god for to be Iuged to be dampned perpetuelly or saued euerlastyngly ¶ An other holy fader seeyng a man that loughe sayd to hyÌ„ My frende I meruayll me how thou darest laugh as thou doste seen that afore god our maker that daye that we shall deye we shall haue to answer straytly of all our werkes / yf thou were well aduysed forgetyÌ„g to laughe / thou sholdest consydere / that thus as she shadowe foloweth the body in what place that he is / also in what place that we be we ought to haue a bytter coÌ„punccyon of herte / and wepe contynuelly ouer our synnes ¶ A brother axed an holy fader some holsom worde And he colde hym / that when Egypt was punysshe of the hande of god / there was no house but euery body wept that was in ¶ An other axed a lyke questyon / that is to wyt what thyng he ought to doo for to be saued / wherat the holy fader answered vnto hym / that he sholde wepe without ceassyng / for our lorde wyll that our soules be tormented scorged by contrycyons waylynges / and atte the last we shall haue that we aske of hym And this wytnesseth the psalme that sayth in the psalter / that the herte contryte and humylyed / shall neuer be dyspraysed of hym Of that other parte he sayth in the gospell Thoo be blessyd that wepe in this worlde / for they shall be comforted euerlastyngly ¶ Here fynyssheth the treatyse of compunccyon ¶ An other treatyse foloweth coÌ„sequently of contynence â—ohrenes ayenst glotony and other vyces And begyÌ„neth in latyn Fratres aliqui c. ¶ The abbot Danyell sayd to the abbot Arsenye that he slepte neuer but a lytyll towarde the mornyng for to socour nature / when slepe came vpon hym / he sayd O euyll seruauÌ„t / that nourysshed the man all oonly with vyces / why comest thou when I call not the. And anone after all syttyng he toke a lytyll rest incontynent he rose ayen This Arsenyen sayd that a monke yf he be a veray champyon for to befyght his enmye / ought not to slepe but an houre of the daye ¶ The abbot Danyell certyfyeth ayen of the sayd Arseny / that a lytyll mete whiche men gaue hyÌ„m suffysed hym for a hole yere And yet at the ende of the yere when the brethern vysyted hyÌ„ they ete of it with hyÌ„ This Arseny for to correcte hyÌ„self bere penauÌ„ce of the odours flagrauÌ„t swete of smell wherof he had vsed in the paleys of themperour afore that he was Relygyouse / ones in the yere oonly he chauÌ„ged the water of his vessell wherin he weted his wekker roddes for to make withall panyers mauÌ„des baskettes / endured the stenche the infeccyon of the sayd water in stede of the sayd good odours that he had smelled afore ¶ The abbot Agathon bare within his mouthe the space of thre yere a stone to th entent that he myght acustome hyÌ„self to kepe sylence The sayd Agathon ones walkyng fouÌ„de a bouÌ„dell of fetches with theyr hulles / that whiche bouÌ„dell one of his Relygyouses that was wyllyng for to take bere it with him ared the sayd Agathon yf he sholde do so And the abbot seeyng this / axed hyÌ„ yf he had sette it there / the monke answered not Thenne sayd to hym Agathon / why wyll thou bere awaye that that is not thyn / that thou hast not brought there as thou wyll take it ¶ The abbot Achylles bled ones atte his mouthe / a monke that sawe this / axed hym wherof that came Soo answered to hym the sayd Achylles / that the worde of a brother had angred hyÌ„ / that for to withstande ayenst his wrath he had prayed god that he wolde take awaye from hym the remembrauÌ„ce of the sayd wronges / to th ende they sholde not abyde in his thought / wherfore our lord had tourned them in to blood as he casted spued he was hole of his heuynesse ¶ The abbot Amoys beyng syke many brethern sent vnto hym dyuerse metes / but bycause he sholde not ete of theÌ„ he shette his eyen when his dyscyple entred in to his chambre beryng the sayd metes ¶ The abbot Benyamyn tolde of many brethern the whiche went for to vysyte a holy fader in Sychye / bare hyÌ„ a lytyll oyle To whom he sayd that alredy the space of thre yere was passed / that theymselfe had brought hyÌ„ some in a vessell / the whiche was yet full in that astate as they had brought it vnto hyÌ„ / had not touched it syn So wondred they moche of his contynence / how he had kept the sayd oyle so longe ¶ Some brethern reherced of the abbot Dyoscore that he vsed for his etynge but brede of barley / euery yere constrayned hymself to kepe a stronge rule / as thrughe a hole yere he wolde not see no bodye ¶ An other yere he wolde not speke to no bodye / or he woldeÌ„ not cast of oo mete soden rost or baken / or suche lyke abstynences he made ¶ The abbot Euagrius sayd that who wolde withstaÌ„de ayenst wrath / all flesshely desyres must be fyrst cast taken awaye the whiche thyng he dyde ¶ Epyphaniê° bysshop of Cypre when he sholde deye he sent towarde the abbot Hylaryon for to praye him that he sholde come speke with hyÌ„ / for he desyred for to see hyÌ„ or euer he sholde deye And after that he was come to hym theyer togydre The bysshop made a byrde to be presented afore the sayd saynt Hylaryon for his mete / the whiche answered to the sayd bysshop that syn he had taken the habyte of a monke he had not eten no mete that for his fode sholde haue receyued deth And the bysshop sayd to hyÌ„ ayen / that syn that he had taken the bysshopryche in his hande / yf ony persone had hate or questyon with hyÌ„ / he had neuer suffred his enmye to sâ—ep in that astate / but sholde fyrst haue peased hym Also he neuer slept tyll that he had reconcylyed hym selfe with his enmye Thenne saynt Hylaryon sayd to hym that his conuersacon was worthy of greter praysyng than his owne ¶ Some sayd of saynt Paladyon that he was â—â— yere in his celle without his eyen to cast vp so that duryng the sayd â—â— yere / he sawe neuer the â—ouffe nor the coueryng of his celle ¶ The abbot Zenon as he walked thrugh the contree of Palestyne fouâ—de hy selfe nyghe a place where some gordes grewe bycause that he was sore hongry he wyllyng to contente his appetyt wolde ete some of them neuerthelesse bycause hym thought yf he ete of them that he sholde do thefte he wolde preue fyrst yf he myght suffre the tormente that was ordeyned for theuys He toke of his clothes all naked he abode there in the hete of the sonne by the space of fyue dayes / which
¶ I knome well that I am not worthy to see the / But neuerthelesse I praye the open to me thy doore / ¶ For surely my frende I shall neuer departe fromhens tyll I haue seen that / Thou susteynest well that brute beestes Wherfor thenÌ„e openest not thou thy doore to me that am a beest resonable I haue sought the. haue fouÌ„de that / And haue knocked to th ende that thou shold open the dore to me / the whiche thyÌ„ge yf thou doo not I shal dey-here in abydyng that / And thê° tofore the dore of saynt Poul· the blessyd saynt Anthonye sorowed / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Poul ansuerde to hyÌ„ / O knyght of god noo man threnyth that / in desyrynge like as the desirest / thou thretnest mein wayllynge sayenge that thou shalte deye· yf I opene not to the the dore / And thus in smylynge saynt Poul opened the dore to sayÌ„t Anthonie / whaÌ„ it was opened that one saluted that other by theyr names / And yet hadd they neuer seen eche other / And after that they embracyd and kyssed togyder a long whyle / ¶ Now lete vs thynke what welcomynges and thankes full of deuocyon were thenÌ„e bitwene theim tweyne Certaynly it shold be loÌ„ge to reherce / ¶ After saynt Poul began to saye / Alas my broder thou haste taken grete labour for to see me / And I am noo thynge but a wretchyd carayne all roten for aege / thou seest a man the whyche anone shall be come asshes or duste / But charite enduryth and suffreth all manere traueylle how grete someuer it be / ¶ Now say to me my broder how men ben gouerned in the worlde / Yf ony be deceyued by the temptacyon of the enmye the deuyll / vnder what domynacion is the worlde gouerned / And in sayeng suche wordes togyder came a Crowe or a byrde whiche lete falle a loof of brede tofore thise two holy men / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Poul sayd / My right dere byloued broder leâ—e vs thynke on the goodnes of our lorde the whyche hath sente to vs our dyner / Helas he is moche mercyfull lowely / It is now syth .lx. yeres that euery daye I haue had halfe a loof of breede but now at thy comyng god hath multeplyed the porâ—dern and hath sente dowble pytaunâ—e / ThenÌ„e by a welle or fouÌ„tayne whiche was there they rendred gaue thankynges vnto god / And after they were by two houres in doynge honoure that one to that other· whyche of theym sholde departe the brede / Saynt Poul sayd it was saynt Anthonies parte to doo it by cause he was his gheste Sayenge that honoure oughte alwaye to be gyuen to the ghestes / Saynt Anthonye sayde the contrary / But that it apperteyned to saynt Poul / By cause he was more auncyente and more perfyghte / ¶ For vnto the perfyghte and vertuous is honoure due / ¶ And at laste they holdyng the same breede bytwene theyr hondes / It was departed and deuyded by the grace of god that to eche of theym abode his porcyon / ¶ And after that they had eten they dranke a lytyll water of the fountayne in renderyng and gyuynge graces and thankes to god / ¶ That done they putt theym bothe togyder in prayer And woke all the nyghte in prayenge to god deuowtly / ¶ O deuowte soule Thynke what prayer euery man now makyth on his partye / ¶ They had noo fantasye of the worlde In thynkynge what they sholde ete or drynke / Clooth or to hoose or shoo theym / ¶ Alas we that ben in the worlde canne not saye an Aue maria wythoute to haue lettynges wythoute nombre· or empesshements As euery man knowyth in hymselfe / ¶ On the moâ—â—e whanÌ„e it was daye saynt Poul sayd to saynt Anthonye / It is longe syth I knewe that thou dwelledest in thyse Regyons ¶ For god hath promysed to me longe sythe that I sholde haue one his seruaunte wyth me / But bycause that in folowynge the appostle it is longe syth that I desyred to be wyth IhuÌ„ cryst / thou art by hym sent byder to th eÌ„de that thou put my body whiche is but erthe within the bely of his moder whiche is the erthe / with his bredern whiche hen the wormes the ben of the erth / ThenÌ„e saynt Anthony began to wayle wepe so habuÌ„dantly that none can write in prayeÌ„ge hym that he myght holde hym companye in this mortall waye of the worlde Saynt Poul ansuerde / Thou oughtest not to seche that thynge whyche is in thy possessyon / but the strange thynges / ¶ It is necessary to the to leue thy careyne and folowe Ihesu Cryste / And to thyne other bredern that they gouerne theym by the ensample of thy lyfe / Wherfore thou shalt goo to thyne house / And thou shalte brynge the mantell whiche the bysshopp Athanase gaaf to the for to couere my body whan it shal be deed / And thyse wordes sayde saynt Poul to saynt Anthonye not for drede that his body sholde be wythout couerture / For neuer in his lyfe he had not couerde it but wyth leues of palmes / but he sayd this to the ende / that saynt Anthonye sholde departe and that his dethe sholde not be to hym sorowfull / ¶ O how grete charyte is soone come emonge theym that ben perfyghte for one daye oonly that they had ben togyder / ¶ Saynt Poul dradde to angre saynt Anthonye / His requeste herde saynt Anthonye was merueylously abasshyd how he knewe that saynt Athanase hadd gyuen to hym a mantell / And by that he knewe that he had god in his hertâ—â— And therfore he durste not answere· bâ—â— kyssed hym soo swetly soo brotherly / bothe his eyen hondes in weping grete teeres that he myght not well departe from him / ¶ And after he came agayn in to his hermytage / And by cause that saynt Anthonye was moche feble by cause of his abstynences myght not soo soone come as his courage constrayned hym / ¶ And thus as he came in to his lytyll hous / two of his discyples came metynge hym / And sayd to hym ¶ Where haste thou be soo longe fader What haste thou be soo longe from vs Helas we supposed to haue loste that / and doubted that thou haddest ben deed / Thou arte tyght welcome / For the heuynesse that we had for thy departyng Thy comynge agayne hath rendred to vs Ioye without melancolye / ¶ He ansuerde to theym / Helas I am a poore synar vnworthy to be namyd Relygyouse / ¶ I haue seen Helye and Iohan in deserte / ¶ And verely I haue seen saynt Poul in heuen / ¶ And Incontinente he tooke in his celle the mantell for to retorne towarde saynt Poul / ¶ Thenne the bredern demaunded of hym the cause why he was soo heuy soo sorowfull / ¶ And he answeryd to theym / That there was a tyme to speke And a tyme
voyces sayeÌ„ge to saynt Anthonie / Wherefor puttest thiselfe in our habytacles Goo out of our bouÌ„des / For thou shalt not mow suffre our temptacyons / And they had supposed that it had ben men that hadd entred by ladders / Wherfore they loked wythin the caue thrugh the câ—euyces / And by cause they saw no persone they estemed that theâ— were deuilles that soo spake to hym / ¶ Thenne they were aferde in suche wyse that they cryed for helpe to saynt Anthonye and thenÌ„e he came nyght to theym wyth his worde be comforted them in sayenge / ¶ Blesse ye you and be assured Lete the deuylles deceyue themself / ¶ Saynt Anthonye alwaye lyued in encreacyng his vertue prudence / ¶ On a tyme came some persones to hym of whiche some supposed to haue fouÌ„de hym deed but by hymself he sayd syngynge To my wyll god enhaunsyth hymself And all his enmyes ben destroyed / and al they that hate hym fleetofore his face like as smoke is consumyd soone so sone faylle they / And lyke as ware melâ—yth ayenst the fyre soo perysshe they that ben synnars tofore god / And more ouer he sayd / All folke haue assaylled me in the name of our lorde and I haue vainquysshed theym / And thus in that wyldernesse he was bi the space of twenty yere / ¶ And by cause that many desyred to see hym for to folowe his maners his doctryne came some in to his hous and brake it by force / But whan they sawe hym they were amerueylled how he was soo hoole of his membres / For he was not swollen by his longe abydynge enclosed ne by his fastynges ne by tormentes of the deuyllis / And his vysage was not pale ne chaunged but he was as a yoÌ„ge persone also clene of all his membres as he neuer hadd ony harme / He neuer laughed / And wyth al his myght he kepte hym fro synne / He neuer for ony praysyng of the peple was the more prowde / ¶ Many by his prayers were delyuered fro deuyllis theyr power His wordes were alwaye vertuouse· He comforted the desolate He taughte alway the symple Innocentes he appeasyd alway they that were angry To all he shewed that no persone sholde loue ony thynge more than his creatour or maker / ¶ To good peple he shewed the glorye eternall and the mekenesse of god / And how god the fader had noo feere to sende his sone to take oure nature to the ende for to redeme vs frothe paynes of helle / ¶ Also he counseyled euery man not to leue teÌ„porell thynges / ¶ On a tyme in the conntree of Aâ—senoytayns as he wolde goo and vysyte his brethern and his felowes / he passed the ryuer of Nyle / wythoute hauynge ony harme of the cokadrylles and other beestes that were there / ¶ In that place he confermed in vertue grete nombre of his brethern In suche wyse that many monasteryes were reedyfyed / ¶ On a daye he beynge wyth his brethern / They requyred hym to gyue to theym some Rules for to gouerne theym in vertue / Whyche he gaaf to theym many / ¶ Fyrst that they solde comforte eche other / And that whyche they hadde goten by science they sholde shewe eche to other / ¶ Also that they sholde neuer haue wyll to leue theyr estate of Heremyte But to kepe it in encreasynge of vertues / ¶ For mannes lyffe was but an InstauÌ„t / as to the regarde of the lyfe eternall ¶ After that he had proposed this / He made by a manere of taryenge a lytyll scylence / ¶ And after in merueyllynge of the bounte and largesse of god he beganne to saye agayn thyse wordes / ¶ O my brethern consyder ye that in this mortall life marchaundyses and rewardes ben egall / For the seller receyueth for his marchaundise but thynge Iuste of the byar / Ne in lyke wyse the seruaunt but his Iuste deseruynge of his lorde / ¶ But the glorye of the euerlastynge life maye for vyle and lytyll pryce be boughte / ¶ It is not wreton that oure dayes excede not thre score and ten yeres or foure score yeres / And yf we lyue lenger It is but labour and sorowe and myserye ¶ For in that aege a man retorneth to the state of Innocencye / ¶ But in that other worlde we shall liue perpetuelly / TheÌ„ne we shall not enhabyte the erthe but the heuen / And the body that we shall leue corruptyble we shall take agayne Incorruptyble / Therfore my brethern be noo thynge greuyd ne anoyed / For the shorte passyons of this worlde ben not condygne ne worthy to the perpetuelly of heuen / ¶ Yf ye haue lefte ony lityll londe or possessyons / Be not dysplaysaunt ne sory therfor / For god shal yelde to you for it an hundred fold more / ¶ They that shall haue left the godes of this worde for to serue god shall haue an hundred folde more in that other worlde / ¶ Also oughte they to consydre that woll sette theyr herte in ouer moche louynge the rychesse of this worlde / That in th ende they shall lede theym in to helle / ¶ We oughte noo thynge to loue but that oonly whyche we maye here wyth vs after oure dethe / ¶ Oughte we not thenne to loue that thynge that shall cause vs to goo to heuen / That is to wyt Sapyence Chastyte Iustyce Fastynge Prayer â—esynesse on the poore Ferme faythe Pacyence ayenst yre / And generally to loue god and our neyghbour as ourselfe / ¶ Consydre that we ben the seruauntes of god / and that we owe to hym seruyce as to hym whiche hath created vs ¶ Lete vs not reioyce vs of our lyf for yf we ben in helthe in the mornynge / Yet we be not sure to liue to euyn / And yf in this manere we ben besye for our helthe we shall neuer synne / ¶ We oughte also to flee hate and euyll wyll agayn all persones / And aboue all thynges loue of wymmen / ¶ We ought promptly and benygnely to forgyue and pardonne eche other / ¶ Tofore oure eyen we oughte to sette two thynges / that is to wyte the laste daye of oure lyfe whyche is the dethe / And the nyghe Iugement of god / ¶ And yf for the loue of god we woll kepe vs from synne / Or att leest for drede of thyse two thynges we oughte to absteyne vs / ¶ Ferdermore sayd saynt Anthonye I praye you my brethern loke neuer behynde you / But goo alwayes right fourth the good wayes / that ye haue begonne / ¶ For he that puttyth hys honde to the plough / And lokyth behynde hym / He is not worthy to haue the Reame of heuen / ¶ Leue the Grekes whyche gone in to straunge londes / and passen ouer the see for to gete the scyence cunnynge of vayne thynges / ¶ We haue noo thynge to doo to goo hytherne thyder / ¶ For the Reame and
of saynt Hylaryon soughte hym in dyuerse places / And was there thre yere in desertes and mountaynes for to seche hym / ¶ And fynably in a cyte namyd Mathone he founde a Iewe / the whyche sayde to hym that there was descended in to Cecylle a Prophete whyche dyde Infynyte myracles In suche wyse that he was reputed and taken for an holy Heremyte ¶ Esicins asked hym of his habyte of his tongue / and of his aege / Wherof he cowde noo thynge saye to hym / For he had not seen hym / But he sayde soo by heryng saye / ¶ Esicius came by aduenture in to Pachumium in a vylage / In whiche he demauÌ„ded and enquyred for the holy man / Whom euery man tolde where he was / For he was knowen of theym alle for the grete myracles that he dyde / Wherof they hadd grete wonder / And neuer toke ony thynge of theym but a pyece of brede / ¶ Esicius by grete dylygence founde hym / And knelyd downe tofore hym / wepynge and kyssynge his fete / ¶ Saynt Hylaryon toke and releuyd hym vpp / And a lytyl whyle after they wente in to a castell / named Epidarium in Dalmacye where by in a felde there beynge he dwellyd a lytyll tyme / ¶ But he was Incontynent knowen As he byfore hadde ben in other places and countrees where he hadde conuersyd and dwelled / ¶ In the sayde place was a dragon merueyllously grete / The whyche oonly dystroyed not the goodes but also he deuoured and slew the herde men that kept beestes / ¶ Thenne the holy man caused to be broughte a grete heepe or stacke of woode / And caused to be sette fyre therin / ¶ And after made his prayer to god The whyche made the same dragon in the presence of alle the people came and brente hymselfe wythin the sayde fyre / ¶ In that same tyme. and anone after the dethe of Iulyan the Emperoure all the londe trembled / ¶ And the sees sprangen oute of theyr places In suche wyse that it was supposyd that the worlde shold perysshe and be drowned by a seconde deluge or flood / ¶ And the shippes were lyfte vpp to the mountaynes / ¶ And this seenge the Epydanytayns came for refuge and socoures to the holy man / And broughte hym to the ryuage or cooste of the see / ¶ The whyche Incontynent after that he had made thre sygnes of the Crosse in the sonde / Sodaynly the see descended and became lowe / And came in to his vsuall custome / ¶ Here oughte we to note the wordes that oure lorde sayde to his Appostles / Whyche ben thyse / ¶ Yf ye haue very faythe / And ye commaunde to a moutayne that it goo in to the see Infallibly and wythoute fayllynge it shall goo / ¶ Hylaryon dyde noo lesse myracle Whanne the see that was in the partyes soo haunsed that it couered alle the londe / Incontynent was wythdrawen and becomen lowe / ¶ Of whyche myracle alle they of the cytee were admerueyled / ¶ But by cause that men beganne to honoure hym there / He departed by nyghte in a lytyl â—essell of the see / ¶ And two dayes after he fonde a grete shyppe whiche was laden / By the ayde and helpe of whyche he wente in to Cypre / ¶ But so as they of the sayde shyppe wolde haue arryued and comen to an hauen / ¶ The Marronners sawe comynge two shyppes well garnysshed wyth men of Armes / Whyche men called Rouers of the see / Whyche enforcyd theym to approche or to come aborde to theym / In entencoÌ„n to robbe and pylle theym / Wherfore the Maronners and the dyscyples of saynt Hylaryon beganne to tremble and quake for feere / And the holy man dyde noo thynge but laughe / And sayd to his dyscyples / ¶ Ye ben of lytyll fayth / Thyse theues here whyche comen agaynst vs / ben not in soo grete multytude as was Pharao / ¶ And neuerthelesse he and his companye were drowned in the see / ¶ And whanne the shyppes of theues were as nyghe as the caste of a stone / The holy man sayd / Hola / Hola / Ye ben nyghe ynough / ¶ And IncoÌ„tynent happed a merueyllous thyÌ„ge / For the shyppes of the sayde theues retourned bacwarde wolde the Paciones and Maronners or not / ¶ After he entred in to a cyte namyd Pafun beynge in Cypres a noble cytee and moche flowrysshynge in Poetrye / Of whyche the edefyces and buyldynges were some tyme fallen downe bycause that the londe trembled ofte / ¶ There were moche people tourmented of deuylles whiche were within theyr bodyes / ¶ But the holy man hadde not ben there enhabyted twenty dayes but that they cryed with an hyghe voys / Hylaryon the seruaunt of Ihesu criste is in this londe / To whom we must all goo / ¶ In lyke wyse there was in the cyte of Salomnocurium Laphyte / and many other whyche also cryed sayenge / That they muste goo to the holy man Hylaryon / But they knewe not where he was / ¶ Thyrty dayes after or there aboute came to the holy man Hylaryon many seke men / vnto the nombre of two hundred / Whiche were guarysshed and heelyd in eyghte dayes / ¶ He dwellyd two yeres in that place there in abydynge Esicius his dyscyple / Whom he hadde sente in to Palestyne for to vysyte the brethern of the monastery / ¶ After that Esicius was come agayne to hym / He retourned in to Egypte in to a place namyd Botholya / By cause that there ne dwelled ony Crysten man / And the place was soo enhabytable / that vneth ony man myghte goo there a foote / ¶ And was dystaunte or beynge from the cyte two myles or there abowte / ¶ There were many trees and fayre gardynes / But of fruyte of theym he neuer ete ¶ There was also an olde monastery the whiche was alle in Ruyne or fallen in dekeye / by the whyche was herde the â—oyses of some spirytes / Lyke as there had ben a grete excercyse or Rowte of men of Armes / ¶ Wherof the holy man Hylaryon was ryght Ioyeous / Consyderynge the meryte that he myghte gete / in Resystynge and wythstondynge the spyrytes that were soo nygh hym / ¶ There dwelled he fyue yeres / Where fewe people wente for to see him for the grete asprete or sharpnesse of the place And for the dyffycnltee or doubfulnesse of the waye to goo thyder / ¶ On a daye the holy man Hylarion comyng in to his gardyne apperceyuyd a man Paralytyke· or taken wyth the Palsey beynge tofore the gate / ¶ Thenne Escius aryd hym what he was / And who had broughte hym thyder / ¶ He ansuerd that he was the Procuroure of the towne / to whom the gardyne in whiche he was apperteyned vnto / ¶ Thenne he toke hym by the honde and sayde to hym / ¶ In the name of god my frende aryse thou and walke
/ ¶ She recounted theym to saynt Iherom / ¶ The whyche in spekynge to the sayde Heretyke and in enfourmynge hym other questyons confounded his in this manere / ¶ Fyrst saynt Iherom demaunded hym yf he byleuyd the Resurrexcōn generall / ¶ The Heretyke ansuered Ye / sowe oughte to byleue / ¶ For it is an artycle of the faythe / ¶ Secondly he demaunded yf the same body that deyed sholde ryse agayne / ¶ He ansuered Ye For it is also trouth / ¶ Thyrdly he demaunded yf the bodyes sholde aryse in the sexe or kynde in the whyche they sholde be deed / That is to wite yf the man shall aryse in the lykenesse of a man / And also in like wise the woman in lykenesse of a woman / ¶ To this demaunde or question the Heretyke ansuered nought / ¶ Saynt Iherom sayde after to him / ¶ Syth that thou wolt not ansuere I shall saye to the by manere of ansuere / ¶ That yf a man ryse not in lykenesse of a man / And a woman in lykenesse of a woman / Thenne it sholde not be Resurreccyon of theym that deyed The whiche Resurrexcyon thou grauntest to be / And also it is true / ¶ We haue prouff herof by oure lorde Ihesu Cryste / The whyche whanne he was arysen shewed his woūdes whyche he hadde receyued in the Crosse / ¶ And also whanne saynt Thomas towched him in his worthy side / ¶ Sayd not oure lorde to his dyscyples / Beholde and see my woundes / To the ende that certaynly ye byleue that I am he that hathe be crucyfyed ¶ Thenne that syth oure lorde after his Resurrexcyon was seen and towched / And that his discyples herde him speke / ¶ It aperyth cleerly thy his membres that he arose in lykenesse of a man and not of a woman / ¶ For by his membres it apperyth that he hadd a body / ¶ By cause that the body is not wythoute membres ne the membres also wythout body / ¶ Therfore it muste conclude that the men shall aryse as men / And wymmen as wymmen / ¶ As towchinge the conclusyon that the Heretyke made in sayenge That maryages oughte to be made in heuen / ¶ Saynt Iherom ansuered that there sholde be none / ¶ For oure lorde saythe that after the Resurreccyon generall shall neuer be maryage made / ¶ And by this the scrypture sayth that there shall none be maryed / And yf it be argued to be wryten that we shall be lyke to good aungellis the Proposycyon oughte to be vnderstonde that we shall be sēblable or lyke to theym in conuersacyon and blessydnesse / As is promysyd to vs. Not by nature / ¶ Saynt Iohan Baptist tofore that he was byheded was called an aungell But for that he hadde not the nature of aungellis / ¶ The symylytude or lylenesses of aungellis is oonly promysed in holynesse of lyfe / ¶ But the nature not for that shal be chaunged / ¶ Yf ony argued in sayenge that god ete after his Resurreccyon Thenne we shall ete after that we were reysed / ¶ The argumente is not prouffytable / ¶ For that whyche was done was for the approbacyon and veryfyenge of the sayyd Resurrexcyon / ¶ He also whanne he hadde Reysyd the sayde good Lazare / Whyche hadde be deed foure dayes ete wyth hym / ¶ Also the doughter of the Synagoge anone after that god hadde reysed Commaunded that mete sholde be gyuen to her / To the ende that they that sawe thise and herde of thise reysinges sholde ne myght not saye that they were bodyes fantastyke / But were very bodyes whyche hadd ben deed and reysed agayne / ¶ As towchynge the question of the chylde vexed of the deuyll whyche had not synned / ¶ And also in what aege we shall aryse / ¶ Saynt Iherom fyrste sayth that the Iugementes of god aren as a grete swolowe / ¶ His scyence is also to vs vnknowen / ¶ Neuer man knewe what god hathe in his entendemente and purpoos / ¶ Secondly ought to be noted with saynt Iherom / That a man whanne he is ten or twenty or thyrty Or a hūdred yere olde is none other than whā he is but two or thre or foure yere olde ¶ And neuerthelesse after the tradycyons and sayenges of the chyrche and the doctryne of saynt Poul / we shal ryse in the aege of perfeccyon In whyche oure lorde aroos fro thyrty to two and thyrty yeres / ¶ And in whyche aege was Adam fourmyd after that the Iewes wytnesse / ¶ In retournynge thenne to saynt Paula / And for to speke of her entendemente sayth saynt Iherom that ofte she kepte and obserued the commaundement that sayth Andi israhel ettace That is to saye ¶ Man here and bestylle / For the good lady Paula was well lyghte to here / And slowe to speke / ¶ She was curyous and besie to haue bokes of holy scrypture / And radde theym gladly / ¶ And for better to prouffyte in theym / She constrayned saynt Iherom to expowne to her the olde Testamente and the newe / ¶ But whanne for ony doubtes he differred to expowne to her certayne proposycyons / Sayenge to her that he cowde not expowne theym / She wolde not byleue hym / ¶ But by contynuell Interrogacyons and desyres she constrayned him to expowne theym after the Sentence moost apparent or lykely and after trouthe and good sens / ¶ Her vnderstondynge was soo grete that she lerned of saynt Iherom the Ebrewe tongue / In suche wyse that she songe the psalmes of the Psaulter in Ebrewe tongue / And songe noo more in latyn / ¶ After that we haue recyted of her holy lyfe conuersacōn that is to saye of her gloryous departing oute of this worlde ¶ Whanne the good lady saynt Paula felte that she had no more hete but a lytyll in her stomack / ¶ She beganne to saye thyse wordes that folowe in wepynge and wayllynge bytterly ¶ O my god I haue desyred the beaultee of thy heuen and glory / ¶ O lorde that thy Tabernacles and dwellynge places ben fayre shynynge / O lorde god I haue more desire to be in thy hous that is in the chyrche than to dwelle with them of the worlde ¶ Anone after she cessed to speke saynt Iherom seeng that she ansuerd not to ony thyng that he demaunded or asked of her / ¶ He asked why she ansuered not / ¶ And yf she hadde in her herte ony heuynesse or gryef / ¶ The goode lady ansuered in Greke / Naye / but she sawe alle Ioyousete and gladnesse / ¶ After she spake noo more / But sygned her wyth the sygne of the Crosse / ¶ There were dyuerse bysshoppis as well of Iherusalem as of other places And wyth theim were grete nombre of preestes and Innumerable companyes of vyrgynes and Relygyouses / ¶ In presence of whom she herde oure lorde / whiche callyd her sayenge / ¶ Come to me my
she prayed the blessyd lady that she wolde be alwaye helpynge atte her nede / And soo wente from the cytee / ¶ And in gooynge she founde a man whyche gaaf to her .iii. pens with whyche she bought her thre loues of brede / ¶ And after askyd of hym that solde the brede whyche was the waye to goo to flom Iourdan / ¶ And whanÌ„e she knewe the gate by whiche she sholde goo / Alle the daye she wente wepynge and waylynge / ¶ And from the houre of Tyerce vnto the houre of Syxte and abowte the sonne gooynge downe She wente and arryued atte a chyrche of saynt Iohan Baptyste by the sayde flom Iourdan / In to whiche chyrche she entred for to make her prayers· The whyche accomplysshed she descended in to the flode aforsayd wisshe her face her body wyth the holy water of the sayd flom Iourdan ¶ And after that she had admynistred the holy sacrament of th aulter she ete halfe a loof the same nyghte she lay all nakyd vpon the erthe / ¶ On the morn she made her prayer to the glorioê° virgyn Mary / prayeng her that she wolde adresse her for to goo where as sholde be good for her helthe ¶ Fynably she was come to the place where as Zozimas hadde founde her / ¶ And as she sayde she hadde ben there fourty yere / ¶ Zozimas ferthermore demaunded questioned of her what thynge she had eten / ¶ She answered two looues and an halfe of brede / Whyche were bycomen as harde as stones as soone as she was passed ouer the flom Iourdan / ¶ Zozimas sayd to her / Haste thou thê° passed thy lyfe soo longe tyme wythoute payne or sykenesse / ¶ She ansueryd My fader I dare not telle the the perylles that I haue endured / ¶ Zozimas sayde Leue noo thynge but saye alle / ¶ Truely my fader sayd she I haue be seuentene yere that I hadde contynuelly desyre to ete and drynke suche mete / as I ete in the worlde / ¶ And by cause I myghte not haue it· I was in soo grete heuynesse that I myghte not endure it / ¶ In lyke wyse the flesshely thoughtes and deuyllyssh songes came to my mynde / By the whyche I was gretely tormented / ¶ But Incontynent I wepte and smote my breste in sayenge to fore myne eyen the promyse that I hadd made to god and to the blessyd vyrgyne Marye / ¶ Whanne I departed from the chyrche of Iherusalem / Pryncypally I came for socour to the holy vyrgyne Marye ¶ And in wepynge and lamentynge I prayed her to haue consolacyon comforte / ¶ Towchynge the flesshely temptacyons that came soo moche tofore me that I can not expresse ne telle ¶ For they made me soo enflamÌ„ed of my fyrste synne that I myghte not bere it / ¶ But whan I was in thyse passyons I fell downe to the erthe for to wepe and waylle abundantly / ¶ And in soo dooynge I knewe spyrytuelly that the blessyd vyrgyn Marye whyche had holpen me came for to socoure me / And I neuer lyfte vppe myne eyen from the erthe tyll I was out of thise cursyd thoughtes / In hauynge alwaye myn herte to our lady Tresorye of grace comfortresse of desolate / ¶ And the very adresseresse of theym that ben out of the waye / ¶ Zozimas after demauÌ„ded of her â—aste thou had noo mete ne clothing The holy Egypcyen ansuered / I haue eten the two loues and an halfe as I haue tolde / ¶ And the resydue of the tyme I haue ete herbes of the deserte ¶ By cause that my clothynge was all to torne in pyeces I haue lefte theym and am alle nakyd / ¶ Lete vs thynke here how many alte racoÌ„ns as well by raynes and grete coldes as by extreme hetes of the sonne that she endured / ¶ Thynke we also how many carnall temptacyons she threwe fro her / Whyche ben somoche dyffycyle to ouercome to theym that haue ben accustomed therin more thanne ony other temptacoÌ„n / ¶ After she sayd to Zozimas / Alas my frende I am nourysshed and cladde onÌ„ly wyth the worde of my god whyche hath done to me so many graces / The whyche sayth that one lyueth not oonly by brede but also by his worde whiche quykenyth more than the bodily mete / ¶ Zozimas herynge that she spake of holy Scrypture sayde to her ¶ Moder haste thou lerned the bokes of Moyses / The Psaulter and other holy scrypture / ¶ She thenne smylynge sayde to hym Fader byleue me certaynly that syth I passyd the flom Iourdan I sawe neuer man lyuynge but the. ne other beest of the worlde / ¶ I neuer lerned booke Ne neuer herde the Psaulter radde ne songen / ¶ But the worde of god whyche hathe soo grete vertue hathe enformyd myn entendement / ¶ And thys suffiseth to the. that I haue tolde to the ¶ And from hens forthe praye for me poore synfull lecherous woman / ¶ And whanne she hadde sayde thyse wordes / Zozimas kneled downe on his knees and beganne to saye / ¶ Blessed be the oonly god that dooth thynges so merueylous and in soo many persones ¶ Blessyd be thou my god whyche haste shewed to me the goodes that thou doost to theym that dreden the. and kepe alle thy commaundementes / ¶ Verely my god thou leuest neuer theym that sechen for to serue the / ¶ The good woman suffred hym not to lye on the erthe / ¶ But prayed hym that he wold neuer shewe that she had sayde to man lyuynge / ¶ And after sayd to him / My fader goo now forth on thy waye in peas / ¶ And wythin a yere herafter I shall come agayne shewe me to the / Yf god gyue vs the grace ¶ Wyth thys I praye the to doo that whyche I shall ordeyne / ¶ By cause that in your monasterye whanne ye make your holy fastynges whyche is called Lente / You re custome is to goo in to Deserte eche by hymself for to kepe his fastynge ¶ Whan that tyme shall come thou shalt not goo oute of the chyrche but kepe the monasterye / ¶ Zozimas was more abasshyd thanne tofore of that she knewe the rule of the monasterye / and began to crye ¶ O my god glorye be gyuen to the / I know that thou gyuest more grace with oute comparyson to theym that serue the truely thanne they demaunde or aske / ¶ The holy Egypcyen reprysed his worde and sayde / Fader herken / ¶ For whanne thou woldest departe from the monastery Thou shalte not mowe ¶ But the holy Thursdaye of Cene. thou shalt take the precious body of oure lorde Ihesu Cryste and his precyous blood in lyke wyse in an holy vessel and shalte come to me on that other syde of flom Iourdan withoute to passe ouer / ¶ And thenne by the grace and mercy of my god and of thyne I shall receyue hym benygnely / ¶ For I neuer receyued hym syth
