<County: Leicestershire>
<Code: L0044>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Laud Misc. 706>
<Text: Sermons, religious prose>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 98r><lat><23 lines></lat>
<fol. 98r><line 24><lat><2 words></lat> Gentil ihesu in whom~ ys comprehen
dit my3th wit comfort and vertu be medy
acon~ & mene of the ymperesse of heue þi
gloryouse modur in honour of whom~ this wor
thy place ys halowed . / And specyal preyour of
alle the seyntis that ben~ in heuen~ be owre sped
at oure begynnynge helpe vs in oure nede yn
forth leuynge and oure comfort and oure red <?>
at oure last endynge amen . / Cristes pepul þe
most opu~ knowynge experience scheuyth wele
that yf a clowd be a-bydinge be-twene the
sonne and vs the sonne may not to vs hur
bry3th bemys ner 3if no maner of comfort to the
erthe vn-to the clowd be dissolued . J conseyue
that ther ys now a gret clowde a-3en the
sonne / vndirstondyng~ be this material sonne
crist ihesu . <lat><rest of line></lat>
<fol. 98v>A-3en~ this sonne mankynd hath put a+gret clowd
the wheche ys congeilud of hys wikkud hemours
that ys of alle the spices of dedly synne as yt
ys record ysaie . lixo ; <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><full line ></lat>
<lat><2 words></lat> 3our wikkudnesse seithe the prophet
ysaye hath mad a diuision~ be-twene 3ow and
3oure god and 3our synnes han~ h<?>d his face þt
he may not streche ner sprede to mankynd his bri3t
blessed bemys that this clowde ys reignyng~ þis
days yt ys wele wittenessed Joel 2o . / <lat></lat>
<lat><3 words></lat> These days ben as of clowd
of derkenesse and of vengance J may wel remem
byr me and seye . <lat></lat> . Bot 3et
lo a-3en~ this clowde ys a gret clow remedye
experymently wt þin ey3e thou~ ses that 3if þer
be derkenesse of clowdys or ellis habundance
of watrys a-bydyng yn the eyre 3if hyt
scholt be noyful or desesy to the froyt growyng
on~ the erthe . a-non the prestes of the cherche
han a special preyer ordeyned be holy cherch
to be-seche god to dyssolue yt and throwe
hit a-down~ to the erthe that yt com~ fro / sey
ynge to god in that oryson~ on~ this wise . / <lat></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> . / To the lord þei
seyn we callen~ and cryen~ for bry3thnesse of
the wedur and not wyt-stondyng that we haue
thy wrath and tribulacon~ ry3twysly 3it 3if vs
thy mekenesse and mercy / and anon~ as they haue
preyed dewly this preyour the clowdis dissol
uyn~ and the sonne yn confort and socoure
schyneth vpon~ the froyt on~ the erthe / Ri3t
thus than~ lat vs do as prestys of the cherch
pree god / That this derke clowd hangynge
yn the eyre be-twene ihesu crist and vs my3t
be dissoluyd and throw doun~ to the erthe sey
ynge to hym the same oryson~ and preier of þe
prestes that his wrath and tribulacon~ my3th sece
and we to haue hys mercy that the eir owre
<fol. 99r>sowlys my3th be clene fro vycis in the weche
deuout preyere 3e schull haue recomanded myn
sympul yn-sufficyence that god of his godnesse
he grant me in his word pronounsynge hys no
bul influence that y may at this tyme edy
fie 3our soulys in prophyt / god a-lone to do
worschip and to the deuel schame and schen
schep / Jn the same preyer 3e shcull haue re
comandyd all the statys of holy cherche fro the
hyest in-to the lowest and yn specyal my mayster
and fadur the Abbot of this holy place / that
the same holy gost that ordeyned hym to be
here gouernour preserue and kepe hym forth yn
all his lyvys werkyng / On~ the second syde
3e schull haue recomanded the prosperite of all
cristen~ remys among whilke in special the
prosperite of this ryal Reme . / wich the nobul go
uernour our~ gracyus prince that god of his my3t
that hath chosyn hym to hym in his begynnyng~
so he my3th kepe hyn yn all his forth leuyng~
On~ the þrid syde 3e schull preye for all the
that ben~ in peyne of Purgatory and yn specy
al for hem that han~ most nede and lest
helpe / For these and all other that ys nedful
to 3ow and me J preye 3ow seithe an~ Pater / / .
