The Myrrour or Glasse of Christes Passion ⧠⧠⧠HH The Preface ¶ To the honorable lorde Husey My lorde accordyngly vnto your desyre I haue traÌ„slated your boke put it into our natyue mother tongue as my simple wit and power lernyng wold suffer me And though it be nat so well done as I surely knowe many other myght can haue done it if it wolde haue pleased your lordship to haue deâ—yred theÌ„ and if also it wold haue lyked them to haue taken that labour yet I trust I haue so done that it may be comforth to the readers hearers or at the leste I haue gyuen occasion to ordre to amend and performe that I rudely and barbarously set forward Surely my lorde the chyefe cause of this my labour was for that I thought this boke shulde be moche profytable to the readers and edefyeng to all that wolde diligently hear it And to say the treuth I know no thynge more comfortable to man For amonges all the exercyses that helpe the spirite to obteyne the loue of god and specially to hym y t wolde begyn vse a spiritual lyfe no thynge is thought always more frutful thaÌ„ the continnal meditacion of the passion of our lorde god Iesus Christ for the exercyses of all other spirituall meditacions may be reduced and brought vnto this As by an example If a man desyre to bewayll and weape for his vices and synnes for his vnkyndnes and vilenes if he couit to purge amend his negligence defautes he shall fynde none more vehement and redy meane to pricke hym forwarde to his intent than to remembre the most innoceÌ„t death and passion of his redeamer that is to consyder what bitter paynes he suffred for man to spare and kepe man from payne eternall wherafter Iustice he shulde haue rather dampned man for his synnes And here man may see both the Iustice and also the mercy of god Man may coÌ„syder in hym selfe the great mercy of god in that god wold forgyue and ê‘don hym of his synnes He may also perceiue the iustice of god in his owne synnes whiche god dyd correcte punysshe accordyng to iustice in hym selfe bycause he wold nat suffre theÌ„ vnpunished And thus in this meditacion man may fynde how to weape and mourne for his synnes for the which the son of god was bet wouÌ„dyd and crucified and all that god suffred to cure man of his synnes kepe hym from eternall payne Here may also man bewayle his owne vnkyndnes consyderyng how vnkyndly he rendreth to so faythfull a louer so many yuell dedes contrary to goddes pleasure and also dayly contemptes and despysynges for his tendre loue and kyndnes and for his manyfolde gyftes which man dayly receyueth of hym Morouer this coÌ„templacion of the death of Christ indureth man both to hope and to fear wherby he may be releaued of two temptacyons â—or if the enormitie of his synnes moue any man to dispaire he hathe here in this exercise wherby to put away his synnes and to make satisfactioÌ„ for them he hath here wherof to redeme hiÌ„selfe y t is y e blode deth of his lorde god therfore he nede nat to feare his synnes if he so ordre hym selfe y t he dye with Christ dye I say from synne and ryse in a new lyfe And on the other parte it man be vexed by presumpcion or vayne lyghtnes and myrth without the fear of god he hath here how to abate his vayne myrth coÌ„syderyng how that heueÌ„ was shyt from the moste holy frendes of god by many yeres ye aboue .iiii. thousand yeres and how that the glory of god was denyed to maÌ„ or at the least differred by so many yeres vnto the tyme that our lorde and sauiour Iesus whiche neuer dyd synne suffred death for our synne so that no maÌ„ may come to that glory but by payne thus shall mannes vayne myrth be put downe If peraduenture man be dull and slouthfull to all goodnes where shall he haue a more spedy remedy to pricke forwarde his dulnes than to coÌ„sydre how his lorde god moste pure innocent man suffred so greuouse paynes for hym Some man wold peraduenture exercise him selfe in his owne knowlege and so to come to meknes But I pray you where shall he haue a better occasion therunto thaÌ„ to ponder and way the difformite and great difference of his owne study and labour and shortly the ordre of his hole lyfe and of the labour lyfe of Iesus Christ that is remembre man howe coÌ„trarie thy lyfe is to his wyl pÌ„ceptes how vnlike to his vertues how farre froÌ„ his ensaÌ„ples remeÌ„bre maÌ„ how frayle thou art redy to fal how vnstable in all thy good purposes how vnredy or rather loth to folowe thy lorde howe vnapte to all goodnes As euery man may dayly se in hym selfe Forthermore if maÌ„ wold be enflamed to loue god where may he haue better help than by this exercise for if it be natural to rendre loue for loue and the loue of god was neuer more openly shewed to man than in his redemption that is in the passion and death of our redeamer Christ Iesus it is than manifest that by this remembraunce of his passion a man is moste strongly excited and moued to loue god And if man desyre to be pricked forward in that loue let hym remembre the benefites of god which be as signes tokens of his loue And these benefites most euidently appere in his passion as ye shall more clerely se in this boke At last if man desyre that all his lyfe be continuall and perpetuall prayer and that he wold haue his herte euer lyfted vp to god and his deuotion or feruour euer renewed he shal neuer get it more easly than by the remembraunce of the lyfe and passion of his lorde god for there he may haue in euery worde acte behauiour and paine that Christ spake dyd vsed and suffred how to be compuncte and sory in hert how to be conforted in spirite For in the consyderation of them now he may wepe by compassion Now by gyuyng thankes he may haue swete affections Nowe he may desyre to be confourmed vnto hym and to his wyl Now he may labour and wysshe to be holly transfourmed into hym Thus may man go from one exercise vnto an other to auoyde tediousnes and so euer to be iÌ„ prayer And shortly to coÌ„clude there is no kynde of spirituall exercise but that it may be founde in the lyfe passion of Christ or els by moste pleantuouse fruyte it may be reduced and applied to it And this shall better appere in the fyrst parte of this boke the thyrde ê‘tycle Nowe my lorde I haue shewed what was the pryncypall cause mouyng me to accoÌ„plysh your desyre and if I may perceyue that ye or ony other take profyt therby I shall gyue prayses to god from whom all goodnes commeth and I beseache iour lorship to pray
gyuen to vs the victorie ouer death by our lorde Iesu Christe And note here after summe doctours that the same houre that our fyrste adam dyd synne our seconde adam Chryste gaue vp his spirite and so the same houre that the fyrste adam by his synne subdewed hym selfe and al his posteritie to death the same houre this second adam by his death distroyed death eternall so that none of his electe chylderne shal be subdued there vnto And the same houre that paradise was shyt frome our fyrste adam the same houre Christe openyd paradyse to vs. ¶ A compassion and a contemplacion of the death of Christe SAynt Bernard entreatynge this artycle sayth on this maner I am sory and haue coÌ„passion vpon y e my lorde kyng mayster and father yea my good brother and most belouyd Iesu more amyable and to belouyd aboue all women whose arowe or dart hath not turne backward thyne arowes ben very sharpe thy doctrine is valiant and myghtie thy sermon and worde is quicke and leuely of moche efficacitie and vertue more persynge than any two edged swerd entryng thorough euen to the deuidyng a sonder the soule the spirite Also thy shyld neuer declined from the batell for thou haste crowned vs with the shylde of thy grace and of thy good wyll The spear of thy prayers neuer turned bac void for y u prayed for thy enemies y t they shuld not perish How more then dost thou praye for thy fryndes and saruauntes Thou art stronger than the lion yea thou art y e lion of the tribue or stocke of Iuda that haste ouercumme the raumpyng lion that runnyth all ouer searchyng whom he myght deuoure Thou art more swyfte than the egle For thou as a giant had great ioy to runne in the waye to fulfyll the misterie of thy incarnation vnto the tyme y t thou as an egle dyd prouoke thy byrdes to flye Thou spred the wynges of thyne armes abrode vpon y e crosse and fliyng ouer vs thou toke vs lefted vs vp and bare vs vpon thy sholders with greate strenght vnto thy holie habitacle vnto the houshold of thy father where for the fedyng of thy shepe and draÌ„me that was loste and by thy passion founde agayne thou madest a great feast and ioyfull to thy fryndes and neyghboures thy holy aungels makyng to them greate ioy for the conuersion of a penitent synner And though thou be suche a myghtie and noble ê‘son yet thou wast condempned vnto the most shamefull death and so thy spirite commendyd in to the handes of thy father and thy heade enclined and bowed downe thou gaue vp thy spirite O all ye that desyre to ioy in our lorde cumme I beseach you and sorowe with me Take hede and behold our myghtye and strong Dauid how he is all to rent with wheppys behold hym whom we most desire and whom the aungelles desire to behold how he is slayn in our batell Wher is thy red rosy colour where is thy beautie where shall thou fynde fayrnes in thy broused bodye Behold our dayes haue decayed and fayled the dayes I say of our most benigne Iesu which onely is the day without all derknes And his bones haue waxed drye as a fier brande he is cut downe as the grasse and his hart hath wydred away he was lyfted vpon the crosse and very greuously hurt and broused And though he was thus shamefully and vilenously arayed outwardly yet he kepte his beautie and fayrnes in wardly Therfore faynt not for hym in thy trobles for the Iues and gentylles that see this person hangyng vpon the crosse which in hym selfe was more beautyouse than all the chylderne of men they I say onely beholdyng outward thynges see hym hauyng nother beautie ne yet fairnes for his face was more lyke to a lepre than a clene man and all the disposicion of his bodie was then very deforme and foule to beholde yet of that deformytie of our redemar dyd essew and flew out the price of our beautie of our inwarde beautie I mean In parte we haue shewed vnto you now the deformitie blaknes or fowlnes of the bodie of moste amyable Iesu but his inward beautie there is no man that can declare for in him restith and inhabiteth the hole diuinitie or godhed let vs therfore be contented to be deformed in our bodie outwardly with our sauiour Iesu shamefully deformed let vs conforme our selfe in our bodye to the body of our true vine Christ that he myght reforme the body of our mortalitie vnto the bodie of his clernes and glorification O death most to be belouyd O passion of Christ most to be desired O meruelouse misteries what is more meruelouse thaÌ„ that death shuld gyue lyfe wondes shuld cure and heale blode shuld purifie and that sorowe shuld enflame and kyndle loue The openyng of his syde doth cople ioyne hert vnto hert Also what is more meruelouse than that the sonne in the eclipse or darked by clowdes shuld shyne more clere and bryght the fier extincte doth more enflame and kyndle the hert the shameful passion doth glorifie and make gloriouse thirst or drines maketh one dronke Nakydnes doth cloth with the garmentes of vertue the handes fast nayled doth louce vs his feet nayled done make vs to ruÌ„ne Christ yeldyng his spirit doth gyue to vs lyfe he diyng vpon the tree doth call vs to heuen the sonne of god is lead to death he is smiten buffetid and beat that is our victorie he is crowned with thornys that cam to breake the thornys of our synnes he was bownd that lowseth them that be bounde he was hanged vpon a tree that reyseth them that be fallen downe the well of lyfe hath vinegre offeryd to hym for his drynke health is wounded lyfe dieth pitie is scourged for the synner wisdom is mocked lyke a fole treuth is slayne as a lier Iustice is dapned for a wicked person mercy is vexed for an infidell swetnes is made dronke with gall life is deade for the deed man All this is the sayng of faynt Austen By the premisses ye may perceyue that Christe suffred death he iuste and ryghtuouse for vs vnryghtuouse he suffred death for vniuste persons by vniuste persones with vniuste persons for vniuste causes and vnder vniuste iudges and also with vniuste paynes and tormentes Beholde therfore thou deuote soule in to the face of thy sauiour Christ and see in hym how he dyd beare and suffre the payne of the crosse that thou shuld folow hym in bearyng the crosse his bodie was naked for our example that we shuld make our confession openly or plainly and nakedly to our gostlyfather without all clokyng or hydyng and excusyng of our synnes his armes was spred abrode vpon the crosse redy to embrace the in a token that he wyl gladly receyue the vnto his grace if thou forsake thy synne he was fast nailed both in handes and feet that thou shuld perseuer and continue in his
garden of paradise that was prepared of god for our fyrst parentes in the este part of the worlde This new sepulcre also was conuenient for our new Adam that his buriyng myght reanswear to his incarnacion For when he was incarnate he was put in to the wombe of a virgyne where neuer man was before nor shuld be after hym and so was he put in a new graue where as neuer man was put before Also he was buried in an other maÌ„nys sepulcre for he had none of his owne nor wold haue For he y t came to gyue hym selfe to the comforthe of man wolde haue no erthly thyng propre to hym selfe It was not conuenieÌ„t for hym that cam to gyue vs heuenly thynges that he shulde labour for any propertie in erthly thynges and therfore he made poore for vs from his natiuytie vnto his death dyd kepe a poore liâ—e and free from all propertie in worldly thynges He was also buried in a sepulcre of stone this stone signified Christ vpon the which stone is stablished y e sure foundacion of our faith Also he was buried in a stone for many misteries This is the stone that gaue watres plentiously vnto the people of god in the desert This is the stone that gaue furth riuers of oyle vnto Iob. This is the stone vpon the which a man is exalted and fixed in the tribulacions and anguishes of his hert to his great comforth and defence if he cum therto by sure fayth This is the stone that is the refuge and comforth vnto penitent synners that be full of prickes that is contricion for theyr synnes as the hurchen is full of prickes This is also the stone agaynste or vnto the which the yong spryng of our synnes be caste and all to crushed and broken or destroyed that is our euyll cogitacions at the begynnyng of them or fyrst mocion before they encrease in vs they shuld be cast agaynst this stone remembring the death and burying of Christ and so auoyde and destroy them In to this stone they put the body of Christ which was the lorde and gyuer of lyfe And when they had buried hym then Ioseph rolled or put to the dore of the sepulcre a great stone and so departed As Simon de Cassia saith this stone put to the doore of the sepulcre doth signifie the infidelitie of the Iues and the hardnes of theyr hertes for nother they wold cease from theyr euyll workes nor yet leaue theyr obstinate and froward hertes This stone was put to the seâ—ulcre by y e handes of men but it was remouyd by aungelles to signifie that by his owne euyll deades a mam may fall to obstinacie and heardnes of hert But that can nat be remouyd but by the pouer and vertue of god If the question be mouyd why this article is nombred among the articles of the passion of Christe seyth Christe beynge deed suffred no payne therby It may be answeryd that one of the miseries of our corrupt nature is that the body will putrifie after the death and therfore it must be buryed And though this reason haue no place in Christ for his body shuld neuer haue ben putretfied as the prophet sayth Non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem Thou shall not suffre thy holie sonne to see the putrefaction of his bodie yet for asmoche as the Iues had brought this body of Christ to that coÌ„dicion that it seamed necessarie to bury it and also that the Iues wolde nat haue ben otherwise contenâ— excepte it had ben buried therfore it is coÌ„ueniently accompted as an artycle And also for that there folowed this buriyng .ii. great thynges that is the lameÌ„tacion and mournyng of our Lady and the other women and also y e watche and keapyng of the sepulcre Fyrst I say for the lamentacion of the blessyd virgyn and other women by whose lamentacions ware fulfylled the lamentacions that the prophet Hieremy wrote vpon the death of the good kyng Iosias The sorowful mother of god myght fyrst direct her wordes to the father of heuyn and say Alas my lord god why hast thou gyuen to me a son to die so miserably and so to leaue me behynd hym al desolate and ful of sorowe and heuines c Secondly she myght speake to Gabriel y e archaungell O Gabriell where is the glad tidynges that thou shewed to me I fynde no ioy but most bitter sorow Thyrdly she myght speake to Iohan the euangeliste and to other women that ware with her and say if ye loue me if ye haue any compassion of me I charge you that ye bury me with hym These and other like this sorowful mother myght haue sayd The second thyng that folowyd this buriyng was the watche and keapyng of the sepulcre by the saugiours And hereof the euangelist sayth thus Altera autem die que est post parasceuem dixerunt principes sacerdotum et pharisei ad Pilatum Domine recordati sumus ê™ seductor ille c. The next day after good friday the princes of pristes and the phariseis cam to Pilate and sayd Lord or sir we remembre that this deceyuer sayd whyle he was yet aliue After .iii. dayes I wyll arise agayne Commaunde therfore that the sepulcre be made sure and keapt vnto the thyrd day lesse paraduenture his disciples come and stele hym a waye and say to the people that he is arisen from death And then the laste erroure shal be worse than the fyrst This the Iues dyd fyrst to shewe the malice of theyr hertes And therefore Symon de Cassia sayth This is a great iniquitie of men a great enuy of the Iues that they do nat cease to persue and falsly accuse y e innocent deed callyng Christ after his death a deceyuer and that also they spake before the iudge which had prouyd the contrarie they had don to moche before in y t they falsly accused hym in many thyngê and moreouerby theyr importune clamoures and criynges had made hym to be coÌ„dempned vnto a most shameful death Secondly they dyd thus for theyr owne excusacioÌ„ For as y e same Simon de Cas sayth It is y e coÌ„dicion of an enuiouse ê‘son euer to speke euyl of that person whom he hateth and though he haue slayne or hurte that person whom he so hateth yet he wyll neuer speake of hym but with obprobriouse and euyl wordes that therby he may be Iudged to be good and ryghtuouse for asmoch as he ê‘se weth that person that was euyll and vnryghtuouse and so he cloketh hideth and coloreth his enuy by false crymes that he putteth vpon the innocent But for al that the conscience of such euyl persones be euer more in feare for they knowe that they do euyll but bycause they wyll not haue theyr malyce knowen they cease nat to falsly accuse theyr enymy also after his death And so theys false Iues euer repete theyr false accusacions bycause
