the fyre not knowynge the grete mercy of our blessyd lorde Iesu cryste the goodnesse of the gloryouse virgyne his moder to whome be now and euermore worshyp and Ioye Amen ¶ How a knyght was delyuered out of pryson by our lady by cause he eshewed to synne with a woman that was called Maria. A Certayne knyght was take of his enemâ—â—s to whome came a woman bycause he sholde synne with her and whan he consâ—nted so to do he asked what was her name She sayd Maria is my name Than he said to her by cause thy name is Maria for the reuerence of the moder of god I wyl not synne wyth the. Than the blyssed virgine moder of pyte seynge this without ony taryenge opened the prison that this knyght was in and delyuered hyn thens Of an other knyÈt also y e whiche fylle iÌ„ a uowtrye ALso an other knyght on a tyme fylle in avoutrye w t his lordê wyfe Neuertheles he had grete deuocyon to our blissed Lady saynte Mary euery daye by an hole yere he vsed for to saye thryes fyfty tymes Aue marya to the worâ—hyp of-oure blyssed lady Sothely it happened on a tyme as he was a slepe he sawe hym thoughte our blyssed lady brynge to hym fayre mylke in a foule cuppe styred hym to ete of it And than he sayd that he loued mylke aboue all other metys but of that mylke he sayd he myghte not ete for the foule and vnclene vessell that it was in Than our lady sayd to hym agayn So loue I the salutacyon that y u sayst to me dayly And bycause thy herte is vnclene I lothe it of thy mouth But be clensyd of it thou shalt be rewarded ¶ Of a knyght y t was delyuered from pryson by our lady AN other knyght also vpoÌ„ a tyme was put in a full myghty towre whan he coude not be delyuered by prayer neyther by moneye he prayed deuoutely to our blessyd lady that she wolde wouchesuf to delyuer hym Than oure blessyd lady whoo 's mercy pite is infynite herde his deuoute prayers lyghtned y e pryson loused his cheynes opened the dore so delyuered hym withoute ony knowlege of the kepers and walked with hym in the nyghte a dayes Iourneye so he escaped the daunger of his enemyes ¶ How oure lady restored a knyghtes wyfe to her lyfe A Certayn knyghte there was that moche loued our blessyd lady y e whiche customably vsed to ryse oute of his bedde at mydnyght to go to his chapel not knowynge his wyfe whether y t he went there in y e same chapel he vsed to saye euery nyght in y e worshyp of our lady .l. tymes Aue marie Sothely it happened on a tyme as this lady sat at souper with her husbond y e knight thynkynge that he was ful fayre goodly sayde to hym Sir is there ony woman that ye loue more than me Than sayde he to her for certayne madame ther is no woman that I loue so moche as you saue one Than she was full sory for this worde that he sayde saue one thought to her selfe that the next tyme that he rose out of his bedde fro her as he was wonte to do she wolde slee her self that so he myght be slayne for her deth And whan she had thought this the next nyght folowynge this knyght her husbonde rose at mydnight as he vsed to do wente in to his chapell sayde in the worshyp of our lady .l. tymes Aue maria The mene whyle his lady toke his knyfe slytte her owne bely slewe her self for she had wende that he had gone that tyme to some other woman And whan she hadde slayne her selfe there was founde in her bely two yonge babyes deed lyenge in her blood Trewely than whan this knyght hadde sayd his prayers bifore the ymage of our blessyd lady in his chapell he came in to his chambre to his bed and there he fouÌ„de his wyf deed al blody two yonge babyes by her deed also Thenne this knyght was full sore aferd of this horryble syght gretly drede leste his wyues kynne wolde therfore persue him to y e deth therfore anone he retourned agayne vnto his chapell and prayed deuoutly vnto our blessyd lady sayÌ„t Marye for helpe sayd vnto her as many salutacyons as he dyde afore And thaÌ„ne he fyll a slepe vnto whome came our blessyd lady sayd bycause chat ofteÌ„tymes y u hast come hyther and worshypped me deuoutely therfore goo to thy chambre there y u shalt fynde mater of comfort Ioye And whan she had this sayd to hym anone she vanysshed awaye Than this knyght came to his chambre founde his wyfe hole a lyue and two yonge babyes soukynge her pappes And sayd to her O my good lady be ye alyue She sayd yes yr blessyd mote ye be for by your prayers I am saued whan I was dampned bycause I slewe my selfe that ye myght be kylled also for me And thersfore that moost fayrest lady saynt Marye euermore loke that ye loue her more than me And so he dyd bothe they ended theyr lyues blessydly to gyd ¶ How a knyght fyll to pouerte by