<lat><5 words></lat> . The my3th of the fa
der the witte of the sone the counsell and con
fort of the holy gost thre persones and on~ god
hede be with vs now and euer Amen . / Cristes
pepull these wordis that J haue take to my
tyme to preche of they be the wordies of the
a-postul wreten~ in the pistull of this day
the wheche be thus meche to say to 3oure tong~ /
The wrath of god come or ellis yt ys comyn
bot aftur the sentence of the apostul . And
myn~ vnderstonding~ in englise it thus . leve þi
synne and synne no more . the wrath of god
vs comy therfore . / Sirs 3e clerly knowe that
3if a lord of power ry3tfully ordeyne his laws
among his legis they owe to obey hem and
<fol. 99v>With alle her my3tys to kepe her and 3iff hit be
so that they ben~ neclygent or ellis obstinate
in kepyng~ of this lawe they to haue the yn
dygnacon~ and the wrath of here lord . The
gretust lord of powere that euer was is god
the fadur of heuen / the wheche made all this
world of nou3t / Pytting~ mankyng~ ther-yn~ to
be rewled with his lawes / Bot our~ form~ fadur
Adam not keping~ the lawe ne the comandement
of god his lege lord with his gret obstynacon~
put all his successours in the wrath and in
the indignacon~ of here lord that fro the tyme
of the begynnyng~ of the world in to the incar
nacon~ of crist we were cleped the childron~ of
wrath / <lat><7 words></lat> We
were seith the apostul the childron~ of wrath
by cause of the gret synnyng~ that sewed
ther of fornicacon~ vnclennesse mansclau3tur
deseytes in false wordis and mony other / wher
fore the apostull consideryng these greuouse
synne and the myschiffs that fille ther-of
wrot to the pepul that he wt holy doctryne
had informed and seyd /<lat><rest of line></lat>
Euery lecherus+man~ seith the apostul or ellis vn
clene+man~ in leuyng or a couetous man~ that
ys the seruant of the deuel schal neuer haue part
in the kyndam of heuen . / Therfore he seyd let
no man deseyue 3ow with no veyne wordis for
the wrath of god he seid come ther-fore . To þe
childron~ of vntrust of the testament / So aftur
the wordis of the apostull J may skylfully say
<lat><4 words></lat> The wrath of god come þer
fore leue synne and synne no more / the wrath
of god com~ therfore / Sirs for the sped of þis
processe 3e schul vndurstond in sentence of this
tyme thre thynges . / The first is a thyng that
ys vengabul with no mercy knytte in kynde / The
second ys a lord that ys vengabul whom~ all þe
world owe to drede in mynde . / And the thryd þe
<fol. 100r><?>sence of hym that ys delectabul to euery man~ that
<?> synne is blynd / J sey first is be-tokenyd a þing
þat vengabul &c~ / <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><2 words></lat> The seconde a lord that is vnchanga
bul &c~ / <lat><7 words></lat> J seid
and the presence of hym that ys delectabul &c~ /
<lat><5 words></lat> J seid first that
<?>n the first word is be-tokened a thing that
ys vengabul with no mercy in kynde that is whan~
J sey wrath / This wrath of vengance was wel
fondyn~ in all the personys of the old testament
as J seid 3ow by-fore in our~ fadur adam and
alle his lenage / as it is wel trenyd . / <lat><2 words></lat>
<lat><6 words></lat> . / Oure lord seith
3acharie was wroth he with oure forme fadirs
with an hedows wrath this is wel confermyd . /
<lat><full line></lat>
Thou~ seidust thy wrath medlid with non mercy
bot as a bittur curse and deuowrist owre fa
dirs / This vengabul wrath was also fond yn~
man as J seid in the lenage of adam of his two
sons abel & Caym . Abel was pytwys and caym
was false Than~ god considerud the offeryng~ of
his trewe seruant and forsoke the offeryng of þe
false that be-held caym tok to hym this ven
gabul wrath . / <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat>e .</lat> Caym was wroth with-out ony mercy and sclow
his brother This was fond in the dewel as
seynt Johon~ seith in the apochalips <lat><1 word></lat>
<lat></lat> The
deuel com~ don~ in-to erthe hauyng this venga
bul wrath with-out mercy . / <lat><4 words></lat>
<lat><6 words></lat> For but þe
comyng~ of crist pursewed euer that beucuffull <c or t?>
woman~ oure modur of kende puttyng hure know
child that is her soule in subieccon~ / And for
thre causis god suffred this wrath to be exe
cut vpon~ mankynd aforn~ his comyng for
worschippyng~ of false goddus and ydolatry For
vsurping~ of the stat of prelacy and for ma~- sclawter
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 105v>whom he seith bown and drede al the pelers that beren
vp al the world the comyn~ glose vpon~ this text
seith / that the pillers of this world ben~ the grete
statys of men of this world of temperalte and spy
ritualte these owt to be bowe vndur this lord
