A
ryght profytable treatyse
compendiously drawen out of many
and dyvers wrytynges
of holy men
by
Thomas Betson

Printed in Caxton's house
by Wynkyn de Worde
about 1500

Cambridge
at the University Press
1905

The tract here reprinted is one of twenty-six formerly bound together in a remarkable volume (AB. 4. 58) which was presented to the University in 1715 by King George the First together with the rest of the Library of John Moore, Bishop of Ely.

The name of the author is only known from the colophon. It will be seen from the facsimile that the fourth letter of the name is not certainly an s. Herbert (p. 204) on the information of W. Cole gives the name as Betton: but it seems probable that we are right in reading it as Betson. Mr Bernard W. Henderson, who has very kindly examined the copy in the Library of Exeter College, Oxford, and Mr F. Madan, to whom he has shown it, are decidedly of opinion that the letter is a blurred s.

The date of printing is fixed by competent authorities as 1500, on the evidence of the states of the printer's mark and of the cut of the Crucifixion.

FRANCIS JENKINSON

This facsimile has been taken from the original in the Library of the University of Cambridge.

I certify that I have printed 250 copies only of this facsimile, that the impressions have been rubbed off the plates and the negatives destroyed.

P. DUJARDIN

Here begynneth a ryght profytable treatyse cõpendiously drawen out of many & dyuers wrytynges of holy men / to dyspose men to be vertuously occupyed in theyr myndes & prayers. And declared the Pater noster. Aue. & Credo. in our moder tonge with many other deuoute prayers in lyke wyse medefull to religyous people as to the laye people with many other moost holsomest Instruccyons / as here after it shall folowe.

The famous doctour Iohan gerson Chaûceler of Parys / takynge his groûde of holy scrypture. & accordynge with all other doctours sayth thus.

Vre moost mercyfull fad^r lord god knowyng our freelte & redynes to all syⁿnes. is euer redy duryng this wretched & mortall lyf / by many & dyuers ways to forgyue vs our trespace / & to graûte & gyue vs his grace / yf so be that truly we ordeyne vnto hym these treuthes folowynge sayd & done with all our herte. The fyrst / thou shalt saye. Blessyd lorde I knowleche y^t I haue synned ayenst thy goodnes thus and thus Rehersynge thy synnes. And I am dyspleaseth therwith by reason of the whiche I do penaunce & wyll do. For I knowe well that I haue greued the & broken thy cõmaûdementes. In the whiche thou only ought to be worshypped. The seconde saye this treuthe. Good lorde I haue good purpose & desyre with thyn helpe to be ryght ware herafter that I fall not in to synne / & I entende to flee the occasions after y^e possibilyte of my power. The thyrde is this. Mercyful lorde I haue a good wyll to make an hole confessyon of all my synnes whan place & tyme cõuenient may be had acordynge to thy cõmaûdement & all holy chirche. These thre treuthes who soeuer sayth w^t his herte vnfaynyngly in what place y^t euer it be / he may be sure y^t he is in y^e state of helth & grace & he shal haue euer lastynge lyf though he had done all the synnes of the worlde. And yf he decessed w^tout ony other confession for lacke of a preest. as slepyng sodayn deth he sholde be saue suffrynge afore harde payne of purgatory / wherfor it is a good coûsel y^t euery crysten man ones or twyes a daye erly or late / or els at lest on holy dayes examyne his conscyence & remêbre yf he may w^t al his herte vnfaynyⁿgly say these thre treuthes / & yf he do he may be sure y^t he is in y^e state of grace. And yf he may not. but is in wyll to synne ayen & to haue his delectacion w^t dede / & wyll not flee the occasyons of mortall synnes & so drowned wyl not aryse. as vsurers. fals marchaûts or y^t desyren vengeaûce w^t suche other suche may be certayne y^tthe pope may not assoyle them Not for thy holsom coûsell is y^t suche praye & gyue almesse & do other good dedes after theyr power y^t god the father may lyghten theyr hertes. & the sooner torne them to goodnes. Amen.

This Pater noster / taught our lorde his dyscyples / and all people by his gospell.

Ader our that art in heuens / halowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come to y^e. Thy wyll be do as in heuen so in erthe. Our eche dayly brede gyue vs to daye. And forgyue vs our dettes ryght as we forgyue to our dettours. And lede vs not in to temptacyon. But delyuer vs from euyll Amen / that is to saye. So be it.

This is the Aue maria / that Gabryell sayd salutynge our blessyd lady / & it is the gospell.

Eyll Mary full of grace / the lorde is with the / blessyd be thou amonge wymen / & blessyd be the fruyte of thy wombe Ihesus. Amen.

These ben the artycles of our Crede / and oure byleue / that who is baptysed and trusteth in hem shall be saued.

Byleue in god fad^r almyghty shaper of heuen & erthe. And in Ihesu cryste his oonly sone our lorde / the whiche is conceyued of the holy goost / borne of Mary