no pyte But that vnchast lyfe ledys And he be good of al dedys His synne doth no man dere But al one he shal hym bere And god alone he synneth to And that may he sone fordo With almes dede or other thyng But he that is of wickyd beryng And of wickyd dedes blynne ne can He synneth both to god and man And lyghter is it for to wynne Forgyfnes of god of synne Than of god and man both For the mo that are to hym wrought The more labour pees to make For the better caas than wold I it take For to leue chastyte Than wickyd worke / and chast to be

¶ The . C.xl. questyon ¶ What thyng may it euer make Erth dyn that doth the erth quake EXalacyons hote and drye That are drawen vp ryght hye And there with cloudes dryuen fast And hard downe to erth cast Which in to the cleft of the erth go As the cloudes shones them fro Comyth than hote wether and rayne Which spereth the cleftes of the erth agayne The exalacyons dwel therin Spered and may not out wynne To and fro they moue them thore But out may they no whore And yf the exalacyon be Gathered ther great quantyte So hard meue them they shal That the erth quakyth with al And somtyme more somtyme lesse After as it is of mykelnesse

¶ The . C.xli. questyon ¶ Tel me now yf thou cone Wherof is the eclyps of sonne & mone OF the mone is eclyps no dowte In ful mone or there about & whan the ful mone standithe south The sonne is than north A shadow of the erth ryseth sone Ascendyng vp a boue the mone And houeth long whyle of the nyght Betwyx her and the sonnys lyght For lyght hath the mone none But that the sonne her smyteth on And so the mone her lyght leues For the shadowe it reues But as she goys and her pace makys Fro the shadow / lyght she takys Eclyps of the sonne comenly Is in the new mone or there by Whan the mone is new ryght She is darke with out lyght And that tyme the sonne and she Be one syde of the sky shal be And the sonne beme as it is wone Shuld lyght doune on the mone But yf the mone vnder alyne fall Lyne of eclyps that we call Lyght she taketh nought anon Unto she before be gon But vnto that she there shal houe Be twyx vs and the sonne aboue Her derknes ronnyth from our syght Moch of the sonnys lyght This is the kyndest eclyps to se That may of the sonne be Other eclyps thre we fynde Of the sonne agaynst kynde One came in tyme of Noe Agayne that the dyluny shuld be Another shal be in soth to sey I● tyme that goddys sonne dey And in the byrth shal be the thryde Of the antechryst as shal be kydde

¶ The . C.xlij. questyon ¶ Sterres that men se fall How fall they & from whens come they all UNderstand syr vyturly That no sterres fall fro the sky But I shal tel the what it may be That the folke so fallyng se It is a fyre that is abydyng In the hyest of the ayre brennyng Next to the spere of fyre And whan the nyght somtyme is shyre Sparcles of that fyre clere That moch hane of theyr matere Falle and perce the ayre on nyght And come so vnto our syght And semyth as it were a sterre That by the sky dyd slyde there For a sparkel comyng from so hye Unto a sterre is ful lykely

¶ The .xliij. questyon ¶ Tel me now or we further fare How many heuens that there are WE lay that there are heuens thre Wherof the one is that we se Turnyng about and is the sky And that heuen is bodyly And to our syght it is blew As it ware of asur hewe The tother heuyn of to tel Is there good aungels dwel That is goostly / and is al Of hew as it ware crystal The thyrd is goddys se Where he sytteth in maieste Therin is moch blys And of the gold of hew it is Of seuen heuyns also we tel For seuen planetes that therin dwel But ryghtly of heuens to lere So are no mo but thes thre here

¶ The . C.xliiii . questyon ¶ Tel me now how hye the heuyn Aboue the erth is for to neuen SO hye is heuyn the erth fro That yf it were now also That a stone in heuyn wore And weyed a hundreth stone and more And it shuld from heuyn fall Unto ground among vs all It shuld be seuen yere Or it to ground came here And neuerthelesse so fare they are That a good sowle shuld fare Fro erth in to heuen stye In the twynkelyng of an eye

¶ The . C.xlv . questyon ¶ The fyrmament that we ouer vs se Of what myght may it be ? WHo so knowe it al aryght The firmament is of great might Euer abought it turneth aye And resteth neuer nyght nor day For this world had no festenyng Ne ware his aboute turnyng Ware it that it styl stode There nys man ne fysshe in flode Foule ne beast ne nothyng here That lyfe hath that ought myght stere All that euer we stere or go Or flyt other to or fro Al together is vs lent Of the turnyng of the fyrmament Therfore may thou se Iwys That of moche myght it is

¶ The . C.xlvi . questyon ¶ Tel me now of what myght The planetes are & what they hyght PLanettes gouerneth al thyng That lyueth or hath in erth waxyng And eche planet of his kynde To norysshe and geue his mynd Of the chylde eche alyke Whyle the mother go therwith quyke Ech one than shapyth his Of euery lyme that in hym is And of planetes are but seuen Whos names I shal to the reken ¶ Saturnus the fyrst we cal He is hyest of them al Most and strongest is he And he passyth in his countre The .xii. sygnes be one and one And he dwellyth in ech one Or he passe halfe thre yere And his planet of power The man that is borne therin And he dounward go to begyn Dounward shal he go of myght with al And yf he regne regne he shal And this planet regnyth of power Onys in a thyrty yere And his regne and his myght Is in a sygne that Lybra hyght And dounward he rest takes To a sygne hyght aries ¶ The secounde planet is Iupyter He is not from vs so fer Of great ryches planet is it Of marchaundyse and of great wyt And among men of good loos And be the .xii. sygnes he goos Dwellyng in ech one A yere or he about haue gon The man borne in hym that is Of .xii. yere best of state he is I I wys In canser he regnes harde In Caprycorne he goyth dounwarde ¶ The thyrde planet Mars is hyght Planet of warre and fyght And of blode spyllyng there men dey By the .xii. sygnes lyeth his wey And in ech one truly dwellyth Fourty dayes or he passyth He that is borne in that planet Within a yere may he byete And foure and thyrty dayes therto His dedes and his wyl also His regne is in Caprycorne And in Canser his myght is lorne ¶ The fourth planet is the sonne And yf you vnderstande conne It is the planet of great worshype Of kynges and of ●ordshype Kepar of erth we hym cal And by the sygnes he passyth al And in ech whan he comyth thore He dwelleth a moneth and no more That is borne in that he may euery yere Change his worke and his manere His regne so is in A●yes And in Lybra he hym restes ¶ The fyfte planet venus is Planet of loue / delyte and blys He that therin borne shal be Feble herte shal haue of vanyte But in foure hundreth and forthy dayes May he change al his wayes His worke and thought holly The .xii. sygnes goyth he by And in ech one of tho shal he Seuen and twenty dayes be In piscibus rayneth he stabely And doune he goyth in Gemyny ¶ The syxte planet Mercurius That arte and conyng geuyth vs By the .xii. sygnes lyeth his wayes Dwellyng in ech one seuentene dayes He that is borne in hym may Be two hundred and the fourth day Chaunge his corage and his thought And the workes that he wrought ¶ The mone the seuenth planet we say Planet of water and of waye By the .xii. sygnes she goyth also Dwellyng in ech one dayes two He that is borne in this planet In a moneth may he byete And chaunge his worke and wyl Be it good be it yl In Taurus comyth her regne vnto And abesses her in Scorpyo And al the world is not I I wys So great as one planet is Saue the thre that lowest wone Uenus / Mercurius / and the mone

¶ The . C.xlvij . questyon ¶ Tel me now this ones yet ¶ How many maner of waters is it OF waters many maner there be Fyrst the water of the see That al other waters come fro Water of welles there is also That theyr hew and manere Foure tymes change in a yere Welles are spryngyng elles whore Foure dayes in the weke no more I stode ther is that rennyth ay Al the weke saue saturdaye A stode is in the est see ryght Which rennyth euer on nyght And a daye it frosen is fast But on nyght may it not last Yet men may a welle fynde In the yles of the see of ynde That who so put a stafe therin As of a fyre it shuld bryn And it nothyng slekyn can But only the breyne of man Other welles are yet mo And who the water dronke of tho Of some good memory shuld he take And some forgetfulnesse shuld make Some amerous wyl make the men And some wyl bareyne make wymen Some wyl make yren and stele In the fyre to tempre we le A great wel yet is there one Standyng stylle as eny stone But who so makyth solace there by Anone it rennyth hastely Some waters are hote of kynde And some colde as men do fynde And the kynde of the ground causyth al this Where eny water rennyng is And al is at goddys wyl Both rennyng and stondyng styll

¶ The . C.xlviij . questyon ¶ Now wold I wyt of the see How many sees that there be SEes we fynde there are thre Wherof one hyght the see beter Al about the erth goyth she And is salt as men may se That other see the blacke see hyght And enuyrons that other ryght The thyrd is called the stynkyng see Therin may no man lyuyng be For the stynke that it cometh fro Enuyrous truly that other two And god hath made them so to be Of his wyl and his potence

¶ The . C.xlix . questyon ¶ Why hath god the world made al Rownde aboute as a balle THere are many skylles why But thre I fynde pryncypally For his owne lycknes is one There non ende ne is vpon For he ne had begynynge Nor neuer shal haue endynge And seke the world neuer so with trauayle & mind No endyng shal men therin fynde Another sayl is comodyte Why it behoueth so to be For al the formes that thou knowst Rownde contaynes aldermost Now is it so at the begynyng That the world contaynes althyng Wherfore it behoued therto That it shuld rownde be also The thyrde cause is for the sky And I shal tel the how and why Late with war here fyll a canne And whan it is ful breke it than The wax shal be of that shapnes As was the canne more ne les Now is the saye rounde and fayre And conteyneth fyre and ayre Water and erth ferrest therfro And al behoueth rounde to be tho The round saye the fyre round maketh And ayre of fyre roundhed taketh Water within ayre also And erthe within all tho And bycause the skye as thou hast hard Is round and al are in hym sperd All behoueth them round to be As thou ere on the waxe myght se

¶ The . C.l. questyon ¶ Why is the mone colde of kynd And the sonne hote as we fynde ? The sonne is welle of hete And the mone of waters wete Now is that one drye and hote And that other moyst and wote The hete of the sonne doth spryng That in erthe is al thynge But with that hete may they not dure But yf they haue withal moysture And that the sonne heteth on daye lyght The mone keleth vpon nyght And geueth it moysture there vnto Therfore al thynges spryngeth so Shuld the sonne geue vs for aye His here bothe nyght and daye Man nor beast shuld lyue no throwe Ne nothyng shuld in erth growe And yf the keelth of the mone Shuld euer amonge vs wone And of the hete haue ryg●t nought Shuld no leuyng thyng forthe be brought Therfore hath god ordayned so As the world hathe myster to

¶ The . C.lj. questyon ¶ Now I praye the tel me this Whiche is the most thyng that is ? OF al thynge that thou most Goddes marcy is the most For no mouthe may speke I I wys No harte thynke how great it is Unto tho that wyl it craue And desyreth it to haue It is greater than al erth may be Or al the water in the see It passyth al leues that sprynge Or herbes / or eny other thynge Ye / an hundreth thowsand folde It passys al that I haue tolde

¶ The . C.lij. questyon ¶ Whether may grauel of erth mo be Or droppes of water of the see GRauel of the erth is wel more Than al water dropes that euer wore For al that were or yet shal be Al they come of the see And for an handfuf of grauel Behouyth of droppes a gooddele For wel smaller is one hope Of grauel / than a water drope And water may be no where But yf erth be vnder there And many myles may men gon Drye / where no water is on And the see was neuer so depe a flete That deper ne is vnder erth grete And yf water vpon roche stande Under roche is erth molde or sande Now is the erth apperyng smal And wyde strekes hym with al In many stedes whare water is scante Is fownde of erth good plente Wherfore grauel of erth say we Are mo than water droppes be

¶ The . C.liij. questyon ¶ May the grauel ought tolde be Or water droppes of the see ANd the word such a thowsand wore As it is and wel more And that it shuld last with all Such a thowsand as now shal Foure and twenty howres ryght Are in the daye and in the nyght And ech a noure for to rekyn Syxty poyntes are therein And thoughe it myght so befalle That in ech a poynt of all Were borne a thowsand men or mo And ful hore were ech of tho Yet shuld the dropes of the see Be mo than tho heres be And yet is gretnes of erth more Than al the dropes wore And goddys mercy most of al He that wyth hert to hym wyl call

¶ The . C.liiij . questyon ¶ Now wold I wyt vyturly How many sterres are on the sky IF al the men a lyue wore That haue be ded here before Sythen that adam was forlorne And al that euer shal be borne Betwyx vs and the world be gon Ware euery one borne anon So mykel folke there shuld not ware As sterres on the heuen are But for the heyght of the sky Ne may no man se them perfytly Al the sterres that ther be But some apertly may men se How aboue with the sky they go As it them beryth to and fro Whan some go doune / some vp are went With meuyng of the fyrmament

¶ The . C.lv. questyon ¶ Canst thou of aungels tel me ought How many god in heuyn wroght And how many be left therin And how many felle for synne GOd of his mercy and myght Of aungels .ix. ordres hath dyght And in ech order made he Many a legyon for to be And a legyon I I wys Syxe thowsand and syxe hundreth is With fyfty and syxe therto And al hym worshype to do But there felle out of ech one Al so many as came to one And also many were they tho As halfedele the folke and mo That haue be borne and borne shal be And whan fulfylled is ech a se Of aungels that fel away Than shal it be domesday That god shal deme both good and yl And that shal be at goddys wyl

¶ The . C.lvj. questyon ¶ Which are the most of beast or man Or fowle / or fysshe that swyme can BEastes are mo than men And fowles mo than beastes such ten And for ech afowle also A thowsand fysshes are and mo For therof is the most plente Of al creatures that be God made man of erth and slyme And best of hete he made hym Fysshes of water / fowle of ayre And al that he made is fayre And yf god them al had wrought Of erth lyke / as he dyd nought They shuld haue rysen al also At domesday as man shal do But for erth is in them none Wherfore to nought they turne ech one

¶ The . C.lvij . questyon ¶ Of al the world tel me yet The delectabelest stede which is it WHere amannys hert is fest And for to dwele were leuest There is the delectabelest stede To hym that he may on trede For were aman in acountre In the fayrest stede myght be And had al that he had nede Hym to clothe and to fede And his hert loued els whore No delyte had he thore But there aman louyth wel Though it be fowle euery dele There is his ioy and his solace More than in eny other place

¶ The . C.lviij . questyon ¶ Which is more prowes and best That in towne or in forest PRowes in towne as I wene Ne was euer worth abent It is no prowe / it is folye And keytefnes and mysardry Some man to aman ful ryfe Wyl drawe vnto a man his knyfe That wold neuer do so And it ware betwyx them two But there are thynges thre That make hym hasty to be One therof is folye That makyth his hert skyp a hye Anothere that he hopyth wel That the folke elke adel Shal stert on hym and hym hold And let to do that he wold The thyrd for his braynes smale Are turned by wyne or ale And he that assayled is Holdyth hym styl in al this He dredyth that he shuld hym slo And lord●hype feryth he also The thyrd hedredyth his enemy For he wortyth not yf he be dowghty His owne lostes he feryth eke Which maketh his hert meke But ware they both in the forest There myght men know the best There shuld no men on them wonder No man put them in sonder Ne no baylyfe ware thereto drede But the boldar hym forth bede Wherfore prowes in towne as men tellys Nys but bost and nothyng ellys

¶ The . C.lix . questyon ¶ If aman haue an euyl wyfe Or be poure or of feble lyfe Or haue a wemme in a lym Shal a man vpbreyde it hym NO man ought othere vpbreyde For no lacke that on hym is leyde If he haue an euyl fere So god may send to hym here If he in pouerte fallen be So may perauenture to morow he For the whele of auenture No whyle wyl endure And yf he haue eny lacke Eyther on body or on backe Or eny of his lymmes al Upbreyd hym nought what so befal For he that sent hym that euery dele May send it to the ryght wele Wherfore ech man fayrely speke That of his spech god take no wreke

¶ The . C.lx. questyon ¶ Shal men euery man worshype do And al theyr wyl do also AMan shuld al this do with skyl If that he myght come there tyl But no man may / no man can Do the wyl of euery man Neuerthelesse do not amys Worshype euery man as he is And fulfyl euery mannys wyl That turne thy selfe vnto no yf Do with good chere that thou shalt do To them that prayes the vnto And for a lytel say not nay To do theyr wyl yf thou may That thou desyrest shalt thou fynde And ech man to serue the shal be mynde Thy honoure shal wyde wende Euery man shal holde the good and kynde Wherby may no yl of the tyde Thy good worde goyth so wyde

¶ The . C.lxj. questyon ¶ Shal he ought forgotten be That to lykyng hath seruyd me IF aman do me seruyse Unto my wyl in al wyse I ought to forget it neuer more Thoughe the seruyse lytel wore For he that doth me lykynge He gyueth me inoughe of his thynge And I ought his helpe to be If he haue nede of me For euery man that doth a good dede Is worthy to haue wel his mede And the good wyl of such one Ought I euer to thynke vpon

¶ The . C.lxij . questyon ¶ May aman hym ought with holde From her that he hath in holde That he no lechery do Whan he hath great wyl therto FUl wel aman may holde hym styl And withstande his owne wyl Fro lechery yf that he wyl Though he great wyl haue thertyl Late hym cast in his thought How fayre that hym god hath wrought At his owne lykenes to be And that so fayre a thyng to se Shulde be kepte clenly also That no fylth ne came ther to Were it now syr that a kynge Gaue me a robe of his clothynge Ful clene I wold it kepe and bryght And worshype it at al my myght For moch worshype to me it were A kyngys clothyng for to bere Euyn so shuld it with vs befall Of goddys clothyng are we all And yf we thynke to hold it clene Our fowle wyl that was so kene Shal twyne away and passe for nought And kendele no more in our thought The more that men a fyre leys in The more and hotter wyl it bryne And it wyl not leue brynnynge But men it sleken with some thynge Euyn so brenneth lechery In man that geueth hym to foly And yf he wyl that it be layde Thynke on god as I haue sayd Also shal in his thought be What mede cometh of chastyte And yf he be tane in synne What payne shal his soule be in And thus maye he kele shortly His brennyng wyl that was so outragyously

