broder erle of Rychemonde By whom she was made moder of the kinge that deed is whose soule god ê‘don grandame to our souerayne lorde kyng Henry the .viii. whiche now by the grace of god gouerneth the realme So what by lygnage what by affinite she had .xxx. kinges quenes within the .iiii. degre of maryage vnto her Besyde erles markyses dukes and princes And thus moche we haue spoken of her noblenes SEconde the blessyd Martha is praysed in chastysynge her body by crysten dyscyplyne as in abstynence fastyng sharpe clothes werynge chastite with other Whiche thing albeit necessary to euery crysten persone wyllynge to be saued yet it is moche more to be praysed in the nobles hauyng this worldy lyberte As it was in this noble prynces late deceased whome my purpose is not vaynly to extol or to magnyfye aboue her merytes but to the edefyenge of other by thexaÌ„ple of her I wold reherce somwhat of her demeanyÌ„g in this behalue her sobre temperauÌ„ce in metes drynkes was knowen to al them that were conuersauÌ„t with her wherin she lay in as grete wayte of herself as ony ê‘sone myght kepinge alway her strayte mesure offendyng as lytel as ony creature myght EschewyÌ„ge bankettes reresoupers ioncryes betwyxe meales As for fastynge for aege feblenes albeit she were not bouÌ„de yet tho dayes that by the chirche were appoynted she kept them diligently sereously in especyall the holy lent thrugh out that she restrayned her appetyte tyl one mele tyl one fysshe on the day besyde her other peculer fastes of deuocion as saint Anthony mary Maudeleyn saynt Katheryn with other And thorowe out al the yere the fryday saterday she full truely obserued As to harde clothes wering she had her shertes gyrdyls of heere whiche whaÌ„ she was in helth eueri weke she fayled not certayne dayes to weare somtyme that one somtyme that other that full often her skynne as I herde her say was perced therwith As for chastyte thoughe she alway contynued not in her vyrgynte yet in her husbaÌ„des dayes longe tyme before that he deyede she opteyned of hym lycence promysed to lyue chast in the handes of the reuerende fader my lorde of London whiche promyse she renewed after her husbandes dethe in to my handes agayne wherby it may appere the dyscyplyne of her body THyrdly the blessyd Martha is coÌ„mended in orderynge of her soule to god by often knelynges by sorowfull wepynges by contynual prayers medytacyons wherin this noble prynces somwhat toke her part Fyrst in prayer euery daye at her vprysynge whiche comynly was not longe after .v. of the clock she began certayne deuocyons so after theym with one of her gentylwomen the matynes of our lady whiche kepte her to then she came in to her closet where then with her chapelayne she sayd also matyns of the daye And after that dayly herde .iiij. or .v. masses vpon her knees soo contynuynge in her prayers deuocions vnto the hour of dyner whiche of the etynge daye was .x. of the clocke vpon the fastynge day .xj. After dyner ful truely she wolde go her stacyons to thre aulters dayly Dayly her dyryges coÌ„mendacyons she wolde saye And her euensonges before souper bothe of the daye of our lady besyde many other prayers psalters of Dauyd thrugh out the yere And at nyght before she wente to bedde she faylled not to resorte vnto her chapell there a large quart of an hour to occupye her in deuocyoÌ„s No meruayl though al this long tyme her knelyÌ„ge was to her paynfull and so paynfull that many tymes it caused in her backe payne and dysease And yet neuertheles dayly whan she was in helth she faylled not to say the crowne of our lady whiche after the manere of Rome conteyneth .lx. and thre aues and at euery aue to make a knelynge As for medytacyon she had dyuers bokes in Frensshe wherwith she wolde occupy herselfe whan she was wery of prayer Wherfore dyuers she dyde translate oute of Frensshe in to Englysshe Her meruayllous wepynge they can bere wytnes of whiche here before haue herde her confessyon whiche be dyuers and many at many seasons in the yere lyghtly euery thyrde daye can also recorde the same tho the were present at ony tyme whaÌ„ she was housylde whiche was ful nye a dosen tymes euery yere what flodes of teeres there yssued forth of her eyes she myght wel saye Exitus aquarum deduxeruÌ„t oculi mei And more ouer to thentente all her werkes