alle he gaf to theÌ„ to drynke the venym whiche men assone as they had dronken it incontynent deyed Thenne saynt IohÌ„n toke the cuppe with the venym And blessyd it with the signe of the crosse and dranke it of euerydele And had ne felte none hurte ne harme wherfore alle the peple gaf laude and preysyng to god Aristodemus sayde yet haue I a doubte but and yf thou reyse to lyf agayn the dede men that dranke the venym wythout doubte thenne shal I byleue Thenne thappostle delyueryd hym hys cote to whoÌ„ he said why gyuest thou to me thy cote and saynt IohÌ„n said by cause that thou asshamed and confused shalt goo fro and forsake thyn Infydelite To whom he seid Trowest thou that thy cote shal make me byleue and thappostle said goo and leye it vpon the bodyes of the dede men sayeng Thappostle of Crist hath sent me to you that ye aryse in the name of crist whyche whan he had doon anon they aroos fro deth to lyf Thenne thappostle baptysed the bysshop and the proconsul byleuyng in cryst wyth all theyr kynne frendes which anon brake all their symylacres And in the same place edefyed a chyrche in the worshyp of god and of saynt Iohan The holy saynt clement reherceth in the fourth book of historia ecclesiastica that one a tyme saynt IohÌ„n theuangelist conuerted to the fayth a goodly yong man wel fauoured and stronge And comanded hym vnto the kepyng rule and gouernaunce of a bysshop And within a lytyl whyle after thys yong man forsoke the bysshop and fylle in to euyl companye emong theuys And by cam and was made maister and prynce of them Anon after thappostle cam to the bysshop and demanded for thys yong man And the bysshop was sore abasshed whan saynt Iohan sawe hys contenaunce he demanded more besilier after hym And where he had lefte hym For I aske hym of the whom I delyuerid to the and gaf the so grete charge with hym Thenne said the bysshop to hym Fader truly he is deed in hys sowle And is in yonder montayn wyth theuys and is theyr mayster and prynce And whan he herd that for sorowe he rente hys clothis and said to the bysshop thou art a feble kepar for to suffre thy brother to lese hys sowle Anone he made an hors to be made redy for hym and rode faste to the montayn And whan the yong man espyed and knewe hym he was so sore ashamed that he fled from hym Thenne thappostle forgate hys age and prykyd after and cryed after hym that fledde My most swete sone why fleest thou fro thy fader feble and olde Be thou not aferd sone For I shal yelde acountes for the to Ihesu cryst And truly I shal gladly deye for the lyke as Ihesu cryst deyed for vs Torne agayn my sone torne agayn Ihesu cryst hath sente me to the And he herd hym thus speke he abode with an heuy chyer and wepte repentyng hym bytterly and fylle doun to the feet of thappostle and for penauÌ„ce kyst hys hand And thappostle fasted and prayed to god for hym and gate for hym remyssyon of hys synnes and foryeuenes And lyued so vertuously after that saynt IohÌ„n ordeyned hym to be a bysshop ¶ Also it is redde in the same hystorye that saynt IohÌ„n on a tyme entred in to a bath for to wasshe hym and ther he fonde cheryntuÌ„ an heretyke whome assone as he sawe he eschewed and wente out of it sayeng Late vs flee and goo hens leeft the bayne falle vpon vs in whyche cheryntus thenemye of trouthe wassheth hym And assone as he was out the bayne fylle doun Cassiodor saith that a man had gyuen to saynt IohÌ„n a partrych lyuyng And he helde it in hys honde strokyng and playeng with it other whyle for hys recreacion And on a tyme a yong man passyd by wyth hys felawshyp and sawe hym playe wyth hys byrde whyche sayd to hys felaws lawhyng See how the yonder old man playeth wyth a byrd lyke a chyld whyche saynt IohÌ„n knewe anon by tholy ghoost what he had said and callyd the yong man to hym and demanded hym what he held in hys hond and he said a bowe what dost thou with all said saynt IohÌ„n And the yong man said we shote byrdes and bestes therwith to whom thappostle demaunded how and in what maner Thenne the yong man bente hys bowe and helde it in hys honde bente And whan thappostle said no more to hym he vnbente hys bowe agayn Thenne said thappostle to hym why hast thou vnbente thy bowe and he said by cause yf it shold be long bente it shold be the weyker for to shete with it Thenne said thappostle Soo sone it fareth by maÌ„kynde and by freylte in contemplacion yf it shold be alway be bente it shold be to weyke And therfor otherwhyle it is expedient to haue recreacion The eygle is the byrde that fleeth hyest and most clerly beholdeth the sonne And yet by necessyte of nature hym behoueth to descende lowe Ryght soo whan mankynde withdraweth hym a lytil fro contemplacion he after putteth hym self heyer by a renewed strengthe and he brenneth thenne more feruently in heuenly thynges Saynt IohÌ„n wrote his gospellis after the other euangelistes the yere after thascencion of our lord lxvj after this that the venerable bede saith And whaÌ„ he was requyred and prayd of the bysshops of the contre of ephese to write them saynt IohÌ„n prayd also to them that they shold faste praye in their dyosices iij dayes for hym to th ende that he myght truly wryte them Saynt Iherome saith of this glorious appostle saynt IohÌ„n that whan he was so olde so feble and so vnmyghty that hys dysciples susteyned and bare hym in goyng to chirche and as of tymes as he restid he said to his dysciples Fayre chyldren loue ye to gydre and eche of you loue other And thenne hys disciples demanded why and wherfore he said to them so ofte suche werdes he answerd to them and said our lord had so comanded And who someuer accomplisshed wel this comandemeÌ„t it shold suffyse hym for to be saued And fynably after that he had founded many chyrches and had ordeyned bysshops and prestes in them and confermed them by hys predycacion in the crysten fayth the yere lxviij after the resurrection of Iesu cryst For he was xxxj yere old whan our lord was crucyfyed And lyued after lxviij yere and thus was all hys age lxxxxix yere TheÌ„ne cam our lord with hys dyscyples to hym and said Come my frende to me For it is tyme that thâ—u come ete and be fed atte my table with thy bretâ—ern Thenne saynt IohÌ„n aroos vp and said to our lord IhÌ„u cryst that he had desired it longe tyme And began to goo Thenne said our lord to hym On sonday next comyng thou shalt come to me That sonday the peple came alle to the chyrehe whiche was founded in hys name
fro the culture and worshypyng of false ydolles fro the vemyin of the dragon Atte laste whan saynt siluestre approched toward hys deth he called to hym the clergye and admonested them to haue charyte And that they shold dylygently gouerne their chirches And kepe theyr flock fro the wulues And after the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord thre hondred twenty he departed out of thys world and slept in our lord cÌ„ Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Siluester Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Poul the first heremyte SAynt Poul whiche was the first heremyte as saynt Iherome wryteth was in the tyme of decius and valeryanus emperours the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord ijClvj Thys holy man saynt poul sawe men for Crysten faith cruelly tormented wherfore he fledde in to the deserte Emonge whome he sawe two cruelly tourmented The first for that he abode fermly in hys fayth The Iuge dyde do enoynte alle hys body wyth hony And dyde do bynde hys hondes by hynde hym on hys back And soo dyde hym be sette in the hete of the sonne for to by byten and stongen of flyes and waspes That other that was yonge he made hym to lye in a right softe bedde bytwene ij shetes emonge flowres and delectable Roses and herbes swete smellyng And there in he was bounden so that he myght not meue hym After made an harlote a Rybaulde come to hym allone for to touche hys membres and hys body to moeue to lecherye Fynably whan the voluptuosyte of hys flesshe surmounted hym and myght not deffende hym self ne hys meÌ„bres he bote of a pyâ—ce of hys tongue and spitte it in her vysage whiche alleway enticed hym to lecherye by touchyng and by kyssynges And so he voyded the temptacion flesshely and the Rybaulde also and deserued to haue lawde and victorye In thys tyme saynt poul to fore said was yong aboute xvj yere of age and dwellyd in thebayde whyche is a partye of Egypte wyth hys suster mauryce And whan he sawe the persecucions of crysten men he departed and becam an heremyte so longe and so many yeres that he was olde an honderd and xiij yere In thys tyme saynt Anthonye was an heremyte in an other deserte was thenne lxxxx yere of age And on a tyme he thought in hym self that in the world was none so good ne so grete an heremyte as he was hym self Herupon cam to hym a reuelacioÌ„ as he slepte that bynethe alle alowe doun in that deserte was an heremyte better than he And that he ought to goo and see thys holy man Anon after the next day he toke hys staf by whyche he susteyned hym and began in goo thurgh that deserte And it happed that he mette a persone whyche was half aboue an hors and bynethe a man whome the fables of the poetes calle centaure And anon made to fore hym the signe of the crosse And demaunded of hym where thys holy maÌ„ theremyte dwellyd And he shewed to hym the waye on the right side and anon vanysshyd away from hym It is not certaynly knowen yf thys beste was a beste of the deserte or the deuyl in fygure of a beste After thys saynt Anthonye mette with a monstre in a valeye beryng the fruyte of a pal myer croked and had in hys forhede hornes and hys legges and feet lyke a ghoot of the woodes And anon he made to fore hym the signe of the crosse Thys bestial man gaf to saynt Anthonye the fruyte of the palmyer And saynt Anthonye demauÌ„ded what he was And he answerd I can mortal and dwelle in deserte And the sarasyns calle vs sacraros I am the messager of our companye we praye the that thou praye the lord for vs we knowe wel that the sauyour of the world is comen And hys renomee is spred thurgh the world And by cause herof noman shold haue doubtauÌ„ce Alle men knowe that in the tyme of Constantyn themperour suche amaÌ„ was brought in to the cyte of Alexandre to fore the peple and whan he was deed hys body was fylled with salt ayenst the hete of the sonne And was sente to themperour to Anthioche for a meruaylle But retorne we to our mater Saynt Anthonye had grete labour in goyng by the deserte where as was no waye Fynably he fonde a she wulf whyche brought hym by the wille of god vnto thermytage of saynt poul But assone as he knewe that saynt Anthonye cam hastely he shytte hys dore And saynt Anthonye prayd hym for charyte that he wold opene it to hym said thou wotest wel who wherfore I am come I knowe wel I am not worthy to rendre gyue to the ony thyng for thy labour Neuertheles I shal not departe fro hens vnto the tyme that I haue seen the Atte last he opened hys dore and sâ—â—h entrebraced eche other And eche of them dyde reuerence eche to other And saynt poul demaunded of thestate of the world and of the gouernaunce And yf Crysten faith were spredde and vsed ouerall And whyles they were thus talkyng A crowe cam fleyng and brought to them two loues yf breed And whan the crowe was goon Saynt Poul said be thou glad and Ioyeful For our lord is debonayre and mercyful he hath sente vs brede for to ete It is xl yere passed that euery day he hath sente me half a loof But now at thy comyng he hath sente ij hole loues and double prouende And they had question to gydre vntil euensong tyme whyche of them bothe shold entame or bygynne to take of the breed Atte laste the bred departed euen bytwene theyr handes and thenne they ete dranke of the welle or fontayne After graces said they had alle that nyght collacion to gydre On the morn said saynt poul Broder it is longe sith that I knewe that thou dwelledeth in this region and in thys contree And god had promysed to me thy coÌ„panye I shal now shortly deye and shal goo to Ihesu cryst for to receyue the crowne to me promysed Thou art comen hyther for to burye my body whan saynt Anthonye herd that anon he begaÌ„ tendrely to wepe and waylled prayeng that he myght deye with hym and goo in hys companye Saynt Poul said hyt is nede yet that thou lyue for thy brethren to th ende that they by the ensample of the be made forme and taught wherfore I praye the retorne to thyn abaye And brynge to me the mantel whyche Athanases the bysshop gaf to the for to wrappe in my body Thenne saynt Anthonye merueylled of thys that he knewe of this bysshop and of thys mantel and after durst nothyng saye â—ut dyde to hym reuerence lyke as god had spokeÌ„ to hym And wepyng kyssed hys feet and hys hondes and cam aâ—ayn to hys abbaye with grete trauayl and labour for he had fro that one parte to that other many Iourneyes and foul waye thurgh hayes and hedges woodes stones hylles and valeyes and saynt
that she had brought she departed them and gaue for the loue of god to somme poure wulle and to other hool loues of breed and somtyme she so hasted for pyte that she toke the loues hote out of the ouen secretely and gaue it to the poure The wymmen meruayled why she toke theyr loues but they spake ne sayd no thynge And they moche doubted that they shold not fynde theyr counte ne tale But notwythstondyng that she had so taken by the grace of god they fonde al theyr loues and lacked none by the merytes of the holy saynt hyr hope was no thynge in worldly thynges but in heuenly for she byleuyd in the holy scrypture that saith who so yeueth to the poure leneth for a uayle The rewarde whiche they receyue that gyue to poure peple the holy ghoost had she wyd to hyr longe tofore and therfore she cessyd not to wepe to adoure and to doo werkys of pyte For she knewe wel that she was none other in thys world but a pylgryme passyng There was at meaux a bourgeys that by the space of foure yere he myght not here ne goo he dyd hym be broughte to the holy vyrgyn whiche dwellyd at parys requyred hir that she wolde restore to hym hys helthe and heryng she touched his eerys blessyd hym and anone he was hole and wente herde as he dyd before thankyng our lord On a tyme the holy vyrgyne wente to orlyaunce a woman named fraterne was in grete sorowe for hyr doughter that laye deyeng anone as she wyste the comyng of the holy virgyne she wente to hir to saynt aiguen where she fonde hyr in prayer fraterne fyl doun to hir feet sayeng Dame geneuefe gyue me ageyn clode my doughter Whan geneuefe sawe the good feythe of hyr she sayd dyscomforte the no thynge thy doughter is in helthe the which by the meruayllous puyssaunce of god at the worde of the holy vyrgyne was brought fro the wycket of dethe and came al hool ageynst hir moder and mette wyth hir at the portal of the hows The people thankyd our lord for thys fayre myracle In the sayd cyte there was o seruauÌ„t culpable ageynst his mayster the holy mayde prayed hys mayster that he wold foryeue hym hys trespaas The mayster as felonous and proude daygned not to doo hit at hyr requeste Thenne sayd the holy vyrgyne though ye despyse me our lord wyl not haue me in despyte assone as he was at home he was taken with an hote feare ague whiche vexyd hym in suche wyse that he myÈt not slepe of al the nyght On the morne he came to the holy vyrgyne rennyng wyth open mowth lyke a bere of almayn the tonge hangyng out and fomyng lyke a boor requyryng pardon whiche wold gyue no pardon The saynt had pyte on hym and blessyd hym and the fyeure lefte hym thus made she the mayster hool and the seruaunte excused fro orlyounce the holy woman wente to tours by the water of loyre where she suffryd many perylles whan she areyued at tours grete foyson of demonyaks cam ageynst hir out of the chirche of saynt martyn and the spyrytes cryed by the mowthes of them that were madde vexyd which were brente by the merytes of saint martyn and saint geneuefe and the perylles that the vyrgyn had in the water of loyre they had doon hit by enuye The holy vyrgyn wente vnto the chyrche of saynt martyn where as she helyd mony demonyaks by prayers and by the sygne of the crosse and the demonyaks sayd at the houre of the tormente that the fyngres of the saynt brente aboute them as tapres en flamed wyth fyre of heuen herof herde thre men which kepte their wyues mad they wente to the chyrche and prayed hyr that she wold vysyte theyr wyues The blossyd vyrgyne whyche was debonayr wente and vysyted them and delyuerd them fro thenemye by vnctyon of holy oyle and by prayer Anone after it happed as she was in orysons in a corner in the chyrche of saynt martyn that one of the syngars was soo sore vexyd wyth the enemye that he ete his membris whyche wente out of the chauncel and came strayte to the holy vyrgyn the blessyd virgyn coÌ„mauÌ„ded the spiryte to yssue out he answerd yf he yssued he wold yssue by the eye She commaunded that he shold no lengyr abyde ne dwelle there and thenne he yssued out anone wold he nolde he by the flux of the wombe and lefte foule enseygnes and tokenes and the seek maÌ„ was at hool in good mynde wherof he thanked our lord They of tours honourid moche thys blessyd vyrgyne how wel hyt was ageynst her wylle On a tyme as â—e was at hyr dore she saw a mayde passe by beryng a buyret of oyle she callyd hyr and askyd what she bare She answerd and sayd oyle which she had boughte the holy mayde whyche sawe the enemye sytâ—e on the mowthe of the buyrette blewe on hit the buyrette brake she blessyd the oyle and bad the mayde bere it forth saufly the peple that sawe this had grete meruaylle that thenemye coude not hyde hym but that she perceyued hym and thankyd our lord There was broughte to hyr a chylde by his frendes whyche was dombe blynde and lame the blessyd vyrgyn enoynted hym wyth the holy oyle and the same oure he saw clerely spake and wente and receyued helthe entyerly In the terroyr of meaux the holy mayde dyd do laboure a felde â—â—at she had and a storme tempeste trouâ—â—ed wynde and rayn aroos which 〈◊〉 moche the werkemen She 〈…〉 stretchyng on the erthe in orison 〈◊〉 prayer and our lord shewyd 〈◊〉 a fayr myracle for the rayne fyl 〈◊〉 al the corne in the feldes theraboute and in hyr felde fyl not one drope Another tyme as she was on the sayn there was a grete tempeste and she besoughte god of helpe and anone it cessid in suche wyse that they that were presente sawe wel that our lord at hyr requeste and for hir loue made wynde raâ—ne to cesse alle seek men that she enoynted wyth holy oyle deuoutelye were helyd and made hool hit happed so that on a tyme whan she wold haue enoynted a demonyak she fonde no oyle in hir ampolle whe 〈…〉 was so sory that she wyste not what to doo For there was no bysshop presente for to blesse hâ—t She laye douâ— in orysons and prayer besechyng god that he wold delyuer the man from the enemye Our lord shewyd there two fayre vertues for assone as she aroos hir ample was ful of oyle beyng in hir handes of whiche she enoynted the madde man and anone was delyuerd of the wycked spyrite whyche ample with the oyle sawe the same man that wrote hir lyf xviij yere after hyr decesse Many other myracles without nombre shewyd our lord for the loue of the holy and blessyd saynt saynt Geneuefe the whiche lyued in this world ful of vertues and myracles more than foure score
