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
possesseth lyfe of euerlasting ioy and blisse The 15. History SOmetime dwelled in Rome a noble Emperour named Agias which had retaining vnto him a Knight called Gerard which was a worthy warrior neuerthelesse he was as méeke as a Lambe in the Emperours courte but in the field he was like a Lion This Emperour had a faire daughter whome the strong and mightie Earle of Palester carryed perforce away and defiled neuerthelesse it displeased more themperour the defiling of his daughter than the carrying of hir away wherefore he called vnto him his counsayle and sayde Déere friends it is not vnknowen to you the despite and violence done to mée in deflowring of my daughter and therefore I purpose to giue battaile to the Earle wherefore I pray you to be ready at a day that ye may procéede with me in battaile And they sayde Lord we be readie to liue and dye with you in battaile When the apointed day of battaile came they met on both sides and a cruell sharp conflict was prosecuted on both sides and all that were of themperours part were slaine And as themperour himselfe should haue bene sorceably assayled the knight Gerard put himselfe among his enimies before themperour and fought manfully and so Themperour escaped and the knight aboad and slew the earle neuerthelesse this knight had diuers wounds This notwithstaÌ„ding he aboad still till the blood ran downe to his foote And when his enimies saw that the Earle was slaine they fledde and the Knight with his people â—â—â—â—owed on the 〈…〉 till hée came to the place where themperours daughter was and â—â—dde hâ—r with him And thus with triumph and victory he â—â—â—urned againâ— to themperour For â—â—â— which victory and reobtaining of themperours daughter he was greatly peaâ—â—â—d of all people Not long after it befel that this knight had a suâ—e to moue themperours court wherefore the knight came vnto themperour prayed him méekely to be fauorable in his cause and furthermore he prayed him to doe the reason touching his honest demaund When Themperour had heard him he called to him a Justice and sayd â—ir Justice our will is that you performe all equitie vnto this knight and that that the Law will And wheÌ„ the knight heard this he cryed with a lowd voice Alas alas who heard euer such a thing of an Emperour thou wert said hee in battaile where thy head should haue béene smitten off and I in myne owne person and none other man put my selfe in ieopardy for thée and saued thée and now thou hast assigned an other man to bee Judge in my cause alas that euer thou wert borne And with that word the knight put of all his clothes sheweh his wounds that hée had receiued in the battâ—â—â—e vnto all the men that were there present and sayde Loâ— what I haue suffered for thee Oh Emperour and I put none other man in my stâ—de and now thou assignest an other man in my cause For sooth I say to thée that I neuer serued such a Lord béefore When the Emperour heard this being almost confounded in himselfe said thus O Déere friend all that thou sayest is trouth thou sauedst mée from death thou diddest reobtaine my daughter againe and for my sake thou hast suffered many wounds For sooth it is right that I in my owne person come downe and make an end of thy cause such as may bee honour and ioye to thée And when themperour labored busily in this matter and made thereof an ende according to the knights entente wherefore all men greatly commended the Emperour The Morall Déere friends this Emperour may bée called euery Christian man or else all mankinde which had a faire daughter that is to say the soule made to the similitude of God This Earle beetokeneth the diuell which carryeth away deflowreth by sinne the soule of man through eating of the fruite of the tree knowing good and euill wherefore all mankind was in thraldom til a strong and valiant knight came and put himselfe on the Crosse to suffer death as a redéemer of mankinde from the diuell For if that had not béene wée had all beene partakers of thraldome euerlaistngly and this Knight reduced and reobtayned the Soule of man vnto the Church wherefore hée suffered many great wounds in his body And now this knight that is to saye our Lord Jesu Christ hath a matter to doe among vs that is to saye to fynde in vs perfecte life wherefore hee calleth on vs dayly that wée shold bée redy at all times saying thus in the Apocalipse iii. Eccesto ab hostium pulso si quis mihi aparuerit introibo câ—nibo That is to say Loe I stand and knocke at the dore if any man will open to mee I shall come in suppe with him But many men doe as the Emperour dyd the which appointed the knight an other Judge then him selfe But