Deth And foure hundred and .xxi. yere after his departynge out of this worlde his Body was translatyd to Glastonbury as in the latter ende of seynt Patryckys lyfe apperyth ¶ De sancto decimiano heremyta martyre SEynt Decymyan otherwyse callyd Dekeman was borne in the west parte of Walys and when he was paste yerys of Chyldhode he suffred not his mynde to be vagarant But kepte it vnder discyplyne And when his felowes wolde goo on huÌ„tynge he wolde goo to the Churche and pray he sette not his pryncypall intent to great connynge but to good Lyfe and contemplacyon and after for that he moughte the more quyetly serue our Lorde he thoughte to leue his Countrey And soo he dyd and whenne he came to Seuerne he had no Shyppe to goo ouer And vppon a borden of Roddys that he made he came ouer into Englonde nygh to the Castell of Dorochester where was thenne a great wyldernes and there he lyuyd with Herbys Rootys with Fastyngys and Prayer and vsyd the heer And the lesse that he was vysytyd with men the more he was visyted with Aungellys a cursyd man for enuy that he had to his holy Lyfe stroke of his hed and he toke vp his heed bare it to a well that he was wonte to wasshe his Heed in and there he was fouÌ„de and was buryed honorably ¶ De sancto Deusdedit archiepÌ„o SEynt deusdedyt was of the Countrey of Westsaxones in Englonde His very name was Frythona but for his great merytys the people chauÌ„ged his name and caullyd hym Deusdedith that is god sent hym And after the Deth of the Archebusshope honoryus he was made archebusshope of CauÌ„terbury And he was a Louer of vertues a destroyer of vyces a dylygent sower of the worde of god And was busy in prayers fastyngys and in gyuynge of Almes And with grete studye laboured for the people coÌ„mytted to hym And after that he had takyn the Ordre of preesthode he had alwayes his mynde fyxyd to our Lorde and refresshyd poure men Clothed the nakyd vysytyd the syke had perseueraunt Loue to god and to his neyghboure and was full of the spyryt of wysdome and mekenes and that that seynt Augustyne seynt Laurence seynt Mellytus iustus Honoryus succedynge one after a nother had begon this Blessyd man by Prechynge Admonysshynge correccyoÌ„ hygh charyte more fully stablysshed and wheÌ„ he had brought all thyngys to good ordre in the yere of our Lorde god syx huÌ„dryd .lxiiii. in the Idus of Iuly he went to our lorde And lyeth at CauÌ„terbury ¶ De sancto Dubry con epÌ„o confessore THe moder of seynt Dubryce had no Husbonde wherfore her Fader whiche was a Kynge in Wales perceyuynge her to be with Chylde in great woodnes caste her into the water in a vessell of glasse and as ofte as she was caste in she was brought agayne safe to Londe And thenne her Fader caste her into a great Fyre and in the mornynge whenne they thoughte she had ben all to brent they founde her safe and her sone newe borne in hir armys and not one heer of hyr hurte And the Kynge herynge therof sent for theym And as he kyssyd the Chylde the Chylde with his Hande touchyd the kynges Face anon he was made hooll of a grete desease that he had in his Mouthe when he was set to lernynge he prophytyd so moche therin in good maners that men of great cuÌ„nynge came to here hym amoÌ„ge whom was seynt Thelyans Sampson Aidanus many other and after the Kynge made hym Archebusshope of the Cytie of Legyons And in the yere of oure Lord .v. C. .xii. he went out of this worlde and now he lyeth at Landanense in his Legende be dyuerse goodly thynges of Kynge arthur of Stonthynges and of dyuerse Myracles here omyttyd ¶ Descâ—oÌ„ Dunstano archiepÌ„o SEynt dunstane was borne of noble blode of Englonde of the countrey of westsaxons in the tyme of Kynge Ethelstane in the whiche tyme the lyfe of obedyence was lytell desyred And the name of an Abbotskaresly knowen seynt Aldelme archebusshop of cauÌ„terbury vncle to seynt Dunstane commyttyd hym to the kynge Athelstone of whom he was moche cherysshyd somtyme he vsyd Prayers some tyme Iudged causys of the people And so he vsyd hym selfe that he dipleased no man that lyuyd well As he was makynge avestemeÌ„t for a preest his harpe without touchynge sownyd the antiphone gaudent in Celis And though all the company thought it was by veyll coÌ„nynge yet he toke it for a warnynge that it was the wyll of our lord that he shulde lyue a harder lyfe And after certeyn malycyous persones by entysement of the Deuyll persuadyd the kynge to beleue that DuÌ„stan dyd nothynge by the helpe of god But by wichecrafte so he lefte the courte and went to his vncle elphegus Busshope of wynchester there he toke order of preesthode was made Monke at glastonbury and there as he was workynge in a forge the deuyll apperyd to hym lyke a woman to tempte hym And he by spyryt knowynge who it was toke hym by the nose with his hote Tongys so sore that he cryed out so terrybly that it feryd all the InhabytauÌ„tys in the towne The deuyll had great enuy to hym because of his blessyd lyfe and he had suche especyall grace that he knewe euer in Spyryte the leest thynge that the enemy dyd And euer he had the victorye And he lyuyd .vii. Kynges dayes Athelstan Edeâ— Edred Edwyn Edgare Edwarde the martyr Ethel drede his Broder he was in suche fauoure with Edrede that he preferryd hym aboue all Men in soo moche that there was nothynge doon in the Realme without hym he dyd Iustyce and equyte in all the Realme And after the deth of Edred he reprouyd Edwyn of his abhomynable auoultre wherwith the Kynge toke displeasure and banysshyd hym the Realme and so he taryed in Flaunders all the dayes of Edwyn and there he lyuyd a blessyd Lyfe in the Monasterye of Gandanense And after the deth of Kynge Edwyn kynge Edgare brought hym agayne with great honoure And after the deth of Odo archebusshope of CauÌ„terbury elsynus which longe had labouryd for it by corrupcyon of money was made Archebusshope wherefore as he was goynge towarde â—ome he dyed of Colde in the snowe And shortly after seynt DuÌ„stane was electyd archebushope And he fet his pall at rome and the fyrste daye that he came home and was howselynge the people sodeynly a Clowde came ouer the Churche and a whyte Doue was seen descende vppon hym And after on a tyme he came to Kynge Edgare reprouyd hym for kepynge of a Nonne And when the Kynge wolde haue had hym syt downe by hym he sayd he wolde not be freÌ„de with hym to whom our Lord was Enemy And the Kynge herynge that was aferde And anon knowlegyd his offence and askyd penaunce forgyuenesse And seynt Dunstane gaue hym
lerne this blessyd man omytted nothyng 〈◊〉 he lerned by the euangelystys or ê“phyttys to be 〈◊〉 fulfyllyd it in that he coulde howe be it in that he kepte 〈◊〉 Estre at the due tyme Bede prayseth hym not 〈◊〉 prayseth hym for he seyth ê‘case he knewe it not 〈◊〉 kepte it on a sonday but he praysyth hym that 〈…〉 pynge of his Ester he beleuyd nor worsh 〈…〉 other thynge but as we doo that is to say the Redempcion of mankynde by the Passyon Resurreccyon AsseÌ„cyon of the medyator betwixte God Man our Lorde Ihesu Criste And in the lyfes of Seynt Oswalde and Oswyn kynges And of Seynt Cuthbert dyuerse thynges thynges be spokyn of this Blessyd man ¶ De sancto Albano martire SEynt Albon dwellyd iÌ„ the Towne of verolame that now is callyd seynt Albons And in the tyme of the ê‘secucyoÌ„ of dioclesyan seynt Amphibell came into Brytayne and lodged in the house of seynt Albon and exortyd hym to be coÌ„uerted And shewyd hym sumwhat of the beleue of our lorde and he gaue lytle credence to his techynge And the same nyght seynt Albon sawe a vision that betokened the Misteryes of the Incarnaciou Passyon Resurreccion Assencion of our Lorde as in the Legende apperyth And in the mornynge he asked of seynt Amphibell what his visyoÌ„ betokened wheÌ„ seynt Amphibell had declared the hole misteryes therof how our Lorde suffred Passyon and Deth And how he Rose agayne and assendyd to Heuyn he sayd it was all trewe that he sayde And anon he Beleued and was Cristened And thenne he was complaynyd on that he was Cristened Wherfore he was sent for and was Takyn as he was prayenge before a Crosse And so he was broughte to the Iudge And there constauntly he confessyd that he was a CristeÌ„maÌ„ And so he was put iÌ„ prison there he lay .vi. Monethes in all that tyme there felle no rayne And therfore the people thynkynge that the god that AlboÌ„ worshypped ê“hibited the rayne toke hym out of prysone and wolde haue lette hym goo And he seynge that 〈◊〉 wold haue let hym goo prayde our Lorde that his martyrdome shuld not be lette And opynly dyspysyd theyr Idollys and soo he was had with great vyolence to be behedyd and as he went a ryuer that wolde haue lettyd theyr passage by his Prayer dryed vppe and oon of the Knyghtys that drewe hym to his marterdome seynge the great Myracles that our lorde shewyd for hym was coÌ„uertyd seynt AlboÌ„ was behedyd the .x. kaleÌ„das of Iuli the yere of our lorde god CClxxx vi And anon the eyen of hym that strake it offelle owte he was buryed at seynt Albons sumwhat the LegeÌ„d leuyth it for a dowte whether he lye now at seynt Albons or at ely but it semyth to be the more lyke that he shuld lye at seynt Albons And in the legend apperith how kynge Offa repayred the monastery ofseynt Albons And how the heresy of PelagianÌ„ began at Bangor and how it was extyncte ¶ De sancto Aldelmo episcopo confessore SEynt aldelme was of kynne to Iue kynge of we stesaxoÌ„s iÌ„ his youthe he ê“phyted moch iÌ„ coÌ„nynge after he was made monke at malmesbury so preest then Abbot And his fame went so ferre that it came to the pope Sergyus he sent for hym to Rome wheÌ„ he had sayd masse in the Church of lateraneÌ„se helde the vestemeÌ„t behynde hym to haue takyn it to one of his seruauÌ„tis none was there it hoÌ„ge vppoÌ„ a sonne beame a longe tyme a womaÌ„ that was with Chylde defamed the Popâ— therw t And saynt Aldelme herynge that was moch heuy coÌ„mauÌ„dyd the chylde which was but .ix. dayes olde iÌ„ the name of our lorde Ihesu criste to shewe if the Pope were his fader he sayd nay And so the Pope was delyuerd of the cryme And seynt Aldelme brought with hym fro Rome an Alterstone which by the way brake with his prayer blessynge it was made hoole And as it is sayd the same stone is yet iÌ„ the priory of Briton now callyd Bruton he was a great wryter of Bokes meynteyned moche the due kepynge of Ester he neuer went out of his Monastery without a great cause he gaue great almes wold stonde in the water thoughe it were froste snowe tyll he had sayd a hole psalter And after he was made busshop of Shyryburne and in great age full of good werkes he went to our Lorde the .viii. kalendas of Iune in the yere of our Lorde .vii. hundred .ix. and lyeth in his monastery at Malmesbury ¶ De sancto alredo EpÌ„o confessore When seynt Alrede was in his Cradell his face shone lyke the sonne And in his chyldehod he had the spirit of ê“phecy And tolde the very day of the deth of the Busshop of yorke he was in so great fauoure with Dauyd kynge of Scottys that he was seconde to hym whiche a Knyght enuyed much with great hatred insomoche that somtyme in presence of the kynge he wolde speke opprobrious wordys to hym he toke all paciently so that the Knyght meruaylyd toke penauÌ„ce askyd hym forgeuenes he tolde hym that he ought to loue hym the more for by his hatred he encresyd the more in the loue of our lord And by hym his pacieÌ„ce was prouyd And he was so meke that thoughe he were hurte he was not moche troubled therwith and if any accused hym he was not prouokyd to vengeaunce and he dyd alway good for euyll and when the kynge wolde haue made hym busshope he forâ—oke it entred into Relygyon at ryeuall which is of the ordre of cisteaux and was mayster of the nouyces a Nouyce that was vnstable was by his prayers twyse brought agayne to the Monasterye when he was goynge away and when he was made Abbot oftymes he counceyled his Bretherne that noo foule worde shulde goo out of theyr mouthe ne any detraccion or o the And he refourmyd the hole couÌ„trey of gallway and wrote the lyfe of Seynt Edwarde Kynge Confessoure and dyd many other thynges he was of great abstynence and wolde moche rede in Bokes that shulde moue compunccion and he had great sykenes ten yeres before he dyed and toke it in great pacieÌ„ce and wolde no fysyke and oftymes was visityd with Aungells and he knewe the veray daye of his Deth he sayde to his Bretherne that after he entered into Relygyon he neuer fret in malyce nor detraccyoÌ„ with any ê‘son that for any cause taryed with hym tyll nyghte and that he had louyd alway peace Broderly loue his owne espirituell quietnes he wente to our lord the day before the firste Idus of Ianuarye in the yere of our lorde god a. M. a huÌ„dred .lxvi. and dyuers thynges be here omytted c. ¶ De sancto Amphybalo martire WHen seynt Amphibell had coÌ„uertyd seynt Albon seynt Albon aduertysed hym to go
oute of the Cytie so he went into wales after when seynt Albon was martyred a great multytude of people sawe a bryght Pyller ascende fro his toumbe to heuyn they mere conuerted and sent for seynt Amphibell to instructe theym in the feyth the messengers fouÌ„de hym in Wales prechynge to the people and in the meane tyme a noyse rose in the Cytie that some of the Cytye wolde goo with Amphybell ouer the see caste away the worshyppynge of theyr goddes wherfore a great company of the people furyously went to hym when they founde hym they bouÌ„de his armes and made hym goo before theyr horses barefote and in the way he helyd a syke man Aud when men of verolame met hym they put hym to cruell Martyrdome And many seynge his constaunce were conuerted wherfore they were put to deth in his syghte a. M. persones whome he coÌ„mytted ioyously to our Lord as he was stoned he was iÌ„ prayer sawe our Lord with many auÌ„gelles seynt AlboÌ„ was amoÌ„ge them a voyce sayd that he shuld be with his discyples in ê‘adyse And so Aungels toke his sowle to heuyn And all that dyd any thynge ageynst hym were greuously punysshed by the haÌ„de of god the people seyng the terryble punysshemeÌ„t that folowid were all coÌ„uertyd many went to Rome to do penauÌ„ce he was buryed at Radbourne lay there longe â—yme vnknowen And by reuelacion of seynt alboÌ„ his body was fouÌ„de brought to seint alboÌ„s ¶ De sancto Anselmo archiepiscopo SEynt anselme was borne in the Cytie of AugustaÌ„ in the mouÌ„tes of Alpey and iÌ„ his youth he came to the monasterye of Becceuse in Normandye And there he was .iii. yeres vnder lamfranke lyued a Religious lyfe wheÌ„ lamfraÌ„ke was takyn to the rule of the monastery of cadomence anselme was made Pryour of Becceuse he abstractid hys mynde fro the worlde wordely thynges gaue hym holly to study coÌ„templacyon And he assoylyd many doutes in scripture that had not ben assoyled afore his tyme And he absteynyd so moche that all glotony was extincte iÌ„ hym so that he had no huÌ„gre nor desyre of etynge as other men haue a yonge broder of frowarde maners enuyed hym he suffred hym all that he mought not brekynge the rules of the religioÌ„ a longe tyme wherby at the laste the chylde began to loue seynt anselme and wolde here his monycions and at laste take his correccyons and an olde broder that longe had enuyed hym when he lay syke cryed out and sayd that two wood wulphes were betwixte his armes that wolde strangle hym and seynt Anselme herynge that made the signe of the Crosse and so they wente away then gladlye he toke penaunce Seynt anselme wrote many Bokes the Deuyll had great enuy to them somtyme he tere them in pecys And he shewyd by dyuerse godlye exauÌ„ples that chyldren shulde aswell be Instructyd by feyre meanes as by rygoure And after he was made Abbot he vsed moche contemplacyon and appoyntyd other approuyd men to haue rule vnder hym he was dylygent in receyuynge of gestys And after he came into EngloÌ„d where after the deth of seynt LaÌ„fraÌ„ke he was made archbusshope of CauÌ„terbury in the tyme of wyllyam Rufus which was a great tyrauÌ„te oppresser of the Churche And by cause seynt Anselme namyd Pope vrban as Pope The kynge toke great displeasour And anon dyuerse of the Busshoppes gaue vp theyr obedyeÌ„ce to Seynt anselme And after when he had asked thryseleue of the Kynge to goo to Rome the Kynge bad hym leue that purpose or go his wey without Retournynge and after he went to Rome and there he had a decre for makynge of Busshopes that they sholde not be made by geuynge of a staffe and as he came homewarde he sawe in vyfyon yâ— â—l the seyntys of Englond complayned to our lorde of the Kynge And our lorde gaue a burnynge Arowe to seynt Albon he sayde he wolde take it to a wicked spiryt that was a taker of vengeauÌ„ce for synne And so he threwe it into the Erthe lyke a comet sterre by which vision seynt Anselme knewe that the kynge was deed And after he came into Englonde by deseyre of Kynge henry the furst he went agayne to Rome to chauÌ„ge the decre when the Kynge knewe the Pope wolde not chauÌ„ge it he seased the Busshopryche of Cauterbury into his handys And after yâ— Kynge and he were agreed And the kynge lefte the olde custome of makynge of Busshoppes by geuynge of a staffe and in the yere of our lorde a. M. a hundred .ix. full of good werkys he went to our Lorde the .xi. kalendas of Maii and lyeth at Caunterbury ¶ De sancto Audoeno epÌ„o confessore SEynt audowen was archebusshpe of Roane after he was choseÌ„ he wolde not pÌ„sume anon to take it vppoÌ„ hym but went fyrste into Spayne And there prechyd to the people and by his prayer they hadde abundauÌ„ce of Rayne that were before .vii. yerys wtoute And he went to our Lorde the .ix kalendas of september and was buryed in Roan And .xxx. yerys after his body was found vncorrupte And in the tyme of kynge Edgare foure clerkys came to his courte And tolde hym that they had brought with them the Relykys of seynt Audoen And when he doubtyd and marueylyd therat they sayde without it appere by Myracles that it is soo let theym be punysshed and put out of the Realme and the Kynge sayde that it belonged to Spyrytuell examynacyon and not to hym And bad them tarye tyll the Archebusshope odo came And whaÌ„ yâ— Archbusshop came the Clerkes ê‘seuered in that oppynyon and prayde that it mought be tryed by the shewynge of almyghty god And so a Lepour was brought furthe with deuoute prayer the Archebussope made a Crosse ouer hym with Bones that they brought And anon he was hoole and a man syke of the palsey with the hede and with deuoute prayer made in the name of seynt Audoen was also made hoole And so the relykys with great honoure were had to CauÌ„terbury and the sayde clerkys seynge the place were made Monkes they endyd theyr lyues in the seruyce of our Lorde and of seynt Audoen in his Lyfe be many notable thynges of his vertues counceyles and myracles De sancto Augustino episcopo confessore SEynt gregory sawe englysshe ChyldreÌ„ to sell at Rome when he had lerned that they were callyd Angli that they were not Cristened he sayde it was great pyte that the spyryte of Derkenes shuld haue so feyre People for he sayde they were well callyd Angli quasi angeli And so he had great desyre to haue prechid the seythe to them hymselfe but that the people of rome wold not suffre hym to go so ferre therfore wheÌ„ he was made Pope he sent seynt Augustyne many other into Englonde as he had loÌ„ge desyred
they toke with them interpretours out of Fraunce and they landyd in the I le of Tannet and Ethelbertus was then kynge in Kent and he had maryed a Lady of the Kynges blode of Fraunce which was Cristened And wheÌ„ they shuld mete the Kynge they brought before them a Crosse and an Image of our Lord And when seynt Augustyne had made a loÌ„ge sermon to the Kynge of the power of our lorde of his passyon and resurreccyon of the entent of theyr coÌ„mynge that it was to haue hym forsake Idollys and beleue in our lorde and so to come to an euerlastinge kyngedom the Kynge fayde bycause they were come fro farre countres to shewe hym that they thought was best he wolde receyue theym fauorably and mynystre to theym suche as they neded but as to chauÌ„ge his beleue that his auncestoures had so longe kepte he wolde take respyte therein and so he appoynted theym a lodgynge in CauÌ„terburye and gaue theym lycence to conuerte as many as they coulde and after the Kynge seynge theyr blessyd lyfe Myracles that they dyd was conuerted And seynt Augustyne was made archebusshope of Caunterbury of the Busshope of Arelatense and anone seynt Augustyne sent to rome to seynt Gregory certayn interrogacions wherto seynt gregory answered at great leÌ„gth as iÌ„ the LegeÌ„de apperyth also seynt Gregory wrote dyuers goodly Epystles to the Kynge ethelbert to the quene to seynt Augustynâ— to seynt mellyte amoÌ„ge other thynges he dispraysyth moche the vse in some contreys that women do not norysshe theyr owne Chyldren and exorteth theym to do it and seynt Augustyne with the helpe of the kynge Ethelberte had a great metynge with the Busshopes and clergye of Wales to refourme the tyme of kepynge of Estre dyuerse other thynges that they vsed agaynste the good ordre of the Churche and to haâ—e theym charytably by coÌ„mon assent mynystre the worde of god to the people and they Refused and whenne Seynt Augustyne hadde helyd a blynde Man in prouynge that theyr Tradycyons were not good yet they toke loÌ„ger respyte to a nother day at that day they retourned wtout makynge accorde by cause seynt Augustyne rose not to them when they came which they Iudged to be of pryde and many of the famous monasterye of BaÌ„gor wherin were .xxi. hundred Monkys were there at that day wherfore moch parte of theÌ„ were after destroyed by Ethelfrydus kynge of Northamhumbre a pagaÌ„ bycause it was shewyd hym they came to praye for a Kynge that was his enemy And seynt Augustyne went to yorke on foote to Preche there he helyd oon of the Palsey and there he cristened aboue .x. thousande people And as he went fro theÌ„s he helyd a lepoure at Cerne in dorset shyre our Lorde apperyd to hym And famylierly spake to hym and conforted hym and sayde he was with hym in all that he dyd and in the place where our Lorde stode he sette his staffe and there sprange vppe a fayre Welle whenne he was at Cumpton in oxforde shyre it was shewyd hym that the lord there wolde not pay his tythes after as he was goynge to masse he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that no man accursed shulde abyde within the Churche And anon a deed Body arose and went into the Churcheyarde and seynt Agustyne went to hym and askyd what he was he sayde he was somtyme Lorde of that maner and because he wolde not pay his tythes he was Accursyd by the Curat and so he Dyed And anon the curat by commaundement of seynt Augustyne rose and there assoyled hym so they fell agayne to Asshes when he that denyed payment of his tythes had seen this he fell downe to the foot of seynt Augustyne and confessyd his offeÌ„ce euer after was discyple to seynt Augustyne he went alwayes on foot somtyme barefoot and with longe knelynge he had great calles on his knees and in his tyme kynge Ethelberte made seynt poules Churche in LoÌ„doÌ„â— he made two Busshoppes oon at London anoder at Rochester he went out of this world the .vii. kalendas of Iune lyeth at CauÌ„terbury he was translatyd in the yere of our Lorde god a. M. lxxxxi the thyrde day before the natyuyte of our Lady ¶ De sancto Bartholomeo monacho SEynt bartylmew was borne in the prouynce of whithe and in his youth he sawe with his bodelye eye our Lady seynt Peter seynt IohnÌ„ euaÌ„gelyst our Lady with a plesaunte countenauÌ„ce bad hym kys the steppes of her sone and aske of hym mercy and wheÌ„ he lay ê“strate and cryed thryse haue mercy on me our Lorde answeryd I haue mercy on the and for euer shall haue mercy on the and after he entred into relygyon at Duresme And as he knelyd before the crucyfyx he sawe in spyryte the crucyfyxe bowe downe to hym and take hym in his armes kysse hym And he lyued in grete humilite obedyence suche werkes of god as other Bretherne dyd forgette or coulde not doo he wolde perfourme for he wolde sey that oon Brother shuld euer helpe fourthe a nother And after by monycyon of Seynt Cuthberte he wente to the I le of Pharnense for that place he sayde was ordeynyd for hym of God and there he lyuyd a Strayghte and Blessyd lyfe many yerys And a lyfe of great exauÌ„ple in his dyet Fastynge Prayenge and in his apparell And he was of suche reuerence and goodly demeanoure that Ryche proude men were aferde to appere afore hym And at his desyre wolde â—ote tymes cease fro hurtyng of poure men And he was full of Charyte to syke men poure men alwaye couÌ„ceylyd theym to lede theyr lyfe in Pacyence the Deuyll hadde great malyce to hym apperyd to hym somtyme lyke a Lyon lyke a Bulle or lyke an Ape and ones he laye so heuy vppon hym and helde his Throte so harde that he had well nere fayled vnder hym and as he cryed oure Lady helpe he was delyuered And he was wonte to saye that the wycked spyryt was but frayle and lyke Smoke and soon wolde be ouercoÌ„me And on a nyghte he sawe seynt Cuthbert come vysybly to the Aulter and make hym redye to saye Masse And he helpyd hym to Masse to the ende And the I le of Pharnense is full of Byrdys that be callyd seynt Cuthbertys Byrdys And one of theym hadde loste her Byrde in a Rocke and she came and pullyd seynt bartylmewe by the Skyrte and ledde hym to the place And soo he toke out the Byrde and anone they wente into the water and he knewe the tyme of his Deth .ix. yere before he Dyed And he dyed on mydsomerday lyeth in the I le of Pharnense c. ¶ De sancto Benedicto cognomento Biscop SEynt benet Byscop was of noble Blode of Englonde and hadde great possessyons geuyn hym by Kynge oswy which he refused and entred into Relygyon in the I le of lyxmense and whenne he had ben there .ii.
