<County: Lincolnshire>
<Code: L0213>
<MS reference: London, BL Harley 2409>
<Text: Hilton, A Devout Matter>



<Tranche 1>

<fol. 52r>here bigynnes a deuoute matier be ye draw yng of . M . wal= tere hyltoun .
FOr als mikell
as ye apostil sais . yt
wt-outyn faithe & trew beleue it
is impossible to plese god . yerfor es it yt our
ald enmy ye fende enforses him ni3t & day
yoru3 fals incasting of errours & fals en
gyns & emaginacions & on swilk maner of
wonderful wise forto destroy & let our bele
ue & our faith whilk es ye grownd & stoun
of al holi kirke & begynner of al vertus . And
yo yt he sees he may not cast doun vtterly
fro stablenes of yis beleue . he seses not to
cast hym doun be oyer diuerse maner of ways thurgh
his quayntise & his wiles & temptacions . yer
for we sal warly & gostly wt-stond on yis
wise . we sal charge as not al swilk maner
of fantesys ymaginacions fals consaytis
of errour or foule sterynges blasfems fi3tis
or heryng or any oyer swilk fantesys . And ber~
yaim mekli & paciently puttand al our hope
& our trest in ye mercy & in ye grace of our lord
Jhesu criste . ¶ For as ye profet sais . Mannis
<fol. 52v>thoghtis er but wayn . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
. And yai er variand and
wt-outyn nommbrn . And yerfor a man sal not
rest no tari wt swilk fals fantesys agayn
feghtynge & trubelyng his belefe . no he
sal not be mykil besy to discuse or knaw
ye cause & ye skilles of swilk fals fante
syse . For ye more besye a man is to knaw
yaim & enserche yaim ye more fast cleue yai
on him & ye more blynde & heuy yai make
him . Ne a man or a woman sal not ouer my
kil anger him no blame him-self for swilk ma
ner of euyl stirrynges & foule thoghtes no
vtterly aryt yaim to his awne defaute or synne .
For swilk temptacions ben to swilk a man
vtterly vnwilful & displesyng & yerfor it es
pynful to him & no synne . but it es a purchinge
& a clensyng of ye saule & a strenghe of
paciens & a kepyng of meknes & a stirring
& a raysyng vp of ye soule ot endes lyfe .
Saint Austin sais in a buke . <lat>de vera religi
one</lat> . yt al maner of synne es ful wilful . & if it
be not wilful it is no synne . And ysidorus
<fol. 53r><lat>de summo bono . li . 3&lt;i>o .</lat> sais . Who so is turmentid & tru
belid thurgh stiryng of ye fend wt foule thogh
tis of dispayre blasfeme & doutis or dredis
whilk er passyons of ye soule . he sal not trow
no suppose yt he es alyende fro god & forsakyn
for he suffirs swilk ; but he sal thanke god
& loue him yt vowche-safe to chasti him here wt
swilk a 3erde . so yt ye spirit mai be safe whilk
betys & chastys al his lufd childer & his dere
derlynges whilk he has ordaynd to endles
blys . And if he do yus : yan sal al his tempta
cion his pyne & his disese yt he suffirs be
countide to him for vertu . And yof al he wayt
not for what synne or for what encheson he
suld suffir swilk temptacions . Neuer-ye-lese he
sal mekli commend & praise ye godnes of our~
lord yt dose no-ying bot ri3twisly & mercyful
ly whilk makis his sone to schyne both on
gude & bad . ¶ For wyt yu wele yt yse fende mai
no more do to ye yan ye wil of god suffirs him
to do to gret profret of his trew seruandis .
For ye fende seryfs to our profet wheder he wil
or not thurgh goddis mercy . For ye tempta
<fol. 53v>cions yt he styrs to our dede & dampnacion . our
lord turnes yaim in-to+vertu & in-to soule hele . ye
fende seses not to tary & disese ye rightwise
man thurgh styringes of dyuerse temptacions .
now tribulacions of hert & risyng vp of bo
dily sores & disese ˆ [&] oft-tyms tourmentis ye
sely soule wt dyuers & many temptacions and
pynful felynges boy wt-in & wt-out . yt sumty
me for gretnes of pyne & angwys : he es in
poynt to fal in-to dispair . bot sutheli als
lang as he dwels in drede & lufe of god al
swilk disese bene turned to gret myrthe &
profet of soule . ¶ And yerfor swilk a man or
swilk a woman es not depertid fro god &
alyend bot yai er mykil more festynd and
oned to him what angwise or temptacion he
suffirs or feles . for many er ye angres tri
bulacion temptacions & disese yt ye soule
suffirs yur3 instigacion & stiryng of ye
enmy . ¶ As dauid sais . <lat>Multe tribula
connes instores .</lat> But trewly ye soule may
not thurgh swilk temptacions disperisch
ne be lost fro endles lyfe . For suthely our
<fol. 54r>mercyful lord acountes not yat for dampnacion
of synne : yt ye sufferande man or woman thur
gh goddis ordinance beres agayn his wille .
