¶The seconde partye.

COme we now vnto the seconde partye in y ^e whiche it behoueth to se and speke of the instrumentes and apparayl of the chirche diabolyke in the whiche is the ordynaunce y ^t foloweth. And Lucyfer sayd. I ordeyne the instruments and apparayll of my chirche. And fyrst bycause that in the chirche of our aduersary cryst there is a messe boke for to saye masse / euen soo in oures there lacketh one / & I ordeyne that it shall be the dyce. For ryght so as in y ^e messe booke of the chirche of god there is .xxi. lettres by the whiche the crysten men and women knoweth the wyl of theyr creatour / also in the dyce that is our messe boke there shall be .xxi. poyntes by the whiche al my seruauntes the players shall knowe my wyll. Upon thys poynt one may demaunde how one may knowe y ^e cursed and dampnable wyll of Lucyfer and to whome he hathe reueled it. Answer that to a Senatour of Rome the whiche was of so peruers and euyll gouernynge / that by his glotony and lubrycyte he became lazar and pudacre. And whan he sawe that they separed hym frō the company of the other he was so vnpacyent that he swore that he sholde venge hym on god. And one daye after dyuers blasphemes he thoughte how he myghte do some thynge in dyspyte of god and of crystendome / anone came the deuyll of helle to hym in the forme of a blacke man and demaunded hym what hym ayled. He answered that he was halfe madde & that he thoughte and sought how he myght do ony thynge agaynst god for the perdyccyon of soules. Then the deuyl presented [Page] hym a dyce and sayd vnto hym. If thou wylt do that y ^e whiche I shall tell the thou shall be cause of the damp­nacyon of innumerable soules. And what sayd he. It is that thou playe with this dyce here & lerne y ^e other for to playe. And whan y ^t in playnge there cometh one poynt thou shall saye in dyspyte of god. Whan there cometh twayne / thou shalt saye in dyspyte of god and of his moder. Whan there cometh thre / thou shalt saye in dyspyte of the trynyte. Whan there cometh foure / thou shalte saye in dyspyte of the foure euangelystes. Whan there cometh fyue / thou shalte saye in dyspyte of y ^e fyue woundes of cryst. Whan there cometh syxe / thou shalt saye in dyspyte of the syxe solempne feestes of y ^e chirche of god. There is the inuencyon of y ^e dyce. And after lucyfer said euen so as in the messe boke of our aduersary there is many and dyuers messes / for all that there is seuen moost comon that the ygnoraunte preestes saye. The sondaye of the trynyte / the mondaye of all soules / The tewesdaye of aungelles. The wednysdaye of all sayntes. The thursdaye of the holy ghost. The frydaye of the crosse. The saterdaye of Marye our aduersarye. Thus sayd Lucyfer to sathan. Thou shalte haue in dyspyte of all the soules in purgatory the masse of monday Thou belzebub in dyspyte of the aungelles thou shalte haue the masse of tewesdaye. Thou astaroth in dyspyte of al the sayntes in paradyse thou shalt haue y ^e masse of wednesdaye. Thou asmodeus in dyspyte of the holy goost y ^u shalte haue y ^e masse of thursdaye. Thou mam­mona in dyspyte of the passyon of cryst our enemy thou shalt haue the masse of frydaye. Thou belphegor in dyspyte of Marye our aduersary thou shalt haue y ^e masse [Page] of saterdaye. And I sayd Lucyfer wyll reteyne that of sondaye in dyspite of the trynyte of paradyse. For vnto me apperteyneth the moost solempnell. Upon this po­ynt is to be noted that whan one wyll make a masse to be sayd he ought to make it to be sayd of the daye / or el­les let the preest doo it after his deuocyon. And here is as of the messe booke. ¶After sayd Lucyfer euen so as there is in the chirche of cryst a portoys for to saye matynes and euensonge. Also I wyll haue one in my chirche / and ordeyne that it shall be the cardes. And ryghte so as in the portoys of our aduersarye there is dyuers hystoryes / as the hystorye of the natyuyte / of the resur­reccyon / of kynges and dyuers other / in lyke wyse wyl I that there be pompous hystoryes in oures / as kyn­ges / quenes / and varlettes. I wyll more ouer that my storyes haue grete sygnyfycacyons also wel as they of cryst. They that are paynted within sygnyfyeth y ^e auaryce and cupidite of the cursed players. And those of y ^e kynges sygnyfyeth pryde inobedyence & arrogaunce. They of the quenes lecherye and lubrycyte. Those of y ^e foles the grete foly of y ^e players that weneth to wynne a thynge transytorye / and leseth the rychesses eternal­les. And those of the varlettes sygnyfyeth that the pla­yers are s [...]ruaūtes of me Lucyfer. Upon this poynt is to be noted as sayeth saynt Ambrose. He is reputed seruaunte of the mayster that dothe his operacyons. The cardes with paynted hertes sygnyfyeth that they whiche playe haue gyuen theyr hertes vnto the playe & vnto the deuyll. And those there as is the trafles sygnyfyeth the folysshe ioye that they take in seruynge lucyfer. They of pyckes sygnyfyeth the noyses and debates y ^e [Page] procedeth. And those of dyamondes sygnyfyeth that y ^e chirche infernall shall be paued with theyr soules. Loo here as touchynge the portoys. And is to be noted that dyuers saye whan they are rebuked for playnge at cardes that they doo it but for to passe the tyme / and for to take recreacyon. But thou player I demaunde the yf thou founde a booke in thy chambre / and were well sure that the deuyll had composed it yf thou wolde passe the tyme for to rede in that boke. I byleue that nay / & y ^t thou sholde not be wel tyll that it were out of thy hous Be ye sure & certayne that the deuyll of helle hathe made and composed the dyce and the cardes. And my lor­de saynt Bernardyn wolde not haue sayd and preched it / nor lefte it by wrytynge yf he had not ben well informed. And therfore euenso as they that make / sell / & bye bokes for to saye the dyuyne seruyce may be called the lybrayres of god. Semblably they and those that ma [...]ke sell and bye the cardes wherwith they do make the seruyce of the deuyll may be called the lybrayres of the deuyll. And yf they saye that we wyll confounde them and dyshonoure. Answer. But clene the contrarye / we wyll reyse / honoure / and saue them. It appereth. yf o [...]ne were in y ^e seruyce of a hangman / and that his fren­de purchaced hym an honest offyce in the courte of the kynge / he sholde do hym grete pleasure and honoure. / Ryght so wyll we drawe them out of the seruyce of the hangman of helle suche makers / sellers / & byers of cardes and purchase and put them in to the seruyce of the kynge eternell the whiche reygneth in heuen. And af­ter that Lucyfer sayd vnto his complyces infernalles / the whiche were aboute hym makynge greate Ioye. [Page] In the chirche of cryst there is the auter / also for oure alter shal be the tables. And as afore the alter of our aduersarye there is a lytell wyndowe for to put the rely­ques in / in lykewyse shall we haue a sachell tyed to the tables for to put the dyce and y ^e table men therin. And also as there is alters portatyues in the chirche of god Semblably we shall haue tables portatyues for the ladyes whan they go on sportynge. And after sayd Lucifer in the chirche of cryst there is y ^e vestementes. Fyrst there is an amyt that they put on the heed / ryght so the amyt of my chirche shall be ygnoraunce and blyndnes of the players / for they haue no conscyence of nothyng and careth not for ony thynge that is tolde them. It is certayne semblable that they confesse theym not / in soo moche as they retorne after theyr confessyon vnto it a­gayne. And somtyme it happeneth that the fader and the moder repreueth theyr chylde / and for all that they do but mocke them / and haue no conscyence nor fere of god. Item sayd lucifer there is a whyte aube by y ^e whiche is sygnyfied that dyuers oftentymes playeth theyr gownes / and wereth bicause of the playe theyr shyrtes knotted vpon theyr sholders. Item there is a gyrdell that holdeth the aube. This gyrdell here in my chirche is the grete affeccyon that draweth the players to the playe and that holdeth my seruauntes for to do my seruyce. It is a grete thynge of the dysordynate affeccion of a player / somtyme he shall ryse oute of his bedde / or shall departe from the chirche and leue the dyuyne ser­uyce whan his felowe maketh hym ony sygne. ¶And how well y ^t the sayd player hath moche werke on han­de and that he hathe promysed to yelde it at a certayne [Page] For whyles that they playe yf one cryed take y ^e theues none of the players wolde flee / for they are theues do­mestiques. But for to speke more proprely this rapyne is myxt with treason / for it is cōmytted oftentymes in etynge & drynkynge the one with the other. This cru­elte is ryght often amonge the players / for the one wold [...] haue dyspoyled the other vnto theyr shyrtes / more than dothe the outlawes. And dyuers tymes he whi [...]che weneth to dyspoyle his felowe is dyspoyled hym [...]self. And of suche is veryfyed the holy scrypture y ^e sayth Ue qui predaris nonne et tu predaberis ipse. That is to saye / cursed player that robbeth the other shalt thou not be robbed. There is dyuers that hath played theyr wyues gownes and kyrtylles / and other good Iewelles that they myght gete. And wolde haue played more yf they myght haue goten more / in whiche they haue not lesse synned. Bycause that god loketh not alonely at the werke of the synner / but at the wyl of y ^e sinner the whiche is reputed for the dede. And therfore as vnto god that knoweth the hertes and voluptuous wyl [...]les reputeth it for rapyne. Unde .xiiij.q.v.c. Si quis. is sayd that god interrogeth not alonely the hande but y ^• herte. ¶The thyrde spere is vsurye ryght grete / for it abydeth not a yere nor a halfe / nor a moneth / nor also a hole daye. yf one receyue for a hondred nobles that he hath lente / a hondred and .x. or a .C.v. at the yeres ende is sayd and reputed an vsurer. What shall one saye of hym that gothe to playe with ten nobles / & in playnge receyueth thyrty that same day. Certaynly it appereth that it is a grete vsurye. For the whiche he may not re­teyne it for hym / but is holden to restore it in certayne [Page] thynges / or gyue it vnto poore folkes as it shall be de­clared. And yf he lese he ought to take hym to hymselfe and to his foly / an vsurer sayeth Crysostome is cursed aboue al the other. Somtyme at the playe one lenneth syluer for to haue prouffyte / but they say it is but for to laughe / how well that it is a greate synne as towarde god. Of this we haue the decretall of excessibus prela­torum / y ^• begynneth. Inter dilectos / where as is made mencyon how the [...] condempned a man of y ^e chir­che that lente .xi. peits at the playe for to haue twelue. & was iuged an vsurer / it is not a lytell synne.