atte the abbot that he wolde gyue the benedyecyon to his doughter And they wolde retorne in to the cyte / ¶ And thus sayeng she kneled downe on bothe her knees tofore hym in sayenge / My fader I byseche the that it may playse the to pray for me to the ende that god woll saue my poore soule / ¶ Thise wordes sayde the Abbot layed his honde vppon her ¶ The god that knoweth the creatures tofore they were born blesse the and make the to haue parte in his Reame / ¶ After that tyme as ofte as her fader founde ony Relygyous persone· he lad hym in to his house And prayed hym to praye for her / ¶ The Abbot hadde a custome to make feeste and solempnytee the day that he was Instituted Abbot of his monastery / ¶ That daye comynge he sent to the house of Pafunce for to praye him to come to that solempnytee / ¶ The relygyous that came founde not the say-Pafunce att home / ¶ But it was tolde hym by his seruauntes that he was gone oute / ¶ Eufrosme that seenge called the Relygyous and axyd of hym many thynges / ¶ Fyrste how many bredern were in his monastery / The Relygyous sayde that there were thre hundred two and fyfty / ¶ After she axyd yf there were ony dyffyculte to receyue in to the Relygyon of ony that wolde rendre hyÌ„ Relygyous / ¶ To whom he answered that nay / Sayenge that oure lord god hadde sayd that who soo euer wolde come to hym he wolde not caste hym out from hym / ¶ Thyrdly she demaunded yf they songe the psalmes alle togyder And also how they fasted / He ansuered that eueryche fasted after his power / But they songe alle togyder ¶ And also she asked of alle the rules of the sayde monasterye / And he tolde alle to her ¶ After she sayde to the sayde Relygyous that her wyll was to lede the state and lyfe of Relygyon / But she dradde moche to offende her fader Whyche wolde doo her to be maryed / ¶ The Relygyous sayde to her / My syster delyuere not thy body to a man mortall but to god whyche is Inmortall gyue thy beaulte / And secretely take the habyte of a man / and make thyselfe Relygyouse in some monastery where some euer it be / ¶ Whyche thynge herynge the sayd doughter was greteli comforted and reioyced / ¶ But neuerthelesse she had in herselfe some heuynesse / By cause that she cowde not aduyse her by what moyen she myghte doo and accomplysshe this thynge / For she durste not truste in ony laye man / ¶ The Relygyouse sayde to her / Thy fader shall be thre or four dayes in the Abbaye / ¶ And therfore sende for some deuowte Relygyouse man / Whyche ryght gladly shall pourueye for thy caas / ¶ And thus as they deuysed togyder came her fader / Whyche demaunded of the Relygyous the cause of his comynge thyder / ¶ The whyche sayd to hym that his Abbot prayed hym that it wolde playse hym to come to the solempnytee of his feest / ¶ Pafunce moche Ioyous of his comynge wente in to a shyp wyth the Relygyous and came to the monasterye / ¶ Incontynent that they were departed / Saynt Eufrosyne desyrynge to accomplysshe and fuldoo her purpoos and entencyon sente for to seche a Relygyous of the monastery of the Abbot Theodocyen / The whyche beynge comen to her she anone recyted to hym and tolde her caas and entencyon / ¶ And that whyche she hadde enterprised to doo and accomplysshe / ¶ And thenne he herynge thyse fayre and deuowte wordes sayde to her / ¶ My loue and frende god hathe taughte vs. that who that renouÌ„cyth not fader and moder theyr chyldren and theymselfe by theyr free wyll is not worthy to be dyscyple of our lorde Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And therfore I saye yf thou mayst thou oughtest to renounce thy parents and kinnesfolke for to ensewe and folowe Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Remembre the not· ne take noo thoughte for the herytage of thy fader for there â—en ynow of poore wydowes and of poore monasteries to whom he may dystrybute and deale his goodes / ¶ Saynt Eufrosine ansuerd I truste in god and· in thy wordes / And praye the that thou wolâ—e praye for me / ¶ And that Incontynente thou cutte of and take a waye myn heere 's / ¶ The Relygyouse his oryson made in prayenge sayde / ¶ Oure lorde god whyche hathe delyuered from perill alle his sayntes woll kepe and preserue the from alle euyll / ¶ Anone after he cutte of her heere 's / And that done departed from thens yeuynge praysinge to oure lorde god and consyderynge in herselfe what she had to doo for to entree in to the Relygyon of wymmen ¶ â—nowynge that her fader in sekynge her myghte happely finde her there / ¶ And therfore in leuynge the habite of a woman cladde her with the habyâ—e of a man / ¶ And after departed from the house of her fader and wente in to the monasterye thyther as he was gone ¶ And Incontynent that she knewe that her fader was departed She founde the manere to speke wyth the Abbot / gyuynge hym to vnderstonde that she was a man that gladly wolde be there Relygious and named her selfe Smaradyn / ¶ The Abbot receyued her gladly / and for as moche as she semyd a chylde of yonge aege ¶ She was delyuered to be endoctryned and taughte in the rules of the Relygyon to a nother Relygious man namyd Agapyton / ¶ She beynge there by cause she was moche fayre and pryncypally of vysage / Many of the Relygiouses beganne to murmure in sayenge / That it was a deuyll in lykenesse of a Relygyous / ¶ And that by her beaulte many of them were fall in synne / ¶ Fynably they sayde it to the Abbot / The whyche that knowynge commaunded to Smaradyn that he shold make his prayers alone in his lytyll chambre / And that he sholde noo more come in to the chyrche / ¶ Whyche thynge she dyde gladly and helde her there soo solytaryly that alle the Relygiouses merueylled of the grete constaunce that she hadde in soo yonge aege / ¶ Her fader Pafunce retourned fro the sayd monasterye / And whanne he was comen home he founde nought his sayde doughter And anone was surprysed and taken of a grete and merueyllouse sorowe and heuynesse ¶ And beganne to aske alle his seruauntes and chamberers where she was bycome and whâ—ther she was goon / ¶ To whom they ansuered that in the mornynge she departed oute of the house as they supposyd for syth they hadde not seen her ne knewe not where she was bycome In contynent and wythout taryeng he sente his messagers to alle partyes and fro Relygion to Relygyon as well in Alexandrye as in Egypte But he cowde here noo tydynges wherof he was full of heuynesse and soo ryght sorowful that vnneth it maye not be
I knowe that I shal not lyue longe And that god hathe holpen me to fyghte agaynste the deuyll vnto now / It restyth oonly that I gyue the consolacyon of thy doughter Eufrosyne / ¶ Byleue surely that I am she / And therfore be constaunt and myghty wythoute in ony wyse to angre the ¶ And this that I shewe to the. ne shewe ne declare it to ony man lyuynge / ¶ But thou allone tofore that I be putt in the erthe shall wasshe me To the ende that noo man knowe that I am a woman / ¶ I haue promysed many londes and possessyons to the chyrche here wythin / ¶ And therfore thou shalte accomplysshe and fulfyll my promyse It is a place of grete deuocyon / ¶ Praye for me I commaunde the to god and my body and my soule / ¶ And in sayenge thyse wordes she rendred and gaaf her spiryte to god ¶ Whanne Pafunce the fader of the good lady hadde herde thyse wordes / seenge that she was thenne deed fell doune to the erthe as deed / ¶ After this ranne Agapytus and he seenge that Smaradyn was deed And Pafunce fallen downe to the erthe casted water in to the vysage of Pafunce In sayenge / ¶ What eylest thou my lorde and frende Aryse vppe / ¶ Pafunce ansuered Alas that I deye not ryght here / This daye haue I seen thynges enarrable / ¶ After he roos vp and fell vppon the face of his doughter wysshe her wyth his teeres / ¶ And whan̄e he hadde longe waylled and wepte vppon the body / He sayde wyth an hyghe voyce ¶ Alas my swete doughter why haddeste not thou more sooner shewed and manyfested thyselfe to me To the ende that I hadde deyed gladly with that ¶ Vnhappynesse is comen to me syth that· thou haste hydde thyselfe soo longe from me ¶ Alas how haste thou vaynquysshed and putt vnder thy fete the aduersytees of this worlde And now thou arte in eternall glorye / ¶ Agapyton that herynge wente to the Abbot and shewed hym alle the caas / ¶ Whanne the Abbot was comen / In lyke wyse he began to wepe wyth Pafunce in sayenge / ¶ O Eufrosyne spowse of Ihesu Cryste / The tyme is comen that thou oughtest to remembre thy brethern / ¶ Praye for vs. to the ende that we maye come to the porte of helthe / ¶ Alle the bredern there assembled and seenge this myracle gloryfyed worshypped god in sayeng ¶ Honour and praysynge be to god of heuen and of erthe / Whyche that makyth not oonly to men merueyllouse thynges but also to wymmen / ¶ And thus as alle were there assembled for to burye the corps / A brother whyche hadde but one eye kyssed her And Incontynent he sawe clerly wyth that other eye / ¶ Her fader dystrybuted and dealed al his possessyons and lyuelood to the sayde chirche and monastery And rendred and became hymself Relygyous in the same place and monasterye / Where as he lyued ten yeres after / And after hys dethe fynably was buryed bi saynt Eufrosyne his oonly doughter and sauyd in heuen / ¶ To the whrche by theyr intercessyons and prayers it maye playse god that we maye all come atte the ende of oure dayes / ¶ The whyche graunte vs the fader sone and holy ghost / Amen / ¶ Thus endyth the lyfe of the gloryous saynt Eufrosyne / ¶ Of saynt Frontynyan Whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quomam sepe desideratis / Caplm .xlv. ¶ Those ben the condycyons of theim that lyuen in the worlde / ¶ Lete vs demaunde and aske fyrste the Reame of heuen / ¶ And lete vs doo after Iustyce ¶ And by this moyen alle good thynges shall come to vs / ¶ After that euer yche of theym after his power entended to prayer the beste wyse they myghte ¶ But the good fader prayed not onely for hymselfe but for alle the other ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued in the sayde Deserte / The enmye of nature whyche is alwaye enuyouse / Pryncypally of theym whyche done penaunce / Tempted theym· and assayled wyth many assaultes / In suche wyse that he made theym alle to murmure and to grutche agaynst theyr Abbot / And sayde that one to that other / Wherfore is it that oure Abbot hathe made vs to come in to this Deserte / ¶ They that ben in townes and castellis shall haue as well heuen as we Soo that they done good werkes ¶ And we slee ourselfe here by fastynges And by abstynence we deyen for hungre / ¶ And thus the moost parte of theim were mouyd to retourne to the worlde / ¶ This knowynge saynt Frontinyan came to theym and sayde / Wherfore alye my bredern come ye hyther with me for to murmure and grutche agaynste god / Knowe ye not well by holy scrypture that a Iuste man shall neuer deye for hungre / ¶ And yf he haue not for to ete God shall sende hym some by his aungell Lyke as he hathe doon to many of whom we rede / ¶ Thynke that god hathe alwaye his eye vppon the deuowte soules / Thynke also how god nouryssheth the rauen̄s wythin theye neest whanne the fader ne the moder woll not nourysshe them by cause they ben whyte / ¶ Whanne they ben fyrste hayghte or borne / ¶ My brethern haue ye alwaye the loue of god in youre hertes And I assure certefye you for trouthe that ye shall neuer haue defaulte of mete ne of drynke / ¶ And yf it soo happened / whyche I byleue shall neuer come that ye sholde haue hungre or thurste / And whan̄e it soo were / Thenne myghte ye haue cause to accuse god of the wordes that he hathe sayde in the gospell / thus sayenge to hym / ¶ O god we haue kepte thy commaundementes And haue byleuyd that thou haste sayde that is to wyte that thou shalte nourysshe thy seruauntes wyth heuenly mete / We haue had in the hope neuertheles thou haste lefte vs / But I praye you alle ne murmure ne grutche noo more thus in likewyse as oure faders auncyente dyde in Deserte whanne they were delyuered from the honde of kynge Pharao / ¶ Abyde ye and tarye a whyle And ye shall knowe how god pourneyth to theym that dredyth hym and louyth hym ¶ After thyse wordes of saynt Frontynyan alle they ceaseden theyr murmuracyons and grutchynges / ¶ And of that they hadde soo done they were moche sorowfull and dysplaysaunte / ¶ On a nyghte after that they had soo ben corrected / An aungell apperyd to a Ryche man / ¶ And sayde thus to hym / ¶ Thou man that lyuest in grete delyces worldly playsures and hauinge habundaunce of goodes and the poore seruauntes of god ben in Deserte whyche haue grete hungre / ¶ I aduertyse and counseylle the that thou aryse vppe And that thou sende theym some mete for to ete / ¶ Or ellis thou shalte renne in to the Indygnacyon of
to praye god for Antigonius and his doughter the whyche I presente you tofore youre faces / ¶ The Abbesse ansuerd / My dere and ryght playsaunt lady youre seruauntes haue noo nede of youre rentes and reuenues / ¶ For for to dyspyse worldly goodes they haue put theymselfe in to this monasterye and woll be poore in thys worlde for to be ryche in that other / ¶ But to the ende that ye be the more content we praye you that it may playse you to gyue to vs some oylle and candellis for to accomplisshe the seruyse of god And that shall comforte vs more than other goodes / ¶ Thus dyde Eufraxe in prayenge theym humbly that they wolde praye deuowtly for her husbonde and her doughter / ¶ On a daye it happed as the good moder brought her doughter wyth her in to the abbaye / ¶ The Abbesse for to knowe the wyll that the lytyll doughter Eufraxe hadde askyd her fyrste yf she louyd theyr monasterye / ¶ The doughter ansueryd that ye and all the sisters in lyke wyse / ¶ The Abbesse after sayde to her in manere / for to passe the tyme. My loue syth that ye loue vs wel Woll ye dwell with vs for to serue god ¶ The chylde ansuered that yf it were not for drede of her moder she wold neuer departe from theym / ¶ Yet agayn the Abbesse sayde to her / My doughter whom loue you better youre husbonde or vs / She ansuered I knewe hym neuer ne he me But I knowe you and loue you ¶ And ye whom loue ye best of vs. or hym or me / And they ansueryd / that they louyd beste god theyr maker ¶ The mayde ansueryd Certaynly I loue you and god also / ¶ The goode moder hering the doughter / whyche ansueryd so prudentely seen that she was not yet seuen yeres olde fell in to wepynge of grete habundaunce of teeres / ¶ And after sayde to her doughter Come now hyther my doughter it is tyme that we retorne home to oure hous· For it is nyghe euyn and late / ¶ The chylde ansuered that she wolde abyde wyth the Abbesse To whom the Abbesse sayd that she myghte not dwelle there in their monastery / but yf she auowed her to Ihesu Cryste / ¶ The mayde thenÌ„e askyd her where is Ihesu Cryst The Abbesse shewed to her the ymage of the Crucifyxe ¶ The mayde Incontynent wente and kyssed the same ymage and sayde to the Abbesse / ¶ Certaynly madame I gyue myselfe to my Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste / ¶ The Abbesse sayd after to her that she hadde noo place for her ne wyste not where to putte her / ¶ The chylde ansuered that she wold abyde with her / ¶ Whanne the Abbesse sawe that she was soo constaunt she knewe well that she was espyted wyth the holy goost ¶ And sayde to her moder / That she sholde leue her there in the sayde monastery ¶ The moder beynge strongely comforted in her spyryte toke her doughter And ladde her byfore thymage of Ihesu Cryste / Tofore whyche she made her prayers in sayenge / ¶ Looued and thankyd be thou my god for as moche as it hath playsed the to enspire my doughter In gyuynge to her suche affeccyon / that she hathe gyuen herselfe to the in her yongthe / ¶ Alas my god take the charge of her body of her soule syth that she desyryth to serue the / ¶ After she tourned her towarde her doughter and sayd to her / ¶ My dere doughter god whyche hath made the mountaynes vnmoeuable make the so ferme in his loue that the worlde haue neuer power to moeue the / ¶ And whan she hadde sayde thyse wordes she delyuered her in to the hondes of the Abbesse / In wepynge and wayllynge soo habundantely / that alle the Relygyouses wepte wyth her / ¶ The daye foloweng the Abbesse clothed her wyth the vestyment of the Relygyon / And prayed oure lorde for her sayenge / ¶ O kynge of kynges whyche haste begonne soo grete a werke in this chylde / I byseche the mekely that it maye playse the. that this begynnynge maye achyeue fro good to better / to the ende that alwaye she maye prayse and gloryfye thy ryght holy name / ¶ The moder thenne beinge by the doughter askyd her in sayeng / ¶ My childe louest thou well this vesture whyche thou haste now / The chylde ansueryd Truely moder ye / ¶ I byleue that the vestymentes and clothynge of this Relygyon ben to me the erneste peny for to haue god in maryage / ¶ Thenne sayde the moder / I praye to hym that thou now haste chosen to thyne espowse that he make the worthy to be chamberer in his heuenly chambre / ¶ Thyse wordes sayde the good moder tooke leue of the Religyouses and kyssed her doughter And retourned home to her house / ¶ Thorugh alle the londe were the tydynges How the sayde good moder distrybuted her goodes vnto poore people and to chyrches / ¶ And also the tydynges came to the Emperour and to alle the Senatours / The whyche were moche Ioyouse of her vertuouse conuersacion / ¶ Euery day she ete but cole wortes or peâ—e potage and but one time on the daye And dranke noo wyne / ¶ A lytyll whyle after the Abbesse sawe in spyryte how Antigonius husbonde of the same good widowe prayed god that she myghte departe oute of thys worlde for to be wyth hym in heuen / ¶ And she shewed it to the good Eufraxe / The whyche was therby gretly comforted / And putt herselfe to prayer / And she hadde lyke reuelacoÌ„n / ¶ And thenne she tooke alle her goodes· put theym in the hondes of her doughter / for to dyspose in suche wyse that she myghte gete euerlastynge rente / ¶ After she sayde to her how oure Sauiour Ihesu Cryste hadd called her for to goo to her husbonde in heuen / ¶ The good doughter beganne to wepe sorowfully in sayenge / ¶ Allas what shall I doo that shall be now an Orphelyne straunger ¶ Her moder comforted her and sayde / ¶ My doughter thou art wyth thy Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Thou arte noo straunger to hym / ¶ Also thou haste thyne Abbesse Whyche shall be to the a moder / By whiche thou shalte be none Orphelyne ¶ It byhouyth to my loue to drede god and honoure hym / And worshyppe alle the systers In seruynge theym benyngnely / ¶ And thou shalte accomplysshe and perfourme that whyche thou haste bygonne / ¶ I pray the that thou thynke not on thy temporell noblesse And esteme nor thynke not that they shall doo to the ony seruyse / ¶ Be poore and humble in this worlde / And thou shalt be Riche and a grete lady in heuen ¶ Thou shalte gyue alle oure possessyons to the chirche for thy fader and for vs tweyne / To the ende that we maye haue mercy tofore god / ¶ The thyrde daye after deyed the good moder And was buryed
somoned to her maryage / ¶ And dyde doo assemble all the sisters for to chese an other Abbesse / And they chose one namyd Theogenye / ¶ And after that she was made Abbesse / She callyd her and sayde / My sister thou seest that the sisters haue made good wytnesse of the. And therfore I commaunde the in the name of the Trynite that thou thinke not on temporel godes ne on vayne playsauÌ„ce of this worlde / Ne suffre thy systers be occupied on erthly thynges But make theym to excersyse fastynges prayers and other vertuouse werkes / To the ende that they maye by theyr merytes gete the glorye of heuen / ¶ After she sayde to her systers Ye my good systers haue seen the holy conuersacyon of the ryght deuowte Eufraxe / Doo ye lyke as she hathe doon / to then de that ye maye accompanye her in heuen / And haue wyth her the fruycyon of euerlastynge blessydnesse / And whan she hadde thus sayde she entred in to her Oratorye / and shytte the dore / And after defended that none sholde entere tyll on the morne ¶ On the morn they came vnto the sayde Oratorye and founde that she hadde rendred her spyryte to god ¶ And they buryed and sayed her solempnely by the sayde holy saynt Eufraxe / ¶ And after that tyme there were non moo of theym buryed in the yr sepulâ—ure / ¶ Maâ—ty Demonyakes weâ—en guarysshed vppon the combe where the deuylles cryed ¶ O Eufraxe what shall we doo / Thou doost vs more harme after thy dethe thanne in thy lyte ¶ By thâ—se thynges we oughte to enforce vs to ensyewe by vertuous werkes the ryght persyghte lyte of saynt Eufraxe And in soo dooynge fynably we shall haue the glorye eternall The whyche by her Intercessyons we maye gete Amen ¶ Thus fynysshyth the story of saynt Eufraxe / ¶ Of saynt Machanâ— Romayne whiche was founde nyght by Paradys terrestre / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Gloriam et magnificentiam et cetera Caplm .xlviii. After the reporte and wytnesse of thre deuoute relygyous men Theophyle Serguis Thymus We shall see of the lyfe of saynt Machaire / ¶ The sayd thre relygyous men mette togyder by a monasterye in Mesopotamia in the countree of Syâ—t bytwene two floodes / Of whyche that one is named Eufraxes and that other Tygris / ¶ The Abbot of the sayd monastery was callyd Asclypyon the whiche receyued theym benygnely for to make there theyr professyon after the rule of the sayde monasterye / ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued comyÌ„ly wyth the brethern / ¶ On a daye aboute nyne of the clocke in the mornynge they mette togyder vpon the Ryuer of Eufrates in disputynge of the conuersacyon and of the grete laboure of the brethern of the sayde monastery / ¶ And thenÌ„e came to Theophile a thought Whyche he sayde to his two felowes Sergius and Thâ—mus ¶ My brethern I shall saye to you / Truly it play syth me / and I haue grete desyre to walke and goo soo ferre vnto that I maye fynde the heuen and the erthe Ioyne togyder / ¶ The other sayd / We haue holde the alwaye companye / And yet we shall not leue the / For thy maners and thy wordes playse vs. We shall goo with the. and not forsake the vnto the dethe ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they departed from thens ¶ And after that they had gone by the space of ten dayes Iourney They arryued and came to the cyte of Iherusalem / And worshypped the places where our lorde Ihesus Cryst had be ¶ His Crosse his sepulture and other sayntuaryes ¶ And after came to Bethleem in whiche place they also worshipped the cribbe where in oure lorde hadde layen and were also in the place where the aungelus spekynge to the Shepeherdes songen Gloria in excelsis deo the whyche place standyth two myle from Bethleem ¶ And after they wente vpp in to the mounte of Olyuete Where as our lorde Ihesu Cryste ascended in to heuen whanne he was receyued in a clowde the daye of his gloryous Ascencyon / ¶ They came agayne in to Iherusalem And there adoured and worshyped god ¶ And after they departed as people gyuynge ouer refusynge all delyers temporell Wythoute to haue ony regarde ne thoughte to the worlde / ¶ The fyfthe daye they passed the Ryuer of Tygris / And entred in to the londe of Perse ¶ They came in to a grete felde namyd Assya / In whyche saynt Mercure martyr slewe Iulyan the Apostata / ¶ After they reentred in to a cyte namyd Catyssefodo / In whyche the bodyes of the thre chyldren Anany as Azaryas and Mysaell ben buryed / ¶ And there they soiourned many dayes / ¶ Foure monethes after they passed the londe of Perse / And entred in to the londe of Inde / And aryued in an how se in whyche noo man dwellyd / ¶ And there they abode two dayes / ¶ And the thyrde daye they sawe come to them a man and a woman armyd / Of whom they had grete drede / ¶ But by cause that the sayd man and woman hadde supposyd that the relygyouse men had ben spyrytes or espyes and retorned agayne / And asseÌ„bled almost a thre thou sande Ethyopyens / The whyche arryued there and bylette the house al aboute where as they weren on theyr knees prayenge to god / ¶ And the other sette fyre atte the foure corners of the howse ¶ The whyche thynge knowen by the religyous men were moche aferde and not wythoute cause / And sprongen out in to the myddes of theym in callynge the name of Ihesu Cryste Sauyoure of alle the worlde / ¶ The sayde Ethyopyens after that they hadde longe parlemented togyder in theyr langage whiche the sayd freres vnderstode noo thynge / ¶ Fynably they lad theym· and broughte theym in pryson obscure and derke / ¶ Alas whanne they weren in pryson none gaaf to them nother mete ne drinke / And had noo comforte of ony man liuynge But beganne to wepe and requyred the mercy of god / ¶ Whanne the cursyd Ethyopyens sawe that they were in contynuell prayer / They lete theym goo oute In chacynge and betinge theym vylandusly rygoryously wyth grete staues tyll they were oute of theyr prouynce / ¶ And they sayd that thei were foure score dayes wythoute mete And herof the Recytour callyth god to wytnesse / The whyche for the honour of god we oughte pyteuously to byleue ¶ Fynably they departed oute of theyr Regyons / And wente towarde the couÌ„treye of the Eest Where they founde a felde delycyous alle full of trees berynge sauourous fruyte and merueyllouse swete Wherof they thankyd god / And ete alle theyr fylle of the fruytes of the sayde trees / And after passed the sayde londe of Iude. And entred in to the londe of Chanane ¶ Whanne they sawe the vysages of the Inhabytauntes of the sayde countreye / They were moche admerueyled ¶ In that countree the men
Infamyd ryght myserable and lyar of alle lyars / syth that thou knoweste theym that ben happy humble seruauntes of god Wherfore ye ueste thou to theym heuynesse and lettynges that they may not doo theyr penaunces suche as they desyred / ¶ The deuyll ansuered that the cause wherfore he trowbled the seruauntes of god / was to th ende that they sholde leue theyr gode conuersacyons and abandonne and gyue theym to synne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man sayde to hym / Thynkeste thou spyrite Infamyd that they that ben ferme in the loue of IhuÌ„ Cryst may be deceyued by thy suggestions Thou deceyuest none but theym that ben vnhappy And ben contente to doo thy wyll / And that worse is they done payne to synne mortally / ¶ Thou knowest whan the seruauntes of god ben assaylled of the / That by one prayer that they make to god thou arte constrayned to flee / And Incontynent as the holy man hadd sayd thyse wordes / The deuyll fledde awaye as a raye or beme of the sonne ¶ Yet agayne fyue dayes after came the deuyll And made in the ayre a noyse / as he hadde hadd a grete multytude of people / That one sayeng to that other ¶ Lete vs goo and throw Abraham into a dyche and putte hym to dethe / ¶ The good holy man whanne he herde thyse wordes sayede / ¶ The enmyes of god haue gone rounde abowte me as flyes or bees and ben enforcyd agaynst me as fyre in thornes ¶ Alle be done in the name of god our lorde Ihesu Cryste / For by the puyssaunce dyuyne I shall vaynquysshe the cursyd deuyll / ¶ After that the enmye had herde thyse wordes of the sayde good holy man / He beganne to crye sayenge / Helas Helas I knowe noo more by what manere ne by what moyen the to dysceyue I knowe now that I am dysceyued / Neuerthelesse I shall neuer departe fro the vnto the tyme thou rendre thyself to be my subgette / ¶ Thenne the holy man ansuered to hym Maledyccyon come to the / Glory be gyuen vnto god and noo thynge vnto the / ¶ Thou knoweste that our sauyoure and redemptour Ihesus gyuethe to alle his true seruauntes strength to fyght agaynst the. and knowlege of thy dysceyuable temptacyons and mockynges for to kepe them from thy mortall and dampnable grynnes ¶ By many assawtes was assailed the holy man Abraham of the deuyll oure enmye But of what some euer temptacyon that he was tempted wyth He neuer fered ne doubted / but hadde alwaye stedfaste faythe / ¶ And of soo moche more as he was tempted vexid and traueylled of the deuyll / Of soo moche more he augmented his charytee towarde god / Wherfore fro day to day encrecyd his grace / ¶ And by that lyghtly by the helpe of god he suppedyted and put vnder fote the deuyll / ¶ Whanne the holy man apperceyued that the tresoure of grace was to hym ottroyed and gyuen He took thre precyous stones / Of whyche the fyrste was Faythe The seconde Hope / And the thirde Charyte To the ende that by thyse thre the other vertues mighte be decorate and made fayre / ¶ His charyte was soo grete that it stratched not oonly to good men / For whom he prayed affectuously / to the ende that the deuyll sholde not greue ne noye theym / But also he desired the conuersyon of the euyll peple in prayenge in lyke wyse for theym And in wepynge grete habundauÌ„ce of teeres / ¶ To the ende that god wolde dyuerte theym from theyr euyll lyfe / and tourne theym to the waye of helthe / ¶ He neuer laughed / And neuer after his conuersion wysshe his feete ne his hondes· ne his vysage / Estemynge euery daye that he sholde deye / ¶ He had his vysage not lyke the floure that neuer dryeth / ¶ And in seenge hym by his vysage· he sholde be Iuged to be a vessell full of alle vertues· ¶ Alwaye he was Ioyeous wythoute heuynesse / ¶ And for that cause atte houre of his dethe he was Iuged neuer to haue doo penaunce soo moche was his visage fayte and rodye / ¶ And that more is in fyfty yere he chaunged not his garment of hayre / Whiche he toke and hadde worne syth he beganne to doo penaunce fyrste / By the whyche thynges it apperyd euydently that he was strongely the frende of god / ¶ A nother myracle dide the holy man Abraham in his olde aege / He hadde a cosyn germayn / Whiche departed oute of this worlde and deyed leuynge after hym a doughter seuen yere of aege / ¶ The frendes of the sayde chylde secuge that she had neyther fader ne moder / broughte her to the holy man / where as she was enclosyd nyghe by to a wyndowe whyche was on the syde of his lytyll house And by the same wyndowe he taughte to her the Psaulter other holy scryptures / ¶ And there in soo dooyng and sayenge Ympnes and psalmes they were longe togyder / In suche wyse / that in alle abstynences the yonge mayde ensyewed her vncle Abraham / The whiche seeng the good way and wyll by her begon / He deuowtely wythoute cessynge prayed god for her / To the ende that he wolde gyue to her suche grace that she neuer solde retourne to the worlde And that her thoughte sholde haue none affeccyon to worldly thynges / ¶ For he hadde therof grete doubte by cause that her fader hadde lefte to her grete plentee of goodes temporell / ¶ The whyche goodes Abraham seenge her grete prudence and perfeccyon made theym to be dystrybuted to the pore people / In prayeng god that the deuylles by theyr subtyll suggestyons myghte haue noo power to chaunge her from her good purpoos / ¶ Soo contynued longe tyme the goode mayde in the rule that her vncle had gyuen to her / ¶ And she hadde in her soo grete constaunce that in twenty yeres he founde not her varyable / But obeyssaunte as a yonge lambe or shepe / ¶ Durynge this tyme. the deuyll whiche slepyth not ymagyned many subtyll meanes by whyche he myghte dysceyue theym / ¶ And by cause he cow â—e in noo wyse come to his entente / He dyde do begyle and disceyued her by a myserable Relygyous / The whyche were ofte to vysite the sayd good man Abraham Faynynge soo to doo for the saluacyon of his soule / ¶ But the cursyd Relygyous man tempted of the deuyll vnder the shadow of deuocion He wente for to defoyle the sayd vyrgyn / And soo longe he contynued by the space of a yere that he drewe her oute of her Oratorye / ¶ And by cause that in suche caas the lasse to knowe and expresse is beste and mooste honeste / It suffyseth to wryte that the poore doughter was defoylled / ¶ And that after the synne commysed and done / she became soo sorowfull and desolate that vneth maye be expressyd and wryten her