And in this solempnitie we haue example of our resurrection the hope and trust of the heuenly cuntre is offred to vs the clausures of hell ben destroyd and the gates of heuyn be openyd to vs. Therfore this is the day that our lorde hath made Ioy we and be glad therin For this day Christ hath taken away the burnyng swearde and openyd the gates of paradyse which no man myght cum before vnto that Christ cam thyther with the holy thefe sayng to y e auÌ„gelles Open ye to me the gates of iustyce and I entred in to them shall prayse god This is the day in the which the sinagoge is deed or endid and the church borne or begun This is the day in y e which we syng Alleluya that is we laude and prayse god Prayse we therfore frendes our lord god in our lyfe and in our speach with herte and mouth with our voyces and good maners for so will our lord god haue Alleluya that is his praysynges song to hym that there be no discorde in the prayse that his lite and wordes agrey in one O blessyd Alleluya or praysyngê of god that is song in heuyn where as is the temple of god and legions of auÌ„gelies There is the most hyghe concorde of the praysers There is no repugnaunce in the membres agaynst the spirit There is no stryuyng for couetise wherby shuld perish y e victorie of charitie Let vs here syng Alleluya diligently that there we myght syng it surely here in hope ther in the very presence of god here in the way there in our heuenly contre let vs here syng nat for that we haue the delectacion of quietnes but for the solace of our labour as we se that men goyng or rydyng by the way be wonte to syng to comforte theyr labour to quicken them in theyr iorney and to go forward merely And herunto saint Bede sayth O my soule arise with Christe from thy filthy sepulcre or custom of syn Areise vp thy hert vnto the hope and trust of thy resurreccion and eternall lefe Let vs now dye from syn in this present life for y e loue of god that after our resurrection we may lyue in the life to com for if we mortifie our body nowe for the loue of Christe then we shall reygne with him in euerlastyng ioy Let vs so enforce ourselfe to be present and to honoure god in these feastes in the cumpaigney of mortall men that we may deserue to be present at the eternall feastes with auÌ„gelles For what shuld it profite vs to keape these feastes temporally if we be excludyd from those eternal feastes For these present solemnities ben but a shadowe of the feastes to cum therfore we keape these feastes reuerently and yerely that we myght cum to those feastes that be continuall When any feast is here keapt at his day assigned our mynd shuld be referryd and occupied with the desire of that same feast that is in heuen continually eternall Therfore our hertes thorow the frequentacion and vse of spiritual ioy in these temporall feastê shuld be kyndled and wax feruent to the desire of eternal ioyes and so we shuld vse our meditacions here in the shadow of ioy that in very truth we may here after haue the fruicion of the true and euerlastyng ioy Amen All this is taken of saynt Gregory A prayer O Lord Iesu Christe our eterne and onely swetnes which breakyng the bondes of death hath glorified thy bodye and hath risen from deathe in glorie vnspekable I pray the and I beseach the for thy gloriouse and florishyng resurrection to graunt to me that I risyng from vices and y e death of soule may euer florishe in vertues and so walke in the newnes of good lyfe that I may sauer and folowe those thynges that be aboue and heuenly and nat tho thynges that be erthly and transitorie Also good lord by the vertue of thy clernes purge my soule from the derknes of syn that by the same vertue at the day of generall resurrection my bodye may arise vnto glory that I may ioy both in soule and body eternally with the in thy glory Amen ¶ Now Christ apperyd to his mother Mary the .v. Chapitre THe same houre that Christe rose the thre Maries that is Mary Magdalene Mary Iocobe and Mary Salome desirynge licence of our Ladie of great deuocion and loue they had to our sauioure Christ began to go with swete oyntmentes vnto the sepulcre of Christ to anoynt his bodye And our Lady remayned at home continuyng in weapyng and prayers And very conueniently these thre women ware called by one name for they ware of one wyll and mynde and lyke desire towardes Christe There be thre states of men that shal be sauyd and iche one of these dothe seke Christe and without these thre states there is no man sauyd that is begynners profiters and perfite persones or elles penitentes actiue and contemplatyue persones which thre states be signified by the thre Maries which sought our lord and that we may take by thre interpritacions of this worde Maria. The state of begynners or penitentes is noted by Mary Magdalene which was a famouse and knowen synner and afterwarde very penitent And thought somtyme by her may be signified the contemplatiue life as in the .x. chapitre of Luke Yet at this tyme she may signifie to vs the state of penitentes for the euangelist sayth of her that Christ cast out .vii. deuylles that is al vices froÌ„ her And also in the gospell of Luke she is knowen to be the capteyn and example of all true penitentes And for this cause she is conueniently called Maria that is a better see or elles after the Hebreus Maria commyth of Mara that is interpreted bitter And hereunto the olde woman Ruth sayde Non vocetis me Noemy pulchramised vocate me Mara c. Call nat me fayre but call me bitter for our Lord hath fulfylled me with bitternes And this was verefied in Mary Magdalen when byfore the feet of our Lorde she washed with her teares the spottes of her synnes So Petre beyng penitent weapt bitterly And so to euery penitent soule may be sayd the wordes of the prophet Magna velut mare contricio tua O thou penitent soule thy contricion is great and bitter as the see The state of profiters or of actiue persons is sygnified in Mary Iacoby that was the mother of Iames the selfe Iacobus is asmoche to say by iÌ„terpretacion as a supplanter or a wrestlar for it apperteyneth to actiue persons and profiters to supplante or to subdue vice also to wrestle and laboure in the spirituall exercise of vertues And herunto is also conuenient the second interpretacion of this name Maria which after y e Sire tonge or speach is called Domina A lady For sith these profiters and actiue persons be in continual datel for the pronitie that they haue to vice and the
nat departe thoughe the disciples went from thens for she was so kindled in the fyre of loue she was so burned with a ferueÌ„t desyre she was so wounded with inpacient loue y t nothyng was pleasant to her but onely weapyng So that she myght well saye the wordes of the prophete Dauid Fuerunt mihi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte My teares ware to me my breade or meate bothe by the nyght and the day whan it was sayd to me dayly where is thy god She had lost her mayster whom she loued so syngulerly that besydes hym she could loue no body nor trust to them She was so drowned in his loue he was so moche in her mynde that in a maner she was inseÌ„sible to al other thyngê Whyles she thus weapt for the absence of Christes body she oftymes inclyned and bowed downe her body lokyng in to the sepulcre where as the body was leyd she had lost y e lyfe of her soule therfore she thought it better for her to dye than to lyue for she peraduenture deynge myght fynd hym whome she myght nat fynde lyuyng And thus weapyng I say she loked oftymes into y e graue for as saynt Gregorie sayth It is nat sufficient for a louer to loke ones for the feruour of loue encreaseth the desyre of searchyng or lokyng And at last whan she so loked she dyd se with her bodely yen .ii. Angels sittyng in whyt garmeÌ„tê which sayd to her why dost thou weap thou hast no cause to weape but rather to ioye of Christes Resurrection he is nat here he is arysen Than she supposyng that they ware men and nat Angels sayd to them shewyng the cause of her weapyng they haue takeÌ„ away my lorde and I knowe nat where they haue put hym for she se the stone takeÌ„ away and therfore she thought that somme other body had stollen the body of Christ and borne it to somme other place And whan Mary Magdalen dyd thus contynue in her sorowe and weapynge and nothynge regardynge the Angels her mooste louynge mayster Christe coulde absente hym selfe no lengar from her Than she turned her selfe about that she myght se Iesus for byfore that her backe was towarde hym and that was to signifie y e doutfulnes of her soule for she belyued nat that he was rysen from death vnto lyfe therfore her backe was towarde the face of our lorde But yet for asmoche as she loued hym thoughe she douted of his Resurrection therfore she dyd se hym and dyd nat knowe hym She se hym but nat in his glorious forme or body for as yet she dyd nat belyue that he was rysen And so he appered to her after that maner in his body as he was in her mynde and soule And than Iesus sayd to her Mulier quid ploras quem queris woman why weapest thou whome dost thou seach he doth nat aske this of any ignorance but y t hearyng her answer he myght more conueniently instructe her in the fayth And as saynt Gregory sayth He asked the cause of her sorowe to kyndle and augment or encrease her loue and desyre that whaÌ„ she shuld name hym whom she loued her loue shuld be more ferueÌ„t towardes hym And note here that Iesus appered to her in the likenes of a gardiner that very conueniently For he was to her a spiritual gardyner for he labored to plucke out the thornes and weades of infidelite and vices and to sow and plante in the garden of her soule the grene seades of fayth and vertue by the vertue of his feruent loue Suche office suche operation suche exercise and suche interpretacion of her name is conuenient for begynners or penitentes For it is coÌ„uenient that a penitent vse hym selfe as a gardyner that is that he pull out by the rootes al vices and plante in his soule vertues and also that he haue contricion accordyng to the fyrst interpretacion of this name Maria As we shewed in the chapitre next byfore this And than this blyssed woman as in a maner dronke in loue answered to Iesus as to a gardyner Domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi êªc Syr if thou hast takeÌ„ hym away tell me wher he is that I may go and take hym A meruelous boldnes of this womaÌ„ for she was nat afrayd of y e syght of a deed body and wold also attempte to beare a deed cors the which far passed her power But she thought that she could do it for there is nothyng to hard to a louyng soule And than our lorde Iesus hauyng coÌ„passion of her great sorowe and willyng no lenger to suffre her to weape called her by her proper name Bifore that he called her by a coÌ„meÌ„ name sayng mulier womaÌ„ thaÌ„ she knewe hiÌ„ nat but now whaÌ„ he said Maria furthwith she was turned both hert soule as she was byfore turned iÌ„ body as a good shepe knew y e voice of her and so she reuyued sayd to hym with vnspekable ioy O Raboni O mayster for so she was wont to call hym byfore his passion y u art he whome I saught and anon she ranne to hym and fallynge downe to his feet with great loue and deuocion wold haue embrased them and kyssed them as she was wont to do byfore by an vnperfyte affection to his manhode but our lorde as a spirituall gardyner willyng to plante true fayth in her hert and to lyft vp her soule to his godhed and heuenly thynges sayd to her Noli me tangere touche nat me in that erthly maner with thy bodely handes whome as yet thou hast nat touched with true fayth of hert And so he enstructe her in the true fayth of his godhed and resurrection Let vs now lerne of this Mary to loue Iesus to trust in hym to seache hym without ceasyng to feare none aduersities to receyue no consolacion or coÌ„forth but in Iesus to despise al thynges but Iesus A prayer O Moste swete mayster o moste swete Iesu howe good art thou to them that be clene in hert howe swete art y u to them that loue the. O howe happy ar they that seache the and fynde the howe blyssed ar they that trust in the It is truth that thou louyst all them that loue the thou neuer forsakest them that trust in the lo lord this Mary thy true louer of a good siple mynd she saught the and truly she fouÌ„d the she was not forsaken of the but she had more of the than she looked for I beseach the lorde graunt me to loue the to seache the and to trust in the y t I may deserue to fynde the and to be loued of the and neuer to be forsaken of the. Amen ¶ Howe Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng also present The .vii. Chapitre THe .viii. day of his Resurection our lorde Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng preseÌ„t with them For the fyrst day of his
her virginall wombe Nay suerly if we wyll forsake our syn and cum faythfully to them Therfore let vs wretches ioy with y e holy spirites and soules in heuen and with al creatures as moch as we may and let vs study and labour to laude and prayse so gloriouse so mercifull a mother and virgyne as far as our infirme frayle nature wyl suffre The assumpcion of this gloriouse virgyn was figured in the old lawe when as the arke of god was translate in to the house of kynge Dauid At which tyme kynge Dauid dyd harpe and daunce before the arke of god and so brought it in to his house with great ioy It was also figured in the mother of Salomon for whom he made a trone next vnto his trone and set her therin sayng aske of me what thou wilt It is nat conuenient or seamyng for me to deny it to the. Also it was figured by the woman which saynt Iohan speaketh of in his reuelacions sayng Signum magnum apparuit in celo Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus eius c. A great signe apperyd in heuyn A woman clad or coueryd with the son and the mone vnder her feet and a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heade This woman signifieth our Lady which when she was assumpte vnto heuyn was clade or compassyd about with the son that is with the glorie of the diuinitie of Christe The mone was vnder her feet for she despised the world and worldly thynges signified by the mutable mone She had a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heed for the .xii. apostles ware present at her death or elles It signifieth her vnspeakeable glory For these consideracions all men shulde crie and call vnto our lady Mary shuld name Mary shulde loue her aboue all other creatures Both yong and olde man and woman euery profession shulde diligently call vpon Mary When by our syn we haue offendyd god the highe kynge of glorie when we haue lost the cumpaigney of all holie aungelles and sayntes in heuyn when also we be greuouse and moch paynfull to our selfe know nat what to do and whether to go for helpe then this onely remedy haue we wretched synners that we may lifte vp our ien of our soule and body vnto the o mercifull mother Mary for counsell and healpe Therfore o pitifull Lady intend to vs that we may receyue that profitte and effecte for the which our Lord god was made man in thy most chaste wombe and so liuyd here amonges men and at last suffred death for the health and saluacion of man To the blessyd Mary we commende vs procure for vs and defend vs that we do nat perish euerlastyngly Amen A prayer O Lord the gyuer of ioy the graunter of solace the diligent releuer of the desolate person the chaser away of all heuines and sorowe which haste gladdyd make ioyfull the most blessed virgyn Mary thy mother the glasse of thy maiestie the solace of aūgelles the ymage of thy goodnes the begynner of our helth thou hast gladdyd her I say w t manyfold ioyes both ī heuen and in erth I beseach the graunt to me thy suppliant that I which presume to com trustely and faythfully to her as to the well and fountayne of ioy in all my sorowes trobles may by her merites and prayers feale and receyue the effecte of her prayers and comforth in this present life and finally to cum to that ineffable ioy to y e which she assūpte ioyeth with y e eternally in heuyns Amen ¶ Of the last iudgement and of the cummyng of the Iudge to the same the .xi. Chapiter WE reade in scripture of .ii. cōmynges of Christe Fyrst is past that was when he cam to be cum man and in our nature of his manhod suffred death for y e redempcion of man Seconde shal be when he shall com to iudge all man kynd And the condycions of the iudge in this commynge be contrary vnto his condycions in his fyrst commyng for then he cam in great meaknes with the cōpaignye and felowshyp of very poore people his apostles and in his propre infirmitie and feblenes But contrarywyse to y e iudgement he shall cum in great power and maiestie with the compaigney of angelles and in his great dignitie as a iudge Herunto Beda sayth He that fyrst cam in the forme and meakenes of a seruant to be iudged and also condempned shall here after com to iudge the worlde in the great maiestie of his deitie And that shal be manifestly and openly nat hid in a mortal body as byfore that tho persons that contempned hym in his humilitie and mortalitie shuld now know hym in his power and maiestie And then he shall syt vpon the seet of his maiestie And there shall all people be gadred byfore him as byfore theyr iudge And he shal separate and diuide them a sondre as the herd man diuideth the shepe from y e gootes In the day tyme he keapeth them to gedre in y e pasture but in the euyntyde he doth seuer them a sondre So in this present life both the good persons and also y e euyll ben fedde to gedre in the church militante but in the euyntyde of death or of the worlde Christe shall seauer the good from the euyll as shepe fro the gootes In the shepe is vnderstand the innocency of good men for theyr simplicitie myldnes and fruytfulnes And in the gootes is noted the frowardnes of euyll men for theyr filthynes stynche stubbernes and barennes And Christe shall set the shepe or good men on his ryght syde and the gootes on his lefte syde that by the same orderyng in the ryght or left syde euery person may knowe to whom mercy shal be shewyd and to whom eternall payne remayneth And the good men be conueniently set on the ryght hand for they at theyr death ware founde on the ryght part that is hauynge charitie and good workes And the euyll men also be conueniētly set on the left hande for they wolde nat folow the ryght parte by doyng of good werkes for y e loue of god Tho be on the lefte part which here loue temporall vayne thynges Tho be on the ryght parte which here loue eternall thynges And then shall Christe recounte and remembre the werkes of mercy vnto the good men on the ryght hande whiche they dyd to Christe in his membres and so shal say thus Venite benedicti patris mei c. Com ye belssyd chylderne of my father possesse and receyue ye the kyngdom prepared for you byfore the begynnyng of the world I was hungry and ye fedde me I was thristy and ye gaue me drynke I was without lodgyng and ye harbored me I was seake and ye dyd visite me I was in prison and ye cam to me I was naked and ye clothed me Then the good and iuste persones as fliynge theyr owne commendacions and
