REmembre fyrst of all ( vertu●us reder ) that it is hygh ●oysed on●e and great perfection to knowe thy selfe / and than to dispise thy selfe . As to know thou haste nothing that 〈◊〉 good of thy selfe , but all together of ●od . For the gyftes of nature , and all other temporall gyftes of this worlde ●hiche ben laufully and truely oprey●ed ( well consydered ) ben comen to ●he by the infinite goodnes and grace ●f god , and not of thy selfe . And most 〈◊〉 especiall it is necessarye for the to ●nowe howe that god of his greatte ●race hath made the lyke to his owne ●m●●tude or ymage , hauynge regarde 〈◊〉 thy memory , vnderstandyng , and ●re●yll . And to knowe howe god is thy ●aker , & thou his wretched creature . ●nd to know how thou arte redemed 〈◊〉 god by the passyon of Christ Iesu , ● & know how god is thy helper , thy re●…ge & thy deliuerer from all yuell . And consyder & to knowe the goodly order , whiche god of his infynyte wysdome hath ordeyned the to be ordred by . As to haue these temporall goodes for the necessytie of the bodye / the body and sensuall appetytes to be ordred by thy soule / thy soule to be ordred by reason and grace / by reason & grace , to know thy duetie to god and to thy neighbour . And by all comune reason , yf thou kepe this conuenient order to god and his creatures , they shall kepe theyr order to the : But yf thou breke thyne order to them , of lykelyhood they shall breke their order to the. For how shulde thy wyfe , chyldren , seruauntes , and other creatures with whome thou haste doynges , do theyr dueties , and kepe theyr order to the , yf thou doest not so to god and to them ? And also thynke thou of a suretie , that yf thy sensuall appetite be not ordred by reason and grace , thou arte worse ordred than a beest / for than thou lyuest out of order , and so doeth not a beest / whiche is a great shame and rebuke to the a reasonable creature / and without the great mercy of god , it sha●… be to thyne eternall dampnacion . And therfore thynke and thanke god , & vtterly dispise thy selfe , and thynke thy selfe a great wretche in that , that god hath done so moche for the / and thou haste so ofte offended his highnes , and also done hym so lytle seruyce . Surely it is also great wisdom to thynke , that if it had pleased god for to haue gyuen to all other men ( aswell beggers as other ) lyke grace as he hath gyuen to the , that they wolde haue serued his goodnes better than thy selfe hast don : wherfore , thynke thy selfe a wretche of all wretches , without the mercye of god . And therfore by his infinite mercy & grace , call vnto thy remembraunc● the degree or dignytie the whiche almyghty god of his goodnes hath called the vnto / and accordynge therunto , yelde thy det , and do thy duetie .

¶ Fyrste and principally , honour god as thy maker / loue hym as thy redemer / feare hym , as thy iudge . Seconeyly , thy neighbour whiche is thy superior , obey . Haue concorde and peace with them whiche ben euen with the in degree / and haue mercy and pitie on thyne inferiors ▪ Thirdly , prouide the to haue a clene hert , and a good custody of thy tonge . Pray and take labour by grace to haue wisdome & cunnynge to do thy duetie to god and to thy neyghbour . And in all thy wordes and dedes , haue euer in mynde that god & his aungels hereth & seeth euery thinge● and that nothynge is so priuely doon , but it shall be made open . And in especyall haue in mynde that thou shalte dye shortly / & how Christ dyed for the / the subtyltie & falsnes of this temporall world / the ioyes of heuen , and the paynes of hell . And euery mornynge amonge other thy meditacions and prayers / pray vnto thy lorde god that the day folowynge / thou ( accordynge to the degree / the whiche of his infynyte goodnes and mercy hath called the vnto ) mayste vse this temporall wretched worlde in thy thoughtes / wordes / and dedes , that by them / and the meryte of Christis passion / thou mayst eschewe the paynes of hell / and come to the ioye euerlastynge . And in executyng therof , kepe trouthe in wordes and dedes . Defende no man / nor no matter agaynst the trouthe . In all thynges thynke and trust in god / and he shall dyrecte thy wayes . Trust not to thyne owne wytte , but feare god / and he wyll kepe the from yuell . If thou truste more in thyne owne wytte than in the grace of god / thy polycye shall be soone subuerted . Be contente to here good counsayle , thoughe it be contrarye to thy wyll , for he is a very foole , that wyll here nothyng gladly / but that is accordynge to his mynde . Do thou no man harme , lest thou suffrest the same . As thou willest be done vnto the , so do thou vnto an other . Be suche to other , as thou desyreste they shulde be to the. If thou be religious remember that the due execution of true religion , is not in wearyng of the habyte , but with a clene mynde in very dede to execute the rules & ordinaunces of religion . For so it is , that to weare the habite / and not to execute the rule and order of religion , is rather to be demed ypocrysy or apostasy , than other wyse . If thou be laye & vnmaryed , kepe the clene vnto the tyme thou be maryed . And remembre the sore and terrible punysshement of Noes flood , and of the terryble fyre and brymstone , and sore punysshment of Sodom and Gomor , don to man for misusyng of the flesshe . And in especyall , call to remembraunce the meruailous and horryble punysshment of the abhominable great pockes , dayly apperynge to our sightes , growynge in & vpon mannes flesshe / the whiche soore punysshement ( euery thynge well remembred ) can not be thought , but principally for the inordinate misuse of the fleshe . And if thou intende to marye , or beynge maryed , & haste a good wyfe , thanke our lorde therfore , for she is of his sendynge .

