sacramentall wordes he sawe a goodly childe more whyte then the snowe with a crowne of golde that with mylde countenaunce touched his face and hedde whiche oft kyssed hym and blessyd hym and soo he vanysshed awaye leuynge nothynge but the hoste he neuer after Remembred that vysyon but he wept for Ioy After fro more streyght lyfe he entered into Relygyon of Cisteur at wardonÌ„ after he was made Abbot at Mailrose By his mocyon his kynnesman Symond made the Monasterye of Seynt Andrews in Northampton the NoÌ„nery without the towne and saltery Abbey Thre gestes came to hym whiche he receyued mekely wassynge theyr handes and fete and sodeynly one of theym was gone and in the nyght folowynge an Aungell appered to one of the Brethene and sayd he was the geste that the day byfore went sodeynly fro them addyng therto that he was appoynted by our lorde to be keper of that place sayd the almes and prayers of theyr Abbot dayly ascended byfore our lorde lyke swete encense he sawe in vysyon the thre kynges do theyr offrynge how our lorde was scourged dispysed crowned with the crowne of thorne crucifyed and suffred deth and how water and blod came out of his syde and how he rose fro deth leuynge the kepers as deed and after went into heuyn On a tyme when the deuyll appered to hym he toke the Sacrament and badde hym cursed wretche se his Iugge that shulde sende hym into helle And thenne he myght abyde noo lenger but vanysshed awaye He refused to be Bysshop he multyplyed corne and brede that seruyd moch people and helyd a man of the dropesye he went to heuyn the thride nonas of August In the yere of our lorde god a Thousande a hondred thre score after he appered to a broder that by temptacoÌ„n of the Deuyll preferred the lawe of the Iewes byfore the cristen lawe And also sayd there was no lyf but this and he shewid hym in vysyon 〈…〉 hell and heuyn and then whenne he came to hymselfe agayne he forsoke all his errours and lyued a good lyfe and conuerted many people and byfore his deth sawe our lorde with his bodely lyen ¶ De sancto Walstano Confessore SEynt WalstanÌ„ was borne in the Southe parte of Englande in a towne called Bauburgh and was of the kynges blode And whenne he was aboute the Age of .xii. yeres by Inspyracyon of the holy Ghost he forsoke all his Enherytaunce and his Countree and went into the Northe partes and put hym selfe in seruyce to a man in the towne of Tauerham He was a great gyuer of almes in so moche that he gaue nat oonly his owne mete to poore men but also on a tyme he gaue his shone to a poore man went hym selfe barefote And whenne his dame perceyued it she feyned that she hadde great nede to haue thornes caused hym to go to the wodde to fet theym home and by the goodnes of oure Lorde the thornes were to hym lyke rose flowers hurtynge hym no thynge And whenne his dame knewe that she cryed hym mercy and he anone forgaue her His mayster seynge the sygnes that he dyd loued hym moche and wolde haue made hym his heyre whiche he refused and wolde no thynge haue in any wyse but oonly that whiche one of his Mâ—ysters keen hadde in her bely at that tyme and she had aâ—â—er two Calues whiche his mayster gaue hym with good wyll and as he was after mowynge in a medowe with one of his felowes an auÌ„gell appered to hym and shewyd hym that the thirde daye folowynge he shulde departe this world wherfore he was howseled and toke all the sacramentê of the Churche and at the sayd daye he toke his mayster and dyuerse other honest ê‘sones with hym and went to the sayd medowe and there he wylled that when he was deed his body shuld be put in to a carte and his two oxen to be put in it and to be suffred to go with it where they wold without any leder and there as they taryed he to be buryed he had graunted of our lorde that what laborer that called vnto hym for helpe of his desease or for his bestes that he shuld be herde and so he departed out of this worlde the thirde Kalend of Iune in the yere of our lorde a thousande and syxtene And when he was leyde in a Carte the sayd two Oxen brought hym to Bauburgh and by the way they went ouer a water the wheles of the carte dyd nat synke into the water and in thre places where they rested sprange vp thre fayre welles he lyeth in Bauburgh where a Churche is halowed in the honoure of his name and there our lorde hath shewyd for hym many great myracles as well vpon men as vpon brute bestes De sancta Wenefreda virgine martyre A Man of great vertues called Bennow came to the fader of seynt Wenefrede desyred of hym a grounde wherin he myght make a churche to serue almyghty god therin he gladly assented and assygned a place vnto hym also coÌ„mytted his oonly begoten doughter called Wenefrede to hym to enforme and she herynge his prechynge and Doctryne purposed secretly her herte to forsake all the plesures of the worlde and to kepe virgynyte whiche purpose she durste nat shewe to her fader and moder but to her mayster he shewyd it to theym wherwith they were ryght well contented and after it happened that when her fader and moder on a Sonday were at Churche Cradoke sone to kynge Algare founde her alone in her faders house and promysed to her great gyftes to assent vnto hym and she sodeynly astonyed dissembled with hym and sayd that she was sory that she was so euyll appareylled and prayed hym that she myght go into her Chamber to apparell her more honestly and when she came into the Chambre she ranne pryuely towarde the churche and when he ê‘ceyued that iÌ„ great angre he folowed and when he had ouer taken her on a hylle and she wolde in no wyse assent to hym he strake of her hedde and there as the hedde fell anone sprange a fayre welle and the stones therof haue redde spottes lyke blode to this day the hedde ran downe into the Churche there as they were at seruyce wherat all the people were meruaylously astonyed and her fader and moder made great Lamentacyon wherupon her mayster takyng the hed went to the place where her body lay where was yet the kynges sone dryinge his swerde and when he had reproued hym for his wycked dede and he had no repentauÌ„ce therfore sodeynly he dyed and it was nat knowen where his body became and then her mayster leyde the hedde to the body and shewyd the people how she had aduowyd to be a Nonne and therupon he made his prayer anone she rose vp as she had ben a slepe nothynge apperyng of the cuttynge but oonly a lytell whyte cercle aboute her necke and the people nat
they toke with them interpretours out of Fraunce and they landyd in the I le of Tannet and Ethelbertus was then kynge in Kent and he had maryed a Lady of the Kynges blode of Fraunce which was Cristened And wheÌ„ they shuld mete the Kynge they brought before them a Crosse and an Image of our Lord And when seynt Augustyne had made a loÌ„ge sermon to the Kynge of the power of our lorde of his passyon and resurreccyon of the entent of theyr coÌ„mynge that it was to haue hym forsake Idollys and beleue in our lorde and so to come to an euerlastinge kyngedom the Kynge fayde bycause they were come fro farre countres to shewe hym that they thought was best he wolde receyue theym fauorably and mynystre to theym suche as they neded but as to chauÌ„ge his beleue that his auncestoures had so longe kepte he wolde take respyte therein and so he appoynted theym a lodgynge in CauÌ„terburye and gaue theym lycence to conuerte as many as they coulde and after the Kynge seynge theyr blessyd lyfe Myracles that they dyd was conuerted And seynt Augustyne was made archebusshope of Caunterbury of the Busshope of Arelatense and anone seynt Augustyne sent to rome to seynt Gregory certayn interrogacions wherto seynt gregory answered at great leÌ„gth as iÌ„ the LegeÌ„de apperyth also seynt Gregory wrote dyuers goodly Epystles to the Kynge ethelbert to the quene to seynt Augustynâ— to seynt mellyte amoÌ„ge other thynges he dispraysyth moche the vse in some contreys that women do not norysshe theyr owne Chyldren and exorteth theym to do it and seynt Augustyne with the helpe of the kynge Ethelberte had a great metynge with the Busshopes and clergye of Wales to refourme the tyme of kepynge of Estre dyuerse other thynges that they vsed agaynste the good ordre of the Churche and to haâ—e theym charytably by coÌ„mon assent mynystre the worde of god to the people and they Refused and whenne Seynt Augustyne hadde helyd a blynde Man in prouynge that theyr Tradycyons were not good yet they toke loÌ„ger respyte to a nother day at that day they retourned wtout makynge accorde by cause seynt Augustyne rose not to them when they came which they Iudged to be of pryde and many of the famous monasterye of BaÌ„gor wherin were .xxi. hundred Monkys were there at that day wherfore moch parte of theÌ„ were after destroyed by Ethelfrydus kynge of Northamhumbre a pagaÌ„ bycause it was shewyd hym they came to praye for a Kynge that was his enemy And seynt Augustyne went to yorke on foote to Preche there he helyd oon of the Palsey and there he cristened aboue .x. thousande people And as he went fro theÌ„s he helyd a lepoure at Cerne in dorset shyre our Lorde apperyd to hym And famylierly spake to hym and conforted hym and sayde he was with hym in all that he dyd and in the place where our Lorde stode he sette his staffe and there sprange vppe a fayre Welle whenne he was at Cumpton in oxforde shyre it was shewyd hym that the lord there wolde not pay his tythes after as he was goynge to masse he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that no man accursed shulde abyde within the Churche And anon a deed Body arose and went into the Churcheyarde and seynt Agustyne went to hym and askyd what he was he sayde he was somtyme Lorde of that maner and because he wolde not pay his tythes he was Accursyd by the Curat and so he Dyed And anon the curat by commaundement of seynt Augustyne rose and there assoyled hym so they fell agayne to Asshes when he that denyed payment of his tythes had seen this he fell downe to the foot of seynt Augustyne and confessyd his offeÌ„ce euer after was discyple to seynt Augustyne he went alwayes on foot somtyme barefoot and with longe knelynge he had great calles on his knees and in his tyme kynge Ethelberte made seynt poules Churche in LoÌ„doÌ„â— he made two Busshoppes oon at London anoder at Rochester he went out of this world the .vii. kalendas of Iune lyeth at CauÌ„terbury he was translatyd in the yere of our Lorde god a. M. lxxxxi the thyrde day before the natyuyte of our Lady ¶ De sancto Bartholomeo monacho SEynt bartylmew was borne in the prouynce of whithe and in his youth he sawe with his bodelye eye our Lady seynt Peter seynt IohnÌ„ euaÌ„gelyst our Lady with a plesaunte countenauÌ„ce bad hym kys the steppes of her sone and aske of hym mercy and wheÌ„ he lay ê“strate and cryed thryse haue mercy on me our Lorde answeryd I haue mercy on the and for euer shall haue mercy on the and after he entred into relygyon at Duresme And as he knelyd before the crucyfyx he sawe in spyryte the crucyfyxe bowe downe to hym and take hym in his armes kysse hym And he lyued in grete humilite obedyence suche werkes of god as other Bretherne dyd forgette or coulde not doo he wolde perfourme for he wolde sey that oon Brother shuld euer helpe fourthe a nother And after by monycyon of Seynt Cuthberte he wente to the I le of Pharnense for that place he sayde was ordeynyd for hym of God and there he lyuyd a Strayghte and Blessyd lyfe many yerys And a lyfe of great exauÌ„ple in his dyet Fastynge Prayenge and in his apparell And he was of suche reuerence and goodly demeanoure that Ryche proude men were aferde to appere afore hym And at his desyre wolde â—ote tymes cease fro hurtyng of poure men And he was full of Charyte to syke men poure men alwaye couÌ„ceylyd theym to lede theyr lyfe in Pacyence the Deuyll hadde great malyce to hym apperyd to hym somtyme lyke a Lyon lyke a Bulle or lyke an Ape and ones he laye so heuy vppon hym and helde his Throte so harde that he had well nere fayled vnder hym and as he cryed oure Lady helpe he was delyuered And he was wonte to saye that the wycked spyryt was but frayle and lyke Smoke and soon wolde be ouercoÌ„me And on a nyghte he sawe seynt Cuthbert come vysybly to the Aulter and make hym redye to saye Masse And he helpyd hym to Masse to the ende And the I le of Pharnense is full of Byrdys that be callyd seynt Cuthbertys Byrdys And one of theym hadde loste her Byrde in a Rocke and she came and pullyd seynt bartylmewe by the Skyrte and ledde hym to the place And soo he toke out the Byrde and anone they wente into the water and he knewe the tyme of his Deth .ix. yere before he Dyed And he dyed on mydsomerday lyeth in the I le of Pharnense c. ¶ De sancto Benedicto cognomento Biscop SEynt benet Byscop was of noble Blode of Englonde and hadde great possessyons geuyn hym by Kynge oswy which he refused and entred into Relygyon in the I le of lyxmense and whenne he had ben there .ii.