¶ The . C.lxiij . questyon ¶ The grettyst delyte that is Which is it tel me this I Fynde there are delytes two Bodely and goostly also The bodely wyl not last That men doth there on is a waye cast It fareth as the candel lyght That now brenneth ferly bryght Now than is it out quyte So fareth bodely delyte Goostly delyte is on other wyse As delyte in god and his seruyse And tho that delyte them therin For to kepe them out of synne Wyte you wel that they tho In the payne of the wo That they suffer theyr sowle to saue Ful great delyte therin they haue And who so is therin brought That delyte ne keelyth nought It waxeth ay from lesse to more Euer vntyl aman come thore There no ende may be Which is before the Trynyte And there shal his delyte betolde More than here a thowsand folde Wherfore the most delyte that is Is to delyte in god I I wys

¶ The . C.lxiiij . questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that aman Shal ought delyt hym with a woman DElyte with wymen are there twye And which they are I shal the seye That one is goostly with chast lyfe As aman with his owne wyfe Flesshely knowe her wel he may Chyldren to wyne to goddys pay And fro that tyme that he Wotyth that she with chylde be He shal hym hold from her holly Tyl it be borne of her body This is delyte of chastyte That dygne and honest ought to be Bodely delyte there is also That no tyme hath reward vnto But euery tyme that wyl hym takys His fles●hly lust he not forsakys And that is purly lyfe of beast That nother is good ne honest And such a delyte with woman Shuld no man haue that good can

¶ The . C.lxv. questyon ¶ If one hoost a nother mete Shal he anon on hym shete CUm an hoost with al theyr mayne And another come them agayne Smyte anone ne shal they nought Theyr chieftain shal haue forthought And be wel aduysed and wyse And ouer se his enymes And yf he haue hope in his mode That his partye may be good He shal ordeyne his folke wysely And be vygorus and hardy And his enemes assayle As it fallyth to batayle And yf he aperceuyng is That the feblear syde be his He shal comfort his folke ycke dele And make good vysage and bere hym wele And fare a● he had no awe And in al that hym with drawe Holdyng them fast to gether so That none outraye other fro Yf his fleynge may not auayle But that other hym assayle Uygorously he than withstande And harte his folke to be doand The feble syde parchaunce so may With lytel scathe scape away

¶ The . C.lxvj. questyon ¶ Which membres of the man are tho That he worste myght forgo ? AMan myght no lym forbere But yf it hym greatly dere And some one myght he worse for go Than he myght other two For thoughe he forgo fote and hand Eere and eyen thoughe hym wante Yet maye he be ful hote of herte And leue many daye in quarte But ware teethe and tonge forgon Good lyfe after had he none For tho are the most hardely That helpe to sustayne the body The tonge the mete turneth al Under the tethe that chewe it shal And the tonge is made also Unto god worshyp to do The teethe gryndeth the mete small That the body leueth withall And for that a man may nought Without these be forth brought Therfore tothe and tonge are tho That aman may worst forgo

¶ The . C.lxvij . questyon ¶ The fyrst instrument who made it And how came it in his wyt OF the chyldren of Noe Iaphet the yongest of the thre He contryued it and wrought As god it sent in his thought And of the sounde he it toke Of trees that the wynde shoke And also of waters soune That ran harde from hylles doune Some soune was lowe and some hye And therof founde he melody An instrument he made anone That melody to worke vpon

¶ The . C.lxviii . questyon ¶ He that is dome / defte & may not se What spech in his hert thynkeh he A Man that is borne to day Doum and defe that se ne may No langage ne may lere For that he may nought here Than behouyth hym of kynde Nedly in his he●te haue mynde Of the spech that Adam spake Or he goddys precept brake That is ebru that god gaue man Fyrst whan he to speke began For yf a tree a frute here Be it appul / be it pere The frute must take kynde and hewe Of the rote that it on grewe But the kynde of the tree Sal chaunge yf it imped be And but aman haue impyng Of langage through some lernyng The fyrst speche haue he shal That man was fyrst lernyd with al

¶ The . C.lxix . questyon ¶ Why are some cloudes of the sky Whyte and some blake there by CLoudes somtyme are ryght thyn For lytel water that there is in Than comys the lyght of the day And the sonne that shynes ay Which geuyth on the cloude lyght And the cloude that is of lytel myght Is throughe shyned ther with al Wherby whyte he shewe hym shal For throughe water may men se If that it not depe be The cloude that blake is to our syght Is thycke of water and of myght And for the thycknes that he haas May no lyght there thorow paas Wherfore holdys it odrye Not ful mykel vp on hye And be cause it is thycke and lowe Behouyth it blake to vs to showe

¶ The . C.lxx. questyon ¶ May no creature that god wrought Wyte goddys wyl nor his thought GOd made neuer creature Aungel ne man nor other fygure That myght wyte goddys thought Nor his wyl tyl it was wrought Whan he eny thyng wyl do He says be made and it is so But or he it in werke fulfyl There may no man wyte his wyl God wottyth the thoughtes of ech one But his knoweth ryght none Saue the holy Trynyte For al one are they thre Somtyme wottyth man what god do wyl That is he that he sendyth vntyl By aungels to tel hym his thought Ellys none wote it nought

¶ The . C.lxxj . questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyte yf I may If aman shal worshype god alday EUery man shuld with ryght do so But theyr myght is not therto For the body is feble of myght And behouyth somtyme rest with ryght And but he rest may haue Longe may he not the lyfe saue Wherfore god honoure he may At serteyne howres of the day And in serteyne tyme he shal Trauayle to hold the lyfe with all And somtyme rest shal he take The body stronge with to make For after mete and drynke is rest To nature of the body best And whan he shal god worshype do Loke al his herte be therto For he that sayeth to god his bede And his thought be in other stede The tonge were as good be styll For it askys with no wyl Wherfore that god worshype shal Speke tonge / herte / thought and al

¶ The . C.lxxij . questyon ¶ Wherof may it be and why That eyne somtyme loke bleryly SOmtyme herys aman a thyng That is not to his lykyng Or a thyng of great pyte And he of tender herte be The herte mekys anone ryght And castyth wather to the syght So wepe the eyne also smert And al makyth the tendernes of the herte And of that herte shal seldom Euyl wyl of felnesse come And the eyne that wepe ofte Oldeth the herte and doth it softe For the hete that the herte felys With the teres greatly kelys But he that not wel 〈◊〉 wepe Great felnesse in his herte can kepe And of hard herte than is he And of no mercy nor pyte But he that to wepe is redy In hym is pyte and mercy

¶ The . C.lxxiij . questyon ¶ What maner of folke are men hold to In this world worshype to do EUery man shal pryncypaly Worshype god that is on hy That hym made and shal vnmake Whan that talent wyl hym take His wyfe shal man worshype also For one body are they two His lorde also worshype he shal That he seruys and dwellyth with al Father and mother also shal he Worshype before al that be Yet shal he worshype for theyr mede That hym good doth with worde or dede Suster and brother and his kynde Unto worshype shuld he haue in mynde And euery man yf that he myght Ought he to worshype with ryght

¶ The . C.lxxiiii . questyon ¶ The largest man which is he That now in the world may be A Large man that haue shal Thoughe he the world seke al Shal he none fynde ne se That of his owne may large be For of no largenes told it is Aman to gyue that not is his For al the largesse that men telles Of god they are and no man elles And al that man is sent Of goddys loue it is hym lent For nakyd hyther is he brought And of hym selfe he hath nought And nakyd away shal he wende With hym he berys it not at the ende And yf it his owne were Than myght he it with hym bere And god hym lendyth good truly That he it spend worthely Hym selfe at mesure for to fede And helpe the pouer that hath nede And seyng he is bounde therto The pouer for to helpe also So may no man make his roos That it is largesse that he doos Wherfore wote I no large man That to hym selfe appropryat it can

¶ The . C.lxxv . questyon ¶ Shal a pouer man euery whore Put hym arych man before IF it be so that they tweye Go to gether by the weye The pouer man shal euer more Put the rych man before And at one table be they The pouer set hym not to hye For yf arycher come than he Hym behouyth to flyte his se And than better yt wore That he had set hym els whore But be they both in a batayle And shal theyr enymes assayle There the pouer with out drede Before the rych hym forth bede For a pouer may be also doughty As arych man of his body And with that forth puttyng percaas he may Worshype more get than the rych that day

¶ The . C.lxxvj . questyon ¶ Is a man in eny synne to ete Al thyng that he may gete UNto man god had such loue That he made to his behoue Fowle and fysshe in the see Beast and frute in erth to be And whan that he man had wrought And in to paradyse hym brought He made hym lorde of al thys Them to put in his seruys And for to vse them to his fode For god made al thynges good And seyng he gaue hym leue ther tyl He doth no synne me thynke with skyl That of al thyng etes At mesure whan he it gethes For what he etes with good wyl Ne may euer do hym yl Though it adder were or snake But yf he agayne herte it take Though it be the best men fynde It doth no good to his kynde

¶ The . C.lxxvij . questyon ¶ Shal aman another grete Alday whan he may hym mete AMan so ofte nought grete thou shal As thou hym metyst aday with al But yf thou in thy hows be Among thy folke and thy meyne Gretyng shalt thou sey them thore Twyes vpon the day no more On morne whan thou comyst them amonge And on euyn at thy bede goynge And mete thou thy frende be the strete Ones in the day thou shalt hym grete And thou shalt say hym that gretyng After the tyme of your metyng At morne or euyn wether it be And yf that he fyrst grete the Grete hym agayne curtesly Men shal the say worshyp therby But thou hym shalt but onys grete On the day that thou hym ofte mete

¶ The . C.lxxviij . questyon ¶ How shal a man his chyldren ordre So that after repentyth not he IF you haue chyldren kepe them wel Tyl they be of age somedele And than yf thou haue them dere Cause them some crafte to lere That in nede myster can His conyng is esy to bere It wyl helpe and nothyng dere There is no tresure therto For tresure wyl a way go And whan the tresure is gon al Conyng a gayne it bryng shal Daunt them not whyle they are yonge But sharpe wordes of thy tonge Sey vnto them euer amonge So shal they drede to do wronge With thy chyldren do thou shal As men doth a grene wand with al It may be wrethen whyle it is grene How so men wyl without tene Were it drye sone wold it crake A withe therof shuld no man make So shuld men chyldren chastyse in youth Tyl that they some good couth For that yougth takyth comenly In age he shal fynde it redely

¶ The . C.lxxix . questyon ¶ Whether shal amam more loue haue tyl His wyfe or chyld with skyl AMan shal loue ouer al thynge God his maker heuyn kynge And next his owne body And than his wyfe pryncypaly His chyldren ought aman by kynde For to loue and haue in mynde But whan god fyrst made adam And Eue of his body came He gaue hym her vnto fere And bade hym for to haue her dere Than in that geuyng made he Man and his wyfe one to be And yf thou and thy wyfe be one And that partyng is none Ne none other may forsake Unto deth the one take Thou ought thy wyfe to loue more Than al the chyldren that thyne more If thou forlese thy good wyfe Than lesyst thou the solace of thy lyfe And yf thou thy chyldren forgo Of thy wyfe may thou wyn mo Wherfore shalt thou thy wyfe loue more Than thy chyldren and hold in store

¶ The . C.lxxx . questyon ¶ If I had no father borne Ne no mother me beforne How shuld I haue borne be In this world or here or se LOnge or god the world wrought Or man or beast therin brought He knewe al that shuld be borne Which saued and which forlorne And al theyr names and thought God had bene elles nought Wherfore he wyst wel of the That thou shuldest borne be And seyng thou nedys shuldest be borne Though thy father the beforne Ne thy mother that was also Had nother come this world vnto Another father thou shuldest haue had And mother that had the both fede and clad

¶ The . C.lxxxj . questyon ¶ The chyld that hath ful the shap In the mother / by what hap Is it somtyme brought to nought And may alyue forth be brought BE thre causes may it come to Why it comyth to pas so One than may be goddys wyl That he wylleth that it shal spyl Another skyl also ther is Why it so fareth somtyme amys The feble norysshyng in the wyfe That it may not come to lyfe For the feblenesse of the which norture Makyth the seed not to dure Feblenes of raynes the thyrd As in woman is be tyde Some woman with chyld may be And so feble of rayns is she That she is not of the myght Of the chyld to suffer the weyght The mother sterys and turnes about So that the chyld fallyth out Whan it is out than is it lorne And so than is it ded borne And by the grace of goddys myght The mother sperys anon ryght

¶ The . C.lxxxij . questyon ¶ Wymen that in this world are here Are they al of one manere WImen are made al after one In flesshe / blode / hyde and bone And al the lymes thou seyst one bere Euery one such lymes were And that men felys one vpon May men fele on euery one But of complexcyon are they sere Of word / wyl and of manere But al on one delyte men fynde Whan it comyth to dede of kynde Ofte of wathers may thou se That of dyuers hewes they be But in thy mouth yf thou them take Al as one water shal they smake So do wemen whare they fare Al of one sauyour they are But thynketh some man That swetar is some woman Than some other fyftene And of that may be thre thynges mene One is yf she be fayre and whyte For aman hath more delyte In her that is bryght on ble Than in a lothlyer on to se Another cause is noble wede For aman geuyth gladder mede To her that nobely is dyght Than to a pouer raggyd wyght The thyrd skyl is whan a man So great loue hath to woman That hym thynkyth none so swete to hold For loue hath no lacke it is sayd of olde

¶ The . C.lxxxiij . questyon ¶ If thy frend haue wyfe and meyne And them mysdo thou se Salt thou vnto thy frende it sey And his wyfe and meyne be wrey IF thy neyghbor haue a wyfe That be of euyl lyfe And thou may it vndertake That she wronge doth agayne her make Or dystroyer of his good be And thou maye it wete or se Warne hym so preuely and styl That he smyte in none euyl wyl But byd hym that he loke therto So that they nomore do so And make he hym wroth at the fyrst Whan that he the soth hathe wyst And throughe thy wordes he shal take hede And than shal he the better spede And saue his good that shuld away And yf thou hym no word dyd say For men sayne in olde sawes By good neyghbours god day men dawes

¶ The . C.lxxxiiij . questyon ¶ Yf a man any thynge shal do Shal he hym ought hast therto IF thou thynke to do a good dede Hastly therto thou the spede For good dede shal haue no respyte He doth it twyes that doth it tyte But thynke thou euyl dede to do Haste the nothyng there vnto Be thynke the fyrst in thy herte That it the not after smerte For yf that thou take good hede Euyl haste is al vnspede In lytel tyme may befalle the That thy herte may chaunged be So that thou shalt the with holde Fro that thou fyrst don wolde And than shalt thou lyke wele That thou hasted to it no dele

¶ The . C.lxxxv . questyon ¶ Shal he that eny good can In this world loue euery man GOostly for god loue shalt thou Euery man and I shal tel the how Tyl his sowle no euyl wyl More than thou wylt thyne owne tyl But bodely thy loue shal be To euery man as he loueth the Loue he the loue hym a geyne And of his company be feyne Hate he the / hate hym also And do with hym as he wold to the do Come thou to thy frendes hows There thy foes thou feryst not thus He wyl receyue the with blys And for the the gladder he is If thou eny thyng hym craue With good wyl thou mayst it haue Such aman shalt thou loue ageyne And his wyl to do be feyne If thou come vnto thy foo That sawe the leuer hang than go Despyte of hym may thou gete Or eyther drynke or mete From such aman shalt thou fle And hate hym as he doth the For in old sawes says men that He that loues there he is hate Agayne the streme he rowes sore And to lese hath he no more

¶ The . C.lxxxvj . questyon ¶ The folke of this world ech one Are they comune after one BEtwyx them is comunaute In some thynges as thou may se For al are they borne in care And al shal they hens fare And al shal they rotte away And al aryse at domysday But betwyx them in some thyng Is dyuersyte / for some is kynge Some pouer and vyle is theyr mete Some lyue by that they may gete Some go clade and some bare And of dyuerse manere men are Of dyuerse wyl of dyuerse thought Here in comune are they nought And as here is dyuersyte So shal there in other world be Some shal in to payne be brought To dole the werkes that he hath wrought And some shal in to payne of helle There with out ende to dwelle And some shal in to heuyn blys That nothyng here haue don amys

¶ The . C.lxxxvij . questyon ¶ Do men the rych honour ech one And vnto the pouer eyhgt none In the other world also As men here in this do ARych man more honour shal haue In other world than he can craue And the pouer more shame suffer Than eny man here and greatter The rych there shal honour fynde And the pouer set behynde But they haue no man there dere After as he was rych here Understand now yf thou can Al the ryches of the man Is the sowle that hym is in And yf it be clene out of synne It is noble and rych Hym shal aungels of make mych And worshyp do to hym truly For the goodnes that he is rych by The pouer sowle that synful is Shal nother haue honour ne blys The aungels turne theyr face therfro For it for pouert goyth to wo Worshyp gettyth it ryght none Ware it rych it had good wone But his ryches was al spent And from hym clenely it went Whan he goddys precept forsoke And to deedly synne hym toke Therfore after as his ryches wore Is he worthy to be honoured thore

¶ The . C.lxxxviij . questyon ¶ Shal the father bere eny bourthyn For his sonne / or his sonne for hym THe father of the sonne shal bere No burthen that hym may dere Ne the sonne not charged is With that the father doth amys Ech man of his owne synne Is charged that he deyes in But for the sonne the father may Be charged oft and euery day As yf that the sonne mysdo And the father wote that it be so And chastyse hym not of his synne But sufferyth hym to be therin He synnes al so wel as he And for hym charged shal be The sonne for his dede doyng And the father for his sufferyng But the father is charged nought Of that that the sonne wrought But that he myght a hym corrected If he had to hym ought seyed But by sufferaunce ther is he in nede Charged for his sonnys mysdede

¶ The . C.lxxxix . questyon ¶ They that slee men and vndo Take they theyr synne them vnto NAy / synne that one man hath wrought May charge a nother nought No man with ryght may other slo For no mysdede ne for no wo But yf it by lordshyp be That of god hath the pouste Iustyce for to do the ryght Therto is hym geuen myght And yf aman for wrath or hate Sle another in the gate The synne of the ded chargys hym nought Hym that hym to ded brought But what he dyd euyl or wele Shal cleue by hymselfe euery dele Nought than may be of godys mercy That he that ys slayne wrongfully May of som synne releasyd be For the sharp dede that he Agaynst ryght was brought vnto And he that hym slew also Encresyth his synne where he goyth By also many as he sleyth For greatter synne nought tel I can Than wylfully to slee a man