of our Lorde if that peyne myghte put a way the peyne that she was worthye to haue for her pryde and offencys in werynge golde precyous stonys aboute her necke when she was yonge And when a surgeon had Cutte the sore place and that Easyd her for a tyme the thyrde day after the peyne came agayne And she yeldyd her soule to our Lorde the .ix. kalendas of Iuly after she had ben abbesse .vii. yere wheÌ„ she had lyen .xvi. yerys her Body all her clothys were founde vncorrupte And her necke was hoole a tokyn apperyd of the Cuttynge after the monasterye was destroyed by Inguer hubba was renewyd agayne by seynt Ethelwolde by helpe of the kynge Edgar A man that had ben a great vserer full ofâ—ynne was in great syknesse enteÌ„dyd to serue god in relygyon at Ely the resydew of his lyfe anâ— the Kyngys mynysters prohybytyd it sayde he was a thyfe also in the Kynges det Wherfore he was had to London there he was put in prysone on a nyâ—â—t apryd to hym seynt Benet seynt Awdry her suffe 〈◊〉 Sexburghe And seynt Benet onlosyd hys Irons the Myracle knowyn he was let goo so he enteryd into relygyon as he before purposyd ¶ De sanâ—tis Ethelcedo Ethelbricto martyrybus SEynt ethelberte that was conuertyd by Seynt augustyne had Issu Edbalde edbalde had two sonnes Eâ—menâ—ed ErcoÌ„berte Ermented had Issu theys blessyd martyrs Ethelrede Ethelbricte a doughter callyd doÌ„puena which was maryed to the kynge of Mershyes after the deth of theyr fader moder bycause they were then but yonge they were put to the kepynge of Egbert sone of the sayde Ercombert to brynge vp And therupon a cursyd man callyd thuÌ„nir that had grete rule vnder the kynge ferynge that if they lyuyd they shulde be gretter in fauoure with the kynge then he enuyed theÌ„ moch tolde the kynge many false talys of them sayd if they Lyuyd they wolde put hym oute of his Realme CouÌ„ceylyd that kynge to let hym Kyll them pryuelye and when the Kynge for drede of god loue that he had to them wolde in no wyse assent at laste when the sayde Cursyd man euer callyd on the kynge and he on a tyme with dyssymylynge voyce sayd nay that cursyd man toke boldenes on a nyght kyllyd them both buryed them in the Kynges house when the kynge rose in the nyghte he sawe a grete lyghte in the heygth of the hall wherat he merueylyd moch dred for the chylderne callyd thuÌ„nir wheÌ„ he had lernyd of hym how it was he feryd greatly the Iugement of god sent for his couÌ„ceyll spirituall teÌ„porall by couÌ„cell of them all he sent for dompuena theyr suster And for the deth of her bretherne she askyd asmoch grouÌ„de in the I le of tenet as her Hynde wolde goo aboute seyinge she was so commaundyd by oure lorde And when the hynde hadde goon a certeyn space and all the people folowyd her Thumnyr founde a great deffaute at the kyngys graunte wolde haue stoppyd it forthwith as he had spokyn the worde he fell of his horse brake his necke he was buryed in the same place and a great rocke of stonys were caste vppon hym it is callyd ThuÌ„nerslane to this day after by Ethelrede that was kynge Edgares sone these gloryouse martyrs were traÌ„slatyd fro a place where then regnyd the blessyd Kynge sygbert whiche before that tyme for fere of Redwarde hadde fledde into Fraunce And there he was crystenyd And then came agayne into his countrey and after made a monasterye by councell of seynt felyx and toke tonsure and there seruyd our Lorde And in short tyme seynt Felyx coÌ„uertyd all the people and was made Busshope of the Cytie of dominoke And the kynge sygberte by helpe of seynt Felyx made scolys for bryngynge vp of Chyldren in all the countrey he went to our Lord full of good werkys the .viii. Idus of marche and was buryed in thesame Cytie his Relykys were broughte to Seham which was after destroyed by Danys And then his Relykys were brought to Ramsey where they lye at this daye ¶ De sctoÌ„ Flacrio heremyta confessore SEynt fyacre was borne of noble blod in Irlande bycause he desyred moch to kepe a solytary lyfe he lefte his countrey and his Frendys and went into Fraunce and so came to seynt pharao Busshope of Meldees And when he knewe the enteÌ„t of his commynge he cherysshyd hym moche and gaue hym a certeyne grounde in the wood of Brodyle farre fro the recourse of people where he buyldyd a monastery in honoure of our Ladye there dayly he encreasyd in vertues And that he sparyd fro hymselfe he gaue it to pore men And with only touchynge of his haÌ„dys with helpe of god he helyd many men of dyuerse sykenes soo that his fame sprongâ— farre And bycause great people resortyd to hym the busshope at his desyre gaue hym as moche Grounde adioynynge to his howse as he coulde with his owne laboure dyke aboute in a day to make a gardeyne apon he thaÌ„kyd hym moche And when he came home he made his prayers drewe his staffe after hym with towchynge of the staffe the grouÌ„de voydyd waxyd holowe lyke a dyke all the Trees in the cumpasse fell downe And a woman seynge the Dyke meruaylyd greatlye tolde the busshope therof sayde that the Heremyte was a Wytche a enchauntour not the seruauÌ„te of god And came agayne to hym presumptuously spake to hym coÌ„tumelyous wordys chargyd hym in the Busshopys name to ceasse his werkee And he herynge that was heuy sate downe vppon a stone which waxyd softe holowe to hym lyke a sete which remaynyth there to this day by towchynge therof dyuers syke men haue ben helyd And when the Busshope sawe the Myracles that were doon he louyd seynt fyacre moch the better was euer after the more famylyer with hym neuerthelesse seynt Fyacre prayed to our Lord that if any womaÌ„ euer came into his Monastery that she shuld fall in some sykenes so it prouyd after of dyuerse womeÌ„ He went out of this worlde the .xv. kaleÌ„das of SepteÌ„ber aboute the yere of our Lorde .vi. C. .xxii. ¶ De sancto Finano epÌ„o confessore SEynt finane was borne of the people of Arades and seynt patryke prophecyed that he shulde be a holy Busshope wherfore his frendys in truste of seynt patrykys wordys at a souper brought hym thre vessellys of smalle Ale by his blessynge it was turnyd into wyne After he was coÌ„myttyd to the busshope Colman to enfourme And as he on a tyme wolde haue betyn hym an Aungell helde his hande styll vppe in the ayre wherfore he sayde he wolde no more bete hym And after a holy abbot also refusyd to haue hym
sone fell to Idolatry And also toke his faders wyfe in lykewyse after sabertus Kynge of eest saxons was deed his thre soÌ„nes fell to Idolatry which was great trouble to the feyth so that mellyte Busshope of London and Iustus Busshope of Rochestre were put oute of theyr Busshoprykes which by assent of seynt Laurence went into Fraunce seynt Laurence thought to haue folowyd but that seynt Peter the same nyghte that he wolde haue departyd as he laye in the Chyrche of seynt Petyr and Paule apperyd vnto hym and bette hym with roddys bycause he wolde forsake the flocke of god which he had takyn the charge of admonescyd hym that for the people of our Lorde he shulde tary vnto the Deth lyke as he dyd And so he went to the Kynge Edbalde and shewyd hym how he was betyn of whom for what cause And so the Kynge receyuyd the feythe And also lefte his aduoultrye And after seynt Laurence conuertyd moch people in ScotlaÌ„de to the Feythe and in the way thyther warde he went ouer the see drye fote And a holy Busshope of Irlande came thyder to hym herynge his Oppynyon of the kepynge of Eester confermyd hym therto and taught his people to folowe the same And after he retournyd into Englonde and reysyd a Chylde where he was lodged fro deth to lyfe And in the yere of our Lord god .vi. hundred and .xix. the thyrde nonas of Februarye he lefte this worlde is buryed by seynt Augustyne ¶ De sancto Lethardo epÌ„o confessore SEynt letharde was assygnyd to come with the Quene Berta when she shuld be maryed to kynge Ethelberte yet beynge a Paynym to be her leder doeter and preseruator in Uertue and to defende her fro the Idolatrye then vsyd in Englonde where he suffred great opprobryes and laughyngys to skorne in doynge the seruyce of god which he vsyd to doo in an olde Chyrche of seynt martyn nygh to CauÌ„terbury in which Chyrche the quene and her seruauntys that were crystenyd vsyd to here dyuyne seruyce At the toumbe of seynt Letharde a blynde mayde receyuyd her syght as a man that with the palsey was lame fro the myddle downe warde was prayinge for helthe at his tumbe he apperyd sayd the people in theyr sykenesse pray with grete deuocyon for helth but when they be hoole they forgette the benefaytys of god And anon be vnkynde and turne ageyn to synne And when the sykeman faythfully promysyd to amende seynt Letharde sayd of the oon legge thou shalt be hoole that thou mayste knowe the goodnes of god the other shal be as it was that thou waxe not vnkynde and so it was doon This blessyd man was the precoursoure of seynt Augustyne and made the waye redye for hym to the bryngynge in of the feythe wherfore he is right moch to be had in honoure by Englysshemen ¶ De sancto Macuto epÌ„o confessore SEynt machute was borne in great Brytayne on Eester euyn in a noble Monastery in the vale of nantcarwan where his moder came to kepe vygyllys And he was baptyzyd by seynt Brendan that was Abbot of the sayd monasterye .xxxiii. men Chyldren were borne the same nyght of womeÌ„ that came to bere his moder coÌ„pany and fro his youth he was vertuous when his felowys were quakynge for colde he swette leyde a wey his Clothys which was of a brennynge Charyte that was in hym On a tyme the see flowyd there as he laye slepte and the grouÌ„de where he laye rose lyke an I le and so he was sauyd Seynt Brendan seynge that the holy gost was with hym aduysyd hym to be preest and he sayde he was not worthy to take that offyce neuerthelesse after he assentyd And when he was made preest a whyte Doue was seen descende vppon his shoulder He saylyd moche with seynt brendane in his Iourneys and in his company with the sygne of the Crosse he droue away a serpent that hadde kyllyd .iii. Chylderne In lytell Brytayne he was made Busshope of alethys And when he shulde be consecrate at turone a whyte doue was seen descende vppon his necke as he helde downe his hedde to bencdyccyon he vsyd gret watchynges fastynges prayers And when he rode by the waye eyther he talkyd of god or prayde there was no tyme but he Prophytyd to other or to hymselfe He vsyd euer a sharpe Heer vppon hym and was a grete precher to the people he went to Rome with seuyn dyscyples and chylderne that he fouÌ„de there to be solde he bought theÌ„ cristenyd theÌ„ In the waye homewarde as he was iÌ„ great perell of the see seynt peter apperyd to hym sauyd hym all his coÌ„pany when he was Cxxxiii yere olde he dyed the .xvii. kalendas of december was honorably buryed at perdma where all his Relykys lye excepte his hed and his ryght hand which lye at alethys He helyd oon that was deffe dome and lame He reysyd a chylde that was drownyd And by his prayers blynde woman recoueryd her syght For the wretchydnes of the people he cursyd them and went into Andygauya was there .vii. yerys durynge whych tyme was great drynes and derth in lytell Brytayne And when he was desyred to come agayne to blesse the people as soone as he came the rayne fell and great plenty folowed in all the countre ¶ De sancto Maglorio EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Maglorye bysshop was borne in great brytayne he was Felowe to seynt Sampson was his successoure by an Aungell he was admonysshed to leue his bysshopryke and to lyue a solytary lyfe and so he dyd he helyd an Erle that was lepre wherfore he gaue hym the one halfe of a Certeyne grounde to the whiche grounde incoÌ„tynent came many byrdes with great plente of fysshes therfore the Erle by counsell of his wyfe toke that grouÌ„de from hym and gaue hym the other half and then the byrdes and fysshes came thyder and left the other And then the Erle perceyuyng that he had done amysse gaue to seynt Maglorye the hole grounde and then the byrdê and fysshes came indifferently to bothe ê‘tes He was a clene virgyne and lyued with barley brede and lekes Euery wednysday and fryday he fasted and punysshe his body with the heer he neuer dranke wyne ne syder somtyme when the bretherne were aslepe he wolde go pryuely to the seesyde there wake in prayers On eester euyn as he watched in the Churche an Anugel appered to hym and shewed hym that his tyme drewe nere to go out of this worlde and heferynge it had ben an Illusion made instauÌ„te prayer and when the Aungell had thryse affermed the same he receyued of the Aungell the blessyd Sacramente and after that tyme if there were nat the greatter lettynge he vsyd euer to saye this verse Unam pecii a dnÌ„o hanc requiraÌ„ vt inhabiteÌ„ in domo dnÌ„i c. And he went to our lorde the
other ê‘te at seynt Edis after his deth he apperyd dyuers tymes to his broder kyng Alfrede comfortynge hym in his trouble and by his helpe he had great victorye agaynst the Danes ¶ De sancto Niniano EpÌ„o SEynt Ninian in Englysshe called seynt Tronyon was a Kynges sone of great Brytayne anone as he had passed his yerê of childhod he had great deuocion to be in the Church had great loue spirituell to his Felowes he was Sober in diet difcrete of wordes besy in Redynge sadde of maners absteynyng fro pleys and alwayes laboured to subdewe the body to the spyryte He went to Rome on Pylgrymage where he profyted moch in lernynge and was in synguler fauour with the 〈◊〉 and he grewe in all vertue charite after the 〈◊〉 made hym bysshop and sent hym into the weste parte of Englande to preche the worde of god and in the waye homewarde he came by seynt Martyn and seynt Martyn knewe by reuelacion that he shuld profyte to moche people And when he came thyder as he was sent the people receyued hym Ioyously and toke hym as a veray Prophet whereby his prechynges examples and myracles he conuertyd all the people And he buyldyd the firste Churche of stone that euer was buyldyd in Brytayne he conuertyd also the Southe pictes where he dyd many myracles and if a man thynke of the lyues of seynt DunstanÌ„ seynt Cuthbert seynt ModwynÌ„ seynt Goderyke seynt Ninian and suche other he shall thynke it right lytell that is done by the people for the loue of god in thyse dayes a disciple of seynt Tronyon that hadde offendyd feâ—ynge punysshement toke seynt Tronyons staffe and went into the see in a lytell shyppe and anone with a sodeyne tempest he was dryuen so ferre into the see that he wyst nat what to do wherfore he was conpunct and in his herte asked forgyuenes and cryed to seynt Tronyon for helpe sodenly the wynde tourned and brought hym safe to lande And when he came to laÌ„de in testefyinge of the myracle he prayed o r lord that the staffe myght growe when he set it into the grouÌ„de forthwith it grewe had rotê new barke with goodly armes brauÌ„ches at the rote therof spraynge a fayre welle wherof the water is very holsome forsyke men he dyed in the .xvi. Kalend of Octobre lyeth in a Churche that he made of newe in the honour of seynt Martyne A childe that was borne with great deformytes to the great heuynesse of his father moder at the tumbe of seynt Trony an resceyued perfyte helth two lepous wasshyd theym at seynt Tronyons welle and theyr flesshe was made clene lyke the flesshe of a Childe ¶ De sancto Odone Archiepiscopo SEynt Odo was sone of a Paynym of the blode of the danes that came in with Hynguar bycause he vsed moche to speke to his fader such thyngê as he had lethed at sermones of the Cristen fayth his fader corrected hym cruelly And also disheryted hym wherfore he lefte his fader moder came to a Duke a noble man in kynge Edwyns house he receyued hym Ioyously There he was baptyzed lerned both latentunge and greke tunge whiche fro the tyme of seynt Theodre was moch vsed in Englande after he toke ordres was made Dekon so he taryed dyuerse yeres was after made preest By his prayer the Duke was made hole of a great sykenesse as he was goynge towarde Rome And after he was made bysshop of Salisbury and fro thense was electyd to be Archebysshop of Caunterbury whiche he wolde nat take vpon hym tyll he was made monke and so he entred into Relygion and when he was Archebyssop he reproued the kynge of his abhominable aduoutrie and the women that the kynge kepthe toke theym and burned theym in the face with yron abanysshed them the Realme To reforme certeyn clarkê that erred in the sacrament of the Aultre affermynge it to be a fygure of the passyon of our lorde by his prayer as he was at masse at the brekynge of the Hoest very blode ran out therof into the Chales and the clerkes seynge it were conuerted and then the blode went agayne into the nature of wyne By his prayer there felle noo rayne in his Churche all the whyle it was in buyldynge whiche was thre hole yeres He was alway aduersarye inflexible agaynst synne The pleasure or Ioyes of the world ne yet thretes coulde nat fere hym neyther lette hym fro doynge Iustyce he prophesyed that seynt Dunstaâ— shuld be Archebysshop after hym and so he was he dyed the fourth Nonas of Iulii and lyeth at Caunterbury ¶ De sancto Odulpho confessore SEynt Odulphe was borne of noble blode in FrauÌ„ce and he forsoke his frendes and went to the Bysshop of Traiectense where he lyued dyuerse yerê in vigylles fastynge prayeng and holy redynge he coÌ„uerted the Frysonnes by his prechynge He set nought by any Erthly thynge so that after this lyfe he myght haue euerlastynge rewarde in heuyn By his prayer the fyre ceased fro his â—eâ—â— and he dyed of the Axes the daye byfore the Idus of Iune at his deth was a swete sauoure that comforted all that were present his Relykes were after brought to London the tyme of kynge Kinite and fro thens they were conueyed to Enesshm honorably and though he was neuer in Englande whyle he was a lyue yet bycause his Relykes be in Englande he is put into the Legende ¶ De sancta Ositha virgine martire SEynt Osithe was doughter to kynge Frethewalde and she was bytaken iÌ„ her youth to seynt Modwen to Instructe seynt Modwen bytoke her to seynt Edith she on a tyme beynge at Pollesworth sent a boke to Osyth to seynt Modwen on a brygge she was blowen with the wynde into the water and drowned and when she had lyen deed thre dayes by monycion of an AuÌ„gell seynt Modwen went to the brygge nat knowynge wherto where she met with seynt Edith and there by theyr prayers she was Reysed fro dethe to lyfe After she was maryed by her frendes agaynst her wyll to the kyng of Estsaxons and a longe season by certeyne excuses she kept her husbonde fro the Acte of matrymony and when he had fully purposed to receyue no ferther excuses sodeyn tydynges came to hym that a harte was founde nygh to the paleys and in the tyme that the kynge made taryeng dyuerse dayes about his huntynge the virgyne sent for two bysshoppes was made a Nonne And when the kynge retourned and knewe therof though he was greatly moued yet he suffred her and gaue her the towne of Chychensen and in the yere of our lorde godsyx C. .liii. Danes came into the couÌ„tre of Estsaxons bycause seynt Osith wolde nat do sacrifice to their Idollê she was beheded she bare her hedde to the churchedore there fell downe her fader moder buryed her at Aylesbury wher she lay
