Barkynge and another But she sent spirituell moders for her to euery place and taryed her selfe in obedyeÌ„ce vnder her moder and seynt Edyth vsed alway whatso euer she dyd to make a Crosse â—her forhede and seynt DuÌ„stane wheÌ„ he came to halow a Church of seynâ—nys that she had buyldyd seynge her soo ofte make Crosses in her forhed prayde our lord that that thumbe shuld neuer rotte that made so many Crosses And at the masse he had knowlege geuyn to hym by our Lorde when she shulde dye And he sayde the wretchyd worlde was not worthy to haue such a lyghte And he was present at her deth which was the .xvi. kalendas of october aboute the yere of our Lorde .ix. C. fourscore .iiii. And she lyeth aâ— wyltone in the Church of seynt Denys that she had made .xiii. yere after her deê‘tynge she apperyd to Seynt Dunstan and tolde hym it was the wyll of oure Lorde that her Bodye shulde be translatyd And it was truthe and no illusion She tolde hym that he shulde fynde all her Bodye vncorrupte as it was vncorrupte fro Lybydiousnes Glotony And that her Feet Ieu Haudys which in her youthe she had mysusyd were corrupte excepte her thumbe that she had vsyd to Crosse her with he founde all as she sayde A monke of Glastonbury boldly cut of a pece of her Cote And it happenyd to touche her Body and the Blood folowed as if she had ben alyue And anâ—n he fell prostrate and wepte for his offence and when he râ—se agayne the blod was goâ—n ¶ De sancto Edmundo epÌ„o confessâ—â—â— SEynt edmonde was borne iÌ„ abyugdâ—â—â—n seynt Edmondys day the kynge and martyr And after hym he was callyd Edmonde hys Fader enteryd into relygyon And his moder lyuyd a blessyd lyfe â—he were the here a haberieouvppon it And she taught her sone to kepe vyrgynâ—te and to were the heer and eâ—ery holyday or he eâ—e he sayd the hooll â—auythâ—is Psalter And especyally he auowyd hymselfe to oure Ladye he vsyd to Faste euery Frydaye Brede and Water And he was so broughte vp in vertue that iÌ„ maner naturally he forsoke all euyll our Lorde apperyd to hym lyke a chyld And iesus nazarenus rex iudeoruÌ„ was Wrytten in his forhed And after that tyme he toke in vse euery oure to remember sumwhat of the Passyon as he was studyinge arythmetryke his moder then latlye deed apperyd to hym and made in her ryght hand .iii. serklys And wrote in theym the Fader the sone and the holy goost and bad hym fro thens forthe take hede of tho fygures The herys of his hed and berde for great abstyneÌ„ce went away he wolde hexe no Seculercausys He wolde make couenaunte with his seruauntys that they shulde be â—lene of theyr Bodyes or departe his seruyce he had such honoure to holy scrypture that he neuer openyd the Byble but be kyssyd it his olde herys if they were leyde in the Fyre wolde not burne As he studyed in the nyght his candell fell vppon his byble and it burned not And he was electyd Busshope of Caunterbury or he were ware And he sayd but that he dred that he shulde haue dyspleasyd almyghtye god if he had refusyd he wolde neuer haue assâ—tyd he was all tymes redye to forgeue them that had offendyd hym And to take theym agayne into famylyaryte And some aboute hym sayde he gaue therbye occasyon to the people to offende hym And he sayde our Lord dyd not resyâ—â—e And seyde that the punysshement of offensys is to be referryd to hym and not to be doon by maÌ„ This blessyd man had great trouble dyspleasure for the lybertyes of the Churche wherfore he toke counceyle of other prelatys what was to be doon therin And it was thought that he shuld admonysshe the Kynge and other offenders to ceasâ— And so he dyd and the Kynge toke a day of aduysement And at that day no amendement was had and yet pacyently he taryed many dayes And wheÌ„ he sawe there was noon admendement he gaue sentence into other offenders And sparyd the Kynge And when he sawe that yet they were not compuÌ„â—te he thought better to geue place to theyr malyce then to do the streyghtnes of the lawe specyally seynge the 〈◊〉 legate was then in Englonde and myght percase haue adnullyd all that he had doon wherfore he weÌ„t ouer the see to poÌ„tiniacum And there he fell syke And so he wente to fasyacum And promysyd to be there agayne at pontiniacum in the feest of seynt Edmonde Kynge martyr And so he was to be buryed and there he lyeth And at his departynge he had suche great honour and feruour to the sacrament of the aulter that it may be exauÌ„ple to other men At his toumbe Blynde men haue recoueryd theyr syghte Lame men theyr goinge dome men theyr speche deffe men theyr herynge Men obsessyd of deuyllys haue ben delyueryd And deed men haue ben reysyd fro Deth to Lyfe And in the yere of our lorde god a Thousande two hundred and fyftye the monkes at pontynyacense cut of his Arme for what concyderacyon it is not knowen and after the Myracles cessyd ¶ De sancto Edmundo rege et martite SEynt edmonde was borne in saxony And was sone to the kynge Alcmunde whiche was of kynne to offa kynge of eest Englonde And as kynge Offa hauynge no chyldren was goynge to Iherusalem he went by kynge alkmuÌ„de And there seynt EdmoÌ„de gaue hym suche dylygent attendaunce that he lykyd hym moche And when he departyd he shewyd to EdmoÌ„de a Rynge and bad hym if he sent to hym by the tokyn the he anon shulde execute that he desyryd And when Kynge Offa at the arme offeynt George fell syke to the deth he delyueryd the Rynge to his seruauntys and bounde theym by an othe that they shulde delyuer it to Edmonde And take hym with theym And make hym kynge of â—est Englonde and so they dyd And anone he was humble benygne to his subiettys goynge in the veray ryght way of a Kynge And was a fader to wydowes and orphanes And to all men that were deâ—tytute a specyall reâ—uge and helpe And after in the tyme of the persecucyon of the danes for that he wolde not forsake the fayth of our Lorde he was taken by the Danes hunguar and hubba and was bounde to a stocke and shot with arrowes so that he was lyke to an Irchyn And when they sawe that in all that marterdome he cryed vppon our Lord they stroke of his hedde and hyd it in a wood And when the warre was sumwhat appesyd crysten men sought the hedde in the wood And asoon of them cryed to anoder where arte thou the hed answeryd thryse here here here and so it was founde And a great Wolfe kepte it bytwyxte his Leggys And so it was takyn vp and leyde to the Body And was buryed honorably And after when his Body was remouyd he was founde vncorrupte
of god our Lorde crist Ihesu And a merueylous ston fell into his mouthe And as seynt Egbyne helde our Lorde in his armys he lokyd vp and sawe beuyn open and a crosse apperyd vppon the hed of our lorde and Aūgellys came to mete hym And so he assendyd seyinge vnto theym bycause ye haue not refusyd me in my trouble I shall not refuse you in the kyngedom of heuyn And so he was receyuyd into heuyn and seynt winwalogus arettyd it to the merytys of seynt Egbyn for his great obedyence And seynt Egbyn referryd it to seynt wynwalogus for his order of presthode And after seynt Egbyn went into Irlonde and there made a Churche helyd a lame man reysyd a Chylde fro deth and when he was nyghe foure score yere olde thre he yeldyd his spirit to our lorde the .xiiii. kalendas of Nouember ¶ De sancto Egwino ep̄o confessore SEynt egwyn was of the Kyngys blood of marsshes lyuyd a Relygyous lyfe at worcestre leuynge all pleasure of Tēporall thyngys He toke order of Presthod gaue hym all to lyue a cōtēplatyf lyfe by holle assent of the Kynge ethel drede of his people he was made busshop of worcestre after that he vsyd moche p̄chynge here prouyd the people of theyr vnlaw full matrymony And other synnys soo terryble that of malyce they rose agaynste hym with feyned tales putte hym out of his see And complaynyd of hym not only to the kynge but also to the 〈◊〉 And so he disposyd hym selfe to goo to Rome And thoughe he knewe he had not offendyd the worlde yet for offencys doon to almyghty god he fetteryd his Leggys to geder and lokkyd the fetters and threwe the key into the ryuer of auyn And soo he wente feterd to Rome there as he was prayenge in seynt peters Church he sent his seruauntys to bye mete And the key was founde in a fysshes bely that his seruātys had bought And so he vnfetteryd hym selfe And that Myracle fyllyd all Rome moche people cam to se hym and to haue his blessynge And the 〈◊〉 herynge of his great laboryouse Iourney and of the sayd myracle sent for hym And had hym in great famylyaryte a herynge the cause of his commynge he sent hym Downe ageyne to his see And the kynge herynge his myracles and vertues was very gladde and restoryd hym agayne to his see And gaue hym a grounde wherin he foundyd the abbey of Euyshame And he buyldyd it in a place there as our Ladye apperyd to hym and also to a shepherde and for foundacyon therof he went agayne with off a Kynge of est Englonde and with kenred kynge of Marshes to rome And had great auctoryte fro the 〈◊〉 for the foūdaciō therof he alway were the heer and say often in asshes and were a gyrdell with knottys next his bare skyn and with drewe his mynde holly fro the worlde worldly thynges And gaue hym to contemplacyon redynges fastynges and vigyllys and especyally to prechynge and when he had ben longe syke And alwayes thankyd our Lorde therof He callyd his bretherne to hym shewyd theym the very perfyght way of good lyuynge and exortyd them to beware that the worlde deceyuyd theym not so full of good werkys he lefte this present lyfe aboute the yere of oure Lorde seuyn C. .xx. the thyrde kalendas of Ianuary And he lyeth at euesham our lorde hath shewyd for hym many myracles bothe in his lyfe and after his deth ¶ De sancta Elfleda virgine abbatissa SEynt Elfied was borne in Englond And when her moder was with chylde with her she sawe ī her slepe a thynge lyke a shynynge beame of lyghtenynge descend vppon her Hedde And it taryed there a longe tyme And whē she was borne the more she grew in age the more she wantyd the Ambycyousnes of all flesshelye pleasures And after her faders deth her moder by her faders wyll gaue his mansyon that he dwellyd in callyd clare to the monasterye of Romsey and after her moder toke a noder husbonde And then as is ofte seen in suche case enfled lakkyd oftymes that that she nedyd wher fore Kynge Edgare remembrynge the good seruyce of her fader put her to the monastery of Romsey vnder the Abbesse merwenne she louyd her as her owne doughter And broughte her vppe in all vertue And on a tyme her candell fell oute and the fyngers of her ryght hande gaue lyght to all that were aboute her when she was therfore the more honouryd of her systers she studyed to be therfore the more Meke obedyent And after when she was made abbesse no man can tell the almes that she gaue nor the prayers wepyngys that she vsyd aswell for her selfe as for the people on a tyme when she was with the quene she went in the nyghtys into the water was there in prayer And on a nyghte the quene seynge her goo furthe suspectyd it had ben for incontinence and folowyd whē she sawe her goo into the water sodēly she was astonyed went in maner oute of her mynde turnyd in agayne cryenge coulde take no reste tyll seynt Elfled prayed for her seyinge lorde forgyue her this offēse for she wiste not what she dyd And soo she was made hoole whē she was reprouyd as a waster of the goodys of the monasterye certeyn money that she had geuyn in almys by hyr prayer was put into the Baggys agayne when she had lyuyd many yerys in good lyfe she went to our lorde the fourth kalendas of Nouember aboute the yere of our Lourde .ix. C. and .lix. ¶ De sancto Elpheger archiep̄o martyre SEynt elphege was borne in Englōde and in his youthe he was so apte to lernynge of cōnynge vertue that his fader moder marueylyd at his capacyte let hym to scole and after his Faders deth he forsoke his enherytaūce and his moder that louyd hym tenderly he lefte And enteryd into relygyon at deherst and he prophyted to all men that he colde And those that he coulde not prophet to he studyed that he hurtyd theym not and after he cam to bathe where he lyuyd a merueylous lyfe of penaunce And there a great cōpany of Monkys anon resortyd vnto hym And when there was great varyaunce bytwyrte the clerkys and monkys for eleccyon of the busshope at wynchester seynt Andrew apperyd to seynt Dunstane and bad hym chose Elphegus And soo he was electyd And after when seynt Dunstane knewe he shulde dye he prayed to our lorde that Elphegus myght be his successour at caūterbury And so he was at this tyme Danys moche oppressyd this Realme And this blessyd man wolde preche to them the worde of god wolde redeme theym that were in captyuyte and fede theym that were oppressyd with hunger And after when the Cytie of Caunterbury was destroyed by Danys thrughe coūsell
