<County: Warwickshire>
<Code: L4682>
<MS reference: London, BL Egerton 826>
<Text: Book to a Mother and Pater Noster>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 19v>my leue dere modur . cese þou
not ni3t ny day . for to þou haue
founden a gladnesse in þi soule
to be þis marchaunt þt crist
lykeneþ to þe blisse of heuene
þat is þat þou haue a stable
loue . durable to þi lyues ende
& forsak al maner propurte first
for-sakyng þin oune wille for
þat god chargeþ moste . þat
þou suffre no þoutes reste in
þy soule a3eynes godes wille
Bote 3ef þou parsceyue any
suche . cese þou not for to preie
for to god haue donn hem fro
þee for preyer is beste help
a3eynes þou3tes / in speche
þat þou þenke er þou speke
to wurchipe god þer-whit
& elles speke þou not chesyng
<fol. 20r>raþer to plese god þen þe world
/ in etynge drynkynge . clepynge
wakynge / not as þe flech
wole bote as resoun techyþ / redy
for to dye / raþer þenne þou
woldest do any-þing a3eynes
godes wille þou art neuer in &
charite for to þou haue þis
wille ny in þe wey of heuene
/ / And þerfore my leue dere
modur to haue þis wille of
god or þat þou dye y preye
þee for charite vse sum special
preier to seynt lucye þe holy
mayden & martir / And y wol
also þat scheo preye god . þat
he 3eue þe grace . soþely to seie
as scheo seyde . byfore þat scheo
schulde dye for scheo ne wolde
not offre to deueles / þuse
<fol. 20v>þre 3eer scheo seide y offrede to
nonn oþer þing bote my-self to
herye god / do he wt his sacrifice
what hym-self likeþ / for
þenne þou schalt not grucche
what so euer he do wt his oune
þing / & bote þou parte in þis
wille sory þenke i to be / & glad
3ef þou do / for what day þou
hast þis wille . þou hast þe
blessyng þat crist 3eueþ to þe
poure in spirit / & þe kyndam
of heuen is þin / And so þe book
is lerned bou3t & sold . for þou
hast bou3t crist . wt forsaking
propurte and þou art maad a
Nunne . of cristes religionn . þat
holy writt spekeþ of & seiþ
þat þer was a multitude þt
leuede in crist þer abbot of oo
<fol. 21r>herte & oo soule and þis is þe
bettur . þen for to haue þe mantel
& þe ryng . þe wympul & þe
veyl . whit propurte for crist loueþ
no propurte & so crist & þei
han not oon herte & oo soule
& þis was openly schewed whenne
petre cursyde ananye &
saphire his wyf . for þei haden
propurte & gret multitude is
now . of þis secte saue hem lakkeþ
oon herte & oo soule . and
Alle suche hou þei euer semen
to hem-self oþer to foles . þat
demen aftur hire wittes not
aftur resonn . tofore god þei ben
apostataes . of þe irreligionn
of þe grete anticrist . þat is
lucifer . þat wolde haue had
propurte in heuene bote seynt
<fol. 21v>my3hel & oþer angeles hurleden
hym doun to helle / & adam & eue
wolden haue haad propurte in paradyse
Bote [god] comaundide þe angel
whit an hoot brennynge
swerd. to dryuen hem out and
so wende to helle and so schulen
alle þat consenten to hem . bote
þei forsake propurte in þis world
for it were a3eynes ri3tful dom
þat a man þat hade trespased
schulde be more at his large of
his wille . þe while he were in
prisonn / þenne he was or he trespasede
. for þenne hit were no peyne
<gap> þerfore my leue dere moder
. holde we vs comelynges
& pilgrymes in oure prisonn streynynge
oure loue whit-inne þe
hestes of god & for we ben heuy
<fol. 22r>þorw erþely loue . nayle we vs
whit foure nayles vpon þis
cros . loue we crist aboue al oþer
þing for þe hed of þe cros . on
þe frendes as oure-self . for
þe ri3t+half / oure enemyes as
oure-self for þe <add>lifte</add><different hand, on erasure?> half alle
worldly þinges byneþen þuse
oon in as muche as þei ben nedful
to vs . þe foure nayles þt
is whit loue to fulfulle þe foure
euangelyes / And ˆ <mrg>þus</mrg> bygynne we
to lurne to oure a . b . c . eiþer
of vs seying / Cros crist me
spede . & hauynge laumentaciones
for oure synnes & seyinge
whit þe prophete Jeromye a . a .