and drede this my3thy god mekul more than~
they that ben ˆ [of] lowere degre / For thou~ ses well
that fro hier place a+man fallith the worre hit
schall greue whan~ he cometh to the ground /
so hit fareth by these my3thy ordely <?> men the
more good that they haue bot 3iff they bow and
drede this lord aftur the desese of this world
owen~ to drede god that they offende not the
mercy that they schuld haue / <lat><3 words></lat>
<lat><whole line></lat>
and in thre astatis a man~ schuld haue the
drede of rial lord / while he were in synne ly3yg~
while he were in penance doynge and whien~ he
were yn parfyte leuynge furst 3e schuld haue drede
of god while he were in synne ly3inge reme~
brynge hym of the synys were past and loke
and drede 3iff had don~ dewe satisfaccon~ for
hem and than~ consider the synys that he were
yn / and drede the vengance of the rial powere
of god vnto the tyme that he be restorid by
confesson~ in-to clene leuynge / and also drede
to offend the mercy of god with ony synes comyg~
and than~ he schuld haue grace to ryse out of
his synne as yt / <lat><4 words></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> By the drede of god
euery man declineth and gath a-way fro wikkednes
se / therfore euery man thenke now and remembre
hym of alle his synnys and come now this
holy tyme and schryue hym clene to his gost
ly fadur goddis auditur / and when~ he ys clene
rasyd out of the develus bok take to hym
the drede of god and penance and neuere to
resort a3en to synne / knowyng~ wel that the
of god schall saue hym <lat><3 words></lat>
<lat><whole line></lat>
<fol. 106r><lat><4 words></lat> To that man~ that dre
deth god ther schal neuer schal falle non evel þing
bot in euery temptacon~ god schal kepe hym thus
thou may se that the drede of this ryal lord
our~ god ys necessary to euery man~ that yn synnes
ys ly3inge / The drede of god ys also nedful to
euery man in penance & satisfaccon~ doynge as
hit ys recorded <lat><7 words></lat>
<lat><1 word></lat> that man the weche hath non drede
of god he may not take his penance of his gost
ly fadur ner be knowe whether he hath ony contri
con~ or nou3t / and he may not be iustyfied here
of J rede a+tale a-cordyng how that ther was
in a+certeyn~ contre a+man the whech had be a
mysleuere al his lyue and neuere was confest
nor contrite of his synnes 3it hit happud that
in the tyme of lenton~ in the tyme of a+sermon~
he com~ to a monastery of monkys to aspye
sotelly that tym~ wher he my3th a+conuenient pla
ce for hym where he my3th on~ ny3th folowyng~
broke in and robbe the cherche 3it hit happid
that he tok hede of the mater of the Sermon
how that the precher seid / that euery mysleuere þe
wheche wold drede god and forsake synne schuld
haue mercy of god / this conseyued he and þou3t
that he wold aftyr the sermon~ be confest of
the monk that preched and tau3th the Sermon
come to hym whan~ the monk had herd hs
greuouse synnes he joyned hym certeyn penance
to fast to go wolward to sey certeyn preiers / this
man seid that he was neuer vsud ther-to / wher
fore he seid he wold do no penance / sauynge he
seyd he wold drede god and forsake synne
as he had preched in his sermon~ / than~ the
conseyued his entencon~ Jnformed hym that
the drede of god stode in penance and contri
con~ / than~ he seid he caud no more sey bot
for his penance bot thise wordys aue maria
than~ his confessour conseyued his contricon~ &
joyned hym euery day to say the same word
<fol. 106v>ych certein tyme a+bidynge stille in the monastery
his confessor anon aftur went on~ pilgryma
ge and in the mene tyme this synful man
had gret contricon~ for his synne that er hys
confessor com~ hom he dy3ed / whan~ he was ded
the pepul his conuersacon~ supposud that he had
di3ed in desperacon~ and in the absence of his con
fessour beryed hym in a donge hill / Be thyne a
litull processe of tyme aftur men waked ouere þt
dongehill / and on~ the same place ther the ma~
was buried they fonde a lely the wheche lely had
fyve branches and ym ich of this branches was
wreten~ a sillabul the sentence of the sillablys
was Aue maria / the sou3th doun~ aftur the
rote of thys lely and they fond hit growynge
out of this mannys hert than~ they token~ hym
and buried hym in holy cherche knowynge well
by that he dred god in hys dy3inge and hade
contricon~ for his synnys and so by the drede of
god that he had in penaunce doynge he was
demyd and iustyfied as for a man that was
sauyd / So than~ euery man that ys penance doyng~
ow3t to haue the drede of god and he schal+not
nede to drede none of his gostly enemys <lat><1 word></lat>
<lat><7 words></lat> / the
wysmon~ seith they that drede god scall dred