¶ The . C. lxxxx . questyon ¶ Which is most sorow thynkyth the That thou heryst or doest se SIght of eye wyl more dere Than that a man heres with ere For that a man sees with eye That may be no flatery For he sees al the dede doyng And al the sorowe of that thyng That moste go ryght nere the herte And doth it aldermost smert For olde men say / and it is newes That eyne ne se / herte ne rewes But that a man is told vnto He wottyth neuer yf it be so And though he trow he say aryght Yet deryth it nothyng the syght For the herte thynketh as it wold It is not perchaunce as it is tolde And thus conforteth he vyturly Al the wyttes of the body Syght of eye is bodely And heryng of ere is goostly Ryght as the wynde so is heryng That is herde and sene nothyng Wherfore more sorow is to se Than to here what so it be

¶ The . C. lxxxxj . questyon ¶ Myght men eny folke synde That etyth other agayne kynde HE that trauayles day and nyght To hurte his neyghbor with vnryght To lese his good that he wan With trauayle or craft that he can And that he shuld his lyfe with lede For to clothe hym with and to fede Me thynke he byteth hym very sore And eteth hym as that it wore Yet is there another manere Aman to ete another here Yf he a lesyng on hym lye Wherfore he hathe great vylonye Or sayth of hym euyl behynd his backe Or before men maketh of hym alacke He eteth hym without methe Thoughe he not byte hym with his tethe And he that sleeth a man also And hath no cause ther vnto Or for gyft that hym is hyght Forsothe he than hym eteth ryght And more maners the●e is of mete That aman may another ete

¶ The . C. lxxxxij . questyon ¶ Which is the worst thyng of thes thre Morder / thefte / or a slanderer to be ? TO be a slanderer is a wycked lyfe For he maketh ofte great stryfe He is aboute day and nyght To make debate vnto his myght And so may he by wickyd rede Be encheson a man to be deed Wherfore it is great folye To haue such one in company Theft also is great synne For he that wyl neuer blynne To stele his neyghbor fro That he hath byde for moch wo And so doth he agayne hym dryue In wo and trauayl to lyue Or to begge for euer more Loke what synne he doys thore But the most synne of al tho Is man to murdre and slo For he destroyeth that stature That god made after his fygure And reues lyfe ther it shuld be And goddys seruyse so lettyth he Mannys lycknes slo shal he nought Ne none but god that hym hath wrought

¶ The . C. lxxxxiij . questyon ¶ Forgeuyth god with good chere Al the synnes that a man doth here IF al the droppes in the see And grasses that in erth may he And al the leues men can neuen And al the sterres of heuen And al the fysshes that swyme can And al the heres of beast and man Ware al on one synne brought The tenthdele ne were they nought Of the mercy of god of heuen For that may no man sume ne reken Had a man done al the synne That al this world durst begyn And he had sorow in herte therfore And wold leue and do no more God wold on hym haue mercy And forgeue it hym redely Admyttyng hym among his meyne And of his turnyng glade be But he that leuyth not his synne Ne nought therof wyl blynne Nother mercy wyl craue He is worthy none to haue For who so askys vnworthely It may be denyed iustly

¶ The . C. lxxxxiiij . questyon ¶ Why trauaylys aman so In this world as men do FOr two thynges pryncypaly The one to susteyne the body The other that it strong be To serue god in Trynyte As in prayer and almesdede For tho wyl the sowle fede And to gather haue in mynde To leue his chyldren and his frende Al his trauayle shuld be here To saue the sowle that god hath dere And to do as that we fynde As the myre doth in his kynde By somers dayes he gaderys al That he in wynter by lyue shal He wyl not so long abyde That it come to the wynter tyde Euyn so shuld a man lere To tyl his sowle whyle he is here Abyde he tyl he hens fare Colde wynter he fyndys and care Wherfore shuld he so trauayle That it myght after hym a vayle

¶ The . C. lxxxxv . questyon ¶ Tel me now with out mys Which is the wickest thyng that is WIckydare thyng may none be Than wickyd man in pouste For the sowle that is in hym Is both myrke and dym And a wickyd man myght se byn How darke his sowle is for synne So fowle a thyng shal he se it That he shuld forlese his wyt Wherfore is there no myrcknesse Agayne a man in wickydnesse

¶ The . C. lxxxxvj . questyon ¶ The good werkes and the yl That a man doth of his wyl Whether come they of god hym to Or of hym selfe that doth them so UNderstand you wel I I wys That of god no euyl is Of hym is al holynesse And al fayrhed and goodnesse And for goodnes man he wrought To paradyse whan he hym brought He gaue hym wyt as was his wyl For to know both good and yl And whan aman had knowlegyng Of both / than was at his chosyng Whether he wold take vnto And than began he euyl to do Whan that he the good lete Bytyng the appul that he dyd ete And sythen he myght do whether he wold And he wold vnto the wyckyd hym hold Of hym selfe euery dele it is That he dyd so amys To helpe he had an enymy And so hath both thou and I Thre we haue euery day Us to tempt al that they may Our owne flesshe / the world / the sende Ech one wold vs truly shend But we knowe among al this Which is better and which wors is Than is that wickydnes euery dele Of hym that doth it and myght do wele If a man were wel be thought To thanke hym that made hym of nought He shuld haue grace wel to do And wickydnes hold hym fro Wherfore of god comyth vs goodnes in And of our selfe euyl and synne

¶ The . C. lxxxxvij . questyon ¶ Where hydeth hym the day fro nyght And the nyght fro the day lyght THat tyme that god the world dyght Of his word and of his myght The elements were myxt ech one And lyght on erth was none Than departyd them god asonder And ech one dyd set other vnder Than made he sonne and mone to lyght That one on day that other on nyght The sonne aboute goes euer more To lyght here and elles whore Whan he vs lyghteth it is day And nyght whan it is a way And whan he departyth vs fro About the erth behoueth hym to go And the erth that is so rounde Reues vs in that stounde The lyght that we had of hym And than is the nyght to vs dym But whan the sonne is aboute went And agayne is to vs sent Sone so as he shewes eny thyng We se it is in the dawyng And as he ryses ay and ay So waxes vs the clere day Thus departyth day and nyght By reson of the sonne lyght And euer whan comyth that one The other departyth anone

¶ The . C. lxxxxviij . questyon ¶ How hold the planetes them al On the sky that they ne falle WHan god had dyght the fyrmament And stabled euery element On the sky vnder the heuen Made he planets seuen And he made vp on hye Al the sterres of the sky And ech planet ther he is In his owne spere goyth I I wys The mone so is lowest of al The hyest Saturnus we call And al haue they theyr steryng A gayne the sky in his goyng And euer the hyer that they be The more to go hath he Some as a yere and some two In his spere about to go And some about to go also Haue but a moneth therto And al they are of kynde Of the fyrmament as we fynde Hauyng to gether a fastenyng So that there may be no partyng And so god hath ordayned them al That none may from other falle So may none falle from other wel Tyl god vndo the world al ech dele

¶ The . C. lxxxxix . questyon ¶ How may men that howres know aryght And the poyntes of day and nyght IN what lande thou be Thou mayst esely know and se Sone so the sonne thou se may That is apoynt of the day And whan the sonne to rest is gon Thou knowest that it is nyght anon And the nyght with the day Haue but foure and twenty howrs ay And euery howre hath no more But a thousand poyntes and foure score And this thyng may thou wel Be a candel prowe ech dele Be the day short or longe with sayl The therbe shal not mysse yf thou wyl Reckyn the day after as it is And the nyght as rekenyd is And ech an howre know thou may Whan it comyth and passyth away

¶ The . CC. questyon ¶ Al the sterres vp on hy Turne they about on the sky TUrnyng are the sterres ay And as the sky goyth so go they And for the turnyng of the sky Is that they go so hastely But one ther is that semith nought Unto our syght that it goyth ought And yet is he euer steryng In a cyrcle about turnyng For ful in the ende stondyth he The one ende of the axeltre That the world al turnes on For that semyth his steryng none And be cause he the axeltre is by Turneth he so narowly And so semyth he therfore Euer in one stede as it wore Wherby shypmen on the see In what stede so they be Be nyght haue great knolegeyng By hym and by his shewyng And for that the shypmen al Lodys sterre they hym call

¶ The . CC.j. questyon ¶ The holsomest stede which is it Of al the world after thy wyt HOlsomest stede vnto man Is ther he best gyde hym can That no sycknes by hym mete Ne none outrage of keelth ne hete Ne moch slepe ne ouer moch wakyng Of mete and drynke no outrage takyng In hote countre no hote mete Ne colde in colde shal he none ete And therfore who so hole wyl be Do as I shal teche the Ones ete on day and nyght And ones sporge the raynes in seuenyght And ones in a moneth let the blode And ones to purge hym in the yere is good Thus may he hym kepe in hele But of these men fynde not fele

¶ The . CC.j. questyon ¶ Tel me for I am in dwere The dygnyest day of the yere OF al the yere the dygnyest day So is holden the Saturday Whan god had heuen and erth wroght And al thyng therin brought And al them wrought he tho In syxe dayes and no mo On the sondaye he began And the syxte daye made he man Whan that of man was made ech lym The seuenth day god restyd hym For veryhed toke he no rest But for that he chose it day best And bade man that day he in pees And of al werkes to fees Wherfore the Saturday of al The dygnyest day we cal But a tyme shal men se Whan goddys sonne shal man be That he shal dye and after aryse The thyrd day on alwyse Which rysyng day men worshyp shal ay And that shal be the Sonday And after shal men euer calle Sonday the best of al

¶ The . CC.ij . questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyt more Why slepe was made & wherfore SLepe is made for mannys rest Of al thyng one of the best For it esyth the herte namely And myght geuyth to al the body As yf a lorde waken be Wakyd is al his meyne There ne may slepe non of al For to be redy yf he call Tyl he slepe / slepe al his Than are they the lyghter in seruys The herte of man the lord call I For it maysteryth al the body And whan it is a slepe anon The lymes rest them euerychon And than al the kyndly hete Of the body geuyth to mete Aboute the stomacke for to brynne And to dygest that ther is with in And than the kynde to hym takys That to hym shal or he wakys And purges hym of that other dele As kynde geuyth hym ful we le Thus gatheryth the body myght And is after stronge and lyght For to do that it shal do That ne ware / yf slepe ware not so Therfore hath god the nyght wrought To mannys rest and els nought For payne is none / ne no mornyng Unto man agayne wakyng

¶ The . CC.iij . questyon ¶ Shal euer in this word be Warre and contecte as men now se AT the begynnyng whan there wore Foure men in the world no more Was there warre and enuy And mannys slawghter and felony And it shal neuer seas That the world be al in peas For were the world in peas holly Men myght calle it skylfully Paradyse and els nought For there was neuer no warre wrought But loue / peas / and charyte And tho may holly here not be But in this world are warres two Goostly and bodely also The goostly warre may no man se Which is of the deuyl and his meyne Nyght and day on man he warres And in al that he may men deres Bodely warre al fyrst began Which is betwyx man and man And that shal neuer to ende torne Untyl it be the day of dome

¶ The . CC.iiii . questyon ¶ Wrathes god him ough for mannis dede What ded so he dye good or quede THough god sawe al the world brynne And al the folke dye that are therin And dryed euerydele the see In god shold no wreth be In hym may be no euyl mode For nothyng of this worldes good Mannes dede deryth god no more What dede so he dyes no whore Than it doth the fyre to brynne A hylle that many auntes were in The payne that they fele in brennyng Ne derys them for no kynges thyng No more doth god soth to sey What tyme aman shal here dey No surar thyng than is the dede But of the tyme can no man rede And for that what tyme he dey shal God greuyth hym nothyng with al But sythen man wot no prow Whan he shal dey ne how Loke he be redy ay I rede Than shal hym not the dede drede

¶ The . CC.v. questyon ¶ Which folke are it as thou wetes That the world now most susteynes FOure maner of folke there are That were it so that they ne ware The world myght not vp holden be Ne fare so wel as we now se One than are thes men of crafte That lerne other that are dafte Conyng theyr lyuelod for to wynne And god to serue without synne Another are tho that tyl the lande And wynne vs mete and drynke to hande The thryde are lordes that peas kepe For in peas may men suerly slepe If peas were not there were great doute To lyue or eny wher walke aboute The fourth maner of folke than are Chapmen that about fare Fro feyre to feyre fro lande to lande And bryng that men do wande And shuld defaute haue of it also Dyd not chapmen gyue them therto Wherfore the world with out thys Mought be kept on none wyse

¶ The . CC.vij. questyon ¶ Whether is hyer as thou doyst vndarstand The kynge or the lawe of the lande LAwe is of more antyquyte Than kyng or prynce may be And yf thou wylt wyt why I shal the tel apertly The name of kynge or emperour Is geuyn for worldly honour And it fallyth to his myght The lawe for to kepe aryght Than is kynge for lawe set To kepe that lawe be not let Than is lawe more than he For to do lawe hath he potence For a thyng that ordayned is For another / than semys thys That he that it is dyght for Of them two is the more And yf the kynge for lawe be Than is lawe more than he Yet shal I say the a nother sawe If the kynge do agayne the lawe Lawe shal hym deme with skyl and ryght Than is lawe aboue his myght And breke he lawe in eny thyng He is not worthy to be kynge Truly here after shal come one A kyng that shal hyght Salomon In his sawes say shal he Blessyd mote they al be That shal in this world rounde Do iustyce and ryght in euery stounde

¶ The . CC.viij . questyon ¶ May man in ony manere Ony worldly good haue here That he ouer al may with hym bere And the weyght hym not dere AMan in this world may haue Good hym eneywhere for to saue And helpe hym at his nede And euer he may it with hym lede That is conyng of some arte Which wyl not fro man parte Who so hath hym nedyth not to drede For it wyl hym both cloth and fede Bettar tresour neuer no man wan Than is conyng vnto man And whyther so aman wyl go He may it bere with out wo And here vnto none of his Wherfore shal Salomon the wyse Say as aman wel be taught That wyt and wysdome is worldys aught

The . CC.ix. questyon ¶ If two haue loue to gether stronge And after are a sonder longe And come to gether ought one whore May they loue so as they dyd before LOue betwyx frendes twey That onys is ne shuld not dey And yf that they in sonder be That eyther other longe not se And they to gether come efte The loue that was before lefte Before that they in sondre wore May come agayne and ryght wel more As thou in a garden mayst se Standyng a wel lykyng tre And the gardynar behaue hym so That he take no hede therto To mucke and tyl and els it dyght It myscaryeth anon ryght Losyng his wel lykyng For it zemyd is nothyng But whan the gardynar it sees That it fayleth among other trees Hede agayne therto he takys And the erth about it bettar makys And than begynneth it to sprynge And take agayne to his lykynge So it faryth of frendes two If that one fro the other go And after to gether come agayne Eyther wylbe of other feyne And the loue they had before Or that a sondre sondre wore For new may they them betwene As the tree that eft waxed grene

¶ The . CC.x. questyon ¶ How may amam loue woman ryght Or she hym for the syght SOmtyme fallyth aman to mete Afayre woman in the strete His eyen wyl he on her caste Beholdyng her ryght faste And the eyen anon present ryght Unto the braynes that same syght Braynes send the herte vnto And in delyte he fallyth also And as sone as he is in delyte He begynneth to loue tyte The brayne sendyth to the eye agayne That they of that syght are fayne Delytyng them to beholde more So that the herte therfore Fallyth in a fowle lykyng And so begynneth the loue to spryng But and the herte were of myght Stronge to hold hym in that syght And say lorde I thanke it the The syght that I yonder se That thou woldest after thy fygure Make so fayre a creature Temptacyon shuld he none be in Ne falle in no delyte of synne Ne his herte shuld haue no menyng Another tyme to such a thyng No more shuld woman on her syde If she dyd thanke god euery tyde

¶ The . CC.xj. questyon ¶ Aman that lyght conscyence berys And by his god falsly swerys Of .x. false thynges for the nonys Is he ought for swore but onys HE that swerys an oth amys By his god what so he is For .x. false thynges al in one Soth as he swerys for ech one And yf ech of the .x. false be Tene tymes forsworne is he An hundreth thynges though it wore So ofte forsworne is he thore And who so assentys therto That he made that othe also Also ofte is he forsworne As he that made that oth beforne

¶ The . CC.xij . questyon ¶ Tho that any knowlege haue here The folke for to lere Shal eny grace come them vnto More than it shal other men to Ryght it is that euery man That trauayls in labour as he can That it be hym yeldyd so As his trauayle amountys to And he that trauayls here Ony good other to lere Or preches to them how they shal Heuynly blys wyn with al God shal them in heuyn saue And double mede shal they haue For that they haue techyd ryght The way vnto heuyn lyght But two maner of techers be In this world as thou mayst se Unto the sonne is lykened one That geuyth his lyght euer anon And euery lyke his lyght lastes For ought that he doune castes That are the good that teches here Doyng them selfe as they do lere But some are that tech wel And wickydly lyue them selfe euery dele Unto the candel lyght are tho That to other geuyth his lyght hym fro And wasteth hym selfe hastely He that is no grace worthy For yf aman were set to dele Tresour among feele And he myght pay them ech one wel And holde hym selfe a great dele If he dele so his delyng That hym selfe lefte nothyng Or yf ought hym left wicked ware It is but ryght he euyl fare Skyl it is that he fare yl That wyl chose it of hys wyl

¶ The . CC.xiij . questyon ¶ Thought that a man thynkes alday Wherof euer come it may COmenly thought in herte wyl spryng Of clere herte and conyng For euer the more that aman Of arte in this world can The more thought he hath thefore And ymagynes more and more The wysdom that thes wyse haue so Of pure corage it comyth them to And that is of pure blode nought elles That about the herte dwelles And the puryte of that blode Cleres the braynes and makys them good And that claryte that in the braynes dure Geuyth to the corage moysture And vnto the eyen claryte And to al the lymes lyght to be The herte it geuyth vnto Blythnes and lykyng also Which makyth aman conyng And to haue thought of moch thyng But for his conyng shal he nought Smyte in to an euyl thought And his thought shal be holly To worshyp god pryncypaly And after to worke at his myght Thynges that be honest and ryght

¶ The . CC xiiij . questyon ¶ Why than falle the folke also Of the euyl as men se they do FOr thre thynges pryncypaly Falles vmwhyle amannys body One is for colours & humors wyk That stere in the body thycke And the humors day and nyght With the good in the body fyght And yf the wicked maysters be The herte somtyme they tourne perde And ableese to the braynes cast That aman falles at the last And for that same vanyte With fote and hand trauayleth he And fome out of the mouth doth falle His wyttes so and doth lose al Another than is deedly synne That aman is combred in And goddys commaundment doth nought But in synne is al his thought Such powre hath the deuyl of hym That he hym shewes to hym ful grym The aungel that hath hym in kepyng Rekenys than of hym nothyng Wherfore the deuyl than fouly Turmentys hym this pytyously The thyrd cause than is fantasy That comyth to the herte vnwysly Wherfore it fayles and cowarde is And waxes dredful and losys blys Wherfore somtyme he fallys smert And comyth a fantesy of the herte

