The lanterne of lizt, ed. from ms. Harl. 2324 / by Lilian M. Swinburn.

Of Ioye in tribulacioun/ Cap^m .XI^m.. ‖

But for þat we reproue þise synnes.̉ þis yuel parti grucchiþ/ and pursueþ wiþ strong hand.̉ to prisoun & to slee/ þerfore must we lerne þe loore.̉ of Cristis hooli gospel/ Mat. v^o. 'Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis homines & persecuti vos fuerint & dixerint omne malum aduersum vos mencientes propter me &c'/ ȝe ben blessid whanne men han oursid ȝou. & han pursued ȝou. & seid al [folio 72b] yuel aȝens ȝou lying for me.̉ Ioye & be myry. for ȝoure mede is miche in heuenes/ And also seint Petir seiþ. I. Pe. iii^o. 'Siquid patimini propter iusticiam.̉ beati' ‖ Whanne þat ȝe suffren ony þing for riȝtwisenesse.̉ blessid mut ȝe be ‖ Seint Poul affermeþ þis sentence.̉ þat Goddis trewe seruauntis/ schullen haue peyne in þis lijf.̉ to kepe hem in vertu/ II. Thimo. iii^o. 'Omnes qui pie volunt viuere in christo iesu.̉ persecucionem pacientur' ‖ Alle

þat euer wole lyue mekeli in Crist Iesu.̉ schal suffre persecucioun ‖ And seint Luk seiþ of þe wordis of Poul.̉ in dedis of þe apostlis. Actus xiiii^o. 'Per multas tribulaciones oportet nos intrare in regnum dei' ‖ Bi manye tribulaciouns. it bihoueþ vs to entre.̉ in to þe rewme of God/ And þus seiþ þe prophete. Ps. xxxiii. 'Multe tribulaciones iustorum.̉ et de omnibus hijs liberabit eos dominus'/ many be þe tribulaciouns.̉ þat fallen to þe riȝtwise/ and from hem alle whanne tyme comeþ.̉ God schal delyuer hem ‖ Crist bihiȝt þis maner of lijf.̉ to hise owene disciplis/ and ȝaue hem in counfort þat [folio 73a] þei schal haue.̉ a graciouse delyueraunce/ for þanne schal blisse be miche þe swetter.̉ whanne þei comen þerto/ Ion. xvi^o./ 'Amen amen dico vobis. quia plorabitis & flebitis vos mundus autem gaudebit vos autem contristabimini. sed tristicia uestra vertetur in gaudium & gaudium vestrum. nemo tollet a vobis' ‖ Treweli I seie to ȝou þe trouþe.̉ ȝe schal greete & weepe/ forsoþe þis world schal ioye.̉ & ȝe schal be ful heuy/ and aftir þis ȝoure heuynes.̉ schal be turned in to ioie/ & ȝoure ioye schal be so siker.̉ þat no man schal take it fro ȝou/ And for þis ioie schulde sauour wel.̉ to hem þat ben hise louears/ he sendeþ hem tribulacioun.̉ as seint Gregor seiþ/ 'Deus electis suis iter ostendit asperum.̉ ne si delectentur in via obliuiscantur eorum que sunt in patria'/ & iterum/ 'tribulaciones que in hoc mundo nos premunt. nos ad deum ire compellunt'/ Iterum. 'Oculos quos culpa claudit.̉

pena aperit' ‖ God schewiþ to hise chosen.̉ scharpnes in þis [folio 73b] iourney/ lest bihap if þei delited hem.̉ in þis deedli weye/ þei myȝt forȝete þe þingis.̉ þat ben in heuenli countre/ Tribulaciouns þat brisen vs doun.̉ in þis wrecchid world/ þei constreynen vs to go to God.̉ þat liȝtli myȝt be dampned/ for þoo iȝen þat synne closiþ.̉ peyne makiþ hem open/ and many a man þat hauntiþ þeeft.̉ wiþ manye oþir synnes/ if þei were lame. blynde. or crokid.̉ of Goddis visitacioun/ þei schulden cese & serue her God.̉ & do penaunce ful treweli/ as Crisostom seiþ. om. iii. 'Anima spiritus est & spirituales penas timet. carnales non timet. verum & sancti penas huius seculi contempnunt & futurum iudicium timent vbi spiritus cruciantur ‖ Caro autem spirituales penas non timet. carnales autem timet. ideo mali non cessant peccare nisi eos iudicia carnalia & terrena conpescant propterea mittet dominus super seruos suos carnales temptaciones ut conbusta caro non concupiscat malum' ‖ Þe soule is a spirit.̉ & drediþ spiritual peynes/ but it [folio 74a] wole not drede.̉ þe peynes of þe fleische/ & þerfore seyntis dispisiden.̉ peynes of þis world/ & dreden þe last iugement.̉ where spiritis ben turmentid/ Forsoþe þe fleische cannot drede.̉ goostli peynes to cum/ but he drediþ in þis lijf.̉ to suffre ony peynes/ þerfore þe yuel cessen not.̉ for to do synne/ but if iugement of þe fleische.̉ constreynen hem to be stille/ & for þis cause þe Lord schal sende.̉ vpon hise seruauntis/ sore punysching to her fleische.̉ & oþir tribulaciouns/ þat lust of þe fleische mai be sweilid.̉ from coueiting of yuel. We must nede breke þe nutt.̉ if we wole haue þe kirnel/ we must nedis suffre traueile.̉ if we desiren rest/ So must we nede suffre peyne.̉ if we wole cum to blisse ‖

