nourishing of him and after promoted him to great honor and worship The Morall This Emperour betokeneth the father of heauen The Empresse béetokeneth the blessed virgin Mary The Emperours sonne betokeneth our Lord Jesu Christ The Herauld that was sent throughout the Citie betokeneth saint Iohn Baptist which was sent before our Lord to prepare the way for him according to holy scripture Ecce mitto Angelum c. Loe I sende myne aungell before mée c. The states that desired the Emperours sonne to nourish beetoken the Patriarkes and Prophets which desired greatly to nourish our Lord Jesu Christ and also to see him but they might not see him ne nourish him for fyre and water which should haue béene cause of their sight was not with them perfectly The fyre betokeneth the holy Ghost which had not yet appered in them for they were not washed with the water of Baptisme Also yée may vnderstand by the fyre perfect charitie and by the water true contricion which two now a daies faileth in many men and therfore they may not haue the little childe Jesus in their hearts Ionathas that watched so diligently betokeneth euery good Christian man which studieth euer to watch in well doeing yéelding to GOD for sinnes the fyre of charitable repentaunce the watter of contrition But oftentimes the tyrant which béetokeneth the diuell putteth out the fire of charitie from out of mens harts and casteth out the water of contrition so that they may not nourishe the little childe Jesus Therefore lette vs watch as lonathas dyd that wâ—e enter not into temptation And call wee vnto vs Masons that is to saye descrete Preachers which can make in our hartes a chamber of stone that is to say a sure Faith and hope Than call wée to vs Painters that is to saye ministers of Gods word which canne painte in our harts ten Images that is to say the x. commaundements which if thou kéepe and obserue dayly without doubt thou shalt bée honoured in heauen And if thou kéepe well the Emperours sonne thou shalt sit in a chayre of Gold crowned with a crowne of Gold And if that thou nourish him not well without doubt thou shalt bée in daunger of torment in hell From the which preserue vs our blessed Sauiour Jesus Amen The Argument ¶ The soule of man espoused vnto Christ the flesh procureth the same to sinne The Christian soule by faith withstan death temptation The redemption of mankinde from sinne death The deceits of vnthankfull heartes The spirit healeth the defectes of the flesh after a pure repentaunce followeth perpetuall ioye and felicitie both of soule and body The 40. History IN Rome dwelt sometime a mightie Emperour named Menaly which had wedded the Kinges daughter of Hungary a fayre Lady and a gracious in all hir woorkes and specially shée was mercifull On a tyme as the Emperour lay in his bed hée bée thought him that hée would goâ— visitâ—e the holy lande And on the morrow he called to him the Emprisse his wife and his owne onely brother and thus he sayde Deere Lady I may not ne I will not hide from you the priuities of my heart I purpose to visit the holy land wherefore I ordaine thee principally to be Lady gouernour ouer all mine Empyre and all my people And vnder thee I ordaine héere my brother to be thy steward for to prouide all things that may bée profitable to mine Empyre and to my people Then said the Emprisse Sith it will none otherwise bee but the needs yée will goe to visit the Citie Ierusalem I shall bee in your absence as true as any turtle that hath lost hir mate for as I beeléeue yée shall not escape thence with your life The Emperour anone comforted hir with faire words and kissed hir and after that tooke his leaue of hir and of all other and so went foorth vnto the citie of Ierusalem And anone after that the Emperour was gone his brother became so proude that he oppressed poore men robbed rich men and yet did he worse theÌ„ this for dayly he stirred the Emprisse to commit sinne with him But euer she answered again as an holy and deuout woman saide I will quod shee neuer consent to you ne to none other as long as my Lord liueth Neuerthelesse this knight would not leaue with this answere but euer when he founde hir alone hee made his complaint to hir and stirred hir by all the wayes that hee could to sinne with him When this Ladie sawe that he would not cease for no answer ne wold not amend himselfe when shée sawe hir tyme shée called to hir three or foure of the worthiest men of the Empyre and sayd to them thus It is not vnknowen to you that my Lord the Emperour ordained mee principal gouernour of this Empyre also he ordained his brother to bee steward vnder mee and that hée should doe nothing without my counsel but he doth all the contrary for he oppresseth greatly poore men and likewiâ—e robbeth the rich men and yet he would doe worse then this if hee might haue his entent wherefore I commaund you in my Lords name that you binde him fast and cast him in