praysynges shall aske when they dyd any such thynge to hym And Christe shall say to them truly I say to you as ofte as ye dyd any of these thynges vnto one of these my leste bredren ye dyd it to me Tho be his bredren that fulfyll the wyll of his father in heuyn they be also called the leste for that they be meke and in this life abiecte or dispised And note here that though we spake here but of .vi. werkes of mercy that is bicause there be no mo remembred by our sauiour Christ in the gospell of Mathewe yet we say coÌ„monly that there be .vii. werkes of mercy and truth it is for the .vii. is to bury the deed bodyes which is taken of the boke of Toby for he vsed the same to his great rewarde and our example And these .vii. werkes be conteyned in this verse Visito poto cibo tego redimo colligo condo So that euery word noteth one werke of mercy The fyrst worde Visito noteth the visityng of them that be seke Second Poto to gyue drynke to y e thristy Thyrd Cibo to fede the hungry Fourth Tego to couer the naked Fyfth Redimo to redeame the prisoner Syxt Colligo to lodge the harborles Seuenth Condo to bury the deed Also the iudge shall say to them that be on y e lefte hand Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum c. Depart from me you cursed people in to euerlastynge fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and his aungelles I was hungry and ye wold nat feade me I was thristy and ye gaue me no drynke and so all the other .vi. forsaid werkes of mercy Then the euyll men shall answere Lord when dyd we se the hungry thristy naked seke herborles or in prison and we haue nat conforted the Then our lord shall say when ye wold nat do these thynges to one of these onys ye wold nat do it to me And here note that this question mouyd by the good or euyll persons doth nat procede of any ignorance for the iuste and good persons shal know that y e werkes of mercy done to the membres of Christe in his name and for his loue he reputeth those good dedes as done to hym selfe also they know that they shall haue a great reward therby And in like maner the euyll persons shall knowe that they shal be dampned for the contrary And therfore they asked nat that question of any ignoraÌ„ce but it is a question of great admiration and meruell for y e greatnes of grace and glorie whiche shal be gyuen to the iuste people for those good werkes and also for the intollerable myserie and payne that shall fall vpon the euyll persons for theyr hardnes and vnmercifulnes And so hard iudgement without mercy shal be done to hym that wold shewe or do no mercy What shall they deserue that steale and rauishe other mennys goodes sythe they be eternally dampned which wyll nat gyue theyr owne goodes in almosse If the vnmerciful people shal suffre so greuouse paynes what shall they suffre that be cruell And note here as Crisostom sayth that the payne of euyll persons is euerlastyng and so is the rewarde of good men For as eternall synnes don passe for y e acte or doyng after that they be don but yet there remayneth the gylt or offence towardes god which shal be punished So good werkes don for the loue of god don passe to speake of the acte or dede but yet they remayne in theyr merite so to be rewardyd of god Also saynt Hierom sayth thou wyse reader attende and remeÌ„bre diligently that both the paynes of hell be eternall and also the glorie of heuyn for that life shall haue no feare of decay or death And therfore the euangelist sayth that the euyll men shall go to eternall fyre and the iuste men to euerlastynge life and ioy of heuyn which was prepared for them byfore the begynnynge of the worlde for therunto they ware predestinate And note wele here that the predestination of god is nat the necessarie cause of thy saluation For the predestination of god is euer condicionally that there is no thyng predestinate but vnder som coÌ„dicion as it was predestinate that the worlde shulde be sauid but that was by the death of the son of god and by the watre of baptisme so that they wold receyue it and liue therafter Also all good and iuste men be predestinate to glorie eternall yet with this condicion if they contine we in true fayth charitie humilitie or meknes pacience mercie pitie with other vertues the operacion of them whom our lord doth predestinate to life euerlastyng he seeth knoweth byfore that they shal haue such vertues as if in his predestinacion he myght say to them I do predestinate you to glorie if ye haue such vertues if ye keape my commaundimentes c. Who so wyll nat keape goddes commaundymentes wyl nat continue in fayth with charitie and good werkes c. he shall nat com to the end of predestinacion that is to the glory of heuyn for he wyl nat keape the condicion therof Therfore do nat ouermoch attend and trust to the predestinacion of god which thou knowes nat but rather attend to the wordes of god which thou heris and knowis For as god is true and can nat be chaungeable so his wordes be true and can nat be chaunged But let vs here what be those wordes of god The prophet Ezechiel sayth in the person of god Nolo mortem impij sed vt conuertatur a via sua et viuat Si autem impius egerit poenitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis et custodierit omnia precepta mea vita viuet I wyll nat sayth almyghty god the deth of a synner but rather that he be conuertyd from his syn and liue in grace for if the synner do penaunce or be sory for all his synnes that he hath don keape all my preceptes and do true iudgement and iustice he shalliue here in grace he shall nat dye eternally Also he sayth Qui crediderit et baptisatus fuerit saluuus erit He that beleuith and is baptised and so continueth in that true fayth and promise made at his baptisme he shal be saued Also he sayth Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata If thou wylt cum to lyfe euerlastyng keape the commaundimentes And in an other place Christ sayth Si dimiseritis homnibus pecata eorum dimittet vobis pater meê° pecata vestra If ye forgyue to other men theyr offensis don to you my heuenly father shall forgyue to you your synnes In these wordes and many other lyke standeth our predestinacion to lyfe or our reprouyng to death euer lastyng And loke for none other predestinacion If thou keape these saynges of god thou shal be sure Therfore say nat as many vnwyse persons say I am predestinate of god to be
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
stopped and restrayned the floode of her teares there rose and sprang maruailously greater abundauÌ„ce of teares For when she considered of what glorie and dignitie he was that wolde suffer so vyle and shamfull deth for our redemption then her sorowe was renewed in her and her soule so relented for deuout compuÌ„ction that moche more plentye of teares departed from her and moche more ye may see in the sayde boke if it please you ✚ ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuynge god for thyn vnspeakable pitye and the moste excellent lyfe of the moste holy mother Marie and for the merites of saynt Francisce and of al thy sayntes graunt we beseche the vnto vs most wretched synners vnworthy any of thy benefites that we myght loue the alone and euer be burnynge or feruente in thy loue and that we might continually magnifie the werke of our redemption that we myght euer desyre thy honour and dayly bere and remembre in our herte the benefyte of thy passion that we myght knowe and consydre our miserye and continually desire to be dispised aud rebuked for thy loue so that nothynge shulde comforth vs and abide in our hertê but thy deth and passion and nothynge displease or trouble vs but our owne synne and wretchednes Amen ¶ Of the meane and maner of the remembraunce of the passion of Christe The second particle HOwe I shall shewe vnto yowe howe we shulde vse and exercise our self in the passion of Christe In the whiche vii tymes in the day at the leeste euery christiane shuld exercise hym selfe accordyngly to the sentence or mynde of saynt Barnard sayng The coÌ„tinual or dayly lesson of a christi ane shulde be the remembraunce of the passion of Christe For there is nothynge that so moche kyndeleth the hert of man as the manheed of Christ and the ofte and deuout remembraunce of his passion Howe this may be we shall perceyue it in this maner That is this who so euer wyll ê“fite in the meditation of Christê passion let hym ordre hym selfe as if Christe were put to all the paynes of his deth and passion in his presence and so let hym considre depely diligeÌ„tly and with deliberation al the poyntes of his passion therunto fixe his hole mynde perseuerantly leuynge and settynge a parte all other cures and busines with drawinge hym selfe with as great diligeÌ„ce as he can from all superfluouse meatê and drynkes and from all dilycates from al fyne garmentes and softe beddes from all vayne sportes lyghtnes from vayne ioy and from all vayne and ydle speche For all these and suche other lyke ben clene contrarie to the frutefull remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion as we shall she we more clerly herafter And therfore it is necessarie that if a man wyll profyt herein that he thynke hym selfe as yf he were presente at the passyon of Christe and so ordre and behaue hym self in his speche in his sight in his sorowyng and in al his other outwarde actes as if he sawe before his face Christe hyngynge on the crosse If a man thus order hym selfe Christe crucifyed shal be spiritually with hym and in his presence as he thynketh in his owne mynde and so shall gladly behold his dedes and thoughtes and also gratiously accepte his vowes and promysses But take hede that this remembraunce be nat soone lost and shortly put away specially whan deuotion and tyme wyl serue with conuenient oportunitye and se that this remeÌ„braunce be with a faythful and herty maner and with a mournyng coÌ„passion For suerly yf this most swete and pleasaunt tree of the crosse be nat affectuously louyngly chewed with the teethe of feruent deuotion the sauour therof though in it selfe it be very delicious shal neuer moue the. And if thou can nat wepe with Chryst that wepte for the and sorowe with hym that sorowed for the at the leest thou ought to ioy in hym and to render thankes to hym with a deuout herte for his manifold benefytes gyuen to the without any thyng deseruynge And if thou felest thy selfe noder moued vnto compassion nor yet to gyue thankes with a feruent desyre vnto god for his benefites but rather depressed with an hard herte in the sayd remeÌ„braunce neuer the lesse with that same hard herte ronne vnto the holsome remembraunce of Christes passion and gyue suche thankes to god as thou may for that tyme. And that which thou can nat haue nor felyst nat in thy selfe committe in to the handes of his most mercifull goodnes And if yet thou continue in thy stubbernes and harde herte for perauenture thy herte is tourned in to the hardnes of a Dyamant whiche can neuer be broken but with the hote blode of a gote as Plinius sayth in his naturall historie here I offer shewe vnto the the greate copie and plentie of blode of the gote and also of a lambe incontaminate vnspotted or vndefyled Iesu Christe which is very hote and burnynge with an incomparable feruent loue and charitye whiche thorough the strength of his heet hath broken and dissolued that harde and Dyamant wall of enmitie which the synne of our fyrst parentes and also our actuall synnes hath made and put bytwyxte god and man Wasshe or drowne thy selfe in the copiouse blode of this gote and lambe O thou Adamant herte and lye in it that thou may be made warme thou so heated or made warme may be molifyed or made softe and so molified may shed plentiously ryuers of teares Moyses smote twyse on the stone and brought suche plentye of water so smyte thy harde stony hert twyse that is with the inwarde hertye remembraunce of Christe passyon and withe the outwarde laboure of thy bodye as exexercysynge thy selfe in lyftynge vp thy handes or thy syght vnto the crucifixe in ofte knockynge on thy breste in deuoute genuflexions knelynges or peyne takynges or in exercysyng thy self in takyng disciplines or scurgyngê or in other lyke outwarde exercise and so coÌ„tinue vnto thou haue goten the grace of teares Wherby thy reasonable soule shal drynke the waters of deuotion And thy sensual or bestly bodye by thexperieÌ„ce therof shal be humbled and subdued vnto the reasonable soule ¶ The thirde particle howe we shulde fele in our selfe the passion of Christ and this ê‘ticle is deuided in to .v. chapitres firste is howe we shulde fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandynge and reason SAynt Poule sayth Hoc sentite invobis quod et in Christo Iesu Fele and perceiue in your selfe that Christ Iesu â—elt that ye myght sucke drawe watres frome the fountayns of our sauiour For who so euer exercise them selfe faythfully in this passion they shal sucke drawe from thens al maner of graces as we said afore For suerly this exercise hath his diuers degrees wherby we may come to the perfeccion of all sanctitye or holynes Wherfore we ought accordyngly to thadmonicion of saint Poule fele in our selfe y
body done for god is reputed as a martirdome and therby somwhat we reanswere vnto the passion of our lord Herunto speaketh saynt Barnard sayng this dayly penaūce and affliction of the body is a certayne kynde of very martirdome and effusion of blode it is a litel more gentyl and nat so hugsome as is tormētes and deth by the swerd or other lyke but it is more paynfull for the cōtinuance therof the other is sone done but this lasteth long This is necessarie profitable for vnperfite persons that be weyke in spirite and nat stronge in fayth and therfore dare nat auenture to suffer martyrdome and deth for Christe but they be content to supply it by this martyrdome that is dayly and continuall penaunce whiche by the continuaunce is more paynfull And thus the deuoute persones do fele in them selfe by theyr outwarde penaunce the passyon of our lord As whan by sharp penaunce they subdue theyr bodies ouer come vyce and all sensuall passions and so continue in this crosse of penaunce with Christe ¶ How we shulde fele Christes passion in our pouertie and other necessites The fourth Chapitre FOurthly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our penury pouertie and other necessities so that remēbrynge the passion of Christe we shulde gladly suffer all pouertie and penurie and neuer to desyre that thynge that is pleasaunt to the bodye for the pleasure therof or takyng any thinge more then very necessitie requyreth saynge with holy Iob Donec deficiam non recedam ab innocentia mea As longe as I lyue I shall nat forsake myn innocencie And though we be in a maner consumed and lost thoroughe hunger and penurye so that we may say with the prophet Dauid Defecit in dolore vita mea My lyfe is consumed thorough sorowe my bodye and my herte also And surely this maner of penurie and necessitie nat onely of meate and drynke but also of all thynges that may be delectable to man is accōpted to good men in this lyfe as a kynde of martyrdome By whiche necessityes if we strongly and gladly bere them for god we satisfye partly to our lord for his passion And herunto speketh saynt Barnard saynge Wylfull pouertie is a certen kynde of martyrdome Almyghty god descendyng from thinestimable riches of heuen and cōmynge in to this worlde wolde nat any of these ryches of this world but cam in so great pouertie that anon as he was borne for his credell he was layde in to a crybbe in a vyle stable with out the towne for his mother culde haue no lodgyng in the cytie Of his pouertie also appereth by his answere that he made to one the whiche sayd that he wold folowe hym where so euer he went And our lord answered and sayd Vulpes foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum recli net Foxis haue cauys or dennys and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of the virgine hath no place wherin to hyde or reste his heed In this necessitie was thapostle Paule as it appereth by his wordes saynge I was in many labours ofte in pryson bette and scourged aboue good ordre very ofte in peryll of dethe in perylles of flodes in perylles of theues in perylles of gentyles in daungers within the cytye in great daūgers also in wyldernes and also in the see in perylles of the false Iues. I was also in labour great miserie in great watch in hūger and thrist in moche abstinēce in cold in nakednes These and many mo dyd thapostle suffer And the mo y t we paciently suffer of these or such lyke the more shal we fele the passion of Christ in our self ¶ How we shuld fele Christes passion in our rebukes and dispisynges The .v. Chap FYftly we ought to fele the passion of Christ in our rebukes and reproues that is with most profoūd mekenes we shulde vtterly dispyse our selfe and thynke our selfe the warst of all other sayng euer in our hertes with mournynge I am gyltye of Christes deth for I am the cause of his deth He suffered for me and I in no thynge reanswere to his benefytes And therfore it is conuenient that we somwhat recompense with a contrite and meke spirite that whiche we can nat or do nat in our warkes or dedes outwarde that as Christe dyd meke hym selfe for vs vnto the deth yea to the most vyle and shamfull deth of the crosse so we shulde meke our selfe as gyltie and culpable for his deth These maner of wayes we shulde fele that Christe suffred for vs for these maner of wayes we were in hym Fyrste we were in his vnderstandyng eternally before the begynnynge of the worlde and so in his mynde that he wyll neuer forget vs. And therfore he sayth by his prophete Esaye Nunquid potest obliuisci mater infantem suum vt non misereatur filio vteri sui Et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui May a naturall mother sayth our lorde by the prophet forget her yonge chylde borne of her owne body and so forget hym that she wyl nat haue any pitie of hym as he myght say Nay And though it so be that she forget hym yet I assure the I wyl neuer forget the. Secondly we were in Christe nat onely in his vnderstandynge or mynde but also in his affection and loue And this appereth wel by his owne wordes spoken by the prophet Hieremy where as he sayth thus In charitate perpetua dilexi te ideo attraxi te miserans tui I haue sayth our lorde loued the in a perpetual charitie and therfore hauyng great compassion on the I haue drawen the to me Thyrdly we were in hym that is in theffecte of his werkes for all that god wrought in this worlde was to the helpe of man And what so euer Christe dyd or suffered in this world was nat for his owne profit but all was for the comforth of man And herunto saynt Barnarde after that he had recoūted or noumbred all the labours and paynes that Christe suffered in this lyfe sayde Who is he that knoweth whether the fruite and profyt of all these labours and paynes redounde or come to my profyt or nat And he answereth and sayth It is all done and gyuen to my profit and comforth For it coulde be gyuen to none other Nat to aungell for he had no nede therof Nat to the deuyll for he myght take no profit therof for he shall neuer ryse from dampnation Also our sauiour toke nat of hym the nature and similitude of aungell nor yet the similitude of the deuyl but he toke the nature of man and that to redeme man Fourthly we were in Christe that is in his pouertie and penurie for all the payne pouertie and miserie that he suffred was for vs. And herunto speaketh saynt Paule sayng Christus cum diues esset factus est
