there in that darknesse The Morall Déere friends this ymage so standing is the diuel which saith euermore Strike héere That is to say séeke after earthly riches and not for heauenly treasure This clarke that diggeth with the mattocke betokneth the wicked wise men of this world as some euill disposed pleaders in the law crafty atturneyes and other wicked worldlings that euer be smiting what by right and what by wrong so that they may get the vanities of this world and in their smiting they finde great wonders maruails that is to say they finde therein the delgihts of the world wherin many men reioyseth The carbuncle that giueth light is the youth of man which giueth hardines to take their plesure in worldly riches The archer with his arrow is death which laâ—eth watch against man to slay him The clarke that tooke vp the knife is euery worldly man that coueteth euer to haue all thing at his will Death smiteth the carbuncle that is to say youth strength and power of man than lyeth he wrapped in darkenes of sinne in which darknesse oftentymes he dyeth Therefore studie wee to flee the world and his desires and then shall wée bée sure to winne euerlasting life vnto the which Jesu bring vs all Amen The Argument We are generally here put in mind that the diuell beseeging the world our champion Christ Iesus is ready to take our quarell in hand who defending sauing vs from the inuasion circumuention of sathan is yet accused for vs as a transgressor and is for our sakes moreouer content to suffer death for our full iustification The seuenth History IN Rome dwelled sometime a mightie Emperour named Titus a wise man a diseréete which ordained in his daies such a law that what knight dyed in his empire should be buried in his armour and who so euer presumed to spoile any knights armour after he were dead he should die without any withstanding or gaine saying It befell after within fewe yéeres that a citie of the Empire was beseged of themperours enemies wherfore that Citie was in perill of leesing for none that was within that Citie might not defend themselues by no maner of craft therefore great sorrow lamentation was made through out all the Citie But at the last within few dayes there came to the Citie a young Knight and a well fauored valiaunt in feates of Armes whome the worthy men of the Citie beholding and vnderstanding his prowesâ—e cryed with one voyce O thou most noble Knight wée beséech thée if it please thy worthinesse to help vs now at our most néede lo ye may see this Citie is in perill of léesing Then answered he and sayd Seye not sirs that I haue none armour and if I had Armour I would gladly defend your Citie This hearing a mightie man of the citie sayd to him in secrete wise Sir héere was sometime a doughtie knight which now is dead buried with in this citie according to the law if it please you to take his armour ye might defend this citie deliuer vs froÌ„ perill and that shall bee honour vnto you and profit vnto all the Empyre When this young knight had heard this he went to the graue and toke the armour and arayed himselfe therwith sought mightely againste his enimies and at the last he obtained and had the victory and deliuered the citie from perill and whan he had so done hée layd the Artâ—our againâ— in the graue There were some menne in the Citie that had great indignation and enuie at him bycause he had obtained the victorie and accused him to the Judge saing thus Syr a law was made by themperour that wâ—oâ—oâ—uer â—â—spoiled a dead Knight of his Armour should dye this young Knight â—ennd aâ—d ad Knight tooke away his Aâ—mour therfore we beseech thee that thou prâ—ceede in the lawe against him as against him that hath offended the law When the Justice heard this hee made the Knight to bee takeÌ„ and to be brought afore him And wheÌ„ hee was examined of this trespasse against the law hee said thus Sye it is written in the law that of two harms the least is to bée chosen it is not vnknowen to you that this Citie was in perill to bee lost but I had taken this armour I had neither saued you ne the Citie therefore me thinketh yee ought rather to honour worship me for this good deede that I haue done than thus shamefully to reproue me for I am led as he that is ready to be hanged and also good sirs an other reason I may laye for mine excuse He that stealeth or robbeth violently purposeth not to restore that thing that he robeth but it is not thus with mée for though I tooke the armour of the dead knight for your defence and sauegard when I had obtained the victory I bare it againe to the same place and so the dead knight hath that is his by the law Then saide the Justice a thefe that breaketh a house that he may steale and beare away such as he may find and though he bringe againe that he hath taken I aske of thée if that the breaking of the house be lawfull or not The knight answered sometyme the breaking