rich and vicious worldlings The 21. History SOmetime there dwelt in Rome a noble Emperour named Polenus which had thrée sonnes whome hee loued much It béefell vpon a daie when this Emperour lay vpon his bed he bethought him to which of his sonnes he might giue his Empyre after his decease Then called hée to him his thrée sonnes and saide Which of you three that is slowest shall haue mine Empyre after my decease The first sonne answered and sayde Thyne Empyre by reason shall bée myne For I am so slow that if my foote were in the fyre I had rather it should be brent then I to take it out Then said the second I am quod hée more apt to the Empyre then thou for though ther were a rope about my neck wherwith I should bée hanged and if I had a sharp sword in my hand for great slouth that I haue I would not put soorth my hande to cutte the rope for to saue my life And when these two brethren had said the third saide for him thus I ought to be Emperour béefore you both for I passe you in slouth and that will I proue thus I lye vpright in my bed there droppeth water vpon both mine eyen for great slouth that I haue I moue not my head neither to the right side of the bedde nor to the lefte side for sauing of my selfe When the Emperour heard this hée béequethed the Empyre vnto the youngest sonne as to the slowest of the bretheren The Morall This Emperour béetokeneth the diuell which is lord father ouer the vngodly in this world by the first son is vnderstood a man that chauÌ„ceth into euil compainy by whom he falleth into misdemenour and had leuer to be brent in the fire of sin then depart from them The second sonne betokeneth him that knoweth himselfe bound with the band of sin wherwith he is to be hanged on the gallous of hell is so slouthfull that hee wil not put them away with the lawfull sword of repentance By the third sonne is vnderstood a man that heareth the teaching of the ioyes of heauen and of the paines of hell and will not moue him selfe to the right for loue and desire of reward nor to the left side to forlake his sinnes for feare of eternall paine Such a man without doubt for his sloth shall obtaine the kingdome of hell from the which kéepe vs our Lord Jesus Amen The 22. Historie ALexander the mightie Emperour sometime ruled which beséeged a citie of the kinge of Egipt with a great hoast neuer the lesse this Emperour lost many mightie Knights without any hurt of stroke And thus froÌ„ day to day his people dyed sodenly whereat this Alexander wondred greatly was full sorowfull therof in his minde and anone let call afore him the wisest Philosophers that might bée found and praied them to tell him why his people dyed thus sodainly without wouÌ„d The Philosophers answered and said My Lord it is no wonder for vpon the walls of that Castell within the Citie is a Cocatrice through whose sight your men dye for they are infected with the venime that commeth of his eyen and there vpon they dye Than this Alexander asketh if there wer any remedy against that cocatrice The Philosophers answered and said My Lord there is good remedy which is this pleaseth it you to set vp a large myrrour of cléere glasse ouer against this Cocatrice between your hoast the wall of the citie when the cocatrice beholdeth him selfe in the myrrour the deadly nature of this venimous sight shall returne againe to himselfe thus he shall die and your men shal be saued The Emperour wrought by the counsell of the Philosophers and let set vp straight a large myrrour of glasse and thus was the Cocatrice slayne and the Emperour with his hoast made an assault to the Citie and obtained the victory The Morall This Emperour may bée called euery Christian man which ought to gather an hoast of vertues for without vertue there may no man fight ghostly The Citie against whom yee shall fight is the worlde wherein there is an high Castell that is to saye vanitie of vanities Vanitas vanitatum And all vanitie in this vanitie standeth the Cocatrice that is to say pride of life desire of the eyes and lust of the flesh wherfore this pride infecteth so many that they dy at the last euerlastingly Therfore the greatest remedy against this pride is the consideration of our vncleannes how wée came naked into this world if it be asked why a man is proude certainely it may bée answered thus for defanlte of robbing himselfe with vertues what shall wée doe wheÌ„ wee die thus gostly but set vp a pure mirrour of conscience and by that conscience wée may coÌ„sider our wil our brittilnes as in a glasse where thou maist sée thy owne default if wée doe thus without doubt the Cocatrice that is pride of life desire of the eyes and lust of the flesh wee shall vtterly destroy and obtaine the victory of this worldly citie then be we sure to winne euerlasting life vnto the which God bring both you and mée Anen The Argument The soule of man being occupied in the body with the flesh she seeketh by sinister meanes to ouerthrow the soule with hir vncleane lusts after the world wher though the soule for a time suffereth shipwrack of worldly felicitie yet the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda is of power not onely to comfort him in necessitie but also to reueÌ„ge his miury make him to repossesse with his former estate a more firmer euerlasting felicity in the world to come The 23. Historie A Mightie Emperour sometyme ruled the Romaynes maned Archelaus the which in his olde age espowsed a fayre young ladye whome a young knight loued had to doe with hir as oft as him list It béefell on a night that this Emperour beethought him in his bedde to visit the citie Ierusalem wherfore without any more delay he ordainâ—d al thing necessary to his iourney and tooke his leaue of the Emprisse and of the states of th empyre went towards the sayd Citie When the Emprisse heard this shée tooke the master of the shippe and sayd If thou wilt consent to mee bée true aske of me what thou wilt thou shalt haue it The master of the shippe was corrupt with couetousnesse and said O my déere ladye what so euer you will commaund mée I shall without fayle fulfill it so that yée will reward mée for my labour Then saide the Empresse or thou doe ought for mée I shall giue thée what thée list to haue so that thou wilt sweare to bée true to mée kéepe my counsaile The maister of the shippe anone made his oath to bée true to hir Than saide the Empresse My Lord goeth with you in your ship therefore when he is in the middest of the sea cast him out that hée may bee drowned and
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 ¶
serue him and should forsake our Lord. Therefore if wée follow the world and his vanities certainely we shall fall in to the snare of the diuell From the which defende vs our blessed Sauiour Jesu Christ Amen The Argument ¶ It is the ordinance of God that no man shall labour for worldly promotion by couetousnesle and falsehood Man for his first transgression should haue bene adiudged to perpetual torment in hell had not the sonne of god voluntarily offered him selfe to the death to saue mankinde and destroy sathan â—is enimie so that thereby he might place him in the habitacle of heauenly ioyes euerlasting The 35. Historie SOmetime in Rome there dwelt a noble Emperour of great liuelood named Alexander the which aboue all vertues loued the vertue of bountie wherefore hée ordained a law for great curiositie that no name vnder pâ—yne of Death should turne a Playce in his dishe at his meate but onely eate the whyte sayde and not the black and if any man would attempt to doe the contrary he should dye without remedie but or he died he shold aske thrée requests of the Emperour what him lyst except his lyfe which should be graunted him It befell after on a day that ther came an Earle his sonne of a strange couÌ„trie to speake with the Emperour And when this Earle was set to meat hée was serued with a Playce and hée which was hungry and had an appetite to his meate after he had eaten the white syde hée turned the black side and béegan to eate thereof wherfore straight way hée was accused to the Emperour béecause hée hadde offended against the law Than sayd the Emperour Let him dye according to the law without any delay When the Earles sonne heard that his father should dye immediately he sate him down on both his knées beefore the Emperour and sayd O my reuerend Lord for his loue that dyed vppon the crosse let me dye for my father Than sayd the Emperour It pleaseth mée well that one dye for the offence of the law Then sayd this Earles sonne sith it is so that I shall dye I aske the benefits of the law that is to saye that I may haue three petitions graunted or I dye The Emperour answered and sayde aske what thou wilt there shal no man say thée nay Than sayd this young knight My Lord ye haue but one daughter that which I desire of your highnesse that she may lye with mée a night or I dye The Emperour granted though it were against his will in fulfilling of his law Heuerthelesse this knight deflowred hir not as that night Therfore pleased hee greatly the Emperour The second peticion is this I aske all thy treasure And immediately the Emperour grauÌ„ted bicause he shold not be called a breaker of his owne law And when this Earles sonne had receiued the Emperours treasure he imparted it both to poore and rich by meanes whereof he obtained their good wills My third petition is this I aske my Lord that all the eyes may be put out incontinent which sawe my father eating of the blacke plaice Wherefore the Emperour let make inquisition immediately who it was that saw the Earle turne the black Plaice And they that saw him turne the playce bethought theÌ„ said within themselues If we knowledge that we saw him do this trespasse than shall our eies be put out and therfore it is better that wée hold vs still And so ther was none found that would accuse him Whan the Earles sonne saw this he said to the Emperour My Lord quod he yée see that there is no man accuseth my father therfore giue ye right full iudgement Than saide the Emperour For as much that no man will knowledge that they saw him turne the place therefore I will not that thy father shall dye Loe thus the sonne saued his fathers lyfe and after the decease of the Emperour married his daughter The Morall Déere friends this Emperour betokneth the father of heauen which ordained a law that no man should furne the black side of the Plaice that is to saye there should no man labour for riches or promotion by couetousnesse and falsehood The Earle that came to the Emperour betokeneth Adam our fore father which came out of the lande of Eden to the Court of Paradise turned vp the black side of the Plaice when he eate of the Apple wherefore he should haue bene condempned to euerlasting death But his sonne that betokeneth our lord Jesu Christ For he tooke slesh of Adam and profered himselfe voluntarily to dye for him The Father of Heauen graunted that hée should goe dwone to dye for mankinde Neuerthelesse or he dyed he asked thrée petitious of his father of heauen The first was this that hée might haue by him his daughter which betokeneth the Soule of man and bring hir with him into the bosome of heauen according to the wordes of Osee saying De sponsabo cam mihi That is to saye I shall wed hir to my wife The second petition was this all the Emperours treasure which betokeneth the treasure of heauen according to this scripture Sicut