of you by cause that the worlde deceyuynge you mocke you / ThenÌ„e he that had aresoned theim whan he was retorned in to his hous gaaf for goddis loue all the he had / And after became hyÌ„self religioê° with the holy heremytes / ¶ Of saynt Amon fyrst relgioê° in Nytrie whiche begynynnth in latyn ¶ IniciuÌ„ sancti / Caplm .xxx. THe fyrste Heremyte in Nytrye was called Amon. the soule of whom IncoÌ„tynent after his dethe was seen by saynt Anthonye borne by angels in to heuen / But for to wryte of his ryght holy lyf we shall begyn at his natyuyte ¶ He was of noble riche frendes the whiche ayenst his wyll dide hyÌ„ to be maryed to a noble womaÌ„ of the couÌ„tree of Nytrye He beynge layed a bedde wyth her the fyrste nyght of theyr espoussaylles he made to her many fayr exortacoÌ„ns in ercytynge her to the noble vertue of chastyte and of vyrgynyte vnder suche or lyke wordes / My loue by cause the wythout fawte thynge corrupte shall fynde corrupcoÌ„n / And by the contrary thynge not corrupt oughte to hope incorrupcoÌ„n / Therfore it is more auaylable to vs tweyne togyder hoole to dwelle entier without flesshly touchynge vs. than the one were corrupte of the other / Thise wordes herde by the dyrgyne / she consented therto lyghtly lyued togyder in honest chastyte virgynyte longe tyme after the deth of theyr frendes And after the holy man went in to the nexte deserte to his dwellynge assembled many Heremytes / And the sayd virgyne abode in her hous accompanyed wyth many virgyns / After that he had be a certayn tyme solytarily in the deserte Some men broughte to hym a chylde enchayned / The whyche had be byten wyth a wood honde besechyng hym to pray for the helth of the sayd chylde / The holy man ansuerde that he had not deserued somoche anenst god that shold enhauÌ„ce his prayers / But neuertheles he sayd to theym that the helthe of the sayd chylde was in theyr hodes / For whanÌ„e they wolde rendre to a poore wydowe an oxe whiche they had robbed fro her theyr childe shold haue helth shall be al hoole / Of whiche wordes they were moche abasshed merueylynge by what manere the holy maÌ„ might know the thefte that they had done soo secretly / ThenÌ„e they went home rendred to the widow the ore that they had stolen / by the prayer of the holy man the chylde was made hole ayen and had his helthe / ¶ A nother tyme came some other to hym / of whom he wolde proue the courages / ¶ He sayde to theym that he had grete necessyte of a tonne ful of water / for to yeue drinke to hem that disyted hyÌ„ / And prayed requyred theim that they wolde brynge to hym a tonne full / whyche they promysed for to doo and to fulfylle / ¶ And after that they were departed fro him the one sayd to his felow the haste promysed the water aswel as I Wherfore thou shalt doo it be borne to hyÌ„ yf thou wolt that it be borne / For I haue not but my camell that whiche shal neuer bere it / That other answerde thou knoweste wel the I ne haue but an asse / the whiche maye not bere soo moche as thy camell maye / For the one is more stronger than the other / To whom that other answered / Doo what thou wolt for I woll not slee my camell / ThenÌ„e the other sayd / I shall laye it on myn asse that whyche thou darst not laye on thy camell / But I hope that the meryte of the holy man shall make possyble that whiche is impossyble to a creature / The asse anone after the he was charged wyth the tonne full of water bare it to the lodgis of the holy man Amon. also lightly as he had borne noo thynge on hym / And thenÌ„e the sayd saynt Amon in receyuyng the sayd water sayd to the gode man whiche was come thyder for to guyde his beest Thou haste done well for to brynge the tonne vpon thyn asse for the camell of thy felowe is deed / And whaÌ„ that other was retorned he fonde that it was true ¶ The sayd Amon was somoche bilouyd of god that he gate of hyÌ„ singuler graces / emong thother whan he wolde passe go ouer the ryuer of Nyle bycause he was shamfaste to vnclothe hyÌ„self sodainly he fonde hymself set ouer the ryuer on that other side of the ryuage / Therfore we oughte faythfully to byleue / that to Iuste and good men is noo thynge impossyble / ¶ Of saynt Pyamon whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Non auteÌ„ michi c. Caplm .xxxi. SAynt Iherom recouÌ„tyth in procedyÌ„ge ferder in this werke that this is not a thinge worthy neresonable that ony sholde eschewe or leue to wryte the faytes dedes of the holy faders dwellyÌ„ge in deserte nye the see Parthenie nye to a castell namyd Dyolcho whyche amonge the holy faders he sawe an holy man namyd Pyamon whiche had the yeft of all humylyte benygnytee of reuelacoÌ„n / ¶ On a time whan he sacrefysed to god he sawe an angell nye his awter holdynge a boke in whyche was wryten the names of some relygyouses assystent to his awter / some he wrote not / After the sacrefyce done he axed of theym of whom the names were not writen / But by theyr ansuere he fonde that they were all in dedely synÌ„e Thenne he admonested theym to duo contynuell penaunce / And he hymselfe also lyke as he had be culpable as they were· wepte waylled And contynued so longe and vnto the tyme that in callynge theim vnto the holy sacramente of thawter he knewe by the angel that he had wryten theym in the boke / that they had done penauÌ„ce agreable to god / ¶ A nother tyme he was beten of deuilles that he might not remeue fro the place / Thenne it happed that on a Sondaye that he hadd a custome to receyue his maker / he was constrayned to be horne of his bredern to thawter / Tofore whiche he lyeng flatte on therth / he sawe thangell the caughte his honde for to lyft hyÌ„ vp / forthw t he was hoole / ¶ Of an other holy fader that whiche was namyd IohnÌ„ begyÌ„nyng in latyn ¶ Erat in ipis locis / Caplm .xxxii. THere was in the places aforsayd an holy man namyd IohnÌ„ a nother than he of whom tofore is spoken· fulfylled with alle grace / EmoÌ„ge al other he had one suche that all they that went to hym of what trybulacyon they were trowbled by his worde in contynent they were coÌ„forted / with that he heelyd many persones of dyuers dyseses / And saynt Iherom sayth after al thyse hystoryes by hyÌ„ wreton that for doubte of grete peryllis dauÌ„gers whiche thenne were in the waye he durste not goo in to the hye regyon of Thebayde by Serene wherof
I was admynystred in the chyrche of saynt Iohan in Iherusalem / ¶ I praye the that thou dyspyse not my requeste / But doo as I haue sayde to the / ¶ Wyth this thou shalte saye to IohnÌ„ Abbot of thyne monasterye that there ben some thynges to be corrected in his chyrche and Abbaye the whyche I wol not tell to the now / ¶ But neuertheles thou shalte aduertyse hym to take hede to his Relygyouses / ¶ Thyse wordes sayd the goode woman retourned in to her caue and dwellynge place accustomed ¶ The good Zozimas retornyng to his monastery kyssed the grouÌ„de where as she hadde markyd / In praysynge god / And sayde non thynge alle that yere of that he hadde seen / ¶ For by cause he durste noo thynge saye / He enterteyned wyth his brethern whanne they were retourned from the Desertes after theyr custome / ¶ Alle the yere syghed Zozimas somoche desyre hadde he that it were passyd ¶ Whanne the tyme was come that the brethern sholde departe for to goo in to Deserte to make theyr fastynges as they hadde ben accustomyd / ¶ Zozimas was taken with a feuer / And therfore he abode in the monasterye / ¶ ThenÌ„e he remembred that she had sayde to hym whanne he wolde haue gone wyth the other he myghte not ¶ The daye of the Cene comen / And after that alle the brethern were retourned from Desertes / ¶ Zozimas in obeyenge that whyche that the goode lady saynt Marye Egypcyen hadde sayd to hym / ¶ He tooke a chalys and the precyous body and blood of oure Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And after he putte fygges and Dates in a lytyll panyer and in a lytyll potte potage wyth water / ¶ And soo wente forth as he hadde ben cauzâ—e vnto the rynage of the flom Iourdan / In abydynge the good woman Marye Egypcyen / ¶ And notwythstondyng that it was longe â—â— she came thyder / Yet Zozimas slepte not / Ferynge that she hadde ben there tofore his comynge / ¶ Wherfore he wepte and prayed god in sayenge / My god whyche haste wylled to yeue to me the grace to se this holy woman / I byseche the that it maye pleyse the to graunte to me agayn that I maye yet ones se her / ¶ And in prayenge and makynge hys orysons came to hym a nother fantasye / ¶ And after he sayd / Alas what shal I do whan she shall come / how shall she come ouer the Ryuer ¶ Alas I haue noo Boote to rowe her ouer / Alas that I am vnhappy / ¶ And thus sayenge the holy woman came and taryed on that other syde of the flom Iourdan / ¶ Whanne Zozimas sawe her he was replenisshed wyth Ioye and thanked god / Alwaye thynkynge how she myghte come ouer wychoute boote / ¶ And he beholdynge her what she dyde He sawe her make the sygne of the Crosse vppon the water / ¶ And after she beganne to walke vppon the water / In passynge ouer as stedfastly as she hadde walked vppon drye londe ¶ She beynge yet vppon the water sayd to Zozimas / What doost thou faynt fader whyche arte preest and seruaunte of god kepynge the holy thynges / ¶ And thus sayeng she came vnto the other ryuage of the flood where as was the holy man / Whom she salewed righte humbly / ¶ Thenne he answered I was soo admerueylled of this myracle that I was in maner of a aslepe / Now I knowe / that alwaye it is trouth that god saythe whyche hathe promysed to theym that puryfye theym by penaunce / That they ben agreable to hym ¶ Alas I knowe now / how well I be lasse in perfeccoÌ„n thanne they that ben in this place / ¶ And I helde me the moost perfyghte in my former monastery ¶ This done the holy Marye Egypcyen sayde to hym that he sholde begynne the Symbole Quicunque vult saluus esse et cetera ¶ After they sayde the orayson Domynycall / That is to saye the Pater noster / The whyche achyeued she kyssed the holy fader Zozimas / ¶ And after receyued the holy sacrament of the aulter her maker and â—â—res / ¶ And after lyfte vppe her hondes to heuen and sayde / ¶ O my god suffre now thy honde mayde and poore seruaunte in peas after thy worde / ¶ For myn eyen hathe seen thy helthe ¶ After she sayd to Zozimas Goo now in to thy monasterye and lyue in peas wyth god / ¶ And whanne this yere shall be passed thou shalte come agayne vnto the lytyll Broke where I fyrste spake to the / And yet thou shalte see me agayne yf it playse to my god / ¶ Zozimas answered / Wolde god that I myghte alwaye be wyth the / ¶ My moder I praye the that thou mote ete a lytyll of the mete that I haue broughte to the / ¶ Thenne she toke thre graynes of his LeÌ„tylle and put it in her mouthe sayenge / ¶ It suffyseth to haue the grace of the holy ghost for to susteyne the soule vndefoylled of synne / ¶ Thenne sayde Zozimas pray for me / And remembre myn Infelycyte / ¶ Zozimas tooke her by the fete in prayenge her that she wolde haue the state of the poore synnars and hymself for recommended / ¶ Thyse thynges thus done the good woman made the sygne of the Crosse vppon flom Iourdan and went vppon the water as she dyde tofore / ¶ Zozimas dredefull and Ioyeous retourned agayn in to his monasterye / ¶ But he was dysplaysed by cause he hadde not asked her name / ¶ The yere passed he came agayne in to the place afore sayde / ¶ And byholdynge on alle sydes yf he myghte se her ¶ But he cowde fyude none apparaunce nor knowlege ¶ And lyftynge vppe his eyen to henen made his prayer sayenge / ¶ O my god playsyth it that to shewe to me the Aungell to whom alle the worlde is not worthy to be compared or lykened / ¶ And thyse wordes thus proferred and vttred / he saw ouer the sayde broke a clerenesse shynyng as the sonne / ¶ Vnder whyche bryghtnes laye deed the body of the holy Egypcyen / Hauynge the face towarde the Eest And her hondes Ioyned vppon her breste / Thenne Zozimas aroos and wente vnto the sayde body / ¶ By whyche he wepte a longe whyle / wasshynge her fete wyth his teeres wythout towchynge ony other parte of her body / ¶ Thynkynge in hyÌ„selfe that he was not worthy to towche her / ¶ But by the prouydence of god he founde a letter in whyche was wreton this that folowyth / ¶ Fader Zozimas putte in sepulture the poore body of Marye Egypcyen To the ende that in soo dooynge thou rendre to the erthe that whiche is hys / And poulder to poulder / in prayenge god for my soule / ¶ Zozimas was moche admerueylled In thynkynge how thyse lettres hadde ben wreten / Neuerthelesse he reioyced hym of that he knewe her name / And praysed and
Basylle thou doost me grete wroÌ„ge / for this synnar is come to me not I to hym / He hath forsake his Creatour in my presence / therof he hath gyue to me his writynge wyth his honde wryten for a wytnesse of the same / the whyche wrytyng I goo present byfore the euerlastyÌ„g Iuge / ¶ Saynt Basylle thenÌ„e sayd to the deuyll / Blessyd be god / My people shall neuer ceasse to praye / nor shal not brynge downe theyr hondes whiche are heued vpward to heuen tyll that thou haste gyuen ayen the sayd wrytynge vnto this poore synnar / ¶ Alle this noble assemble made after more deuowte prayers than afore had done / And ceassed not tyll that the sayde wrytynge was taken in to the hondes of the sayde holy man / The whyche after the receyuynge of it he yelded graces vnto god / And sayd to the synÌ„aâ— byfore all the peple that was there / ¶ My broder knowest not thou this letter / He answerde ye / And that it was wryten with his owne honde / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Basille brake it in peces and brought him to the chirche for to make Confessyon / Whyche thynge done he Receyued his Creatour / And after sente-hym home agayn vnto his his wyfe / The whiche of his grete grace she thanked deuowtly our lorde / ¶ Of a woman to whom her sinÌ„es were forgyuen by the prayer of saynt Basylle / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Mulier quidaÌ„ c. Caplm C.lxiiii A Woman ryche noble full of the vanitees of the world· vsed euyll of her facultees / For she was prodyge lecherous / Soo that in all maner of her dedes she was vnagreable to god / And as a sowe dooth laye herself in a fowle putdel soo was thys woman wrapped in all fylthe vncleÌ„nesse of flesshe ¶ And somtyme by a syÌ„guler grace that god gaaf her she alone to herself made knowlege of the grete multytude of her synnes and in wepynge sayd to god / Alas my Redemer I that am a poore synnar how shall I make satysfaccoÌ„n towardes the of my synnes / I oughte for to be the temple of the holy ghost / And by my synnes I haue defoylled hurte my soule / I am the moost vnhappy of all the worlde / I byleue not that euer ony woman syn her Crystendom dyde soo synÌ„e gretely / and soo abhomynable as I haue done ¶ Alacke how shall I mow be in certayn that god woll receyue my penaunce ¶ And whan she had well bethoughte herselfe vpon her byfall / God Inspyred her to thyÌ„ke vpon the grete euylles and synnes that she had sinned and done syn her yongthe vnto her olde aege And theym she broughte in mynde wrote in a rolle / And this done / she sealed theym vnder leed / And after purposed whan saynt Basylle sholde come to the chirche for to syÌ„ge masse that she sholde delyuer he Rolle vnto hym / ¶ The whyche thynge she dyde soo in cryenge wych an hyghe voys / ¶ O holy man and seruauÌ„te of god haue pyte of me moost wretched of all other synnars / ¶ Saynt Basylle askyd her the cause of her wayllynge / and she answered / Alas my lorde I haue wryten in this Rolle all my mysdedes and wyckydnesse / I byseche the that thou wolt not loke vpon theim / But vouchesauf to doo soo moche for me by thy prayers towarde god / That they maye be forgyuen to me / ¶ I wote wel that he that hathe gyuen me vnderstondynge and wyll for to knowe theim / shall enhaunse the prayer that thou shalt make for me in this byfalfe / ¶ Therfore I byseche the socour me now at my grete nede / ¶ The holy man toke the rolle of her / And heued his hondes vp towarde heuen sayenge / ¶ O my god it aperteynyth thy dygnytee for to doo that this poore synfull woman askith / thou mayste putt and enrase oute wythin a moment alle the synnes of the worlde / ¶ I byseche the mekely for her / All oure synnes are in a certayne nombre byfore thy mageste / ¶ But thy mercy is wythoute ende / ¶ His prayer thus done / he sette the Rolle vpon the awter / And there the holy man abode prayenge god a daye and a nyghte contynuelly / ¶ The nexte morowe he called vnto hym the sayd woman in presence of some clerkes and sayd to her / ¶ WomaÌ„ thou knowest well that thy synne can not be pardonned· but by the power of god the whyche answerde / ¶ Holy fader I by leue that that thou sayst / And therfor I by seche mekely that it woll playse the to be myn helper towarde him ¶ ThenÌ„e the rolle was opened at openynge of it· It was founde that all her synÌ„es were to her foryeuen except do grete synÌ„e whiche was not enrased nor putt oute ¶ The pore woman was sore heuy dyscoÌ„forted felle to the fete of the holy maÌ„ cried / O maÌ„ of god haue pite vppon me and lyke as thou haste prayed for all my synes Yet ayen pray for me towarde god that this synÌ„e maye be also pardonÌ„ed to me / ¶ Saynt Basylle began to wepe sayde to the woman / My frende stonde vpp I haue as grete nede of pardonÌ„e as thiself / For I am a synÌ„er / He that hath put out thyn other syÌ„nes may emase the same whyche is lefte behynde / And therfore yf in tyme comynge thou kepe the coÌ„maundements of god He shall not only forgyue the this lyue / But wythall he shall gyue the the lyf eternall in euerlasting blysse / Thou shall goo in to the Hermytage where a man is namyd Effrem to whom thou shalt take thy rolle And Ieâ—â—st in god that by his prayers thou shalt be delyuerd of the same synne and shalt haue of it a full absolucoÌ„n to the saluacoÌ„n of thy soule / ¶ The woman walked solonge thrugh the wyldernesse that she fonde the holy man Effrem Soo begane she to knocke att his doâ—e cryenge ¶ O holy man of god haue pite of me / Effrem that bi the knowlege of god knewe the cause why she was come answerde vnto her / ¶ Woman goo thou thâ— way for I am a synnar as the arte / Wherby I haue nede of the mercy of god as thou hast / The woman thenÌ„e cast to hym her rolle sayeng / O holy fader the bisshop Basylle sendeth me to the. gyuynge to me a hope that thurgh thy prayers the greetest of my synnes shall be foryeuen vnto me ¶ Effrem sayd vnto her / Naye my doughter naye / He that by his prayers hathe gote remyssyon of thin other synÌ„es may yet do that the same synÌ„e for that whiche thou comest toward me shall be pardonÌ„ed vnto the / ¶ Torne ayen lyghtly towarde him to the ende that thou mayst speke wyth hym byfore his deth / The woman retorned anone / But whaÌ„ she entred in Cezaree the
all thynges ¶ An other brother wente often for to vysyte and to see a holy fader a veray olde man of whome he sâ—ale his brede ¶ The holy man supposyng that this other hadde nede of it repreued hym not therfor wherof it happed that this olde fader falle in soo grete necessyte / that he hadde noo brede atte all for to ete Fynally tendynge to dethwarde / and seeyng that his laste daye drewe nyghe / he sente for the theef that so often hadde robbed hym afore that / and kyst his handes sayeng ¶ Blessyd be thy handes / for by them I truste for to come in paradyse ¶ After the same tyme the theef ledde a holy lyfe and was parfyte in vertuouse werkes and in all his dedes ¶ The abbot Agathon proceded in al his dedes by souerayne prudence / and as well in werkynge and labourynge with his handes / as also in vestymentes / and in all other thynges he kepte the myddell assyse ¶ His vestymentes were suche that they neuer appyered nother to good no to badde ¶ Yre or wrath after that a holy fader sayth begynneth by four thynges The fyrst by inordynat apetyte to gyue / and by brennyng couetyse to take The seconde when one is obstynate in his opynyon The thyrde when men desyre to be honoured And the fourthe when one thynketh hymself more wyse than all other / wherby he wyll here a rule amonge them ¶ Yre also by four maners blyndeth the wytte of man Fyrst when one oweth ylle wyll to his neyghbour Secondely when he hathe an enuye of the honours goodes that his neyghbour hathe Thyrdly when men take debate for a thynge of nought The fourth maner is when men â—acbyte his euen crysten ¶ And to the contrarye by four maners / men maye resyste to the passions that moeue a man to yre Fyrst where as men can not resyste / but that yre shall entre in to the herte / whiche is the fyrst thynge where of men ought to beware / they muste eschewe it and kepe that it come not vnto the face / yf the vysage makeh ony shewe therof / thenne must the tonge be refrayned that she speke nother Iniurye nor blame / and yf the tonge by grete passyon of yre prononceth ony rygorouse worde / men ought to beware that after that they procede not to the waye of the dede ¶ Thre degrees are amonge the men that touche to the passyon named Yre The fyrste is when some man endureth pacyently all Iniuryes / he forgyueth lyghtly the persone that sayth euyll by hym And this man foloweth the nature of Ihesu Cryste The seconde when a man wyll not Iniurye no bodye / also he wyll not be Iniuryed And this man is of the kynde of Adam And the thyrde when a man Iniuryeth hyndreth an other bodye / and the same is of the nature of the deuyll ¶ A Relygyouse was some tyme Iniuryed of an other / wherfore he wente vnto the abbot Sysonyen for to complayne hym of the sayd Iniurye that had be done to hym ¶ And how well that the sayde abbot shewed vnto hym that for the loue of god he ought to forbere lyghtly the sayd Iniurye / prayeng hym that he sholde do soo puttynge the vengaunce in the hande of god / neuerthelesse he wolde not therof / wherfore the abbot seeyng his obstynate mynde / desyred hym to praye god with hym that he wolde take a waye from hyÌ„ this wycked obstynacyon ¶ Syn after this abbot made suche an oryson vnto our lord sayeng O my god haue pyte of the Indygnacyon of this brother here For it semeth to hyÌ„ by his wordes / that we haue nought to do of thy helpe / for as moche that he sayth that of hymselfe by his myght he can be auenged ¶ Thenne the brother herynge his prayer / kneled donne before the sayd abbot cryed hym mercy ¶ An other in lykewyse coÌ„playned hym to the sayd abbot of certayne Iniurye that was done to hym ¶ And he tolde him that he sholde take it pacyently that a man is neuer Iniuryed / but onely for his synnes / therfore we ought to answere to them that speke ony harme ayenst vs. My frende it is for my synnes that thou spekest soo many Iniuryes towarde me for to correcte me / wherfore I thanke the. ¶ The abbot Poemen sayd to his dyscyples ¶ My brethern I praye you for your synguler saluacoÌ„n the malyce ouercome neuer your wyll / but when ony bodye shall do to you ony euyll / yelde hym good there ayenst / to th ende that by doynge of good ye ouercome the euyll ¶ To this purpose is reherced of a relygyouse the more that he was spoken ylle the gladder he was for it saynge They that Iniurye vs are cause of our perfeccyon / alwayes prouyded that we haue good pacyence / but they that speke to vs fayre wordes and swete as done flaterers / they are vnto vs the cause of our losse ¶ For it is wryten / who that shall blesse you / certaynly he shall deceyue you ¶ An other aeged holy fader was somtyme the whiche when ony of his neyghebours hadde done to hym ony Iniurye / he hasted hym selfe as moche as he coude to rewarde theym with some good therfore ¶ And yf the persone that soo hadde Iniuryed hym / was dwellyng ferre from hym / he sente vnto hym some gyftes ¶ An other wente for to haue couseyll of the abbot Sysonyn / yf ony theues cam in his house that wolde slee hym / that he were of the stronger syde / to wytte yf he sholde put hymselfe ayenst them for to slee them or noo Wherat the abbot answered that he sholde kept hym well therfro / but sholde late god doo For what soeuer happeth to vs / it is for the punycyon of our synnes ¶ So ought we to gyue all vnto the godly dysposyng of Ihesu cryste ¶ To this purpose it is founde / that certayne theues wente towarde a holy hermyte / forced them for to doo hym harme by vyolence ¶ The whiche hermyte for to eschewe theyr euyll entent began to crye ¶ And thenne the other hermytes his neyghbours ranne to his socours toke the sayd theues / sente them to the offycers of the Iustyce / the whiche kepte them longe in pryson ¶ The relygyouses that were therof enformed were wonderfully wroth that they were not otherwyse punysshed ¶ So wente they to the abbot Poemen shewed hym the caas ¶ This abbot wrote vnto the hermyte in rebukyng hym that he had not with hym the vertue of suffrauÌ„ce ¶ The hermyte for bycause of this was long tyme in his celle or lytyll house that he wente not out of it And fynably beyng sory of the longe emprysonement of the sayd theues he wente to the pryson / openly delyuered them out of the same ¶ The dyscyple of a phylosopher / for certayne offense by him made moeued
vitas patrum ¶ Here foloweth the right deuoute / moche lowable / recoÌ„mendable lyff of the olde Auncyent holy faders hermytes / late translated out of latyn in to frenshe / and dylygently corrected in the cyte of lyon / the yere of our lord M. CCCC lxxxvi vpon that whiche hath be wryten and also translated out of Greke in to Latyn / by the blessyd holy saynt Saynt Ierome right deuoute approued doctour of the chirche / other solytarye relygyouse persones after hyÌ„ And after in the yere of our lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxi reduced in to Englysshe folowyng the copye / alwaye vnder correccyon of doctours of the chirche ¶ The Prologue of the translatour FOr as moche as dayly amonge the Infenyte multytude of mortall people / is seen but fewe of theym that lyue vertuously And the contrarye many in grete nombre lyuen voluptuously / and in that maner passen forth theyr tyme. This consyderyng I haue holden reputed And yet repute holde well happy theym amonge other / whiche of our souerayn lorde and god Ihesu cryste maker conduytour of all thynges / haue obteyned that synguler grace that they may verytably saye that they haue lyued vertuously And that I see some to happen in our tyme the whiche by theyr mellyflue swete eloquence haue admynystred helthfull doctryne / by the moyen of theyr excellent bokes in latyn And other whiche haue wryten translated to our prouffyte and vnderstondyng / wherof in so dooyng they hâ—â—e meryted deserued to be gretely thanked recoÌ„maunded The whiche thyng I byleue hath not ben ouer dyffycyle ne harde to do / seen the sublymyte hyenes of theyr sharp vnderstondyng the fructuouse instruccoÌ„n whiche they haue had in lettres greke latyn By the ayde of whom they haue goten the souerayne manere well to persuade saye But I whiche in ony scyence am not suffycyentely Instructe And also I haue not in me ony begynnyng of eloquence / fynde my self all affrayed / doubtyng to be repreued of ouer hardy presumpcoÌ„n to haue soo indyscretely entreprysed the translacoÌ„n of this presente werke Neuertheles reducyng to remembrauÌ„ce the prouerbe of the ê“phete sayeng / that fortune helpeth the hardy / haue in my selfe Iuged to be a thyng lycyte and resonable / to tempte assaye yf to the vtylyte comyn prouffyte I myght make ony werke By the whiche yf I haue not vertuously lyued / atte leste I may saye that I haue not alwaye passed my tyme vnprouffytably And by this consyderacoÌ„n also / that I see but lytyll or fewe persones applye theym to lede solytary lyfe / I haue entreprysed to translate out of latyn in to the Frensshe tongue the right deuoute solytary lyfe of the auÌ„cyent or olde holy faders hermytes somtyme dwellyng / as well in the grete desertes of Egypte / of Thebayde / of Mesopotamye / as in other places / vpon whiche haue wryten Saynt Ierome / the moche auctorysed doctour of holy chirche / some other reuerende faders after hym And how well that I suppose that this werke ought not to be agreable to the redars by reason of the fayr ornate langage / wherin is none Neuertheles I byleue that many that shal see the grete penauÌ„ces / meruayllous straytnes of lyuynge / in whiche haue perseuered all theyr lyfe the sayd holy faders togydre / the fayr helthfull example that ben therin conteyned / shal employe gladly a parte of theyr tyme to rede or to here it redde And further more by cause that I doubte not / that many that shall see this boke / shal mowe verytably saye / that I haue not well elygantely ne dyrectely wryten in this present translacyon I mekely beseche theym that they take no regarde to the defaultes mepcoÌ„ns that they shall fynde But that they consyder that my lytyll â—eble engyne hath mowe here in it dooyng For my regarde or affeccyon hath not be to employe my selfe for to receyue ony temporel prouffyte or thanke / but oonly to th ende to do thynge the some may fynde prouffyte therby Or that they that can do better / that it please theym to correcte and amende / be it in augmentyng or dymynysshyng / lyke as they shall see to be doon And vnder this confydence I calle fyrste the ayde of the holy ghoost / by whoo 's helpe I shall begynne the declaracoÌ„n of the chapytres of this present boke And after I shall procede to the translacyon of the prologue And consequently of all the boke / as if shall be seen by eche partye of the same ¶ Here foloweth the declaracoÌ„n of the table of the chapytres of this present volume conteynyng in it four partyes In the fyrste of whome ben the chappytres here after declared ¶ Prologue of saynt Iherom ¶ Of saynt Iohan the hermyte / whiche begynneth in latyn PrimuÌ„ igitur Caplm primuÌ„ ¶ Of the lyfe dedes of an holy abbot named Hor. To whom by grace dyuyne was shewed the yefte of scyence of holy scrypture / begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium Caplm .ij. ¶ Of saynt AmÌ„on abbot of thre thousande monkes / begynneth in latyn Vidimus auteÌ„ Caplm .iij. ¶ Of saynt Benon abbot ledyng an angelles lyfe / begynnyng vidimus et alium Caplm .iiij. ¶ Of the cyte of Exâ—rynque / in the whiche dwelled neuer heretyke / begynnyng Vidimus auteÌ„ Caplm .v. ¶ Of saynt Theon whiche was .xxx. yere without spekynge / begynneth Vidimus aliuÌ„ Caplm .vi. ¶ Of saynt Appolonyen confessour of his vertues / begynnyng Vidimus et alium Caplm .vij. ¶ Of saynt Ammon thermyte / whiche slewe a dragon / coÌ„uerted the theues / begynneth in latyn Que audiuimus Caplm .viij. ¶ Of saynt Coprett preest heremyte and begynneth in latyn Erat quidaÌ„ Caplm .ix. ¶ Of saynt Cyr. Ysaye Paule / whiche begyÌ„neth Adhebat adhuc Caplm x. ¶ Of saynt Helayn whiche begyÌ„neth in latyn Fuit aliê° vir Caplm .xi. ¶ Of saynt Helye whiche begynneth Vidimê° aliuÌ„ senem Caplm .xij. ¶ Of saynt Pithuyon / whiche begynneth RedeuÌ„tes Caplm .xiij. ¶ Of saynt Eulogyon / whiche begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium c. Caplm .xiiij ¶ Of saynt Appellen / and begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium presbiteruÌ„ Caplm .xv. ¶ Of saynt Paphunce / begynneth in latyn Vidimus et aliuÌ„ monasteriuÌ„ Caplm .xvi. ¶ Of the monastery of saynt Ysydoee begynnynge in latyn Vidimus apud Thebaida Caplm .xvij ¶ Of saynt Serapyon abbot / whiche begynneth in latyn Sed in regione Caplm .xviij ¶ Of saynt Apolonyon Relygyous martyr / begynnyng in latyn Tradebant ergo Caplm .xix. ¶ Of saynt Dioscore abbot begynÌ„yng Vidimus aliuÌ„ Caplm .xx. ¶ Of the monasteryes of Nitrye / begyÌ„neth in latyn Venimus Caplm .xxi. ¶ Of a nother place callyd Cecylya begynneth in latyn Post hunc vero Caplm .xxij ¶ Of saynt Ammonyon abbot
of charyte of humylyte / begynnyng in latyn Certissime Caplm .ij. ¶ Of the vertue of contynence Capitulum .iij. ¶ Of the contynence of the syght Caplm .iiij. ¶ Of contynence of speche Caplm .v. ¶ How â—yle clothyng ought to be desyred Caplm .vi. ¶ How alle thynges ought to be doon by reason mesure Caplm .vij. ¶ Of the we le of conpunccoÌ„n whiche pryncypally cometh for a man to mortefye hym selfe Caplm .viij. ¶ Of the qualyte of conpunccyon Capitulum .ix. ¶ Of the maner to praye to god our maker Caplm .x. ¶ Of the bataylle of vyces ayenst the vertues Caplm .xi. ¶ Of the affeccyon for the studye well Caplm .xij. ¶ How one ought pacyently to endure the aduersytees and maladyes Capitulum .xiij. ¶ Here foloweth thystorye of Theododosius of whom is spoken in the chapytre to fore Caplm .xiiij. ¶ How one ought gladly rede the scriptures / begynnyn in latyn Sanctarum c. Caplm .xv. ¶ Of the yefte of peas / begynnynge in latyn Saluator et cetera Capitulum .xvi. ¶ Of the Epystle of saynt Macharye to the monkes / whiche begynnyth in latyn In primis c. Caplm .xvij ¶ Here endyth the Table of this present volume called in latyn Vitas patrum / that is the lyfe of olde auncyent faders ¶ Explicit ¶ Here foloweth the fyrste parte ¶ Prologue of saynt Iheroâ— BLessyd be god our souerayn creatour dyrectour Infallyble Whyche woll that all mankynde sholde be sauyd and come to the perfyghte knowlege of trouche / Whyche also to vs hath adressyd our way for to goo in to Egypte / Where we haue seen grete thynges merueylloê° terryble and profytable to theym that in tyme comyng maye come to the knowlege of theym / And the whiche thynges ben not to vs allonely cause of the sechynge of oure helthe but also they haue giue to vs occasyon and matere for to wryte hystory right couenable to doctryne of pyte / The whiche doctryne by the fayth of thynges passed and tolde in the same / shall shewe waye ryght ample large to theim that woll walke therin And how wel that we ben not couenable ne luffisaunt to telle recompte soo grete thynges / And is seen not to be thynge dygne ne worthy that folke of lytyl capacyte oughte to entremete to recyte in theyr soo lytyll feble style suche hystoryes whiche consiste in the excersyte of right hye vertues / Nevertheles bi cause that the feruente charytee of the fretes dwellynge in the holy mountayne of Olyuete / haue ofte tymes requyred vs to wryte to theym and explyke the lyues of holy Heremytes and religyouses resydent in the desertes of Egypte the yâ— grete vertues verkes of pytee And the merueyllous strengthe of theyr abstynences whiche we manyfestly haue seen Hopynge to be holpynge in thys matere by the right holy and deuowte prayers orysons of the layd requyters The whyche ben to vs in stede of commauÌ„dement haue entreprysed this werke / In whiche we desyre not somoche the laude of the style as we hope the edyficacyon in tyme comynge of theym that shall rede this history / By this the eche of theim enflamÌ„ed by thexamples that herin ben conteyned shall be moeued excyted to haue errour of the wicked ordures fylthes vayn labours of this worlde· and to excyte hym to reste of conscyence and to the werkes of pyte / Thenne maye we saye thus saythe the noble clerke saynt Iherom in spekynge of the sayd holy deuoute relygyous of Egypte whiche we haue seen And verely haue seen the noble tresour of Ihesu Cryste hydde in vessels humayn / The whyche tresour after we had founde it haue not wylled as enuyouse to hyde ne couere it but the same soo founde to the vtilyte profyte of many / we haue wyll to manyfeste make comyn / Veritably acertayned that of soo moche that many shall be therby enrychyd of so moche more shall they mow haue grete mede meryte / ¶ Thenne at begynnyng of this narracoÌ„n we supplye ryght humbly to our worthy sauy our Ihesu Cryste that his prompt grace maye be to vs presented in vertue of the whiche the same werkes of pyte haue ben doon by the sayd relygyouses of Egypte / Ferthermore we haue seen in the sayd countree of Egypte many holy faders lyuynge in erthe not the lyfe humayne but heuenly lyf as newe prophetes reysed for to shewe thynges for to come· Soo moche were they full of vertues / In the whiche was all efficace of verytee as well for to bere wytnesse of the merytes as for to doo myracles / And noo thynge wythout cause hadde they suche prerogatyf of god / For he that in all contempnyth or despisyth the worlde· and all his alyauÌ„ce / Wherfore sholde he not haue myght puyssauÌ„ce celestyall dyuyne / We haue seen also somÌ„ other the whyche were soo ygnoraunte of malyce that they knewe not that ony euyll were done in the worlde ne also what synne was / But they were all vtterly Inculpable / In theym was so grete tranquylyte of courage vertue / and soo extreme affeccoÌ„n of bouÌ„te that not wythoute cause myghte be sayde to theym / Pees be habundantly to the very louers of the name of Ihesu Cryste / They dwelled in deserte dispersed separate that one fro that other in diuerse â—elles lytyll howses / But by very â—harite were they ensembled alâ—ed vnyed / And the reyson for whiche they were separate was this / By cause that by ydle wyndes vnprofitable walkyng in theyr vrages or by comynycacyons not truytfull theyr dyuyne holy contemplacön of that one or of that other be truwbled or letted / And wyth al theyr herte and as ententyf to theyr deuocyon in theyr secrete places fro daye to daye they abode the comynge of Ihesu Cryste that is to saye the dethe In the whyche eâ—he one shall be Iudged after his merytes / And there lyke as very knyghtes armyd of all pyeces of hameys abode the aduersary of all mankynde the fende of helle / They had no manere solyeytude ne besynesse of the lyfe naturell ne of bodyly necessytees consyderynge the grete promyse charytable of our redemer / by that whiche he promysyth to all theym that by very Iustyce wyth all theyr herte shall take payn to gete the reame of heuen· that they shall haue no nede ne necessyte / And for this consyderacoÌ„n many amonge hem whaÌ„ they had ony necessytees they retorned to god· as to the very conduytour infallyble of theym that renne to hym And anone they haue that whyche they demaunde / Some of theym went vppon the water lyke to saynt Peter / Some of theym with theyr hondes sleâ—ve and put to dethe horryble bestes for to see And they dyde not oonly suche myracles but other Infynyte / And suche as by the prophetes appostles had be done / Thenne it is to byleue that syth the tyme the world
