<County: Gloucestershire>
<Code: L7040>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Laud Misc. 486>
<Text: Prick of Conscience>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 1v>As yt ys in þys boke contened
Who þat wole hureth to þe end
And god al-my3ty schal be þanne
As he ys noweþ boþe god and manne
Al þyngis þour . his my3te makyd he
Wt-oute hym my3t no þyng be
Al þyng . þt he bygan and wrou3te
By-fore þe bygynnyng nas yt nou3te
Al þynges he ordayned after~ hys wylle
Jn dyuers kynde for certeyn skylle
War-for creatures þt buþe doume
Jn whuche no resoun ys yfounde
Worschepeth her~ maker as þe bouke wtnysse
Jn hur~ manere as hur~ kynde ys
For euerych þyng þt god haþe wrou3t
That folweth kynde & passeth nou3t
loueth hys maker and hym worschepyth
Jn þt þat he hys kynde ry3t kepyth
Thanne seth creatures wt-oute resoun
Loueth hym by þys enchesoun
Thanne hathe a man þt haþe skyle & mynde
To loue hys maker~ in hys kynde
An nou3te to be of wors condicione
Than creatures wt-oute resone
Man was made to do godys wylle
And alle godys hestys to ful-fylle
For al þt god made as j may huer~
Man ys most worthy creatur~
And al þt god made for man was done
As 3e her~-after schull hur~ sone
God to man-kynde hade grete loue
Whanne he made for+mannys byhoue
Heuen and al þys world brode
And al þt ys tournyd for mannys foode
And made man lykyng hym in figure
Jn schappe of body in fayr~ stature
By-for al creatures in kynde
<fol. 2r>And 3afe hym wytte skylle and mynde
For to knowe gude and ylle
And al-so he 3aue hym a fre wylle
For to chuse and for to holde
Gude oþer euyl wheder~ he wolde
And al-so he ordayned man to dwell
and lyue on erthe in flesche and fell
To knowe hys workes and hym worsc[h]epe
And hys comaundementes for to kepe
and yf he be to god bouxome
To heuen blisse schal he come
And 3ef he wrong lyfe her~ lede to wend
To payne of hell wt-outen end
God 3aue man wytte and skylle
For to knowe boþe gude and ylle
And wylle to chuse as he vouched safe
Gude oþer euyl wheder he wold hafe
He . þt hys wylle to gude wyl sette
Grete meed þerfore schal he gette
And he þt to wykkednisse sette his wylle
Schal haue gret payne as it ys skylle
Ther-fore þt man hold ic wode
That chuseth þe wycked and leueþ þe gude
Sythe god made man of moste dignite
Of alle creatur~s and moste fre
And made hym to hys owen lyknysse
Jn fayr~ statur~ as by-fore sayd ysse
And more hym 3aue and 3utt 3eueth
Than eny creature þt nowe lyueth
And more by muche hym 3ef þerto
heuen blisse yf he wel do
And whan þt man haþe do a-mysse
And for hys gylt haþe lore heuen blysse
God tuke man-kynde for hys sake
And for hys loue det gan take
And wt hys blode he bou3t hym þo
To heuen blysse fram endelesse wo
<fol. 2v>Thus gret loue god to man kydde
And muche gudnisse to hym dydde
Ther-fore eueric man bothe lered & lewyd
Schold þynke on þe loue þt god hym schewyd
And hys gudnysse haue in mynde
That þus haþe ydo to mankynde
And loue and þonke hym as he can
And ellys he ys no kynde man
And serue hym boþe day and ny3te
And þt he sent hym he vyse yt ary3te
And spende hys wytte in godes seruys
Thanne for-soþe he ys ry3t-wys
And knowe kyndelyche what god ys
And ˆ [of] what kynd man [y]come ys
How feble man ys in saule & in bodye
How strong god ys almy3tye
How man greueth god þt doþe foly
And what man wer~ þer-fore worthy
How mercyful and gracious god ys
And how ful of gudnysse
how ry3twys he ys & how stedfast
And what he haþe do & what schal ate last
And ech day doþe vnto man-kynde
Thys schold eueric man haue in mynde
For þe ry3t way þt ledeth to blysse
And þat ledeþe man þeder y-wysse
The way of meknysse principaly
And loue and drede of god almy3ty
That may be clepyd þe way of wysdome
Jn-to whuche way may no man come
Sum habbeth wytte to vnderstond
And nulleyt nou3t putte þer-to her~ hond
And hy nabbeþe no gude knowyng
That my3t hym styrye to gude lyuyng
Suche men haueþe nede to lerne besyly
Of oder þat conneþ more þan hy
To knowe þt my3t hym styry & lede
<fol. 3r>To meknysse god to loue and drede
To whuche ys way and gude wyssyng
That my3t her~ soule to blysse bryng
No wonder~ þow hy fayle of hyt
Of ham þt þus spekeþe holy wrytte
<lat></lat>
Folys sayth Salamon þt was so wyse
Wolleþe euermor~ wysdome despise
Jn gret perel of soule ys þt man .