¶The fourthe is multitudo mendaciorū pernisiorum At the playes is many lesynges and specyally mortall For to deceyue and begyle his nexte felowe. Players haue no conscyence. Unde ambrosius. Et haber̄ .xx.ij. q.v. the chapitre. Cauete. Omnes qui dicunt mendaci­um filij sūt diaboli. All they sayeth he that telleth lesynges are the chyldren of the deuyll. And to the ende that they byleue the better theyr lesinges they conferme thē by othes. And in that wyse they are forsworne. y ^e whi­che is alwayes deedly synne / at y ^e leest whan they swere voluntaryly. For somtyme they swere agaynst trouthe by god by my fayth. &c. there is as moche and as of ten in rekenynge of theyr game. And all this it beho­ueth to tell at the artycle of the dethe / and at the iuge­ment of god euenso as it is wryten mathei .xij. de om̄i verbo ocioso quod locuti fuerint homines reddent ra­cionem in die iudicij. If it be so that we muste yelde account of the pronounced wordes / what shal it be of the lesynges / swerynges / blasphemynges / of mockynges detraccyons / and so forthe of the other. And more ouer [Page] not alonely they y ^t playe telleth lesynges / but also they that beholde them. As in the place of the tenysplay the­re shall be well a hondred persones durynge the euen­songe and sermon. And god vnoweth how many lesinges / detraccyons / swerynges and blasphemynges there is sayd and done / they are innumerable. And y ^e pla­yers shall saye it is aboue the corde / another shall saye I reporte me vnto suche one. And they shal iuge wronge somtyme for hate / or for couetyse bycause that they haue waged on theyr hedes. It is no meruayl yf y ^• players dampne them / for oftentimes they that beholdeth them offendeth god the creatour / alonely in soo moche as they lese the tyme / and becometh necligent & slouthfull in good operacions / and will go to the tauerne. ¶The fyfth spere dicitur fons blasphemie at (que) perni [...]riorum. It is the fountayne of al blasphemes and of al forswerynges. In none excercite is god blasphemed so moche and all y ^e courte celestyall as in these playes diaboliques. O how many and what blasphemes yssueth out of the cursed players agaynst god / the blessed vyr­gyn Marye and all the sayntes of paradyse. The whiche synne is not alonely mortell / but so horryble and so greuous that god hathe cōmaunded in the lawe in the xxiiij. chapytre of leuitiq̄. Who someuer blasphemeth sayeth he the name of god let him be put to dethe / as to the body dethe corporel / and as of the soule yf he do not penaunce dethe infernall▪ And somtyme agaynst suche folkes god hathe made horryble Iugementes. For of­tentimes the eyen of the myserable and cursed players are yssued out of theyr hedes and fallen vpon the table. Somtyme tormented and posseded of y ^e deuyl of helle. [Page] Somtyme the mouthe tourned arseuerse / and other lyke. And for all that the good Ihesus complayneth him and sayth. Nomen meum iugiter blasphemar. That is for to saye my name is contynually blasphemed. Who that wyll knowe the greuousnes of y ^e synne of blasphemynge he nedeth not but for to beholde the punycyon that is ordeyned of our moder holy chirche agyenst thē in the chapytre statuimus. extra de maledicis. Alas al­so / how many other werkes execrable & horryble procedeth of suche playes. Somtyme the cursed players be­teth and breketh the ymages of our redemptour / of the blyssed vyrgyn Marye / and of the other sayntes / crye / yell / dyspyse / reproche / fyght & murdre the one y ^e other. By the thynges aboue sayd playe may be called heresy for asmoche as it is an arte / or a werke by the whiche they that excercyse it fall in to foule and abhomynable synnes. Thou wylte saye that the tenysplaye is lycyte. Certaynly god is there meruaylously and ryght often blasphemed as euery body knoweth. And y ^e moost gretest lordes and riche men are the moost gretest blasphemers and swerers. Good crysten men that loueth wel theyr salute and helthe sholde be ryght sory yf they we­re constrayned for to abyde in a tenysplaye / or serue & fournysshe them of balles. yf thou say I wynne my lyuynge. Saynt Austen answereth the. The wynnyng is in thy co [...]fre / but the dōmage is in thy conscyence & therfore they ought to take away tenysplayes and boulynge alees. For who that wolde take awaye the fountaynes the chanelles sholde not renne. The closshebankes / boulyng alees / tenysplayes / and other semblables is y ^e boucheryes where as is dysmembred y ^e precious [Page] body of the blyssed sone of the vyrgyn Marye and his precyous blode shedde. And therfore suche p [...]ayers blasphemers are wors than the Iewes that hathe crucy­fyed our lorde / for at y ^• lest they left y ^• body ho [...]e But these here breketh it & pulleth it in pyeces. They wyll saye that kepeth suche playes / houses / and places of synne y ^• they are not cause of the euylles that is commytted. I demaunde the thou that holdeth a tenysplay / parauenture thou hathe .xx. yere to kepe it / and is certayne that god shall be blasphemed durynge that terme one onely tyme. Tell me in conscyence yf thou maye ryghtwylly kepe the sayd playe. I byleue yf thou be a good cryuen man that thou shalt answer that for to wynne al y ^• go­des of the worlde thou wolde not p [...]met that god were blasphemed in thy house. And for all that thou arte well certayne y ^• not alonely durynge this .xx. yere / but or it be a moneth passed he shal be blasphemed more thā xxx. tymes. Thou wylte saye y ^• thou knoweth nothyng therof / & yet thou seeth it by experyence euery day. For the whiche the phylosophre sayeth. Quicquio v [...]get s [...] ­su non indiget probatione. It is noo necessyte to proue that / that is sene with the eye. But and it were defen­ded that they sholde not playe durynge the dyuyne ser­uyce / that is durynge the masse / matyns / euensonge / & the sermon. Secondly y ^t they sholde not playe by auarice and couetyse to wynne / but alonely for the dyner or souper the one of the other / and by recreacyon. Thyrd­ly yf it happened ony for to swere / blaspheme / or dyspyse god or his saintes that he were incontynent accused vnto the iustyce for to make the punycyon. These thre thynges here well obserued and kepte / it sholde be another [Page] thynge. But so as they vse it / it is a playe & werke dyabolyque.

¶The .vj. spere is corrupcion and marrynge of youth Wyll ye well breke and corrumpe a yonge persone sende hym vnto the playes / be they also well ordeyned as you wolde / verytably they shal be chaunged & become euyll and dysobedyent vnto god / and rebelles agaynst theyr frendes. prime ad corinthios quintodecimo. Corrūpunt bonos mores colloquia praua. Suꝑ quod bernardus. Quātomagis ergo opera praua. Sayeth my lorde saynt Paule the euyll wordes corrumpeth y ^e goode condycyons. By more stronger reason sayeth saynt Bernardyn / the euyll werkes. And therfore it is wry­ten .vj. questione prima. in the chapytre ex merito.. Deteriores sunt qui vitam mores (que) bonorum corrumpūt his qui substantias aliorum predia (que) diripiunt. Thou wolde thynke grete cōscyence for to go stele .xx. nobles out of y ^e coffre of thy neyghboure. Be sure that thou do the more greter yll without comparyson whan by thy playes and euyll examples thou art cause to corrumpe the good condycyons and lyfe spyrytuell of theym that beholdeth the playe.