He is a fals coward knyȝt.̉ þat fleeþ & hideþ his heed/ whanne his maistir is in þe feelde.̉ beten among hise enemyes ‖ But oure Lord Iesu Crist.̉ was beten of þe Iewis/ & aftir died in þe felde.̉ [folio 74b] on þe mount of Calverie/ to paye oure raunsum he tooke his deeþ.̉ for he no þing giltid/ and his bodi whanne it was offrid.̉ made aseeþ at fulle/ in redempcioun of mankynde.̉ þerfore þe wise man seiþ Ecc1. xxix^o. 'Gratiam fideiussoris ne obliuiscaris dedit enim pro te animam suam'/ Forȝete þou not þe kyndenes of þi borow.̉

forsoþe he haþ ȝouun for þee his lijf ‖ Þis borow is oure Lord God.̉ þat wiþouten mede/ cam from heuene in to þis world.̉ for to borow hise peple/ and in takyng fleische & blood.̉ of þe virgyn Mary/ he schewid vs grace & kyndenes.̉ boþe in worde & worchyng/ But in ȝyuyng of his lijf.̉ he leide his bodi in plege/ ȝhe to þe deeþ he wolde not spare.̉ so miche he loued hise peple ‖ If þat feiþ be trewe in vs.̉ þis mai not be forȝeten ‖

Summe forsaken synnes.̉ & swen Crist in vertu/ & þis is a greet kyndenes.̉ þouȝ þei stiȝe no hiȝer ‖ Summe done wake in abstinence.̉ & studien holi lessouns. þis is þanne a gretter kyndenes.̉ if þey flee from synne/ summe ben redi whanne þei ben clepid.̉ of þe Hooli Goost/ to suffre deeþ for Iesu Crist.̉ & witnesse of his [folio 75a] lawe/ and whanne þei haue clennes in lyuyng.̉ þis is þe greetest kyndenes/ as þe gospel schewiþ. Ion. xv^o. 'Maiorem hac dileccionem nemo habet vt animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis'/ A gretter loue or charite mai no man haue.̉ þan to leie his lijf. in sauyng of hise frendis soule ‖ we were leef & dere to God.̉ whanne we took þe baptem/ but we ben miche derworþier.̉ whanne we done þe werkis/ þat God haþ boden in his lawe.̉ wiþouten ony grucchyng ‖ And if we maynten þis bileue.̉ & wole not go þerfro/ neiþir bicum renagatis.̉ for peyne þat mai falle/ but þenk on Cristis passioun.̉ þat swagiþ al heuynes/ Þanne ben we moost derworþiest.̉ and worþi hiȝest merit/ & þerfore seiþ seint Poul vnto þe Galatheis/ Gala. vi^o. 'Michi autem absit gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri Iesu Christi per quem mihi mundus crucifixus est & ego mundo'/ Fer be it to me seiþ seint Poul.̉ to make ony glory/ but in þe cros.̉ þat is þe passioun.̉ of oure Lord Iesu [folio 75b] Crist/ bi whom þis world is crucified to me.̉ & I am crucified to þe world ‖ For þis world dispisid Poul.̉ & he dispised þe world/ Summe be not crucified to þe world.̉ but þe world is crucified to

