<County: Staffordshire>
<Code: L0243>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ashmole 41, Part I>
<Text: Prick of Conscience>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 3r><line 1>þerfore vche cristen mon and wommon .
þat wit and wisdom any con .
þat con þe righte weye not sen .
Nor fle þe periles þat wise flen .
Schulde buxom be and bisy .
To heren and leren of hem namely
þat vndurstonden and knowen skil .
wheche weye is good & wheche is il .
He þat wole righte weye of lyuyng loke .
Schal þus bigynne seith þe boke .
To knowe first what hym-self is .
So may he come to mekenys
þat ground of alle vertues is last
On wheche alle vertues may be stedefast .
He þat knoweth wel and con se .
What he is . was . and schal be .
A wisere man may be told .
whethur he be 3ong or old
þen he þat con al other thyng
And of hym-self hath no knowyng .
He may no good knowe ny fele .
Bot he furst knowe hym-seluen wele
þerfore a mon schulde first lere .
To knowe hym-self propurly here .
For 3if he knewe hym-self kyndely .
þen may he knowe god al-myghty .
And on his endyng thynke schulde he .
And on þe laste day . þat schal be .
Knowe schulde he what þis world es .
Ful of pompe and lecherousnes .
And lerne to knowe & thynke with-alle ;
what schal aftur þis lyf bifalle .
Knowyng of þis schulde hym lede .
To mete with mekenes & with drede .
<fol. 3v>So may he come to good lyuyng
and atte laste to good endyng
And when he of þis world schal wende .
Be brought to blis with-outen ende .
þe bigynnyng of þis proces .
Right knowyng of a mon hym-self hit es .
Bot somme men han gret lettynge .
þat þei may haue no right knowynge .
Of hem-self þat þei schulde first knawe .
þat first to mekenes schulde hem drawe .
þer-of foure thyngus J fynde .
þat monnes wit makuth ofte blynde .
And knowyng of hym-self hit lettuth .
wherfore he hym-self for3etuth .
To þis witnes Bernard answers ;
And þo foure are writen in þes vers .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>

þat is þe fauour of folk . & þe feyrnes ;
And cours of 3outhe and riches .
Reueth a mon skil and mynde ;
To knowe what he is of kynde .
þese foure reueth hym insyght ;
þat he knoweth hym-self not right
And makuth his herte ful hauteyne .
And froward als to his souereyne .
þes foure norischen pompe and pride .
And other vices þat men schulde hide
Jn whom any of þese foure es .
Js selden seyen any mekenes .
þei lette mon þat he not ses ;
Periles of þis world and vanites .
Ny thynke not on þe tyme to come ;
Of þe deth . ny on þe day of dome .
<fol. 4r>vndurstonde con he not nor se .
þe peynes þat aftur þis lyf schule be .
To synful þat here vse foly
Ne þe blis þat goode ben worthy .
Bot in delitus setten hem faste .
As þis lyf schulde euere laste .
And 3yueth hym al to vanite
And thenke what may most likyng be .
Suche men be not ladde bi skille .
Bot worchen aftur hore owen wille .
To no thyng ellus take þey hede .
Merueil is non þough þey not drede .
what þey schulde drede knowe þei nought .
þerfore of drede haue þey no thought .
Al is for faute of knowyng .
þat schulde hem to drede brynge .
And somme wole not vndurstonde .
þat myght make hem be dredonde .
þey wolde not here bot þat hem payuth .
þerfore þe prophete in þe sauter sayuth
<lat>¶ Noluit intelligere . ut bene ageret .</lat>
He seith he hath no wille to fele
Ny vndurstonde to do wele .
þes wordus bi hem seith he here .
þat wole not vndurstonde nor lere .
To drede god and do his wille .
Bot folewen hore folyus to fulfille .
Somme vndurstonden as þey here telle ;
Bot no drede in hore herte may dwelle .
For defaute of trouthe may hit be .
For þey leue not bot þat þey se .
þei grucche when þei of drede here .
þe prophete þerfore seith on þis manere .
<lat>¶ Non crediderunt . set murumrauerunt .</lat>
<fol. 4v>þe prophete seith þey leuede nought .
Bot grucched and motered in thought .
þes be men þat leue no thyng .
