Katheryne sawe that and blyssed her and wente in to the temple and rebuked themperour boldly and sayd that he dyde soule amysse for to doo that worship to feÌ„des leue the worship of god in heuen that made all thing of nought sent man lyfe wytte hele and preued 〈◊〉 grete reason how cryst was â—oth 〈◊〉 and man And how he bou◠〈…〉 kynde wyth his passion on the crossâ— wyth his deth And taughte how euery man shold honour god and leue false mawmentes Thenne was the Emperour wroth And bad take her to warde tyll he myght be at leyfer Soo in the meane tyme he sente after the grettest maysters and the wyseste clerkes that were in many countreys ferre aboute hym And whan they were comen he bad them goo and dyspute wyth Katheryne and ouercome her they shold haue ryght well for theyr labour Thenne were they wroth to come soo ferre to dyspute wyth a woman And sayd the left scoler in the scole hadde be ynough to ouercome her But whan Katheryne had dysputed wyth theym wyth the helpe of the holy gost she conuerted them euerychone to the feyth off our lord Ihesu criste In so moche that they were redy to suffre deth for cristis sake Thenne anone maxencius commaunded to make a grete fyre brenâ—e them in the fyre But by the helpe of the holy goost the fyre brenned noo partye of theyr bodyes nother the leest clothe of them and yet laye fayre dede as they had be a slepe Thenne the emperour made do Katherine to be naked and to bete her wyth sharpe scourges that she was all blody ful of wouÌ„des And theÌ„ne he put her in to pryson seuen dayes wythout ony maner mete or drynke Thenne had the quene grete lust to speke wyth Katheryne and toke a knyghte wyth her that hyghte porphyriâ—s and wente to katheryne and then they sawe an angell sette a crowne of shynnynge golde on the quenes hede and another on porphiryus hede and bad hem be stedfaste For wythin thre dayes they shold come to heuen by suffrynge of marterdom Thenne sente themperour after Katheryne and wente to haue fouÌ„de her nygh dede but all that tyme god sente her mete from heuen And whan the emperour sawe her a lyue he was wode for wroth and made her to be set betwene ii wheles and tourned one vpward and another downewarde full of hokes swerde poyntes for all to rase Katheryne theÌ„ come an angell as it had be a wynde and all to brake them and slewe four thousand of the tyrauntes Thenne sawe the quene that miracle and come before the kynge her husbonde and rebuked hym that he sawe the myghte of god soo openly and wolde not byleue theron Thenne bad the kynge lede forth the quene and cut of her pappes from the body wyth hokes and thenne to smyte of her hede Thenne for porphpryus beryed her and lxxx of her knyghtes were martered with her and porphyrius be heded also Thenne spake the Emperour to Katheryne and sayde that he wold wedde her and she wold forsake cryst and byleue in his goddis and she sayd she sette noughte by hym nor by his goddis And whan he sawe that he made to smyte of her hede Thenne anone in stede of blode come oute fayr mylke And thenne came an angell and bare the soule in to heuen And thenne angellis come and bare the body in to the ayre and soo to the mounte of Synay and there beryed it wyth worshyp And there god werketh many fayr myracles to this day At the fote of the mounte there is an abbey of monkes that lyuen in grete abstynence and this abbey is strong and hye walled and barred abowte wyth yren for wylde bestes And in that abbey lyeth saynt Katheryne in a fayr tombe of albester for her bones were fetched thyder for the more worshyp aboue the chirche is the busshe ther god stode in whan he spake to moyses and wrote the lawe in two tables of stone and the busshe is as grene and fayre as it was the same day Also in that abbey is a grete merueyle and is this euery monke hathe a lampe wyth oyle brâ—nnyng and whan he shal deye they shall knowe by his lampe For as he draweth to deth soo derketh his lampe And whan the abbot deyeth his brederen shal synge a masse of the holy gost and bery hym solempny whan masse is done they shal fynde a bylle wreten on the auter who shall be abbot so they chose her abbot Also on saynt Katherins nyghte al the birdes in the countree comen thyder and eche off theÌ„ brynge a branche of olyue in her byllys to the place and as pylgrimes sainthe monkes make oyle of the brauÌ„ches to her lampes for al the yere ¶ we fynde rede of a man that serued Katherine and fasted her euen brede water on a tyme he come in felyshyp of recheles people by comforte of theÌ„ he lefte his faste ete wyth hem and so in the nyghte after he sawe a grete coÌ„pany of maydens comyng by hym amonge them there was one passynge all other and eche of hem had a crowne but one had a passynge fair crown that was saint Katheryne So whaÌ„ she come by this man she hyd