<County: Leicestershire>
<Code: L0527>
<MS reference: Cambridge University Library, Ff.IV.9>
<Text: Speculum Vitae>


<Tranche 1>

<fol. 2va>For that ille that we do ilke day
We may say thus to put it a-wey
<lat></lat>
Jn thys we aske ryght abstinence
Of all ille that fyleth owre concyence
Zyt ar ther other askynges thre
For all kyn good that may be
<lat></lat>
For all maner good . other bodyly es
Or gostely good . or good endeles
For bodyly good here to haue
Oure substa<?>ence thus we craue
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Jn thys we aske strengthe and myght
For susteyne owre lyf ryght
For goostly good here to stere vs
To love god we say thus
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Jn thys we aske nyght and day
Stedfast wylle god to serue ay
For god to haue wt-owten ende
We say thus wer~ so we wende
<lat><3 lines></lat>
Jn thys the blys off heuen we craue
And grace to be worthy it to haue
For <ill><2 letters crossed out></ill> festenyng~ off owre hertes to stande
Jn god we say thus prayande
<lat></lat>
Jn thys we aske wylle stedefast
Wyth-owten~ fayllyng~ in good to last
Suche maner off prayers ben~
Jn thys holy prayer sen~
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
¶ But thys prayer begynneth ryght
Wyth foure wordes off grete myght
On whych at the begynnyng~ hynges
All the spede off the seuen~ askynges
<fol. 2vb>Throwe the . iiij . wordes we may fele
Jff we vnderstande hym wele
How we schall rewlen~ vs by skylle
To do that is most goddes wyll
Ther-for fyrst byhoueth vs nede
Jff we schall off owre askynges spede
Thes foure wordes to vnderstonde
And lede owre lyf as they commaunde
Elles were we not worthy
To be herde off god almyghty
Thes are the fowre wordes to here
That are the entre off thys prayere
<lat></lat>
These arn~ on Englysch thus to neuen
Fader owre that art in heuen~
These . iiij . mykyll mater bynde
As clerkys in her bokys fynde .
THys fyrst worde is Pater ryght
That is a worde off full gret~ myght
For it maketh vs soone to spede
Off owre askyng~ whan we haue nede
As we may bothe se and fele
Jff we vnderstande that worde wele
For Seynt Barnarde seyth that the prayere
That begynneth ryght on thys manere
Wyth thys swete name to nevene
That is called fader off heuen~
Gyueth an hope to purchace
All that we aske here off grace
Thys worde fader to vnderstande
That maketh swete all the remenawnde
Scheweth vs that we schall trowe
And what we schall do here and howe
Jt schewyth the lengthe off goddes beynge
That is euer-more wyth-owten endynge
For god wythowten endyng~ is
And hys lastyng~ is endeles
He is begynnyng~ wyth-owten begynnyng~
And he is ende wt-owte endyng~
<fol. 3ra>That ordeyned hem that hys were
To lyue wyth hym for euermore
for 3e schall weell vnderstonde than~
That fyrst whan~ god schulde make man~
Euery man~ to good ordeyned he
But he wyst what euery man schulde be
Who wolde be good who wolde be ille
For he yaf euery man~ hys after-wylle
For to chese and for to holde
Good or evyll wheder he wolde
Jyt he ne destreyned man to blys
But tho that only wolde ben hys
Jyt pater stereth vs to knowen even~
Thre thyngys in god fader off heven~
And thre thynges in sone to se
That lovyn~ the fader wt hert fre
¶ Fyrst in god the fader is myght
And ther-wyth wysdom and godenesse ryght
Jn god the fader arn~ all thes thre
For he is o god in trinite
Myght in hym as ay oonly
For he is god fader almyghty
Mayster and lorde as clerky<add>s</add> kan telle
Off heuen~ off erthe and off helle
And off all thynge maker he is
And begynnyng~ of all goodnesse
So men may as J vnderstande
Knowe hys myght that is ay lastande
Jn god the fader is wysedome
