167. How to avoid temptatioft. 117 



vexe or trouble those, the whiche he felethe him-selfe to 

 haue in possessyon by rj-ght inheritaunce. And if thou 

 be so tempted, vexed, or troubled, I shall shewe vnto the 

 16 two verses, that if thou do therafter, thou shake be eased [F0I.84.] 

 of thy temptacyon, and haue greatte thanke and laude of 

 god and rewarde therfore ; these be the verses. 



Hostis non ledit, nisi cum taxxptalus obedit. Two useful 



verses. 



20 Est leo si sedit, si stat quasi musca recedit. 



^ That is to say, The gostly enemy hurteth not, but whan 



he that is tempted obe}-eth to his temptation. Than his The tempter 



IS a lion, it 



ghostly enemy plaieth the lyon, if that he that is sowesUstiU; 

 24 tempted S)^; styll and obey to h}Tn. And if he that is 



tempted, stande styfly agajTiste hym, the ghostlye ennemye but if we 



^^ resist* ne xs 



flyeth awaye lyke a flye. This me semeth maye be wel but » fly- 

 proued by a famylier ensaumple. As if a lorde had a 



28 castell, and deliuered it to a capita}Tie to kepe, if there a faint- 

 come ennemies to the castell, and call to the cap}ia}Ti, captain 

 and byd hym delyuer them this castell. The capytajoie castle, 

 cometh and openeth them the gates, and del}'uereth the 



32 keyes. Nowe is this castell soone wonne, and this 



capj-tajTie is a false traytour to the lorde. But lette and is a 



... , iriji I traitor. But 



the capitame arme hym-selfe, and steke the gates, and if he resist, 



J _ t 1 1 J ,1 *^^ enemy 



stande styily vpon the walle, and commaunde them to will not 



tarry, 



36 auoyde at theyr perj-ll, and they wyll not tary to make 



any assaut. Ryght so euery man is capitayne of his owne Everyman 



is captain of 



soule, and if thy gostely ennemy come and tempte the, his own soul, 

 and thou, that art cap}-tayne of thyne owne soule, wyll 



40 open the gates, and del}aier hym the keyes and let hjin 

 in, thy sowle is soone taken prj'soner, and thou a false 

 traytour to thy soule, and worthye to be punysshed in 

 prison for euer. And if thou arme thy-selfe and stande 



44 styfly aga}'nste hym, and wyll not consente to h}Tn, he 

 wyll auoyde and fle away, and thou shalt haue a greate 

 reward for withstand}-nge of the sayde temptation. 