of god our Lorde crist Ihesu And a merueylous ston fell into his mouthe And as seynt Egbyne helde our Lorde in his armys he lokyd vp and sawe beuyn open and a crosse apperyd vppon the hed of our lorde and Aūgellys came to mete hym And so he assendyd seyinge vnto theym bycause ye haue not refusyd me in my trouble I shall not refuse you in the kyngedom of heuyn And so he was receyuyd into heuyn and seynt winwalogus arettyd it to the merytys of seynt Egbyn for his great obedyence And seynt Egbyn referryd it to seynt wynwalogus for his order of presthode And after seynt Egbyn went into Irlonde and there made a Churche helyd a lame man reysyd a Chylde fro deth and when he was nyghe foure score yere olde thre he yeldyd his spirit to our lorde the .xiiii. kalendas of Nouember ¶ De sancto Egwino ep̄o confessore SEynt egwyn was of the Kyngys blood of marsshes lyuyd a Relygyous lyfe at worcestre leuynge all pleasure of Tēporall thyngys He toke order of Presthod gaue hym all to lyue a cōtēplatyf lyfe by holle assent of the Kynge ethel drede of his people he was made busshop of worcestre after that he vsyd moche p̄chynge here prouyd the people of theyr vnlaw full matrymony And other synnys soo terryble that of malyce they rose agaynste hym with feyned tales putte hym out of his see And complaynyd of hym not only to the kynge but also to the 〈◊〉 And so he disposyd hym selfe to goo to Rome And thoughe he knewe he had not offendyd the worlde yet for offencys doon to almyghty god he fetteryd his Leggys to geder and lokkyd the fetters and threwe the key into the ryuer of auyn And soo he wente feterd to Rome there as he was prayenge in seynt peters Church he sent his seruauntys to bye mete And the key was founde in a fysshes bely that his seruātys had bought And so he vnfetteryd hym selfe And that Myracle fyllyd all Rome moche people cam to se hym and to haue his blessynge And the 〈◊〉 herynge of his great laboryouse Iourney and of the sayd myracle sent for hym And had hym in great famylyaryte a herynge the cause of his commynge he sent hym Downe ageyne to his see And the kynge herynge his myracles and vertues was very gladde and restoryd hym agayne to his see And gaue hym a grounde wherin he foundyd the abbey of Euyshame And he buyldyd it in a place there as our Ladye apperyd to hym and also to a shepherde and for foundacyon therof he went agayne with off a Kynge of est Englonde and with kenred kynge of Marshes to rome And had great auctoryte fro the 〈◊〉 for the foūdaciō therof he alway were the heer and say often in asshes and were a gyrdell with knottys next his bare skyn and with drewe his mynde holly fro the worlde worldly thynges And gaue hym to contemplacyon redynges fastynges and vigyllys and especyally to prechynge and when he had ben longe syke And alwayes thankyd our Lorde therof He callyd his bretherne to hym shewyd theym the very perfyght way of good lyuynge and exortyd them to beware that the worlde deceyuyd theym not so full of good werkys he lefte this present lyfe aboute the yere of oure Lorde seuyn C. .xx. the thyrde kalendas of Ianuary And he lyeth at euesham our lorde hath shewyd for hym many myracles bothe in his lyfe and after his deth ¶ De sancta Elfleda virgine abbatissa SEynt Elfied was borne in Englond And when her moder was with chylde with her she sawe ī her slepe a thynge lyke a shynynge beame of lyghtenynge descend vppon her Hedde And it taryed there a longe tyme And whē she was borne the more she grew in age the more she wantyd the Ambycyousnes of all flesshelye pleasures And after her faders deth her moder by her faders wyll gaue his mansyon that he dwellyd in callyd clare to the monasterye of Romsey and after her moder toke a noder husbonde And then as is ofte seen in suche case enfled lakkyd oftymes that that she nedyd wher fore Kynge Edgare remembrynge the good seruyce of her fader put her to the monastery of Romsey vnder the Abbesse merwenne she louyd her as her owne doughter And broughte her vppe in all vertue And on a tyme her candell fell oute and the fyngers of her ryght hande gaue lyght to all that were aboute her when she was therfore the more honouryd of her systers she studyed to be therfore the more Meke obedyent And after when she was made abbesse no man can tell the almes that she gaue nor the prayers wepyngys that she vsyd aswell for her selfe as for the people on a tyme when she was with the quene she went in the nyghtys into the water was there in prayer And on a nyghte the quene seynge her goo furthe suspectyd it had ben for incontinence and folowyd whē she sawe her goo into the water sodēly she was astonyed went in maner oute of her mynde turnyd in agayne cryenge coulde take no reste tyll seynt Elfled prayed for her seyinge lorde forgyue her this offēse for she wiste not what she dyd And soo she was made hoole whē she was reprouyd as a waster of the goodys of the monasterye certeyn money that she had geuyn in almys by hyr prayer was put into the Baggys agayne when she had lyuyd many yerys in good lyfe she went to our lorde the fourth kalendas of Nouember aboute the yere of our Lourde .ix. C. and .lix. ¶ De sancto Elpheger archiep̄o martyre SEynt elphege was borne in Englōde and in his youthe he was so apte to lernynge of cōnynge vertue that his fader moder marueylyd at his capacyte let hym to scole and after his Faders deth he forsoke his enherytaūce and his moder that louyd hym tenderly he lefte And enteryd into relygyon at deherst and he prophyted to all men that he colde And those that he coulde not prophet to he studyed that he hurtyd theym not and after he cam to bathe where he lyuyd a merueylous lyfe of penaunce And there a great cōpany of Monkys anon resortyd vnto hym And when there was great varyaunce bytwyrte the clerkys and monkys for eleccyon of the busshope at wynchester seynt Andrew apperyd to seynt Dunstane and bad hym chose Elphegus And soo he was electyd And after when seynt Dunstane knewe he shulde dye he prayed to our lorde that Elphegus myght be his successour at caūterbury And so he was at this tyme Danys moche oppressyd this Realme And this blessyd man wolde preche to them the worde of god wolde redeme theym that were in captyuyte and fede theym that were oppressyd with hunger And after when the Cytie of Caunterbury was destroyed by Danys thrughe coūsell
yeres he wente to Rome and came agayne with Seynt Theodre whenne he came into Englonde and broughte with hym many Relykys And after he made two Monasteryes one of Seynt Peter and anoder of Seynt Paule where venerable bede was broughte vppe And he was Mayster to venerable Bede and fyue tymes he was at Rome and alwey retournyd with moche Rycheses of heuenly thynges and he studyed alway to prophyt theym that were vnder hym both in werke exaumple And he yeldyd vp his spyryt to our Lorde the day before the Idus of Ianuary the yere of our Lorde seuyn hundred and thre ¶ De venerabili Bede pÌ„sbitero UEnerable bede was borne in Gyrwence a lytle fro the ryuer of Tyne And he was brought vpe vnder seynt Benet Busshope in the monasteryes that the sayde seynt Benet made by the Ryuers of Tyn and were And after he had attayned great cuÌ„nynge in lyberall scyence he gaue hym to study of scrypture And he lernyd Greke and Latten tonge of the discyples of seynt Theodre and seynt Adryan And as he encreasyd in coÌ„nynge and wisdome he encreasyd also iÌ„ the drede of our Lorde And amonge .vi. C. Bretherne that were in bothe monasteryes what so euer any of theym had in vertue it was hoole in this blessyd man in the .ix. yere of his age he toke Dekon and at Thyrty prechyd of seynt IohnÌ„ of beuerlay and all that tyme he gaue study to Rulys of his Relygyon and to Scripture and was alway Redynge Wrytynge or Techynge And many came to hym to be assoylyd of doughtys in Scrypture And those that myght not come sent to hym by Wrytynge And his fame was spronge soo farre that it came to Rome And the 〈◊〉 wrote to his Abbotte coylfryde to sende hym to Rome to assoyle certeyn doughtis there in Scripture but whether he went or not it was not expÌ„ssyd And .vii. wekes before his deth he had great desease in his stomake and drewe his breth thycke notwithstoÌ„dynge he lost not his study And all that tyme besyde his duty he sayde dayly certeyne deuocyons And he askyd of our Lorde that he that had geuyn hym grace to haâ—â— cunnynge vnderstondynge of his wordys that he wolde geue hym grace to come to the euerlastynge welle of cuÌ„nynge in heuyn And thanne he teurned to his bretherne and sayd to them that he couetyd to be dissoluyd to be with our Lorde And prayed them if he had any thynge laboured for them or prophytyd in any maner to that churche of god that they wolde therfore haue hym in remembrauÌ„ce in theyr prayers and lyuynge vppon heere with hooll mynde mery Countenaunce he made a specyall Prayer to the holy Goost And as he sayd Gloria patry Filio et spiritui sancto with the namynge of the holy Goost he yeldyd vp his spyryt the .vii. kalendas of Iune with so swete a Sauoure that all that were presente thoughte they had byn in paradyce And lyeth nowe with the Bodye of Seynt Cuthbert And in the legende appere two causes why he was callyd venerable Bede not seynt Bede that for shortnes be here omytted And some men adde therto a nother cause that his omâ—lyes were of such Auctoryte that they were redde in his lyfe And then he was callyd venerable Bede And not seynt Bede for it hadde not ben coÌ„uenyent And so that name that he had geuyn hym in his lyffe coÌ„tynued after his deth c. ¶ De sancto Benygno epÌ„o confessore AFter seynt Benygne had ben many yerys a Busshope in Irlande he was warnyd by an Aungell that he shuld leue his owne CouÌ„trey And lyue in Deserte and soo he lefte Irlonde and came to Glastonbury And there he founde seynt Patryke he bad hym goo forthe and set his staffe in the grounde and if it were the place that was appoyntyd for hym by oure Lorde it shulde growe And soo he went fourthe with one Chylde and came into the I le of Ferramoure And there he sette his staffe in the GrouÌ„de which grewe and bare leuys And that place lackyd water And as the chylde was fettynge water farre of and slepte by the way the deuyll stale away his vessell Wherfore when he awoke he was very heuy And chargyd hym that had takyn it awaye in the name of god whom his Mayster benygne dyd worshyppe that he shuld brynge it agayne And theÌ„ the Deuyll had no power to kepe it ony loÌ„ger but brought it agayne And when his Mayster harde therof he prayde hertely to our Lord and an Aungell apperyd to hym and bad hym sende his Chylde into the Eest parte of his Celle and byd hym sette his staffe in the grownde and he shulde haue water and soo he dyd and hadde Water in suche habundaunce that a Ryuer is rysen therof where was none before And he mette with the Deuyll on a Brydge and askyd hym what he dyd there And he sayde he came to deceyue hym and he toke hym with his staffe all to bete hym and after he threwe hym into a depe Pytte where to this Daye no man dare come for it is sayd it hath no bottom he shewyd the Bretherne the very houre of his deth and in theyr handys lyftynge vp his eyen into Heuyn he yeldyd his sowlle to our Lorde the thyrde nonas of Nouembre And in the yere of our Lorde a thousande foure score aleuyn his body was takyn vppe borne to the Churche of Glastonbury And the Abbot with one of his Bones blessyd the people and dyuerse of theym were helyd of theyr diseases De sancto Bernaco abbate confessore SEynt bernake was of noble Blode fro his you the kepte the commaundementys of God And had great Ryches whiche he forsoke and wente to Rome and there by his Prayer he dystroyed a cruell Monstre that had dystroyed moche people And when he began to be moche magnyfyed of the people he withdrewe hymselfe pryuely and came to lytle Brytayne and there dyd many myracles and eftsones eschewynge the prayse of the worlde he came alone to the Seesyde and when he founde no Shyppe redy he coÌ„mytted hymselfe to our Lorde and vpon a stone he came ouer the See in to Northwales and there he droue away wicked spryrytys fro a place that he enhabyted in the whiche afore his tyme was inhabytable And he punysshed his Body with great fastynge ofte vigyllys and sharpe Clothes And that he kepte fro hym selfe he gaue to poure men He made somtyme Hartys to drawe in the chare And a wulfe to kepe his Cowe And on a tyme when his Cowe was taken away by the kynges commaundement the water that she shuld haue ben soden in wolde in no wyse be hoote wherfore the kynge came to hym on his bare feet And asked forgeuenes And he forgaue hym and afore them all reysyd the Cowe agayne And for the Kynges souper of water he made wyne and of stonys Fysshe And in