That off hym-self oonly byhoueth come
Throw whyche he hys meyne ledeth
And gouerneth hym~ wysely and spedeth
And namely hys chylderen~ that he wrowght
That loueth hym well in hert and thowght
So may men knowe who so wyll
His wysedome by kyndely skyll
Jn god the fader is bonyte
That is the thyrde thyng~ to se
<fol. 3rb>For god the fader hys chylderen~ loueth
And somtyme here he hem proueth
And whan~ he seth that they do wrong~
He betheth and chasteth thaym a-mong~
And yf they forsake in certayne
He hem receyueth debonayrely
And fayne is off her company
So may men knowe the goodnesse
That in god the fader es
Ther-for schulde hys chyderyn~ alle
Als ofte as they her fader calle
Knowe in hym thes thynges thre
Myght wysedom and bonyte
Jyt in hys chylderen~ men may knowe
Thre thynges to telle on rawe
That they haue off the fader mast
As J woll schew 3ow in hast
The . ij . bene nobylnesse and rychesse
The . thyrde is bewte as J gesse
Nobylnesse is fyrst as J wene
Jn hym that goddys chylderen~ bene
For more nobylnesse may no man se
Than it is goddys chylderen~ to be
That is so hygh an Emperowr~
And kyng~ off all kynges off honowr~
Rychesse also to hem falleth
That men~ goddys chylderen~ calleth
For more rychesse may no man haue
Than god on hys chylderyn~ fouchesaue
For god maketh hem~ hys heyres ryght
Off the kyngedome off heuen bryght
Ther all kyn ryches that may fall
Arn~ sen~ and all kyn~ delytes wyth all
Beute in goddys chylderen~ is
For god hym made to hys lykenesse
And after hys schap that is so fayre
He made her sowles off the ayre
More beute myght neuer be sene
Than in hys lykenesse as J wene
<fol. 3va>For beaute so grete as is theryn~
No herte may thynke ne Jmagyn~
Therfore hys chylderen~ schulde thenke ay
As ofte sythe as they fader say
On thes thre thynges that they haue
Off the fader that well fouchesaue
Suche thynges on hem~ for her byhoue
Ther-for hym oweth weel her fader to loue
Also thys worde that fader is called
Asketh off vs . vj . thynges to hald
That J wyll reken here on rawe
These . vj . schulde hys chylderyn knowe
Loue and drede and obedyence
Seruyse honowr~ and reuerence
The fyrst thynge that god asketh off vs
Js loue that we loue hym thus
Wyth all oure herte in body wrought
Wyth all owre sowle and all owre thowght
Wyth all owre herte that is to say
That we on no thynge nyght ne day
Set owre herte to loue mare
Than on god how so we fare
Ne on no thyng~ that men may neven~
Haue more delyte than in god off heuen~
Wyth all owre sowle we schulde hym love
That is to sey yff we wyll prove
We schulde rather thole yf we wer~ wyse
Oure lyf to de-parte from owre bodyes
Than fro god departed be
That is owre fader full of pyte
That is we schulde the deth er~ take
Er we schulde owre fader for-sake
We schulde hym loue wt all owre thought
That is to say that we schulde nought
Owre wytte ne owre vnderstandyng~
Ne owre thowght throw Jmagynyng~
A-bowte no thynge more to ocupy
Than in god fader almyghty
<fol. 3vb>The secunde thyng~ is drede also
To haue in hert were so we go
That we drede god wyth all owre myght
Throwe sones drede than do we ryght
And not throwe drede that men calleth
Carles dred that ofte falleth
Carles dreden~ her lorde throw awe
And nought for loue as men may knowe
The good sones throwe loue han~ drede
To wroth her fader in worde or dede
Thys may well sones drede be calde
Suche drede in hert schulde we halde
And drede ay more goddys grevaunce
Than peyne off helle or hys veyngeaunce
For drede off peyne oonly to se
Js drede wyth-owten charyte
All that men don~ in suche a drede
Schall turne hym vnto lyttyll mede
Fyrst throwe fyre may drede begynne
