<County: Yorkshire West Riding>
<Code: L0473>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodley 131>
<Text: Religious prose>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 2v><line 6> Here begynnys þe proheme of þe boke þat es cald þe
Mirrur of þe blyssed lyfe of Jhesu crist <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
þise be þe wordes of þe gret doctour and ane haly apostil
Paule consideryng þat þe gostely lyfyng of all trw crystyn~ crea
turs in þis warld standis specially in hope of þe blys & þe ly
ue þat es to come in a-noyer warld : And for als mekill as
two thinges : principally noerysch & strengh3 þis hope in man :
þat es pacience in hert and ensaumpill of vertus & gude
leuyng of haly men~ wrytyn~ in boke & soueraynly þe wordes
& þe dedis of our~ lord Jhesu crist verray god and ma@ : for þe tyme
of his bodyly leuyng her~ in erthe : þerfor~ to strengh vs & comforth
vs in þis hope spekes þe apostell þe wordes foresayd to þis
entent seying þat all thing þat bene wryten~ generally in ho
ly kirke And specially of ouur lord Jhesu crist þai bene writen~
to oure lor~ þat <exp>er</exp>[by] paciens & comforth of haly scripturis we haue
hope her~ to acordyng spekes saynt Austyn~ þus Goddes son~
toke man : & in hym he sufferth þat langes to ma@ : & was
made medicyne of man~ . & þis medcyne es so mekyll
þat it may noght be thoght : For þer es no pride bot þat it may
be helyd thurgh mekenes of goddes son~ : þer is no couaty3e
bot þat it may be helyd thurgh his pouert : No wrath bot
þat it may be helyd thurgh Charite Paciens No malice
bot it may be helyd thurgh charite : And mor~-ouer þer es no syn~
or wickednes bot þat he shall want it & be kept fro þe whilk
<fol. 3r>be haldys inwardly & loues & folowe3 þe wordes & þe ded
of þat ma@ in whame goddes sone gaf hym self to vs into
ensaumpyll of gude leuyng wharfor~ now both men~ & we
men & euery Age & euery dignite of þis warld is stirryd to
hope of euer-lasting lyfe And for þis hope & to þis entent
wt holy wryte Also er wryten~ dyuers bokes & tretes of deuote
men noght onely to clerkes in latyn~ bot also in Englysch to lewed
men & wemen & þame þat ar of sympyll vndirstandyng A
mang þe whilk be þir~ wryten~ deuote meditacions of
crystes lyfe mor~ pleyne in certeyne party þan es expressed in
þe gosspell of þe fowr~ Euangeliste3 And as it es sayd of þe
deuote ma@ & worthy clerk Bonauentur wrote þame to a reli
gyous woma@ in latine þe whilk scriptur & wryting for þe fruc
tuous Matir þer-of stirryng specially to þe law of Jhesu And
Also for þe playne sentence to comon~ vndirstandyng semes amang
other souereynly edifying to sympill creaturs þe whilk als chyldir
haues nede to be fedde wt mylk of lyght doctryne : & wt sad mete
of gret clergy & of hye contemplacion~ wharfor~ þa instance
& þe prayer of some deuoute saules to edificion~ of swylk men
or wemen is þis drawyng out of þe forseyde boke of cristes lyfe
wrytyn~ in jnglysch wt mor~ put to in certeyne party3 And also with
drawing of dyuers Autoritese & maters as it semes to þe wryter
her~-of : most spede-full & edifiyng to þame þat be of sympill vn
dirstandyng to þe whilk sympyll saules as saynt Bernerd
says contemplacion~ of þe manhede is mor~ lykyng mor~ spede
full & mor~ sekir þan is hye contemplacion~ of þe godhede And
þerfor~ to þaime es principally to be sett in mynde þe Jmage
of cristes in-carnacion~ passion~ & resurreccion~ so þat a sympill