the deuyll was made ryche by y e merytes of his wyfe was by our lady restored agayn to good and vertuouse lyuyng ON a tyme a worshypful knyght fyll to grete pouerte by an vndyscrete lyberalnes that he vsed to gyue his godes awaye This-knyght hadde a full honest woman to his wyfe y t whiche serued our lady full deuoutely And on a tyme ther was a soleÌ„pne fest of y e yere nye as it myght be crystamas or est in y e which this knyght vsed afore to gyue large gyftes whan he sawe he had not to gyue at that tyme as he was wonte to-do full gretely he was confounded asshamed in hym selfe wherfore tyll that solempne tyme were paste he wente to wyldernes to sorowe his mysfortune to eschewe his shame And anone came to hym a sterne a gastfull man on horsbacke syttyÌ„ge that asked hyÌ„ why he was so heuy Than this knyght tolde hym all thynge as it was Than the other sayd to hym And y u wylte doo a lytyl thynge for me y u shalt haue more rychesse than euer thou haddest before I promyse the sayd this knyght I wyll do what someuer y u byddest me so that y u wylt fulfyll in dede lyke as y u sayest Than sayd he to hym Go to thy house and in suche a place y u shalt fynde grete weghtes of golde syluer precyous stones And this y u shalt do for me At suche a day brynge hyther thy wyf wyth the. Than vnder this promyse this knyght retourned home agayne in the same place where it was sayd to hym he fouÌ„de grete quantyte of golde syluer precyous stones Than anone he bought hyÌ„ places he
And leste he sholde leue in relygyon vnwarly but rather so moche the better as he dyde mekely our lord styred vp ayenst hym one of his owne bretheren of y e cloyster the whiche wolde constyre all thynge yt. he dyde to y e worst pursued his inocentenes both in wordes in dedes not only in this as a childe of grace our lorde Ihesu cryste wolde haue proued but also he excercysed hym in other .ij. thynges of aduersyte Of the whiche one was gostely the other bodely Trewely as ofte as he herde thondrynge he myght not here it so he was so sore troubled afrayde that he was almoost at y e poynt of deth Also a sekenes of lepre that is called gutta rosia certayne tyme wold so corrupte his face that for the foulnes of syghte he was compelled longe whyle to byde at home in the fermory often tymes And whan he was put in the fermorye for this cause on a nyght after matyns as he went to reste he blamed hym selfe by the sorowe of cōpunctyon what someuer of leprye he had in his face cōmytted it deuoutly to our lordes mercy Sothely a fewe dayes before our lorde had vysyted hym so that in shorte tyme the abbot almoost .xv. monkes of the couent blyssedly paste fro this worlde to heuenwarde And as this monke was walkyng in his prayers he sawe a fayr felaushyp of monkes goynge through the myddes of y e fermorye amonge the whyche he knewe his fader the abbot his brethteren that dyed a lytyll afore Of the whiche one of theym came to hȳ stode by his bed sayd Dere broder we that go here whyle we lyued ī our bodyes dwelled here in this monasterye And now we Ioye al in hope of the Ioye of the sone of god but yet we be dyfferred fro the entrynge in of the kyngdom of heuen for the neglygences of some of our bretheren Of the wiche some vndeuoutly and some slouly al full vnkyndly done to the psalmes prayers the whiche of dute they ought to do for our soules And not only for this cause they ben holde gylty to vs but also to our blessyd lord Iesu cryste hath many thynges ayenst them Sothely they prouoke styre hym to cast them fro hym bycause they folowe slouly the vowe of relygyon in pure clene lyuynge the preceptes of holy relygyon w t out ony drede of god they breke Also whan they come to gyder as y e tyme place requyred to serue our lord god in psalmes and ympnes other spyrytuell songes than they neyther ete ne taste spyrytuel fode bycause that euerychone presumeth to delyte hym on vanyte after his herte And they suspyre after carnall pleasures that they hadde in the worlde and theyr soule sauoureth not the heuenly foode that is the worde of god the whiche they rede and synge but as a mete that is lyght and contemtybyll Trewely this prouoketh the wrath of god moost that in that houre whan as the bretheren enclyne atte Gloria patri for the reuerence and worshyppe of the blessyd trinyte some mocke and scorne some Iangell ydell wordes And some make preuely sygnes of ydelnesse And other ben so stiffe in herte in body that vnnethis after that Gloria patri is begonne they be boūde or spiritu sancto be sayd they be vp agayn and with their syghte they notabely wander aboute in curyouse thynges in the walles And