That haþe wytte and mynde & no gude ne can
And nel nou3t lerne for to knowe
Godes werkys and godes lawe
Ne what hymself ys and þt ys leste
Bote lyueth as wytles beste
That noder haþe wytte wyll no mynde
That man lyueþe a3ens hys kynde
For a man schal nou3t be excusyd by vn-knowyng
That ocupyeth hys wytte nou3t in lernyng
Namely one þt hym falleth knowe
That my3te hym meke and make hym lowe
And þt can nou3t schuld haue wylle
To lerne and knowe boþe gude and ylle
And þt can au3t schold lerne more
To knowe al þt hym nedful wer~
For one vncunnyng man þour . lernyng
May be brou3t to vnderstondyng
Of many þynges to knowe and se
That buþe and wer~ and schull be
That to meknysse schuld styry hys wylle
And loue and leue and drede al ylle
Many habbeth lykyng triful to hure
And vanyteas wt glade chere
And buþe besy in word and þou3t
To hur~ þt helpyth þe saule nou3t .
Bote þt hym nedful wer~ to knowe
To lysten and hur~ þay buth wel slowe
Ther~fore hy cunne nou3t knowe and se
<fol. 3v>Perels þt hy schold drede and fle
And wyte what way hy schold take
And huche way hy schold for-sake
No wonder ys þowe hy go wrong
That goþe in derknysse boþe old and 3ong
Wt-oute ly3te of vnderstondyng
The whuche ham falleþe to ry3t knowyng
And þer-fore eueric cristen man
That lyte wytte and wysdome can
And þe ry3t way can nou3t se
Ne þe perels þt he schold fle
Schold euer be buxom and besy
To hur~ and lerne ate fle foly
Of hom þt vnderstondeþe au3t
Whuche way ys gude & whuche ys nau3t
He þat þe ry3t way wol louke
Schal þus bygynne as sayth þe bouke
To knowe furst what hym-self ys
So may he sonest come to meknys
That ys þe ground of eueric vertue
Jn whuche al vertue most of grewe
For he þt knoweth wel and can se
What he ys was and schal be
A wyser~ man he may be holde
Wheder he be 3ong oþer olde
Than he þt can any oþer þyng
And of hym-self naþe no knowyng
For he no þyng wel knowe my3te
Bote yf he knowe hym-self ary3te
Ther~-fore man schold furst lere
To knowe hym-self proprely here
For yf he knowe hym-self kyndely
Thenne may he knowe god al-my3ty
And in hys endyng þynke schold he
What ate laste he schold be
He schold þynke what þys world ys
That ys ful of pryde and wyckydnysse
<fol. 4r>And lerne to knowe and þynke wt alle
What schal aftur þys lyfe by-falle
For knowyng of al þys schal hym lede
To þynke of meknysse and of drede
So my3t he come to gude lyuyng
And ate þe laste to gude endyng
And whanne he schold of þys world wende
Be brou3te to blysse wt-outen ende
The bygynnyng of þys processe
Ry3t knowyng of man ˆ [hym]-self ysse
Bot summe haueþe gret lykyng
That hy ne mowe haue no ry3t knowyng
Of hom-self þt hy furst schuld knowe
That furst to meknysse schold hom drawe
her~-of four~ þynges ic fynde
That maketh a mannys wyttes blynde
Thour hom he ys so muche y-lette
That to knowe hym-self he for3ett
Of þys seynt bernard berþe wtnysse
As in þys vers ywryten ysse
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
The fauour of folk and fayrnysse
