the wordes of our profession And shal shewe to fore vs alle that euer we haue don and in what place and what tyme we haue synned And what good theÌ„ne we shold haue don he shal saye to the Iuge right trewe Iuge deme Iuge this synnar to be myn for his trespaas whiche wold be thyne by grace he is thyne by nature he is myne by his myserye he is thyne by thy passyon he is myne by monycion To the he hath be in obedyent To me he hath be obedyent he hath receyued of the the vesture of Inmortalite Of me he hath taken this penyble cote wyth whiche he is clad he hath lefte thy vesture and is comen to myn Ryght Iuste demer Iuge hym to be myne for to be dampned with me Alas Alas how may the mouthe of them open that shal thus be fouÌ„den whaÌ„ they shal be Iustly dampned to be with the deuyll â— The second accusement is oure owne trespaas For oure owne propre synnes shal accuse vs As the wyse salomoÌ„ saith sapieÌ„tie quarto venient in cogitatoÌ„em pccoÌ„rum suorum timidi traduceÌ„t illos ex aduerso iÌ„iqitates eorum To the Iugement they shal come in the thought of their synnes in grete drede And their wyckednesses shal caste them out afterward TheÌ„ne theyr werkes shal saye to gydre Thou hast made vs we ben engendred of the we shal not leue the But alleway we shal be with the And â—ith the we shal goo to the dome Thus in many thynges crymes they shal accuse the synners The thirde accuseâ— shal be all the world wherof sayth seynt gregorye yf thou demande who shal accuse the I saye the world whiche is offended And saynt IohnÌ„ grisestome seyth that at that day there we shal answere nothyng but the heuen the erthe the water the sonne the dayes the nyghtes shal be in wytnes of our synnes And yf we speke not oure werkes our thoughtes shall be moeued and all the world shal be ayenst vs to fore god And shal accuse vs strongly The sixth thyng that ensieweth the dome shal be witnes trewe without fayllyng The synnar shal haue iij wytnessis ayenst hym That one that is aboue hym that is to wete that shal be Iuge wytnes lyke as he saith by the mouth of Ieremye the prophete I am Iuge and witnes saith our lord That other witnes is within hym that is to wete his conscience therfor saith saint Austyn yf thou dredest the Iuge comyng correcte thy conscience For the worde of thy mouth is the wytnes of thy conscience That other wytnes is by hym that is his propre angele deputed to his kepyng the whiche by cause that he knoweth his conscience shal bere witnes ayenst hym wherof it is said in Iob The heuenes that is to saye the angeles theÌ„ne shall shewe thynyquytees of the synners The seuenth thyng that shal be atte Iugement is the constraynt of the synners wherof saith saynt gregoire O how strayte shall be the wayes to synners all aboue shal the Iuge sytte ful of wrath And vnderneth thorrible coÌ„fused region of payne on their ryght side theyr synnes whiche shal accuse theym On their lyft syde theyr enemyes deuylles without noÌ„bre drawyng them to torment within theym theyr coÌ„science shal be brennyng And with out forth the world brennyng The caytyf and myserable synnar thus taken whyther shal he flee or whyter shal he goo he shal not mow hyde hym For it is Impossible And to shewe it is Intollerable so moche that he shal not conne bere it The eyghte that he shal haue the sentence inreuocable This sentence shal neuer be repelled ne it may be appeled For thappellacion shal not be receyued for thre causes as it shold be in Iugement the first cause is for thexcelleÌ„ce of the Iuge As of a kynge yf he yeue a sentence it may not be appelled in his royaume For ther is none therin aboue hym souerayn and in like wise of themperour and of the pope Secondly for theuydence of the cryme wiche is notoryly knowen Thirdly whan the thynge of whiche the Iugement is yeuen may not be differred And that it haue not dilacion And for thise thre causes ther maye none appele be fro the dyuyne sentence First for thexcellence of the Iuge For god hath none aboue hym but he is aboue all other in eternyte in dignyte and in auctorite And somme wise may be appelled fro the Emperour to god But fro god may nomaÌ„ appelle for he hath none aboue hym Secondly for the crime For alle trespaas and synnes shal be there openly shewd wherof saith seynt Ierome that in this daye alle our dedes shal be shewd like as they were writen in a table noted Thirdly for the thyng whiche may not suffre dilacion For alle thynges that shal be don atte Iugement shal be don in a twynkelyng of an eye TheÌ„ne late vs pray that we may in this holy tyme so to receyue hym that at the day of Iugement we may be receyued in to his euerlastyng blisse Amen ¶ Thus endeth thystorye of thaduente ¶ Here foloweth the Natiuite of our lorde ihesu Crist Whan the world had endured fyue thousand nyne hondred yere after eusebe the holy saynt Octouian themperour coÌ„manded that alle the world shold be descriued so that he myght knowe how many cytees how many townes how many personnes he had in alle the vniuersal world TheÌ„ne was so grete peas in therthe that alle the world was obeyssaunt to hym And therfore our lorde wold be born in that tyme that it shold be knowen that he brought peas fro heuen And this emperour coÌ„manded that eueri maÌ„ shold goo in to the tounes cytees or villages frowhens they were of and shold brynge with hem a peny in knowlechyng that he was subgette to th empyre of rome And by so many pens as shold be founden receyued shold be knowen the nombre of the personnes Ioseph whiche theÌ„ne was of the lignage of dauid And dwellyd in Nazareth wente in to the cyte of Bethlem And ladde with hym the virgyne marie his wyf And whan they were comen theder by cause the hostryes were alle taken vp they were constrayned to be with oute in a comyn place where alle peple wente And ther was a stable for an asse that he brought with hym and for an oxe In that nyght our blessid lady and moder of god was delyuerd of our blessyd sauyour vpon the heye that laye in the racke At whiche Natiuite our lord shewd many meruaylles Fo by cause that the world was in so grete peas the Romayns had don mad a teÌ„ple whiche was named the temple of peas On whiche they coÌ„seylled wyth Appollo to knowe how longe it shold stond and endure Appollo answerd to them that it shal stoÌ„d as loÌ„ge tyl a mayde had brought forth and born a chyld And therfore they dyde do wryte on the portal of the temple loo this
departed she satte on hir knets and was al the nyght in orysons and in teerys in requyryng helpe of god to perfourme this werke and on the morne erlye alle mate and trauaylled of wakyng she wente to genese a good preest and prayed hym that he wold do his payne and laboure that the chyrche myght be edefyed and tolde hym tydynges of the lyme whan genese herde thys he was alle ameruaylled and fyl doun to hyr feet and promysed to hyr that nyght and day he wold doo hys laboure to accomplysshe hyr commaundemente By the helpe of god and of saynt Geneuefe and of the people of parys the sayd chirche was begonne in the honoure of the blessyd marters Saynt denys Saynt Rustyque and saynt Eleuthere which now is callyd saynt denys de lestree There ben yet the holy bodyes where our lord sheweth fayr myracles For as the werkemen entendyd to make the edefyce eche after hys crafte It happed that theyr drynke fayled and was doon And genese the preest sayd to geneuefe whiche knewe not herof that she shold talke with the werkemen so longe that he myght goo to parys fetche drynke whan she herde thys she demaunded for the vessel that they had empted and it was brought to hyr she maad them to departe fro hyr Thenne she knelyd doun on hyr knees prayed god wyth warme teerys to helpe hyr and whan she felte that our lord had herde hyr prayer She aroos vp and maad the sygne of the crosse vpon the said vessel and a meruayllous thynge happed For the vessel was ful the werkmen dranke her bely ful and as ofte as they wolde vnto the tyme that the chirche was parâ—ytely made wherof they thanked our lord The holy vyrgyne had deuocyon to wake the nyght that our lord rose fro deth to lyf after the custome and statutes of auncient faders It happed on a tyme that she put her on the waye tofore day to goo to the sayd chyrche of saynt denye and made to bere a candyl brennyng tofore hyr The nyght was derke the wynde grete and it rayned faste whyche quenched the lyght of the candel The maydens that were in hyr companye were sore troubled She asked after the candell and assone as she had hit in hyr hande hit was lyghted by goddes wylle ageyn and so she bare it brennyng vnto the chyrche Another tyme whan she had endyd hir prayer a candel that she helde light in hyr hande by the grace of god Semblably in hyr celle on a tyme was a candel lyght in hir hande wythout ony fyre of thys world of whiche candel many seek folke by their feyth and reuerence haue ben helyd That tapre is kepte yet at nostre dame de parys A woman whyche by the temptacyon of the deuyl whyche to his power alwey deâ—eyueth the good stale aweye hir shoes but assone as she was at home she loste hyr syght whan she sawe that our lord had auengyd the wronge that she had doon to the vyrgyne She dyd hyr to be ledde to hyr wyth the thefte when she came tofore the holy vyrgyn she fyl doun to hyr feet and requyred hyr of foryeuenes and restoryng of hyr syght Geneuefe that was right debonair toke hyr vp fro the grounde and in smylyng gaue to hyr the syght ageyn of hyr eyen The holy vyrgyn on a tyme wente to laon and the peple of the towne wente out ageynste hyr Emonge whome were the fader and moder of a mayde that had ben ix yere so paralatyke that none myght shewe the ioynture of hyr membrys They besought and reâ—uyred saynt geneuefe that she wold vysyte the seek mayde She wente and sawe hir and sythe made hir prayer as she was acustomed and after handled the membrys of the mayde and commaunded hyr to doo on hir clothes and hosen and shoes Incontynente she aroos in good helthe in suche wyse that she wente vnto the chyrche wyth the peple The folke that sawe thys blessyd our lord that had gyuen suche grace to hys damoysel geneuefe and whan she retorned they conueyed hyr syngyng with grete ioye The kyng of fraunce chyldryke how be it he was a paynym hâ—lde hir in grete reuerence soo dyd also the barons of fraunce for the fayr myracles that she dyd in the name of our lord Ihesu cryste wherof it happed on a tyme that the sayd kynge helde certeyn prysonners Iuged to dethe but by cause geneuefe shold not demaunde them he yssued out of paris and made to shytte the yates after hym the holy virgyn knewe hit anone and wente hastely after hym for to helpe to delyuer theym As sone as she came to the yates they openyd without keye seyng al the peple which thought it a grete wonder She pursewed the kynge and obteyned grace for the prysonners In the partyes of the oryent beyâ—nde Antyoche was a good man named Symeon whiche had despysed this world and was of meruaylus holy lyf whiche demaunded of saynt geneuefe of the marchauntes that wente in to tho patryes And by them he salewyd hyr moche honourably And recommaunded hym vnto hyr prayers hit was a grete meruayle that the holy man which had neuer seen ne herde speke of hir dyd do grete hyr by hir name verayly the frendes of god that knowe his wylle do therafter haue tydynges that one fro that other by admynystracion of the holy ghoost they shal neuer be seperate ne departed as Saynt ambrose beyng at melan knewe of the deth of saynt martyn at tours At meaux was a noble damoysel which was a med by hir propre name celyne which whan she had herde of the grace that god had gyuen to saynt genouefe she requyred hir to chaunge hir habyte a yonge man had fyauÌ„ced trouthed hir which had grete Indygnacion whaÌ„ he herde of those tydynges and came to meaux in a grete Ire where the ij vyrgyns dwellyd whan they knewe of his comyng they fledde vnto the chirche there happed a fayr myracle For as they came to the chirche dore whyche was locked fast shette the dore that was soo locked opened by his gree by hym self thus saynt geneuefe delyuerd saynt celyne fro peryl fro the contagyon of the world the which ê‘seuerid in abstynence in chastyte to hyr ende In this tyme the said celyne offred to saynt geneuefe one hir chamberer whiche had leyen seek ij yere myght not goo the holy vyrgyne handled hyr membrys with hir worthy handes anone she was hool in good poynte Ther were brought to hir xij men that were wood byset with deuyls vnto parys which were ouer harde bystad tormented of thenemye the virgyn had grete pyte went to prayer orisons in requyryng our lord with salte teris that by his grace goodnes he wold delyuer them of this pestylence as she perseuerid in hir prayers they were hanged in the ayer in suche manere as they touched no thynge she aroos fro hir prayer said
and made the sowne And they torned hastely soo that the whele brente the mayster of the werke and kepte Eufemye without hurte syttyng vpon the whele And the pareÌ„tes of thartyllour wepte and putte the fyre vnder the whele and wold haue brent Eufemye with the whele but the whele was brent and Eufemye was vnbounden by the aungel of god and was sene stonde all hoole vnhurte in an hyhe place And thenne Apulyen sayd to the Iuge the vertue of Crysten peuple maye not be ouercomen but by yron therfore I counceylle the to doo smyte of her hede Thenne they sette vp laddres and as one wold haue sette hond on her he was anon smeton with a palasye and was borne thens half dede And another named softnes wente vp on hyhe but anone he was chaunged in his corage and repentyd hym and requyred her humbly pardon And whanne he had his swerd drawen he cryed to the Iuge that he had leuer slee hym self than touche her whome the angels deffended At the last whanne she was taken thens the Iuge sayd to his chauÌ„celler that he shold sende to her alle the yonge men that were Ioly for tenforce and to make her do theyr wylle tyl she shold fayle and deye And thenne he entryd in and sawe with her many fayre vyrgyns prayenge with her And she made hym to be crystend wyth her admonestementes And thenne the Iuge dyde do take the vyrgyne by the heer and henge her therby And she euer abode Constaunt and vnmeuable And thenne he dyd doo shytte her in pryson withoute mete seuen dayes and pressyd her there bytwene foure greete stones as who shold presse olyues but she was euery daye fedde with an Angel And whanne she was bytwene those two hard stones she made her prayers And the stones were conuertid in to ryght softe asshes Thenne the Iuge was ashamed for to be vaynquysshed of a mayde And thenne he made her to be throwen in to a pytte where as cruel bestes were whiche deuoured euery man that cam therin swalowed them in And anone they ranne to this hooly vyrgyne in fawnynge her and ioyned theyr taylles togyder And made of them a chayer for her to sytte on And whanne the Iuge sawe that he was moche confounded soo that almoost he deyde for anguysshe and sorowe Thenne the Boucher cam for tauenge thyniurye of his lord and smote his swerde in to her syde al to hewe her and made her there the martir of Ihesu Cryste oure lord And the Iuge clad hym with clothys of sylke and henge on hym owches brochys of gold But when he shold haue yssued oute of the pytte he was rauysshed of the beestes and all deuoured anon And thenne his peple souÈt hym longe and vnnethe fonde they a lytel of his bones with his clothe of sylke and his ouches of gold And thenne the Iuge ete hym self for madnes and soo was fonde dede wretchydly And Eufemye was buryed in calcedoine and by her merytes alle the Iewes and paynyms of calcedoine byleuyd in Ihesu Cryst And she suffryd deth aboute the yere of our lord ijC lxxx And saynt Ambrose sayth of this vyrgyne thus The hooly vyrgyn tryumphaunt in vyrgynyte reteynyng the mytre deseruyd to be clad with the crowne by whos merytes the wycked enemy is vaynquysshed and Prysais her aduersary and Iuge is ouercomen The vyrgyne is saued fro the fornaye of fyre hard stones ben conuertid in to pouldre whiche beestes ben made meke and tame and enclyne doune theyr