she sawe this purse anone she stouped doune tooke it vp / and anone she opened it and founde the balle and redde the poyse who soo playeth with me of my playe he shall not be fulfylled And than began she to playe / and so longe she contynued in playnge tyll that the Iougeloure was afore her at the marke / and thus he wanne the Emperours doughter ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is oure blyssed lorde Ihesu Cryste / and his fayre doughter is mannes soule whiche was made clene with the water of the holy fonte and was also ful lyght to renne / that is to saye / in vertue whyle that she is in clennes soo that no deedly synne myght ouercome her This Iogeler that is come of so wyly blode is y◠deuyll the whiche studyeth daye and nyght to dysceyue Innocentes / he prouydeth hym of thre thynges / fyrste of the garlande whiche betoke neth pryde by this reason For why a garlande of floures it not sette vpon the arme nor vpon the fote / but vpon the heed that it may be seen Ryght so pryde wolde be seen / agaynst proude men speketh the holy man saynt Austyn saynge thus Quecūque superbiū videris filiū diaboli dici non dubitetis That is to saye / what proude man that thou mayst see doubte ye not to calle hym the sone of the deuyll / doo y◠therfore as the mayden dyde by wepe thy synne and thrawe of the garlande of pryde and caste it in the dytche of contrycyon / and so shalte thou gyue the deuyll a grete buffet and ouercome hym But whan this Iougeloure / that is to saye oure gostely enemye the deuyll seeth and perceyueth in hym selfe ouercomen in one synne / than he retorneth and tempted a man in another synne and casteth before man the gyrdell of lecherye But alas there be full many gyrded with the gyrdell of lecherye Of the whiche gyrdell speketh saynt Gregory saynge thus Gyrde we our buttockes with the gyrdell of chastyte For who someuer is gyrte with this gyrdell shall lese the course of lyfe Than casteth the Iougeler forth / that is for to saye the deuyll / the purse with the balle The purse that is open aboue and closed vnder betokeneth the herte whiche that euermore sholde be closed vnder ayenst erthly thynges / and open aboue to heuenly Ioye / and the two strynges that openeth and shytteth the purse betokeneth the loue of god of oure neyghboures The balle whiche is rounde and meuable to euery parte of his dyffrence betokeneth couetyse whiche moueth euer bothe in yonge and in olde / and therfore the poyse was good and true that was wryten on the purse / who so playeth with me / that is to saye with couetyse / they shall neuer be fulfylled Therfore sayth Senecke Cū omnia peccata senescunt sola cupiditas iuuenescit Whan that all synnes waxen olde than couetyse all only waxeth yonge Therfore late vs take hede that we playe not with this balle of couetyse / than without doubte we shall opteyne and wynne the game with the tenes balle in the blysse of heuen that neuer shall haue ende Vnto the whiche blysse brynge vs he that shedde his blode for us vpon the robe tree Amen SOmtyme in rome dwelled a myghty emperour and a wyse named Theodose whiche aboue all thynge loued best melody of harpe and huntynge It befelle after vpon vpon a daye whyle this Emperour hunted in a forest he herde so swete a melody of harpes that thrughe the swetnes therof he was almoost rauysshed frome hym selfe / wherfore he sought about the forest to fynde that melodye / and at the laste he aspyed in the ende of the forest a poore man syttynge besyde a water playnge on an harpe so swetely that themperour before that daye herde neuer so swete a melodye Than sayd the Emperour good frende cometh this melodye of thyn harpe or none The poore man answered and sayd / my reuerent lorde I shall tell you the trouth Besyde this water my wyfe and my chylde and I haue dwelled xxx yere god hath gyuen me suche grace that whan so euer I touche myn harpe I make soo swete melodye that the fysshe of this water cometh out to my hande and so I take them wherewith my wyfe my chylde and I ben fedde dayly in grete plente But alas and welawaye on the other syde of this water there cometh a whysteler and whysteleth soo swetelye that in many dayes my fysshe forsaketh me and gooth to his whystelynge / and therfore my reuerent lorde I beseche you of helpe agaynst his hyssynge and whystelynge Than sayd themperour / I shall gyue good helpe and counsell I haue here in my purse a golden hoke whiche I shall gyue the / take thou it and bynde it faste atte the ende of a rodde and with that smyte thy harpe / and whan thou seest the fysshe styre drawe them vp to the londe with that hoke and than his whystelynge ne hyssynge shall not auayll Whan the poore man herde this he reioysed hym gretely and dyde all thynge lyke as the Emperour had taught hym / and whan this poore man began to touche his harpe the fysshe meued / and than he toke theym vp with his hoke and lyued therby longe tyme / at the last ended gracyously his lyfe ¶ This Emperour betokeneth Ihesu cryste whiche gretely delyteth for to hunte the soule of mankynde in the foreste the is holy chirche He loueth also the melody of the harpe / the is to saye / he loueth moche to teche the holy worde of theologie This poore man that satte by the water syde betokeneth the prelates of the chirche / and the prechers of the worde of god whiche ought to sytte besyde the worlde and not in the worlde / that is to saye he sholde not sette his delyte in worldely thynges This precher ought to haue y◠harpe of holy scrypture wherwith he may prayse honoure god / also therwith drawe out of this worlde the synners Therfore sayth the psalmyst thus Prayse ye god in tympans and crowdes and synge ye to hym on the harpe◠the psauter of x. strenges But now a dayes the precher may saye alas / for whan I preche teche holy scrypture / the deuyll cometh whysteleth so swetely that the synners drawe to hym and wyll not here the worde of god but they tourne them selfe onely to the delyte of synne The deuyll dysceyueth also mankynde by dyuerse wayes Fyrst in tyme of prechynge he maketh some to slepe / and theym that he can not make slepe he causeth putteth in theym to clater and to talke / and theym that he can not make to clater he maketh theym soo dulle that they may not sauour ne vnderstonde what the precher sayth / theym that he can not begyle in these meanes he putteth in theym besynes and causeth theym to goo out of the chirche Loo so many wayes the deuyll hath
deuyll or ony other wolde styre vs to synne / anone thynke we on the passyon of cryst and saye we thus I shall take none other but the whiche hast shedde thy blode for me And thus shall we wynne euer lastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche god brynge vs all Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperoure named Apolloninus whiche ordeyned for lawe that euery man vpon payne of deth sholde worshyp the daye of his natyuyte This Emperoure called vnto hym a clerke that hyght Virgyll and sayd My dere mayster there ben many heed synned done contrary to the lawe / therefore I praye that that thou by thy connynge wolde make some crafte wherby I myght knowe who trespassed ayenst the law pryuely or pertly Than sayd Virgyll My reuernt lorde youre wyll shall be done Anone this Virgyll thrugh his crafte made an ymage in the myddes of the cyte of Rome whiche desceuered and tolde themperours messangers who trespassed agaynst the lawe and who trespassed not There was that tyme owellynge in the cyte of Rome a smyth that hyght Focus whiche for no thynge wolde worshyppe the natyuyte of the Emperour It befelle vpon a nyght whyle the smyth laye in his bedde / he thought vpon the ymage whiche had accused soo many men before / and dredde lest the ymage wolde accuse hym / wherfore he arose and wente to the ymage and sayd I make a vowe to god yf euer thou accuse me I shall breke thyne heed whan he had thus sayd he wente home The Emperour on the morowe after folowynge sente his messengers vnto the ymage as he was wonte before to knowe and to vnderstande who had trespassed ayenst the lawe And to theym than sayd the ymage / lyfte vp your eyen and beholde what is wryten in my forhede And thaÌ„ they loked vp sawe this poyse wryten Tempore mutantÌ„ hoiÌ„es detminantÌ„ Tymes ben chaunged / and men ben worse worse For who wyll saye the trouth shall haue his heed broken therfore go ye forth vnto your lorde and tell hym all that ye haue redde and seen The messengers wente forth and tolde the Emperoure all that they had herde seen Than sayd the Emperour / arme your selfe and goo ye to the ymage / yf that ye fynde ony man that hath bostyd / and loke yf ony man haue thretened the ymage / bynde hym hande and fote and brynge hym vnto me Than wente the messenger forthe vnto the ymage and sayd vnto the ymage Telle vs the trouth yf ony man hath thretened the and we shall auenge the anone Than sayd the ymage Take the smyth Focus for he is that man that wyll not honoure the Natyuyte of the Emperour Anone the messengers ledde forth that smythe before themperoure / and anone examyned hym why he kepte not the daye of the Emperours natyuyte in reuerence and honour accordynge vnto the lawe Than answered the smyth and sayd Reuerent lorde I beseche you that ye wolde here myne excuse / and yf I answere not resonably to all maner of poyntes that ye wyll aske me I wyl put me onely in youre grate Than sayd the Emperour I shal here the and that / that is ryghtfull I shall doo Than sayd the smyth It behoueth me to haue .viii. d. euery daye in the weke / and that I can not gete without grete laboure / therfore I may in no maner wyse kepe that daye holy daye mote than other dayes Than sayd the Emperoure / why behoueth it the to haue this .viii. d. Than sayd the smyth / I am beholde to paye dayly .ii. d. and iid I lene and .ii. d. I lese and .ii. d. I exspende Than sayd the Emperoure / telle me more expressely of these .viii. d. Than sayd he I am bouÌ„de euery daye too paye .ii. d. to my fader / for whan I was yonge my fader spente on me .ii. d. dayly / and therfore I am beholde to helpe hym and to paye hym agayne his .ii. d. for his sustentacyon Also .ii. d. I lese on my wyfe Than sayd themperour / why lesest thou that .ii. d. on thy wyfe Than sayd he where se ye euer woman but she had one of these poyntes outher she is wylfull or contrarye to her husbonde or of hote complexcyon and therfore that I gyue her I lese Also ii d. I lene to my sone wherwith he is susteyned that whan I come to age pouerte that he may paye me agayne .ii. d. lyke as I doo to my fader Also I spende .ii. d. on my selfe in mete and drynke that is lytell ynough Than sayd themperoure thou hast answered well and wysely Not longe after that it fell that themperoure dyed and this smyth Focê° was chosen to be Emperour bycause he spended this .viii. d. soo wysely and so proffytably / and thus he ended his lyfe in pease and in reste ¶ Dere frendes this Emperoure is oure blyssed lorde Ihesu Cryst whiche ordeyned by his holy lawe that euery man sholde worshyppe the sondaye This Vyrgyll whiche made this ymage is the holy goost whiche is sette vp amonge vs a precher to teche vertues and to repreue vyces and that he sholde not spare the poore ne the ryche But now yf a precher wolde saye trouth agaynst ony man anone he sHall be menaced and thretned of the enmyes of cryste / that is to saye by euyll men whiche that loued neyther god ne man / wherfore the precher may saye now adayes that people whiche was wryten in the forhede of the ymage Tymes ben chauÌ„ged frome good to ruyl / and men be dayly worse and worse For who soo wolde saye the trouth now a dayes shall haue his heed broken Therfore it is nede they be armed / that is to saye that euery precher be armed with good dedes in ensample of other / and than it nedeth not to drede in so moche that they haue god and trouth to stande by theym / accordynge to the appostles saynge thus Si deus nobiscuÌ„ quis contra nos Yf god be with vs who may be agaynst vs. By this smyth Focus in vnderstande euery good crysten man whiche dayly sholde werke merytory dedes / and than he ought to be presented before the heuenly Emperour This Focus payed .ii. d. to his fader / and so we shall paye to oure fader of heuen .ii. d. that is to saye honoure loue For whan we were the chylderin of wretchednesse and but in boundage almyghty god sente doune to yâ— erthe his sone to redeme vs Accordyinge to saynt Iohan that Euangelyst saynge thus Deus dilexit mundum vt filium suum vnâ—genitum daret pro mundo God loueth the worlde soo well that he wolde gyue his oonely sone for the saluacyon of the worlde Also this Focus lente .ii. d. to his sone / that is too saye euery crysten man ought to lene / to the sone of god oure blyssed lorde Ihesu Cryste good wyll and merytory dedes in oure lyfe that he may paye vs
