his armure agayne in to the graue whan his blyssed body was buryed / but the cytezyns enuyed hym / that is to saye the Iewes the paynyms of Iewrye accused hym to pylate and layde the lawe afore them ayenst hym saynge / yf thou suffre hym thus thou arte not frende to Cesar themperour / we haue a lawe after that lawe he ought to dye / thus our lorde Ihesu cryste of his enmyes was dampned to deth hangynge on the crosse buryed in his graue arose the thyrde day fro deth to lyfe and after ascended vp to heuen Vnto the whiche Ihesu bryÌ„ge vs all Amen THere regned somtyme in the cyte of Rome a myghty Emperour a wyse named Betolve whiche ordeyned a lawe that what woman were taken in auoutry her husbonde beynge a lyue that she sholde be cast in to perpetuell pryson There was that tyme a knyght whiche had a fayre lady to his wyfe whiche dyde auoutry vnder her husbonde was with chylde therfore by the lawe she was put in pryson / where within shorte tyme after she was delyuered of a fayr sone This chylde grewe vp tyl he was seuen yere olde / his moder dayly wepte hertely And whan the chylde herde this he sayd to his moder thus O moder why wepe ye thus / for what cause is your body thus turmented Than sayd his moder O thou my swete sone I haue grete cause to morne thou also / for aboue oure hedes is the walkynge of people and the sonne shyneth in his clerenesse / grete solace hath all men that are aboue vs / we be here contynually in suche derkenes that I may not se the ne thou me / alas / alas / that euer I conceyued the. Than sayd the sone / suche Ioye ne suche lyght as thou spekest of sawe I neuer ne yet perceyued / for I was borne here in this derkenesse therfore yf I had mete and drynke ynough here wolde I lyue all the dayes of my lyfe Therfore moder wepe ye not but shewe vnto me solace The whyle the lamentacyon was bytwene the moder and the sone / themperours stywarde stode aboue theyr hedes herde all theyr mournynge / wherfore he had grete conpassyon of them and wente vnto the Emperour and knelynge be sought hym of his grace for the moder and the sone / that they myght be delyuered of pryson The Emperoure as a mercyfull lorde graunted that they sholde be delyuered Neuerthesse yf they tresspased soo in tyme to come they sholde be punysshed with double payne / after that they were delyuered this woman ended herlyfe in that cyte ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen whiche made this lawe that what wedded woman / that is to saye what soule whiche is wedded to our lorde do aduoutrye / that is to saye deedly synne sholde be caste in the pryson of helle / therfore a synfull soule hath grete cause to wepe for she is departed fro lyght / that is to saye frome the Ioye of heuen Her sone that desyred mete drynke ben the myghty men of this worlde whiche sayen to the prelates of that chirche and to the prechours whiche preche vnto them the Ioye of heuen / that whyle we may lyue and haue all the solace of the worlde we desyre none other Ioye of heuen The stuarde whiche herde theyr lamentacyon is oure lorde Ihesu the whiche knoweth all the preuytees of our hertes and contrycyon of out synnes besought the fader of heuen for vs that we myght be delyuered frome the pryson of synne / and that we may come to euerlastynge lyfe / vnto the whiche brynge vs our derelorde Ihesus Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme an emperoure named Pomper whiche aboue all other thynges was mercyful This Emperour lete crye thoroughe al his Empyre a grete feest and that poore ryche sholde come to this feest And who soo euer came to that feest sholde not onely be well fed but also he sholde haue grete gyftes Whan the heraude had warned al maner of meÌ„ to come to this feest att the tyme there were two feble men lyenge by the waye and the one was lame and yâ— other was blynde This blynde man sayd vnto the lame man Alas and wo to me and the how shall we doo / for themperoure hath lete crye a feest and who soo eâ—er cometh therto shall not onely be well fedde but also he shall haue ryght grete gyftes / and I am blynde and thou arte lame how shall we do What sayd the lame man to the blynde man I shall tell the good counsell / yf thou wyll do after me thou shalte lette for no thynge I am lame and feble and may not goo neuerthelesse I may see / and thou art stronge and blynde and mayest not see / take thou me vpon thy backe and bere me and I shall lede the / the ryght waye and thus shall we bothe come to the Emperours feest Than sayd the blynde man after thy good counceyll I doo / come on my backe and I shall bere the and thou shalte lede me the ryght waye / and soo they dyd that bothe of theym came to that feest and receyued grete rewarde and gyftes amonge other men / and thus endeth theyr lyues in pease ¶ Dere frendes this Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu cryst the whiche lete crye a generall feest / that is to saye the Ioye of heuen / vnto the whiche Ioye he called all mankynde and forsaketh noo man that wyll come vnto hym This lame man betokeneth the prelates of the chyrche prechours and confessours whiche that haue no thynge of theyrowne but lyuen by techynge and almes of other men And this blynde man betokeneth laye men whiche knoweth not the ryght waye vnto heuen It behoueth that the blynde man / that is to saye the laye men to bere the lame man / that is to saye the prelates of the chirche susteynynge and fedynge theym with the tythynge of almes and other oblatyons / than the prelates be beholden to teche and infourme vs the way towarde heuen where as we shall not onely haue a feest but also grete Ioye and rewarde / to the whiche god brynge vs therto Amen SOmtyme in Rome dwelled an Emperoure named Folliculus yâ— whiche was ryghte wyse mercyfull and ryghtfull in all his werkes this Emperoure buylded in the eest a noble cyte whe rein he put al his tresoure and precyous stones / and ryches to be kept / vnto this cyte was the waye stony and full of brymbles sharpe thornes / thre knyghtes were armed redy to fyght with theym that wolde come to that cyte Therfore themperour ordeyned that who soeuer ouercome these knyghtes sholde entre the cyte and take at his wyll of themperours tresoure After yâ— this Emperoure lete make in the northewest a cyte wherin he ordeyned all maner of payne tormentynge sorowe and myscheef to the whiche was a brode waye full delectable growynge ful of roses and fayle lelyes
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
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