And leste he sholde leue in relygyon vnwarly but rather so moche the better as he dyde mekely our lord styred vp ayenst hym one of his owne bretheren of y e cloyster the whiche wolde constyre all thynge yt. he dyde to y e worst pursued his inocentenes both in wordes in dedes not only in this as a childe of grace our lorde Ihesu cryste wolde haue proued but also he excercysed hym in other .ij. thynges of aduersyte Of the whiche one was gostely the other bodely Trewely as ofte as he herde thondrynge he myght not here it so he was so sore troubled afrayde that he was almoost at y e poynt of deth Also a sekenes of lepre that is called gutta rosia certayne tyme wold so corrupte his face that for the foulnes of syghte he was compelled longe whyle to byde at home in the fermory often tymes And whan he was put in the fermorye for this cause on a nyght after matyns as he went to reste he blamed hym selfe by the sorowe of cōpunctyon what someuer of leprye he had in his face cōmytted it deuoutly to our lordes mercy Sothely a fewe dayes before our lorde had vysyted hym so that in shorte tyme the abbot almoost .xv. monkes of the couent blyssedly paste fro this worlde to heuenwarde And as this monke was walkyng in his prayers he sawe a fayr felaushyp of monkes goynge through the myddes of y e fermorye amonge the whyche he knewe his fader the abbot his brethteren that dyed a lytyll afore Of the whiche one of theym came to hȳ stode by his bed sayd Dere broder we that go here whyle we lyued ī our bodyes dwelled here in this monasterye And now we Ioye al in hope of the Ioye of the sone of god but yet we be dyfferred fro the entrynge in of the kyngdom of heuen for the neglygences of some of our bretheren Of the wiche some vndeuoutly and some slouly al full vnkyndly done to the psalmes prayers the whiche of dute they ought to do for our soules And not only for this cause they ben holde gylty to vs but also to our blessyd lord Iesu cryste hath many thynges ayenst them Sothely they prouoke styre hym to cast them fro hym bycause they folowe slouly the vowe of relygyon in pure clene lyuynge the preceptes of holy relygyon w t out ony drede of god they breke Also whan they come to gyder as y e tyme place requyred to serue our lord god in psalmes and ympnes other spyrytuell songes than they neyther ete ne taste spyrytuel fode bycause that euerychone presumeth to delyte hym on vanyte after his herte And they suspyre after carnall pleasures that they hadde in the worlde and theyr soule sauoureth not the heuenly foode that is the worde of god the whiche they rede and synge but as a mete that is lyght and contemtybyll Trewely this prouoketh the wrath of god moost that in that houre whan as the bretheren enclyne atte Gloria patri for the reuerence and worshyppe of the blessyd trinyte some mocke and scorne some Iangell ydell wordes And some make preuely sygnes of ydelnesse And other ben so stiffe in herte in body that vnnethis after that Gloria patri is begonne they be boūde or spiritu sancto be sayd they be vp agayn and with their syghte they notabely wander aboute in curyouse thynges in the walles And other be stondynge in prayer lyke ymages so berafte in slepe that they wote not what is done about them yet neuertheles they enclyne◠ryse vp as other done of a certayne myserable wretchyd custome therfore go say to the abbot on our behalue that he dispose him to correcte suche fautes of the bretheren For to him it longet what someuer is done amis of his bretherē to whome he is ordeyned of god an ouerseer to tell theym theyr synnes whan this was sayd he vanysshed awaye Than this monke that herde this rose vp stylly fro his bedde yede oute of y e fermory so came to y e chirche as he vsed to do afore before one of y e auters prayed to our lorde with all his herte anone he was rapte in spiryte And as he loked to the wyndowe that was aboue y e auter he sawe a bryght beme of lyght shynyng a maruaylouse fayre lady entred through the wyndowe to hym And whan she stode by hym she sayd to him Knowest thou not me He answered sayd· No lady Than she sayd to hym I am Mary y e moder of Ihesu now I am come to