the voys of syngyng whan he approchâ—d to them he sawe the Calf and the instrumentis of myrthe and he was so wroth that he threwe doun the tables brake them atte fote of the hylle ran and raught doun the Calf that they had made and brente and smote it al to pouldre whiche he caste in to water and gaf it to drynke to the chyldren of Israhel Thenne said Moyses to Aaron What hath this peple don to the that thou hast made to synne greuously to whom he answerd late not my lord take none indignacion at me Thou knowest wel that this peple is prone and redy to synne They said to me Make to vs goddes that may goo tofore vs We knowe not what is fallen to this Moyses that lad vs out of egypte To whom I said who of you that hath gold geue it me they toke and gaf it to me And I Caste it in to the fire and therof cam out this Calf And thenne said moises Alle they that ben of goddis parte and haue not synned in this Calf late hem Ioyne to me And the chyldren of leui Ioyned to hym and bade eche maÌ„ take a swerd on his side and take vengeance and slee euerych his brother his frende and neygbour that haue trespaced And so the chyldren of leui wente and slewe xxxiijM of the children of Israhel And thenne said Moyses ye haue halowed this day your handes vnto our lord And ye shal be therfore blessyd The second day moyses spack to the peple and said ye haue commysed and don the grettest synne that may be I shal ascende vnto our lord agayn and shal praye hym for your synne Thenne Moyses ascended agayn and receyuyd afterward two tables agayn whiche our lord had hym make And therin our lord wrote the comandements And after our lord comanded hym to make an arke and a tabernacle In whiche arke was kepte thre thinges ¶ First the Rodde with whiche he dide meruaillis A potte ful of manna and the .ij. tables with the comandementis And thenne after Moyses taught hem the lawe how eche man shold behaue hym ayenst other and what he shold doo and what he shold not doo And departed them in xij tribus ¶ And comanded that euery man shold brynge a Rodde in to the tabernacle ¶ And Moyses wrote eche name on the Rodde And Moyses shytte fast the tabernacle And on the morn ther was founde one of the roddes that burgeyned bare leuys and fruyt And was of on almonde tree that Rodde fyl to Aaron And after thys longe tyme the chyldren desireden to ete flesshe remembrid of the flesshe that they ete in egypte And grudchyd agayn Moyses And wold haue ordeyned to them a duc for to haue retorned in to egypte Wherfore Moyses was so woo that he desired of our lord to delyure hym fro this lyf by cause he sawe them so vnkynde ayenst god thenne god sente to them so grete plente of curlews that two dayes and one nyght they flewe so thycke by the ground that they toke gete nombre For they flewhe but the heyhgt of two cubytes and they had so many that they dreyde hem hangyng on their tabernacles and tentes yet were they not content but euer grutchyng Wherfore god smote them toke vengeauÌ„ce on hem by a grete plaghe And many deyde and were buryed there And thenne fro thens they wente in to Aseroth and dwellyd After this Maria and Aaron brother and suster of moyses began to speke agayn moyses by cause of his wif whiche was of ethyope and said god hath not spoken only by Moyses hath he not also spokeÌ„ to vs wherfore our lord was wroth Moyses was the humblest and mekest man that was in all the world Anone thenne our lord said to hym to Aaron and to marye Goo ye thre only vnto the tabernacle And there our lord said that ther was none lyke to Moyses to whom he had spoken mouth to mouth and repreuyd aaron and maria by cause they spack so to Moyses And beyng wroth departed fro them And anone maria was smeton and made lepre and whyte lyke snowe And whan Aaron behelde her and sawe her smeton with lepre he said to moyses I beseche the lord that thou sette not this synne on vs whiche we haue commysed folyly And late not this our suster be as a deed womaÌ„ or as born out of tyme caste away from her moder beholde and see half her flesshe is deuoured of the lepre Thenne Moyses cryed vnto our lord sayeng I beseche the lord that thou hele her to whom our lord said yf her fader had spytte in her face shold she not be put to shame and Rebuke vij dayes late her departe out of the castellis vij dayes and after she shal be callyd in agayn So maria was shytte out of the castellis vij dayes the peple remeuyd not fro the place tyl she was callyd agayn After this our lord coÌ„manded Moyses to sende men in to the londe of canaan that he shold gyue theÌ„ charge for see and considere the goodnes