hym they sente messengers thorugh alle the â—â—untrer / Whyche soughte hym by the space of ryghtene dayes / ¶ And att lasâ—e some of theym in retornynge entred in to this lytyll house / Where they founde him on his knees prayenge to oure lorde ¶ Whanne the holy man sawe theym by hym And they beholdynge hym he sayde to theim / ¶ Wherfore be holde ye me soo / Prayse ye wyth me the name of god / Whyche hathe delyuered me from the ordure and fylth and wickydnesse of the worlde / Praye ye hym for me that he woll gyue me myghte strengthe for to bere the faytes of penaunce whyche I haue begonne / ¶ After he prayed theym that they wolde doo to him none empesshement ne lettynge And that noo more they shold come for to vysyte hym there / ¶ Thenne tooke they theyr leue and wente theyr waye / And Incontynent the holy man stopped all the holes and openynges of hys lytyll house excepte a lytyll wyndowe whyche he stopped not to the ende that by the same he myghte receyue his sustentacyon bodyly / ¶ And fro than forthou he dwellyd there longe· excercysynge hymself wyth vertuous werkes and lyuynge in clenuesse and chastyte In deuowte fastynges orisons lamentacoÌ„ns and wepynges in alle humylyte / ¶ His renoÌ„me beganne to growe and to sprede thorugh alle the countree / By whyche many deuowte persones came contynuelly and wythout cessynge there as he was As well for to haue of hym consolacyon in theyr sorowes and aduersytees as to be Instructe and taughte in doctryne example of good lyfe / ¶ Now god had gyuen to hym suche a grace that alle the wordes that he spake were soo merueyllously agreable to theym that herde hym / ¶ And lyghted theim as the rayes of the sonne lyghte the worlde / ¶ Twelue yere after his coÌ„uersacyon to god deyed his fader moder / Whyche lefte to hym golde and syluer a merueylous quantyte of the whiche he beyng aduertised sent anone Incontynent to one his famylyer frende that he sholde dystrybute it for goddis sake to pore orphanes and to other symple myserable persones To the ende that the thoughte that he myghte haue therof sholde not empesshe ne lette hym in his deuocyons orysons and contemplacyons ¶ He was aduertysed that it was soo done Wherof he was gretely comforted as he that after grete traueylle / founde hymselfe in reste and peasyble tranquyllyte / ¶ He appetyted not oonly to flee the worlde But also the goodes of fortune / ¶ And for alle erthely goodes he hadde but one robe or gowne Cours and vnthryfty clothe full of grete heer Wyth a lytyll dysshe in whyche he ete and dranke / And a lytyl pay lett wheron he laye ¶ His custome was to loue as moche the poore as the Ryche / And the vylayne / as the noble / ¶ And generally in alle the estates of the worlde he louyd asmoche one as a nother / ¶ Yf he corrected ony he dyde it not wyth rude wordes / But in grete benygnytee and swetnes ¶ Alle they that herde hym speke or so kyd on hym / Alwaye more and more they desyred to see hym / ¶ Neuer chauÌ„ged he the Rule that he hadde begonne ¶ And was continuelly by the space of fyfty yere wythoute to haue ony reporte to the worlde / ¶ Right nyghe to the cyte where he hadde be nourysshyd there was a towne where as dwellyd paynems and SarrasyÌ„s / Vnto whom had ben sente many Deakens and preestes by some souerayne Bysshops for to coÌ„uerte theym vnto the Crysten faythe / But alle they were retorned wythoute to haue done ony fruyte / ¶ For the sayde Paynyms weren obstynate in theyr ydolatrye / ¶ And it happed that the pryÌ„cypall of the sayde Bysshops beynge wyth his clerkes hadde knowlege of the holy man Abraham / ¶ And sayde to theym that it was nedefull to sende hyÌ„ in to the sayde towne For by his pacyence and holy lyfe he myghte coâ—uerte theym / ¶ The same Bysshopp thenne desyrynge to encreace oure holy faythe accompanyed wyth his clerkes came in to the lytyll house of this holy man / ¶ And whanne he was there arryâ—â—d / he salewed hym After he admonesteâ— and desyred hym to goo in to the sayde towne sayenge / ¶ O my frende I knowe that thou arte agreable to god whyche neuer refusyth to the noo thynge that thou of hym demaundest / ¶ Also thou knoweste ynough the Paynems dwellynge in this nexte towne And how we can not fynde manere to conuerte theym ¶ Wherfore it byhouyth that thou goo for to admonest and styre theym â—â—ke as god shall enseygne and 〈◊〉 the. ¶ The holy man was moche â—â—â—â—bled of the offyce that the bysshopp â—â—de gyue to hym And ansuered to hym ¶ O my lorde I pray that the thou 〈◊〉 suffre me to bywepe my wyckidnesse that I departe not from here ¶ I weâ—e well sayde the bisshopp that thou â—â—ste lefte the worlde and renounced alle erthely goodes for the blysse of heuen ¶ But neuerthelesse yf thou haddest al the vertues of the worlde and thou haue none obedyence they sholde noâ—â—â—ge prouffyte the / ¶ The holy man ansuered to hym / Alas my lorde I and 〈◊〉 other thynge but a deed bounde What thynkeste thou to be my lyfe / Wherfore sayste thou soo moche good of me / ¶ Thenne sayde to hym the bysshopp I saye the to be seruaunt of god Whyche sechest in this place where thou arte in but thy helthe oonly / But thou goo where I woll sende the. Thou shalt be cause of the helthe of Infenite persones by the grace that god shall gyue to the ¶ Ne thinke not oonly to doo thyn helthe / But also that whyche bylongyth to thy neyghbours / And thenne shalte thou haue very charyte / ¶ And by this moyen thou shalte gete more grete meryte anenste god In so moche as thou shalt bryng wyth the many soules in to heuen / ¶ The holy man herynge the bysshop And desyrynge as very obedyente to coÌ„ferme hym to his good playsure ansuered to hym that he was alle redy to go where as it sholde playse hym / ¶ Wherfor the bysshopp seenge his ryght good wyll layed his honde vppon his heed / and constytuted hym a preest / And after he broughte hym to the sayd towne ¶ And in entrynge in the whiche he sayd / O my god ryght pyteuous I byseche the. that it maye playse the to beholde my grete pouertee Freelte Imbecyllyte and the debylyte of myn ygnorauÌ„ce / ¶ Enlarge vppon me thy grace And that now thou helpe me to gloryfye thy holy name ¶ Whanne he was arryued there seenge theyr folysshe ydolatrye / He moeuyd with pyte beganne to waylle and wepe In makynge his prayer to god inlthys manere / O my god whiche arte oonly wythout synne Now I prayse the that it playse the to haue mercy on thise myserable synnars / ¶ Helas my
god thyse ben thy creatures they ben the werke of thyn hondes Suffre theim not to be loste / ¶ Thyse thynges thus sayde byholdynge that he myghte not haue theym by prompte predycacyon ¶ He sente to his famylyer frende that he shold selle alle his patrymonye / whyche was of grete reuenue and that he shold send hym the moneye therof Whiche he soo dyde / ¶ And wyth the moneye that he receyued / dyde doo make a fayre chyrche Honestely arayed and made fayre the beste wyse that he myghte ¶ Durynge the tyme that the chyrche was in makinge From daye to day he walked by the temples of thydolles of the sayde towne· Makynge in his herte prayer to god and noo thynge to ydollis / ¶ And after that the sayde chirche was achyeued and made He made in the same his orison sayenge / ¶ O my god whyche haste by thy presence and predycacyon dystroyed alle ydolatrye of the worlde Whanne atte thy natyuyte the ydollis of the temples felle downe thou seest the peple of this towne ferre from thy very faythe Settynge theyr hertes and thoughtes to serue the deuyll in makynge to hym hoÌ„mage / ¶ Vouchesauf thou now my god in suche wise to ensumyne theym that they maye leue theyr symylacres and ydolatryes To the ende that they maye knowe the one oonli god of heuen and of the erth / ¶ IncoÌ„tynent his oryson achyeued and ended as he had hadde an hundred thousande men wyth hym he entred in the temple of the Paynems ydolatrers and brake and dyde to falle downe theyr aulters and ydolles / ¶ And they seeng his manere of doinge as houndes enraged bete and hurte hym in suche wyse that he was all full of woundes and of hurtes And soo came agayne in to his chirche ¶ And how well he was hurte and tormented / He thoughte noo thynge on his woundes But all the nyghte wyth all his herte prayed to god deuoutly for the conuersyon of the poore Infydelis and ydolatrers / The morne comen thiwente in to his chyrche Where they founde hym in oryson and prayer But they cowde not doo to hym ony harme ne dysplaysure / ¶ And beholdynge the ornamentes and decoracyon of the sayde chyrche Sodaynly they tooke playsure to see and beholde theym .. In suche wyse that thoue the other came chyder euery daye in maner of passe tyme / By cause the sayd chirche semyd to theym moche honeste and playsaunt / ¶ On a daye amonge the other he prayed theym and admonested to leue theyr ydollis And that they sholde knowe theyr maker Whyche myghte saue theym and dampne theym In makynge to theym many fayre exhortacyons for to endure theym in the saythe But in herynge that thee were more enraged thanne tofore / ¶ And bete hym somoche that they supposyd to haue slayne hym And after they bounde him wyth iâ— corde And drew hym oute of theyr â—â—te and lefte hym in the felde where he abode soo bounden vnto mydnyghte ¶ Thenne he retorned towarde god to whom in wayllynge and wepynge he sayde / O my god why haste thou forsaken thy poore seruaunte Alas my Sauyour Now behold thou wyth pyte thy poore dyscyple / And gyue to me streng the to fyghte agaynst thise Infydeles / ¶ Wyth this my god I praye the. that it may playse the to gyue to theym a lytyll of thy grace / To the ende that thei knowe the as theyr god ¶ His prayer achyeued he retourned to his chyrche sayde his psalmes and orysons accustomyd / ¶ The Paynems in lyke wise as they hadde ben accustomed retorned in to his chyrche ¶ But whan they sawe that he was retourned wythoute mercy they bete hym more thanne tofore and drewe hym agayne oute of the cyte / ¶ The holy mas was by the spaâ—e of thre yere suffrynge all suche paynes as the sayde Infydelis dyde to hym / But alle theyr tormentes and huÌ„gre thurste he bare pacyentely wythoute trowblynge hymselfe / ¶ And soo moche as they martred him Soo moche more be louyd theym / ¶ And alwaye he admonessed the moost auncyent of theym as his faders How be it they were agaynste hym moche furyous And the yonge men as his brethern / and the adolocentes as his chyldren / ¶ And notwythstondynge alle this They alle mockyd hym / ¶ Now it happed vpon a daye that by the grace of god alle they of the towne assembled for some of theyr affayres besynesses / ¶ And after that they had delybered and concluded They beganÌ„e to speke of the holy man Abraham in woundrynge how pacyentely he endured wythoute murmure alle theyr repreues and Iniuries that they dide to him ¶ And ferthermore they sayde that he was necessary for to endure for the honoure of his god Whom he prechyd to be onely lorde of heuen and of erthe ¶ They thoughte also how he hymselfe alone hadde broken and distroyed al theyr ydollis Withoute that theyr goddis hadde done to hym ony greyf or lettynge / ¶ And fynably concluded that his fayth was true / And that they oughte to byleue alle that he sayde / For he was the very seruaunte of god / ¶ And this conclusyon thus made· alle togider vnto the nombre of a thousande or there abowte came in to his chyrche / And wyth one voys beganne to saye Glory rybe to god of heuen / whyche hathe sente to vs his seruaunte for to delyuere vs from oure erroure / The holy man thys seenge was replenysshed all wyth gladnesse / ¶ And adressynge to theym his wordes sayd to theym ¶ O my faders my brethern and mi children drawe ye nyghe to me / And giue glory and honour to god oure maker / Whyche by hys grace hath Illumyned you in suche manere as ye maye lyghtely knowe hym / ¶ And to the ende that ye ben clene for alle the spottes of Ydolatrye I praye you to byleue in hym / ¶ And loue hym wyth alle youre herte and alle your thoughte As him whiche that is very god And oonly lorde of alle the worlde whiche is withoute ende and begynnynge / Inestymable Inenarrable Incomprehensible Almyghty Giuer of light Louer of men Terrible to synnars And swete to Iuste and rightwys men / ¶ Byleue also on the sone whiche is the sapyence and wysdom of the fader and of the goly gooste / Whiche quycke nyth all thynges / To the ende that ye that are poore Whyche ben noo thynge ellis but erthe maye be purified and enhauncyd to the reame of heuen ¶ Alle they ansueryd that they byleued lyke as he hadde sayde / ¶ And Incontynent he baptysed theym all in the name of the fader and of the sone and of the holy gooste / ¶ After that they were baptysed euery daye he taughte and endoctrined them in the gode holy scriptures In spekynge of the Ioyes of heuen and of the paynes of helle / ¶ After he excyted theym to gete the vertues of Faythe Hope
et cetera Caplm C.xvi. IN Alexandrye was a Prouost or ruler of the cyte namyd Nyceta fulfylled of the deuyll the whyche came to argue and repreue the holy Patryarke saynt Iohan / Sayenge to hym / ¶ Syre ye waste all the londe For ye deale to freely the syluer that is broughte to you / Better it were that ye sholde putt it to the comyn tresour / ¶ The holy man wythoute to angre hymself answerde to hym / Haa my lorde it is not leyffull that the goodes gyuen to the god in heuen be torned or appropred to the erthely thynges / ¶ But and yf semith the to be doo / Goo thou vnder my bedde and take the tresoure of Ihesu Cryste that is there / So doo therof thy wyll / ¶ Thenne this Patrice that hadd the rule and gouernaunce of the comyn wee le in Alexandrye made alle to be laden / And lefte hym noo more than to the nombre of an huÌ„dred penyes of golde / ¶ And as he was comynge downe from the sayd Patryarkes chambre / He mette wyth men of Affryque the whiche bare certayne bot telles full of golde / Vpon some of the whiche was wryten / Hony ryght good And vpon the other / Hony wythoute smoke / ¶ The sayde Patryce or Ruler whan he sawe thise superscrypcoÌ„ns sente worde to the sayd holy man that he sholde sende hym some honne / ¶ And he that was so moche humble and meke sente hym the bottell vpon whyche was wryten Honee right good wyth a letter wherin was wryten this that fofolowyth ¶ Our lorde that hath sayd I shall not leue the. Is wythout lesynge / And he is very god the whyche gyueth bothe mete and lyfe / ¶ And noo man corruptyble can not by ony wyse constrayne him / And therfore to god I coÌ„mende the / ¶ And after he commaunded to theym that bare the sayd battelles· that they sholde make theym to be openyd afore theym / And that they sholde saye that all the other that they had seen were full of syluer / ¶ The whyche thynge done / Whanne the sayde Patrice sawe that he sente hym but one bottell alone / he was sore we othe agaynst hym / And after he radde his lettre ¶ And whanÌ„e he sawe that worde That man corruptyble canne not constrayne god / He was full sory and dysplaysaunt of that he hadd done / ¶ And Incontynent came agayne to the holy Patryarke / And toke hym agayne alle that he had hadde of hym ¶ And wyth this he gaaf hym of hys owne thre hundred penies of golde / Requyryng hym by grete contrycyon that he wolde gyue hym penaunce for his synnes / ¶ Thenne the holy man was sore merueyllyd of his conuersyon soo sodaynly sore / ¶ And seenge his repentaunce comforted hym wyth mery wordes / And from that tyme ther were soo grete frendes togyder that the sayd Nicera Patrice of Alexandrye made hym his Godsypp / ¶ Of the scarnesse and derthe of scorne and suche goodes / ¶ And of a man that required to be made Deaken and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Qui Abraham c. Caplm C.vii. GOd that tempted Abraham for to knowe his obeyssaunce / Towchynge the offrynge vp of hys sone Ysaac / ¶ In lyke wyse be tempted the good Patryarke Iohan as herafter folowyth / ¶ It is rehercyd here aboue how the Assiryens that had be sore oppressyd of the Percyens For to eschewe theyr woodnesse forsoke and lefte theyr owne londe / And many of theim came to Alexandrie for to be socoured in theyr pouertee by the holy Patryarke Iohan / ¶ They beynge in Alexandrye happed there a grete derthe and scarcitee of corne thorugh the occasyon of the flode of the ryuer of Nyle that bedewyth and watreth the londe had be soo mynysshyd lessed of water that it myghte not yeue hys moystâ—es ouer floweÌ„ges acustomyd to the erthe ¶ Soo had act that tyme the Patriarke gyuen for goddis sake to the poore peple alle hys tresour and wyste not where to borow more nother golde nor syluer / Wherof he was ryght sory and namely by cause he myghte nor contynue his almesse / as he had of custome / ¶ He sett hyÌ„self to praye contynued in his orysons loÌ„ge tyme ¶ In the sayd cite was a man bygame / that is to wyte the whiche by cause he knewe that the holy man was in grete necessytee wolde constrayne hyÌ„ to make hyÌ„ a deaken in his chirche / And by cause he sholde not haue durst speke to hym therof he sent hym a letter by the whyche he besoughte hym that he wolde make hym deaken in his chirche / to the ende that in seruynge god wyth hyÌ„ he might haue remyssoÌ„n of his synÌ„es he sholde gyue hym .ii. C.M. Rasers of whete wyth a C. four score pouÌ„de of money / ¶ His lettres seen the Patryarke sent for hym after made to go oute of his chambre all his folke that were there / By cause that he wolde not repreue hym by for theim / ¶ After that they were gone the holy Patryarke sayd to hym / ¶ My frende thy proffer is moche necessary seeng the tyme of the derthe that we haue now / But neuerthelesse it is defoylled with the synne of Symonye ¶ In the olde testament men offred not the bestes to god· were they grete or lytyll / but yf they were pure clene / ¶ For of those that were bespotted man dyde neuer offrynge / ¶ And therfore god had not agreable the sacrefyce of Caym / ¶ And as towchyng my bredern or euer thyself or I were god had pâ—rueyed and nourysshyd theym / And he shall yet doo soo to theim and to me as I hope / ¶ For all they that kepe the coÌ„maundements of god / shall not haue nother nede nor pouerte but all plentee habundance of goodes / ¶ Our lorde that multeplyed the .v. loues of barley / maye well multeplye also .x. Rasers of whete that are in my Garnere / ¶ And therfore my frende I shall tell the for an answere that whiche is wryten in that tes of thapostles / That is that thou shalt not haue in the chirche nother part nor porcoÌ„n ¶ And as he sayd thise wordes came Incontinent tidynges to the holy Patriarke how two shyppes of the chirche were londed wythin the hauen and came out of Cecyle lade wyth whete / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man thankyd oure lord sayeng / My god I thaÌ„ke the that thou wolde not haue suffred that I shold haue solde thy grace for ony nede that I haue had / ¶ Certaynly my god I byleue stedfastli that thou shalt neuer forsake in the grettest nede theym that shall obeye the / that wyth good herte shall fulfylle thy coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ¶ Of two clerkes that dyde falle in to synne / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quibusdam / Caplm C.xviii TWo yonge Clerkes hauynge questyon togyder smote wrongefully eche other / ¶ And
accused / but knewe to haue coÌ„mysed theym doon / and after kneled done before them sayd My brethern I beseche you that it wyll please you to praye god for me that am a ryght wretchyd synner / to the ende that by your orysons my god wyll pardonne me / that thrugh your merytes I may haue therof Indulgence remyssyon The brethern Iniuryed hyÌ„ more than they hadde done afore / sayeng that he was an heretyke But the holy fader theÌ„ne answerd My brethern I knowlege my selfe a grete syÌ„ner / but the syÌ„ne that ye maye put vpon me hurteth nother my soule nor my body / for it is nought in me The sayd brethern after that they had herde his answere / they casted hem selfe doune on her knees before hym requyryng hym that it wolde please him to pardonne them that whiche they had surmysed vpon hym / praysed hym of his grete humylyte by the whiche he hadde endured all pacyently withoute moeuyng of hym selfe Thenne sayd Agathon for to kepe humylyte / of the whiche groweth Infynyte frutes I haue wyll to suffre all excepte the accusacyon of the vyce of heresye ¶ Our sauyour IhuÌ„ cryst endured all the Iniuryes shames that the Iewes dede to him for to yeue vs exemple of humylyte ¶ Also he suffred the deuyll to tempte hym But whan the deuyll purposed to make hym selfe to be worshypped by hym / he myght not suffre it For that selfe Iniurye reproued to the deyte Alwayes he endured vnto the deth the false excusacyons and besynes that the Iewes wytnessed ayenst hym / gyuyng vnto vs exemple / that we ought to endure bere pacyently all Iniuryes and rebukynges But as touchyng the synne of heresye wherof ye haue accused me for bycause that the sayd synne maketh men to be departed from god / Ioyneth them with the deuyll I haue not mowe for this cause endure it For yf we were departed from god we sholde not wete to whome we sholde praye for the remyssyon of our synnes And of the other parte yf we be Ioyned vnto hym / he shall be our protectour and shall gyue vs at the last his Royalme so that we do our deuoyâ— toward hym ¶ Atte that tyme all the holy faders relygyouses that enhabyted the deserte of Suchye were assembled in theyr chirche whiche is sette in thoo deserte / for to these Ysaac for theyr grete preest souerayne bysshop In whiche chirche atte certayne dayes they all â—omoâ—yd togyder those the sayd Ysaac The whiche herynge these tydynges fledde in to Egypt Thenne many of the brethern fledde after hym But they were take of the nyght so that for that tyme they coude not fynde hym And the good Ysaac desyryng to be ferre fro them / to th ende that they sholde not fynde hym be hydde hym selfe within a grete busshe The brethern seeyng that they myght not goo nomore they vnladed an asse that they had whiche bare theyr vytayles for to ete by the waye and let hym go to pasture where he wolde But a wouÌ„derfull thyng happed / for the asse wente streyght to pasture reste hym selfe at the busshe where the holy fader Ysaac was And in the mornyng when they wolde haue gone forthe on theyr waye / they yede to the sayd busshe where they fouÌ„de theyr asse by the holy man whiche they wolde haue bounde and broughte by force with them But he wolde not late hym be bounde / but answerde to them in grete humylyte My brethern I see well that it is the wyll of god that I shall obeye to you So aâ—â— I delybered to please you and to accepte the charge that ye gyue me how be it that I am vnworthy ¶ Also in the sayd deserte were two brethern dwellyng tegyder / the whiche bycause of theyr pacyence and humylyte were gretly coÌ„mended and praysed of the other brethern The one of them wyllynge to preue yf they were parfyte in mekenes and pacyence wente vysyted them / he was receyued of them honestly wâ—th grete Ioye After that they had done togyder theyr orysons as they were wonte / he that was come for to tempte them lepte out of theyr celle lytell house entred in a lytâ—ll gardyn where they gadred some coles / thenne for to haue angred the sayd â—â—â—thern / he toke a staffe brake marred all theyr coles that grewe well fâ—â—yre hyghe except one cole allone But the brethern seeyng his maner doynge sayd to hym no thyng / but shewed to hym a mery countenauÌ„ce made him good chere Soone after they withdrewe to theyr house for to say euensonge 〈◊〉 they had sayd euensong / they 〈◊〉 to hym that had wasted theyr coâ—â—◠〈…〉 yf a pleaseth the we shal 〈◊〉 at the fyre 〈◊〉 cole that is left hole / for is tyme for to take a refeccyon ¶ Châ—â—â— this other broder knowynge theyr grete charyte / humylyte pacyence / began to comforte them sayng I thanke god our creatour of the graces that he hath gyuen to you ¶ For I knewe that the holy ghost is with you And therfore I praye you my brethern that vnto the deth ye kepe euer in you pâ—rfye humylyte pacyence / for by the same yt shall be electe and chosen grete lordes in the Ioye of heuen ¶ In a monasterye was a relygyous the whiche by longe season had be febled by maladye / the brethern wyste not how to recouer vnto him his helth bycause they hadde noo delycate metes wherof he coude recouer his appetyte to mete / also they were not well lerned to attende vpon syke folke ¶ A deuoute woman consyderyng these thynges / besought the abbot that he wolde sende to her house the sayd relygyous / saynge that more easely she myght fynde gete in the cyte that that were nedefull for his helthe to recouer / than the relygyouses coude do in theyr monasterye ¶ The whiche request herde of the sayd abbot that desyred ryght moche the recouer helthe of his relygyous / grauÌ„ted to the sayde woman / sente to her house that sayd Relygyous / to whome to good entent â—â—ryng the space of thre yere she admynystred to him all his necessytees made hym to be tended right well But because that he was so longe syke with her / mâ—â—y one spake of it / saynge that it was not to be belyued that this relygyous myght companye so long with the sayd woman without he sholde synne greuously with her ¶ The good relygyous beynge yet syke was enfourmed of this spekyng / wherfore he made his prayer vnto god sayeng O my souerayne god that allone without other seest knoweste the grete euyls vexacyons whiche I endure the nede in whiche I am in / where it is so that I knowe the veray rewardone of those that for the honour of the doo some seruyces to thy pouer and nedy seruauÌ„tes I beseche the humbly that it wyll
whiche the abbot Moyses sente to the abbot Permenius And who that kepeth theym wel shal be delyuered from payne eternall ¶ Here after folowen the chapytres of the thyrde parte of this present volume in the whiche is made mencoÌ„n of the rule conuersacoÌ„n of other holy faders ¶ Fyrste the prologue of chauctour / begynnyng in latyn Frequenter ¶ Of a solytarye relygyous that dwelled in Cyrene in a lytyll hous / begynnyng Ante hoc trienniuÌ„ Caplm primuÌ„ ¶ Of the sygnes of Orygene whiche ben ayenst the fayth / begynnyng Prospere igit Caplm .ij. ¶ Of the conuersacoÌ„n of Ierome Iherosolymytayn / begynnynge in latyn Agitur inde Caplm .iij. ¶ How the abbotes were bouÌ„den to gyue theyr lyuyng to the brethern whiche they receyueden in to theyr couentes / begynnyng Haud longe Caplm .iiij. ¶ Of a Relygyous brother whiche in his hermytage was fedde with heuenly brede / begynnyng Casu super illos dies Caplm .v. ¶ How a lyonesse eâ—e out of the hande of an holy man / lyke as she hadde be tame / begynnyng in latyn Ego vbi Caplm .vi. ¶ How an holy man nourysshed a wulfe the whiche demauÌ„ded of hyÌ„ pardon begynnynge in latyn Alium eque Caplm .vij. ¶ How fyue lytyll lyons beyng blynde were enlumyned by an holy man begynnynge in latyn Habitabant Capitulum .viij. ¶ How a broder by a storke knewe what herbes he sholde ete / whiche not / begynnyng in latyn Fuit et alius Capitulum .ix. ¶ Of a brother dwellyng in the montayne of Syna the whiche spacke to no persone by the space of fyfty yere / begynnyng Sed longuÌ„ Caplm .x. ¶ Here folowe the grete myracles of obeyssaunce / and begynneth in latyn Referam c. Caplm .xi. ¶ Of the seconde myracle of obedyence begynnynge in latyn Quidam frater c. Caplm .xij. ¶ Of hym the chaced the deuylles out of the bodyes of men / wherof he was after ouercomen fynably purged begynnyng QuidaÌ„ auteÌ„ Caplm .xiij. ¶ Of an hermyte desyryng to retorne to the worlde was punysshed / begynnyng in latyn AdolesceÌ„s Caplm .xiiij ¶ Here foloweth the maner of â—habyte and vestement of the relygyous Egypcyens / begynnyng in latyn Sunt preterea c. Caplm .xv. ¶ Of the maner reguler to praye god amonge the same brethern And how they haue renouÌ„ced the worlde / begynnyng in latyn Itaque Cplm .xvi. ¶ Of the place in whiche the holy faders sawe an angell synge .xij. psalmes / begynnyng in latyn Iam cuÌ„ c. Caplm .xvij. ¶ What dyscrecyon nature ought to be kepte in oryson prayer / begyÌ„nyng in latyn CuÌ„ igit Caplm .xviij. ¶ Of theyr handy werke / and wherfore pryme / tyerce / sexte / none / the other hours ben songen in the chirche / begynnyng Ita namque Caplm .xix. ¶ How in a monastery ought to be receyued a seculer that wyll entre in to relygyon / begynnyng in latyn Cum igitur Caplm .xx. ¶ How a monke to th ende that he do not his owne wyll / ought not to doo ony thynge without the coÌ„mauÌ„demente of his spyrytuall fader / begynnyng in latyn Post hec Caplm .xxi. ¶ Of a monke the sone of an Erle / the whiche by the coÌ„maundement of his abbot bare for to selle openly panyers and hottys / begynnyng in latyn Nouimus Caplm .xxij. ¶ Of thabbot Pinuphus / begynnyng Vidimus Caplm .xxiij. ¶ A ryght good admonycyon for annouyce / begynnyng in latyn Habent igitur Caplm .xxiiij. ¶ Of a monke that made the pylgrymes to ete to fore the hour accustomed whan men faste / begynnyng in latyn CuÌ„ desirie partibus Caplm .xxv. ¶ Of a monke whiche neuer ete allone / begynnyng in latyn Vidimê° aliuÌ„ in solitudine Caplm .xxvi. ¶ Of a deuoute relygyous named Machetes / begynnyng in latyn Vidimê° et aliuÌ„ senem Caplm .xxvij ¶ Of thabbot Theodore / begynnyng Vidimê° aliuÌ„ abbateÌ„ Caplm .xxviij ¶ Of an holy hermyte in a meruayllous deserte / begynnynge in latyn Itaque c. Caplm .xxix. ¶ Of two yonge childern the whiche berynge fygges to a seke Relygyous deyed by the waye / begynneth in latyn QuidaÌ„ c. Caplm .xxx. ¶ Of the monkes of Egypte and of theyr dylygence / begynnyng in latyn Per totuÌ„ Caplm .xxxi. ¶ Of a brother whiche was a blasphemer of god / the whiche by punycoÌ„n dyuyne was enbraced with secherye Capitulum .xxxij. ¶ Of dyscrecyon the whiche is moder of all vertues / begynnynge in latyn Quodam Caplm .xxxiij. ¶ Of Heron an auncyent fader Capitulum .xxxiiij. ¶ Of tweyne relygyouses whiche wolde not ete / but yf god sente to theym theyr refeccyon / begynnyng Quid dicâ—m Caplm .xxxv. ¶ Of a relygyous whiche wolde sacrefye his sone to the deuyll / begynnyng in latyn Quid dicâ— c. Caplm .xxxvi. ¶ Of a Relygyous to whome the deuyll shewed the armee of crysten men and of the sarasyns / begynnyng Fuit c. Caplm .xxxvij. ¶ How for to be coÌ„fessyd of his synnes it chasseth awaye the deuyll more than other thyng begynnyng in latyn Abbas c. Caplm .xxxviij. ¶ Of Relygyous people slayne by the Intydeles begynnyng in latyn In palestine c. Caplm .xxxix. ¶ Of thabbot Danyell begynnyng in latyn Inter c. Caplm .xl. ¶ Of thabbot Serenus begynnynge / SuÌ„me c. Caplm .xli. ¶ How the deuylles haue not so moche power now ayenst the monkes as they had in olde tyme begynnyng in latyn Satis tamen Caplm .xlij. ¶ Of thabbot Paule begynnyng in latyn Hic igit abbas c. Caplm .xliij ¶ Of thabbot Moyses begynnyng Secundus Caplm .xliiij. ¶ Of a Relygyous whiche sawe by nyght a multytude of deuylles begynnyng in latyn QuidaÌ„ auteÌ„ frater c. Caplm .xlv. ¶ Of two phylosophres whiche wente to saynt Anthonye begyÌ„nyng in latyn QuodaÌ„ vero tempe c. Caplm .xlvi. ¶ Here begynneth the prologue of saynt Paschayse vpon the fourth parte of the lyfe of holy faders as well of Egypte as of Grece ¶ The boke of admonycyons / fyrst ayenst glotonye ¶ How for thendure ponerte causeth to come to the reste of heuen ¶ Of parfyght pacyence ¶ How one ought to serue the seke men ¶ Of the drede of god ¶ Of the temptacyons of thenemye ¶ How a man may mortefye the vyces ¶ Of perseueraunce ¶ Of the payne and labour of the olde holy faders ¶ Of exhortacyon of doctryne ¶ How curyosyte ought to be eschewed ¶ How one ought teschewe noyse ¶ How one ought to kepe scylence ¶ Here is made mencoÌ„n of the medytacoÌ„ns of .xij. deuoute herenytes ¶ Here after folowen some smale treatyse the fyfth parte ¶ Here folowen some smale treattyes of the praysyng of vertues / as well morall as theologycall vpon which saynt Macharye made his prologue / whiche was auctour compylatour of theym ¶ Of the praysyng of charyte / begynnyng in latyn Cum igitur et cetera Caplm primuÌ„ ¶ Of the byndyng togydre connexion
hath be mayntened as it is now by the holy deuoute relygy onses whyche daye nyghte praye for the vnyuersall helthe / But as it is so that the thynges right good ben ofte in lytyll quantytee right dyffycile / Neuertheles al they were in the same â—â— condycoÌ„us / For they were in grete multytude and also they were perfyte of ryight holy lyfe / Some were nygh dwellers by citees and other places in champestres / And other garnisshed wyth vertues were separate dysperded in the desertes / And as the excersice of men of armes of some prynce is one they were vnyed in charytee in theyr tyguryes orcelles / And stedfastly armyd with prayer berynge the shelde of faythe for souerayne defence were redi apparaylled to fyghte agaynste the aduersaryes of our fragylytee / By whyche they tooke by assaulte the reame of heuen / All generalli were aoumed and arayed with vertues swete and peasyble / But alle were togydre alyed and bounde wyth the bonde of charyte And for Ialousye and desyre for to gete vertues they led dide dyuerse batayles For euery man laboured and toke payne that one to be more swete and softe or more benigne than the other / That one to be more peasyble and that other right pacyente / Yf ony were more wyse than thother / Of soo moche he rendred hymselfe more humble / and seruaunte of alle the other In suche wise as he semyd to be moost ygnoraunte / And soo moche sayth saynt Iherom that god hath done to me suche grace to see their conuersacyon I shall sette my payne after that god shall gyue me the mynde for to recounte by wrytynge theyr fayre laudable manere of lyuynge / To the ende that they whiche haue not seen corporally theym maye knowe theyr holy conuersacyon and good werkes / By the whyche they maye ensyewe and lede suche a lyfe lyke to theym / And fynably maye gete by very pacyence tryumphe and vyctorye in this worlde And in the reame of heuen glory perdurable / Amen / ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ the Heremyte the fyrst chapytre / whiche begynnyth in latyn Primum igitur / THe noble and blessyd Doctou saynt Iherom Recountyth of saynt IohnÌ„ of Egypte The whiche was an holy Heremyte and an examplayre of alle vertues dwellynge in the partyes of Thebaydes in an Heremytage sette in an hyghe roche nygh to the cytee of Lyto / To whyche Heremytage myghte noo man goo but in grete payne and laboure / The chyrche of that Heremytage was closed and shette / And therin was the sayde Heremyte soo longe tyme. that fro his lx yere of age tyl he was lxxx yere olde that noo persone entred in to that chyrche tyll saynt Iherom vysited hym / Neuerthelesse to theym that came thyther for to vysyte hym he spake to theym thorugh a wyndowe oonly in confortynge theym / And gyuynge to theym spyrytuell refeccyon / He was neuer seen of woman in the sayd Heremytage / There were but fewe men that sawe hym / and that not alwaye / But att certayn houres dayes He suffred wel that a lityll how 's was made wythout his monastery for to lodge reste theym that came fro ferre regyons countrees for to see hym / And he hyÌ„selfe allone with in his monasterye ocupyed hym daye nyght without ony Intermyssion with alle his thoughte myghte to denowte oâ—yson prayer / And he was soo agreable to god that not allonely he had the scyence of thynges presente but also of thynges to come / And soo hadd he the yefte of prophecie as well in the prouyÌ„ces cytees nyghe by and also in ferre countrees in whyche he had neuer be To the emperour Theodosâ—en he shewed ofte tymes of his fortunes that he sholde haue of his aduersaryes / how he sholde haue vyctorye of some tyrauÌ„â—es his enmyes ¶ In a time it happed that the Ethyopyens nyght a cyte namyd Cyrene the whyche is the fyrst of the parties The baydes in the countree of Ethyopye hadd assyeged a knyghte Romayne the whyche had loste many of his peple in bataylle some slayne some take and broughte in capryuyte The sayde knyghte had lytyll peple· grete multytude of enmyes feryng for that cause to assaylle the Ethyopyens / â—ame to the sayd holy Heremyte for to couÌ„seyle what he shold doo / The why the ordeyned to hym day of batayle ayenst his enmyes / sayenge to hym that yf he soo dyde he sholde opteyne vyctorye and haue domynacoÌ„n of his enmyes / As well of theyr bodyes as of theyr goodes / And soo it happed to the sayde knighte ¶ Another knyght of Rome excercisyng the offyce of a Trybune came to the sayd Heremyte prayeng him that he and his wyffe myghte speke with hym To whom he answerd that his wyffe myghte in noo wyse speke wyth hym / And that syth he hadde be Heremyte neuer woman had seen him ne spake wyth him / The sayde knyghte abode styll in his prayers / In swerynge yf she sawe him not that she were in daungeour of dethe / And whanÌ„e the sayde Heremyte considered his Inportunytee and also her faythe sayd to hym / Goâ— to thy wyffe and saye to her that in this nyghte she shall see me But that she come not hyther / But in her bedde and in her howse I shall speke to her / Thenne wente the sayd Romayne / and consyderynge in his herte the doubtous answere of the sayde Heremyte shewed it to his wife / The whiche of the Incertayntee of that answere was strongely greuyd and ennoyed / But in the same nyghte she slepynge sawe a vysyon of a man spekynge to her whyche sayde to her thyse wordes / O woman of grete faythe for to satysfye thy desyre and wyll I am come hither for to speke to the / Neuerthelesse I admonest and warne the. that frohens fourth thou desyre not to see the bodyly vysage of the seruauntes of god / But allone haue thou desyre for to haue coÌ„templacyon in thyne herte of theyr vertues in good maners / The spyryte onely gyuyth lyfe And the flesshe prouffy tyth in noo thynge / I am not hid come to the as Iuste ne prophete lyke as thou wenest of me but for the fayth of thy Husbonde and of the / I haue prayed vnto almyghty god for to gyue to the helthe of all thy sykenesse and maladyes· thou shalt be hoole and guarysshed / And thou and thy husbonde and your housholde shall be blessyd of god / And be not vnkynde of the benefaytes that god hath gyue to you / But drede ye hym frohenforth / And demauÌ„de not of hym but the sustentacyon of your lyfe wythoute ony other rychesse / Lete it suffyse to the that thou haste seen me in slepynge / And in tyme comynge herafter desyre not to see my body / Thenne whan this woman was awaked she· recounted alle the caas to her husbonde In exposynge to hym very
were that after youre oppynyon ye myghte take in vs other Hermytes ony goode ensamples Yet shall not they be suche ne soo grete as ben thoos of the holy prophetes and holy appostles of god / Whyche euery daye ben recited in the chyrche catholyke / Noo thynge for to gyue ensample of good lyffe to straungers of ferre countreyes / But to the ende that eche persone in his owne place and Resydence Haue and may haue wythin him that whyche he oughte to doo and ensyewe Certaynly yet I merueylle moche more of the entencyon and grete affeccyon of your labour Whanne for the proâ—ffyte of youre sowles ye haue haue go ne soo longe awaye in passynge dyuerse Regyons soo moche daungerous to walke in / And we other ben soo slouth full that we woll not parte oute of our Habytacyons accustomed / ¶ But to the ende that they sholde not retorne wyth oute to bere wyth theym some fruyte / for the helthe of theyr soules / He enfourmyd and taughte theym some enseynements / By whyche they myghte eschewe the synnes of thys worlde / ¶ Fyrste he defended theym that they sholde not gloryfye theymselfe to haue ben in soo ferre countrees for to see the holy faders of Egypte / Of whyche vayn glory or Iactaunce he gaaf theym by two maners / ¶ The fyrst whanne ony dyde ony abstynence or enlarged by almesse his goodes to the poore peple / And of the sayd good dedes is ofte gloryouse / Wenynge to be more Iuste thanne the other / In contempnynge or dyspysynge theym that ben not lyke to hym / ¶ The seconde maner that the holy fader gaaf to theymis thys / Whanne a man wenyth for his laboures and vertues to be worthy to haue the Reame of heuen / And byleuyth to haue goten the gyftes of grace and that by his propre merites and not by the prouydence and bountee dyuyne / ¶ Now he muste byleue that who some euer sechyth the glory of the worlde he lesyth his meryte and rewarde / And therfore sayd the holy man / Lete vs flee vayne glory pryde and auaunterye / To then de that we falle not from heuen in to helle / As dyde the deuyll enemye of nature humayne / ¶ And after he sayde my chydren be ye dylygente in eschewynge slowthe and ydlenesse· wythoute hauynge ony concupyscence ne flesshly voluptousytee / to th ende yf ony thynge be agaynst god that it take noo rote in you / For of those rootes myghte come lytyll braunches / And in the ende grete trees / That is to saye vayne and vnprouffytable thoughtes / The whyche whanne they shall be in your prayers shall gyue to you heuynesse and lettynge to serue god deuotely / And youre thoughte shall be wauerynge and vacaunte in worldly vanytees / The desyres vnprouffytable and euyll wylles sayth the appostle bryngyth a man vnto the dethe yf in our hertes thenne be ony synnes / And the deuyll whyche is prynce of theym come to theym as the yâ— mayster / The synnes shall gyue hy place / Yf one demaunde wherfore it is that some haue noo pees in theyr consâ—yences It is by cause that now they ben trowbled wyth one passyon and a none after wych a nother Thenne the reason to this for they haue receyued the Prynce of trybulacyon / the whiche hathe he lodged by his Herbeger That is synne / Yf thenne we wyll that god be lodged in our hertes We shall renounce alle concupyscence carnall flee all synne To the ende that whan the deuyll oure aduersary and enmye shal come for to lodge / He shall fynde the lodges taken vpp / and that we maye saye The lorde is lodged wythin / The varlettes maye not be here / And whanne by vertues we haue lodged hym / We alwaye shall haue Ioye charytee pacience longamynyce / and shamefastnesse / And we shall here all fruyte of lyfe soo that we ben good / ¶ And to this pourpose saythe oure lorde to his dyscyples in a parable / ¶ A good tree maye bere noo euyll fruyte / Ne an euyll tree noo good fruyte / And by the fruyte is knowen the tree / ¶ Some saye that they renounce the worlde but they renounce not the synnes / In hauynge the herte clene and the soule puryfyed from alle spotte of synne / And yf some tyme thei goo vysyte the holy men to the ende to lerne goode wordes and hystoryes thys is not to thentente to be the better but for to recounte theym to other / ¶ And they ben ouer presumptuouse by cause that they vaunt them to knowe of the yr propre wytt that they knowe of the holy and deuowte men / And desyre to be reputed doctours and well manerde by cause they frequented the good men As done Ypocrytes and Papelars faynynge wythoute fourthe by theyr conuert maners and symple habyllemens to be Innocentes lyke vnto shepe / And wythin fourth they ben lyke vnto foxes and rauysshynge wulues ¶ It behouyth thenne to consydre that he is more to be praysed that shynith in vertues and dare not shew theym than he that techyth theym / and woll not vse theym ¶ Thus thenne my chyldren sayd the holy Heremyte I counseylle you not that ye vtterly flee the ordres of preesthode / ne also that ouermoche ye desyre theim But I counseyle you that ye labour in getynge vertues· and to leue vyces / He is not to be praysed that labouryth to haue the ordre of preesthode / But he whom god callyth therto / ¶ The propretee of a Relygyous man is to offre to god pure prayer / Wythoute to haue in his herte ony spotte of synne / For otherwyse relygion is noo thynge / ¶ After many enseynements and good doctryne by hym gyuen for to kepe theym from vayne glory / The holy man admonestyd theym not oonly to flee and contempne delycyous metes / But also commauÌ„ded theim that they sholde be well waar in takynge theyr refeccoÌ„ns For fallynge in to desyre or appetyte dysordynate But ete sobrely to the sustentacion of theyr bodyes oonly / For in etynge of brede and water a man may synne / As to ete wythoute hungre and thurste for to accomplysshe his appetyte in obeyenge to his dysordynat wyll / ¶ And this techith vs our sauyour for to kepe vs from voluptuous desyres saynge / Entree by the lityll gate / For the waye is large that ledyth to the dethe / That is to saye that to hym that woll obeye to his sensualyte the waye is grete and large / But to hym that woll resiste the flesshely affeccyons the yate is strayte / And this for to doo is besinesse and solicytude necessary / For who that gyuyth hym to the worlde he hath In fynyte occasions by companyes and otherwyse for to be abandonned to synÌ„e And therfore sayde Dauyd / I haue wythdrawen me from the worlde and haue dwellyd in solytude and in place secrete In abydynge my god whyche maye saue me