and Water After by assent of her Fader and Modershe was made a Nunne And by her exaumple .xii. other noble virgyns enteryd also in to relygyon And by the helpe of the Kynge she made a Monasterye where she lyuyd in Fastyngys and contynuell Prayers a Hundred tymes on the Daye as many tymes of the Nyght she prayed knelynge the Deuyll enuyed her And to haue deceyuyd her he apperyd lyke our Lorde with Aungellys and bad her come and worshyp hym whom she had longe seruyd And by Spyryte she knewe hym and dyspysyd hym And so he went awey with a great stenche and she contynued in prayer quyetlye and without fere And thenne the Deuyll mouyd the Kynge alger to desyre her to his voluptuous pleasure so that the Kynge sent his seruauntys for her when they coulde not haue her assente to come to the Kynge And wolde therfore haue takyn her by Strength they were anon strykyn Blynde And by desyre of all the people that came to that spectacle she made them see agayne And the same nyght an AuÌ„gell apperyd to her and bade her goo to Chamyssyde And there she shuld fynde a Bote and a yonge man prepayryd by our Lorde to conuey her for the Kynge wolde come to take her awaye so she wente to Chames and in an houre space with two Susters she was conueyed in the sayde bote .x. myles And sodeynly the bote the rower were gon there they lyuyd in a wyldernesse .iii. yerys in great abstyneÌ„ce vigillis and prayers And when the Kynge in the Mornynge coulde not fynde her in a great Ire he studyed to destroy the Towne wherfore when he came to the north yate He was stryken blynde and for his offence as it is sayde it is prohybytyd to Kyngys of Englonde to come within the Towne of Oxforde to this day And after .iii. yerys she came agayne and made an Oratory at thornbury by Oxforde there by her Prayers sprange a feyre welle On a tyme when she came to Oxforde all the people met her And a fowle lepoure prayed her in the name of god to kysse hym and so she dyd and anon he was made hoole as she was praynge an AuÌ„gell tolde her that she shuld dye the .xiiii. kalendas of nouember And so he went fro her and lefte her seke of the Axes And when her strength was moche goon fro her she sawe seynt Katheryne and seynt Cecylye whom she had euer moche worshyppyd And as she cryed to theym I come Ladyes I come she went to oure Lorde the sayd .xiiii. kalendas of Nouember And anon came a great Lyght into the house that fyllyd all the house And the towne full of a goodly swete â—auoure And she Lyeth in Oxforde ¶ De sancto furseo abbate confessore SEynt furse was borne in Irlonde And was broder to seynt Foillane He was feyre and chaste of Bodye deuoute in mynde full of Grace good Werkys And fro his youth he was brought vppe in holy Letters and lernynge of Relygyon And on a tyme when he was seke and was seyinge his euynsonge a grete derkenes fell aboute hym And he was brought in maner as he hadde ben deed Then he sawe thre Aungells come to hym And he herde theym synge ibunt sancti de virtute invirtutem and other merueylous swete songes And after Deuyllys before our Lorde leyde many thyngys agaynste hym and the AuÌ„gellys defendyd hym fro theyr accusacyons and fro great terryble Fyres that he sawe and fro all other daungers excepte that he had takyn a gowne of oon that was a synner to Praye for hym And the Deuyll threw that man vppon hym which burnyd his shulder so sore that it was seen vppon hym euer after Then the Aungellys bade hym loke into the worlde And he sawe the worlde lyke a great Ualsy wherin were foure Fyres And the Aungellys sayd that tho Fyres consume all the worlde The fyrste is the fyre of lyinge in that that men at theyr Baptysme promyse to forsake the Deuyll and all his werkys and do not The seconde is the fyre of couetyse when men set the loue of the worlde before the loue of Heuenly thyngys The thyrde is the Fyre of discencyon when men fere not to offende theyr neyghboures for veyne thynges And the fourth fyre is of wyckydnes when great men fere not to robbe and spoyle pore men And as he lokyd vp he sawe a great company of AuÌ„gellys in heuyn harde them synge sanctus sanctus sanctus dnÌ„s deus sabaoth therby he was moch coÌ„fortyd sayd it was great ioy to here that heueÌ„ly songe then two holy Busshoppys that lately were gon to heuyn apperyd to hym that he shuld goo to the worlde ageyne wherfore he was very heuy And they shewyd hym that there is no sacryfyce more acceptable to our Lord then pacyence myldenes of herte wherby all Aduersyteys Hurtys in truste of the resurreccyon to come be gladlye takyn many goodlye thynges notable lernyngys be in the vysyon of this blessyd man that for shortnes be here omyttyd A yere after that he was come to hymselfe as he was syke an Aungell apperyd to hym sayd he shulde yet lyue xii yerys in prechynge the worde of god And so he came to sygybert Kynge of eest Englonde of whome he was gladly receyuyd And at knoberesburgh he made a Monasterye when so euer he talkyd of his vysyon though it were colde wynter he swette for fere And after he lefte the cure of the Monasterye to his Broder seynt Foyllane and he went into Fraunce there made a Monasterye at Latynyacum He lefte this worlde the .xvii. kalendas of February and lyeth at perona .iiii. yere after his buryenge his Bodye was remouyd was fouÌ„de vncorrupte He departyd about the yere of our Lord .vi. C. .xxxvi. ¶ De sancto Gylda abbate confessore SEynt gylda was a Kynges sone of scotlande in his youth he was lernyd in the Artes lyberall after he went into Fraunce there he was .vii. yere and fro thens he came into Brytayne where many scolers resortyd to hym He fastyd lyke an Heremyte And euer was busye in Prayers were the heer he lyuyd w e Barly breed made with asshes dranke water neuer eete Flesshe And in the nyghtys he sayde certeyne Prayers in the water takynge his slepe vppon a stone And the Heuenly rewardys were alwayes in his desyre And he taught his dyscyples to despyse all that was traÌ„sytorye on a tyme as he prechyd in the CouÌ„trey of Epydane his voyce was stoppyd sodeynly when all the people merueylyd therat he bad them all goo out of the Church that he myght knowe whether any of them were the cause therof And at laste Nunnyta moder of seynt Dauyd then beynge with Chylde was founde in the Churche and then he sayd that she shuld haue a blesshyd Chylde that no man in his tyme shulde be
they toke with them interpretours out of Fraunce and they landyd in the I le of Tannet and Ethelbertus was then kynge in Kent and he had maryed a Lady of the Kynges blode of Fraunce which was Cristened And wheÌ„ they shuld mete the Kynge they brought before them a Crosse and an Image of our Lord And when seynt Augustyne had made a loÌ„ge sermon to the Kynge of the power of our lorde of his passyon and resurreccyon of the entent of theyr coÌ„mynge that it was to haue hym forsake Idollys and beleue in our lorde and so to come to an euerlastinge kyngedom the Kynge fayde bycause they were come fro farre countres to shewe hym that they thought was best he wolde receyue theym fauorably and mynystre to theym suche as they neded but as to chauÌ„ge his beleue that his auncestoures had so longe kepte he wolde take respyte therein and so he appoynted theym a lodgynge in CauÌ„terburye and gaue theym lycence to conuerte as many as they coulde and after the Kynge seynge theyr blessyd lyfe Myracles that they dyd was conuerted And seynt Augustyne was made archebusshope of Caunterbury of the Busshope of Arelatense and anone seynt Augustyne sent to rome to seynt Gregory certayn interrogacions wherto seynt gregory answered at great leÌ„gth as iÌ„ the LegeÌ„de apperyth also seynt Gregory wrote dyuers goodly Epystles to the Kynge ethelbert to the quene to seynt Augustynâ— to seynt mellyte amoÌ„ge other thynges he dispraysyth moche the vse in some contreys that women do not norysshe theyr owne Chyldren and exorteth theym to do it and seynt Augustyne with the helpe of the kynge Ethelberte had a great metynge with the Busshopes and clergye of Wales to refourme the tyme of kepynge of Estre dyuerse other thynges that they vsed agaynste the good ordre of the Churche and to haâ—e theym charytably by coÌ„mon assent mynystre the worde of god to the people and they Refused and whenne Seynt Augustyne hadde helyd a blynde Man in prouynge that theyr Tradycyons were not good yet they toke loÌ„ger respyte to a nother day at that day they retourned wtout makynge accorde by cause seynt Augustyne rose not to them when they came which they Iudged to be of pryde and many of the famous monasterye of BaÌ„gor wherin were .xxi. hundred Monkys were there at that day wherfore moch parte of theÌ„ were after destroyed by Ethelfrydus kynge of Northamhumbre a pagaÌ„ bycause it was shewyd hym they came to praye for a Kynge that was his enemy And seynt Augustyne went to yorke on foote to Preche there he helyd oon of the Palsey and there he cristened aboue .x. thousande people And as he went fro theÌ„s he helyd a lepoure at Cerne in dorset shyre our Lorde apperyd to hym And famylierly spake to hym and conforted hym and sayde he was with hym in all that he dyd and in the place where our Lorde stode he sette his staffe and there sprange vppe a fayre Welle whenne he was at Cumpton in oxforde shyre it was shewyd hym that the lord there wolde not pay his tythes after as he was goynge to masse he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that no man accursed shulde abyde within the Churche And anon a deed Body arose and went into the Churcheyarde and seynt Agustyne went to hym and askyd what he was he sayde he was somtyme Lorde of that maner and because he wolde not pay his tythes he was Accursyd by the Curat and so he Dyed And anon the curat by commaundement of seynt Augustyne rose and there assoyled hym so they fell agayne to Asshes when he that denyed payment of his tythes had seen this he fell downe to the foot of seynt Augustyne and confessyd his offeÌ„ce euer after was discyple to seynt Augustyne he went alwayes on foot somtyme barefoot and with longe knelynge he had great calles on his knees and in his tyme kynge Ethelberte made seynt poules Churche in LoÌ„doÌ„â— he made two Busshoppes oon at London anoder at Rochester he went out of this world the .vii. kalendas of Iune lyeth at CauÌ„terbury he was translatyd in the yere of our Lorde god a. M. lxxxxi the thyrde day before the natyuyte of our Lady ¶ De sancto Bartholomeo monacho SEynt bartylmew was borne in the prouynce of whithe and in his youth he sawe with his bodelye eye our Lady seynt Peter seynt IohnÌ„ euaÌ„gelyst our Lady with a plesaunte countenauÌ„ce bad hym kys the steppes of her sone and aske of hym mercy and wheÌ„ he lay ê“strate and cryed thryse haue mercy on me our Lorde answeryd I haue mercy on the and for euer shall haue mercy on the and after he entred into relygyon at Duresme And as he knelyd before the crucyfyx he sawe in spyryte the crucyfyxe bowe downe to hym and take hym in his armes kysse hym And he lyued in grete humilite obedyence suche werkes of god as other Bretherne dyd forgette or coulde not doo he wolde perfourme for he wolde sey that oon Brother shuld euer helpe fourthe a nother And after by monycyon of Seynt Cuthberte he wente to the I le of Pharnense for that place he sayde was ordeynyd for hym of God and there he lyuyd a Strayghte and Blessyd lyfe many yerys And a lyfe of great exauÌ„ple in his dyet Fastynge Prayenge and in his apparell And he was of suche reuerence and goodly demeanoure that Ryche proude men were aferde to appere afore hym And at his desyre wolde â—ote tymes cease fro hurtyng of poure men And he was full of Charyte to syke men poure men alwaye couÌ„ceylyd theym to lede theyr lyfe in Pacyence the Deuyll hadde great malyce to hym apperyd to hym somtyme lyke a Lyon lyke a Bulle or lyke an Ape and ones he laye so heuy vppon hym and helde his Throte so harde that he had well nere fayled vnder hym and as he cryed oure Lady helpe he was delyuered And he was wonte to saye that the wycked spyryt was but frayle and lyke Smoke and soon wolde be ouercoÌ„me And on a nyghte he sawe seynt Cuthbert come vysybly to the Aulter and make hym redye to saye Masse And he helpyd hym to Masse to the ende And the I le of Pharnense is full of Byrdys that be callyd seynt Cuthbertys Byrdys And one of theym hadde loste her Byrde in a Rocke and she came and pullyd seynt bartylmewe by the Skyrte and ledde hym to the place And soo he toke out the Byrde and anone they wente into the water and he knewe the tyme of his Deth .ix. yere before he Dyed And he dyed on mydsomerday lyeth in the I le of Pharnense c. ¶ De sancto Benedicto cognomento Biscop SEynt benet Byscop was of noble Blode of Englonde and hadde great possessyons geuyn hym by Kynge oswy which he refused and entred into Relygyon in the I le of lyxmense and whenne he had ben there .ii.