disposuit mihi pater That is to say like as my father hath disposed for mee so I dispose for you The third petition was this that all their eyes should be put out that is to say that the diuell which dayly accuseth man might be put from the light of heauenly grace And thus saued he mankinde and led him vp with him vnto the Pallayes of heauen Unto the which pallayes bring vs our Lord Jesus Amen The Argument ¶ The Father of Heauen of his meere grace promotith some poore men raising them from the dust to sit amongst Princes But extolling themselues without regard of gods goodnesse they are made abiects vnto him the diuell worketh deceipt in his members against the godly Christ came downe from heauen to minister the water of eternall life vnto man and by his death and passion to reâ—iâ—e our soules which before were dead vnto the firme state of eternall felicitie The 36. History IN Rome there dwelt sometime a mightie Emperour named Le mâ—â—us which on a day rode to a forrest to disport him where as he mette sodainly with a poore man to whome he sayd thus Friend whence commest thou and who art thou My Lord quod he I come from the next Cittie and your manne I am Than sayde the Emperour thou séemest poore therefore if thou wilt be good and true I shall promote thee to great riches and honour Then answered the poore man sayd My Lord I promise you faithfully to bée true to you as long as I liue The Emperour anon made him knight and gaue him great riches When hée was thus promoted hee waxed so proud that hee thought himselfe more able to bée an Emperour then his Lord wherfore he made suggestion to diuerrse lords of that Empyre that hee might vsâ—rpe and take vpon him through strength of them to bee Emperour When
thiefe that béetrayed hir to the Maister of the shippe was lame and full of the Crampe And the Master of the shippe distraught out of his wittes When the Emperour heard that so holy a woman was in such a Citie hée called his brother saide to him thus Goe wee déere brother vnto this holy woman that is dwelling in the Citie that she may heale tâ—ée of thy lepry Would to God quod hee that I were healed Anone the Emperour with his brother went toward the Citie And when the Citizens heard of his comming they receiued him Worshipfullye with procession And then the Emperour enquired of the Citizens if any such holy woman were among them that could heale sicke folke of theyr diseas The Citizens answered and sayde that such a one was there Then was the Empresse called foorth before the Emperour but shée muffled hir face as well as shée could that the Emperour hir husband shold not know hir when shée had so done shée saluted him with great reuerence as it appertained to his estate And hée againe in lyke wise saying thus O good Ladie if thou lyst of thy grace to heale my brother of his lepry aske of mee what thou wilt and I shall graunt it thee for thy reward When the Emprisse heard this shée looked about hir and saw there the Emperours Brother a foule Leprie shée saw there also the knight that slew the earles daughter blynde and deafe The thiefe that shée saued from the gallowes lame and also the Master of the Ship distraught out of his wittes and all were come to hir for to be healed of their sicknesse but they knew not hir for all that they knew not hir shee knew them well Then sayd shée vnto the Emperour thus My reuerend Lord though yée would giue mee all your Empyre I may not heale your Brother nor none of these other but if they knowledge openlye what they haue done When the Emperour heard this hée tourned him towardes his Brother and sayde vnto him Brother accknowledge openly thy sinne before all these men that thou maist bée healed of thy sicknesse Then anone he began to tell how hée had ledde his lyfe but hée tolde not how he had hanged the Emprisse in the Forrest by the haire of hir Head most dispightfully When he had knowledged all that him lyst the Empresse replyed and saide Sothly my Lord I would gladly laye vnto him my medicine but I wot right well it is in vaine for he hath not made a full confession The Emperour hearing this he tourned towarde his brother saide againe in this wise What euill sorrow or vnhappy wretchednesse is in thée seest that not how that thou art a foule lepry therefore knowledge thy sinne truely that thou maist be whole or else auoide my company for euermore A Lord quod hée I may not tell my life openly but if I be first sure of thy grace What hast thou trespassed against mee quod the Emperour Than answered his brother and saide Myne offence against thée is grâ—euous and therefore I aske mercie The Emperour thought not on the Emprisse for as much as he supposed she had beene dead many yéeres béefore hee commaunded his brother to tell foorth what hee had offended him hée should bée forgiuen And wheÌ„ the Emperour had thus forgiuen his brother hée béegan to tell openly how he had desired the Emprisse to comemitte adultry with him and hée hadde hanged hir by the haire in the Forrest bycause shée would not consent by any meanes to him And when the Emperour heard this hée was almost béeside himselfe and in his rage he sayd thus O thou most wreched creature the vengeaunce of God is fallen vpon thee and were it not that I haue pardoned thee thou shouldest dye the most shamefull death that could bee thought Then sayde the Knight that slew the earles Daughter I wot not quod hee of what Lady ye meane but I wote that my Lord found on a time such a Ladye hanginge by the hayre in the Forrist and brought hir home to his Castell and hée tooke hir his daughter to keepe I prouoked hir as much as I could to sinne with mee but shee would in no wise consent to mee wherfore I slâ—w the earles Daughter that laye with hir and when I had so done I put the bloodie Knife in the Ladies hand that the earle should thinke shée had slaine his daughter with hir owne hands and than was she exiled thence but where she became I wot not Than sayde the theife I wot not of what Lady ye meane but well I wotte that seuen officers were leading mée to the gallowes and such a Lady came riding by and bought mée of them than went I with hir and afterward I béetrayed hir vnto a master of a ship Such a Lady quod the master of the shippe receiued I and when wée were in the middest of the sea I would haue layne with hir but shee sate downe to hir prayers and anone there arose such a tempest that the shippe all to brast and wée were all drowned saue shée and I but what afterward befell of hir I wote not Than cryed the Emprisse with a loud voyce and sayde Soothly déere friends yee doe now truely confesse and declare the trueth wherefore I will now apply my medicine and anone they receiued their health When this lady the Emprisse had thus done she opened hir face to the Emperour and he foorthwith knew hir and ranne to hir and imbraced hir in his armes and kissed hir oftentimes and for ioy he wept bitterly saying Blessed be God now haue I found that I desired And when he had thus sayde he lead hir home to his Pallayes with great ioye and alter when it pleased almightie GOD they ended both their liues in peace The Morall This Emperour betokeneth our Lord Jesu Christ The Emprisse betokeneth a holy soule The Emperours brother betokeneth the flesh to whom our Lord hath giuen charge of this Emayre but most principally to the soule Neuerthelesse the wretched sleshe oft prouoketh the soule to sinne But the soule that loueth God aboue all things withstandeth that temptation and calleth to hir hir ghostly power that is to say reason will vnderstanding and conscience and maketh them to enprison the flesh that is disobedient to the soule in the prison of true repentaunce vnto the tyme hée obey to reason in all thing And thus in hope of mercie hée sinneth agayne to whom holy writ saith Maladictus homo que peccat in spe Curssed be that man that sinneth in hope And at the last the soule enclyneth to the flesh lettith him out of the prison of repentance washeth him from the filth of sinne and arayeth him with good vertues and maketh him leape on the palfray of charytable humilitie and so rydeth foorth to méete our Lorde with the sacrifice of thankes giuing But alas full oft the sinner trespasseth against holy scripture wherfore the hart that is to say
earth and aboue the earth of the said Trée And to the second brother hee bequethed all that is in bredth length and déepnes of that trée And to the third brother hée gaue all that is wette and dry And with that hée layd the law for them saide that the last will ought to stand Now my déere sonnes briefely I shall satisfie all your reasons And when hee had thus said hée turned him vnto the eldest brother saying thus My déere sonne if you list to abide the iudgment of right it behoueth you to be letten bloud of the right arme My Lord quod hée your will shall hée dene Then called the king forth a discréet Phisition commaunding him to let him bloud When the eldest sonne was thus letten blood the king said to them all three My déere sonnes quod hée wher is your father buried Then answered they and said Forsooth my Lord in such a place Anone the King commaunded to digge in the ground for the body and to take a bonne out of his brest and to bury the body againe so it was done And when the bonne was taken out the king commaunded that it should bee laied in the blood of the elder brother and it should lie till it had receiued kindly the blood and then to bée laied in the Sunne and dried and after that it should bée washt with cléere water his seruants fulfilled all that hée commaunded And when they beegan to wash the blood vanished cleane away When the king saw this hée said to the second sonne It béehoueth that thou bee letten blood as thy brother is Then said hée My Lord thy will shall be fullfiled and a non hée was done vnto like as his brother was in all thing whē they began to wash the bone the blood vanished away Then said the king to the third son My déer child it behoueth thée also to bée letten blood Hée answered saide My Lord it pleaseth mée well so to bée When the yongest brother was lettē blood done vnto in all thing like as his two bretherne were before whē the kings seruaunts began to wash the bone they might neither for washing ne for fretting doe away the blood of the bone but euer it appeared bloody When the king saw this he saide It appeareth openly that this blood without doubt is of the nature of this bone thou art his true son these other two ben bastards I giue to thee the trée for euermore The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is our Lord Jesu Christ which bare a shield of siluer with fiue red roses that is to say his body that is so faire so cléere more radient thē any siluer according with the Psalmist saying thus Speciosus forma pre filijs hominum That is to saye hee was more speciall fairer of shape thē all the children of men By these v. roses wee vnderstand his v. wounds which hee suffered for mankind And by the King of Egipt wee vnderstande the diuell against whom hee fought all the time of his life at the last hée was slaine for mankinde Neuerthelesse beefore his death hee made his testament to his iii. sonnes By the first to whom hée gaue of the Tree that was vnder the earth aboue the earth wee shal vnderstād such mightie men others of all estates of this world as not cōtent with their calling séeks ambiciously the subuersiō of others to