and also to loue them with hert and continually that doth suche wronges vnto vs and to do good to them whiche all our sauiour Christe fulfylled here in this lyfe leauynge example vnto vs to folowe his steppes whiche steppes and examples the more narowe and paynfull or strayt they be in this lyfe the more they shal be ampliate coÌ„fortable ioyful in this lyfe to come And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth In tribulatione dilatasti mihi In tyme of tribulation thou hast opened and spred abrode to me thy consolations and comfortes And therfore the holy seruauntes of god whan they perceyue them selfe to abounde in the prosperities of this worlde then they be very ferefull suspectynge leste that they shuld receyue here in this lyfe the frute and reward of theyr labours fearyng leste that the iustice of god shulde se in them any priuy or lorkynge wounde of synne For the whiche of the ryghtuousnes of god they ought to be dampned And therfore he rewardynge theyr good dedes here in this lyfe with temporall pleasures wyl expel them from y e true inward eternal pleasures ¶ How we may coÌ„sidre the passion of Christ with a mynde to haue compassion therof The .ii.. Chaptre SEcondly we shulde considre the passion of our lord to haue compassion therof that is to say we shulde ofte remeÌ„bre in our hertes his beatynges and woundes mockes and rebukes and euery ymaginyng in ourself what deiection coÌ„tempt sorowe and affliction he suffred in his herte and in his bodye as we sayd before O how then the swetnes and pleasure of aungelles Iesus Christ was replenisshed with great bitternes and sorowe of payne O howe moche that payne dyd greue hym but moche more our vnkyndnes And aboue al dyd greue hym the trouble and affliction of his mother whom he so teÌ„derly dyd loue and agayn was so derely loued of her that for compassion of his payn and dethe she was in a maner as deed or semed to dye In remeÌ„braunce herof we haue great matter and cause to wepe for our synnes were the cause of his passion and deth and also of her compassion and great dolore or heuynes Wherfore to haue coÌ„passion of Christes passion let vs depely and inwardly coÌ„sidre that we were the occasyon of the deth of the onely sone of god we were false tratours vnto hym and so deserued deth but he of his inestimable charitie wolde suffer that shamful deth to deliuer vs from eternall dethe Let this charite his scourginges wouÌ„des mockes rebukes and deth perse the inward depnes of our hert let there be nothynge in vs but that it be anoynted with this coÌ„passion and also be wrapped with sorowe and heuynes for that deth and so we shuld dayly mourne as the louing mother mourneth the deth of her onely and teÌ„derly belouyd sone O how moch ought we to loue hym and to be kynd to hym which suffred so shamful a deth for our redeÌ„ption Therfore let vs studye and labour in all that we may to be associate and ioyned to hym with a most feruent loue For the more feruently we loue hym the more shall we haue compassion of his passion and so this feruent loue and compassion shall so moche encrease to gether and be augmented that they shall brynge vs to the perfection of loue and to the fruition of our louer Wherfore let vs be sory with hym trustynge verely and that without any doubte that if we be founde here to be partakers of his sorowe in sorowynge for his deth and passion we shal be made his felowes and companyons or partakers of his ioy and consolation For surely he that wolde nat hyde his resurrection from Marie Magdalene that with sorowe sought hym he wyll nat denye his glorie to vs that religiously and deuoutly do mourne with hym for his passion And therfore saynt Paule sayth Si tamen compatimur vt et simul glorificemur If we here suffer with Christe we shal be glorified with Christe Also our sauiour Christ saith Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum Blessyd be they that suffer persecution for iustice that is for Christe for they shall haue the kyngdome of heuen And contrarie wyse saynt Austen sayth If thou be excepte from passion and payne that is if thou suffer nat here some payne thou shal be exempte from the nombre of the chylderne of god For as saynt Paule sayth Quem dominus diligit corrigit castigat flagellat autem â—â—ominem filium quem recipit Whom our lorde loueth hym he doth chastyse he correcth euery one of them whom he receyueth to his mercy and fauoure Therfore if ye be nat vnder correction as all the chyldern of god be ye be nat the childerne of god but of the deuyll Hereby ye may perceyue that good lyfe doth nat stand principally in good fare or wel liuynge but rather in paciently sufferyng wronges for Christe though it be a comen prouerbe that he liueth well that feadeth well Sed mentita est iniquitas sibi but carnall men speke carnally and so deceyue them selfe with lyes for as Gerson sayth the more that sensual nature is oppressed and ouercome for god the more grace we receyue our inward man is dayly reformed vnto thimage of god with newe visitations of grace And therfore I may say that man is conformed vnit and incorporate to god by werynge that moste noble and precious garment of payne and passion whiche our sauiour Iesus lorde and maker of all creatures dyd were and suffer in his owne bodye in this lyfe Hereunto sayth saynt Gregore The torment and payne that our lorde suffered gloryfyeth hym bothe inwardelye and outwardelye In vs also it compelleth hym to come to grace that wolde nat come It teacheth and enformeth the ignorant it kepeth vertue it defendeth from sekenes of synne it quyckeneth the dull person it meketh the proude persone it crowneth and rewardeth thinnocent and it stirreth or moueth man to suffer gladly dethe wherby he may come to euerlastynge lyfe Prayses and thankes be to god the father whiche hath gyuen vnto vs the victorie thorowe the deth and passion of his sonne Iesu Christe Amen ¶ Howe we may consydre the passion of Christ with a mynde to meruayl therof The .iii. Chap THyrdly we shulde considre the passion of Christe to meruayl therof It is a wonderous thyng to consydre who suffered what he suffered and for whome he suffered Fyrst I say it is a meruaylous thynge to consydre who suffered It was the sonne of god theternall and onely sonne of god very god and man all good all myghty all wyse the kynge of glorie And what dyd he suffer to be layd and to abyde as an infirme and frayle chylde .ix. monethes in his mothers wombe to be poorly borne to be chased and dryuen in to a straunge couÌ„tre he sufferd hongre thrist heat colde penurie pouertie tempestes stormes persecutions lyenge in
vertuouse but also with them that appered nat so vertuouse yet towardes hyr selfe she was meruelously vndiscrete moche abiectynge and dispisynge hyr selfe and as it semed to hyr company punysshynge hyr selfe sumtyme aboue measure But certeynly so moche the more she was dyscrete to hyr selfe for as moche as she dyd nat presume to do any thynge vnto hyr selfe but as she was famylyarely taughtâ—of the holy goost For she durst nat absteyne one hole day from her refection except that she were most surely rauysshed rapte vp aboue hyr selfe and from all hyr sensys And yet sumtyme whan she was rapte she dyd attempte and proue to take hyr refection to auoide thoccasion and murmure of other persons that were in hyr company but in no meanes she myght receyue it into hyr stomack and for payne therof she was sumtyme almoost ouercum And therfore afterwarde she had that lyberty to absteyne whan she wold and non occasion taken therof nor any man durst aske of her why she dyd so Also oftentymes whan the preest lyfted vp the blessyd sacrament of the body of our lorde aboue his hed she se bytwyxte the handes of the preest the forme and shap of a moost fayre chylde Also she se a great multitude of aungels descendyng from heuyn with a great lyght And after the vsynge or receyuynge of the sacrament she se in spirite our lorde remaynynge in the soule of the preste and lyghtenynge it with a meruelouse clerenes Or els yf the preest receyuyd the body of our lorde vnworthely she se than our lord departed from that soule with indignacion leuynge it in a great darkenes and voyde of all goodnes ¶ The gyfte of strengthe is gyuen to man by the feruent remembraunce of Christes passion The .xii. Chapitre BY the deuoute and ofte remembraunce of the passion of our lorde is also gyuen vnto man the gyft of gostly strength agaynste our spyrytuall enemies and the multitude of temptacions And by this gyfte inordinate feare is put away Hardy and inordynate boldnes is reduced to a due measure and all aduersities ben strongly borne suffred For who so euer be crucified with Christe thrugh the feruent remembraunce of his blessyd passion â–ª is animated and strengthed to entrepryse great and harde thynges to contempne and set at nought all worldly pleasures to suffre paciently and gladly all tribulacions and to expugne or ouercum all vyces That faythefull seruaunt whiche doethâ—feruently remembre his lordes passion and to whom his lorde hathe gyuen many graces that person I say doeth consydre and se the meruelouse and incomprehensible strengthe of Christe in his interprysyng great battels in his sufferaunce and in the vanquesshynge or subduynge of the deuyll I say in his entreprysynge of great and harde thynges for he faught great and terryble battelles for the saluacion of his enemy vnkynde man Also the meruelouse strengthe of Christe doeth appere in his pacience where as he suffred most obprobriouse sharpe and greuouse tourmentes and that of his creatures And thyrdely his incomprehensible strengthe was shewed in subduynge so myghty and strong a lorde or rather I may saye a tyraunte the deuyll that vsurped the dominion ouer all the worlde whome our lorde by the dethe of the crosse strongely dyd ouercum and so by his dethe destrued the autor and cause of deth These thynges well considered it is no maruell yf the faythefull knyght of Christe and folower of his lorde moued by these examples of Christe entrepryse and goâ— aboute to do great and harde thynges And the more harde vyle or paynefull the thynges be the more gladly diligently and more feruently wyll he attempte them And that specyally yf it be to the laude and honour of god and the helthe conforte of soules For than there can be nothyng to harde to vyle nor to paynfull for hym to do or suffre for god whiche dyd so great thynges for hym so vyle a wretche Yea also he thynketh all thynges though they be neuer so paynefull to be swete pleasaunt delectable commendable and moche to be desyred yf thereby he may be assimulate or made lyke vnto the moost shamefull and paynefull dethe of Christe his lorde god Those thynges this faythfull seruant doeth more gladly in those he occupieth hym selfe more aiudiously those thynges he sercheth and oft remembreth those he desyreth to fulfyll with a feruent mynde nat grudgynge nor sayenge why put you me to this vyle offyce to this shame to this labour and payne But rather thynkynge why shal I nat do these thynges with a glad mynde Nor he doeth nat repute or thynke hym selfe to be of any reputacion for that he serueth god but he thynketh it a greate thynge that it wolde please almighty god of his onely goodnes to accept vnto his seruyce so vyle vnworthy and moost myserable wretche as he is Wherefore in all these thynges his herte is onely pleased in that that he may be conformable to his lorde god and that he doeth folow hym in sufferaunce of troubles as moche as he may for hys frailtie And that he suffreth he knowledgeth it to be for his synnes And all his ioye is that his lorde is honoured by his glad pacience and sufferaunce of tribulacions This faythfull seruaunte hathe so strongly subdued and tyed his appetyte vnder the yocke and captiuitie of ryght reason that it shall nat haue his wanton pleasure in any carnall or worldly desyre nor yet in any vayne or vnprofytable thynge Also he kepeth his herte with all diligence as a castell of greate strengthe so that he wyll nat suffre any synfull thought to rest therein nor yet any vayne or vnfruitfull imaginacions to wandre therein He is euer thynkynge or considerynge those thynges that ben spyrytuall and godly or inducyng vnto god with great ioye he desyreth those thinges feruently laboureth to bryng them to effect But for as moche as in this lyfe euermore or for the moost parte the chaffe is myxt with the corne therfore this faythfull seruant taketh the rydell or wyndose of discrecion in his hande and so wyndeth and purgeth the chaffe from the corne in the doore of his herte He taketh into his hande the burnynge and sharpe swerde to kepe diligently his herte as the paradyse of god so that what so euer in his herte desyreth to eate of the tree of lyfe that is all suche thoughtes as be godlye spirituall and lyuely suche he diligentely doeth cheryssh and nourysshe And yf any thoughte do onely loke vnto the fruyte forboden that is to any thynge contrary to the commaundementes or pleasure of god suche thoughtes he wyll shortely expell frome his herte so that they shall haue no pleasaunt abydynge there The dysceytfull serpent shall haue none entraunce into that herte Ne yet the flatterynge persuacion of the woman And yf peraduenture he perceyue any suche appere in his herte anon he wyll remoue it wyth indignacion and sharpe rebukes for there onely bene nourysshed manly godlye
Our lorde and sauiour Iesu for to declare and shew his myldenes and mekenes wolde nat ryde vpon a proude and highe horse but as he was mylde and meke so wolde he ryde vpon a mylde and homely beest vppon an asse to signifie also that he wyll nat rest in proude and wrathefull soules but in the meke and quyete soules All this was done as the Euangelyst sayeth to fulfyll the Prophecy of Zacharie that is to say by this acte of our lorde nat onely he shewed his mekenes but also the prophecy of Zachary was fulfilled which sayd Dicite filie sion exulta satis filia sion c. Say ye to the doughter of Syon that is to men dwellynge in Hierusalem which is the doughter of Syon Be nat afrayd but rather be glad ioyfull Here he excludeth all feare of man and seruyle feare and gyueth to them a surety of ioye Beholde sayeth the Prophet Zachary thy kyng Christe cummeth to the mylde and gentyll syttynge vpon an asse vpon the colte of the asse He cummeth nat with great pompe and pryde in chariottes or high horses nor yet with his armed men or yomen of his garde aboute hym but in moost mekenes and lowlynes that myght be to gyue vnto vs all an example that yf we desyre to folow Christe we must auoyde all pryde shew mekenes also in our outwards actes Our lorde and sauiour Iesu wolde be honoured before his passion nat onely to shew how that he was that selfe person of whome the Prophetes dyd speke but also to declare hym selfe to be very god whiche myght chaunge and turne the hertes of men his creatures at his wyll and pleasure For though the Iues had a mynde to slee hym as they dyd shortly after yet at this tyme he moued theyr hertes to laude and prayse hym The Iues shewed them selfe moche contrary in this act in his passion On Palme sondaye they cryed and sange Blessed be he that is cum to vs in the name of god On good frydaye they cryed Tolle tolle crucifige â—um Away with hym hence with hym crucifie hym On Palme sonday they called hym the kyng of Israhell But on good fryday they sayd We haue no kyng but the Emperour On Palme sonday they cast grene leuys floures and theyr garmentes in the way before hym for great honoure But on good fryday they prepared to hym a great and heuy crosse and made hym bere it and afterwarde nayled hym theron For the floures they crowned hym with thornes And at last they toke all his araymeÌ„t and clothes from hym Here was a meruelouse contrarietie in the Iues. ¶ Here foloweth a prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche freely and with thyne owne wyll cam vnto thy passion cum also to me a wretche by thy grace in to my herte and soule And thou that than dyd repare me by thy deathe on the crosse repare me agayne that am fallen to synne Repare me I saye by the merytes of that same moost blessyd passion Graunte to me lorde that in all thynges I myght kepe myldenes and mekenes and to subdue my flesshe my spyryt hoolly vnto the that I may be made as a beest vnto the y t thou syttyng vpon me ruelyng me as thy beest may lede me now vnto y e taste of inwarde peace desyre of heuenly peace and at last may brynge me into the vysyon and syght of the same eternall peace Amen ¶ The .vii particle Of theiection and castynge out of the byers and sellers in the Temple AFter that our lorde Iesus was thus gloryously receiued of the Iues furthwith he went into the temple teachynge vnto vs a forme and maner of good religion that we all shulde folow that is to what so euer towne or place we go fyrste whan we be cum thyder let vs go vnto the chyrch or other place of prayer if there be any there and so commendynge our selfe by deuoute prayers vnto our lordes mercy go and do such busynes as we cam to do Our lorde entred into the temple and cast out from thens the byers and sellers signifienge thereby that the preestes of the Iues as vnworthy ministers of god shulde be eiecte and cast out of y e temple And note here as Crisostome sayeth A man to be pacient in his owne iniuries or wronges done agaynste hym selfe is moche laudable But it is a great synne and moche reprouable to dissemble or leue vncorrecte the offences iniuries done agaynst god And therefore Christe suffred paciently his owne iniuries but the iniuries of his father he wold in no meanes dyssemble or leue vnpunysshed Morally for our instruction The feest of Pasce of the Iues that is of them that confesse the name of god or els mekely confesse theyr synnes drawynge nygh oure lorde Iesus ascended vnto Hierusalem that is vnto the holy and deuoute soule of man eleuate or lyfte vp by grace Hierusalem was builded vpon a mount and therfore it is wryten that Christ dyd ascende vnto Hierusalem The temple in Hierusalem was builded in the hyghest part of the citie and it signifieth the moost excellente and hyghest parte of the soule that is the superior or hygher part of reason whose office is to onely consydre god and eternall thynges Vnto this temple our lorde doeth ascende by the effecte of his sacramentes so visitynge it with his spirituall presence And take good hede that there be foure thynges specially whiche our lorde Iesus wyll nat suffre to be in this his temple signified by foure thinges that he fouÌ„de in the materiall temple that is the money of the chaungers oxen shepe dowâ—es the whiche he wolde nat suffâ—e to be in the temple And also by these same foure be signified foure vyces that comonly be fouÌ„de nowe in these dayes amonges many religiouse persones The fyrst is ouermoche solicitude or busy study in gettynge kepyng of temporall goodes and this is noted by the mony that our lord cast abroode in the temple The onely study or busynes of temporall goodes is nat forbydden but ouer moche study that it be nat in the temple that is in the superior part of our reason which onely ought to intende to god and eternall thynges Wherefore whan so euer any temporall busynes is exercysed in that temple it is a greate synne dysorder For the creature is put in the place of god and temporall thynges in the place of eternall thynges The seconde is the inordinate vse of temporall goodes thin-circumspecte consideracion or the wante of a due warenes to auoyde peryls and dauÌ„gers And this is noted by the oxen for the oxe doeth very gredely fede of the herbys or grasse of the grouÌ„de and therfore sumtyme for his gredynes or hastynes he deuoureth and swaloweth vp that thynge that is noysum and hurtefull vnto hym whiche lyrketh and is hyd amonge the herbes So oftymes it happeneth that whan men wyll vse these temporall goodes inordinately
had done I suppose hyr virginall hert wolde haue broken for sorow But bycause she knew it nat they wēt quietly to supper At the whiche supper Iudas set hym bytwyxte Iesus and his mother Mary for a token or sygne that shortely by his treason he wold diuide them a sunder And at this supper Christ declared ordinately the misteries of his passion And in his preachynge whan he beholdynge Iudas remembred his falsnes and dampnacion Christe waxed very pale For as saynte Thomas sayeth Amonges all the passions of the soule heuynes doeth moost noy and hurte the body and altre the body And whan supper was done the vyrgyn Mary sayd to hyr sonne Iesus My swete sonne I wolde speke with the secretely And than she sayd O my confort and my lyght say to me the trouth why wast thou so pale at supper what ment thy wepyng and depe syghynges My herte was almoost broken thereby And than Iesus sayd to his mother O my blessed mother thou remēbrest for what cause I was incarnate and made man in thy wombe therfore sith thou woldest knowe the cause of my heuynes this is it The tyme is cum and the houre is at hande that I shall be departed from the by my moost bytter passion that I shall suffre for the redemption of man Therfore whan I actually remēbre this it causeth suche heuynes in me Than whan the vyrgyn Mary herd for a certeinty that the deathe of hyr sonne was so nyghe at hande Ah good lorde how moche dyd she sorow What wepynges sobbynges and syghynges had she Euery motherly hert may imagyn And than after hyr wepynges she wyllyng to moue hyr sonne to sum other maner way of redemption for the saluacion of man said My dere sonne I knowe that thy heuenly father hathe decreed with his mercy to redeme mankynde but all thynges be possible to thy father and to the. Wherfore yf it wolde please thy father the thou myght redeme mankynde by an other way than by thy passion Sithe therfore thou maist so do I beseche the it may so be Hereunto Iesus aunswered O my moost swete mother I knowe thy loue and charitie towardes me but good mother I must nedes more obey to god my father of whome I haue my godhed than to the of whome onely I haue my manhoode This same wednysday Mary Magdalene sent a messanger vnto Hierusalem to here and knowe what was there spoken of Iesu And this messanger sayde that it was decreed by the councell of the Phariseis that Iesus shulde dye and how that they wold crucifie hym And than the virgyn Mary with Mary Magdalene and Martha cam vnto Iesu and sayd O moost pitiouse confortour go nat into Hierusalem for they haue concluded agaynste the they wyll slee the. Abyde here we shall prepare the Paschall lambe for the. Hereunto Iesus sayde O my deare mother O Magdalene O Martha The tyme determyned by my father is cum that I shulde redeme mankynde It is necessary that my fathers wyll be fulfyllyd Than the virgyn Mary sayd to hym O my moost dere belouyd sonne O my lyfe light of myne iyen yf thou wylte nedes go into Hierusalem and dye suffre me to dye with the or els before the. Iesus aunswered sayd O my moost kynde mother all my disciples shall forsake me and the faythe shall perysshe and cease in them for the tyme of my passion therfore it is necessarye that thou abyde with theym bothe to confyrme them in faythe and also to conforte them O my swete mother I thanke the with all my herte for all thy benefytes and