and caste me from my pusyllanymyte / ¶ After that the holy man had admonestyd theym that they sholde kepe theym from Iactaunce vaynglorye / He recounted to theym an hystorye happened to one of his bredern nyghe to his Hermytage / The whiche was a monke hauynge oonly but one Cauerne or Caue for his hous / he was moche sobre And lyued oonly of the labour of his hondes / wakinge daye and nyghte in orysons and prayers Flowrysshyng in al vertues ¶ It happened by successyon of tyme. that he was prowde in hymselfe gloryfyenge his persone / Wythoute to haue consyderacyon that his bountee proceded of god But supposyd to haue ben vertuous of hymself and perfyghte / ¶ The enmye of nature whyche slepyth not seenge his pryde on a daye layed oute his nett puttynge hymselfe in the lyckenesse of a woman walkynge thorugh the desertes / The same deuylle in sayde lyckenesse came in the nyghte and knelyd downe on her knees wythin the Cauerne of the sayd Heremyte sayenge / â—llas my frende I am soo wery / I praye the that thou wylt herberough me for this nyghte / The nyghte hathe surprysed me / Haue pyte on me for the wylde bestes shal denoure me Yf thou suffre me to goo hens from the / And bâ— thâ—se wordes the deuyll constreyned the sayd Heremyte to haue pyte of hym / And by cause he was in lykenesse of a woman By his swete and venemouse wordes / he embracyd the sayd Heremyte to dysordynate loue / In suche wyse that the deuyll moued the poore man to laughe and to playe / And fynably the deuyll approchyd soo nyghe· that he towchyd the berde the necke and the chinne of the monke / And at laste for to leue the cyrcumstauÌ„ces whyche is here noo nede to recyte the moÌ„ke consented purposyd in his thought to acomplysshe the synÌ„e of the flesshe / And after the consentynge he wolde haue proceded to the dede / Thenne the deuyll cryed a terrible crye And lefte the Monke confuse and in grete derysyon / ¶ Anone after came a multytude of deuylles cryenge abowte the hous O monke whyche enhaunselte thyselfe to heuen thou arte fallen into helle ¶ Consydre that he that humblyth hym shall be enhaunced / And he that hymselfe enhaunsyth shall be mekyd / The poore monke seenge this Illusyon made to hym by the deuyll As a foole and Inconstaunt and not thynkynge on god whiche is all god / And that pardonÌ„yth lyghtly hym that woll refoume towarde hym by penaunce begylyd hymselfe yet more / For he lefte his Hermytage and ladde fourth a seculer lyffe / And was made a pâ—oye for the deuyll / The whiche thynge he oughte not to doo / but he ought in his courage to wepe and wayle in dooynge penaunce· For to obteyne Remyssyon of his sinne For yf he hadd soo done withoute doubte he hadd goten the yeâ—te of grace and pardon of his wyckydnesse / ¶ Also the sayd good Heremyte recounted an nother Hystorye of a man dwellynge nyghe the cytee of â—yto in the partyes of Thebayde the whiche after he hadd lyued a lewde lyfe and Infamyd as towarde god and to the worlde He wente and putt hymself in to a secrete place for â—o doo penaunce in wepynge and teeres In whyche he contynued daye and nyghte for to haue remyssyon of his synnes / And mayntened hymselfe soo humbly that he durste not lyfte vpp his eyen to heuen / ¶ After that he had thus contynued a weke in this penaunce / By nyghte came the deuylles in to the place where he was in cryenge ayenste hym / What doost thou here man Infamed whiche haste ben all thy lyfe lewde and lecherous / Wylte thou be now chaste and relygious / Thou whyche haste all thy lyfe lyued in slythernesse of the worlde / Weneste thou to haue space to doo penaunce condygne for to haue foryeuenesse of thy synnes / Thou arte alle redy a deuyll like to vs. Retourne and achyeue the remenaunt of thy lyfe in voluptuosytee and playsaunce / We haue made redy for the delyces ynough wilt thou flee thyselfe in the tormentes whyche thou haste begonne / Come agayne wyth vs in to the worlde / Thou shalte haue noo more payne in helle thanne thou haste now / And all this the poore man herde as vnmouable wythoute ony thynge to answert Anone the deuylles this seenge buffeted and bete hyÌ„ wyth dyuerse strokes / And lefte hym as halfe dede / But notwythstondynge alle this he departed not fro his place / ¶ On the morne somme of hys frendes that soughte hym founde hym tormented thus / And demaunded of hym from whens proceded this afflyccyon and punysshment whyche he hadd receyuyd / And after that he had tolde to theym all the â—â—as / They prayed hym that he wold lete and suffre hym to be broughte by theim in to his howse for to recouere his bodyly helthe To whyche he wolde not consente / But abode stylle in his propre place ¶ Anone after and the nyghte folowynge the deuylles came agayne / And bete hym more thanne byfore / And neuerthelesse he departed not / Consyderynge that more it sholde auaylle hym there to suffre the dethe / thanne to obeye to the deuylles / ¶ The thyrde nyghte came agayne a gretter multytude of deuylles thanne ony tyme tofore / And of theym he was vexed and beten / that there abode noo more but oonly his spiryte Whyche resysted theym / The whiche they seeynge beganne to crye wyth an hyghe voyse Thou haste ouercome vs. Thou haste vaynquysshyd vs / And Incontynente as they hadde ben huntyd by the vertue of god they departed / And after they neuer retourned to hym / And after the good holy man prouffyted soo moche that he was replenysshyd wyth grace and vertue In suche wyse that alle the Regyon reputed hym soo holy as yf he had descended from heuen In sayenge / Loo thys is the mutacyon or chaunge of the ryghte honde of god ¶ And thus by the examples afore sayd we maye know how humylyte and conuersyon is cause of alle good / And by the contrarye exaltacyon and pryde of all euyll / And fynably of dysperacyon / ¶ And for to obserue more lyghtly this rule / The sayd holy man tolde a nother example of a monke / the whyche dwellyd in a place more derke and obscure than all the other / In whyche he passed his yongthe and aege in penaunce In suche wyse that he was flowrynge in alle vertues / And was soo agreable to god that he beynge in thys mortall worlde The aungels were by the Commaundement of god obeyenge to / And admynystred to hym by his lyffe / That is to wyte Refeccyon corporell / ¶ For whanne his nature was greuyd by hungre / He entred in to hys Cauerne / And there by prouydence dyuyne / The brede was redy sette on the table / of moche more gretter swetnesse thanne the brede materyall / whyche
dnÌ„i Et erit tanquaÌ„ lignuÌ„ / The whiche verses by hyÌ„ considred said that they suffysid to bryÌ„ge a man to euerlastyng lyf / After that he had be thre dayes wyth theym he went in to an hermitage whan he was in desert he ete noo thyng but rotes kept right dyligently the vertues whiche the prestes had delyuerd yeue to hyÌ„ not onÌ„ly in wordes· but also by effect operacoÌ„ns / And after this he retourned to theim whiche were moche abasshed how sodenly he was become so vertuoê° in ledyng soo harde strayte a lyf / they constreyned hyÌ„ for to dwell emonge theim / ThenÌ„e he wyllyng not to dysobey soiournod wyth theim a weke· that whiche passed he retorned in to desert / And was there vii· yere in grete abstynence in kepyng holy scrypture / ete no thyng but brede / that on the son daye / Whiche brede was mynystred to hym by grace diuyne / For whan he rose fro prayer he fonde the brede alle redy wythout bryngyng of ony persone / His refeccoÌ„n take he ete nomore tyl the nexte sonday folowyng After longe tyme he retorned fro desert / many were by him coÌ„uerted to penauÌ„ce Emong whoÌ„ a yonge man camÌ„ to hym for to be his dyscyple / ThenÌ„e clad hyÌ„ the holy man with thabyte of hermytes whiche was of the skyuÌ„e of a ghote / after enfourmyd him wyth the rules of heremytes Hrewith he had grete besynesse to bury the dede bodyes yf ony had passed out of this worlde / WhaÌ„ the childe that was his discyple saw his spirytuel fader thê° bury the dede men in clothyng theim honestli ThenÌ„e sayd he I wolde well that my fader shold clothe me thus whan I wer deed And the holy man sayd to him so shal I doo shall yeue to the asmoche as that shal saye it suffyseth / After a lytyll tyme the childe deyed was buried with his fayr fader / And whan he had wrapped him in fayr vestyments he demauÌ„ded him yf it suffised / The chylde that was tho deed answerd tofore al them that were presence there ye / that he had ynouz that his promyse was acoÌ„plysshed / ThenÌ„e all they that were present were moche admerueylled / After that the chylde was buryed the holy fader retorned in to his hermitage / whä he had be long tyme there he came ayen to vysyte his bredern in cominge it was shewed to hyÌ„ that one of hem was in deyeng And by cause it was late he hasted hyÌ„ for to see him at leest or he deyed for he was ferre fro the place where the seke man laye / that dyde he considering that our lord sayth / that we ouÈt to walke whyle we haue light For who that walketh in lyght / that is to say in instyce he offeÌ„dyth not god / therfore by cause the the sonÌ„e decluâ—ed theuynge came on He coÌ„masided to the sonÌ„e in the name of god that he shold cary yeue his lyghte vnto the time that he were comÌ„ vnto the place where the seke man was / And anone the sonÌ„e taried abode vnto the tyme that he was come / ThenÌ„e the bredern were abasshed demauÌ„ded at his comynge frowhens proceded the tarienge of the sonÌ„e / And he answerd ne remeÌ„bre ye not that our loâ—ue sayth / that who someuer hath somoche fayth as the greyne of mustard / of whiche of one grayne come procede infynyte greynes c· Anone the bredern vnderstoden that it was by his merytes that the sonne had be fixed in his syege and trone / And whan he was entred to to the place where as the seke man was / for whom he had so hasted for to come he fonde hym deed / And incontynente the holy man Mucyns kyssed hym in demauÌ„dyng him / Answere to me my broder / Whether haddest thou leuer â—e deed wyth IhuÌ„ Cryst or to come lyue agayn in this worlde / And the bâ—odder answerde / Alas my fader wherfore demaundest thou me this questyon / Thou knowest wel that it is of necessite that I be wyth my god / For. for to be in the worlde nys but myserye / Fader hermyte sayd he thenne to hym / Now goo thy waye thenÌ„e my sone / and praye for me ThenÌ„e the broder layd hym downe agayn in the bedde as he had slepte / Of whyche thynge they that were present were moche abasshed / For they knewe well that he was a man of God of holy lyfe / And this done the holy fader cladde the corps like as he was acustomyd to burye theym that were deed / walked all the nighte in prayers / And after the sayd holy man went to vysite a nother broder that laye on deyenge / And by cause that this broder doubted to be reproued of his lyfe tofore god / Prayed the holy man that he wolde gete of god that his dayes myghte be proloÌ„ged / to th eÌ„de that he myght ameÌ„de his lyfe / the holy fader answerd / What hast that do al thâ— lyf / Hast thou had no space to do penauÌ„ce thou woldest neuer lasse thy synÌ„es but alway haste augmented heÌ„ notwythstoÌ„dyng sayd the holy maÌ„ iâ— thou wylt promyse cameÌ„de thy coÌ„scyence satysfye for thy synÌ„es we shal praye god for ye. they put beÌ„ al to prayer anone after the holy maÌ„ had prayed the lyfe of the broder to be proloÌ„ged thre yere ThenÌ„e the holy man reysed hym out of his bed the frere beyng al hole went wyth him in to deserte / And whaÌ„ the iii. yeres were acoÌ„plysshed he brouÈt hyÌ„ ayen in the place where he had take hyÌ„ ledyng moâ—e the lyfe of an angel than of a man Wherof all the bredern were admerueyled that he was becomÌ„ in so perfyte lyf / After that the freres wer asseÌ„bled he beyng in the myddes amonge hem / the holy man began to preche of the penauÌ„ce coÌ„uersacoÌ„n of the sayd broder al the nyght And in makyÌ„g the sayd sermon lyke as the broder had be a slepe / he rendred gaue vp his spiryte vnto the holy sayntes to heuen his body was buryed / And after the seruyce done the holy man retorned in to deserte / in goynge thyder oftymes he passed the ryuer of Nyle / whyche is a ryuer merueylously grete depe / yet he neuer entred therin depper than to his knees whiche is a thynge moche merueylous / Another tyme the deuyll preseÌ„ted to hym tresours infinyte whyche he said that thei had be loÌ„ging to kyÌ„g Pharao were hyd in therth / The holy man Mucyns answerd to hyÌ„ / the and thi money be in perdicoÌ„n perpetuel / Oftymes he entred in to the hous of the bredern there where al the dores were shytt closed / whaÌ„ he wold in a moment he made a grete way And as saynt copret recouÌ„ted of the holy men tofore sayd one of
holy sacramente of the awter / But the holy man seenge that it was the deuyll sayde to hym / ¶ O cursyd deuyll why cessest thou not to trowble the deuoute soules / How arte thou soo hardy to play Iape with the holy sacrament of thawter / The deuyll answerd that he supposyd to haue dysceyued hym as he hadd done a nother / The whyche after that he had obeyed to hym he became folysshe and oute of wytte / In suche wyse that with payne and vnethe many holy men myght by prayers and orysons reduce hym agayn vnto his place to his former helth / And whan the deuyll had sayd soo he vanisshed away fro the holy man ¶ Of whom it is radd that by ouer longe beynge in prayer his poor fete whyche were contynuelly in reste were broken roten / And after that he had done this penaunce by the space of thre yeere thangell apperyd to hym said / God hath receyued thi orysons prayers / And sendyth to the worde that all thy soores shall be heelyd guarysshed / Thenne the angell towched hym by the mouth by the teeth· and IncoÌ„tyuent he was all hoole guarysshyd / of al his soores and replenysshed wyth scyence wyth all graces in suche wyse that he neuer after hadde hungre ne thurste / ¶ Thangell coÌ„maunded hym after that he shold goo to other places visytynge his bredern for to comfort theym and tenseyne teche to them holy doctryne ¶ And on a tyme it happed that a man crokebacked came to him to the ende that he myghte recouere helthe / wolde mount vpon a mare for to ryde thyder / the whyche was gyrde wyth one cengle whyche the holy man had made / For gladly euery daye in the weke â—auf the Sandaye he made cengles / coueryÌ„ges of leues of palme wouen after the custome of the countree / And so as the sayd crokebacked was mouÌ„ted on the mare he was forthwyth all hoole / by cause his fete had towched the sayd cengle ¶ The holy man was of so grete meryte vertue / that whan he sente to ony seke people of the brede whyche he had blessed wyth his honde / Yf they ete therof / they were heelyd of all maladyes and sykenesses ¶ He had also this grace that he knewe all the thoughtes of his bredern / And Incontynent wrote to ther faders and abbottes how there some ruled theym in synnes vncleÌ„nesse / And other prouffyted in scyence and vertues / Some were inpacyente sette noughte by theyr bredern / The other were constaunt and in charyte / ¶ He preched to vs to torne our eyen fro thynges transytory and to fyxe theym in goodes in fallyble eternall / ¶ Also sayd the holy fader that is of necessite to a man to haue courage manly or vyrile in leuynge the maners condycyons of euyll chyldren whyche of theyr nature ben vicyous variable and in constaunt / ¶ Of saynt Paphunce / and begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Vidimus et alium monasterium / Caplm xvi SAynt Iherom writith of a monastery after where in was an holy heremyte named PaphuÌ„ce strongly renoÌ„med emonge thermites of the desertes / He had dwellyd in thut terest or last desertes of Heracleos a cyte renoÌ„med in Thebayde / of whom saynt Iherom sayth That on a tyme he prayed god that he wolde shew to whom of the sayntes of heuen he sholde be lyke or semblable / Thangell of god answerde to hym that he sholde be lyke to a player vpon a symphonye the whiche by the stretes sought his lyuynge in syÌ„gynge / ThenÌ„e he was moche abasshed of thanswere went forth IncontyneÌ„t for to seche hym where he myght fynde hym / Whan he had fonde hym / he asked by of his lyf of his workes / And he recounted to hyÌ„ how he had alwaye lyued symply in coÌ„misynge many theftes other synnes / Paphunce yet asked hym more feâ—der yf in doynge those theftes he had euer done ony operacyon or werke vertuoê° / The sayd man answerde that he knewe in hym noo good saue on a tyme his felowes whiche were theues as he was hadd take by force a virgyn whiche was sacred to god and whan he sawe / that they wolde haue defoylled her / He thrested emonge theym preseruyd her fro corruptynge / ¶ After this he sayde· that on a nother tyme that he fonde a woman maryed walkynge wythin desertes the whyche was all desolate was nye deed for huÌ„gre by cause she had not ete in thre dayes TheÌ„ne he demauÌ„ded her for what cause she went soo alone in the wodes to whom she answerd that her husbond was prysoner thre of his children by his euyl gouernaunce / And for to eschewe that she sholde not be take she soo fledde not wythstondynge that she gaaf ouer herselfe to the sayd theyf yet neuerthelesse he dyde to her noo dyshonour But gaue to her .iii. C. shilinges of whiche she boughte her husbond the thre chyldern out of pryson / And the theyf sayd that he had done none other good thanne this whiche he had sayd / Thenne the good fader Paphunce answerd / that he hymselfe neuer had done suche werkes of charyte· Sayeng to hym more ouer that god had shewed to hym that he shold haue asmoche Ioye in heuen as he / And therfore he couÌ„seyled hym that he sholde leue his euyll lyfe / and conuerte hym to doo well And Incontynent he caste awaye his â—oytes his symphonie tourned alle his arte of musyke in to spyrytuell songes In suche wyse that he was thre yere in thermytage wyth the sayd holy fader in fastynges merueylous abstyneÌ„ce / And at laste rendred gaaf his spyryte wyth thangels in to heuen· ¶ And after the sayd saynt Paphunce put hyÌ„self to doo more penauÌ„ce gretter thaÌ„ he dyde tofore / And yet ayen he demaunded of god / to what man in erthe he was semblable the voys of heuen answered to hym that he was semblable vnto the lord of a Brugh nye to his hermytage The whiche thyng herde / he went Incontinent for to knowe of the gouernaunce of the sayd lorde / came in to hys hous / Anone as the lorde had receyued him benygnely / The holy fader demaunded of hym of his merytes and vertues / The whyche lorde wyllyng to he â—le and hyde his bountee answered to hym humbly that he neuer had done any gode dede The holy fader suffred it well sayenge that he had reuelacyon that he was semblable lyke in vertues to the holy heremytes dwellynge in deserte / The lorde knowynge the ReuelacoÌ„n made of his lyfe began tex pose the manere of his lyuynge / the whyche was gretly to be merueyled / ¶ Fyrste he sayd how wel that his wyte sythe the tyme of theyr waryage was excellently fayr of yonge aege / Neuerthelesse for the grete loanges that he hadd other tyme recyted of the
louable vertu of chastyte / He had to the same desyred and persuaded her therto syth and after that she hadd hadd by hym thre chyldren / That by the space of xxx yere· durynge the whyche they had contynuelly ben playsauntly in maryage that one wyth that other / Yet had they neuer towched flesshely that one wyth the other / ¶ But at suche tyme as they were prycked desyred tacomplysshe theyr flesshly delectacoÌ„ns / they haue myghtly wythstode and resysted theym duryng the tyme aforsayd / as they yet done / ¶ Secondly he sayd that all his lyfe he had not cessed to lodge pylgryms And that he hymself went fyrste to receyue theym in / He had neuer dyspysed the poore peple but had benygnly mynystred to theym theyr necessytees / In doynge Iustice he spared noo more his chyldren than the estrangers / The godes of other he neuer retayned / Yf ony dyscorde hadd be moeuyd emonge his men / he neuer cessed tyll he hadd made theym acorded / Neuer man founde his seruauntes doynge ony euyll to other his beestes had neuer done ony doÌ„mage to the graynes or corne of his neygboure ¶ Who some euer wolde sowe ony corne on his loÌ„de he wolde neuer for bydde it hym ne also to gadre take the prouffyte / ¶ And more ouer he wolde neuer suffre the riche to offende ne hurte ne greue the poore / But had alway studyed to doo playsure to other / And also of all theym that had pleeted tofore hym he neuer condempned one / but had constreyned theym tacorde theymself / ¶ And this seenge the fader heremyte bowynge his heed / gaaf to hym his blessynge / The blessynge of god of Syon be yeue graunted to the. to the ende that thou mayste eternally see the goodes of Iherusalem all thy lyfe / ¶ And for asmoche said saynt PaphuÌ„ce that thou haste acomplysshed thy dayes in vertues werkes good maners / There abydeth one thynge whiche is necessary / That is that the leue alle thy mouable goodes herytages / And renounce theim in folowyng thy lorde Instructour Ihesu cryste / And incontynent withoute to dyspose his godes the sayd lord with the sayd holi fader wente soo ferre that they came to a ryuer where neuer ony persone had passed wythout boote / The holy fader constreyned hym to entre therin / And notwythstondynge the water was moche depe Neuerthelesse they passed it lyghtly wythout to entree more depe than theyr sydes / ¶ After they went so longe that they came to the deserte / Where saynt Paphunce delyuerd to hym a lytyll celle a lytyll hous nyghe vnto his monasterye / In exposynge to hym the Rules of holy conuersacyon and the excersyte of perfyghtnesse / ¶ And after that he duely and suffysauntly Instruct / The sayde holy fader Paphunce wente hys waye and constreyned hymself to lede a more straytter lyfe than he had done byfore / And also to doo make greter abstynences / And the payne that he had to for suffred and the penaunce that he had borne suffred· he reputed ouer lytyll Seeng that they that were in the worlde dyde thynges of soo grete vertue / Lyke as dyde they two aforsayd / ¶ After that the lord of whom is tofore spoken had lyued the space of longe tyme in the hermytage in augmentynge multeplyenge his perfeccyon / The sayd Paphunce beynge there in his celle or lytill house sawe the soule of the sayd lorde borne by angelles in to heuen sayenge / Blessyd is he whom thou hast chosen / For he shall dwelle wyth the / And by that knewe the holy fader that the sayd lorde was sauyd / ¶ Wherfore the sayd holy fader constreyned himself to doo yet more grete abstinences than he dyde tofore / And in lyke wyse prayed he yet god agayne that he wolde shew to hym to whom he was semblable amonge the men / To whyche request a voys answerde / Thou shalt be semblable to a marchauÌ„t whyche anone shall come hyder for to vysite the / Wherfore aryse and goo to mete hym / ¶ Anone the holy fader aroos and wente downe for to mete the sayd marchaunt that whyche came fro Alexandrye and brought fro Theybayde many marchaundyses the whyche he had in thre shyppes whiche was worth of theyr money .iii. thou sande shyllynges or there abowte And by cause he was a good man louyd well relygyon· be broughte to the sayde holy fader ten sackes full of pesen and benes for to make wyth potage / And whan Paphunce sawe hym he sayd to hym / What doost thou man of god / What lyfe ledest thou in erthe or what consolacoÌ„n hast thou wyth theym that ben celestyall / Leue vnto erthly worldly peple the goodes of the world And doo somoche that thou be marchaunte solicytour of the reame of heuen and folowe thy sauyour / The whiche shall calle the in shorte tyme ¶ The whyche thynge soo happed / For the marchaunt folowynge the good admonycyons of saynt Paphunce made to be gyue dealed his goodes to poore men / seruauntes of god / And ledde a lyfe solytarye / And soone after he passed fro this corruptyble worlde / in to the glory of heuen / ¶ And in lyke wyse after deyed the holy fader Paphunce / But yet the angell shewed to hym his dethe sayenge / ¶ Come thou holy man blessyd of god Loo here the prophetes whiche hen with me for to receyue the. The whyche grace I haue not shewed to the byfore / to the ende that thou sholdest not be proude / ¶ The holy man lyued one day after and recounted this that sayde is to some preestes whiche were come thider for to vysyte hym ¶ And after he gaue to theym many techinges / ¶ Amonge all other he shewed to theym / that they sholde neuer despyse other of what estate or what vocacion he was though he were vycyous / ¶ For in euery ordâ—e of mannes lyfe there ben two soules pley saunt to god by doynge some thynges secretly and vnknowen / ¶ And thus may be concluded / that the habyte makyth not the man pleysaunt ne agreable to god / but oonly the clennesse of lyf ¶ After that the sayde holy fader Papounce hadd gyue to his brethern enseygnements and many other techynges And that he had take leue of theym in grete humylyte / he rendred his soule to god / Whyche the holy angelles bare in to heuen in the presence of the assystences In syngyng songes and dyctees celestyall / ¶ Of the monastery of saynt Ysodore begynnynge in latyn ¶ Vidimus apud thehaidam / Caplm xvii IN Thebayde was a monastery and couent of saynt Ysodote playsaunte and gretly renoÌ„med / ¶ The relygyouses that were there wythin hadde moche grete and large howses / ¶ There were many pondes gardynes and trees berynge frute / Wyth this there were all thinges necessary for the bodyly lyfe In suche wise
of you by cause that the worlde deceyuynge you mocke you / ThenÌ„e he that had aresoned theim whan he was retorned in to his hous gaaf for goddis loue all the he had / And after became hyÌ„self religioê° with the holy heremytes / ¶ Of saynt Amon fyrst relgioê° in Nytrie whiche begynynnth in latyn ¶ IniciuÌ„ sancti / Caplm .xxx. THe fyrste Heremyte in Nytrye was called Amon. the soule of whom IncoÌ„tynent after his dethe was seen by saynt Anthonye borne by angels in to heuen / But for to wryte of his ryght holy lyf we shall begyn at his natyuyte ¶ He was of noble riche frendes the whiche ayenst his wyll dide hyÌ„ to be maryed to a noble womaÌ„ of the couÌ„tree of Nytrye He beynge layed a bedde wyth her the fyrste nyght of theyr espoussaylles he made to her many fayr exortacoÌ„ns in ercytynge her to the noble vertue of chastyte and of vyrgynyte vnder suche or lyke wordes / My loue by cause the wythout fawte thynge corrupte shall fynde corrupcoÌ„n / And by the contrary thynge not corrupt oughte to hope incorrupcoÌ„n / Therfore it is more auaylable to vs tweyne togyder hoole to dwelle entier without flesshly touchynge vs. than the one were corrupte of the other / Thise wordes herde by the dyrgyne / she consented therto lyghtly lyued togyder in honest chastyte virgynyte longe tyme after the deth of theyr frendes And after the holy man went in to the nexte deserte to his dwellynge assembled many Heremytes / And the sayd virgyne abode in her hous accompanyed wyth many virgyns / After that he had be a certayn tyme solytarily in the deserte Some men broughte to hym a chylde enchayned / The whyche had be byten wyth a wood honde besechyng hym to pray for the helth of the sayd chylde / The holy man ansuerde that he had not deserued somoche anenst god that shold enhauÌ„ce his prayers / But neuertheles he sayd to theym that the helthe of the sayd chylde was in theyr hodes / For whanÌ„e they wolde rendre to a poore wydowe an oxe whiche they had robbed fro her theyr childe shold haue helth shall be al hoole / Of whiche wordes they were moche abasshed merueylynge by what manere the holy maÌ„ might know the thefte that they had done soo secretly / ThenÌ„e they went home rendred to the widow the ore that they had stolen / by the prayer of the holy man the chylde was made hole ayen and had his helthe / ¶ A nother tyme came some other to hym / of whom he wolde proue the courages / ¶ He sayde to theym that he had grete necessyte of a tonne ful of water / for to yeue drinke to hem that disyted hyÌ„ / And prayed requyred theim that they wolde brynge to hym a tonne full / whyche they promysed for to doo and to fulfylle / ¶ And after that they were departed fro him the one sayd to his felow the haste promysed the water aswel as I Wherfore thou shalt doo it be borne to hyÌ„ yf thou wolt that it be borne / For I haue not but my camell that whiche shal neuer bere it / That other answerde thou knoweste wel the I ne haue but an asse / the whiche maye not bere soo moche as thy camell maye / For the one is more stronger than the other / To whom that other answered / Doo what thou wolt for I woll not slee my camell / ThenÌ„e the other sayd / I shall laye it on myn asse that whyche thou darst not laye on thy camell / But I hope that the meryte of the holy man shall make possyble that whiche is impossyble to a creature / The asse anone after the he was charged wyth the tonne full of water bare it to the lodgis of the holy man Amon. also lightly as he had borne noo thynge on hym / And thenÌ„e the sayd saynt Amon in receyuyng the sayd water sayd to the gode man whiche was come thyder for to guyde his beest Thou haste done well for to brynge the tonne vpon thyn asse for the camell of thy felowe is deed / And whaÌ„ that other was retorned he fonde that it was true ¶ The sayd Amon was somoche bilouyd of god that he gate of hyÌ„ singuler graces / emong thother whan he wolde passe go ouer the ryuer of Nyle bycause he was shamfaste to vnclothe hyÌ„self sodainly he fonde hymself set ouer the ryuer on that other side of the ryuage / Therfore we oughte faythfully to byleue / that to Iuste and good men is noo thynge impossyble / ¶ Of saynt Pyamon whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Non auteÌ„ michi c. Caplm .xxxi. SAynt Iherom recouÌ„tyth in procedyÌ„ge ferder in this werke that this is not a thinge worthy neresonable that ony sholde eschewe or leue to wryte the faytes dedes of the holy faders dwellyÌ„ge in deserte nye the see Parthenie nye to a castell namyd Dyolcho whyche amonge the holy faders he sawe an holy man namyd Pyamon whiche had the yeft of all humylyte benygnytee of reuelacoÌ„n / ¶ On a time whan he sacrefysed to god he sawe an angell nye his awter holdynge a boke in whyche was wryten the names of some relygyouses assystent to his awter / some he wrote not / After the sacrefyce done he axed of theym of whom the names were not writen / But by theyr ansuere he fonde that they were all in dedely synÌ„e Thenne he admonested theym to duo contynuell penaunce / And he hymselfe also lyke as he had be culpable as they were· wepte waylled And contynued so longe and vnto the tyme that in callynge theim vnto the holy sacramente of thawter he knewe by the angel that he had wryten theym in the boke / that they had done penauÌ„ce agreable to god / ¶ A nother tyme he was beten of deuilles that he might not remeue fro the place / Thenne it happed that on a Sondaye that he hadd a custome to receyue his maker / he was constrayned to be horne of his bredern to thawter / Tofore whiche he lyeng flatte on therth / he sawe thangell the caughte his honde for to lyft hyÌ„ vp / forthw t he was hoole / ¶ Of an other holy fader that whiche was namyd IohnÌ„ begyÌ„nyng in latyn ¶ Erat in ipis locis / Caplm .xxxii. THere was in the places aforsayd an holy man namyd IohnÌ„ a nother than he of whom tofore is spoken· fulfylled with alle grace / EmoÌ„ge al other he had one suche that all they that went to hym of what trybulacyon they were trowbled by his worde in contynent they were coÌ„forted / with that he heelyd many persones of dyuers dyseses / And saynt Iherom sayth after al thyse hystoryes by hyÌ„ wreton that for doubte of grete peryllis dauÌ„gers whiche thenne were in the waye he durste not goo in to the hye regyon of Thebayde by Serene wherof
to be stylle / ¶ Thenne he toke a lytyll mete / And retourned by the waye that he came / Desyrynge syngulerly to see the holy Heremyte Poul Doubtynge also that he sholde rendre his soule to god in his absence / ¶ And after fynably he wente wyth soo grete dylygence as was to him possyble / and in suche wyse as that he had not walked but thre houres / ¶ WhanÌ„e he sawe 〈◊〉 â—â—ule of saynt Poul amonge the an 〈◊〉 Appostles / Prophetes and marters pure clene and white as snowe borne vpp in to heuen / And Incontynente he felle downe to the erthe / And couered his heed wyth sonde in sayenge / ¶ Wherfor Poul leuest thou me / Helas wherfore goost thou wythoute sayenge to me a dieu / or farewell / Helas I haue ouerlate knowen the / And ouer soone thou goost / Now haue I loste alle comforte Helas if I had not seen the ne knowen I shold not now haue the harme ne euyll that I haue / ¶ O man of god make thy requeste now in that hye place / where as the angels haue borne the to / that I maye by very faythe goo soone and folowe the / ¶ After that he had well egrely wepte waylled he was and founde hymself also lyghte as a byrde or a fowle fleenge and not wythout cause / For he beynge arryued at the hermytage of saynt Poul / He fonde hym knelynge on his knees vnmoeuable his hede beynge lyft vp on hyghe and his hoÌ„des Ioyned in suche wyse as saynt Anthonye had supposyd as he had ben yet alyue / But by cause he drewe noo brethe he wyste well he was deed / He was abowte to burye hym in sayenge psalmes and ympnes / lyke as thenne was the custome to burye the faders of Egypte / He supposyd to haue putt hym in to the erthe / But he founde neyther pykeys ne shouel for to make a pytt or graue / Wherof his heuynesse was encreaced consyderyng that he myght not lyghtly make it / For it was foure Iourneyes vnto his monastery / And of that other parte he thought in hymself that withoute pykâ—oys and shouel he myghteâ—e doo noo thynge / ¶ He beynge 〈◊〉 malencolye concluded in hymself byde there tyll he sholde deye nyghe to the layd body ¶ And thus thynkynge came two lyons sodaynly whyche made saynt Anthonye sore aferde / But he anone retorned towarde god by deuowte orison / And anone was assured and had noo more fere ne drede / ¶ And he behelde the lyons whyche began to waylle and lamente by the corps of saynt Poul / Lyke as they had had vnderstondynge resonable / And after theyr wayllynges / they made a depe pytte of the lengthe of the holy saynt Poul / The whyche made they came to saynt Anthonye / and lycked his hondes and fete Lyke as they had axyd his benedyccyon for theyr rewarde that they had there done / ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye in praysynge god sayd / O my lorde my god wythout the prouydence of whom one oonly leef of the tree fallyth not to the grounde / Gyue to thyse lyons that whyche thou knowest that ought to be gyuen to them / ¶ And after blessyd theym wyth the sygne of the Crosse to the ende that they sholde goo theyr waye / And after whan they were departed he putt the body in the erthe the beste wyse he myghte / And on the morne came agayne / And as his heyre brought his robe of leeues / the whyche he ware or Eester daye and Whytsondaye oonly / ¶ Vpon this matere for to excyte theym that haue soo moche payne for to hope and to assemble bi neclygent wayes townes castelles lordshippes and other temporell godes in soo grete quantyte and the whyche some tyme begge in the ende of theyr dayes / Saynt Iherom knowynge the holy lyfe of the sayde gloryous saynt Poul / whyche neuer hadde suffraunce ne Indygence makyth to theym suche an exhortacyon / ¶ Thynke thou prowe man that drynkest and etest in vessellis of golde and syluer and gayely made fayr and ryche wyth precyouse stones / Thynke that to the deuowte and holy man Whyche hadd not but oonly one Robe of leues of Palme was heuen opened And to the prowde is hells made redy ¶ Thynke in lyke wyse of thy sepulture composyd of stones of marble or of syluer gylce / Or that is couered with veluet with whiche thou mayst be brente / ¶ Helas the holy man hadd not but a lytyll of erthe / Helas ye worldly men deporte or forbere you / And take not so moche payne to gadre and hepe richesses / ¶ Alas how is a man soo moche a foole for to burye a nother in clothe of golde or of sylke / For Incontynent and as soone as a man whiche hathe lyued euyll and synfully is out of this worlde / He is but in wepynges and in waylynges / ¶ The sepulcre of golde ne the dothe of parement maye not raunsonÌ„e hym fro the paynes that he suffreth / ¶ Alas poore prowde man wolt thou deye in thy pryde that desyrest to be buryed soo costle we / ¶ Fro whens comyth this folye / Whan thou haste be ambycyous in thy lyfe and that hath be made to the soo many vayne honours / Thou desyrest yet that they yet sholde be made to thy careyne after thy deth / ¶ And ofte perauenture some haue fayre and ryche sepulture of whom the soule suffreth harde payne / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Anthonye Abbot / Whyche fyrste was broughte in to wrytynge and sente by saynt Anathase to the bysshopp of Alexandrye / And after by saynt Enagrion preest translated out of Greke in to latyn and put it to this present boke whiche is made of holy faders / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Igitur Anthonius c. Caplm .xxxvi. SAynt Anthonye born in Egipte was come of ryght noble pareÌ„tes as was of noblesse of lignage as of holy conuersacyon / He was nourysshed soo solytaryly that he knewe noo man of the world / but onÌ„ly his frendes ¶ Whan he was a lytyll grete that is to wyte in his Infancye he wolde not goo play with lytyll chyldern but he went in to the chyrche herynge the seruyce of god / And notwythstondynge that the chyldren of ryche houses had a custome to be delicyously nourysshed with dyuers metes / Neuerthelesse saynt Anthonye desyred them neuer / but was coÌ„tent wyth suche as men gaaf to hym / ¶ After the deth of his frendes he abode faderles in thage of .xix. or .xx. yere with hyÌ„ dwelled his syster whom he gouerned taught in gode dedes werkes thê° passyÌ„g the tyme· vi moÌ„thes hauÌ„ting the chirche he thouÈt how thapostles left all theyr substaunce and goodes for to folowe theyr swete lorde and mayster Ihesu Cryste / ¶ On a tyme he beynge in the chyrche herde one rede a gospell / Whyche made mencyon how our lord sayd to a Ryche man
regyon that we pretende to haue / Lyke as god wytnessyth in the gospell is wythin vs / ¶ Ne doubte not that yf our soule be not maculate or spotted ne defoyled wyth synne / That in her shall be the fountayne of alle vertues / ¶ TheÌ„ne it is of necessyte that it be good / For it is created or made of a mayster / whyche is souerayne good / that is god oute Creatoure and Maker / ¶ Lete vs consydre the wordes of oure Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste sayenge ¶ Doo ye soo that ye haue the herte clene to the god of Israhell / ¶ And in lyke wyle sayth saynt Iohan / whiche sayth / ¶ Doo ye soo that your wayes be ryghtfull pure and clene / Gouerned by the faythe of god / ¶ Now for to doo soo it byhouyth vs for to kepe vs from the spotte of synne / ¶ We oughte souerainly and â—â—atly for to kepe vs from yee or wâ—athe / ¶ For whanne the man is angry / Wyth ryght grete payne maye he doo ony werke agreable or playsaunt vnto god / By cause that yre or wrathe empessheth and lettyth vertue / The whyche is none other thynge but god / ¶ Yet after also sayd saynt Anthonye to the Relygyouses / My lytyll chyldren kepe you from vayne wordes and fro pryde / ¶ Some there ben that enterpryce and avaunte theym to doo well / But they folowe not the dede whyche they enterprysed and purposed / ¶ Other there ben that clothe theim and araye theym wyth vestymentes of Relygyouses / and folowe Relygyon / to the ende to seme and appyere good / But within their hertes they ben wulues enraged / And ben werse thanne deuylles ¶ For vnder the shadow of good / they done Infynyte harmes and euylles / ¶ After the holy fader saynt Anthonye shewed to theym some fallaces or disceytes whyche the deuylles done in dyuerse maners and mockynges / In sayenge that often tymes the deuyll sheweth him to the holy men in lykenesse of men / In blaundysshynge theym and flaterynge theym wyth fayte and swete wordes / And in praysynge theyr estate and constaunce / ¶ And often tymes promyseth that / whiche they may not gyue / That is the glorye and Ioye of heuen / ¶ For to eschewe suche Illusyons and mockynges / Whanne they ben felte comynge Oughte men to enseygne and blesse theym wyth the sygne of the Crosse / And Incontynent it shall tourne in to noughte / ¶ For by the meryte of the passyon that our souereyne lorde and Redemer Ihesu Cryste suffred in the Crosse / Alle suche Illusyons or mockynges shaâ—â—lese theyr strengthe and vertue / ¶ He sayde also that some tyme come some Illusyons or deceyuynges whyche cause terrour drede to theym that the deuylles admynystre theym And that done they for to takeÌ„ awaye from men theyr mynde ¶ But agaynst suche Illusions or scornynges byhouyth to haue stedfaste faythe / And soo shall it be wythstonde lyghtly / ¶ For to knowe thenne the dyfference of good and euyll angellis / It oughte to be knowen / that whanne the good angell comyth / Hys chere and regarde is swete and amyable or louely ¶ And by cause he desyreth but peas / He makyth none noyse ne clamoure / And his voyce is not herde / ¶ He gyuyth Ioye and exultacyon to synnars / ¶ For oure lorde is wyth hym / whyche is welle and fountayne of alle good / Incontynent also as oure soule seeth hym / yf it were to hym possyble he sholde breke the membres of the body / and wold goo wyth the good angell whan he is there presente / ¶ The benygnyte of the same aungell is soo grete / that yf he caused ony drede atte the begynnynge for his grete lyghte Incontynent he takyth awaye from the man all drede and fere / ¶ Ryght soo dyde Gabryell to Zatharye beynge in the Temple / also with the Shepeherdes / whanne he shewed the Natyuyte of Ihesu Cryste ¶ But of the euyll Aungelles / the countenaunce and chere is crimynell dredefull / ¶ His entree horryble· Theyr mocyon and waye is Inconstaunte / As of fooles or of theues / ¶ And Incontynent as they ben tofore men the soule feâ—eth and dredyth / ¶ Alle the fyue wyttes ben trowbed / And feere of dethe folowyth / ¶ Desyre of shrewdnes Lachednesse of vertue / And wekenesse of courage ¶ Thenne whanne to the vnderstondynge comyth a thoughte or a presentacoÌ„n in lykenesse of an angell After the drede presentyth hym Ioye Hope in god and charyte / ¶ We oughte veritably to byleue that this comyth from god / Whyche sendeth to vs his ayde and socoure / ¶ In suche wyse Abraham the Patryarke seenge god reioyced him / ¶ In lyke wyse saynt Iohan Baptyste beynge in the wombe of saynt Elyzabeth his moder / Whanne the gloryous vyrgyne Mary moder of our Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste came to vysyte her / He whyche was not yet borne· reioyced hym merueyllously / ¶ By whyche it apperyth that the good aungell atte his comynge gyueth consolacyon and comforte / And makyth the persone to be assured As he dide whan he shewed the ryght Ioyeous Natyuyte of our Sauyour Ihesu Cryst to the same gloryous vyrgyne Marye in sayenge to her / ¶ Marye be not aferde for thou haste founde grete grace towarde god / ¶ And the contrarye by apperynge and represeÌ„tacions of euyll angellis haue be many tymes deceyued the gentyles and Paynems / ¶ But we Crysten men ben preseruyd By cause that god hath taken awaye from the deuyl the domynacyon and power that he hadde vppon vs. whanne he sayde to hym ¶ Goo thou abacke Sathanas / It is wreton that thou shalte adoure and worshipp thy god / and oonly shal thou serue to hym / ¶ By thyse same wordes whiche god sayde to the deuyll He toke his power from hym / ¶ There is also gyuen to vs power to saye to hym whan he wolde tempte vs Goo abacke Sathanas ¶ And Incontynent he shall be vaynquysshed / And shall departe from vs / ¶ After saynt Anthonye prayed they that they shold not be curyous to doo myracles / to the ende / That yf they or one of theym by the vertue of our lorde made ony / they sholde not renne for that cause in to dampnable vyce of pryde and of vayne glory / ¶ In lyke wyse he defended to theym that they sholde not dyspyse that one the other But exhorted theim that they sholde payne theymselfe to lede togyder good lyfe and honeste / ¶ Also sayde he for to doo and make myracles is not in oure power / But in the power of god / ¶ For he sayth in the Gospell in spekynge to his dyscyples / ¶ Gloryfye ye not yf the deuylles ben subgett to you but reioyece ye you that your names beÌ„ wrete in heuen ¶ Here it is to be noted that they that done miracles and prodygees by arte magyke / Wythoute to haue the gyfte