myght be more acceptable and of gretter meryte in the syght of god suche godly thynges she wolde take by obedyence whiche obedyence she promysed to the fore named fader my lorde of London for the tyme of his beynge with her And afterwarde in lyke wyse vnto me whereby it if may appere the dylygent ordre of her soule to god FOurthe the holy Martha is magnyfyed for her godly hospytalyte and charytable dealynge to her neyghbours Moche besynes there is in kepynge hospytalyte And therfore oure lorde sayd vnto her Martha martha solicita es tbarê erga plri The housholde seruauÌ„tes muste be put in some good ordre The straungers of honeste whiche of theyr curtesy resorteth for to vysyte the souerayne must be consydered And the suters also whiche cometh compelled by necessyte to seche helpe socoure in theyr cause muste be herde And the poore nedy specyally wold be releued conforted Fyrst her owne houshold with meruayllous dylygence wysdome this noble prynces ordred prouydynge reasonable statutes ordynauÌ„ces for them whiche by her offycers she coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be redde .iiij. tymes a yere And oftentymes by herself she wolde soo louyngly courage euery of them to doo well And somtyme by other meane persones Yf ony faccyons or bendes were made secretely amongest her hede offycers she with grete polycye dyde boulte it oute and lyke wyse yf ony stryfe or contreuersy she wolde with grete dyscrecyon study the reformacyon therof ¶ For the straungers o meruayllous god what payn what labour she of her veray gentylnes wolde take with them to bere them maner and company intrete euery persone And entertean them accordynge to theyr degre and hauour prouyde by her owne coÌ„maundement that nothynge sholde lacke that myght be conuenyent for them wherin she had a wonderfull redy remeÌ„brauÌ„ce perfyte knowlege ¶ For the suters it is not vnknowen how studyously she procured Justyce to be admynystred by a long season so longe as she was suffred And of her owne charges prouyded men lerned for the same purpose euenly indyfferently to here all causes and admynystre ryght and Justyce to euery party whiche were in no small nombre And yet mete and drynke was denyed to none of them ¶ For the poore creatures albeit she dyd not receyue in to her house our sauyour in his owne persone as the blessyd Martha dyde she neuertheles receyued theim that dothe
sum resurrectio vita That is I am sayth he the veray cause of raysynge of the body And I am also the veraye cause of lyfe vnto the soule As who saye tho the rysynge of the body be delayed for a season the soule neuertheles shal for the meane tyme haue a pleasaunt a swete lyfe A lyfe full of comfort a lyfe full of ioye pleasure a lyfe voyde of all sorow encombrauÌ„ce a lyf not lyke vnto the lyfe of this wretched world whiche is alway entermelled with moche bitternes eyther with sorowes eyther with dredes or elles with perylles In hoc mundo non dolere noÌ„ timere non periclitari impossibile est Sayeth saynt Austyn It is impossyble to lyue in this worlde not to sorowe not to drede not to be in peryl This same noble prynces yf she had contynued in this worlde she sholde dayly haue herde sene mater cause of sorowe as well in herselfe as in her frendes parauenture Her body dayly sholde haue waxen more unweldy her syght sholde haue be derked and her herynge sholde haue dulled more and more her legges sholde haue faylled her by by And all the other partyes of her body waxe more crased euery daye whiche thynges sholde haue ben mater to her of grete dyscomforte And albeit these thinges had not fallen vnto her forth with yet she sholde haue lyued alwaye in a drede and a fere of them Dare I say of her she neuer yet was in that prosperyte but the gretter it was the more alwaye she dredde the aduersyte For whan the kynge her sone was crowned in all that grete tryumphe glorye she wepte meruayllously And lyke wyse at the grete tryumphe of the maryage of prynce Arthur And at the laste coronacyon wherin she had full grete Joye she let not to saye that some aduersyte wolde folowe so that eyther she was in sorowe by reason of the present aduersytes or elles whan she was in prosperite she was in drede of the aduersyte for to come I passe ouer the perylles daungers innumerable whiche dayly hourly myght haue happed