<County: Yorkshire North Riding>
<Code: L0487>
<MS reference: Cambridge University Library, Gg.i.7>
<Text: Speculum Vitae>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 23r>Þat þe haly gaste . sothefastly es
Þe gift and luf . of þe fader & sonne
Als þai in heuen . to-gider wonne
Of þaime commes . alle gude and grace
Jn seuen giftes . to purchace
Þat for our~ saules . beste myght be
Als þhe after . may here and se
¶ Þe gaste of wysdomme . þe gaste of vnderstandyng
Þe gaste of strength . þe gaste of conyng~
Þe gaste of pite . þe gaste of drede
Of our~ lorde . als men may rede
And at þe haly . gaste es right
Þe same god ay full of myght
And same lord in sothefastenes
Þat þe fader . and þe sonne ay es
Þis article . þat J þus shewe
Ordayned first . saynt Bartholomewe
¶ ÞE neghend article . þat J shewe nowe
Es in haly . kirke to trowe
And als so . in þe comonyng
Of alle haly mens lyuyng~
For haly kirke als men may ken@
Es gaderyng~ . of all cristen men
Yat in trouth . of criste haues bene
And chosen for gude . men & clene
And þat er þhit . whar~ so þay wende
And þat salle be to þe werlds ende
Alle sall þai be in company
Jn heuen with . Joy and melody
<fol. 23v>And we sall trowe . if we vs kepe
To comon with þat felawshipe
¶On þis article . þat men to tentes
Hynges þe seuen . sacramentes
Jn þe ilke man . suld trowe
And þam<?> sall . J shewe þhow nowe
YE baptem first . hald J ane
Þat falles at . þe funt be tane
A-nother es to vnderstande
Confermynges of þe . bisschope hand~
¶ ÞE thrid es penaunce . mare or lesse
¶ ÞE ferth sacrament . of þe auter es
¶ ÞE fifte es order . of grete myght
¶ ÞE sext es matremoyne right
¶ ÞE seuent sacrament . es last ennoyntynges
Þis seuen in our~ . trouth suld hynges
Baptem clenses . a+man with -Jnne
Of þe grete . original synne
Þat he of our~ . formaste fader tas
And thurgh þat . baptem grace has
Confermynges of þe . bisshope at ye laste
Festis þe haly . gaste faste
Jn hym þat bapti3ed es right
To strength him . ogayne . ye fende to fyght
Penance fordos als . clerkes wate wele
Bathe dedely . synne and veniele
ÞE sacrament of þe auter dight
Es a thynges of grete myght
þat es gods awen flesshe and blode
Þat of brede is made . to saule fode
<fol. 24r>Þat sacrament . may fast knytte
Grace in hym . þat resceyues itte
Þat repentant es . & clene with -Jnne
Þat he falle no3t . ogayne in synne
And may retourne . hym-self agayne
And wt gude werkes . hym sustayne
¶Order gifs power to wirke
Þe sacrament . of haly kirke
¶ Matrimoyne es . grete and myghty
For it fordos . synne dedely
Of dede betwene . man & woman
Jf þair~ entent . be skylle-full þan
¶ Þe laste ennoyntynges . þat oft es done
To seke men may alegge sone
Bathe body and saule . of payne wt-Jn
And clenses a+man . of venyale syn@
Þis article þat . J þus rede
Saynt Mathew sette in þe crede
¶ item Þe tend article . þar~ after es
To trowe to haue . for-gifnes
Of all synnes . to whilke men tentes
Thurgh vertu . of þe sacrementes
þis article made . saynt symon
Alle oure hele . hynges þar~ on
¶ item Þe elleuent article . folowand
Es þis namely . to vnderstande
And trowe with-outen fayntise
þat alle men salle . at domesday rise
Oute of þair~ graues . in flesshe & felle
And body and saule . to-gider sall dwelle
<fol. 24v>Euer-mare with-outen ende
Whether þay to Joy . or payne wende
Þis article omange alle other
Made Jude saynt symon~ brother
¶ ÞE twelft article . and þe laste
Es to trowe . with hert stedfaste
Þat þe gude men . þat salle be safe
Endeles lyfe . þan . salle þai hafe
Jn heuen with . þe Trinitee
Þare Joy and blysse . salle euermare be
Bot þe wickede . salle wende þat day
To þe fyer~ of helle . þat lastes ay
For þan salle be shewed na mercy
Jlk ane salle haue . als he es worthy
Þis article þat es sette schortly
Jn þe crede . made saynt Mathy
Þere er þe twelfes articles knawen@
