wyth iii other men beiÌ„g the same day and oure of the passyng of saynt Ierome in the cyte of turon saw auision lyke vnto myn of whiche the same seuere wytnessyth to me for that the hye ioye of ierome shuld not be hidde to the worlde lest they y t haue delite to folow the steppes of his holinesse if they knew not y t he hath so gret reward they might wax wery cesse fro the wey of holynesse god wold that they shulde see know how many worthy rewardes of holynesse he hath yeuyn vn to hym that they shuld the more surely drawe aster the steppes of hys vertue for the hope of reward lassyth the strengthe of labour The day of sainte ieromes passyng at complyn tyme The sayd seuere was in hys hous thre other good men with him of whyche tweyn were monkes of saint martyns monastery entendyng to holy redynges sodenly they herd in heuyn in erthe and the eyre innumerable voyces of moste swete songes vnherde vnspekable the soun of organs Symphans and of instrumentis of alle musike with the whiche as theym semed heuyn and erthe and alle thynges souned in euery syde so that with swetnesse of that melodye they re soules wer in point to goo out of theyr bodies And thus astoned they loked vy in to the ayer in to heuyn saw alle the ayre and al that is about the firmamente shine with light brighter than the soÌ„ne out of which com we swetnesse of all swete odoure And then they prayed god that they myght knowe why alle this was Than ther come a voyce out of heuen and said late no merueille meue yow nor thenketh it not merueueilloê° though ye see and here suche thynges for this day kyng of kynges and lord of lordes cryste Ihesu comyth festefully ayenst the soule of glorious ierom in Bethleem goyng out of this wicked world to lede hym vp in to the kyngdome of heuen soo moche the more excelleÌ„tly and hye tofore other as he shyned to fore other in this world by merites of more hie holy liuyng Thys day the ordres of auÌ„gelles ioyeng syngyng with suche voices as ye here come wyth theyr lord Thys day al the companyes of patriarkis prophetis This day all holy martyres This day al confessours and this day the glorious most blessyd virgine marie moder of god with alle holy virgins aboue heueÌ„ the soules of al that be in blis come ioyfully and festefully ayenst the contre man they re cytezin and heyre of heuyn with theym This thynges said the voyce was styl but the lyght odour and songe abode an oure after and so cessyd By thys thynges here is it shewed that he is one of the hyghest cytezyenes of heuenly iherusaleÌ„ noo man doubte but that as his wyll is more nere to goddis wille so he may gete there what he wylle rather thaÌ„ other ¶ How saint Iohan baptiste and seint ierome appeyred to saint austyn in a vysion NO man thynke that I am so hold to say that saynt ierome is better than saint iohan baptiste for as our sauiour berith witnesse noone is more than he ne that ierome is in the blisse of heuyn to fore peter and paule and other appostols that wer specyally chose halowed of Cryst hym self yet though resone for bede to sey that Ierome shuld haue more glorye in heuyn than they I see no reson why hyt shuld not be lefull to saye that ierome is in heuyn blyssed with theym while he is not discording fro them in holynesse And sith god is not acceptor of persoÌ„s but he discerneth the merites of eche person he yeueth to eche as they deserue yf it seme that ierome shuld haue lesse ioye than iohan baptiste and other aposteles yet the merites of his holynesse the greues of his labours the bokis of his writyng the translacion of bothe lawes The ordynaunce of diuine seruice the frutis and profitis of goodnesse that he dide not only to al that be nowe but also to them that be to comen seme to preue that ierome is euyn lyke to them in blysse But leste that I make a suaar of scorniÌ„ge to some that wold deme that for carnalle affection where through a man may lyghtly erre from trouth or for vncoÌ„nyng of my self I lykened glorious ierome to saint iohan baptiste or other apostoles I clepe god to wytnesse that I shall telle a thynge that I lerned neuer of man but by the reuelacion of almyghty god that hiheth and magnifieth hys chosen the fourth nyght after his passing whan I thought