deth to lyfe when he shuld dye he called his disciples and instructed theym how they shuld kepe ê‘fyght Relygyon aduysynge theym that they the had forsaken the wordly busynes shuld also eschewe all desceytfull plusures of the world that they shuld thurst downe all angre hatered fle frâ— lyes abanysshe enuye to pÌ„pare their hertes to be the temple of the holy ghost and so full of good werkes and blessyd myracles he chaunged this lyfe the day before the Nonas of Iune ¶ De sancto Pirano EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Pyran was borne in Irlande in his youth he went to an I le called Clera where he lyued in great abstynense holy werkes .xxx. yeres After he went to Rome where he was made bysshop seynt Patryke bad hym go byfore hym into Irlande to preche to the people and that he shuld buylde a monastery by the Ryuer of Waram there as he shuld here his Cymbale souÌ„de without touchynge so it was done By his prechynge the fayth encreasyd moche in Irlande by his exaumple many were styred to the loue of god forsakynge all wordly thynges folowed oure lorde amonge whom was Brendane whiche made hym a place nat ferre fro seynt Pyran a childe by instygacion of the deuyll put out the fyre that was vnder the Lycour to make drynke for the monkes wherupon seynt Pyran sayd there shal be no fyre be in this place tyll our lorde send it fro aboue the next daye the childe was kylled in a woode with wolfes And when Geran that was mayster of the childe came to seynt Pyran he made his prayers and forth with fyre fell into his bosom whiche he dyd bere without hurtynge of his clothes and when they shuld go to souper Geran sayd he wolde nat ete tyll his childe came a lyue to hym and then by praye of seynt Pyran the childe rose fro deth ete with theym A kynge toke fro the moder of seynt Pyran and kynges doughter called brunet whom she had to brynge vp kept her in his castell as a bond woman and when seynt Pyrane spake to hym for her he sayd he wolde nat delyuere her â—onlesse a byttour in the mornyng waked hym of his slepe whiche he thought had ben vnpossyble the same nyght fell a great snowe aboute the Castell there as seynt Pyrane his company was fell none and in the mornynge a byttoure came to the Castell with noyse that she made wakyd the kynge and then the kynge lay prostrate at the fete of seynt Pyrane and cryeng hym mercye delyue red the damosell vnto hym Neuerthelesse after he reputed that he had delyuered her and when he wolde haue taken her agayne he founde her deed wherfore he was moche angre and sayd he wolde put seynt Pyrane fro that place and he sayd to hym that he was nat god that that place was nat his but almyghty godes And when the kynge beynge veray angry was gone fro hym he sawe his castell on fyre and the Quene hauynge .ii. sones lefte that sone that she loued beste byhynde her for hast whom she coÌ„mytted to seynt Pyrane when all the Castell was burned the childe was sauffe then the kynge greatly marueylyng came to seynt Pyrane sayd he wolde gladly do whatsoeuer he bad hym do offered to hym his two sones to serue god And when the kynge was gone he Reysed brunet agayne fro deâ—h to lyfe Our lord shewyd for hym many other myracles The uys that were lyke to haue ben taken coÌ„mytted them to seynt Pyrane and sodeynly a fyre Rose in the woode bytwixt the theuys and theym that wolde haue taken theym so that they saued theym selfe and came to seynt Pyrane taryed with hym all his lyfe He reysed dyuerse fro deth to lyfe that were drowned and also otherwyse deed He went vpon the water he ceased the fyre by his blessynge He multyplyed meete that fedde moche people he tourned water into wyne Two kynges at his monycyon wolde nat cease fro Batayle wherfore by his prayer a great wodde that was bytwixt theym sodeynly felle downe and stopped them so that they coulde nat mete togyther In all his lyfe he neuer ware but bestes skynnes fro flesshe and flesshely desyres He absteyned strongely and fro all that myght dystemper hym He toke lytell slepe was oft visyted with aungellê he made many prestes and clerkes and was CC. yere olde or he dyed hauyng lytell sykenes neyther loste toth ne yet appeyred of his syght He made of his enemys his frendes dyd good for euyll He hadde mercye and pyte vpon his neyghboures and he moch laboured with his owne handes that he myght gyue that he wanne in almes He punysshed his body with fastynges and vigylles in colde hungre thurste dylygently kepynge charite chastyte and hospitalite He was alway fro his youth prayeng redynge techynge or doynge some good werkes and was humble gentyl in speche wyse sobre mercyfull he omytted nothynge of the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god he fedde the hungry gaue drynke to the thursty receyued them that were harborowles clothed the naked he taught the bretherne to loue togyther to direct that Iye of theyr mynde to Almyghty god and alway to desyre the kyngdome of heuyn after he called his disciples and tolde theym it was the wyl of god that he shuld go into Cornewayle and shewyd them of many great troubles that shuld come into that countre and prayed theym to praye for hym that after his deth he myght fynde our lorde meke and plesaunte vnto hym and when he came into Cornewayle he made a house where our lorde shewyd for hym many myracles when he knewe he shuld deê‘te this transitory lyfe called his disciples and prechyd to theym many thynges of the kyngdom of heuyn and caused his graue to be made goynge into it deê‘ted with great bryghtnes the thyrde nonas of Marche lyeth iu Cornewayle nygh Seuerne fro Petrokstowe .xv. myle and fro Monshole .xx. myle ¶ De sancto Richardo EpÌ„e confessore SEynt Richarde was borne iÌ„ the diocise of WigornÌ„ at the wyche and in his youthe he eschewyd daunsynges and vayne playes He forsoke twyse to be maryed and went to stodye at Oxforde Bonanye and Aurelian where he profyted moche both in lawe Cannon and in dyuynyte after he was made Chaunceler with seynt Edmunde Archbysshop of Caunterbury was to hym veray constaunte in all his troubles that he had for the lyberte of the Church in which offyce he refusyd to take ony maner of rewardys and dyd Iustyce to ryche and pore not regardynge the personys of grete man or small when he was Chosen busshope of Chichestre the kynge Henry the thyrde wolde iÌ„ no wyse assent to his eleccyon but kept hym fro his Landys and goodes and so he went to Rome and there he was consecrate by the pope Innocent the fourthe after he retournyd towardys Englonde in the coÌ„mynge
suche sobrenes that his seruauntes neuer sawe hym excede in mete or drynke he punysshed his body with vigylles fastyngê pryuely vsed to weer the heere and in the yere of our lorde M.CC.lxxv he was made bysshop of Herforde for defence of the right of his church to his great payne he went to Rome where he was honorably receyued of pope Martyn in retournynge home he deê‘ted out of this world at FlorentynÌ„nygh the hylle of Flascon the .vi. nonas of Octobre in the yere of our lorde god M.CC.lxxxvii and .vi. dayes his body was kept and gaue a swete sauoure and then his flesshe was shauen fro the bones and buryed in the Churche of seynt Seuery there and his bones were brought to Herforde Threscore and ten men haue ben reysed fro deth to lyfe by his meryt â–ª and .xii. blyndemen recouered theyr syght with dyuers other coÌ„tracte mute syke of the palsey that haue ben also made hole ¶ De sancto 〈…〉 THe lyfe and hole proses of this gloryous 〈◊〉 seynt 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 and of his fader moder How his moder beynge a pagan came to London fro fer countres and by the goodnes of our lorde was conuerted to the fayth how 〈…〉 was in fauoure with the kynge and was made his Chaunceller And after Archebysshop of Caunterbury where he lyued a blessyd lyfe in good eâ—ample dedes of charite and how he agreed at Clarendon to certeyn Articles which he after reuoked bycause they were agaynst the lyberte of the Churche and how he was therfore called ê‘iured and of the persecucion that he hadde for the lybertye of the Churche and how al his olde fauoure with the kynge tourned to malyce How he fledde at Northampton and went to Rome where he was as an outlawe .vii. yerê his kynnesfolke banysshed the Realme for his sake all his goodes and possessions seased and his frendes tourned to his enemyes howe he was logged in a place of the Cisteux by the 〈◊〉 assygnement and was put out fro thens for fere leste the kynge wolde haue hurted that Relygion in Englande how he went into Fraunce was there greatly cherysshed how after by the meanes of the kynge of Englande the Frenche kyng tolde hynthe was to wylfull so he knew none other but he shulde be banysshed from thens then the Frenche kynge seyng his constaunce toke hym in more great fauour then he dyd byfore how the Archebysshop of yorke was accursyd for that he toke vpon hym to crowne the kyngê sone where it belonged oonly to the see of Caunterbury whiche was cause of more grugge how he in the ende was 〈…〉 where by whom that the kynge sayd he was nat assentynge to his deth of the great repentaunce that the kynge toke by cause he had so moch attemptyd agaynst hym is so openly knowen to most people that the spekyng of it in this short treatyse shuld but make the story the more darke nat to open as it shuld be wherfore I coÌ„mytte the reder hereof that is disposed to se more of this 〈…〉 to rede his hole LegeÌ„de When 〈…〉 in his lyfe lyued moche prayed at his tumbe for helth had it after his desyre After when he was hole he consyderyd that ê‘case that helthe was nat expedyent to the helth of his soule wherfore he went agayne to his tumbe prayed that if that bodely helth were nat to the helth of his soule that his sykenes shuld co â— agayne so it dyd ¶ De sancto Thoma monacho a gallis occiso WHen Lowys sone to the Frenche kynge at the desyre of dyuers of the noble men of England came with a great hoste into EnglaÌ„de they founde this blessydmaÌ„ seynt Thomas at douersyttyng alone in the dormytorie a maÌ„ of a venerable age meke sobre fro his you the brought vp iÌ„ monastical â—uersacioÌ„ al his felowes were fled for fere of the FrenchmeÌ„ wheÌ„ he wold nat by fayr wordes neyther by thretes discouer the Riches of the Monastery But also boldely rebuked theym for theyr sacrelege and cruelte with a swerde in great malyce they martyred hym the nonas of August the yere of our lorde M. CC.lxxxxv and at his Tumbe a man of the Frenesy was made hoole Foure men had theyr fyght .v. were reysed fro deth to lyf ¶ De sancta Walburga virgine SEynt Walburgh was suster to seynt Willibrord Wynnybolde and with theym she went out of Englande when they came to seynt Bonyface bysshop of MaguntineÌ„se he made Willibrord bysshop of Heystatense Wynnobolde entered into Religion at Heydanhem and after theyr deth seynt Walburgh was made Abbes of that Monastery had rule of many virgyns And when the keper of the churche at nyght denyed to gyue her lyght and she toke it in great pacyence there was in the dortor where she went a great heuynly lyghte that endured to Matens tyme so that al the susters meruayled at it and she thanked our lorde therof and attrybuted it to the merytes of her bretherne and nat of her owne On a nyght she went vnknowen to a Riche mannes house where a mayde lay syke and when the man sawe her he badde her beware of the dogges and she sayd he that had brought her thyther shuld saue her fro the dogges and when he had lerned what was her name he toke her into his house with great reuerence and when it was tyme to go to reste he asked her where she wolde lye and she sayde there as her suster lay syke where she gaue her to prayers and helyd the mayde and in the mornynge retourned to her Monastery and full of good werkes she went to our lorde the. Kalend of May and was honorably buryed in the same Monasterye She appered After her deth to Otgare bysshop of Heystatense and blamyd hym that he kept the Monastery neclygently and tolde hym that she wolde shewe hym such a token that he shulde ê‘ceyue that he had nat done well to her and shortly after at the rofe of a house there was settynge vp the North wall fell and feryd theym moche and then Otgare repayred the Churche and remouyd the body of seynt Walburgh and of her brother Wynnybold to Heystatense ¶ De sancto Walleno abbate SEynt Wallene otherwyse called Walthesse was sone to Syrnon Erle of Huntyngdon his moder was doughter to the Erle of NorthumberlaÌ„de accordynge to his name he was a good thefe for he stale mekely the kyngdome of heuyn kepynge all his Reuelacions and vertues close when his fader was disheryted and was deed in Fraunce seynt Wallene was made Chanon in the Monastery of seynt Oswalde in yorke and there beyng sexten he was chosen to be Pryor of KyrkehmÌ„ and how moche he was in the oppynyon of other men hyer so moche he was in his owne syghte the more meke As he was at masse on Cristenmasse daye and he had spoken the
¶ Here begynneth the Kalendre of the newe Legende of Englande ¶ The Prologe THe firste treatyce of this preseÌ„t boke is taken out of the newe Legende of the sayntys of Englande Irelande Scotlande and Wales for theym that vnderstande not the Laten tonge that they atte theyr pleasure may be occupyed therwith and be therby the more apte to lerne the resydue when they shall here the hole Legende And it is to vnderstande that nat oonly those sayntes that were borne in theyse Countreys be in the sayde Legende and iÌ„ this lytell treatyse But also dyuerse other blessyd sayntes that were borne beyonde the see and that came into any of theyse countreys Englande Irelande ScotlaÌ„de and Wales doynge there any notable thynge to the honour of god and to the profyte of the people as to preche to theym the Faythe of oure Lorde and to sette the people in good ordre Or that haue lyued a blessyd lyfe iÌ„ any of theyse Countreys to gyue the people example of good lyuynge Be also in the sayde Legende and in this present treatyse be accompted to be of that countrey that they so came into As seynt Augustyne the appostell of Englande whom blessyd seynt Gregorye then beynge pope sent fro Rome with seynt Paulyn seynt Laurence the confessoure and dyuerse other in his company to preche the faythe of oure Lorde to the people of this Realme then beynge Idolatroures and clerely alyenatyd fro trueth wherupon Seynt Augustyne Faythfully accomplysshynge his Auctoryte with his company conuertyd Seynt Ethelbert then kynge of Kent and all his people to the fayth of our lorde And after seynt Paulyne conuerted seynt Edwyn then kynge of Northamhumbre and all his people in whiche countreys Churches were buylded Temples of Idollys destroyed or turned into Churches bysshoppes preestes ordeyned in all the countrey And the fayth gladly resceyued with great deuocyon and after the deth of seynt Augustyne and of kyng Ethelbert kynge Edbalde that was sone to kynge Ethelbert fell to Idolatrye forsakynge the cristen fayth wherby the faythe there was lyke to haue holly perysshed whom the sayd seynt LaureÌ„ce which was busshop of CauÌ„terbury next after seynt Augustyne by especyall myracle of seynt Peter reduced agayne to the faythe as in the lyfe of seynt Laurence apperyth longe after theyr tyme other holy men seynt Adryan seynt Honorye seynt Felyx seynt Beryn and dyuers other cam fro beyonde the see and moche edefyed the people iÌ„ this Realme of Englande and establysshed greatly that fayth whiche seynt Augustyne seynt Paulyne seynt Laurence and theyr company had begon also dyuerse countreys in Englande whiche were nat holly conuerted in seynt Augustynes dayes some that after his dayes fell agayne to Idolatrye theÌ„ they reduced to the fayth of our lord And neuerthelesse ryght fewe of this Realme of Englande specyally of the CoÌ„men people haue harde of any suche men in soo moche that the oonly herynge of theyr names wyll be a lernynge to most men and so it wyll be of dyuerse other blessyd men and women that were borne iÌ„ this Realme whiche haue done many notable thynges for the comen welthe of the people therof as well ê“fytable for this lyfe as for the lyfe to come as seynt Dunstane seynt Deus dedit seynt Wylfryde Seynt Oswalde seynt Cedd and seynt Chadde bysshoppes Seynt Ethelbert seynt Edwyn seynt Edgare and seynt Oswalde kyngys seynt Sexburgh seynt Ermenylde quenes seynt Wallen seynt Gylbert seynt Wulryke and dyuerse other holy men and women as in the sayd Legende and also in this treatyse apperyth by which gloryouse sayntys with other borne in other Countreys as before apê‘yth the fayth of our Lorde hath ben pÌ„ched receyued greatly prosperyd in this Realme so that many of oure Auncestours neyghboures and frendes by the mercye of our lorde be now in the Ioyes of heuyn to praye for vs. And for all the people we also by the grace goodnes of our lord be heyrys apparauÌ„te to the kyngedome of heuyn And if the lawe of god had nat ben knowen iÌ„ theyse parties both we our AuÌ„cestours myght ê‘case haue lyued in erroures as other do wherfore we be moche bouÌ„den to loue theym honoure them in lykewyse to do that is in vs to helpe other as they dyd to helpe vs our AuÌ„cestours and frendys And veryly if there were nowe in thyse dayes the hygh Charyte ê‘fyte loue to almyghty god to oure neyghboure that was in theyse blessyd seyntes or at leest a desyre therto with loue of Iustyce zele of the comen welthe lyke desyre to brynge the people to good lyfe with hole truste sure faythe iÌ„ our lord as was iÌ„ theyse blessyd men women It wolde renewe the face of this worlde and brynge a newe lyghte amonge the people as it dyd in the tyme of the sayd gloryous seyntys in whom florysshed shyned all ê‘feccyon of vertues as euydently wyll appere to theym that wyll rede theyr Legende trewe mekenes inuyncyble pacyence symple obedyence heuenly wysdome ê‘fyght charyte loue of Iustice with mercye pyte coÌ„passyon vppon theyr neyghbourys ryches in pouerte pouerte in ryches with other lyke vertues and gracyous gyftes of god many of them were nedye outwarde but within forthe they were replenyssed with goostlye swetnes and Comforte In the syght of the worlde and in theyr owne syght they were vyle and abiecte but in the syght of almyghtye god of all seyntes they were precyous syngulerly elect Wherfore the people of Irelande haue seynt Patryke for his blessyd lyfe and for that he conuerted moche people there to the faythe in great honour and in theyr necessyties they call vnto hym for helpe with great deuocyon And in lykewyse in Scotlande the people there haue seynt Nynian coÌ„menlye called seynt Tronyon in great honoure for the same cause And in Wales they haue deuocyon to seynt Dauyd for his blessyd lyfe and for confermynge and establysshynge of the people in the faythe by his prechynge good example but in this Realme of Englonde what so euer is the occasyon fewe people in comparyson of the multytude haue deuocyon to any of thyse blessyd seyntes that haue laboured for the welthe of the people in this Realme iÌ„ tyme paste or that haue theym in honoure as other Countreys haue other seyntes in lyke case yet we knowe ryght well that seyntys in heuyn be iÌ„ suche fauoure with almyghty god the they re prayer is herde for suche persones as they pray for and we maye not dowte but they be redye to pray for vs if we do worship theym and call vnto theym by our prayer for helpe God forbede that any of vs shulde thynke or saye the contrarye as thynkynge in his mynde or sayinge in this wyse Sayntes be aboue iÌ„ heuen and we be here bynethe and therfore they haue no mynde vppon vs for to helpe vs or to pray for vs so to thynke or
kyllyd with Wolfes which he accompted to be his defaute wherfore he dyd great penauÌ„ce many yerys and the Deuylle temptyd hym to make of stone Brede and to the contrary he made of Brede a stone that yet remaynyth at Bertesmesley and after he wente with seynt Guthlake fro kependon to Croulande there he lyuyd with hym many yerys in great penaunce doynge And when seynt Guthlake was goon oute of this transytorye Lyfe And seynt Bertelyn hadde seen hym Buryed he retourned agayne to his Fader And he gaue hym the grouÌ„de where staff is now Buyldyd theÌ„ beynge growen with Busshes breerys to lyue therin a solytary Lyfe but his fader knewe not that it was his sone And after his faders deth a Kynge that enteryd the Realme by myght wolde haue takyn the grounde fro hym vnder coloure of lawe and offerde to ioyne batayle therfore And by an Aungell that was his champyon he defendyd it and after that the Kynge and all the people louyd hym as theyr owne Father And he aduoydynge teÌ„porall honoure Lefte that place and Lyued in Deserte placys in prayers vygyll endyd this Lyfe the .v. Ious of September And at Stafforde our Lorde hathe she â—â—yd for this holy man many great Myracles De sancto Cadoco epÌ„o SEynt cadoke was sone to Kynge guÌ„dlens and before his byrthe there were seen in the Chaumber where is moder was .iiii. LauÌ„pes at .iiii. corners of the Chaumber with a great lyghte And when he was borne an AuÌ„gell bad the Kynge take a holy Eremyte which on the morowe shulde come vnto hym to crysten his sone And the same Nyght of his Byrthe all the Cellers were founde full of Oyle and Hony And when he came to age in vyle habyt he vsyd to be at the Church And at nyghte he toke a lytell Brede and Water and all that he had he gaue to poure men And when he was desyryd to play he wolde go to the Churche and pray cryenge out of the blyndenesse of man that euer couetyd traÌ„sitorye thynges and forsoke thynges euerlastynge seyinge that when the dredefull day of our Lord shall come laughynge shall be tournyd into waylynge and waylynge into Ioye This blessyd man was a man of great perfeccyon And had synguler gracys of oure Lorde as in his Lyfe apperyth which be here omyttyd he was thryse at Iherusalem and .vii. tymes at Rome And by the gyfte of our Lorde he spake in dyuerse langages And by his prayer a Quene that was Barayne conceyuyd had a sone that after was his successoure by his prayers a great Derkenes fell aboute a Kynge that wolde haue dystroyed his Countrey so that the Kynge myght se nothynge And when the Kynge repentyd hym the lyghte came agayne He conuertyd moche people in Scotlande there reryd a gyant that had ben many yerys deed was in Hell His monastery was in wales .iii. myle fro conbrydge and as he was comynge fro seynt myghellys mouÌ„te in Cornewalle and was very drye he strake his staffe in the grouÌ„de a fayre watersprange vp therby is a Churche buyldyd in honoure of his name after by the porueyaunce of god he was made Abbot of beneuen tane beyonde yâ— see he was sodeynly had thyder by auÌ„gels and there he was namyd sophye And after he was made Busshope there And as he was seyinge masse he was stryken to the deth by company of a Tyraunt that came to destroye the Cyte and he had grauntyd to hym of our Lord that who so euerbeynge in trouble callyd to hym for helpe our Lorde shuld delyuer hym And soo he yeldyd his spirit to our Lord the .ix. kaleÌ„das of February ¶ De sancto Carodoco SEynt carodoke was borne in wales and in his youth he went to Lernynge after he was in seruyce with the Prynce of south wales there he had the kepynge of two Greyhoundes for Lesynge of them the kynge thret hym with great Punysshement of deth And then Carodokesayde he wolde serue a Mayster that wolde geue a better rewarde to his sernauntys And so he went to Landanense and there he toke orders and after went to seynt Dauythys and there he toke order of preesthod and encreacyd fro vertue to vertue the Deuyll on a tyme apperyd to hym vysybly in lykenes of a man he knew hym feryd hym nothynge the deuyll offeryd hym his seruyce And he sayde he wolde none of his seruyce And after he was in the prouynce of Rosence at the Monastery of seynt Ismaell there the see by his prayers went fro the Monasterye a great space and he knewe by reuelacyon as he was at masse the certeyne daye of his Deth he dyed of the Ares in the yere of oure Lord a. M.a. C. .xxiiii. is buryed at seynt Dauythis many yerys after his body was founde vncorrupte And when a monke of malmesbury of deuocyon wolde haue cut of oon of his fyngers for a Relyke He closyd his hande and drewe it awaye wherfore the Monke ferynge askyd mekely forgyuenesse ¶ De sancto carantoco SEynt carantoke was sone to Kynge keredicus And when the people wolde haue made hym kynge he fled awaye rather folowynge the wyll of God theÌ„ the fauoure of the people a whyte doue wente before hym to a place where he made a Churche after he went into Irlande for loue of seynt Patryke about .xxx. yere before seynt Dauyd was Borne and he dyd many Myracles And wyther soo euer he went an Aungell in lykenes of a doue accompanyed hym and Daylye and nyghtlye he sayde Innumerable of prayers And when he hadde conuertyd moche people in Irlande he came agayne into his owne countrey at Keretyca And there our Lorde gaue hym an Aulter that no man coulde tell of what Coloure it was and he put it into Seuerne and badde it goo before hym thyder as oure Lorde wolde he shuld fynde it And after at the desyre of Kynge arthour he kyllyd a Serpent And the Kynge of his Aulter wold haue made a table and what so euer he set appon it was caste a way and then it was caste into the see And there as it came vppe the Kynge gaue hym the twelfyth parte of the grounde and there he made a Churche and after by monycyon of an Aungell he went agayne into Irlande And there in great Age full of good werkys he went out of this worlde the .xvii. kalendas of Iune and is Buryed in a Cytie callyd chernac ¶ De sancto cedd episcopo confessore SEynt Cedd and thre other Prestys were sente by Oswy kynge of Northamhumbre with peada Kynge of mydle Englonde which hadde marryed his Doughter to Instructe hym and his people in the feythe And the sayde peada was Crystenyd before by the Busshope fynanus And there seynt Cedd with his companye conuertyd moche people to the Faythe after he was takyn fro thens by kynge Oswy And was sent to Sabertus Kynge of