Þat of þe newe . lawe er drawen~
¶ item Þhit þis worde . when we it rede
Qui es. stires ˆ [vs .] to haue drede
For alle if we . god our~ fader hald
And we be here . his childer cald
He es rightwys . and sothefaste
And wille þheld vs at þe laste
Efter our~ dedes . and þt es skylle
Be þai gude . or be þai ille
And þat salle be . at domesday sene
Wele es hym . þat þan es clene
For þan wille god. rewarde sone
Tille ilk a+man efter . þat he hafe done
<fol. 25r>þar~ fore we suld . ay haue drede
To do ille thurgh . worde or dede
For we salle gif . acounte yat day
Of ilke ydell worde . þat we say
Þis worde Jn celis . es wele semand
To yaime þt wille . it vnderstand
Bot by þis worde . þat þus es tane
Jt semes þare is . ma heuens þan ane
And þat es sothe . to prufe be skylle
Wha sa vnderstande [it] wille
For þare es na heuen of sikernes
Bot þar~ whar~ god . him-self es
And whar~ so god . vouches-saufe to dwelle
Þar~ men may heuen . by skylle telle
¶ Jn many place . god may be
Alle at a tyme . als men may se
By a myroyr~ . on þis wyse
Þat es crased in sere peyse
Jn ilk a pece grete and smale
Men may se ay a thyng hale<writing smudgy here>
Alle at anes in þe Myrour bright
And alle may be a thyng in syght
Swa shewes god him in many place
Alle at a tyme thurgh myght and grace
Jn heuen and in erthe . he es sene
And in haly mens . hertis clene
And ilk a hert þat god may hald
By skylle may be heuen cald
For als þe heuen es clene and clere
So er þair~ hertis in þe same maner
Þair~ hertis er ay full of blysse
Gastely men suld vnderstande þis
<fol. 25v>For in god anely es alle þair
thoght
On other thyng thynk þai no3t
Bot in þis luf of Jhesu criste
Er alle þair~ hertis thurgh thoght rauyste
Jn þat þai haue sa grete delite
Þat þanne it thynke a Joy perfyte
Thurgh thogh in hert þan may þay se
Þo maste Joy in heuen may be
Þat es þe syght of god all-myghty
Þat þai may se in hert gastely
Þar~ fore es heuen be þis skylle best
Jn ilk a place þar~ god wille rest
Þat es in hertis of haly men
Þat in erthe maste wille him ken
Bot in heghe heuen als es prufed
He es maste worsheped and lufed
With all þe halowes [þt] þar~ bene
Of wham~ he es þar~ bodely sene
For alle þat commes to þat place
Salle se him þar~ face to face
And þat syght es þair~ souerayne blysse
Wa es him þat þat salle mysse
¶ Þis words in-tens stires vs to se
Þe heght of goddes maieste
For he so heghe es þat alle wroght
Þat a-bouen~ him may be noght
Bot vnder him may be noght
Bot vnder him es alle thynges
Þat euer had any bygynnyges
And wha þhernes to comme so heghe
Hym bihoues clymbe opon@ a steghe
Þat suld be made als says þis clerkes
<fol. 26r>Of harde penaunce . and haly werkes
For þider comes na man tille him
Bot he wille be . þis steghe clym
Bot ˆ [who] so wille his synne forsake
Bygynnys þan þis steghe to make
And þa þat of na penaunce irkes
Ne of almus dede þat steghe wirkes
¶ Þis worde in celis askes thre thynges
þat tittest a+man . to heuen brynges
And ane es cald . verray mekenes
Strenght of wille . a-nother es
Prueste of hert . es þe thride
With þis thre men . suld be ledde
For þar~ may na man . to heuen comme
Bot if he be here . meke and bougsomme
¶For god says þus . als clerkes knawes
He salle be heghed . þat hyim lawes
And he þat hym self . here heghe wille
He salle be lawed . and þat es skylle
Þare-fore we suld . thynke and knawe
How heghe god es . and we so lawe
And þat we haue . no3t þat gude es
Of owre-self , bot wickednes
For alle þt we haue . here of grace and wit
Alle comes of god . þat sendes vs it
Þare-fore if we wille . wysdomme seke
We haue grete . mater to be meke
For so heghe to heuen . wynne we noght
Bot we thurgh mekenes . þider be broght
We may no3t comme . on heghe so ferre
Bot verray mekenes . vs vp bere
