<County: Yorkshire West Riding>
<Code: L0454>
<MS reference: San Marino, Huntington Library, HM 148, Hand A>
<Text: The Holy Boke Gratia Dei>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 2va><line 3> <lat></lat> Ye thrid grace is most
special for it is [not] gefen vn-to ilk
synfull creature bot onely vnto
yos yat receyues ye secunde
grace and with yer fre will filles
it in dede . and may say by yai
selfe als seynt paule saide .
<lat></lat> yat
is to say gods grace is not vnnayt
in me ; And saynt Austen sais
yat god wt hus wirkand fulfilles
yat he thurgh grace stirand
be-gan in huse for nouther wtouten
hym stirannde our~ wil
to ye gode ; ne with-outen hym
helpand may we do god to ourselfe
ne to pay hym . and yt
be-houes god be thoght before
For god sais hym-selfe . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> withouten~
helpe of my grace 3e may
noght spede ne do ; gods grace stirande
gos be-for god will and
stirs hym to do ye god and leue
ys synne & ken~ what grace dose
when he visettes man~ saule . Grace
when~ he first comes to viset
mans saule . he wakkens hy
als of a slomfryng . yat lang hase
liggen~ in syne . and spirs at
hym wt thre wordes saiande
whore art you he sais when
commes you ; and whethir~ wendes
you . First he sais whore
art you als who say vmbethynke
ye vn-happe werche
how foule you art doune
casten and qwat perill yu art
jnne ; For thurgh yi syne yu
art casten~ in-to yine enmys<?>
handes ; yat ouer all thynk oonantes
to wirke ye woo ; and
noght may helpe to deliuer
ye out of yi foos hands bot allmyghty
god yat gud lord yat
you has for-saken . sethen~
he spirs and sais when~ commes
<fol. 2vb> when comes you . Als he to ye
saide you wrech be-halde all yi
lyfe ; how you has wasted it in
syns you comes fro ye fendes
tauerne of hell whore are all ye
godes god has ye gifuen to helpe
ye and to worschippe hym with ;
sorouly yu has yai lost ; so riche
als yi lorde ye made . and now
yu art be-comen a pure wriche
sythen he spirs whidir~ he we<n?>des
. yu wofull wrych he sais
you wendes to yat aghfull dome
; ye domesman~ rightfull yu
sall fynd . For als you has serued
right so sall you fynde be
demed so aghfull þer to you sal
gode se yat you be for ferde out
of yi witt and to ye mo<n?>tayns &
hilles yu salt cry ; with a grymly
voice and pray yai yat yai
on ye fall & hyde ye yat you
noght on hym~ se . wofull
wrech you wendes to hell
and you do furth als hase begune
whore you sall fynde
fire so hot brenand And so wodely
. yat all ye watur in ye see
yoff it yurght ranne ; ye lest
spark of yat fire it myght neuer
sloken~ . for you stynkes her~
to god for yi foul syn~es yerfore
you sall fele foule stynke yor
lastand for euer . For yu lofed
her~<?> merkenes in syne . yer sal .
you fynde merkenes yat you
may it groppe . For you re[i]o<exp>r</exp>sed
ye her~ in her~ syne agayns gods
will . yer sall yu weppe
many gloand ters ; mo yen
you myght her~ sowm . jn+thowsande
yer~ paynes sall yu thole
; euer payne after payne to
new yi payne when~ god grace
has stird man~ and wakende
hym wt yer~ t<?>re . And has
mad hym~ to knaw ye peril
yat he is jn yan~ he consaues
<fol. 3ra> a-ferdnes of gods aghfull dome
and yer thurgh he bygynes to
sorow yat euer he did amysse
And yhernes to amend hym
thurgh gods grace ; yat stirres
hym to fle ye ill and gyfe hym
to ye god . yen comes grace foloand
to helpe ye to gud will of
man~ . to fulfill it in dede . For yoff
ye man haue a god will to do
ye god thurgh grace befor stirrand
ye god will may you noght do
in ded wtouten grace feloand &