bronde in her honde and lyghted the tapers and lampes and as eche of them called other by theyr name Crist cam to them sayeng come my welbelouyd hostesse For where I am thou shalte be with me Thou hast receyued me in thyn herberugh and I shal receyue the in myn heuen and all them that calle vpon the I shal here them for thy loue Thenne the hour of her deth approchyng she commaunded that she shold be born out of the hous that she myght be holde and loke vp in to heuen and to lâ—ye her on the erthe and to holde the sigâ—e of the crosse to fore her and sayeng thyse wordes she prayed My swete ghâ—ste I beseche the to kepe me thy pour creature And lyke as thou hast vouched sauf to be lodged with me so I beseche the to receyue me in to thyn heueÌ„ly herberugh And thenne she had that the passyon after luke shold be redde tofore her And whan this was said Pater in manus tuas comendo spiritum meum she gaf vp her spirite and deyed in our lord The next day folowyng that was the sonday whyles they said laudes aboute her body and dyd her obsequyâ— and aboute the hour of tierâ—â— at petogoriâ—e our lord appered to the blessid ffrancone syngyng masse whiche after thepystle slepte in his chayre and said to hym my welbelouyd ffrancone yf thou wilt fulfille that thou behyghtest long sithe to my hostesse martha arise anon and folowe me whos commaundement he obeyed sodenly both cam to tharascone And syngyng thoffyce aboute the body And the other answeryng they with ther owen hondes leyd the body into tâ—e sepulture And trouth it was that at petogorike whan they had songen in the chore and the deken shold goo rede the gospel and receyue the benediction they awoke the bysshop demaundyng the benediction Thenne the bysshop awoke and sayd why haue ye awakend me my brethern Our lord Ihesu Crist hath ledde me to his hostesse martha And we haue leyed her in her sepulture Now sende thyder messagers for to felche our rynge of gold and our gloues whiche whiles I made me redy to burye her I delyuerd them to the sextayne and I haue forgoten them there by cause ye awoke me so soone Thenne were messagers sent forth as the bysshop sayde they fond his rynge and one gloue whiche they brought agayn and that other the sextayn reteyned for a wytnes and memorie And the blessyd ffrancone added therto sayeng that after her sepulture a brother of the same place a lerned man in the lawe demaunded of our lord what was his name To whom he ansuerd not but shewed a boke open in his honde in Whiche was wreton thys versycle In euerlastyng memorye shal be my rightful hoostesse and she shal drede non euyl in the last day and whan he shold torne the leues of the boke in euery leef he fonde that same wreton where afterward many myracles were shewd and don at her tombe ¶ Thenne Clodoneus kyng of ffraunce was after thys made a cristen man and baptised of seynt remyge And suffred grete payne in his mynes cam to her tombe and there receyued very helth For whyche cause he enryched that place And the space of iij myle way about on both sides of the ryuer of Roon as wel townes as castellys he gaf to the same place and that place he made free Marcilla her seruaunt wrote her lyf whiche afterward went in to sclauonye And there prechyd the gospel of cryst after x yere fro the deth of martha she restid in our lord Thenne late vs praye to this blessyd martha hostesse of our lord that after this shorte lyf we may be herberowed in heuen wyth our blessyd lord Ihesu crist to whom he yeue Ioye laude and preysyng world without ende Amen Thus endeth the lyf of the blessyd Seynt martha And here folowen the lyues of Abdon and Sennen ABdon is sayde of Absein in greek which is as moche to saye as cutte in latyn dolos Whiche is to saye as seeyng He was cutte hewen in his body and sawe god by martirdom Sennen is sayde of senos in greek Whyche is as moche to saye as Wytte and en that is in And therof is sennen as in witte or sennes as olde As who sayth he was olde in wytte Of seyntes Abdon and sennen ABdon and sennen suffred martirdom vnder decyen the emperour whaÌ„ decius themperour had surmounted babilone the other prouynces he fond somme cristen men within the cite And brought them wyth hym bounden to the cyte of Cordule And made them there to dye by dyuers tormentys And thenne Abdon sennen whyche were as gouernours of the contray toke the bodyes and buryed them Thenne were they accused and brought to decyen and he dyd do lede them wyth hym bounden in chaynes to rome thenne were they brought tofore decien and tofore the senatours thenne was it commaunded that they shold doo sacrefyse And they shold haue al theyr thynges frely Or ellys they shold be deuoured by bytynges of wyld beestes But they dyspyseden to make sacrefyse and spytten ayenste the fals ydollys and statues thenne were they drawen to the place of martirdome and made to be brought to them two lyone and ij berys whiche dyde to them non harme ne touched them not But rather kepte them fro harme Thenne began they to cast speres and swerdes at them and atte last they were alle to hewen wyth swerdis and thenne they were bouÌ„den by the feet and drawen thrugh the toun vnto thydolle of the sonne And whan they had leyn there iij dayes quyryne subdeken toke the bodyes vp and buryed them in his hous And they suffred deth aboute the yere of our lord two hondred liij Thus endeth the lyues of Abdon and Sennen Here foloweth the lyl of seynt Germayne and first of hys name GErmayne is sayde of germe and ana that is hye thys is to saye souerayn germe Thre thynges ben fouÌ„den in seed germynyng that is to wete natural hete humour nutrimental and reson of seed Thenne the holy Seynt Germayn is sayd as seed germynyng For in hym was hete by brennyng of loue humour by fatnesse of deuocion and reson of the seed by vertu of predycacion by whiche he engeÌ„dryd moche peple to the fayth And in good maners And constance the preest wrote his lyf to seynt seueryn bysshop of Anserre ¶ Of Seynt Germayne GErmayn was of moche noble lygnage born in the cite ancerre And was taught and enformed wel in the artes lyberalle And after he went to rome For to lerne the scyence of the decretees droytes lawe And there receyued he so moche of dygnyte that the senate sent hym vnto ffraunce for to haue and obtayne the dygnyte of the duchy of alle burgoyne And thus as he gouerned the cyte more dylygently than al the other ther was in the myddes of the cite a tre whiche
after thys the lombardes made a kynge named adolaoth which was baptysed and receyued the feythe of cryste and theodolyne quene of the lombardes a deuoute and moste crysten lady ordeyned at melane a moche fayr oratorye To whome saynt Gregory sente the bokes of dyaloges and she conuerted agysulphe hyr husbonde to the feythe whiche had fyrst been duc of Taurynense and after was kynge of the lombardys and he maad pees to be had wyth the Emperour wyth the chyrche and the pees was maad bytwene the Romayns and the lombardes the day of the feste of saynt Geruase and saynt prothase and therfore establysshed saynt gregory to synge the offyce in the masse Loquetur dominus pacem ¶ And in the natyuyte of Saynt Iohan baptyst the pees was al confermyd and thys Theodolyn had a specyal deuocion to the blessyd saynt Iohan and sayd that by the meryte of hym her people was conuerted and to hym she made the sayd oratorye at melane and it was shewed by reuelacyon vnto an holy man that saint Iohan was patrone and deffendour of her peple and whan gregory was dede sabyne succeded after hym and to hym succeded boneface the thyrd and to hym boneface the fourth at whos requeste Focas the emperour gafe to the chirche of cryste the temple of Pantheon aboute the yere of our lord vj hondred and ten and he at the requeste of the thyrd boneface establysshed the see of Rome to be chyef and hede of al the chyrche For tofore the chyrche of constantynople wrote hir seef grettest of alle other chyrches And whan Focas was dede Heracle reygned and aboute the yere of our lord vj hondred and ten machomete the false prophete and an enchauntour deceyued the agarenes or ysmaelytes that is to saye the sarazyns in thys maneee as it is redde in an hystorye of hym in a certeyn cronycle There was a clerke moche renomed at rome whiche coude not come to the worshyp that he desyred and in grete desdayne departed thens in to the partyes ouer the see and drewe to hym by his symylacyon moche peple and fonde machomete and sayd to hym that he wold make hym lord and chyef of alle the peple and after he nourisshed a dowue and layed whete and other corne in the eerys of Machomete and sette the dowue vpon his sholdre and fedde hym out of his eer and was so vsed and acustomed that alwey whan he sawe machomete he flewe on hys sholdre and put his bylle or becke in his eer and thenne this clerke called the peple and sayd that he wold make hym lord ouer them alle On whome the holy ghoost shold descende in the lykenesse of a culuer or a dowue And thenne he leâ—â— the dowue flee secretelye and he fledde vpon the sholdre of machomete which was emonge the other and put his becke in hys eer And whan the peple sawe thys thynge they supposed that the holy ghoost had descendyd on hym and had shewed vnto hym in his eere the worde of god and thus deceyued machomete the sarasyns whyche with his adherentes assaylled the royalme of Perse and alle the partyes of the orryente vnto Alysaundre Thus it is sayd comyâ—lye but thys that shal here folowe is had fro more trewer hystorye For thenne machomete made and fayned his lawes to be made of the holy ghoost whyche in the syght of the people ofte came vnto hym in the forme of a dowue and in his lawes he put somme thynges of the olde and newe testamente For whan he was in hys fyrste eage he haunted egypte and Palestyne and was a marchaunte and ladde camellys and conuersyd of te with Iewes and wyth crysten men of whom he had taken the olde testamente the newe and after the custome of the Iewes the sarasyns ben circumcysed and ete no swynes flesshe And machometâ— tolde hem that the cause was that the Swyne was made of the donge of the camell after noes flode and therfore it ought to be eschewed as an vnclene beest of clene peple and to cristen men they accorde where as they byleue on god almyghty maker of alle thynge And this false prophete meddlid and affermyd somme trewe thynges wyth the fals he sayd that moyses was a grete prophete but cryste was gretter and moste souerayn of the prophetes was borne of the vyrgyne marye wythout seed of man and he sayth in his book that is called alcharon that whan cryste was a chylde he made byrdes of the slyme of the erthe but he meddlyd venym wyth hys wordes For he sayd that Ihesu cryste was not verayly deed ne aroos not ageyn but that it was another in lykenesse of hym that he had put in hys stede There was a lady named Cadygam whyche was lady of a prouynce named cerotanye and sawe that this machomete was kepar and gouernour of a grete companye of sarasyns Iewes supposed that deuyne mageste had be in hym hydde she was a wydowe she toke machomete to hyr husbonde thus was machomete prynce of alle that prouynce after by false demonstraunces he deceyued not onelye thys lady but he deceyued Iewes crysten men so that he sayd to them openlye that he was messyas that was promysed in theyr lawe and after this machomete fyl ofte he thepylentycal passyon and whan the lady his wyf â—â—we hym ofte falle she was moche sorouful that she had wedded hym he thoughte to plese hir appeased her in thys wyse sayd that he sawe ofte the aungel gabryel whyche spake to hym and that he myght not suffre the bryghtnesse of hym wherfore he must falle by cause he myght not sustene hym and hys wyf other supposed and byleuyd that it had ben trewe and in another place it is redde that a monke named sergyus an heretyke that Introduced machomette whyche monke by cause he fyl in to heresye of nestory was expulsed fro his monasterye and came in to arabye abode wyth machomete how be it it is sayd in another place that he was archedeken in antyoche as somme saye he was a Iacobyte preched the circumsycyon and sayd that cryste was not god but he was an holy man conceyued onely of the holy god borne of a vyrgyne that byleue the sararyns the sayd Sergyus taughte to machomete many thynges of tholde and newe testamente And whan machomete was orphane of fader moder he was vnder the gouernaunce of his vncle and by longe tyme adoured thydolles with the people of arabye as he wytnesseth in hys alcharon that god shold saye to hym Thou were an orphelyn and I haue taken the Thou abodest longe in the errour of ydolatrye I brought the out therof Thou were poure and I haue enryched the ¶ Al the people of arabye wyth machomete worshypped Venus for a goddesse therof cometh it that the sarasyns holde the fryday in grete honoure lyke as the Iewes doon the satyrday and cristen
laus honor sit tibi rex xpeÌ„ and the emperour was presente and hit plesyd so mâ—che to themperour that he toke hym out of prison and restablysshed hym in to hys see The messagers of mychel themperour of constantynople brought yeftes to lowys the sone of charles and emonge al other they brouÈt the bookes of saynt denys of the Ierarchye of aungellys translated out of greek in to latyn and he receyued them wyth grete ioye And thenne were there aboute a twenty seek men of dyuers maladyes whiche al were helyd that nyght in the chyrche of saynt denys And whan lowys was dede Lothayr helde th empyre and lowys charles his brethern made a bataylle ageynste hym where there was so grete occysion of one and other that there had neuer tofore ben suche in no tyme in fraunce atte laste it was accorded that charles shold regne in fraunce Lowys in almayne and lothayr in ytalye and in the parte of fraunce whyche is named Lorayne and after that he lefte the empyre to Lowys hys sone whiche was emperour after hym and he took the habyte of a monke And it is sayd in a cronycle that serge was thenne pope whych tofore was named os porcy that is to saye the mowth of aswyn but his name was chaunged and was called Sergyus and fro than forthon it was ordeyned that alle the popes shold chaunge their names by cause our lord chaunged the name of hym that he chaas to be prynce of thappostles For as they be chaunged in name soo shold they be chaunged in perfeccion of lyf and by cause that thys man was chosen in to a noble offyce he shold not be defouled by a dyshoneste name In the tyme of this lowys in the yere of our lord viij hondred and xvj as it is sayd in a cronycle in the paroche of magonce a wycked spyrite smote on the walles of the howses as it had be wyth hamers and spake openlye in sowyng dyscordes and tormented so the peple that in what hows he entrid anone the hows brennyd and whan the preestes sayd the letanyes he caste at them stones and greuyd them cruelly and atte laste he confessyd that whan holy water was caste he hydde hym vnder the cope of a certeyn preest as his famylyar accusyng hym that he had synned wyth the doughter of the procurour In that tyme the kyng of bulgarys was conuerted vnto the feythe was of so grete perfectyon that he made his oldest sone kyng and he hym self toke thabyte of a monke but his sone gouerned hym so yongely the he toke ageyn the ryte and lawe of the paynyms thenne his fader reprised his knyghthode pursyewyd his sone toke hym put hym in prison and thenne he ordeyned his other sone to be kynge reprised his habyte ageyn It was sayd that in ytalye that tyme in the cyte of bryxe it rayned blood thre dayes that same tyme cam in to fraunce brezes or locustes Innumerable whiche had vj wynges syxe longe feet two teeth harder than ony stone fledde by companyes as armed men by the space of a day iourneye stratchyng a four myle or fyue myle brode they deuoured al thyng that was grene in trees and in herbys and came vnto the see of brytaygne but in th ende they were drowned in the see by force of the wynde but the hete of thoccean see threwe them to the ryuage and the ayer was corumped of their rotyng and therof ensewed a grete famyne and grete mortalyte that almoste the thyrd parte of the peple perysshed and deyed And after thys the fyrste otto was emperour in the yere of our lord ixC and xxxviij and as thys otto on an ester day had ordeyned a grete feste to his prynces tofore they were sette a sone of one of the prynces in the maner of a chylde toke one of the messys of mete fro the borde the keruar smote the