him be wedded without any delaie vnto my daughter and yours with all the honour and solempnitie that can bée thought and whan they bée marryed that yée take him as your owne sonne and that hée keepe my roome till I come vnto you myselfe Whan the knight had thus written hée closed the letters subtylly and put them into the bore againe Early in the morning the young Squire arose and very hastely made him redie and toke his leaue of the knight rode foorth on his iourney and the third daie after he came vnto the Emprisse and saluted hir right worshipfully in the Emperours beehalfe and toke hir the letters And when the Empresse had redde them anone she sent foorth hir messengers through the countrie commaunding the states and gentilmen to come vnto hir daughters wedding at a certaine daie assigned When the daie was come thether came manie great Lordes and Ladies and anone this young Squire espoused the Emperours Daughter with great honour and worshippe according to the tenour of the letters was right well beloued and most honoured among the people Not long after it befell that the Emperour came into that Countrie and when the Empresse heard of hir Lords comming shee toke with hir hir sonne in law with much other people and went towardes the Emperour for to welcome him When the Emperour saw this yong Squire leading the Emprisse his wyfe he was greatly moued within himselfe and sayde O thou curssed Woman bycause thou hast not fulfilled my commaundement thou shalt dye an euill death A my déere Lord quod shée all that ye commaunded mee to doe I haue fullfilled Nay curssed woman sayde the Emperour it is not so for I wrote to thée that thou sholdest put him to death and now I see him aliue My Lord quod the Emprisse saueing your grace you wrote to mee that I should giue him your dauhter to wyfe and that on payn of death in witnesse wherof loe here your letters with your owne seale manuell When the Emperour heard this hée wondred greatly and sayd Is he espowsed then to my daughter Yea soothly sayd the Empresse long agoe with much solempnitie and great worshippe and as I perceiue your Daughter is with childe Than sayde the Emperour O thou lord Jesu Christ it is great folly to striue against thy ordinaunce therefore sith it is so thy will must needes be fulfilled And with that he tooke his sonne in law it his armes and kissed him which after his death was Emperour and ended his life in rest and peace The Morall ¶ This emperour maybetoken Herod or else euery tyraunt which walked alone without truth till he came to the fosters house that is to say the Church which is the house of God This Herode would haue slaine this childe Jesu wherefore he sent messengers to séeke him according to the scripture of saint Mathew telling how he commaunded the three kings to séeke him and bring him tidings againe where he was that he might come and worship him allso but this saide he not for loue but for deceipt The Foster betokeneth Ioseph our Ladies husband which kept him But when the messengers came that is to say when the thrée kinges came they slew him not but worshipped him on their knées and left him in the holow trée of his Godhead The Earle that came and found this childe betokeneth the holy ghost which warned Ioseph by the Angell in his sléepe that he should take our Lady and his sonne and flée in to the lande of Egipt This moralitie may be vndestoode otherwise This Emperour may be token a sinner that walketh in the forest of this world seeking vanities nought else vnto the time he come to the house of god there he is receiued benignely of the Prelate of the Churche if hée will obey the Commaundementes of GOD. But many of vs now a dayes sléepe in the Churche when they practyse not according to their profession and therefore ought they also to dreade thée voyces which I haue rehearsed by the first take that may be vnderstoode the great benisit that he gaue thee when hée put in thée a soule made at his owne similitude By the second take is wnderstoode the sonne of the father of heauen which was borne of the blessed Uirgin Mary By the third take is vnderstoode the same sonne of God which dyed vpon the crosse By the first yéelde is vnderstood that wee ought to yéeld our Soule vnto allmightie God as cleane as faire as hée gaue it vs after our regeneration in haptisme By the second yeld is vnderstood that we ought to yeld honour worship and loue vnto Almightie God and man By the third yelde is vnderstoode that we ought to yeld to God true confession of faith contricion of hart and amendement of life The first shee beetokeneth sinne which we should â—lee The second flee betokeneth the world which we should flee for the great salsehoode temptations that are therein The third â—lee betokeneth euerlasting paine the which we ought to â—lee through faith and hir fruits by the tyrant She lyeth for she is my wife and I haue found hir in adultry with an other man and therefore I will slea