¶The seuenth spere is scandalum virorum iustorum. It is sclaundre by the whiche good folkes are yll edy­fyed of players and are dyssolute / dyspleasaunt / and stired to euyll. This vyce is as sekenesse contagyous / for whan one seeth another playe wher as he thought not for to playe / he is incyted and styred for to playe as the other. And in the selfe wyse whan the chyldren are in­clyned for to ensue and folowe the meurs and condycyons of theyr kynnesmen / in seynge theyr fader playe / [Page] blaspheme / crye / and do other euilles that procedeth of the playe / without refraynynge they custome theim in thynges semblable. And thus the fader dōmageth hys chyldren / seruauntes / and other by his euyl example in playnge. Knowe y ^t it is not a small thynge for to sclaū ­dre his neyghbour / nor a lytell synne / for our lorde sa­yeth. Mathei decimo octauo. Qui scandalizauerit vnū de pusillis istis qui in me credunt expedit ei vt suspen­datur molla asinaria in collo eiꝰ et demergatur in profundum maris. Sayth our lorde. It shall not be so grete hurte myserable that gyueth euyl examples to other yf one put a mylstone aboute thy necke and caste the into the depest of the see as it is to sclaundre and gyue occasyons of synne by euyll werkes and euyll examples to them that byleueth in me. Somtyme the moder seynge her sone a player and a ryottour she shall be dyspleasaunt vnto the dethe / and shall saye I am wel vn­happy and myserable to haue suche a chylde that goth in to helle Ueryly it is so / and gothe with all the deuylles where as perpetually he shall be beten & tormented And all the players yf they doo not penaunce and leue these playes dyabolyques. Thou sayeth y ^t it is nothyn for to sclaundre the symple folkes / here yet what oure lorde & redemptour Iesu cryst sayth Ue homini illi per quem scandalū venit. Certaynly sayeth our lorde. Maledyccyon be gyuen to him by the whiche cometh sclaū dre. O cursed and vnhappy player I demaunde the yf thou dyde make a hole vpon the brydge / or vpon some other peryllous and daungerous passage / and y ^e fyrste man or woman the whiche shal passe therby by case of aduenture falleth therin in to the said ryuere or water / [Page] sholde thou not be cause of his euyll / and worthy of grete punycyon onely after y ^e legystes. Now answer / whiche is greter euyll to make a body fall in to the ryuer or be cause to make hym fall in the peryl of his soule. It is euydent and manyfest that the seconde is y ^e moost gre­test euyll. And therfore leue these playes cursed & dampnable and put payne to redyfye by good werkes those and them that by your sclaundre haue ben yll edyfyed. ¶The eyght spere is contēptus matris ecclesie seu in­obedientia. These hasardours and cursed players are inobedyent to our moder holy chirche y ^e whiche defen­deth the playe at the tables / not alonely to the men of y ^e chirche / but also vnto the laye people / in suche maner y ^• whan he is correcte yf he amende hym not he ought to be cursed / euen so as it is wryten in the decrete in y ^e chapytre. Episcopus. in the .xxxv. dystynccyon that is takē in the canon of y ^e appostles where as it is sayd. Episcopus aut presbiter aut diaconus alee aut ebrietati deseruiens aut desinat aut certe dampnetur. Subdiaconus autem aut lector aut cantor similia faciens aut desinat aut communione priuetur similiter et laicus hec ibidē in forma. That is for to say a bysshop or a preest or a deken that contynueth at the playe of the tables / cardes / or dyce or ryot yf he leue not suche playes he oughte to be deposed yf he be subdekē / lectour / or synger / or a lay man he must cease also or elles be cursed / these are the propre wordes in the place declared. And ye must note pryncypally these wordes apposed in the sayd canon. Scilicet deseruiens desinat dampnetur & cōmunione priuetur. For by the fyrst worde that is sayd deseruiēs is gyuen vs to vnderstonde that yf they be not accustomed [Page] they shall not bere the sayd payne after the glose. / How well y ^t they synne mortally in playnge as sayeth mayster Raymon / and mayster Anthony of Florence / in his somme sayeth that how wel that some hath wylled to saye that it is no mortal synne to playe saue whā they accustome them / whiche is not true. For how wel sayeth he that the custome greueth the synne / for al y ^t it meueth not the spyce or gendre of synne. For it maketh not of a synne venyall a synne mortall as sayeth saynt Thomas. As the sinne of dronkennes / to the whiche y ^e playe is compared as vnto the sayd payne / the whiche is deed [...]y synne for to cōmytte it one tyme wyttyngly / how be it y ^t he hathe not yet the payne / saue whan one is accustomed for to be dronken and vse the same. By y ^e seconde worde scilicet desinat is gyuen vs to vnderstā de that how well that he is accustomed for to playe he ought to be admonested / and after y ^t he hathe ben war­ned yf he wyll cesse he shall eschewe the payne. But he ought to do penaunce for the synne that he hathe done in playnge. By the other wordes dampne [...]ur & cōmu­nione priuetur / is gyuen vs to vnderstande y ^e playnge at the playes aboue sayd is deedly synne and wel gre­uous. One may proue it in this manere / none maye be deposed or cursed saue for deedly synne. By the chapy­tre. Nemo episcoporum .xi.q.iij. Now it is so y ^t the pla­yer at the tables ought to be deposed or accursed after the canon aboue said. Ergo it foloweth that it is deed­ly synne / seynge also that suche playe is defended in ly­kewyse by the lawe cyuile / and lawes of the paynyms and infydeles. As it appereth in the dygestes in the tytle of alee lusu & aleatoribus. And syth by newe consty­tucyon [Page] made by the emperour Iustynyan the whiche begynneth. Alearū vsus wryten in code in the ende of the rubrysshe of religiosis et sūptibus funerū. And not content with this defendeth it yet agayne in the volu­me & booke of autentyques in the tytle of sanctissimis episcopis at the paragraphe interdicimus in the .ix. collacyon / and that is also put and alegged in the sayd code in the tytle of episcopis et cle. And begynneth also y ^e sayd autentyque interdicimus where as it is textually defended not for to playe / and not to be partaker of the playe / and that more is for to beholde playe. It is sem­blably defended by the droyt canon and holy decrete in dyuers passages. And in lykewyse in the chapytre cle­rici officia. at the paragraphe. Ad aleas et taxillos non ludant nec huiusmodi ludis intersint de vita & honestate clericorum in antiquis. And vpon this paas is to be noted after the doctours that the playe of tables maye be called all game that is ioyned and subgecte to fortu­ne pryncypally. How well that it is medled with craft as the playe of dyce and the playe of cardes / and other lyke. And therfore the texte in the sayd autentyque in­terdicimus / vseth of this terme and worde. tabulas / & the other droyts aboue alegged of this worde alea. Note that our lorde sayeth in the gospell luce decimo. Qui vos spernit scilicet prelatos ecclesie in suis ordinationibus me spernit. Sayeth oure lorde in spekynge to his dyscyples and to theyr successours / they y ^t whiche myspryseth you that is for to say the prelates of the chirche in theyr ordeynaūces / they myspryse me & contēpneth / What is it for to myspryse & contempne y ^e commaūde­mētes of our moder holy chirche. Certaynly it is a grete [Page] sinne as it appereth clerly in the holy decrete Si qui lxxxi. distinctione vbi dicit gregorius. Paganitatis peccatum incurrit quisquis dum cristianum se esse asserit sedi appostolice obedire contemnit. Sayeth saynt gre­gory y ^t in euery body renneth y ^e synne of a paynim whā he sayeth he is crysten not obeyenge the chirche.

¶The .ix. spere is perditio temporis. That is that the players leseth theyr tyme inutylly and all the goodes y ^t they myght do. How wel that dyuers ryottours not carynge for theyr salute make not grete estymacyon. For all that the prudentes that beholdeth the euyll y ^t is do­ne / and the welth that is lefte vndone / hathe therof grete conscyence / & suche maner of folke consydereth not y ^e valoure of the tyme / the shortnes of it irreuocable. The precyousnes of the tyme is soo grete that in lytell space a man may haue remyssyon of his synnes / purchace y ^e grace of god / and acquyre the glorye of paradyse. And therfore sayeth seneca. Nulla maior iactura (quam) tempo­ris amissio nam recuperari non potest. In the worlde sayd he is not so grete dommage as the lesynge of the tyme / for asmoche as it may not be recouered. Ha pore and myserable synner affusked how shalte thou yelde accountes of the tyme that god hathe lente and gyuen the for to do penaunce and good werkes. The whiche thou haste euylly employed in seruynge y ^e deuyll of hel as well on the daye as on the nyght festes and holydayes. Certaynly thou shalte answer therfore greuously. For as sayeth saynt bernarde. Om̄e tēpus tibi impēsū req ⁱrer̄ a te q̄liter sit expēsū. & yet. (quam) sicut nec capillꝰ de capite. sic nec momentū peribit de tempore de quo scilicet non oporteat reddere rationē. this putteth he here. [Page] That is for to saye that we must yelde accountes of y ^e tyme y ^t hathe ben gyuen vs in this worlde here. Iob y ^e holy man consyderynge this / & how the men abusyng them of y ^e tyme that is [...]ente them for to saue theyr sou­les sayd in wepynge. Sedit homini locum penitencie et ipse abutitur eo in superbiam. Iob viceumoquarto. God sayeth he hathe gyuen vnto the man the tyme presente / not for to playe and lese it vycyously / but for to do penaunce. And he wasteth it in pryde / invanyte and in all synnes. Item these folkes thynke not on the shorte­nes of the tyme of this present lyfe. Of the whiche Iob speketh quartodecimo capitulo. Breues dies hominis sunt. The dayes of man are shorte and sone passed. Certaynly they are ryght shorte / for whan we shall be at y ^e dethe it shal seme vs to haue lyued lesse than an instant And therfore sayeth saynt Austyn. Omnia tēpora eter­nitati comparata quan punctus sunt. All the tyme sith the begynnynge of the worlde tyll vnto the ende com­pared to the eternyte that we shall haue after this lyfe present is but one poynt. Item they consyder not also y ^t the tyme passed is irreuocable and shall neuer retorne. O yf y ^e vnhappy dampned & reproued synners myght recouer one houre of theyr tyme loste after that they haue talled and felte the ryght horryble / intollerable / and eternall paynes of helle from whiche they shall neuer departe. What dylygence thynkest thou that they wolde make to thynke on theyr synnes / to testefye them / & confesse them / and to crye mercye / and for to reconsyle them vnto god in purpose to be soner casten in to a furneyse brennynge / than euer to retourne to playe defended / or retourne to synne. But as sayeth the prouerbe. [Page] Foles do not bileue / tyl they receyue greue. And therfore after the doctryne of saynt poule ad gala .ii. Opere­mur bonum non dicit ludum dum tempus habemus. Make we sayd he good werkes / he sayd not playe we at the cardes whyles that we haue the tyme. Thou sayeth that thou muste passe the tyme. Alas y ^e dampned that are in helle wherwith passe they the tyme. Certa­ynly to bayne them within the furneyse of fyre of helle. Thynke that & y ^e soules of purgatory were in this lyfe how they wolde occupy y ^e tyme in wepynge theyr sin­nes and doynge penaunce. We take no regarde therto wherfore yll shall come to vs.

¶The .x. spere is fraudes et falsitates. Comonly there is but fraudes and deceytes in these cursed playes. Ieremie nono. Loquitur pacem cum proximo & in occul­to ponit insidias. They shall saye playe we truely. But in theyr hertes they haue wyll for to begyle eche other in hydynge the cardes / in castynge awaye the dyce / in rekenynge / in gyuynge false money the whiche is mortall synne. As it is sayd extra de furtis et vicesima quinta distinctione in y ^e chapytre vnum orarium propterea ieremias dicit vnusquis (que) a proximo suo se custodiat. y ^e prophet Ieremye sayeth euery body beware of his neyghbour and haue no truste in his broder. For at thys daye the fader wyll begyle the sone / and the moder the fader / and so consequently of the other.

¶The .xi. spere sunt ire et rixe. It is noyses & debates. one shall saye suche one hathe wonne my money / shall I neuer loue hym / he is cause that I am a poore man. And reproches so many that it is meruayll with noy­ses that of it procedeth. Somtyme they shal pul them-demaunded [Page] forgyuenes of our lorde / and dyde soo mo­che by wepynges & lamentacions y ^t he founde mercy anenst god / and was delyuered frome the enemye. And then incontynent he came vnto y ^e preest that sawe the­se thre thynges by experyence as he recoūted to y ^e sayd saynt Bernardyn / in many festynge and declarynge y ^e case as it was happened hym. And in wytnesse therof he shewed hym his sholdres greuously wounded / and his confessyon herde deyed two dayes after. In thys maner dyuers haue fallen in dyspayre.