kyllyd with Wolfes which he accompted to be his defaute wherfore he dyd great penauÌ„ce many yerys and the Deuylle temptyd hym to make of stone Brede and to the contrary he made of Brede a stone that yet remaynyth at Bertesmesley and after he wente with seynt Guthlake fro kependon to Croulande there he lyuyd with hym many yerys in great penaunce doynge And when seynt Guthlake was goon oute of this transytorye Lyfe And seynt Bertelyn hadde seen hym Buryed he retourned agayne to his Fader And he gaue hym the grouÌ„de where staff is now Buyldyd theÌ„ beynge growen with Busshes breerys to lyue therin a solytary Lyfe but his fader knewe not that it was his sone And after his faders deth a Kynge that enteryd the Realme by myght wolde haue takyn the grounde fro hym vnder coloure of lawe and offerde to ioyne batayle therfore And by an Aungell that was his champyon he defendyd it and after that the Kynge and all the people louyd hym as theyr owne Father And he aduoydynge teÌ„porall honoure Lefte that place and Lyued in Deserte placys in prayers vygyll endyd this Lyfe the .v. Ious of September And at Stafforde our Lorde hathe she â—â—yd for this holy man many great Myracles De sancto Cadoco epÌ„o SEynt cadoke was sone to Kynge guÌ„dlens and before his byrthe there were seen in the Chaumber where is moder was .iiii. LauÌ„pes at .iiii. corners of the Chaumber with a great lyghte And when he was borne an AuÌ„gell bad the Kynge take a holy Eremyte which on the morowe shulde come vnto hym to crysten his sone And the same Nyght of his Byrthe all the Cellers were founde full of Oyle and Hony And when he came to age in vyle habyt he vsyd to be at the Church And at nyghte he toke a lytell Brede and Water and all that he had he gaue to poure men And when he was desyryd to play he wolde go to the Churche and pray cryenge out of the blyndenesse of man that euer couetyd traÌ„sitorye thynges and forsoke thynges euerlastynge seyinge that when the dredefull day of our Lord shall come laughynge shall be tournyd into waylynge and waylynge into Ioye This blessyd man was a man of great perfeccyon And had synguler gracys of oure Lorde as in his Lyfe apperyth which be here omyttyd he was thryse at Iherusalem and .vii. tymes at Rome And by the gyfte of our Lorde he spake in dyuerse langages And by his prayer a Quene that was Barayne conceyuyd had a sone that after was his successoure by his prayers a great Derkenes fell aboute a Kynge that wolde haue dystroyed his Countrey so that the Kynge myght se nothynge And when the Kynge repentyd hym the lyghte came agayne He conuertyd moche people in Scotlande there reryd a gyant that had ben many yerys deed was in Hell His monastery was in wales .iii. myle fro conbrydge and as he was comynge fro seynt myghellys mouÌ„te in Cornewalle and was very drye he strake his staffe in the grouÌ„de a fayre watersprange vp therby is a Churche buyldyd in honoure of his name after by the porueyaunce of god he was made Abbot of beneuen tane beyonde yâ— see he was sodeynly had thyder by auÌ„gels and there he was namyd sophye And after he was made Busshope there And as he was seyinge masse he was stryken to the deth by company of a Tyraunt that came to destroye the Cyte and he had grauntyd to hym of our Lord that who so euerbeynge in trouble callyd to hym for helpe our Lorde shuld delyuer hym And soo he yeldyd his spirit to our Lord the .ix. kaleÌ„das of February ¶ De sancto Carodoco SEynt carodoke was borne in wales and in his youth he went to Lernynge after he was in seruyce with the Prynce of south wales there he had the kepynge of two Greyhoundes for Lesynge of them the kynge thret hym with great Punysshement of deth And then Carodokesayde he wolde serue a Mayster that wolde geue a better rewarde to his sernauntys And so he went to Landanense and there he toke orders and after went to seynt Dauythys and there he toke order of preesthod and encreacyd fro vertue to vertue the Deuyll on a tyme apperyd to hym vysybly in lykenes of a man he knew hym feryd hym nothynge the deuyll offeryd hym his seruyce And he sayde he wolde none of his seruyce And after he was in the prouynce of Rosence at the Monastery of seynt Ismaell there the see by his prayers went fro the Monasterye a great space and he knewe by reuelacyon as he was at masse the certeyne daye of his Deth he dyed of the Ares in the yere of oure Lord a. M.a. C. .xxiiii. is buryed at seynt Dauythis many yerys after his body was founde vncorrupte And when a monke of malmesbury of deuocyon wolde haue cut of oon of his fyngers for a Relyke He closyd his hande and drewe it awaye wherfore the Monke ferynge askyd mekely forgyuenesse ¶ De sancto carantoco SEynt carantoke was sone to Kynge keredicus And when the people wolde haue made hym kynge he fled awaye rather folowynge the wyll of God theÌ„ the fauoure of the people a whyte doue wente before hym to a place where he made a Churche after he went into Irlande for loue of seynt Patryke about .xxx. yere before seynt Dauyd was Borne and he dyd many Myracles And wyther soo euer he went an Aungell in lykenes of a doue accompanyed hym and Daylye and nyghtlye he sayde Innumerable of prayers And when he hadde conuertyd moche people in Irlande he came agayne into his owne countrey at Keretyca And there our Lorde gaue hym an Aulter that no man coulde tell of what Coloure it was and he put it into Seuerne and badde it goo before hym thyder as oure Lorde wolde he shuld fynde it And after at the desyre of Kynge arthour he kyllyd a Serpent And the Kynge of his Aulter wold haue made a table and what so euer he set appon it was caste a way and then it was caste into the see And there as it came vppe the Kynge gaue hym the twelfyth parte of the grounde and there he made a Churche and after by monycyon of an Aungell he went agayne into Irlande And there in great Age full of good werkys he went out of this worlde the .xvii. kalendas of Iune and is Buryed in a Cytie callyd chernac ¶ De sancto cedd episcopo confessore SEynt Cedd and thre other Prestys were sente by Oswy kynge of Northamhumbre with peada Kynge of mydle Englonde which hadde marryed his Doughter to Instructe hym and his people in the feythe And the sayde peada was Crystenyd before by the Busshope fynanus And there seynt Cedd with his companye conuertyd moche people to the Faythe after he was takyn fro thens by kynge Oswy And was sent to Sabertus Kynge of
Deth And foure hundred and .xxi. yere after his departynge out of this worlde his Body was translatyd to Glastonbury as in the latter ende of seynt Patryckys lyfe apperyth ¶ De sancto decimiano heremyta martyre SEynt Decymyan otherwyse callyd Dekeman was borne in the west parte of Walys and when he was paste yerys of Chyldhode he suffred not his mynde to be vagarant But kepte it vnder discyplyne And when his felowes wolde goo on huÌ„tynge he wolde goo to the Churche and pray he sette not his pryncypall intent to great connynge but to good Lyfe and contemplacyon and after for that he moughte the more quyetly serue our Lorde he thoughte to leue his Countrey And soo he dyd and whenne he came to Seuerne he had no Shyppe to goo ouer And vppon a borden of Roddys that he made he came ouer into Englonde nygh to the Castell of Dorochester where was thenne a great wyldernes and there he lyuyd with Herbys Rootys with Fastyngys and Prayer and vsyd the heer And the lesse that he was vysytyd with men the more he was visyted with Aungellys a cursyd man for enuy that he had to his holy Lyfe stroke of his hed and he toke vp his heed bare it to a well that he was wonte to wasshe his Heed in and there he was fouÌ„de and was buryed honorably ¶ De sancto Deusdedit archiepÌ„o SEynt deusdedyt was of the Countrey of Westsaxones in Englonde His very name was Frythona but for his great merytys the people chauÌ„ged his name and caullyd hym Deusdedith that is god sent hym And after the Deth of the Archebusshope honoryus he was made archebusshope of CauÌ„terbury And he was a Louer of vertues a destroyer of vyces a dylygent sower of the worde of god And was busy in prayers fastyngys and in gyuynge of Almes And with grete studye laboured for the people coÌ„mytted to hym And after that he had takyn the Ordre of preesthode he had alwayes his mynde fyxyd to our Lorde and refresshyd poure men Clothed the nakyd vysytyd the syke had perseueraunt Loue to god and to his neyghboure and was full of the spyryt of wysdome and mekenes and that that seynt Augustyne seynt Laurence seynt Mellytus iustus Honoryus succedynge one after a nother had begon this Blessyd man by Prechynge Admonysshynge correccyoÌ„ hygh charyte more fully stablysshed and wheÌ„ he had brought all thyngys to good ordre in the yere of our Lorde god syx huÌ„dryd .lxiiii. in the Idus of Iuly he went to our lorde And lyeth at CauÌ„terbury ¶ De sancto Dubry con epÌ„o confessore THe moder of seynt Dubryce had no Husbonde wherfore her Fader whiche was a Kynge in Wales perceyuynge her to be with Chylde in great woodnes caste her into the water in a vessell of glasse and as ofte as she was caste in she was brought agayne safe to Londe And thenne her Fader caste her into a great Fyre and in the mornynge whenne they thoughte she had ben all to brent they founde her safe and her sone newe borne in hir armys and not one heer of hyr hurte And the Kynge herynge therof sent for theym And as he kyssyd the Chylde the Chylde with his Hande touchyd the kynges Face anon he was made hooll of a grete desease that he had in his Mouthe when he was set to lernynge he prophytyd so moche therin in good maners that men of great cuÌ„nynge came to here hym amoÌ„ge whom was seynt Thelyans Sampson Aidanus many other and after the Kynge made hym Archebusshope of the Cytie of Legyons And in the yere of oure Lord .v. C. .xii. he went out of this worlde and now he lyeth at Landanense in his Legende be dyuerse goodly thynges of Kynge arthur of Stonthynges and of dyuerse Myracles here omyttyd ¶ Descâ—oÌ„ Dunstano archiepÌ„o SEynt dunstane was borne of noble blode of Englonde of the countrey of westsaxons in the tyme of Kynge Ethelstane in the whiche tyme the lyfe of obedyence was lytell desyred And the name of an Abbotskaresly knowen seynt Aldelme archebusshop of cauÌ„terbury vncle to seynt Dunstane commyttyd hym to the kynge Athelstone of whom he was moche cherysshyd somtyme he vsyd Prayers some tyme Iudged causys of the people And so he vsyd hym selfe that he dipleased no man that lyuyd well As he was makynge avestemeÌ„t for a preest his harpe without touchynge sownyd the antiphone gaudent in Celis And though all the company thought it was by veyll coÌ„nynge yet he toke it for a warnynge that it was the wyll of our lord that he shulde lyue a harder lyfe And after certeyn malycyous persones by entysement of the Deuyll persuadyd the kynge to beleue that DuÌ„stan dyd nothynge by the helpe of god But by wichecrafte so he lefte the courte and went to his vncle elphegus Busshope of wynchester there he toke order of preesthode was made Monke at glastonbury and there as he was workynge in a forge the deuyll apperyd to hym lyke a woman to tempte hym And he by spyryt knowynge who it was toke hym by the nose with his hote Tongys so sore that he cryed out so terrybly that it feryd all the InhabytauÌ„tys in the towne The deuyll had great enuy to hym because of his blessyd lyfe and he had suche especyall grace that he knewe euer in Spyryte the leest thynge that the enemy dyd And euer he had the victorye And he lyuyd .vii. Kynges dayes Athelstan Edeâ— Edred Edwyn Edgare Edwarde the martyr Ethel drede his Broder he was in suche fauoure with Edrede that he preferryd hym aboue all Men in soo moche that there was nothynge doon in the Realme without hym he dyd Iustyce and equyte in all the Realme And after the deth of Edred he reprouyd Edwyn of his abhomynable auoultre wherwith the Kynge toke displeasure and banysshyd hym the Realme and so he taryed in Flaunders all the dayes of Edwyn and there he lyuyd a blessyd Lyfe in the Monasterye of Gandanense And after the deth of Kynge Edwyn kynge Edgare brought hym agayne with great honoure And after the deth of Odo archebusshope of CauÌ„terbury elsynus which longe had labouryd for it by corrupcyon of money was made Archebusshope wherefore as he was goynge towarde â—ome he dyed of Colde in the snowe And shortly after seynt DuÌ„stane was electyd archebushope And he fet his pall at rome and the fyrste daye that he came home and was howselynge the people sodeynly a Clowde came ouer the Churche and a whyte Doue was seen descende vppon hym And after on a tyme he came to Kynge Edgare reprouyd hym for kepynge of a Nonne And when the Kynge wolde haue had hym syt downe by hym he sayd he wolde not be freÌ„de with hym to whom our Lord was Enemy And the Kynge herynge that was aferde And anon knowlegyd his offence and askyd penaunce forgyuenesse And seynt Dunstane gaue hym