ueckes and all maner of paynes and tormentes by her oracions and prayers ben ouercome And at the laste smeton with a swerd she left the cloistre of her flesshe and is ioyned to the celestyall company gladde and ioyous And blessyd lord this blessyd Vyrgyne commaundeth to the thy chirche And good lord lete her praye to the for vs synnars and this vyrgyne withoute corrupcion flourysshyng gete vnto vs that oure desyres maye be graunted of the Thus endeth the lyf of saint Eufemye Here begynneth the lyf of saint Lambert And first of thynterpretacion of his name LAmbert is said of lampos in greke whiche is as moche to saye as brennyng And of thus that is encence That is to saye encence brennynge to god Or he may be sayd of lampas a lampe whiche gyueth lyght in the chirche he was encence brennynge to god by distresse of conscyence and for to kepe obedyence And he was lyght in the chirche by noble predicacion and by ensample of good operacion ¶ Of saint Lambert TAmbert was of a noble lygnage but he was more noble by holynes And was enformed in lettrure in his first age so for his holynesse he was louyd of all the peple in suche wise that after his maister The obarde he deseruyd to be promoted to be bisshop of Trecht whom Chylderik kynge of Fraunce loued moche And had hym alweye dere before other bisshops But whanne the malyce of the Iewes grewe the felons put hym out of his honour withoute cause and sett Ferramund in his chayer And lambert entryd in to a monasterye and was there and conuersyd seuen yere goodly On a nyght whanne he aroos fro prayer he â—â—te wynde goo behynde by ignoraunce And whanne thabbott herd it he sayd he that hath done that late hym go oute to the crosse barefote And anone Lamberte wente oute to the crosse barfote in his haire and was there and wente in the snowe and in the froste whanne the bretheren chauffed them after matynes And the abbot demaunded where Lamberte was And a broder sayde that he was gone to the crosse by his commaundement he dyde doo calle hym And thenne the abbot and his Monkes requyred hym to pardone them but he not only pardonned them but also prechyd to them the vertue of pacyence And after vij yere Ferramond was putt oute And saynt Lambert was brought ageyne by the commaundement of pepyn to his fyrst see And there he shone by worde and by ensample in all vertue Thenne two wicked men adressyd them ageynst hym and beganne to rebuke and blame hym strongly And the frendes of the same bisshop slewe them In that tyme Lambert beganne to blame strongly pypyn for a comyn womaÌ„ that he helde And Dodo a Cosyn of them that had be slayne and brother of the same cemyn woman and offycer of the kynges halle assemblyd a grete felaushippe and assyeged al aboute the bisshops place And wolde auenge the dethe of his Cosyns on saynt Lambert And whanne a child cam to saynt Lambert whiche was in his prayers and told hym therof he trustynge wel in oure lord thought he shold well vaynquysshe them And toke a swerde And whanne he had remembryd hym self he threwe aweys his swerde And Iuged hym self better to vaynquysshe in suffrynge of deth than to leye his hooly hondes in the blood of the felons And this hooly man warned his peple that they sholde confesse theyr synnes and suffre pacyently
and by this flood our lord hath sanctefyed his tabernacle The fourthe cause is he is sente for to conferme loue emong them that ben in discorde and hate whiche is noted in this word Pater he is said fader by cause that naturelly he loueth vs as saith saynt IohÌ„n in the gospel Iohannis xiij Ihesu cryst saith my fader loueth you as his sones ¶ And yf ye be hys sones thenne be ye brethern eche to other And bytwene brethern ought alleway to perseuere loue and frendship The fyfte cause is for to saue the Iuste and trewe men in this that he saith In nomine meo that is Ihesus that is to saye sauyour In whos name the fader to the holy ghoost to shewe that he cam to saue the peple The syxte cause is for forme the ignorauÌ„tes in this that he saith Ille vos docebit oiÌ„a The holy ghoost whaÌ„ he shal come he shal teche you all thynges As to the seuenth that he is gyuen or sent first in the begynnyg of the chirche by prayer as thus whaÌ„ he cam thappostlis praid god were in prayer wherof is songen OraÌ„tibus applis deuÌ„ venisse thappostlis praieÌ„g the holy ghoost caÌ„ luce .iij. IhÌ„u prayeng the holy ghoost descended Secondly he cam by heeryng attentyfly and deuoutly the word of god actuuÌ„ x As saynt peter was prechyng the holy ghoost desceÌ„ded vpon them Thirdly he cam by holy besy operacion that is by this that is said ImponebaÌ„t manus super eos accipiebant spmÌ„ scmÌ„ Thappostlis put their hoÌ„des on them that byleued anon they receyued the holy ghoost and this Imposicion of thandes sygnefyeth thabsolucion of the preest whiche absolucion gyue vs the holy ghoost Amen THe grete largesse benefayttes that god hath distributed to cristeÌ„ peple gyue to the said peple grete dygnyte for ther is no peple ne neuer was so grete a nacion that their goddes had approched so nyghe them ae our lord god is vnto vs The blessid sone of god wold make vs partyners vnto his dyuynyte godhede therfore toke our nature to th ende that makyng hym self man he wold make men as goddes And all that he toke of vs he gaf all agayn to vs for our sauacion he gaf his propre body in offryng vnto god the fader in the aulter of the crosse for our recoÌ„ciliacion shedde his blood in pris wasshyng our synnes to th eÌ„de that we myght be redemyd fro the myserable seruytude wherin we were that we shold be also clene and cleÌ„sid of our synnes also to th eÌ„de that this excelleÌ„t benefice abide to vs in perpetuell memorye he hath vnto deuoute hertes faithful gyueÌ„ his owen body in mete his precious blod in drynk in lyknes of brede wyn O precioê° feste conuyne verayly ful of grete woÌ„dre the feste helthful replenesshid of all swetnes what thyng may be more precious than the noble coÌ„uynye or feste in which not only the flesshe of calues ne of oxen lyk as was gyueÌ„ in thold lawe for to taste but the ê“pre body of IhÌ„u which is very god is presented for receyue and assauoure deuoutly what thyng myght be more full of grete admiracioÌ„ than is this holy sacramÌ„t in which the brede wyn ben coÌ„myxted substaÌ„cyelly in to the ê“pre body of IhÌ„u And therfor IhÌ„u crist there is conteyned vnder the spece lyknes of brede wyn he is eten receyued of the good trewe cristen men but for that he is not departed in pyeces ne asondred in his meÌ„bres but abydeth all hoole entier in euerich of his partyes For yf this holy sacramÌ„t were deuyded or deê‘teed in a M. partyes in euerich partie shold remayne 〈◊〉 propre body of our lord hool entier None other sacremeÌ„t is not of somoche merite ne so full of helth as this sacramÌ„t is for by this be purged the synnes the vertues ben encreaced the thoughtes be engrassed fulfylled with thabundaunce of alle good vertues he is in holy chirch offrid for the lyuyng them that ben deed to th ende that he may prouffite to all that which is for their saluacioÌ„ of all them that ben ordeyned institued to consacre it the swetnesse of this holy sacramÌ„t may none expresse by the which swetenesse is spirituelly tasted remembred thexcelleÌ„t charyte that god shewde in his gloryous passyon to th ende that it myght be the more ferueÌ„tly impressed in the hertes of deuoute faithful peple of the grete largesse of his charite whaÌ„ he shold deê‘te out of this world goo to god his fader wold ete his paske lambe with his disciples theÌ„ne he institued this holy sacramÌ„t lyke a memoire perdurable of his passion as thaccomplyssemÌ„t of auÌ„cyent fygures of the myracles that were don by hym And also to th ende that they that were sorouful heuy for his absence shold therby haue somÌ„ solace synguler This is a thyng theÌ„ne rihgt conuenyent conuenable vnto the deuocion of deuoute hertes to remeÌ„bre soleÌ„ply thynstitucion of so helthful meruayllous sacramÌ„â—t to th eÌ„de that the ineffable maner of thornauÌ„ce thought dyuyne vysyble be honoured worshipped that the myght puyssauÌ„ce of god be loued thanked which in this sacramÌ„t werketh so merueyllously also of so helthful of so swete gracious benefyce be gyueÌ„ and rendred to god due thankynges graces ¶ And how wel that the day of the Cene or souper in which this noble sacrameÌ„t was institued is specyall memoire made of this sacramÌ„t how be it the surplus of the seruyce of the same day apparteyneth to the passyon of our lord In the which passyon our moder holy chirch is occupied all that day deuoutly by cause this intusticion of so noble sacramÌ„t may be halowed more solempnly the pope vrban the fourth by grete affection that he had to this holy sacramÌ„t moeued of grete deuocion he ordeyned the feste remeÌ„braunce of this holy sacramÌ„t the first thursday after the octaues of pentecâ—ste for to be halowed of all good cristen peple to th ende that vse thurgh out all the yere this holy sacremÌ„t to our saluacion may doo our deuoyr to this holy Institucion specyally in the tyme whan the holy ghoost enseyned teched the hertes of the disciples to knowe the mysterye of this holy sacramÌ„t For in that tyme there the trewe faithful disciples begaÌ„ to frequeÌ„te it It is redde in thactes of thappostles that they were ê‘seuerauÌ„t in the doctryne of thappostles in comynycacion of the brekyng of the brede in deuoute orysoÌ„s after the sendyng of the holy ghoost to th eÌ„de that the holy institucioÌ„ of this amerous sacramÌ„t shold be the more honourably halowed on the said day by the vtas or octaues folowyng in stede distribucion material that ben distributed in cathedral chirches the forsaid pope vrâ—an hath gyueÌ„ of his
that shold abyde by the ryght of the chirche to be ayenst holy chirche me and ye knowe wel that I may not fyght but am redy to suffre deth rather than I shold consente to lese the right of holy chirche Thenne said the kyng thou spekest as a proude clerke but I shal abate thy pryde or I leue the For I muste rekene with the thou vnderstondest wel that thou were my chaūcheler many yeres ones I lente to the vC pound which thou neuer yet hast repayd whiche I wil that thou paye me agayn or ellis incontynent thou shalt goo to pryson And thenne saynt thomas answerd ye gaf me that vC pound it is not sittyng to demaunde that whiche ye haue gyuen Not withstondyrig he fondesurete for the said vC pound departed for that day And after thys the next day the kynge demaunded xxxMli that he had surmysed on hym to haue stolen he beyng chauncheler wher vpō he desired day tanswer at whyche tyme se said that whan he was archebysshop he sette hym free therin without ony clayme or dette by fore good recorde wherfore he ought not tanswere vnto that demaunde And the bysshoppis desired saynt Thomas tobeye the kynge but in no wyse he wold not gree to suche thyngis as shold touche ayenst the lybertees of the chyrche And thēne they cam to the kynge forsoke saynt Thomas and agreed to alle the kynges desire ¶ And the propre seruauntes of saynt Thomas fledde fro hym and forsoke hym and thenne poure peple cam and accompanyed hym And on the nyght cam to hym two lordes and told to hym that the kynges meyne had enprysed to slee hym And the next nyght after he departed in thabyte of a brother of Symprynham and so cheuyssyd that he went ouer see ¶ And in the meaue whyle certayn bysshops wente to Rome for to conplayne on hym to the 〈◊〉 And the kynge sente lettres to the kynge of fraunce not to receyue hym And the kynge lowys said that though a man were banyssyd and had commysyd there trespaces yet shold he be free in fraunce And so after whan thys holy saynt Thomas cam he receyued hym wel and gaf hym licence to abyde there and doo what he wold In thys meane whyle the kyng of Englond sente certayn lordes vnto the 〈◊〉 complaynyng on tharchebysshop Thomas whiche made greuous complayntes whyche whan the 〈◊〉 had herde said he wold gyue none answere tyl that he had herd tharchebysshop Thomas speke whych wold hastely come theder but they wold not abyde hys comyng but departed without spedyng of their ententis and cam in to Englond agayn And anon after saynt Thomas cam to rome on saynt markes day at after none and whan hys Catour shold haue bought fyssh for his dyner by cause it was fastyng day he coude gete none for no money and cam told to his lord saynt Thomas so And he bad hym bye suche as he coude gete thēne he bought flesshe made it redy for their dyner and saynt Thomas was seruyd thith a capon rostid his meyne with boylled mete And so it was that the pope herde that he was come sende a Cardynall to welcome hym he fonde hym at his dyner etyng flesshe whiche anon retorned told to the pope how he was not so parsight a mā as he had supposed for contrarye to the Rule of the chyrche he eteth this day flessh The pope wold not byleue hym but sente another cardynal which for more euydēce toke the legge of the capon in his keuerchyef affermed the same And opened his keuerchyef to fore the pope and he fonde the legge torned in to a fyssh callid a carpe And whan the pope sawe it he said they were not true men to saye suche thyngis of this good bisshop They said faithfully that it was flessh that he ete And after this saynt Thomas cam to tho pope dide his reuerence obediēce whom the pope welcomed after certayn cōmynycacion he demanded hym what mete that he had eten and he said fhessh as ye haue herd to fore by cause he coude fynde no fysshe veray nede compellid hym therto thēne the pope vnderstode of the myracle that the capōs legge was torned in to a carpe Of his goodnes graūted to hym to all them of the dyocyse of Caūterbury licence to ete flessh euer after on saynt markes day whan it falleth on a flessh day pardon with all whiche is kept acustomed vnto this day And thēne saynt Thomas enformed the pope how the kyng of englond wold haue hym consente to dyuerse articles ayēst the libertees of holy chyrche what wrōges he dyde to the same that for to deye he wold neuer consente to them whā the pope had herd hym he wepte for pyte And thanked god that he had suche a bysshop vnder hym that had so wel defended the libertees of holy chirche And anō wrote oute lettres bulles comādyng alle the bysshoppis of crystendom to kepe and obserue the same And thēne seynt Thomas offred to the pope his bisshopriche vp in to the popes hond his mytre with the crosse ryng And the pope comanded hym to kepe it stille and said he knewe nomā more able than he was And after saynt Thomas said masse to fore the pope in a white chesible And after masse he said to the pope that he knewe by reuelacion that he shold suffre deth for the right of holy chyrche And whan it shold falle that chesible shold be torned fro whyte in to rede And after he departed fro the pope came doun in to fraunce vnto thabbaye of pounteney And there he had knowleche that whā the lordes spirituel tēperel whyche had ben at Rome were comē home had told the kyng that they in nowyse myght haue their entente that the kynge was gretly wroth And anon banyssed alle the kynnesmē that were longyng to saynt Thomas that they shold incontynent voyde hys londe made thē swere that they shold goo to hym telle to hym that for hys sake they were exiled And so they wente ouer see to hym to poūtney and he beyng there was ful sory for them And after ther was a grete chapytre in englond of the monkes of cysteaus And there the kyng desired them to wryte to pounteney that they shold no lenger kepe ne susteyne Thomas tharchebysshop For yf they dyde he wold destroye them of that ordre beyng in englond And for fere therof they wrote so ouer to poūteney that he must departe then◠with hys kynnesmen And so he dyde And was thenne ful heuy And remytted hys cause to god And anon after the kynge of fraunce sente to hym that he shold abyde where it plesid hym and duelle in hys royame And wold paye for the costes of hym and hys kynnesmen And he departed and wente to seynes And thabbot brought hym on the
