holy feet Where is the mouth spekyng and the tongue counseyllyng and the spirite wel plesyng hys god Who shal not wepe and waylle For they that haue deserued glorye honour toward god ben put to deth as malefactours and wicked men wo to me that be helde in that hour his blessyd body alle bewrapped in his innocent blood Alas my fader and doctour thou were not gilty of suche a deth now whyther shal I go for to seche the the glorye of crysten men and preysyng of good trewe men who shalle stynt thy voys that sowned so hye in the chirch in prechyng the worde of god loo thou hast eÌ„trid in to thy lord and thy god whom thou hast desyred wyth alle thyn affectyon Ierusalem and Rome be euyl frendes For they ben egall in ylle Ierusalem hath crucifyed our lord IhÌ„u crist and rome hath slayn his appostles IhÌ„rlm seruyth hym that they crucyfyed And Rome in solempnysyng glorifyeth them that it hath sleyne and nou my broder thymothee thise ben they whom thou louedest and desyredest with alle thy herte lyke as saul and Ionathas that wer not departed in lyf ne in deth and so I am not departed fro my lord and mayster but whan ylle and wycked men departe vs And the separacyon of one hour shalle not be alwaye For his soule knoweth them that loue hym though they speke not to hym whyche now ben fâ—r from hym And at the day of the grete resurrectyon they shalle not be departed from hym Hec dyonysyus Seynt IohÌ„n Crisostm saith in the boke of praysyng of seynt poul and commendeth this glorious appostle moche sayeng what is founden suffycyent in commendacoÌ„n of hym syth al the goodnes that is in man the soule possedeth it only And hath it in hym And not only of a man but also of the aÌ„gelis And in what maner we shal say to yow heer after Abel offred sacrefyce and of that he was preysed but we shal shewe the sacrefyse of paul And it shal appere greter in as moche as heuen is heyer than the erthe For paul sacrefyed hym self euery day And offrid double sacrefyse in herte and in bodye whiche he mortefyed he offrid not sheep ne nete but he sacrefyed hym selfe in double wyse and yet that suffised hym not but he studyed to offre to god alle the world For he enuiroÌ„ned alle the world that is vnder heuen and made angellis of men And more ouer the men that wer lyke fendes He chaunged them to angellis who is he that is founde parayle or lyke to thys sacrefyse whiche poul with the swerd of the holy goost offred vp to the autar which is aboue heueÌ„ Abel was slayn by treson of his brother but paul was slayn of them whom he desyred to with drawe saue fro Innumerable euillys His dethes were so many that thei may not wel be nombred he had as many as he leuyd dayes Noe as it is redde kepte hym self his wyf his children in the ark but paul in a more perriâ—oê° and older flood in an arke not made with bordes with pitche glewe But with epistles made for bordes delyuerd and saued the vnyuersal world fro the flodes of errour and of synne Thys Arke or shippe was not born to one place but it was sent through the vnyuersal world ne lymed with pitche ne glewe but the bordes therof were enoynted wyth the holy ghoost He toke them that were worshippers of resonable bestes almost more foles than vnresonable bestes for to be the folowers of angellis He ouercam that arke in whiche was receyued the crowe and sent hym out agayn and closyng a wolf therin whoos wodenes he coude not chaunge But thys poule toke fawcons and kytes and made of them douues And excluded alle wodenes and ferocite fro them and broughte to them the spirite of mekenes Somme meruaille of abraham that at the commaundement of god lefte hys contrey and kynredde but how may he be com compared to paule whiche not onlye lefte his contree and kynrede but also hym self and the worlde also he forsoke and dyspised alle thyng and required to haue but one thyng and that was the charite and loue of Ihesu crist Ne he desyred thynges present ne thynges to come cÌ„ but abraham put hym selfe in parel for to saue his brothers sonne But paule susteyned many parellis for to bryng the vnyuersal Worlde fro perellys of the deuyl and brought other to grete surete wyth his own deth Abraham wold haue offred his sonne ysaac to god but paule broughte neyther frende ne neyghboure But offred hym self to god a thousand tymes SoÌ„me meruele of the paciens of ysaac For he suffred the pittes that he made to be stopped but paule not beholdyng the pyttes stopped with stones ne his owen body beten only But them of whom he suffred grete peynes he studied to bryng to heuen And the more this welle was stopped so moche the more it flowed out stremes in shedyng of water of scripture of mekenes and of pacyence ¶ Of the pacyence of Iacob scripture merueylleth whiche abode vij yere for hys spouse But who hath that soule of an ademant that may folowe the pacyence of paule For he abode not only vij yere for crist his spouse but all his lyf tyme he was not only brent with the hete of the day ne suffred only the frost of the nyght But suffryng temptacions now wyth betynges now stonyd with stones And alway emoÌ„g his tormentis caught the sheep drewe them to the fayth from the mouth of the deuyll And also he was made decorate and made fayr wyth the chastite of Ioseph And here I doubte lest soÌ„me wold take it for a lesyng for to preyse here paule whiche crucifyeng hym self not only the beaute of mennis bodyes but alle suche thynges that wer seen to be fayre and clere that he behelde sette no more by them then we do by a lytel asshes or fylthe and abode vnmeuable as a dede man to a dede man alle men wondre at Iob for he was a meruelous champyon but paule was not only troubled by monethes but many yeres enduryng in agonye and alle wey apperid clere He put not away the wodenes of his flessh with a sherde or shelle but he ran dayly as the vnderstondyng mouth of a lyon and faughte ayenst innumerable temptacions whiche were more tollerable than a stone which not of iij or iiij ffrendes but of alle men and of his brethern he suffred obprobryes and was confused and cursed of them alle and he toke euer mekelye and paciently Iob was a man of grete hospitalyte and had cure of poure peple and that he dyd was to susteyne the fylth of the flesshe But seynt poul laboured to help the sekenes of the sowlis ¶ Iob opened his hous to euery man that cam But the soule of paule shewed hym to the vnyuersal worlde Iob had sheep and oxen Innumerable And of them
sobrely and in contynence and after at ester had receyued theyr sauyour After they disordred them in etyng in drynkyng in playes and in lecherye nd A therfore our lord was meuyd ayenst them and sente to them a grete pestelence whiche was called the botche of impedymye and that was cruell sodayne and caused peple to dye in goyng by the waye in playeng in beyng atte table and in spekyng one with another sodeynly they deyed In this manere somtyme fnesyng they deyed so that whā ony persone was herd fnesyng anone they that were by said to hym god helpe you Or Cryst helpe and yet endureth the custōme And also whan he fneseth or gapeth he maketh to fore his face the signe of the crosse and blessith hym And yet endureth this custome And how that pestelence begā it is founde in the lyf of saynt gregorye Secondly this letanye is said procession of seuen ordres by cause that whan they were made seynt gregorye ordeyned them by vij ordynances For in the first ordre was all the clergye in the second were the monkes and relygyous men In the thirde were alle the nonnes In the fourth alle the children In the fyfthe all the laye peple In the sixthe alle the wydowes And in the vij alle they that were maryed But by cause that nowe we may not fulfylle in nombre of personnes we ought to fulfylle it in nōbre of letanyes For it ought to be said vij tymes or the procession be left Thirdly this letanye is said the black crosse For thenne in signe of pestylence of wepyng and of penaunce they cladde them wyth black clothes And parauenture for that same cause they couerd the crosse and the aulters wyth blessyd hayres And thus we shold take on vs clothyng of penaūce Ther is an other letanye whiche is called the lasse letanye the whiche is made the thre dayes tofore thascēcion And this Instituted seynt Mamertyn bisshop of vyane in the tyme of themperour lyon whiche regned the yere of our lord iijClviij to fore the Institucion of the first And is said the letanye the lasse the rogacions and processions For it is The lasse letanye to the difference of the first by cause that this lasse letanye was Institued of a lasse whiche was a symple bisshop in a lasse place and for lasse maladye And the cause of the institucion was this For thenne at vyane were grete erthe quaues of whiche fyl doun many chirches and many houses and ther was herde grete sownes and grete clamours by nyght And thenne happed a terrible thyng on ester day For fyre descended fro heuen that brente the kynges palays yet happed more merueyllous thyng For lyke as the fendes had entred in to the hogges right so by the suffraunce of god for the synnes of the peple the fendes entred in to wulues and other wylde bestes whiche euerych doubted and they wente not only by the wayes ne by the feldes but also by the cytees ronnen openly And deuoure den the chyldren olde men and wymen And whan the bisshop sawe that euery day happed suche sorouful aduentures he cōmanded and ordeyned that the peple shold faste thre dayes And he instituted the letanyes and thenne the tribulaciō ceassed And fro than forth on the chirche hath ordeyned confermed that this letanye shold be kept and obserued ouer all It is said also Rogacions For thenne we praye and demaunde the suffrages of alle the sayntes and we thus haue good cause for to kepe this ordenaūce and faste in thise dayes And for many reasons it is institued Fyrst by cause it appeaseth the bataylles that comynly begynne in prymtemps Secōdly by cause that the fruytes whiche be thēne tendre that god will multeplye Thirdly by cause that euery man shold mortefye in hym self the moeuynges of hys flessh whiche in that tyme boylle Fourtly by cause that euerich dispose hym self to receyue the holy goost For by fastynges by orysons and by deuocion is one more able and more worthy But two other reasōs assigneth maistre will̄m dancerre by cause than whan Ih̄u cryst wold ascende vnto heuen he sayde Aske ye duely and ye shal haue And we may the more faithfully demaunde whan we haue the promesse of god Secondly by cause the holy chirche fasteth prayeth that she haue but lytil flessh that is to make the body lene by abstynence and to gete wynges by prayer For prayer is the wynge of the sowle by whiche she fleeth to heuen to th ende that she may folowe Ih̄u cryste ascēdyng vp to fore vs to shewe vs the waye And knowe ye that the foule that haboundeth in plente of flessh and hath but fewe pennes or fethers he may not wel flee Thus this letanye is called procession For thenne the chirche maketh generall procession And in this procession the crosse is born the clockes and belles ben sowned and rongen the ba ners ben born And in somme chirche a dragon with a grete taylle is born And ayde and helpe is demaunded of alle seyntes ¶ And the cause why the crosse is born and the belles rongen is for to make the fēdes and euyll spyrites aferd and to flee For lyke as the kynges haue in bataylles tokenes and signes royall as her trompes and baners right so the kynge of heuen perdurable hath hys signes mylytaunt in the chirche he hath belles for busynes and for trōpes he hath the crosse for baners And lyke as a tyraunt and a malefactour shold moche doubte whan he shal here the busynes and trompes of a myghty kynge in his lande and shal see his baners In lyke wyse the enemyes the euyll spyrites that ben in the regiō of thayer doubte moche whan they here the trompes of god whiche ben the belles rongen And whan they see the baners born on hye And this is the cause why the belles be rongē whan it thondreth and whan grete tempestes and oultrages of wether happen to th ende that the fendes and wicked spyrites shold be abasshed and flee and ceasse of the moeuyng of tempest how be it also that ther is another cause ther with that is for to warne the crysten peple that they put them in deuocion and in prayer for to praye god that the tempest may ceasse Ther is also the baner of the kynge that is the crosse whiche the enemyes dred moche and doubte For they drede the staf with whiche they haue ben hurte And this is the reason wherfore in somme chirche in the tyme of tempest and of thondre they sette out the crosse ayenst the tempest to th ende that the wycked spyrites see the baner of the souerayn kynge for drede therof that they flee And therfore in procession the crosse is born And the belles rongē for to chace and hunde away the fendes beyng in thayer and to th ende that they leue to tempest vs The crosse is born for to represente the victorye of the resurrectiō