but yf they sholde kepe the lawe / ¶ Thenne alle the Relygyouses went away / But saynt Anthonie sette noo thynge of his menaces and thretenynges / And shewed his Scapularye / to the ende that he sholde be the better knowen for a Relygyous man / ¶ And on the moune he shewed hym in a whyte vestement tofore the faâ—e of the Tiraunt / To the ende that he was desyrynge to be of the nombre of the martyrs / that whyche by the wyll of god was kepte and preseruyd from the yâ—e of the Tyraunt / And retorned to his monastery in makynge lene and castisynge his body of more sharpe fastynges prayers contynuelly thanne tofore / ¶ Nexte his flesshe he ware the hayre / And ther vpon a vestement of hayre namyd Melote ¶ He bayned neuer his body ne neuer wysshe his fete / But by necessytee whanne he passed and wente thorugh the water / ¶ Neuer man sawe his body naked / but whanne he was deed ¶ Longe tyme after that saynt Anthonye was closyd in his monastery not wyllynge to speke to ony persone / ¶ A prynce of chyualrye named Martynyan hadde a doughter whyche was meueyllously vexed of the deuyll ¶ Soo wolde the sayde Maxymyan goo to saynt Anthonye for to praye hym that he wolde make his prayer to god that it playsed hym to heele and guarysshe his sayd doughter / The whyche Martynyan arryued there and prayed hym that he wolde open his doore / ¶ But for what prayer that he cowde make / He wolde neuer opene it / But went vpon hyghe / And saynt Anthonye sayde to hym / ¶ O man wherfore demanndest thou ayde or helpe of me / Whanne I am mortall as thou arte / Yf thou byleue in Ihesu Cryste whom I serue Praye to him And after thy fayth thy doughter shall be guarysshed and heelyd / ¶ The sayd Martinyan gyuynge faythe and credence to the wordes of saynt Anthonye called vnto the name of god ¶ And Incontynent his doughter was heelyd and guarysshed / ¶ Many folkes also whyche went and slepte tofore the doore of his sayde monastery were guarysshed of dyuers maladyes ¶ And saynt Anthonye seenge that from alle partyes people came to hym / for to recouuere helthe He wente from thens in to the hyhest partyes of Thebayde / Where as he was not knowen / ¶ And by cause that by the occasion of the grete miracles and wonders that he dyde and wroughte by the vertue of oure lorde / he sholde not entre in to the synne of exaltacyon and vayne glorye / And also that men shold not repute nor Iudge hym for an holy man / He tooke of the breede of his brethern / for to goo in to the hyghest partyes of Thebayde / ¶ And wente tyll he came to a grete ryuer On the ryuage or banke wherof / he herde a voyce comynge from heuen / Whyche sayde / ¶ O Anthonye whether goost thou / ¶ Saynt Anthonye as accustomyd to here suche voyces / Ansuered that he wente from hys monasterye / By cause that the people lefte hym not in peas / ¶ And the voyce ansuered vnto hym / ¶ Yf thou goo thyder as thou haste enterprysed for to goo thou shalte haue more payne by the halfe thanne thou haste hadd ¶ But and yf thou wolte haue peas / Goo in to the deserte whyche is here wythin / ¶ Saynt Anthonye ansueryd that he knewe not where it was / And thenne the voyce sayd to hym that there were Sarrasyns whyche haue ben accustomyd to lede marchaundyses in to Egypte ¶ Anone after saynt Anthonye aperceyued theym And prayed theym to lede hym wyth theym in to the sayde deserte / The whyche they dyde gladly / ¶ And whanne they had goon thre nyghtes / they fonde a moche hygh mountayne / Atte the foote wherof was a fayre well and fountayne / And aboute the same was a lytyll felde in whyche were palme trees in lytyll quantyte ¶ And whanne saynt Anthonye sawe that place / He knewe well that it was the place whyche was shewed to hym by the voyce on the ryuage or bryÌ„ke of the Ryuer ¶ Thenne he tooke the brede of his felowes / In recommaundyng theym to god / And abode there alle alone / ¶ After that his brethen hadd knowlege of the place where he was / Thei sente hym alwaye his pytaunce / And by cause he sawe well that it was grete payne for to brynge to hym his sustentacyon / Sente to one of his Religyouses that he sholde brynge to hym a shouell or a spade wyth two forkes of yren and some whete / ¶ The whyche brother soo dyde ¶ And anone after / he founde couuenable londe to laboure in the mountayne / The whyche he sewe wyth whete / ¶ And it multeplyed soo gretly / that he gadred ynough for to susteyne his lyffe / Wherof he was moche Ioyeous and gladde / Seenge that he myghte lyue wythoute gyuynge to ony persone ony payne or traueylle / ¶ And bi cause that some folkes came thyder / He augmented and encreacyd his laboure in the lytyll londe for to gyue Refeccyon to the comers to hys hermytage / ¶ And whanne the corne was grete / The beestes that were there ete it ¶ He dyde soo moche that he tooke one / ¶ And in spekynge to all the forsayd beestes he sayde to hym / ¶ Wherfore doo ye to me dysplaysure syth that I doo none dysplaysure to you / Goo ye fourth in the name of our lorde Ihesu Cryste / and come noo more hyther / To the whyche wordes the sayd beeste and all the other obeyenge departed all fro there abowtes / Thus lyued saynt Anthonye long wythin the pyttes fosses in the same mouÌ„tayne / ¶ And whaÌ„ somtyme his brethern sente to hym oliues or of the oyle or other fruyte for to susteyne his olde aege / he wolde none / ¶ In the mountayn he had many bataylles not oonli ayenst the flesshe but also ayenst the deuylles whyche ofte broughte to hym suche tempeste that it semed that all the mouÌ„tayne were ful of men of armes / ¶ Who well consydreth the wonderfull lyfe of saynt Anthonye he is worthy of grete praysynge / Seenge his perseueraunce in abydyng so longe tyme in one place solytary wythout seenge ony persone / But on that one side wylde cruell beestes· and the deuylles on that other syde / whyche came to bete tormente hym / ¶ And neuerthelesse he was neuer in wylle to leue hys hermytage / But abode alwaye in hys feâ—me purpoos to serue god· considryng the sayeng of the prophete Dauyd / Who someuer shal haue very fayth stedfaste hope in god shal neuer haue empeshement ne lettynge that may noye hy / ¶ On a nyghte as he woke in sayeng his prayers came aboute hym al the wylde beestes of the deserte whyche enforced theym for to byte hym / ThenÌ„e saynt Anthonye sayd to theym Yf ye haue lycence to noye me /
serpentes and venymouse beestes roo◠vp agaynst the peple / Of the Infeccion of whom they deyed in dyfferently wythout remedye yf Incontynent they had not be brought to saynt Hylaryon whiche gaaf theim oyle blessyd Of whiche anone as theyr woundes were touched were hole guarysshed / ¶ And by that cause that in those partyes he was soo moche knowen / And that there was done to hym ouermoche grete honour He went in to Alexandrye and came in to a monasterye namyd Oason / ¶ Ferdermore bi cause he had not dwellid in no towne walled syth he had be religyous He went to Brynchion by Alexandrye wyth some of his brethern that he knewe where he was receyued benygnely / ¶ But anone after by cause that they sawe the discyples of the holy man make redy his asse for to departe / they prayed hym wyth Ioyned hondes that he wolde abyde / For they hadd leuer haue deyed than he sholde departe fro theym ¶ Thenne the holy man for to comforte them sayd that he was constrayned hastly to depart / To th ende that by his ouerlonge taryenge there wyth theym he sholde be cause of heuynesse / ¶ Sayeng to theym ferdermore that for some thynges that they sholde see after come They sholde well know that not with oute grete cause he sholde not departe soo hastely from theym and theyr monastery / ¶ And the day after it happed that the Pryncypall of the cyte of Gaza / A cytee nyghe by wherin dwelled Paynems and enmyes to the lawe of oure lorde Ihesu cryste / Whyche were aduertysed of the comynge of saynt Hilaryon to the sayde monastery / Knowynge that their lawe was in waye and daūger to be all destroyed by the moyen of the sayde saynt Hylaryon / And for to eschew the same concluded to goo to the sayde monastery for to putte hym to dethe / ¶ And soo Incontynent they wente thyder ¶ And they fyndynge that soo hastely was departed from thens / And wythoute to be aduertysyd· ne warned of theyr enterpryse and purpose / Imposed and put to him that he was a Magycyen / Sayenge emonge theim that that they myghte cleerly knowe that he sawe before thynges that comen after / ¶ Now it oughte to be vnderstonde that whanne saynt Hylaryon was departed from Palestyne / They of Gaza demaūded of Iulyan whyche thenne was emperoure lycence for to slee his discyple Esicius / ¶ And for more lyghter to take him / they had wreton to alle the londes there abowte ¶ His chyrche was thenne dystroyed beten downe / And his Relygyouses slayn / ¶ The whyche thynge he had perceyued by reuelacyon / wherfore he was departed by cause he wold not see that dystruccyon / Lyke as tofore is sayde / ¶ Saynt Hylarion soo departed from Bruchyon and the desertes retournyd in to Oason / Where he was a yere or there abowte ¶ But by cause his renomee and fame was thrugh that londe spradde· He wold goo to places where he sholde not be knowe / ¶ And wente for to passe ouer the see / and to dwell in yles where he sholde not be knowen ¶ In that tyme Adryan whyche was his dyscyple comynge from Palestyne arryued to hym sayenge / That Iulyan the Emperoure was slayne / And that in his place regued an Emperoure that was Crysten / ¶ Whanne the holy man herde his purpoos he blamyd hym / ¶ And neuerthelesse he wolde not retorne / But he and Zazanius one his discyple went in to a shippe for to come in to Cecyle / ¶ And whanne they were in the myddill of the see / the sone of the maronner was rauisshed of a deuyll Whyche entred in to his body ¶ And by cause that saynt Hylaryon by force of coniuracyon wold haue constrayned hym to departe oute of the sayd sone He sayde to hym ¶ O seruaunt of god why suffrest thou not me to be in peas wythin the water / Gyue me spase to goo to the londe / ¶ For yf I departe here / I sholde falle in to the abysme / ¶ The holy man ansuered to the deuylll Yf my god hath gyuen to the puyssaunce and power to abyde / Abyde thou And yf thou haste noo myghte I shall caste the oute / ¶ Anone after the chylde was hoole and guarysshed / ¶ After this saynt Hilaryon to the ende that he sholde not be knowen made the Maronners to swere other that were there that they shold not shewe his name / ¶ And whanne he was arryued in an hyghe mountayn in Cecyle named Pachumum he wold haue gyuen to the Maronner for his solaire a boke of the gospellis whiche he hadd doo make in his yongthe for hym and his dyscyple Zazanius / ¶ The Marōner seenge that he had none other thynge wolde noo thynge haue / ¶ And to th ende that he wold not there be knowen of the Marchaūtes of the Eest partyes / He wente ferre in to the myddyll of the lond well twenty myle from the see / ¶ And there in a desert he made of the broken bowes and wode fagottes and brusshes / and charged and layd in the necke of his dyscyple for to bere to the market in the nexte towne / To the ende that he sholde brynge breede for theyr sustentacyon / ¶ Alas lete vs consydre the pouertee of this holy man / and how moche euyl he suffred for to come to heuen / we that haue soo moche good / How suppose we to haue it / I byleue that it shall be wyth grete payne / ¶ And how well that the holy man was goon in to a straūge countree by cause he wolde not be knowen / ¶ Neuerthelesse anone after by the moyen of his merueyllous werkes· Hys fame was grete thorugh alle the countree of Cecylle / ¶ And the fyrste knowlege of hym was by a a man whyche had a deuyll wythin his body / the whyche man was broughte in to the chirche of saynt Peter of Rome / ¶ And on a daye amonge the other / the deuyll cryed by the mouthe of the seke man with in shorte tyme Hylaryon shall entre in to Cecylle the whyche wenyth to hyde hym / But I shall goo to him and shal manyfeste and shewe him thorugh out the londe of Cecylle / For suche is the playsure of god / ¶ Anone the same man wyth his seruauntes wente to the see came a londe in Pachumium / ¶ And lyke as the deuyll broughte hym tofore the hermytage of saynt Hylaryon And Incontynent was alle hoole / ¶ The whyche curacyon was the fyrste myracle that he made in Cecylle / ¶ And after came to hym Innumerable seke people / Of whom he refusyd many grete gyftes whyche they wolde haue gyuen to hym / ¶ Consyderynge by hym that whyche oure Sauyour sayd to his dyscyples / ¶ I haue gyuen to you grace / wythoute ony thynge to gyue therfore Gyue ye in lyke wyse wythout takynge of ony thynge / ¶ Esicius dyscyple
spowse my culuer or douue / ¶ For the wynter and the Rayne ben passed / ¶ To whom she answered / ¶ The flowres ben on the erthe / The tyme of Harueste is come / I byleue to see the goodes of oure lorde in the londe of lyuynge people / ¶ And in thus sayenge she rendred to god her blessyd soule / ¶ But in soo dooynge the people beynge presente were not moeuyd to wepynge ne wayllynge / lyke as men of the worlde now a dayes done for theyr parentes and frendes / Whom they haue soone forgoten / ¶ But the bysshoppis sette honde on the Byer / The other herynge lampes and tapres· And other syngynge deuowte Ympnes and Psalmes in the mydle of the chyrche / And in the sepulture of oure lorde where oure sauyour Ihesu Cryste was buryed / ¶ Alle the people of the cytees of Palestyne came to her Entyerement / ¶ And soo many of Relygyouses men and wymmen were there / that it was merueyllouse to see and behold· ¶ And in effecte yf ony defaylled there that hadde not ben atte theyr laste seruyce They were reputed and holden as Sacryleges / ¶ The Wydowes and poore Wydowes to the example of Dorcade sheweden there the vestymentes whyche the good lady saynt Paula hadde made / ¶ And generally alle poore persones cryeden after her / As after theyr mode ¶ Lete vs thynke thenne we myserable synnars / ¶ And pryncypally they that amasse and possesse grete Ryches tresours / ¶ How the good lady Paula abandouned and forsoke alle her tresour for to gyue for goddis sake / ¶ He las what cowde one more yeue / She reteyned and kepte noo thynge for herselfe / ¶ Thynke marchauntes what marchaundyses she made / Whanne she chaunged alle her golde and her syluer in to thynges Incommutable / ¶ She forsoke alle for to haue alle And she wolde be ryght poore for to be Ryche / ¶ Saynt Iherom after this adressyd his wordes to the doughter of saynt Paula whyche was moche deuowte / ¶ For she folowed the good vertuouse maners of her holy moder / ¶ O Eustochium Reioyce thyselfe my doughter / For I know that thou haste but lytyll good in this worlde / But thou oughtest to enioye the for thyn holy moder / ¶ Whyche by longe martyrdome is crowned in the glory of heuen ¶ She hathe spared to the grete Rychesses / ¶ For thou shalte haue by successyon thy god whiche is more Ryche Tresour thanne alle the golde in the worlde / ¶ Thus in Bethleem where god was born deyed gloryously the good saynt Paula / ¶ Of whom the gloryous soule flewe in to heuen in to euerlastynge glory and blysse / ¶ The whyche graunte to vs the eternall god in one essence and thre in persones / By the merytes and prayers of the gloryous sayntes saynt Paula and saynt Iherom her singuler and moost specyall frende in this worlde and in the other / Amen / ¶ Thus endeth the lyfe of the ryght deuoute holy woman saynt Paula / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe ' of saynt Pelage / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quid factū est c / Caplm .xli. AMonge you that woll knowe that god oure maker woll not lese a Cristen man / How grete a synnar that he be / ¶ Herke and ofte rede the lyfe of saynt Pelage / And ye shall knowe yf ye woll retorne to god our Maker by penaunce that ye shall haue remyssyon / And in the ende foryeuenesse of youre synnes / ¶ Thenne sȳnais ye oughte to reioyce yourselfe of that ye here / ¶ For it is alle ayde and comforte that comyth to you And also cause of lamentacyon / ¶ An holy bysshop of Anthyoche for certayne cause callyd togyder for certayne causes althe bysshoppis nyghe abowte him / whiche came to him to the nombre of eyghte ¶ Emonge whom was an holy bisshopp callyd Nonnus / that was a Religyous man of the monastery of The benesyens / ¶ And bi cause that he was of right holy lyf He was violently and by stronge honde rauisshed from his abbaye and electe bysshopp / ¶ The whiche Bysshoppis assembled were commaunded by the sayde saynt Nonnus and his seruytours / And they sholde assemble in the chyrche of saynt Iulyan the marter / ¶ And to the regarde of other they were put in howses nighe the chyrche / ¶ They beynge there prayed the sayde holy Bisshopp Nonnus that he sholde saye to theym some thyng for the helthe and comforte of their soules ¶ The whiche thynge he graunted to theym benygnely / ¶ And desyrynge sore to prouffyte hymselfe and theym also ¶ Beganne to enduce theym and teche theym after the doctryne of oure Redemer Ihesu Cryst / ¶ On a tyme emonge thother as he preched to them of the holy Gospell / ¶ He sawe passe tofore hym vpon a lytyll mulet the moost excellent Iougleresse or Daunceresse that was in the cytee of Anthyoche soo rychely and worldly ornate and arayed / That vppon her was seen noo thynge but golde and syluer and ryche pyerrerye / ¶ And wyth that she hadde a Coler of golde aboute her necke / and also was accompanyed wyth seruauntes and chambryeres in lyke wyse arayed / ¶ In passynge thus in the waye she fylled the ayre wyth merueyllouse swete odours and sauours / ¶ Whanne the Bysshopps sawe her soo passe consyderynge the beaute of her / torned the yr eyen to the erthe / To the ende that they sholde not by her commyse or thȳke ony dedely synne / ¶ Saynt Nonnus behelde her ryght affectuously and after demaūded the other Bysshoppis yf they hadde ony desectacyon o◠playsaunce in the beaute of the sayde fayre woman / The whyche answered noo thynge / ¶ Thenne the sayde Nonnus beganne to wepe and waylle In suche wyse that his bosome was full of teeres / ¶ And yet agayne he demaunded theym yf they reioyced not theym in beholdynge of the same woman ¶ And lyke as afore they answered not / ¶ Thenne he sayde to theym / Truely I haue strongly delyted me And her beaute hath merueyllously playsed me / For god hathe ordeyned her to sette her tofore his seete whyche is merueyllous whanne he shall Iudge vs. and theym of oure Bysshopryche / ¶ And yet he sayd to his felowes the Bysshoppes / My ryght well bylouyd frendes Thynke how ofte she hathe kembed wasshed made fayre herself for to playse her amourouse or loues whyche thys daye ben / And tomorn shall not be / ¶ She appoynted herself soo honestly that there fayllyd not a pynne as towchynge to the world / ¶ And yf she for to playse the worlde takith so moche besynesse ¶ Alas we that haue god oure fader god kynge of heuen and of erthe what shall we doo / ¶ And who shall gyue to vs the heuenly goodes whyche maye not be estemyd nor thoughte / ¶ What shall we doo / Truely we oughte to haue
the sayde Pelage aroos vpp atte mydnyghte / And saynt Nonne cladde her wyth the heere / And a groos and cours robe of a man / And after the sayd daye she neuer entred in to the cytee of Anthioche / ¶ Whanne saynt Romayn knewe it she beganne to wepe / By cause she had loste her companye / And saynt Nonne comforted her in sayenge That she hadde chosen the ryght holy waye lyke as the Gospell conteyneth / ¶ In the whyche is founde that oure lorde preferred Marye Magdalene ledynge Contemplatyff lyffe tofore her faster Martha whyche ladde actyf lyfe ¶ The good Pelage in this habyte dyssymyled wente to Iherusalem in to the mounte of Olyuete / Where oure Redemer prayed to god his fader tofore his sorowefull passyon / ¶ And there she made a lityll house where she determyned to dwelle / ¶ A lytyll tyme after the Bisshopp of Anthyoche callyd togyder alle the bysshoppis that he hadde assembled / And sente eche of theim in to his bysshopryche / ¶ Thre or foure yeres after the deaken of saynt Nonne hadde a wyll to goo to Iherusalem for to vysyte the holy sepulcre of oure lorde / And the other holy places in whyche oure lorde suffred for vs so many tormentes and myseryes / ¶ And asked leue of his bisshopp / Whyche lyberally graunted to hym / ¶ Chargynge hym for to enquyre in the sayd place of a Relygyous namyd Pelage / Whyche was departed afore tyme from hym / ¶ And how well that the sayde Bysshopp named the sayd Relygyous Pelagius / ¶ Neuertheles he mente the good seruaunt of god pelage the whyche was cladde in thabyte of a man secretely departed as to fort is said / And for that cause he named her by the name of a man / ymage nynge that by cause of her clothynge she had chaunged her name / Thys deken thenne wente to Iherusalem / And after that he hadd accomplysshed hys pilgremage / he fonde the good relygyous in the mouÌ„te of Olyuete in whiche she hadde be all waye closed and shette in her lytyl hous / whyche hadde none openyng but a lytyl wyndowe / at whyche the sayd deken knocked and anone she opened it / And how be it that she hadde neuer be seen but ones syth that she had be in her grete beaulte and pomperye / yet neuerthelesse she knewe hym But he coude not knowe her by cause she was soo deffayted and dysfygured by the grete abstynences that she made in suche wyse that the bones perced the skynne / And hadd her eyen wythin her hede so depe and holow / hat she semed better to presente a dede body than a lyuynge woman / She seyeng this deken she demaunded hym of whens he was / ¶ To whome he ansuerde that he cam fro anthioche / and was thyder sente by hys bisshoppe Nonus for to visyte her / ¶ Thenne she sayde to the same deken My broder and frende saye to him that I praye hym that yt maye playse hym to praye to god for me / I hope that his prayers ben to me moche prouffytable / For he is a deuoute man and of an holy lyf / And incontynent she shytte her wyndowe / and began to saye her tierce / And the deken in lyke wyse nygh to the wall sayd wyth her / and after retorned in to Iherusalem moche comforted of the syght of one so holy woman ¶ Fro thens he wente to vysyte all the monasteryes and holy places of the cyte and for to see the relygyouse people Wyth whome he beynge there he herde saye thyngys merueyllous of the holy religyous Pelagius / In deuysynge of whome they spake of the sayd Pelage ¶ For they supposed that she hadd ben a religyous maÌ„ / by cause she fayned her allwaye to be a man / And named her self Pelagius / ¶ The same deken for the grete vertues that he herde saye of hyr / wold ones goo to vysyte her / and cam and knocked at her wyndowe / as he had don to fore / And by cause that the sayd Pelagyus ansuerde nothynge· he called hym by hys name / but neuerthelesse she ansuerd not wherfore he ferynge to offende hyr retorned thens by the space of thre dayes / the whyche passed and wenynge that he hadde be departed out of that place knocked agayn at the wyndowe soo harde that he openyd it / And lokynge in to the lytyll hous he sawe pelage whyche was deed / ¶ Thenne he cam in to Iherusalem shewde it to the relygyous people of the cyte / the whiche in grete multitude cam thyder for to fetche the corps / ¶ And after that they hadd brought it out of the â—elle or ytyll hous ¶ And by cause it was the custome to enoynte the dede bodyes wyth myrâ—e / in enoyntynge the body they knewe well that she was a woman ¶ Thenne they began to synge and rendre graces and thankynges to god / in preysynge and magnyfynge his louerâ—â—yn bounte / for contemplacoÌ„n of his noble â—â—clours whyche ben hydde not oonly in holy men but also in vertuoule wymen / whyche by strayte and haâ—de penaunces haue goten the Royame of heuen ¶ And after they put the body in a ryche tombe garnysshid with gold and precyous stones ¶ Thenne late vs praye vnto thys holy woman pelage that by her Intercessyons and prayers we maye come to euerlastynge blysse in heuen Amen / ¶ Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Pelage ¶ Here foloweth the lyf of saynt marie Egypcyen whyche in deserte ladde a solytarye lyf And begynneth in latyn Fuit quidam Senex et cetera / ¶ Capitulum xlii SAynt Ierome recounteth that in the countrey of palestyn in whyche is the cyte of Iherusalem was somtyme a ryght prudeÌ„t man of notable lyf in dedes and worde named zozymas ¶ And we fynde that there was another in lyke wyse soo named whyche was an herytyke of whome at thys tyme we shalle make noo mencyon / but oonly we shalle speke of hym that we haue fyrst named / he walked thurgh alle palestynâ— in vysytyng deuoutly alle the holy places and monasteryes that were there / ¶ Of hym self he fonde many maners for to chastyse the flesshe And for to make it subgette to his spyryte / ¶ And in effecte he was of soo grete renomme that there came to hym from ferre countrees for to here his doctryne ¶ And euery man merueylled of his grete abstynences / ¶ His moder in his Infancye and yongthe put hym in a mouastery In whiche he lyued by the space of fyfthy yere / ¶ Durynge the whyche for the mooste parte he was gretely persecuted wyth dayne cogytacyons and thoughtes / In resystynge of whom he hadde in suche wyse foughten agaynste the deuyll by grete and harde abstynences / that hym semyd that in alle the Desertes there was noo man that exceded him in doctryne ne in penaunce as he that in hys persone hadde experymented ¶ And in suche wyse
I was admynystred in the chyrche of saynt Iohan in Iherusalem / ¶ I praye the that thou dyspyse not my requeste / But doo as I haue sayde to the / ¶ Wyth this thou shalte saye to IohnÌ„ Abbot of thyne monasterye that there ben some thynges to be corrected in his chyrche and Abbaye the whyche I wol not tell to the now / ¶ But neuertheles thou shalte aduertyse hym to take hede to his Relygyouses / ¶ Thyse wordes sayd the goode woman retourned in to her caue and dwellynge place accustomed ¶ The good Zozimas retornyng to his monastery kyssed the grouÌ„de where as she hadde markyd / In praysynge god / And sayde non thynge alle that yere of that he hadde seen / ¶ For by cause he durste noo thynge saye / He enterteyned wyth his brethern whanne they were retourned from the Desertes after theyr custome / ¶ Alle the yere syghed Zozimas somoche desyre hadde he that it were passyd ¶ Whanne the tyme was come that the brethern sholde departe for to goo in to Deserte to make theyr fastynges as they hadde ben accustomyd / ¶ Zozimas was taken with a feuer / And therfore he abode in the monasterye / ¶ ThenÌ„e he remembred that she had sayde to hym whanne he wolde haue gone wyth the other he myghte not ¶ The daye of the Cene comen / And after that alle the brethern were retourned from Desertes / ¶ Zozimas in obeyenge that whyche that the goode lady saynt Marye Egypcyen hadde sayd to hym / ¶ He tooke a chalys and the precyous body and blood of oure Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And after he putte fygges and Dates in a lytyll panyer and in a lytyll potte potage wyth water / ¶ And soo wente forth as he hadde ben cauzâ—e vnto the rynage of the flom Iourdan / In abydynge the good woman Marye Egypcyen / ¶ And notwythstondyng that it was longe â—â— she came thyder / Yet Zozimas slepte not / Ferynge that she hadde ben there tofore his comynge / ¶ Wherfore he wepte and prayed god in sayenge / My god whyche haste wylled to yeue to me the grace to se this holy woman / I byseche the that it maye pleyse the to graunte to me agayn that I maye yet ones se her / ¶ And in prayenge and makynge hys orysons came to hym a nother fantasye / ¶ And after he sayd / Alas what shal I do whan she shall come / how shall she come ouer the Ryuer ¶ Alas I haue noo Boote to rowe her ouer / Alas that I am vnhappy / ¶ And thus sayenge the holy woman came and taryed on that other syde of the flom Iourdan / ¶ Whanne Zozimas sawe her he was replenisshed wyth Ioye and thanked god / Alwaye thynkynge how she myghte come ouer wychoute boote / ¶ And he beholdynge her what she dyde He sawe her make the sygne of the Crosse vppon the water / ¶ And after she beganne to walke vppon the water / In passynge ouer as stedfastly as she hadde walked vppon drye londe ¶ She beynge yet vppon the water sayd to Zozimas / What doost thou faynt fader whyche arte preest and seruaunte of god kepynge the holy thynges / ¶ And thus sayeng she came vnto the other ryuage of the flood where as was the holy man / Whom she salewed righte humbly / ¶ Thenne he answered I was soo admerueylled of this myracle that I was in maner of a aslepe / Now I knowe / that alwaye it is trouth that god saythe whyche hathe promysed to theym that puryfye theym by penaunce / That they ben agreable to hym ¶ Alas I knowe now / how well I be lasse in perfeccoÌ„n thanne they that ben in this place / ¶ And I helde me the moost perfyghte in my former monastery ¶ This done the holy Marye Egypcyen sayde to hym that he sholde begynne the Symbole Quicunque vult saluus esse et cetera ¶ After they sayde the orayson Domynycall / That is to saye the Pater noster / The whyche achyeued she kyssed the holy fader Zozimas / ¶ And after receyued the holy sacrament of the aulter her maker and â—â—res / ¶ And after lyfte vppe her hondes to heuen and sayde / ¶ O my god suffre now thy honde mayde and poore seruaunte in peas after thy worde / ¶ For myn eyen hathe seen thy helthe ¶ After she sayd to Zozimas Goo now in to thy monasterye and lyue in peas wyth god / ¶ And whanne this yere shall be passed thou shalte come agayne vnto the lytyll Broke where I fyrste spake to the / And yet thou shalte see me agayne yf it playse to my god / ¶ Zozimas answered / Wolde god that I myghte alwaye be wyth the / ¶ My moder I praye the that thou mote ete a lytyll of the mete that I haue broughte to the / ¶ Thenne she toke thre graynes of his LeÌ„tylle and put it in her mouthe sayenge / ¶ It suffyseth to haue the grace of the holy ghost for to susteyne the soule vndefoylled of synne / ¶ Thenne sayde Zozimas pray for me / And remembre myn Infelycyte / ¶ Zozimas tooke her by the fete in prayenge her that she wolde haue the state of the poore synnars and hymself for recommended / ¶ Thyse thynges thus done the good woman made the sygne of the Crosse vppon flom Iourdan and went vppon the water as she dyde tofore / ¶ Zozimas dredefull and Ioyeous retourned agayn in to his monasterye / ¶ But he was dysplaysed by cause he hadde not asked her name / ¶ The yere passed he came agayne in to the place afore sayde / ¶ And byholdynge on alle sydes yf he myghte se her ¶ But he cowde fyude none apparaunce nor knowlege ¶ And lyftynge vppe his eyen to henen made his prayer sayenge / ¶ O my god playsyth it that to shewe to me the Aungell to whom alle the worlde is not worthy to be compared or lykened / ¶ And thyse wordes thus proferred and vttred / he saw ouer the sayde broke a clerenesse shynyng as the sonne / ¶ Vnder whyche bryghtnes laye deed the body of the holy Egypcyen / Hauynge the face towarde the Eest And her hondes Ioyned vppon her breste / Thenne Zozimas aroos and wente vnto the sayde body / ¶ By whyche he wepte a longe whyle / wasshynge her fete wyth his teeres wythout towchynge ony other parte of her body / ¶ Thynkynge in hyÌ„selfe that he was not worthy to towche her / ¶ But by the prouydence of god he founde a letter in whyche was wreton this that folowyth / ¶ Fader Zozimas putte in sepulture the poore body of Marye Egypcyen To the ende that in soo dooynge thou rendre to the erthe that whiche is hys / And poulder to poulder / in prayenge god for my soule / ¶ Zozimas was moche admerueylled In thynkynge how thyse lettres hadde ben wreten / Neuerthelesse he reioyced hym of that he knewe her name / And praysed and
noo grasse ne herbe ¶ That dragon by caas of fortune or otherwyse was put in his right eye a stake of a câ—byte longe / soo came tofore the place where as the holy man was ¶ And bi a sygne oonly that the sayd Symeon made vpon the sayd dragon the stake fell out of his eye / The relygiouses thenne beyng present seeng this myracle with drewe theym togyder to theyr monastery gaaf deuowtly thankynges to god ¶ The sayd beest thê° guarisshed helyd as sayde is wythdrewe hym from theym wythout dooynge ony dysplaysure in ony wyse / ¶ And after that al the brethern relygyous were wythdrawen in to their chirche the same dragon fell downe humbly tofore the dore of the sayd chyrche for to gyue thankyÌ„ges to the holy man Simeon of the good that he had done to hym by his prayers / ¶ In the tyme a woman drynkynge out of a stone potte receyued drynkyng in to her body a lytyll serpente beynge in the same potte / Wherof she was soâ— greuously seke that the Physicyens ne the Magycyens cowde fynde noo remedye / ¶ Thenne was she broughte vnto saynt Symeon / The whyche Incontynent sette her on the grounde / ¶ And wythoute to gyue to her ony medycyne made her to drynke of the water of his monastery / ¶ And as soone as she had drunken therof / The serpente sprange oute or her body as longe as thre cubytes or there abowtes / And the woman was all hoole and guarysshed / ¶ And the same houre the sayde serpente clefte asondre / And was hanged vpp in the same place by the space of seuen dayes for a perpetuell remembraunce / ¶ It was soo that in the sayde place there was no water· In suche wise that not oonly the men but also the beestes â—eyed for thurste ¶ Thenne saynt Symeon was requyred to praye god that he wolde gyue to theym water / ¶ And Incontynent the grounde opened and caste oute water habundantly / ¶ And after he dide delue in the sayde place to the depnesse of seuen cubytes / And neuer after they faylled water / ¶ In that countree there was a beeste namyd Parde / Of whyche beest whan the lyon hadde to doo wyth her he engendred on her a nother beest callyd a Leoparde / ¶ For the crueltee of that beest durste noo persone goo thorugh the feldes / ¶ That seenge the dwellars in that countree For to haue ayde comforte came to saynt Symeon / ¶ The whyche commaunded theym that they sholde sowe and sprynge on the grounde the water of their chyrche in the places where as the sayde beest haunted And soo they dyde / And anone they were of hym delyuered ¶ And anone after they founde the beest myraculously deed / ¶ Thenne they thanked god In the name of whom saynt Symeon made so grete euydent myracles / ¶ And whanne he dide ony on ony persone he deffended theym that he sholde neuer shewe ony thynge but onely they shold thanke god and noothynge hym / Gyuyng to theym to vnderstonde that god hadd helyd theym and not he / ¶ Aboue alle thynges he forbadde theim that they sholde not swere the name of god / but oonly for Iuste cause ¶ And for vniuste they sholde swere by the name of Symeon the poore synnar / ¶ And saynt Iherom sayth that yet in the partyes of the Eest and other straunge Regyons they of the sayde partyes and regions swere oonly and comynly the name of saynt Symeon / ¶ A theyf named Ionathas for the grete and myscheuous euyllis that he hadde done was soo strongely chacyd that he was constrayned to entree in to the chyrche of saynt Symeon / And enbracyd a pylar by the whyche he stode / ¶ Saynt Symeon demaunded hym what he was / ¶ And wherfore he was there entred / To whom he ansuered I am Ionathas whyche haue done soo moche euyll in the worlde But I woll repente me and doo penaunce / ThenÌ„e the holy man sayde to him / Thou arte ryght welcome my brother for the penitentis is the reame of heuen / But come not hither for to tempte me ne also for to retourne to thy synne / ¶ And thus sayeng came the offycers of Anthyoche that sayde to saynt Symeon / ¶ Delyuer to vs the theyf Ionathas or ellys alle the cyte shall aryse and moeue theym agaynst the. For the beestes ben redâ— for to deuoure hym / ¶ Saynt Symeon ansuered My frendes I haue not broughte hym hyther It is a gretter mayster thanne I ¶ And therfore yf ye maye take him wyth you / For as towchynge to me I dare not towche hym by cause I drede god whiche hathe sent hym hyther / ¶ Thenne they retornyd and sayde to the lordes of the Iustyce / where they hadde fonde hym / and that whyche Symeon hadde sayde to them Wherfore they durste not towche hym / ¶ The theyf Ionathas whyche thenÌ„e was conuerted and contynuenge in lamentacyons and wepynges / After that he hadde ben there seuen dayes in holdynge the sayde pylar sayde to saynt Symeon / ¶ My lorde and frende yf it playse the I am redy to goo hens / ¶ Symeon ansuered / Arte thou now wery to doo penaunce And wolt thou retoâ—ne to thy malyce accustomyd Ionathas ansuered / Naye my lorde I am not But the tyme is come that I must deye / ¶ And in sayenge thyse wordes he yelded vpp his spurte to god TheÌ„ne as they wolde haue buryed hym came the Iustyces of Anthyche wenynge to haue taken hym / ¶ saynt Symeon thenne ansuered ¶ My frendes he that sente hym hytheâ— comyth to fetche him wyth all the celestyall courâ—e The whiche maye you and youre cytee make to sinke in to helle / And the poore Ionathas theyf make to ascende in to heuen ¶ And knowe ye that I myselfe yf I hadde knowen that god wolde not haue be dysplaysed wyth me I wolde haue delyuered hym to you / And therfore traueylle ye noo more / ¶ The lordes of the Iustyse herynge thyse wordes retorned agayne And recounted and tolde alle that they hadde seen / ¶ A lytyll tyme after one named Anthony Of whom is tofore spoken and the whyche hadde longe serued saynt Symeon founde hym in prayer / And by cause he had be soo thre dayes that is to wyte the Frydaye Saterday and Sonday Durynge the whyche he had not spoken but was there as vnmoeuable / the good relygyous Anthony was moche abasshed / ¶ And sayde to hym My lorde and my fader it is tyme that thou aryse / For it is thre dayes now sythen the people haue taryed for to haue thy blessynge / To whom saynt Symeon ansueryd noo worde / ¶ Thenne sayd Anthony / Alas what maye I haue trespassed to the. that thou spekest noo thynge to me / And seenge that he spake not / He durste not awake hym / For he dradde hym moche / ¶ Neuerthelesse he abode by hym by the space
somoned to her maryage / ¶ And dyde doo assemble all the sisters for to chese an other Abbesse / And they chose one namyd Theogenye / ¶ And after that she was made Abbesse / She callyd her and sayde / My sister thou seest that the sisters haue made good wytnesse of the. And therfore I commaunde the in the name of the Trynite that thou thinke not on temporel godes ne on vayne playsauÌ„ce of this worlde / Ne suffre thy systers be occupied on erthly thynges But make theym to excersyse fastynges prayers and other vertuouse werkes / To the ende that they maye by theyr merytes gete the glorye of heuen / ¶ After she sayde to her systers Ye my good systers haue seen the holy conuersacyon of the ryght deuowte Eufraxe / Doo ye lyke as she hathe doon / to then de that ye maye accompanye her in heuen / And haue wyth her the fruycyon of euerlastynge blessydnesse / And whan she hadde thus sayde she entred in to her Oratorye / and shytte the dore / And after defended that none sholde entere tyll on the morne ¶ On the morn they came vnto the sayde Oratorye and founde that she hadde rendred her spyryte to god ¶ And they buryed and sayed her solempnely by the sayde holy saynt Eufraxe / ¶ And after that tyme there were non moo of theym buryed in the yr sepulâ—ure / ¶ Maâ—ty Demonyakes weâ—en guarysshed vppon the combe where the deuylles cryed ¶ O Eufraxe what shall we doo / Thou doost vs more harme after thy dethe thanne in thy lyte ¶ By thâ—se thynges we oughte to enforce vs to ensyewe by vertuous werkes the ryght persyghte lyte of saynt Eufraxe And in soo dooynge fynably we shall haue the glorye eternall The whyche by her Intercessyons we maye gete Amen ¶ Thus fynysshyth the story of saynt Eufraxe / ¶ Of saynt Machanâ— Romayne whiche was founde nyght by Paradys terrestre / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Gloriam et magnificentiam et cetera Caplm .xlviii. After the reporte and wytnesse of thre deuoute relygyous men Theophyle Serguis Thymus We shall see of the lyfe of saynt Machaire / ¶ The sayd thre relygyous men mette togyder by a monasterye in Mesopotamia in the countree of Syâ—t bytwene two floodes / Of whyche that one is named Eufraxes and that other Tygris / ¶ The Abbot of the sayd monastery was callyd Asclypyon the whiche receyued theym benygnely for to make there theyr professyon after the rule of the sayde monasterye / ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued comyÌ„ly wyth the brethern / ¶ On a daye aboute nyne of the clocke in the mornynge they mette togyder vpon the Ryuer of Eufrates in disputynge of the conuersacyon and of the grete laboure of the brethern of the sayde monastery / ¶ And thenÌ„e came to Theophile a thought Whyche he sayde to his two felowes Sergius and Thâ—mus ¶ My brethern I shall saye to you / Truly it play syth me / and I haue grete desyre to walke and goo soo ferre vnto that I maye fynde the heuen and the erthe Ioyne togyder / ¶ The other sayd / We haue holde the alwaye companye / And yet we shall not leue the / For thy maners and thy wordes playse vs. We shall goo with the. and not forsake the vnto the dethe ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they departed from thens ¶ And after that they had gone by the space of ten dayes Iourney They arryued and came to the cyte of Iherusalem / And worshypped the places where our lorde Ihesus Cryst had be ¶ His Crosse his sepulture and other sayntuaryes ¶ And after came to Bethleem in whiche place they also worshipped the cribbe where in oure lorde hadde layen and were also in the place where the aungelus spekynge to the Shepeherdes songen Gloria in excelsis deo the whyche place standyth two myle from Bethleem ¶ And after they wente vpp in to the mounte of Olyuete Where as our lorde Ihesu Cryste ascended in to heuen whanne he was receyued in a clowde the daye of his gloryous Ascencyon / ¶ They came agayne in to Iherusalem And there adoured and worshyped god ¶ And after they departed as people gyuynge ouer refusynge all delyers temporell Wythoute to haue ony regarde ne thoughte to the worlde / ¶ The fyfthe daye they passed the Ryuer of Tygris / And entred in to the londe of Perse ¶ They came in to a grete felde namyd Assya / In whyche saynt Mercure martyr slewe Iulyan the Apostata / ¶ After they reentred in to a cyte namyd Catyssefodo / In whyche the bodyes of the thre chyldren Anany as Azaryas and Mysaell ben buryed / ¶ And there they soiourned many dayes / ¶ Foure monethes after they passed the londe of Perse / And entred in to the londe of Inde / And aryued in an how se in whyche noo man dwellyd / ¶ And there they abode two dayes / ¶ And the thyrde daye they sawe come to them a man and a woman armyd / Of whom they had grete drede / ¶ But by cause that the sayd man and woman hadde supposyd that the relygyouse men had ben spyrytes or espyes and retorned agayne / And asseÌ„bled almost a thre thou sande Ethyopyens / The whyche arryued there and bylette the house al aboute where as they weren on theyr knees prayenge to god / ¶ And the other sette fyre atte the foure corners of the howse ¶ The whyche thynge knowen by the religyous men were moche aferde and not wythoute cause / And sprongen out in to the myddes of theym in callynge the name of Ihesu Cryste Sauyoure of alle the worlde / ¶ The sayde Ethyopyens after that they hadde longe parlemented togyder in theyr langage whiche the sayd freres vnderstode noo thynge / ¶ Fynably they lad theym· and broughte theym in pryson obscure and derke / ¶ Alas whanne they weren in pryson none gaaf to them nother mete ne drinke / And had noo comforte of ony man liuynge But beganne to wepe and requyred the mercy of god / ¶ Whanne the cursyd Ethyopyens sawe that they were in contynuell prayer / They lete theym goo oute In chacynge and betinge theym vylandusly rygoryously wyth grete staues tyll they were oute of theyr prouynce / ¶ And they sayd that thei were foure score dayes wythoute mete And herof the Recytour callyth god to wytnesse / The whyche for the honour of god we oughte pyteuously to byleue ¶ Fynably they departed oute of theyr Regyons / And wente towarde the couÌ„treye of the Eest Where they founde a felde delycyous alle full of trees berynge sauourous fruyte and merueyllouse swete Wherof they thankyd god / And ete alle theyr fylle of the fruytes of the sayde trees / And after passed the sayde londe of Iude. And entred in to the londe of Chanane ¶ Whanne they sawe the vysages of the Inhabytauntes of the sayde countreye / They were moche admerueyled ¶ In that countree the men