heede of al synÌ„e ye shall resyste all vyces / for who resystith the herde he may lyghtly resyst gainsay the meÌ„bres / Wyth this he exhorted hem to vaynquisshe eche other / in surmouÌ„tyng eueryche his broder in vertues / For he say de the eueryche ought to desire to be more perfyte than his neyzbour also he sayd that the man is more perfyte in vertues that is not subdued ne vaynquysshed by worldly teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns for to resyst the sinnes fowle wylles is the begynÌ„yng of the yeftes of god / And after he sayd to hem yf ony of you do ony myracle / therefor he ouÈte not to glorifye hyÌ„self ne to repute hyÌ„ more worthi than his felowes / Also he ouÈte not shew to the peple the god hath gyue to hyÌ„ suche grace For otherwyse he seduceth deceyuyth hyÌ„selfe lesith his reward / yf the sayd holy man had excellent grace in doctryne yet more grete had he in operacoÌ„ns Al that he demauÌ„ded of god was to him acorded grauÌ„ted wyth this many reuelacoÌ„ns were shewed to him ¶ Amonge the whiche of one of his felowes wyth whom he had longe tyme vsyd his lyf was shewed to hym that he was in heuen in the sete of thapostles in lyke glori A nother tyme he prayeÌ„g for hyÌ„self to god that it wolde pleyse hym tabrdge his dayes to brynge hym in to the reame of heuen God shewed to him that he sholde be yet a lytyll tyme in the world for to be an exaÌ„ple of vertues to many other hermytes whiche by him shold be enformyd in holy coÌ„uersacoÌ„n as it was shewed to hym so it happed / For after that came to hym many hermytes fro dyuers places couÌ„trees whiche ensewyd hym in doctryne in vertues in suche wyse the many renounced the world for to folowe him made a monastery in the sayd mouÌ„tain wher as they lad a lyfe comyn / And those religyoê° men wer clene of body of soule notwythstondyng that they were in Egypt where as habounded synÌ„e malyce Yet were they vertuoê° reputed as angels / And therby is verefyed the sayeng of thapostles sayeng that where as habouÌ„dith synÌ„e there also habouÌ„deth grace Now ouÈt to be noted that thabycauÌ„ts of the sayde Egipte by theyr grete ydolatry worshiped the oxen by cause they laboured the feldes by whiche they lyued / also they worshypped the water of the ryuer of Nyle by cause it watred aroused the regyons of Egypte / In lyke wyse they adoured the erth as the moost fertyle of all other the dogges also apes dyuerse herbes / And the reyson whi moued heÌ„ so to doo was by cause they sayde that the dyuers ocupacoÌ„ns that they had somÌ„ to ere the londe other to nouryssh her dogges apes other to plante herbes / so of other operacoÌ„ns had be cause that they in besines had be lett empesshed that they went not wyth Pharao were not drowned wyth hym whan he entred in to the reed see wenynge to haue persecuted the chyldner of Israel whyche had happened to them yf they had not be taryed by the moyen of the sayd operacoÌ„ns / And for asmoche as that hadd be cause of her preseruacoÌ„n helth they worshypped hem as godes / After this the afore is writen of the doctryne of the holi man now resteth to-see of his werkes operacoÌ„ns ¶ ThenÌ„e it is to be noted that amonge his other werkes he saw in a temple of a cyte nyghe by his hermytage an ydolle· whyche soÌ„tyme was by prestes other peple born in processyon for to obteyne vberte habuÌ„dance of rayne / The whiche thyng seenge the holy man moued wyth pyte made his prayed to god for to take this foule creauÌ„ce mysbyleue fro theim His prayer soo made they their ydoll abode all vnmouable in suche wyse that they myght not moue ne go froward ne backeward / And were there all that day with out departyng frothens / in suffrynge susteynynge the brenÌ„ynge of the sonÌ„e / ThenÌ„e the preestes sayd that the orysons prayers of the holy cristen man that dwelled there by theyr cyte namyd Apolonyus was cause that they myght not moeuene depart thens / And yf they were not loâ—ourd by him they sholde longe tyme tary abyde there / And thenÌ„e some of theim sayd that it myght well be trouthe by cause that thenÌ„e he passed forthe by Neuerthelesse they brought many oxen wenynge for to moue thydoll but they cowde not make hym for to depart fro the place fynably they sent to the holy man promysed hy that yf he wolde delyuer theim fro the payne in whyche they were they shold renouÌ„ce theyr goddes byleue in IhuÌ„ cryst / ThenÌ„e camÌ„ the holy man to theim made his prayer the whyche made they were all delyuerd fro theyr trybulacoÌ„n / And for this miracle some of theim abode wyth hyÌ„ in his hermytage other went in diuerse places shewyng publysshynge this myracle by cause wherof they coÌ„uerted heÌ„ to the crysten fayth / And anone but ryght fewe dwelled in that regron / but they were coÌ„uerted to the fayth ¶ A nother myracle worthy to be remembred dyde the sayd holy man as here folowyth / Two townes on a tyme had war one ayenst a nother bi cause of the bouÌ„des lymytes of theyr londes of whyche that one was crysten that other paynym / By cause of this dyuysion were assembled of that one part that other man / men of warre The whyche thyÌ„ge seenge the holy man was moued by charyte enforced hym tacorde appese them togider / ThenÌ„e one whiche was namyd for cheif of the sayd paynyms / cause of the warr sayd that neuer he wolde acorde vnto the deth / The holy man answerde thenÌ„e be it soo in suche wyse as the demauÌ„dest / None shall deye but thyself thou shalt haue sepulture suche as aperteyneth to the / For thou shalt be buryed in the belyes of bestes byrdes so it befell / For he was fouÌ„de dede alone vpon therth all detrenched deuoured with bestes· all thother wer abasshed how the worde of the holy maÌ„ was soo verytable / And for that cause they began to drede the god of the holy man were alle coÌ„uerted to the crysten fayth leuynge their ydolatrye / ¶ Now shal we speke of a nother myracle whiche he dyde at the begynÌ„ynge whan he rendred hyÌ„selfe in to a cauern or caue wyth certayne bredern / In an holy daye of Ester he beynge at the table wyth his bredern after the seruyce acoÌ„plisshed in stede of delycate mete he hadd a lytyll drie brede wortes of chool made with a lytyll salte onÌ„ly / And the seenge the homan sayd / yf we ben the true seruauÌ„tes of god haue very fayth we shall opteyne bi our prayers / that whiche we desyre to ete in this holy soleÌ„pnyte / TheÌ„ne the
holy sacramente of the awter / But the holy man seenge that it was the deuyll sayde to hym / ¶ O cursyd deuyll why cessest thou not to trowble the deuoute soules / How arte thou soo hardy to play Iape with the holy sacrament of thawter / The deuyll answerd that he supposyd to haue dysceyued hym as he hadd done a nother / The whyche after that he had obeyed to hym he became folysshe and oute of wytte / In suche wyse that with payne and vnethe many holy men myght by prayers and orysons reduce hym agayn vnto his place to his former helth / And whan the deuyll had sayd soo he vanisshed away fro the holy man ¶ Of whom it is radd that by ouer longe beynge in prayer his poor fete whyche were contynuelly in reste were broken roten / And after that he had done this penaunce by the space of thre yeere thangell apperyd to hym said / God hath receyued thi orysons prayers / And sendyth to the worde that all thy soores shall be heelyd guarysshed / Thenne the angell towched hym by the mouth by the teeth· and IncoÌ„tyuent he was all hoole guarysshyd / of al his soores and replenysshed wyth scyence wyth all graces in suche wyse that he neuer after hadde hungre ne thurste / ¶ Thangell coÌ„maunded hym after that he shold goo to other places visytynge his bredern for to comfort theym and tenseyne teche to them holy doctryne ¶ And on a tyme it happed that a man crokebacked came to him to the ende that he myghte recouere helthe / wolde mount vpon a mare for to ryde thyder / the whyche was gyrde wyth one cengle whyche the holy man had made / For gladly euery daye in the weke â—auf the Sandaye he made cengles / coueryÌ„ges of leues of palme wouen after the custome of the countree / And so as the sayd crokebacked was mouÌ„ted on the mare he was forthwyth all hoole / by cause his fete had towched the sayd cengle ¶ The holy man was of so grete meryte vertue / that whan he sente to ony seke people of the brede whyche he had blessed wyth his honde / Yf they ete therof / they were heelyd of all maladyes and sykenesses ¶ He had also this grace that he knewe all the thoughtes of his bredern / And Incontynent wrote to ther faders and abbottes how there some ruled theym in synnes vncleÌ„nesse / And other prouffyted in scyence and vertues / Some were inpacyente sette noughte by theyr bredern / The other were constaunt and in charyte / ¶ He preched to vs to torne our eyen fro thynges transytory and to fyxe theym in goodes in fallyble eternall / ¶ Also sayd the holy fader that is of necessite to a man to haue courage manly or vyrile in leuynge the maners condycyons of euyll chyldren whyche of theyr nature ben vicyous variable and in constaunt / ¶ Of saynt Paphunce / and begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Vidimus et alium monasterium / Caplm xvi SAynt Iherom writith of a monastery after where in was an holy heremyte named PaphuÌ„ce strongly renoÌ„med emonge thermites of the desertes / He had dwellyd in thut terest or last desertes of Heracleos a cyte renoÌ„med in Thebayde / of whom saynt Iherom sayth That on a tyme he prayed god that he wolde shew to whom of the sayntes of heuen he sholde be lyke or semblable / Thangell of god answerde to hym that he sholde be lyke to a player vpon a symphonye the whiche by the stretes sought his lyuynge in syÌ„gynge / ThenÌ„e he was moche abasshed of thanswere went forth IncontyneÌ„t for to seche hym where he myght fynde hym / Whan he had fonde hym / he asked by of his lyf of his workes / And he recounted to hyÌ„ how he had alwaye lyued symply in coÌ„misynge many theftes other synnes / Paphunce yet asked hym more feâ—der yf in doynge those theftes he had euer done ony operacyon or werke vertuoê° / The sayd man answerde that he knewe in hym noo good saue on a tyme his felowes whiche were theues as he was hadd take by force a virgyn whiche was sacred to god and whan he sawe / that they wolde haue defoylled her / He thrested emonge theym preseruyd her fro corruptynge / ¶ After this he sayde· that on a nother tyme that he fonde a woman maryed walkynge wythin desertes the whyche was all desolate was nye deed for huÌ„gre by cause she had not ete in thre dayes TheÌ„ne he demauÌ„ded her for what cause she went soo alone in the wodes to whom she answerd that her husbond was prysoner thre of his children by his euyl gouernaunce / And for to eschewe that she sholde not be take she soo fledde not wythstondynge that she gaaf ouer herselfe to the sayd theyf yet neuerthelesse he dyde to her noo dyshonour But gaue to her .iii. C. shilinges of whiche she boughte her husbond the thre chyldern out of pryson / And the theyf sayd that he had done none other good thanne this whiche he had sayd / Thenne the good fader Paphunce answerd / that he hymselfe neuer had done suche werkes of charyte· Sayeng to hym more ouer that god had shewed to hym that he shold haue asmoche Ioye in heuen as he / And therfore he couÌ„seyled hym that he sholde leue his euyll lyfe / and conuerte hym to doo well And Incontynent he caste awaye his â—oytes his symphonie tourned alle his arte of musyke in to spyrytuell songes In suche wyse that he was thre yere in thermytage wyth the sayd holy fader in fastynges merueylous abstyneÌ„ce / And at laste rendred gaaf his spyryte wyth thangels in to heuen· ¶ And after the sayd saynt Paphunce put hyÌ„self to doo more penauÌ„ce gretter thaÌ„ he dyde tofore / And yet ayen he demaunded of god / to what man in erthe he was semblable the voys of heuen answered to hym that he was semblable vnto the lord of a Brugh nye to his hermytage The whiche thyng herde / he went Incontinent for to knowe of the gouernaunce of the sayd lorde / came in to hys hous / Anone as the lorde had receyued him benygnely / The holy fader demaunded of hym of his merytes and vertues / The whyche lorde wyllyng to he â—le and hyde his bountee answered to hym humbly that he neuer had done any gode dede The holy fader suffred it well sayenge that he had reuelacyon that he was semblable lyke in vertues to the holy heremytes dwellynge in deserte / The lorde knowynge the ReuelacoÌ„n made of his lyfe began tex pose the manere of his lyuynge / the whyche was gretly to be merueyled / ¶ Fyrste he sayd how wel that his wyte sythe the tyme of theyr waryage was excellently fayr of yonge aege / Neuerthelesse for the grete loanges that he hadd other tyme recyted of the
that they hadd noo nede to goo out for to suche their necessytees to lyue / ¶ Tofore the gate of the sayde Monasterye was an olde man moche prudente / the whyche sayd to all theym that wold en tree / That yf they wold entree ones in they sholde neuer come oute / And that suche was the lawe / ¶ Now there was one thynge therin moche merueyllous / For Incontynent as one was entred the sayde lawe toke none effecte / By cause of his propre wyll wythout constraynt he was contente to abyde there / In suche wyse that he was rauysshed in contemplynge his perfeccyon and holynes that was wythin the sayd monastery / ¶ And that same olde man that kepte the gate hadd a lytyll house· in whyche he receyuyd all theym that came thyder And treated manerly and well ¶ Ferthermore sayth saynt Iherom that whan he arryued there he myghte not entre therin But enquyred of the Portyer the manere of lyuynge in the sayd monasterye / The whyche sayd to hym and to his felyshipp / That there with in were two auncyente and olde men Whyche oonly hadd power to goo oute and entree in agayne / The whiche were Pourueyours for to pourueye for the poore lyf of the bredern that were within / Whyche alwaye weren in scylence makynge theyr prayers and occupyenge all theyr lyfe tyme in vertuouse ocupacyons to serue god / ¶ Yet was there more merueylles / ¶ For neuer was there ony of the Relygiouses that were seke there wythin / ¶ But whan they sholde deye they shewed theyr dethe that one to that other in the presence of theyr felowes / And rendred theyr spyryte Ioyously to god / ¶ Of saynt Serapyon abbot / whyche begynnynth in latyn ¶ Sed et in regione Caplm xviii SAynt Iherom sawe in the regyon Aâ—senoitte a nother deuowte Relygyous man namyd Serapyon· Abbot and fader of many monasteryes / In whyche were nyghe by .x. Mill Relygyouses and heremytes lyuynge of theyr propre labours / And of that whyche they wanne in the season whan they gadred the corne grayneâ— / ¶ And they gaue to the sayd Abbot the mooste parte of theyr gayne by whyche they were nourysshed and susteyned the poore peple / ¶ The custotome was suche not oonly in that Relygyon but also in all Egypte for to hyre the sayde Heremytes and relygyouses in the tyme of Haruest / And eche of theym wanne abowte a foure score mewes or combes of grayne after the mesure of the sayd countree of Egypte Some more and other lasse after that the seeson was more habundaunt plenteuous or sharpnesse scarsytee / And of the same the moost parte was gyue to poore peple after the ordynauÌ„ce and dyscrecoÌ„n of theim that were ordeyned to make dystrybucoÌ„n of the same corne grayne / ¶ Theyr charytee was soo grete that they gaaf not oonly to the pore of the same countreye but they sente shyppes full charged lade in to Alexandrye for to gyue to prysoners nedy of the countreye For in Egypte were not poore peple ynoughe for to gyue in almesse the sayd corne graynes ¶ Saynt Iherom sawe also in the cytees of Mempheos Babylone a multytude Innumerable of heremytes the whyche were all full of vertues graces to god agreable / ¶ In that couÌ„tree it is sayd that the places is where as Ioseph made his grenyres for the famyne / And therfore that place is called the place of the tresours of Ioseph / Other call it Pyramidas by cause they had suche credence that suche where shold be ther asseÌ„bled by Ioseph in that maner ¶ Of saynt Apolonyon Religyous martyr begynnyng in latyn ¶ Trade hant ergo / Caplm xix THe .ii. holy olde faders of whom is tofore wryten in the chapytre precedent Recounted tolde to saynt Iherom his felowes that emonge the sayd heremytes and relygiouses there was one namyd Apolonyon / Whyche for his ryght honeste lyfe was ordeyned in the ordre of Deaken / In whyche estate he was strongly persecuted / ¶ And durynge the sayd persecucoÌ„n the sayde Apolonyon admonested alwaye his bredern to receyue martyyrdom ¶ Anone after he was take put in pryson / And he beynge therin came to hym the persecutours whiche were Paynyms / Whyche in mockynge hyÌ„ dyde to hym many Iniuryes / And specyally one namyd Phylemon whyche was moche amyable debonayr to the peple called hyÌ„self seductour deceyour of the peple / And sayd more ouer the he was worthy to be in the hate of al the worlde / Whan saynt Apolonyon hadd herde al this he answerd moche curteisly sayd / ¶ Alas my frende I pray to god oure maker that he haue mercy pite on the / And that he not Impute to the thyniuryes shames that thou dost to me presently / The whiche answer herde by Phylemon he was heuy sorowfull in his hert / And moued with suche contrycoÌ„n conpuÌ„pcion that Incontynent he declared hymself crysten / And wyth as ardaunte desyre enflaÌ„med of grete charyte came to the Iuge to whom tofore al the peple he began to crye / O wyked Iuge thou trayueyllest Iniustly the poore seruauÌ„tes of god that ben cristen For they ne doo ne saye ony euyll / The Iuge herynge thise wordes hadd supposed at fyrst that he had proposed suche wordes in Iape / But after bi cause he sawe hym perseuere in the same / he sayd that sodenly he was bycome a foole / Phylemon answerde / Herke take hede Iuge I am noo foole but thou art enraged and out of thy wytte whanne wythout reason and vnryghtfully haste putt to dethe the good true Crysten peple / Knowe thou that now I hold shall holde the crysten lawe the whiche is necessary to all men lyuynge in thys worlde ¶ ThenÌ„e the Iuge supposed to haue repelyd him by fayr wordes But by cause he sawe hym constaunt / he menacyd hym wyth Infynyte tormentes / ¶ The Iuge also moeuyd wyth wrathe agaynst the holy fader Apolonyon / Knowynge that it was by his exortacyon that the sayd Phylemon had renouÌ„ced his lawe made hym to suffre mani tormentes called hyÌ„ deceyuer begyler / saynt apolonion said to hyÌ„ ha Iuge knowe thou thy maker Certaynly I desyre that thou and all the assystents sholde kepe the errour that I kepe holde / That is to saye that they were crysten / And Incontynent that sayd the Iuge coÌ„maunded that they sholde bothe two be putt in to a fyre tofore al the peple / And soo doynge they two togyder began to praye god soo hye that euery man myghte here in sayenge / O souerayne god Ihesu cryste our protectour suffre not the soules to be lost that confesse the openly / But shewe to vs euydently our helthe / And Incontynent thyse wordes sayd· descended a clowde full of water the whiche quenchyd all the fyre / Of whiche the Iuge the peple were merueylously abasshed
and began to crye in sayenge / O god of Cristen men now we confesse that thou art almyghty and oonly Inmortall / Anone after camÌ„ thyse tydynges to the grete Prouoste of Alexandrye / the whyche as enraged sente for to fetche the sayd Iuge the two holy faders / That is to wyte Apolonyon Phylemon ordenynge that they sholde be brought straytly bounde lyke prysoners / But in ledyng theym the holy man coÌ„uerted theym that were come to lede theim / Whyche all they togyder presented themselfe as crysten to the sayd Prouost of Alexandrye / Thenne the cursed prouost seenge that he myghte not reuoke theim fro the cristen fayth he made them alle to be throwen in to the see / And in that wyse they were baptysed in the water / Anone after the see broughte theim to the ryuage all hoole wythout corrupccoÌ„n of theyr bodyes / Thenne were they buryed al togider in one sepulture And god shewyth there euery daye many dyuerse myracles on theym that serue requyre theym / ¶ Of saynt Dioscore abbot beginÌ„yng Vidimus aliuÌ„ / Caplm xx AFter spekith saynt Iherom of saynt Dyoscore whiche hadd in his monastery nyght vnto Thebayde .i. C. religyouses or there abowte To whom he coÌ„mauÌ„ded expressely that they shold neuer receyue their maker yf they had ony synnes in their conscyences / Not onely synnes actuell or in thoughte but also of theym that somtyme happe by dremynges of whiche they falle in pollucoÌ„ns nocturnall / were it by fantasies or by operacoÌ„ns of wymÌ„en or bi habuÌ„daÌ„ce of humours naturell / And he sayde yf somtyme suche pollucoÌ„n came wythout to haue ony faÌ„tasye of ony woman in the manere / that is noo synne But that he take therin no playsaunce after the sayd dreme / For that pollucyon comyth by cause of thabuÌ„dance of thumour whyche is wythin the body of the man ¶ For to eschewe suche pollucyon is necessary fastynge to lyue sobrely / ¶ He gaaf to his dyscyples a symylytude suche / Whan a man is seke And the Fylicyen defendyth to hym ony mete / he kepyth his coÌ„maundement / Thenne the relygiouses all maner of peple that will lyue vertuously oughte to kepe theym to doo thyng that is contrary to the medicyne of the soule / That is to saye that he muste kepe hym fro synne the whyche makyth the soule seke / And in the ende makyth it to deye ¶ And to the contrary yf we kepe it clene wythout dedely synne we shall haue Ioye perdurable / ¶ Of the monasteries of Nitrye begyÌ„nyth in latyn ¶ Venimê° / Caplm xxi AFter saynt Iherom and his felowes camÌ„ in to Nytrye a place the most fayr moost renoÌ„med of Egypte dystaunt fro Alysaundrie xl myle or there about whiche ben escryued to xxx leukes of FrauÌ„ce / There was a cyte namyd Nytrye takynge his name of the sayd region in whiche growyth the Nytre lyke or semblable to sonde / Wherof ben wasshen there the clothes / And otherwise it is called an esspyce of salte after Papye / it is made of water of therthe in Egypte / And in Palestine it is made of grete hete of the sonne / ¶ In the countree were aboute .v. C. monasteryes th one nyghe vnto that other vnder one abbot / Of whom ther some lyued dwelled togyder other helde them solytarily eche by hymselfe that notwithstoÌ„dyng they had alwaye charyte togyder / ¶ And whan saynt Iherom his coÌ„panye approched to them All in a grete companye lyke to a multytude of bees came ayenst theim bryngynge brede botelles full of water And after they broughte theym all singynge in to the chyrche / After wasshed theyr fete wiped theim wyth to waylles / ¶ And they were not onÌ„ly serued of bodyly necessytees / But also they were Instructe in humylytee clemence / ¶ And saynt Iherom sayth that he neuer hadd be in place where he had seen flowe so habundantly charyte mercy ¶ Theyr Oratoryes were full of bookes in scyence dyuyne / And they vsyd none other thynges in all theyr dayes / ¶ Of a nother place callyd Cecylya begynnyth in latyn ¶ Post hunc vero / Caplm xxii THere was a nother place towarde that deserte dystaunte fro that place tofore sayd x. myle or there abowte / the whyche was callyd Cecylia for the multytude of celles and lytyll houses that were there / ¶ The custome of the relygiouses that there dwelled was suche that they spake not th one to the other but the saterdaye sondaye And yf that one came not on that daye Incontynent they thouÈte that he was seke / Werfore that one after that other wente for to see hym / And broughte to hym some thynge for to susteyne helpe hym to his bodyly helthe / They neuer spake togyder but the dayes tofore sayd but yf it were in prechynge or in gyuynge doctryne / Whan ony of theim was gretter Clerke or Inspyred more thanÌ„e a nother / And yf ony wolde goo dwelle wyth ony of them / they were so replenysshed wyth charytee that they lodged theym Incontynent in theyr howses or cotages / ¶ Of saynt AmÌ„onion abbot begynÌ„ynge ¶ Vidimê° quendaÌ„ / Caplm xxiii AMonges the same heremytes relygyouses saynt Iherom saw one namyd AmÌ„onyon to whom god had gyuen all plenytude of graces / pryncypally he had merueyls us charyte humylite none lyke generally asmoche in pacyence clemence benygnyte / Also in scyence prudence he was moost perfite of theim al / The sayd AmÌ„onyon had ii· bredern that one namyd Eusebius the other Euâ—imius / that whyche were not oonly bredern carnalle but also in lyf in religyon in vertues they were germayns / Thise iii. bredern solycyted in theyr tyme the other bredern as the moder thynkyth on her chyldern in helpyng theym not onÌ„ly to theyr corporall lyfe but also to the spirituell as enscynynge theym to vertues good maners / The same saynt AmÌ„onion dwelled in a monastery closyd wyth walles In whiche he hyÌ„selfe had made a pytt And it happed that a broder transported hymself towarde him for to haue a lytyll hous to dwell in thermytage / The whyche answerde to hym that he hadd none but he made hym to dwell in his monastery vnto the time he had fouÌ„de one / ¶ Sone after he delyuerde to him a lytyll one the whiche he fonde nye the sayde monastery / And yf by aduenture had many come he had IncoÌ„tynent gadred togider his bredern and in lytyll tyme had made a monastery / ¶ Of saynt Dydyme why the begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vidimus inter cos Caplm xxiiii SAynt Iherom recounteth of a nother namyd Didyme the whiche was emonge the faders namyd moche vertuouse debonayr / lyke as his vysage shewed well / And suche grace had he of god that he roode vpon the scorpyons other venymous bestes whiche were there in grete habuÌ„dance / By
and makynge to his body foule to wchyÌ„ges dyshonest whyche sholde be abhomynable stynkyng shamfull to reherce and all for to moue hym to the synne of lecherye / ¶ The whiche thynge seenge the good knyght of IhuÌ„ Cryst wyst not what to doo to th eÌ„de that he whyche had vaynquysshed the deuyl by soo many tormentes were not ouercome by a woman / ¶ And by cause he myghte not putt her from hym / ne had power of noo membre to put her from hym / He putt oute as moche as he myghte his tongue bote it a sondie wyth his teeth and spitte it in the vysage of the fowle ylle woman / whiche dyshonestly kyssed hym to th ende that the playsaunce of her sholde not moeue hym to synÌ„e / But for the payne and anguisshe that he felte / he myghte conserue kepe his virgynyte / And holde it agaynst the vyolence of the sayde fowle and euill disposed woman / ¶ In that same tyme was saynt Poul in the lowe Regyon of Thebayde of the aâ—ge of syxtene yeres / ¶ But neuerthelesse he was well Instruce in lettres Greke and Egypcyen / He abode and dwelled faderles and moderles wyth one his syster thenne maryed ¶ He seenge the persecucyon of the true Crysten men· wente in to a towne moche ferre fro his couÌ„tree / And from thens in to a mouÌ„tayne full of roches / Att foote wherof was a grete and a merueylous pytte couerd with a stone / ¶ The whyche he toke awaye and loked therin And founde there a moche fayre fountayne / Wyth this there was in the sayd mountayne dyuerse habitacoÌ„ns and dwellinges / Wherin he fonde many maners of Instrumentes / wyth whyche had be made in tyme passed secretly and forged false money Lyke as it is wretch in histories of Egypte in the tyme that Anthonye was with Cleopatra / ¶ Saynt Poul louyd thene merueyllously the sayde place Eyke as god hadde gyuen it to hym / ¶ And there he ladde a solytary lyfe / In oâ—cupyenge deuowte prayers and abstynâ—nces merueyllously / ¶ His vesture was oonly of leues of palme / And other mete also he ete not / ¶ In the same place on the side of Syrye nyghe by the Saâ—asyus lawe saynt Iherom an Hermite the whyche had be there shytte enclosed thyrty yere· without to ete ony other thynge than barly breede to dryÌ„ke water ful of ordure fylthe / ¶ And a nother wythin a cysterne the whyche ete but euery daye .v. fygges for his sustentacoÌ„n / that this is true saynt Iherom callyth god his angellis to wytnesse / ¶ Thenne for tachieue of saynt Poul / We oughte to knowe that whan he was come to thage of C xxx yere in lyuyÌ„ge an heueÌ„ly lyf· In a nother partye was saynt Anthoaye the whiche hadd lyued lxxxx yeres / And by cause that he was tempted of vaynglory / wenynge that in the hermytages hadd none be better than he / By the wyll of god it was shewed to hym by nyghte that there was one more perfyte than he / ¶ And assone as it was daye saynt Anthonye departed / And how well that he was sore feblysshyd in his body / He went fourth wyth a staffe in his honde / And putt hymselfe in dylygence for to seke saynt Poul / ¶ For it was he of whom he had had Reuelacyon / ¶ And whan he had walkyd vnto myddaye / Not knowynge what waye he sholde take and holde He founde a Monstre halfe horse and halfe man / Whom the Poetes name Centaure / Of whom he was gretly abasshed / ¶ And he blessyd hym wyth the sygne of the Crosse / And askyd of hym in what place saynt Poul enhabyted and dwellyd ¶ To this demaunde or askyng the sayd Centaure ansuerde some wordes / whiche saynt Anthonye vnderstode not / And after he shewed hyÌ„ the waye on the ryght honde and IncoÌ„tynent as he hadd fledde he vanysshed a waye fro the syghte of saynt Anthonye / The whiche beeste sayÌ„t Anthonye doubted stroÌ„gly / For we fynde not whether it was a monstre or a deuyll But neuertheles he wente forth / And anone after in a valeye full of stones he sawe a lytyl man hauyng his nosethrilles torned outwarde the forbede full of ferdful hornes / and his fete lyke to the fete of a ghoeâ— / ¶ To whom saynt Anthonye replenysshed with the shelde of fathe and wyth the habergron of hope as a good Champyon adressyd hymselfe questyonynge hym what he was The whyche ansuered / ¶ I am sayde he a mortall dweller in this hermytage with the other / Whyche haue be there dysceyued by many temptacoÌ„ns / ¶ We praye the that thou pray for vs one god onely / The whyche is descended in to the erthe for oure helthe / ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye herynge thyse wordes wepte and alle by wette his fare wyth teeres / ¶ For he reioyced hym of the glorye of god / And of the contrarye of the destruccyon of the deuyll / ¶ Also he was moche admerueylled how he vnderstode the langage speche of the same beeste / ¶ And after he beganne to smyte with a staffe vppon the erthe sayenge / Acursyd be Alexandrye / The whyche adoure and worshyppe for theyr god thydolles / In whyche the deuylles enhabyte and dwelle / ¶ Ha Regyon what mayste thou saye / The beestes confessen the name of god / And thou worshyppest the deuylles / ¶ In sayenge thyse wordes / The same beeste vanysshed away Lyke as it hadde flowen in the ayre / ¶ After this saynt Anthonye abode in his enterpryse in folowynge the waye of wylde beestes / And not knowynge what waye he sholde take ¶ Thus contynued the seconde daye / wythoute to knowe whether it were daye or nyghte / ¶ And fynably he founde a wulfe gooynge vpwarde towarde a mountayne / The whyche had grete thurste / ¶ And whan he sawe hym goone vp / He wente after vnto a fosse or a dyche The whyche he behelde / But neuerthelesse by cause the place was tenebrouse or derke he apperceyued noo thynge / ¶ Alwaye lyke as he had perfyght dyleccyon / And fered noo thynge / he wente peasybly in to the dyche or hoole / herkenynge yf there were ony thynge / ¶ Soo abydynge by feruente charytee Whyche puttynge from hym alle feere· and drede / Wente soo ferre fourth and soo longe / That he sawe the doore of a place In whyche was saynt Poul / ¶ And in approuchynge or comynge nyghe to the same / He knockyd wyth his fote ayenst a stone whyche made a lityll noyse / ¶ The whyche herynge saynt Poul Incontynent shytte his doore ¶ And whanne saynt Anthonye sawe his doore shytte / ¶ He abode there by the space of syxe houres / ¶ And fynably he sayde to him thyse wordes / Poul my broder / Thou knoweste by Reuelacion of god whom that I am / And fro whens I come / And wherfore I am comyn hyther /