now a dayes there bée some men that will doe no repentaunce for the loue of him which assigned no man but himselfe to fight for vs. And therefore against vnthankfull persons it shal bee sayde thus Loe hée suffered for vs on the Crosse despoyled of all his clothing and showeth to vs all his wouÌ„ds that hee suffered for vs. Bée wée therefore thankfull vnto God for his graces that wée may suffer for his loue some sorowfull repentaunce For hée that suffereth paine for the loue of God in this life shall receiue an hundrid tymes more reward in the lyfe euerlasting and also hée shall obtaine euerlasting life vnto the which our Lord Jesus bring all mankinde Amen The Argument The soule of man is heere warned to eschew the pleasant baites and subtill craft of the diuell that shee yeeld not to his allutments least shee bee ouercome of him and hee get the vantage of this mortall course from hir and bereue hir of the ioyes in the lyfe to come The 16. History THere dwelt somtimes in Rome a witty emperour namid Pompey which had a fayre daughter called Aglas This daughter had many vertues aboue all other women of that Empyre First shee was faire and gracious in the sight of euery man She was also swift in running that no man might ouertake hir by a great space When Themperour vnderstood these two vertues in his daughter hée was right ioyfull wherefore hée made to proclaime throughout all his Empyre that what man poore or riche would runne with his daughter should haue hir to wyfe with great riches if hée might ouerrunne hir and come sooner to the marke then shée and if shée ouer runne him and come sooner to the marke then hée his heade should bée smitten off When the states of that Empyre as Dukes Earles Barrons and knights heard this crye they offered themselues one after an other to runne with hir but euer this young Lady ouer-ranne them all wherfore they lost their heads according to the law That time there was a poore man dwelling in Rome which thought within himselfe I
am a poore man and come of poore kinred there is made a common crie that what man so euer might ouerrunne the Emperours daughter by any wise should be promoted to great honour and richesse therefore if I might ouercome hir by any maner waie I should not onley bée promoted to great honour but also all my kinred This poore man prouided himselfe of thrée Jewells whereby hee might winne hir First he made a garland of red roses and of white Secondly he made a faire girdle of silke runningly wrought Thirdly hée made a pursse of silke imbroderâ—d with precious stones and within the pursse was a ball of thrée coulours and vppon this pursse was wrought this posey Who playeth with mee shall neuer bee wery of my playe Then put hée these thrée things in his bosome and went foorth to the pallayes gate crying and saying Come foorth fayre Lady come foorth for I am redy to runne with you and fulfill the lawe in all things When themperour heard this hée commaunded his daughter to runne with him This yong lady went to hir chamber window and when she saw him shée despised him and sayd I haue ouercome many worthy knights and now must I runne with a chorle neuerthelesse I shall fulfil my fathers coÌ„maundement Anone the damosell arayed hir for to runne with him And at the last they ranne together and within short space the damosell went farre afore him When this Jugler saw this hée threw foorth the garland of flowers béefore hir And when the damosell beheld and saw that shée stouped downe and tooke it vp and set it vpon hir head and that while the Jugler went afore hir And when this yong damosell saw this shee wept sore and for sorow shee threw the garland in a ditch and ranne after him diligently at the last shée ouertooke him and lift vp hir right hand and gaue him a buffet saying to him thus Abide thou wretch it beeséemeth not thy fathers sonne to haue mée to his wife And this young Lady went béefore him a great space And when the Jugler saw this hée toke on t the girdle of his bosome and threw it beefore hir And when shée saw that lightly shée stouped downe toke it vp and anone gyrde hir therewith and then the Jugler went againe béefore hir And when she saw that she made great lamentation and tooke the girdle with hir téeth tare it in thrée péeces and then threw it from hir and then shee ranne fast after him at the last ouer tooke him and then shee toke vp hir hand gaue him a great blow saying these words O wretch thinkest thou to ouercome mée and with that shée ranne béefore him a great speace The Jugler â—as slye and subâ—â—il and aboad till that shée was almost at the marke and then hee threw forth beefore hir the Pursse and when shee saw this Pursse anone shee stouped