<County: Sussex>
<Code: L5680>
<MS reference: Oxford, University College 142>
<Text: Prick of Conscience>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 7r>And on hys ende þenke schol<ill></ill> he
And in his laste day þat schal be
He schoulde knowe what þys worlde ys
Ful of pompe and of pryde y-wys
And þenk wysly and lere wyþ alle
What schal after þys lyf falle
For knowynge of alle þes schoulde hym lede
To knowe hys god þour3 loue and drede
And so may he come to good lywynge
and at þe laste to good endynge
And whenne he out of þys world schal wende
Be brou3th to blysse þat hath non ende
Al þe bygynnyng of of þys prosces
Ry3t knowyng of man hym self ys
Bote some men haueþ moche lettyngge
That letteth hem to haue ry3t knowynge
Of hem self þat they furst schoulde knawe
That hem to mekenysse furst schoulde drawe
And þt iiij þynges y fynde
yat makeþ mannys wyttys ofte blynde
And knowyng of hem self letteth
Thoru3 wheche iiij. hym-self he forgateth
Of þis synt bernard bereth wytnesse
As in þys wers hyt wryten ysse
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
That ys preysynge of folk . and fayrnesse
And brennynge of 3ouþe . and rychesse
Reuyth mannys sy3th resoun and mende
Hym-self to knowe what ys hys kynde
þus þes . iii jy. . lettyth mannys sy3th
That he knowyth nou3t hym-self a-ry3th
And maketh hys herte ful hawteyne
And ful froward to hys sone rayne
Thes. iiij norschen pompe and pryde
And oþer vyces þat man can not hyde
<fol. 7v>For in hym on whom oon of þes iiij ysse
Is selde y-seye eny meknysse
Al so hy lettyn a man þat he no3t sees
The peryles of þys worlde and vanyteys
Ne þe tyme of deth þt ys to come
He þenkeþ nou3t of þe day of dome
Ne he can can nou3th vnderstonde ne see
The peynes þt after þys lyf schull~ be
To synful men þat lyueth in foleye
Ne þe blysse þat god+men ben worthye
Bote in delytys setteyth hys herte faste
And fareth as hyt schoulde euere laste
And 3eueth hym not bote to vanyte
And to al þat to hym lykynge may be
Such men beth lad nou3t al in wysdome
Bote after her oune wyl þey done
And of nou3t ellys þenkeyth ne takeþ hede
Bote þat þt þey may hem to lykynge lede
Gret wonder ys 3yf þey drede ou3th
For what þey schoulde drede þei knoweth nou3th
That ys þour3 defaute of knowynge
Of þat my3the hem to drede brynge
And 3ut some men wole nou3t wnderstonde
þyng þt my3the make hym dredande
They wole nou3th hyre bote þat hem payes
Therfor/ þe prophete in sauter sayes
<lat></lat>
He sayþ he hath no wyl to fele
Ne vnderstonde to do wele
Thus by hym may be sayd here
þat wole nou3t vnderstonde ne lere
To drede god and do hys wylle
Bote her owene lykynge wolen fulfylle
Some haueþ vnderstondynge as men telle
Bote drede in her herte may non dwelle
And þe defande <?> of þat may be
<fol. 8r>That þey leueth no þyng bote þat þey see
Bote grucche whanne þey dredeful þyng hyre
Therfore ye prophete sayeth on þis manere
<lat></lat>
The prophete sayeth þey byleue nou3th
Bote grucchede and wexen angrey in þou3th
For many þer beþ þt byleueth no þynge
þat men seyen a3en her lykynge
Bote gretly grucchen and wexyn froward
Whanne men seyeth ou3t þt þenkyth hym hard
Some cunne se such þyng and rede
Bote ly3thnesse of herte reueth hym þt drede
þat hyt may no3t wt-ynne hym dwelle
To þes sayth god in þe gospelle
<lat></lat>
To a tyme he sayth some byleueth holy prechyng
and passeth þerfro in tyme of fondyng
And al so sayth þe prophete dauyd
In a psalm þat a-cordeth þer wyth
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
He seyth in hys wordys byleued þey
And herede hys preysynge as hy cowthe say
Bote sone þei hadde done and forsake
Hys workys of mercy and þou3t nomore in þate
Such men ben euere so vnstedfaste
þat no drede may wt hem laste
Bote who so can no3t drede may lere
And he þis tretys wyl rede or here
3yf þei rede or here hyt to þe ende
And þe materys þat beth þer ynne contende
And vnderstonde hem alle and byleefe
Purchaunce her hertys hit wyle meefe
þour3 drede þat þey schulle conseyue þer-by
To worche gode workys and fle foley
þer-fore þis book ys in englych drawe
<fol. 8v>Of manye materys þat ben vnknawe
To lewede men þat beþ vnkunyng
Þat of latyn haue no3t vnderstondyng
To make hem-self furst to knawe
And fro synne and vanyte drawe
And stere hem to ry3th drede
Whanne þei þis tretys hereþ rede
To prycke her concyens wyth-ynne
To loue and drede þat may bygynne
Thoru3 comfort of heuene and ioyes y-fere
þat man may afterward rede and here
Thys bok as hym-self bereþ wytnesse
In seuene partyes departed ysse.