Oonly for vengeaunce off synne
Wt such drede men may begyn~ to do wele
And afterwarde a full swete loue fele
That the holy+goost throwe drede schall knytte
Jn here hertys to stable here wytte
Drede maketh a man synne to forsake
And loue maketh a man~ good uertues to take
Tho that these two in hert wyll halde
Goddys sones be ryght may be calde
Tho sones may call here boldely
God her fader that is myghty
The thyrde thynge obedyence es
That is thus moche to say buxomnesse
That we be buxome to goddys wylle
And hys comaundementys all to full-fyll
For the sones schulde be obedyent
To do the faders commaundement
Hys comawndementys who so wyll loke
He may fynde hym after in thys boke
<fol. 4ra>The ferthe thyng~ is Seruyse
For we ar holden off offyce
To serue god oure fader to pay
Wyth all the besynes that we may
And all oure harte and all owre wyll geve
To do that . that to hym is most lefe
Suche seruyse may most hye
Jn all the werkes off mercye
As men may fynde in thys boke
Afterwarde who so wyll loke
The fyfte thynge is honour~ tolde
That we schulde all 3ong~ and olde
Loue god 3ong~ and o wt grete talent
Off all goodes that he hath vs sent
Off suche good we schulde take kepe
And spende it in hys worschyp
And in no ryattes ne in no folyes
And yf we do we ar not wyes
For vs byhoueth a-cowntes gyve
Off all that we do whyle we lyue
And of all that god here wyll vs sende
And schowe howe that we hym spende
Off all the folyes that we do
And off euery owre off the tyme therto
Therfor~ we schulde god honour~
Euery tyme and euery owre
Other in worde other in dede
Or in thowght hym honowre bede
And thanke hym ofte and loue hym ay
Off that he dooth nyght and day
So schulde the good sones by skyll
Honowr~ the fader that is hys wyll
Reuerence is the syxte and the last
For we schulde wyth hert stedefast
Do to god all maner reuerence
And namely here in hys presence
Jn chyrche and in stedys wt-owte
Ther hys body is bore a-bowte


<Tranche 2>

<fol. 60va>That in suche tyme ben~ bygete messelles
And somme that haueth no schappe off man~
And fooles that neuer no wytte can~
And halt and lame and croked and blynde
And domme and deef suche may men~ fynde
Wherfor the woman~ that weddyd is
And feleth here in suche sykenesse
Schulde not fro hyr lorde it hele
Jff he that tyme wolde wyth hyr dele
But yff sche lyeth and haldeth hyr stylle
And suffreth hym wyth hyr to do hys wylle
Jff he knoweth not that pryvyte
Sche synneth dedely . and nought he
Also booth they schulde kepe hem clene
And fro suche dedes hem abstene
Jn hooly tymes that ben~ der~
As at hygh festes off the yer~
And do nought ellys in the tymes namely
But serven owre lorde god almyghty
And hys seruyse than to fulfyll
For it was ordeyned for that skyll
Also they schulde in tyme off fastynge
Absteyne hem weell fro suche lykynge
Nought oonly for that it is synne
But for that they myght the souner wynne
Thynge that they aske off god than
As seyth seint Austyn~ the holy man~
Also they schulde absteyne hem ryght
Fro that dede wyth all here myght
All that tyme yff they be wyse
When the woman~ in Josyne lyse
Or when they haue certayne knowynge
That hyr tyme is nygh off chylde berynge
They schulde in no tyme erly ne late
Meddell hem~ to-geders in suche state
But absteyne hym weell for honeste
And for drede off perylles that myght be
And also fro the dede hym spare
Fro the tyme that sche wyth quyk chylde ware
For yff the dede in that state be wrought
Wythouten synne is it J-do nought
J fynde wrytten thus in a booke
Off kynde off beestys who so wyll looke
How that the Olyfaunt wyll forsake
The feleshyp off hys owne make
All the tyme that sche wyth foole is
