The myroure of Oure Ladye, containing a devotional treatise on divine service, with a translation of the offices used by the sisters of the Brigittine monastery of Sion, at Isleworth, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Edited from the original black-letter text of 1530 A.D., by John Henry Blunt.

¶ What is vnderstonded by the thre lessons wyth the Responces & verses folowynge.

Thre thinges ar nedefull to the comon helthe of [The three things necessary to spiritual health: 1. Power to dis∣tinguish good and evil.] man. The fyrste ys. that the vnderstondinge be lyghtened with knowlege of trouth to knowe what ys good & what ys yuel. And for thys knowlege ys had by redynge & heringe of holsome doctryne{punctel} therfore yt ys vnderstonded by the lessons. ¶ The seconde ys. [2. Free will to love good and hate evil.] good vse of the frewyl that the wylle assente to loue that. that ys knowen good. And to hate that. that ys

knowen yuell. And for the wylle answereth thus to the knowynge. therfore yt ys to vnderstonde by the responce. that ys as moche to say. as answere. for yt answereth in sentence to the lesson as ys before sayde. ¶ The thyrde ys werke so that that thynge that the vn∣derstondyng [3. Practical work in acting on such knowledge and freewill.] knoweth yuel. and the wylle hateth{punctel} be fled in dede and eschewede. And that thynge that the vnderstondynge knoweth good. and that the wyll reuled by grace loueth{punctel} be done in dede. And this is vnder∣stonded. by the verse that is as moche to saye as a tornynge. for the knowlege and wylle. oughte thus to be turned in to dede. And after the verse a parte of the responce is songe ageyne. For as a good wylle causeth good dedes. soo good dedes helpe to stable. and to strengthe the good wylle. ¶ The lessons are [Ritual custom respecting lesson, response, and versicle.] harde. and the responce are songe syttynge. for know∣ynge of trouthe and ryghte rewlynge of the wylle. maye not be. but in a restfull soulle. But the verse ys songe stondynge. for good dedes may not be done wythout laboure. The responce ys songe of all. for euery man maye haue a goode wylle. that is vnder∣stonded by the responce. But the verse ys songe but of few. for all folke may not fulfylle theyr good wylles in dede. that ys vnderstonde by the verse. so moche as the holy apostell saynt Paule sayde. that the myghte [Romanos .vij.] not do the good that he wolde. The lesson ys redde of one and herde of all{punctel} In token that eche congrega∣cion oughte to lyue vnder one gouernoure. that shall teche them and rewle them after goddes lawe. For eche man, namely relygious, oughte not to do after hys owne wytte or knowynge. but after the obedyence and techynge of holy chyrche and of hys souerayne. ¶ Also ye shall vnderstonde that all thys worlde ys [Three ages of the world: 1. That of the law of Nature, i. e. of natural reason enlightened by grace.] departed in to thre tymes. The fyrst tyme was when men lyued after the lawe of nature. that ys to saye. when good men were gouerned by theyr owne naturall reason

lyghtened by grace{punctel} wythoute eny lawe wryten vnto them. And thys tyme endured fro the begynnynge of the worlde vnto Moyses. The seconde tyme was when [2. That of the Mosaic law.] men lyued vnder the lawe writen that god gave to Moyses. And thys endured to the comynge of cryst. The thyrde tyme ys from thense vnto the day of dome. [3. That of the law of Christ.] whyle [Folio .lxij.] chrysten men lyued vnder the lawe of grace. that oure lorde Iesu cryste taughte in hys gospell. and confermed yt after by sendynge of the holy gooste. ¶ And for in all these thre tymes. the chosen of god [In all three ages the elect had suf∣ficient knowledge for guidance in their duty.] had suffysant knowynge of good. and yuell. whyche knowynge ys vnderstonde by the lessons. and also they applyed ther wylle to the loue of god and hate of yuell. whyche wyll ys vnderstonded by the Responce. and therto they dyd theyr dewte to set theyr wylle a worke in dede that ys vnderstonded by the verse{punctel} ther∣fore these thre tymes ar vnderstonded by the thre lessons at mattyns. wyth the responce and verse folow∣yng. ¶ But after the laste responce. ys songe Gloria patri, for after the laste ende of these tymes that shal [After the general judgment the elect will praise God for ever.] be after the day of dome. all the chosen of god shall synge glory and praysynge to the blyssed trynyte wythout ende. Amen.