¶ For suthely yan only synne we . When we
thurgh our lust fal doun to swilk temptacion
thurgh assent & plesans of flesch . Bot when
we er born doun be violens agayn our wil to
felyng of swilk temptacions : it is only pyne &
no synne . Hysidorus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
. ¶ Neueryelese it se
mes sumtyme to a man yt es yus tempte yat
swilk felyng of dispaire or doutyng & hesitaci
on in ye faithe mad be ye illusion of ye fend
smyting in swilk drede & ferdfulnes in-to ye soule
war gret synne . what es it bot only doutyng
in ye beleue . ¶ For synne es euer wilfully couetid
& frely chosyn at ye lest thorow ignorans whilk
more leues to errour yan to suthefastnes . And
yerfore sen ye faith es an habyte & a disposicion
of ye wil . yt who-so wil trowe he trows . And
whoso wil hope . he hopis . And who-so will
no3t doute he doutes no3t . ¶ yerfor says ye apos
til . yt wt our hert yt es wt our wil we trowe .
<fol. 54v>whilk trowyng es acountyd for rightwis
nes . And yerfor in our wil whilk our enmy mai
no3t bring to consenting of swilk foule stir
rynges & felinges standis al our meryt or deme
rit . yt es to say mede or blame . ¶ Neueryeles
ye saule es sumtyme so ouerlayde wt felyng
of swilk temptacions yt he may no3t clere
ly se his awne wil . And yt es no force for
his gud dedis prowis his gud wil . ¶ And
he sal aye presume & suppose yai er gud vn
to yt it may resonabeli be prouide yt yai er
it . ¶ But if yis forsaid temptacion sese not
be yis wilˆ[l] & yis dissimulacion before-said
but euer dwelles stil & thurgh malice of ye
fend is euermore iangelyng his fantesys yt
he moveres & stirres in yi saule proferand to ye
falsnes vnder colour of sothfastnes . or ouerlaies
yi soule & blyndis it be way of yi complexion
& contynuelly angers ye & disese & trobles
ye : yu sal sumtyme bot nozt bot seldom als it
ware be maner of abiuracion & vtterly forsa
kyng & contrary affermyng schew yi faith
& yi beleue wt yi mowth & yi word agayn
<fol. 55r>saying ye fendis temptacions . And yat yu wil
for nothyng consent to his errour & his fals
nes yt he profers to ye & swilk othir yof al
ye fals consait yat yu felis in yi soule agayn
yi wil be contrari & no3t fully acordyng vn
to yi saying . ¶ For ye apostil sais yt confessi
on of mowth & a knawlegynge of yi bele
ue be wordis is helfule & profitable
. For si
kerli he es not desayfd thurgh falsnes &
sotelte of ye fende yt opinly & wt deliberaci
on & avisement bothe in worde & worke a
gaynsais swilk il stirynges & temptacions
& wil on no wise receyue yaim no consent vn
to yaim . ¶ Oure enmy es wayke & of no pow
ere & he no may ouercomme no man agayne
his wil . yt wil not frely & avysely consent
to him . yerfor no man sal thynk heuy no be
angyrde or greuid for he sees ye fend on
dyuers manere tempe & disese chosyn saules .
For thurgh many temptacions tribulacions
nedis vs forto enter ye kyngdom of heuen .
¶ Ye fende sekis & serchys ye wayknes &
ye condicion of ilk mannis complexion . &
<fol. 55v>wham he fyndis haue mykil of moyst
nes of malyncoly complexion : he tempes
yaim & tarys yaim on dyuers maners thurgh
gostly temptacion . ¶ Men yt treten of kyn
des of thyngis tel yt smeke of blak colour
styes vp to ye brayne & commes to lake &
depnes of thoght & trublis & myrkis ye
light & brightnes of it & lettis ye soule
to haue clere knawyng & discrecion be
twix gud & il . falsnes & trewth . errour &
sothfastnes . Swilk ben comunly hevi &
dredful wt-outyn a resonable cause weyke
of hert . dry of complexion . but swilk dred
& heuynes es no syn when it is pynful
& agayn a+mans wil . And it commis oft
tyms to hym thorow steryng of ye fende .