therof And that of euery trybe he shold sende somÌ„e Moyses dyde soo as our lord had comaunded whiche wente in brought of the fruytee wyth hem and they brought a braunche with one clustre of grapes as moche as two meÌ„ myght bere bytwene them vpon a colestaf whan they had seen the contre consydered by the space of xl dayes thei retorned and tolde the commodytees of the londe but somÌ„e said that the peple were stronge and many kynges and gyauntes in suche wyse that they said it was imprenable and that the peple were moche strenger than they were wherfore the peple anon were aferde and murmured agayn moyses and wold retorne agayn in to egypte Thenne Iosue Chaleph whiche were two of them that had consydered the loÌ„de said to the peple why grutche ye and wherof be ye aferd we haue wel seen the contrey and it is good to wynne the contrey floweth ful of mylke and hony be not rebelle ayenst god he shal gyue it vs be ye not aferd Thenne alle the peple cryed ayenst hem and whan they wold haue taken stones and stoned hem our lord in his glorye apperyd in a clowde vpon the coueryng of the tabernacle and said to Moyses thys peple byleueth not the sygnes and wondres that I haue shewd and don to hem I shal destroye them alle by pestylence And I shal make the a prynce vpon peple gretter strenger than this is Thenne prayd Moyses to our lord for the peple that he wold haue pyte on them and not destroye them but to haue mercy on them after the magnytude of his mercy And our lord at his request forgaf them Neuertheles our lord said that all tho men that had seen his mageste and the sygnes and meruaylles that he dyde in Egypte and in deserte and haue tempted hym ten tymes and not obeyed vnto his voys
THe holy blessed doctour saynt Ierom sayth thys auctoryte do alweye somme good werke to th ende that the deuyl fynde the not ydle And the holy doctour saynt austyn sayth in the book of the labour of monkes that no man stronge or myghty to laboure ought to be ydle for which cause whan I had parfourmed accomplisshed dyuers werkys hystoryes translated out of frensshe in to englysshe at the requeste of certeyn lordes ladyes and gentylmen as thystorye of the recuyel of Troye the book of the chesse the hystorye of Iason The hystorye of the myrrour of the world the xv bookes of Metamorpheseos in whyche been conteyned the fables of ouyde and the hystorye of 〈…〉 froy of boloyn in the conqueste of Iherusalem wyth other dyuers werkys bookes I nyste what werke to begynne put forth after the said werkys tofore made for as moche as ydelnesse is so moche blamed as sayth saynt bernard the myllyfluous doctour that she is moder of lyes stepdame of vertues it is she that ouerthroweth stronge men in to synne quenchyth vertue nouryssheth pryde maketh the waye redy to goo to helle and Iohan cassyodore sayth that the thouÈt of hym that is ydle thynketh on none other thynge but on lychorous metys vyandes for his bely and the holy saynt bernard aforesayd sayth in an epystle whan the tyme shal come that it shal behoue vs to rendre and gyue acomptes of our ydle tyme what reson may we rendre or what answer shal we gyue whan in ydlenes is none excuse prosper sayth that who someuer lyueth in ydlenesse lyueth in manere of a dombe beest and by cause I haue seen the auctorytees that blame despyse so moche ydlenes also knowe wel that it is one of the capytal and dedely synnes moche hateful vnto god Therfore I haue concluded fermelye purposed in my self no more to be ydle but wyl applye my self to laboure and suche ocupacion as I haue be acustomed to do for as moche as saynt austyn aforesayd sayth vpon a psalme that good werke ought not be doon for fere of payne but for the loue of rightwysnesse that it be of veray souerayn fraunchyse and by cause me semeth to be a souerayn wele to Incyte exhorte men and wymmen to kepe them from slouthe and ydlenesse and to lete to be vnderstonden to suche peple as been not letterd the natyuytees the lyues the passyons the myracles and the dethe of the holy sayntes also soÌ„me other notorye dedes and actes of tymes passed I haue submysed my self to translate in to englyssle the legende of sayntes which is callyd legenda aurea in latyn that is to say the golden legende for in lyke wyse as golde is moste noble aboue al other metalles in lyke wyse is thys legende holden moost noble aboue al other werkys ageynst me here myght somme persones saye that thys legende hath be translated tofore and trouthe it is but for as moche as I had by me a legende in frensshe another in latyn the thyrd in englysshe whiche varyed in many and