The furste part to knowe & haue in mynde
ys of þe wrecchednesse of mannys kynde
The secunde of þis condycyones sere
and þe vnstabelnesse of þis world here
þe thrydde ys in þis boke to rede
Of þe deth wheche ys to drede
The ferthe þart ys of purrgatorye
Where soules beþ clensed of her foleye
The fyfthe ys of þe day of dome
And þe tokenys þt by-fore schul come
þe syxte ys of þe peynys of helle
Ther þree dampned soules schulle dwelle
þe seuende ys of þe joyes of heuene
Thes ben þes partyes al seuene
And in alle partyes fynde men may
Fele materys in þis bok to say
Go we to þat partye þat furst ysse
þat spekeþ of mannes wrecchednysse
For al þt þat ys wreten by-fore to loke
ys bote an entre of þis boke
<lat><3 lines></lat>
<fol. 9r>Fvrst Whanne god made al þyng of nou3th
Man of þe fouleste matere he wro3th
That was of erthe for tweye skyles y-holde
That on ys for þat god soo wolde
Of foule matere make man in despyte
Of lucifer þat down fell fro heuene bry3th
To helle whanne he hadde synned þour3 pride
And of alle þo þt wt hym felle þt tyde
þat þei schoulde haue þe more schenschype
and þe more sorwe whan þey tok kepe
þat man of so foul matere schoulde dwelle
Jn þt place fro wheche þey felle
That oþer skylle ys þis to see
þat man schoulde her þe mecker bee
Euere whanne he seeth and þenketh in þou3th
Of how foul matere he was wrou3th
For god hys goodnesse and hys my3te
Wolde þat sy3the þat place in heuen bry3te
Was mad voyde þour3 synne of pride
Were fulfylled a3en in eche syde
Thorw þe vertu of meknesse
þat euene contrarye to pryde ysse
For may no+man þedyr come
Bote he þt meke ys and boxome
þat preueth þe gospel þat techyth vs
There god to hys dycyplus sayeth þus
<lat></lat>
Bote 3e be he sayth ase a chyld
þat is saye boþe meke and myld
3e may not entre by no way
heuene blysse þat lasteth ay
Thenne by-houeth ech+man here to seke
What may sonyst make hym meke
Bote noþyng may meke hym more
þanne for to þenke ase y sayde ore
how he was mad of fowl matere
<fol. 9v>That ys nou3th ell~ bote erthe here
For þus sayþ a klerk as y 3ow say
What is a man bote erþe and clay
And poudre þat wyþ þe wynde brekeþ
Þer-fore Job þus to god spekeþ
<lat></lat>
He sayþ lord as þu madyst me
Of foul erþe and clay here to be
Ry3th so þou schalt turne me agayn
To erþe and powedere þis ys certayn
Thenne seyþ oure lord god almy3thy
Agayn to man þus sothly
<lat></lat>
Thenk man he seyþ assches art þu now
And to assches a3en turne schalt þow
þenne man ys not ell~ to say
Bote axen powdre erthe and clay
Of þys schoulde eche man haue mende
And knowe þe wrecchednysse of hys kynde
þat may be seen as y 3ow schewe can
In alle partyes of þe lyf of man
Alle mannys lyf þ-cast may be
Pryncypally in partyes þre .
