sholde be cast in to ê‘petuall pryson There was that tyme a knyght that had a sayre lady to hys wyfe whyche dyd aâ—outry her husbande beynge alyue was wyth chylde therfore by y e 〈…〉 in pryson where wythin shorte tyme after she was delyuered of a fayre sone Thys chylde grewe vp tyll he was .vij. yere olde hys mother dayly wepte hertely And whan the chylde herde thys he sayd to hys mother O mother why wepe ye thus for what cause is your body thus turmented Than sayd hys mother O thou my swete sone I haue great cause to mourne and thou also for aboue our hedes is people walkyng y e sonne shyneth in clerenes great solace haue all men y t are aboue vs we be here contynually in suche darknes that I may not se the ne thou me alas that euer I conceyued the. Than sayd y e sone suche ioye ne suche lyght as ye speke of sawe I neuer for I was borne here in thys darknes therfore yf I had meate and drynke ynough here wolde I lyue all the dayes of my lyfe therfore mother wepe ye not but shewe me solace This lameÌ„tacyon that was bytwene the mother and the sone herde themperours stewarde that stode aboâ—â— theyr hedes wherof he had great compassioÌ„ wente vnto y e Emperour knelyng besought hym of hys grace that the mother and the sone myght be delyuered out of pryson The Emperour as a mercyfull lorde grauÌ„ted y t they sholde be delyuered Neuerthelesse yf they trespaced so in tyme to coÌ„me they shold be punysshed wyth double payne after that they were delyuered thys woman ended her lyfe in that cyte ¶ Dere frendes thys Emperour is the father of heuen that made thys lawe that what wedded woman that is to say what soule that is wedded to our lord doth auoutry that is to say deedly synne sholde be cast in y e pryson of hell therfore a synfull soule hath great cause to wepe for she is departed from lyght that is to saye from the ioyes of heuen Her sone that desyred meate drynke ben the myghty men of thys worlde that saye to the prelates of the chyrche to the prechers y t preche vnto them the ioyes of heuen that whyle we may lyue and haue all y e solace of y e worlde we desyre none other heuen The stewarde that herde theyr lamentacyon is our lorde Iesu that knoweth all the preuytees of our hertes contricyon of our synnes besought the father of heuen for vs that we myght be delyuered from the pryson of synne that we myght coÌ„me to euerlastyng lyfe to the whyche brynge vs our lorde Iesus Amen SOmtyme in Rome dwelled an Emperoure named Pomper whyche aboue all other thynges was mercyful Thys Emperour let crye thrugh our al hys empyre a great feest and that poore ryche sholde coÌ„me to thys feest And who so euer came to that feest sholde not onely be well fedde but also he sholde haue great gyftes Whan the herawde had warned all maner of men to comme to thys feest at y e tyme there were two poore men lyenge by the waye that one was lame and that other was blynde Thys blynde man sayd to the lame man Alas and woo to me the how shall we do for themperour hath let crye a feest who so euer coÌ„meth there shall not onely be well fedde but also he shall haue greate gyftes and I am blynde thou art lame how shall we do What sayd the lame man to the blynde man I shall tell the good counseyle yf y e wylte do after me thou shalte let for nothynge I am lame feble may not go neuerthelesse I may se thou art blynde stronge mayst not se take thou me vpon thy backe bere me and I shall lede the the ryght waye thus shall we bothe come to themperours feest Than sayd the blynde after thy counseyle let vs do coÌ„me on my baâ—k and I shall bere the thou shalt lede me the ryght waye so they dyd that they came bothe to that feest and receyued greate rewardes gyftes amonge other men And thus ended theyr lyues in peace ¶ Dere â—rendes thys Emperour is our sauyour Iesu Chryst that let crye a generall feest that is to saye the ioyes of heuen vnto y e whiche ioyes he calleth all mankynde forsaketh iiâ— man that wyll coÌ„me vnto hym This lame man betokeneth the prelates of the chyrche prechers and confessours that haue nothynge of theyr owne but lyuen by techynge and almes of other men And thys blynde man betokeneth the laye men whych knowe not the ryght waye to heuen It behoueth that the blynde man that is to say the laye men to bere the lame man that is to saye the prelates of the chyrche susteynynge fedyng them wyth the tythyng of almes and other oblacyons than the prelates be beholden to teche to enforme vs the waye to heuen where as we shal not onely haue a feest but also great rewarde and ioye vnto the whyche god brynge vs all Amen SOmtyme in Rome dwelled an Emperoure named Follyculus the whyche was ryght wyse mercyfull ryghtfull in all hys werkes Thys Emperour buylded in