one namyd Pyceryen bysshopp of the Cenâ—â—ryens / And gaaf hym counseyle that he sholde doo buylde a chirche in the same place / where as thyes Pastours or Shepherdes dwellyd / to the ende that they sholde be for this cause more enclined and deuowte to praye god / And to receyue there theyr ryghtes and sacramentes of the chyrche / And thus made the bysshopp to be doon / ¶ But by cause that there were noo clerkes not yet that dyde the seruyce of the chyrche / He and some of his Relygyouses came to vysyte theim / And shewed theym some hystoryes of the holy scrypture / ¶ And by this he excyted and mouyd the good persones to deuocyon Soo that by hys doctryne many were conuerted to the fayth And his charyte was spradde aswell vpon the mysbyleuyd peple as vppon the Crysten folke / ¶ For whan he sawe ony men or wymmen that were Heretykes or oute of the true byleue He wept / Prayenge god for theym that he wolde torne theym / ¶ Of the coÌ„dempnacoÌ„n of some scryptures of Origenes / The chapytre begynnyng ¶ Per idem tempus et cetera Caplm lxxviii THe same tyme Achanase that perfight was and replenisshed of all vertues was bysshop of Alexandrye / The whyche as he vysyted the chyrches / prechynge the Crysten faythe / Came to the place where saynt Pachomyen was / ¶ Whyche knowynge of his comynge acompanyed of alle his religiouses / Came wyth grete gladnesse agaynst the sayd Achanase syngynge Ympnes and orysons / And was receyued of hym and of his Relygyouses ryght gladly / ¶ But the good holy fader Pachomyen shewed not hymself to hym / But bydde hym amonge hys Relygyouses / By cause that the bysshopp of the Centiryens of whom iâ— spoken aboue had sayd moche good of hym vnto saynt Athanase whiche had be strongly persecuted of the Heretykes Arryens / ¶ And by cause the sayd holy man Pachomyen was very deuowte a good Crysten man Also that he knewe well the persecucyons that the sayd Athanase hadd suffred by the Arryens This Pachomyen whyche wyth alle his myghte bare and mayntened the true Crysten folke / Approuyd strongly the condycyons and holy lyuynge of saynt Athanase / And hertly leuyd hym / And hadde the obstynate Heretykes in fore grete Indygnacyon / And pryncypally Orygenes that was chaced oute of the chyrche by Eraclius bysshopp of Alexandrye / ¶ Orygenes by his false doctryne hadd gyuen many vntrueful techynges contrary to the holy scrypture / ¶ For lyke as they that woll gyue poyson to drinke putt hony amonge it for to haue awaye the euyll taast and the bytternesse therof from the tonge / to the ende that it maye be dronke more lyghtly / ¶ Soo dyde the sayd Orygenes the whyche sayde and broughte forthe fayre and honeste proposicyons But he corrupted theym by false exposycyons that was cause of the losse of moche Crysten peple / ¶ Wherfore the holy man Pachomyen deffended not only to his Relygyouses that they sholde not rede in none of this Orygenes bokes / But also he wolde that yf some other dyde rede theym they sholde not here theym by noo meanes What someuer sentence it were / ¶ One tyme amonge his bokes he founde of the sayd Orygenes volumes / Whyche Incontynent he dyde caste in to a water sayenge / Yf it were not by cause that the name of god is wrytt in the bokes of Orygenes I shold brenÌ„e theym all / ¶ By this apperyth the charyte whyche he hadd to the holy byleue and faythe of Crystendom / ¶ WhanÌ„e some Religyous blamyd his felawe he wolde not here hym / But fledde from hym as moche as he cowde / Consyderynge the worde of the Psalmyste sayenge / I shall persecute hym that shall bakbyte his euyn crysten / ¶ And he sayd that a good persone shold neuer speke none euyll worde ¶ And to this purpoos he alledged many historyes Princypally of one Machayre whiche in blamynge Moyses was Incontynente punysshed by the honde of god / ¶ Of the monastery that saynt Pachomien dide buylde for his suster and beginnyth in latyn ¶ Comperit igitur Caplm lxxix THe suster germayne of the sayde holy man Pachomyen desyrynge to see hym wente to his monastery / Wenynge to her that he as gladde of her comynge sholde receyue and treate her humaynly / But he sent worde to her by the Porter / that he was hoole and sounde / But he wolde not see her wyth his bodily eyen / And more ouer that yf she wolde forsake the worlde and serue god / He shold doo buylde a howse for to lodge her wher she sholde doo penaunce / And that he dowted not yf she wolde begyn to lyue there a holy lyffe Reguler that many other wymmen sholde yelde theymselfe to serue god wyth her / ¶ And she heringe thyse wordes from her brother She was replenysshed att herte wyth so grete compunccyon and suche contrycyon that she promysed to serue god alle her lyfe / ¶ Wherfore the holy man seenge that she was all redy torned gaue graces thaÌ„kynges to our lord ¶ And after he commaunded his brethern that they sholde make her a chapell ferre ynoughe from his monastery / ¶ So it happed soone after by the grace of god that from al prouynces countrees came wymmen that yelded theymself to Religyon with the sayd syster of saynt Pachomyen The whyche he admonested to resyste alwayes ayenst the fleshly temptacyons ¶ And in lyke wyse after the cunnynge that god had yeue hyÌ„ He foreyd him to excyte theym to vertues good maners / Prayenge god that it wolde playse hym to preserue theym in his grace / ¶ More ouer he gaaf to theym suche and lyke rules as his Relygyouses dyde kepe / Sauf that they sholde not were noo gretes fellis / And yf ony Relygyous had a syster or some other kynne whyche she wolde vysyte / She sholde not goo there but that she toke wyth her one of the eldeste of the Relygyon / ¶ And they oughte not to speke togyder / but in the presence of the Abbesse or elles of some of theldest Relygyouses / ¶ Nor she sholde not bere ne gyue noo thynge oute of theyr howses ¶ For the Religyouses aswell the men as the wymmen oughte not fro that tyme to haue noo thynge of theyr owne ¶ And yf by aduenture they sholde of necessytee make some reparacoÌ„ns they chose the moost perfyghte and of moost honeste conuersacyon for to see that that was of nede sholde be doo / But they ete not dranke wyth the other / ¶ And whan by the wyll of god some Nonne derparted from lyfe to dethe / Her felowes broughte her vnto the ryuage of a ryuer that parted the two monasteries And thenne came the monkes agaynste theym there / whyche toke the corps of the Nonne for to be buryed wythin theyr chyrche / And the wymmen of the Relygyon retorned to theyr abbaye / ¶ Of the
hyÌ„ ¶ Cristen the waytest after erthly metes thyÌ„kest not vpon the fyrst martyr saynt Steuen that prayeth god for the / ¶ ThenÌ„e he lyfte vp his eyen towarde heuen sawe saynt Stephen that prayed for him / as the voys had shewed to hym / Soo departed he went in a secrete place where he made his prayer / Sayenge / O my lorde saynt Steuen the fyrste martyr what thankes shall I yeâ—e to the. I haue no thynge of myn owne that I myghte gyue the / But from heÌ„s fâ—rthon I promyse the. that for the loue of the. I shall neuer were sherte of lyÌ„uen but of wulle onÌ„ly / ¶ This Cristen on a tyme as he was layed vpon a bed of strawe / he felte the strawe meue vnder hym Soo wente he shewed it to his fader abbot / But therfore ceased not the sayd moeuynge of the strawe vnder him ¶ Fynably he torned all the strawe vp sodowne and founde noo thinge / After he toke vpp one of the bordes of the flour / vnder whiche he funde a grete somÌ„e of money that he bare thenÌ„e to his mayster / The whyche made Incontynent all his bredern to be assembled / And in their presence he denounced acursyd hyÌ„ that had hydde the sayd syluer / ¶ And there was a Conuers that was afore a Carpenter / The whyche whan he had herde caste the sayd sentence confessynge to haue gradred there the sayd tresour / came openly askyd penauÌ„ce absolucoÌ„n of his sinne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy fader dealed the said pens to the poore And to the Carpenter he enioyned certayn penaunce for the sauacion of hys soule / ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner Patryarke and bysshop of Alexandrye after that it is rehercyd in the lyfe of the faders by saynt Leonce in his tyme bysshop of Naples / To the chapytre begyÌ„nyng in latyn ¶ Cunque peruenisseÌ„ c. Caplm C.vi FOr to haue a begynnynge to telle shewe the lyfe of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almener It is to be knowen that a man of holy conuersacoÌ„n namyd Zacharye for to vysyte ii martyrs holy the one namyd Kirrus the other IohnÌ„ came in to the cyte of Alexandrye / In whiche place this Zacharye beyng there wyth many deuoute perfyte men· takynge togyder theyr refeccyon bothe bodyly ghostly came by aduenture amonge theym a poore man that askyd an almesse / the whiche sayd that of late he had be prysoner to the Persycus ¶ And neuerthelesse they of whom he askyd theyr almesse excusyd theym / And gaaf hym noo thynge sayenge that they had noo syluer to gyue him / Wherfore the poore departed fro theym without ony almesse ¶ ThenÌ„e one of that felyshypp ranne after hym secretly gaue hym a lytyll crosse of syluer that he bare vpon hym / Sayenge to the poore that he had none other thynge to gyue hym / ¶ Zacharye seeng the secrete medefulnesse of this man was sore merueylled / shewed it to one namyd MenÌ„e yeâ—ate nexte hym and the whiche was mynystratour of the sayd IohnÌ„ the Almoner ¶ ThenÌ„e the sayd MenÌ„e beholdyng this Zacharye that somoche was merueylled of the largeuesse of hym / that had gyue his crosse sayd to hym / ¶ Zacharye merueylle not thyself of the almesse that this man hath done / For he hath lerned toyeue moche more for god dys sake of IohnÌ„ that Almoner / to whom he was Almoner wel the space of .x. yere that hath taughte hym this doctrine / ¶ This IohnÌ„ the Almoner dide infynyte almesse / For he had of god many temporel goodes / that he gaaf to the pore wythout ony thynge for to kepe for hymselfe / ¶ And soÌ„tyme whan he had gyue somoche that he had nomore to giâ—e He all sory went to some Tauerner or other marchaunt of whom he borowed some moneye for to gyue / ¶ And as he borowed thê° he sayd that it was for them of his house that had grete huÌ„gre / And he bouÌ„de hymself to the persone that sent him for to serue hym a certain space of tyme. tyll that this moneye were payed ayen / ¶ And assoone as he had borowed if he gaue it to the poore for goddis take charged theim that they shold tell noo thynge / ¶ Zacharye heryng that â— is sayd was noo thynge abasshyd to hym sayd ayen / ¶ O my broder yf thou had seen the grete almesses as I haue thou sholdest be moche moÌ„r merueyleâ— And yf thou woll come to my house I shall telle the what I haue knowen of hym / ¶ ThenÌ„e Zacharye wente wyth this MenÌ„e / And after theyr fode taken ghostly bodyly MenÌ„e began to reherce the lyffe the vertues of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner / ¶ Sayeng fyrst the he neuer sware the name of god nor of his sayntes / ¶ Thenne Zacharye axyd after ynke paper for to wryte by ordeâ— the lyfe of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner / ¶ How the sayd saynt IohnÌ„ ordeyned to the poore folke of the cyte of Alexandrye theyr sustentacoÌ„n and dayly fode â—dynately callynge theym his lordes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Promotus ergo / Caplm C.vii. AFter that he was chosen bysshop aswell by the wyll of meÌ„ as by synguler grace of god / ¶ The fyrste dede worthy of grete remembraunce that he dyde was this / that he sente Incontynent all his dyspensatours caterers to make prouysyon / sayd to theym / ¶ O my bredern it is not noo ryght thynge to haue sorowe care for ony persone afore the dyscyples of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ His dyspensatours or catereuâ— herynge thise wordes and not knowynge what he meaned herkenyd hym besyly for to doo this that he sholde coÌ„maunde theym / ¶ Soo sayd he to theim ayen / Goo thrugh all the cyte brynge in wrytyng the nombre vnto the last of all my lordes that ben in this towne / Tho dyspensatours that vnderstode not what persones he callyd his lordes wyst not what they shold do / TheÌ„ne he expowned his wordes / sayenge / ¶ They that ye call poore nedy I saye holde theym to be my lordes for suche we oughte to take theym / For they shall helpe vs to gete the reame of heueÌ„ ¶ After that to hym were reported shewed by wrytynge thise poore that were in nombre moo than .vii. M. v C. he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that they sholde haue dayly theyr ordynary fode for the sustencyon of theyr lyues / ¶ How he stablysshyd in the cyte weyghte mesure equall / begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ IustuÌ„ vero / Caplm · C·viii THe nexte morowe after that he was chosen to be a bysshop / he sent thrugh all the cyte of Alexandrie his Stywardes other hauyng the rule polycye of the sayd cyte / To whom he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that in one selfe mesure weighte all manere of marchauÌ„dyses sholde be solde wrytynge in thys manere thrugh all the regyon / ¶ IohnÌ„ humble lytyl seruauÌ„te of
et cetera Caplm C.xvi. IN Alexandrye was a Prouost or ruler of the cyte namyd Nyceta fulfylled of the deuyll the whyche came to argue and repreue the holy Patryarke saynt Iohan / Sayenge to hym / ¶ Syre ye waste all the londe For ye deale to freely the syluer that is broughte to you / Better it were that ye sholde putt it to the comyn tresour / ¶ The holy man wythoute to angre hymself answerde to hym / Haa my lorde it is not leyffull that the goodes gyuen to the god in heuen be torned or appropred to the erthely thynges / ¶ But and yf semith the to be doo / Goo thou vnder my bedde and take the tresoure of Ihesu Cryste that is there / So doo therof thy wyll / ¶ Thenne this Patrice that hadd the rule and gouernaunce of the comyn wee le in Alexandrye made alle to be laden / And lefte hym noo more than to the nombre of an huÌ„dred penyes of golde / ¶ And as he was comynge downe from the sayd Patryarkes chambre / He mette wyth men of Affryque the whiche bare certayne bot telles full of golde / Vpon some of the whiche was wryten / Hony ryght good And vpon the other / Hony wythoute smoke / ¶ The sayde Patryce or Ruler whan he sawe thise superscrypcoÌ„ns sente worde to the sayd holy man that he sholde sende hym some honne / ¶ And he that was so moche humble and meke sente hym the bottell vpon whyche was wryten Honee right good wyth a letter wherin was wryten this that fofolowyth ¶ Our lorde that hath sayd I shall not leue the. Is wythout lesynge / And he is very god the whyche gyueth bothe mete and lyfe / ¶ And noo man corruptyble can not by ony wyse constrayne him / And therfore to god I coÌ„mende the / ¶ And after he commaunded to theym that bare the sayd battelles· that they sholde make theym to be openyd afore theym / And that they sholde saye that all the other that they had seen were full of syluer / ¶ The whyche thynge done / Whanne the sayde Patrice sawe that he sente hym but one bottell alone / he was sore we othe agaynst hym / And after he radde his lettre ¶ And whanÌ„e he sawe that worde That man corruptyble canne not constrayne god / He was full sory and dysplaysaunt of that he hadd done / ¶ And Incontynent came agayne to the holy Patryarke / And toke hym agayne alle that he had hadde of hym ¶ And wyth this he gaaf hym of hys owne thre hundred penies of golde / Requyryng hym by grete contrycyon that he wolde gyue hym penaunce for his synnes / ¶ Thenne the holy man was sore merueyllyd of his conuersyon soo sodaynly sore / ¶ And seenge his repentaunce comforted hym wyth mery wordes / And from that tyme ther were soo grete frendes togyder that the sayd Nicera Patrice of Alexandrye made hym his Godsypp / ¶ Of the scarnesse and derthe of scorne and suche goodes / ¶ And of a man that required to be made Deaken and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Qui Abraham c. Caplm C.vii. GOd that tempted Abraham for to knowe his obeyssaunce / Towchynge the offrynge vp of hys sone Ysaac / ¶ In lyke wyse be tempted the good Patryarke Iohan as herafter folowyth / ¶ It is rehercyd here aboue how the Assiryens that had be sore oppressyd of the Percyens For to eschewe theyr woodnesse forsoke and lefte theyr owne londe / And many of theim came to Alexandrie for to be socoured in theyr pouertee by the holy Patryarke Iohan / ¶ They beynge in Alexandrye happed there a grete derthe and scarcitee of corne thorugh the occasyon of the flode of the ryuer of Nyle that bedewyth and watreth the londe had be soo mynysshyd lessed of water that it myghte not yeue hys moystâ—es ouer floweÌ„ges acustomyd to the erthe ¶ Soo had act that tyme the Patriarke gyuen for goddis sake to the poore peple alle hys tresour and wyste not where to borow more nother golde nor syluer / Wherof he was ryght sory and namely by cause he myghte nor contynue his almesse / as he had of custome / ¶ He sett hyÌ„self to praye contynued in his orysons loÌ„ge tyme ¶ In the sayd cite was a man bygame / that is to wyte the whiche by cause he knewe that the holy man was in grete necessytee wolde constrayne hyÌ„ to make hyÌ„ a deaken in his chirche / And by cause he sholde not haue durst speke to hym therof he sent hym a letter by the whyche he besoughte hym that he wolde make hym deaken in his chirche / to the ende that in seruynge god wyth hyÌ„ he might haue remyssoÌ„n of his synÌ„es he sholde gyue hym .ii. C.M. Rasers of whete wyth a C. four score pouÌ„de of money / ¶ His lettres seen the Patryarke sent for hym after made to go oute of his chambre all his folke that were there / By cause that he wolde not repreue hym by for theim / ¶ After that they were gone the holy Patryarke sayd to hym / ¶ My frende thy proffer is moche necessary seeng the tyme of the derthe that we haue now / But neuerthelesse it is defoylled with the synne of Symonye ¶ In the olde testament men offred not the bestes to god· were they grete or lytyll / but yf they were pure clene / ¶ For of those that were bespotted man dyde neuer offrynge / ¶ And therfore god had not agreable the sacrefyce of Caym / ¶ And as towchyng my bredern or euer thyself or I were god had pâ—rueyed and nourysshyd theym / And he shall yet doo soo to theim and to me as I hope / ¶ For all they that kepe the coÌ„maundements of god / shall not haue nother nede nor pouerte but all plentee habundance of goodes / ¶ Our lorde that multeplyed the .v. loues of barley / maye well multeplye also .x. Rasers of whete that are in my Garnere / ¶ And therfore my frende I shall tell the for an answere that whiche is wryten in that tes of thapostles / That is that thou shalt not haue in the chirche nother part nor porcoÌ„n ¶ And as he sayd thise wordes came Incontinent tidynges to the holy Patriarke how two shyppes of the chirche were londed wythin the hauen and came out of Cecyle lade wyth whete / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man thankyd oure lord sayeng / My god I thaÌ„ke the that thou wolde not haue suffred that I shold haue solde thy grace for ony nede that I haue had / ¶ Certaynly my god I byleue stedfastli that thou shalt neuer forsake in the grettest nede theym that shall obeye the / that wyth good herte shall fulfylle thy coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ¶ Of two clerkes that dyde falle in to synne / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quibusdam / Caplm C.xviii TWo yonge Clerkes hauynge questyon togyder smote wrongefully eche other / ¶ And
for this cause by the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ they were denouncyd acursyd / ¶ That one of theym tweyne knowleged his synne / But the other abydynin his obstynacy dyspysed the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For he was well gladde to haue occasyon for to flee the chyrche to abyde in his wyckydnesse / And neuerthelesse he thretenyd the sayde Patryarke to dysplayse hym in hys persone / ¶ And men sayde comynly that it was he that had born to the Patryce Niceta the money of the chyrche that was taken vnder the bedde of the sayd Patriarke / And that had be yelden again afterwarde as it is sayd afore / ¶ The malyce of this outrageous acursyd maÌ„ was shewed to the holy Patryarke but this notwythstondyng he had of hym pyte / And remembred the worde of the apostle saynt Poul sayenge / Who is he that is seke not I / ¶ Now was the charyte of the sayd Patryarke soo grete / the whan he sawe one in synÌ„e he wepte vpon hym / And as to hym was aduys he felte well his sykenesse / ¶ He thenÌ„e made the sayd acursed man to be callid to hym / And waâ—tyd him of his conscyence as he was wonte to warne his other subgettes / ¶ But whan he sawe his euyll frowardnesse and that he was made harde in his synne / He lefte and forsoke hym as a rotyn membre / ¶ This neuerthelesse vpon a Sondaye the sayde Clerke beynge yet in his frowardes As the holy Patryarke came to the awter for to offre his sacryce vnto god / after his custome / ¶ He remembred hym of the counseylle of Ihesu Cryste that sayd / ¶ Whanne thou shalt brynge thine offrynge vnto the awter / And that thou shalt thynke that thy brother hathe some euyll wyll and hate agaynste the / Thou oughtest to leue that that thou woldest offre to god / And goo to hym thyne enmye for to reconcyle the wyth hym / ¶ Wherfore the holy Patryarke willynge to doo soo· sente Incontynent for the sayde acursyd man / And made the messager praye that he sholde come to speke wyth hym vnder surete / And whanne he was come / This holy Patryarke knelyd on his knees afore him And beloughte hym of mercy / ¶ Wherof it happed that the sayd acursyd persone had knowlege of his sinne and he hymselfe requyred mercy / ¶ Thorugh his humylyte was the prowde frowâ—de man mekyd in his pryde / ¶ And by his charytee was the hate of the sayde acursyd man paste / ¶ And fynably he dyde penaunce of the sinne that he had done / And had of it grete contrycyon dyspleysaunce / ¶ Of the noyse that the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ had agaynst the Ruler Niceta / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Deâ—mquidam / Caplm C.xix NEuer to haue noyse with a nother it is angels lyfe / SoÌ„tyme to stryue the one wyth the other it is manÌ„es lyf / Euermore to haue noyse hate it is a deuyls lyfe / ¶ To this purpose is to be noted that the holy Patriarke / for some right of the lawe Cyuyl had on a tyme questyon wyth the sayd Patrice Niceta / The questyon was suche that the Patrice wold haue certain trybute to be put sett of newe vpon the peple of the londe / The whiche thynge the sayd Patryarke wolde not consente / by cause that the poore folke sholde haue be hurte therby ouer sore / ¶ And for the grete varyaunce that fell therby they departed from eche other with wrath the one agaynst the other / ¶ Soone after att after none / aboute fyue of the clocke / The sayd holy Patryarke thynkinge in hymself that the wyse man oughte neuer to angre hymself for noo maner cause that it be sente his Archedeaken to the said ruler Niceta sent him onÌ„ly thise wordes ¶ DnÌ„e sol ad occasuÌ„est / That is asmoche for to say my lorde the sonne is nygh to goo vnder / After that Niceta had herde thise wordes he cowde not hold his couÌ„tenaunce but as fulfylled wyth the fyre of the holy ghoste camÌ„ to the sayd holy Patryarke the whiche whan he sawe hym he sayd to hyÌ„ / ¶ Alas thou arte welcome the sone of the chyrche obeyssauÌ„t to her coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ThenÌ„e they dyde enbrace eche other in token of grete loue After the whyche enbraginces the holy Patriarke began totake the worde said to hym in this wyse / ¶ My lord I praye the byleue me / For by cause I knowe the sore trowbled I wolde well haue spoke with the / for none other cause I couÌ„seylle warne the the in tyme to come thou byleue nomore noo reportes of false tales flaterers ¶ For yf thou woll lene thyne eeres vnto suche they shall gyue the a cause many euylles to begynne / And they shall counseylle the that thyÌ„ge whyche shall not be nother leyffull good ne prouffytable / ¶ For I haue founde myselfe dysceyued therby oftentymes / ¶ Wherfore to theyr reportes sayenges flaterynges and false accusacyons men oughte neuer to gyue credence nor faythe / ¶ Thenne the Patryce consyderynge the mekenesse and the fayr ensamples of the sayd Patryarke answerde that he sholde neuer byleue suche men / Nor sholde not gyue faythe byleue to theyr flaterynges ne to theyr wordes / ¶ But he sholde dyspyse theym and sette theym alle atte noughte / ¶ And by this manere meanes was peasyd that questyon that was bytwix theym for the cause aboue sayde / ¶ Of Gregori the neuew of tholy Patryarke / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Iste memoriabilis / Caplm C.xx BYtwene one namyd Gregory whiche was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke a Tauerner of Alexandrye moeuyd a grete debate / In whyche this Gregory openly was sore wronged by shamefull wordes to hyÌ„ sayd by the sayd Tauerner / the whiche Gregory consyderyng· the he that was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke had be thus dyspysed or fowle spoken vnto openly of a man Infamyd began to wepe right sore / And the holy Patryarke seenge the secrete dysplaysauÌ„ce sorowe that his neuewe made / wolde know what was the cause / Grogory herupon examined coude not for his grete anâ—e dyscharge nor shewe his courage in â—â—wyse nor speke wyth the sayd holy Patryarke / ¶ Neuertheles some that had herde seen the debate tolde hym a parte how it was / The holy Patryarke willyng to he le fyrste his neuew or euer he sholde enquyre ferder of the trouth of the befall sayd to hym for to comfort hym suche lyke wordes in substaunce / My neuew I am gretely merueyllyd· sore euyll apayd how that foole hath be so holde to open his mouth ayenst the / Byleue thou me I ensure the. that I shall doo this daye a thynge wherby all Alexandrye shall merueylle / ¶ And after seenge his anger heuinesse tempred peasen kyssed his sayd neuew sayd / My swete frende yf in folowynge
as he went toward the chaunge· that he founde a Marynar / the whyche by fortune had be perysshed was lefte as nakyd as he was come out of his moders bely / The whyche knelyd on bothe his knees afore the said Chaunger and askyd his almesse / ¶ The Chaunger seeÌ„g his pouerte toke of his gowne that was the beste that he hadd and gaaf it hym / The pore man that durst not were soo good a gowne went IncoÌ„tynent and solde it to an Vpholster / ¶ Whan the Chaunger goynge forth by knewe his gowne that heng at the Vpholsters dore and all redy was there to selle he was sore wrothe angry / ¶ Soo went he in to his chambre for to wepe sayde alas that I am vnhappi· I was not worthy that the poore man sholde haue be clothed with my vesture / ¶ Fynably he felle a slepe / And whyle he slepte he sawe ouer his heede a fayre a playsaunt childe that bare a crosse the gowne that the sayd Chaunger had gyuen for goodis sake / Whyche sayd to hym / ¶ My frende why wepest thou / The Chaunger answered / Haa my lorde I wepe by cause that of the goodes that thou gyuest vs / Whan somtyme we gyue theym to the pore folke they bystow theym in euyll vsages / ¶ Thenne he shewed hym his gowne sayenge / My frende knowest thou not this gowne / wyth whyche I am clothed / I thanke the / For certaynly I was sore acolde at that tyme thou gaue it to me / ¶ The Chaunger consyderynge the wordes that the chyld sayd vnto him / began to prayse the poore peple in this wise / ¶ Syth that the poore folke represent the persone of our lorde Ihesu Cryste I purpose that from this hour forthon I shall do as the poore peple of god doon / ¶ And thenne he sente hastely his Notary the whyche he had boughte after the custome that men were boughte that tyme / ¶ And whan he was come to hym he delyuered hym x. pounde of golde sayenge that yf he dyde not his coÌ„maundement he sholde selle hym to the straungers Sarrasyns / ¶ The sayd Chaunger coÌ„maunded hym that he sholde brynge hym to Iherusalem and that he sholde selle hym to a Crysten And that he sholde gyue suche moneye as he sholde haue for hym to the poore folke ¶ The whyche thyng the Notary wolde not doo but by cause that the ChauÌ„ger thretnyd hym be feryd hymself to be solde / ¶ Soo broughte he his mayster vnto Iherusalem / And as they were comyn thyder the Notary founde a frende of his that also was a Chaunger To whom he prayed for to biâ— his subget the whiche was a gode a true seruaunt ¶ To whom this Chaunger answered that he had not money ynough redy for to paye him / And the Notary sayd vnto hym / Certaynly I make the sure yf thou take hym that god by hym shall gyue the his blessynge ¶ Thenne the Chaunger bought him for as moche as our lorde was solde / That it to wyte the somme of thyrty pens / ¶ Whan he had solde hym and delyuered hym he wente ayen to Constantynople / And wythout to vtter his sale gaaf for goodis sake the moneye that he had receyued for hym as he dyde promyse hym for to doo / ¶ ThenÌ„e Peter the Chaunger thus solde seruyd the Chaunger his mayster in all thynges to hym possyble / ¶ He wasshed hys clothes· scouryd the dysshes / And dyde all that a good seruaunt oughte to doo And wythin that de made grete abstynences / ¶ The Chaunger seenge his manere of lyuynge also that he was well encreased in goodes syth the sayd Peter was come to hym wolde nomore kepe hym as a seruaunte but as hys brother / ¶ And neuerthelesse by his grete humylyte goodnesse he made hym selfe to be beten and wronged of the other seruauntes of the house / and sayde noo thynge there agaynst / ¶ Wherfore they helde hym for a foole / And as many tymes and ofte as he was trowbled of theym he hadde suche a vysion as the same that he had seen afore in Affryque of the chylde that apperyd to hym wyth his gowne whyche he had gyues for goddes sake / And shewed hym the thyrty pens wherfore he hadd be solde / Sayenge vnto hym / ¶ Peter haue pacyence and endure yet a lytyll awaytinge after the rewarde of thy labours / ¶ That tyme came oute of his countreye many Chaungers to Iherusalem the cyte for to worshypp the holy plâ—â—s / The whiche Chaungers were â—â—tyâ—ed of the sayde Peters mayster for to 〈◊〉 to dyner wyth hym in his house / ¶ And whan they were sette at the table / They sayd the one to the other / beholdyng the sayd Peter / ¶ How wel is the seruaunte like vnto Peter the Chager / Peter dyde hide hys vysage as moche as he cowde / ¶ Thise sayd ChauÌ„gers yet agayne thynkynge euer vpon the sayd Peter sayde to Zoyle the Chaunger that had prayed theym to dyner Certaynly Zoyle a grete thynge is happed vnto the / For yf we erre not thou hast in thy seruyse a grete man / and of a ryche house They were not yet certayn of his very knowlege / By cause his face was soo sore chauÌ„ged / As well for the payne that he tooke in the kechyn / As for the fastynges and abstynences that he made / ¶ And after that they had deuysed longe One of theym sayde / Certaynly it is mayster Peter the Chaunger / I woll / see hym better anone / ¶ The emperour of Constantynople is sore heuy that he knowyth not where he is become / ¶ The gode Peter vnderstode thise wordes / he lete goo the dysshe that he bare and ranÌ„e downe to the gate / ¶ To the whyche gate was a man that of his byrth was bothe deyff and dombte / The whyche man kepte the sayd gate ¶ And whanne the sayd Peter came to him he sayd to him / My frende in the name of god open the gate / ¶ Thenne this man bothe deyff dombte that neuer had herde nor spoken afore· vnderstode Peter Incontynent And to hym spake twyes sayenge / Well mayster / ¶ Thenne he opened the gate / And the sayde Peter fledde awaye / ¶ The whyche thynge seenge this dombte man came to his mayster And vnto him rehercyd the myracle in presence of all they that were at the table / ¶ Wherof they were gretly merueyled and sore abasshyd / ¶ And more ouer sayd to theim / I praye you lete me god after Peter / For surely he is a grete seruaunte of god / ¶ He badde me open the gate in name of our lorde / And thus he ranne awaye / ¶ Oute of hys mouthe came a grete flamme that hathe towchyd myn teres / And Incontynent the heryng and the speche was yeuen vnto me / ¶ They all thenne roos from the table and wente after hym
be Crysten / He thenÌ„e consyderynge her good wyll and ferynge to offende god / Yf by his neclygence she had not contynued in her holy purpoos Hopyng also that the deuyll sholde not dysceyue hym by her Had taken on his way wyth her and had born her felyshypp vnto the cyte of Alexandrye / Where he had existned her and sought a place for to haue her in to relygyon / And this doynge they asked theyr breede thorugh the cyte / The holy Patryarke seenge the holy affeccoÌ„n that he had to the soule of the good mayde begâ—â— for to crye / ¶ Alas how many good seruauntes of god 〈◊〉 is the worlde vnknowen / ¶ And after he gaaf hym aâ— hundred pens / But the relygyous wolde none take / Sayeng that it was not that he soughte / ¶ And that all relygyouses that ben of good fayth haue noo nede of syluer / ¶ And yf that they haue nede / Men maye well saye that they haue noo fayth / ¶ Thenne the Patryarke bowed his knees byfore hym and recommended hym to god / ¶ And after loued maintened and lodged the relygyouses more tenderly than he hadd done afore / ¶ And after for the grete affeccyon and feruent loue that he had to them dide buylde an hospytall without the cyte of Alexandrye that he namyd the hospytall of Relygyouses / ¶ How the holy Patriarke vysited the 〈◊〉 in â—ourynge to theyr dethe warde ¶ And of hym that was broughte pryâ—â—â—er in Perse / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Mortalitate et cetera Caplm C.xxix A Grete dethe happed in Alexandrye in the holy Patriarkes dayes / Durynge the whiche dethe / For to purchace gretter mede / And also for to shewe a token of mekenesse to all other / He wente and vysyted the lyke / and helped to wynde them whan they were decessed / ¶ And often for to haue a contynuell mynde of dethe / He â—â—syd they re eyen after that they were deed / ¶ And after made deuowte prayes and orysons for the helthe of theyr poore soules / ¶ And for to shewe that prayers and orysons that ben doone deuowtely profyten to the deed / Here after is rehercyd a fayre hystory of a maÌ„ the whyche was taken and broughte prysoner in to Perse / And was putt in a pryson that is callyd Lethe / Whyche is as moche for to saye as Forgetynge Or to be putt oute of Remembraunce ¶ Some that fledde from thens for to goo in to Ethypre / Passed by the howse of the frendes of the sayd prysonere / And they were questyoned yf they had not mette nor seen theyr kynnesman / ¶ Wherat they answeryd that wych theyr owne hondes they hadd buryed hym / ¶ Alwayes it was not the same / But it was a nother that was well lyke hym / ¶ And for to certefye the better that it was he they namyd the monyth and also the daye that he deyed ¶ The sayd frendes bi cause they wende thise mennes sayenges to be true dyde do make thre seruyses euery yere for theyr sayde kynnesman / ¶ That is to wyte one att the feeste of the Epyphanye that we calle Tweluyfthdaye / the other vpon the holy Sondaye that is Trynyte Sondaye And the thyrde at the feeste of Pentecost otherwyse called Wytsondaye ¶ It happed that foure yere after the sayd prysoner came ayen To whom his frendes rehercyd tolde hym / That by cause men had reported to them that he was deed they made for him vpon thise dayes and euery yere the sayd seruyses / ¶ The whyche thyng by hym herde of theym / He affermyd to theym for a trouthe / That he beynge wythin the sayde pryson / euery yere and the same dayes came to hym a man alle in whyte that loosyd hym his chaynes wherwyth he was bounde And preseruyd hym from theym that kepte him / And after went beryng hys chaynes att his necke wythout the knowlege of ony man / ¶ Wherfore he concluded that oryson prouffytyth moche to the prysoners vpon the Turkes and Sarrasyns / And pryncypally to theim that ben deed / ¶ Of hym that prayed for his sone and for his shyppe that was vpon the see / by cause it sholde not perysshe / And begynnyth in latyn / ¶ Quod in actibus aplorum / Caplm C.xxx SVche a nother thynge we rede of the holy Patriarke in the boke of the dedes of thapostles· that many deuowte crystens seenge the grete coÌ„passion that he had toward the poore solde moche of theyr goodes broughte the money therof to the holy man for to be dreased by hyÌ„ to the poore / ¶ Amonge the other was one that had onÌ„ly but .vii. pouÌ„de of golde an halfe / that whiche somÌ„e he brought to the sayd holy man sayenge that it was all the golde that he had in his possessoÌ„n / ¶ And as he toke him this golde He sayd that he had onÌ„ly a sone of .xv. yere of aege the whyche wyth a shyppe was gone in to Affryque ¶ And bi cause he was in grete thoughte malencolye of that he came not ayen soo soone as he was acustomyd besoughte hym that he wold pray god that he wolde saue hym his sone brynge his shyppe ayen to port salw / the holy Patryarke was merueylled of the goodnes and· kindnesse of this marchaunt that had gyue all his golde att oâ—â— almesse / ¶ Soo toke he soone the sayd golde and put it vnder a table halowed prayenge god deuoutly for the helthe of his sone of his shippe / ¶ Thirty dayes after came tydynges that hys sone was dysceased but thre dayes after the sayd tydynges his shyppe came and also his sone that neuertheles was drowned in comyng wythin the hauen the goodes wythin the shyppe lost / there abode oonly but one lytyll boote / All this befall was reported to the sayde holy Patryarke And how the fader was more sory onÌ„ly for the deth of his sone than for the losse of his goodes / the holy man consideryng his grete sorow durste not make hym come afore hym / ¶ But neuertheles he sent hym worde that he shold take his Infortune in pacyence bi cause our lorde made no thynge wythout a cause all be it that we knowe not the same or wyll not knowe it / And therfor he leuyth neuer those that do ony good but rather whan they suffre ony aduersitees or trybulacoÌ„ns yf they retourne to hym soone or late they ben coÌ„forted / ¶ Soone after the good marchaunte sawe in his dreme a man lyke vnto the holy Patryarke the sayd to hyÌ„ / My broder why trowblest thou thiself takest soo moche heuynesse / Hast not the prayed me that thy sone mighte be sauyd / Certaynly thy prayer is harde for surely yf he lyued he were in daungeâ—ur to be dampned for the euylles that he sholde haue done / ¶ I ensure the yf iâ— had not be by the gyfte that thou beste doone to me /