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 141r>¶ For þus says god . <exp>in þe gospelle</exp> full of myght
Jn þe gospelle . als written~ es right
Jf 3e forgifes no3t . ilkane other
Sithen <exp>es o</exp> ilkane . es others brother
Þan will god . forgif yhow noght
Þat 3e agaynes him . haues myswroght
¶ Of þis ensample . es to vnderstande
Þat god shewed . to þe ille seruande
To wham his lorde . forgifen had
Alle his dette . & made him glad
Bot for þat seruand . wald no3t lette
To greue a-nother . þt aght him dette
And wald no3t . forgif sone
Als his lorde . to him had done
He come bifore . his lorde agayne
And was done . to destresce & payne
Als hys lord . comaundid & bad
Tille he all his dette yholden~ had
Swa sall god do to þanne thurgh skille
Þt will no3t forgif . wt gude wille
¶ ÞE fierthe braunche es . to visite þe seke
Þis werke our~ mede . maste may eke
For þis es a werke . þt god may pleese
To conforte ˆ [þaim] . þat er at male eese
And wele mar~ . to our~ mede availes
Þan duse fastynges . or other trauailes
For men may . fynde in þe buke
<fol. 141v>Jn vitis patru~ . Who so wille luke
Þat ane heremyte . a+maner of questioun@
Þat ane heremyte . of grete deuocioun@
Asked swylke . a+maner . of questioun@
At ane of þe haly faders fre
Þat ware wyse . & with god priue
Whether his lyf war~ mar~ to prayse
Þat ilka woke fasted . þe sex dayse
And þar~ wt trauailed . wt alle his myght
Or his life þt seke men serued . ryght
And whether war~ . of better lyuynges
Þis was þe heremytes . askynges
Þe gude man answard . & sayd . þus
Als þe buke openly . shewes vs
Þat he suld hafe . mar~ mede by skill
Þat seruys seke men. wt gude will
And helpes þanne . he mar~ god pays
Þan he þt fastes . so many days
Swylke werke of mercy . for to bygynne
Es mekill worth . to for-do synne
For swylke a werke . es þar~ agayne
A grete remedy . þat es certayne
For Job says þus . þou þt hale es
Þou sall visite . þine awen~ lickenes
Þat es him þat . þou vnderstandes
Es seke and lyes . in gods bandes
<fol. 142r>He es like þe als þi brother~
For he ˆ [is] ane als þou ert a-nother
Swa sall þou lightely synne flee
Thurght swilke a werke of charite
For god sall þe fra synne kepe
For swylke a werke of frendeshepe
And saynt Jame sais . þus als J wene
Þat it es . a religioun~ clene
By-fore god to visite blethely
Seke men þat hau[e]s grete malady
¶And to þt J wille . tell als J can
A tale of a synfull man
Þat putted him-selfes. a seruand to be
Jn a hospytell . by-yhonde þe se
Þe seke men þar~ . to serue and tent
Thurgh þe grace . þat god him sent
Apon~ a day . to whasshe him felle
A seke man fete . þat was meselle
Als he þanne whasshe . vp and downe
he had a grete . abhominacioun@
þar~-fore he had . him self in despite
And tuke & dranke þt water als tyte
Agayne his hert . he dranke it faste
Bot he gan fele . at þe laste
So swete licour~ . and sauory
Als it war~ full . of spycery
<fol. 142v>þat was a takyn . þat his trespas
And alle his synne . forgifen~ was
Thurgh þat werke . þat he wroght
For he had mercy . þat he had soght
Als so swylke werkes . may men brynges
To perfitenes . of haly lyfynges
For þe wyse man says . ifes þou be meke
Grucche no3t to visite . þe seke
For thurgh þt werke þou sall at þe laste
Jn þe lufes of god . be rotefaste
Thurgh þt werke men bides grete mede
Þat þai sall haue . for þair~ gude dede
Þat es þe Joy . of blysse endeles
Als þe gospelle . beres wittenes
¶ Men telles of . a lafedy þat hight
Mary Sorgayne<?> . þat lyfed right
And was a haly woman . and a wyfe
Sho turnede hir lorde . to gude lyfe
Þai bathe left alle . þt þai had
Als sho counsailed . hir lorde & bad
And putte þaime bathe . als men telles
To serue seke men . þat war~ meselles
Thurgh whilke seruys . þt þai had soght
To perfite life . þai bathe war~ broght
Þar~ comme till hir a voice on þe nyght
And sayd to hir : þis wordes right
