A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster Iohn Gerson: and translate into Englisshe the yere of owre lorde M.d.ii. by maister william Atkynson Doctor of diuinite: at ye speciall request [and] co[m]maundeme[n]t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the. vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby.

¶ The .xiii. chap•• of the informacion of pacience & of stryfe ageynst sensualite.

LOrde god sayth the deuoute soule vnto god as I fele & vnderstande pacience is full ne∣cessary vnto me / for many cōtrarious chaūces fall ī this lyfe: howe soeuer I order my selfe for pease to be hadde. I can nat haue it withoute batayle ne my lyfe can nat be without sorowe and trouble wherto our lorde sayth / Sōne thou sayest truely I wil nat that thou seke suche peas as wanteth tēptacion and trowble or cōtradiccion: but coūte the than to haue foūde peas / whā y^• art exercised with diuers trow∣bles / & {pro}ued with diuers aduersitees / & if thou saye that thou maist nat suffre such peynes. How maist

thou suffre the fell peynes of Purgatory of .ii. euils the lesse is alweye to be suffered & chosen. wherfore suffre thou paciently the aduersitees & euyls of this worlde or lyfe that thou maist auoide the peynes e∣uerlastīge folowīge hereafter for syne. Trowest y^u that wordly men y^• be in welthe & wordly besynesse suffre no aduersite thou shalte nat fynde one suche ye if thou present the most delycate {per}sone y^t y^u caust finde: but thou saist to me agayn. They haue delec∣table thinges & pleasures. & they folowe euer theyr owne wyll / & therfore they ponder nat theyr trow∣bles: But howe be it that they haue theyr desire / & in ryches / & wordly pleasures that they besacyatte with howe longe trowest thou it shall last? Sothly such folke as abondeth in wordly goodes & plesurs shall soone fayle & euanysshe as dothe the smoke of fyre. No remembraunce lefte of theyr ioyes before had. whiche also whan they lyued was nat fynally without great anguysshe / tydyousnes / & drede oftē time they receyue great troubles / & peyne of suche thynges as they haue great solace & pleasure in be∣fore for of right wisnes it foloweth to suche {per}sons y^• they fulfyl nat withoute great cōfusion & peyne the delectacions & wordly pleasurs y^t they haue before sought & folowed with great īordinate delite & ple∣sure how short / how vyle / & fals is the wordly glory & pleasurs. Suerly they be very fals & fikil and yet they be nat perceyued / for the blyndnes of mannes soule / so that man as a beest vnreasonable for a litel plesure or cōmodite of this transetory lyfe renneth

into euerlastinge dethe of soule. wherfore sōne fle to folowe thyn owne wyll alway & folowe nat thy ple∣sure & desire. Put thy delite & fixe thy loue in god / & he wyll graunt the thy peticion & desyre of hert. Fle all wordly inordinate pleasures & delectacions and thou shalt haue aboundaūt & heuenly cōsolacion. & the more thou preseruest the from the solace of erth∣ly creatures: the more swete cōsolacions thou shalte fynde in almyghty god. But fyrst thou must come to suche gostly cōsolacions with greate heuynes / & lamentacion & with great labour & stryfe ī thy selfe ageynste thy sensuall {per}ties. Thy olde synfull custo∣me wyll agaynstande the in suche goostely labour but he shalbe vanisshed & ouercome with a bet•• cu∣stome. The flesshe wyll murmoure & grutch ageīst suche labours: bur the feruour of the mīde maye re∣frayne hym. The olde euemye to mānes soule wyll let the but thou maist chase hym away by prayer & by {pro}fitable occupacion he & his wayes shalbe let.