as well by mouÌ„taynes and valeyes as by many other dangerouse places without guydynge of ony lyuynge persone / ¶ And thus alle allone am I comen hyther / ¶ Saynt Machaire wenynge that she was his wife / Toke her swetely by the honde and ladde her in to his caue / ¶ But the deuyll contynuelly wepte / Wherfore the holy man was the more redy to byleue that it hadde ben his wyfe / And wepte semblably and in lykewyse wyth her / ¶ After theyr lamentacyons and wepynges the holy man tooke akehornes herbes and wolde haue made her to ete wenynge that she shelâ—e cesse her sorowe / ¶ Now the holy man Machaire vnderstode not the cautelles and dysceytes of the deuyll / The whiche atte begynnynge were ouer subtyll and straunge for to be vnderstonde ¶ And soo they deuyseden longe wyth in the sayde caue that one syttynge by that other / ¶ And in spekynge togyder the forsayde woman towchyd his hondes by manere of flaterye As now many done for to moeue the men to vs â—â—â—ouse and fowle synne of lecherye / ¶ And in thus dooynge the poore man without to blesse hym ne comauÌ„dynge him to god fell a slepe / As yf he hadde be traueylled of many labours / ¶ Now it happed in slepynge by th art or subtyltee and shrewdenesse of the deuyll / That he dremyd to be wyth hys wyfe and to haue her companye in suche wyse that whanne he awoke he founde hymselfe alle dyscoueryd and ponished oâ— defoylled / as he hadde flesshly done wyth his wyfe / ¶ Thenne knewe he that it was the deuyll By cause that after he hadde slepte he sawe ne apperceyued her noo more / ¶ Thenne he beganne to lamente and make sorowe and make many exclamacyons and cryes to god In requyrynge hym humbly of pardonne and mercy / ¶ Now it is to be noted that the two lions whyche he hadde founde in his caue whanne he there fyrste arryued After he hadde done this synne forsoken hym and departed fro hym The whyche thynge by hym knowen And for the grete dysplaysaunce that he hadde for his synnes He put him agayne to prayer Prayenge god that he wolde enseygne and shewe hym / what suffysaunt penaunce he oughte to doo / And that it wolde playse hym to sende agayne to hym his two lyons / ¶ And Incontynente after by the wyll of god whyche herde his requeste and petycyon wolde reduce and brynge hym to the waye of heâ—the The sayde lions retourned / and beganne promptely to make a fosse or a pytte of the largenesse depnesse suffysaunt to the comyn stature of a man ¶ The holy man that seenge / thoughte that god wolde that he sholde doo his penaunce in the sayd pytte / ¶ And commaunded the lyons that they sholde couere hym in the same / And so they dyde / ¶ He beynge in the sayd pytte by the space of thre yere / Happed that by the grete InundacoÌ„n and flowynge of waters the whyche descended there the sayd caue was broken And a parte fell vppon his heed in suche wyse that by the moyen of the sayde rumpure and brekynge where as he hadde not seen noo lyghte in thre yere He sawe the sonne clerely shyne and gyuynge lyghte / ¶ Thenne he tooke the herbes whyche he founde besyde hym and ete of theym / ¶ The lyons after came agayne And they seenge the caue broken and dysconuerte They dyffeated the pytte / and brought hym oute alle hoole wythoute ony gryef or brusure / ¶ Thenne he came oute of the fosse or pytte / And rendred than kynges of that he hadde lyued soo longe wythoute seenge of sonne ne mone And also wythoute to haue ony harme of his body he was delyuered from the same caue / ¶ And knelyd downe to the grounde and was fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes wythoute moeuynge hyÌ„selfe Lyke as he hadde he Inmobyle in gloryfyenge the name of god / ¶ The sayde fourty dayes passyd He came agayne in to his caue ¶ And there he sawe foure aungellis whyche shone soo merueyllously that alle the caue was enlumyned ¶ And in the myddle of theym was our lorde and Redemer Ihesus Cryste in fourme of a man Holdynge in his honde a rodde of golde / made a sowne so strongly resownyng lyke the voys of ten men / ¶ The same noble companye songen longe / ¶ And whanne theyr songe was accomplysshed and fulfyllyd / Thre voyces togyder ansuered Amen ¶ And Incontynent oure Sauyour Ihesu Cryst wyth his aungellis whiche acompanied him vanysshed awaye and wente in to heuen / ¶ And after in a voys descended a douue wythin the sayde caue / And Incontynente was herde a noyce romblynge as thundre / and also lyghtnynges Innumerable / ¶ He herde also many voyces from heuen whyche songenâ— Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus deus / c ThenÌ„e the holy man herynge and seenge the sayde woundres was alle taken in a traunce and rauysshed in spyryte And felle downe to the erthe On whyche he was ryght dayes wythoute moeuynge honde ne fote / The whyche passyd he awoke / ¶ And thenne he knewe that god hadde sanctefyed and halowed that place / And giuen there his benedyccyon and blessynge / And thenne he recuâ—ned in to the sayd caue and praysed the name of god / in gyuyng to hym thankynges and louynges of his vysytacyon And that his grace hadde made hym worthy to haue his companye / ¶ Atte the tyme of the same vysyon He was in the aege of fourty yere And hadde dwellyd but seuen yeres in the sayd caue ¶ Whanne he hadd recounted and tolde alle thyse thynges to the thre Relygyous pylgrymes / That is to wyte Theophyle Sergius and Thimus / ¶ He Instructe and shewed to theym the maner how they myghte voyde the cursyd temptacoÌ„n and decepcyon of the deuyll of helle / In sayenge to theym that they sholden remembre and haue in mynde alwaye how the deuyll hadd dysceyued hym subtylly / ¶ And after he admonested and desyred them to abyde wyth him Or yf it playsed to theym not to abyde there that they sholde retourne in to theyr monasterye / ¶ Alle thyse consydered by the thre Relygyouses / they were moche abasshed and fell downe to the erthe in gloryfyenge the name of god / Whyche oonly dooth soo many merueyllous thynges / ¶ And also they rendred to hym thankynges of that he hadde broughte theim to the knowlege of the holy man / ¶ Theyr oryson fynysshed they prayed to the glorious saynt Machaire that he wolde praye for theym to the Sauâ—our of the worlde / That he wolde saue and kepe theym in retournynge in theyr abbaye / To the ende that by all the monasteryes where as they sholde goo They myghte also well recite and tell that whyche they hadde seen / For to ercyte and moeue alle Relygyous men to lyue vertuously / ¶ For they byleuyd fâ—â—mely that god hadd broughte theym to the sayde
thynge for deuocyon But to the ende for to enryche theym wyth goodes and rychesses of the chyrche for to lyue atte theyr playsure God knowyth what shall be the ende ANd folowynge thenne the doctryne and tethynge that Pastumyen gaaf to his Religyouses ¶ He commaunded theym ferthermore to loue not oonly the one that other But to loue god pryncypally wyth all theyr herte / That was the fyrste commaundement that god gaaf to Moyses in the moutayne of Synay / ¶ But wyth the same commaundement must be Ioyned the lone that we oughte to haue that one wyth a nother / ¶ Whanne alle Relygyouses louen eche other / and god pryncypally and fyrste / Yet muste they haue the vertue of obedyence / ¶ Loue wythoute obedyence is noo thynge ¶ For lyke as the grasse lettyth the corne to fructefye and encreace / In lyke wyse who that is in obedient and fastyth and prayeth / bryngyth fourth noo fruyte for fawte of obedyence / ¶ After he commaunded theym to excercyse the nyghtes in prayers / ¶ For by nyghte the deuyll makyth moo lettynges to deuowte persones thanne he dooth in the daye Lyke as the Gospel saythe / ¶ Who woll doo euyll Hatyth lyghte / ¶ And to this purpoos sayth the Gospell Awake awake For ye know not the howre whanne the theyf of the soules woll come / ¶ He commaunded theym also that they sholde wryte in a Table of theyr conscyences all the commaundementes of god / And that ofte they sholde laye the clothe for to take refeccyon spyrytuell in sauourynge and etynge the ten loues composyd of the ten commaundementes of the fayth ¶ The twelue artycles of the lawe / And the werkes of mercy / ¶ More ouer he sayde / O ye my brethern / whyche desyre to be very obedyent and charytable to loue eche other / byleue ye after the sentence of Baruth the prophete whyche sayth / that ye ben now the felowes of god / ¶ And in a nother place the holy scrypture sayth well happy â—en the peasyble For they ben the sones of god / ¶ Now they that ben peasyble ben obedyent and charytable / ¶ They thene that shall desyre in this corruptyble world to enioye the fruytes of heuen / He muste renounce and forsake his propre wyll in hauynge perfyghâ—e charyte / ¶ After he coÌ„maunded theym yf they hadde amonge theym ony dyscencyon or debate / that Incontynente it sholde be appeasyd / For god oure lorde dwellyth ne abydeth but in one place of peas / ¶ And the contrarye where as is dyssencyon the deuyll regnyth ¶ And ferthermore he deffended them that they neuer sholde be angry ne wrothe ne to theyr brethern ne to straungeres / ¶ And that for ony gayne of the worlde that they myghte gete They sholde not oâ—cupye theym wyth temporell thynges But oonly in werkes spyrytuell By the whyche they myghte lyghtely gete the herytage of the Reame of heuen / ¶ And whanne ony temptacyons sholde come to theym the whyche with grete payne the ymyghte eschewe / ¶ He admonested theym to torne to god / In lyf tynge theyr hondes to heuen And sayenge ¶ O my god I pray the that it playse the to helpe me / And to enforce my poore freyltee to the ende that I maye vaynquysshe and surmounte my mortall enemye / ¶ And he sayde that anone after oure prayer made to god Comen his aungellis to oure ayde for to comforte vs / ¶ And for to proue thys thynge to be true He tolde thenÌ„e to theym that on a tyme. he beynge on a mountayne came tofore hym a grete companye of deuyllis in lyckenesse of men humayne And bi cause that by the will of god he knewe well that they were deuylles / He all resoluyd / And wythoute hauynge ony drede kneled downe on the erthe in prayenge god that it wolde playse hym to make the same deuylles to departe / ¶ And Incontynent they vanysshed awaye as a fume or a smoke tofore the wynde / ¶ Many other temptacions the deuylles made to hym But god delyuered hym alwaye by the deuowte prayers that he made / ¶ Therfore in concludynge he sayde to his Relygyouses / My chyldren be ye ferme and stable in the faythe in resystynge the deuylles temptacyons / And that ye ben clymynge by feruente charyte to the loue of god / The whyche in soo dooenge he shall to you be alwaye a protectour / And by his helpe ye maye gete the reame of heuen / ¶ Thus endyth the storye of the ryght holy man Pastumyen ¶ Here folowyth of saynt Onuffryen Heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn Beate memorie paphoncius et cetera / Caplm .l. SAynt Phaphunce hauynge desyre for to vysyte alle the Relygyouses that weren in the hermytages for to accomplysshe the helth of his body more lyghtly his waye bare wyth him a lityll water and brede / ¶ And whanne he hadde walked by the space of foure dayes his vytaylle faylled him / And became all confusyd and halfe deed By cause he was soo feble that he hadde neytheyr foote ne legge that myghte susteyne hym / by cause he had neyther to ete ne to drynke / ¶ But neuerthelesse he was by the helpe of god made alle hoole and guarysshed / And hadde as moche strength as though he hadde well eten and dronken / ¶ And thenne beganne to walke agayne And contynued soo foure dayes without mete and drynke ¶ The sayd foure dayes passed / by cause he felte hymselfe feble / He was constrayned to lye downe on the erthe as he hadde be deed / ¶ And he lyenge on the erthe Sodaynly sawe by hym a man in merueyllous glory ferdfull and terryble in shynynge / Worthy of prasynge in beawte / Longe of corpulence and right clere of regarde / Whom Paphunce seenge hadde grete fere but anone after he comforted hym / ¶ For in approchyng towched his lyppes and his houdes / And restored and gauf to hym strengthe / ¶ And Incontynent aroos vpp and walkyd seuentene dayes after tyll he came to a place where as god wolde brynge hym ¶ To whyche place he came and saw a man as he rested hauynge his face terryble all coueryd wyth heer lyke as a brute beest / ¶ And fro the raynes downe alowe he hadde a vestement of leues and of herbes / ¶ Whanne Paphunce sawe thys man soo deformyd / He was sore abasshyd / And not wythoute cause / ¶ For he hadde neuer seen suche lyckenesse of man ne of woman and wyst not what to doo But fledde in to a mountayne whyche was nyghe to that place And there hydde hym vnder the braunches of the trees / He was soo sore aferde / ¶ And there he beganne to syghe merueyllously ¶ Knowynge that by cause of his aege and abstynence he myghte goo noo ferther / ¶ This man seenge that Paphunce was fledde tofore him / and that he was aferde came nyghe to hym And callynge and cryenge with an hyghe
voys sayd to hym ¶ O man of god come doune from the moyntayne / And be not aferde / For I am a man mortall as thou arte / ¶ Whanne Paphunce herde thyse wordes he was gladde and comforted / And tooke agayne hys mynde and courage and anone came downe from the place where he had ben / ¶ And after that he hadd salewed the holy man He fell downe on his knees tofore him ¶ The holy man anone defended him that he sholde not knele to hym sayenge so hym / Aâ—yse thou my frende thou arte the seruaunte of god namyd Paphunce loued of alle the sayntes of heuen / ¶ Thenne Paphunce aroos vpp Notwythstondyng that he was wery aswel for his longe fastynges as for his olde aege ¶ After he made hym to sytte by hym Desuynge to knowe his name· his conuersacyon and manere of lyuynge ¶ He sayde to him / Knowe thou seruaunte of god that by longe Iourneyes I haue walked in thise desertes and haue endured grete hungre and thirste / But now my vyage is accomplysshyd and fulfylled ¶ And I fele a solace in my membres / Lyke as they were all fyllyd and quyte of alle payne / And therfore I praye the my lorde and my frende for the hononore and loue of hym For the name of whom thou hast dwellyd in thise desertes thou tell me whens thou arte and thy name / ¶ And also whanne thou camyst in to this place to enhabyte here / ¶ The holy man seenge the grete affeccion of his desyre and also the traueylle that he hadde taken to fynde Ansuered to hym of that he hadde askyd And demaunded hym in sayenge to hym Fyrste that his name was Onuffâ—en Secondly that it was thre score and ten yeres that he hadde dwellyd in that deserte / Lyuynge wyth brute beestes etynge grapes and herbes in the mountaynes and valeyes And syth that he came thyther he hadde neuer seen man ne woman sauf him onely / ¶ Neuerthelesse he sayde that in his yongthe he had be nourysshed in a monasterye namyd Herâ—mopolyn in the prouynce of Thay / In whyche monasterye were an hundred Relygyouses / ¶ After he declared to hym how the relygyouses of the sayde monasterye lyueden in eâ—ynge and drynkynge alle togider And dyde then penaunces that one lyke to that other / ¶ And that whiche was playsaunt to that one was to that other agreable And yet that was more They hadde alle one wyll One herte And one thoughte / ¶ In the sayde monasterie was so grete taâ—ytuâ—ytee and scylence amonge the Relygyouses that none durste ones speke wythoute a Iuste cause / ¶ He beyng in this sayde monasterye herde recounte the lyfe of an holy fader namyd Helye / ¶ And how he hadde lyued in grete abstynence in deserte in grete straytnesse of lyfe / ¶ And how he hadde many preuyleges aboue the power of man kynde / ¶ In lyke wyse of saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyst whyche ladde soo holy merueylouse lyfe in deserte tyll that he had baptysed oure lorde Ihesu Cryste in the floâ— Iordan / ¶ Thenne herynge tolde of the Relygyouses the gloryouse lyues of theym· and many other / ¶ The sayde Onuffryen requyred of the sayde brethern that thei wolde saye to hym Yf the auncyent holy faders of the deserte had ben more stronge thanÌ„e they or more feble / ¶ They ansuered that they hadde ben more stronge For wythoute mannis comforte and wyth oute mete and drynke they lyued in deserte ¶ But they sayde that in spekynge as they hadde ben the holy faders of the sayd desertes We haue consolacion the one of an other / ¶ For whanne we haue hungre we fynde the mete redy / Whanne we ben seke / We thynke Incontynent and done penauÌ„ce to gete vs helth ¶ We haue fayre houses and grete edyfyces / And they that ben in deserte haue noo consolacyon / ¶ They haue hungre colde and hete And in al tribulacyons haue noo socours but of god ¶ And therfore whom some euer woll dwelle there· Hym behouyth to be constaunt and stedfaste for to endure al suche penaunces / ¶ Yet more the deuyll gyuyth to theym wythoute comparison more settynges and temptacions for to dyuerte theym from theyr good wyll / that to theym comynyke by the worlde / ¶ But whanne they haue very faythe Alwaye they ouercome the fende by armes spyrytuell / ¶ The aungellis comforte theym ofte / And delyuer to theym that is necessary for theym / ¶ For it is wryten / that they that shall putt theyr hope in gode Shall haue the vertue of strengthe for to endure all thynge / wyth fethers as an Egle for to flee to heuen / ¶ And yet more they that shall haue thurste shall drynke in the fountayne eternell / ¶ And the herbes that they shall ete shall gyue to theym also grete swetnesse as hony / ¶ Whanne the Relygyouses ben tempted of ony temptacyons / They oughte to putt theym to praye god lyftyng theyr hondes to heuen ¶ And Incontynente the angellis descende and come downe for to helpe theym to fyghte agaynste the deuyll / ¶ Thus also saythe the prophete Dauyd That in the ende the poore people shall not be forgeten ne theyr pacyente shall not perysshe / ¶ And also god enhauncyth alwaye the poore of spyryte And delyueryth theym from alle trybulacyons ¶ Fynably the same faders sayde to that ryght holy man saynt Onuffryen That the Aungelles contynuelly serue the Iuste and good Whyche arne peâ—fyghte in the loue of god / ¶ And theyr sowles ben Illumyned and kyndled wyth the lyghte of grace and of trouth ¶ Saynt Onuffryen whanne he hadd herde the fayr Instruccyons of thyse holy faders Hadde the herte all embraced wyth grete desire for to doo penaunce and to fyghte agaynste the deuyll / In suffrynge all pouertee to the ende that he myghte come to the glorye eternall / ¶ And thoughte in himselfe to accomplysshe and perfourme the counseyll of the sayde prophete Dauyd ¶ Techynge and sayenge that it is a good thyng to Ioyne hymselfe for the loue of god / And to sette in hym his hope / ¶ Whanne saynt Onuffryen hadde althyse thynges consydered He tooke a lytyll brede and a fewe pesen or benes to make potage wyth alle for to lyue abowte a foure dayes ¶ After he departed by nyghte secretely out of his abbaye / makynge his prayer to god That it myghte pleyse him to enseygne and shewe the place where he sholde doo his penaunce / ¶ And came in to a mountayn The whyche he passed ouer for to come in to deserte ¶ And he beynge there arryued and to men sawe in a place tofore hym a grete lyghte The whyche as hym semyd came strayghte to him / Wherof he was atâ—â—de ¶ And supposyd that it had sygnâ—fyed that be sholde retorne in his monastâ—rie / ¶ In the sayde lyghte he sawe a man ryght playsaunte sayenge to hym that he sholde noo thynge
aferde / and knowe thou that bi the wyll of god thou arte comen vnto this place / To the ende to burye me laye my body in the erthe / ¶ Anone my soule shall departe fro my body shall be borne in to the heuenly Reame / ¶ My brother I knowe thy desire and thy wyll / ¶ And therfore whanne thou shalte be retournyd in to Egypte· I praye the that thou remembre me and of my name / ¶ And to the ende that thou and alle thy brethern be desyrynge to haue of me remeÌ„braunce I shall saye to the the prerogatyues and specyall gyftes that I haue obteyned of my lorde and god Rededemer of alle the worlde / ¶ Fyrste euery persone that shall make to hym Immolacyon or sacrefyce be â— in messes or otherwyse in soo dooynge haue mynde of my name He shall be preserued and kepte from alle frawdelous decepcyons and temptacyons dyabolyke and worldly / ¶ And att laste be shall haue partycipacion wyth the aungellis in the reame of heuen / ¶ And yf ony haue noo power to make the sacrefyce / And in gyuynge oonly for the loue of god and of me an asmesse to some poore man Wythout faâ—â—e I shall praye for hym in heuen to then de that god make him worthi to haue part of his excellent glori ¶ yet yf he may not doo neyther that one ne that other In gyuynge a candell or in makynge a lytyll oblacyon As encencynge wyth â—â—ence or other offrynge / Certaynly I shall soo make prayer to god To the â—â—â—e that he haue euerlastynge Ioye / ¶ Paphunce herynge thyse alle thyse â—â—ynges made to hym this demaunde â—â— question Now fader yf some or ony persone haue noo power to doo ony of thyse thre thynges / By what moyen maye he doo for to be in thi recommendacyon and prayer / To the ende that as what trybulacyon he be in / thou make thyne oryson for hym / ¶ The holy man ansuered / My brother and frende yf it happed as thou sayst / That the suppliaunt haue noo facultee ne power to doo ony of the thynges aforsayd Yf he knele downe on his knees In lyftynge his hondes Ioyned to god and sayenge deuowtly thre tymes the Pater noster Aue maria in the honoure of the glorious Trinyte of heuen / and remember my name / Surely I shall doo soo moche anenste the same ryght holy Trinyte that he shall haue parte in the reaâ—e of heuen with all the sayntes that ben there / ¶ Or yf ony be in doubte or hesytacyon of the thynges tofore sayde He maye rede saynt Iherom in his boke whyche he hathe composyd in latyn Intytulyd of the lyfe of faders / Of the whyche hath be made this present traÌ„ssacyon as in other places hathe be sayd And there he shall see alonge this that is sayde here tofore / ¶ In retournynge to purpoos the holy Paphunce was gretely content wyth the wordes of saynt Onuffryen ¶ And for asmoche as he reputed the same place where as they wereÌ„ to be holy / he prayed to the sayd Onuffryen that he wolde gyue him lycence to dwelle there after his dethe / The whyche thynge the good holy fader wold not But commaunded hym that he sholde retorne in to Egypte / And there perseuere in goode werkes / For in the ende he sholde haue felycyte eternall / ¶ Whanne Paphunce hadde herde his ansuere He knelyd doune tofore the holy fader Onuffryen and sayde to hym this that folowyth ¶ Alas my dere fader frende I knowe and byleue that alle that thou shalte demaunde of god For the loue of whom thou haste be lxx yeres in this deserte thou shalte lyghtly obteyne· ¶ Thenne gyue to me now thy blessynge To the ende that I be also perfyghte as thou / ¶ The holy fader ansuered / My brother Paphunce be not angry For thy demaunde shall be obteyned / Be thou stedfaste in the faythe in seruynge god wyth all thyne herte and wyth alle thy thoughte / And by this moyen thou shalte haue eternall lyfe / ¶ I praye to oure lorde that thou be kepte alwaye of his worthy aungellis in alle thy cogytacyons and wylles To the ende that thou be clene and puryfyed tofore the face of Ihesu Cryste ¶ Whanne the holy man hadde sayde alle thyse wordes He knelyd downe to the grounde / And in wepynge sayde ¶ O my god now in to thyne hondes myghte puyssaunce and streyngthe I coÌ„mende my spyryte / And thyse wordes sayde sodaynly came a grete lyghte / whyche enuyronned alle his body / ¶ Thenne after came many aungels to grete multytude / whyche songen songes melodyous Wherof alle the ayre resowned And bare the soule vnto the reame of heuen / ¶ Paphunce whyche herde those aungellis synge / Beganne to wepe and drowne in teeres sayeng / Alas I haue well cause to make lamentacyon whanne wyth soo grete payne I haue founde the holy man Onufryen And hane be soo lytyll whyse wyth hym / ¶ After whanne he hadde longe waylled wepte· He departed his garment in to two partes / And of that one he cladde hymselfe / And in that other he wounde the body of the holy man putte it in a Sepulture of stone whiche was there / ¶ Paphunce seenge that he was there alone wepte more thanne he dyde byfore / ¶ And supposyd to haue entred in to the caue of the holy man / But whanne he was atte the entree a grete parte of the roche fell downe / By whyche he knewe that god wolde not that he sholde vse the resydue of his lyfe in the sayde place / ¶ And soo thenne he came agayne in to his monastery in Egypte / Where as he recounted this bistorye lyke as tofore is wreton / ¶ And the holy man saynt Onuffryen deyed the twellyfth daye of Iuyn the day of saynt Barnabe the appostle / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Abraham the Heremyte And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Cupio et cetera Caplm .li. ¶ Soo it happed that the tyme to halowe the Sacrament of maryage approched and drewe nyghe / But by cause that he wolde not abyde thereby and persyste / His parentes and kynnesmen were angry wyth hym soo gretely that for the greyf that he hadde of theyr heuynesse He concluded in hymself to procede forthe therin / ¶ Thenne the mariage of theym solempnysed / And he beynge in his chambre and layed a bedde wyth his spowse and wyfe / ¶ Sodaynly there came vpon him a feruent wyll for to departe and goo oute of the cyte / ¶ And soo departed from thens that he was well two myle from the cyte / Where he founde a lytyll house Wherin noo man frequented nor vsyd / And entred in and kepte hym there a certayne tyme prayenge and makinge deuoute prayers to god / ¶ Whanne his parentes and kynnesâ—es knewe that he was goon they were moche angry / And for to seche
/ And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Taliter igitur et cetera / Caplm lxxxviii SAynt Syluayn wyllyng to torne hym out of the fylth of synne for take clene pouertee / Came and yelded hymselfe to saynt Pachomyen / whiche frendly receyued him But this notwythstondynge he wolde not kepe the Rules of the Relygyouses ¶ For it was ouer harde a thynge to hym for to forgete his euyll customes / of the tyme passed / By the whyche he peruerted many brethern / And bowed theym to his wycked wylle ¶ Some Religyouses were ryghte sory of that they sawe the other Relygyouses consentynge to the detestable wyll of Syluayn / ¶ Soo came they and shewed it to the holy fader Pachomien· that whiche prayed god for the sayd syluayn to the ende he sholde haue contrycoÌ„n for hys synne and that he shold doo penaunce But for noo prayer he wolde not plyene consente therto / And for this cause they all wolde haue chaced him out of the monastery / The holy fader defferred it ladd hym wyth hym / And syn after corrected hym with swete wordes techyng hym alwayes in the crysten fayth / Wherof it happed syn that the poore Syluayn / as by synguler grace ameÌ„ded his wycked lyfe had it in so grete dysplaysure that he was neuer wythoute teeres in all his werkes / ¶ Some seenge his grete contrycoÌ„n shewed vnto hym that he angred hymself to bytterly and exorted hym to be moderate in his wepynges takynge in hym attemperaunce / but he answerde that he cowde not / For his hert was soo sore taken wyth grete dysplaysure / that he myght not conteyne himself / And morouer by cause he cowde not absteyne hyÌ„self fro wepynge / as well at the borde as elles where / The bredern sayd to hym that he sholde wepe in makynge his holy orysons not at the table / For it was noo place pâ—opâ—e ne couenable to wepe ne weyle / And that a relygyoê° myght wel haue sorow dysplaysure for his synÌ„e by hymself alone wythout to shewe it thus openly / And admonested hym to abstene himself therof / by cause the brethern myghte not ete whan they sawe hym wepe soo / ¶ Suche and semblable wordes they sayd to hym for to constreyne hym to telle the cause for whiche he contynued soo longe in his weyllynges and lamentacions / ¶ And theÌ„ne he sayd to theym / My brethern why sholde not I wepe in Ioyenge myselfe of the grace that my god hath doon to me / ¶ I was wonte to be full of synnes and soo many benefaytes are now gyuen vnto me for the saluacoÌ„n of my soule / ¶ Dathan and Aâ—yron ben contynuelly in my remembrauÌ„ce / To the confusyon of the whyche by cause they were defoyled and poluted wyth synne And wolde haue towched the holy sacrefyce The erthe opened and swalowed theym in / ¶ And I that haue despysed soo moche my saluacyon I fere yet ryght soore suche a sentence of god / Alas though I sholde wepe and weylle myn Innyquyte al my lyfe dayes and that I were in contynuell lamentacyons / Yet sholde I be vnworthy to haue the felycyte eternall / ¶ The good â—yluayn contynued in his humylytee and contynence soo that he was more perfite than all the other / ¶ And saynt Pachomyen seenge his holy conuersacyon sayd in the presence of all the other suche wordes ¶ My brethern I calle god to wytnesse the angelles and all the â—urt of heuen that syth oure monasterye was founded I haue not knowen noo brother of ours that hath be soo moche obeysaunt to me as hath one about al the other / The brethern thoughte that it hadd be Theodore or Peâ—ronyen â—or Orose / ¶ Theodore prayed saynt Pachomyen that he wolde tell what he was that he loued soo moche / But the holy man defferred to tell it hym / Neuerthelesse whan he saw that Theodore can streyned hym soo sore / He sayd to hym ¶ Yf I crowed that he sholde arâ—yse hymselfe in vaynglory therfore I sholde neuer declare it to hym / but by cause I knowe that the vertue praysed often tymes encreacyth and that he shall be more humble for it than he was byfore ¶ Also to the ende that other take ensample at hym I shall name hym vnto the / Soo I telle the. that how be it thyselfe and thy semblable haue bataylyd strongly ayenst the deuyll soo that by the grace of god / ye haue ouercome brought hym vnder your fete / Neuerthelesse Syluayn yonge of aege that thy bredern and thyselfe wolde put oute of our monastery hathe foughte in suche wyse ayenst hym that he hath this gyfte of god that the deuyll dare neuer shew hymself afore his face / And by his grete humylytee he hath ouercome hym in all thynges / ¶ Ye other haue confydence in youre vertues / But he the more that he batayllyth he yeldyth hymselfe the more meke vnprofytable / And yf thou demaunde why he wepte soo contynuelly / I telle the that it is by cause he is perfyghtly meke / And for this cause he canne not forbere his teeres / ¶ Soo wite it that there is noo vertue that makyth the deuyll more confuse / than the vertue of very and perfyghte humylyte ¶ The good Syluayn was bi the space of viii yere in befightyng his enmye Sathan / And after he deyed / And saynt Pachomyen wytnessyd that at his passynge were present many angels that wyth grete Ioye bare his soule awaye in to the glory that euer shall laste / the whyche by his prayers we maye purchace Amen ¶ How the holi man coÌ„mauÌ„ded that a deed body shold be vnclothed of his vestimentes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Eodem vero teÌ„pore / Caplm lxxxx IN the cyte of Panos was a bisshopp named Varus that was right deuowte feruent in the loue of Ihesu Cryste the whiche herde speke of the conuersacoyn of saynt Pachomyen / Soo wrote he to hym many lettres by that whiche amonge other thinges he desyred prayed hyÌ„ to come towarde hym for to gyue hym counseyle ayde to buylde a chyrche nygh to his cyte / And for to lodge there some Religyouses that were of good lyfe of coÌ„uersacoÌ„n good / In obeynge to the whiche requeste he toke on his waye towarde the sayd bisshopp / And as he was come nye a monastery whiche he vysited by the waye he mett wyth many Relygyouses that conueyed the corps of one of theyr bredern that was deceased whiche his frendes bare to the erth clothed with riche raymentes whiche were after the maner doynge that the seculer had there acustomyd / Whan they sawe saynt Pachomyen come they taryed Incontynent for to praye hym that he wolde make deuowte prayers orysons to god aswel for the deed as for them whiche he dide gladly / And his orison done he coÌ„maunded that men sholde take awaye fro the Relygious that was deacessed the rayments of the
hym / Syck that it playsyth the to doo thus / at leest suffir that thy hondes be enoynted with oyle to the ende that thou mayst helpe thyself more longer wyth theym / Zacheus in grauntynge to his requeste enoynted his hondes for to recouere helthe / ¶ The whyche thynge seenge the holy fader Pachomyen he sayde vnto hym / ¶ Now come hyther broder thinkeste thou that the oyle that thou haste putte in thyne hondes canne helpe the for to haue helthe / Haste thou more truste in this enoyntynge vysyble thanne in god that is Inuysible / ¶ Byleueste thou not that he whiche is soo medeful hath remeÌ„braunce of vs wthout that we doo pray for our helth / Whan hyÌ„ shall playse he shall sette an ende to our sorowes passyons ¶ Certaynly we ought to beleue that the sykenesses that we suffre shal be cause to make vs haue euerlastyng rewardes in the glory of paradyce / Thenne Zachius answerd / Alas my fader pardonne me and praye god for my wretchydnesse to th ende that it â—oll pleyse him for to pardoÌ„ne me my synne / And from that houre he toke suche a dysplaysure of the synne that he thought to haue done in vsynge of the sayd oyle that he contynued in lamentacâ—â—â— wepynges a hoole yere / wyth this he fastyd two yere / And in fastyng he toke a smale refeccion / ¶ The holy fader Pachomien knowyng his grete pacyence / Whan he wolde excyte his Religyouses to be stedfast pacyent he layed to theym the good fader Zacheus the whiche gate deserued by his right grete forberyng to haue heuen at the ende of his dayes / ¶ Of the deth of saynt Pachomyen / begynnyth in latyn ¶ Certus itaque pachomius / Caplm C.iiii. SOne after a solempnite of Ester the holy man Pachomyen felt hyÌ„self sore seke feble with hyÌ„ was Theodore that full besily seruyd hym / And he beynge in this grete sykenes he had alway the face well colouryd mery ii dayes bifore that he deyed he asseÌ„bled all his bredern / In the preseÌ„ce of whom he made suche a proposicoÌ„n / ¶ RyÈt dere bredern I knowe the god wol call me that I shall sone goo oute of this world after the holy faders / So I beseche you hertely that ye woll remeÌ„bre you alwaye of the rules charges that I haue yeue done to you afore this tyme / that ye woll kepe yourself wel fro the secte of thaâ—ryens of thother ouerleders denyers of the fayth of IhuÌ„ Cryst / but acoÌ„panye haunte wyth theym the drede god that loue him perfytly / I see the tyme of my life that comyth to an ende my dethe is nye / And therfore chose in my presence a pastour that shall be fader techer of the saluacoÌ„n of your soules And asmoche as I can know Petronyen semyth me wyse ynouÈ for to teche you to kepe you fro euyll doynge but what someuer I saye of it ye may chose after your good discrecoÌ„n him that shal seme you good / ¶ They all togyder amoÌ„ge theym chose Petronyen swetly and wyth theyr good wyll / the whiche was constaunt stedfast in the fayth meke of conuersacyon / Wyse of vnderstondynge and perfyghte in condycyons / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen knowynge that this Petronyen was that tyme syke in the monastery of the Thebenesyens prayed deuoutly our lorde for his helthe / to the Relygyouses that were absent was sent worde that they shold come to the decease of theyr fader abbot Pachomyen / The whiche in blessynge hymselfe wyth the vertuous sygne of the Crosse deceassed vpon the TranslacoÌ„n daye of saynt Nycholas in the moneth of Maye And yelded his soule in the hondes of an angell of heuen· that was come for to receyue it / ¶ And att his dethe were present dyuers Religyouses in grete noÌ„bre whyche all the nyghte contynuelly sayd psalmes aboute his body And on the morowe he was buryed in the mountayn where his graue was ordeyned ¶ Soone after was the holy fader Petronien sent for by some that brought hyÌ„ But he was yet sore feble lyued not long after Pachomyen Leuyng his successour a nother holy fader namid orsiscuÌ„ / ¶ Of the lyfe of saynt Crysten the relygyoê° / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Cuidam cenomanensis / Caplm C. â—â— FOlowynge the manere that is begon / restyth to wryte sheâ— of saynt Cristen borne of the countree of Mayne the whiche in his yonge aege was Heremyte in that châ—rche bysshopryche of Tours in a place callyd Gastineton ¶ He was in his yonge â—â—yes sore pricked styngâ—ed of the syke of the flesshe / But by fastynges abstyneÌ„ces he made lent subdued his body in suche manere that he rendres brought it in thraldom / ¶ Durynge the tyme of Lent he fasted wythoute drynke but oonly one daye of the weke / In wynter for to bryng his flesshe the mere downe lowe / he put hymself in colde water to the necke / ¶ And he beyng on a tyme in the water he herde a voce towarde the Weste that sayd vnto hym O Crysten all this that thou doost profyteth the no thynge / For the god that thou callest vpon shall not helpe the to haue that thou askest· But thou 〈◊〉 retourne to me I shall make the haue thy will IncoÌ„tynent ¶ Crysten knewe that it was the voyce of the deuyl / Soâ— toke hymself to pray god humbly that he wold helpe hym ayenst the temptacoÌ„ns of the deuyll / ¶ After this he purposed to vse his lyf in pylgrymages â—s vysytyng the holy places / And fynably he toke a staffe and soo longe he wente barefote that he camÌ„ nye a chyrche in whiche he kneled on his knees prayenge our lord that he wold gyue him goode counseyle for to perfourne that whiche he had begon / And Incontynent he smelled a merueyllous stenche nye haâ— In smellyng of the whyche he knewe that it was the deuyll that had tesyd him to leue his bredern the habyte of relygius ¶ Soo gaaf he thankynges to god retoured ayen to his abbaye / ¶ One daye vpon the feest of saynt Steuen he aslepe in the chyrche in the tyme that men radde thise wordes ¶ Et lapidauerunt stephanuÌ„ / whiche makith mencoÌ„n of the stonynge of saynt Steuen / ¶ And after sodainly he woke sayeng cryeng with an hye voys / Ha I am well neclygente to slepe at this hour whan men stonyd saynt Seâ—uen he was in oryson prayeÌ„ge god for theym that stonyd hym / And I vnhappy sholde now praye hym / to the ende that he sholde praye god for me / ¶ Thenne he beganne to praye saynt Steuen / And on the morne as he was is the Refectoire with his bredern for to take his refeccoÌ„n or euer he had take ony mete he herd a voys that said to
They of the shyppe 〈◊〉 haue be perysshyd and so sholde not thy sone haue escaped fro euerlastyÌ„ge dampnacoÌ„n ¶ The marchauÌ„t thenÌ„ wâ—ll coÌ„forted awoke came to the holy Patryarke for to shew him the caas thanked hym of his prayer / ¶ TheÌ„ne the holy Patryarke heuyng his hondes to heuen sayd / O my god I thanke the that thou gladly herest enhauÌ„cest the prayers of the poore synÌ„ars / After he sayd to the marchauÌ„t / ¶ My frende byleue not that this vysion is come to the by my prayers but onÌ„ly by the grete fayth that thou hast had to our lorde / ¶ Of a coueytous bisshopp the whiche â—â—â—yd moneye Inordynatly ouermoche / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Vrgehat c. Caplm C.xxxi OFt tymes the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ went to vysite the pore that were in a place called CesariuÌ„ In whyche place he had do make mattes beddyng for to lay theim vpon in Wynter / ¶ Wyth hym on a tyme amoÌ„ge other vysityng the sayd poore folke was a bysshop namyd Troyle whiche made thenÌ„e to be broughte wyth hym by one his Attourneye xxx.li of golde for to bye certayne plate to serue at his borde / ¶ The holy Patryarke that knew well his Intencyon / sayd vnto hym in spekynge of the poore peple / Troyle I pray the loue the bredern of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ After whyche wordes thus sayd by the Patryarke and well markyd by the sayd bysshopp / As all ashamyd coÌ„maunded to hym that bare his golde that he sholde gyue it to the poore / And after that they came ayen to the cyte / and as they were in the waye / the bysshopp Troyle that was right sory that he hadd gyuen agaynste his wyll the sayde .xxx. pouÌ„de of golde angred hyÌ„self soo sore for it that a stronge feuer toke hym so feruently that he was from hyÌ„selfe And the holy Patryarke whan he was come to his hous was set at the table sent for the sayd bysshop for to come to dyner take his refeccoÌ„n wyth hyÌ„ but he answerde that he myght not goo / that the feuer was soo stronge vpon him that he myght not ryse from his bed / ¶ The holy Patryarke knowyng hym thê° syke thoughte it was for grete malencolye that he toke for his golde that he had gyuen ayenst his wyll ¶ And by cause he knewe this bysshopp to be sore vexed tormented And for this cause he myghte not take his refeccyon / ¶ He wente to the bedde where he laye syke and sayde to hym / ¶ Troyle be of goode there comfort And reioyce thyselfe att my comynge / Dydest thou ymagyne otherwyse whaÌ„ I tolde the that thou shold gyue thy gold to the poore peple but that it was my wyl to gyue vnto the ayen all togyder / Truely my wyll was soo Holde here is thy hoole somÌ„e whyche I beynge to the / And whan he sawe in the holy manÌ„es hondes all his golde he fonde hymself aswel dysposyd of his comynge / as though he had brought a good medycyne / wherof he sholde haue recouered his good heele / And so the holy man toke hyÌ„ his golde ayen / ¶ But in this doynge he askyd hyÌ„ a letter of his honde how he forsoke the meryte that he myght haue gote in gyuynge his money for goddis sake· the whiche bysshopp made to hym a wrytyÌ„g wherof the tenour was suche / ¶ O my god yeue to my maister IohnÌ„ Patryarke of the grete cyte of Alexandrye the meryte of the xxx li of golde that I had gyuen to the poore / peple For I haue receyued theym ayen / The sayd holy Patriarke kepte well the sayd wrytyng and broughte the sayd bysshop to dyner wyth him / To whom after fewe dayes to th ende he were stired to socour gladly the poore peple / Oure lorde gyuer of rewardes wold shewe in a dreme what rewarde he had lost / So saw he in this dreme a grete palays â–ª so costelew soo fayr builded that al maÌ„kynde cowde haue discerne it / And amonge the grete rychesses of the same palays was the gate all of fyne golde / Vpon whyche was wryten / This palays is euerlastynge / the reste of Troyle / ¶ And as he was redyng the sayd superscripcoÌ„n came sodenly a notable persone as a chaâ—brelayn acompanyed of many seruaunters / To whom he hadde that they sholde take awaye the same superscrypcoÌ„n / And that they shold â—â—te in that place / that whyche the sâ—â—ersyn kynge hadd ordeyned The whiche thynge they dyde / And theyr wrytynge was this / ¶ It is the palayes euerlastynge of IohnÌ„ the Patryarke and archebysshopp of Alexandrye boughte by hym for xxx.li of golde / The whyche vysyon the sayde bysshopp rehercyd aforsayd Patriarke ¶ And from that â—â—me forthe he was a grete almesse yoâ—â— Hauinge euer more after strongly compassyon of the poore / ¶ Of the shyppes of the chyrche / And how al the goodes that were theâ—â— were lost / Whyche chapytre begynnyth in latyn ¶ Dominê° qui diuician cetera Caplm C.xxxii TRue it is that our lord whiche toke from Ioh all his goodes for to preue 〈◊〉 pacyence / 〈◊〉 for to gyue vs ensample to haue it 〈◊〉 alle oure aduersytees / Toke also from the holy Patryarke Iohan all his godes / ¶ For as the shippes of his chirche were in the see laded with all the â—â—â—ur of the chirche att a place namyd â—â—hyra / The Patrons of the said shippes of the chyrche were constrayned 〈◊〉 eschewe the lyckely peryll and gretâ—â— daungeour of theyr owne persones and vesselles to caste alle theyr goodes in to the see / ¶ And Incontynent that they were come in to the cyte of Alexandrye Ferynge to be trowbled· vexed and not in pryson / Wente alle to the chyrche for to kepe there the fraunchyse and â—â— betters / ¶ The holy Patryarke heryng 〈◊〉 â—â—ynges / and the cause why they â—nderstaÌ„de / wrote to theym wyth hys 〈◊〉 â—onde sayenge / Bredern be not say not angre not yourself Our lorde hath take from vs his goodes as it hathe playsyd hym His good playsure be done / Come surely oute of the chyrche 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nysour god shall puruey for vs 〈◊〉 one daye to the other / The daye folowyng the cyteyzyns wolde haue come to hym for to comforte hym / But he came ayenst theym and beganne to saye to theym / ¶ O my chyldern be not angry for the losse of the shyppes / Certaynly I am for my synne the cause of the destruccoÌ„n / by cause I was proude of the alâ—esses that I haue done in tyme passe / Ymagynynge to haue had mede to yoâ—â— that â— was your owne / And the â—â—â—oce god sendyth me now this fortune for to meke myselfe / ¶ Almesse oft playsyth the hert of man and makith to gloryfye hymself wythout rayson / Wherfor it oughte to be done secretly in humylyte / ¶ It is no fortune to haue grete