hir Than sayde the knight I beleue better the woman theÌ„ thee for loe the tokens of truth appere openly in hir visage that thou hast rauished hir therefore wil I fight with thée for hir deliueraunce And immediately they buckled both together fought egerly till they were both sore wounded Neuerthelesse the knight obtayned the victorie put the tyrant to slight Then said the knight vnto the woman Loe I haue suffered for thy loue many sore wounds and haue saued thée from thy death wilt thou therefore promise to be my wise That I desire you quod she with all my hart and therevpon I betake thee my trouth When shée was thus ensured than said the knight as foloweth Héere beside is my Castell go thether and abyde there till I haue visited my friends and my kinsmen to prouide for all thinges néedefull for our weddinge for I purpose to make a great feast for thine honour and worship My Lord quod she I am ready to fulfill your wil. Than went she foorth vnto the Castell where as shée was worshipfully receyued And the Knight went vnto his friends for to make him readie against the day of marriage In the meane while came Poncianus the tirant to the knights Castell and prayed hir that hée might speake with hir Than came she downe from the castell to him This tirant subtilly flattered hir saide Gentle loue if it please you to consent to mée I shall giue you both golde and siluer greate riches and I shall be your seruaunt ye my soueraigne When the woman heard this full lightly shée was deceyued through his flattering language graunted him to be his wife and tooke him with hir into the castell It was not long after but that thys knight came
acknowledging of sinne the second repentaunce and the third newnes of lyfe according to the will of GOD if these hearbes be vsed in plaister the sinner without doubt shall receiue his health and his soule shal be deliuered from sin by all right he shall haue euerlasting lyfe Unto the which bring vs our Lord Jesus The Argument ¶ Many folish Idiots of this world doe commonly flow flote in abundance of worldly wealth pomp with thinking they shall liue heere alwaies are labored vnto by the preachers of gods word to be admonished of their momentany felicities and so to prepare themselues in bestowing well theyr short time heere to emoye the blessings of euerlasting felicitie in the world to come The fift History SOmetime there raigned in Rome a mightie Emperour and a wyse named Frederike which had one onely sonne whome he loued much This Emperour when hee laye at the point of death hée called vnto him his sonne and sayde Déere sonne I haue a ball of Gold which I giue thée vpon my blesseing that thou anone after my death shalt giue it to the most foole that thou maiest finde Then saide his sonne My Lord without doubt your will shall bee fulfilled Anone this young Lord after the death of his father weÌ„t sought in many Realmes found many rechlesse fooles bicause hée would satisfie his Fathers will laboured farher til hee came into a realme where the law was such that euerie yeere a new King was chosen there and this King had onely the guiding of that Realme but a yeere and at the yéeres ende hée was deposed and put in exile in an Ilande where as hée should wretchedly finish his life When the Emperours sonne came to this Realme the new King was chosen with great honour and all maner of Musical instrumeÌ„ts went before him and brought him with great reuerence and worship vnto his regall seaâ—â— And when the Emperours sonne sawe that hée came vnto him and saluted him reuerently and said My Lord loe I giue thee this ball of gold on my fathers behalâ—e Then saide hee I praye thee tell mee the cause why thou giuest mee this ball Then answered this young Lord and said My father charged mee in his death bedde vpon paine of forfaiting of his blesseing that I should giue this ball to the most foole that I could find wherfore I haue sought many Realmes and haue found many fooles neuerthelesse a more foole then thou art found I neuer therefore this is the reason It is not vnknown to thee that thou shalt raign but a yeere and at the yeeres end thou shalt bee exiled into such a place where as thou shalt die a mischeuous death wherfore I hold thée for the most foole that euer I found that for the Lordship of a yéere thou wouldest so wilfully leese thy selfe and therefore before all other I haue giueÌ„ thee this ball of gold Then saide the king without doubt thou saiest truth and therefore when I am in ful power of this realme I shall send béefore mee great treasure and riches wherewith I may liue saue my selfe from mischeuous death when I shal bee exiled put downe And to this was done wherfore at the yeeres ende hee was exiled and iued there in peare vpon such goods as hee had sent beefore hée died afterward a good death The Morall ¶ Déere friends this Emperour is the father of heauen the which â—eequetâ—â—d the ball that is to saye worldly riches to fooles