crysten peple myght surely come to the sepulcre vnhurte And the body of Emerencian was buryed by the body of saynt Agnes It happed that whaÌ„ the frendes of seynt Agnes watched at her sepulcre on a nyght they sawe come a grete multitude of virgynes clad in vestymentes of gold and siluer and a grete light shone to fore them And on the right side was a lambe more whyte than snowe and sawe also saynt Agnes emong the virgynes whyche said to her parentes Take hede and see that ye bewaylle me nomore as deed but be ye Ioyeful wyth me For with all thise virgynes Ihesu cryst haue gyue me most â—â—yghtyst habytacion and dwellyng And am with hym Ioyned in heuen whoÌ„ in erthe I loued wyth my thouht And thys was the viij day after her passyoÌ„ And by cause of thys vysion holy chyrche maketh memoyre of her the viij day of the feste after whyche is called Agnetis secundo Of her we rede an example that in the chyrche of saynt agnes was a preest whych was named paulus and allewaye serued in that chyrche and had right grete temptacion of hys flesshe but by cauhe doubted to angre our lord he kepte hym fro synne And prayd to the pope that he wold gyue hym leue for to marye The pope considered hys symplenesse and for hys bouÌ„te he gaf hym a rynge in whych was an emerawde and câ—manded that he shold goo to thymage of saynt Agnes whyche was in hys chyrche and praye her that she wold be hys wyf Thys symple man dyde so And thymage put forth her fyngre And he sette the rynge theron And thenne she drewe her fyngre agayn and kept the ryng faste And thenne anon all hys tempptacion carnall was quenchyd and take away from hym And yet as it is said the rynge is on the fyngre of thymage Constaunce the doughter of Constantyn was smeton wyth a sore and foul lepre whan she had herd of the vysion of saynt agnes at her tombe shâ—wed to her frendes she cam to the sepulcre of saynt agnes And whan she was in her prayers she fill a slepe And she sawe in her slepe saynt agnes sayeng to her Constaunce werke constantly And yf thou wylt byleue in cryst thou shalt anon be delyuerd of thy sekenes wherwyth she awoke and fonde her self perfyghtly hool anon she receyuyd baptesme and founded a chyrche vpon the body of the virgyne And ther abode in her virgynyte and assembled there many virgynes by cause of her good ensample In an other place it is redde that whan the chyrche of saynt agnes was voyde the pope said to a preest that he wold gyue to hym a wyf for to norysshe and kepe and he mente to coÌ„myse the chyrche of saynt agnes to hys cure And he delyueryd to hym a rynge and bad hym to wedde thymage And thymage put forth her fyngre and he sette on it the ryng and anon she closid the fynger to her hand and kept the rynge and so espoused her Of thys vyrgyne sayth saynt Ambrose in the book of vyrgynes ¶ Thys vyrgyne yong men olde men and chyldren preyse ¶ Ther is none more to be praysed than that may be praysed of all Saynt Ambrose saith in hys preface that this blessyd saynt Agnes despysed the delytes of noblesse and deserued heuenly dygnyte she lefte the desires of mannes felawshyp and she fonde the felawshyp of the euerlastyng kynge And she receyuyng a precious deth for the confession of Ihesu cryst is made conformable to hym euerlastyngly to regne in Ioye in heuen to the whyche he brynge vs for whos glorious name and faith thys gloryous vyrgyne saynt Agnes suffred martirdom of deth Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Agnes Here begynneth thynterpretacion of the name of saynt vyncent Vyncent is as moche to saye as brennyng vyces or ouercomyng brennynges and kepyng victorye For he brente and destroyed vyces by mortificacion of hys flessh he vaynquysshid the brennyngis of tormentis by stedfast suffraunce he helde the victorye of the world by despysyng of the same he vaynquysshyd thre thynges in the world that is to wete false errours foule loues and wordly dredes whyche thynges he ouercam by wysedom by clennesse and by constaunce Of whom saynt Austyn saith that the martirdoms of sayntes haue enseygned that the world is ouercome wyth all errours loues and dredes ¶ And somÌ„e afferme that saynt Austyn wrote and compyled hys passyon whyche prudencien sette right clerly in versis Of the lyf of saynt vyncent Vyncente was noble of lygnage but he was more noble by fayth and relygion And was deken to saynt valeryen bysshop he was in hys chyldhode sette to studye where by dyuyne prouydence he floured in double science most parfoundly that is to saye in dyuynyte and humanyte To whom saynt valerien by cause he was empesshyd in hys tongue comysed to hym the fayttes and werkes of charge And hym self entended to prayer and contemplacion And by the comandement of dacian the prouost vyncent and valeryen were drawen to valence and there caste in pryson And whan the prouost had supposed they had ben almost perysshyd for hungre and payne he comanded them to come to fore hym And whan he sawe them hool Ioyeful he beyng wroth began to crye moche strongly and sayd what saist thou valeryen whyche vnder the name of thy relygyon doost ayenst the decrees of prynces And as the blessyd valeryen answerd lyghtly Saynt vyncente sayd to hym worshypful fader answere not hym so wyth a tymerous herte but put out thy voys and escrye hym frely And fader yf thou wylt comande me I shal goo answere to the Iuge To whom valerian said right dere sone it is longe sith I haue coÌ„mysed to the the charge of spekyng And now it byhoueth the to answere for the fayth for whyche we ben here Thenne saynt vyncent torned to the Iuge and said to dacyan Thou hast holden vnto now wordes to renye our faith but knowe thou that it is grete felonnye to the wysedome of crysten men to blame and renye our crysten fayth Thenne dacyan beyng wroth comaÌ„ded that the bysshop shold be put in exile And vyncente as a man presumptuous and despytons shold be put to be tormented in the place named eculeo And it was made lyke a crosse twhart of whyche the two endes were fyxed in therthe And that hys membres shold theron be broken for to fere the other And whan he was all thus to broken dacian said to hym saye vyncente now seest thou thy body vnhappy And vyncent smylyng sayd to hym Thys is that I all way haue desired TheÌ„ne the prouoste beyng wroth began to saye menace hym with many turmÌ„tis And vyncent said to hym O vnhappy man how wenest thou to angre me the more greuously that thou tormentest me so moche more pyte shal god haue on me Aryse vp thou vnhappy man and cursid and by thy wyckyd spyrite thou shalt be vaynquysshyd
sanctoruÌ„ wherin thys holy saynt dunston had grete ioye he had a special grace of our lord that suche heuenly ioyes and thynges were shewed to hym in thys wretchyd world for his grete comforte and after this he became alle seek and feâ—le and vpon holy thorsday he sente for al his brethern and asked of them foryeuenesse and also forgaue them alle trespaces â—nd assoyled them of al theyr synnes aâ—d the thyrd day after he passed out of this world to god ful of vertues the yere 〈◊〉 our lord ix hâ—ndred lxxxviij and hys sowle was borne vp to heuen with 〈◊〉 songe of aungels al the peple heryâ—â— that were at his dethe and his â—â—dy lyeth at caunterburye in a worshypâ—â—l shryne where as our lord sheweth 〈◊〉 his seruaunt saynt dunston many 〈◊〉 and grete myracles wherfore our lord be praysed world wythouten ende amen Here endeth the lyf of Sayâ—t dunston Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Aldelme SAynt aldelme the confessour was borne in englond his fader hyght kenton he was broder vnto Iue kyng of this londe and whan kyng Iue was dede kenton was made kynge after hym and thenne this holy chylde aldelme was sette to scole in the hows of malmesburye where afterward he was maad abbot And thenne he dyd there grete ceste in byldyng and dyd doo make there a ful ryal abbey and whan the 〈◊〉 herde of his grete holynesse he sent for hym to come to rome whan he was there the 〈◊〉 welcomed hym was moche glad of his good lyuyng and tâ—ere he abode longe tyme with the pope and gate ful grete pryuyleges and lybertees to the hows of malmesburye in suche wyse that no bysshop in englond shold uysyte ne haue to doo there ne the kynge to lette them of theyr free elâ—â—cion but chese theyr abbot emonge the couent them self and whan he had goten alle this of the pope he was full glad and ioyeful and lyuyd there ful holyly longe tyme And on a day as he said masse in the chirche of saynt Iohan latrans and whan masse was doon there was no man that wold take his chesyble fro hym at the ende of the masse and thenne he sawe the sonne beme shyne thorugh the glasse wyndowe henge his chesybâ— theron wherof al the peple merueyled greteâ—â— of that myracle and the same châ—sâ—â—le is yet at malmesburye the câ—lour therof is purple and within shorte tyme after he came ageyn in to englond brought with hym many preuylegys vnder the 〈◊〉 seal which after kyng 〈◊〉 confermed alle that the pope had gâ—â—unted to the hows of malmesbury Tâ—is was aboute the yere of our lord seuen hondred and vj â— And that tyme thâ—re fyl a grete varyaunce emonge the bysshoppes of this loÌ„de for the holâ—yng of ester day but saynt aldelme mâ—ad a book that alle men shold knoâ—â— for euer whan estern day shall 〈◊〉 the whiche book is yet at malmesburye And that abbay he dyd do make in the worshyp of our blessyd lady And brightwold that was archebysshop of caunterburye herde of aldelmus holy lyuyng and he sente for hym to be his counceyllour and they lyued to gyder ful holyly longe tyme and eche was ful glad and ioyeful of other And on a day as they stood at the sâ—e syde by douer castel they sawe a shyp laden with marchaundyse not ferre fro them and saynt aldelme callyd to them to wyte yf they had ony ornament longyng to holy chirche within theyr shyp to selle but the marchauntes had dysdaygne of hym and thoughte he was not of power to bye suche thynges as they had to selle and departed from the holy man but anone fyl on them soo grete a tempest that they were in paryl for to perysshe and thenne one of hem said we suffre this trouble bycause we had dysdayne of the wordes of yonder holy man and therfore lete vs all mekely desyre hym to praye for vs to our lord Ihesu cryste they dyd so and anone the tempest cesed and theÌ„ne they came to this holy man and brought to hym a ful fayre byble the whiche is yet at malmesbury vnto this day and foure yere before his deth he was maad bysshop of dorset by the archebysshop of caunterburye and by other bysshoppes but within shorte tyme after he deyed and lyeth buryed at malmesburye there as he was abbot And after that saynt egewyn came to offre 〈◊〉 his tombe feteryd with chaynes of yron faste locked fro thens he wente so to rome to the pope alwey weryng tho feteris whiche was to hym grete payne god rewarde hym his mede ¶ And Saynt Aldelme or he deyed cursed alle them that dyd ony wronge in brekyng of the preuyleges of the sayd abbey of malmesburye and them that helpe the hows to mayntene goddes seruyce shall haue goddes blessyng and his And whan he had layen longe in the erthe he was translated and layed in a ful ryche shryne where as our lord sheweth dayly for hys holy seruaunte many fayre myraclâ—s Thenne lete vs praye saynt Aldelme to praye for vs vnto our lord god that we may in thys wretchyd 〈◊〉 of â—his world soo bewayle our synnes and amende our lyuyng that we may come to euerlastyng lyf in heuen amen Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Aldelme Of Saynt austyn that brouÈt crystendom in to englond SAynt austyn was an holy monke and sente in to englond to preche the faythe of our lord Ihesu cryste by saynt gregory thennâ— kyng pope of rome the whyche had a grete zele and loue vnto englond as is reberced alle alonge in his legende hâ—w that he sawe children of englond in the marlet of rome for to be solde whiche we 〈◊〉 fayre of vysage for whiche cause he demaunded lycence and opteyned to goo in to Englond for to conuerte the peple therof to crysten feythe And he beyng on the weye the pope deyed and he was chosen pope was countremaunded came ageyn to rome And after whan he was sacred in to the papacye he remembryd the royame of englond and sente saynt Austyn as heed and chyef other holy monkes preestes with hym to the nombre of xl persones vnto the royame of englond as they came toward englond they came in the prouynce of Andegauence purposyng to haue restyd alle nyght at a place called pounte Say a myle fro the cyte and ryuer of ligerym but the wymmen scorned and were so noyous to them that they droof theym out of the towne and they came vnto a fayre brode elme and purposyd to haue restyd there that nyght but one of the wymmen which was more cruel than the other purposed to dryue them thens came so nyghe them that they myght not reste there that nyght And thenne Saynt Austyn toke hys staffe for to remeue fro that place and sodeynly his staffe sprange out of hys honde with a grete vyolence the space of thre furlonges thens and there styked faste
sawe thys She was abasshyd and byleued and was crystened And delyuerd to them alle that they demaunded and dedyed her paleys in to a chyrche and endowed it gretely And after ended her lyf in good werkys Bernard a man of the bysshopriche of mutynense as Calyxte the pope saith was taken and enchayned and put in to a depe tour and called alway the blessyd seynt Iames So that seynt Iames apperid to hym and sayd come and folowe me in to galyce And thenne his bondes brake and seynt Iames vanysshed awaye And he went vp in to the hye tour and his bondes in his necke and sprang doun wythout hurtyng And it was wel lx cubytis of heyght And as bede saith Ther was a man that had don a foul synne of whiche the bisshop doubted tassoyle hym sente hym to seynt Iames with a cedule in whiche the synne was wreton whan he had leyde the cedule vpon the aulter on the day of seynt Iames he prayed seynt Iames that by hys merytes hys synne myght be foryeuen and deffaced And after he opened the cedule fond the synne effaced and striken out Thenne he thanked god and seynt Iames ¶ xxx men of loreyn went to gydre on pilgrimage to seynt Iames aboute the yere of our lord a M lxiij And alle made fayth to other that euery man shold abyde and serue other in alle estates that shalle happen by the waye exepte one that wold not make none couenaunt It happed that one of them was seek and his felaâ—â— abode and awayted on hym xv dayes atte last they â—lle left hym sauf he that promysed not whiche abode by hym kept hym at the fote of the mont seint Mychel-And whan it drewe to nyght the seek man deyed and whan it was nyght the man that was alyue was sore afâ—rd for the place whiche was solytary and for the presence of the deed body and for the cruelte of the straunge peple and for the derknes of the nyght that cam on But anon seynt Iames apperid to hym in lyknes of a man on hors bak and comforted hym and sayd gyue me that dede body tofore me and lepe thou vp behynd me on my hors And so they roode alle that nyght xv day Iourney that they were on the morn to fore the sonne rysyng at mount Ioye whiche is but half a leeke fro seynt Iames There seynt Iames left them both commaundyng hym that was alyue that he shold assemble the chanones of seint Iames for to burye thys pylgryme And that he shold saye to his felawes by cause they had broken theyr fayth theyr pylgremage auayled them not And he dyd his commaundement and whan his felawes cam they meruelled how he had so fast goon and he told to them alle that seynt Iames had sayd and don And as calyste the pope reherceth there was a man of al mayn and his sone went to seynt Iames about the yere of our lord Miiij score and thre And cam to tholouse for to be lodged and theyr host made them dronke Thenne the host toke a cuppe of syluer and put it in theyr male And on the morn whan they were goon he folowed after them as theuis And bare them on hond that they had stolen his cuppe and sayd that they shold be punysshed yf the cuppe were founden on them And he fond it in the male and anon they were brought to Iugement And thenne the sentence was gyuen that al that they had shold be gyuen to the hoost And that one of them