of an House may bée good where as it is made in féeble place which should cause the Lorde of the house to make his wall stronger that the théeues after that breake not the walls â—o lightly in aâ—â—oâ—ing of more harme Then saide the Justice if the breaking of the house be good neuerthelesse in that breaking violence is done to the Lorde of the house And so though thou dâ—ddâ—st good with the Armour of the dead Knight neuerthelesse thou diddest wrong to the dead knight in taking away his armour The knight sayde I haue told you that of two harmes the least is to be chosen and that harme wher through great goodnsse commeth ought not to be called harme but it should rather be called good For if that any house within the citie were on fire and began to burne it were more better to throw it to the ground and thrée or foure houses thereby theÌ„ they should be set on fire also whereby all the citie might be brente Right so if the Armour of the dead knight had not beene taken the citie and ye all had bene lost And when the Justice heard that he answered so well and so reasonably hée might giue no iudgment against him But he that which had accused this knight slew him for whose death there was great wéeping throughout all the citie and his body was worshipfully buried in a new tombe The Morall ¶ Déere friendes this Emperour is the Father of Heauen and this citie is the world the which is besieged of the diuell and deadly ssnne And as many as were within this citie were all in perill to be lost This young knight that came to the citie is our Lord Jesu Christ which hadde not the
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
saying thus Est arta via que duâ—â—t ad vitam It is a strayte way that leadeth to euer lasting lyfe In this way are thrée armed knights that is to say the diuell the world and the flesh with whome it behoueth vs to fight and to obtaine the victory or wée may come to heauen The second Citie that is in the North is hell and to this accordeth Scripture saying thus Ab aquilone pondetur omne malum Out of the North commeth all euill Certainely to this Citie is the way playne and broad and walled about on euerie side with all maner delicates wherfore many men walk by this way The three Knights that giue to euery man going this way what thing them needeth are these Pride of lyfe couetousnesse of the eyes coÌ„cupicence of the flesh in which thrée the wretched man greatly deliteth at the last they leade him to hell This wittie knight betokeneth the soule the foolish knight betokeneth the flesh the which is alway foolish and at all times redie to doe euill These two are felowes knitte in one for either of them drinketh others blood that is to say they shall drinke of one cup either ioye or paine shall they haue after the daye of dome The soule chooseth the way of repentaunce and in as much as she may she stirreth the flesh to doe the same But the flesh thinketh neuer what shal come after and therefore she goeth in the delight of this world and fléeth the delight oâ— repentaunce and thus the soule after the death is cast into hell and the flesh is cast into the ditch that is to say into the graue But then the Justice commeth that is our Lord Jesus Christ at the daye of dome to iudge all mankind Than the Soule shall complaine vpon the slesh and the flesh vppon the Soule But than the Justice that will not bee deceiued neither by prayer ne by price shall condempne the Soule bicause shée folowed the fra â—tie of sleshe and allso hee shall condempne the flesh bycause it would not beleeue the Soule wherefore let vs studie to tame our flesh that wée may obay God and than shall wée haue euerlasting lyfe Unto the which bring vs our Lord Jesus Christ Amen The Argument The soule of man beeing possessed in the princely territory of Paradyse was by the diuell prouoked to sinne against hir creator and for the same transgression so beeing thence into this wide world exiled lost that hir former heritage But by Christes precious death and passion was restored vnto a more happie heritage of euerlasting felicitie The 11. History THERE dwelled sometime in Rome a mightie Emperour named Fredericke which had no childreÌ„ saue one only daughter to whom this Emperour after his decease béequethed all his Empyre This vnderstanding an Earle that dwelt there béeside came vnto this young Lady wooed hir and prouoked hir to sinne all that hée might wherefore this young ladie in short processe of tyme enclyned to the Earle and this Earle anone lay with hir and defiled hir and after that shée departed from hir heritage and exiled hir out of hir Empyre wherefore shée made a great lamentation and fled vnto a realme there beside where as she dayly wéept and mourned It befell after on a day that while she sat mourning by the hye way side there came riding by hir a fayre young knight vpon a good horse which came toward hir a great pace and very