ydiots which sauoureth nothing but that is earthly This Emperours sonne that is to say a preacher and a discréet minister trauailed about many Realms lands to shew to misbeeleeuing men and fooles theyr perill The Reame wherein no King might reigne but a yeere is this world For who so had liued an hundred yeere when he commeth to the death him shal seeme that hee hath liued but the space of an houre therefore doe as the King did while that yee bee in power of life sende before you your treasure that is to say firme faith in Christes merits and the fruits of Gods word procéeding from the same Then certainely when wée bee put in exile out of this world we shal liue in peace shall finde the mercy of God plentifull wherby wée shal obtain euerlasting life Unto the which bring vs hée that for vs shed his precious blood The Argument The euill disposed whcked wise men of this world are heere aduertised of their greedie groping after the sweet temptation of the diuel wherein such doe reioyce till death comming sodaynly vpon them then fall they into the horrible pitte of desolate darckenesse due to their deserts The sixt Historie ¶ Dioclesian reigned in the citie of Rome in whose empire dwelt a noble Philosopher the which sette vp by his craft an ymage in the middest of the Citie of Rome the which ymage strethed out his arme and his formost finger whervppon stoode this posie written in Latine Percute hic Strike heere This ymage after the death of this Philosopher stoode still a long time and many great clarkes came thether for to read the superscription that was on the finger but none of them vnderstoode what it ment wherfore ther was great wondring among the people And at the last a long time after there came a strange clarke out of farre countries and wheÌ„ hée saw this ymage he read the scripture strike héere And then vpon a day wheÌ„ he saw the shadow of the hand hee tooke a mattocke brake vp the ground vnder the hand where the shadow was according to the vnderstanding of the superscription and anone hée found an house all of Marble vnderneath the ground wherin he entred and came into a hall wherin hée found so much riches so manie Jewells and so great maruailes that he neuer saw ne heard of such nor so many béefore that time At the last hée saw a table redy couered and all maner of things necessary therto set there vpon Hee beheld further and saw a carbuÌ„cle in the hall that lightened all the house And Against this Carbuncle on that other side stoode a man holding in his hand a bow with an arow ready to shoote The clark maruailed much when he saw all these things and thought in himselfe if that I tell this foorth ther will no man beeleeue mee and therefore I will haue somewat of these goodes in token of proofe And with that hée law a knife of golde vpon the table the which hoe tooke and would haue put it in his boosome But anon the Archer smote the Carbuncle and brake it where with the whole house was shadowed and made darke And when the clarke perceiued it he wept more bitterly then any man might thinke for he know not by what way he might goe out for as much as the house was made darke through the breaking of the carbuncle And that darknes abode still for euermore after And so finished the clarke his life
shauen and apparelled him worshipfully according to his estate and then shée said vnto him thus Now good brother take thy stéede and come with mée that wee may méete my Lord. Hée answered and sayd Lady I am redy to fulfil your will commaundement in all things And than the Empresse toke him with hir and many other knights and so rod foorth to meeâ— with the Emperour and as they rode together by the way they sawe where a great hart ranne afore them wherefore euery man with such hounds as they had chased him on horse backe so that with the Empresse was left no creature saue onely the Emperours brother which seeing that no man was there but they two thus hee saide vnto the Empresse Loe Lady heere beside is a priuie forrest and long it is agone that I spake to thée of Loue come now and consent vnto mee that I may lye with thee Then sayde the Empresse a foole what may this bee yesterday I deliuered thée out of prison vpon thy promise in hope of amendement and now thou art retoâ—rned to thy folly againe wherfore I saye now to thée as I haue sayde before there shall no man doe such thing with me saue onely my Lorde the Emperour which ought of very duty so for â—â— doe Then sayde â—ee if thou wilt not consent to mée I shall hang thée héere vpon a trée in this Forrest where no man shall finde thée so shalt thou dye an euill death The Empresse aunswered méekely and sayde Though thou smite of my head and put mée to death with all maner of torment thou shalt neuer haue mee to consent to such sinne When hee heard this hée vnciothed hir all saue hir smock and hanged hir vp by the haire vpon a trée tyed hir stéede beside hir and so rode foorth to his fellowes and tolde