the eest a noble cyte wherin he put all hys treasour precyous stones rychesse to be kepte Unto thys cyte the waye was stony full of brymbles and sharpe thornes thre knyghtes were armed redy to fyght wyth them that wolde coÌ„me to that cyte Therfore themperour ordeyned that who so euer ouercame these knyghtes sholde entre the cite take at his wyll of themperours treasour After that thys Emperour let make in the northwest a cite wherin he ordeyned all maner of payne turmentyng sorowe myschefe to y e whyche was a brode waye full delectable growynge full of roses fayre lyllyes and in that way were thre knyghtes euer waytynge yf ony man came towarde the cyte of the north to serue hym wyth al maner of delycates and thynges necessary And yf it fortuned ony man to entre wythin that cyte the custome was suche that the people sholde take bynde hym handes fâ—te and cast hym in pryson there to abyde the coÌ„mynge of the Iustyce Whan thys was cryed thrugh out all the empyre there were two knyghtes dwellynge in a cyte there besyde one hyght Ionatas and he was a wyse man that other hyght Pyrrius he was a foole neuerthelesse there was bytwene them great loue Thys Ionatas sayd to Pyrrius Dere frende there is a commune crye made thrugh all landes that themperoure hath made a cyte in the eest wherin he hath put all his treasour who so euer may entre that cyte shall take of the treasour what hym lyst therfore my couÌ„seyle is that we go to y e cyte Than sayd Pyrryus thy couÌ„seyle is good I desyre to fulfyll it The wyse knyght sayd yf it be so that thou wylte folowe my
that hys sone was suche a phisycyan he sente for hym by lettres prayinge hym that he wolde coÌ„me to hym wtout ony delaye And than the sone wyllynge to obey fulfyll his fathers coÌ„mauÌ„dement in all haste came vnto hym And whan he had seen his father felte hys poulces his vaynes all the sycknes he had was soone healed wyth his medycynes from all maner of dauÌ„gers Soone after that the Empresse hys stepmother began to waxe sycke And many physicyans sayd that she wold dye And whan themperour herde thys he prayed hys sone to helpe her of her sycknes Than sayd hys sone certaynly father I wyll lay no hande on her Than y e Emperour began to waxe wroth sayde Yf y e wylte not obey my coÌ„maundement thou shalte voyde my felawshyp Hys sone answered sayd yf ye do so dere father ye do vnrightfully for well ye knowe that ye exiled me out of your Empyre thrugh her suggestyon myne absence was cause of your sorowe sycknes in lyke wyse my presence is cause of her sycknes therfore I wyll not meddle w t her also I wyll vse no more medicynes for oftentymes physycyans ben deceyued therfore I dare not lay hande on her leest men wold saye yf it fortuned her to dye that I were cause therof Than sayd the Emperour She hath y e same sycknes that I had Hys sone answered sayd Though she haue y e same sycknes neuerthelesse ye be not of one coÌ„pleccyon For what so euer I dyd to you ye helde you content and whan ye sawe me coÌ„me wythin y e palays ye reioysed of my coÌ„mynge greatly were eased to se hym that ye begate But whaÌ„ my stepmother sawe me she swelled for anger and waxed euyl at ease and therfore yf I shold speke to her her sorowe wolde encrease yf I sholde touche her she wolde be from her selfe And also a physycyan profyteth nought but where as y e sycke man delyteth in hym And whan the chylde had sayd he escaped wente hys waye ¶ Thys Emperour betokeneth euery chrysten man whyche is wedded to his chrystendom at the font stone ForwhaÌ„ y e soule is made y e spouse of Chryst on whome man begeteth a sone y t is reason But thys wyfe that is to say chrystendome dyeth whaÌ„ so euer a man lyeth in deedly synne after her a man weddeth a stepdame that is to saye wyckednes as oftentymes as he is ruled by wyll not by reason wherfore a man y t lyueth by flesshly lust ofteÌ„tymes exyleth reason than anone the soule waxeth sycke for the absence of reason is the cause of the sycknes of the soule But whaÌ„ reason that is bothe goostly bodyly the physycyan is bryngynge agayne by workes of mercy than anone man is healed of his sycknes But than the stepmother waxeth sycke that is to saye whan frowarde wyll waxeth sycke thaÌ„ is the flesshe oppressed by penaunce And therfore study we to oppresse our flesshe so by penaunce that we may comme to euerlastynge ioye Amen SOmtyme in Rome dwelled a myghty emperour named Folemus whych had wedded y e kynges doughter of Germany a fayre lady a curteys which wythin shorte tyme conceyued and bare a sone Whan thys chylde was borne the states of the Empyre came to the Emperour eueryche of them besought the Emperour to nourysshe hys sone The Emperour answered sayd To morowe shall be a