Barkynge and another But she sent spirituell moders for her to euery place and taryed her selfe in obedyeÌ„ce vnder her moder and seynt Edyth vsed alway whatso euer she dyd to make a Crosse â—her forhede and seynt DuÌ„stane wheÌ„ he came to halow a Church of seynâ—nys that she had buyldyd seynge her soo ofte make Crosses in her forhed prayde our lord that that thumbe shuld neuer rotte that made so many Crosses And at the masse he had knowlege geuyn to hym by our Lorde when she shulde dye And he sayde the wretchyd worlde was not worthy to haue such a lyghte And he was present at her deth which was the .xvi. kalendas of october aboute the yere of our Lorde .ix. C. fourscore .iiii. And she lyeth aâ— wyltone in the Church of seynt Denys that she had made .xiii. yere after her deê‘tynge she apperyd to Seynt Dunstan and tolde hym it was the wyll of oure Lorde that her Bodye shulde be translatyd And it was truthe and no illusion She tolde hym that he shulde fynde all her Bodye vncorrupte as it was vncorrupte fro Lybydiousnes Glotony And that her Feet Ieu Haudys which in her youthe she had mysusyd were corrupte excepte her thumbe that she had vsyd to Crosse her with he founde all as she sayde A monke of Glastonbury boldly cut of a pece of her Cote And it happenyd to touche her Body and the Blood folowed as if she had ben alyue And anâ—n he fell prostrate and wepte for his offence and when he râ—se agayne the blod was goâ—n ¶ De sancto Edmundo epÌ„o confessâ—â—â— SEynt edmonde was borne iÌ„ abyugdâ—â—â—n seynt Edmondys day the kynge and martyr And after hym he was callyd Edmonde hys Fader enteryd into relygyon And his moder lyuyd a blessyd lyfe â—he were the here a haberieouvppon it And she taught her sone to kepe vyrgynâ—te and to were the heer and eâ—ery holyday or he eâ—e he sayd the hooll â—auythâ—is Psalter And especyally he auowyd hymselfe to oure Ladye he vsyd to Faste euery Frydaye Brede and Water And he was so broughte vp in vertue that iÌ„ maner naturally he forsoke all euyll our Lorde apperyd to hym lyke a chyld And iesus nazarenus rex iudeoruÌ„ was Wrytten in his forhed And after that tyme he toke in vse euery oure to remember sumwhat of the Passyon as he was studyinge arythmetryke his moder then latlye deed apperyd to hym and made in her ryght hand .iii. serklys And wrote in theym the Fader the sone and the holy goost and bad hym fro thens forthe take hede of tho fygures The herys of his hed and berde for great abstyneÌ„ce went away he wolde hexe no Seculercausys He wolde make couenaunte with his seruauntys that they shulde be â—lene of theyr Bodyes or departe his seruyce he had such honoure to holy scrypture that he neuer openyd the Byble but be kyssyd it his olde herys if they were leyde in the Fyre wolde not burne As he studyed in the nyght his candell fell vppon his byble and it burned not And he was electyd Busshope of Caunterbury or he were ware And he sayd but that he dred that he shulde haue dyspleasyd almyghtye god if he had refusyd he wolde neuer haue assâ—tyd he was all tymes redye to forgeue them that had offendyd hym And to take theym agayne into famylyaryte And some aboute hym sayde he gaue therbye occasyon to the people to offende hym And he sayde our Lord dyd not resyâ—â—e And seyde that the punysshement of offensys is to be referryd to hym and not to be doon by maÌ„ This blessyd man had great trouble dyspleasure for the lybertyes of the Churche wherfore he toke counceyle of other prelatys what was to be doon therin And it was thought that he shuld admonysshe the Kynge and other offenders to ceasâ— And so he dyd and the Kynge toke a day of aduysement And at that day no amendement was had and yet pacyently he taryed many dayes And wheÌ„ he sawe there was noon admendement he gaue sentence into other offenders And sparyd the Kynge And when he sawe that yet they were not compuÌ„â—te he thought better to geue place to theyr malyce then to do the streyghtnes of the lawe specyally seynge the 〈◊〉 legate was then in Englonde and myght percase haue adnullyd all that he had doon wherfore he weÌ„t ouer the see to poÌ„tiniacum And there he fell syke And so he wente to fasyacum And promysyd to be there agayne at pontiniacum in the feest of seynt Edmonde Kynge martyr And so he was to be buryed and there he lyeth And at his departynge he had suche great honour and feruour to the sacrament of the aulter that it may be exauÌ„ple to other men At his toumbe Blynde men haue recoueryd theyr syghte Lame men theyr goinge dome men theyr speche deffe men theyr herynge Men obsessyd of deuyllys haue ben delyueryd And deed men haue ben reysyd fro Deth to Lyfe And in the yere of our lorde god a Thousande two hundred and fyftye the monkes at pontynyacense cut of his Arme for what concyderacyon it is not knowen and after the Myracles cessyd ¶ De sancto Edmundo rege et martite SEynt edmonde was borne in saxony And was sone to the kynge Alcmunde whiche was of kynne to offa kynge of eest Englonde And as kynge Offa hauynge no chyldren was goynge to Iherusalem he went by kynge alkmuÌ„de And there seynt EdmoÌ„de gaue hym suche dylygent attendaunce that he lykyd hym moche And when he departyd he shewyd to EdmoÌ„de a Rynge and bad hym if he sent to hym by the tokyn the he anon shulde execute that he desyryd And when Kynge Offa at the arme offeynt George fell syke to the deth he delyueryd the Rynge to his seruauntys and bounde theym by an othe that they shulde delyuer it to Edmonde And take hym with theym And make hym kynge of â—est Englonde and so they dyd And anone he was humble benygne to his subiettys goynge in the veray ryght way of a Kynge And was a fader to wydowes and orphanes And to all men that were deâ—tytute a specyall reâ—uge and helpe And after in the tyme of the persecucyon of the danes for that he wolde not forsake the fayth of our Lorde he was taken by the Danes hunguar and hubba and was bounde to a stocke and shot with arrowes so that he was lyke to an Irchyn And when they sawe that in all that marterdome he cryed vppon our Lord they stroke of his hedde and hyd it in a wood And when the warre was sumwhat appesyd crysten men sought the hedde in the wood And asoon of them cryed to anoder where arte thou the hed answeryd thryse here here here and so it was founde And a great Wolfe kepte it bytwyxte his Leggys And so it was takyn vp and leyde to the Body And was buryed honorably And after when his Body was remouyd he was founde vncorrupte
greatly wherfore he meltyd away lyke waxe and the kynge herynge therof was angry and wolde haue kylled seint Iltute wherfore he flede and hydde hymselfe a yere in a Caue where euery daye he had brought to hym of the prouysyon of our Lorde a barly lofe and a pece of flesshe Theuys that on a nyght stale his hogges in the mornynge came agayne to the gates of the Monasterye when they wolde nat yet beware but stele agayne the nexte nyght they were tourned into stones that be there to this day In the ende of his lyfe he went into lytell Brytayne And there he dyed the .viii. I de of Nouembre and lyeth at Dolence ¶ De sancto Indracto sociis eius martiribus SEynt Indracte martyr was a kynges sone borne in Irlande and he with .ix. Felawes and his suster Domynyke went into Brytayne and there they made an Oratorye and lyued a strayght lyfe in the seruyce of god many yeres he had a water with certayne Fysshes therin and thoughe one were taken dayly the nombre mynysshed nat tyll one of his felawes stale one of theym and then they mynysshed and heseyng that thought it was nat the wyll of god that he shuld tarye any lenger there and so with his .ix. felawes he went to Rome and after retourned to Glastonburye to worshyp seynt Patryke for in tho dayes Irysshe men came moche to Glastonburye for loue of seynt Patryke as he wolde haue retourned into his countre he with his companâ—â—â—â—ere martyred at Shapwyke in theyr beddes by mynysters of â—ue Kynge of Westsaxons that thought that they had hadde moche Riches the kynge as he rose in the nyght thre nyghtes togyder sawe a clere shynynge beame ouer the place were they were hydde in a depe dyke and so they were Founde and conueyed honorably to Glastonbury and they that martyred theim were taken with deuylles so wodely that they ete their owne flesshe a woman that byfore that tyme by no maner of prechynge wolde be conuerted when she sawe the beame that the kynge sawe vpon the blessyd sayntê she was conuertyd foure score ê‘sons were also conuerted by the reporte that she made of that that she had seen ¶ De sancto IoheÌ„ Beuerlaco EpÌ„o confessore SSeynt IohnÌ„ of Beuerley was borne in EnglaÌ„de in his yonge Age he was coÌ„mytted to seynt The oder Archebysshop of Caunterbury to instruct he enformed hym in holy scripture and when he was well instructed he prechyd in the countre in small vyllages to the people and when Cata the bysshop dyed he was made bysshop gaue ordre of presthode to venerable Bede he vsed euery Lent to prouyde some pore impotent persone that he myght do charyte vpon one that was so ê“uyded whiche was mute fro his natiuyte he helyd also with his blessynge he helyd a Nonne that with lettyng of blode in vncoÌ„uenyent tyme was at the poynt of deth after the deth of Bosa Archebysshop of yorke he was electetd thyther and when he came to great age he lefte his Bysshopryche and went to his Monasterye at Beuerley there he lyued a blessyd solytarie lyfe he dyed in the yere of our lord .vii. C. .xxi. in the Nonas of Maii for whom our lorde hath she wyd many great myracles he helyd two blynde children two women that were contracte in the yere of o r lord M.CCC .xii. oyle came out of his tumbe tyll thre of the cloke of the next day that helyd many blynde men kyng EthelstanÌ„ prayed vnto seiÌ„t IohnÌ„ that by his prayer some euydeÌ„t tokeÌ„ myght apê‘e that of right ScotlaÌ„de shuld be subiect to Englande therupon with his swerde he strake vpon a rocke of stone by DuÌ„barre in scotland it waxed holowe with the stroke an Elne depe which coÌ„tyenuyth to this day as he was praying this lyf in yâ— porch of seiÌ„t Michellê of york the holy gost apperid to hyÌ„ iÌ„ lykenes of a Doue more bryght then the sonne beame and when the people in the Churche meruayled at the lyght one of the dekons went to the porche sawe the bysshop there in prayer and with the hete of the holy ghost his face was stryken so