her face from hym and wold not loke on hym thenne he asked one of them what they were and she sayde we ben virgyns the pryncipall that thou seest is saynte Katheryne that hyd her face from the. by cause thou hast left thy deuoucion fro her euyn of fastynge Thenne this man repented him sore that he had doo this dede and tourned ayen to his deuoucion fasted and after was a holy man and therfore lete vs worship this holy virgin that she may praye for vs all Amen ¶ De dedicacione ecclesie â—Ood freÌ„des suche a daye ye shall haue your dedycacyon daye that is your chirche holy daye ye shal come to chirche and here your deuyne seruyce in the worshyp of god And for iii causes the whiche the chirche is halowed for that is for the chirche clensynge for deuoute praynge for the dede bodyes berynge the first is for the chirche clensyng the chirche is ordeyned for all the people that come thider shold be in parfyte charyte there mete wyth god for god is euer there present and whan all the peple comeÌ„ so to gyder at this assignement it pleyseth god to here hem her good wordes in that place But whan the fende seth ony man besy therto he is full sory seketh all the wayes that he can or maye to let hym from the chirche for they shold not come to the presence of god Thenne whan holy faders knewe the malice of the fende they ordeyned the chirche to be halowed And soo by good preyers the fende is â—reuen oute But yf any cursed lyuer brynge hym in ayen that is oute of charyte or in dedely synne is wyth
all for ye haue been so longe fro confession But I say to you that vnknewyngnesse shall nat excuse you at the daye of dome For whan ye haue offendyd god in many trespaces that hurteth the soule anon ye sholde make you clene and kepe it in youre mynde But ye woll nat coÌ„me tyll it be forgoten And so yet whan ye coÌ„me to shrifte ye be dombe for the fende is wythin you For ye wene many tymes that it be no synne to speke an ydell worde â–ª to make the people to laugh nor to swere a grete othe it dothe no harme Buâ—â—e saint Poule in his pystell forbedyth euery man to speke any 〈…〉 sayeth in this maner Dico autem vobis quod omne verbum ociosuz quod locuti fuerunt omnes reddent â—acionem in die iudicu Forsothe I saye to you that ye shal gyue a reknynge for euery ydyll worde that ye speke And none shall passe vnâ—unysshed at the daye of dome And therfor that all ydell wordes and harlotry rebaudry be And if ye do that is worship to god and profyt to the spekeâ— for there as harlotry is moche spoken it is in miÌ„de For the tonge she with thabundauÌ„ce of the herte so firste in thought after â—n speking it causeth moche synne in dede Vnusque temptatur a concupiscencia Firste euery man is tempted to synne by luste of thought theron ¶ Concupiscencia generat peccatum· ¶ And the luste engendereth synne Peccatum cum consuÌ„matum fuerit generit mortem ¶ And whan the synne is doone it causeth damnacion euer lastynge deth that is in spekynge rybawdry and harlatry for the lust that a man hathe in spekynge is grete synne ¶ Narracio ¶ we fynde of an abbesse that was a clene woman â–ª as for ony dede of synâ—e But she hadde great luste to speke tâ—erof Soo whan she was dede and beryed in the chirche the nyghte after â—ame fendes and toke vp the body all to bete it wyth brennynge scourges from the nauell vpwarde that it 〈◊〉 blacke as ony pytcâ—e But from tâ—e nauell doune warde it shone as bryghte as the sonne and the fendes â—yghte it doo noo harme And euer as tâ—e fendes bete her she cryed pytously that two of her susters that were sexsâ—ens were sore aferd But eyther comforted other soo that they went nere til they wyst how it was Thenne spake the spyrite to her susteren and sayd ye knowe well that I was a clene mayden as for ony dede but I had greate luste to speke of synne that partye hathe great peyne as ye maye see wherfor I praye you systerne praye for me For by youre prayers I may be holpeÌ„ and beware by me in tyme commynge Here by ye may see what perell it is to speke ydle wordes and harlatry speche wherfore this same pystle sayth thus Abstinetis vos a fornicatione ¶ Absteyne you from Fornycacion all synnes and walke wyth Cryst in loue and peas as Cryste dede that suffred for vs many scornes rebukes and dyspytes and all he toke mekely pacyently and in charyte yeuynge ensample to all crysten people to doo the same But he that wyll lyue in rest and peas shall haue great persecucion off euyll people But and he suffre it mekely he is a martir byfore god and in confermynge of this holy chirche maketh mynde and mencion as thus ¶ we rede of an holy man that was called Ioseph that suffred grete persecucion but he suffred it mekely therfore god broughte hym to greate worshyp and prosperyte as ye shall here ¶ But for this story is longe therfore