tyme was fed for Ioye / and whan this byrde seased of her songe than wolde she flye in to the knyghtes bosome and there this knyght fed her many a daye of yâ— vytayle that god sente hym It befell after vpon a day that this knyght was gretely desolated of comforte Neuerthelesse the byrde sat in his bosome etynge nuttes / and thus he sayd vnde the byrde O good byrde I haue susteyned the many a daye / what shalte thou gyue me nowe in my desolacyon to comforte me Remember the well that thou arte that crature of god I also Therfore helpe me now in my grete nede / whan that byrde herde this / she flewe forth frome his bosome and taryed frome hym thre dayes But the thyrde daye she came agayne brought in her mouth a precyons stone and layde it in the knyghtes bosome And anone whaÌ„ she had soo done she tooke her slyght and flewe from hym agayne The knyght meruayled of the stone and of the byrde / and there with he tooke the stone in hande and touched the geuys and anone fell of his fetters and all his cheynes where with he was bounde sodenly brake And anone he arose and touched the dores of the pryson and anone they opened and soo he espcaped and ranne fast vnto the Emperours palays / whan the keper of the pryson perceyued this he blewe an horne theyse and thus he raysed vp all the folke of the cyte and ledde them forth cryenge with an hyghe voyce Loo the thefe is gone folowe we hym all And with that he ranne before all his felowes towarde the knyghte and whan he came nyghe hym / the knyght bente his bowe and shotte an arowe wherwith he smote the keper in the lounges and slewe hym / and than he ranne to the palays where as he founde socoure accordynge to the law ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour betokeneth our lorde Ihesus Cryste whiche ordeyned for lawe that what mysooer that is to saye / what synner myght escape and come vnto the palays of holy chiâ—che thrughe confessyon and contrycyon sholde fynde there perpetuell socoure and helpe This knyght betokeneth euery synner whiche is taken in deedly synne / and Iudged vnto the pryson of helle by the lawe of god And he is straytely bouÌ„de with cheynes of synne wherfore he wepeth and mourneth dayly for his trespas The keper of this pryson betokeneth the deuyll the whiche kepeâ—h suche a man harde bounde in synne / and serueth hym with rychesse and delytes of this worlde that he sholde not escape frome hym The byrde that syngeth soo swetely betokeneth the voyce of heuen the whiche sayeth vnto the synnet thus Reuertere reuertere sunamitis Tourne agayne now tourne agayne thou prysoner / that is to saye / tourne agayne thou heuenly synner and I shall receyue the to grace For whan mankynde was in Lymbo Patrum whiche was a certayne pryson of helle before the compynge of cryste Thâ—s came a byrde / that is to saye / the godhede berynge with hym a stone whiche betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste accordyÌ„ge vnto holy scrypture saynge thus Ego sum lapis c. I am a stone The soule of cryste descended with yâ— godhede and brought with hym all mankynde out of the pryson of helle Therfore yf ony of vs be in the pryson of deedly synne touche we oure synnes with this stone / that is to saye with the vertue of our lorde Ihesu cryste by confessyon and contrycion / and than withouten doubte the cheynes of our synnes with his stone shall be dronken and fall from vs / and the dores of heueÌ„ly grace shall be opened / and we shall opteyne helpe and socoure in the palays of the chirche And yf the keper of the pryson / that is to saye yâ— deuyll whiche is the blower of the horne of pryde / lechery / or couetyse / styre vpon ony synners Than torne we agayne towarde hym manly and shote atte hym the arowe of penaunce and withouten doubte he shall flee frome vs. And than by the grace of god we may opteyne the palays of heuen Vnto the whiche brynge vs lorde that shedde his owne precyous blode vpon the rode tree for all mankynde Amen IN Rome there dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour and a mercyfull named Ebolydes It fortuned on a daye that this Emperour walked vnto the foreste where as he mette sodeynly with a poore man And anone whan this Emperour sawe hym he was gretely meued with mercy and sayd Good frende whens arte thou My souerayne lorde quod he I am youres and borne in youre londe / and nowe I am in grete pouerte and nede And than sayd the Emperour yf I knowe that thou were true in euery thynge I sholde promote vnto the grete rychesse Therfore telle me what is thy name My lorde qoud he I am called Lentyculus / and I behote you my trouthe / and true seruyce / and yf I doo otherwyse I submytte me vnto you and to all maner of payne that ye can put me to / whan the Emperour herde this / he promoted hym anone vnto grete rychesse And anone after that / he made hyÌ„ a knyght and stewarde of his londe And whan he was thus exalted to rychesse honoure he waxed so proude that he despysed hym that were worthyer than he and despyed suche as were symple and poore It was not longe after that it be felle that this Stewarde rode by a foreste where as he mete with the Fostere / and charged hym that he sholde make an hondreth pyttes in the grounde and he le theym ouer with grene grasse and smale bowes that yf wyl de bestes fortuned by the foreste that waye / that / they sholde falle in theym and soo sholde they be taken and brought to the Emperour The fostere answered and sayd Syr as ye haue sayd it shall be done Not longe after it fortuned that this stewarde rode to this forest agayne to se yf these pyttes were made And as he rode he be thought hym how grete a man and how myghty he was made / and how that all thynge in that Empyre obeyed vnto hym and al redy at his wyll And as he rode thynkynge thus he sayd to hymselfe There is no god saue onely I. And with that he smote his horse with his spores / and sodeynly he felle in to one of the depe pyttes that he hadde ordeyned before hym selfe for the wylde beestes and for the grete depnesse / therof / he myght not ryse agayne by no maner of crafte / wherfore he mourned gretly And anone after hyÌ„ came an hungry lyon and felle in to the same pytte / and after the lyon an ape and after the ape a serpente / and whan the stewarde was thus walled with these thre beestes he was gretely meued dredde sore There was that tyme dwellynge in the cyte a poore man named Gye the whiche had no maner good saue an asse wherwith dayly he caryed stockes and fayllynge wode and
the Emperour herde that so holy a woman was in suche a nonry he sayd to his broder thus Goo we quod he dere broder vnto this holy woman that is dwellynge in the nourye that she may hele the of thy lepre wolde god quod he that I were heled Anone the Emperour his owne persone wente with his broder towardes the Nonery And whan that the Nones herde of his comynge they resceyued hym worshypfully and with processyon And than the Emperour enquyred of the pryoresse of ony suche holy woman were amonge them that coude hele seke folke of theyr maladyes The pryoresse answered and sayd / that suche one was there Than was the Empresse called forth afore the Emperour / but she muffled her face as well as she coude / that the Emperourt her husbande sholde not knowe her / and whan she had soo done She salued hym with grete reuerence as perteyned vnto his estate / he agayne in lyke wyse saynge thus O go de lady yf the lyst of thy grace to hele my broder of his lepre Axe of me what thou wylte I shall graunt it the for thy rewarde / whan y◠Empresse herde this she loked aboute her sawe there the Emperours broder stode and was a foule lepre She sawe also there the knyght that slewe the Erles doughter blinde defe The thefe that she saued fro the galowes lame also the mayster of the shyp dystraught oute of his mynde all were come to her for to be heled of theyr sykenesse but they knewe her not / for all the they knewe her not thoughe she knewe them Than sayd she vnto themperour thus my reuerent lorde though ye wolde gyue me all your Empyre I may not hele youre broder nor none of these other but yf they knowelege openly what they haue done / whan that Emperour herde this he torned hym towarde his broder sayd to hym broder knowelege openly thy synne before all these men that thou mayst be heled of sekenesse Anone he began to telle how he had lyued his lyfe / but he tolde not how he had hanged the Empresse in the foreste by the heere / whan that he had knoweledged all that hym lyste The Empresse sayd sothely my lorde I wolde gladly laye vnto hym my medycyne But I wote ryght well it is in vayne for he hath not made a ful confessyon The Emperour herynge this torned hym towarde his broder / sayd agayne in this wyse what euyll sorowe or vnhappy wretchednesse is in the feest thou not that thou arte a foule laser Therfore knowelege truely thyne synne that thou mayst be hole / or elles auoyde my felawshyppe for euer A lorde quod he I may not tell my lyfe openly but yf I be sure of thy grace / what hast thou trespaced ayenst me quod the Emperour His broder answered and sayd / myn offence agaynst the is greuous / and therfore I aske mercy The Emperour thought not of the Empresse for as moche as he supposed she had be dede many yeres before / he bad his brother telle forth what he had offended hym and he sholde be forgyuen And whan the Emperour had thus forgyuen his broder he began to telle openly how he had desyred the Empres to synne with hym / how he had hanged her by the heere in the forest by cause she wolde not consente to hym whan the Emperour herde this almoost wretched creature the vengeaūce of god is fallen on that and were not that I haue pardoned the thou sholdest dye the foulest deth that coude be thought Than sayd the knyght that slewe the erles doughter I wote not quod he of what lady ye ment / but well I wote that my lorde foūde suche a lady hangȳge by y◠heere in foreste brought her home to his castell bytoke her his doughter in kepynge / I styrred her to syn̄e with me as moche as I coude but she wolde not consent / wherfore I slewe the erles doughter the lay with her And whan that I had so done I put the blody knyfe in the ladyes hande that the erle sholde thynke she had slayne his doughter with her owne hande / than was she exyled thens but where she became wote I not Than sayd thefe I wote neuer of what lady ye mene but well I wote y◠seuen sergeauntes were ledynge me to the galowes / suche a lady came rydynge by bought me of them / and than wente I with her and afterwarde I betrayed her vnto a mayster of a shyppe Suche a lady quod he receyued I. And whan that we were the myddes of the see I wolde haue layne with her but she satte doune to her prayers / anone there arose suche a tempeste that the shyppe all to braste and were all drowned saue I But what after that befell on her wote I not ¶ Than ctyed the Empresse with an hyghe voyce and sayd Sothly dere frendes ye are now clene confessed / wherfore now wyl I laye to my medycyne / and anone they receyued theyr helthe / whan the lady had thus done she opened her face vnto the Emperour / and he knewe her anone and ranne to her braced her in his armes and kyssed her oftentymes / and for Ioye wepte bytterly saynge thus Blyssed be god now haue I founde that I desyred And whan he had thus sayd he led her home vnto his palyce with grete Ioye and after whan god wolde be pleased they ended theyr lyues both in pease ¶ This Emperour betokeneth our lorde Iesu cryste The Empres betokeneth an holy soule The Emperours broder betokeneth that flesshe to whome our lorde Ihesi cryste hath gyuen charge of his Empyre / but moste prȳcipally to the soule Netheles y◠wretched flesshe ofte styreth the soule to synne But the soule whiche loueth god aboue all thȳge withstandyth that temptacyon and calleth to her / her goostly power that is to saye reason wyll vnderstandynge and concyence and maketh theym to enpryson the flesshe whiche is dysobedyent to the soule in the pryson of penaunce vnto the tyme he obeye vnto reason in all thynge / and thus in hope of mercy he synneth agayn whome holy scrypture saȳge thus Maledictus homo qui peccat in spe Cursed be that man that synneth in hope And atte the last the soule enclyneth to the flesshe and letteth hym of the pryson of penaunce and wassheth hym frome the fylthe of synne and arayeth hym with good vertues and maketh hymn lepe o◠the palfray of charyte and so rydeth he forthe to mete our lorde on Esterday But alas for full ofte the synner trespaceth agaynst the holy scrypture wherfore the herte that is to saye / the lust of the flesshe and of synners aryseth before hym and after renneth grete houndes that is to saye euyll thoughtes / and so longe they chase tyll the body and the soule be lefte alone / than the flesshe styreth that noble soule the spouse of almyghty god vnto
chased an herte / they came to the holowe tre where the chylde laye / whan they felte the sauoure of the chylde they wolde no ferder go The Erle seynge this / meruayled gretely why his houndes abode there / smote hors w e his spores and rode a grete pase tyll he came to them And whan he came vnto the tree where in the chylde was closed loked in at a hole / and founde the chylde / and than was he ryght glad toke vp the chylde in his armes ful louyngely / bare hym home vnto his castell / saynge to the countesse his wyfe Lo my dere wyfe this daye by fortune I haue frunde a full fayre chylde in an holowe tree as I hunted in the forest wherof I am ryght glad And by cause that I gate neuer sone ne doughter on the / ne thou neuer yet conceyued chylde therfore I exorte the that thou wylte feyne thy selfe trauaylynge of chyl and saye the thou hast borne this chylde The councesse fulfylled w e gladnesse / sayd my lorde youre wyll shall be done Not longe after tydynges wente thorughe all that countrey that the Countesse was delyuered of a fayre sone / wherfore they made grete Ioye The chylde began to waxe / and was ryght well beloued of euery man / and specyally of the erle and of the Countesse It befell after whan the chylde was xv yere olde the Emperoure made a solempne feest to all his lordes vnto the whiche this Erle was called / and at the daye assygned came and brought the chylde whiche was that tyme a fayre squyre and carued atte the borde before the Erle The Emperour behelde hym gretely espyed the token in forheede that he hadde sene before in the Fosteres house / wherfore he was gretely meued within hym selfe / and sayd vnto the Erle in this wyse / whose sone is this quod the Emperour Sethely sayd the Erle he is my sone Than sayd the Emperour by the fayth and trouthe the thou o west to me telle me the trouthe The Erle seynge that he myght not excuse hym by no wyse but that he muste nedes tell / than tolde he hym all togyder how he founde hym in the forest in an holowe tree This heryÌ„ge the Emperour almoost waxed oute of hym selfe and called to hym his seruauntes whiche the he had sente before to slee that chylde And whan they came he made them to swere on a boke that they sholde tell the trouth what they had done with the chylde Good lorde sayd they we put vs vnto thy grace for without doubte pyte so meued vs that we myght not slee hym wherfore we putte hym in an holowe tree / but after warde what befelle on hym sochly we knowe not and in his stede we slewe a pygge and brought you the herte therof / whan the Emperour had herde the verey trouthe of this mater / he sayd vnto the Erle This yonge man quod he shall abyde here with me The Erle yâ— graunted thoughe it were gretely agaynst his wyll And whan the feest was ended / euery men toke his leue at the Emperour and wente whyther than theym lyste And that tyme as it fortuned the Empresse and her doughter solourned in a grete countrey thens by the commaundement of the Emperour It berelle not longe after the Emperour called vnto hym that yonge squyer and sayd The behoueth quod to ryde vnto the Empresse my wyfe with my letters All redy my lorde sayd he I am fer to fulfyll youre wyll Anon the Emperour lete wryte letters wherof the entente was this That the Empresse sholde take the berer of these letters lette hym be drawen at an horses tayle / after that she sholde lete hym be hanged tyll he were deed / that vpon payne of deth / whan the letters were all made sealed than the Emperour toke theym vnto the yonge squyer coÌ„maundynge hym to spede hym her Iourney And anone the chylde receyued them gladly put theym sure in a boxe / and rode forth vpon his Iourney / whan he had ryden thre dayes or foure on his Iourney in the euentyde he came vnto a castell where as a knyght dwelled and prayed hym mekely of a nyghtes lodgynge The knyght seynge and beholdynge the good fauoure of this yonge Squyr / he graunted hym lodgynge and made hym good chere and well to fare and afterwarde brought hym vnto his chambre And whaÌ„ he was there he wente to bed and anone was on slepe for he was ryght wery of his Iourney forgate his boxe with the letters lyenge open in his chambre / whan the knyght sawe the boxe he opened it and founde the letters sealed with the Emperours sygne manuell / and was gretely tempted for to open them And at the last he opened theym subrylly and thenne he redde how the Empresse vpon payne of deth sholde putte the berer of theym vnto the deth / and than he was ryght sorowfull and sayd within hym selfe Alas quod he it is grete pyre for to slee suche a fayre yonge man / and therfore yf I may it shall not be so And anone the knyght scraped awaye that wrytynge and wrote in the same paper a letter saynge these wordes Vpon payne of dethe I commaunde the that thou take the yonge squyer berer of these letters and lette medde hym without ony delaye vnto my doughter and youres with all the honoure and solempnyte that ye can / whan that they be wedded / that ye take hym in honoure and worshyppe hym as youre owne sone And that he kepe my place tyll I come to you my selfe / whan the knyght had thus wryten he closed the letters subtylly and put them in the boxe agayne Erly in the mornynge the chyl de arose and toke his leue of the knyght and rode forth in his Iourney / and came the thyrde daye to the Empresse and saluted her worshypfully in the Emperours behalfe / and tâ—ke her the letters / whan thempresse had rede them / anone she sente her messengers thrughe the courte coÌ„mauÌ„dynge the gentylmen to come to her doughters weddynge atte a certayne daye assygned / whan yâ— daye was come theder came many grete lordes / and anone this chylde wedded the Emperours doughter with grete honour worshyp accordyÌ„ge to the tenoure of the letters / and was ryght well beloued moost honoured amonge the people Not longe after it befell that the Emperoure came into that countre / whan the Empresse herde of her lordes comynge She toke with her her sone in lawe with moche other peple / and wente ayenst the Emperour to welcome hym whan the Emperour sawe this chylde ledynge the Empresse his wyfe he was gretely meued with hym selfe / and sayd O thou cursed woman for thou haste not fulfylled my commaundement thou shalte dye an euyll dethe A lorde quod she all that ye commaunded to do I haue fulfylled Nay cursed woman it is not so for I wrote to