¶ The . CC.xv . questyon ¶ Which is the perolousest lym That mannys body hath in hym OF al the lymes of the body The perylousest than hold I The eyen that shuld the body wys That it not go amys For in peryl both put they Sowle and body euery dey The eyen shew the braynes anon The thyng that they se vpon And the braynes also smert Nuncyes it forth vnto the herte The herte hath lykyng in the syght And fallyth in synne anon ryght And had the eyen se no thynge The herte had falle in no lykynge Also perylouse they ere For they are tender and lyght to dere And pryde and yre and couetys With other synnes mo than this Which thynges had be vnsought And mannys eyen sawe ryght nought And for that of euerychone Perylouser lyme is none

¶ The . CC.xvj . questyon ¶ Which is the sykerest arte of al And there most peryl may in falle CLerkes that to the world preches And goddys wyl to do them teches And how they shal theyr sowles gyde And the deuyl from them cause to slyde The surest arte haue they tho And the perylousest also For of the world they are the lyght As to the body is eyen syght The eyen lyght the body And ledyth it by way and sty Without hurte there it wylbe Which hurte shuld take myght it not se Also tho that lerne this arte And thech forth therof some parte The ryght way the folke they lede And theyr sowles goostly they fede And yf they do as they say Theyr selfe goyth in the ryght way And yf they nought ne do As they other tech vnto Fouly they them selfe spyl And the candel lyke they are vntyl That lyghtes me and the ryghtwel But hym selfe wastes euery dele

¶ The . CC.xvij . questyon ¶ How is a man somtyme iolyfe And lyght of body al his lyfe SOmtyme begynneth iolyfte In mannys body to styre and be And that comyth ryght kyndly Of a yong blode in the body That of his mother toke it than Or he to the world came But than after his beryng Gatheryth he of mete in fedyng Anew blode and that steryth hym Somtyme in euery a lyme And the yong blode therwith Steryth in to ech a lyght The herte reuerdysse with al As that it of kynde shal So come in iolynyte Ey to that blode so steryng be But whan it begynnes to sesse The herte quyckly hath relesse Of iolynyte and fallyth thore In a sadnes as it was before

¶ The . CC.xviij . questyon ¶ May man achyld not get ryfe Ech tyme that he touches his wyfe IN this world man is none That myght get his wyfe vpon Achyld ech tyme ay That he with her lay Ne so ofte may no woman Conceyue of the seed of man Achyld forth for to brynge As he myght get it in pleyeng For she is coldar of nature . And keelth to seed is no norture A lecherous man somtyme also That goyth tha● worke moch vnto And trauayles hym euer ryght Of his reynes he lesyth myght Than is the seed feble and veyne And to engendure has no meyne As a woman seuen chaumbres has And in eche of tho parcas May she conceyue a chyld no mo And yet hathe she ynoughe of tho And were aman of suche powere To gete one whan he came her nere At eche tyme where shuld that wyfe Spere so many in her lyfe Also yf there be goten one The mother sperys vp an one And no more conceyueth she Untyl that same borne be

¶ The . CC.xix . questyon . ¶ What is it and how gathers it so Mannys kynd whan it goth hym fro AMannes kynd that goth hym fro Gathers out of euery lym For when aman aboute his mynd With woman to done his kynd The hete of hym and the great wyl That he has his dede to fulfyl Causeth his body to swete witin Blode inward fro euery lym And that blode becometh al whyte And to the stones goth al tyte And from thens it issueth so Whan it comyth there vnto Another cause than is frotyng Of man to wyfe with great lykyng Longe rest also a cause is why And ful fellyng of the body From aman somtyme / one of tho Doth it slepyng go hym fro But body trauaylyng and fastyng Wyl come to hym no such thyng

¶ The . CC.xx. questyon ¶ Is aman bounde therto To loue his chyldren & good them do AMan shal loue ouer al thyng God that is of heuyn kyng And hym selfe after that And his chyldren that he gat For they are fruyte of his body And for that ought he to loue them truly But he shal not loue them so Folyshly as many do For some are theyr chyldren louyng More than them selfe in some thyng For yf thou leue now for no synne Worldly goodes for to wynne And caryst not wher thou it take Theyr chyldren with rych to make In also moch thou louest them more Than thy selfe harken wherfore Thy wrong takyng makyth the That thou shalt dampned be And me thynke he louys yl That his sowle therfore wyl spyl Wherfore of thy labor dylygently Shalt thou fynde them mete truly And somwhat thou lerne them shal That they may after lyue with al And whan they can it let them go And purchase them with other mo

¶ The . CC.xxi . questyon ¶ Enchaunmentyng and socery Uayle they ought or are they foly THe body may they somdele vayle But to the soule they do great trauayle And he that them worke shal Thre thynges most haue with al Fyrst behouyth hym to knowe a ryght The howres & poyntes of day and nyght For go he ought there agayne Al his labour is in vayne The tother is he most of nede Geue great fayth vnto the dede And haue stedfast in his thought That the deuyl shal fayle hym nought Yet most he know astronomy Which shal helpe hym a great party But want he eny of thes thre His worke is nought but vanyte

¶ The . CC.xxij . questyon ¶ Which is the wightest beast that is And most of sauyour tel me this HOunde is the wyghtest beast of al And the trewest on to call Lyghter no beast renne ne can Nor none louyngare to man And the sauourest is he Saue yf it the myre be For of al beastes the myre I I wys Sauours most after that it is

¶ The . CC.xxiij . questyon ¶ Whether of the two may be Hyer the lande or the see LAnde is hyer of the two Els shuld the see it ouer go Lete a wessel with water fylle Euyn by the brynke standyng styll Yet shal the brynkes the water hold But were it more vp / it wold Renne ouer the vessel quyckly And there spyl truly Eueyn so it fareth by the see But yf the erth myght hyare be The see shuld it ouer renne That al the world shuld wel kenne

¶ The . CC.xxiiij . questyon ¶ Wherof snayles come wyt I wold And why they to the gras them hold OF the hete and the swote Come they of gras that is hote And for moysture hold they them so Unto the gras as that they do And al be it lothly to syght It is a worme of moch myght For who so knoueth wel the kynde Of great vertu he may it fynde Be encombred the brest of man That he his breth nought drawe can Who so toke the snayles than And fryed them wel in a panne With oyle of olyue where men it get And with hony gaue it hym to ete Tene dayes at euen and morowe It shuld delyuer hym of that sorowe And yf a whyte spote were In his eye the syght to dere And toke snayles and them dyd brynne Of that that is them with in And whan it is brent to cole also The tender parte so moch do thereto Of a roste leke / and so moch yet Ofybenus a tree as men call it And bray it al to gether wel And after sarce it euery dele And vse it twyes or thryes a day The whyte spote shal go a way

¶ The . CC.xxv . questyon ¶ How slepe thes old men also As thes yong chyldren do CHyldren yong slepe for the grennesse Of theyr branes and the swetnesse For tender and lyght it ought to be As is the floure vpon a tre If a wynde theron blowe truly It fallyth of lyghtly Also is it of a chyld I I wys Whan it of mete fellyd is An ayre smyteth there vpon Wherby it enclynes vpon one And slepes than and restes so Which is norysshyng there vnto An old man also slepe wyl As a chyld but by other skyl For feblenes of braynes slepys he As a rype appul vpon a tree Whan a wynde it touches ought It fallyth vnto ground for nought The old man is in that caas A lytel ese whan that he has He fallyth a slepe quyte And that is greatly his delyte For feble reynes and heuy bonys That causyth hym to slepe for the nonys

¶ The . CC.xxvj . questyon ¶ If god had so great a man wrought As al the world / myght he ought Haue stond agayne god ryght Thrughe vertu of his myght HAd he made so great aman As any man recken can As al the world dale or doune Woode / water / feld / or toune Agayne god had he no mayne More than an aunte hath hym agayne And yet a thowsand tymes lesse Than hath the aunte in his greatnesse For god with word euynly wrought Heuyn / erth and al of nought And wold he byd them synke It shuld be don as thou coudest thynke Seyng he erth and henyn may vndo Euyn with his word also And is but apoynt of his myght Moch more than with ryght Is the remnaunt of his pouste Wherfore to hym may nothyng be

¶ The . CC.xxvij . questyon ¶ What shuld this word haue be & how Had god not dyght it as it is now IT shuld haue be more ne lesse Than a fowle dale of darknesse Or as a darke pryson pyt And nothyng shuld haue aluted it The elements that we now calle Shud haue be troblyd to gether al And god shuld neuerthelesse in blys Haue byn and rought nothyng of this But for the creaturs sake That god wold afterward make The elementes claryfyed he Settyng ech one ther they shuld be And dyghtyd al thynges to mannys prow Also as that they are now

¶ The . CC.xxviij . questyon ¶ Wether the aungels of goddys onde can As dyd the sowle fyrst of Adam ADamys sowle so was wrought Of goddys flate but aungel nought They were of goddys worde alone He bad them be and they were echone But god blewe vpon Adam Goost of lyfe and he forth came Wherfore adam and his ofspryng That stedfastly ouer al thyng Trust in god and beleue shal And his byddyng do with al Dygnyer before god shal be Than aungels be resons thre Fyrst he hathe lyfe that may not wonde Of the spririte of goddes onde And that was hygher to my thynkyng Than aungel that came ofspekyng Also aman has enemyes To tempte hym were he goth or lyes And aungel in no temptyng is Wherfore he may not do amys And he that the temptyng withstandis And cometh not in the deuyls handis He is more dignyer than he That in no temptyng may be The thyrd cause then is also That god hath set aungel therto To kepe man both fer and hende And fro al euyl hym to defende And from al encombrement But yf hym selfe therto assent And yf aungel mannys seruaunt be Than is agood man dygnyer than he

¶ The . CC.xxix . questyon ¶ Now wold I know I I wys What thyng is heuynly paradyse HEuynly paradyse than is Nothyng but that same blys That a man hath of the syght Of goddys face that is so bryght For he that sees hym face to face He hath al maner of grace Ioy and delyte endlesse to be Helth / fayrhed / strenght / and lewte Wyt and conyng with ryches also God for his myght send vs therto

¶ The . CC.xxx. questyon ¶ The fayrest thyng in this world to se That god made which may it be AMan than is the fayrest thyng That is in erth af goddys makyng And the louelyest of vysage For he hym made after his ymage And for man made sonne and mone With al thynges that vnder wone And also as he wold make Al thynges for mannys sake Seruyse vnto man to do So wil he man to hym shal do

¶ The . CC.xxxj . questyon ¶ Whether oughtest thou to loue alday That loue the / or that the louest me say THou shalte loue that loueth the And that thou louest some lat be For thou louest some parauenture That of the take ful lytel cure And but thou loue with al shy meyne Hym that loueth the agayne Than wyl I saye thou louyst nought God that at his lykenes the wrought And who so loueth synne here He loueth the deuyl to haue to fere And he ne loueth here no man But to shende al that he can And to put hym in payne and wo Lo / what wyse he loueth tho The good he hateth day and nyght But them to dere he hathe no myght For god defendes them with his myght And loueth al that loueth hym a ryght Therfore they that great loue hath the tyl Loue hym agayne for that is skyl

¶ The . CC.xxvii . questyon ¶ Which are the worthyest wordes that be And gras and stones as thynketh the ? GOd gaue vnto thynges thre Moch vertu and potence And to mannes helpe eche one To worde / to gras / and to stone The worthyest word and most of myght For to saye day or nyght Is to worshyp heuen kyng And pray hym after good endyng For yf this word be worthely spoken It shal be hard fro erth to heuen Also grasses are there feele Made vnto mannys hee le But of so many is there one That may werst be forgone That is where to fode of man Worthyar grasse not I tel can Also are ther many stones Of great vertu for the nones But mylle stones are they tho That man may not wel forgo For the gryndyng of the corne They may werst be forborne And seyng al haues of them nede That with brede shal them fede Worthyest stone I them call Among other stones al

¶ The . CC.xxxiij . questyon ¶ Shalt thou thy counsel tel euery dele To thy frend that thou louest wel COunsel ought to be tolde To hym that thou al haue wolde Which is god and man elles For he wyl hele that thou telles If thou thy frend tel it vnto It may after befalle so That that frendshyp may ouer go And thy frende becomyth thy fo Than may thou say yf the lyste Now wottyth my foo that my frynd wyst Or yf thou thy frende it sey And wenyst he shal the not wrey And he tellys it preuely Unto another frend hym by And he the fourth as may welbe This may it not long be preuete For that many mouthes wote On some tonge it lyes ful hote Thus myght thou come in blame therfore Wherfore bettar vntolde it wore If thou a preuete haue wrought And thy herte may hele it nought Thynkyng it sadnes in the ryght Untyl thou haue told it to some wyght Go from the folke be the alone That no man here the make no mone And call it than thy selfe to As thou woldest to a nother do Whan thou hast told thy herte shal keel And no more anguyshe shalt thou fele If thou no wayes may it hold Tyl thou haue it a nother told Loke thou tel it to such one That thou may wel trust vpon That he wyl tel it on no syde For no wrath that may be tyde

¶ The . CC.xxxiiij . questyon ¶ Which are wymen of most profyte For man to haue to his delyte UNtyl sowle profytes none But amanys wyfe alone But of the body yf thou sey In the yere are sesons twey After which aman loke shal What woman he shal dele with al In wynter whan the ayre is colde And his keelth yeldes manyfolde A yong woman and broune also Profytes than man vnto For broune woman is of hote onde And of hote guttes fonde And her hete hetys man also And great profyt doys hym to In somer whan the ayre is hote And heteth both drye and wote Than is a yong whyte woman Best vnto profyt of man For she is colde of kynde to fele And man of great hete may she kele But an olde woman doth no profyte Unto man nother broune ne whyte For yl onde aboute she beres And moyst guttes that greatly deres She makys aman pure heuy And greuyth euery dele his body And doth chaunge his fayre colour Wherfore in her is no socour

¶ The . CC.xxxv . questyon ¶ The quakyng that aman is in Somtyme wherof may it begyn QUakyng that sometyme lyghtly Falles aman in his body Cometh of flemes that are colde That the moysture in his body holde For they ouer come of theyr ●ouste Al the colers that in hym be Whan the colers haue al in welde A great keelth in man they yelde That cold reykes forth ther with Unto synnes veynes and ech lyght Which causyth hym to quake begyn And the body shake within As the blast of a colde ayre wyl make A thynne clothyd man for to shake

¶ The . CC.xxxvi . questyon ¶ Whan aman seyth a thynge Whether geuyth the eye out in seyng Or it receyuyth inward therto The shape that it sees also NOthyng may come out owhore But there that it went in before Nor eye may nothyng geue outward But that it fyrst receyuyd inward Wherfore vnderstand a ryght Thre thynges go to the syght Fyrst that thyng that thou shalte se That other that it coloured be For of al thynges is seen nothyng But only the colouryng The thyrd are bemes of the syght Which vpon that thyng shal lyght That shal be seen and after this Moysture that in the eyne is Drawes vnto hym the shapyng And the facyon of that thyng And that shape yeldes it the branes vnto And the braynes to the herte also The herte sendys it to hym at the last And in memory holdes fast And for that sendyng wyl the herte Thynke a nother tyme ful smerte Of the thyng eyen had somwhore Seen truly therbefore

¶ The . CC.xxxvij . questyon ¶ How may a man spekyng be Be hym alone and say we AMan is made more ne lesse But after goddys owne lycknesse And also as in the godhed be Rekened ryghtly persons thre So there are in euery man Thre thynges that I reken can Body / sowle / and the wyt Thes thre are together knyt The tong an instrument is ryght To speke the sowle geuyth myght The wyttes gouern aboue al What so the tong speke shal And seyng euery man hath thes thre In spech may he wel say we

¶ The . CC.xxxviij . questyon ¶ May with takyng from the see It in any thyng amenysshed be THyng that men alday of take Behouyth to menysshe and slake Now is no water of al that be Fresshe nor salt but of the see And euery day men takys therto Both man and beast and fowle also And al that is taken euery day Ageyne to the see ne may There goyth of it to wast somdele As euery man may wyt wel But the erth yeldes waters her fro That vnto the see go And the see restores eft Of al that men hath it reft And it is so long and wyde And so greatly depe and syde That men may aperceue nothyng That therof goys to wastyng

¶ The . CC.xxxix . questyon ¶ Whether shal man loue one or other Chyld of the suster or of the brother BOth ought thou for to loue them euin After goddys ryght of heuyn But after the worldys lawe Some man were leuer to hym drawe The brothers chylde and loue hym more Than the susters / harken wherfore The chyld takys matter of the wyfe And of the father shape and lyfe And shape of al thyng I I wys Is worthyare than the matter is Wherfore that some men wyl sey The brothers chyld is nere of twey But gyle is on that other syde As men hath wyst it ofte betyde My brothers wyfe may be a wyle And may do her husbond gyle And wyt on hym achyld lyghtly That he no more gat than I But achyld that my suster bare Therof am I suer and ware That that behouyth to be kynne of nede But of my brothers chyld is drede

¶ The . CC.xl. questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that thou can The peryloust thynges that are in man FOure colours hath man hym in That of foure complexcyons begyn The fyrst is blode that may not mysse That other blacke coloure I wysse The thyrd is fleme whyte on to se And yelow coloure the fourth is he And want aman of thes thre His body were deed anon And ech one behouys to be At his seson in his pouste And yf any lacke them al Out of tyme that they shuld in hym fall In sycknes the body falles Perylous wherfore men them calles And ech one hath his power In dyuers quarters of the yere Thre thynges the fyrst quarter ches Capricorne / Aquarius / and pisses And of flemes haue they myght And wete and colde is theyr ryght In December they begynne And in mydel of March they blynne Which is the coldest tyme of al For that is that we wynter call ¶ The seconde quarter next therby Haue Aries / Taurus / Gemini Blode in man haue they myght to And are hote and moyst also In March is theyr begynyng And in Iune is theyr endyng Uer hyght that seson that I mene Al thynges therin waxe grene ¶ The thyrd quarter hath hym vnto Cancer / Leo / and Uirgo And they are both hote and drye Of yelow colours is theyr maystrye In Iune is theyr begynyng ay And in September they wend away Which is the somer tyde The meryest tyme that men abyde ¶ The fourth hath sygnes thus Libra / Scorpio / Sagittarius They are both colde and drye And of blacke colour haue sygnorye Whos begynyng is in September And theyr partyng in December And who so thes foure tymes obserues And his kynd wel in them gydes Fro perelles myght he kepe hym longe And in he le holde his lymmes stronge