dyuers places and also many hystoryes were comprysed in the two other bookes whiche were not in the englysshe book and therfore I haue wryten one oute of the sayd thre bookes which I haue ordryd otherwyse than the sayd englysshe legende is whiche was so tofore made besechyng alle theym that shall see or here it redde to pardone me where I haue erryd or made fawte whyche yf ony be is of ygnoraunce and ageyn my wylle and submytte it hooly of suche as can may to correcte it humbly bysechyng them so to doo and in so doyng they shal deserue a synguler lawde and meryte I shal praye for them vnto almyghty god that he of his benygne grace rewarde them cÌ„ And that it prouffyte to alle them that shal rede or here it redde and may encreace in them vertue and expelle vyce and synne that by the ensaumple of the holy sayntes amende theyr lyuyng here in thys shorte lyf that by their merytes they and I may come to euerlastyng lyf blysse in heuen amen My Truste Is ANd for as moche as this sayd werke was grete ouer chargeable to me taccomplisshe I feryd me in the begynnyng of the translacyon to haue contynued it by cause of the longe tyme of the translacion also in thenpryntyng of the same in maner halfe desperate to haue accomplissd it was in purpose to haue lefte it after that I had begonne to translate it to haue layed it aparte ne had it be at thynstaunce requeste of the puyssant noble vertuous erle my lord wyllyam erle of arondel whiche desyred me to procede contynue the said werke promysed me to take a resonable quaÌ„tyte of them when they were achyeued accomplisshed and sente to me a worshypful gentylman a seruaunte of his named IohÌ„n Stanney whych solycyted me in my Lordes name that I shold in no wyse leue it but accomplisshe it promysyng that my sayd lord shold duryng my lyf yeue graunte to me a yerely fee that is to wete a bucke in sommer a doo in wynter with whiche fee I holde me wel contente Thenne atte centemplacion reuerence of my sayd lord I haue endeuoyred me to make an ende fynysshe thys sayd translacion and also haue enprynted it in the moost best wyse that I haue coude or myght and presente this sayd boook to his good noble lordshyp as chyef causer of the achyeuyng of hit prayeng hym to take it in gree of me Wyllyam caxton hys poure seruaunte that it lyke hym to remembre my fee I shal praye vnto almyghty god for his longe lyf and welfare after this shorte transytorye lyf to come in to euerlastyng ioye in heuen the whiche he sende to hym me vnto al them that shal rede and here this sayd book that for the loue feythe of whome al these holy sayntes hath suffred deth and passyon amen ¶ And to th ende eche hystoryy lyf passyon may be shortely fouÌ„den I haue ordeyned this table folowyng where in what leef he shal fynde suche as shal be desyred and haue sette the nombre of euery leef in the margyne ¶ Thaduent of our lord folio primo The natyuyte of our lord foure The circumcysyon of our lord fyue The feste of thepyphanye eyghte Septuagesme enleuen Sexagesme folio enleuen Quinquagesme twelue Quadragesme twelue The ymbre dayes thyrtene The passyon of our lord fourtene The resurrexyon eyghtene The letanyes more lasse xxi The ascencion of our lord xxiij The feste of whytsontyde xxvj The feste of corpus xpristi thyrty The feste of dedycacion two thyrty The hystorye of adam seuen thyrty The historye of Noe nyne thyrty The hystorye of abraham fourty The hystorye of ysaac his two sones Esau Iacob four fourty Thystorye
that this day shewed hym to thise kynges And at his baptesme where the voys of the fader was herd the holy ghoost seen And at the feest torned water in to wyn and fedde fyue thousand men besyde wymen and chyldren with v. loues and two fysshes that at the reuerence of this hye and grete feste he forgyue vs oure trespaces and synnes that after this short lyf we may come tohis euerlastyng blysse in heuen Amen Thus endeth the fest of Epyphanye of the thre kynges Here begynneth Septuagesme AT Septuagesme begynneth the tyme of deuiacioÌ„ or goyng out of the way of the world whiche began at Adam and dured vnto moyses And in this tyme is redde the book of genesis The tyme of septuagesme representeth the tyme of deuyacioÌ„ that is of transgression The sexagesme sygnefyeth the tyme of reuocacion The quinquagesme signefieth the tyme of remyssion The quadragesme signefieth of penaunce and satisfaction The septuagesme begynneth whan the chirche syngeth in thoffyce of the masse circuÌ„dederunt me and endureth vnto the saterday after ester day The septuagesme was institued for thre reasons lyke as mastre IohÌ„n beleth