comforte y e of thy sorowes heuenes I haue herde thy prayers and I sawe thy wepynges as she sayd to hym the bretheren that were at dyuyne seruyce sange Gloria patri as they vsed to do enclyned themself also our blessyd lady quene of heuen· with her hondes crosyd full louely reuerently enclyned her self at that same Gloria patri and stode not vp tyll they hadde songe Sicut erat in principio Than after that she stode vp sayde to the monke agayne the broder the monke that pursued the whiche is deed after his grete malyce hath receyued full many sore paynes in token that this that I haue sayde to the is trouthe thou shalt be hole of this two sekenesse that y u haste suffred And whan our blessyd lady saint mary had sayd this to hym she her self wiped his face wyth the sleue of her garment so vanysshed awaye Sothely on the morowe this mōke preuely tolde to the abbot al thinge as it is sayd before shewed bothe to hym to all his brethern certayne very fayth of these same thinges by the meruaylous token of the alterynge chaūgyng of his face whiche outwardly was hole clene to the honoure worshyp of the gloryouse virgyn moder of god the whiche reygneth wyth hym lady of angels quene of heuen euerlastyngly in all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ An other myracle also of a monke y ◠grudged THere was a monke to whome al his metys semed soo harde y t vnethys he might take of it to susteyne his body And on a nyght our lady apperyd to hȳ in his slepe broughte hȳ to an ymage of our lorde Ihesu cryst hangyng on a crosse sayd to hym in this wyse Wete thy brede in my sones wondes whan y e forsayde monke had so doo hym semed and thought that it had a full swete and a delycyous taste as a thynge that is wel poudered ¶ An other myracle also of a monke the whiche was sore in temptatyon OVre blessyd lady appered in a vysyon to a certayn monke that was sore in temptatyon shewed hym the state of Ioye afterwarde she brought hȳ in to egipte wyldernes whether she fled with her sone Ihesu for the drede of Herode Than she shewed the monke the
the fyre not knowynge the grete mercy of our blessyd lorde Iesu cryste the goodnesse of the gloryouse virgyne his moder to whome be now and euermore worshyp and Ioye Amen ¶ How a knyght was delyuered out of pryson by our lady by cause he eshewed to synne with a woman that was called Maria. A Certayne knyght was take of his enemâ—â—s to whome came a woman bycause he sholde synne with her and whan he consâ—nted so to do he asked what was her name She sayd Maria is my name Than he said to her by cause thy name is Maria for the reuerence of the moder of god I wyl not synne wyth the. Than the blyssed virgine moder of pyte seynge this without ony taryenge opened the prison that this knyght was in and delyuered hyn thens Of an other knyÈt also y e whiche fylle iÌ„ a uowtrye ALso an other knyght on a tyme fylle in avoutrye w t his lordê wyfe Neuertheles he had grete deuocyon to our blissed Lady saynte Mary euery daye by an hole yere he vsed for to saye thryes fyfty tymes Aue marya to the worâ—hyp of-oure blyssed lady Sothely it happened on a tyme as he was a slepe he sawe hym thoughte our blyssed lady brynge to hym fayre mylke in a foule cuppe styred hym to ete of it And than he sayd that he loued mylke aboue all other metys but of that mylke he sayd he myghte not ete for the foule and vnclene vessell that it was in Than our lady sayd to hym agayn So loue I the salutacyon that y u sayst to me dayly And bycause thy herte is vnclene I lothe it of thy mouth But be clensyd of it thou shalt be rewarded ¶ Of a knyght y t was delyuered from pryson by our lady AN other knyght also vpoÌ„ a tyme was put in a full myghty towre whan he coude not be delyuered by prayer neyther by moneye he prayed deuoutely to our blessyd lady that she wolde wouchesuf to delyuer hym Than oure blessyd lady whoo 's mercy pite is infynite herde his deuoute prayers lyghtned y e pryson loused his cheynes opened the dore so delyuered hym withoute ony knowlege of the kepers and walked with hym in the nyghte a dayes Iourneye so he escaped the daunger of his enemyes ¶ How oure lady restored