downe and tooke it vp and opened it and found the ball and red the posey Who playeth with mee shall neuer bee weary of my play And then began she to playe and so long she continued in playing till that the Jugler was before hir at the marke And thus he wanne thmperours daughter The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is our sauiour Christ and his fayre daughter is mans Soule which was made cleane with the water of regneration or baptisme and was also swift in running that is to saye in vertue while that she is in cleannesse so that no deadly sinne might ouercome hir This Jugler that is of so subtill and craftie liuing is the diuell the which studieth day and night to deceiue innocents Hée prouideth him of thrée thinges First of the garland which betokeneth pryde by this reason for why a garland of flowers is not set vpon the arme nor vpon the foote but vpon the head that it may bée séene Right so pride would be seene against proude men speaketh sainct Augustine saying thus Quemcunque superbum videris filium diaboli dici non dubites That is to saye what proude man that thou maist sée doubt yée not to call him the sonne of the diuell Do thou therefore as the maiden did bewayle thy sinnes and take of the garland of pryde and cast it in the ditch of heartie repentaunce and so shalt thou giue the diuell a great buffet and ouercome him But when this Jugler that is to say our ghostly enimie the diuell séeth himselfe ouercome in one sinne than he returneth tempteth a man in an other sinne and casteth before man the girdle of lechery But alas there be very many gyrd with the gyrdel of lechery of the which gyrdle speaketh saint Gregory saying thus Gyrde we our loynes with the gyrdle of chaslitie for who so euer is gyrt with this gyrdle shall not leese the course of lyfe Then casteth the Jugler foorth that is to say the diuell the pursse with the ball The pursse that is open aboue and close vnder betokeneth the hart which euermore should be close in the bottome against earthly things open aboue to heauenly ioy the two strings that openeth and shitteth the pursse betokeneth the loue of God of our neighbours The bal which is round moueable to euery part of his difference betokeneth couetise which moueth euer both in yong and in olde and therfore the posey was good true that was wrought on the pursse Who so playeth with mée that is to say with couetousnesse shal neuer be satisfied Therfore saith Seneca Cum omnia pectam senescunt sola cupiditas iuuenescit When that all sinne was olde than couetise all onely waxeth young Therfore let vs take héed that wée play not with this ball of couetousnes thaÌ„ without doubt wée shal obtaine gaine the game with the tennes Ball in the blisse of heauen that neuer shall haue ende Unto the which blisse bring vs hee that shed his precious blood for vs. Amen The Argument The preaching of Gods word euery good prayer practise as it is a souÌ„ding melody in the eares of God and hath a tyme of felicitie for the delectation of mans minde yet there is now and than stirred vppe some one or other sinister meanes by sathaÌ„ our whistling aduersary that the same is hindred for a tyme tyll the prouidence of God send forth godly preachers which with the hooke of gods word do win againe the lost felicitie so recouer the fall of such soules as were seduced into the perpetuall feloship or angells in heauen The 17 Historie SOmtime in Rome dwelled a mightie Emperour and a wise named Theodosius which aboue all other thinge hée loued best two thinges namely the Musicke vpon the Harpe and pastâ—â—e of hunting It befell after vpon a day as this Emperour hunted in a forest he heard so swéete a noyse of harp sthat through the swéetnes therof he was almost rauished of his witts wherefore he sought about the forest to sinde that melody and at the last he
better it were that I goe méete him with all honour and humilitie and accuse my selfe to him aske him mercie then any other should preuent mée accuse mée to my Lord of my treason Then the Steward streight put of all his clothes saue his hosen and his shert and tooke three ropes with him in his right hand and bare foote went and met the Emperour But when themperour had espied him comming a far of in such maner hee wondred greatly And when the steward was come so néere that hee might speake to the Emperour hée fell downe on his knees and saluted him reuerently Then said the Emperour what is beefalne thee that thou mâ—etest mée after such a sort for so much as thou art my steward thou shouldest haue mette mée with a great company of knights A my Lord quod hée there is beefallen mée an heauie case for the which it béehoueth mee thus to méete your highnes Then