helpand . and yis ye apostil afermes
by hy-selfe & sais : <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> ye gud
j do j do it noght . bot gods grace
dose it wt me . As if j saide . no
gud may j do bot if gods grace me
helpe ; yen is it gods gud yat
we do yat first thurgh grace stirres
oure wille to do . And sythen
yurgh grace feloand to werk
ye gud you has yat grace yat gose
be-fore gud will and gud will
is als handmayden to grace to wirke
all hir will . Gods grace wore he is
will noght be vnnayte bot euer he
wirkand he is waxand ay more &
more to mak mykel ye mede . Foryi
of yis helpande grace . saynt paule
says : <lat></lat>
Gods grace is noght vnnayte in me
Note we yis grace yat god hus sendes
yat god for-thynke hym noght of
ye sonde . and we abyte hit euer in
pyne for we note hit noght . For
yi do we als ye apostile redes .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . j pray receyue
noght yow he sais & byddes
yow all my brethir~ in god yat 3e
receyue noght gods grace in vayne
yat notes noght in god ; when~ god
to hym hit sendes . For percase if yu
it wt scape and it tyne ; you sall
neuer after yer-to wyne . For ysidere
telles of a litill flee yat called
saura and yis flee betokyns grace
<fol. 3rb> be-stirand whos kynde it is yat
he is enmy to all wormes of ve<?>m
<?> . so yat wore he sees any
worme toward man to tang
hym . yor he slepes in wildernes
or in woddes he flees before to ye
man or to ye woman or ye worme
hym tang & light opon ye slepand
face and bytes hym a+litill and
yer thurgh he wakyngs hym or ye yat<?>
come yat he may be ware or he
be tanged . By yis saure is vnderstand
grace yat god sendes
to man agayne fondyng of ye fende
yat of<?> venumosly tange he cryes
opon ye als ye apostil wetnes
in his wordes . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> he <ill><c. 3 words></ill> you yat
slepys so fast of yi syne wak<?>
& rise fro yi ded and crist sall helpe
ye thurgh his <ill><2 words?></ill> bot
ye waˆ[u<?>]kynd dose agayne yis grace ;
and for-dose it wt all ; als virgill
did wt yis litil flee ; yat
before of spake yat saued hym
fro ye ded he yis virgill als
he slepide a nedder come to
hym warde for+to tang hym als
hit es kynde . Bot yis litill flee
saura yat saght yis nedder~ . flegh
be-fore and lyghtid in his
forhed and priked hym a litil
and yer-wt he wakende als ye
worme come . By yis virgill
in his wakeng he feld his for
he smert he se not hym-selfe in
ye fronte and he slogh ye flee
and yus he quyt hym his se<?>
yat sauyd his life . For yi for-do
you noght gods grace whe<n?> he
to ye comes to warnie<third minim possibly expuncted> ye of yi
harme and stire ye to ye gode .
fayne aght a+man~ to be of gods
grace when god sendes it to hym
and so rich a gyft of god warly
to keppe . For bot man hafe gods
grace in his dedly lyfe and reule
hym yer after wel better it wer<~?>
to hym yat he wer vn-borne
<fol. 3va> lyfe wt-outen gre . Grace is erls<?>
of endeles ioy yat is to come
als ye apostill sais <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . Grace is als he sais
helpe & way yat ledys to to lyfe .
For yi he settis his gre before
als way yat ledis to lastande
lyfe & ioy ; and als a wede if
we hit wole kepe to make
in hit sykernes of endles ioy
to welde . Als ye apostell sais
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . God has gyfen vn-to hus
ye haly-gaste als a wede her~ in
hus to welde of yat endeles
ioye . halde we yen yis heuely
wede & notte it wele in weke
. And schappe oure lyfe yer
after in what so we will do .