rekenyng for synne Thenne is this temple watred ones of water And whan he is contryte to wepe for his vnhappynes and maleurte Where he is the temple is watred the second tyme And whan he wepeth for the Ioye where he is not he arouseth or watreth the temple the thyrd tyme And thou oughtest to knowe that wyne salt and asshes ben medled with this water For with the other sacramentis we ought to haue wyn of spyritueâ— gladnes Salt of rype wysedom or wyn wyth water is vnderstonde the humylyte of Ihesu cryst that he had in takyng flessh humayne the wâ—ne Wyth water is the word humayne And by the salt is vnderstonden the holynes of hys lyf whiche is sauyour to all of hys religyon By thasshis is vnderstoden his passyon And of thyse thre thynges we ought to water our herte the whiche ben the blessyngis of hys incarnacion by whiche we ben called to humylite thensample of his conuersacion by the whiche we ben enformed to holynes and the mysterye of his passyon by the whiche we ben moeued to charyte Fourthly in this temple of the herte spyrituel is wreton the A.B. C. Or the scripture spyrituel and this scripture is treble That is to wyte the euyllis of thyngis the wytnessis of dyuyne benefetes and thaccusacâ—on of his propre trespaces And of thyse thre thynges saith thappostle to the Romayns The peple that haue lawe doo naturelly the thynges that ben of the lawe They that haue no lawe make lawe to them self They that shewe the werke of the lawe wretoÌ„ in theyr herte that is the first The wytnes of their conscience is the seconde and he that thynketh taccuse hym self is the third Fyftly the crosse ought to be paynted in this chirche that is to vnderstonde that it ought to haue the sharpnesses of penaunce And thyse sharpenesses ought to be enoynted and haue lyght of the fyre For they be not only to be suffred in pacience but with good will and by charite And herof saith saynt bernard he that is thretened and menaced with the drede of Ihesu Cryst he bereth the crosse in pacience he that prouffyteth in hope berith it gladly and with good will but he that is parfyght in charyte enbraceth it ardantly and moche peple see our crosses that see not our enoyntyngis And he that shal haue alle thise thyngis in hym shal be the teÌ„ple of god to his honour shal be playnly worthy that god enhabite and dwelle in hym by grace so that he may dwelle in god by glorye the whiche he gyue vs that lyueth and regneth god in heuen world without ende Amen ¶ Thus endeth the feste of dedicacion of the chirche ¶ Here folowen the storyes of the byble The sonday of Septuagesme be gynneth the storye of the byble In whiche is redde the legende and storye of Adam whiche foloweth IN the begynnyng god made and created heuen and erthe The erthe was ydle voyde and couerd with derknes And the spyrite of god was born on the watres And god said Be made lyght And anon lyght was made And god sawe that lyght was good And dyuyded the lyght fro derknes called the lyght day and derknes nyght And thus was made lyght with heuen and erthe fyrst and euen and mornyng was made one day ¶ The seconde day he made the firmamente and dyuyded the watres that were vnder the firmament fro them that were aboue And called the firmament heuen ¶ The thyrde day were made on the erthe herbes and fruytes in theyr kynde ¶ The fourth day god made the sonne and mone and sterres cÌ„ The fyfth day he made the fisshes in the water and byrdes in thayer ¶ The sixthe day god made the beestis on the erthe eueryche in his kynde and gendre And god sawe that all thyse werkes were good and said Faciamus hominem cÌ„ Make we man vnto our similitude and ymage here spack the fader to the sone and holy ghooste or ellis as it were the comune voys of thre persones whan it was sayd make we to oure in plurel nombre Man was made to the ymage of god in his sowle here is to be noted that he made not only the sowle without the body but he made both body and sowle as to the body he made Male and female ¶ God gaf to man the lordship and power vpon alle lyuyng beestis whan god had made man it is not wreton Et vidit quod ess bonuÌ„ quia in proximo sciebat eum lapsurum For yet he was not parfyght til the woman was made And therfore it is red it is not good the man to be allone Thus in sixe dayes was heuen and erthe made and alle the ornacion of them And thenne he made the vij day in whiche he rested not for that he was wery but cessyd of hys operacion and shewd the vij day whiche he blessyd Thus ben shortly shewd the generacions of heuen and erth ¶ For here ben determynat the werkis of the vj dayes And the seuenth day he sanctefyed and made holy God had planted in the begynnyng paradyse a place of desyre and delyces And maÌ„ was made in that felde of damaske he was made of the slyme of the erthe Paradyse was made the thyrde day of creacion and was bysette With herbes plantes and trees And is a place of most myrthe And Ioye In the myddes wherof ben sette two trees that is the tree of lyf And that other the tree of knowyng good and euyll And ther is a welle whiche casteth out water for to watre the treeis and herbes of paradys This welle is the moder of alle watres whiche welle is deuyded in to iiij partyes One parte is called phison This goeth aboute ynde The second is called gyon otherwyse called Nilus that renneth aboute Ethiope ¶ The other two ben called tigris and Eufrates Tigris renneth toward assiryens ¶ And eufrates is called fruytful whiche renneth in Chaldee Thise iiij flodes comen and spryngen out of the same welle and departe and yet in somme place somme of them mete agayn Thenne god toke man from the place of his creacion and brought hym in to paradys for to werke there not to laboure nedely but in delytyng and recreacyng hym and that he shold kepe paradys For lyke as paradys shold refresshe hym so shold he laboure to serue god And ther god gaf hym a comandement Euery comandement standeth in two thyngis in doyng or forbedyng In doyng he comanded hym to ete of all the trees of paradys In forbedyng he comanded that he shold not ete of the tree of the knowleche of good and euyll This comandement was gyuen to the maÌ„ And by the man it wente to the woman For whan the woman was made it was comanded to them bothe And herto he setted a payne Sayeng what someuer daye thou etest therof thou shalt dye by deth God said it is not good a man to be allone Make we to
contynued in theyr synnne and wickednes Thenne whan the Arcke was parfyghtly maad god bad hym to take in to it of all the beestis of therthe and also of the fowles of thayer of eche two male and female that they may lyue and also of all the metes of therthe that ben comestible that they may serue and fede the and them And Noe dyde all that our lord commaÌ„ded hym Thenne said our lord to Noe entre thou and all thy houshold in to the Arke that is to saye thou and thy wyf and thy thre sones theyr thre wiuys I haue seen that thou art rightful in this generacion Of all beestis that ben clene thou shalt take seuen and of vnclene beestis but only two And of the byrdes seuen and seuen male and female that they may be saued on the face of therthe Yet after vij dayes I shal rayne vpon therthe xl dayes and xl nyghtis and shal destroye all the substance that I made on the erthe And Noe dyde all thyng that our lord comaÌ„ded hym he was vjC yere old whan the flod began on the erthe And thenne Noe entryd in and his sones his wyf and the wyues of his sones all in to the arke teschewe the watres of the flood Of all the beestis and the fowles and of all that meuyd and had lyf on erthe male and female Noe toke in to hym as our lord had boden And seuen dayes after they were entred the water began tencrete The welles of the abysmes were broken And the cataractes of heuen were opened that is to saye the clowdes and it rayned on therthe xl dayes and xl nyghtes And the arke was eleuate and born vpon the watres on height aboue the moÌ„taynes and hylles For the water was growen hyer xv cubites aboue all the moÌ„taynes that it shold purge and wasshe the fylthe of thayer Thenne was consumed all that was on therthe lyuyng maÌ„ woman and beest and byrdes And alle that euer bare lyf so that nothyng abode vpon therthe for the water was xv cubytes oboue the hyest montayne of therthe And whan Noe was entrid he shitte the dore fast without forth and lymed it with glewe And so the watres abode eleuate in highte an Cl dayes fro the daye that Noe entred in And our lord thenne remembred Noe and all theÌ„ that were in the arke with hym and also on the beestis and fowles and cessed the watres And the welles and catharactes were closid And the raynes were prohybyted and forboden to rayne nomore The vij moneth the xxvij day of the moneth the arke rested on the hylles of Armenye ¶ The x moneth the first day of the moneth the toppes of the hylles appiered first After thise xl dayes after the lassyng of the watres Noe opened the wyndowe And desired sore to haue tydynges of cessyng of the flood And sente out a Rauen for to haue tydynges And whan she was goon retorned nomore agayn For parauentushe fonde somme dede carayne of a beest swymmyng on the water and lighted theron to fede her and was lefte there After this he sente out a douue whiche flewhe out And whan she coude fynde no place to reste ne sette her foot on she retorned vnto Noe And he toke hâ—r in yet thenne were not the toppes of the hillis bare And vij dayes after he sente here out agayn whiche at eueÌ„ retorned beryng a braunche of an olyue tree burgyng in her mouth ¶ And after other vij dayes he sente her agayn whiche cam nomore agayne Thenne in the yere of Noe vjC·j the first day of the moneth Noe opened the coueryng of the arke and sawe that the erthe was drye but he durst not goo out but abode the commandement of our lord The second moneth the xxvij day of the moneth our lord said to Noe Goo oute of the arke thou and thy wyf thy sones and the wyues of thy sones he coÌ„manded them to goo coniunctly out whiche disiunctly entred And late goo out with the alle the beestis and fowles lyuyng and all the reptyle euerich after his kynde and gendre to whom our lord saide growe ye and multiplye vpon therthe Thenne Noe yssued out and his wyf his sones with their wyues and all the beestis the same day a yere after they entryd in euerich after his gendre Noe thenne edefyeed an awter to our lord and toke of all the beestis that were clene and offrid sacrefise vnto our lord And our lord smellyd the swetenes of the sacrefise and said to Noe from hens forth I shal not curse the erthe for man for he is prone and redy to fall fro the begynnyng of his yougthe I shal nomore destroye man by suche vengeance And thenne our lord blessid hem and said growe ye and multeplye the erthe And be ye lordes of all the beestis of therthe of the fowles of thayer and of the fisshes I haue gyuen alle thynges to you but ete not flessh with the blood I commande you to slee noman ne to shede nomans blood I haue made man after myn ymage who som euer shedeth his broders blood his blood shal be shedde Go ye forth and growe and multeplye and fylle the erthe this said our lord to Noe and his sones Lo I haue made a couenaunt with yow and with them that shal come after yow that I shal nomore brynge suche a flood to slee alle peple And in token therof I haue sette my rayne bowe in the clowdes of heuen For who that trespaceth I shal doo Iustice otherwyse on hym Noe lyuyd after the flood iijCl yere Fro the tyme of Adam vnto after Noes flood the tyme And season was alle way grene and tempryd And alle that tyme men etâ— no flesshe For therbes and fruytes were thenne of grete strengthe and effecte they were pure and norisshyng But after the flood the erthe was weyker broght not forth so good fruyte wherfore fflesshe â—as ordeyned to be eten And theÌ„ne 〈◊〉 began te laboure for his lyfelode with his sones and began to tyllye therthe destroye breris and thornys And to plante vignes And so on a tyme noe had dronke so moche of the wyne that he was dronke and laye and slepte And his prevy meÌ„bree laye bare and open Cham his myddelest sone espied it and lowhe and stornyd his fader and called his brethern to see whiche cam hackward for to couure her fader and wold not â—â—ke on hit and rebuked cham of his folye and synne whan Noe was couured with the mantel anon he awoke whan he vnderstode how cham his sone had scorned hym he cursid hym And also his sone Canaan And blessyd Sem and Iaphet by cause they couerd hym Alle the dayes of Noe were ixC.l. yere And thenne deyed And after his deth his sones deled alle the world bytwene hem Sem had all asye Cham affryke And Iaphet all Europe Thus was it departed Asye is the best part and is as moche as the
the lawe of my faders And he that lyyth with me is seynt Stephen whiche was stoned of the Iewes and cast out of the cite for to be deuoured of the bestes and byrdes but he kepte hym to whom he kepte his fayth wyth out hurtyng And I wyth grete dylygence toke vp the body With grete reuerence buryed it in my newe tombe And that other that lyeth with me is Nychodemus my neuewe whiche went by nyght to Ih̄u cryst and receyued bapteme of Peter and Ioh̄n therfor the prynces of prestes were āgry wyth hym and wold haue sleyne hym but that they lefte atte reuerence of vs Neuertheles they toke away alle hys substaunce and deposed hym from his pryncypate and bete hym strongly lete hym lye for deed And thenne I ledde hym in to my hous where he lyued after but a fewe dayes and whan he was deed I buryed hym atte feet of seynt stephen And the thirde that is wyth me is abybas my sone whiche in the xx yere of his age receyued bapteme wyth me And Was a clene virgyne and lerned the lawe of god with my disciple poule And Ethea my wyf and selemus my sone whyche wold not receyue the fayth of Ih̄u crist were not Worthy to be in our sepulture thou shalt fynd them buryed in a nother place And shalt fynd theyre tombes voyde and ydle and whan he had sayd all this seynt Gamaliel vanysshed away And thenne lucyan awoke and prayed to god yf this vysyon were trewe that it myght be shewed yet the second tyme and the third tyme and the nexte fryday after folowyng he appered lyke as he dyd tofore and said to hym wherfor hast thou desdayn to do that whiche I haue requyred the and he sayd to hym Syre I haue no desdayne but I haue prayed god yf it be in his name that it apere to me yet onys agayn and Gamaliel said to gym bycause thou hast thought in thy corage that yf thou fynd vs how thou myghtest deuyse the reliques of eche of vs I shalle ensigne the of eueriche by symylitude to knowe the tombes and reliques of eche of vs and thenne he shewed thre panyers of gold and the fourth of siluer of the which that one was ful of rede roses the other tweyne of white roses And the fourth whyche was of siluer was full of saffron and gamalyel sayd to hym thyse panyers ben our tombes these roses ben our reliques and the first ful of rede roses is the tombe of seynt Stephen whiche only of vs alle deserued the crowne of martirdom The other tweyne ful of White roses ben the tombes of me and nychodemus Whiche perseuered with a clene herte in the confessyon of Ih̄u cryste and the fourth of siluer whiche is ful of saffron is of abybas my sonne Whiche shyneth by whytenes of vyrgynyte and yssued out of this world pure nette and this sayd he vanysshed away and the fryday after that weke folowyng he apperyd to hym agayn alle angry and blamed hym greuously of his delayment and necligence And anon lucian went to Iherusalem and recoūted alle by ordre to Ioh̄n the bysshop and called the other bysshops and wente to the place that was shewed to lucien and Whan they had begon to delue meued therthe a ryght swete sauour Was felt And by the merueyllous flauour and swetenesse and by the merites of the sayntes lxx seke men Were heled of their Infirmytees And thus the reliques of thyse seyntes Were transported in to the chirche of syon whiche is in Iherusalem In the whiche seynt stephen vsed thoffice