¶The .xiij. is adoratio stulta. This is a folysshe adoracyon / for the player maketh of the playe his god / in soo moche as he hathe leuer lese the grace of god than to leue playenge. And often for the loue that he hath to playe he is contente to transgresse the cōmaūdementes of god. For as sayeth my lorde saynt Austyn in the booke named de doctrina cristiana. Illud ab homine colitur quod preceteris diligitur. That is for to saye y ^t the whiche thou loueth moost / and to whome thou obeyeth so­ueraynly thou maketh it thy god. The dyce sayth whā thou playeth that thou hast loste / paye / leue thy money with suche one / and thou dothe it. And in lykewyse of cardes whan thou leseth thou payeth. I demaūde the yf thou obey vnto god soo lyberally. God byddeth the y ^t thou make restytucyon of that whiche thou hathe of o­thers / that thou gyue almesse to the poore / and thou do the nothynge. Wyll ye knowe the grete folye of y ^e pla­yers / and how promptly they obey to the dyce and to y ^e cardes theyr ydolles. The blyssed saynt Martyn that was ryght lyberal for the loue of god gaue but halfe of his mauntell. But the cursed players gyueth it hole for [Page] the dyce and the cardes. And somtyme gowne and do­blet / and to the ende that he be knowen that he is of y ^e lyueray of the deuyl he gothe all naked as his mayster that is all naked. And that wors is he gyueth often y ^• y ^• is not his / for he boroweth by vsurye that y ^e whiche he hathe not / and robbeth his neyghbour / and more ouer one may knowe how the players are foles and vnwytty. For as it is thus that the vnderstandynge of y ^e man is ryght noble / for all he submytteth hym to obey to the bone of a dogge / and byleue his iugement. And notw ^t ­standynge he wolde not byleue the sentence of Iohan-Andrewe / or some other wel famed doctours without appellacyon / as he dothe at the sentence of his iuge the dyce / or y ^e cardes / whiche seeth not / hereth not / nor speketh not. And yet he dothe more gretter honour to thre dyce / or to a payre of cardes than he dothe to the humanyte of our lorde / for often at the playe he is vsurped & blasphemed. And therfore our lorde in complaynynge hym of the players sayeth in this maner by the mouthe of the prophete royall Dauyd. Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos. &c. They haue perced my fete & my handes / and haue put me in suche estate that one maye tell al my rybbes and bones. Note poore myserable player yf thou were a good crysten man whan there sholde be nothynge elles to withdrawe the from suche playe sa­ue onely the gowne of thy redemptoure that was pla­yed at the game of sorte as it is wryten. Supervestem meam miserunt sortem. / it sholde be a suffycyent cause to absteyne you from suche playes / and to haue abho­mynacyon to playe / make / sell / or bye dyce and cardes / or other lyke.

[Page]¶The fourtynth spere is ocij nutrimentum. That is nourysshynge of vnlustynes / vnder the vmbre too be not vacabunde. yf a man wyl be perfytely vnthryfty ye nede not but to put hym to folowe the playes / for sythe euer after he shall be vnthryfty at y ^e werke / you se it by y ^e experyence of dyuers / they can not abyde halfe a day at werke. Semblably of the chyldren that wyll not lerne no crafte. Osyuyte is tho that dyuers haue but lytel conscyence of after saynt Bernarde nutrix viciorum et totius inimica virtutis. The playes are y ^e nourysshynge of slouthfulnes & enemye of all vertues as it is wryten in y ^e .xij. chapytre of y ^e prouerbes. He is ryght folysh y ^e foloweth slouthfulnes / & in ezechiel in the .xvj. chapy­tre. The cause of the iniquyte of Sodome was pryde / glotony / auaryce / and slouthe / as rote of all the euylles that is proceded.

¶The .xv. & laste spere is turpis et infamisvita. This life is vyle and abhomynable. For they that accustome them for to playe becometh dronkerdes and harlottes and haue no cure of theyr wyues nor of theyr chyldren And shortly they are in the indygnacyon of god and opprobyte of the men as sayeth the psalmyste. Opprobri­um hominum & abiectio plebis And consequently they do agaynst the fyrste cōmaundement of droyt. That is for to wyt to lyue honestly without hurtynge of other / in yeldynge vnto his neyghbour and euen cristen that the whiche apperteyneth to them. As byddeth y ^e droyt vulgaryes.

THe prophete after that he hath sayd odiui eccle­siam malignantium it foloweth cum impiis nō [Page] fedebo. That is for to saye I shall not set me with the euyll / or men without pyte. Whan the men are assem­bled for to do some good god is in the myddes of them And whan they are assembled for some euyl god is not there but the deuyll of helle. The players comonly are not assembled saue for euyll intencyon / and also the deuyll gouerneth them and helpeth them to fyght w ^toute pyte agaynst our redemptour. For there is founde but fewe palyes there as oure lorde is not offended / and y ^e mortally / or at the leest venyally. And ryght often that the whiche is mortell we repute often for venyall. And also the contrary. And for the venyel one shall be tormē ted in the fyre of purgatory. Uenyell synne dysposeth to mortal and dymynyssheth hete in the body. For al that it putteth him not out of the charyte of god. And ryally there is so moche synne cōmytted at the playe that one maye well saye that it is a dyspraysynge of Ihesu crist And whan there sholde be none other synne but vayn swerynge and blasphemynge yet is it a grete thynge / For in as moche as is in the blasphemers they crucefye our redemptour and putteth hym to dethe. And for this thyrde mystery we haue to beholde whiche are y ^e folke that dampneth them by y ^e playes aboue sayd. Answereth my lorde saint Bernardin that there is .xij maner of folkes / that is for to wyt.

¶Theyr faders and moders.

• The players.
• Theyr wyues and chyldren.
• They that gyueth the houses for to playe
• They that make / sel / or bye / gyue / or lenne the dyce / the cardes / the tables / or other playes.
• [Page]They that serue the players or gyue them ether fyre or candell.
• They that beholdeth them.
• They that lenne them money for to playe.
• The Iuges and prelates that suffreth them & myghte et them.

¶The fyrst are y ^e vnhappy players that are in y ^e fyrst place and offendeth god mortally / and dampneth their soules whan they playe at ony playe defended / as the play of dyce / of cardes / of tables. & other playes of chaū ce & hasarde. Secondly whan god is offended by swe­rynge / lesynges / blasphemes and so of other. Thyrdly whan they playe by auaryce and couetyse to wynne. / Fourthly whan they obserue not the tyme / as whan y ^t they saye the masse / sermon / or the euensonge / or y ^t they playe or daunce in holy groūde / they thynke to wynne and leseth moche. And yf the players wyl make due penaunce they are bounden to two thynges. Fyrst to confesse theyr synnes & purpose neuer to retourne agayne Secondly they are bounden to make restytucyon of al that whiche they haue wonne at these cursed playes. / And that it is true we shall put ten wytnesses worthy of credence and byleue / that is for to wyt Astexanus libro quinto .ti.xxx. Maister Iohan of Gerson in his preceptorye vpon this passage. Non furtū facies. mayster Ambrose sphyera in his quadragesimal of the floure of sapyence / mayster Iohan cōsobrim whyte freer in his treatye of Iustyce commutatiue. Innocent. Hostiense Raymon mayster Nycole de lyre / saynt Bernardyn / & mayster Rycharde of meiuille in his quarte in the dys­tinction .xv. in. the .v. artycle / the questyon .vj. The whiche [Page] doctours sayeth that the playe of dyce / and of car­des and other semblables are in suche wyse defended y ^t that whiche they wynne is vniustely goten / and y ^t they may not with holde it. This proueth mayster Nycole de lyre vpon these wordes non furtū facies. Thou shalte make no thefte / and sayeth that the reason therfore y ^• none maye with holde that y ^t he hath wonne at y ^e playe is for the playe of the dyce / of y ^e cardes / and of y ^e tables is defēded and forboden by the lawes and by y ^e droitz wryten. And therfore in thynges so wonne one muste haue good tytle / good fayth / and iuste cause. Whiche a­re the thre thinges necessary in the same who that wyl haue ryght and possede ony good temporell. This confermeth mayster Iohan Gerson in exposynge the .vij. cōmaundement of god / and sayeth in this maner. Agaynst this cōmaundement thou shalt cōmytte no thefte. they and those synne that by playnge at the dyce / car [...]des / tables / or other playes forboden wynne y ^e goodes of other and reteyneth them. For one may not by right witholde that whiche he hathe wonne at those playes But behoueth to restore it agayne to him that he hathe wōne it of / or gyue it to the poore folke after the moost comon oppynyon And we must dystyngue it after the sayd doctoure. For yf thou haue wonne of ony that are not able to helpe themselfe / as is ydyottes / vnreasona­ble men / chyldren not of grete age / vnthrifty / relygious wedded women / seruauntes / men of the chirche y ^t pla­yeth the goodes of poore folkes and other lyke / or yf y ^u haue induced and tyced ony for couetyse of wynnynge or yf thou haste begyled ony in playnge in gyuyng false dyce / false cardes / or mysrekenynge. In these cases [Page] thou arte bounden to restore vnto them that whiche y ^• hast wonne / and ought not to make none almesse / but yelde it vnto them. But yf ony that hathe puyssaūce for to forbere it that hathe loste at playe / and that thou ha­ue wonne it without fraude or decepcion / thou art not holden to restore it hym. For he that hath loste it is not worthy to receyue it. And that notwithstandyng thou can not witholde it w ^t ryght. But ought for to departe it vnto the poore people. And so sholde the wynner put the gaynes in his purse / for otherwyse it is agaynst y ^e cōmaundement of god. non furtum facies. These thynges sayeth mayster Iohan Gerson. But how is y ^e vn­derstonden that it ought to be gyuen to the poore folke Shall the player saye I wanne yesterdaye ten shelynges and to daye I retourned and haue lost ten. For to wyt yf I am holden for to gyue vnto the poore folke y ^t the whiche I had wonne yesterdaye / how well that to daye I haue loste it. Sayeth the doctours that ye. For thou mayst not play the goodes of the poore folke / it is not thyne. For conclusyon alwayes y ^e player leseth his tyme his soule and his temporal goodes / wherfore kepe them therfro that wyll.

¶The seconde that dampneth them by the playes are the kynnesmen of the players. As the fader and the moder [...] the mayster y ^e maystresse [...] and pryncipally for thre reasons. The fyrste is whan they chastyse them not as they ought and are holden [...] and therfore they are y ^e cause of the euyll y ^t they do. Secondly whan they are par­ty felowes at the playe. It happeneth oftentymes that the moder and her chyldren are nourysshed w ^t the winnynge of the playes & is culpable of the synne / for they [Page] set them on werke to the ende that they make good chere. And suche maner of folkes is bounden to make res­tytucyon of y ^t whiche they haue receyued / as it is wry­ten in the decretall de iniurus & damno dato in y ^e cha­pytre. Si culpa.

