Thomas Betson

“ What soeuer yu here or see of ony relygyous persone or of ony other good persones / thynke alwaye that all is done & sayd for good entent though they seme ye contrary / for oft man by suspycyon is begyled. Dysplease no creature / & vtter no langage to laude of thyself / though it were to thy moost famylyer & beloued felowe / studye euer more to kepe more preuy thy vertue than thy vyce / speke neuer euyll of ony man or woman though it be neuer so true / & open it not without it be in confessyon & yt whan yu can not elles shewe clerely thyn owne confessyon. ”

“ But take or acompte all suche thyngs as nought & euer prayse & thanke god / gyue charge as moche as yu mayst to ye wele & prosperyte of thy soule flee places of moche speche as moche as yu canst. For it is moche better one to kepe his tonge than to speke. After complyn speke no worde tyl the masse be done the next daye folowynge without a grete cause requyre. Whan yu seest ony thynge yt dyspleaseth the / see yf the faute be in thyself & than haue compassyon / yf it be not / thynke that it may be & so lete all thynges be to the as it were in a glasse to see thyself. ”

“ Lete euer your mynde be with your spouse / and with your moder blessyd Marye / & the sayntes as often as ye synge or rede. Remembrynge yt god is there present and seeth what ye do Lete none see you from the seruyce of god or vnoccupyed. In redynge of prophetes epystles / gospelles / sayntes lyues / & other dedes of vertue doynge / hauynge euer bokes in your handes / studyenge or wrytynge / yt people seynge you may saye. Beholde here the seruaût of god / & the lanternes of the worlde. ”

“ Absteyne also from lyes at all tymes / as ye wolde from helle / for them in no wyse loueth Ihesus your spouse. And also beware to mayntene or botrace suthe lyes whiche is abhomynable in the syght of god. Yf there come ony straûger vnto you / lete hym knowe by your heuenly talkynge & behauyour yt ye be a well taught spouse of cryste & yt they may glorefye in you & for you & be amended by you. Bere ye wordes of saynt Ierom in your mynde that sayth thus. Truste me verely yt theris no thynge more peryllous to a man. ”

“ The more noble yt ye ben & come of worshypfull lynage ye more ye shal meke your self / & euer be gladde of poore & vyle habyte or clothynge / beware of obstentacyon & pryde or to desyre to be better arayed than an other syster is. And remembre yt ye shall be professed & wedde elyke to one spouse Ihesu cryste in one wyl & vowe / whiche loue none suche syngularyte / pompe & vayne glorye. ”

“ But beware touche there nothynge to a vayne vse or nycete of the worlde. After complyne kepe your tonge & take you to prayer & contemplacion. And call to your mynde suche heuenly thynges that ye | haue herde or redde afore. See in ony wyse that ye kepe this poynt of goddes lawe & of ye lawe of nature. Do euer to an other as ye wolde be done vnto
Deo gracias.
Thyse short prayers folowynge taught our lorde saynt Brigytte. Saye ye them ofte in the daye.
Omîe ihesu christe. ego cognosco me grauiter peccasse. Et libenter volo emêdare per gratiam tuã Miserere mei propter amarã passionê tuã. ”

“ And as ye be professed deed to the worlde so be ye deed in other mennes dedes. Also remêbre that ye must forsake your owne wyll & offre it vp & gyue it to god & to them that shall be your souerayne & heed for euer more. Enforce eche one of you that shall come to religyon to passe an other in obedyence / for than doubtles ye shall please god A true obedyencer that hath vtterly forsaken his owne wyll / knowe not ony thynge harde to do yt is cõmaunded of theyr souerayne ne ony thynge vnryghtfull. ”

“ Remembre how frele that our substaûce & nature is / & be mercyfull vnto them & vs as fader / lorde / & god / after thy grete mercy & for thy bytter passyon. For to the is oonly appropered to be mercyfull / without whiche no creature may be saued. Beholde swete Ihesu that our wyll is to worshyp the / & prayse the in the best maner that we can or may / and lyke as yu haste begonne with vs here / so make vs to contynue in thyn laude & seruyce euerlastynge. ”