And brennyng þour . and ryche<gap>nysse
By-reueþe a man skyle and mynde
To knowe what hym-self ys of kynde
Þys four~ letteth hym of sy3te
That he knoweth nat hym-self ary3te
And makyth hys hert ful hautyng
A3ens godys suffryng
Thys four~ worcheth muche prayde & boste
And oder synnes alder moste
Jn wham eny of þys four~ ys
ys seld ysene eny meknys
hy letteth a man to knowe and se
Perels her~ and vanyte
Hy þynken nau3t in þat schal come
<fol. 4v>Of deþe ne of þe day of dome
Hy can nou3t vnderstond ne se
The payne þt aftur þys lyfe schal be
To synful men þt vyse folye
Ne þt blysse þt gude men buth worþye
Bote in delytes setteth her~ herte faste
Ry3t as þys lyfe schold euermore laste
And 3eueth hom al to vanite . Such þyng þt may+euer-lastyng be
Suche men buth nau3t ylad by skyll
Bote worcheth after her~ owen wyll
And to nou3t elles takeþe hede
What wonder ys þowhe hym ne+haue no drede
For what hy scholde knowe wyteth hy nou3te
Ther-fore of drede naueþe hy no þou3te
And al ys for defaute of vnknowyng
Of þat my3te hem to drede bryng
For hy nulleþe nou3t hur~ bote at ate hom payth
Ther-for þe prophet dauid sayth .
<lat></lat>
Vnderstond he sayth wol hy nou3t
how hy my3t wel do au3t
þes wordes by hom beth ysayd her~
That nolleth nau3t vnderstond ne ler~

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 65r>Ther~ schulleþe all men to-gader~ mete
As cryst sayþe þour3 joel prophete
Alle men hy schulleþe to-gader~ call
And in-to þat vale lede hom all
And al-so þys fayr~ he þus
as he þour3 þe prophet schewyþe vs
he sayþe all men schull ryse to dome
And in-to þe vale of josaphat come
For þer~ schal ic sytte soþelye
To deme all as hy buþe worþye
That vale mydel of <exp>b</exp> erþe ys yhold
As we haueþe yhurd by-fore y-told
josaphat ys nou3t ellys to say
Bote þe stede of dome ate þe laste day
Cryst schal nou3t þanne fullyche doun come
On þe erþe to sytte in dome
Bote vp in ayer~ schal he sytte
On a whyte cloude as sayþe holy wrytte
lo our~ lord schal sytte in sy3te
On a cloude boþe fayr~ and bry3te
Euen aboue þe valy soþelye
Ther~ all men schulleþe se hys bodye
And skyle why he schal þer~ sytte
Mowe men fynde as yt ys ywryte
For þe valey of olyuet ys ysette
Jn þe mounte of olyuete
And ierusalem in þter syde
That stant in myddys þe world wyde
Ther ys þe mounte of caluarye
And crystes sepulcre faste þerbye
And in þat cuntre ys bethleem
Nou3t wel fer~ fram ierusalem
For Cryste schal sytte þer þt daye
That may on þys manere saye
lo her~ as 3e mowe yse
The vale of josaphat vnder~ me
Whar~ marye my moder byryd was
<fol. 65v>That me bare wt-oute trespas
lo her~ al-so as 3e se nowe
Bethleem þer ic was bore for 3owe
And ywound in cloþes and ic wasse
By-twene an ox and an asse
lo her~ al-so 3e mowe se stande
Jerusalem þat ys ney3he honde
Ther~ hadde ic for 3ow many boffet
And wt scourges sore was ybete
lo her~ þe mounte of Caluarye
For 3owe þe cros þe der~ bar~ j
By-twen twey þeues hong j moste
And for 3owe þer~ ic 3eld þe goste
lo her~ 3e mowe se al-so