of tharchedeken And there were they ordeyned for right honourably In the same houre descended fro heuen moche rayne and of thys vision and inuencion bede maketh mencion in his cronyke and this Inuencōn saith seynt bede was in the same day that his passyon is halowed and his passyon as it is sayd was the same day also But the festes haue ben chaunged by double reson The first reson is by cause that Ih̄u cryste was borne in erthe that man shold be born in heuen therfor it apperteyneth that the feste of Seynt stephen shold folowe the natyuyte of cryst ffor he was first marterd for criste for to be born in heuen and so it signefyeen that the one folowe that other therfor it is songen in the chirche yesterday cryst was born in erthe that thys day stephen shold be borne in heuen the second reson is that the feste of the Inuencion is more solempnly made than the feste of his passyon that is only for the natyuyte of our lord Ihu cryste Neuertheles our lord hath shewed many myracles in thynuencion of hym And bycause his passyon is more worthy than his Inuencion therfor ought it to be more solenpne and therfor the chyrche hath transported his passyon to the tyme in which it is had in gretter reuerence And as seynt austyn sayth the translacion of hym was in this maner Alexandre senatour of constantynople went with his wif to Iherusalem And made there a fayre oratorye to Seynt stephen the first martir after his deth he dyd hym to he buryed by his body and seuen yere after Iuleane his wyf wold retorne in to her contrey by cause that the prynces did to her wrong And wold carye wyth her the body of her husbond and whan she had made long requeste to the bisshop with many prayers The bysshop shewed to her two tombes of siluer sayde to her I wote not whiche of thise tweyne is thy husbond And she sayd to hym I wote wel and went hastely and enbraced the body of stephen And thus by caase of fortune whan she wend to haue taken the body of her husbond She toke the body of the prothomartir and whan she was within the shippe wyth the body there was herd hymnes and songes of angels and a right swete odour and the deuyls cryed menyd grete tempest sayeng Alas Alas ffor the fyrst martir stephen passyth her by which beteth vs cruelly with fyre and the maronners were in grete doubte cryed on seynt stephen And anon he appered to them and saide I am here doubte ye nothyng and anon grete peas was and fayr weder in the see Thenne were there herd the voys of deuyls cryeng felon prynce brenne thys shyppe For stephen our aduersayre is within it with that the prynce of deuillis sent fyue deuyllis for to brenne the shippe but thangel of our lord plunged them doun in the grounde of the see and whan they came to caladoyne the deuyllis cryed sayeng the seruaūt of god cometh whiche was stoned to deth of the felon Iewes Thenne came they in sauete in to Constantynople the body of seynt stephen was brought with grete reuerence in to a chirche and this sayth seint Austyn the coniuncōn of the body of seynt stephen wyth the body of seint laurence was made by this ordenaunce It happed that
of saint Mychel tharchaungel And firste thexposicion of his name Mychel is expowned somtyme as god And oftymes as saynt Gregorye sayth whan a thyng of meruayllous vertu is done Mychel is sente forth soo that he by the dede and the name be gyuen to vnderstonde that none may doo that god may doo And therfore ben attrybued to hym many thynges of merueylous vertu For lyke as Danyel wytnessyth he shalle aryse and adresse in the tyme of Ante cryst ageynst hym And shalle stande as a defendoure and kepar for them that ben chosen He also faught wyth the dragon and his angels and castynge them oute of heuen had a greete vyctorye He also had a grete plee and altercacion with the deuylle for the body of Moyses by cause he wold not shewe hit For the children of Israell shold haue adoured and worshyped it He receyned the sowles of sayntes And brought them in to the paradys of exultacion and ioye He was prynce of the synagoge of the Iewes but now he is establysshed of oure lord prynce of the chirche of Ihesu Cryste and as it is said he made the plaghes of egypte he departed and deuydid the rede see he ladde the peple of Israhel by the deserte and sette them in the lond of promyssyon he is had among the companye of holy Angels as banerer and berynge the signe of oure lord he shalle slee by the commaundement of god right puyssauntly Ante cryst that shalle be in the Mount of olyuete And dede men shall aryse atte voys of this same Archaungel And he shalle shewe at the daye of Iugement the Crosse the spere the nayles and the Crowne of thornes of Ihesu Cryste ¶ Of saint Mychel The hooly solempnyte of saynt Mychel is sayd appyerynge dedycacion vyctorye and memorye The apparicion of this aungel is many fold The fyrste is whan he appyered in the Mount of gargan This Montayne is in Naples whiche is named gargan And is by the Cyte named Syponte And in the yere of our lord thre honderd four score and ten was in the same Cyte of Syponte a man whiche was named Garganus whiche after somme bookes had taken that name of the montayne or els the Montayne toke the name of the man and he was ryght ryche and had a grete multytude of sheep and beestes And as they pastured aboute the sydes of the Montayne It happed that a bulle left the other beestes And wente vpon hyhe on the Mountayne and retorned not home ageyne with the other beestes Thenne this ryche man the owner took a grete multitude of seruauntes and dyde doo seche this bull al aboutes And at the laste he was founden on hyghe on the Montayne by the entree of an hole or a caue And thenne the maystre was wrothe by cause he hadde strayed allone from other beestes and made one of his seruaūtes to shote an arowe at hym And anon the arowe retourned with the wynde and smote hym that had shotte hit wherwith they of the Cyte were troublyd with this thynge and wente to the Bisshop enquyred of hym what was to be done in this thynge that was soo wonderful And thenne be commaun d them to faste thre dayes and to praye vnto god And whan this was done seynt Mychel appered to the Bisshop sayenge knowe ye that thylke man is soo hurte by my wylle I am Mychell the Archaungel whiche wylle that thys place be worshypped in erthe and wyll haue hit surely kepte And therfor I haue prouyd that I am kepar of this place by the demonstraunce and shewynge of this thynge And thenne anone the Bisshop and they of the Cyte wente with processyon vnto that place And durst not entre in to hit but made theyr prayers without forth The second apparicion was in the yere of oure lord seuen honderd and ten in a place whiche was named Tumba by the see syde sixe myle fro the Cyte dauerances Seynt Mychel apperyd to the Bisshop of that Cyte and commaunded hym to doo make a chirche in the forsayd place lyke as it was made in the Mount of gargan And in ā ke wyse shold halowe the memorye of saynt Mychel there And the bisshop doubted in what place it shold be made And saynt Mychael sayd to hym in the place where he shold fynde a bulle hyd of theues and yet he doubted of the largenesse of the place And saynt Mychell appyered to hym sayd that he shold make hit of the brede that he shold fynde that the bulle had troden and traced with his feete there were two roches whiche no maunes power myght remeue Thenne saynt Mychel apperyd to a man and commaūded hym that he shold goo to that same place and take awey the two wekes And whan he cam be remeued the two roches as lyghtely as they had weyed no thynge And whan the chirch was edyffyed there mychel set a pyece of a stone of marble ther vpon whiche he stode and a parte of the palle that he had leyd on the aulter of that other Chirche he brought thyder to this Chirche And by cause they had grete penurye and nede of water they made by the thadmonestement of thanngelle an hoole in a stone of marble anone there flowed oute soo moche water that vnto this day they be susteyned by the benefayt therof And this apparicion is solempnly halowed the xvij kalendes of Nouembre in that place And there happed in the same place a myracle worthy to be putt in remembraunce This Montayne is enuyronned aboute with the see Occean but on saynt Mychels day it auoydeth twyes and gyueth way to the peple And as a grete companye of peple went to the Chirch hit happed that a woman grete with childe neyhe her tyme of delyueraunce was in the company whanne they retorned the wawes and water cam with grete force so that the company for drede fled to the Ryuage And the woman grete wyth child myghte not flee but was take and wrapped in the floodes of the see but saynt Mychel kepte the wyf al hoole and she was delynerd and childed among the wawes in the myddel of the see And she tooke the child bytwene her armes and gaf it sowke and after whan the see was withdrawen she went a lande at hoole with her child The thyrd apparicion happed in the tyme of Gregory the 〈◊〉 For whan the sayd 〈◊〉 hadde establysshed the letanyes for the pestylence that was that tyme and prayd deuoutely for the peple he sawe vpon the castel whiche was sayd somtyme the Memorye of Adryan the angel of god whiche wyped and maade clene a blody swerd and put it in to a shethe And therby he vnderstode that his prayers were herd Thenne he dyde doo make there a Chirche in thonoure of saynt Mychel And that Castell is yet name d the Castel angel And yet anothir apparicion was in the Mount of gargan when he apperyd gaf vyctory to them of Syponte whiche is halowed
brought forth the heed of holofernes and shewde it to them sayeng loo here the heed of holofernes prynce of the chyualrye of assyriens And lo the canope of hym in whyche he laye in hys dronkenhed where our lord hath smeton hym by the honde of a womaÌ„ Forsoth god lyueth for hys auÌ„gel kepte me hens goyng ther abidyng fro thens hyther retornyng And the lord hath not suffre me his handwoman to ben defowled But without pollucioÌ„ of synne hath callyd me agayn to you Ioyeng in hys vyctorye in my escapyng in your delyuerauÌ„ce Knoweleche ye hym all for good For hys mercy is euerlastyng world wâ—thouten ende And all they honouryng our lord sayden to her the lord blesse the in hys virtue For by the he hath brought our enemyes to nought Thenne Ozias the prynce of the peple said to her Blessyd be thou of the hye god byfore alle wymen vpon erthe And blessyd be the lord that made heueÌ„ erthe that hath addressid the in the wouÌ„â—es of the heed of the prynce of our enemyes After this Iudith bad that the heed shold be hanged vp on the walles And at the sonne risyng euery man in hys armes yssue out vpoÌ„ your enemyes whan their espies shal see yow they shal reÌ„ne vnto the tente of their prynce to reyse hym to make hym redy to fight whan his lordes shal see hym deed they shal be smeton with so grete drede feer that they shal flee whom ye theÌ„ne shal pursyewe And god shal brynge theÌ„ trede them vnder your feet TheÌ„ne achior sceyng the vertue of the god of Israhel lefte his olde hethens custoÌ„ byleuyd in god was circuÌ„sised in his preuy meÌ„bre put hym self to the peple of IsrlÌ„ all the successyon of hys kynred vnto thys day Thenne at the spryngyng of the daye they henge the heed of holofernes on the walles And euery man toke hys armes wente out with grete noyse whyche thyng seeyng thespyes ronnen to gydre to the tabernacle of holofernes and cam makyng noyse for to make hym taryse that he shold awake but nomaÌ„ was so hardy to knocke or entre in to his preuy chaÌ„bre but whaÌ„ the dukes leders of thousandes cameÌ„ other they said to the preuy chaÌ„berlayns goo awake your lord For myes ben gon out of their caues ben hardy to calle vs to bataylle TheÌ„ne vago his bawde weÌ„te in to his preuy chaÌ„bre stode byfore the curtyne clapped hys handes to gydre wenyng he had slepte with Iudith And whan he perceuyd noo meuyng of hym he drewe the curteyn seeyng the dede body of holofernes with out heed lyeng in his blood cryed with a grete voys wepyng rendyng hys clothes wente in to the tabernacle of Iudith fonde her not And sterte out to the peple said A womaÌ„ of thebrewes hath made coÌ„fusion in the hous of nabugodonosor she hath slayn holofernes is deed she hath his heed with her And whaÌ„ the prynces capytayns of thassyryens herde this Anone they rente their clothes intollerable drede fylle on them were sore troblyd in their wittes made an horrible crye in their tentis And whan all thoost had herde how olofernes was byheded couÌ„seyl mynde flewh fro theÌ„ with grete treÌ„blyng for socoure bygonne to flee in suche wise that none wold speke with other but with their heedes bowed doun fledde for tescape fro thebrews whom they sawe armed comyng vpon theÌ„ and departed fleyng by feldes weyes of hilles valeyes And the sones of Israhel seeyng them fleyng folowed them cryeng wyth truÌ„pes showtyng after theÌ„ And slewe smote doun al them that they ouertoke And Osias sent forthwith vnto all the cytees regyons of Israhel And they sente after alle the yong meÌ„ valiauÌ„t to pursiewe theÌ„ by swerd so they dyde vnto the vttermest coostis of Israhel The other meÌ„ sothly that weren in bethulye weÌ„te in to the tentis of thassyrens toke all the praye that thassyryens had lefte And whan the meÌ„ that had pursiewed theÌ„ were retorned they toke all their beestis all the meuable goodes thynges that they had lefte so moche that euery maÌ„ fro the moste to the leste were made riche by the praye that they toke TheÌ„ne Ioachim the highe bisshop of IhrlÌ„m caÌ„ vnto bethulye with all the preestis for to see Iudith whan she caÌ„ to fore theÌ„ all they blessid her with one vois sayeng Thou glorye of IhrlÌ„m thou gladnes of Israhel thou the worship doyng of our peple thou dyde maÌ„ly thyn herte is coÌ„forted by cause thou louedyst chastyte knewest no man after the deth of thy husbond and therfor the honde of god hath coÌ„forted the And therfor thou shalt be blessyd world without ende and all the peple said fiat fiat be it don be it don certaynly the spoylles of thassyrieÌ„s were vnnethe gadred assembled to gydre in xxx dayes of the peple of Isrl But all the propre Rychesses that were apperteynyng to holofernes coude be fouÌ„den that had ben hys they were gyueÌ„ to Iudith as wel gold syluer geÌ„mes clothis as aâ—l other appertenaÌ„cis to houshold all was delyuerd to her of the peple the folkes with wimeÌ„ maydeÌ„s IoyedeÌ„ in organs harpes TheÌ„ne Iudith songe this song vnto god saieng Begynne ye in tymbres Synge ye to the lord in cymbalis Manerly synge to hym a newe psalme Fully Ioye ye Inwardly calle ye hys name so forth And for this grete myracle victorye all the peple cam to IhrlÌ„m for to gyue laude honour worship vnto our lord god and after they were purified they offred sacrefices vowes behestis vnto god and the Ioye of this victorye was soleÌ„pnysed duryng iij monethis after that eche wente home agayn in to his owen cyte hous and Iudith retorned in to bethulye and was made more grete and cleer to alle men of the londe of Israheel She was Ioyned to the vertue of chastyte so that she knewe noman alle the dayes of her lyf after the deth of manâ—sses her husbond And duellyd in the hous of her husbond an hondred and fyue yere And she lefte her damoyselle free And after this she deyde is buryed in bethulye all the peple bewayled her seuen dayes duryng her lyf after this Iourney was no troble emong the Iewes and the daye of this victorye of the hebrews was accepted for a festful day halowed of the Iewes nombred emong their feestis vnto this day After the festes of our lord Ihesu crist to fore sette in ordre folowen the legeÌ„des of Saynctes first of saynt Andrewe ANdrew is expowned is as moche to saye as fair or answeryng vnto strengthe and it is said of andor that is as moche to saye as strengthe Or andrewe is said thus as antipos Of ana which is to saye hye