¶The thyrde reason whan they are vnpacyent. Dy­uers tymes thou shalte se that the kynnesmen is so re­plete with vnpacyence that they curse them and gyue them vnto the deuyll / and swereth and blasphemeth / & angreth them agaynst theyr chyldren that is players / Not for y ^e loue of god / nor for the salute of theyr soules. But bycause they waste and dystroye the goodes of y ^e house. And so they fall in vnpacyence and desyreth the dethes of theyr chyldren and theyrs also / whiche is clene agaynst the commaundement of god.

¶The thyrde that dampneth them by the playes are the wyues and theyr chyldren. Fyrst whan they parte of the prouffyte of the playe / and restoreth it not. Right often the wyfe shall bere a pledge for to make good chere on / whiche ought not to be done. For it is comen of deuyllyshnesse / yf she had not grete necessyte. Secondly whan they are vnpacient. For dyuers curseth y ^e houre and the daye that they were maryed on. And often­tymes becometh noughtypackes for the playe of theyr husbandes. And thyrdly whan the chyldren playe by y ^e example of theyr fader and moder / specyally whan the playe is holden in theyr house. In lyke wyse y ^e dough­ters becometh harlottes. Whan they playe in a house / I demaunde the what maner of folke are they that resorteth theder. None but knaues and ryottours / whi­che shall speke of rybaudrye whyles the other playeth / [Page] And y ^e maydens that are grete y ^e spynneth on theyr rockes besyde them shal here al this. And there shal be made dyuers dyshonest and vyllayne approchynges and occasyons of innumerable synnes. I speke not of y ^e maystres of the hous. Certaynly they shall come often in to thy hous vnder the coloure of waygynge / but it shal be to deceyue thy wyfe. For they shall abyde drynkyng and playnge vnto mydnyght / and then they wyl saye it is to late to go vnto theyr lodgynges lette vs haue a chambre / and all the nyghte god wote what they doo. Thou knoweth not all / yf thou be wyse take good ke­pe that of thy house be not made the chirche of y ^e deuyll And knowe for a trouthe that there is dyuers y ^• careth not for to lese theyr money to the ende that they may come vnto theyr enterpryse.

¶The fourth are they that gyueth the houses / the places / the courtes there as is made the playes. As tenys playes / and closhbankes / suche houses byeth our grete maysters / for they haue more gretter rentes bicause of the playes that is made there sayeth saynt Bernardin It semeth me that one may not fynde prouffyte in the place that is so full of iniquytes. How is it that the burgeyses wynneth / in lettynge forthe theyr houses there as is excercysed these playes dyabolyques. And that y ^e causeth the marchauntes to wynne in sellynge the dy­ce and the cardes y ^e tables and other playes. For they are partakers of al the euylles that foloweth. Bycause that they gyue cause and place for to commytte y ^• sinne in of the whiche they must yelde accouncte before god And al they also the whiche kepeth sellers where as is playng at the dice and cardes erly and late at al tymes [Page] to the ende for to sell theyr drynke / or to haue some gaynes. And for to vnderstande y ^e grete yll that it is to suffre playenge in theyr houses it behoueth to loke y ^e fyrst lawe in the tytle aboue alegged de alee lusu et alcatoribus. in the olde digeste where as is thus said. Si quis illum verberauerit in cuius hospitio lusum est in alea. vel si dolo aliquid subtractum fuerit iudicium ei non datur. This lawe that is made by a paynym to the detes­tacyon of the playe sayth that whan a persone holdeth players in his house / yf it happened y ^t the meane why­le that the players is in his house y ^t he be beten or hurt or that his money be stolen out of his coffre or other godes / and y ^t he complayne vnto y ^e Iustyce / this lawe sayeth that the Iuge shall gyue hym none audyence. bycause of the detestacyon of his synne. What shal we say of them that holdeth the playes in his house. Of y ^e whiche foloweth so many euylles and scandales. And somtyme gothe for to fetche the players for to playe all the nyght. They playe not agaynst theyr wyll / for they maye put them oute. It sholde be another thyng of an ho [...] tel er that lodgeth men of armes / & the kynges seruaū tes / to whome they dare not bydde goo oute for fere of betyng. But his wyfe may speke hardely / for they wyl be ashamed to smyte her. And therfore amonge you wiues yf you be good cristen women you ought for to cry and rather chese to deye than to suffre that god be offē ded in your houses whan you maye let it. For a goode childe may not suffre that his fader be wronged in his propre house. In some place of this realme was a gentylman that ledde a harlot in to a hous that he had let­ten to a crafty man. Whan this man sawe this harlot [Page] he sayd vnto y ^e gentylman / my lorde yf it please you / ye shal haue her out of this hous. For yf you do not I promyse you by my fayth that I shall put the fyre in y ^e house. And thus the lorde was constrayned to put her out. But what shall we saye of dyuers / they desyre not that theyr houses be brente / for they haue prouffyte and the grace of the lorde. ye but for all that they are in the in­dygnacyon of god the creatoure. Tell me what prouf­fyteth it the to be in the grace of this lorde that is a ry­baude / harlot / and thefe. If thou be in his grace it may be that thy wyfe is his hore for all retrybucyon.

¶The fyfth y ^t do dampne them by the playes are they that make the dyce / sell / bye / gyue or lenne.

¶The syxte are they that make the cardes / that sel thē bye them / gyue them / or lenne them.

¶The seuenth are they that make the tables / sell / bye / gyue / or lenne.

¶The .viij: are they that make the berlans / tho y ^e selle them bye them / giue them / or lenne them / tho y ^• gyueth the stuffe for to make them. As the bones / the paper / y ^e colours / the moules / and thynges lyke. All these here are cause of the euylles / blasphemes / sclaundres / and vnhappynes that foloweth / and shall yelde accountes at the Iugement of god. For as sayeth the doctours. and amongest the other mayster Anthony of Florence. parte secūda titulo primo capitulo vigesimo tertio. Saint Bernardyn in the treatye that he hathe made of the relygyon cristen mayster Ange of clauasio in his somme in vocabulo ars mayster Henry herp in exposynge the commaundementes of god. The somme of rosell invo­cabulo negociatio de floribus sapientie sermone trice­simo [Page] quinto. Suche maner of folke is not in the estate of grace but dampneth theyr soules. And that more is they may not be assoyled but yf they leue theyr craftes. De penitentia distinctione quinta / the chapytre falsas the chapytre fratres / and the chapytre negocium. And they ought to denye theim the body of our lorde Ihesu cryst as they do in Almayne / and in the cyte of Myllan For whan Ester daye cometh they are expulsed & caste out of the chirche as the comon harlottes of the bordel And after whan they are deed they are sente in to y ^e fylthy donghyll / and there is buryed with the horses and caryen. There is some that sayeth / yf I knewe y ^t it were deedly synne for to make / sell / or bye the dyce and the cardes for nothynge wolde I medle therwith. Understande what our lorde sayeth. In ore duorum vel trium stat omne verbum. That is for to saye one ought to byleue the wytnes of two or thre. I aske the yf thou yede thyrty or forty myle ferre and that thou came to the entrynge of a wodde fyndynge there a lytell shepeherde y ^• sayd vnto the / my frende passe not thorowe the wodde wherfore good sone / for bicause that there is foure murderers y ^t euen nowe hathe cut the throte of a marchaūt or twayne. Tell me trouthe wolde y ^u passe forthe / passe / I shall kepe me well therfro. And how tho it is but a lytell shepeherde that hath tolde it the / in effecte y ^u shalt saye for all that I wyl not put me in daunger. Now yf it be so that thou byleue a lytell shepeherde for thy lyfe corporall wherfore than byleueth thou not so many notable and holy doctours and prechers the whiche she­weth and declareth the the salute and helthe of thy soule / and thou to be so neclygent to put it in forgetynge. / [Page] And for to declare this mater more largely we shal ta­ke a preposycyon that is wryten in the pystyll that my lorde saynt Poule sente vnto the Romayns / where as he sayeth. Prouidentes bona non solum coram deo sed etiam coram omnibus hominibꝰ. ad ro .xij. That is to saye y ^t for to haue paradyse it suffyseth not to be goode before god / but to doo good werkes before the people. Upon the whiche wordes saye we one preposycion generall and note it for it toucheth euery estate / and specyally theym that medle with dyce and cardes. I byleue yf you vnderstande it well you shall knowe the greate perylles that you are in / and the euyl that you do. The preposycyon is suche. Euery body that hathe desyre for to deye well and that hathe wyl for to come vnto y ^e glory of paradise is holden and bounden vpon the payne of mortal synne to lyue so vertuously that it gyue none occasion nor knowlege to his cristen broder to offende god mortally. Prouidētes bona non solum coram deo sed etiam coram omnibus hominibus. One myght speke here to the baudes y ^t steleth the soules of Ihesu crist from faders and moders / maysters or maistresses that sheweth euyl examples to theyr meyne / to the tayllers that maketh the dyssolute garmentes / to y ^e crafty men that sheweth theyr chyldren & seruaūtes to make fraudes and deceytes / and maketh them werke on the holy dayes. But come we vnto them that medleth theym to make dyce and cardes. I praye you tell me by your cō ­scyence yf a boye or a ryottour bye a payre of cardes of you or a payre of dyce is it not wyttyngly mater for to offende god mortally / it is manyfeste. If you saye that you can not tell the experyence sheweth it openly at y ^e [Page] eye the grete euylles and horryble blasphemes and sinnes innumerable that is comytted euery daye. In su­che maner that yf you were by them somtyme tyl mydnyght and wrote all the wordes y ^• yssueth out of theyr cursed mouthes / you wolde saye that with grete payn the deuyll myght fynde so many. Who is cause. It is y ^e cardes that thou haste solde. Now ymagyne how ma­ny soules is dampned in hell for the dyce and for y ^e cardes that hathe ben made at Parys / at Lyon / at Roen / and in other places. And thynke you not that it cryeth vengeaunce to god the creatoure agaynst them that is cause of theyr dampnacyon / certaynly yes. Wyl ye knowe perfytely y ^e euyll that foloweth of dyce and cardes Our lorde answereth. A fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. you shall knowe them by the fruyte that they bere One knoweth not the bounte or malice of a tree by the braunches or leues / but by the fruyte y ^t it bereth. Now take we two trees. The fyrste shall be a harlot the whiche hathe ben in a chambre by the space of .xx. yere commyttynge her lecherye with her rybaude. And y ^e other tree shall be a maker of cardes or dice / or tables / and o­ther instrumentes of playe of chaunce / the whiche sith xx. yere hetherwarde hathe alwayes made dyce & car­des / now demaunde we oure lorde and redemptoure. Lorde god tel vs yf it please you of whiche of these two you haue ben moost offended / of the harlot / or of the dyce & cardes made by this man here. I byleue yf it pleased hym for to speke y ^t he wolde saye. A fructibus eorum potestis cognoscere. you maye knowe it shall our lorde saye by the fruyte that is yssued therout. I wyl not cō ­pare the operacyon of this harlot to the operacyon of [Page] this carde maker / or maker of dyce / but the euyl that is folowed / and wyl proue that god hathe ben more offended by the cardes that hathe ben made in the house of this cardmaker / or dyce maker / thā of y ^e lechery of this harlot for foure reasons. The fyrste for this wretchyd harlot hath not offended our lorde but in her chambre where as she was presente. But the cardmaker / & ma­ker of dyce is occasyon that our lorde is offended / not alonely in one house and one strete: in one parisshe / but in all the towne. And not alonely in one towne / but in Parys / in Roen / in Lyon / and in all Fraunce as well as here in this countree / and through all crystendome ferre and nere.