The sepulcre a lytel þer~-fro
Ther~ was ic buryed in þat stede
whan ic for 3ow had suffryd dede
lo her~ þe mounte of olyuet ry3te
Ther~ ic stey3e vp to heuen bry3te
whar~ Aungels told in mannys lyknysse
Of my comyng þat fulfyld ysse
Nowe haue 3e yhurd skyle why
That he schal sytte aboue onely
The vale of josaphat as we told
That ys amydde þe erþe yhold
A-noþer skyle 3utt may þys be
why he schal cume a-doune in þt cuntre
For þer~ was he furst comyng a-doune
Onelyche for mannys saluacione
whan þt he flessch and blode toke
Of mayde marye as sayþe þe boke
Thus schal he cume adoune and sytte þar~
To deme al þe world as ic sayde ar~
Cryst wel sturne þt tyme schal be
To synful men þat schulleþe hym se
Dredful and hydus as sayþe þe boke
To hom whan hy schulleþe on hym loke
<fol. 66r>And ful louelyche to þe sy3te
Of men þat her~ lyuyd ary3te
Bote alle þe persones of trinite
And þe goded schal nou3t schewyd be
To wyckyd and goude þt schull be þer þanne
Bote cryst hollyche in fourme of manne
Godes sone þat schal þanne deme vs
And þerfore seynt jon sayþe þus
God haue 3eue to hys sone sayþe he
Alle þe dome þat 3oue schal be
That men honure þe sone ary3te
As hy doþe þe sone ful of my3te
Gude men schulleþe se hym in manhed þanne
And in godhed as god and manne
The whuche he schal nou3t fram hom hyde
Hy schulleþe se hym all gloryfyde
And þt schal be a glorious sy3te
So schal he schewe hym fayr and bry3te
The whuche in manhed schal hym se
Ry3te as he hong in þe roude tre
Blowe and blody as he þanne jn was
Whan he deyde for our~ trespas
To hom þt sy3t schal be grede drede
Hy schulleþe nou3t se of hys god
For þe goded ys ful of blysse
Ther~-fore þt sy3te schulleþe hy mysse
Bote hollyche in manhed as ic saye
Schulleþe hy se hym þat daye
In forme of man schal he seme
And in manhed schal he hom deme
He schal þanne ate hys doune-comyng
The tokyn of þe croys wt hym bryng
On whuche he bou3t vs fram wo to pees
For he ne wold our~ soules lese
That tokyn of þe croyse al men schulleþe se
And wel delytable schal yte bee
<ill><1 word></ill> ry3tful men and seme ful bry3t
<fol. 66v>And dredful to þe synfulys sy3te
The tokyn of þe croys schal be schewyd þanne
As þe boke sayþe to ech manne
When our~ lord schal cume ˆ [vs] to deme
Aboue hom all schal yt be sene
That ys to segge vpon þe ayer~
And to gude men seme wel fayr~
Thys tokyn as j trowe schal nou3t be
The same croys ne þe same tre
That god was naylyd on fote and hand
Bote a tokyn of þat tre semand
3utt sume seggeþe and so may be
The tokyn of þe sper~ þt man schulleþe se
That was putt to crystes herte rote
And of þe naylys þour3 hond and fote
That hym to þe rode held
And of þe coroune of þorns yfeld
And vpon hys hede ysette
That all hys body of blode was wette
And of þe scourges þt brast hys hyde
That þe blode ran oute in ech syde
Alle þe toknys schulleþe þanne be schewyd
By-fore alle men leryd and lewyd
Bote synful þt dampnyd schulleþe be
To hor~ payryng schulleþe hom se
Cryst schal schewe hys woundys wyde