saule þat can noght think bot bodyes or bodyly thinges mow
haue sum-what acordyng to his affeccion~ wher-wt he may
fede & stir his deuocion~ wherfor~ it es to vndirstand at þe
bygynnyng as for a principall & generall rewle of dyuers
<fol. 3v>Jmaginacions þat fallys eftir in þis boke þt þe discryuyng
or speches or dedis of god in heuen And Angels or oþer gostly
sbstaunces bene only writen~ in þis maner & to þis
entent þat is to say as deuoute Jmaginacouns & lyk
nes stirryng sympill saulys to þe loue of god & desire
of heuenly thinges For as saynt Gregor seys þerfor~ es þe
kyngdom~ of heuen lykned to erthely thynges þat be þoo
thynges þat be visibyll and þat ma~ kyndely knawes: he
be stirryd & rauest to loue & desire gostely i@-visibil thinges
þat he kyndly knowes noght : Also saynt Jon~ says þat
all þoo thynges þat Jhesuc did bene noght writen~ i~ þe gospell
wharfor~ vs most to stirryng of deuocion~ Jmage & think
diuers wordes & dedes of hym & oþer þat we fynd not
writen~ so þat it be no3t agaynes þe beleue As saynt
Gregur & other doctour3 says þat haly wyrte may be expound
And vndirstand in dyuers maners & to dyuers purpos so þt it
be noght agayns þe beleue or gude maners And so what
tyme or in what <exp>tyme</exp> place in þis boke es wryten~ þus
spake or þus did or lord Jhesuc or other þat bene spokyn~ of
And it may noght be preued be haly wyrte or groundid
in expresse saying of haly docturs jt shall be takyn~ no
noþer wise þan as a deuoute meditacion~ þat it might
be so spokyn~ or done & so forth as mekill as in þis boke
be contened dyuers Jmaginacons of cristes lyfe þe whilk
lyfe fro þe begynnyng into þe endyng euer blyssed & wt-outen
syn~ passyng all þe lyues of all other sayntes as for a syn
guler~ prerogatife may worthely be called þe blyssed lyfe
of Jhesu crist þerfor~ as pertynent name to þis buke it may
skylfully be called þe Mirrour~ of þe blyssed lyfe of Jhesu crist
<lat>Bonauentur incipit</lat>
AMang oþer vertus spekyng of þe woma~ forsayd commending
of þe haly virgyn~ Cecilie jt es wryten~ þat sho bar~ allway
þe gospell of cryst hid in hir brest þat may be vndirstand
þat of þe blyssed lyfe of Jhesu crist wryten@ in þe gospell sho
<fol. 4r>hase certayne parties most deuoute jn þe whilk sho
sett hir meditacion~ & hir thoght nyght & day wt a
clene & holy hert And when sho ˆ [hade] so fully all þe maner of hes
lyfe ouer-gone sho be-gan agayne & so wt lykyng
& a swete taste gostly shewyng in þt maner þe gospell
of crist ; sho sett and bar~ it euer in þe prynt of hir brest
jn þe same maner j counsale þat þu do : For amang
all gostly excerses j leue þat þis is moste nescessa
ry & most profetabyll & þat may bryng ma~ to þe heghest
degre of gude leuyng þat stand specially in perfite despi
syng of þe world jn pacience suffering of aduersitee3
& in-crese and getting of verteus þe whilk also be
cause þat it may no3t fullie be discriuid . als þe ly
ues of other sayntes Bot in maner of lyknes als þe Jma
ge of mans face is shewed in þe Mirrour For sothely
þou sall neuer fynd whar~ ma@ may be so perfitely taght
First for to stabyll his hert : agaynes vanitees & disccy
uabyll lykynges of þe world Also to strengh hym amang
tribulacouns & aduersitee3 And forþer-mar~ to be kept fro
vice3 and to gettyng of vertus as in þe blyssed lyfe of
ouur lord Jhesu in þe whilk was euer with-owten~ defaute