men whiche smyteth euer what by ryght what by vnryght that they may gete the vanytees of this worlde / in their smytynge they fynde grete wondres and maruayllesse / that is to say they fynde therin the delyces of the worlde wherin many men reioyseth The carbuncle that gyueth lyghte is the youth of man whiche gyueth hardynes to take theyr pleasure in worldly rychesse The archer with his arowe is deth whiche layeth watche ayenst mā to sle hym The clerke whiche toke vp the knyfe is a worldly man that weneth euer to haue all thynge at his wyll The deth smyeteth the carbuncle / that is to saye the youth strength and power of man / and than lyeth he wrapped in derkenesse of synne in the whiche derkenesse oftymes he dyeth Therfore studye we to fle the worlde and his desyres that and than be we sure to wynne euerlastynge lyfe / vnto the whiche Ihesu brynge you and me Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour named Tytus a wyse man dyscrete whiche ordeyned in his dayes suche a lawe y◠what knyght dyed in his Empyre sholde be buryed in his armure / who someuer presumed to spoyle ony knyghtes armure after he were dede he sholde dys wtout ony withstondynge or saynge It befell after within fewe yeres that a Cyte of that Empyre was besyeged of themperours enmyes wherfore that Cyte was in peryll of lesynge / for none that wass within that cyte myght not defende them selfe by no maner of crafte / therfore grete sorowe and lamentacyon was vnyuersall thrught out the cyte But at the last within fewe dayes there came to the Cyte a yonge knyght and a full fayre and doughty to doo dede of armes whome the worthy men of the cyte beholdynge and vnderstondynge his doughtynes cryed with one voyce O thou moost noble knyght we beseche the yf it please thy worthynesse to helpe vs now atte our moost nede / lo ye may se this ryte is in peryll of lesynge Than answered he and sayd / se ye not serys that I haue no armoure / and yf I had armour I wolde gladly defende your Cyte This herȳge a myghty man of the cyte he sayd to hȳ in secrete wyse Syr here was somtyme a doughty knyght whiche now is dede buryed within this cyte accordynge vnto the lawe / and yf it please you to take his armoure ye myght defende this cyte and delyuer vs fro peryll and that shall be honoure vnto you and prouffyte vnto all the Empyre Whan this yonge knyght had herde this he wente vnto that graue toke his armoure and arayed hym selfe therwith faughte mygtely ayenst his ennemyes / and at the last he opteyned and had the vyctorye and delyuered the cyte frome peryll And whan he had soo done he put the armoure agayne in to the graue There were some men in the cyte that hav grete Indygnacyon enuy vpon hym bycause that he opteyned the vyctorye and accused hym vnto the Iuge saynge thus Syr a lawe was made by themperoure that who soo euer dyspoyled a deed knyght of his armoure sholde deye This yonge knyghte founde a deed man and toke awaye his armoure therfore we beseche the that thou procede in the lawe ayenst hym as ayenst hym that is breker of the lawe Whan y◠Iustyce herde this he made the knyght to be taken and to be brought afore hȳ And whā he was examyned of this trespas ayenst the lawe he sayd thus Syr it is wryten in the lawe that of two harmes the leest harme is to be chosen It is not vnknowen to you that this cyte was in peryll lyke to haue be loste / and but I had taken this armoure I had nouther saued you ne the cyte / therfore as me thynketh ye ought rather to honoure me for this good dede that I haue done to you than thus shamefully to repreue me / for I am ladde as he that is redy to be hanged / and also good syrs an other reason I may laye for myn excuse He that stelethe or robbeth vyolently purposeth not to restore the thynge that he robbed / but it is not thus with me / for though I toke the armoure of the deed knyghte for youre saluacyon / whan I had opteyned the vyctory I bare it agayne to the same place and so the deed knyght hath that is his by the lawe Than sayd the Iustyce a theef that breketh an house that he maye stele and bere awaye suche as he may fynde and though he brynge agayne that he hath taken I aske of the yf that the brekynge of the house be lawfull or not The knyght answered / somtyme the brekynge of an house may be good where as it is made in feble place whiche sholde cause the lorde of the house to make his wall stronger that theues after that breke not the walles so lyghtly in voydynge of more harme Than sayd the Iustyce yf the brekynge of the house be good neuerthelesse in that brekynge vyolence is done to the lorde of the house And so thoughe thou dydest good with the armure of the deed knyght neuerthesse thou dydest wronge to the deed knyght in takynge awaye his armoure The knyght sayd I haue tolde you now that of two harmes the leest is for to be chosen And that harme where thrughe grete goodnesse cometh ought not for to be called harme / but it sholde be rather called good For yf that ouy house within the Cyte were on fyre and began for too brenne it were more better too throwe it to the grounde and thre or foure houses therby than they sholde be sette on fyre also wherby all the Cyte myghte be brent Ryght soo yf the armure of the deed knyghte hadde not be taken of the Cyte and all ye hadde ben loste And whan the Iustyce harde that he answered so well and so resonably he myght gyue no Iugemente ayenst hym But they whiche that had accused this knyght slewe hym for whose deth there was grete wepȳge thrugh all the cyte / his body was worshypfully buryed in a newe tombe ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen / and this Cyte is the worlde the whiche is besyeged of the deuyll and deedly synne And as many as were within this Cyte were all in peryll to be loste This yonge knyght that came to the cyte is out lorde Ihesu cryste whiche had not the armoure of our manhode tyll he wente vnto the graue / that is to saye to the wombe of the gloryous vyrgyn Mary by the annūciacyon of the aungell saynge The holy goost shall lyght in the. c. Lo thou shalt conceyue bere a sone And thus in the wombe of the vyrgyn he tooke the armure of the dede knyght / that is to saye he toke the manhode of Adam our fourme fader and saued the cyte that is that worlde with man kynde frome peryll by his blyssed passyon whiche he suffred on the crosse / than he put
.vii. yere / therfore dere fader I beseche you for all the loue the is bytwene your gracyous fader hode and me that ye name no man to be myn husbonde tyl this seuen yeare be ended / and than I shall be redy in all thynges to fulfyll your wyll Than sayd themperoure Syth it is so that y◠wylte none husbonde haue this vii yere I wyll not breke thy vowe / but whan the. vii yere ben passed thou shalt haue y◠kynge of Hungry vnto thyne hushonde And than themperoure sente forthe his letters vnto the kynge of Hungry praynge hym yf it myght please hym to abyde .vii. yere for loue of his doughter / and than sholde he spede of his entente without fayle Herof the kynge was pleased and graūted to abyde And whā this .vii. yere were ended saue a day the yonge lady stode in her chamber wyndowe and wepte sore saynge thus Alas alas to morowe my loue promysed to be with me agayne fro the holy londe / and also the kynge of Hungry wyl be here to morowe for to wedde me accordynge to my faders promyse / and yf my loue come not atte a certayne houre than am I vtterly dysceyued of the inwarde loue of hym Whan the daye came y◠kynge arayed hym towarde the Emperour with a grete company to wedde his doughter and was ryally basene and arayed in purple And whyle the kynge was rydynge vpon his waye there came a knyght sodenly rydynge by hym / to whome the sayd thus Dere frende whens art thou and whens cometh thou The knyght answered and sayd I am of th empyre of Rome and now am come late fro the holy londe and am redy to do you seruyce suche as I can And as they rode talkynge on the waye it began to rayne so fast that all the kynges araye was almoost loste Than sayd the knyght / my lorde quod he ye haue done folysshyly for as moche y◠ye broughte not with you your house Than sayd the kynge / how speketh thou so myn house is large and brode and made of stones and morter how sholde I than bere with me my house thou spekest to me lyke a fole Whan this was sayd they rode ferther tyl they came to a grete water and a depe / y◠kynge smote his horse with his spors and lepte in to the water too that he was almoost drowned Whan the knyght sawe this and was ouer on that other syde of the water without peryll / he sayd to the kynge / ye were in peryll and therfore ye dyde folysshely bycause that ye brought not with you youre brydge Than sayd the kynge / thou spekest meruaylously my brydge is made of lyme stone conteyneth in quanty te more than halfe a myle how sholde I than bere with me my brydge / therfore thou sepkest folysshly Wel sayd y◠knyght my folysshenesse may torne the to wysdome Whan the kynge had ryden a lytell ferther he axed of the knyght what tyme of the daye it was Than sayd the knyght / yf ony man haluste to ete it is tyme of the daye to eter and therfore my reuerent lorde I praye you to take a soppe with me for that is no dysworshyp to yon but grete honoure to me before the states of this Empyre Than sayd the kynge I wyll gladly ete with the / they sate bothe doune in a vyne gardeyne and all that were with the kynge and with the knyght dyned And whan the dyner was ended and the kynge had wasshen the knyght sayd to the kynge My lorde quod he ye haue done folysshely for that ye ledde not with you your fader and your moder Than sayd the kynge what sayst thou my fader is deed and my moder is olde and may not trauayle how sholde I than brynge them with me / therfore to the I save the trouth a folyssher man than thou art sawe I neuer Than sayd the knyght euery werkes is praysed at the ende Whan the kynge had ryden a lytell ferther and was nyhan de themperours palays the knyght axed leue to goo frome hym for this cause he knewe a nerer waye to the palays to y◠yonge lady that he myght come fyrste and lede her with hȳ Than sayd the kynge I praye the syr tell me by what place purposest thou to ryde Than sayd the knyght I shall tell you trouth / this daye .vii. yere I lefte a nette in a place / and now I purpose to vysyte it and drawe it to me / and yf it be broken I wyll leue it / and yf it be hole than wyl I take it to me and kepe it as a precyous Iewel / whan he had sayd what hym lyst he toke his leue of the kynge and rode forth / and the kynge kepte the kynges hye waye Whan themperoure herde of the kynges comynge he wente ayenst hym with a grete company and worshypfully receyued hym lete doo of his wete clothes and arayed hym agayne with newe clothes And whan the Emperour and the kynge were sette to mete the Emperour dyde hym all the chere and solace that he coude And whan they had dyned that Emperour axed tydynges of y◠kynge My lorde sayd he I shall tell you what I herde this daye by the waye There came a knyght to me reuerently salued me / and anone after that there came a grete rayne and confounded gretely my clothynge / and anone the knyght sayd / syr thou hast done folysshely for soo moche thou brought not with the thyne house Than sayd themperour what clothynge had that knyght on hym a cloke quod the kynge Than sayd themperour / forsoth that was a wyse man / for the house wherof he spake was a cloke and therfore he sayd to you that ye dyde folysshely by cause ye came without your cloke / for yf ye had brought with you a cloke than had your clothes ben defoyled with the rayne Than sayd the kynge whan we had ryden a lytel ferther we came vnto a depe water I smote my hors with the spors and almoost I was drowned / and he rode on the other syde of the water and founde no peryll / and than sayd he to me / ye haue done folysshly for soo moche that ye ledde not with you your brydge Forsoth sayd the Emperour he sayd trouth / for he called the brydge youre squyres whiche sholde haue ryden before and assayed the depnesse of the water Than sayd the kynge we rode ferther more and atte the laste he prayed me to dyne with hym / and whan we had dyned he sayd I dyde vnwesely for I ledde not with me my fader my moder Sothly sayd themperour he was a wyse man sayd trouth / for he called your fader and your moder brede and wyne and other vytayles Than sayd the kynge we rode ferthermore / and anone after he asked me leue to go frome / and I asked dylygently whether he wente And he answered agayne and sayd vnder this fourme This daye