shold be honged And thenne the fader wold haue deyed for his sone and the sone for the fader Atte last the sone was honged And the fader went forth wepyng on hys pylgremage to seynt Iames And cam agayn xxxvj dayes after And thenne went for to see his sonne and cryed and wepte but the sone whiche was hanged began to comforte sayd to his fader Ryght swete fader wepe no more For I was neuer so wel at ease for the blessyd seynt Iames hath allway susteyned and hold me vp hath fedde me with swetnes of heuen And whan the fader herd hym speke he ranne anon to the cyte and dyd so moche that the peple cam And his sone was taken doun all hool as though he neuer had had harme And the hoost was honged whiche had put the cuppe in to the male Hughe de scoÌ„ victore rehersith that the deuyl apperid in lykenes of seynt Iames to a pylgrym And told to hym many thynges of the vnhappynes of the world and sayde to hym that he shold be wel blessyd yf he slewe hym self in thonour of hym And anon he toke a knyf and slewe hym self and thenne the hoost in whos hous he was lodged was holden suspecte And was sore aferde to be put therfore to deth TheÌ„ne he that was dede reuyued agayn and sayd that the deuyl had caused to slee hym self and brought hym in to grete tormentis and seynt Iames ranne and brought hym to fore the trone of the Iuge and where the deuyls accused hym he gate that he shold be restored to his lyf Ther was a yong man of the countray of lyons as hughe thabbot of cluyny wytnesseth that was acustomed to go ofte to seynt Iames and the nyght tofore he shold goo thyderward he fyl in fornycacion And the next day he went forth On a nyght it happed that the deuyl appiered to hym in lykenes of seynt Iames And sayd to hym knowest thou who I am he answerd nay and the deuyl sayde to hym I am Iames thappostle whom thou hast vsed to visyte euery yere and I am glad for thy deuocion But it is not long syth that thou in goyng out of thy hous fyllest in fornycacoÌ„n and hast presumed to come not confessyd therof wherfor thy pylgremage may neyther plese god ne me It apperteyneth not to doo so For who that wyl come to me in pylgrimage he must first shewe his synnes by conâ—rysion and by confession and after by goyng on pylgremage punysshe them and make satisfaccion and thys sayd the deuyl vanyshed awaye Thenne this yong man was in grete anguysshe and disposed hym to retorne home agayn to his hous and confesse hym of hys synnes and thenne to begynne agayn his Iourney And thenne the deuyl apperid to hym agayn in lyknes of thappostle And warnyd hym in no wyse to do so But sayd to hym Thys synne may in no wyse be forgyuen ¶ But yf he cutte of his membris genytores But yet he shold be more blessyd yf he kylled hym self and be a martir for the name of hym And he that same nyght whan his felawes slepte toke a knyf and cutte of his genytoyres and wyth the same knyf smote hym self in to the bely and his felawes awoke and whan they sawe this thyng they were sore aferde anon fledde awaye lest that they shold be taken as suspecte of thomycide And
men shold goo out And thenne he made hys prayers to god And alle thydolles fyl doun and were broken and whan new herd that he commaunded to cast hym in to the see And yf it happed that he escaped they shold folowe and take hym and brenne hym shold take the ashes of hym cast it in to the see nazaryen thene the chyld Celse were put in a shyppe and brought in to the myddle of the see And were bothe cast in and anon about the shyppe aroos a grete tempeste and about them was grete calme and tranquylite whan they thenne that were in the shyppe were aferd to be perisshed and repented them of the harme and wyckednes that they had coÌ„mysed in the seyntes Nazaryen wyth the chyld celse walked vpon the see and apperid to them with a glad chere and entred in to the shyppe to them And thenne they beleuyng By his prayer the see was peasid and fro thens they sayled vjC paas and cam to a place besyde Iene where they long prechyd And after cam to melane where they fond geruase and prothase in the place where he had left them whan Anolynus the prouost herd that sent hym in exyle and Celse the chylde abode in the hous wyth a noble woman Nazaryen thenne cam to rome fond hys fader thenne olde and crysten and enquyred of hym how he was crystened whiche sayd that peter thappostle had appiered to hym and bad hym byleue as his wyf and his sone dyd thenne fro thens he was exyled of tho bisshoppes vnto melane agayn Fro whens tofore he was exyled to rome and was now compellyd agayn wyth wronge to goo to rome where he was presented to the prouost with the chyld Celse whiche thenne was ladde out of the yate of rome whiche is named thre wallis with the childe celse and there was byheded whos bodyes cristen men toke vp and by nyght buryed it in a gardyne and the next nyght they apperyd to an holy seynt named Ciriake sayeng that he shold burye theyr bodyes in his hous more depper for drede of nero To whom he sayd I praye you first my lordes that ye make my doughter hole of the palsey whiche anon whan she was hool he toke the bodyes and as they commaunded he dyd Long tyme after this god shewed theyr bodyes to seynt Ambrose and he lefte celse lyeng in his place and toke vp the body of nazarien with as fresshe blode as he had be buryed the same day smellyng a merueyllous swete odour Incorupte with his here and hys berde and brought it to the chirche of thappostles And there buried it honourably and after toke vp the body of celse and beryed it in the same chirche They suffred deth about the yere of our lord lvij Of this martir sayth Ambrose in his preface O thou holy noble champyon and blessyd martir shynyng by thy shedyng of thy blood thou hast deserued to haue the kyngdom of heuen whiche by the Innumerable assaultes of tormentis hast ouercomen the wodenes of the tyraunt by the constance of fayth And hast gadred to gydre a multitude of peple to euerlastyng lyf O thou martir of whos helth the chyrche Ioyeth more than the world Ioyed in his punysshyng O thou blessyd moder of her chyldren glorifyed wyth tormentis whiche ledde them not with waylyng ne sorowyng to helle But departyng hens folowed her with perpetuel laude vnto the heuenly kyngdoms All this more sayth Seynt Ambrose Thus enden the lyues of seint Nazaryen and Seynt Celse Here foloweth the lyf of seynt Felyx and first of his name FElyx is sayde of felicitate that is blessydnes Or ellys felix as beryng stryues and tribulacions of this worlde for euerlastyng lyf Or felix beryng lyhe or water to faythe whiche is to saye ledyng peple to the fayth Of seynt Felix FElyx was chosen pope in stede of liberie and was ordeyned sacred For by cause lybery the pope wold not consent to the heresy of tharryens he was sent in to exyle of constancyen sone of constantyn and there abode thre yere Wherfore alle the clergy of rome ordeyned Felix to be pope by the wyl and consent of liberie And thenne this Felix assembled a counseyl of xlviij bisshoppes And condempned Constancien Arryen and he retike and two prestes whiche fauoured and susteyned hym in his heresye For whiche thyng constancien was Wroth and chased Felix out of hys bisshopriche and called agayn liberien by this couenaunte that he shold be partener with hym and thother whom Felix had condempned and liberien whiche was tormented by the greuousnes of his exyle submytted hym vnto the euyl heresye and thus the persecucion grewe more In so moche that many prestes and clerkes were slayn wythin the chyrche wstthout that lyberien defended them and Felix whiche was cast out of his bysshopriche dwellyd in his owne heritage of whiche he was put out and was martred by smytyng of of his hede aboute the yere of our lord CCC and xl Thus endeth the lyf of seynt felix pope and Martir Here foloweth of the Seintes Simplicien Faustyn and Beatrice and first of their names SYmplicien is as moche to say as symple or Without ony plyte of falsehede He was symple by meknes and humylite For he humbled hym self to receyue martirdom he was knowyng For he knewe the cristen fayth and for the fayth he suffred martirdom â— Faustyn is as moche to say as fortunate Beatrice is to saye holdyng blessydnes or it is sayde of beata that is blessyd And of ares that is vertue whiche is a blessyd vertu And beatryce is sayd sorouful or beuy For she was sorouful of the passyon of her brethern and she was blessyd by her martirdom Of the Seintes Simplicien Faustyn and Beatrice SYmplicien ffaustyn brethern whan they wold not by no constraynt do sacrefyse to thydolles and refused it vtterly they suffred many tormentis at rome vnder dioclâ—sien and atte last sentence was gyuen ayenst them and were byheded theyre bodyes cast in to tyber the ryuer And Beatrice theyr suster toke vp the bodyes of them and buried them honourably Lucrete whiche was prouost of rome went on a tyme playeng aboute therytage of beatrice and sawe her and made her to be taken and commaunded her that she shold make sacrefyse to his goddes and she refused it And lucrete made his seruauntes to strangle her in a nyghte and lete her lye and lucyne the virgyne toke away the body and buried it with her brethern and after that lucrete entrid in to theyr heritage And thus as he assayled the martirs And dyd do make a grete feste to hys frendes And as he satte atte dyner A yong child that lay wounden in smale clowtes in hys moders lappe whiche yet souked sprange out of the lappe of his moder that helde hym and all men seyng escried and sayd O thou lucrete here and vndestande thou hast sleyne and
of spirituel bondes And the fyrst cause whyche is in remembraunce of saynt peter ffor as it is said in thistorie scolastyque that herode agrippe went to rome and was right famylier with gayus neuewe of tyberius Emperour And on a day as herode was in a chariote brought with gayen he lyfte vp his handes in to heuen And sayd I wold gladly see the deth of this olde felawe Peter and the lord of alle the world and the chariot man herd this word sayd of herode And anon tolde it to tyberyus wherfor Tyberyus sette herode in pryson And as he Was there he behelde on a day by hym a tree and sawe vpon the braunches of this tree an owle whiche satte theron and another prysonner whyche was with hym that vnderstode well dyuynacions sayde to hym Thou shalt be anon delyuerd and shalt be enhaunsed to be a kyng In suche wyse that thy frendes shalle haue enuye at the and thou shalt dye in that prosperyte And knowe thou for trouthe That whan thou shalt see the Owle ouer at the ende of fyue dayes after thou shalt dye for certayn And anon after Tyberyus deyed And Gayus was Emperour whiche delyuerd heroude out of pryson and enhaunsed hym gloryously and sent hym as kyng in to Iudee and anon as he cam he sent hys puyssaunce and sette hand to For to put somme of the chyrche to affliction and dyd doo slee Iames brother of seynt Iohan theuangelyst with a swerde byfore the day of ester And bycause it was a thyng agreable and plesed the Iewes He toke Peter on ester day and enclosed hym fast in pryson And wold after ester bryng hym forth and shewe hym to the peple and slee hym but thangel cam merueyllously and vnbond hym and losed his chaynes and sent hym forth alle quyt to the seruyse of prechyng the word of god And the felonny of this kyng suffred not tabyde ony discicion of vengyance For the next day folowyng he made to come the kepars For to begynne to tormente them with dyuers paynes for the fleyng of Peter but he was lette to doo that that the delyueraunce greued thē not For he went hastely to Cezarie And there was smeton of an angelle and deyed Thus reherceth Iosephus in the booke of antyquyte For whan he rode cam in to Cezaree alle the men wymmen of that prouynce cam to hym And whan the day cam that he shold goo in Iugement and take possessyon of the contray He went and cladde hym with a vestment of tyssue merueylously shynyng of golde and siluer And whan the sonne smote and shone on it It was more shynyng than the sonne For it was so bryght that no man myght beholde it And the brightenes was lyke rede metal and gaf fere and drede to them that loked theron and therfor the pryde of hym was so grete that he better semed a man made by crafte than by nature humayn And thenne the peple began to crye say we haue seen the tyl now lyke a man But now we confesse that thou art aboue nature humayn And thus as he was flatred with honours and reffused not dyuyne worshippes he beyng there sette he sawe aboue his hede an owle syttyng whiche was messager of his hasty deth And whan he had apperceyued the owle And byheld the peple that were there assembled and comen at his commaundement he sayd to them certayn I that am youre lord shalle deye wythin fyue dayes For he knewe it well bycause the deuynour had told hym that he shold deye within fyue dayes that he had see the owle syttyng aboue hym And Incontynent after this thyng thus accomplisshed he was smeten sodanly in suche wise that wormes ete his bowels and on the fyfte day deyed And this sayth Iosephus And bycause thenne in remembraunce of the delyueraunce of Seynt Peter prynce of thappostles fro the cruel vengaunce of the cruel tyraunt whyche assone as he was enhaunsed to be kyng went to pursewe and destroye the chirche therfor the chyrche haloweth the feste of Seynt Peter advincula And the epystle is songen in the masse in whyche thys delyueraunce is witnessed here to be doon The second cause of thestablyssyng of thys feste was by cause Alysaunder the pope whiche was the vj after Peter And hermes prouost of rome whiche was conuerted to the fayth by the same Alexander were holden in dyuerse places in the pryson of quyryn the Iuge whiche Iuge sayd to hermes the prouost I merueylle of the that art so wyse a man that thou wilt leue the grete worldly honours that thou hast and the grete richesses that thou receyuest of thy prouostye And wylt leue alle thyse thynges for dremyng of an other lyf To whom hermes sayd to fore thys tyme I despreysed and scorned ¶ And wend there had ben none other lyf than this Quyrynus answerd Make prouf to me that there is an other lyf anon I shalle applye me to thy fayth To whom hermes sayd Allexander whom thou holdest in thy pryson shalle enforme the better than I Thenne quyryn cursyd Alexander And sayde to hym I wyll that thou shalt make proef of thys thyng to me and thou sendest me to Alexander whom I hold bounden in chaynes for his euyll dedes Truly I shalle double the pryson vpon the and alexander and I shalle sette watche vpon you And yf I fynd the with hym or hym with the I shal verely gyue fayth to thyn and his wordes And thenne he doubted theyr kepars And shewed this to Alexander and thenne alexander prayed to god And an angelle cam to hym and brought hym in to the pryson to hermes And whan quyryn cam to the pryson He fond them both to gydre wherof he was moche admerueylled thenne hermes recounted to quyryn how Alexander had heled his sonne and reysed hym fro deth And quiryn thenne sayd to Alexander I haue a doughter named balbyne wyiche is seek of the goute yf thou mayst hele her I promyse the that I shal receyue thy fayth yf thou mayst gete for her helthe To whom alexander sayd Goo anon and bryng her to me in to my pryson And quyryne sayd to hym how may I fynd the in thy pryson and art here And Alexander sayd goo thy waye anon For he that brought me hyther shalle sone bryng me theder And Quyryn went thenne and fette hys doughter And brought her in to the pryson where Alexander was fonde hym there and thenne knelyd doun to hys feet And his doughter began to kysse the chaynes with whyche seint Alexander was bounden hopyng therby to receyue her helth And Seynt Alexander sayd to her Doughter kysse not my chaynes But seke the chaynes of seynt Peter and kysse them wyth deuocion And thou shalt receyue thy helthe And anon Quyryn dyd do seche the chaynes of Seynt Peter and they were founden And Alexander dyd the doughter do kysse them And anon as she had kyssed them she receyued her