most perfite Fyrst J say þat besy meditacion~ & custom
abyll of þe blyssed lyfe Jhesu stabils þe saule & þe hert
agayns vanites & dissayuabill lykynges of þe warld
þis es opynly shewed in þe blyssed virgine Cecile be
for~ neuened when sho filled hir hert so fully of þe lyfe
of criste : þat vanites of þe warld myght noght entir
into hir hert For all þe pompe of weddyng wher~ so ma
ny vanites be vsed when þe organs blew & songen~
sho sett hir hert stable in god saying & praying lord be
<fol. 4v>hert and my body clene and noght defilyd so þt J be no3t
confoundid Also as to þe secund : wher~-of when Mar
tyrs of heuen hade þair~ strengh a-gayns dyuers tur
mentes Bot as saynt Barnard says in þat þai sett
all þair~ hert and deuocion~ : in þe passyon~ of þe woundes
of cryst : For what tyme þe Martir standes wt all þe
body to-rent & neuer-þe-les he es Joyfull & glad in
all his payne whar~ trowes þu es þan his saule ;
in his hert : Sothely in þe woundes of Jhesu : 3a þe woun
dis no3t closed bot opyn~ and wyde to entir Jn ; and
els he shuld <exp>noght</exp> faile þe hard <add>thrim><?></add><different hand> & no3t mow
ber~ þe peyne & þe sorow ; Bot sone faile & deny god
And noght onely Martiers bot also confessours virgins
and all þat leuys ryghtwisly despysyng þe warld
in many tribulacions Jnfirmytees & dedes of penance bothe
kepys pacyens & also mor~-ouer þer-with bene Joyfull & glad
in saule as we mow se all day And why so : bot for þair~
hertis bene mor~ propirly in cristis body be deuote meditacion~
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 8r>resonabyll victori of Enmy For als auentes þe fyrst person of
þe fadir shuld do þis dede for his drede & myght mercy & pees
myght sumwhat haue hym susspet as noght fully fauorabill
to þame & so on þe toþer side For þe souereyne benignite
& gudenes of þe holy+gost treuth & Rightwisnes myght <ill><one word></ill>
þame of noght ful satisfaccion~ bot to mekill mercy of þaim
wherfor~ as a gude mene euen~ to bathe parties þe person~
of þe sone es most conuenient to performe þis dede thurgh
his souereyne witt & wysdome Also it semys most skilfull
remedy to ma@ : For als mekill as he forfettid be vnwit
& foly þat satisfaccion~ be made for hym~ be sothfast
wisdome þat es þe son~ : so þt als he fell to deth be
þe fals worde of þe fend . þat he ryse agayne to lyfe
by þe trw worde of god And as for most resonabill vic
tory of þe Enmy it es skilfull þat as he conquered ma@
by wickid sleyth and fals wisdome : so he be ouer-comen
& venkished by gude sleyth & trew wisdome And when
reson~ hade sayd þis verdite þe fadir said it was will þt it
shuld be so : þe sone gafe gladly his assent þerto : þe holy
gost sayd he wold wirk verto also And þan~ fallyng downe
<exp>& þan falling d</exp> all þe spirites of heuen & souereynly thank
yng þe holy trinite ¶ þe four~ sisters forsayd wer kyssed
& made acorde And so was fulfiled þat þe prophete
Dauit sayd Mercy & sothfastnes met luflily to-gedir
Rightwisnes & Pees hafe kissed And þus was terment
& endid þe gret counsell in heuen : for [þe] restoring of man~
& hes saluacion~ ¶ þe whilk processe shal be takyn~ as in lyk
nes & onely as in a maner of parabill & deuoute Jmagina
cion~ stirryng ma~ to luf god : souereynly for hes gret Mercy
to man & his endles gudenes And so to honour & wurschip
þe blissed aungels of heuen for þair~ gude will to man~
& for his saluacon~ hauyg~ continuall besynes And also