peasybly / ¶ A nother tyme came to hym two Phylosophers on hyghe on the mountayne / The whyche by subtyll dysputacyons supposyd to haue ouercome hym and dysceyued / ¶ Whan he sawe theym he Iudged theym to be Paynemes and sayde to theym / I wonder of you that ben soo wyse how ye come to me from soo ferre / for to see a man folysshe / To whom they ansuerde that he was noo foole / but he was ryght wyse / ¶ Saynt Anthonye ansuered to theim that he was a fole / by that they had loste theyr labour and waye / And yf it soo be that I be wyse lyke as ye saye / And for to loue wysdom it is vtylyte prouffyte / Folow ye that ye alowe and prayse And soo ye shall doo your duete / ¶ For thoose men ben to be praysed whan they ensyewe the good and wyle men / Yf I had goon to you I wolde haue folowed your lawe / Thenne syth ye ben come to me Come and folowe my fayth and be ye crystenyd / ThenÌ„e the Phylosophers wente theyr waye / ¶ Other came to hym in mockynge him by cause he was noo clerke ne lettred / To whom he askyd the whyche had be fyrste or the wytte or the scrypture / And yf the scryptures were by the wytte and vnderstondynge / Or yf the wytte and vnderstondynge came of the scriptures / ¶ They ansuered him· that alle the scryptures proceded and were made by the vnderstondynge / Thenne sayd saynt Anthonye / He that hath vnderstondynge good and hoole nedyth not to be lettred by scryptures / ¶ And in this manere he delyuered theym all confused / ¶ Constantyn the Emperour and his two sones Constante Constanciyus wrote to hym on a tyme in salewynge hym To the ende that it myghte playse hym to wryte some thynge to theym for theyr comforte consolacoÌ„n ¶ Saynt Anthonye seenge the lettres was not abasshed / ne chaunged noo thynge for the salutacyon of soo grete lordes / But as Inmobyle canstaunt not wyllynge to beholde the sayd lettres called to hym alle his brethern and after sayde to theym / ¶ The kynges of thys worlde sende to vs lettres whiche semeth to be thynge merueyllous And herof we maye be gladde / ¶ For alle men notwythstondyng they haue dyuers dygnytees lordshyppes ben borne and deye the one wyth that other / ¶ And therfore we oughte to honoure the scryptures lettres pryncypally suche as god hathe wryten to men / as ben the coÌ„maundementes of the lawe / And bi cause there is none conuenyence amonge kynges and Relygyouses / I woll not take the lettres that the kynges sende to vs / For I knowe not the scyence manere to salewe theym be lettres / ¶ In the ende the brethern prayed hym that he wolde wryte agayne to the sayd kyÌ„ges / In admonestyng theym to flee the vyces and to ensiewe the vertues / And soo he wrote to theym in this manere / ¶ Ye kynges I counseylle you that ye kepe the Crysten lawe / But I praye you / Wene ye not that your puyssaunce temporell be grete / For that is but a lytyll thynge to the regarde of the puyssaunce of god / ¶ And therfore ye oughte not to be prowde / ¶ Esteme of yourselfe that ye be noo thynge more thanne other / For assoone and as well shall ye be Iuged of god as the moost poore of the worlde / ¶ Wyth this I praye you that ye ben pyteuous and debonayr toward your subgettes / Hauynge cure and besynesse to doo Iustyce as well to the poore as the ryche / ¶ Consydre ye that there is a kinge aboue you eternall not oonly vpon you but vpon al mankynde ¶ Thise lettres seen by the sayd prynces tofore namyd thei were gretly comforted ¶ And the fame renoÌ„mee of saynt Anthonye was ouer all the countree publysshed and knowen / ¶ After that the Paynems Gentyles were confused of theyr argumentes And the kynges comforted by his lettres / He retorned in to the mountayne / in whyche he had many vysyons / by that whyche he knewe and by reuelacoÌ„n all that was done in Egypte / And sent to the bysshopp of Egypte namyd Serapyon / Emonge the whyche he sawe a moche pyetable caas / and worthy of sorowfulnes / whiche was this / ¶ He beynge wyth his brethern sette / lyfte hys eyen vpp to heuen wayllynge and wepyng / ¶ And a lytyll whyle after that he had seen the reuelacoÌ„n whyche was shewed to hym / ¶ He sette hym on his knees prayenge to god that it sholde not come ne happen / ¶ And soo doyng he shedde oute grete teeres in merueyllous habundance and plentee / ¶ Wherfore the brethern that were there present trembled and quoke / ¶ And questyned him what reuelacyon he hadd hadde / ¶ Ha haa my chyldren sayd saynt Anthonye / The fayth of cristendom shall in shorte tyme be subuerted / The men semblable or lyke to beestes / Iumentes or fooles / Whiche shall destroye the godes of the chyrche / ¶ I haue seen the aulter of oure lorde enuyronned or closed wyth mulettes / The whyche wyth theyr fete haue broken the aulter / And thyse thynges ben cause of my wayllynge / ¶ Two yeres after was publysshed and shewed the cursed secte of the Heretykes Arryens / The chyrches were pylled / And the sacred vessellis vilypended or dyspysed wyth the Sacramentes of the chyrche / by the pollute or defoylled hondes of the Ethnycyens Iuâ—ydelis / And Paynems dide and made in Alexandrye sacrefyces to ydollis / made wyth theyr hundes / In makyng to theym adoracyon and prayer as to theyr goddes / in offrynge to them bowes of palmes / whyche ben in the sayd countree a ryghte grete ydolatrie / ¶ And the Crysten men were constrayned to dod in lyke wise suche Insolences with the Aâ—yens / In suche wyse that there was noo dyfference bytwene the one the other / ¶ The courage sayd sayne Anthonye sholde haue abhomynacyon and horrour to reherse the horrible and detestable synnes that were done / ¶ Is it not a thynge well abhomynable afore god that the vyrgynes and matrones were shamed and vylonyed / and were not ashamed to lese theyr vyrgynyte / ¶ The blood of crysten people was by cruell occysion shedde wythin the chyrches / In suche wyse that the aulters were alle deyed and sprynkcled wyth the blood / ¶ A lytyll whyle after this heuy and desolate Reuelacyon saynt Anthonye had a nother Reuelacyon ryght Ioyous / Of whyche he comforted his Relygyous sayenge / ¶ My chyldren be not sorowful / For after this persecucyon of the chyrche of god / The crysten people shall be releuyd / And the chyrche shall be broughte hoole in his honoure / And all they that shall kepe well the fayth in this persecucyon shall be tofore god more shynynge thanÌ„e the bryghtnesse of the sonne / ¶ False satellytees persecutours of
in to a lytyll house made of Ionkes and bowes Wherin he endured tyll he was twenty yeres olde colde and heete Rayne and snowe and other grete necessytees / And after he dwellyd in a nother lytyll houses· whiche was foure fote brode and fiue fote hyghe / But it was a lytyll lenger thanne his body / ¶ This lytyll hous semed better a sepulcre than an house / ¶ He clipped of his heere 's ones a yere / That is to wyte tofore the solempnytee of Ester / ¶ He laye bare vppon a bedde of Ionkes / and soo contynued to the deth / And neuer was he couered but wyth one sacke / The whyche he neuer wasshed / Sayenge that in an hayer oughte not to be soughte clennesse / ¶ He neuer chaunged Robe ne cote tyll tholde was rotyn / His felycytee was to remembre holy scrypture / ¶ And emonge his orysons he songe deuowte psalmes to god as he hadde be presente / ¶ After that he was .xxi. yeres olde vnto .xxvi. he lyued sobrely / ¶ And in thre yere he ete not but onÌ„ly a syxter of wortes medled in a lytyll colde water / In the other thre yeres he ete but breede salt wyth a lytyll water / ¶ After seuen and twenty yeres tyll fyue and thyrty he ete not but sixe vnces of barly breede And for his potage a lytyll coole wortes without oyle ¶ But whan he sawe his body by straytnesse of lyffe became scabby and ronyous / Alytyll for to recomforte hymself / he putt a lytyll oylle in his potage ¶ And he lyued in this life sobrely vnto thaâ—ge of thre and fourty / without etynge apples ne other frutes / ¶ Whanne he came vnto the aege of thre score foure yere and the deth drawynge nyghe· He ete noo more brede tyll he was foure score yere olde but oonly ete meele and scooles brayed / ¶ Alle that he ete and dranke weyed not all but fyue vncis / ¶ And thus fynysshed he his dayes in suche abstynences / ¶ Alas we that ete some more thaÌ„ thyrty other more than foure score vncis of weyghte fyue or syxe tymes on the daye yet ben not well contente / And he that ete not but oonly whanne att the sonne was gone downe one tyme on the daye / And all his mete drynke weyed not but fyue vnces / Yet he lyued vnto the aege of foure score yeres / ¶ Lete vs thenne be sobre vnto the ende to be chaste by the ensample of the good holy fader Hylaryon whyche in his lyffe wolde suffre and endure soo moche euyll and payne / for the honour of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ He beynge in the aege of .xviij. yeres Theues came to hym wenynge to affraye hym by cause of his yonge aege Or for to robbe some thynge fro hym / ¶ And how well they made grete dylygence to fynde his lytyll house Neuerthelesse they went rounde abowte it an hoole daye and a nyghte cowde not fynde it / And on the morne they fonde it and hym therin / ¶ And they demaunded of hym this questyon / Yf the theues came to the. what sholdest thou do thou lytyll man / He ansuered to theym What maye they demaunde or aske seen that I am all naked and haue none moeuable goodes / ¶ Thenne they sayde to hym / Thou myghtest be slayne / ¶ The chylde ansuered / I maye well be slayne truely / But for that I drede-not / For I am redy for to deye / ¶ The theues were moche admerueylled And recounted to hym how they had soughte him / ¶ And after they amended theyr lynes ¶ He was not yet but two and twenty yeres olde / whanne his fame renommee sprange ouer alle the countree of Palestyne by cause of the holynesse of his lyffe / ¶ And in that tyme was a woman in the towne of Lentâ—opolytane whom her husbonde dispysed and hadde in hate / By cause he cowde not conne haue of her in fyftene yeres ony chylde / ¶ Wherfore she came to saynt Helaryon demaundynge or aryng counseylle of hym how she myghte doo ¶ And by cause that at the fyrste tyme he wolde not speke to her but spytte by cause he wolde not speke / Thenne she fell downe on her knees sayenge to hyÌ„ ¶ Fader Hylaryon lete it playse the to here me / torne not awaye thyne eyen from me / But beholde me not as a woman but as one vnhappy and cursyd ¶ Att laste he spake to her in demaundyng her the cause of her sorowe / The whyche by her recyted and opened / saynt Hilaryon sayd to her that she sholde goo home and haue alwaye stedfaste hope in god / ¶ And after for the pyâ—e that he had in her he prayed god often tymes in grete habundauÌ„ce of teeres soo effectuously that in the ende of the yere she had a childe / and that was his fyrste myracle / ¶ The wyfe of one namyd Elypydius comynge to se saynt Anthonie abode in the towne of Gaza wyth threof her chyldern and her husbonde / In whyche towne deyed the sayd thre chyldren ¶ The moder beynge in the myddle of theym thre soo desolate that she wyste not whom moost to bewaylle / ¶ And aduysed her of saynt Hylaryon whyche was nyghe by / And tooke the waye wyth her Chamberers and lefte alle her astate for to come to the place where he was ¶ To whom she sayd I requyre and adiure the in the name of our lorde Ihesu Cryste / Of his gloryous passyon and of the effusyon of hys precyous blood that it playse the to praye for my thre children that they maye by him be reysed from dethe / To the ende that his name be praysed and magnyfyed in the cyte of Paynems / ¶ And also I adiure the in lyke wyse that for thys cause thou come oute of thyne Hermytage And come in to the cyte of Gaza ¶ Thenne ansuered saynt Hylaryon that he wolde neuer come oute of hys celle / ne also wolde entree in to townes ne citees ¶ She noo thynge content of his ansuere fell down prostrate or flatt to the grounde and beganne to crye / Hylaryon reyse my chyldren by thy prayers / the whyche saynt Anthonye hath soo longe kepte and gouerned in Egipte / To the ende that of the they sholde be kepte in Syrye / ¶ All they that were thenne presente wepte / ¶ And how well he dyfferred his gooynge / neuerthelesse she sayd to hym that she sholde neuer departe / But he shold fyrste promyse to goo vysyte her chyldren wyth her / ¶ And soo he was constrayned by her wordes for to goo thyder / ¶ He beynge comen thyder / And seenge the chyldren all colde as they whyche had noo sygne of lyfe / In the presence of grete multytude of people thyder comen by cause of hym / He made his prayer deuowtly to god / ¶ The whyche made the sayde chyldren caste oute grete habundaunce of water oute of
/ ¶ A merueyllouse thynge in sayenge thyse wordes the membres of the seke man were restored in theyr strength and helthe / In suche wyse that he wente vppon his fete / ¶ Of whyche thynge and myracle the fame sprange and spradde there alle abowte / ¶ Wherfore the holy man Hylaryon wolde noo lenger abyde there / Not for to departe from thens for ony mutabylyte or chaungynge of thoughte / But by cause he desyred to lyue solytaryly wythoute to haue knowlege of ony persone / ¶ Whanne he was foure score yeres olde he felte himselfe moche feble / And by cause that Esicius his dyscyple was thenne absente / He made a cedule or letter of his honde / By the whyche he lefte to hym alle that he hadde / ¶ That is to wyte his Robe Whyche was made of a sake / His Frocke his Pelycon and his Gospellis / ¶ Alle thyse were noo greteâ—ychesses / ¶ Many deuowte Relygyouses of the cytee of Pafun And wyth theym a notable-notable-woman named Constance att prayers of whom he hadd heeled her sone and her doughter / Camen to hym by cause he was in dysposicyon to deyeed / And spoken wyth hym as he hadde To whom he requyred and neuerthelesse commaunded that Incontynent as he sholde be deed They sholde putt hym in to the erthe in a gardine nyghe to his hous / ¶ And tofore that he deyed there as he hadde noo more charyte he sayd to his soule / What dredest thou my soule / Goo oute of my body / Wherfore arte thou aferde / ¶ It is now gone thre score and ten yere syth thou seruedeste Ihesu Cryste / And now thou dredest to deye / ¶ And thus sayenge he rendred his spyryte to god / Incontynent they buryed hyÌ„ wythin the gardyne ¶ Anone after his dyscyple Esicius whyche was in Palestyne knew his departyng / And thenne he came in to Cypre / ¶ And whanne he was in the gardyne where as he was buryed / He fayned that he wolde dwelle there / ¶ To the ende that they that kepte hym sholde haue noo suspecyon ne mysdemyng that he wolde transporte and carye away the body of saynt Hylaryon / But he wroughte soo pryuely that ten monethes after that he stele hym a waye transported or caryed hym to Maxymian his auncyen and olde chyrche in the whyche the same Esicius and also all the men and Relygyouses there abowte buryed hym in his frocke and his pelycon / Whyche as it is sayde is there alhoole / ¶ And saynt Hylaryon is yet as he was in playne lyfe / Gyuynge out odoures sauours merueyllously smellynge swete / ¶ The good woman Constaunce / whyche hadde be acustomyd in curyouse wakinges to passe the tyme in makinge her prayers there as he had be burybe alyue / ¶ Whanne she knewe that he was transported and taken from thens She wynge the grete loue that she had to him Rendred and gaaf Incontinente her spyryte vnto god / ¶ And yet preseÌ„tly by this occasyon is there grete questyon bytwene theym of Cypre and of Palestyne / ¶ By cause they of Cypresayen that they haue the spirite / ¶ And they of Palestyne sayen to haue the body / ¶ Neuerthelesse in Cypre atte this daye ben done to the praysynge of him moo myracles thanne in Palestine / ¶ And perauenture for almoche as he loued more the place ¶ Or by cause onely that it playsyth god that soo it be done / ¶ Thus endeth this Prossesse of the ryghte holy and deuowte man saynt Hylaryon / ¶ Here folowyth the life of saynt Malachye / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Caromas / Caplm .xxxviii. CAromas is a cyte in Syrie distaunt or beynge of fernesse fro Anthyoche abowte thyrty myle / In the whyche dwelled Malachye a man soo named / ¶ Malachye is a sayeng Syryaque / The whyche in latyn tongue is asmoche to saye as kynge / ¶ This same Malchus or Malachye was an holy man borne of Syrye with hym was alwaye an olde woman the whyche was so olde that she semyd alwaye redy to deye ¶ Thei two were so contynuelly in the chirche that they myghte be lykenye to Zacharye and Elysabeth in deuocoÌ„n / ¶ Saynt Iherom beyng in Syrye some cyteyzyns of the same cyte axed yf the sayd Malachie same woman were maryed or kynnes folke / By cause he sawe theym soo contynuelly togider / ¶ To whom was ansuered that they were holy and deuoute persones towarde god / Thenne saynt Iherom wente to vysite the holy man for to demaunde and enquyre of his life / ¶ The holy man Malachyas sayd to him that he was born of a place namyd Nyzibam / and oonly Herytour of his fader and moder / ¶ The whyche for to contynue their lygnage wold haue constrayned hym to take the Sacrament of Maryage / And nothwythstondynge that he was by his fader strongly menaced and threrenyd / And of hys moder affectuously requyred for to marye hym / ¶ Neuerthelesse he loued beter to these the state of Relygyon and to renounce and forsake the world / ¶ After he sayde to hym that for doubte of the Romayns that made watche vpon the passages and of other men of the sayde countree / He durste not goo in to the Eeste / But wente hym in to the Weste ¶ He sayde to hym also that he had be in an Hermytage whyche was namyd Calcidâ—s and stode towarde the Southe bytwene Mynas Heroas / ¶ And that he had founde there good Relygyous vnder whyche werkynge and laborynge he had lyued longe tyme. ¶ After he was in wyll to retorne in to hys countree / By cause that he wyste well that his fader was deed ¶ And for this cause he wold haue the goodes that were lefte for to gyue a parte to poore peple / Another parte to make a churche the Resydue for to susteyne his lyfe / ¶ The whiche thinge he had declared to his Abbot as he sayd / And he Incontynent blamyd hym / sayenge that it was temptacyon of the deuyll / ¶ And alleged and shewed to hym for the same many fayre hystoryes of some Relygyouses whyche in lyke caas hadd be deceyued / ¶ For the denyll vnder the coloure of good thynge temptyth alwaye the persone for to make him to accomplysshe and doo some euyll / ¶ He sayde ferdermore that his Abbott hadde sayde to hym / That he resembled and was lyke the hounde the whiche after he hadd made his vomyte Retourned and receyued it agayne / ¶ And for prayer that the Abbot cowde doo he wolde not consente to abyde ¶ How be it that he knelyd downe on his knees tofore hym / Prayenge that he sholde not goo / but abyde wyth him in prayenge and shewyng that he that putteth his honde to the plough· That is to saye that entreth in to Relygyon And he loke backewarde / Is not worthy to haue the kyngdom of heuen / ¶ Alas sayde Malachye to
saynt Iherom I was well melchaunte and vnhappy / Whanne by his exhortacyons I wolde not abyde wyth hym / ¶ Whiche thynge I wolde not doo / Wenyng that he sayde soo for none other thynge but for to holde hym companye / for hys ryght singuler prouffyte / ¶ And to me departynge and takynge of hym leue He sayde to me / ¶ Ha a my sone I oughte well to be angry / For I see the deuyll whyche markyth the wyth the signe of dampned men / ¶ And lyke as the shepe that lepâ—th oute of the folde is of the wulfe rauysshed / Ryght soo was I and my companye / ¶ For in comynge from Heroa for to goo in to Edysle we were robbyd of theues / And we were bitwene thre score foure score in a companye / ¶ Emonge whom was taken a wyfe of one of my companye / â— And we were caryed vpon two camellys vnto the house of a lorde / ¶ And in goynge thyder we ete noo thynge but rawe flesshe And dranke milke of Camellis ¶ Finably we arriued and came to the house of the sayde lorde / Where I was constrayned for to saue my poore lyffe to adoure hym wyth his wyfe and his chyldren / ¶ And soo dooynge I muste knele downe on my knees tofore theym / ¶ And after for to encreace my sorowes I was putt for to kepe his shepe The whyche I kepte in suche wyse that they multeplyed in grete foyson / ¶ There I ete noo thinge but softe chese and mylke / ¶ But alwaye I prayed to god and sayde suche psalmes as I haue lerned wyth the Religiouses that I hadde lefte / ¶ The lorde of whom I hadd kepte the shepe for to rewarde me by cause that I hadd kepte theym soo well wolde haue constrayned me to take in maryage this woman the whywhiche was prysoner wyth me / ¶ And by cause I wolde not take her / But in excusynge me I sayde that I was Crysten and not she / also that her husbonde was yet lyuynge whyche was prysoner with a nother lorde / ¶ He drewe oute a swerde and wolde haue slayne me If Incontynent I had not promysed to espowse the same woman prysoner ¶ That nyghte we were shytte bothe in a grete pytte / In whyche I sayd to myselfe / ¶ Alas what hathe it prouffyted to haue lefte fader and moder / and also my countree / for to eschewe maryage yf now I marye myselfe / ¶ I suppose this aduersytee is comen to me bycause I haue desyred to retourne in to my countree ¶ Ha my soule what shal we doo / Alas I shall slee myselfe / It is better that I slee myselfe and be saued thanne for to take a wyfe in maryage and be dampned in helle euerlastyngly / ¶ After I had sayde thise wodes I toke a swerde / And sette the poynt agaynst my stomacke In sayenge to this sayde woman / ¶ O poore woman take me now martyr in maryage Otherwyse shalt thou neuer haue me to husbonde / ¶ Thenne the good woman prisoner knelyd down on her knees tofore me / and beganne to crye / Ha my frende I praye the in the name of god slee not thyselfe / To the ende that thy blood be not cause to lese myn / O yf thou wolt slee thyself / Slee thou me fyrste / And soo as Martyrs we shall be maryed / ¶ I saye to the for trouthe that whanne my husbonde shall be frohens forth wyth me· He shall neuer touche me / ¶ For from this houre forthon I make a promyse to kepe Chastytee ¶ Wherfore thenne wolt thou slee thy selfe yf thou take me in maryage / Yf it soo were that thou woldeste haue me otherwyse / I sholde rather slee myself thanne to consente to be thy wyfe / ¶ But I praye the that thou take me as to thy wife / And I shal takethe as my husbonde in clennesse in louynge my soule and hatynge my body / They shall lyghtly byleue that we ben maryed / And also we shall hastely be maryed whan they see vs loue that one that other / ¶ Thenne was I moche admerueylled of her constaunce and wisdom and louyd her better / thanne yf she hadd be my propre wife / ¶ And how well that we haue sythen lyued as husbonde and wyfe togyder longe tyme / ¶ Neuerthelesse I sawe her neuer naked ne she me Ne neuer towched the one the other / ¶ The sayd Malachye recyted and tolde also to saynt Iherom that on a tyme amonge the other like as he wente to pasture and fede the beestes / He sawe a Molle hylle full of Auntes / And longe tyme I tooke hede to the manere of theyr lyuynge / In consyderyng how some of them bare for to susteyne and to contynue theyr lyfe more gretter paste and more heuyer by the halfe thanÌ„e they were theymselfe / ¶ And he sawe some drawe after theym that whyche they myghte not bere / ¶ Consyderyng also how they were neuer ydle / ¶ And whanne one of theym came out of his hoole for to bere to ete / That other wolde neuer parte vnto that he hadde holpen to dyscharge and vnlade his felowe / ¶ The condycoÌ„n of the Aunte is suche / That whanne he beryth ony herbe hauynge grayne / By cause it sholde not growe wythin the hoole in the erth he takyth awaye the sayde grayne· for in the Garner it shold he Incontynent grene / ¶ Wyth this consydered Malchus the sayeng of Salamon / the whyche sente the slowthfull to the formices or Auntes / ¶ And in thynkynge on thise thynges / He sayde to hymselfe / lyke as saynt Iherom rehercyth / That he was the moost slouthfull of alle mankynde / ¶ And by this cause he ymagyned how he myghte escape from the seruytude where he was in for to fynde some monasterye / In whyche he myghte in seruynge god prouffytably fynysshe his dayes / ¶ Vppon this purpoos he retorned home / And cowde not hyde from his wyfe this heuynesse of his courage / The whyche after that he hadd declared and shewed to her his caas / ¶ Admonested and counseyled hym to flee by nyghte ¶ Thenne sayde the sayd Malachyas that he had in his flocke two beeres the whyche he wold fyrste slee / ¶ And of theyr two skynnes he made two sackes for to bere the flesshe of the two beeres / ¶ And whanne thys was done / He and his wyffe awayted that alle they of the howse slepte / And thenne departed and went theyr waye wythoute makynge grete noyse / And after that they hadde gone ten myle or there abowtes / They founde a Ryuer the whyche they passed prudently / ¶ For whanne they were wythin the Ryuer They wente wythin the same in descendynge well lowe fro theyr fyrste waye for to take an nother / To the ende that yf ony came for to seke them that they sholde not fynde the stappes of theyr fete / ¶ And by
/ ¶ She recounted theym to saynt Iherom / ¶ The whyche in spekynge to the sayde Heretyke and in enfourmynge hym other questyons confounded his in this manere / ¶ Fyrst saynt Iherom demaunded hym yf he byleuyd the Resurrexcōn generall / ¶ The Heretyke ansuered Ye / sowe oughte to byleue / ¶ For it is an artycle of the faythe / ¶ Secondly he demaunded yf the same body that deyed sholde ryse agayne / ¶ He ansuered Ye For it is also trouth / ¶ Thyrdly he demaunded yf the bodyes sholde aryse in the sexe or kynde in the whyche they sholde be deed / That is to wite yf the man shall aryse in the lykenesse of a man / And also in like wise the woman in lykenesse of a woman / ¶ To this demaunde or question the Heretyke ansuered nought / ¶ Saynt Iherom sayde after to him / ¶ Syth that thou wolt not ansuere I shall saye to the by manere of ansuere / ¶ That yf a man ryse not in lykenesse of a man / And a woman in lykenesse of a woman / Thenne it sholde not be Resurreccyon of theym that deyed The whiche Resurrexcyon thou grauntest to be / And also it is true / ¶ We haue prouff herof by oure lorde Ihesu Cryste / The whyche whanne he was arysen shewed his woūdes whyche he hadde receyued in the Crosse / ¶ And also whanne saynt Thomas towched him in his worthy side / ¶ Sayd not oure lorde to his dyscyples / Beholde and see my woundes / To the ende that certaynly ye byleue that I am he that hathe be crucyfyed ¶ Thenne that syth oure lorde after his Resurrexcyon was seen and towched / And that his discyples herde him speke / ¶ It aperyth cleerly thy his membres that he arose in lykenesse of a man and not of a woman / ¶ For by his membres it apperyth that he hadd a body / ¶ By cause that the body is not wythoute membres ne the membres also wythout body / ¶ Therfore it muste conclude that the men shall aryse as men / And wymmen as wymmen / ¶ As towchinge the conclusyon that the Heretyke made in sayenge That maryages oughte to be made in heuen / ¶ Saynt Iherom ansuered that there sholde be none / ¶ For oure lorde saythe that after the Resurreccyon generall shall neuer be maryage made / ¶ And by this the scrypture sayth that there shall none be maryed / And yf it be argued to be wryten that we shall be lyke to good aungellis the Proposycyon oughte to be vnderstonde that we shall be sēblable or lyke to theym in conuersacyon and blessydnesse / As is promysyd to vs. Not by nature / ¶ Saynt Iohan Baptist tofore that he was byheded was called an aungell But for that he hadde not the nature of aungellis / ¶ The symylytude or lylenesses of aungellis is oonly promysed in holynesse of lyfe / ¶ But the nature not for that shal be chaunged / ¶ Yf ony argued in sayenge that god ete after his Resurreccyon Thenne we shall ete after that we were reysed / ¶ The argumente is not prouffytable / ¶ For that whyche was done was for the approbacyon and veryfyenge of the sayyd Resurrexcyon / ¶ He also whanne he hadde Reysyd the sayde good Lazare / Whyche hadde be deed foure dayes ete wyth hym / ¶ Also the doughter of the Synagoge anone after that god hadde reysed Commaunded that mete sholde be gyuen to her / To the ende that they that sawe thise and herde of thise reysinges sholde ne myght not saye that they were bodyes fantastyke / But were very bodyes whyche hadd ben deed and reysed agayne / ¶ As towchynge the question of the chylde vexed of the deuyll whyche had not synned / ¶ And also in what aege we shall aryse / ¶ Saynt Iherom fyrste sayth that the Iugementes of god aren as a grete swolowe / ¶ His scyence is also to vs vnknowen / ¶ Neuer man knewe what god hathe in his entendemente and purpoos / ¶ Secondly ought to be noted with saynt Iherom / That a man whanne he is ten or twenty or thyrty Or a hūdred yere olde is none other than whā he is but two or thre or foure yere olde ¶ And neuerthelesse after the tradycyons and sayenges of the chyrche and the doctryne of saynt Poul / we shal ryse in the aege of perfeccyon In whyche oure lorde aroos fro thyrty to two and thyrty yeres / ¶ And in whyche aege was Adam fourmyd after that the Iewes wytnesse / ¶ In retournynge thenne to saynt Paula / And for to speke of her entendemente sayth saynt Iherom that ofte she kepte and obserued the commaundement that sayth Andi israhel ettace That is to saye ¶ Man here and bestylle / For the good lady Paula was well lyghte to here / And slowe to speke / ¶ She was curyous and besie to haue bokes of holy scrypture / And radde theym gladly / ¶ And for better to prouffyte in theym / She constrayned saynt Iherom to expowne to her the olde Testamente and the newe / ¶ But whanne for ony doubtes he differred to expowne to her certayne proposycyons / Sayenge to her that he cowde not expowne theym / She wolde not byleue hym / ¶ But by contynuell Interrogacyons and desyres she constrayned him to expowne theym after the Sentence moost apparent or lykely and after trouthe and good sens / ¶ Her vnderstondynge was soo grete that she lerned of saynt Iherom the Ebrewe tongue / In suche wyse that she songe the psalmes of the Psaulter in Ebrewe tongue / And songe noo more in latyn / ¶ After that we haue recyted of her holy lyfe conuersacōn that is to saye of her gloryous departing oute of this worlde ¶ Whanne the good lady saynt Paula felte that she had no more hete but a lytyll in her stomack / ¶ She beganne to saye thyse wordes that folowe in wepynge and wayllynge bytterly ¶ O my god I haue desyred the beaultee of thy heuen and glory / ¶ O lorde that thy Tabernacles and dwellynge places ben fayre shynynge / O lorde god I haue more desire to be in thy hous that is in the chyrche than to dwelle with them of the worlde ¶ Anone after she cessed to speke saynt Iherom seeng that she ansuerd not to ony thyng that he demaunded or asked of her / ¶ He asked why she ansuered not / ¶ And yf she hadde in her herte ony heuynesse or gryef / ¶ The goode lady ansuered in Greke / Naye / but she sawe alle Ioyousete and gladnesse / ¶ After she spake noo more / But sygned her wyth the sygne of the Crosse / ¶ There were dyuerse bysshoppis as well of Iherusalem as of other places And wyth theim were grete nombre of preestes and Innumerable companyes of vyrgynes and Relygyouses / ¶ In presence of whom she herde oure lorde / whiche callyd her sayenge / ¶ Come to me my
of halfe an hour / ¶ And after he approchyd nere to hym / And layed his ceâ—e to his vysage for to knowe yf he were deed or a lyue / ¶ But he felte noo thinge but an odoure soo swete that all the place was replenysshyd wyth all / ¶ ThenÌ„e knewe he wel that he was departed out of this worlde / ¶ Thenne Incontynent he beganne to kysse hym his eyen hys berde Wepynge bytterly and sayde Helas my lorde and my mayster Wherfore leuest thou me / Who shall be he that shall gyue to me doctryne as thou hast doon ¶ What shall I saye to the malades and seke people that shall come hyther to haue helthe / ¶ Helas now I see the. and tomorne I shall lese the / ¶ After many lamentacyons the good Anthony slepte / And as he slepte he beâ—de a voyce that sayde / Anthony I shal not leue the here in this place ne in the mountayne in whyche I am Illumyâ—ed wyth the grace of god / ¶ Thou shalte goo secretely in to Anthyoche / to the ende that the people moeue theym not / And shalt telle the tydynges of my dethe / ¶ For now I am departed lyke as it hathe playsed to my Redemer / ¶ Thou shalte neuer cesse to pray god in this place here / And he shall rewarde the in heuen / ¶ Whanne Anthony was awaked he merueylled moche sayenge ¶ O my lorde and mayster remembre thou me in the glorye in whyche thou arte now ¶ After he kissed his fete and layed his hondes vppon his eyen sayenge / ¶ My lorde I praye the gyue to me thy blessynge / ¶ And beganne agayn to wepe sayenge / Helas for to haue myÌ„de of the. What pyece of a Relique shal I take of thy body / ¶ And soo sayeng the body beganne to moeue Wherfore he was affrayed that he durste not towche it / ¶ And bi cause none sholde knowe therof / He sente secretely one of hys brethern to the Bysshop of Anthyoche The whyche accompanyed wyth two other Bisshoppis and also wyth Ardahoruis Prynce of the chyualrye of Anthyoche transported theym thyder and dyde laye the holy corps tofore the aulter of his chyrche / ¶ And thystorye sayth that the byrdes fledden abowte the place where as he was makynge grete cryes and chaterynge in manere of wepinge and waylynges / ¶ The people also and the beestes assembled in soo grete nombre that they were estemyd well atte seuen thousande demeanynge for his dethe a merueyllouse heuynesse / ¶ The mountaynes the feldes trees and also herbes of the places nighe by suffreden for his dethe / ¶ For ouer alle there abowte they were enuyronned wyth a derke clowde testefyenge and wytnessynge the bytternesse that they hadde ¶ Also the good Anthonye abode seuen houres the aungell of god shynynge as a lyghtnynge And his clothes whyte as snowe Wyth whom were seuen auncyent faders whiche longe tyme were by the corps / But what they dyde ne sayd knoweth none Lyke as sayth saynt Iherom / ¶ Durynge the tyme that the body was in the chyrche The Patryarke of Anthyoche wolde haue taken of his berde By cause he knewe that he was a man of holy lyfe But Incontynent thonde wyth whyche he wolde haue towched it waxyd drye / But after by the prayers of theym that were presente and by the euydente myracle he was heelyd / ¶ ThenÌ„ sware he that neyther man ne woman sholde towche it / ¶ Thyse thynges thus done in grete solempnyte torches and tapres beynge lyghte / The body was borne to Anthioche / ¶ But whan he was withdrawen fiue myle to a place callyd Mere. myghte neuer man make hym departe from that place / ¶ There was a man that hadde be fourty yere deyf and dombe and began to crye / Ha seruaunte of god thou arte ryght welcome / Thy comynge hath yeuen to me heryng and spekynge / ¶ I promyse the yf I lyue long· that alway I shall serue the wyth body and soule / ¶ After he aroos and tooke one of the beestes that ladde the corps of the holy man / And anone he was helyd / The cause of the accydente of this deyf and dombe man was this / ¶ He hadde ben amerous of a fayre yonge woman maryed the whyche he had strongely solycited for to haue her company To the whyche he cowde not come / ¶ And after it happed that she deyed whyche dethe came to the knowlege of this man all enraged for her loue / ¶ And after that she was buryed he wente to her sepulture and there deffoyled her And forthwyth he was deyf dombe lame / and soo abode in the same place duryng fourty yere / ¶ All the cyteyzyns of Anthioche came in grete tryumphe and mete wyth the body and bare it in to the grete chyrche / ¶ And there in the chyrche whiche is namyd Penytence in the whiche after his buryenge to the exaltacoÌ„n of his gloryous name ben shewed done Infenyte myracles / And more merueylous than theâ— that haue be done in his lyfe / ¶ Many prynces lordes haue layed oute of theyr tresours to the layd chyrche for to haue of hym some relyke But none myghte â—e had be cause of the othe that the bysshopp made / that his body sholde neuer be towchyd ¶ Of saynt Symeon byleue ye stedfastly that who someuer for the honour of god of hym shall haue the lyfe of hyÌ„ by wrytynge and shall rede it deuowtly and seruynge hym wyth good deuocyon He shall be rewarded for his merytes in the celestyall glorye ¶ To the whiche by his Intâ—essions lete vs prayes almyghty god that we maye obteyne / Amen / ¶ Of saynt Eufraxe vyrgyn / Whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ In diebus theodoâ—u / Caplm .xlvii. IN the tyme that regned Theodocyen the Iust emperour of the Romayns There was at Rome a Senatoure namyd Antigonius the whiche had a doughter namyd Eufrare / ¶ The sayd Antigonius was a man soo prudent and of soo godâ— counseylle that he gouerned after the lawe of the Romayns all the countree of â—â—â—ye / ¶ He was soo moche humayn that he had compassion of eche persone and admynystred to the poore all theyâ— necessytees / ¶ The emperour louyd hym not oonly by cause he was his kysnesman· but also by cause he was of right good prouffytable couÌ„seylle / ¶ He hâ— bounded in rychesse goodes temporal asmoche as ony man of the cyte / And he had a wyfe descended of the propre very lygnage of Emperours the whiche also was called Eufraxe a woman Iuste mercyful and garnysshyd with alle other vertues / ¶ Antigonius after thenne certayne tyme that god had sente hym his fayre doughter Eufraxe Thynkynge the saluacyon of his soule / Deuysed wyth his wyfe Eufraxe of holy wordes deuowte / ¶ And emong alle other he sayde to her / ¶ Eufraxe my syster and loue thou knoweste that this lyfe is