a knyghtes wyfe to her lyfe A Certayn knyghte there was that moche loued our blessyd lady y e whiche customably vsed to ryse oute of his bedde at mydnyght to go to his chapel not knowynge his wyfe whether y t he went there in y e same chapel he vsed to saye euery nyght in y e worshyp of our lady .l. tymes Aue marie Sothely it happened on a tyme as this lady sat at souper with her husbond y e knight thynkynge that he was ful fayre goodly sayde to hym Sir is there ony woman that ye loue more than me Than sayde he to her for certayne madame ther is no woman that I loue so moche as you saue one Than she was full sory for this worde that he sayde saue one thought to her selfe that the next tyme that he rose out of his bedde fro her as he was wonte to do she wolde slee her self that so he myght be slayne for her deth And whan she had thought this the next nyght folowynge this knyght her husbonde rose at mydnight as he vsed to do wente in to his chapell sayde in the worshyp of our lady .l. tymes Aue maria The mene whyle his lady toke his knyfe slytte her owne bely slewe her self for she had wende that he had gone that tyme to some other woman And whan she hadde slayne her selfe there was founde in her bely two yonge babyes deed lyenge in her blood Trewely than whan this knyght hadde sayd his prayers bifore the ymage of our blessyd lady in his chapell he came in to his chambre to his bed and there he fouÌ„de his wyf deed al blody two yonge babyes by her deed also Thenne this knyght was full sore aferd of this horryble syght gretly drede leste his wyues kynne wolde therfore persue him to y e deth therfore anone he retourned agayne vnto his chapell and prayed deuoutly vnto our blessyd lady sayÌ„t Marye for helpe sayd vnto her as many salutacyons as he dyde afore And thaÌ„ne he fyll a slepe vnto whome came our blessyd lady sayd bycause chat ofteÌ„tymes y u hast come hyther and worshypped me deuoutely therfore goo to thy chambre there y u shalt fynde mater of comfort Ioye And whan she had this sayd to hym anone she vanysshed awaye Than this knyght came to his chambre founde his wyfe hole a lyue and two yonge babyes soukynge her pappes And sayd to her O my good lady be ye alyue She sayd yes yr blessyd mote ye be for by your prayers I am saued whan I was dampned bycause I slewe my selfe that ye myght be kylled also for me And thersfore that moost fayrest lady saynt Marye euermore loke that ye loue her more than me And so he dyd bothe they ended theyr lyues blessydly to gyd ¶ How a knyght fyll to pouerte by the deuyll was made ryche by y e merytes of his wyfe was by our lady restored agayn to good and vertuouse lyuyng ON a tyme a worshypful knyght fyll to grete pouerte by an vndyscrete lyberalnes that he vsed to gyue his godes awaye This-knyght hadde a full honest woman to his wyfe y t whiche serued our lady full deuoutely And on a tyme ther was a soleÌ„pne fest of y e yere nye as it myght be crystamas or est in y e which this knyght vsed afore to gyue large gyftes whan he sawe he had not to gyue at that tyme as he was wonte to-do full gretely he was confounded asshamed in hym selfe wherfore tyll that solempne tyme were paste he wente to wyldernes to sorowe his mysfortune to eschewe his shame And anone came to hym a sterne a gastfull man on horsbacke syttyÌ„ge that asked hyÌ„ why he was so heuy Than this knyght tolde hym all thynge as it was Than the other sayd to hym And y u wylte doo a lytyl thynge for me y u shalt haue more rychesse than euer thou haddest before I promyse the sayd this knyght I wyll do what someuer y u byddest me so that y u wylt fulfyll in dede lyke as y u sayest Than sayd he to hym Go to thy house and in suche a place y u shalt fynde grete weghtes of golde syluer precyous stones And this y u shalt do for me At suche a day brynge hyther thy wyf wyth the. Than vnder this promyse this knyght retourned home agayne in the same place where it was sayd to hym he fouÌ„de grete quantyte of golde syluer precyous stones Than anone he bought hyÌ„ places he
