moost shamefull deth vpon the crosse And than saynt Brandon charged the sendes by his passyon that they sholde not noye hym that nyght And than the fendes wente theyr waye rorynge and cryenge towardee hell to theyr mayster the great deuyll / than Iudas thanked saynt BraÌ„don so ruefully that it was pyte to se and on the morne the fendes came with an horryble noyse sayenge that they had that nyghte suffred great payne by cause they broughte not Iudas and sayd that he sholde suffre double payne the .vi. daye folowynge they toke than Iudas tremblynge for fere with them to payne And after saynt BraÌ„don sayled south warde thre dayes thre nyghtes on the fryday they sawe an ylonde And than saynt Brandon began to synge sayd I se the ylonde wherin saynt Poule the heremyte dwelleth hath dwelled there .xl. yere without mete drynke ordyned by mannes honde / they came to the londe saynt Poule came welcomed them humbly he was olde forgrowen so that no man myght se his body Of whome saynt BraÌ„don sayd wenynge / now I se a man that lyueth more lyke an auÌ„gell than a man / wherfore we wretches may be ashamed that we lyue no better Than saynt Poule sayd to saynt Brandon / thou arte better than I for our lorde hath shewed to the moo preuitees than he hath done to me / wherfore thou oughtest to be more praysed than I To whom sayd Brandon saynt / we be monkes must labour for our mete But god hath prouyded for the suche mete as thou holdest the pleased / wherfore thou art moche better thaÌ„ I. To whome saynt poule sayd somtyme I was a monke of saynt Gatrikes abbey in yrlonde was warden of the place where as men entre in to saynt Patrykes purgatorye And on a daye there came one to me I asked hym what he was And he sayd I am your abbot Patryke charge the that thou departe fro hens to morne erly to the see syde there thou shalte fynde a shyppe in to whiche thou muste entre / whiche god hath ordeyned for that whose wyll thou must accomplysshe / so the nexte day I arose wente forth souÌ„de the shyppe in whiche he entred / by the purueyuÌ„ce of god I was brought in to this ylonde the seuenth daye after And than I left the shyppe wente to londe and there I walked vp downe a good whyle And than by the purueyauÌ„ce of god there came an otter goynge on his hynder fete brought me a flynt stone an yron to smyte fyre within his two sore clawes of his fete / also he had aboute his necke great plente of fysshes whiche he caste downe before me wente his waye and I smote fyre made a fyre of styckes dyde sethe the fysshe by whiche I lyued thre dayes And thaÌ„ the otter came agayne brought me fysshe for other thre dayes thus he hath done this .li. yere thorugh the grace of god / and there was a great stone out of the whiche our lorde made to sprynge fayre water clere swete / wherof I drynke dayly thus haue I lyued one fyfty yere I was forty yere olde whan I came hyder am now an hondred and .xi. yere olde abyde tyll it please our lorde to sende for me and yf it please hym I wolde fayne by dyscharged of this wretched lyfe / and than he badde saynt Brandon to take of the water of the well to cary in to his shyppe / for it is tyme that thou departe for thou hast a great Iourney to do for thou shalte sayle to an yloÌ„de whiche is forty dayes saylynge hens / where thou shalt holde thy cester lyke as thou hast done tofore where as the tre of byrdes is fro thens thou shalte sayle in to the londe of byhest shalte abyde there forty dayes And after retourne home in to thy countre in saufte And than these holy men toke leue eche of other they wept both full sore kyssed eche other And than saynt Brandon entred in to his shyppe sayled eueÌ„ .xl. dayes southe in full great tempest And vpon eester euen came to theyr ê“curatour whiche made to them good chere as he had before tyme from thens they came to the great fysshe where they sayd matyns masse on ester daye / whan the masse was done the fysshe began to meue swaÌ„me forth fast in to see wherof the monkes were sore agast whiche stode vpon hym / for it was a great meruayle to se suche a fysshe as great as al a countree for to swyÌ„me soo faste in the water / But by the wyll of our lorde this fysshe set all the monkes a londe in the paradyse of byrdes all hole souÌ„de And than retourned to the place he came fro And than saynt Brandon his monkes thanked our lorde of theyr delyueraunce of the great fysshe kepte theyr eestertyde tyll trynyte sondaye lyke as they had done tofore tyme after this they toke their shyppe and sayled eest .xl. dayes / at the forty dayes ende it began for to hayle ryght fast And therwith came a derke myste the whiche lasted longe after whiche fered saynt Brandon all his monkes prayed vnto our lorde for to helpe them ¶ And than anone came theyr procuratour badde them to be of good chere for they were comen in to the londe of byheest And sone after that myst passed awaye / and anone they sawe the fayrest countree westwarde that ony man myght se was soo cleere and