had not be deed Man had neuer be made mmortal And thenne said Egeas Telle to thy dyscyples suche vanytees And obeye thou to me make sacrefise vnto the goddes almyghty And thenne said saynt Andrewe I offre euery day vnto god almyghty a lambe wythout spotte And after that he is receyuyd of alle the peple so lyueth he and is all hole Thenne demandeth Egeas how that myght be And Andrewe saide take the forme for to be a dyscyple thou shal knowe it wel I shal demande the said Egeas by turmentis Thenne he beyng alle angry comanded that he shold be enclosed in pryson And on the morne he cam to Iugement And the blessyd saynt Andrewe vnto the sacrefyse of the ydolles And Egeas comanded to be said to hym yf thou obeye not to me I shal doo hange the on the crosse For so moche as thou hast praysed it And thus as he menaced hym of many turmentis seynt Andrewe said to hym Thynke what turment that is most greuous that thou mayst doo to me and the more I suffre the more I shal be agreable to my kynge by cause I shal be most ferme in the turmentis payne Thenne comanded Egeas that he shold be beten of xxj men And that he shold be so beten bounden by the feet and handes vnto the crosse to th ende that hys payne shold endure the lenger And whan he was ledde vnto the crosse ther ran moche peple theder sayeng The blode of thynnocent is dampned without cause And thappostle prayd them that they shold not empesshe ne lette hys turment ne martirdom And whan he sawe the crosse fro ferre he salewed it and sayd Alle hayl crosse whyche art dedycate in the body of Ihesu cryst and were aourned with the mēbres of hym as of precious stones To fore that our lord Ascended on the thou were the power erthly Now thou art the loue of heuen Thou shalt receyue me by my desyre I come to the surely gladly so that thou receyue me gladly as dyscyple of hym that henge in the For I haue alway worshyppid the and haue desyre the tembrace O thou crosse whyche hast receyued beaute and noblesse of the membres of our lord whō I haue so longe desyred and curiously loued and whom my corage hath so moche desyred and coueyted take me fro hens and yeld me to my mayster to th ende that he receyue me by the that redemyd me by the And in thys sayenge he dyspoylled and vnclad hym and gaf hys clothys vnto the bochyers And thenne they henge hym in the crosse lyke as to them was comanded And there he lyuyd two dayes and prechyd to twenty thousand men that there were Thenne all the company swore the deth of egeas and said The holy man and debounayre ought not to suffre thys Thenne cam theder egeas for to take hym doun of the crosse And whan andrewe sawe hym he said wherfore arte thou come to me Egeas yf it be for penaunce thou shalt haue it And yf it be for to take me doun knowe thou for certayn thou shalt not take me herof alyue For I see nowe my lord and kynge that abideth for me therwith they wold haue vnbounden hym And they myght in noo wyse touche hym For theyr armes were bynomen and of no power And the holy saynt Andrew sawe that the world wolde haue taken hym doun of the crosse he made thys oryson hangyng on the crosse as saynt Austyn saith in the boke of penaunce Syre suffre me not descēde fro this crosse a lyue For it is tyme that thou comande my body to the erthe For I haue born longe the charge And haue so moche watched vpō that which was comanded to me and haue so longe traueyllyd that I wold now be delyuerd of thys obedyence and be taken away fro thys agreable charge I remēbre that it is moche greuous in prowd beryng in doubtyng vnstedfast in nouryssyng And haue gladly laboured in the refraynyng of them Syre thou knowest how ofte the world hath entented to withdrawe me fro the purete of contemplacion how ofte he hath entended to awake me fro the slepe of my swete reste how moche and how ofte tymes he hath made me to sorowe And as moche as I haue had myght I haue resysted it ryght debonayrly in fyghtyng ayenst it And haue by thy werke and ayde surmounted it And I requyre of the Iuste and debonayr gwerdon and reward And that thou comāde that I not goo agayn therto but I yelde to the that whyche thou hast delyuerd me Comande it to another and empesshe me nomore but kepe me in the resurrection so that I may receyue the meryte of my labour Comande my body vnto the erthe so that it behoueth nomore to wake but late it be stratched frely to the whiche art fontayne of Ioye neuer fayllyng ¶ And whan he had said thys ther cam fro heuen a ryght grete shynyng lyght whiche enuyroned hym by the space of half an our in suche wyse that noman myght see hym And whan this light departed he yelded and rendryd therwith hys spyryte And maximilla the wyf of Egeas toke away the body of thappostle and buried it honnourably And or that Egeas was comen agayn to hys hows he was rauysshyd with a deuyl by the waye and deyed to fore them alle and it is said that out of hys sepulcre cometh manna lyke vnto mele And oylle whyche hath a right swete sauour and odour And by that is shewed to the peple of the contrey whan ther shal be plente of goodes For whan ther cometh but lytyl of manna Therthe shal brynge forth but lytyl fruyt And whan it cometh habundantly The erthe bryngeth forth fruyt plentyuously And thys myght wel happen of olde tyme For the body of hym was transported in to Constantynoble ¶ Ther was a bysshop that ledde an holy and relygyous lyf And louyd saynt Andrewe by grete deuocion and worshypyd hym aboue all other sayntes so that in alle hys werkys he remembryd hym euery day and sayd certayn prayers in thonour of god saynt Andrewe in suche wyse that thenemye had enuye on hym and sette hym for to deceyue hym with alle hys malyce ¶ And transfourmed hym in to the fourme of a ryght fayr woman And cam to the palays of the bysshop and sayd that she wold be confessyd to hym And the bysshop bad her to goo confesse her to hys penytaūcer which had playn power of hym And she sente hym word agayn that she wold not releue ne shewe the secretes of her confessyō to none but to hym And so the bysshop comanded her to come And she said to hym Syre I praye the that thou haue mercy on me I am so as ye see in the yeres of my yongthe and a mayde and was delycyously nourisshed fro my Infancye and born of ryal lygnage but I am come allone in strange habyte For my fader whyche is a ryght
myghty kynge wold gyue me to a prynce by maryage wherto I answere that I haue horrour of alle beddes of maryage and I haue gyuen my vyrgynyte to Ihesu cryste for euer ¶ And therfor I may not consente to carnal copulacion And in th ende he constrayned me so moche that I muste coÌ„sente to hys wyll or suffre dyuerse tormentes so that I am fled secretly away and had leuer be in exyle than to breke and corrupte my fayth to my spouse And by cause I here the preysyng of your right holy lyf I am fledde vnto you to your garde in hope that I may fynde with you place of reste where as I may be secrete in contemplacion and eschewe the euyl peryllys of thys present lyf and flee the dyuerse trybulacions of the world Of whyche thyng the bysshop meruayllyd hym gretly as wel for the grete noblesse of her lignage as for the beaulte of her body for the brennyng of the grete loue of god And of the honeste fayr spekyng of thys woman so that the bysshop answered to her with a meke playsaunt voys doughter be sure doubte nothyng For he for whos loue thou hast despysed thy self and thyse thynges shal gyue to the grete thynge In thys tyme present is lityl glorye or Ioye but it shal be in tyme to come And I whiche am sergeant of the same offâ—e me to the and my goodes And châ—se the an hows where it shal plese the And I wyl that thou dyne with me thys day And she answered and said fader requyre me of no suche thynge For by auenture somÌ„e euyl suspectyon myght come therof And also the resplendour of your good renomee myght be therby empayred to whom the bysshop answerd we shal be many to gydre and I shal not be with you allone And therfore ther may be no suspection of euyll Thenne they cam to the table and were sette that one ayenst that other And the other folke here and ther and the bysshop entendeth moche to her and behelde her alleway in the vysage and he merualled of her grete beaute And thus as he fyxed hys eyen on her hys corage was hurte And thauncyent enemye whan he sawe the herte of hym hurte with a greuous dart And this deuyl apperceyuyd it and began tencrece her beaute more and more in so moche that the bysshop was thenne redy for to requyre her to synne whaÌ„ he myght Thenne a pylgryme cam and began to smyte strongly at the yate oc dore and they wold not opene it thenne he cryde and knocked more strongly And the bysshop axed of the woman yf she wold that the pylgrym shold entre And she said men shold axe first of hym a question greuous ynowh and yf he coude answere therto he shold be receyuyd and yf he coude not he shold abyde wythout and not come in as he that were not worthy but vnwetyng And alle agreed to her sentence and enquyred whiche of them were suffysaunt for to put the questyon And whan none was founde suffysauÌ„t the bysshop said none of vs is so suffyssaunt as ye dame For ye passe vs alle in fayr spekyng and shyne in wysdom more than we alle propose ye the question Thenne she said demande ye of hym whyche is the grettest meruaylle that euer god made in lityl space And thenne one wente and demanded the pylgrym The pylgrym answerd to the messager that it was the dyuersyte and thexcellence of the faces of men For emonge also many men as haue ben sith the begynnyng of the world vnto th ende ij men myght not be founden of whom theyr faces were lyke and semblable in alle thynges And whan thanswer was herde alle they meruaylled and said that thys was a veray and ryght good answere of the question Thenne the woman sayde late the seconde question be proposed to hym whiche shal be more greuous to answere to for to preue the better the wysedoÌ„ of hym which was thys Whether the erthe is hyer than alle the heuen And whan it was demanded of hym the pylgrym answerd In the heuen Imperyal where the body of Ihesu cryst is whyche is the fourme of our flesshe he is more hye than all the heuen Of thys answere they meruaylled all whaÌ„ the messager reported it and praysed meruayllously hys wysedom ¶ Consequently she said the thyrde questyon whiche was more derke and greuous tassoylle for to preue the thyrde tyme hys wysedom and that thenne he be worthy to be receyuyd at bysshops table demande axe of hym how moche space is fro the abysme vnto the same heuen Thenne the messager demanded of the pylgrym And he answerd hym goo to hym that sente the to me and axe of hym this thynge For he knoweth better than I and can better answere to it For he hath mesured thys espace whan he fyl fro heuene in to the abysme And I neuer mesured it Thys is nothyng a woman but it is a deuyl whyche hath taken the forme of a woman And whan the messager herd this he was sore aferd and told to fore them all this that he had herde And whan the bysshop herde this and all other they were sore aferd And anon forthwith the deuyl vanysshyd away to fore her eyen And after the bysshop cam agayn to hym self and repreuyd hym self bytterly wepyng repentyng and requyryng pardon of hys synne And sente a messager for to fetche and brynge in the pylgryme but he fonde hym neuer after Thenne the bysshop assemblyd the peple and told to them the maner of this thynge And prayd them that they all wold be in orysons and prayers in suche wyse that our lord wold shewe to somme persone who this pylgryme was whyche had delyueryd hym fro so grete peryl And thenne it was shewde that nyght to the bysshop that it was saynt Andrewe whyche had put hym in thabyte of a pylgrym for the delyuerance of hym Thenne began the bysshop more and more to haue deuocion and remembrauÌ„ce to seynt Andrewe than he had to for ¶ The prouoste of a Cyte had taken away a felde fro the chyrche of saynt Andrewe And by the prayer of the bysshop he was fallen in to a stronge feuer And thenne he prayd the bysshop that he wold praye for hym And he wold yelde agayn the felde And whan the bysshop had prayd for hym and had hys helthe he toke the felde agayn Thenne the bysshop put hym self to prayer orysons and brake all the lampes of the chyrche and said Ther shal none of them be lighted tyl that our lord hath vengyd hym on hys enemye and that the chyrche haue recouerd that whyche she hath loste And thenne the prouoste was strongly turmentid with feures and sente to the bysshop by messagers that he shold praye for hym And he wold yelde agayn hys felde and another semblable Thenne the bysshop answerd I haue here to fore prayd for hym and god herd