somoned to her maryage / ¶ And dyde doo assemble all the sisters for to chese an other Abbesse / And they chose one namyd Theogenye / ¶ And after that she was made Abbesse / She callyd her and sayde / My sister thou seest that the sisters haue made good wytnesse of the. And therfore I commaunde the in the name of the Trynite that thou thinke not on temporel godes ne on vayne playsauÌ„ce of this worlde / Ne suffre thy systers be occupied on erthly thynges But make theym to excersyse fastynges prayers and other vertuouse werkes / To the ende that they maye by theyr merytes gete the glorye of heuen / ¶ After she sayde to her systers Ye my good systers haue seen the holy conuersacyon of the ryght deuowte Eufraxe / Doo ye lyke as she hathe doon / to then de that ye maye accompanye her in heuen / And haue wyth her the fruycyon of euerlastynge blessydnesse / And whan she hadde thus sayde she entred in to her Oratorye / and shytte the dore / And after defended that none sholde entere tyll on the morne ¶ On the morn they came vnto the sayde Oratorye and founde that she hadde rendred her spyryte to god ¶ And they buryed and sayed her solempnely by the sayde holy saynt Eufraxe / ¶ And after that tyme there were non moo of theym buryed in the yr sepulâ—ure / ¶ Maâ—ty Demonyakes weâ—en guarysshed vppon the combe where the deuylles cryed ¶ O Eufraxe what shall we doo / Thou doost vs more harme after thy dethe thanne in thy lyte ¶ By thâ—se thynges we oughte to enforce vs to ensyewe by vertuous werkes the ryght persyghte lyte of saynt Eufraxe And in soo dooynge fynably we shall haue the glorye eternall The whyche by her Intercessyons we maye gete Amen ¶ Thus fynysshyth the story of saynt Eufraxe / ¶ Of saynt Machanâ— Romayne whiche was founde nyght by Paradys terrestre / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Gloriam et magnificentiam et cetera Caplm .xlviii. After the reporte and wytnesse of thre deuoute relygyous men Theophyle Serguis Thymus We shall see of the lyfe of saynt Machaire / ¶ The sayd thre relygyous men mette togyder by a monasterye in Mesopotamia in the countree of Syâ—t bytwene two floodes / Of whyche that one is named Eufraxes and that other Tygris / ¶ The Abbot of the sayd monastery was callyd Asclypyon the whiche receyued theym benygnely for to make there theyr professyon after the rule of the sayde monasterye / ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued comyÌ„ly wyth the brethern / ¶ On a daye aboute nyne of the clocke in the mornynge they mette togyder vpon the Ryuer of Eufrates in disputynge of the conuersacyon and of the grete laboure of the brethern of the sayde monastery / ¶ And thenÌ„e came to Theophile a thought Whyche he sayde to his two felowes Sergius and Thâ—mus ¶ My brethern I shall saye to you / Truly it play syth me / and I haue grete desyre to walke and goo soo ferre vnto that I maye fynde the heuen and the erthe Ioyne togyder / ¶ The other sayd / We haue holde the alwaye companye / And yet we shall not leue the / For thy maners and thy wordes playse vs. We shall goo with the. and not forsake the vnto the dethe ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they departed from thens ¶ And after that they had gone by the space of ten dayes Iourney They arryued and came to the cyte of Iherusalem / And worshypped the places where our lorde Ihesus Cryst had be ¶ His Crosse his sepulture and other sayntuaryes ¶ And after came to Bethleem in whiche place they also worshipped the cribbe where in oure lorde hadde layen and were also in the place where the aungelus spekynge to the Shepeherdes songen Gloria in excelsis deo the whyche place standyth two myle from Bethleem ¶ And after they wente vpp in to the mounte of Olyuete Where as our lorde Ihesu Cryste ascended in to heuen whanne he was receyued in a clowde the daye of his gloryous Ascencyon / ¶ They came agayne in to Iherusalem And there adoured and worshyped god ¶ And after they departed as people gyuynge ouer refusynge all delyers temporell Wythoute to haue ony regarde ne thoughte to the worlde / ¶ The fyfthe daye they passed the Ryuer of Tygris / And entred in to the londe of Perse ¶ They came in to a grete felde namyd Assya / In whyche saynt Mercure martyr slewe Iulyan the Apostata / ¶ After they reentred in to a cyte namyd Catyssefodo / In whyche the bodyes of the thre chyldren Anany as Azaryas and Mysaell ben buryed / ¶ And there they soiourned many dayes / ¶ Foure monethes after they passed the londe of Perse / And entred in to the londe of Inde / And aryued in an how se in whyche noo man dwellyd / ¶ And there they abode two dayes / ¶ And the thyrde daye they sawe come to them a man and a woman armyd / Of whom they had grete drede / ¶ But by cause that the sayd man and woman hadde supposyd that the relygyouse men had ben spyrytes or espyes and retorned agayne / And asseÌ„bled almost a thre thou sande Ethyopyens / The whyche arryued there and bylette the house al aboute where as they weren on theyr knees prayenge to god / ¶ And the other sette fyre atte the foure corners of the howse ¶ The whyche thynge knowen by the religyous men were moche aferde and not wythoute cause / And sprongen out in to the myddes of theym in callynge the name of Ihesu Cryste Sauyoure of alle the worlde / ¶ The sayde Ethyopyens after that they hadde longe parlemented togyder in theyr langage whiche the sayd freres vnderstode noo thynge / ¶ Fynably they lad theym· and broughte theym in pryson obscure and derke / ¶ Alas whanne they weren in pryson none gaaf to them nother mete ne drinke / And had noo comforte of ony man liuynge But beganne to wepe and requyred the mercy of god / ¶ Whanne the cursyd Ethyopyens sawe that they were in contynuell prayer / They lete theym goo oute In chacynge and betinge theym vylandusly rygoryously wyth grete staues tyll they were oute of theyr prouynce / ¶ And they sayd that thei were foure score dayes wythoute mete And herof the Recytour callyth god to wytnesse / The whyche for the honour of god we oughte pyteuously to byleue ¶ Fynably they departed oute of theyr Regyons / And wente towarde the couÌ„treye of the Eest Where they founde a felde delycyous alle full of trees berynge sauourous fruyte and merueyllouse swete Wherof they thankyd god / And ete alle theyr fylle of the fruytes of the sayde trees / And after passed the sayde londe of Iude. And entred in to the londe of Chanane ¶ Whanne they sawe the vysages of the Inhabytauntes of the sayde countreye / They were moche admerueyled ¶ In that countree the men
enfourme me in thyne holy lawe ¶ And fynably wyll gyue to me the glorye eternall / ¶ And from thens forth on Pastumyen besyed hym in deuowte comtemplacyons / Alwaye awaytinge that the angell of god sholde come agayne to him ¶ But that notwithstondynge he wente agayne to his crafte / whyche was as tofore is sayde to make cordes of Ionâ—es / ¶ And fynably the aungell apperyd to hym and sayde / Pastumyen wolt thou that I lede the to a preest / Whyche shal baptyse the in the name of the fader of the sone and of the holy ghoste / To whom he ansuered that it was the grettest Ioye that myghte come to hym / And that he desyred none other thynge ¶ Anone the aungell tooke him by the heere 's / and bare hym vnto a place where as was an an holy man named Prisce / To whom the Aungell commaunded that he sholde enseygne and teche hym the faythe and lawe / And to lyue as a good Crysten / ¶ The holy fader seenge the grete bryghtnesse of the aungell Sodaynly he was abasshed in suche wyse that he felle downe for fere / But the aungell releuyd hym and comforted hym sayenge ¶ Be not aferde / for I am the seruaunte of god as thou arte / ¶ And in sayenge thise wordes the aungell chaunged his fourme vnto the semblaunce or lickenesse of a man clad wyth whyte and of a playsaunt face / ¶ After agayne he sayde to hym / Doubte the noo thynge / I come to the for to shewe to the fro god / That it is his playsure that thou take to the this goode man Pastumyen / And that thou enfourme hym in the faythe of holy chyrche To the ende that he maye deserue the glorye eternall / ¶ And Incontinente the aungell departed / ¶ Saynt Prysce thenne toke Pastumien And enfourmyd hym in the faythe / And to faste and to doo other vertuous werkes / ¶ After he baptysed hym and this done he made a prayer vnto oure lorde sayenge thus ¶ O sone of god I yelde to the humbly thaÌ„kynges of thys that it hathe playsed the. by thyne holy ghoste to reconcyle me to god thy fader And thou haste redemyd me from eternall dethe / The whyche dethe suffren perpetuelly alle they that byleue not in thy name / Alas I knowlege now that alle thynges the lasse oughte to obeye the gretter And the symple to theym that ben wyse / ¶ The seconde commaundement that ye oughte / for to kepe is subieccyon To the ende that in reuerent drede ye maye serue god wyth a chaste herte pure and clene / ¶ The thirde is that ye oughte to lyue sobrely and Iustly in hauynge compassyon on youre soules and of others / ¶ The fourth that ye oughte to chastyse youre bodyes by fastynges and abstynence after your possybylyte / For to the spyryte desyrynge to gete vertue it is a synguler delectacoÌ„n and playsaunce to be and enhabyte in a body lene by penaunce / ¶ The fyfthe is for to be ofte in oryryson and prayer in ensâ—ewyng the doctryne of the appostle whyche commaundyth vs to praye god wythoute ceassynge / For after his doctryne alle they that contynuelly faste and pray to god Lyghtly they putt vnder by the vertue of the faythe alle the cautels and subteltees of the deuyll of helle / And causyth also to resyste and wythstonde alle vyces and synnes / ¶ Fyrst and pryncypally to pryde / For of that synne proceden alle euylles And euery daye as one seeth by experyence / Pryde is the orygynall roote of al synnes / ¶ By pryde ben the aungellys caste downe in to helle / By cause that Adam desyrynge to knowe the good euyll ete of the fruyte forboden in transgressynge and brekynge the commaundement of god / ¶ By this concupiscence he deseruyd and bounde him and alle his posterytee and ofsprynge vnto the dethe eternall / Wherof we hadde neuer be quyte yf the blessyd sone of god by his grete mercy and by his worthy dethe and passyon hadde not quyted redemed vs / ¶ The vertue opposyte and coÌ„trary to pryde is Humylytee roote of alle good / And the begynnyng and getâ—nge of al vertues wythoute the whyche was neuer none ne neuer shall persone be perfyghte / ¶ And the cause that most moeuyd oure blessyd Sauyoure to take oure humanyte in the wombe of the vyrgyne of the Intemerate and moost clene and ryght blessyd vyrgyne Marye that was her humylytee For in soo doynge is wryten in the Cantycle / God hathe beholden the humylytee and mekenes of his hondmayde Quâ—a respexte humilitatem ancille sue c ¶ After the holy man Pastumien commaunded theym that they sholde haue charytee fraternall togyder in hauyng perfyghte faythe / Sayenge that the princypall Rule and mooste grettest charge that Religyouses oughte to haue is for to haue one wyth a nother perfyghte loue and charytee / Wythoute the whiche none Relygyouses in the cloystre maye not well gouerne theymselfe / ¶ Whan many brethern ben togyder wythoute loue eche entendyth to his synguler prouffyte / And soo theyr comynte is deuyded / ¶ Soo euery reame and other gouernement of multytude and of subgettes yf it be deuyded wythoute doubte it is desolacyon / ¶ Alas now the mooste parte of Relygyouses in this present tyme enteÌ„de to be Abbottes Pryours and to offyces Desyrynge to be oute from theyr brethern / ¶ Lyke as the byrde sechyth but to escape oute of the cage / ¶ And who sholde demaunde or wyte the reason wherfore I trowe that there sholde be defaulte to haue loue wyth theyr brethern / ¶ For by cause that thei ben ouermoche replenysshyd and fulfyllyd wyth the dampned vyce of Pryde they can not be compatyble and felyshypped wyth the other / But woll be alone ¶ A lorde god well is chaunged the tyme that the holy faders fledd in to deserte sedynge there a solytary lyfe for to renounce and leue the worlde / and to lede a lyfe contemplatyf / ¶ And as it is sayde the Relygyouses whanne they be closyd in an abbay where as they haue ben put for to be oute of the worlde / They thynke on none other synne but to opteyne and gete pryeryes and other benefyces / Whether it be by synne or no synne to the ende to retorne agayne to the worlde / For the whyche thynges all deuocyon is loste / ¶ Perauenture yf the Pryours were vnyed and onyd wyth the abbayes / And that suche Relygyouses had none occasyon for to departe with oute lycence / It sholde be better and lightlyer for theyr helthe / thanne for to seke theyr lodges from vyllage to vyllage / ¶ It hath be seen in tyme passed that the chyldren of kynges for to serue god haue renouÌ„ced and vtterly forsaken all theyr rychesses / ¶ But now whan there ben many in a noble house / they ben made Abbottes tofore that they ben relygyouses ¶ Noo
thynge for deuocyon But to the ende for to enryche theym wyth goodes and rychesses of the chyrche for to lyue atte theyr playsure God knowyth what shall be the ende ANd folowynge thenne the doctryne and tethynge that Pastumyen gaaf to his Religyouses ¶ He commaunded theym ferthermore to loue not oonly the one that other But to loue god pryncypally wyth all theyr herte / That was the fyrste commaundement that god gaaf to Moyses in the moutayne of Synay / ¶ But wyth the same commaundement must be Ioyned the lone that we oughte to haue that one wyth a nother / ¶ Whanne alle Relygyouses louen eche other / and god pryncypally and fyrste / Yet muste they haue the vertue of obedyence / ¶ Loue wythoute obedyence is noo thynge ¶ For lyke as the grasse lettyth the corne to fructefye and encreace / In lyke wyse who that is in obedient and fastyth and prayeth / bryngyth fourth noo fruyte for fawte of obedyence / ¶ After he commaunded theym to excercyse the nyghtes in prayers / ¶ For by nyghte the deuyll makyth moo lettynges to deuowte persones thanne he dooth in the daye Lyke as the Gospel saythe / ¶ Who woll doo euyll Hatyth lyghte / ¶ And to this purpoos sayth the Gospell Awake awake For ye know not the howre whanne the theyf of the soules woll come / ¶ He commaunded theym also that they sholde wryte in a Table of theyr conscyences all the commaundementes of god / And that ofte they sholde laye the clothe for to take refeccyon spyrytuell in sauourynge and etynge the ten loues composyd of the ten commaundementes of the fayth ¶ The twelue artycles of the lawe / And the werkes of mercy / ¶ More ouer he sayde / O ye my brethern / whyche desyre to be very obedyent and charytable to loue eche other / byleue ye after the sentence of Baruth the prophete whyche sayth / that ye ben now the felowes of god / ¶ And in a nother place the holy scrypture sayth well happy â—en the peasyble For they ben the sones of god / ¶ Now they that ben peasyble ben obedyent and charytable / ¶ They thene that shall desyre in this corruptyble world to enioye the fruytes of heuen / He muste renounce and forsake his propre wyll in hauynge perfyghâ—e charyte / ¶ After he coÌ„maunded theym yf they hadde amonge theym ony dyscencyon or debate / that Incontynente it sholde be appeasyd / For god oure lorde dwellyth ne abydeth but in one place of peas / ¶ And the contrarye where as is dyssencyon the deuyll regnyth ¶ And ferthermore he deffended them that they neuer sholde be angry ne wrothe ne to theyr brethern ne to straungeres / ¶ And that for ony gayne of the worlde that they myghte gete They sholde not oâ—cupye theym wyth temporell thynges But oonly in werkes spyrytuell By the whyche they myghte lyghtely gete the herytage of the Reame of heuen / ¶ And whanne ony temptacyons sholde come to theym the whyche with grete payne the ymyghte eschewe / ¶ He admonested theym to torne to god / In lyf tynge theyr hondes to heuen And sayenge ¶ O my god I pray the that it playse the to helpe me / And to enforce my poore freyltee to the ende that I maye vaynquysshe and surmounte my mortall enemye / ¶ And he sayde that anone after oure prayer made to god Comen his aungellis to oure ayde for to comforte vs / ¶ And for to proue thys thynge to be true He tolde thenÌ„e to theym that on a tyme. he beynge on a mountayne came tofore hym a grete companye of deuyllis in lyckenesse of men humayne And bi cause that by the will of god he knewe well that they were deuylles / He all resoluyd / And wythoute hauynge ony drede kneled downe on the erthe in prayenge god that it wolde playse hym to make the same deuylles to departe / ¶ And Incontynent they vanysshed awaye as a fume or a smoke tofore the wynde / ¶ Many other temptacions the deuylles made to hym But god delyuered hym alwaye by the deuowte prayers that he made / ¶ Therfore in concludynge he sayde to his Relygyouses / My chyldren be ye ferme and stable in the faythe in resystynge the deuylles temptacyons / And that ye ben clymynge by feruente charyte to the loue of god / The whyche in soo dooenge he shall to you be alwaye a protectour / And by his helpe ye maye gete the reame of heuen / ¶ Thus endyth the storye of the ryght holy man Pastumyen ¶ Here folowyth of saynt Onuffryen Heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn Beate memorie paphoncius et cetera / Caplm .l. SAynt Phaphunce hauynge desyre for to vysyte alle the Relygyouses that weren in the hermytages for to accomplysshe the helth of his body more lyghtly his waye bare wyth him a lityll water and brede / ¶ And whanne he hadde walked by the space of foure dayes his vytaylle faylled him / And became all confusyd and halfe deed By cause he was soo feble that he hadde neytheyr foote ne legge that myghte susteyne hym / by cause he had neyther to ete ne to drynke / ¶ But neuerthelesse he was by the helpe of god made alle hoole and guarysshed / And hadde as moche strength as though he hadde well eten and dronken / ¶ And thenne beganne to walke agayne And contynued soo foure dayes without mete and drynke ¶ The sayd foure dayes passed / by cause he felte hymselfe feble / He was constrayned to lye downe on the erthe as he hadde be deed / ¶ And he lyenge on the erthe Sodaynly sawe by hym a man in merueyllous glory ferdfull and terryble in shynynge / Worthy of prasynge in beawte / Longe of corpulence and right clere of regarde / Whom Paphunce seenge hadde grete fere but anone after he comforted hym / ¶ For in approchyng towched his lyppes and his houdes / And restored and gauf to hym strengthe / ¶ And Incontynent aroos vpp and walkyd seuentene dayes after tyll he came to a place where as god wolde brynge hym ¶ To whyche place he came and saw a man as he rested hauynge his face terryble all coueryd wyth heer lyke as a brute beest / ¶ And fro the raynes downe alowe he hadde a vestement of leues and of herbes / ¶ Whanne Paphunce sawe thys man soo deformyd / He was sore abasshyd / And not wythoute cause / ¶ For he hadde neuer seen suche lyckenesse of man ne of woman and wyst not what to doo But fledde in to a mountayne whyche was nyghe to that place And there hydde hym vnder the braunches of the trees / He was soo sore aferde / ¶ And there he beganne to syghe merueyllously ¶ Knowynge that by cause of his aege and abstynence he myghte goo noo ferther / ¶ This man seenge that Paphunce was fledde tofore him / and that he was aferde came nyghe to hym And callynge and cryenge with an hyghe
Infamyd ryght myserable and lyar of alle lyars / syth that thou knoweste theym that ben happy humble seruauntes of god Wherfore ye ueste thou to theym heuynesse and lettynges that they may not doo theyr penaunces suche as they desyred / ¶ The deuyll ansuered that the cause wherfore he trowbled the seruauntes of god / was to th ende that they sholde leue theyr gode conuersacyons and abandonne and gyue theym to synne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man sayde to hym / Thynkeste thou spyrite Infamyd that they that ben ferme in the loue of IhuÌ„ Cryst may be deceyued by thy suggestions Thou deceyuest none but theym that ben vnhappy And ben contente to doo thy wyll / And that worse is they done payne to synne mortally / ¶ Thou knowest whan the seruauntes of god ben assaylled of the / That by one prayer that they make to god thou arte constrayned to flee / And Incontynent as the holy man hadd sayd thyse wordes / The deuyll fledde awaye as a raye or beme of the sonne ¶ Yet agayne fyue dayes after came the deuyll And made in the ayre a noyse / as he hadde hadd a grete multytude of people / That one sayeng to that other ¶ Lete vs goo and throw Abraham into a dyche and putte hym to dethe / ¶ The good holy man whanne he herde thyse wordes sayede / ¶ The enmyes of god haue gone rounde abowte me as flyes or bees and ben enforcyd agaynst me as fyre in thornes ¶ Alle be done in the name of god our lorde Ihesu Cryste / For by the puyssaunce dyuyne I shall vaynquysshe the cursyd deuyll / ¶ After that the enmye had herde thyse wordes of the sayde good holy man / He beganne to crye sayenge / Helas Helas I knowe noo more by what manere ne by what moyen the to dysceyue I knowe now that I am dysceyued / Neuerthelesse I shall neuer departe fro the vnto the tyme thou rendre thyself to be my subgette / ¶ Thenne the holy man ansuered to hym Maledyccyon come to the / Glory be gyuen vnto god and noo thynge vnto the / ¶ Thou knoweste that our sauyoure and redemptour Ihesus gyuethe to alle his true seruauntes strength to fyght agaynst the. and knowlege of thy dysceyuable temptacyons and mockynges for to kepe them from thy mortall and dampnable grynnes ¶ By many assawtes was assailed the holy man Abraham of the deuyll oure enmye But of what some euer temptacyon that he was tempted wyth He neuer fered ne doubted / but hadde alwaye stedfaste faythe / ¶ And of soo moche more as he was tempted vexid and traueylled of the deuyll / Of soo moche more he augmented his charytee towarde god / Wherfore fro day to day encrecyd his grace / ¶ And by that lyghtly by the helpe of god he suppedyted and put vnder fote the deuyll / ¶ Whanne the holy man apperceyued that the tresoure of grace was to hym ottroyed and gyuen He took thre precyous stones / Of whyche the fyrste was Faythe The seconde Hope / And the thirde Charyte To the ende that by thyse thre the other vertues mighte be decorate and made fayre / ¶ His charyte was soo grete that it stratched not oonly to good men / For whom he prayed affectuously / to the ende that the deuyll sholde not greue ne noye theym / But also he desired the conuersyon of the euyll peple in prayenge in lyke wyse for theym And in wepynge grete habundauÌ„ce of teeres / ¶ To the ende that god wolde dyuerte theym from theyr euyll lyfe / and tourne theym to the waye of helthe / ¶ He neuer laughed / And neuer after his conuersion wysshe his feete ne his hondes· ne his vysage / Estemynge euery daye that he sholde deye / ¶ He had his vysage not lyke the floure that neuer dryeth / ¶ And in seenge hym by his vysage· he sholde be Iuged to be a vessell full of alle vertues· ¶ Alwaye he was Ioyeous wythoute heuynesse / ¶ And for that cause atte houre of his dethe he was Iuged neuer to haue doo penaunce soo moche was his visage fayte and rodye / ¶ And that more is in fyfty yere he chaunged not his garment of hayre / Whiche he toke and hadde worne syth he beganne to doo penaunce fyrste / By the whyche thynges it apperyd euydently that he was strongely the frende of god / ¶ A nother myracle dide the holy man Abraham in his olde aege / He hadde a cosyn germayn / Whiche departed oute of this worlde and deyed leuynge after hym a doughter seuen yere of aege / ¶ The frendes of the sayde chylde secuge that she had neyther fader ne moder / broughte her to the holy man / where as she was enclosyd nyghe by to a wyndowe whyche was on the syde of his lytyll house And by the same wyndowe he taughte to her the Psaulter other holy scryptures / ¶ And there in soo dooyng and sayenge Ympnes and psalmes they were longe togyder / In suche wyse / that in alle abstynences the yonge mayde ensyewed her vncle Abraham / The whiche seeng the good way and wyll by her begon / He deuowtely wythoute cessynge prayed god for her / To the ende that he wolde gyue to her suche grace that she neuer solde retourne to the worlde And that her thoughte sholde haue none affeccyon to worldly thynges / ¶ For he hadde therof grete doubte by cause that her fader hadde lefte to her grete plentee of goodes temporell / ¶ The whyche goodes Abraham seenge her grete prudence and perfeccyon made theym to be dystrybuted to the pore people / In prayeng god that the deuylles by theyr subtyll suggestyons myghte haue noo power to chaunge her from her good purpoos / ¶ Soo contynued longe tyme the goode mayde in the rule that her vncle had gyuen to her / ¶ And she hadde in her soo grete constaunce that in twenty yeres he founde not her varyable / But obeyssaunte as a yonge lambe or shepe / ¶ Durynge this tyme. the deuyll whiche slepyth not ymagyned many subtyll meanes by whyche he myghte dysceyue theym / ¶ And by cause he cow â—e in noo wyse come to his entente / He dyde do begyle and disceyued her by a myserable Relygyous / The whyche were ofte to vysite the sayd good man Abraham Faynynge soo to doo for the saluacyon of his soule / ¶ But the cursyd Relygyous man tempted of the deuyll vnder the shadow of deuocion He wente for to defoyle the sayd vyrgyn / And soo longe he contynued by the space of a yere that he drewe her oute of her Oratorye / ¶ And by cause that in suche caas the lasse to knowe and expresse is beste and mooste honeste / It suffyseth to wryte that the poore doughter was defoylled / ¶ And that after the synne commysed and done / she became soo sorowfull and desolate that vneth maye be expressyd and wryten her
conuersacyon of Theodore / To the chapytre whiche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Her talis / Caplm lxxx THorugh alle the countree and abowte it the conuersacyon of saynt Pachomyen was soo reâ—oÌ„rned that many act the example of him forsoke the worlde for to lyue a relygyous lyfe / ¶ And amonge the other a yonge chylde namyd Theodore borne of the londe of Egypte extract and come of noble parentes / Crysten folke and of the aege of xiiii yere or there abowte / From the whyche aege vpon a Twellyfth day that some Egepcyens made grete feest and grete diners The gode Theodore seenge the house of his fader and moder full of goodes / sayde by grete conpunccyon of herte in hymselfe / ¶ What prouffytyth the vnhappy yf he getyth alle the goodes of thys worlde and he lesyth the Ioye of paradyse / ¶ None wyth grete payne the woll vse at his pleysure of the goode of this worlde can not gete the heuenly glory ¶ This thynkynge in his herte he beganne to wepe and syghe Sayenge to our blessyd Sauyour Ihesu Cryste / ¶ O god almyghty thou knowest alle thynges secrete / Thou knowest that I loue not soo moche worldly thynge as thyselfe / I praye the my god that it playse the to kyndle my poore symple soule so that she that is maculate with synne be not dampned / But she whyche was boughte wyth thy bytter passyon he attendaunte and redy in al her werkes to worshypp and loue the perpetuelly / ¶ And durynge the tyme that he was in his oryson· and that he wepâ—e in this wyse came his moder to hym that sayde ¶ My sone what is he that hath made the thus sory / Thy fader I haue soughte the longe tyme in grete heuynesse for to come take thy refeccyon wyth vs / ¶ He answered my moder go your wayes I may not ete now ¶ And fynably forgetynge hymselfe and awaytynge abowte deuowte contemplacyons he wente not to dyner / ¶ From the tyme of his chyldehode that he wente to scole he ete noo meetetyll euyn was come / ¶ Some tyme he fasted two dayes wythoute ony meete / ¶ He was two yere wythoute delycate meetes lyuynge in perfyghte contynence / ¶ And fromthens fourth he purposyd to leue the worlde and yelded hym selfe to be shorne a monke· And forsoke and lefte all temporell goodes / And after putt hymselff wyth some Relygiouses lyuynge holily deuoutly wyth theym in grete drede loue of god / ¶ How Theodore was receyued of saynt Pachomyen / To the chapytre begynnynge in latyn ¶ Quodam vero Caplm lxxxi IT happed one daye amonge other that the brethern and relygyouses of the monastery where as was Theodore / after deuowte orysons dysputed of the olde Testamente of the Arke of Noe. of the rodde of Aaron / And of the tables that were gyuen to Moyses in the mountayne of Synay where the body of saynt Katheryne lyeth / And thenÌ„e one of the same Relygyouses sayde that many tymes he had berde speke of it well alonge to the holy man Pachomyen / And wyth this they rehercyd of him and of his holy lyuyng merueyllouse thynges ¶ Theodore heringe this that they sayd of hyÌ„ thise Relygyouses Prayed to god in his herte and sayde ¶ My god yf it be true that my brethern say of saynt Pachomyen gyue me grace that I maye see hym / To th ende that I may kepe alle thy commaundementes and afterwarde to be sauyd / As thou haste promysed to theym that shal loue and drede the / ¶ Certayne dayes after came to the sayde monastery a man namyd Pecusus that came for to enquyre of the good behauynge and deuocyon of the sayd Relygyouses / ¶ And by cause that Theodore was enfourmyd that he went to the monastery of the holy man Pachomyen / He prayed him be sily to take hym in his coÌ„panye / This Pecusius seenge his affeccoÌ„n entreated hym mekely and brought hym vnto the sayd monastery of saynt Pachomyen / ¶ Thenne this Theodore comynge nyght the sayd monastery thaÌ„ked god of that it had playsed hym to here his prayer soo redyly / For he desyred noo thynge so moche as to see saynt Pachomyen / ¶ And as they were come to the gate he and his felowe / ther fonde him there / Soo beganne Theodore to wepe sore in the presence of the holy man Pachomyen of the grete Ioye that he had to see him / The holy man sayd to hym My sone thou art well symple to wepe soo / For I am a synnar as thyselfe / How well that god hath take me in to his seruyce / And in sayenge this he broughte hym wythin his monastery / ¶ And whan he sawe the grete multytude of religyouses that were there / his herte was enflammed and take of a loue soo perfyghtly / that he was as in a Ialousye to vse his lyfe in that place / ¶ He was dyscrete and prudent in hys wordes werkes plenteuous in humylyte in compuccoÌ„n of herte and in operacoÌ„ns vertues as in fastinges watchyÌ„ges orysons in whiche he spende his tyme contynuelly ¶ And wyth this he comforted the sory· and the synnars by humbly correccoÌ„n frendly he admonested and warned / ¶ How Theodore refusyd to see hys moder / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Deuique tam preclaram / Caplm lxxxii SAynt Pachomyen whan he sawe the holy Conuersacyon of Theodore he louyd him with all his herte ¶ The moder of this Theodore hauynge knowlege that he was wyth the sayd saynt Pachomyen camÌ„ anone there for to see hym beryng with her lettres fro many bysshops / By the whyche they wrote well pressyly that her sone sholde be delyuerde to her agayne ¶ Soo came she fyrste to the monastery of the wymÌ„en / that was nigh ynouh the monastery of saynt Pachomyen / by cause that the wymmen went neuer to his monastery / She wrote vnto him that he sholde sende her hyr sone agayne / And with this she sente hym the lettres that the bysshops wrote vnto hym that they sholde doo soo / ¶ The holy man seenge the sayde lettres sente for Theodore / To whom he exposyd the tenour of the same / And commaunded hym to goo his waye aswell for to please his moder as for to obeye the bysshoppes commaundement / Theodore answerde vnto saynt Pachomyen / Ha my fader I demaunde the yf now I leue the astate of Religyon whyche is so moche fruytfull / And wythout whyche wyth grete payne ony canne not be sauyd / Shall I not be therof repreued at the daye of dome afore god / ¶ We haue in the gospell / that who some euer shall loue his fader or moder more than god / He shall not be worthy to be made his seruaunt / Saynt Pachomien answerd / My sone if thou seme that thou doost agaynst thy conscyence to speke wyth thy moder / I woll well that thou abyde here / But