¶ The .xlj. questyon ¶ Of al the flesshes the men may get Which is the holsomest to ete THe flesshe that is of most substance And geuyth man most sustynaunce That flesshe is the holsomest And vnto mannys norysshyng best But who so a good stomacke myght get That myght wel dygest his mete To hym is best though it be grete Flesshe of bugle and of nete For great myght to man they geue But sycke men wyl they greue For a sycke man is feble ryght And his stomacke is of no myght Wherfore moton is best hym to And yong chykens are good also For tendernes that men in them fynde And greatly chargeth not the kynde For a sycke man may suffer no dele Of that a hole man may ryght wel

¶ The . CC.xlij . questyon ¶ The mete that aman shal lyue by How departys it in his body SUstenaunce that aman take shal Gaderys vnto the stomacke al And with drynke synkes therin And than to seth wyl it begyn And whan it is soden wel And dygested euery dele In fyue partes deuyded it is And euery party goys vnto his The fyrst parte wylbe fall To be clenest and purest of al And that parte also smerte Drawes hym lyghtly vnto the herte That other part drawes hym also The braynes / eyen / and hede vnto The thyrd vnto the lymes shal And vnto the blode with al The fourth goyth there it is not spylt To the longes / to the lyuer and to the milte The fyfte than is as brene of al Which wyl vnto the guttes fall And men cast it out therby That it helpyth not the body And dryuke departys also in man As I of mete to tel began

¶ The . CC.xliij . questyon ¶ How shal aman of his throte wyn Abone or a thorne styckyng therin By bred or lycour takyn fully And swelowed inward hastely And yf it synke not And wyl not throughe the throt Take of rawe flesshe a mossel And with a smale threde bynd it wel That mossel swalow with spede But in thy hande hold the threde Tyl it is doune hold fast And it shal that bone out cast If the thred breke do it efte Unto that it be out refte

¶ The . CC.xliiij . questyon ¶ The mucke that euery man goyth fro Tel me why it styncketh so STynkyng is it for causes twey And which they are I shal sey That one for speryng of the body So that none ayre may come therby I shal the set ensample how If a man toke ryght now A pece of flesshe neuer so fayre And spered it there it had no ayre And it lye hote sone shalt thou se That it shuld stynckyng be For the humours is another skyl That the stomacke draw hym vntyl Which ful byttar are and soure Salt and of euyl sauoure With the mete they mynge them al Whan so aman ete shal Great stench the mete of them takys Wherby as aman lyes it smakys

¶ The . CC.xlv . questyon ¶ Tel me now I praye the this Why mannys vryne so salt is BE thre thynges comys it to Why that it is salt also One is be cause a man that it drynkes In hym throughe the mete it synkes And stepes therin out to get Al the salt that was in the mete A nother cause also truly Is for the swote of the body The body swetys inward for hete And kyndly salte is the swete And that swet mengeles with the pyss● Wherfore as salt it is The thyrd cause for the hete with in To seeth and boyle that wyl not blyn In the body both swete and drynke Or they may to the blader synke And for thes causes thre Behoueth vryne salt to be

¶ The . CC.xlvj . questyon ¶ Wherof euer wormes brede In man and how that they fede WOrmes are truly there brede And in mannys body fede Of the mucke of grossy metes That a man or woman etes And of the selfe lyue they wel Of the venomousest dele For as the adder and the pode And other wormes that in erth wode Fedyth the erth them verely Of the venom that therin doth ly Also thes wormes that in vs lye Clenses vs of great party Of euyls that shuld in vs make Uenemous metes that we take Neuerthelesse hurte they do There men hath them long also

¶ The . CC.xlvij . questyon ¶ How many craftes & which are tho That man myght werst for go CRaftes foure in erth ere That men myght not wel for bere One is smyth another wryght That to men many thynges dyght The thyrd arte so is sowyng And the fourth so is weuyng After the tyme that made was adam Was smythyng the fyrst arte that cam Wherfore is it lorde of al For nothyng that to man shal fall Of werkyng lomes to worke with al That it through smythes handes ne shal Wryghtyng is also a conyng That myght not be foreborne be my iugyng For as for the yron steres the tre So most the tre helpe to the yron be For with out tre may no man wel Lyght nothyng with yron and stele Of sowyng as the world hathe nede With sowyng is dyght mannys wede Though man in lether shuld be clade Yet were it with out sowyng bade Also clouth is made ryght none But yf weuyng be there on Other many craftes there are But thes foure be the fyrst that ware And of al they are the best And to mannys lyfe of the surest

¶ The . CC.lxviij . questyon ¶ Whether shal in heuyn haue more blys Chyldren that neuer dyd amys Or they that for god of theyr wyl Toke the good and left the yl CHyldren yong that dyd no synne Great ioy shal in heuyn wynne Ye / theyr ioy shal be moch more Than they here haue done therfore But he that is of age perfyte And knoweth thys worldes delyte And myght take al to his behoue And leuyth al for goddys loue Takyng penaunce on his body There he myght lyue esely An hundreth fold shal be his blys More than eny chyldes I I wys For as achyld no yl can do So can it no good therto Mede is not ordayned alto tho That wickyd dedes are kept fro But that do of theyr wyl good dede To them so is ordayned mede

¶ The . CC.xlix . questyon ¶ How may aman on what manere Ouer come the wyl of this world here HE may wyl ouer come euery dele And that lyghtly and we le If athyng fall in his thought That he wotyth good is nought And he haue therto great wyl It in dede to fulfylle Turne thy thought in that temptyng And begyn to thynke on other thyng Thy fyrst thought shal fal the fro And that wycked wyl thou shalt forgo But holde thou theron thy thought sore Thou delytes more and more And kyndeles euer as a glede Unto that thou come to dede And than falles thou in synne For thy thought coude not blynne But pyne the al that thou may For to turne thy thought away Anone shal it in the kele And no more therof shalt thou fele

¶ The . CC.xlix . questyon ¶ Tho that to paradise or helle go Shal they euer come out therfro ? AL that are in paradise Wold gladly out that be thou wyse But the soules that are in helle Wolde neuer out but styl there dwelle And I shal tel the for why Yf a lorde dwellyd here by And had dwellyng in a cete Two seruauntes of his meyne That one serued hym so aryght That the lord wardayne hym hyght Sone wold he haue his lord come agayne The tother were a wycked swayne And for falshed taken wore And in pryson holden sore And abode an euyl endyng At the lordes home comyng The good seruaunt wold he came tyte In trust of the more profyte The wycked wold he taryed lange For at his comyng shuld he hange And euer in pryson leuer were he Than come out and hanged be Also they that in paradyse wone Them longeth after goddes sone The very profyte that come shal That the world shal deme ouer al For than shal theyr blysse be more An hundreth folde than was before For than shal soule and body wende Into heuen withouten ende But soules that to hel go Wold goddes sone neuer came so For at his dome the body shal Come and dwell the soule withal And bothe into helle fare And an hondreth folde haue care More than that he had fyrst Therfore to dwell styl hym lyst For better with one care with inne Than to come out and haue twayne

¶ The . CC.l. questyon ¶ Why go not the good that are wyse Unto erthly paradyse ? IT is not conuenyent dare I say That they thether toke the way Erthly paradyse was wrought To body and to soule nought It is a place erthly Therfore when soule is fro the body It may no where haue dwellyng But it be in goostly thyng For goost reioyseth hym ryght nought In place that bodyly is wrought Goost to goost that is his ryght And body in bodyly thyng hath myght Sowle may no man fele ne se Wherfore in his kynd must he be

¶ The . CC.lij . questyon ¶ Whether is sowle heuy or lyght Great or smal darke or bryght WEre a thowsand sowles here Lyeng on alefe of papere Heuyar were the papere nought For they are lyght & as thought Under thy nayle myght thou spere A thowsand and be neuer the werre Thy eyen and thy syght before Shuld neuer the lesse thy syght be To se the thyng that thou woldest se No more than thou hast lettyng Of the wynd to se a thyng And in the world is nought so whyte As is of hewe a good spyryte But a synful sowle synful and wycke Is also blacke as eny pycke Great lothly and heuy And fallyth dounward redely There nys man ne woman none That a synful sowle sawe one But yf the more wonder ware Out of his wyt he shuld fare

¶ The . CC.liij . questyon ¶ Good sowles that fro the body go● Whyther wend they anon ALl that euer to lyfe came Fro the fyrst tyme of adam Yong and old good and wicked Tyl goddys sonne on rode be deed Holly vnto helle flyed Some to the lowe and some to the hye But after his deeth on the rood So shal the sowles of the good Whan they fro the body shede Wende vnto the clensyng stede And whan they clensed are a ryght Unto the blys of heuyn lyght The wicked shal with out dwellyng Anone in to helle be synkyng And some shal here haue don so That great clensyng nedyth them not to But also sone as they dey Wende to heuyn the hye wey But neuer the lesse at theyr ende Be purgatory shal they wende

¶ The . CC.liiij . questyon ¶ May no man in heuyn be But he fyrst purgatory se NO man or woman shal euer be Ne was in tyme that is gon perde That shal to heuyn whan he shal dey But by purgatory be his wey Neuerthelesse ther shal be two That ther by nede not to go The prophyt that shal man saue For of clensyng no nede shal he haue That other shal be that mayden bryght That goddys sonne shal in lyght For ful clene shal be of synne The body that he shal lyght in Wherfore shal she with out care With sowle and body to hym fare

¶ The . CC.lv. questyon ¶ Sythen god sendys some to helle And some to heuyn for to dwelle Wherto shal the dome be And what thyng than iuge shal he GOod sowles shuld in heuyn dwelle And wicked before the dome in helle And al at the aungels call Unto the dome come shal In sowle and body as they wore In thys world here before And both to gether shal they wende There they shal be with out ende Gloryfyed shal be the wyse Of hym that is the hye iustyse And trobeled than shal be theyr blys That men neuer ne shal mys And bryghter shal than the body be Than is the sonne in his claryte The wicked shal to helle go Sowle and body to dwele in wo The payne that he had fyrst in wold Shal than be encresed thre fold For ryght is the body that was here In yl and good the sowlys fere That it with the sowle fele also Ioy or payne where it goys to Wherfore shal the dome be set Eythere ioy or payne to get

¶ The . CC.lvj . questyon ¶ Yong chyldren that can not reson Shal they ought fele dampnacyon SHal no man dampned be but he That grauntes wel he worthy be For agayne say may he nought Al the dedes that he hath wrought But cheldren that no good can Ne no wyt had of man Dampnacyon shal none come in For they dyd no deedly synne But yf ony be perchaunce That shuld haue come to creaunce And be deed or it be borne Ioy for euer it hath forlorne But payne it shal none dole Dwele it shal in a darke hole Where they shal fele euery adele Nyther of wo ne of we le

¶ The . CC.lvij . questyon ¶ Whether in that other world may be Ony hows toune or cete AFul fayre cete god fyrst dyght Of his conyng and his myght Both to aungel and to man Or that man to synne be gan But after the synne of adam Ech man vnto helle came And that is a ful wicked cete Made to the deuyl and his meyne But whan goddys sonne is come truly And deth hath suffered pityously Than shal men fynd weyes thre Ech one to a dyuers cete The good to heuyn the way shal take The wicked to helle to deuyls blake That repent them here shal be dene To purgatory to make them clene Wonyng stedes be there no mo Where man or woman shal to go

¶ The . CC.lviij . questyon ¶ Shal they be dampned canst thou me say Chyldren of hethen men that dey CHyldren of hethen in yougth dyed And after theyr fathers lawe a lyued Al shal they dampned be No blys shal they euer se But yong chyldren shal haue no awe That shuld haue be of goddys law In a darcknes shal they dwelle But of payne dare them none tell

¶ The . CC.lix . questyon ¶ Yf no synne had done Adam Shuld al the folke that of hym cam With flesshe and fel as they are sene Euer in paradise haue bene ? HAd Adam so hym bethought That he had no synne wrought Of his ofspryng shuld neuer none Out of paradyse haue gone But lyued there without torment And fro thens to heuen haue went Ryght as one of heuens meyne Without dethe or any payne Shuld no synne ne no lykyng Haue be than in chyld getyng Shuld no man haue thought velany Amonge other of his company Nomore than now is velanye For to loke a man in the eye

¶ The . CC.lx. questyon ¶ Whan water hylled the world euery dele Hyllyd it paradyse as wele ? THat flode in erth god sent also The most dele of the folke to fordo And for to wasshe the mekyl synne That the world that tyme was inne But in paradyse came it nought For there was no synne in wrought But one that adam the appul ate And the synne lay not in that It lay in the brekyng Of the precept of heuyn kynge And for the synne that he dyd thore Myght he therin dwele no more With al his synne was he out cast Unto this world here at the last And whan no synne was there aboute In paradyse whan he was out What wold the flode than do therin Whare was left no synne

¶ The . CC.lxxj . questyon ¶ Of what age made god adam Whan he in to this world came ADam god made and his fere At his licknes for they are to him dere And yong ryght as aungels wyse For the loue that he and his Shuld the ordres of aungels fulfyl That Lucyfer began to spyl But whan they mysded at the last And of paradyse ware out cast Theyr here began to wax and sprede And to theyr heles doune it yede And after theyr here on to se Them semed of thyrty yere to be

¶ The . CC.lxij questyon ¶ Tho that at the dome shal dey And haue not serued to helle the wey Nore tyme of purgacyon so sone may be What shal come of them tel me THey that so long here lyue shal Untyl god the world deme al And them behouys on al wysse Unto the dome for to arysse And hath not seruyd here to dwele With wicked in the payne of helle Ne nought worthy so redely are In to heuyn for to fare Untyl theyr sowle clensed is Of that it here dyd amys God shal send them south to sey So sharpe a payne or they dey That shal clense them ouer all And for al the dayes stand them shal That they had be worthy to take In purgatory them clene to make Also in theyr vp takyng Shal come to them a sharpe clensyng And so shal they vp wende In to the blys with out ende

¶ The . CC.lxiii . questyon ¶ Whan soule come to the body also Whiche part gothe it in therto ? GOddys wyl may not mys What so he wyl anone it is But when god asoule shal make To a body that it shal take Of his myght he makys it al Within the body it haue shal As thou seyst vpon a tre Pere or appul whether it be Whan it to waxe shal begyn The carnel bredyth there with in And waxes in the frute holly So doth the sowle in the body

¶ The . CC.lxiiij . questyon ¶ Who named fyrst al thyng And teched them theyr conyng GOd whan he had made adam Gaue him strength beute & wisdom And he gaue vnto thynges al Names as men them call And he gaue man conyng also As behoued his lyfe vnto Of goddys grace and of his wyl And than be lefte they so al styl Fro the tyme that they begon to be Unto our seconde father Noe He newed and teched al thyng As adam dyd at the begynyng Our second father we hym cal For the dyluuy drouned al But Noe and his sonnes thre And theyr wyues / of them came we Neuerthelesse Noe came Of the gendure of adam But that tyme no men had lyues But they foure and theyr wyues And or he dyed came of them two xxiiij . thowsand and mo

¶ The . CC.lxv . questyon ¶ Whereof it be and wherfore That some men are lesse & some more COmenly a mannys waxyng Is after the tyme of his beryng And somwhyle man more or lesse is After the vessel he lay in I I wys He that is planet of that yere Whan a chyld is borne so here If he in tyme of the byrth be Of his sygne in the entre That chyld so shal be kyndly But lytel man of his body And yf he be the sygne amyde For the more man he shal be kydde And yf it in the endyng falle Than is he more than the other al And by cause the planets of more myght wore In the tyme here before Wherfore men than ware Of greattare myght than now are And euer more whyle the world shal stand The more shal al thynges be lesse and

¶ The . CC.lxvj . questyon ¶ Whether is perylousare to haue Hete or cold thy selfe to saue HEte and colde ouer mesure Are ful hote to endure If thou haue cold and clothles be Yet may thou somwyse helpe the For to styre and go fastly Or some wayes trauayle thy body Trauayle in keelth than is good It wyl sone enchafe thy blode And whan the blode in hete is brought Al the lymes eschafe for nought But yf thou haue an outrage hete It is euyl for to bete There may thou helpe thy selfe not so As thou in the cold may do The hete wyl gather more and more And greue aman al to sore But yf he eny drynke may fele Or with some other thyng hym kele Ful drye it wyl his body make And great euyl cause hym to take Wherfore than is more payne to haue Hete than keelth and surear to saue

¶ The . CC.lxvij . questyon ¶ Doth the chyld folowe naturally The wycked condycyons of his parent truly THoughe father and mother wicked be And the chyld may lyue and the And do as he ought to do Toward god and man also It shal hym nothyng dere That his forgoars wicked were No more than it dereth where to grow Though a thefe or wicked man it sow And be his father neuer so good Ne his mother neuer so myld of mode And hym selfe be wicked truly Defyled with dedes wickedly It fareth as where that fyrst men brynne And after the erth sowes it in That shal neuer in erth spryng Ne frute shal it none forth bryng

¶ The . CC.lxvi . questyon ¶ Whether is bettar and lesse to spyl Aman to speke or hold hym styl SPeke and leue is both to do As aman sees tyme therto Thou may somtyme a word sey That may cause the for to dey A●d somtyme may thou hold the styl That may turne the vnto yl Wherfore yf thou shalt speke eny whore Auyse the on it before Also wel as thou can That it be scath to no man And that thy wordes may a vayle Or els losys thou thy trauayle If thou eny word say shal For to pay thy frend with al And it be a gayne two or thre Unsayd were it bettar be A man shuld haue in many poyntes A cranes hals with many ioyntes That he not speke to rath Wherof shuld turne scath But that he may his word with cal Or it passe the ioyntes al

¶ The . CC.lxvij . questyon ¶ Whether ought wysar to be Yong man or old as thynkes the I Thynke it ware agayne kynde That men yong men shuld fynde That of al thyng wysar were Than old men and coude more ●or of the braynes of the man Is moch of the wyt that he can And the braynes of the olde Are sadder and more may holde Than of a yong man that are lyght And to hold are of no myght Also the eldar that aman is The more tyme of profe hath be his And the more aman may here and se The more most his conyng be In .xl. yere more can men Than in .viii. nyne or ten Wherfore ought old to be wysare Than eny yong man in fere The old may men ouer renne wel But ouer the other neuer a dele

