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Deuoute redyng of holy Bokes. ys called one of the [The spiritual value of devout reading, if rightly undertaken.] partes of contemplacyon. for yt causyth moche grace. and comforte to the soulle yf yt be well and dyscretely
vsed. And moche holy redynge is ofte loste for lacke of dylygence. that yt is not entended as yt oughte to be. Therfore yf ye wyll profyte in redynge ye nede to kepe these fyue thynges. ¶ Fryste ye oughte to take hede what ye rede. that yt be suche thynge as ys spede∣full [.j. Care to be used in selection of books.] for you to rede. and conuenyente to the degre that ye stonde in. For ye oughte to rede no worldely [Worldly books not suitable for the Sisters of Syon.] matters. ne worldely bokes. namely suche as ar wythout reason of gostly edyfycacyon. and longe not to the nede of the howse, ye oughte also to rede no bokes that speke of vanytyes or tryfels. and moche lesse no bokes of yuel. or occasyon to yuel. For syth youre holy rewle forbydeth you all vayne and ydel wordes. in all tymes and places; by the same yt forbyddeth you redynge of all vayne and ydel thynges. for redyng is a maner of spekeynge. ¶ The seconde whan ye begynne to rede, or to here suche bokes of gostly fruyte as accordeth for you to [.ij. The mind to be disposed to reverent and devout attention.] rede. or to here; that then ye dyspose you therto with meke reuerence and deuocyon. For lyke as in prayer. man spekyth to god; so in redynge god spekyth to man. and therfore he oughte reuerently to be herde. And also meke reuerence had to the worde: causeth grace and lyghte of vnderstandynge to enter in to the soulle wherby the soulle seyth and feleth more openly the trouth of the worde and hathe the more comforte. & edyfycacyon therof. And therfore sayth the scryp∣ture. Esto mansuetus ad audiendum verbum dei vt [Eclesiastice .v.] intelligas. that is to say. Be thou meke and mylde to here the worde of god. that thou vnderstande yt. As yf he sayd. But thou haue mekenes in herynge and redynge the worde, thou mayste not be sewre of the trew vnderstandynge therof. For our lorde Jesu cryste [Math. xj.] sayth in hys gospell. that the father of heuen hathe hyden the mysteryes and trouthes of hys scrypture from the prowde. that ar wyse in theyr owne syghte. & he hathe shewed them to meke. ¶ The thyrde that
ye laboure to vnderstande the same thynge that ye [.iij. There should be an endeavour to understand what is read.] rede. For Caton taughte his sonne to rede so hys pre∣ceptes. that he vnderstande them. For yt is he sayth grete neglygence to rede & not to vnderstande. And therfore when ye rede by your selfe alone. ye oughte not to be hasty to rede moche at ones. but ye oughte [Not reading too much at a time, and occasionally reading the same passage over and over again.] to abyde thervpon. & som tyme rede a thynge ageyne twyes. or thryes. or oftener tyl ye vnderstonde yt clerely. For saynt Austyn sayeth that no man shulde wene to vnderstonde a thynge suffycyently in eny wyse by ones redynge. And yf ye cannot vnderstonde what ye rede. aske of other that can teche you. And they that can oughte not to be lothe to teche other. For as a clarke writeth. there be thre thynges that make a dyscyple passe his master. One is often to aske & to lerne [Folio .xxxiij.] that he can not. Another is bysely to kepe in mynde that he lerneth & herith. And the thyrde is redely & frely to teche fourth to other. tho thynges that he hath lerned & can. ¶ They also that rede in the Couente. [Those who have to read aloud should look over beforehand what they have to read, so as to mind their stops, &c.] ought so bysely to ouerse theyr lesson before. & to vnderstonde yt; that they may poynte yt as it oughte to be poynted. & rede. yt sauourly & openly to the vnderstondinge of the heres. And that may they not do; but yf they vnderstonde yt. & sauoure yt fyrste themselfe. ¶ The .iiii. thing that is to be kepte in redyng. is that ye dresse so your entente. that your [.iv. We should read, not to seem clever, but to become well-informed, and for our improve∣ment.] redyng & study. be not only for to be connynge. or for to can speke yt fourthe to other; but pryncypally to enforme your selfe. & to set yt a warke in youre owne lyuynge. For saynt Paul sayeth. Regnum dei non est [Pri. Cor iiij.] in sermone, sed in virtute. That ys The kyngdome of god is not in worde but in verteu. For he that studyeth after connynge to be helde wyse. or to can say well. & studyeth not to do therafter; he laboreth agenste hymselfe. For our lorde sayth in hys gospel. [Luce. xij.] that the seruant that knowyth his lordes wyl. & dothe