kyllyd with Wolfes which he accompted to be his defaute wherfore he dyd great penauÌ„ce many yerys and the Deuylle temptyd hym to make of stone Brede and to the contrary he made of Brede a stone that yet remaynyth at Bertesmesley and after he wente with seynt Guthlake fro kependon to Croulande there he lyuyd with hym many yerys in great penaunce doynge And when seynt Guthlake was goon oute of this transytorye Lyfe And seynt Bertelyn hadde seen hym Buryed he retourned agayne to his Fader And he gaue hym the grouÌ„de where staff is now Buyldyd theÌ„ beynge growen with Busshes breerys to lyue therin a solytary Lyfe but his fader knewe not that it was his sone And after his faders deth a Kynge that enteryd the Realme by myght wolde haue takyn the grounde fro hym vnder coloure of lawe and offerde to ioyne batayle therfore And by an Aungell that was his champyon he defendyd it and after that the Kynge and all the people louyd hym as theyr owne Father And he aduoydynge teÌ„porall honoure Lefte that place and Lyued in Deserte placys in prayers vygyll endyd this Lyfe the .v. Ious of September And at Stafforde our Lorde hathe she â—â—yd for this holy man many great Myracles De sancto Cadoco epÌ„o SEynt cadoke was sone to Kynge guÌ„dlens and before his byrthe there were seen in the Chaumber where is moder was .iiii. LauÌ„pes at .iiii. corners of the Chaumber with a great lyghte And when he was borne an AuÌ„gell bad the Kynge take a holy Eremyte which on the morowe shulde come vnto hym to crysten his sone And the same Nyght of his Byrthe all the Cellers were founde full of Oyle and Hony And when he came to age in vyle habyt he vsyd to be at the Church And at nyghte he toke a lytell Brede and Water and all that he had he gaue to poure men And when he was desyryd to play he wolde go to the Churche and pray cryenge out of the blyndenesse of man that euer couetyd traÌ„sitorye thynges and forsoke thynges euerlastynge seyinge that when the dredefull day of our Lord shall come laughynge shall be tournyd into waylynge and waylynge into Ioye This blessyd man was a man of great perfeccyon And had synguler gracys of oure Lorde as in his Lyfe apperyth which be here omyttyd he was thryse at Iherusalem and .vii. tymes at Rome And by the gyfte of our Lorde he spake in dyuerse langages And by his prayer a Quene that was Barayne conceyuyd had a sone that after was his successoure by his prayers a great Derkenes fell aboute a Kynge that wolde haue dystroyed his Countrey so that the Kynge myght se nothynge And when the Kynge repentyd hym the lyghte came agayne He conuertyd moche people in Scotlande there reryd a gyant that had ben many yerys deed was in Hell His monastery was in wales .iii. myle fro conbrydge and as he was comynge fro seynt myghellys mouÌ„te in Cornewalle and was very drye he strake his staffe in the grouÌ„de a fayre watersprange vp therby is a Churche buyldyd in honoure of his name after by the porueyaunce of god he was made Abbot of beneuen tane beyonde yâ— see he was sodeynly had thyder by auÌ„gels and there he was namyd sophye And after he was made Busshope there And as he was seyinge masse he was stryken to the deth by company of a Tyraunt that came to destroye the Cyte and he had grauntyd to hym of our Lord that who so euerbeynge in trouble callyd to hym for helpe our Lorde shuld delyuer hym And soo he yeldyd his spirit to our Lord the .ix. kaleÌ„das of February ¶ De sancto Carodoco SEynt carodoke was borne in wales and in his youth he went to Lernynge after he was in seruyce with the Prynce of south wales there he had the kepynge of two Greyhoundes for Lesynge of them the kynge thret hym with great Punysshement of deth And then Carodokesayde he wolde serue a Mayster that wolde geue a better rewarde to his sernauntys And so he went to Landanense and there he toke orders and after went to seynt Dauythys and there he toke order of preesthod and encreacyd fro vertue to vertue the Deuyll on a tyme apperyd to hym vysybly in lykenes of a man he knew hym feryd hym nothynge the deuyll offeryd hym his seruyce And he sayde he wolde none of his seruyce And after he was in the prouynce of Rosence at the Monastery of seynt Ismaell there the see by his prayers went fro the Monasterye a great space and he knewe by reuelacyon as he was at masse the certeyne daye of his Deth he dyed of the Ares in the yere of oure Lord a. M.a. C. .xxiiii. is buryed at seynt Dauythis many yerys after his body was founde vncorrupte And when a monke of malmesbury of deuocyon wolde haue cut of oon of his fyngers for a Relyke He closyd his hande and drewe it awaye wherfore the Monke ferynge askyd mekely forgyuenesse ¶ De sancto carantoco SEynt carantoke was sone to Kynge keredicus And when the people wolde haue made hym kynge he fled awaye rather folowynge the wyll of God theÌ„ the fauoure of the people a whyte doue wente before hym to a place where he made a Churche after he went into Irlande for loue of seynt Patryke about .xxx. yere before seynt Dauyd was Borne and he dyd many Myracles And wyther soo euer he went an Aungell in lykenes of a doue accompanyed hym and Daylye and nyghtlye he sayde Innumerable of prayers And when he hadde conuertyd moche people in Irlande he came agayne into his owne countrey at Keretyca And there our Lorde gaue hym an Aulter that no man coulde tell of what Coloure it was and he put it into Seuerne and badde it goo before hym thyder as oure Lorde wolde he shuld fynde it And after at the desyre of Kynge arthour he kyllyd a Serpent And the Kynge of his Aulter wold haue made a table and what so euer he set appon it was caste a way and then it was caste into the see And there as it came vppe the Kynge gaue hym the twelfyth parte of the grounde and there he made a Churche and after by monycyon of an Aungell he went agayne into Irlande And there in great Age full of good werkys he went out of this worlde the .xvii. kalendas of Iune and is Buryed in a Cytie callyd chernac ¶ De sancto cedd episcopo confessore SEynt Cedd and thre other Prestys were sente by Oswy kynge of Northamhumbre with peada Kynge of mydle Englonde which hadde marryed his Doughter to Instructe hym and his people in the feythe And the sayde peada was Crystenyd before by the Busshope fynanus And there seynt Cedd with his companye conuertyd moche people to the Faythe after he was takyn fro thens by kynge Oswy And was sent to Sabertus Kynge of
in Penaunce that he shuld not were his Crowne of .vii. yere and that he shulde faste twyse euery weke whiche Penaunce the Kynge dyd And after seuyn yere he were his Crowne agayne whiche Penaunce doynge was great Ioye to all the realme And this blessyd man full of good werkys wente to oure Lorde the .xiiii. kalendas of Iune And he was Buryed at CauÌ„terbury and after was translatyd to Glasâ—â—â—buâ—y And he prophycyd that great and longe Punysshement shulde falle vppon the people of Englonde by estrauÌ„ge nacyons and that there in the ende of dayes the mercy of our Lorde shulde fall â—ppon theym De sancta Eauswida virgine abbatissa SEynt eauswyda was doughter to the Kynge son to kynge ethelbert Edbaldus And fro her youthe she forsoke the pompys of the worlde and enducyd her Fader to make her an Oratorye at Folkstan that she myghte in virgynyte serue our Lorde And as the oratory was in buyldynge the kynge of NorthamhumbroruÌ„ which was a paynym desyryd to haue her in maryage and her Father counceylyd her therto and praysyd the Kynge moche And she sayd if he coulde in the name of his goddys make a beame of her Oratorye which was to shorte longe I nough she wolde assente to hym if not she desyryd to be let a lone And the kynge trustynge in his Goddes gladly assentyd And when he hadde longe Prayde all was in vayne that he dyd and soo he went away with shame And thenne the virgyn Prayed in the name of oure Lorde And anone her Prayer was herde and the Bame made longe Inoughe And so the Kynge departyd And by her prayer water came agaynste the Hylle fro a Towne callyd Swecton to her oratory And it came by a noder Ryuer and yet Ioynyd not with it foure Bretherne of great Ryches denyed to geue Dysmes to seynt Eauswyda And after many yerys iii. of theym were compuncte and aduertysyd the .iiii. to goo with them to her sepulcre to doo penaunce and make satysfaccyon and he denyed it And anon the Deuyll enteryd into hym And soo his Bretherne bounde hym And broughte hym to her Aulter And anone he was made Hoolle and Payed his Tythes And she wente fro this present lyfe the day before the kaleÌ„das of september And bycause her church was dystroyed with the see her bodye was brought to Folkstane ¶ De sancto Eata epÌ„o confessore WHen seynt Oswalde had opteynyd the kyngdomes of Deyre Bernysshe had sent for seynt Aidan to instructe his people in the feythe of our Lorde seynt Aidan toke .xii. Englysshe chyldren to Instructe whereof â—ata was oon which anon folowyd the exaumples techynges of his maister And after he enteryd into Relygyon and was made abbot of Mayâ—rose otherwyse callyd menrose And thenne he shewyd to his Bretherne moo tokyns of mekenes and charyte then he dyd before And he made many monasteryes and gaderyd many dyscyples wherof seynt Cuthbert was oon And after he was made Abbot of lyndyffernens that nowe is callyd the holy Ilonde And after he was electyd Busshope of hagustaldeÌ„se with great gladnes of all the people he was busy iÌ„ prayenge dylygeÌ„t in exortynge the people ententyffe to geue Almes And what soeuer he knew by the holy goost was to be don besyly deuotlye he wolde se it to be doon And he endyd this lyfe of a sykenes callyd the Dyssentory by longe and greuous contynuaunce And lyeth at Hagustaldense Thomas archbusshope of yorke wolde haue translatyd hym to yorke And on the nyghte before he wolde haue traÌ„slatyd hym seynt Eata apperyd to hym and tolde hym that he had attemptyd to do that that was not the wyll of our Lorde shulde be doon And so he cessyd that enterpryse ¶ De sancta Ebbavirgyne abbatissa SEyntebba was syster to Kynge Oswy And she forsoke the worlde and all the pleasure therof was made a Nonne of seynt Fynan Busshope of Lyndyffernense and after she was Abbes of the Monastery of Coludy now callyd coldynghm .vi. mylys fro Berwyke And it is enhabytyd with Monkys of Durham And she made a noder Monasterye vppoÌ„ 〈◊〉 callyd Ebbcester which was destroyed by Danes And seynt Etheldred was her dyscyple though seynt Cuthbert fro his youth fledde the company of women as Pestylens yet he wolde speke with this blessyd Woman tary with her to informacyon of her and of her company certeyn tymes And she went to our Lorde .iiii. yere before seynt Cuthbert the. viii kalendas of September and was buryed in her Monasterye And after her Monasterye was destroyed for synne wretchydnes as it was shewyd to her it shuld be And her Relykys were hadde to the Churche of our Lady A yonge man that hadde a Bone in his Throte wasshyd his throte at her well and receyuyd helthe And wiste not where the Bone became she helyd dyuerse that were mute blynde obsessyd of Deuyllys and of dyuerse other diseasys ¶ De sancta Edburga virginâ— martyre SEynt edburgh was doughter to Kynge Ethelbert and she was great grauÌ„tmoder to Seynt Myldrede And after seynt Myldredis deth she toke the rule of the Monastery was made Abbasse and amonge the wauys â—o the worlde she confortyd her selfe with holy scrypture prayers and geuynge of Almys And all the pleasure of this worlde she dyspysyd she reputyd Golde and Syluer but oonly for ornamentys of the Churche and for other thynges for deuyne seruyet as donge And couetyd to be dyssoluyd and to be with our lorde And she endyd this lyfe in the Idus of december And lyeth now at CauÌ„terbury she helyd a Chylde that was mute a these that toke wytnesse of her that he was not gyltye And prayde god if he were that he shulde neuer goo ferther Anon expyryd a wrytynge of hers after her Dethe was vnauysydly throwen into the Fyre with other scrowes an it wolde not burne ¶ De sctaÌ„ Edytha virgine abbatissa SEynt edyth was Doughter to Kynge Edgare And her Moder mulstrudys after she was borne enteryd into Relygyon at wylton where she was made Abbesse And Edyth beynge in kepynge of her moder by assent of the Kynge Edgar her Fader also enteryd into Relygyon vnder her Moder And she was moche mouyd and comfortyd therto by the blessyd lyfe of her Aunte callyd also edyth which in tho dayes lyuyd a blessyd Lyfe in Polles worthe as she dyd at wyltoÌ„ she was full of Pyte and compassyon and the more dyfformyte of sykenes that she saw in any creature the more charytable and helpynge she wolde be vnto hym And vnder her vtter apparell that was sumwhat precyous she were the heer And seynt Ethel wolde sayde vnto her that suche apparell was not the way to please her spouse And then she shewyd hym the trouche what she were inwardly wherfore he was gladde consyderynge that all was oon purpure and sacclothe so that the mynde be clene And after she was made abâ—esse of thre monasteryes Wynton