desirously vpon the praysinges of most blessyd ierome beganne to wryt a pistelle therof vnto the about midnight whan the slepe cam vpon me there befille me a meruerueillous visyon there come vnâ—to me a grete multitude of aungellis and among them were tweyne men without comparison brighter than the sonne so lyche that ther semed no difference safe the one bare thre crownes of gold sette full of precyous stones on hys hede And the other but tweyne bothe they were cladde with mantels most white and fayre all woue with gold precious stones They were so fayre that no man may imagyne it They bothe com nere vnto me and stode styl in scylence whaÌ„ he that hadde iii crownes seyde vn to me these wordes Austyn thow thynkest what of trouth thow sholdest say of Ierome And after longe thynkyng thow wyste neuer Therfore we be come bothe vn to the to telle the blysse Sothely thys my fellaw whom thow seese is Ierome whiche is euyn to me In alle wyse in gloire as he was euyn to me In leuyng that I may he may that I wylle he wyll And as I se god so seeth he god knoweth god and vnderstandeth god in whom is alle blessidnesse of saynetes None saynt hath more or lasse blysse than other but in asmoche as oon hath more clere contemplacyon aud syght than other of the fayrenesse of god That crowne that I bere more than he is the aurealle of martyrdome by whyche I ended my bodyly lyfe For thaughe Ierome for the traueylles disseses penaunces and afflâ—ccyons wordes and repreues and other greuous thiÌ„ges whiche he sufred Ioifully for cryste And so beyng a verray martyre hath not the rewarde of martyrdome yet he ended not his lyfe by the swerde he hath not the aurealle that is gyueÌ„ in tokeÌ„ of martrydome The other crownes that bothe he and I haue are the aureall that are dew only to virgins and doctours by whyche they are know from other Than Aunsuerd and said who art thow my lord he sayd I am Iohan Baptiste that am come downe to teche the of the gloyre of Saint Ierome that thow telle it to other people for know thow y t wourshipe that is to doo to ony saincte is do to alle sainctes for there is none enuye there as is in the worlde where eche man seketh rather to be aboue
of other wonders that be do ther eche day merueillously as I here by contynual relacion I praye the ryght dere fader that whan thou maist haue laiser thou woldst gader as many of theym as thou may sent theym vnto me that am so desirous to here of so worthi dedis and so profitable How saint ierom the same houre that he deyed appeired vn to saynte austyn THat the merites of moost holy Ierome be not hydde I shall telle that be felle me thorgh goddes grace the same day of his passinge for the same day our y t the holy ierome dide of the cote of filthe and of vnclenesse was clad with a clothiÌ„g of ioye of vndedlynesse while I was in my self theÌ„kynge besili what glorie mirthe was in the blessed soules that ioie with criste desiryng to make ther of a short tretis as I was pÌ„ied I toke penne Inke to write a pistell therof vn to moste holy ierome y t he sholde write ayen to me what he felt in this matiere for I know well that in so harde a question I myght not be lerned so euydentli as of hym of no man a lyue whan I beganne to write that begynnyg of my lettre sodeÌ„ly an vnspecable light with ameruilous swetnesse of swete smel eÌ„trid in to my selle at coÌ„plyne tyme whan I sey hit I was so gretli stoned y t I loste my streÌ„ght bothe of herte body I wiste not yet than y t the meruillous hande of god eÌ„hauÌ„sed his seruauÌ„t from corupcioÌ„ of the bodi araied him so hie a sete in heuen but for my eyeÌ„ had neuer sen suche a light my smellyng had neuer felte suche a sauor I was gretly a stonyed of so vnherde meruailes And whyle I thought my self what it myght be A none ther sowned a voyce oute of the lyghte sayng thise wordes AVstyn Ausyn what sekeste Troweste thow that all the see shal be put in alitelle vesselle Or weneste thow to close alle the erthe in a lytell fyste Or to lete the firmament from contynualle menyng Or to lete the see of yys wonte cours That neuer mannes yeen myght see shale thou se Or thynne ere here that neuer mannes herde weneste thow to mowe understande that neuerman myght