¶The seconde reason for this harlot offēdeth god but only in her lyfe / but the cardmaker and maker of dyce is occasyon that god is offended in his lyf in his dethe and after his dethe. Note cardmaker and maker of dyce whan thou shalte be in the artycle of dethe and y ^e one shall holde the candell in thy hande / and that the preest shall crye Ihesus my frende Ihesus / it may be that some playeth with the dyce or cardes that thou hast ma­de and for asmoche as he leseth his money in renyeng and blasphemynge god and brekynge the cardes shall saye. All the deuylles of helle take the soule of hym that hathe made these dyce or cardes. And perauenture he shall be a man of the chirche / or relygyous / or an abbot or a bysshop.

¶The thyrde reason is that this harlot offendeth god onely whan she waketh / but this cardmaker / and ma­ker of dyce are occasyon y ^t god is offended whan they wake / whan they slepe / whan they take theyr refeccyō [Page] whan they are in the chirche to praye god / and y ^e mea­ne whyle the players gyueth hym to the deuyl and curseth hym. And ryght so as a good crysten he maye saye vnto god. Particeps factus sum omnium timentiū te. Lorde god I thanke y ^e of that thou maketh me perteyner of all the goodes that your seruaūtes maketh. Sē blably he that medleth hym to make / sell / and bye y ^e dyce and the cardes may saye vnto the deuyll y ^t he is per­teyner of all y ^e euylles and synnes that is cōmytted by the players.

¶The fourth reason is that the lechery of this harlot hathe not ben occasyon saue onely to make two perso­nes too synne / she and her lemman. But the cardes of this cardmaker / and the dyce of this dyce maker haue not ben onely cause that two persones hathe offended god / but .xx.xxx.xl.C.M.x. thousande .C.M. and innu­merable of all estates. For it is one of the gretest abusinges that domyneth to daye in crystendome.

¶There is dyuers abusynges pertyculerly in all estates / as in the estate of the chirche where as symony regneth / in relygyon propryete and inobedyence / amon­gest the nobles rapyne / in iustyce pyllynge / scratchyng and fleynge of poore people / amonge y ^e burgeyses vsu­rye / auaryce / and inhumanyte / in marchaundyse frau­des and decepcyons / amonge the crafty men lesynges forswerynges / brekynge of holydayes & so of other. But there is an abuse generall y ^• whiche toucheth euery estate grete and lytell / ryche and poore / wherof spe­keth the prophete zacharye octauo. That is y ^e abuse to playe at the dyce and cardes from whiche procedeth so many euylles and synnes that as the doctoures sayeth [Page] they transgresse and breke the .x. cōmaundementes of god / they contemne the fyue commaundementes of holy chirche. By this blyndnes they commytte the seuen deedly synnes / they adnychyll the seuen gyftes of y ^e holy ghost. By this abuse they make irreuerence to y ^e ho­ly sacrament of the chirche / they renne in the indygnacyon of god. By this abuse cometh often warres / pestylences / famynes / and mortalytes / by this abuse they lese the realme of paradyse and gothe vnto dampnacion eternall. Now thynke how many soules there is damned in helle for the abuse of playnge at the dyce and cardes. And generally al the euylles that may be thought procedeth and cometh of this abuse. I demaūde frome whens cometh at this daye so many blasphemynges agaynst god and the blyssed vyrgyn Marye / and ayenst all the sayntes of paradyse. Answereth zacharie. Ciui­tas replebitur hominibus ludentibus. The cyte is re­plete with euyll and dampnable players / contrarye to good polyce and thynges publycke / the whiche peruerteth the good condycyons / and purchaseth the abuse to playe at the dyce and at y ^e cardes. Fro whens cometh so many homycydes / murdres / fyghtynge / kyllynge / murmurynge / cuttynge of legges and armes / and cas­tynge in to the ryuer. Answereth zacharye. Ciuitas replebitur. &c. It is the abuse to playe at the dice and cardes. Fro whens cometh soo many auaryces / rapynes / vsuryes / and theftes. Answereth zacharye. It is y ^e abuse of playnge at the dyce & cardes. Fro whens cometh it that so many yongmen robbeth theyr kynnesmen / y ^e seruauntes theyr maisters and maystresses / the men of the chirche the goodes of the poore people. Answereth [Page] zacharye. Certaynly it is the abuse of the playng of the dyce and cardes. What is the cause that so many good houses is loste / the doughters abyde vnmaryed / y ^e chyldren vnpuruayed. Answereth zacharye. It is the abu­se at the playnge of the dyce and cardes. Fro whens cometh it that there is so many poore wedowes in grete necessyte / the orphelyns all naked that hathe not brede for to ete. Answereth zacharye. It is the abuse to play at the dyce and cardes. What is the cause of soo many glotonyes / dronkenshippes / lecheryes / aduoutries / fornycacyons / vyolacyons of yonge maydens / & ledynge vnto perdyccyon. Answereth zacharye. Ciuitas reple­bitur. &c. Certaynly it is the abuse to playe at the dyce / and cardes. What is the cause of so moche defylynge & settynge at nought god our creatoure and oure moder holy chirche / to breke the holydayes / and the fastes cōemaunded / lesynge the masse and euensonge / and y ^e ser­mons. Answereth zacharye. It is the abuse of playnge at the dyce & cardes. Fro whens cometh so many noy­ses and debates / and dyscencyons in maryage bytwe­ne the husbande and the wyfe / it semeth y ^t it is an helle Answereth zacharye. It is the abuse to playe at the dyce & cardes Wherfore is it that they leue to doo almesse to paye theyr dettes / and accomplysshe the testaments of theyr kynnesmen deed / and to paye the dysmes and rentes of the chirche. Answereth zacharye. It is y ^e abuse to playe at the dyce and cardes. Fro whens cometh it that so many wyues are beten and hurte / yll clothed & that some of them deyeth for hongre with theyr chyl­dren. Answereth zacharye. It is the abuse of playnge at the dyce and cardes. Fro whens procedeth so many [Page] hates / enuyes / yres / iniuryenge the other. Answereth zacharye. It is the abuse to playe at y ^e dyce and cardes What is y^ cause that soo many yongmen and sones of good houses are taken of the Iustyce / put in pryson / & hanged to the confusyon of theyr frendes. Answereth zacharye. It is the abusynge to playe at the dyce or at the cardes. Fro whens cometh it that many yong chyldren are so dyssolute and gyuen to vnthryftynes / glo­tons / saucy / lyers / and wyll do nothynge / are rebelles and inobedyentes to theyr frendes / & somtyme leueth in necessyte theyr faders and moders / and without ta­kynge leue gothe ferre and nere. Answereth zacharye. Ciuitas replebitur hominibus ludētibus. It is y ^e abu­se to playe at the dyce and cardes. And thus you se ma­nyfestly that this abusynge maketh horryble woūdes in crystendome / and how it is cause of the perdyccyon not alonely of the goodes temporell / but also of the bo­dyes & soules. What remedy / what is to be done / wyll not my lordes of the chirche and gouernours of the co­mon welfare do for the loue of theyr god / lorde / and iu­ge souerayne / and for the welthe and prosperyte spyrytuell and corporel of theyr subgectes as they are straytly bounden after y ^e dute of theyr estates & offyces / they ought for to lese bothe etynge drynkynge and slepynge for to thynke & puruaye therfore / for it toucheth theym ryght nere / and ought to be right Ioyous to fynde so­me meane to deiecte & hele this horryble pestylence & abuse dampnable. Now vnderstande yf it please you / there is but one thynge as it is sayd in the decretall depenitentus et remissionibus in the chapytre. Cum in­firmitas Remota causa remouetur effectus. Wyll you [Page] make an yll tree for to dye in your garden / cut the rote of the same euyll tree and it shall bere no more yll fruyt Wyll you take awaye all the euylles and sclaundres of the whiche we haue spoken / take awaye all the dyce & all the cardes in your cytes bourghs and townes and brēne them / for it is a generall rule. A destructione cause sequitur destructio effectus. ye muste dystroye y ^e dy­ce and the cardes and the playe shall cesse / and conse­quently the euylles that foloweth. There is not he but that they knowe it. And it is that the whiche my lorde saynt Poule sayeth in the auctoryte aboue spoken. Prouidentes bona non tamen coram deo (s) sed etiā corā omnibus hominibus. That is for to saye that for to haue paradyse it suffyseth not to be good before god / but also to do good werkes and operacyons before the people for to shewe and teche them the ryght waye vnto paradyse as they are boūden.

¶The .ix. that dampneth them for the playes are they that lenneth money to a hasardoure for to playe at the dyce or at the cardes. One shal fynde soner a man that wyll lenne syluer vnto a ryottour or hasardoure / than they wyll do vnto a good man in his necessite / the whiche is an euydent and open sygne that they are the mynysters and seruaūtes of the deuyll. Shall a player saye go we to playe. His felowe shal answer I haue not a halfpeny. Take no thought shall the other saye I haue ynoughe for vs bothe. And thus for y ^e deuyll he shal soner lenne ten nobles than he wolde do for the loue of god ten shelynges to a good man in his grete necessite yf he sholde deye for hongre. O how it is grete yl for to lenne money to the players.