And off thys bereth the booke wytnesse
Than thynketh me that a man schulde be
<fol. 60vb>More lad wyth skyll and tempre
Than a best that no skylle
That foloweth after kynde hys wyll
Wherfor a man schulde hem abstene
When hys wyf in that state is sene
But alwey wyll J not say
That he synneth in that dede ay
Jff he in suche tyme the dede wyll do
Wyth hys wyf that assenteth therto
By good cause and entencyon~ ryght
That can god deme that is full of myght
The thyrde caas ther dedely synne may be
Jn the dede off spousayle so pryve
Js when a man~ throw hys owne rede
Delyth wyth hys wyf in holy stede
As chyrche J-halowed and chyrche-yerde
Off whyche men schulde take good rewarde
For that stede is appropred oonly
To serve oure lorde god almyghty
Ther schulde no man suche a dede do
Wyth hys wyf thou sche assent therto
But absteyne hym~ yff he haue grace
For reuerence off that holy place
And who wyll nought hym abstene
Ne kepe that holy stede clene
He synneth and dooth gret+vylanye
Vnto that stede that is so holye
For the werke off weddelok that is fre
Jn holy stede grete synne may it be
And in holy tyme when it is wrought
That in other tyme and stede it deryth nought
The ferthe state that schulde be clene
Js off hem that wydowes haue bene
Ther that deth that spareth ryght noon~
Hath twynned two and J-take that oon~
But whether off hem that lyueth on lyve
Be it the man or be it the wyf
Schulde hys lyf chastely lede
Whyle he is in the state off wydowhede
Whyche that is a state moche to prays
As seint poule the apostell says
He counceylleth hem that wydewes ben calde
That they hem in that state halde
And yff that state hem nought pay
He byddeth hem to be wedded when they may
For better it is as sayth he
A+man hym wedde than J-brent be
That man hym brenneth throw foly
That assenteth vnto lechery
For he putteth hys hert in-to the fyre
<fol. 61ra>Off lechery throw foule desyre
And better hym were to be wed
Than to that fyre to brennynge be led
That is to vnderstande thus oonly
As ye have herde now in thys party
Off hem that schulde here lyf lede
Jn the state off symple wydowhede
But nought off tho as J well trowe
That ben~ therto J-bounde throw vowe
So that they may nought J-maryed be
Wythoute synne that is dedely to se
After that the vow is made fast
For-thy it byndeth hem to god fast
And yff they it breke ageyne goddys wylle
They departe hem-self fro god throw skylle
But yff that the vow all pryve be
And symple wythoute solempnite
All be it that he synne dedely to sayne
And yff he ther-after be maryed a-gayne
When he is wedded all do he ylle
Jn that state he may dwelle stylle
But the man or woman~ that so duse
For that vow broken~ schulde penance vse
But when the vow is made lastaunde
Solemply throw prelates hande
Or throw makyng~ off professyon~
And vmbleth hem so to relygyon~
Or throw holy ordre that men taken~
That is deken prest or ellys subdeken~
Jn thys case is the maryage nought
For a-gayne the law it is wrought
But hem byhoueth departed be
That weddeth hem in suche degre
For they be nought saue as seyth the booke
But they kepe the state that they fyrst toke
But to the state off wydowhede
J fynde suche ensample to rede
Jn a booke off bestes kynde
That wydewes schulde haue in mynde
Off the turtyll that leseth here make
That neuer after wyll other take
But fleeth all others companye
And dwelleth in wyldernesse oonly
But thre thynges falleth as J wene
To hem that in that state bene
The fyrst is as clerkys wate
That who so in wydowes state
Schulde haue hym prevyly in hys Jnne
And vse sylence wythouten dynne
And nought folowe stronge company
Ne aboute the worlde be ouer-besy