.vii. yere sayd he lefte I a precyous nette in a preuy place / and nowe I wyll ryde and vysyte it / yf it be broken or to torne than wyl I leue it / and yf it be hole as I lefte it than shal it be to me ryght precyous I shall bere it with me Whan the Emperour herde this he cryed with a lowde voyce and sayd O ye my knyghtes and my seruauntes goo ye lyghtly vnto my doughters chamber for sothely that is the nette where of the knyght spake And anone his knyghtes and his seruauntes wente vnto his doughters chamber founde her not / the forsayd knyght had take her with hym And thus the kynge was dysceyued of the damoysell he wente home agayne to his owne countree confounded ¶ Dere frendes t is Emperoure is oure blyssed lorde Ihesus Cryste And this fayre doughter is euerlastynge lyfe the whiche that the emperoure hadde ordeyned for kynges knyghtes and for men The knyght that loued this yonge lady is euery good crysten soule whiche holdeth hym selfe not worthy to come in the syght of god vnto suche Ioye As the appostle sayth Non est condigne passionis huius temporis ad futuram gloriam The be not soo worthy of sufferynge to come vnto that glorye that is to come This knyght wente seuen yere on pylgrymage / lyke as a good crysten man all the dayes of his lyfe sholde laboure in fnlfllynge the seuen werkes of mercy By this kynge that cometh wtoute cloke in the rayne is to vndestande the myghty men of this worlde / as Iustyces Mayres balyes whiche had noclokes to couer al their other clothes by this cloke is vndstaÌ„de charyte / the whiche as the appostle sayth Caritas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum Charyte couerth all our synnes But many men haue not this cloke / wherfore they be wete in the rayne of pryde auaryce / and lechery This kynge was also almoost drowned for by cause he lacked his brydge / that is to saye parfyte fayth For we see dayly that there may no man passe ouer a grete water brode and horryble depe wtout a brydge or somme other thynge that is able for to bere hym Ryght to without fayth it is Impossyble for to please god / and thus may no man be saued withoute fayth whan they sette theyr lyfe in worldely Ioye or wordely helpe more than in the helpe of almyghty god whiche is myghty for to do all thynges / wherfore he sayth hymselfe thus Saluator si habueritis fidem sicut granuÌ„ sinapis poteritis et cetera Yf he haue fayth as the grayne of mustarde / than maye ye saye vnto the hylles Goo thou forth and it shall goo But many of vs now a dayes hath to ouer feble a fayth therfore they shall sodanly falle in the claye of desperacyon / and by deedly synne often tymes they offende god Also this kyÌ„ge had not brought with hym his fader and his moder By the father whiche is cause of gouernacyon is vnderstande humylyte without whome there is noo vertue in no man And therto accordeth saynt Gregory saynge thus Si quis ceteris virtutes sine humilitate congregat et cete He that gadereth al other vertues without humylyte is lyke a man that casteth duste in the wynde His moder betokeneth hope therfore he that wyll opteyne euerlastynge lyfe hym behoueth to haue the cloke of charyte / brydge of fayth a fader of mekenesse / and a moder of hope / as the appostle sayth Spe salut facti sumus Also this knyght wente the strayte pathe waye / and the kynge the brode waye / for he that wyll be saued behoueth to goo a strayte waye / that is to saye / the waye of fastynge / almes dedes / chastyte / and penaunce / of the whiche waye speketh the appostle ¶ Stricta est via que ducit ad vitam eternam The way is strayte that ledeth to euerlastynge lyfe But many men gone that other waye whiche ledeth to helle / that is to saye by the waye of flesshely luste and suche men gone oute of the waye of euerlastynge lyfe / but suche men be deceyued thrughe the waye Therfore study we to walke that waye wherby we may opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty stronge a bataylous Emperoure named Agias whiche had with hym a knyght whome men called Gerarde whiche was a doughty warryour neuerthe lesse he was as meke as a lambe in the Emperours hall / but in the felde he was lyke a lyon This Emperour had a fayre doughter whome the stronge and myghty exle of palaster rauysshed dysfloured neuerthesse it dysplesed more themperour the dyffoylnge of his doughter than the rauysshynge / wherfore he called vnto hym his counsel and sayd dere frendes it is not vnknowen to you the despyte vyolence done vnto me in deflourynge of my doughter and therfore Iaurpose to gyue barayle to the erle / wherfore I praye you to be redy at a daye sette to procede with me to batayle And they sayd lorde we redy to lyue and dye with you in batayle Whan the daye of batayll came they mette on bothe sydes a cruell harde betayle was gyuen on bothe sydes / all that were of themperours partye were slayne And as themperour sholde haue ben byheded the knyght Gerarde put hym selfe amonge this enemyes before themperour and fought manfully and so themperour escaped and the knyght abode and slewe the erle / neuertheles this knyght had dyuerse woundes This not withstondynge he abode fought styllâ—tyll the blode ranne to his helys And whaÌ„ his enemyes sawe that the Erle was slayne they fledde / and the knyght with his people folowed on the chace tyll he came to the place where themperours doughter was and ledde her with hyÌ„ and thus with tryumphe vyctory he retorned agayne to the emperour For the whiche vyctory and getynge agayn of themperours doughter he was gretely praysed of all people Not longe after it befell that this knyght had to do in themperours courte wherfore the knyghte came vnto themperour and prayed hym mekely to be fauourable in his cause / and ferthermore he prayed hym to do that reason asked Whan the emperour had herde hym he called to hym a Iustyce and sayd goo thou and do Iustyce to this knyght and that / that yâ— lawe wyll And whah the knyght herde this he cryed with a lowde voyce Alas alas who herde euer suche a thynge of an Emperour / thou were sayd he in batayle where thyn heed sholde haue be smyten of / and I in myn owne persone and none other men put my selfe in Ieoperdy for the and saued the / now thou hast assygned an other man to be Iuge in my cause / alas that euer thou were borne And with that worde the knyght dyde of all his clothes shewed the woundes that he had receyued in the batayle vnto all the men that wher there presente and sayd Loo what
to deceyue mankynde and to lette the worde of god Therfore euery prelate and euery precher behoueth the golden hoke of goddes grace agaynst this whystelyÌ„ge by the whiche grace they may drawe synners out of this worlde vp to heuen Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus Cryste Amen THere dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour and a wyse man the whiche was named Polemê° whiche had no chylde saue a doughter whome he loued soo moche the dayly and nyghtlye he ordeyned her for to be kepte with armed knyghtes And aboue these knyghtes he ordeyned a mayster well taughte in euery connynge for to teche theym and for to enfourme them how they sholde do He ordeyned also a stywarde for to gyde his husholde And whan all this was done as he laye in his bedde on a nyght he bethoughte hyÌ„ so that he wolde visyte the holy londe And then whan all thynge was redy for his Iourneye accordynge vnto his purpose / he called vnto hym his stewarde / and sayd Dere frende I purpose to se the holy londe therfore I leue my doughter in thy kepynge and also I charge the that she fayle ne thynge / but the she haue all maner of Ioye and gladnes that perteyneth to a vyrgyn Secondly I leue in thy kepyÌ„ge fyue knyghtes that ben her kepars the they lacke no thynge that to them behoueth Also I leue with the my grehouÌ„de that thou nourysshe and fede hym as it perteyneth for hym to be fedde / yf thou fulfyll all this that I haue sayd thou shalt at my comynge agayne receyue grete rewarde Than sayd the stywarde / my lorde quod he all that I may I shall fulfyl your wyll Whan this was sayd the Emperour toke forth his Iourneye to warde the holy londe / and the stywarde a longe tyme kepte well and truely themperours ordynaunce / but at the laste it befell vpon a daye that this stywarde had aspyed this yonge lady walkynge alone in an orcheyarde with whose loue he was sodeynly taken / wherfore anone maugre her wyl he de floured her And whan he had synned with her he sayd and hated her more after that than euer he loued her before and droue her out of the palays wherfore this damoysell for grete pouerte and defaute wente fro dore to dore begged her brede But whan the knyghttes yâ— were her kepers herde of this they repreued shamefully yâ— stewarde of the synful dede ThaÌ„ the stewarde waxed wrothe and for grete hate yâ— he hadde in his herte he dyspoyled the knyghtes of all theyr goodes and droue them frome the palays / and whan they were thus robbed exyled some for defaute of godes be came theues and some manquellers / that thrugh this IncoÌ„uenyent they wrought grete harme Soone after this there came ' tydynges the themperour was aryued in ferre londes comynge homewarde And whan the stewarde herde this he was gretely troubled and meued in hym selfe / and thus thynkynge in hym selfe he sayd thus This may not be but nedes I shal be acused for my trespas that I haue done ayenst themperours commaundement He is my lorde mercyable / therfore better it were the I goo and mete mete with hym with all honoure / and humylyte and accuse my selfe to hym and aske hym mercy than ony other sholde go before to accuse me to my lorde of my treasoÌ„ Than this stewarde anone dyde of all his clothes saue his breche and his sherte and toke thre ropes with hym in his ryght honde and bare fote wente and mette the Emperour But whan the Emperour had aspyed hym comynge a ferre in suche a wyse he wondred gretely And whan the stewarde was come so nere that he myght speke to themperour he felle doune on his knees and saluted hym reuerently Than sayd the Emperour / what is to the befallen yâ— thou metest me in suche araye for as moche as thou art my stewarde yâ— sholdest haue meete me with a grete company of knyghtes A my lorde quod he there is befall me an heuy case for the whiche it behoueth me thus to mete your hyghnesse Than sayd the Emperour what case is that / that the is befalle My reuerent lorde quod he it behoueth fyrst your hyghnesse to aske of me why I brynge with me these thre ropes Than sayd the Emperour why berest thou these thre ropes in thy honde in suche a wyse Than answered this wofull stewarde sayd This fyrst corde I brynge with me to bynde my hondes and feet so harde tyll the blode brest out on euery syde for that I haue well deserued The seconde rope I brynge with me to drawe me by hors tayle vpon the pauement tyll that my bones be bare without flesshe / for that shall profyte me for the grete treason that I haue done agaynst you The thyrde rope that I haue brought is to hange me with vpon an hyghe galous so longe that the byrdes lyght on my heed and on my body and fede them â—elfe of my flesshe / and these thynges ben due to suche trepassers and brekers of the lawe as Iam / and therfore my reuerent lorde haue mercy on me / for I dare not knowlege my trespasse tyll I be certayne of thy mercy and pyte Than sayd themperour I see in the grete mekenesse and contrycion therfore tell forth thy trespasse and sothly thou shalt fynde mercy grace Alas alas than sayd he I haue defouled thy doughter and put her out of thy palays / and now for grete defaute she beggeth her brede frome dore to dore I haue also dyspoyled thy knyghtes of all theyr goodes / and now some of them for defaute of godes ben theues some manquellers And the mayster of the knyghtes I haue slayne But I haue fedde thy grehounde with the beste as longe as I myght and tyed hym with a chayne / but at the laste he brake his chayne and wente his waye / so that now he renneth about in the countre Whan the Emperour herde this he waxed sore astonyed and sayd Hast thou thus defouled my doughter whome I loued so well / and also exyled my knyghtes and slayne theyr mayster / and the grehounde whiche I loued best of whome I gaue the charge is gone also / so thely were it not that I hadde forgyuen it the and that thou mekest thy selfe soo gretely I sholde putte the vnto the moost bylonest dethe that be coude be thought Therfore go thou anone and brynge agayne my doughter than thou mayst wedde her / and yf that ony harme here after befalle to her in thy defaute than shall I double thy payne Also brynge thou a gayne my knyghtes and restore vnto theym theyr goodes and sette theym into theyr state and offyce the they were in before And seche me also my grehounde dylygently tyll thou fynde hym / and than bynde hym fast soo that in you here after may be fouÌ„de no defaute And whan that yâ— stewarde herde this he bowed doune his
neuer but ones and that was the fyrste daye of his byrth / therfore I beseche the my lorde to sende for hym that I may ones reioyse me of his syght Than sayd the Empeperour I haue quod he an other chylde by my fyrste wyfe and yf I sende for thy sone than I must sende for bothe / than anone he sente for theym And whan they were comen they were passynge fayre / and well nourysshed well taught and passynge lyke / in all maner thynges that vnthes one myght be knowen frome that other but yf it were onely of the fader Than sayd the moder of the seconde chylde A my lorde telle me whiche of these is my sone / and he called hym her sone that he begate on his fyrst wyfe Whan thempresse herde this she gaue all her cure to nourysshe and to teche hym despysed yâ— other Whan the emperour sawe this he sayd to his wyfe / so thely I haue dysceyued the for bym that thou louest so moche and nourysshest is not thy sone but the other is thy sone Than setre she all her cure vpon the seconde and forsoke the fyrste Whan themperour sawe this he sayd / truly I haue dysceyued the yet without doubte this is not thy sone / but one of theym â— is thy sone Than sayd the moder A my lorde for his loue yâ— dyde on the rode tell me without cauelacyon whiche of them is my soâ—e The Emperour answered and sayd certaynly I wyll not tell you tyll they be come vnto manhode for this reason Fyrste I tolde you that this was thy sone / hym thou nourysshedest as thy sone forsokest that other / and whan I tolde you that this was thy sone than thou despysedest the fyrst and cherysshedest the seconde therfore I wyll that thou shalte cherysshe and nourysshe them bothe tyl they come to that thou mayst haue Ioye of them Whan thempresse herde this she nourysshed them bothe in lyke wyse And whan they were bothe come to age themperour made a grete souper / and before his gestys he tolde his wyfe openly whiche of theym was her chylde Than reioysed she gretely / and with her sone she ended her lyfe in pease and rest ¶ This Emperour betokeneth those that be chosen to euer lastynge lyfe / and the ben not chosen The moder of them is the chirche that nouryssheth theym bothe Therfore our lorde wyll not that the churche sholde knowe whiche be chosen / whiche be not chosen For yf she knewe that thaÌ„ wolde she loue that one and hate that other / and so sholde charyte be ouerthrowen amonge vs and sholde lyue in dyscorde and stryfe / but trouth at the daye of dome shall telle vs whiche of them shall be saued / and whiche shal be dempned Therfore praye we in this worlde that we may come to the euerlastynge feest in heuen Vnto the whiche god brynge bothe you and me Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour named Pelennus whiche had thre sones whome he loued moche It befelle vpon a daye whan this Emperour laye vpon his bedde / he