them that a great hoast of men met him and tooke the Empresse away from him And wheÌ„ he hadde tolde them this they made all great sorrow It befell on the third day after there came an Earle to hunt in that Forrest and as he rode beating the barks there started a Foxe whome his hounds followed fast till they came néere the trée where the Empresse hanged And when the dogges felt the sauour of hir they left the Fore and ranne towarde the Trée as fast as they could The Earle séeing this wondred greatly and spurred his horse and folowed them till he came wher as the Empresse hanged Whan the Earle â—aw hir thus hanging he maruailed greatly for as much as she was right fayre and gracious to behold wherefore he sayde vnto hir in this manner wise O woman who art thou and of what countrie and wherefore hangest thou héere in this manner wise The Emprisse that was not yet fully dead but in point ready to dye aunswered and said I am quod she a straunge woman and I am come out from far countrie but how I came hither God knoweth Than aunswered the Earle and said Whose horse is this that staÌ„deth by thée bound to this trée Than answered the lady and said that it was hirs WhaÌ„ the earle heard this he knew well that she was a gentle woman and came of noble linage wherfore he was the rather moued with pitty said vnto hir O faire lady thou seâ—est of gentle blood therfore I purpose to deliuer thée from this mischife if thou wilt promise to goe with mée nourish my faire yong daughter teach hir at home in my castell for I haue no childe but onely hir if thou kéepe hir well thou shalâ— haue a good reward for thy labour Than said she As far soorth as I can or may I shall fulfill thine entent And when she had thus promised him he tooke hir downe of the trée and led hir home to his castel and gaue hir the kéeping of his daughter that he loued so much and she was cherished so well that shée lay euery night in the earles chamber and his daughter with hir and in his chamber euery night there brent a lamp the which hanged beetwéene the Empresse bed and the earles bed This lady béehaued hir so gently that she was beloued of euery creature There was that time in the earls court a steward which much loued this Emprisse exceedingly aboue all things and oftentymes spake to hir of his loue But shée answered him againe and sayd Know yée déere friend for certainetie that I haue made a solempne vow to God that I shall neuer loue any man in such maner wise but onely him whom I am greatly beholden to loue by gods commaundement Than sayd the Steward Thou wilt not than consent vnto mée My Lorde quod shâ— what needeth thee any more to aske such thing the vow that I haue made truely I shall keepe hold by the grace of god And when the steward heard this hée went his way in great wrath and anger thincking within himselfe if I may I shall be reuenged on thée It befell vppon a night within short time after that the Earls chamber dore was forgotten and left vnshet which the steward had anone perceiued And when they were all a sleepe hee went and espied by the light of the lamp where the Emprisse and the young Mayden laye to gether and with that he drewe out his Knife and cut the throte of the Earles daughter put the bloody knife into the Emprisse hande shee beeing a sléepe and nothing knowing thereof to the intent that whan the Earle awaked he should see the knife in hir hande and that hée should think that she had cut his daughters throte wherfore she should bée put to a shameful death for this mischeuous déede And when this damosell was thus slaine and the bloody knife in the Emprisse hand the countesse awaked out of hir sléepe and sawe by the light of the Lampe the blouddie knife in the Emprisse hande wherefore she was almost out of hir wittes and sayd to the Earle O my Lorde behold in yonder Ladies hand a wonderfull thing Anone the Earle awaked and beheld on the Emprisse bed and saw the bloody knife as the countisse had sayd wherefore he was greatly moued and cried to hir and sayd Awake woman out of thy sléepe what thing is this that I sée in thy hand Anone the Emprisse through his crye awaked out of hir sleepe and in hir waking the knife fell out of hir hand and with that she looked by hir found the Earles daughter dead by hir side all the bed be sprent with blood wherefore with an huge voyce shée cryed and sayd Alas alas and welaway my lords daghter is slayne Than cryed the couÌ„tisse vnto the Earle with á pitious voyce said A my lord let the diuelish woman be put to the most foule death that can be thought which thus hath slaine our onely childe And when the countisse had sayde thus to the Earle she sayde to the Emprisse in this wise The high God knoweth that