sholde well thynke therat he sholde well haue cause to become humble and meke / ¶ How he corrected by fayre wordes swete langage theym that went out of the chyrche after that the gospell was sayd / And begynnith in latyn ¶ MittaÌ„ autem / Caplm Cxlvi BY cause that some Seculers or laye people had of a custome that they wente oute of the chyrche after the gospell was done / The holy Patryarke dyde correcte theym of this saweâ— / ¶ And desyrynge to moeue theym vnto deuocion / One daye amonge other departed oute of his palays And came and sette hym amonge theym in the chyrche / Wherof they were gretely merueylled / ¶ Thenne for to answere to theyr thoughtes sayd vnto theym / My chyldren it is exspedyent and nedefull that the shepeherde be there as his shepe ben / And therfore yf ye abyde in the chirche of god there out I shall doo as ye done ¶ For your loue I am come to the chyrche / And ye goo there oute / ¶ And alwayes yf I had wolde I mighte wel haue soÌ„ge my masse in my chapell of my bysshopriche / and sholde not haue come to you ¶ Bi this maner of meane they al corrected theymself â—â—â—fered to doo as they were acustomyd / ¶ Wherby men maye euydently and openly knowe that the good maners of a Prelate and his holy lyuynge is ofte tymes cause of the amendement correccyon of his euyll subgets / The whyche at his ensample enforce theymselfe to lyue vertuously / By meane of whyche good lyfe they gete the glory of heuen / Whiche largely is yeuen bi our blessyd Sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste to theym that fleenge the lykynges and worldly playsures purpoos theym selfe to lyue a lyfe honeste and holy after the techyÌ„ges of his true doctryne / ¶ How he forbadde that folke sholde not speke in the chyrche / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Loqua autem cetera / Caplm C.xlvii ANd whan the holy Patryarke herde ony speke in the chyrche / Incontynent he made theym to be putt oute / And sayd to theym / ¶ Syth that ye ben come in to the chirche for to praye god I commauÌ„de you that all your thoughtes be torned vnto prayer / ¶ For it is writen that the house of god is a house of prayer / And ye Clatterers and Ianglers make therof a pytte of theues / ¶ How he ordeyned two orders of Relygiouses and buylded theym two chirches / One in the name of oure Lady the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Voleâ—â—s autem cetera Caplm C.xlviii THis meane tyme the holy Patriarke ordeyned two ordres of relygyouses / and buylded two monasteryes for theim / One in the name of the moost holy moder of god and the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And dyde doo make for theym lytyll houses for to kepe theymself therin solytary / By cause they sholde haue none occasyon to goo out of theyr Relygyon / Ordeyned also certayne men in the cyte that bare theym all theyr necessytees / Sendyng theim word that they shold haue besinesse of the lyfe spyrytuell / And he sholde see for theyr bodily lyfe / And he wold that the charge of the seruyce of the chyrche bothe bi daye by nyght sholde be put vnto hym / to th ende that whyche they sholde doo in theyr celles or lytyll houses sholde be for the helthe of theyr soules / To that whiche lyf this holy man by the sayd entysyÌ„ges contynued theim / ¶ How men oughte to eschewe the coÌ„pany of Heretykes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Et hoc beatê° / Caplm C.xlix ABoue alle other thynges thys holy man defended vnto the cristen that they sholde nother comyn nor acompanye wyth the heretykes / Sayenge that it was more worth to a crysten to be alle alone / than to be acompanyed wyth an Heretyque / And more ouer he sayd that lyke as a wedded man sholde be punysshyd yf he left his wyf and wedded a nother somwhere in a nother londe / Soo sholde a crysten be punysshyd / that shold leue the comynycacoÌ„n wyth his lyke for to acompanye with the Heretiques / ¶ And more ouer syth that we ben maryed to a wyf sure chaste whiche is the holy chirche crysten / yf we leue it for the comynycacoÌ„n of Heretiques / We oughte as fornicatours to be greuously punisshed stoned of the deuyls of hell / asmoche as we shold be yf we had had the flesshly coÌ„pany of a nother woman than our owne wife / ¶ How the holy Patriarke iuged nor coÌ„deÌ„pned neuer no body / BegynÌ„ith in latyn ¶ CuÌ„ oÌ„nibus / Caplm C.l. AMoÌ„ge the other grete vertues that this holy Patryarke had· namly he had one right grete whiche was suche / that he neuer iuged no persone nor also wold not here theim the sayd ony euyl bi a nother / To this purpose is to be knowe that he beynge in Alexdrye a yonge man rauisshed a right fayr regyous mayde and ladde her wyth hyÌ„ vnto Constantynople / This thyÌ„ge came to his knowlege consideryng the loothnes of the befall And for the grete charytee that he had to the helthe of man / He was soo sory for it that it semyd he sholde haue deyed / ¶ And a lytyl whyle after that this caas was soo happed / He beynge wyth some clerkes / and dysputynge of holy scryptures / came in his remembraunce the sayde befall / ¶ In spekynge of the whyche by cause al those present Iuged this forsayd man a ryght grete abhomynable synnar They wolde haue hym acursyd But the holy Patriarke wolde not performe the same Sayenge that ther sholde be cause of two euylles / ¶ Fyrste in that they sholde doo as he sayd ayenst the commaundement of god and sholde breke it / By cause it is wryten that we oughte not to iudge ony body / And we shall not be Iudged / ¶ The second euyll for that they wyste not yf the sayd clerke had wythdrawe the sayd relygyoê° woman out of her monastery / for to doo euyl wyth her / And was not yet knowen whether he had defoylled her or not / ¶ Wherfore they oughte not to cast vpon hym the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For men oughte not to Iudge but this that men see to be euyll done / ¶ And for to conferme his worde he rehercyd of .ii. relygyouses amoÌ„ge whom was one / whyche passynge thorugh the cyte of Thyre mette wyth a strompett comyn named Porphyre / The whyche cryed after the abbot / O fader saue me lyke Ihesu Cryste saued the woman synnar / ¶ The abbot that fered not the speche of the world sayd vnto her that she sholde come after hȳ· and she dyde so ¶ The same abbot brought her by the honde afore al the peple out of the cyte of Thyr / The whiche thyng was anone tolde / But this notwythstondyng the abbott torned neuer from his
daungeour to be drowned / The holy Patryarke thenÌ„e toke vpon hym for to comforte the poore folke that were in the same vessell / And wyth theym he called the grace of almyghty god ¶ Soo sawe he in this stormous tempeste a man vpryght byfore hym / Hauynge the face of a wonderfull briÈtnesse holdyÌ„ge in his honde a ceptre al of golde / The whiche man sayd to hym / Patryarke come on for the kynge of kynges askith for the / ¶ Thenne the holy Patryarke thynkynge vpon the sayde vysion / Incontynent he callyd the Patrice Niceta vnto hym and wyth grete syghes teeres he shewed it vnto hym Sayenge how the emperour of emperours regnynge in heuen had callyd hym And that without fawte he might not goo to theÌ„perour of the erthe to whom the sayd Niceta wolde brynge hym / ¶ The good Patrice herynge the wordes of the holy Patryarke was moche sory of his departynge and gladde of his helthe / Soo sente he hym ayen there as he wolde goo / That is to wyte in the reame of Chypre in the cyte of Amathanque / where he hadde taken his â—â—tynite / ¶ The fourme of his Testament folowyth / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Adueniente / Caplm C / liii AFter that the holy Patryarke was come in Chypre in the cyte namyd AmathuÌ„que where he was borne / He askyd after penne ynke for a skynÌ„e of parchemin / And in contynent he made his Testamente to be wryten in manere as here folowyth ¶ I IohnÌ„ fyrst bonde sith afrauÌ„chised made free by the dygnytee of preesthode of the grace of god to me yeuen To the my god I yelde graces of that it hath pleysed the to enhauÌ„ce my prayer to the wee le of my soule / It is that att the houre of my dethe men shall fynde in my tresour but onely do piece of money / ¶ Whan I was promoted to the dignytee of Archebysshopp ensacred receyued in the holy chyrche of Alexandrye / The whiche dignytee by the leue and InspyracoÌ„n I haue obteyned I foÌ„de there tresours wythoute nombre / I thenÌ„e knowyng that the sayd tresours were bylongyng to god purposed to yelde vnto him ayen that that was his owne by cause that now of all the sayd tresours is to me in remaynyng but onÌ„ly the pyece of money forsayd whyche byloÌ„gyth vnto god· I coÌ„mauÌ„de that it be yeue vnto hym ayen in to the hondes of the pore folke his seruauÌ„tes / ¶ O thyng ryghte gloryoê° worthy to be rehercyd O ye riche that haply haue gadred your money tresours vniustely the whiche ye woll kepe holde as your owne noo thynge wol yeue for goddis sake but hyde kepe them as ye myght bere theim with you / Loke now wyth me in this myrrour consydryng how the holy Patriarke gadred a tresour that neuer can be mynysshyd as worldly riches is / ¶ Certaynly we ought to bileue that he is worthy to be glorified / For our lord sayth in his gospell / Who soeuer shall honour or gloryfye me I shall gloryfye hyÌ„ / ¶ It is so that for the worshyp of our lorde for to exalte his praysynge he founded many monasteryes in whiche he ordened grete multytude of Relygyouses / that contynuelly gaue lawde praysynge to god For whiche cause is to him rewarded that meryte of al the orisons there made of the sayd relygyouses / ¶ And to the ende that by fable lesynge this that afore is of hym wryten be not reputed / We haue therof a veri knowlege that he was of the nombre of the Iust / ¶ For after that he had yelded his holy soule in to the hondes of our lord god as done the soules of the Iuste that are in the honde of god / His sepulture was by the clergy ordened in a sepulcre wherin of longe tyme afore two good bysshops his Predecessours had be buryed / ¶ But a wonderfull thynge happed there / For at the openyng of the sayd sepulcre the two bysshops that there rested theyr bones of longe space dede byreuyd of life wythdrewe theymself fro theyr places / Makynge honour to the sayd Patryarke and gyuyng vnto him his place bytwene theim in the myddes of the graue / ¶ Wherby it is to vs openly shewed that our lorde hym rewarded moche largely· whan he wold his body in this worlde to be soo openly honoured / And his soule aboue in heuen gloryfyed worshypfully enhaunsed / ¶ Of the woman that gaaf her synne in wrytynge to saynt IohnÌ„ the Patryarke / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Aliud autem / Caplm C.liiii YEt lyuynge the sayd Patryarke Iohan. he made a nother myracle ryght grete the whyche begynnyth in his lyf and endeth after his dethe / ¶ A woman of the sayde cyte where he was borne had done soo horryble a synne / that she durste neuer confesse it / Soo it happed that the sayde Patriarke came to the cyte / And she hauynge knowlege of his comynge came and caste herselfe at his fete / sayenge by grete coutrycyon / ¶ O reuerende lorde I haue done a synne the whyche for the grete loothlynes of it I dare not confesse / But this notwythstondyng I wote wel that yf it playse that thou shalt gyue me therof remyssyon / ¶ The holy Patryarke seenge her grete contrycyon / He wolde not correcte her rygoriously / Doubtyng that she sholde neuer make shryfte therof to a nother / And that bi this she were in dangeour of her soule but sayd vnto her / My freÌ„de yf thou haste that fayth that I maye clense thi soule fro synne and that I maye gyue the remyssyon therof / Confesse it vnto me and I shall doo al that thou requyrest of me / Wherunto she answerd that she sholde not dare telle it / For it was soo dyshoneste shamefull that it sholde cause horrour at the ceres of the holy man / ¶ Thenne he sayde vnto her Thus thenne yf thou arte soo shamefaste of the confessyon of it / gyue it vnto me by wrytynge / ¶ She yet answered that she sholde not dare doo soo / And the holy man yet agayne sayd vnto her / Thou muste doo it but yf it seme the good / thou shalt close the letter in suche wyse that noo body maye see it / ¶ Thenne this woman consentyng to the wordes of the holy Patryarke / wrote her synne wyth her owne honde And after closyd the letter and toke it to hym / But he ne lyued but fyue dayes after that / ¶ Soo it happed by casuell aduenture that at his dethe this we man was oute of the towne / Whanne she came agayne and knowyng his deceasse / She ymagyned that her synne had be shewed thorugh all the cyte / by cause that the holy man was deed / hauynge towarde hym her scrowe / ¶ And as for answere therupon she had none of / ¶ Soo wente she to his tombe where he
god whom thou haste fully hooly gyuen thyself shall not leue the / ¶ After this holy bysshop Helayn torned his worde to Prothus to Iacintus and sayd to theym / ¶ Ye that are seruauntes / and wytholden in thraldom / Ye haue in your hertes grete noblesse / I maye saye to you that the oure lorde sayde to his discyples / ¶ From hens forthe I shall noo more call you Seruauntes / But I shall calle you my Frendes / ¶ More ouer sayde vnto theym this holy Bysshopp Helayn / My chyldren vnderstonde it that ye ben well happy and gracious of this that ye haue consented to the holy ghoste in obeyenge and enclynynge to his holy maâ—uynges ¶ / For thrugh that meane ye shall be parteners togyder of the Ioye of heuen / ¶ In this astate abode the good Eugene in the clothyÌ„ge or a seculer man vnto the tyme that by the holy bysshop she was regenerate of the holy Sacrament of baptesme And by hym â—n to a monastery of relygyon where she desired for to be / ¶ But for to haue very knowlege how she departed pryuely from her Parents / It is to be noted that in those dayes whan the ladyes wolde goo to sporte theymself they were of a custome born in a chare gouerned with some yonge chyldern called Emiches or more plainly to speke men ghelded the whiche beynge wyth theym aswell for to serue theym as for to kepe theym / ¶ Now thenne wyth Eugene gooyng to her sporte as it is sayde aboue were Prothus Iacintus that for to serue kepe her abode wyth her / The whyche by meane of her desyrynge were coÌ„tent to doo as she wolde / And soo in dede they went wyth her / as aboue is shewed / And sent home agayn the lyttere by some yonge chyldren that had bornÌ„ theym company / ¶ The moder of the good Eugene seenge the yonge chyldern come the lyttere was very gladde / hopynge that her doughter was comyng in the same chare or lyttere / But after whan she knew her doughter to be gone / She began to crye soo wonderfully that alle the cyte was moeuyd wyth it / Eeuery body wept and wayled the losse of the good lady Eugene / The fader and the moder sighed after theyr doughter And in lyke wyse the brethern after theyr sister / The whyche for to fynde was made dilygent sekynge thrugh al the Prouynce / ¶ The dyuynours or southsayers were sente fore / And by sacrefyces and dysceytes of the deuyll the goddes were mekely required that they wolde yeue an answere where Eugene was become / Alle the southsayers sayd that the goddes had rauisshed her aboue the heueÌ„s / ¶ The fader byleuyng this to be of trouth torned his heuinesse in to gladnesse made the people to kepe a feest of thanswere that the goddes had yeue of his doughter / And moreouer for to honour enhaunce the name of her dede / dyde doo make a fygure or ymage after her likenes Wherto he gaaf a grete merueyllous quantyte of fyne gold The whiche ymage he adoured worshypped it as he dyde his goddes / But neuerthelesse her moder Claudia her bredern / Anitus Sergius cowde not take in this foly ony comforte / ¶ All thy seâ—thynges notwythstondynge / the goode Eugene in clothynge of· man vnknowen abode in the sayde monastery wyth the Relygyouses of the same / As it is sayd here aboue / And soo well she studyed that in a lytyll whyle she comprysed alle the rules of the Relygyon / ¶ She was soo kynde louely that al the brethern thought and helde her for an angell / Her wordes were swete and her mekenesse so grete / that she ouerpassed all the other relygyouses ¶ She was euer the fyrst in prayer she comforted the sorowful she shewed herselfe gladde wyth those that were Ioyous / ¶ They that were full of wrathe she wyth one worde made theym to be pacyent in theyr behauynge / The proude by her example wonderfully she conuerted lyke as a lyon had be torned by her in to a shepe / ¶ She had this merueyllous gyfte of god that al persones that she vysited in theyr sykenesse felte at her comynge to theym noo sore att all Prothus Iacintus folowed her contynuelly / were obeyeng to her / The .iii yere after she was put in the sayd religyon thabbot of her monastery deyed / soo they togyder chose wyth one acorde the virgyn Eugene for to be their abbot She thenÌ„e consydryng that she was a woman doubtyng to be set in auctorytee aboboue the men / Ferynge also of the other part to be seen that she shold dispyse coÌ„tempne the prayers of all the Religioê° that so besily desyred her to take vpon her the auctorytee of the abborshypp sayde vnto theym / ¶ O my bredern I requyre you in the name of god that the boke of the gospels maye be now presently broughte shewed byfore vs alle And anone as it was brought she sayd ayen to theÌ„ ¶ Euer whan ony religioê° haue for to be done some eleccoÌ„n they ought bifore all thinges to desyre call the helpe of our lord Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Lete vs see theÌ„ne in this your eleccoÌ„n what thyng he coÌ„mauÌ„dith for to be doo to th ende that we maye obeye to his deuoute wamynges / Also to obeye the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes that shall be by you done in this byhalfe / ¶ The holy Eugene toke thenÌ„e the boke of the gospels and began to torne a leef sin a nother tyl she fonde a gospell conteynyng the wordes that here after are wryten the whiche she rehercyd sayeng / ¶ In those dayes sayd IhuÌ„ Cryst to his discyples ye know that the prynces lordes oughte to be are more grete in auctoritee and power than the men vpon whom they haue grete lordshypp myghte / But this thynge is not lyke amonge ye other ¶ For yf ony of you woll be the formeste he shall be the last And yf ony amonge you woll be a lord he shall be a seruaunt / After saynt Eugene sayd to theim / Therfore my bredern consyderynge all thyse thynges not wyllynge to saye ayenst you / I haue purposyd to take vpon me the auctorite that ye gyue me ouer you / And pryÌ„cypally derysyrynge to obeye the coÌ„maundement of god ordeyne miself the leste amonge ye other that are to me moche dere agreable / Of the whyche answere they were moche abasshed / But this notwythstondynge she presumed not to vse the dygnytee as the moost grete aboue all other / But mekyng herselfe toke the charge that the moost lowe and poore persone had beyng vnder that Couent / That is to wyte to here water cleue wood / And made her dwellynge in that self place where the Potter dwelled / to th eÌ„de she shold not shewe herself gretter than he / ¶ With this she had a contynuell thought and a holy
Basylle thou doost me grete wroÌ„ge / for this synnar is come to me not I to hym / He hath forsake his Creatour in my presence / therof he hath gyue to me his writynge wyth his honde wryten for a wytnesse of the same / the whyche wrytyng I goo present byfore the euerlastyÌ„g Iuge / ¶ Saynt Basylle thenÌ„e sayd to the deuyll / Blessyd be god / My people shall neuer ceasse to praye / nor shal not brynge downe theyr hondes whiche are heued vpward to heuen tyll that thou haste gyuen ayen the sayd wrytynge vnto this poore synnar / ¶ Alle this noble assemble made after more deuowte prayers than afore had done / And ceassed not tyll that the sayde wrytynge was taken in to the hondes of the sayde holy man / The whyche after the receyuynge of it he yelded graces vnto god / And sayd to the synÌ„aâ— byfore all the peple that was there / ¶ My broder knowest not thou this letter / He answerde ye / And that it was wryten with his owne honde / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Basille brake it in peces and brought him to the chirche for to make Confessyon / Whyche thynge done he Receyued his Creatour / And after sente-hym home agayn vnto his his wyfe / The whiche of his grete grace she thanked deuowtly our lorde / ¶ Of a woman to whom her sinÌ„es were forgyuen by the prayer of saynt Basylle / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Mulier quidaÌ„ c. Caplm C.lxiiii A Woman ryche noble full of the vanitees of the world· vsed euyll of her facultees / For she was prodyge lecherous / Soo that in all maner of her dedes she was vnagreable to god / And as a sowe dooth laye herself in a fowle putdel soo was thys woman wrapped in all fylthe vncleÌ„nesse of flesshe ¶ And somtyme by a syÌ„guler grace that god gaaf her she alone to herself made knowlege of the grete multytude of her synnes and in wepynge sayd to god / Alas my Redemer I that am a poore synnar how shall I make satysfaccoÌ„n towardes the of my synnes / I oughte for to be the temple of the holy ghost / And by my synnes I haue defoylled hurte my soule / I am the moost vnhappy of all the worlde / I byleue not that euer ony woman syn her Crystendom dyde soo synÌ„e gretely / and soo abhomynable as I haue done ¶ Alacke how shall I mow be in certayn that god woll receyue my penaunce ¶ And whan she had well bethoughte herselfe vpon her byfall / God Inspyred her to thyÌ„ke vpon the grete euylles and synnes that she had sinned and done syn her yongthe vnto her olde aege And theym she broughte in mynde wrote in a rolle / And this done / she sealed theym vnder leed / And after purposed whan saynt Basylle sholde come to the chirche for to syÌ„ge masse that she sholde delyuer he Rolle vnto hym / ¶ The whyche thynge she dyde soo in cryenge wych an hyghe voys / ¶ O holy man and seruauÌ„te of god haue pyte of me moost wretched of all other synnars / ¶ Saynt Basylle askyd her the cause of her wayllynge / and she answered / Alas my lorde I haue wryten in this Rolle all my mysdedes and wyckydnesse / I byseche the that thou wolt not loke vpon theim / But vouchesauf to doo soo moche for me by thy prayers towarde god / That they maye be forgyuen to me / ¶ I wote wel that he that hathe gyuen me vnderstondynge and wyll for to knowe theim / shall enhaunse the prayer that thou shalt make for me in this byfalfe / ¶ Therfore I byseche the socour me now at my grete nede / ¶ The holy man toke the rolle of her / And heued his hondes vp towarde heuen sayenge / ¶ O my god it aperteynyth thy dygnytee for to doo that this poore synfull woman askith / thou mayste putt and enrase oute wythin a moment alle the synnes of the worlde / ¶ I byseche the mekely for her / All oure synnes are in a certayne nombre byfore thy mageste / ¶ But thy mercy is wythoute ende / ¶ His prayer thus done / he sette the Rolle vpon the awter / And there the holy man abode prayenge god a daye and a nyghte contynuelly / ¶ The nexte morowe he called vnto hym the sayd woman in presence of some clerkes and sayd to her / ¶ WomaÌ„ thou knowest well that thy synne can not be pardonned· but by the power of god the whyche answerde / ¶ Holy fader I by leue that that thou sayst / And therfor I by seche mekely that it woll playse the to be myn helper towarde him ¶ ThenÌ„e the rolle was opened at openynge of it· It was founde that all her synÌ„es were to her foryeuen except do grete synÌ„e whiche was not enrased nor putt oute ¶ The pore woman was sore heuy dyscoÌ„forted felle to the fete of the holy maÌ„ cried / O maÌ„ of god haue pite vppon me and lyke as thou haste prayed for all my synes Yet ayen pray for me towarde god that this synÌ„e maye be also pardonÌ„ed to me / ¶ Saynt Basylle began to wepe sayde to the woman / My frende stonde vpp I haue as grete nede of pardonÌ„e as thiself / For I am a synÌ„er / He that hath put out thyn other syÌ„nes may emase the same whyche is lefte behynde / And therfore yf in tyme comynge thou kepe the coÌ„maundements of god He shall not only forgyue the this lyue / But wythall he shall gyue the the lyf eternall in euerlasting blysse / Thou shall goo in to the Hermytage where a man is namyd Effrem to whom thou shalt take thy rolle And Ieâ—â—st in god that by his prayers thou shalt be delyuerd of the same synne and shalt haue of it a full absolucoÌ„n to the saluacoÌ„n of thy soule / ¶ The woman walked solonge thrugh the wyldernesse that she fonde the holy man Effrem Soo begane she to knocke att his doâ—e cryenge ¶ O holy man of god haue pite of me / Effrem that bi the knowlege of god knewe the cause why she was come answerde vnto her / ¶ Woman goo thou thâ— way for I am a synnar as the arte / Wherby I haue nede of the mercy of god as thou hast / The woman thenÌ„e cast to hym her rolle sayeng / O holy fader the bisshop Basylle sendeth me to the. gyuynge to me a hope that thurgh thy prayers the greetest of my synnes shall be foryeuen vnto me ¶ Effrem sayd vnto her / Naye my doughter naye / He that by his prayers hathe gote remyssyon of thin other synÌ„es may yet do that the same synÌ„e for that whiche thou comest toward me shall be pardonÌ„ed vnto the / ¶ Torne ayen lyghtly towarde him to the ende that thou mayst speke wyth hym byfore his deth / The woman retorned anone / But whaÌ„ she entred in Cezaree the
in the thyrde fourth partes consequently folowynge / and all togyder translated from Latyn in to Frensshe out of the bookes that therof haue be made by the right deuote approued doctour in holy chirche saynt Ierome And fyrste the prologue begynneth in latyn Vere munduÌ„ c. WHat is he that doubteth / but that the worlde is kepte and preserued by the meryte of sayntes / and amonge other by thoos of whome the lyfe is wryten in this presence volume / the whiche haue fled all concupyscence in all haue forsaken the worlde Reputynge as for nought alle that is in it And for to withdrawe therfrom fully theyr affeccyons and them to tourne vnto god wolde enhabyte dwelle in wodes deserte Some in â—aues / and other in roches hyghe montayns / without to haue hadde ony care or besynesse of theyr mete or of theyr drynke And as hauyng theyr oonly coÌ„fydence in the medefulnes of god / they haue gone without syluer / without brede and without ony other mete in to solytary places where as no persone hauÌ„ted nor no goodes grewe there but herbes wylde fruyte O thyng wouÌ„derfull They neuer had honger ne thurst but haue be susteyned fedde oonly of the grace and mercy of our lorde Soo ought we well to loue our god whan his wyll is that thrugh theyr merytes we may be asswaged of our euylles by theyr supplycacyons wherby we obteyne the remyssyon of our synnes ¶ Ye that rede this presente booke take noo hede to the langage rude and yll ornated / but oonly to the substaunce whiche is frutefull The dyuyne scyence Requyreth not to be fulfylled with sophistycacyons nor proposycyons ornate or polyshed / but oonly of matere of trouthe Somtyme ornatynge of wordes maketh the proposycion to be withdrawen fro the trouthe The holy lyues and deuote conuersacyons of the worshypfull Patryarkes and prophetes / as Abraham Ysaac· and Iacob Moyses Hely and Iohan ben reduced and shewed by wrytynge / not oonly to the ende that they shall be gloryfyed here / For they are gloryfyed of god in heuen right hyghely but also to th ende that by theyr vertuous werkes we maye take doctryne of trouth and ensample of good lyfe ¶ Dyuerse exhortacyons here folowen whiche begynne in latyn QuideÌ„ sanctorum senior c. SOme Relygyouses persones questyoned one of the holy faders of Egypt why he dyde so grete abstynence Wherunto he answered in this maner My childern it is of necessyte that we hate all the reste of this present lyfe and all bodely delectacoÌ„ns and repleccyon of bely / without to Requyre ony honours to be done vnto vs of men / and our lorde Ihesu cryst shall gyue vs honours celestyall / lyfe with reste eternall / and gloryous gladnesse with his angels This holy man sayd that mete and drynke are to man behouyng of necessyte / but not withstandynge men ought not to take theym but for to susteyne the body and not to the full bely as moche as it coude well take Slepe in lykewyse behoueth kyndely vnto man / but also we ought not to slepe as moche as the bodye desyreth / the reason why is / bycause whan we slepe as moche as nature appetyte is / the bodye therby wexeth slowthfull wherby he is not so redy for to werke And to the contrarye watchyng yeldeth the thought the wytte of man more subtyll and more clene And therfore sayd the holy faders that watchyng in good werkes well ordeyned Illumyneth the thought And the watchynges super flu and Inordynat bryng forth franesye and madnesse and greue the hede and the body full fore Semblablyyre behoueth vnto man not agaynst some other for to moeue his passyons / but for to be angry agaynst hym selfe and his synnes / to the ende that more easely he maye put them from hym in amendyng of his lyfe ¶ Therfore when we see our neyghbours or other doo ony thyng agaynst the coÌ„maundemente of god / we ought to angre oure selfe agaynst theym for theyr synnes / and suche sharply to correcte in all dylygence to th ende that after theyr correccion and amendement they may be saued and come to euerlastyng blysse ¶ A nother holy fader beyng in the myddes of the desertes lyuyng there in meruayllous abstynence as Inpossible to be borne / was enquyred and questioned of some of them that sore meruaylled of his perseueraunce / and how he myght endure in a place soo drye and barayne the grete penaunces that he bare there Where at he answered that the pouerte that he suffred in this worlde was not one houre of the paynes of helle ¶ And more he sayd that it was behofull to vs for soo lytell a tyme as we haue to abyde in this mortall lyfe to do penaunce and resyste agaynst the desyre of the flesshe / to th ende that we maye haue the recompense that neuer shall fayle / that is the glorye eternall ¶ God in dyuerse maners gyueth socours and ayde to them that for the worshyp of hym doon and accomplysshe thynges that be aboue nature And to this purpose men fynde that some tyme was a holy fader in Egypte / the whiche by his holy conuersacyon was wounderfully enuyed of the deuylles that oftentymes greuously bete hym ¶ And one daye amonge other they tourmented hym soo sore that on the morowe by the houre of pryme he fouÌ„de hym selfe soo vnable by feblenes of his bodye / that hym semed he was come to his last daye / aswell by cause of the gryef that they hadde doon vnto hym / as also by cause he had fasted to longe / but notwithstandyng he dysposed hym to faste vnto the houre of certe ¶ Soone after atte the same houre to hym selfe he sayd that he sholde cary vnto the houre of seâ—te / alwayes he deyed for honger ¶ Consequently when seâ—te approched / he purposed to fast vnto the houre of none And thus by many dayes he toke vpon hym suche penaunces ¶ One daye as he trowed to haue taken his repast he sawe a grete smoke come out of the baskete wherin he layde his brede / and the whiche smoke went out atte the wyndowe of his lytyll â—elle Soo purposed he to hym selfe that he sholde not ete that daye / and by these abstynences was the sayd holy fader soo confeâ—ned in the fayth / that he was two dayes without honger ne thrust ¶ And by meane of whiche abstynences and the helpe of god he restrayned and brought vnder feet the temptacyons of lecherye and glotonye ¶ On a tyme certayne brethern went oute of theyr monasterye for to vysyte the holy hermytes in the deserte And as god ledde them they arryued in the lytyll house of the good holy fader for sayd / of whome they were right souyngly receyued And bycause that he sawe that the sayd brethern were wery he made them ete before the houre acustomed them presented of suche goodes as he hadde ¶ Comyng towarde euen and
the same philosopher his mayster to so grete wrathe ayenst hym / that he tolde hym / he sholde neuer pardonne hym / tyll that he had endured borne by the space of thre yere alle the Iniuryes of his felawes / whiche thyng he dyde so ¶ And at th ende of the sayd thre yere this dyscyple cam to his mayster ayen asked him forgyuenes And he tolde hyÌ„ as in feryng hym that he sholde neuer pardone hym vnto the tyme that he yet by the space of other thre yere sholde haue gyuen certayn gyftes to those that scorned dyde hyÌ„ euyll The dyscyple suffred yet thre yere / when they were come at an ende / he cam ayen vnto his mayster as he had done before / whiche brought hyÌ„ vnto Athenes for to lerne phylosophie TheÌ„ne was there at the gate of the cyte an olde phylosopher / that made grete Iniuryes to them that wolde haue gone within for to preue theyr pacyenâ—e This odle philosopher theÌ„ne seeyng the sayd disciple that wolde haue entred within the towne for to studye there in phylosophye / casted at hyÌ„ many proude mockes shamefull wordes And bycause that he suffred them pacyently without to trouble hyÌ„self withall / the entre of the cyte of Athenes forsayd was grauÌ„ted vnto hyÌ„ without ony grete labour ¶ By this gate maye be vnderstande the gate of paradyse / thrugh whiche men may not passe for to seke the glorye of heuen without that they endure many Iniuryes ¶ An hermyte asked an holy fader how he sholde gete heuen / wherat he answered that more lyghtly he myght not come therat than for to haue pacyence in his troubles Iniuryes / that yf men doo to hym many / he sholde haue more mede in suffryng of them / than in doynge of ony other penaunce ¶ The abbot Moyses was desyred by certayne Relygyouses that he wold shewe vnto them some good ensaÌ„ples for to saue theyr soules ¶ And he coÌ„mauÌ„ded his dyscyple Zacharye that he sholde telle them som what This dyscyple thenne dyde put of his habyt tradde it with his fete / sayeng that a man myght not be nor ought not to be a monke but yf he were in lykewyse tradde tormented with dyuerse aduersytees troubles ¶ The abbot Macharye sayd that he is a veray relygyouse that in ouercomynge hyÌ„selfe bryngeth vnder his owne passyons None also ought not to lese hyÌ„ selfe for to saue an other / therfor ony man ought not to aÌ„gre his neyghbour for to preue his pacience / for it happeth ofteÌ„tymes that a body in moeuyÌ„g of som other / he falleth in to the synne of yre ¶ Where certayn relygyouses in the presence of saynt Anthony / dyd prayse an other broder his vertues / saynt Anthony after his praysyÌ„g made vnto hyÌ„ some Iniuryes for to preue his pacyence / the whiche Iniuryes he myght not endure TheÌ„ne sayd saynt Anthony / that he was lyke the houses that haue fayr entre strong but the theues may come in lyghtly atte the backe syde ¶ Some brethern asked of the abbot Ysaac wherfor was that the deuyls fered hyÌ„ so moche / he aÌ„swered the syth that he was made religioê° he was neuer aÌ„gry in hyÌ„ self / wherby the deuyls had hyÌ„ in a drede ¶ A Relygyouse cam ones to the abbot Achyles whiche casted blood out of his mouth The relygyouse seeyng the same asked hym wherof proceded this sykenesse / wherat the abbot answered that folke hadde reported some wordes to him wherof he was angry / but notwithstaÌ„dyng he wolde not shewe it So had he prayed our lord that he wolde take away that wrath from hym / for this cause by meane of the same prayer he casted blode out of his mouth whiche was cause of the sleeyng of his wrath ¶ Dyuerse brethern cam to a holy hermyte / as they where come nyghe his hermytage / they fouÌ„de shepardes that sang dyshonest songes And when they were within the celle of the sayd hermyte / they asked him why he corrected not the sayd shepardes And he answered to them that he had be in wyl full oft for to do so / but he consydered that yf he coude not resyste to the teÌ„ptacions that sholde hap to come to hyÌ„ by meane of suche songes / he sholde with grete payne mowe withstande to other teÌ„ptacyons more grete To this purpose he sayd / that he that shal not conne refrayne his tonge ayenst his wrath In lykewyse with grete hardnesse he shall bere the moeuynges pryckynges of the flesshe ¶ The abbot Iohan beynge with all his Religyouses / they shewed vnto hyÌ„ one after an other theyr thoughtes / saue one that sayd by enuye O Iohan my brethern do as the coÌ„mon wyÌ„men that vtter swetly theyr wordes for to gete loue of theyr bylouers To whom the sayd abbot answered that his worde was true The sayd brother more moeued with enuye than afore / sayd ayen to the sayd abbot / that his bodye was all full of venym / wherat he answered Yf thou knowe that that is within my body as well as the doest that that is without thou sholdest se therin moche more deuyls than thou spekest of ¶ In Egypte was a Relygyouse sore renoÌ„med / the whiche for his grete renoÌ„mee / almoost all they of the Regyon were wonte for to vysyte hym Durynge his sayd renoÌ„mee / the abbot Poemen came out of Sychye for to dwelle within the sayd londe of Egypte So many one lefte the vysytyng of the sayd Relygyouse for to go towarde the sayd Poemen / wherof the sayd Relygyouse becam moche enuyouse ¶ The abbot Poemen knowynge this brother to be ylle contente of the men dyde more of reuerence to this Poemen / than to hym whiche so long tyme had be so famouse within the sayd londe / was full sory heuy of that he was cause of his angre ¶ Soo gadred he all his Relygyouses togydre with hym / wente for to vysyte see the sayd brother that whiche wolde not open his dore to them at the fyrst but bycause he sawe that the sayd Poemen was in his opynyon prayeng that he wolde make hym openyng / he made hym with his felawes to come in And after kyssed eche other / were at the same houre veray frendes togydre / soo that the sayd Relygyouse sayde vnto saynt Poemen that he was of moche more perfeccyon than he had herde telle ¶ An abbot named Mutues made a celle some tyme in a place called Eracloena where so grete enuye was vpon hym of many one that he was constrayned for to departe out of it ¶ So wente be to a nother place where in lykewyse he made a nother dwellyng place for hym selfe to dwelle in / as a fore / he was there sore enuyed of a Relygyouse / wherof he was constrayned to go there out as he was fro the other Soo went he ayen to the place from
wente towarde hym / and made him to ete ayenst his wylle And after they sayd to hym that he was sorye and dyspleasaunt because that he had eten ayenst his wylle ¶ He answered that the contrarye was trouth / that is to saye / that he had trybulacion whan he dyde his owne wylle ¶ The abbot Paphonce had of custome that he dranke neuer no wyne It happed one daye as he trauaylled by the waye that he was mette with theues / of whiche the pryncypall knewe hym And because he knewe well his custome to drynke no wyne / seeyng that he was wery of the waye / he toke a cruse full of wyne a glauye in his hande / and sayd vnto hym / that yf he dranke not / he sholde slee him ¶ Thenne the holy man knowyng that this thynge came of the wyll of god / that it sholde be the cause of the conuersyon of the sayd theef of his felawes / he toke the wyne dranke it ¶ Thenne the sayd theef prayed hym that he wolde pardoÌ„ne hym that he had so constrayned hym To whome he answered I haue my trust in god / that because thou hast gyuen me drynke / thou shalt haue forgyuenesse of thy synnes paradyse atte thyn endyng And theÌ„ne the theef sayd to him And fro this houre forthon my selfe trustynge in the mercy of god I promyse the that I shall neuer do noo harme vnto no bodye / and by this meanes was the sayd theef and his felawes tourned vnto god ward and lyued after honestly ¶ Two hermytes were somtyme where of one was older than the other So requyryng the olde to the yong / that he wolde be content that they sholde do both togydre theyr resydence / that whiche thynge the yonge wolde not graunt / but excusyng hymselfe sayd / that it was not his caas for to dwell with hym / because he was to grete a synner The olde whiche was a man of right holy lyfe / heryng this answere / he had it not agreable For how well that the other relygyouse was yong / neuerthelesse this olde hermyte coude not byleue after that he ledde a lyfe solytarye / but that he was of good lyfe / without spotte of synne / fynably after many word is / they were contente for to dwell togydre one weke / when the seueÌ„ nyght was past / the olde Requyred asked of the yonge / how he hadde gouerned hym selfe that weke He answered to hym that because that he was compelled by necessyte to yssue out of his owne celle / he was falle in grete temptacoÌ„n of synne ¶ Thenne sayd there ayenst the olde hermyte / askyng yf he wolde do therof penaunce / wherat the yonge andswerd ye Thenne the olde moeued with a feruente charyte and knowyng his ferme stedfastnesse / sayd to hym / that he was content to make bere vpon hymselfe the halfe of his penauÌ„ce And for so moche sholde they haue nede for to dwell the one with the other / whiche they dyde so vnto the houre of theyr decesse ¶ An ancyente holy fader sayd / that whosoeuer desyreth for to be saued / he ought curyously to see that he doo not to an other / that whiche he wolde not be doon vnto And how well that som doo to hym ony harme shame or Iniurye / he ought not therfore to do the same to an other ¶ And this maner of lyuynge is suffysaunt ynough to euerychone for to haue his soule therby saued ¶ Two holy faders brethern germayn / one called Poemen the other Nub to his name dwelled in the desertes / lyued there a moche solytary lyfe relygyouse Theyr moder affectuelly desyryÌ„g to see them / because that after that they were departed fro the worlde / she had not seen them / she wente herselfe towarde them for to see and vysyte them And how well that she made all dylygence for to speke with them / neuertheles she coude not fynde the maner to haue leyser therunto / fynably she dyd so moche that she fouÌ„de herselfe ones before the entree of theyr chappell / in grete lameÌ„tacoÌ„ns teeres she trowed to haue made them speke with her / but they wolde not / doubtyng that they sholde haply haue renne in to some synne by the meane And as they had open the dore of theyr ceâ—le or habytacyon for to goo to theyr sayd chappell / when they apperceyued theyr moder they shett theyr dore ayen vpon them Theyr moder this seeyng that they wolde not speke to her / began for to wepe atte theyr dore with grete habondauÌ„ce of teres And thus as they deuysed them takyng couÌ„seyll theyr aduyse togydre / what thyng they oughte to do for to contente her / she toke her selfe for to crye weyle more than she dyde afore So came to her thenne the holy fader Poemen / without to open the dore he asked her / why she that all redy was olde / made suche complayntes whiche myght be to her moche greuable She herynge vnderstandyng that it was one of her chyldern that to her spake she answered as she had spoken vnto bothe of them Alas my childern I beweyle wepe for to speke with you / because the syngulerly I desyre to see you Alas why do ye refuse me your presence / what dauÌ„ger is ther yf I see you / am I not your moder / haue not I nourysshed you with this pappes myn I haue wayted so longe for to see you that vnder this hope I am come vnto so olde aege / that I am all dysabled of my membres / for grete desyre that I haue to see you myn entreylles are all troubled sore moeued Thenne the holy fader Poemen asked her whiche of both she had leuer other to see them in this worlde / or ellys fynably in the glorye of heuen / wherat she answered that she sholde be well contente not to see them in this worlde / so that she myght be sure that she sholde see them after theyr dethe in heuen ¶ After this answere / the sayd Poemen sayd vnto her / that yf she myghte withstande her affeccyon and not see them in this worlde For certayne she sholde see them shortly in the other worlde ¶ Thenne she herynge the wordes of her sone / sayd to hym Syth that thou promysesse me for certayne / that I shall see you in paradyse I loke nomore for to see you here And thenne she went her waye well appayde and gladde ¶ A yonge Relygyouse named Iohan the lefte of the nacion of the Thebayens was in seruyce with an holy fader by the space of .xij. yere / whiche olde fader was called Amon duryng the sayd tyme greued with a contynuall syknesse / whiche caused hym that he was soo wayward / that he neuer gaaf fayr langage nor good to his sayd seruauÌ„t Iohan / wherby he sholde be plyaunt and gladde to serue hym
