Vitas patrum.

¶Dyuerse exhortacyons here folowen whiche begynne in latyn. Quidē sanc∣to{rum} senior &c.

[illustration]

SOme Relygyouses persones questyoned one of the holy fa∣ders of Egypt why he dyde so grete abstynence. Wherunto he answe∣red in this maner My childern it is of necessyte y^t we hate all the reste of this present lyfe and all bodely delectacōns and repleccyon of bely / without to Re¦quyre ony honours to be done vnto vs of men / and our lorde Ihesu cryst shall gyue vs honours celestyall / lyfe with reste eternall / and gloryous gladnesse with his angels. This holy man sayd that mete and drynke are to man beho¦uyng of necessyte / but not withstandyn¦ge men ought not to take theym but for to susteyne the body and not to the full bely as moche as it coude well ta∣ke. Slepe in lykewyse behoueth kynde¦ly vnto man / but also we ought not to slepe as moche as the bodye desyreth / the reason why is / bycause whan we sle¦pe as moche as nature appetyte is / the bodye therby wexeth slowthfull wher∣by he is not so redy for to werke. And to the contrarye watchyng yeldeth the thought & the wytte of man more sub¦tyll and more clene And therfore sayd the holy faders that watchyng in go∣od werkes well ordeyned Illumyneth the thought. And the watchynges su∣per flu and Inordynat bryng forth fra¦nesye and madnesse and greue the he∣de and the body full fore. Semblably¦yre behoueth vnto man not agaynst some other for to moeue his passyons / but for to be angry agaynst hym selfe and his synnes / to the ende that more easely he maye put them from hym in amendyng of his lyfe. ¶Therfore when we see our neyghbours or other doo ony thyng agaynst the cōmaunde¦mente of god / we ought to angre oure selfe agaynst theym for theyr synnes / and suche sharply to correcte in all dy∣lygence to thende that after theyr cor∣reccion and amendement they may be saued and come to euerlastyng blysse.

¶A nother holy fader beyng in the myddes of the desertes lyuyng there in meruayllous abstynence as Inpossible to be borne / was enquyred and questio¦ned of some of them that sore meruayl¦led of his perseueraunce / and how he myght endure in a place soo drye and barayne the grete penaunces that he bare there. Where at he answered that the pouerte that he suffred in this worl¦de was not one houre of the paynes of helle. ¶And more he sayd that it was behofull to vs for soo lytell a tyme as we haue to abyde in this mortall lyfe to do penaunce and resyste agaynst the

desyre of the flesshe / to thende that we maye haue the recompense that neuer shall fayle / that is the glorye eternall. ¶God in dyuerse maners gyueth so∣cours and ayde to them that for the worshyp of hym doon and accomplys¦she thynges that be aboue nature. And to this purpose men fynde that some tyme was a holy fader in Egypte / the whiche by his holy conuersacyon was wounderfully enuyed of the deuylles that oftentymes greuously bete hym. ¶And one daye amonge other they tourmented hym soo sore that on the morowe by the houre of pryme he foū¦de hym selfe soo vnable by feblenes of his bodye / that hym semed he was co¦me to his last daye / aswell by cause of the gryef that they hadde doon vnto hym / as also by cause he had fasted to longe / but notwithstandyng he dyspo¦sed hym to faste vnto the houre of cer∣te. ¶Soone after atte the same houre to hym selfe he sayd that he sholde ca∣ry vnto the houre of se••te / & alwayes he deyed for honger. ¶Consequently when se••te approched / he purposed to fast vnto the houre of none. And thus by many dayes he toke vpon hym su∣che penaunces. ¶One daye as he tro∣wed to haue taken his repast he sawe a grete smoke come out of the baskete wherin he layde his brede / and the whi¦che smoke went out atte the wyndowe of his lytyll ••elle. Soo purposed he to hym selfe that he sholde not ete that daye / and by these abstynences was the sayd holy fader soo confe••ned in the fayth / that he was two dayes without honger ne thrust. ¶And by meane of whiche abstynences and the helpe of god he restrayned and brought vnder feet the temptacyons of lecherye and glotonye.