they durste not by cause that one of theyr felowes whiche had spoken of him had be Incontynent tormented of the deuyll / Wherfore they durste neuer be soo bolde to speke therof / ¶ The sayd corps was after honestly brought to sepulcre / ¶ And he that was vexed of the deuyll abydynge vpon the graue / was by the grace of god Incontynent hoole souÌ„de / And forsakyÌ„ge the worlde putt hyÌ„self religyous vnder thabbot Seridoiâ—e desyred that the lytyll hous that the abbot Vytall had in his life shold be delyuerde vnto hyÌ„ / ¶ The holy Patryarke after al thyÌ„ges by him well consydred thanked our lorde god of that he had not synÌ„ed ayeÌ„st the sayd abbot / by cause he byleuyd not lyÈtly theym that accused hyÌ„ of lecherye / ¶ Many sekynge the sayd holy abbot Vitall recouerde helth were heled of dyuers sykenesses / ¶ Of a begger whiche in askyÌ„g an almeses of the sayd Patriarke spake grete wordes ayenst hyÌ„ / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Precipiens / Caplm C.xli. A Beggar for to aske an almese came to the holy Patryarke that made to be gyuen vnto hym x. peces of money But this beggar not content began to speke euyll ayenst hyÌ„ spekyÌ„ge of hym in his presence dyuerse wroÌ„ges that whiche his seruauÌ„tes myght not endure· but wold haue corrected hyÌ„ But the Patriarke wold not suffre theym doo so / but sayd to his seruauÌ„tes offycers / My bredern leue the poore man It is all redy .lx. yere paste that dayely thrugh my neclygences otherwyse I haue done many offences to my god· that whyche he playeth mekely in yeuynge vnto me example / And for the loue of hyÌ„ I ought well to endure a wrong yf it be done to me / ¶ After he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the men shold open the purs to the poore where the money was put that shold be yeue for goddis sake for to take therof asmoche as he wolde / ¶ Of the questyons that the holy Patryarke made vnto the poore peple Begynnyng in latin ¶ Si vero ca. / C.xlii. OFte tymes the holy Patryarke knowyÌ„g the some of his subgettes were grete almesse gyuers / sent for theym that they shold come vnto hyÌ„ / And aft he questyoned theym how they dyde theyr almesses other naturelly or by constraynt / Some by syÌ„plenes answerde noo thynge / the other gaaf therof certayn reasons causes / Amonge whyche one of theym that was a ChauÌ„ger sayd vnto him suche wordes Certaynly my lorde I dyde neuer noo goode but neuertheles that whiche I haue yeue to the poore / that was for to folowe that / In time past I haue be cruel without mercy / Wherfore I haue had many hurtes / Soo came to me ones in mynde that yf I wexed an almes gyuer god sholde neuer leue me vnpuruâ—yed / Wherfor I hadd of custome that I gaaf euery daye v. pens of syluer / But the deuyll teÌ„pted me put in my entendement that the vpens that I gaaf were suffisauÌ„t for to nourysshe my meyne / by his temptynge I left to yeue for goddis sake / After warde retornyng to myself / I coÌ„mauÌ„ded to my sone that he shold robbe me eche daye v. pens that he shold yeue theym for goddis sake / My sone hath euer done the that I haue coÌ„maunded hyÌ„ ouer this whan he perceyued the godes in my house to be encreased / He dyde encrease my almesse / And in lyke wyse consydering sayd to my sone / My childe I knowe that the .v. pens that the hast gyuen for goddis sake hath profyten me moche / So woll I that thou yeue .x. pens frohens forthe / He answerde to me smylynge / My fader pray for my theftes certaynly yf I had not be a theyf / we myghte well haue deyed for huÌ„gre / yf ony theyf were euer Iust I haue be so / ¶ The holy patryarke knowyng of this thyng / gloryfyed god of the wysdom of this childe / ¶ Of a prynce the hated a nother prynce / begynÌ„yth ¶ MaliciaÌ„ / ca. C.xliii SOmtyme was grete hate bytwene .ii. pryÌ„ces· wherof thoâ—e was by the holy Patryarke many tymes moeuyd to haue agreed with the other but therto he wold neuer acorde / ¶ On a tyme the sayd Patryarke called to hyÌ„ the sayd obstynat prince brought hym in to his oratory wyth a seruauÌ„t of his / ther in theyr presence he songe masse / In sayeng that whiche after the consecracoÌ„n eleuacoÌ„n of the precyoê° body of our lorde where the Pater nost behouyth to be sayd they .iii. sayde togider vnto thise wordes Et dimitte 〈◊〉 his debita â—raÌ„ sicut et nos dimittâ—â—â— debitoribusâ—ris In whiche wordes â—e pray to god our creatour that it wâ—ll playse hyÌ„ to foryeue our defautes like as we foryeue those that ben done ayeÌ„st vs / And afore that they began the sayd clause the sayd Patryarke cessed his speche coÌ„mauÌ„ded his seruauÌ„t to kepe his tonge styll So ended the prince al alone the same clause / the Patryarke after sayd to hyÌ„ Auyse see my broder how thou spekest ferfully to god ayenst thyself In prayenge hyÌ„ that he pardon that as thou pardonÌ„est the other netheles thou doost therof noo thynge / the prynce thenÌ„e meked hymself promysed to the sayd holy Patryarke that he shold do as he wold haue hyÌ„ to doo / ¶ How the holy Patryarke constrayned by his humylyte the proude to be meke / begynÌ„yth in ¶ Suê‘buÌ„ auteÌ„ ca· C.xliiii YF the holy Patryarke knewe in the cyte ony that was proude / He neuer rebuked hyÌ„ opeÌ„ly but in one secrete place or in his house for to doo so he drew hyÌ„self nie him / layed to hym the mekenes of IhuÌ„ cryst / to hyÌ„ shewing how he that was god had take our maÌ„kynde / soÌ„tyme sayd / I merueyle me / syth that my god hath be so meke how man may reyse hiÌ„self other for the godes of fortune or whaÌ„ he is fayrer than other beÌ„ / or whaÌ„ he hath lordshyp ouer some other / Alas we herke not after IhuÌ„ cryste the sayth / My chyldern lerne of me for I am meke / by this ye shal doo the wee le of your soules / We in lyke wyse thyÌ„ke not vpon the mekenesse of sayntes / how they helde themself to be erthe asshes wormes of the erth / pryncipally how Ysayas sayd of hyÌ„selfe / Why am I not meke Haue not I be made of the fylthe wherof the tyles ben made / All the playsure of this world passyth to an ende as the floure or herbe that fro the mornynge to the euen is torned in haye ¶ WhaÌ„ the Patriarke sayd suche wordes / they that felt themself â—ike of the greuoê° euyll of pryde / toke the wordes for theim corrected theimself / ¶ A sermon that the holy Patriarke made to yeue emsaÌ„ple of mekenes begynnyth ¶ Et hec Caplm ·
was buryed / And there she kepte herselfe thre dayes wythoute ony mete or drynke / Makyng there wayllynges wythoute nombre and wepynges / Hauynge alwayes an hope that the holy Patryarke sholde lete her vnderstonde some tydynges of her synne / ¶ She often sayd vnto hym / Alas holy Patryarke I hadd soo grete an hope of thy lyfe the whyche I byleue not to be ended ¶ For god and his chyrche wytnessen vnto vs. that the Iuste lyue euerlastyngly / And therfore I byleue that thou arte not deed / But rather arte more lyuynge as to the euerlastynge lyfe· than thou were afore in this worlde / ¶ Alas my frende I ne requyre of the none other thynge / but oonly that thou wolte lete me wyte where my scrowe is become that I toke the / ¶ O my souerayne god that sayd to the woman Cananâ—e That thorugh her faythe she was sauyd / ¶ Syth that I haue in the stedfaste byleue that thou mayst make me att thys tyme acertayned of my scrowe / I byseche the / that thou woll be playsed I to haue it agayne / ¶ One a daye she sayenge suche wordes / ¶ The holy Patryarke acompanyed wyth two bysshops wyth the whyche he was entered aroos oute of his gaue· and sayde to the sayd woman / ¶ O poore nedy woman why leuest thou not in rest theym that ben here wyth me / Thou hast wepte soo moche that we ben all bedewed wyth thy teeres / And wyth this he toke her agayne her scrowe / And askyd her yf she knewe it / The whyche wordes sayd he and the sayde two holy bisshops layed theymselfe downe agayne wythin theyr tombes / ¶ And the sayde woman openyd her letter And founde therin wryten the wordes that here folowe ¶ For the loue of Iohan my seruaunte thy synne is enrased oute / ¶ O what is he that cowde or myghte reherce the power of our lorde the whiche is soo mercyfull and louely bothe to men and wymmen / And that soo freely grauntyth and dooth the wyll of all those that drede hym / And that wyth goode herte sekith hym / Whyche gloryfyeth theym that loue hym / And by myracle magnyfyeth theym / ¶ The holy Patryarke forsayd was not onÌ„ly gloryfyed in one place but in all countrees of the Eest partyes / And now saynt Iherom makyth vs to knowe hym ferdermore in thyse partyes of the Weste / ¶ How the dethe of the forsayd holy Patryarke Iohan was shewed to a relygyouse namyd Sauyn / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Eadem enim die c / Caplm C.lv. THe daye that this holy Patryarke deyed / a Relygyous man namyd Sauyn beynge in Alexandrye sawe by the wyll of god the holy Patryarke Iohan / The whyche accompanyed wyth a grete nombre of clerkes was ladde by one of theym tofore an emperour in his palays / After he sawe hym come out of the gate / ¶ The whyche vysyon bytokened the departynge of his body from the soule Whan he was out of the gate came to hym a fayre lady a yonge mayde shynynge bryghter than the sonne / Hauynge on her heed a crowne of Olyue tree· The whiche toke him anone by the honde and ladde him forthe / ¶ Bi this visyon the good relygyouse man ymagyned that the holy Patryarke was passynge oute of this worlde at that houre vnto euerlastynge glory And this he gaaf to knowe vnto dyuers persons It happed thenÌ„e that oute of Chypre came many marchauÌ„tes in to AlexaÌ„drye To whom was askid after the hour of the Patryarkes forsayd dethe / And by theyr answere was cleerly knowe that the sayd vysyon was true / And that at the same hour that as the Relygyouse man had shewed it the sayd holy Patryarke was deed / Gyuyng stedfast fayth by this that sayd is to this vysion and namly for cause of the mayde that ladde hym by the honde / For they Iudged that is was Almese / that afore tyme in this worlde had shewed herselfe to this holy Patryarke forsayd in lykenesse of a mayde / And had promysyd hym as here afore is sayd / That yf he wolde loue her / she sholde present hym byfore the souerayne emperour that is our blessed Sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Of a nother vysion that a Citeyzyn of AlexaÌ„drie had touchyÌ„ge the deth of this holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ the Almoner / begynÌ„yth ¶ CuÌ„ auteÌ„ / Caplm C.lvi. ANd not onÌ„ly by cause of the visyon of the forsayd religyoê° / but also for a nother vysion that happed to a pore man feryng god whyche dwelled in Alexandrye the enhabytauÌ„tes of the same cyte byleuyd the Almese Mercy had presented the forsayd holy Patryarke vnto god / This good pore man that same nyghte that the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ deyed sawe by spirytuell vysyon all the poore folke of the cyte of Alexandrye / Aswell children faderlees and moderlees as wymÌ„en and other what so euer persone in grete noÌ„bre / Beryng in theyr hondes brauÌ„ches of Olyue tree the whyche wente to the seruyce and Dirige of the holy Patriarke / ¶ Wherfore it was cleerly shewed Almese dede presented hym afore god / as it is sayd aboue / ¶ How out of his sepulcre flowed and ranne oyle· And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Hymnodia c· Caplm C.lvii YF we had of the gloryfycacion of the holy Patryarke none other reason to shewe but the same that here folowith / Yet ought we onely to be certayne withoute ony doubtfull demynge that he is of the nombre of sayntes / ¶ After that this holy body was enteryd buryed our Redemer wyllyng to shew the worthynes of hym· coÌ„maunded that out of his graue sholde flowe and renne oyle of whose swetnes swete smelling sauour by syÌ„guler grace were the folke beynge present fulfylled namely all the sike folke that were enoynted therwyth receyuyd fully theyr helthe ayen / And not oonly this myracle happed in the londe of Chypre aforsayd to the worshyp of the sayde holy Patryarke / But also in dyuers other to the ende that we that see how they haue contynued and lyued holyly in this worlde· sett and applye our courages to ensewe theym in theyr dooynges / ¶ We shall praye mekely the gode saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner that it wolde playse hym of his large mekenesse for to spare for vs after oure mortall lyfe the tresours that neuer shall haue ende that he hath spared for hyÌ„self thrugh his grete almese other grete werkes so that we ensewe the same maye be wyth hyÌ„ fedde in the glory of heuen / Amen / ¶ Here begynnyth the lyfe of saynt Eugene / whose feest is halowed the day after the feest of the Natiuyte of our sauyour IhuÌ„ Cryste / And begyynyth in latin ¶ In septimo igitur et cetera Caplm C.lviii SOmtyme an Emperour of the Romayns namyd Chomodrê° for to rule gouerne the cytee of Alexandrye the londe of Egypte vnder the lordshyp of Rome sent in to
god whom thou haste fully hooly gyuen thyself shall not leue the / ¶ After this holy bysshop Helayn torned his worde to Prothus to Iacintus and sayd to theym / ¶ Ye that are seruauntes / and wytholden in thraldom / Ye haue in your hertes grete noblesse / I maye saye to you that the oure lorde sayde to his discyples / ¶ From hens forthe I shall noo more call you Seruauntes / But I shall calle you my Frendes / ¶ More ouer sayde vnto theym this holy Bysshopp Helayn / My chyldren vnderstonde it that ye ben well happy and gracious of this that ye haue consented to the holy ghoste in obeyenge and enclynynge to his holy maâ—uynges ¶ / For thrugh that meane ye shall be parteners togyder of the Ioye of heuen / ¶ In this astate abode the good Eugene in the clothyÌ„ge or a seculer man vnto the tyme that by the holy bysshop she was regenerate of the holy Sacrament of baptesme And by hym â—n to a monastery of relygyon where she desired for to be / ¶ But for to haue very knowlege how she departed pryuely from her Parents / It is to be noted that in those dayes whan the ladyes wolde goo to sporte theymself they were of a custome born in a chare gouerned with some yonge chyldern called Emiches or more plainly to speke men ghelded the whiche beynge wyth theym aswell for to serue theym as for to kepe theym / ¶ Now thenne wyth Eugene gooyng to her sporte as it is sayde aboue were Prothus Iacintus that for to serue kepe her abode wyth her / The whyche by meane of her desyrynge were coÌ„tent to doo as she wolde / And soo in dede they went wyth her / as aboue is shewed / And sent home agayn the lyttere by some yonge chyldren that had bornÌ„ theym company / ¶ The moder of the good Eugene seenge the yonge chyldern come the lyttere was very gladde / hopynge that her doughter was comyng in the same chare or lyttere / But after whan she knew her doughter to be gone / She began to crye soo wonderfully that alle the cyte was moeuyd wyth it / Eeuery body wept and wayled the losse of the good lady Eugene / The fader and the moder sighed after theyr doughter And in lyke wyse the brethern after theyr sister / The whyche for to fynde was made dilygent sekynge thrugh al the Prouynce / ¶ The dyuynours or southsayers were sente fore / And by sacrefyces and dysceytes of the deuyll the goddes were mekely required that they wolde yeue an answere where Eugene was become / Alle the southsayers sayd that the goddes had rauisshed her aboue the heueÌ„s / ¶ The fader byleuyng this to be of trouth torned his heuinesse in to gladnesse made the people to kepe a feest of thanswere that the goddes had yeue of his doughter / And moreouer for to honour enhaunce the name of her dede / dyde doo make a fygure or ymage after her likenes Wherto he gaaf a grete merueyllous quantyte of fyne gold The whiche ymage he adoured worshypped it as he dyde his goddes / But neuerthelesse her moder Claudia her bredern / Anitus Sergius cowde not take in this foly ony comforte / ¶ All thy seâ—thynges notwythstondynge / the goode Eugene in clothynge of· man vnknowen abode in the sayde monastery wyth the Relygyouses of the same / As it is sayd here aboue / And soo well she studyed that in a lytyll whyle she comprysed alle the rules of the Relygyon / ¶ She was soo kynde louely that al the brethern thought and helde her for an angell / Her wordes were swete and her mekenesse so grete / that she ouerpassed all the other relygyouses ¶ She was euer the fyrst in prayer she comforted the sorowful she shewed herselfe gladde wyth those that were Ioyous / ¶ They that were full of wrathe she wyth one worde made theym to be pacyent in theyr behauynge / The proude by her example wonderfully she conuerted lyke as a lyon had be torned by her in to a shepe / ¶ She had this merueyllous gyfte of god that al persones that she vysited in theyr sykenesse felte at her comynge to theym noo sore att all Prothus Iacintus folowed her contynuelly / were obeyeng to her / The .iii yere after she was put in the sayd religyon thabbot of her monastery deyed / soo they togyder chose wyth one acorde the virgyn Eugene for to be their abbot She thenÌ„e consydryng that she was a woman doubtyng to be set in auctorytee aboboue the men / Ferynge also of the other part to be seen that she shold dispyse coÌ„tempne the prayers of all the Religioê° that so besily desyred her to take vpon her the auctorytee of the abborshypp sayde vnto theym / ¶ O my bredern I requyre you in the name of god that the boke of the gospels maye be now presently broughte shewed byfore vs alle And anone as it was brought she sayd ayen to theÌ„ ¶ Euer whan ony religioê° haue for to be done some eleccoÌ„n they ought bifore all thinges to desyre call the helpe of our lord Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Lete vs see theÌ„ne in this your eleccoÌ„n what thyng he coÌ„mauÌ„dith for to be doo to th ende that we maye obeye to his deuoute wamynges / Also to obeye the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes that shall be by you done in this byhalfe / ¶ The holy Eugene toke thenÌ„e the boke of the gospels and began to torne a leef sin a nother tyl she fonde a gospell conteynyng the wordes that here after are wryten the whiche she rehercyd sayeng / ¶ In those dayes sayd IhuÌ„ Cryst to his discyples ye know that the prynces lordes oughte to be are more grete in auctoritee and power than the men vpon whom they haue grete lordshypp myghte / But this thynge is not lyke amonge ye other ¶ For yf ony of you woll be the formeste he shall be the last And yf ony amonge you woll be a lord he shall be a seruaunt / After saynt Eugene sayd to theim / Therfore my bredern consyderynge all thyse thynges not wyllynge to saye ayenst you / I haue purposyd to take vpon me the auctorite that ye gyue me ouer you / And pryÌ„cypally derysyrynge to obeye the coÌ„maundement of god ordeyne miself the leste amonge ye other that are to me moche dere agreable / Of the whyche answere they were moche abasshed / But this notwythstondynge she presumed not to vse the dygnytee as the moost grete aboue all other / But mekyng herselfe toke the charge that the moost lowe and poore persone had beyng vnder that Couent / That is to wyte to here water cleue wood / And made her dwellynge in that self place where the Potter dwelled / to th eÌ„de she shold not shewe herself gretter than he / ¶ With this she had a contynuell thought and a holy
cure of the thynges that were necessary to be had for the refeccoÌ„n of the bâ—â—derâ— / In sayeng psalmes and orysons she kepte soueraynly a good order / And to all the houres of the seruyce of god aswell by nyghte as by daye soo curyously contynued that she thoughte alle tyme to be loste that was passed wythout graces and praysynges to be gyuen vnto god / ¶ In this holynesse of lyfe she contynued in suche wise / and soo longe That our lorde graunted vnto her soo grete habundance of graces That she chacyd out of menÌ„es bodyes the deuels that tormented theym / Made the blynde to see many other grete myracles she dyde / ¶ AmoÌ„ge the whiche a lady of the londe of AlexaÌ„drie named Melance / amonge other was of grete power heâ— he grete reporte that euery man made of the merueyloê° vertues of the holy virgin Eugene whiche was take as a riÈt holy man came to her for to be holpen heled of a grete feuer that a yere duryÌ„ge more had vexed her body right sore· The whyche Eugene enoynted wyth an oyle anone this woman cast out of her body the corrupt humours that caused wythin her the feuer all hoole so side weÌ„te home ayen to her place that was not ferre Where she toke the grete goblets fylled theym wyth money whyche she sente vnto saynt Eugene / The whyche dispysyng the sayd presents sente theym vnto her ayen forthwyth / Letyng her wyte that of godes she had ouer moche / Wherfor she couÌ„seyled her that she shold deale depart to the poore nedy nedfull the godes presents that she had sent to her / ¶ The sayd MelaÌ„ce heryng thyse wordes was gretly wrothe came toward saynt Eugene / prayeng her that she wolde take receyue agreatly her presents promysyng to gyue her other more grete· but in efect she loste her tyme. For saynt Eugene wold not take theim / This notwythstoÌ„ding Melance left not but she come toward the good Eugene / not knowyng by ony wyse that she was a woman / the beaute of her disceyued the sayd Melance the whyche trowynge that she had be a man and that by hyÌ„ she was heelyd / Not by his holynes but by some crafte or cunnynge of physik lete herself fall by the temptynge of the deuyll in to the synne of flesshly desyre / And thynkynge that the sayd Eugene had refusyd the sayd presents for couetyse to haue had gretter offred other vnto her in more grete habundance than she had tofore / Promysynge to gyue hym yet more of theym asmoche as he wolde aske / ¶ And where she contynued prayenge hym that his playsure were to resceyue the sayde presents / And sawe they were refusyd And to her sente agayne by the goode Eugene / She ranne in to a gretter hete than she was afore / ¶ And atte thys cause feynyng to be syke soo greuously that she sholde not haue moeuyd herselfe out of her bedde / Made saynt Eugene to be prayed that she sholde come and vysyte her And she dyde soo / And beyng there byfore the bedde of Melance that had made the folke to goo oute of her chambre that were there feynynge to declare vnto her some secretes in confessyon as well of her conscyence as of her sikenesse Sayd vnto Eugene suche wordes / ¶ My lorde and my frende Eugene pardonne yf it playse you yf I ouer famylyerly do declare my pouertee vnto you / For I am therto constrayned by the grete sore whyche opressyth me / ¶ Certaynly my lorde the grete and excessyue loue whyche I haue coÌ„ceyued towarde your gracious yongthe The right excellent beaute of the whyche dame Nature hath soo gretly largely endowed you tormentith my pore herte soo sharply that it ne were to me possible neuer to haue Ioye ne playsure in this worlde But yf it come to me of you / ¶ Soo yelde I myself and al my goodes to you alone makynge ordeynynge your goodly persone lorde maister ouer my body and of al my godes ¶ Alas my lord what playsure doo ye take totorment thus greuousli your body by folysshe and vayne abstynences / I haue Infynyte possessions and ryches I haue grete tresours of gold of syluer / I am enhauÌ„sed in auctoryte of noblesse of my kinÌ„e / and this yere I haue loste my childern that are deceased oute of this world / Alas I pray you succede to my goodes in stede of theym / be alone mayster lorde not oonly of me but also of all my possessions godes The deuoute Eugene hering thise fowle wordes dyshoneste exhortacoÌ„ns / answerde to her in this manere / O womaÌ„ daÌ„pned certaynly / thy name beryth truwitnesse of an horrible cursidnes treison / Truely thou hast made redy in the a grete place for the deuyll / DaÌ„pnable disceyuer leue that wyll that thou haste to torne the seruauÌ„tes of god / I woll well that thou knowe that we relygiouses haue wel vsed to lyue otherwise / ¶ The daÌ„pned spyrytes that are to the lyke / take thy godes and not we that haue no appetyte to them nor woll not haue theym / For it is vnto vs a pleysauÌ„t thing to begge our brede wyth our lord IhuÌ„ Cryst / He is habuÌ„dantly ryche that is wyth hym ¶ O Melance the wyll of me is that suche folysshe concupysceÌ„ces depart from the Truely thâ—happynesse that hath assaylled the shall not be cause of thy heele but of dampnacoÌ„n / Thou that art made the house dwellynge of the venymouse dragon shedest spredest a wonderfull venym / But by the callynge of the name of god and by the helpe of hys mercifulnes we haue eschewed and yet we shall eschewe thinfeccoÌ„n of thin abhomynable and horryble poysons / ¶ Thenne this cursyd and wretchyd woman / Impacyent of the repreyffe the the good Eugene had sayd to her / at this cause al enswollen with bytter dâ—Ì„playsure / Knowynge also that she had thus loste her honoure / And doubtynge that Eugene sholde telle her synne for to quenche her feere purposyd herselfe to complayne of hym afore the Iustyce ¶ Wherfore Incontynent she went afore the grete Prouoste of Alexandrye shewed to him in a gret wodnesse and hertly dysplaysure / How for to haue founde the meanes to be holpen of a sykenesse that haue kept her longe she had suffred a yonge relygyous of the Relygyon Crysten that called himself a gode Leche to come towarde her for to hele her / But this Relygyouse replenysshyd wyth treyson Wenynge that she hadde be suche as they were of whom he had taken of a custome his foule delectacyons hadd dare all shame layed asyde speke vnto her shamefull and dishoneste wordes for to haue moeued her vnto his abhomynable wyll / and that worse was / Yf she hadde not callyd her woman abowte her / He sholde haue rauysshyd her and defoyled / ¶ Requyrynge this Melance to
set theyr affeccyon loue shall falle in to euerlastynge daÌ„pnacoÌ„n / ¶ ThenÌ„e my douÈters syth that ye haue abyden wyth me hitherto haue in you constaÌ„ce perseuerauÌ„ce vnto the laste ende / Wepe in this world to the entent that ye shal haue euerlastyng Ioye ¶ Now I beseche the holy ghost that he wyll kepe you / and I bileue he shal preserue you in your vyrgynytee / ¶ Desire not my bodyly presence / but yf I haue done ony good werkes folowe me ghostly / After that she had thê° preched exhorted theym to remeÌ„bre the heuenly thynges for to flee the erthly she kyssed all them saynt Basille coÌ„mauÌ„ded theym to god / ThenÌ„e Eugene saynt basylle departed fro theym ¶ That same daye one of the wymÌ„en seruaunt wyth saynt Basylle forsayde went towarde PoÌ„pee that whiche had trouthplyght this holy Basille shewed vnto him that she her vncle Helain were become cirsten that he shold neuer wedde her bisyde this she sayd to him that she had with her .ii. Emiches that is to wyte Prothê° Iacintê° that whiche Eugene had sente to her for to torne her to the crysten faythe And how she serued theym as goddes Inmortall in kyssynge dayly theyr fete ¶ Pompee as affrayed wente towarde Helayn that was vncle gouernour of saynt Basylle / sayd to hyÌ„ / Wyte it Helayn that now I woll make my wedding therfor shewe me Basylle whiche is yeuen to me by theÌ„perour all the Romayn prynces / Helayn answerde / My frende I haue nourisshed her duryng the tyme of her yongâ—â— / For at the tyme she was in my kepyâ—ge for the loue of her fader that was in kinÌ„esman / I haue done for her all that was in me possyble but neuertheles she is out of my rule hath her free choyâ— / therfore yf thou woll speke wyth her goo to her hous / ¶ ThenÌ„ was Pompee more angry than afore went anâ—e to her hous / So coÌ„mauÌ„ded he the Pâ—â—ters that they shold goo telle Basylle theyr maystresse that he wolde speke with her / The gode lady sent him worde ayen that she wolde nother see him nor mete wyth hym / therfore he myghte well goo home ayen / ¶ PoÌ„pee was fulfylled wyth wrathe more than he was afore thrugh the fauour of all the Senatours· camÌ„ tofore themperours sayd vnto theym / O emperours ryght holy socour at this hour your subgets Romayn and put from this noble cytee of Rome the new goddes that Eugene hath brought in it comyng out of the londe of Egypte / It is longe syth that the Crysten are lettynge the comyn wee le For they done done other thynge but onÌ„ly mocke with the holy ceremonyes of our lawe / They dispyse oure goddes ryght myÈty sayeng that they ben ydoles rauysshyÌ„ge deuyls / They chaunge the right of nature / they breke maryage wythdrawe vnto them the yonge doughters In sayenge that it is a dangerous thyng that a byrde shall take her spouse by wedlocke / What shall we doo noble emperours / by whom shall the Romayns be honoured also the kyÌ„ges subdued / yf the wyÌ„men that we oughte to haue to be our wyues be take awaye from vs. by whom we mighte haue yssue to whom we myght coÌ„maunde / Where shal theÌ„ne be the reparacoÌ„n of the strengthes of the Romayns for the contynuauÌ„ce of batayles / ¶ Whan Pompee had made an ende of his wordes all the Senatours begaÌ„ to wepe ouer saynt Basylle And that notwytstondynge Galien the emperour Iudged Incontynent that she sholde take Pompee to her lorde husbonde / Or elles by wepen he sholde make her lyfe to be broughte at an ende / And in lyke wyse Eugene but yf she wolde doo sacrefyce vnto the goddes / And besyde this he ordened grete punysshmeÌ„t to be take thrugh all the cyte vpon tho that sholde hyde by ony manere the cristen peple ¶ And after a messager was sente to saynt Basylle / that coÌ„mauÌ„ded her in the emperour Galiens byhalfe that she shold come speke with hym or elles that she shold take Pompee to her husbonde / The good vyrgin answerde that she wold not / And her spowse sholde be IhuÌ„ Cryst the sone of the euerlastynge god none other / ¶ In sayeng the whiche wordes the messager percyd thrugh thrugh the body slewe her / ¶ After he take Prothus Iacyntê° broughte theym in to the temple for to worshyp the goddes / And as they camÌ„ thyder â— were makynge theyr prayers to IhuÌ„ Cryst thydâ—lle of Iupyter that was in the temple was smyten to many smalle pyeces / ¶ Nicecius that was the tyme Prouoste of Rome made them to be byheded at the fete of saynt Basylle notwythstondynge that she was deed / ¶ After that he sent for saynt Eugene asked how by her art magyk she had conuerted so grete peple / The good lady bolde and stedfast in the fayth / answerde holdly sayenge â—yn arte is not magyke But my byleue is in that selfe god that hath a fader wythout moder and a moder wythoute fader / And the whyche fader hath engendred hyÌ„ with out moder / And she in like wise conceyued hym wythoute knowlege of man / ¶ My god my mayster hathe a wyfe a vyrgyn whyche engendreth a contynuell multytude of children / ¶ His flesshe is Ioyned to the flesshe of his wife a virgin· Wythout lettyng ther kysse eche other they shal be euerlasting in loue / And soo are they so perfyte that al virgynyte all charyte all onÌ„lynes of body is there kepte / ¶ Nicecius Prouoste romayne dredynge the themperour shold here her speke / for he doubted moche leest he sholde be torned to the crysten fayth by her wordes· Incontynent made her to be broughte in to the temple of the goddesse Diana for to doo sacrefyce to the sayd goddesse or elles to suffre deth ¶ The good ladi Eugene put herselfe on bothe her knees heuynge her hondes towarde heuen sayde / O my god the knowest the secretes of my conscyence / that hast kepte my vyrgynyte by thy lâ—ue that haste gyuen to me thy blessyd sone to my spouse that hath made to regne in me the holi ghost I pray that now that thou wolte be wyth me preseÌ„tly for to helpe me confesse thy holy name to th ende that alle thoos that worshyp this ydoll maye be coÌ„fouÌ„ded wyth theyr sacrefyces / anone all the temple felle downe / was al togyder broken excepte the awter afore the whyche saynt Eugene was knelynge / ¶ And thyse thynges were done in the yle of Lychâ—anye in presence of a grete multytude of peple that ther was come for to see th ende of saynt Basylle Some began to calle crye layenge that she was Innocent â—other callyd her Magycyen ¶ All this befall was shewed to the Prouoste whiche made it to be knowen vnto
