<County: Staffordshire>
<Code: L0519>
<MS reference: Manchester University, John Rylands Library, Eng. MS 50>
<Text: Prick of Conscience>
<Tranche 1>
<p. 12>There dampned soules euer shul dwelle .
¶ The seuenthe is of þe ioyes in heuene /
Thus is this book in parties <erased 1 word, presumably seuene>
Jn vche party fynden men may /
Dyuerse materes and gode to say .
That writen is byfore to looke / /
Nis but the entre of this booke .
Go we now to the firste that es /
To speke of mannes wrecchednes .
The firste part
Man of foulest mater god wrou3t
when he made al þing of nou3t
Of erþe for two skiles to holde
Oon is for þt god so wolde .
Of fulþe him maken yn despyt /
Of lucifer whiche that fel so tyt .
To helle for his synne of pryde /
And of alle tho that fellen by-syde
For they shulde haue þe more shenshepe /
And more sorwe whanne þei tok kepe
That man of siche matere shulde dwelle
Jn þat place that they from felle .
¶ The tother skile is this to see /
For man shulde here the mekere be .
Ay whenne he þenketh in his thou3t /
Of how foul matere he ys wrou3t .
God of his godenes and his my3t /
Sawe that place in heuene bry3t .
Voyde was maad by synne of pryde /
And wolde hit fulle on euery syde .
Thour3e the vertue of mekenes /
That ri3t contrarye to pryde es .
Then may no man þidur come /
<p. 13>Thus is mon born as 3ee may se /
Jn wrecchednes and caytefte .
3it here to lyue but fewe dayes /
As Job here on this wyse sayes
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He seith mon born of wommon /
Lyuyng short tyme ful-fild is þon .
Of mony manere wrecchednes /
As Job telleth and soth hit es .
For mon is born to nought elles /
But to trauayl as Job telles .
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Mon is born to trauele ryght /
As the foule is made to flight .
For litil reste in this lyf es /
But greet trauail and bysynes .
Also mon whenne he is borun /
Js fendes sono and fro god lorun .
Ay til he . by grace may come /
To baptym and to crystendome .
Thus moun men her bygynnyng se /
Of wrecchednes and of caytifte
Of monnes myddel lyuyng
The secound part of lyf men calleþ /
The mydelward þat next aftir falleþ .
And recheth from the bygynnyng /
Of monnes lyf vnto the endyng .
His bygynnyng right as J toolde /
Js vyl and wrecched to byholde .
But how foul he is afturward /
Telles a party Seynt Bernard .
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Seynt bernard in his book telles /
That a man nys no thing elles .
But a foul skyn wlatsom in tunge /
And a sacke ful of stynking dunge .
And wormes fode þat þei wol haue /
whenne he is deed & lyeþ in graue .
Summe folc þer ben ful feir to seme /
Jn si3t wiþouten as men deme .
And that sheweth not but a skyn /
But who so my3te se hem wyþyn .
Foulere careyn myght neuer be /
Then men myght þenne on hem se .
For certis who so my3te ha si3t /
Or hadde so clere y3en and bri3t .
As hath a beest þt men lynx calles /
That may se þour3e þre stonen walles .
Thenne my3t he se wiþouten doute /
As wel wiþ-ynne men as wiþoute .
Litil lykyng shulde he haue thon /
For to byholde after wommon .
3if he with-Jnne sey3e her right /
wlatsome were she to his sight .
Thus foul wiþ-Jnne vche mon es /
As this book here bereth witenes .
Thus may mon se on þis manere /
How foul the kynde of him is her~ .
Therfore a man is not witty /
That here is proud of his body .
whil he may thus him-seluen se /
what he is was and shal be .
But proude mon to þis ne takeþ hede /
For skile him fayleþ þt shulde him lede .
<p. 15>whenne he is 3ong & loueþ pleying /
And eke hath ese and his lykyng .
Or 3if he be at greet wurshepe /
what he is he taketh no kepe . .
Him-self thenne he knoweþ leest /
And fareth as vnskileful beest .
That his wille folweþ & nou3t elles /
As dauid in the sauter þus telles
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whenne mon to honour he is brou3t /
Vndirstondyng ri3t haþ he nou3t .
wel may he be lykenede thon / /
To a beest . that no skyle kon . .
Therfore that han skile & mynde /
The wrecchednes þenke of our~ kynde .
what is foul and ful wlatsome /
For mon seeþ of his body come .