¶On a tyme certayne brethern went oute of theyr monasterye for to vysyte the holy hermytes in the deserte. And as god ledde them they arryued in the lytyll house of the good holy fader for sayd / of whome they were right so∣uyngly receyued. And bycause that he sawe that the sayd brethern were wery he made them ete before the houre acus¦tomed & them presented of suche goo∣des as he hadde. ¶Comyng towarde euen and after they had acomplysshed theyr orysons / aswell dyurnall as noc∣turnall / y^e holy hermyte departed from them. And he beynge in his gardyn he herde that the sayd brethern complay∣nyng them sayeng the one to the other what is this / these hermytes here ma∣ke better there than we do that are foū¦ded in our monasteryes. The hermyte helde his peas / and on the morowe in the mornyng they toke leue of hym / & went to y^e hermytage of a nother that was not ferre thens. ¶The hermyte that had lodged them the nyght a fore & with whom they had taken theyr bo¦dely repast prayed them that they wol¦de grete in his behalue the hermyte to¦warde whom they purposed for to go / & that they sholde telle hym thyse wor¦des. Beware that thou warre not thy coles. And they promysed hym to telle hym soo. Whan they were come vnto him they gaue him gretyng after theyr promesse. He vnderstode well what his fader hermyte mente by the gretynge that b•• hym sent. Soo made he anone thes•• Relygyouses that were come to

hym to make baskettes and maundes tyll that euen was come / and hym self wrought with them. Whan nyght was come / the hermyte made his orysons not oonly after his custome / but also many suffrages he added therunto. Af¦ter this he sayd to the brethern that we¦re come to him. My brethern and fren¦des / our custome is not for to ete euery daye / but syth that ye be come this day we shall soupe Thenne he toke them brede and salte and a lytyll oyle ouer a fewe coles. Theyr refeccyon thus take the hermyte sette hym selfe to oryson and was therat almoost vnto the daye And thenne he sayde vnto theym. By cause ye be traueled my bretheren we coude not saye all the seruyce that we are wonte for to saye / therfore rest your selfe a lytyll. ¶In the mornyng when they were vp they wold go theyr wayes but the hermyte wolde cōstrayne theym to abyde there with hym two or thre dayes. This notwithstandynge when they sawe his abstynēce they departed at nyght without leue to take of theyr hoste. The whiche Inconuenyent hap¦ped to theym / bycause they hadde grut¦ched ayenst the fyrste fad{er} hermyte that well hadde receyued and fested theym atte theyr comyng. ¶And by this hys∣torye ought to vs to be noted that it is not alwayes of necessyte to make good there to all persones / namely whenne they be vnkynde and vnknowyng the seruyces that men haue doon to them / ¶Fayth and parfyte charyte make to forgete often the worldely concupyscen¦ces. And to this purpose it is here recy¦ted / that on a tyme a holy fader wente for to vysyte one of his felowes whi∣che receyued and entreated hym moche louyngly and made mete redy for him but they wolde fede theyr soules afore theyr bodyes. ¶Soo wente they bothe togyder for to praye god / and rad the psalter and the prophecyes where they toke soo grete pleasure that they where in theyr orysons styll a daye & a nyght ¶Thenne they knowyng to haue su∣che passed the daye / they deuysed togy∣der in spekyng of holy scryptures / and were therat vnto the houre of none. ¶After they toke leue of eche other & wente agayne to theyr celles or lytyll houses. ¶And he that had sette the pot atte the fyre with mete / he was sorow∣full & heuy whan he came to his house of that his felawe was gone withoute to haue taken there his bodely refeccōn ¶And by all this we see how by the sustenaunce spyrytu••ll they forgate to take the refeccyon corporall.

¶Where as men ought to thynke dys¦cretly and by waarly delyberacyon / yf a thynge is lewfull to be doon or euer it shalbe begonne / is here recyted that Zenon the good abbot as he yede to Palestyne foūde hym selfe by the way soo wery that he was constrayned to laye hym selfe doon vnder a tree / nygh whiche tree was a felde full of a frute that we calle a gourde. ¶So thought he for to take one of the sayd gourdes for his refeccyon saynge that in his goynge he sholde take noo grete thyn∣ge of value. ¶But or that he toke it he ymagyned that to take it withoute leue it were thefte. ¶Soo he consy∣dered in hym selfe the tourmente that is ordeyned for theues whan they haue robbed ony thynge. And for to with∣in

drawe yf he coude endure suche tour∣mentes / he putte hym selfe in the gre∣te hete of the sonne / and there so Ioy∣ned by the space of fyue dayes without to departe from one place. And seeng by the grete hete of the sonne the whi∣che he myght not bere / yet sholde he lesse endure the sayd tourmentes. He sayde to hym selfe that he sholde be noo theef / and that it was better to doo his werke and lyue soberly / than to greue ayenst his owne selfe the ma∣yeste dyuyne and to be in daunger of other and of Iustyce. Consyderynge namely that whiche is wryten / labour with thy handes and doo thy besynes and certaynly thou shalte haue mete and drynke suffycauntly.