¶ The . CC.lxviii . questyon ¶ Tel me now I pray the What thyng delyte may be BOdely delyte is hele And for to haue ryches fele And the body at ese to make And many gyftes for to take For yf that thou in he le be In some thyng thou delytes the Be thou rych and fast may wynne Thy delyte is than therin And he that wyl curteys be told And geuyth gyftes many folde For to get hym loos and pryese His delyte therin lyese A couytous man delytes hym sore For to gather more and more And that he to gather hath delyte Comes some tyme other to profyte Another delyte is there yet And goostly delyte hyght it Whan aman delytes hym nothyng But in the seruyse of heuyn kyng Neyther in catel chyld ne wyfe But in holynesse of lyfe Of al delytes the best that is For it geuyth the endlesse blys

¶ The . CC.lxi . questyon ¶ What kynde appul was that That our father Adam ate ADam ete an appul ryght Such as we now se in syght And that appul for his synne Tokyn of deeth bare there with in For that that was fyrst swetest of al Be came byttar as eny galle In tokyn that he that fyrst had space Was put there fro and from grace And in to wo and sorow than Wherof the appul soure be came And the synne was not for that That he so the appul ate But by cause he brake the commaundment Of his maker / that made hym shent And al that euer came of them to For theyr synne went in to wo

¶ The CC.lxxii . questyon ¶ Why lerne thes yong chyldren so More than thes old men do CHyldren are hottar of kynde Than eny old man that men fynde And curyous they are also To the thyng that men them settis to Lyghtly takyng and holdyng For theyr wyt is euer waxing Cold man hath saddar wyt Wherfore harde takyng is it And of long tyme hath he seen Many thynges that hath bene Wherof he hath before Therfore he taketh not moch more And mannys wyt is more thynkyng In other thynges that he hath in occapyeng And chyldren but of theyr lesson Haue no occupacyon Therfore theyr wyt is theron set And are of nought els let

¶ The . CC.lxii . questyon ¶ Which is the dylectablest syght That is vnder sunne lyght ? THe delectabelest thyng that may be Than is to heuyn for to se And thynke on hym that al hath wroght Heuyn / erth / and al of nought Sonne / mone / and sterre bryght That is delectable goostly syght Delectable syght there is also That bodely thyng longes vnto As to se delytes hym many one That he loues and longes to se on For man delyteth hym to be hold Thyng that he loues and haue wold Though it lothly be and blacke For loue men say hath no lacke And be it so fayre as it ought And aman loue it nought In the syght hath he no lykyng Ne delytes hym therin nothyng

¶ The . CC.lxiij . questyon ¶ Why made god as thou mayst se Heere on mannys body for to be MAter that man hath of eche lym Toke fyrst god of erthe slyme And comparyd to erth he is For as on erthe waxeth gris So waxeth heere vpon the man Other frute nought geue he can And on the fyrst man heer gan spryng In the stede of his clothyng Whan he clothyng of grace had lorne For he hym to god had mysborne He sawe hym nakyd and shamed sore On al the lymes that on hym wore Than sent god heer on hym waxyng That to his heles was hangyng There with was his body clad And Eue no nother clothyng had

¶ The . CC.lxxv . questyon ¶ Why come some this world vnto Doumbe borne and defe also LOng before that god began This world for to make or man Wyst he wel that man shuld sinne And goddys hest to breke begyn And stablest he forth by The turnyng about of the sky And the planets in theyr goyng For to gouerne al thyng And the sygnes there they in go For to worke both wel and wo And in some poynt of tho Are some borne defe and doume also Some croked and some blynd As men may many fynde And al for adamys synne is that Whan that he the appul ate And be cause he synned in his assent In al the wyttes that god hym lent Wher by in ech wyt that man haas Fallyth this aueature percaas In tokyn that adam forsoke God in them al and the appul toke

¶ The . CC.lxxvj . questyon ¶ Profyteth the folke ought vnto The almesdedes that they here do AMan that doth here almesdede He is worthy of moch mede If he for god it do only And he trust in hym stedfastly ●o moch payne it wyl hym saue In purgatory that he shuld haue And he that beleuyth not in god truly But in ydols beleuyth sykerly No almes do he ne may Thoughe he the pouere gyue alday For almes dede may none it proue With out it be geuen for goddys loue And gyue for hym & beleue in hym nought This may not be to gether brought For yf a man now wore With a spere wounded sore Lechcrafte myght do no good to hym Whyle the yren styked therin Neuerthelesse aman is synne May soner haue grace for to blynne And throughe knowlegyng may he loos For almesdedes that he does

¶ The . CC.lxxvij . questyon ¶ A iuge synnes he ought That denies them that yl hath wrought Or synnes he ought also with al That the iugment fulfyl shal BUt yf iuges were set The wicked somtyme for to let An euyl world shuld sone begyn And peryl were to lyue therin Wherfore is it good to be here Wicked dedes to correct and dere For he that workes here amys In so moch as in hym is He wrathes god of heuyn sore Than is iuge ordayned therfore Wreckar of goddys cause to be Wronge to denie in euery countre Now yf he deme hym that doth yl Me thynketh he doth goddys wyl And he that the iugment shal do Unto hym sha● dempt is so He hath no p●ryl therin But waysshes his hand in blode of synne Now than who so in iugment shal fyte Loke that he fro ryght not ●yte For gyft / fauour● / ne for made For he wrathes god so tha● dede But in 〈◊〉 iuges ryght Synnes 〈…〉 the plyght

¶ The . CC.lxxviij . questyon ¶ Tho tha● are dom● & ●ooles borne And doys 〈…〉 HOles that no good can Ne no wyt haue of man And are borne of theyr mother so Men tel of them what so they do As a chyld that hath no wyt But doth al that lyketh it And bettar do can it nought But as it falleth in the thought And by cause theyr wyt is no more Dampned be they not therfore But they that in wyt were borne And after it haue forlorne And dyd euyl there before Whyle that they in wyt wore And no mercy of god asked Of that dede whyle theyr wit lasted And after knew nother good nor yl Tho shal be at goddys wyl

¶ The . CC.lxxix . questyon ¶ Aungels that with god are dere Kepe they mennys sowles here EUery man what so he be That beleuyth in the Trynyte Hath an aungel hym to zeme And to tech hym to good to lene And al his good thoughtes and dedes Puttys hym his aungel that ledys A wicked aungel he hath also Wicked dedes to put hym to And his wyt is lent hym fre And good and euyl knowes he Whether aungel he folowe wyl And the good aungel is f●lwo Whan he sees his man mysgo And his ioy is wel the more Whan men doys after his lore For of hym selfe hath man ryght nought But wickydnes in dede and thought

¶ The . CC.lxxx . questyon ¶ How may aungel that hath no body Shew hym selfe here to man openly AUngel that is in goddys syght To se al thyng hath he myght But hym may no body se For a goostly thyng is he And throughe mannys pryson Is aungel somtyme sent here doune And he may come also smerte As eny thought in mannys herte Of the ayre he takyth a body And than is he sene openly And than aman here hym can And he hym as another man But were not that body truly Hym myght se no bodely eye

¶ The . CC.lxxxj . questyon ¶ Are deuyls spyers euer more Of that the folke do euerywhore DEuyls are euer more redy Where so aman doth wickedly And many mynysters haue they That are walkyng nyght and day And that neuer more blynne Men to tempt and brynge in synne And whan man hat● do● also Anone his mayster hete●●ys it to But yf that it so b●falle That eny of the deuyls all With some good man be doune cast His poure wyl no lengar last Among his felowes he shal be she●● And be cast in great tourment So sore them ●●nes hesp●de nought Of the thyng that he after wrought

¶ The .lxxxij. questyon ¶ How is that fyre on what manere Purgatorye that men calle here Fyre of purgatorye is There moch wo is and no blys Thethere shal face al tho That shal be saued and no mo They that are here of repentaunce And do not fully here pr●●aunce There shal he it fulfyl be dene For to make hym fully clene But there shewes to them in that wo Aungels and other hallowes mo For whos loue they dyd 〈◊〉 h●re And they amend them at theyr sh●re Syght of them and trust al so Of blys that they shal after to That shal be the comforte all For they wote to blys they shal But that shal after that goddys sonne be Deed truly vpon the rode tr●

¶ The . CC.lxxxiij . questyon ¶ What thyng is it men calle helle And how come sowles therin to dwell HElle is a stede of payne and wo And yet are there helles two The nether and the vppar helle And the nether the worse we ●el For ther is the great pyne And prync●paly are there in ¶ The fyrst payne is I wot That aboue other fyre is hot As that our fyre is of nature Aboue fyre wrought of the paynture ¶ That other payne than is great cold Such that no man yong ne old May suffer it so straynyng it is And there is nother ioy de blys ¶ The thyrd payne that is in that helle Are dragons and adders felle That in the fyre lyue also As fysshes in the water do ¶ The fourth is such stynke in that hole That nothyng may it th●● ¶ The fyfte scourgears fowles to ●ete As smyth doth 〈…〉 ●●mours great ¶ The syxte payne that there is dyght Is great darknes without lyght ¶ The seuente is the confusyone Of al the synnes a man b●e done For euery man shal knowe and se His dede though hym loth be ¶ The ryght payne shal be the crye That the dragons so gryssely And the adders that there wone Shal crye vpon hym euer anon ¶ The nynth is that he shal for go The syght of god and euer to be in wo A wicked shal haue al this pyne For he forsoke the ordres nyne Of aungels that in heuyn wore Ne wrought not after goddys lore But tho that now wend to helle Shal not al in the nether dwelle In the hyer shal be theyr dwellyng As adam and his ofspryng Unto the tyme of the prophete That theyr synne with his deeth shal bete

¶ The . CC.lxxxiiij . questyon ¶ They that in holle haue they re dwellyng Wote they or knowe they eny thyng Ryghtwyse sowles knowe wel Al men and th●yr dedes euery dele And they wore al that euer is Both in sorowe and in blys Wicked sowl● that is in helle Knowes al that with them dwelle But of heuyn wote they nought Ne of no good dede that is wrought The good pray euer more For them that dyd them good before And they present to god also The good dedes that we do And the syght in the Trynyte Makyth them al thyng to know and se

¶ The . CC.lxxxv . questyon ¶ The good that hens begon al tyte Come they now to ioy perfyte UNto ioy thoughe they be brought Parfyt ioy haue they nought As they shal afterward come tyl And why I shal the say the skyl If thou come vnto a feste There rych metes are and honest And thou be set alone to mete The sadlyare shalt thou ete But yf a good felowe come to the shal That thou daryst to ete with al Thou etyst meryare than thou dedyst before And thy mete doth the good the more Euyn so the sowle that is in blys Hath moch ioy there that he is But perfyt ioy hath it nought Tyl his felowe be therto brought Which is the body that it in lay And that shal be at domysday Whan they to gether shal come agayne Eyther of other shal be fayne And haue of other great delyt Than shal be theyr ioy perfyt And tho that shal to helle fare Shal than haue perfyt care

¶ The . CC.lxxxvj . questyon ¶ May sowles ought shew them vntyl Theyr frendes ech tyme whan they wyl GOod sowles that are in blys May ech tyme that theyr wyl is Shew them to frendes that wold them se Slepyng or wakyng whether it be But the sowle that is in helle Behouyth euer more styl to dwelle Tho that are in purgatory / are byleue That the good aungel may them geue So may they shew them theyr frendes vnto To pray them that they them good do Or that they prayer for them make That theyr paynes may sone slake But yf eny shew hym to the And seys that he dampned be Trust it nought neuer the lesse It is a deuel in his lycknesse

¶ The . CC.lxxxvij . questyon ¶ Dremes that men dreme on nyght Wherof come they to mannys syght SOme tyme of heuyn kyng For to tel man some thyng And of the deuyl they come somwhyle To be gyle that fayth geue them tyl Somtyme of humours steryng About the hert of man slepyng Somtyme the wombe fylled wyl it make Ouer moch mete and drynke to take Somtyme of that men sees on day And can not cast it a way Or thyng that he hath of great thought In slepe is it before hym brought

¶ The . CC.lxxxviij . questyon ¶ Whan god made fyrst trees for man Was eny frute in them than AS god made adam fully man And Eue of hym fully woman Of theyr seed forth mo to bryng So dyd he of al other thyng Among al other trees he wrought That frute in theyr seson forth brought And euery tree that men fynde Hath his frute in hym by kynde And the seed of them also Brought forth frute as they now do

¶ The . CC.lxxxix . questyon ¶ What tyme and what day was it That adam was made tel me yet ADam was made as old men told Whan the mone was .iij. dayes old And had lytel than of lyght Gnabrygab than it hyght The fyrst mone was it of the yere And on a fryday that was clere Adam sawe that same tyme And anon he called it pryme But after chaunged al Noe And the mones stablysshed he On a fryday adam was wrought Noe that day of lyue was brought And on such a day shal borne be The very prophyt / and dye on tre And he shal as he wel may Worke many wonders on that day

¶ The CC. lxxxx questyon ¶ Whan the flod ouer the world ran Made god than new frute to man GOd made frute and al thyng To mannys mete at the begynyng Trees he made and frute theron And tho fel in the flod ech one The rotes stode in the erth styl And after the flod waxed to wyl A●d were so fayr as they fyrst wore Beryng frute as they dyd before So was no frute made new But the trees that fyrst grew

¶ The . CC. lxxxxj . questyon ¶ Where set Noe shyp on land Whan the flod was with drawand SOne so the flod was with droughe The arch was set safe I noughe Upon a great hylle and a hye That hyght the mount of Hermonye Also quyckly as Noe Was out gon with his mene And the beastes euerychone The trees toke rotes vp a non That vpon the shyp wore And shal there stande euer more God set the lycknesse on the sky So that men shuld wyt there by That neuer more shuld be none Such a flod as that was one

¶ The . CC. lxxxxij . questyon ¶ Whan Noe from the shyp went so Came he this world straunge vnto ? GOd made neuer creature Ne neuer shal here for to dure That he ne shal that warne I the To this world ryght straunge be For porely we came and bare And pouere shal we hens fare To day borne to morowe on bere Our herytage is not here And haue we herytage none Than are we straunge euerychone And straunge was Noe also Whan of the arche he came the world vnto

¶ The . CC. lxxxxiij . questyon ¶ Wherof euer may it be That a man has in his harte petye ? PEtye comes of a fre blode And a nesshe hart that is good Pyte to god may lyckened be For of hym is mercy and pyte And he that wyl no pyte haue Hym auayleth not pyte to craue Pyte tendres mannys herte And causyth it to swet al smerte The herte there with in swete is brought And for no nother trauayleth nought Whan the herte hath pyte of a thyng Anon it fallyth in meltyng And to swete it wyl begyn For tendernesse that than is in

¶ The . CC. lxxxxiiij . questyon ¶ Why haue foules in them no nature As beastes to make engendure HAd foules kynd in them also As the other beastes do Yong to bere in theyr body They myght not than fly a hy The heuynes of theyr beryng So shuld let them of fleyng And than myght take them euery man Whan they great to waxe began And they are made by the ayre to flye And not euer by the ground to lye Wherfore they ordayned ware Of goddys wyl as they now are

¶ The . CC. lxxxxv . questyon ¶ Sal men haue pyte of al tho That lye in payne and in wo And delyuer them also If that men may come therto IF that thou in payne se Man or beast whether it be Than shalt thou haue pyte of the syght And delyuer them yf thou myght Neuerthelesse men may wel slo Dyuers beastes and foules also Mannys mete of for to make Whan tyme comes them to take But shuld they do the no seruyse Nothere for mete ne other wyse Thoughe thou haue to it delyte Or serue not for thy appetyte But as it came so let it go Do it nother payne ne wo Be it a worme that venym berys And it the / nor non other derys Thou shalt no hurte it do For thou hast no cause therto God it made not for nought For thy lete hym that it wrought For to do with it at his owne wyl And do not thou with wrong it spyl

¶ The . CC. lxxxxvj . questyon ¶ Which is bettar as the doyst thynke Wyne or water for to drynke WIne is a thyng ful precyous That many are after couetous And somtyme it helth makys Unto some man that it takys For it is nought to euery man To drynke I lyke that it drynke can Wyse men drynke wyne oft At mesure and bere them soft They noman mys say ne mys do Them is wyne profyte vnto But folys that wyne drynke shal That drynke dronke therwithal And whan the wyt dronken is Then wyl they gladly do amys Men to bete or to slo Or vnto horedom for to go Unto men that vse it so comyn Were better the water than the wyne But he that mesurably Drynkys wyne and not for thy Leses his wyt / hym doth it good And maketh hym good body and blode Therfore shal wyne to good be prest And vnto foles is water best

¶ The . CC. lxxxxvij . questyon . ¶ Whan man is ardaunt for to fyght With some that standis in his syght How than may he holde hym styl And ouercome that wycked wyl AMan may tempre hym yf he wyl And he wyl lede his wyt with skyl Yf that he in wreth be brought For some thyng that hym lykes nought Yf he be in wyl to fyght Withstand his wyl at his myght And vndertake to thynke els whore And may his blode not kele therfore Out fro folke he drawe hym fast And alone in his herte he cast That man may do whan he is wroth That al his lyue may be hym loth And be hym alone so flyte and fyght As it ware in that others syght And with his breth that he lettes go Shal his great hete wend hym fro So guyeted shal he be And become al in a tempre

¶ The . CC. lxxxxviij . questyon ¶ Why haue wymen al the wo Of this world and the ioy also LIghtly wo and lyghtly we le Haue thes wymen euery dele Ful lyghtly take they ioy them to And ful lyghtly wo also Lyghtnes of the brayne mas this There no sadnesse in is Lesse they are than men of wyt Wherfore theyr thought lyghtly wyl flyt They fare as a leaf on the tre That turnes whare the wynd wylbe Ware theyr wyt sad as of man Men shuld of them / for that they can Domesmen and iustyce take But no lawe wyl it them now make Lyghtly they trust that men them say And also quycly it is a way And for that they now trust / & now let go Haue they so sone wel and wo

¶ The . CC. lxxxxix . questyon ¶ Why are chyldren whan they borne are So vnconyng as beastes ware A chyld that tender is and a yonglyng May of this wo●●d know nothyng For he is both tendar and grene And of this world hath nothing sene Unto he come to greatter age That he may hym selfe page Than may he se and vnderstand Of al thynges that be comyng / and Unconnyng is a chyld also Unto the deuyl shame to do That he that so lytel borne shal be And that a beaste can more than he That he shal haue the herytage That the deuyl for his outrage Fyrst lost / and for his pryde This is his sorow in euery tyde For feblenesse of nature is it Why chyldren yong haue no wyt Whan adam was made and his wyfe And god had gyuen hym goost of lyfe Redely knew they al thyng For they ware of goddys makyng But that father and mother hath here For feblenesse of the matere Whan it is borne it can no good Lesse than a beast lepyng in the wode