also yf thou be otherwyse dysposyd / I wyll not kepe the by force ¶ The rule of the very Relygyouses is for to forsake alle togyder the worlde and to flee all worldly conuersacyons / ¶ And therfore he that wolde saye my fader my moder arn my blode I ought to loue them / He must take hede to saynt Poul that sayth / WhosoÌ„euer that shal be ouercom by the flesshe he shal be seruaunt to the flesshe / And in effecte euery body becomyth thrall vnto hym of whom he letyth hymselfe to be broughte vnder fote / ¶ His moder seenge that she myghte not speke with hyÌ„ purposed to dwell wyth the virgynes that had theyr place nyghe the sayde monastery where her sone was a Relygouse Hopynge by goddis grace that she sholde see hym amonge the other Relygyouses / And also that in this dooynge she sholde purchase some mede to the saluacyon of her soule / durynge the tyme that she were in the monastery wyth the sayde vyrgynes / ¶ And by this that is sayde apperyth openly / that to kepe some tyme Rygoure in the worshypp of Ihesu Cryste and not for noo praysyng ne vaynglory is ofte cause of grete goodes to theim agaynst the whiche men ben Rigorouse How be it that for a shorte space of tyme it semyth theym that men haue offended theym / ¶ Of many reprouyd Relygyouses / To the chapytre begynnynge in latyn ¶ Igitur sicut / Caplm lxxxiii AAfter that we haue seen of the maners and vertues of many vertuouse and holi Freres consequently we shall see the necligence of some reprouyd Relygyouses that folowen after theyr flesshely appetyte oute of al good rule / The whyche gaaf grete malencolyes to saynt Pachomyen / By cause that for noo manere of monycyon ne warnynges that he made to theym they wolde not retorne theym / Wherby the holy man was wonderfully sorowful and heuy / ¶ And complaynynge hym to god he sayd / ¶ O my god that haste lordshypp ouer alle the worlde / Thou commaundest vs to loue oure euyn crysten / And therfore my god that knowest my wyll and the secrete of my conscyence / I praye the that thou wolt not dispyse my oryson The whyche ofte I haue made vnto the for thyse wretchydfull Relygyouses to the ende that thou haue of theym pyte and mercy in gyuynge to theym thy drede reuerently / And grace to knowe thy dyuyne puyssaunce for to obeye and serue the / Hauynge in the onÌ„ly wythout ony other the stedfaste hope of theyr saluacoÌ„n / ¶ Truely my soule is feblyd and tourmented soo moche and all my wâ—ttes trowblyd of theyr abhomynable lyuynge and Innyquyte / ¶ The holy man seenge they wold not amende theym / He made yet agayne prayers vnto god for theym / And after gaaf to theym certayn smale easy rules to lerne theym to honour praye god / To the entente that lytyll and lytyll they myghte accustome theym to doo well / And amende theyr lyfe / ¶ Ferdermore seenge that they coude not accoÌ„plisshe theyr delectacyons and playsures wythstondynge the contynuell denyenge of saynt Pachomyen / That suffred theym neuer goo oute of the monastery for to playse theyr wyckyd wylles / They for loke the monastery and ensyewed the deuyll theyr lorde and mayster / ¶ And after that the other Relgyouses were more desyroê° in the loue of god thanne afore / ¶ For thus as the corne whanne it is weded from the euyll herbes groweth and multyplyeth the better / ¶ In lyke wyse whanne in a felyshypp of folke peasyble are some vycyouse men / It is of necessyte to throwe theym oute from the other / ¶ And by this it is seen that to a man gyuen to the worlde auayllyth hym not to be a Relygyous / For his professyon shall doo hym noo prouffyte yf he be neclygente to kepe the Rules of his Relygyon / ¶ In lyke wyse a prayer prouffyteth not that is made for theym that ben aslepe in theyr synnes yf they helpe not to awake theymself / ¶ How Relygyouses of other monasteryes comynge to vysyte the monastery of saynt Pachomien were not receyued in to the sayd place amonge the dwellers / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Confessor c. Caplm lxxxiiii THere was a preest named Denys that was Confessour Prouysor and admynystratour of of the chyrche of the Centyryens / And well byloued of the holy man Pachomyen / ¶ The whyche Denys knowynge and aperceyuynge that this holy man defferred and putt of for to gadre wythin his monasterye wyth hys brethern the Relygyouses that camen to hym from other monasterys / But made theyr necessytees to be admynystred to theym by theymselfe and wythoute the gates of his monastery / Reproued hym sharply in sayenge to hym / That he dyde not well to doo soo / ¶ The holy man tooke and resceyued benygnely his correcyon / And answeryd to hym ¶ My brother and frende god knowyth my wyll and myn entencyon / And also he knowyth wel how I desyre the saluacyon of alle soules / And none I wolde despyse ne prouoke to wrathe / ¶ I knowe also that god hath sayde in hys gospell / That thys that men shall doo to the leest of his seruauntes / He shall take it in lyke wyse as it were doon to hymselfe / ¶ And therfore wyte it that I doo not soo for to contempne theym ne dyspyse theym / But oonly by cause that I knowe some Relygyouses in my chyrche soo symple that they sholde not conne putte dyfference bytwene theyr ryght honde and lyfte honde / ¶ And yet some other there ben also that bere not the habyte of relygyon / Wherfore me semyth good and nedeful that they that ben comyng to vs from other places be receyued honestly in a nother house by ours / ¶ And whaÌ„ they woll come to the chyrche to serue god they maye come there wyth vs / And after the seruyce dyuyne doon to retourne in to theyr lodges / for to doo there theyr secrete Oracyons or other vertuouse werkes after theyr deuocyon ¶ The preest hering his answere was contente of hym / And wente agayne awaye all recomforted and wyth gode counseylle / ¶ How the gowne of saynt Pachomyen heelyd folke of the blody Flux / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Mulier et cetera Caplm lxxxiiii IN the cyte of the Centiryens a woman had hadd suffred by a longe space a syckenesse callyd the blody Flux / Soo came she to the good preest aboue namyd / And by cause he was famylier frende of saynt Pachomyen· Prayed hym humbly that it wolde playse hym to sende for the holy man Pachomyen that was in his chaÌ„bre sayeng that he had certayn necessary thynges to telle hym / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen came to the sendynge of the sayd preest / And whan he was comÌ„ with in the chirche he made his prayer after he salued the good preest Denys / as they spake
the seruauntes of our lorde to all theim that ben lyuinge vnder our pouertee / that by the suffrauÌ„ce of god are submytted to our rule gouernauÌ„ce / Herke after the sayeng of saynt Poule in his pystle / ¶ Obeye to your prelates yelde yourself subgettes to theym / For certaynly they wake as that they muste yelde acounte of your soules / ¶ My lytylnes byleuyth that yf ye obeye to the wordes of god / ye shall haue your petycyons not onÌ„ly of men but of god ¶ And bi cause I know this that I wryte to you to be trouthe / I praye you of your charite that ye doo noo thyng contrary to the coÌ„mauÌ„dements that I haue done to you but be obeyssaunt / ¶ It is writen in his holy scripture that god hath in hate the grete balauÌ„ce and the lytyl / ¶ After this my warnyng yf ony goo ayenst my biddynge touchyng the weighte the mesure / Wyte he that al his godes shall be dealyd to the pore ¶ How he corrected theym that receyuyd ony yeftes begynÌ„ith in latyn ¶ RelatuÌ„ est autem / Caplm · C.ix. IT was shewed to the sayd saynt IohnÌ„ that some bought men after solde theym ayen to an hyer pryce than they had bought them Soo made theym al to be assembled without grete blame or rebuke shewed theym that it was euyll done / syth toke theym more moneye than they had bestowed in this marchauÌ„dyse And charged theym that they shold not doo in tyme comyÌ„g suche dedes / after this some left theyr takyng of theyr pryce so grete that they were wont to take aboue the comyn taxe of theyr marchauÌ„dyses / ¶ How he gaaf lycence leue to them that wold comÌ„ to hym begynnyth in latyn ¶ DisceÌ„s vero c. Caplm C.x. Saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner knowyng that some of his subgettes suffred many wronges of theyr enmyes / were aferde to come to hym for to coÌ„playne by cause of his seruauÌ„tes that coÌ„tynuelly assysted hym / ¶ He for the same cause dyde make a chayre iâ— benches byfore the chyrche vpon the whyche the Wenesdaye the Frydaye in comynge fro the sayd chyrche he restyd hym deuysed wyth some notable persones other while he helde the holy gospels in his hondes / And there were certayn his deputes to whom he gaf power leue to stonde nyghe hym / the whiche had the charge to kepe the rightes of the chyrche ¶ And yf ony body came to complayne / they shewed it to the said saynt IohnÌ„ / the whiche coÌ„mauÌ„ded the chapâ—tre sholde be callyd assembled for to purueye therto / And they thê° asseÌ„blyd he proposyd vnto theym sayenge ¶ Yf we men haue lyght dedes to the onÌ„ly god that is aboue all nature for to make to hyÌ„ our requestes whan we pray hym deuoutly we gete that we aske In lyke wyse we ought to doo to theim that come to vs. bryÌ„gyng in our mynde the worde of god sayeng / ¶ Wyth suche a mesure as ye mesure ye shall be mesured / also in recordyng the sayeng of the prophete that shewyth to vs / That lyke as we doo we shall be done vnto / For thise causes the holy bisshop made that thei came to hyÌ„ to be spedd of theyr matere wtout ony delay ¶ And one tyme emoÌ„ge other he was one daye tyll .v. of the clocke beynge in the same place where he was wont to sytt herynge the questions of his peple / And by cause no body came there the daye that wold require of hym ony thyng he departed retorned in his house wepyÌ„g / ¶ So were his folke gretly merueylled wherof came this wayllyÌ„ge none durste axe hyÌ„ the cause why but to a holy man namyd Sophronyen that herof famylyerly axyd hyÌ„ The holy man answerd that he was â—â—â—che of this that none was come speke with him wherby he had spende the day wtout to haue done ony mercyfull dede / ¶ Now it is trouth as it is sayd about that the cause whiâ—he helde hyÌ„ in the open place was by cause he sholde acorde al maner folke / that in manere of processe or otherwise had ony discorde or euyl wylthe one ayenst thother / the whiche oft tymes he acorded peasyd atte his owne propre costes / ¶ Sophronyen thenÌ„e sayd to hym certaynly my lord thou art wel happi / For the subgets that thou hast in thâ— gouernauÌ„ce are by thy meanes soo prasyble soo kynde that they haue noo cause to haue ony hate or rancour theâ—e ayenst thother by this he saw knew that this was the cause that none was came to hym that daye / Wherof he gaue thenÌ„e 〈◊〉 â—â—ynges to our lorde / at this example ¶ We rede that Constanciê° whiche was Emperour sone of Heracle had this custome maner at Rome in peasynge of the Romayns / ¶ How the holy bsshop receyued mekely the folke that were fled for to schewe the madnesse of theim of Percy beginÌ„ith ¶ Cuâ—us sancti / Caplm C.xi. HAngynge the tyme that the holy bysshop Patryarke IohnÌ„ the Almoner being in Alexandrie they of Percy had werre ayenst the Syrryens in the reame of Syrrye the whiche reame the subgettes of the same / â—er brought to thraldom· by the Percyâ—on / ¶ Wherfore many of the sayd Sirâ—â—â—ns / the bare full vnpacyently that they were brought in bondage· came yelded the ymself in the subieccoÌ„n of the sayde Patryarke / The whiche he receyued mekely swetly / in comfortyng theim not as in tharldom fleers but as his bredern / They that were hurt sike he made to be heelyd / after suffred theym goo where as they semyd good ¶ Some of his seruauÌ„tes the grutchyd the grete almesses that were done out of his howse reported shewed to the holy Patryarke how some Sirryens clothyd with clothe of golde of other precyous raymeÌ„tes were come to his house to fetche an almesse / ¶ But not wythstondynge that he was swete of vysage of speche yet he lokyd vpon theym as wroth sayeng ¶ Knowe ye not wel the god hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded / that men shall gyue to all theym that shall aske vs / And by cause that the goodes that I yeue be not min but they ben goddis / therfore I woll in gyuyng theim kepe his coÌ„mauÌ„dement ¶ Yf ye thynke that the almesse mynisshe in gyuyng theym to theym that ben rychely clothed ye haue lytyll faith / I bileue that yf all the worlde were beggers that they came to Alexandrye that the godes of the chyrche sholde not mynysshe therfore / And by this he comforted hys seruauÌ„tes / And the poore for this cause grutchyd noysed ayenst the other / ¶ Of the shappe of a woman that apered to saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner Patryarke of Alexandrye / begynnyth in latyn ¶ CuÌ„que illis c. Caplm C.xii. THe sayd saynt
IohnÌ„ rehercyd ones to the hope of them that gladly gyue for goddis sake that he beynge on a nyghte a slepe sawe in dremynge a ryght fayre and clere woman and shynynge as the sonne / And crowned with a crowne of lawrer / In musynge of her grete bewte he a woke / ¶ And him semyd that he sawe her in dede stondynge byfore hym / ¶ Soo he blessyd hym Incontynent And spake to her After askynge what she was / ¶ To whom she answerde all smylinge that she was the moder of the doughter of the kynge / ¶ And after sayd to hym / My frende yf thou wolt loue me I shall presente the byfore the souerayne emperour / For none hath there soo grete power as I haue / ¶ Thenne after she vanysshed a waye from his syghte / ¶ Thenne the holy man Iohan supposyd after his aduys that it was compassyon or almesse that was appered byfore hym in lykenesse of a woman / By cause she hadd on her heed a fayre crowne of lawrer / ¶ For certaynly the grete compassyon benygnytee that god hath to the poore synners / He hathe made his ryght dere and swete chylde Ihesu Cryste to take our kynde flesshe / and suffre soo many euylles for vs / ¶ The holy man after this vysyon aroos / wythout to a wake ony body and wente to the chyrche / ¶ And ingoynge thyder he founde a poore euyll clothyd man / and as deyenge for colde ¶ Soo toke he of his gowne and gaue it hym for to clothe hym wyth all / And after retornyd wythoute to entree in to the chyrche / Puttyrige in hymselfe a doubte whether the aduysion that he had seen were of god or non / ¶ And in retornynge to hys howse warde he met wyth a man clothyd wyth whyte vestyments / that gaaf hym an hundred penyes / Sayenge that he sholde dystrybute theym where it playsed hym / ¶ And by cause hym semyd that he had be ouer hasty and redy to receyue the sayde penyes doubtynge to be dysceyued / He wente to haue delyuered theim ayen to hym that gaaf theym to hym / ¶ But he cowde not by cause the other was vanysshyd away / ¶ Soo had he thenÌ„e some vnderstondynge and knowlege that this vysion was come to hym of god / ¶ Of a pylgryme that wolde tempte saynt Iohan the Almoner / Begynâ—nynge in latyn ¶ Adoriâ—ue et cetera Caplm C.xiii. IN the sayd cyte of Alexandrye was a straunger whyche herynge the grete fame of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner wolde tempte him for to vnderstonde the certayntee therof / And for to doo this he put of his raymentes toke euyll clothes abowte hym / And after came byfore hym there as he wente towarde the place where the syke peple were kept dressed / ¶ For his customÌ„ was to goo to the hospytalles twies in the weke for to vysite there the syke folke that were there / ¶ This valyaunt man stranger sayd to him / O my lord gyue to me your almesse poore prysoner / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man coÌ„mauÌ„ded the men sholde yeue to hym vi pens ¶ Whan he had receyued the fyrst almesse he chauÌ„ged his habyte and Incontynent went ayen tofore hym in sayenge ¶ Alas syre haue pyte of me poore syke man / The holy man ones ayen coÌ„maunded to the Almoner that he sholde gyue hym vi pens of golde / ¶ After that he had taken theym to the Papelarde he said all soft to the holy man that he had had twyes his almesse / Wherat the holy man answerd noo thynge / feynyng as he had not herde hyÌ„ / ¶ Thirdly he came agayn in a nother chauÌ„geable clothynge / for to haue yet a nother almesse / And thenÌ„e the Almoner drew the holy man by the gowne for to gyue hym to knowlege that it was he that had had twyes his almesse that daye / But the holy man coÌ„maunded the men sholde gyue hym twelue pens of syluer sayenge to his Almoner / Doo the I coÌ„mauÌ„de the / For by aduenture it is god that temptyth me / ¶ Of a Maryner of the tynne that was tornyd to syluer / Begynnynge in latyn ¶ Nauclerus quidam et cetera Caplm C.xiiii A Marynar straunger / that by tempest of the see or otherwyse had loste all his goodes / Besechynge humbly to saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner that he wolde sprede vpon him his mercy / Hauynge pyte vpon hym as he had vpon the other / ¶ Soo he gaaf him v. pounde of golde that he put forthe in marchandise and after retorned vpon the see where he loste all excepte oonly his shippe the whiche was saued ¶ Soo came he ayen to the sayd holy man / prayed hym as aboue / ThenÌ„e he said to him / ¶ My broder thou had dest some syluer euyll goten that thou hast medled wyth that of the chyrche Therfore thou hast loste all / Neuerthelesse he gaue hym agayne x. pounde of golde / Soo went he agayen to the see / Where he had the wynde soo contrary that all his shyppe was perysshyd· abode noo thynge sauf but the men / The whyche thynge seenge the Mary nerâ—he wolde haue slayne hymselfe for sorowe / But god preseruyd hym there fro / And shewed his wrath angre to the holy Patryarke / The whyche Incontynent sente for hym / ¶ The Maryner coueryd wyth asshes / and his clothes all to torne lyke as they are wont to doo in the londe came to the sendynge of the Patryarke / The whyche in beholdynge vpon hym sayd to hym ¶ My frende god haue pyte and mercy vpon the / I trowe / that from hensforth thou shalte not haue none euyll fortune / ¶ Thy shippe is perysshyd bicause it was goten by wronge / ¶ And thenne he made to be gyuen to hym one of the shyppes of the chyrche / that he made be fylled wyth ten thousande râ—sers of whete / ¶ And this done the Marynar wente to the see as he was acustomyd / But he saylled twenty dayes twenty nyghtes that he wyste not whether he drewe to / ¶ Durynge the whiche tyme the gouernoure of the shyppe / as he rehercyd to the Marynar / sawe nyghe hym the holy Patryarke / that sayd to hym / Marinar doubte no thinge thou sayllest well / ¶ After the twenty dayes they londed in Britayne where soo grete necescyte of corn was that they of the londe for grete derth suffred grete hungre / Wherby they were receyued in grete Ioye reuerence / ¶ The folke of the londe asked of the Marynar yf he wolde selle his where for redy moneye or take Tynne for it ¶ And after he had remembred vpon theyr askynge / He toke redy money for the halfe / And for the other halfe he take fyne Tynne / And after wyth a grete gladnesse retornyd in to Alexandrye And were longe tyme art the hauen callyd Penthapolis / To the whyche hauen the maister Marynar of the shypp had a
felowe To whom he gaaf in a sacke fyfthy pounde of hys Tynne ¶ But he wyllynge to make a prouâ— yf it were good / This his sayd felowe founde that it was ryght fyne syluer / Soo he broughte it agayne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the Marynar sayd to hym / I promyse the it is taken me for fyne Tynne / But I shall telle the / I trowe he that hath tornyd the water in to wyne By the prayers of the holy Patryarke haâ— the tornyd my Tynne in to syluer / ¶ And for to shewe verily that it 〈◊〉 Tynne he broughte his felowe to the shippe where the remenaunte of the sayd Tynne was / ¶ And whanne they were entred in to the sayd shyppe they â—â—de that al the forsayd Tynne was conuerted and chaunged in to syluer ¶ But the myracle well to be consyderyd and markyd was not lesse to merueyllyd thanne thoos that god made / ¶ The one was whanne he multeplyed fyue loues and two fisshes to the sustentacion and foode of fyue thousande men / ¶ The other whanne he tourned the waters of Egypte in to bloode / ¶ A nother tornynge the rodde by the hoÌ„de of Moyses in to a serpent / ¶ And a nother whanne many martyrs beynge in the fyre for to be brente / He tourned that fyre in a dewe / ¶ And therfore made god this chaungyng and tournyÌ„ge of Tynne in to syluer for to make this good Marynar his seruaunt rycher / In grasstynge to hym his mercy / ¶ Of a Ryche man that was fallen in grete pouertee / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Descendente sanctissimo c. Caplm C.xv. THe holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ the Almoner on a Sondaye gooynge to the chyrche came byfore hym a poore man that some tyme hadd be ryche / And had hadde moche goode / But he had be robbyd of theues that had lefte hym noo thynge / wherof he myghte mayntene his poore lyfe ¶ Soo was he constrayned to begge his brede for goddis sake / And askyd of the sayd saynt Iohan the Almoner his almesse / ¶ The whyche hauynge compassyon of his wretchyd falle / And by cause he hadde somtyme noble fader and moder ordeyned that his Almoner sholde gyue hym the somme of fyftene pounde of golde / ¶ But the sayd Almoner complaynyng the grete almesses that the said saynt Iohan made was moche dysplaysed and aggreuyd of that he muste voyde out of hys hondes and take to this poore man so grete a somme of moneye / ¶ And for this cause he went Incontynent to speke wyth the Stiewarde that was wonte to gyue accountes of alle the moneye that eche daye were spente and alowed for the necessaryes of the sayde saynt Iohan / ¶ And to whom eche one made his acountes / and yelded his Rekenynge of the moneye that was taken by his hondes for to be tornyd to the sayd dedes and necessaryes / They two togyder spekynge and comynynge of thys forsayd matere bi the temptacoÌ„n of the cursyd spyryte Mammona the tempted theym of the brennynge and Insacyable synne of couetyse purposid concluded that of the sayd xv.li. of golde shold be taken out x. li and but v.li. gyuen to the sayd poore man the whyche thyng was soo done / ¶ Now it is trouth that theyr lorde saynt Iohan the Almoner was sore famyd renoÌ„med the he gladly dyde grete almesse / ¶ Wherfore many notable lordes other persones desirynge to playse hym / and somwhat to content his sauourous appetyte and the deuocoÌ„n that he hadd to recomfort the poore seruauntes of god / They gaaf sende oft tymes to hym grete somÌ„es of money for to gyue for goddis sake aswell for the helthe of the soules of some dede as for the prosperitee of them that were on lyue / ¶ And thus a ryche notable wydowe that had a chylde noo more· came towarde the sayd holy man / ¶ The whyche wydowe for some pytenous consyderacoÌ„us her monyge purposyd for to do certayn aâ—messes by the sayd holy manes honde / ¶ And for to doo this she toke hyÌ„ a lytyll wrytynge that she hadde wryten wyth her owne honde / By the whyche she lete hym vnderstonde that she wolde haue dealed to poore folke the somÌ„e of .v. C· li. ¶ And in receyuynge openynge of the sayd wrytyng by the sayd holy man He knewe by the wyll of god that she had be wyllynge for to doo her sayd almesse vnto the somÌ„e of xv huÌ„dred pode / ¶ Soo dyde be calle the sayd wydowe / And in the presence of his sayde Almoner and Styewarde / whyche in lyke wyse by the shewynge of god / he knewe to haue wythholde to theyr behouffe ten pounde of the fyftene pounde that he afore had ordeynyd to be yeue to the poore man that had he robbed / ¶ He charged the same wydowe that she sholde tell hym trouthe / Whyche she promysed hym to doo soo / Now herke sayd he my frende by the faythe that thou owest to god Haste not thou had late a wyll to make a gretter almesse than of fyue huÌ„dred pouÌ„de She answerde Ye / And that she herself had wryten the writynge that she had delyuerde vnto hym / And she was well certayne that by the sayd wrytyng she had declared that her wyll was to yeue fyttene huÌ„dred pouÌ„de for goddis sake to poore peple / ¶ But by cause that sone after as she wolde haue take the sayde wrytynge she had seen as she lokyd in â—â— that where she had wryten that her wyll was to giue an almesse of fyftene hundred pounde to the poore peple she founde but fyue hundred pounde oonly in nombre / And for this cause she had restrayned her fyrst wyll / And had purposyd thoughte that she sholde gyue oonly the sayd fyue hundred pounde / Supposynge by the retornynge chaunge of the sayd wrytynge the wyll of god to be / That she sholde not gyue but this fyue hundred pounde / And that she shold kepe the remenaunt for her sone / ¶ Thyse wordes soo spoken And after that she had delyuered to saynt Iohan the sayd fyue hundred pounde / And was gone from hym / He sayd to his sayde Stiewarde and Almoner / ¶ I praye to god that he call you and aske you ones acompte of a thousande pouÌ„de that this wydowe hath with holde as ye be bouÌ„de to yeue hem ayen ¶ For and yf he had taken to the poore man the xv.li. that I hadd ordeyned for hym / And wherof ye haue wythholde x.li our lord shold haue suffred that this wydowe sholde haue gyuen to the poore peple the same thousand pounde that she hath wythholde in her honde ¶ Thenne the sayd Almoner Styewarde knowynge theyr mysdedes prosternyd or â—aste theymself at his fete requyred hym mercy amendement and they sholde neuer doo suche a nother offence / ¶ Of Niceta Patrice ruler of the comyn wâ—ele in Alexandrye / Begynnynge in latyn ¶ Intuens niceta
They of the shyppe 〈◊〉 haue be perysshyd and so sholde not thy sone haue escaped fro euerlastyÌ„ge dampnacoÌ„n ¶ The marchauÌ„t thenÌ„ wâ—ll coÌ„forted awoke came to the holy Patryarke for to shew him the caas thanked hym of his prayer / ¶ TheÌ„ne the holy Patryarke heuyng his hondes to heuen sayd / O my god I thanke the that thou gladly herest enhauÌ„cest the prayers of the poore synÌ„ars / After he sayd to the marchauÌ„t / ¶ My frende byleue not that this vysion is come to the by my prayers but onÌ„ly by the grete fayth that thou hast had to our lorde / ¶ Of a coueytous bisshopp the whiche â—â—â—yd moneye Inordynatly ouermoche / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Vrgehat c. Caplm C.xxxi OFt tymes the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ went to vysite the pore that were in a place called CesariuÌ„ In whyche place he had do make mattes beddyng for to lay theim vpon in Wynter / ¶ Wyth hym on a tyme amoÌ„ge other vysityng the sayd poore folke was a bysshop namyd Troyle whiche made thenÌ„e to be broughte wyth hym by one his Attourneye xxx.li of golde for to bye certayne plate to serue at his borde / ¶ The holy Patryarke that knew well his Intencyon / sayd vnto hym in spekynge of the poore peple / Troyle I pray the loue the bredern of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ After whyche wordes thus sayd by the Patryarke and well markyd by the sayd bysshopp / As all ashamyd coÌ„maunded to hym that bare his golde that he sholde gyue it to the poore / And after that they came ayen to the cyte / and as they were in the waye / the bysshopp Troyle that was right sory that he hadd gyuen agaynste his wyll the sayde .xxx. pouÌ„de of golde angred hyÌ„self soo sore for it that a stronge feuer toke hym so feruently that he was from hyÌ„selfe And the holy Patryarke whan he was come to his hous was set at the table sent for the sayd bysshop for to come to dyner take his refeccoÌ„n wyth hyÌ„ but he answerde that he myght not goo / that the feuer was soo stronge vpon him that he myght not ryse from his bed / ¶ The holy Patryarke knowyng hym thê° syke thoughte it was for grete malencolye that he toke for his golde that he had gyuen ayenst his wyll ¶ And by cause he knewe this bysshopp to be sore vexed tormented And for this cause he myghte not take his refeccyon / ¶ He wente to the bedde where he laye syke and sayde to hym / ¶ Troyle be of goode there comfort And reioyce thyselfe att my comynge / Dydest thou ymagyne otherwyse whaÌ„ I tolde the that thou shold gyue thy gold to the poore peple but that it was my wyl to gyue vnto the ayen all togyder / Truely my wyll was soo Holde here is thy hoole somÌ„e whyche I beynge to the / And whan he sawe in the holy manÌ„es hondes all his golde he fonde hymself aswel dysposyd of his comynge / as though he had brought a good medycyne / wherof he sholde haue recouered his good heele / And so the holy man toke hyÌ„ his golde ayen / ¶ But in this doynge he askyd hyÌ„ a letter of his honde how he forsoke the meryte that he myght haue gote in gyuynge his money for goddis sake· the whiche bysshopp made to hym a wrytyÌ„g wherof the tenour was suche / ¶ O my god yeue to my maister IohnÌ„ Patryarke of the grete cyte of Alexandrye the meryte of the xxx li of golde that I had gyuen to the poore / peple For I haue receyued theym ayen / The sayd holy Patriarke kepte well the sayd wrytyng and broughte the sayd bysshop to dyner wyth him / To whom after fewe dayes to th ende he were stired to socour gladly the poore peple / Oure lorde gyuer of rewardes wold shewe in a dreme what rewarde he had lost / So saw he in this dreme a grete palays â–ª so costelew soo fayr builded that al maÌ„kynde cowde haue discerne it / And amonge the grete rychesses of the same palays was the gate all of fyne golde / Vpon whyche was wryten / This palays is euerlastynge / the reste of Troyle / ¶ And as he was redyng the sayd superscripcoÌ„n came sodenly a notable persone as a chaâ—brelayn acompanyed of many seruaunters / To whom he hadde that they sholde take awaye the same superscrypcoÌ„n / And that they shold â—â—te in that place / that whyche the sâ—â—ersyn kynge hadd ordeyned The whiche thynge they dyde / And theyr wrytynge was this / ¶ It is the palayes euerlastynge of IohnÌ„ the Patryarke and archebysshopp of Alexandrye boughte by hym for xxx.li of golde / The whyche vysyon the sayde bysshopp rehercyd aforsayd Patriarke ¶ And from that â—â—me forthe he was a grete almesse yoâ—â— Hauinge euer more after strongly compassyon of the poore / ¶ Of the shyppes of the chyrche / And how al the goodes that were theâ—â— were lost / Whyche chapytre begynnyth in latyn ¶ Dominê° qui diuician cetera Caplm C.xxxii TRue it is that our lord whiche toke from Ioh all his goodes for to preue 〈◊〉 pacyence / 〈◊〉 for to gyue vs ensample to haue it 〈◊〉 alle oure aduersytees / Toke also from the holy Patryarke Iohan all his godes / ¶ For as the shippes of his chirche were in the see laded with all the â—â—â—ur of the chirche att a place namyd â—â—hyra / The Patrons of the said shippes of the chyrche were constrayned 〈◊〉 eschewe the lyckely peryll and gretâ—â— daungeour of theyr owne persones and vesselles to caste alle theyr goodes in to the see / ¶ And Incontynent that they were come in to the cyte of Alexandrye Ferynge to be trowbled· vexed and not in pryson / Wente alle to the chyrche for to kepe there the fraunchyse and â—â— betters / ¶ The holy Patryarke heryng 〈◊〉 â—â—ynges / and the cause why they â—nderstaÌ„de / wrote to theym wyth hys 〈◊〉 â—onde sayenge / Bredern be not say not angre not yourself Our lorde hath take from vs his goodes as it hathe playsyd hym His good playsure be done / Come surely oute of the chyrche 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nysour god shall puruey for vs 〈◊〉 one daye to the other / The daye folowyng the cyteyzyns wolde haue come to hym for to comforte hym / But he came ayenst theym and beganne to saye to theym / ¶ O my chyldern be not angry for the losse of the shyppes / Certaynly I am for my synne the cause of the destruccoÌ„n / by cause I was proude of the alâ—esses that I haue done in tyme passe / Ymagynynge to haue had mede to yoâ—â— that â— was your owne / And the â—â—â—oce god sendyth me now this fortune for to meke myselfe / ¶ Almesse oft playsyth the hert of man and makith to gloryfye hymself wythout rayson / Wherfor it oughte to be done secretly in humylyte / ¶ It is no fortune to haue grete
for to performe his vnlawfull wyll he departed fro his monastery camÌ„ in to Alexandrye / And whan he was come thyder he ladde a playsaunt lyfe· as to men but vnto god ryght agreable / ¶ Fyrste he wrote all the houres playnly / And that whyche he cowde wynÌ„e he gaaf vnto one of theim sayd to her / My frende I praye the gyue me this nyght that is to say that she sholde abstene herself fro fornycacoÌ„n ¶ The sayd abbot for to kepe her fro euyll dedes· abode wyth her al the nyght helde hymself in a corner of the chaÌ„bre prayeng god for her tyll it was day / On the morn he went away prayed her that she shold tell no bodi that he had be with her / ¶ Many dayes nyghtes he contynued this going among theim vnto the time that this was shewed bi an harlot that neuerthelesse wolde not saye that he was a lechour but he acoÌ„panyed theym onÌ„ly for theyr helthe / ¶ The good abbot prayed god that his good purpoos mighte not be lette by the sayd dyscoueryng / Wherfor the deuyll anone entred in the bodi of the sayd woman to th ende that the other sholde fere to saye as she sayd in sheweng the lyf that he lad ¶ SomÌ„ that sawe this woman sike sayd to her beholde euyll womaÌ„ thou seest now how god punysshyth yt. by cause that thou hast lyed vpon the relygious / Thou hast sayd that he gooth not wyth thy felowes for lechery / but thou hast made a lye / Thise thynges notwythstondynge the holy abbot whan he had wrought all daye / He at euen desyred none other but preche the comyn wymÌ„en / sayd to hyÌ„self Goo we goo to a nother place there is a woman that taryeth after ye. ¶ Many that sawe his vsuall comynycacyon that he had wyth thyse wymÌ„en blamed hyÌ„ for it / but he answerd vnto theym / Is not god aswell wroth wyth the other as he is wyth the relygyouses they ben men as other ben / ¶ Some tolde hym that he sholde take a wyfe chauÌ„ge his habyte by cause he shold not be sklauÌ„dred / But he kepte hym well that he consented not vnto theyr oppynyon onÌ„ly to theym he answerd that they shold goo fro him askyÌ„ge them / Are ye assygned my Iuges see to yourselfe lete me do my wyll Fynably he was accusid to the holy Patryarke whiche wold not byleue lightly that men reported vnto him but had in remeÌ„braunte the other relygyouse that in lyke wyse had hadde be accusyd as here byfore is made mencoÌ„n / ¶ And for to stynte the reporters the holy Patriarke tolde an hystory of Constantyn the emperour to whom was lyke wyse reported by an accusar certain blames in writynge ayenst a religyous / ¶ Whan the emperour saw the accusacoÌ„n he sente for the accusar him ytâ— as accused And they beynge aforesayd to the accusaâ— / Truly yf I sawe a seculer preest or a relygious that dide ony synÌ„e I shold hyde hym wyth my mantell / to th ende that his synne sholde not be knowen nor seen of other / And thê° the holy Patryarke peased the accusars of the sayd abbot ¶ Durynge the sayd tyme the seruauÌ„t of god Vitall vsed as he had acustomed wyth the comyn wymen / And wyth this he prayed god deuoutly contynuelly that after his deth to some persone shold the cause be shewed bi reyson wherof he dyde hauÌ„te the comyn wymen to th eÌ„de the peple sholde not abyde by hyÌ„ euyll ensaÌ„pled as also they ought not to be / ¶ For thrugh his prayers many persones that sawe hym praye god by nyghte â—euynge his hondes vp towarde heuen bi feruent deuocoÌ„n kept them self fro flesshly desires namly many wymen by reyson of him kept themselfe from the synne of lechery / ¶ It happed one daye as in a mornyng that he came out of the hous of a comyn womaÌ„ He mette wyth a lewde haskarde whyche for to doo the sayd synne of lechery went to the hous there as the holy man came fro / And at theyr metynge togyder this Vnthryft gaaf hym a buffett sayenge to hym / Knauysshe ypocryte why amendest not thyselfe of thyne ypocrysie / The holi abbot answerd vnto him I shall yelde the ones suche a buffett that all Alexandrye shall come to thy crye ¶ A lytyll whyle after this deyed the holy abbot Vytall / neuer duryng his lyfe was the cause knowe why he drewe to the comyn wyÌ„men / ¶ And it is to wyte that his celle or lytyll hous where he decessed all alone was sett in a place a lytyll fro the towne the whiche was called the gate of the sonÌ„e / ¶ Anone after his dethe or euer it was to oni persone knowen the deuyll came in lykenes of an Ethyopien toward him that had smyten hym hyÌ„ gaaf a grete buffett sayeng The abbot Vitall sendith that this offryÌ„ge / The vnhappy bawdy knaue felle down to the grouÌ„de / foomyÌ„ge as a mad man / Wherof many men wyÌ„men that herde the stroke were sore merueyled by cause they trowed that they had herde the thouder bolte fall / ¶ And truely lyke as the abbot had prophecyed it all the cyte was therof moeuyd / the cyteyzyns came to the cryeng of the sayd vnthryfte / Whyche after a longe space of tyme that he had be in this penauÌ„ce his mynde was restored to hym ayen / And anone he â—auÌ„e to the lytyl heâ—us of the sayd abbot for to crye hym mercy sayeng that he had ouermoche offeÌ„ded ayeÌ„st hyÌ„ whan he mette hym gaaf hym the buffett ¶ Many went thyder with hym in presence of whom the deuyll yet ayen smote the forsayd knaue caste hyÌ„ to theâ—h And they that were come wyth hyÌ„ entred wythin the celle of the sayd Vitall and founde hym on bothe his knees as he shold praye god wyth this it semyd theym that he had one honde to the grouÌ„de wherwyth he wrote thyse wordes / ¶ O ye men of Alexandrye iuge neuer noo man nor woman but that ye knowe him fyrst abyde tyll that god hyÌ„self makyth the Iugement / ThenÌ„e the pore losell confessyd that he had beten hym ¶ And thê° the prophecye was in hym fulfylled / ¶ All thise thyÌ„ges were by the peple rehercyd vnto the holy Patriarke The whiche wyth the Clergye grete nombre of cyteyzyns came to the place where the corps of the holy abbot was All the wyÌ„men in lyke wyse came thyder whiche he had coÌ„uerted to goodnes And bare with theim tapres lampes brenÌ„ynge sayenge Alas we haue loste our hele techynge / ¶ ThenÌ„e they tolde shewed how he companyed wyth theim not for rayson of synÌ„e but for to exhorte styre theym to doo well leue theyr lecherous lyfe malyce / Soo were they sore rebuked / that they hadd not vttred his holy lyfe / But they answerde that