of our Lorde if that peyne myghte put a way the peyne that she was worthye to haue for her pryde and offencys in werynge golde precyous stonys aboute her necke when she was yonge And when a surgeon had Cutte the sore place and that Easyd her for a tyme the thyrde day after the peyne came agayne And she yeldyd her soule to our Lorde the .ix. kalendas of Iuly after she had ben abbesse .vii. yere wheÌ„ she had lyen .xvi. yerys her Body all her clothys were founde vncorrupte And her necke was hoole a tokyn apperyd of the Cuttynge after the monasterye was destroyed by Inguer hubba was renewyd agayne by seynt Ethelwolde by helpe of the kynge Edgar A man that had ben a great vserer full ofâ—ynne was in great syknesse enteÌ„dyd to serue god in relygyon at Ely the resydew of his lyfe anâ— the Kyngys mynysters prohybytyd it sayde he was a thyfe also in the Kynges det Wherfore he was had to London there he was put in prysone on a nyâ—â—t apryd to hym seynt Benet seynt Awdry her suffe 〈◊〉 Sexburghe And seynt Benet onlosyd hys Irons the Myracle knowyn he was let goo so he enteryd into relygyon as he before purposyd ¶ De sanâ—tis Ethelcedo Ethelbricto martyrybus SEynt ethelberte that was conuertyd by Seynt augustyne had Issu Edbalde edbalde had two sonnes Eâ—menâ—ed ErcoÌ„berte Ermented had Issu theys blessyd martyrs Ethelrede Ethelbricte a doughter callyd doÌ„puena which was maryed to the kynge of Mershyes after the deth of theyr fader moder bycause they were then but yonge they were put to the kepynge of Egbert sone of the sayde Ercombert to brynge vp And therupon a cursyd man callyd thuÌ„nir that had grete rule vnder the kynge ferynge that if they lyuyd they shulde be gretter in fauoure with the kynge then he enuyed theÌ„ moch tolde the kynge many false talys of them sayd if they Lyuyd they wolde put hym oute of his Realme CouÌ„ceylyd that kynge to let hym Kyll them pryuelye and when the Kynge for drede of god loue that he had to them wolde in no wyse assent at laste when the sayde Cursyd man euer callyd on the kynge and he on a tyme with dyssymylynge voyce sayd nay that cursyd man toke boldenes on a nyght kyllyd them both buryed them in the Kynges house when the kynge rose in the nyghte he sawe a grete lyghte in the heygth of the hall wherat he merueylyd moch dred for the chylderne callyd thuÌ„nir wheÌ„ he had lernyd of hym how it was he feryd greatly the Iugement of god sent for his couÌ„ceyll spirituall teÌ„porall by couÌ„cell of them all he sent for dompuena theyr suster And for the deth of her bretherne she askyd asmoch grouÌ„de in the I le of tenet as her Hynde wolde goo aboute seyinge she was so commaundyd by oure lorde And when the hynde hadde goon a certeyn space and all the people folowyd her Thumnyr founde a great deffaute at the kyngys graunte wolde haue stoppyd it forthwith as he had spokyn the worde he fell of his horse brake his necke he was buryed in the same place and a great rocke of stonys were caste vppon hym it is callyd ThuÌ„nerslane to this day after by Ethelrede that was kynge Edgares sone these gloryouse martyrs were traÌ„slatyd fro a place where then regnyd the blessyd Kynge sygbert whiche before that tyme for fere of Redwarde hadde fledde into Fraunce And there he was crystenyd And then came agayne into his countrey and after made a monasterye by councell of seynt felyx and toke tonsure and there seruyd our Lorde And in short tyme seynt Felyx coÌ„uertyd all the people and was made Busshope of the Cytie of dominoke And the kynge sygberte by helpe of seynt Felyx made scolys for bryngynge vp of Chyldren in all the countrey he went to our Lord full of good werkys the .viii. Idus of marche and was buryed in thesame Cytie his Relykys were broughte to Seham which was after destroyed by Danys And then his Relykys were brought to Ramsey where they lye at this daye ¶ De sctoÌ„ Flacrio heremyta confessore SEynt fyacre was borne of noble blod in Irlande bycause he desyred moch to kepe a solytary lyfe he lefte his countrey and his Frendys and went into Fraunce and so came to seynt pharao Busshope of Meldees And when he knewe the enteÌ„t of his commynge he cherysshyd hym moche and gaue hym a certeyne grounde in the wood of Brodyle farre fro the recourse of people where he buyldyd a monastery in honoure of our Ladye there dayly he encreasyd in vertues And that he sparyd fro hymselfe he gaue it to pore men And with only touchynge of his haÌ„dys with helpe of god he helyd many men of dyuerse sykenes soo that his fame sprongâ— farre And bycause great people resortyd to hym the busshope at his desyre gaue hym as moche Grounde adioynynge to his howse as he coulde with his owne laboure dyke aboute in a day to make a gardeyne apon he thaÌ„kyd hym moche And when he came home he made his prayers drewe his staffe after hym with towchynge of the staffe the grouÌ„de voydyd waxyd holowe lyke a dyke all the Trees in the cumpasse fell downe And a woman seynge the Dyke meruaylyd greatlye tolde the busshope therof sayde that the Heremyte was a Wytche a enchauntour not the seruauÌ„te of god And came agayne to hym presumptuously spake to hym coÌ„tumelyous wordys chargyd hym in the Busshopys name to ceasse his werkee And he herynge that was heuy sate downe vppon a stone which waxyd softe holowe to hym lyke a sete which remaynyth there to this day by towchynge therof dyuers syke men haue ben helyd And when the Busshope sawe the Myracles that were doon he louyd seynt fyacre moch the better was euer after the more famylyer with hym neuerthelesse seynt Fyacre prayed to our Lord that if any womaÌ„ euer came into his Monastery that she shuld fall in some sykenes so it prouyd after of dyuerse womeÌ„ He went out of this worlde the .xv. kaleÌ„das of SepteÌ„ber aboute the yere of our Lorde .vi. C. .xxii. ¶ De sancto Finano epÌ„o confessore SEynt finane was borne of the people of Arades and seynt patryke prophecyed that he shulde be a holy Busshope wherfore his frendys in truste of seynt patrykys wordys at a souper brought hym thre vessellys of smalle Ale by his blessynge it was turnyd into wyne After he was coÌ„myttyd to the busshope Colman to enfourme And as he on a tyme wolde haue betyn hym an Aungell helde his hande styll vppe in the ayre wherfore he sayde he wolde no more bete hym And after a holy abbot also refusyd to haue hym
to his dyscyple for he sayd he was gretter of merytys then he sayd he shulde be a holy busshope theÌ„ the Chylde sayd a holy busshope was Commynge owt of Brytayne that shuld be his master so there was he went with hym to his busshopryke callyd maguns where he was made monke He helyd a man that for his synnys had a legyon of Deuyllys HedraÌ„ke poyson it hurtyd hym not after he wente to Rome where he was made preest was there .vii. yerys As he pÌ„chyd at Rome of enuye they range the bellys blewe the Organes his voyce was harde aboue theÌ„ all wherof the people thaÌ„kyd our lord He coÌ„uertyd moch people aboute Italy there the hande of a Kynge that wolde haue crucyfyed hym stake fast to the Crosse tyll he all the people were penytent were conuertyd then he went to his owne CouÌ„trey was made Busshope in Irlande he dyd so many Myracles that no man can tell He was syke a hole yere lyenge in his bedde And when his tyme drewe nere he reyseyuyd the blessyd Body of our Lord the fourth Idus of September And he was buryed in Scotlande at cumgham at a place that after his name in welche is callyd Kylwynny ¶ De sancto Foillane epÌ„o martire SEynt foyllane busshope martyr was borne of noble blood in Irlond he made his blood more noble by his good lyuynge and lyke to the patryarke Abraham He lefte his owne countrey and his carnall Frendys And went into FrauÌ„ce where he was Instructor to seynt geretrude and she gaue to hym and to his broder vltan a grounde callyd folse to make therin a Monasterye to receyue pylgrymes And vltan was made ruler therof And seynt Foyllan styll remaynyd to Instructe seynt Geretrude on a tyme asseynt Foyllane with thre felowys went to see his Broder vltan a mynyster of the Deuyll met theym by the waye and promysyd to brynge them to a good lodgynge vnder coloure that he myght murdre theym And seynt Foyllane by the holy goost knowynge his purpose gaue hym selfe to prayers and comfortyd his bretherne to be stronge in our lorde And so the sayd Cursyd man with his company strake of theyr heddys the day before the kalendas of NoueÌ„ber leuynge theyr Bodyes in a vyle place solde theyr Horsys and apparell And when seynt Geretrude meruaylyd of his longe taryinge she sent to the monastery for hym and his Broder vltan sent her worde that she shuld by her wysdome expouÌ„de his vysyon as he was in prayer he thought he sawe a whyte doue with blody wyngys fly vppe to Heuyn And more he sayde he knewe not of hym werfore anon she and all the bretherne and fusters â—ell to prayer by an Aungell it was shewyd vnto her that he was Martyred And that she shulde fynde hym by a tokyn that our Lorde shulde shewe hyr And so she went furthe and founde hym and his felowes lxxviii dayes after theyr martyrdome by a bryghte shynynge crowne that apperyd ouer theym And the same day of his fyndynge seynt Fursee his broder dyed and he was buryed in the sayd Monastery where our Lord hath shewyd for hym many myracles De sctoÌ„ FremuÌ„do Rege martire A Chylde of .iii. dayes olde prophecyed that off a thenne a Kynge of Englonde in his age shulde haue a sone callyd Fremunde that shulde conuerte hym and his Moder with all the cuntrey to the Feythe of our Lorde And that in his youth he shulde he le lepourys and blynde men And that at his byrthe shulde appere a bryght beame ouer the house And as he sayde it prouyd in euery thynge after When the kynge off a waxyd olde he made seynt Fremunde kynge though he moche refusyd And a yere a halfe he occupyed as Kynge norysshynge poore men encreasynge peace and puttynge downe of Rebellys then he lefte all that honour with two clerkys went pryuely in a lytell shyppe without sayle into the see trustynge in the helpe of our lorde not in the wynde And in the .v. day they came into a I le callyd Ilefage where no man before his tyme durst dwelle for fere of Deuyllys And there he lyuyd vnknowen .vii. yerys by Rootye Erbys And his Apparell appeyryd not in all that tyme after his goynge away fro his Cuntrey the Danys came into the LaÌ„de And when they had martyryd Seynt Edmonde his Fader was verye sore aferde And sent messangers for his son And when they had fouÌ„de hym and shewyd hym the entente of theyr message he gaue hym selfe to prayer to knowe the wyll of our Lord therin by an Aungell he was admonysshyd that he shulde goo with them And the Aungell shewyd hym that he shulde haue the victory that euery man that he toke with hym to the batayle shuld appere a M. men soo he went into his Contrey where he fouÌ„de his Fader ouercome with the Infydelys And then he with his two felowys and .xxii. other that came for hym Wherfore euery oon of theym apperyd a thousande men as the Aungell sayde kyllyd xl thousande paynymes And incontynent after the vyctorye he went to prayer and thankyd oure Lorde then a Cristen man callyd Oswy that had ben in great fauoure with his Father which had forsakyn the Feythe for that he was promysyd by the Danes to be Kynge strake of his Hed the .v. Idus of May And the blood that fell vppon hym burnyd hym with suche intollerable Hete that anon he fell prostrate and cryed mercy And the Hed spake forgaue hym And then he toke vppe his owne Hed and bare it to a place betwene Huchyn and Harburbury and there he wesshyd his Hed in a well that sprange vp there by his prayer And after he was had to a place callyd of churche where he was buryed and laye there .ix. yerys And then he was remouyd by monycyon of an Aungell gyuyn to thre Maydens that were all thre made hoole of theyr dyseasys to a place bytwene Charwell Bradmoure And there he laye vnknowen many yerys tyll it was shewyd by an auÌ„gell to a pylgryme at Iherusalem where he laye And then he was takyn vppe by seynt Beryne honorably and as seynt Beryne was ledynge hym to the nexte Monasterye as the Pope had coÌ„maundyd the Pylgryme in his commynge whome At redyke his Relykys stoude styll wolde no ferther Wherfore seynt Beryne went to Rome and shewyd it to the 〈◊〉 retournyd agayne with the Popys bullys there buryed hym in the same place honorably the .v. kalendas of apryll And now i these dayes oon of his armys and oon of his Rybbys a parte of his Iawe lye at Dunstable And the resydue of his Bodye lyeth at Croprede De sancta Frideswida virgine SEynt frydeswyde was borne in Oxforde aboute the yere of our Lorde seuyn Hundred and fyftye And after her Chyldehod was paste she lyuyd with wortys barley Brede
lyke to And that for presence of that blessyd Chylde his speche was stoppyd And so seynt Gylda went into Irlande there he cōuertyd moch people And after when kynge arthure had kyllyd his broder ho well he came into Brytayne there he forgaue kynge Arthure the deth of his Broder And he dwellyd by seuerne there he buyldyd a Chyrche where he was moche in prayer He wrote a Boke of the foure Euangelystys that was had in suche honoure that the people durste not open it And the people thought ther was no accorde fully made bytwixt enemyes but apon that boke And after he came to glastonbury And not farre fro thens he buyldyd a Chyrche vppon a Ryuer where he lyuyd an Heremytys lyfe After he felle syke wherfore he sent for the Abbot of glastonbury desyred that he myght be buryed in his monasterye And so he went out of this worlde the fourth kalendas of february in the yere of our Lord CCCCC .xii. a grete lyght was seen about his Body And he lyeth at Glastonbury ¶ De sancto Gilberto confessore SEynt gylbert was borne at sempyngham and ī his youth he was so abiecte ī his faders House that the seruauntys dysdeynyd to sytte with hym at mete and at Scole he lytyll prophytyd And so he wente into Fraunce and there he toke degre of Mayster And when he came ageyne into Englonde he began the ordre of Sempyngham of men and women He labouryd all that he coulde for the helthe of so wllys And to all that he coulde he prophytyd in worde dede and exaumple And his father lykyd his conuersacyon so well that he presentyd hym to the chyrches of sempyngham tyryngton on a tyme ther fell a lyghte temptacyon bytwyxt hym his hostys doughter And the nyght folowynge he thought in his slepe that he had put his hāde so ferre in her bosom that he coulde not plucke it oute agayne wherfore he feryd greatly lefte that place And after that virgyn was oon of the .vii. that he began his relygyon vppō And all that he had aboue his necessary lyuynge he gaue to pore men after he was made preest then went to Rome to the pope engeny to haue the Relygyon of Cisteux assygnyd to haue rule of his Monasteryes And the Pope wolde not assent therto ne yet the Cysteux And then the Pope orderyd that he shulde appoynt men therto hym selfe And so he dyd And in that Iourney he was