the emperour / The whyche coÌ„mauÌ„ded that she shold be caste in to the ryuer of Tibre with a mylstone at her necke it was done soo / But assone as she was caste in the grete â—â—â—me the stone claue all in pieces the gâ—od lady was seen walke vpon the waâ—â— to th ende that the Crysten sholde knowe / that the god that had sauyd saynt Peter in the see was that tyme wyth the good lady sayÌ„t Eugene to kepe her that she sholde not be drowned wythin the sayd ryuer of Tyber / ¶ After Incontinent as she was had out of the streme / put in to an hote furnayse oute of whyche Incontynent that she was caste in it the heete wexed cold And after they put her in a derke place the sayd emperour coÌ„maunded that she sholde be lefte there the space of .x. dayes without mete nor drynke also wythout ony lyght / But neuertheles wythin the place where she was thê° kepte was seen a grete lyghte soo bryghte that al was lyghte as it had be the lyght of the sonÌ„e / ¶ After this god that neuer faylyth his seruauÌ„tes came vysited her and broughte her a loof of brede as white as the snowe / sayde vnto her / ¶ Eugene my true spouse frende take the brede that I bryÌ„ge for the / I am thy Sauyour that thou haste loued yet louyth of all thy herte / I shall lede the in to heuen vpon suche a daye as I came downe in the erthe / Incontynente he deparred ¶ Soo it happed that the day of the Narâ—uyte of IhuÌ„ Cryste that hang man was sent towarde her whiche slewe her wythin the pryson / ¶ Her body was take of the Crysten buryed in the waye Latyne In the same place where she had buryed many crystens / Her moder Claudia camÌ„ oft to wepe vpon her graue / ¶ And amonge the other she beyng vpon the sayd graue abowte the hour of mydnyght saynt Eugene her doughter aperyd vnto her clothed in a gowne of purple coueryd wyth fyne gold acoÌ„panyed wyth a grete nombre of virgyns and sayd to her / Reioyce thyselfe my moder for god hath sett me amonge the glorioê° sayntes in his paradys my fader wyth the Patriarkes / vpon Sonday nexte comynge thou shalt be receyued wyth grete Ioye in Paradys / ¶ CoÌ„mauÌ„de to thy childern that they haue alway in theyr remeÌ„brauÌ„ce the passion of IhuÌ„ cryste to th ende that they be parteners wyth vs of the souerayne Ioyes of heuen / And as she parted away· she gaaf suche a lighte in the sayd place that noo manÌ„es eye cowde beholde it / Wherbi men maye bileue that she was accoÌ„panyed of the right gloryous Trynyte of Paradys / To thou whyche be Infynyte glory also loouynge euerlastyng / by all the syecles of the syecles / Amen / ¶ Here folowyth of saynt Basille bysshop of Capadoxe / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Basillius itaque et cetera / Caplm C.lix SAynt Basyll amoÌ„ge the other of his tyme shewed in erthe as well by werkes as by wordes a lyfe couenable ordeynynge dysposyng his sayd lyfe by ghostly wysdom / ¶ He gaaf vnto IhuÌ„ Cryst his body his soule puttynge hyÌ„self to dyuers dauÌ„geours perylles for the fayth of our lorde repreuynge many errours whyche he ouercame broughte downe In his seuenth yere of aege / he was of hys frendes sette to scole where he was abidynge the space of .v. yere / Duryng the whyche tyme. he almost knewe all Philosophye ¶ After he departed oute of Capadoce his naturell couÌ„tree / went to the cytee of Athenes that thenÌ„e was moder of all scyences / there chastely heued wyth a Doctour namyd Eubole / Wherby he had the very knowlege of all scyences / For he studyed full besyly wyth many excellent men / ¶ Gregory the grete that after the sayd tyme was pope of Rome by the space of .xii. yere In lyen also Lybanyen they .iii. were discyples of the sayd saynt Basylle / ¶ He made a promyse vnto god that he sholde neuer ete brede nor drynke wyne tyll that he sholde haue by the suffrauÌ„ce of god knowe the secretes of ghostly wysdom ¶ During the tyme of .xv. yere that he studyed in Athenes / He knewe all Ppylosophye after the enformyng of the Grekes / And fynably he was ryght experte in the scyence of Astrologye other aâ—ter lyberall / But yet he had not lerned the very wysdom by the whyche folke lerne to knowe their Creatour / ¶ Soo it happed on a nyghte as he studyed / that he was Inspyred wyth the holy ghost / purposed to knowe the holy scryptures / Wherfore he departed out of Athenes went in to Egypte In whiche loÌ„de / entrynge the hons of a deuoute bysshopp namyd Porphyre the ladde a lyfe moche solytary / He requyred hyÌ„ mekely that he wolde comyn wyth hym in the bokes of the holy scryptures dyuyne techynges / The whiche the sayd Porphire toke him vnto hym / and there he studyed by an hoole yere takynge a grete delyte playsure in the sayd holy scryptures / ete none other mete but herbes dranke water / ¶ After he axed of the sayd Porphire leue for to goo in pylgrimage to Ihrl'm aswell for to god worshypp the holy places as for to knowe the grete myracles that were done there to th ende he shold come to a more knowlege of the fayth / Porphyre seenge hys deuoute affeccoÌ„n gaue hyÌ„ leue / recommended hym to the grace of god / And whan he had done his pylgrymage / he retorned to Athenes where he had studyed a longe season afore / ¶ He beyÌ„ge there amonge the grekysshe Phylosophers he spake euer to theym of the holy scriptures / exorted the mysbileuyd to byleue in IhuÌ„ Cryste / shewynge vnto theym the waye of helthe / namely hauÌ„ted gladli hourly with his mayster Eubole / ¶ And by cause he desyred to rewarde hyÌ„ of the gode that he had done to hym in his chyldhode / he wolde serue hym in the fayth of Cryst ¶ So soughte he hym for this cause in all places where men dysputed / dyde somoche that he fonde hyÌ„ in the subarbes of Athenes disputyng with the other philosophers / ¶ Saynt Basylle herynge his maister that proposed a conclusion fals rebuked hym of it / Wherof many at theym present were somwhat abasshyd and asked what he was that soo bâ—â—ly rebukyd Eubole / Wherat hyÌ„selfe answerd that it was god or elles Basille ¶ ThenÌ„e knowynge that it was he leuyÌ„ge all the Pphilosophers came to hym made to eche other a gladde knowlege / Thre dayes they were togyder dysputyÌ„g of dyuers maters / ¶ Eubole that had be mayster to Basylle apposed hyÌ„ of the dyffynycoÌ„n of Phylosophie / he answerde thâ—â—t his fyrste dyffynycoÌ„n was medytacoÌ„n contynuell vpon dethe / After he asked hym what was
of the worlde / he answerde that it was the same that was vpon the worlde / The wordes of the worlde are swete notwithstondyng that it shall be full bytter to hym that shall lyue in it vyciously / But who that wol be in the worlde maye not obeye his sensualytee serue god / By cause that none shall not serue well two lordes And that the naturell manly desyres are contrary to the saluacoÌ„n of our soules / And therfore my mayster coÌ„maunder sayde saynt Basylle / I praye the lete vs quycken our spirytes that ben deed by syÌ„nes / And for to purchace lyfe euerlastyÌ„ge lete vs folowe the techynges of thapostles of the souerayn god Redemer of all the worlde / ¶ Yf we woll put payne to obeye hym notwythstondynge that we ben alle redy stryken in aege Yet shall we haue asmoche of rewarde by medyacoÌ„n of his grace as they that haue be in his seruyce from the tyme of theyr yongthe / ¶ For it is wryten in the gospell that as grete a rewarde had he that came at the hour of Sexte as he the was comÌ„ at the hour of Prime / The doctour Eubole herynge the warnynges of his dyscyple Basylle began to saye / ¶ O Basylle true shewer expownar of that faythe of Criste thrugh the. I byleue in one god almyghty In tyme past that I knewe I dyde shewe the. now alle that is myne I gyue vnto the. putt in thy possessoÌ„n purposyng to lede wyth the thou remenauÌ„te of my lyfe / yf it playse to my god IhuÌ„ Cryst I shall receyue wtin shorte tyme the holy sacramente of baptym / Saynt Basylle answerde O my mayster blessyd be oure god that hath mekely lyghtned the in giuynge to the wyll courage to forsake leue the foule errours wherin thou were ouerthrowen thrugh the vayn worldly science· and that now thou knowest his mercy ¶ Syth that thou woll be wyth me· I shall teche the how we shal lyue in getynge our wee le in delyueryng ourself from the lettyÌ„ges of this wretched world / ¶ Fyrst we shall selle all that we haue shall gyue it to the poore nedy for goddys sake after we shall goo to the holy cytee of Iherusalem / The whyche thynge they dyde / And clothyd theymself in Raymentes lyke Crysten people / for to receyue Crystendom / ¶ And in goynge thyder they torned many Paynems that they fonde in theyr waye to the Crysten fayth / ¶ How Eubole was crystened in the FluÌ„me Iourdan / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Apprehendentes autem cetera Caplm C.lx. THenne whan saynt Basylle his doctour Eubole were come in Ihâ—l'm they went vysited al the holy places worshiped theim for the loue of our lorde / After they presented theself tofore the bisshop of the cyte namyd Marimyen kneled byfore him bysechyge him that he wold crysten them in the flum Iordan ¶ The sayd bysshop receyued theim moche mekely / acompanyed with many notable persones sad theim to the forsayd flum / WhaÌ„ theâ— were come to the bryke of the same saynt basyll sate on both his knees / besouÈt god deuoutly that he wold vouchesauf to shewe some token to theim of his grace After he rose vp toke of al his clothes for to entre wythin the flood thenÌ„e the sayd bysshop went crystned hym / Att whiche crystnynge a moche merueyloê° thynge happed there / For a grete lyght as it had be fyre makyng wonderful shinyng came from heuen vpon theim / out of the fyre flewe out a whyte doue / the whiche after she had trowbled the water flewe ayen in to heuen / Of whiche thyÌ„ge those present were moche merueyled For they had neuer seen soo quycke ne soo grete a lyghte / Soo began they to prayse glorifye the name of god and pryÌ„cipally the bisshop the contynuelly remeÌ„bred the loue that saynt Basylle had to the Redemer of the world They .ii. thenÌ„e togyder crystened enoynted with the holy oyle retorned to Ihrl'm there they dwelled a yere ¶ After the knowlege of whiche they toke theyr waye towarde Anthyoche / thenne was saynt Basylle made Deaken / ¶ How sayÌ„t Basylle beyng a bysshop coÌ„posed the masse / in coÌ„posyng of whiche he sawe god his apostles begynning ¶ CoÌ„uenientes c· Caplm C.lxi. MAny bysshops were assemblyd in Anthyoche the whyche chose saynt Basylle to be bysshop And after that he was ordened he made his prayer to god bysechyng hym that he wold gyue him the gyfte of vnderstondynge by the whyche he myght to the exaltacoÌ„n of the fayth his glorioê° name make a seruyce or offyce to hym agreable in makynge vnto hym oblacyon of his precyous blode / And that in this dooyng he myghte receyue the grace of the holy ghost ¶ The gode Basylle after this request was by the space of sixe dayes as al chauÌ„ged wythdrawe fro his thought / But neuertheles he purposed to make the sayde seruyce / ¶ And on a nyghte after the sayd dayes paste / he had a syghte of god the whyche acompanyed of all his apostles as whan he wrote the wordes that preestes proferon vpon the breed sayde to hym / Basylle after thy desyre be thy mouth fulfyllyd of praysynge to th ende that by thy owne worde thou make sacrefyce vnto me of my bloode / ¶ Saynt Basylle that coude not abyde the syght departed with grete fere and went to the awter where he began to saye wryte this that here folowyth / Be my mouth fulfylled wyth loeuynge to th ende that it synge ympne to thy Ioye / Wyth this he made many other orysons that ben customably sayd whan the body of our lorde is to be consecrate of the preest / the whiche are not to be wryten to ony laye folke / Nor to be had in comynicacoÌ„n but onÌ„ly amonge men of the chirche / And after the consecracoÌ„n eleuacoÌ„n of the hoste whyche was of brede he deuyded it in thre partes / of the whiche he vsyd the one in grete drede reuerence the other he kepte for to bere wyth hym / and the thyrde he kepte for to be putt in to a doune of fyne golde the whyche he had doo make for to be hanged ouer the awter in by tokenyng of that same doune that appered ouer hym whan he was crystned in the flum Iordan / ¶ Eubole manâ— other clerkes were thenne afore the gate of the temple beholdinge this mystery they sawe abowte hym a wonderful lyght whyche constrayned them to fall to the grouÌ„de / And wyth this they sawe a grete multytude of men al clothed in whiche rayments / the whyche acoÌ„pamed hym in makynge the sayd sacrefyce ¶ The masse done saynt Basyll gooyng out of the chyrche / al them present worshipped him puttynge byfore hyÌ„ theyr knees to the grounde made hym more grete honour than they had be acustomyd
/ And att this cause he askyd theym what it was that had moeued theym to come there also the cause why they made hym so grete honour / TheÌ„ne they tolde hym the wonderfull syghte that they had seen / of the whiche saynt Basylle yelded graces to god / ¶ And certayne dayes after he gadred all the peple / In the presence of whom he put the one of the sayd thre partes of the hoste in to the sayd douune of golde hanged it reuerently ouer the awter / And this done He for to comforte the peple and to conferme in the holy faythe of Ihesu Cryste made a moche fayre prechynge / ¶ Att whyche was the grete abbot Of whom herafter shall be spoken / ¶ Of an Ebrew man that saw a chylde bytwene the hoÌ„des of saynt Basylle whan he deuided the body of our lorde And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Diuino quidem c· Caplm C.lxii. BY the wyll of god and duringe the tyme the saynt Basille on a tyme amoÌ„ge other songe masse An Eâ—rewe that was there saw a chylde bitwene the hondes of the sayd saynt Basylle / ¶ The chylde as it semyd to the sayd Ebrewe was by this Basylle parted deuyded / And where they alle after the masse sayd admynistred them self in receyuynge the body of our lorde The sayd Ebrewe man put hymselfe amonge the other Crystens / And so saynt Basylle admynystred hym an hoste as to the other / And consequently askyd to be admynystred wyth the holy chalys that semyd him to be fylled with blood / And his askynge was gyuen to hym / ¶ And he kepynge of eyther one parte bare it vnto his wyfe for to shewe it to her and to conferme her in the vyson that he had seen / ¶ And the nexte daye after he retorned to the holy bysshop and made hymself to be crystned wyth all his meyne / ¶ Of one that forsoke god and gaaf a wrytynge therof sealed wyth his owne honde / And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Illudius auteÌ„ / Caplm C.lxiii A Holy man that had be Chapelayn to saynt Basylle and his sucessour in the bysshopryche of Capadoce / And the whyche wrote vnto saynt Iherom the lyf of saynt Basylle / ¶ Reherseth that a Senatour of Rome called Protherius hadd a doughter The whyche he wolde offre and sacrefye vnto god / Thynkynge that she shold be a relygyous woman / But the deuyll enuyuous ouer all goodnesse ¶ For to lette and wythdrawe the holy purpoos of the sayd Protherius / enflaÌ„med wyth the fyre of concupyscence one of his housholde seruauntes / The whyche enamoured hymselfe on his sayd doughter / ¶ And by cause he knewe for certayne that he was not her lyke for to haue her by maryage / He wente to a mayster of Magyke / To whom he shewed his caas / Sayeng that yf he cowde lerne hyÌ„ ony meane by the whiche he myghte haue the sayd doughter He sholde gyue hym a grete somme of golde / ¶ The Magycyen or Nygramancer answerd that he cowde not do it / ¶ But and he wolde he shold make him speke with the deuyll / whiche was his procurour / By whoo 's werkyng he sholde well now haue ryght soone hys wyll / ¶ Thenne the folisshe louer answerde to the sayd Magicyen / That he was redy to doo all that he shole commaunde hym / Soo that he myghte gete all that he desired / ¶ Thenne the sayd Magycien made him to forsake his Creatour And to forsake his parte of the Ioyes of paradis / And this done he made hym to take hym a bylle conteynynge the wordes that folowe wryten oonly wyth his owne honde / ¶ My lorde and my Procurour / by cause that I muste wythdrawe oute of the Crysten relygyon· and bynde myself to thy wyll to the ende that thy subgettes ben multeplyed / I sende the this messager berer of my lettrers whyche is desyrous taken wyth the loue of a may de / Werfore I praye that thou wolt doo soo moche for me that his wyll be fulfylled / To th ende that by hym I may haue Ioye and glory / And power to coÌ„mauÌ„de other / and brynge theym in thy obeyslaunce / ¶ This letter soo made the Magycyen delyuered it to the folysshe louer / and sayd to hym / That att a certayne hour of the nighte / he sholde goo and put himselfe vpon the graues of the Paynyms and Heretykes / And that there he sholde holde vp his letter in the ayre And anone certayne messengers sholde come to hym whyche sholde brynge hym to the deuyll / ¶ Thus dyde this vnhappy wretche / And sodainly came to hym a grete multytude of wickyd spirytes from the prynce of derkenesse and of wyckydnesse The whyche in grete Ioye ladde hym tofore theyr prynce / Whyche was sett vp on hihe in a grete chayer / And abowt hym were a grete multytude of deuylles wythoute nombre / In presence of whom he presented his wrytynge / ¶ And after that it was radde / the sayd prynce sayde vnto hym / ¶ Now come hyther my freÌ„de / Doost thou byleue in me / He answerd ye / ¶ Yet agayn questyoned him sayenge / ¶ Doost thou forsake Ihesu Cryste / he answerd as afore / Ye / TheÌ„ne the prynce of the deuylles sayde to hym / ¶ Ye Crysten men are false shrewes / For whan ye haue nede to be holpen of me / Ye praye me / And after that ye haue gote your desyre Ye denye and forsake Incontynent to that ye haue promysed to me / And soone after retonrne to youre god whyche is soo moche good and swete and mercyfull / That he refusyth not ony Synnar / ¶ But this notwythstondynge / yf thou wolte that I shall doo thy wyll to be performed and fulfilled to thy behouf playsure / Thou muste fyrste gyue to me a letter of thyne honde / By the whyche thou shalt denye and forsake the sacrament of baptesme and the crysten faythe / ¶ SecoÌ„dly thou shalt promyse me that thou shalt serue me in this worlde And atte the daye of dome thou shalte holde me felishyp for to be wyth me afterwarde perpetuelly in all the tormentes that I suffre / This vnhappy man promysed him all the same / And IncoÌ„tynent all the deuylles maysters of fornycacion were sente towarde the sayde mayde for to tempte and styre her to the loue of the vnhappy man forsayde ¶ The whyche sodaynly was soo take wyche loue of hym that she myghte no ther ete nor drynke / And after that she had borne this woodnesse a lytyll space of tyme / Fynably she sayde vnto her fader / ¶ O my fader haue pyte vpon me / For certainly I am sore tormented of the loue of one of thy seruauÌ„tes / My fader I biseche the shewe now what a loue thou haste to thy chylde / For yf thou enclyne and falle not to my wee le thou shalte see me deed wythin shorte tyme / ¶
childern theyr lyuyng / as also for to clothe theym Fynably he swaged and traueyled his flesshe / soo that with payne he myght remoeue hym selfe ¶ And thus god seeyng his grete perseueraunce toke awaye from hym alle these foule thoughtes and hym replenysshed with his grace / wherof he gloryfyed and gaue thankes and laudes to the name of oure sauyour and redemptour Ihesu cryste Nothyng is more lyght to be brought than is the temptacyon of the synne of the flesshe ¶ And bycause that in the sayde synne soone take grete and Inordynate loue It is of necessyte that the nourysshynge of the sayd synne be putte awaye by oryson and makyng leene of the bodye ¶ To this purpose a brother asked ones to an abbot named Poemen what thynge he myght doo for to Resyste agaynste the synne of fornycacyon / wherof he suffred and endured soo grete payne that he lost therby his entendement and be came as furyouse ¶ The holy abbot answered vnto hym that the souerayne remedye hadde be fouÌ„de by the prophete Dauyd that sayth ¶ I haue stroke the lyon / and often I haue slayne the beere That was to saye / that he toke a waye the woodnesse and the enforced angre of his heed That was the bowyng and Inordynate wylle of this synne of fornycacyon ¶ And by this meane also by the labour vexacyon of his bodye he dyspysed ouercame the synne of fornycacyon ¶ Here fynysshed the exortacions how men ought to eschewe the synne of fornycacyon ¶ Other exortacyons folowen for to acquyre the vertue of pacyence and humylyte begynnyng in latyn DicebaÌ„t sancti seniores c. OTher exortacoÌ„ns wryteth sainte Ierom for to haue the noble vertue of humylyte whiche is the foundement of all vertues / and also the ryght necessary vertue of pacyence And fyrst he putteth an exemple of an holy hermyte that enhabyted the desertes of Sychye whiche was boundman and thrall to some lordes dwellyng in the Cyte of Alexandrye This hermyte euery yere came donne from his hermytage in to the Cyte for to bryng them the pensyon that he ought to them as the seruauÌ„ts done to theyr lordes / but the sayd lordes that towarde hym had grete reuerence parfyte loue came hym ayenst requyrynge hym that he wolde pray god for them / whan he was come his custome was to gyue them theyr sayd pensyon / and to putte water in to a bassyn for to wasshe theyr fete as holden he was to doo bycause of his sayd lordshyppe ¶ The sayd lordes that wolde not that he sholde serue them of soo lowe seruyce sayde vnto hym ¶ O fader right benygne / doo not vnto vs soo grete wronges / as for to wasshe our fete For surely thou angrest vs yf thou doo soo ¶ Thenne the holy fader answered to them The almyghty and souerayne god Ihesu cryste hath ordeyned you to be my lordes and I to be your thrall wherof I thanke hym / and therfore I ought to doo to you this scruyce as your bounde man ¶ I praye you right hertly that ye wyll take a worthe this lytell scruyce / and that ye receyue the pensyon that I owe you ¶ The lordes answered that they sholde neuer take pensyon more of hym But he answerde ayenst them sayeng / yf they toke not the sayd pensyon / that he sholde neuer retourne to his hermytage / but sholde serue them all his lyfe ¶ Thenne they ferynge lest he sholde be angry / and to th ende he sholde goo agayne to his hermytage / they toke the sayd pensyon / and gaue it Incontynente to the poore folke for goddes sake ¶ Ones vpon a tyme they questyoned hym why he brought to them this pensyon as a bounde man syth that they wolde not take it ¶ And he answered he dyde soo for to quyte hym of the oblygacyon where of he was bounde to them / and also ferynge leste he sholde lese the meryte of his fastynge watchynge and orysons / yf he payed not the pensyon that he ought vnto them / supposynge in his mynde yf he payed it not / that the gooddes that he dyde in his hermytage sholde retourne to the prouffyte of his lordes vnder whos lordshyppe his oratorye or lytyll house was buylde and sette ¶ Good and kynde fraternyte is often cause of deuocyon / but yet moche more the goostly fraternyte ¶ Two men were brethern germayn and goostly brethern / for they were bothe togyder relygyouses ¶ The deuyll enuye of all bounte trowed to haue departed them one from the other and wolde haue putte dyscencyon bytwene them ¶ It happed ones that the yongest of bothe lyghted a candell atte euen And as he sholde putte it in the candelstyck / the deuyll Inuysybly made it to falle donne to the grouÌ„de and putte it out trowyng to moeue noyse dyuysyon amonge the sayd two breâ—heren Soo rose vp the eldest brother in grete wrathe smote the yongest / the whiche lyenge atte grounde began to saye ¶ O my lorde be pacyente I shal go lyght it agayn The deuyll seeyng that the yongest had gyuen soo gracyouse an answere / and that by this meane he myght not bryng them in dyfferente / incontynent he went from them all confuse ¶ And the next nyght the deuyll shewed it to the prynce of the deuyls / saynge that for the humylyte of the yongeste Relygyouse be coude not haue sewed hatred nor dyuysâ—on amonge them ¶ Saynge more ouer that oure lorde by occasyon of his sayde humylyte hadde spredde ouer hym his grace / wherof he was sore tourmented ¶ The preest of the lawe that herkened the narracions of the same deuyll was wounderfully abasshed And consyderyng the grete losse of the soules that the deuyll drue to hym by the trayne of Ydolatry / went to the holy faders for to be Instructe of them in the doctryne of oure blessyd sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste Recytyng to them this that the deuyls had purposed that same nyght And fynably after that he was baptysed he toke the habyte of an hermyte And syn by the meane of the grace of god of the whiche he was replenysshed / he was a man of right holy lyfe And pryncypally he was so humble / that all the faders were meruayled of his grete humylyte And he affermed that the vertue of mekenes is that same that moost ouercome the deuyls of helle ¶ Also by mekenes god our blessyd sauyour and redemptour hath vyctoryously brought vnder fote all the puyssaunce of the deuyll ¶ More ouer he certefyed that a nother tyme he herde the deuyls saye / that when they tempte ony by mocion of Iniurye the one ayenst the other / yf the one suffreth pacyently the Iniuryes that be doon to hym / prayng him that of Iniuryeth hym to haue pacyence as the yong hermyte dyde to his brother / Incontynent the deuyls haue no more puyssaunce to trouble nor tyse hym to synne ¶ How be it that vertue is worthy to be honoured
He made on a tyme his prayer vnto god that in a certayn tyme he myght haue no lust for to slepe / to the ende that nyght daye he sholde watche for to fyght ayenst the deuyls tyll that he had acomplysshed that whiche Dauyd sayth in his psalme ¶ Neuer sayth he in spekynge of the deuyls I shall not ceasse tyll they be ouercome The whiche Requeste god grauÌ„ted him ¶ And this holy Pachomyen sayd / that the deuyls haue no myght ouer vs / so that we wyll resyst to theyr teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns / by meane of that grace of god whiche we ought to calle vpon ¶ He sayd also that many tymes he had herde the deuyls when they recouÌ„ted theyr coÌ„trouersyes togydre / how on a tyme one of them sayd these wordes I gyue oftentymes wouÌ„derful lettynges grete temptacoÌ„ns vnto an hermyte / but as so soone that I haue gyue hym one assawte / he casteth hyÌ„self doÌ„ne to the erthe prayeth god / wherfore I am coÌ„strayned to flee awaye all coÌ„fuse ¶ An other sayd I holde a nother in my puyssauÌ„ce whiche fulfylleth folysshly all the wycked thoughtes that I sette hyÌ„ afore I make hym often to chyde to braule to make noyse with his neyghbours I yelde hyÌ„ slouthfull to the seruyce of god ¶ And therfore the holy man Pachomyen sayde to his brethern I pray you my children / that ye be alwayes redy to calle vpoÌ„ the grace of the holy gâ—ost when ony temptacoÌ„n shall come vpon you / be awaytyng in oryson / as the postle gyueth couÌ„seyll / watche curyously in doynge of the same With this he warned them to haue euer in theyr mynde the name of IhuÌ„s And after that he had in trute taught them thus / they went ayene to theyr houses / neuer they spake wordes in vayne the one to the other / but alwayes of the holy scrypture / pryncypally of those thynges that moeued theÌ„ to prayer / and to loue drede god ¶ Oure lorde gaf a synguler gyfte of grace to one of that olde holy faders / for he sawe wonderfull thynges whiche his brethern myght not see Whan the sayd brethern dysputed togyder of the holy scriptures / he sawe the angels that assysted about them And to the contrary when they deuysed of vayne thynges / he sawe the deuyls in lykenes of hegges playng amoÌ„ge them / toke plesure in theyr wordes And his custome was atte ony tyme that he sawe suche vysyon that he withdrawe hymselfe in to his chambre / there he wepte full pyteously / consyderynge the myseryes wretchydnesse in whiche the deuyll putteth vs thrugh his subtyltees / decepcoÌ„ns malycyouse temptacoÌ„ns And after he went ayen to his brethern / whiche he exorted to flee vayne wordes / also folysshe thoughtes / in shewyng vnto them / that by the same we slee in vs the grace of god / renne in to his Indygnacyon / of all the court of paradyse ¶ Morouer he sayd that he was certayn that as soone incontyneÌ„t that we profer or within our thougâ—te purpose for to do ony thyng dyshonest our good angell departed from vs / and Incontynent the hadde angell taketh possessyon of our soule ¶ After he warned them that they sholde not speke euermoche / sayeng that in habondauÌ„ce of wordes / men maye not eschewe synne / also the spyryte is therby more weeke toÌ„ withstonde ayenst the wycked teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns ¶ In the palays of Theodosiê° them perour was an holy man named Arsenye that had two children / one was called Archadiê° / thother Honoriê° / the whiche were by the sayd emperour holden ouer the font stone The good Arsenyen after that he had in his herte besyly consydered the estate of this worlde the vanytees of the same / he forsoke all went to that deserte of Sychye for to vse there the remenauÌ„t of his lyfe in beyng allone / to be departed from the worshypes of the worlde He beyng yet in the worlde he was clothed moost precyously of all other that were in the palays seruyng that emperour And when he was in the sayd deserie / he was that man among the other that more pouerly fouly was arayed Vpon a tyme wenyng to be in his chaÌ„bre with many of his brethern / he herde a voyce that sayd to hyÌ„ Arsenye come out of thy chambre / I shall shewe that the vayne werkyÌ„ges of men The whiche voyce by hyÌ„ herde / hym semed that he lept out of his habytacoÌ„n / incontyneÌ„te he sawe a grete Ethyopyen that hewe wood gadred it in a hepe / after that he had gadred moche of it / he trowed to haue lyfte it vpon his backe / but he coude not / because there was to moche of it Yet agayne he hewe more therof sette it vpon the other ¶ Syn after he sawe an other Ethyopyen that toke water out of a pouÌ„de putte it in to a vessell whiche was so full of holes that it myght not holde no water whiche was sypylled and wente out atte the holes ¶ After he was brought atte an other parte where he sawe a grete buyldyng lyke a Temple / before the whiche were two men vpon two horses eyther of them bare a long perche vpon theyr sholders / and bothe togydre attones wolde haue entred in the sayd Temple / but they myght not passe / withstaÌ„dyng the lettynge of the sayde perches that they bare ouerthward when they wolde haue passed thrughe the gate And nother of them wolde not meke hym selfe to the other / but eyther of them wolde be the fyrst that sholde entre ¶ The whiche vysyons were to hyÌ„ by the sayd voyce expowned in the maner that foloweth Fyrst they that bare the perches ouerthward / betokened thoo that haue charge of relygyouses as abbottes an other / the whiche in theyr offyces wexe proude wyll not humble hyÌ„self the one towarde the other / in despysynge the worde of god that sayth ¶ My childern lerne of me / for I am humble and swete in herte / and by this meane ye shall fynde the saluacyon of your soules ¶ This proude folke by theyr pryde abyden out of the chirche / come not in / that is to saye / that they haue no parte in paradyse ¶ He that assembled the wood in a hepe / sygnefyeth those that do many synnes / when they trowe for to retourne to do penauÌ„ce / they be so sore laden that they can not aplye themselfe to do ony good / but be therto slouthfull neclygent / wherby coÌ„tynuelly they gader Ioyne syÌ„ne vpon syÌ„ne / fynably they be daÌ„pned because that they wyll not leue theyr euyll customes ¶ That other the toke the water out a pouÌ„de put it in a vessell full of holles / betokened those that do some good but neuerthelesse they do more of euyll than of good / wherby they lese theyr meryte
the same philosopher his mayster to so grete wrathe ayenst hym / that he tolde hym / he sholde neuer pardonne hym / tyll that he had endured borne by the space of thre yere alle the Iniuryes of his felawes / whiche thyng he dyde so ¶ And at th ende of the sayd thre yere this dyscyple cam to his mayster ayen asked him forgyuenes And he tolde hyÌ„ as in feryng hym that he sholde neuer pardone hym vnto the tyme that he yet by the space of other thre yere sholde haue gyuen certayn gyftes to those that scorned dyde hyÌ„ euyll The dyscyple suffred yet thre yere / when they were come at an ende / he cam ayen vnto his mayster as he had done before / whiche brought hyÌ„ vnto Athenes for to lerne phylosophie TheÌ„ne was there at the gate of the cyte an olde phylosopher / that made grete Iniuryes to them that wolde haue gone within for to preue theyr pacyenâ—e This odle philosopher theÌ„ne seeyng the sayd disciple that wolde haue entred within the towne for to studye there in phylosophye / casted at hyÌ„ many proude mockes shamefull wordes And bycause that he suffred them pacyently without to trouble hyÌ„self withall / the entre of the cyte of Athenes forsayd was grauÌ„ted vnto hyÌ„ without ony grete labour ¶ By this gate maye be vnderstande the gate of paradyse / thrugh whiche men may not passe for to seke the glorye of heuen without that they endure many Iniuryes ¶ An hermyte asked an holy fader how he sholde gete heuen / wherat he answered that more lyghtly he myght not come therat than for to haue pacyence in his troubles Iniuryes / that yf men doo to hym many / he sholde haue more mede in suffryng of them / than in doynge of ony other penaunce ¶ The abbot Moyses was desyred by certayne Relygyouses that he wold shewe vnto them some good ensaÌ„ples for to saue theyr soules ¶ And he coÌ„mauÌ„ded his dyscyple Zacharye that he sholde telle them som what This dyscyple thenne dyde put of his habyt tradde it with his fete / sayeng that a man myght not be nor ought not to be a monke but yf he were in lykewyse tradde tormented with dyuerse aduersytees troubles ¶ The abbot Macharye sayd that he is a veray relygyouse that in ouercomynge hyÌ„selfe bryngeth vnder his owne passyons None also ought not to lese hyÌ„ selfe for to saue an other / therfor ony man ought not to aÌ„gre his neyghbour for to preue his pacience / for it happeth ofteÌ„tymes that a body in moeuyÌ„g of som other / he falleth in to the synne of yre ¶ Where certayn relygyouses in the presence of saynt Anthony / dyd prayse an other broder his vertues / saynt Anthony after his praysyÌ„g made vnto hyÌ„ some Iniuryes for to preue his pacyence / the whiche Iniuryes he myght not endure TheÌ„ne sayd saynt Anthony / that he was lyke the houses that haue fayr entre strong but the theues may come in lyghtly atte the backe syde ¶ Some brethern asked of the abbot Ysaac wherfor was that the deuyls fered hyÌ„ so moche / he aÌ„swered the syth that he was made religioê° he was neuer aÌ„gry in hyÌ„ self / wherby the deuyls had hyÌ„ in a drede ¶ A Relygyouse cam ones to the abbot Achyles whiche casted blood out of his mouth The relygyouse seeyng the same asked hym wherof proceded this sykenesse / wherat the abbot answered that folke hadde reported some wordes to him wherof he was angry / but notwithstaÌ„dyng he wolde not shewe it So had he prayed our lord that he wolde take away that wrath from hym / for this cause by meane of the same prayer he casted blode out of his mouth whiche was cause of the sleeyng of his wrath ¶ Dyuerse brethern cam to a holy hermyte / as they where come nyghe his hermytage / they fouÌ„de shepardes that sang dyshonest songes And when they were within the celle of the sayd hermyte / they asked him why he corrected not the sayd shepardes And he answered to them that he had be in wyl full oft for to do so / but he consydered that yf he coude not resyste to the teÌ„ptacions that sholde hap to come to hyÌ„ by meane of suche songes / he sholde with grete payne mowe withstande to other teÌ„ptacyons more grete To this purpose he sayd / that he that shal not conne refrayne his tonge ayenst his wrath In lykewyse with grete hardnesse he shall bere the moeuynges pryckynges of the flesshe ¶ The abbot Iohan beynge with all his Religyouses / they shewed vnto hyÌ„ one after an other theyr thoughtes / saue one that sayd by enuye O Iohan my brethern do as the coÌ„mon wyÌ„men that vtter swetly theyr wordes for to gete loue of theyr bylouers To whom the sayd abbot answered that his worde was true The sayd brother more moeued with enuye than afore / sayd ayen to the sayd abbot / that his bodye was all full of venym / wherat he answered Yf thou knowe that that is within my body as well as the doest that that is without thou sholdest se therin moche more deuyls than thou spekest of ¶ In Egypte was a Relygyouse sore renoÌ„med / the whiche for his grete renoÌ„mee / almoost all they of the Regyon were wonte for to vysyte hym Durynge his sayd renoÌ„mee / the abbot Poemen came out of Sychye for to dwelle within the sayd londe of Egypte So many one lefte the vysytyng of the sayd Relygyouse for to go towarde the sayd Poemen / wherof the sayd Relygyouse becam moche enuyouse ¶ The abbot Poemen knowynge this brother to be ylle contente of the men dyde more of reuerence to this Poemen / than to hym whiche so long tyme had be so famouse within the sayd londe / was full sory heuy of that he was cause of his angre ¶ Soo gadred he all his Relygyouses togydre with hym / wente for to vysyte see the sayd brother that whiche wolde not open his dore to them at the fyrst but bycause he sawe that the sayd Poemen was in his opynyon prayeng that he wolde make hym openyng / he made hym with his felawes to come in And after kyssed eche other / were at the same houre veray frendes togydre / soo that the sayd Relygyouse sayde vnto saynt Poemen that he was of moche more perfeccyon than he had herde telle ¶ An abbot named Mutues made a celle some tyme in a place called Eracloena where so grete enuye was vpon hym of many one that he was constrayned for to departe out of it ¶ So wente be to a nother place where in lykewyse he made a nother dwellyng place for hym selfe to dwelle in / as a fore / he was there sore enuyed of a Relygyouse / wherof he was constrayned to go there out as he was fro the other Soo went he ayen to the place from