yt not; shal be beten with many woundes. ¶ The fyfte thynge ys dyscressyon. So that after the matter [.v. Discretion is also necessary, for books differ in their objects.] ys, therafter ye dresse you in the redyng. For ye shall vnderstonde that dyuerse bokes. speke in dyuerse wyses. For some bokes ar made to enforme the [Some books are intended for guiding the understanding as to the spiritual life.] vnderstondynge. & to tel how spiritual persones oughte to be gouerned in all theyr lyuynge that they may knowe what they shall leue. & what they shall do. how they shulde laboure in clensyng of theyr conscyence. & in gettyng of vertewes how they shulde withstonde temptacyons & suffer trybulacyons. & how they shall pray. & occupy them in gostly excercyse. with many suche other full holy doctrynes. And when ye rede eny suche bokes; ye oughte to beholde in yourselfe [Such books should be used in self-examination,] sadly whether ye lyue & do as ye rede or no. & what wyl and desyre ye haue therto. & what entendaunce & laboure ye do therabout. And yf ye fele that youre lyfe ys rewled in verteu accordynge to that ye rede; then ye oughte hartely & mekely to thanke our lorde therof. that is geuer of all gooddes. & to pray hym with a feruente desyre. that ye may con∣tyneu [and to stimulate us to better living.] & encrese euer more & more in his grace. And yf ye fele & se in youre selfe. that ye lacke suche verteows gouernaunce as ye rede of; then nede ye to be right ware that ye passe not rechelesly fourth ouer. as though we roughte not therof. But ye ought to abyde thervpon. & inwardly sorow for the defaulte & lacke that ye se in yourselfe. & besely to kepe in mynde that lesson that so sheweth you to youre selfe & ofte to rede yt ageyne. & to loke theron. & on your selfe. with full purpose & wyll to amende you & to dresse youre lyfe therafter. In thys wyse oughte ye to rede the fyrste parte of thys boke. whyche enformeth you to vnder∣stande. & to knowe how ye oughte to be gouerned in saynge. & syngyng & redyng of your deuyne seruice. ¶ Other bokes ther be that ar made to quyken. & to
sturre vp the affeccyons of the soule. as som that tel of [Some books are intended to stir the affections and feelings, to make us fear judgment, sorrow for sin;] the sorowes & dredes of dethe. & of dome. & of paynes. to sturre vp the affeccyons of drede. & of sorow for synne. Som tel of the grete benefites of our lorde god. how he made vs. and boughte vs. and what loue and mercy he shewyth contynewaly to vs. to sturre vp oure affeccyons of loue. and of hope in to hym. Somme [to increase our love of God and our desire for heaven.] telle of the ioyes of heuen. to sturre vp the affeccions of ioye to desyre thyderwarde. [Folio .xxxiiij.] And some telle of the foulnes & wretchednesse of syn. to sturre vp the affec∣cyons of hate and lothynge ther agenst. ¶ When ye rede these bokes ye oughte to laboure in your selfe inwardly. to sturre vp your affeccyons accordingly to the matter that ye rede. As when ye rede maters of drede. ye ought to set you to conceyue a drede in your selfe. And when ye rede maters of hope, ye oughte to sturre vp yourselfe to fele comforte of the same hope, and so fourth of other. ¶ Netheles yt is expediente [But such books are best used as occasion may require:] that eche persone vse to rede. and to study in this maner of bokes, suche matters. as be moste conuenyente to hym for the tyme. For yf eny were drawen downe [those who are despondent need books that will give them com∣fort and hope, and so in other cases.] in bytternes of temptacyon or of trybulacyon yt were not spedefull to hym for that tyme. to study in bokes of heuynes & of drede. though he felte hymselfe wyllyng therto. but rather in suche bokes as mighte sturre vp. hys affeccyons to comforte and to hope. And so is yt to be sayde dyuersely. after the diuersyte of dysposycions that persones ar sturred wyth for the tyme. For yt is writen in Vitas patrum that when fendes had longe [Secunda parte.] tempted an holy man; at last they cryed and sayd vnto hym. Thow hast ouercome vs. for when we wolde [§ .98. de ex∣hortationibus patrum.] lyfte the vp by to moche hope, thou berest downe thy selfe in drede. and sorow of thy synnes. & when we wolde brynge the in ouer moche drede and heuynes, then thou rerest vp thyselfe to hope, & comforte of mercy. And so we can gette no holde on the.