bryght that it was an heuenly syght to beholde And al the trees were charged with rype fruyte herbes full of floures In whiche londe they walked forty dayes but they coude not se none ende of that londe and there was all way day neuer nyght / the londe was attemperate / ne to hote ne to colde And at the laste they came to a fayre ryuer / but they durst not goo ouer And there came to them a fayre yonge man welcomed them curtoysly called eche of them by his name dyde great reuerence to saynt Brandon and sayd to them be ye now Ioyfull / for this is the londe that ye haue sought But our lorde wyll that ye departe hastely he wyll shewe to you more of his secretes whan ye come agayne in to the see / our lord wyll that ye lade your shyppe with the fruyte of this londe and hye you hens For ye may no leÌ„ger abyde here / but thou shalte sayle agayne in to thyn owne countre And soone after that thou comest home thou shalte dye And this water that thou seest here departeth the worlde a sondre For on that other syde of this water may no man come that is in this lyfe And the fruyte that ye se here is alwaye thus rype euery tyme of the yere / alwaye it is here lyght as ye now se he that kepeth our lordes hestes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes at all tymes shall se this londe or he do passe out of this worlde And than saynt Brandon and his monkes toke of that fruyte as moche as they wolde and also they toke with theym great plente of precyous stones And than they toke theyr leue wente to shyppe wepynge sore bycause they myghte noo lenger abyde there And than they toke theyr shyppe came home in to yrlonde in saufte / whome thyr bretherne receyued with ryght great Ioye gyuenge thankynges vnto our lorde whiche had kepte them all that seueÌ„ yere fro many a peryll and brought theym home in saufte To whome begyuen honour and glorye worlde without ende Amen ¶ And soo soone after this holy man saynt Brandon wexed feble seke / had but lytell Ioye of this worlde but euer after that his Ioye mynde was in the Ioyes of heuen And within shorte tyme after he beynge full of vertues departed oute of this worlde vnto euerlastynge lyfe in heueÌ„ and was worshypfully buryed in a fayre abbey / the whiche he hymselfe fouÌ„ded where our lorde sheweth for this holy saynt many fayre myracles wherfore let vs deuoutly praye to this holy saynt that he praye for vs to our lorde that he haue mercy on vs to whome be gyuen lande honoure and empyre worlde withouten ende Amen ¶ Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Brandon Emprynted at London in the Fletestrete at the synge of the sonne By wynkyn de worde Wynken de Worde
wherin they sholde kepe theyr eester tyde than they sayled forth came soon after to that londe but bycause of lytell depth in some place in some place were great rockes but at the last they wente vpon an ylonde wenynge to them they had ben saufte made theron a fyre for to dresse theyr dyner but saynt Brandon abode styll in the shyppe whan that fyre was ryght hote the mete nygh soden than this ylōde began to moue / werof the monkes were aferde / fled anone to shyppe lefte the fyre mete behynde them meruayled sore of the mouynge / saynt Brandon comforted them and sayd that it was a great fysshe named Iasconie whiche laboured nyght day to put his tayle in his mouth but for gretenes he may not And than anone they sayled west thre dayes thre nyghtes or they sawe ony londe / wherfore they were ryghe heuy / but soone after as god wolde they sawe a fayre ylonde full of floures herbes trees / werof they thanked god of his good grace / anone they wente on londe / whan they had gone longe in this they foūde a full fayre well and therby stode a fayre tree full of bowes / on euery bough sate a fayre byrde / they sate so thycke on the tree that vnneth ony lefe of the tree myght be seen the nombre of them was so grete they sange so meryly that it was an heuenly noyse to here / wherfore saynt Brādon kneled downe on his knees wepte for Ioye / made his prayers deuoutly to our lorde god to knowe what these byrdes mente And than anone one of the byrdes fledde fro the tree to saynt Brandon he with flekerynge of his wynges made a full mery noyse lyke a fydle that hym semed he herde neuer so Ioyfull a melody / than saynt Brandon cōmaūded the byrde to tell hym the cause why they sate so thycke on the tree sange so merely / than the byrde sayd Somtyme we were aungelles in heuen / but whan our mayster lucyfer fell downe in to hell for his hye pryde / we fell with hym for our offences / some hyger / some lower after the qualyte of the trespace bycause our trespace is but lytell therfore our lorde hath set vs here out of all payne in full grete Ioye myrth after his pleasȳge here to sarue hȳ on this tree in the best maner we can / the sonday is a day of rest fro all worldly occupacyon / therfore that daye all we be made as whyte as ony snowe for to prayse our lorde in the best wyse we may / than this byrde sayd