¶Humylyte ayenst pryde / and absty∣nence ayenst lecherye are vnto vs ne∣cessarye. ¶To this purpose we rede that somtyme was a dyscyple of one of the holy faders / the whiche was contynuelly tempted of the synne of fornycacyon. Neuerthelesse by meane of the grace of god / he resysted ayenst it / aswell by fastyng and prayers / as also by traueyllyng his bodye. ¶The holy fader his mayster seeyng that he toke soo moche payne and traueyll vp¦on hym / sayd vnto hym. ¶Yf thou wylte my sone I shall praye god that he wyll take from the this passyon that thou berest / to the ende that thou haue not soo moche payne to resyste ayenst the temptacyon of the deuyll. ¶The dyscyple answered. My fader I knowe that this to doo I haue gre∣te payne / but also I hope to gadre of it more fruyte. For the more that I fe¦le in me the rebellyon of the flesshe· I employe and enforce my selfe moche more to faste and to praye more / than I sholde doo yf I hadde not the sayde temptacyon. ¶Neuerthelesse I bese∣che the that thou wylt make vnto goo this Requeste / prouyded alwayes that it wyll please hym to gyue me force euer to perseuere in good werkes. ¶The holy fader thenne sayd vnto hym. Now I knowe that thou arte of good wyll and that thou puttest thyne entente and thyne affeccyon so∣ueraynly to please god. Soo wete it my sone / that by the pacyence that thou shalte haue in resystynge / thou shalt acquyre the saluacyon of thy sou¦le. ¶And this wytnesseth saynt Po∣well that sayde to this purpose ayenst the deuyll. I haue ledde good batayll for I haue goten the felde. And bycau¦se I haue well kepte the fayth / from bensforth I shall enioye the crowne of Iustyce / and not I oonly / but also al¦those that loue god and wayte vpon hym.

¶Some tyme was a nother brother that in lyke wyse was sore tempted of the synne of fornycacyon. One nyght he roose vp and wente towarde an ho¦ly fader deuoute and replenysshe of all vertues to whom he confessed his caas ¶The holy fader knowyng his trou¦ble / began to admoneste hym of the vertue of pacyence recytyng vnto him that whiche the psalmyste sayth in the xxv. psalme. Thou that arte in temp¦tacyon Resyste with all thy strengthes be thou stedfaste and take good cora∣ge for to susteyne the cōmaundemen∣tes of god. The brother conforted of these wordes wente ageyne to his her∣mytage