that the skyn shranke togyther and then seynt IohnÌ„ handeled his cheke and made it hole and bad hym kepe that vysyon secret ¶ De sancto Ithamar EpÌ„o et confessore SEynt Ithamar was of the countre of Kent was bysshop of Rochester and as Bede wytnessyth he succedyd to seynt Paulyn and was in vertuous lyfe and cuÌ„nynge lyke to his predecessour and after his deê‘tynge out of this world almyghty god shewyd for hym many myracles dyuers that were vexed with the Axes that had sore iyen by his prayers were made hole A childe that with great feblenes was become dombe deffe at the tumbe of seynt Ithamar receyued ê‘fyte helth and he lyeth at Rochester he helyd a bysshop of Rochester of a great desease that he had in his iyen therfore in the fourth Ide of Iune he remouyd his Relykes and put theym in a newe cheste at that day his seruyce is kept in remembrauÌ„ce of that myracle and of other that our lorde shewyd for hym ¶ De sancto Iuone EpÌ„o confessore SEynt yue was a Kynges sone borne in the Cytie of Fryane in ê‘syde and there he was made bysshop after he was made Archebysshop of Asitanda where he was dylygent for the helth of the people to hym coÌ„mytted tyl for the synnes of the people there fell suche a derth that the Father ete the sone the moder the doughter the prelatê theyr subgettes wherfore seynt yue with .xi. felowes relygyous went to Rome and by councell of the Pope they seuered in to dyuerse couÌ„tres seynt Iue with Sythyo his neuewe and Inthyo his kynnesman aboute the yere of our lorde six hondred came into Brytayne now called Englande into a towne called Slepe thre myle fro HuÌ„tyngdonÌ„ there ended his lyfe seruynge almyghty god in fastynge and prayer and other good werkes and lay vnknowen many yeres vnto his tumbe was fouÌ„de by a husbondman with his plough And then he by reuelacion shewyd to a smythe who he was and what was his name wherupon he was translated to Ramsey as he appoynted to be the yere of our lorde a thousande one in the .viii. kalend of Maii and the .iiii. I de of Iune his translacion was coÌ„secrate coÌ„maunded to be halowed out of his tumbe spryngyth fayre water that hath gyuen helth to manâ— people A childe toke of the water to seth mete it wold in no wyse be made hote though it had great plente of fyre o r lord hath shewid for hym many myracles ¶ De sancto ywyo confessore SEynt ywyo was of noble blode of the Brytons was brought vp in the I le of Lyndefernens and was disciple to seynt Cuthbert In his youth he toke orders or his fader or moder were ware and
there he had auctoryte to preche and was made Busshope after he retournyd to wyrtzburgh where he connertyd the duke and all the countrey to the feythe And when he had lernyd that the Duke had maryed his broders wyfe yet neuerthelesse for a tyme he forbere and wolde not speke to the duke therof leste it shuld haue made trouble at his newe conuersyon but when he sawe he was strengthnyd in the feythe he admonysshed hym therof Streyghtlye wherfore the quene when the Kynge was goon to batell martyryd seynt Kylyan all his cōpanye and buryed them with all theyr Bokys in a pryuy place made a stable ouer theym that they shulde neuer be founde And when the kynge came home she tolde hym that they were goon on pylgrymage the cursyd men that put them to deth fell madde and cryed Kylyan kyllyan why doest thou so burne vs And not longe after the quene was takyn with a Deuyll she sayde she was worthy to haue tourmētys for she tourmentyd the ryght wyse men and furthwyth she dyed a Preest herde Chylderne saye seynt Kylyan doth many signes he muste be takyn vp for he lyeth not in a cōuenyent place And when he toke no hede to theyr sayinge the nexte nyghte he was stryken blynde and he harde a voyce saye to hym without thou beleue thou shalt not see And then he sought for them and when he came to the place where they were he sent for the Archebusshope of Magunce and tolde hym where they lay And then he had his syght ageyne ¶ De sanctis Keneburga Regina abbatissa desctis Kineswida Tibba virginibus SEynt kyneburgh kyneswyda were doughters to kynge penda a cruell pagan that was Kynge of Marshes And neuerthelesse his Doughters were crystenyd Kyneburgh was maryed and notwithstondynge by assent of her Husbonde she enteryd into relygyon so leuynge carnall Chylderne she had in shorte tyme many spyrytuell Chylderne she made a Monasterye callyd dormuncastre not far fro the Ryuer callyd venwhere she was made abbesse And with what dylygens she norysshed the sowlys to her cōmyttyd And how wakerye she was to kepe the cōmaūdemētis of our lord to kepe her holy porpose ī Relygion no tonge can tell seynt Kyneswyda lyuyd in virgynyte And after the Deth of seynt Kyneburgh off a Kynge of cest saxons wolde haue had kyneswyda to his wyfe whiche he attemptyd not only with feyre Speche but also with thretes And bycause she wolde not assent all her Frendys were agaynste her wherfore she prayed dylygentlye to oure Ladye for helpe and our Ladye apperyd to her comfortyd her and sayd ther was nothynge better for her than to kepe her Immaculate as she was borne nothynge more noble thē to take her sone to be her spouse more over she bade her not to fere for she sayde she wolde praye for her and therupon seynt Kyneswyda takynge boldenes sent worde to the Kynge that in no wyse she wolde assent And there upon the Kynge consyderynge her blessyd lyfe and seynge that he all his Rychesse were despysyd of a yonge mayde lefte the worlde went to Rome there he enteryd into Relygyon Seynt Tybba that was kynneswoman to seynt Kyneburgh and kyneswyda lyued many yerys a blessyd solytary lyfe And after her deth she apperyd to a holy man on seynt Lucyes daye and tolde hym that on that daye she yeldyd her sowle to heuyn And in the yere of our Lorde a thousande and fyue the relyhys of the fayde blessyd women Kyneburghe Kyneswyda and Tybba were translatyd to Peterburgh and there theyr feest is Halowyd the Daye before the Nonas of Marche ¶ De sancto Lamfranco archiep̄o SEynt lamfranke was borne in the Cytie of papeder and in his youth he forsoke his faders successyon gyuynge hym to studye And when he had atteynyd hygh seculer lernynge he came into Normandye and there he was takyn with theuys and was cobbyd of all that he had wherupon he went to the abbey of Beccense in Normandye as to the porest house he could here of and there he founde the Abbot bakynge of Brede and his handys were myrye to stoppe the Ouen and there he enteryd into Relygyon and lyuyd in profounde humylyte obedyence On a tyme as he redde the lecture the presydent founde a defaute at his redynge bade hym amende it and he redde as he was commaundyd and yet he hadde redde better before but that he dyd to shewe hym selfe obedyent For the euyll maners of the Bretherne he thought to leue the Abbey and lyue in Desert and vsyd vnder coloure of a medesyn to ere Erbys to proue how he myght endure with them And on a nyght a kynnesman of the Abbottys lately decessyd apperyd vnto hym and shewyd hym the purpose of Lanfrāke and tolde the Abbot it was not good for hym that he shulde goo frō hym And when the Abbot with great wepyngys shewyd this to Lamfranke he sawe his coūceyll was dyscoueryd wherfore he thought it was the wyll of god that he shuld tary so he dyd was made pryor there after Abbot of Cadonyence This blessyd man came into Englonde with wyllyam conqueroure and was made Archebusshoppe of Caunterbury dyd many notable thyngys in thys Realme He gaue great Possessyons to the Chyrche of Rochester and restoryd seynt Albons to the fyrste estate As he satte by the Kynge at a solempne feest a Rayler seynge the kynge syt ī gloryouse apparell seyd lo I se god lo I se god And seynt Lamfranke remembrynge the hystorye of Herode aduertysyd the kynge that he shuld not suffer such wordys spokyn to hym that belōgyd only to god but that he shuld commaunde hym that speke them to be betyn so that he shulde neuer after dare speke such wordys and so it was don He was a man of great lyberalyte and as it is sayde gaue yerely in aknes fyue hūdred poūdys And he was a man of a quycke spyryt and recoueryd many thynges that were wrongfully holden fro his Chyrche And oftyn tymes seynt dunstan apperyd vnto hym cōfortyd hym she wynge to hym the crafty purpose of his enemyes He was dyuerse tymes at Rome where he was had in great fauoure of the Pope when it happenyd hym at any tyme to be at beccense he wolde not vse hym selfe but as he had ben pryour he was profounde in humylyte large in almes a great helper of pore men a defender of pupyllys and a comforter of wydowys And with sobernes he refourmyd the Monkys of Caunterbury that had vysd before hys tyme Huntynge Haukynge and such other wanton disportys and in the .xix. yere after he had ben busshope the .v. kalendas of Iune he Dyed and lyeth at Caunterbury in a Chyrche which he in his lyfe buyldyd ¶ De sancto laurencio archiepiscopo SEynt Laurence was archebusshope of Caunterbury next after seynt Augustyne And after seynt Ethelbertys deth the Kynge Ebbalde his
sone fell to Idolatry And also toke his faders wyfe in lykewyse after sabertus Kynge of eest saxons was deed his thre soÌ„nes fell to Idolatry which was great trouble to the feyth so that mellyte Busshope of London and Iustus Busshope of Rochestre were put oute of theyr Busshoprykes which by assent of seynt Laurence went into Fraunce seynt Laurence thought to haue folowyd but that seynt Peter the same nyghte that he wolde haue departyd as he laye in the Chyrche of seynt Petyr and Paule apperyd vnto hym and bette hym with roddys bycause he wolde forsake the flocke of god which he had takyn the charge of admonescyd hym that for the people of our Lorde he shulde tary vnto the Deth lyke as he dyd And so he went to the Kynge Edbalde and shewyd hym how he was betyn of whom for what cause And so the Kynge receyuyd the feythe And also lefte his aduoultrye And after seynt Laurence conuertyd moch people in ScotlaÌ„de to the Feythe and in the way thyther warde he went ouer the see drye fote And a holy Busshope of Irlande came thyder to hym herynge his Oppynyon of the kepynge of Eester confermyd hym therto and taught his people to folowe the same And after he retournyd into Englonde and reysyd a Chylde where he was lodged fro deth to lyfe And in the yere of our Lord god .vi. hundred and .xix. the thyrde nonas of Februarye he lefte this worlde is buryed by seynt Augustyne ¶ De sancto Lethardo epÌ„o confessore SEynt letharde was assygnyd to come with the Quene Berta when she shuld be maryed to kynge Ethelberte yet beynge a Paynym to be her leder doeter and preseruator in Uertue and to defende her fro the Idolatrye then vsyd in Englonde where he suffred great opprobryes and laughyngys to skorne in doynge the seruyce of god which he vsyd to doo in an olde Chyrche of seynt martyn nygh to CauÌ„terbury in which Chyrche the quene and her seruauntys that were crystenyd vsyd to here dyuyne seruyce At the toumbe of seynt Letharde a blynde mayde receyuyd her syght as a man that with the palsey was lame fro the myddle downe warde was prayinge for helthe at his tumbe he apperyd sayd the people in theyr sykenesse pray with grete deuocyon for helth but when they be hoole they forgette the benefaytys of god And anon be vnkynde and turne ageyn to synne And when the sykeman faythfully promysyd to amende seynt Letharde sayd of the oon legge thou shalt be hoole that thou mayste knowe the goodnes of god the other shal be as it was that thou waxe not vnkynde and so it was doon This blessyd man was the precoursoure of seynt Augustyne and made the waye redye for hym to the bryngynge in of the feythe wherfore he is right moch to be had in honoure by Englysshemen ¶ De sancto Macuto epÌ„o confessore SEynt machute was borne in great Brytayne on Eester euyn in a noble Monastery in the vale of nantcarwan where his moder came to kepe vygyllys And he was baptyzyd by seynt Brendan that was Abbot of the sayd monasterye .xxxiii. men Chyldren were borne the same