magnifie and cralt them selues By the second sonne to whom hée gaue the trée in length bredth and déepnesse wée vnderstand such worldly wise men in this Worlde which in their subtill attempt to winne all loose all The Morall ¶ By the third sonne to whom he gaue all that was wette and dry of the tree wee shall vnderstand euery good christian prince noble man maiestrat or meaner person in euery common wealth where so euer which eschewing all ambition couetousnesse holdeth him selfe content with the prouidence of GOD and in his owne calling laboureth simply and truely to doe good vnto all men yea though nowe and then themselues sustaine iniuries in the world suffering now pouertie then troub c now solace then care now cold then heate and all this they receiued thankfully to haue this noble tree that was thus bequethed them This tree is the tree of Paradise that is to say euerlasting ioy of heauen which is giuen to vs all if wée take it thankfully neuerthelesse it is heauen in diuerse wise not egally for some hath more some hath lesse after that measure of Gods good grace This notwithstanding euery man obtaineth not therfore it behoueth thē to go vnto the king of reason that is to say vnto the father of heauen that knoweth all thing or they be made The first sōne was let blood and in his blood the bone was wrapped By this bone we shall understand our strong faith in Christes merites And by the blood the liuely and fruitfull sappe of good workes procéeding out of the same Which are rare thinges to bee found in those that seeke there owne priuate gaine to liue caring not how they come by it by hooke or by croke to the preiudice of others which whan they are let blood by the sharpe Launce of gods Justice though it bée stablished with diuine predication and made dry with the Sunne of outward profesion yet beeing washt with the water of swelling pride mallis enuie wrath and such other than the strong faith in Christes merits is as though we had neuer receiued it and the liuely and fruitfull sappe of good workes hath no power to tarry vpon it but vanisheth a way And thus fareth it with those two the first and second tonnes But the third sonne beeing cōtrary vnto the other in profession and practise of life and maners be he Prince noble man magistrate or meane person vpon earth The bone of such a man will euer be firme of faith in himself and towards others frō such a mans bone the blood of liuely fruits to himselfe and all others profitable will neuer be washed away with the water of wretchednes But the more it is dryed in the Sunne of true tryall the better it is such are the true children of God of whome our Lord speaketh thus Ye the which haue forsaken all thing for me all that is to say ye that haue forsaken the will of sinne shall receiue an hundreth tymes more the is to say ye shall not onely receiue the tree of Paradise but also the heritage of heauen These two other sons are basterds for why that they promised in their baptisme they wrought all the contrary through their wicked liuing And therfore he that desireth to obtaine the ioyes of heauen him behoueth to abide stedfastly in profession practise of good life maners then by Christ shall he obtaine the trée of Paradise vnto the which the Lord bring vs which liueth and reigneth eternally world without ende Amen The Argument God so
loued sinfull man that he sent his onely begotten son to redeeme him out of the captiuitie of the wicked world to rest with him in the ioyes of heauen The third Historie IN Rome there dwelled some time a noble Emperour named Dioclesian which aboue all worldly goods loued the vertue of charitie wherfore he desired greatly to knowe what fowle loued hir birds best to the intent that he might thereby grow to more perfect charitie It fortuned after vpon a day that this Emperour walked to the forest to take his disport wher as he found the neast of a great bird that is called in latin Struthio Camely in English an Oistridge with hir bird the which bird the emperour toke w e him closed him in a vessel of glasse The dam of this litle bird followed after vnto the emperours place and slew into the hall where hir birde was closed But when she sawe hir bird and might by no meanes come to hir ne get her out shee returned againe to the forest there she abode three daies and at the last shee returned againe to the Pallys bearing in hir mouth a worme that is called Thumare Whan she came where hir birde was shee let the worme fall vppon the glasse thorough vertue of which worme the glalsse brake and the bird escaped and slew foorth with his dam. Whan the emperour saw this he praised much the dam of the birde which so diligently laboured for the deliueraunce of hir byrd The Morall ¶ My friends this Emperour is the father of Heauen which greatly loueth them that liue in perfect loue and charitie This litle birde closed in the glasse taken from the forest was Adam our forefather which was exiled froÌ„ out of Paradice put in the glasse that is to say in hel This hearing the Dam of the byrd that is to wit the sonne of God descended from heauen and came to the forest of the world and liued ther thrée dayes and more bearing with him a worme that is to say manhood according with the psalmist saying Ego sum vermis non homo That is to say I am a worme and no man This manhood was suffered to be slaine among the Jewes of whose blood the vessell eternall was broken and the byrd went out that is to saye Adam went foorth with his mother the sonne of God and flew vnto heauen The Argument ¶ A cleane spirite and vndefiled soule is the daughter of God so tender and deere vnto him that he bestoweth hir not vpon the rich man wanting the wisdome of God but vpon the poore manne that is wise and liueth in the feare of God which if she at any time transgresle by frailtie of flesh than for the recouery of hir health by the medicine of amendement of lyse to such a one though poore shall his soule be not onely in this lyfe espoused with much solace ioye ech of other but in the world to come shall liue with Christ in ioy and euerlasting blisse The fourth Historie SOmetime dwelled in Rome a worthy Emperour and a wyse which had a fayre daughter and a gracious in the sight of euery man This emperour bee thought him on a daye to whome he might giue his daughter in marriage saying thus If I giue my daughter to a rich man and he be a foole then is she lost and if I giue hir to a poore man and a wittie than may he get his liuing for him and hir by his wisedome There was that time dwelling in the citie of Rome a Philosopher named Socrates poore and wise which came to the Emperour sayde My Lord displease you not though I put foorth my peticion before your highnes Themperour sayd whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee tell foorth Then sayd Socrates My Lord ye haue a daughter whome I desire aboue all thing Themperour answered and said My friend I shall giue thée my daughter to wife vpon this condicion that if she dye in thy feloship after that she is wedded to thée thou shalt without doubt léese thy head Then said Socrates Upon this condition I will gladly take hir to bée my wife Themperour hearing this let call foorth all the Lords and states of his Empyre and made a great feast at their wedding And after the feast Socrates led home his wife to his owne house where as they liued in peace and health long time But at the last this Emperours daughter sickned to death when Socrates perceiued this hee saide to himselfe Alas and wo to mée what shall I doe and whether shall I flée if the Emperours daughter that is my wife should dye and for sorrow this Socrates went to a forrest there béeside and wept bitterly The while he thus wept and mourned there came an aged man bearing a staffe in his hande and asked the cause of Socrates why he mourned Socrates answered and sayd I wedded themperours daughter vpon this condition that if she died in my feloship I should leese my lyfe now shee is sickned vnto the death I câ—n find no remedie nor help and therefore I mourne more than any creature can thinke Then saide the olde man be of good comfort for I shall help you if yee will doe after my counsell In this forrest be three herbes if ye make a drink of the first to your wife of the other two a playster and if she vse this medicinall drincke and plaister in due time without doubt she shall recouer to perfect health Socrates fulfilled all as the olde man had taught him And whaÌ„ his wife had vsed a while that medicinall drinke and plaister within short tyme she was perfectly whole of all hir sickenesse And when the Emperour heard that Socrates wrought so wisely and how diligently he laboured for to heale his wife he promoted him to great dignitie and worship The Morall Deere friendes this Emperour is our Lord Jesu Christ his daughter so fayre and so gracious is the soule made to the si 〈…〉 de of God which is full gracious glorious in the sight of him and of his Angells while that shee is not defiled and abideth in hir owne proper cleannesse This soule God would not giue it to a rich man but to a poore man that is to say a man that is made of the slyme of the earth This Socrates is a poore man for why euery man commeth poore naked into this world from his mothers belly euery man taketh his soule in wedlocke vpon such condition that if shée die in his felowshippe by deadly sinne without doubt hée shall loose eternall life Therefore O thou man if thy wife sicken so through frailtie of flesh vnto sinne doe then as Socrates dyd goe vnto the forrest that is the Church of Christ and thou shalt finde there an old man with a staffe that is a discréet preacher which shall minister vnto thée those thrée hearbes wherrof may bée confect the medicine of thy recouery vnto health namely the first herbe is
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