sholde well thynke therat he sholde well haue cause to become humble and meke / ¶ How he corrected by fayre wordes swete langage theym that went out of the chyrche after that the gospell was sayd / And begynnith in latyn ¶ MittaÌ„ autem / Caplm Cxlvi BY cause that some Seculers or laye people had of a custome that they wente oute of the chyrche after the gospell was done / The holy Patryarke dyde correcte theym of this saweâ— / ¶ And desyrynge to moeue theym vnto deuocion / One daye amonge other departed oute of his palays And came and sette hym amonge theym in the chyrche / Wherof they were gretely merueylled / ¶ Thenne for to answere to theyr thoughtes sayd vnto theym / My chyldren it is exspedyent and nedefull that the shepeherde be there as his shepe ben / And therfore yf ye abyde in the chirche of god there out I shall doo as ye done ¶ For your loue I am come to the chyrche / And ye goo there oute / ¶ And alwayes yf I had wolde I mighte wel haue soÌ„ge my masse in my chapell of my bysshopriche / and sholde not haue come to you ¶ Bi this maner of meane they al corrected theymself â—â—â—fered to doo as they were acustomyd / ¶ Wherby men maye euydently and openly knowe that the good maners of a Prelate and his holy lyuynge is ofte tymes cause of the amendement correccyon of his euyll subgets / The whyche at his ensample enforce theymselfe to lyue vertuously / By meane of whyche good lyfe they gete the glory of heuen / Whiche largely is yeuen bi our blessyd Sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste to theym that fleenge the lykynges and worldly playsures purpoos theym selfe to lyue a lyfe honeste and holy after the techyÌ„ges of his true doctryne / ¶ How he forbadde that folke sholde not speke in the chyrche / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Loqua autem cetera / Caplm C.xlvii ANd whan the holy Patryarke herde ony speke in the chyrche / Incontynent he made theym to be putt oute / And sayd to theym / ¶ Syth that ye ben come in to the chirche for to praye god I commauÌ„de you that all your thoughtes be torned vnto prayer / ¶ For it is writen that the house of god is a house of prayer / And ye Clatterers and Ianglers make therof a pytte of theues / ¶ How he ordeyned two orders of Relygiouses and buylded theym two chirches / One in the name of oure Lady the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Voleâ—â—s autem cetera Caplm C.xlviii THis meane tyme the holy Patriarke ordeyned two ordres of relygyouses / and buylded two monasteryes for theim / One in the name of the moost holy moder of god and the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And dyde doo make for theym lytyll houses for to kepe theymself therin solytary / By cause they sholde haue none occasyon to goo out of theyr Relygyon / Ordeyned also certayne men in the cyte that bare theym all theyr necessytees / Sendyng theim word that they shold haue besinesse of the lyfe spyrytuell / And he sholde see for theyr bodily lyfe / And he wold that the charge of the seruyce of the chyrche bothe bi daye by nyght sholde be put vnto hym / to th ende that whyche they sholde doo in theyr celles or lytyll houses sholde be for the helthe of theyr soules / To that whiche lyf this holy man by the sayd entysyÌ„ges contynued theim / ¶ How men oughte to eschewe the coÌ„pany of Heretykes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Et hoc beatê° / Caplm C.xlix ABoue alle other thynges thys holy man defended vnto the cristen that they sholde nother comyn nor acompanye wyth the heretykes / Sayenge that it was more worth to a crysten to be alle alone / than to be acompanyed wyth an Heretyque / And more ouer he sayd that lyke as a wedded man sholde be punysshyd yf he left his wyf and wedded a nother somwhere in a nother londe / Soo sholde a crysten be punysshyd / that shold leue the comynycacoÌ„n wyth his lyke for to acompanye with the Heretiques / ¶ And more ouer syth that we ben maryed to a wyf sure chaste whiche is the holy chirche crysten / yf we leue it for the comynycacoÌ„n of Heretiques / We oughte as fornicatours to be greuously punisshed stoned of the deuyls of hell / asmoche as we shold be yf we had had the flesshly coÌ„pany of a nother woman than our owne wife / ¶ How the holy Patriarke iuged nor coÌ„deÌ„pned neuer no body / BegynÌ„ith in latyn ¶ CuÌ„ oÌ„nibus / Caplm C.l. AMoÌ„ge the other grete vertues that this holy Patryarke had· namly he had one right grete whiche was suche / that he neuer iuged no persone nor also wold not here theim the sayd ony euyl bi a nother / To this purpose is to be knowe that he beynge in Alexdrye a yonge man rauisshed a right fayr regyous mayde and ladde her wyth hyÌ„ vnto Constantynople / This thyÌ„ge came to his knowlege consideryng the loothnes of the befall And for the grete charytee that he had to the helthe of man / He was soo sory for it that it semyd he sholde haue deyed / ¶ And a lytyl whyle after that this caas was soo happed / He beynge wyth some clerkes / and dysputynge of holy scryptures / came in his remembraunce the sayde befall / ¶ In spekynge of the whyche by cause al those present Iuged this forsayd man a ryght grete abhomynable synnar They wolde haue hym acursyd But the holy Patriarke wolde not performe the same Sayenge that ther sholde be cause of two euylles / ¶ Fyrste in that they sholde doo as he sayd ayenst the commaundement of god and sholde breke it / By cause it is wryten that we oughte not to iudge ony body / And we shall not be Iudged / ¶ The second euyll for that they wyste not yf the sayd clerke had wythdrawe the sayd relygyoê° woman out of her monastery / for to doo euyl wyth her / And was not yet knowen whether he had defoylled her or not / ¶ Wherfore they oughte not to cast vpon hym the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For men oughte not to Iudge but this that men see to be euyll done / ¶ And for to conferme his worde he rehercyd of .ii. relygyouses amoÌ„ge whom was one / whyche passynge thorugh the cyte of Thyre mette wyth a strompett comyn named Porphyre / The whyche cryed after the abbot / O fader saue me lyke Ihesu Cryste saued the woman synnar / ¶ The abbot that fered not the speche of the world sayd vnto her that she sholde come after hȳ· and she dyde so ¶ The same abbot brought her by the honde afore al the peple out of the cyte of Thyr / The whiche thyng was anone tolde / But this notwythstondyng the abbott torned neuer from his
daungeour to be drowned / The holy Patryarke thenÌ„e toke vpon hym for to comforte the poore folke that were in the same vessell / And wyth theym he called the grace of almyghty god ¶ Soo sawe he in this stormous tempeste a man vpryght byfore hym / Hauynge the face of a wonderfull briÈtnesse holdyÌ„ge in his honde a ceptre al of golde / The whiche man sayd to hym / Patryarke come on for the kynge of kynges askith for the / ¶ Thenne the holy Patryarke thynkynge vpon the sayde vysion / Incontynent he callyd the Patrice Niceta vnto hym and wyth grete syghes teeres he shewed it vnto hym Sayenge how the emperour of emperours regnynge in heuen had callyd hym And that without fawte he might not goo to theÌ„perour of the erthe to whom the sayd Niceta wolde brynge hym / ¶ The good Patrice herynge the wordes of the holy Patryarke was moche sory of his departynge and gladde of his helthe / Soo sente he hym ayen there as he wolde goo / That is to wyte in the reame of Chypre in the cyte of Amathanque / where he hadde taken his â—â—tynite / ¶ The fourme of his Testament folowyth / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Adueniente / Caplm C / liii AFter that the holy Patryarke was come in Chypre in the cyte namyd AmathuÌ„que where he was borne / He askyd after penne ynke for a skynÌ„e of parchemin / And in contynent he made his Testamente to be wryten in manere as here folowyth ¶ I IohnÌ„ fyrst bonde sith afrauÌ„chised made free by the dygnytee of preesthode of the grace of god to me yeuen To the my god I yelde graces of that it hath pleysed the to enhauÌ„ce my prayer to the wee le of my soule / It is that att the houre of my dethe men shall fynde in my tresour but onely do piece of money / ¶ Whan I was promoted to the dignytee of Archebysshopp ensacred receyued in the holy chyrche of Alexandrye / The whiche dignytee by the leue and InspyracoÌ„n I haue obteyned I foÌ„de there tresours wythoute nombre / I thenÌ„e knowyng that the sayd tresours were bylongyng to god purposed to yelde vnto him ayen that that was his owne by cause that now of all the sayd tresours is to me in remaynyng but onÌ„ly the pyece of money forsayd whyche byloÌ„gyth vnto god· I coÌ„mauÌ„de that it be yeue vnto hym ayen in to the hondes of the pore folke his seruauÌ„tes / ¶ O thyng ryghte gloryoê° worthy to be rehercyd O ye riche that haply haue gadred your money tresours vniustely the whiche ye woll kepe holde as your owne noo thynge wol yeue for goddis sake but hyde kepe them as ye myght bere theim with you / Loke now wyth me in this myrrour consydryng how the holy Patriarke gadred a tresour that neuer can be mynysshyd as worldly riches is / ¶ Certaynly we ought to bileue that he is worthy to be glorified / For our lord sayth in his gospell / Who soeuer shall honour or gloryfye me I shall gloryfye hyÌ„ / ¶ It is so that for the worshyp of our lorde for to exalte his praysynge he founded many monasteryes in whiche he ordened grete multytude of Relygyouses / that contynuelly gaue lawde praysynge to god For whiche cause is to him rewarded that meryte of al the orisons there made of the sayd relygyouses / ¶ And to the ende that by fable lesynge this that afore is of hym wryten be not reputed / We haue therof a veri knowlege that he was of the nombre of the Iust / ¶ For after that he had yelded his holy soule in to the hondes of our lord god as done the soules of the Iuste that are in the honde of god / His sepulture was by the clergy ordened in a sepulcre wherin of longe tyme afore two good bysshops his Predecessours had be buryed / ¶ But a wonderfull thynge happed there / For at the openyng of the sayd sepulcre the two bysshops that there rested theyr bones of longe space dede byreuyd of life wythdrewe theymself fro theyr places / Makynge honour to the sayd Patryarke and gyuyng vnto him his place bytwene theim in the myddes of the graue / ¶ Wherby it is to vs openly shewed that our lorde hym rewarded moche largely· whan he wold his body in this worlde to be soo openly honoured / And his soule aboue in heuen gloryfyed worshypfully enhaunsed / ¶ Of the woman that gaaf her synne in wrytynge to saynt IohnÌ„ the Patryarke / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Aliud autem / Caplm C.liiii YEt lyuynge the sayd Patryarke Iohan. he made a nother myracle ryght grete the whyche begynnyth in his lyf and endeth after his dethe / ¶ A woman of the sayde cyte where he was borne had done soo horryble a synne / that she durste neuer confesse it / Soo it happed that the sayde Patriarke came to the cyte / And she hauynge knowlege of his comynge came and caste herselfe at his fete / sayenge by grete coutrycyon / ¶ O reuerende lorde I haue done a synne the whyche for the grete loothlynes of it I dare not confesse / But this notwythstondyng I wote wel that yf it playse that thou shalt gyue me therof remyssyon / ¶ The holy Patryarke seenge her grete contrycyon / He wolde not correcte her rygoriously / Doubtyng that she sholde neuer make shryfte therof to a nother / And that bi this she were in dangeour of her soule but sayd vnto her / My freÌ„de yf thou haste that fayth that I maye clense thi soule fro synne and that I maye gyue the remyssyon therof / Confesse it vnto me and I shall doo al that thou requyrest of me / Wherunto she answerd that she sholde not dare telle it / For it was soo dyshoneste shamefull that it sholde cause horrour at the ceres of the holy man / ¶ Thenne he sayde vnto her Thus thenne yf thou arte soo shamefaste of the confessyon of it / gyue it vnto me by wrytynge / ¶ She yet answered that she sholde not dare doo soo / And the holy man yet agayne sayd vnto her / Thou muste doo it but yf it seme the good / thou shalt close the letter in suche wyse that noo body maye see it / ¶ Thenne this woman consentyng to the wordes of the holy Patryarke / wrote her synne wyth her owne honde And after closyd the letter and toke it to hym / But he ne lyued but fyue dayes after that / ¶ Soo it happed by casuell aduenture that at his dethe this we man was oute of the towne / Whanne she came agayne and knowyng his deceasse / She ymagyned that her synne had be shewed thorugh all the cyte / by cause that the holy man was deed / hauynge towarde hym her scrowe / ¶ And as for answere therupon she had none of / ¶ Soo wente she to his tombe where he
the same countree one namyd Phylyp The whyche departynge out of Rome toke his wyfe Claudia wyth hym two his chyldern / namyd Anitus Sergius / and a doughter of his callyd Eugene They togider came in the cyte of Alexandrye / This Philyp as grete Prouost gouernour there rulynge the cite and all the countree after the ordenaunce of the lawes of Rome put out and broughte downe the cursyd secte of the magicyens that in grete nombre and of longe tyme had by theyr fendly crafte Infected poysened alle the londe / ¶ Secondly he coÌ„maunded that the Iewes shold noo more bere a name in all that londe / And after he ordeyned that the Crysten shold abyde dwelle in the countree but not wythin the cytees But wythout ferre ynoughe from the same There the sayd Eugene was wonderfulli lerned aswell in Greke lettres latyn as also in the scyence of Phylosophye ¶ She had a wytte so quicke so sharpe the lyghte stedfastly she helde alle that she radde or that to her was expowâ—â—â— The face of her was moche playsaunt She was fayr praty of body / but more fayr in thought in chastytyte 〈◊〉 stedfaste and noble / ¶ Whan she came to her fyftenth yere of aege many lordes coÌ„syderyng her grete perfeccoÌ„n made her to be asked to her fader for to haue her by maryage / And amonge thother she was desyred of one namyd Aquylyen the sone of Aquyn Consull of Rome / But her fader that exposyd shewed vnto her the extraccoÌ„n nobles of the sayd Aquylyen for to enduce her to this that she sholde be agreable to mary wyth hym / She wysely answerde that a mayde that hath a wyll to mary oughte to haue her husboÌ„de agreable whaÌ„ she is noble of vertues not onÌ„ly of noble kynrede / ¶ For whan a woman is wedded she is constrayned to folowe the maners of her husboÌ„de not of her freÌ„des / And fynably to this Aquilien to all the other she gaaf an answere that she wolde not mary but had in her purpose that shold lyue chastly / ¶ And bi cause that Phylyppe her fader had chaced all the Crysten folke out of the cyte neuertheles she desyrynge to comyn with theym / And to th ende that her fader that was a Panym sholde haue noo knowlege of it nor suspeccoÌ„n prayed hyÌ„ mekely that he wolde suffre that she myghte goo by manere of sporte vnto the subarbes of Alexandrie for to see some of theyr londes herytages there lyenge nye The whyche thynge was grauÌ„ted vnto her of her fader / And soo it happed as she wente fore by a chyrche of the crysten that she had herde synge thyse verses Omnes dii genciuÌ„ demonia deus auteÌ„ noster cels fecit That is to saye that the goddes of the Paynems are but deuyls / But the god that we Crysten doo worshypp hath made the heuens the erthe / ¶ Whan Eugene herde this songe she began to wepe sayeng to .ii. Emyches that is two men that lacke their membres of mankinde The one namyd Prothus the other Iacintê° that were coÌ„mytted to kepe her serue her / as comynly it was done of custome to the doughters wyÌ„men comen of goode houses / ¶ My frendes I knowe that you I haue ben taughte enformed togyder aswel in the lawes of men as in the vayne scyence of the Phylosophers And haue radde the falages of Aristole the ydes of Platon· the secte of the Epicuriens the techynges of Socrates of the Stoyciens and generally all the doctryne of the Poetes Rethoryciens But all thise vayn scyence are put out and sette asyde by that lytyll verse that I haue herde syÌ„ge by the Crysten OmÌ„s du genciuÌ„ demonia c Ye calle me your lady thorugh the power of my fader whyche he hath ouer you mysusyd / but I am your syster in scyence / Be ye theÌ„ne my bredern and I shall be your syster / ¶ Lete vs goo to the Crysten / And as I shall coÌ„maunde you we shall doo I knowe the bisshopp of Leopolis named Helayn / In whoo 's hous men singe contynuelly the holy scryptures / The sayd bisshop hath vnder hyÌ„ many holy relygyouses / And amoÌ„ge other one there is namyd Theodore the whyche is leder of theym that done the dyuyne seruyce / ¶ Thorugh his prayers his orisons he makith the blynde to see chacyth the deuylles oute of the bodyes of men / ¶ Dyuerse wretches in grete sorowe abydynge by his prayers aren of theyr sykenesse fully helyd / And the desolate recomforted / Wherfore I haue a synguler desyre to goo vnto him / And for to doo this I woll doo cutte my heere 's and clothe myself wyth the clothinge of a man / Therfore I praye you as my bredern that this for to doo ye wol helpe me / ¶ The sayd kepers knowynge her holy deuocion and desyrynge as she to become Crysten gaaf her for to fulfyll her wyll all comforte and ayde / ¶ Soo lepte she out of the chare / wherin she was caryed And clothed her in mannes clothynge / And by the suffraunce of god Incontynent as they were come in the chyrche they mett wyth the sayd bisshopp Helayn / ¶ The custome was in Egipte suche that whanne the bysshopp wente to vysyte the chyrches a grete multytude of Syngers came wyth theim Thus wyth the bysshopp Helayn came mo than .x. thousande the songe afore hym sayenge / ¶ The way of the Iuste is made veryte and the way of the sayntes of god is made redi Eugene this seenge sayde to her felowes / ¶ My freÌ„des here the substauÌ„ce of thys songe / Loke how the god of the Crysten is gode to theim that woll holde the faith of cryst take hede how they knowe that we woll leue our Ydoles for to be Crysten / And for this cause they are come ayenst vs in suche a grete multytude of deuoute peple· that synge soo swete a songe / ¶ Lete vs beholde whyche waye they shall goo / and Ioyne ourselfe wyth vs. Soo shall we synnge tyl that we haue knowlege wyth theym / TheÌ„ne they began to question some of that felyshypp / And askyd what was he that was in the myddes of theym rydynge vpon an Asse / The whyche answeryd that it was their bysshopp Helayn that of his yongthe was a Crysten man / And of soo grete meryte towarde god That of his yonge aege he made dyuerse myracles / ¶ In berynge of fyre in his gowne whyche was noo thynge perysshed by it· and other also wonderfull / ¶ Amonge the other Religyouses one namyd Eutropius rehercyd to Eugene and to her felowes / How wyth in few dayes passed that a magicien namyd Zaree was come thyder / And had shewed that the sayd bysshopp was a false Crysten man / And that falsly he sayd he was sente by Ihesu Cryste for
cure of the thynges that were necessary to be had for the refeccoÌ„n of the bâ—â—derâ— / In sayeng psalmes and orysons she kepte soueraynly a good order / And to all the houres of the seruyce of god aswell by nyghte as by daye soo curyously contynued that she thoughte alle tyme to be loste that was passed wythout graces and praysynges to be gyuen vnto god / ¶ In this holynesse of lyfe she contynued in suche wise / and soo longe That our lorde graunted vnto her soo grete habundance of graces That she chacyd out of menÌ„es bodyes the deuels that tormented theym / Made the blynde to see many other grete myracles she dyde / ¶ AmoÌ„ge the whiche a lady of the londe of AlexaÌ„drie named Melance / amonge other was of grete power heâ— he grete reporte that euery man made of the merueyloê° vertues of the holy virgin Eugene whiche was take as a riÈt holy man came to her for to be holpen heled of a grete feuer that a yere duryÌ„ge more had vexed her body right sore· The whyche Eugene enoynted wyth an oyle anone this woman cast out of her body the corrupt humours that caused wythin her the feuer all hoole so side weÌ„te home ayen to her place that was not ferre Where she toke the grete goblets fylled theym wyth money whyche she sente vnto saynt Eugene / The whyche dispysyng the sayd presents sente theym vnto her ayen forthwyth / Letyng her wyte that of godes she had ouer moche / Wherfor she couÌ„seyled her that she shold deale depart to the poore nedy nedfull the godes presents that she had sent to her / ¶ The sayd MelaÌ„ce heryng thyse wordes was gretly wrothe came toward saynt Eugene / prayeng her that she wolde take receyue agreatly her presents promysyng to gyue her other more grete· but in efect she loste her tyme. For saynt Eugene wold not take theim / This notwythstoÌ„ding Melance left not but she come toward the good Eugene / not knowyng by ony wyse that she was a woman / the beaute of her disceyued the sayd Melance the whyche trowynge that she had be a man and that by hyÌ„ she was heelyd / Not by his holynes but by some crafte or cunnynge of physik lete herself fall by the temptynge of the deuyll in to the synne of flesshly desyre / And thynkynge that the sayd Eugene had refusyd the sayd presents for couetyse to haue had gretter offred other vnto her in more grete habundance than she had tofore / Promysynge to gyue hym yet more of theym asmoche as he wolde aske / ¶ And where she contynued prayenge hym that his playsure were to resceyue the sayde presents / And sawe they were refusyd And to her sente agayne by the goode Eugene / She ranne in to a gretter hete than she was afore / ¶ And atte thys cause feynyng to be syke soo greuously that she sholde not haue moeuyd herselfe out of her bedde / Made saynt Eugene to be prayed that she sholde come and vysyte her And she dyde soo / And beyng there byfore the bedde of Melance that had made the folke to goo oute of her chambre that were there feynynge to declare vnto her some secretes in confessyon as well of her conscyence as of her sikenesse Sayd vnto Eugene suche wordes / ¶ My lorde and my frende Eugene pardonne yf it playse you yf I ouer famylyerly do declare my pouertee vnto you / For I am therto constrayned by the grete sore whyche opressyth me / ¶ Certaynly my lorde the grete and excessyue loue whyche I haue coÌ„ceyued towarde your gracious yongthe The right excellent beaute of the whyche dame Nature hath soo gretly largely endowed you tormentith my pore herte soo sharply that it ne were to me possible neuer to haue Ioye ne playsure in this worlde But yf it come to me of you / ¶ Soo yelde I myself and al my goodes to you alone makynge ordeynynge your goodly persone lorde maister ouer my body and of al my godes ¶ Alas my lord what playsure doo ye take totorment thus greuousli your body by folysshe and vayne abstynences / I haue Infynyte possessions and ryches I haue grete tresours of gold of syluer / I am enhauÌ„sed in auctoryte of noblesse of my kinÌ„e / and this yere I haue loste my childern that are deceased oute of this world / Alas I pray you succede to my goodes in stede of theym / be alone mayster lorde not oonly of me but also of all my possessions godes The deuoute Eugene hering thise fowle wordes dyshoneste exhortacoÌ„ns / answerde to her in this manere / O womaÌ„ daÌ„pned certaynly / thy name beryth truwitnesse of an horrible cursidnes treison / Truely thou hast made redy in the a grete place for the deuyll / DaÌ„pnable disceyuer leue that wyll that thou haste to torne the seruauÌ„tes of god / I woll well that thou knowe that we relygiouses haue wel vsed to lyue otherwise / ¶ The daÌ„pned spyrytes that are to the lyke / take thy godes and not we that haue no appetyte to them nor woll not haue theym / For it is vnto vs a pleysauÌ„t thing to begge our brede wyth our lord IhuÌ„ Cryst / He is habuÌ„dantly ryche that is wyth hym ¶ O Melance the wyll of me is that suche folysshe concupysceÌ„ces depart from the Truely thâ—happynesse that hath assaylled the shall not be cause of thy heele but of dampnacoÌ„n / Thou that art made the house dwellynge of the venymouse dragon shedest spredest a wonderfull venym / But by the callynge of the name of god and by the helpe of hys mercifulnes we haue eschewed and yet we shall eschewe thinfeccoÌ„n of thin abhomynable and horryble poysons / ¶ Thenne this cursyd and wretchyd woman / Impacyent of the repreyffe the the good Eugene had sayd to her / at this cause al enswollen with bytter dâ—Ì„playsure / Knowynge also that she had thus loste her honoure / And doubtynge that Eugene sholde telle her synne for to quenche her feere purposyd herselfe to complayne of hym afore the Iustyce ¶ Wherfore Incontynent she went afore the grete Prouoste of Alexandrye shewed to him in a gret wodnesse and hertly dysplaysure / How for to haue founde the meanes to be holpen of a sykenesse that haue kept her longe she had suffred a yonge relygyous of the Relygyon Crysten that called himself a gode Leche to come towarde her for to hele her / But this Relygyouse replenysshyd wyth treyson Wenynge that she hadde be suche as they were of whom he had taken of a custome his foule delectacyons hadd dare all shame layed asyde speke vnto her shamefull and dishoneste wordes for to haue moeued her vnto his abhomynable wyll / and that worse was / Yf she hadde not callyd her woman abowte her / He sholde haue rauysshyd her and defoyled / ¶ Requyrynge this Melance to
the sayde Prouoste that therof he wolde doo to her as ryghte and reason requyreth / ¶ The Prouoste heryng thise wordes was enflammyd wyth grete woodnesse And sente to the monastery certayne Commyssaryes that charged were to brynge hym prysonere / Eugene and alle the other dwellynge in the sayde monasterye Whyche thynge was done / ¶ And by cause they were in suche nombre that they myghte not be alle in one pryson togyder / They were put in dyuers places and vnder dyuerse kepers fetherâ—â— well harde faste / The sayd Pâ—â—â—oste after gyuyng credence folysshly to the â—â—â—des of the sayd Melance condempned theym all for to deye ordeyned a certayn daye that some of theym shold be take for to be deuoured of wylde bestes The other to be brenÌ„ed thother to be put vnto dyuers tormeÌ„tes / And at this cause was thrugh all the londe grete no ye of the execucion that sholde be done of the sayd Relygyouses / The whyche alle the dwellers of the londe Iudged them worthy to suffre deth / ¶ For they thoughte that Melance whyche was come of a noble hous / and of hyghe kynreed / wolde neuer haue putt vpon theym wythout a Iuste cause suche a charge / ¶ Fynably whan the daye was come that the sayd execucoÌ„n sholde be done alle the dwellers of the townes and cytees lyenge abowte / came to Alexandrye the cyte for to see the same / Wherof some sayd theyr opynyon in one manere and the other sayde otherwyse / ¶ But oure lorde god that neuer leuyth his seruauntes in their moost nede / After that the hangman had made redy the torments other thinges couenable to putt to dethe Eugene and the other relygyouses suffred that the sayd Eugene for to declare the more openly her grete vertues / was by the sayd Prouostr questyoned / And for to make alle the people wyse of the grete malyce of the forsayd wycked Melance / Thenne the sayd Prouoste namyd Philyp that was fader to Eugene and that knewe her not began to speke afore her sayenge in this wyse / ¶ Come hether false Crysten man and the worst of thother Hath thi god coÌ„mauÌ„ded to the to be oppressour defoyler of the noble ladyes Thou art well shamles and ouerseen / What folye causyth the to praye wolde haue take bi foly so noble a lady as is dame Melance ¶ Eugene casted her syght to the grouÌ„de feryng to be knowe of her fader answerd mekeli / Mi god whom I serue hath coÌ„maunded the men shall kepe his chastytee vyrgynyte / vnto all those that done soo he promysyth euerlastyng lyfe in his Ioye of heuen / ¶ And now we maye declare Melance to be a lyar and forger of falshede / But it is better that we suffre some euylles than that she shold be atteyned conuycte of her synne to th ende that we lese not the meryte of our pacience / Alway yf you syre Prouost woll promyse whan she shal be proued fals full of lesyng that ye shal doo her noo harme at this hour we shall approue her synÌ„e / the Prouoste heryng her meke wordes grauÌ„ted her request / ¶ ThenÌ„e Eugene to testyfie the vntrouth of Melance required the men sholde her woman seruaunte in her chaÌ„bre doo come / The Iuge made all the seruauÌ„tes of the sayd lady to be callyd brought afore hym whiche declared by their othes that theyr lady Melance wyth good Iuste cause had complayned her of the Relygyous Eugene / And that he wolde haue constrayned her as it is sayd aboue / ¶ The Prouoste herynge theyr deposicyons sayde vnto saynt Eugene / ¶ What wol thou saye now false wyckyd monke / thou seest how thus many wytnesse thy cursyd delyte / ¶ Eugene of this fals wytnessyng was sore trowbled / So thouÈt she in herself that yf shold hyde her virgynytee / Soo many Relygyouses as were there prysonners wyth her there sholde allisuffre dethe for her and in the tyme to come the euill malycyoê° sholde be more bolde to repreue the seruauÌ„tes of god / Of the other parte she hadd purposed neuer to dyscouer her conuersacoÌ„n but oonly to her spouse IhuÌ„ Cryste / Neuertheles for to saue the lyf of her relygyouses / and to th ende that the cursed Melance and al suche other by falshed· sholde not be in tyme comynge so outrageoê° for to charge wrongfully the crysten peple / she thoughte to open and shewe her befall that was soo secrete / ¶ Soo departed she her gowne fro top to too shewed that she was a womaÌ„ and namely that the Prouost was her fader and Claudia her moder / and tolde hym that Anitus Sergius were her bredern / ¶ This came anone to the ceres of her moder Claudia that was in her place / Wherfore she desyryng to see her doughter ranÌ„e anone to the barres where the Iustyce was / And there the Prouoste she her bredern knewe her / and began to wepe make grete way lynges that longe were to be rehercyd ¶ Anone were broughte gownes of clothe of golde vnto her of the whiche she clothed her as by force / After she shewed to her fader how Prothus Iacintus his two Emiches she had forsake the worlde and all the goodes in erthe and had made theymself Crysten / Thenne all togyder thanked god / sayenge / ¶ O god thy power is now gloryfyed that hath ouercome and banysshyd the enmyes of thy seruauntes / ¶ Eugene was ladde in grete worship in to the house of her fader / And the fyre of heuen came downe vpon the house of Melance / In whyche abode noo body alyue but were all that were 〈◊〉 in brenned and wasted all in to asshes / ¶ Thenne all the Crysten peple that had be put out of the sayd Prouoste were called ayen / And the chyrche was open / the whyche by the space of eyghte yere was shytte / ¶ The fader of Eugene Prouoste of Alexandrye that in the Crysten hadd take awaye theyr fraunchyses restored theim enteerly vnto theym ayen / ¶ And he himself thrugh the enticynge of his doughter Eugene made hym to be crystned his wyfe also all his seruauntes / ¶ Alle the cyte was as it had be one oonly chyrche soo moche began there the name of the Crysten to flourysshe / ¶ Now it is trouthe / as often it happyth that the good are enuyed by the badde / that some wente and reported vnto Seuere Anthony bothe emperours of the Romayns / vnder the whyche / the gouernaunce of all Alexandrye was ruled and gouerned / How Phylyp the Prouost was become a crysten man and dystroyed thydolles and buylded chyrches in the name of the god of the Crysten / And how he hadd ordeyned newe lawes and put asyde the emperours lawes / The whyche wrote vnto hym in this maner / ¶ Philyp we be enformed of the noueltees that thou hast done
/ And att this cause he askyd theym what it was that had moeued theym to come there also the cause why they made hym so grete honour / TheÌ„ne they tolde hym the wonderfull syghte that they had seen / of the whiche saynt Basylle yelded graces to god / ¶ And certayne dayes after he gadred all the peple / In the presence of whom he put the one of the sayd thre partes of the hoste in to the sayd douune of golde hanged it reuerently ouer the awter / And this done He for to comforte the peple and to conferme in the holy faythe of Ihesu Cryste made a moche fayre prechynge / ¶ Att whyche was the grete abbot Of whom herafter shall be spoken / ¶ Of an Ebrew man that saw a chylde bytwene the hoÌ„des of saynt Basylle whan he deuided the body of our lorde And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Diuino quidem c· Caplm C.lxii. BY the wyll of god and duringe the tyme the saynt Basille on a tyme amoÌ„ge other songe masse An Eâ—rewe that was there saw a chylde bitwene the hondes of the sayd saynt Basylle / ¶ The chylde as it semyd to the sayd Ebrewe was by this Basylle parted deuyded / And where they alle after the masse sayd admynistred them self in receyuynge the body of our lorde The sayd Ebrewe man put hymselfe amonge the other Crystens / And so saynt Basylle admynystred hym an hoste as to the other / And consequently askyd to be admynystred wyth the holy chalys that semyd him to be fylled with blood / And his askynge was gyuen to hym / ¶ And he kepynge of eyther one parte bare it vnto his wyfe for to shewe it to her and to conferme her in the vyson that he had seen / ¶ And the nexte daye after he retorned to the holy bysshop and made hymself to be crystned wyth all his meyne / ¶ Of one that forsoke god and gaaf a wrytynge therof sealed wyth his owne honde / And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Illudius auteÌ„ / Caplm C.lxiii A Holy man that had be Chapelayn to saynt Basylle and his sucessour in the bysshopryche of Capadoce / And the whyche wrote vnto saynt Iherom the lyf of saynt Basylle / ¶ Reherseth that a Senatour of Rome called Protherius hadd a doughter The whyche he wolde offre and sacrefye vnto god / Thynkynge that she shold be a relygyous woman / But the deuyll enuyuous ouer all goodnesse ¶ For to lette and wythdrawe the holy purpoos of the sayd Protherius / enflaÌ„med wyth the fyre of concupyscence one of his housholde seruauntes / The whyche enamoured hymselfe on his sayd doughter / ¶ And by cause he knewe for certayne that he was not her lyke for to haue her by maryage / He wente to a mayster of Magyke / To whom he shewed his caas / Sayeng that yf he cowde lerne hyÌ„ ony meane by the whiche he myghte haue the sayd doughter He sholde gyue hym a grete somme of golde / ¶ The Magycyen or Nygramancer answerd that he cowde not do it / ¶ But and he wolde he shold make him speke with the deuyll / whiche was his procurour / By whoo 's werkyng he sholde well now haue ryght soone hys wyll / ¶ Thenne the folisshe louer answerde to the sayd Magicyen / That he was redy to doo all that he shole commaunde hym / Soo that he myghte gete all that he desired / ¶ Thenne the sayd Magycien made him to forsake his Creatour And to forsake his parte of the Ioyes of paradis / And this done he made hym to take hym a bylle conteynynge the wordes that folowe wryten oonly wyth his owne honde / ¶ My lorde and my Procurour / by cause that I muste wythdrawe oute of the Crysten relygyon· and bynde myself to thy wyll to the ende that thy subgettes ben multeplyed / I sende the this messager berer of my lettrers whyche is desyrous taken wyth the loue of a may de / Werfore I praye that thou wolt doo soo moche for me that his wyll be fulfylled / To th ende that by hym I may haue Ioye and glory / And power to coÌ„mauÌ„de other / and brynge theym in thy obeyslaunce / ¶ This letter soo made the Magycyen delyuered it to the folysshe louer / and sayd to hym / That att a certayne hour of the nighte / he sholde goo and put himselfe vpon the graues of the Paynyms and Heretykes / And that there he sholde holde vp his letter in the ayre And anone certayne messengers sholde come to hym whyche sholde brynge hym to the deuyll / ¶ Thus dyde this vnhappy wretche / And sodainly came to hym a grete multytude of wickyd spirytes from the prynce of derkenesse and of wyckydnesse The whyche in grete Ioye ladde hym tofore theyr prynce / Whyche was sett vp on hihe in a grete chayer / And abowt hym were a grete multytude of deuylles wythoute nombre / In presence of whom he presented his wrytynge / ¶ And after that it was radde / the sayd prynce sayde vnto hym / ¶ Now come hyther my freÌ„de / Doost thou byleue in me / He answerd ye / ¶ Yet agayn questyoned him sayenge / ¶ Doost thou forsake Ihesu Cryste / he answerd as afore / Ye / TheÌ„ne the prynce of the deuylles sayde to hym / ¶ Ye Crysten men are false shrewes / For whan ye haue nede to be holpen of me / Ye praye me / And after that ye haue gote your desyre Ye denye and forsake Incontynent to that ye haue promysed to me / And soone after retonrne to youre god whyche is soo moche good and swete and mercyfull / That he refusyth not ony Synnar / ¶ But this notwythstondynge / yf thou wolte that I shall doo thy wyll to be performed and fulfilled to thy behouf playsure / Thou muste fyrste gyue to me a letter of thyne honde / By the whyche thou shalt denye and forsake the sacrament of baptesme and the crysten faythe / ¶ SecoÌ„dly thou shalt promyse me that thou shalt serue me in this worlde And atte the daye of dome thou shalte holde me felishyp for to be wyth me afterwarde perpetuelly in all the tormentes that I suffre / This vnhappy man promysed him all the same / And IncoÌ„tynent all the deuylles maysters of fornycacion were sente towarde the sayde mayde for to tempte and styre her to the loue of the vnhappy man forsayde ¶ The whyche sodaynly was soo take wyche loue of hym that she myghte no ther ete nor drynke / And after that she had borne this woodnesse a lytyll space of tyme / Fynably she sayde vnto her fader / ¶ O my fader haue pyte vpon me / For certainly I am sore tormented of the loue of one of thy seruauÌ„tes / My fader I biseche the shewe now what a loue thou haste to thy chylde / For yf thou enclyne and falle not to my wee le thou shalte see me deed wythin shorte tyme / ¶