flammes of the persecutoure he shewde to vs by the fyre of fayth that he ouercam thembracementes of the fyre of helle And by the loue of Crist not to fere the day of dome Thyrdly in brennyng loue Maxymyn and Ambrose seyn that saynt laurence enlumyned the world playnly of the same lyght that he was embraced with and chauffed the hertes of all crysten people by the flammes that he suffred by these thre thynges sayth saynt Maxymyn after the bookes of saynt Ambrose that we ben called to the feythe by thexample of saynt laurence and embraced to martirdome and chauffed to deuocion Thyrdly he was right excellent in constaunce and in strengthe And herof sayth saynt Austyn The blessid laurence dwellid in Ihesu cryste vnto the temptacion vnto the demaunde of the tyraunt And vnto the deth in whome thocasion was longe and by cause that he had well eten and well dronken he was fat of this mete And dronken of the chalyce soo that he felte not the tormentes ne eschewed them but succeded the Royamme of heuen he was so constaunt that he sette not by the tormentes but after that saynt Maxymyn sayth he was made more parfight in drede more ardaunt in loue and more Ioyous in brennyng For the fyrst it is sayd thus he was stretched vpon the flammes of the grete brondes of fyre and torned ofte fro that one syde to that other And how moche more he suffred of paynes so moche more he dradde god And of the second he sayth thus ¶ Whan the grayne of the mostard is grounden it chauffeth And whan Laurence suffred tormentes he was enflammed ageyne and tormented of a newe maner of merueylous tormentes And the gretter tormentes that the wood persecutours dyden the more deuoute was laurence to oure sauyour And as to the thyrd he sayth thus he was chauffed in the lawe of Ihesu Crist that by grete hyenes of courage he despysed the tormentes of his owne body that in hauyng Vyctorye of his woode tormentour he was Ioyous for to despyse it by the fyre Fourthly he was right excellent in the merueylous bataylle and in the maner of his vyctorye And as it apperith openly by the wordes of saynt Maxymyn and of saynt Austyn The blessid laurence had fyue brennynges withoute forthe whiche he al ouercam manly and extyncte them ¶ The firste was the fyre of helle The second mate ryall flamme the thyrdde carnal concupiscence the fourthe of brennyng couetyse And the fyfte of a mad wodenes The quenchyng of the first fyre that is of helle Maxymyn sayth It myght gyue no place of brennyng to the worldly fyre for to brenne his body whiche quenchyd the fire perdurable of helle he wente thurgh the fyre erthely and materyal of this world but he escaped and eschewed them the horryble flambe of the fire perdurable of helle The quenchyng of the second fire he sayth also he trauayled by bodely brennyng but the dyuyne ardoure quenchyd the materyal brennyng And yet sayth he how be it the euylle peple put vnder the fagottes woode for tencrece and make grete flamme Seynt Laurence esprysed by the hete of the feyth felte not the flammes And saynt Austyn sayth the charyte of Ihesu Crist may not be surmounted with flammes for the fire that brente withoute forth was more feble than that whiche he embracyd within forth And the quenchyng of the thyrd fire of carnall concupyscence sayth saynt Maxymyn saynt laurence passed thorugh the fire whiche he abhorryd beyng not brente but he enlumyned shone he brenned lest he shold brenne And by cause he shold not brenne he was brente Of the quenchynge of the fourthe fire that is of Auaryce of them that coueyte the tresours of whiche they be deceyued Sayth saynt Austyn thus A man coueytous is armed by double ardour of money and is enemy of trouthe his auaryce is for to stele gold And by his febonye he leseth oure lord He hath no thyng he prouffyteth no thyng humayne cruelte is withdrawen by his wyndes and câ—rporalle mater And laurence goth to heuen And he fayleth in his flammes Of the quenchyng of the fifthe fire that is of the furyous woodenes how that is to say furyous woodenes of the persecutoure was deceyued and brought to nought Seyth Seynt Maxymyn thus whan the woodenes of the mynystres of the flaÌ„mes was surmoÌ„ted he restrayned the brennyng of the worldly wodenes And tyll that tyme the deuyls entent prouffyted tyll that the trewe man ascended and mounted in to heuen gloryously vnto his lord god And he made to câ—le the cruelte of the persecutours confused all wyth theyr fires ¶ And sheweth that the woodenes of the persecutours was fyre whanne he sayde the woodenesse of the Paynyms maade redy a gredel of yron vppon the fyre strongly brennyng And that was done to th ende that he sholde auenge the fyres and grete heetes of indignacion And it was no wonder though he surmounted these thre grete fyres without forth For as it is had of the wordes of the sayd maxymyn he had within forth thre refroydours or coldes and bare in his herte thre fyres by whiche he assuaged by coldenes all the fyre with oute forth And surmounted with theÌ„bracynge of more fyre And the firste coldenes was the desyre of celestyalle glorye Che second was the remembraunce of the lawe of god And the thirde was the clennes of his conscyence By this treuble coldenes he quenchid alle the fyre withoute forth And he was cold of the fyrst refraydeur whiche is desyre of heuenly glorye as saynt Ambrose sayth the blessid Laurence myghte not fele the tormentes of fire in his entraylles whiche within hym posseded the refraidour of paradis Though the brente flesshe laye to fore the tyraunt and the body brente Neuertheles the body suffred no payne in erth whoos sowle and courage was in heuen Of the second coldenes or refraideur that is the remembraunce of the lawe of god he sayth thus whan he remeÌ„bryd to fore the commaundementes of Ihesu Cryst al was cold that he suffred Of the thyrde whiche is purete clennes of conscyence he sayth thus the right strong martir truly is brente in his entraylles but he sechyng the kyngdome of heuen enioyeth as a vaynqueur by the refroydour of the clennes of his conscyence And as saynt Maxymyn sayth he had thre fyres within forth by the whiche he surmonnted by embracyng al the fyres withoute forth The fyrst was the gretenes of the faith The second the ardaunt dilection The thyrdde the very knowlege of god whiche embracyd hym as fyre Of the first fyre sayth saynt Ambrose As moche as the brennyng of the feyth chauffeth hym so moche coled hym the flamme of the torment We rede in the gospell that the fyre of the feythe is the fyre of the sauyoure ¶ Theuangelyst sayd I cam in to the erthe to put fyre therin And with this fyre was saynt laurence embraced and felte not the brennyng of the
that the vyrgyn oure lady is assumpt in to heuen as wel in her body as in her sowle It is said in the same reuelacions that it was shewed to her that the xl day after the sowle departed fro her body she was so assumpt in to heuen also that when oure blessid lady spak to her she said After thascencion of our lorde an hole yere and as many dayes more as ben fro the assencion vnto her assumpcion she ouer lyued ¶ And also she sayd alle thappostles were at my departynge and buryed my body honourably And xl dayes after was reysed And thenne saynt Elyzabeth demaunded of her whether she shold hyde this thynge or that she shold manyfeste it and shewe it And she sayd It is not to be shewed to flesshely ne vnbyleuyng peuple ne it is not to be hyd to deuoute and crysten peple It is to be noted that the gloryous vyrgyne Marye was assumpt lyfte vp in to heuen entyerly Ioyously and gloryously She was receyued entyerly that is holly as the chirche byleueth debonayrly And that afferme many sayntes and enforce them to proue it by many reasons And the reason of saynt Bernard is suche he sayth that god hath made the body of saynt Peter and saynt Iames so gloryously to be honoured that he hath enhaunsed them by merueylous honour that to them is deputed place couenable for to be worshiped And alle the world goth to seke and offre to them Thenne yf the body of his blessid moder were on the erthe And not haunted by deuoute vysytacion of cristen men it shold be merueyll to here that god wold not haue done as moche worship to his moder and honoured as moche her body as the bodyes of other sayntes vpon the erthe Iherome sayth thus that the Vyrgyn Marye mounted in to heuen the xviij kalendas of septembre That he sayth this of thassumpcion of the body of Marye but the chirche wyl rather debonayrly byleue it than folysshly to doubte it And he preued it afterward that it is to be byleued that they that aroos with oure lord haue accomplysshyd their perdurable resurection wherfore shold not we say thenne that it is done in the blessid Vyrgyne Marye also many byleue that saynt IohÌ„n the euangelyst is gloryfyed in his flesshe with Ihesu crist And thenne moche more oure lady ought to be gloryfyed in heuen bothe body and sowle whiche sayth worshipe thy fader and moder And he cam not to breke the lawe but to fulfylle it And therfor he honoureth his moder aboue all other ¶ Seynt Austyn affermeth not thys only but he preueth it by thre reasons And the first reason is the vnyte and assemble of the flesshe of oure lord and of oure lady And sayth thus putrefaction and wormes is the reproche of condycion humayne whiche Ihesus neuer touched And the flesshe of Ihesu is out of this repreef the nature of marye is oute of therof For it is preued that Ihesu criste hath taken his flesshe of her ¶ The second reason is that the dygnyte of the body of her of whome hym self sayth this is the syege of god the chambre of oure lord of heuen and the tabernacle of crist she is worthy to be where he is soo precious a tresour is more worthy to be kepte in heuen than in erthe The thyrdde reason is parfyght entyernes of her vyrgynall flesshe and saith thus Enioye thou marye of honourable gladnes in body and in sowle In thy prppre sone And by thy propre sone thou oughtest to haue no harme of corrupcion where thou haddest none corrupcyon of vyrgynyte in chyldyng so grete a sone so thou whome he endewed with so grete glorye be alwey withoute corrupcyon and lyue entyerly whiche barest entyer hym that is parfyght of alle And that she be with hym whome she bare in her wombe and that she be at hym whome she chylded gaf sowke and norysshed Marye moder of Ilesu Crist admynystresse and seruaunt And by cause I may none other thyng fele I dare none other wyse say ne presume And herof sayth a noble Versyfyer thus Transit ad ethera virgo puerpera virgula Iesse Non sine corpore sed sine tempore tendit ad esse ¶ The vyrgyne that chylded mounted vnto heuen the lytel rodde of Iesse not withoute body but withoute tyme she entendeth to be there vyrgyne pure and uette ¶ Secondly she was assumpte and take vp gladly And herof sayth Gerard bisshop and martir in his Omelye The heuenes receyued this day the blessid vyrgyne The Angels were glad tharchangels enioyed The Thrones songen The domynacyons maden melodye The prynâ—ypates armonysed The potestateâ— harped Cherubyn and Seraphyn songen louynges and preysynges And bryngyng her with thankynges and laudes vnto the syege of the dyuyne and souerayne mageste Thyrdly she was lyfte vp in to heuen so honourably that Ihesu Crist hym self with al the strengthe of the heuenly company cam ayenst her Of whome saynt Ierome sayth Who is he that is suffysaunt to thynke how the gloryous quene of the world wente vp this day And how the multytude of the celestyall legyons cam ageynst her with grete talent of deuocion And with what songes she was brought vnto her sete And how she was receyued of her sone and embraced with peasyble chere and clere face And hou she was enhaunced aboue all other creatures And yet he sayth it is on thys day that the Chyualrye of heuen cam hastely for to mete with the moder of god and enuyronned her with greete lyght and brought her to her sete with preysynges and songes spyrytuel And thenne enioyed them the celestyall company of Ierusalem with soo greete gladnes that no man may recounte ne telle and made ioye and song alle enioyeng in charyte by cause that this feste is euery yere halowed of vs and made and contynued to all other And it is to byleue that the sauyoure hym self cam and met with her hastely And brought her with hym and sette her in her sete with greete ioye And how hadde he acomplysshed otherwyse that whiche he commaunded in the lawe sayeng honoure thy fader and moder ¶ Fourtly she was receyued excellently â— Seynt Ierom sayth this is the daye in whiche the Vyrgyn Mary not corrupte wente vnto the hyenes of the throne And she was there enhaunced in the heuenly kyngdome And honouryd gloryously syttyng next vnto Cryst And how she is enhaunsed in the heuenly glorye Gerard the bisshop reherceth in his Omelyes sayeng Oure lord Ihesu Crist may preyse this blessid Vyrgyne his moder as he dyd and magnefye soo that she be contynuelly preysed of that mageste and honoured And enuronned of the company of Angels enclosed with the turmes of Archangels posseded of the thrones gyrde about â—f the domynacions enuyronned with the seruyce of the potestates beclypped with thembracementes of the pryncipates enioyed with the honoures of the vertues obeyed with laudes and praysynges of the cherubyns and