vnderstonde nor myght thynke what shal be the ende of an endeles thynge what shal be the mesure of a thyng that may not be mesured Rather shal alle the see be spered in a lytel pytte Rather shall the erthe be holde in alytel fyste Rather shalle alle the see of ebbyng flowyng cece than thow shuldest vnderstande the lest parte or porcion of the Ioyes blysse that blyssed sowles of heuen haue withowt ende bnt yf thow were taught by experyence and tastyng of the same blysse as I am Therfore trauail thow not to do thinges that be inpossyble tylle the ende of thy lyf be come Seche thow not here the thynges that may not be know but of them that be in blysse But rather trauaille thow to do suche dedis that thow may be in posession ther of suche thinges as thow desirest to knowe her for they that euer entre theder go neuer ayen than I al astoned for drede withowt strength of herte toke to me a lytel boldenesse and seid who arte thow that droppest so swete wordes in to my throte I am he sayd Ierome prest to whom thow haste begonne to wryte apistell I am his soule that this same oure in bethlem leuiÌ„g the burdon of the flesshe am Ioyned vn to criste felawe wyth al coÌ„panyes of heuen clad in light arayied with the stole of vndedeli blisse goo on to the enerlasting blisse in the kyngedome of heuenes and from hens forthe I a byde in no lassing of ioie but moring whaÌ„ i shal be ioined aien to the bodi hit shal be glorified the glorie y t I haue now alone I shal haue then with the body in the day of the resurecxioÌ„ we shal be rauished vp iÌ„ to the eier to mete with crist austen not cesiÌ„g auÌ„swerd thow worthiest of men to be thy foteman but haue minde on thy seruaunte though I be most vnworthy whome thou louedeste in the world with so gret affectoÌ„n of charite that by thy prayer I may be clensed of synne by thy gouernauÌ„ce I may go without stombelynge in the righte way or vertue by thy besy defence I may be defeÌ„ded fro my eÌ„mies by thy holy ledyng I may come vnto the hauen of helthe now like it the to aÌ„suer me to soÌ„thinges y t I shal aske the than laid the soule ask what thou wilt knowing y t I shal ansuer to al thy wil than I said I wold wyt if the soules y t be in heuyn may wille ony thyng y t they may not gete The soule ansuered Austin know thou one thinge y t the soules in that heuenly blisse are made so sure stable that ther is no wil in them but goddis wille for they may wil goddis wil fulfille it non of vs is defrauded of our desires aieÌ„st our wil for non of vs desireth ony thing but god for we haue god alwey as we wil our desires ar al wey fulfilled for we abyde ê‘fitely in god he in vs O fader ciril it were to loÌ„g to writ in this short pistyl al thinges that y e glorious soule aÌ„suerd made knowen to me but I hope with goddis helpe after few yeres to com to bethlem to visite his holi relikes than to declare more opeÌ„ly y t I herd haue write if I shuld spek with the tonges of al men I might in no wise worthly expÌ„ss how sodeÌ„ly how openly how merueillously y t holy soule abidinge with me many oures expressid vnto me the vnyte of the holy trynyte ¶ and the trinyte of vnite ¶ And the generation of the sone of the fader and the goyng forth of the holy gost from the fader and the sone the ierarchies and ordres of angellis and of blissed spirytes theire ministracion and the blyssed ioyes of holy soules other thinges ê“fitable and harde to mannes vnderstondyng and after this the light vanyshed from myn eyen But the swete smelle abode many dayes after â–ª how merueillous therfore is this man doyng so many merueillys shewing to men so vnwont wonders therfor to hym crye we ioye we And yeue glorie vnto his praysyng for certaynly he is worthy all praysynge we are not sufficient to prayse hym for he is entred in to the house of our lord bright most fayre wher without doubte he hath an euerlastiÌ„g seet a mongest the hiest mansyons of blisse ¶ How foure other meÌ„ had a visyon of saint ierome in the oure of his deth But for the trouth shuld be declared moo witnes than oon I wil conferme more plainly the trouthe of this thinge A worthy man called Seuere excellent in wisdom coÌ„nyng
