Here begynneth the boke called the Pype, or tonne, of the lyfe of perfection The reason or cause wherof dothe playnely appere in the processe.

¶Howe or vnder what fourme or maner the sub∣iectes shulde be obedient vnto theyr so∣uereynes. The .viii. Chapitre.

HEre nowe may folowe of y^e fourme maner & byhauiour of obedience / & of the degrees of y^e same. Fyrst than we say / that the obedience due vnto the souereyne muste in the subiecte be true / feythfull / playne / simple / & vnfeyned / nat coloured in any wyse ne cloked. That obedience do I call true / playne / & vnfeyned / that is perfourmed and done: nat for fere or flaterie: but after suche fourme outwarde ī effect as it is inwarde in the herte & mynde. For many {per}∣sones ben very obedient in goodly wordes / fayre & fast promyses / & in Gentell & lowly byhauiour / but whan it shulde come to passe in effecte & dede: theyr obedience dothe {pro}ue to be all in y^e mouthe & lippes / & neuer to haue sonke ne setled downe ī the herte or mynde. For nothynge is done at all. Of this maner of obediēce: our sauiour doth shewe example in the gospel of Matheu. A mā (saith he) had .ii.* 1.1 sones his owne childrē / he bad & cōmaūded one of thē to go in to his vynyarde & labour there y^e daye. And he sayd plainly and platly: he wolde nat go / ne laboure any

thynge / and yet afterwarde (whan he remembred hī¦selfe) he was sory that he had so answered his father and thervpon he went into the vynyarde and fulfyl¦led the cōmaundemēt of his father. The father thā came vnto the seconde sone / and sayd vnto hym / in lyke maner that he shulde go into his vinyarde and he (with good and gentel byhauiour) said syr I am redy at your pleasure and nowe go forth with good wyll / and yet he went nat at all. The fyrste pleyne rebellion: semed inobedience / & yet (in dede) it was full good obedience. And the other that semeth {per}∣fecte obedience onely in the mouthe & in outwarde byhauiour: was fals feyned flaterie / and in dede: disobedience. That obedience than is playne / sim∣ple / feythfull / and vnfeyned obedience: that is done after and accordynge vnto the very minde and mea¦nynge of the souereyne / rather than after the tenure of the wordes. For many persones wyll seme to be truely obedient / and yet vnder coloure therof: wyll folowe theyr owne mynde and pleasure / and after (for excuse) wyl other make interpretacion of theyr souereynes wordes: or els saye they vnderstode thē after that fourme / and all they do to seme to be obe∣dient / or (at the leest) nat to seme inobedient. But semynge or feyned obedience: shall a nother day: ap¦pere openly byfore god / and there be proued none o¦bedience / but rather worse than rebellious inobedi¦ence / we sayde byfore: be as thou semest / or els seme as thou arte. That obediēce also is playne and sim∣ple obedience: that is done blountely with a herte well meanynge mynde without discusse of reason and (in maner) without discrecion / so that the obe∣dience / do seme an ydiote or a fole therin. Let the

true obedient subiecte (sayth saynt Bernarde) be a fole in obedience / that he therby may be wyse ī dede Let all his discrecion in obedience be suche:* 1.2 that he therin haue no maner of discrecion. And let his wyt and wysdome be suche: that in obediēce: he haue no ther wytte nor wysdome. This nowe haue we sayd for the true / feythfull / playne / and symple maner of obedience.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth 21. C.
• * 1.2

  Bernard{us} de precept et dispens.