<fol. 8v><exp>Anda<?></exp> to luf vertues & hate synne þat broght ma~ to so
gret wrychidnes & þus mekill & in þis maner may be
sayde & thoght be deuoute contemplacion~ of þat
was done a-boue in heuen be-for~ þe incarnacion~ of
Jhesu Now go we done to þe erth : and think we how it
stode with his blyssed modir Mary : & what was hir leuing
her~ be-for~ þe incarnacion~ of Jhesu þat folowes aftir ¶ Als
it es wryten in þe lyfe of our~ lady saynt Mary : when
sho was thre 3eres ald scho was offerd in þe tempill
of hir fadir and Modir & þare sho abode and dwellyd
into þe xij 3er~ and what sho did & how sho leuyd
þer in þat tyme we may knaw be þe reuelacons made
of hir to a+deuoute woma@ þe whilk men trowed was saynt
Eli3abeth jn þe whilk reuelacon~s conteyned amag~
oþer
þat ouur lady told to þat same woma@ and sayd in þis
maner ¶ when my fadir & my modir lefte me i~ þe tem
pill j purposed and sett stably in my hert : to haue god vnto
my fadir and ofte-sythes wt gret deuocyon~ j thoght
what j myght plesing to god do : so þat he wold vouche
safe to send me his grace And her~ with j was tau3t
& j lerned þe law of my lord god : jn þe whilk law
of all hestes & byddinges principally j kepyd thre in my
hert ¶ þe first es þou shall luf þi lord god . wt all þi hert
wt all þi saule with all þi mynd And with all þi mightes
¶ þe secunde þu shall loue þi neghbur als þi-selfe ¶ And
þe thyrd is þou shal hate þine Enmy : þise thre
j-kepid trwly in hert & on one j consayued & tuk all þe
vertues þat er contened in þame for þer may no saule
haue any vertu bot it loue god wt all þe hert : For of hes
loue comes all þe plente of grace and aftir it es comen
jt abides noght in þe saule bot rennise out as water
bot it so be þat he hate his enmys þt es to say vices &
synnes wharfor~ he þt will haue grace & kepe it be
houys þat he dispose & kepe & ordeyne his loue to luf
<fol. 9r>And to hate Als it es sayd & so j will þat þu do i~ maner als j did
j rose vp algate at mydnyght & went forth be-for~ þe Auter~
of þe tempill and þare wt als gret dissir~ & will & affeccion~
als j kouthe & myght j asked grace of all myghti god to kepe
þose thre commandmentes & all oþer bydynges of þe law : And so
standing be-for~ þe auter j made vij peticions to god þe
bene þise Fyrst j askyd grace of god thurgh þe whilk j
myght fulfill þe hest of luf þat es to say for to luf hym
wt all my hert þe ¶ secunde j asked grace of god þat j myght
loue my neghbur eftir his will & his likyng & þt he wold
mak me to loue all þat he loues ¶ þe third þat he wold mak
me to hate & eschew all thing þt he hates þe forth j asked
mekenes paciens benignite and swetnes & all oþer vertues
be þe whilk j myght be gracius & plesing to goddes syght Þe
fyfte peticion~ j made to god þat he wold lat me see
þe tyme in þe whilk þat blyssed mayden shuld be born~
þat shuld consaue & ber~ goddes son~ : And þat he wold kepe my
ne eyne þat j mi3ht se hir Myne eres þat j myght her~
hir speke : my tung þat j myght praise hir : my handes þt
j might serue hir with my feete þt j might go to hir seruise ;
And my knees wt þe whilk j myght honour & wurship gods
son~ : in hir barne ¶ Jn þe sext peticion~ j asked grace to
be obeissant to þe biddings & to þe ordenance of þe bis
shoppe of þe tempill ¶ And in þe vijte j prayde god to kepe all
pepill to his seruys And when þe forsayd woman cristes seruant