moche famylyer with seynt malachye Busshoppe of Irlande and with seynt Bernarde And to his Bretherne he appoyntyd the ruell of seynt Augustyne And to the Susters the rule of seynt benedycte and what so euyr he myslykyd in eyther of the Rulys he refourmyd and sent his Rule to Rome where it was cōfermyd he made .xiii. monasteryes wherin at his deth were aboute seuyn Hundred Bretherne fyue hundreth Susters he louyd all his placys lyke moche and put lyke dylygence for the one as he dyd for the other His rydynge apparell was symple And his companye honest He absteynyd alwey fro flesshe but in grete sykenes In lent and Aduenthe absteynyd fro Fysshel He hadde at his table a dysshe that was callyd the dysshe of Ihesu wherin he put mete for pore men not of the refuse but very good and after dyner hevsyd Redynge prayer or medytacyon he were in Wyntre and Somerlyke many clothys And he electyd one of his dyscyples to be his mayster was to hym obedyent and toke the habyt of a chanon A man with werynge of his sockys was helyd of the gowte Also fyre fledde fro the house where he was prayinge and hurte it not And in the yere of our lorde god a thousande a hundred foure score and .ix. the day before the Nonas of February full of good werkys and good exaumples he went to our Lorde and was buryed honorably in the monastery of Sempyngham which he had foundyd ¶ De sancto Godrico seruo dei heremita THe fader and moder of seynt Godryke dwellid in Norfolke in a Towne callyd Walpole they were pore of worldlye substaunce and Ryche in vertues deuoutly prayinge to our Lord that they myght haue a chylde apte to his seruyce And so they had a sone whom they callyd Goderyke And in his youthe he was a marchaūte vsynge Feyrrys and Markettys he went to seynt Andrewys in Scotlande soo to Rome came whom with marchauntys by water And went into Brytayne Flaunders and Denmarke wan moche good And .xvi. yerys he expendyd in suche busynes And after he went twyse to Rome oon tyme he went by seynt Gyle And the other tyme he toke his moder with hym whiche went barefote And when he came whome at the laste tyme he solde all that he had gaue it to poore men lyuyd at caerlyle vnknowyn Wher many folkys began to worshype hym wherfore he went into a wood lyuyd there with herbys frutys had no house after he founde an olde heremyte and eyther of them callyd other by his name yet they neuer had herde of other before he taryed with hym tyll the other Heremyte dyed And then seynt Cuthberte apperyd to hym bad hym to go to Ierusalem and be crucyfyed with our Lord then to come agayne to a wood callyd fynkale a lytyll fro Duresme And in that Iourney he toke no sustenaunce but drye barley breed water And he chaungyd not his clothynge nor wasshed theym ne chaungyd his shone tyll he came there so that stonys grauell were growyn into his feet so greuouslye that the flesshe bonys myght scarcely hange to gedyr And at fleme Iordane he chauugyd hym wyshe his Here fro that tyme he were no shone Then he retournyd ageyne to fynkale by the ryuer of were he made a lytyll house where he dwelled vnknowen dyuerse yerys lyuyd with Leuys Rotys after he began to Laboure to get hym mete by his laboure he dyggyd the grownde sewe it made a Gardeyne he neuer lay in Bedde but on the groūde with a here vnder hym a stone vnder his Hedde of all thyngys he eschewed Idelnes and wolde eyther be in Prayer medytacyon or Laboure He wolde stonde in the water thoughe it were Froste snowe sometyme a moneth together in the nyghtys tyll the mornynge when his teth chakyid ī his heed he wolde sey thys is greuous but the fyre of Hell is moche more greuous in the coulde wynter he wolde go barefote so that his feet sumtyme were cut so greuously that a man myght put ī his fynger he chose the pryor of Duresme to be his mayster wolde not speke with any man wtout lycēse of hym .iiii. dayes in the weke sonday mōday tuesday fryday also in festys in aduēt fro septuagesyme to Ester he kepte scylence after he began to enhabyt that place He neuer went out of it but thryse
bedde wakynge but eyther ryse go to prayer or iÌ„mediatly slepe agayne and when the bysshop of LyncolnÌ„ was translated to Rome seynt Hughe was elected therto And he sayd he wolde in no wyse take it vpon hym wtout assent of the hedde house and when that was opteyned he wolde nat yet agre tyll he was aserteyned of the hole assent of all the Chanons of LyncolnÌ„ and then the Dean of LyncolnÌ„ the chyef of the Chapiter came to hym to wytham when they had herde hym speke they all desyred hym with great iÌ„staunce deuocoÌ„n to take it vpon hym then he assented the firste nyght that he came into his Bysshopryche he harde a voyce say to hym in his slepe Egressus es iÌ„saluteÌ„ ppli tui in salutem cuÌ„ xpÌ„o tuo And after seynt Hughe accursed the kynges chyef Forster for doynge agaynst the lyberte of the churche wherfore the kynge toke great displesure and that mater nat yet determyned the kynge desyred of hym for one of his clerkê the noiÌ„acion of a Benefyce that was then voyde and in the gyft of seynt Hughe he denyed it wherfore the kynge was more angry and sent for hym and when he came he founde the kynge syttynge amonge his lordes the kynge wolde nat suffre any of them to ryse to hym yet neuertheles when he had harde his answeres his sayingê the kynge was coÌ„tented when he deê‘ted coÌ„mytted hym to his prayers euery yere ones or twyse he wolde be at wytham and kepe his sell somtyme when he came furth by reason of the famylyer spekynge with our lorde he had two bryght beames came fro his face a voyce bad a clerke thre tymes that he shulde go to the bysshop of LyncolnÌ„ byd hym speke to the Archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury that tharchebysshop togyther with hym shuld more dilygently helpe to reforme the clergye for our lorde was greatly displeasyd with theim Curatê were made that were vnable benesycê were set to ferme for temporall ê“fyte nothynge regardynge the helth of the soules ne yet the coÌ„forte of pore men And when the clerke made doute how the bysshop shuld byleue hym bycause of his youth the voyce said when he had shewyd to the bysshop that that he shulde se before the Bysshop as he was at Masse he shuld byleue hym And so he went dyd his message and as the bysshop was at Masse he sawe the Hoste when it was lyft vp bytwyxt the bysshoppes handes tourned into the veray body of our lorde IhuÌ„ criste it was lyke a lytell childe more beauteous then man can tell and when he had shewyd this to the bysshop he bad hym kepe it close and aduertysed hym that he that had seen suche thynges shuld neuer busye hymselfe in the worlde but that he shuld entre into Relygyoâ— and so he dyd and lyued a blessyd lyfe when kynge Rycharde went into Fraunce to warre vpon the Frenche kynge seynt Hughe and the bysshop of Salysbury denyed to gyue any thynge to the Kynge for they sayd they were nat bounde to helpe hym but oonly within the Realme wherfore the Kynge was meruaylously angry and coÌ„maunded to sease all that they hadde But there durste noo man medell with seynt Hughe for fere of the punysshement of god then afterwarde he went ouer the See to the kynge and when he came before the kynges presence where he was at Masse the kynge loked vpon hym with an Angry countenaunce and wolde nat speke to hym and thenne he went to the kynge and toke hym aboute the necke and hadde hym kysse hym for he sayd he had deseruyd it and the kyng meruaylynge his constaunce smyled and kyssed hym And at that masse tyme the kynge ê‘ceyued right well that he was a holy man when an Archebysshop kyssed the kynge for the pax the kynge rose and kyssed seynt Hughe And after masse he admonysshed the kyng that he shuld take hede to the helth of his soule how he dyd inwardly And when the kynge tolde hym that he thought his conscyens was clere but it were for hatred to his enemyes he said there was a coÌ„men sayinge that he kept nat his wedlocke also that he toke nat hede to make good curatê and when he had admonysshed the kynge of dyuerse thyngê he gaue the kynge his blessynge so departed and when he was goon the kynge sayd that if there were many such Bysshoppes there durst no prynce do agaynst theym And when the kynge shortly after had a great victorye of the Frenche kynge he arected it to the prayers of seynt Hugh he helyd two ê‘sons that were obsessed with deuylles after he fell syke of a greuous Axes when he shuld be houseled he went bare fote in a heere with a Coule and met the sacrament and made longe prayer amonge other thynges he sayd that for loue drede or hatered or for any other cause he neuer wyttyngly went fro the truthe And in the yere of our Lorde god M.CC. and syx in the octaues of seynt Martyn the Bysshop he went to our lorde as he was in caryinge to LyncolnÌ„ foure tapres burned contynually by the way that neuer went out At bykleswade by his merytê a man was made hole that had broken his arme and at staumforde a cordoner whiche had great deuocion to seynt Hughe bysought almyghty god that he myght dye go to heuyn with hym so beynge confessyd howselyd he dyed fourth with and seynt Hughe was caryed fourth to LyncolnÌ„ was there buryed honourably ¶ De sancto IoheÌ„ de BridlyngtonÌ„ SEynt IohnÌ„ of BrydlyngtonÌ„ was brone in the CouÌ„te of yorke by the seesyde and in his youth he was set to lernynge by his Fader and moder he put nat his mynde oonly to haue cuÌ„nynge but also to heuynly thynges somtyme when he was at Oxforde he wolde leue the sophystycall argumentê lyft his mynde in prayer to o r lorde and for his cuÌ„nynge and vertue a great riche man toke hym to be maister to his children nat oonly to teche them cuÌ„nynge but also to eschewe vyces when he was about the age of .xx. yeres he consydered the deceytfull flateryng of the worlde wherfore he entred into Relygyon at the Monasterye of BridlyngtonÌ„ where he was anone meke obedieÌ„t shynynge in Charyte dispysynge the worlde rygorouse in abstynence endewed with Iustice vsynge vigylles and prayers wtout cessynge seruyng our lord there he was chosen to be precentour and so almonyser and then suppriour after when the pryor resygned he was chosen to be pryor he refused it and sayd that knowynge his ignorauÌ„ce he had leuer suffer great payne then to take it vpon hym and so a nother was chosen and after his dethe seynt IohnÌ„ was eftsones elected by hoole assent and then trustynge in the mercy of our lorde consyderynge that the greatter labour shall haue the greatter rewarde he toke the charge vpon hym In whiche offyce he
greatly wherfore he meltyd away lyke waxe and the kynge herynge therof was angry and wolde haue kylled seint Iltute wherfore he flede and hydde hymselfe a yere in a Caue where euery daye he had brought to hym of the prouysyon of our Lorde a barly lofe and a pece of flesshe Theuys that on a nyght stale his hogges in the mornynge came agayne to the gates of the Monasterye when they wolde nat yet beware but stele agayne the nexte nyght they were tourned into stones that be there to this day In the ende of his lyfe he went into lytell Brytayne And there he dyed the .viii. I de of Nouembre and lyeth at Dolence ¶ De sancto Indracto sociis eius martiribus SEynt Indracte martyr was a kynges sone borne in Irlande and he with .ix. Felawes and his suster Domynyke went into Brytayne and there they made an Oratorye and lyued a strayght lyfe in the seruyce of god many yeres he had a water with certayne Fysshes therin and thoughe one were taken dayly the nombre mynysshed nat tyll one of his felawes stale one of theym and then they mynysshed and heseyng that thought it was nat the wyll of god that he shuld tarye any lenger there and so with his .ix. felawes he went to Rome and after retourned to Glastonburye to worshyp seynt Patryke for in tho dayes Irysshe men came moche to Glastonburye for loue of seynt Patryke as he wolde haue retourned into his countre he with his companâ—â—â—â—ere martyred at Shapwyke in theyr beddes by mynysters of â—ue Kynge of Westsaxons that thought that they had hadde moche Riches the kynge as he rose in the nyght thre nyghtes togyder sawe a clere shynynge beame ouer the place were they were hydde in a depe dyke and so they were Founde and conueyed honorably to Glastonbury and they that martyred theim were taken with deuylles so wodely that they ete their owne flesshe a woman that byfore that tyme by no maner of prechynge wolde be conuerted when she sawe the beame that the kynge sawe vpon the blessyd sayntê she was conuertyd foure score ê‘sons were also conuerted by the reporte that she made of that that she had seen ¶ De sancto IoheÌ„ Beuerlaco EpÌ„o confessore SSeynt IohnÌ„ of Beuerley was borne in EnglaÌ„de in his yonge Age he was coÌ„mytted to seynt The oder Archebysshop of Caunterbury to instruct he enformed hym in holy scripture and when he was well instructed he prechyd in the countre in small vyllages to the people and when Cata the bysshop dyed he was made bysshop gaue ordre of presthode to venerable Bede he vsed euery Lent to prouyde some pore impotent persone that he myght do charyte vpon one that was so ê“uyded whiche was mute fro his natiuyte he helyd also with his blessynge he helyd a Nonne that with lettyng of blode in vncoÌ„uenyent tyme was at the poynt of deth after the deth of Bosa Archebysshop of yorke he was electetd thyther and when he came to great age he lefte his Bysshopryche and went to his Monasterye at Beuerley there he lyued a blessyd solytarie lyfe he dyed in the yere of our lord .vii. C. .xxi. in the Nonas of Maii for whom our lorde hath she wyd many great myracles he helyd two blynde children two women that were contracte in the yere of o r lord M.CCC .xii. oyle came out of his tumbe tyll thre of the cloke of the next day that helyd many blynde men kyng EthelstanÌ„ prayed vnto seiÌ„t IohnÌ„ that by his prayer some euydeÌ„t tokeÌ„ myght apê‘e that of right ScotlaÌ„de shuld be subiect to Englande therupon with his swerde he strake vpon a rocke of stone by DuÌ„barre