Barkynge and another But she sent spirituell moders for her to euery place and taryed her selfe in obedyeÌ„ce vnder her moder and seynt Edyth vsed alway whatso euer she dyd to make a Crosse â—her forhede and seynt DuÌ„stane wheÌ„ he came to halow a Church of seynâ—nys that she had buyldyd seynge her soo ofte make Crosses in her forhed prayde our lord that that thumbe shuld neuer rotte that made so many Crosses And at the masse he had knowlege geuyn to hym by our Lorde when she shulde dye And he sayde the wretchyd worlde was not worthy to haue such a lyghte And he was present at her deth which was the .xvi. kalendas of october aboute the yere of our Lorde .ix. C. fourscore .iiii. And she lyeth aâ— wyltone in the Church of seynt Denys that she had made .xiii. yere after her deê‘tynge she apperyd to Seynt Dunstan and tolde hym it was the wyll of oure Lorde that her Bodye shulde be translatyd And it was truthe and no illusion She tolde hym that he shulde fynde all her Bodye vncorrupte as it was vncorrupte fro Lybydiousnes Glotony And that her Feet Ieu Haudys which in her youthe she had mysusyd were corrupte excepte her thumbe that she had vsyd to Crosse her with he founde all as she sayde A monke of Glastonbury boldly cut of a pece of her Cote And it happenyd to touche her Body and the Blood folowed as if she had ben alyue And anâ—n he fell prostrate and wepte for his offence and when he râ—se agayne the blod was goâ—n ¶ De sancto Edmundo epÌ„o confessâ—â—â— SEynt edmonde was borne iÌ„ abyugdâ—â—â—n seynt Edmondys day the kynge and martyr And after hym he was callyd Edmonde hys Fader enteryd into relygyon And his moder lyuyd a blessyd lyfe â—he were the here a haberieouvppon it And she taught her sone to kepe vyrgynâ—te and to were the heer and eâ—ery holyday or he eâ—e he sayd the hooll â—auythâ—is Psalter And especyally he auowyd hymselfe to oure Ladye he vsyd to Faste euery Frydaye Brede and Water And he was so broughte vp in vertue that iÌ„ maner naturally he forsoke all euyll our Lorde apperyd to hym lyke a chyld And iesus nazarenus rex iudeoruÌ„ was Wrytten in his forhed And after that tyme he toke in vse euery oure to remember sumwhat of the Passyon as he was studyinge arythmetryke his moder then latlye deed apperyd to hym and made in her ryght hand .iii. serklys And wrote in theym the Fader the sone and the holy goost and bad hym fro thens forthe take hede of tho fygures The herys of his hed and berde for great abstyneÌ„ce went away he wolde hexe no Seculercausys He wolde make couenaunte with his seruauntys that they shulde be â—lene of theyr Bodyes or departe his seruyce he had such honoure to holy scrypture that he neuer openyd the Byble but be kyssyd it his olde herys if they were leyde in the Fyre wolde not burne As he studyed in the nyght his candell fell vppon his byble and it burned not And he was electyd Busshope of Caunterbury or he were ware And he sayd but that he dred that he shulde haue dyspleasyd almyghtye god if he had refusyd he wolde neuer haue assâ—tyd he was all tymes redye to forgeue them that had offendyd hym And to take theym agayne into famylyaryte And some aboute hym sayde he gaue therbye occasyon to the people to offende hym And he sayde our Lord dyd not resyâ—â—e And seyde that the punysshement of offensys is to be referryd to hym and not to be doon by maÌ„ This blessyd man had great trouble dyspleasure for the lybertyes of the Churche wherfore he toke counceyle of other prelatys what was to be doon therin And it was thought that he shuld admonysshe the Kynge and other offenders to ceasâ— And so he dyd and the Kynge toke a day of aduysement And at that day no amendement was had and yet pacyently he taryed many dayes And wheÌ„ he sawe there was noon admendement he gaue sentence into other offenders And sparyd the Kynge And when he sawe that yet they were not compuÌ„â—te he thought better to geue place to theyr malyce then to do the streyghtnes of the lawe specyally seynge the 〈◊〉 legate was then in Englonde and myght percase haue adnullyd all that he had doon wherfore he weÌ„t ouer the see to poÌ„tiniacum And there he fell syke And so he wente to fasyacum And promysyd to be there agayne at pontiniacum in the feest of seynt Edmonde Kynge martyr And so he was to be buryed and there he lyeth And at his departynge he had suche great honour and feruour to the sacrament of the aulter that it may be exauÌ„ple to other men At his toumbe Blynde men haue recoueryd theyr syghte Lame men theyr goinge dome men theyr speche deffe men theyr herynge Men obsessyd of deuyllys haue ben delyueryd And deed men haue ben reysyd fro Deth to Lyfe And in the yere of our lorde god a Thousande two hundred and fyftye the monkes at pontynyacense cut of his Arme for what concyderacyon it is not knowen and after the Myracles cessyd ¶ De sancto Edmundo rege et martite SEynt edmonde was borne in saxony And was sone to the kynge Alcmunde whiche was of kynne to offa kynge of eest Englonde And as kynge Offa hauynge no chyldren was goynge to Iherusalem he went by kynge alkmuÌ„de And there seynt EdmoÌ„de gaue hym suche dylygent attendaunce that he lykyd hym moche And when he departyd he shewyd to EdmoÌ„de a Rynge and bad hym if he sent to hym by the tokyn the he anon shulde execute that he desyryd And when Kynge Offa at the arme offeynt George fell syke to the deth he delyueryd the Rynge to his seruauntys and bounde theym by an othe that they shulde delyuer it to Edmonde And take hym with theym And make hym kynge of â—est Englonde and so they dyd And anone he was humble benygne to his subiettys goynge in the veray ryght way of a Kynge And was a fader to wydowes and orphanes And to all men that were deâ—tytute a specyall reâ—uge and helpe And after in the tyme of the persecucyon of the danes for that he wolde not forsake the fayth of our Lorde he was taken by the Danes hunguar and hubba and was bounde to a stocke and shot with arrowes so that he was lyke to an Irchyn And when they sawe that in all that marterdome he cryed vppon our Lord they stroke of his hedde and hyd it in a wood And when the warre was sumwhat appesyd crysten men sought the hedde in the wood And asoon of them cryed to anoder where arte thou the hed answeryd thryse here here here and so it was founde And a great Wolfe kepte it bytwyxte his Leggys And so it was takyn vp and leyde to the Body And was buryed honorably And after when his Body was remouyd he was founde vncorrupte
And his Hed was growen agayne to his bodye And nothynge apperyd of the Cuâ—tynge but a lytell redde serkyll aboute his necke After when swanus kynge of Danes destroyed the Countrey and blasphemyd seynt Edmonde and askyd a great Trybute of the people they feryd moche And a Monke that then was very deuoute to seynt Edmonde went to seynt Edmonde wasshyd his body and kembed his hed as he had ben a Lyue And prayed hym of Helpe And he spake to hym famylyarlye and bad hym goo to swanus And commaunde hym in his name to ceasse when the monke had soo doon and it nothynge auayled but that he had moch a doo to skape with his lyfe the same nyght the Kynge swanus was kyllyd amonge his people with seynt Edmondys swerde no man knew howe Wherfore kunt that was swanus sone fro thensfourthe delt more mekely with seynt Edmonde And made a dyke aboute his grouÌ„de dischargyd it of all trybutys And made a Chyrche ouer his Body and enduyd it with grete possessyons De sancto Edwardo rege confessore SEynt Edwarde was sone to kynge Etheldrede And for fere of the Danys he was sent into Normandye there he wolde be ofte at the Churche in prayers he was Chast of Bodye trewe of dede and of lytell speche He wolde vysyt Monasteryes and accoÌ„pany hymselfe with those Monkys that he sawe moost vertuous And when he sawe howe he was destytute of all worldly helpe his Father ded his Brother kyllyd his Moder maryed to his enemy with deuout prayers he coÌ„myttyd hym hooly to oure Lord And after the Dethe of Kynyte he was sent for and was chosen Kynge enoyntyd with great gladnes of all the people And anone all thynges were broughte in good ordre the Clergye dyd theyr dutye the people dyd theyr duetye and Monasteryes kepte theyr relygyon He was neuer seen enflamyd with pryde or angre nor dyshonestyd with glotonye He was neuer the meryer for gettynge of money nor the soryer if he lost it He sawe oon of his seruauntys stele his Treasure and yet he wolde not dyscouer hym but after thryse coÌ„mynge bad hym beware his stewarde By couÌ„cell of his Lordys he toke to Wyfe the doughter of goodwyn a Blessyd vyrgyne And they Lyuyd chast all theyr Lyues At the tyme of Leuacyon he sawe the Kynge of Denmarke as he was commynge into EngloÌ„de to warre drownyd in the See He repayryd the abbey of westmester newely enduyd it for RedeÌ„pcyoÌ„ of his aduowe to Rome He sawe the Deuyll sytte vppon Money that his couÌ„cell had gaderyd of the coÌ„moÌ„s he causyd it to be repayed at westin our lorde shewyd hym selfe Bodely to hym at masse and with his ryght haÌ„de blessyd hym with the sygne of the Crosse As the Kynge the Erle goodwyn sate at dyner the Erle prayde God that if he were Gyltye of the Dethe of Alerude the Kynges Broder that a pece of Breed whiche he entendyd to Ete shulde neuer goo thrugh hym and the Kynge blessyd it And anone as he wolde haue etyn it he was stranglyd therwith And as they sate at dyner he dyed He sawe the seuyn slepars turne theym on the lefte syde that longe a fore had lyen on the Ryght syde whiche betokenyd great trouble to come in the worlde seynt IohnÌ„ euangelyst sent hym a Rynge by two Pylgrymes whiche he had before that ryme gyuen to seynt IohnÌ„ in Almys in lykenes of a poure man And he sent hym worde that within syx monethes he shuld departe this worlde and so he dyd our Lorde shewyd for hym many Myracles in so moche that the water that he wasshyd in helyd many persones of dyuerse sykenes all his dayes was full peace in Englonde and Immedyatlye after his dayes rose great trouble He dyed the yere of our Lorde god M.lxvi. the Daye before the fyrste nonas of Ianuary And he lyeth at westmester .xxxvi. yere after he was buryed his Body was founde vncorrupte ¶ De sancto Edwardo rege martyre SEynt edwarde Kynge and Martyr was sone to kynge Edgar And after his Faders deth by helpe of seynt Dunstane of seynt Oswalde he was made Kynge as his Fader commaundyd But yet his mother in lawe Alfryth coueytyd to haue her Sone ethelrede Kynge as seynt Edwarde was Goynge to corffe Castell with a smalle company to se his Broder ethel rede came by his moder iÌ„ lawe she offerd hym Drynke causyd hym to be kyllyd traytorously as he was drynkynge the .xv. kalendas of apryll in the yere of grace .ix. C. foure score one And in the nyght folowyng a lyght cam into the ChauÌ„ber where his body lay that helyd a blynde woman that kepte hym And that knowyn the quene Alfrythe hyd his Bodye a yere in vyle placys And by a bryghte beame that shone there as the Budye a laye it was knowen was takyn vppe buryed at warreham by the people of that prouynce And when his myracles were knowyn he was takyn vp agayne was founde vncorrupte was buryed honorably with dyuerse Busshopes at the monastery of Septon His syster Edyth and her Moder wulstrude beynge present as it is sayde the quene Alfryth for her penaunce made the Monasteryes of wharwell Malmesbury And enduyd them with great possessioÌ„s ¶ De sctoÌ„ Edwino rege martire SEynt edwyn was sone to Elle kynge of NorthaÌ„humbre and deire And by Etherfryde that had maryed his suster Acca he was put oute of his Realme And soo he fled to rad wolde Kynge of eest EngloÌ„de And what by threttys promysse of rewardys he was lyke to haue ben delyuerd by Kynge Radwolde to his broders handys And as he was in great Heuynes therfore a man cam to hym tolde hym if he wolde promyse to be cristened he shuld not be delyueryd to his broder but restoryd ageyne to his Kyndome And when he had made promes to be crystenyd the man set his ryght hand vppon his heed and bad hym wheÌ„ that sygne cam to hym not to dyffer to be criâ—tenyd and that doon he vanysshyd away And so the kynge Radwolde chaunged his mynde and after kyllyd Ethelfryde in Batayle and sette Seynt Edwyn in his Kyndome And after the kynge Edwyn maryed Alburghe doughter to kynge Ethelâ—ert vppon condycyon that he shulde nothynge doo to lette her kepe the cristen feythe he assentyd And seynt paulyn was assygnyd to be with her And after the kynge of westsaxons vnder treason sent a messynger to the Kynge edwyn which with a venemyd Knyfe sholde sodeynly haue kyllyd hym And when the kynge was sauyd by meanes of a feythfull seruaunte of his that put hym selfe bytwene the Kynge and the stroke The kynge prepayryd warre agaynste that Kynge that had wrought that treason And promysyd seynt pawlyn if he spede well in that Iourney he wolde be crystenyd a doughter that he had theÌ„ newely borne he comyttyd to our Lord to be in the kepynge of
of god our Lorde crist Ihesu And a merueylous ston fell into his mouthe And as seynt Egbyne helde our Lorde in his armys he lokyd vp and sawe beuyn open and a crosse apperyd vppon the hed of our lorde and Aūgellys came to mete hym And so he assendyd seyinge vnto theym bycause ye haue not refusyd me in my trouble I shall not refuse you in the kyngedom of heuyn And so he was receyuyd into heuyn and seynt winwalogus arettyd it to the merytys of seynt Egbyn for his great obedyence And seynt Egbyn referryd it to seynt wynwalogus for his order of presthode And after seynt Egbyn went into Irlonde and there made a Churche helyd a lame man reysyd a Chylde fro deth and when he was nyghe foure score yere olde thre he yeldyd his spirit to our lorde the .xiiii. kalendas of Nouember ¶ De sancto Egwino ep̄o confessore SEynt egwyn was of the Kyngys blood of marsshes lyuyd a Relygyous lyfe at worcestre leuynge all pleasure of Tēporall thyngys He toke order of Presthod gaue hym all to lyue a cōtēplatyf lyfe by holle assent of the Kynge ethel drede of his people he was made busshop of worcestre after that he vsyd moche p̄chynge here prouyd the people of theyr vnlaw full matrymony And other synnys soo terryble that of malyce they rose agaynste hym with feyned tales putte hym out of his see And complaynyd of hym not only to the kynge but also to the 〈◊〉 And so he disposyd hym selfe to goo to Rome And thoughe he knewe he had not offendyd the worlde yet for offencys doon to almyghty god he fetteryd his Leggys to geder and lokkyd the fetters and threwe the key into the ryuer of auyn And soo he wente feterd to Rome there as he was prayenge in seynt peters Church he sent his seruauntys to bye mete And the key was founde in a fysshes bely that his seruātys had bought And so he vnfetteryd hym selfe And that Myracle fyllyd all Rome moche people cam to se hym and to haue his blessynge And the 〈◊〉 herynge of his great laboryouse Iourney and of the sayd myracle sent for hym And had hym in great famylyaryte a herynge the cause of his commynge he sent hym Downe ageyne to his see And the kynge herynge his myracles and vertues was very gladde and restoryd hym agayne to his see And gaue hym a grounde wherin he foundyd the abbey of Euyshame And he buyldyd it in a place there as our Ladye apperyd to hym and also to a shepherde and for foundacyon therof he went agayne with off a Kynge of est Englonde and with kenred kynge of Marshes to rome And had great auctoryte fro the 〈◊〉 for the foūdaciō therof he alway were the heer and say often in asshes and were a gyrdell with knottys next his bare skyn and with drewe his mynde holly fro the worlde worldly thynges And gaue hym to contemplacyon redynges fastynges and vigyllys and especyally to prechynge and when he had ben longe syke And alwayes thankyd our Lorde therof He callyd his bretherne to hym shewyd theym the very perfyght way of good lyuynge and exortyd them to beware that the worlde deceyuyd theym not so full of good werkys he lefte this present lyfe aboute the yere of oure Lorde seuyn C. .xx. the thyrde kalendas of Ianuary And he lyeth at euesham our lorde hath shewyd for hym many myracles bothe in his lyfe and after his deth ¶ De sancta Elfleda virgine abbatissa SEynt Elfied was borne in Englond And when her moder was with chylde with her she sawe ī her slepe a thynge lyke a shynynge beame of lyghtenynge descend vppon her Hedde And it taryed there a longe tyme And whē she was borne the more she grew in age the more she wantyd the Ambycyousnes of all flesshelye pleasures And after her faders deth her moder by her faders wyll gaue his mansyon that he dwellyd in callyd clare to the monasterye of Romsey and after her moder toke a noder husbonde And then as is ofte seen in suche case enfled lakkyd oftymes that that she nedyd wher fore Kynge Edgare remembrynge the good seruyce of her fader put her to the monastery of Romsey vnder the Abbesse merwenne she louyd her as her owne doughter And broughte her vppe in all vertue And on a tyme her candell fell oute and the fyngers of her ryght hande gaue lyght to all that were aboute her when she was therfore the more honouryd of her systers she studyed to be therfore the more Meke obedyent And after when she was made abbesse no man can tell the almes that she gaue nor the prayers wepyngys that she vsyd aswell for her selfe as for the people on a tyme when she was with the quene she went in the nyghtys into the water was there in prayer And on a nyghte the quene seynge her goo furthe suspectyd it had ben for incontinence and folowyd whē she sawe her goo into the water sodēly she was astonyed went in maner oute of her mynde turnyd in agayne cryenge coulde take no reste tyll seynt Elfled prayed for her seyinge lorde forgyue her this offēse for she wiste not what she dyd And soo she was made hoole whē she was reprouyd as a waster of the goodys of the monasterye certeyn money that she had geuyn in almys by hyr prayer was put into the Baggys agayne when she had lyuyd many yerys in good lyfe she went to our lorde the fourth kalendas of Nouember aboute the yere of our Lourde .ix. C. and .lix. ¶ De sancto Elpheger archiep̄o martyre SEynt elphege was borne in Englōde and in his youthe he was so apte to lernynge of cōnynge vertue that his fader moder marueylyd at his capacyte let hym to scole and after his Faders deth he forsoke his enherytaūce and his moder that louyd hym tenderly he lefte And enteryd into relygyon at deherst and he prophyted to all men that he colde And those that he coulde not prophet to he studyed that he hurtyd theym not and after he cam to bathe where he lyuyd a merueylous lyfe of penaunce And there a great cōpany of Monkys anon resortyd vnto hym And when there was great varyaunce bytwyrte the clerkys and monkys for eleccyon of the busshope at wynchester seynt Andrew apperyd to seynt Dunstane and bad hym chose Elphegus And soo he was electyd And after when seynt Dunstane knewe he shulde dye he prayed to our lorde that Elphegus myght be his successour at caūterbury And so he was at this tyme Danys moche oppressyd this Realme And this blessyd man wolde preche to them the worde of god wolde redeme theym that were in captyuyte and fede theym that were oppressyd with hunger And after when the Cytie of Caunterbury was destroyed by Danys thrughe coūsell