to saynt Brandon that it is .xii. monethes passed that ye departed fro your abbey in the .vii. yere here after ye shal se the place that ye desyre to come to / all this .vii yere ye shall kepe your ester here with vs euery yere / in the ende of the .vii. yere ye shal come in to the londe of byhest / this was on ester daye that the byrde sayd these wordes to saynt Brandon / than this byrde flewe ayen to his felowes the sate on the tree / than all the byrdes began to synge euēsonge so meryly that it was an heuenly noyse to here / after souper saynt Brandon his felowes wente to bedde slepte well / on the morne they arose by tymes / then̄e those byrdes began matyns pryme houres all suche seruyce as crysten men vse to synge / and saynt Brādon with his felowes abode there .viii. wekes tyll trynyte sondaye was past / they sayled agayne to the ylonde of shepe / there they vytayled thē wel / syth toke theyr leue of that olde man retourned agayne to shyppe / than the byrde of the tree came agayne to saynt Brandon / sayd I am come to tell you that ye shall sayle fro hens in to an ylonde wherin is an abbey of .xxiiii. monkes which is fro this place many a myle / there ye shal holde your crystmas your ester with vs lyke as I tolde you / than this byrde flewe to his felowes agayne And than saynt Brandon his felowes sayled forth in the occean / soone after fell a grete tempest on them / in whiche they were gretly troubled longe tyme sore for laboured / after that they founde by the purueaūce of god an ylonde whiche was ferre fro theym / than full mekely prayed to our lorde to sende thē thyder in saufte but it was .xl. dayes after or they came thyder / wherfor all the mōkes were so wery of that trouble that they set lytel pryce by theyr lyues / cryed cōtynually to our lorde to haue mercy on them brynge them to the londe in saufte / by purueaunce of god they came at the laste in to a lytell hauē / but it was so strayte that vnneth the shyppe myght come in / after they came to an ancre / anone the monkes wente to londe / whan they had longe walked aboute at the last they foūde two fayre welles / that one was fayre clere water / that other was som what troubly thycke And than they thanked our lorde full humbly that had brought them thyder in saufte they wolde fayne haue dronken of the water / but saynt Brandon charged them they sholde not take without lycence For yf we absteyne vs a whyle our lorde wyll puruaye for vs in the best wyse And anone after came to them a fayre olde man with hore here welcomed them full mekely kyssed saynt Brandon ledde them by many fayre welles tyl they came to a fayre abbey / where they were receyued with great honour solempne processy on with .xxiiij. mōkes all in ryall copes of cloth of golde and a ryall crosse was before them And than the abbot welcomed saynt Brandon his felawshyp and kyssed them full mekely / toke saynt Brandon by the honde ledde hym with his monkes in to a fayre hall / and sette them downe a rowe vpon the benche / and the abbot of the place wysshe all theyr fete with fayre water of the well that they sawe before / after ladde them in to the fratour and there sette them amonge his couent anone there came one by the purueyaunce of god / whiche serued them well of mete and drynke / for euery monke had set before hym a fayre whyte lofe and whyte rotes and herbes whiche were ryghte delycyous / but they wyste not what rotes they were / they dranke of the water of the fayre clere well that they sawe before whan they came fyrst to londe whiche saynt Brandon forbode them And the abbot came and chered saynt Brandon his monkes and prayed them ete and drynke for charyte / for euery daye our lorde sendeth a
goodly olde man that couereth this table and setteth our mete and drynke tofore vs / but we knowe not how it cometh / newe ordeyne neuer no mete ne drȳke for vs / and yet we haue ben .lxxx. yere here / euer our lorde worshypped be he fedeth vs / we be .xxiiij. monkes in nombre euery feryall daye of the weke he sendeth to vs .xii. loues euery sondaye feestfull daye .xxxiiii. loues / the brede that we leue at dyner we ete at souper / now at your comynge our lorde hathe sente to vs .xlviij. loues for to make you vs mery togyder as brethren / al way .xij. of vs go to dyner whyles other .xii. kepe the quyer / and thus haue we done this .lxxx. yere / for so longe haue we dwelled here in this abbey And we came hyder out of thabbey of saynt Patrykes in yrlonde And thus as ye se our lorde hath purueyed for vs / but none of vs knoweth how it cometh but god alone to whome be gyuen honour laude world without ende And here in this lond is euer fayre weder / and none of vs hath ben seke syth we came hyder / whan we goo to masse or to ony other seruyce of our lorde in the chyrche / anone seuentapers of waxe ben set in the quere ben lyght at euery tyme without mannes honde / soo brenne daye nyght at euery houre of seruyce and neuer waste ne mynysshe as longe as we haue ben here