þat men seye a3eyn hore likyng
Bot grucchen and waxen froward
when men sey þat hem thynke hard
Somme con þis in bokus rede .
Bot lightnes of herte reueth hem drede .
So þat he may not with hem dwelle .
Of hem spekuth god in þe gospelle .
<lat>¶ Quia in tempore credunt ;
et in tempore temptaconnis recedunt .
</lat>
Other while he seith somme trowen a thyng
And passen a-wey in tyme of temptyng
þus seith also þe prophete dauid .
Jn a salme þat accorduth þer-with .
<lat>¶ Et crediderunt in verbis eius . & laudanerunt
laudem eius . cito fecerunt obliti sunt operum eius .
</lat>
Jn his wordus he seith trowed þey .
And preysud his los as þey coude sey .
Sone hadde þey done and for3at
his werkus and thought no+more on þat
Suche be so vn-stedefaste
þat no drede may with hem laste .
þey ben so wylde when þei haue quert .
þat þey con holde no drede in hert .
Forto haue drede a mon may lere .
þat þis tretis wole rede or here .
3if þei hit rede or here to . ende .
þe maters þat ben þer-yn contende .
And vndurstonde and in hem trowe .
J hope hore hertus schul sum-what bowe .
For drede schal þey haue þerby .
To thonke god and fle foly .
<fol. 4br>þerfore is þis bok out blowen .
Of sere maters þat be vnknowen .
To lewed mon vn-konnonde .
þat con no latyn vndurstonde .
To make hem hem-self to knawe .
And from synne hem forto drawe .
And forto do hem god to drede
when þei þis bok here rede .
þat schal prikke hore soules with-Jnne .
And of þat drede may loue bigynne .
Thorrou counfort of ioyes in heuen sere .
As 3e afturward may here .
þis bok hit-self beruth witnes .
Jn seuene parties dyuised hit es .
þe furst partie to haue in mynde
Js of þe wrecchednes of monkynde .
þe secounde is of condicions sere .
And of þe vnstabulnes of þis world here .
þe thridde part is right to rede .
Of deth whi he is to drede .
þe ferthe part is of purgatory
þer soules be clensud of hore foly
þe fifthe part is of þe day of dome
And of toknes bifore schule come .
þe sexte part of peynes in helle
þere dampned soules schule euere dwelle
þe seuenth part of þe ioyes of heuene .
þus is þis bok in parties seuene .
Jn vche partie fynde men may .
Diuerse maters forto say .
Go we to þe furst þat is ;
To speke of monnes wrecchidnys .
For al þat is writen to loke .
Js bot as an entre of a boke .
<fol. 4bv>when god made al thyng of nought .
Of þe foulest mater mon he wrought .
þat is of erthe for two skilles to holde .
þe ton is for god wolde .
Make hym of foul mater in dispite .
Of lucifer þat fel so tite .
To helle for his synne of pride
And of alle þat hym fel biside .
For þey schulde haue þe more schenschepe .
And more sorrou when þey toke kepe .
þat mon of suche mater schulde dwel .
Jn þat place þat þey fro fel .
þe tother skile is þus to se .
For mon schulde here þe meker be .
Ay when he seth or thynkuth in thought
Of hou foul mater he is wrought .
God of his goodnes and his myght
Say þat place in heuene bright
was made voyde bi synne of pride .
And wolde hit fille on euery side .
Thorrou þe vertue of mekenes .
þat euen contrary to pride es .
þen may no+mon þidur come .
Bot he þat meke is and buxome
þis telluth þe gospel vnto vs .
Hou god seyde to his þus
<lat>¶ Nisi efficamini sicut paruulus iste .
non intrabitis in regnum celorum .
</lat>
He seith bot 3e be meke and mylde .
þat is to seye as þis chylde .
3e schal not entre bi no way .
To heuene blisse þat lastuth ay .
þen bihoueth a mon here seke
<fol. 5r>what may sonest make hym meke
And no thyng may meke hym more
þen thynke ofte as J seyde ore .
<rbd><add>Hou he is made</add></rbd> of foul matere
þat is not ellus bot erthe here .
þus seith a clerk as J nowe sey
what is mon bot erthe and cley
And poudur þat wynd brekuth
þerfore Job þus to god spekuth .
<lat>¶ Memento queso quod sicut lutum feceris me .
et in puluerem deduces me .