than to be vnder Not so In heuen but there eche sawle is alle glad of others Ioye and blysse as yf he had it hym self wherfore the Ioye of eche is the Ioye of alle And the Ioye of alle is the Ioie of eche whan thes thynges were sayd that blessyd companye went there wayes And I awoke of that swete slepe and felte in me so grete feruour and brennyng of loue and charite that I felt neuer so moche to fore And from thens forthe was there none appetyte in me of enuye or of pryde as was to fore God is my wytnesse that there is so moche feruor of charyte in me that I Ioye more of anothers good than of myne i desire more to be vnder than a boue eny I sey not thys for to gete me vayne praisyng But for no maÌ„ shulde wene that these were vayne dremes where by we are ofte scornyd but a trewe vysyon by whyche we are other whyle taught of god preyse we therfor god and hys saynctes Preyse we most holly ierome that dyde grete thynges in his lyf and hath receyued grete thynges in hys dethe ¶ Man owht not be sleuthfull to peryse hym whom god hath manyfyed Nor wene to manne to doo wronge to sayinct Iohan and to the appostles Euenyng Ierome vn to them for they wold gladly yf they myght yeue hym of they re glorye Therfore thow that worshipeste saynct Iohan and the Appostles wurship also saint Ierome For he is euyn vn to theym in all thynges sykyrly therfore wyth out dred knowleche we wyth deuocyon that Ierome is euyn vn to Iohan For yf we sey he is lasse than Iohan we do derogacyon vn to Iohan ¶ This tretys of praisyng of ierome I seyd vn to the Fader Cirylle prayng that thow scorned not my lytle wytte Sith that thow wylt rede thys praysynges y t I haue seid of charyte yf alle tonges of alle men shulde praise hym thei ware not suffycient wurshipfulle fader haue mynde on me synner whan thow stondest on the place where the body of ierome lyeth commende me to hym wyth thy praiers For no man doute but what euer ierome desireth in heuen he may gete it for he may in no wyse be deffrawded of his desyre farewelle fader and praye for me ¶ Here endith the pystyl of saynct Austin vn to cirille and here begynneth the pistel of the same cyrille bysshope of Ierusalem vn to sainct Austyn of the Miracles of sainct Ierome And firste how thre dede men where areised an heresye destroyed by seynt Ierome TO the worshipful man worthiest of bisshoppes Austin Bisshoppe of ypon Cirille Bisshoppe of Ierusalem lowest of alle Prestes Sendyth gretyng ¶ And to folowe hys steppes whos holynesse cessith not to shyne In erthe y t is to say of gloryous Ierome whos mynde is hadde euerlastyng And how worthy he is thow woste wel thy self for thâ—w vsedst ryght myche his spekyng and doctryn But I to speke of hym sith I am in all wyse wycked and vnworthy I holde it to moche boldenes But yette for thy charite compelleth me to write to the somme meruellous myraâ—les that god liste to doo by hym in oure dayes to shew hym glorious to the worlde And to all folke trustyng in thy prayers I toke it on hande shortly I shall telle few of many And firste I begynne at one holi man Eusebye discyple of the same Ierome after the dethe of moste gloyrious Ierome ther rose an heresye Amongest the Grekys whyche come to vs that be of latiÌ„ tonge whyche heresye laboured to preue by wycked resons that alle saued saules shulde not comme to the sight and knowliche of god in whyche is alle blysse tylle that day of dome when they shul be Ioyned ageyn to the body And also that dampned saules shulde haue no payne tylle that day their reson was this For lyke as the saule wyth the body hadde do welle or yuelle â–ª so wyth the body it shulde receyue mede or payne They seide also that ther was no place of purgatory wher soules that hadde not doo fulle penance for theyr synnes shulde be purged And whaÌ„ thys wycked secte encresid we were sory y t vs yrked to lyue eny leuger than I gadred to gyder alle oure byshoppes and enioned theym fastings praiers that the power of god shulde not suffer his fayth so to be troubled A merueylous thyng and in happes not seyn to fore thre daies of fastynge and prayers fulfylled gloryous Ierome Apperynge on the nyght followynge to his dere sone Euseby to forseid in his praiers wyth benygne speche comforted hym and sayd drede the not of this wicked secte