Here after ensueth two fruytfull sermons, made [and] compyled by the ryght Reuerende father in god Iohn̄ Fyssher, Doctour of Dyuynyte and Bysshop of Rochester

THe seconde consideracyon, & that which peraduēture ye wyll the more regarde, is this. Euery one of vs hath som of his frendes and kynsfolke there / eyther father or mother / syster or brother, neuew or nece, or some of his nygh acquayntaunce. There is non here, but he hath there sum of his kynrede, or som of his aly∣aunce, or som of his frendes to whom he had in this worlde here tofore som fauour and frende∣shyp. And whan is this frendeshyp moste to be shewyd, but whan his frende is in greate dy∣stresse? for than hath he most nede of his helpe / & specyally whan he is in that condycyon that he can not helpe hymselfe. Now doubtles they be so, as I shal shew vnto you hereafter. Now therfore yf our frendeshyp be a trew frendshyp and nat fayned nor simulate (as god knoweth moche semblyd frendshyp reigneth now in this worlde) now let vs do lyke frēdes, now let vs study to releue them by our prayers and almose dedes / now let vs be louyng vnto them as we pretentyd loue before vnto theym whyles they were conuersaunt with vs in this worlde here. For as scrypture sayth. Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est. Nat onely for the tyme of pros∣peryte (as many do now adays) but also for the tyme of aduersyte. They that only for the tyme of prosperytye shewe theyr frendeshyp, they be lyke vnto the Swalowes / which all the tyme of Somer abyde with men / but as sone as any blast of wynter or of colde wedder doth appere, they shrynke away and prately conuey them

self, and leue the other to suffre the stormes. In lyke maner doth this fayned frendshyp / so long as any man hath prosperytye and possessyon of goodes, honours, & pleasures in this life, so long they be his frende. But whan the stormes of ad¦uersytye begyn to blow, they shrynke & conuey themselfe away quyckly. ¶ For as moche than as vnto many of them that be now in Purga¦tory, we dyd pretende fauour and amyty, eyther by the reason of kyndred, or of alyaunce, or els by some other famylyar acquayntaunce of the same: let vs now be glad in this tyme of theyr suffraunce & trouble, to socour theym with our prayers. And this is the second consyderacyon.