Worshyp no fals god. In whiche is forboden wytchecrafte / enchaûtement^es / mawmentry / redyng of dremes / & al mysbyleue & such other. Take not his name in vayn. In which is forboden all heresyes / forsweryng of all mysmenyng / vnworshyp of god / takyⁿge his name î vayn & other. Halowe y^e holydays herynge deuoutly thy seruyce / kepyng y^e out of dedely syⁿne / & visyte y^e poore / & helpe to acorde them y^t ben at debate & suche other. Worshyp thy fad^r & thy moder. God thy fad^r holy chirche thy mod^r / thy goostly fad^rs / thy flesshly fader & mod^r / & people of age / & prelates of holy chirche. Slee no man w^t hande smytynge / nor w^t thy mouth in bacbytyng with herte cursynge / ne wyll ony euyll or vengeaûce. Do no lechery. In this is forboden all spousebreche w^t bodely dede or goostly / & all wylfull polucõns or prouokynge to y^e same. Do no theeft. as î stelyng / wronge getyng / trechery / oker / dysherytage of heyres.wronge amercymêt^es. fals mesure wrong purchasyng Bere no fals wytnes / in this is forboden fals byenge / bacbytyng / fals accusyng and all such other. Desyre not thy neyghbours wyf. In this is not only forboden the dede doyng but also the desyre & wyll of herte. Desyre not thy neyghbours thynge / as house / londe / beest / seruaunt nor ony thynge that is his.

These .vij. thynges folowynge sholde we haue euer in our mynde.

He synnes y^t we dayly do. The short tyme that we shall abyde here. The vncertayne of the daye of our deth. The vnstablenes & fraylte of vs. The strayte & ferefull Iugement of god. The bytter & vnspekable paynes ordeyned for synnes. The euerlastynge losse of eternall glorye. Here foloweth a short remêbraûce for confessyon to al peple / & in especyal to al religious folke.

Eldom shalt y^u fynde tyme in all the yere in whiche y^u shalt not haue cause to shryue the of some of these folowynge / that is to wete of hasty or neclygence saynge y^e seruyce of god / or of lesynge of tyme / or els of vayne thought or of vndue reuerence to god or to our lady or his saynt or to y^e other y^t ben thy souerayns. Or in forgetynge god & his dayly benefayt. & not thankyng hy^m for his creacion & his redempcõn. & y^t he gaf the y^t mynde to dyspose the better than other ben w^t suche other. And also not thankynge hy^m for thy dayly sustenaunce / clothynge & helth of thy body & for remissyon of thy synnes / for thyn enherytaûce of heuen w^t other Innumerable. Also remêbre thy wode wordes or noysom / or els fals Iugementes in thy mynde / or fals suspycõn. Also of ony mouynge to wrath or to vayne heuynes or vayne gladnes. Also serche in thy mynde yf y^u haue well spended y^e daye & nyght without synne / as yf y^u haue prayed or rede to lytell with suche other. Also yf y^u haue past thy boûdes in wordes or in etynge or drynkynge / slepynge or laughynge with suche other. Also remembre how y^u haste kepte the maundementes of thy souerayne / chastyte / pouerte / sylence in places & houres accordynge as y^u art called for to do. Also yf ony persone in worde sygne or dede y^u haste offended & gyuen ony cause or occasyon of greuaûce. Remembre also yf y^u hast ouerskypped in the seruyce of god ony wordes / verses / or ony Inclynacyons & suche other. And of the wauerynge of thy mynde / thyn eyen / & other vnmanerly behauyour of all thy body. Also of thy vnhonest & noysom thoughtes / that y^u sholde miyghtly resyst not taryenge with them by thy wyll. Serche also yf y^u haue grutched for mete or drynke or other necessaryes for bycause they were not gyue to the after thy pleasyr. Loke also yf y^u haue synned in moche takynge of mete & drynke / or ony other necessaryes more than nede requyred &c.

Saynt Bernarde to a newe begynner in relygyon.

F y^u entende to please god & woldest obteyne grace to fulfyll the same two thyng^es ben to the necessary. Fyrst thou must withdrawe thy mynde from all transytory & erthely thynges as who saye y^u carest as lytell for them as there were none suche thynges. The seconde is y^t y^u gyue thyself to god / that y^u saye nor do ony thynge / but that only that y^u verely byleuest sholde please god And in this wyse folowynge y^u mayst gete grace for the fyrst. In all thynges counte thyself vyle & symple / and as nothynge in regarde of vertue / & byleue all other to be good & better than thyself / & so shalt thou moost please god. What soeuer y^u 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 y^e 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 & y^t whan y^u can not elles shewe clerely thyn owne confessyon. Be more gladde to gyue thyn eere whan ony man is praysed / than whan ony persone is dyspraysed / Whan y^u spekest haue fewe wordes / true / & sadde & euer of god / yf ony worldely persone speke w^t y^e and purpose or vtter vayne wordes / as soone as y^u mayst