vnto the holy faders by reuelacyon dyuyne the trouth of this befalle / that the one gafe his bodye to penauÌ„ce for the salualoÌ„n of his felawe / how be it that he had not done the synne ¶ Men maye doo no fayrer almose than to gyue his body for to saue his euencrysten to praye god for his soule ¶ An other brother there was that semblably was tempted of the synne of lecherye / wherfore by dyuerse tymes he camto one holy fader that was dwellyng ynough nyghe him euer he besought hym that he wolde praye god for hyÌ„ / but the more that the holy fader prayed / the sayd brother to more besely requyred him to praye for hym ¶ And for this cause the sayd holy fader was both nyght daye in oryson for him / but it prouffyted hyÌ„ nought / wherof the sayd holy fader was sore dyscomforted knowyng that his oryson was not herde ¶ But our lord for to comforte hym shewed to hym a vysyon the cause why he was not herde / that it was by occasyon of the neglygence of hyÌ„ for whom he prayed / the whiche wolde not helpe hym selfe for to resyst corageously ayenst the temptacoÌ„n of the deuyls / but rather toke a plesure to see the Illusyons that the deuyll presented vnto hym puttyng in his mynde the remeÌ„braunce of many dyshonost women And how well that in these folysshe Illusyons his good angell that was full heuy and sory as him semed of that he resysted not ayenst the sayd temptacyons / neuertheles he made no force for it So sayd he to the sayd brother My frende but yf the take corage of thy self castyng a backo the delectacoÌ„ns that the deuyll presented to the I can not helpe that by my prayers And therfor thou must put thy selfe in oryson to fast / to sygh to wepe / other abstynences to do Thou knowest that the leche whan he wyl gyue to the pacyent some remedyes ayenst his maladye / yf the seke kepe not hyÌ„selfe from suche metes that ben contrarye to his helthe / with grete payne the leche shall he le hyÌ„ ¶ Also thy selfe the arte in dedely synne thou puttest no payne to recouer the grace of god that thou hast lost / but doest the contrarye of that he coÌ„mauÌ„deth the to do thrugh the pleasure that thou takest in the temptacoÌ„ns of the flesshe Therfor helpe thy selfe / god shall helpe ye. For otherwyse the holy faders that are leches spyrytual sholde not conne because to restore to thy soule her helthe ¶ The brother by these remonstracoÌ„ns toke at his herte so grete contrycyon that he obteyned the mercy of god / the sclauÌ„deroê° wycked passyon of lecherye wente a waye from hym ¶ For no maner of nede that a man hath he ought not to suffre the ony yong woman serue in his house / all be she his kynneswoman or otherwyse ¶ An her myte beyng in his hermytage doynge there penauÌ„ce was by one his kynnes woman wretchedly deceyued For the deuyll styred the same his kynnes womaÌ„ for to see the sayd hermyte in his hermytage where he receyued her benyngly / at this cause she bode with hyÌ„ a space of tyme / the whiche tyme / he knewe her carnaly Not ferre froÌ„ the same hermytage dwelled a holy fader right deuoute / the which by many dayes afore the caas was happed / when he put water in a vessell of his owne for hyÌ„ to dryÌ„ke / incoÌ„tyneÌ„e as he wold take the vessell trowyÌ„g to haue droÌ„ken of the water / the vessell tourned vpsodoÌ„ne in his hande spylled the water coude not drynke out of it Thenne he thought he wolde shewe this to his felawe for to knowe what it mente Soo toke he his waye for to come to his hermytage / but he was beclypped of the nyghte and constrayned for to goo lye in a Temple where Yooles were ¶ As he slepte within the sayde Temple / he herde the deuyls that sayde one to the other / how that nyghte they hadde made an hermyte to falle in the synne of fornycacyon with a woÌ„man that was of his sybbe ¶ The holy hermyte herynge these wordes was therof sore meruaylled ¶ On the morowe acte sprynge of the daye he began to walke forth on his waye vnto the tyme that he was come there as his felawe was ¶ And entryng in his hermytage he founde hym trystefull and sore to the deth ¶ After his gretynge yeuen vnto hym tolde hym how his water dyde spylle oute of his vessell when he sholde drynke / and that for to haue his counseyll in this matere / he was come towarde hym ¶ That other that hadde done the sayd synne of lecherye answered ¶ Alas my brother I haue gretter nede of thy counseyll / than thou of myne / for the last nyght I felle in to the fowle dyshonest and abhomynable synne of fornycacyon / wherof I haue offended my god and my maker wyckedly ¶ Thenne his felawe sayd to hym / that he wyst it well and shewed hym the maner / how he beynge a slepe within a Temple of Ydoles hadde herde the deuyls sayeng the one to the other that whiche is sayd ¶ Thenne he that hadde synned as withoute hope wolde haue gone to the worlde and forsake his hermytage But that other recomforted hym aswell as he coude / praynge hym to abyde styll in his telle / and that better it was to sheue oute the sayde woman to th ende they two togyder myghte doo penaunce tyll that god had pardonned hym his synne / the whiche thynge he dyde / and syth ledde a lyfe moche deuoute and holy ¶ Whan men are ouermoche vexed trauaylled of the deuyll / and tempted of the synne of fornycacyon / the souerayne remedye is to occupye hym selfe in prayers and orysons / or in temporall werkes / and I lee ydlenes whiche is the rote of all vyces ¶ To this purpose we rede that an holy hermyte beyng in a place named Celya / the whiche by the deuyls was sore tempted for to acomplysshe the synne of lecherye He consydered in hym selfe that it was of necessyte that he sholde sette hym selfe to some werke by the whiche his bodye were strongly trauaylled ¶ Now this broder was a potmaker / so aduysed he that he sholde make a woman of erthe / in dede he dyde so / after that she was made / he sayd to his thoughtes the tourmented him of the synne of fornycacyon that he had a woman to kepe But bycause that this notwithstandyÌ„g he was euer teÌ„pted as aboue / he ymagyned to labour more than he had done tofore / made childern of erthe saynge after to his thoughtes when they moeued hyÌ„ to lecherye that he hadde bothe wyfe and childern Morouer for to ouercome his passyons / he purposed to laboure more than he had done afore / sayng that nedes he muste trauaylle / aswell for to gete his wyfe
/ alwayes the vertuous persone ought to flee the places where men doo to hym honour / to the ende that the deuyll tempte hym not by vayne glorye ¶ The abbot Poemen to this purpose recouÌ„ted to his brethern / that in the ryme that Theodosius was Emperour of Constantynople There was an hermyte that hadde a lytell house without the towne of Constantynople nyghe ynoughe to a place of pleasure where the Emperours wente gladely to passe the tyme by maner of recreacion ¶ Theodosius knowyng of the sayde hermyte and that he neuer wente out of his sayde house purposed for to goo vysyte hym And whan he was nyghe the sayd place / he made his folke to tarye and wolde goo there all one Soo came he and knocked atte the hermytes dore The holy hermyte rose vppe anone and opened the gate After that the Emperour was entred there ynne / he looked alle aboute the chambre and he founde there no thynge but a lytyll drye brede He prayed the sayde hermyte that he wolde gyue hym some mete ¶ The holy man presented hym Incontynente brede / salte / and water Thenne after that the Emperour asked hym how the holy faders of Egypte dyde lyue in the deserte Where vnto he answered that contynuelly they prayed and were in theyr orysons for the saluacyon of theyr soules ¶ More ouer the Emperour asked hym yf he knewe hym not And he answered naye Thenne the Emperour tolde hym that he was Theodosius the Emperour of Constantynople ¶ Thenne the hermyte kneled donne on his knees a fore hym to the grounde But Theodosius toke hym vp sayeng in this maner Ye Relygyouses are right happy in this presente worlde / for ye lyue without solycytude and are euer in peas All your laboure is to doo the saluacyon of your soules / and to acquere the Royalme of paradyse And in good sothe I tell the holy fader that I that am Emperour hadde neuer rest / but I haue be am contynuelly in laboure and trybulacyon / and be it in drynkyng or in etyng Dame solycytude cometh and telleth my morcelles After the Emperour salued hym honestely and toke leue of hym The man of god consyderyng all the nyght how the Emperour was come to hym / was a ferde that many other lordes sholde come in lykewyse to hym Wherfore dredynge the grete honour that they myght haue done to hym / purposed to goo thens And in dede he wente to the deserte of Egypte with the other holy faders / to th ende that he were not withdrawe nor brought from his humylyte by the pleasure that he myght haue taken in the vysytacyons of the lordes that shold haue comen see hym Soo ought we well to take hede to the exemple of the sayde holy fader that toke soo moche payne vpon hym for to kepe his humylyte without whiche we maye not come to the euerlastyng glorye ¶ Of the sayd abbot Poemen RecouÌ„ted the holy faders that on a tyme the Iuge of the prouynce where he was that hadde herde many thynges of his holynesse sente hym worde and prayed hym that he wolde wouchesauffe to receyue hym in to his house / for he wolde goo see hym ¶ The holy man Poemen thought in hym selfe that yf the sayd Iuge sholde come to hym / many other myght also come there / where by his conuersacyon sholde be knowen the whiche he hadde kepte soo secretly sythe the tyme of his yongthe ¶ And by this myghte the deuyll thrughe his cautele and malyce tempte him of vayne glorye And thus he sholde lese all the meryte that he hadde acquered ¶ Alle these thynges consydered / the abbot Poemon sente worde to the sayde Iuge that he sholde not receyue him This answere herde the Iuge was angry and wrothe supposyng that the holy fader wolde not receyue hym because he was to grete a synner Alwayes he thought in hym selfe by what maner he myght best speke with hym So he aduysed hym selfe and made to be take and brought to pryson the sone of the syster of the sayde holy man / ymagynyng that when the sayde saynte Poemen sholde knowe of it he sholde come for to sue his delyueraunce towarde hym / or ellys he sholde be contente for to Receyue hym in his celle or lytell house ¶ And this doon he sente worde to the holy abbot Poemen / that he sholde not be wroth for the prysonement of his neuewe For as soone as he wolde come and speke with hym he sholde be delyuered oute of pryson The syster of the sayd holy man all wasshed in teeres went to the deserte for to telle hym these tydynges / but he had a meruayllous constauÌ„ce / for he nother opned the dore nor spake not to his syster wherfor she as a woman froÌ„ her wytte began for to curse Poemen be cause of that he had no coÌ„passyon ouer her sayeng O ryght harde herted euyll man â—â— thy hert made of yron which can not be moeued thurgh the teeres of thy syster Germayn I haue but one oonly sone whiche thou leuest in daunger onely by cause that wyll not obeye to the petycyon of the Iuge The abbot Poemen sent anone suche or semblable wordes vnto the Iuge Syr Iuge Poemen hath no childern of his body begoten ouer whome he ought to sorowe ne make coÌ„passyon The Iuge herynge this wordes / sent him a letter contaynyng this that foloweth Abbot Poemen yf thou wylte not come to speke with me to th ende that thy neue we may be delyuerd / wryte vnto me in forme of a supplycacyon / I shall grauÌ„te all that y shalte desyre of me Thenne at the exhortacoÌ„n of som thabbot Poemen wrote to hym in this maner Thy noblenes shall make good informacoÌ„n of the lyfe of my neuewe / yf he hath deserued deth make hym deye / to th ende that in this presente worlde he be punysshed of his synnes / wherby he maye eschewe that payne euerlastyng And yf he hath not done that thynge wherby he sholde be worthy to suffre deth for it / make of hym that whiche thou maye suffre to be do after thy lawes ¶ A nother of the holy faders of Egypt named Agathon very pacyent humble was of some bretheren vysyted / by cause they desyred to knowe his grete pacyence humylyte that men sayd was in hym And for to preue hyÌ„ they sayd to hym many grete Iniuryes hym repreuyng that all his holy faders were sclauÌ„dred thrugh his pryde / that by his exaltacoÌ„n he setted all the other to nought in bachytyng and blasphemyng them / With this they sayd to hym / that the cause why he blaphemed his felawes / it was by cause he was lecherous And to th ende that men sholde not suppose nor deme hym selfe allone to be lecherous / he contynuelly sclaundred the other The holy man Agathon to these Iniuryes other answered humbly / that he coude not denye the synnes of the whiche he was by them
what is this / art thou here coÌ„dempned for to suffre euerlastyng tourmentes Alas where ben the fayre wordes / that thou saydest / whan thou woldest ayenst my good wyll entre in to Relygyon / saynge that in this maner thou wolde do the saluacoÌ„n of thy soule Heryng the whiche wordes and seeyng the gryuouse tourmentes that his moder suffred / he founde hymselfe so ouercome so abasshed that he wyst not what he sholde answere ¶ And after this by hym seen herde his goost came in to his bodye ayen / and as by the wyll of god it was suffred / he retorned from his syknesse vnto good helth ayen So thought he in hym selfe that this vysyon was to hym by god his mercy done / and for this cause he shâ—tt hym selfe within his celle / thynkynge to enforce hym selfe there to his soules saluacoÌ„n / whiche for to gette / he made there grete sharpe penaunces for his synnes and neclygences passed And in effect he was somoche bowed to weryâ— and trauaylle his bodye there by paynes and afflyccyons / that many one requyred hym that he sholde not take so moche vpon hym And namely bycause that euer without seassyng he wept syghed / prayed hym that he sholde somtyme absteyne hymselfe from wepyng to th ende that he sholde not lese his syght by it / or that he sholde renne in to some other Inconuenyences But neuerthelesse he wolde not be coÌ„forted / saynge that syth he myght not susteyne noâ— endure the Rebukes of his moder that he had seen in these wretched and horryble tourmentes / with more grete hardenesse payne he sholde abyde or endure the wrath of god of his sayntes atte the daye of his grete Iugemente ¶ A Relygyouse was in Egypte moche solytarye / that amonge the other bycause of his grete humylyte / was sore famed He had a syster that lyued wantonly among men / the whiche was cause of the dampnacyon losse of many one So was this Relygyouse oftentymes Requyred pursyewed of dyuerse good men / that he sholde goo towarde her in the cyte where she kepte herselfe to th ende that by meanes of his admonycyons he myght do so moche that she wolde forbere withdrawe her from suche dampnable wantonnesse And where he came to the place openly where she helde herselfe / a man of her knowloge wente hastly towarde her sayd Here is thy brother that cometh towarde the She y moeued with grete gladnesse / leueyng her louers whiche she wolde fayne haue pleased / with her hede all bare wente out of her lodgys for to renne ayenst her brother / where thenne she enforced herselfe for to haue taken hym in her armes kysse hym / he sayde vnto her Alas my syster my right dere frende I praye the that thou wyll haue pyte vpon thy soule in consyderynge the grete paryll in whiche thou lyuest where so many a wretchyd man thrugh the occasyon of the is perysshed / wherof atte the last thou shalt must suffre Infynyte paynes for it and tourmentes Intollerable ¶ She heryng the wordes of her brother / and shakynge horrybly / thynkynge vpon the same / beganne for to saye vnto hym Alas my brother / thynkest thou that after soo many euylles whiche I haue done I myght yet come for to gette my soules saluacyon / Wherat he answered I ensure the my frende / yf thou wyll doo thy deuoyre / that lyghtely thou shalte be saued ¶ Thenne she castynge her selfe atte her brothers fete Requyred hym right besyly that he wolde led her with hym there as she myght do penaunce And thenne he answered vnto her My syster I wyll well / but goo fyrst and couere thy hede / and thenne come after and folowe me To whome she sayd agayne Goo we my brother goo we It is better for me to walke and goo amonge the men bare hede and all dyfformate / than for to Retourne to the synnes abhomynable wherat I haue tysed them / ¶ And as they sette them selfe for to walke togydre / her brother excyted and warned her for to doo penaunce And seeyng that some folke mette them by the waye / he sayd to her My frende bycause that euery man knoweth not that thou art my syster / and to th ende that we gyue none occasyon to folke that goo by to thynke or saye ylle / me semeth to be necessarye that thou sette thy selfe a lytyll out of the waye tyll that they be passed / and thenne I shall calle the agayne to me The whiche thynge she graunted him with a good wyll And anone after when hym thought that they sholde not mete nomore ony folke / he called her to hym ayen saynge My syster lete vs go our waye And after that he had called her two or thre tymes she answered hym not / he wente there as she was behynde an hedge fouÌ„de her dede / founde also the trayne of her passes where she had tredde all full of blode bycause that she had putte of bothe her hosys shone And where as her brother hadde shewed this thyng vnto some of his brethern Relygyouses / they had amonge them grete doubte of her saluacyon / but our lorde shewed vnto one of them / that bycause that in walkyng she had forsaken the flesshly desyres worldly pleasurs / by merueylouse contrycyon had sette herselfe for to wepe to complayne vpon the gryfâ—es of her synnes For this cause he had receyued agreably her deuoute penauÌ„ce ¶ Saynt Athanasye obteynynge the archebysshopryche of Alexandrye and dwellyng there / many heretykes enforced themself for to bespotte with theyr errours the holy fayth of crystendom And atte this cause for to haue destroyde the sayd errours / he made saynt Anthonye to come in the cyte / whiche beynge there / an olde blynde man named Dydymus came towarde him whiche was well lettred wonderfully taught in holy wryte In spekyng and dysputyng of whiche saynt Anthonye meruaylled moche of the grete engyne vnderstandyng that this blynde man had theim And gyuyng a laude to the hyghenesse of his corage / askyng hym yf he was not heuy sory that he had lost his bodely eyen ¶ And where the same Dydymus shamefast dyspleased with it dyde not answere nothyng to his askyng ¶ Saynt Anthonye the seconde tyme and also the thyrde tyme questyoned hym as afore / but he answered hym nomore than he had done att the fyrst tyme / wherby he gaue to knowe vnto saynt Anthonye the heuynes that he bare in his corage to haue lost the bodely lyght ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye this knowyng sayd in this maner I meruayll me how a man prudente sage maye be sory of the domage losse of that thyng whiche the pyssemyers the bees the flyes haue where as they sholde be gladde of that thyng whiche the postles other sayntes haue deserued to haue Veryly it is a better thyng more
heryng the noyse of the rede / as he wolde haue sayd / that a man that desyreth for to do the saluacyon of his soule / can not be to moche withdrawen parted from the charges besynesse of the worlde / whiche are to hym of more lettyng / the more that he delyteth hym to lyue solytaryly ¶ Men fynde that his cellle was departed ferre from all habytacoÌ„ns of folke .xxxij. myle or there about / wente not out often / but he had folke that admynystred vnto him his necessytees ¶ And some holy fader sayd somtyme that the londe of Sychye was destroyed that no bodye dwelled there / the sayd holy fader sayd these wordes The worlde hath lost Rome / the Relygyouses Sychye ¶ The sayd abbot makynge a whyle his abydyng in a place called Canap / a holy matrone an olde virgyne born of Rome the cyte whiche was moche riche / dredyng god / desyrynge hertely to see the sayd holy fader Arsenyen / and came in to Alexandrye towarde the archebysshop Theophyle / and besought hym that he wolde be the meane towarde the sayd holy fader / that his pleasyr were to graunte that she sholde see hym And the sayd Theophyle seeynge the grete affeccyon of the sayd Matrone wente towarde the sayd holy fader Arsenyen / made vnto hym the sayd Request / to the whiche he wolde not consente ¶ So came Theophyle agayne made his report to the matrone / whiche not contente therwithall / made all thynges redy for her selfe to goo there sayeng I byleue haue this stedfaste trust in god / that he shall suffre me to see hym / for all be it that in our cyte of Rome be many holy men that maye comforte me / neuerthelesse for his grete fame I haue purposed for to vnder take this vyage to th ende that I maye see hym ¶ So laboured she so moche by her Iourneyes / that she came to the place where he dwelled ¶ And it happed as our lorde wolde suffre it / that for to haue by her leyser to see the sayd holy fader / she fouÌ„de hym walkyng without his celle She thenne layed herself IncoÌ„tynent to his fete / but neuertheles he toke her vp agayne anone by grete dyspyte / beholdyng vpon her â—yerlly he sayd vnto her ¶ Now yf thou wylt see me in the face beholde me thenne ynoughe here I am ¶ She heryng his rygorouse wordes / was so sore ashamed / that she wyst not what she sholde answere namely she was not too bolde that she durst loke hym in his vysage ¶ And to her sayd agayne Arsenyen / My ymagynacyon is that syth that the woldest see me / thou haste herde speke of my werkes what neded the for to vndertake so grete awaye for to see me / the whiche that hast herde saye of me myght haue suffysed the Knowest not the well that thou art a woman / that it apperteyneth not to thyn astate that the sholdest go from thy place for to go in a strange place I byleue that thou art come hether to th ende that the mayste to telle to the women of Rome Incontynente as that shall come there ayen / that thou hast seen me / to thentente that by the meane the waye be founde in the see for to make the women to come towarde me ¶ Thenne she sayd vnto hym I promyse the holy fader / that yf it please god that I maye retourne to Rome ayen I shall not tell that I haue ben here / nor I shall not be the cause that ony bodye shall come to that / but I praye the that it wyll please the for to praye for me / with this to haue alwayes remeÌ„braunce of me ¶ Wherat he answered I praye god that he wyll put the soone out of my thought She heryng these thynges wente awaye from hym alle wrothe sory And Incontynent that she was come ayen to Alexandrye the cyte because of the grete sorowe heuynesse that she had / a sykenesse toke her with a sharpe fyuer The whiche thynge was tolde vnto the holy archebysshop Theophyle So came he towarde her for to comforte her ¶ And he askynge what she eyled / she answered to hym Alas my lord wolde god that I hadde not come here At my departyng from that holy fader I prayed hym that he wolde woushesauf to haue me in mynde And he hath answered me / that he prayed god / that he wolde take awaye from hym the Remembraunce of me The whiche answere hathe angred troubled me so sore that I am in dauÌ„ger for to deye ¶ Thenne sayd to her Theophyle / knowest not that that the art a woman / that by woman the deuyll tempteth the holy men For this cause the holy man hath gyuen the this answere But neuerthelesse thou ought not thynke but that he wyll praye god besyly for thy soule The good Matrone thenne heryng these wordes ceassed anone her wrath / in grete Ioye gladnesse retourned ayen to the cyte of Rome ¶ The abbot Euagrius sayd that he that wyll kepe hym that he shall not falle in trybulacoÌ„n / to kepe his goost with rest / ought nought to haue dyuerse affeccoÌ„ns towarde many folke ¶ A brother cam in to Sychye towarde the abbot Moyses / to whom vysytyng hym he requyred hyÌ„ that he wolde telle hym some good worde edyfycatyue for to bere it in his mynde to the ende that he sholde haue remembrauÌ„ce of hym So answered vnto hym Moyses / that he sholde go kepe hyÌ„ within his celle / it sholde lerne hym all thynges that be good ¶ The sayd Moyses sayd / that the man that fleeth the companye of men / is lyke a grape of Reysyns rype and swete / but he that seketh theyr felysshyp acompanyeth with them / is lyke vnto the grape that is sowre and bytter ¶ The abbot Nyle sayd that the man that loueth to lyue solytaryly / yeldeth hymselfe soo stedfast to denye withstande ayenst the arowes / that is to wyt ayenst the temptacyons of the fende / that they sholde not touche nor entre in hym / but he that hauntyth comynyth with the men is oftentymes dauÌ„gerously wounded ¶ The abbot pastor sayd / that to apply his thought vnto dyuerse thynges / is the begynnyng of all euylles / more ouer he sayd / that to flee from the temporall thynges was a good a sure lyue Certaynly when a man dresse hym self nyghe a place where men fyght bodely / he is lyke hym whiche is vpon a depe water / to th ende that at suche an houre as his aduersary shal seme good he maye take hym make hym for to falle vnto the botom But yf he partyth hym selfe gooth ferre from the bodely thynges / he is lyke hym that is ferre from the welle / when the fende wyll cast hym from aboue to benethe / for to do this
not wonte to see ony men / wolde not gyue vnto her broder none occasyon to come vnder her shadowe for to comoÌ„ne amonge women of Relygyon / wherfore she lete him wyt that she wolde nother see hym nor speke with hyÌ„ / that he sholde retorne to his owne monastery ayen that he wolde praye god for her / to th ende the helpyng the grace of god she myght see hym in the Royalme of heuen ¶ A monke walkyng by the waye mette somtyme an abbesse acompanyed with some Relygyouse wyÌ„men whiche this monke made grete force to loke vpon them for to knowe what they were and of what monastery / and for this cause lefte his waye toke theyrs To whome the abbesse sayd / that yf he had be a parfyte Relygyouse he sholde not haue putte hym in payne for to loke vpon them somoche that he sholde haue knowyng that they had be women / as she wolde haue sayd / that in goyng on his waye / he ought to open so soberly his eyen that he sholde not see nor apperceyue thoos that cam ayenst hym or that passed theyr wayes by hym ¶ An holy man whiche was Archebysshop of the Cyte of Alexandrye / and hadde to name Theophyle requyred som holy faders Relygyouses / that they shold come toward hyÌ„ in the sayd cyte of AlexaÌ„drye / trustyng that by theyr prayers merytes he sholde dystroye some temples where were done many ydolatryes within the sayd cyte in the contree about it These holy faders ones among other etyng with the sayd archebysshop were serued with veell where of they ete not takyng hede to theyr mete The archebysshop whiche desyred to make theym good there toke a capon that was in his dysshe afore hyÌ„ and sette it before one of the sayd holy faders / saynge that it was good that he sholde ete of it The holy fader answered vnto hym Certaynely I haue wende to this houre that I hadde eten coles / but syn I perceyue that it is flesshe I shall no more ete of it After the whiche wordes sayd the other Relygyouses lefte theyr etynge of suche flesshe that was brought before them ¶ An other Relygyouse desyred some for to ete of his lytyll loues of newe brede that he had baken hym selfe vnder the asshys And when they hadde ete eche of them one of this small loues / they left theyr etyng The brother that had boden them therunto seeyng the pacyence of theyr abstynence / and that they sholde well haue eten yet more of them / prayed them in the name of god that they wolde yet ete some / tyll that they had theyr fylle of them So began they ayen for to ete of the sayd loues of brede to the nombre of ten euery man / whiche thyng they dyde as veraye Relygyouses / not for noo necessyte that they had of it / but pryncypally for to obey vnto the request of the sayd Relygyouse that therto had desyred them in the name of our lorde god ¶ An other holy fader was somtyme syke of a gryuouse sykenesse whiche was suche / that out of his entraylles he casted blood by grete plente And for to socoure hym atte his nede a Relygyouse brought hym some almauÌ„des / wherof he made hym a cawdell whiche he presented vnto the good holy fader saynge Fayr fader I praye the that thou wyll ete this / for I hope that it is good for to Restowre the thy helthe And after that the holy fader had loked vpon hym a long whyle / he sayd to hym Certaynly my brother I dyde desyre that god sholde holde me .xxx. yere in this sykenesse / for this cause he wolde not obeye to the Request of the sayd Relygyouse / nother ete of the candell the he had brought to hym / was coÌ„strayned to bere it ayen with hym to Retourne in to his celle ¶ An auncyent fader hauyÌ„g his celle ferre within the desertes / and departed from all folke / was vysyted of a brother whiche founde hym sore syke So he wasshed hym his face that was all bespoted and wasted for bycause of his sykenesse And after he made redy certayne thynges for hym to ete that he hadde brought there with hym And the good olde fader seeyng this / he sayd vnto hym Certaynely my brother I hadde forgoten that men hadde taken ony solas or pleasures in etynge And after he presented hym with a cuppe of wyne for to drynke / whiche good aeged fader beholdynge the sayd cuppe beganne for to wepe and sayd / that he hoped not to drynke of ony wyne tyll that dethe sholde take hym ¶ An other olde fader purposed ones in hymselfe that he sholde not drynke duryng the space of .xl. dayes contynuelly And there as he was in a grete necessyte bycause of the hete / he dyde fylle a glasse full of water / that whiche he henge vp before hym within his celle And when his brethern asked hym why he dyde so / he answered he dyde it to th ende that in seeyng the same water within the sayd glasse / where as he sholde haue a lust and desyre to take of it for to stynte his thrust withall neuertheles sholde not cast of it / he myght by this meane receyue of our lorde more grete Rewarde ¶ An other broder walkyng by the waye with his moder that was alredy come to a grete aege / fouÌ„de a streâ—e thrugh whiche they must passe / whiche thyng his moder sholde not haue conne doo withstandyng her olde aege feblenes Wherfore the brother constrayned for to haue her ouer / toke of his mauÌ„tell and be wrapped her handes withall / to th ende that he sholde not couche her naked flesshe And thus he toke her vp on his necke bare her ouer the sayd streme And where his moder asked him why he had be wrapped her handes in his mantell he answered that he had done it / bycause that he knewe that the bodye of a woman is lykened vnto fyre that all wasteth And for this cause to thentente he sholde eschewe that in touchyng her naked flesshe the remembrauÌ„ce of other women sholde not be brought in his mynde / he wolde thus be wrappe her handes ¶ An other aeged holy fader sayd that he knewe a Relygyouse whiche was wonte to fast all the holy passyon weke And the satyrdaye of the sayd weke whan he came to the masse with the other Relygyouses he wayted tyll the masse were begonne for to entre within the chirche And the masse done / after he had receyued the holy sacramente of the aulter he departed hastly out of the chirche / to the ende that he sholde not be constrayned by his brethern for to ete with them / for he loued better to lyue solytaryly etynge within his celle alone some colles or beetes soden in water salt than for to comyn with them ete other metes ¶ Many brethern in Sychye were ones