¶ But this notwithstandynge he serued hym moche swetely kyndely So it happed that when the sayd holy fader Amon came to the last houre of his lyfe that his soule must departe / where many holy faders were present / he toke afore them all the sayd Iohan his seruauÌ„t by the honde thre tymes he sayd vnto hyÌ„ Iohan saued mote that be And thenne he sayd to the holy faders that were with hym My brethern I betake you this good relygyouse / he is no man / but an angell Certaynly duryng my sykenes / he neuer had of me a fayr worde / neuerthelesse in grete humylyte pacyence he hath done to me Infynyte seruyces / so recomeÌ„de I hyÌ„ to you asmoche as I can ¶ The holy fader Agathon where he ones came to the cyte that was moost nygh his hermytage for to selle some hande werke that he had made for to lyue vpon he fouÌ„de at the gate of the sayd cyte a man that was sore lyke whiche was forsake lefte of all men The whiche thyng seeyng that sayd holy fader Agathon he hyred a lytyll chambre where in he brought hyÌ„ cheryshed hyÌ„ kept him the space of four monethes vnto tyme that he was recouered and was hole And after retorned this holy fader in to his hermytage ¶ An other holy fader for to moeue to the vertue of pacyence a dyscyple of his that was sore passyoned tourmented of a greuous maladye / sayd vnto hyÌ„ in this wyfe My sone thou muste bere pacyently thy soroufull afflyccions without to be wrothe with them It is a souerayne vertue to a man for to prayse thanke god in his trybulacoÌ„ns aduersytees Yf that be harde as is the yron thou shalt lese thy Rustynes by fyre / yf thou be golde / thou shalte also be preued by fyre / and from grete thynges thou shalt come to thynges more grete Yf god wyll sende vs some sykenesses we oughte not to grutche there ayenst / yf we bere them not with pacyence we shall haue noo mede for it towarde him So must we be vsed to be pacyent / prayeng hym huÌ„bly that he wyll sende vs all that pleaseth hym / to th ende that by the meryte that we shall gete in enduryng pacyently the afflyccoÌ„ns tourmentes of this worlde / we mowe haue the glorye euer lastynge ¶ An other holy fader that was often takeÌ„ with syknesses / was ones a hole yere without / wherfore he began to wepe strongly beryng his helth noyously / sayeng to our lorde suche wordes Syre thou hast lefte me / thou woldest not vysyte nor see me this yere As he wolde haue sayde / that god vysytyng his frendes sendeth to them pouerte syknes for to make them to be rewarded for it in heuen ¶ Some holy faders reherced of one of them that dyed in Sychye / that they beyng about hyÌ„ / they dothed him as they were wont to clothe the one of thordre at theyr decesse And doyeng this they began to wepe sore for pyte that they had to see hyÌ„ dey He heryÌ„g theyr wepyÌ„g is sorowes opened his eyen / in beholdyng them he lough thre tymes vpon them The whiche thyng seyng the sayd brethern / anone after they asked hyÌ„ why he lough when they wept / he answerd to them I haue laughed twyes to mocke you with all / the fyrst tyme that I lough was bycause that ye fere deth / the seconde tyme was bycause that ye knowe well can not Iuge otherwyse but ye must ones dey ye wote not when / yet ye dyspose not your selfe therto / thyrdly I haue laughed reioysshyÌ„g my selfe / because that in leuyÌ„g the labours of this worlde I goo vnto the place of rest / these wordes thê° sayd he closed his eyen swetely he yelded his goost to our sauyour Ihesu cryste ¶ Thabbot PaÌ„mon at the houre of his deth sayd to the brethern that acompanyed hym My brethern because that syn the tyme that I came to this solytarye place where I haue buylded for myn vsage this lytyll house wherin I do dwelle I am not remeÌ„bred that euer I ete other brede / but of the same whiche I haue goten with labour of myn hondes / nor to haue sayd nor tolde vnto this houre ony vayne worde wherof I ought to repence me in this maner I go now to oure blessyd lord Ihesu cryst / wherof I ought well to thanke hym And I meruaylle gretely how he wouchesaufe take the laste of me / seen that I fyrst was occupyed to gete my lyuyng / haue not as yet begoÌ„ne to hyÌ„ ony suffysauÌ„t seruyse ¶ The abbot Agathon goynge out of this worlde / thre dayes before his deces hylde his eyen coÌ„tynuelly open by no maner he moeued them not The whiche thyng seeyng his brothern that were about hym sore coÌ„playnyng wepynge asked hyÌ„ O our fader telle vs yf it please the wherat thou thynkest now / where thou are atte this houre To whom he answered I am called tofore the presence of god whiche is in his seete for to Iuge me ¶ A as sayd they to hyÌ„ ayen / ferest thou hym To whom he sayd ayen I haue euer with all my strength enforced my selfe for to do that coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god But neuerthelesse I consyder that I am a synner / wherfore I can not say yf my werkes haue be vnto hyÌ„ agreable And how sayd the holy faders haste not thou byleue in thy werkes whiche haue euer be vertuoles after his lawe Thenne he answered I not dare trust therupon in his presence / for there is to moche dyfference betwix his Iugemente the Iugement of men ¶ The abbot Sysonyn beyng att the houre of deth / many aeged faders that togyder were come there for to see him apperceyued sodaynly his face whiche shynyng bryght wonderfully And in that selfe caas he sayd vnto them My brethern see to it / the holy fader Anthonye cometh to vs here ¶ Anone after he sayd ayen My brethern / here is the companye of the postles And sayeng the same his vysage wexed more bryghte ¶ So began he to saye ones agayne that he sawe the postles that came there / and it semed that he sholde speke vnto them And whether these holy faders or some of them dyde Requyre hym that he sholde telle them to whome he spake ¶ He answered that he spake with the angell that came for to sette his soule / and besought them that they sholde forbere a lytyll or they sholde haue hym awaye tyll that he shold haue done some lytyll penauÌ„ce Then sayd there ayenst the holy faders to hyÌ„ / thou hast no nede fayre fader to do ony penaunce ¶ The whiche answered to them Surely my brethern I can not Remembre me that euer I began yet to do ony suffysaunt penaunce By the whiche answere they knewe that he was veray
same man in presence of all the assystens began to telle openly / how he was a grete synner hadde hooly gyuen hym selfe in tyme passed vnto many a grete synne foule abhomynable And how entryng in the chirche he had herde the wordes of our lorde / sayeng by the mouthe of Ysaye the prophete ¶ Wasshe your selfe be clene / put awaye the malyces synnes from your soules / for to be present purely clenely before my presence / lerne to do good / seke Iustyce ryghtwysnesse ¶ And yf your synnes be reed enflaÌ„med by the bronde of coÌ„cupyscence / in dooyng this the sayd is / they shall become whyte as snowe ¶ And also yf ye wyll here me do that I saye / ye shall ete of the goodes of the erthe ¶ And morouer sayd the sayd repentauÌ„t synner I am a wretched fornycatour whiche is touched with coÌ„punccoÌ„n thrugh the sayd wordes of thou prophete / entryng within the chirche I haue sayd vnto god in my corage Syre I knowe that thou art he that is come for to saue the synners / wherfore humbly I praye the that now it wyll please the to accomplysshe in me vnworthy synner that that the hast promysed by the mouthe of the holy prophete And fro this tyme I promyse the with all myn herte / that I shall nomore retourne in to my synne And in witstondyng to all wyckednes and Iniustyce I thynke me to serue the with coÌ„scyence pure clene From this daye thenne from this houre wyll thou wouchesaufe to receyue me as veray penytent / worshypyng thy souerayn god hede forsakyng all my synnes / the whiche thyng thou ought not to refuse me seen that I haue in my self stablysshed sworen to kepe all thy Iustyfycacyons ¶ And vnder this promesse the forsayd penytent sayd that he was come out of the sayd chirche ordeynyng in hym selfe neuer to do synne ¶ The whiche thynges heryng that sayd good olde men beyng there / they began to crye to god warde sayeng in this wyse O lord god how grete praysyngly ben thy werkes / that hast done all thynges in wysdom ¶ The abbot Iosephell goynge with some other good olde faders toward the abbot Poemen / one of the frendes of the sayd Poemen brought afore his monasterye a childe of his / that IncoÌ„uenyentes vexacoÌ„ns of the deuyll had the face all dysfygured / the whiche frende syttyng with his sayd childe without the sayd monasterye wept with grete habondauÌ„ce of teeres And one of the sayd good olde faders heryng that weylynge sorowes of the fader of the sayd childe / was gone out of the sayd monasterye for to wyte who moeued hyÌ„ for to wepe so / he axed hym of the cause Wherat he answered / that he was kynnesman vnto the sayd abbot Poemen / was come there to the ende he myght haue thrugh his meane the helth to the sayd childe / whiche neuerthelesse he feered to haue brought within the chirche doubtyng that the sayd abbot Poemen whiche had feere to haue bruyt renoÌ„mee that he sholde make myracles / wolde haue put hym out agayn Sayeng morouer that he seeyng the sayd holy faders come there / he had purposed vnder theyr confydence that he sholde bryng there his sayd childe And after castyng his wordes towarde the abbot Iosephell forsayd / he sayd thus to hyÌ„ ¶ Holy fader haue mercy vpon me my childe make hym to be brought therin with the / to th ende that the holy fader Poemen seeyng hyÌ„ he wyll praye god for hym ¶ The whiche abbot Iosephell beryng the same childe to the celle of the sayd Poemen vsyng with wyse counseyll presented hym not at fyrst metyng vnto the abbot Poemen For he wolde not haue be well contente yf he hadde seen that the sayd Iosephell sholde haue had so grete trust of hym / as for to haue heled hym by myracle / but he presented hym vnto the lower brethern sayd to them ¶ My brethern blesse thy childe praye god for hym / after he requyred the other brothern to do so lykewyse / folowyngly he came to the sayd abbot Poemen to whom he made lyke Requeste But neuertheles he wolde not entromytte hyÌ„ therof And where all theym beyng present requyred hyÌ„ to praye with theym as they dyde / he was content to do so So stode he vp wepyng prayed with that other in this maner O my god thy wyll be for to helpe this childe whiche is thy creature / suffre no lenger that the sende haue ony domynacoÌ„n ouer hym The whiche oryson fynysshed the sayd childe blessyd by hyÌ„ with the sygne of the crosse / he was anone gyuen hole sonde vnto his fader ¶ Somtyme one of the holy faders was axed / yf pouerte was a parfytte good / the whiche answered that it was a grete afflyccyon / but who that susteyneth it wylfully all â—e it he be tormented with it in his flesshe / neuerthelesse in beryng the same he fyndeth the reste of his owne soule ¶ A yonge Relygyouse made suche a questyon to an olde relygyouse / that is to wyte / yf a brother of his ought hyÌ„ a lytyll somme of moneye yf he sholde are it hyÌ„ or no. To the whiche that olde answered that he myght well are it with humylyte ones oonly ¶ And the yong sayd to hym Yf he wyll not paye me thenne / what ought I to do ¶ Thou shalt sayd the other speke nomore of it Ye but sayd the yong monke I shall not haue power to breke my corage but that I shall be to hym hasty or callyng therupon Wherat the olde answered / thou muste be mayster of thy selfe / chyde with thyn owne selfe oonly / to th ende that thou angre not thy brother / for thou ought to kepe the there from as besely as thou canst / seen namely that thou art a Relygyouse ¶ An other yong broder Requyred one the was olde / that he wolde telle hyÌ„ how by what maner he myght gete parfytte mekenesse Wherat he answered that he sholde come to it lyghtly / yf he wolde consyder his owne wyckednesse / not they of other / sayng with this / that the perfeccion of man is humylyte of asmoche as the man abateth hyÌ„selfe lowe by humylyte / so moche more is he enhauÌ„sed by his humylyte / for lyke as the cursed synne of pryde yf hit wyll be areysed vnto heuen / is confounded ouerthrawen vnto the betom of helle All thê° humilyte yf it descendeth vnto the lowest degre / it is then exalted vnto heuen ¶ The holy abbot Macharye walkynge on a tyme by the desertes / fouÌ„de in his waye vpon the erthe the hede of a dede man whiche hede he tourned with his staffe ouer all sydes / thus doyng be herde the hede that sorowed weyled And bycause it sowned no worde that be coude vnderstande
weke euery man by hymselfe alone without to speke the one to the other / they dyde soo And it happed this hangyng that the abbot Nub sawe within the sayd temple the stature of an Ydole / euery mornyng the sayd abbot Nub rose casted stones atte hit / syn atte euen he Requyred her pardon / the whiche thynge he contynued all the same weke And when the satyrdaye cam that made an ende of that weke / these holy faders coÌ„myng agayne togydre / the abbot Poemen demauÌ„ded of the abbot Nub why he had all that weke beten thus that selfe Ydole / sayng to hym / that he meruaylled moche / how he that was a dyscrete man full of veray fayth had done so namely of that he asked her pardon after that he had beten her / wherat the holy fader Nub answered that he had done that for the edyfycacyon of hymselfe of them all / sayeng thus Haue ye not seen how this Ydole whan I haue beten her she hath not grutched nor sayd nothyng there ayenst / in no wyse she hath not angred her selfe And agayne when I haue besought her pardon / she hath not exalted or praysed her selfe for it Certaynly it is trouthe sayd the abbot Poemen ¶ Now my brethern sayd the abbot Nub I shall tell you / it semet me that we seuen yf we dwelled togydre / we sholde doo moche more fruyte / than yf we were parted the one fro the other / but it is nedefull that this Ydole be sette tofore our eyen for an exemple / in suche wyse / that yf the one of vs is in ony wyse wronged / he myght not be angry for it / also yf men aske hym pardon that he booste nor prayse hymselfe therof And yf ye wyll not do so I say after myn aduyse that it is best that euery of vs goo dwell by hymselfe alone where he shall seme hyÌ„ moost good ¶ The other heryng his wordes layed them selfe donne to the erthe afore hym promysed that they sholde do so And by this meanes they dwelled togydre by many yeres in grete humylyte pacyence ¶ They toke theyr reste duryng four houres oonly By other four houres they songe psalmes / duryng other four houres they laboured / after vnto none tyme they gadred pared palmes leues / this done they gadred some herbes and made them redy for theyr mete to lyue there vpon ¶ Men fynde also that seuen other hermytes right aprouyd men dwelled soÌ„tyme in an hermytage nyghe the marches of the sarrasyns / had theyr celles habytacoÌ„ns y sette not one ferre fro the other / but also they were wouÌ„derfully Ioyned knytte togydre by the bouÌ„de of charyte The one of them was called Peter that other Stephen / the .iij Iohan / the .iiij. George / the fyfthe Theodore / the .vi. Felix / the .vij. Laurence This hermytes theÌ„ne dwellyng in a place wylde barayne / as inhabytable to men / had of custome that they coÌ„â—noued togydre ones in a wyke for to see eche other And for to do this vpon the satyrdaye euer aboute the houre of none eyther of them departed oute of his owne place for to come vnto the place comon where they sholde fynde eche other / euery man brought there with hyÌ„ of suche as he had / the one brought some nuttes / the other some letues / an other some fygges / the other brought other fruytes and herbes couenable for theyr lyuyng / coÌ„monly pryncypally they eche none other thyng And as for brede oyle drynke yf they had at som season ony / that was ouer aboue theyr customable pytauÌ„ce / for they susteyned theyr owne bodyes oonly of the fruytes herbes aboue sayd And in that place where they were was fouÌ„de no water they dranke none other thyng but of the dew that felle donne from the heuens whiche in grete habondauÌ„ce fell vpon the herbes The whiche dewe the holy hermytes goyng in the mornyng thrughe the wood toke it vp dranke it ¶ And as to the regarde of theyr vesture / theyr clothes were made of leuys palmes togydre weued And when they dyde fynde them selfe atte place where they sholde coÌ„mone togydre euery satyrdaye as before is sayd / they all toke ther theyr repast wherof they gaue graces thankes vnto our lord god This done / vnto the houre of euynsonge tyme they talked deuysed togydre of holy scryptures without to speke of ony fables or vayne wordes nother of the cure of besynesse of the worlde / nor of the shewynges or dedes of the erthely thynges / but besely they spake talked of the right desyrable royalme of paradyse / of the blysse that is to come / of the vnspekable glorye of the Iuste / of the horryble paynes whiche is ordeyned for synners / of the rest of the gloryouse sayntes whiche all redy reioyce them selfe in the blessyd setes of heuen And remembryng these thynges in theyr myndes / they gaaf grete sobbynges out of theyr herter / wept with grete plenteuousnesse of teeres And after this that duryng all the nyght they had songe deuoute songes vnto our lorde / the sondaye folowyng about the houre of none they sette theyr deuyses talkynges at an ende for all that wyke that was next comyng / eueryche of them went ayen in to his owne celle or lytyll house where they beyng alone were ocupyde both daye nyght to the seruyce of god ¶ They thenne in this maner of lyuyng settyng theyr corages affeccions / the sarrasyns in grete multytude raÌ„ne ouer the deserte fouÌ„de them there hunted them out / yet not contente with this they hange them by the fete doynge to them grete wronges shamefull dyspytes ¶ And fynably they beyng thus hanged / the sarrasyns made a fyre of herbes grene bytter vnder them / wherof they were so cruelly tourmented / that of the bytternesse of the smoke / they lost the lyght of theyr eyen And after that in this maner other moche cruell / they had thus scorged tourmented them / they forsoke lefte them as halfe deed ¶ The abbot Poemen was questyoned by a Relygyouse askyng hym what be tokenen the wordes that our lord sayth in the gospell whiche are suche ¶ Noo greter loue can haue noo man / than he alone that lyeth his soule for his frende ¶ How sayd the brother maye this thyng be done ¶ To the whiche askyng the sayd holy fader Poemen answered Yf ony man is wronged of his neyghbour to whome he maye answere in lykewyse ylle agayne and yet he dothe not soo / but where he is moeued of corage to do soo / he fyghteth ayenst hym selfe refraynyng his anger in suche wyse that he dothe to hyÌ„ nother gryffe nor harme be that soo dothe leyth his soule for his frende ¶ The abbot
Moyses sayd Yf the werkes of a man be not accordynge to his orysons / he trauaylleth hym selfe for nought in vayne ¶ And when some man prayeth for hym selfe to th entent that his synnes be pardonned vnto hyÌ„ he oughte to kepe hym well that he falle not to them agayne ¶ Morouer when ony man purposed in hym selfe neuer to falle in to synne ayen / that in this wyll purpose he abydeth / that same man receyueth god Redely with grete Ioye ¶ A brother requyred an olde fader askynge hym / what a man ought for to do that he maye withstonde the temptacoÌ„ns that shall come to hym / wycked thoughtes that the deuyll his foo doth presente vnto hym ¶ Wherat the holy fader answered to hym / that he that wyll withstande stedfastly the sayd temptacyons and wycked thoughtes / ought to complayne hymselfe vnto the goodnes of god / to th ende that in socouryng hym it wyll helpe hym to preserue hyÌ„ from the dauÌ„gers of the fende For it is wryten / syth that my god is my helper I shall dysprayse myn enmyes ¶ An other olde fader sayd that lyke as the flyes feere to come nyghe to the potte whan it is chaffed sethyng / but it be but luke warme they sette them selfe therupon brede wormes theron In lykewyse the deuylles flee the Relygyouse when he is beclypped taken of the loue of god / but he be slowe / that is to saye / yf he loue not god with all his herte hole affeccion / they pursyewe deceyue him by theyr dampnable subtyll temptacyons ¶ The abbot Syluayn syttyng ones with his brethern in a caue where he helde hymself was sodeynly rauysshed from his spyryte / in this rauysshemeÌ„t he was constrayned to falle doÌ„ne to the erthe ¶ And after long space of tyme releuyng hym selfe out of the same rauysshyng / he full sore began to wepe ¶ His brethern questyoned hym asked what hym eyled / but euer he wepte styll without to answere them ony thyÌ„ge / wherfore the sayd brethern prayed hym so besely that he wolde speke / soo that by contynuyng of prayers he was constrayned to do soo And sayd vnto them / that he beyng thus rauysshed his bodye a grouÌ„de his goost was broughte to the Iugement of almyghty god / where he had seen many Relygyouses berynge theyr habyte / to haue be condempned cast in to dyuerse tourmentes And a grete nombre of seculer men to haue be sette stablysshed in to the Royalme of paradyse ¶ And this wordes sayd / he toke hymselfe to wepe ayen / thynkyng that from the houre forth on he sholde not go out of his celle / the whiche purpose he enforced hymselfe a longe whyle to kepe obserue / for he wente neuer out / but yf he were coÌ„pelled by pryckynge of necessyte therunto yet when he went out of it / he couered his face with a hode saynge / that it was noo nede to a Relygyouse for to see the lyght temporall / in whiche was nothyng vtyle or proffytable ¶ An other Relygyouse exhortyng his brother / sayd vnto hym My brother thou ought to thynke euery daye that dethe is nyghe / lyke as thou were all redy enclosed within thy graue / thou ought not to haue ony cure or besynesse of the thynges temporall / but thou ought in thy selfe to be â—esy curyouse to kepe the drede of god / that it departed not out of thy herte ¶ Morouer thou ought to byleue that in vertues or werkes vertuouse thou arte the lest of all the other men / thou ought not to bacbyte / nor blame ony man / for our lorde knoweth all thynges / be peasyble in all thy dedes our lorde shall gyue the rest ¶ Some Relygyouses requyred saynt Macharye that it wolde please hyÌ„ for to teche them how they sholde praye god To whom mekely he answered My brethern wyt it that ouermoche of wordes is not necessarye for this to do But ye ought by feruente deuocyon to haue your handes toward heuen saye Lorde god almyghty / as thou wyll / as it pleaseth to thy godhede so be it And yf ony temptacoÌ„n or dysceyte assaylleth you / ye ought to saye Lorde god ryght pytefull meke / please the to helpe vs For thou knowest this that to vs is nedefull / dyspose with vs to thy pleasure after thy grete mercy ¶ The abbot Iohan sayd that the monke or Relygyouse ought to be lyke vnto a man syttyng vnder a grete tree / that whiche lokynge vpon horryble serpentes other dyuerse bestes cruell coÌ„mynge ferfully to hym for to greue hurte hym / and where he can not withstande ayenst them he gooth anone vpon the tree / thus doynge he is preserued saued from them Lykewyse the Relygyouse ought to sette hyÌ„ within his celle And yf he seeth that he can not withstande ayenst his temptacyons / dysceytes and wycked thoughtes / that the deuyll his grete aduersary bryngeth forthe tofore hym / he ought Incontynent by deuoute oryson to tourne hym selfe and renne ayen vnto our lord / to whome all thynges ben possyble / he shall be saued ¶ He sayd morouer / that the good Relygyouse ought to be lyke a man hauyng the fyre at the lyfte syde of hym / the water atte his right syde The whiche when the fyre taketh hyÌ„ with a flaÌ„me / he taketh anone of the water that is nyghe putteth out the fyre therwith ¶ In lykewyse it is necessarye that the Relygyouse do the same atte all tymes / that is to wyt when ony euyll thoughtes shall be kyndled within hyÌ„ by the deuyll / he must theÌ„ne sprynge caste water ouer them for to put out them withall By whiche water be vnderstande deuoute contynuell orysons that he ought to make vnto our lorde The whiche shall slee putte out this wycked thoughtes ¶ The abbot Zenon beynge in the desertes of Sychye / yede on a nyght out of his celle toke hymselfe for to walke thrugh the wood soo contynuynge thre dayes thre nyghtes in suche wyse that he felle doune to the erthe as halfe deed for grete werynesse And thenne aperyd vnto hym a childe whiche had some brede in his hande / sayd to hyÌ„ Zenon aryse ete Anone he rose vpon his fete ayen neuerthelesse he wolde not ete but sette hymselfe to praye god for he doubted lest this apperyng had be some wycked fantasye ¶ So sayd to hym ayen the childe / thou hast done well to praye god now aryse ete / to whom the holy fader wolde not consenttyll that he sholde haue prayed god the seconde tyme the thyrde also And where the childe praysed of that he prayed god so contynuelly / he thenne made an ende of his oryson / and stode vp ete And this done the childe sayd vnto hyÌ„ Thou hast walked so longe
haue an other fader than god ¶ The abbot Macharye asked to the abbot Zacharye what werkes ought a monke for to do for to be holden taken for a veray Relygyouse And how be it that the sayd Zacharye wolde not answere to it / bycause that hym thought that the sayd Macharye whiche was his elder / knewe it better than he dyde hym selfe Neuerthelesse he wolde obey hym / sayd as to his aduyse / that the man ought to be taken for a true Relygyouse whiche yeldeth hym selfe subget constrayneth hym to endure all the necessytees wrethchednesse of this worlde ¶ Of the abbot Theodore otherwyse called the ferme tolde some men / that amonge his other vertues / he had these thre whiche here after be declared The fyrst is / that he wolde not kepe nothyng The seconde that he was wōnderfully abstynente And the thyrde that he fledde gladly the companye of men theyr conuersacyon ¶ The abbot Iohan Naue / for to exhorte lerne all maner of folke to lyue vertuously / sayd that a man ought to enforce hym selfe to take haue in hym som what of all vertues And therfore he sayd that in rysyng a mornyng he ought to dyspose hȳ selfe to take of euery vertue the begynnyng / that is to wyt to kepe the cōmaūdementes of god / to be pacyent in his aduersytees / drede loue god / to be strong in resystyng ayenst the tēptacōns of the deuyll / to be charytable / humble of herte of thought / to cōtynue in oryson sorowyng wepynge for his synnes for to obteyne of them remyssyon / to haue a clene conscyence without enuye or rancour / to be dōme when men sholde do to hȳ ony wrong louyngly without wrathe / peasyble with out to yelde euyll for euyll / but good forylle without vayn glorye / to holde hȳselfe the lesser of the lesse / to be sobre of that tonge without euyll to saye / clene of eyen / to behaue hȳ selfe humbly as subget vnto euery one / forsakyng all temporall goodes to hȳ selfe / euer to fast suffre / wepe / to fyght ayenst the deuyll to bere honger thurste / to watche / to haue bothe colde and hote / to kepe hym selfe naked / kepe hym selfe close within hym selfe as within a tombe or sepulcre lyke as he were all redy dede / to knowe that deth rydeth nyght hym euerye daye ¶ The abbot Ioseph thebeyn sayd that there be thre ordres or degrees of vertuous men whiche be well agreable vnto god The fyrste is when a man is taken with some gryfe or aduersytee / and durynge the same / some temptacyons come to hym / to the whiche he with sayth yeldynge of alle thankes and graces vnto our lorde The seconde degre is when all his dedes are clene afore god without to be entremed led with besynesses or worldly doynges temporall / that is to saye / that they be not bespoted with the fylthe of synne The thyrde whan a man for the worshyp of god entrynge in to Relygyon / gyueth his owne propre wyll vnto his fader spyrytuall forsakyng all his owne affeccyons to the desyres of this worlde ¶ The abbot Cesyon tolde of an abbot named Iohan that was fyrst pryncypall among the Relygyouses of his tyme / that had be a vertuouse man in his lyue Spekynge of the whiche he sayd that where he sawe hymselfe atte the houre of his deth / stedfastly dysposed hȳself for to departe with all gladnesse towarde our lorde Many Relygyouse beyng about hym wepynge / prayed him that he wolde leue to them by maner of a gyfte of charyte som good worde by the whiche they myght ascende to the perfeccyon whiche is in Ihesu cryste To whom syghyng he sayd by maner as he wold shewe them / that he neuer had done his owne wyll / also he neuer taught nor warned no bodye to do ony good werke / but he had done fyrst the same hym selfe ¶ An other brother questyoned an olde fader askyng hȳ what good he myght do wherby he myght haue at the laste euerlastyng rest To whom the olde fader answered ¶ God oonly knoweth what is good to be done / but alwayes I haue herde saye longe agoo that one of our faders questyoned somtyme the grete abbot Nestor whiche was synguler frende vnto the abbot Anthonye / asked hym what thynge was to hym necessarye to be do for to be saued by it To whom this Nestor answered / that all werkes were not lyke / laynge vnto hȳ this that holy scrypture sayth / that is to wyt that Abraham was an hospytaler god was with hym Helyas loued rest and lyfe contemplatyue / and god was with hym Dauyd was humble and god was with hym Thenne do as thyn owne corage desyreth after god / kepe well thy herte from euyll thought ¶ The abbot named Pastor sayd / that to kepe hymselfe / to consydere hymself and to haue dyscrecyon / these thre thynges were the werkes of a good Relygyouse ¶ A Relygyouse axed hym how a brother of Relygyon ought to entreate behaue hym selfe / wherat he answered We haue seen Danyell in whom was founde no maner of accusacyon / but of the seruyce that he dyde and made to his god ¶ Morouer sayd yet the sayd holy fader Pambo / that pouerte and trybulacyon are couenable to a solytarye man ¶ And it is wryten / that he that desyreth to lede suche a lyffe / ought to haue the condycyons of Noe / of Iob and of Danyell For Noe wolde noo thynge possesse Iob wolde here pacyently wounderfull trybulacyons / and Danyell wolde dyscerne prudentely Yf a man thenne haue in hym these thre condycyons / he shall lyghtely dwelle with god ¶ Yet sayd the sayd Pambo that a relygyouse that shall haue in a hate the delectacyons of the flesshe and vayne glorye / shal be lyghtly free and delyuered of the Illusyons and decepcyons of the worlde ¶ Some saye of the sayd abbot Pambo / that atte the houre of his dethe / he sayd to the holy men that acōpanyed hȳ suche or lyke wordes Syth that I haue be in this solytarye place that I had buylde this celle where I dwelle I can not remembre that euer I ete brede / but that I had goten it with my labour And also I haue not vttred nor spoken ony worde / wherof I haue repented me of And thus I go to our lorde / as I sholde begynne to do to hym ony seruyce ¶ The abbot Sysoyns sayd / care not yf that be contempned and dyspysed / but cast thy wylles behynde thy back make thy selfe free sure from all worldly cure to dyspysyng puttynge them to nought / and thou shalt haue veray reste ¶ The abbot Iames as he sholde decesse out of this worlde / sayd vnto his Relygyouses / kepe your selfe that ye haunte ne comyn not with the
the houre of dethe / the seconde when his soule sholde be presentes afore god for to be Iuged / the .iij. what the sentence sholde be that sholde be cast vpon hym And therfore the good archebysshop Theophyle when he was atte the poynte of dethe he sayd of saynt Arseny / that he was well happy in soo moche that he contynuelly had this houre byfore the eyen of his entendement ¶ The abbot Iames sayd / that lyke as the lanterne lyghtneth the place whiche is obscure derke In lykewyse the drede of god lyghteneth a man when he hath it within hym ¶ Some brethern asked of the abbot Machary how he coude be so drye of so poore of bodye / wherat he answered that when men take a staffe in theyr hande with it they rake styre the brondes that be a fyre the same staffe barneth consumeth awaye fynably In lyke wyse who soeuer shall haue in him the drede of god it shall consume the flesshe of a man awaye vnto the bones ¶ The holy faders dwellyng in the moÌ„tayn of Nitrye sente toward the abbot Machary that was in Sychye prayng hyÌ„ that he wolde come to see them / yf he came not to them / they were purposed for to go to him / bycause that they desyred for to see by afore his dethe And when he was come to the montayn where they dwelled / they togydre asked hym some consolacoÌ„n spyrytuall TheÌ„ne he sayd vnto them that they sholde wepe weyle ouer theyr synnes / to th ende that they sholde not defâ—ende in to helle where men wepe weyle euerlastyngly And they all togydre at ones began to wepe besought by that he wold pray god for them ¶ The abbot Pastor gooyng thrugh Egstpt lawe a woman vpon a graue / the whiche bette herself wept so sore that it semed yf all the Ioyes of the worlde had come to her that she sholde not reioyse herself for it So in lykewyse oughte to doo euer a Relygyouse in this world An other tyme he passed thrugh the parties of Dyolche with the abbot Nub / they fouÌ„de a woman that wepte bytterly for the deth of her husbande / of her sone of her brother Thenne sayd the abbot Pastor to the abbot Nub I belyue stedfastly that no man but yf he slee all concupyscence of the flesshe / but he haue as grete contrycoÌ„n as this woman / he is not worthy to be a Relygyouse And this he sayd bycause that all her thought was sette vpon wepyng And thus we ought to do for our synnes ¶ A brother axed somtyme the sayd Pastor some good conseyll for his saluacoÌ„n And he conscylled hyÌ„ that he sholde do as Abraham dyde when he entred in the londe of promysson / the whiche made a tombe / whiche sygnyfyed wepynges and sorowynge ¶ The archebâ—sshop Athanasy prayed ones the abbot Pambo that he sholde come doÌ„ne from his hermytage for to see hyÌ„ in the cyte of Alexandrye The whiche coÌ„myng doÌ„ne to it mette with a coÌ„mon woman / when he sawe her he began to wepe Athanasy asked hym what moeued hyÌ„ to do so / wherat he answered the two thynges moeued it The fyrst bycause he sawe that the woman daÌ„pned herself the seconde bycause he toke not somoche of payn to please god as she dyde for to please the worlde ¶ The abbot Syluayn beynge ones with his Relygyouses / was rauysshed gostly / so that he fell doÌ„ne that face to the erthe after that he had be there a longe whyle he rose vp ayen wepyng full sore Soo axed hyÌ„ his relygyouses what hyÌ„ eyled fo to wepe thus / but he answered them nothyÌ„g / euer he wept / they neuerthelesse prayed hyÌ„ somoche that they constrayned hyÌ„ by huÌ„ble Requestes to telle them that the they desyred to wyt of hyÌ„ / in effect he shewed vnto them / that he had be rauysshed born afore god holdyng his Iugement / where he sawe many relygyouses that were condeÌ„pned to the euerlastyng payne of helle / many seculer men that were taken receyued for to go to the royalme of heuen / wherof the poore abbot wept euer bytterly / for this cause he becam so solytary / that he wolde not go out of his celle / yf he was somtyme coÌ„strayned to go out of it / he couered his hede with a hode / saynge that it was no nede for to see this lyght temporall where no goodnesse was ¶ A man worthy of holy memory named Synclyeyce / sayd that they the tourne themself from synne vnto vertue / haue grete payn atte begynnyÌ„g to leue theyr euyll lyfe / but at the last they shall haue Ioye vnable to be tolde / euyn so as they the kyndlen a fyre haue atte begynnyng grete akyng of hede with blowyng / at theyr eyen with the smoke or euer the fyre be kyndled Also we must haue many euylles for to kyndle within vs the fyre of the loue of god ¶ The abbot Ypericius sayd that a monke ought to watche daye nyght in oryson / in waylyng in coÌ„punccoÌ„n / to th ende that thrugh this meane he haue the mercy of Ihesu cryste ¶ Many Relygyouses seculers cam togyder to the abbot Felix / be dyuerse tymes prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde gyue theÌ„ som gode doctryne for theyr saluacoÌ„n / but neuertheles he wold not / but only sayd vnto theÌ„ / now haue I no tonge for to spek ¶ The brethern heryng this answere were sore abasshed bycause he wold not teche them Then he sayd to theÌ„ / somtyme that Relygyouses requyred for to be taught of the aeged / they dyde that the was coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto theÌ„ / wherfor our lord gaaf to the sayd olde faders tonge speche for to lerne them / bycause that the dyscyples now doo nomore nothyng of that is coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto them / god hath taken from the aeged that worde of veray doctryne / for there is nomore no body that doth this that the olde faders coÌ„mauÌ„de These wordes herde they all togyder began to wepe syghe askyng mercy / that the sayd abbot wolde praye for them ¶ A holy fader sayd when our lord shall come to that daye of dome / yf it were possyble that the soules that then shal be brought to theyr bodyes / myght be departed ayen all that worlde sholde then deye of the drede terrour the euery one shall haue atte thou sayd daye / therfor we ought well to wepe in this world do penauÌ„ce to th ende that at the same ferfull daye we may yelde good acomptes vnto our lord ¶ A broder axed a holy fader wherof cam that he was harde herted that he fered not god The holy fader answered to hyÌ„ that he sholde haue drede of god / yf he wolde rebuke his soule saynge My soule thynke vpon thy lyfe / for thou shal be broughte byfore the myght of