putteth in thoffyce of the chirche The first reason was for the redempcion For the holy fadres somtyme ordeyned that for thonour of thascencion of IhÌ„u cryst In the whiche our nature ascended in to heuen And was enhaunsed aboue thangeles that this day shold be halowed solempnly And shold be kepte fro fastyng And at the begynnyng of the chirche also solempne as the sonday And procession was made in representyng the procession of thappostles which they made on that day or of thaÌ„gellis that cam to mete hym and therfor comenly the prouerbe was that the thursday and the sonday were cosyns For thenne that one was as solempne as that other but by cause that the festes of sayntes cam and ben multeplyed whiche were greuous to halowe so many festes therfore the feste of the thursday cessed And for to recompence that ther is a weke of abstynence ordeyned lyke to lente and is called septuagesme That other reeason is for the sygnyficacion of the tyme For by this tyme is signefyed to vs the tyme of deuiacion of goyng out of the way of eyxle and of tribulacion of thumayne lignage fro syth Adam vnto th ende of the world Whiche exile is halowed vpon the reuolucion of vij dayes of vij M. yere vnderstoÌ„deÌ„ by lxx dayes or lxxC yeris For fro the begynnyng of the world vnto thascencion we acounte vj thousand yere and of the rest that we rekene it for the seuenth thousand of whiche god knoweth only the terme Now it is so that Ihesu cryst bought vs out of this exile in the vj age in hope of perpetuel lyf of all them that be reuested with the vesture of Innocence by bapteme we ben regenerate And whan we shal haue passed the tyme of this exyle he shal clothe vs of double vesture that is to wete of body and soule in glorye and in the tyme of deuyacion and of exyle we leue the songe of gladnes that is alleluya but the saterday of ester we synge one alleluya In enioyeng vs thankyng god of the vesture perpetuel whiche by hope we abyde for to recouure in the sixth age And in the masse we sette a tracte In fyguryng the labour that yet we ought to doo and in fulfyllyng the comandemens of god And the double Alleluya that we synge after ester sygnefyeth the double vesture tht we shaal haue in body and in soule The thirde Reson is for representacion For the septuagesme representeth lxx â–ª yere in whiche the chyldren of Israhel were in babilone in seruytude And in suche maner that they caste away and lefte their vsage of songe of gladnesse sayeng Quomodo cantabimus canticum domini cÌ„ ¶ Thus leue we the songe of preysyng and of gladnes After licence was gyuen to them to retorne in the tyme of Sexagesme and begonne thenne to Ioye and so we doo the satirday of ester as in the yere of Sexagesme we synge Alleluya in representyng their Ioye and gladnesse how wel in the retornyng they had payne and sorowe to take their thynges and bere with them therfor we synge anon after the tracte whiche foloweth the alleluya And in the saterday after ester in whiche Sptuagesme is complete we synge double Alleluya in fyguryng the playn gladnesse that they had whan they were retorned in to theyr contree And this tyme thus of the seruytude of the chyldren of Israhel representeth the tyme of our pylgremage of the lyf of this world ¶ For thus as they were delyuerd in the syxtyth so were we in the syxte age And as they had payne in gadryng assemblyng theyr thynges for to bere with them So haue we in fulfyllyng the comandements of god And like as they were in reste whan they cam in to their contre and in gladnes and in Ioye in lyke wyse we synge double alleluya that betokeneth double Ioye that we shal haue as wel in body as in sowle In this tyme theÌ„ne of exile of the chirche full of many tribulacions and as throwen out in to the depenesse of desperacion almost and despayr sigheth for sorowe in sayeng thoffyce of the masse Circundederunt me gemitus mortis cÌ„ And sheweth many demonstracions that she suffreth as well for the myserye that she had deserued by synne As for the double payne that she is ronne in as for the trespas to her neyghbour but all way for as moche as she falle not in despayr is purposed to her in the gospell and epystle thre maner of Remedyes The first is that yf she will yssue of thyse tâ—ybulacions that she laboure in the vygneyerde of her sowle in cuttyng and pullyng out the vyces and the synnes And after in the waye of this present lyf she seche the werkys of penaunce And after that in doyng spyrytuel bataylle she defende her strongly ayenst the temptacions of thenemye And yf she doo thyse iij. thynges she shal haue threfold reward