vnto her wherof this lyf is ful And therfore saynt Gregory sayth Uita hec terrena eterne vite comparata mors est potius di cenda quam vita And for that cause who that ones hathe tasted the pleasures of that lyfe this is vnto them a veray dethe for euer after Example of Lazarê° whiche after that he was restored to the myseryes of this lyfe agayne he neuer lough but was in contynuall heuynes and pensyfnesse Now therfore wolde I aske you this one questyon Were it not suppose ye al this considerd a meetly thyÌ„g for vs to desyre to haue this noble princes here amoÌ„gest vs agayn to forgo the ioyous lyfe aboue to wante the presence of the gloryous trynyte whoÌ„ she so longe hathe sought honoured to leue that moost noble kyngdome to be absent frome the moost blessyd company of sayntes sayntesses hether to come agayn to be wrapped endauÌ„gered with the mysteres of this wretched worlde with the paynfull dyseases of her aege with the other encomberaunces that dayly happethe in this myserable lyfe Were this a reasonable request of oure partye were this a kynde desyre were this a gentyl wysshel that where she hathe ben so kinde louyÌ„g a maystresse vnto vs all we sholde more regarde our owne prouffytes then her more synguler wele comforte The moder that hathe so grete affeccyon vnto her sone that she wyll not suffre hym to departe from her to his promocyon furtherauÌ„ce but alway kepe hym at home more regardynge her owne pleasure than hys we le were not she an vnkinde vngentyl moder yes verayly let vs therfore thyÌ„ke our moost louyng maystres is gone hens for her promocyon for her grete furtheraunce for her moost wele prouffyte And herin comforte vs herin reioyse ourselfe thanke almyghty god whiche of his infynyte mercy so gracyously hathe dysposed for her But ye wyll say vnto me Syr yf yf We were sure of this we wolde not be sory but be ryght hertly glad ioyous therfor As for suerte veray suerte can not be had but only by the reuelacyon of god almighty Neuertheles as farre as by scrypture this thyÌ„ge can be assured in th ende of this gospel folowingly iz made by our sauyour a stronge argument almost demoÌ„stratyue of this same thynge the argumeÌ„t is this Euery persone that putteth theyr full truste in cryst IhuÌ„ Albeit they be deed in theyr bodyes yet shall they neuertheles haue lyfe in theyr soules that lyf that neuer shall haue ende But this noble prynces she put her ful truste in cryste â–ª Ihesu verayly byleuynge that he was the sone of god came in to this worlde for the redempcyon of synners wherfore it must necessaryly folowe that albeit her body be deed her soule is in that ioyous lyfe that neuer shall cease The fyrste parte of this argument foloweth in the gospell Qui credit in me etiam simortuus fuerit viuet That is to say who that fully trusteth in cryst IhuÌ„ albeit they be deed in theyr bodies they neuertheles shal lyue in theyr soules But yet we wante a lytell I sayd more than this I saw that lyfe shall neuer haue ende for this also it foloweth Et oeÌ„s qui viuit credit iÌ„ me noÌ„ moriet ineternuÌ„ That is to saye euery persone that hathe this lyfe this full trust in Ihesu shall neuer dye So here appereth well that fyrst parte of our argument For the .ij. part now that this noble prynces had full fayth in Ihesu cryste it may appere yf ony wyll demauÌ„de this questyon of her that our sauyour demauÌ„ded of Martha he sayd to her Credis hoc Byleuist thou this what is that that this geÌ„tylwoman wolde not byleue she that ordeyned .ij. contynual reders in bothe the vnyuersytes to teche the holy dyuynyte of Ihesu she that ordeyned prechers perpetuall to publysshe that doctryne fayth of cryste Ihesu she that buylded a college royall to the honour of the name of crist Ihesu lefte tyll her executours another tobe buylded to mayntayn his fayth doctryne Besyde al this fouÌ„ded in the monastery of westmynster where her body lyeth thre prestes to praye for her perpetually She whom I haue many tymes herde saye that yf the crysten prynces wolde haue warred vpon the enmyes of his faith she wold be glad yet to go folowe the hoost helpe to wasshe theyr clothes for the loue of IhuÌ„ she that openly dyde wytnesse this same thynge at the houre of her dethe whiche saynge dyuers here presente can recorde how hertly she answered whan the holy sacrament