And remembre that thre thinges in especyall ben pleasaunt to the spyrite of god / that is to say , concorde betwene bretheren , loue and charitie betwene neighbours , and a man and his wyfe well agreynge . And yf thou haue an euyll wyfe , take pacience , and thanke god , for all is for the best , well taken / howbeit , thou art bounden to do and pray for her amendement , ●eest she go to the deuyll , from whom she came . And haue in remembraunce that the intent of maryage is not in the beestly apperyte or pleasure in the thynge : but the intent therof , is to eschew the synne of the flesshe , or els to haue chyldren .

And yf thou haue chyldren , as moche as thou mayst , brynge them forthe in vertue to be the seruauntes of god .

For it is better for the , and them not to be borne , than otherwise . In thyne aucthoritie , busy the rather to be beloued of thyne inferiors , than to be dred . Let thy subiectes and seruauntes rather serue & obey the for loue , than for drede or nede . with suche a souereigne goodnes gouerne thy subiectes , that they may be glad to serue the bothe in punysshynge , and also in cherysshyng . Kepe a manerly meane / and be not to strait / forgyue not to soone / kepe a conuenient measure in all thy workes .

Go not to meat as a beest , but as a reasonable man , say thy grace / & than remembre that mo ben sicke and dye by superfluities of meates / than otherwyse , wherfore eate with measure ; to lyue in helthe . At thy 〈◊〉 , haue none other but honest communication / and suche as is accordyng to thy connyng . Backebyre no man / be me●y in honeste . for sorowe and care hath kylled many ▪ and no profyte therein , An no wyse sweare , without compulsyon of the lawe . For where as is great sweryng , from thens is neuer the plage of god . In no wyse braule ne chyde without an vrgent cause . For Solomon sayth , better is a lytell with ioye , than a hous full of vitayle with brawlynge . Also he sayth , an yuell persone is euer chydynge , and therfore the angell of god shall be sent agaynst hym . Be content at thy dyner , and also at other tymes to gyue parte of that which god hath sent the / for he that wyll not here the crye of a poore man , he shall crye to god , & not be harde . After thy meate , thanke god of that he hath sente the , or els thou doste not as a reasonable man , but lyke a beest , which in eatyng remembreth nothynge but his meate . with good prouidence and discretionle the tyme where , whan , howe , why , or wherfore thou spekest , doest , or byddest any thyng to be done . whan thou iudgeste any , be he poore or ryche , beholde & consider the cause , and not the persone . Be as meke in other mennes causes and offences , as in thyn owne . Syt neuer in dome & iugement without pitie or mercy . for whyle thou hast pitie , and arte mercyfull to other m●s offences , thou hast mercy on thy selfe . For in what measure thou measuresi , it shall be measured to the. yet thou must execute iudgement , but it muste be with pitie or mercy . For ( of a surety ) to do mercy & iustice , is more pleasaunt to god , than to praye or do sacrifice vnto hym . Deme no man by light suspections . Fyrste proue , and than deme . In doubles , reie●ue the sentence to goddes myghte . That thou knowest not , commyt it vnto god . Hauelyttell or none affection and p●…l●●e loue to these erthely & temporall thiges . For blessed be the ryche manne . that trustethe not in his money and treasure . And remembre , as a man loueth , so he is / for the louer is in the thyng loued more properly , than in hym selfe : wherfore , yf a man loue erthely thynges , he may be called an erthely man . And if he loue principally heuenly thynges or god , he may be called an heuenly or a godly man : And therfore loue god and heuenly thynges / for vndoubted , that is best , & moost assured loue / for they be , and euer shall , permanent / and all erthely thynges ben soone vanysshed and ended / and so the loue of them is in vayne . Also it is wysdom to feare god / for as he sayeth hym selfe : Feare not hym that may kyll the body , & can not hurt the soule : but feare hym that can kyll the bodye & also the soule , & commyt them to euerlastynge payne / wherfore , euery euenynge ere thou goo to bed , call to remembraunce ( as moche as thou canst ) thy thoughtes , wordes , and dedes , sayd and done that day / and if any haue ben to thyne owne profyte , and to the pleasure of god , hertely thanke hym / for by his grace it was done : And yf any haue ben contrary to his pleasure , aske hertely mercy , and reconcile thy selfe shortly by repentaunce to eschewe the euerlastynge and terrible paynes of hell . For ( as saynt Augustyn sayth ) there is not a greater madnes , than for a lytle temporall delectacion ( whiche is soone done ) to lese the eternall ioye , and to be bounde to euerlastynge payne . From the whiche the almyghty father of heuen , by his infynyt power and mercy , and bytter passion , and infynyte wysdome of Iesu Christe , and by the infinite goodnes and charitie of the holy gooste , kepe vs . Amen . Deo gratias .