A ryght fruitfull monicion concernynge the order of a good Christen mannes lyfe very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon / made by the famouse doctour Colet, sometyme deane of Paules.

REmembre fyrst of all (vertu••{us} reder) that it is hygh ••oysed on••e and great perfection to knowe thy selfe / and than to dispise thy selfe. As to know thou haste nothing y^t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 good of thy selfe, but all together of ••od. For the gyftes of nature, and all other temporall gyftes of this worlde ••hiche ben laufully and truely oprey∣••ed (well consydered) ben comen to ••he by the infinite goodnes and grace ••f god, and not of thy selfe. And most 〈◊〉〈◊〉 especiall it is necessarye for the to ••nowe howe that god of his greatte ••race hath made the lyke to his owne ••m••••tude or ymage, hauynge regarde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thy memory, vnderstādyng, and ••re¦••yll. And to knowe howe god is thy ••aker, & thou his wretched creature. ••nd to know how thou arte redemed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 god by the passyon of Christ Iesu, •• & know how god is thy helper, thy re¦•…•…ge & thy deliuerer frō all yuell. And consyder & to knowe the goodly or∣der,

whiche god of his infynyte wys∣dome hath ordeyned the to be ordred by. As to haue these temporall goo∣des for the necessytie of the bodye / the body and sensuall appetytes to be or∣dred by thy soule / thy soule to be or∣dred by reason and grace / by reason & grace, to know thy duetie to god and to thy neighbour. And by all comune reason, yf thou kepe this conuenient order to god and his creatures, they shall kepe theyr order to the: But yf thou breke thyne order to them, of ly∣kelyhood they shall breke their order to the. For how shulde thy wyfe, chyl¦dren, seruauntes, and other creatures with whome thou haste doynges, do theyr dueties, and kepe theyr order to the, yf thou doest not so to god and to them? And also thynke thou of a sure∣tie, that yf thy sensuall appetite be not ordred by reason and grace, thou arte worse ordred than a beest / for thā thou lyuest out of order, and so doeth not a beest / whiche is a great shame and re∣buke to the a reasonable creature / and without the great mercy of god, it sha•…•…

be to thyne eternall dampnacion. And therfore thynke and thanke god, & vt∣terly dispise thy selfe, and thynke thy selfe a great wretche in that, that god hath done so moche for the / and thou haste so ofte offended his highnes, and also done hym so lytle seruyce. Surely it is also great wisdom to thynke, that if it had pleased god for to haue gyuen to all other men (aswell beggers as o∣ther) lyke grace as he hath gyuen to the, that they wolde haue serued his goodnes better thā thy selfe hast don: wherfore, thynke thy selfe a wretche of all wretches, without the mercye of god. And therfore by his infinite mer∣cy & grace, call vnto thy remembraūc•• the degree or dignytie the whiche al∣myghty god of his goodnes hath cal∣led the vnto / and accordynge therun∣to, yelde thy det, and do thy duetie.

¶ Fyrste and principally, honour god as thy maker / loue hym as thy rede∣mer / feare hym, as thy iudge. Secon∣eyly, thy neighbour whiche is thy su∣perior, obey. Haue concorde and peace with them whiche ben euen with the

in degree / and haue mercy and pitie on thyne inferiors▪ Thirdly, prouide the to haue a clene hert, and a good custo∣dy of thy tonge. Pray and take labour by grace to haue wisdome & cunnynge to do thy duetie to god and to thy ney∣ghbour. And in all thy wordes and de∣des, haue euer in mynde that god & his aungels hereth & seeth euery thinge•• and that nothynge is so priuely doon, but it shall be made open. And in espe∣cyall haue in mynde that thou shalte dye shortly / & how Christ dyed for the / the subtyltie & falsnes of this tempo∣rall world / the ioyes of heuen, and the paynes of hell. And euery mornynge amonge other thy meditacions and prayers / pray vnto thy lorde god that the day folowynge / thou (accordynge to the degree / the whiche of his infy∣nyte goodnes and mercy hath called the vnto) mayste vse this temporall wretched worlde in thy thoughtes / wordes / and dedes, that by them / and the meryte of Christis passion / thou mayst eschewe the paynes of hell / and come to the ioye euerlastynge. And in

executyng therof, kepe trouthe in wor¦des and dedes. Defende no man / nor no matter agaynst the trouthe. In all thynges thynke and trust in god / and he shall dyrecte thy wayes. Trust not to thyne owne wytte, but feare god / and he wyll kepe the from yuell. If thou truste more in thyne owne wytte than in the grace of god / thy polycye shall be soone subuerted. Be contente to here good counsayle, thoughe it be contrarye to thy wyll, for he is a very foole, that wyll here nothyng gladly / but that is accordynge to his mynde. Do thou no man harme, lest thou suf∣frest the same. As thou willest be done vnto the, so do thou vnto an other. Be suche to other, as thou desyreste they shulde be to the. If thou be religious remēbre that the due executiō of true religion, is not in wearyng of the ha∣byte, but with a clene mynde in very dede to execute the rules & ordinaūces of religion. For so it is, y^t to weare the habite / and not to execute the rule and order of religiō, is rather to be demed ypocrysy or apostasy, than other wyse.