of helpe of Edryke the traytoure whome the Kynge had put in great auctoryte And bycause the Kynge put his broder to deth for his offencys he went out of the courte and confeterd hymselfe with danes and they besegyd the Cyte of Caunterbury And when they had wonne it they dyd Merueylouse great cruelte to the people wherfore seynt Elphegus offerde hymselfe to them and bad them spare the people and take hym And so he was taken and put in pryson And there he lay tyll the offenders were so punysshed with sykenes by the stroke of god that they toke hym out of prysone cryed hym mercye and he forgaue them and blessyd Brede and gaue it to them And anon they were hoole and when they were hoole the rulers askyd of hym if he wolde haue his lyfe and lyberte thre thousande marke And because he wolde not greue the people to leue the Money he denyed it And soo he was put agayne in cruell pryson and there the Deuylle apperyd to hym lyke an AuÌ„gell of lyght and perswadyd hym to go out of pryson by many exauÌ„ples and soo he folowyd hym and when he had brought hym amonge waters in the derke nyght he lefte hym and then he knewe it was the crafte of the enemye wherfore he lyftyd hys mynde to our Lorde and cryed for helpe And anone a yonge man in bryghte shynynge apparell apperyd to hym and had hym goo agayne to receyue the Crowne of martyrdome and when he came to the pryson and there he was truellye takyn Betyn And foule Stynkynge Donge was caste vppon hym And thenne Seynt Dunstanne aperyd to hym and comfortyd hym And at the laste he was betyn with stones And his owne godson with a hachet stracke hym in the Hed and soo martyryd hym the .xiii. kalendas of Maii the punysshemeÌ„t of god felle vppoÌ„ the offenders so that some kyllyd theymselfe And some went madde many fledde to the see and theyr Shyppys were drownyd about a C. and .lx. Shyppes And after when Kunt came into Englonde and sawe great punyshement fall vppon hym and his pleople he toke counceyle of some Englysshemen that toke his ê‘te they thoughte it was for the wronge don to seynt Elphege And soo by theyr counceyle he promysyd that when he had peace he wolde brynge the body of seynt Elphege to cauÌ„terbury And .xvii. yere after he fouÌ„de his Body vncorrupte And brought it to CauÌ„terbury honorably as he had ê“mysed ¶ De sâ—toÌ„ Erkenwaldo epÌ„o confessore SEynt erkenwalde and his syster Ethelburghe comonly callyd Alburgh were borne in that parte of Englonde callyd Lynsey And seynt Erkenwalde was conuertyd to the feythe when seynt Augustyne came into Englond and was dyscyple to the Busshope Mellyt And his syster folowed the exauÌ„ple of her broder And when she was Cristenyd she was callyd Ethelburghe And seynt Erkenwalde foundyd the Monasterye of Chertesey for hymselfe where he was Abbot and Barkynge for his syster And after he was made busshope of London by seynt Theodre Archebussope of Caunterbury And when a beame that was ordeynyd for the monastery of Berkynge was to shorte he and his syster Ethelburghe drew it in length made it longe ynough And as he was goynge on Prechynge in a chare oon of the whelys went of and yet the chare went vpryghte he shewyd the very day of his deth and vnto his laste ende he comfortyd the people besylye with the worde of god And he Dyed at barkynge And there was at his deth a meruâ—ylous swete Sauoure in all the house And as he shulde be brought to London the water rose at Ilforde and wolde not suffer theym to passe tyll the people fell to prayer And anone the Water deuydyd and soâ— they went thrughe And all the Candellys that were out lyghtyd agayne by themselfe And so he was buryed at seynt Poulys in London And was leyde in leed in a Coffyn of wodde And it was coueryd with a Palle of small pryse many yerys And after in the tyme of Wyllyam Conqueroure the Churche of poulys and great parte of london was Brent And neuerthelesse the sayde palle and sepulcre was not hâ—rte wherfore the people gaue Laudys to our Lorde And thoughe that that punysshemeÌ„t came to theym bycause they had not doon condygne honoure to the sayd blessyd Relyquys And after the Churche of Poulys was newe buyldyd by thre Busshoppys of London oon after a noder And by a hoole Deuocyon of the people his Body was traÌ„slatyd to a more honorable place in the yere of our lorde god a Thousande a hundred xl the .xiii. daye of Nouember And when the place that was newe made was to lyttyll for the Chest of leed wheâ—in his Relykys lay fyrst the people for that neclygence were sory And anon the stone waxyd more holow and gaue place to the blessyd relykys And after at his shryne were doon many great myracles as in the legeÌ„de apperyth at great length which be here omyttyd ¶ De sancta Ermenilda regina SEynt ermenylde was doughter to Ercomberte kynge of kent of seynt sexburghe his wyfe she was dysposyd to all pytye coÌ„passyon and endeuouryd herselfe with a moderly pytye to helpe the necessytes of euery man there was in hyr alway oon stablenesse on Benygnyte on Charyte on desyre to Heuynly thingys She was maryed to wlferus son to penda kynge of Marshyes which after his Faders Deth was crystenyd by her exortacyon good maners she tamyd the wylde people and brought theym to the feythe thruste downe Rebellys myghtyly And she ceassyd not tyll the Idollys worshyppynge of deuyllys with the helpe of the Kynge was clene put a way Chyrchys were buyldyd for Dyuyneseruyce thrughe all the Realme they had a doghter callyd werbuxga And after the deth of the Kynge the quene Erâ—â—enylde her Doughter enteryd into Relygyon at Ely vnder her moder sexburghe so for our lord she forsoke all the pleasurys and loue of the worlde And punysshyd her body with abstynence prayers and lamentyngys and shewyd her selfe moost lowe of all folkys and she endyd her lyfe full of good werkys in the Idâ—â— of February And a man that was bounden with Iâ—â—â—s prayed at her tumbe at masse for helpe and at the gospell the Irons were strykyn fro his arme with such a vyoleÌ„ce that they flewe to the Aâ—ter that all mâ—n myght see De sancto Esterwino Abbate SEynt esterwyn was mynyster to kynge Egfryde And he lefte the Temporall armoure toke Espyrytuall armour enteryd into Relygyon vnder his vnkyll Benet busshope in the Monasterye of seynt peter but for all the kynred he lokyd not to be anythynge the more honowryd But he was anon foo meke that he wolde wynnow and thresshe with the bretherne mylke Kyen shepe And be with theym galdlye in the Bakhouse Kechyn in all other busynes of the Monasterye And after seynt Coolfryde abbot of the monasterye of
seynt paule in the yere of our Lorde .vi. C.lxxxiii electyd hym beynge in the monastery of seynt Petyr and made hym Abbot there And wheÌ„ he was Abbot he was of the same mekenes that he was before so that when he sawe the Bretherne worke he wolde put to his hande as they dyd And he was a man of great strengthe of feyre speche mery and lyberall And he ete of the same mete as the bretherne dyd and laye as they dyd And when he shulde dye he kyssyd all the bretherne in tokyn of peas And instructyd theym with many Blessyd monycyons he wente to oure Lorde of the great Syknes in the Nonas of Marche ¶ De sancto Ethelberto rege confessore SEynt ethelbert was the thyrde kynge of Kent but he was the fyrste that wente to Heuyn And all that seynt Augustyne dyd to the Encreasynge of the faythe may be also attrybutyd to this blessyd kynge for as farre as to man apperyth if he had not holpen seynt Augustyne other werkes in the werke of 〈◊〉 lorde lytyll frute had come to the Londe of Englonde And when he was coÌ„uertyd with great benygnyte he â—â—â—yd other kyngys that were his subgyetty or his felowys to become crysten And those that beleuyd he lâ—uyd as hys bretherne and kynysmen and felawys to the kyngdome of heuyn And in all his realme Chirchys were buâ—â—yd placys of Idollys destroyed or tournyd into Churches By counceyll of seynt Augustyne he made the Churche of seynt saâ—youre in Caunterbury And without the wallys of the Cytle he made a monasterye in the honoure of seynt peter and poule whiche was a place of buryall for Kynges and busshoppes he buyldyd a Church of seynt paule in london and there was theÌ„ made a Busshoppyssee And he made a Churche of seynt Andrewe at Rochester where was also made a noder Busshoppyssee And he was founder of Ely thughe seynt Etheldrede bycause she repayryd it is takyn for foundres his realme stretchyd to humber And yet he shewyd hymselfe poore and meke as thoughe he had had nothynge It was a gloryus thynge to see hym that hadde rule and domynyon in great countreys to serue poore men And to see hym that kynges feryd to drede the preestys of our Lorde as this blessyd kynge dyd And he was a great exalter of vertue a fulfyller of the commaundementys of god of werkys of pyte And he went to our Lorde the syxte Kalendas of marche And when his feest was on a tyme not halowed nor the place where he laye adhournyd with lyghtys as it was wonte to be he apperyd to a preest that of deuocy on lay there all nyght and blamyd them of theyr necly De sancta Ethelburga virgine abbatissa SEynt ethelburgh coÌ„monly callyd seynt Alburgh was borne in the prouynce of lyndesey fro her youthe she abhorryd the bodely pleasurys the flaterynge of the worlde And the auncyent enemy enuyenge her werkys styrryd her owne fader agaynste her so that he was a cruell psecutor of her wherfore she went ofte to a Chapell where she was crystenyd And commyttyd herselfe to our Lord with deuoute prayer aâ—â—lyccyons it is sayd the grasse is alway grene there as she wente to the sayd chapell And after when she shuld haue ben maryed she lefte her Fader Moder with oon mayde went her waye pryuely by the waye the mayde fell in so great a drynes that withoute helpe she was lyke to Dye wherfore seynt Alburghe prayde for helpe to our Lorde And anon a feyre well sprange vppe that is there to this day And when certeyne werke was assygnyd to her by her hostes in Herueste she went to prayer and her werke was don without leyinge any hande to it and her fader by her was conuertyd to the feyth after her broder seynt Erken walde of his patrymonye made for her the Abbey of Barkynge where she was abbesse there she subdued the Body to the spyryte with contynuell Fastyngys vygyllys prayers she pÌ„chyd to the systers perseuerant lye and after was seen an Image bryght shynynge in the Dormytory of the systers bryght shynynge cordys were seen stretchynge into heuyn wherwith the sayd Image was pluckyd vppe And anone after seynt Alburghe deê‘tyd this worlde the .v. Idus of october about the yere of our Lorde .vii. C. .vi. so it apperyth to be for her that the sayd Image was shewyd her monastery hath ben often tymes pÌ„seruyd agaynste paganys by especyall myracle somtymes wylde bestys at the yatysferyd that enemyes so that they durst not come in sometyme the offenders were sodeynly strykyn some with woodnes some with blyndenes and some with Deth And dyuerse Myracles oure Lorde hath shewyd for this gloryous virgyn ¶ De sancta Etheldreda virgine SEynt etheldrede coÌ„menly callyd Seynt Awdry was doughter to anna Kynge of eest EngloÌ„de And agaynste her wyll she was maryed to Tonbert kynge of the south Gyrwyes where is the I le of ely And when she came into the ChauÌ„ber she comyttyd her virgynyte to our Lorde And as her husbonde lokyd in to the ChauÌ„ber it was lyke as if all the chauÌ„ber had ben on fyre And so he bad her fere no more for he wolde not touche her for he sayd our Lorde was hyr defender and shortlye after he dyed she was maryed ageyne by her frendys to Egfryde kynge of northamhuÌ„broruÌ„ .xii. yeyerys she was with hym not as a wyfe but as a Lady for her holynes he worshyppyd her moch promysyd to the Busshope wylfryde great gyftys to make her agree to hym in matrymonye And the Busshope coÌ„trarye wyse exortyd her to kepe virgynyte And at laste by assente of the Kynge she enteryd into Relygyon at Coldyngham vnder Ebba aunte to the kynge And when the kynge repentyd hym wolde haue fet her fro the monasterye she coÌ„myttyd her to our Lorde And with to systers went in to a Hyll there our lorde brought the see about theym preseruyd them there beynge in prayers with oute mete or drynke when the Kynge sawe that he went away repentyd hym of gis presumpcyon and after she went to Ely that was geuyn to her by her husbonde tonbert there she repayryd a Monasterye gaderyd many sustersgence that they had not don as was wonte to be And that doon the preest wakynge sawe hym goo into his toumbe agayne ¶ De sancto Ethelberto rege martire SEynt Ethelbert was Kynge of eest Englonde And when he had in his youthe moche prophytyd in lernynge he gaue not his mynde to voluptuous pleasurys but to Prayers almys dedys other good werkys And when his felowys were at Playe he wolde be at Churche after the deth of his Fader Kynge ethelrede he was made Kynge was profounde in counceyll ryghtwyse and mercyfull in Iudgement sober iÌ„ wordys He wolde spare his subgyettys and resyst prowdemen And after by hoole
assent of his coÌ„mons he was desyryd to marye and for loue of Chyldren he asseÌ„tyd therto And he refusyd the doughter of a great Consulle bycause her Fader was a man full of fraunde and dysceyte alienatyd fro Truthe And at the laste it was concludyd that he shuld goo to off a Kynge of mersshes And when he was goynge the Erthe quoke the sonne waryd derke so that oon of them myght scarcely see a nother And when all a boute hym were a frayde merueylyd what it shuld betokyn He sayde let vs doo that is in vs humble our hartys to almyghty god praye that he put awaye the derkenes both of Body and soule and that he send vs the lyghte of his clerenes And so they laye prostrate prayed And anon the Derkenes went awaye And then he wente forth in his Iourney when he cam into the kyngedome of Marshes he had a meruaylouse dreme that as he stode with his counceyll he thought his house fell downe anon he sawe a goodly tree that he neuer sawe any lyke to it that certeyn ê‘sones were he wynge at the tree to cut it downe a streme of blood folowyd of theyr hewynge he thought he hymselfe was a byrde that his wyngys were blody he sawe a bryght beame bryghter then the sonne com out of the south which asceÌ„dyd into heuyn he thought that he flewe into the toppe of the tree sawe all that was in the firmameÌ„t herde a songe of great melody some thought it shulde betokyn the exaltynge of his kyngdome he sayd how so euer our Lord wold dyspose of hym he wold take it pacyeÌ„tly when he came to Kynge off a by counceyll of the quene for ambycyon of hys kyngdome And to enhaunce theyr owne blode his hed was stryken of the .xiii. kaleÌ„das of Iune as apperyth in his legende at great length And when the virgyne alfryde whome he shulde haue maryed knew therof she bade his seuauÌ„tys goo into theyr couÌ„trey for they re mayster was behedyd taught of the holy goost she sayde to hir moder thy sone shall not lyue .iii. yerys thy kyngedome shall not be stabled thou shalt not lyue in the confeffyon of god ouer thre monethâ—s thou shalte be takyn with a Deuyll ete thyn owne tonge and dye an euyll deth and it folowyd as she sayd and therupon that blessyd virgyne auowyd to entre into relygyon at crowlande fro the tumbe there as the yonge kynge was buryed a bryght beame wente to heuyn And when Kynge off a herde therof â—e feryd greatlye toke penaunce and after his body was broughte to herforde And by the way a blynde man recoueryd his syghte a longe tyme was seen euery nyghte a bryghte beame vppoÌ„ his sepulcre the kynge Mylfryde made a goodly chyrche ouer hym and endewyd it with great possessyons And was the fyrste kynge that made there a Busshoppyssee callyd wakerynge to ramesey where they lye to this day that traÌ„slacyon was made the .xvi. kaleÌ„das of noueÌ„ber ¶ De sancto Ethelwoldo epÌ„o confessore SEynt ethelwolde was borne in wynchester his moder when she was with chylde with hym sawe two visions which signyfyed that she shulde bere a chylde of great ê‘feccyon when his norse hauynge the chylde in her armys wolde haue goon to the Chyrche coulde not for great tempest sodenly she was broughte into the Chyrche wiste not how she came thyder And when the chylde came to age he was set to scole he had a quycke witte what so euer he lernyd he kepte it in memorye kynge ethelstane herynge his famesent for hym to haue hym abyde with hym causyd hym to take order of preesthod And seynt DuÌ„stane and he And oon Ethelstane were made Preestys on oon daye by Seynt Aldelme and he sayde that two of them shulde be Busshoppes And the Thyrde shuld geue hym to Uoluptuousnes make an euyll Ende And soo it prouyd of the sayde Ethelstane And after seynt Ethelwolde went to glastenbury there was made a moÌ„ke vnder seynt Dunstan where euer he coueytyd to the hyghnesse of vertue though he was moche cherysshed belouyd of all men he ranne not therby in any peryll of Pryde but kepte hym alwey in humylyte And after Kynge edrede gaue hym a Place in abyngdon where he renewyd the Monastery of Abyngedon And put therin monkys there he was Abbot and after by coÌ„mauÌ„dement of Kynge Edgar seynt DuÌ„stan made hym Busshope of Wynchester there he put in monkys also at hyde he made a place of Nonnys at Wynchester he made Peterburgh thorney wente aboute all monasteryes to set them in good order to coÌ„forte good men to correcte theym that were obstynate he neuer punysshed any of cruelnes but for loue He was a fader a shepherde to Relygyous men a defender of virgyns a comforter of wydowys a receyuoure of pylgrymys a refressher of poure men a helper of pupyllys orphanys when a great derth was in all Englonde he solde the Ornamentys of his Churche the plate to helpe the poure people he had coÌ„tynuall sykenes so that many nyghtys he slepte nothynge And he neuer ete Flesshe but twyse onys by coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of seynt DuÌ„stane a noder tyme in the sykenes that he dyed of His Candell burnyd vppoÌ„ his boke tyll it weÌ„t out And yet it hurtyd not his boke It is red of hym in Cronycles that when he was at grete feestys which began in Englonde at the commynge in of the Danys he wolde ete no other thynge but Breed wolde drynke water And he went to our Lord in the kalendas of August in the yere of our Lord .ix. hundred foure score and foure and he lyeth at wynchester where our lorde hath shewyd for hym many Myracles a man and a Chylde that were blynde at his tombe receyuyd theyr sâ—gh ¶ DesctoÌ„ Felice epÌ„o confessore SEynt felix was borne in Pyes a cytie of BurguÌ„dye there was made Busshope in the tyme of the 〈◊〉 honoryus of honoryus Archebusshope of Caunterbury leuynge his owne countrey the pompe of the worlde He came into Englonde to preche the feyth of our Lorde to suche people as were not then coÌ„uertyd he was a man of great lernynge that he taught he fulfyllyd iÌ„ good werkys the Archebusshope honory us at his coÌ„mynge reseyued hym moche charytably but wheÌ„ he knewe his enteÌ„t was to ê‘seuer iÌ„ pÌ„chynge he was moch more glad so he weÌ„t into the ê“uynce of est EngloÌ„d the yere of our Lord .vi. C.lxxiii And after that she enteryd into Relygyon she neuer ware lynnen she ete but onys on a day She was dylygent to vigyllys prayers before her deth she had a great swellynge in her Throte in her cheke wherin she moche delytyd sayde it was a great goodnes