a corage to Repente hym selfe he was content to accuse hyÌ„self of a synne that he had not done to do for hyÌ„ as grete penauÌ„ce as that he had done it / wherfor god seeyng his labour and good affeccyon / within fewe dayes after he declared to one of the olde faders / that in fauour and contemplacyon of the grete charyte of hym that had not synned / but desyryng the helthe of his brother / had done as grete penauÌ„ce as he / he had quyted forgyuen hym his offense Wherby it may be sayd veryly of hym that dooth in this maner / that without doubte he putteth his soule in plege for the soule of his brother ¶ An other brother came to an olde fader / saynge that by a brother of his he hadde be Induced to soo grete varyablenesse and vnstedfastnesse in ledyng hym in dyuerse places syn here syn there / that he was therby soore scorged trowbled in his corage ¶ The good fader heryng his wordes sayd to hym My brother bere pacyently the euyll of thy brother / and god that shall see thy good corage / that thou doost thy deuoyre for to calle hyÌ„ ayen swetly to a good lyf / shall adresse hym vnto the in tyme couenable ¶ Certaynly when a bodye hath coÌ„ceyued in hyÌ„ som euyll thought it is not a thyng to be called lyghtly ayen by sharpe bytter wordes / for one deuyll put not out that other / but by swetenes mekenes men may lightly soone reuoke a grete synner For our lorde hath this maner to drawe vnto hym the men by swetenes And after shewed vnto hym / that two brethern had be in Thebayde / one of whiche was so sore tempted of the synne of fornycacoÌ„n / that for to accomplysshe it in dede he purposed to retorne ayen to dwell in the world but the other heryng his folyshe intencion / began to wepe sore sayd to hym My broder I shall not sete the go fro me for to go lese thy labour thy virgynyte The other answered that he sholde no more dwelle in the hermytage / saynge to him that yf he wolde bere hym company he sholde come ayen with hym / yf he wolde not / he sholde not come ayen ¶ His broder heryng his wordes went for to take couÌ„seyll of an aeged fader for to wyt of hym what he myght best do for to kepe hym ¶ To whom this fader couÌ„seylled that he sholde goo with his brother / that god that knewe his good wyll the payne the he sholde take for to withdrawe hyÌ„ ayen / shold not suffre that he sholde falle in synne ¶ So went he to the worlde with his broder they passyng by a strete / god consyderyng the labour of the good brother that by good charyte for grete necessyte folowed his brother for to kepe hyÌ„ that he sholde not be lost / toke from hym the concupylâ—ence that so made hyÌ„ go out of the right waye And incontynent he sayd to his brother that they sholde go to theyr hermytage that hym thought that he had synned all redy with some woman Alas sayd he and what haue I goten therby as he wolde haue sayd / that he had entreprysed a waye sore dauÌ„gerose and damynable So they retourned to theyr celle lyued there solytaryly as they were wonte to do afore ¶ An other brother sayd to an olde fader / what ought I for to do for to kepe me from the fowle thoughtes of lecherye that tourmente me Wherat the holy fader answered / that a woman whan she wyll wene her childe and kepe him fro the brest / she putteth vpon her pappes some thyng bytter And when the childe wyll take the pappe for to drawe it as he is acustomed / and feleth the bytternesse that is there vpon / he forsaketh it anone ¶ Lykewyse when suche folyshe thoughtes and temptacyons shall happe to come vpon the / consydere the fylthe and stenche that ryseth therof / the gryuouse offense that thou sholdest doo ayenst god yf thou dydest the synne / and the horryble payne that thou sholdest suffre euerlastyngly yf thou deydest sodeynly in that astate / the whiche thyng falleth euery daye to many one ¶ An other brother questyoned an other aeged vpon a lyke â—aas and synne the whiche answered vnto hym that he neuer was prycked nor stynged with that synne ¶ The brother heryng his answere was wounderfully sklauÌ„dred with it and gretely ashamed And soo wente to an other fader / and tolde hym what the other hadde sayd to hym / wherof he was ylle contente / bycause hym thought that his answere was aboue nature For hym semed to be Impossyble but that he sholde haue be often tymes trowbled with the temptacyon of the sayd synne ¶ The olde fader sayd vnto hyÌ„ the man of god hath not tolde that thoos wordes symply vnauysydly / but for to haue the declaracoÌ„n therof / thou shal go ayen to hyÌ„ shal praye hym / that he wyll pardonne the / the euyll thynkyng the thou hast had vpon his persone / morouer that he wyll expowne vnto the the vertue of his wordes This brother thenne cam ayen to the holy fader forsayd / repentyng hyÌ„selfe / sayd vnto hym Good fader please the to forgyue me my foly / in asmoche that I am departed fro the without leue to be taken of the / morouer I beseche the / that thou wyll expowne vnto me / how it can be that thou hast neuer be prycked nor tempted of the synne of fornycacyon Thenne the olde fader answered vnto hym My brother I shall tell it the. I ensure the the syn I dyde yelde me fyrst to Relygyon I haue not ete soo moche of brede ne dronken so moche of water that I coude saye that euer I toke ones my fylle with it ¶ Also in lykewyse I neuer slepte as longe as myn appetyte desyred / so I haue kept myselfe from metes / wherof some other be wonte to vse And in this maner trauayllynge my bodye I haue brought hit so lowe that it was not suffred me that I sholde fele the pryckynges of the flesshe ¶ Thenne wente awaye the brother takyng leue of the holy fader / syn profyted moche in conuersacoÌ„n amendemente of lyfe by the ensample of the sayd aeged fader ¶ An other broder moeued a questyon vnto an other fader auÌ„cyente / saynge Fayre fader what owe I to doo I cannot chauÌ„ge my thought from the synne of fornycacoÌ„n / wherof I am so sore tourmented / that I maye not haue an houre oonly ony rest ¶ The olde fader answered to hym My sone when the deuyls presented the some lecherouse thought is in thy herte wherof he feleth hyÌ„ somwhat prycked / thou oughtest not to speke therof nor to thynke vpon it in thy corage / for it loÌ„geth to the deuyls for admynyster wylyly suche thoughtes / all be
moneye whiche was alredy inutylly spende / began for to wepe syghâ— full sore / repentyng hyÌ„self that he had so offended god the poores / began to saye thus O my god I beseche vnto thy benygne bouÌ„te that thou wyll not take hede vpon my grete ingratytude towarde the / but please that to haue remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the lytyll almoses that I haue done for thy sake in tyme passed the tyme that I dyde labour in my gardyn / wherof I dyde fede thy poore seruauÌ„tes And sayng the same the angell of god descended afore hyÌ„ whiche sayd to hym Come hether good man I praye the telle me where the hope that thou haddest in thy moneye is now which so curyously thou had spared kept The good man herkenyng after these wordes answered Alas syre I haue syned pardoÌ„ne it me / from hensforthoâ— I shal nomore do so Thenne the angell of our lord touched his fote whiche was anone hole / redyly he stode vp / went to labour in his gardyn as he was wonte to do He beynge in his gardyn the cyrurgyen cam to the house of this good man bryngyng with hyÌ„ his yrons instrumentes for to haue cutte of his fote with / but men tolde hyÌ„ that he was rysen in the mornyng erly was gone for to werke labour his gardyn The whiche thyng herde / beleuyÌ„g the same the sayd cyrurgyen / he wente towarde the poore man whiche he fouÌ„de deluyng that erthe his fete ouer the spade And seeyng in hyÌ„ the trouth of that was tolde him / the grete socours that our lord had gyuen to hyÌ„ / he began to gloryfye to prayse the dyuyne puyssance ¶ A Relygyouse questyoned an aeged holy fader askyng of hym yf he wolde well that he sholde holde kepe towarde hyÌ„ the value of two shelyng for to helpe socour to hyÌ„selfe ayenst syknes yf ony happed to come vpon hyÌ„ The olde fader knowyng the affeccoÌ„n that the sayd Relygyouse had to reserue kepe this two shelyng / sayd that he wolde well that he sholde do so Thenne this Relygyouse retourned to his celle thynkyng vpon the answere that the olde fader had done to hyÌ„ cam vnto hyÌ„ dyuerse cogytacoÌ„ns thought the tormented hyÌ„ all his corage sayd to hyÌ„selfe / wenest thou myserable man that the olde fader hath tolde the trouth certeynly I can not say whether he sayd it in ernest or no / in effecte for to pease his corage / he departed ayen out of his celle went ayen towarde hym repentyng hyÌ„selfe sayd to hym Good fader I praye that in the name of god that it wyll please the to telle me trouth touchyng that the I haue asked to the / that is to wyte yf I sholde kepe my two shelyng or no for to ayde to my necessyte / for I fynde me sore tourmenâ—ed of thought cogytacoÌ„ns whiche come to me bycause of the same wherat the olde holy fader answered to hyÌ„ Certes my broder bycause I dyde see the wyll that thou haddest for to kepe them to the ward I dyde telle the that thou sholdest kepe them / but neuertheles I wyll well that thou knowe / that it is not well done to kepe or withholde towarde hym selfe more than it nedeth for the bodye / yf thou withholdest these two shelynge / doubte not but that thy hope shal be sette therupon And yf by aduenture they be lost / syn that thy hope was torned therupon / god shall nomore haue a cause to remembre thynke â—pon the. And therfor we ought to fixe tourne all our hope thought oonly in god / thus dooyng he shall see that we shall be holpen socoured in oure affayres necessytees ¶ An other lytyll treatyse herafter consequently foloweth of the vertue of force of pacyence / and it begynneth in latyn Sanctus abbas Anthonius c SAynt Anthonye the abbot he beyng in his hermytage was meruayllously vexed his corage sore perturbed confuse by the occasyon of dyuerse thoughtes cogytacions the cam ouer hym / began to say to our lorde Alas syre I wolde fayne be saued / but the dyuerse thoughtes fantasyes whiche come me ouer / letten me totally from the gettyng of my saluacoÌ„n Alas syre what ought I to doo in this trybulacoÌ„n / or how shall I mowe saue my selfe And after he yssued out of his celle sawe a man that satte wrought / whiche anone after rose cessed his labours sette hyÌ„selfe to praye make oracoÌ„n vnto god / thenne after he wente ayen to his werke toke labour to haÌ„de makyÌ„g mattes or mauÌ„des soone after went to oryson ayen as he dyde afore It is to wyte that this man was an angell that had tourned hyÌ„ selfe in that forme of a man / the whiche hadde be sente from our lord vnto saynt Anthonye for his correccoÌ„n / for to gyue hyÌ„ a good cautele awaye for to resyst ayenst the temptacoÌ„ns of the deuyll So herde he the voyce of this angell the sayd vnto hyÌ„ Anthonye werke labour as I do / thou shalt be saued Saynt Anthony heryng these wordes was moche reioysshed takyng in this vysyon a veray hope of his saluacoÌ„n / he began to do as he had seen the angell do / thê° doyng he fouÌ„de the salute that he sought ¶ A relygyous sayd to the abbot Agathon that he had be sente for / for to come to a place that was not vnto hym well agreable / bycause he hoped not to be there without batayll nor in peas of his coÌ„scyence / but nethelesse he was purposed to go theder for to obey to that was to hyÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„ded / how be it that he fered redoubted sore to go theâ— for the cause abouesaid ¶ The abbot Ammoras sayd that he had dwelled .xiiij. yere in the desertes of Sychye prayng god there nyght day the pryÌ„cypally he sholde gyue hyÌ„ vertue strength for to ouercome the passioÌ„s of yre ¶ The abbot Besaryon sayd / that he had soyourned by .xl. dayes amonge the thornes without slepe ¶ An other solytary broder that was in his werkes sore synguler was bycause of the same oftentymes in his corage / wherfore he went towarde the abbot Theodore called the ferme / tolde hyÌ„ how he was thus sore troubled often To whom he sayd My sone thou must huÌ„ble thy corage put thyselfe vnder the other brethern / thus thou shalt mowe in lykewyse dwelle with them This Relygyous went incoÌ„tynent to the montayne / dwelled there with the other a certayne whyle / theÌ„ne he cam ayen towarde the sayd abbot Theodore / sayd to hyÌ„ that in coÌ„uersauÌ„t with the men / he coude not fynde there no rest / wherat the holy fader answered yf thou canst not haue peas by thyself alone nor with the relygyouses / why hast
neuertheles atte ende they haue reste But in prayer it behoueth to fyght vnto the laste InstauÌ„t of the same ¶ The abbot Dulas whiche was dyscyple vnto thabbot Bysaryon sayd I haue some tyme gone vnto the celle of myn abbot / haue fouÌ„den hym lyeng doun prostrate in oryson abydyng there coÌ„tynuelly by the space of xiiij dayes And after called me to hym sayd to me / folowe me / incontynent we went in to thermytage And whan I was so retrauaylled of walkyng hauyng grete thurste / thenne I sayd to hyÌ„ Fader I haue grete thurste / the holy man went as fer fro me as a man sholde caste a stone / was ther a lytyll whyle in contemplacoÌ„n / and after cam ayen to me bryngyng water in his garment made of skynnes / of whiche water I dranke And after from thens we went in to the cyte of Lyco for to speke to thabbot Iohan / whom we salewed at our comyng sayeng to hym the cause reason why we were come to hym Thenne began thabbot Bysaryon to telle shewe the reuelacoÌ„ns that he had had sayeng It hath be shewed vnto me / that all the temples shall be destroyed / the whiche thynge in lyke wyse after happed For all the temples of thydoles were destroyed and brought to nought ¶ Thabbot Euagrius sayd that a man whiche hath the corage faylled / ought to praye to god For it is wryten / praye with the drede of god / labour contynuelly in suffrages prayers / thou shalt not fynde thy selfe feble of corage / but strong ayenst all temptacoÌ„ns / we nede to praye as wel for the synners / as for the Iuste trewe / to the ende also that we be preserued from the enemyes Inuysyble / whiche seche none other but to lett vs from our helth / whaÌ„ a persone is taken with an euyll thought / he ought not the hour to praye for other / forgete hyÌ„selfe / but ought incoÌ„tynent to fyght for hym selfe by holy prayer ayenst the same thought / cast it from hyÌ„ And after he may praye for other ¶ An abbot whiche dwelled in Palestyne wrote to a bysshop named Epyphanius this the foloweth Reuerende fader we haue not despysed the rule to pray whiche thou haste delyuered to vs / but in kepyng it besyly we synge pryme / tyerce / sexte / none / euensong / the whiche abbot was repreued of the bysshop / the sayd bysshop wrote to hyÌ„ ayen in this maner After that answere that I haue had of the abbot I knowe well that in the other houres of the daye / thou and thy brethern praye not / that whiche thyÌ„g suffyseth not For a veray relygyous ought to praye god incessauÌ„tly / yf not with his mouthe / acte lest he ought to do it with the herte For oryson vocale is not alwaye requesyte ¶ Here is shewed to vs that we may praye god ouer all in euery place For an abbot named Ysayas seeyng the brethern the eten togydre made grete noyse / sayd to theym / holde your peas make scylence / for I see one of you brethern etyng with you / that whiche perceth thrylleth that heueÌ„s with his prayer as yf he had sayd / ye lette hym in makyng this noyse for he is rauysshed in deuocoÌ„n And also how well that he eteth alwaye he prayed god / his oryson as fyre enbraced with charyte gooth vpon hyghe ¶ Thabbot Loth cam to thabbot Ioseph sayd to hym Fader after my power I holde a lytyll rule a lytyll harde I faste but lytyll / nor praye god but lytyll / I thynke not moche on his coÌ„mauÌ„dement / ne on my soule / without to take but lytyll rest / but alwaye with all my power I eschewe euyll thoutes / theym I suffre not to abyde in me in ony wyse / what ought I to do in tyme comyng And the holy man without sayeng ony worde arose vp / stratched vp his haÌ„des to heueÌ„ deuoutly prayed vnto god / incontynent for to shewe his brennyng deuocoÌ„n / his ten fyngres were enlumyned brennyng lyke vnto laÌ„pes breÌ„nyng / thenne he began to say yf thou wylt be enbraced with this fyre of charyte / thou must do as I do In this partye is shewed the maner of prayeng with out Intermyssyon / how men ought to praye without ceassyng ¶ Certayne brethern named bedemen cameÌ„ to thabbot Luciê° whiche dwelled in Hermato / whan they were comen the holy abbot asked My brethern come hyther telle me what werke do ye make with your handes And they answered / certaynly fayr fader we put not our selfe to ony hondwerke / but after that sayeng of thappostle we praye vnto god without intermyssion without ceassyng Thabbot sayd to theyÌ„ / how my brethern whan ye ete / ye praye not / also whan ye slepe ye praye not / thus thenne it is not trouthe that ye saye that ye praye without ceassyng Thenne that brethern were all ashamed and wyst not what to answere Thenne began he to saye to theyÌ„ I shall shewe you how in werkyng with my handes I praye alwaye god For whan I am in my celle sette for to werke I praye god without ceassyng / for I make a matte / or some other thyng / in so doyng I saye / god haue mercy on me after thy grete mercy / put awaye my wyckednes / after the multytude of thy myseracoÌ„ns thy grete bounte And after he sayd to the brethern / is not this prayer vnto god / they answerd yes And furthermore he sayd to theyÌ„ I labour praye god alle daye all that nyght / I wynne about xvi pens with my werke / wherof I take .xij. pens to lyue by / the remenauÌ„t I gyue for goddes sake / he to whom I gyue this moneye / prayeth for me whan I ete / or whan I slepe And by all thus is accoÌ„plysshed in my that whiche is sayd that men owe to praye without Intermyssyon / wherfore it ought to be vnderstonden / that it behoueth to pray without ceassynge by hym selfe or by other ¶ Some brethern asked of the abbot Macharye Fader how ought we praye vnto god The holy man answered / in makyng oraysons prayers is not requesyte grete habondauÌ„ce of wordes / but we ought to lyfte vp our haÌ„des vnto heuen saye Lorde god / lyke as it shall please the / lyke wyse as thou knowest what nede I haue / so do thy mercy vpon me And yf in prayeng ony euyll thought come tofore the / saye lord god helpe me / without doubte seen that he knoweth what thyng is necessary to the / he shall helpe the and haue mercy on the. Therfor we ought to by leue / that longe prayer is not alwaye requesyte ne praysed For in a comyn prouerbe it is sayd Shorte prayer perceth heuen We haue
taylled to this holy man / for his fermour cam not to hym as he had be accustomed ¶ The holy man some what gryeued sayde to his dyscyple / wylt thou goo to our ferme for to saye to our fermour that he come to vs. The dyscyple answered Fader I shall doo that shall please the / but the holy man dyfferred it / and durste not sende his dyscyple out ¶ Neuerthelesse after that he hadde abyden longe / he demaunded agayne and asked his dyscyple yf he wolde goo thyder that he hadde sayd ¶ The dyscyple whiche dredde to goo out / doubtyng to be surprysed of the fende sayd to hym / that he sholde gladly doo that sholde please hym And neuerthelesse dredyng to dysobeye hym went thyder ¶ Thenne sayd the holy man to hym / My frende be thou assured / for I byleue that god shall delyuer the from thy temptacyons / and they put theym to prayer both to gydre And that doon the dyscyple wente vnto the ferme / where he founde noo persone to speke to / for the fermour and all his famyllye were gone out to make good there with theyr frendes / and there was none lefte atte home but one of his doughters / the whiche kepte hyr selfe within the yate shytte ¶ This brother knocked att the yate / the whiche yate was opened to hym by the sayd doughter And how well that he wolde not entre and goo in Neuerthelesse she beyng tempted of the fende made hym to entre in / and she beganne to excyte and to moeue hym as moche as she myght by wordes and touchyng vnto the dyshonest synne of the flesshe Wherfore he began to crye sayeng A lorde god delyuer thou me from this woman / by the moyen of the holy prayers of myn holy fader And those wordes sayd / anone he was taken awaye / and founde hym selfe by a Ryuer / by the whiche the waye laye to goo to his monasterye And thus he was delyuered entyerly by the prayers of the holy man / the whiche prayers bycause of his obedyence preserued hym from that Inconuenyent ¶ Two brethern germayn / that is to saye born of one fader and one moder dwelled in a Relygyon / that one of theym was moche obedyent And that other moche sobre The fyrste dyde promptly and redely all that was sayde to hym / wherfore the abbot hadde good opynyon of hym and loued hym better than that other ¶ Thenne the deuyll that seaceth not but to so we cockle and dyscorde / specyally among vertuous people / tempted one of the sayd brethern with the synne of enuye ayenst his brother / by cause that the abbot loued one more than hym / the whiche sayde to hym selfe I shall preue knowe ryght soone yf my brother be very obedyent And wente to the abbot / and prayed hym that he wolde suffre hs brother to holde hym companye in a certayne thynge that he hadde to doo / in whiche the abbot accorded to hym ¶ Thenne they wente to gydre And he that was moche sobre wyllynge to proeue the obedyence of his brother / they beyng nyghe to a Ryuer full of venemous bestes sayde to his brother that he sholde goo in to that water And Incontynent he entred in to it but the venemous bestes dyde hym none harme / but lycked his feet / that seeyng he that was sobre that the bestes hadde done to hym noo gryef / sayd to hym that he sholde come out / and soo he dyde ¶ Thenne afterward as they walked they fonde the corps of a deed man ¶ Thenne sayd he that was sobre / yf we hadde here ony olde thyng / we wolde couere this bodye To whome he that was obedyent sayd It were better that we prayed vnto god that he wolde reyse hym from deth to lyfe ¶ Thenne they bothe fylle doun and began to praye And anone the deed bodye was reysed to lyfe ¶ Thenne Incontynent he that was sobre began to gloryfye hym selfe / sayeng secretely to hym selfe that this deed bodye was reysed for his grete abstynence / and noo thyng for the obedyence of his brother But god whiche suffreth not alwaye the euyll to regne aboue the good / and that also he wyll not that the trouth be hydde Wherfore he shewed this caas to the abbot of theyr monasterye And how he that was sobre was tempted ayenst his brother by enuye / wenynge to haue made hym to be deuoured by venyme in the water ¶ They beyng comen in to the monasterye ¶ The abbot demaunded and asked of hym that was enuyous / wherfore he hadde tempted soo his brother In sayeng to hym furthermore these wordes I wyll well that thou knowe that for the obedyence of thy brother the deed bodye is reysed to lyfe / and noo thyng for thyn abstynence ¶ A seculer man hauyng thre sones / cam and rendred hym in to Relygyon and lefte his childern in the cyte wherin he dwelled And after that he had ben thre yere in the monasterye / there cam to hym Infenyte dyspleasyrs for his childern the whiche he hadde soo lefte ¶ Now thabbot knewe nothyng that he hadde ony childern For whan he cam in to the relygyon he hadde nothyng sayd therof But he knewe well by outwarde sygnes / that he was dyspleased of some thynge And soo demaunded asked of hym what hym eyled sayeng to hym ¶ My brother wherfore art thou soo heuy and sorowfull ¶ The brother answered Helas fader I hadde thre childern in the worlde whan I cam hyther I wolde well bryng theym hyther yf it were thy pleasyr ¶ Thenne sayd the abbot to hym that he was well contente / and that he sholde goo fetche theym ¶ The Relygyous broder gretly enioyed of this answere / wente in to the cyte for to brynge the thre childern / but whan he cam thyder he founde that two of theym were deed long byfore / and hadde but one sone lyuynge / whom he broughte with hym to the monasterye after the commaundement of his abbot And whan he was come / he demaūded after his abbot / and it was sayd to hym that he was not there / but was goon to the ouen And he wente forth Incontynent towarde hym bryngynge with hym his childe whom the abbot sawe gladdely / and enbraced kyssed hym many tymes in sygne of grete loue of feruent dyleccyon that he hadde in hym ¶ After he demaunded and asked of the childes fader / yf he loued well this childe And he answered / ye / And yet agayne he asked and demaūded hym louest thou well thy sone / and he answered to hym as afore / that ye / ¶ Thenne sayd the abbot to hym / take hym and caste hym in to the ouen whyles it is hoot And he toke his childe and threwe hym in to the myddes of the fyre But the heet of the fyre was by myracle made softe and colde as a dewe And hurted not the childe in ony wyse ¶ Thenne
chapytre or congregacōn generall / treated a questyon of Melchysedech preest / wherof is made mencōn in holy scrypture / in treatyng of this mater / they remēbred of an holy abbot named Coppres moche renōmed amonge theym / the whiche had not by theym be called And thenne they sente for hym And Incontynent as he was comen / they asked hym his opynyon of the questyon proposed The whiche by hym herde / he smote his mouth sayd / ha Coppres that whiche god byddeth the to be doon thou hast lefte And that whiche he cōmaūdeth not / thou sekest it by argumentacyon Whan the brethern had herde these wordes / all confused they retorned in to theyr celles For by that he gaaf theȳ to vnderstande / that none without grete necessyte ought not presume to enquyre ouer ferre of that werkes of god / veray scyence is to knowe hym selfe / and to do that ought to do / without entremetynge with the fayte of other ¶ It is foūde of the holy abbot Macharye that he dwellyng in the desertes of Sychye On a tyme as he cam frō a marys / and bryngyng palmes on his necke / a deuyll appyered to hym in lykenesse of a man beryng a sythe to shere otes / wolde haue smoten hȳ with that same syche / but he myght not bycause that god our maker wolde not suffre it ¶ Thenne the deuyll sayd to hym A Macharye I haue grete passyons of that I may not ouercome the / for all that thou doste / I do also / yf thou fastest in etyng ones on the daye / I ete neuer / thou wakest / and I slepe neuer / but neuerthelesse thou surmoūtest me with one thyng ¶ Thenne thabbot Macharye demaūded hym what thyng it was And be answered that it was his humylyte / the whiche kepte hym from hauynge ony power / auctoryte / or domynacyon on hym ¶ Some holy faders rehersen of thabbot Moyses / that after that he was made preest / they cladde hym with the tunyke sacerdotall thenne accustomed to preestes ¶ Thenne the Archebysshop sayd to hym / beholde Moyses / by the ordre of preesthode thou art made whyte And that sayd he peraduenture by cause that thenne he was cladde with whyte ¶ The sayd abbot humbly answered to hym A my lorde this whytnesse or clennesse is it without forthe or within forth ¶ The sayd Archebysshop for to preue his humylyte commaunded to his seruauntes / whan he offred hym selfe to the aulter for to doo sacrefyce / that thenne incontynent they sholde caste hym out of the chirche / the whiche thynge they dyde sayeng to hym the sayd seruauntes Goo out of the Temple Ethyopyen / as who sholde saye Olde vylayne full of wyckednes To whiche wordes and Iniuryes be answered not one worde / but as spekyng to hym selfe he sayd They haue well doon myschaūt fooll For thou that art not a man oughtest not to repute thy selfe worthy to domyne on men vnder the shadowe to excercyse suche an offyce ¶ The holy abbot Pastor beyng in a congregacyon of Relygyouse men / herde saye of an holy fader called Nestoryn And for as moche as the sayd Nestoryn was of grete name and fame The sayde Pastor sente vnto his abbot / prayeng hym that it wolde plese hym to sende to hym the sayd Nestoryn His abbot dyfferred it by cause he wolde not sende hym allone Hit happened on a tyme that the dyspenser of his couent had in lyke wyse wyll for to goo vysyte the abbot Pastor for to take awaye some scrupules of his cōscyence Thenne that sayd Nestoryn asked lycence of the sayd abbot for to goo see and to vysyte the sayd abbot Pastor And soo gaaf hym leue to goo thyder and gaaf expresse commaundement to the sayd dyspencer to brynge agayne with hym the sayde Nestoryn They tweyne to gydre departed for to accomplysshe the commaundement that was made to theym / and camen to the celle of the sayd Pastor To whom the dyspencer declared fyrste the secretes of his conscyence / wherof he was moche comforted and reioyced by the good exhortacōns and admonycyons that the sayd Pastor made to hym for his helthe After these wordes sayd / he tourned his wordes to the sayd Nestoryn / and asked and demaunded of hym / how he hadde goten soo grete prudence that he hadde For his custome was suche in his monasterye / yf ony amonge theym were in dyssencyon or in hate / he entremeted not / and lete theym doo / as theym good semed / yf ony sayde to hym ony haynous wordes / he answered noo thynge agayne His humylyte was soo grete / that he toke all thyng in good / and reputed all his brethern more wyse dyscrete than hym selfe ¶ The sayd Nestoryn answered to the sayd Pastor in this maner ¶ My fader pardonne me yf it please the. I am noo thynge vertuous as thou sayste But I shall telle the / whan I entred in to thastate of Relygyon I sayde to my selfe that I wolde be semblable and lyke to a beste / whiche called is an asse / the whiche whan he is beten sayth not a worde Yf ony doo to hym wrong or repreef / he holdeth hym stylle and sayeth not a worde ¶ And this rewle approeued Dauyd in his psalme whan he sayth in spekynge to our lorde god My redemer I haue be as a Iument towarde the / that is to saye pacyent in all aduersyte ¶ For to gete good and very humylyte thabbot Pastor sayd / lyke as he that is or wyll be very humble / and haue the parfyght drede of god our blessyd maker / ought alwaye without ceassynge to syghe That is to saye to lyfte his herte on hye on heuenly thynges / lyke as the ayer that the nose bretheth in respyreth out ayen incessaūtly And to that purpose he sayd to theym that demaunded hym / as a man ought to holde hym selfe in the place wherin he dwelleth or babyteth / that in all places he that wyll haue peas / ought to repute hȳ as done the straūgers that be ferre / the whiche entremete theȳ not soone to gaynsaye to that whiche they seen done or sayd ¶ Lyke wyse also none ought desyre to haue audyence in his wordes aboue other / for he that wyll that one herkene alwaye without ceassyng / is ofte reputed for a fooll amonge the other ¶ Yet he sayd that he that wyll haue stronge armours for his soule ayenst his aduersarye the deuyll / he ought neuer to be proude / ne presume hym selfe or esteme to be of ony valour And with that he ought to sette and putte all his affeccyon and his thought behynde his backe / that is to saye to be very obeyssaunt to all the operacyons and commaundementes of his prelates and soueraynes ¶ Furthermore he sayde that none oughte to byleue fermely his propre opynyon / but ought to vse the counseyll and techyng of theym that be of holy conuersacyon and