nyght of womeÌ„ that came to bere his moder coÌ„pany and fro his youth he was vertuous when his felowys were quakynge for colde he swette leyde a wey his Clothys which was of a brennynge Charyte that was in hym On a tyme the see flowyd there as he laye slepte and the grouÌ„de where he laye rose lyke an I le and so he was sauyd Seynt Brendan seynge that the holy gost was with hym aduysyd hym to be preest and he sayde he was not worthy to take that offyce neuerthelesse after he assentyd And when he was made preest a whyte Doue was seen descende vppon his shoulder He saylyd moche with seynt brendane in his Iourneys and in his company with the sygne of the Crosse he droue away a serpent that hadde kyllyd .iii. Chylderne In lytell Brytayne he was made Busshope of alethys And when he shulde be consecrate at turone a whyte doue was seen descende vppon his necke as he helde downe his hedde to bencdyccyon he vsyd gret watchynges fastynges prayers And when he rode by the waye eyther he talkyd of god or prayde there was no tyme but he Prophytyd to other or to hymselfe He vsyd euer a sharpe Heer vppon hym and was a grete precher to the people he went to Rome with seuyn dyscyples and chylderne that he fouÌ„de there to be solde he bought theÌ„ cristenyd theÌ„ In the waye homewarde as he was iÌ„ great perell of the see seynt peter apperyd to hym sauyd hym all his coÌ„pany when he was Cxxxiii yere olde he dyed the .xvii. kalendas of december was honorably buryed at perdma where all his Relykys lye excepte his hed and his ryght hand which lye at alethys He helyd oon that was deffe dome and lame He reysyd a chylde that was drownyd And by his prayers blynde woman recoueryd her syght For the wretchydnes of the people he cursyd them and went into Andygauya was there .vii. yerys durynge whych tyme was great drynes and derth in lytell Brytayne And when he was desyred to come agayne to blesse the people as soone as he came the rayne fell and great plenty folowed in all the countre ¶ De sancto Maglorio EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Maglorye bysshop was borne in great brytayne he was Felowe to seynt Sampson was his successoure by an Aungell he was admonysshed to leue his bysshopryke and to lyue a solytary lyfe and so he dyd he helyd an Erle that was lepre wherfore he gaue hym the one halfe of a Certeyne grounde to the whiche grounde incoÌ„tynent came many byrdes with great plente of fysshes therfore the Erle by counsell of his wyfe toke that grouÌ„de from hym and gaue hym the other half and then the byrdes and fysshes came thyder and left the other And then the Erle perceyuyng that he had done amysse gaue to seynt Maglorye the hole grounde and then the byrdê and fysshes came indifferently to bothe ê‘tes He was a clene virgyne and lyued with barley brede and lekes Euery wednysday and fryday he fasted and punysshe his body with the heer he neuer dranke wyne ne syder somtyme when the bretherne were aslepe he wolde go pryuely to the seesyde there wake in prayers On eester euyn as he watched in the Churche an Anugel appered to hym and shewed hym that his tyme drewe nere to go out of this worlde and heferynge it had ben an Illusion made instauÌ„te prayer and when the Aungell had thryse affermed the same he receyued of the Aungell the blessyd Sacramente and after that tyme if there were nat the greatter lettynge he vsyd euer to saye this verse Unam pecii a dnÌ„o hanc requiraÌ„ vt inhabiteÌ„ in domo dnÌ„i c. And he went to our lorde the
Ethelbert and of kynge Sabert theyr children whiche were Idolatrours wold haue ben houseled as they saw other were but they wolde nat be Cristened and bycause seynt Mellite wold nat housell them they banysshed hym out of the Countre and so he and seynt Iustus went into Fraunce but shortly after the sayd Idolatrours were slayne iÌ„ batayle Mellite and Iustus came agayne and after the deth of seynt Laurence Mellite was made Archebysshoppe of Caunterbury He had the gowte and after his deth he helyd a woman of the gowte By his prayer moche parte of the Cytie of Caunterburye was sauyd fro fyre He dyed the eyght Kalend of Maii in the yere of our lorde god six hondred and .xxiii. he lyeth on the right hande of seynt Augustyne and for this blessyd man our Lorde hath shewyd many myracles ¶ De sancto Melone Episcopo IN the tyme of Ualerian the Emperour Mello then beynge a Paynyme was sent out of great Brytayne to Rome to paye the trybute and as he harde Pope Stephan preche he was conuerted and gaue all that he hadde to pore folkes after he receyued of the Pope ordre of presthode and vsed moche fastynges and vigylles and as he was sayinge masse the Pope and he sawe an Aungell on the ryght hande of the Aulter that when masse was done gaue hym a bysshoppes staffe and sayd vnto hym with this staffe thou shalt rule the people of rethomagense in the ê‘ties of Nestrie and so hauynge the popes blessynge he toke his Iourney in the way at Antisioder holdynge the sayd staffe in his hande he helyd a man that had his fote cutte in two partes with an axe and whenne he came to Rothomagense faythfully fulfyllynge that he was appoyntyd to and full of vertues and myracles he went to our lord and lyeth at Rothomagense ¶ De sancto Melore martyre MElianus duke of Cornewayle fader to seynt Melorie was kylled by his owne broder called Rynoldus whiche toke vpon hym the Dukedome then he toke Melorie with hym into Cornewayle beynge of the age of .vii. yeres and thought to kylle hym there and there he was desyred by the people that he shuld nat kyll hym but that he shuld stryke of his ryght hande his lefte fote and lette hym go and so it was done Thenne he had a haÌ„de and fote made for hym of syluer was put to a Monasterye in Cornewayle where he encresyng in all vertue lernyd scriptur to his age of .xiiii. yerê the hande wold open shyte as it had ben of flesshe bone aft Cerialtanus that had the rule of hym at the desyre of the Duke cutte of his hedde in the Kalend of Octobre And as his sone was berynge of the hedde to Rynold by the waye he fell downe of a walle and brake his necke And thenne his Fader toke the hede to bere it to the Duke and by the way whenne he was nyghe deed for drynes the hedde badde hym sette his staffe in the grounde and there he shuld fynde a welle and so he dyd and the staffe waxed in to a tree and a fayre welle sprange at the rote thereof And natwithstandynge whenne he hadde refresshed hymselfe he bare the hedde furth and the Duke receyued it gladly and bad hym go to a hylle there bye all that he sawe he wolde gyue hym for his rewarde and whenne he came thy der he was stryken blynde and forthwith dyed and his flesshe melted awaye lyke waxe at the fyre The body of seynt Melorye was .iii. tymes buryed euery tyme it was founde agayne aboue the grounde wherfore by a hole counsell he was layde in a wayne and .ii. wylde bulles were put in it they stode styll with it in a place that the people lyked nat And whenne the people assayed to remoue it and coulde nat they buryed it there honorably The hedde was brought to Rynolde and whenne he had towched it the thyrde daye after he dyed and thenne it was buryed by the bysshoppes and the Clergye with the body and nowe his relykes be at Malmesbury ¶ De sancta Milburga virgine Bynge Ethelbert that was Conuerted by seynt Augustyne was great graunt Fader to Dompneua that was moder to seynt Milburgh and she was doughter to Merwalde Kynge of Mersshes the whiche with the sayd Dompneua his wyfe in the latter ende of theyr dayes by assent lyued Chaste and seynt Milburghe entered into Relygyon and in a Monasterye that she founded in the I le of Thannet she was moder and maystres to many virgyns She gaderyd in lykewyse many susters in a Monasterye that she founded called Wenloke The pleasures of the worlde a mortall spouse and carnall Children were vyle in her syght a kynges zone thought by vyolence to take her to marye her wherfore she knowyng his commynge fledde ouer a ryuer and whenne she was paste the ryuer rose sodeynly and stopped his passage By her prayer geese that destroyed her corne wente a waye without retournynge of theym or of any of that kynde as she waked fro slepe vnaduysedly she caste her vayle fro her and the sonne beame bare it vp so that it came nat to the grounde She reysed a Childe fro deth to lyfe and as she was in her prayers for the childe there was a greatlyght seen aboute herlyke as she hadde ben in the myddes of a fyre She dyed of the Axes and was buryed in her Monasterye In the Legende is a goodly Pedegre fro kynge Ethelbert to this gloryous virgyne and to dyuerse other And also a goodly storye howe the sayd kynge Merwalde her Fader was coÌ„uerted by Edfrede a holy preest and also a goodly vysyon that he had afore his conuersyon ¶ De sancta Mildreda virgine et Abbatissa SEynt Mildrede was suster to seynt Milburghe and her moder sent her ouer the see to a place called Calum in her seculer habyte to lerne where in shorte tyme she ouer passed all her felowes in mekenes and vertues a yonge man of noble blode and of kyn to the Abbesse laboured to haue her in maryage and the abbesse was of counsayle with hym and whenne the Abbesse sawe that by fayre meanes she coulde nat opteyne her purpose she threte the virgyne and bet her and when that coulde nat moue her fro virginite The abbesse in a woodnes put her in a hote brennynge ouyn and shet the mouthe and whenne they thought that she had ben burned flesshe and bone she was founde all hole vntouched of fyre as her mynde was vntouched of flesshely pleasure yet this ceased nat the malyce of the Abbesse but she bette her pulled her by the heer and trede vpon her and alwaye the virgyne coÌ„mytted her virginite to our Lorde After she sent worde to her moder how she was entreated and she sent for her and the virgyne hauynge none other shyfte went pryuely to the see the Abbesse herynge therof sent company to brynge her agayne and the shyp that stode
¶ De sancto Sampsone epÌ„o confessore SEynt sampsone was borne in great Brytayne our Lord shewyd in vysyon to his moder callyd anne whiche was bareyne that lyuyd with her HusboÌ„de a blessyd Lyfe in fastyngys prayers that she shuld haue a sone whom she shuld call SaÌ„pson that shulde be great with our lorde worthye to haue order of preesthod when he was .vii. yerys olde he was commyttyd to seynt Iltut and he sayde he shuld be a great Busshope profyte moche in the chyrche of god and when he toke dekon preesthod and also when he was made busshope a whyte doue was seen descende vppon hym the hyer degre that he toke the streyghter lyfe he ledde iÌ„ all his lyfe he neuer ete flesshe the celerer that was neuew to seynt Iltute which was desyrous to be Abbot aftre his vncle feryd that seynt saÌ„psone shuld haue it wherfore he put a great poyson into his chales he blessyd it dranke it without hurte as the Celerer abydynge in his malyce shulde be houselyd by seynt Sapsone on a sonday the Deuyll enteryd into hym vexyd hym sore by seynt sampsone he was delyueryd with water and oyle that he blessyd and gaue hym by the Daye he labouryd and prayed And on the nyghte he redde scripture vsyd medytacyon and when he toke slepe he lenyd to some wall and neuer slept iÌ„ bedde His fader was syke and sayd he shulde neuer be hole nor receyue the sacrameÌ„tys tyll he sawe his son sampson and though he was ryght lothe to goo yet by counsell of seynt Iltute he went vnto hym which was moche gladde of his coÌ„mynge and confessyd hym to hym of a great hed synne that he had longe kept close after both he his wyfe with all theyr chylderne betoke them to the seruyce of god With the sygne of the crosse he kyllyd a great serpent after the sayde Celerer compleynyd that he had wasted the Houy and when the busshope Dubryee thought to proue it Sampson made the sygne of the Crosse ouer the vessellys and anon all the vessellys whiche he hadde afore geuyn in almes were fyllyd agayne full of Hony after he was Abbot thre yerys Then he wente into Scotlande where