the thre noble wyse men that came out from far countrees had done to her sone she had harde also the prophecyes of Anna and Symeon yet for al y t she blabeth forth none of all these thynges as the moste parte of women wold but holdyng her tongue she gatheryd all these thyngê togyther and kepeth theym in her herte or mynde it is the moste sure token y t may be of wysdom euen in men also y t they can kepe secrete to theym selues so great felycyte wherof came this so great wysdom in a yonge virgyn in a tendre damosell hauynge none experyence vnbroken in the worlde That wysdom is an ouerlate a wretched wysdom whiche is goten or coÌ„meth to man by longe experyence of hurtes or euylles the holy ghost dothe remplysshe and fulfyll euen the mynde of yonge wenches of yonge boyes also with sage prudence or wysdom lette euery man purge or clense his owne mynde from vyces that y t ghoste the gyuer of wysdom maye vouchesafe to entre into it Nowe as for the felycyte of the blyssed virgyne Marie what nede we to speke of it who was euermore worshypfully saluted and greted of an Aungell to whom was euermore great or royall promyses brought he that is y e maker of heuen and erth sendeth an embassage vnto the virgyne Gabryell doth the message and is maker of y e maryage a chylde is promysed vnto her suche one as was neuer afore nor synce ê“mysed to any he shall be sayd the aungell great and shall be called the sone of the hyghest and the lorde god shall gyue to hym the seate of his father Dauid he shall reygne ouer the howse of Iacob for euermore and of his kyngdom shall be none ende what more hygh promyses maye be made then these Nowe after that the aungell had brought her in such byleue of the sayd promyses trowe you that this so great felycyte dyd any thynge mynysshe the humylyte or lowlynes of this yonge virgyne Forsothe it mynysshed it nothynge at all but rather encreased it Beholde sayd she the hande mayde of the lorde of this so great a busynes she chalenged or toke vnto her selfe no parte of the glorye or prayse onely she professeth and knowlegeth her self to be an hande mayde obedyent and redy or well wyllynge to all thynges what soeuer it shuld please the lorde to do with her Nowe when she was great with the heueÌ„ly chylde she disdayneth not for cause of good maner curtesy to visyte her cosyn beyng an olde woman great w t chylde her cosyn Elyzabeth sayd to her howe chaunseth this to me y t the mother of my lord doth thus come to me yet for all that she beyng alwayes lyke her self and contynuynge stylle one maner woman answered and sayd agayne for he hathe loked vpon the lowe estate of his hande mayde she grauÌ„teth and speketh of her happynes but she bosteth nothynge her dignyte neyther she sayth all generacyons shal call me happy blyssed bycause I haue deserued it by bycause he hathe done great thynges to me whiche is of myghte and power to do what soeuer he pleas and she sayth not holy or gloryous is my name but she sayd blyssed is his name And albeit she knewe well ynough that she had suche a noble chylde in her wombe yet for all that she disdayneth not ne dispyseth her husbande what soeuer seruyce any obedyent wyfe doth to her husbaÌ„de that same moche more habundauÌ„tly dyd she to Ioseph she gothe with hym to the taxe or cessynge whiche Cesar had coÌ„maunded with hym she bare the chylde to his Circuncision with hym she fynysshed all y e cerymonyes of the Purificacion she foloweth hym into Egipt For when they shuld haue admonycioÌ„ to fle into Egipt y e auÌ„gell appered then not to Marie but to Ioseph that the auctoryte shuld be or rest in y e maÌ„ In theyr retornyng agayn from Egipt she cleaueth to hym neuer departeth from hym neyther disdayneth she to be comenly called y e wyfe of a carpenter neyther she is a shamed of that loue poore or vyle brethren susters or kynnesfolke neyther she taketh it greuously that her sone was accompted to be the sone of Ioseph whome she her selfe also called the father of Iesu therunto was neuer wyfe in this worlde y t hath more reuerently obeyed her husbande then dyd the mother of god harken nowe ye women that do worshyppe the moste blyssed virgyn Marie What shal here those new wedded wyues say whiche beyng proude of their beaute youth dyspyseth setteth at nought theyr husbandes what shall these matrones or dames say whiche often tymes amonge casteth in theyr husbandes tethe the dowry rychesse whiche they brought to hym Yea and also otherwhyles dryueth them out of the house as yf they were ladyes or mastresses not wyues what shall they say whiche ouer turneth or destroyeth the hole house w t chydynge brawlynge The most blyssed virgyn Marie with moste reuerence dreade pleaseth and obeyeth her husbande Ioseph she neuer gyueth to hym frowarde answers neyther taketh she vpon her at any tyme to rewle or mayster hym or to haue her mynde fulfylled afore his are you asshamed