A potacio[n] or dry[n]king for this holy time of le[n]t very co[m]fortable for all…A potacio[n] or dri[n]kynge for this holi time of le[n]t very co[m]fortable for all…

PHIL. This is done, to put us in remembrance what we are. For when the priest layeth ashes on your heads, he saith these words. Remember man that thou art ashes & unto ashes thou shalt return. This Ceremony preacheth unto us, that we are nothing but ashes, dust & earth, & to that we shall return again. If we mark this Ceremony well, we shall ⟨image 59⟩have but little occasion to be proud ¹or to magnify ourselves, as the scrip ²ture saith, wherefore art thou proud O thou ashes & earth? All flesh is grass, saith the Prophet, & all his ³glory is as a flour of the field. If we consider this thing well, it shall also provoke us unto the contempt & utter despising of the world, yea a it shall pluck us from sin, & move us to do good works, as the wise man saith, remember thy last ⁴end, and thou shalt never sin. And forasmuch as in the old law they that would humble them selves be fore God by Penance, did use to sit down in the ashes & to throw ashes upon their heads, as the scriptures show of Ahab, of the Ninevites, ⁵of the Jews, wham they were oppressed of holofernes, & of divers other, therefore the holy fathers of Christs church in times past in stituted also this ceremony to put ⟨image 59⟩us in remembrance of the Penance which this holy time of Lent ought to be done of all christen men for their wicked deeds, which they have wrought all the whole year paste. Do ye perceive now, what the laying of ashes upon your heads do signify.

PHIL. This is done, to put vs in remembraūce what we are. For whan the preste layethe asshes on youre heades, he sayth these wordes. Remember mā that thou arte asshes & vnto asshes thou shalte returne. This Ceremo ny pr•cheth vnto vs, that we are nothynge but asshes, dust & earthe, & to that we shall returne agayne. If we marke this Ceremony well, we shall