of chyualry defeÌ„dyd hys Father myghtely agaynste his enemyes bette downe castellys townys in his moost cruelty he was also mercyfull wolde geue to his enemyes the thyrde parte of that he geet And after he consyderyd that the glorye of the worlde was but as smoke a vapoure of small abydynge wherfore he caste away his Armoure went to repeÌ„don toke orders geuynge hym to monastycall lernynge he wolde drynke nothynge that myght be occasyon of dystemperaunce And after he went to crowlande where then no man durste enhabyte for fere of wyckyd spiritis there he lyuyd a blessyd lyfe sufferyd great temptacyons persecucyons of wyckyd spiritis as in that Legende apperyth at great length he was ofte delyuerd owte of trowbles temptacyons by seynt Bartylmew whom he had in synguler deuocyon on a tyme two Deuyllys in lykenes of men came to hym ê‘swadyd hym to faste not two or thre dayes but by hole wekys put hym iÌ„ mynde of Moyses hely howe they fastyd of the fastyngys of olde fathers of sythye theÌ„ he knewe they were wyckyd spiritis wherfore he made his prayer anon they vanysshed awey then he toke his sustenaunce of Barley brede as he was wonte to do This blessyd man had suche a hoole entent to god that there was neuer in his harte but pyte charyte in his mouth there was nothynge but our lorde Ihesu Peas mercy forgyuynge He was neuer seen angry prowde or heuy but alwayes iÌ„oon sobrenes On a tyme he sawe two deuyllys wepe when he askyd them the cause why they wepte they sayd bycause he pÌ„uaylyd so ofte agaynste theÌ„ so he made the sygne of the crosse anon they vanysshyd away the busshope hedda as he was goinge to seynt guthlake praysid moch the strayghtnes of his lyfe oon of his chapleyns sayd that he had seen many Heremytes some good some euyll if he had ones seen hym he sayd he coulde tell whether he were so good as the fame raÌ„ne vppoÌ„ hym wheÌ„ he cam to seynt guthlake he by spyryt knowynge his wordys askyd of hym howe he sayd by that man that he spake of the day before then he was abasshyd fell downe askynge hym forgyuenes theÌ„ the Busshope made hym preest he had a suster callyd pega whom he wolde not see iÌ„ this lyfe to the enteÌ„t they myght the rather mete in the lyfe to come when his tyme drew nere he shewyd his discyple Bertelyn therof bade hym that he shulde praye his suster to se hym buryed then Bertelyn prayed seynt Guthlake to shewe hym who he was that he had seen euery day syth his fyrste cuÌ„mynge to hym spekynge with hym Mornynge euenynge he sayde that euer syth he came to that wyldernes he had an AuÌ„gell to coÌ„forte hym to helpe hym in his teÌ„ptacions that shewyd hym thynges to come with other great secretys that it was not laufull to speke bade Bertelyn kepe it secrete not to shew it to any ê‘sone but to his suster Pega to a holy Anker callyd Egbert when he had thus spokyn there came a swete smell out of his mouthe as of Rose flowrys or Balme fro mydnyght to the mornynge was a great lyght seen in all the house then he sayd to his dyscyple that his tyme was come lyftynge vp his Ien his haÌ„dys into Heuyn he slepte iÌ„ our Lorde aboute the yere of grace .vii. C. .vi. aboute a yere after his deth his body was remouyd was fouÌ„de vncorrupt with all his clothys a kynge callyd Ethelbalde which was wrongefully put out of his Realme had be moche famylyer with seynt gutlake in his lyfe came to his tumbe prayed deuoutly to hym for helpe he apperyd to hym tolde hym that within two yerys he shuld be restoryd to his kyngdoÌ„ so he was theÌ„ he buylded crowlaÌ„de endewyd it with great loÌ„des many lybertyes as he hadde promysed to seynt Guthlake in his lyfe that he wolde doo De sancta Helena regina Seynt helyn was doughter of cloell kyng of grete brytayn iÌ„ tho dayes the senate of romeseÌ„te coÌ„staÌ„cyus which had subdued to theÌ„ the couÌ„trey of spayne to subdue also to them brytayne now callyd EngloÌ„de And cloell ferynge the great wysdome of coÌ„stancius anon assentyd to pay yâ— olde trybute theruppon constancyus toke the sayd helyn his doughter to wyfe had by her constantyne whiche after the deth of his fader went to rome with great power of brytayne toke his moder with hym put downe maxencyus the tyrauÌ„te was made Emperoure after he was coÌ„uertyd to the feyth also Crystenyd by seynt syluester wherfore his moder praysyd hym that he had lefte the worshyppynge of Idollys but she thought he shuld rather haue receyuyd the feyth of the god of the Iues which she had theÌ„ receyuyd then to receyue the feythe of a man crucyfyed there vppon a tyme was appoyntyd betwyxte them to haue bothe lawes disputyd at which day by the ê“founde argumeÌ„tys of seynt Syluester also by myracles that our lorde shewyd in ê“ue of the feyth seynt Helyn all the docturys of the Iues that she brought with her were coÌ„uertyd to the feyth when she was crystenyd she encouragyd her selfe to enlarge the crysten feythe all that she could went to Iherusalem with a great power where she fouÌ„de the holy crosse with the thre naylys the crybbe that our lorde was leyed on ê‘te of the hey our Ladyes smokke she made monasteryes where our lord sufferyd his deth passyon there as the holy crosse was fouÌ„de at BetheleÌ„ in many other placys After she went to ynde she made many churchys brought with her the Bodyes of the thre kynges of coleyne she broughte with her ê‘te of the holy crosse to constantynople after she went to rome grewe to suche hyghe charyte that she was as a moder to all personys And after when she laye syke she sawe heuyn open our lord standynge with a great multytude of AuÌ„gellys with his Crosse meruaylously shynynge which comfortyd her moche She went to our Lord the .xv. kalendas of septeÌ„ber was honorably buryed by the Pope with great wepynge of all the people as it is sayd her body was traÌ„slatyd to constantynople now it lyeth at venys De sancto Henrico heremita SEynt henry the heremyte was borne in denmarke And on a tyme when all thynge was ordeynyd that he shuld haue ben maryed our lord prohybytyd hym to be maryed bad hym kepe hym selfe clene inmaculate fro this worlde that he shuld goo into the I le of Coket so he came to tynmouth there he had leue of the pryor to go into the I le of Coket And certen yerys he lyuyd with brede
of .vii. yeres of age into a wodde as for disporte of huntynge and as the childe slept his ruler made a pytte to burye hym in when the childe awoke he tolde hym he shuld nat lye there but in a place ferther of that he shuld se that it was trewe that he sayd he strake his staffe into the grounde whiche anone grewe and after sprange therof a fayre Asshe that is called seynt Kenelmys asshe Then the cursid man had hym into a depe valey in the wodde called Clent and there as it is sayd the yonge kyng sayd TedeuÌ„ when he came to the verse Temartyrum candidatus c. The cursyd man vnder a thorne strake of his hede and there buryed hym and oftymes a bryght beame was seen descende vpon the place where he lay at which place a Cowe vsyd oftymes to be coulde nat be kept away frothens and when she came home she gauerwyse asmoche mylke as any of the other after his deth Quendreda toke the rule vpon her and then no man durst speke of the yonge kyng nor seke hym for fere of quendreda tyll a byll was brought by a doue to the pope Leo as he was at masse at rome of this effect iÌ„ Englysshe In clent in Cowbach vnder a thorne lyeth kyng Kenelme his hedde of shorne so the pope sent Legates Cardynalles to wylfryde bysshop of Caunterbury other bysshoppes of Englande that they shuld remoue hym so he was taken vp and there as he lay sprang vp of fayre welle as his suster loked out of a wyndowe vpon a sawter boke to haue by enchauntement letted his buryenge sodeynly her iyen fell vpon the boke whiche boke is yet to shewe there she dyed myserably one that was blynde a nother dombe fro theyr Natyuyte by merytes of seynt Kenelme were made hole and he lyeth at Wynchecome ¶ De sancto Kentegerno EpÌ„o et confessore THe moder of seynt Kentegerne was borne in the north ê‘te of Brytayne her fader beyng a paynym she by herynge of Sermons was coÌ„uerted how be it she was nat cristened heryng that our lady beyng clene vgyne had a child by a folisshe pÌ„sumpcoÌ„n she desyred in lykewyse to haue a childe in virginyte wherupon she maâ—e dyligent prayers after she was with child though of â—routh it was by company of man yet she toke it on her othe â—hat she knewe nat how nor when her fader heryng that she was with childe accordynge to his lawe had her to a hyghe hyll there threwe her downe to haue so torne her to peces she lyftynge her herte to o r lorde made her prayers was saued without hurte then her fader thynkyng she was saued by wychecrafte put her into the see in a lytell shyp of lether wtout ore wheriÌ„ she was brought to laÌ„de more swyftly then a sayle coulde haue dryuen her and iÌ„ a place called Collenrose she was delyuered without helpe the same tyme of her delyueraunce seynt Sarnan harde aungelles synge in the Eyre wherfore in the mornynge he went thyder and founde the moder with the childe whome he brought to his house and cristened theym both and there the childe profyted moche in lernynge and vertue so that seynt Sarnan loued hym moste of all his disciples wherfore his Felowes enuyed hym in somoch that they kylled a byrde that seynt sarnan louyd leyd it by assent to KentegernÌ„ he makyng a Crosse vpon the byrde reysed it agayne to lyfe he reysed also seynt Sarnans Coke fro deth to lyfe whiche he was exorted to do by seynt Sarnan by instygacion of his enemyes yet alway his good vertuous lyfe was a norysshynge of more enuye to his enemyes wherfore he lefte that place and went to a place called Glascu and in the way he went thurgh the water of Mallena that deuyded to hym lyke as dyd the redde see to the children of Israel at Glascu he lyued in great abstynence and was there made bysshop and he vsed to weer the heere and laye in a holowe stone for his bedde with some asshes caste vnder hym and the temptacyon of his flesshe by grace was clerely taken fro hym and he gaue all his goodes to pore men absteyned fro flesshe and wyne and fro all that myght distempre hym alway he had a Manuell in his hande redy to do his offyce when nede requyred he caused wylde hartes to go to ploughe and a wolfe that kylled one of the hartê he caused to supplye his place and to bere the same yocke that he dyd he went on fote to preche and euery Lent he went to some deserte place and lyued there with herbes and rotes and somtyme by especyall grace he fasted al the Lent he vsed oftymes to stande in colde water tyll he had sayd the hole Psaulter In his Iugementes he alwayes consydered the mater and nat the ê‘sone he made an Abbey wherin were .ix. C. and .lxv. monkê whiche he deuyded in thre ê‘tes so that alway some were in the Quere when he was at dyuyne seruyce somtyme a whyte doue somtyme a bryght beame where seen descende vpon hym on sher thursday he wold wasshe the fete of pore men and lepoures and kysse theym he conuerted moche people to the fayth in his Dioc he destroyed Idolles made churches and ê‘ysshes he was seven tymes at Rome shewyd to seynt Gregory all his lyfe and he confermed his Eleccion supplyinge therwith that that lackyd in his consecracion when he was C. and .lxxxv. yeres olde he dyed without payne in the Idus of Ianuarii syttyng in hote water as he was taught by an Aungell and dyuers of his bretherne went in to the same water as he appoynted theym to doo and they dyed furth with without payne and went with hym into the kyngdome of Heuyn he lyeth at Glascu where our Lorde hath shewyd for hym many myracles ¶ De sancto Kyliano cuÌ„sociis suis martiribê° SEynt kylyan was borne of noble blode in scotlaÌ„de And as he studyed in his youthe for cuÌ„nynge he studyed also for vertue and at laste he enteryd into relygyon where he lyuyd in great obedyence with watchyngys and instauÌ„te prayers The bretherne seynge his perseueraunce in vertue electyd hym into the rule of the Mouastery though he knewe well it wolde somwhat mynysshe his deuocyon yet for lowe of Charyte for the profet of other he toke it vppon hym and after his fame sprange farre wherfore he ferynge the fauoure of the people myght be a let vnto hym deuysyd howe he myght leue his owne cuÌ„trey lyue iÌ„ some other cuÌ„trey where he myght haue lytyll knowlege be reputyd of a small blod wherupon he toke certeyne of his bretherne with hym that had lyke feruoure as he had and came into great brytayne fro thens to Fraunce and so to almayne that is callydest FrauÌ„ce to a towne callyd wirtzburghe And after he went to Rome and
there he had auctoryte to preche and was made Busshope after he retournyd to wyrtzburgh where he connertyd the duke and all the countrey to the feythe And when he had lernyd that the Duke had maryed his broders wyfe yet neuerthelesse for a tyme he forbere and wolde not speke to the duke therof leste it shuld haue made trouble at his newe conuersyon but when he sawe he was strengthnyd in the feythe he admonysshed hym therof Streyghtlye wherfore the quene when the Kynge was goon to batell martyryd seynt Kylyan all his cōpanye and buryed them with all theyr Bokys in a pryuy place made a stable ouer theym that they shulde neuer be founde And when the kynge came home she tolde hym that they were goon on pylgrymage the cursyd men that put them to deth fell madde and cryed Kylyan kyllyan why doest thou so burne vs And not longe after the quene was takyn with a Deuyll she sayde she was worthy to haue tourmētys for she tourmentyd the ryght wyse men and furthwyth she dyed a Preest herde Chylderne saye seynt Kylyan doth many signes he muste be takyn vp for he lyeth not in a cōuenyent place And when he toke no hede to theyr sayinge the nexte nyghte he was stryken blynde and he harde a voyce saye to hym without thou beleue thou shalt not see And then he sought for them and when he came to the place where they were he sent for the Archebusshope of Magunce and tolde hym where they lay And then he had his syght ageyne ¶ De sanctis Keneburga Regina abbatissa desctis Kineswida Tibba virginibus SEynt kyneburgh kyneswyda were doughters to kynge penda a cruell pagan that was Kynge of Marshes And neuerthelesse his Doughters were crystenyd Kyneburgh was maryed and notwithstondynge by assent of her Husbonde she enteryd into relygyon so leuynge carnall Chylderne she had in shorte tyme many spyrytuell Chylderne she made a Monasterye callyd dormuncastre not far fro the Ryuer callyd venwhere she was made abbesse And with what dylygens she norysshed the sowlys to her cōmyttyd And how wakerye she was to kepe the cōmaūdemētis of our lord to kepe her holy porpose ī Relygion no tonge can tell seynt Kyneswyda lyuyd in virgynyte And after the Deth of seynt Kyneburgh off a Kynge of cest saxons wolde haue had kyneswyda to his wyfe whiche he attemptyd not only with feyre Speche but also with thretes And bycause she wolde not assent all her Frendys were agaynste her wherfore she prayed dylygentlye to oure Ladye for helpe and our Ladye apperyd to her comfortyd her and sayd ther was nothynge better for her than to kepe her Immaculate as she was borne nothynge more noble thē to take her sone to be her spouse more over she bade her not to fere for she sayde she wolde praye for her and therupon seynt Kyneswyda takynge boldenes sent worde to the Kynge that in no wyse she wolde assent And there upon the Kynge consyderynge her blessyd lyfe and seynge that he all his Rychesse were despysyd of a yonge mayde lefte the worlde went to Rome there he enteryd into Relygyon Seynt Tybba that was kynneswoman to seynt Kyneburgh and kyneswyda lyued many yerys a blessyd solytary lyfe And after her deth she apperyd to a holy man on seynt Lucyes daye and tolde hym that on that daye she yeldyd her sowle to heuyn And in the yere of our Lorde a thousande and fyue the relyhys of the fayde blessyd women Kyneburghe Kyneswyda and Tybba were translatyd to Peterburgh and there theyr feest is Halowyd the Daye before the Nonas of Marche ¶ De sancto Lamfranco archiep̄o SEynt lamfranke was borne in the Cytie of papeder and in his youth he forsoke his faders successyon gyuynge hym to studye And when he had atteynyd hygh seculer lernynge he came into Normandye and there he was takyn with theuys and was cobbyd of all that he had wherupon he went to the abbey of Beccense in Normandye as to the porest house he could here of and there he founde the Abbot bakynge of Brede and his handys were myrye to stoppe the Ouen and there he enteryd into Relygyon and lyuyd in profounde humylyte obedyence On a tyme as he redde the lecture the presydent founde a defaute at his redynge bade hym amende it and he redde as he was commaundyd and yet he hadde redde better before but that he dyd to shewe hym selfe obedyent For the euyll maners of the Bretherne he thought to leue the Abbey and lyue in Desert and vsyd vnder coloure of a medesyn to ere Erbys to proue how he myght endure with them And on a nyght a kynnesman of the Abbottys lately decessyd apperyd vnto hym and shewyd hym the purpose of Lanfrāke and tolde the Abbot it was not good for hym that he shulde goo frō hym And when the Abbot with great wepyngys shewyd this to Lamfranke he sawe his coūceyll was dyscoueryd wherfore he thought it was the wyll of god that he shuld tary so he dyd was made pryor there after Abbot of Cadonyence This blessyd man came into Englonde with wyllyam conqueroure and was made Archebusshoppe of Caunterbury dyd many notable thyngys in thys Realme He gaue great Possessyons to the Chyrche of Rochester and restoryd seynt Albons to the fyrste estate As he satte by the Kynge at a solempne feest a Rayler seynge the kynge syt ī gloryouse apparell seyd lo I se god lo I se god And seynt Lamfranke remembrynge the hystorye of Herode aduertysyd the kynge that he shuld not suffer such wordys spokyn to hym that belōgyd only to god but that he shuld commaunde hym that speke them to be betyn so that he shulde neuer after dare speke such wordys and so it was don He was a man of great lyberalyte and as it is sayde gaue yerely in aknes fyue hūdred poūdys And he was a man of a quycke spyryt and recoueryd many thynges that were wrongfully holden fro his Chyrche And oftyn tymes seynt dunstan apperyd vnto hym cōfortyd hym she wynge to hym the crafty purpose of his enemyes He was dyuerse tymes at Rome where he was had in great fauoure of the Pope when it happenyd hym at any tyme to be at beccense he wolde not vse hym selfe but as he had ben pryour he was profounde in humylyte large in almes a great helper of pore men a defender of pupyllys and a comforter of wydowys And with sobernes he refourmyd the Monkys of Caunterbury that had vysd before hys tyme Huntynge Haukynge and such other wanton disportys and in the .xix. yere after he had ben busshope the .v. kalendas of Iune he Dyed and lyeth at Caunterbury in a Chyrche which he in his lyfe buyldyd ¶ De sancto laurencio archiepiscopo SEynt Laurence was archebusshope of Caunterbury next after seynt Augustyne And after seynt Ethelbertys deth the Kynge Ebbalde his