From aboue and from bynethe /
Miche fulthe and stynkynge breþe
More stynke . nys hard . ny nesshe /
Then the fulthe of monnus flesshe .
That may a man boþe se and fele /
3if that he loke him-seluen wele .
How foul he is to monnes sy3t /
Therfore seiþ seynt bernard ry3t .
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He seiþ 3if thow the bisily se /
And vndirstonde what comeþ from þe .
Thour3e mouþ and nese continuely /
And othere places of thy body .
<p. 16>Foulere dungehulle þow sey neuer noon /
Then monnus body of flesshe & bon .
Al the tyme that mon here lyueth /
Noon othere fruyt his body 3yueþ .
Thou3e he lyue longe or short while /
But wlatsome thinges & ful vyle .
And stynk and fulþe & no þing elles /
As Jnnocent . thus seith & telles .
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This grete clerke seith in his booke /
Byholde he seith and wysely looke .
To trees and herbes that her~ springe /
And what fruyt þei here forþ bringe .
Herbes forþ bryngen floures & sede /
And trees fruyt wiþ braunches to sprede .
And þow bryngest forþ of þi-self here
Nytes fleen lys and vermyn sere .
Of hem springeth baume ful good /
And oyle and wyn for monnus food
Of the cometh alle foule thing /
As vreyn ordure and spyttyng .
Of hem comeþ ful swete floures /
Of the comeþ stynke & euel sauoures .
Suche as þe tre is wiþ his bowes /
Suche ben þe fruytes þt on him growes
Euel tre may no good fruyt beere
<p. 17>As god seith the gode gardinere
Mon-is tree not stondyng hard /
Of whom the crop is turned dounward .
The roote toward the firmament
As seith the grete clerk Jnnocent
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He seith monnus shap nys but a tre /
Turned dounward þt vp shulde be .
Of whom þe roote þat out springeþ /
Js the heer that on hym hyngeþ .
The stocke þt next him is growande /
Js heed wiþ necke to vndirstande .
The gubben of that tree sikurly /
Js al the hoole monnes . body . . .
The bowes ben armes and hondes /
with legges that on feet stondes .
The braunches men may kyndely calle /
The toes sothely with fyngres alle .
This is the tree that is not faste /
Thour3e blowyng of harpes blaste
For the body of this ylke tree / / /
with the sunne may dry3ede be .
For mon that is bothe strong & li3t /
Be he neuere so strong and wi3t .
And of hise face bright and feyre /
Tene & sekenes may soone him peyre .
His feirnes and myghte to abate /
And make him in ful symple state .
<p. 18>To chaunge al his fayre coloure / <linefiller>
And make him fade as doþ þe floure
A flour that semeth fair & bryght
with stormes fadeþ and leseþ my3t
Also euel and grete mescheeues /
Comen to man that here leues .
As dropesye feuere and Jaunnye /
Tysik goute And sere maladye .
That doth him my3t & strengþe tyne /
As strormes maken floures dwyne .
wherfore a man may likened be /
To a fresshe flour fayr onne to se
That whenne hit is forth J-brou3t /
weleweth fadeth til hit be nou3t .
This shulde be thenne ensaumple to vs /
For iob in his book seith right thus .
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A man seith he as a flour bryght /
Cometh forth firste to oure syght .
And fleeth soone passinge away /
As shadewe doth on someres day .
And in oon state neuere he dwelles /
But ay passynge as Job telles .
Of this dauid bereth witenes /
Jn the sautere where writen es .
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The prophete seith and soth hit es /
Erly passeth mon as the gres .
Erly at the comsyng of the day /
He florissheth an passeth away .
<p. 19>By that by euen hit is doun brou3t
Fadeth and falleth & turneþ to nou3t .
At the firste comsynge of mon / / / /
Nyne hundride wynter lyued he thon
Jn her bookes . cleerkes wytenes /
But sithen wex monnes lyuyng les
God wolde that hit shulde so be /
For to Noe thenne thus seyde he .
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My goost seide he ne shal ay dwelle /
Jn mon for he is flesshe and felle .
His dayes shul be to dwelle here /
An hundride and twentye 3eere .
But so greet elde may noon now bere
Monnes lyf is bicomen shortere .
For the complexioun here of mon /
Js now feblere þen hit was thon .
But for hit is now werre to see /
Monnes lyuyng mote sherter~ be .