¶ The . CCC . questyon ¶ Tel me now yf that thou can Wherof comys natural wyt in man OF pure braynes it comyth vnto Pure blod & pure herte also And be the two pure of thes thre And the thyrd nought be Right clere wyt may ne be there As that al thre to gether were For with one eye sees no man so As that he with two myght do Be herte and braynes neuer so good And darke be in hym the blode Herte and braynes it drynkes tyl And the wyt truly doth spyl Be the herte good and the blod bryght And the braynes myrke and lyght Greatly wyl lyght braynes greue Al that that other to wold gyue And the planets in theyr goyng Workes in man al this thyng

¶ The . CCC.j. questyon ¶ Wherof may it come to The nesyng that men nese so NEsyng falles soth to sey Unto man of thynges twey Fyrst of humours that are ascended In to the braynes of the hed The braynes refuse them gladly And castys them out hastely And in the doune fallyng of tho Unto the nostrels they go For tho are redy open ey Wherby go they so a wey Another is to loke vp on hy Unto the sonne on the sky And the hete of the sonne anon Fylles the veynes of the hed echone Dryuyng out the keelth thore That in the braynes was before And yf thou wylt with hold nesyng Spere thy mouth at the begynyng And draw thy breth fast to and fro And nesyng shal the ouer go For the nose stoppys there with al And at the mouth it out go shal

¶ The CCC.ij questyon ¶ Wynd blowyng with mayne Why deyes it for a shoure of rayne WAter and wynd to gether are As it mother & doughter ware Doughter of mother has feding And wynd of water begynyng & whan . the cloud that it has wrought Is hym selfe doune brought ¶ The wynd is stylle anon ryght For his mattar hath lorne syght For knyfe shal no man make wele If he haue nother yren ne stele

¶ The . CCCiii . questyon ¶ Whic is the strongar of thes twey Wynd or water this me sey GRound of al thyng with ryght Is strongar and of more myght Than the croppe aboue it cast Elles myght it no whyle last And strongar is that thyng I I wys That sterys than that steryd is Now is wynd at the begynyng Stered ayre and no nother thyng And cours of water maketh it al That the ayre so sterre shal And yf wynd with water stered be Than is water strongar than he

¶ The . CCC.iiii . questyon ¶ Tel me now on what manere Aman shal lyue in this world here AMan shal lyue in that manere So that whan he deyes here Afterwarde may ryse Boldly to go be fore iustyse That is to say that al his thought Be on hym that hym hath wrought And worshyp hym al that he can And after in god loue euery man And of that truly he may wynne Of his trauayle with out synne Than shal he lyue with out pryde Enuye and couetys also let glyde This may he bothe lyue wel and deye And ryse and go to the blys the weye

¶ The . CCC.v. questyon . Shal aman that in good stede be To seke a bettar raunge the countre IF thou in a good place be Wher with thou mayst wel agre There thou good lyfe may lede The to cloth and to fede Hold the styl renne nought Ne for the bettar haue no thought To seke a bettar thou may be in mynd But thou wottyst not where it to fynde And there thou comyst percaas Shal be wors than that other was Such wenys to fynde hym before Baken brede whan he comes thore He shal perauenture fynde the corne Standyng yet in the feld vnshorne Wherfore yf thou in good stede be Hold the therin by rede of me

¶ The . CCC.vi. questyon ¶ Which are more worthy of the twey Rych or pouer thou me sey THere are worthynesse two Goostly and bodely also The bodely worthynesse That is nother more ne lesse But after as a man hath here So is he hold among men dere Therfore by so moch as thou hast now So moch worthy art thou Haue thou but a peny in al No more worthy men hold the shal Goostly worthynesse is not so But who toward god best may do And serue hym here al the best He with god is worthyest Moch worthy here to be Is truly but a vanyte But that worthy is to god to wende That worthynesse hath no ende

¶ The . CCC.vij . questyon ¶ Whether is to man more semely Fayre vysage or fayre body A Fayre body to man I I wys A ful semely thyng it is But what the nakyd body be No man may it wel se Be it shapenyl or wele The clothes couers it euery dele But that that is in syght And may not be hyd with ryght The vysage that man is knowen by If it be fayre and semely A fayre man men wyl hym call And leue his other lymmes all And in a fayre vysage and whyte Hath aman moch delyte Wherfore in al the man not lyeth truly So conly a lym as is a fayre vysage verely

¶ The . CCC.viij . questyon ¶ How shal aman lede hys lyfe That fyndes ama hauntyng his wife Fynde thou aman with thy wyfe Loke thou make with hym no stryfe Preuely thou go thy way And nothyng vnto them say But afterward thou say her to That she no more do so Say she doth here selfe shame For in her lyeth al the blame There wold no man her come tyl But it were by her wyl Wherfore chastyse her courtesly And loke how she wyl do there by And she wyl not do after thy lore Of that vpbreyd her no more If thou smyte on the man a non Whan thou comest hym fyrst vpon And begyn to fyght also The deuyl procurys there vnto One of you may lyghtly the other slo And so encresyth sone thy wo Therfore thoughe it greues the sore Better the lasse scathe than the more

¶ The . CCC.ix. questyon Shal men for tene or for lesyng Blame god of heuen in ony thyng ? GOd of heuen is so wyse That in hym no blame lyse But thankyng / worshyp / & honour As to hym that is our creatour And yf thou for thy foly Fal in any malencoly Blame thou god therfore nothyng Blame the and thyne vnconyng Haue thou not as thy wyl wore Why shalt thou blame god therfore Thoughe thou pray god send me It may not at thy wyl be But yf thou trauayle for to lyue God shal helpe the for to thryue Were aman a water in That depe ware and coud swym And he cryed on god fast And ware perysshed at the last For defaute of steryng That he wold helpe hym selfe nothyng Wherfore blame god no man shuld He wold haue holpe yf hym selfe wold

¶ The . CCC.x . questyon ¶ Which is the sauourest thynge Of al that are at thy wenynge OF al thynges that euer be Is there none so sauoure Unto man / beast / and foule also As slepe is whan tyme is therto There nis nother mete ne drynke That sauoryth aman I thynke As slepe . whan aman wold fayne No delyte is there agayne With out slepe may nothyng thryue Of al that euer are a lyue For that ordayned god the nyght Therein to rest and slepe euery wyght Slepe norysshes mannys kynde And beastes as that men fynde Man / beast / ne foule is none So iolyfe nor so wel be gone Hold hym fro slepe agayne his wyl Thou mayst hym sone spyl And cause hym to lese both flesshe and blode Be he neuer so totter and wode Wherfore is slepe sykerly The sauorest thyng that I wot truly

¶ The . CCC.xj . questyon ¶ Of what maner & of what bounte Ought kynges and lordes to be LOrdes & kinges ought ryght wel To be trewe as eny stele In worde in werke to their myght And with iustyce deme a ryght Uyse them wel also to be Curteys / meke and of pyte And to mysdoars neuerthelesse Stout to deme theyr wickydnesse For he may neuer god wel plese Nor his lordshyp in honour with ese That sparyth wickednesse to shent And god is not there with content They ought also to be doughty Wygrous and fers of theyr body Large and geuyng courtesly Theyr state may they maynteyne ther by To pouer they ought be mercyable And vnto the rych stable And aboue al thyng To worke the wyl of heuyn kyng For he hath them lordes set Good to do and yī to let

¶ The . CCC.xij . questyon ¶ Swete that cometh of the body How comes it wherof and why Swete kyndly cometh comenly Of wicked blod in the body That steryth somtyme and hath no roo And other humours hym mynges to And whan they to gether take Great hete in the body they make And that hete that is within Maketh the body as it shuld brynne And that body that is so hote Anon castes out the swote The kynd clensys ther with all But ouer moch hurte shall

¶ The . CCC.xiij . questyon ¶ Which are the best hewes that ere Of clothyng men for to were BEst hewes that may be To mannys clothyng are thre That are rede / whyte / and grene And for thes causes I it mene The red supposys regalyte And is colour of dygnyte It geuyth the werer moch blys And to the sonne lyckened it is Whyte wede is a worthy thyng And of aungels it is clothyng Hyt makyth hym mylde that it weryth And hewe of the mone it beryth Grene is a precyous colour And shuld be hold in honour Of al other most is it borne For gras / tre / and also corne And al that waxyth in erth by dene Al is it clad in grene And that most thynges are clad with al Dygnyest hewe men hold shal

¶ The . CCC.xiiij . questyon ¶ Seyng men grene a good hew call Which is the grenest thyng of al THe grenest thyng is water I wene For waters make al thyng grene And ware not of water the moystyng Shuld no grene thyng spryng Grasses that on hylles are standyng There no water is rennyng With rayne and dewes of the ayre Waxe they both grene and fayre And seyng grennesse is by watrys myght Than is it grenest with ryght

¶ The . CCC.xv. questyon ¶ Tel me now so haue thou blys Which is the fattest thyng that is FAttest thyng that is of kynde Than is erth that men fynde For trees and al othere thynge Of the fatnesse of erth sprynge And ware fattnesse of the erth no whore Shuld they neuer spryng more Of the fatnesse of erth comyth al That they spryng and waxe with al Of erth take they theyr nature And els myght they not endure

¶ The . CCC.xvj . questyon ¶ Whether is bettar at the deth day Repentaunce or hope of blys for ay BOth are good soth to say Unto man whan he shal deye Repentaunce is good to haue But good hope shal aman more saue For euery man that deye shal May not repent hym of al For thy behouyth hym nedly Trust hym al in goddys mercy But he that in no hope is For to come to heuyn blys Shal he neuer come therin Be he neuer so clene of synne But he that hath al his trust That god is of mercy most That trust shal saue hym at the last Whan other shal be out cast

¶ The . CCC.xvij . questyon ¶ Shal men greue & make euyl chere For aman that deyes here By kynde men wepe and make care Whan theyr frendes fro them fare Neuerthelesse the man that ay Hath kept goddys law / I say Of his deeth no sorow is For he goyth vnto blys There to be for euer more Hym shuld no man sorow sore But he that in god trustes nought Nor his commaundment hath not wrought And dyeth so in that entent And is so to helle went For hym is sorow to make That he such lyfe wold not for sake

¶ The . CCC.xviij . questyon ¶ Came fro that other world euer eni thīng That of helle or heuyn told tydyng MAny haue come ageyne here Good men that with god were The folke to counsel and telle Both of heuyn and of helle That ware good men here before Of whom that we yet haue lore They wrote in bokes what was wrought By cause men shulde for get it nought The great ioy that is in heuen That no tong in erth may reken And the great payne of helle That they haue that therin dwelle This told adamys sonne Abel Seth and Enocke also wel Noe and Melchysedech also And other prophytes set therto Throughe goddys commaundment They are hyther ageyne sent That is to say theyr techyng Throughe which we haue knolegeyng Of heuyn and helle both Wel is he that they roth

¶ The . CCC.xix . questyon ¶ Shal aman eny thyng sey Whan he shal to slepe hym ley AMan that beleuyth in god aryght And kepyth his wyl at his myght Whan he to slepe doth lay him doune He shal say this oryson Lord god of myght most To the be take I my goost Thou kepe it lord and it defende From encombrance of the fende From hym lord thou me clere That he me neuer dere Haue mercy on me heuyn kyng And graunt me lord my askyng And than slepe he hardely With out drede of thy enemy

¶ The CCC.xx. questyon ¶ Of al batayle that is in lande Which is the strongest to withstande BAtayle strongar wor I nought Whan that I haue al be thought Than is temptacyon of the deuyl None that doth aman more euyl Other batayls sees some day But the deuyls fondyng lastyth ay Slepe man or wake he where so he be That batayle may he euyl fle And be he neuer so stedfast Yet wyl the deuyl hym cast a cast And man may not fle of the stede But with fastyng or some holyhede And be cause that warre is euer on one Therfore strengar wot I none

¶ The . CCC.xxj . questyon ¶ How lyeth a chyld tel me this ¶ In the mothers wombe whan it is A chyld throughe goddys grace Hath in the mothers wombe aspace In a chambyr one of the seuen Of the matryce that of men be callen And the fystes soth to saye Lye be fore the eyen twaye And great ioy they haue and reioysyng There they lye and lykyng And they wold neuer more Come in other stede than thore But whan they are here comen And the ayre of this worlde haue taken Than wold they not be there agayne

¶ The . CCC.xxij . questyon ¶ Tel me now of wynes tyte Why some is rede and some whyte NOe was the fyrst man That euer vyne to plant began Fourthy plantes he gathered and fette That ware in fourthy dayes sette Euery day two in erth he dyght One on day a nother on nyght Tho that the day ware sette vpon Unto the sonne on it shon For hete of sonne that shon than Of goddys grace tho rede becam And that in erth on nyght dyd lay Whan the sonne was a way For nyghtes keelth that felle theron Be came whyte euerychone Wherfore are the red hottar wele Than the whyte a great dele

¶ The . CCC.xxiij . questyon ¶ Haue foules & beastes eny spekyng Or vnderstandyng of eny thyng OF beast or foule shalt thou none fynde That hath language in his kynde Of al beastes men recken can Hath none language but man Foules and beastes crye by dene But they wot neuer what they mene Whan that one makyth a crye That other herys redely And cryeth ageyne by and by But what they mene wot not they Al that euer they cry and do Of kynd is and vsage also Which kynde hath god them dyght For man shal ouer them haue myght

¶ The . CCCxxiiij . questyon ¶ Whether helpeth the sowle more That aman doth here before Or that men after do for hym Whan that he is deed and dym BOth helpes man in nede But both are not of one mede For yf a man goyng be In a da●knesse there he may not se And a ●anthorne go hym before Therof hath he lyght wel more Than thoughe behind folowed two For / for them myght he mysgo Also a man that doth good here As long as he may hym selfe stere Therof hath the sowle more mede Than for such two after dede Many men haue that rede To do for them whan they are deed Whan hym selfe may haue it no more The lesse thanke he is worthy therfore Wold he for goddys loue it dele Whyle that he ware in hele Than went before hym the lyght To lede hym the wey a ryght

¶ The . CCC.xxv questyon ¶ Fysshes that swym here and thore In water slepe they neuer more FIsshes that are in the see Or in ryuer whether it be Haue theyr eyen bryght within And to and fro they euer swym It is not of theyr kynd the ryght That they slepe other day or nyght If they be wery they wyl rest A whyle where them thynketh best And yf they felt the ayre also As we or foules or beastes do That aboue erth wone Of kynd shuld they slepe ful sone

¶ The . CCC.xxvj . questyon ¶ Of al that in the world be The fayrest foule which thynketh the IF al the foules that god hath wrought Wore in to one place brought And stode al vpon a flocke The fayrest of al were the cocke And he hath thynges thre That in none other may men se On his hede he beryth a crowne And spore vpon his shanke downe And god hath geuen hym the myght To know the howrs of day and nyght The cocke is gelous ouer his wyfe And oft for her makyth stryfe And he shuld haue defaut of mete Or his wyfe yf he myght ought gete And yf he dwelled in felde also Or in wod as other do Al the foules that before hym wore Reuerence shuld here them thore And for his fayrnesse haue of hym awe Than is he fayrest with lawe

¶ The . CCC.xxvii . questyon ¶ Which is the fayrest beast that is And that aman myght not mys HOrs is the fayrest beast in lande Stalworthyest and made to hande With horses oft lordes gete Lande and lyfe / drynke and mete Horses in harow and in ploughe In cart and euerywhore good I noughe Horses bere men to and fro There they on fote myght not go Wherfore is he best and fayrest And vnto mannys behoue the best

¶ The . CCC.xxviij . questyon ¶ Tel me now yet thynges mo The fayrest horses which are tho HOrses in the world are many one But not al shapen after one He that wel shapen shal be Behouyth to haue this properte Foure thynges long / behouyth hym to And foure thynges short also And foure thynges large somedele Than is he horse shapen ful wele Longe shankes / and longe hals Long tayle and long rybbes als Foure short thynges is no lake Hede / eres / pastors / and backe Foure large thynges come there nest Mouth / nostrels / croupe / and brest And great eyen falleth wele Than is he shapen wel euery a dele

¶ The . CCC . xxjx . questyon ¶ Whiche are the beastes so god the saue That most vnderstandyng haue BEastes that of vnderstandyng be Most of al other are thre Ape / bere / and hounde also Thes wylbe buxum man vnto Mannys techyng wyl they lere And vnderstand that they stere Whan Noe in the arch was in the flode Thes thre beastes nexte hym stode And of al the last went hym fro For none vnderstode so moch as tho

¶ The . CCC.xxx . questyon ¶ Whan goddys sonne shal borne be By what tokyn shal men it se TOkyns many shal be falle Whan goddys sonne lorde of all Shal be borne of her that hethes Ouer al the world shal than be pees Agreat ster●e shal shewe that day That al the worlde wel se may Asercle of gold purpred with al About the sonne shewe hym shal A welle of oyle in great tokenyng Out of the erth than shal spryng And a descrypcyon shal taken be Ouer al the world in euery countre A dombe beast as that we fynd That day shal speke agayne kynd Beast / foule / and fysshe also That day shal be in rest and ro And the deuyls in helle dwellyng Shal be ful sory and mornyng The eyghtene day after he is borne He shal be circumcised and shorne And that in tokenyng be shal That he is god and man with al

¶ The . CCC.xxx . questoon ¶ Tel me now as shal be falle What sygnyfye the tokyns al peas shal be ouer al For he is peas that man come shal The sterre that shal shew frelye His godhed shal sygnyfye About the sonne the golden thyng Shal betoken that he is kyng The purpre shal be token also Of the passyon that he shal to The welle of oyle showyth byturly That he shal be welle of mercy The descrypcyon that shal taken be Tokenes that ouer al lorde is he The doume be ast spekyng tokenes als That they that in the law were fals And were but as beastes told Shal turne to hym and of hym hold Beast and foule shal be in blys And they wot goddys sonne he is And the deuyls shal be sory For they drede hym wonderly That he is that shal breke helle And take away that with hym dwelle

¶ The . CCC.xxxj . questyon ¶ Whan he is borne achyid shal he Be conyng more than another shal be SOne as he borne is / he can More than eny other man For thoughe he be than a yonglyng The godhed in hym wot althyng The sonne of the trynyte The fathers wysdome truly So is sperd in hym only Wherfore shal he know wel more Than eny after or before Neuerthelesse for al that he can He wyl fulfyl the kynd of man In al thynges that falles hym to Saue synne that shal he neuer do