That beþ þes iij to vnderstondyng~
Bygynnyng~ mydward and endyng~
þes iij partyes ben spacys tolde
Of þe lyf of echman 3ung and olde
<lat></lat>
Bygynnyng~ of mannys lyf þt furst ysse
Conteyned in moche wrechednesse

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 10r><line 28> For þanne noþer may he stonde ne crepe
Bote lygge and spescyaly crye and wepe
For vnneþe ys a chyld y-bore fully
þat hyt ne wole wepe and cry
And by þat cry may man wete þanne
Wheþer hit be man oþer wommanne
Whanne hit ys born and cryeth whaa
3yf hit be a man hit cryeth a a
þe wheche þe furste lettere ys of þe name
<fol. 10v>Of oure former fadere adame
And 3if þat chyld a wwomman be
Whenne hit ys born hyt sayeth . e . e
þat ys þe furste lettere as scripture seyth
Of eues name þt by-gan oure d[e]eth
Therfore a clerk made in þys manere
As hit is sayd in latyn here
<lat></lat>
Al þes he seyth þat comeþ of adam & of eue
That beþ alle men þt here been a lyue
Whanne þey beþ born what so þey be
þey schullen sey a . a . or . e . e
Thus ys here þe bygynnynge
Of owre lyf sorwe and wepynge
To wheche oure wrecchednesse stereth vs
And þerfore Jnnocent sayþ þus
<lat></lat>
He sayþ alle we be bore wepynge
and makynge sorowful semblynge
For to schewe gret wrecchednysse
Of oure kynde þat in vs ysse
Thus whanne þe tyme ys of oure burthe
Alle we maekþ sorwe and no murthe
naked we comeþ hyder and bare
And powre so schulle we hennys fare
On þis in ech tyme we schoulde þenke+þanne
For þus sayþ Job þe holy manne
<lat></lat>
Naked he sayþ furst y come hyder
Owt of ye wombe of my moder
And naked y schal turne a-way
So schulle we alle at þe laste day
þus a man at þe furste comyng
ys naked and bryngeth wiþ hym noþyng
Bote a skyn þat ys foul and lothsome
That ys his clopyng al and some
<fol. 11r>That ys nou3t ellys bote a blody skynne
yat he by-fore was wrapped ynne
Whyle he in hys moder wombe lay
That ys foul þyng for to say
And fouler to here as sayþ þe booke
And alþer+foulest on to loke
Thus ys a man y-gete as 3e mowe se
In wrecchednysse and caytyfte
Al for to leue here a fewe dayes
And þerfore Job here opynly sayes
<lat></lat>
He sayth man þat born of womman
Lyuynge schort tyme fulfyllyd ys þan
Of many manerys of wrecchydnesse
So sayþ Job and soþ hyt ysse
And also a man ys born to nou3th ellys
Bote for to trauayle as Job tellys
<lat></lat>
as a foul here ys to fly3th
For lytel reste in hys lyf ysse
Bote gret trauayl and buseynesse
3ut a man ys whanne he ys born
Þe fendys sone and for-lorn
Euere bote he to grace may come
To baptysme and to crystendome
þus may man hys bygynnynge se
Ful of wrecchednysse and caytyfte
The oþer part of þe lyf men calleth
þe mydward aftyr whanne hit falleth
The whyche recheth fro þe bygynnyng
Of mannys lyf to þe endynge
þe bygynnynge of man as y tolde
ys fooul an wrecchede to by-holde
Bote how fooul hit ys afterward
Telleþ þus openly seynt bernard
<fol. 11v><lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Seynt bernard seyth as þe bok tellys
That a man here ys nou3th ellys
Bote a foul lothsom slyym to men
And a sak foul of stynkynge fen
And wormys fode þat þei wole haue
Whenne he ys ded and leyd in graue
Bote some men and womman fayre semeth
To þe sy3th wiþoute as men demeth
Bote manye þat seen þt whythe skyn
My3the þei seen what ys þer in
Fouler careyne my3the neuere non be
Than þei schoulde þanne in hem se
þer-fore he þat hadde as scharp sy3th
And as cler e3en and as bry3th
As haþ a best þat men lunx calles
þat may seen þoru3 harde walles
Lytel lykynge schoulde man haue þanne
To by-holde eny fayr wommanne
For þenne he my3the her~ se wiþ-oute dowte
As wel wyþ-ynne as wyth-oute
And 3yf he wiþ-ynne say hyre a-ry3th
Sche were wel lothsom to hys sy3th
þus foul wt-ynne ech man ys
As þe bok sayþ and bereth wytnys
þan may we se in þis manere
How foul þe kynde of man ys here
Wher-fore y holde a man nou3th wytty
That here ys prout or joly
Whanne he may eche day hyre and se
What he ys was and schal be
Bote a prowt man of þis takeþ nonhede