For in labouryng god shal gyue her the peny and in wel rennyng the prys And in well fyghtyng the crowne And by cause that septuagesme sygnefyeth the tyme of our captyuyte the remedye is purposed to vs By the whiche we may be delyuerd in fleyng the myserye by rennyng by vyctorye in fyghtyng and by the peny in vs ayen beyng ¶ Here endeth the mysterye of Septuagesme ¶ Of Sexagesme THe Sexagesme begynneth whan is songe in the chirche at office of the masse Exurge domine And this endeth the wednesday after ester day And was instytued for redempcion for sygnefycacion and for representacion For redempcioÌ„ it was instytued For Melchisedech the 〈◊〉 and syluestre Institued that men shold ete twyes on the saterday to th ende that they that that had fasted the fryday whiche shold all way be fasted were not greued And in rechaet them of the saterdayes of this tyme they adiousted and Ioyned
supposed that he shold not gete hit specially by cause the eyre was so clere and no clowde was seen and the crysten men doubted that theyr feythe myght there by come to confusyon but the bysshop the heretyke wold not bynde hym therto Saynt peter had good feythe and truste in god and made his prayer openlye that he wold conueye ouer them a clowde and he made the sygne of the crosse and anone the cloude came and ouâ—rspred them lyke a pauyllyon that there were assembled abode as longe as the sermon endured it scratched no ferther but there There was a lame man whiche had ben so lame v yere myght not goo but was drawen in a whelebarow brought to saynt peter at melane and as saynt peter had blessyd hym wyth the sygne of the crosse and ne he was hoole and aroos yet other myracles god shewed for hym by his lyf It happed that the sone of a gentyl man had suche an horryble dysâ—ase in his throte that he myght nether speke ne drawe his breeth but saynt Peter made on hym the sygne of the crosse layed his cope on the place where the sore was anone he was alle hole The same gentylman had afterward a greuous maladye and supposyd to haue deyed made to brynge to hym the sayd cope whiche wyth grete deuocion leyed hit on his breste anone he caste out a worme with two heedes whiche was roughe and after he was broughte in good helthe and anone al hoole It happed that a yonge man was dombe myght not speke a worde wherfore he came to saynt peter and he put his fyngre in his mowthe and his speche ceme to hym ageyn Now it happed that tyme that an heresye began moche in lombardye that there were moche peple that were fallen in thys errour the 〈◊〉 sente dyuerse Inâ—uysitours thyder of thordre of the frere prechours and bycause that at melane there were many in nombre of grete power engyne he sente thyder saynt peter as a man wyse constaunt and relygyous whiche doubted no thynge and by his vertu he repreuyd them and by his wytte he vnderstood theyr malyce whan he had enterprised thoffice of Inquysicyon thenne began be as a lyon to seche the heretykes ouer alle lefte them not in pees but in al places tyme al the maners that he myghte he ouercame confounded them whan the heretikes sawe that they myght not withstonde the holy ghoost that spake in hym they begaÌ„ to trete how they myght brynge hym to deth thenne it happed on a tyme as he wente fro câ—mes to melane for to seke the heretykes he sayd openly in a predycacion that the money Was delyuerd for to slee hym whaÌ„ he approched nyghe the cite a man of theretykes whiche was hyred therto ranne vpon hym and smote hym with his fauchon in the heed and gafe and made to hym many cruel woundes he that murmured not ne grutched not suffred pacyently the cruelte of the tyrauntes and abandonned or gafe hym self ouer to suffre the marterdom And sayd his credo and in manustuas commendyng his spyrite vnto the handes of our lord And soo the tyraunt lefte hym in the place for deed And thus tolde the tyraunte that slewe hym And frere Domynyke whyche was his felawe was sleyne wyth hym And after whan the tyraunte sawe that he remeuyd yet his lyppes the cursed and cruel tyraunte came ageyn and smote hym wyth hys knyf to the herte and anone his spyryte mounted in to heuen Thenne was hit wel knowen that he was a veray prophete For the prophecye of his dethe that he had pronounced was accomplysshed After he had the crowne of virgynyte For as his confessours wytnesse that in alle his lyf he had neuer doon dedely synne After he had the crowne of a doctour bycause he had ben a god fast ferme prechour and doctour of holy chyrche after he had the crowne of marterdom as it apperid whan he was slayne The renome herof came in to the cyte