fered
to kysse to any man. If some wold do it by there owne
fre wyll, of a certene affectyo of holynes, I thynke
they were whorthy of pardon. _Ogy._ It were || better
not to thes thynges, if I may say as I thynke, yet owt
of thes thynges that cannat forthwith be amended, it is
my maner if ther be any goodnes thereyn, to take it
out, and apply it to the best. In ye meanseson that
contemplacyo and light delited my mynde, that a good ma
is lykened to a shepe, an euyll man to a benemouse
best. The serpent after she is dede, ca stynge no more,
not withstondyng with her euyll sauour and poyson she
infecteth and corruptyth other. The shepe as loge as
she is a lyue norryseth with her mylke, clothet with
her wolle, makyth riche with her lambes, when she is
deade she gyueth vs good and profytable lether, and all
her body is good meat. Euen so, cruell men, gyuen all
to the world, so longe as they lyue be vnprofitable to
all me, when they be deade, what with ryngyng of
bellys, and pompyouse || funeralles they greue them
that be on lyue, and often tymes vexe ther successours
with new exactyones. Good men of the other syde at all
assais be profytable to all men, and hurtfull to noo
man. As thys holy man, whyle he was yet alyue, by hys
good example, hys doctryne, his goodly exhortatyons
prouokyd vs to vertuouse lyuynge, he dyd cofort the
coforthlesse, he helped ye poure, ye and now that he is
deade, he is in a maner more profytable. He hathe
buylded thys costly & gorgeouse churche, he hath caused
greate authoryte thorough out all Englande vnto the
ordre and presthode. At ye last, thys pece of the show
dothe susteyne a company of poure people. _Me._ Thys is
of my faythe a godely cotemplacyo, but I maruayll
greatly, seyng you ar thus mynded, that ye neuer dyd
vysyte saynt Patryckes purgatory in Yerlande, of the ||
whiche the comyn people boost many wonderouse thynges,
whiche seme to me not lyke to be true. _Ogy._ Of a
suerty ther is not so meruelouse talkynge of it here,
but the thynge it selffe doth fare excede. _Me._ Hast
thou bene ther than, & gonne thorow saynt Patryckes
purgatory? _Ogy._ I haue saylede ouer a ryuer ot hell,
I went downe vnto the gates of hell, I saw what was doe
ther. _Me._ Thou dost me a greate pleasure, if thou
wyll wotsaue to tell me. _Ogy._ Lett this be the
prohemy or begynnynge of owr communycatyon, longe
enough as I suppose. I wyll gett me home, & cause my
souper to be made redy, for I am yet vndyned