¶ The . CCC.xxxij . questyon ¶ Whan he is borne as that we tel Wher shal he in hoost dwelle WIth his mother whyle he is yong So shal be his dwellyng In to Egype she lede hym shall And ther a whyle dwele hym with al After agayne shal he go Unto the lande that he came fro And begynne the folke to tech And openly for to prech And al his lyfe shal be so As he teches there vnto To many synne he shal forgeue Such as vpon hym wyl beleue And cold water them crysten in In forgeuenesse of theyr synne For water as that men wel wot S●eckenes the fyre that is hot It clenses fylth and makyth clene And that is drye it makyth grene And it sleckeneth also thyrste Unto man that drynke lyst Wherfore in water baptyse shal he For vertu of thes myghtes thre Fyrst it sleckenes hete of synne And clenses fylthe that man is in And drye sowles grene shal he make Throughe the baptyme that they shal take And in this lyfe shal he dwelle Ey to he dey and breke helle

¶ The . CCC.xxxiiij . questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyt more of the Shal goddys sonne afayre man be A Shal with ryght of nature Be the fayrest creature That euer was and euer shal be Shal none be so fayre as he And it is ryght that he be fayre That of heuyn is sonne and heyre And he shal vpon an hylle His dyscyples shewe hym tyl And he shal seme to theyr syght As it were the sonne lyght And his clothes whyte of hewe As it were newe fallen snewe Therfore is no man alyue That his fayrhed may descryue

¶ The . CCC.xxxv . questyon ¶ Tel yet yf that thou can me sey Why it was that he wold dey FOr obedyence and for loue Heuyn to dyght to our behoue For obedyent shal he be Unto the deeth vpon the tre So that that was forlorne Throughe the tre ther beforne Shuld be wonne agayne also Throughe the tre that he shal to And for loue of man kynde That his seruyse wyl haue in mynde He had leuer deeth take Than he wold man kynde forsake His deeth shal aman agayne bye To reue the deuyl of his maystery The father shal to the sonne geue Poure for his seruaunts that he wil here leue

¶ The . CCC.xxxvj . questyon ¶ Who shal him slo and by what rede And how long shal he be dede A Maner of folke shal hym slo That hyght Iewes and none but tho Afalse counsele take they shal And afalse wyttnesse with al To brynge hym to the deeth also And knyghtes shal to deeth hym do In graue shal he be nyghtes two The whyls shal the godhed go To helle to fete al hyse And the thyrde day shal he aryse To paradyse than wend shal he Fourty dayes there to be In which tyme he shal bodely Ten tymes shew hym openly Fyrst he shal hym shew I sey To hym that hym in graue shal ley After to his mother dere For to glade her mornyng chere After he shal hym shew also The Mary Magdalene vnto And her synnes forgyue shal he The fourth tyme to maryes thre The fyfte to peter south to seye The syxte tyme to pylgryms twey That to a castel shal with hym wende And thore shal he with them send And the seuenth tyme in a halle Among his dyscypyls al There shal he byd them grope and se Wyturly that he it be The eyghtene day to one that shal Grope his woundes and handes with al And to aful worthy hylle The nynth day shal he shew them tyl The tenth among the people openly Whan he ascendyth to heuyn on hye

¶ The . CCC.xxxvij . questyon ¶ Shal he ascende to heuyn so hye Alone with out companye AL tho that with hym ryse shal To heuyn shal ascend hym with al And in that lyknesse shal he fare That he was in before his care But whan he is vp on hye Aboue the cloudes by the sky In that lyknesse he shal be thore That he dyd in hym shew before Unto his dyscypyls two Oo an hylle whare they shal go

¶ The . CCC.xxxviij . questyon Shal goddys sonne that hym is dere Ony hous in erth haue here IN erth a hows shal he haue That man afterward shal saue And that shal his spouse be For al shal be on it and he By the sacrament of his body That he shal make solempnelye Unto his apostyls at the mete And ech one shal therof ete And that sacrament that I the tel Shal in his hows deuoutly dwelle And al of good conuersacyon Shal come vnto saluacyon Throughe the vertu and the myght Of that sacrament so dyght And al tho that are outfous And are spered out of that hous In payne of helle shal be shent But they come to amendment

¶ The . CCC.xxxix questyon ¶ Shal his body euer dwellyng be In erth that men may it se HIs body shal euer be dwellyng In erth to the worldys endyng Upon a day as he shal His apostyls soupe with al He shal take the bred and blysse And say / ete / my body this ysse Than shal he take the cuppe in handys That with wyne before hym standys And blesse it and say them vnto Haue drynke this my blode also The selfe blode is it that I here make That shal be shed for mannys sake And throughe the vertu and the myght Of his word is there anon ryght His very body god and man As that he to say began And yf that sacrament ne wore His flesshe only and no more With out blod therto wrought His very body ware it nought Flesshe in leuyng man to be Without blode can no man se And there shal his dyscypyls take Myght that sacrament to make With word he shal them lerne thore That hym selfe sayd before And that body shal dwellyng be So that men eche day may it se

¶ The . CCC.xl . questyon Shal euery man haue myght therto His body for to make also ? NAy / shal none haue therto myght But that therto are ordayned right That of his holy hous shal be Kepers / and haue the dyngnyte And thoughe that keper bere hym yl And wyl not fulfyl goddes wyl Neuerthewors is that flesshe and blode Ne neuer the better thoughe he be good And who so taketh it worthely His sowle hele he taketh therby And he that vnworthely it taketh His owne dampnacyon he maketh For he taketh not goddes body But bread he taketh al onely The godhed that there was in God takes it to hym for his syn For so worthy a thyng as he In a foule vessel wyl not be And no more enpeyre ne can That same body a wicked man Than is enpeyred the sonnys lyght Of a warderobe that here is dyght

¶ The . CCC.xlj . questyon ¶ Tho that haue myght therto That body for to make also Shal they before the trynyte More than other worshypped be NO man shal there worshypped be For honour nor for dygnyte But with god he shal be dere After as he hath don here Thoughe goddys hows wold hym chose Her kepar to bynd and lose His worshyp shal be neuer the more But yf he haue don wherfore And do he not aryght also As hym be comyth for to do He shal haue blame and payne withal Wel more than a nother shal For he that is made a hyrdar Of goddys hows to be kepar His shepe must he kepe wel and know And by his owne lyfe them showe How that they theyr lyfe shal lede And them kepe from mysdede Wherfore yf he mysdo So moch more payne shal he go to

¶ The . CCC.xlij . questyon ¶ Why shal they euery day be wone To make the body of goddys sonne FOr thre thynges pryncypaly Shal a preest make goddys body For god and for hym selfe also And for the folke that se therto He that it sees hath mede therfore And that it takes moch more But he that receyuyth it vnworthely Hym selfe he dampneth suerly And the body ne doth it nought But hym that lewdly hath wrought In paradyse appyls many one Made god and wicked none And for an appyl that Adam dyd ete Was he out of that place bete And that was not for that That the appul was nought that he ate But for that that goddys bode brake he That hym defended had that thre So shal fare that Sacrament It shal cause no man be shent Agayne the deuyl strength shal it make Loke he be clene that it shal take

¶ The . CCC.xliij . questyon ¶ Tel me now what thyng is synne That many shal be lorne in SInne forsoth is ryght nought For that god neuer wrought God of heuyn made al thyng And al was good of his makyng And for his werkes good wore Synne is none of them therfore And for he made it not sothely In substance it is nought truly

¶ The . CCC.xliiij questyon ¶ By what syngne shal men se Whan goddes sone shal dede be ? AT his dethe shal befall Syngnes many one withall For the sonne shal lese his lyght And become darke as the nyght The erthe euerydele shal quake That to folke great drede shal make Dede bodyes shal ryse hym with al The thyrd day when he ryse shal An astronomer then shal be In the boest and say shal he By the derkenes that he shal fynd That than dyes god of kynd

¶ The . CCC.xlv . questyon ¶ When goddes sone in erth shal dwel Of what vertue shal men hym tel OF moche vertu shal he be By his workes that men shal se Of his vertue he shal with ryght Ouercome the deuyl and his might His Glotony / couetyse / and pryde That the deuyl had spred wyde And al his myght dystroy he shal That he Adam begyled withal Fro feuere and other euyls fele Many men than shal he hele With fyue loues and fysshes two Fyue thowsand shal h● fede and mo And .xij. lepys men shal fylle Of the relefe there that shal be stylle The prynce of his apostyls shal he Saue goyng vpon the see He shal commaund the wynd to lyth And it shal be styl also swyth To blynd shal he geue syght The croked ofte to go ryght Awoman that shal with heer grete And with her teres waysshe his fete And with her heer them wype and drye He shal forgeue her / her folye A deed man that in graue hath leyn Foure dayes / he shal areyse ageyne One of his dyscypyls shal bere A swerd and reue amannys ere The ere in his hand shal he take And agayne it hole make● Al the prynces in helle that are Shal he cause to quake and eke care Whan he theyr gates shal come vnto And commaund them that they vndo That his are shal he take thore And sende them to blys for euer more

¶ The . CCC.xlvj . questyon ¶ Shal his dyscypyls ought also Do myracles as he shal do HIs dyscypyls throughe his grace Shal to many sycke do solace For he shal euer by them be They shal speke and worke shal he Many one with theyr techyng To goddys lawe shal they bryng A wicked man that tyme shal be And say that goddys sonne is he And begyn to ascend a hye As he wold to heuyn flye One of the apostyls there by standyng And se where he is so flyeng He shal commaund hym throughe the myght Of goddys sonne that he doune lyght And he shal falle doune anon And breke his necke bone Of many a bale they shal do bote And many a syke bryng on fote And al shal of his myght be That shal gyue them that pouste

¶ The . CCC.xlvij . questyon ¶ Shal they neuer haue no ende Nor no wo that to heuyn wende SOules that are in heuyn blys Shal neuer of ioy mys Wo ne shuld they neuer se Nor old shal they neuer be They shal euer be reioysing As a chyld in his best lyking And hool as fysshe in delyte Swyfte as wynd and snow whyte Bryght as the shynyng sonne And know al that aungels conne Leel as ded in althyng And worshypped shal they be as kyng A thowsand yere in game and playe Thynketh them not an howre of the daye And that delyt they are with al With out end them last shal

¶ The . CCC.xlviij . questyon ¶ Tho that are in helle fest Shal they no mercy haue ne rest THo that shal to helle wende They are dampned with out ende Rest shal they none haue ne mercy For of that they are not worthy He that lettys of his fre wyl The good / and takys hym to yl It is ryght that he haue also As that he hym chose vnto And t● pray for hym loude or styl Is al ageyne goddys wyl He that in purgatory is To clense and after shal to blys For hym is prayer to make Of his paynes for to slake But he that dampned is to helle He shal euer in sorowe dwelle With out rest with out ro And with out mercy also

¶ The . CCC.xlix . questyon ¶ They that in heuen shal haue theyr se Shal they clad or naked be ? THey shal be nakyd of enuye Of pryde and of lechery And clad also neuertheles With grace and blys and bryghtnes Shame of themselfe shal they thynke non Thoughe they haue no clothis on Nomore than Adam of hym thought Or that he the synne wrought When he had of the appul taken Than shamed hym a sawe his makyng No more than shamyth the That man vpon thy vysage se

¶ The . CCC.l. questyon ¶ Whan god to deme come shal Quyck / deed / and the world al And al shal be deed / which is than he That shal alyue here be LIfe and deeth of for to sey May be sayd on maners twey Deeth that body goys here to And deeth of sowle in payne also He that god hath serued here And his commaundments held dere He shal not be deed that day For he shal lyue in blys euer and ay And he that goddys wyl ne wrought And he that trowed on hym nought He shal be deed with out ende And to the payne of helle wende And that the Antechyrst shal turne Fro the fayth / they may wel morne Them ware bettar they ware vnborne For many shal by hym be lorne

¶ The . CCC.lj . questyon ¶ Where shal be borne that false prophyte That al that wo in erth shal sete ANtechryst shal borne be In Babylon a great cete A wicked woman hym bere shal And the deuyl shal entre hym with al And wicches shal norysshe hym In a●oune hyght corozaym Uery prophyt they shal hym call And many wondres shal of hym fall Al the folke shal he drawe To his assent and to his lawe The rych shal on hym beleue For the gyftes that he shal geue The pouer shal to hym turne also For great awe that he shal put them to And for that he wyse shal be For al the clergye knowe shal he The clerkes shal he to hym alye Through wysdome of his clergye The good men and stedfast That in goddys lawe wold last Many shal he drawe hym to For myracles that he shal do He shal cause the fyre to falle Fro heuyn and his foos borne all Deed men he shal cause aryse To bere wyttnesse of werkes his No dedman but the deuyl onely Shal ryse in dampned body And bere witnesse of his werkys Among lewd men and clerkys Moch people shal to hym drawe Namely folke of the fyrst lawe Thre yere and a halfe shal he Reygne with moch dygnyte Twelue apostyls chose he shal With hym to walke ouer al He shal feyne hym for to deye And two dayes shal he be a weye The thyrd day shal he come with blys And say that he vp rysen ys Than shal come Enocke and Elye And shal prech ageyne his folye Great folke shal they turne hym fro But he shal them bothe slo No lenger there than dwell he wyl But he shal drawe hym to a hyl For to folowe and to do shame Tho that wycked haue his name Sodeyne dethe shal he dye thore For god wyl that he regne ●omore And ful sore may agryse as ●yse Whan they shal to the 〈◊〉 ryse

¶ The . CCC.lij . questyon ¶ What day shal it befall That goddys sone shal deme vs al ON suche aday shal he deme hyse As he fro deth to lyfe shal ryse That shal be on a sonday That now is sabbat in our lay Of heuen than the orders nyne That neuermore shal heuen tene Shal be fulfyllyd as they were al Or lucifer began to fal Lyuyng men shal then eueryone Dye for drede and ryse anone There shal be none of so great mede That at that day he shal haue drede

¶ The . CCC.liij . questyon ¶ What tyme shal he come therto For to deme the world also ? AT the mydnyght forsothe I tel Suche tyme as he shal harowe hel That eche tyme shal he lede out thore Al tho that his frendys wore And that tyme out shal he lede His of this world to geue them mede

¶ The . CCC.liiii . questyon ¶ How shal he come & on what manere When he shal come to deme vs here ? AS a kyng to a cytye That wyl haue his inentere And inen before hym shal bere His crowne his sheld and his spere Wherby men may haue knowlegyng That thether comyng is the kyng So shal be come to the dome But nother with knyght ne with grome But with ordres of aungels all That bodyes out of theyr graue shal cal And they shal dele and set in twynne The good from thos that deyed in synne

¶ The . CCC.liiij . questyon ¶ Shal his crosse be there present Whan he shal geue his iugment NAy his crosse shal not be there But the semblaunt as it were And that shal be of more claryte Than men in the sonne se And whan the dome is don al With his to heuyn wend he shal

¶ The . CCC.lv . questyon ¶ Whan he the folke shal deme also How shal he shew hym them vnto SO as he dyd his dyscypyls tyl Dysfygured vpon an hylle He shal shew hym vnto them Bryghter than eny sonne beme So shal he shew hym to the good And to the wicked hangyng on rode

¶ The . CCC.lvj . questyon ¶ Shal his mynystres with hym be In the dome to here and se HIs mynysters shal be thore Tho that with hym walked before And al that lyued after hys ●ore And ke pars of his hous wore And al that lyue in chastyte Or that ded for his loue shal be Al shal they be of his wylte Synful wreches for to spylle For that shal they be there present To here and se the iugement

The . CCC.lvij . questyon ¶ How shal he the dome do And what shal he say them to GOod departed shal he se Fro the wicked that there shal be Than shal he to the good say Ye in erth stode by me ay I houngred sore and ye me fedde I thursted and ye me drynke bede I was nakyd and ye me clad In sycknesse I helpe of you had I lay in pryson and myght not se Thether ye came to vyset me And by cause ye dyd this gladly Come to my fathers ioy heuynly And ye that of me not rought But al that ye lyked wrought With the deuyl and his ye go Unto payne for euer and od For ye nothyng dyd me fore Whan ye in your lykyng wore This shal euery man here and se Why he shal saued or dampnyd be

¶ The . CCC.lviij . questyon ¶ Sal euery man than know wele That he hath don here euery adele AL that euer aman hath wrought Good and yl in dede or thought Al shal on hym wryten be That al the world may it se But yf eny ware of repentaunce That toke his shryft here and penaunce Of his mysded with harte contryte That synne for geuen is al tyte The good than thanke god shal thore That they of such lyfe wore Wherfore that they shulde than wende To the blys with out ende And the wicked shal se eft What goodnesse they haue left And what wickednesse they toke Whan that they the good forsoke Ful ▪ sory be they than in thought But al shal avayle them nought For they shal anon be shent With the deuyl in tourment

¶ The . CCC.lix . questyon . ¶ Whan al is don that dome so harde What shal be don afterwarde AFterwarde the deuyl shal Take tho that shal with hym al And wend to helle for euer more The wicked men to payne thore Goddys sonne shal his take That here dyd wel for his sake And lede them to his fathers blys Where euer I lyke ioy is And al shal theyr blys be That they euer god shal se And neuer more shal deye For yf they shuld chose one of tweye They shuld leuer in helle be God euery day in blys to se Than be in heuyn and se hym nought For that ware nought worth them thought

¶ The . CCC.lx . questyon ¶ What shal than betyde and who Of this world where we are now AS water it fyrst fordyd also Shal it fyre than fordo Al to gether shal it brynne Shal nothyng beleft therin The elementes shal than slake Of theyr fygure and a newe take Sonne and mone shal bryghter be Seuen tymes than men now them se Erth / water / fyre / and ayre They shal be than thre tymes so fayre Than they euer ware before And so shal be left euer more Al trauayls in erth shal blynne Shal no payne after be therin

¶ The . CCC.lxj . questyon Shal the good haue leue ther tyl For to do al that they wyl THe good shal than be of that wyl To do but good and nothyng yl For than shal they ech thyng do That theyr wyl standyth vnto And in what stede they wold they wore Anon as thought they shal be thore And other worke shal they haue none But goddys vysage to se vpon And thanke hym that of al lord is That they are come to that hlys

¶ The . CCC.lxij . questyon ¶ Shal they than remember ought Of wickednesse that they here wrought REmember them they shal euery dele Of that they wrought here yl and wel And great ioy haue they shal That they the wickednesse ouer came al As a knyght is blyth and glad That a stronge batayle hath had And hath bore the prayse away From al his enymyes that day Great ioy it is his frendes vnto That he that day bare hym so And al so sory are they tho That for theyr synne go than to wo ¶ Here ende the questyons .

¶ The ende of the hystory .