armour of our humanitie till he went to the graue that is to say to the wombe of the glorious virgin Mary by the annunciation of the Angel saying The holy Ghost shall light in thee c. Lo thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne And thus in the wombe of the virgin he toke the armour of the dead knight that is to say hée toke the manhood of Adam our forefather and saued the Citie that is the world with mankinde from perill by his blessed passion that he uffered on the crosse and that he put the armour againe into the graue when his blessed body was buried but the citizens â—nâ—ied him that is to saye the Jewes of Iury accused him to Pilate and laid the law against him saying If thou suffer him thus thou arte not the Emperour Caesars freinde we haue a law and after the law hee ought to dye And thus our Lord Jesu Christ of his enimies was condempned to the death of the crosse and after ascended vp to heauen where our Lord Jesu bring vs all Amen The Argument ¶ The fornication of wicked worldly men is here detected by the prouidence of God and by his gratious fauour deliuered out of the thraldom of sinne vnto the libertie of life euerlasting The History THere raigned sometime in Rome a mightie Emperour a wyse named Betolde which ordained a law that what woman were taken in aduoutry hir husband beeing a liue shée should bee cast into perpetuall prison There was that time a knight that had a fayre lady to his wife which committed aduoutry hir husband being a liue and was with childe therefore by the law shee was put in prison wher within short tyme after shee was deliuered of a fayre sonne This childe grew vp till hée was seuen yeeres old his mother dayly wept hartely And when the child haâ—d this hee said to his mother O mother why wéepe yée thus and for what cause are you thus perplexed Then saide his mother O my swéete sonne I haue great cause to mourne and thou also for aboue our heads is people walking and the sunne shineth in cléerenes and great solace haue all men that are aboue vs and wee bée héere continually in such darknes that I may not sée thée ne thou me alas that euer I conceiued thee Then sayd the sonne such ioye ne such light as yée spake of sawe I neuer for I was borne here in this darknes therfore if I had meate and drink ynough heere would I liue all the dayes of my life therefore mother weepe yée not but show mee solace This lamentation that was betwéene the mother the sonne heard the Emperours Stewarde that stoode aboue their heads wherof he had great compassion and wept vnto the Emperour and kneeling beesought him of his grace that the mother the sonne might bee deliuered out of prison The Emperour as a mercifull Lord graunted that they should bee deliuered Neuerthelesse if they trespassed so in time to come they should bée punished with double paine and after that they were deliuered this woman ended hir life in that Citie The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is the Father of heauen that made this law that what wedded woman that is to saye what soule that is wedded to our Lord doth commit aduoutry that is to say doth worship strange gods should be cast in the prison of hell therefore a sinfull soule hath great cause to wéepe for shee is departed from light that is to saâ—e from the ioys of heauen Hir sonne that desired meate and drinck are the weaâ—thie wicked worldlings of this worlde that say to the prelates of the Church and to the preachers that preach vnto them the ioyes of Heauen that while wee may liue and haue all the solace of the world wee desire none other heauen The Steward that heard their lamentation is our Lord Jesu that knoweth all the priuities of our sorowful and repentant harts for our sinnes bâ— sought the Father of heauen for vs that wée might bee deliuered from the prison of sinne and that wee might come to euerlasting life to that which bring vs all our Lord Jesus Amen The Argument ¶ Christ proclaimeth the ioyfull feast of heauen wherin the Lambe to say the poore Preachers of the Gospell hauing their sight or knowledge iâ— gods word are suppoâ—ed of the blind layâ—â— and ech doe mutuâ—lly comfort other till they approch vnto the proclaymed feast of perpetual felicitie The Morall SOmetime in Rome dwelt an Emperour named Pompeâ— which aboue all other things was mercifull This Emrerour procliamed throughout all his Empire a great feast and that poore and rich should come to this feast And whosoeuer came to that feast should not onely bee well fed but also hee should haue great giftes When the herawld had warned all maner of men to come to this feast at that time there ware two poore men lying by the way the one was lame and the other was blinde This blinde man sayde to the lame man Alas and wo to vs both how shall wée doe for themperour hath proclaimed a feast and who so euer commeth there shall not onely bée well fedde but also hee shall haue great guifts and I am blinde and thou arts lame how shall wee doe Then sayde the lame man to the blinde man I shall tell thée counsell if thou wilt doe after mée thou shalt let for nothing I am lame and feeble may not goe neuerthelesse I may see thou art blinde and strong and maist not see take thou mée vpon thy beack and beare mee and I shall leade thee the right way thus shall wée both come to the Emperours feast Then sayde the blind after thy counsell let vs doe come on my back I shall beare thee and thou shalt leadâ— mee the right way and so they did that they came both to the feast recuied great rewards and giftes among other men And thus ended their liues in peace The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is our sauiour Jesu Christ that proclaymeth a feast that is to say the ioyes of heauen vnto the which ioyes he called all mankinde and forsakeht no man that will come vnto hâ—m This lame man betokeneth the poore mini sters of the gospel which wanting worldly pleasures liue by the prouideÌ„ce of God And this blinde man béetokeneth the lay men which konw not the right way to heauen It bée loueth the the blind man to wit the late mâ—n to beare the lame man that is to saie the ministers of the gospell sustaining feeding theÌ„ with the duties of the church then the ministers for gods cause are bound to teach to enforme vs the way to heaueÌ„ wher as we shall not onely haue a feast but also great rewarde ioy vnto that which god bring vs all Amen The Argument Heauen hell are heere â—oÌ„pared to two cities to theâ—e two cities are two contrary waies To heauen which is the city of all heauenly
the prefixed daye of promise vndesiled which shall then wisely purchase the prouided place of euerlasting glory for all them that seeke the glory of God and their soules health The 14. Historie IN Rome dwelled some 〈…〉 mightie emperour named 〈…〉 mius which had onely a daug 〈…〉 a damosell fayre and gracious in the sight of euery man which had to name Aglaes There was also in themperours pallayes a gentle knight that loued this lady aboue all thing in the world It béefell after vpon a daye that this knight talked with this lady vttred in secrete wâ—â—e his disire to hir Then sayd shée courteously sith â—ée haue vâ—tred to mee the priâ—â—ty of your heart I shall in like wise for your loue vtter to you the secretes of mine heart and truely I say that aboue all other I loue you best Then saide the knight I purpose to visit the holy Land and therefore giue mee your trouth that this seauen yeere yee shall take no other man but onely for my loue to â—arry for mée so long if I come not againe by this day vn â—eere 〈…〉 ke then what man yée lyke best And 〈…〉 e wise I shall promise you that with 〈…〉 seuen yeere I shal take no wife 〈…〉 said she this couenaÌ„t pleaseth mée 〈…〉 When this was said eche of them 〈…〉 othed other and then this knight 〈…〉 ke his leaue of this Lady and went foorth to the holy land Anone after that the Emperour treated with the king of Hungary for the mariage for his daughter Then came the king of Hungary to the Emperours pallays to sée his daughter and when hee had seene hir he liked maruaclously wel hir beautie and hir goodnesse so that the Emperour and the King were accorded in all things as touching the marriage vpon the condicion that the damosell would consent Then called the Emperour t 〈…〉 young Lady to hin and said O my fay 〈…〉 daughter I haue prouided for thée t 〈…〉 a King shall hee thy husband if thée 〈…〉 so assent therefore tell mée what 〈…〉 swere thou wilt giue to this Then sayde shee to hir father it 〈…〉 seth mée well but of one thing dee 〈…〉 ther I you beseech iâ— it might plea 〈…〉 to graunt mée for the loue of 〈…〉 haue auowed my chastitie onely 〈…〉 for this vii yeere therefore déere 〈…〉 I beeseech you for all the loue that 〈…〉 tweene your gracious fatherhoo 〈…〉 mee that yee name no man to bée m 〈…〉 band till these vii yéere bée ended 〈…〉 I shall bee ready in all things to full 〈…〉 your will Then sayde the Emperour sith it is so that thou wilt no husbande haue this seuen yeere I will not breake thy vow but when these seuen yeeres beene passed thou shalt haue the king of Hungary to thy husband And then themeperour sent foorth his letters to the king of HuÌ„gary praying him if it might please him to abide vii yéere for the loue of his daughter and then â—hould hee spéede of his intent without 〈…〉 I le Heereof the King was pleased 〈…〉 d graunted to abide the promised day 〈…〉 when these vii yéeres were ended 〈…〉 a day the yong Ladie stoode in hir 〈…〉 er mindow and wept sore say 〈…〉 us Woe and alas as to morow 〈…〉 e promised to bee with me againe 〈…〉 e holy lande and also the King of 〈…〉 ary to morow will be héere for to 〈…〉 mée according to my fathers 〈…〉 and if my loue come not at a 〈…〉 e houre then am I vtterly de 〈…〉 of the inward loue of him 〈…〉 en the day came the king arayed 〈…〉 towardes the Emperour with a 〈…〉 at company to marry his daughter and was royally bee seene and arayed in purple And while the king was ryding on his way there came a knight soâ—ainly riding by him to whome hee sayde thus Déere friend whence art thou and whence commest thou The knight answered and sayd I am of th empyre of Rome and now am come late from the holy land and am ready to doe your seruice such as I can And as they rode talking by the way it béegan to rayne so fast that all the kings apparell was almost spoyled Then saide the knight My lord quod hée yée haue done foolishly for as much as yée brought not with you your house Then sayd the king why speakest thou so my house is large and broad made of stones morter how should I then beare with mée my house thou speakest to mée like a foole When this was laid they rod farther till they came to a great water and a déepe the king smote his horse with his spurres and leapt into the water so that hée was almost drowned Then the knight saw this was ouer on that other side of the water without perill hee sayd to the king Yée were in perill and therefore yee did foolishly bicause yée brought not with you your bridge Then saide the king thou speakest meruaylously my bridge is made of lime stone and containeth in quantity more then halfe a myle how should I then beare with mee my bridge therefore thou speakest foolishly Well said the knight my foolishnesse may turne thée to wisdome When the king had ridden a little farther he asked the knght what time of daye it was Then sayde the knight if any man haue list to eate it is tyme of the day to eat and therfore my reuereÌ„t Lord I pray you to take a modicome with mée for that is no disworshippe to you but great honour to mee before the states of this Empyre Then sayde the king I will gladly eate with thee They sate both downe in a vyne garden and all that were with the King and with the knight dined And when dinner was done and that the king had washen the knight saide to the King My Lord quod hée yee haue done foolishly for that yee lead not with you your father and your mother Then saide the king what saiest thou my father is dead and my mother is olde and may not trauaile how should I then bringe them with mee therefore to thee I say the truth a folisher man then thou art saw I neuer Then said the Knight euery worke is praised at the ende When the Knight had ridden a little farther and was â—y hand to themperours pallaies the Knight asked seaue to goe from him for this cause hee knew a neerer way to the palays to the young Lady that he might come first and leade hir with him Then said the king I pray thée sir tell me by what place purposest thou to ride Then said the Knight I shall tell you truth this day seuen yeere I left a net in a place and now I purpose to visit it and draw it to mee if it bée broken I will leaue it and if it be whole then will I take it to me and keepe it as a precious Jewell and when he had sayd what him list he toke his