kyndenes that thou haste done to me Here frendes loke vppon hyr motherly herte and consydre what heuynes and sorow she had herynge these wordes of hyr dere sonne Iesus Erly on the thursday in the mornyng they bothe kneled downe and kyssynge to gyther toke theyr leue with many teares wepynges And as saynt Austen sayeth Libro de verbis domini Whan they went to gyther the virgyn mary sayd O my moost swete sonne I shall no more here the. O ioy full of the pleasure of paradyse I shal no more touche the. O thou consolacion of the worlde I wyll neuer leue the. Yf thou go I wyll go Yf thou stande I wyll stande And than Iesus aunswered with a wepynge and mournynge voice O my dere mother why doest thou trouble me with thy wepynge sithe the heuynes that I haue for my passion is sufficient for me So ofte doeth the swerde of sorow perce my herte as ofte as I se the wepe or any teare fall frō thyne iyen Wherefore I beseche the moost naturall and louynge mother to go with my welbelouyd Magdalene into hyr house to whō I commende the and so with great sorow departed And at this moost heuy departynge she sayd vnto Iudas O Iudas I commende my moost dere beloued son vnto the. Yf thou here any thynge contrary to hym shew hym of it that he may be the more ware And herof sayeth saynt Bernarde O blyssed vyrgyn Mary thou dyd nat know that thou commended thy moost innocent sonne to a foxe moost false and subtile Thy moost mekest lambe to a wolfe Thy sonne very truthe to a crafty lyer And so the sorowfull mother departed from hyr sonne seynge that it wolde be non otherwyse O what suppose you sayd than Magdalene Martha and other women there presente vnto our lady Let euery man thynke as his deuocion seruyth hym I thynke they myght say as it is wryten in the Canticles O moost goodly of all women whyther is thy moost dere beloued gone Where hathe he hyd hym selfe We wyll go serche hym with the. And the sorowfull vyrgyn myghte aunswere My conforte my lyfe my sonne doeth go in a strayt and harde way byset rounde about with his enemies c. ¶ The .ix. particle Of the supper or maundie of our lorde WHan the tyme of the miseracions and mercies of our lorde was cum in the whiche he had disposed to saue his people to redeme theym nat with corruptyble golde or syluer but with his owne preciouse blood before he shoulde departe frome his disciples by his corporall dethe he wolde make vnto them a supper for a signe memoriall of thynges past and also to fulfyll the misteries that were to be fulfylled Therefore our lorde Iesus required of his disciples where and in what place he wolde haue the Paschall lambe prepared for hym and them He sente Peter and Iohn̄ to one of his louers in the mounte of Syon where as was a goodly and a great chambre strewed and made redy for hym and there they prepared the Paschall lambe for hym By Peter is signified good operacion or actyue lyfe And by Iohn̄ is noted deuoute contemplacion These .ii. prepare the Pascall lambe that is they dispose a man duely and reuerētly to receyue the holy body of our lorde signified by the Paschall lambe They prepare this spirituall lambe in a greate
agre in one sentence to condemne to deth the rightuous person And there was not one that wolde speake for the innocent that wolde defende hym excuse hym or requyre respyt of that he myght answere or defend hym selfe but all they condempned hym as worthy deth where as Christe spake onely the treuth And note here the merueylouse folysshenes or rather madnes of this bisshop howe he syttynge in the place of a iudge dyd peruerte the ordre of iustyce and of the lawe Fyrst he gaue sentence of blasphemy agaynst Christe and after that he asked counsell of suche as satte in examinacyon with hym sayeng what thynke you in this cause and they sayd Reus est mortis He is worthy death Suche a iudge hath suche counsellers they were the accusers of Christe they discussed and examined his cause and they also gaue sentence and all contrarie to the order of the lawe They sayd he is gyltye and worthy death It Christ had blasphemed as they said that he dyd they had then sayd treuthe for who so euer dyd blaspheme the name of god by the lawe he shulde suffer death for he shulde be stoned to death But for asmoche as Christe dyd not so in dede as they sayd therfore theyr sentence was false and wycked And therfore this condempnacion of Christ vnto the death is conueniently nombred amonges the articles of Christes passyon for what man is there that wyll not be heuy and sory to be falsly condeÌ„pned vnto deth how moche then shulde Christe be sory beynge moste innocent and the lyfe of all lyuynge creatures to be condempned vnto so shameful a death of the crosse and that by those persons whome he came to saue and helpe ¶ Here folowe ii lessons OF this article we may take .ii. lessons Fyrst that this voyce of the Iues Reus est mortis He is worthy death whiche was spoken of Christ most innocent that this voyce I say neuer rest or be founde in our hertes and mouthes Nor that it at ony tyme be truely veryfyed in vs as it may be of euery persone that committeth deedly synne for of euery suche person it maye be truly spoken He is worthy death The seconde is that if at any tyme we be persued and also condempned to the deth falsely innocently or without iustyce and for the name of Christe that we be not troubled but rather glad and ioyefull remembrynge as Christ sayth that our reward shal be great and plentuous in heuen if we here paciently suffer for Christe and than pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche feared not the Wycked voyce of the most cruell Iues when they sayd of the Reus est mortis He is worthy deth and pacyently dyd suffer the same for me most wretche kepe and preserue me that I neuer be founde worthye eternall deth in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the buffetynge or smytyng in the necke of Christ The .xvi. article THe .xvi. article is the beatynge or smytynge of christ in the necke with theyr fystes for whan Iesus hadde confessed hym selfe to be the sonne of god whiche the Iues toke for the most blasphemy that might be then all the compeyney that were present fel vpon hym lyke mad men rebukynge and mockynge hym some dyd spytte in his face and some dyd smyte hym in the necke with theyr fystes as saynt Mathewe sayth Comonly suche persones as be taken for foolys or vyle persons and dispysed be so smyten in the necke Therfore in that that the Iues bet Christ with theyr fystes in the necke there is not so moche intended in this article the payne that then he suffred as the coÌ„tumely and dispisynge for that they that tyme reputed hym as a foole and a vyle person for therby he was mocked scorned and blasphemed and therfore they also pinched nipped him and pulled hym by the chekes by the heyre of his berde whiche all he suffred pacyently and so was fulfylled the sayenge of the prophyt whiche sayd in the person of Christ Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus I offer my body pacyently to them that smote it and my chekes to them that pynched them And these laste wordes some men expounde them of the rentynge and tearynge of Christes chekes with the sharpe nayles of the most cruell Iues and some doctours declare them of the pullynge of Christes heyre out from his berde whether of these be true or that both be true whiche I rather suppose I may well se and ê‘ceyue that the cursed handes of the most cruell Iues were not saciate with smytyng beatyng spyttyng in that most swete face of our sauiour Iesu but also they rent his beautious face with theyr nayles pluckyng out the heyre frome hys berde and as Symon de Cassia saith This smytyng in y e neck may signifye vnder a misterie the obstinate malice of the Iues wherby they coÌ„tinually curse our fayth whiche ioyneth vs vnto god and also it signifieth the crueltie of the paganes which coÌ„tinually labored by theyr tyrannie to distroy cut away our fayth For the pagans before y t they were coÌ„uerted to the faith they put to deth as many faythfull people as they might get Colaphus is properly called a beetyng in the necke with y e fyst Nowe spuÌ„ally our faith is called the necke of the church for asmoch as it ioyneth the hed the body togyther that is christians be ioyned to christ by fayth and this faith shulde be strong as the necke and therfore in the canticles it is compared to the towre of Dauid which was very stronge Our sauiour Iesus was smyten in the necke .xl. tymes in the house of Cayphas and there were gathered in this counsell of the Iues agaynste Christe lxxvii Iues. ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we be well ware that we neuer beate Christ in the necke as saynte Bede sayth All false christians that confesse Christe in worde and denye hym in theyr lyuyng they beat Christ in the necke for Colaphus is that stroke that is gyuen byhynde a man They also do beate Christe in the necke that prefer theyr owne honor and glorie before the glory of Christe And also they that sclaunder theyr neyghbour byhynde his backe And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article he may gyue hym selfe a clap in the necke in the remembraunce of all Christes strokes and then praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde be smytten by the cruell Iues in the necke for my loue graunt to me that I may so confesse the my lorde god with my mouthe that I neuer do contrarye thy preceptes in my dedes Amen ¶ Of the spittyng in Christes face The .xvii. article THe .xvii. article is of y e spittyng in Christê face whan al the Iues had accused Christ as worthy to dye then they dyd spytte in his face as in a persone most vyle abiecte and
my soule beholde here howe thy sauyour Iesus entreth vnto his iudgement bounde thurst and many other wayes vexed and all men behelde hym and mockyng hym sayd O Iesu thou art here nowe if thou had ben a prophet thou wolde haue preuyded for this before with many other lyke wordes that those cursed Iues spake then to hym And thus they brought hym bounde and delyuered hym to ponce Pylate the president and hygh iudge of Iury vnder the emperoure of Rome This presentynge vnto Pylate was most greuous of all other vnto Christe fyrste bycause he was presented before that iudge whiche had ful power vnder the emperour to condempne hym vnto the deth Secondly bycause the Iues that presented hym to Pylate dyd presente hym not as to be examyned by Pylate but they delyuered hym vnto Pylate as conuicte and founde gylty by theyr examinacyon and so to be put to y e deth without ony other examinacion or taryeng For they sayd to Pylate If this man were not a mislyuer and so worthy deth we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the. Of this we shall speake more in the next article Thyrdly this presentyng to Pylate was moste greuous to Christe bycause he had ben faty gate and weryed the nyght before many wayes by the crueltye of the Iues and therfore it was moche more payne to hym now to be brought to the iudgement of a pagane and infidele for they brought hym bound to Pylate to be slayne and deuoured by hym whiche was reputed as a dogge amonge the Iues bycause he was a gentyle and not circumcysed as they were ¶ A remembraunce of the mornynge of our Ladye WHen it was publysshed thoroughe out all the cytye of Hierusalem that Iesus was taken and howe that the Iues wolde crucifye hym his moste sorowfull mother the virgine Marye herde therof and so almoste deed for sorowe was led by her systers and other women with vnspeakeable lamentynges wepynges mornynges and syghynges to se her moste derebeloued sonne and so wepynge without ceasyng she sawght hym thorough y e brode stretes and narowe lanes of Hierusalem cryenge and sayenge where is my moste derebeloued sonne where arte thou my most swete Iesu where shal I fynd the who hath taken the from me why may not I dye for the These wordê with other lyke might this most sorowefull mother of Iesu say And whan they came to that place where as they myght se Iesus they seynge hym so bounde so tormented so deformed with theyr spyttynges forsaken of all his disciples dispysed mocked and destitute of all help and solace so shamfully and paynfully with a greate multitude of armed men cruelly led to the tribunall of the wycked Iudge and there to be condempned to the death our ladye with her systers and the other women I saye seynge and considerynge these thynges what heuynes what sorowe and bytternesse were they then fulfylled with it can not be spoken nor expressed by any sentence Also our lorde Iesus seynge and knowynge his mother with the other women in so great sorowe greatly sorowed therof for without doute he had greate compassyon of them and so was greatly greued of this compassyon and most specyally for his most kynd mother for he knewe that her sorowe was almost to the deth as it shall appere in the .lviii. article And as some doctours say there were .xl. seruantes that led Christ from Cayphas house vnto Pylate besydes the greate multitude of people that went with them and there were a thousande passes frome Cayphas house vnto the house of Pylate ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that the secular power is not to be dispised but to be honoured For as saynte Poule sayth there is no power but of god and therfore who so resisteth the power he resisteth the ordinauns of god And therfore as saynt Austen sayth Our lorde god stode before Pylate a gentyle and pagane iudge and spake neuer one word vnreuerently vnto hym So shulde we with reuerence stand before our prelates and iudges though they be not good but euyll and vicyous ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in the firste houre of the day for our helth wolde be presented by the Iues vnto Pylate a pagane iudge graunte to me for the loue of thy name that I dispyse no maner of power but that I may gyue due and worthy honoure to my superiours and to all iudges Amen ¶ Howe the Iues falsely accused Christe before Pylate The .xxii. article THe .xxii. article is the false accusacyon that the Iues made of Christe for whan Christe was brought in to the mote hal and there stode bound before Pylate the iudge the Iues wolde not come in to the mote hall bycause they wolde not be defoyled and made vnclene for that day was theyr Pasch day wherin all the Iues that were clene shulde eate the pure breade that is made of pure where without leuyn and the Iues had this opinyon that yf they came in the house of any gentyle or straunger whiche was not circumcided as they were by that entrance they were made vnclene and so myght not eate of those pure breades vnto suche tyme they were fyrst purifyed And here sayth saynt Austen O wycked blyndnes the Iues feared to entre the house of a straunger bycause they wolde not be contaminate but they feared not to sley theyr innocent brother and also lorde O thou christiane note here howe the Iues kepte them selfe frome all vnclennes that they myghte eate the pure breade of wheate whiche gaue to theym no grace of god for the selfe eatynge moche more then shuldest thou keape thy selfe clenne whiche receyuest the blessed bodye of Chryste the heuenlye breade whiche gyueth to the the eternall lyfe The Iues wolde not entre in to y e iudgmeÌ„t house and thou wylt not auoyd euyl compaigny and tauernes where as oftentymes bene spoken temerary vngodlye iudgementes and also moche blode shedde by false deâ—xaccyons and other wayes Symon de Cassia also sayth here That the Iues of an olde tradycyon and ordynaunce auoyded and shunned the houses of straungers in suche hyghe solempnytyes And so they euer intendynge to suche lyghte and vayne ceremonyes and lytyll regardynge greatter thynges fell in to the deape pytte of greate synnes and Pylate seyng that they wolde not enter in to hym he went forth to them and sayd what accusacyon brynge you agaynst this man And here sayth Symon de Cassya It apperteyneth to the wisdome and iustyce of euery iudge and president not to iudge after the mynde of the accusers excepte theyr accusacyon be probable and true Therfore Pylate wysely dyd inquyre and ordinarylye dyd procede in this cause whan he sayde what accusacyon shewe yow agaynste this man For also by the lawes of the Romaynes no man shulde be condempned to deathe Excepte he be fyrste accused and that proued Also Pylate merueylynge and also moued with displeasure agaynste
no man durst speake specyally any good of hym that was hanged vpon the crosse after his deth And of this complayneth Christe in the psalme saynge Sicut aqua effusus sum I am put out of mynde as the water out of the vessel Of all other liquores that be in a vessell when they be put out of that vessell there remayneth colour or smel that sheweth what liquor was before in that vessell but whan water is put out of a vessell there remaynethe nothynge wherby we myght knowe what liquor was in that vessell so Christe saythe that he is clerely forgoten Also y e wise man sayth in the person of the Iues Morte turpissima condempnemus eum Let vs condempne Christ to the most shameful deth And the prophet Hieremy saith in the person of our lorde Christ Cogitauerunt super me consilia dicentes venite mittamus lignum in panem eius The malicyous Iues haue counseled agaynst me sayenge Let vs put a tree in to his breade that is let vs crucifye hym and so he shal be forgoten and dispysed of all people O thou faythful soule behold here thy sauiour Iesus howe miserably and scornfully clad and crowned he is brought forth with a rede for his scepter in his hand and how shamefastly he stādeth nowe with his heed downwarde before suche a great multitude cryenge and sayenge Crucifye crucify hym and also deridyng and mockynge hym that he wolde be taken for a prophete and a wyse man sayenge Where is nowe thy wysdome thy prophicye and miracles c. and so he not onely suffred payne and sorowe but also rebukes and thretnynges of the Iues. Then Pylate sayd to the Iues Quid enim mali fecit What euyll hath he done I fynde no cause of deth in hym These wordes of Pylate done instructe and teache all iudges to procede in all causes and specyally in causes of deth wysely and diligently But alas where shall we fynde a iudge that wyll laboure so diligentlye for the delyuerance of an innocent as Pylate dyd for Christe and surely if Pylate were lyuyng in these dayes I suppose he wolde excell in ryght iudgement many of our iudges both temporall and also spirituall At that tyme the bisshoppes and seniours and preestes and the religious and all the people of the Iues were agaynste Christe and Pylate lytyl regarded all theyr wordes for he of a longe seasone ▪ and oftymes laboured to delyuer Christe from them and therfore he sayd Accipite eum vos et cru cifigite Take you hym and crucify hym for I fynd no cause in hym These wordes Pylate sayd for diuerse causes Fyrst after Symon de Cassia to rebuke the pryde of the Iues which so farre dyd excede that they determined and assigned vnto the president and hyghe Iudge vnder the emperour what deth Christe shulde suffer that is the moste detestable and shamefull death of the crosse Secondly Pylate spake these wordes for to delyuer and acquyte the innocent Christe Herunto sayth Crisostome The Iues brought christ to Pilate y t he shuld be put condēpned to deth by the sentence of the iudge but it happed y e cōtrary for the iudge declared Christ to be innocent and oftymes he delyuered and excused hym from theyr accusacyons And that Pylate sayd to the Iues Take you hym and crucifye hym was spoken in abhorryng theyr wordes for that they wold haue com compelled hym to a thynge agaynst hys mynde and also agaynst ryght Thyrdly he spake so for the declaracyon of his power and auctoritie for he wolde gladly haue ben delyuered from the iudgement of Christe the whiche the Iues perceyuyng added the thyrd accusacyon besydes the other .ii. spoken in the .xxii. article saynge Nos legem habemus et secūdum legem debet mori quia filium dei se fecit We haue a lawe after the which he ought to dye for he hath made hym selfe the sonne of god And here as Symon de Cassia sayth It apereth manifestly the falsenes of theyr accusacyon for if the wordes shulde be referred to theyr intent or contrarie wyse if theyr intent shuld agre to theyr wordes both wayes the Iues do lye and theyr iniquitie doth lye and speake false to themselfes for Christ dyd neuer make hym selfe god nother in this worlde nor yet eternally for he was god euerlastyngly not made but eternally generate and goten of the father but the Iues thought Christ to be onely a man and not god nor Christe at any tyme as man dyd affirme hym selfe to be made the sonne of god but for asmoche as he beynge the eterne sonne of god was made man for vs his godhed in no thynge chaunged but takynge for our saluation our nature therfore he called him self the sonne of god for he was both god and man in one person but Pilate when he had herd this sayng of y e Iues he was more afrayd than he was before not for that he feared theyr lawe but that he was afrayd to condempne the sonne of god And also he was afrayd hearynge suche a hyghe sentence that was aboue his witte and vnderstandyng that is that a man shulde be or make hym selfe the sonne of god and whether it were true or not he was afrayd to gyue sentence of deth And herto sayth Alquine He dyd not feare for that he harde them speake of theyr lawe for he beynge a straunger and a gentill regarded not that but he was afrayd to cōdempne the sonne of god and therfore he entred in agayne in to the motehall and callynge Iesus vnto hym sayd Vnde es tu Of what stocke or kyndred art thou Pylate wolde haue knowen if he were the sonne of god or if he were of the kynd or stocke of y e goddes And this laste poynte myght haue bene easely or lyghtlye persuaded vnto Pylate for he was a gentill which do suppose and beleue that many men may be of the stocke of goddes and so the sonne of goddes But Iesus dyd not answere one worde to his question and that was bycause Pylate was not sufficient to receyue or vnderstande the solution of hys awne question For the prophet sayth Generationem eius quis enerrabit Who is able to declare and shewe his eterne generation and though Christ was able to declare it yet there is no mortall man able to vnderstande it Secondly Iesus wolde not answere to Pylates question that Pylates synne shulde not be aggrauate and made more greuous And thirdly that the passion of Christe shulde not be letted For as saynt Paule sayth Si cog nouissent nunquam dominum glorie crucifixissent If they had knowen howe Christe was the sonne of god they wold neuer haue crucifyed the lorde of glorie and this is to be vnderstand of Pylate and y e gentyles not of the Iues for they myght haue knowen sufficiently if they had wolde Then Pylate sayd to Christ Mihi non loqueris Nescis