knowynge his desyre appered to hym in his slepe ha uynge in her hande a boke wryten with golden letters And it semed to a monke that all the chyrche was enflammed of fyre And as he skypped out of his bed he fyll before the fete of our blessyd lady loked in her face that was bryghter than the sone And she opened the boke in the whiche was wryten the prophecye of Ysaye of the whyche the monke gretely Ioyed but moche more he delyted to beholde the fayrenesse the rose coloure of her face sayd O moost blessyd lady saynt Marye suffre me ones to kysse thy fete Than she smyled sayd in this wyse to hym I wyll not y t thy mouth with the whiche y u hast so oftymes lauded me touche my fete but thy mouthe shall touche my mouthe the clerenes of my face Than our lady saynt Marye kyssed hym for Ioye therof he thought hym self rauysshed And whan this monke remembred well that swete dreme and for the grete gladnesse of his herte full largely he wept And euer after all the-dayes of hys lyfe full deuoutely he serued our blessyd lady ¶ How our lady apperyd to monkes that were at matyns and shewed her sone to them and sayd-Eccemerces vestra IN a certayne grete abbay on crystmas nyght as the monkes were at matyns full myghtely labourynge iÌ„ dyuyne seruyce sange-deuoutely Te deuÌ„ laudamê° Our blessyd lady sayÌ„t Marye shewed her self to some of them y e whyche sawe her go vysybly through y e myddes of the quere with a grete multytude of angellys with Instrumentes of musyke laudyng praysynge our blessyd lorde Ihesu And she bare in her handes her swete sone our lorde Ihesu cryste offerynge hym to them sayd Ecce merces vestra that is to say Lo this is your mede ¶ How a monke that besely remembred our blessyd lady was receyued of her in to heuen THere was a certayne yonge monke that so moche loued our blessyd lady saynt Mary that he wolde neuer leue her out of his myÌ„de what someuer he dyde or whether euer he wente euer more he wolde deuoutely thynke on our blessyd lady And on a tyme it happened that he fyl seke to whome came deuylles in lykenesse of aÌ„geles whiche had enuy at his clene holy lyuynge and moost bycause he loued our blessyd lady so moche And one of them sayde to hym I wyl hele the. and thou wylt do after my couÌ„seyl Truely y u doste consume thy selfe by ouermoche thynkynge on Mary Leue this do by dyscrecyon There be many blessyd men in this monastery that thynke not soo moche on her what auayleth it to the yf thou be cause of thyn owne dethe lese thy selfe Sothely than this forsayd monke hadde knowlege by the grace of almyghty god that they were wycked spyrytes deuylles wherfore he caste holy water amonge them than anone all tho wycked spyrytes vanysshed awaye Than the thyrde daye the gloryouse virgin saynt Mary came to hym with a noble heuenly felawshyp sayd Bycause thou hast had my euer in mynde I haue not forgoten the gyue me thy soule for it shall dwell with me euerlastyngly when our lady had sayd this the monke anone yelded vp his spyryte our lady assended vp to heuen berynge w t her the monkes soule after the .iij. daye this monke appered to all his brethern as they were in the chirche at dyuyne seruyce sayd brethern thanke-ye our blessyd lady worshyp her by whome I am saued bycause I had her euermore whyle I lyued in mynde she hath set me in euerlastynge Ioyes of heuen therfore brethern be ye myndefull of her y t after your deth ye may reygne w t her whan this-was sayd he vanysshed awaye ¶ Of a monke that was in all thynges full seruysable to our lady blessydly dyed ALso it is not to leue out of a monke called Egnesanensi the whiche wolde neuer leue ony thynge vndone y t longed to the seruyce of our blessyd lady This monke on a tyme was seke whan he was full nyghe his deth he sawe the gloryouse virgyn Marye moder of god comynge to hym ful gladde he was to see her come to helpe hym bowed his hede mekely to her as he myght and sange this response Gaude maria virgo And whan he had songe this response he yelded vp his spyrite at the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of our blessyd lady to be bore in to the blesse of heuen by y e seruyse of angels Therfore al crysten people ought of ryght to be feruent brennynge in her seruyce to studye how they myghte please