For hym fayleþ reson þat hym schoulde lede
Whenne he ys 3ong~ and loueth pleyyng
And ese and welthe and lykyng
<fol. 12r><lat></lat>
He sayþ in fower score 3ere who so in helþe lyueþ
Trauayl and sorwe hym afþer sore greueþ
For may no man þat haþ þat elde
Wel goueren hym-self and welde
Bote now wel schorter falleþ mannys dayes
Þer-for Job þe holy man sayes
<lat></lat>
Now he sayþ my fewe dayes here
Schal ben schorted in þis manere
Fewe may now fourty wynter passe
And fewer fyfty as soum tyme was
þanne ys hys kynde feble and cold
Ase hit ys in þis boke told
That chaungeþ his manerys and condycyoun
His strengthe and his complexyoun
þanne wexyt his berd hard and his feet heuy
And his heued feble and dounward and desy
His face reueleth more and more
And his lymes beþ seke and sore
His mende ys schort whanne he ou3t þenkeþ
His nose ofte droppeþ his breth stynkeþ
His sy3tes wexeþ dymme þat he haþ
His bak wexeþ crokyde stowpynge he goþ
Wyth fyngerys and toon fot and hond
And wyth al his body tremelend
His workis forworueþ þat he bygynneþ
His heer mounteþ his eyen renneth
His erys wexeth deue and hard to here
His tonge fayleþ his speche ys not clere
His mouþ slaueryþ his teth roteth
His wyttes fayleth and ofte he doteth
He is ethe to wrethe & wexyþ froward
For to turne hym fro wretthe his ys ful hard
He þenketh and troweþ sone euery-þyng
And hard hit ys to brynge fro hym þt trowyng
<fol. 12v>He ys couetus and hard holdyng
His chere ys drery and his semblyng
He is swyft to speke in his manere
And heuey and froward for to here
He preyseth olde men and holdeþ hem wyse
And 3unge men hyn luste to dyspyse
He priseth olde men þt by-fore hym he haþ seen
And bakbyttheþ 3unge men þat now been
He ys ofte syk and euere gronynge
And ofte angry and playnynge
Alle þes of kynde to an olde men falleth
That clerkys properteys on olde men calleth
3ut beþ þer mo þan J haue told
þat falleþ to a man whanne he ys old
Thus man may se who so can
What þe concydyones beþ of olde men
The laste ende of mannys lyf ys hard
þat is whanne he draweþ to þe ende ward
For whanne he ys syk and bedrede lyeth
and so feble þt he for peyne sore cryeth
Thanne ben men in dowte and vncertayn
Wheþer he schal euere keuery a-3eyn
Bote 3ut conne some þt ben slye
Wete wheþer he schal on þt euel deyere
By certeyn tokuys in pows and breþ
þat man hath þat ys nu3 þe deþ
Thanne by-gynneþ hys heed downward to falle
And his briwes by-cometh heuþ wyþalle
The lyft eye of hym schal seme lasse
And lower þan þat oþer or he passe
The nose ate poynt ys scharp and smal
And bygynneth hys skyn to fal
His pows ys stylle wt-oute steryng
His feet wexeþ colde his wombe clyngyng
And 3if hit be a 3oung man
He euere wakeþ and sclepeþ nou3th þan
<fol. 13r> And 3if an old man be to þe dethe drawyng~
He may nou3t wake bote be scleping~
Men sayn alle þes toknes sere
Ben to a man þat deth~ ys nere
Whyle a man leueth he ys lych a man
Whanne he is ded wham is lych þan
Chaungyd ase hyt neuere hadde ben he
Thanne may a man þer hys lyknesse y-se
And whanne hys lyf is brou3th to þe ende
þanne schal he on þe same wyse hennys wende
Powre and naked ase he com furst
Or he sook on his moderys brest
For brou3t he noþyng wyþ hym þat day
Ne nou3t schal he bere wt hym a-way
Bote hit be a wyndryng cloth namly
þat schal be wrapped aboute his body
Thus wrecchedly endyth þe lyf of a man
And 3if we byholde what he is þan
Whanne þe lyf is passed a-way
Thanne is he nou3t bote erþe and clay
þat turnet to more corrupcyoun
þan eny careyue in erþe doun
For þe corrupcyoun of his body
3if hit schoulde longe a-boue þe erþe ly
Hit my3t þe erþe so corupte make
þat men þer of her deth my3the take
So vyle hit is and so violent
þer-fore þe grede clerk seyth Jnnocent
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
He seyth what stench may fouler be
þan mennys careyne ys for to se
And what is more horrybilior in eny stede
þan man ys whan he is dede
Al-so no þyng is so grysly
Ase here is a mannys ded body