bethought hym to whiche of his sones he myght gyue his realme after he dyscesse Than called he to hym his thre sones sayd / whiche of you thre the is slowest shall haue my realme after my dyscesse The fyrst sone answered and sayd / thy realme by reason shal be myn / for I am so slowe the yf my fote were in the fyre I had leuer yâ— it sholde be brente than take it out Than sayd the seconde I am quod he more apte to the kynge than thou / for though there were a rope aboue my necke wherwith I sholde be hanged / and yf I had a sharpe swerde in myn honde for grete slowth that I haue I wolde not put forth myn hand to cutte the rope in sauynge of my lyfe And whan these two brethern hadde sayd the thyrde sayd for hyÌ„ thus I ought to be kynge quod he before you bothe for I passe you in slowth and that wyll I preue thus I lye vpryght in my bedde there droppeth water vpon bothe myn eyen / and for the grete slowth that I haue I meue not my heed neyther vnto the ryght syde of the bedde neyther to the wronge syde for sauynge of my selfe whan the Emperour herde this than he byquethed the realme vnto the yongest sone as to the slowest of the brethern ¶ This Emperour betokeneth the deuyl whiche is lorde fader ouer the chirche of pryde By the fyrste sone is vnderstande a man that cometh in euyll felawshyp by whome he falleth in mysgouernaunce and had leuer to be brente in the fyre of synne than departe frome theym The seconde sone betokeneth hym that knoweth hym selfe bouÌ„de with yâ— bande of synne wherwith he is to be hanged on the galous of helle and is so slowthfull that he wyl not cutte them awaye with the laufull swerde of confessyon By the thyrde sone is vnderstande a man that hereth yâ— techynge of Ioyes of paradyse and of the paynes of helle and wyll not meue hymselfe to the ryght syde for loue and desyre of rewarde / nor to the lyfte syde to forsake his synnes for drede of tormentynge Suche a man without doubte for his slowth shall opteyne the realme of helle Frome the whiche realme kepe vs our lorde Ihesus Amen THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Alexander / the whiche besyeged a Cyte of the kynges of Egypt with a grete hoost Neuertheles this Emperour lost many myghty knyghts without any hurte of stroke And thus frome daye to daye his people dyed sodeynely / wherfore this Alexander wondred gretely and was full sorowfull therof in his mynde / and anone lete calle afore hym the wysest phylosophres that myght be founde and prayed theym for to tell hym why his people dyed thus sodeynly without wounde The phylosophres answered and sayd My lorde it is not wonder / for vpon the walles of that castell within the â—â—te there is a Cockatryce thrughe whose syght youre men dyeth / for they ben Infected with the venym that cometh of his eyen anone they dye Than this Alexander asked yf there were ony remedy agaynst the Cockatryce The ppylosophres answered and sayd My lorde there is a good remedy whiche is this / late sette vp a large myrrour of clere glasse before agaynst the Cockatryce bytwene your hoost the walle of the cyte / and whan the Cockatryce beholdeth hym selfe in the myrour the deedly natyuyte of her venymous syght shall rebounde agayne to her selfe and thus she shall dye / your men shall be saued The Emperour wrought by the counceyll of the phylosophres and lete sette vp anone a large myrour of glasse / and thus was the Cockatryce slayne / and the Emperour with his hoost made an assauvnto the Cyte and opteyned the vyctory ¶ This Emperour may be called ony crysten man the whiche ought to gader an hoost of vertues / for
the mayster of shyppe / and here up on the mayster threwe me in to the see / but god saued me frome that dethe and bycause I helped ones the lyon atte a nede he forsoke me neuer syns / and now as ye see all whaÌ„ I came in to my palays withoute ony comforte of me he hathe slayne bothe the auoutrers And therefore vnderstonde ye for trouthe that I am youre lorde the Emperour Anone whan they herde this they lyfte vp theyr eyen / and behelde hym / and atte the laste they knewe hym for theyr lorde / wherfore they were gretely gladded / and praysed god for that myracle whiche had saued theyr lorde and Emperour And the lyued in reste and pease ¶ By this Emperour ye maye vnderstonde euery crysten man that purposed to vysyte the holy londe / that is to saye togete euerlastynge lyfe thrugh werkes of mercy But his wyfe / that the wretched flesshe murmured agaynst the soule and loueth better her lemman / that is deedly synne thaÌ„ her husbande This Emperour wente in to the shyppe takynge his Iourneye to warde the holy londe / that is for the saye he wente vnto holy chirche whiche is the waye to god But the wyfe that is to saye flesshly men accused hym to the mayster of the shyppe / that is to saye to the prelates of the chirche for grete mede whiche oftentymes blyndeth the syght of many Iustyce where thrughe many parfyte men ben caste out of the shyppe in to the see to be drowned / that is to saye out of the chirche into the see of this wretched worlde But what shall he doo than that is thus casten to be troubled in this worlde / certaynly thus ought he to do / lete hym lerne to swymme / that is to saye let hym put all his hope in god and than by the grace he shall come to an ylonde / that is to saye the relygyon of clene herte / and that he shall loue euer the better to kepe hymself out of this worlde / and therfore sayth saynt Iames thus A clene relygyon and â—ndefoyled is a precyous thynge in the syghte of god / and he that is in this relygyon shall fynde a lyon to whome hym behoueth to gyue ayenst â—â— euyil This lyon is our lorde Ihesu cryst that came of the kynrede of Iude which â— fyghteth euer agaynst the deuyll And yf a man hath holpen this lyon atte ony tyme trust well than that he wyll not forsake hym but be with hym atte all his nede / accordynge to the psalmyste saynge thus CuÌ„ipÌ„o sum in tribulacioÌ„e I am with hym in trouble By this lyon thou mayst take thy wyfe / that is to saye thy flesshe with penaunce and slee thy synne and than without doubte thou shalte optcyne the Empyre of heuen Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Gorgony whiche had wedded a gentyll damoysell and a fayre to his wyfe / this yonge lady within due processe conceyued and bare hym a sone a fayre chylde and an amyable Whan this yonge chylde was x. yere olde / his moder the Emppresse dyed And after the Emperour wedded an other wyfe This seconde wyfe loued in no wyse the Emperours sone / but dyde hym all the shame and repreef that she myght Whan the Emperour had perceyued this wyllynge for to please his wyfe exyled his sone out sone out of his Empyre And whaÌ„ this chylde was exyled / he wente and lerned physyke / soo that within a shorte tyme he was a subtyll and a connynge physycyen It befell sone after that the Emperour his fader sykened and was almoost deed wherfore whan he herde that his sone was suche a physycyen he sente for hym by letters praynge hym that he wolde come to hym withoute delaye And than the sone wyllynge to obey and to fulfyll his faders commaundement in all thynge and soo in all hast came to hym And whan he had seen his fader and groped his pouces and his vaynes / all maner of sykenesse that he had was soone helyd with his medycynes frome all maner of daungers Soone after that the Empresse his stepmoder began to waxe syke And many physycyens sayd the she wolde deye and whan themperour herde this he prayed his sone for to helpe her of her sykenesse Than sayd his sone / certaynly fader I wyll not laye hande on her Than the Emperour at this began to waxe wrothe and sayd / yf thou wylte not obeye my commaundement thou shalte voyde my felaushyppe His sone answered and sayd / yf ye do soo dere fader ye doo vnryghtfully for well ye knowe the ye exyled me out of your Empyre thrughe her suggestyon / myn absence was cause of your sorowe sekenesse And in lyke my presence is cause her sekenesse / and therfore I wyll not medell with her / and also I wyll vse nomore medycynes for oftentymes physycyens ben desceyued / and therfore I bare not laye hande on her leste men wolde saye that yf it fortuned her to dye that I were cause therof Than sayd the Emperour she hath quod he the same sekenes that I had His sone answered and sayd / thoughe she haue the same sekenes neuer thelesse ye be not of one complexyon For what so euer I dyde to you ye helde you contente And whan ye sawe me come with in the palays ye reioysed of my comynge and gretely were eased for to see hym that ye begate But whaÌ„ my stepmoder sawe me she swelled for anger waxed euyll at ease / and therfore yf I sholde speke to her her sorowe wolde encrease / and yf I touche her she wolde be frome her self And also a physycyen prouffyteth nought but where as the seke man delyteth in hym And whan the chylde had sayd he escaped and went his waye ¶ This Emperour betokeneth euery crysten man whiche is wedded to his crystendome at the fonte stone for whan the soule is made the spouse of cryste on whome man begeteth a sone / that is to saye reason But this wyfe / that is to saye crystendome dyeth whan someuer a man lyeth in deed ly synne and after her a man wedded a stepdame / that is to saye wyckednesse as oftymes as he is gouerned by wyl and not by reason / wherfore a man that lyueth by flesshely lust of tyme eryleth reason / and than anone the soule waxeth seke for the absence of reason is cause of the sekenesse of the soule But whan reason whiche is bothe goostly and bodely the physycyan is bryngyÌ„ge agayne by werkes of mercy thaÌ„ anone man is heeled of his sykenes But than the stepmoder waxed seke / that is to saye whan frowarde wyll waxed seke than is the flesshe oppressed by penaunce And therfore study we to oppresse our flesshe soo by penaunce the we may come vnto euerlestynge Ioye Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Folemê° whiche had wedded the kynges doughter of
yf ye wyll nedes haue her and forsake my foule doughter / you be houeth fyrste to Iuste for her he that wynneth her shall wedde her Than were the grettest states of the Empyre gretely gladded / and anone onely for her loue they wolde Iuste and also fyght / wherfore they sette a daye of batayle / and many worthy men were slayne on bothe sydes Neuerthelesse one opteyned the vyctory wedded that yonge and fayre lady The seconde doughter that was foule oughly sawe this that her syster was wedded with grete solempnyte mourned wepte dayly / wherfore the Emperour her fader came to her sayd / dere doughter why mornest thou thus Alas dere fader quod she it is no wonder thoughe I mourne seynge my syster wedded with so grete honoure and gladnesse and euery man is fayne of her and no man loueth my felaushyp / and therfore dere fader what may I do beste sothely I knowe it not Then sayd the Emperour O my swete doughter all yâ— is myn is thyne and that is not vnknowen to you that he whiche wedded thy syster had no thynge with her but her fayrnesse / and therfore I shal proclame in myn owne persone thrughe all myn Empyre that what man that weddeth you I shall make hym sure by letter patent of all myn Empyre after my deth Than this yonge lady thought she was foule and oughly neuerthelesse she reioysed in the promysse of her fader / and anone after the proclamacyon was made / than there came a yonge knyght and a gentyll and wedded that lady / and after the dethe of the Emperour he seased all the Empyre was crowned Emperour and she Empresse ¶ This Emperour betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whyche hath two doughters / that one fayre and that other foule That one fayre betokeneth this worlde whiche is full fayre and delectable vnto many men That other foule betokeneth pouerte and trouble whome fewe men desyre to wedde Neuerthelesse a comen crye was made by holy scrypture that who so wolde haue his fayre doughter that is the worlde sholde haue nothynge with her but her fairnes / that is to saye the worldly vanytees whiche faden and fall awaye lyke as the fayrnesse of man But who that wyll wedde the foule doughter / that is to saye wylfully to receyue pouerte and trouble for goddes loue / without doubte he shall opteyne the Empyre of heuen accordynge to the scrypture saynge thus ye that haue forsaken all thynge for my loue to to folowe me shall haue euerlastynge lyfe Full many noble and worthy men haue Iusted for the fayre doughter / that is to saye haue foughten bothe by see and by londe for this worlde for couetyse of worldely rychesse / and arte laste there be many slayne / for there is no thynge here but pryde of lyfe or courtyse of eyen or of flesshe where thrughe all the worlde is put vnto grete myscheef But he that weddeth the fayre doughter that is the worlde is he that setteth all his affecte and desyre in the wretchednesse of this worlde wyll not for no thynge forsake this worlde / lyke as a wreetche and couetous man But he that wedded the foule doughter is a good crysten man whiche that loue of the kyngedome of heuen forsaketh all this worlde / and not onely he dooth thus but also despysed hym selfe bodely obeynge to his souereynes in all thynge / suche a man certaynly shall opteyne the Empyre of heuen Vnto the whiche Ihesu cryste brynge bothe you and me Amen SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour named Andromyke whiche aboue all thynge loued melody This emperour had with in his castel a welle of suche vertue that soo euer were dronken / and dranke of that water of this welle sholde be contynent fresshe agayn and be delyuered frome all maner of dronkenesse There was also dwellynge in this Emperours courte a knyghte named Yorony whome the Emperoure loued moche / but ofte tymes he was dronken the whiche vyce the Emperour hated aboue all thynge / whan this knyght vnderstode hym selfe that he was dronken Than wolde he goo to the welle and drynke of that water and refresche hym selfe soo well that what soeuer the Emperour put to hym he wolde answere hym soo reasonably / that no synne of dronkenesse myght he founde in hym / and for his wytty answere and his wysdome he was gretly beloued of the Emperour Neuerthelesse his felawes of yâ— courte enuyed hym moche and ymagyned amonge them selfe how they myght departe the Emperour loue fro hym It fortuned upon a daye that this Emperour wente to the forest as he herde the nyghtyngale whiche is a gentyll byrde synge merely / wherfore this Emperour ofte tymes after that wolde ryse erly in yâ— mornynge and also some tyme frome his mete and walke vnto the wode for the swetenesse of her songe / wherfore many of his men sayd amonge them selfe Thus our lorde delyteth soo moche in the nyghtyngales songe that he recketh lytell of our profyte in so moche that thrughe two thynges his loue is worawen from vs. That is to saye by ydronye the knyght and by the swete songe of the nyghtyngale Than sayd an olde knyght the whiche was amonge theym Syrs quod he yf ye do by my counceyll I shall delyuer you of the knyght Ydronye / and of the nyghtyngale without hurte or dethe They answered and sayd what thynge that ye bydde vs do we shall fulfyll anone with all our herte Whan this knyght herde this within a whyle after he aspyed this ydrony that he was dronke wherfore he locked the welle faste as this knyght ydrony came to refresshe hym selfe and founde the welle locked The Emperour hadde a grete mater to trete / wherfore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his gre fore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his grete wysdome that was in hym to haue his counceyll And whan he came before that Emperour he was so dronke that he myght not ones meue his tonge neyther he hadde wytte / reason nor vnderstondynge to answere yâ— Emperour to his mater But whan the Emperour sawe this he was gretely greued for so moche yâ— he hated namely that vyce / wherfore he coÌ„mauÌ„ded anone that frome that daye / forth he sholde not be seen within his londe vpon payne of deth This herynge his fomen gretely were gladded and sayd vnto the olde knyght in this maner of wyse Now be we delyuered of this knyght ydrony There is no more to do but that we myght fynde that waye and remedy that we were deiyuered of the nyghtyngale in the whiche the Emperour delyteth so moche the songe Then sayd this olde knyght your erys shall here your eyen shall see yâ— this nyghtyngale shall be destroyed in shorte tyme. Not longe after this olde knyght aspyed yâ— yâ— nyghtyngale vsed to sytte vpon a tree euyn aboue this same wel where as her make that was yâ—