to obey folowe your husbaÌ„des myndes without whom ye ar barayn without honour and to whome also the auctoryte and coÌ„maundement of god of the apostle Paule hath made you subiectê And it is no doubte but loke howe great reuerence she vsed toward her husbande as great sedulyte and dylygence she vsed in the kepyng bryngyng vp of her sone she leadeth hym euery yere ones to y e temple in Hierusalem to shewe that chyldren shulde learne in theyr tendre age to loue and worshyp god when she had loste hym with howe great care and dylygence dothe she seke hym And she neuer resteth vntyll she dothe fynde hym what was y e blyssed virgyn Marie affrayde of any mysfortune y t might come to her sone had she seen any token of lyghtnes or wyldnes in her sone no verely none attall but she taught you y t be mothers hauynge chyldren gaue to you a lesson that you can neuer be dylygent ynoughe take so good hede as oughte to be taken vnto your chyldren in theyr tendre age youth is frayle and redy to folowe to be ledde into all maner vyce They do worshyp Marie vndeuoutly who soeur be neclygeÌ„t aboute the bryngynge vp of theyr chyldren as who shuld say it were ynough onely to haue conceyued them borne theym ye moreouer certeyn women there be whiche by wycked and vnlaufull craftes and meanes do put from theym selues the yrksomenes of berynge theyr chylde the laboures of gyuynge it sucke And they offeÌ„de or synne nothyng lesse whiche with lowde vngracyous exaÌ„ple gyuyng infecten and corrupten the feble yonge age whiche teacheth chyldren vnthryftynes vyce Before they can perfectly speke The moste blyssed virgyn Marie she
maryed all thoughe theyr substaunce or rychesse be neuer so slender or small and thoughe that they haue a great many of chyldren for that wyne whiche Iesus gyueth makethe dulcet and swete all thynges be they els neuer so heuy sorowfull and paynfull Moreouer this thynge also is to be marked that as it is syttyng or due that the chyldren do obeye and folowe the wyll of theyr mother so lykewyse it is conuenyent aud semely that the auctoryte of the parentes do gyue place to that whiche the gospell calleth vs for in this nothyng is to be consyderyd or regardyd but only what maketh most to y e glorye of god and to y e cōmune soule helthe of the people That his mother callynge vpon hym doth saye they haue no wyne it is a poynte of a certeyn louyng sollicytude or carefull dylygēce that she gyueth place to y e auctoryte of her sone answeryng here to outwarde apparaunce somwhat hardelye or sharpely in this wyse woman what haue I to do with the it is a poynte of certeyne wyse humblenes and mekenes agayne y t she sayth pryuely to the mynysters what soeuer thynge he shall say vnto you do it it is a poynte of a certeyn trust confydence that she had in her sone Nowe a dayes certeyne fathers mothers abusen theyr auctoryte that they haue ouer theyr chyldren whyles they compell theym whether they wyll or not to entangle theym selfe in wedlocke or ellys in the order of preesthode or to put them selfe into some Relygyon or ellys whyles they drawe them backe from the preachynge of the gospell or whyles the father or mother compelleth theyr sone beyng a prynce or gouernoure to begyn betayle or warre whiche shall be cause of great hurte or destruccyon to the cōmen weale For the prynce or gouernoure in as moche as he beareth a publyke persone is a cōmen offycer he maye safely not hurtynge the naturall loue and reuerence whiche he oweth vnto his father make answere to his father on this wyse in this thyng I wyll not take you or regarde you as my father I wyll more regarde the profyte of the cōmen welth the gouernaunce wherof I haue taken vpon me then I wyll regarde the pryuate auctorytie of my father Here is perauenture a mā hauynge wyfe chyldren at home and his mother cōmaūdeth hym to go in pylgrymage to saynt Iamys in Cōpostella bycause she hath made suche a vowe or promesse lette hym say to his mother In other thynges I wyll take you and obey you as my mother but in this thinge I muste obey god whiche cōmaundeth me to prouyde se vnto my wyfe chyldren For whose cause it is well don and accordynge to godes cōmaūdemēt that a man do also forsake his father or mother and these thynges we haue spoken as touchynge to the lyterall sense of the gospell but for as moche as our lord hathe turned the water of the vnsauery lawe into the beste wyne it is ryght accordynge or mete that we also do get out some more pryue and hydde sense or meanynge It was no great thynge y t a yonge wenche was ioyned to a husbande in matrymonye But it is a very great mystery to be honoured euen of the Angelicall spirites that the spyryte that is to wytte the sone of god is ioyned with y e flesshe of man that is to say the nature of god with y e nature of man For the sone of god toke vnto hym our nature by a meruaylous glue it was brought to passe y t the