the with an vniuste and false sentence to delyuer the frome the iudgement of iustyce and payne of eternall dampnacyon he payed for that he neuer had he suffred payne for oure synne And here remember what lamentacyon his frendes then made when they herde this horrible and moste vntrue sentence gyuen agaynste Christe And in the remembraunce of that sentence and deth of Christe whiche in scripture is called Alpha and Oo the begynnynge and the endynge and bycause that Christe was that daye taken frome vs by his death Therfore the churche euery yere in that day vseth to omitte and leaue the begynnynge and endynge of the houres of the seruyce After this condempnacyon the saugiours toke oure sauyoure Iesus c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson BY this article we may lerne to be ware that we neuer worthely deserue the iust sentence of deth nother of the soule nor of the bodye And also as Christe suffred for vs a false and a wicked sentence to be gyuen agaynst hym by a frayle man so in lyke maner we shulde not feare the wicked iudgementes of men gyuen or spoken agaynst vs but pacyeÌ„tly suffer them for the loue of god And herunto sayth saynt Poule Mihi autem pro minimo est vt a vobis iudicer aut ab humano die I do lytyll regarde to be iudged of you or of any mannes day ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde pacyently and innocently suffer the vniust sentence of deth and that of the most shamefull deth of the crosse graunt to me that I neuer deserue the iust sentence of deth in soul or in bodye and that for thy loue I feare not the wicked iudgementes of men and also that I neuer iudge any persone wrongfullye Amen ¶ Howe Christe bare his crosse The .xliii. article THe .xliii. article is the bearynge of his crosse for after that Pylate had gyuen senteÌ„ce of deth agaynst the innocent Christ Iesus then the saugiours toke hym and pulled of the purpull or scarlet robe and put on hym his owne garmentes And here saythe Symon de Cassia When Christe shulde be crucifyed then the saugiours toke from hym that garment wherin they had derided and mocked hym and nowe they beganne not mockyngly or in sporte but in verye dede to put hym to the payne and deth of the crosse and therfore they put vpon hym his owne garmentes that therby he myght be the more knowen and so goynge to his deth in his owne clothes it shulde be the more to his confusyon and shame And at this tyme without any doubte Christe suffred a newe payne and that was moste greuous for that olde purpull robe was harde baken and cleued faste to his backe in the wouÌ„des whiche he suffred before at his scourgynge and therfore this robe myght not be pulled of his backe but to his most greuous payne for they rent and pulled the flesshe frome his bodye with that cote and so put Christ to a newe intollerable payne agayn Then they byndynge his handes and necke with a rope therby shewed that he was coÌ„dempned vnto the deth and so drewe hym out of his propre citie as a misdoer and they layde the great heuy and grosse tree of the crosse vpon his moste soore and tender sholders that he shulde beare it vnto the place where as he shuld be crucifyed And for asmoche as that tree was reputed and thought of the Iues to be a prophane and vnclene thynge and also that deth of the crosse shamefull for the scripture sayth Ma ledictus omnis qui pendit in ligno He is a cursed that is hanged vpon a tree therfore no man durst beare that tree not yet touche it And for this cause they leyde it vpon Christe that he dampned shulde beare his owne crosse This was a great ioye and sporre to the wicked men but it was a great misterie to vs christians And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O here is spectacle or thynge done that was neuer sene before neuer herde nor done before that a thefe or a malefactour shulde be compelled to beare the gallowes or tree wherupon he shulde be hanged but onelye now in Christ And here sayth saynt Austen The mylde lambe Iesus taketh and beareth his owne crosse vpon his sholders goynge with great payne and sorowe vnto the place of his passyon and herin was fulfylled the saynge of the prophet Factus est ptin cipatus super humeum eius His dignitie and power is made vpon his shoulder his crosse is his dignitie and power wherby he dyd ouercome the power of the deule and for his obedience vnto the deth god dyd exalte hym as saynte Poule sayth And as greate men beare diuers thynges in token of theyr diuers dignities As kynges a crowne bisshoppes a myter other men a gartar c. so Christe in the remembraunce of his dignitie bare the crosse and so thou serchynge shal not fynde or perceyue that Iesus reigneth in any person but by payne herdnes and therfore these delicates carnall persons whiche wyl suffer no payne but folowe all pleasure ben the enemyes of the crosse of Christe as saiÌ„t Austen saith In this acte was fulfylled y e figure of Isaac whiche bare the stickes wherwith he shulde haue bene offered to god in sacrifice Also this acte was figured in the wydowe of Sareptha that gatherd .ii. stickes Also our sauyour Christe is signifyed by that clustre of grapes that was borne vpon a tre bytwixte ii men for Christe was hanged vpon a tre bytwixt two theuys Also this Christe is signifyed by Helyseus whiche kut downe a tre and went with it to searche for the yren whiche was fallen in to the watre and at that searchynge the yren swame aboue the water where as the tree was so our sauiour Christe saught for man kynde whiche was fallen in to the deape water of troubles and drowned synne and in hell but by the tree of the crosse of Christe it swame vp agayne and so was recouered agayne Of this article saynt Anselme sayth O my soule behold and se howe thy lorde god is in al thynges here despised and compelled to bowe his backe vnder the heuye burden of the crosse and so to beare his owne confusion and shame O merueylouse spectacle to beholde doste thou not se hym beholde his dignitie and power is shewed vpon his sholder this is the rodde or tree of equitie the tree of his kyngdome and power And thus when Iesus had gone a lytyll forth bearynge his heuy crosse he was so feynt wery partly for feblenes and tendernes of his bodye and partly for the great afflicacyon and payne that he had suffred all the same day and nyght before that he was fayne to go softly and also to lay downe the crosse from hym or els as some sayth he fel downe vnder the crosse there to reâ—t hym and ease hym self But those moste cruell tormentours
in to this worlde without synne departed not hens without most greuous paynes and passyon what paynes then be they worthye to haue whiche were conceyued and borne in synne and all theyr lyfe haue continued in synne Herunto saythe saynte Gregorie As ofte as I remember the deth of our sauiour the pacyence of Iob and the death of Iohan the Baptiste I say to the O synner therby I consider what paynes shall they suffer when god reproueth syth tho whome he loueth and hathe chosen suffer so greuous paynes Fourthlye this ledynge was moche paynfull to Christe For the place whether he wente was moche fylthye and stynkynge It is called in Ebrew Golgoltha that is by interpÌ„tation Iocus Caluarie The place of the skull for Caluaria is called y e skull of a mannes hed when the skynne flesshe the heire is all gone this place was so called bycause all they that were condempned to deth were headed or hanged there To that place they broughte hym bycause men shulde suppose that he was a misordred person There was also many boones of deade mennes bodyes and specyallye the skulles of the heedes spredde abrode ouer all that place and that made it abhominable to beholde and also stynkyng And for this cause this leadynge was moche paynfull to Christe and the space that Christe went bearynge his crosse was .vi. C.lxvi passes And from the fote of the mount of Caluary vnto the top where as the crosse was fixed in the erth were fyfty passes And in this ledynge Christ fel. v. tymes vnder the crosse vnto the erth and when they had brought hym to that place the saugiours pulled of his clothes c. as in the next article ¶ Here folowe .iii. Lessons OF this article we may lerne .iii. lessons First is as Christ was led wyllyngly vnto his passion with all pacyence as a shepe vnto his deth so shuld we wyllyngly and with pacyence be led vnto the obedience of the preceptes of god and of our prelates in the place of our lorde by the whiche obedience our propre wyll is slayne or subdued this desyred the prophete saynge Deduc me in semita mandatorum tuorum c. Lede me lorde in the path of thy commaundementes for that I haue desyred The seconde lesson is that we shulde folowe Christe goyng to his passion wepyng the miserie of our awne frayltie with the women for as Theophilus sayth The frayle soule signified by the woman if it with a contrite herte wepe by penaunce it foloweth Christe The thyrde lesson is that pylgryms that go on pylgrymege for penaunce or deuocyon and religious persones for obediens goynge by the way if at any tyme they be wery they shulde remember this ledynge of our sauiour Iesus and his werynes c. And a man to coÌ„forme hym self to this article he shuld remember with howe great shame Christe was ledde vnto hys deth for our greate glorie and so lette hym wepe with the holye women at lest in the desyre of his hert and theÌ„ pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which forme wolde be led vnto Golgoltha to be there crucifyed lede me in the pathe of thy commaundementes that I may folowe the steppes of thy passion with the holye women and wepe vpon my selfe the miserie of my frayle coÌ„dicyon ¶ Howe Christe was spoyled of his clothes before the crosse The .xlv. article THe .xlv. article is the pullyng of Christes clothes before y t he was crucified for wheÌ„ Iesus was come to y e place where as he shulde be crucifyed the saugiours pulled of his clothes before the crosse And as Marke sayth Dabant ei bibere vinum mirrhatum They gaue hym to drynke bytter wyne for it was mixte with gall as Mathew sayth and when Iesus had tasted of it he wolde not drynke for he wolde not mortifye or hurt his tongue wherwith he intended to praye for his enemyes and to make his testament And in this was fulfylled the saynge of the ê“phet Dederunt in escam meam fel. c. They put gall in to my meate and they gaue me to drynke asell or vynacre This poynt of the pullyng of Christes clothes doth conueniently make a specyall article for it is no lityll payne for a man to be stripte naked before all the people for so they dyd to Christ for he was all naked without any cloth the which thing was neuer done before to the most vyle persons for comonly at the lest they left theyr shyrtes to hyde theyr nakednes And in this pullyng of his clothes his wouÌ„des that he had before with theyr beatynges and scourgynges ware renewed to his great sorowe and payne for his inner garment dyd cleue fast vnto his backe And herunto sayth the prophet Super dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt They added wounde vpon wounde and so sorowe or payne vpon payne vnto me O blessed mother what sorowe was this to the when thou se hym so cruelly handled thou wente to hym with spede and tyed thy veyle aboute his bodye This most louely lorde Iesus wold be naked that thou synner myght beholde howe pitiously that most pure bodie of his was arayed for the he was naked for the whiche dyd create the and beynge eterne god was cladde with beautie and streÌ„gth he was naked to whome we synge and saye with the prophete Confessionem et decorem induisti amictus lumine sicut vestimento Thou arte cladde with praysynges and beautie thou arte cladde with light as with a garmente This lorde god is made a spectacle to all the worlde a wonder to many persones and a mockynge stocke to the people for at hym they shoke theyr hed Thou our hed our ioy and our honour and glorie good Iesus arte thus despysed this article is different from the .xxx. article for there he was naked before Pylate and his ministers and here it was openly before all the people There they toke from hym the white garmeÌ„t that herode put vpon hym to mocke hym here they spoyled hym of his owne clothes there he was stripte naked to be scourged here to be crucifyed there he was clad agayne here they toke all his clothes frome hym Of this nakednes saynt Ambrose saythe Christe naked ascended his crosse and there he shewed hym selfe vnto vs that we myght knowe howe we were made by god and nature he hange vpon the crosse as Adam was in paradise for as our first Adam dyd inhabyte paradise naked so the seconde Adam our sauiour Iesus dyd enter in to paradise naked And as some say there was a stone vpon the whiche our sauyour Iesus sat naked vnto such tyme the crosse was prepared and made redy and there sittyng he suffred many rebukes both by spyttynges smytynges and many blasphemouse wordes speakynge to hym And whan the crosse was made redy then most furiouslye they toke Christ c. as in the next article A lesson as in y e. xxx article ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche
in all thy hole bodie to amende all our carnall life and worldly conuersacyon But wherfore good Iesu wolde thou be lefte vp on hight Herunto saynt Austen answering saith that was he bycause he wolde also purge the ayre from the power of the deuyls and from the infeccyon oâ— our synnes And in lyke maner he clensed the erth by his blode that ranne from his body vnto the erth Of this exaltacyon and lyftynge vp Christe sayd before Si exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted or lyfted vp aboue the erth I shall drawe to me all thynges that is all my electe and chosen people also he drewe to hym of all nacyons or of all kynde of people who is he that hearyng these thynges wyll not haue a sure hope and truste to haue remission and forgiuenes of his synnes and that specyally when he remeÌ„breth and beholdeth the desposicyon of Christes bodie hyngynge vpon the crosse he hath his hed enclyned downe redy to kysse the his armes abrode redy to halfe the his handes open redy to gyue his hert open to loue the his fete nayled faste to abyde and continue with the his body all spred abrode redy to gyue hym selfe holly and all to gether to the. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we remembring the paynes and passion of our lorde shulde be exalted from the erthe that is from erthly affeccyons or worldly conuersation at lest for that tyme of our remembrance and thoughe it be not gyuen to all persons to be bodylye eleuate or lyfted vp from the erth as ware Mary Magdalene saynte Austen mother called Monica saynte Birgite with diuers other yet let vs enforce our selfe with the grace of god to be eleuate in mynde that so we maye be drawen frome the erthe vp to Christe hyngynge vpon the crosse so that we may be of the noumber of them of whome he spake saynge And I be exalted frome the erthe I shall drawe to me all my electe people And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article maye of his deuocyon rayse vp his herte and mynde vnto Christe as if he sawe hym visibly hangynge vpon the crosse Also he may somtyme shewe that deuocyon in the outwarde gesture and behauiour of his bodye and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be lefted vp on the crosse and so wolde be exalted from the erth make me I besech the to be eleuate from all erthly affeccyons and to be conuersant in mynde in heuenlye thynges Amen ¶ Howe .ii. theues were crucified with Christ The .liii. article THe .liii. article is the crucifyenge of .ii. theues with Christe whiche without was done to his great rebuke and shame as saynt Crisostom sayth And also to make men beleue that Christe was culpable in suche thynges as the Iues dyd accuse hym in and so worthely to suffer death O the wicked and cursed iniquitie of the Iues in this dede for they crucified Christ as a thefe and with hym as the euangeliste sayth Crucifixerunt duos latrones vnum a dextris et alium a finistris They crucified .ii. theues one of the ryghte hande of Christ and the other of his lefte hande This vilanye our lorde suffred wyllynge to be crucifyed with theues to shewe that he suffred passion and deth for synners and herin was fulfylled the saynge of the prophet Et cum sceleratis reputaâ—us est He is accompted with theues or reputed to be as one of the wicked persons he was rekened or accoÌ„pted with wicked men in his deth that by his resurreccyon he might reuyue and quicken them as saynt Ambrose sayth â–ª and so our lorde was crucifyed bytwixt .ii. theues as the capteyne and mayster of them and the worste or moste mischeuous of them and also that he seynge or hearynge theyr paynes and heuynes myghte be more troubled and vexed therby in his passyon By these .ii. theues may be signifyed those persons that be crucifyed with Christe for to do penance for theyr synnes in religion and that by ê“rofession made vnto the same but some of them vtterly leaue or forsake theyr religion by apostasie of whom is well veryfyed the sayng of saynt Paule Nomen dei per vos blasphematur inter gentes The name and religion of god is blasphemed by such apostatays amonges the worldly people and that neuer so moch as in these dayes our lorde amende it and these persons be noted by that theâ—e that hang of the lefte hande of Christe and dyd blaspheme Christ The other that kepe theyr professyon and paciently bere theyr crosse of penance be signified by the other theâ—e that hang on the right hande of Christe and confessed Christe and desyred hym of his mercy ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye lerne howe we shulde be crucified with Christe bitwixt two theues For as Iesus was crucified and .ii. theues with hym so morally our spirite noted by Christ shuld be crucifyed bitwixt .ii. theues y t is the flesshe the worlde The flesshe is to be crucifyed as the thefe on the right syde And herunto saynt Paule sayth Qui Christi sunt carnem suam crucifixerunt cum viciis They that be verye true christians haue crucified and subdued theyr flesshe and sensualitie with all vyces The worlde is to be crucified as the thefe on the left hand And therfore saynt Paule sayth Nichi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucifyed to me and I to the worlde These theues thus crucified in vs our spirite is crucified with Christe in the myddle so that it maye saye with saynte Paule Christo confixus sum cruci viuo autem iam non ego viuit vero in me Christus I am crucifyed with Christe I lyue not nowe with myne own lyfe for Christ liueth in me and in his life I do liue And here note that the left thefe was crucified but not saued for he continued in his infidelitie So the worlde though he be crucifyed yet he is not saued for he remayneth in his miserie and wretchednes The flesshe is crucified and saued with the spirite for after the generall resurreccyon it shal be glorified with the soule And therfore Christe sayde to the ryghte thefe Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day thou shal be with me in glorie And farthermore note here that the crosse wherupon our flesshe is crucifyed is the rigor of discipline or sharpnes of penaunce and this crosse hath .iiii. branches or partes that is watche abstinence harde or sharpe wearynge clothes and sharpe or rebukynge wordes The crosse vpon the whiche the worlde is crucified is the pouertie of spirite and this crosse hath also .iiii. armes that is the contempte of worldlye glorie the contempte of mony of our countrie and of our kynsfolke The crosse of the spirite is the feruour of deuocyon and his .iiii. armes be these hope feare loue