her not onely they y t ben well vertuously dysposed but also they that ben synners and proue to euyll Sothely she is full benynge redy to al euerychone ryghte largely to rewarde theym with mede that woll deserue it Ryghtful men synners none she doth forsake or refuse gode men preseruynge in grace lyftynge vp synfull men fro wyckednes therfore all crysten people of what degree or meryte y t they be of sholde specyally take hede to her worshyppe and laude For who someuer deuoutely contynueth in her seruyce withouten doubte he shall come to the Ioyes of heuen ¶ How a monke worshypped our blessyd lady w t fyue psalmes after fyue letters of her name THere was a symple monke y t was called Iostyus that to our blessyd lady was ful deuoute nyght daye beyÌ„g carefull how he myght please her And ofteÌ„tymes w t grete deuocyon he vsed to saye on his knees to the worshypp of our blessyd lady the .vij. psalmes with other thyÌ„ges that he lerned in his youth And gretely he sorowed that he coude no propre thynge of laude and coÌ„mendacyon to her by the which he myght specyally worshyp her or grete her So at the laste after his symple vnderstandyng he dysposed hym to saye euery daye whyle he lyued fyue psalmes for the fyue lettres y t be in oure blessyd lady saint Maryes name Maria that is to saye for the fyrst letter M Magnificat for A. Ad dnÌ„m cuÌ„ tribularer for R Retribue seruo tuo for I. In conuerteÌ„do for the seconde A. Ad te leuaui And this pleased our blelsyd lady saint mary as was shewed after his deth Trewely there was fouÌ„de after that he dyceasyd fyue fayre rede roses springynge out of his mouth as fresshe well smellynge as they had be gedryd the same daye And this was done be yonde the see at a place called Ad sanctuÌ„ audomaruÌ„ ¶ How these two wordes Aue marya gloryfyed a knyght after his deth A Certayne knyght that was ryche noble forsoke the world entred in to a religyoÌ„ called cistercieÌ„siuÌ„ And by cause he knewe no letter on bokes the monkes put to hym a mayster that he myght somwhat lerne so by that occasyon to stonde amonge the monkes for they were ashamed that suche a noble
horryblenes of wyldernes the dwellynge that she had with the wolues lyons also the grete colde huÌ„gre thyrst y e ful grete werenes that she suffred And whan she had shewed this to the monke she sayd to hym Loo sone by suche delycyousenesse my sone Ihesus was nourysshed vp I by the same came to the kyngdom of heuen Therfore take hede of the temptacoÌ„n that my sone Ihesus had â–ª in wyldernesse where he shewed to all his folowers louers a forme of a spyrytuall vyctorye ¶ An other myracle of our lady to a monke A Monke that was yonge of aege but holy-of lyfe was soo feble and weke of his bo dye that it was to hym paynfull to lyue this moÌ„ke on a nyght as he was at matynes in the chyrch had sayd y t noctornes thought to spare his hede to rest hyÌ„ tyll laudes layde hyÌ„ downe on a blok y t was before y e auter there slept a lytyll anon our blessyd lady was at hym and touched hym wyth her clothe and sayd Brother this place is not to slepe in but for to praye And anone he waked and sawe the backe of our blessyd lady as she went fro hym And herde a womans voyce sayeng these wordes to hym ¶ Also an other myracle of a certayne thefe IN a wood was a certayn theef that robbed men kylled them that came by Sothely on a tyme a certayn relygyouse man by the grace of god gode exhortation tourned hym from his wicked lyuynge brought hym to a monastery of the relygyous vyrgyn Mary moder of god And whan he was there a conuers euery day often tymes greted oure blessyd lady saynt Marye with Aue maria c. And afterwarde whan he drewe towarde his laste ende the brethe that wente out of his mouthe sauoured so swete y t al the towne where the monastery was smeled swetely of it ¶ How a conuers of the chartyrhous was delyuered by our blessyd lady fro the fere of deuyls THere was a conuers of the order of the chartyrhous at theyr hede hous in frauÌ„ce that was meke of kynde yonge of age geÌ„tyll of condicions and in holynes of lyfe well spedde Sothely he disposyd hym with al hys power for y e loue of god to