same person was bothe god man There was present in the same our lord Iesu at this same spyrytuall maryage bothe the spouse the spouses there was present in that spyrytuall brydale feaste that blyssed wombe in whiche that wonderfull and vnspecable maryage was celebrated made in whiche wombe as in the worke-house of the holy ghost that Gyaunt of thre substaunces was formed whiche shulde vaynquyshe depresse and subdue all the tyrannye of Satan There is also another mysterye of the sayd maryage the sone of god feruentlye loued the churche whiche he hathe puryfyed with his owne blode to the intent y t he myght haue her a Spouses mete and accordyn for hym selfe hauynge no maner wembe or spotte neyther any wryncle in her at all and for y e loue of this spouses this meruaylous and wonderfull wo wer descended from heuen cam into the wombe of a virgyn from whense beynge clothed with the robe or vesture of our flesshe came forthe as a spouse or brydegrome from his bryde chambre This wombe of y e virgyn was certeynly that yate whiche Ezechyell sawe towarde the rysynge of the sonne out of y e whiche yate there arose or spronge the lyghte Iesus chryste to men syttyng in darkenes in the shadowe of deth whiche yate remayned styll closed or shytte to y e prynce the sone of god enterynge in also brought forth to vs the same Prynce clothed in the body of man as ī his weddynge garment the seale or closure of her chastyte beynge vnhurte he then after he was come forthe of this chambre wedded a newe spouses the churche he maryed her hauynge no dowry or rychesse he maryed her beynge in captyuyte he maryed her beynge fylthy contamynate But her thus deformed and full of spottes he hath puryfyed with the bath of his most precious blode he hath raunsomed her beynge prysoner with his owne precyous deth and her beynge bare and naked he hath plentefully enryched with spyrytaall gyftes vertues The soule of euery one of vs moste dearely beloued brethren is the spouses of Chryste we haue ben raunsomed and bought with an excedynge great pryce from the thraldom of the deuyll lette vs not nowe wylfully falle agayne into his seruytude and bondage We haue ben freely wasshed from fylth let vs not nowe lyke swyne retorne agayne vnto the soyle or myre of vyces and synnes we haue ones receyued the doctryne of the gospell we haue dronke in the moste swete spyryte of Iesu lette vs not nowe beynge vnkynde to hym for his so great lyberalyte twardes vs ronne agayne to the adulterer the deuyll but contynuynge in the fayth promyse made at the receyuyng of baptysme by whiche promyse we haue renounsed the deuyll and all his pompes let vs alwayes haue in remēbraūce that we were spoused to one husbande that we shulde kepe our selues a chaste virgyn to our spouse Chryste lette vs not suffre our senses to be corrupted by the wylynes and crafte of y e serpent from the sympfycyte whiche is in chryste Iesu Chryste is a Ialous louer not without good cause whiche dyd gette or wynne and set at lybertie his spouses to hym selfe so dearely lette vs gyue dylygence that we maye be present alwayes at this spyrytuall weddynge or maryage lette vs by vnfayned fayth by pure and perfyte charyte cōtynue and abyde in the embrasynges of our
was very carefull dylygent aboute her sone Iesu doste thou wylfully sette out and betray thy sone and doughter vnto all maners or kynde of fylthynes a synne Doubtles hereof it coÌ„meth to passe that so many womeÌ„ repent them that euer they were fruytefull not barayne bycause they brynge vp euyll noughtly y e chyldren well borne and yet to haue brought vp or taught theyr chylde well is the offyce more properly belongyng to the father mother then to haue begotte it or to haue borne it but howe is it possyble for them to teache and brynge vp theyr chyldren wel whiche eyther be not abydyng at home or ellys whiche lyueth fylthely and shamfully at home so y t by the conuersacyon and company with theyr parentes the chyldren do learne fylthy coÌ„munycacyon rybaldry do lerane wantones doo learne to be dronkardes and to be brawlers to be dysers and carders to be blabbes and full of ydle and vayne wordes to be backbyters and sclauÌ„derers and generally do lerane of them all maner vyce and synne But here offreth it self vnto vs large mater so speke of yf we wolde compare the most excellent vertues of the most holy virgyn vnto our maner of lyuynge but yet we shal take very moche profyte Yf we shal study to amende our maners whiche be corrupte vpon euery syde accordyng to the exaÌ„ple of this blyssed virgyn Now it resteth or remayneth to touche somwhat of y e fortitude or ghostly strenght of this virgyn for bothe these be tokens of magnanimite and stronge mynde ¶ Neyther to be proude or hygh miÌ„ded in prosperyte neyther to be sadde lette the herte falle in aduersyte Albeit that the worshypfull name of Iesu wexed famouse he was so greatly spoken