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
ende that in the space of his presence corporell the faith of techyng was necessarye we ought to gyue thankynges to the dyuyne dyspensacion for the tardyue creaūce of holy fadres to vs necessarye for they doubted of that which we doubte not Secōdly he abode for the cōsolacion of thappostles For the cōsolacion dyuyne surmounte the tribulacions temperall And the tyme of the passyon was the tyme of trybulacyon to thappostles And therfor ther ought to be moo dayes vnto thascencion than to the resurrection Thyrdly for the mysterye of the comparacion for to gyue to vnderstonde that the consolacions dyuyne ben compared to trybulacions as the day vnto an hour and the yere vnto a daye ¶ And that this be trew it appereth by the wrytyng of the prophete ysaye ¶ I shal preche a yere playsaunt to our lord and a day of vengeaunce to god ¶ Loo for one day of trybulacion he rendrith a yere of consolacion And that is by comparison as the day to an hour it appiereth by that that our lord was deed and laye in the sepulcre xl houres whiche was the tyme of trybulacion And by xl dayes after his resurrection he appiered to his disciples Whiche was the tyme of consolacion And this saith the glose by cause that he was fourty houres deed After he was xl dayes lyuyng er he ascended in to heuen As to the thirde poynt how he ascended it appierith how that he ascendeth myghtyly For by hys puyssaunce and vertue saith Ysaye he ascēded in to heuen Ysaye lxvij And also Saynt Iohan saith Noman ascended in to heuen by his oune puissaunce and myght but the sone of man that is in heuene And how be it that he ascended in a clowde he had no ne ned but by cause that he wold shewe that euery creature is redy to serue his creatour he ascended in his propre vertue and in this is the difference After that scolastica historia saith of Ihesu crist of Enoch and helye For Enoch was translated helye was born but Ihesu cryst by his owen myght is ascended in to heuen after saynt gregorye The first that is to wyte Enoch was engendred of a man And he was engendryng The seconde that is to saye Helye was engendred not engendryng The thirde that is to wyte Ihesu Cryst he was born not engendryd of a man ne engendryng Secondly he ascended openly For seeyng his disciples he ascended wherof is said Ioh̄is xvj Vado ad eum qui me misit c̄ I goo to my fader none of you demaundeth whyther gost thou the glose saith I goo so openly that noman demanded of that they sawe atte eye And therfore he wold ascende in theyr presence by cause they myght bere wytnesse And that they shold enioye of that they sawe nature humayne ascende to heuene and that they shold desire to folowe hym Thyrdly he ascended Ioyously For the aūgellis syngyng and enioyeng he ascended in to heuene in gladnes wherof saith saynt Austyn Ascendente xpristo pauet c̄ Ihesu cryst ascēdyng the heuene abasshed the sterres merueylled the companyes of heuene enioyed the trompe sowned And alle the syeges of the playsaunt place made melodyes ¶ Fourthly he ascended lightly wherof dauid saith he styed vp as a gyaunt with a grete paas and moche hastely and lighly he ascēded whan he passed so grete a space in a momente Raby moyses whiche was a grete philosopher reherceth that euery cercle or euery heuen of eche planete hath the thyknes and the waye of vC yere that is to saye as one may goo in a playne waye in vC yere And that is the distaunce by twene heuen and heuen and bytwene cercle and cercle after that whiche is said so grete and as ther bē seuen heeuenes after his sayeng fro the centre of therthe vnto the concauite of the heuen of saturne whiche is the vij waye of vijM yere And vnto the concauite of the eyght heuen vijM and vijC yere that is as moche space as one shold goo in playn waye in vijM and vijC yere yf a man myght lyue so longe And that euery yere be of iijClxv dayes And the way of euery day be of x◠myle euery myle be of two thousand paas or cubytes And this saith Raby moyses whiche was a grete philosopher yf it be trouthe or no god knoweth For he that all hath made created in certayn nombre in certayn poys and weyght and in certayn mesure he knoweth all Thenne this leep or spryngyng was grete that Ihesus cryst made fro therthe to heuene Of this leep and dyuerse other leepes of Ihesu cryst seynt ambrose saith Ihesu cryst cam in to this world to make a leep he was with god the fader he cam in to the virgyne marye And fro the virgyne marye in to the crybbe or racke he descended in to flom Iordane he ascended vpon the crosse he descended in to his tombe Fro the tombe he aroos after ascended vp in to heuen and sytteth on the right honde of the fader As to the fourth poynt is wyth whom he ascended he ascended with a grete praye of men and grete multitude of aūgellis And that he ascēded vp with the praye of mē it appereth by this that dauid saith Ascendisti in altum cepisti captiuitatem c̄ Lord thou hast ascended on hye And hast taken them that were captiues enprisonned and the seruytude thou hast affranchysed And also that he ascēded with a grete multitude of angellis it appereth by the Interrogacions that thangelis made of the desputacions to them bynethe whan Ihesu cryst ascended in to heuen as ysaie recordeth ysaie lxiij Quis est iste qui venit de edom c̄ Who is he that come fro edō with his clothes dyed where as saith the glose that somme of thangellis that knewe not playnly the mysterye of thyncarnacion of his passion and of his resurrection that sawe our lord ascende with all a grete multide of angellis and of sayntes by his owen vertue merueylled and said to thangellis that accompanyed hym who is this that cometh fro edom And yet they said who is this kynge of glorye c̄ Saynt denys in the booke of gerarchye of holy angellis in the vij chapytre saith Thus semeth it that he said that thre questions were made to thangellis whan that Ihesus ascended The first were the firste to them self The second were the pryncipalis to Ihesu Cryst that ascended The thirde were the lasse to the grettest Of whiche they demaunded emong them who is this that cometh fro Edom his clothis dyed of bosra This worde Edom is as moche to saye as ful of blood this word bosra is to saye anguisshe and tribulacion Thus as they wold haue said who is this that cometh fro the world ful of blode by the synne of the world and of malyce ayenst god And our lord answerd I am he that speketh in Iustice ¶ And saynt denys saith thus that