be forgoten And sayth that Ihesu cryst ordeyned and disposed the lyf of his moder to be fynysshed he sent an Aungel acustomed whiche shewed to her to fore the demonstraunce of hir departyng that the deth shold not come sodenly and gyue to her tribulacion And she had prayd hym her sone face to face whan he was here in erthe that she shold not see ony wycked spyryte he sente thenne to her the angel to fore with these wordes It is tyme to take my moder with me And thus as thou hast replenysshed the erthe with ioye so make heuen to enioye Thou shalt rendre the mansions of my fader ioyous And thou shalt comforte the spyrytes of my sayntes Be not thou wrothe to leue the world corrumpable with hiâ— couetyses but take the celestyall palays Moder be not aferde to be taken fro thy flesshe thou that arte called to the lyf perdurable To Ioye withoute faylyng to the rest of pees to sure conuersacyon to refection not recordable to lyght not quenchable to day not euenyng to glory not recountable to my self thy sone maker of alle thynges for I am lyf perdurable loue not corrumpable habitacion not recordable lyght withoute derkenesse Bounte not estymable I yeue withoute tremblynge to the hertes ease None shalle rauysshe the oute of my hande For in my hande ben alle the endes of the world Delyuere to me thy body For I haue put in tâ—e my deyte or godhede The deth shal neuer haue ioye on the for thou hast borne the very lyght brekyng ne destruction shall not enuyronne the for thou hast deseruyd to be my vessel come thou anone to hym whiche is borne of the for to receyue the guerdons of the wombe of the moder the rewarde of thy mylk for my mete Come now fast hast the to ioyne the to me thyne only sone I knowe wel thou shalt not be coÌ„streyned for the loue of another sone than of me that sheweth the vyrgyn moder I shewe the a walle of stedfast fayth thou art an Arche of sauacion A brydge to them that flete A staff to the feble A ladder to them that go vp and mounte to heuen the moost debonayr aduocate for synnars I shal bryng thappostles to the of whome thou shalt be buryed ryght of their hondes For it apperteyneth to my spyrytuel childreÌ„ of lyght to whome I haue yeuen the hooly ghoost to burye thy body And that they accomplysshe in thy persone the seruyce of thy merueylous departyng oute of the erthe And after that the aungel had recounted these thynges he gaf to oure lady a bowhe of palme sente fro the plante of paradys in token of the vyctorye ageynste the corrupcion of deth and clothes of inmortalyte and whan he had al sayd he styed vp in to heuen fro whens he cam fro Thenne the blessid vyrgyn mary assembled her neyghbours and sayd to them I lete yow wete certaynly that I am at the ende of my temporell lyf shalle hastely departe wherfor hit behoueth that ye wake For to eueryche that shall passe oute of this world come gladly good angels and wycked spyrytes whan they herd this they began to wepe say Thou doubtest the syghte of the spyrytes whiche hast deserued to be moder of the maker of all thynges barest hym that robbed helle whiche hast deserued to haue the sete aboue Cherubyn Seraphyn how shalle we doo thenne and whyther shalle we flee there were a grete multitude of wymmen wepyng And sayd that she shold not leue them Orphanes And the blessid virgyn our lady said in comfortyng them ye that be moders of sones corruptyble maye not wel suffre to be a litel whyle thens fro your children how thenne ought not I to desyre to goo to my sone whiche am moder vyrgyn and he is only sone of god the fader and yf ye or ony of yow had but one sone ye wold desire to see hym be comforted in the lignage of hym I thenne that am not corrupt wherfor shold not I be desyrous to see hym whiche is lyf of al creatures and whiles they spak these thynges the blessyd saynt Iohan theuangelyst cam enquyred how the mater wente thenne whan our lady had told to hym of hir hasty departyng he fylle doun stretched to the erthe and sayd with wepyng terys O lord what ben we wherfor sendest thou to vs so many trybulacions Why hast not thou erst taken awey the sowle fro my body that I hadde ben better vysyted of thy blessid moder thaÌ„ I shold come to her departyng theÌ„ne the blessid virgyne bad hym wepyng in to her chambre And shewed to hym the palme and the vestymentes whiche the aungel had brought and after leid her doune in her bedde for to be there iyl her passyng and anone after cam a greete noyse of thonder whytter than snowe in whiche thappostles were brought to fore the yate of oure blessid lady lyke as it had rayned so fyll they doun one after another And as they merueyled of this thyng Iohan cam to them tolde to them what the angel had shewed to our lady And thenne they al wept and saynt Iohan comforted them theÌ„ne they dryed their eyen entryd in to the blessid vyrgyn salewed her honourably adoured she sayd to them My dere children god my sone kepe you all And whan they had told to her of their comyng she said to them all theyr estate And the appostles sayd Ryght honourable lady and vyrgyn we in beholdynge the ben gretely comforted lyke as we shold be in oure lord and maystre And we haue only comforte in oure self by cause we hope that thou shalt be medyatryce for vs vnto god And thenne she salewed Powle by name god saue the exposytour of my comforte how be hit that thou hast senâ— Ihesu Cryste in his Flesshe Neuertheles I am comforted sayd saynt Powle that I may see the in flessh And vnto this daye I haue prechyd to the peple that thou hast borne Ihesu Cryst And now I shall preche that thou art borne vp to heuen to hym And after the vyrgyn shâ—wed to hym that whiche thangel had brought And warned them that the lyghtes shold not be put oute tylle that she were departed And there were CC xx tapres And theÌ„ne she clad her with the clothe of mortalyte And salewed them alle And ordeyned her body to abyde in her bedde vnto her yssue and departyng And Peter stode at the hede And Iohan at the feet and the other Apostles were aboute the bedde and gaf laude to the vyrgyn moder of god And thenne Peter beganne the songe and sayd Enioye thou spouse of god in the chambres celestyall thou candelstyk of lyÈt withoute derkenes by the is shewed the euerlastyng lyght and clerenes The blessid Archebisstep of CoÌ„stantynople wytnessith that alle thappostles were assemblyd at the passyng of the blessid vyrgyne marye the right swete
was wouÌ„den and wrapped in a clene sudary and was leyd vpon the bed and lampes brente full bryght aboute her Oyggnementes gaf a grete and fragraunt odour the louynges and preysynges of angels resowned And thappostles other that were there songe dyuyne songes And the Arke of oure lorde was borne in to Mount of syon vnto the vale of Iosephat vpon the â— heedes of the Apostles And the Angels wente to fore some And somme folowed the body And other conueyed her And she was accompanyed of alle the plente of the chirche And some of the Iewes herd hit in their euyl malyce descended doune fro the Mount of syon one of them whiche was a membre of the deuylle ranne folyly vnto the holy body And assaylled it for to haue cast it to the erthe drawyng hit with bothe hys handes both his handes cleuyd to the bere were departed fro the body lyke as two staues had ben sawed of soo he was lyke a tronke til that fâ—yth chaÌ„ged his thought And he waylyng soroufully repented hym they tâ—at bare the bere taryed made that Iewe worshipe touche the holy body theÌ„ne cam his handes ageyne in to their fyrst estate theÌ„ne was the body borne vnto the vale of Iosephat ther it was emâ—raced kissed songes songen of holy â—ouynges preysynges ther were wepte many teres theÌ„ne that holy body was leid in the tombe honourably but her sowle was not left in helle ne her flesshe felte neuer corrupcion And they sayden that she was the welle whiche neuer was dygged the felde not â—red The vygne not cut tholyue berynge fruyte whiche shalle not be holden in the bosome of the erthe For hit apperteyneth that the moder be enhaunced with the sone And that she mounte to hym like as he descended in to her And that she that hath kepte her virgynyte in her childyng ought to see no corrupcion And she that bare the creatoure of alle the world in her bely ought to duelle in dyuyne tabernacles And that she whome the fader had taken to espouse were kepte in the chambres celestyalle And tho thynges that longe to the sone ought to be posseded of the moder And alle this sayd Iohan damascene ¶ Yet of thassumpcion of oure lady aftir saynt Austyn SAynt Austyn sheweth autentyckly in a sermon of the right holy assumpcion of oure blessid lady sayenâ— we that haue begoÌ„nâ— to speke of the body of the Vyrgyn perâ—urable of thassumpcion of her blessid sowlâ— We say thus Fyrst that we fynde nothyng of her wreton syth that oure lord hangyng on the Crosse commaunded her to his disciple sauf that Luke recordeth in his wrytynges sayeng that all they were by one courage perseueryng with the Vyrgyne Marye moder of our lorde Ihesu cryste what is thenne to saye of her deth and of her assumpcion Wherof the scripture remeÌ„bryth no thynge It is thenne as me semeth to be enquyred thynge whiche is acordynge to trouthe withoute whichâ— Auctoryte is nothyng we remembre the condicion humayne We doubte not to saye that surely she wente to temporall deth And yf we saye that she is resolued in to comyn putrefaction in wormes and in to asshes or dust It behoueth vs to weye and thynke suche thyng as apperteyneth to soo grete holynesse and to the seygnorye of suche a chambre of god We knowe wel that it was sayd to the fyrst fader thou art poudre and in to poudre thou shalt retorne but the flessâ— of Ihesu Cryst escaped fro this condycion For his flesshe suffred neuer corrupcion Thenne is excepte fro this generall sentence the nature taken of tâ—e Vyrgyne And god sayd to the woman eue I shal multyplye thy dyseases and thou shat bryng forth chyldren with payne and sorowe But marye suffred neuer suche dyseases of whome the swerde of sorowe perced 〈◊〉 sowle But Marye childed withoute sorowe And thenne yf she were ouyte and had no parte of sorowe in childyng thenne ought she not to haue paâ—te of dyseases ne of corrupcion â—ut she is excepte of somme other generalytees by cause that the dignyte gafe to her suche seygnorye And though we saye that she suffred deth yet is she not reteyned with the bondes of dethe yf oâ—re lord wold kepe his moder entyer and hoole and the chastyte of her vyrgynyte Wherfor may he not kepe hâ—r withoute corrupcion of stenche of rotynnesse It apperteyneth thenne vnto the debonayrte of oure lord to kepe thonour of hys moder whiche was not come to breke the lawe but to accomplysshe it And in his lyf had worshiped hâ—r to fore al other by the grace of her conceyuyng And therfor we ought well to byleue that he honoureth her at her dethe wyth synguler saluacion and of special grace And rotynes and wormes ben but reproche of humayne condycyon And whan Ihesu cryst is oute of thâ—t reproche the nature of Marye is excepted the whiche is the nature that he toke of her For the flessh of Ihesu cryste is the flessh of Mary the whiche he bare aboue the sterres in worshypyng man aboue nature and in worshypynge more his moder yf he be sone of the very moder Thenne is it couenable thynge that she be moder of the same sone Not as to the vnyte of the Persone but to the vnyte of bodyly nature yf grace withoute propyrte of especial teÌ„porell nature may make vnyte how moch more theÌ„ne may the grace of corporall and especiall natyuyte make vnyte of grace lyke as the disciples in Ihesu Crist of whome he sayth hym self that they ben one as we be And after he sayth Fader I wylle that where I am they be wyth me And thenne yf he wyll haue with hym them that ben ioyned soo wyth hym in the feythe and that they be Iuges with hym what shalle thenne be iuged of his moder Where is she worthy to be but in the presence of her sone Therfor I vnderstonde and byleue that the sowle of marye be honoured of her sone by a right excellent prerogatyf possedyng her body gloryfyed in Ihesu Crist whome she conceyued And why shold not she possede her body gloryfyed by whiche she conceyued For so grete an halowyng is more worthy to be in heuen than in erthe The sete of god the Chambre of oure lord and the worthy tabernacle of Ihesu Cryste ought and apperteyneth better to be there as he is than els where and soo right precious tresoure is more worthy to be in heuen than in erthe And by ryght no resolucion of rotynnes maye not folowe so grete entyernes of thyng not corumpable And by cause I fele not that the ryght hooly body be not delyuerd in to mete of wormes I doubte to saye it And by cause that the yefte of grace incomparable surmounteth gretely thys estymacion that I fele that the consideracion of many scriptures admoneste me to saye trouthe God sayth somtyme to his mynystres
slayne lefte theyr ydolatrye and submytted them anone to the Crysten faythe The second vyctory of saynt Mychell was whan he put out of heuen the dragon Lucyfer with all his folowers Of whiche is sayd in thapocalyps Factum est prelium magnum Apocalipsis dnodecimo For whanne Lucifer coueyted to be lyke to god tharchaungel whiche bare the baner of the celistyall hoost cam and chaced Lucifer out of heuen with alle them that folowed hym hath enclosed them in derke ayer vnto the day of dome For they be not suffred to duelle in heuen neyther in the vpper 〈◊〉 of thayer by cause that place is 〈◊〉 and delectable ne yet to be in erthe with vs to th ende that they shold not ouermoche tempte ne tormeÌ„te vs But they ben in thayer bitwene heuen and erthe soo that whan they loke vpward they maye beholde the ioye that they haue loste and haue therof grete sorowe And whan they loke donnward they may see the men mounte vp to heuen fro whens they fylle Notwithstondynge by the dyuyne dispensacion they descende ofte vnto vs in erthe As lyke hit hath be shewed to somme hooly men they flee aboute vs as flyes they ben Innumerable And lyke flyes they fylle thayer withoute nombre wherof sayth Haymo as the philosophers sayden and doctours haue oppynyon This ayer is also full of deuyls and of wycked spyrytes as the sonne bemes ben full of smale motâ—s whiche is smal dust or pouldre And how wel that they be soo many Neuer theles after the sentence of Orygene theyr power ne strengthe is but righte lytel and that we may ouercome them here And yf ony of them ben ouercomen of ony hooly man he may neuer after tempte a man of that vyce Of whiche he is ouercomen The thyrd vyctory is that Aungels haue euery day of the deuyls whanne they fyght for vs ageynst them And delyuer vs fro their temptacions and they delyuer vs in thre maners Fyrst in refreynynge the power of the deuyl lyke as it is sayd Appcalypsis visesâ—o of the angel that bonde the deuylle And sente hym in to Abisme that is the pytte of helle And Thobye whiche fayth that the Aungel Raphael bonde the deuylle in the ouerest deserde And this byndynge is none other thynge but the refraynynge of his puyssaunce myght Secondly he delyuereth vs in refraynyng our couetyse the whiche thyng is in genesis the xxxij chapitre there where he sayth that thangell took the synew of Iacob anone it dryed vp Thirdly in empressyng in our hertes the memorye of the passion of oure lord this is signefyed appcalipsis vij where it is sayd Ne woylle ye not greue ne noye in therthe ne in the see ne the trees till we haue marked them Ezechyel saith the signe of thau be in the forhedes of the peple Thau is made lyke an hedeles Crosse And they that ben marked ther with dreede not thangel smytynge wherof is sayd vp on whome ye see thau slee them not The fourth victory is that that tharchangel mychell shalle haue of Antecryst when he shal slee hym thenne mychael the grete prynce shalle aryse as it is sayd danielis xij he shal aryse for them that ben chosen as an helpar and a protectour shalle strongly stande ageynst Antecryst after as the glose sayth Antecryste shal fayne hym to be deed and shal hyde hym thre dayes