. a . lord j can not speke fulfullynge
in þou3t in word & dede
whit-outen medelyng of my
<fol. 22v>wykednesse for I am a child folewynge
domes of my wittes / &
þat god here us þe spedlyer for
dauiþes loue . seie we as he seiþ
in þe ei3te & þrittiþe psalme to
god / lord here myn orisoun And
preier . whit þine eeres parceyue
my teres . Be þou not stille .
þat þou ne here me for I knowelache
me . a straunger fro þee þoru
synne / þat i am in prisoun Jnne &
pilgrym as alle my fadres weren
þus schule we beste bygynne
. for to lurne oure . forseid bok
<space for initial>f þis book spekeþ dauyd þe
prophete & seiþ þis is þe book
of godes hestes . & þe lawe þat is
euerlastynge . alle þat holden hure
schulen come to lyf . who þt forsakeþ
hire in-to deþ þis is god oure
<fol. 23r>god þis fond alle weyes of good
lore & took hire Iacob his sone . &
to yrael his derlynge & aftir þis
he was seyen in erþe . & wt men conuersaunt
<gap> þis is þe book þat
Jon þe euangelist spekeþ of in þe
book of pryuytees J sawe he seiþ
in þe ri3t+hond of hym þt sitteþ
in trone . a+book y-writen whit-inne
& whit-oute J-selyd whit seuene
seles & y wep muche . for nonn is
founden wurþi . to opene þis bok
ny see hym / & J saw3 in þe myddul
of þe trone . a lombe as he were
slawe hauynge seuene hornes
& seuene y3en . þat ben seuene
spirites of god i-send in ˆ <mrg>to</mrg> al þe
erþe & þe lomb come & took þe
book of hym þat saat in trone
& openede hym and whenne he
<fol. 23v>hade openyd þe bok . foure euangelistes
& foure & twenty aldre men
fellen doun byfore þe lomb hauyng
harpes & vyoles of gold ful of odoures
. þat ben preieres of seyntus
& þei songen a newe song seyinge
wurþi art þou lord . to take þe bok
& opene þe seles for þou art slawe
& hast bou3te us to oure god /
in þi blod of alle kynraden tunge
& folk & nacioun & hast mad
vs to god a kindam & prestes
& J sawe & herde a voys of mony
angeles in þe circuyte of
þe trone þe noumbre was þousendes
of þousendes wt a gret
voyce seyinge worþi is þe lomb
þat is y-slawe to take vertu
& dyuynite wisdam & strengþe
. worchep & ioye & blessynge
<fol. 24r>abouen erþe & vndur erþe & in
þe see alle y-herde hem seyinge
to hym þat satt in þe trone & to
þe lomb Blessyng & wurchep &
ioye . & power in worldes of worldes
& þe foure euangelistes seiden
ameN & þe foure & twenty aldre
men fellen doun on hire faces . &
wurchipeden hym in þe trone Blessyd
be he seiþ seynt Jon þt redeþ
& hereþ þe wordes of þis bok &
kepeþ hem þat ben writen þer
Jnne þerfore modur 3ef we wolen
vndurstonde þis book . þer
as he is hud whit þe seuen seles
wepe we muche as Jon þe euangelist
dude & lyue we as þe aposteles
duden þenne þe lomb þat
is on þe fadur ri3t+hond þat dyede
for vs & bou3te vs whit his
<fol. 24v>blood to his fadur wol opene
ye bok whit þe seuene seles to
vs . þat is hym-self as muche
as vs nedeþ while we lyuen here
& perfitely in heuen / as he dude on
whitsonday . 3euynge here þe seuene
3iftes of þe holy gost / þis
is þe book also . þt e3echiel þe
prophet spekeþ of . þer god seiþ þus
to hym þou manne+sone . here al
þt i schal seye to þee / & be þou
not a grucchere as þe children
of irael ben / Opene þi mouþe
& eet þat y 3eue þee / & y sawh
þe prophete seiþ an hond sent to
me in þe wuche was a bok closed
& he openede hym byfore .