non other thing~ that to say whyll a+man ys
in penance doynge / and he drede god he schal
haue grace to fulfille his penance and the
deuel schall haue no powere to put hym a3en~
in synne this ys well wittenessid <lat><2 words></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> / Jn the drede
of oure lord ys alle the trost of strenketh a3en~
oure enemys gostly and bodyly / thus than~ thou~
may se that the dred of god ys necessary to euery
man~ that ys in penance and in satisfaccon~ do
yng hit ys also nedfull to hem that be in
parfyt leuyng~ by-cause that the drede of god
will saue hem doynge in her days and mak
hem glad whan~ they remembur hem and thenk
<fol. 107r>of the lawe and the drede that they haue to her
lord and wat reward they schul haue as hit ys
wittenessud <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> The dred+of
god seith the wys+man schal make mery the hert of a
perfit man and he schal 3if hym gladnesse and ly
kynge of his days / that ys to say the while he
dredith god and thenketh on~ the blisse of heuen
that he schall haue for his trauail he schal be glad
and mery therfore euery man that is parfit and clene
in leuynge lat hym drede god in lownesse and lo
ue and that drede schal make hym to haue in
fluence of vertus and godys in this world and
aftyr this bodyly lyff to haue a gret reward 3eff
by the pouer~ of god / herto a+cordeth the parfit ma~
toby in his bok <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><3 words></lat> / we schul haue seith parfit
man many godis 3iff we dred god / that is to say
we schul haue grace to stond stedefastly in owre
parfit leuynge and neuer resort a+gayn~ to synne to
owre last endynge <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><1 word></lat> / the drede of god hateth synne therfore
stondith securly in the dred of god and be not pre
somtuos þeron~ / for therfore J find that ther was
a man lost J rede that ther was a+pasinge parfit
man in leuynge of religion~ the deuel his gost
ly enmy had to hym envie and with false gynnys
and wilis 3erys and dayes was abowt to seyue
hym / with alle the spices of the seuen dedly syn
nes this dred god and wold not assent on~ non
maner wise to his false cauelacouns<?> and deseytes /
Bot at the last he thowt he was strong Jnow of
his owne power to withstonde his enmy as he
had don~ by+foron~ / and late the dred of god swage
and abate that conseyuyng~ the deuel that he
had withdrawe his dred fro his lord be exercyse of
drynk make hym drynkon~ and when~ he was dron
kyn threw hym into the synne of lechery / and
than~ into mansclaw3tur / and so was lost bothe
body and soule / by+cause he kepeth not forthe
<fol. 107v>the drede of god in his leuyng~ / therfore J sey euery mon
oweþ to drede god in the stat of perfitnesse alle the
dayes of his lyue / <lat><rest of line></lat>
<lat><1 word></lat> / loke thou~ be in drede of god alle the day
that is to say alle the tyme of thy lyue for the dre
de of god is abiding~ and redy to com~ to the <lat><1 word></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> thus than~ thou~
may se that the drede of god is necessary to hem
that in perfit leuyng~ and also in al [þe] thre states as
J seid 3ow as Jeremy recordeth / <lat><4 words></lat>
<lat><5 words></lat> O qwat man ys he seith
the prophet Jeremy schuld not drede the that art
kyng of alle the pepul / as how sey no man in non~
astate than~ me thenketh he ys a+lord that ys vn
changabul whom~ alle the world ow to drede in
mynde / Bot thou~ wilt drede this lord do as J seyd
the by-fore / leue synne & synne no more the wra
the of god ys com~ therfore / / J seid also that
in+the thryd is be-tokened the presence of hym þt
delectabul to euery creature that in synne ys blynd
Sirs 3e mowe conseyue that 3if a+man of this lond
the wheche is power were takyn~ in to another~
kynges lond by hys owne defaut and ut in preson~
into the tyme that hed paied his raunsoumm / and
hit felle so that he had no sufficient godys of his
owne to quyte hym out of tha thrall dangere
or ellys 3iff he my3th make no ende with the
gaylere to let goo / he wold euere desire the presence
of his lege lord that he schuld bie hym out wt
his godys or ellis manfully fy3th for hym and
deliuere hym owt of his bittur bondys and so the
power man that euer was taken~ amonge any
alyens was the comyn~ of man / this was takyn
of an alien of a kyng~ of a-nother lond of the
deuel of helle / 3e and he put hym in a+dep pre
son~ that was in the depe pyt of helle / and he
made the gayler of the preson~ synne / this man
was so powr in alle the old testament and had
so litul habundance of godys that ys to say
largenesse of vertvs that he my3th neuer pay hs rawnsom