Ars moriendi. Here begynneth a lytell treatyse shortlye compyled, and called Ars moriendi/that is to saye the crafte to dye, for the helth of manes soule.

WHan any of lykelyhode shal dye / than is moste necessarye to haue a specyall frende: the whiche wyll hertelye helpe and praye for hym / and ther with counceyll the sycke / for the wele of his soule / and moreoucr to se that al other so do aboute hym / or elles quyckefy for to make hym departe. Than is to be remembred the great benefaytes of god done for hym vnto the tyme / & specyally of the passyon of our Lorde / and than is to be redde some story of sayntes / or the .vii. Psalmes with the leta∣ny / or our Lady psalter ī parte or hole with other. And euer the ymage of the crucyfyxe is to be had in his syght with other. And ho¦ly water is oft tymes to be caste vpon and aboute hym for a voydynge of euyll spyry¦tes / the whiche thā be full redy to take theyr auauntage of the foule yf they maye. And than and euer make hym crye for mercye & grace and for the helpe of oure blyssed lady and of other sayntes in whom afore he had a synguler trust and loue / and there vpon to make his prayers yf he maye.

¶ Whan dcthe cōmeth or any greuous pay∣nes or other great syckenes / than prayer or deuocyon asswageth / wherfore it is wys∣dom

for one to praye afore any syckenes co∣me / and also whan one may ī his syckenes yf he wyll not be deceyued.

¶ So he is happy and maye be glad / that in such a tyme of most nede hath a faythful frende and that wyll saye besyde the / pray∣ers afore reherced and cause other to saye de¦uoutly in remembraunce of the charyte of Iesu chryste and of his passyon / and for to haue the rather his mercy and helpe thre Pa¦ter nosters and thre Aues with a credo: and therwith to exhorte hym by a preest / or for nede by another ī the maner as it foloweth.

BRother or sufter remembre well that god sayth by his Prophete & Euāge∣lyst. Glyssed be tho that dye & departe in our lorde / that is to say / from the worlde and his pleasures and dye in the true fayth of the churche & repentaunce for his synnes. Syr ye haue great cause to be glad for to de¦parte from this wretched worlde and vale of all myserye / & thynke that ye nedes must departe / and desyre hertely to be with Iesu chryste our maker / redemer / lorde god for he shall gyue to you nowe your enherytaunce that he dyd bye for you with his precyous passion & blode / wherfore this tyme of your

departynge shall be better to you than the tyme of your byrthe / for nowe all syckenes sorowe & trouble shall departe nowe from you for euer. Therfore be not agreued with your syckenes / & take it not w^t grutchynge but take it rather with all gladnes.

¶ Se at all tymes that ye be stable in your fayth & byleue and saye your Credo yf that ye may / or elles desyre another hertefy to do it for you / here afore vs openly. And arme you with the sygne of the Crosse ✚ as a cry sten man for your defēce agaynst yo^r ghost¦ly enemyes / in the whiche doynge god wyll be greatly pleased / and the rather take you for one of his folke by proteccyon and grace and ay his chylde of saluacyon. Haue euer a good & true byleue / and no thynge maye be impossyble vnto you. And euer be ware that ye fal not in dyspayre / for that greatly woll displease god / & can not be remedyed. And remembre the synnes that was done a fore tyme / shall neuer hurte you as to dam∣pnacyon / yf they please you not nowe and that ye be sory for them. ¶ Saynt Ierome sayth / yf one shuld take his syckenes / or his deth with grutchyng it is a token that he lo¦ueth not god suffycyently / all is ryghtwyse that we suffre. Desyre with saynt Austyn

of our Lorde here to be cutte with trybulact on / and to be brenned with syckenes and so¦rowe / so they maye be saued here after for e∣uer. Nowe meke your selfe and be sory that ye haue ben so vnkynde to please / & to kepe his cōmaundements and presume not as of your selfe any goodnesse / and say with all mekenes thus. Good lorde Ihesu cryste I knowlege that I haue synned greuously & by thy grace / I wyll gladly amende me yf I shuld lyue haue mercy now of me for thy bytter passyon. Than aske hym these qusty one folowynge afore his deth.

BE ye glad that ye shall dye in cryste•• byleue. Let hym answere / ye knowe yf ye haue not so well lyued as ye shulde / ye haue wyll to amende yf that ye shulde lyue / ye / byleue ye that Iesu chryste goddes sone of heuen was borne of the blys¦sed vyrgyn Marye / ye / byleue ye also that Iesu chryst dyed vpon the crosse to bye mā¦nes soule on good frydaye / ye / do ye thanke god therfore / ye.

Byleue ye that ye may not be saued but by his passyon & deth / ye / as longe as the soule in is your bodye / thanke god of this dethe & haue a sure trust by it and his passyon to be

saued / & coūceyll hym to say yf that he may these wordes folowynge of great vertue.

I Put chrystes passyon betwyxte me & myne euyll werkes / and betwyxte me and his wrathe. Nowe lorde god be mercyfull to me a synner. The peace of our lorde Iesu chryste and the vertue of his passyon with the sygne of the holy ✚ crosse & the vndefoyled vyrgynyte of the blyssed Mary his mother / and the blyssynge of all sayntes and the proteccyon of all holy aun∣gelles with the helpe & prayer of al sayntes be betwyxt me and al myn enemyes now and in the houre of my deth & departynge.

¶ Also these verses folowynge be of great vertue in the tyme of deth / and to be sayde of the sycke yf he may or of another for hym

Dirupisti domine vincula mea / tibi sacrifi¦cabo hostiā laudis: et nomen dn̄i inuocabo. Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori.
Domine iesu christe ego cognosco me graui¦ter peccasse et libenter volo me emendare per gratiam tuam.
Misercre met deus propter amaram passio∣nem tuam.
Domine iesu redemisti nos ī sanguine tuo:

laus sit tibi pro amara passione tua.
Largire clarum vespere quo vito nus{quod} de cidat sed premium morti sacre perennis in∣stet gloria.

¶ Also to our lady.

Maria plena gratie mater misericordie tu¦nos ab hofte protege & hora mortis suscipe.

¶ And at last.

In manus tuas domine cōmendo spititum meum. &c.
In nomine patris et filii & spiritus sancti. Amen.