/ he asked what made it so to complayne Where at the hede answered / that it was the bede of a preest of the paynemyes lawe whiche had be a prynce of the synagoge of Ydoles that in the same place were reuerenced and worshypped / and by cause I knowe the fulfylled with the holy goost I am moeued for to requere thy grace / knowyng that atte ony tyme that it wyll please the for to praye for them that be in payne / they shall fele some consolacyon ¶ Thenne the sayd holy abbot Macharye sayd to hyÌ„ Now answer me / what is your comforte / what is your payne Wherat the same hede more stroÌ„gely weylyng than tofore began to saye ¶ Ha holy fader our payne is so grete / that we be from the fete to the hede thrawen within a feerful fyre / whiche is more hyghe than there is space betwene the heuen the erthe / that more encreaceth our sorowe It is not vnto vs possyble for to see eche other / but the faces of euery one of vs ben Ioyned ouerthward vnto our backes ¶ And when thou prayest for vs / thenne see we the one the other openly / whiche is vnto vs some comforte ¶ These wordes sayd / the holy man Macharye began to wepe sayd Cursed be the daye in whiche the man hath presumed to despyse or breke the commauÌ„dementes of god ¶ And after he enquered agayne of the sayd hede / yf in the place where they were tourmented / were ony grete paynes To whom it answered that in that wretched place were many one that were moche more lowe therin than the paynemes were ¶ And where the holy fader asked what they were / the hede answered sayd / we that haue had no knowloge of the souerayne god haue some what of mercy / but as to them that haue knowen hym forsaken / they be vnderneth vs traueylled tourmented with dyuerse tourmentes ¶ The whiche wordes y herde by the good abbot forsayd / after that he hadde shoued the sayd hede in to the erthe / he wente forthon his waye ¶ An other brother axed of an aeged holy fader / why men of Relygyon were oftentymes tempted and befought of the deuyll of helle / wherat he answered It is bycause that we caste awaye from vs our armour deffenses that are pacyence / humylyte / debonarete / wyllefull obedyence ¶ An other broder requyred the abbot Sysonyns that he sholde telle hym / yf the deuyll dyde persyewe soo strongely the Relygyouses that thenne were / as they dyde the other in tyme passed The whiche Sysonyns answered vnto him that they more prycked and pursyewed them / than they hadde done the older because that the deuyll knoweth the endynge of the worlde whiche draweth nyghe / where his tourmentes shall encreace multyplye in dyuerse maners wherin he desyreth to acoÌ„panyed with Infynyte legyons of synners for to be brenned and tourmented with hym in fyre and in sulphure where he wayteth to brenne perpetuelly And for this cause he pursyeweth the folke / not oonly soo besely the wycked folke whiche he knoweth to be lyghtly torned to obeye his cursed moost grettest wyles / but also more curyously with more grete dylygence he pursyeweth the good folke where he knoweth them to be of more stable stedfast corage ¶ Some other brethern knowyng an other aeged fader to be wounderfull prudente and wyse / asked hyÌ„ by what meanes he had goten so grete wysdom Wherat he answered / that he had neuer reteyned nor suffre to soyourne in his herte ony euyll thoughtes / by the whiche he doubted to haue prouoked our lord god to be wroth ayenst hym ¶ Saynt Anthonye sayd that a Relygyouse yf to hym were possyble ought to gyue acomptes vnto his elders / not onely of all the passes that he maketh in his celle or in his monasterye / but also of all the water that he drynketh of euery tyme that he taketh of it for to drynke / to th ende he sholde make hym contente certayne of his lyuyng gouernemente for to kepe hym selfe that he shall not trespasse nor take awaye contrarye to them ¶ The abbot Poemen sayd that the fende in no thyng taketh so grete a gladnesse as he dothe whan he maye ouer come a synner so that he wyll not vtter nor shewe his synnes by confessyon ¶ A yâ—ng relygyouse sayd to an aeged fader that oftentymes he questyoned the olde faâ—ers to th ende they sholde tell hym also that he sholde serue of them some good lore Instruccyons for his soule to be saued but what soeuer they tolde hym he coude not withholde no thynge Now had this olde fader to whoâ—â— he spake two vesselles that were empty So comaunded â—e to the yong Relygyouse that he sholde take one of them wasshe it clene with fayte water sette it ayen in his place whiche thyng be made hym do ones ones agayne ¶ Thenne sayd to hym the olde fader that he sholde brynge hym bothe the vesselles he dyde so ¶ And thenne he asked hym whiche of them two was clener Wherat the yong answered that it was that selfe wherin he had putte water with the whiche he had wasshed it The olde sayd there ayenst My sone it is thus of our soule when it herkenneth often the wordes of god / for how be it that it kepeth noo thynge of thoo wordes that it hereth or of those that it Requyreth to be tolde vnto it for to saue the soule by / neuerthelesse it is more clene therby / than yf it herde not nor asked noo thyng of it / by this namely / that thus doyeng she escheweth euyll thoughtes and ouercometh the temptacyons of the deuyll ¶ An other sayd also to an olde fader that when a Relygyouse haunted and occupyeth hym selfe to good werkes / the deuyll coÌ„myng to hym for to torne hym can not haue no power ouer hym bycause that he fyndeth noo place for him ¶ And by this cause he departeth and gooth awaye anone leueth the same Relygyouse in peas ¶ To the contrarye yf he suffreth and applyeth hym selfe in euyll werkes / the deuyll fyndeth anone a place for to kepe him companye ¶ And all be it that the teâ—hynge of god wyll often shewe hym for to doo good / neuerthelesse withstandynge his obstynate and frowardnesse she departeth from hym syghtely and seueth hym / wherfore it is of nede / but yf he wyll be loste / that with alle his herte he tourne his affeccyon vnto almyghty god ¶ And thus doyeng the sayd shewyng shall soone come to him agayne ¶ To an other yonge relygyouse that asked of an auncyent holy fader / how longe a monke ought to labour / was answered by the sayd holy fader / vnto the tyme that he shall possesse Ihesu Cryste / because that he that hath hym in possessyon / nedeth not to labour
not towarde hym / seeyng namely that after that he had lefte them in that place he was not gone to them / hadde not seen them but in the chirche perceyuyng with sylence the holy sacrament of the aulter as the other dyde Desyrynge thenne to knowe the trouth of theyr coÌ„uersacyon / he sette hym selfe for to fast an hole weke / prayeng our lorde that his pleasure were to shewe vnto him theyr dedes And after he went toward them incontynent that they had made hyÌ„ openyng they cast themselfe doÌ„ne atte his feete worshypped hym in sylence full hertely After they sette them alle thre to oryson as it was of custome / after theyr prayers y made / saynt Macharye sette hym donne Thenne the olde made a token to the yonge that had sette hym donne theyr without ony spekynge made cordes / that he sholde goo out / he dyde so / and about the houre of none he came agayn And the eldest made to hym an other token as before the whiche y perceyued departed and wente out yet agayne and made redye suche vytaylle as they hadde for theyr refeccyon the whiche was of thre smal loues that were baken betwene asshes whiche he brought vpon the table and sette hymselfe donne agayne there makynge with the other brother his werke euer stylle withoute ony spekynge ¶ Soo called them saynte Macharye vnto hym sayeng to them Aryse and come ete And they dyde soo And this saynt Macharye dranke water out of a lytyll vessell where out they were accustomed to drynke out The table y voyded and the euen coÌ„myng to hande / they asked hym yf he wolde goo his waye Wherat he answered / that he wolde rest there / wherfore in a corner of theyr celle or habytacyon they made lyghtely redy a matte And they as wyllynge for to take theyr nyghte reste in an other cornâ—â— they dyde caste there theyr gyrdels aâ—â— vestymentes And as the two brethern dysposed them selfe for to slepe / the holy man Macharye put hym selfe agayne to praye god that he wolde shewe hyÌ„ theyr werkes / sodeynly the couerture of theyr celle opened and apperyd therin a lyght full bryght that lyghtned all the place as it hadde be fayr none dayes / the whiche lyght neuerthelesse they perceyued not But anone after wenynge that the holy fader had be a slepe / they rose blessyd them selfe after sette hymselfe to oryson heuyng theyr handes towarde heuen And in this dooyng the sayd holy fader Macharye behelde well theyr coÌ„tenauÌ„ces / so couertly that they coude not perceyue it He thenne beholdyng them sawe Incontynent come a multytude of deuyls in lykenesse of flyes that wolde tarye sette them selfe vpon the eyen vpon the face of the yonge brother / but they durst not goo nyghe the olde ¶ And anone came there the angell of god armed with a glauye breÌ„nyng as a brounde of fyre / the whiche come about this yong relygyouse / made them so wonderfully afrayde that he threwe them all out And when the mornyng came toward / they leyde themselfe doÌ„ne ayen vpon the erthe for to rest them ¶ And thenne saynt Macharye as sodeynly awaked rose vp / in lykewyse dyde the two other brethern ¶ And the olde asked hym yf he wolde that they sholde syng twelue psalmes / to that whiche thyng consentyng the holy fader / the yong brother sange fyue psalmes with six verses one Alleluya And atte euery verse came out of his mouth a bronde of fyre that ascended vnto heuen And in lykewyse out of the mouthe of the olde / euyn as he moeued his lyppes for to synge psalmes there came as a lytyll corde enflaÌ„med the Retched vnto heuen ¶ Morouer after that the holy fader had songen a lytyll takynge his leue of them / he Requyred them instantly that they wolde praye god for hym but without in ony wyse to speke they casted themselfe tofore his fete ¶ Alle the whiche thynges reherced this holy saynt Macharye / the whiche also sayd that he had knowen / that the oldest was parfyte in the drede of god / the yong to be yet tempted befought of the deuyls And with this sayd he / this oldest broder within a lytyll tyme after to haue be deceassed taken from this worlde in to paradyse / that other in lyke wyse to haue folowed hym therunto thre dayes after ¶ The abbot Moyses sayd to his brethern admoÌ„nestyng them that a relygyouse ought pryÌ„cypally souereynly to kepe obserue four thynges The fyrst is that he must kepe his tonge The seconde he must kepe the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god The .iij. he must meke hyÌ„self And the iiij he must stedfastly perseuerauÌ„tly the sharpnes of pouerte And with this it is of necessyte to a monke that euer he must wepe / hauyng contynuall Remembraunce of his synnes and that atte all houres he haue deth before his eyen ¶ Many holy faders gadred togyder prophecyed ones of the laste generacyon / amonge the whiche one named Isquyrien that was pryncypall the fyrst amonge them sayd We fulfylle yet the coÌ„maundementes of god The other heryng his wordes asked hym They that shall come after vs / what shall they do wherat he answered / they shall fulfyll haply the halfe therof / so shall they requyre the god euerlastyÌ„g / soone after they axed hyÌ„ / after the same / the other that shall come after them what shal they do He answerd yet agayn The men of the self generacyon shall not doo noo werkes of the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god / but shal forgete them And thenne shall ouerflowe all wyckednesse / charyte shall be colde / vpon them shall come greuous temptacoÌ„ns ¶ But they that shall be approued in the same fouÌ„den stedfast constauÌ„t / shal be taken for better men than we and our faders haue be / and also more approued in alle theyr werkes ¶ A Relygyouse desyryng for to dwell in the company of other Relygyouses Requyryng vnto the holy fader Agathon that he wolde teche hym how he sholde behaue hym selfe amonge them To whiche the holy fader answered / that he sholde kepe aboue all thynges that euen suche as he sholde shewe hyÌ„selfe at his entryng with them / he sholde euer shewe hym that selfe man / abydynge in alle humylyte vnto his laste dayes ¶ Some tyme the Maziniens made warre ayenst them of Sychye / they coÌ„myng in that londe / slewe many of the faders that were there Soo departed theris for this cause the abbot Poemen the abbot Nub fyue other aeged the whiche came to a place called Therenetude / where they fouÌ„de a temple olde broken wherin they dwelled by seuen dayes tyll that they knewe where eyther of them sholde dwelle in Egypt The abbot Nub that was moost olde of them all sayd to them / that hym semed to be good / that they sholde dwelle â—o
nature departe with her thy grete mercy And in that stedfast fayth bylyue that I haue of thyn endles myght / by the whiche the daye of the generall resurreccion is comen / thou shalt not oonly reyse the bodyes / that thou hast alredy formed / that now be deed / also all thoo that are to be born shall yet be by the created it wyll please the to here my right hūble request prayer / hauyng pyte of my goost longe syn deed / of my soule soo moche vnhappy defoyled spotted with the fylth of synne / in lykewyse of myn abhomynable bodye whiche I haue so moche dysguysed made foule / that I may nomore lyue / bycause namely that I haue not had in the stedfast belyue Alas syre pardōne me by penaūce my synne whiche is double / aswell bycause of the brekyng of thy cōmaūdementes / as of dysperacōn / quyckenyng my contrycion / cōmaunde syre that this lanterne be kyndled with thy fyre / to th ende that takyng trust of thy mercy Indulgence duryng the other parte of the tyme that thou shall gyue me grace to lyue in this worlde I may curyously dylygently kepe as I ought to do thy worthy cōmaūdementes / without to departe from thy drede by all the dayes of my lyfe I may serue the deuoutly And on the sayd Resurreccōn nyght of our lorde sayng these wordes with grete shedyng of teeres he arose from his oryson for to see yf the sayd lanterne sholde be kyndled / so he toke of the syde frō the sayd cawdron but he foūde it in suche astate as when he dyde put it there wherfore yet ayen layeng flatte his vysage to the erthe he prayed god sayng O my lorde my god I wote well that thou hast ordeyned that I sholde fyght ayenst the deuyll to th ende / I myght be crowned / but I haue not be stedfast ne constaūt in asmoche that for the delectacōns of the flesshe I haue chosen to be tormented in helle Syre please the to pardōne me I confesse yet ayen to thy dyuyne bounte my fylthe wyckednesse / not oonly byfore the same I confesse it / but also byfore thy holy sayntes blessyd angels / theym I sholde confesse byfore all men / yf I trowed not to sclaūder or moeue them to shame in my persone My god haue mercy vpon me wyll quycken me to th ende that I may lerne the other And in this maner prayng thre tymes the deuoute Relygyouse penytent / he was of god exalted herde / had veray knoweloge therof by that he rose cam to his lanterne whiche he foūde brennynge full bryght / wherfore reioysshyng hym selfe he was comforted with a hope / wondred full sore of the grete grace the god had done to hym pardōnyng vnto hȳ so benyngly his synne / fullyng his desyre after his petycōn sayd I yelde vnto the graces my lord and my god / of that it hath pleaseth that in this presente world to haue mercy of me poore synnar Indygne of thy grete mysery cordye I gyuyng to all synners by this newe token confyance trust of the self mercy forgyuyng the myserable soules that thou hast created for to come to thy glorye In this maner perseueryng this holy man in his confessyon yeldyng graces thankes vnto our lord / the daye came that he toke so grete reioysshyng / that he forgate hym selfe to take his repast fode corporall And all the dayes of his lyfe he kepte besyly the lyght of the sayd lanterne puttȳg oyle therto when it neded takyng good hede that it sholde not go out / from hens forth the holy goost enhabyted in hȳ / by the helpe of whiche he profyted soo / that he was reputed holden for an holy man of grete renōmee / to whō a lytyll afore his decesse was shewed the daye that he sholde departe out of this world to the royalme of heuē ¶ An other treatyse foloweth / wherin is conteyned that folke of Relygyon ought not to possesse nothyng / begynneth in latyn Frater quidā c A Yonge man somtyme desyrynge to be a Relygyouse / forsoke the worlde and gaaf thou that he had to the poore / except some small goodes that he reserued to hȳselfe for his helpe after came vnto saynt Anthonye requyryng hȳ that he wolde receyue him to the astate of Relygyon Saynt Anthony knowyng that whiche is sayd / sayd vnto hȳ Yf thou wylt that I shall receyue the to be a monke / thou must go to the next cyte here by / that thou bye flesshe / this done that shall make fast the sayd flesshe to thy flesshe naked / then thou shall come to me ayen in that astate / thenne I shall do that thou desyreth of me The yong man desyryng sore for to do that Saynt Anthonye hadde charged hym wente and bought flesshe and fastned it atte his bare flesshe / as he hadde ordeyned hym to doo And gooyng ayen towarde hym the dogges and the byrdes folowed hym whiche by grydynes and glotony to ete of the sayd flesshe rented and knawed his owne skynne in dyuerse places of his bodye And thus he retourned to Saynt Anthonye whiche seeyng his skynne thus tourne and gnawen / he sayd to hym that in lykewyse are tourne and gnawen by the fende of helle and by his temptacyons / they that forsakyng the worlde wyll withholde and possesse theyr moneye or other temporall goodes ¶ The abbot Danyell reherced of the holy fader Arsenye / that a grete offycer Romayne came ones to hym / and brought hym the testamente of a Senatour whiche was of kynne to the sayd Arsenyen / and that by this testamente hadde made hym his heyre leuynge vnto hym many fayre herytages and grete lyuelode The holy fader Arsenye takynge this testamente wolde haue broken it and rented in peces / the whiche thynge seeyng the sayd offycer / dyde caste hym selfe doune byfore hym / besechyng hym that he sholde not doo soo / bycause that yf he hadde not conne exhybe and shewe the same ayen there as it apperteyned / he sholde haue lost his hede ¶ Thenne the holy fader Arsenye toke it agayne to hym / saynge thus Euery bodye knoweth well that I am deed longe tyme agoo afore hym that hath made this testamente / the whiche is but late decessed / and how maye he thenne haue made me his heyre / by the whiche wordes he vnderstode for to saye / that from the tyme that he gaaf hymself to be a monke or Relygyouse he dyde holde hȳ for deed as to the worlde / that he ought neuer to haue nor appropre to hȳ selfe ony thyng worldly or temporall The sayd holy fader Arsenye was ones syke in Sychye / had grete nede of a lytyll moneye for to releue hȳ from his sykenesse So was he constrayned to
of euyll dyshonest temptacōns that he myght nomore withstande ne resyste theym And thynkyng on his caas of the fere and drede that he had / he ranne in to dyspayr / Iugyng hym selfe to be dampned sayd in hym selfe Now see I well / that my soule is lost for euer And syth that it is soo that ther is noo remedye I am a fooll and abuse my well my selfe to abyde and kepe me here Come therof what it shall I wyll retourne to the worlde / and sette hym selfe on the waye for to goo And anone he herde a voys that sayd to hȳ Poore man why ther goost thou / herkene to me / and byleue that I shal saye to the. I wyll that thou wyte / that the temptacyons that thou hast these .ix. yere born and suffred / were fayre crownes for to crowne the in the euerlastyng glorye And therfore I exhorte the and admoneste that thou retorne in to thy celle / and do alwaye penaunce and I shall releue the of thy euyll thoughtes By the whiche example that one ought neuer to despayre of the mercy of god / and also one ought to haue good hope of retrybucyon whan he is tempted of euyll thoughtes / soo that he enforce hym to withstande theym with all dylygence For in so doyeng he deserueth to be excellently crowned in the Royalme of heuen ¶ In the partyes of The bayde there was an aged holy fader whiche dwelled in a depe fosse or caue / with whom dwelled one his discyple well approued in holy lyfe and conuersacyon Now this holy fader hadde a custome euery daye / and also at euen to enseyne and teche his dyscyple / to admoneste hym to helthfull and prouffytable werkes for his soule And after they put theym togydre to praye to god and make deuoute prayers And that doon the holy fader gaaf hym leue to go slepe a lytyll rest hym ¶ On a tyme amonge the other it happened that some persones seculer well aduertysed of the holy lyfe of the sayd fader camen for to see hȳ for to haue in theyr aduersyters some consolacyon And after that he had cōforted theym were departed from hȳ / he called his dyscyple to talke with hȳ for his helth lyke as he had be acustomed to do / bycause it was late in spekyng to him he fyll a slepe But that notwithstandynge / his dyscyple departed not taryeng tyll the olde fader sholde awake for to deuyse with hȳ to make theyr prayers after theyr custome As thenne the sayd holy fader slepte / his dyscyple abydyng a longe whyle by hȳ was tempted to go to his reste nethelesse he with stode the temptacōn / concluded to abyde and tarye tyll the holy fader was awaked / notwitstondyng this delyberacōn he was thus tēpted vnto .vij. tymes / all .vij. tymes he withstode it suche wyse that he surmoūted that sayd tēptacōn Soo it happed that the mydnyght passed the holy fader awoke / sawe his dyscyple syttyng by hȳ / whom he asked why he wente not to slepe To whom he answered that he had no wyll to go / bycause he had gyue him no lycence And wherfore sayd that holy fader hast thou not awaked me / bycause sayd the dyscyple that I dredde to trouble or do ony gryef to ye. These wordes sayd / they began to say theyr matynes / that whiche sayd achyeued / the holy fader lete his dyscyple go The sayd holy fader thenne beyng allone in his couche was rauysshed in spyryte And in this rauysshement he sawe a vysyon / in the whiche appyered a fayr yonglyng whiche shewed to hȳ a playne place in glorye / in whiche amōge other setes / ther was one excellent / wherin satte no persone / vpon the sete there were sette .vij. crownes ryche sumptuous / the whiche seeyng the holy fader asked hym that shewed theym to hȳ to whom they belonged And he answered to hym / that they were bylongyng to his dyscyple / that our lord for the retrybucōn of his holy lyfe good cōuersacōn had gyuen theym to hȳ / had assygned his place in that fayre syege on whiche were the crownes The whiche thynges heryng the holy fader was meruayllously abasshed / all ferdfull called his dyscyple asked hȳ what thynge he had done that nyght To whom he answered Fayre fader pardone me yf it please you I haue nothyng doon The holy fader estemyng that the dyscyple by his humylyte wolde not cōfesse that he asked of hym / sayd to hym / byleue me I shall not leue the in peas / yf the saye not to me what thyng that hast doon or thought this nyght To whome the dyscyple wyst not what to answere bycause he had done noo thyng Neuerthelesse he aduysed hym selfe to telle him the wyll that he had in this maner My fader I requyre the of pardone / certaynly I haue nothyng done sauf oonly this nyght as thou sleptest I beyng besyde the / bycause it was late I had be mened constrayned by my vayne thoughtes and cogytacōns not oonly one tyme / but vnto the .vii. tyme for to haue lefte the slepyng and haue goon to reste me But neuerthelesse for as moche as I had no leue of the / as I haue be accustomed I had not wylled to go / but in obseruyng kepyng myn obedyence towarde the / and in betyng doun myn affeccyons / dyde constrayne my selfe to holde cōpanye with that vnto the tyme that thou were awaked The holy fader heryng these wordes anone vnderstode by the vysyon that he had / that at euery tyme that the dyscyple had resysted his tēptacyons he had obteyned a crowne of god / therfore he had graūted to hym vij crownes of golde that he had seen in the sayd vysyon / but neuertheles he sayd nothyng ne shewed it to his dyscyple for his vtylyte prouffyte / doubtyng that yf ony had tolde hȳ therof / he paraduēture myght falle in the synne of vayne glorye / by whiche he myght left that meryte that he had goten whiche tofore is sayd neuertheles he coude not kepe hȳ from recytyng to some olde faders his spyrytuell frendes to th ende to gyue knowleche that for suche lytyll werkes whan they ben constantly done in good perseueraūce / god whiche is so lyberall grete rewarder promyseth fyrst to vs so gretely for to crowne vs with so many crownes in the glorye souerayne Thenne is it good moche puffytable to euery crysten man to refreyne his passyons cōstrayne hym to lyne vertuously for the honour of god For as sayth the holy scrypture / the Royame of heuen wolde be goten by force / the whiche ben cōstraūt coragyously assayllen rauysshe it taken it by vyolence ¶ An other olde fader solytary whiche dwelled allone / was on a tyme strongly seke And bycause that he had no persone to serue
had deceyued hyÌ„ / that he was but a lyar / he whiche had refused to lene hyÌ„ moneye / sayeng that he had none / how be it that he had ynough to lene hyÌ„ / wherfore he myght knowe that he was a lyar The broder theÌ„ne rysyng erly on the morne cam to the sayd olde fader tolde to hym all that he had herde / the whiche answered to hyÌ„ that it was trouthe that he had the moneye but he wolde not lene it hyÌ„ / bycause that he knewe well / yf he had lente it hym that he shole haue euyll vsed it to the hurte of his soule / for the cause he had leuerlye / in lyeng to breke one of the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„â—â— of god / than to be cause to make hyÌ„ to breke ten / in lenyng hym the moneye / by whiche they bothe myght happely haue ronne in myscyef grete trybulacoÌ„n And after sayd to hyÌ„ that he sholde nomore gyue heryng to the deuylles whiche wolde begyle hym The relygyous broder conforted by the wordes of the olde fader retorned in to his celle / was better content than he was before· ¶ Thre relygyous brethern camen to an olde fader in Sychye / the one of theym sayd to hym / that he had so moche studyed the olde testament the newe / that he had al reteyned it in his myÌ„de And the holy fader sayd to hym that he had well acquyted hyÌ„selfe / the he had replenysshed all the heuen with wordes That other sayd that with â—â—honde he had wryten all a longe 〈◊〉 newe testament And he answeâ—â— hyÌ„ that he had fylled all the wyndeâ—â— with papyer And the thyrde sayd to hym / that he had be solytary in his celle / that the grasse was growen in the entre To whom he answered that he had putt awaye froÌ„ hyÌ„ the vertue of hospytalyte ¶ Some faders recyten of an olde vertuous man that whiche oftymes whan ony man cam to hyÌ„ for to aske ony good InstruccoÌ„n for to be well edefyed in his conscyence He sayd to hyÌ„ of good affeccoÌ„n Now syth that thou comest to me for to haue couÌ„seyll of me I shall saye to the for to gyue to the good couÌ„seyll what thyng we haue to do / thou muste ymagyne that I am here as god syttyng in his Iugement / for to decyde Iuge the doubtous causes that thou askedest Now aske thou what thou wylt / I shall answere to the / yf thou sayest haue mercy on me I shall answere to the in the persone of god / yf thou wylt I haue pyte on the / haue thou pyte mercy on thy brethern / in so dooyng I shall haue mercy of the / yf thou wylt that I forgyue the / forgyue thou thy neyghbour / wylt thou thenne saye the god be cause to dampne the / or to saue the. Certes nay But it is in vs to be saued yf we wyll be saued ¶ Some other sayd of an olde fader beyng in his celle / the whiche was moche penyble in labour / that on a tyme in labouryng in his celle / an holy man cam to hym And as he entred he herde that he spack chydde as ther hadde ben moo men with hym sayeng Ha how for one oonly worde haue I lost all these thynges That other beyng withoutforthe wende that he had chyddâ—â—th an other / knocked at his dote for to go in and to appease theym / he entryng in seeyng that ther was none but he allone / asked hyÌ„ where he was to whom he had chydde To whom he answered that he chydde to hyÌ„selfe / bycause that he had late reteyned in his mynde .xiiij. volumes of bokes And as he yssued out of his celle a lytyll / he had herde a worldly worde / whiche had made hym to forgete all that whiche he had estudyed / and complayned hym of that whiche in comyng for to doo the seruyse dyuyne / that worde oonly that he had herde / cam to hym in his mynde / and for that cause he dyde chyde ayenst his thoughtes as sayd is ¶ An other sayd to an olde auÌ„cyent fader / that somtyme whan he was heuy of slepe / he myght not aryse atte hour couenable for to do his seruyse / whan he sawe the hour passed / he was ashamed dyspleased that he coude not done saye his seruyce / and asked how he ought to do The olde fader answered to hym Yf this Inconuenyent happe to hym ony more to slepe vnto the mornyng / that neuertheles whan he a woke / he sholde aryse / and shette his dore wyndowes / that is to saye / he sholde caste from hym all occupacoÌ„ns temporall / doo his seruyce For it is wryten that the daye the nyght be ours / and in all tyme we ought to gloryfye oure lorde god ¶ An other olde fader sayd that therben some men that eten moche / and yet they haue grete hunger And also there ben some that eten ryght lytyll / and haue none hunger / but ben full And alwaye they haue â—oost meryte and thanke / ben they that ete and haue hungre / more than they that eten lytyll and ben full ¶ An other olde auncyent fader sayd / yf it soo happed that bytwene the and an other were moeued ony Ryotous wordes / and thy aduerse partye denyed to haue sayd the sayd worde / beware and kepe the well to enforce the ayenste hym sayeng that he hadde sayd it For in soo dooyng / thou sholdest moeue hym more strongly in yre and shall mowe saye to the that he hadde sayde it / where it were better that the questyon were suspended in sayeng that he had neuer spoken it ¶ A Relygyous man asked and demaunded of an olde auncyent fader / sayeng I haue a syster whiche is ryghte poore / yf I wolde doo to her ony almesse / is it not all one / as thoughe I dyde it to ony other poore persone The olde auncyent fader answered to hym / nay / by cause that the blood excyted hym to do more to her / than to ony other persone / and in soo dooyng he myght erre / in estemyng the almesse to be better employed on his syster / than to the other persone / the whiche sholde be yet more poorer than his sayd syster ¶ An other olde auncyent fader sayd / that a relygyous ought neuer to herkene ony people that chyden / ne sclaundred eche other ¶ An other sayd / beware that thou herkene not / ne to receyue agreably all tho thynges that ben sayd to the / ne gyue to euery worde thy consentyng ¶ An other sâ—â—d that a man sholde be slouth 〈◊〉 bylue / prompte redy to 〈◊〉 â—e trouthe ¶ An olde 〈◊〉 â—yent fader sayd / that yf a relygyous persone beyng resydente in his celle / purpose for to doo ony good werke / and in that purpose he
deuyll shall not haue there ony accesse ne place ¶ An other olde fader sayd that the horse that tourneth atte mylle laboured strongly whan his eyen be hydde is blyndfelde / but whan he seeth he wyll not tourne In lyke wyse they that ben blynde by synne / tourne all about to all that temptacyon bryng theym / but they that ben enlumyned of the holy goost eschewe put awaye lyghtly the temptacoÌ„ns of the fende our enemye ¶ An other broder werkyng on a daye in his celle / make lytyll smale mattes / was in thought for to go vysyte an holy man And anone after cam in his mynde the contrary / sayd I shall go see hyÌ„ within a certayne tyme. After he thought sayeng / yf he deye duryÌ„g this tyme I shall neuer see hyÌ„ / therfor it is better that I go now / but for as moche as my Ionckes ben now cutte / it is better that I achyeue make an ende of my mattes / and thus he was in contrarye thoughtes one ayenst an other Neuertheles he toke his robe whiche was named melote / departed lyghtly And in walkyng he passed by the celle of an other broder moche wyse / that whiche seeyng this broder go so hastely faste began to crye sayeng O man taken with enteÌ„dement whyther goost thou so hastely / retourne come to me / the whiche he dyde / thenne the holy fader sayd to hym Retourne in to thy celle Thenne the broder sayd to the holy fader / alas fayr fader I haue so terryble thoughtes / that I haue be constrayned to go out of my celle And this sayd he retourned in to his celle / and in entryng in he fyll doun to the grouÌ„de doyng penauÌ„ce / asked of god mercy Thenne was herde a meruayllous crye of a legyon of deuylles / sayeng O monke thou hast ouercomeÌ„ we ben vaynquysshed by thyn obeyssauÌ„ce / and his matte wherupon he saye flate doun / was enbraced with a grete fyre / the deuylles all coÌ„fused fledde away as it had be a smoke / by the same the broder knewe the cautelles of the fendes his enemyes ¶ In the regyon of Sychye was an holy man the whiche was strongly greued with sekenesse / whan it cam to thartycle of the deth / all his brethern presented theyÌ„ about hyÌ„ clothed hyÌ„ with his habyte After they began all to wepe pyteously / but the holy man how well that he was pressyd with sekenes opened his eyen and began to lawhe that notwithstondyng / the brethern cessed not to wepe vnto the tyme that they sawe hyÌ„ lawhe yet eft ones / yet a nother tyme vnto the noÌ„bre of thryes / that seen they cessed to lamente wepe / asked hyÌ„ Fayr fader thou art soo nygh the dethe / whiche is soo moche doubtable / how mayst thou lawhe wherfor lawhest yu. I shall telle you sayd he I haue lawhed thre tymes The fyrst bycause that ye drede ouermoche the deth / the seconde for I see that ther is none of you redy now yf the deth cam for to fetche you / thyrdly of the Ioye that I haue / consyderyng that I go fro the labour of this worlde vnto the eternall reste of heuen / and in thus sayeng he rendred his soule vnto god ¶ A broder cam to one of the olde faders sayd to hyÌ„ Fader I am strongly persecuted of dyuerse temptacoÌ„ns / and I can fynde no remedy to eschewe theyÌ„ The holy fader answered My frende thou hast despysed the drede of god / and hast throwen it to the grouÌ„de / the whiche drede is stronge ayenst temptacoÌ„ns as the yren is stronge ayenst theyÌ„ that wyll consume it / and hast taken in stede of yren / whiche is the drede of god / a reed whiche is not of ony resysteâ—t and by this reed whiche tourneth with euery wynde is vnderstonde vnprouffytable vayne thoughtes / for the whiche to resyste thou shalt take the fyre of the drede of god And yf the reed of the same vayne thoughtes come to the / put the fyre tofore theym / anone they shal be consumed and brought to nought As who sholde saye My broder my frende / ayenst all suche temptacoÌ„ns behoueth nothyng but the drede of god byfore the eyen of thyn entendement ¶ An holy fader sayd / that a man may not loue ony thyng / but yf fyrst he hate the contrary of the same And therfore he that wyll loue vertue / ought to hate vyce synne whiche is contrary to vertue And thus thenne as sayth the psalmyste It behoueth vs to declyne from euyll take that is good / and to doo it with all our herte / for god beholdeth more the wyll than the werke that procedeth Adam our fyrst fader synned in paradyse / for he brake the coÌ„maundement of god But Iob beyng vpon his dunghyll kepte the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes / to god plesed gretly his pacyence And for somoche / god ne demaundeth but our affeccyon our herte And he hym selfe sayth in the gospell My childe gyue to me thy herte drede me / and kepe my coÌ„mauÌ„dementes / and thou shalt lyue eternally with me ¶ Here begyÌ„neth the treatyse how one ought to praye without Intermyssyon and without cessyng / begynneth in latyn Dicebant de abbate IT is all open and manyfested that nature humayne / that is to saye mankynde / whiche of hym selfe was capax and redy to receyue the euerlastyng blysse in thastate of Innocencye / hath ben yolden made vnable and not capable of hymselfe to that blysse / by the synne of the fyrst man Adam / and hath ben cause And for to reconcyle hyÌ„ to his maker It was moche necessary to haue some moyen the whiche may not be founde but by holy and deuoute prayer And for this cause was oryson fyrst fouÌ„den / of whiche is treated in this present boke / wherin is fyrst determyned of the contynuacyon of prayer by one suche example Some holy faders sayden that thabbot Arsenius from the saterdaye at euen / that the sonne wente doun vnto the sonday in the mornyng that the sonne aroos / he had his hondes lyfte vp towarde heuen / the hede lyft vp / the herte enflaÌ„med in the loue of god contynuyng in oryson prayer / wherby is to vs shewed the good affeccoÌ„n of the olde faders ¶ The brethern cam on a tyme to the abbot Agathon / asked hym Fader whiche is the grettest payne amonge the other And he answered My bredern I saye to you that I fynde no suche payne as to praye to god For whan a man dysposeth hym moost to praye / the deuyll bryngeth tofore hym many Illusyons to lette hym For he knoweth well that by orayson prayer his power is enpesshed and brought to nought / how well that in other operacoÌ„ns werkes men haue payne /
neuertheles atte ende they haue reste But in prayer it behoueth to fyght vnto the laste InstauÌ„t of the same ¶ The abbot Dulas whiche was dyscyple vnto thabbot Bysaryon sayd I haue some tyme gone vnto the celle of myn abbot / haue fouÌ„den hym lyeng doun prostrate in oryson abydyng there coÌ„tynuelly by the space of xiiij dayes And after called me to hym sayd to me / folowe me / incontynent we went in to thermytage And whan I was so retrauaylled of walkyng hauyng grete thurste / thenne I sayd to hyÌ„ Fader I haue grete thurste / the holy man went as fer fro me as a man sholde caste a stone / was ther a lytyll whyle in contemplacoÌ„n / and after cam ayen to me bryngyng water in his garment made of skynnes / of whiche water I dranke And after from thens we went in to the cyte of Lyco for to speke to thabbot Iohan / whom we salewed at our comyng sayeng to hym the cause reason why we were come to hym Thenne began thabbot Bysaryon to telle shewe the reuelacoÌ„ns that he had had sayeng It hath be shewed vnto me / that all the temples shall be destroyed / the whiche thynge in lyke wyse after happed For all the temples of thydoles were destroyed and brought to nought ¶ Thabbot Euagrius sayd that a man whiche hath the corage faylled / ought to praye to god For it is wryten / praye with the drede of god / labour contynuelly in suffrages prayers / thou shalt not fynde thy selfe feble of corage / but strong ayenst all temptacoÌ„ns / we nede to praye as wel for the synners / as for the Iuste trewe / to the ende also that we be preserued from the enemyes Inuysyble / whiche seche none other but to lett vs from our helth / whaÌ„ a persone is taken with an euyll thought / he ought not the hour to praye for other / forgete hyÌ„selfe / but ought incoÌ„tynent to fyght for hym selfe by holy prayer ayenst the same thought / cast it from hyÌ„ And after he may praye for other ¶ An abbot whiche dwelled in Palestyne wrote to a bysshop named Epyphanius this the foloweth Reuerende fader we haue not despysed the rule to pray whiche thou haste delyuered to vs / but in kepyng it besyly we synge pryme / tyerce / sexte / none / euensong / the whiche abbot was repreued of the bysshop / the sayd bysshop wrote to hyÌ„ ayen in this maner After that answere that I haue had of the abbot I knowe well that in the other houres of the daye / thou and thy brethern praye not / that whiche thyÌ„g suffyseth not For a veray relygyous ought to praye god incessauÌ„tly / yf not with his mouthe / acte lest he ought to do it with the herte For oryson vocale is not alwaye requesyte ¶ Here is shewed to vs that we may praye god ouer all in euery place For an abbot named Ysayas seeyng the brethern the eten togydre made grete noyse / sayd to theym / holde your peas make scylence / for I see one of you brethern etyng with you / that whiche perceth thrylleth that heueÌ„s with his prayer as yf he had sayd / ye lette hym in makyng this noyse for he is rauysshed in deuocoÌ„n And also how well that he eteth alwaye he prayed god / his oryson as fyre enbraced with charyte gooth vpon hyghe ¶ Thabbot Loth cam to thabbot Ioseph sayd to hym Fader after my power I holde a lytyll rule a lytyll harde I faste but lytyll / nor praye god but lytyll / I thynke not moche on his coÌ„mauÌ„dement / ne on my soule / without to take but lytyll rest / but alwaye with all my power I eschewe euyll thoutes / theym I suffre not to abyde in me in ony wyse / what ought I to do in tyme comyng And the holy man without sayeng ony worde arose vp / stratched vp his haÌ„des to heueÌ„ deuoutly prayed vnto god / incontynent for to shewe his brennyng deuocoÌ„n / his ten fyngres were enlumyned brennyng lyke vnto laÌ„pes breÌ„nyng / thenne he began to say yf thou wylt be enbraced with this fyre of charyte / thou must do as I do In this partye is shewed the maner of prayeng with out Intermyssyon / how men ought to praye without ceassyng ¶ Certayne brethern named bedemen cameÌ„ to thabbot Luciê° whiche dwelled in Hermato / whan they were comen the holy abbot asked My brethern come hyther telle me what werke do ye make with your handes And they answered / certaynly fayr fader we put not our selfe to ony hondwerke / but after that sayeng of thappostle we praye vnto god without intermyssion without ceassyng Thabbot sayd to theyÌ„ / how my brethern whan ye ete / ye praye not / also whan ye slepe ye praye not / thus thenne it is not trouthe that ye saye that ye praye without ceassyng Thenne that brethern were all ashamed and wyst not what to answere Thenne began he to saye to theyÌ„ I shall shewe you how in werkyng with my handes I praye alwaye god For whan I am in my celle sette for to werke I praye god without ceassyng / for I make a matte / or some other thyng / in so doyng I saye / god haue mercy on me after thy grete mercy / put awaye my wyckednes / after the multytude of thy myseracoÌ„ns thy grete bounte And after he sayd to the brethern / is not this prayer vnto god / they answerd yes And furthermore he sayd to theyÌ„ I labour praye god alle daye all that nyght / I wynne about xvi pens with my werke / wherof I take .xij. pens to lyue by / the remenauÌ„t I gyue for goddes sake / he to whom I gyue this moneye / prayeth for me whan I ete / or whan I slepe And by all thus is accoÌ„plysshed in my that whiche is sayd that men owe to praye without Intermyssyon / wherfore it ought to be vnderstonden / that it behoueth to pray without ceassynge by hym selfe or by other ¶ Some brethern asked of the abbot Macharye Fader how ought we praye vnto god The holy man answered / in makyng oraysons prayers is not requesyte grete habondauÌ„ce of wordes / but we ought to lyfte vp our haÌ„des vnto heuen saye Lorde god / lyke as it shall please the / lyke wyse as thou knowest what nede I haue / so do thy mercy vpon me And yf in prayeng ony euyll thought come tofore the / saye lord god helpe me / without doubte seen that he knoweth what thyng is necessary to the / he shall helpe the and haue mercy on the. Therfor we ought to by leue / that longe prayer is not alwaye requesyte ne praysed For in a comyn prouerbe it is sayd Shorte prayer perceth heuen We haue