<fol. 61rb>And off that ensample fynde J can~
Off Judyth that was a noble woman~
That was feyre both off hyde and hewe
And clene wydow sche was and trewe
Off whom than speketh holy wryte
As seyne these clerkys that knowen ytte
That fro hyr chambre sche wolde not passe
Ne fro hyr maydens that wyth hyr was
But sche helde hyr prevyly in cloos
Fro syght off men and worldes loos
Wher-for seint poule moche reproveth
These wydowes that Jdylnes loveth
And yonge wymmen~ queyntly dyght
That schewen hem moche to mennes syght
And tho that ben~ ouermoche Jangelynge
Thys to wydowes ˆ [is] nought semynge
But tho that wydewes ben ryght calde
Wythynne here cloos schulde hem halde
And kepe hem fro mennes speche and fle
All worldly syghtys and vanyte
And hem ocupye in good dede
Thys falleth to the state off wydowhede
The secunde is thys ofte to pray
And to serve god both nyght and day
And gladly to be at the chyrche
And werkys off devocyon~ to wyrche
As we fynde wrytten~ in@ a booke
Off the gospell off luke who wyll it looke
That spekyth off a noble woman~
That was a wydowe and hyght Anne
That wolde nought fro the tempell passe
But dwelled ay ther as hyr wyll was
And peyned her wyth all hyr myght
To serve god booth day and nyght
Jn devoute prayers and fastynges
And blethely sche dyd hys byddynges
The thyrde thynge as me thynke
To vse ay strayte mete and drynke
For who so wyll holde hym chaste
Hym byhoueth to vse grete mete mast
And nought delycyous deyntees
That maketh many chastyte to lefe
For seint poule sayth and beryth wyttenesse
That a woman that wydowe is
That in delytes here lyf ledeth
Js dede throw synne that men dredyth
And Bernard sayth that speketh off vyces
That chastyte peryssheth in delytes
That is as he peryssheth soone
Jn the water and is fordoone
<fol. 61va>That vnder the water haldeth hys hede
He may soone drenchen and ben dede
Wherfor no man~ may ouer-longe holde
Hys hede that is hys hert tolde
Jn the water off worldly delytes
That stereth many men~ to vyces
And bryngeth many to helle pyne
When that he schall hys lyf tyne
Also to wydowes that ben trewe
Falleth meke clothynge off meke hewe
And nought off gay colour~ staryng~
Ne off queynt schap that is gay semynge
But wydowes schulde ensample take
Off Judyth that left for goddys sake
Hyr ryche robes that syde goune traylle
And all hyr other gay apparaylle
That felle booth to body and to hede
And in that meke habyte sche yede
That was more tokene off dole namely
Than off Joy and off vaynglory
And forthy sche loved chastyte
And wolde the enchesons opp synne fle
Sche left the apparayle that was feyre
And all hyr lyf wered the heyre
And fasted all the dayes off the yere
But tho that were holy and dere
And yet sche was ryght fayre and yonge
And wyse off dede and feyre speche wyth tonge
But the goodnesse off hyr herte and thought
And love and chastyte that sche sought
That sche schewed ofte and hydde nought
Made hyr to do all that sche do ought
Ryght so schulde wydowes her lyf lede
And kepe the state off wydowhede
Jn chastyte and also in clennesse
Fro fylthe and synne that clevyng~ es
Namely they that ar bounden to be
Chast throw vow off chastyte
For other that ben nought bounde ther-tylle
Mow marye hem when they wylle
The . v . state is clene virgynes
That the vyctory off here flessh wynnes
The wych ben chast and ay have bene
And thynken ay forworde to kepe hem clene
Fro all maner corupcyons off body
Oonly for the love off god almyghty
And thys state is moche to prays
For thre thynges as the booke says
That is to say for the dygnyte
For the bewte and for the bounte
Fyrst men schulde kepe that state
For the dygnyte as these clerkys wate