in scotland it waxed holowe with the stroke an Elne depe which coÌ„tyenuyth to this day as he was praying this lyf in yâ— porch of seiÌ„t Michellê of york the holy gost apperid to hyÌ„ iÌ„ lykenes of a Doue more bryght then the sonne beame and when the people in the Churche meruayled at the lyght one of the dekons went to the porche sawe the bysshop there in prayer and with the hete of the holy ghost his face was stryken so that the skyn shranke togyther and then seynt IohnÌ„ handeled his cheke and made it hole and bad hym kepe that vysyon secret ¶ De sancto Ithamar EpÌ„o et confessore SEynt Ithamar was of the countre of Kent was bysshop of Rochester and as Bede wytnessyth he succedyd to seynt Paulyn and was in vertuous lyfe and cuÌ„nynge lyke to his predecessour and after his deê‘tynge out of this world almyghty god shewyd for hym many myracles dyuers that were vexed with the Axes that had sore iyen by his prayers were made hole A childe that with great feblenes was become dombe deffe at the tumbe of seynt Ithamar receyued ê‘fyte helth and he lyeth at Rochester he helyd a bysshop of Rochester of a great desease that he had in his iyen therfore in the fourth Ide of Iune he remouyd his Relykes and put theym in a newe cheste at that day his seruyce is kept in remembrauÌ„ce of that myracle and of other that our lorde shewyd for hym ¶ De sancto Iuone EpÌ„o confessore SEynt yue was a Kynges sone borne in the Cytie of Fryane in ê‘syde and there he was made bysshop after he was made Archebysshop of Asitanda where he was dylygent for the helth of the people to hym coÌ„mytted tyl for the synnes of the people there fell suche a derth that the Father ete the sone the moder the doughter the prelatê theyr subgettes wherfore seynt yue with .xi. felowes relygyous went to Rome and by councell of the Pope they seuered in to dyuerse couÌ„tres seynt Iue with Sythyo his neuewe and Inthyo his kynnesman aboute the yere of our lorde six hondred came into Brytayne now called Englande into a towne called Slepe thre myle fro HuÌ„tyngdonÌ„ there ended his lyfe seruynge almyghty god in fastynge and prayer and other good werkes and lay vnknowen many yeres vnto his tumbe was fouÌ„de by a husbondman with his plough And then he by reuelacion shewyd to a smythe who he was and what was his name wherupon he was translated to Ramsey as he appoynted to be the yere of our lorde a thousande one in the .viii. kalend of Maii and the .iiii. I de of Iune his translacion was coÌ„secrate coÌ„maunded to be halowed out of his tumbe spryngyth fayre water that hath gyuen helth to manâ— people A childe toke of the water to seth mete it wold in no wyse be made hote though it had great plente of fyre o r lord hath shewid for hym many myracles ¶ De sancto ywyo confessore SEynt ywyo was of noble blode of the Brytons was brought vp in the I le of Lyndefernens and was disciple to seynt Cuthbert In his youth he toke orders or his fader or moder were ware and
of .vii. yeres of age into a wodde as for disporte of huntynge and as the childe slept his ruler made a pytte to burye hym in when the childe awoke he tolde hym he shuld nat lye there but in a place ferther of that he shuld se that it was trewe that he sayd he strake his staffe into the grounde whiche anone grewe and after sprange therof a fayre Asshe that is called seynt Kenelmys asshe Then the cursid man had hym into a depe valey in the wodde called Clent and there as it is sayd the yonge kyng sayd TedeuÌ„ when he came to the verse Temartyrum candidatus c. The cursyd man vnder a thorne strake of his hede and there buryed hym and oftymes a bryght beame was seen descende vpon the place where he lay at which place a Cowe vsyd oftymes to be coulde nat be kept away frothens and when she came home she gauerwyse asmoche mylke as any of the other after his deth Quendreda toke the rule vpon her and then no man durst speke of the yonge kyng nor seke hym for fere of quendreda tyll a byll was brought by a doue to the pope Leo as he was at masse at rome of this effect iÌ„ Englysshe In clent in Cowbach vnder a thorne lyeth kyng Kenelme his hedde of shorne so the pope sent Legates Cardynalles to wylfryde bysshop of Caunterbury other bysshoppes of Englande that they shuld remoue hym so he was taken vp and there as he lay sprang vp of fayre welle as his suster loked out of a wyndowe vpon a sawter boke to haue by enchauntement letted his buryenge sodeynly her iyen fell vpon the boke whiche boke is yet to shewe there she dyed myserably one that was blynde a nother dombe fro theyr Natyuyte by merytes of seynt Kenelme were made hole and he lyeth at Wynchecome ¶ De sancto Kentegerno EpÌ„o et confessore THe moder of seynt Kentegerne was borne in the north ê‘te of Brytayne her fader beyng a paynym she by herynge of Sermons was coÌ„uerted how be it she was nat cristened heryng that our lady beyng clene vgyne had a child by a folisshe pÌ„sumpcoÌ„n she desyred in lykewyse to haue a childe in virginyte wherupon she maâ—e dyligent prayers after she was with child though of â—routh it was by company of man yet she toke it on her othe â—hat she knewe nat how nor when her fader heryng that she was with childe accordynge to his lawe had her to a hyghe hyll there threwe her downe to haue so torne her to peces she lyftynge her herte to o r lorde made her prayers was saued without hurte then her fader thynkyng she was saued by wychecrafte put her into the see in a lytell shyp of lether wtout ore wheriÌ„ she was brought to laÌ„de more swyftly then a sayle coulde haue dryuen her and iÌ„ a place called Collenrose she was delyuered without helpe the same tyme of her delyueraunce seynt Sarnan harde aungelles synge in the Eyre wherfore in the mornynge he went thyder and founde the moder with the childe whome he brought to his house and cristened theym both and there the childe profyted moche in lernynge and vertue so that seynt Sarnan loued hym moste of all his disciples wherfore his Felowes enuyed hym in somoch that they kylled a byrde that seynt sarnan louyd leyd it by assent to KentegernÌ„ he makyng a Crosse vpon the byrde reysed it agayne to lyfe he reysed also seynt Sarnans Coke fro deth to lyfe whiche he was exorted to do by seynt Sarnan by instygacion of his enemyes yet alway his good vertuous lyfe was a norysshynge of more enuye to his enemyes wherfore he lefte that place and went to a place called Glascu and in the way he went thurgh the water of Mallena that deuyded to hym lyke as dyd the redde see to the children of Israel at Glascu he lyued in great abstynence and was there made bysshop and he vsed to weer the heere and laye in a holowe stone for his bedde with some asshes caste vnder hym and the temptacyon of his flesshe by grace was clerely taken fro hym and he gaue all his goodes to pore men absteyned fro flesshe and wyne and fro all that myght distempre hym alway he had a Manuell in his hande redy to do his offyce when nede requyred he caused wylde hartes to go to ploughe and a wolfe that kylled one of the hartê he caused to supplye his place and to bere the same yocke that he dyd he went on fote to preche and euery Lent he went to some deserte place and lyued there with herbes and rotes and somtyme by especyall grace he fasted al the Lent he vsed oftymes to stande in colde water tyll he had sayd the hole Psaulter In his Iugementes he alwayes consydered the mater and nat the ê‘sone he made an Abbey wherin were .ix. C. and .lxv. monkê whiche he deuyded in thre ê‘tes so that alway some were in the Quere when he was at dyuyne seruyce somtyme a whyte doue somtyme a bryght beame where seen descende vpon hym on sher thursday he wold wasshe the fete of pore men and lepoures and kysse theym he conuerted moche people to the fayth in his Dioc he destroyed Idolles made churches and ê‘ysshes he was seven tymes at Rome shewyd to seynt Gregory all his lyfe and he confermed his Eleccion supplyinge therwith that that lackyd in his consecracion when he was C. and .lxxxv. yeres olde he dyed without payne in the Idus of Ianuarii syttyng in hote water as he was taught by an Aungell and dyuers of his bretherne went in to the same water as he appoynted theym to doo and they dyed furth with without payne and went with hym into the kyngdome of Heuyn he lyeth at Glascu where our Lorde hath shewyd for hym many myracles ¶ De sancto Kyliano cuÌ„sociis suis martiribê° SEynt kylyan was borne of noble blode in scotlaÌ„de And as he studyed in his youthe for cuÌ„nynge he studyed also for vertue and at laste he enteryd into relygyon where he lyuyd in great obedyence with watchyngys and instauÌ„te prayers The bretherne seynge his perseueraunce in vertue electyd hym into the rule of the Mouastery though he knewe well it wolde somwhat mynysshe his deuocyon yet for lowe of Charyte for the profet of other he toke it vppon hym and after his fame sprange farre wherfore he ferynge the fauoure of the people myght be a let vnto hym deuysyd howe he myght leue his owne cuÌ„trey lyue iÌ„ some other cuÌ„trey where he myght haue lytyll knowlege be reputyd of a small blod wherupon he toke certeyne of his bretherne with hym that had lyke feruoure as he had and came into great brytayne fro thens to Fraunce and so to almayne that is callydest FrauÌ„ce to a towne callyd wirtzburghe And after he went to Rome and
many yerê tyll seynt Osith apê‘ed to asmythe bad hym remoue her relykê fro Aylesbury to ChycheÌ„sen so he dyd the bysshop of LoÌ„don layd them iÌ„ a goodly Shryne the bysshop of Rochester there beyng pÌ„sent was helyd of a sykenes that he had longe tyme had Shypmen had stollyn a pece of Marble of the porche of seynt Osithes Churche theyr shyp was made vnmouable tyll they coÌ„fessyd the trespas brought it agayne she helyd a woman that was contract and a childe that was dombe and deffe De sancta Osmanna virgine SEynt OsmanÌ„ was of noble blode in Irlande and fro her youth in her herte secretly as a chosyn vessell of almyghty god she byleued in the faythe her Father moder beynge gentyles And when they sawe that by no compulcion they coulde remoue her fro the faythe of our lorde Ihesu criste they thought to marye her so that by that way she shuld forget our lord his beleue hate cristen men she ê‘ceyuynge that fled with one mayde ouer the see into a wodde by the Ryuer of Lygerim where she lyued with rotes leuys of trees and made her clothes of Russhes longe grasse and she was founden by a wylde bore that fledde to her for socour when she was hunted by a bysshoppes seruauntes And when they wolde haue kylled the bore theyr knyues wolde nat entre into his flesshe and then they went to the bysshop tolde hym they were by wytchyd wherupon the bysshop went to her fouÌ„de her very stedfast in the fayth And she sayd to hym that she desyred nothynge more then to be cristened wherof the Bysshop was veray glad when she was made Cathecumynablyde maÌ„ receyued his syght And then the bysshop left with her a seruaunt to be her gardener that she myght haue Erbes to lyue with and the deuyll moued that man to say oftymes euyll wordes vnto her to angre her therwith and promysed hym a great rewarde therfore when he had assented he was sodeynly stryken blynde so he came to repentauÌ„ce The sone of the Quene of spayne cursed his moder whiche was a pagan bycause she prohibyted hym to gyue almes therfore he loste bothe his speche his syght and the quene seyng that for sorowe fell out of her mynde and by seynt OsmaÌ„ne they were both made hole and so full of great myracles she went to our lorde the fyfth Ide of Septembre De sancto Osmundo Episcopo confessore SEynt Osmunde was bysshop of Salysbury and in his youth he put hym selfe to lernynge and to kepe the coÌ„maundementes of the Faders he was of the kynges blode and dayly in presence of his prynce yet he wolde here the causes of pore men Pupillis and wydowes He gaue great almes to pore folke and endowed the Churche with great possessions abiectyng hymself vtterly fro all temporall thynges and he that wyll accompt his lyfe by ordre one thynge after a nother shall playnely se that our lorde alwayes ledde hym by the streyght pathe gyuynge vnto hym the coÌ„nynge of ê‘feccion wherby he myght deserue the kyngdome of heuyn and so at the laste as an approued seruaunt and faythfull werker in the vyneyarde of our Lorde wysely expendynge his talentes he was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to entre into the Ioye of his lord yeldyng his soule to heuyn the daye byfore the nonas of Decembre and was buryed at Salysburye A childe that was drowned at Salysburye at the tumbe of seynt Osmunde was restored to lyfe agayne On a nyght a Clerke called Thomas that as he thought went to bedde in good helth when he awoke of his slepe he felt his senewes dryed vp and one of his legges drawen vp to his buttockes and the thirde nyght after that he had prayed for helth at seynt Osmunde stumbe he thought in his slepe that he saâ—e seynt Osmunde appere vnto hym and that he toke hym by the fote drewe his legge streight in the mornynge he was perfyghtly hole he was Canonysed by Pope Calixt the thirde in the yere of our Lorde god CCCClvi at whiche Canonisacion the 〈◊〉 beynge of great decrepyt age and in great feblenes sodeynly was made stronge and all men meruaylynge that knewe his feblenes he mynystred solemply the dyuyne seruyce and other thynges necessarye in his owne person and for this blessyd man our lorde hath shewed many and innumerable myracles ¶ De sancto Oswaldo Archiepiscopo SEynt Oswalde in his youth eschewyd all wantonnes and gaue hymselfe to werkes of perfeccion after he coÌ„mytted to his vnkle Odo archebysshop of Caunterbury to lerne coÌ„nynge and good maners when he had opteyned great connynge in scripture he was made Chanon at Wynchestre and after dean And when he coulde nat remoue they there fro theyr olde euyll Customes he went to Floriacum where seynt Benet lyeth there he was made monke and profyted moche in vertue The deuyl appered to hym as he was in prayer and made dyuers fereful noyses to haue made hym cease of prayer somtyme rored lyke a Lyon somtyme lyke a serpent and he stronge in the fayth feryd hym nothynge and the deuyll seyng that went away and came agayne lyke an Aungell of lyght wherfore anon he made the sygne of the Crosse knowynge verayly that if it were a good Aungell it wold nat discontent hym and if it were a wycked spirite he myght nat abyde it and so it proued for the deuyll seynge the sygne of the Crosse vanysshed awaye lyke smoke He was of lytell slepe sobre in dyete discrete in spekynge and busy in prayenge how pacyenthe was meke sobre and benyuolent in clene pure charyte is aboue mannes estymacion to shewe Seynt Odo herynge his fame was veray glad and thankynge our Lorde sent for hym aswel bycause he was in great age as to instructe other in reguler disciplyne wherfore they of Floriacum were veray sory yet bycause they durste nat disobey so holy a Father they sent hym ouer and byfore he came to CauÌ„terbury the Archebysshop was deed thenne he went to his vnkle Oskyltellus at Dorchester and when he was made Archebysshop of yorke seynt Oswalde by meanes of seynt DunstanÌ„ was put into the rule at Dorchestre at westbury he gathered .xii. monkes and instructed them with holsome monycions set theym a warke to watche faste praye after he had made a Monastery where the Erle Aylwyn by monycion of an Aungell had made a Chapell the Erle gaue vnto that Monastery great possessyons an abbot that was of seynt Oswaldes makynge feruent in his relygion but euer moche harde cruell to his subiectes dyed as he lay on the bere he toke his spirite agayne reysed hym selfe vp sayd he was ledde to Iugement by seynt Benet that by the prayers of seynt Oswalde his synÌ„es were forgyuen hym shewyd them that were there present that he was reuyued agayne to shewethe holynes of seynt Oswalde and so he was howselâ—d and