courteously saluted hir asked the cause why she mourned so sore Then answered she and saide My reuerend lord I am an Emperours daughter descended of roiall blood my father is dead which left me all his Empyre bicause he had none other heyre and after his decease an Earle there beside deceiued me deslowred my virginitie and after that he put me violently out of mine heritage so that now I am fayne to begge my bread from dore to dore and this is the cause of my sorrow Then sayde the knight farre damosell I haue great compassion on thy beautie and on thy gentlenesse therfore if thou wilt graunt me one thing I shall fight for thée against the Earle I protest vnto thée the purchase of the victory Then sayd shée alas good sir I haue nothing that I may giue vnto you but my selfe And I aske no more of thee said the knight but that thou wouldest be my wyfe and loue no man so much as mée Then sayde she Reuerend sir that I will doe gladly and more if I might Then said the knight I will that thou doe for mée one thing that if it fortune mée to dye in fight for thée and obtaine the victorie thou shalt take my bloodie shert and hang it vpon a beame in thy chamber and this shalt thou do for two things The first is that when so euer thou beholdest the shert thou shalt wéep for mee The second is that what so euer man come to wooâ— thee to be his wyfe then shalt thou hastely runne vnto thy chamber and béehould my bloodie shert and thinke heartelye within thy selfe thus The Lord of this shert dyed for my loue in baftayle the which recouered my heritage God forbid that I should take any other man after his death Then saide shée Reuerend sir all this shall I fulfill by the grace of God And when the knight heard this hee assaylled to fight against the said earle and obtained the victory and the Earle was ouercome and fledde and this yong lady was brought and receiued agayne into hir heritage Neuerthelesse this knight was deadly wounded in that battayle whereof hee died but or hée died hée béequeathed his bloody shert vnto this damosell desiring hir to keepe hir promise WheÌ„ this yong Lady heard of his death shée wept sore made great lamentation for his death And in his shert was cuÌ„ningly wrought this verse Think on him and haue in minde that to thee was so kinde Anon when she had receiued the shert shée haÌ„ged it vpon a beame in hir chamber and as oftentimes as she beheld it she wept bitterly It béefell not long after that the states of hir Empire came to hir desired hir to take a husband But then she went to hir chamber beeheld the bloody shert then wared shée sorofull sayd oftentunes woe alas thou sufferedst death for my loue thou also recoueredst againe myne heritage God forbid that I should take any other man moe but thee And thus shee answered euery man that came to hir and so they went away disapointed of their purpose and ended hir life in peace and rest The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is the father of heauen his daughter is the soule of man made to the similitude of God to whome God gaue and bequethed the Empyre of Paradise But ther came an Earle that is the diuell prouoked hir to sinne wheÌ„ shée eate of the apple and said to hir thus In what houre yee eat of the apple
minde And praied the Stewarde of his counsell and helpe in this woefull case Than saide the stewarde vnto him if that thou wilt doe by my counsell I shall bring this matter to a good conclusion therefore doe as I shall tell thée I counsell thée for the best and also warne thée that when thou seruest my Lord the Emperour of his cuppe that thou that turne thy face away from him so that hée may not féele thy stincking breath vnto the time that thou hast prouided thée of some remedie therfore Then was Fulgentious right glad and swere to him that he would doe by his counsell Not long after it béefell that this young man Fulgentious serued his Lord as hée was wont to doe and therewith sodainely he tourned his face from his Lord the Emperour as the Steward had taught him And when the Emperour perceiued the auoyding of his head hée smote this young Fulgentious on the breast with his foote and saide to him thus O thou leude varlet now sée I well it is true that I haue heard of thée and therfore goe thou anon out of my sight that I may sée thée no more in this place And with that this yong Fulgencious wept full sore auoided the place and went out of his sight And when this was so done the Emperour called vnto him his Steward and sayd How may I ryd this varlet from the world that thus hath defamed mée My most déere Lord quod the steward right well you shall haue your intent For héere béeside within these thrée miles yée haue brickmakers which daily make great fires for to burne brick also they make lyme therfore my Lord send to them this night charge them vppon paine of death that whosoeuer commeth to them first on the morrow saying to thē