helth and was alle hool Thenne Quyryn demaunded pardon foryeuenes And delyuerd Alexander out of pryson and receyued the holy bapteme he and alle hys meyne and many other Thenne Alexander establysshed this feste to be halowed alleway the first day of august And dyd doo make a chyrche in thonour of seint peter where as he sette the chaynes And named it seynt peter ad vincula and to that chyrche come moche peple at that solempnyte and the peple kyssed there the bondes and chaynes of seynt peter The thyrde cause of thys establisshement after bede is this â— Antoyne and Octauyan were so conioyned to gydre by affynyte that they departed bytwene them two th empyre of the world Octouyen had in thoceydent ytalye ffraunce and spayne And Antoyne had in the eest Asye Ponte and affrique Anthoyne was wylde Ioly and rybauldus and had the suster of Octauyen to his wyf And left her and toke cleopatra which was quene of egypt and for this cause Octauyen had hym in grete despyte And went wyth force of armes ayenst Anthoyne in Asye And ouercam hym in alle thynges Thenne Anthoyne and Cleopatra fledde as vaynquysshed And slewe them self by grete sorowe And octauyen destroyed entierly the royame of Egypte and made be vnder the Romayns ¶ And fro thens he went in alle the hast he myght in to Alexandrye And despoyled it of alle rychesses and brought them to Rome And encreased so the comyn prouffyt of Rome That there was gyuen for one peny that whyche to fore was sold for foure And bycause the batayles of the peple had wasted and destroyed the cyte of Rome he renewed it sayeng I fond it couerd wyth tyles And I shalle leue it now couerd wyth marble And for thyse causes he was made emperour And the fyrst that euer was callyd Auguste And of hym ben alle other that come after hym called Augustes Lyke as after his vncle Iulyus Cezar they ben called Cezariens Also thys moneth of Auguste whyche tofore was called Sextilys The peple entituled it to hys name callyd it Angustus in thonour and rememberaunce of the victoryâ—e of the Emperour that he had the first day of thys monthe In so moche that alle the Romayns made that day grete solempnyte vnto the tyme of Theodosye themperour whyche began to regne the yere of our lord CCCCxxvj Thenne Eudosie doughter of the sayde Theodosyen Emperour and wyf of valente went by a bowe to Iherusalem And there a Iewe gaf to her for grete loue a grete yefte ¶ And they were the bondes that is to wete the ij chaynes wyth whiche Seynt Peter vnder herode was bounden wyth Wherof she was moche Ioyous And whan she retorned to rome she sawe that the Romayns halowed the fyrst day of august in thonour of an Emperour Paynem whyche was deed thenne was she moche sorouful by cause they dyd so moche honour to a man dampned And thought that they myght not lyghtely be wythdrawen fro thys custome But yf she myght so moche doo she wold not leue it thus But that it shold be made in thonour of Seynt Peter And that alle the peple shold name that day the day of Seynt Peter ad vincula And herof she had collacoÌ„n with seynt Pelagyen the pope And brought them wyth fayre wordes to that that the remembraunce of the prynce of paynems was forgoten And the memorye of the prynce of thappostles was halowed And it plesed ryght well to alle the people Thenne she brought forth the chaynes whyche she had brought fro Iherusalem And shewed them to alle the peple And the pope brought forth the chayne wyth whiche he had be bounden vnder Nero ¶ And assone as that chayne touched that other alle thre by myracle were but one lyke as they had be neuer but one Thenne the pope and the quene establysshed that the folisshe relygyon of the peple makyng solempnyte of a Paynem were chaunged in to better And was made of Seynt Peter prynce of thappostles And the pope and the quene sette the chaynes in the chyrche of seynt Peter ad vyncula And were gyuen of the quene to the sayd chyrche ryght grete yeftes and ryght fayre preuyleges and it was establysshed that day to be halowed ouer alle ¶ And thys is that lede sayth And Sygybert also sayth the same of thys thyng And of what grete vertue thys chayne is It apperyth wel in the yere of our lord foure hondred and xl iiij There was an erle whiche was nyghe to the Emperour Octone that was so cruelly vexyd and tormented with the deuyll to fore alle the peple that wyth his owen trethe he bote and tare hym self And by the commaundement of themperour he was ledde to pope IohÌ„n for to put the chayns aboute hys necke And there was a nother put aboute hys necke of thys wode man and demonyake â— And it dyd hym none alegement By cause it had no vertu And atte last the very chayne of Seynt Peter was broughte and put aboute the necke of the sayde man Demonyake But it was of suche vertue that the deuyl myght not bere it But departed and went out cryeng tofore them alle Thenne Theodoryke bysshop of Mets toke that chayne and said he wold not departe fro it in no maner but yf his hand were cut of for this cause was grete descorde bytwene the pope and the bysshop and the other clerkes And atte laste the Emperour appeased the noyse And gate of the pope that he had a lynke of the chayne â— And he kepte it moche Worthely in grete deuocion Mylet also recompteth in his cronyque And is wreton in thystorie tripertite that in that tyme there was a grete horryble dragon whiche apperyd at empyrum And the bysshop donatâ— spytte in his mouth and kylled hym forthwith but that bysshop made tofore the signe of the crosse with his fyngres vpon the dragon For he was so grete that there behoued seuen cople oxen to drawe hym thens out of the toune in to a place where he was brent for by cause the stenche of hym shold not corupt the ayer yet sayth the same mylet also it is sayd in thystorye tripertite that the deuyl apperyd in a toune named creta in the semblaunce of moyses And this creta is nygh to a montayne whiche is nygh to the see assembled a grete multitude of Iewes of alle places And brought them to the toppe and hyest of the montayne promysed them to lede them and to goo drye foot with them vppon the see in to the londe of promyssyon And there he assembled peple wythout nombre And some byleue that the deuyl had despyte of the Iewe that had gyuen this chayne to the quene by whyche the feste of Octauyen cessed to be made And whan the deuyl sawe that he had there of the Iewes wythout nombre aboue the grete montayne He made many falle doun from the toppe to the ground bynethe
And made of them wythout nombre to be drowned in the see And thus the deuyll aduenged hym on them And many of them that escaped bycam cristen ffor whan they wold haue goon vp on the montayne wyth the other they myght not go vp so sharpe roches in suche wyse that they that went vp were alle to cutte with the stones And the other were drowned in the see and weren alle deed And whan the other wolde haue doon the same and tarryed by cause they wyst not what was happed of the other certayn fysshers goyng by them told what was fallen of the other and thus they that myght escape retorned and wente not after the other And al thise thynges ben conteyned in the said historye The fourth cause of the Instytucion of this feste may be assygned here in this wyse â— For our lord delyuerd seynt Peter out of his chaynes by myracle And gaf hym power to bynde and vnbynde ffor we be holden and bounden vnto the londe of synne and haue nede to be assoyled Therfor we worship the solempnyte of the chaynes afor sayd For as he deserued to be vnbounde of the bondes of his chaynes so receyued he power of our lord IhÌ„u crist to assoyle vs And thys last reson may be lyghtly apperceyued For thou seest that thepystle accordeth thabsolucoÌ„n and losyng of the chaynes made to thappostle And the gospell recordeth the power that was gyuen to hym for tassoyle And thoryson of the dethe requyreth that absolucion be made to vs And thys that somtyme he gyueth absolucion And assoylleth the dampned otherwhyle by the power of the kayes whiche he receyued It apperyth in a myracle of the blessid virgyne marrie On a tyme there was a monke a scolyer whiche was in the cyte of coloyne in the monastery of seynt peter whiche monke was synful and whan this monke was supprysed with sodeyn dethe the deuyllis accused hym and cryed on hym that he had don alle maner synnes That one sayd I am couetyse whiche so oft thou hast coueyted ayenst the commaundement of god And another sayd I am vayne glorye of whyche thou hast enioyed the in makyng a vaunte emong men And another sayde I am thy lesyng in whiche thou oft synâ—edest in lyeng And other in lyke wyse And contrarye to them some good werkys that he had don excused hym sayeng I am obedyence whyche thou dydest to thyn elders and soueraynes Another sayd I am the song of psalmes that thou hast songen to god moche ardantly seint peter to whom he was a monke went to god for to pray for hym and our lord ansuerde to hym hath not the prophete sayd by my Inspyracion OneÌ„ quis hitabit in tabernaculo tuo lord who shal dwell in thy tabernacle or who shal reste in thy hye holy montayn he that shall be wythout spotte of synne how may this man thenne be saued whiche is not entred wythout spotte Ne hath doon no rightwisnesse And yet peter prayed for hym with the blessid virgyne moder of god Thenne our lord gaf vpon hym this sentence that the soule shold retorne agayn to the body and that he shold doo penaunce And thenne seynt peter with the kay that he held in his hond fered the deuyllis and made them to flee and after delyuerd the soule to a monke of the same monastery and commaunded hym that he shold bryng it to the body and he bare it to hym and requyred of hym for his rewarde that he had brought it agayn that he shold say euery day for hym the psalme Miserere mei deus and that he shold of te swepe his sepulture kepe it clene And thus he reuyued fro the deth and cam agayn to the world and dyde hys penaunce and recompted to alle the peple this that had happed to hym Thenne late vs praye this gloryous appostle seynt peter to be our aduocate to our lord Ihesu cryste that we may by the power of the kayes gyuen to hym haue very absolucion of oure synnes that after the accomplysshemeÌ„t of this short transitory lyf we may come to euer lastyng lyf in heuen amen Thus endeth thistorye of seint Peter ad vincula Here foloweth the lyf of seynt Stephen the Pope WHan seynt stephen the pope had conuerted many of the paynems vnto the cristen fayth both by word and by example and had also buryed many bodyes of the marters in the yere of our lord two hondred lx he was sought by grete studye of valeryen and of galyen thenne empereurs For by cause that he and his clerkes shold doo sacrefyse vnto theyr ydolles or ellis to be slayne by dyuers tormentis and the sayd emperours made ordynaunce that who someuer broughte them he shold haue all theyr substauÌ„ce and for that cause x of his clerkes were taken and brought forth and anon wythout audyence were byheded And the day folowyng seynt Stephen the pope was taken and brought to the temple of mars theyr god to th ende that he shold adoure and doo honour to thydolle or ellys he shold haue sentence to be byheded But whan he was entred in to the temple he prayed to our lord IhÌ„u cryst that he wold destroy the temple and anon a grete party of the temple fylle And alle they that were there ffledde for drede that they had and thenne he went to the Cymetoyre of seynt luke and whan valerien herd that he sent to hym mo knyghtes than he dyd tofore and whan they cam they fond hym syngyng masse And anon he fynysshed deuoutly that which he had begonne And that doon theâ— byheded hym in his seete ¶ Thus endeth the passyon of seynt Stephen the pope Here foloweth thynuencion of seynt Stephen prothomartir THe Inuencion of the holy body of seynt Stephen prothomartir was made in the yere of our lord iiijCxvij in the xvij yere of honorius themperour The Inuencion of hym the translacion and the coniunction were made by ordre For a prest named lucyen of the contray of IhÌ„rlm Of whom gerard recompteth emong the noble men and wryteth thus that on a fryday Whan he was in his ledde rested and vnnethe awoke He sawe an auncient man of noble stature wyth a long berd wyth a semely vysage enuyronned in a Whyte mantel In whiche there were litil ouches crosses of gold tissued he was hosed wyth hosen browdred with gold aboue which helde in his honde a rodde of gold wyth whiche he touched hym and sayd Goo and with grete dylygence opene our tombes For We ben leyde in a place dyshonest and of despyte Goo thou therfor vnto IohÌ„n the bysshop of Iherusalem and say to hym that he lay vs in a more honourable place And by cause that drought and tribulacion is thrugh the world God hath ordeyned to be debonayr and merciful to the world by our suffragyes and prayers And lucian sayd to hym Syre who art thou I am sayd he gamaliel which norisshed thappostle poule enseygned hym
age as he was to haue so tendre a mayde And where other brought forth their roddes he hydde his And whanne no thyng appered accordyng to the voys of god the Bisshop ordeyned for to aske couÌ„seylle ageyne of our lord And be answerd that he only that shold espouse the vyrgyne had not brought forthe his rodde And thenne Ioseph by the comaundement of the bisshop broughte forth his rodde And anone it flouryd and a douue descended from heuen ther vpon soo that it was clerely thaduys of euery man that he shold haue the vyrgyne And thenne he espoused the vyrgyne Marye and retourned in to his Cyte of Bethlehem for to ordeyne his meyne and his hows and for to fetche suche thynges as were necessary And the vyrgyne Marye retourned vnto the hows of her fader with seuen vyrgyns her felawes of her age whiche hadde sene the demonstraunce of the myracle And in tho dayes the Aungell of our lord appyered to the Vyrgyn prayeng and shewed to 〈◊〉 how the sone of god sholde be borne of her And the daye of the Natyuyte was not knowen in long tyme of good crysten men as mayster Iohan â—eleth sayth that it happed that a man of good contemplacion euery yere in the â—â—yâ—hydus of September was in prayer And he herde a companye of Angels that made grete solempnyte And theÌ„ne he requyred deuoutely that he myÈt haue knowlege wherfor euery yere only on that day he herd suche solempnyte and not on other dayes And thenne he had a dyuyne answere that on that day the blessyd Vyrgyne Marye was borne in to this world And that he shold do it to be knowen to the men of hooly chirche soo that they shold be concordable to the heuenly Courte in halowynge this solempnyte And whan he had told this to the souerayne Bisshop the 〈◊〉 and to other and had ben in fastynges in prayers and sought in scryptures and wytnessys of old wrytynges they establisshyd this daye of the natyuyte of the gloryous vyrgyne to be halowed generally of alle Crysten men but the Vtas somtyme was not halowed ne kepte But Innocent the fourthe of the nacion of geue ordeyned and Instytued the sayd Vtas to be obserued And the cause was this After the deth of pope gregorye anone the Cytezeyns of Rome enclosed all the cardynallys in the conclaue by cause they shold purueye liÈtely for the chirche but they myght not acorde in many dayes but suffred of the Romayns moche sorowe Thenne auowed they to the quene of heuen that yf they myght goo quyte fro thennes they shold establysshe to halowe the octaues of the Natyuyte whiche they had long neclygently lefte And they thenne by one acord chees Celestyn and were delyuerd and accomplysshed thenne theyr auowe by Innocent For Celestyn lyued but a lytel tyme And therfor it myght not be accomplysshed by hym And hit is to wyte that the chirche haloweth thre Natyuytees the Natyuyte of our lord the Natyuyte of the blessyd Vyrgyne Marye and the natyuyte of saynt Iohan Baptist And these thre signefye thre natyuytees spyrytuel For we be borne ageyne with saynt Iohan Baptyst in the water of baptym and with Marye in penaunce and with our lord Ihesu Cryste in glorye And hit behoueth that the natyuyte of bapteme goote fore contrycion and that of ioye also For the two by reason haue vygylles but by cause that penaunâ—e is aâ—ouÌ„ted for Vygyle therfor that of