mekenes obedience to mortefye his fleshe so that he was not onely crucefyed to y e worlde y e world to hym but also he was as dede buryed to y e worlde specyally he gaue hymself to holy and deuoutely to be myndfull of our lady saynt Marye that some good men the whiche knewe hym his lyuynge thought supposed that he knewe no thynge but our lord Iesu cryst crucefyed his blessyd moder Mary a synguler a specyall louer next after god of the helth and saluacion of mankynde These studijs at y e begynnynge of his conuersyon vertuously taken more more he laboured to proferre fro vertue iÌ„ to vertue by y e whiche he styred vp ayenst hymselfe the enuy malyce of our olde comon enemy the deuyll And on a nyght as he laye alone in his celle as y e vse of that relygyon is to refresse theyr bodyes after laboure prayer he beynge wakynge thynkyng on heuenly thynges vyâ—ybly apyred to hym a company of deuyls in lykenesse of hogges the whiche wente all aboute in y e celle with a gastfull noyse gronynge as they were wode and came stode about him as he was in his bed sore tremblynge for fere drede as it was tolde me he swet for drede no thynge abydyng but his deth as he was in this trouble his fere encreased sawe also a certayne man of an horryble gretenesse come in to his celle fater his demenynge he was y e prynce of deuyls and at his fyrste comynge in he tourned him to y e hogges that were there sayd to them what doo ye cowardes why do ye not all to tere hym Than sayd the hogges to him we haue be about it as moche as we myght we coude do no thyng ellys but tempte him with fere Than he sayd ayen and I shal do that that ye cowardes myght not doo And whan he hadde sayd this he straught forth to this gode holy man with a gastfull contenauncâ— a fere full Istrument of yron with croked hokes to take hym â— all to tere hym that for fere was all moost madde oute of his mynde Bâ—t god that euermore of his grete mercy prouydeth for his seruauntes helpe brought this man out of this fere delyuerd hym fro fere Sothely anone as this wyckod spirite had straughte forth his honde to take hym with the boke of yron al to tere hym as it is sayd aboue Anone the gloryous moder of god truly the moder of mercy in whome next after god he put all his hope vysybly came to hym with a lyght yerd that she helde in her honde sayd to the wicked spyrytes How durste ye wycked spyrytes come hether this man is not yours ne ayenst hym in ony thynge ye shall preuayle whan she had sayd this all that company vanysshed awaye as a smoke doth Than after this our lady comforted hym that yet was ful sore aferde with these wordes and sayd it pleaseth me that thou doost And knowe wel also y t the deuocyon of thy soule is ryght acceptable vnto god to me Therfore do as thou doost of these thynges studye contynuelly to profyte y e better thynges as for ony synguler thynge that I may saye to the iij coÌ„mauÌ„dement at this tyme dyspose the to be content with grosse metes abyect clothes deuoutely gyue the to bodely laboure with these wordes our bcessyd lady comforted strengthed her seruaunte and descended vp to heuen ¶ How an other conuers of the house clareuall sawe our lady in the open felde with a greate multytude of angellys A Certayne conuers that was a good relygyous man of the monastery called clareuallys kepte his bestes in a grange longynge to the same abbaye This man on a tyme as he was kepyng his bestes in a grete solempne feste of our lady began to be heuy remembrynge that holy daye bycause he myght not be at home with his bretheren to halowe that solempne feste And as he weped the gloryous vyrgyn Mary stode before hym in a quenes arayment hauynge aboute her a Ioyfull multytude of angels and sayntes This gloryouse lady called the shepherde by his proper name swetely after her manere spake to hym as he had be knowe afore of her by longe famylyaryte and asked hym why he was so heuy Than he sayd to her by cause good lady I am not at your solempnyte â–ª To whome she sayd agayne Certaynely thou arte now at my solempnyte And that is rygthe I wyll that thou be atte it And anone he herde a quyre of angels and of sayntes stondynge