[Page]¶The .x. that dampneth theym by the playes are they that serueth the players gyuyng them fyre and candel There is that serueth the players all the nyght beynge before them / and shall take somtyme a noble for a can­dell / and yet the tapster wyl not be ashamed to saye y ^t it is for to marye her doughter. And y ^e vnhappy players shall let her take it with a good wyll / in saynge within theyr hertes / she wyl condyscende more soner to our requeste / she shall let her be kyssed and groped / or yf y ^t she maye not entende she shall sende her grete doughter / lo here is a fayre begynnynge for to be a good wyfe.

¶The .xj. y ^t dampneth them by playes are they y ^t aby­deth for to beholde y ^e players / they do more gretter hurte than they wene / and byleue that all the blasphemynges / deceyuynges / lesynges / and other synnes that is cōmytted there is transported to theym that beholdeth them. For they proue y ^e games. How is it possyble that one may stande beside the fyre without warmyng him And therfore sayeth the wyse / ecclesiastici xiij. Qui te­tigerit picem inquinabitur ab ea. That is for to saye / who that toucheth rosyn he shal be spotted or maculed And sayeth after. Qui communicat superbo induit su­perbiam. Who that haunteth a proude man shal beco­me proude also. I demaunde you sayeth saynt Bernardyn who maye beholde theym that cōmytteth actuelly the synne of lecherye without beynge spotted w ^t synne. What is he that doubteth that he that beholdeth y ^e players renneth not in more gretter synne than they that beholdeth them that cōmytteth lecherye. How be it / it is so that they are parteyners of all the synnes that is done and cōmytted there / as sayeth saint Poule the appostle. [Page] ad Ro. primo. Digni sunt morte non solū qui ea faciunt sed etiam qui consentiunt facientibus. That is for to saye that not alonely they that cōmytteth y ^e sinne are worthy dethe eternell / but also they that consent to them that do the euyll / for the prophete Dauyd sayeth. Cum peruerso peruerteris. With the euyll sayeth he y ^u shalte become euyll. Of this speketh the holy scrypture in the thyrde chapytre in y ^e booke of Thobye / where as is made mencyon of a good mayden / god wyll that there be many suche ones / that sayd in this maner. Nun (quam) cum ludentibus me miscui ne (que) cum his qui in leuita [...]te ambulant particitem me tribui. She was in greate trybulacyon and desolacyon this good vyrgyn. For vniustly they had done her a grete reproche. And euen so as she sholde she put her in orayson to appease god and sayd. Lorde god I haue done you this lytell seruyce it is that I neuer medled me with the players Ha my lorde god I haue done this for the loue of the I haue not ben in the daunces with the lyght maydens. It semed her that she had done a grete seruyce to god / and ther [...]fore that god sholde gyue her that whiche she demaunded / and also she obteyned it. For she was maryed vn­to a good man the sone of y ^e good Thobye. And at thys daye they vaūt them. Shal my burgeyse saye. It was I that they came for too fetche to the banquet. I haue foūde suche a facyon of a gowne I haue worne it fyrst I haue founde suche a playe / and shall vaunt her / and the doughter shall saye. My moder I am the fyrst that hath songe this songe. O myserable thou reioyseth the of the euyl that thou hathe done / wepe / wepe / & demaū de pardon of god. Of the euyll that they do that behol­deth [Page] playe the players / beholde also that the whiche y ^e lawe cyuyle. In predicta autentica interdicimus / he­re aboue aleggued. Whiche is argument that suche sinneth mortally / where as it is expressely defended to be boty felowes with the players / and not to beholde thē playe. And marke well the punycyon that he ought to haue after the sayd lawe that dothe the contrarye. He ought to be closed in a mynstre by the space of thre yere to do penaunce. And yf he haue a benefyce he ought to be suspended from his benefyce. Lo here an argument that they synne mortally / for / for synne venyell they gyue not suche penaūce. And this is confermed in y ^e sayd decretal. Clerici officia. de vita et honestate clericorum that was made at the consyle generall. What shall we saye of them that playeth openly in y ^e strete / & of theim that beholdeth them. But at this tyme we make no cō scyence therof for asmoche as there is no correcyon done. And right often they y ^• playe are the gretest / & they that ought to chastyse the other. Alas we se euery daye that they the whiche sholde be the example to lyue wel to the symple folke / are the spectacle of vnthryftynes. ¶The .xij. that dampneth them by the playes are they that myght let them and haue auctoryte to do it / as the prelates of the chirche / the men of Iustyce / the gouer­nours of Cytees / the lordes terryens / and all they y ^• by theyr offyces or by theyr othes are bounden for to pu­nysshe the open synners. For y ^e whiche god punysshed a hole comynalte. And therfore it was said & answered by the crucyfyxe to kynge Robert prayenge god at or­leaunce for the peas of his realme of Fraunce y ^t he sholde haue none yf he chastysed not y ^e blasphemynges in [Page] especyall / and al other open synnes of his realme in generall / as is founde in the cronycles and storyes. And consequently ought to for do these players and take a­waye the occasyons to playe syth that there procedeth so many euylles and synnes / and yf they labour not to take them awaye they consente to y ^e euyl. For it is wryten .lxxxv [...]. distinctione. capi. Culpam. vbi dicitur. Cul­pam facientis procul dubio h q ⁱ quod potest corrigere negligit emēdare. and foloweth Negligere cū tu possis deturbare ꝑuersos nihil aliud est (quam) fouere: & proba [...]o­disse seuicia q ⁱ condēnat errantes. We saye meruaylles that we shall do none euyll. Certaynly at y ^e houre that we shall punysshe the synnes we shall shewe y ^• we hate the euyll. But and we make dyssymulacyon / it is syne y ^t we gyue fauoure. It foloweth in this chapytre. Ni­chil prodest alicui non puniri proprio que pumendus ē alieno peccato. Suppose y ^t thou arte not a harlot / nor player what shall that prouffyte y ^t yf thou be dampned for the synne of other / as hely is dampned for the sinne of his chyldren / for all that he was good hymselfe / of y ^e whiche speketh saynt Iherome. Hely pro iniquitate filiorū suorum damnatꝰ est corripuit q ⁱ dē eos sed leuita­te patris non auctoritate pontificis. hec hieronimus. And to the ende that this grete good may yssue in effecte / and the better to take awaye y ^e occasyons of playng I counsayl and requyre euery body that desyreth to be saued / and to gyue none occasyon to other for to synne nor of dampnacyon / that hathe the dyce / the cardes / & the tables / with other playes / that you brenne / them in a fyre / and sacryfye them to our lorde. So as they we­re deputed for to doo sacryfyce vnto the deuyll of helle / [Page] For god cōmaundeth in his lawe ryght so as it is wryten primi paralipomenon decimo quarto. ca. et deutero nomij .vij. that the thynges that hathe ben dedycate to the deuyll of helle sholde be dystroyed and brente with in the fyre. And so dyde the kinge Dauyd of the ydoles of the Phylystyns / how wel that they were of grete valoure. And yf that you do so / the good lorde for the fere loue and honoure of whome you do it / he shall rewar­de you well and not for that in so doynge I make you perteyners of al the messes that I shal synge hereafter Halas none ought to be withdrawen from doynge so good a werke for thre consyderacyons. The fyrste as vnto god. The seconde as vnto himself. The thyrde as vnto his neyghboure. The [...]yrste consyderacyon as vnto god is that euen so as god hathe ben iniuryed with suche instrumentes and openly offended by the grete dystruccyon of the same be the deuyll confounded and god honoured as it is wryten in the decretall. de penitentus et remissionibus. ca. primo. Manifesta peccata non sunt occulta correctione purganda. That is for to saye the synnes manifest ought to be punysshed openly The seconde consyderacyon as vnto hymself is to the ende that the occasyons to playe whiche is the instru­mentes of the deuyll be taken awaye for so as we ha­ue sayd before. Remota causa remouetur effectus. Ta­ke awaye the instrumentes and they shall playe no more. And yf you wyll not brēne them it is sygne that you are not contryte of your synnes and that you haue noo purpose to leue these playes dyabolyques. The thyrde consyderacyon is as vnto his neyghbour for euen soo as by the playes and synnes that hathe ben cōmytted [Page] by these instrumentes they haue ben sclaūdred and dymynysshed / thus by the dystruccyon they shall be edyfyed and haue the sayd playe in abhomynacyon. And ta­ke good kepe that by auaryce and by the suggestyon of the deuyll there abyde none in your houses / and in ly­ke wyse of the tables that they be not conuerted in too some prouffytes of the house / as it is so that a true penitent hathe not alonely abhomynacyon of his synnes / but also of all the thynges by whom the dyuyne maieste is offended. For y ^e chylde sheweth not to haue loued his fader that voluntaryly and wyttyngly vsrth & ser­ueth hym with the knyfe that his fader hath ben slayn with. By the thynges aboue said the chirche of the cursed folkes shall be dystroyed / and the players throughe the grace of god chastysed / and the synnes of the playe to be confounded with the deuyll of helle. And the ver­tues and good condycyons shal take augmentacyon & encreasynge in the people. The whiche thyng pleaseth it y ^e mercye of god to vttre vnto vs of his benygne grace and pyte. Amen.

THe kynge saynt Loys consyderyng y ^e euylles that foloweth of suche maner of playes forbode & defended throughout al his real me euen so as it appereth by his constytu­cyons and ordeynaunces made and pronounced at parys / the yere of grace .M. two hondred & foure and fifti in the moneth of decembre. Out of the whiche constytucyons hathe ben extracte the artycles that foloweth.

¶The abouesayd constytucyons are wryten amonge other in a boke wryten in parchement beynge in the lybrarye of the ryall college of Nauarre founded at Pa­rys intytled the boke of customes of dyuers countrees and the ordeynaunces of saynt Lowys.

¶Here after foloweth some opynyons of holy & venerable doctours vpon the mater of the dice and of the cardes.