thus My Lord commaūdeth you to fulfil his will that they take him and cast him into the Forncis with the stones and this night commaunde you this Fulgentious that he goe earely in the morning to your workmen and that hee aske them whether they haue fulfilled your wil which they were commaunded or not and then shall they according to your commaundement cast him in the Fyre and thus shall hee dye an euill death Surely quod the Emperour thy counsell is good therfore call to me that varlet Fulgentious And when this young man was come to the Emperours presence hée sayde to him thus I charge thée vpon paine of death that thou rise early in the morning goe to the brenners of lyme brick and that thou bee with them earely before the sunne ryse thrée myles from this house and charge them in my behalfe that they fullfil my commaundement or else they shall dye a most shamefull death Then spake this Fulgentious My Lord if God send mée my lyfe I shall fulfill your will were it that I should goe to the worlds ende When Fulgentious had this charge he could not sléepe for thought but that hée must arise earely for to fulfil his Lords commandement The Emperour about midnight sent a messenger on horseback vnto his bricke makers commaunding them vppon paine of death that who so euer came to them first in the morning saying vnto them the Emperours commaundement which is before rehearsed that they should take and bynd him and cast him into the fire burne him to the bare bones The Bryck makers answered and sayde it should bée done And then the messenger returned home againe incontinent and told the Emperour that his commandement should bée diligently fulfilled Earely in the morning following Fulgentious arose prepared him towards his way as hée went hée heard a bell ring to seruice wherefore hee went to that Church for to heare Seruice and after the ende of seruice he fell a sléepe and ther hée slept a long while so that the priest ne none other might a wake him The steward desiring inwardly to heare of his death as he did hope about one of the clock he went vnto the workmen and saide vnto them thus Syrs quod hée haue yée done the Emperours commaundement or no. The Brickmakers answered him againe and saide Nay surely wée haue not yet done his commaundement but anone it shall bée done with that they layde handes on him Then cried the steward with an high voice and saide Good sirs saue my Lyfe sor the Emperour cōmaunded that Fulgentious should bée put to death Then saide they the messenger told not vs so but hée bad vs that whosoeuer came first to vs in the morning saying as ye before rehearsed that wée should take him and cast him into the Fornace bourne him to ashes And with that word they threw him into the fire And when he was bournt Fulgentious came to them and said Good sirs haue you done my Lords commaundement yea soothly said they and therefore go◠yée againe to the Emperour and tel him so Thē said Fulgentious For Christes loue tell mée that commaundement Wée had in commaundement saide they vpon paine of death that who so euer came to vs first in the morninge and saide like as thou hast saide that wée should take him and cast him into the Fornace But béefore thée came the Steward and therefore haue wee fulfilled on him the Emperours commaundoment and now is hee bournt to the bare bones And when Fulgentious heard this hée thanked God that hée had so preserued him from death wherfore hée tooke his leaue of the workmen and went againe to the Pallaice When the Emperour perceiued him hée was almost distract of his wittes for anger and thus hee sayde Hast thou beene with the Bryckmaker and fulfilled my commaundement Soothly my gracious Lord I haue béene there but or I came there your commaundement was fulfilled How may that bee true quod the Emperour Forsooth said Fulgencious the steward came to them afore mee and sayd that I should haue sayde and when they heard that they tooke him and threw him into the forneis and if I had comen any rather so would they haue done to me and therfore I thanck God that hath preserued me from death Then sayd the Emperour tell mée the trueth of such questions as I shall demaund of thee Then saide Fulgentious vnto the Emperour As I béeleue you neuer sound in mee any falsehoode and therfore I wondred greatly why ye had ordained such a death for mee for well ye know that I am your own brothers sonne Then saide the Emperour to Fulgentious It is no wonder for that death I ordained to thee through counsell of the steward bicause thou didst defame mée throughout all my Empyre saying that my breath did stinck so grieuously that it was death to thée and in token hereof thou turnedst away thy face whē thou seruedst mée of my cuppe and that saw I with mine eyes and for this cause I ordained for thée such a death and yet thou shalt dye except I heare a better excuse Then answered Fulgentious and sayd A my most deere