.ix. kalendr of NoueÌ„bre De sancto Malichia ¶ De sancto Malichia Episcopo confessore SEynt Malachie was borne in Irlande amonge barbarous people and as a fysshe is in the salt see and is nat salt so was seynt Malachie good amoÌ„ge euyll people he went to a man that lyued a solytary lyfe seruynge our lorde in fastyngê and prayers and of hym he toke his example of lyuynge and in shorte tyme had many disciples and there he toke the ordre of presthode The bysshop coÌ„mytted to hyÌ„ his auctoryte to pÌ„che vnto the rude people whiche he dyd with great fauoure and what so euer he sawe out of good ordre he spared nat to reproue theym of it He had great loue and zele to the seruyce of god honoure to the Sacramentes of the Chuche and went to a holy bysshop called Malcus that was borne in Irlande brought vp in Englande and that had ben a monke at Wynchester to lerne at hym that he taught nothynge but as the Churche coÌ„mauÌ„ded after he was made bysshop of CoÌ„nereth in Irlande where anone he ê‘ceyued that the people were bestely and rude Cristen men in name and nat in dede they payed no tythes they lyued out of laufull matrymony they made no confessions there was no man to enioyne penauÌ„cene to aske it they made more noyse in the Churche then the precher or they that sange wherfore to refourme thyse people he put hym selfe in Ieopardye as a good Sheperd and admonysshed theym of theyr defautes openly and also secretely he wepte vpon theym tenderly nowe he spake sharpely and anone more easely And whenne henothynge preuayled he humbly watched in prayer for them to our lorde when they wolde nat come to the Churche he wolde go in to theym lokynge who he myght wyn to our lord when euyll wordes were sayde to hym he spake fayre and when he was wronged he toke pacyence and so with goodnesse he ouercame euyll Thus were the people reformed Churches were buylded the lawes of the Churche receyued the Sacramentes duely mynystred the people went to confessyons and toke penaunce after the deth of the Archebysshop Celsus he was made Archebysshop of Archemacan and yet he wolde neuer haue seruaunt ne house of his owne he went in maner a wayes aboute the parysshes prechynge the worde of god and leued of the Gospell Other prelates toke Lordshyp in the Clergye and he made hymselfe seruaunte to all men After he gaue vp the Archebysshopryche and went to his parysshe agayne Thenne he wente to Rome there the Pope toke a Myter fro his owne hedde and set it vpon his hedde and also gaue hym a stole and a phanon Fro thens he went to Clareuall to seynt Bernarde and leuynge with hym foure of his disciples he went in to Scotlande where our Lorde shewyd for hym many myracles and after he went into Irlande and there he helyd a monke of the great fallynge sykenesse Thenne he went agayne to Scotlande and so thorughe Englande to Clareualle to seynt Bernarde And there he dyed the .iiii. Nonas of Nouembre In the yere of our Lorde god a Thousande a hondred and .xlviii. and Seynt Bernarde wrote his lyfe wherin be many notable thynges ¶ De sancta Margareta Regina Scocie SEynt Margaret Quene of Scotlande was doughter of Edwarde outlawe sone to Edmonde Irneside And she by prouysion of god was Maryed to MalcolynÌ„ kynge of Scotlande she delyted more in good werkes thenne in possessions or ryches Ofttymes she called her children afore her and admonysshed theym to loue and drede our lord and dayly she prayed for theym that they myght pleas hym she enduced the kynge to do Iustyce with mercye and to gyue alines in her dayes the kynges seruauntê durst nat take any thynge fro pore men or otherwyse hurte theym She reproued the people of Scotlande in that they begann at Lent so that they myght faste .xl. dayes besyde the sondayes and that theyr prestes sange nat masse after the custome of the Churche and that the people were nat howseled at Ester that they kept nat the sondayes and that they maryed theyr moders in lawe and susters in lawe she reformed theym in thyse poyntê The kynge seynge the holy ghost was with her helped her forewarde in all that she went aboute She serched where she myght fynde pore people to do almes vpon on the nyghtê she sayd Matens of the Trinite of the holy crosse of our ladye the Dirige and the Psalter And thenne she vsed to wasshe .vi. pore men and then she toke rest In the mornynges she refressed .ix. orphanes and serued theym knelynge And afore dyner the kynge and she serued CCC pore people her boke fell into the water and lay there a daye and a nyght without hurte she knewe the deth of her husbonde sone that were slayne in Batayle whiche she toke pacyently she dyed the .iiii. Idus of Iune lyeth in the Churche of the holy trinite that she had buylded in the same place where she was maryed ¶ De sancta Maxencia virgine martyre SEynt Maxence was doughter to Marcolane soÌ„tyme kynge of Scotlande fro her youth she entended to kepe virginite after a prynce called maxencius was a pagan desyred her in maryage wherto he had her fathers assent and she perceyuyng that fledde to a churche and coÌ„mended her virginite to oure Lorde And after with an olde man and a Mayde she fledde secretely and came into Fraunce into a place called Pontis and as it is sayd in the way thyder she went ouer the water of ysara wtout bote and the sayd the prynce made suche serche that he founde where she was and when he coulde by no mean haue her assent in a fury he toke her by the heer and stroke of her hedde after kylled both her seruauntê and she toke vp her hedde and bare it to the place where she now lyeth and ouer her is buyldyd a godly churche where our lorde hath shewyd for her many myracles kyng Charles that reyned in tho dayes loued her churche moche gaue many great thynges to it ¶ De sancto Mellito ArchiepÌ„o confessore SEynt Gregorie was moche dylygent for the conuertynge of the people of Englande to the fayth and also to haue the people well ordered after they were conuerted wherfore he is moche to be honoured by Englysshmen after kynge Ethelbert his people were coÌ„uerted by seynt Augustyne he sent worde therof to seynt Gregorie as in the lyfe of seynt Mellytapperyth and then seynt Gregorie sent Mellite Iuste and Pallyne with dyuerse other into Englande to preche to the people and Mellite in the yere of our lorde .vi. hondred and foure was made bysshop in the prouynce of Eest saxons nyghe to Thamyse where London is metropolys and by hym that prouynce was conuertyd and the Churche of seynt Paule that was made by kynge Ethelbert is the bysshoppes see and after the deth of kyng
Ethelbert and of kynge Sabert theyr children whiche were Idolatrours wold haue ben houseled as they saw other were but they wolde nat be Cristened and bycause seynt Mellite wold nat housell them they banysshed hym out of the Countre and so he and seynt Iustus went into Fraunce but shortly after the sayd Idolatrours were slayne iÌ„ batayle Mellite and Iustus came agayne and after the deth of seynt Laurence Mellite was made Archebysshoppe of Caunterbury He had the gowte and after his deth he helyd a woman of the gowte By his prayer moche parte of the Cytie of Caunterburye was sauyd fro fyre He dyed the eyght Kalend of Maii in the yere of our lorde god six hondred and .xxiii. he lyeth on the right hande of seynt Augustyne and for this blessyd man our Lorde hath shewyd many myracles ¶ De sancto Melone Episcopo IN the tyme of Ualerian the Emperour Mello then beynge a Paynyme was sent out of great Brytayne to Rome to paye the trybute and as he harde Pope Stephan preche he was conuerted and gaue all that he hadde to pore folkes after he receyued of the Pope ordre of presthode and vsed moche fastynges and vigylles and as he was sayinge masse the Pope and he sawe an Aungell on the ryght hande of the Aulter that when masse was done gaue hym a bysshoppes staffe and sayd vnto hym with this staffe thou shalt rule the people of rethomagense in the ê‘ties of Nestrie and so hauynge the popes blessynge he toke his Iourney in the way at Antisioder holdynge the sayd staffe in his hande he helyd a man that had his fote cutte in two partes with an axe and whenne he came to Rothomagense faythfully fulfyllynge that he was appoyntyd to and full of vertues and myracles he went to our lord and lyeth at Rothomagense ¶ De sancto Melore martyre MElianus duke of Cornewayle fader to seynt Melorie was kylled by his owne broder called Rynoldus whiche toke vpon hym the Dukedome then he toke Melorie with hym into Cornewayle beynge of the age of .vii. yeres and thought to kylle hym there and there he was desyred by the people that he shuld nat kyll hym but that he shuld stryke of his ryght hande his lefte fote and lette hym go and so it was done Thenne he had a haÌ„de and fote made for hym of syluer was put to a Monasterye in Cornewayle where he encresyng in all vertue lernyd scriptur to his age of .xiiii. yerê the hande wold open shyte as it had ben of flesshe bone aft Cerialtanus that had the rule of hym at the desyre of the Duke cutte of his hedde in the Kalend of Octobre And as his sone was berynge of the hedde to Rynold by the waye he fell downe of a walle and brake his necke And thenne his Fader toke the hede to bere it to the Duke and by the way whenne he was nyghe deed for drynes the hedde badde hym sette his staffe in the grounde and there he shuld fynde a welle and so he dyd and the staffe waxed in to a tree and a fayre welle sprange at the rote thereof And natwithstandynge whenne he hadde refresshed hymselfe he bare the hedde furth and the Duke receyued it gladly and bad hym go to a hylle there bye all that he sawe he wolde gyue hym for his rewarde and whenne he came thy der he was stryken blynde and forthwith dyed and his flesshe melted awaye lyke waxe at the fyre The body of seynt Melorye was .iii. tymes buryed euery tyme it was founde agayne aboue the grounde wherfore by a hole counsell he was layde in a wayne and .ii. wylde bulles were put in it they stode styll with it in a place that the people lyked nat And whenne the people assayed to remoue it and coulde nat they buryed it there honorably The hedde was brought to Rynolde and whenne he had towched it the thyrde daye after he dyed and thenne it was buryed by the bysshoppes and the Clergye with the body and nowe his relykes be at Malmesbury ¶ De sancta Milburga virgine Bynge Ethelbert that was Conuerted by seynt Augustyne was great graunt Fader to Dompneua that was moder to seynt Milburgh and she was doughter to Merwalde Kynge of Mersshes the whiche with the sayd Dompneua his wyfe in the latter ende of theyr dayes by assent lyued Chaste and seynt Milburghe entered into Relygyon and in a Monasterye that she founded in the I le of Thannet she was moder and maystres to many virgyns She gaderyd in lykewyse many susters in a Monasterye that she founded called Wenloke The pleasures of the worlde a mortall spouse and carnall Children were vyle in her syght a kynges zone thought by vyolence to take her to marye her wherfore she knowyng his commynge fledde ouer a ryuer and whenne she was paste the ryuer rose sodeynly and stopped his passage By her prayer geese that destroyed her corne wente a waye without retournynge of theym or of any of that kynde as she waked fro slepe vnaduysedly she caste her vayle fro her and the sonne beame bare it vp so that it came nat to the grounde She reysed a Childe fro deth to lyfe and as she was in her prayers for the childe there was a greatlyght seen aboute herlyke as she hadde ben in the myddes of a fyre She dyed of the Axes and was buryed in her Monasterye In the Legende is a goodly Pedegre fro kynge Ethelbert to this gloryous virgyne and to dyuerse other And also a goodly storye howe the sayd kynge Merwalde her Fader was coÌ„uerted by Edfrede a holy preest and also a goodly vysyon that he had afore his conuersyon ¶ De sancta Mildreda virgine et Abbatissa SEynt Mildrede was suster to seynt Milburghe and her moder sent her ouer the see to a place called Calum in her seculer habyte to lerne where in shorte tyme she ouer passed all her felowes in mekenes and vertues a yonge man of noble blode and of kyn to the Abbesse laboured to haue her in maryage and the abbesse was of counsayle with hym and whenne the Abbesse sawe that by fayre meanes she coulde nat opteyne her purpose she threte the virgyne and bet her and when that coulde nat moue her fro virginite The abbesse in a woodnes put her in a hote brennynge ouyn and shet the mouthe and whenne they thought that she had ben burned flesshe and bone she was founde all hole vntouched of fyre as her mynde was vntouched of flesshely pleasure yet this ceased nat the malyce of the Abbesse but she bette her pulled her by the heer and trede vpon her and alwaye the virgyne coÌ„mytted her virginite to our Lorde After she sent worde to her moder how she was entreated and she sent for her and the virgyne hauynge none other shyfte went pryuely to the see the Abbesse herynge therof sent company to brynge her agayne and the shyp that stode
lyued halfe a daye and then dyed he buylded a Monastery at Wynchester and a stone that was appoynted to that werke wolde nat remoue by any maner connynge And when seynt Oswalde came thyder he sawe the deuyll sytte vpon the stone mockynge theym that laboured with the sygne of the Crosse he droue hym away and then fewe men remoued it that .lxxx. coulde nat remoue byfore He was bysshop of Worcestre after by coÌ„pulcion of kyng Edgare seynt DunstanÌ„ by hole assent of the Clergye he was made Archebysshop of yorke he chaunged seynt Albones Elye Beamflet .vii. other places fro clerkê to monkê he fed euery day .xii. pore meÌ„ gaue them money he knewe that he shuld dye the daye byfore and that nygâ—t he went to Churche and kepte the Quere the resydewe of the nyght he expended in laudynge of almyghty god and in the mornynge was howseled anelyd and gyrded a lynnen clothe aboute hym and wasshed the fete of pore men dryed theym and kyssed them as he was wont to do after the .xv. Psalmes he sayd Glia patri c. And as he payed the pore men was seyinge spuÌ„isancto he yelded vp his spirit in the yere of our lorde .ix. C. lxxxxii the day byfore the Kalend of Marche as he was had to the churche a whyte doue a bryght beame were seen descendynge vpon hym he was buryed at yorke .xii. yeres after his deth he was remoued to Worcestre as he wylled to be where he lyeth now this daye our lord hath shewyd for hym many great myracles both in his lyfe and after his deth ¶ De sancto Oswaldo Rege martyre THe quene Acta moder to seynt Oswalde after her husbonde kynge Ethelfryde was slayne in batayle by kynge Edwyn fled with seynt Oswalde other of her children into Scotâ—ade and there seynt Oswalde after the Counsell of his moder was Cristened after with small coÌ„pany he came to recouer his right enherytaunce agaynst Cedwalla kyng of Deiâ— and Bernysshe that had slayne in batayle his broder Daufride kyng of deirÌ„ Osryke kynge of bernysshe and when they shuld go to batayle he set vp a Crosse made the people knele downe pray for helpe iÌ„ their rightwyse quarel so with small coÌ„pany he had the victory in a place called Deuysborne ayenst the sayd Cedwalla that a right myghty cruell kyng by the sayd Crosse also in the sayd place where he made his prayer that is called Heuynfelde great myracles haue be done after seint Oswalde sent into scotlande where he was Baptysed desyryng to haue seynt Aydane the bysshop to Instruct hym and his people in the fayth And when seynt Aydane was come the kynge gaue hym a bysshoppes see in the I le of Lyndesernense anone the people were conuerted Churches were buylded Monasteryes founded This blessyd man beyng instruct with worde and example of seynt Aydane nat oonly atteyned a full hope of an Euerlastynge kyngdome but also of Erthely kyngdomes he had more lordshyp then any of his auncestours for he atteyned nat oonly the kyngdom of Deir and Bernysshe but also all the Nacions of Brytayne wherin then were .iiii. dyuers speches bryttysshe scottysshe englysshe of the pictes he toke in his domynion He was a great gyuer of almes and wolde suffre no Cristen man go openly on beggynge As he seynt Aydane oâ— Eester day satte at dyner a great multitude of pore men came to aske almes and the kynge hauynge no other thynge redy at hande gaue theym a dysshe of syluer with mete therin the bysshop seynge his great charyte toke his hande and prayed to almyghty god that that hande which was so redy to gyue almes shuld neuer Rotte and his prayer was herde On a tyme he prayer for his people that were moche vexed with pestylence and shortly after he hym selfe had the same desease wherupon thre AuÌ„gelles appered vnto hym and sayd that he shuld nat dye of that sykenes and that his people by his prayer shuld be delyuered therof and so they were Moreouer the sayd aungellys shewyd hym that he shuld be martyred and the daye and place where it shuld be sayd they wolde be there with hym at that tyme so vanysshed away after that there was neuer in his dayes pestylence in Englande fro that tyme he abode his ende Ioyously and with great deuocyon with almes and teres redemed his neclygences and as it is sayd fro Matens to day he wolde be in prayers and where so euer he satte he wolde holde his handes vp to praye and to gyue thankynges to our lorde after he was slayne in batayle by kynge Penda in a place called maseyfelde seuyn myles fro Shrewysbury the .viii. nonas of August as it was shewyd hyÌ„ byfore as he was slayne he was in prayers deuoutly prayeng for hym for the people his relykes haue ben oft remoued his hed lyeth now in the Monastery of seynt Cuthbert one of his armes at Bamburgh and the other at Peterburghe his body and bones at glouerma where Etheldrede duke of Mershes made a churche iÌ„ honour of his name at FaruerhmÌ„ a nother churche is buylded to his honoure where great myracles haue ben done a thefe that robbed that church was sodeynly stryken blynde in the Lengende is a goodly Pedegre fro Ida that was the firste Englysshe kynge in NorthmÌ„humbre The kyngdome of DeirÌ„ streched fro humbre to tyne the kyngdome of Bâ—rnyshe strechyd fro tyne to the Scottysshe see that in Scotlande is called forth whiche two kyngdomes were dyriuyed out of the kyngdome of Northamhumbre as it apperyth in dyuerse Cronycles ¶ De sancto Oswino Rege martyre AFter the deth of seynt Oswalde kynge and martyr Oswy his broder succeded vnto hym in the kyngedomes of deyre Bernyssh and after this blessyd seynt Oswyne kyng and martyr that was sone of kynge Osrik kynge of deyre whiche of longe tyme for fere of Cedwalla kynge of brytons that had kylled his fader had ben as an outlawe with the West saxons herynge that kynge Oswalde was deed by couÌ„sell of his frendes came agayne to deyre by assent of al the people of deyt he was made kyng of that couÌ„tre the sayd Oswy was put out therof and reygned oonly in Bernysh seynt Oswyne was a man of great charite he was as a staffe to feble men a fote to haltyng men an Iye to blinde meÌ„ as a fader to wydowes orphanes also he was beauteous of vysage hygh of statute mery of countenauÌ„ce sobre of maners and very lyberall wherfore he was byloued of all men great smal The kynge gaue to seynt Aydane a horse when a pore man asked almes of hym and he had none other thyng at haÌ„de to gyue hym he gaue hym the sayd horse when the kynge herde therof he was descontented sayd to the bysshop as the sat
where he profyted so moche in vertue coÌ„nynge that of all the countre yonge folkes came to here his Doctryne and after when his fader was syke and he was called to haue taken the charge of the Realme an Aungell appered to hym and aduertysed hym to kepe his firste purpose and nat to coueyt the desceytfull enheritauÌ„ce of this worlde for he sayd all that we se shall shortly vanysshe away with heuynes and ê‘ell and so on the mornynge with .viii. felowes he went into Wales in a shyp without sayle or ore whenÌ„e they were come ouer as they were restynge theym in a towne therby he sent one to tye the bote that he came iÌ„ where the messenger founde a harte holdynge the rope and sauynge the bote fro drownynge then the harte was ledde to seynt Thathe where by the power of god he lay downe on the grouÌ„de stretched out his hed and made sygnes that he shuld be kylled so he was to make mete for the bretherne After at the desyre of the kynge called Cradoke he gathered many Scolers and made a Churche of the blessyd Trinyte by counseyll of the Bysshop of Landaffe he sette in it .xii. Chanons The kynges seruauÌ„tes with theyr horses destroyed his grounde and sodeynly all the horses dyed when the kynge herde of it he came to hym and cryed hym mercy anone all the horses rose agayne then the kynge seynge the myracle gaue hym all the towne with his owne Palays the seruauntes of kynge Gundlens stale his cowe kylled her and seth her in cawdren the more it seth the rawer it was and seynt Thathe herynge therof folowed and by the way founde the prynt of her fote meruaylously prynted in a stone and so folowed to the kynges Palays whereof malyce and in mockage the euyll seruauntes couered the cawdren and made it lyke a sete that when he had syt downe theron he shuld haue ben skalded and it was to hym when he satte downe harde sure the kyng heryng therof kneled downe and asked hym mercy and then he made the flesshe bones to be layde in the skynne and the Cowe anone rose vp afore theym all and seynt Cadoke sone to the kynge seyng that myracle became his disciple and after many vertuous werkes vigylles and abstynence he yelded his soule too o r Lorde the seuynth Kalend of Ianuarii lyeth in his Monasterye ¶ De sancto Theliao EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Thelianus fro his youth vsed vigylles and prayers gaue all that he had to pore men he made hym self lene that he myghte make other fatte and he was enformed in scripture of seynt Dubryce And after went to a wyse maÌ„ called PaulynÌ„ where he accompanyed with seynt Dauid in suche affeccoÌ„n that there was bytwyxt theym but one wyll when wodde lacked at the Monastery seynt Thelians lefte his stody and went to the wodde where two hartes offered theyr neckes to the yoke and so they brought home the wodde and seruyd longe after in the Monasterye This blessyd maÌ„ by the monycoÌ„n of an auÌ„gell went with seynt Paterne and seynt Dauid to Iherusalem and there they were .iii. dayes in contemplacion and had forgotten all erthly thynges and after there were thre Cheyres ordeyned for theym and for humylyte seynt Thelians satte downe in the lowest of the thre Cheyres And it was a cheyre that our Lorde hadde sytten in and whenne he knewe that he knelyd downe with great reuerence Then the people desyred hym to preche and so he dydde and the people of straunge tonges vnderstode hym After he was made bysshop and in token of the grace that he had receyued there was gyuen to hym a Cymbale whiche helyd dyuerse men and condempnyd them that were ê‘iuryd vpon it and euery houre it sowned withoute to wchynge tyll wretchyd synners presumptuously towched it and so it loste the vertue This blessyd man as the trumpe of our Lorde perseuerantly by worde and example admonysshed the people to Heuynly thynges and he lefte this worlde the fyfth Idus of Februarii And anone there was gret stryfe for his body bytwyxt .iii. ê‘ties and as the people by comen assent fell to prayer there appered thre bodyes al I lyke and there was no varyaunce in fauoure coloure nor vestymentes and so Landaffe had one of the bodyes another was had a lytell bysyde Caremerthyne the thirde into West wales where it is had in great honour ¶ De sancto Theodero ArchiepÌ„o confessore SEynt Theodre was of the countre of Tarse Celicie and was a man of approued maners instruct aswell in Latyn as Greke tunge and when seynt Adryan of mekenes refused to be Archebysshop of Caunterbury he appoynted for his excuse seint Theodre and the Pope admytted hym with that condycyon that he shuld accompany seynt Theodre into Englande and he assented and when they came into Englande anone seynt Theodre went aboute the countre and taughte the people the trewe way of good lyuynge and the dewe tyme when they shuld kepe theyr Ester And he was the firste Archebysshop to whom the hole Churche of Englande obeyed He with seint Adryan taught the maner of syngynge in all the Churches of Englande that byfore his tyme was oonly vsed in Kent he ordeyned scoles aswel for Latyn as greke tuÌ„ge taught theym Astronomye Arythmetryke and also Dyuynyte many of his Discyples were as experte intho speches as in theyr owne he went aboute the Realme and ordeyned bysshoppes where nede was and correctyd that was nat ê‘fyte when the Errour of Entycetê rose at Constantinople seynt Theodre to kepe the Churche of Englande fro that errour gathered all the people an Clergye togyther with great dilygence and when he founde theym hole stable in the â—ayth for instruction of theym that shuld come after hym he wrote a letter of theyr by leâ—e and sent it to Rome He knewe by reuelacyon how many yeres she shuldelyue he went fro this transitory lyfe to yâ— euerlastyng lyfe the .xiii. kalend of Octobre In the yere of our lord syx hondred foure score and ten and in his tyme the Churche of Englande profyted more spyrytuelly then euer it dyd byfore his dayes ¶ De sancto Thoma EpÌ„o Herfordie SEynt Thamas of Herforde was borne in EnglaÌ„de sone to Wylliam de CaÌ„tslupo in his youth he vsed dayly to say Maâ—â—â— to here masse After he went to stody first at Oxford then to Parees where he was made mayster and after he came agayne to Oxforde where he was made Doctour of lawe and then Chaunceller of the Uniuersite and after agaynst his wyll he was made ChauÌ„celler to kyng Henry the thirde in whiche offyce dayly he encreased in vertue and kept him clene fro all rewardes for pleasure of ryche men or pore he wold nat do agaynst Iustyce and after the deth of the kynge he retourded agayne to Oxforde and there he stodyed Dyuynyte This blessyd man was of