me / & he was writen whitinne
& whit-outen . And in þat bok
weren writen lamentacionns
<fol. 25r>songe . & sorwe and he seide to me
Mannes sone / what so euer þou fyn-
dest . ett / ette þis bok . & goynge
þou schalt speke to þe children
of israel / And y openede my mouþ :
& he fedde me whit þis bok &
he seide to me mannes sone þi
wombe schal ete & þine entraylles
schulen be fulfuld whit þis
boke þat y 3eue to þee & y ette
þe bok & he was maad in my mouþ :
as swete as hony and aftur þat
i satt seuene dayes sorwynge
and whenne þe seuene dayes weren
passyd : god seide to me . mannes
sone J haue maad þee a+spie
to þe hous of irael / & þou schalt
here my word : & telle it hem
3ef y ordeyne þe wikede man
to dye & þou speke not to hym
<fol. 25v>þat he leue his wykednesse : he
schal be dampned & þou schalt
be gulty of his deþ / 3ef þou
telle hym my word : þou hast
delyuered þi soule / þus schulden
we here paciently alle þe
hestes & counseyles . þat crist spekeþ
vn-to us fulfullynge hem
in dede . for so he wol þat we eten
hym as seynt austyn scheweþ
wel in his bokes of confessionns
þer god spekeþ to hym & seiþ
J am mete of gret folk be þou
gret & þou schalt ete me / & þou
schalt not turne me in-to þee
as þou dost bodily mete . bote
þou schalt be turned in-to me
þat is J am mete to holy folk
þat dispisen worldly wurchipes
. & richesses . lustes & lykyn
<fol. 26r>ges of hire flech & setteþ hire
loue stably in hym as seynt poule
dude þat held alle þinges
of þis world as dritt for to haue
cristes loue & þus duden martires
& virgines / for seynt gregore
seyþ 3ef we token 3eme
what þinges ben byhoten vs
in heuene . alle þinges in erþe
schulden semen foule to vs bote
we han loren oure taste
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 32v><line 5> / / And marke modur in al þis
hou he þat my3te not erre : worchipede
his modur . suffrede hire
to haue child : in a comonn stable
/ & bere hym in-to a feer cuntre
: on hire rugge . & on hire
armes þis maner wurchipe
now in þis world : & a child mi3te
donn oþer weyes : schulde be
holde vnworchip þerfore modir
þenk on þe reule : þat i spak of
er . þat cristes dedes ben more
to be y-leued . þen al þe world
contrarie to his dom for þe
world is a blend folewynge
flechly dom not þe dom of re
<fol. 33r>soun . more chargynge false
wurchep of þis world & delyces
as hire dedes schewe wel
for þei traueylen more for hem
in þou3t . in word . in dede . þen þey
don to haue þe þre principal
vertues . þat crist marie & Jon
hadden . þat ben mekenes pouert
& chastite þat schulden
bringen hem to verrey wurchep
of heuene þer no man
schal be wurchiped : bote for
vertues : ny nonn may come þer :
bote 3ef he haue þuse þre vertues
/ / þerfore modir marke
wel þuse & charge as muche
for to haue þuse þre vertues
As for to haue heuene and þei
þat wolen not do so bote setten
hire lykyng in false worldly
<fol. 33v>wurchep : þei schulen han as
muche peyne & schame as þei
han had lykynge in suche false
worchipes as holy writ seiþ
for þei donn maumetrie . for &
þat may be proued þus
<space for initial, with a indicated> man is holde to conforme
hym to godes wille þer
as he knoweþ hit : and
god wurchipeþ no man : bote
for vertues : ny wol not þat
no man do for as clerkes tellen
& soþ it is : wurchipe is due
mede for vertues þenne a man
is holde to do so . & þey donn þe
contrarie . for þei wurchipeþ
þer is no vertu . bote alle vices
& so þei ben ydolatreres . þat is
doyng wurchep to maumetrie
. <gap> her-to is a feir ensaum
<fol. 34r>ple in holy writ in þe bok of
Hester . hou þe holy man mardocheus
preiede to god & seyde
lord help me as wysse as y sparede
to wurchipe þe proude
prince aman for drede þat J
hadde taken to hym þe wurchep
þat is only due to þee .