chylde with his fyste and slewe hym And he that had the chylde in kepyng sawe that and slewe hym anone that had slayne the chylde and whan themperour wold haue dampned hym without audyence he toke themperour and threwe hym to the grounde and wold haue strangled hym and with grete payne he was taken from his handes and after themperour made hym to be kepte and sayd that he hym self was culpable and to blame and for the honour of the feste he lete the man goo frely his waye after thys fyrst otto the second otto succeded whan the ytalyens had ofte tymes broken the pees bytwene them and the romayns he came and made a grete comune feste to al the barons bysshoppes and grete lordes and whan they were al sette at dyner he enuyronned them al wyth men of armes and thenne he made his compleynte and dyd doo name them that were culpable by wrytyng and anone dyd doo smyte of her heedes there And vnto alle the other be made good chere and moche honoured theym And Otto the thyrd came after hym the yere of our Lord ix hondred foure score and ten And he had to surname the meruaylle of the world And as it is sayd in a cronycle he had a wyf whyche wold haue been loue or lemman vnto an erle And he wold not consente to hyr Wherfore she had soo grete malyce vnto hym that she dyffamed hym in suche wyse vnto hyr husbond the Emperour that he commaunded to smyte of hys heed wythout hauyng ony audyence But tofore he was byheded he prayed his good wyf that she sholde shewe hym Innocent not gylty by the preef of hote yren and thenne after came a day that the emperour shold do right to wydowes and to orphanes And thenne thys wydowe came and brought the heed of hir husbond bytwene hyr armes and demaunded of what dethe he ought to haue that had slayne a man wrongefully And he sayd that he ought to haue hys heed smyton of and thenne she sayd thou arte he that hast slayne my husbonde by the false entysemente of thy wyf Innocentlye and that I shal preue that I sawe trouthe by the beryng of thys brennyng yron And whan the emperour sawe that he was al abasshed and gaue hym self to be punysshed in to the handes of the woman Neuerthelesse by the prayer of the bysshoppes and of the barons the emperour took terme of ten dayes and after of viij and after of seuen and after of vj tyl the cause was examyned the trouthe knowen Thenne themperour the cause examyned and the trouthe knowen dyd doo brenne his wyf al quycke gaue to the wydowe foure castellys for hys redempcyon whyche castellys been in the bysshopryche of lymencis and been callyd the termys of the dayes And after this emperour reygned Henry which was duc of lauyer in the yere a M ij and gaue his suster named Geysyle to the kynge of hungarye in maryage that same kyng al hys peple she conuerted to
receyue none other licour of erthely delectacion ¶ And by cause they haue tasted the swetnes of heuen they haue none appetyte to the erthely delectacions wherof saith saynt Austyn who so drynketh one drope of delyces of paradys the whiche one drope is gretter than all the see occean whiche ought to be vnderstoÌ„de that all the thurst of this world is in hym extyncte And this signe had thappostles whiche wold haue none of the goodes of this world in propre but put it all in comyn The thirde signe is for to renne ouer out as it appierith by a Ryuer whiche aryseth and renneth ouer his bankes As salamon saith whiche fyllyth as phison wysedom This flode or ryuer phison of his nature ariseth and spryngeth ouer and watreth and arrouseth the bonde aboute hym In lyke wyse thappostles began to sprede abrode For after they had receyued the holy ghoost they began to speke dyuerse langages where the glose saith that that was the signe of plenytude For the vessell full shedeth ouer as it appiereth of saynt Peter For anone as he began to preche he â—â—nuerted thre thousand Secondly he was sente in tongues of fyre And here be thre thynges to be considered First for whom he was sente conioynctly in the tongues of fyre Secondly wherfore he was sente in tongues of fyre more than in another element ¶ Thirdly wherfor he was sente in toÌ„gues more thaÌ„ in another membre As to the first for thre reasons he was sent and appiered in tongues of fyre to th ende that their wordes shold enflamme the hertes Secondly that they shold preche the fyry lawe of god Thirdly that they shold knowe that the holy ghoost whiche is fyre spack in them And that they shold doubte nothyng And by cause alle men shold here the wordes of god And they shold attrybue ne take to them self that they conuerted by theyr predicacion but by the wordes of god ¶ Of the second we ought to knowe that he was sent in lyknes of fyre for many reasons The first is taken after the seuen vertues of grace The holy ghoost cam in the maner of fyre for to make meke hyghe thynges by the yefte of drede he amolyfyeth and softeth hard thynges by the yefte of pyte he illumyneth hard thynges by the yefte of scieÌ„ce he restrayneth the flodes of vices by the yefte of counseyl he affermeth and consolideth softe thynges by the yefte of strâ—ngthe he clereth the ruste of synne by the yefte of vnderstandyng he draweth vp the creatures by the yeft of sapience The second reason is taken after his dignyte and excellence the fyre surmounteth and excedeth all other elementes in beaute in ordre and in vertue In beaute by cause of the fayrnes of lyght In ordre by cause of his situacion In vertu by cause of vigour in operacion In lyke wyse the holy ghoost in thyse iij thynges excedeth all For the first he is said the holy ghoost pure without fylthe For the second holy ghoost whiche compriseth all other spyrites of vnderstondyng by his incomprehensibilite For the thirde he is said holy goost hauyng alle vertue for he is Invyncyble For he hath all strength seeyng all thynges fro ferre The third reason is taken as to hys manyfold effecte And this reason assigneth Rabanus sayeng that the fyre hath iiij vertues or natures It brenneth it purgeth it chauffeth and it lighteth In lyke wyse the holy ghoost brenneth the synnes he purgeth the hertes he casteth away alle coldnes and drede of the hertes And he enlumyneth theym that ben ignorauÌ„t Of the first saith zacharye the prophete He broyleth and brenneth the hâ—rtes as the fyre brenneth the syluer Also dauid sayd Lord I praye the brenne my reynes and my herte and drye them fro all synne he purgeth also the hertes after that as saith ysaye Whan our lord had wasshe away the fylthes of the doughters of syon hath purged the blood of Iherusalem fro the myddle of hym in the spiryte of Iugement and in the spyryte of brennyng thenne shal they be in sauete and surete and kepte ayenst all tempeste And the prophete speketh of the purgacion that shall be made atte laste whan all shal be purged pure clene that shal goo in to heuen he casteth out also all coldenes and pusyllanymyte of the hertes wherof thappostle saith Be ye feruent in spyryte that is of herte the whiche thyng the holy ghoost maketh whan he espriseth hym of hys loue And herof saith saynt gregory The holy goost appyered in fire for alle the hertes whiche he replenessid and voyded the coldnes of fere and enflamed them with desyre of the glorye perdurable He enlumyned also the ygnorauntes wherof sayth the wyse man Lord god who shal knowe thy scieÌ„ce yf thou gyue not thy sapience and sende to vs thyn holy spyryte from aboue that is he that all enseyneth and techeth The fourthe reason is taken after the nature of hys loue Loue is sygnefied by the fire for iij causes The first cause is for the fire is alway moeuyng So is it of the holy goost For them that he replenesshith he maketh them to be in contynuel moeuyng of good operacion wherof saith saynt gregory The loue of god is neuer ydle as longe as it is in the herte of a deuoute persone it fructyfyeth And it fructyfyeth not it is a signe that it is not there The seconde is For the fyre emonge al the other elementis hath but lytle matere but stronge vertue in operacion it hath in his qualite Thus the holy ghoost whom he replenesseth maketh them to haue but lytle ne lotâ— erthely thynges and gretly to spyrituel thynges in so mochethey loue not worldly thynges more wordly but spyrytuelly Saynt bernard putteth iiij maners of loue that is to wete to loue the world flesshly the spyrite flesshly the flessh spyrituelly the spyryte spyrytuelly The thirde cause is for that the fyre abassheth and meketh the thynges hye he hath tendede on hye thynges despercled to vnye them and them despercled to beynge to gydre And by thyes thre thynges ben vnderstonden thre ver tues of loue For as saith saynt denys in the book of the names dyuyne the fyre hath iij vertues ¶ For he enclyneth the hye thynges doun he lyfteth the thynges lowe in heyght he ordeyneth the thynges egall to theyr ordenaunce And thyse thre thynges maketh the holy ghoost in them that he replenesshyth For he enclyneth them by humylyte he lyfte them vp in desyre of hye thynges And ordeyneth them to gydre by vnyte of maners Thyrdly he apyered in lyknes of a tongue more than in an nother membre And for iij reasons The tongue is the membre that is enflamed of the fyre of helle and is of grete dyffyculte to gouerne And proufytable whan it is wel gouerned And by cause that the tongue was enflamed of the fyre of helle she hadde nede that the holy ghoost shold come tenflame it as saith saynt
the childreÌ„ of Israhel songe this soÌ„ge to our lord CaÌ„temê° dnÌ„o magnificatus est Late vs synge to our lord he is magnefied he hath ouerthrowen the horsmen carre men in the see marie the suster of aaron a ê“phetesse toke a tympane in her haÌ„de de and alle the wymen folowed her with tympanes and cordes and she weÌ„te to fore syngyng Cantemus domino Thenne moyses brought the chyldren of Israhel fro the see in to the deserte of Sur And walked with them iij dayes and iij nyghtes and fonde no water and cam in to marath and the waters there were so bytter that they myght not drynke therof Thenne the peple grutched ayenst Moyses sayeng what shal we drynke And he cryde vnto our lord whiche shewd to hym a tre whiche he toke and put in to the water and anon they were torned in to swetnes There our lord ordeyned comandementis and Iugements And ther he tempted hym sayeng Yf thou herest the voys of thy lord god and that thou doo that is rightful to fore hym and obeyest his comandements and kepe his preceptis I shal not brynge none of the langours no sorowes vpon the that I dyde in egypte I am lord thy sauyour Thenne the chyldren of Israhel cam in to helym where as were xij fontaynes of waters and lxx palme trees And they abode by tho watres Thenne fro thens wente alle the multytude of the chyldren of Israhel in to the deserte of syn whiche is bytwene helym Synay and grutched ayenst Moyses and Aaron in that wildernes and said wold god we had duellyd stylle in egypte where as we satte and hath plente of brede and flesshe why haue ye brought vs in to the deserte for to slee alle this multytude by hungre Our lord said thenne to moyses I shal Rayne brede to you fro heuen late the peple goo out and gadre euery day that I may proue theÌ„ whether they walke in my lawe or none The sixte day late them gadre doble as moche as they gadred in one day of the other Thenne said Moyses Aaron to all the chyldren of Israhel At euyn ye shal knowe that god hath brought you fro the londe of egypte to morn ye shal see the glorye of our lord I haue wel herd your murmour ayenst our lord what haue ye mused ayenst vs what be we and yet said moyses Our lord shal gyue you at euen flesshe for to ete to morn brede vnto your fylle for as moche as ye haue murmured ayenst hym what be we your murmour is not ayenst vs but ayenst our lord As Aaron spack to all the companye of the chyldren of Israhel they beheld toward the wyldernes and our lord spack to moyses in a clowde said I haue herd the grutchynges of the chyldren of Israhel saye to them at eueÌ„ ye shal ete flessh to morn ye shal be fyllyd wyth brede ye shal knowe that I am your lord god And whan the euen was come ther cam so many curlews that it couerid all their lodgyngis And on the morn ther laye lyke dewe all aboute in their circuyte which whan they sawe cam for to gadre it was smal white lyke to Colyandre And they wondred on it and said Mauhu that is as moche to saye what is this To whom moyses sayd this is the brede that god hath sente you to ete god comandeth that euery man shold gadre as moche for euery heed as is the mesur of gomor And late notyng be left tyl on the morn And the syxthe day gadre ye doble so moche that is two mesures of gomor And kepe that one mesure for the sabate whiche god hath sanctefyed and comandeth you to halowe it yet somÌ„e of them brake goddes comandement and gadred more than they ete and kept it tyl on the morn And theÌ„ne it began to putrefye and be ful of wormes And that they kept for the sabate day was good and putrefyed not And thus our lord fedde the chyldren of Israhel xl yere in deserte And it was called manna moyses toke one gomor therof put it in the tabernacle for to be kept for a perpetuel memorye remeÌ„brauÌ„ce TheÌ„ne wente they forth alle the multytude of the chyldren of Israhel in the deserte of syn in her maÌ„syons cam in to Raphydym where as they had no water theÌ„ne alle grutchyng they said to moyses gyue vs water for to drynke To whoÌ„ moyses answerd what grutche ye ayenst me why teÌ„pte ye our lord the peple thirsted sore for lacke penurye of water sayeng why hast thou brought vs out of egipte for to sle vs our chyldreÌ„ and beestis ¶ Thenne moyses cryde vnto our lord sayeng what shal I doo to this peple I trowe within a whyle they shal stone me to deth TheÌ„ne our lord said to Moyses Goo to fore the peple and take with the the oldremeÌ„ and senyors of Israhel take the rodde that thou smotest with the flood in thy hand I shal stonde to fore vpon the stone of Oreb And smyte thou the stone with the Rodde And the waters shal come out therof that the peple may drynke Moyses dyde so to fore the senyors of Israhel and callyd that place Temptacion by cause of the grutche of the chyldreÌ„ of Israhel said is god with vs or not TheÌ„ne caÌ„ Amalech fought ayenst the chyldren of Israhel in Raphidim Moyses said theÌ„ne to Iosue Chese to the men goo out fyght ayenst Amalech to morow I shal stande on the toppe of the hylle hauyng the rodde of god in my hand Iosue dyde as moyses comanded hym faught ayenst Amalech Moyses Aaron hur asceÌ„ded in to the hylle whan moyses helde vp his haÌ„des Israhel wan ouercam their enemyes whan he leyd theÌ„ doun thenne Amalech had the better The haÌ„des of moyses were heuy Aaron and hur toke theÌ„ne a stone and put it vnder hem And they susteyned his handes on eyther syde so his handes were not wery vnto the goyng douÌ„ of the sonne so Iosue made Amalech to flee and his peple by strength of his swerd Our lord said to moyses wryte this for a remembrauÌ„ce in a book delyure it to the ceris of Iosue I shal destroye put awaye the memorye of Amalech vnder heueÌ„ Moyses theÌ„ne edefied an aulter vnto our lord callyd there on the name of our lord the lord is myn exultacion sayeng for this is the hand only of god And the batayll of god shal be ayenst Amalech fro generacion to generacioÌ„ whan Ietro the prest of madyan whiche was cosyn of Moyses herd saye what our lord had don to moyses to the chyldren of Israhel his peple ¶ Toke sephora the wyf of moyses his ij sones gersam elyazar cam with them to hym in to deserte whom Moyses receyuyd wyth worship kyssyd hym whan they were to gydre Moyses told hym all