And swilk man & women wene yt ye fals
fantesys & errours dissaites of ye enmy be
trew & sothfastnes . For yei bene lettid be
yis blak smeke yt hilles & ouerqwelmes
yair brayne . so yat yai may not see no
knaw ye sothfastnes . And so ye trust en
my beholdes & aspyse auery man astate &

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 65r>or pride of ypocrisi to his workis & so er yei turned
in-to syn . And so oft-tymes he ransakis mans
thoght in-to hyd & priue thynges yt it semes
alone ye spiret of him yat suffres & ye spirit
of him yat trauails hym . And yerfor it semes to
him yt it war his awne thoght & trew consayt .
And yat is broght in thurgh stiryng & dis
sait of ye enmy . ¶ yerfore he sal not in yis case
trow his awne witte ne leue to his awne
felyng . Bot he sal mek him-self & be buxum &
obedient to suthfastnes & discrecion of wy
se men . ¶ For our ald aduersary ye fende
es a fals & wickid trecherus desauear~ of
men saules . And when he sees he may not
lede ye saule in-to errour thurgh wyles . Ne
ueryeles he enfors to cast it doun be ouer my
kil drede schewand to it fals illusions and
foreful & hydus thoghtis & thurgh in 3at
tyng of venum of his wickidnes forto
mak it pyneful & bitter thurgh vnsouera
ble heuynes yat it feles to yat entent
to mak him sese & leue of his gud purpos yat
he has begunn . And yerfor him behoues on al
<fol. 65v>wyse in als mykel as freylte suffres wt helpe
of grace agaynstand his dissayueable sugges
tyons . And to suffre paciently & mekly ye py
ne & ye bitternes infyched in his ferdful tho
ght . ¶ Also ye fend when he sees yt he may
not ouercomme a man wakand no gar hym con
sent ho his wickid sterynges : he es aboute
ward in slepe to drech him & disese him thurgh
dyuerse scornynges or ferdnes & vgsumnes of
dremes & fantasys . ¶ And yerfore sais saynt
Gregour in his morals . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
He sais ye fend when he sees
yt he may not ouercomme a man no mak hym
consent to syn wakand : he feghtes wt him
more grewously & more felli slepand . And
yt es suffred of ye gret gudnes of god & of
his mercy yt wil not suffre yat ye slep of
his dere chosyn derlyng be wt-outyn froyte
& gostly mede . ¶ A dere lord Jhesu on how
many wonderful wyse es a chosin saule yt
only loues & dredes ye : castyn hyder & yeder
thurgh dyverse temptacions & smytyn to-gyder
& schronkyn to-gyder thurgh dredis & ferd
<fol. 66r>fulnes on ilk a syde yus . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
he sais . A you crokid nedder
yt thurgh a thowsand wyles styrs & trobles
restful hertes . go he sais yi way & melt to
no3t crist es wt vs yt has vs boght you wic
kid fende wt-outyn light : Crist crose ye damp
nys & al yi myght . ¶ A how mercyful es it &
how profitable . how chariteable & how helful
forto comforth strengh & counseyl & help a
man yt es yusgates trauaild & pynd desolat &
als it war forsakyn & al left als it war in
ye handis of his enmy & forto kep a man
yt on yis wyse gose thurgh fyre of tempta
cion out of ye hete & brynnyng of tribulaci
on in-to a restful caldnes & refreschyng
& comforth of ye holy goste . ¶ And 3it neuerye
les yof he may not alson get no haue
yis restful comforth & refreschyng as he co
uaites : he sal not yerfore dispayr 3a yof he for
go it long tyme : 3a al his lyf tyme . he sal
thynk yat al yis lyfe es bot a prison & a pla
ce of penaunce & disese & fully trast yt yat
<fol. 66v>comforth & ioy es profitable wt-drawn fro
him here & reseruyd and kepyd to him in ye
blys yt es endles . ¶ Bonauentur in a buke
yat is cald stimulus amoris sais yus . A yi
wonderful mercy almy3ty lord Jhesu yt suffirs
vs here to be assaied with dyuerse tempta
cions : not for yt skil yt we suld be takyn
fro ye . Bot at we for drede of our enmy
suld more brynnandly be stird to fle vn
to ye als to ye most syker hold & hauen
of our hele & a syngulere refute of our
defense . lik to a gud moder whilk when
scho sees hyr child ferer fro hir & desires
to se hym . scho makis hym fyrst ferd & feres
him be sum ferdful thyng . & when he fore
ferd or drede rynnes to hyr for socour & beld
nes : scho opynnis hyr arms & takis hyr
child to hyr wt gret ioy & hals him & kissys
hym & warns hym he go no+more so far away
fro hyr for drede of harme & disese . Scho
comforths him scho hals him & gyse him hyr
pappe to souke . ¶ Ri3t so dose you our
blissyd lord wt al yi chosyn chylder & der
<fol. 67r>lynges whilk yu ordans forto be hayrs of end
les kengdom . ¶ A a+blistful temptacion es
yt at constreyns vs to fle to ye swete hal
synges of our lordis bosum . ¶ A swet lorde
Jhesu yat suffirs vs on euere syd to be dryuen
thurgh temptacion tribulacions & disese and
euermore gyfs yi-self to vs a most syker
helful refut yat we may dwel wt ye wt
outyn ende . ¶ What-so-euer you be haf no
wonder yt you felis temptacions & disese : bot
fle to our lord wt lufly drede & if you
wil not be tempte : Syt yar-wt him els mai
yu lightly be takyn of yine enmy & peris
ch . ¶ Bot neueryeles if yu haf mad yi-self
so far fro god thurgh syn yt yu dar not
go to him wt ful hert . bot you thynkis yu
art far fro hym in a cuntre of vnliklines .