to be hanged this day on the galowes / al thy goodes londes I grauÌ„te vnto gye / also I ordeyne that syr gye shall occupye thy place be stuarde so it was done WhaÌ„ syr Gye was thâ— rewarde by the Emperour and made stuarde he was well byloued of euery man longe tyme / and at the laste ended his lyfe with honoure and good pease ¶ This Emperour betokeneth yâ— fader of heuen The poore man betokeneth euery man the whiche cometh in to this worlde feble and naked frome his moders bely / and at the laste is promoted to grete rychesse and worldely honoure as the Salmist sayth De stercore erigens pauperent God lyfteth vp the poore man out of fylth / and many suche men knowe neyther god ne hym selfe but maketh hym selfe to make depe pyttes / that is to saye vnkyndenesse and malyce they ordeyne ayenst symple men in the whiche pytte the deuyll causeth them oft tyme to fall accordynge to a text in yâ— â—â—cctiastico foueam qui alteri facit ipse incidit in eam / that sayth thus / who maketh a pytte to another man oftyme he falleth therin hym selfe / the whiche text was well proued by Mardochy / and anone this Gye that wente dayly to yâ— forest with his asse to gader wode betokeneth euery ryghtfull man dredynge god in the foreste of this worlde the wode that he gadereth betokeneth his merytory werkes that he caryed on his asse whiche betokeneth yâ— body of maÌ„ wherwith his soule may Ioye and lyue in the tabernacle of heueÌ„ and as that stuarde / the lyon / the ape / and the serpente that fell in to the pytte Ryght soo whan a fynfull man falleth in the pytte of fynne True lyon of the kynred of Iude that is god almyghty descendeth with hym as often tyme as the synner hathe wylle to come to grace Therfore sayeth the Salmist thus â—um ipso sum in trybulacyone That is for to saye I am with hym in trybulacyon This Gye draweth vp the lyon / that is to saye almyghty god oute of the pytte by the rope of vertues He drewe vp the ape also that is to saye contrarye wyll to reason that he myght obey vnto reason For of all maner of beestes the ape is moost lyke vnto man Ryght soo amonge all the strengthnesse of soule wyll oweth namely to be lykened to reason and to â—bey reason He drewe vp also a serpente by the whiche is vnderstoâ—de penaunce for two causes For the serpente bereth in his mouthe venym / and his tayle is a medycyne Ryght so penaunce bereth at the begynnynge bytternesse vnto the doer Neuerthelesse it is ful swete and medycynable vnto the soule at the ende And therfore euery ryght wyse man sholde drawe vnto hym the serpente of penaunce And atte the laste he drewe vp the stewarde frome the pytte of synne accordynge vnto Crystes saynge thus I am not come onely to calle to me ryghtfull / but synners vnto penaunce Also it is wryten that Seneca called Senck that taught an Emperour many lores and vertues of trouthe And at the laste lyke this stewarde he lete slee his mayster Senek Also Cryste gaue power vnto Iudas to werke myracles lyke as he dyde vnto other dyscyples Neuerthelesse he bytrayed hym atte the laste Ryght soo nowe a dayes be many chyldren of Bellyall whiche delyteth more to do harme thaÌ„ good in especyall to theym that wolde teche theym in parfyte bothe for soule / and for body The Lyon gaue vnto the â—yghtfull man ten asses charged with marchaundyses that is to saye oure lorde Ihesu cryste gyueth vnto euery ryghtfull man ten commaundementes charged with vertues by the whiche he groweth in to the rychesse of heuen ¶ The ape also gadred hym wode as ofte as the ryghtfull man worcheth wylfully the dedes of charyte For wode is profytable for two thynges / that is to saye to make fyre to buylde an house Ryght soo perfyte charyte heteth the aungell bothe accordyÌ„ge to yâ— scrypture saynge thus Q ma magis gaudium est angelis c. That is to saye More Ioy is to aungelles for one synner doynge penaunce c. Charyte also arayeth the house of heuen agaynst the comynge of yâ— soule The serpente also gaue hym a stone of thre dyuerse maner of coloures the whiche betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whome we seke by penaunce Therfore sayth saynt Ierome in the seconde table thus â—ost naufragium est premiam That is to saye We sholde doo penaunce after our trespaas That cryste is a stone may be proued by hym selfe saynge thus Eâ—go sum lapis viuus That is to saye I am a stone of lyfe Cryste hath thre coloures whiche by tokeneth the myght of the fader the wysdome of the sone / and the mekenesse of holy goost Therfore who that may gete this stone shall haue the Empyre of heuen / and Ioye without sore and plente without ony maner defaute / and lyght without derkenesse Vnto the whiche lyghte brynge vs our lorde Ihesus Cryste that dyed for the and me and all mankynde Amen Amen Amen for saynt charyte SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour whiche was named Anselme whiche wedded the kynges doughter of Ierusalem a fayre lady and a gracyous in the syght of euery man / but she was longe tyme with the Emperour or she was conceyued with chylde / wherfore the nobles of the Empyre were ryght sorowefull bycause theyr lorde had none heyre of his owne boody bygoten Tyll atte the laste it befelle that this Anselm walked after souper on a nyght in his gardeyne / and â—ythoughte hym selfe howe he hadde none heyre and how the kynge of Ampluy warred on hym contynually for soo moche that he hadde noo sone to make defence in his absence / wherfore he was ryght sorowefull and wente to his chamber and slepte â–ª and atte the last hym thought he sawe a vysyon in his slepe that the mornynge was more clere thenne it was wonte for to be and that the mone was moche more paler on that one syde then on that other syde And after he sawe a byrde of two coloures and by that byrde stode two beestes whiche fedde that lytel byrde with their hete / and after that came many mo bestes and bowed theyr hedes towarde the byrde wente theyr way And than there came dyuerse byrdes that songe so swetely and so shyll that the Emperoure awaked In the mornynge eâ—ly this Anselme remembred his vysyon and wondred moche what it myght sygnyfye / wherfore he called vnto hym his Phylosophers and also that states of his Empyre and tolde theym his dreme chargynge theym to telle hym the sygnyfyenge therof vpon the payne dethe And yf they tolde hym the true interpretacyon therof â–ª he behoted theym grete rewarde Than sayd they Lorde telle vs your dreme and we shall declare vnto you what it betokeneth Thenne the Emperour tolde theym frome the begynnynge to the ende lyke as it is
deed mennes bones we shall vnderstonde worldely men as myghty men and ryche / whiche outwarde shyneth as golde in rychesse pompes of this worlde Neuerthelesse within they be full of deed mennes bones / that is to saye the werkes that they haue wrought in this worlde ben deed in the syght of god thrugh deedly synne Therfore yf ony man chose such lyfe he shal haue that he deserueth / that is to saye helle And suche men be lyke Toumbes that ben whyte and ryally peynted and arayed without and couered with clothe of sylke and of golde / but within there is no thynge but drye bones By the seconde vessell of syluer we ought to vnderstonde the Iustyces and wyse men of this worlde whiche shyneth in fayre specke / but within they be full of wormes and erthe / that is to saye theyr fayre speche shall auayle theym nomore at the daye of dome than wormes or erthe / and perauenture lesse for than they shall suffre euerlastynge payne yf they / dye in dedly synne By yâ— thyrde vessell of lede full of golde and precyous stones we ought to vnderstonde a symple lyfe and a poore whiche the chosen men choseth that they may be wedded to oure blyssed lorde Ihesu cryste by humylyte obeysaunce / and suche men bere with theym precyous stones / that is to saye merytory werkes / plesynge to god by the whiche att the daye of dome they be wedded to our lorde Ihesus cryste and opteyne the herytage of heuen vnto the whiche oure blyssed lorlde Ihesus Cryste that dyed on rode tree for the and me and all mankynde Amen THere dwelled in Rome somtyme a myghty Emperour named Calopodu whiche wedded a fayr lady to his wyfe / they were not longe togyder but that this Empresse conceyued and bare hyÌ„ a sone a goodly chylde and a fayre / and set hym to scole And whan he come to .xx. yere of age / he desyred his faders herytage sayÌ„ge thus Dere fader ye are an olde man and may not gouerne your Empyre Therfore yf it lyst you to gyue it me it shall be to your profyte Than answered the Emperour and sayd Dere sone I drede me sore that whan Empyre is in thy power thou wylte not fulfyll my wyll ne my desyre Than answered the Empresse for soo moche she loued his sone better that her husbonde / and sayd my lorde quod she that may not be for thou hast but one sone / therfore as I byleue he wyll fulfyll thyn entente in all thynge this same Empyre may helpe hym ryght well And therfore it is beste to graunte hym the Empyre Than answered the Emperour and sayd I wyll fyrst haue of hym a letter ablygatorye that whan someuer he doo oony thynge agaynst my wyll that I wyll not haue doone / that than I shall depryue hym of the Empyre without ony witstendynge The sonne graunted this and lette make the oblygacyon / and sealed it And whan this was done / this yonge Emperour waxed soo proude that he dredde neyther god ne man and he dyde very moche harme But euer his fader suffred it pacyently for he wolde not be corrected by noo man Tylle atte the laste there felle a grete hungre and a derthe in that Empyre soo that many men dyed for defaute This olde Emperour was by hym selfe and beganne for to haue nede wherfore he wente vnto sone for to haue gete on hym some sustenaunce That his sone graunted and suffred for a whyle But within shorte tyme his fader beganne for to waxe seke wherfore he called his sone and prayed hym for to gyue hym a draught of muste His sone answered and sayd That wyll not do for I must is not good for thy complexyon Thenne sayd the Emperour I praye the sone gyue me a draught of thy wyne His sone answered and sayd that he wolde haue none / for my wyne is not yet fyned / yf I touche it / it wyll trouble and therfore I wyll not tame it tylle it be clere and fyned Thenne sayd his fader than gyue me some of thy seconde tonne That wyll I not do quod he / for that wyne is passynge myghty and stronge / and suche wyne is not good for a seke man Thenne prayde his fader hym hertely for a draught of the fourth tonne Than he answered and sayd / therof gete ye none For it is feble and without ony sustentacyon / and suche wyne is not good for you for it is not confortable Thenne sayd the olde Emperour now good sone gyue me thenne the fyfth tonne That wyll I not quod he for that tonne is full of leys and dregges and suche is not for men vnthes for hogges / whan his fader sawe that he myght gete no thynge of hym and after that he was hole as euer he was / than he wente vnto the kynge of Ierusalem and made his complaynte of his sone / and shewed hym the letter oblygatory the his sone had made / wherby his fader myght putte hym out of the Empyre withoute ony withsayÌ„ge / whan the kynge herde this he called yâ— Emperours sone to answere to his fader And whan he came he coude not answere to his fader well with no reason / wherfore the kynge putte hym frome his Empyre and seasened his fader therin agayne and so he contynued all the dayes of his lyfe ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste accordynge to the psalme / saynge thus He is thy fader that hath the in possessyon / and made the of nought The sone betokeneth man to whome he gaue all the Empyre of this worlde accordynge to this scrypture â—elum celi domino c That is for to saye Heuen he hath gyuen our lorde / and erthe to man Mankynde made an oblygacyon vnto our lorde Ihesu Cryste whan he receyued his crystendome atte the fonte stone / where he behyght hym suerly to serue hym truly and to forsake the deuyll and all his pompis and vayne glorye This Emperoure began for to waxe seke vpon a daye / that is for to saye in englysshe our lorde Ihesu cryste is troubled as often tyme as a crysten man synneth and breketh his commaundementes neclygently / wherfore he trusteth gretely the helpe of oure soule and than asketh he a draught of the fyrst tonne That is for to saye he asketh of man the fyrste age of his chyldehode to be spente in his seruyce But anone the wycked man answered and sayd I may not doo so / for my chyldhode is muste that is for to saye in englysshe It is so tendre and so yonge it may attempte soo sone to serue god / whiche is openly false For the chylde of one daye age is not without synne For saynt Gregory sayth also in his dialog That chyldren of .v. yere of age putte out fendes frome the bosomes of theyr faders And whan god seeth that he may not haue of yâ— muste of his chyldhode Thenne desyreth he the wyne