leaue of the king and redde foorth and the King kept the broad high way When themperour heard of the Kings comming he went towards him with a great company royally receiued him causing him to shift his wet clothes and attyre him againe with new clothes And when the Emperour and the king were set to meat the Emperour welcommâ—d him with all the chéere solace that hée could And when they had dined themperour asked tidings of the King My Lord said hée I shall tell you what I heard this day by the way There came a knight to mée and reuerently saluted mee and anone after there came a great raigne which greatly spoiled my apparell anone the knight saide sir thou hast done foolishly for so much as thou broughtst not with thee thy house Then said themperour what clothing had the knight on him A cloake qd the king TheÌ„ said themperour forsooth that was a wise man for the house wherof hée spake was a cloake therefore hée saide to you that yée did foolishly because yée came without your cloake for if you had brought with you acloake then had not your clothes ben spoiled with raine Then saide the king when wee had riden a little farther we came to a déepe water I smote my horse with my spurres and almost I was drowned and hée 〈◊〉 on the other â—â—de of the water and found no peril and then said he to mée ye haue done folishly for so much that ye ledde not with you your bridge Forsoth said themperour he sayd truth for he called the bridge your â—quires that should haue ridden before you and assayde the déepenes of the water Then said the king we rode farther at the last he prayed me to dine with him and when we had dined he saide I did vnwisely for I ledde not with mée my father and my mother Sothly saide the Emperour he was a wise man and said trouth for he called your father mother bread and wine and other vitailes Then said the king we rode farther and anone after he asked mée leaue to goe from mée and I asked diligently whether he went And he answered agayne and sayde This day vii yéere I left a Nette in a priuie place and now I will ryde to visit it and if it bee broken or torne than will I leaue it and if it bée whole as I left it then shall it bée to mée right precious and I shall beare it with mée Whan themperour heard this he cryed with a lowde voice and said O ye my knights and my seruaunts come ye with mée spedily vnto my daughters chamber for sothly that is the nette whereof the knight spake And anone his knights and his seruaÌ„ts went vnto his daughters chamber and found hir not the soresayde knight had taken hir with him And thus the knig was deceiued of the damosell And hée went home againe to his owne country ashamed The Morall Déere friends this Emperour is our Lord Jesu Christ and this faire daughter is euerlasting life the which themperour had ordained for kings knights and other men The knight that loued this young Lady is euery good christian soule which holdeth him selfe not worthy to come in the sight of God vnto such ioy as the apostle saith Non est condigne passionis huâ—s temporis ad futuâ—aÌ„ gloâ—aÌ„ They be not so worthy of suffering this time to attaine vnto y glory that is to come This knight was viiyéeres absent from his loue like as a good Christian man all the dayes of his life should labour and â—rauaile in â—ulfilling the vii workes of mercie By the king that came without a cloake in the raine is to vnderstande some nyghtie men of this world as that haue cloaks to couer all their other clothes By this cloake is vnderstood charitie as the apostle saith Charitas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum Charitie couereth the multitude of â—innâ—s But many men haue not this cloake wherefore they be wet in the rayne of pride auarice and lecherie This king also was almost drowned bicause he lacked his bridge that is to saye perfect faith For we see dayly that there may no man passe ouer a greate water broad déepe without a bridge or some other thing that is able to beare him Right so with out faith it is impossible to please God And thus may no man be saued without faith when theilet their life in worldly â—oy or worldly helpe more than in the help of God which is mightie to doe all thinges wherefore he saith himselfe thus Si habueritis fide sicut granum sinapis poteâ—â—s c. If ye haue faith as the grayne of musterd then may ye say to the hills remoue out of your places they shall remoue But many of vs now a dayes hath ouer féeble faith therefore they shall sodainly fall in the clay of desperation and by deadly sinne oftentymes they offend God Also this king had not brought with him his father his mother By â—he father which is cause of generation is â—o vnderstande humilytie without whom there is no vertue in any man And thereto accordeth sainâ—t Gregory saying thus Si quis ceteâ—â—â— vertutes sine humilitate congregat c. He that gathereth all other vertues without humilytie is like a man that 〈…〉 th dust in the winde His mother betokeneth hope therefore he that will obtaine euerlasting lyfe him behoueth to haue the cloake of charitie bridge of faith a father of méekenes a mother of hope as the apostle saith â—pe saluâ— facti sumus Also this knight went the straight path way the king the broad way For he that will be saued it behoueth him to go a strayt way that is to saye the way of fasting almes déedes chastitie and repentaunce Of the which way speaketh the apostle Stricta est via que ducit ad vitam eternam The way is strayte that leadeth to euerlasting life But many men goe the other way which leadeth to hell that is to say by the way of sleshly lust such men bene gone out of the way of euerlasting lise but such men be deceiued through the way Therfore studie we to walke that way wherby we may obtaine euerlsting life The Argument ¶ By this history is figured as apeareth in the morall the soule of euery good christian to him holden as his daughter But beeing seduced caryed away and defiled by sathan our fowle enimy she is reduced by the helpe and valiant prowes of our heauenly champion Christ Iesus vnto his former habitation Yet man being vngrateful to his Redeemer forgetteth his dutie and for good rewarding euill to his champion Christ Iesus deliuering him to be iudged by the law as an offender but when the champion auoucheth what he hath done for man his soule than is he with shame of his ingratitude constrained to haue remorse call for grace to repent amend his life by the death passion of this champion Christ
third rope that should hang the felon is the rope of amendement of life For as the scripture saith tâ—ere is more ioye in heauen ouer one sinner that turneth vnto the Lord in time than ouer c. Like as the stewaâ—d brought againe Themperâ—urs daughter â—o it behoueth vs to séeke about by fruitfull faith yea to finde our soule that we lost and bringing hir againe to the church to rule well our fiue witts to séede our greyhound as we should and make our lise so cleane and pure that we fall not againe to sinne for feare that it fortune to vs worse and that we haue no leasure to aske mercy againe at our néede And it we fullfil all this truely vnto our liues ende without doubt wée shall obtaine euerlasting life To the which our Lord bring vs all Amen The Argument ¶ The violating of our innoceÌ„cie in not â—â—â—nitating the law of God is heere described with being adiudged after the slesh yet by the merits of Christ our sauiour we obtaine our saluation The 19. History IN Rome dwelt sometime a mightie Emperour and a wise named Edsenne which ordained a law for that whosoeuer rauished a maide should be at hir discretion wherewith she would put him to death or that she would take him to hir husband It befell after that a man rauished in a night two faire matdeus the first damosell which he rauished desired that he should dye and the second desired him to hir husband The rauisher was taken ledde before the Judge that should satisfie both these damosells through his wisdome and equitir of the cause The first damosell desired the death according to the law Then said the second I desired to haue him my husband for like as thou hase the law for thée so in like case I haue it for mée and neuertholesse my petition is more better than yours for it is more charitable therefore me thinketh in my reason that the Justice should giue sinsence in fauour and furtherance of my desire Then the Justice vnderstanding the great mercy of the second damosell gaue iudgement that he should take hir to his wife and so it was done The Morall This Emperour betokeneth our lord Jesu Christ The rauisher betokeneth euery sinner which rauisheth gods mercy as often he violateth the commaundements of God by sinne for the diuell may neuer ouercome man but if it bée suffered by will For saint Austin saith Non est peccatum nisi sit voluntarium It is no sinne but if it be voluÌ„tary The rauisher also is called afore the Justice when the soule is departed from the bodie and anon the first damosell Innocency layde against the sinner that he ought to dye euerlastingly by the law of righteousnesse But that other mayden that is Christ his merits layd for hir how the mercy of God ought to help by harty repentaunce and acknowledging our sinnes which is the high way to euerlasting life Unto the which God bring vs all Amen The Argument The mother of the childe of grace and of the reprobate is heere declared which of them shall be saued and which of them dampned is not yet reuealed vnto the world till the day of iudgement The 20 Historie SOmetime there dwelt in Rome a mightie Emperour and a rich named Lipodius which tooke to wise a faire virgin a gentill the daughter of the king of Assiria this yong lady conceiued and beare a childe And in the byrth of hir sonne she dyed And anone after hir decease this Emperour maried an other wife and had by hir achilde also And immediately after that these children were borne he sent them both into a strange land for to be norished Then said the mother of the second childe My reuerend Lord tenne yéeres bée now fully expired since I bare my childe and yet sawe I him neuer but once and that was the first daye of his byrth therefore I beséech you my Lord to send for him that I may once reioyce mée of his sight Then said the Emperour I haue an other childe by my first wyfe and if I send for thy sonne than must I send for both and than anone he sent for them And when they were come they were of passing faiture and well trayned well instructed passing like in all maner thinges so as hardly the one might bee knowen from the other but by the father onely discerned Than said the mother of the second childe A my Lord tell mée which of these is my sonne and he called to him his sonne that he begate on his fiest wâ—â—e Whan the Empresse heaâ—d this shée gaue all hir care to nourish him and despised the other child When the Emperour saw this he saide to his wise Certainely I haue deceiued thee for him that thou louest so much is not thy son but that other is thy sonne Than sette shée all hir care vpon the seconde and forsooke the first When the Emperour saw this hée saide Truely I haue deceiued thée without doubt this is not thy sonne but one of them two is thy sonne Then sayde the mother A my Lorde for his loue that dyed for mankinde tell mée without cauellacion which of them is my sonne The Emperour answered and sayd certainely I will not tell you till they come both to mans state for this reason First I told you that this was your sonne and him haue you cherished as thy sonne and forsaken that other and when I tolde you that this was your sonne than despised you the first and cherished the second therefore I will that you bring vppe and cherish them both till that you may haue ioye of them When themprisse heard this she nourished them both a like And when they were both come to age the Emperour made a great supper and before all his gestes hée tolde his wyfe openly which of them was hir childe Than reioysed the Empresse greatly and with hir sonne shée ended hir lyfe in peace and rest The Morall This Emperours sonnes betokeneth those that be chosen to euerlasting life and those that be not chosen The mother of them is the prouidence of God that nourisheth theÌ„ both Therfore our Lord will not that his prouidence should let the world know which bée chosen and which be not chosen For if shée knew that than would she loue the one and hate the other and so should charitie be ouerthrowen among vs and should liue in discord and strife but trouth at the day of Judgement shall tell vs which of them shall be saued which of them shall be dampned Therefore pray wee in this world that we may come to the euerlasting feast in heauen Unto the which God bring vs all Amen The Argument The vngodly of this world will take no paines to liue vertuously and yet often tymes are they enriched for the most pait with the guifts of fortune neither carefull of the reward laid vp for pure vertue in heauen nor fearing the torments of hell deputed for the