¶ There be also some bokes. that treate bothe of [Other books combine the features of both the preceding kinds.] maters to enforme the vnderstondyng. and also of matters to sturre vp the affeccions. Somtyme of the tone, and some tyme of the tother. And in redynge of suche bokes. ye oughte to dyspose you to bothe as the matter asketh. and as I haue now sayde before. And in this wyse oughte ye to rede the seconde parte [This is the character of the second part of the Mirror, which is intended partly to inform the mind and partly to stir up the heart.] of this boke For therin is youre vnderstondyng enformed to wyt what youre seruice menyth. And in the selfe seruyce your affeccyons ought to be sturred. sometyme to loue and ioye. and praysynges of oure lorde Iesu cryste. & of hys moste holy mother, sometyme to dreade. sometyme to hope. and sometyme to sorow & to compassyon and that specyally on fryday. where is made mynde of oure lordes holy passyon and of the compassyon of hys blessed mother oure lady. ¶ Also in thys seconde parte. the fyrste worde of eche Antempne. and of eche hympne. and of eche responce. and verse. & so fourthe of all other, is writen in latyn [How the Latin, the English, and the exposition, are arranged in the Mirror.] with Romeyne letter that ye may know therby where yt begynneth. And the selfe englyshe of all the same latyn folowynge. is imprynted wyth a smaller letter. And that ys the exposycyon of the latyn. And by this dyfference ye may knowe which ys the bare englysshe of the latyn, and whyche ys putte therto for to ex∣pounde yt. And therfore they that se this boke and rede yt may better vnderstande yt then they that here yt, and se yt not.
¶ Also when thys seconde parte ys redde openly in the Couente. yt shall not nede alway to rede the latin [How it is to be used in reading aloud.] namely where the mater hangeth to gither. as yt doth in your legende & in some other places. For yt shulde in maner let the vnderstondynge from the herers. And therfore yt is ynough to rede only the latyn in the beginnynge of eche lesson. And not in the begynnynge of eche clause of the lesson. But in other places of
your seruice [Folio .xxxv.] where the mater hangeth not togyther. but eche thing ys dyuerse in sentence from other. as ar the Antemnes and responces. and other lyke; there yt ys well done to rede the fyrst worde in latyn as yt is wryten for the latyn is writen so, in the begynnyng of teche clause that ye shulde redely knowe. when ye haue the latyn before you. what englysshe longeth to eche clause by yt selfe. And also when youre [How it may be used in service time for under∣standing the Latin service.] legende ys redde at mattyns. yf eny wolde in the meane tyme haue the englysshe before her, and fede her mynde therewyth. then the latyn that ys wryten in the begynnynge of eche clause of the englysshe. shulde helpe her moche, & dyrecte her that she may go forthe with the reder clause by clause. For else she shulde not knowe by the englysshe a lone where the reder of the latyn were. This lokeynge on the englyshe whyle the latyn ys redde. ys to be vnderstonde of them that haue sayde theyre mattyns or redde theyr legende before. For else I wolde not counsell them to leue the herynge of the latyn. for entendaunce of the englysshe. ¶ And for as moche as yt is forboden [The texts from Holy Scripture are translated under the license of the Bishop of the Diocese.] vnder payne of cursynge, that no man shulde haue ne drawe eny texte of holy scrypture in to englysshe wythout lycense of the bysshop dyocesan. And in dyuerse places of youre seruyce ar suche textes of holy scrypture; therfore I asked & haue lysence of oure bysshop to drawe suche thinges in to englysshe to your gostly comforte and profyt. so that bothe oure consyence in the drawynge and youres in the hauynge. may be the more sewre and clere. to oure lordes worshyp, whyche kepe vs in hys grace, and brynge vs to hys blysse. Amen.