after he shalle appiere sayeng that he is rysen fro deth to lyf the deuyls shall bere hym by arte magyke shal mouÌ„te vp in to thayer al the peple shalle meruayle worshipe hym atte last he shalle mounte vp on the mount of olyuete whan he shal be in a pauyllon in his syege entryd in to that place where our lord ascended Mychel shal come shal slee hym of whiche vyctorye is vnderstonden after saynt gregorye that whiche is sayd in thapocalipsis the batayll is made in heuen This worde of the treble bataylle in heuen is expowned of the batayll that he had with Lucifer whan he expulsid hym oute of heuen and of the batayll that he had with the deuyls that tormente vs And of this last solempnyte is said dedycacion by cause on this daye the sayd place in the Mount gargan was dedycate halowed of hym by reuelacion For whanne they of Syponte were retorned fro thoccision of theyr aduersaryes had so noble vyctorye yet doubted they to entre in to the said place halowe it to tharchaungel Thenne the bisshop wente axed counseylle of pope pelagyen And he ansuerd yf the chirche ought to be dedycate that ought to be on that day that the vyctorye was done And yf it plese other wyse to saynt Mychael men ought to requyre his wylle therof thenne thepope the bisshop men of the cyte fasted thre dayes saynt Mychel appiered to the bisshop and said It is no nede to yow to dedye halowe that I haue halowed commanded that he sholde entre in to that place the next daye with the people shold frequente hit with prayers and they shold fele that he shold be a specyal patrone to them he gaf to them a sygne of consecracion that was that they shold goo vp therto by a posterne toward the eest they shold fynde there the steppes of a maÌ„ impressyd in a marble stone theÌ„ne the bisshop on the morn moche grete peple cam to the place entryd in fonde a grete caue thre aultres of whiche two were sette toward the southe and the thyrd towarde the eest moche honourably was couerd al aboute with a rede mantel whan the solempnytees of the masses were done the peple had taken hooly communyon al retorned to their propre places the bisshop lefte there prestes clerkes for to synge say goodly the dyuyne offyce within the said chirche sourdeth clere water swete whiche the comyn peple drynketh ben heled therby of many dyuerse maladyes And whanne the pope herd these thynges he establysshed to halowe this day in thonoure of saynt Mychel of alle the hooly Aungels and to be kepte hooly thorugh alle the world ¶ Fourthly this solempnyte is sayd the Memorye of saynt Mychael how well that we alle solempnyse this feest in the honoure of alle the Archaungellys of oure Lord We doo the Memorye and the honoures generally And hit apperteyneth and is behoeffull to vs to gyue to them lawde praysynge and honour by manyfold reasons experte that is to wete For they ben our kepars oure mynystres oure bretheren our neyghbours the berars of our sowles in to heuen and representers of our prayers vnto god Ryght noble knyghtes of the kynge of heuen And perdurable comfortours of them that ben in heuynes and trybulacions And fyrst we ought to honoure them For they ben oure kepars wherfor we ought to worshipe them To euery man ben gyuen two Aungels One euylle for
praye for hym And whanne they had prayd a good whyle he felte hym self made parfyghtly hole And thenne he with alle the peple gaf thankynges to our lord almyghty god and saynt Edward for his delyueraunce Also a nonne of berkynge that had ben seke twelue monethes and nyghe consumed awey had a vision on a nyght by whiche she vnderstode that she shold go to saint Edword be hoole And she makynge her prayers to saint Edward and at suche tyme as her sekenes cam she entryd in to her oratory And said the seuen psalmes and letanye whan she dyd so twyes al her payne was gone was made parfiÈtely hole thanked almyghty god whiche by the merytes of saynt Edward had heled her soone after cam to westmynstre in pylgremage And there dide shewe this myracle told how she was made hole Also ther was a MoÌ„k of Westmynstre which was acustomed to saye euery day v psalmes in the worship of god saint Edward whiche Monke was greued with thre manere sekenesses For he had on his arme a congellacion of blood in manere of a postomme he hadde also in his breste a straytnes that vnnethe he myght drawe his brest Also he had in his foote a merueylous swellyng and a grete that he myght not goo but with grete payne And whanne the yerely feest was halowed he sawe his bretheren go to the chirche at mydnyght for to rynge the bellys And he was ryghte sory that he myght not doo the same Notwithstondyng he payned hym self and wente thyder said the seuen psalmes and whan he had done sawe his bretheren rynge meryly he sayd in his prayer to saynt Edward O thow my good kynge I beseche the to praye for me that I may haue strengthe to doo as I see my bretheren do For I commytte me fully to thy myght And I byleue veryly that thou wylt suffre me no lenger in this grete dysease And whan he had made an ende of his prayers he arose vp and went to the bellys for to rynge them And anone the postomme of his arme brake And whan the fowle mater was oute he felte hym self hole of that dysease Thenne his moost payne was in his breste and he wente ageyne to praye and to yeue thankynges to god and to saynt Edward of the delyueraunce of his postomme And there he prayd full deuoutely that he myght be delyuerd of the dysease of his breste whan he aroos fro prayer he felt his herte made all hole fro the sekenes that he had in his brest Thenne he felt no dysease but on his foote whan he come amonge his bretheren in the fraitour he told them hou he was delyuerd fro tweyne of his sekenesses when they sawe hym they meruayled gretely and besought almyghty god saynt Edward that he myght be delyuerd of that disese in his foote And at nyght whan he went to his bed he put hym self holy in the merites of saynt Edward And when he arose he felte no payne but put doune his hond to his fote to fele how it was he felte that the swellyng was gone he lepe out of his bedde told to his bretheren with ful grete ioye how he was made parfightly hole as euer he was Thenne they al were ful glad went with hym to the chirche to yeue thankynges praisynges to almyÈty god to his holy confessour saint Edward for these myracles for his delyuerauÌ„ce fro the ij sekenesses wherfor god be praised in his seruaÌ„t without end ameÌ„ Thus endeth the lyf of saint Edward kyng and Confessour ¶ Here foloweth of saint Luke Theuangelist And first of his name LUke is as moche to saye as arysynge or enhauncynge hym self Or Luke is sayd of lyght he was reysyng hym self fro the loue of the world and enhauncyng in to the loue of god And he was also lyght of the world for he enlumyned the vnyuersal world by holy predicacion And herof sayth saynt Maâ—hewe Mathei quinto ye ben the lyght of the world the lyght of the world is the sonne And that lyzt hath heyght in his sete or syege And herof sayth Ecclesiastes the xxvj Chapytre the sonne rysynge in the world is in the ryght hyhe thynges of god he hath delyte in beholdyng And as it is sayd Ecclesiastes vndecimo The lyght of the sonne is swete And hit is delytable to the eyen to see the sonne He hath swyftnes in his moeuyng as it is sayd in the second book of Esdre the fourthe chapytre The erthe is grete and the heuen is hyhe And the cours of the sonne is swyft and hath prouffyte in effect For after the philosophre man engendâ—th man and the sonne And thus Luke had hyhenes by the loue of thynges celestyalle delectable by swete conuersacion Swyftnes by feruent predicacion And vtylyte and prouffyte by consceypcion wrytynge of his doctryne ¶ Of saynt Luke euangelyst LUke was of the nacion of Syrye And Anthyochyen by arte of medycyne And after somme he was one of lxxij disciples of our lord Seynt Iheromme sayth that he was discyple of thappostles and not of our lord And the glose vpon the xxv chapytre of the booke of Exodi sygnefyeth that he ioyned not to oure lorde whan he prechyd but he cam to the faith after his resurection But it is more to be holden that he was none of the lxxij disciples though somme holde oppynyon that he was one But he was of ryght grete perfection of lyf moche well ordeyned as toward god And as touchynge his neyghbour as touchynge hym self and as towchynge his offyce in signe of these foure maners of ordenaunces he was descryued to haue four faces that is to wete the face of a man the face of a lyon the face of an oxe and the face of an egle eche of these bestes had foure faces foure wynghes as it is sayd in Ezechyell the fyrst chapytre And by cause it may the better be sene late vs ymagyne some beest that hath his hede four square in euery square a face so that the face of a man be to fore and on the ryght syde the face of the lyon on the lyft syde the face of the oxe behynde the face of thaygle by cause that the face of thaygle appyerid aboue thother for the lengthe of the necke therfor hit is sayd that this face was aboue and eche of these foure had foure pennes For whanne euery beest was quadrate as we may ymagyne In a quadrate ben foure corners and euery corner was a penne By these foure beestes after that sayntes sayen ben signefyed the foure euangelystes Of whome eche of them had foure faces in wrytyng that is to wete of humanite of the passion of the resurection and of the dyuynyte how be it these thynges ben syngulerly to synguler For after saynt Iheromme Mathewe is signyfyed in the man For he was syngulerly meued to speke of thumanyte
Fourthy by cause they ben put to their husbondes this excellence that virgynyte had as to the respect of thaccouplement of mariage appiereth by manyfold comparacion For maryage fylleth and swelleth the bely And virgynyte the mynde Wherof Augustyn sayth Vyrgynyte chesith to folowe more the lyf of angels in their flesshe than tencreace the nombre of mortal peple in their flesshe For it is more blessid and more plentyuous tencreace their mynde than to be grete with childe For somme haue Children of sorowe And vyrgynyte bryngeth forth Children of Ioye virgynyte replenyssheth heuen of children And they that ben maryed replenysshe the erthe And Iherome saith The weddynges fylle the erthe and vyrgynyte fylleth heuen that one is of grete besynes And this is of grete reste virgynyte is scylence of charge pees of the flesshe Redempcion of vyces and pryâ—cesse of vertues Mariage is good But virgynyte is better Seynt Iheromme saith to palmacyen the difference bitwene maryage and virgynyte saith they difference as moche as is bitwene not to synne and to do well or as I maye clerlyer saye as is bytwene good and better For maryage is compared to thornes And vyrgynyte to Roses And he sayth to Eustochium I preyse mariage for they engeÌ„dre virgyns I gadre fro the thornes roses gold fro therthe and oute of the shelle a precious margaryte or stone Fyfthly is shewed the dignyte and excellence of vyrgyns For they enioye many pryueleges For the vyrgyns shall haue the crowne that is callyd Aureola they only shalle synge the newe songe They shall be cladde with vestymentes of the same with Ihesu Cryst and ioye alwey with hym And they shalle folowe alwey the lambe The fourthe the laste this feest is establysshed for to Impetre and gete the sonner that thyng that we pray fore by cause that we honoure this daye alle the sayntes generally whiche also praye for vs all to geder And so they may the lyghtly er gete the mercy of oure lord for vs For yf hit be Impossible that the prayers of somme sayntes be not herd hit is moche more Impossible that the prayers of al shold not be herd And this reason is touched whan hit is sayd in the collette Desideratam nobis tue propiciacionis habundanciam multiplicatis intercessoribus largiaris lord gyue to vs by the multyplyed prayers of all thy sayntes the desyred habundance of thy debonayrte And the sayntes praye for vs by meryte and by effect by merite whan their meryte helpeth vs by effecte whanne they desyre our desyres to be accomplysshed And this do they not but there as they accomplysshe the wylle of oure lord And that on thys day alle the sayntes assemble them for to pray for vs It is shewed in a vysyon that happend in the second yere after this feste was stablysshed On a tyme whan the sextayne of saynt Peâ—â—r had by deuocion visited all the aulters of the Chirche And had requyred suffragies of alle the sayntes Atte last he cam ageyne to th aulter of saynt Peter And there rested a lytell and sawe there a vysyon For he sawe the kynge of kynges in an hyhe throne sit And alle the Aungels aboute hym And the blessyd virgyn of vyrgyns cam crowned with a ryght respleÌ„d ysshynge rowne And there folowed her a grete multitude of vyrgyns withoute nombre and contynentes also And anone the kynge arose ageynst her and made her to sytte on a sete by hym And after cam a man cladde with the skynne of a camell and a grete multitude of auncyent and honourable faders folowynge hym And after cam a man in thabyte of a bisshop and a grete multitude in semblable habyte folowyng hym And after cam a multitude of knyghtes without nombre whome folowed a grete company of dyuerse peple Thenne cam they all to fore the Trone of the kynge And adoured hym vpon their knees And thenne he that was in thabyte of a Bisshop beganne matyns and the other folowed And an Aungel whiche ladde this sextayne thus in the vysyon expowned this vysyon to hym and sayd that oure blessyd lady the vyrgyne was she that was in the fyrst company he that was cladde in the heyre of camels was saint Iohan baptyst with the patriarkes and prophetes And he that was aourned in thabyte of a bisshop was Peter with thappostles The knyghtes were the martirs And the other the confessours the which al cam to fore oure lord syttynge in his throne for to gyue to hym lawde and than kynges of thonour that was done to them in this world of the mortalle peple And prayd to hym for alle the vnyuersal world And after the Aungel brought hym in to another place and shewed to hym men and wymmen somme in beddes of gold other enioyenge in dyuerse delytes othir naked and poure and other beggyng And sayd to bym that this was the place of purgatory they that dwellyd there were the sowles they that habounded in welthe were the sowles of them whiche were socoured by theire Frendes by many aydes The poure were the sowles of whome theire executours and Frendes sette not by them ne dyde no thynge for them And thenne he commaunded hym that he shold shewe this to the pope that after the feste of all halowen he shold establisshe the commemoracion of alle sowles And that generalle suffrages temporall myght be done for them on the next day where they may haue none in speciall ¶ Thus endeth the solempnyte of al saintes ¶ Here foloweth the commemoracion of al soules THe memorye of the departynge of al Crysten soules is stablysshed to be solempnesed in the chirche on this day to th ende that they may haue generall ayde and comforte where as they may haue none specyall lyke as it is shewed in the forsayd reuelacion And Peter damyens saith that in Cecyll in the yle of wulcan saynt Odylle herd the voyces the howlynges of deuyls whiche complayned strongly by cause that the sowles of them that were deed were taken aweye fro their handes by almesses and by prayers And therfor he ordeygned that the feste and remembraunce of them that ben departed oute of this world shold be made and holden in al monasteryes the day after the feest of al holowen the whiche thyng was approuyd after of al holy Chirche And therof we may specially touche two thynges Fyrst of the purgacion of tho sowles And secondly of their suffrages Of the first is to be considered thre thynges Fyrst who ben they that ben purged Secondly by whome they ben purged Thyrdly where they ben purged It is to wete that there ben thre maners of them that ben purged The fyrst ben they that deye to fore er they haue done satisfaction of the penaunce that hath ben enioyned to hem Neuertheles yf they had so moch coÌ„tricion in the herte that it had suffysed tefface the synne they shold haue frely passyd to the lyf perdurable hou be it that
