A comparison betvveene the lyfe of Hunters, and the lyfe of religious persons

WHat lyfe is more paynefull and laborious of it self then is the life of Hunters which most early in the mornyng breake their sléepe and ryse when other doe take their rest and ease, and in his labour he may vse no playne high wayes and the softe grasse, but he must treade vppon the fallowes, runne ouer the hedges, & créepe thorowe the thicke bushes, and crye all the long day vppon his dogges, and so continue without meate or drinke vntill ye verie night dryue him home, these labours be vnto him pleasaunt and ioyous, for the desire & loue that he hath to sée the poore Hare chased with dogges. Uerely, verely, if hée were compelled to take vppon hym such labours, and not for thys cause he would soone be wearie of thē, thinking them full tedious vnto him: neither would he ryse out of his bed so soone, ne faste so longe, ne endure these other labours vnlesse he had a verie loue therin For the earnest desire of his mynd is so fixed vppon his game, that all these payns be thought to him but verie pleasures▪ And therfore I may well say that loue is the principall thyng that maketh anye worke easie, though the worke bée right painfull of it selfe, & that without loue no labour can be comfortable to ye dooer. The loue of this game deliteth him so muche that he careth for no worldlye honour, but is content with full simple and homely aray. Also the goodes of the world hée séeketh not for, nor studieth howe to attayne them. For the loue and desire of his game so greatly occupyeth his mynde and harte. The pleasures also of his flesh he forgetteth by wearinesse and wasting of hys bodie in earnest labour. All his mynde, all his soule, is buzied to knowe where the poore Hare may be founde. Of that is his thought, and of that is his communication, and all his delight is to heare and speake of that matter, euerie other matter but this, is tedious for him to giue eare vnto, in all other things he is dull and vnlustie, in this onely quicke and sturryng, for thys also to be done, there is no office so humble, ne so vyle, that he refuseth not to serue hys owne dogges hym selfe, to bathe theyr féete, and to annoynte them where they be sore, yea and to clense their stinkyng Cannell where they shall lye and rest them. Surely if religious persōs had so earnest a mynde and desire to the seruice of Christ, as haue these Hunters to sée a corse at a Hare, their lyfe should be vnto them a verie ioye and pleasure. For what other be the paynes of religiō but these yt I haue spokē of. That is to say, much fasting, crying, and comming to ye quire, forsakyng of worldly honours, worldly riches, and fleshly pleasures, and communication of the world, humble seruice, & obedyence to his soueraigne, & charytable dealyng to his sister, which payns in euerie pointe, the Hunter taketh and sustayneth more largely for the loue that he hath to his game, then doeth many religious persons for the loue of Christ. For albeit, the relygious person ryseth at mydnight, which is painefull to hyr in verie déede, yet shée went before that to hyr bedde at a conuenyent houre, and also commeth after to hyr bedde agayne. But the Hunter ryseth early, and so continueth foorth all the long day, no more returning to his bed vntill the verie night, and yet peraduenture he was late vp the night before, and full oftē vp all the long nightes. And though the religious woman fall vntill it be noone, the which must be to hir paynfull, the Hūter yet taketh more payn which fasteth vntill the verye night, forgetting both meate and drink for the pleasure of his game. The religious woman singeth all ye forenoone in the quier, and yt also is laborious vnto hir, but yet ye hunter singeth not, but he cryeth, halloweth, & shooteh all the long day, & hath more greater pains. The religious woman taketh much labour in comming to the quyer and sitting there so long a season, but yet no doubt of it more labour taketh the Hunter in running ouer the fallow and leaping ouer ye hedges, & créeping thorow the bushes then that can bée. And would to God yt in other thyngs that is to say, touching worldly honours, worldly ryches, worldly pleasures, would to God that the relygious persōs many of them might profite as much in myndfulnesse in séeking of Christ, as the Hunter doeth in séeking of his game, & yet all theyr comforte were to common and speak of Christ, as the Hunters hath all their ioye to speake of the poore Hare, and of their huntyng. And furthermore, would to God ye religious persons would content them selues with the humble seruice done to their soueraigne, and with charitable behauiour vnto their sisters, and with as good a harte and mynde as the Hunters acquit thē to serue their heūds. I wisse it is a thing much more reasonable to loue and serue reasonable creatures made to the Image of almightie God, rather then to loue and serue dogges which be vnreasonable creatures. And rather our dutie were to speake of Christ, and of things belonging to his honour, then of the vaine worldly matters which be but very trifles in déede. And also wyth more attentyue mynde we shoulde séeke after our sauiour Christ Iesu, to knowe our very comforte in him, wherein resteth the great merite of our soules. Then the Hunters should séeke after the Hare, which whē they haue gottē, they haue no great gaines thereby. But as I sayde the cause why that so many religious persons so diligently pursue not the wayes of religion as doe the hunters, is the want of ye obseruation of their game which is nothing els but the lack of loue. For verely as I thinke the earnest loue and hartie desire of game maketh all labours and paynes pleasaunte and ioyous vnto the Hunter. And if there were in religious persons as great fauour and loue to the seruice of God, as be in Hunters to their game all their lyfe should bée a verie Paradise and heauenly ioye in this worlde. And contrariwise without this feruor of loue it can not bée but painfull, wearie, and tedious to them. My purpose therefore deare sister is to minister vnto you some cō mon considerations which if you wil often resorte vnto by due remembraunce, & so by diligent prayer call vppon almightie God for hys loue, you shall now by his grace attain it.