our ledy behoueth no vygyle but they haue alle vtas For alle haste them vnto the viij resurection Ther was a knyghte moche noble and deuoute vnto our lady whiche wente to a tornoyeng And he fonde a monasterye in his waye whiche was of the vyrgyne Marye entryd in to it for to here masse and there were masses one after another And for thonour of our lady he wâ—lâ— leue none but that he herd them alle And whanne he yssued oute of the monastery he hasted hym appertely And they thaâ— retorned fro the tornaye mette hym And sayd to hym that he had ryden ryght nobly And they that hated hym affermed the same And all they to gydre cryed that he had ryght nobly tournoyed And somme wente to hym and sayd that he had taken them Thenne he that was wyse auysed hym that the curtois vyrgyne and quene hadde so curtoysly honoured hym and recounted al that was happende And thenne retorned he to the monasterye and euer after abode in the seruyâ—e of our lord the sone of the blessyd vyrgyne Theâ— was a Bisshop which had the blessid Vyrgyn Marye in souerayn honour and deuocion And there he sawe the vyrgyne of al virgyns which cam to mete hym and beganne to lede hym by souerayne honour to the chirch that he wente to and two maydens of the companâ— wente to fore syngyng And sayeng these verses Cantemus socie domino cantemus honorem Dulcis amor cristi personet ore pio That is to saye Synge we felawes to our lord synge we honour Synge we with a vois debonayre that swete loue whiche ought to plese hym and that other companye of vyrgynes songe and rehersed ageyne the same Thenne the twoo fyrst syngers began to synge this that foloweth Primus ad yma ruit magna de luce superbus Sic homo cum timuit primus ad yma ruit that is to saye the fyrst pryde fill lowe fro grete lyght So the first maÌ„ for his etyng of thapple fylle lowe also And so brought they to the chirche with procession the said Bisshop And the two to fore beganne all way and the other folowed Ther was a wydowe whos husbond was deed and had a sone whome she bouyd tendyrly And that sone was taken with enemyes and put in pryson fast bounden And whan she herde therof she wepte withoute comforte and prayd vnto oure blessyd lady with ryght deuoute prayers that she wolde delyuer her sone and at the laste she sawe that her prayers auayled her not and entryd thenne in to the chirch where as thymage of oure lady was coruen and stode to fore thymage and aresoned hit in this maner sayeng O blessyd virgyn I haue prayd ofte the for my sone that thow sholdest delyuer hym And thou hast not helped me his wretchyd moder And I pray also thy sone to helpe me and yet I fele no fruyte And therfor lyke as my sone is taken fro me so shalle I take awey thyn and sette hym in pryson in hostage for myn and in this sayenge she approched ner and tooke awey fro thymage the childe that she helde in her lappe And wrapped hit in clene clothes and shett it in her chyste and locked it fast rizt dylygently and was ryght Ioyeful that she had so good hostage for her sone and kepte it moche dylygently And the nyght folowyng the blessyd vyrgyne marye cam to the sone of the same wydowe and opened to hym the dore of the pryson and commaunded hym to goo thens and sayd to hym
Gerasyne quene of Scycyle whiche hadde made of her husbond that was a cruel tyraunt a meke lambe And was suster of Moryce the Bisshop and of Darye moder of saynt Vrsula To whome the fader of saynt vrsula had sygnefyed by secrete lettres She by thynspyracion of god put her self in the weye with her foure doughters Babylla Iuliana Victorea and aurea and her lytel sone Adryan whiche for loue of his susters wente in the same pylgremage And lefte alle in the hande of his owne sone and cam in to Brytayne And saylled ouer see in to Englond And by the counceyl of thys quene the virgyns wâ—re gadred to gydre fro dyuerse Royammes And she was ledar of them And at the last she suffryd martirdome with them And thenne the condycion made all thynges were made redy Thenne the quene shewed her counceylle to the knyghtes of her companye And made them alle to swere this newe chyualrye And thenne beganne they to make dyuerse playes and games of bataylle as to renne here and there and fayned many maner of playes And for alle that they lefte not their purpoos And somtyme they retourned fro this playe at mydday and somtyme vnnethe at euen songe tyme And the barons and grete lordes assembled them to see the fayre games and disportes And alle had ioye and playsyre in beholdyng them and also meruaylle And at the lasie whan Vrsula hadde conuertid all these Virgyns vnto the faith of Cryst they wente alle to the see And in the space of a daye· they sailled ouer the see hauynge soo good wynde that they arryued at a porte of gaule named Tyelle and fro thens cam to Coboyn where an Angel of our lord appyeryd to vrsula and tolde her that they shold retorne ageyne the hole nombre to that place and there receyue the crowne of martirdom fro thens by the monycyon of the angel they went toward Rome And whanne they cam to Basyle they lefte there theire shippes and wente to Rome a fote At the comynge of whome the pope Ciriacus was moche glad by cause he was borne in Brytayne And hadde many Cosyns amonge them And he with his clerkis receyued them with alle honour And that same nyght it was shewed to the pope that he shold receyue with them the Crowne of martirdome whiche thyng he hydde in hym self and baptifid many of them that were not thenne baptised And when he sawe tyme couenable when he had gouerned the chirch one yere and enleuen wekes and was the xix 〈◊〉 after Peter he purposed to fore alle the peple and shewed to them his purpoos and resigned his offyce and his dygnyte but alle men gaynsayd it and specially the cardynallys whiche supposed that he trespaced leuynge the glorye of the papacye And wold goo after this folysshe vyrgyns but he wold not agree tabyde but ordeyned an holy man to occupye in his place whiche was named Ametus And by cause he left the syege apostolyque ayenst the wylle of the clergye the clerkes put oute his name of the Cathologue of popes and alle the grace that he had goten in his tyme This holy companye of wymmen made hym for to leue hit And thenne two felon prynces of the Chyualrye of Rome Maxymyen and Affrycan sawe these grete companye of vyrgyns and that many men and wymmen assemblyd to them doubted that Crysten relygyon shold moche be encreaced by them wherfor they requyred dylygently of their vyage And thenne sente they messagers to Iulyan theire Cosyn prynce of the lygnage of the Hunes that he shold brynge his hoost ageynst them And shold assemble at Coleyne And there byhede them by cause they were Crysten And the blessyd Cyryake yssued oute of the Cyte of rome with this blessyd company of vyrgyns And Vyncent preest Cardynal and Iaques that was come fro Brytayne in to Antyoche and had holde there seuen yere the dignyte of the Bisshop whiche thenne hadde vysyted the pope and was gone oute of his Cyte And held company with these virgyns whan he herd of their comyng and suffrid martirdome with them And mauryce Bisshop of Leuytane the Cyte vncle of babylle and Iulyan And Folarius Bisshop of lucence with supplyce bisshop of Rauenne whiche thenne were come to Rome put them in the companye of these virgyns Ethereus the husbond of Vrsula abydyng in britayne was warned of our lord by a vysyon of an Angel that he shold exhorte his moder to be Crysten For his fader deyde the fyrste yere that he was Crystned And Ethereus his sene succeded after hym in his regne And thenne whan these holy vyrgyns retorned fro Rome with the bisshops Ethereus was warned of oure lord that he shold anone aryse and goo to mete his wyf at Coleyne and there receyue with her the Crowne of martirdome the whiche anone obeyed to admonestements dyuyne And dyd do baptyse his moder and cam with her and his lytel suster Florence thenne also baptysed and with the bisshop Clement metynge the holy virgyns and accompanyed them vnto martirdome Marculus bisshop of grece and his nece Constaunce doughter of Dorothe kynge of Constantynople which was maryed to the sone of a kynge but he deyde to fore the weddyng And she auowed to our lord her vyrgynyte they were also warned by a vysyon cam to Rome and ioyned them to these vyrgyns vnto the martirdome And thenne alle these vyrgyns cam with the bisshops to Coleyne And fonde that it was besyeged with the Hunes And whan the Hunes sawe them they beganne to renne vpon them with a grete crye and araged lyke wolues on shepe and slewe alle this grete multitude And whanne they were al byheded they cam to the blessyd Vrsule the prynce of them seyng her beaute soo merueylous was abasshed and began to comforte her vpon the dethe of the vyrgyns and promysed to her to take her to his wyf And whan she hadde refused hym and despysed hym at all he shote at her an arow and perced her thorugh the body And so accomplysshed her martirdome And one of the vyrgyns whiche was named Cordula was sore aferd and hydde her self alle that nyght in a ship but on the morn she suffrid deth by her free wylle and toke the crowne of martirdome And by cause her feest was not holde with the other vyrgynes she appierid longe after to a recluse and commaunded hym that the next daye folowynge the feste of the virgyns her feest shold shold be remembryd They suffrid dethe the yere of our lord CCxxxviij But somme holde oppynyon that the the reason of the tyme sheweth that they suffred not dethe in that tyme For Cecylle ne Constantynople were thenne no Royammes but it is supposed that they suffryd deth longe tyme after whanne Constaunt was Emperour And that the hunes and gothes enforced them ageynste Crysten men in the tyme of themperour Marcyen that regned in the yere of oure lord four Clix Hit is
masse and slepte vpon the aulter bytwene the lesson of the prophecye and the epystle And none durst wake hym And the subdeken durst not rede the pystle with oute his leue And whanne he hadde slepte the space of thre houres they awoke hym and sayde Syre the houre is passyd And the peple ben wery for tabyde wherfor commaunde that the Clerke rede the pystle And he sayd to them be not angry Martyn my broder is passid vnto god I haue done the offyce of his departyng buryeng I coude no sonner accomplysshe ne make an ende of the laste oryson by cause ye hasted me so sore Thenne they marked the daye and the houre and they fonde that saynt Martyn was thenne passyd oute of this world and gone to heuen ¶ Mayster Iohan Beleth sayth that kyngis of Fraunce were woned to bere his cope in bataylle And by cause they kepte this cope they were called chappellayns And after his deth the yere thre score and foure whan saynt perpetue hadde enlarged his chirche And wold transporte the body of saynt Martyn therin they were in fastynges vygylles ones twyes thryes And they myght not moeue the sepulcre And as they wold haue lyfte hit a ryght fair old man appiered to them and sayde wherfore tarye ye See ye not that saynt Martyn is alle redy to helpe yow yf ye sette to youre handes with hym And thenne anone they lifte vp the sepulcre and brought hit to the place where as he is now worshipped And thenne anone this old maÌ„ vanysshed aweye This translacion was made in the monethe of Iuyllet And hit is said that there were thenne two felawes one lame and that other was blynde The lame taught the blynde man the weye And the blynd bare the lame man And thus gate they moche money by truaundyse and they herd saye that many seke men were heled whan the body of saynt Martyn was borne oute of the Chirche on procession And they were aferd leste the body shold be brought to fore their hows and that peraduenture they myght be heled whiche in no wyse they wold not be For yf they were heled they shold not gete so moche money by truaundyse as they dyde And therfor they fledde fro that place and went to another chirche where as they supposed that the body shold not come And as they fled they encountred mette the holy body sodenly vnpourueyed by cause god gyueth many bienfaittes to men not desyred and that wold not haue them they were bothe heled ayenst their wylle and were ryght sory therfore And saynt Ambrose sayth thus of saynt Martyn He destroyed the Temples of the cursyd errour he reysed the baners of pyte he reysed deede men he cast deuylles oute of bodyes in whiche they were And alledged by remedye of helthe them that trauaylled in dyuerse maladyes and sekenesses And he was founded so parfyghte that he cladde Ihesu Cryst in stede of a poure man And the vesture that the poure man hadde taken the lord of alle the world cladde hym with alle That was a good largesse that dyuynyte couerd O glorious vesture inâ—stymable yeft that clothed couerd both the knyÈt and the kynge This was a yefte that no man maye preyse of whiche he deseruyd to clothe the deyte lord thow gauest to hym worthely the reward of thy confession thou puttest vnder hym worthely the cruelte of tharryens And he worthely for the loue of martirdome neuer dredde the tormentes of the persecutours what shalle he receyue for the oblacion of his body that for the quantite of a lytell vesture whiche was but half a mantelle deseruyd to clothe and couere god and also to see hym And gaf so grete medicyne to them that trusted in god that some he helyd by his prayers and other by his commaundements Thenne late vs praye to saynt Martyn et cetera Thus endeth the lyf of saint Martyn Here foloweth the lyf of saint Bryce And first of his name BRyce is said of Breos that is to saye in Greke as mesure and of scio scis that is to knowe And thus thexposicion of this name Brictius or Bryce is as moche to say as knowynge mesure For atte begynnynge of his enfancye whan he was yonge he was full of many sottyes and folyes but he coude well after the mesure of hym self demaunde and counceylle and gouerne wel other and to excuse hym self by mesure ¶ Of saint Bryce BRyce was Archedeken of saynt Martyn and was moche greuous to hym and sayde of hym many thynges vnresonable And on a tyme a poure man cam to Bryce and demaunded of hym where the Bisshop was And how he shold knowe hym And he bad hym goo in to the Chirche hym that â—how shalt there see lokyng vpward to heuen as a madde man or one fro hym self that same is Martyn And the poure man wente and fonde saynt martyn And whanne he hadde receyued that he asked saynt Martyn called saynt Bryce and sayd to hym Bryce semeth it to the that I am a fole or frantyke And he forsoke hit and denyed it for shame And sayd he had not sayd so And saynt Martyn sayd I haue herd it For myn eres were at thy mouthe whanne thou saydest hit to the poure man openly I telle and saye to the forsothe that I haue obteyned haue graunte of god that thow shalte suâ—cede me in this Bisshopryche But knowe thou for certain that thou shalt suffre therynne many aduersytees And whanne Bryce herd hym say so he scorned hym sayenge Sayd I not trewe whanne I sayd he was a fole And after the dethe of saynt Martyn Bryce was elect and made Bisshop of Tours which fro thenne forthon he entended alle to prayer how be it that he had ben prowde yet he was alwaye chaste And in the thyrttyest yere of his bisshopryche a woman which was relygyously clad whiche was his lauender and had wasshen his clothes had conceyued and born a child whiche all the peple saide that the bisshop had goten they assembled at his yates with stones and sayden we haue long suffrid thy lecherye for the loue of saint Martyn and for his pyte But now we wylle no more kysse thy handes whiche ben acursed but he denyed the fait and dede manly And sayd brynge to me the Child And whanne he was broughte he was but thyrtty dayes old And saynt Bryce sayd to hym I coniure the by the sone of god that thow saye to me to fore alle thys peple yf I haue engendryd the And the child sayd thou art not my fader And the peuple yet not contente badde hym to demaunde the Child who was his fader And he saide that apperteyneth not to me to do I haue done that apperteyneth to me for myn excuse And the peple sayde that this was done by the arte of enchauntement and sayde playnly he shold not seignorye ouer vs thus falsely vnder the shadowe