the voys of syngyng whan he approchâ—d to them he sawe the Calf and the instrumentis of myrthe and he was so wroth that he threwe doun the tables brake them atte fote of the hylle ran and raught doun the Calf that they had made and brente and smote it al to pouldre whiche he caste in to water and gaf it to drynke to the chyldren of Israhel Thenne said Moyses to Aaron What hath this peple don to the that thou hast made to synne greuously to whom he answerd late not my lord take none indignacion at me Thou knowest wel that this peple is prone and redy to synne They said to me Make to vs goddes that may goo tofore vs We knowe not what is fallen to this Moyses that lad vs out of egypte To whom I said who of you that hath gold geue it me they toke and gaf it to me And I Caste it in to the fire and therof cam out this Calf And thenne said moises Alle they that ben of goddis parte and haue not synned in this Calf late hem Ioyne to me And the chyldren of leui Ioyned to hym and bade eche maÌ„ take a swerd on his side and take vengeance and slee euerych his brother his frende and neygbour that haue trespaced And so the chyldren of leui wente and slewe xxxiijM of the children of Israhel And thenne said Moyses ye haue halowed this day your handes vnto our lord And ye shal be therfore blessyd The second day moyses spack to the peple and said ye haue commysed and don the grettest synne that may be I shal ascende vnto our lord agayn and shal praye hym for your synne Thenne Moyses ascended agayn and receyuyd afterward two tables agayn whiche our lord had hym make And therin our lord wrote the comandements And after our lord comanded hym to make an arke and a tabernacle In whiche arke was kepte thre thinges ¶ First the Rodde with whiche he dide meruaillis A potte ful of manna and the .ij. tables with the comandementis And thenne after Moyses taught hem the lawe how eche man shold behaue hym ayenst other and what he shold doo and what he shold not doo And departed them in xij tribus ¶ And comanded that euery man shold brynge a Rodde in to the tabernacle ¶ And Moyses wrote eche name on the Rodde And Moyses shytte fast the tabernacle And on the morn ther was founde one of the roddes that burgeyned bare leuys and fruyt And was of on almonde tree that Rodde fyl to Aaron And after thys longe tyme the chyldren desireden to ete flesshe remembrid of the flesshe that they ete in egypte And grudchyd agayn Moyses And wold haue ordeyned to them a duc for to haue retorned in to egypte Wherfore Moyses was so woo that he desired of our lord to delyure hym fro this lyf by cause he sawe them so vnkynde ayenst god thenne god sente to them so grete plente of curlews that two dayes and one nyght they flewe so thycke by the ground that they toke gete nombre For they flewhe but the heyhgt of two cubytes and they had so many that they dreyde hem hangyng on their tabernacles and tentes yet were they not content but euer grutchyng Wherfore god smote them toke vengeauÌ„ce on hem by a grete plaghe And many deyde and were buryed there And thenne fro thens they wente in to Aseroth and dwellyd After this Maria and Aaron brother and suster of moyses began to speke agayn moyses by cause of his wif whiche was of ethyope and said god hath not spoken only by Moyses hath he not also spokeÌ„ to vs wherfore our lord was wroth Moyses was the humblest and mekest man that was in all the world Anone thenne our lord said to hym to Aaron and to marye Goo ye thre only vnto the tabernacle And there our lord said that ther was none lyke to Moyses to whom he had spoken mouth to mouth and repreuyd aaron and maria by cause they spack so to Moyses And beyng wroth departed fro them And anone maria was smeton and made lepre and whyte lyke snowe And whan Aaron behelde her and sawe her smeton with lepre he said to moyses I beseche the lord that thou sette not this synne on vs whiche we haue commysed folyly And late not this our suster be as a deed womaÌ„ or as born out of tyme caste away from her moder beholde and see half her flesshe is deuoured of the lepre Thenne Moyses cryed vnto our lord sayeng I beseche the lord that thou hele her to whom our lord said yf her fader had spytte in her face shold she not be put to shame and Rebuke vij dayes late her departe out of the castellis vij dayes and after she shal be callyd in agayn So maria was shytte out of the castellis vij dayes the peple remeuyd not fro the place tyl she was callyd agayn After this our lord coÌ„manded Moyses to sende men in to the londe of canaan that he shold gyue theÌ„ charge for see and considere the goodnes therof And that of euery trybe he shold sende somÌ„e Moyses dyde soo as our lord had comaunded whiche wente in brought of the fruytee wyth hem and they brought a braunche with one clustre of grapes as moche as two meÌ„ myght bere bytwene them vpon a colestaf whan they had seen the contre consydered by the space of xl dayes thei retorned and tolde the commodytees of the londe but somÌ„e said that the peple were stronge and many kynges and gyauntes in suche wyse that they said it was imprenable and that the peple were moche strenger than they were wherfore the peple anon were aferde and murmured agayn moyses and wold retorne agayn in to egypte Thenne Iosue Chaleph whiche were two of them that had consydered the loÌ„de said to the peple why grutche ye and wherof be ye aferd we haue wel seen the contrey and it is good to wynne the contrey floweth ful of mylke and hony be not rebelle ayenst god he shal gyue it vs be ye not aferd Thenne alle the peple cryed ayenst hem and whan they wold haue taken stones and stoned hem our lord in his glorye apperyd in a clowde vpon the coueryng of the tabernacle and said to Moyses thys peple byleueth not the sygnes and wondres that I haue shewd and don to hem I shal destroye them alle by pestylence And I shal make the a prynce vpon peple gretter strenger than this is Thenne prayd Moyses to our lord for the peple that he wold haue pyte on them and not destroye them but to haue mercy on them after the magnytude of his mercy And our lord at his request forgaf them Neuertheles our lord said that all tho men that had seen his mageste and the sygnes and meruaylles that he dyde in Egypte and in deserte and haue tempted hym ten tymes and not obeyed vnto his voys
the handes of all the kynges that were your enemyes pursyewed you and ye haue forsaken our lord god that hath only delyuryd you from all your euyll trybulacions haue said Ordeyne vpon vs a kynge wherfor now staÌ„de euerich in his tribe we shal lote who shal be our kyng the lotte fylle on the tribe of beniamyn in that trybe the lotte fylle vpon saul the sone of Cys And they souht hym coude not fynde hym it was told hem that he was hyd in his hous at home the peple ran thyder fette hym sette hym amyddes all the peple And he was heyer than ony of alle the peple fro the sholdre vpward Thenne samuel saide to the peple nowe ye see beholde whoÌ„ our lord hath chosen For ther is none lyke hym of all the peple And thenne all the peple cryed viuat Rex lyue the kynge Samuel wrote the lawe of the Royame to the peple in a book put it to fore our lord Thus was saul made the first kynge in Israhel And anon had moche warre For an all sides mâ—n warrid on the chyldren of Israhel he defended them And saul had dyuerse bataylles had victorye samuel cam on a tyme to saul said god comanded hym to fight agaynst Amalech that he shold slee destroye man woman chyld Oxe cowe camel asse sheep spare nothyng Thenne Saul assemblyd hys peple had ijCM footmen xxM meÌ„ of the tribe of Iuda weÌ„te forth fought ayeÌ„st Amalech and slewe them sauf he sauyd Agag the kynge of Amalech alyue alle other he slewe but he spared the best flockes of sheep of other beestis also good clothis wethers all that was good he spared what someuer was fowle he destroyed And this was shewd to Samuel by our lord sayeng Me forthynketh that I haue ordeyned saul kynge vpon Israhel For he hath forsaken me not fulfylled my comandements Samuel was sory here fore waylled all the nyght On the morn he roos cam to Saul and Saul offrid sacrefise vnto our lord of the pyllage that he had taken And samuel demauÌ„ded of saul what noyse tâ—at was that he herde of sheep beestis And he saide that they were of the beestis that the peple had brouht fro Amalech to offre vnto our lord And the residue were slayn They haue spared the best fattest for to doo sacrefyse with vnto thy lord god Thenne said samuel to saul Remembrest thou not that where thou were leste emong the trybus of Israhel thow were made vpperist and our lord enoynted the and made the kynge And he said to the goo and slee the synners of Amalech and leue none alyue man ne beest why hast thou not obeyed the comandement of our lord And hast ronâ—e to Roberye And don euyl in the sight of god ¶ And thenne said Saul to Samuel I haue taken Agag kynge of Amalech and brought hym wyth me but I haue slayn Amalech the peple haue taken of the sheep and beestis of the beste for to offre vnto our lord god And thenne said Samuel â—rowest thou that our lord wold Rather haue sacrefise and offrynges then not toleye his comandements Better is obedyence than sacrefise and better it is to take â—â—de to doo after thy lord than to offre the fatte kedeneys of the weders For it is a synne to withstande and to repugne ayenst his lord lyke the synne of ydolatrye And by cause thou hast not obeyed our lord and caste awaye his worde Our lord hath caste the away that thou shalt not be kynge TheÌ„ne said saul to samuel I haue synned for I haue not obeyed the word of god thy wordes but haue dredde the peple obeyed to theiâ— request but I pray the to bere my synne trespaas retorne with me that I may worshipe our lord samuel answerd I shal not retorne with the And so sammuel departed yet er he departed he dyde do sle Agag the kyng And Samuel sawe neuer Saul after vnto his deth Thenne our lord bad Samuel to goo and enoynte one of the sones of ysay otherwise called Iesse to be kynge of Israhel And so he cam in to bethleem vnto Iesse and bad hym brynge his sones to fore hym This Iesse had viij sones he brought to fore Samuel vij of them And Samuel said ther was not he that he wold haue Thenne he said that ther was no moo sauf one whiche was yongest and yet a chyld and kept sheep in the felde And Samuel said sende for hym For I shal ete no brede tyl he come And so he was sente for and brought he was rough and fayr of vysage and wel fauoured And samuel aroos and toke an horne with oyle and enoynted hym in the myddle of his brethern And forthwyth the spyryte of our lord caÌ„ directly in hym that same day euer after Thenne Samuel departed cam in to Ramatha the spyryte of our lord weÌ„te away fro saul an euyl spirite ofte vexid hym TheÌ„ne his seruants said to hym Thou aft orte vexid with an euyl spirite it were good to haue one that coude harpe to be with the whaÌ„ the spirite vexeth the thou shalt bere it the lyghter And he said to his seruauÌ„tes prouyde ye to me suche one and theÌ„ne one said I saw one of ysayes sones pleye on a harpe a fayr chyld strong wyse in hys talkyng our lord is with hym TheÌ„ne Saul sente messagers to ysaye for dauid ysaye sente dauid his sone with a presente of brede wyn a kydde to saul and alway whan the euyl spyryte vexid saul dauid harped to fore hym anon he was easyd the euyl spyryte weÌ„te his waye After this the philisteis gadred theÌ„ in to grete hoostes to make warre agaynst Saul the chyldren of Israhel And Saul gadred the children of Israhel to gidre caÌ„ agayn theÌ„ in the vale of therebinthi The philisteis stode vpoÌ„ the hille on the one parte Israhel stode vpoÌ„ the hille on the other parte the valeye was bytwene them And ther caÌ„ out of the hoost of the philisteis a grete geauÌ„t named golye of Geth he was vj cubytes hye a palme a helme of brasse on his heed was cladde in a habergeon The weight of of his habergeon was of vM sicles of weight of metal he had botes of brasse in his cartes his sholdre were couerid with plates of brasse his glayue was as a grete colestaf ther was the roÌ„ vj sicles of yroÌ„ his squyer weÌ„te to for hym cryde ayenst theÌ„ of Israhel and said that they shold chefe a man to fight a synguler batail ayeÌ„st golyas yf he were ouercomeÌ„ the philisteis shold be seruauÌ„tes to Israhel yf he preuaile ouercome his enemye they of Israhel shold serue the phylisteis thus
of kynge Salomon with grete dylygence in their tyme God gaf to Salamom moche wysedom and prudence in hys herte lyke to the grauel that is in the see syde And the sapyence and wysedom of Salamon passed and weÌ„te to fore the sapyence of alle them of thoryent and of egypte And he was wysest of all men so he was named he spack thre thousand parablis and fyue thuosand songes And dysputed vpon alle maner trees and vertue of them fro the cedre that is in libano vnto the ysope that groweth on the walle And discerned the propretees of beestis fowles reptyles and fysshes And ther cam peple from all regyons of the world for to heere the wysedom of Salamon And Salamon sente lettres to hyram kynge of Tyre for to haue his men to cutte cedre trees with his seruauntis and he wold yelde to them theyr hyre and mede And lete hym wete how that he wold bylde and edefye a temple to our lord And hyram sente to hym that he shold haue all that he desyred And sente to hym cedre trees and other woode And SalamoÌ„ sente to hym corne in grete nombre And Salomon and hyram confederyd them to gydre in loue and frendship Salamon chaas out werkmen of alle Israhel the nombre of xxxM men Of whom he sente to libane xM euery moneth and whan xM wente the other cam home and so two monethis were they at home And Adonyras was ouerseer and comandour on them Salamon had lxxM men that dyde nothyng but bare stone and morter and other thynges to the edefyeng of the temple and were berars of burthens only And he had lxxxM of hewers of stone and masons in the montayn wyth out the prefectes and maisters whiche were iijM and iijC that dyde nothyng but comande and ouersee theÌ„ that wrought ¶ Salamon comanded the werkmen to make square stones grete and precyouse for to laye in the foundement whiche the masons of Israhel and masons of hyram hewed and the carpenters made redy the tymbre Thenne began Salomon the temple to our lord in the fourthe yere of his regne hâ—e began to bylde the temple The hous that he bylded had lx cubytes in lengthe and xx cubytes in brede and xxx in heyght And the porche to fore the temple was xx cubytes longe after the mesure of the brede of the temple and had x cubytes of brede to fore the face of the temple for to wryte the curiosyte and werke of the temple and the necessaryes the tables and cost that was don in gold syluer and laton it passeth my connynge to expresse and englysshe them ye that ben clerkys may see it in the second boâ—k of kynges and the seconde book of paralipomenon it is wondre to here the costes and expencis that was made in that temple but I passe ouer it was on makyng vij yere and his palays was xiij yere er it was fynysshed he made in the temple an aulter of pure gold and a table to sette on the loues of proposicion of gold fyue candelstiks of gold on the right syde and fyue on the lyft syde and many other thynges And toke all the vessels of gold and syluer that hys fader dauid had sanctefyed and halowed and brought hem in the tresory of the hows of our lord After thys he assemblyd alle the noblest and grettest of lurthe of them of Israhel with the prynces of the trybus and dukes of the famylyes for to brynge the arke of god fro the cyte of dauid Syon in to the temple And the prestes and leuytes toke the Arke and bare it and alle the vessels of the sanctuarye that were in the tabernacle Kynge Salamon with alle the multytude of the chyldren that were there wente to fore the arke and offred sheep and oxen without extimacion nombre ¶ And the preestes sette the Arke in the hows of our lord in the oracle of the temple in sancta sanctorum vnder the wynges of cherubyn In the Arke was nothyng but the two tablys of Moyses of stone which Moyses had put in And thenne Salamon blessyd our lord to fore all the peple and thanked hym that he had suffred hym to make an hous vnto hys name and besought our lord that who someuer prayd our lord for ony petycion in that temple that he of his mercy wold here hym be mercyful to hym And our lord appered to hym whan the edefyce was accomplysshed perfightly and said to Salamon I haue herde thy prayer and thyn oracion that thou hast prayd to fore me I haue sanctefyed and halowed this hows that thou hast edefyed for to put my name therin for euermore and myn eyen and herte shal be theron alle waye And yf thou walke byfor me lyke as thy fader walked in the symplycyte of herte and in equyte and wylt doo alle that I haue coÌ„manded the and kepe my Iugements and lawes I shal sette the trone of thy regne vpon Israhel euermore lyke as I haue said to thy fader Dauid sayeng Ther shal not bytaken away a man of thy generacion fro the regne and sete of Israhel yf ye auerte and torne fro me ye and your sones not folowyng ne kepyng my comandements and cerymonyes that I haue shewd to fore you but goo and worshyp straunge goddes and honoure them I shal cast away Israhel fro the face of the erthe that I haue gyuen to them And the temple that I haue halowed to my name I shal cast it away fro my syght And it shal be a fable and prouerbe and thys hows an example shal be to alle peple Euery man that shal goo ther by shal be abasshyd and astonyed and shal saye why hath god don thus to this londe and to thys hows And they shal answere For they haue forsaken theyr lord god that brought their fadres fro the londe of egypte and haue folowed straunge goddes and them adoured and worshipped and therfor god hath brought on them all thys euyll here may euery man take ensample how peryllous and dredeful it is to breke the comandements of god xx yere after that Salamon had edefyed the temple of god and hys hows and fynysshyd it perfyghtly hyram the kynge of tyre wente for to see townes that Salamon had gyue to hym they plesyd hym not hyram had sente to kynge salamon an hondred and twenty besaunts of gold whyche he had spente on the temple and hys hows and on the walle of Iherusalem and other townes and places that he had made Salamon was ryche and gloryous that the same ranne of hys sapyence wysedom and of hys byldyng and dyspense in hys hows thurgh the world in so moche that the quene of Saba cam fro fer contreys to see hym to tempte hym in demaundes and questyons And she cam in to Iherusalem with moche peple Richessis with camelles charged with Aromatykes and gold Infynyte And she cam spack to kynge Salamon alle that euer