hem/ for þei dispisen þis world.̉ but þis world dispiseþ not hem/ Summ ben crucified to þe world.̉ but not so þe world to hem/ for þouȝ þe world dispise hem.̉ þei dispisen it not aȝen ‖ Summe ben noþir crucified to þe world.̉ ne þe world to hem/ for neiþir þei dispise þe world.̉ ne þe world hem/ In þe firste degre.̉ weren þe apostlis/ and in þe secounde degre.̉ ben oþir good lyuars ‖ But in þe þridde & þe fourþe degree.̉ ben þoo þat schal be dampned/ And þerfore we schal vndirstande.̉ þat summe suffren peyne/ for to saue þe peple.̉ & so dide Iesu Crist/ whanne þei myȝt not saue hem silf.̉ & schewid his greet kyndenes ‖ Summe suffren peyne.̉ & largen her mede/ as dide Cristis apostles.̉ & manye oþir martris/ Summe suffren peyne.̉ to purge hem of her synne/ þat þei han [folio 76a] done in tyme bifore.̉ & crien God of mercy/ Summe suffren peyne.̉ to kepe hem from synne/ þat þei schulde be acumbrid wiþ.̉ if ne peyne were/ But summe suffren peyne.̉ for þei haunten synne/ & for þei make non ende þerof.̉ þe peyne schal laste wiþouten ende ‖ Ioyne we þanne þe cros of God.̉ vnto oure bare fleische/ þat oure part mai be founden.̉ among þise hooli seyntis/ þat wilfulli forsoke hem silf.̉ & ioyed in tribulacioun/ as seint Iames seiþ. Iaco. i^o. 'Omne gaudium existimaste fratres mei cum in temptaciones varias incideritis. scientes quod probacio fidei vestre operatur pacienciam. paciencia autem opus perfectum habet' ‖ Mi briþeren hope ȝe al ioye.̉ whanne ȝe han sliden in among diuerse temptaciouns/ witing þat þe prouyng of ȝoure feiþ.̉ worchiþ pacience/ forsoþe pacience haþ a perfiȝt werk.̉ þat ȝe moun be perfiȝt in soule/ & hool in bodi.̉ & in no þing failing ‖

Notes

• Vulg. Matt. v. 11 'Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis et persecuti,' etc.
• W. V. 'Ȝee shulen be blessid, when men shulen curse ȝou, and shulen pursue ȝou, and shulen say al yuel aȝeins ȝou leeȝing for me. Joye ȝee with yn forth, and glade ȝee with out forth, for ȝoure meede is plenteuouse in heuenes.'
• Vulg. 1 Pet. iii. 14.
• W. V. 'But if ȝe suffren ony thing for riȝtwisenesse, ȝe ben blessid.'
• Vulg. 2 Tim. iii. 12.
• W. V. 'Alle men that wolen lyue piteuously in Crist Jhesu, schulen suffre persecucioun.' 1388, 'Alle men that wolen lyue feithfull in Crist Jhesu schulen suffre persecucioun.'
• Vulg. Acts xiv. 21.
• W. V. 'By manye tribulaciouns it behoueth us for to entre into the kingdom of heuenes.'
• MS. biberauit.
• Vulg. Ps. xxxiii. 19.
• W. V. 'Manye tribulaciouns of the riȝtwise; and of alle these schal delyuere them the Lord.' 1388, 'Many tribulaciouns ben of iust men; and the Lord schal delyuere hem fro alle these.'
• Vulg. John xvi. 20, 22.
• W. V. 'Treuli treuli, I seye to ȝou, for ȝe schulen morne and wepe. forsothe the world schal enioye; forsoþe ȝe schulen be sorwful, but ȝoure sorwe schal turne into ioye, and no man schal take fro ȝou ȝoure ioye.'
• Gregorius Magnus, Moralium Lib. XXIII, cap. xxiv. 47 (Migne, tom. 76, cols. 279, 280).
• Gregorius Magnus, Moralium Lib. XV, cap. li. 58 (Migne, tom. 75, col. 1111).
• S. Ioan. Chrysostomus, (Homilia III, Opera, ed. 1547, tom. ii, col. 763).
• Vulg. Ecclesiasticus xxix. 20.
• W. V. 'The grace of the borȝ ne forgete thou; forsothe he ȝaf for thee his soule.' 1388, 'Forȝete thou not the grace of the borewe; for he ȝaf his lijf for thee.'
• Vulg. Joh. xv. 13.
• W. V. 'No man hath more loue than this, that ony man putte his soul (that is, lyf), for his frendis.'
• Vulg. Gal. vi. 14.
• W. V. 'Be it ferr to me to glorie, no but in the cross of oure Lord Jhesu Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.' 1388, 'But fer be it fro me to haue glorie, no but in the crosse of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom the world is crucified to me, and Y to the world.'
• Vulg. Jac. i. 2.
• W. V. 'My britheren, gesse ȝe, (or deme), al ioye, whan ȝe shulen falle in to diuerse temptaciouns, (or tribulaciouns), witynge, that the prouyng of ȝoure feith werchith pacience; sotheli pacience hath parfijt werk, that ȝe be parfijt and hool, in no thing faylinge.' 1388, 'My britheren, deme ȝe al joye, whanne ȝe fallen in to diuerse temptaciouns, witynge, that the preuyng of ȝoure feith worchith pacience; and pacience hath a perfit werk, that ȝe be perfit and hole, and faile in no thing.'