wise that for al the force and power that they couthe 〈◊〉 they myght not bere her ouer a lytelle broke And the men that were in the feldes and ryuer cam for to helpe them but they myghte nuer remeue her fro the erthe And thenne one of them said in mockyng It is no wonder though she be heuy For she hath eten moche lede Thenne the lord mouualt her vncle lyft vp his arme for to bete her cruelly but an ache and payne took hym sodenly and tormentid hym a long tyme ryght cruelly After that this sayd Agnes hadde suffred this long wrastlyng of her kynnesmen and Frendes cam saynt Clare and prayd them for goddes sake they shold leue this bataylle with her suster and go their waye take hede of them self And she receyued the cure and charge of Agnes her suster whiche laye theron the ground in grete dysease And fynally her kynnesmen departed in grete anguysshe an and sorowe of herte ¶ And thenne anone after she aroos vp moche gladly And had moche grete ioye of that fyrst bataylle that she had suffred for the loue of Ihesu Cryst And fro this tyme forward she ordeyned her self to serue god perdurably And saynt Fraunceis cutte of her heres with his owne handes and enduced and taught her to serue god and so dyd saynt Clare her suster And by cause we may not shortely acompte with fewe wordes the grete perfection of the lyf of Agnes therfore we shalle entende vnto the lyf of saynte Clare the vyrgyne Was hit not grete meruaylle of the orysons and prayers of saynt Clare whiche were so strong and so moche auaylleth ageynst the malyce of the peple whan they fledde and were puissaunt to brenne the deuyls It happed on a tyme that a moche deuoute woman of the bisshopryche of Pyse cam to one of the ladyes for to yelde thankynges to god and saynt Clare whiche had delyuerd her fro thandes of v deuyls For they fledde and waylled that the orysons of saynt Clare brente them alle And therfore they myghte no lenger dwelle in that place The pope gregory had moche grete fayth grete deuocion in the prayers of that hooly vyrgyne And not withoute cause For he had preued and felte certayne vertue therof whiche had holpen many and dyuerce that had necessyte and nede And whanne he was Bisshop of hostence and after whanne he was pope he sente his lettres to her by whiche he requyred her to pray for hym And anone he felte hym eased and alleged by her prayers Thenne certaynly yf he whiche was vycayre of Ihesu Cryst by his humylyte as we may see had so grete deuocion to saynt Clare of whome he requyred her ayde and recommaunded hym to the vertue of her orysons well ought we thenne tensiewe with all our power the deuocion of suche a man For he knewe wel how moche loue is myghty and how the pure vyrgyns haue delyuerd entree in to the dore of the herte of oure lord And yf oure swete lord gyue hym self to them that loue hym fermely who maye he denye them for whome they requyre hym deuoutely Alwey sene that they requyre hym that is nede and behoeffull The holy werk sheweth well the grete faythe and the grete deuocion that she had in the hooly sacrament of the aulter For in that grete maladye whiche had so vexed her that she lay in her bedde she aroos and did her to be borne from one place to another did spynne a fyn smale clothe of whiche she made mo than fyfty corporas sente them in fayr towellis of sylke in to dyuerce chirches in dyuerse places of Assyse Whan she shold receyue the body of oure lord it was meruaylle to see the teres that she Wepte of whiche she was all wete And she had soo grete fere whan she approchyd nyghe vnto her saueour that she ne doubted hym no lasse whiche is in semblaunce very god in the forme of breed the sacramēt than hym that gouerneth heuen and erthe whiche is al one Thus as she hadde alwey souuenaunce and mynde of Ihesu Cryst in her maladye so god comforted her and vysited her in her Infyrmyte and languore In the houre of the natyuyte of Ihesu crist at cristemas whan the angels the world made feest songen enioyed of litil Ihesus that was born al the poure ladyes wēt to matyns in to their monastery left allone their poure moder sore greued in her maladye Thenne she began to thynke on litil Ihesus was sorouful that she myght not be at the seruyse preyse our lord And sayd in syghynge Fayr lord god I wake here allone And anone she beganne to here the Freres that songen and saynt Fraunceis and herd well the Iubylacion the psalmodye and the grete melodye of the songe how be it her bed was not so nygh that the voys of a man ne of a woman myght not be herde ne vnderstonde yf god dyd hit not by his curtosye or yf god had not gyuen to her aboue al nature of man force and power to here hit but this passyd all For she was worthy to see in her oratorye the ioye of oure lord On the mornynge whanne the ladyes her doghters cam to her she sayd to them Blessyd be oure lord Ihesu Cryste For whanne ye lefte me he lefte me not truly And I saye to yow that I haue herd this nyghte alle the seruyse and solempnyte that hath be done in the chirche by saynt Fraunceis thorugh the grace of Ihesu crist Atte paynes of her deth oure lord comforted her alwey For she drewe oute of the hooly woundes of Ihesu criste a bytternesse of whiche her herte her wil And her thought were full of anguysshes merueyllously bytter And often as she hadde be dronken of the sorowe and teeres that she wepte for the loue of Ihesu Cryste For oftymes the loue of god whiche she hadde emprynted in her herte within forthe she made to appere by signes outeward She enfourmed and taughte the nouyces and admonested them that they haue in theyr mynde the sorowe and payne of the dethe of Ihesu crist And that she said with her mouthe she dyd it in her herte and gaf ensample Whanne she was secretely all one to fore she myght saye ony thynge she was al bedewed with teres She was most deuoute and had more feruour of deuocion bytwene vndern and none than ony other tyme by cause she wold that in the houre that Ihesu crist was crucyfyed in the aulter of the crosse that her herte shold be sacrefyed to god our lord On a tyme hit happed at the houre of none that she prayd to god in her celle And the deuylle gaf to her suche a stroke vnder the ere that her eyen and her vysage were al couerd with blood She hadde lerned an oryson of the fyue woundes of Ihesu cryst whiche she ofte recorded and remembred by cause her herte and thought were nourysshed therin and myght
shold go to the hows of the ladyes withoute his leue And whanne the holy moder saynt clare knewe that she had moche sorowe in her herte by cause she sawe wel that she myght not haue that whiche was nedefull whiche was the noreture of holy scrypture And sayd to her susters with a soroufull herte Now forthon wel may the pope gregorye take fro vs alle the freres whanne he hath taken fro vs them that nourysshed oure sowles with the word of god And anone she sente ageyne all the Freres of her howâ— to the maystre or mynystre For she sayd she hadde nothyng to do to haue freres to gete them bodyly brede whanne they failled them that nourysshed her and her susters with the word of god Anone as the pope gregory herd this tydynge he repeled that whiche he had deffended and set all at the wylle of god This hooly good Abbesse loued not only the sowles of her good doughters but thought well in her herte oftymes how she myght serue their bodyes most charytably For whanne it was ryght colde she couerd by nyghte them that were feble And vysyted them moche swetely And yf she sawe ony trouble by ony temptacion or ony anger whiche happeth somtyme she wold calle them secretely And comforted them all wepyng And other whyle she wold falle doune to the feet of her doughters that were mate and heuy And knelyd to fore them so that the swetenes and debonairte that the ladyes sawe in her good moder that she alleged and toke awey theyr sorow wherof the ladyes her doughters couthe her moche thanke And thus lerned they to doo wel by deuocion and to loue their good moder more swetely and folowed by the ryÈt weye the werkes of their good Abbesse And they meruaylled moche of the grete habondaunce of holynes that god hadde gyuen to his spouse Whanne she hadde ben fourty yere in the state of ryght holy pouerte hit pleased to oure lord to calle her to be rewarded in heuen and sente to her a grete maladye and multyplyed her languoure and sekenes She hadde somtyme done so sharp penaunce that her body ne her flesshe hadde no strengthe And at the last she was ouer seke and moche more than she was wonte to be For as our lord had gyuen to her in her helthe rychesse of merytes of good vertues and of good werkes Ryght so wold god enriche her in her sekenes to th ende that she shold suffre for hym ryghte grete payne and tormentes For in suffrynge of sekenes is vertue parfyghte how and in what wyse she was vertuous in her maladye and parfyght ye maye here For how be it that she hadde ben eyght and twenty yere in langueur and maladye yet neuer she grutched ne murmured ne playned but allewey sayd holy wordes and rendryd thankynges to our lord how be it that she was merueylously agreued and seke so that it semed that she hasted moche to drawe to her ende Hit pleasyd neuertheles to our lord that he respyted her fro the dethe vnto the tyme that her ende myght be honoured and enhaunced her by the presence of the pope and of the cardynals to whome she was especial doughter for when the pope and the cardynals hadde abyden a grete whyle at lyons Seynt clare was theÌ„ne merueyllously 〈◊〉 by sekenes soo that her doughters hadde grete sorowe at their hertes that them semed that a glayue had perâ—â—d them or that they haue be ryuen with a swerd But our lord shewed anon a vysyon to one his haÌ„dmayde which dwellyd at saynt powles For hit semed to her that she and her susters were at saynt Damyans to fore saynt clare whiche was ryght seke And her semed that this Clare laye in a moche fayr bedde and moche precious And her semed that her doughters wepte whanne the soule shold passe oute of the body And anone she sawe a ryght fayr lady at the hede of the bedde and sayd to them that wepte Faire doughters wepe no more for this lady shall ouercome all And knowe ye that she shalle not deye tyll that oure lord and his disciples shalle come And she shal not abyde longe after that the pope and the Courte of Rome shalle come to perouse And anone as the Bisshop of Hostence herd saye that this holy woman was seke anone in grete haste he wente to see and vysyte the spouse of Ihesu Cryst For he was her ghostely fader and had the cure of her soule And nourysshed her with pure herte and pure wylle For he hadde alweye deuoutely loued the holy vyrgyne And thenne he gaf to her in her maladye the body of our lord For that is the very fedyng of the sowle And he comforted the other doughters by his sermons and holy wordes Thenne the holy good moder wepynge praid hym moche swetely that he wold take heede of her doughters ther beynge and of all the other And that for the loue of our lord he wold remembre her And aboue alle other thynges she prayd hym that he wolde do so moche that her pryuelege of pouerte myghte be confermed of the pope and of the cardynals And he that loued veryly her and the relygyon and that hadde alwey truly ayded her promysed that he shold doo and dyde hit In the yere after cam the pope and the cardynals to Assyse for to see the departyng of the holy vyrgyne and to putte to effect the vysyon that hâ—dde be sene and signefyed of her For the pope is the hyhest man in erthe vnder god and that best representeth the persone of Ihesu Cryst For lyke as our lord hadde his disciples which were ioyned to hym in erthe In lyke wyse the pope hath his cardynals the whiche ben ioyned to hym in the hooly chirche Our lord god hasted hym as he that knewe the ferme purpos of his spouse saynte Clare And hasted for to honoure her and to sette in the palais of the kynge of paradys his poure pilgryme and the good lady also coueyted and wysshed with alle her herte that she myghte be delyuerd of her mortal body And that she myght see in heuen Ihesu cryst as she that hadde ensiewed hym in therthe with al her hert in very pouerte Her membres were brused and troubled by grete sekenes that the body myght not endure For it was ouer moche enfebled soo that our lord called her fro this world and ordeyned for her helthe perdurable Thenne pope Innocent the fourthe the cardynallis cam with hym for to vysyte thandmayde of god of whom he hadde better proued the holy lyf than of ony woman that was in his tyme And therfor he knewe certaynly that it was reason that he shold come and honoure her with his presence And whanne he cam in to the hows of the ladyes he went thyder where as this holy saynte laye And took to her his hond for to kysse And the pope whiche was curtois stode vpon a tree and tooke to her
of Rome and to the empyre how be it they had receyued the feyth And thenne pepyn the grettest prynce of the hows of fraunce was deed and charles hys sone succeded hym whyche was also named Eutydes and he dyd many bataylles and had many vyctoryes and lefte two sones prynces of the ryall halle charles and Pepyn but charles leuyng the pompe of the worlde was maad a monke of cassynence and Pepyn gouernyd moche nobly and worshypfully the hows of Fraunce And for as moche as Chylderyk the kyng was not prouffytable Pepyn came vnto the Pope and axyd counceyl whether he shold be kynge that had but onelye the name of the kyng or he that gouernyd the Royame And thenne the Pope answerde that he ought to haue the name of the kyng that gouernyd wel the royaulme And the frensshe men were enhardyed wyth thys answer and made Pepyn kyng and closed chylderyk in a monasterye aboute the yere vijC l And thenne whan astulphus kynge of the Lombardes had despoyled the chyrche of Rome of hyr possessyons and seygnorye Stephen the Pope whyche came after Zacharye requyred ayde and helpe of Pepyn the kyng of Fraunce ageynste the Lombardes and came hym self in to fraunce and thenne pepyn assemblyd a moche grete hoost and came in to ytalye and besyeged the kynge astulphus vaynquysshed hym and took of hym fourty hostages that he shold restore ageyn to the chyrche of rome alle that he had taken aweye that he shold nomore tormente it But whan Pepyn was departed he dyd noo thynge of that he had promysed and sone after as he wente on hontyng he deyed sodeynlye and desydere succeded hym aboute the yere of our lord v hondred xliiij dagoberte kynge of fraunce as it is conteyned in a cronycle whiche had regned longe tyme tofore Pepyn began fro his chyldehode to haue saynt denys in grete reuerence for whan he feryd the angre of his fader lothare he fledde anone to the chirche of the blessyd saint denys and after whan he was maad kyng he loued honoured hym strongelye and after whan he was dede It was shewed to an holy man in a vysyon that his soule was brought to the Iugemente many sayntes opposed ayenst hym that he had robbyd her chyrches as the wicked spirites wolde haue rauysshed lad hym to payn the blessyd denys cam delyuerd hym or ê‘auenture the sowle of hym was restored to the body dyd penauÌ„ce the kyng clodoneus of frauÌ„ce vncouerd saint denis more dyshonestly than he oughte to doo and brake the boonys of hys arme and bare hem aweye couetouslye and anone he wexe madde In that tyme was beda the honourable clerke in englonde and how be it that he is acounted in the cathologue of sayntes yet he is not called of holy chyrche saynt bede but worshypful bede and thys for double cause The fyrste is for his olde age he was blynde and he had one that ledde hym by townes and castellys where as he prechyd the worde of our lord in euery place and on a tyme he ledde hym by a valeye ful of grete stones and his leder mockyng hym sayd that there were assemblyd moche peple that were stylle for to here his predycacion And thenne beganne he to preche moche ardantlye and at the last ende he concluded with per omnia secula seculorum and anone the stones answerde wyth an hye