the sayd brother was renommed thrugh all the Relygyon / lyke as was the holy Patryarke Abraham / whan he vnto our lorde wolde haue sacrefyed his sone Ysaac ¶ It was demaunded and asked of an holy man / that whiche hadde more meryte / of hym that dwelled with the Relygyouses / and is obedyente in all thynges to theym / or he that dwelleth in an hermytage there lyuyng solytaryly without ony companye ¶ The holy man sayd that he that is with the Relygyouses / and to theym is obedyent in all thynges For he dothe noo thynge after his owen wyll / but all that he dooth is atte the wyll of other But he that is in the hermytage / how well that he be moche solytarye / yet alwaye he vseth his owne wyll / and is not subget to ony persone ¶ An holy man sayd that in heuen was shewed to hym four ordres maners of people ¶ The fyrst ordre was of seke men / whiche hadde in pacyence theyr maladyes and sekenesses / and gloryfyed god and his sayntes ¶ The seconde was of theym that hadde gladdly receyued pylgryms for the worshyp of god / and they were called hostelers ¶ The thyrde ordre was of theym that dwelled in desertes / and sawe not the worlde / and lyued in the sayde desertes in straytnes of penauÌ„ce ¶ The fourth ordre was of theym that for the honour of god submytted theym to theyr faders spyrytuell / and were in all thynges to theym obedyent But amonge the four ordres / they that had be obedyent were adorned and arrayde with fayr colours of precyous stones / and crowned with crownes of golde / and hadde more Ioye than the other thre ordres ¶ Yet the same holy man sayd furthermore / that he had asked and demauÌ„ded of hym that had shewed to hym these ordres / how it myght be that the sayd ordre of obedyence hadde moost glorye / seen that it was amonge the other lasse For it semeth the vertue of obedyence to be a lytyll vertue ¶ To whom it was answered That not without cause they that were obedyent hadde the moost grettest glorye For they that receyue the pylgrymes doo that charyte after theyr owne wyll And the hermytes that goon in to theyr hermytage / and renounce the worlde / doo it of theyr free wyll But they that be obedyent / haue noo propre wylle For for the honour of god they haue submysed alle theyr wyll to the wyll of theyr soueraynes / wherfore they haue in heuen grettest glorye And therfore it is openly knowen that the vertue of obedyence is for to be recoÌ„mended amonge all other vertues And therfore euery persone ought tenforce hym to his power to folowe it ¶ It is founde that for fyue reasons obedyence ought more to be chosen / than the other vertuers ¶ The fyrste for it is cause of the helthe of the very true crysten men / kepeth the vertues ¶ The seconde for it is that techeth to the Royame of heuen ¶ The thyrde for it openeth the yate of heuen It also enhauÌ„ceth the men fro the erthe / that is to sa yt from thynges erthely worldly vnto heuenly thynges ¶ The fourth reason for it abydeth in heuen with the blessyd angellys / whiche alwaye be obedyent to god ¶ The fyfth reason / for it is all the desyre of the sayntes of heuen For by veray obedyence many comen vnto the heuenly glorye ¶ Here foloweth an other lytyll treatyse encytyng the people vnto the ryght necessarye vertue of humylyte and mekenesse And begynneth in latyn Abbas Anthonius AFter that in the chapytre precedent hath be made mencoÌ„n of the vertue of obedyence / foloweth now couenably of the vertue of humylyte In the whiche consysteth the perfeccyon of euery vertue / vpon whiche it ought fyrst to be noted / that in this lytyll treatyse be comprysed some prouffytable dyctes and prouerbes of holy faders By the consyderacyon of whiche euery persone of what someuer astate or condycyon that he be may lerne lyghtly the very waye of humylyte ¶ And fyrste here is conteyned one of the causes / by the whiche saynt Anthonye kepte hym from ouermoche enquyryng of the secrete Iugemens of god / in humblynge hym selfe as indygne and vnworthy to knowe the lest of the dyuyne secretes celestyall For he beynge in a profounde medytacyon / as meruayllynge hym selfe of the dyuyne Iugemens made suche a requeste vnto god That is to wyte / that he wolde shewe to hym yf it pleased hym / wherfore it was soo that some lyued soo lyâ—â— a whyle / and some other aboue naturell aege From whens procedeth and / that some for ony labour that he taketh / may noo thynge haue ne gete And other without labour and to haue payne / haue alle the goodes of the worlde And pryncypally they that be Iniuste haue all the erthe in possessyon And the good and vertuous haue noo thynge but maledyccyon / mendycyte / and pouerte ¶ Thenne the sayd Anthonye herde a voys that sayd to hym Anthonye thynke on thy selfe / syght not for the dedes of an other / for the pleasyr of god is that / of whiche thou waâ— â—â—â—tolyest thy selfe to be soo doon / knowe the that his Iugemens be as a grete a depe abysme The secretes of god whiche he wyll hyde / a man ought not tenquyre ¶ The sayd holy fader Anthonye sayde to thabbot Pastor It is a grete werke in a man / that without to Iustefye hym selfe / he accuse hym to fore god of his synnes And with that he be stronge and constauÌ„t to withstaÌ„de all temptacyon / as stedfastly concluded neuer to defoyle the lawe of god / that vnto the last ende of his deth ¶ Also yet sayd the holy fader Anthonye / that he hadde seen all the grynnes of the deuyll stratched and leyde ouer all the erthe And in seeyng began to wept in grete teres sayeng Ha ha my god who shall be he / the whiche shall eschewe to be taken in one of these grynnes ¶ Thenne he herde a voys that sayd to hym Anthonye that shall be he that shall be garnysshed with one fyght humylyte / the whiche is the / without the whiche no vertue is paâ—◠〈◊〉 ¶ Some auncyent faders among 〈◊〉 whiche was the abbot named Ioseph vysyâ—â—den the sayd Saynt Anthonye And they beyng comen to hym he asked theym / and fyrste the yongeste in makyng vnto theym some proposycyons of holy scrypture The same yong brethern / wenynge to haue doon well / answered to hym in expownynge his questyon To whom togyder he answered sayeng to theym / yet haue ye not fouÌ„de that whiche ye ought to knowe After he tourned hym towarde the abbot Ioseph / in lyke wyse he demauÌ„ded hym a questyon of the holy scrypture / the whiche abbot answered to hyÌ„ sayeng hyÌ„ selfe vnworthy to expowne the 〈◊〉 proposycoÌ„n of the holy scrypture / that he knewe not what it was to
aforsayd lyued To whom answered the sayd Sysoy / that more strongly the deuyl tempted in the sayd tyme / than he had done in tyme passed For as moche as the ende of the worlde approcheth / of moche enforceth he the more to make the poore soules to falle in to the horryble paynes of helle ¶ Other brethern wente towarde the sayd Sysoy for to receyue his doctryne but he sayd nothyng to theym / but my brethern pardonne me / lyke as he wolde saye I am not worthy ne suffysauÌ„t to proferre fro my mouth holy wordes And for as moche as they sawe in his celle many hostyes / they asked of his dyscyple Abraham what he dyde with theym The dyscyple answered that he sente some this daye to one hous / to morowe to an other The holy fader heryng that / sayd to theym thus / My brethern Sysoy eteth here there not that he be a begger here there in dyuerse houses / for he maketh hottes paners for to serue theym of that they haue to do Of this humylyte were the brethern conforted Ioyously retourned to the place from whenâ— they were comen ¶ To the sayd holy fader a brother sayd these wordes I knowe tayr fader that my mynde is dyrectly sette all to god To whom he answered / that is noo grete thyng yf thy soule be addressed to god by contemplacoÌ„n But it is a gretter thyng yf thou see well thy selfe / in reputyng the by very humylyte the lest of all creatures / for to come to that / thou muste make lene thy bodye / and in that doyng thou shalt gete lyghtly humylyte / by the whiche thou shalt knowe thy selfe ¶ And to this purpose sayd the deuoute relygyous saynt Syncletyce / lyke as it is Impossyble to make a shyppÌ„ with out dyuerse poynte of nayles and other maters In lyke wyse it is Impossyble to be saued without humylyte ¶ In lyke wyse the holy abbot Ypericius sayd The tree of lyfe is in heuen aboue whiche mounteth the humylyte of a monke / yet furthermore he sayd that we ought all tenâ—yewe the publycan / the whiche in the temple reputed hym selfe vnworthy to be named and called the seruauÌ„t of god our sauyour Ihesu cryste in cryeng askyng mercy And on the contrarye we ought teshewe flee the pharyseen whiche gloryfyed hym in his vertues / we ought also to ensyewe the clemens mekenesse of Moyses / to th ende that the proude enhauÌ„synges we myght conuerte in to the see that is to saye in to teres of very contrycoÌ„n penauÌ„ce ¶ For to gyue couÌ„seyll to eschewe resyste to our euyll temptacoÌ„ns / thabbot Orysyus made suche a comparyson / lyke as cyle or breke put in to asshes / yf it be not well baken / it shall neuer make good fouÌ„dement in a walle / sette in a watry place / or other ¶ In lyke wyse a man lyuynge in this worlde shall neuer be well edefyed / but yf he be wel â—aken by the fyre of dyuerse temptacyons / proued by the same / for in temptacoÌ„n is proued our vertue ¶ Herof we haue example of Ioseph solde by his brethern / the whiche beyng in the hous of Pharao ydolatrer / suffred endured many grete aduersytees tourmentes / notwithstandyng he serued god in kepynge dylygently his coÌ„maundementes his lawe / how be it that he was in the couÌ„tree of ydolatrye / in whiche thydoles were adoured worshypped ¶ And to this purpose sayden the holy faders that euery persone ought to knowe his strength possybylyte For none ought to entrepryse more strongly than he can accomplysshe / as some that wyll take the burthen charge of relygyon And anone as they be entred / that the deuyll hath gyuen to theym assault they recuâ—e goo backe / and renounce that / whiche they haue entreprysed Of whom it is sayd / that they shall not be crowned / for they resyste not vnto the ende ¶ An hermyte estemyng hyÌ„selfe to be parfyght vyctoryous in his temptacoÌ„ns replenysshed with all vertues made a requeste to god / that it wolde please hyÌ„ to shewe what perfeccoÌ„n other than he had had that myght be to hyÌ„ necessary TheÌ„ne he herde by reuelacoÌ„n that by his hermytage was an herdemen / that whiche sholde couÌ„seyll hyÌ„ whiche he had to do / that done the angell went to the sayd herdeman sayd to hym how the sayd hermyte sholde come to hyÌ„ for to haue couÌ„seyll of his helth And whan he sholde be come that he sholde delyuer to hyÌ„ a fouet his hogges to kepe All this dyde the goodnes of god for to humble the sayd hermyte It happed that the sayd hermyte went to the sayd herdeman / lyke as it was shewed to hym / to whom the herdeman anone asked hym fyrste / yf he wolde do all that he sholde coÌ„mauÌ„de hym / he answered / ye / theÌ„ne he delyuered to hym a fouet his hogges to kepe The sayd hermyte folowyng his promysse / dyde all that the herdeman coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym / kepte his hogges a longe tyme. Many sayd of hyÌ„ that he was become a fooll / or that he had the deuyll in his bodye God consyderyng his humylyte called hym ayen in speryte And he retourned in to his hermytage ¶ An other monke solytary moche humble was smeten in the Iowe by a demonyake / that is to saye that he was vexed with a deuyll The same monke in kepyng the couÌ„seyll of Ihesu cryst profred to hyÌ„ that other Iowe to th ende that he sholde smyte ayen Thenne the deuyll whiche myght not abyde in the place of humylyte / bycause that he is prynce of pryde / lefte the man / and sprang out of his bodye ¶ An olde fader sayd that they that be humble whiche desyre to obserue theyr humylyte / whan they be tempted with elacoÌ„ns ambycyous pryde / pryncypally they that wene to be deuoute parfyght in vertues / oughten incontynent to thynke on theyr conscyence / consyder yf they haue well kepte the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god / yf they haue loued or hated theyr enemyes / yf they be angry of theyr wele promocoÌ„s / and yf they reioyce theym of theyr trybulacoÌ„ns / in thynkyng on suche thynges / a very meke persone shall repute hym an vnprouffytable seruauÌ„t / and worst of all synners ¶ In lyke wyse sayd an other holy fader that a man sholde neuer repute hym selfe more sobre / more contynent / ne more wyse than an other / but alwaye to Iuge hym selfe subget and symple seruaunt of god hauyng nede of his grace / all this by veray humylyte without fyccyon or ypocresye And by this one shall kepe from lesyng of the fruyte of the labour that he sholde haue goten by penaunce / for as moche as one sholde eschewe arrogaunce / or estymacyon of his merytes / in remyttyng all to god And this
man to entre in to her chambre / where as was a bedde richely arayed / couered with a precyous couerynge vpon whiche she laye / byddyng hym to come to do his lecherye But he that desyred other thyng than to coÌ„myse that dyshonest synne / by a maner of drede / prayed her that yf ther were a place more secrete within there that she wolde lede hyÌ„ thyder / to th ende that none sholde see theym To the whiche she answered in this wyse that her chambre was secrete ynough / that ther sholde no persone see theym there But she sayd that ther is no place so secrete in the worlde that ony thyng can be hydde from god / whiche knoweth and seeth all thynges The holy fader heryng this answere sayde to her / my frende knowest thou well that ther is a god / ye sayd she And I byleue the resurreccyon generall / and after the same we shall haue the royame of heuen / yf we doo the werkes requyred for to come thyder And ferther more I byleue that ther is helle / in whiche shall be tourmented the myserable dampned persones for the perpetuell vengeaunce of theyr synnes The holy fader Paphunce heryng these wordes sayd to her Now my frende I aske the syth thou knowest these thynges / how thou art so hardy to lyue so meschauÌ„tly / to be cause of the perdycyon and losse of so many myserable soules / whiche ben by thoccasyon of the soo yrremyssybly loste and dampned / and of whom thou must relde acompte to fore god Thays heryng the holy fader / and his meruayllous remonstraunces was at the hour touched to the herte / that she fyll doun on her knees to fore hym sayeng Fader I hope that by grete penaunce and meane of thy holy prayers I shall mowe obteyne remyssyon of my grete and foule stynkyng synnes And therfore I requyre the that it please the to gyue me the space of thre houres And them passed I shall accomplysshe alle that whiche thou wylt commaunde me / the whiche requeste the holy Paphunce accorded to her And assygned to her a place to the whiche she promysed to come yelde her to hym And incontynent the doon / she toke all the goodes that she had goten by her lecherye / bare theym in to the myddes of the cyte / and there she threwe theym in to a grete fyre / whiche she had kyndled for to brenne And in so doyng she sayd Come hyther ye dyshonest lecherous people whiche soo moche shamefully haue synned with me / see how I dyspose that whiche ye haue gyuen to me And sayeng the sayd wordes she brente alle generally that she hadde of ony valewe / whiche well amounted after that the hystorye conteyneth to fourty pounde of golde That doon she wente to the place to her assygned by the sayd fader / whiche taryed there for her And fro thens he ledde her in to a monastery of virgyns where as she was by hym closed in a celle lytyll strayte / of the whiche he closed the dore / as he sholde neuer haue opened it / made a lytyll wyndowe a lowe by the grouÌ„de by whiche she myghte receyue a lytyll brede and water / without ony other thyng to ete or drynke And with that she had none withdraught / where as she myght doo her aysement / but vnder her Whan she was shette and closed in / she requyred humbly the holy fader Paphunce / that he wolde Instructe and teche her the maner after that whiche she sholde praye vnto god To the whiche he answered that she was not worthy to adoure hyÌ„ ne to lefte vp her vysage ne her handes towarde heuen / whiche hadde be cause of coÌ„mysynge soo many fylthes and corrupcyons ¶ And yet sayd the holy fader Thays thy prayer shall be made in this maner / thou beyng layde on the erthe towarde the eest shalt saye many tymes My god whiche haste formed me haue pyte on me ¶ This good woman Thays dyde this penauÌ„ce thre yere duryng / the whiche thre yere passed / the holy fader Paphunce had mercy and pyte of her / but yet neuerthelesse he wolde not lete her out / without to haue counseyll of the abbot Anthonye / the whiche after that the sayd Paphunce hadde recounted the grete penaunce that she hadde doon / made to be assembled and putte to prayer all his dyscyples for to knowe yf her synne were forgyue and pardonned / hopyng that god sholde shewe or doo be shewed some thyng They beyng in deuoute and feruent prayers / one of theym named Paulus whiche was of the pryncypall dyscyples of saynt Anthonye was sodaynly rauysshed / and hym thought that he sawe in heuen a bedde â—orned right precyously / and kepte with four virgyns meruayllously fayr Thenne he sayd to hym selfe / that this fayr bedde was prepared for his mayster Saynt Anthonye and for none other ¶ And he beynge in this ymagynacyon / herde a voys sayeng to hym that it was for Thays whiche in her tyme hadde be a comyn woman ¶ On the morn erly the sayd Paulus recouÌ„ted to his brethern the sayd vysyon / the whiche herde by the sayd fader Paphunce / he knewe that the sayde Thays hadde obteyned pardon and remyssyon of her synnes And thenne departed from thens and wente vnto the monasterye / where in she was enclosed And whan the good Thays sawe that her dore was opened / she began to crye that they sholde lete her abyde there vnto her laste daye But Paphunce wolde not agree vnto her petycyon And sayd to her that she sholde come forth / and that her synnes were pardonned and forgyuen After that she was out / for to declare how she had doon her penaunce She sayd to the sayd abbot / that all the tyme that she hadde be closed and shette in / ther was not one mynute / but that she hadde consydered all her synnes whiche she hadde coÌ„mysed in wepyng and wayllyng habondauntly ¶ Thenne thabbot sayd to her For the drede that thou hast hadde of thy synnes / god hath forgyuen the / and not for thy penaunce Fyften dayes after / that she yssued out of her celle / she rendred and gaaf vp her soule to almyghty god as the hystorye conteyneth ¶ Here begynneth an other hystorye of Contemplacyon FOr as moche as it is notoyre and knowen / that amonge other vertuous werkes Contemplacyon is ryght excellent as that whiche incontynent adresseth to god Therfore in this present treatyse by the grace of the holy ghoost we shall determyne of contemplacyon / in procedyng forthon by examples / lyke as we haue doon to fore Thenne in the fyrst partye of this fyrst chapytre / is shewed the grete excellence of contemplacyon by one example as it foloweth ¶ An holy man cam in Sychye to the abbot Arsenye beeyng in his celle / and whan he was come he founde his dore shette / and he
began to beholde by the wyndowe / sawe the holy abbot whiche was all in a flaÌ„me withoutforth after he knocked atte the dore And anone the holy fader sprange vp / demaundyng hym yf he hadde be longe there at his dore / yf he had seen ony thyng The broder answered that nay and so they spacke to gydre / and after departed ¶ ThexposycoÌ„n of this ensample wyll saye / that they that be contemplatyfe ben all brennyng of charyte whiche maketh theym to breÌ„ne spyrytuelly ¶ Thabbot Arsenye sayd / that one of the holy faders of Sychye / bycause that he was symple fyll in errour / how well that he had lyued Iustely after his power And the sayd poore man sayd that in the sacrament of the aulter was not conteyned the very body of Ihesu criste but oonly the lykenesse representacoÌ„n of hym And this errour cam to the knoweleche of two other olde men / the whiche knowyng that he lyued right holyly And that he sayd this folye by symplenesse / camen to hym and sayden in this maner Fader we haue herde saye of an Infydele and vntrewe crysten man / that the veray bodye of Ihesu Cryste is not conteyned in the sacrament of the aulter / but oonly ther is his lykenesse semblauÌ„ce To whom the sayd fader answered / it is I that haue soo sayd ¶ Thenne one of theym replyed to hym sayeng / helas fader byleue not soo But byleue that whiche the holy chirche byleueth and as we byleue For in the sacramente of the aulter is the very bodye and blood of our sauyour Ihesu Cryste / and not oonly his semblaunce or lykenesse Thenne answered the fader I byleue not that but I see it by experyence TheÌ„ne they sayd to hym Now thenne fader syth that thou wylt byleue thus / it behoueth the to praye to god And also we shall praye / that he wyll take fro the this errour And I byleue that he shall shewe some thyng These wordes so sayd this forsayd fader wente moche Ioyously in to his celle / bygan to praye to god in this maner / lord god almyghty whiche knowest that myn opynyon is not malycyous I praye the that it may plese the / to shewe to me she trouth And in lyke wyse the two other aeged men prayed in sayeng Lord god thou knowest that this holy man lyueth Iustely and straytly / wherfore we beseche the / that thou wylt declare to hym / that whiche he knoweth not / touchyng the sacramente of the aulter / to the ende that he lese not the rewarde of his labour whiche is so grete And the weke folowyng they came to the chirche all thre And in syngyng the masse / ther appered to theym a lytyll childe in the stede of the host ye vpon the aulter / whiche the preest helde And whan the preest wolde deuyde the hostye / cam an angell that helde a knyf / and sacrefyed the same childe to god the fader / and receyued the blood within the chalyce And whan the preest had broken the hostye in to smale pyeces After that the holy man cam for to receyue the bodye of our lorde / as the preest sholde delyuere to hym the hostye / it semed to hym that it was a pyece of flesshe full of blood Thenne he began to crye I byleue fermely as this hour that thy very bodye is in this sacrameÌ„te / and thy very blood And anone the hostye cam agayne in his fyrst fygure thenne he receyued it deuoutly And after the holy faders sayd to hym Fayr fader our lorde knowyng that nature humayne hath horrour to ete mannes flesshe / hath not wylled that his bodye sholde appere to men in suche lykenes but that it sholde be hydde vnder the lykenes of the whytenesse of brede the redenes of wyne These thynges thus sayd they gaaf laude thankynges to god / of that it pleased hym to brynge this man out of his errour And soo they wente in to theyr celles Ioyously ¶ Here ought to be noted that it is peryll to symple folke to speke or dyspute of suche maters / whiche apperteyneth not but to wyse men and lettred Therfore whan wytte fayleth / oonly fayth suffyseth Thenne it behoueth to byleue / as the chirche byleueth / without to enquyre ony ferther ¶ Thabbot Danyell sayd that an holy man moche ryghtfull that dwelled in Egypt fylle in an errour / in sayeng that Melchysedech was the sone of god the whiche thyng heryng Cyryllus archebysshop of alexandrye sent to hym Fader I haue conceyued in my thought that Melchysedech was the sone of god but after I haue byleued contrarye I praye the thenne that thou wylt praye to god for me / sende to me that I may knowe the trouthe Thenne the holy man prayed god / at th ende of thre dayes he sende worde to the bysshop / that Melchysedech was a man mortall / not the sone of god / sayeng that he hath had very knowleche / by that whiche god had shewed hym by an other all the patryarkes that haue ben syth Adam vnto the sayd Melchysedech And that the same angell among the other had shewed the sayd Melchysedech in namyng hym by his name / wherfore he was certayne that he had ben a man mortall / also that he was not the sone of god And by this moyen he was out of the errour / in whiche he had ben in to fore ¶ A yong childe named Effrem sawe in his slepe a vyne with so grete habuÌ„dauÌ„ce charge replenysshed with fruyt that all the byrdes of heuen eten therof / wenyng to mynysshe the fruyt / but the more they ete / the more cam agayne That is to saye that in tyme to come he shall teche all the erthe in good and vertuous operacoÌ„ns by prechyng holsom doctryne ¶ An other good holy man sawe in his slepe a legyon of angellys / descendyng from heuen whiche brought a boke wryten within without / the whiche myght not be opened as they sayd / but by the childe Effrem And hym semed that they delyuered to hym the boke afore sayd / he opened it On the morn Effrem began to teche all the worlde by predycacoÌ„n And by this vysyon the holy man knewe that it was by the vertue of the holy ghoost ¶ An holy fader named Iohan sawe thre monkes vpon the ryuage of the see / to whom was sayd Take wynges flee in to that partye And anone the two flewhe without payne / but the thyrde vnnethe myght flee / but he wette hym selfe ofte ¶ Ryght so is it in this worlde For some flee without payne lyghtly And ther ben ryche men and myghty whiche flee by vayne glorye amonge the worldely people hauynge therin all theyr desyres pleasaunces Other flewh in trybulacoÌ„ns paynes they were wete ofte by the water of hâ—â—ynes Alwaye in th ende they passed the see
sayd fader holy good lyfe also strongly aged made hym to entre in without ony suspeccoÌ„n And in beholdyng the Relygyous wyÌ„men / sawe none that had a crowne on her hede Thenne he sayd to theym me semeth that ther lacketh here one systre of you They sayd to hym that ther was yet one all folysshe kept the kechyne / sayeng furthermore / that she somtyme was tormented with the fende whiche greued her sore This wordes so sayd / the holy fader prayed that he myght see her Thenne anone they wente to fette her / but she wolde not come / vnto the tyme that it was sayd to her that the holy man Pyterius was there within whiche had grete desyre to see her And incontynent as she herde hym named she wente to hym / for he was gretely renoÌ„med in that regyon She beyng comen to fore the holy abbot Pyterius / he fyll flat doun to her feet sayeng My frende I praye the gyue to me thy blessyng / she in lyke wyse fylle doun to the feet of the holy abbot askynge also his blessyng The other systres seeyng this thyng were gretely admeruaylled / sayden to hym Alas holy fader desyre not to aske the blessynge of this woman / for she is folysshe out of her wytte Thenne answered the holy fader / ye ben all foles / this virgyne is wyse she is my NoÌ„ne yours he named her so / bycause they named in lyke wyse the deuoute virgynes in the regyon And I praye to god sayd the holy fader / that at the daye of Iugement that I may be also worthy capable of the felycyte euerlastyng as she / the whiche thynge herde / alle the other systres fylle doun to her fete / confessyd that they had synned in dyuerse maners vnto her Some for they had throwen the wasshyng of the dysshes vpon her / other oftymes and without cause had beten her / other in mockyng her had fylled her nose with mustarde And generally all the other confessyd that they had doon to her meruayllous Iniuryes wherof they all demauÌ„ded of her pardoÌ„ne forgyuenes And thenne the holy man departed And from thenne forthon the systres had in grete reuerence the sayd holy virgyne meruayllously But a lytyll tyme after / bycause that she myght not endure the louyng praysyng of the worlde / she wente secretely out of the monasterye / neuer after herde they ony thyng of her ¶ Here after folowed the seconde chapytre of contemplacyon A Yong broder named Zacharye wente to his abbot named Syluanus for to speke to hyym / but he founde hym Incontemplacyon hauyng his hondes lyfte vp to heuen And he seeyng that he shette the dore / wente his waye After he cam ayen at the hour of sexte / and at the hour of none And fynably he cam at ten of the clocke at nyght / knocked atte dore entred in / he founde hym that he rested Neuertheles he asked of hym saynge Helas fader what haste thou had this daye / whan I was comen hyther to the The whiche answered that he was seke Thenne the brother fylle doun ate his feet sayd to hym Fader yf thou saye not to me what thou hast had I shal not leue the to goo Thenne sayd the holy man I haue be rauysshed to heuen haue seen the glorye of god / haue be deteyned ther vnto this hour ¶ Some of the olde faders sayden that as they spake of the holy scryptures wordes edyfycatyf / they sawe thangels enioye prayse god And after that they began to speke of worldely thynges vnprouffytable / they sawe foull hogges swyne stynkyng come in the myddes among theyÌ„ whiche made theym all foule After whan they began to speke agayne of god / they sawe agayn the angelles semblably as they dyde to fore That is to saye that god is with theym that speke of god / the deuyll with theym that speken of dyshoneste thynges ¶ An holy man sayd the one may synne in four maners Fyrst in euyll thought Secondely in consentynge to the same thought Thyrdely in spekynge euyll of an other Fourthly in doyng by werke outwarde that whiche he had in his euyll thought And in al these thynges is not the wrath taken awaye / but as he sayth at the begynnyng I shall not punysshe somtyme for the thre synnes / whiche ben thought / spekyng / consentyng / but the fourth / that is to saye / whan with theym the werke shall be doon I shall punysshe theym ¶ An holy man of Sychye in makynge his celle / he was on a tyme mery Ioyous And whan the fouÌ„dement was made / he cessed not tyll the resydue was achyeued It happed on a tyme that in repayryng he began to wepe The brethern asked hym why he wept And he answered theym / that he had a grete cause of heuynes / for it had be shewed to hym / that that place sholde be desolate destroyed And sayd also I haue seen the fyre ones in Sychye / the whiche hath be quenched / I sawe it also the seconde tyme / it was also quenched / but the thyrde tyme I haue seen a meruaylloê° so grete a fyre that hath brente all Sychye myght not be quenched / therfore I haue cause to be sorowfulll ¶ An holy man sayd it is wryten in the psalmyst The Iuste shall flourysshe / as the palme of the foreste of Lybane And by this it is shewed that the good werkes shall haue for theyr salayre swete fruyt / ryghtfull / noble / for in the palme is a parte swete whyte / lyke wyse is in the herte of the rightfull man for he is swete by mercy pyte / whyte by IllumynacoÌ„n of fayth And he is stronge to resyste ayenst the temptacoÌ„n of the fende of helle ¶ The good sunamyte receyued Helyzee the prophete in to hyr hous / not that she had ony carnell affeccoÌ„n towarde hym / for she was holy Iuste / but she receyued hym as a gheste ¶ Morally by this sunamyte is sygnefyed the soule / by Helyzee the holy ghoost Thus thenne as oftymes as our soule is withdrawen and separate from worldely thynges seculer in adressyng it to god / so oft the holy ghoost cometh anone for to lodge hym in the soule / thenne the soule whiche tofore was bareyn of good werkes may brynge forth good holy werkes ¶ An other holy man sayd that in lyke wyse as we see a swyne whiche is all foule may not lyfte his eyen towarde heueÌ„ but alwaye loked dounwarde / so in lyke wyse is the soule of a lecherous man / that whiche deteyned by his right foule desyre couetyse may not thynke but on erthly thynges / ne lyfte vp the eye of coÌ„templacoÌ„n for to knowe in what astate he is / but he hath
his taste so enfecte that he may not sauour ony thynge that is dyuyne or godly ¶ A man of moche holy lyfe sayd that he that rendred hyÌ„selfe relygyoê° by good deuocoÌ„n / in takyng thabyte of ê“fessyon receyued as moche grace as dooth he that is baptysed / how be it the at bapteme is gyuen plenytude of grace / in lykewyse he sayth that in professyon of holy relygyon is gyuen plenytude of grace ¶ God gaaf on a tyme to an holy olde man the power to see all that the other dyde made / so he sawe on a tyme a broder whiche was in medytacoÌ„n thought on god / the deuyll beyng without / whiche myght not entre duryng the medytacoÌ„n / but anon as he cessed to thynke on god / the deuyll entred in to his celle / that is to wyte / yf we thynke on god / the deuyl shal not entre in to the celle of our soule / but yf we thynke on worldly thynges / anone he shall entre slee vs by synnes ¶ An holy man prayed to god that he myght see the fendes To whom was answered / thou hast none nede to see thyn aduersaryes / but he prayed alwaye to god that he wolde shewe theym to hyÌ„ And anone by reuelacyon dyuyne he sawe a grete legyon of fendes assembled on a montayne lyke as bees whiche flee about men on all sydes / but the angels of god were by that chaced awaye the fendes put theym abacke ¶ An holy olde man had two neyghbourâ— / of whom the one was a strauÌ„ger the other of the Royame The strauÌ„ger was slouthfull / the other was moche dylygent It happed that the strauÌ„ger deyed / anone the holy man that was his neyghbour sawe by reuelacoÌ„n the angelles ledyng his soule in to Ioye And as he supposed to haue entred in to heuen was made questyon of hyÌ„ / that is to wyte yf he ought to entre Thenne he herde a voys from on hygh whiche sayd it is certayn that this strauÌ„ger hath be a lytyll neclygent / but for as moche that he is a strauger that he hath do penauÌ„ce opene the yate to hyÌ„ Some after cam to the artycle of deth the dylygent whiche was of the coÌ„â—re / anone his frendes cam to see hyÌ„ / but he deyed And also the holy man knowyng that he was deed / loked yf he myght see changellys come / lyke as he sawe theyÌ„ come to the soule of the strauÌ„ger / but he sawe none appere Thenne all heuy admerualled be done flatte to the erthe sayd / alas the strauÌ„ger that was moche slouth is in heuen / this man that was moche dylygent may haue none entre TheÌ„ne was sayd to hyÌ„ that he that was dylygent had atte hour of his deth sorowed for his teÌ„porel goodes for his freÌ„des which wept for hyÌ„ / but that strauÌ„had none freÌ„des at his deth / by this appereth the none ought to present to hyÌ„ that deyeth his childern or his wyfe / to the ende that his helth sholde not be lette ¶ An other holy man sayd that ther was an hermyte in the hermytage of the cyte of Nyle / to whom a good seculer man mynystred to hyÌ„ all his necessytees / in this cyte was a man moche ryche right euyll whiche deyed / was born with grete honour by the bysshop pryncypalles of the toun / with grete noÌ„bre of torches vnto his sepulture This good seculer man that had seen this grete soleÌ„pnyte / went soone after to thermyte / for to delyuere to hyÌ„ that was necessarye / but whan he cam to thermytage / he fouÌ„de that this holy man had be eten of wylde bestes / theÌ„ne he fylle his face to the grouÌ„de flatte / coÌ„cludyng that he wold not aryse tyll he knewe fro whens this thyng ê“ceded / that is to wyte / that the ryche man whiche was so peruerse had had so grete honour in his deth And the holy hermyte that serued daye nyght god was alone dede pyteously / bycause he was herfore in deuoute oryson / ther cam an angell to hyÌ„ the sayd / that the ryche man had had these goodes worldly honours / for to rewarde hyÌ„ for some smale good dedes whiche he had doon in his lyfe / but not withstaÌ„dyng he was in waye of daÌ„ynacoÌ„n for his synnes that he had coÌ„mysed But the solytary hermyte / bycause he had be somwhat defoyled of syÌ„ne where of he had contrycoÌ„n / he had suffred this euyll / bycause he was clene tofore god / fynably haue reste perdurable / so he was coÌ„forted retorned praysyng god ¶ An holy man sayd that he had seen a moche aged womaÌ„ a virgyne / of whom he asked wherfor she had choseÌ„ the astate of virgynyte To whom she answered syghynly / alas holy fader whaÌ„ I was yong I had my fader well attempred softe Iuste vertuous in coÌ„uersacoÌ„n / the whiche was feble ofte seke was so secrete in his dedes / that somtyme his neyghbours in long tyme sawe hyÌ„ not / occupyed his tyme to labour his londe And yf by aduenture he fouÌ„de hyÌ„selfe well dysposed / thenne bare he the fruyt of his labour in to his hous But the moost grete parte of the tyme he was seke in his bedde / spack so lytyll that they that had not knowen hyÌ„ / wolde haue sayd that he had be dombe ¶ But all contrary I had my moder / she was fayr without attemperauÌ„ce more dyshonest in coÌ„uersacoÌ„n than all the wyÌ„men of this regyon / she was replenysshed with all vyces / as of euyll wordes / engendryng noyses dyssencoÌ„ns bytwene frendes / she was dronklew lecherous / wasted all our goodes / for she had the charge of all the hous bycause that my fader was seke And how be it that she was cause of the synne of Infenyte noÌ„bre of people by her euyll maners Neuertheles she was neuer seke / but was hole of her bodye vnto the deth Amonge these thynges it happed that my fader by the vyolence of his grete sekenesses becam fro lyfe to deth And Incontynent the ayer began to meue / to rayne thondre so moche that his bodye myght not be buryed vnto the thyrde daye / bycause of the grete habundauÌ„ce of rayne That seeyng the neyghbours meruaylled sayeng that it was to doubte that this man was deed in dedely synne / that he had so euyl lyued / that the ayer in sygne of repreef myght not suffre that he sholde be buryed Neuertheles to th ende that the body sholde not infecte the hous / duryng the rayne tempest we bare hyÌ„ to therthe After my mode whiche vsed euyll her bodye made an open bordell of our house dyspended all that we had And fynably she cam at her last daye deyed In the deth of whom it semed to eueryche
that the ayer the other elementes dyde to her honour in hyr obsequyes For the ayer was clere clene without wynde without thonder / without ony tempeste Thenne I deported in my yong age / by fastynges afflyccoÌ„ns I began to refrayne the mocyons of lechery in my bodye / on an euyn I began to thynke / whether it were better for to folowe that lyfe of my fader / or of my moder And also I consydered that my fader duryng his lyfe had neuer welthe / but in all myserye he fynysshed his dayes and yet in th ende with grete payne he was buryed And also I doubted yf his lyfe had be good / bycause he had so many euylles / so I concluded to lyue as my moder had doon / purposed in my selfe to folowe her But it happed that duryng this thought I fylle a slepe And anone after ther appered to me a man with a dredfull syght whiche asked me what I thought And how well I refused to saye to hyÌ„ my thought Alwaye in th ende in askyng hym forgyuenes I confessed to hyÌ„ my thoughtes / that doon he sayd to me / come with me / and I shall shewe to the thy fader thy moder after thou shalt these whiche lyfe of theyÌ„ thou wylt Thenne he toke me by the honde / brought me in to a felde swete pleasauÌ„t / where as was grete habundauÌ„ce of fruytes And anone cam my fader whiche enbrached me kyssed me callyng me his doughter / I enbrached hym agayn / prayeng hym that I myght dwelle with hyÌ„ / the whiche sayd to me / my doughter thou mayst not now dwelle here / but yf thou wylt thou shalt come hyther shortly And anone he that ladde me withdrewe me sayd I shal shewe the thy moder that brenneth in the pytte of helle / so he ladde me in to a derke place where as were all myserye / wepynges and wayllynges Ther was a forâ—ays full of pytche boyllyng with infenyte nombre of fendes of so honyble fygure that may not be sayd / thus whan I behelde sowe a doun I behelde my moder brennyng in the formays vnto the necke / whiche grynted her teeth by force of grete payne And whan she sawe me she began to crye / helas my doughter I suffre this payne for my demerytes / for I haue despysed the rule of sobrenes Alas I supposed not that the werkes of fornycacyon sholde be thus punysshed / ne for glotonye I sholde haue ronne in to this dapnacoÌ„n Now thou seest that for my delytes pleasauÌ„ces for the brekyng of the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god I endure these paynes whiche be soo grete that no tongue may expresse / ne herte thynke / therfor my doughter I praye the that thou haue pyte mercy on me that brenne in this fyre without coÌ„sumyng Beholde pyteously my payne / lene me thy honde for to drawe me out froÌ„ this payne TheÌ„ne I sayd alas my moder I dar not for the multytude of fendes whiche be here assystent / theÌ„ne she began more strongly to crye in sayeng / alas my doughter / art thou so cruel that thou despysest the teeres of thy wretched moder / remeÌ„bre that whan I childed bare the / of the greuoê° paynes that I had for the And anone I began to wepe so gretely so lowde that they of the hous cameÌ„ sawe me in my bedde how meruayllously I had wept / to whom I recouÌ„ted all the caas vysyon And therfore I haue determyned to folowe the lyf of my fader / not the lyfe of my moder / to the ende that fynably I may come to the glorye of heuen ¶ An holy man sayd that the Relygyous people ought to haue in honour reuerence specyally thre thynges The fyrst the coÌ„munycacoÌ„n of the holy sacrament of the aulter The seconde is the table where they ete drynke The thyrde is the bacyn wherin they wesshe theyr feet ¶ The same holy man recouÌ„teth an example of an holy man / whiche ete ones with a grete multytude of relygyous men / so doyng hym semed that some of theym ete hoÌ„ny / other ete brede the other foule ordure / wherof he meruaylled / prayed to god that he wolde shewe to hyÌ„ what sygnefyd this syght of one maner mete whiche had be sette to theyÌ„ all TheÌ„ne cam a voys sayeng to hym / that they that ete hoÌ„ny ben they that come to the table of the holy sacramente / with drede reuerence to god / praye god without cessyng / and theyr prayer mouÌ„teth vp to heueÌ„ with encence But they that ete brede / ben they that ete in yeuyng thankynges to god / bycause they knowe the benefaytâ— of god the goodes that they receyue of hym And the other whiche ete of thordure and fylthe / ben they that grutche ayenst god / prayse hym not / but we ought not to do soo For we ought alwaye to prayse thanke hym / to th ende that we may accomplysshe that whiche he commaundeth vs sayeng / yf ye ete or yf ye drynke or yf ye doo ony other thyng / doo ye it all in the name of god ¶ Of sygnes and myracles ¶ Here foloweth an other treatyse where in ben recyted and reherced the sygnes and myracles whiche were doon by the holy faders THe abbot Bysaryon walkyng on a tyme vpon a Ryuer And after that he hadde goon ouer drye feet Thabbot Dulas demauÌ„ded hym yf he felte his feet wete vpon the water And he answered that he was in the water vnto the heles / but the whiche was vnder his feet was ferme stedfaste drye grouÌ„de The sayd Bysaryon goyng to vysyte one his frende / the nyght cam vpon hym / but he prayed to god that it sholde not come vnto that he had vysyted the holy man / so it was ¶ A man possessed with a fende cam ofte in to the chirche of Sychye / for to do praye for hyÌ„ / to th ende that the deuyll sholde leue hyÌ„ go out of his body / how well that ther had be made many prayers for hyÌ„ in the chirche alwaye he myght not be holpen ne guarysshed / then sayd the prestes of the chirche / whiche had prayde for hym / but yf thabbot Bysaryon prayed for hyÌ„ / he sholde not be hole ne guarysshed / thenne they made hyÌ„ to sytte in the place where as the sayd abbot was accustomed to sytte / put theyÌ„ to prayer And on the morne cam thabbot Bysaryon for to sytte in his place / seeyng that it was occupyed sayd to the pacyente Aryse thou / goo out from hens / and Incontynent the fende whiche the man possessed wente his waye and the man was all hole whiche tofore was demonyake ¶ Some aged faders sayd to thabbot Elye / that thabbot Agathon was an holy man / he