to the forrest with his Asse to gather wood betookeneth euery iust and godly man fearing God in the forrest of this world the wood that he gathereth bâ—etokeneth his simple meaning to liue â—ell that hee carryeth on his Asse which béetokeneth the bodie of man wherewith his soule may ioye and liue in the taâ—â—â—na-cle of Heauen And as the Steward the Lyon the Ape and the Serpent that fell into the Pitte right so when a sinfull man falleth in the pitte of sinne The Lyon of the stocke of Iude that is Jesu Christ decendeth with him as oftentimes as the sinner hath will to come to grace Therfore saith the Psalmist Cum ipso sum in tribulatione That is to saie I am with him in tribulation This Guy draweth vp the Lyon that is to say Jesu Christ out of the pitte by the corde of vertues Hée drew vp the Ape also that is to saye contrary will to reason that hée might obay to reason For of all manner beasts the Ape is most lyke to manne right so among all the strengthes of the soule will ought to bée lykened vnto reason and to obey reason Hee drew vp also a Serpent by the which is vnderstoode repentaunce for two causes For the Serpent beareth in his mouth venim and his tayle is a medicine Right so repentaunce beareth at the beginning bitternesse to the doer neuerthelesse it is full swéete and medicinable vnto the soule at the ende therfore euery lust man should draw to him the serpent of repentaunce And at the last hée drew vp the Stewarde from the pyt of sinne according to Christes saying I am not come onely to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Also it is written that Seneca which taught an Emperour many lawes and vertues of truth and at the last like as this Steward dyd so dyd this Emperour seeke the death of his maister Seneca Also Christ gaue power to Iudas to worke myracles like as hée did to other Disciples neuerthelesse hée beetrayed him at the last Right so now a daies bée many children of Beliall which delight more to doe harme theÌ„ good in especiall to them that wouâ—d instruct them perfectly both for the soule and for the body The Lyon gaue to the iust and godly poore man tenne Asses charged with marchandise that is to saye our Lord Lesu Christ giueth to euery righteous man tenne commaundements charged with vertues by that which hée groweth to the riches of heauen The Ape also gathered him wood as oft as the iust man worketh the fruites of faith For wood voluntaryly is profitable for two thinges that is to saye to make fire and to builde houses Right so perfect charitie heateth the Angell according to scripture saying Quia magis gaudium est angelis c. That is to say More ioye is among angelis for one sinner doeing repentance c. Charitie also reyseth the house of heauen against the comming of the soule The Serpent also gaue him a stone of thrée diuers coulours the which betokneth our Lord Jesu Christ whome wée séeke by repentaunce Therefore sayth saint Ierome in the second table thus Post naufragium est penetendum That is to say We should repent vs after our trespasse That Christ is the stone may be proued by him selfe saying Ego sum lapis viuus That is to saye I am a liuing stone Christ hath three coullours which betokeneth the power of the father the wisdome of the sonne and the humilitie of the holy Ghost Therefore who so may get this stone shall haue the Empyre of heauen ioy without sorrow plentie without any want and light without darkenesse Unto which light bring vs our Lorde Jesu Christ that dyâ—d for all mankinde Amen The Argument ¶ By the natiuitie of Christ proceedeth ioyfull gladnesse to the world saluation vnto mankind Yet man is vnthankfull vnto God contrary to his promise made in Baptisme we are warned in all worldly tempestes to cleaue vnto Christ by faith hope to continue in well doing and to impugne the mallis of the diuell the prechers of gods woord are sent of god to confound the diuell by sound doctrine and good life life death is sette beefore man we ought then to chose that life that may be for our euerlasting comfort The 32. Historie IN Rome dwelt sometime a mightie Emperour named Anselme which had wedded the kings daughter of Ierusalem a fayre Ladie and a gracious in the sight of euery man but she was long tyme with the Emperour or shée bare him any childe wherefore the Nobles of the Empyre were right sorowful because their Lord had none heyre of his bodie begotten Till at the last it befell that this Anselme walked after supper in an euening in his garden and bethought himself how he had none heyre and how the king of Ampluy warred on him continually for so much as hée had no sonne to make defence in his absence wherefore he was right sorowful and went to his chamber and slept And at the last him thought hée saw a vision in his sléepe that the morning was more cléerer than it was wont to bée that the Moone was much more paller on the one syde than on the other And after he saw a bird of two colours and by that byrd stood two beasts which fed that little byrd with their heate And after that come many â—o beasts bowed their breasts toward the byrd and went theyr way And than came ther diuers byrds that soung so swéetly pleasantly that the Emperour awaked In the morning earely this Anselme remembred his vision and wondred much what it might signifie wherefore he called to him his Philosophers and also the states of his Empyre and tolde them his dreame charging them to tell him the signification therof vpon paine of death if they tolde him the true interpretation therof he promised them great reward Then sayde they Déere Lorde tell vs your dreame and wée shall declare vnto you what it betokeneth Than the Emperour tolde them from the beginning to the ending as it is afore sayd When the Philosophers heard this with glad cheere they answered sayd Lord the dreame that ye saw betokeneth good for the Empyre shall be more clearer than it is The Moone that is more pale on the one side than on the other béetokeneth the Empresse that hath lost part of hir coulour through the concepcion of a sonne that she hath conceiued The little byrd betokeneth the sonne that shée shall beare The two beastes that fedde this bird betokeneth all the wyse men and riche menne of this Empyre shall obey thy sonne These other beastes that bowed theyr brestes to the byrde béetokeneth that many other nations shall doe him homage The Byrd that soung so swéetly to this little Byrd betokeneth the Romaines which shall reioyce and sing bycause of his byrth Lo this is the verye interpretation of your dreame When the Emperour heard this he was right ioyfull Soone
Manne by Baptisme promiseth to liue in the feare of God and forsake the diuell Christe sorroweth for our sinnes he requireth dutifull seruice of vs at vi seuerall ages but we are alwayes vnreadie for him yet the mercie of God is so fauorable towards vs that hee spareth vs euen till the last age of manne vouchsafing if than wee repent vs and call for grace beleuing in his mercies he will receiue vs into the throne of his heauenlye grace c. The 33. Historie SOmetime in Rome there dwelt a mightie Emperour named Calopo du which tooke a fayre ladie to his wife they were not long together but that this Empresse conceiued bare him a sonne a goodly childe and a fayre when he was of age he was set to schole And when he came to twenty yéeres of age he desired his Fathers heritage saying Déere father ye are an olde man may not gouerne your Empyre therefore if it please you to giue it mée it shall be to your profit Then aunswered the Emperour and sayde Déere sonne I dread mée sore that when the Empyre is in thy power thou wilt not fulfill my will ne my desire Then aunswered the Empresse for so much as she loued hir sonne better than hir husband and sayd My Lord quod shée that may not bée for thou hast but one sonne therefore as I beléeue he wil fulfill thine entent in all thing this Empyre may help him well and therefore it is not best to grauÌ„t him the Empire Then answered the Emperour sayd I will first haue of him a letter obligatory that wheÌ„ so euer he doth any thing against my will that than I shall depriue him of the Empyre without any withstanding The sonne graunted to this and let make the obligation and sealed it And when this was done this yong Emperour waxed so proud that he feared neither God nor man and dyd very much harme But euer his father suffered it paciently for he would not be corrected by no man Till at the last there fell a great dearth in the Empyre so that many men dyed for want of foode This olde Emperour was all alone himselfe and began to haue néede wherfore hée went to his sonne for to haue some substance which his sonne graunted and suffered for a tyme. But within short time his father began to waxe sicke wherefore hee called his sonne and prayed to him to giue him â— draught of must His sonne answered and saide That will I not doe for my must is not good for your complection Than sayd the Emperour I pray thée sonne giue mée a draught of thy wine His sonne answered and sayde that hee should haue none for my wyne is not yet fined if I touch it it will trouble therfore I will not broch it till it bée cléere and fined Then sayde his father Giue mée some of the second tonne That will I not doe quod he for the wine is passing mightie strong such wine is not good for a sick man Than his father praied him hartely for a draught of the fourth tonne Than answered hée and sayde thereof get ye none for it is féeble and without any sustentacion such wyne is not good for you for it is not comfortable Than said his father now good sonne giue mee thaÌ„ of the fift tonne That wil I not quod hée for that tonne is full of â—ées or dregges and such is not for men nor vnnethes for hoggs When his father saw he might get nothing of him after was as whole as euer he was than went he to the king of Hierusalem and made his complaint of his sonne shewed him the letter obligatory which his sonne had made wherefore his father might put