for hit shalle sone haue an ende then euseby loked on hym he shone with so moche brightnesse that no mans eye myght loke vpon him but wepyng for ioie euseby myght vnnethe speke but as he myght he cried And saide thow art my fader Ierome and ofte rehersyng thes same wordes he said fader why for sakest me why despysed thow my companye Certayn I shal holde the And not leue the nor thou shalt not goo withoute thi sone he sayde I shalle not leue the be comforted for the xx day after thowe shall folowe me And be wyth me in ioie without ende But say to Cirille and to his brethern that they alle And to alle Clerkes that be men of trewe crystyn feyth and also alle that be of the tothere secte come the morowe to geder to the chirche of oure lorde where my body lyeth And make thou the bodyes of thre men that are this nyht dede in the cyte to be brought vn to the place where my body is huryed And thow shalt ley vppon theym that sacke that I vsyd to were and anone they shal aryse And groundely dystroye thys beresye Than gloryous Ierome bade hym fare well and apperyd no lenger on the morow worshipfull fader Euseby came vn to me that was than at bethlem and tolde me alle that he hadde seyn And I doyng thanke to god and to gloryous ierome dyde brynge the thre dede bodyes to vs alle gaderyd to geder in the place where oure sauyour was borne of the clene vyrgyne marie where also lyeth the body buryed of gloryous Ierome O meruellous mercy In how many worshyppes canne he enhaunce hys saynctes In this tyme men of euell secte scorned men of ryght byleue But beth gladde alle men of Ryght faythe and prayseth god in voyce of Ioyenge For ye haue receyued mercy in myddes of his temple The worshipfulle man Euseby come to the bodyes of eche one of these dede bodies of men and knelyng on his kneys and holdyng vp his handes to heuen he prayed alle men heryng And seyd God to whome no thynge is Inpossible no thinge greuous that doest grete merueilous alone and dispisest none that hopeth in the Send to vs vertue of thy grace and strengthe and here the prayers of thy trwe seruantes
man a lyue knew the paynes by experyence he sholde rather chese to be tormented vn to the ende of the worlde without remedye with alle the paynes to geder that alle men suffred from Adam tylle now than be tourmented a day in helle or in purgatoyre wyth the leste payne that is there And thetfore yf thow aske me the cause of my grete wepyng it is for drede of paynes that are ryghtfully yeue vn to synners for I know wel that I haue synned ayenste god And I dowte not but that he is ryghtwis And therfore merueylle not thoughe I sorowe But rather thow oweste to be gretly merueylled why men that wote wel they shalle dye Atte the leeste by experyence of other lyue heer in grete sikyrnesse and thynke not how escape so grete paynes At these wordes I was so touched wyth inwarde sorowe so that vnnethe I myght speke and I sayde Allas what is thys that I heere But I pray the telle me what difference is there be twyxe the paynes of helle and of purgatore he saide there is no difference in gretnesse of paynes but in o wise ther may be difference for the paines of helle abydeth no ende but monyng at the day of dome whan the bodyes shal be tormented with the sowles and the paine of purgatoire hathe an ende for after they haue doo her penaunce there they shal be take vn to endlenes Ioye I asked be they that are in purgatoure tourmented alle I lich or ellis diuersly he sayd dyuersly somme more greuously and soÌ„me more eisely After the quantite of the synnes for in heuen alle blessid sawles be holde the face of god wherein is all blysse and thoughe eche of theym haue asmoche Ioye as they can wylle or thynke yette they be not alle eueyn in Ioye for some hath more and some hath lasse after there dedes that they haue dso And yf thow merueyle that there may be dyuerse Ioyes in saynctes while the only cause of they re ioyes is god hym self in whom may be no dyuersite The aunswere is thys that the knowyng of holding and vnderstandyng of god is alle the rewarde ioie of saiÌ„tes therfore though al soules in blyse know god as he is yet soÌ„ se vndèstaÌ„d lases thaÌ„ other so haue lase ioie soÌ„me so vndiystaÌ„d hym clerly