he dyd many great Myracles and instructyd the people and when he came whome dubrycyus by commaundement of an Aungell made hym Busshope so he went into lytyll brytayne where he fouÌ„de a man at the seesyde lokynge for oon that as it was shewyd hym by our Lorde shulde come fro be yonde the see that shuld hele his wyfe that was a lepoure and his Doughter that was vexyd with a Deuyll and soo he helyd theym bothe And there the quene had great malyce vnto hym and gaue hym Puyson And after that turnyd a wylde Lyon to hym and he escapyd both and by his worde the Lyon dyed and the Quene seynge that Myracle askyd hym forgyuenes euery Lent he wolde be in some secret place fro recourse of people He departyd fro this Lyfe the fyth kalendas of Auguste And lyeth at the Monasterye of dolo which he had foundyd in lytle Brytayne as he had doon dyuerse other Monasteryes This blessyd man had suche grace that euer as he was at masse he had Aungells to assyste hym and to mynystre to hym in the sacryfyce ¶ De sancta Sexburga regina abbatissa SEynt Sexburghe was Doughter to Anna kynge of eest Englonde And she was maryed to ercombertus kynge of Kent and hadde Issue Egbertus and Lotharyus whiche were after Kyngys and two doughters Ermenylde and ErkeÌ„gode she was in that hyghe degre meke and poore in spyryte she ruled her Ryches it rulyd not her she was good to them in hygh degre and also in lowe degre Seldome it was that she was seen amonge the people often in the Churche she enducyd her Husbonde to destroye all Idollys that were in his Realme And crystendome was brought in thrughe all the Realme and at her desyre he made dyuerse Monasteryes She taughte her Chyldrenne dylygentlye to drede God and to kepe his commaundemeÌ„tys And when the Kynge was dede she enteryd into Relygyon at Ely vnder her suster etheldrede whiche lyuyd there a Blessyd lyfe iÌ„ great Fastynges watchyngys laboure And in great mekenes she folowyd the example of her suster where after her deth she was made abbesse and then she was moche dylygent by cause she knewe she had more cure and charge then she had before and she endyd this present lyfe the daye before the Nonas of Iulii aboute the yere of our Lorde .vi. C. and .xl. and was buryed by her Suster ¶ De sancto Swithuno epÌ„o confessore SEynt Swythune was borne in the tyme of kynge Egbertus which was the .viii. kynge fro kynge kynegelfe that was coÌ„uertyd by seynt Byrynne and after he had taken ordre of preesthode He endeuouryd hymselfe to preche the worde of god catholycallye and truely to vse werkys of pyte to correcte theym that lyuyd inordynately after the deth of Helynstane whiche was busshope of wynchester he was chosen busshope there And he made Churches of newe and repayryd tho that were decayed and when he went to halowe any churche he went not with great pompe but went on his bare fete To his feestys he callyd not Ryche men but poore men euer he callyd vppon synners to do penauÌ„ce And encouragyd men that lyuyd vertuously to perseuer in vertue he neuer toke a full meale but moderatly for sustenaunce and after longe vygyllys great labourys that he shuld not all fayle he toke a lytyll slepe He made the brydge at the eest ende of Wynchester And as he was lokynge vpoÌ„ the werke a woman came bye with egges in a basket and by the neclygence of the werkemen her Eggys were brokyn wherfore she wepte and made sorowe And the Busshope hauynge pyte with his ryght hande blessyd the basket all the Eggys were hole agayne he was euer busy Psalmes and spirituell melodye and with all dylygence he kept his herte in all clennes and ê‘seuered in kepynge of the coÌ„maudementes of our lorde to his departynge out of this worlde whiche was the syxth nonas of Iulii in the yere of our lorde god D. CCC.lxii And he was translated in the yere of our lorde D. CCCC.lxxi in the Ide of Iulii And the same daye of his translacyon our lorde shewyd for hym many myracles A thilde contracte fro his byrth was helyd There blynde wymmen had their syght The yrons of one in pryson brake and the man was delyuered A man syke of the palsey was helyd and .xxv. other were also made hole of dyuers sykenes ¶ De sancto Thatheo confessore SEynt Thathe was sone to a kynge in Itlande called Thathalius fro his yonge age he kepte hym self vndefowled fro al vyces and when his Fader and moder sawe hym despyse all worldy thynges they set hym to scole
where he profyted so moche in vertue coÌ„nynge that of all the countre yonge folkes came to here his Doctryne and after when his fader was syke and he was called to haue taken the charge of the Realme an Aungell appered to hym and aduertysed hym to kepe his firste purpose and nat to coueyt the desceytfull enheritauÌ„ce of this worlde for he sayd all that we se shall shortly vanysshe away with heuynes and ê‘ell and so on the mornynge with .viii. felowes he went into Wales in a shyp without sayle or ore whenÌ„e they were come ouer as they were restynge theym in a towne therby he sent one to tye the bote that he came iÌ„ where the messenger founde a harte holdynge the rope and sauynge the bote fro drownynge then the harte was ledde to seynt Thathe where by the power of god he lay downe on the grouÌ„de stretched out his hed and made sygnes that he shuld be kylled so he was to make mete for the bretherne After at the desyre of the kynge called Cradoke he gathered many Scolers and made a Churche of the blessyd Trinyte by counseyll of the Bysshop of Landaffe he sette in it .xii. Chanons The kynges seruauÌ„tes with theyr horses destroyed his grounde and sodeynly all the horses dyed when the kynge herde of it he came to hym and cryed hym mercy anone all the horses rose agayne then the kynge seynge the myracle gaue hym all the towne with his owne Palays the seruauntes of kynge Gundlens stale his cowe kylled her and seth her in cawdren the more it seth the rawer it was and seynt Thathe herynge therof folowed and by the way founde the prynt of her fote meruaylously prynted in a stone and so folowed to the kynges Palays whereof malyce and in mockage the euyll seruauntes couered the cawdren and made it lyke a sete that when he had syt downe theron he shuld haue ben skalded and it was to hym when he satte downe harde sure the kyng heryng therof kneled downe and asked hym mercy and then he made the flesshe bones to be layde in the skynne and the Cowe anone rose vp afore theym all and seynt Cadoke sone to the kynge seyng that myracle became his disciple and after many vertuous werkes vigylles and abstynence he yelded his soule too o r Lorde the seuynth Kalend of Ianuarii lyeth in his Monasterye ¶ De sancto Theliao EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Thelianus fro his youth vsed vigylles and prayers gaue all that he had to pore men he made hym self lene that he myghte make other fatte and he was enformed in scripture of seynt Dubryce And after went to a wyse maÌ„ called PaulynÌ„ where he accompanyed with seynt Dauid in suche affeccoÌ„n that there was bytwyxt theym but one wyll when wodde lacked at the Monastery seynt Thelians lefte his stody and went to the wodde where two hartes offered theyr neckes to the yoke and so they brought home the wodde and seruyd longe after in the Monasterye This blessyd maÌ„ by the monycoÌ„n of an auÌ„gell went with seynt Paterne and seynt Dauid to Iherusalem and there they were .iii. dayes in contemplacion and had forgotten all erthly thynges and after there were thre Cheyres ordeyned for theym and for humylyte seynt Thelians satte downe in the lowest of the thre Cheyres And it was a cheyre that our Lorde hadde sytten in and whenne he knewe that he knelyd downe with great reuerence Then the people desyred hym to preche and so he dydde and the people of straunge tonges vnderstode hym After he was made bysshop and in token of the grace that he had receyued there was gyuen to hym a Cymbale whiche helyd dyuerse men and condempnyd them that were ê‘iuryd vpon it and euery houre it sowned withoute to wchynge tyll wretchyd synners presumptuously towched it and so it loste the vertue This blessyd man as the trumpe of our Lorde perseuerantly by worde and example admonysshed the people to Heuynly thynges and he lefte this worlde the fyfth Idus of Februarii And anone there was gret stryfe for his body bytwyxt .iii. ê‘ties and as the people by comen assent fell to prayer there appered thre bodyes al I lyke and there was no varyaunce in fauoure coloure nor vestymentes and so Landaffe had one of the bodyes another was had a lytell bysyde Caremerthyne the thirde into West wales where it is had in great honour ¶ De sancto Theodero ArchiepÌ„o confessore SEynt Theodre was of the countre of Tarse Celicie and was a man of approued maners instruct aswell in Latyn as Greke tunge and when seynt Adryan of mekenes refused to be Archebysshop of Caunterbury he appoynted for his excuse seint Theodre and the Pope admytted hym with that condycyon that he shuld accompany seynt Theodre into Englande and he assented and when they came into Englande anone seynt Theodre went aboute the countre and taughte the people the trewe way of good lyuynge and the dewe tyme when they shuld kepe theyr Ester And he was the firste Archebysshop to whom the hole Churche of Englande obeyed He with seint Adryan taught the maner of syngynge in all the Churches of Englande that byfore his tyme was oonly vsed in Kent he ordeyned scoles aswel for Latyn as greke tuÌ„ge taught theym Astronomye Arythmetryke and also Dyuynyte many of his Discyples were as experte intho speches as in theyr owne he went aboute the Realme and ordeyned bysshoppes where nede was and correctyd that was nat ê‘fyte when the Errour of Entycetê rose at Constantinople seynt Theodre to kepe the Churche of Englande fro that errour gathered all the people an Clergye togyther with great dilygence and when he founde theym hole stable in the â—ayth for instruction of theym that shuld come after hym he wrote a letter of theyr by leâ—e and sent it to Rome He knewe by reuelacyon how many yeres she shuldelyue he went fro this transitory lyfe to yâ— euerlastyng lyfe the .xiii. kalend of Octobre In the yere of our lord syx hondred foure score and ten and in his tyme the Churche of Englande profyted more spyrytuelly then euer it dyd byfore his dayes ¶ De sancto Thoma EpÌ„o Herfordie SEynt Thamas of Herforde was borne in EnglaÌ„de sone to Wylliam de CaÌ„tslupo in his youth he vsed dayly to say Maâ—â—â— to here masse After he went to stody first at Oxford then to Parees where he was made mayster and after he came agayne to Oxforde where he was made Doctour of lawe and then Chaunceller of the Uniuersite and after agaynst his wyll he was made ChauÌ„celler to kyng Henry the thirde in whiche offyce dayly he encreased in vertue and kept him clene fro all rewardes for pleasure of ryche men or pore he wold nat do agaynst Iustyce and after the deth of the kynge he retourded agayne to Oxforde and there he stodyed Dyuynyte This blessyd man was of