sacramentall wordes he sawe a goodly childe more whyte then the snowe with a crowne of golde that with mylde countenaunce touched his face and hedde whiche oft kyssed hym and blessyd hym and soo he vanysshed awaye leuynge nothynge but the hoste he neuer after Remembred that vysyon but he wept for Ioy After fro more streyght lyfe he entered into Relygyon of Cisteur at wardonÌ„ after he was made Abbot at Mailrose By his mocyon his kynnesman Symond made the Monasterye of Seynt Andrews in Northampton the NoÌ„nery without the towne and saltery Abbey Thre gestes came to hym whiche he receyued mekely wassynge theyr handes and fete and sodeynly one of theym was gone and in the nyght folowynge an Aungell appered to one of the Brethene and sayd he was the geste that the day byfore went sodeynly fro them addyng therto that he was appoynted by our lorde to be keper of that place sayd the almes and prayers of theyr Abbot dayly ascended byfore our lorde lyke swete encense he sawe in vysyon the thre kynges do theyr offrynge how our lorde was scourged dispysed crowned with the crowne of thorne crucifyed and suffred deth and how water and blod came out of his syde and how he rose fro deth leuynge the kepers as deed and after went into heuyn On a tyme when the deuyll appered to hym he toke the Sacrament and badde hym cursed wretche se his Iugge that shulde sende hym into helle And thenne he myght abyde noo lenger but vanysshed awaye He refused to be Bysshop he multyplyed corne and brede that seruyd moch people and helyd a man of the dropesye he went to heuyn the thride nonas of August In the yere of our lorde god a Thousande a hondred thre score after he appered to a broder that by temptacoÌ„n of the Deuyll preferred the lawe of the Iewes byfore the cristen lawe And also sayd there was no lyf but this and he shewid hym in vysyon 〈…〉 hell and heuyn and then whenne he came to hymselfe agayne he forsoke all his errours and lyued a good lyfe and conuerted many people and byfore his deth sawe our lorde with his bodely lyen ¶ De sancto Walstano Confessore SEynt WalstanÌ„ was borne in the Southe parte of Englande in a towne called Bauburgh and was of the kynges blode And whenne he was aboute the Age of .xii. yeres by Inspyracyon of the holy Ghost he forsoke all his Enherytaunce and his Countree and went into the Northe partes and put hym selfe in seruyce to a man in the towne of Tauerham He was a great gyuer of almes in so moche that he gaue nat oonly his owne mete to poore men but also on a tyme he gaue his shone to a poore man went hym selfe barefote And whenne his dame perceyued it she feyned that she hadde great nede to haue thornes caused hym to go to the wodde to fet theym home and by the goodnes of oure Lorde the thornes were to hym lyke rose flowers hurtynge hym no thynge And whenne his dame knewe that she cryed hym mercy and he anone forgaue her His mayster seynge the sygnes that he dyd loued hym moche and wolde haue made hym his heyre whiche he refused and wolde no thynge haue in any wyse but oonly that whiche one of his Mâ—ysters keen hadde in her bely at that tyme and she had aâ—â—er two Calues whiche his mayster gaue hym with good wyll and as he was after mowynge in a medowe with one of his felowes an auÌ„gell appered to hym and shewyd hym that the thirde daye folowynge he shulde departe this world wherfore he was howseled and toke all the sacramentê of the Churche and at the sayd daye he toke his mayster and dyuerse other honest ê‘sones with hym and went to the sayd medowe and there he wylled that when he was deed his body shuld be put in to a carte and his two oxen to be put in it and to be suffred to go with it where they wold without any leder and there as they taryed he to be buryed he had graunted of our lorde that what laborer that called vnto hym for helpe of his desease or for his bestes that he shuld be herde and so he departed out of this worlde the thirde Kalend of Iune in the yere of our lorde a thousande and syxtene And when he was leyde in a Carte the sayd two Oxen brought hym to Bauburgh and by the way they went ouer a water the wheles of the carte dyd nat synke into the water and in thre places where they rested sprange vp thre fayre welles he lyeth in Bauburgh where a Churche is halowed in the honoure of his name and there our lorde hath shewyd for hym many great myracles as well vpon men as vpon brute bestes De sancta Wenefreda virgine martyre A Man of great vertues called Bennow came to the fader of seynt Wenefrede desyred of hym a grounde wherin he myght make a churche to serue almyghty god therin he gladly assented and assygned a place vnto hym also coÌ„mytted his oonly begoten doughter called Wenefrede to hym to enforme and she herynge his prechynge and Doctryne purposed secretly her herte to forsake all the plesures of the worlde and to kepe virgynyte whiche purpose she durste nat shewe to her fader and moder but to her mayster he shewyd it to theym wherwith they were ryght well contented and after it happened that when her fader and moder on a Sonday were at Churche Cradoke sone to kynge Algare founde her alone in her faders house and promysed to her great gyftes to assent vnto hym and she sodeynly astonyed dissembled with hym and sayd that she was sory that she was so euyll appareylled and prayed hym that she myght go into her Chamber to apparell her more honestly and when she came into the Chambre she ranne pryuely towarde the churche and when he ê‘ceyued that iÌ„ great angre he folowed and when he had ouer taken her on a hylle and she wolde in no wyse assent to hym he strake of her hedde and there as the hedde fell anone sprange a fayre welle and the stones therof haue redde spottes lyke blode to this day the hedde ran downe into the Churche there as they were at seruyce wherat all the people were meruaylously astonyed and her fader and moder made great Lamentacyon wherupon her mayster takyng the hed went to the place where her body lay where was yet the kynges sone dryinge his swerde and when he had reproued hym for his wycked dede and he had no repentauÌ„ce therfore sodeynly he dyed and it was nat knowen where his body became and then her mayster leyde the hedde to the body and shewyd the people how she had aduowyd to be a Nonne and therupon he made his prayer anone she rose vp as she had ben a slepe nothynge apperyng of the cuttynge but oonly a lytell whyte cercle aboute her necke and the people nat
wolde go to hym to do hym some good if he had nothynge to gyue hym he wolde wepe for compassyon and comforte hym with hope of eternall rewarde Oon of his felowes that enuyed hym tolde hym that he dyssymylyd hymselfe to haue mercy that he had not in dede wherfore he thankyd out Lorde sayde broder veryly thou haste the true Iudgement in me forthwith he helyd a blynde man that was secretly brought to hym and when his suster hadde her eye pluckyd out of her heed with a Byrde that had eten it he toke the eye out of the Byrdys bely put it iÌ„ her Heed ageyne and it was hoole with the sygne of the Crosse he kyllyd a serpent that had venomyd a man and also made the man hoole and it is sayde that by his prayer none of the kynde of that Serpent shall come in that couÌ„trey He reysyd a chylde fro deth with his felowys he wente vppon the see into the place where he nowe lyeth fro the age of .xxi. yerys he neuer sate in the Chyrche he was neuer Heuy nor Angry neyther greatly mery But in oon sobernes euery daye he sayd thryse fyftye psalmes he neuer weerlynnen nor wullen but clothynge of getysskynnes He lyued with Barley breed myxte with asshes and dranke water euery seconde or thyrde daye he laye vpoÌ„ rotys grauell with two stonys vnder his heed he was neuer Idell fro some spyrytuell Occupacyon the Deuyll apperyd to hym as he was in prayer iÌ„ a meruaylouse terryble sykenesse and when he had suffred hym longe He rebukyd hym that he soo durste trowble the seruauntys of our Lorde and tolde hym that he shuld haue the more peyne therfore at the daye of Iudgement and then anon he vanysshed away when he had on a tyme made a blynwoman see an AuÌ„gell apperyd to hym and shewyd hym that all the company of Heuyn desyryd that he shulde be delyueryd fro this bodely lyfe come to the euerlastyng lyfe and then he bade his brederne be redye for he sayde the .vi. houre after he had sayd masse oure Lorde wolde take hym fro this worlde and so when masse was doon before the hyghe Aulter as he was holden vp bytwyxte two monkys was syngynge with theym he yeldyd his soule to our Lorde the .v. nonas of marche about the yere of our Lorde .ix. C. and .lix. clene fro any bodely sykenes as he was clene fro bodely syn and he lyeth in his Monastery of Canraco where our Lorde shewyth for hym many myracles This blessyd man with seynt Egbyne touchyd our Lorde in lykenesse of a Lepoure as in the Lyfe of Seynt Egbyne apperyth ¶ De sancto Wistano rege martire SEynt wistan was son to wymoÌ„de Kynge of marshes of Elflede his wyfe when his fader was dedde he succedyd a great Lorde callyd brythfarde whiche was the Kynges godfader also of kyn to the kynge was desyrous to be Kynge wherfore he desyred to marye the Quene thynkynge that by that meanys he shuld the soÌ„ner atteyne his porpose when he had sent messengers to the quene therof she askyd couÌ„ceyle of the Kynge her son he aduertysed her to take our Lord Ihesu Criste to be her spouse which wolde gyue her a ê‘petuell do werye in the kyngdome of Heuyn to which couÌ„cell the quene ryght well assentyd where vppon the Kynge shewyd to the messengers the impedymeÌ„tis of the matrymonye And when that came to the knowlege of brythfarde he began to coÌ„passe the kynges deth desyryd to speke with the Kynge at a certeyne day when they mette at a place nowe callyd wistanstowe brythfarde desyred to speke with hym secretlye aparte there as he offeryd to kysse hym with his swerde traytorously vnder colour of frendshyp he paryd his hedde with a dedely wounde a nother ran hym thrugh with aswerde in the kaleÌ„das of Iune forthwith without taryenge brythfarde went madde so that he neyther had the quene ne yet the kyngedome there as the yonge Kynge laye a bryght beame apperyd .xxx. dayes stretchynge into heuyn euery yere the same day that he was martyred there as the pyller apperyd is seen amoÌ„ge the grasse mannes here whiche no man can take awey othertymes of the yere nothynge apperyth but grene grasse a certen tyme he laye at rependon and fro thens he was traÌ„slated to the monastery of Euesham which was greatly endowyd by the Kynge kenrede kynnesman to the sayde gloriouse martyr ¶ De sancta Withburga virgine SEynt Withburghe was suster to seynt Audrye in her yonge yerys she made a monastery at derham where she was made a Nonne On a tyme whan she had nothynge for her werkemen but only drye bredde she made her prayers to our Lady she apperyd to her in her slepe and bad her put her truste in our Lorde not moch to care for bodely sustenauÌ„ce addynge therto that in the mornynge she shulde sende two of her maydes to a certen Ryuer there shulde come to theym two wylde hyndes to gyue them mylke so it prouyd as our Lady had sayde and the ruler of the Towne herynge therof vpon this condycyon that she myght haue .xi. M. of virgyns Chosen and delyueryd vnto her whiche they were ryght well contente to do theruppon in all goodly haste her â—ader sent into dyuerse ê“uyncys CouÌ„treys callyd to gether assedlyd all the chieffe chose vyrgyns as well kyngys doughters dukys doughters as of other nobles amoÌ„ges them all Chose .xi. M. of the fayrest wysestes sent them with moch noble appareyll all that was necessary to them vnto the foresayde blessyd vyrgyn Ursula whoÌ„ she receyuyd full gladlye benygnely as an heueÌ„ly gyfte or sendynge by the foresayd Aungell she was also warnyd to goo with her sayde felaushyp of vyrgyns vnto Coleyn that there they shulde haue receyue the Crowne Palme of martyrdome shewynge her all the circuÌ„stauÌ„cys therof howe in what maner it shuld be whereupoÌ„ they toke theyr shyppes which were ordeynyd all redy with all that nedyd to them so came to coleyne thorughe helpe of almyghty god holy AuÌ„gellys beynge theyr gydes in moche lesse space then it was possyble to haue doon by any meanys helpe or power where they were ryghte honorably gladly receyuyd aswell of the Busshope of that Cytie as of the Cytezyns with many other nobles for in veray ceâ—tayne the Aungellys which were with theym in all this Iourney takynge vppon theym fourme and lykenes of men went before theym aswell to this Citye as to all other Cityes wherto they shulde goo and gaue warnynge of theyr commynge to the heddes and chefe rulers of the Cytye whiche euermore mette theym on the waye and receyued theym with great gladnes and reuerence and ordeynyd for them in the best maner that they coulde and at the aforesayde Cytie of Coleyne they taryed â—â—â—styd a
more to say Masse for that daye and when the kynge askyd hym why he wolde nâ—t say Masse he shewyd hym his vysyon by that occasion he ê“hybyted the kynge that he shuld neuer after go a huntynge on the sonday which monycion the kynge toke benygnely fro thens kept it all his lyfe This blessyd kynge in many thyngê maye be resembled to the great kynge Dauid for as kynge Dauid was fyrste kynge of Iuda and after was kynge of all the Lande aswell of Iuda as of Iherusalem and helde it at his deth peasyblye So this noble kynge was kynge of all this Realme of Englande and hadde the hole monarchye therof peasybly whiche hadde ben byfore tyme deuydyd in to many kyngdomes and was called Reâ—pacificus Also as kynge Dauid was a myghty defender of his subgettes a subduer of â—â—bellys and so was this blessyd kynge as in his lyfe And also in Crâ—nycles wyll appere and as kynge â—auâ—d moche encreasyd the seruyce of almyghty god And appoyntyd dyuers men therto pÌ„payrynge many thynges to haue buyldyd the Temple to the honoure of god so this blessyd man made repayred dyuerse Monasteryes in this Realme wherby the seruyce of god was moche encreacyd Also when kynge Dauid had offendyd and was wherfore reprouyd by the Prophete Natham anone he coÌ„fessyd his offence cryed mercy and dyd penauÌ„ce in lyke wyse when this blessyd kynge had offendyd and seynt Dunstane reprouyd hym therof anone ferynge the Iugement of god he knowlegyd his offence and dyd seuen yeres penaunce as in the lyfe of seynt Dunstane apperyth in the latter ende of seynt Patrykes lyfe in the Legende it apperyth that many yeres after the departynge of this blessyd kynge his body was founde vncorrupt and that when the place that was newly ordeyned for hym was to lytell Oon presumptuously attemptyd to make the body mete for the place wherupon incontynent the blode folowed so that all that were there present fearyd greatly and therupon he was honorably leyde in a Shryne by the hyghe Aulter whiche he had gyuen to the sayd Churche and anone he that so presuÌ„ptuously had offendyd sodeynly fell downe and expyred A man that was madde and also a blynde man at the tumbe of this blessyd kyng receyued helth and he lyeth at Glaston bury Praye we then to thyse glorious seyntê that be in this present Kalendre that by merytes of theyr prayers we may haue grace so to passe by thyse transytorye thynges that after this short lyfe we may come to the Euerlastynge lyfe in the kyngdome of heuen Amen ¶ Explicit ¶ Thus endyth the Kalendre of the new Legende of Englande Emprynted to the honour of the gloriouse Seyntê therin conteyned by Richarde Pynson prynter to our Soueraygne lorde Kynge Henry the .viii. ¶ Here 〈◊〉 the lyfe of seynt Birgette SEynt Birget was of the 〈◊〉 and lynage of the noble kyngê of Gothis of the kyngdome of Swecia hir Faders name was Byrgerus and his moders name was Sighryd One tyme as hir graunâ—moder was walkynge with hir seruauntê by the Monastery of Shoo one of the NoÌ„nes of the sayd monastery byholdâ—â— hir beaute apparell in maner despysed hir for the great pryde that she adiuged to be in hir And in the nyght folowynge there appered vnto the sayd Nonne a certeyne ê‘sone of a meruaylous beaute whiche as it had ben with an angrye couÌ„tenauÌ„ce sayd vnto hir why hast thou bakbyten my handemayde adiugynge hir to be proude whiche is nat trewe I shall make a doughter to come of hir ê“geny with whom I shall do great dedys in the worlde and I shall gyue hir so great grace that all people shall meruayle After whaÌ„ seynt Birget was in hir moders wombe iâ— happenyd hir moder for dyuerse causes to take the see where hir shyp with moche people were drowned with a sodeyn tempest and she was brought saue to the lande And in the nyght folowyng a persone appered vnto hir with shynynge apparell And sayd thou art sauyd for the childe that thou haste in thy body norysshe it therfore with the charyte of god for it is gyuen to the of the especyall goodnes of almyghty god And after whenne that blessyd childe was newly borne a preest which was curate of a Churche therby and was after Bysshop of Aboens a man of good and blessyd lyuynge as he was in his prayers sawe a bryght shynynge clowde and in the clowde a virgyne hauynge a boke in hir hande and a voyce sayde vnto hym Byrgerus hathe a doughter borne whose meruaylous voyce shal be harde thorugh all the worlde whiche shal be a voyce of gladnes and helth in the tabernacles of ryghtwyse men Fro the tyme of the byrth of this blessyd childe vnto the ende of thre yeres she was in maner as thoughe she had hadde no tonge and as she shuld neuer haue spoken but sodeynly agaynst the comon course of children nat stuttynge lyke the maner of other children that begynne to speke she speke complete and full wordes of suche thynges as she harde and sawe in hir tendre youth she was neuer ydell fro doynge some good werkes And when she was of the age of seuen yeres she sawe nygh vnto hir bed an Aulter and vpon the aulter she sawe our Lady syttynge in bryght clothynge hauynge in hir hande a precyous crowne whiche sayd vnto hir Birget wylt thou nat haue this crowne and she with mylde coâ—tenaunce assentyng to our Lady put it vpon hir hedde wherby she felte in maner as though a cerkyll of a crowne had gyrde hir faste aboute the hedde and furth with the vysyon vanysshed awaye whiche she neuer after coulde forgette In the .x. yere of hir age Whenne she on a tyme had harde in a Sermon of the passyon of our lorde the same nyght our lorde appered vnto hir lyke as he hadde ben the same houre newly Crucyfyed and sayd vnto hyr loo Birget howe I am woundyd and she â—hynkynge that it hadde ben newly done sayde O lorde who hathâ— done thus to the our lorde answeryd sayd they that do contempne mâ— and forgette my charyte they do this to me And fro that daye euer after she hadde suche affeccyon to the Passyon of oure Lorde that she syldome refreyned hir from wepynge whenne she remembred it seruynge our lorde as the Appostell techyth with mekenes and terys And â—boute the .xii. yere of hir age hir Aâ—â—te wente on a nyght vnto the bedde of the holy virgyne Seynt Byrgette where she founde Seynt Birget out of hir hedde knelynge all nakyd and she somwhat suspectynge the lyghtnesse of the virgyn commaundyd a rod to be brought vnto hir and as soone as she layde it vpon the backe of the virgyn to haue â—etyn hirtherwith the rod breke all in small pecys wherupon hyr Aunte merueylyng greatly sayd vnto hir Biâ—get what hast thou done â–ª hath nat some women taught the some falâ— prayers and she wepyng answeryd and sayd no Lady but I rose out