said the Emperour what case is that that is béefallen thee My reuerend Lord quod hée it be houeth first your 〈…〉 nesse to aske of mee why I bring with mee these three ropes Then sayd themperour why bearest thou these thrée ropes in thy hand Then answered this wofull steward and said This first corde I bring with mée to binde my hands and féete so hard till the blood brast out on euery side for that I haue well deserued The second rope I bring with mée to draw mee by a horse tayle vppon the pauement till that the bones bee bare without flesh for thou shall bée due to mée for the great treason I haue done against you The third rope that I haue brought is to hang mee with vppon an high galous so long that the byrds light on my head and on my body and feede them selues of my flesh and these things are due to such trespassers and breakers of the lawe as I am and therefore my reuerend Lord haue mercy on mée for I dare not knowledge my trespasse till I bee certaine of thy mercy and pittie TheÌ„ said themperour I sée in thée great méeknesse and contrition therefore tell foorth thy treaspasse soothly thou shalt finde mercy and grace Alas alas then saide hee I haue defiled thy daughter and driuen hir out of thy pallais and now in extreame necessitie shee beggeth hir bread from dore to dore I haue also dispoiled thy knights of all their goods and now some of them by meanes they lack liuings beecome théeues and robbers some mankillers and the comptrowler of the knights I haue slayne But I haue fedde thy graihound with the best meate as long as I might and tied him with a chayne but at the last hée brake his chaine went his way so that now hee runneth about in the country When the Emperour heard this hée was sore astonied and said Hast thou deâ—loured my daughter whome I loued so well and also exiled my knights and slaine their comptrowler and the greyhound which I loued best of whome I gaue thée charge is gone also certes were it not that I had forgiuen it thée and that thou humble thy selfe so greatly I should put thée to the most vilest death that could bee thought Therfore depart hence foorthwith and bring againe my daughter then mayst thou marry with hir if any harme heereafter beefall to â—â—r in thy default then shall I double thy punishment Also bring thou againe my knights and restore to them their goods and let them in their state and office as they were before And also seeke diligâ—tly my greyhound till thou sinde him then make him tâ—st so that in shee heereafter may bee sound no default And when the steward heard this hee bowed with most humble submission downe his head and thanked the Emperour of his great 〈…〉 And then hée went soorth and sought through all the Empyre so long till hée had sound the Emperours daughter and the knights and also the greyhound and brought them againe And after that he had got to wise the yong lady with great honour ioye and also restored againe the knights goods And at the last hee ended his life in peace and rest The Morall This Emperour béetokeneth our Lord Jesu Christ His daughter béetokeneth the soule of man made after the similitude of our Lord God And the v. knights béetokeneth the v. wits armed with the vertue of baptim for the preseruation of the soule The comptrouller of the knights is reason which ought to rule the wits The greyhound is the flesh of man The steward betokeneth euery man to whoÌ„e god hath giuen life soule to keepe vnder paine of léesing euerlasting life But a wretched wicked man remembryng not that is to come full often corrupteth and poluteth his soule with sinne and repelleth hir from hir Pallayes of heauen and then wandreth shee from dore to dore that is to say from sinne to sinne Hee dispoiled these v. knights of their goods that is to say the v. wittes of theirs or rather gracious vertues taking away the naturall light from their eyes exhorteth them disorderly and also mouyng the eares to listen vnto slaunder and backbiting and so forth of all the other wittes and thus some bee made theeues some mankillers The master of these v. wittes is flame when so euer man is ruled by will and not by reason The greyhound that is the flesh wherein a man deliteth was fedde and bound with a chaine of reason which hee breaketh full oâ—t and runneth out and doth much harme The comming againe of this Emperour from the holy land betokeneth the comming of our Lord Jesu Christ at the day of dome to iudge all mankinde Therefore doe wee as the stewarde did accuse wee first our selfe of our sinnes least the diuell the world accuse vs then it is to late to aske mercie therfore put wee off our clothes betime that is to say our sinfull life and take wee thrée ropes in our hands The