a good entente / as for cause of sekenesse or other necessyte ¶ A broder cam to thabbot Pastor the seconde weke of lente / in declaryng to hyÌ„ his thoughtis / fouÌ„de in hyÌ„ some rest of coÌ„scyence / theÌ„ne sayd the broder to hyÌ„ I had thought to haue dyfferred this daye for to haue come to the for lytyll thyng The abbot asked hyÌ„ wherfor / the broder answered I doubted by cause that it was lente that the yate sholde not haue be opened Thenne sayd to hyÌ„ the abbot we haue not be acustomed to shette the yate / by the whiche men entre herin / but we desyre more besyly to close shette the yate of that tongue As who wolde say that it is more vayllable to close refrayne his tongue from spekyng in tyme place / than to close and shette the materyall dore of his hous ¶ A broder sayd to thabbot Pastor / yf I gyue ony thyng to my neyghbour / anone the deuyll tempteth me with the synne of vayne glorye / wherfor I drede to do almesse The holy man answered / we ought to socour the necessyte of our neyghbours for the loue of god The same olde fader sayd to the broder one suche a parable Two men labourers dwelled in a cyte / of the whiche the one of that he had sowen gadred but lytyll good therof / yet that whiche he had gadred was not very clene That other dyde sowe nothyng / also he gadred nothyÌ„ge I aske the thenne yf it so happed that ther cam an honger or famyne / whiche of thyse myght best escape this dauÌ„ger The broder answered that he that had sowen gadred TheÌ„ne sayd the holy maÌ„ lyke wyse we ought to sowe good werkes / to th ende that the tyme of famyne beyng come / that is to saye / that we may nomore deserue / the whiche thyng theÌ„ne we wolde haue done may not recouuer it / that we deye not eternally ¶ An other broder cam to speke to a good fader / in departyng froÌ„ hyÌ„ bycause he had supposed to haue letted hyÌ„ sayd to hyÌ„ Fader pardoÌ„ne me / for I haue letted that in thy rule maner to lyue relygyously / to whom the holy man answered thou hast not letted me in my rule for acordyng to the same I ought in good charyte mercy receyue all comers ¶ A man moche solytary strayt of lyuyng / the occupyed hyÌ„self in excercyse of dyuerse werkes dwelled nygh by a monastery in whiche were a grete multytude of bredern / soÌ„tyme it happed that they that went to vysyte cam vnto this holy maÌ„ whiche was so moche solytary they coÌ„strayned hyÌ„ to ete aboue the hour determyned after that they asked hyÌ„ sayng fader art not thou wroth bycause thou etest to fothyn hour / he answered I am neuer wroth / but whaÌ„ I do after myn owne wyll for asmoche as I do this coÌ„trary ayenst my wyll I am nothyÌ„g wroth ne sory therfore ¶ Ther was in Syrye vpoÌ„ that way of desertes an olde man whiche had a custome to receyue all the relygyoê° ê‘sones that passed by that way On a tyme amoÌ„g the other passed a moche so lytary man that whiche for what prayer that the olde fader made / he wold not dryÌ„ke ne ete / sayeng that in no wyse he wolde breke his fast / but the holy maÌ„ sore displesed by cause he wold not acorde to his prayer sayd to hyÌ„ I pray the syth thou wold not ete ne dryÌ„ke with me / at the lest that thou wyle holde me coÌ„pany to pray vnto god vnder a tree whiche is here by / of it bowe doun at my prayer tofore thyn / thou shalt do that I shall requyre the / the whiche thyng that holy fader accorded to hyÌ„ TheÌ„ne began he to praye that was so strayt in his fastyng but the tree bowed nothyng doun warde TheÌ„ne after that other begaÌ„ to praye / all sodaynly the tree bowed it doun / the seeyng that other / he obteÌ„pred obeyed to his wordes / praysed god both togyder of the caas that was to theyÌ„ happed ¶ Two relygyoê° persones cam to an holy man / that whiche had of custome not to ete of all the longe daye / but whan he sawe theyÌ„ he was moche Ioyous / and sayd to theyÌ„ / the fastyng hath his rewarde For who the eteth for charyte / he accoÌ„plyssheth two coÌ„mauÌ„dement / for he leueth his owne wyll / accomplyssheth the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god in fedyng refresshyng his brethern ¶ A relygyoê° man of Thebes had receyued of god suche a grace / that he myght gyue to all Indygent nedy that whiche was to theym necessary One tyme amonge thother as he dyde his almesse in a strete / he sawe tofore hyÌ„ for to haue some thyng / a woman clothed with olde clothes all to rente that it was pyte to see The relygyoê° man hauyng on her coÌ„passyon / toke his hoÌ„de full of money wenyng to haue gyuâ— it to the sayd woman / but by the grace of god / his honde closed myght gyue to the womaÌ„ but a lytyll parte therof / wherby it appered that she was not so indygent / as it appered withoutforth And after that ther cam an other woman well clothed / whan be sawe her / he sayd in hyÌ„selfe / this persone had no nede toke in his hoÌ„de a lytyll almesse for to gyue to her / but in openyng his honde she toke more than he had put in / in sygnefyeng that this woman was more indygent than her clothes sheweth withoutforth Thenne he meruaylled moche / enquyred of the astate of these two wyÌ„men / he fonde that this womaÌ„ that was well clothed was of grete kynne / was falleÌ„ in pouerte / for that cause she was ashamed for to be euyl clothed / but the other was so clad for to moeue the people for to gyue to her theyr almes And now in these dayes ouer al the worlde be many suche abusyde therfor it is not euyll sayd / see wel to whom that gyuest / for oftymes men gyue to hyÌ„ that is rycher than he that gyueth / how be it that men suppose by cause he is euyl clothed that he hath no thyng ¶ Ther was a relygyoê° man whiche had a broder seculer / that whiche was moche poore / all that the relygyous man myght wyÌ„ne he delyuered to hyÌ„ / but how moche more he gaf to hyÌ„ / the more poore he was / of whiche thyng that relygyoê° meruaylled / declared it vnto a good holy man / whiche sayd to hyÌ„ in this maner yf thou wylt byleue me gyue to hyÌ„ nomore / whan he shall come to the / saye to hyÌ„ My broder whyâ—e I had ony good I gaaf it to that / therfor labour now / of that thou wyÌ„nest sende to me for my dyner / whan ony
sayd fader holy good lyfe also strongly aged made hym to entre in without ony suspeccoÌ„n And in beholdyng the Relygyous wyÌ„men / sawe none that had a crowne on her hede Thenne he sayd to theym me semeth that ther lacketh here one systre of you They sayd to hym that ther was yet one all folysshe kept the kechyne / sayeng furthermore / that she somtyme was tormented with the fende whiche greued her sore This wordes so sayd / the holy fader prayed that he myght see her Thenne anone they wente to fette her / but she wolde not come / vnto the tyme that it was sayd to her that the holy man Pyterius was there within whiche had grete desyre to see her And incontynent as she herde hym named she wente to hym / for he was gretely renoÌ„med in that regyon She beyng comen to fore the holy abbot Pyterius / he fyll flat doun to her feet sayeng My frende I praye the gyue to me thy blessyng / she in lyke wyse fylle doun to the feet of the holy abbot askynge also his blessyng The other systres seeyng this thyng were gretely admeruaylled / sayden to hym Alas holy fader desyre not to aske the blessynge of this woman / for she is folysshe out of her wytte Thenne answered the holy fader / ye ben all foles / this virgyne is wyse she is my NoÌ„ne yours he named her so / bycause they named in lyke wyse the deuoute virgynes in the regyon And I praye to god sayd the holy fader / that at the daye of Iugement that I may be also worthy capable of the felycyte euerlastyng as she / the whiche thynge herde / alle the other systres fylle doun to her fete / confessyd that they had synned in dyuerse maners vnto her Some for they had throwen the wasshyng of the dysshes vpon her / other oftymes and without cause had beten her / other in mockyng her had fylled her nose with mustarde And generally all the other confessyd that they had doon to her meruayllous Iniuryes wherof they all demauÌ„ded of her pardoÌ„ne forgyuenes And thenne the holy man departed And from thenne forthon the systres had in grete reuerence the sayd holy virgyne meruayllously But a lytyll tyme after / bycause that she myght not endure the louyng praysyng of the worlde / she wente secretely out of the monasterye / neuer after herde they ony thyng of her ¶ Here after folowed the seconde chapytre of contemplacyon A Yong broder named Zacharye wente to his abbot named Syluanus for to speke to hyym / but he founde hym Incontemplacyon hauyng his hondes lyfte vp to heuen And he seeyng that he shette the dore / wente his waye After he cam ayen at the hour of sexte / and at the hour of none And fynably he cam at ten of the clocke at nyght / knocked atte dore entred in / he founde hym that he rested Neuertheles he asked of hym saynge Helas fader what haste thou had this daye / whan I was comen hyther to the The whiche answered that he was seke Thenne the brother fylle doun ate his feet sayd to hym Fader yf thou saye not to me what thou hast had I shal not leue the to goo Thenne sayd the holy man I haue be rauysshed to heuen haue seen the glorye of god / haue be deteyned ther vnto this hour ¶ Some of the olde faders sayden that as they spake of the holy scryptures wordes edyfycatyf / they sawe thangels enioye prayse god And after that they began to speke of worldely thynges vnprouffytable / they sawe foull hogges swyne stynkyng come in the myddes among theyÌ„ whiche made theym all foule After whan they began to speke agayne of god / they sawe agayn the angelles semblably as they dyde to fore That is to saye that god is with theym that speke of god / the deuyll with theym that speken of dyshoneste thynges ¶ An holy man sayd the one may synne in four maners Fyrst in euyll thought Secondely in consentynge to the same thought Thyrdely in spekynge euyll of an other Fourthly in doyng by werke outwarde that whiche he had in his euyll thought And in al these thynges is not the wrath taken awaye / but as he sayth at the begynnyng I shall not punysshe somtyme for the thre synnes / whiche ben thought / spekyng / consentyng / but the fourth / that is to saye / whan with theym the werke shall be doon I shall punysshe theym ¶ An holy man of Sychye in makynge his celle / he was on a tyme mery Ioyous And whan the fouÌ„dement was made / he cessed not tyll the resydue was achyeued It happed on a tyme that in repayryng he began to wepe The brethern asked hym why he wept And he answered theym / that he had a grete cause of heuynes / for it had be shewed to hym / that that place sholde be desolate destroyed And sayd also I haue seen the fyre ones in Sychye / the whiche hath be quenched / I sawe it also the seconde tyme / it was also quenched / but the thyrde tyme I haue seen a meruaylloê° so grete a fyre that hath brente all Sychye myght not be quenched / therfore I haue cause to be sorowfulll ¶ An holy man sayd it is wryten in the psalmyst The Iuste shall flourysshe / as the palme of the foreste of Lybane And by this it is shewed that the good werkes shall haue for theyr salayre swete fruyt / ryghtfull / noble / for in the palme is a parte swete whyte / lyke wyse is in the herte of the rightfull man for he is swete by mercy pyte / whyte by IllumynacoÌ„n of fayth And he is stronge to resyste ayenst the temptacoÌ„n of the fende of helle ¶ The good sunamyte receyued Helyzee the prophete in to hyr hous / not that she had ony carnell affeccoÌ„n towarde hym / for she was holy Iuste / but she receyued hym as a gheste ¶ Morally by this sunamyte is sygnefyed the soule / by Helyzee the holy ghoost Thus thenne as oftymes as our soule is withdrawen and separate from worldely thynges seculer in adressyng it to god / so oft the holy ghoost cometh anone for to lodge hym in the soule / thenne the soule whiche tofore was bareyn of good werkes may brynge forth good holy werkes ¶ An other holy man sayd that in lyke wyse as we see a swyne whiche is all foule may not lyfte his eyen towarde heueÌ„ but alwaye loked dounwarde / so in lyke wyse is the soule of a lecherous man / that whiche deteyned by his right foule desyre couetyse may not thynke but on erthly thynges / ne lyfte vp the eye of coÌ„templacoÌ„n for to knowe in what astate he is / but he hath
that it was god For it is wryten in the psalmyste God is our refuge / strengthe vertue in trybulacōns whiche persecute vs strongely ¶ A brother asked hym what prouffyten the fastynges and wakynges that men make The holy man answered / that they make the soule humble and meke For it is wryten Lorde god beholde my mekenes my labour / and forgyue me my synnes / yf it pleaseth the. And therfore yf we take on vs payne / god shall haue pyte mercy on vs. ¶ A brother demaunded of an olde fader / what ought a man to doo agayne the temptacōns of the fende To whome he answered / he ought fyrst to wepe to th ende that god helpe hym And yf he praye deuoutly / god shall socoure hym For it is wryten Yf god helpe me I fere noo man ¶ A brother asked yf a bondeman haue trespaced / what shall he saye to his lorde / yf he wyll punysshe hym To this he answered that he sholde saye My lorde I haue trespaced / but yf it please the. I praye the to pardonne me / anone his mayster shall forgyue hȳ Thus we that be boūde and seruaūtes to god / whan we haue synned / and we retorne to hym in confessyng our synnes / he wyll pardonne vs Incontynent The ende of our operacyons is not to Iuge ony persone For whan god slewe all the fyrste begoten in Egypte / ther was not one hous but there was one therin deed Thenne asked a brother what was that that soo saye And he answered to hym / that yf we behelde well our synnes / we sholde thynke noo thyng of the synnes of our neyghboures It is grete folye to a man to forsake his deed corps in his hous / for to go by wepe one in his neyghbours hous he is deed towarde his neyghbour / the whiche thynketh not on the werkes of other / and dooth no harme to ony persone / ne thynketh none euyll in his corage / the whiche also despyseth no man bycause he is a synner / and the whiche is not vnyed to hym that dooth euyll to his neyghbour / ne speketh yll of ony persone / but sayd to hym selfe God knoweth the thought of euery man / I not It behoueth thenne to flee the detractours For it is sayd in the gospell Iuge no man / to th ende that ye be not Iuged of god One ought not also hate ony persone / though he were his enemye Ne despyse a man bycause he chydeth with his neyghbour For otherwyse thou sholdest haue noo reste ne peas in thy conscyence ¶ An other olde fader sayd / thou man lyuyng thynke that thy god is born of the virgyne Marye for the loue of the / he hath be made man and alwaye abydeth god / he hath be made a lytyll childe / he was a redar and prechar whan he toke the boke in the synagoge and sayd The speryte of god is vpon me / by cause he that hath enoynted me / hath sente me to preche the gospell to the poore synners / he had be subdeken / whan he chaced out of the temple theȳ that solde and theym that bought / he was deken whan he weeshe the feet of his appostles / in cōmaūdyng theym to wesshe the feet of theyr brethern / he was made preest whan he abode in the myddell of the temple techynge theym / he was made bysshop in takyng the brede and in delyueryng to his dyscyples / he hath be beten for the loue of the / he hath be crucyfyed / he aroos the thyrde daye And after ascended in to heuen / and all for vs / and all he hath doon for to saue vs. And neuertheles we wyll nothynge endure ne suffre for the loue of hym Late vs thenne be sobre and wake we / praye we deuoutly and kepe we his cōmaūdementes to th ende that we may be saued / was not Ioseph solde in to Egypte in to a straunge londe The thre childern were they not brought prysoners in to Babylon And how well they had no knowlege / god was theyr helpe and were saued in th ende / for as moche as they dradde / who that gyueth hym all to god hath no free wyll / but doth as god cōmaūdeth hym without payne of conscyence And yf thou wylt do after thyn owne wyll without helpe of god / thou shalt haue ouermoche payne in thy conscyence ¶ A brother asked of thabbot Pastor fader what is that to saye / that one ought not to thynke on the next daye folowynge The holy man answered / that is to vnderstonde of a man that is in temptacyon / that is to saye / that he ought to resyste it the same daye / without to thynke to resyste it on the morn ¶ A brother demaūded from whens it cam / that a man how well he be a grete synner / neuerthelesse he is not a shamed to detracte the renōmee and fame of an other To whom the holy man answered by suche a parable / ther was a poore man whiche had a wyfe the whiche sawe an other woman that was moche fayrer than his wyfe with out comparyson / and desyred her and dyde soo moche that he had her in maryage / but she was as poore as that other It happed thenne / that tho two wyues / wente with her husbonde to a market And by cause they were both naked / they put theym selfe in a tonne but that one seeyng that the people were departed / sprang out of the tonne / and founde olde clothes and ragges / couered her in suche wyse / that she myght well goo amonge the people / without to haue ony shame Thenne that other woman hauyng therof enuye sayd to hyr husbonde This folysshe woman is all naked / and neuerthelesse she is not a shamed to goo amonge the people Thenne answered to hyr the husbonde in grete angre / she hath some what couered and hydde hyr pouerte and confusyon / but as for the / thou art all naked / and yet thou mockeste her as moche as thou mayste ¶ Thus sayd the holy fader / is eche man a detractour / the whiche not consyderyng his owne synnes / cesseth not to saye euyll of an other whiche ben better than he ¶ The abbot Iohan sayd to some of his brethern / that there were thre phylosophres the whiche were good frendes to gydre Of whiche one of theym deyeng lefte his childe to that other And whan he was grete / he defoylled the wyfe of his moneytour / wherfore he was put out of the hous And how well that he dyde grete penaunce / neuerthelesse the phylosopher wolde not suffre hym to reentre in to his hous But sayd to hym that he sholde goo amonge theym that were Iuged to the deth for to dygge gadre with them metall within the Ryuer thre yere longe And whan he hadde soo doon and fulfylled that penaunce / he sholde retourne to the phylosophre and than he
forborn for to translate the lyues of faders out of greke in to latyn / pryncypally for two causes That one is / that the werkes dedes of olde faders ben moche grete vnknowen / wherfore I can not well descryue them ne wryte That other is for I haue none entendement ne connyng to do it And certaynly my rudesse Imbecyllyte dare not entrepryse suche a werke ne operacoÌ„n / but this notwithstandyng I trustyng in thy benygnyte obeyssauÌ„t to thy coÌ„mauÌ„dement without to demauÌ„de ony glorye ne exaltacoÌ„n I shall begynne the werke by the coÌ„mauÌ„dement And how well that ther be Infenyte quaÌ„tyte of bokes right elegantly wryten in latyn NotwithstaÌ„dyng I haue right fewe seen as thou well knowest For ther is no persone that knoweth so well my scyence as thou / therfore yf by aduenture thou fyndeste in my translacoÌ„n ony thyng lasse than suffycyently recyted or expressed / blame not me therfore For in so doyng I haue folowed as well as I may / how well that I haue not the faculte for to speke ne to vttre ornately Therfor please it to the to polysshe the langage by thy swetenes the whiche is more swete than hony / I shall not be dyspleased / yf it please to thy magnyfycence to amende that whiche shall not be wee l and Improperly touched ¶ Here begynneth the boke of admonycyons / and fyrst ayenst glotonye A Monke asked on a tyme of thabbot Sysoy how he ought to lyue in his celle To whom thabbot answered Ete thy brede and thy salt / be not curyous in arayeng thy mete soumptuously for thy bodye / but soberly gouerne that in thy celle / with out goyng in to dyuerse places to aske almesse The same abbot sayd to another whiche asked hyÌ„ also how he sholde lyue For the ê“phete Danyell sayd that he had neuer be requyred to aske almesse out of his resydence yet alwaye he lyued Iustely ¶ An holy man sayd to an other / that he was moche charytable / that the lanterne lyghteth to many / but not for that oftymes he breÌ„neth it selfe aboue ¶ An holy fader asked an other suche a questyon / that is to wyt / yf a man shold be praysed alwaye for to ete lytyll / whiche of them that absteyned theym from etyng haue moost meryte or mede To whom it was answered as to the fyrst party nay For ther is some people that may not ete but right lytyl after theyr complexion And it is notorye that suche ought not to be praysed ne blamed for as the phylosopher sayth in his ethykes / none ought to prayse ne blame vs for tho thynges whiche we haue of nature As thenne it be so that suche folke haue this InclynacoÌ„n of nature / they ought neyther be blamed ne praysed / But they that absteyne theym ete lasse than theyr complexion requyreth they haue grete meryte / so that theyr intencoÌ„n be ryghtfull well ruled after the Iugement of reason As touchyng the seconde partye of the questyon / whiche is to wyte among theym that absteyne theyÌ„ for the honour of god / they ben they that haue moost meryte of god Answere They that haue moost of nourysshyng / absteyne theym egally haue more mede than the other / in as moche as they withdrawe them for the honour of god pryncypally And consequently for the maceracoÌ„n of theyr bodyes the nourysshyng whiche is to theym necesserye / for as moche as in suche caas ought to be seen the complexion / not the quantyte or scarcete of the mete For to ete in egall porcyon is somtyme outrage to one / ouer lytyll to an other And all men ought to vnderstande thyse wordes / as touchyng thentencoÌ„n of fastynge / is well ryght to be ruled after thappetyte of dame reason ¶ A brother cam on a tyme to the holy abbot Paule in sayeng Fader please it to the of thy charyte to saye to me / what thynge I ought to gadre in my yougthe that maye socoure me in myn age To whom the holy fader answered Thou shall these whether thou wylt haue god of the moneye to th ende that thou be not poore / as who sayth Thou mayste not loue god with alle thy herte / the worldly rychesses togydre For as it is sayth in the gospell We may not serue god the prynce of auaryce Thus thenne these thou god / despyse thou rychesses of the worlde / or ellys chese worldly rychesses despyse god ¶ Thabbot Agathon ofte enformed his dyscyple sayeng to hyÌ„ yf thy neyghbour haue nede of ony thyng that thou hast / thou oughtest not to denye hym / but thou oughtest to socoure hym yf thou wylt kepe the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god / consyderyng that thou art subgette to necessytees corporell as he is For the scrypture sayth In suche mesure as thou shalt haue mesured to other In the same shall be mesured to the. ¶ How for thendure pouerte causeth to come to the reste of heuen AN holy fader sayd that we fynde in holy scrypture that lazar that was at that yate of the euyll ryche man had in hym none other vertue / but that he endured his pouerte ryght pacyently / neuer grutched ne murmured ayenst the ryche man / but praysed thanked god of all / wherfor he was brought in to paradyse This holy man sayth also / that it neuer behoueth to thynke but of the drede of god And yf by aduenture we be constrayned to thynke of our bodyes / we oughte not to thynke but whan it is tyme / as who wolde saye that we ought to be alwaye dylygent besy in the drede of god / but to thynke on our bodye we ought to be besy in tyme and in place oonly ¶ Of parfyght pacyence THabbot Anthonye prophecyed of thabbot Ammoniciê° in sayeng to hyÌ„ / thou o west one tyme to be moche pacyent parfyght in the drede of god After he ladde hym out of his celle in shewyng to hym a stone sayd to hym Abbot Ammoniê° go do wronge to this stone / smyte bete it as moche as thou mayst And so he dyde After saynt Anthonye asked hyÌ„ what hath this stone answered to the. Thabbot Ammoniê° sayd that it had answered to hyÌ„ nothyng Saynt Anthonye sayd thou owest to be thus pacyent ones in tyme comyng / for thou shalt haue suche so grete pacyence that what someuer shall be doon to the / thou shalt wene suppose that it is none Iniurye ¶ How whan one ought to doo the wyll of his neyghbour A monke demauÌ„ded of thabbot Permenius what is fayth And he answered / that to lyue alwaye in charyte / to do well to his neyghbour after his power is veray fayth For it is sayd that fayth without werkes is deed And thus they that lyue euyll haue none good ne ferme fayth And of his dyffynycoÌ„n it is sayd that fayth
/ and ought to flee theym as the venym of a serpent or of a scorpyon / to caste theym lyghtly behynde fro his herte The seconde sayde / syth that I haue renoūced and forsaken the worlde I haue sayd euery daye in my selfe On this daye thou art born by grace / this daye thou begynnest to serue god / this daye thou begȳnest to dwelle here / be thou alway as a pylgyme with out to haue other estymacōn of thy selfe / and thou shalt be shortly delyuered The thyrde sayd In the mornyng I moūte vp to my god by prayer in stratchyng my selfe vpon the erthe / prayeng hym that he forgyue me my synnes After I praye to thangellys and other creatures resonable that they supplye praye to god for me / this doon I goo to Iherusalem to see that the Iewes doon The fourth sayd It semeth me that I am with god his dyscyples in the moūte of Olyuete / me semeth that god sayth to me / be thou alway with my dyscyples enhaūsed in contemplacōn And entremete that with no worldly thynges they abuse thy soule / in takyng exāple of Marye magdalene / that whiche sette her atte feet of the sauyour of the worlde in heryng his wordes whiche ben suche Be ye all holy and parfyght / so sayth your fader of heuen And lerne of hym whiche is hūble of herte swete The fyfth sayd I see euery daye thangellys moūtyng descendyng for to calle the holy soules to bryng theym in to paradyse / do nothyng but abyde myne ende in sayeng Lorde god my herte my conscyence is redy and apparaylled whan thou shalt wyll to take it The .vi. sayd It semeth to me euery daye that after my prayes god sayth to me Labour in the loue of me / I shall make the reste Fyght yet a lytyll ayenst the enemye / after thou shalt see my helthe my glorye / yf thou loue me / yf thou art my sone retourne the hardely to me whiche am thy fader / yf thou be my broder / haue thou shame for me / endure the opbrobryes of the people for the honour of me For I haue endured euylles Infenyte for the loue of the / yf thou be my sheep my subgette folowe my passyon The .vij. sayde I thynke alway on the fayth of god on hope / on charyte dyleccōn I haue hope for to enioye my selfe / charyte for drede the I not hate ony man / fayth for to fortefye me ayenst myn enemyes The .viij. sayd I abyde in grete constaūce the deuyll / whatsomeuer parte he go And I praye to god deuoutly / that he do no gryef to ony persone / pryncypally to theym that drede god The .ix. sayd I consydere by contemplacōn dyuyne the vertues angelyke / in the myddes of theym the sone of god shynyng as the sonne ouer aboue all creatures And in consyderyng the swete armonye of angellys cometh in to my remēbraūce that whiche is wryten Lord god the heuens recounte thy glorye / the fyrmament thy werkes meruayllous And in this contemplacōn al that is vpon therth me semeth dust pouldre The .x. sayd I see myn angell whiche is alwaye besyde me kepeth me / thenne I remēbre of that whiche is wryten by the psalmyste I haue alwaye god tofore my thought For he is alwaye at my right syde to th ende that I be not moeued by euyll temptacōns And for as moche as I drede myn angell whiche moūteth alwaye to heuen feryng that he ne shewe my werkes to god The .xi. sayd I haue gyuen my selfe to all vertues / that is to wyte to abstynence / chastyte / humylyte / charyte / dyleccōn / of whiche what someuer parte I fynde my selfe I am enuyronned of theym / enforce my selfe to kepe theym / to th ende that after my deth / they may wytnesse that they haue rested dwelled in me The xij sayd / amonge you faders whiche haue the heuenly conuersacōn / ye haue also the sapyence dyuyne And for as moche as I see you enhaūsed in vertuous werkes ye haue all renounced the worlde the goodes therof Thenne may I saye without synne that ye ben erthely angellys / heuenly men / touchyng your conuersacōn the whiche is in heuen / of whiche thynges I me repute Indygne vnworthy for my synnes whiche accompanye me ouerall where I goo / on the ryght syde and lyfte syde And therfore I me repute worthy to be dampned Thou shalt be putte hastely with theym that for theyr demerytes be in wepynges and in perpetuell wayllynges And in this I consydere some of theym that strayne theyr teeth for the grete payne that they endure in all the partyes of the bodye And in sygne of humylyte I caste my selfe on the erthe takyng asshes / and prayeng god that it may please hym to preserue me from these tourmentes Furthermore I sawe in that helle a see all boyllynge / in the whiche ben moche people of dyuerse astates whiche cryen soo strongely that it is Impossyble to expresse / and the whiche ben pryued fro the mercy of god by cause of the enormyte of theyr synnes And for as moche consyderynge these paynes I wepe by compassyon the falle of worldely people whiche lyue in so grete daunger And in this dooyng I remembre of that whiche is wryten in the psalme My teres haue ben to me also prouffytable as brede of the daye and nyght For by the moyen of theym I haue nourysshed my soule spyrytuelly Alle in lyke wyse as the bodye is nourysshed by brede materyalle ¶ The whiche contemplacyons afore sayd / of the whiche sayenges and dyctes of the sayd holy Auncyent and olde faders we ought with all our power to folowe / to the ende that in so dooyng we may come in to the Royame of heuen The whiche graunte vs he that regned perpetuelly AMEN ¶ Here fynyssheth the fourthe parte of the lyfe of holy faders of Egypte and of Grece ¶ Here foloweth the fyfth parte and some smale treatyses of the praysyng of vertues c. ¶ Here foloweth the fyfthe parte ¶ Here folowed some smale treattys of the praysyng of vertues / as well morall as theologycall / vpon which saynt Macharye made his prologue / whiche was auctour compylatour of theym spekyng in this maner FOr as moche my right dere byloued brother that somtyme thou haste affectuously requyred me to make some lytyll boke or treatyse of the praysyng of vertues I desyryng to fulfylle thy requeste haue compyled this presente booke to the praysyng of god and to the saluacyon of thy soule / knowynge the grete desyre that thou haste to see the holy scryptures And for that cause I am gladde to haue accomplysshed that whiche hath pleased the to requyre me / to th ende that thou mayst alwaye prouffyte in the loue of god / and also that I be
temple sacred halowed or to marche come nygh the pauement of the same with thy feet whiche ben so moche foull pollute How darst thou lyfte vp thy handes to god out of whiche yet the blood of the Innocentes droppe out / how also darst thou receyue the precyoê° bodye and blood of Ihesu cryste / in thy mouth by the whiche hath be pronouÌ„ced the sentence furyous daÌ„pnable wycked / by whiche ben deed so many Innocentes seruauÌ„tes of god Seen thenne the gryeuous enormyte of thy caas I defende that his chirche / enioyne that to departe from hens / to th ende that to thy fyrste euyll thou put not therto the seconde And furthermore I exhorte the that thou bere pacyently the sentence of excomynycacoÌ„n ayenst the pronouÌ„ced / the whiche is the medecyne of thy soule Themperour seynge the constauÌ„ce laudable hardynesse of saynt Ambrose / by his remonstrauÌ„ces touched with the holy ghoost concluded in hyÌ„selfe to obeye hym / so retorned to his palays / where he abode and was by the space of .viij. monethes / with out to go or yssue out / wepyng there by grete contrycoÌ„n meruayllous habouÌ„dauÌ„ce of teeres / the detestable synne by hym coÌ„mysed And approchyng the feste of the natyuyte of our sauyour Ihesu cryste One his knyght stewarde of housholde named Ruffyn whiche was moche famylyer with hym seeyng his wepynges wayllynges / the whiche he had so longe contynued prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde declare to hyÌ„ the cause of the same To whom he answerd in this maner Alas my frende thou knowest not the gryeuous euylles ennoyes that I suffre I wepe for my grete myserye / the whiche I knowe excedeth all other / consyderyng that the yates dores of the chirche be opene to the poore seruauÌ„tes of god the whiche go whan theym seme good / but they ben shytte closed to me by right full cause / whiche is to me ouermoche gryeuous And god knoweth what grete syghynges wayllynges made his heuy desolate herte For they were so sorowfull so ofte renewed the oftymes they brake his wordes / in suche wyse that vnnethe he myght achyeue that he wolde saye Thenne the sayd knyght whiche was moche dyspleasauÌ„t gryeued of the desolacoÌ„n of his lorde maystre the Emperour sayd to hym that he wolde go to saynt Ambrose / sholde enforce hyÌ„ selfe to do so moche towarde hym that he sholde assoylle hym of the sayd sentence that he sholde be permysed to entre in to the chirche The whiche thyng the sayd Emperour byleued to be ryght harde to obteyne of the sayd saynt Ambrose / consyderyng the rygorous affeccoÌ„n that he had so sharply to punysshe to correcte thou defaultes coÌ„mysed in the vnreuerence of god This notwithstandyng the sayd Ruffyn transported hym to saynt Ambrose And themperour desyryng to knowe the answere / wente all a ferre after hyÌ„ / but incontynent whan saynt Ambrose sawe the sayd Ruffyn approche to hyÌ„ seeyng tofore what he wolde saye requyre of hym / began to saye to hym suche wordes or semblable in substauÌ„ce I meruaylle me of the Ruffyn how thou hast no shame to come hyther for to baye lyke an hounde in the face of god and of his sayntes Ruffyn suffryng pacyently the wordes of saynt Ambrose / and takyng in hym corage / notwithstandyng the grete rygour of theym kneled doun on his knees tofore hym in shewyng by alle humylyte the harde and meruayllous dyspleasaunce of the Emperour / whiche desyred none other thynge but to rendre yelde hym obeyssauÌ„t childe of the chirche / delybered and concluded in hymselfe to receyue and bere suche penaunce as sholde please to Saynt Ambrose to charge hym Saynt Ambrose consyderyng that Theodosius hadde be longe tyme without to come to hym / doubtyng yet of his obstynacye and pertynacyte sayd to Ruffyn / that it was dyffycle and harde to hym to byleue that whiche he sayd And with that he sayd to hym that the sayd Theodosius was not yet worthy to entre in to the chirche / but neuertheles whan he shall be aduertysed of his conuersyon he shall be content that he come to hym Thyse thynges thus sayd Ruffyn takynge leue of saynt Ambrose / retorned to the Emperour his maystre / to whom he reported that he was not yet well appeased / wherfore he couÌ„seylled that he sholde dyfferre yet a lytyll his gooyng to hym But neuertheles the Emperour beholdyng that he was nygh to the yates of the chirche where as saynt Ambrose was / delybered and concluded in hym selfe to go thyder to endure pacyently all Iniuryes and obprobryes that he wolde saye to hym in sayeng that he had well deserued theym / he thenne comyng to the yate of the sayd chirche presumâ—â—â—â— to entre within / but sente to saynt Ambrose humbly prayeng hym that it myght please hym for to assoylle hym of the sayd sentence of excomynycacyon Thenne cam to hym saynt Ambrose sayeng O Theodosiê° I haue horrour to see thy presence whiche is moche cruell For thou hast ouer moche inhumaynely shewed thy grete wodenes ayenst god in brekyng his holy lawes and coÌ„maundementes Theodosius answered A holy man I proteste that I entende not to do ony thyng ayenst the holy catholyke instytucoÌ„ns And I wyll not enforce me to entre by vyolence in to the chirche / but I praye the that it please the to doo to me that grace to assoylle me to vnbynde me of the sentence of excomynycacyon in whiche I am bounden / in prayeng god of forgyuenesse of my synnes / and to me openyng the yates of his chirche / the whiche he wolde sholde be opened vnto all veray penytauntes Thenne saynt Ambrose sayd to hym I wolde well knowe Theodosius / syth the horryble occysyon whiche thou haste commysed what medecyne haste thou gyuen to thy soule for to hele it of hyr mortall woundes To whom the Emperour answered It apperteyneth to the reuerende fader to gyue to me the penaunce / and to me to receyue it humbly Saynt Ambrose seeyng his grete humylyte sayd to hym For as moche as thou haste gyuen Iugement in horryble furour and noo thyng after reason I enioyne the that within .xxx. dayes next folowynge thou doo wryte and ordeyne a lawe that may be cause to auoyde thyne Ire And by the same lawe thou shalt knowe yf thyn opynyon shall be rightfull and Iuste / or vnrightfull / the whiche penaunce the Emperour receyued moche humbly And composed the same lawe whiche he wrote with his owen honde / wherof the tenour is this / yf an Emperour from hens forth condempne to deth one or many men / he shall be holden to doo withdrawe thexcecucyon vnto the .xxx. daye after the pronuncyacoÌ„n of the sentence / to the ende that he may knowe yf the same sentence be Iustely or wyckedly gyuen This lawe thus made / saynt Ambrose gaaf to the sayd