contaynyÌ„ge the blessid IhuÌ„ in it was holden before her the questyon made vntyl her whether she byleued that there was verayly the sone of god that suffred his blessyd passyoÌ„ for her for all mankynde vpon the crosse Many here can bere recorde how with all her herte soule she raysed her body to make answere there vnto confessed assuredly that in that sacrament was conteyned cryst Ihesu the sone of god that dyed for wretched syÌ„ners vpon the crosse in whom holly she put her truste confydence these same wordes almoost that Martha confessed in the ende of this gospell Ego credidi quia tu es christus filius dei qui iÌ„ muÌ„duÌ„ venisti That is to saye I haue byleued that thou art cryst the sone of gad whiche came in to this worlde And so sone after that she was aneled she departed yelded vp her spyryte in to the handes of our lorde who may not nowe take euydent lyklyhode coniecture vpon this that the soule of this noble woman whiche so studyously in her lyf was occupyed in good werkes with a faste fayth of cryst the sacramentes of his chirche was defended in that houre of departynge out from the body was borne vp in to the countre aboue with the blessyd auÌ„gelles deputed ordeyned to that holy mystery For yf the herty prayer of many ê‘sones Yf her owne contynuall prayer in her lyf tyme. yf the sacrameÌ„tes of the chirche orderly taken yf indulgences pardons grauÌ„ted by diuers popes yf true repentauÌ„ce teeres yf fayth deuocyon in criste Ihesu yf charyte to her neyghbours yf pyte vpon the poore yf forgyuenes of iniuries or yf good werkes be auaylable as doubtles they be grete lyklyhode almoost certayne coniecture we may take by them all these that soo it is in dede Therfore put we asyde all wepynge teeres be not sad ne heuy as men withouten hope but rather be we gladde ioyous eche of vs herin conâ—ort other Alwaye praysynge magnyfyenge the name of oure lorde to whome be laude and honoure endlesly Amen ¶ Thus endeth this lamentable mornynge Enprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de Worde W C wynkyn de worde
¶ Hereafter foloweth a mornynge remembraūce had at the moneth mynde of the noble prynces Margarete countesse of Rychemonde Darbye moder vnto kynge Henry the .vii. grandame to oure souerayne lorde that nowe is vppon whose soule almyghty god haue mercy ¶ Dixit Martha ad Ihesum THis holy gospell late red conteyneth in it a dyalogue that is to saye a comynycacyon betwyxt the woman of blessyd memory called Martha and our sauyour Ihesu whiche dyalogue I wolde applye vnto this noble prȳces late deceased in whose remēbraunce this offyce obseruaūces be done at this tyme And thre thynges by the leue of god I wyll entende Fyrst to shewe wherin this noble prynces may wel be lykened compared vnto the blessyd woman Martha Seconde how she may complayne vnto our sauyour Ihesu for the paynfull dethe of her body lyke as Martha dyde for the dethe of her broder Lazarus Thyrde the confortable answer of our sauyour Ihesu vnto her agayne In the fyrst shall stonde her prayse cōmendacyon In the seconde our mornyng for the losse of her In the .iij. our confort agayne Fyrst I saye that the comparyson of them two may be made in .iiij. thȳges In noblenes of persone in dyscyplyne of theyr bodyes in or deryng of theyr soules to god in hospytalites kepȳge charitable dealing to their neybours In whiche .iiii the noble woman Martha as say the doctours entreatynge this gospell her lyfe was syngulerly to be cōmended praysed wherfore let vs consyder lyke wise whether in this noble coūtesse may ony thyng lyke be foūde Fyrst the blessyd Martha was a woman of noble blode to whom by enheritaūce belonged the castel of bethany this noblenes of blode they haue which descēded of noble lygnage Besyde this there is a noblenes of maners withouten whiche the noblenes of bloode is moche defaced for as Boecius sayth Yf oughte be good in the noblenes of bloode it is for that therby the noble men and women sholde be ashamed to go out of kynde from the vertuous maners of theyr auncetrye before Yet also there is another noblenes whiche aryseth in euery persone by the goodnes of nature wherby full often suche as come of ryght pore and vunoble fader and moder haue grete abletees of nature to noble dedes Aboue all these same there is a foure maner of noblenes whiche may be