tourney there shall ye all be and whyche of you dothe best optayneth the vyctory shall haue the kepynge of my sone yf he nourysshe hym well I shall promote hym to great dignite and honour And yf he do the contrary he shall dye the foulest deth that can be thought ThaÌ„ sayd they Dere lorde all thys pleaseth vs well On the morowe whan euery man was coÌ„me to the tourney the states iusted and scarmysshed full manfully longe tyme tyll at y e last there came a doughty knyght named Iosyas that so manfully bare hymselfe amonge them that he wanne the vyctory And anone whan all thys was done this Iosias toke y e chylde ledde hym forth with hym And bycause this Emperours sone shold be receyued in his countree he sente before to his castell coÌ„mauÌ„ded his offycers that it sholde be dyght bothe wtout within that the chyldes bedde shold be made in the myddes of the castell also the seuen scyences sholde be paynted aboute the chyldes bedde that whan the chylde wakened out of hys slepe he myght lye in his bedde and rede his lesson This knyght had a fruytfull and a holsome well by y e chyldes beddes syde wherin he vsed to bathe hymselfe the knyghtes wyfe bare y e key of this well and there wss a wyndowe y t the sonne myght coÌ„me in and shyne It fortuned on a daye that the lady y t kepte the key lefte y e wyndowe open thrugh neclygence And whan the lady had so done there came a bere and sawe the wyndowe open and went to the well bathed hym therin of whose bathynge the well sauoured after for the greate hete that was that tyme wherfore who so euer dronke therof waxed lepre wtin short tyme. And so it fortuned within a lyttell space after that y e lord the lady al theyr houshold were lepers not wtstandyng it appered not sodeynly And in the meane tyme there came a great egle in at y e wyndowe where as the Emperours sone laye and bare the chylde away out of his cradell And whan the knyght ê‘ceyued this he wepte bytterly sayd Alas alas woo to me wretched creature that euer I was borne what shall I do for now I am the sone of deth for I am a foule leper so is my wyfe all my housholde And the whyle he was thus mournynge theere came to hym a phisycyan sayd to hym Syr yf ye wyll do after my counseyle it shall not repent you Fyrst it behoueth you your wyfe and all your housholde to be letten blode after y t to be bathed and wasshen clene than shall I laye to my medicyne And whan ye are hole than shall you your wyfe all your housholde walke to the mountaynes and seke the Emperours sone for the egle hath let hym fall in some place The knyght wrought all thynge by the couÌ„seyle of thys phisycyan anone after was letten blode receyued the medicyne than he was al hole hys wyfe and all his housholde wherfore he lepte on his horse toke wyth hym thre squyers rode forth and sought y e chylde And at the last he founde hym hole and sounde lyenge in a valey than was he greatly reioysed And for the great ioye gladnes that was in hym for y e fyndynge of themperours sone he made a great feest after the feest he ledde the chylde home to hys father And whan themperour sawe his sone
great rychesse And whan I herde that I was glad and let downe a corde supposyng to haue drawen vp hym than I haled vâ— a lyon after that an ape than a serpent and at the last your stewarde The lyon gaue me ten asses charged w t marchaundyse the ape gaue me as moche wode as myne asse myght beare the serpent gaue me this stone y t I haue solde you but your stewarde bette me wouÌ„ded me so sore for my good dede that I was borne home vpon myne asse Whan y e Emperour herde thys hys herte was greatly moued agaynst y e steward wherfore he examyned hym of that false dede but he was dombe wolde not speke for so moche y t he coulde not deny his falshede Than sayd y e Emperour O thou wretched creature vnreasonable beestes as the lyon the ape the serpent rewarded hym for hys good dede and thou that art a reasonable man hast almost beaten hym to deth that saued the and toke the out of the pyt therfore for thy falshede wyckednes I iudge the to be hanged this daye on the galowes and all thy goodes landes I graunte to syr Guy also I ordeyne that syr Guy shall occupye thy place and be stewarde and so it was done Whan syr Guy was thus rewarded by the Emperoure and made stewarde he was well beloued of euery man as longe as he lyued and at y e last ended hys lyfe wyth honour and good peace ¶ Thys emperour betokeneth the father of heuen the poore man betokeneth euery maÌ„ that coÌ„meth in to this worlde feble naked from his mothers bely at y e last is promoted to great rychesse worldly honour as the psalmyst sayth Destercore erigens paupereÌ„ God lyfteth vp the poore man out of fylthe many suche men knowe neyther