/ and soone he was tempted as he was byfore / wherfore he retourned agayne vnto the sayd holy fader whi∣che recomforted hym as he hadde do∣ne afore. And with this he gaue hym an hope / saynge that yf he perseuered constantly / god sholde sende hym ayde and socours. ¶Soo retourned he ho∣me / but he was more tempted than afo¦re / and came agayne to the sayd holy fader and besought hym that he wol∣de praye for hym. ¶The holy fader gaue him euer a good hope and recom¦forted hym in the fayth / saynge that without ony fawte the temptour / that is to wete the deuyll sholde goo from hym all confuse yf that he resysted co∣rageously / saynge more / that where a batayll is more sharpe & there as men suffre moost of the party aduerse / the vyctorye is there more noble and more dygne of loynge. ¶And to this purpo¦se sayd Ysayas / that the hande of god is euer stronge ynoughe for to socoure vs / and his e••re is euer redy for to here vs / but we maye not goo in paradys / but by many paynes and trybulacōns ¶The brother seynge all these fayre admonycyons / wolde nomore retour∣ne to his hermytage / but abode with the holy fader ¶And from hens forth he resysted agaynst the temptacyons of the deuyll of helle ledynge a lyfe ryght holy and dygne of praysyng. ¶The abbot Moyses was in lykewy¦se tempted of the synne of fornycacion soo strongly that he myght not abyde within his chambre / and for to fynde remedye therto he cam to seke socours and comforte vnto an abbot named Ysodore / of whome he was somwhat comforted in admonestyng hym to re∣syste yf he wolde be champyon and ve¦ray knyght of god. ¶But neuerthe∣lesse the sayd Moyses prayed hym that he sholde not retourne to his chambre ¶Thenne Ysodore seynge that he wolde not goo a waye / he brought him vnto the hyghest place of his house / and made hym to loke out atte a wyn¦dowe towarde the parte Occydentall. ¶And as he loked vp to the ayer / he sawe a multyde of deuyls. ¶Thenne Ysodore sayd vnto hym that they we∣re thoos that tempte the seruauntes of god. ¶After that he made hym to lo¦ke out atte a nother wyndowe towar∣de the parte Oryentall where he sawe without nombre more of good angels than he hadde seen of badde. ¶Thēne Ysodore sayde to hym that they were thoo that god sente for to socour vs in all our necessytees / and for to helpe vs to resyste aganst the deuyls tempta∣cyons. ¶And syn sayd to hym suche wordes / wyte it thenne Moyse / that yf thou wylte helpe thy selfe / thou shalte ouercome the deuyl lyghtly. For we ha¦ue more of good angels to helpe vs to resyste yf we wyll doo it / than there is of wycked spyrytes for to tempte vs ¶Thenne was the abbot Moyses comforted / and wente agayne to his hermytage vtterly delybered for to re∣syste agaynst the sayd temptacyon. ¶A wounderfull & laudable constaū∣ce hadde a nother hermyte dooyng pe∣naunce in Sychye for because that a∣fore his professyon in the lyfe heremy∣tarye he had knowen carnaly a moche fayre woman. ¶The deuyll that euer shall mowe begyle & deceyue the fren∣des

and seuauntes of Ihesu Cryste / brought agayne full ofte in his remē∣braunce the same woman puttynge a¦fore his eyen the grete beawte of her. It happed by suffraūce dyuyne that a nother brother came oute of Egypte that shewed vnto hym as trouthe it was / that the sayd woman was deed. The whiche thyng herde by the sayd brother / he wente to the place there she was buryed / and syn toke a waye the erthe that was vpon her and spradde his mauntell ouer the deed bodye whi¦che was all rotyn / and meruayllously he began to rubbe and styre the same his mauntell ayenst the rotynes of the sayd womans ker••as. ¶And this do¦ne he wente agayne to his hermytage ¶And whan ony temptacyon of the sayd woman came to hym / he putte a fore his eyen the sayd stenche and en∣forced hym selfe to feele it tyll that the sayd temptacyon was passed / saynge to hym selfe. Corrupte careyne take thy fylle of the bodye that soo moche Inordynatly y^u desyrest. ¶And by this he resysted constant••ly to the synne of fornycacyon and lecherye.

¶Who soeuer wyll kepe his chastyte / be ought not to haunte in places whe∣re wymmen be / all be they neuer soo parfyte.

¶Two brethern hermytes somtyme departed togyder out of theyr hermy∣tage for to goo to the Cyte nexte by theym to selle all that they badde la∣boured with theyr handes in a yere for to store theym of some necessarye thyn¦ges. ¶They come to an ynne / and after that they hadde sold alle / one of them wente for to seke theyr prouysy∣ons & necessytees for all the yere / and the other taryed in the house where as they were lodged. In whiche house atte the entysynges and temptacyon of the deuyll he cōmytted the abhor∣red synne of fornycacyon. ¶Whan the other was come to hym agayne / he tolde hym that it was tyme to goo to theyr home. ¶He that hadde done the sayd synne answerd that he coude not retourne declaryng vnto hym his syn∣ne / and that he was all desperate for the same. ¶That other seeyng that he was in daunger to be dampned / for yf he hadde abyden with the worlde / happely he hadde be habaundonned / not oonly to this vyce forsayd / but al∣so to all other / for to reduce hym to the waye of helthfull penaūce he swo∣re and affermed vnto hym agaynste trouthe / that in lykewyse he hadde do∣ne suche an other synne / hym gyuyng to vnderstande that it was better that they sholde retourne and do penaunce suche as the holy fadres sholde enioy∣ne them / than y^u they sholde euer conty¦nuwe to do euyll. ¶After be recomfor¦ted hym of the grete mercy of god / to hym sayeng y^t he neuer leueth the syn∣ner soo y^t he wyll retourne to hym by waye of penaūce. So wente they both togyder out of the cyte. ¶And he that had not synned made lyke penaūce as his felawe dyde for to gyue hȳ corage & good exemple to requyre & also for to haue a very hope to obteyne of our lor¦de his grace and mercy. ¶And within a whyle after god shewed vnto y^e holy fad{er}s by reuelacyon dyuyne the trouth of this befalle / & y^t the one gafe his bo¦dye to penaūce for the salualōn of his