of for his so many great myracles don yet we do neuer rede that this most holy virgyn chaleÌ„ged euer or toke vnto her self any porcion or parte of y e prayse yea moreouer we scacely rede that she was present at any myracle saue only when at the brydall he torned water into wyne she harde all thynges and she gatheryd them togtyher in her herte and mynde makyng no wordes but alwyes bearyng the person of an hande mayde whiche she hath professed her selfe to be with lyke constaunce and stronge mynde she toke it when her onely sone and dearely beloued was often tymes in ieoperdye by the reason of the Phariseys lyeng in wayte for hym and in coÌ„clusyon when he was taken was bounde when he was scourged when he was condempned and iudged to death and when he was ledde to be crucyfyed the other women wepte and they were rebuked of our lorde what felte she then in her motherly breast or mynd she was not with out felynge or perceyuyng of all thyngê she sorowed and had compassyon with her sone but she subdued and kepte vnder y e naturall or carnall affeccion with the strenght of y e spyryte she kept in her sobbynges she held backe and kept in y e teares whiche wolde fayne haue braste out and when all the other disciples were slypt and shronke awaye from theyr master for feare she only and IohnÌ„ stode nere to the crosse of her sone All those ar contumelyous pyctures to the dyshonour of our lady whiche representen or setten her forth fallyng to the grouÌ„de in a swoune without any felyng or ê‘ceyuynge of her self well nere deed for sorowe she neyther cryed out ne tare her heares ne knocked her breste ne cryed out callyng her selfe wretched or vnfortunate she toke more consolacyon and conforte of the redempcyon of mankynde then she dyd heuynes or sorowe of y e death of her sone in this poynte also she sheweth her self an hande mayde accordyng to her promyse vnto hym whose wyll and pleasure it was after this maner to restore the kynde of man and she thought her self to haue ben happely a mother which had brought forth y e auctor of helth sauyour to the worlde she preferred y e publyke and comen felycyte before her owne pryuate sorowe or grefe where then be nowe those women whiche for y e losse of money or for a smaller hurte or dyspleasure do brynge forthe or cast theyr chylde before the due tyme for sorowe care where be these men whiche for the death of theyr lytell doughter dystemperen all theyr hole houses with fonde and folysshe lamentyngê coÌ„playnynges and wepynges It is red that the moste blyssed virgyn Marie dyd beholde and se the moste bytter and cruell dethe of her sone but we rede not any where that she wept and made lamentacyon other women wepte and for the lacke or wante of theyr lord taken from them whome they dyd not yet loue spiritually they were almoste out of theyr wyttes and besydes them selues Marie only hauynge a strong mynde holdeth her peace abydynge y e wyll and pleasure of god peraduenture you do suppose or iudge it but a meane thynge and not so hyghly to be estemed to become y e bonde seruaunt or hande mayde of the lord Verely there is nothyng more diffycyle or harder to acheue attayne for who soeuer hathe ones wholly gyuen or put hym self to y e wyl pleasure of the lord gyuyng the prayse only to hym yf any welth or good chaunce hath ben betyde hym or loketh for socoure or ayde from no where els but onely from hym Yf he be in dystresse or in aduersyte that man can not but stonde styffe and vnabasshed for any wyles or fearefull assaltes that Sathan can do or inuent agaynst hym But of these thynges parauenture we shal at another tyme haue oportunytie to speke more largelye Nowe the solempnytie of this daye requyreth that we shulde pyke oute somwhat or take some parte of the gospel which hath ben redde to you vnto the glorye of the sone and of the mother and to our ghostlye helthe comforte they whiche are all redye maryed or els whiche ar purpossed to be maryed desyrous to haue a mate in wedlocke gladlye and with attente eares here this hygh honour to haue ben geuen to matrymonye and wedlocke ¶ That chryst with his dysyples mother whan he was bydden to the brydeale or maryage feaste refused not to go thyther but moreouer vouchesafed to put it to hono r by doyng so great a myracle at it but for this cause y e lorde hym selfe beynge a virgyne also the sone of a virgyn ones hath honoured matrymony to the entente that we shulde not dyshonest it with our fyltynes or vnclennes ye and euen now a dayes also where soeuer the man and wyfe are ioyned togyther in chaste and faythfull matrymonye with agreable myndes and with equall loue and exercyse of vertue there the lorde Iesus dysdayneth not to be present with his mother Neyther she is greued to beseche entreate her sone for theym yf any thynge be wantynge to theym that whiche appertayneth to the more pleasauntnesse or iocundytye of theym that are