called an encreased noblenes as by maryage and affynyte of more noble persones suche as were of lesse condycyon maye encrease in hyer degre of noblenes In euery of these I suppose this coutesse was noble Fyrst she came of noble blode lyneally descendynge of kynge Edwarde the .iij. with in the .iiij. degre of the same Her fader was Johan duke of Somerset her moder was called Margarete ryghte noble as well in maneres as in bloode To whome she was a veray doughter in all noble maners for she was bounteous lyberall to euery persone of her knowlege or aquayntaunce Auaryce and couetyse she moost hated And sorowed it ful moche in al persones But specyally in ony that belonged vnto her She was also of synguler casynes to be spoken vnto full curtayse answere she wolde make to all that came vnto her Of meruayllous gentylnesse she was vnto all folkes but specyally vnto her owne whom she trusted and loued ryghte tenderly Unkynde she wolde not be vnto no creature ne forgetefull of ony kyndnes or seruyce done to her before whiche is no lytel parte of veray noblenes She was not vengeable ne cruell but redy anone to forgete and to forgyue iniuries done vnto her at the leest desyre or mocyon made vnto her for the same Mercyfull also pyteous she was vnto suche as was greuyd wrongfully troubled And to them that were in pouerty or sekenes or ony other myserye To god to the chirche full obedyent tractable serchynge his honoure pleasure full besyly A warenes of herself she had alwaye to eschewe euery thynge that myght dyshonest ony noble woman or dystayne her honour in ony condycyon Tryfelous thynges that were lytell to be regarded she wolde let passe by but the other that were of weyght substaūce wherin she myghte prouffyte she wolde not let for ony payne or laboure to take vppon hande These many other suche noble condycyons lefte vnto her by her auncetres she kepte encreased them with a grete dylygens The thyrde noblenes also she wanted not whiche I sayd was the noblenes of Nature she had in maner all that was praysable in a woman eyther in soule or in body Fyrst she was of singuler wysedome ferre passynge the comyn rate of women she was good in remembraūce of holdyng memorye A redy wytte she had also to conceyue all thynges Albeit they were ryght derke right studyous she was in bokes whiche she hadde in grete nombre bothe in Englysshe in Frensshe for her exercyse for the prouffyte of other she dyde translate dyuers maters of deuocyon out of Frensshe in to Englysshe Ful often she complayned that in her youthe she had not gyuen her to the vnderstondynge of latyn wherin she had a lytell perceyuynge specyally of the rubrysshe of the ordynall for the sayeng of her seruyce whiche she dyde wel vnderstande Here vnto in fauour in wordes in gesture in euery demeanour of herself so grete noblenes dyde appere that what she spake or dyde it meruayllously became her The .iiii. noblenes whiche we named a noblenes goten or encreased she had also For albeit she of her lynage were ryght noble yet neuertheles by maryage adioynyng of other blode it toke some encreasement For in her tendre aege she beynge endued with so grete towardnes of nature lyklyhode of enherytaūce many sued to haue had her to maryage The duke of suth folke whiche thā was a man of grete experyēce moost dylygently procured to haue had her for his sone and heyre Of the contrary parte kinge Henry the .vi. dyd make meanes for Edmonde his broder then therle of Rychemōde She whiche as then was not fully .ix. yeres olde doutfull in her mynde what she were best to do asked counsayll of an olde gentylwoman whome she moche loued trusted whiche dyde aduyse her to cōmende herselfe to saynt Nycholas the patron helper of al true maydens to beseche him to put in her mȳde what she were best to do This coūsayl she folowed made her prayer so full often but specyally that nyght whan she sholde the morowe after make answer of her mynde determynatly A meruaylous thing that same nyghte as I haue herde her tell many a tyme as she lay in prayer callynge vpon saynt Nicholas whether slepynge or wakyng she coude not assure but aboute .iiii of the clocke in that mornȳge one appered vnto her arayed like a bisshop naming vnto her Edmonde had take hȳ vnto her husbande And so by this meane she dyde enclyne her mynde vnto Edmonde the kinges