of the sayd holy man cōmaūded to the seculer man / that he sholde saye nothyng therof tyll the holy man were deed ¶ The dyscyple of thabbot Sysoy named Abraham was on a tyme tempted of the fende That seeyng thenne the holy man began to lyfte vp his hondes to heuen sayd My god I shall not cesse to praye the / vnto that this temptacōn leue my dyscyple / Incontynent by the prayer of the holy man / he was delyuered of this temptacyon ¶ A holy man entred on a tyme in to a caue where he foūde a lyon / whiche began to grynte with his teeth to crye / to whom the holy man sayd / wherfore art thou wroth / is not here place ynough for the me / and yf it please not the to be with me / thenne go thy waye / and anone the lyon also peasybly as a lambe wente his waye departed ¶ An holy man wente from Sythys in to Termutye And whan the people of the contree sawe hym moche trauaylled / they gaaf to hym a lytyll wyne for to make hym stronge agayne comforte hym And other of theym ledde hym to a man that was vexed with a wycked speryte in his body And whan he was comen thyder the fende began to curse the holy man sayeng / wherfor haue ye brought to me this dronkarde here And the holy man wolde not by grete humylyte that he hadde / coniure this fende / but bycause he called hym dronkarde he sayd I byleue in god my maker / that er I haue dronken this / thou shalt sprynge and go out of this man And the whyle that he dranke / the deuyll cryed / thou brennest me And tofore that the holy man had achyeued to drynke the sayd lytyll wyne / the deuyll wente his waye and departed from the man ¶ One of the holy faders sente his dyscyple to fetche water in a pytte whiche was moche ferre from his celle / but he forgate to bere with hȳ a corde to drawe vp the water And whan he was comen thyder / knowyng that he had lefte his corde at home / began to praye and sayd Myn abbot hath cōmaūded me that I sholde fylle this vessell with water / incontynent the water arose and moūted vnto the brynke of the pytte And thenne he fylled his vessell without corde / anone after the water descended in his propre naturell place ¶ Here foloweth the boke of the good conuersacyon of dyuerse holy faders TWo holy men prayden to god that he wolde shewe to theym what Ioye they hadde wonne in theyr hermytage To the whiche was shewed / that ther was a man maryed in Egypte / the whiche was named Eucharystius / his wyfe named Marye / the whiche hadde goten more glorye in heuen / than hadde the sayd two holy brethern Thenne they wente Incontynent vnto the hous of the the sayd Eucharystius And whan they were comen thyder / they foūde his wyfe at home / whiche sayd to theym that hyr housbonde was goon in to the felde to kepe sheep / and that he sholde come home at euyn Thenne they concluded to abyde and tarye for hym The euyn comen / the sheepherde bryngynge his sheep cam home to his hous And seeyng these two holy men / made redy theyr souper and wesshe theyr feet That doon they sayd to hym / that they wolde neyther ete ne drynke in that hons / tylle that he hadde tolde to theym what lyfe he and his wyfe ledden to gydre Thenne Eucharystius in grete humylyte and reuerence sayd to theym I am an herdeman and kepe sheep / and soo see here my wyfe And furthermore the holy men enquyred of theyr astate / but he durste not saye the trouth / for teschewe vayne glorye / tyll that they sayd to hym Our lorde hath sente vs hyther to the. That herynge Eucharystius was a ferde / and sayd to theym / loo here we haue sheep of oure parentes and frendes / and that whiche cometh to vs of theym / we departe it in to thre partyes / the fyrste parte to gyue to the poore and nedy / the seconde for to lodge the pylgryms / and the thyrde for our lyuyng and sustentacyon And syth that we haue be maryed / we haue not deffoyled our selfe by lecherye / but my wyfe is a clene virgyne And we slepe eche of vs all alone / well ferre that one from that other And whan the nyght cometh we clothe vs with sackes / but on the daye we take agayne our clothes accustomed / this thynge was neuer shewde ne cam to knowlege of ony persone tyll this hour This thyng herde of the holy men they were sore abasshed that he was better than they departed thens / praysyng god ¶ Thabbot Macharius of Egypt came fro Sychye vnto the moūtayne of Nytrye / to the monastery of the abbot Pambo And whan the brethern sawe hym / they began to saye to hym Fader saye to vs some worde edyfycatyf To whom he answered I am not yet a very monke / but oonly I haue seen the monkes / neuertheles at your request I shall saye some lytyll worde On a tyme beyng in my celle / my thoughtes chydden me / and sayd to me goo in to deserte / and consydere all that thou shalt see / but I feryng that these thoughtes camen by the moyen of the deuyll I resysted it by the space of fyue yere / the whiche accomplysshed I wente in to deserte in an hermytage / there I sawe a ponde to the whiche cam for to drynke dyuerse bestes / among whom I sawe two men all naked whiche dranke / anone wenyng that this had be Illusyon of an euyl speryte / began to drede trēble / the seynge the two men / they sayd to me Be nothyng aferde / for we be men / anone I asked theȳ frō whens they were / they answered / we ben of this hermytage / this .xl. yere we neuer yssued out / but as this hour by our both cōsent we ben comen hyther That one of theym was an Egypcyen / that other of Thebes They asked me / yf the water of the worlde cam in his tyme / as that of thermytage And yf the worlde had suffysaunce in his habundaunce / to whom I sayd ye And I demaunded theym how that I myght be very relygyous / to whiche they answered me / yf a man renounce not the worlde / and all the goodes of the same / he maye not be a very Relygyous man Thenne I sayd to theym well but I am feble and frayle / and may not do as ye saye Thenne they sayd to me / yf thou mayst not / go and by wayle thy synnes in thy celle And furthermore I asked theym / wherfore they were naked / and yf they felte ony colde in wynter / or ony hete in somer And they answered me / god hath done to vs this preuylege
they werke with theyr hondes And at tyrce / sexte / and none they saye but thre psalmes oonly in folowynge Danyell the prophete / the whiche was thre tymes in the cenacle and prayed god deuoutly Furthermore these psalmes they saye not without cause atte this houre there For the promesses made to thauncyent and olde faders haue be sente in some of these houres Fyrst the holy ghoost was sente on withsondaye vpon the appostles at the hour of tyerce / and gaaf to theym to speke all maner of langages At the hour of serte our sauyour and redemer Ihesus for the redempcyon of mankynde wolde be nayled and crucefyed on the crosse In the same hour was sente a vessell to saynt Pyeter / in whiche was conteyned the puryfycacōn of all theym that lyue / and was sente by four begynnynges of heuē And by this vessell we vnderstonde the gospell At the houre of none god rendred his spyryte on the crosse / and in the same hour he descended to helle for to take out the soules that were therin / and enlumyned with his clerenes the derkenes of the sayd helle / and restored to his auncyent Royalme that is paradyse In this same hour Cornelius knewe that his prayer was accepted to god Thenne it appereth that the appostles haue not Instytuted without cause these hours here in the chirche / and that we ought well to ensyewe folowe theym to the ende that in the same houres we may prayse and honour god / to serue hym deuoutly ¶ How in a monastery ought to be receyued a seculer that wyll entre in to relygyon / begynnyng in lytyn Cum igitur Caplm .xx. YF a man wyll be receyued in to one of the sayd monasteryes tofore that he shal be receyued he shall lye .x. dayes hole tofore the yate of the monastery / to th ende that by that moyen may be preued his perseueraunce / his humylyte / and obeyssaūce And he must knele doun on his knees to fore the feet of the brethern that passeth forth by the same yate But for the better to preue hym / eche ought to refuse hym and reiecte in sayeng / that it is by necessyte that he cometh for to be a relygyous / and nothyng for deuocyon Furthermore ought to be doon to hym all Iniuryes and repreues that may be do / to th ende that it may be knowen what pacyence he shall haue whan he shall be monke After that it is seen that he be pacyent / he shall be receyued in defendyng hym that he bryng with hym neyther golde ne syluer And thus he is made naked of all that he possedeth in suche wyse that his robe whiche he had shall not abyde with hym / but openly to fore all his brethern by the handes he shall be despoylled / shall be newe cladde with the Robes of relygyon / to th ende that he remembre that he hath renounced the worlde his temporell goodes / and that he hath chosen the veray pouerte of Ihesu cryste And they kepe his fyrst clothes vnto the tyme of his professyon / the whiche doon they be gyuen to the poore and Indygent / but yf so be that he wyll not abyde / his fyrste clothyng is rendred to hym agayn / and put out with the other Furthermore whan a Relygyous is thus receyued and cladde / he is not incontynent put among the other brethern / but he is delyuered to be taught to some holy fader / whiche hath the charge to receyue the pylgryms and the poore people to whome shall serue this same newe brother For it is the begynnyng of humylyte to serue the poore people and pylgryms After whan his humylyte is seen / he shall be suffred to goo with the other brethern In this faytte he is lerned to be mayster of his wyll / and to surmounte and ouercome it And to that ende he is ofte cōmaunded to doo thynges whiche ben ayenst his sayd wyll For the holy faders saye that yf a monke mortefye not his affeccyon / he ne maye eschewe / heuynes / Ire / ne fornycacōn / ne also haue peas with his brethern / ne may not be parfyghtly hūble And therfor eche Relygyous man ought to mortefye his wyll ¶ How a monke to th ende that he do not his owne wyll / ought not to doo ony thyng without the cōmaundemente of his spyrytuall fader / begynnyng in latyn Post hec Caplm .xxi. IN the forsayd monasteryes the relygyouses ben moche obedyent / in suche wyse that they do nothyng without the cōmaundement of theeyr abbot And they hem selfe go not to the places whiche ben naturelly requyred without demaundyng lycence And all that is cōmaūded to theym they accomplysshe lyke as yf god had cōmaunded theym / in soo moche that by theyr obedyence they doo thynges / as it were Impossyble to do And whan they be leyde on theyr couche / yf they here that they be called / they aryse and ne and renne lyghtly for to wyte what they sholde do / in suche wyse as by aduenture / they wrote / and hadde begonne a lettre / they wolde not achyeue it for drede that they sholde abyde ouer longe after that they were called ¶ Of a monke the sone of an Erle / the whiche by the cōmaundement of his abbot bare for to selle openly panyers and hottys / begynnyng in latyn Nouunus Caplm .xxij. I Knewe a brother whiche was of grete parentis the sone of an Erle ryght ryche and puyssaūt the whiche brother lefte fader and moder and wente and rendred hym selfe to be a monke Thabbot thenne of the sayd monastery for to ser his pacyence cōmaunded hym that he sholde go for to selle in the market .x. panyers or hottys grete / whiche were of no necessyte for to be solde / he delyuered hym by this condycōn / that he sholde not selle theym all to one man / to the ende that he sholde be the lenger there / but that he sholde selle one to one persone / an other to an other This broder thenne whiche was the sone of an Erle toke the sayd hottys for to bere thrugh the market / in suche wyse that he solde theȳ acordyng to his charge / and brought the moneye to his abbot ¶ Of thabbot Pinuphus / begynnyng Vidunus Caplm .xxiij. WE haue seen furthermore one named Pinuphus / whiche was of a grete monastery in Egypte / and the whiche was of euery man honoured and praysed But dredyng that he sholde be proude In an euentyde he fleddde and lefte the habyte of a monke / and toke thabyte of a seculer / wente to the monastery of Tabenesyens / that whiche was more strayter than other monasteryes And thus hopyng neuer to be knowen for the grete dystaūce of the place / cam was longe atte gate attendyng knelyng tofore atte feet of the brethern / requyryng that he myght be receyued in to theyr monastery / thēne after
he had be preued in his pacyence he was receyued / but for as moche as theym semed he was not prouffytable / they delyuered to hym that charge to labour in the gardyns / in whiche he wrought vnder an other broder yonger than he was / all that the other refused he dyde dylygently On the nyght in lyke wyse he aroos laboured secretly / in suche wyse on the morn noman knewe who hath spedde so theyr werke So it happed that the thyrde yere thus as his bretheren sought hym in dyuerse places cōtrees / that he was foūden of one of theym the whiche one of theym vnnethe knewe hym / withstondyng the mutacōn chaūgyng of his habyte / that he laboured in werkes to hym not couenable For he grubbed in therthe planted herbes and cooles / and after fette dounge / and leyde it about the rotes This seeyng the brother that sought hym doubtyng yet whether it were he or not / approched hym more ner spake to hym And thenne he knewe hym by the vysage by his speche that he was his abbot whiche he sought / and anone fylle doun to his feet This seeyng the brethern of that abbaye demaūded of that other why he kneled doun to the feet of that relygyous / whiche was but as newe comen Thenne the brother answered that it was his abbot And incontynent eueryche of the brethern asked hym pardon of thyniuryes grete euylles that they had doun to hym But this holy abbot began to wepe playne of thenuye of the deuyll that hadde bewrayed hym / had not suffred that he hadde endured longe that payne / to th ende that he sholde not haue so grete rewarde in heuen Thenne the brethern brought hym agayn in to his abbaye / and kepte hym that fro thens forthon he sholde not flee awaye But after he hadde ben there a lytyll tyme / by grete humylyte he departed by nyght and wente in to a ferre Regyons And putte hym selfe in to a shyppe / by the helpe of whiche / he wente in to the Regyon of Palestyne / wenyng that neuer he sholde be founden / for there was neuer herde speke of hym As soone as he was arryued he wente strayt to a monasterye / whiche is nygh to the place in whiche our sauyour Ihesu cryste was born of the blessyd virgyne Marye / and ther he was a whyle But lyke as the Cyte whiche was vpon a montayne myght not be hydde / ryght soo this holy man was not longe there / but was knowen by some of the monkes that cam on pylgrymage vnto the holy londe / and brought hym agayn with grete prayers and requestes in to his fyrste monasterye ¶ A ryght good admonycyon for annouyce begynnynge in latyn Habent igitur Caplm .xxiiij. ON a tyme thus as we were with this holy man by cause of the famylyaryte that was bytwene vs / cam a brother that demaunded to be receyued in to the sayd monasterye / to whom this holy man gaaf a terryble admonycōn / the whiche I wyll here declare / fyrst he sayd to hym My frende I trowe thou knowest wel how many dayes thou hast abyden at the yate for to be here receyued / yet with grete payne hast thou be receyued Now thou oughtest to knowe the lyfe of relygyon in to the whiche thou wylt entre For yf thou lyue well / thou shalt wynne heuen Also yf thou lyuest euyll thou shalt wynne helle Soo oughtest thou to knowe that to theym that serue well and truly to god in theyr vocacyon is promysed heuen / but to theym that be neclygent to serue hym / ben promysed tormentes Infenyte in tyme to come And after his vocacyon euery man ought to doo and werke For better it were to make none auowe ne promysse / than to make it and kepe it not And furthermore he is cursed and vnhappy that doth the operacyon of god neclygently And therfor sayd the sayd holy abbot to the same brother Thou hast be longe refused of vs / not but that we desyre the helthe of euery catholyke or crysten persone / but doubtynge that we receyue theym solyly And by this wyse we ought be repreued of folye / and thou strongly punysshed and greuously / yf thou haddest be receyued incontynent without to haue gyuen to the knowleche of the burthen and charge of relygyon / sholdest haue be in daūger that th ende sholde not haue be good / knowe thou lyth thou art this daye deed to the worlde and to his goodes And with that as sayth thappostle thou art crucefyed to the worlde and the worlde in the. But thou mayste demaunde / how may he that is yet lyuyng be deed and crucefyed to worlde Now herkene a lytyll I saye fyrst that the crosse of whiche I speke / is the drede of god For lyke as a man crucefyed / may not moeue his membres at his wyll Alle in lyke wyse we ought to do nothyng to our pleasaunce / but after that is cōmaunded vs. And all in lyke wyse as he that is crucefyed or hanged thynketh no more on worldely thynges ne to his affeccyons and pleasaunces / and hath noo couetyse to possede ne haue ony thynges And whan he is nygh the poynt of deth / he reputeth hym selfe as deed Alle in lyke wyse byhoueth vs to be crucefyed by the drede of god / without to thynke on the worlde / but we ought to sette contynuelly our thought there / where we hope ones to go to / that is in to heuen / yf we deserue it And therfore it byhoueth to eschewe that we loke not bacwarde ne behynde vs / that is to saye / whan one hath renoūced the worlde haue lefte it behynde hym / he may nomore thynke theron in ony maner For oonly he shall be saued that shall haue perseuered in good and vertuous operacōns vnto th ende Furthermore our enemye the fende awayteth alwaye / desyreth nothyng but to begyle and deceyue vs by his cauteles and malyces And therfore it shall but lytyll prouffyte to haue well begonne / that perseuereth not to th ende And in this wyse sayd the holy abbot to the sayd broter I exhorte the syth that thou wylt serue god / that thou haue contynuelly the drede to fore the eyen of thy thought / and that the apparaylle thy soule / nothyng to the reste ne to the worldly delyces and flesshely / but to resyste the temptacyons of the deuyll / and tendure the anguysshes of the worlde pacyently For it byhoueth by many trybulacōns to entre in to the royalme of heuē / wherof the yate waye ben so strayte / that fewe peple walke therin / wherof is grete pyte Thus thenne the begynnyng of our helth is the drede of god For by dyuyne drede / good conuersacyon / and kepyng of vertues it is goten The whiche drede yf it be parfyghtly in the herte of a man / it engendreth in hym
/ and ought to flee theym as the venym of a serpent or of a scorpyon / to caste theym lyghtly behynde fro his herte The seconde sayde / syth that I haue renoūced and forsaken the worlde I haue sayd euery daye in my selfe On this daye thou art born by grace / this daye thou begynnest to serue god / this daye thou begȳnest to dwelle here / be thou alway as a pylgyme with out to haue other estymacōn of thy selfe / and thou shalt be shortly delyuered The thyrde sayd In the mornyng I moūte vp to my god by prayer in stratchyng my selfe vpon the erthe / prayeng hym that he forgyue me my synnes After I praye to thangellys and other creatures resonable that they supplye praye to god for me / this doon I goo to Iherusalem to see that the Iewes doon The fourth sayd It semeth me that I am with god his dyscyples in the moūte of Olyuete / me semeth that god sayth to me / be thou alway with my dyscyples enhaūsed in contemplacōn And entremete that with no worldly thynges they abuse thy soule / in takyng exāple of Marye magdalene / that whiche sette her atte feet of the sauyour of the worlde in heryng his wordes whiche ben suche Be ye all holy and parfyght / so sayth your fader of heuen And lerne of hym whiche is hūble of herte swete The fyfth sayd I see euery daye thangellys moūtyng descendyng for to calle the holy soules to bryng theym in to paradyse / do nothyng but abyde myne ende in sayeng Lorde god my herte my conscyence is redy and apparaylled whan thou shalt wyll to take it The .vi. sayd It semeth to me euery daye that after my prayes god sayth to me Labour in the loue of me / I shall make the reste Fyght yet a lytyll ayenst the enemye / after thou shalt see my helthe my glorye / yf thou loue me / yf thou art my sone retourne the hardely to me whiche am thy fader / yf thou be my broder / haue thou shame for me / endure the opbrobryes of the people for the honour of me For I haue endured euylles Infenyte for the loue of the / yf thou be my sheep my subgette folowe my passyon The .vij. sayde I thynke alway on the fayth of god on hope / on charyte dyleccōn I haue hope for to enioye my selfe / charyte for drede the I not hate ony man / fayth for to fortefye me ayenst myn enemyes The .viij. sayd I abyde in grete constaūce the deuyll / whatsomeuer parte he go And I praye to god deuoutly / that he do no gryef to ony persone / pryncypally to theym that drede god The .ix. sayd I consydere by contemplacōn dyuyne the vertues angelyke / in the myddes of theym the sone of god shynyng as the sonne ouer aboue all creatures And in consyderyng the swete armonye of angellys cometh in to my remēbraūce that whiche is wryten Lord god the heuens recounte thy glorye / the fyrmament thy werkes meruayllous And in this contemplacōn al that is vpon therth me semeth dust pouldre The .x. sayd I see myn angell whiche is alwaye besyde me kepeth me / thenne I remēbre of that whiche is wryten by the psalmyste I haue alwaye god tofore my thought For he is alwaye at my right syde to th ende that I be not moeued by euyll temptacōns And for as moche as I drede myn angell whiche moūteth alwaye to heuen feryng that he ne shewe my werkes to god The .xi. sayd I haue gyuen my selfe to all vertues / that is to wyte to abstynence / chastyte / humylyte / charyte / dyleccōn / of whiche what someuer parte I fynde my selfe I am enuyronned of theym / enforce my selfe to kepe theym / to th ende that after my deth / they may wytnesse that they haue rested dwelled in me The xij sayd / amonge you faders whiche haue the heuenly conuersacōn / ye haue also the sapyence dyuyne And for as moche as I see you enhaūsed in vertuous werkes ye haue all renounced the worlde the goodes therof Thenne may I saye without synne that ye ben erthely angellys / heuenly men / touchyng your conuersacōn the whiche is in heuen / of whiche thynges I me repute Indygne vnworthy for my synnes whiche accompanye me ouerall where I goo / on the ryght syde and lyfte syde And therfore I me repute worthy to be dampned Thou shalt be putte hastely with theym that for theyr demerytes be in wepynges and in perpetuell wayllynges And in this I consydere some of theym that strayne theyr teeth for the grete payne that they endure in all the partyes of the bodye And in sygne of humylyte I caste my selfe on the erthe takyng asshes / and prayeng god that it may please hym to preserue me from these tourmentes Furthermore I sawe in that helle a see all boyllynge / in the whiche ben moche people of dyuerse astates whiche cryen soo strongely that it is Impossyble to expresse / and the whiche ben pryued fro the mercy of god by cause of the enormyte of theyr synnes And for as moche consyderynge these paynes I wepe by compassyon the falle of worldely people whiche lyue in so grete daunger And in this dooyng I remembre of that whiche is wryten in the psalme My teres haue ben to me also prouffytable as brede of the daye and nyght For by the moyen of theym I haue nourysshed my soule spyrytuelly Alle in lyke wyse as the bodye is nourysshed by brede materyalle ¶ The whiche contemplacyons afore sayd / of the whiche sayenges and dyctes of the sayd holy Auncyent and olde faders we ought with all our power to folowe / to the ende that in so dooyng we may come in to the Royame of heuen The whiche graunte vs he that regned perpetuelly AMEN ¶ Here fynyssheth the fourthe parte of the lyfe of holy faders of Egypte and of Grece ¶ Here foloweth the fyfth parte and some smale treatyses of the praysyng of vertues c. ¶ Here foloweth the fyfthe parte ¶ Here folowed some smale treattys of the praysyng of vertues / as well morall as theologycall / vpon which saynt Macharye made his prologue / whiche was auctour compylatour of theym spekyng in this maner FOr as moche my right dere byloued brother that somtyme thou haste affectuously requyred me to make some lytyll boke or treatyse of the praysyng of vertues I desyryng to fulfylle thy requeste haue compyled this presente booke to the praysyng of god and to the saluacyon of thy soule / knowynge the grete desyre that thou haste to see the holy scryptures And for that cause I am gladde to haue accomplysshed that whiche hath pleased the to requyre me / to th ende that thou mayst alwaye prouffyte in the loue of god / and also that I be
/ prayed for his enemyes And thou wylt not pardonne theym that offende the. I byleue yf that thou thoughtest well on this that is here tofore conteyned that thou sholdest lyghtely forgyue theym that offende to the. And in so dooyng thou shalt mowe appease thyn Ire or wrathe And in accomplysshyng the commaundementes of god to loue eueryche as it is wryten Loue ye your enemyes / and doo good to theym that persecute you And praye for theym that chalenge and do you wronge Yf thou be tempted to goo see dyuerse Regyons and contrees / repute thenne thy selfe as deed and crucefyed to the worlde / thenne thou shall ouercome that temptacoÌ„n For thou shalt thynke on nothyng but on thy deth / yf thou wylt take hede that the worlde to whom thou art deed reyse the not agayne / or that it be not in the reysed agayne / herke what the appostle sayth of the battayll of vyces ayenst the vertues / yf ye mortefye sayth he the dedes of the flesshe by spyrytuell dedes / ye shall lyue spyrytuelly / therfore yf thou wylt lyue / it byhoueth the to mortefye the vyces by the vertues / as hate by charyte / worldely heuynes by spyrytuell Ioye / dyscencyon by peas / malyce by bouÌ„te / cruelnes by swetenes GlotoÌ„nye by sobrenes abstynence / lecherye by chastyte And yf thus thou destroye mortefye the operacoÌ„ns of the flesshe / certaynly thou shalt come to the Royame of heuen with god our maker our redemer his angellys ¶ Of the affeccyon for to studye well Caplm .xij. IT byhoueth not longe to occupye the tyme in thynges tofore sayd For I wyll that thou rede in scryptures to th ende / that that whiche to the is necessarye thou mayst fynde in the same / for I byleue that the comaundementes of god may not parfyghtly he knowen but in redyng And â—oo moche more that a man is contynuell in redyng / so moche more â—e vnderstondeth it For the londe of so moche more as it dylygently ered and laboured / so moche more bryngeth it forthe grete habundaunce of fruyt / how be it that a man hath the vnderstandyng lytyll and dulle / neuertheles he may lerne the scryptures For to hym that shall haue faculte and wyll to rede shall be gyuen vnderstondynge for to vnderstonde that whiche he redeth And he that naturelly hath no vnderstondyng / or that be rude / neuertheles by his labour he knoweth some thyng ryght so he that despyseth to augmente to dyuyne that to hym is coÌ„mysed shall be dampned atte Iugement And therfore I praye the to rede and studye gladly / for moche prouffyte coâ—â—â—â— of the studye of scryptures And thou shalt lerne in theym that whiche we knowe not Ysydore sayth that by prayer we be purged spyrytuelly And by ofte redyng / we be enseygned and taught That one and that other is good / but whan it byhoueth to praye / it is euyll doon to estudye or to rede for it is sayd comunely / that to estudye is â—â—rsed whiche letteth the dyuyne seruyce Also he that wyll be with god by grace he ought to praye ofte / ofte to studye For in prayeng we speke to god / in studyeng god speketh vs. And therfor my brother frende / it byhoueth that thou rede and praye ofte For the lecture gyueth to vs knowlege of god and prayer taketh awaye the derkenes of the soule By the lecture we haue knowlege of god and of his coÌ„maundementes / by that we may knowe what glorye and felycyte they that be saued haue in heuen By that also we vnderstonde what myserye and what payne haue they in helle that be dampned And by that we knowe the sentence that shall be proferred atte daye of Iugement vpon the good and vpon the euyll For to the euyll shall be sayd / go ye in to the fyre of helle And to the good Come ye well blessyd in to the kyngdom of my fader / the whiche is apparaylled to you syth the begyÌ„nyng of the worlde And furthermore by estudye we lerne how we ought to bere pacyently the aduersytees of this worlde / how we sholde conteyne vs in prosperyte And by this in the chapytre folowyng I shall determyne of the aduersytees of the holy faders / how they haue suffred them pacyently / to the ende that thou be the more prompte to endure theym And that by the same thou myghtest haue the Royame of heuen whiche is apparaylled for theym that be good ¶ How one ought pacyently to endure the aduersytees maladyes Caplm .xiij YF by aduenture happe to come to the ony maladye or aduersyte I praye the rede the scrypture For thou shalt fynde therin what god sayth Theym that I loue I chastyse / it is a sygne that god loueth a persone whan he chastyseth hym sendeth to hym some aduersyte / whiche aduersytees thou oughtest to suffre pacyently And to this purpose I shall recouÌ„te to the an example Ther was a man named Benyamyn whiche heled guarysshed seke people / by his touchyng only theyÌ„ / the whiche Benyamyn fylle in to a dropesye / becam so gretly swollen that he myght not go out of his celle / without to breke vp the dore And neuer theles he had suche pacyence / the he vysyted the other seke people / in that he myght / he conforted theyÌ„ sayeng / praye ye for my soule / retche not for my bodye For whan I was hole I retche not to serue god / therfore take example of hym ¶ Furthermore herkene of a monke named Steuen / whiche conforted the seke men after his power / lyued vnto the age of .lx. yere / but this not withstonden he was smeten with a maladye incurable / in suche wyse the hym byhoued to cutte of his legges / the whiche bycause of the maladye were roten / neuertheles he ceassed not to make baskettes in admonestyng the other that they sholde not be angry of his maladye / that they sholde not thynke but on the ende For he sayd / all the god dooth is vtyle and prouffytable And I knowe well that these paynes here ben gyuen to me for my synnes / so had I leuer endure here a lytyll payne transytorye / than herafter to suffre the paynes of helle eternally And therfor by his example / whan ony aduersyte shal come to the / dyspose the to bere suffre it pacyently And consydere yf the holy men haue gyuen thankynges to god in theyr aduersytees / thenne sholde we synners endure pacyently the euylles that come to vs. For it is wryten that by dyuerse trybulacoÌ„ns / ought men to come to heuen TheÌ„ne ought we strongely to loue trybulacoÌ„ns to th ende that we be heretrers of that souerayne glorye For the synner that shal not be punysshed here / shall be punysshed in helle Also whyles that we lyue we ought to desyre to bere endure sekenesses trybulacoÌ„ns
god / ¶ The man slepynge was gretely admerueyled / ¶ On the morne erly he callyd togyder alle his frendes and recounted to theym alle that the angel had shewed to hym / ¶ But he knewe noo thynge in what place the holy faders were / ¶ Wherfore he cowde not do that the aungell hadde sayde to hym / ¶ On the morne he was yet agayn menaced thretened and beten by thangell / By cause he hadde not accomplysshed and fulfylled his commauÌ„dement ¶ In lyke wyse as he dyde tofore he dyde doo assemble alle his frendes for to haue counseylle how he myghte doo that whiche the aungell hadde commaunded hym / In shewyng to theym the woundes that he hadde receyued of the aungell / ¶ And notwythstondynge none of theym wyste not what to saye / By cause they knew not the place where the relygyous were in deserte / ¶ Emong the other there was one wyse man that counseylled hym that he sholde lade and charge thre score ten Camellis wyth vytaylle / And to lete theym goo there as they wolde withoute to be ladde ne conduyted of ony persone / ¶ For yf it were soo that suche reuelacyon came of a good aungell He sholde pourney for theym / And yf it came of an euyll aungell He sholde take it in pacyence / This counseyle playsed to alle them that were presente / ¶ And it was soo executed in ladynge thre score and fyue Camellis with vytayle for the Relygyouses / And fyue other wyth vytaylle for the sayde Camellis / ¶ After they were thus laden he made his prayer to god thus sayenge / O my god I requyre the. as Prouyder of alle theym that lyuen / That it may playse the to adresse and to gouerne alle thyse Camellis to go to the place where thy seruauntes ben / in suche wyse as it shal playse the / And also to brynge them home agayne yf it soo playse the. wythoute empesshement or lettynge in to myn howse / ¶ Thenne he made theym to departe wythoute ony persone to goo wyth theym for to be theyr guyde / ¶ And soo they wente alonge by a mountayne by the space of foure dayes / And fynably came to the yate of theyr monasterye / ¶ And by cause that they songe theyr seruyce they myghte not here those sayde Camellis ne theyr grete sownettes ne belles / â—auf oonly the Abbot whyche was nyghe the gate / Whyche was fyrst aduysed and hadd knowlege of theym to his grete Ioye and exultacyon By cause that god hymselfe hadde purueyed to his nedefull petycyon and prayer ¶ The sayde Abbot Frontynyan sayde noo worde vnto the tyme that al the seruyse was accomplysshed and ended / ¶ And after the ende of the sayde seruyse he callyd togider alle his brethern To whom he sayde / ¶ O my brethern where ben now youre murmuracyons and grutchynges / ¶ See ye now how god hath sente myraculously thyse Camellis laden wyth vytaylle / ¶ Alle they togyder rendred and gaaf thankynges to god In praysynge and magnefyenge his name / ¶ And after dischargeden and vnloded the sayd Camellis· and wysshe theyr fete / And that done they gaaf to them to ete suche mete as they hadde brought wyth theym / ¶ And with that also wente to the mountayne for to fetche grasse for to Refresshe theym more largely / ¶ On the morowe the Abbot departed aile the vytaylles / And layed agayne on the Camellis halfe theyr ladynge / To the ende to eschewe the sinnes that they myghte commyse and doo by ouer grete habundaunce and plentee of those goodes / ¶ And sente theym to hym agaynt that hadde sente theym / ¶ In prayenge to god / that from alle harme and euyll he wolde kepe theym / and also theyr mayster and lorde / ¶ Seuen dayes after they of the howse of the sayde riche man whyche had sente forthe the sayd Camellis / ¶ One of theym herde the sownettis and bellis sawenge theym comynge togyder and And aduertysed and tolde the other / ¶ Thenne alle they alle togyder went to mete theym / And founde theym all togyder alle hoole / And not lener ne in worse poynte thanne they were att the yt departynge for alle theyr ferre and longe Iourney / ¶ The ryche man whiche tofore was heuy doubtynge the losse of his Camellis receyued theim Ioyously In louynge and praysynge the name of god / ¶ And after that same tyme durynge the lyfe of the sayde saynt Frontynyan contynued to sende to hym ofte of hys goodes as well for hym as for his Relygyouses by whyche the sayde hadde noo suffraunce of hungre ne necessytee of ony thynge / And this thynge happed the thyrtenth yere of the Empyre of Anthonye Emperoure of Rome / ¶ Saynt Iherom sayth vppon this paas / that who some euer shal doo almesse vnto the seruauntes of god And haue towarde theym a pyteuous herte In enlargynge to theym of his goodes for theyr necessytees He shall be rewarded of god in this lyf or in euerlastynge lyfe / ¶ The whyche yeue vs the fader the sone and the holy ghoste / Amen / ¶ Thus endyth the life of saynt Frontynyan whyche was a deuowte and holy Relygyous / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Symeon heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Sanctus Symeon et cetera Caplm .xlvi. SAynt Symeon was not he the receyued in the Temple oure Sauyoure and redemer Ihesu Cryste ¶ Fourty dayes after he was borne The whyche made the Psalme Nunc dimittis / ¶ But this holy man of whom presentely we shall rede was halowed of god in his moders wombe / ¶ He was swetely nourysshed of his parentes and frendes / And kepte and droue the beestes of his fader vnto thirtene yeres of his aege / ¶ Thnne it happed as he kepte those beestes that he apperreyued a chyrche / In to whyche he entred leuynge his beestes in the feldes / And in that chyrche thenne was radde the Epystle of saynt Poul / ¶ Incontynent saynt Symeon aâ—yd an auncyent man what sygnefyed that whyche was thenne radde / ¶ The whyche answered to hym that the epystle sygnefyed / How a man oughte to loue and drede god wyth alle his myghte and thoughte / ¶ Saynt Symeon asked what it was to laye to drede god / ¶ The sayd auncyent man answered to hym / My sone why mockest thou me / ¶ The chylde ansuered to hym / My fader I aske the as hym whiche maye comforte me I am as a â—ude asse and ygnoraunt whiche knowyth noo thynge / ¶ And therfore I praye the that thou wolte teche me in that whyche I shall demaunde and aske the The auncyent fader in heryng thyse wordes taught hym in this manere and sayde ¶ My sone who someuer fastyth and mekyth hymselfe in kepynge the commaundementis of god forsakyth fader and modeâ— frendes and all the goodes of the worlde In folowynge the doctryne of holy
faders he shall haue for hys herytage the reame of heuen / ¶ Whanne the chylde herde thyse wordes he knelyd downe tofore him sayenge / ¶ Thou arte my fader and my moder / And wyth this I take the for my Dyrectour of alle my werkes and operacyons / Thou haste this daye sauyd my soule· the whyche was in the waye of perdycyon ¶ Now I shall goo in suche wyse as thou haste taughte me Or god shall conduyte and lede me / ¶ His wyll of me be done / ¶ Yet the good fader enfourmyd hym that he sholde haue pacyence in aduersytee / ¶ And after this the sayde Symeon wente vnto a monasterye of a ryght perfyghte man namyd Thymothee Tofore the yates of whiche monastery he taryed fyue dayes wythoute mete and wythout drynke / ¶ After the sayde fyue dayes the holy Abbot Thymothee came out of the sayde monasterye And founde the chylde Symeon / ¶ And he askyd hym of whens he was / And yf he hadde done ony harme by cause he was fugyâ—yf / ¶ Saynt Symeon answered sayenge Syre I haue not begyled ne trowbled my frendes ne none other persones of the worlde ¶ But I desire to be the seruaunte of god yf it playse hym / ¶ To the ende that I may saue my soule the whiche is loste / ¶ And therfore I praye the / that thou receyue me in to thy monasterye for to serue alle the brethern therin ¶ Thenne the good Abbot tooke hym by the honde as he hadde knowen hys grete deuocyon / And ladde hym in to the monasterye / sayenge to the relygiouses ¶ Alle ye my brethern I delyuer to you this chylde namyd Symeon for to teche and enfourme hym in the Rules of oure monasterye / ¶ And therfore I coÌ„maunde you that eche of you be to him as his fader / For I byleue that he shal be of the nombre of perfyghte men / ¶ The chylde Symeon seruyd the sayde Relygyous by the space of foure monethes / In whyche foure monethes he lerned the Psaulter In lyuynge allone spyrytuelly / ¶ For the refeccoÌ„n that he hadde wyth the Relygyouses he gaaf it secretely to the poore people / ¶ And notwythstondynge that the brethern toke theyr refeccyon alwaye atte euyn saynt Symeon tooke noo thynge but on the seuenth daye / ¶ On a daye amonge the other he tooke the corde of the pytte by whyche they drewe the water / and bounde it on his bare flesshe abowte his raynes and his sholdres / ¶ And soo faste he bounde it abowte that the corde entred wyth in his flesshe vnto the bone / ¶ And for this cause his flesshe roted and was ful of vermyn The whyche fell from hym in suche wise as the good Symeon walked ¶ Now it happed that the bredern knew that he ete not but from one son daye to a nother / And they founde him gyuynge his porcyon to the poore people ¶ And soo they accused hym to the Abbot sayenge That he brake the rules of the abbay / And also that he was alle enfecte And they felte hym moche stynkynge / ¶ The Abbot made hym to come speke to hym In repreuynge hym of his strayte lyfe By cause he ete not euery daye ones lyke as he hymselfe dyde / And there was noo dyscyple aboue his mayster / ¶ And after he made hym to be dyspoylled / And thenne they founde how he was bounde wyth a corde And that it was the cause why he stanke soo / ¶ The Abbot was gretly abasshed and prayed hym that he wolde goo oute of the monasterye But fyrste they tooke it from hym wyth grete payne and smarte / And dyde doo hele hym / ¶ And that done he departed oute of the monasterye secretely / And went vnto a deserte place whyche was not ferre from the sayde monasterye / Where he founde a pytte whyche was not vsyd / And in whyche was noo water / but there were therin euyll spyrytes ¶ The nyghte folowynge was shewed to the Abbot Thymothee that many armyd people came for to assyege the howse for to haue the good seruaunt of god Symeon / ¶ And yf they wold not delyuere hym / That they wolde thretene to brenne theym and all theyr monasterye / ¶ Whanne Thymothee was awakyd consyderyng this reuelacyon / And that he hadde soo blamyd the seruaunte of god was sore aferde and recyted to his brethern the sayde reuelacyon / ¶ And how he was therwyth sore trowblyd / ¶ The nyghte folowynge came abowte the howse moche people that cryed wyth an hyghe voyce / ¶ Thymothee delyuer to vs Symeon ¶ He is better bylouyd wyth god thanne thou / Wherfore haste thou trowbled hym soo hardely / ¶ Alle the heuenly courte is wrothe wyth the / ¶ By cause for hym god shall doo merueyllous thynges / whyche man neuer dyde / ¶ Incontynente Tymothee aroos and went to his brethern commaudynge theim that wyth oure delaye they sholde goo and fynde Symeon / or ellis they were all in way to deye wythin theyr monasterye / ¶ The brethern anone wente oute of their chyrche for to go seche where thei myghte fynde the good Symeon / but they cowde not fynde hym / ¶ Thenne they retorned to the Abbot sayeng that they hadde serched ouer alle sauf in the pytte of the deserte / ¶ The abbot whyche of thise tydynges was moche dysplaysed tooke wyth hym fyne of hys brethern wyth whom he transported hym vnto the sayde pytte wherin the good Symeon was descended / ¶ And tofor â—r they wolde goo downe in that place they made theyr prayers to god to haue grace for to fynde the good relygyous Symeon / And that he wolde kepe theym from Inconuenyent / And that done they descended in to the pytt ¶ The holy man Symeon seenge theym there sayde to theym / O ye seruauntes of god / I praye you suffre ye me to abyde here that I maye yelde my spyryte to god / For I haue but a lytyl whyle to lyue / And my soule is yet alle greuyd of that I haue enfecte your house / ¶ The Abbot ansuerd / Certaynly my frende we shall not leue the here / But thou shalte come with vs in to our monasterye / For we knowe that thou arte louyd of god / ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they broughte hym wolde he or noo into theyr chyrche / In whyche alle they felle downe to his fete and cryed hym mercy of the offence that they had done to hym / ¶ Saynt Symeon wepynge sayde to theym / Helas my brethern ye grieue me to exalte me thus that am a poore synnar / And ye ben soo holy faders / ¶ A yere after dwelled saynt Symeon in the sayde monasterye / And after he departed secretely in to a solytary place Whyche was not ferre from the sayde monasterye / ¶ And there edefyed a lytyll cloysture of stones / And there dwellyd he thre yeres / ¶ In that tyme beganne his fame to