prison Than said they sothly he hath done many euill déedes sith our Lord themperor wâ—nt therfore we be redy to obay your commaundement but in this matter ye must aunswere for vs to our Lord the Emperour Than said she dread ye not if my Lord knew what he hath done as well as I he would put him to the foulest death that could be thought Immediately these men sette hand on him and bound him fast with yron chaines and put him fast in prison where as he lay long tyme aâ—ter till at the last if fortuned there came tydings that the Emperour was comming home and had obtained great worship and victory When his brother heard of his comming hée said Would to God my brother might find mée in prison for than would he enquire the cause of myne enprisonment of the Emprisse she will tell him all the trouth and how I procured hir to commit sinne so for hir I shall haue no fauour of my Brother but loose my lyfe this know I well therefore it shall not bée so Then sent hée a messenger vnto the Emprissee praying hir for christes passion that shee would vouchsafe to come vnto the pryson dore that he might speake a word or two with hir The Emprisse came to him and enquired of him what hee would haue Hee answered and sayde O lady haue mercy vpon mée for if the Emperour my brother finde mée in this prison then shall I die without any remedy Then said the Emprisse if I might konw that thou wouldest be a good man and leaue thy folly thou shouldest haue grace Then dyd hée promise hir assuredlie to bee true and to amend all his trespasse When hee had thus promised the Emprisse deliuered him anon and made him to be bathed and
espyed at the ende of the forrest a poore man sitting beside a water playing on a harpe so swéetly that themperour before that day heard neuer so swéete a melody Then saide themperour good friend procéedeth this melody from thy harpe or no. The poore man answered sayd My reuerend Lord I shal tell you the trouth Beside this water my wife and my childe and I haue dwelled xxx yéere God hath giuen me such grace that when so euer I touch my harpe I make so swéete melody that the fishes of this water come out to my hand and so I take them where with my wife my childe and I be sustained dayly in great plenty But alâ—s welaway on the other side of this water there commeth a whistler whisteleth so sweetly that many times the fishes forsake mée and goe to his whistling and therefore my reuerend Lord I besech you of help against his hissing whisteling Then said themperour I shall giue thée good help couÌ„saile I haue héere in my pursse a golden hooke which I will giue thée take thou it binde it fast at the ende of a rod with some worme for the bait vpon the hooke then cast thy rod into the water forthwith ply thy play vpon thy harp and when thou perceiuest the fish to byte on the baite draw them vp to the lande with that hooke then his whisteling ne hissing shall not auaile When the poore man heard this he reioysed him greatly and did all thing as hée had taught him And wheÌ„ this poore man began to touch his harpe the fishes came to the bayte than he tooke them vp with his hooke liued there by in better estate long time and at the last ended gratiousiy his life in peace and rest The Morall ¶ This Emperour betokeneth Jesu Christ which greatly delighteth to hunt the soule of mankinde in the forrest that is holy Church Hee loueth also the melody of the harpe that is to say he loueth much those that teach the holy word of god This poore man that sate by the water side betokeneth the prelats of the church and the preachers of the word of god which ought to sit beside the world and not in the world that is to say they should not set their delight in worldly things The preachers ought to haue the harp of holy seripture wherewith they may praise and honour God and also therewith draw out of this world the sinners Therfore saith the psalmist thus Praise ye god in timpanes and sing ye to him on the harpe the psalter of the x stringes But now a dayes the preacher may say alas for when I preach and teach holy scripture the diuell commeth whsteleth so swéetly that the sinners draw to him and will not heere the word of god but they turne themselues onely to the delight of sinne The diuell deceiueth also mankinde by diuerse wayes First in time of preaching he maketh some to sléepe and them that he cannot make to sléepe he causeth them to talke clatter and them that he cannot make to clatter hée maketh them so dull that they may not vnderstand what the preacher saith and them that he cannot beguile by these meanes hée putteth in them businesse and causeth them to goe out of the Church Lo so many waies the diuell hath to deceiue mankinde and to let the woord of God Theresore euery prelate euery Preacher béehoueth to haue the golden hooke of gods grace against this whiseeling by the which grace they may draw sinners out of this world vp to heauen vnto the which