¶The opynyons aboue sayd haue ben vysyted at Parys by .xij. venerable doctours of the faculte of theolo­gye the whiche haue founde the sayd opynyons good / and reasonable / and sayeth that suche men is not in y ^e estate of grace but gothe vnto dampnacyon yf they do not penaunce and leue that dampnable crafte. And ensygneth and techeth a reason amonge the other euydēt to conferme all the thynges aboue sayd / the whiche is suche.

¶Also often and many tymes as of an operacyon / or of a crafte the whiche one may well forbere yssueth as many euylles or more than goodnes / they ought to be taken awaye & deuyded from y ^e comon welthe. Nowe it is so y ^• out of the playes of chaūce & instrumentes for to playe the whiche one may well forbere yssueth innumerable euylles and fynably no goodnes as the expe [...]ryence sheweth / wherfore it is necessarye for y ^e helth of the soules / and the peas and vtylyte of the comon welfare that they be condempned and forboden with all y ^• instrumētes that apperteyneth to suche playes of chaū ce and hasarde / as is the dyce / cardes / tables and other lyke or semblable.

¶In lyke wyse we haue asked y ^e opynyon in this mater of foure lordes counsayllers in the parlyamente of Parys / the whiche hathe answered euenso as the doc [...]tours / and is of theyr opynyon. This ought y ^e confessours to note well / and all they that haue soules in go­uernynge [Page] and kepynge.

¶Uysyon horryble and meruayllous shewed to my lorde saynt Cyrylle dyscyple of y ^e gloryous saynt Ierome.

MI lorde saynt Cyrylle in a boke intytled the booke of the dethe of my lorde saint Ihero­me / in the .xvij. chapytre of the pystyll con­teyned in the sayd booke the whiche wrote vnto saynt Austyn where as he maketh mencyon of y ^e myracles of the gloryous saynt Iherome / he recyteth one amongest the other moche horryble of theym y ^• are gyuen to playenge. And the sayd saynt Cyrylle sayeth / I had a neuewe named Ruffus the whiche was gy­uen me in gouernynge bycause that his fader & moder deyed whan he was but a yere of aege / by my wyll I wolde that he had neuer yssued out of y ^e wombe of his moder to the ende that he had not suffred that the whiche he suffre nowe. I had gouerned hym with as gre­te dylygence as I myght. The poore vnhappy waxed in aege and not in veray sapyence / he waxed also in beaute corporell and not in the beaute of the soule in su­che wyse that for his beaute honeste bounte / and sapyence moundayne he was honoured of euery body hu­maynly. At the aege of .xviij. yere the poore vnhappy & myserable cre [...]ture dyed / of y ^• whiche they that knewe hym were so sorowfull in wepynge and bewayllynge hym y ^t a moneth after his dethe with grete payne we­re they appeased. But certaynly te wepynges and la­mentacyons were not suffycyent for that whiche was happened hym. And for as moche as I had loued hym [Page] entyerly / dyuers tymes I haue made my requeste to y ^e gloryous saynt Iherome y ^t it pleased hym for to shewe vnto me what was become of my neuewe. And by y ^e merytes ot the sayd saynt Iherome I haue obteyned that whiche I haue demaunded. For one daye among the other as I was in prayer at the houre of .ix. of the clocke I felte so grete a stynke that I might not suffre it. And as I thought in myselfe fro whens proceded [...] so grete a stynke in lyftynge vp myn eyen I sawe aboue my heed my poore neuewe in a semblaunce and fygu­re moche horryble / in suche maner that I durst not beholde hym ones agayne / for he was bounde with gre­te chaynes ardaunt full of fyre / and as a furneyse caste stynkynge flambes oute. At this vysyon horryble sodaynly toke me suche an incomparable fere that whan I wolde haue spoken vnto hym I myght not in no ma­ner. Fynably at the laste a lytell after I began for to take spyryte to me / and all trymblynge began for to spe­ke in demaūdynge yf it was my neuewe. And then w ^t grete syghes & houlynges he began for to saye in thys wyse. A myn owne wyll that I had neuer ben created vpon the erthe / to the ende that I had not ben delyue­red to the greuous paynes and tormentes that I en­dure. Alas myn vncle knowe that I am eternally condampned to be in the paynes and prysons perpetuall of helle / there to abyde and remayne for euer with al y ^e deuylles and cursed dampned men and women. And then whan the blyssed and holy saynt Cyrylle had her­de the grete wepynges complaynets and lamentacy­ons that his neuewe had made there before hym / and consyderynge his inestymable paynes and tormentes [Page] and how he was perpetually condampned in to y ^e paynes of helle began for to saye. Halas what shall I saye Certaynly after that I had herde my neuewe I haue had so grete doloure that dyuers tymes I haue ben sore abasshed y ^t my soule departed not fro my body. And after y ^t I had spoken longe to hym I demaunded hym why he was so greued / & he answered y ^t it was bycause y ^t he had taken dylectacyon in playnge in y ^e worlde / without confessyng it / wherfore I am depryued from the mercy of god. And after these thinges he vanysshed awaye leuynge suche a stynke behynde him y ^t neuer after none entred therin. By this exāple none oughte for to playe / for it dyspleaseth god moche greuously. These thynges consydered of the holy saynt Gregorye he said O petōr momētaneū ē qd delectat scz in hoc mūdo: eternū vero qd cruciat scz in inferno. Alas sayeth saint gregorye poore moūdayne all the delectacyons y ^t thou ta­keth in this myserable worlde in these playes dyabolyques in thy body in clothes dyssolute and other vices it is but a momente. Eternū vero qd cruciat but y ^e tormentes of helle are eternall without ende. Of the whi­che paynes the holy man Iob reherseth twayne in the xxiiij. chapytre of his boke where as he sayeth. Transibunt ab aquis minū ad calorē minū. Iob sayeth that amonge y ^e grete paynes y ^t is in helle there is two hor­ryble & meruayllous y ^e one is of fyre ardaūtly brēning & the other is of ysy water the whiche two paynes no tongue can expresse. And therfore sayeth saynt gregory all the strengthes of the bodyes & soules of y ^e wretched synners are in tho two paynes before them in augmē tynge of all theyr paynes and tormentes.

[Page]Itē yf there were a stone a thousande tymes more greter than all the erthe / & that there came a byrde frome a C.M. yere. to a .C.M. yere & no soner / and that for euery tyme he toke of the stone also grete alonely as the .x. parte of a corne of whete / so y ^t m.x.C.M. yere he hadde not taken but a pece also grete as a corne: and that god had made promesse to a dampned y ^t whan the sayd sto­ne sholde be al eten / & no soner he sholde haue not y ^e glorye of paradyse / but releasynge of his payne. The sayd dampned sholde be alredy dyscharged of one of y ^e gre­test paynes of hell. That is that he sholde haue releace whan the stone were eten. But alas alas alas & a .M. tymes alas whan sholde it be. And for all y ^• all the dampned are deuoyde of suche truste / for they knowe wel y ^• that they shal neuer departe from thens. And this payne y ^t is dyspayre none can comprehēde. O pyteous hertes thynke profoundly where becometh youre aege / & your tyme / thynke where is your loue and your vnderstandynge. Thynke whether you are in the way of glory or in the waye of torment. And ymagyne that there is a hondred mylyons in helle that yf they had halfe an houre of y ^e tyme y ^t you haue / they wolde make suche dylygence & suche penaunce y ^t they sholde neuer retourne theder agayne. Alas who maye thynke the grete com­playntes and lamentacyons y ^t they make without ceasynge for the tyme y ^t they haue lost / wherin they myght haue wonne paradyse. How lytell hathe lasted our ioy and pleasaunce moundayne. Alas what hathe prouf­fyted vs honoures / rychesses / and delytes / grete castelles / houses / dygnytees / offyces / al is passed soner than the wynde / & there is lefte vs but maledyccyon of god [Page] myserye and torment. Cursed be the houre that we were euer borne of our moder / we haue lost the meryte of the passyon of the sauyoure / we haue loste paradyse & eternall benedyccyon. Alas god wherfore haste y ^u crea­ted vs cursed be the creatour / y ^e creature / and y ^e houre also of the creacyon. We are wel cursed and confoūded we maye crye longe / curse / and blaspheme / one can not conforte another / but well dysconforte O how it is an horryble thynge [...] cruell / and to be redoubted to offende god and breke his cōmaundementes / it is to late to repente hym there. Suche lamentacyons and other like is in the songe of the vnhappy dampned / of y ^e estate of whome and of theyr paynes none can speke nor wryte playnly in comparyson of that whiche they suffre / but this notwithstandynge who that well beholdeth and consydereth in his herte this that is spoken in this ly­tell treatyse / he ought to conceyue fere yf euer by scrypture or other maner he had ony And to this purpose is founde by wrytynge that a man excessiuely moūdayne and full of all vanyte named Fulkes. Ones amonge y ^e other he laye in a bedde ryght softe and delycyous / but he myght not slepe as he desyred / and anoyed him that the daye came not not for to go to the masse or do some good but for to excercyse his folyes and worldely va­nytes. And he beynge in suche anoye thought profoūdly in hymselfe what doloure he sholde haue yf he were condampned for to abyde there in bedde by the space of two or thre yeres without other lyght or body. And cō ceyued in hymselfe that for no sōme of golde nor syluer he wolde not endure that payne and torment. And af­ter he thought more depely what it myght be of theym [Page] that were in purgatorye by the space of a hondred yere in sharpe fyre / & what grefe they endured in abydynge the Ioyes of paradyse. But as god wolde he thoughte more ouer on them that were dampned in helle perpe [...]tually in grete tormentes / wherof he had soo grete fere and drede that anone after he entred in to the relygion of Cistersien̄. where as he prouffyted so moche in meditacyon and perfeccyon thynkynge on y ^e paynes of hell that he was chosen to be the bysshop of Tholouse in y ^e whiche dygnyte he fynysshed his dayes ryghte holyly and wente vnto the glorye of paradyse. By this example appereth clerely the grete prouffyte y ^t cometh from holy medytacyon and thynkynge on the paynes of hel and of the longe contynuynge of the same the whyche prouffyte declareth the prudent. Ecclesi .vij. ca. in saynge. In omnibꝰ operibꝰ tuis memorare no [...]ussima tua et ineternum non peccabis. That is to saye. O poore synner in all thy werkes and operacyons haue remembraunce of the houre of thy dethe / of the Iugementes of god of the paynes of helle / and of the Ioyes of paradyse and thou shalte neuer offende god. so be it. Amen.