him out of the Empyre without any withsaying Whan the king heard this he called the Emperours sonne to aunswere his father And wheÌ„ he came he could not aunswere to his father with no reason wherefore the king put him from his Empyre seasoned his father therein againe and so he contineued all the dayes of his life The Morall This Emperour betokeneth our lord Jesu Christ according to the Psalmist He is thy father that hath thée in possession and made thée of nought The son betokeneth man to whome he gaue all the Empyre of this world accordinge to this scrpture Celâ—m celi domino c. That is to saye Heauen he hath giuen our Lorde and earth to man Mankind made an obligation vnto our Lord Jesu Christ when he receiued the sacrament of Baptisme where he promised him suertie to serue him truely and to forsake the diuel and all his pomps and vaineglory This Emperour began to waxe sicke on a day that is to say our Lorde Jesu Christ is troubled as oftentimes as a christian man sinneth and breaketh his commaundements wherefore hée thyrsteth greatly the helpe of our soule and than he asked a draught of the first tonne that is to saye he asketh of man his first age of his childhood to bée spent in his seruice But incontment the wicked man answereth and saith I may not doe so for my childehood is mustie that is to saye it is so tender and so younge that it may not attempt so soone to serue God which is manifestly against the truth for the child of one day is not without sin For saint Gregory in his dialogues saith the children of v. yeeres of age put out finds from the bosoms of their fathers And whan God séeth that hee may not haue of the must of his childhoode then desireth hée the wine of the second tonne Then answereth the wicked man and sayth that his wine is not yet cléere enough that is to say he is not apt to serue God And when God may not haue of the second tonne then asketh he of the third tonne that is to say of the third tonne of his youth Then answereth the wicked man and saith the wine is strong and mightie and therefore his youth ought to bee spent about vertuous deeds in this world and not in good lise which should make him féeble and weake When God seeth that he may not haue of this tonne then asked hée the fourth tonne And then answered the wicked man and saith that an aged man is feeble may not fast no doe no heard repeÌ„taunce and if hee died hee should be cause of his owne death And then asked our Lord of the fift tonne that is to say of his olde age when hée doth créepe and may not goe without a stâ—sse But the wicked man â—xcuseth himselfe and saith that this Wyne is feeble to giue such a feeble man for if hée should fast one day it were time on the morow to make his graue And when our Lord séeth that hée may not haue of the â—ift tonne then asketh he of the sirt tonne that is to say when a man is bâ—inde â— may not goe to sinne no more yet desireth hée of such a man drinck that is to say
the Emperour heard this anone hee exiled him and all those that were consenting to him so that they liued abiects in great wretchednesse and srrow and then the Emperour ordained other men in their stéedes and gaue them all the possessions of the traytors And when the banished men heard that straungers had taken possession of their lands and goods anone they conspyred against them and through treason requested them to a banquet And they as 〈◊〉 thinking vppon no such treason came at the day assigned and were serued with â—iuâ—â—â—â—sâ—s which were poysoned wherfore as many as tasted of that vice dyed incontinent When the Emperour heard this he was greatly moued and assembled his counsell to wit what was best to be don of this treason of their death Then said the Emperours sonne My Lord I am your sonne yée bee my Father therfore I shall giue you good counsell and profitable to all men Not far hence is a little nation wherin dwelleth a fayre Mayden and a gracious in the sight of euery man which hath an orchard wherein is a well the water therof hath such vertue that if it be cast vpon a dead man straight way he shall liue againe and recouer his life Therefore my â—ord I shall descende vnto that nation and seeke that water whereby they that were slayne at the Banquet might bée restored againe to lyfe And when the Emperour heard this he was greatly reioyced and sayde Sonne thy counsell is good And straight way the Emperours sonne went into the saide nation and fell inconceit with the Mayden in so much that hée entred in the garden and assayled to tast the water of the well And when hee had so done he made fiue déepe trenches in the ground in the which the water ranne till it came where the dead men lay buried thervpon when the water touched them they arose from death to life Then the Emperours sonne led them vnto his Father And when the Emperour saw this hée was right ioyefull wherfore hee crowned his sonne with a Laurate crowne in tooken of victorie so ended his life in rest and peace The Morall This Emperour béetokeneth the Father of Heauen The poore man that was promoted béetokeneth Lucifer the which was exalted of nought and enthroned in the Empyre of heauen with so great Joye and clearnesse that him séemed through his pride hée would bée like vnto almightie God and not onely lyke him but more than almightie God wherfore the Father of heauen exiled him all them that consented vnto him to hell and in their place man was exalted to great ioy honaur The diuell séeing this enuied him that man should come to such glory and honour and bad Adam and Eue to a banket when they eate of the Apple against Gods commaundement and counselled them thus saying In what houre yee eate of the Apple yee shall bée like gods And at this coursed banquet they were serued with v. mâ—sses that were poysoned that is to say their v. wits were accorded in eating of the Apple wherof man was insect and dyed This hearing the Emperours sonne moued with 〈…〉 ame downe from heauen into this world and acquainted him so wel with â— blessed Uirgin Mary that he sound in hir the well of manhoode and coâ—ioyned it to his Godhead according to the Scripture I am the well of lyâ—e who dunketh of it shall not thirst After that hee lette make fiue trenches in the ground that is to saye â—iue woundes in his bodie of the which ran both bloud and water whereby all mankinde was raised froÌ„ death to lyfe and led them vp into the pallace of heauen Unto the which bring vs our blessed Sauiour Jesu Christ Amen The Argument ¶ The Father of heauen extendeth his goodnesse diuers waies towards frail man yet hee taking contrarie waies liueth in spirituall fornication for the which being exiled from the state of felicitie he is coÌ„pelled to leade a miserable and painefull life But beeing reconciled by the death of his sauiour he possesseth the heritage of heauenly felicitie The 37. History SOmetime in Rome there raigned a mighty emperor named Dunstain in whose Empyre there dwelt a gentill Knight that had two sonnes One of his sonne matched himselfe against his fathers will with a common harlotte The knight hearing this exyled his son from him And when he was thus exiled he begot on this woman a sonne And soone after that he wared sicke and in penury wherfore he sent messengers to his father beseching him of his mercie This hearing his father had compassion and ruth on him wherfore he was reconciled And when hée was thus brought againe to his fathers grace hee gaue his chtide which he hadde gotten tofore on this common woman to his father And he full kindely receiued it as his sonne and nourished it When his other sonne heard this he said to his father father quod hee it séemeth to mée that thou arte out of thy right minde which I will proue by this reason For hée is out of his righte minde that receiueth a salse heare and nourisheth him whose Father hath endomage and disease tosore For my brother which begat this childe haue done thée great iniury when hée marryed the common woman against thy will and commaundement therefore me séemeth that thou art out of thy right minde Then answered the father and sayde Bicause thy brother is reconciled thou art enuious to mée and also vnkinde to thy nowne brother willing to put him from my felowshippe for euermore and sothly no vnkinde man shall haue mine heritage except he be reconciled But yet thou neuer reconciledst to him of his vnkindenesse for thou mightest haue reconciled him but thou woldest not therefore of mine heritage gettest thou no part The Morall The Father of the two bretheren betokeneth the Fether of Heauen And his two sonnes betokeneth the nature of Angels and the nature of man For man was marryed to a common woman or harlot when hee eate of the Apple against the commaundement of God wherfore he was exilled by the father of heauen and put from the Joyes of Paradise The sonne of the common woman béetokeneth mankinde This knights sonne that is to say A â—am liued in great misery for after his sin hée was put from ioy into this wretched vally of teares and wéeping according to this Scripture In suodore vultus c. In the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eate thy bread But after by the passion of Christ hée was reconsiled But the other Sonne that betokeneth the diuell was euer vnkinde and grudged dayely against our reconciling saying that by sinne wee ought not to come vnto the heritage of Heauen Unto the which bring vs our Lord Jesu Christ Amen The Argument ¶ we ought in euery vocation and calling to beehaue our selues iustly and to vse the poore man with equite we must not iniury the rich man The mightie men are to be honoured and not defrauded of their
the lust of flesh and of sinners ariseth before him after runneth great houndes that is to say euill thoughts so long they chase till the bodie and the soule be left alone and than the fleshe stirreth that noble Soule beeing the Spouse of Almyghtie God But the pure and vndesiled soule that is so wel beloued with God wil not forsake hir Lorde and consent to sinne wherefore the wretched flesh full ofte despoiâ—eth hir of all hir clothing that is to say of all hir vertues hangeth hir vp by the haire on an oake that is to say on lustes delights and there she hangeth till the good earle commeth that is to say a discréete preacher in the forrest of this world to preach and teach the woord of god and taketh hir downe and leadeth hir foorth to the Church to nourish his daughter that is to say to nourish consciens with fruitfull faith The earle had in his chamber a lamp right so euery discréet Preacher should haue afore him the Lamp of holy Scripture whereby he may see both the greuaunce and profit of the Soule in teaching of vertues and putting away of vice The steward that stirreth hir to sinne is none else but pride of life which is steward of this world by whome many men be deceiued But when the soule that is so well béeloued with Christ will not consent vnto the sinne of pryde than taketh thys euill steward the knife of couâ—tise wherwith he slaieth the earls daughter that is to say conscience according to Scripture saying Gold siluer hath blinded the eyes of Judges hath ouethrowen wise men so that equitie righteousnes might not enter but stoode afar turned their backs This Lady also redeemed a man from death that is to saye from euerlasting death which he had deserued by deadly sinne Therefore doe we as dyd this lady smite we oâ—r horse