consider howe the newe Adam Christ dyd serch for the and where he founde the that is vpon the crosse who was this these but Adam not nowe a thefe but an holye martyr and confessour of Christe whiche tourned the necessitie of hys deathe into good wyll and vertue he chaunged his payne in to glorie his crosse and deth into triumphe and victorie wherfore thou synfull soule nowe areyse vp thy selfe in to hope and truste of forgyuenes if so be that thou wylte labour to folowe the steppes and example of thy lorde that suffred for the. ¶ Here folowe .iii. Lessons IN this article we may lerne .iii. lessons Firste is to beare pacyently the rebukes of other persones thoughe they be vyâ—e persons for so Christ bare the blasphemous thefe Second is that we suffer not the iniuries of god at any tyme but sharply to rebuke them as the good thefe dyd Thyrde that we neuer dispeyre of the mercy of god thoughe our synnes be neuer so greuous or that we haue lyen in them al our lyfe tyme by the example of this holy thefe whiche for one worde was made the enheritoure of paradise as saynt Austen sayth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which forme wold be scornfully rebuked of one thefe and of the other wolde be honorablye confessed to be god make me for the glorie of thy name to suffer pacyently the rebukê of euyll persons when nede requireth and neuer to suffer thy iniuries and also to possesse the ioyes of paradise with this holye thefe Amen ¶ Of the passion that Christe had vpon his mothers sorowe and heuynes The .lviii. article THe .lviii. article is the compassyon of his mothers sorowe For when Iesus beynge vpon the crosse se hys mother standynge by the crosse in great sorowe he had great heuynes therof he se his mother I saye a mother a virgine singuler aboue all other mothers a meake mother louynge her sonne aboue the loue of all other mothers to theyr sonnes and no meruell for she was the mother of god of the onely sonne of god and therfore she had more sorowe for the passyon of her sonne than all other mothers can haue for theyr sonnes for at his passion the swerde of sorowe dyd runne thorowe the soule of that most blessed virgyne and mother O holy virgine what vehemence of compassion and sorowe dyd almyghty god lay vpon the and so oppresse the with heuynes he made the ioyfull and delyuered the frome all anguysshe and sorowe at the virgynall chyldynge or byrthe of thy moste swete sonne Iesus but nowe he payed the for both for nowe he put vpon the all the thrawes and sorowes of a woman trauelynge with chyld And when thou dyd brynge forth thy sonne god and man thou had great ioye but nowe when the blessed fruyte of thy wombe was in thy sight crucifyed and slayne then was thy sorow fare aboue all the paynes and sorowes of a woman chyldynge In so moche that thou myght wele say that olde Noemy sayde Nolite me vocare Noemi sed Mara quia amaritudine valde me repleuit omnipotens Call not me Noemy that is fayre and pleasant but call me Mara that is bittter or sorowfull for almyghtye god hath fulfylled me with bitternes and sorowe For this blessed virgyne and mother of god considerynge and depely weaynge in her herte all the paynes and passion of her sonne Christ morned with hym mornyng sorowed with hym sorowyng she stode nyghe vnto the crosse that he myghte be all hole fixed to her in her herte that was fixed for her vpon the crosse This sorowfull and louynge mother when Christe dyd se he was moued with great compassion vpon her she had compassyon of his passyon and he agayne had more sorowe for compassion of her sorowe So blessed lady thy sonne shotte at the the same arowe or darte of loue that thou dyd shote at hym and therfore he sayth in his canticles Vulnerasti cor meuÌ„ soror mea in vno contuitu oculorum tuorum Thou hast wounded my herte O my syster my spouse my doughter and my mother thou haste wounded my hert in the sight of thyne eyen And she in lyke maner myght say the same to her sonne Christe knewe wele the great sorowes of his mothers hert he knewe the heuines of her soule and those sorowes whiche she felte not at his birth they were nowe doubled to her in his passyon and deth for her sonne in lyke maner suffred double sorowe vpon the crosse that is for his awne passion and also for compassion of his mother And this sorowe for his mother was not his leste sorowe and therfore coÌ„ueniently it is assigned as a specyall article of the passion of Christe for the compassion of his mother dyd greatly encrease the paynes of his woundes and passyon whome he dyd se stande nigh the crosse with a most sorowfull with weapynge eyen great abundance of teares flowynge frome her eyen with a most heuy countenaunce with a lamentable voyce and in all the powers and strengthes of her bodye fayntynge for great sorowe and heuynes Yet for all these panges he se her stande constantlye and perseuerantlye and also strongly lyke a man neuer flyenge from hym O howe ofte suppose you dyd that blyssed vyrgyne sighe and sobbe saynge in her selfe O my sonne Iesus who maye graunte to me that fauour that I myght dye for the or with the. O my swete sonne Iesu c. as ye shal se herafter in the .lxiiii. article O how ofte thynke you dyd she lyfte vp her virginall and shamefaste eyen vnto those cruell woundes of her sonne if at any tyme she withdrewe them frome the sight of those woundes or els if she myght beholde them for her continuall weapynge O howe ofte tymes beleue you myghte she haue swoned for the vehemence of her sorowes for she suffred more cruell sorowes and panges than the panges of deth and so she lyuynge continuallye was in dyenge and yet coulde not dye for she was preserued by her sonne that she shulde not dye for his deth And thus Christ when he se his mother and his disciple whome he loued standynge that is Iohan the euangelist commended or assigned his mother to his disciple Iohan saynge his thyrde that he spake vpon the crosse Mulier ecce filius tuus woman beholde there thy sonne who may heare Christ speake these wordes without weapynge He dyd not name her or cal her mother for that shuld haue moch more greuouslye tormented her after this Christe sayde to hys disciple Iohan Ecce mater tua Beholde there thy mother And when he spake these fewe wordes both those .ii. derbeloued that is Marie and Iohan wepe full bitterly those .ii. holy martirs kepte silence for theyr sorowe was so greate that they could not speake And from that houre forward this disciple Iohan toke Marie as his mother or els he toke her in to his cure and diligence to prouyde for her in all thynges as for
his mother This thyrde worde or sentence of Christe Mulier ecce filius tuus woman beholde thy sonne this I say was a worde of great dilygence loue and pitie for as moche as Christe beyng in so great anguisshe and sorowes of death wolde yet remembre his moste heuy and sorowfull mother and prouyde her of a sonne or minyster to attende vpon her to her comforth And herin he taught vs to haue compassyon of the afflyccyon of our parentes and to prouyde for them in theyr necessities O swete lorde Iesu thy crosse and passion doth torment the greuously but the compassyon of the mothers sorowe is no lesse payne to the and no meruell O good chylde if thou sorowe if thou suffer and haue compassyon of the heuynes of thy mother of her separation from the of her commendation to a straunger And here doctours done say and specyally Bonauenture that the sorowe that Christe had in the compassyon of his mother was more intense and more greuous to hym then the sorowe of hys awne payne and passyon THe mother of Iesu stode by the crosse She stode for she neuer fell by synne she stode to the great glory and prayse of al women where as his discyples that shulde haue ben men of gostly strengthe vertue dyd flye awaye and leaue theyr maister alone She onely abode with hym constantly in all his greuous panges and paynes wherin was fulfylled the prophecy of Esaye sayenge in the persone of Chryst complaynynge Torcular calcaui solus et de gentibus non est vir mecum I onely haue troden in the prease of the crosse there was nat one man with me hauyng compassyon vpon me but my mother alone she had compassyon and stode by me And nat onely she stode bycause she dyd nat flye but also for that in so great heuynesse of herte she dyd nothynge vnseamyngly or vnreligyously but ordred her selfe in most godlye behauour without any misorder in cryenge or cursynge and suche other lyke thoughe she suffred in her herte all those paynes that her sonne Iesus suffred in his bodye outwardlye And as we sayd before here she felte and suffred all the panges that she escaped at the byrth of her sonne Iesus Of these .ii. birthes or chyldynges speaketh the prophet saynge Antequam parturierat peperit masculum Before Mary the mother of Iesus hadde any panges or thrawes she brought forth her sonne so that she had her sonne without sorowe then it foloweth in the prophet Nun quid parturiet terra vna die aut parietur gens simul Shall the erth brynge forth with payne all her fruyte in one day or all the people shal be brought forth or borne in one day Note wel these saynges Firste the prophet spake of the birth of Christe which was without sorowe or payne to his mother and with great ioy But nowe at her seconde chyldynge where as at the passyon of her sonne Iesus she brought forth all the electe chylderne of god at one birth she had great panges and manyfolde sorowes And here note that this blessed mother of mercy dyd helpe or assist the father of mercyes in this moste hyghe werke of mercye and so with Christe dyd regenerate and redeme al mankynde and this generation was to the great sorowe and payne of them both and herunto Albert sayth though Marye dyd beare her sonne Iesus in greate ioye and without all payne yet after warde whan she dyd regenerate al the faithful people in faith that was with moch sorowe and of this it appereth that Christ dyd communicate vnto his mother this hygh werke of our redemption for she suffred with hym his passyon in her soule as we sayd before And note me well here for I do not say that our blessed lady dyd redeme vs bycause Christ of hym selfe was insufficient for to say so it ware heresye But I say it pleased our sauyour Christ to haue his mother present at his passyon and there to suffer with hym in soule as he suffred in bodye that so consequently as he is called the father of mercy so she myght be honored and called the mother of mercy and also for other considerations as foloweth First that our redemption might reanswere vnto the first condempnation for in our firste losse and perdicyon both Adam and Eue dyd syn notwithstandynge if Adam had not synned we had not ben condempned and therfore the onely synne of Adam was the cause of our perdicyon but for asmoche as Eue dyd persuade moue and counsell Adam to synne therfore we say that we ware dampned by oure firste mother Eue so in lyke maner though we be redemed by the passyon of Christ yet for as moche as oure blessed lady was consentynge to that passyon and also sufferyde it in her soule we may saye that she redemed vs with Christe Secondlye that as Christe redemyng vs by his passion was made our father by the whiche passyon the sacrament of baptysme wherin we be regenerate taketh his efficacitie and vertue so our blessed ladye myght be called our mother bycause she suffered in her soule the same passion of Christe Thirdly that after Christ we al shulde honoure the gloriouse virgyn as our modre Fourthly for the encrease of her merite And fiftly that y e passion of Christ shuld be more bitter paynful to him thorough the presence of his modre by whom he sheweth his most hyghe charitie vnto vs. She stode also for all other departed from the stablenes of fayth but she onely and therfore it is sayde of her thus O good lorde thou haste stablished thy testament vpon the heede of Marie al waye virgin for after the death of thy son thy fayth onely remayned perfetely in the reason of the same virgyn ¶ Of the sorowe and compassyon of our ladye AS the great clerke Alberte sayth vpon these wordes of Luke Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius The swerde of sorowe shal passe thorowe thyn awne soule It is the more true exposition and sentence when this pronowne deriuatyue tuam is resolued in to his primityue tui so that this is the true sentence of the forsayd wordes of Luke the swerde of sorowe that is the payne of the passyon and deth of thy sonne O vyrgyne Mary which he suffred in his bodye shall perse and passe thorowe the soule of thyne awne selfe Marie So that the sorowes whiche thou felt not at the birth of thy sonne so that therby thou dyd not knowe thy selfe a mother at his deth thou shalt fele them in moste paynfull and sorowfull maner so that thou shalte knowe thy self then to haue had a chylde and to be a mother Our sauiour Iesus her sonne was to Marie his mother as her awne herte and therfore when he was borne of her she felte as if halfe her herte had bene borne and departed from her body And as that thynge whiche is halfe without and halfe within if that parte that is outwarde be
thus for his manhod whiche then seamed to be forsaken of god for it was subdued to intollerable paynes and most shamefull deth Christ was lefte in great paynes that therby and for those paynes we myghte be conforted of god It was done by a greate miracle that the glorie whiche was in the hygher porcyon of the soule of Chryste dyd not descende and redounde in to lawer parte of the soule but was suspended and letted so that the lawer parte suffred all paynes asmoche as is possible any creature to suffer without death for it was hollye lefte to it selfe without all comforthe whiche was not in the holye martirs in theyr martirdom and deth for the comforth that they hadde in the hygher porcyon of theyr soule dyd redownde vnto theyr senses so that theyr martyrdome and paynes was no greate payne to theym but with greate ioye they suffred them as it appereth in the lyues of saynt Laurence Vincente and many other But oure sauyoure Iesus hadde none suche consolation in his senses no helpe of any persone but all lefte to suffer what so euer was put to hym and that to the extremitie And therfore he compleynethe hym selfe to be forsaken of god whiche myghte not in dede be lefte of god for the godhed was euer ioyned bothe to the soule and also to the bodye but this he spake for vs for he knewe that many of his electe membres shulde come to so greate tribulation that it shuld seame to them that they were vtterly forsaken of god Now blessed be our dearbeloued and moste mercyfull sauioure Iesus whiche fyrst in his awne bodye for vs and nowe also in vs and with vs it pleaseth hym to suffer our tribulation for the tribulation that we suffer for iustyce and for god he reputeth it as hys awne tribulation for he saith Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with the good person in his trouble and that is that we shulde more surelye and faythfully truste in hym This payne when he sayd hym selfe to be forsaken of god was moste greuous payne to hym aboue al the other for without this leauyng there shuld haue ben no payne for who so is consorted by god there is no torment that can be paynfull to hym Christe sayde twyes My god and that was to shewe the vehemence of his sorowe both in soule and in bodye And herunto saynt Bonauenture sayth He cryed with a great voyce for he felte great sorowe and specyally for the great vnkyndnes of man for though he suffred for al man kynde yet there were very few present there that toke fruyte therof at that tyme as the thefe that hange on the ryghte hande and the glorious virgyne that was full heuye there by the crosse so that our lorde myght wele say why haue I so vaynly and with out fruyte subdued my selfe to so many great paynes and to deth O blessed lady what sorowe had thou when thou harde thy sonne crye so He cryed also with a great voyce for the synne was great whiche was the cause of all that miserie those paynes and deth For as saynt Ambrose saith He wepte and sorowed for the synne and miserie of them whose nature he had taken ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to haue a recourse to our lorde in all our tribulations and by our prayer compleyne and shewe to hym our desolation that it wolde please hym to beholde our troubles and helpe vs for so our sauyour Christ in his troubles and sorowes cryed vnto god his father saynge My god my god why hast thou forsaken me whiche as the glose ordinarie sayth was not onely a compleynte but also a prayer as it appereth in the psalme of the whiche these wordes be taken for there it is sayd thus Deus deus meus respice in me quare c. O god my god beholde me why hast thou forsaken me Also saynte Paule speakynge of the prayer of Christe seameth to speake of this prayer saynge Qui in diebus carnis sue preces cum clamore valido et lacrimis offerens exauditus est pro sua reuerentia Oure sauiour Iesus in the dayes and tyme of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and with teares was harde for his reuerence ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe the sonne of the lyuyng god whiche at the .ix. houre of the day for me most wretched hyngynge vpon the crosse cryed to thy father with a great voyce sayng He li heli lamahazastani That is My god my god why haste thou forsaken me graunt to me that in all my trouble and anguysshe I may cry to the my lorde god with the greate voyce of my herte that so thou neuer suffer me to be reproued as lefte and forsaken of thy mercy Amen ¶ Howe they gaue hym to drynke vinegre or asell The .lx. article THe .lx. article is the drynkynge of vineger for Iesus after all the forsayd paynes and labours beynge thurstye or drye for then all that was written of Chryste in the lawe of Moyses or in the prophetes ware fulfylled excepte one that was writen in the psalme In siti mea potauerūt me aceto In my thyrste they gaue to me vineger to drynke therfore Iesus to fulfyll all the scripture he sayde I am drye Not so to be vnderstande that Iesus therfore was thirsty and therfore they gaue to hym vineger to drynke bycause it was so wryten before by the prophet but bycause god knewe longe before that Chryste shulde be drye and also that the Iues or the saugiours shulde gyue hym vineger to drynke therfore our lord wold haue it writen by the prophet and so in this thirst of Christ that scripture was fulfylled and so in lyke maner vnderstande all the other propheties of Christ Christe sayd Sitio I thyrste And this was his .v. worde that he spake on the crosse for after his longe and continuall labour and payne had all the nyght before and also that same day vnto .iii. of the clocke at after none also for his effusyon and sheddynge of so moche blode and for hangynge so longe vpon the crosse in the heate of the day it was no meruell thoughe he ware drye and of this the prophet also sayth in the person of Christe Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea et lingua mea adhesit faucibus meis My vertue or strength of my body was as dry as a shell and my tonge clyued fast to my chekes for drynes and therfore he myght wele saye Sitio I thrist For they that be let blode be more drye then other men but our sauyoure Iesus was let blode that daye both in scourgyng beatyng crownyng with thornes and crucifyeng besydes his sweatyng therfore it was no meruell if he were drye Saynte Bernarde entreatyng this article sayth O good Iesu why dost thou crye and say Sitio I am thristy Dost not thou knowe that thyne aduersaryes wyl ministre and gyue