Sampson ê‘ceyuyng that the monke was the cause of that temptacion asked for gyuenes for hym wherupon seynt Paterne droue away the deuyll made hym hole wherfore the bysshop discharged hym of all suche paymentê After at a synode seynt Paterne had great trowble of some that enuyed hym at laste a full peace was made yet ferynge that suffraunce myght ê“uoke Ire or hurte his humylyte he lefte that couÌ„tre went in to Fraunce where he slepte in our lorde the .xvii. Kalend of Maii. Thre yeres after his deth fell no rayne or dewe in that countre wherfore the people remeÌ„brynge that seynt Paterne went out of the countre for iniuryes done vnto hym by a hole assent went into FrauÌ„ce to fet his body â–ª when they coulde nothyng gette but oonly a bone of one of his armes yet all theyr company coulde nat remoue it wherfore they were meruaylously troubled Then a noble man of the cyte of Guenet sayd that seynt Paterne in his lyfe had asked of hym oftentymes a grounde to make a Churche in that he wolde nat graunt it but nowe he was contented that sayd they toke the bone lyghtly bare it with theym to the sayd Cyte that was his bysshoppes see there it lyeth in a church made in the grouÌ„de of the sayd nobleman In his lyfe one of his seruauntê â–ª that went to ouer se the woddes was kylled with theuys byheded wherfore seynt Paterne heryng therof went to the wodde called the seruauÌ„t by his name asked where he was he answered here I am then he went to the place there as he harde hyÌ„ speke leying the hed the body togyther lyftyng his â—yen into heuyn he blessyd the deed body forthwith he rose vp hole And therupon a myghty man in that couÌ„tre came to the bysshop sayd they were his mynystres that dyd it ferynge that the vengeauÌ„ce of god wolde preuent hym asked mercy and gaue hym a parte of the groun he benyngly forgaue hyÌ„ seying to hym that byfore his dethde he shuld please our lorde and that he shuld be buryed honorably in holy buryall ¶ De sancto Patricio EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Patrike was borne in Brytayne now called Englande in his youth he was taken prisoner was put to kepeswyne a C. tymes in the daye as many tymes in the nyght he prayed after by an Aungell he was shewyd that he shuld fynde a certayne thyng there as a hogge Roted whiche he shuld take to pay his Rraunson so he was delyuered out of bondage as he was goynge home by his prayer his felowes founde mete that had ben longe wtout be raâ—ted .xxx. dayes by cause his coÌ„pany offered all their mete to theyr Idolles as he slept the deuyll tempted hym strongly lay vpon hym thre dayes thre nyghtê‘ lyke a stone the he coulde nat remoue then he cryed hely helpe twyse hely came and delyuered hym then the deuyll sayde that after that daye he shulde haue no power ouerhym And our lorde put fro hym all torpoure and heuynes his strength clerely restored agayne vnto hym In his slepe he thought that one brought hym a letter in the begynnynge was wryten her est vox hiÌ„bmensiuÌ„ And as he was redyng of it in the same moment he harde a voyce of many Iâ—fauÌ„tes of dyuerse Countrees in Irlande saynge we praye the Father that thou come and walke amonge vs and then he thought it was the wyll of god that he shuld preche in that couÌ„tre Therupon bycause he wold lerne scripture he went to the bysshop of Antisiodorense was with hym .xl. yeres redynge fulfyllynge holy scripture after he was with seynt Martyne .xl. dayes and of a holy Heremyte he had a staffe that our lord had in his owne hande which is called the staffe of Ihesu and this day the staffe remayneth in his Cyte in Irlande of a bysshop called Amotus he was made Bysshop so he went to Rome where he was in great fauoure with the Pope Celestyn and he sent hym into IrlaÌ„de to coÌ„uerte the people there to the fayth in the yere of our Lorde CCCC xxv And when he came to the see a lepour desyred to go ouer with hym his company wold nat assent wherfore seynt Patryke threwe his Aulter into the see the Lepour syttynge therupon folowed the shyp tyll they came in to the Countre of Lagyne Then he went into the couÌ„tre of Anathaylt where the people wold nat receyue hym wherfore the see destroyed al the countre Then he went into the North ê‘te of Irlande to the man where he was in bondage and there he sawe moche people abydynge his coÌ„myng for they had herde by ê“phetes that suche a man shulde come yet the kynge LoegarÌ„ coÌ„maunded them to put hym awaye when a fyers dogge was tourned to hym to haue deuoured hym he was anone made vnmouable lyke a stone TheÌ„ a gyaunt wold haue kylled hym whiche also was made vnmouable by the pÌ„chynge of seynt Patryke was coÌ„uerted Then the gyauntes brother that was a man of great age whiche was called Russeynge his broder coÌ„uerted faught agaynst seynt Partryke he asked hym what he ment of that age to dispose hym to fyght asked hym whether he wolde byleue if he made hym yonge agayne and he sayd ye then seynt Patrike put hym to prayer anone he was made in that state of a fayre yonge man wherfore he his sones many other were cristened then Patrike asked of hym whether he wolde lyue any longer in this worlde or streyght way to go to heuyn he desyred to go to heuyn so he receyued the sacrament went to our lorde As he was sayinge Masse a wytche caste downe his Chalys forth with the grounde opened Swalowed hym vp A great tyraunt called Magnil his companye Feyned one to be deed that seynt Patryke attempt to reyse hym so to be deceyued wheÌ„ they sawe that he was deed in dede they sayd amonge them selfe verayly this is the man of god anone Magnil was conuerted baptysed was redy to take penauÌ„ce then seynt Patrike sayd that he coulde nat Iuge hym but god shulde Iuge hym neuerthelesse he had hym go to the see takynge nothynge with hym but a vyle vestement and there to goo iÌ„to a shyp of one skyn without guyde or ore that he fetter his legges togyther throwe the kney into the see to what place souer the wynde brought hym there to serue god and when he had ê“mysed to do it seynt Patryke areysed the maÌ„ that was deed the same day he went to the see as he was bydden came into an I le called MannaÌ„ where he fouÌ„de two holy Byshoppes and they meruaylynge had pyte on hym and toke hym vp gladly he taryred with theym there and after was made a
where he profyted so moche in vertue coÌ„nynge that of all the countre yonge folkes came to here his Doctryne and after when his fader was syke and he was called to haue taken the charge of the Realme an Aungell appered to hym and aduertysed hym to kepe his firste purpose and nat to coueyt the desceytfull enheritauÌ„ce of this worlde for he sayd all that we se shall shortly vanysshe away with heuynes and ê‘ell and so on the mornynge with .viii. felowes he went into Wales in a shyp without sayle or ore whenÌ„e they were come ouer as they were restynge theym in a towne therby he sent one to tye the bote that he came iÌ„ where the messenger founde a harte holdynge the rope and sauynge the bote fro drownynge then the harte was ledde to seynt Thathe where by the power of god he lay downe on the grouÌ„de stretched out his hed and made sygnes that he shuld be kylled so he was to make mete for the bretherne After at the desyre of the kynge called Cradoke he gathered many Scolers and made a Churche of the blessyd Trinyte by counseyll of the Bysshop of Landaffe he sette in it .xii. Chanons The kynges seruauÌ„tes with theyr horses destroyed his grounde and sodeynly all the horses dyed when the kynge herde of it he came to hym and cryed hym mercy anone all the horses rose agayne then the kynge seynge the myracle gaue hym all the towne with his owne Palays the seruauntes of kynge Gundlens stale his cowe kylled her and seth her in cawdren the more it seth the rawer it was and seynt Thathe herynge therof folowed and by the way founde the prynt of her fote meruaylously prynted in a stone and so folowed to the kynges Palays whereof malyce and in mockage the euyll seruauntes couered the cawdren and made it lyke a sete that when he had syt downe theron he shuld haue ben skalded and it was to hym when he satte downe harde sure the kyng heryng therof kneled downe and asked hym mercy and then he made the flesshe bones to be layde in the skynne and the Cowe anone rose vp afore theym all and seynt Cadoke sone to the kynge seyng that myracle became his disciple and after many vertuous werkes vigylles and abstynence he yelded his soule too o r Lorde the seuynth Kalend of Ianuarii lyeth in his Monasterye ¶ De sancto Theliao EpÌ„o confessore SEynt Thelianus fro his youth vsed vigylles and prayers gaue all that he had to pore men he made hym self lene that he myghte make other fatte and he was enformed in scripture of seynt Dubryce And after went to a wyse maÌ„ called PaulynÌ„ where he accompanyed with seynt Dauid in suche affeccoÌ„n that there was bytwyxt theym but one wyll when wodde lacked at the Monastery seynt Thelians lefte his stody and went to the wodde where two hartes offered theyr neckes to the yoke and so they brought home the wodde and seruyd longe after in the Monasterye This blessyd maÌ„ by the monycoÌ„n of an auÌ„gell went with seynt Paterne and seynt Dauid to Iherusalem and there they were .iii. dayes in contemplacion and had forgotten all erthly thynges and after there were thre Cheyres ordeyned for theym and for humylyte seynt Thelians satte downe in the lowest of the thre Cheyres And it was a cheyre that our Lorde hadde sytten in and whenne he knewe that he knelyd downe with great reuerence Then the people desyred hym to preche and so he dydde and the people of straunge tonges vnderstode hym After he was made bysshop and in token of the grace that he had receyued there was gyuen to hym a Cymbale whiche helyd dyuerse men and condempnyd them that were ê‘iuryd vpon it and euery houre it sowned withoute to wchynge tyll wretchyd synners presumptuously towched it and so it loste the vertue This blessyd man as the trumpe of our Lorde perseuerantly by worde and example admonysshed the people to Heuynly thynges and he lefte this worlde the fyfth Idus of Februarii And anone there was gret stryfe for his body bytwyxt .iii. ê‘ties and as the people by comen assent fell to prayer there appered thre bodyes al I lyke and there was no varyaunce in fauoure coloure nor vestymentes and so Landaffe had one of the bodyes another was had a lytell bysyde Caremerthyne the thirde into West wales where it is had in great honour ¶ De sancto Theodero ArchiepÌ„o confessore SEynt Theodre was of the countre of Tarse Celicie and was a man of approued maners instruct aswell in Latyn as Greke tunge and when seynt Adryan of mekenes refused to be Archebysshop of Caunterbury he appoynted for his excuse seint Theodre and the Pope admytted hym with that condycyon that he shuld accompany seynt Theodre into Englande and he assented and when they came into Englande anone seynt Theodre went aboute the countre and taughte the people the trewe way of good lyuynge and the dewe tyme when they shuld kepe theyr Ester And he was the firste Archebysshop to whom the hole Churche of Englande obeyed He with seint Adryan taught the maner of syngynge in all the Churches of Englande that byfore his tyme was oonly vsed in Kent he ordeyned scoles aswel for Latyn as greke tuÌ„ge taught theym Astronomye Arythmetryke and also Dyuynyte many of his Discyples were as experte intho speches as in theyr owne he went aboute the Realme and ordeyned bysshoppes where nede was and correctyd that was nat ê‘fyte when the Errour of Entycetê rose at Constantinople seynt Theodre to kepe the Churche of Englande fro that errour gathered all the people an Clergye togyther with great dilygence and when he founde theym hole stable in the â—ayth for instruction of theym that shuld come after hym he wrote a letter of theyr by leâ—e and sent it to Rome He knewe by reuelacyon how many yeres she shuldelyue he went fro this transitory lyfe to yâ— euerlastyng lyfe the .xiii. kalend of Octobre In the yere of our lord syx hondred foure score and ten and in his tyme the Churche of Englande profyted more spyrytuelly then euer it dyd byfore his dayes ¶ De sancto Thoma EpÌ„o Herfordie SEynt Thamas of Herforde was borne in EnglaÌ„de sone to Wylliam de CaÌ„tslupo in his youth he vsed dayly to say Maâ—â—â— to here masse After he went to stody first at Oxford then to Parees where he was made mayster and after he came agayne to Oxforde where he was made Doctour of lawe and then Chaunceller of the Uniuersite and after agaynst his wyll he was made ChauÌ„celler to kyng Henry the thirde in whiche offyce dayly he encreased in vertue and kept him clene fro all rewardes for pleasure of ryche men or pore he wold nat do agaynst Iustyce and after the deth of the kynge he retourded agayne to Oxforde and there he stodyed Dyuynyte This blessyd man was of