For wele is hus in yis lyfe whils
gods grace hus ledis . For
when grace hus leuues wele
fall of yat wele for-yi for-do
we in hus thurgh helpe of
grace ; all yat is agayne grace
what-so-euer so it be lesse ore
more . yat oure skilfull inwitte
sais is agaynes gods
will yat is yat we for-do all
yose synnes or yat may for
to synne with forthinkynge
of hert & schrifte of mouth
and with-standyng . will neuer
to tourne agayne . Thre
thinges er~ nedfull to ilke
man of what state so he be
to mekele is mede thurgh
gods grace helpande ; als abouen
is saide . yat hym sall
lede . ye firste yat man~ be
in honest werke wt-outen lettyng
of his tyme . ye secunde
yat he his werke do wt a fredome
of spirit in stede jn
tyme als to ilke werke falles
ye thridde yat is vtter
beryng whore so he comes
honest be and fair~ yat may
be louyng to god in stiryng
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 6va> werke jdelschippe jdel thoghts
and foule vn-nayte wordes &
othire vanytes yat man~ litis hy
jn he may sothly vnderstande
& fynde yof he olde be of 3eres
yat litil tyme he has lyfede ;
yat is for to say of ye maner yat he
sulde haue lyfede and he wele
vmbethynk hym for he lifede
noght to his prophet ne wane hym
no mede als he sulde haue don
Bot perauntre wane hym paye
for lossyng of his tyme . wondre
thing it were yat man yat gyfe
hym to ye besenes of ye werlde
more yen nedes ; had no letyng
in ye lykyng of prayer~ in rest of
hert in sothfastnes of worde in
perfeccion~ of gud werkes in lufe
to gode & to all cristen~ men j trow
yat who so wt a clene hert yaire
wille charge ; many lettis may he
fynde yat oft tymes wille lett hy
god to jerne wele to pay . For yi
holy men~ before yis tyme yat
yees lettyngs knw . yai flede
ye werld wt all vanites right als
it were cursed . For yai thoght yt
yai might no rightwys lyfe lede
yer in For yai went yai to wildernes
for yer~ yai trowed yat yai might
better serue yer~ lorde to pay . For
seneke ye wys sais . . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . . More auerus j am
sais seneke and more couatis &
more kene and lesse maner yat j
haue dwelled amang men~
Thre maner of occupacions is
out wt als in sere janglyngs
& mikell & out-wt raikyng and
mikell trauaylyng about werdely
thynges . . First many taris
yaim-selfe in mikele janglyng
and agaynes yis salamon~ sais ;
<lat></lat> .
he yat lettis out ye water he is
heued of stryuyng late ye water
out ; he late ye tung flete out
in janglyng als many <?> vnnat
wordes and jdell os man~
<fol. 6vb> spekes . Als many sithes he latis
<?> out . For to ye knawyng of
god ne of his-selfe may non wyn
yat lettis his hert flete out wt
mikele vnayt speche for he makis
vay to ye fende his foo i hymselfe
: For whi suilk likke<?>ns : Salamon
to ye cite yat is wt-outen
wall yer he sais : . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . who
so noght refreynes his tung fro
mikele speche he es als a cite wtouten
wall ; yere oft men may
enter ouer all ye fende of hell with
all his oste gos yurght yat mouth
yat euer open wt idell spech . Jn <lat>vitis
patrum</lat> hit is tolde yat ye holy
man saide whe<n?> men~ praised a
felischippe of brethir~ yat he hade
herde of mikele spech . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . Gode quod he yai
are bot yaire wonyng has [no] 3ates
who so will may go jn ; and lede forth
ye asse yat es yaire vnwitty
saule . For yi sais Saynt jame //
<lat><3 lines></lat>
yat is for to say if any wenys yat
he is religious and bridels noght
his tunge his religious is vayne
Begyls his hert he sais swth . he
bridels noght his mouth . A bridel
is noght onely in yus hors mouth for
some is aboute ye eghen . And som
aboute ye eres . For all thre is
mikele nede yat ye bridel be in
ye mouth lygges heuy jren on
ye light tunge for it is most nede
to halde . Oft we thing when we
begyne to speke for to spek litell
and sett wordes bot ye tunge is
sliper for it wades in wete and glides
forth lightly fro feue to many
Fro god to some euill fro soth to
lesse and yen . Als salamon~ sais
<lat></lat>
<fol. 7ra> Mykele speche begyns it neuer so
wele may noght be wt-outen synne
Fro soth hit stirs vnto fals out of god
vn-to ill Fro mesure vnto ouer-mikel
And als of a drope water & a+drop waxis
waxis a mykell flode yat drounkens
ye saule . For wt a fletande
worde fletis ye herte out yat lange
yer after may it noght gedir to-gedir