voys amen our honourable fader by cause that the stones callyd hym honourable so the chyrche may say wel that he is honourable The second cause is that after his dethe a moche deuoute clerke desyred to make a vers to sette on hys tombe and began in thys wyse Hac sunt in fossa and was ended wyth bede sancti ossa but it was no trewe vers and whan he coude not brynge it to a trewe metre he was ful of thouÈt alle a nyght on the morne he fonde grauen on his tombe by the handes of aungellys the vers ful maad in thys manere Hac sunt in fossa bede venerabilis ossa whos body is worshypped by grete deuocyon in gene In the tyme of aboute the yere of our lord seuen hondred bachortus kyng of fryse shold haue ben baptysed had thenne one foot in the fontstone and that other without and demaunded whether the more parte of his predecessours were in helle or in heuen and whan he herde that moo of them were in helle than in heuen he said it is more holy to folowe the more parte than the lesse withdrewe his foot that was in the fonte and so was he deceyued of the deuyl whiche promysed vnto hym goodes without nombre and the fourth day after he deyed sodeynlye and perysshed perdurably In the champayn of ytalye whete barley and corne fyll doun fro heuen lyke rayne It is redde that in the same tyme the yere of our lord seuen hondred and fourty whan the body of saynt benet was broughte to the monasterye of floriacence and the body of saynt scolastyca his suster was broughte to ceromane Charles the grete wold haue borne the body to the castel of camense but by myracles that were shewyd it was forboden In that tyme was a grete tremblyng of the erthe by whyche cytees were torned and sonken and other wyth montayns and hylles were borne and transported hole and sauf seuen myle thens The body of saynt pernelle doughter of saynt Peter the appostle was transported fro thens where it was and was founde wryton in marble by the honde of Saynt Peter thys is the tombe of the golden petronelle my doughter and as sygeberte sayth they of thyre tourmentyd them of armenye and whan the pestylence had been somtyme in theyr londe they of the contreye by the admonestemente of crysten men shaued theyr hedes in manere of a crosse and by cause that by that sygne they receyued theyr helthe they reteyned that maner of shauyng At the laste Pepyn after many vyctoryes was deed and charles the grete his sone succeded hym in his reygne and in his tyme adryan the pope satte in his see at Rome sente messagers to charles the grete and requyred hym of helpe ageynst desyderye kynge of the lombardes whiche tormented strongely the chyrche lyke as astulphe his fader dyd and charles obeyed to the pope and assemblyd a grete hoost and entryd by the montayns in to ytalye assyegyd puyssauntlye the ryal cytee of pauye and took desyderye and hys wyf and his prynces and sente hem in exyle in to fraunce and restablisshed to the chyrche alle the droytes and ryghtes that had be taken from them In that tyme were in the hooste of charlemayne Amys and Amelyon whyche were two ryght noble knyghtes of our lord Ihesu Cryste Of whome ben redde meruayllous actes whiche fyl and deyed at mortarye where as charles ouercame the lombardes and there thenne faylled the regne of the lombardes For after that tyme they had
of them al was made archebysshop al the entencion of saint laudry whiles that he lyued in this world was tacomplisshe myseriâ—orde and he hym self departed or dalte the almoses to the poure at al tymes we haue seen knowen that a man which men called Raoulgracaâ—d was smyton sodaynlye had the heed moche grete swollen was so rede in the face of hym that al folke that sawe hym demed helde hym for a leper which man with grete haste cam to the presence of saint laudri there he confessyd hyn moche deuoutlye receyung benygnelye his penaunce after he came to the sudayr of the saynt with grete deuocion kyssed it whan he had done his offryng and vowe with moche grete feyth hope he retourned vnnethe he was comen to his hows whan he became as hole as euer be was be therfore the name of god preysed who for his good frende saynt laudry he helyd so promptelye the forsaid pacient Vpon a nother tyme a squyer ful of paâ—sye so moche that he coude not helpe hym self wyth foot ne with handes his frendes seyng hym so oppressyd of this seeknesse made a bargeyn with a physicyen for to helpe hym It happed so that on a day as this poure saw hym self soo oppressyd wyth the said sekenesse noo remedye myÈt be founde to it he beganne for to wepe and to reclame saynt laudry sayng o blessyd saynt laudry vouchesaufe to beholde on my myserye and thenne he prayed to his frendes that they wolde bere hym vnto the sepulcre of Saynt laudry whiche dyd as he prayed them Thenne the bysshop of Parys named mauryce that was there seeyng the deuocyon of the sayd seek man prayed to saynt laudry that helthe he wold Impetre vnto god for hym by his gloryous merytes and wyth one of the teeth of the saynt touched the places on hys body that moste greuyd hym makyng the sygne of the crosse and anone he became al hoole Item it is redde of a knyght named gyberte that had a thorne wythin hys knee wherto he founde no remedye by no manere of medecyne and was as dysperate not onelye for the doloure and payne that he suffred but also for fawte of hope to be heelyd The which knyght made hym to be borne in to the chyrche of saynt laudry and with his sudarye dyd to be made ouer hym the sygne of the crosse and anone after the thorne yssued oute fro hys knee Was al hoole helyd by the merytes of the saynt whome we beseche to praye god for vs AMEN Thus endeth the lyf of Saint Laudry Here foloweth the lyf of saynt mellonyn IN the tyme of the emperour valeryen saynt Mellonyn whiche was borne in the grete bretayn cam to rome to paye the trybute of his londe for to serue the emperour whan he came thyder so as of custome was he wente in to the temple of mars for to sacrefye wyth his felowes he than herde the pope stephen with a fewe cristen folke to whome he preched the feythe of crâ—st theuangylle he tended openyd his cerys to vnder stonde his wordes anone he byleued on god requyred to be baptysed this mellonyn thenne was baptysed by the pope stephen also taughte in the catholyke feyth anone he solde aweye al suche good as he had gafe al to the poure for the loue of god The pope promoted hym in to al the degrees of the ordre of preesthode in so moche that he hym self made saynt melonyn preest so as in prayers in watchyng and in fastynges he perseueryd on a tyme as he said his masse bothe the pope he to gyder saw at the right syce of th aulter an aungel that toke to hym a staffe pastoral sayeng in this maner melonyn take this staffe vnder the whyche thou shalt rewle gouerne the citee of Roen For al the peple ther is of god al redy to thy seruyce commaundemente notwithstondyng that hyt is ferre from hens that the waye is to the right greuable by cause that thou knowest not the contreye neuerthelesse thou oughtese not to doubte no thynge for Ihesu crist shal euer kepe the vnder the shadowe of his wynges thenne after these wordes he took receyued the popes blessyng went on his waye whan the euen came helde the said staffe in his honde he mette wyth a man that was hurte in his fote which was slyt a sonder this holy man made his prayer anone he helyd hym Fro thens he came to roen where he accomplisshed wel holyly his offyce and made there many vertues myracles the which glorious saynt restyd in pees the xj day of the kalendes of the moueth of nouembre to the honour of god that lyueth regneth in finiâ—a secula Amen Thus endeth the lyf of Saint Mellonyn Here foloweth of Saynt yues SAint yues was borne in litel britayn in the dyocyse of Triguyer engendryd or begoten of parentes noble and catholyke and was reuelyd to his moder in hyr slepe that he shold be sayntefyed In his fyrst eage he was of ryghte good condycyons and right humbly deuoutelye frequented the chyrches Heeryng ententyfly the masses and the sermons Moche of hys tyme he employed to studye bysyly the holy letters and redde moche curyously the lyf of the sayntes peyned hym selfe moche withal his power for tensyewe them the whiche by processe of tyme was aourned of ryght grete wysedom and renommed ful of grete scyence bothe in ryght cyuyl and in Cannon and also in theologye wel letterd as it apperyd sythe as wel in contempâ—ions Iugemente as gyuyng counceyll to the sowles vpon the fayte of theyr conscyence For after that he had ocupyed and excerced moche holyly and deuoutelye the fayte of aduocacye in the bysshoppes courte of Tryguyer euer pletyng wythoute takyng ony salarye the causes of the myserable poure persones exposyng hym self to it with his good gree not requyred by them for to deffende theyr questyons and dyfferences he was chosen in to the offyce of the offycial fyrste in the courte of the archedeaken of Resnes and afterward in the sayd courte of the bysshop of Tryguyer whiche lawfully Iustlye and dylygentlye accomplysshed alle suche thynges that been parteynyng to the sayd offyce He socoured them that were oppressyd and that had wronge to euerichone rendryd his owne by right wythoute ony accepcion or takyng of money nor none other god The whyche thenne called to the gouernemente and gydyng of soules bare euer with hym the byble his breuyary or portoes and soo he made ordeyned in the ordre of preesthode celebred as euery day and herde moche humbly deuoutelye dyligently the confessyons of his parysshens he vysyted the seek folke without dyfference recomforted them right wysely taught to them the waye of their saiuacion deuoutelye admynystred vnto them the precyous blessyd body of our
and consolacion for after that creature hath doon penaunce by vertu of humylite in wepynges and lamentacions he must lede after ioye and veray consolacion For our lord sayth thus beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur that is to say blessyd been thoo that wepyn by contrycyon For they shal haue veray consolacion And it is to Wete that his worde alleluya is expowned in four maners after foure doctours the fyrst is saynt austyn whiche exposeth it thus alleluya Id est saluum me fac domine that is to say syr saue thou me Saynt Iherome exposeth hit thus alle id est cantate lu id est laudem ya id est deum vel dominum that is to say synge you laudyng to our lord Ihesu cryste Saynt gregore exposeth it thus alle id est pater lu id est filius ya id est spiritus sanctus That is to say the fader the sone and the holy ghoost Or thus he hym self exposeth it Alle id est lux lu id est vita ya id est salus alleluya thenne by the same exposycyon is as moche for to say as lyght lyf and helthe Fourthly mayster peter ansydotoyr expowneth it moche wel and sayth thus Alle id est altissimus leuatus est in cruce lu id est lugebant appostoli ya id est iam surrexit It is as moche for to say the ryght hyghe is lyfte on the crosse for the whyche thynge the appostles haue wepte and sone after he is rysen In the whyche exposycyon thre thynges are shewyd to vs The fyrst is the cruel passyon of our lord Ihesu cryste The second is the sorowe and anguysshe of thappostles And the thyrd is the myrthe ioye of vs for he sayth that our lord is rysen and in tokenyng of that men syngen alleluya after thys Alleluya he sayth the verse whiche sygnefyeth alle swetenesse and vertuous werke by the whyche men retournen to veray Iubylacion and therfore he repeteth the alleluya after that the verse is sayd For by good werke men retourne ageyn to veray consolacion and it is to wete that fro the septuagesme vnto ester day men owe not to say alleluya and in stede of it they say the tracte the whiche tracte sygnefyeth wepynge and lamentacyon for the passyon of our lord Ihesu cryste that cometh nygh that tyme that is to wete the holy tyme of lente and therfore a creature deuoute with alle his herte oweth to drawe to thynke on that same holy passyon and duryng that tyme men saye noo sequence for the sequence sygnefyeth ioye and consolacyon And that tyme of lente ne sygnefyeth but mournynges and it is to wete that the sequence is sayd after alleluya and it is sayd specyally on holydayes and solempne In sygnefyeng the plente and the multytude of myrthes and consolacyon that is sygnefyed by the sayd alleluya and Sequence For in as moche that the day is more solempne thenne other dayes the more oweth creature to lede and make gretter ioye in lawdyng the holy trynyte After al these thynges the preest translateth his book to the synyster parte of the aulter for to say the euangylle in sygnefyeng how our lord whan he cam doun in erthe for to expose the holy euangylle to al creatures he drewe hym to the senyster parte that was toward the Iewes for to anounce to them the holy euangylle for at that tyme the Iewes had drawen them self to the lyfte syde and for thys the preest in that place may represente our lord prâ—chyng and anouncyng the lawe And to the ende that he may excerce or doo that offyce more parfytelye at the begynnyng of it he sayth softelye an oryson that begynneth thus munda cor meum cÌ„ In the whiche oryson he prayeth our lord that he wyl make clene his herte for to anounce his predycacion after that he demaundeth the blessyng of our lord sayeng Iube domine benedicere that is as moche to saye lord commaunde thou that I may haue thy blessyng and anone he as leuetenaunte of our lord answereth and sayth thus our lord be in my herte and in my lyppes so that I may worthely and competently anounce the holy euangylle of god in the name of the fader the sone and the holy ghoost after the preest saleweth the people sayeng dominus vobiscum for ij causes the fyrst cause is to thentente that the peple be the more Incited to here the worde of god therfore the peple draweth toward the euangylle standeth on theyr feet after thordenaunce of anathasy thenne pope sygnefyeth that the peple ought to be redy apparaylled to susteyne the feyth of god and veray loue after for thys that yet the people be more Incyted to here the euangylle of god the preest representeth the place of god and sayth Sequencia sancti euangelij cÌ„ in makyng the sygne of the crosse to the ende that the enemye may not empeche hym Thenne the clerkes and the peple answeryn gloria tibi domine in glorefyeng god that hath sente to them the worde of salute sayeng to the lord be lawdyng yeuen by thy Worde to vs shewyd Thenne the preest sayth the euangylle the whyche sygnefyeth as sayd is the predycacyon of our lord god the whiche fynysshed and said the preest warneth hym self wyth the sygne of the crosse to thentente that the enemye may not take aweye fro the creatures hertes the worde of god After foloweth the crede that is as the testymonage and confyrmacyon of the forsayd euangylle the Whyche was made and composed by the appostles of our lord Ihesu cryste in sygnefyeng that thys that the appostles sayd fermelye they beleuyd and byleuyng anounced it and it is to wete that the crede is sayd on the holy dayes of them that composed it that is the appostles of our lord Ihesu cryst and on the holy dayes of whyche mencyon is made wythin the same crede that is to wete alle sondayes of the yere Crystemasse day Epyphanye or xiij day sherethorsday Ester day whytsonday trynyte sonday and also in alle holy dayes of our lady and of many other of whyche men maketh mencyon and thys may suffyse as to the fyrste parte of the masse Here endeth the firste parte of the masse And here folowtth the second parte AS for the Second parte of the masse that is fro the offryng vnto the pater noster Euery one oweth to vnderstonde that after the creature hath herde the worde of god that is the holy euangylle he adiousteth to it ferme or stedfaste feythe whyche is fygured by the crede he oweth thenne to offre or gyue hys herte to god for therfore foloweth the offrynge And to the ende that the peple be the more Incyted the preest retourneth hym toward the folke and sayth Dominus vobiscum that is to say our lord be wyth you Euen so as he wold say yf our lord be not wyth you ye can doo noo good werke ne