first rope that should bynd our hands and feete beetokeneth the rope of true repentaunce which not onely â—ught to binde our hands feete but also both our hearts within vs and our outward conuersation in such austeritie of life that the blood brast out on euery side that is to say that sinne might issue and voide it felse Héere to accordeth Ezechiell saying thus In quacunque hora egerit penâ—tentiam pecator saluus erit When so euer the sinfull man doth repent himselfe he shall be saued The second cord for to draw the trespasser is acknowledging of our sinnes which should draw vs from the beginning of our life vnto our liues ende by the party reconsiliation to our selues to God man vnto the time that the flesh be fallen from the bones that is to say till the lust of the flesh bée turned away by the stones of repentaunce For in like wise as the stone by nature and kind is hard right so the way of repentaunce ought to bée hard The
giuen most of my lands rents tenements and cattells to the rich men that came before you Neuerthelesse I haue kept sâ—ill in mine owne hands the Soueraigntie and dominion ouer them and that I doe giue to you and so shall they be your seruaunts and be obedient to you all And when the poore men heard this greatly hereat reioysing knéeled downe to the Emperour and thanked him saying Lo though wée come late yet wée be made Lords ouer all these other And with this they tooke their leaue went home againe But when the rich the mightie men heard that they were greatly moued and ordained a common parliameÌ„t among themselues And thus it was spoken among them Alas alas how may we serue them that sometime were but pesants and our subiects in all maner thinges and now they bée made lords ouer vs. Therefore goe wée all with one assent to Themperour pray him of remedy When this was sayd their counsayle was commended and foorthwith they went to the Emperour and said to him Reuerend Lord what may this bée those that were our seruants be our lords we beséech you méekly that it may not be so Than said the Emperour Good friends I doe you no wrong for my crye was common that what so euer you asked of me you should obtaine your petition and ye asked nothing of me but lands rents and honours and all that haue I graunted you at your owene will in so much that I kept nothing for my selfe and each of you were well content at your away going after that came simple and poore men and asked of mée some goods according to my proclamation and I had nothing to giue them onely the Souer aigntie and Dominion ouer you which I kept in my handes and when the poore menne so cryed on mée I had nothing to giue them saue onely the authoritie ouer you and therfore ye should not blame mée for that ye asked ye had Than sayd they A good and gracious Lord we pray you effectuously of your counsayle in this case and of your help The Emperour answered and sayd Sirs if ye will work after mée I shall giue you good and profitable counsayle Than sayd they wée be readie to fulfill whatsoeuer ye saye to vs for our profit Then said Themperour My good friends ye haue of mée both landes and tenements with other moueable goods and that great plenty the which by my counsayle ye shall depart with to the poore menne that they may graunt you the soueraâ—gntie and dominien which they haue And anone these rich men gladly graunted to this and departed all their goods among the poore men and than they gaue them againe the authoritie ouer them like as they had of the rich men And thus were they both content and the Emperour was greatly commended of all the people bicause he accorded both the partes so wisely The Morall By this Emperour is vnderstood our Lorde Jesu Christ which made a proclamation by his Prophets Patriarks Apostles and Preachers that euerye man both poore and riche should come and aske euerlasting ioy and without doubt they shall obtaine their petition But the rich and mightie men asked none other thing but worldly honour transitory riches for this world shall passe all the couetousnesse thereof wherefore he gaue them so much of worldly goods that he had nothing left of himselfe according to the Scripture The byrds of heauen haue neastes and the Foxes in the earth haue caues but the sonne of GOD hath nothing in the earth where he may put his head The poore men bée such as be méeke in hart Of the which poore men speaketh our Lorde saying Blessed bée the poore in heart for the kingdome of heauen is theirs And if it should séeme that they haue soeueraintie in Heauen aboue mightie men of this world therefore these rich men ought to depart thir temporall riches with poore men according to the scripture saying thus Giue yée alines and all thing shal