of the seconde chyldhode Than answereth the wycked man and sayth that his wyne is not yet clere ynoughe that is for to saye / he is not apte for to serue god whan god may not haue of the seconde tonne Thenne asketh he of the thyrde tonne / that is for to saye of the thyrde tonne of his youth Thenne answered the wycked man and sayd / that wyne is to stronge and myghty And therfore his youth ought for to be spended aboute nedes of this worlde / and not in penaunce whiche sholde make hym feble and weyke whan god seeth that he may not haue of this tonne Thenne asketh oure lorde Ihesu Cryste of the fourth tonne of age And thenne answred the wycked man and sayth that an aged man is feble and may not faste ne doo none harde penaunce / yf he dyde he sholde be cause of his owne deth And then asketh our lorde of the syfte tonne That is for to saye / of his olde age whan he dooth crepe and maye not goo withoute a staffe / But the wycked man excuseth hym selfe / and saythe that this wyne is to feble for to gyue suche a man that is feble / for yf he sholde faste one daye / it were tyme on the morowe to make his graue And whan out lorde Ihesu cryste seeth that may not haue of the fyfth tonne Than asked he of the syxth tonne That is to saye whan man is blynde and man not goo to synne no more / yet desyreth he of suche a maner drynke that is for to saye the helpe of his soule But yâ— wretched man lyenge in despayre sayth Alas alas to me for bycause I serued not almyghty god my maker / and my redemer here in tymes paste whyle I was in my youth / and in my prosperyte But nowe there is no thynge lefte but onely the dregges and the leys of all wretchednesse Therfore what auayleth nowe for to tourne me to godwarde / but for suche men me sholde mourne Neuerthelesse god is so mercyfull that thoughe he myght haue no seruyce of man in all his tyme / yet is he contente to haue the leyse of his tonne / that is to say his good wyll thoughe he may not serue hym other wyse / soo shall his good wyll stande hym in good stede of penaunce For in what houre the synner dooth his penaunce he shal be saued As Ezachiel wytnesse The apostle sayth thus Alas alas and welawaye for there be full many that wyll not gyue wyne ne none other thynge vnto hym wherfore god shall complayne vnto the kynge of Iherusalem / that is to saye to his god hede atte the daye of dome / than god and man shall gyue a sentence defensable ayenst suche men sayenge thus â—suriui et non dedistis I haue hun / gred and ye haue me no mete And I haue thursted and ye gaue me no drynke Loo thus sHall he reherce vnto the / the suen wrekes of mercy / and whan this is done thenne shall they be put vnto euerlastynge payne / and yâ— ryghtfull men into euerlastyÌ„ge lyf where they shall Ioy wtout ende vnto the whiche bryÌ„ge vs he that dyed for vs on the rode tree Amen SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty emperour Named Antony vnder whose reygne yâ— rowers of the see had taken prysoner a myghty mannes sone of another region / and broughte hym to the Emperours pryson faste bounde / whan this yonge man was this in pryson he wrote to his owne fader for his raunsome but his fader wolde no raunsome paye me none other thynge sende to the conforte of hym This herynge his sone wepte sore and myght not be conforted for the vnkyndenesse of his fader This Emperour had a fayre doughter whiche euery daye vysyte this prysoner and conforted hym as moche as she myght Too whome the prysoner answered thus and sayd How shall I be mery / or how may I Ioye thus for to lye faste bounde in pryson frome yâ— syght of man / and notwithstandynge this it greueth me more that my fader wyll not paye my raunsome / whan this mayden herde this she was meued with pyte and sayd Dere frende I am sory for the. Neuertheles yf thou wylte graunte me one thynge I shall delyuer the frome this anguysshe payne / what thynge is that That thou wylte take me to thy wyfe Than sayd the prysoner I behote you surely to fulfyll your entente And for the more sykernesse I gyue you my trouth / whan he had soo done it was not longe after the mayden delyuered hym out of pryson and fledde awaye with hym home to his faders house / whan the fader sawe his sone and the mayden togyder / he asked the cause why he brought her with hym Than sayd he Syr this damoysell delyuered me frome pryson therfore she shall be my wyfe ThaÌ„ sayd his fader I wyl not concent that she shal by thy wyfe for .ii. resonable causes whiche I shall shewe The fyrst is this It is not vnknowen to the that the Emperour her fader myght haue had for thy delyueraunce grete good / and for soo moche that she was vntrue to her owne fader and true to the / it semeth well that thou sholde not truste in her longe / for who is false to her owne fader by reason sholde be veray false and vntrue to another man The seconde reason is this / the cause why she delyuered the fro enprysonmente It was not for pyte ne for louâ— but for flesshely luste that she hadde to the. For atte thy delyueraunce she made couenaunt with the to be thy wyfe / and hadde of thy thy trouth / and therfore sone it is not reason that she sholde be thy wyfe The mayden answered to this questyon and sayd As for the fyrste reason that thou layest agaynst me that I sholde be vntrue vnto my fader / that is false / for my fader hath plente of rychesse and thy sone is but poore and therfore I holpe hym for pyte and for none other cause / and Neuerthelesse thou whiche arte his fader wolde noâ— paye his raunsome that he myght be delyuered frome pryson Loo for this cause I haue delyuered hyÌ„ therfore I am kynder vnto hym than thou whiche arte his owne fader / and he is more byholden to me thenne to the. Vnto the other reason where thou sayest that I delyuered hym dy cause of flesshely luste I answered and sayd playnly that is is not trouthe For all maner of flesshly loue it caused for strength orelles for fayrnesse But thy sone is not stronge / for his emprysonement hath done away his streng the. He is not fayre / for by the payne that he had in prysoÌ„ he is made lowe and vnlustye to the syght / and therfore pyte onely moued me for to delyuer hym / and not flesshely luste Than sayd the sone / to his fader Dere fader for soo moche that I was in parell of dethe
/ and wrote vnto the that thou woldest paye my raunsome that I myghte be delyuered / thou woldest not helpe me But this mayden of her gentylnesse and for pyte saued me frome dethe and delyuered me frome pryson Therfore sothely she shall be my wyfe / wherfore he wedded her forthwith grete honoure with her ended he his lyfe ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour betokeneth the fader of heuen The yonge man that was taken with the rowers of the see betokeneth all mankyned whiche was taken with the deuyll by the synne of oure fore fader Adam and was caste in to the pryson of belle with grete sorowe and payne His fader wolde not raunsome hym / that is to saye the worlde wolde do no thynge for hym This fayre doughter betokeneth the godhede whiche came doune from heuen and toke manhode of the vyrgyn mary / and so made a goostly maryage bytwene hym and man And vpon this condycyon he delyuered mankynde out of the pryson of helle whan he came fro heuen forsoke the felawshyp of aungelles for to dwell with vs in this wretched valey of teares But the fader the whiche betokeneth the worlde grutched euer agaynst hym and wolde not suffre that the soule of man sHolde become the spouse of Ihesu Cryste / but that she sholde alwaye serue hym and forsake our lorde Therfore yf we folowe y◠worlde his vanytes sothly we shall falle in the snare of the deuyll Fro the whiche defende vs our lorde Ihesus Amen SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty emperour of grete lyuelode Named Alexsander / y◠whiche aboue all vertues loued largesse / wherfore he ordeyned a lawe for grete curiosyte that no man vnder payne of dethe sHold torns a playse in his dysshe at his mete / but onely eete whyte syde not the blacke / ony mā wolde attempte to do the cōtrary he sholde die wtout remedy / but or he dyed he shold aske iii. bones to the Emperour what so hym lyst excepte his lyfe whiche sholde be graunted hym It befell after on a daye that there came an Erle and his sone of a straunge countre to speke with the Emperour And whan this Erle was sette to mete he was serued with playse / and he whiche was hungry and had appetyte to his mete / and after he had eten the whyte syde he tourned the blacke syde began to ete there of wherfore anone he was accused to themperour bycause he had offended agaynst the lawe Than sayd the Emperour late hym dye accordynge to the lawe without ony delay / whan the Erles sone herde that his fader sholde dye anone he sette hym doune on bothe his knees afore themperour / and sayd O my reuerent lorde for his loue that henge on crosse late me dye for my fader Thenne sayd the Empeour It pleaseth me well that one dye for the offence of y◠lawe Than sayd this erles sone sythe it is so that I shal dye I aske the benefytes of that lawe that is to saye that I may haue thre petycions graunted or I dye The Emperoure answered and sayd / aske what thou wylt there shall no mā say nay Than sayd this yonge knyght My lorde ye haue but one doughter the whiche I desyre of your hygnesse that she may lye with me a nyght or that I dye The Emperour graunted though it were agaynst his wyll in fulfyllynge of his lawe Neuerthelesse this knyght deffloured her not as that nyght Therfore he plesed the Emperour gretely The seconde peticions this I aske all thy tresoure / and anone the Emperour graunted bycause he sholde not be called a breeker of owne lawe And whan this erles sone had resceyued the Emperours tresoure he deperted it bothe to poore men and ryche / wherfore he opteyned there good wyll My thyrde peticion is this I aske my lorde that all theyr eyen may by put oute in contynent whiche sawe my fader etynge of the blacke playce wherfore the Emperour lete make an inquisycyon anone who it was that sawe the erle turne the playce / and they that sawe hym turne that playce / bethought them and sayd within them selfe If we knowledge that we sawe hym do this trespas than shall our eyen be putte oute And therfore it is better that we holde vs styll / and so there was none founde that wolde accuse hym / whan this Erles sone sawe this he sayd vnto the Emperour My lorde quod he ye se that there is no man accuseth my fader / therfore gyue ye ryghtfull Iugemente Than sayd the Emperour For soo moche that no man wyll knowlege that they sawe hym torne the playce Therfore I wyll not that thy fader shall dye Lo the sone thus saued the lyfe of the fader And after the desease of the Emperour he wedded his doughter ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour betokeneth the fader of heuen whiche ordeyned for lawe that no man sHolde torne the blacke syde of the playce that is to saye There sHolde no man laboure for rychesse or lordshyppe by couetyse and falsehede The Erle that came to that Emperour betokeneth Adam our fore fader whiche came out of the londe of Damasse to the courte of paradyce and torned vp the blacke syde of the playce whā he etc of the apple / wherfore he sholde haue ben dampned vnto euerlastynge dethe and eternall dethe But his sone whiche betokeneth our lorde Ihesu Cryste For he toke flesshe of Adam seynge this profered hym selfe wylfully to deye for hym the fader of heuen graunted that he sholde go doune to dye for mankynde Neuerthelesse or he dyed he asked thre petycyons of his fader of heuen The fyrste was this that he myght haue by hym his doughter whiche betokeneth the soule of man / and brynge her with hym in to the bosome of heuen accordynge to the wordes of Osye saynge thus Dispensabo eam mihi That is to saye I shall wedde her to my wyfe The secōde petycyon was this All themperours tresoure whiche betokeneth the tresoure of heuen accordynge to this scrypture Situt disposint micht pater Lyke as my fader hath dysposed for me soo I dyspose for you The thyrde questyon was this / that all theyr eyen sholde be putte oute / that is to saye / that the deuyll whiche dayly accuseth man that he myght be put fro the lyghte of heuenly grace And thus sued he mankynde and ledde hym vp with hym vnto the palayce of heuen vnto the whiche palayce brynge vs oure lorde Ihesus Amen THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Lemicius whiche on a daye rode in dysporte to a foreste where as he met sodeynly with a poore man to whome he sayd thus / frende whens comest thou and who arte thou My lorde quod he I came fro the nexte cyte and your man I am Thenne sayd the Emperour thou semest poore / therfore yf thou wylte be good and true I shall promote the to grete rychesse and honoure Thenne answered
Mary the emperours sone betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste The sergeaunt that was sente thrughe the cyte betokeneth saynt Iohan that baptist whiche was sente afore our lorde / to make redy for hym accordynge to the scrypture Ecce mitto angelū Lo I sende my aūgell afore me c. The states whiche desyreth the Emperours sone to nourysshe betoken the patryarkes and prophetes whiche desyre gretely to nourysshe our lorde so to se hym but they myght not se hym / ne norysshe hym for fyre and water whiche sholde be causet of theyr syght were not with hȳ persyghtly The fyre betokeneth the holy goost that had not yet a pered in them / for they were not wasshen the water of the fonte Also ye may vnderstonde by the fyre perfyght charyte / and by the water true contrycion whiche two now a dayes fayleth in many men / and therfore they may not haue the lytell thylde Ihesu in theyr hertes Ionathas that waked so well betokeneth a good crysten man whiche studyeth euer to wake in doynge of good werkes / yeldynge to god for synnes the fyre of charyte / the water of contrycyon But ofte tymes the tyraunt whiche betokeneth the deuyll putteth out the fyre of charyte fro mennes hertes and casteth out the water of contrycyon so that they may not Nourysshe this lytell chylde Ihesu Therfore awake we as Ionathas dyd that we entre not in temptacyon And calle we to vs masons that is to say dyscrete cōfessours / whiche can make in our hertes a chamber of stone / that is to saye a sure feyth hope Thā calle we to vs peynters that is to saye prechours of goddes wordes whiche can paynt in our hertes ten ymages / that is to saye ten cōmaūdementes whiche yf thou kepe and preserue dayly / deuoutly without doubte thou shalte behonoured in heuen And yf thou kepe well the Emperours sone thou shalt sytte in chayre of golde crowned with a crowne of golde / yf thou nourysshe not wel without doubte thou shalt be hanged on that galous of heil / frome the whiche saue vs our dere lorde Ihesus Amen IN Rome there dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Menaly the whiche had wedded the kynges doughter of hungry a fayr lady gracious in all her werkes / specially she was merciful as the emperour lay in his bed he bethought hȳ the he wolde vysyte the holy londe / on the morne he called to hȳ the Empresse and his owne onely broder and thus he sayd dere lady I may not ne I wyll not hyde fro the / the preuytees of my herte I purpose to vysyte the holy londe / wherfore I ordeyne the pryncypally to be lady and gouernoure ouer all myn Empyre and ouer my people And vnder the I ordeyne here my broder to be thy stywarde for to prouyde all thynges that may be profytable to me and to my people Than sayd the Empresse Syth it wyll none other wyse be but nedes ye wyll go to the holy londe I shall be in your absence as true as ony turtyll that hath lost his felawe For as I byleue ye shall not escape thens with your lyfe The Emperour anone conforted her with fayre wordes