jn hond and fote in heuyd and syde
That fresch schulleþe be and all bledand
To synful þt schulleþe by-fore hym stand
He schal schewe to hor~ confusione
Alle þe signys of hys passione
Thys schal be do þus openly
To repreue þe synful men þer~-by
And þat schal be hor~ sorowe þanne
As austyn seyth þe holy manne
Our~ lord godes sone al-my3tye
Parauenture haþe kepyd in hys bodye
hys woundys schewyng þour3 þe skynne
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<fol. 67r>That he þolyd for mannys synne
For to schewe hom to hys enemys
whan he schal deme as hey3e justyse
To reproue hom ate þe laste day
And wyte hom and þus say
lo her~ man in flesch and blode
That 3e hongyd on þe rode
lo god and man her~ þt 3ow wrou3t
Jn wham j 3e nold trowe nou3t
By-hold þe j woundes þt 3e stykyd
Se her þe sydes þt 3e prykyd
The whuche wer~ open a gude fryday
And 3e nold cume jn by no way
To hold þe lawe þt ic taw3te
Now wyteþe 3e wel 3e dude þo nau3t
wel muche schenschyp schal þys be
To synful men þt schulleþe yt se
The whuche to hym doþe nou3t a3en
That for hom suffryd so muche payne
And nou3t hy þt doþe no gude onelye
Bote hyer þt euer buþe ful of felonye
That euer doþe yuel and no gude
And ofte doþe god vp on þe rode
Jn alle þt in hom ys þour3 synne
Of whuche hy wol nou3t her~ blynne
what mowe hy answer~ oþer þanne saye
howe mowe hy hom excuse þat daye
No þyng may hom excuse þanne
So Ry3tful ys þe domes-manne
Jn þat day as þe boke wtnysse
Schal nou3t be yschewyd bote ry3twysnysse
wt gret sturnysse to synful namely
That schulleþe be demyd as ys worþy
hy mowe nou3t defende as hy mow3e nouþe
As sayþe jon wt þe gylten mowþe
No stede of þe defens schal þer~ be
Ther~ hy schulleþe cryste openly se
<fol. 67v>3euyng wyttenysse and toknys certayne
Of hys passione and of hys payne
Alle schulleþe haue gret drede þt day
Boþe gude wyckyd as clerkys say
Ther~ schal be noþer aungel ne manne
That hy ne schull quake for drede þanne
Suche drede þan schull hy haue
Al þow3e hy wyte to be saue
Nou3t for hom-self þt buþe gultles
Bote for grete fer~ of ry3twysnysse
And for þe grete austeryte
That cryste schal schewe þt day to se
A3ens þe synful men namelye
That schulleþe be dampnyd wtoute mercye
whan ry3tful+men þt schull be saue
And aungels suche drede schulleþe haue
what drede au3t þe synful haue þanne
Ther~-fore þus sayþe þe holy manne
he sayþe yf þe peleyrs of heuen bry3te
That buþe holy men þt haueþe lyued ary3te
Schulleþe drede crystes comyng in manhede
And also aungels schulleþe haue drede
And wepe wel bytterlyche þer-to
what schulleþe synful men þanne do
That buþe dampnyd as ic sayde or~
3utt sayþe þe holy man wel mor~
yf þe ry3t-ful man sayþe he
Schal vnneþe y-sauyd be
The synful and þe wyckyd manne
wheder-ward hy schulleþe hy drawe þanne
Ry3tful men as þe boke telleþe
Schulleþe þanne be sauyd and none elles
Our~ lord in manhede schal þanne sytte
A-boue þe synful as sayþe holy wrytte
Sturne and wroþe wt angry cher~
And trete wt hom þt lyued yuel her~
hell byneþe wyde and dupe