became locustes and he consumed in to a stone and thenne hir fader took hir by the heer and drewe hir doun fro the montayn and shytte hyr faste in pryson and maad hir to be kepte there by his seruauntes vnto the tyme that he had sente to the Iuge for to delyuer hir to the tormentes And whan the Iuge was aduertysed of the feythe and byleue of the mayde he dyd hir to be broughte tofore hym hir fader wente wich hyr accompanyed wyth his seruauntes thretenyng hir wyth his swerde and delyuerd hir vnto the Iuge and coniured hym by the puyssaunce of his goodes that he shold tormente hir with horryble tormentes Thenne satte the Iuge in Iugemente whan he sawe the grete beaute of saynt barbara he sayd to hir now chese whether ye wyl spare your self offre to the goddes or ellys deye by cruel tormentes Saynt barbara answeryd to hym I offre my self to my god Ihesu cryste the whiche hath created heuen erthe and al other thynges and fye on you deuylles whiche haue mowthe and can not speke they haue eyen and can not see they haue eerys and here not they haue noses and smelle not they haue handes and may not fele and they haue feet and may not goo they that make them be they made semblable to them and al they that haue fyaunce and byleue in them Thenne became the Iuge al wode and angrye and commaunded to vnclothe hir and bete hir wyth synewes of bulles frote hir flesshe wyth salte and whan she had longe endured thys that hyr body was al blody the Iuge dyd doo close hir in a pryson vnto the tyme thot he had delybered of what tormentes he myght make hir deye and thenne at mydnyght descended a grete light and clerenesse in to the pryson in whyche our lord shewyd hym to hyr sayeng barbara haue confydence and be ferme and stedfaste for in heuen in therthe thou shalte haue grete ioye for thy passyon therfore doubte not the Iuge for he shal be wyth the and I shal delyuer the fro al thy paynes that ony shalle make the suffre and Incontynent she was al hole thenne whan our lord had sayd thus he blessyd hir and re mounted in to heuen thenne saynt barbara was gretely reioysed by the grete comforte of our lord and on yâ— morne the Iuge commaunded that she shold to broughte tofore hym and whan she was come he sawe that hyr woundes apperyd not but was al hole and he said to hir beholde berbara the bounte of our goddes and how moche they loue the For they haue heled thy wouÌ„des Thenne the blessyd barbara marter of Ihesu cryst answerd to the Iuge thy goddes be semblable to the wythoute entendemente how may they hele my woundes they may not helpe them self he that hath heled me is Ihesu criste the sone of god the whiche wyl not haue the by cause thy herte is so Indurate harde wyth the deuyls thenne the Iuge replenysshed of yre commaunded that she shold be hanged betwene two forked trees and that they shold breke hir raynes with staues and brenne hir sydes wyth brennyng lampes and after he made hir strongely to be beten and hurted hir heed with a mayllet Thenne saynt barbara behelde and loked vpward to heuen sayeng Ihesu Cryste that knowest the hertes of men And knowest my thought I beseche the to leue me not Thenne commauÌ„ded the Iuge to the hangman that he shold cut of with his swerde hir pappes whan they were cutte of the holy saint loked ageyn toward heuen sayeng Ihesu cryst torne not thy visage fro me whaÌ„ she had longe endured this payne the Iuge commaunded that she shold be ladde betyng thorugh the stretes and the holy vyrgyn the thyrd tyme behelde the heuen and sayd Lord god that coueryst heuen with clowdes I praye the to couer my body to th ende that it be not seen of the euyl peple when she had maad his prayer our lord came ouer hir and sende to hir an auÌ„gel whiche cladde hyr wyth a whyte vestemente the knyghtes ladde hir vnto a towne called dallasyon there the Iuge commaunded â—o slee hir with the swerde theÌ„ne hir fader alle araged tooke hyr oute of the hondes of the Iuge and ladde hyr vpon a montayne and Saynt barbara reioysed hir in hastyng to receyue the sallayre of hyr vyctorye and thenne whan she was crawen thyder she made hir oryson sayeng lord Ihesu Cryste whyche hast formed heuen and erthe I beseche the to graunte me thy grace here my prayer that al they that haue memorye of thy name my passyon I praye the that thou wylte not remembre theyr synnes for thou knowest our fragylyte ¶ Thenne came there a voys doun fro heuen sayeng vnto hyr Come my spouse barbara and reste in the chambre of god my fader whyche is in heuen and I graunte to the that thou hast requyred of me And whan thys was sayd she came to hyr fader and receyued the ende of hyr marterdom wyth Saynt Iulyan But whan hyr fader descended from the montaygne a fyre fro heuen descended on hym and consumed hym In suche wyse that there coude not be fouÌ„de ony asshes of alle hys body Thys blessyd virgyne saynt barbara receyued marterdom with saynt Iulyan the second nonas of decembre A noble man called valentyne buryed the bodyes of thyse two marters and layed them in a lytel towne in whyche many myracles were shewyd in the louyng and glorye of god almyghty and saynt barbara the holy marter suffred passyon in the tyme of maxymyen emperour of Rome and marcyen the Iuge whome we praye and beseche to be our aduocatryce vnto almyghty god that by hyr merytes he brynge vs after thys shorte and transytorye lyf in to his glorye pardu rale am en Thus endeth the lyf of saynt barbara ¶ Here begynnneth the lyf of saint Alexys ALexys is as moche to say as goyng oute of the lawe of maryage for to kepe vyrgynyte for goddes sake and to renouÌ„ce alle the pompe and rychesses of the world for to lyue in pouerte ¶ Of saint Alexis IN the tyme that archadyus and honnoryus were emperours of rome there was in rome a right noble lord named eufemyen whyche was chyef and aboue alle other lordes aboute themperours and had vnder his power a thousand knyghtes ¶ He was a moche Iuste man vnto alle men and also he was pyteous and mercyful vnto the poure For he had dayly thre tables sette and couerd for to fede the orphanes poure wydowes and pylgrymmes and he ete at the houre of none wyâ—h good relygyous persones Hys wyf that was named Agbaes ledde a relygyous lyf but by cause they had noo chylde they prayed vnto god to sende them a sone that myght be theyr heyre after them of theyr hauoyr and goodes Hyt was so that god herde their prayers and beholde theyr bounte
men the sonday whan Machomete was enryched wyth the rychesses of thys wydowe cadygam He mounted in soo grete folye of thought that he thoughte to vsurpe to hym the royame of arabye whan he sawe he myghte not doo it by vyolence and also that he was despysed of his felawes which had been alweye grete wyth hym Thenne he fayned hym to be a prophete them that he myght not drawe to hym by myght he drewe to hym by fayned holynesse thenne he beganne to byleue the counceyl of that Sergyus whyche was a moche subtyl man and enquyred alle that he shold do secretelye reported it to the peple and callyd hym gabryel thus machomete in faynyng hym self to be a prophete helde alle the seygnourye of alle that peuple alle byleueden by theyr gremente or for fere or for doute of swerde that thyng is no more trewe thenne that whyche is sayd of the dowue and is more to be holden and by cause that thys Sergyus was a monke he wold that the sarasyns shold vse the habyte of a monke that is to wete a gowne without an hood and in the gyse of monkes they shold make many knelynges and that they shold adoure ordynatelye And by cause that the Iewys worshyp toward the weste and the crysten men toward the eest therfore he wold that hys peple shold adoure toward the southe And so doo yet the sarazyns and machomete publisshed to them many of the lawes that the sayd Sergyus taughte hym and toke many of moyses lawes for the sarasyns wesshe them ofte and specyally whan they shold praye for thenne wolde they wesshe al theyr membres of the body by cause they shold praye the more clâ—ne and in theyr prayeng they confessyd one onely god to whom is none lyke and they sayd that machomete is his prophete and they faste euery yere an hole moneth and whan they faste they ete no thynge but in the nyght and faste alle the day and as sone as the day cometh as whan they may dyscerne blacke fro whyte they begynne to faste and faste tyl the soÌ„ne be doun and nyght in that whyle none of them dare ete ne drynke ne haue to doo wyth his wyf but they that ben seek be not constrayned to thys It is also commaunded to them that ones a yere they shold come vnto the hows of god for to adoure and in vestementes wythout seme to goo aboute and caste stones bytwene theyr thyes for to stone the deuyl therwyth Whiche hows they say that adam made for alle his chyldren for to praye in and lefte it to habraham and Ismahel and atte laste it was lefte to machomete and to alle hys people They myght ete alle maner of flesshe saufe swynes flesshe and blood and flesshe that had be strangled or founde deed Eche man myght haue foure wyues wedded attones and refuse repudye thre tymes and take them ageyn but not the fourth tyme and he myghte haue nomore than foure wyues lawfully but he myght haue concubynes and suche wymmen as many as he may bye as many as he myght kepe and them he may selle but yf she be wyth chylde and it is graunted to them that they may haue wyues of their owne lygnage that their kynrede may be the strenger emonge them in frend shyp and as to theyr possessyons he that demaundeth must haue wytnesses to preue his demaunde and the defendaunte shal be byleuyd by his othe whan they be founde in aduoultrye they be stoned bothe to gyder whan they doo fornycacion they shal haue four score lasshes machomete said that thaungel gabryel had shewed to hym that it was graunted to hym of our lord that he myght goo to other mennes wyues for to engendre men of vertu and prophetes and one of hys seruauntes had a fayre wyf and he defended and forbadde his wyf that she shold not speke with his lord machomete on a day he fonde hir spekyng wyth hym and thenne anone he put hyr from hym and machomete receyued hyr and sette hyr emonge hys other wyues and thenne he doubted the murmure of the peple and fayned that a wrytyng was sente to hym fro heuen in whiche was wryton yf ony man repudyed his wyf that he that receyued hir shold haue hyr to hys wyf whyche thynge the sarasyns kepe for a lawe vnto thys day A theef that is taken emonge them is beten the first and second tyme The thyrd tyme his hande is cutte of The fourth tyme his foot is smyton of hit is forboden to hem to drynke wyne as they afferme our lord hath promysed paradys to them that kepe thyse lawes and other that is to wyte a gardyn or a place of delyces enuyronned with rennyng water In whiche paradys they shal haue setys pardurable ne they shal haue neyther ouermoche hete ne colde they shal vse ete al maner metes what someuer they desyre they shal anone fynde redy tofore them they shal be clad in clothes of sylke of al colours they shal be conioyned to right fayr virgyns alwey they shal be in delices thauÌ„gels shal come as botyllers with vessels of golde syluer shal gyue in them of golde mylke in them of syluer wyn and they shal saye to them ete drynke in gladnes machomete sayth they shal haue thre flodes or ryuers in Paradyse that one of mylke that other of hony and the thyrd of ryght good wyne wyth ryght precyous espyces And that they shal see there ryght fayre aungellys and so grete that fro that one eye to that other is the space of a day iourneye vnto theym that byleue not to god and machomete as they afferme is ordeyned the payne of helle wythout ende and to them that in what someuer synne haue synned and been bounden therin yf in the honour of theyr dethe they byleue in god and to Machomete in the day of dome whan machomete shal come they shal be sauyd and the sarasyns enuoluped in derkenesse afferme that machomete the false prophete to haue had the espyryte of prophecye aboue alle other prophetes and they saye that he had ten aungellys obeyssaunte to hym whyche kepte hym And they say yet that tofore god created heuen and erthe the name of machomete was tofore god and but yf machomete shold not haue been heuen ne erthe ne paradys had neuer be made Also they lye sayeng that the mone came to hym whome receyuyng in to his bosom he departed in to two partes and after ioyned them ageyn to gyder ¶ And they saye that there was a lambe of flesshe offryd to hym whyche spake vnto hym and sayd be ware that thou ete me not For there is venym wythin me and yet neuer thelesse after certeyn yerys there was venym gyuen by whyche he deyed ¶ But now late vs retorne to the historye of the lombardes for thenne the lombardes were moche contrarye to the chyrche