loue and seruice his hart was also openyd for the effusion of the price of our redemption As ye shall see in the next article ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrste lesson of this article is that we shulde dye with Christe that is from the worlde and synne if we wyll lyue with hym in glorie eternall And here vnto saynt Paule sayth Si commortui sumus cum Christo et conuiuemus If we dye with Christe we shall lyue with Christe And in an other place Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo ⧠✚ ☞ Ye be deade fromme the worlde and all vayne or transitorie thynges and your lyfe is hyd with Christ in god The second lesson is that it is very good and profitable to say deuotely those .x. psalmes coÌ„monly called the psalmes of the passion which Christ sayd in his prayer hangyng vpon y e crosse for without doute who so reades or sayes them deuoutly shal finde great conforthe Thyrdlie euery christian at his death shulde vse and keape the forsaid .v. thynges that Christ dyd at his death he dyd pray crie weape commendyd his soule to his father and gaue vp his spirite So we at our death shulde pray crye to our lorde for his helpe at leste in hert wepe for our synnes by trewe contricion commend our soule to god and to gyue vp our spirit that is with a good will to dye and so to conforme our wyll to the will of god A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte remembre these lessons with y e premisses sayd in this article and pray as foloweth ¶ A Lesson O Blissed Iesu which for me dyeng vpon y e crosse dyd commend thy soule to thy father graunt to me that I may spiritually so dye to the and with the in this life that it wold please the at the houre of my death to haue my wretched soule recoÌ„mendyd to the which liues and reignys with god the father and the holy ghost world without ende Amen ¶ The openyng of Christes side and hert with a spere the .lxiii. Article THe .lxiii. Article is the openynge or wondyng of Christes hert with a spere For at y e death of Christ there ware shewed many miracles as y e derknes of the soÌ„ne y e cuttyng of y e veyle in y e temple y e rentyng or breakyng of the stonys the openyng of the monumentes or grauys the conuersion of the noble man and capiteyn Centurio the conuersion of the thefe of many other that seyng these great thynges that ware done knocked vpon there brestes in sygne or token of penaunce and returned homewardes his moste heuy mother there abidyng with a fewe women with her The Iues then bicause it was the sabboth euyn that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the saboth day for that sabboth day was an high day and festfull with them they I say besought Pilate that theyr legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse then camme the sawgyours and brake the legges of both the theuys And when they camme to Iesus and saw that he was deed alredie they brake not his legges for as the legges of the paschall lambe ware not broken no more ware the legges of Christ that is the true lambe of god and in that was the scripture fulfylled that saith os non comminuetis ex eo He shall not breake a bone of hym But there cam one of the sawgiours with a spere and dyd thrust Christ in to the side and forthwith there came out blode and watre This sawgior was called Longius and he was blinde or at lest his sight was but weke and what tyme he had thrust Christ to the hert with his spere y e blode runnyng downe by the speare vnto his handes he not knowing the vertue therof touched or rubbed his yen with his blody haÌ„des and so had his syght clerely gyuen to hym Also of this blode and watre all the sacramentes of y e churche haue theyr efficacitie vertue and strenght as by theyr meritoriouse cause As the mayster of the sentence sayth and all doctours And though at that tyme the deed bodye of Christ could feale no payne yet y e Iues did this thing of a great malice and to the great rebuke of Christ for they ware not â—aciate and content with the obprobries rebukes and paynes that they put hym to in his lyfe but that also they wolde put hym to more and so persew hym after his death And for that cause this wondyng of Christes syde is taken here for a speciall article of Christes passion for all y e cruelties shames and despites that be done to y e deed corpes or corse be acompted as if they ware done to the persones lyuyng As somtyme the bodyes of deed persones be drawen hangyd headyd quarteryd or burned for the correction and punishment of suche defawtes as those persones dyd in ther liues And though Christ that tyme deed felt not that wounde of his syde yet the blessyd virgyn his mother felt it for that spere then dyd perse her most sorowfull soule as saynt Bernard sayth truly O blessid mother than the swerde of sorow did perse thy soule when that cruell spere openyd thy son syde after his death His soule then was not present with his bodye But thy soule myght not be departed from it for y e soule is rather there where it louyth than where it gyuith life so not without great cause we say that thou art more than a martyr for the effecte of compassion in the dyd exceade the fealyng of all bodilye paynes ¶ Of the miracles that ware done at this tyme we shall speake in the begynnyâ—g of the thyrd parte of this myrrour boke or treatesse OF this wounde of the side of our lorde the deuote and holy saynt Bernard saith thus O good Iesu thy side was wouÌ„ded and openid that we myght haue entrance or a way to cumme to the. Thy hert was wouÌ„ded that we absolued from al outward trobles and busines myght reste and abyde therin It was also wounded that by that visible wounde we myght see the inuisible wounde of thy loue for who so euer feruently louith he is wounded with loue And how myght his burnyng loue be more clerelie and openly declared to vs but in that y t he wold not onely haue his bodie outwardly woundyd but also haue his hart wounded with a spere therfore this bodely wounde doth shewe to vs his spiritual wounde of loue Arise therfore thou spouse of Chryst as a doue buyidyng thy nest and restyng place in the deapnes of this hole or wounde there watche coÌ„tinually as a sparow fynding thy nest there hyd thy birdes of chaste loue with the turtyll Ioyne or put thy mouth to that wounde that thou may sucke or drawe the watre of helth from y e fouÌ„tayns of our sauiour This is y e wel that
they wold nat be noted as confounded O blynd malyciouse people In all theyr euyll deades agaynst Christe they go to the Iudge Pylate that theyr iniquitie and synne shuld seme as iustice bycause it is doon by auctoritie And they called hym Domine that is lorde but they wold neuer obey to hym with theyr good wyl It is the propertie of maliciouse and froward persons to prayse hym byfore his face whom they hate in theyr hertes and that is to brynge theyr purpose to passe Then Pylate sayd to them Habetis custodiam Ite custodite sicut scitis Ye haue there the watche men take them and goo and make the sepulcre as sure as ye can As if he shulde say after Rabanus It myght be sufficient to you that I haue coÌ„sentyd vnto the death of this innocent from hens fourth do what ye wyll your errour shall reste vpon your selfe And then they went and made the sepulcre sure with watch men and sealyd the stone This was doon for .ii. causes Fyrst to shew the folishenes of the Iues. And herunto saynt Hillarie sayth The feare that the Iues had of the steylynge of Christis body the watche men and the sealyng of the stone be a testimonie and a witnes of y e infidelitie and folyshues of the Iues. Was it not a great folishnes of them to watche and seale his sepulcre that a lytil before that tyme commauÌ„ded a deed man to rise out of his sepulcre the which was .iiii. dayes buried Secondly this was doon for the more sure testimony of the truthe that is of the resurrection of Christ And herof Crisostome sayth Considre and note well here how the Iues agaynste theyr owne myndes doo labour to shewe and proue the truth agaynst them selfe For this theyr acte is a manifeste and sure proue of y e resurrection of Christ And thus we may proue it The sepulcre was sealed and surely keapte w t saugioures ergo there culd be no crafte or deceyte If theyr ware no deceyte ergo Christ is surely risen for there is the sepulcre the body is gon ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons FYrst Lesson is that we shuld be the folowers of Ioseph in that that when the bodye of Christe is receyued of vs and wrapped as we sayd before then we shuld lay it or put it in a new sepulcre cut out or hewen out of a stone that is we shuld put it in our soule deckyd and beautised with the ymage of god renewed and stablisshed in Christ which is the sure stone so that we may say that is wrytten in the canticles Tenui eum nec dimittam I haue hym I holde hym and I wyll not leaue hym The seconde Lesson is this that as our lorde was tormentyd crucified deed lamentyd or mournyd and also buryed so we shuld lament hym by compassion and compunction Thyrd lesson is for riche men which by the example of Ioseph ought to couer the nakydnes of Christ in the poore men and so bury Christ in the sepulcre of his herte by charitable werkes doyng to the poore people ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me at the houre of complen wold be buryed in a sepulcre lamentyd and keapte graunt to me that thou my lord god may be buryed in the sepulcre of my hert and there lamentyd and keapt that I buried with the may deserue to com to the glory of thy resurrection Amen ¶ Here endyth the seconde parte of this Glasse or Myrour ¶ Here foloweth the thyrd parte that is the conclusion of this Myrrour Which is diuided in to .xi. Chaptres ¶ Fyrst we shall declare vnto you certen Myracles specially x. that were done som of them at the death of our lorde and som of them after his death The fyrst Chapitre ¶ Of the fyrste Myracle THe fyrst Myracle was theclipse or derknes of the son and of this the euangeliste saith thus A sexta autem hora tenebre facte sunt super vniuersam terram vsque ad horam nonam From the sexte houre vnto the .ix. houre of the daye there was derknes ouer all the worlde or erthe And this derkenes or eclipse was nat naturall but onely by miracle And that we may proue by .iiii. reasons Firste by reason of the long enduryng of the same for the eclipse of the son naturally may neuer endure by .iii. coÌ„tinual houres as this was Second reason is bicause it was so vniuersal for naturally there can be no eclipse of the son ouer all the erth for the mone that lettyth the lyght of the son from vs for the tyme of the eclipse is not of so great quantitie as is the son nor yet as the erth and therfore it can nat take away y e lyght of the son from all partes of the erth but this derknes or eclipse was ouer all the erth ergo it was nat naturall Thyrd reason is for the age of the mone the mone at that tyme was encreasyd .xiiii. dayes and so it was almost at the full mone But it is impossible that there shuld any eclipse of the son naturally in the opposicion of the mone or it beyng at the ful for then the mone is in the Est when y e son is in the West And also euery naturall eclipse of the son is the coniuncion or chaunge of the mone Forth reason is this for in this eclipse the mone at nyght turnyd and mouyd toward the Eest and the son towardes the Weste which can neuer be naturally ergo this eclipse was by miracle But for what cause god wolde shewe this miracle then doctoures done assigne .v. causes Fyrst for the compassion of the elementes which myght nat beare or suffre to see the iniurie that was done to there creatour and maker Secondly to shewe that Christ was the gouernar of all creatures And here vnto saynt Gregory sayth This wondre or miracle was shewed that it shulde be knowen that he which suffred death was the gouernar of all thynges Thyrdly It was to shewe the blyndnes of maÌ„nys reason and here vnto Simon de Cassia sayth Derknes was brought ouer all the world to shewe y e ignorance of all the world for the world wold nat knowe the son of god Forthly for the obstinacie of the Iues. For as the same Simon saith the Iues suffred horrible derkenes for they blynded in theyr hertes by malice condempned the son of god Fystly for the coÌ„templacion of many secreat misteries And therfore saith y e same Simon This darknes besides that y t it shewed outwardly it also mouyd the mindê of men to considre higher thinges for our lord wold meruelously compasse y e ien of men with thycke derknes that theyr syght shuld not be wanderyng about outwarde thynges but that they shuld entre in to theyr owne hertes there coÌ„sidre deaply such thynges as waxe don to the son of god and in the son of god and so he turnyd the day in to
our lord Iesu in the begynnyng of his passion after his last supper did wyllyngly take so great heauines that he his selfe sayd vnto his disciples Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem My soule is heuy vnto the death And this heuines he toke vpon hym that by it which he suffred īnocently he myght take frome vs that euerlastyng heuines which we had deseruyd for our synnes and also that he myght gyue to vs eternal ioy and gladnes Also we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually subdued vnder y e power and thraldom of the dyuell and so to be committed to the eternall prison of hell But our lorde in his blessyd passion suffred hym selfe to be taken prisonar that he by his sufferyng innocently that captiuitie myght therby delyuer vs from the power and captiuitie of the dyuell and also preserue vs from that most darke prison of hell and restore vs vnto the libertie of the childerne of god Moreouer we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually associate and accōpanyed with the dyuels and other dampned soulys Agaynst this our sauiour Iesu wold be associat with theuys and wold be accompted as one of thē that he myght bye vs from the cumpaygnie of dampned soulys and from the feloweshyp of dyuels and so to make vs the chyldern of god and felowes of aūgells He to whom al the glorie of heuyn doth serue and which only of hym selfe is all beautie and glorie wold suffre shamys rebukes and mockynges that he myght redeme vs from confusion and etarnall derision of dyuels and theyr rebukes and also that he myght reuoke and bryng vs agayne to the glorie of heuyn which we lost by our synne He that onely hath power to louce and bynde of his great mercy wold be bounde for vs that he myght louce vs from the bondes of our synnes and from al the paynes y t we deseruyd by our synnes And at last he suffred death innocently that by his death he myght destroy our eternall death and also gyue to vs eternall lyfe in glory And thus ye may vnder stonde of all other paynes of Christe For vniuersally to speake ther was no thyng vayne no thyng vnprofitable ī al his passion but euery payne that he suffred was ordenyd to take away from vs sum perpetuall euyll that we had deseruyd by our synnes and to merite and gyue to vs sum eternal goodnes that we had lost by our synne And therfore saynt Austen sayth Christ suffreth to my profit he is heuy for me he soroweth to my cōforth And the cause of these is this for he hath louyd vs eternally and hath desired to be louyd of vs agayne for loue can nat be recompensyd but by loue And hereunto also saynt Bernard sayth Myght nat our creatoure and maker repare his creature agayne or redeme hym without that gret difficulty hard paynes of his passion Yes he myght haue done it without payne if it had so pleased hym But he wold rather do it with his great iniurie and payne to wyn the loue of man and to gyue hym many and great causes of loue For this great difficultie and greuouse paynes that he suffred for our redemption shuld moue that person to gyue hym thankes which lityll regardyd the werke of his creasion bicause it was done so easly What thynke you sayd the vnkynd man of his creacion I was create and made lyghtly and frely without any payne or labour of my creatour and maker he onely spake the worde and I was creat as al other thynges ware So the wicked vnkyndnes of man lytyll regardyng the werke of his creasion shewed there matter of vnkyndnes where he shulde haue taken cause of loue But now the mouth of those wicked men be stopped For now it is more clere than the lyght what payne and labour thy lord god had o vnkynd man for thy redempcion Of a lorde he becam a seruant where he was riche he was made poore he beyng god toke vpon hym a mortall body and the son of god despised nat for the to be made y e son of man Remembre therfore thou vnkynd man though thou were made of nought yet thou wart nat redemyd of nought In .vi. dayes god made all the worlde and the o thou man amonges them all But .xxxiii. yere he labored continually with great paynes to werke thy health and saluacion What laboure had he in soueryng the incommodities of our nature as hunger thyrst heat colde and suche other What temptacions of the deuyll what slaunders rebukes despisynges mockynges beatynges with many greuouse paynes and at last most paynefull and shamefull death Therfore thou man be no more vnkynd but loue and thanke god and haue compassion of thy creatoure redemar and sauiour Amen ¶ How Christe descendyd vnto the helles The thyrd Chapitre AFter that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirit and so was deed furthwith his soule vnit and knyt or ioyned vnto the godhed descendyd vnto the helles vnto the holy fathers that were there in prison and there stode with them Of this descension Damascen sayth thus The soule of Christe ioyned to his godhed descendyd vnto the helles that as he had bifore comforted them that were in the world aboue the erth so he myght shyne and comforte them that sat in darknes and in the shadowe of death He descendyd to comforte the holy faythers to glad them and to glorifie them For as shortly as he presentyd hym selfe to them they dyd se his godhed and so then they ware in paradise that is they had the clere syght of the godhed which is ioy and lyfe eternall Of this descension also saynt Austen in a certen sermon sayth thus Anon as Christe had gyuen vp his spirit his soule knyt to his godhed discendyd to y e deapnes of helles And whan he was cum to y t place of derkenes as a victoriouse captayne shynyng and terrible tho wicked hell houndes and legions of derknes beholdyng hym begane to enquire and say From whens cam this person so strong so terrible so shinyng and gloriouse That worlde which hath bene euer subdued to vs dyd neuer sende to vs such a deed person He neuer sent to vs suche gestes before this tyme. What is he that so boldly entreth in to our iurisdiction And nat onely he doth nat fear our tormentes but moreouer he dothe louce other frome our bondes Beholde and see howe they whiche ware wonte to weape and more ouer vnder oure tormentes nowe they rebuke vs and vpbrayde vs of theyr deliueraunce and saluacion And nat onely they in nothynge feare vs but moreouer they threten vs. There was neuer deed men so proud stubbourne borne agayst vs as these be Nor neuer myght any persones in captiuitie be so glad and ioyfull as these be O thou Lucifer our captayne why wold y u bryng this person vnto our place All thy myrth is paste all thy ioy is turned in to