than other and so haue more Ioie So it may be saâ—de of the paynes of dapned soules For though all dapned saules be in one place of paynes ytt they are tourmented wyth dyuerse paynes after the qualyte of the synnes for ther is so myche dyfference be twyx the paynes of crsten men and hetheen menne that the paynes of hethen menne in regarde of the that false crysten men suffer be as it were no payne And ther be vnspekable may not be thought of ony that lyueth in erthe and so it is worthy For crysten men receyue the grace of god in vayn and wolde not be amended of theyr synnes while they lyuid holy scripture cryeng vpon theym cÌ„tynuall and they set not there bye I saide it is ryght horyble that thou seyst And wolde god hit were bysylly festned in the myndes of alle that be alyue that they myght sece from synne for drede of payne yf they wold not for loue of Ioye ¶ Of the deyng of these thre men â–ª a reryd and how Sainct Ierome conforted theym in ther passyng NOw I praye the telle me how it was wyth the the laste day whan thy saule passid from thy body he seid whan the oure of my deth came there came so grete multytude of euylle spyrites eeÌ„des in the place ther I lay y t for multytude they myght not be noÌ„bred the lykenes of them was suche y t ther may not thyng bi thouÈt more paynefull nor me re horyble for eny man of lyue wolde Rather put hym self to brenne in hottest flames of fire than ye wolde see the formes of theym in twynkelyng of on eye Thes fendes came vn to me and brought vn to my mynde all the synnes that euer I dide sturyng me to truste no lenger in the mercy of god for I myght not escape nor wythstande theym to assente vn to theym Glorious Ierome came with a grete company of Aungelles aboute hym seuyn tymes brighter than the soÌ„ne and confortid me And whaÌ„ he saw the wicked spirites how harde thei troubeled me he was gretly sturid ayenste theym and saide with a feerfule voice ye spyrites of wickednesse and of alle cursidnesse whi come ye heder wot ye not well that he thus shuld be socored by my helpes leueth hym anone and with draw this wickednesse frome hym as ferre as the Este is from the weste and anone with thes wordes alle that companye of cursid spirites was aferde And with grete crienges and waylynges they weÌ„t out of the place there I lay ¶ And tht glorious Ierome bade some of the angelles that they shulde not go from me but abyde tylle he come ayen And with the other angelles in haste he weÌ„t his wayes whaÌ„ he was gone the Angelles that he lefte to kepe me Bigyne to conforte me behotyng me faire yf I wolde suffre and abide with stronge herte and these wordes of conforte an oure paste And than came sainct Ierome ayen And staÌ„dyng in the doore he sayde com in haste Then sodenly my soulle lefte the body so greuously And birterlly that no mannes mynde myght vndirstande what anguysshe and disseeses these were But yf he lernyd theym by experience as I haue For yf the vndyrstandyng of alle men shulde resceyue alle anguysshes and sorowes that they cowde they shnlde coÌ„pte theym at nought in regarde of the departyng of the saule from the bodi But while he tolde me this and many mo thynges fulle harde and dredefulle to alle men whyche I wryte not her for lengthe the day biganne to ende and therfore he must nedis leue to telle the thynges that by fylle hym after his dethe whiche I desyred moste to here ¶ How the saules of the iii men stode to fore the dome of god and how sainct Ierome hade theym to se the ioies of heuen the payne of purgatorie of helle and sith bade theym go ayen to ther bodies â—He next day after I clepid the other tweyne with hrm to wete how they acordid that by wytnesse of theym alle thre I myght be taught the more surely And whan they beganne to telle me y t that the other had cold me to fore I seide though thes thinges be profitable yet it is not veine to speke theym often yet leuyng thys that I haue herde I praye yow telle it forthe what by fyl you after ye were departed from the body than seid he that spacke on the day to fore what askest thow cyrille it is not possible to telle it fully for spirituell thynges may not be coÌ„prehendid in oure wytte thow knowest that thow hast asoule and yette what