bring vs our Lord Jesus Amen The Argument ¶ Mans soule the daughter of our Sauiuiour is so deere vnto him that he being careful for the conuersation of hir in state of sincere liâ—e is yet seduced by the sugestion of the flesh which beeing a greeuous transgressor is by earnest repentance and amendemeÌ„t of life enforced to bâ—ing the said soule againe vnto dutifull obedience towards God man that thence forwards coÌ„tinuing she may attayn vnto the â—oâ—es of euerlasting blislednesse c. The 18. Historie THere dwelled sometime in Rome a mightie Emperour and a wise named Polemus which had no childe saue onely a daughter whom he loued so much that daye and night hée ordayned to haue hir garded with armed knights And aboue these knightes he ordayned a comptroller well erperienced in euery thing for to teach and instruct them how they should doe Hée ordayned also a steward for to guide his household And when all this was done on a night as hée lay in his bed hée béethought him that hée would goe visit the holy land And then when all thing was ready for his iourney according to his purpose hée called vnto him his steward and sayd My trusty seruant I purpose now to goe see the holy land and therfore I leaue my daughter in thy kéeping also I charge thée that she lack nothing but that shee haue all maner of ioye and gladnesse that pertaineth to a virgin Secondly I leaue in thy kéeping fiue knights that beene hir kéepers and charge thée that they lack nothing which to them beehoueth Also I leaue to thée my greyhound commaunding that thou nourish and féede him as it appertaineth and if thou fulfill all this that I haue sayd thou shalt at my comming againe receiue a great reward TheÌ„ said the steward my dere Lord in all that I may I shall fulfill your will When this was said the emperour tooke his iourney toward the citie of Ierusalem and the steward a long time kept well and truely themeperours ordinaÌ„ce and charge enioyned him But at the last it befell vpon a day that this steward had espyed this yong Lady walking alone in an Orcheyard with whose loue hee was sodainly surprised wherfore straitway against hir will hée desâ—oured hir And when he had committed sinne with 〈◊〉 hee gaue hir â—ll language and hated hir more after thâ—n euer hee loued hir 〈…〉 and dr 〈…〉 hir out of the pallais wherfore this da 〈…〉 by this meanes being driuen to 〈…〉 and great po 〈…〉 went from dore to dore begged hir bread But when the knightes that were hir kepers heard of this they reâ—orâ—ed shamefully the steward of that sinfull deede Then the steward waxed wroth and for great hate that he had in his hart he dispoiled the hâ—ights of their goods droue them fro the pallayes And when they were thus robbed exiled some for lack of liuings became theeues and some mankillers which through this inconuenience they wrought great harme Soone after this ther came tidings that themperour was arriued in far lands comming homeward And when the steward heard this hée was greatly troubled and moued in himselfe and thus thinking in himselfe hée said thus This may not bée but néedes I shall bée accused for my treaspasse that I haue committed against themperours coÌ„mandemeÌ„t hée is my God and mercifull Lord therfore
dignitie estate being men of cinceare life they that did contrary to the meaning of dutifull behofe heerin are worthie of euerlasting death The 38. Historie SOmetime there dwelt in Rome a mighty Emperour named Donate which dyd let make thrée Images of the which one held out his hand straight vnto the people and had on his finger a ring of Gold The second Image had a beard of gold And the third had a mantell of Purple commaunding vpon paine of death that no man should beare these Images of the ring the beard nor the mantell It befell afterward vppon a time that one Dyonise tyrant came into the temple and toke away the ring from the first Image the beard from the second and the mantell from the third And when he had thus done he was foorthwith accused vnto the Emperour and brought before him and straightly examined of that trespasse why hée dispoyled the Images against the Emperours commaundement Than aunswered Dionise and said as followeth My Lord it is lawfull to answere for mée when I entred into the Temple the first Image held foorth his hand straight to mee as who would saye I giue thee this ring and therefore I toke the ring at the guift of the Image béeing loth to refuse his gentle offer And when I law the second Image hauing a beard I thought thus with in my selfe I knew sometyme the father of this Image which had no bearde and now his sonne hath a beard which is against reason the sonne to haue a bearde and the father none and therefore I tooke from him his bearde that he should bée like his father After that whan I saw the third Image clothed in a mantell of Golde I thought that a mantell of gold was not behoueable to him in winter for gold is naturally