that one to that other ¶ Furthermore sayd the same preest that to fore his cōuersyon / he had herde the deuylles complaynyng them to gydre sayeng / that whan a monke was falle in dedely synne / anone some of theym dyde penaunce for hym / wherfore all theyr power was nought / in suche wyse that they myght not gryeue ne ennoye the sayd Relygyous persones ¶ Here begynneth the vertue of pacyence FOr to lerne and knowe how we myght haue the vertue of pacyence Euery persone that wyll rede this presente treatyse / note in his herte / and also reteyne thexamples and dyctes of holy faders here after declared The whiche ben of moche valew and prouffyte For they moeuen to deuocyon / also to haue strengthe and pacyence ayenst aduersyte ¶ On a tyme for certayne cause was made a congregacōn of many relygyouses / amonge whom was an holy fader called Euagrius / the whiche proposed amonge the brethern his opynyon of the mater wherof was the questyon To whom the souerayn abbot of the sayd congregacōn sayd Fader abbot we knowe well / that yf thou were in thy contree thou sholdest be a bysshop or chyef of many relygyouses And now as a pylgryme straūger thou syttest with vs. The good deuoute man Euagrius without to moeue hym selfe / but in speryte / answered not one worde / but wrote in the erthe Brethern it is so as ye saye ¶ The abbot Iohan the lytyll beyng on a tyme sette to fore the gate of his chirche / many brethern satte with hym And of dyuerse thought scrupulous cogytacōns they asked hym / to whom by the helpe of god he gaaf so good answere / that they all were comforted That seeyng an olde fader moeued of enuyee sayd these wordes Fader Iohan thy vyole is full of venym To whom he answerde / my fader thou sayste trouthe / but yf thou sawest that whiche is in my herte I wote neuer what thou sholdest saye / whan thou seest not but that whiche appereth without forth And thus to the Iniurye that was sayd to hym / he answered pacyently ¶ Of the grete pacyence of the abbot Ysydore dwellyng in Sychye wytnessen the holy faders / that whan an olde fader had a dyscyple frayle or Iniuryous he wolde put hym awaye The same Ysydore prayed that he wolde gyue hym to hym / for all theym he sholde make vertuous by his pacyence ¶ Of lasse pacyence was not the holy fader Macharye / the whiche whan he founde a theef in his celle / whiche charged or laded vpon his hors or other beste all his goodes / he wolde helpe the theef to lade his hors / as yf he hadde be his felawe And in soo dooyng he sayd suche wordes as folowe Whan we cam in to this worlde we hadde no thynge God gyueth all And as he wyll soo be it doon / and praysed be he in all thynges / ben they contrarye or prouffytable ¶ In lyke wyse the abbot Moyses with many other was in a congregacōn made in Sychye / in the whiche some brethern for to preue his pacyence / sayd to hȳ these wordes Come hyther thou Ethyopyen as blacke as thou art who hath made the so hardy to presume to come with vs. To the whiche wordes he answered not After they asked hym / they that hadde so Iniuryed hym / yf he was ony thyng wroth To whom he sayd that he had be troubled in his herte / but that not withstādyng he absteyned hym to speke / for pacyentely he had endured ¶ Paysius brother of the holy fader Pastor / hadde famylyaryte with some brethern / wherof the sayd Pastor was euyll contente And for to correcte hym he went to make of hym complayne to thabbot Ammonas in sayeng to hym / that he myght nomore endure suche thynges ¶ Thabbot Ammonas answered to hym to gyue hym mater of pacyence / ha Pastor thou hast yet good lyue stronge Go go in thy celle / consydere that thou hast an hote hede an hyghe corage / how well that thou art nyghe the poynt for to be leyde in thy graue or tōbe And by that concluded the sayd Pastor / that all labour aduersyte whiche cometh to vs is lyght to bere / soo that we haue scylence and peas in our herte without grutchyng ¶ Ther was an hermyte a broder whiche was hurte of an other / for to be auenged he complayned to the abbot Sysoy / sayeng that yf he wolde not do right to hym reason / that he hymself wolde auenge it The holy man Sysoy prayed hym affectuously / that he sholde do nothyng to hym that had hurte hym ne to do to hȳ ony dysplesyr / but to leue to god the vengeaūce The brother fulle of malygnyte abode in his euyll wyll protestyng alwaye to auenge hym Thabbot seeyng his obstynacōn / prayed hym that fyrste he sholde make his oryson prayer to god / after accomplysshe his wyll / of that whiche request the sayd broder was content / so put theym both to praye vnto our lord togydre This doon the abbot Sysoy sayd god is not moche necessary to euyl people / for he wyll venge hym of theyr wronges done by theym The hermyte heryng that chaūged his wyll fyll doun to the abbot Sysoy in promysyng that he wolde do no dyspleasyr to hym that had hurte hym ¶ An other brother seeyng his felawe beryng a deed man to the erthe / prayed hym that he wolde here with hym the lyuyng / that is to saye / that he shode endure that / whiche the lyuyng men shlode saye to hym or doo / and in soo doyng he sholde bere theym ¶ And to this purpose is foūden of a brother / the whiche ofte frequented and honoured all theym that dyde to hym repreef and wronges / and by that he refrayned ther Ire ¶ In lyke wyse it happeth oftymes that they / the whiche correcte theym by wronges / geten good maners / by the moyen of suche wronges For it is wryten / they that blesse and prayse you / begyle your soules ¶ Certayne theues on a tyme entred in to the celle of an holy aeged fader / and sayd to hym Fader we wyll haue all that is here within ¶ To whome he answered / that they sholde bere awaye all that whiche semed to theym good ¶ And soo they bare awaye all that was in his celle / sauf a lytyll sacke / whiche laye in a corner And whan the holy fader founde it he ranne after theym and bare to theym the sayd sacke sayeng My childern ye haue forgoten this sacke / take it with you to th ende that ye haue all The theues meruaylled theym of his grete pacyence / rendred all to hym agayne / and were after all theyr lyfe penytent sayeng eche to other / verayly this holy fader is the seruaunt of god full of the vertue of pacyence ¶ The holy faders wytnessen
began to beholde by the wyndowe / sawe the holy abbot whiche was all in a flaÌ„me withoutforth after he knocked atte the dore And anone the holy fader sprange vp / demaundyng hym yf he hadde be longe there at his dore / yf he had seen ony thyng The broder answered that nay and so they spacke to gydre / and after departed ¶ ThexposycoÌ„n of this ensample wyll saye / that they that be contemplatyfe ben all brennyng of charyte whiche maketh theym to breÌ„ne spyrytuelly ¶ Thabbot Arsenye sayd / that one of the holy faders of Sychye / bycause that he was symple fyll in errour / how well that he had lyued Iustely after his power And the sayd poore man sayd that in the sacrament of the aulter was not conteyned the very body of Ihesu criste but oonly the lykenesse representacoÌ„n of hym And this errour cam to the knoweleche of two other olde men / the whiche knowyng that he lyued right holyly And that he sayd this folye by symplenesse / camen to hym and sayden in this maner Fader we haue herde saye of an Infydele and vntrewe crysten man / that the veray bodye of Ihesu Cryste is not conteyned in the sacrament of the aulter / but oonly ther is his lykenesse semblauÌ„ce To whom the sayd fader answered / it is I that haue soo sayd ¶ Thenne one of theym replyed to hym sayeng / helas fader byleue not soo But byleue that whiche the holy chirche byleueth and as we byleue For in the sacramente of the aulter is the very bodye and blood of our sauyour Ihesu Cryste / and not oonly his semblaunce or lykenesse Thenne answered the fader I byleue not that but I see it by experyence TheÌ„ne they sayd to hym Now thenne fader syth that thou wylt byleue thus / it behoueth the to praye to god And also we shall praye / that he wyll take fro the this errour And I byleue that he shall shewe some thyng These wordes so sayd this forsayd fader wente moche Ioyously in to his celle / bygan to praye to god in this maner / lord god almyghty whiche knowest that myn opynyon is not malycyous I praye the that it may plese the / to shewe to me she trouth And in lyke wyse the two other aeged men prayed in sayeng Lord god thou knowest that this holy man lyueth Iustely and straytly / wherfore we beseche the / that thou wylt declare to hym / that whiche he knoweth not / touchyng the sacramente of the aulter / to the ende that he lese not the rewarde of his labour whiche is so grete And the weke folowyng they came to the chirche all thre And in syngyng the masse / ther appered to theym a lytyll childe in the stede of the host ye vpon the aulter / whiche the preest helde And whan the preest wolde deuyde the hostye / cam an angell that helde a knyf / and sacrefyed the same childe to god the fader / and receyued the blood within the chalyce And whan the preest had broken the hostye in to smale pyeces After that the holy man cam for to receyue the bodye of our lorde / as the preest sholde delyuere to hym the hostye / it semed to hym that it was a pyece of flesshe full of blood Thenne he began to crye I byleue fermely as this hour that thy very bodye is in this sacrameÌ„te / and thy very blood And anone the hostye cam agayne in his fyrst fygure thenne he receyued it deuoutly And after the holy faders sayd to hym Fayr fader our lorde knowyng that nature humayne hath horrour to ete mannes flesshe / hath not wylled that his bodye sholde appere to men in suche lykenes but that it sholde be hydde vnder the lykenes of the whytenesse of brede the redenes of wyne These thynges thus sayd they gaaf laude thankynges to god / of that it pleased hym to brynge this man out of his errour And soo they wente in to theyr celles Ioyously ¶ Here ought to be noted that it is peryll to symple folke to speke or dyspute of suche maters / whiche apperteyneth not but to wyse men and lettred Therfore whan wytte fayleth / oonly fayth suffyseth Thenne it behoueth to byleue / as the chirche byleueth / without to enquyre ony ferther ¶ Thabbot Danyell sayd that an holy man moche ryghtfull that dwelled in Egypt fylle in an errour / in sayeng that Melchysedech was the sone of god the whiche thyng heryng Cyryllus archebysshop of alexandrye sent to hym Fader I haue conceyued in my thought that Melchysedech was the sone of god but after I haue byleued contrarye I praye the thenne that thou wylt praye to god for me / sende to me that I may knowe the trouthe Thenne the holy man prayed god / at th ende of thre dayes he sende worde to the bysshop / that Melchysedech was a man mortall / not the sone of god / sayeng that he hath had very knowleche / by that whiche god had shewed hym by an other all the patryarkes that haue ben syth Adam vnto the sayd Melchysedech And that the same angell among the other had shewed the sayd Melchysedech in namyng hym by his name / wherfore he was certayne that he had ben a man mortall / also that he was not the sone of god And by this moyen he was out of the errour / in whiche he had ben in to fore ¶ A yong childe named Effrem sawe in his slepe a vyne with so grete habuÌ„dauÌ„ce charge replenysshed with fruyt that all the byrdes of heuen eten therof / wenyng to mynysshe the fruyt / but the more they ete / the more cam agayne That is to saye that in tyme to come he shall teche all the erthe in good and vertuous operacoÌ„ns by prechyng holsom doctryne ¶ An other good holy man sawe in his slepe a legyon of angellys / descendyng from heuen whiche brought a boke wryten within without / the whiche myght not be opened as they sayd / but by the childe Effrem And hym semed that they delyuered to hym the boke afore sayd / he opened it On the morn Effrem began to teche all the worlde by predycacoÌ„n And by this vysyon the holy man knewe that it was by the vertue of the holy ghoost ¶ An holy fader named Iohan sawe thre monkes vpon the ryuage of the see / to whom was sayd Take wynges flee in to that partye And anone the two flewhe without payne / but the thyrde vnnethe myght flee / but he wette hym selfe ofte ¶ Ryght so is it in this worlde For some flee without payne lyghtly And ther ben ryche men and myghty whiche flee by vayne glorye amonge the worldely people hauynge therin all theyr desyres pleasaunces Other flewh in trybulacoÌ„ns paynes they were wete ofte by the water of hâ—â—ynes Alwaye in th ende they passed the see
the Ryuage / and after leyde hym in a shyppe / and ledde hym to Saynt Anthonye Now hadde Saynt Anthonye a custome / whan his dyscyple cam to hym for to sygnefye the comyng of ony people / whether they were of Egypte / or of Iherusalem And aboue this he had or deyned / whan hym semed that they were deuoute people / he sholde answere that they were of Iherusalem But and yf they were symple and ydeottis / he sholde saye that they were of Egypte Thenne Saynt Anthonye demaunded his dyscypl◠what people were come The dyscyple answered / fader some of theym be of Egypte / and the other be of Iherusalem Thenne saynt Anthonye made to theym good chere / and after all the nyght he was with theym in prayers orysons in admonestyng theym for theyr helthe In the whiche nyght after that he had called some that he knewe / he called thre tymes Eulogius / but he answered not / wenyng that he had called some other so named Thenne saynt Anthonye sayd to hym answere / for I speke to the that art come fro Alexandrye And thenne after sayd Eulogius / what wylt thou that I saye Saynt Anthonye sayd / wherfor art thou come hyther Thenne Eulogius answered sayd / he that hath shewed to the my name / shal also wel shewe to the / the cause of my comyng Saynt Anthonye sayd I knowe well wherfor thou art comen / but I wyll that thou saye it tofore all thy brethern Thēne began Eulogius to saye I foūde this seke man in the comyn waye despysed of euery man / I haue taken hym in promysyng to god to socoure hȳ in all his necessytees after my power / to the ende that fynably we both two myght be saued / haue ben .xv. yere togydre lyke as it hath ben shewed to you / but for as moche syth certayne tyme / he hath greued and molested me by grete Iniuryes I come vnto you to th ende that ye coūseyll me what I shal do therin I haue some tyme thought to put him awaye from me / as well by reason of the sayd Iniuryes / as for as moche as I can not contente hȳ Thēne answerde to hȳ saynt Anthonye moche rudely how hast thou dar thynke to put hym fro the. I assure the / that yf thou puttest hym out from the / he shall fynde an other that shall better thynke than thou By this answere was Eulogius soo abasshed that he wyst not what to saye That seeyng saynt Anthonye began to speke to the seke man / come hyther thou man vnworthy of heuen of the erthe / foull and Infecte / shalt thou not cesse to grudge and murmure ayenst the seruaunt of god / whiche for the honour of hym hath so benyngly the receyued After he went to his brethern and exhorted eche of theym after that he had necessyte Anone after he retourned to the seke man and to Eulogius and sayd to theym My brethern departe you not a sondre syth ye haue so longe lyued in peas And god shall vysyte you by his mercy grace / whiche hath suffred thyse aduersytees to come to you for to preue you For he knoweth that your ende is nygh / and ye shall be fynably crowned in beatytude euerlastynge And these wordes sayd they wente to theyr celles / and fourty dayes after Eulogius deyed / thre dayes after the seke man deyed / wente to our lorde ¶ An holy fader named Cronius sayd that saynt Anthony prayed an hole yere to god that he wolde shewe hȳ the place of good people the place of the euyll Thenne appyered to hym a geaūt so grete that he touched the clowdes / had vnder his feet a flood lyke vnto the see And furthermore he sawe soules flee lyke byrdes / all they that flewhe aboue the hondes of the geaunt were saued but they that flewhe lowe were plunged in the water And after this vysyon he herde a voys sayeng to hȳ / that the soules that flewh aboue the hondes of the geaūt were the soules of Iuste good people whiche wente strayt in to heueuen / but the other were they that wente to dampnacōn perdycōn for theyr voluptees and flesshely pleasaūces ¶ Of the drede of god THe psalmyste sayd that the drede of god is the begynnyng of sapyence And therfor in this chapytre is made mencōn of the same by suche an example ¶ A monke demaūded of thabbot Pyemon how the soule that dredeth not god / maye resyste the temptacōns Thenne answered the holy fader The soule somtyme dredeth god / but not whan it is tyme / and thus parfyghtly it may not withstonde the enemye yf it dredeth not actuelly For the drede of god is the cause of the grete perfeccōn of the soule ¶ A brother demaunded on a tyme of an olde fader / how the drede of god may come in the soule Thenne answerde the holy man sayeng / yf a man be humble / that he condempne no persone And also yf he be large to do almesse after his faculte he shall drede god ¶ An auncyent olde fader sayd to a Relygyous brother / that he ought to haue thre thynges in hym That is to wyte / the drede of god / parfyght humylyte / and pouerte of spyryte ¶ A monke cam and complayned to an aged fader sayeng to hym I haue an herte so enbarded that I can not drede my god / to whom the holy man sayd I byleue that yf a man take good hede in hym selfe Iugyng hȳ a synnar / that he sholde fere drede god After the brother asked what it was to saye to take hede of hym selfe Tehnne the holy man answered / he that taketh hede of hymself thynketh that he is a grete synnar / haue remembraūce of the grete Iugement of god / at the whiche euery man shall be / to rendre gyue acōptes of his werkes good euyl And for so moche yf a man thynke on this he shall fere drede god Here ben to be noted two thynges that engendren the drede of god / that one is very humylyte / that other is to thynke of the grete daye of the Iugement of god ¶ Here foloweth of the temptacyons of thenemye A Brother demaunded of thabbot Achyles how the deuylles had power ouer vs. To whome the holy man answered by our wylles For yf our wyll consented not to do euyll / it sholde be no synne In lyke wyse thenne / yf we submysed not our wyll to the deuyll / he sholde haue no power ouer vs. For by symylytude the trees be cutte hewen with an axe / whiche is helued with the selfe tree / yf it were not helued / it myght not be hewen All in lyke wyse is it of vs. For the tree sygnefyeth our soules / and the helues our wyll / and the axe the deuyll whiche maye not hewe without an helue /
temple sacred halowed or to marche come nygh the pauement of the same with thy feet whiche ben so moche foull pollute How darst thou lyfte vp thy handes to god out of whiche yet the blood of the Innocentes droppe out / how also darst thou receyue the precyoê° bodye and blood of Ihesu cryste / in thy mouth by the whiche hath be pronouÌ„ced the sentence furyous daÌ„pnable wycked / by whiche ben deed so many Innocentes seruauÌ„tes of god Seen thenne the gryeuous enormyte of thy caas I defende that his chirche / enioyne that to departe from hens / to th ende that to thy fyrste euyll thou put not therto the seconde And furthermore I exhorte the that thou bere pacyently the sentence of excomynycacoÌ„n ayenst the pronouÌ„ced / the whiche is the medecyne of thy soule Themperour seynge the constauÌ„ce laudable hardynesse of saynt Ambrose / by his remonstrauÌ„ces touched with the holy ghoost concluded in hyÌ„selfe to obeye hym / so retorned to his palays / where he abode and was by the space of .viij. monethes / with out to go or yssue out / wepyng there by grete contrycoÌ„n meruayllous habouÌ„dauÌ„ce of teeres / the detestable synne by hym coÌ„mysed And approchyng the feste of the natyuyte of our sauyour Ihesu cryste One his knyght stewarde of housholde named Ruffyn whiche was moche famylyer with hym seeyng his wepynges wayllynges / the whiche he had so longe contynued prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde declare to hyÌ„ the cause of the same To whom he answerd in this maner Alas my frende thou knowest not the gryeuous euylles ennoyes that I suffre I wepe for my grete myserye / the whiche I knowe excedeth all other / consyderyng that the yates dores of the chirche be opene to the poore seruauÌ„tes of god the whiche go whan theym seme good / but they ben shytte closed to me by right full cause / whiche is to me ouermoche gryeuous And god knoweth what grete syghynges wayllynges made his heuy desolate herte For they were so sorowfull so ofte renewed the oftymes they brake his wordes / in suche wyse that vnnethe he myght achyeue that he wolde saye Thenne the sayd knyght whiche was moche dyspleasauÌ„t gryeued of the desolacoÌ„n of his lorde maystre the Emperour sayd to hym that he wolde go to saynt Ambrose / sholde enforce hyÌ„ selfe to do so moche towarde hym that he sholde assoylle hym of the sayd sentence that he sholde be permysed to entre in to the chirche The whiche thyng the sayd Emperour byleued to be ryght harde to obteyne of the sayd saynt Ambrose / consyderyng the rygorous affeccoÌ„n that he had so sharply to punysshe to correcte thou defaultes coÌ„mysed in the vnreuerence of god This notwithstandyng the sayd Ruffyn transported hym to saynt Ambrose And themperour desyryng to knowe the answere / wente all a ferre after hyÌ„ / but incontynent whan saynt Ambrose sawe the sayd Ruffyn approche to hyÌ„ seeyng tofore what he wolde saye requyre of hym / began to saye to hym suche wordes or semblable in substauÌ„ce I meruaylle me of the Ruffyn how thou hast no shame to come hyther for to baye lyke an hounde in the face of god and of his sayntes Ruffyn suffryng pacyently the wordes of saynt Ambrose / and takyng in hym corage / notwithstandyng the grete rygour of theym kneled doun on his knees tofore hym in shewyng by alle humylyte the harde and meruayllous dyspleasaunce of the Emperour / whiche desyred none other thynge but to rendre yelde hym obeyssauÌ„t childe of the chirche / delybered and concluded in hymselfe to receyue and bere suche penaunce as sholde please to Saynt Ambrose to charge hym Saynt Ambrose consyderyng that Theodosius hadde be longe tyme without to come to hym / doubtyng yet of his obstynacye and pertynacyte sayd to Ruffyn / that it was dyffycle and harde to hym to byleue that whiche he sayd And with that he sayd to hym that the sayd Theodosius was not yet worthy to entre in to the chirche / but neuertheles whan he shall be aduertysed of his conuersyon he shall be content that he come to hym Thyse thynges thus sayd Ruffyn takynge leue of saynt Ambrose / retorned to the Emperour his maystre / to whom he reported that he was not yet well appeased / wherfore he couÌ„seylled that he sholde dyfferre yet a lytyll his gooyng to hym But neuertheles the Emperour beholdyng that he was nygh to the yates of the chirche where as saynt Ambrose was / delybered and concluded in hym selfe to go thyder to endure pacyently all Iniuryes and obprobryes that he wolde saye to hym in sayeng that he had well deserued theym / he thenne comyng to the yate of the sayd chirche presumâ—â—â—â— to entre within / but sente to saynt Ambrose humbly prayeng hym that it myght please hym for to assoylle hym of the sayd sentence of excomynycacyon Thenne cam to hym saynt Ambrose sayeng O Theodosiê° I haue horrour to see thy presence whiche is moche cruell For thou hast ouer moche inhumaynely shewed thy grete wodenes ayenst god in brekyng his holy lawes and coÌ„maundementes Theodosius answered A holy man I proteste that I entende not to do ony thyng ayenst the holy catholyke instytucoÌ„ns And I wyll not enforce me to entre by vyolence in to the chirche / but I praye the that it please the to doo to me that grace to assoylle me to vnbynde me of the sentence of excomynycacyon in whiche I am bounden / in prayeng god of forgyuenesse of my synnes / and to me openyng the yates of his chirche / the whiche he wolde sholde be opened vnto all veray penytauntes Thenne saynt Ambrose sayd to hym I wolde well knowe Theodosius / syth the horryble occysyon whiche thou haste commysed what medecyne haste thou gyuen to thy soule for to hele it of hyr mortall woundes To whom the Emperour answered It apperteyneth to the reuerende fader to gyue to me the penaunce / and to me to receyue it humbly Saynt Ambrose seeyng his grete humylyte sayd to hym For as moche as thou haste gyuen Iugement in horryble furour and noo thyng after reason I enioyne the that within .xxx. dayes next folowynge thou doo wryte and ordeyne a lawe that may be cause to auoyde thyne Ire And by the same lawe thou shalt knowe yf thyn opynyon shall be rightfull and Iuste / or vnrightfull / the whiche penaunce the Emperour receyued moche humbly And composed the same lawe whiche he wrote with his owen honde / wherof the tenour is this / yf an Emperour from hens forth condempne to deth one or many men / he shall be holden to doo withdrawe thexcecucyon vnto the .xxx. daye after the pronuncyacoÌ„n of the sentence / to the ende that he may knowe yf the same sentence be Iustely or wyckedly gyuen This lawe thus made / saynt Ambrose gaaf to the sayd
be declared herafter ¶ How in his yonge aege be distroyed the Ydollis / begynÌ„ith in latyn / ¶ Her enim c / Caplm .lv. THis sayde Pachomyen in hys yonge aege beynge yet a chyld was broughte by his parentes as to a temple of ydolatrye beynge by the ryuer of Nyle for to adoure and sacâ—rfye the ydolles / ¶ The preest sacrylege wold make sacrefyce whanne they were come after theyr dampnable and wycked lawe / ¶ But the deuyll wolde not gyue ansuere as he hadd be accustomyd to doo Wherof the folysshe preeste was moche abasshed / ¶ And fynably the deuyll shewed to the cursyd preest / that the goddis wolde yeue none ansue â—t but yt Pachomyen were expulsid oute of the same temple / ¶ His parentes were moche angrye whanne they sawe hym constrayned to departe from theym And wiste not what they sholde do ¶ A nother tyme he beinge replenysshyd wyth the grace of god / As one gaaf him to drynke of the wyne that had be sacrefyed to the ydolles / Incontynente he casted it vppe agayne by manere of vomyte Lyke as it hadde be poyson Notwythstondyng that he was not yet Crysten / ¶ How the sayde Pachomyen was taken for to goo on werre And beginÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Eodem tempore et cetera Caplm .lvi. IN the same tyme Constantyn obteynynge the Empyre of rome dide constrayne all the yonge men of his countree for to habylle put theim in armes for to serue hym in his warre / Emonge whom he was reteyned to wages / ¶ The sayde Pachomyen whyche thenne was in the aege of twenty yeres / After that he was put vppon the see / The wynde aroos / And made theym to arryue in a cyte in whyche dwelled Crysten men / ¶ Whanne they of the cyte sawe theym come lyberally they receyued theym / And honestly they admynystred to theym alle theyr necessitees / ¶ Pachomyen seengâ—â—â—yr charite and humanytee enquyred â—â— his felowes what men they were / Whyche ansuered to hym that they were crysten men / And that theyr custome was to be soo humble and charytable to alle the worlde Hopinge to haue therfore rewarde of their god ¶ Pachomyen herynge this was moche heuy in his herte for that he myght not haue none other knowlege of them ¶ Wherfore he made his prayer to god in sayenge / O god almyghty whyche haste made heuen erthe graunte thou to me my prayer That is that it playse the to giue me perfighte knowlege of thy name / And that I be delyuered of the oblygacyon in whyche I 'am bounde And I shall be thy seruaunt alle the tyme of my lyfe / ¶ And I promitte to the that I shall renounce the worlde for to beye the onely / He thenÌ„e retornynge frothe warre wyth his felowes they passyd by dyuerse countrees and Regyons in whiche some tyme Pachomyen was tempted wyth the synne of the flesshe / But neuertheles rmeÌ„bryng of the promise that he hadd made to god he resisted the temptacoÌ„n And wolde neuer coÌ„mise the sayd synne Desyrynge for the loue of oure lorde to lyue chastely / ¶ How Pachomyen receyued the holy Sacrament of baptim / And bgynnyth in latyn ¶ Igitur constantinus c Caplm lvii· IT happed that Constantyn the Emperour of Rome after that he was Crysten And that by the faythe credence that he hadde to god He hadde opteyned vyctorye agaynste his aduersaryes Concluded for to dyscharge his subgettes of the grete exaccyons and charges that they bare by cause of men of warre And to gyue theym leue and to sende theym home And soo he dyde / ¶ Pachomyen thenne seenge hymselfe delyuered of his seruyce IncoÌ„tynent came in to a towne called Smobostrum beynge beyonde the partyes of The haydes / ¶ And there in the chirche in acomplysshinge the promyse that he made to god Promtly he was baptysed But a merueyllous thynge happed after his baptesme / ¶ For in the same nyghte that he was crystened he sawe in his dreme / How in to his ryght bonde descended a dewe the whiche myraculously coÌ„uerted in to hony / ¶ After he herde a voys whiche sayde to hym O Pachomyen considre wel this that is happed to the. For this is the sygne of the grace that god hathe gyuen to the / ¶ Pachomyen was after enflammed wyth the grace of the holy ghoste / And rendred hymselfe wyth the relygyouse men for to lerne the state of holy and perfyghte life / ¶ How saynt Pachomien desirynge to be Heremyte or Relygyous / wente to the holy fader Palemon dwellynge in deserte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Andiuit autem / Caplm .lviii. AFter that Pachomyen herd say that in desertes was an holi man named Palemon moche deuoute contynuelly seruynge god He wente to hym and knocked atte his doore / ¶ And he opened halfe his doore / and demaunded of hym what he wolde â—â— what he soughte ¶ Now the holy man Palemon was terryble to beholde· By cause that by longe tyme lyuynge solytaryly he hadde ladde a strayt lyfe and harde in the deserte / ¶ Pachomyen ansuerde to hym moche humbly / Fayre fader I come to the by the coÌ„maundemente of my god to the ende that I â—e made and constytuted Relygios ¶ The holy fader sayde to him Thou mayst not be Relygyous here / It is not a lytyll thynge to be made Relygyous But he oughte well rypely to thynke the holy conuersacyon in whiche he oughte to liue / ¶ For many haue ben in desertes sayd the holy fader whiche haue not perseueryd in theyr begynnynges / ¶ Pachomyen ansuered that the maners in all persones ben not semblable / ¶ And therfore he prayed hym / that he wolde receyue hym And by succession of tyme he sholde knowe his courage and affecyon / ¶ The holy fader sayde to hym / My frende I haue sayde tofore that here thou mayste not be Relygyous / And therfore goo in to some Monastery of Relygyon / ¶ And whanne thou haste hâ—â—d in chastyte and contynence in obeyenge the rules of Religyon / ThenÌ„e shalte thou come agayne to me gladly I shall receyue the / ¶ But take hede what I shall saye to the / And waye it well tofore thou procede ony ferther / And I shall saye to the what thou shalte doo to gete the helthe of thy soule / I lyue here compentli ynough / ¶ For my custome is to ete oonly brede and salte I vse none oyle ne wyne / And I wake ordynarily tyll mydnyghte / And somtyne all the nyghte / Bisye some tyme in prayer A nother tyme in contemplacion Or otherwise ocupienge myselfe in some helthfull werke / ¶ Pachomyen whanne he had all herde Lyke as the dyscyples ben abasshed in the presence of theyr mayster / So he was somwhat abasshed in herynge the wordes of the holy man But this notwythstondynge he trustynge in the grace of god he purposyd alle to endure /
¶ And ansuered to the holy man Fayre fader / I haue ferme affyaunce in oure lorde Ihesu Cryste In whom I byleue fermely That he shall gyue to me strengthe and myghte to doo the penauÌ„ces that thou haste shewed to me / and that in the same by the ayde of thy prayers I shall perseuere constauntly alle the tyme of my lyfe / ¶ How Palemon the Heremyte gaaff to Pachomyen the habyte of Religyon And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Tunc sancâ—â—s Palemon / Caplm .lix. PAlemon· seenge the faythe of Pachomyen fynably receyuyd hym And gaaf to hym the habyte of Relygyon And dwelleden togyder dooynge grete abstynences wyth deuoute orysons and prayers passyng there the tyme of theyr lyf / ¶ Some tyme they made robes of heyre not oonly for the enterteynynge of theyr lyfe / But also for to socoure the poore / ¶ Whanne they were in prayer / And that Palemon sawe somtyme Pachomyen a slepe / by cause of the laboure that he tooke· For to eschewe that he sholde not slepe made hym for to bere sonde from one place to a nother And by the moyen of that excercyte He beynge heuy of slepe made hym to eschewe the slepe whiche is the nourysshment of all vyces and synnes ¶ After he admonested hym that he sholde be alway constaunt and perseuerynge in his good purpoos / And of alle thynge dyde the good Pachomyen hys prouffyte receyuynge humbly benygnely his charges correccoÌ„n of the sayde holy man Palemon / By whiche he augmented fro day to daye the perfyghte loue charite that he had to the mageste dyuyne / ¶ Here folowyth of his abstyneÌ„ce And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Per idem tempê° c. Caplm .lx. IN the same time happened the solempnite of Ester the whiche is halowed in grete deuocion spirytuell Ioye of al good true crysten people By cause that in the same daye many haue a custome to reioyce themself sobrely ¶ The holy man Palemon coÌ„maunded to Pachomyen that he sholde thynke of theyr refeccoÌ„n for the souper / ¶ Now as tofore is sayde theyr custome was to ete oonly brede salte / and to drynke water But for the reuerence of the solempnyte of the daye Pachomyen sette on the fyre of thise wyld coles wyth other herbes ¶ Whanne Palemon had made his prayers he came in to his chambre for to take his refeccoÌ„n the whiche he sonde all redy / For it was thenne euen / ¶ He perceyued that Pachomyen for the solempnyte of the sayd daye had made redy coles wyth oyle the whiche thinge seenge the holy man Palemon for a displaysure beganne to rubbe his face wyth his hondes in sayenge suche wordes / ¶ O my god my maker thou haste hadde soo moche harme payne on the crosse Sholde I ete oyle certaynly I sholde none ete / ¶ Pachomyen seenge that he was angry set it downe in sayenge that he had made it lyke as he had coÌ„maunded / ¶ And that he myghte well ete a lytyll / Neuerthelesse Palemon wolde none ete / but was contente wyth a lytyll brede and salte ¶ And after sayde graces to god lyke as he was acustomyd / ¶ Of a proude relygyous man whiche came for to vysite theym And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vna vero dierum· c Caplm .lxi. IT happed on a daye the a proude religyous man superstycyous came for to vysite theym / Now had they made a fyre for to warme theim For gladly denoute persones beynge occupyed in contemplacoÌ„n arne sooner colde than they that done other ocupacyons and werkes temporell Yf they ben not kept and conserued of god ¶ The brother beynge wyth theym seinge the fire beganne to saye / Yf one of you haue very fayth lete hym lye vpon thise hote coles and saye his Pater noster al a longe and I byleue certaynly that he shall not brenne / Palemon whyche knew his surquydrye sayd to him Broder saye noo more suche ydle wordes oute of reason For it sholde more auaylle the to be stille I se well wel that thou arte full of pryde of â—lacyon / ¶ The brother wold not be correte for ony thyÌ„ge that Palemon sayd to him but was more wollen in pride than tofore / And wythout necessyte layed hymself vpon the hote coles / ¶ And by suffraunce of god it happed that the deuyll prynce mayster of all prowde peple for more to dysceyue hym in tyme comynge kepte hym from brennynge / ¶ And after he departed from theym more fyers proude than he had be tofore / ¶ On the morowe he came agayne to the sayde holy men And ayen sayd to theym in repreuynge theym by his pryde sayenge Habrethern where is your faythe / The deuyll seenge his elacoÌ„n knewe that lyghtely he sholde make hym to falle in to what synne that he wolde / ¶ And chaunged him in lykenesse of a ryght fayr woman aourned arayed worldli and came and knocked att the doore of the prowde relygyous And he opened it And whan he was wythin sayd to him ¶ O my good brother I shall telle the wherfore I am come hyther / It is trouth that I am bounde to many my credytours the whiche for fawte of goode it to me not possyble to paye satysfye ¶ And yf by aduenture they fonde me I myghte renne in to grete doÌ„mage / Wherfore I am come hyther for to hyde me to th ende that they shall not fynde me / Wherfore I praye the in good charyte that thou wolte suffre me to so iourne here a lytyll tyme for to eschewe this Inconuenient And god whiche hathe adressed me to come to the for refuge shall thanke the / ¶ The relygyouse man was moche proude / wherfore god gaaf hym not the grace to knowe that it was the deuyll that spake to hym / ¶ And soo receyued hym to his dampnacoÌ„n· for Incontynent the deuyl tempted hym to the synne of lecherye TheÌ„ne he lyÈtly suffred to be ouercome / and wolde haue enbraced the deuyll in lykenesse of a woman / ¶ And thenÌ„e the deuyll threwe hym downe to therthe / and lay there longe as he had be deed But after certayne dayes he came agayn to hymself in his good mynde and knowleged his synne And wente and tolde it the holy fader Palemon / sayenge A. A holy fader I am cause of my perdicyon Thou warnedest me well but I poore vnhappy hane despysed thy wordes Wherfore I praye the that thou wolte praye god for me to th ende that I may haue remission of my synÌ„e ¶ Palemon Pachomyen seenge his lamentacyon cowde not holde them fro wepynge for pyte compassion that they had of hyÌ„ ¶ But the deuyll seenge that his contrycoÌ„n was not consonaunt to his wordes the whiche were fayned ful of ypocresie broughte him Incontynent oute of theyr presence / ¶ And soo thenne the poore myserable ranne thorugh the desertes as a foole oute of his