felawe / how be it that he had not done the synne. ¶Men maye doo no fayrer almose than to gyue his body for to sa¦ue his euencrysten & to praye god for his soule.

¶An other brother there was y^t sem∣blably was tempted of y^e synne of leche¦rye / wherfore by dyuerse tymes he cam¦to one holy fader that was dwellyng ynough nyghe him & euer he besought hym y^t he wolde praye god for hȳ / but the more y^t the holy fad{er} prayed / y^e sayd brother to more besely requyred him to praye for hym. ¶And for this cause y^e sayd holy fad{er} was both nyght & daye in oryson for him / but it prouffyted hȳ nought / wherof the sayd holy fad{er} was sore dyscomforted knowyng y^t his ory¦son was not herde. ¶But our lord for to comforte hym shewed to hym a vy∣syon y^e cause why he was not herde / & that it was by occasyon of y^e neglygen¦ce of hȳ for whom he prayed / y^e whiche wolde not helpe hym selfe for to resyst corageously ayenst y^e temptacōn of the deuyls / but rather toke a plesure to see the Illusyons y^t the deuyll presented vn¦to hym puttyng in his mynde y^e remē∣braunce of many dyshonost women. And how well y^t in these folysshe Illu∣syons his good angell y^t was full heuy and sory as him semed of y^t he resysted not ayenst y^e sayd temptacyons / neuer∣theles he made no force for it. So sayd he to y^e sayd brother. My frende but yf y^e take corage of thy self castyng a bac¦ko y^e delectacōns y^t the deuyll presented to the I can not helpe y^t by my prayers And therfor y^u must put thy selfe in o∣ryson & to fast / to sygh & to wepe / & o∣ther abstynences to do. Thou knowest that the leche whan he wyl gyue to the pacyent some remedyes ayenst his ma¦ladye / yf y^e seke kepe not hȳselfe from suche metes y^t ben contrarye to his hel∣the / with grete payne the leche shall he¦le hȳ. ¶Also thy selfe y^e arte in dedely synne y^u puttest no payne to recouer y^e grace of god y^t y^u hast lost / but doest the contrarye of y^t he cōmaūdeth the to do thrugh y^e pleasure y^t y^u takest in y^e temp¦tacōns of y^e flesshe. Therfor helpe thy selfe / & god shall helpe y^e. For otherwy¦se y^e holy faders y^t are leches spyrytual sholde not conne because to restore to thy soule her helthe. ¶The brother by these remonstracōns toke at his herte so grete contrycyon y^t he obteyned the mercy of god / & y^e sclaūdero{us} & wycked passyon of lecherye wente a waye from hym.

¶For no maner of nede y^t a man hath he ought not to suffre y^e ony yong wo¦man serue in his house / all be she his kynneswoman or otherwyse. ¶An her myte beyng in his hermytage & doyn∣ge there penaūce was by one his kyn∣nes woman wretchedly deceyued. For y^e deuyll styred y^e same his kynnes womā for to see y^e sayd hermyte in his hermy¦tage where he receyued her benyngly / & at this cause she bode with hȳ a space of tyme / y^e whiche tyme / he knewe her carnaly. Not ferre frō y^e same hermyta¦ge dwelled a holy fad{er} right deuoute / y^e which by many dayes afore y^e caas was happed / when he put water in a vessell of his owne for hȳ to drȳke / incōtynēe as he wold take y^e vessell trowȳg to ha¦ue drōken of y^e water / y^e vessell tourned vpsodōne in his hande & spylled y^e wat{er} & coude not drynke out of it. Thenne