that is to say our flesh with the spurres of repentaunce so ryde we foorth in all hast to saue our neighbour from the sinck of deadly sinne helpe him both bodily ghostly as Saloman saith Wo be to that man lying in deadly sinne that hath no man to lift him out thereof Therefore awake thy neighbor and help him For a brother that is holpen of an other is like a sure citie and if he giue no more but a cup of cold water to him in the way of helpe hee shall not lose his reward But many now a dayes be very vnkinde as was this theife which falsely deceiued his lady after that she had saued him from hanging The maister of the ship betokeneth the world by whom many men be deceiued But neuerthelesse as oft as a man taketh on him voluntarily the charge of pouertie and obeyeth vnto the commaundements of God and forsaketh the worlde then breaketh the shippe For it is impossible to please God and man and the world all at one tyme. When this lady had espyed the tempest of the sea she went to a Citie that ie to say the soule after the troubles of this world went to the holy lyfe and than shee healed all maner sicke folke that is to saye euery man that is troubled in his soule that is to saye infecte with diuers sicknesses that this Lady healeth through holy lyfe But the Soule might not bée séene of Christ hir husbande till shée had knoweledged openly all hir fiue wittes But when she had made a pure acknowledgement of hir sinne than the Emperour our Lord God hir husband knew hir and tooke hir in his armes and ledde hir home to the pallaice of heauen Unto the which almightie God bring vs all for his sonnes sake Amen The Argument ¶ Euery supreme magistrate and other inferior is to be honoured and reuerenced Euery true Christian man ought to consider his dutie heerein euery false Christian peruerteth the wayes of the godlye the reward of such is hid vp in hell but the iust shal inherite the blessed life euerlasting The 41. History IN Rome dwelt sometime a mightie Emperour namid Martin which for entier affection kept with him his brothers son whom men called Fulgencius With this Martin dwelt also a knight that was steward of his Empyre and vncle vnto the Emperour which enuied this Fulgentius studying day and night how he might bring the Emperour and this child at debate wherfore the steward on a day went to the Emperour sayd My Lord quod hee I that am your true seruaunt am bound in dutie to warne your highnesse if I heare any thing that toucheth your honour wherfore I haue heard such things that I must needs vtter it in secrete to your Lordship béetwéene vs two Then sayde the Emperour Good friend quod hée say on what thée list My most déere Lord quod the steward Fulgeneious your cosâ—n and your nigh kinsman hath desamed you wonderfully and shamefully throughout all your Empyre saying that your breath stinketh and that it is death to him to serue you of your cuppe Than the Emperour was grieuously displeased and almost belide himselfe for anger sayde to him thus I pray thee my good friend tell mée the very trouth if that my breath so stincketh as he sayth My Lord quod the steward ye may beeléeue mee I neuer perceiued a swéeter breath in my dayes than yours is Then sayd the Emperour I pray thee good friend tell mée how I may bring this thing to a good proofe The steward answered and sayd My Lord quod hée yee shall right well vnderstand the troth for to morrow next when hée serueth you of your cuppe yée shall see that hée will turne away his face from you bicause of your breath and this is the most certain proofe that may be had of this thing Forelooth quod the Emperour a truer proofe can not be had of this thing Wherefore anone when the steward heard this hée went straight to Fulgencious and toke him a side saying thus Déere friend thou art my kinsman and also nephew vnto my Lord the Emperour therefore if thou wilt bée thankfull vnto mee I will tell thée of the vice whereof my Lord the Emperour complayneth oft and thinketh to put thée from him except it be the rather amended and that might bée a great reproofe to thee Then sayd this Fulgencious A good sir for his loue that dyed vpon the crosse tell mée why my Lord is so sore moued with mée for I am ready to amend my default in all that I can or may and for to be ruled by your good discréete counsaile Thy breath quod the steward stincketh so sore that his drinck doth him no good so gréeuous is vnto him thy stincking breath of thy Mouth Then sayd Fulgentious vnto the Steward Truely that perceiued I neuer till now but what thinke you of my breath I praie you to tell mée the verie truth Truely quod the steward it stinketh greatly and foule And this Fulgentious béeléeued all that hée saide and was right sorowfull in his
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
Lord if it might please your highnesse for to heare mée I shall shew you a subtill and a deceitfull imagination Say on quod the Emperour The steward quod Fulgencious that now is dead came to mée and sayde that ye tolde him that my breath dyd stinck and there vpon he counsailed mée that when I serued you of your cuppe I should than turne away my face I take God to witnesse I lye not When the Emperour heard this he beleued him said O my neuew now I see through the right wise iudgement of God the steward is brent and his owne wickednesse and enuie is fallen on him selse for he ordained this malice against thee and therfore thou arte much bound to almightie God that hath preserued thée from death The Morall Déere friends this Emperour béetokeneth euery supreame magistrate and other inferiours And Fulgentious his neuew béetokeneth euery true christian man which should duely truely serue them with faithfull homage and duetifull loyalty like as Fulgentious serued the Emperour of his cup wherefore ye shall be greatly loued of God This steward betokeneth euery false Christen man as Cayne which oftentimes turneth the harts of right wise men from God saying that his breath stinketh that is to say that the life of the magistrate is not acceptable to GOD nor man which is against this Scripture saying thus Nolite iudicare c. That is to say iudge not and ye shall not be iudged But oftentimes such malicious peole accuseth righteous men wherefore they shal be cast into the euerlasting fire of hell where is wayling wéeping and misery without charitie And rightwise shall ascend to euerlasting lyfe Unto the which bring vs our Lord Jesu Christ Amen The Argument ¶ Tyrants and vngodly persons walke without knowledge of the truth tyll they come to the Church of God the wicked persecute the godly But they are preserued by the mightie prouidence of god so we ought not to sleep in sinne A figuratiue speach of three seuerall meanings videlicet Take Yeelde and Flee the significacion thereof The 42. Historie THere dwelt sometime in Rome a mightie Emperour named Delphinus which had no childreÌ„ saue onely one daughter which was a fayre creature and welbeloued of hir father As this Emperour walked on a day on hunting in the Forrest sodainly he rode out of his way and lost his men wherfore he was greatly discomforted for he wist not whether he rode ne in what place he was till at the last when he had rydden thus all the day alone in the euening he saw a house and thether hée rode a great pace knocked at the gate Immediately the good manne of the house heard him and asked the cause of his knocking and what he would haue Deere friend quod the Emperour lo it is night as ye may se therfore I desire you of lodging for the loue of God When he had thus sayd the goodman of the house vnware that he was the Emperour aunswered thus and sayd Good friend quod he I am the Emperours Foster and haue plenty of venison and other vittailes for you When the Emperour hearde this he was right glad in his mind neuerthelesse he told him not that he was the Emperour And the Foster opened the gate and receiued him as worshipfully as hée could and set him to his supper and serued him honestly And when he had supped the Foster brought him to his chamber and when time was he went to bed In the same night it befell that the Fosters wife was trauailing of childe in another chamber fast by and was deliuered that same night of a faire sonne And as the Emperour lay in his bed sléeping him séemed he heard a voice saying to him thrise these words Take take take And with that hée awoke meruailed greatly what it might bée saying to himselfe thus A voyce biddeth mée take take what shall I take And immedately he fell a sléepe againe and the second time hée heard a voyce saying vnto him these wordes Yelde yelde yelde And with that he wakened againe and wondred greatly saying vnto himselfe What may this signifie First I heard a voyce that sayed take take and nothing I receiued And right now I heard another voice that sayde yeld yeld yeld what shoulde I yelde And as he laye thus thinking to him selfe he fell a sléepe againe And when he heard the third voyce saying these wordes thrice flee flee flee for this night is a childe borne that after thy decease shal be Emperour When the Emperor heard this he wakened wondred greatly what it might bee In the morning carely solowing the emperour arose called to him the foster and said Deere friend I pray thée that thou wâ—lt tell me if any childe be borne this night to thy knowledge My wife quod the Foster this night is deliuered of a fayre son I pray thée sayd the Emperour shew me thy sonne When the Emperour had séene the childe he saw a marke in the childes visage whereby he might know him an other time and than he sayd to the Foster thus Déere friend knowest thou who I am nay southly quod the Foster for I saw you neuer before this time as farre as I am remembred neuerthelesse it séemeth that ye be a gentleman Than answered the Emperour and sayd I am quod he the Emperour your Lord whome yée haue lodged this night wherefore right hartely I thanke you This hearing the foster fell downe vpon both his knées at his féete besought him of mercy if that he had offended his hightnesse in any thing praying him of forgiuenesse Then aunswered the Emperour and said be thou nothing afrayed for I thanke thee hartely of thy good chéere and thy sonne that was borne to night I wil haue for to nourish and bring vp in my court aud to morrow I shall send for him O my gratious Lord quod the foster it is not agréeable that such a noble Emperour should nourish the childe of his subiect and seruaunt neuerthelesse your will be fulfilled for when your messengers come I shall deliuer them my son Whan this was sayde the Emperour tooke his leaue and rode home towarde his pallaice And whan he was come home he called vnto him such seruaunts as hée trusted best and sayd to them thus Goe yée quod hée vnto my Foster with whom I was lodged this night in the forrest and receiue of him his sonne of which his wife was deliuered thys night and vpon payne of death I commaund you that yee destroy him by the way and cast his flesh to the dogges but bring with you the hart to mee And except ye fulfill my commaundement yée shall dye the most foulest death that can be thought Anone his seruaunts went to the forrest and receiued the Fosters sonne and brought him with them and when they were come néere vnto the pallaice one of them said How shall wée doe that we may fulfill our Lords commaundement in distroying of this
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