whiche is .lxxx. yere And than saynt Brandon wente to the chyrche with the abbot of the place and there they sayd euensonge togyder full deuoutly And than saynt Brandon loked vpwarde towarde the crucyfyxe / sawe our lorde hangynge on the crosse / whiche was made of fyne crystall curyously wrought And in the quere were .xxiiii. seetes for xxiiii monkes the seuen tapers brennynge / and the abbottes se et was made in the myddes of the quere And than saynt Brandon demaunded of the abbot how longe they had kepte that scylence that none of them spake to other And he sayd this .xxiiii. yere we spake neuer one to another / than saynt Brandon wepte for Ioye of theyr holy conuersacyon And than saynt Brandon desyred of the abbot that he his monkes myght dwel there styll with him To whome the abbot sayd Syr that may ye not do in noo wyse for our lorde shewed to you in what maner that ye shall beguyded tyll the seuē yere be fulfylled after that terme thou shalte with thy monkes retourne in to yrlonde in saufte / but one of the two monkes that came last shall dwell in the ylonde of ankers / that other shal go quyke to hell And as saynt Brandon kneled in the chyrche he sawe a bryght shynynge aūgell / came in at the wyndowe and lyghted all the lyghtes in the chyrche And than he flewe out agayne at the wyndowe to heuen / than saynt Brandon merueyled gretly how the lyght brenned so fayre wasted not And than the abbot sayd that it is wryten that Moyses sawe abusshe all on fyre / yet it dyde not brenne / therfore meruayle not therof / for that myght of oure lorde is now as great as euer it was And whan saynt Brandon had dwelled there fro crystmasse euē tyll the twelfth daye was passed Than he toke his leue of the abbot the couent retourned with his monkes to his shyppe and sayled fro thens with his monkes towarde the abbay of saynt Helarye But they had great tempestes in the see fro that tyme tyll palme sondaye And than they came to the ylonde of shepe there were receyued of the olde man whiche brought them to a fayre hall serued them And on she erthursdaye after souper he wasshed theyr fete kyssed them lyke as our lorde dyd to his dyscyples And there abode tyll saterdaye eester euen And than they departed sayled to the place where the grete fysshe laye / and anone they sawe theyr caudron vpon the fysshes backe / whiche they hadde lefte there twelue monethes tofore / and there they kepte the seruyce of the resurreccyon on the fysshes backe and after they sayled that same day by the mornynge to the ylonde where as the tree of byrdes was And than the sayde byrde welcomed saynt Brandon and all his felawshyp / and wente agayne to the tree and sange full meryly / there he and his monkes dwelled fro eester tyll trynyte sondaye as they dyde the yere before / in full great Ioye myrth And dayly they herde the mery seruyce of the byrdes syttynge on the tree And than the byrde tolde vnto saynt Brandon that he sholde retourne agayne at crystmasse to the abbey of monkes / at ester thyder agayne / and the other dele of the yere labour in the occean in full grete perylles / and fro yere to yere tyll the seuen yere be accomplysshed And than shall ye come vnto the Ioyfull place of paradys and dwell there .xl. dayes in full grete Ioye and myrth / and after ye shall retourne home in to your owne abbey in saufe and there ende your lyf and come to the blysse of heuen / to whiche our lorde bought you with his precyous blode ¶ And than the aungel of our lord ordeyned all thynge that was nedefull to saynt Brandon and to his monkes in vytaylles and all other thynges necessarye to them ¶ And than they thanked our lorde of his grete goodnes he had shewed to theym ofte in theyr grete nede and sayled forth to the grete see occean abidynge the mercy of our lorde in grete trouble and tempestes and sone after came to them an horryble fysshe whiche folowed the shyppe longe tyme castinge so moche water out of his mouthe in to the shyppe that they supposed to haue be drowned / wherfore they deuoutely prayed god to delyuer them of that grete peryll And anone after came an other fyssh gretre thā he out of the west see and faught with hym / at the last claue hym in thre pyeces than retourned agayne And than they thanked mekely oure lorde of theyr delyueraunce fro this grete peryl / but they were in grete heuynes bycause theyr vytales were nyghe spent / but by the ordynaunce of our lorde there came a byrde and brought to them a great braunche of a vyne full of rede grapes / by whiche they lyued .xiii. dayes / than they came too a lytell ylonde / wherin were many vynes full of grapes / they there londed thāked god / gadred as many grapes as they lyued by .xl. dayes after alwaye saylynge in the see in moche storme tempest / as they thus sayled sodeynly came fleynge toward them a grete grype whiche assayled them was lyke to haue destroyed theym wherfore they deuoutely prayed for helpe ayde of our lorde Ihesu cryste And than the byrde of the tree