hade hard þise wordes sho sayd agayne swete lady wer
3e noght full of grace of all vertues And þe blyssed mayden
mary : answerd . witt þu wele for sertayne þat j held my-self
as gilty most abiecte & vnwurthi~ þe grace of god as þou
And mor~-ouer trowes þu doghter þat all þe grace þt j hade j hade
wt-out trauayle Nay not so bot j tell þe & do þe to witt þt
j hade grace gyfte ne vertu of god wt-outen gret trauaile conte
nuell prayer ardant desir~ profunde deuocion~ & wt many
<fol. 9v>teres and mekill affliccion~ spekyng & thankyng & doyng
all way als j kouth or myght þt was plesyng to god : þat
es to say out-take þe holy grace thurgh þe whilk j was
halowed jn my modir~ wommbe ¶ And forþer-mare ouur la
dy sayd wytt þu wele in serteyne þat þer come3 no grace in
to a+mans saule bot be prayer & bodely affliccion~ And
eftir þat we haue gifen~ to god þoo thinges þat we may
þof þai be lytill & few þan~ comes he into þe saule
brynging with hym so gret & so hie giftes of grace
þat it semys to þe saule þat sho faile3 in hir selfe
& leses mynd & thinkes noght þat euer sho sayd or did any
thing plesing to god ¶ and þan sho semed i~ hir awne
sight Mor~ foule & mor~ wreched þan sho was euer be
for~ ¶ Also seynt jerom~ writing of hir lyfe says i~ þis
maner þat þe blyssed mayden mary ordand to hirself
þis maner of rewle i~ lyuyng þat fro þe morne-tide
in-to þe tierce sho gaf hir all to prayers And fro tierce
in-to none sho went noght fro prayers till þe aun
gell of god come & apered to hir of whose hande sho
toke mete to þe bodily sustenance & so sho profited
algate better and better in þe werke & i~ þe luf of god
And ¶ so it be-fell þt sho was funden i~ waking [þe] fyrst
in þe wisdome of gods law most conyng i~ mekenes
most law jn þe sang & i~ þe psalmes of dauid most
conuenient and semely jn charite most gracious
jn clennes most clene & in all maner of vertu most parfite
¶ Sho was ssupe & in variabill so fer furth as she profited
all day better & better so was þer none þt euer saw or herd hir
wrothe Al hir speche was so full of grace þt god was knaw
ing be hir tonge ¶ Sho was contenually dwellyng i~ prayers
& in þe law of goddes lor~ & algate besy aboute hir felawe3
þat none of þame shuld trespas or syn~ in any word
<fol. 10r>And þat none shuld lawgh dissolutely And also þt none
of þame shuld offende oþer thurgh pride or envi wronges
& euer wt-owtyn~ failyng sho blyssed god & lefte perchaunce
be any greting or preysing sho shuld be lettyd fro þe loue
of god what tyme any ma@ gret hir sho answerd agayne
<lat>deo gracias</lat> þat es to say thanked be god wharfor~ of hir
sprang fyrst þat what tyme holy men~ : bene gret þai say
agayne <lat>deo gracias</lat> . as sho did ¶ Sho was fed of þe mete
þat sho toke of þe aungell hande And þt mete þt sho toke of
þe bisshope of þe tempill sho gaf to poire men ; euer-aday
goddes aungels spake with hir And as he shuld to his der~
worthy sistir or modir so he serued & was obeisshant to
hir forþer-mar~ in hir xiiijtene 3er~ þat blyssed maiden~ Ma
ry was weddid to joseph be reuelacion~ of god And þan
went sho home a-gayne in-to ¶ Na3areth as it es wryten
be processe in þe storie of hir natiuite ¶ Bot þus mekill
suffice at þis tyme ; to haue i@ mynde & in contemplacion~
of þo thinges þat fell befor~ þe jncarnacion~ þe whilk
who so will wele think & haue deuoutly i~ mynd & folow
vertuesly in dede he shuld [fynd] þame full of gostly frute