of melan and the freres the clergye and the peple came with procession with soo grete companye of people that the prees was so grete that they myght not entre in to the towne and therfore they lefte the body in thabley of Saynt symplycien and there it abode all that nyght and so he sayd the day tofore to his felawe the passyon of saynt Peter ensyewed moche lyke the passyon of our lord in many maners For lyke as our lord suffred for the trouthe of the feythe that he prechyd Soo saynt peter suffred for the trouthe of the feyth that he deffended and lyke as cryste suffred of the Iewes So saynt peter suffred of the peple of his owne contre and of the heretykes Cryste suffred in the tyme of ester so dyd saynt Peter Ihesu cryst was solde for xxx pens saynt Peter was solde for xl pounde Ihesu cryste shewed his dethe to his dysciples and saynt peter shewed it in playne predycacion Ihesu cryst sayd at his dethe lord god in to thy hondes I commende my spyrite right so saynt Peter dyd say the same There was a nonne of almayne of the abbey of combat which had a greuous gowte in her knee whiche had holden hir a yere longe more and there was no mayster ne physicyen that myghte make hir hole She had grete deuotion to saynt Peter but she myght not goo thyder by cause of hir obedyence and by cause hyr maladye was so greuous Thenne demaunded she how many dayes iourneye was fro thens to melane and she founde that there were xiiij iourneyes Thenne purposed she to make thyse iourneyes by her herte and good thoughtes she sayd for euery iourneye a hondred pater nosters and alwey as she wente forthe by hyr mynde in hir iourneyes she felte hyr self more eased and whan she come to the laste iourneye in her mynde She fonde hir self al guarisshed Thenne she sayd that day al the sawter And after retorned al the iourneyes lyke as she had gone by her thoughtes in her herte and after that day she felte neuer the gowte There was a man that had a vylanous malady bynethe in suche wyse that he voyded blood vj dayes contynuelly he cryed to saynt peter deuoutely as he had endyd his prayer he felte hym self al hoole and after he fyl a sleep he sawe in his slepe a frere prechour which had a face grete browne hym semed that he had ben felawe to saynt peter And verayly he was of the same fourme This frere gaue to hym a boxe of oynemente sayd to hym haue good hope in saynt Peter whiche late hath shedde his blood for the feyth for he hath helyd the of the blood that ranne fro the And whan he awoke he purposed to vysyte the sepulcre of Saynt Peter There was a countesse of the castel cassyn whiche had special deuocyon to saynt Peter
Rome lyke as in shewyng that hit departed fro the seygnourye of Rome And thenne anone the Romayns wold brynge grete puyssaunce in to that prouynce And there subdued it to their seygnourye And yet it suffysed not to the Romayns that they hadde in theire seignorye alle the false ymages of the prouynces but maade to eche of tho false goddes a Temple lyke as tho goddes hadde maade them lordes and vaynqueurs of alle the prouynces And by cause that alle the ydolles myght not be in that Temple They made a gretter Temple more merueylous and hyhe than alle the other And for to shewe the more their wodenesse They dedyed this Temple in thonour of alle theyr goddes And more for to deceyue the peple the Bisshops of thydolles fayned that it had ben commaunded to them of Cybele a goddesse that is called moder of the goddes And they called this Temple Pantheon whiche is as moche to saye as alle goddes of pan that is all and theos that is god And by cause they wold haue victory of alle the people therfore they made a grete Temple to alle the sones of Cybele And the foūdament of this Temple was cast round by a spere that by that forme the perdurablete of theire Goddes sholde be shewed And for as moche as the grete quantite of the erthe whiche was within semed not susteynable to be voyded and that the werke was a lytel sene aboue the erthe they fylled the creuyses within the erthe and medled penyes with therthe And dyd alwey so tylle the sayd Temple was fully accomplysshed And thenne they gaf lycence that who someuer wold take awey the erthe that all the money that he fonde with therthe shold be his Thenne cam hastely grete companye of peple and voyded anone the Temple And at the last the Romayns maade a pyne of copper and gylt and set it in a ryght hyhe place And it is sayd alle the prouynces were entaylled and grauen merueylously within that pyne So that alle they that come to Rome myght see in that pyne in what parte his prouynce was