</lat>
Lord thenk he seith hou þou made me .
Foul erthe and cley here forto be .
Right so þou schalt turne me a3eyn .
To erthe and poudur in certeyn .
þen seith oure lord god al-myghty .
A3eyn to mon ful sotilly
<lat>¶ Memento homo quod ciuis es
et in ciuerem reuerteris .
</lat>
Thenk mon he seith askus art þou now .
And into askus turne schalt þou .
þen is a mon nought ellus to sey .
Bot askus poudur erthe and cley
Of þis schulde vche mon haue mynde
And knowe þe wrecchednes of his kynde
þat may be sen as J schewe con .
Jn alle parties of lyuyng mon .
þe lyf of mon casten may be .
Principally in thyngus thre .
þat are to oure vndurstondyng
Bigynnyng myddeward & endyng
þis may thre spaces be told
Of vche monnes lyf 3ong & old .
<lat>¶ Ecce principium humane originis .</lat>

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 17r>Now is hit day . now is hit nyght
Now is hit derk . now is hit light .
Now is hit colde . now is hit hete .
Now is dri3e . now is wete .
Now is snow . now is reyn .
Now feyr now is foul a3eyn .
Now is wedur bright schynonde .
Now is dym droubelonde .
Now is bright . cleer and feyr
Now is myst and cloudy eyr .
Alle þes toknes to vndurstonde .
Be toknes of þe world varionde .
And 3it þer be mo toknes sere .
Of vnstablenes of þis lyf here .
Now is myrthe . and now mornyng .
Now laughter and now wepyng
Now is wele . and now is wo .
Now is frend & now is fo .
Now is mon light . and now heuy .
Now is he glad . and now sory .
Now is ioye . and now is pyne ;
Now we wynne . & now we tyne .
Now is mon riche now is he pore .
Now to litul now passuth mesore .
Now is mon big . now is he bare ;
Now is he hool now sor in care .
Now is reste . and now trauayle .
Now is force . & now is fayle
Now are we smart . and now slowe .
Now are we hy . now are we lowe .
Now haue we pees . now haue we were .
Now helpuh a thyng now wol hit dere .
Now is saughtlyng now is stryf.
þes are maners of monnes lyf .
<fol. 17v>And toknes of vnstablenes .
Of þis world þat chaungeable es .
And <rbd><1 char></rbd> as þis lif is ay passonde .
So is þis world ay peyronde .
For to endeward faste hit draweth .
As clerkus bi mony toknes knaweth .
þis world þat we se þus helde
Js not bot þis worldus elde .
Two erthely worldus ˆ [to] þis lyf falleth .
Bi kyndely skile as clerkus calleth .
þe more world of þe erthe . & þe les .
and ful chaungeable eythur es .
þe more is cald þis ilke slade
þe les is mon þer Jnne made .
As þe more world round is set .
So is mon round to go to met .
For þe brede of mon is contende .
Fro on þe right hond þe lengust fyngur ende .
And bothe his armes out spredonde .
To þe same fyngur ende on þe left honde .
Also fro þe haterel of þe croun .
To þe sole of þe foot þer doun .
3if mon his armes so out sprede
No+more is lengthe . þen is brede .
þen is a mon to mete with-oute
As a compas rounde aboute .
þus hath þe lasse world þat mon es .
Schap of þe more world and lyknes .
Bothe þes worldus J . dar wel seye .
Schule fayle and faste a-weye .
For euere þe more elde þat þei bere .
þe more þey peyre & febler ere .
As men may se þat to hem tent .
And þerfore þus seith Jnnocent .
<fol. 18r><lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
He seith as is in latyn tolde
Bothe þes worldus waxen olde .
And þe lengur hore tyme is sought .
And þe elde of eythur forth is brought .
þe more in malys and febulnes .
þe kynde of eythur troubled es .
Jn bothe þese outrage we se .
Of pompe pride and vanite .
And selcouth maners & sere gises
þat now ben vsud on mony wises .
Jn worldus hauyng and beryng
Jn veyn apareil and weryng .
þat takuth myche veyn costage .
And turneth al to gret outrage .
For suche degises & suche maneres .
As 3onge men now vses and leres .
And comenly vche day are sene .
Bifore þis tyme han not bene .
For 3onge men calle now curtesie
þat men huld som tyme vilenye .