we shall take that is moost nedefull at this tyme. This Ioseph had a fader that hyght Iacob and had xi sones bretherne to Ioseph But his fader loued hym most specially of all thother And therfore his bretherne hated hym the more and in especiall for a dreme that he dremed wherby they supposed all that he shold be lorde of them all and all they shold hem doo worshyp And anone they toke theyr couÌ„seyl to gyder and sayd Venite itaque occidamê° illum ¶ Lete vs goo therfore and slee hym But yet they durst not for dred of god and anone ¶ Vendiderunt cum in egypto ¶ They sold hym in to Egipte to a man for xxx pene as god was solde And therfore god was wyth hym so a man that was styward to the king bought him the hyght putefar but the feÌ„de had gret enuy to Ioseph and tempted the Lady sore on hym Post multos itaque dies iniecit dnÌ„a oculos in Ioseph et ait veni dormi mecum ¶ Soo on a daye the lady loked on ioseph and toke hym by the mantel and sayd come and slepe wyth me And assone as Ioseph vnderstode her meanynge anone he yede and fledde his waye and lefte his mantell there theÌ„ne this woman cried and tolde her husbonde how Ioseph wolde haue leyen by her And for he shold not saye naye she kepte his mantell Therfor the lord made to caste Ioseph in pryson there as Pharao hadde put his butteler and his baker As they felle a slepe they dremed the whiche dreme thei tolde ioseph And he sayde that the kynge wolde restore his botteler to his offyce agayn wythin thre dayes and the baker shold be hanged wythin thre dayes and as he sayd it was Thenne happed so that the kynge dremed hym selfe â–ª but there cowde noman telle what sholde falle ther of but by counseyll of the butteler the kynge sente after Ioseph And whaÌ„ the kyng had tolde him his dreme Ioseph said that god hath sente hym a fayr warnyng to puruey hym to fore that shold come after And he sayd there shold come vii plentuous yeres off come and of all maner frutes and vitayles and after shold come seuen yeres in the whiche people shold spendâ— all that was goten to fore ¶ Thenne the kynge said I knowe no man that coude purueye soo well for suche a thinge as thou cowdest wherfore I make the gretest vnder me off all my â—eame And they shall doo to the as to me at thy commaundemente ¶ Thenne anone Ioseph lete make the gretest bernes that euer was seen and gadered corne faste seuen yeres And soone after came seuen yeres that all thinge was scarce and dere Thenne Iacob Iosephs fader herde that there was corne to selle in Egypte And he sente thether his ten sones for to bye corne And whan they came thyder and sawe Ioseph â–ª al fyll downe on her knees and dyd him worshippe lyke as his dreme was for they knewe not hym But wende that he hadde bee lord of the countre but he knewe them well ynowhe Thenne he â—â—â—ke to theym in latyne ¶ Surge ¶ And sayd they were sâ—â—â—es that were come to knowe of the lond And they sayd naye they were all Bretherne and all one mannes sones and another brother they hadde that was â—â—me home wyth her fader and ther was a nother and they wyste not whether he were
and all suche thynges that may come of cursed and wyked tonges Therfore the holy ghoste cometh in the lyckenesse of tonges of brennynge fyre to brenne oute the malyce and enuy and to anoynte hem wyth swetnes off grace loue and charyte And therfore we shall praye to the holy ghoste to yeue vs grace so to tempre our tonges that we maye euermore speke good that our hertes maye be fed wyth mekenesse that we may be able to be fed wyth the holy ghoste as saynt Gregory was whan he expowned the prophecye he toke to hym his deken saynt Peter to wryte as he expowned and made drawe bytwene hem For saynt Peter shold not see how he dyde in his stodyeng Thenne as saynt Gregory satt in his chayer Holdyng vp his hondys and his eyen to heuen warde The holy ghost came lyke a white doue wyth fote and bylle brennyng golde and satte on Gregory ryght sholdre and putte her bylle in Gregoryes mouth And whan he wythdrewe it thenne he bad Peter wryte and soo contynued tyl he had made an ende But he expowned the gospell soo boldly that Peter had merueylle therof and preuely made a hole in the cloth that was bytwene gregory and hym and sawe how the holy ghoste fedde hym And anone the holy gost shewed Gregory how Peter had done thenne Gregory blamed Peter And charged hym that he shold neuer saye noo thynge whyle he lyued But whan gregory was dede an heretyâ—â— wolde haue â—renned his bokys That this holy man 〈◊〉 And thenne Peter wythstode hym and saide nay and tolde all how the holy ghoste had done to hym whyle he expowned the prophecy And soo saued his bokes vnbrenned that he had made by the grace of god and yefte of the holy ghoste the whiche yeue vs grace to be fedde of hym here in our lyuyng that