The lengere he lyueþ þon trewely leue /
The more his lyf shal here him greue .
The lesse lyf shal him þinke ful swete /
As in a salme seyth the prophete .
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Jn my3tes 3if four~-skore 3eer falle /
Hor swynke is more & sorwe wiþ alle
A mon ful selden of that eelde / /
Haþ heele or may him-self wel welde
Now ben monnes dayes shortere
As Job telleth and wel smertere
<Tranche 2>
<p. 166>The seuenþe pert
So shulen men god right as he es .
Jn þe clene myrrour of his bri3tnes .
As propurly as possible may be /
For eny creature him for to see .
Thei shulen hem-seluen se in him so bri3t
And oþere men to-gider at oon si3t .
And alle oþere þinges þei shul knowe /
And so ouer al boþe hy3e and lowe .
Alle þei shulen se þat þere shulen dwelle /
Alle þe creatures in heuen & in helle .
Thei shulen also þere se þenne openly /
The sundre priuetees of god almy3ty
That no mon my3te here knowe ny wite
Thour3 no clergy ny by holy writte
The wheche how inuisible es / / /
And chaungeable and eke endeles .
And how he was byfore alle þinge /
Euere wiþouten eny bygynnynge .
And how & why þat he shal bee /
wiþouten end þis shulen þey se .
Al þing þat now is from hem hidde /
Shal þenne to hem be knowen & kidde .
Thei shulen se eke þenne oþere openly /
Of al þing skile and enchesoun why .
That oon her~ of god is chosun & taken /
And why þt anoþere is last & forsaken .
why oon is takun vp to a kyngdome /
And anoþere is put to þraldome .
And why summe children ben deed & lorn /
Jn her modir wombe er þei ben born .
They shulen knowe also wiþouten drede /
why þt summe dy3en in her childhede .
And summe whenne þei moost whitnes welde
<p. 167>And why summe lyuen to her moost elde .
And þei shul wite enchesoun than /
why þt summe han fair shap of man .
And why of statur~ summe ar~ vncomely /
And summe ben ful ryche & summe lyuen porely
And why þt summe children geten in hordom /
Ben here baptysed & han cristendom .
And why summe þt ben in wedloc born /
Er þen þei ben cristende ben deed & lorn .
And why þt summe bygynne to be stedfaste /
And leuen of & enden euel at þe laste .
And why þt summe han euel bygynnyng /
And at þe laste þei han a good ending
The soule shal þenne knowe openly /
Of alle þese þinges and oþere mony .
Jn þe book of lyf þt open shal be /
The whiche þt is þe ri3t holy trinite .
Thus shulen alle þat in heuen dwelleþ
Knowen & wite as seynt austen telleþ .
There shal vche mon as wel knowe oþere /
As here doþ eny his sister or broþer
And knowe of what cuntre þei were /
And who hem gat & who hem bere .
Vche mon shal þere knowe oþere þou3t /
And alle þe dedes þt euer þei wrou3t
Thus wys þei shul be þt shul come /
To þe blis aftir þe day of doome
They shulen alle be to god ri3t lyche /
His sones & heires of heuen riche .
And eke as goddes of grete my3t
As seiþ þe prophete in þe sauter ri3t .
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J seide seiþ he 3ee ben goddes alle
<p. 168>And goddes sones eke men shul 3ow calle
wherfore hit semeþ whenne þei þidur come /
That þei shul þenne be ful of wisdome :
And ful of my3te lastyng euermore /
whenne þt þei shulen be as goddes þore .
But now moun summe wel aske me her~ /
A questioun and seye on þis manere .
Shulen þei ou3t þenke þt saued ben þore /
Of synnes þt þei here shryuen wore .
Jn her lyuynge & made hem clene /
And þt of hem assoyled han bene .
Seynt anselyne vnswereþ vn-to þis /
Tho that shulen be in heuene blis .
Thei shulen god louen & þonke him þore /
Of alle þe godes boþe lasse & more
That he haþ don vnto hem heere /
And to alle othere on þe same manere
That aftir the grete doom shul be saue /
And endeles blis wiþ hem to haue .
Greet gode he doþ þe whil þow lyues /
whenne he þi synnes here þe for3yues .
Thow shalt him þonke wiþ herte fre /
That he haþ hem so for3yuen the .
Alle þe synnes þt þow euere wrou3t /
3if þow my3t þenke on hem in þou3t .