“ There is no venym in the worlde so noysom to woman as is affeccõn towarde man of what soeuer cause it procede or growe. Ye may see yt the desyre of worldly wymen is euer in vesture / golde / precyous stones / & ornament outwarde of the body / & therin they put theyr glorye & felycyte. In so moche yt it suffyseth not them theyr luste gyuen by nature only / but they seke occasyon & craft | by the sayd premysses to encreace theyr sayd luste & desyres to theyr grete dampnacõn / beware ther fore of ony costely habyte or suche vanytees &c. ”

“ Be more gladde to gyue thyn eere whan ony man is praysed / than whan ony persone is dyspraysed / Whan yu spekest haue fewe wordes / true / & sadde & euer of god / yf ony worldely persone speke wt ye and purpose or vtter vayne wordes / as soone as yu mayst breke out of suche comunycacõn & talkynge & talke of god & of his vertues / or elles departe & gyue ye to some goodly & goostly occupacõn. ”

“ And whan ye praye be sory for the Ignoraûce of the people & theyr synnes / & mynde the soules that ye be specyally boûde to praye for with all other crysten soules. And yf ye wyl haue ye swetenes of contemplacõn / clense your herte from all worldly thynges. And be as ye were deed amonge them & as ye were buryed in your sepulcre the whiche betokeneth your monastery / to the tyme ye aryse & appere afore your spouse to haue your rewarde of his glory. ”

“ Ryghtwysnes / is a paynge of a dute to eche thynge yt it duly longeth vnto / as to god praysyng & thãkyng / to thy neyghbour loue & charyte / & to thyself besynes to fulfyl goddes wyl & his cõmaûdementes
Prudence or Wysdome. Is a vertue yt departeth good from euyll / & it standeth in chesynge good & refusynge euyll.
Strength maketh ony myghty | and hardy to do grete thynges for the loue of god & in suffrynge pacyently aduersyte / and mekely takynge prosperyte. ”

“ And note this for a truth / yt preuy talkyng lacketh no suspycyon. That thynge is not lefull to be seen / yt is not lefull to be desyred. More than ony man can suppose or wryte / ye deuyll reioyseth whan memorye of o man is fixed & had in a womãnes herte. ”

“ For thy good lorde Ihesu / by thy grace make them able / the whiche of synners haste made full often and dayly makest holy sayntes. And gyue them also thy drede & clennes of herte with the ryuer of teeres in all spirytuell consolacyon. ”

“ And in lyke wyse the Ioye of | euyll men fadeth anone. but good men with theyr trybulacyon here geteth eternall glorye. And euyll men with theyr ouermoche Ioye here geteth euerlastynge payne. Furthermore whan yu art accombred wt slouth & lackest deuocõn / take this wrytynge & ymagyne dilygently all these thynges rehersed. Than thynke of the tyme yt yu lesest in vayne ydelnes / & thynke yt they that ben in helle wolde gyue all the worlde for so moche tyme to redeme theyr synnes yf they myght haue it. Whan yu hast ony trouble / thynke that they yt ben in paradyse shall neuer haue suche trouble. ”

“ And leue them to worldely people / | and to clerkes / for otymes the letter may hurte you Thynke euer yt ye had leuer dye than ones to passe the clausures or boûdes of your monasterye. Yf ye haue a faythfull & a Iuste frende / to whom ye may open ye secretes of your herte / than ye haue a grete tresour / for oftymes one shall be deceyued & seldome can iuge the trouth in his owne maters so well as other. Knowe your owne synnes & wayle them & medle wt none other. ”

“ And yf he may not. but is in wyll to synne ayen & to haue his delectacion wt dede / & wyll not flee the occasyons of mortall synnes & so drowned wyl not aryse. as vsurers. fals marchaûts or yt desyren vengeaûce wt suche other suche may be certayne yt the pope may not assoyle them Not for thy holsom coûsell is yt suche praye & gyue almesse & do other good dedes after theyr power yt god the father may lyghten theyr hertes. ”