If thou be laye & vnmaryed, kepe the clene vnto the tyme thou be maryed. And remembre the sore and terrible pu¦nysshement of Noes flood, and of the terryble fyre and brymstone, and sore punysshment of Sodom and Gomor, don to man for misusyng of the flesshe. And in especyall, call to remembraūce the meruailous and horryble punyssh¦ment of the abhominable great poc∣kes, dayly apperynge to our sightes, growynge in & vpon mannes flesshe / the whiche soore punysshement (eue∣ry thynge well remembred) can not be thought, but principally for the inor∣dinate misuse of the fleshe. And if thou intende to marye, or beynge maryed, & haste a good wyfe, thanke our lorde therfore, for she is of his sendynge.

And remembre that thre thinges in es∣pecyall ben pleasaunt to the spyrite of god / that is to say, concorde betwene bretheren, loue and charitie betwene neighbours, and a man and his wyfe well agreynge. And yf thou haue an euyll wyfe, take pacience, and thanke god, for all is for the best, well taken /

how beit, thou art bounden to do and pray for her amēdement, ••eest she go to the deuyll, from whom she came. And haue in remembraunce that the intent of maryage is not in the beestly appe∣ryte or pleasure in the thynge: but the intent therof, is to eschew the synne of the flesshe, or els to haue chyldren.

And yf thou haue chyldren, as moche as thou mayst, brynge them forthe in vertue to be the seruauntes of god.

For it is better for the, and them not to be borne, than otherwise. In thyne aucthoritie, busy the rather to be belo¦ued of thyne inferiors, than to be dred. Let thy subiectes and seruauntes ra∣ther serue & obey the for loue, than for drede or nede. with suche a souereigne goodnes gouerne thy subiectes, that they may be glad to serue the bothe in punysshynge, and also in cherysshyng. Kepe a manerly meane / and be not to strait / forgyue not to soone / kepe a con¦uenient measure in all thy workes.

Go not to meat as a beest, but as a re∣asonable man, say thy grace / & than re¦membre that mo ben sicke and dye by

superfluities of meates / than other¦wyse, wherfore eate with measure; to lyue in helthe. At thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉, haue none other but honest communication / and suche as is accordyng to thy connyng. Backebyre no mā / be me••y in honeste. for sorowe and care hath kylled many▪ and no profyte therein, An no wyse sweare, without compulsyon of the lawe. For where as is great sweryng, from thens is neuer the plage of god. In no wyse braule ne chyde without an vrgent cause. For Solomon sayth, better is a lytell with ioye, thā a hous full of vitayle with brawlynge. Also he sayth, an yuell persone is euer chy∣dynge, and therfore the angell of god shall be sent agaynst hym. Be content at thy dyner, and also at other tymes to gyue parte of that which god hath sent the / for he that wyll not here the crye of a poore man, he shall crye to god, & not be harde. After thy meate, thanke god of that he hath sente the, or els thou doste not as a reasonable man, but lyke a beest, which in eatyng remembreth nothynge but his meate.

with good prouidence and discretion∣le the tyme where, whan, howe, why, or wherfore thou spekest, doest, or byd∣dest any thyng to be done. whan thou iudgeste any, be he poore or ryche, be∣holde & consider the cause, and not the persone. Be as meke in other mennes causes and offences, as in thyn owne. Syt neuer in dome & iugement with∣out pitie or mercy. for whyle thou hast pitie, and arte mercyfull to other m••s offences, thou hast mercy on thy selfe. For in what measure thou measuresi, it shall be measured to the. yet thou must execute iudgement, but it muste be with pitie or mercy. For (of a sure∣ty) to do mercy & iustice, is more plea∣saunt to god, than to praye or do sacri∣fice vnto hym. Deme no man by light suspections. Fyrste proue, and than deme. In doubles, reie••ue the sentēce to goddes myghte. That thou kno∣west not, commyt it vnto god. Haue¦lyttell or none affection and p•…•…l••••e loue to these erthely & tēporall thiges. For blessed be the ryche manne. that trustethe not in his money and trea∣sure.

And remembre, as a man loueth, so he is / for the louer is in the thyng lo¦ued more properly, than in hym selfe: wherfore, yf a man loue erthely thyn∣ges, he may be called an erthely man. And if he loue principally heuēly thyn∣ges or god, he may be called an heuen¦ly or a godly man: And therfore loue god and heuenly thynges / for vndoub¦ted, that is best, & moost assured loue / for they be, and euer shall, permanent / and all erthely thynges ben soone va∣nysshed and ended / and so the loue of them is in vayne. Also it is wysdom to feare god / for as he sayeth hym selfe: Feare not hym that may kyll the bo∣dy, & can not hurt the soule: but feare hym that can kyll the bodye & also the soule, & commyt them to euerlastynge payne / wherfore, euery euenynge ere thou goo to bed, call to remembraūce (as moche as thou canst) thy though∣tes, wordes, and dedes, sayd and done that day / and if any haue ben to thyne owne profyte, and to the pleasure of god, hertely thanke hym / for by his grace it was done: And yf any haue

ben contrary to his pleasure, aske her∣tely mercy, and recōcile thy selfe short∣ly by repentaūce to eschewe the euer∣lastynge and terrible paynes of hell. For (as saynt Augustyn sayth) there is not a greater madnes, than for a lytle temporall delectacion (whiche is soone done) to lese the eternall ioye, and to be bounde to euerlastynge payne. From the whiche the almyghty father of heuen, by his infy∣nyt power and mercy, and bytter passion, and infynyte wysdome of Iesu Christe, and by the infinite goodnes and cha∣ritie of the holy gooste, kepe vs. Amen. Deo gratias.

¶ Vse well tem∣porall thynges. ¶ Desyre eter∣nalll thynges.

¶ Finis.