But þow shalt vndirstonden wele /
That no more greuaunce shalt þow fele
Ne haue no more skynes myslykyng /
whenne þow hast of þi synnes moenyng .
Then he haþ sumtyme in stryf /
was sore wounded wiþ swerd or knyf
And parfitly is heeled and weele
Of whiche he may no more sore fele
<p. 169>And as þow shamest not wiþ þe dede /
That þow dides firste in thy childehede
No more shal þenne þe shame in þou3t /
Of alle þe synnes þt þow here wrou3t
That þow were shryuen of perfitely /
And god for3af þour3e his mercy .
No more þen seynt petre haþ now shame /
That he forsook oure lord by name .
Or mary maudeleyn of her synne /
That she sumtyme delited her Jnne .
No more shame shul þo men haue /
Of alle her synnes þt shulen be saue .
But for þt god þt bou3te vs free /
wolde þour3e his mercy & his pite .
And coude þour3e his witte so clere /
And wel my3te by his owne powere .
So ynnely grete synnes frely for3eue
And heele þe woundes þt were so greue
For wheche þe hadden serued ful wele /
The peyne of helle euer for to feele .
Therfore þei shulen loue him þe more /
And þe more him þonke & loue þerfore .
And as wel for oþere mennes trespas /
And for her synnes þt he helede has .
Als for her owne þt þei diden here /
Therfore seiþ dauid þus in þe sauter~ .
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He seith þat J shal the mercy synge /
Of oure lord ay wiþouten leesynge .
And so shulen alle wiþouten ende /
That to þe blis of heuen shul wende .
And so þei my3te on no wyse synge /
3if þei of her synnes hadden no menynge
<p. 170>wheche þt þei hadde don here bodily /
And god for3af þour3e his mercy .
Thus shul þe soules haue wisdom þore /
And knowe & se bothe lasse & more .
But soules þt wiþ her bodyes synke /
Shulen in helle on no good thinke
Ny haue no witte to knowe ny fele /
No dede þt euere was don here wele .
On her peynes shal be al her þou3t /
And on her synnes þt þei han wrou3t
On no þing shul þei haue moenyng /
But oonly of her wickede lyuyng .
And of her woo wiþouten eny ende /
And of her sorwe þt shal hem shende .
whiche þei+shul euere byfore hem se /
That si3te to hem shenshepe shal be .
The secounde blis as clerkes witen wele /
That soules wiþ her bodyes shul fele .
Js more frenshepe & parfite loue /
Then eny man in erþe may proue .
Vchon shulen oþere more loue thon /
Then euer loued here eny maner mon .
And þat loue shal be so stedefaste
That hit shal for euere holden & laste
For as eueryche a lyme of oon body /
Hit loueþ alle þe oþere lymes kyndely .
And greetly wilneþ euer her heele /
So shal her loue be parfit and lele .
They shulen alle be of oon assente /
And of oon wille & of oone atente .
For þei shul be ri3t as oon body /
Jn sere lymes wiþ a soule oonly .
And god shal be her hed ri3t thore /
<p. 171>And loue hem euer as myche or more .
As hed doþ þe body þt here leof es /
And oþere lymes þt on hit meues .
That bond of loue shal neuere slake /
Thour3e no kyn stryf þt mon kon make .
But euen þe contrary shulen men se /
Among þe soules that dampned be .
For þei shulen ay be ful of felony /
Of hatrede of wrathþe and eke envy
And vchon wolde wiþ othere fi3te /
And strangle hem 3if þt þei my3te .
Thus shul þei stryue & hate vchone /
For pees shulen þei neuere haue none .
And god almy3ty & eke alle his /
That þenne shulen dwelle in heuen+blis
Jn sorwe & pyne þei shul hem se /
And of hem þere haue noon pite
But alle hem hate as goddes enemys /
And that hatrede shal be ful ri3twys
The fadir þenne þt shal be saue /
No pite on his owne sone shal haue
Ny þe sone shal not hauen pite /
Of his fadir þou3e he dampned be .
Ny þe modir on þe same manere /
Of hir dou3ter~ þt to hir was dere
Ny þe sister of her owne brother /
Nor noon of hem shal rewe on oþer
Nor noon þt shulen be saued þon /
Shulen haue pite of dampned mon .
whenne þe ri3twis þe synful shulen se /
Pyned in helle glad shulen thei be
And for two skiles þei shulen be seyne /
Oon is for þei ben past her peyne .