receyuyd them Ioyously And Raguel beholdyng wel thobye sayd to anna hys wyf how lyke is thys yong man vnto my cosyn And whan he had so said he asked them whens be ye yong men my brethern And they said of the trybe of neptalym of the captyuyte of nynyue Raguel saide to them knowe ye thobye my brother whiche said we know hym wel whan Raguel had spoken moche good of hym Thaungele said to Raguel Thobye of whom thou demaundest is fader of this yonge man And thenne wente Raguel and with wepyng eyen kyssed hym and wepyng vpon hys necke saide the blessyng of god be to the my sone for thou art sone of a blessyd and good man And Anna hys wyf and Sara hys doughter wepte also After they had spoken Raguel comanded to slee a weder and make redy a feste whan he thenne shold bydde them sytte doun to dyner Thobye said I shal not ete here thys day ne drynke but yf thou fyrst graunte to me my petycion and promyse to me to gyue me Sara thy doughter whyche whan Raguel herde he was astonyed and abusshid knowyng what had fallen to vij men that to fore had wedded her And dredde leste it myght happen to this yong man in lyke wyse And whan he helde his pees and wold gyue hym none answere the Angele said to hym Be not aferde to gyue thy doughter to thys maÌ„ dredyng god for to hym thy doughter is ordeyned to be hys wyf Therfor none other may haue her Thenne said Raguel I doubte not god hath admytted my prayers and teres in hys syghte And I byleue that therfor he hath made you to come to me that thyse mâ—y be Ioyned in one kynrede after the lawe of moyses And now haue no doubte but I shal gyue her to the And he takyng the right honde of his doughter delyueryd it to Thobye seyeng God of Abraham god of ysaac and god of Iacob be wyth you and he conioyne you to gydre and fulfyl hys blessyng in yow And toke a chartre and wrote the conscryption of the wedlok And after thys they ete blessyng our lord god Raguel callyd to hym anne hys wyf and bad her to make redy another cubycle And she brought Sara her doughter therin and she wepte to whom her moder said Be thou stronge of hâ—rte my doughter our lord of heuen gyue to the Ioye for the hâ—uynes that thou hast suffred After they had souped they lad the yong man to her Thobye remembryd the wordes of thaungele toke out of hys bagge parte of the herte of the fysshe and leyde on brennyng â—oles Thenne Raphael thangel toke the deuyll and bonde hym in the vpperyst deserte of egypte Thenne thobye exhorted the vyrgyne and sayd to her Aryse Sara and late vs praye to god thys day and to morow and aftee to morow For thyse thre nyghtis we be Ioyned to god And after the thyrde nyght we shal be in our wedlok we ben sothly the chyldren of saynctes we may not so Ioyne to gydre as peple doo that knowe not god Thenne they bothe arysynge prayde to gydre InstaÌ„tly that helth myght be gyuen to them Thobye said lord god of our fadres heuen and erthe See welles and floodes and all creatures that ben in them blesse the Thou madest adam of the slyme of therthe and gauyst to hym for an helpe Eue And now lord thou knowest that for the cause of lecherye I take not my suster to wyf but only for the loue of posteryte and procreacion of chyldren in whyche thy name be blessyd world without ende TheÌ„ne said Sara Haue mercy on vs lord haue mercy And late vs wexe olde bothe to gydre in helthe and after this the cokkes began to crowe at whiche tyme Raguel comanded hys seruauÌ„tes to come to hym And they to gydre wente for to make and delue a sepulcre he said lest happely it happen to hym at it hath happed to the vij men that wedded her whan they had made redy the fosse and pytte Raguel retorned to hys wyf and said to her Sende one of thyn handmaydens and late her see yf he 〈◊〉 deed that he may be beryed er it be lyght day And she sente forth one of her seruauÌ„tes whiche entryd in to the cubycle and fonde theÌ„ bothe sauf and hole And sleâ—yng to gydre And she retorned and brought good tydynges And Raguel and Anna blessyd our lord god and said we blesse the lord god of Israhel that it hath not happed to vs as we supposid Thou hast don to vs thy mercy thou hast excluded fro vs our enemye poursyewyng vs Thou hast don mercy on two only chyldren Make them lord to blesse the to fulle and to offre do the sacrefyse of praysyng and of theyr helth that the vnyuersyte of peples may knowe that thou art god only in the vnyuersal erthe Anone thenne Raguel comaÌ„ded his seruauntes to fylle agâ—yn the pytte that they had made er it wexid lyght And bad hys wyf to ordeyne a feste and make all redy that weâ—e necessarye to mete he dyde doo sâ—â—e ij fatte kyen and foure weders and to ordeyne mete for all hys neyghbours frendys And Raguel dâ—sired and adiured thobie that he shold abyde with hym two wekys Of all that euer Raguel had in possessyon of goodys he gaf half parte to thobye And made to hym a writyng that the 〈◊〉 half pâ—rte he shold haue after the deth of hym and hys wyf TheÌ„ne thobye called thangele to hym whiche he trowed had ben a man And said to hym Azaria brother I praye the to take heed to my wordes yf I make my self seruauÌ„t to the I shal not be worthy to satysfye thy prouydence Neuertheles I pray the to take to the the bestes and seruauÌ„tes and goo to gabele in Rages the cyte of medes and rendre to hym hys oblygacioÌ„ receyue of them the money and praye hym to come to my weddynge thou knowest thy self that my fader nombreth the dayes of my beyng oute And yf I tarye more hys sowle shal be heuy and certaynly thou seest how Raguel hath adiured me whos desire I may not despyse Thenne Raphael takyng foure of the seruauntis of Raguel and two camels and wente to Rages the cyte of medes And there fyndyng gabele gaf to hym hys oblygacion and receyuyd alle the money And tolde to hym of thobye sone of thobye alle that was don and made hym come wyth hym to the weddyng whan thenne he entred the hows of raguel he fonde thobye syttyng at mete and cam to hym and kyssed hym And gabele wepte and blessyd god sayeng God of Israhel blesse the for thou art sone of the best man and Iuste dredyng god and doyng almesse and the blessyng be said vpon thy wyf and your parentis and that ye may see the sones of your sones vnto the thyrde fourth generacion and your seed be blessyd of god of Israhel whyche regneth in secula seculorum And whan alle
of tropos which is coÌ„uersion so that andrewe is to saye A man hyely conuerted in heuen adressyd vnto hys maker he was fayr in his lyf answeryng in wysedom in doctryne stronge in payne conuerted hie in glorye The prestes diacones of achaye wrote hys passyoÌ„ lyke as they had seen it with theyr eyen ANdrewe and somÌ„e other dyscyples were called iij tymes of our lord he called them first in the knoulechyng of hym as whan seynt andrewe was with IohÌ„n the baptyst hys maysstre and another dyscyple he herde that IohÌ„n said lo here the lombe of god and theÌ„ne he wente anon with another dysciple cam to Ihesu cryste and abode with hym all that day And thenne saynt Andrew fonde symon hys brother and brought hym to Ihesu cryst the next day folowyng they weÌ„te to theyr crafte of fysshyng And after thys he called them the seconde tyme by the stagne of genazareth whyche is named the see of galylee he entred in to the shippe of Symon of andrew ther was taken grete multytude of fissh And he called Iames IohÌ„n whiche were in another shippe they folowed hym And after wente in to their propre places After this he called hem fro their fysshyng saide come folowe me I shal make you fysshers of men Thenne they lefte their shippes nettis folowed hym And after this they abode with hym weÌ„te nomore to theyr owne howses And how be it he callid Andrewe somme other to be apostles of which callyng mathew saith in the thirde chapytre he called to hym them that he wold And after thascencion of our lord the apostles were departed and andrew prechid in Sichye And Mathew in murgoÌ„dye And the meÌ„ of this coÌ„trey refused vtterly the prechyng of seynt Mathewe drewe out his eyen And caste hym in prysoÌ„ fast bouÌ„den In the mene while an angele sente froÌ„ our lord appired to saynt andrew comaÌ„ded hym to go to seynt mathew in to murgondye he answerd that he knew not the way and theÌ„ne thaÌ„gele comaÌ„ded hym that he shold goo vnto the see syde that he shold entre in to the first shippe that he shold fynde so he dyde gladly in accoÌ„plisshyng the comaÌ„demÌ„t weÌ„te in to the cite by the ledyng of the aÌ„gele had wynde ê“pyce and whan he was come he fonde the pryson opene where seynt Mathewe was Inne and whan he sawe hym he wepte sore and worshypyd hym and thenne our lord rendryd gaf agayn to seynt Mathewe hys two eyen and hys syght And thenne seynt Mathew departed fro thens and cam in to Anthioche And seynt Andrewe abode in murgondye And they of the contrey were wroth that seynt Mathew was so eskaped Thenne toke they seynt Andrewe and drewe hym thurgh the places hys hondes bounden in suche wyse that the blood ranne out he prayd for them to Ihesu cryst And conuerted them by hys prayer And fro thens he cam to anthioche Thys that is said of the blyndyng of saynt Mathew I suppose that it is not trewe ne that theuaÌ„gelyste was not so vnferme but that he myght gete for hys syhgt that saynt andrewe gate for hym so lyghtly Hyt was so that a yong man cam and folowed seynt Andrewe agayn the wylle of alle hys parentis And on a tyme hys parents sette fyre on the hows where he was with thappostle And whan the flamme surmounted right hye the chylde toke a brusshe ful of water and sprengte with alle the fyre And anone the fyre quenchyd And thenne hys frendes and parents said our sone is made an enchantour And as they wold haue goon vp by the laddres they were sodenly made blynde that they sawe not the laddres And thenne one of them escryed and said wherfor enforce ye you agayn theÌ„ god fyghteth for them ye see it not Cesse ye and leue of leste the yre of our lord falle on you Thenne many of them that sawe thys byleuyd in our lord And the parentys deyde within xl dayes after and were put in one sepulture ¶ Ther was a womaÌ„ with chyld grete vpon her delyuerance And at the tyme of chyldyng she mygt not be delyueryd She bad her suster to goo to dyane and praye to her that she helpe me She wente and prayde And dyane said to her whiche was the deuyl in an ydole wherfore prayest thou to me I may not helpe ne prouffyte the but goo vnto Andrewe thappostle whyche may helpe the and thy suster And she wente to hym brought hym to her suster whyche traueylled in grete payne and began to perysshe And thappostle said to her by good right suffrest thou this payne Thou conceyuedyst in trychâ—rye 〈◊〉 synne And thou counseylâ—ledesâ— with the deuyll Repente the and byleue in Ihesu cryst and thou shalt be anon delyueryd of thy chyld And whan she byleuyd and was repentaunt she was delyueryd of her chyld and the payne and sorow passed and cessed An olde man callyd nycholas by name wente vnto thappostle and sayd to hym Syre I haue lyued fyfty yere and alleway in lechery And I toke on a tyme a gospelle in prayeng god that he wold gyue me fro than forthon contynence But I am acustomed in thys synne and ful of euyl delectacion in suche wyse that I shal retorne to this synne acustomed On a tyme that I was enflamed by luxurye I wente to the bourdel and forgate the gospel vpon me And anon the fowle womaÌ„ said goo hens thou old man for thou art an angele of god touche me not ne come no ner me for I see meruaylle upon the and I was abassheed of the worde of the woman and I remembryd that I had the gospelle vpon me wherfore I beseche the to praye god for me and for my helthe And whan seynt Andrewe herde thys he began to wepe and prayd fro tyerce vnto nonâ— And whan he aroos he wold not ete And said I shal ete no mete tyl I knowe wether our lord shal haue pyte of thys old man And whan he had fast fyue dayes a voys cam to saynt Andrew and said to hym Andrewe thy request is grauÌ„ted for the olde maÌ„ for lyke as thou hast fasted and made thy self leue so shal he faste and make hym self leue by fastynges for to be saued And so he dyde for he fasted vj monethis to brede and water and after that he reested in pees and good werkes ¶ Thenne cam a voys that said I haue goten Nicholas by thy prayers whom I had lost ¶ A yonge crysten man said to saynt Andrewe â— My moder sawe that â— was fayr and requyred me for to haue to doo and synne wyth her And whan I wold not consente to to her in no maner she wente to the Iuge and wolde retourne and leye to me the synne of so grete a felonye pray for me that I deye not so vntruly For whan I shal be accused I shal holde my
thappostles other And after that that they were by thordenaūce of the holy ghoost confermed in the crysten fayth by the vnyuersal world Saynt Ioh̄n cā in to grece where he conuersid and conuertid moche people and founded many chyrches in the cristen faith as wel by myracles as by doctryne ¶ In thys tyme domycien was Emperour of rome whyche made right grete persecucions vnto cristen men ¶ And dyde do take saynt Iohan and to be brought to Rome And made hym to be caste in to a fatte or a tonne full of hote oylle in the presence of the senatours of which he yssued out by the helpe of god more pure and more fayr wythout felyng of ony hete or chauffyng than he entred in After thys that themperour sawe that he cessed not to preche the cristen faith he sente hym in exile vnto an yle called pathmos There was saynt Iohan allone and was visited of angellis and gouerned there wrote he by the reuelacion of our lord thapocalypse whiche conteyned the secretes of holy chyrche and of the world to come In thys same yere was domycien themperour for hys euyllis put to deth And all that he had don was reuoqued by the senatours and deffeated And thus was saynt Ioh̄n brouht agayn from hys exyle with grete honour in to Ephesym And all the people of ephesym cam ayenst hym syngyng and sayeng blessyd be he that cometh in the name of our lord In that waye he reysed a woman whyche was named drusiane whiche had moche loued saynt Ioh̄n and wel kept hys comandementis And her frendes brought her tofore saynt Ioh̄n all wepyng and sayeng to hym Loo here is drusyane whyche moche loued the and dyde thy comandementis and is deed ande desired nothyng so moche as thy retorne and that she myght see the to fore her deth now thou art comen hether and she may not see the Saynt Ioh̄n had grete pyte on her that was deed and of the peple that wepte for her and comanded that they sholde sette doun the byere and vnbynde take awaye the clothes fro her And whan they had so doon he said hyeryng alle wyth a lowde voys Drusiane my lord god Ihesu criste areyseth the drusiane arise and goo in to thy hows and make redy for me som̄e refection Anon she aroos and wente in to her hows for to doo the comandement of saynt Ioh̄n And the peple made thre howres longe a grete noyse and crye sayeng ther is but one god and that is he whom seynt Ioh̄n prechyth It happed on an other day that craton the phylosophre made a grete assemblee of peple in the myddes of the cyte For to shewe to them how they ought to despyse the world and he had ordeyned two yong men brethern whiche were moche ryche and had made thē to selle theyr patrymonye and therwith to b̄ye precious stones the whiche thyse two yong men brake in the presence of the peple for to shewe howe thyse precious and grete Rychesses of the world ben soone destroyed That same tyme saynt Ioh̄n passed by And said to craton the phylosopher Thys maner for to despyse the world that thou shewest is vayne and folyssh demonstraunce For it secheth to haue the preysyng of the world god reproueth it my good maystre Ihesu cryst sayd to a man that demanded of hym how he myght come to euerlastyng lyf that he shold goo and selle all hys goodes And gyue that he receyued of it to the poure peple And he shold fynde tresour in heuen Craton said thenne to hym the pryse and valewe of thyse precious stones is destroyed in the presence of alle men here but yf thy maystre be veraye god he wyll that the goodes of the world be gyuen to poure men take thenne the pieces of thyse precious stones broken And make them hole stones as they were to fore by cause yf I haue shewd thys by vayne glorye make thou them to the honour of thy maystre Anon saynt Ioh̄n toke the pyeces of the precious stones ¶ And after that he had made hys prayer to god he shewd to thē the stones as hoole as euer they were or had ben whan craton the phylosopher sawe thys anon he with his ij men and his disciples fyll doun to the feet of saynt Ioh̄n receyued the faith and baptesme of Ihesu criste And sold the precious stones gaue the money therof for the loue of god And begonne to preche the faith of our lord Ihesu cryst Than the two brethern moche riche and honoured in the cyte of Ephesim anon they sold al their patrymony and gaf it for the loue of god But after whan they cam in to the cyte of pergania sawe them that had ben theyr seruauntes clothed in silke and in grete honour of the world and them self hauyng but a poure mantel or perauenture a poure cote Anon they repented them that they had gyuen away their goodes in almesse to poure people Thys apperceyued saynt Ioh̄n and said to them I see that ye ben heuy and sorouful of thys that after the doctryne of Ihesu cryste ye haue gyuen your good for goddes sake wherfor yf ye wyl haue agayn the valewe of your goodes brynge to me roddes of the trees and stones of the Ryuage of the see And so they dyde And whan saynt Iohan had them anon by hys prayer he chaunged the roddes in to fyn gold And the comyn stones in to precious stones And saynt Iohan had them to take them and shewe to the maistres that had knowleche in suche Iewellis yf the Roddes were gold and the comyn stones precyous stones After they cam agayn and said to saynt Ioh̄n Syre the maistres saye that they sawe neuer so fyne gold ne so precious stones Seynt Ioh̄n thēne said to them goo ye and bye ye agayn your londes that ye haue solde For ye haue lost the reward of heuen Be ye riche temporelly for to be beggars perpetuelly Thenne began he to preche in despytyng the Rychesses and to shewe vj causes why we ought to restrayne vs for to loue Rychesses Fyrst thescripture lerneth vs to hate Richesses And reciteth in the gospell how the Ryche mā that was clad in purpure and ete euery day delycious metes glotonously was lost and dampned but the poure man at hys gate that deyde ful of soores and hongry was saued Secondly Nature techeth vs to hate Rychesses For we ben born poure naked and pourly muste we departe and deye ¶ Thyrdly the creature techith vs For the sonne the mone the sterres the Rayne and the ayer ben comyne and departe theyr Influences and their benefices largely ¶ Fourthly the man it not oft in one estate For whan he weneth to be Ryche plentiuous and free he fyndeth hym self bonde and caytyf For the Ryche man aduerse is bonde and seruaunt to the peny and to the deuyll Amator pecunie seruus est mammone ¶ Fyftly sorowe and care