And this pyne after longe tyme fylle and remayned in the ouerest parte of the Temple And in the tyme of Focas themperour what tyme Rome had receyued the faythe Boneface the fourthe 〈◊〉 fro saynt gregory about the yere of our lord six honderd and fyue gate of Focas the said Temple And dyd doo take awey and enface alle the ordure of alle tho ydolles And the fourthe kalendes of Maye he halowed it in thonour of our lady saynt Marye and of alle the martirs And called it saint Marye at martres whiche now is called sancta Maria rotunda that is saint Marye the round For thenne was made no solempnite of the Confessours And by cause ther assembled grete multitude of peple at his feest And there myght not be found haboundaunce of vitaylle for the peple that cam 〈◊〉 Gregory establysshed this feste to be in the kalendes of Nouembre For thenne oughte to be gretter habondaunce of vytaylle whanne the corne is had in and wyne made And establisshed this daye to be halowed thorugh the world in the honour of alle sayntes And thus the Temple that had be made for alle thydolles is now dedycate and halowed to alle the sayntes And where as the worshippynge of ydolles was vsed ther is now the praysyng of all sayntes Scondely it is ordeyned for the supplement of thynges offendyd and trespaced that is to saye for to accomplysshe suche as we haue ouerpassed For we haue lefte and ouerpassed many sayntes of whom we haue made no feste ne may not halowe the fest of euery saynt by hym self as wel for the grete multitude whiche ben Infynyte as for our Infyrmyte For we ben feble and weyke and maye not suffyse for the shortnesse of tyme For the tyme may not suffyse therto And as saynt Ierome sayth in a pystle whiche is in the begynnynge of his kalender ther is no day except the fyrst daye of Ianyuer but that there may be foundeh euery day mo than fyue thousand martirs And therfor by cause we maye not syngulerly make feest of euery saynt saynt Gregory th◠〈◊〉 hath ordeyned and establysshed that we shall on one daye honoure them generally to gydre And Mayster Wylliam of Ancerre putteth sixe resons in the somme of the offyce wherfore hit was establysshed that we shold here in thys world make solempnyte of the sayntes The fyrste is for the honoure of the dyuyne mageste For whan we doo worship to the saynte or sayntes we worshipe god in his sayntes and say that he is merueylous in them For who that dothe honoure to sayntes he honoureth hym specyally which hath sanctyfyed them The second is to haue ayde in our Infyrmyte For by oure self we may haue none helthe therfor haue we nede of the prayers of sayntes And therfore we ought to honoure them that we may deserue that they ayde and helpe vs It is redde in the thyrdde book of kynges of the fyrst chapytre that bersabee is as moche to saye as the pytte of fyllynge whiche is to saye the Chirche tryumphaunt sayenge to her sone that is to saye that to the Chirche tryumphaunt he had obteyned the regne by his prayers The thyrdde cause is for thaugmentacion of oure surete that is to saye for the glorye that is purposed in vs in their solempnyte oure hope and surete ben augmented and encreaced And yf mortal men and dede myght thus be enhaunced by theire merytes it is trouthe that the myghte and puyssaunce shalle no thyng there by be mynuysshed ne lassed The fourth for thensample of vs folowynge For when the feste is remembryd we ben called tensiewe and folowe them soo that by thensample of them we despyse alle erthely thynges And desyre celestyall thynges ¶ The fyfthe is for the dette of entrechaungynge neyghbourhede For the sayntes make of vs feste in heuene For thaungels of god and the holy sowles haue ioye and make feste in heuene of a synnar that dothe penaunce And therfor it is ryght whanne they make of vs feste in heuen that we make feste of them in erthe The sixthe is for the procuracion of our honour For whanne we honoure the sayntes We procure our honour For their solempnyte is our dignyte For whan we worshipe oure bretheren we worshippe our self For charyte maketh al to be comyn And our thynges ben celestyall erthely and perdurable And aboue these reasons Iohan damascene putteth thre reasons in his fourthe boke the seuenth Chapytre why wherfore the sayntes and theire Relyques ought to be honoured of whiche some ben preysed for their dygnytees and somme for the preciousytees of their bodyes And the dygnyte of them is in four maners For they ben frendes of god Sones of god heyres of god and oure dukes and ledars And saynt Iohan putteth these auctorytees Iohannis decimo tercio For the first Iam non