tymes she vysytyd many Seyntys in hyr owne countrey and in other countreys therto adioynynge in Fraunce Italye Spayne Napuls many other placys after hyr sayd holy pylgrymagys she lyuyd the resydue of hir lyfe in the cyty of Rome fyue dayes before that seynt Byrgette shulde passe out of this transytory Lyfe our Lorde apperyd vnto hyr before an Aulter that was in hyr Chaumber and with a mery countenaunce sayde vnto hyr I haue not vysytyd the in this tyme with consolacyons for it was the tyme of thy probacyon Therfore nowe thowe arte prouyd procede and make the redy for the tyme is come that that I promysyd that shal be fulfyllyd that is to saye that before myn Aulter thou shalte be clothyd coÌ„secrate a Nunne from hensforthe thou shalte not onely be reputyd to be my espouse but also thou shalte be reputyd to be moder in watzstenys neuertelesse knowe it for a trouth thou shalte leue thy Body here in Rome vnto the tyme it shall come into the place ordeynyd for it knowe thou for certeyne that men shall come when it shall please me that with all swetnes and Ioye shall receyue the wordys of the Heuenly reuelacyons that I haue shemyd to the and all thynges that I haue sayde to the shal be fulfyllyd And though my grace be withdrawen fro many for theyr vnkyndenes Neuerthelesse other shall come that shall ryse in theyr place whiche shall opteyne my Grace And in the mornynge of the fyfte Daye nowe nexte folowynge after thou haste receyuyd the SacrameÌ„tys of the Chyrche calle to the seuerallye the persones that I haue namyd to the nowe and telle theym what they shall doo and then in theyr Handys thou shalte come into my ioye euerlastynge and thy Bodye shall be caryed to watzstenes And on the sayde fyfte Daye she callyd to hyr all hyr housholde and shewyd theym what they shulde doo and at the laste she gaue a great monycyon to hyr son Byrgerus and to hyr doughter Katheryne chargynge theym that aboue all thynges they shulde perseuer in the drede of god and in the Loue of theyr neyghbourys in good Warkys and theropon she made hyr Confessyon with great dylygens and Deuocyon and receyuynge the blessyd Bodye of oure Lorde was a noylyd And as a Masse was sayde afore hyr and she had honouryd the blessyd Bodye of oure Lorde she lyfte vppe hyr eyen to Heuyn and sayde In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum whiche is to seye Lorde into thy handys I coÌ„myt my spirite And with tho wordys she yeldyd her soule to our Lorde the .xxiii. daye of Iulii the yere of oure Lorde god a thousande thre hundreth .lxxiii. and the yere of hyr age .lxx. And anon a great fame went thrughe all the Cytye of rome of the deth of this gloryous woman and the people came with great deuocyon to se the holy body gloryfyinge and lawdynge almyghty god and in suche greâ—e recourse of the people the Body was caryed to the monastery of seynt Laurence as it was shewyd by hyr selfe that it shuld be for the great prese of the people it coulde not conuenyently be buryed vnto the seconde daye and before she was buryed a woman callyd Agnes de coÌ„tess a dwellynge in the Cytye of Rome whiche fro hyr byrthe had a great grosse throte moche foule dyfformyd came with other to the Bodye of seynt Byrgette and with hyr owne Gyrdell she towchyd the hande of this gloryous woman seynt Byrgette with great deuocyon and bounde the same gyrdell abowte her necke and anon aftyr her throte swagyd by the myracle of almyghty god was brought in to the due shappe conformyte Also there was a Nonne of the sayde monastery of seynt LaureÌ„ce which for feblenes and great sykenes that she had in her stomake by the space of .ii. yerys kepte hyr bedde well nere all that tyme and she was moch famylyer with seynt Byrgette in hyr lyfe thys Nonne with great peyn rose fro hyr bedde and with helpe came to the Beer lay by it all the nyght and cessyd not to praye almyghty god that by the merytys and Prayers of his gloryouse spouse seynt Byrgette whose Body was there present that she myghte haue soo moche ease of hyr sayde longe sykenes that she myght with hyr Susters be at deuyne seruyce and that she myghte when nede shulde requyre goo aboute the monastery with oute helpe And in the mornynge she hadde more helth of hyr Bodye thenne she prayed fore And the .xxvi. daye of the sayde moneth of Iulii the Bodye of Seynt Birgette was buryed in the sayde Monasterye of seynt Laurence in a cheste of wode enclosyd in a tombe of marbull and in the space of fyue wekys and a halfe the Flesshe by Myracle was clerely consumyd and goon and nothynge lefte but the clere whyte shynynge Bonys and after the sayde Bonys and Relykes of seynt Birgette were translatyd from Rome to the sayde Monasterye of watzstenes in swecia the fourth nonas of Iulii by the sayde Byrgerus and Katheryne and after this blessyd woman seynt Birgette was canonyzed by pope bonyface of that name the nynth the yere of our Lord god a thousande CCC lxxxxi as in the Bull of hyr canonyzacion apperyth A woman of the dyocesse of LyncopeÌ„ce callyd Elseby Snara with great peyne and sorowe was delyuered of a deed Chylde and when she was after her great peyne come to hyr perfyte remembrauÌ„ce with humble prayer she besoughte almyghtye god that by the merytes of his gloryouse espouse seynt Birgette the Chylde myghte be restoryd to Lyfe and made a vowe that if the Chylde came to lyfe that she wolde vysyte the sepulcre of Seynt Birgette And anon the Infaunâ—â— beganne to waxe hote and to take Brethe and afterwarde it was restoryd to full Lyfe wherfore the Moder with great deuocyon and gladnes fulfyllynge hyr auowe vysytyd the Relykes of Seynt Birgette in the Monasterye of watzstenes aboute the Natyuyte of oure Lorde certeyne persons of gothlande toke the See and with a great Tempeste they were dryuen into a place whiche was moche shalowe of Water and there theyr Shyppe was all to Broysyd and they taryed there a se nyght in great Hunger and Colde and Coulde not remoue theyr Shyppe At the wekys ende for asmoche as they were lyke to haue perysshyd for lacke of SustenauÌ„ce they drewe Cuttes amonge theym whiche of theym shulde be kyllyd and made mete for the other And he vppon whome the Lotte felle with great wepynge commyttyd hym to Seynt Birgette and prayde for helpe promysynge that if he escapyd that Daunger he wolde vysyte hyr at hyr Monasterye of watzstenes And anon by Myracle they fouÌ„de a great peace of Flesshe in the See and when they hadde refresshyd theym selfe therwyth there arose anon suche a great calmenes that in a lytell smalle Bote they came by great longe weyes in the See to londe And as he
suche sobrenes that his seruauntes neuer sawe hym excede in mete or drynke he punysshed his body with vigylles fastyngê pryuely vsed to weer the heere and in the yere of our lorde M.CC.lxxv he was made bysshop of Herforde for defence of the right of his church to his great payne he went to Rome where he was honorably receyued of pope Martyn in retournynge home he deê‘ted out of this world at FlorentynÌ„nygh the hylle of Flascon the .vi. nonas of Octobre in the yere of our lorde god M.CC.lxxxvii and .vi. dayes his body was kept and gaue a swete sauoure and then his flesshe was shauen fro the bones and buryed in the Churche of seynt Seuery there and his bones were brought to Herforde Threscore and ten men haue ben reysed fro deth to lyfe by his meryt â–ª and .xii. blyndemen recouered theyr syght with dyuers other coÌ„tracte mute syke of the palsey that haue ben also made hole ¶ De sancto 〈…〉 THe lyfe and hole proses of this gloryous 〈◊〉 seynt 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 and of his fader moder How his moder beynge a pagan came to London fro fer countres and by the goodnes of our lorde was conuerted to the fayth how 〈…〉 was in fauoure with the kynge and was made his Chaunceller And after Archebysshop of Caunterbury where he lyued a blessyd lyfe in good eâ—ample dedes of charite and how he agreed at Clarendon to certeyn Articles which he after reuoked bycause they were agaynst the lyberte of the Churche and how he was therfore called ê‘iured and of the persecucion that he hadde for the lybertye of the Churche and how al his olde fauoure with the kynge tourned to malyce How he fledde at Northampton and went to Rome where he was as an outlawe .vii. yerê his kynnesfolke banysshed the Realme for his sake all his goodes and possessions seased and his frendes tourned to his enemyes howe he was logged in a place of the Cisteux by the 〈◊〉 assygnement and was put out fro thens for fere leste the kynge wolde haue hurted that Relygion in Englande how he went into Fraunce was there greatly cherysshed how after by the meanes of the kynge of Englande the Frenche kyng tolde hynthe was to wylfull so he knew none other but he shulde be banysshed from thens then the Frenche kynge seyng his constaunce toke hym in more great fauour then he dyd byfore how the Archebysshop of yorke was accursyd for that he toke vpon hym to crowne the kyngê sone where it belonged oonly to the see of Caunterbury whiche was cause of more grugge how he in the ende was 〈…〉 where by whom that the kynge sayd he was nat assentynge to his deth of the great repentaunce that the kynge toke by cause he had so moch attemptyd agaynst hym is so openly knowen to most people that the spekyng of it in this short treatyse shuld but make the story the more darke nat to open as it shuld be wherfore I coÌ„mytte the reder hereof that is disposed to se more of this 〈…〉 to rede his hole LegeÌ„de When 〈…〉 in his lyfe lyued moche prayed at his tumbe for helth had it after his desyre After when he was hole he consyderyd that ê‘case that helthe was nat expedyent to the helth of his soule wherfore he went agayne to his tumbe prayed that if that bodely helth were nat to the helth of his soule that his sykenes shuld co â— agayne so it dyd ¶ De sancto Thoma monacho a gallis occiso WHen Lowys sone to the Frenche kynge at the desyre of dyuers of the noble men of England came with a great hoste into EnglaÌ„de they founde this blessydmaÌ„ seynt Thomas at douersyttyng alone in the dormytorie a maÌ„ of a venerable age meke sobre fro his you the brought vp iÌ„ monastical â—uersacioÌ„ al his felowes were fled for fere of the FrenchmeÌ„ wheÌ„ he wold nat by fayr wordes neyther by thretes discouer the Riches of the Monastery But also boldely rebuked theym for theyr sacrelege and cruelte with a swerde in great malyce they martyred hym the nonas of August the yere of our lorde M. CC.lxxxxv and at his Tumbe a man of the Frenesy was made hoole Foure men had theyr fyght .v. were reysed fro deth to lyf ¶ De sancta Walburga virgine SEynt Walburgh was suster to seynt Willibrord Wynnybolde and with theym she went out of Englande when they came to seynt Bonyface bysshop of MaguntineÌ„se he made Willibrord bysshop of Heystatense Wynnobolde entered into Religion at Heydanhem and after theyr deth seynt Walburgh was made Abbes of that Monastery had rule of many virgyns And when the keper of the churche at nyght denyed to gyue her lyght and she toke it in great pacyence there was in the dortor where she went a great heuynly lyghte that endured to Matens tyme so that al the susters meruayled at it and she thanked our lorde therof and attrybuted it to the merytes of her bretherne and nat of her owne On a nyght she went vnknowen to a Riche mannes house where a mayde lay syke and when the man sawe her he badde her beware of the dogges and she sayd he that had brought her thyther shuld saue her fro the dogges and when he had lerned what was her name he toke her into his house with great reuerence and when it was tyme to go to reste he asked her where she wolde lye and she sayde there as her suster lay syke where she gaue her to prayers and helyd the mayde and in the mornynge retourned to her Monastery and full of good werkes she went to our lorde the. Kalend of May and was honorably buryed in the same Monasterye She appered After her deth to Otgare bysshop of Heystatense and blamyd hym that he kept the Monastery neclygently and tolde hym that she wolde shewe hym such a token that he shulde ê‘ceyue that he had nat done well to her and shortly after at the rofe of a house there was settynge vp the North wall fell and feryd theym moche and then Otgare repayred the Churche and remouyd the body of seynt Walburgh and of her brother Wynnybold to Heystatense ¶ De sancto Walleno abbate SEynt Wallene otherwyse called Walthesse was sone to Syrnon Erle of Huntyngdon his moder was doughter to the Erle of NorthumberlaÌ„de accordynge to his name he was a good thefe for he stale mekely the kyngdome of heuyn kepynge all his Reuelacions and vertues close when his fader was disheryted and was deed in Fraunce seynt Wallene was made Chanon in the Monastery of seynt Oswalde in yorke and there beyng sexten he was chosen to be Pryor of KyrkehmÌ„ and how moche he was in the oppynyon of other men hyer so moche he was in his owne syghte the more meke As he was at masse on Cristenmasse daye and he had spoken the