Anthonye of grete age and feble of fastyng and not stronge ne myghty whan he was comen to hys abbaye two of hys disciples to hym most secrete demaunded of hym sayeng Fair fader where haue ye ben so longe and he answerd Alas I wretchyd synner whyche bere falsely the name to be a monke I haue seen hely the propâ—â—te I haue seen IohÌ„n the baptyst in deserte and certes I haue seen saynt poul in paradys Thus spekyng and betyng hys breste he brought the mantel out of hys celle And alle stylly without mo wordes he wente agayn the longe way all allone thurgh the deserte vnto saynt poul thermyte hauyng grete desyre to see hym For he was aferde leste he shold deye er he myght come agayn to hym It happed in the seconde Iourney where saynt Anthony wente thurgh the deserte the thyrde hour of the day he sawe the sowle of saynt poule shynyng ascende in to heuen emonge a grete company of Angellis of prophetes and also of appostlis And anoÌ„ he fylle doun to therthe wepyng and wayllyng and cryeng with an hye voys Alas poul wherfore leuest thou me so soone whyche haue so lytil seen the Thenne he had so grete desyre to see the corps or body that he passed all the remenaunt of hys waye as sone as a byrde fleyng lyke as he was woond to telle and reherce And whan he caÌ„ to the celle of saynt poul he fonde that the body was right vp on hys knees and the vysage and hondes adressyd toward heuen and supposed he had ben alyue and had made hys prayers but whan he had aduysed it he knewe wel that he was passed out of this world what wepynges and what wayllynges he made vpon the body it were a pytouse thynge to here emong all other he said O holy sowle thy body sheweth to be deed this that thou dydist in thy lyf After thys he was moche abasshed how he shold burye the body For he had none Instrument to make hys sepulture Thenne cam two lyons whyche moche debonairly made a pytte after the quantyte of hys body And saynt Anthony buryed hys body therin And he toke wyth hym the cote of saynt poul whyche was made fastned to gydre wyth the leues of a palmyer in maner of a matte And afterward for grete reuerence saynt Anthonye ware thys cote and clad hym wyth alle in grete and solempne festes Thus thys holy man saynt poul deyed in the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord ijClxxx and viij Late vs thenne praye to hym that he Impetre and gete vs remyssyon of our synnes that after thys lyf we may come to euerlastyng Ioye and blysse in heuen Amen Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Poul the first hermyte Here foloweth of saynt Remyge and first the interpretacion of hys name REmigius is said of remi that is to saye fedyng and geos that is erthe as who saith fedyng therthely people wyth doctryne Or of geon that is a wrasteler for he was a pastour and a wrasteler he fedde hys flock with the worde of prechyng with suffragies of prayeng and with example of conuersacion Ther is thre maner of armour that is for the deffence the shelde for to fight the swerd for hys sauacion and helthe the habergeon and helme he wrastled ayenst the deuyl with the sheld of fayth with the swerd of the word of god and wyth the helme of hope Ignacius Archebysshop of Raynes wrote hys lyf Of the lyf of saynt Remige REmigius an holy doctor and confessour gloryous of our lord was to for hys byrthe prouyded of our lord and forseeÌ„ of an holy heremyte Whan the persecucion of the wandles had almost wasted and destroyed neygh alle fraunce ther was a man recluse holy and vertuous whiche had lost his sight whyche ofte prayd to our lord for pees welfare of the chirche of frauÌ„ce he had on a tyme a vysion hym semed an angel cam to hym and said knowe thou that the womaÌ„ that thou knowest named Alyne shal brynge forth a sone that shal be named Remyge whyche shal delyure alle the contre fro thys persecucion And whaÌ„ he awoke he cam to the hows of thys Alyne And tolde to her hys vysion And she wold not byleue it by cause of her age the recluse said it shal he soo as I haue saide And whan thou hast gyuen thy chyld souke thou shalt gyue to me of thy mylke to put vpon myn eyen and therwith I shal be hool and recouure my sight agayn And lyke as he said all thyse thynges happened And thys womaÌ„ had a chyld named Remyge whyche whan he cam to the age of discrecion he fledde the world and entred in to a reclusage And sith after for the grete Renomee of hys holy lyf whan he had ben xxij yere therin he was electe and chosen to be Archâ—bysshop of Raynes he was so debonayr that lityl byrdes caÌ„ and ete on hys table and toke mete at hys hand It happed on a day that he was lodged in an hows of a good woman whyche had but a lytyl wyn in her tonnel or vassel And saynt Remyge wente in to the celer and made the signe of the crosse vpon the tonne And prayd a whyle Anon the tonne was so ful that it leeep ouer by the merytes of the good saynt Now it happed that clodomus the kynge of fraunce whyche was a paynem myght not be conuerted for ony prechyng that hys wyf myght doo whyche was a a crysten woman vnto the tyme that a grete hoost of AlemaÌ„s cam in to fraunce Thenne by thadmonestement of his wyf made a vowe that yf the god that hys wyf worshipped wold gyue hym victorye he wold be baptised at hys retornyng fro the bataylle thus as he demanded he vaynquysshid the batayll and after cam to Raynes to saynt Remyge and prayd hym that he wold crysten hym And whan saynt Remyge baptised hym he had no cresme redy thenne a douue descended fro heuen whyche brought the crysme in an Ampull of whyche the kynge was enoynted And thys Ampull is kept in the chyrche of saynt Remyge at Raynes of whyche the kynges of fraunce ben enoynted whaÌ„ they ben crowned Saynt Remyge had a nyece whyche was maryed to a clerke named genebaldus whyche by deuocion lefte hys wyf for to entre in to religion Thenne saynt Remyge sawe that the see of Raynes was ouer grete And ordeyned a see of a bysshopryche at laon and made genebald first bysshop of that place whan genebald was bysshop hys wyf cam theder to see hym and remeÌ„bred of the pryuete that they were wonte to haue to gydre and laye on a nyght with her and engendred on her a chyld whan hys wyf knewe that she was grete and lete hym haue knowleche therof and whan he wist that it was a sone he comanded that it shold be named theef by cause he had engeÌ„dryd it by thefte After for to quenche the suspection
place all stylle And walke not ne roylle not aboute in the contree doo thyse thre thynges And thou shalt be sauf ¶ An abbote cam to saynt Anthonye for to be couÌ„seylled of hym what he myht doo for to be saued Saynt Anthonye answerd to hym haue none affyance in the good that thou hast don ne that thou hast kepte thy bely and thy tongue wel sobrely And repente the not of penaunce that thou hast doon I saye For lyke as fysshes that haue ben longe in the water whan they come in to drye londe they muste dye In lyke wyse the monkes that go on out ot theyr cloystre or selles yf they conuerse longe wyth seculâ—ers they muste nedes lese theyr holynesse and leue theyr good lyf It behoueth the monkes that they be solytarye and that they haue thre bataylles that is of heeryng of spekyng and of seeyng And yf he haue but one of thyse bataylles that is of the herte yet he hath ouermoche SomÌ„e heremytes caÌ„ to saynt Anthonye for to vysite hym and their abbot was wyth them Thenne sayd saynt Anthony to the heremytes ye haue a good wyse man with you And after he said to the abbot thou hast founden good brethern TheÌ„ne answerd thabbot Truly I haue good brethern but ther is none dore on their hows eche body may entre that wylle and goo in to the stable and vnbynde the asse of within And thys said he by cause that the brethern had ouer moche their mowthes open to speke For anon as they haue thought on a thyng it come to the mowthe Thenne saynt Anthony said ye ought to knowe that ther be thre bodely menynges that one is of nature another of ouermoche plente of metes and the thyrde of the deuyll Ther was an hermyte that had renouÌ„ced the world and not perfighly For he had somwhat propre to hym self whom saynt Anthonye sente to the market to bye flesshe And as he was comyng and brought the flesshe the dogges assaylled hym and alle to taâ—â— hym and toke the flesshe from hym And whan he cam to saynt Anthonye he told hym what was happed to hym And thenne said saynt Anthonye to hym thus as the houndes haue doo to the so doon the deuyllis to monkes that kepe money and haue somÌ„e propre to theym self On a tyme as saynt anthony was in wyldernes in hys prayer and was wery he said to our lord lord I haue grete desyre to be saued but my thoughtes lette me Thenne appiered an angele to hym and said doo as I doo and thou shalt be sauf And he wente oute and sawe hym one whyle laboure and another whyle praye do thus and thou shalt be saued On a tyme whan the brethern hermytes were assembled to fore saynt Anthonye they demaunded of hym of the state of sowles whan they be departed fro the body And the next nyght after a voys callyd saynt Anthonye And said aryse and goo out and see vp on hye whan saynt Anthonye byheld vpward on hye he sawe one longe and terryble whos heed touched the clowdes whyche kept peple hauyng wynges that wold haue â—ledde to heuen ¶ And thys grete man reteyned and caught somÌ„e and other he myght not reteyne ne lette for they flewhe forth vp Thenne he herde a noyse fulle of Ioye another ful of sorowe And he vnderstode that thys was the deuyll that reteyned somÌ„e sowles that wente not to heuen And the other he myght not holde ne reteyne wherfore he made sorowe and for the other he made Ioye And so he herde the sorowe and Ioye medled to gydre It happed on a tyme that saynt anthony laboured with hys brethern the hermytes And he sawe a vision moche sorowfull And therfor he kneled doun on his knees and prayd our lord that he wold empesshe the grete sorowe that was to come Thenne the other hermytes demauÌ„ded what thyng it was And he said that it was a grete sorowe For I haue seen grete plente of bestes whyche enuyronned me whyche fered alle the contre And I wote wel that thys is to saye that ther shal come a grete trouble of men lyke vnto beestes that shall defoule the sacramentes of holy chyrche Thenne cam a voys from heuen to seynt Anthony that saide that grete abhomynacion shal come to myn aulter And anon after the heresie of Arryens begaÌ„ And moche troubled holy chyrche and dyde many euyllis They bete monkes and other all naked to fore the peple and slewe crysten men lyke sheep vpoÌ„ the aultres and in especial one balachyn dyde grete persecucion to whom saynt Anthony wrote a lettre whyche said I see the yre and male talente of our lord comyng vpon the yf thou suffre not the crysten lyue in peas Thenne I comande the that thou doo to them nomore vylonnye or thou shalt haue a meschaunce hastely The vnhappy man receyued thyes lettres and began to mocque saynt Anthonye and spytte on hyt and bete wel hym that brought the lettre And sente agayn to saynt Anthonye thyse wordes yf thou hast so grete charge of thy monckes come to me and I shal gyue to the my disciplyne But it happed that the xv day after he mounted vpon an hors ouer debonayr And neuertheles whan the horse felte hym vpon hym he bote hym on the legges and thyes that he deyde on the thyrd daye It happed an other tyme that the hermytes were comen to saynt Anthonye and demaunded of hym a collacion Thenne sayd saynt Anthonye doo ye thys that is wreton in the gospel yf one gyue to the a stroke on that one cheke shewe hym that other And they answere we may not doo so Thenne said he suffre ye it ones debonayrly they answerd we may not Thenne said saynt Anthony to hys seruaunt gyue them to drynke good wyn For thyse monckes ben ouer delycious Fayr brethern put your self to prayer For ye haue moche grete nede Atte laste saynt Anthonye assembled the heremytes And gaf to them the peas and deyde and departred out of thys world holyly whan he was of the age of an honderd and v yere praye we to hym that he praye for vs Here endeth the lyf of saynt Anthonye Of saynt Fabian and thynterpretacion of hys name first FAbian is as moche to saye as makyng soueuerayn beatitude or blessidnes that is to wyte in getyng in thre maner wises or maners First by right and reson of adopcion of byeng in achate and by vyctorye Of saynt Fabian the martir SAynt Fabian was a cytezeyn bourgeys of Rome And it happed whan the pope was deed that the people assembled for to chese another pope And saynt fabian cam to the election for to knowe who shold be electe and chosen to that dygnyte And anone a whyte douue descended from heuen rested vpoÌ„ his hede And whâ—n the peple sawe that they merueylled moche And all they by comyn accorde chees hym for to be pope Thys holy man fabian after whan he was
as saynt basylle prayd holdyng the honde of the yong maÌ„ the cedule whiche he had made was brought in thayer in the sight of alle was leyde in the honde of saynt basylle the which receyued it said to the chyld brother knowest thou â—hyse lettres he answerd them I know theÌ„ well For they were wreton with my honde TheÌ„ne saynt basylle brake them ladde the chyld to the chyrche so or deyned disposed hym that he was worthy to receyue the holy sacrament after he beyng enseygned taught delyuerd to hym a Rewle how he shold kepe hym delyuerd hym to hys wyf Also ther was a woman that had coÌ„mysed many synnes the whyche she all wrote And atte ende ther was one more greuous than the other whyche in the wrytyng delyuerd to saynt basylle prayeng hym to praye for her And that by his prayers her synnes myght be foryeuen and theÌ„ne he prayde for her the woman opend the bylle wherin she founde all the synnes deffaced put out exept the greuous synne And she cam to saynt basylle sayd thou holy saynt of god haue mercy on me and gete me foryefnes for thys lyke as thou hast don for the other And saynt basylle sayd to the woman leue goo fro me woman For I am a man synnar as thou art whyche haue nede of pardon as moche as thou And as she that was besy and greuous to hym he said to her goo vnto the holy man that is named effraym and demaunde of hym that he may gete pardon for the And whan she cam to the holy man Effraym and had tolde to hym wherfor she was sente to hym fro saynt basylle he sayd to her goo fro me for I am a synful man but goo agayn to saynt basylle And it is he that may gete the foryefnes for thys synne lyke as he dyde for the other And haste the to th eÌ„de that thou maist fynde hym alyue And whan she cam in to the cyte saynt basylle was born to the chyrche for to be buryed And she bygan to crye sayeng god be Iuge bytwene me and the For thou mayst wel appease god for me And thou hast sente me to an other and anon she threwe the bylle vpon the coueryng of the byere ¶ And anon after she toke it agayn and opend it and founde hyt alle playn and out clene of the bylle ¶ And thenne wyth other she gaf thankynges to god ¶ To fore or saynt basylle deyde he beyng in the maladye that he deyde he dyde do come a Iewe to hym which was moche expert in physyke And he louyd hym by cause he sawe that he shold be conuerted to the fayth And whan he was come he felte hys puls and sawe that he was nyghe hys ende and sayd to hys meyney Make ye redy suche thyng as byhoueth for hys sepulture For he shal deye anon whyche worde saynt basylle herd and sayd to hym thou woste not what thou sayest And the Iewe named Ioseph sayd to hym thys day shalt thou dye whan the sonne shal goo doun in the weste To whom saynt basylle sayd what shal thou saye yf I deye not tâ—ys day to whom Ioseph sayd Syre it is not other wyse possyble thenne sayd saynt basylle yf I lyue vnto the morowe none what shalt thou doo And Ioseph sayde yf thou lyue vntyl the morow that houre I shal deye And saynt basylle sayd thou sayst trouthe thou shal dye that is synne shal dye in the to th eÌ„de that thou lyue in IhÌ„u criste Ioseph said I wote wel what thou saist and yf thou lyue vnto that tyme I shal doo that thou saist TheÌ„ne saynt basille said how wel that by nature he shold haue deyde anon forthwith yet he gate and Impetred of god space that he shold not theÌ„ne deye lyued vnto the morn at none which thyng seyng Ioseph merueylled moche and byleued in Ihesu crist Saynt basille theÌ„ne toke herte ouercam the feblenes of the body aroos out of his bedde wente to the chirche and with his propre handes baptysed the Iewe And after retorned to his bedde anon gaf vp his spirite rendryd his sowle vnto god aboute the yere of our lord iijClxx Thenne latâ— vs praye to hym that he gete vs grace of our lord Ihesu cryst that he wyll foryeue vs all our synnes Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Basille Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Iohan the Almosner SAynt Iohan the Almosner was patriack of IhÌ„rlm he sawe on a tyme in a vision a moche fair mayde which had on her hede a crowne of olyue and whaÌ„ he sawe her he was gretly abasshid demauÌ„ded her what she was this maide answere to hym I am mercy which brought fro heueÌ„ the sone of god yf thou wilt wedde me thou shalt fare the better TheÌ„ne he vnderstandyng that tholyue bitâ—keneth mercy he begaÌ„ that same day to be mercyful in suche wise that he was called almosner or amener and he called alleway the poure peple his lordes TheÌ„ne he called his seruants said to theÌ„ goo thurgh the cite write ye all the names of my lordes and whan he sawe that they vnderstode not his wordes he said to them they ben they that ye calle poure meÌ„diauÌ„tes I calle theÌ„ my lordes and I saye they be my helpers and trust it wel that they mowe helpe gete me the kyngdoÌ„ of heuene And by cause he wold styre the peple to do almesse he said that whan the poure men were ones to gydre wermyng theÌ„ ayenst the sonne they begaÌ„ to telle who were good almesmen theÌ„ wold they â—reyse and blame them that werr euyll emong all other he told this narracion Ther was somtyme a tollar named peter in a cite was a moche riche maÌ„ but he was not pyteous but cruel to poure peple For he wold hunte chace away poure peple beggars froÌ„ his hous with indignacion angre Thus wold no poure man come to hym for almesse TheÌ„ne was there j poure man said to his felaws what wil ye gyue me yf I gete of hym an almesse this day And they made a wager with hym that he shold not which don he wente to this tollars hous stode at the yate demanded almesse And whan this riche man cam and sawe this poure man at his yate he was moche angry and wold haue caste somwhat at his heed but he coude fynde nothyng tyl atte last cam one of his seruants beryng a basket ful of brede of Rye and in a grete angre he toke a rye loof threwe it at his hede as he that myght not here the crye of the poure man and he toke vp the loof ranne to his felaws sayd truly that he had receyued that loof of petres owne hande And theÌ„ne within ij dayes after this riche man was seke lyke for to deye And as he laye he was