be cleane to you And thus may yée attaine vnto the kingdome of heauen vnto the which I béeseech almightie God to bring vs all Amen The Argument The Emperour of eternall glorie Christ hath two daughters the one faire the other foule the faire daughter is this world and the pleasures thereof the soule is pouerty trouble The fayre daughter is desired of many the foule daughter of fewe who so loueth the world setteth not by god nor heauenly things but by the vanites of this world who so loueth God heauenly things will suffer in Christ all persecution trouble for the obtaining therof dispising the world all that therein is The 27. Historie SOmetime in Rome dwelt a mightie Emperour named Domician which had two daughters the one of them was passing fayre but the other foule and euill fauored wherfore hée lette crye throughout all his Empyre that what man would haue his faire daughter to wyfe should haue nothing with hir but hir beautifull and comely personage And who so would marry his foule daughter should haue all his Empyre after his death And when the proclamation was made there came many Lords that desired to marry his faire daughter To whome the Emperour answered thus Sirs quod hée yée wote not what yée desire right well yée know that if yée marry hir yee shal haue nothing with hir but hir beautifull comely personage and farthermore if I giue hir to one of you and not to an other then will yée striue for hir therefore if yée will néedes haue hir and forsake my soule daughter it shall béehoue you first to Just for hir hée that winneth hir shall wed hir Than the nobles stats of the Empire greatly reioysed and anone onely for loue of the beautiful damosell they would iust and also fight wherefore thy set a daie of battaile and many worthy men were slaine on both sides neuerthelesse one obtained the chiefe victory and espoused that faire Lady The second daughter which was foule and euill fauored séeing hir sister so béestowed with great solempnitie mourned wept dayly therefore the Emperour hir father came to hir and saide Déere daughter why mournest thou thus Alas déere father quod shée it is no wonder though I mourne séeing my sister is married with great honour gladnesse and euery man is ioyfull of hir no man loueth my company and therfore déere father what I may best doe sothly I wot not Then saide the Emperour O my déere daughter all that is mine is thine and it is not vnknowen to you that hée which marrieth thy sister had nothing with hir but hir beutiful corps therfore I shal proclaim in mine own persoÌ„ through all my empire that what man marrieth thée I shall make him assurance by letter patent of all mine Empyre after my death Then this young Lady though shée was foule euill fauored neuerthelesse shée reioyced in the promisse of hir father immediatly after the proclamation
lead read the superscription who so chooseth me shall finde that God hath disposed Thinking within hir selfe this vessell is not passing riche ne thorowly precious neuerthelesse the superscription saith who so chooseth mée shall finde that God hath disposed without doubt God neuer disposed any harme therefore as now I will choose this vessell by the leaue of God When the Emperour saw this he said O good Mayden open thy vessell for it is full of precious Stones and sée if thou hast well chosen or no. And when this yong Lady had opened it she found it full of fine gold and precious stones lyke as the Emperour had foretold hir béefore And than sayd the Emperour O my déere daughter because thou hast wisely chosen therefore shalt thou wed my sonne And when he had so said he ordained a marriage and wedded them together with great solempnitie much honour and so continued to theyr liues ende The Morall This Emperour betokeneth the Father of heauen that which was long tyme without a naturall Sonne wherefore many men were in danger of perishing in hell The Emprisse conceiued when the Angell Gabriell sayde Loe thou shalt conceiue and beare a childe And than the firmamēt began to cléere when this little childe lightened the world with his byrth The Moone that béegan to ware pale when the face of the Uirgin Mary was ouershadowed by vertue of the grace of the holy ghost and not onely hir face was thus shadolwed but also hir bodie for shée was conceiued with childe as an other Woman wherefore Ioseph would haue forsaken hir priuily and gone away The little byrd that came from the one side of the Moone betokeneth our Lord Jesu Christ which at mydnight was borne of our Ladie wrapped in clothes layd in an Oxe stall The two beasts beetokeneth the Oxe and the Asse that Ioseph brought with him which honoured him in his byrth These other beastes that came from