and kyste her and after that toke his leue of her and of all other and so wente forth towarde the holy londe And anone after that the Emperour was gone his broder waxed soo proude that he opressed poore and robbed tyche men yet he dyd worse for dayly he styred the Empresse to synne with hym But euer she answered agayne as an holy and a deuoute woman and sayd I wyll quod she neuer consente to you / ne to none other as lōge as my lorde lyues Neuerthelesse this knyght wolde not leue by this answere but euer whā he founde her alone he made his compleynt to her / and styred her by all the wayes that he coude to synne with hym / whan this lady sawe that he wolde not seas for none answere ne wolde not amende hym selfe whan she sawe her tyme she called to her thre or foure of the worthyest of that Empyre and sayd to theym thus it is not vnknowen to you that my lorde the Emperour ordeyned me prȳcipally gouernour of this Empyre / and also he ordeyned his broder to be stewarde vnder me and that he sholde doo no thynge without my counceyl but he dooth all the contrary / for he oppresseth poore men gretely robbeth ryche men / yet he wolde do worse yf he myght haue his entente wherfore I commaunde you in my lordes name that ye bynde hym faste / and caste hym in pryson Thenne sayd they sothely he hath done many harmes syth out lorde wente / therfore we be redy to obey your commaandement / but in this mater ye muste answere for vs to our lorde the Emperour Than sayd she drede ye not for of my lorde knewe what he hath done as well as I he wolde putte hym to the fowlest dethe that can bethought Anone these men sette handes on hym and bounde hym faste with yron cheynes and putte hym faste in pryson / where as he laye longe tyme after / tylle atte the laste it fortuned there came tydynges that the Emperour was comynge home hadde opteyned grete worshyppe and vyctory / whan his broder herde of his comynge he sayd / wolde god my broder myght fynde me in pryson for thenne wolde he enquyre the cause of myn emprysonement of the Empresse / and she wyl tell hym all the trouth / and how I desyred her to synne / soo for her I shall haue no grace of my broder but lose my lyfe this knowe I well therfore it shall not be soo Thenne sente he a messenger vnto the Empresse praynge her for crystes passyon that she wolde vouchsafe to come vnto the pryson dore that he myght speke a worde with her The Empresse came to hym / and enquyred of hym what he wolde He answered and sayd thus O lady haue marcy vpon me For yf the Emperoure my brother fynde me in this pryson thenne I dye without remedy Thenne sayd the Empresse yf I myght knowe thou woldest be a good man and leue of thy foly thou sholdest haue grace Than dyde he behote her sykerly to be true and to amende all this trespasse / whan he had thus promysed the Empresse delyuered hym anone made hym to be bathed and shauen and arayed hym worshyppefully accordynge to his estate / and than she sayd vnto hym thus Nowe good broder lepe on thy stede and come with me that we may mete my lorde He answered sayd lady I am redy to fulfyll youre wyll and youre commaundement in all thynges And than the Empresse tooke hym with her and many other knyghtes and rode forth to mete with the Emperoure / and as they rode togyder by the way they sawe where a grete harte ranne afore them / wherfore euery man with suche houndes as they had chased hym on
hym But the blyssed soule whiche is so welbeloued with god wyll not forsake her lorde and consente vnto synne / wherfore the wretched flesshe full ofte dispoyleth her of all clothyne This is to saye of all her vertues / and hangeth her vp by the heere on an oke That is to saye on lustes and delytes / and there she hangeth vnto the good eâ—le cometh That is to saye / a dyscrete confessoure come in the forest of this worlde to preche and teche the worde of god and taketh her doune ledeth her forth to the chirche to nourysshe his doughter That is to saye / to nouryce concyence with werkes of mercy The Erle had in his chamber a lampe Ryghte so euery dyscryte confessoure or precher sholde haue a fore hym the lampe of holy scrypture where by he may see bothe the greuaunce and profyte of the soule in techynge of vertues and puttynge away of vyces The stuarde that styreth her to synne / is not elles but pryde of lyfe whiche is stuarde of this worlde / by whome many meÌ„ be deceyued But whan the soule that is so welbeloued with cryst wyll not consent to the synne of pryde / than taketh this euyl Stywarde the knyfe of couetyse where with he sleeth the erles doughter / yâ— is to saye concyence accordynge to the scrypture saynge thus Golde and syluer hath blynded the eyen of Iuges and hath ouerthrowen wyse men so that equyte and ryght wysnes myght entre but stode a ferre and torned theyr backes This lady also boughte a man frome hangynge that is to faye frome euerlastynge deth whiche had deserued by dedely synne Therfore do we as dyde this lady / smyte we our horse that is to saye our flesshe with the spores of penaunce and soryde we forth all hast to saue our neyghbour from the gaious of deedly synne helpynge them both bodely and goostly as Salamon sayth wo to that man lyenge in deedly synne that hath no man to lyfte him out therof Therfore awake thy neyghboure and helpe hym For a brother that is helpen of an other there is lyke a sure cyte / and yf he gyue no more but a cuppe of water vnto hym in waye of helpe he shall not lose his rewarde But many now a dayes ben full vnkynde as was this thefe whiche deceyued falsely his lady after that she had saued hym fro hangynge The mayster of the shyp betokeneth the worlde by whome many men ben beceyued But neuerthelesse as ofte as a man taketh on hym wylfully the charge of pouerte / and obeyeth vnto the commaundement of god and forsaketh the worlde Than breketh the shyppe For it is vnpossyble to please bothe god and man and the worlde at ones / whan this lady had escaped the tempest of the see she wente to a Nonery that is to saye / to the soule after the troubles of this worlde wente to the holy lyfe And thâ— she heled all maner syke folke that is to saye euery man that is troubled in his soule yâ— is to saye Infecte with dyuerse sekenesses whiche this lady heleth thrughe holy lyfe But the soule myght not be seen of cryste her husboÌ„de tyll she had knoweleged openly all theyr .v. wyttes how she had spent them But whan she had made a pure confessyon than yâ— Emperour our lorde god her husbande knewe her toke her in his armes led her home to the palycs of paradyse Vnto the whiche almyghty Ihesu bryÌ„ge vs al Amen IN Rome somtyme there dwelled a myghty Emerour named Martyn whiche for loue kept with hym his broders sone whome men called Fulgenctê° with this Martyn dwelled also a knyght that was stuarde of his Empyre vncle vnto the Emperour whiche enuyed this fulgenciê° / studyed bothe day nyght how he myght bryÌ„ge the Emperour this chylde at debate wherfore the stewarde on a day wente vnto that Emperour sayd My lorde quod he I whiche am youre true seruauÌ„t owe of duty to warne your hyghnesse yf I here ony thynge that toucheth your honoure wherfore I haue herde suche thyÌ„ges that I muste nede vtter in secrete to your sordshyp bytwene vs .ii. Than sayd yâ— Emperour Good frende quod he say what thou lyst My lorde qd the stuarde Fulgenciê° your cosyn your nye kynnesman hath dyffamed you wonderly and shamefully thrughe all your Empyre saynge that your brethe stynketh the it is deth to hym to serue you of your cup. Than the Emperour waxed wrothe and almoost out of hyÌ„ selfe for veray angre / and sayd to hym thus / I praye the good frende tell me the very trouth yf that my breth so stynketh as he sayth My lorde quod the stuarde ye may beleue me for I perceyued a sweter breth in my dayes Thà sayd the Emperour I praye the good frende telle me how I may brynge this thynge to preefe The stuarde answered and sayd My lorde ye shall ryght well vnderstonde yâ— trouthe For to morowe nexte whan he serueth you of your cuppe ye shall se that he shall torne awaye his face frome you by cause of your brethe / and this is the moost veray prefe that may be had of this thynge For sothâ— sayd the Emperoure a truer profe can not be hadde of this thynge / wherfore anone whan the stuarde herde this / he wente to Fuigencius and toke hym a syde saynge thus Dere frende thou arte my kynnesman / and neuewe to my lorde the Emperour / therfore yf thou wylte conne me thanke I wyll tell the of the vyce wherof my lorde complayneth ofte and thynketh to put the fro hym but yf it be rather amended and that myght be grete reprefe to the. Thenne sayd this Fulgencius A good syr for his loue that dyed on the crosse telle me why my lorde is soo meued with me / for I am redy to amende my defaute in all that I may / and for to be ruled by your couÌ„ceyll Thy brethe quod the stuarde stynketh sore that his drynke dooth hym no good / soo greuous vnto hym is the stynkynge of thy brethe Than sayd Fulgencius truely that perceyued I neuer tylle nowe / but what thynketh you of my brethe I praye you tell me that trouthe Sothely quod he it stynketh foule Neuerthelesse he byleued all that he sayd This Fulgencius was ryght sorowfull prayed hym of his councell and helpe in this case Than sayd the stewarde yf thou lyste for to do by my councell I shall brynge this mater to good conclusyon Therfore I counceyll for the beste and also I warne the that whan thou seruest thy lorde of his cuppe than torne awaye thy face frome hym that he may not fele thy brethe tyll that tyme that thou haste prouyded the for somme remedye Fulgencius thenne was gladde and sware that he wolde doo by his councell Not longe after it befelle that the chylde serued his lorde as he was wonte to doo Sodeynly he torned his face frome the lorde by the techynge
me my loue whiche I loued before Remembre yâ— quod the knyght that thou gaue me thy trouthe to be my wyfe / how I saued the frome deth / yf thou ponder not thy fayth beholde my wouÌ„des whiche I haue suffred in my body for the loue And anone he vnclothed hym selfe naked saue his breche the he myght shewe his woundes openly / but she wolde not se them ne speke more w e hyÌ„ but shyt fast the gate wente her way / whaÌ„ the knyght sawe this he wente to the Iustyce made his complaynte praynge hyÌ„ to gyue ryghtwys Iugement on this tyraunt this woman The Iuge called them before hym / whan they were come this sayd this knyght My lorde quod he I aske the benefytes of the lawe whiche is this / yf a man rescue a woman from rauysshynge the rescuer shall wedde her yf hym lyst And this woman delyuered I fro the handes of the tyrauÌ„te Therfore I ought to haue her / forthermore she gaue me her trouthe fayth to wedde me And therupon she wente to my castell / I haue done grete cost agaynst our weddyÌ„ge / therfore as it semeth me she is my wyf as by the lawe ThaÌ„ sayd the Iuge vnto the tyrauÌ„t Thou knowest well the this knyght delyuered her from thy handes for her loue suffred many smerte wouÌ„des therfore well thou wotest the she is his wyfe by the lawe yâ— the hyÌ„ lyst But after her delyuerauÌ„ce w e flater yÌ„ge speche thou hast dysceyued her / therfore this daye I Iuge the to he hanged Than sayd the Iuge to the woman in lyke wyse O woman thou knowest how this knyght saued yâ— frome deth therupon thou tokest hyÌ„ thy fayth to be his wyfe / therfore by two reasons thou art his wyfe / fyrst by the lawe / after by thy fayth This notwithstandyÌ„ge yâ— consented afterwarde to yâ— tyraunt and brought hym in to the knyghtes castell shyt the gate agaynst the knyghte and wolde not se his woundes whiche he suffred for thy loue / and therfore I Iugey e to be hanged and soo it was done / bothe the rauyssher and she that was rauysshed were dampned to the dethe / wherfore euery man praysed the Iuge for his ryghtwys Iugement ¶ This Emperour betokeneth the fader of heuen whiche ordeyned for lawe that yf the ioulâ— of man were rauysshed frome god by synne / the sauer of the soule sholde wedde hyÌ„ yf hym lyste The woman that was rauysshed betokeneth the soule of man whiche was rauysshed by synne of our fore fader Adam and ledde out of Paradyse and ledde in to the foreste of this wretched worlde by the tyraunt poncyanus whiche betokeneth the deuyll and he not only defloured her but by lesynge of herytage of heuen / but also he wolde slee her with euerlastynge payne But the soule cryeth with an hyghe voyce / whose crye our lorde Ihesu cyrste herde This crye was made whaÌ„ Adam cryed after oyle of mercy And patriarkes and prophetes cryed for remedy saynge O thou hyghnesse of the Eest and so for the vysyte thou vs. c. The knyght betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whiche came frome heuen and faught with the tyraunt / that is for to sayethe deuyll / and bothe they were sore wounded For our lorde Ihesu Cryste was wounded in his flesshe / and the deuyll in his lordshyppe / wherfore the woman / that is to saye the soule gaue her truthe vnto almyghty god whan that she became crystened saynge that I forsake the deuyll and all his pryde / and byleue in god the fader almyghty Than ordeyned our lorde Ihesu a maryage bytwene hym and her with the seuen secramentes of the chirche wherof may be made a stronge castell agaynst the deuyll Also our lorde commaunded the soule to kepe her styl in the castel of vertue tyll he went vnto his frendes to prouyde the was nedeful / that is to laye oure lorde Ihesu on the assencyon daye assended to heuen to aray for her a dwellynge place of euerlastynge Ioye where as we sholde dwelle after the day of dome with our lorde god in honoure and glory But alas in the meane tyme came the deuyll begyled the wretched soule by a deedly synne so he entred in to the castell of oure herte whiche sholde be the castell of god The knyght Ihesu knocked at the gate of our herte accordyÌ„ge to this scrypture â—â—cce sto ad hostium et pulso Lo I stande at the dore and knocke / yf ony man wyll open that I may entre in / but where the deuyll is / god may not entre but yf the synner wyll receyue hym by penaunce / whiche seynge the gentyll Ihesu shewed hym selfe naked hangynge on the crosse that we may se his blody woundes whiche he suffred for vs that we synners sholde be the rather myndefull of his lone For frome the crowne of his heed vnto the sole of his feet / was lefte none place hole place Therfore sayth the ê“phet Ysaye Attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus / c. Byholde and se yf ony sorowe be lyke my sorowe Therfore is he a wretched man the wyll not be conuerted for all this vnto his lorde god but lyeth styll in deedly synne / wherfore whan he is called afore the hyghe Inge he shall be dampned to euerlastynge dethe Therfore studye we to open the dore of oure hertes with merytory werkes vnto almyghty god / and than without doubte we shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche bryÌ„ge vs our lorde Ihesu whiche haue mercy on vs Amen ¶ Thus endeth the boke of Gesta Romanorum EmpryÌ„ted at London in Flete strete By me Wynkyn de Worde