And villenye þey wole hit holde
þat som tyme curtesie was tolde .
Now may men se often chaungyng .
Jn diuerse maner of clethyng .
Somtyme schort . & somtyme side .
Somtyme narow . & somtyme wide .
Somme hem were hongyng as stole .
And somme fiturud lik to a fole .
Somme go waggyng to and fro .
And somme go hippyng as a co .
<fol. 18v>þus vse men a newe gette .
And þis world akeward sette .
Thorrou suche vn-kynde pompe & pride .
þat þey vsen on euery side .
So myche pride as now is sene .
Bifore þis tyme hath not bene .
Ny suche as men may now se .
Bot J trowe þey toknes be .
Of grete myscheues J vndurstonde .
þat vnto mon are ny comonde .
þerfore in hore gises schul þey falle ;
For þei wratthe god þat seth alle .
and þis world schal with hem mete .
þus seith dauid þe prophete .
<lat>¶ Et irritanerunt eum in adinuencionib3 suis ;
et multiplicata est in eiis ruina .
</lat>
and þey stered god seith he .
Jn hore newe fyndyngus of vanite .
Jn hom is fallyng mony-fold .
And al thorrou pride þat J of told
þis may be . þe bok proueth
Bi hem þat newe gises controueth .
For þey do so þe world to plese
More for pride þen for hore ese .
þey þat with þes gises god greues
Schule falle in mony myscheues .
For þey wole not be lad with skille .
A while god letuth hem haue hore wille .
Bot aftur god wole on hem sende .
Newe vengeaunce but 3if þey amende .
þus most þey schewe som wrake
þat god hath hem al forsake .
þes be þus knowe bi diuerse gise .
þerfore seith dauid on þis wise .
<fol. 19r><lat></lat>
<lat></lat>

J lafte hem he seith out of couerte .
Aftur þe desyr of hore herte .
Jn hore newe fyndyngys als þei go
þis may be seyd bi alle þo .
þat to þis world here make hem gay .
And turne hem fro god a-way
þey schul for hore synnes wende .
Aftur to peyne with-outen ende .
Bot þey suche vanites forsake .
And bi tyme amendus make .
3it hath þe world as men heres .
Mo other contrarious maneres .
For now is vertu turned to vice .
And pley and bourde to malice .
Now is deuocioun on som side .
Turnd into pompe and pride
Now is wisdom holden folie .
And turnd al to trecherie .
Folye is now holden wisdome .
With proude men and vnbuxome .
Now is loue turnd to lechery .
And rightwisnes to tirauntry .
þus is hit turned vp so doun .
vnto monnes dampnacioun .
Miche pyne schal be hore mede .
And deol þerfore hem owe to drede .
Jn hore wittus J holde hem wode .
þat holde good thyng euel . & euel goode .
wo schal hem be as clerkus telle
þus seith crist in þe gospelle
<lat>¶ Ve qui dictis bonum malum .
et malum bonum
</lat>
<fol. 19v>wo to hem he seith . þat sey with wille .
þat euel is good . and good is ille .
þat is to seye hem schal be wo .
þat here mys-turnen hore lyf so .
þus is þe world . and þe lif þer-Jnne .
Ful of vanite and synne .
Bot men louen þis world to mykel .
And þis lif þat is so fikul .
And also worldus vanite .
þey wolde non other world schuld be .
þei wolde not knowe þo periles alle .
Of þis lif what shulde bifalle .
Bot for þey lyue in solaces sere .
þey holde non heuene bot only here .
Bot 3it schal hore lif here stynte .
And al hore ioye be fro hem tynte .
Bot wolde mon vndurstonde wele .
what is þe world . & what he schal fele .
when he schal wende fro hit away .
hym schulde not luste nyght nor day .
Myrthe ny solace non to make .
Bot al þis worldus welthe forsake .
and lyue in penaunce and in pouert .
For drede þat he schulde haue in hert .
3if he wole knowe and leue how hard .
þat he schulde suffre afturward .
Bot 3it a3eyn þat drede myght he .
Thorrou hope of herte counfortud be .
when he thenkuth on heuen bright .
where he schal wone 3if he do right .
þus may eche mon do and thynke .
Jn whos herte grace of god may synke .
And he þat wole not thenke on þis .
Ny keputh to haue non othur blis .