thou mischeuous woman hast slain my daughter with thine owne hands for I saw the bloodie knife in thy hand therefore thou shalt dye a foule death Than sayde the Earle in this wise O thou woman were it not that I dread God greatly I should cleaue thy bodie with my sword in two parts for I deliuered thée from hanging now thou hast slaine my daughter neuerthelesse for mée thou shalt haue no harme therefore goe thy way out of this cittie without any delaye for if I doe finde thée here this daye thou shalt dye a most euill death Than arose this wofull Emprisse and dyd on hir clothes after leapt on hir palsry and rode toward the east alone without any safe conduct And as shée rode thus mourning by the way she espyed on the left side of the way a payre of gallous and seuen officers leading a man to the gallous to be hanged wherfore she was moued with great pittie and smote hir horse with the spurres rode to them praying them that she might redéeme that misdoer if he might be saued from death for any meede Than sayd they Lady it pleaseth vs well that thou redéeme him Anone the Emprisse accorded with them and payed his raunsome and than he was deliuered Thus sayde she to him Now déere friend be true till thou dye sith I haue deliuered thée from death On my soule quod he I promise you euer to be true And when hée had thus sayde he followed the Lady still till they came nigh a citie and than said the Emprisse to him Good friend quod shée goe foorth thy way afore mée out of the Cittie and take vp for vs an honest lodging for ther I purpose to rest a whilâ— This man went foorth as she commaunâ—â—â—â— tooke vp for hir a good lodging and an honest whereas she abode long tyme. Whan the men of the Citie perceined hir bewtie they wondred greatly wherefore many of them craued of hir vnlawfull loue but all was in vaine they might not speede in any wise It fortuned after on a day that there came a Shippe full of marchandise and ariued in the hauen of that Citie When the Ladys heard this she said vnto hir seruaunt Goe to the shippe and see if there be any câ—oth for myne vse Hir seruaunt went foorth to the shippe whereas he found many precious clothes wherefore hée prayed the master of the shippe that-hée would come into the Citie and speake with this Lady The master graunted him and so he came home to his lady beefore and warned hir of the comming of the master oâ— the shippe Anone after the master of the ship came and sâ—luted the Ladye worthyly And the lady receiued him according to his degrée praying him that she might haue for hir mony such cloth as might bâ— profitable for hir wearing Anone hee grauÌ„ted that shee should haue and soone they were agreed wherefore the seruaunt went emmediately again with the Maister of the Shippe And when they were both within the Ship boorde the Maister sayd to the Ladies seruant My déere friend to thée I wold open my counsaile if I might trust in thee help mee thou shalt haue of mee a great reward Then answered hée and sayd I shall quod hee bee sworne vnto thée on the holy Euangelist that I shall kéepe thy counsaile and fulfill thine intent as far foorth as I can Then said the Maister of the shippe I loue thy Lady more then I can tel thee for hir fayrenesse is so great that I would giue for the loue of hir all the gold that I haue and if I may obtaine the loue of hir through thy help I shall giue thée what so euer thou wilt desire of mée Then saide the Ladies seruaunt tell me by what meanes I may best speede Then sayd the Maister of the Shippe Goe home to thy Lady againe and tell hir that I will not deliuer to thee my cloth except she come hir selfe but bring hir to my Shippe except the winde bée good and able for then I purpose to lead hir away Thy counsell is alwayes good quod the Ladies seruant therfore giue me some reward I shall fulfil thyne intent And when he had receiued his reward hee went againe to his Lady and tolde hir that by no meanes the Master of the shippe would not deliuer him the cloth but if shée came hir selfe The Lady béeléeued hir seruaunt went to the ship And when she was within the ship bord hir seruaunt abode without When the Maister saw that she was within the Shippe and the winde was good hee drew vp the sayle and sayled foorth When the Lady perceiued this thus shée sayde to the master O Master quod shee what treason is this that thou hast done to mée The Maister answered and sayde Madame certainely it is so that I must needes lie with thée and afterwarde espouse thee For sooth quod shée I haue made a vowe that I shall neuer commit such sinne but with him vnto whom I am bound by right and by the law Soothly quod he if yée will not graunt mée with your good will I shall cast you out into the middest of the sea there shall yée die an euill death If it be so quod she that I must néedes consent or else dye than I pray thee to prepare a priuie place in the ende of the Shippe whereas I may fulfill thine entent or I dye but first I pray thée that I may say my prayers vnto the father of heauen that hée may haue mercy on mée The Master béeléeued hir wherfore hée let ordaine hir a Cabbin in the end of the Shippe wherevnto shée sette hir downe on