ê“fyted nat somwhat with vyolence neuerthelesse reuerently they ledde hir out of hir house vnto the watersyde And loo a meruaylous thyng the olde myracle was reuyued for lyke as in the tyme of Iosue the water of fleme Iordane was stopped ayenst the natural course so at the entryng of the holy virgyn Katherin into the water of Tyber suche vtue yssued out of hir by the power of almyghty god that it restreyned the strength of the water so that it coÌ„pellyd the streme with a great swyftnes to go into the olde course wherof all men ioyed laudyng the great power of o r lord shewyd iÌ„ his blessyd vgyn seynt Katheryn Iugeburgê the iii. dought of seit birget in hir youth was made a noÌ„ne in the Monastery of Rysaburga where in shorte tyme after she yelded hit soule to almyghty god And whenne hir moder knewe that she was deed with great Ioye she sayd O lorde Ihesu criste blessyd be thou that thou haste called hir to the or the worlde had be wrappyd hir with synne and anone after seynt Birget was in hir oratory she fell vpon such great wepynge and sobbynge that all that were nygh to hir harde and sayd loo howe she wepyth for the deth of hir doughter Then our lorde apperyd to hir sayd woman why wepyst thou though I knowe all thynges yet by thy wordes I wyll knowe to whom she sayd O lorde I wepe nat for that my doughter is deed but I am glad therof for if she hadde lyued lenger she shuld haue had before the a gretter accomptê but I wepe for this cause that I haue nat enformed hir after thy coÌ„maundementê bycause I haue gyuen hir examples of pryde And I haue neclygently corrected hir when she hath offendyd To whom our lorde answered and sayd euery moder that wepyth bycause hir doughter hath offen dyd god and enformyth hir after hir beste conscyence she is a very moder of charite and moder of terys and hir doughter is the doughter of god for the moder But that moder that Ioyeth of that that hir doughter can behaue hir after the worlde nat carynge of hir lyuynge so that she may be eraltyd and honoured in the worlde she is no very moder but a stepmoder therfore for thy charyte and good wyll thy doughter by the nyghest waye shall goo vnto the Kyngdome of heuyn and at the Sepulture of the sayd gloryous virgyne Iugeburgê he done many great myracles Cecily the fourth doughter of seynt Birget was the laste childe that euer she had and she is to be had in great honour moste specially for the synguler grace gyuen vnto hir by our blessyd lady before she was borne For when hir moder at hir byrthe was in great parrell in despayre of hir lyfe our blessyd lady was seen in whyte clothynge of sylke goynge to hir and as she stode byfore the bed she towched seynt Birget in dyuers ê‘tyes of hir body so that all the women there beynge present greatly meruayled therof nat knowynge any thynge who it was And as soone as our lady was gone out of the house seynt Birget was delyuered without defyculte and shortly after our lady sayd to seynt Birget when thou was iÌ„ icopardy at thy delyueraune I came vnto the and helpyd the. Therfore thou art vnkynde if thou loue me nat wherfore labour that thy children may also be my children AftseiÌ„t Birget induced hir husbande to lyfe in contyneus many yeres And also they both went on pylgremage to seynt Iames in Gales with great deuocyon after came agayne into their Countre at Swecia and by comen assententendyd bothe to haue entred into Relygyon and in that purpose the sayd Ulpho hir husbande dyed the .xii. daye of Februarii the yere of our lord god a Thousande CCC and .xliiii. and is buryed in the monastery of Albastra After his deth seynt Birget put all hir wyll to the wyll of god and thought she wolde for the loue of god forsake all the worldly pleasure and determyned hir selfe with the assystaunce and grace of our lorde to lyue in chaste wydowhed all hir lyfe and contynuelly made hir prayer to almyghty god to knowe by what way she myght beste please hym And after she gaue all hir landes and goodes to hir children and to pore men so that she myght in pouerte folowe our lorde and reseruyd to hirselfe oonly that that wolde symply and mekely serue hir for mete drynke and clothynge and that to lyue in symple array After by the coÌ„maundement of almyghty god folowynge the example of Abraham she left his owne countrey and hir carnall frendes went in pylgremage to Rome the yere of our lorde god M.CCC.xlvi the .xlii. yere of hir age therto abyde in the lyfe of penaunce to vysyt the lyghtê of seynt Peter and Paule the relykes of other seyntê tyl she had of our lorde other coÌ„mauÌ„dement hauyng euer with hir .ii. olde faders spirituell wherof one was a monke called Peter whiche was pryor of Albastra of the ordre of Cisteux a pure virgyn was a man of great connynge of vertuous lyf and the other was a preest of Swecia whiche also was a vgyn a man of holy lyfe he by the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of almyghty god taught hir hir doughter Katheryn graÌ„mer to whiche faders spirituall of hir lyfe she obeyed in all vertue as mekely as a very meke monke is wont to obey his pÌ„late in somoche that she came into so ê‘fyte humylyte obedyens mortyfiynge of hir owne wyll that when she went to ê‘dons and holy places amonge the recourse of the people euer accompanyed with the sayd preest hir fader spirituall she durste nat lyft vp hir iyen fro the grouÌ„de tyll she had leue of the the â—ayd fader sperituell And after the deth of hir husbande in the honour of the Trinite she weer nere next hir bare skyn a corde of hempe with many knottes harde bouÌ„den to hir in lykewyse about euery of hir legges vnder hir knees And she neuer vsed any lynen cloth though it weer in tyme of sykenes but oonly vpon hir hed next hir skyn she weer euer rough sharpe wolen cloth hir outwarde appareâ— was nat after the coÌ„dicion of hir ê‘sone but moch meke abiecte she nat oonly kepe the fastyngê or vigylles that holy churche coÌ„mauÌ„deth but she suê‘added therto many other in so moche that beyonde the coÌ„maundement of the churche she fasted .iiii. tymes in the weke aswell in hir husbandes lyfe as after And after hir husbandê deth vnto a lytel byfore hir blessyd passage out of this world after fastyngê prayers other dyuyne labours most comeÌ„ly she reâ—resshed hir self with right short slepe in hir clothes that she was wont to weer lyinge vpon a carpet wtout federbed matres strawe or any otherthing euery fryday in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the gloryous passion of our sauyour criste Ihesu she absteyned in brede water oonly bysyde lyke abstyneÌ„ce that she
toke many other dayes in the honour of dyuerse other seyntê wheder she fasted or otherwyse toke hir sustynaunce she rose euer with most great sobernes natfully saciate in the same frydayes she toke war candellys made breÌ„nyng droppes fall vpon hir bare flesshe so that the breÌ„nynge markê of them coÌ„tynuelly remayned gencian whiche is a moch bytter erbe she helde coÌ„tynually in hir mouth And when she was at Rome nat dredyng the vigour of the colde nor the impedymeÌ„t of the great hete rayne or foulnes of the waye ne yet the sharpnes nf the snowe or hayle and thoughe she myght haue ryden neuerthelesse vpon the strengthe of hir lene bodye she wente euery daye the Stacyons ordeyned by the churche And also visyted many other seyntes She vsed so many longe knelyngê that her knees were waxen harde as it had be of a Camel She was of so grete meruaylous mekenes that ofttymes she sat vnknowen with pore pylgrymes at the monastery of seynt Laurence in pamsperna in the cyte of Rome which is of the ordre of seynt Clare there she toke almes with them Ofttymes with hir owne haÌ„des for goddes sake she repayred the clothes of pore men euery day in hir husbandes lyf she fedde .xii. pore men in hir house seruyd mynystred to them hirselfe suche as they neded Of hir owne substauÌ„ce she repayred in hir countre many desolate hospytalles as a busy administratrice mercyful pytuous she visited the nedy syke meÌ„ that were ther haÌ„deled and wasshyd theyr sores without horror or lothsomnes And she was of so meruaylouse great pacyence that the sykenes that she had hir self wronges that were done vnto hir and the deth of hir husbande of hir sone Charles with all other aduersyties she suffred moost pacyently without murmur or gruttynge and in all thyngê with hygh mekenes she blessyd our lorde beynge for suche troubles the more constauÌ„te in the fayth the more redy in hope and the more brennynge in Charyte hyghly she loued Iustyce equyte The mocions of the flesshe vayneglory with a busy cure great truste in our lorde she despysed and ouercame She was of suche hygh wysedome discrecion that fro hir youth vnto his laste houre asmoche as fraylnes myght suffre she neuer sayd good to be euyll nor euyll to be good And euery fryday in hir husbandes lyf she was confessyd and after his deth she was euery day confessyd Euery sonday she hir doughter Katheryne whiche lyued with hir all hir lyfe in penaunce chaste wydowhed with great deuocioÌ„ and humylyte resceyued the holy body of our lord euer lyuyngâ— in secrete penauÌ„ce whiche they dyd nat to the apparaunte syght of the worlde but secretly to almyghty god in symplenes of herte and cleÌ„nes of spyrit On a tyme when the kyng of Swecia wolde haue charged his comons with agreat exacion that he myght therw t haue payed a great suÌ„me of money wherin he was in detted seynt Birget for great compassyon that she had to the people sayd to the kynge Osyr do nat so but take my two sones lay them in plegge to yo credytours tyl ye may pay your money do nat offende god yo subiettê There was a knyght that alway studyed to fynde newe inuencyons amonge the people whiche by his wordê euyll examples brought many to dampnacion this knyght had great enuy to seynt Birget and bycause he durste nat hym selfe speke â—uyll to hir he styred another that shuld fayne hym self dronken then he to speke vnto hir shamefull and coÌ„tumelious wordes to brynge hir out of pacyence whiche cursed man as seynt Birget was syttynge at the table with many honorable ê‘sones sayd in the herynge of theym all O lady thou slepest to lytell â—and thou wakest to moch it were expedyent for the to drynke well and to slepe more hathe god thynkest thou forsaken Relygyous ê‘sons and speketh with proude people of the world It is a vayne thyng to gyue any fayth to thy wordes and as he was so spekyng they that stode by wolde haue put hym away with violence to his rebuke and shame And seynt Birget prohybyted theym and sayd suffre hym to speke almyghty god hath sent hym hyther for I that in all my lyfe haue sought myn owne prayse why shuld I nat here my rightwysnes This maÌ„ sayth to me yÌ„e trouth And when the knyght herde of the great pacyence of seynt Birget he toke great repentaunce and came to Rome and asked forgyuenes of seynt Birget there he made a good and a laudable ende The sayd blessyd woman seynt Birget was so adourned fulfylled with all vertues that oure lorde receyued hir to be his spouse and vysyted hir many tymes with merueylous consolacyons and dyuyne graces shewyd hir many heuynly reuelacyons saynge vnto hir I haue chosen the to my spouse that I maye shewe to the my secretê for it pleasyth me so to do And another tyme he sayd to hir I take the to my spouse and to my proper delyte suche as it is my pleasure to haue with a chaste soule In whiche reuelacyons be conteyned the hyghe secrete my steryes of the moste gloriouse Trinite of the Incarnacyon natyuyte lyfe and passyon of our Sauyour criste Ihesu with the playne and trewe Doctryne to knowe vertue and to folowe it and to eschewe vycesshewynge the rewarde of vertue and the great intollerable payne and dampnacyon that shall fall to synners that dye in deedly synne exortynge also all men to do condigne penauÌ„ce for the synnes that they haue ben shryuen of to eschewe the great and dredefull paynes of purgatorye ordeyned for theyr purgacyon by the strenght equyte of Iustyce whiche terryble paynes our Sauyour shewyd dyuerse tymes to his sayde spouse seynt Birget to thentenâ— she shuld shewe them ouer the people whiche reuelacioÌ„ seynt Birget wrote in hir owne naturall tonge and the sayd Pryour of Albastra hir Fader espuÌ„ell by the coÌ„maundement of almyghty god translated theym into Latyn and deuyded theym into .viii. bokes bysyde a especiall reuelacion that she had of the praysynges and excellencye of our blessyd Lady whiche he appoynted for the Legend of the susters and bysyde many other Reuelacyons that she hadde for the Rule and foundacyon of hir sayd Monasterye of Watzstenes foure goodly chappytours for prayers with certeyn reuelacyons called the extrauagantê And natwithstandynge the great and synguler graces that she hadde as well in the sayde RevelacioÌ„s as otherwyse she was nat therfore any thynge exalted but dayly with many terys humbled hirselfe the more therfore and wolde gladly haue hydde and kept cloâ—â— the especyall gyfte that she had of our lord in the sayd Reuelacions but that our lorde coÌ„maunded hir oft tymes to wryte to speke them boldely to the Pope to the Emperour kyngê prynces and other people that by the reason of theym they myght the soner be conuertyd fro theyr synnes And