colde which might be cause of his death and therefore I tooke it from him bicause it was to colde in winter to hotte in sommer When Dionise had excused him by these reasons the Emperour answered and said Thou hast answered wickedly for thy selfe what shold cause thée rather than any other man to dispoyle these Images for as much as I commaunded that no man should take any thing away from them thine owne mouth hath condempned thée Anone the Emperour called to him one of his Squires and charged him to smyte of his head and so it was done The Morall This Emperour betokeneth Almightie God the Father of Heauen The thrée Images betokeneth the poore men the rich men and the mightie men of this worlde The tyrant Dionise béetokeneth all officers in euery estate lewdely behauing themselues which take away from poore menne the ringe of theyr fingers and saye thus I may take that is giuen me But when the poore man hath ought to doe he must needes put foorth his hand to giue whether he will or no if hée shall spéede They take also the beard from the rich man an say thus This man is richer thaÌ„ his father was therefore take we his liueloode from him and make him like his forefather They take also the mantell of â—olde from the mightie men when they sée any man of honour of good â—â—â—ing wâ—ling to correct such misdoâ—â—s then saye they this man is to colde for he enclyneth nothing to our opinions and also he is to hot of power in working against vs therfore goe we and take from him the mantill of might and so they accuse him and put him out of office But certainely all such men stand in perill of euerlasting death From the which saue vs he that shed his precious bloud for vs. The Argument ¶ Man ought to nourish Christ in his hart by faith and fruits of good lyfe The reward of such as haue care vppon the conseruation of Christ his institutions we must watch least wee enter into temptation these thinges concidered we shall then by gods gracious good prouidence atâ—ayne vnto the reward of his heauenly and euerlasting blisse The 39. Historie THere dwelt sometime in Rome a mightie Emperour named Euas which had a fayre yong Lady to his wife vpon whome he had begotten a fayre sonne Whan the states of the empyre heard this they came vnto the Emperour besought him to haue the keepeing of his sonne Immediately the Emperour sent a Herould throughout the citie proclaiming that in whose house were firste founde fyre and water the good manne of that house should haue his sonne in kéeping and to nourish And than the emperour made a proclamacion that who so euer had his sonne to kéepe should nourish him cleanly féede him with wholesom meats and drinckes And when the childe came to age than should the keeper be promoted to great honor wherefore many men let make redy fire and water in hope to haue the childe But on the night when euery manne was a sléepe there came a tyrant named Sulapius that quenched the fire and threw out the water Neuerthelesse among all other there was a man named Ionathas that laboured so diligently that hée kept both day and night fire and water In a morning earely the Herauld at the Emperours commaundement went through the Citie and sought in euery house for Fyre and Water but hée could finde none tyll hee came to Ionathas house where as hée founde both Fyre and Water readie wherefore hee was brought béefore the Emperour and deliuered him his sonne according to his proclamacion When Ionathas had the Emperours sonne he led him home vnto his house And soone after he sent for masons and carpeÌ„ters let make a strong chamber of lyme and stone And when the chamber was made he sent for painters and let paint on the wall within the chamber x. Images with this posey paynted aboue their heads Who so defileth these Images shall dye a cruell death And than he lette draw on the dore agallous figure of a man hanging thervpon with this posey paynted aboue his head So shal he be serued that noursheth the Emperours sonne amisse Also he lette make a chaire of golde himselfe sitting therein crowned with a crowne of golde with this superscription aboue his head Who so nourisheth the Emperours sonne cleanly thus shal he be honoured Whan this was done often tymes as hée was a sléepe hée was greatly tempted to defyle these ten excelent Images but anone hée reade the superscription aboue their heads than all the temptations ceased And when the Emperours sonne was euill kept than went he to the gallows and read that posey which was writteÌ„ aboue his own head and for dread thereof kept the child better and was diligent to giue attendaÌ„ce on him And when he beheld the chayre and himselfe sitting therein crowned with a crowne of golde hée was right ioyfull thinking to haue a good reward for keeking of the Emperours sonne Whan the Emperour heard of his diligent demeanour aboute his sonne hée sent for him and for his sonne thanking him for his well keeping and