both hir knees and made hir prayers saying on this wise O thou my Lord GOD that hast kept mée froÌ„ my youth in cleanenesse keepe mée now that I be not desâ—oured so that I may serue thée euer with a cleane heart and minde When shée had thus ended hir oryson ther arose sodenly a great tempest in the sea so that the Shippe all to brast and all that were within perished saue the lady that caught a Cable saued hir selfe the Master of the Ship an other neuerthelesse she knew not of him ne he of hir for they were driuen to diuerse coastes This ladie landed in hir owne Empyre beeside a Citie where in shée was worshipfully receiued and shee lyued so holy a life that GOD gaue hir grace and power to heale sicke folke of all manner of diseases wherfore there came much people to hir both crooked blinde and lame and euery man through the grace of God and hir good demeanure were healed wherfore hir name was knowne thorough diuerse regions Neuerthelesse she was not knowen as Emprisse In the same tyme the Emperours brother that had hanged hir beefore by the heyre was smitten with a foule Lepry The knight that slew the earles Daughter and put the bloody knife in hir hand was blynde deafe and had the palsey The
home and found the castell gate shutte and knocked there at but longe it was ere he might haue an aunswere And at the last the Woman came and demaunded why hee knocked at the gate Then saide hée to hir O déere lady why hast thou so soone chaunged my loue let me come in Nay surely said she thou shalt not come here for I haue here with me my loue which I loued before Remember quod the knight thou gauest me thy troth to be my wife and how I saued thée from death and if thou ponder not thy faith béehold my wounds which I haue suffred in my body for thy loue And anone he vnclothed himselfe naked saue his hosen that he might shew his woundes openly But she would not sée them ne speake more with him but shet fast the gate went hir way And when the knight saw this he went to the Justice made his complaint to him praying him to giue right wise iudgment on this tyrant and this woman The Judge called them béefore him and when they were come the Knight said thus My Lord quod hée I aske the benefite of the law which is this If a man rescew a woman from rauishinge the rescuer shall marrie hir if him list and this woman deliuered I from the hands of the tyrant therefore I ought to haue hir to my wyfe furthermore she gaue me hir faith trouth to marry with mee and therevpon shee went to my castle I haue done great cost against our wedding and therefore as it seemeth mee shee is my wife as by the law Then sayde the Judge to the tyrant Thou knowest well that this knight deliuered hir from thy hands for hir loue hath suffred many grieuous wounds and therefore well thou wottest that shée is his wife by the law if that him list But after hir deliuerance with flattering spech thou hast deceiued hir therfore I iudge thée to bee hanged Than said the Judge to the woman in lykewise O woman thou knowest how this knight saued thée from death and therevpon thou bée tookest him thy faith and troth to bee his wife therfore by two reasons thou art his wife first by the lawe and after by thy faith and trouth This notwithstanding thou concenâ—idst afterward to the tyraunt and broughtest him into the Knightes Castell shottest the gate against the knight and wouldst not sée his wounds which he suffered for thy loue and therfore I iudge thée to bée hanged And so it was done both the rauisher and shee that was rauished were condempned to the death wherefore euerie man praised the iudge for his right wise iudgement The Morall This Emperour béetokeneth the father of Heauen which ordained for a law that if the soule of man were rauished from God by sinne the sauer of the soule should espouse hir if him list The woman that was rauished béetokeneth the soule of man which was rauished by sinne of our forefather Adam led out of Paradise into the forrest of this wretched world by the tirant Poncianus which betokeneth the diuell and he not onely defouled hir by leasyng of the heritage of heauen but also hée would sley hir with euerlasting paine But the soule cryed with a high voice whose crye our Lord Jesu Christ heard This cry was made when Adam cryed after the oyle of mercie And the Patryarkes prophets cryed for remedy saying these wordes O thou highnesse in the Cast and so foorth visite thou vs. c. The knight betokeneth our Lord Jesu Christ which came from Heauen and fought with the tyrant that is to say the diuell both they were sore wounded For our Lord Jesu Christ was wounded in the flesh the diuell maymed in his kingdome wherfore the woman that is to say the soule gaue hir faith and troth vnto almightie GOD when he became christian saying these wordes I forsake the Diuell and all his pride and beléeue in God the father almightie Than ordayned our Lord Jesu Christ a marriage betwéene him and hir with the