meruaâ—led gretely what this shold mene For he knewe no thynge of the translacion of saynt austyn and whan he knewe the trouthe that on that tyme the body of the glorious saynt was translated he yaue lawde and thankynges to almyghty god and we may verayly knowe by that euydent vysyon that it is an holy and a deuoute place and as it is sayd that of olde tyme auncyent holy men that vsed to come thyder wold at the entre of it do of theyr hosen and sho on and durst not presume to goo in to that holy monasterye but barefoot by cause so many holy sayntes ben there shryned and buryed and god hath shewed so many myracles in that holy place for his blessyd saynt saynt Austyn that yf I shold al wryte them here it shold ocupye a grete book TheÌ„ne lete vs praye vnto saynt austyn fader appostle of englond by whome this londe was conuerted vnto the cresten feythe And by hys ordenaunce bysshoppes were ordeyned to mynystre the sacramentes that he be moyen vnto our lord Ihesu cryste that we may here so lyue accordyng to his doctryne that after this lyf we may come to euerlastyng blysse in heuen amen Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Austyn thappostle of englond Here nexte foloweth the lyf of Saynt Germayn and first the inrtepretacion of his name gErmayn is said of germe and of ana that is hye that is that there was founden in the seed of germayn thre souerayn thynges that is hete natuâ—â—l humour noresshyng and reson of semence or seed Germayn is sayd seed bourgenyng for he had in hym hete by ardour of grete dyleccion humour by eygrenes of deuocion and seed by vertu of his predycacion by whyche he engendryd moche peple to the feythe And constancien the preest wrote hâ—s lyf to saynt Seueryn bysshop of Ancerre ¶ Of Saynt germayn SAynt Germayn was of moche noble lygnage born in the cyte of ancerre was wel lerned in the artes lyberalle and after he wente to rome for to lerne the scyence of droyt and of the lawe and there receyued he so moche dygnyte that the senate sente hym to the frensshe men for to haue the rule and dygnyte of burgoyn and thus â—s he gouerned the cyte of ancerre more dylygently than the other there was in the myddle of the cyte a tree callyd a pynaple tree on which were hanged on the brauÌ„ches of this tree for the mernayle of chace and huntyng the heedes of wylde beestys that had ben sleyne But whan saynt amadour whiche was bysshop of this cyte repreuyd them of suche vanytees and warned them to hewe doun this tree they wold not consente therto in ony manere and on a tyme whan germayn was not in the cyte the bysshop dyd do hewe doun this tree and dyd do brenne hit And whan Germayn knewe hit he was moche angry and forgate crysten relygyon and came with a grete multitude of knyÈtes for to haue sleyne the bysshop And thenne the bisshop knewe by reuelacion deuyne that Saynt Germayn shold be his successour and forbare and yaue place to his hastynes and wente to saynt austyn after whan he came ageyn to ancerre he enclosed moche subtylly germayn wythin the chyrche and sacred hym there and sayd to hym that he shold be his successour in the bysshop ryche and so he was for a lytel after saynt amadour deyed and al the peple requyred saynt germayn to be bysshop and thenne he gaue al his rychessys to poure peple and chaunged hys wyf in to his suster and tormented his body by the space of thyrty yere that he neuer ete brede of whete ne dranke wyne ne vsed no potage and wold haue neuer salte to make his mete sauery and two tymes in the yere he wold drynke wyne that was at ester and crystemas and yet for to take aweye the sauour of the wyne he wold put therin plente of the water in his refeccion he wold take barly breed with asshes and fasted euery day neuer ete but in the euen In wynter ne somer he had but one clothyng that was the hayr nexte his body a cote a gowne and yf it happed so that he gaue not his vesture to somme poure body he wold were it tyl it were broken and torne his bedde was enuyroned wyth asshes hayre and sacke clothe And his heed laye no hyer thenne hys sholdres but al day wepte and bare aboue his necke dyuerse relyques of sayntes he ware none other clothyng and he wente ofte barefote and selde ware ony gyrdle the lyf that he ladde was aboue mannes power hys lyf was so strayte and harde that it was merueyle and pyte to see his flesshe and was lyke a thynge not credyble and he dyd so many myracles that yf his merytes had not goon before they shold haue ben trowed fantasmes In a tyme he was herberowed in a place where alwey after sowper the tables were couerd whan alle men had sowped wherof he meruayled and demauÌ„ded the hoost wherfore they couerd the tables ageyn after sowper and the hoost sayd it was for hys neyghbours that came to drynke eche wyth other And that nyght saynt germayn concluded to watche for to see what hit shold be it was not longe after that there came in there a grete multitude of deuylles and sat atte table in liknes of men and wymmen And whan the holy man sawe them he commaunded them that they shold not departe and thenne sente to awake the hoost and al the neyghbours and ghestys on al sydes in suche wyse that euery man and woman were founden in theyr howses and he maad al them to come and see yf they knewe ony of them and they sayd nay and thenne he shewed them that they were deuyls of whome the peple was moche abasshed by cause the deuyls mocked them so And thenne saynt germayn coniured them and wente theyr weye neuer after retorned In a tyme Saynt lowe bysshop of troyes was byseged by the kynge actylle and saynt lowe wente vpon the yate and demaunded who he was that assyegyd and assayled them and the kynge said to hym I am he actylle the scorge and rodde of god and thenne the meke bysshop sayd to hym sore wepyng I am lowe that haue wasted the flocke of god and haue nede of the scorgyng of god and thenne saynt lowe commaunded to opene the yates and alle the people of actyl were so by the wylle of god blynded that they passed thorugh the towne and sawe no men of the cyte ne dyd no hurte to no body And thenne the blessyd saynt lowe toke saynt germayn with hym and wente in to bretaygne where as there were heresyes But whan they were on the see there aroos a ryght grete tempeste whyche by the merytes of saynt germayn was anone apeased Thenne they were honestlye receyued of the people of the contrey whos comyng the deuyls that saynt germayn had dryuen out of suche
the wordes of the aungel whiche he sayd to the for al thynges shal be performed that he hath sayd to the Of alle thyse thynges saynt elysabeth knewe no thynge whan our lady came ne yet our lady had no thynge sayd to hyr but the holy ghoost by the merites of hir holy chylde that she bare replepysshed hir and made hyr to prophecye TheÌ„ne answerd our lady made the holy psalme sayeng Magnificat aiaÌ„mea dominum alle the remenaunte Our lady abode wyth Saynt elysabeth thre monethes or there aboutes tyl she was delyuerd and layed a bedde and it is sayd that she dyd the offyce and seruyse to receyue Saynt Iohan Baptyst whan he was borne Whan thenne he was borne and the neyghbours and cosyns and frendys knewe the grace that our lord had done thyse holy folke noble of lygnage riche of goodes and of grete dygnyte to whome in the ende of theyr age he had gyuen an heyr male ayenst double or treble nature They maad grete ioye and feste wyth them whan the viij day came and the chylde shold be circumsyced they callyd hym after hys faders name Zacharyas The moder sayd that he shold be named Iohan and not Zacharye And they wente vnto the fader and sayd that there was none in that kynrede that soo was callyd And thenne the fader demaunded peÌ„ne and ynke and wrote Iohannes est nomen eius Iohan is hys name And alle they merueyled Anone after by the merytes of saynt Iohan his faders mowthe was openyd and had ageyn hys speche and spake glorefyeng our lord god And thyse tydynges of thys holy chylde thus borne were anone spradde alle aboute the contreye And eche man sayd in hys herte and withoutforth one to another what suppose ye shal be of thys chylde he shal be grete and a man of our lord For he is al redy now wyth hym and the hande the werke and the vertue of our lord is wyth hym The fader holy Zacharye replenysshed wyth the holy ghoost sayd and prophecyed and made thenne the holy psalme Benedictus dominus deus israhel which psalme is alwey songen in th ende of matyns It is sayd that holy zacharye dwellyd vpon the montayns two myle nyghe to Iherusalem and there Saynt Iohan baptyst was borne after that saynt Iohan was circumcysed he was nourisshed as a chylde of a noble and riche man and sone of grete dygnyte But whan he had vnderstondyng strength of body god our lord and the herte perfourmed the werke he yssued out of his faders hows and lefte richesses honours dygnytees noblesse and al the world and wente in to deserte on fâ—om iordan Somme say he wente in the eage of xv yere accomplisshed And other say he departed at xij yere of eage for to serue our lord without empesshement by whiche he kepte scilence bydwonge his lyf his sowle fro ydle wordes This holy saynt IohÌ„an dwellyng in deserte ware an heyr maad of the heyr of camellys Somme say that he ware the skynne of a camell in whiche he had maad an hole to put his heed in and gyrded it wyth a gyrdle of wulle or of lether cut out of an hyde or a bestys skynne He ete locustes not suche as we haue here that we calle hony sokellys Somme say that it is flesshe of somme beestys that habouÌ„de in deserte of Iudee where he baptysed wyth wylde hony he ete it That it was flesshe the legende of saynt austyn doth vs to vnderstonde whyche sayth that Saynt austyn ete flesshe by the exaumple of helye the prophete whiche ete the flessh that a crowe brought to hym and so saynt Iohan ete locustes somme saye that there ben rootes so callyd There seruyd he our lord solytarylye vpon the flome Iordan tyl that he was aboute xxix yere olde the aungel of our lord came to hym and sayd that he shold shewe the comyng of our lord and preche penaunce for to purge them that were baptysed in a customyng the baptesme of our lord Ihesu cryste This aungel sayd to saynt Iohan baptyste that Ihesu cryste saueour of the world shold come to hym for to be baptysed and it shold be he on whome the holy ghoost shold descende in semblaunce of a dowue Saynt Iohan drewe hym toward bethanye vpon the ryuer or deserte not fer fro Iherusalem there prechyd he and taughte baptysed them that wolde amende theyr lyf and sayd to them that the sauyour and helthe of the world was nyghe Thenne came to hym many and he sayd to somme religyous men of euyl lyf ye chyldren of serpentys who hath gyuen to you counceyl to eschewe the yre of our lord yf ye wyl be baptysed in sygne of penaunce do ye the werkes of penytentes leue the euyl humble you do the werke of mercy wene ye by cause ye be circumsysed and be the chyldren of abraham that ye shal be saued Our lord shal make of thyse stones yf it plese hym the chylde of abraham whyche wyth abraham shal be sauyd Saynt Iohan prechyd aboute a yere tofore that our lord came to hym for to be bapâ—ysed Whan the pharysees herde say that he baptysed they sente to knowe what he was and they demauÌ„ded yf he were cryste the grete prophete that was promysed in theyr lawe and he said nay they demaunded hem yf he were helpe and comen fro paradyse tereâ—stre He sayd nay They demaunded hym yf he was a prophâ—te he sayd nay They demaunded hym wherof he medlyd thenne to baptyse sythe he was neyther cryste ne helpe ne prophete Saye to vs sayd they who that thou arte that we may answer to them that haue sente vs hyther He answerd I am he of whome ysaye prophecyed I am the voys of the cryar in deserte Adresse ye and make redy the wayes to god and make ye right the pathes of our lord They sayd to hym wherfore baptysest thou thenne He answerd I baptyse and wasshe the body wyth water in sygne af penaunce but emonge you is he that ye knowe not whyche was tofore me came after me of whome I am not worthy to lose the latchet of hys shoo He shal gyue you baptesme in the vertu of the holy ghoost in water and fyre of penaunce whan Saynt Iohan alonge the flome Iordan had prechyd and baptysed aboute a yere Our Lord came vnto hym and wolde be baptysed of hym Saynt Iohan enlumyned of the holy ghoost knewe hym And dyd to hym reuerence as to hys god hys maker and lord He was so espyred that humayn nature whyche was pure in hym myght not susteyne so grete knowleche And he sayd ryght humbly Syr thou comest to me whyche arte pure and clene to be baptysed and wasshen of me that am foule and wasted whyche oughte to be baptysed of the and wasshen how dare I laye on the myn handes Our lord sayd to hym do thys that I say now For thus behoueth it to fulfylle alle Iustyce and to humâ—le and
spare this mā thou shalt be slayn and alle thy men Thenne seynt Leo wrote a pistle to fabyane bisshop of constantynople ayenst enticium and nestonum which he layde vpon the sepulcre of seynt Peter and was in contynuell fastynges and prayers sayeng O holy peter what that I haue erred in thys epystle as man thou to whome the cure of the chirche is commysed correcte amende And after xl dayes Peter apperid to hym prayeng and sayde I haue redde it and amended it Thenne leo toke the epistle and fond it corrected and amended with the handes of thappostle Other also xl dayes he was contynuelly in fastynges and prayers at the sepulcre of seynt Peter Bysechyng to gete hym forgyuenes of hys synnes To whom peter appered and sayd I haue prayed our lord for the and he hath forgyuen the alle thy synnes sauf only of thymposicion of thy honde thou shalt be examyned He deyed aboute the yere of our lord four hondred and sixty Thus endeth the lyf of Seynt Leon the Pope Here foloweth of Seynt peter thappostle and first of his name PEter had a grete Name For he was called Symon bariona symon is as Moche to saye as ryght obeysaunt or commysyng grete heuynesse bariona is as moche to saye as sone of a douue or of a culuer he was obedyent whan our lord callyd hym For atte voys of one only callyng he obeyed to our lorde he was cōmysing heuynes and sorowe whan he renyed Ihesu cryst For he went out and wepte bitterly he was sonne of the douue For he serued god wyth symple Intencyon Secondly he was callyd Cephas whiche is as moche to saye as chief or stone or blamyng with the mouth he was sayd chief by reson of the pryncipalyte in prelacyon A stone by reson of his stedfastnes in his passyon blamyng with his mouth by reson of constaūce in his prechyng Thirdly he was called peter whiche is as moche to say as knowyng on vnhosyng shoyng or vnbyndyng knowyng for he knewe the dygnyte of cryst whan he sayd thou art cryst sonne of the lyuyng god In vnhosyng and shoyng whan he vnshodde hys feet fro thaffectyon of alle dedely erthely werk sayeng loo we haue lefte alle thyng c̄ vnbyndyng For he hath vnbounden the bondes of synne And that was by the keyes that he receyued of our lorde And he had thre surnames he was sayd simon Iohanna whiche is as moche to saye as the beaute of our lord Secondly he was sayd symon Iohānis that is to saye to whom it is gyuen And thyrdly he is sayd Symon bariona that is to say sonne of the douue By whiche is gyuen to vnderstonden that he had beaute of maners yefte of vertues and habundance of teeres For the douue hath waylyng for her song This name peter Ihesus promysed to put to hym Ioh̄is primo Thou shalt be called cephas that is to saye Peter Secondly he dyd that he promysyd as it is sayd Mathei quarto And he named symon peter c̄ Thirdly he confermed it mathei xvj And I saye to the that thou art peter vpon thys stone c̄ his martirdom wrote marcellus linus papa Egesippus and leo the pope ¶ Of Seynt Peter SAynt Peter thappostle among al other aboue alle thother was of moost feruent and brennyng loue For he wold haue knowen the traytre that shold betraye our lord Ihesu cryst As seynt austyn sayth yf he had knowē hym he wolde haue torn hym with his tethe And therfore our lord wold not name hym to hym For as Crisostome sayth yf he had named hym peter had arysen and alle to torn hym Peter went vpon the see he was chosen of god to be at his transfiguracōn And reysed a mayde from deth to lyf he fond the statere or piece of money in the fisshes mouth He receyued of our lord the keyes of the kyngdom of heuē he toke the charge to fede the sheep of Ih̄u crist he conuerted at a whitsōtide thre thousand men he heled claude with Ioh̄n thenne conuerted v thousand men he sayde to Ananye and saphyre their deth byfore he heled Enee of the palscy he reysed thabyte he baptysed cornelye with the shadowe of his body he heled seek men He was putte in pryson by herode But by the angelle of our lorde he was delyuerd what his mete was and hys clothyng the boke of seynt Clement wytnessith For he sayde brede only wyth olyues and selde with wortes is myn vsage And I haue suche clothyng as thou seest a Cote and a mantel And whan I haue that I demaunde nomore It is sayd for certeyn that he bare alway a sudary in his bosom with whiche he wyped the teres that ran from his eyen For whan he remembryd the swete presence of our lord for the grete loue that he had to hym he myght not forbere wepyng And also whan he remembred that he had renyed hym he wepte habundauntly grete plente of teres In suche wyse that he was so acustomed to wepe that hys face was brent wyth teres as it semed lyke as Clement sayth And sayth also that in the nyght whan he herde the cocke crowe he wold wepe customably ¶ And after that it is redde in historia ecclesiastica That whan Seynt Peters wyf was ledde to her passyon ¶ He had grete ioye And called hyr by hir propre name and sayd to her My wyf remembre the of our lord On a tyme whan Seynt Peter had sente two of hys dysciples for to preche the faythe of Ihesu Cryst And whan they had goon twenty daye Iourneyes one of them deyed And that other thenne retorned to seynt peter and told hym what was happened Som say that it was seynt mercyal that so deyde ¶ And somme saye it was seynt maternus And other saye that it was seynt Franke Thenne seynt Peter gaf to hym hys staffe and cōmaunded that he shold retorne to his felawe and lay hit vppon hym which he so dyd Thenne he whiche had ben xl dayes deed anone aroos al lyuyng That tyme Symon thenchauntour was in Ierusalem And he sayd he was first trouthe and affermed that who that wold byleue in hym he wold make them perpetuel And he also said that nothyng to hym was impossyble It is redde in the boke of seynt Clement That he sayd that he shold be worshipped of alle men as god and that he myght doo alle that he wold And he sayd yet more whan my moder Rachel cōmaunded me that I shold go repe corne in the felde sawe the ziekle redy to repe with I commaūded the siekle to repe by it self alone And it reped ten tymes more than ony other And yet he added herto more after Iherom And sayd I am the word of god I am the holy ghost I am almyghty I am al that is of god he made serpentes of brasse to moeue made thymages of yron and of stone to lawhe and dogges to synge