no yu may not ateyne to his godhede : ryn
ne yan wt ful hert to Jhesu criste yt es mad
yi brothir & yine neghbur thurgh ta
kyng of yi kynde & hyde ye yar in ye hole
of his blisful syde . hylland ye wt a man
til of styll murnynge & hertly compassion
<fol. 67v>And yer thar ye drede none of yine emnys .
¶ Tak yis alway for a general rewle .
whenso-euer you couates to held & bowe
doun . our lord god depely & law to ye : ber yu ye
woundes of Jhesu criste in yi hert & sperkil al
yi saule wt cristis blude and so sal you pre
sent yi-self to ye fader of heuen as his aw
ne dere son . And yan he als yi most dere
fader sal ordan for ye fully al yat ye nedis .
¶ Go yerfore tristfully to Jhesu criste & beseke
hym mekly yat sen it es not semely yt
he be oft sonns woundid & suffre passion
for ye : neueryeles yat he wouchsafe to re
newe his blissid woundis in his blissid
blude . And yat he wil mak ye al fully
rede in ye same blissyd blude . And if you
be yus cledde in yis blissyd purpour : yu
sal mow yan sikirly entyr in-to ye ken
gis palas of heuen . ¶ And you man
yat ert yus ilk day tempte behold and
hafe in mynde ilk+day of yese blissed woun
dis & yai sal be to ye contynuel refreschyng
& comforth & wt-outy any doute if you
<fol. 68r>fest yes blissid woundis fast in yi hert : yer sal
no entre be lefte opyn to no temptacion . For
what maner es he yat durst eft-sons synne &
fal ogayn to wickidnes yat sees ye hegh
keng & lord of blis so greuously & so hedus
ly woundid for his synnes & his wickidnes .
¶ For sertis if he wold not sese fro synne
for reuerence & compassion of his blissed
woundes : neueryeles when he beheld yat
more greuously payne & penannce wt-ou
tyn comperison yat es dettyd to a synner
yan to an innocent yat neuer dyd synne &
wt yat behold what payne & passion our
lord Jhesu criste suffrede fro ye houre of
his byrth to ye last poynt of his pynful
passion whilk neuer synned ne trespaste .
¶ And thynk yan what pyne es det
tyd to him yat has bene a synner al his lyfe
tyme & a wryche . Jf he thynk yus : soth
ly J suppos yat owthir reuerence or
lufe myght let hym fro syne . yis maner
behaldyng of pyne schuld mak him abste
ne him & leue his synne . ¶ Jf it so be yt yu
<fol. 68v>se criste greuyd wt ye & wroth agayns ye for
yi wickidnes . Fle yan to his blissid moder
Mary whilk es make hope & trest y specia
le aduocate to al synful . & gyfe reuerence
to hyr . honours & worschips . als to ye hegh
moder of god & ask of hyr help wt wepyng
ters & if you sese not lightly bot contynus
deuoutly in prayers : haue you no doute . yat yu
ne sal get of hyr what at you wil . For mercy
& pite has growen wt hyr fro hyr 3outh in
to yis day & yat office es gyuen to hyr speci
aly of god forto be mene & mediatrice be
twix his son & al synful saules whilk fle
or wil fle til hyr protection to purches & get
yaim grace remission & forgyfnes of yer synnes .