other be stondynge in prayer lyke ymages so berafte in slepe that they wote not what is done about them yet neuertheles they enclyne◠ryse vp as other done of a certayne myserable wretchyd custome therfore go say to the abbot on our behalue that he dispose him to correcte suche fautes of the bretheren For to him it longet what someuer is done amis of his bretherē to whome he is ordeyned of god an ouerseer to tell theym theyr synnes whan this was sayd he vanysshed awaye Than this monke that herde this rose vp stylly fro his bedde yede oute of y e fermory so came to y e chirche as he vsed to do afore before one of y e auters prayed to our lorde with all his herte anone he was rapte in spiryte And as he loked to the wyndowe that was aboue y e auter he sawe a bryght beme of lyght shynyng a maruaylouse fayre lady entred through the wyndowe to hym And whan she stode by hym she sayd to him Knowest thou not me He answered sayd· No lady Than she sayd to hym I am Mary y e moder of Ihesu now I am come to comforte y e of thy sorowes heuenes I haue herde thy prayers and I sawe thy wepynges as she sayd to hym the bretheren that were at dyuyne seruyce sange Gloria patri as they vsed to do enclyned themself also our blessyd lady quene of heuen· with her hondes crosyd full louely reuerently enclyned her self at that same Gloria patri and stode not vp tyll they hadde songe Sicut erat in principio Than after that she stode vp sayde to the monke agayne the broder the monke that pursued the whiche is deed after his grete malyce hath receyued full many sore paynes in token that this that I haue sayde to the is trouthe thou shalt be hole of this two sekenesse that y u haste suffred And whan our blessyd lady saint mary had sayd this to hym she her self wiped his face wyth the sleue of her garment so vanysshed awaye Sothely on the morowe this mōke preuely tolde to the abbot al thinge as it is sayd before shewed bothe to hym to all his brethern certayne very fayth of these same thinges by the meruaylous token of the alterynge chaūgyng of his face whiche outwardly was hole clene to the honoure worshyp of the gloryouse virgyn moder of god the whiche reygneth wyth hym lady of angels quene of heuen euerlastyngly in all worldes of worldes Amen ¶ An other myracle also of a monke y ◠grudged THere was a monke to whome al his metys semed soo harde y t vnethys he might take of it to susteyne his body And on a nyght our lady apperyd to hȳ in his slepe broughte hȳ to an ymage of our lorde Ihesu cryst hangyng on a crosse sayd to hym in this wyse Wete thy brede in my sones wondes whan y e forsayde monke had so doo hym semed and thought that it had a full swete and a delycyous taste as a thynge that is wel poudered ¶ An other myracle also of a monke the whiche was sore in temptatyon OVre blessyd lady appered in a vysyon to a certayn monke that was sore in temptatyon shewed hym the state of Ioye afterwarde she brought hȳ in to egipte wyldernes whether she fled with her sone Ihesu for the drede of Herode Than she shewed the monke the
no wyse Thenne sayd the ymage agayne I wyll not come to the but thou wyll an other tyme come to me and dyne wyth me Ryghte gladly sayd the chylde I wyl come to the and dyne wyth the what daye that euer it please the than anone the ymage came downe to the chylde Sothely the abbot aforsayde stode in a secrete place behelde the ymage of our lorde Ihesu and y e childe and herde theyr wordes And for Ioye gretely he began to wepe And so stylly wente his waye And after they had eten and spoken to gyder the chylde went thens home The abbot met wyth hym anone and swetely spekynge to hym clypped hym in his armes and sayde My swete soone where haste thou be so louge And the childe sayde For the loue of god fader aske me no more For the other tyme that I tolde you my felowe was very wroth And soo moche he was dyspleased that he wolde not come to me tyll I promysed hym that I wolde come and dyne wyth hym an other tyme Thenne sayd the abbot to the childe Aa therfore sone thou must come to his dyner And the childe sayde yes fader and that algate Than sayde the abbot And thou wylt do ony thynge for me And for my loue praye thy felowe that I maye come also wyth the to that dyner Gladdely syr sayde the childe I wyll speke for you and doo also as moche as I maye And on the morowe this childe came agayne after his custome to the same place where the ymage of oure lady was And the abbot preuely folowed after And stode in a secrete place as he dyde afore The childe not knowynge Thenne the ymage of Ihesu came downe to the childe And moche Ioye they had bytwene them than