he thought he wolde shewe this to his felawe for to knowe what it mente. Soo toke he his waye for to come to his hermytage / but he was beclypped of the nyghte and constrayned for to goo lye in a Temple where Yooles we¦re. ¶As he slepte within the sayde Temple / he herde the deuyls that say¦de one to the other / how that nyghte they hadde made an hermyte to falle in the synne of fornycacyon with a wō¦man that was of his sybbe. ¶The ho¦ly hermyte herynge these wordes was therof sore meruaylled. ¶On the mo∣rowe acte sprynge of the daye he began to walke forth on his waye vnto the tyme that he was come there as his fe¦lawe was. ¶And entryng in his her∣mytage he founde hym trystefull and sore to the deth. ¶After his gretynge yeuen vnto hym tolde hym how his water dyde spylle oute of his vessell when he sholde drynke / and that for to haue his counseyll in this matere / he was come towarde hym. ¶That other that hadde done the sayd synne of lecherye answered. ¶Alas my bro¦ther I haue gretter nede of thy coun∣seyll / than thou of myne / for the last nyght I felle in to the fowle dyshonest and abhomynable synne of fornyca∣cyon / wherof I haue offended my god and my maker wyckedly. ¶Thenne his felawe sayd to hym / that he wyst it well and shewed hym the maner / how he beynge a slepe within a Tem¦ple of Ydoles hadde herde the deuyls sayeng the one to the other that whi∣che is sayd. ¶Thenne he that hadde synned as withoute hope wolde haue gone to the worlde and forsake his her¦mytage. But that other recomforted hym aswell as he coude / praynge hym to abyde styll in his telle / and that bet¦ter it was to sheue oute the sayde wo∣man to thende they two togyder mygh¦te doo penaunce tyll that god had par∣donned hym his synne / the whiche thynge he dyde / and syth ledde a lyfe moche deuoute and holy.

¶Whan men are ouermoche vexed & trauaylled of the deuyll / and tempted of the synne of fornycacyon / the soue∣rayne remedye is to occupye hym selfe in prayers and orysons / or in tempo∣rall werkes / and flee ydlenes whiche is the rote of all vyces.

¶To this purpose we rede that an ho¦ly hermyte beyng in a place named Ce¦lya / the whiche by the deuyls was sore tempted for to acomplysshe the synne of lecherye. He consydered in hym selfe that it was of necessyte that he sholde sette hym selfe to some werke by y^e whi¦che his bodye were strongly trauaylled ¶Now this brod{er} was a potmaker / so aduysed he y^t he sholde make a woman of erthe / & in dede he dyde so / after y^t she was made / he sayd to his thoughtes y^e tourmented him of y^e synne of fornyca¦cyon y^t he had a woman to kepe. But bycause y^t this notwithstandȳg he was euer tēpted as aboue / he ymagyned to labour more than he had done tofore / & made childern of erthe saynge after to his thoughtes when they moeued hȳ to lecherye that he hadde bothe wyfe and childern. Morouer for to ouercome his passyons / he purposed to laboure more than he had done afore / sayng that ne¦des he muste trauaylle / aswell for to gete his wyfe & childern theyr lyuyng /

as also for to clothe theym. Fynably he swaged and traueyled his flesshe / soo that with payne he myght remoe∣ue hym selfe. ¶And thus god seeyng his grete perseueraunce toke awaye from hym alle these foule thoughtes and hym replenysshed with his grace / wherof he gloryfyed and gaue than∣kes and laudes to the name of oure sauyour and redemptour Ihesu cryste Nothyng is more lyght to be brought than is the temptacyon of the synne of the flesshe. ¶And bycause that in the sayde synne soone take grete and Inordynate loue. It is of necessyte that the nourysshynge of the sayd syn¦ne be putte awaye by oryson and ma¦kyng leene of the bodye. ¶To this purpose a brother asked ones to an ab¦bot named Poemen what thynge he myght doo for to Resyste agaynste the synne of fornycacyon / wherof he suf∣fred and endured soo grete payne that he lost therby his entendement and be came as furyouse. ¶The holy abbot answered vnto hym that the soueray∣ne remedye hadde be foūde by the pro¦phete Dauyd that sayth. ¶I haue stroke the lyon / and often I haue slay¦ne the beere. That was to saye / that he toke a waye the woodnesse and the enforced angre of his heed. That was the bowyng and Inordynate wylle of this synne of fornycacyon. ¶And by this meane also by the labour & vexa∣cyon of his bodye he dyspysed & ouer∣came the synne of fornycacyon.