god ne theÌ„selfe but cause to make depe pyttes that is to saye vnkyndnes and malyce they ordeyne agaynst symple men in the whyche pyt y e deuyll causeth them ofte to fall accordyng to a texte in Ecclesiastico HoueaÌ„ qui alteri facit ipse incidit in eaÌ„ That is to saye who maketh a pyt to an other man oft tyme he falleth therin hymselfe whyche texte was well proued by Mardocheus Thys Guy that went dayly to y e forest w t his asse to gader wode betokeneth euery ryght full man dredyng god in y e forest of this worlde y t wode that he gadereth betokeneth his meryâ—oryous werkes that he caryeth on hys asse whyche betokeneth y e body of man wherwith his soule may ioye lyue in y e tabernacle of heuen And as the steward the lyon the ape the serpent that fell in to the pyt ryght so whan a synfull man falleth in y e pyt of synne The lyoÌ„ of y e kynrede of Iude that is Iesu Chryst descendeth with hym as oftentymes as the synner hath wyll to coÌ„me to grace Therfore sayth the psalmyst Cum ipso sum in tribulatione That is ta saye I am with hym in tribulacioÌ„ Thys Guy draweth vp y e lyon y t is to say Iesu Chryst out of the pyt by the rope of vertues He drewe vp y e ape also that is to say contrary wyll to reason y t he myght obey to reason For of all maner beestes the ape is most lyke to man ryght so amonge all the strengthes of the soule wyll ought to be lykened vnto reason and to obey reason He drewe vp also a serpeÌ„t by the whych is vnderstande penauÌ„ce for two causes For the serpent beareth in hys mouth venym and his tayle is a medicyne Ryght so penaunce beareth at the begynnynge bytternes to the doer neuerthelesse it is full swete medicynable vnto the soule at y e ende therfore euery ryghtwyse man sholde drawe to hym the serpent of penauÌ„ce And at the last he drewe vp the steward from the pyt of synne accordynge to Chrystes saying I am not coÌ„me onely to call ryghtwyse men but synners to penaunce Also it is wryten that Seneca whyche taught an Emperour many lores vertues of trewth and at the last lyke thys stewarde caused to slee his mayster Seneca Also Chryst gaue power to Iudas to werke myracles lyke as he dyd to other dyscyples neuerthelesse he betrayed hym at the last Ryght so now a dayes be many chyldren of Belial whych delyte more to do harme thaÌ„ good in especyall to them y t wolde â—eche them perfytly bothe for the soule for the body The lyon gaue to the ryghtwyse man .x. asses charged with marchaundyse that is to saye our lorde Iesu Chryst gyueth to euery ryghtwyse man .x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes charged wyth vertues by the whyche he groweth to y e rychesse of heuen The ape also gadereth hym wode as ofte as the ryghtfull maÌ„ werketh wylfully y e dedes of charite For wode is profytable for two thynges that is to saye to make fyre to buylde houses Ryght so â—fyâ—â— charite heateth the aungell accordyng to scrypture saying Quia magis gaudiuÌ„ est angelis c. That is to say More ioye is to aungels for one synner doynge penauÌ„ce c. Charite also reyseth the hous of heuen agaynst the coÌ„mynge of the soule The serpent also gaue hym a stone of thre dyuerse colours the whyche he betokeneth our lorde Iesu Chryst whome we seke by penaunce Therfore sayth saynt Ierome in the seconde table thus â—ost naufragiâ—â— est premiaÌ„ That is to saye We sholde do penaunce after our trespace That Chryst is a stone may be proued by hymselfe saying thus Ego sum lapis viuus That is to saye I am a lyuyng stone Chryst hath thre colours whyche betokeneth y t myght of the father the wysdome of the sone the mekenes of the holy goost Therfore who that may gete thys stone shall haue the empyre of heuen ioye without sorowe plente wtout ony defaute lyght wythout darknes Unto whyche lyght brynge vs our lorde Iesu Chryst that dyed for you and me and all mankynde Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Anselme whych had wedded y e kynges doughter of Iherusalem a fayre lady and a gracyous in the syght of euery man but she was longe tyme wyth the Emperour or she waâ— coÌ„ceyued wyth chylde wherfore the nobles of y e Empyre were ryght sorowfull bycause theyr lorde had none heyre of hys body begoten Tyll at the last it befel that this Anselme walked after supper in an euenynge in hys gardeyn and bethought hymselfe how he had none heyre and how the kynge of Ampluy warred on hym coÌ„tynually for so moche as he had no sone to make defence in hys absence wherfore he was ryght sorowfull wente to hys chambre and slepte And at the last hym thought he sawe a vysyon in hys slepe that y e mornynge was more clerer thaÌ„ it was wont to be that the mone was moche more paler on that one syde than on that other And after he sawe