farre béetokeneth your heards in the field to whom the Angell said thus Ecce nuncio vobis gaudium magnum Lo I shew to you great ioye The byrds that sung so swéetly béetokeneth the Angells of heauen which sung at his birth this ioyfull song Gloria in excelsis Joy to God aboue and peace to men in earth The king of Amply which held warre againe the Emperour beetokeneth all mankinde that was contrarie to God as long as he was in the diuells power But immediately when our Lord Jesu Christ was borne hée bowed himselfe to God béesought him of peace when he receiued his baptim for at our baptising we promised to drawonely to God and forsake the diuell and all his pomps This king gaue his daughter in marriage to the Emperours sonne Right so eche of vs ought to giue his soule in marriage to Gods sonne for hée is alwayes redye to receiue our soule to his spouse according to the scripture saying thus Desponfabo ipsam mihi I will spouse hir to mée But or the soule may come to the pallays of heauen hir béehoueth to sayle by the sea of this world in the Shippe of good lyfe but oftentimes there aryseth a Tempest in the Sea that is to saye trouble of this Worlde the temptation of the flesh and the suggestion of the diuell aryseth sodainely drowneth the vertues that the Soule receiueth in Baptisme neuerthelesse yet falleth shée not out of the shippe of charitie but kéepeth hir selfe surely therein by fayth and hope For as the Apostle saith Spe salui facti sumus By hope wée bée saued For it is impossible to be saued without hope or Faith The great Whale that followed the Maiden béetokeneth the diuell which by night and by day lyeth in a wayte to ouercome the Soule by sinne therfore doe wée as dyd the Maiden smyte wée fire of charitie and loue out of the stone that is Christ according to this saying Ego sum lapis I am a stone And certaynely the diuell shall haue no power to grieue vs. Many men begin wèll as did the Maiden but at the last they bée wery of their good workes and so sléepe they in sinne And anone when the diuell perceiueth this hée deuoureth the sinner in euill thoughts delights consent and worke Therefore if any of vs féele our selfe in such life vnder the power of the diuell let him doe as the Mayde dyd smite the diuell with the knife of bitter repentaunce than kindle the fire of charitie and without doubt he shall cast thée on the lande of good life The Earle that came with his seruants to slay the Whale betokeneth a discréet Preacher which dwelleth béeside the sea that is to say béeside the world and not in the worlde that is to saye not drawing to worldly delectation but euer is redye with good wordes of holye scripture to sly the diuell and to distroy his power wée must all crye with an high voice as did this Mayden knowledging our sinnes and than shall wée be deiliuered from the diuell and nourished with vertuous exercise The Emperour sheweth this Mayden thrée vessells that is to say God putteth before man life death good and euill which of these that he chooseth hée shall obtaine Therefore saith Sampson Ante hominem mors vita Death and lyfe is sette before man choose which him lyst And yet man is vncertaine whether he bée worthy to choose lyfe béefore death By the first vessell of golde full of dead mennes bones we shall vnderstand some worldly men both mightie men riche which outwardly shine as golde in riches and pomps of this world Neuerthelesse within they be full of dead mennes bones that is to saye the workes that they haue wrought in this world bene dead in the sight of god thorough deadly sinne Therefore if any man choose such life he shall haue that he deserueth that is to say hell And such men be like toumbes that be white and roially painted and arayed without and couered with cloth of gold and silke but within there is nothing but dry bones By the second vessell of siluer we ought to vnderstand some Justices wise men of this world which shine in faire speach but within they be full of wormes and earth that is to saye theyr faire speach shall auaile them no more at the day of iudgement than wormes of earth and paraduenture lesse for than shall they suffer euerlasting paine if they dye in deadly sinne By the third vessell of lead full of golde and precious stones we ought to vnderstand a simple life and a poore which the chosen men choose that they may be wedded to our blessed Lorde Jesu Christ by humilitie and obeysance and such men beare with them precious stones that is to saye faith and hir fruitfull workes pleasinge to God by the which at the iudgement day they be espoused to our Lord Jesu Christ and obtaine the heritage of heauen vnto the which bring vs he that dyed on the Crosse Amen The Argument ¶