the childe sayd to our lorde Ihesu Nowe good felowe here my tale y t I wyll telle the. yesterdaye my lorde y e abbot asked of me as he met w t me where I had be so longe I tolde hym al to gyder how I must dyne wyth you whan he herde me saye this he wept sore prayed me hertely y t I shold pray to you for hym y t he myght also come wyth me to that dyner Wherfore good felowe and mooste beloued now I praye you graunte me this Than our lorde Ihesu sayde to the childe The abbot is not redy to come to that dyner But saye fo-hym y t he make hym redy as soone as he can to come to me on crystmasse daye the whiche was than nyghe at honde Than the abbot that stode by in a secrete place herynge this for Ioye gladnesse he-wept preuely wente awaye agayne And aftwarde the childe came to hym tolde hym that he had sped his erande therfore the abbot gretely thanked hym Sothely whan crystmasse day was come the abbot made a feste to all his brethern sange that same daye the hye masse serued also his gestes in his owne propre persone Than came y e forsayd childe to y e abbot sayd to hym stylly in his ere Syr it is tyme y t we go to our dyner aforsayd lest happely my felowe our lorde Ihesu cryste shlbe wrothe Than sayd the same abbot to the chylde ¶ Thou sayst wel my sone And I wolde not y t yo rue feloye sholde be wrothe for nothynge Than y e forsayd abbot gladly conforted his gestes prayed them to be mery sayd This same chylde and I be called to an other feste And now it is tyme that we go wherfore I commende me you to our lorde Ihesu cryste the whiche graunte you for his grete mercy to come to the same feste Trewely the forsayd childe that same daye wold ete no thynge for he wolde come fastynge to his good felowe our lorde Ihesu cryste And whan the abbot the forsayd childe were come to the same place they passed both to gydre and yelded vp theyr soules to god ¶ Of a wycked kyng that was tourned at the last became a monke by the gloryous virgyn Marye was delyuered fro the power of the fendes THere was a certayne kynge full cruell and wycked in all hys kyngdome and power And whan he had thus longe contynued he 〈◊〉 vnderstode at the laste his lyfe drawynge to an ende And on a daye this kynge called for certayne bysshoppes abbottes and other of his frendes as he sholde seche helpe and counseyll of them And as they were come to gyder he sayd I see and vnderstande my lordes frendes that I shall not longe lyue wherfore I dsyre you to gyue me holsome couÌ„seyl what I myght do for the helth of my soule For I knowe well that wyckedly I haue lyued hytherto and I shall be dampned in helle And therfore what maye I nowe do Than they sayd Yf ye wyll haue forgyuenes of your synnes desyre to be saued we auyse you that ye leue your kyngdome and let your hede be shaue and take on you the habyte and clothynge of a monke for this onely remayneth for hope of your saluacyon many by this haue be saued Therfore doo this that ye may be saued Than the kynge without ony taryenge by the consent of theym all was receyued of-a certayne abbot in to his abbay the whiche abbay was of oure blessyd lady saynt Marye there he-was made a monke Sothely soone after he was-smyten with a greuous axis and began to drawe faste out of this worlde And anone came to hym wycked spyrytes and fendes to face hym Trewely than came thyder an angell of god sayd to them wherfore come you hyder Than they sayd For this kyng is oures The angell sayd agayne Take your kynge go your waye I. knowe hym not for a kyng but for amonke Sothely sythen he became the blessyd virgyn Maryes monke she hath goten of her sone forgyuenesse of all his synnes and tho haue also euerlastynge lyfe and. Ioye in heuen And therfore what thyÌ„ge haue ye to do with hym Knowe ye not that as in baptym all synnes be forgyuen and euerlastynge lyfe is grauneted ê Soo the grete mercy and pyte of our lorde Ihesu cryste dooth awaye a mannes synnes that taketh of hym the ordre of a monke and kepeth it Therfore of some it is called a seconde baptymme And how be it that this forsayd kyng synned moche yet at the laste he sore repented hym and with his wepynge wasshed awaye his synnes And more ouer he was a monke of the gloryouse virgyne and moder of god saynt Marye the whiche hath goten of her sone for hym remyssyon of his synnes and euerlastinge lyfe in heuen And also she hath sende me hyther to brynge his soule before god And whanne the angell had sayd this he toke vp with hym the soule with grete melodye and wente his waye ¶ Trewly thanne these wycked spyrytes and mynystres of the deuyll with a full grete crye vanysshed awaye as the smoke doth fro