<lat><3 lines></lat>
yer are saynt Gregor wordes in
dialogs als nere als oure mouth
is to werdly spech als fere hit is fro
god when~ he to hym spekes & prayes
hym of oght yerfore is yat we call on~
hym and he wt-drayes hy<m?> agayne a
fro oure steuen . for he will noght it
here . For we stynk to hym ; als of idel
spech ans jdell janglyng yat us has
filed . For yi who will yat god her~
be nere his mouth when~ he to hym
prayes . do a-way his hert fro ye werlde
elles may he lang cry or god
will hym here als he yhurght . jsay
ye prophet sais . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . yat es when
ye mak mony folde prayers to me
yhe yat playes wt ye werlde j
here yhow noght yat while
and j sall turne myn~ eghen~ avay
when~ 3e 3oure handes lyfs
to me for so mykell lettyng of
god ye philosephurs sees in mykel
spekyng yai bynde yaire disciples
wt licence ; yaire first fyue
yhere . Als Saynt Ambrose sais
& wryten~ hit is be a+holy man~
abbot yat hight agathon~ yat
thre 3ere he bare a+ston~ in his mouth
to lere to hald hym still // ye
toyir~ is yose yat kan haue no rest
bot euer es rakand aboute fro sted
to sted . For no noyer~ cheson~ bot
for to fede yer wyttis wt vanytes
and lustes suilk os ye flees
yhernes . Fle ye werlde & his
<fol. 7rb> yhernyngs . And ye in rest and
bridel yi tung yat he ne<ill><rest of word></ill> out<?>
flete nouthir~ in jangleyng ne
in jdell spech . yer thre ye aungel
lerde ye holy Abote . Ar
senius yat yaim suld kepe . For whor
yer thre are halden yat ye aungell
lers yer is vay to god an wtdraghyng
fro ill ; hit telles of ye
Abbot yat fully twenty yhere satt
in his sell yat neuer lelfe<?> vp his
hed to see ye sell rofe . yer thre
is of yo yat wastis yaire tyme
wt trauaile in couetisse to-gedir
werdly thynges more yen~ yai<m?>
nedes . / Off suilk spekes Salamon
ye wys & telles what prophetes
to yaim risse for all yaire gret
swynk be yaim he sais . / <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . vayn is yer hope he sais and
yaire trauaile wt-outen~ mede .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . Nothyng wt hym he beres
when he hethin wyndes of all
yat he has won~ wt kare & swynk ;
yis is ilk day sene be yose yat are
dede yat noght wt yaim beres
to yaire longe home of all ye
godes yai hade . were yai neuer
so riche ; bot a+litell clout to
hill yair~ body wt no+more ye
werlde vochede safe on yaim
yat yai loued so mykell . here
of suld ye riche man~ here thynk
yat plaies yaim wt ye werlde
and yere couatus men yat ye
pore pilles yat rakes holy togedir
yat yai may gete . Rek
yai neuer of whome be he pore
or riche takes he no kepe bot
one yat he haue . All is bot fanton
and dreme yat yai wt dele .
Right so is it be a+rich man~ yt her~
his lykyng has of gold & of siluer~ ;
and of oþer flessly lykyng whar~
wt als an vnworthy wreche
ye werlde hþm desaues . // Als be
a+pore man~ yat hugres sore &
so sore thrystes yt all mostes
<fol. 7va> he dies after hungre he lange
he falles on slepe and he dremes
yat he is biden to a fest and
heght sett on des and all dayntes
his hert may thynk sett befor
hy wyne in pyment in faire
coppes ; he etes & drynkes at his
will and makes hym right glade
and all yat about standes are
fayne to do his will . After he as
etyn yat hym gud thynke ye cloth
is draghen and he wt mykele noblaye
to chambre is lede yer hy
thynke he etes spices and drinkes
wyne . and sithe to bed he is broght
and lappede wt riche robes opon
hym jnowe wele furred wt rich
furrer . bot when yis wrech wakens
he feles his legges are colde
he thinges of yat noblay hy thoght
he was in ; and of all yat rich noblay
hym thoght was a-bout his
body he gropes about hym if he myght
oght fynde of yos rich clothes
he wende wore on him bot yen he
feles noght els bot tatirs & ragges
. And more hym hungres and
thristis yen hym did be-for ; yen knawes
he sothly hit was bot a dreme
yat fals fantome made hym
to trow yat hit was fest . Thus gate
fals riches of yis werlde taris ye
riche and make yaim to wen yat
yis is oght yat fantome yaim lighes
and so wittles riches yai makes
yat yai for-get yai-selfe and hethyng
makes be oyer~ and settis yaim
light yt suilke riches wantis yai
makes feste of yo godes yai pill fro
pure men and ilk man for dred fayne
to do yair~ will . Bot when~
ded sall yaim wakyn of yat balefull
drem . yen fynde yai bot fantome
all yat yai wene were sothe