oþir for vertues þat þou 3euest
& god herde his bone / for þilke
proude prince was so wood
wroþ as he came by þe holy
man as he satt . for he roos
not to wurchipe hym þat he
maade galewes in his hous
fyfty cubites on heiþe . for to
haue honged on mardochee
þe holy man / bote god delyuerede
þe holy man / & ordeynede
þat þe proude prince was hon
<fol. 34v>ged on his oune galewes . & wurse
schulen þei ben honged þt j spak
of eer / for þei maken in hire soules
hire vnordinate loue . hi3er þen þe
galewes weren of fyfty cubites
for þei maken hire loue aboue þe
wille of god . þat is þe hei3este þing
þat may be & þerfore . þei schulen
ben honged in helle whit lucifer .
& 3et hit semeþ lower . for he desyrede
to be euene whit god : & þey
aboue þerfore crist curseþ hem in
þe gospel : & seiþ wo be to 3ou ypocrites
þat donn alle 3oure dedes :
to be seyen of men spredynge abrod
3oure philateries . & making
gret 3oure hemmys 3e louen þe
firste place in soperes . þe firste
cheieres & setes in chirches . gretynges
& salutaciones in þe Market
<fol. 35r>& be clepid of men madames or
maystres & þenne folewyng a
nonn aftur . he techeþ hise disciples
a noble lessoun a3eynes þis proud
folk & seiþ wilne 3e not to be clepyd
maystres . oon is 3oure maister
/ ne wilneþ not to clepe to 3ou
fadur on erþe oon is 3oure fadur
in heuene / ne beþ not clepid maistres
ny madames for 3oure maister
is oon crist / wuche of 3ou is
gretter schal be seruannt / who loweþ
hym schal be hi3ed & who þt
hi3et hym schal be lowed <gap> By
þis lessonn of crist . my3t þou see
mekenes preysed : & false wurchipes
of þe world despysed / &
3et he fulfulleþ his fadur hest
of wurchipyng fadur & modur
more þen any oþer may wur
<fol. 35v>schipe or can he made his modur
moste meke . moste poure . & moste
chast : aftur hym self & he þerfore
now in heuene moste wurchipeþ
hire . makynge hire quen
of heuen / þerfore my leue dere
modur for þis maner wurchipinge
as crist wurchipede his
modur is moste sykereste and
beste & moste medeful . & ly3test
to fulfulle : J ches þis boke byforen
alle oþer / for þis is þe beste
bok . techyng al wysdam /
þerfore preie þis child þt lay
in þe stalle byfore þe oxe & þe asse
for his modur loue . þat he
teche þe spedfuly to þi lyues
ende : þuse þre vertues : mekenesse
. pouert & chastite . as
he tau3te his modur & spare
<fol. 36r>not for no schame ny peyne
þat god wol suffre þe to haue
bote lef it studefastely as seyntes
duden . þat it is wynnyng
to þee : an hundred fold as crist
seiþ in þe gospel for þis byleue
made þe aposteles & martires
ioyful & glad . to renne to þe deþ
<gap> Oon ensaumple lo of seynt
Andrew þi patronn now bettur
þen euer he was . 3ef þou loue
god bettur / whenne he sawh afeer
þe crosse . he cryede whit
a gret voyce / crosse . god þe saue
/ þat whit cristes body art
maad holy / & whit his lymes
Y-maad feyr : as whit margarites
/ byfore þat oure lord
hongede on þee . þou were
dredful / now whit heuenly
<fol. 36v>desyre : þou art resceyued / a+louer
of þee y haue euer be . desyryng
to clippe þee to me .