<fol. 143r>Þi lorde þat has . bene felawe wt þe
To serue <exp>meke</exp> seke men so meke wald be
Salle be wt þe . felawe euen~
Jn þe heghe . kyngdome of heuen
Þhite grete ensample god gifs vs
Jn ye gospelle . þt wittenes þus
¶ item Þat criste þe meselle[s] touched bare
And of þair~ sekenes . heled þai ware
Þarefore þe seruant . ne suld noght
Thynke dedeigne . ne shame in thoght
To visite and serue . þe seke at hame
When~ þe lorde of heuen~ . did þe same
he comme fra heuen~ doune right
Jn-to erthe thurgh his myght
¶ Jn his awen~ seruaunt lickenes
Als saynt Paule . beres wittenes
To serue vs and hele vs with -Jnne
Þat war~ in grete sekens of synne
¶ Þe fifte braunche of mercy es
To herber pouer . þat er herberles
And pouer pilgrymes . þt boute wendes
Þat in þis werld . haues fone frendes
Þis es a werke . þt god wele pays
Als haly writte . proues and says
And many ensamples . may we fynde
Þat suld our~ hertes . to þt werke bynd
¶ First of Abraham : þat vouched-saue
<fol. 143v>To herber alle . þat heber wille haue
Jn lickenes of pilgrymes . comme Aungels
Þat he herberd . als þe buke telles
Þare-fore þai hight . hymm for certayne
Þat sare his wyfe . þt was barayne
Suld concayue . a childe <exp>to</exp> sone
For þat at he had þanne done
¶ And lothe þat helde hospitalite
Herber þe pouer . blethly wald he
Þare come in lickenes . of pouer men~
Aungels þat he myght noght ken~
Þar~-fore þe aungell . þt to him come
Hym saued fra . þe perille of sodome
For when þe Cite . suld synk for synne
He bad he suld no3t dwelle þare-Jnne
¶ Þarefore saynte paule . says J bid þe
Þat þou lefe noght . hospitalitee
Thurgh whilke men . haues god oft plesed
And aungels in stede . of pouer men esed
And þt es na ferly . if swylke men
Receyue aungels . þt þai no3t ken~
For god þai herber . þt wele mare es
Als þe gospell . beres wittenes
For god says þus . tille his meyne
Wha so receyues yhow . resceyues me
Alle þt men duse . to þe pouer sone
Als god says . tille hym es done
<fol. 144r>Of saynt Gregor ensample we se
Þat was a+man . of grete pite
He resceyued ay . of custome
Alle þe pouer men . þat wald comme
And him-selfes . when he suld þaim fede
Wald þanne water . to þair~ handes bede
On a day . he did his almous
Receyued pouer men . in his house
And when he wende . haue gifen right
water to wesshe . to a pouer wyght
Þe whilke he saghe . þar~ þat day
Whiles he him turned . he was a-way
Þe gude man . he awondred was
how he suld swa-gates a-way passe
¶ Þe nyght after . our~ lorde Jesus
Appered to him & sayd him þus
Þou has fulle oft . resceyued me wele
Jn my lymes . als J myght fele
And þis day haues . þou after þi myght
Jn my persoune . resceyued me right
Swylke werke thurgh . right conscience
hald J better . þan abstinence
And mare~ mede þare~-of may com@
Als J fynde in vitis patrom@
A tale yat men . suld no3t ouerhippe
Of a haly man . in Egippe
Þat herberday . in alle tymes
Passand men. and pouer pilgrymes
<fol. 144v>Jn his house . and made þaime glade
And gafes þaime swilke gude als he had
On a day come . a pouer pilgryme
Þe whilke was . herberd wt hyme
Þat was of full . grete abstinence
And satte at þe mete . in his presence
He wald no3t eete . ne drynkes þt day
For no3t at þe gude . man myght say
Þan sayd þe gude man . to him þus
Brother go we bathe . to proue vs
Jn þe yharde . vnder þhone tre
Þat growes fayre . als þhou may se
And pray we god . at þe tre in haste
Might bowe to him . þt payd god maste
Þai went forth . and þair~ prayer made
And als þai stode . a while & bade
Þe tre bowed doune . vnto him þan
Þat had resayued . þe pouer man
Bot it bowed no3t to him ward
þat thurgh abstinence . lifed harde
So semes it þat hospitalite
Es mare þan . abstinence may be
Many ma ensamples has bene
Of hospitalite . full oft sene
Bot J ne may so lange dwelle
Alle þa ensamples . for to telle