we maye haue the blysse that neuer shall haue ende ameÌ„ ¶ In die sancte trinitatis GOod men and wymmen this daye is an hyghe and a soleÌ„pne feste in holy chirche For it is of the holy trynyte For as holy chirche atte wytsontyde maketh mencion how the holy goost come to crystis dysciples Now at this tyme is made mencion of all thre persones that is for to say Pater filius et spiritus sanctê° Fader sone and holy ghost thre persones and one god wherfore we ben bouÌ„de to doo al the reuerence and worship that we can or maye to this holy trynyte Also ye shall vnderstond why how And what the cause is that this feste was ordeyned This holy fest was worshyped for the trynyte fyrst fyndyng for heretykis confoundyng and for the Trynyte worshypynge Fyrste it was ordeyned for the fourme of the trynyte fyndyng And a greate clerke Iohan belleth telleth that fourme trinite was in the first man adam oure soâ—â— fader that cometh of theâ—â—he one persone and eue of adam the seconde persone of them bothe cometh the thirde persone as her chylde Thus the trynyte was founde in man wherfore man shold haue mynde to doo worshype to the holy trynyte For holy chirche ordeyned that in weddynge of a man and woman to gyder soo that the masse of the Trynyte is songen And atte his dethe one bell shall be ronge in worshyp of the trynyte wherfore all cristeÌ„ people ben bounde gretly to worshyp the holy trynyte The second cause is the feste is ordeyned in confundynge of heretykes and of lollers for to dystroye them and her false opynyons that they had ayenst the holy trynyte For ryght as heretykis in the begynnynge of the feyth wyth her swete wordes and fals opynyons were aboute to distroye the feyth of the holy trynyte In the same wyse lollers nowe a dayes wyth her false spyce of gyle be aboute also to wythdrawe the people from the trewe byleue and feyth of the holy trynyte the byleue feyth of the holy chirche Popes martirs and confessours to the deth Ryght soo now thyse lollers pursuen men of holy chirche ben aboute in all maner wayes that they can and may fynde to distroye and vndo hâ—m soo that they myghte haue theyr purpose And thus they shew openly that they be not goddis seruauntes For they ben oute of charyte and he that is oute of charyte is ferre from god But he that suffreth trybulacyon persecucion and disease for the loue of al myghty god And preyeth for his â—es and mysdoers And wylle doo noo vengeaunce but put all in god almyghty and quyte hem ful well in euerlastynge blysse For oure Lorde sayth thus Michi vindictam et ego retribuam Put all thynge to me and I shal quyte euery man after his deseruynge for though god suffre holy chyrche to bee pursued by suche mysse and proude he uerys at the laste he ordeyneth suche a remedy that holy chirche is holpen and her enmyes confounded and shamed Thus it happed on a tyme wyth themperour of rome that hyght Attylya â–ª he was made by heretikes as Iohan bellet telleth the whiche emperour pursued cristen peple sore and hated hem and holy chirche gretly wherfor he made to brenne all the bokes that myght be founde of crysten feyth But as almyghty god wolde â–ª there was a good holy man and that was a grete clerke and the clerke was called Alpunous that in mayntenynge of the feyth off holy chirche he made the story of the trinyte â–ª and the story all soo of saynt steuen and brought it vnto the pope for to haue hem songen and rede in holy chirche But by counseyll of that greâ— clerke they toke the story of saynt steuen and lefte the story of the holy trynyte tyll the tyme that saynt Gregory was pope thenne for to preue hem and doo hem shame that ben suche mysbyleuyng people and wold not byleue in the trynyte but made after her reason many heretykes and in consyderacion ¶ of hem ¶ Saynt Gregory the pope ordeyned this feste to be halowed and this story to be songe and redde in holy chirche in worship of the Trynite wyth all cristen people The thirde cause is for the hyghe trynyte worshypynge and for all crysten men shold knowe howe in what maner they shold byleue in the trynyte for as holy chirche techeth he that byleueth in the trynyte shall be saued and they that done not shall bee dampned ¶ Thenne it is full expedyent and nedefull to all crysten people to knowe how they shold lyue ye shal vnderstonde that parfyt loue to god is the byleue For he that byleueth parfitly maketh noo questions Fides non habet meritum vbi humana racio pâ—ebet experimentum ¶ Feyth hath noo mede ne meryte where mannys wytte yeueth experience Thenne it is good for all crysten peple to make loue to be medyatoure to the holy ghoste prayng hym to lyghten vs wythin our soules that we may haue grace to come to his parfyte byleue Therfore this daye was set next wytsondaye hopynge that the holy ghoste wyll be redy to all