she sawe hym she went to prayer after aroos and the fende cam to her and toke her by the hond and sayde It suffyseth to the that thou hast don But now cesse as to my persone She caught hym by the hede and threwe hym to the ground and sette her ryght fote on his necke sayeng lye styl thou fende vnder the feet of a woman The deuyll thenne cryed O blessid margarete I am ouercomen yf a yong man had ouercomen me I had not retchyd But alas I am ouercomen of a tendre virgyne wherfor I make the more sorowe For thy fader and moder haue ben my good frendes She thenne constrayned hym to telle why he cam to her And he answerd that he cam to her to counseylle her for to obbeye the desyre and request of the prouoste Thenne she constrayned hym to saye wherfore he tempted so moche and so ofte crysten people To whom he answerd that naturally he hated vertuous men and though we be ofte put abacke from hem yet oure desyre is moche to exclude hem from the felicite that they fil fro for we may neuer obteyne ne recouer our blysse that we haue lost And she thenne demaūded what he was and he answerd I am named veltis one of them whom Salamon closid in a vessel of brasse And after his deth it happed that they of babylon fond thys vessel And supposed to haue founden grete tresour therin and brake the vessel thenne a grete multitude of vs deuellis flewe out fylled ful the ayer alway awaytyng espyeng where we may assayle rightful men And whan he had sayde thus she toke of her fote and sayd to hym flee hens thou wretchid fende and anon therthe opened the fende sanke in Thenne she was sure For whan she had ouercome the mayster She myhht lyghtly ouercom the mynystre Thenne the next day folowyng whan alle the peple was assembled she was presented tofore the Iuge And she not doyng sacrefyse to theyr fals goddes was cast in to the fyre and her body broyled wyth brennyng brondes in suche wyse that the peple merueylled that so tendre a mayde myght suffre so many tormentis And after that they put her in a grete vessel ful of water fast bounden that by chaungyng of the tormentis the sorowe and felyng of the payn shold be the more but sodenly the erthe trembled and the ayer was hydous and the blyssyd virgyne with out ony hurt yssued out of the water sayeng to our lord I beseche the my lord that thys water may be to me the fonte of baptysme in to euer lastyng lyf And anon there was herde grete thondre and a douue descended from heuen and sette a golden crowne on her hede Thenne vM men byleued in our lord and for crystes loue they al wer byheded by the commaundement of the prouost Olybryus that tyme in campolymeth the cyte of Aurelya Thenne Olybryus seyng the fayth of the holy margarete Inmeuable And also feryng that other shold be conuerted to the crysten fayth by her gaf sentence commaunded that she shold be byheded Thenne she prayed to one malcus that shold behede her that she myght haue space to praye And that goten she prayed to our lord seyeng ffader almyghty I yeld to the thankynges that thou hast suffred me to come to this glorye besechyng to pardonne them that pursiewe me And I beseche the good lord that of thy haboundant grace thou wylt graunte vnto all them that write my passyon rede it or here and to them that remēbre me that they may deserue to haue playn remyssyon forgyfnes of alle theyr synnes And also good lord yf ony woman with chylde traueylyng in ony place calle on me that thou wylt kepe her fro peryl and that the chyld may be delyuerd fro her bely wythout ony hurt of hys membrys And when she had fynysshed her prayer ther was a voys herd fro heuen sayeng that her prayers wer herde and graunted And that the yates of heuen were opene and abode for her and bad her come in to the contreye of euer lastyng reste thenne she thankyng our lord aroos vp and badde the hangman accomplysshe the commaundement of the prouost To whom the hangman sayde God forbede that I shold slee the vyrgyn of cryst to whom she sayd yf thou doo it not thou mayst haue no parte wyth me Thenne he beyng aferde and tremblyng smote of her hede he fallyng doun at her fete gaf vp the ghoost Thenne Theofynus toke vp the holy body and bare it in to antyoche and buryed it in the hous of a noble woman and wydowe named sinclecia And thus this blessyd holy virgyne seynt margarete suffred deth receyued the crowne of martirdom the xiij kalendes of auguste as is founden in her storye and it is redde in an other place that it was the iij ydus of Iuyll Of this virgyne wryteth an holy man and sayth The holy and blessyd margarete was ful of the drede of god sad stable and worshipful in religyon arayed with compunctyon laudable in honeste and synguler in pacience and nothyng was founden in her contrarye to crysten relygyon hateful to her fader and by loued or our lord Ih̄u Cryst thenne late vs remembre this holy virgyne that she praye for vs in our nedes c̄ Here endeth the lyf of Seynt Margarete Here foloweth of Seint prayede virgyne SAint prayede was suster of seynt potenciane whiche wer susters of the seyntes Nonati thymothe whiche were enformed in the fayth of thappostles And whan the cruell persecucion was of many crysten men and were martred and sleyne they buryed the bodyes of the holy martirs gaf alle theyr goodes and facultees to poure peple for goddes loue and atte laste they slept in our lord and deyde aboute the yere of our lord Clx vnder Marke Antonye the prouost Here foloweth the lyf of seynt Marye magdalene And first of her name MArie is as moche to saye as bytter or a lyghter or lyghted by thys ben vnderstonden thre thynges that ben thre the best partes that she chaas That is to say parte of penaunce parte of contemplacion wythin forth And parte of heuenly glorye and of thys treble partye is vnderstanden that is sayde by our lord Marye hath chosen the best parte whiche shal not be taken fro her The first parte shalle not be taken from her by cause of th ende whiche is the folownyg of bles sydnes The second by cause of contynuaunce ffor the contynuaunce of her lyf is cōtynued with the contemplacion of her contrary The third by reson of perdurablenes And for as moche as she chafe the best parte of penaunce she is sayde a bitter see ffor therin she had moche bitternes And that appiered in that she wepte so many teres that she weshe therwyth the feet of our lord And for so moche as she chaas the parte of contemplacion
was wouÌ„den and wrapped in a clene sudary and was leyd vpon the bed and lampes brente full bryght aboute her Oyggnementes gaf a grete and fragraunt odour the louynges and preysynges of angels resowned And thappostles other that were there songe dyuyne songes And the Arke of oure lorde was borne in to Mount of syon vnto the vale of Iosephat vpon the â— heedes of the Apostles And the Angels wente to fore some And somme folowed the body And other conueyed her And she was accompanyed of alle the plente of the chirche And some of the Iewes herd hit in their euyl malyce descended doune fro the Mount of syon one of them whiche was a membre of the deuylle ranne folyly vnto the holy body And assaylled it for to haue cast it to the erthe drawyng hit with bothe hys handes both his handes cleuyd to the bere were departed fro the body lyke as two staues had ben sawed of soo he was lyke a tronke til that fâ—yth chaÌ„ged his thought And he waylyng soroufully repented hym they tâ—at bare the bere taryed made that Iewe worshipe touche the holy body theÌ„ne cam his handes ageyne in to their fyrst estate theÌ„ne was the body borne vnto the vale of Iosephat ther it was emâ—raced kissed songes songen of holy â—ouynges preysynges ther were wepte many teres theÌ„ne that holy body was leid in the tombe honourably but her sowle was not left in helle ne her flesshe felte neuer corrupcion And they sayden that she was the welle whiche neuer was dygged the felde not â—red The vygne not cut tholyue berynge fruyte whiche shalle not be holden in the bosome of the erthe For hit apperteyneth that the moder be enhaunced with the sone And that she mounte to hym like as he descended in to her And that she that hath kepte her virgynyte in her childyng ought to see no corrupcion And she that bare the creatoure of alle the world in her bely ought to duelle in dyuyne tabernacles And that she whome the fader had taken to espouse were kepte in the chambres celestyalle And tho thynges that longe to the sone ought to be posseded of the moder And alle this sayd Iohan damascene ¶ Yet of thassumpcion of oure lady aftir saynt Austyn SAynt Austyn sheweth autentyckly in a sermon of the right holy assumpcion of oure blessid lady sayenâ— we that haue begoÌ„nâ— to speke of the body of the Vyrgyn perâ—urable of thassumpcion of her blessid sowlâ— We say thus Fyrst that we fynde nothyng of her wreton syth that oure lord hangyng on the Crosse commaunded her to his disciple sauf that Luke recordeth in his wrytynges sayeng that all they were by one courage perseueryng with the Vyrgyne Marye moder of our lorde Ihesu cryste what is thenne to saye of her deth and of her assumpcion Wherof the scripture remeÌ„bryth no thynge It is thenne as me semeth to be enquyred thynge whiche is acordynge to trouthe withoute whichâ— Auctoryte is nothyng we remembre the condicion humayne We doubte not to saye that surely she wente to temporall deth And yf we saye that she is resolued in to comyn putrefaction in wormes and in to asshes or dust It behoueth vs to weye and thynke suche thyng as apperteyneth to soo grete holynesse and to the seygnorye of suche a chambre of god We knowe wel that it was sayd to the fyrst fader thou art poudre and in to poudre thou shalt retorne but the flessâ— of Ihesu Cryst escaped fro this condycion For his flesshe suffred neuer corrupcion Thenne is excepte fro this generall sentence the nature taken of tâ—e Vyrgyne And god sayd to the woman eue I shal multyplye thy dyseases and thou shat bryng forth chyldren with payne and sorowe But marye suffred neuer suche dyseases of whome the swerde of sorowe perced 〈◊〉 sowle But Marye childed withoute sorowe And thenne yf she were ouyte and had no parte of sorowe in childyng thenne ought she not to haue paâ—te of dyseases ne of corrupcion â—ut she is excepte of somme other generalytees by cause that the dignyte gafe to her suche seygnorye And though we saye that she suffred deth yet is she not reteyned with the bondes of dethe yf oâ—re lord wold kepe his moder entyer and hoole and the chastyte of her vyrgynyte Wherfor may he not kepe hâ—r withoute corrupcion of stenche of rotynnesse It apperteyneth thenne vnto the debonayrte of oure lord to kepe thonour of hys moder whiche was not come to breke the lawe but to accomplysshe it And in his lyf had worshiped hâ—r to fore al other by the grace of her conceyuyng And therfor we ought well to byleue that he honoureth her at her dethe wyth synguler saluacion and of special grace And rotynes and wormes ben but reproche of humayne condycyon And whan Ihesu cryst is oute of thâ—t reproche the nature of Marye is excepted the whiche is the nature that he toke of her For the flessh of Ihesu cryste is the flessh of Mary the whiche he bare aboue the sterres in worshypyng man aboue nature and in worshypynge more his moder yf he be sone of the very moder Thenne is it couenable thynge that she be moder of the same sone Not as to the vnyte of the Persone but to the vnyte of bodyly nature yf grace withoute propyrte of especial teÌ„porell nature may make vnyte how moch more theÌ„ne may the grace of corporall and especiall natyuyte make vnyte of grace lyke as the disciples in Ihesu Crist of whome he sayth hym self that they ben one as we be And after he sayth Fader I wylle that where I am they be wyth me And thenne yf he wyll haue with hym them that ben ioyned soo wyth hym in the feythe and that they be Iuges with hym what shalle thenne be iuged of his moder Where is she worthy to be but in the presence of her sone Therfor I vnderstonde and byleue that the sowle of marye be honoured of her sone by a right excellent prerogatyf possedyng her body gloryfyed in Ihesu Crist whome she conceyued And why shold not she possede her body gloryfyed by whiche she conceyued For so grete an halowyng is more worthy to be in heuen than in erthe The sete of god the Chambre of oure lord and the worthy tabernacle of Ihesu Cryste ought and apperteyneth better to be there as he is than els where and soo right precious tresoure is more worthy to be in heuen than in erthe And by ryght no resolucion of rotynnes maye not folowe so grete entyernes of thyng not corumpable And by cause I fele not that the ryght hooly body be not delyuerd in to mete of wormes I doubte to saye it And by cause that the yefte of grace incomparable surmounteth gretely thys estymacion that I fele that the consideracion of many scriptures admoneste me to saye trouthe God sayth somtyme to his mynystres
and defended that neuer after he shold soo doo to her ne to none other And thus was she all delyuerd of that Illusion And whan on a tyme as this holy man as a legate in to that prouynce for to reconcyle the duke of guyan to the chirche And he refused to be reconciled in al maners The hooly man wente to the aulter for to synge masse And the duke abode withoute the chirche as excommyned And whan he had sayd Pax domini he leyd the body of our lord vppon the patene and bare it withoute the chirch And wente oute with a face flammyng and brennyng and assayled the duke by ferdfull wordes sayeng We haue prayed the and thou hast despysed vs boo here is the sone of the vyrgyne whiche is comen to the whiche is lord of the chirche whome thou persecutest this is thy Iuge in the name of whome al knees bowe in the handes of whome thy sowle shalle come despyse hym not as thou hast his seruauntes resyste hym yf thou mayst TheÌ„ne anon the duke wax all styf and was inpotent in alle his membrys And thenne he fylle doune at his feet And the holy man put his fote at hym and commauÌ„ded hym to aryse and to here the sentence of god he thenne tremblyng aroos and accomplysshed anon that the holy man commaunded On a tyme as this holy man saynt Bernard entryd in to Almayne for tappease a grete discord ther was an Archebisshop that sent an honourable clerke ageynst hym And whan the clerke sayd to hym that he had be sent fro his maystre ageynst hym the hooly man answerd to hym and sayd another lord hath sente the And be merueyled and sayd that he was sent of none other but of his lord tharâ—hâ—bisshop And saynt Bernard sayd sone thou arte deceyued our lord Ihesu Cryste whiche hath sente the is gretter mayster And whan the clerke vnderstode hym he sayd syre wenest thou that I wylle be a Monke nay I thought it neuer ne hit cam neuer in my herte yet after in the same vyage he forsoke the world and receyued thabyte of this hooly man saynt Bernard He took also on a tyme in to the 〈◊〉 a noble knyght And whan he had folowed saynt Bernard a lytel tyme he beganne to be greuously tempted and whan a broder sawe hym so heuy he enâ—uyred hym the cause of his heuynes And he answerd hym I wote well I shalle neuer be glad And the brother tolde it to saynt Bernard he prayd to god moch enteÌ„tifly for hym And anone that broder that was so pensyf and soo heuy semed more ioyous than the other and more gladde than he hadde ben to fore heuy And the broder blamed hym by cause he had sayd that he shold neuer be ioyous And he answerd and sayd I wote wel I sayd I shold neuer be glad but I saye now that I neuer shall be soroufull whan saynt Malachyel bisshop of Irlond of whome he wrote the lyf full of vertues passid oute of this world oute of his monasterye blessydly to our lord Ihesu cryst And saynt Bernard offryd to god for hym sacryfyce of helithe he sawe the glory of hym by reuelacion of our lord and by thyn spyracion of god he chaunged the forme of prayer after the communyon sayeng thus with Ioyous voys God that hast acompanyed saynt Malachyell by his merytes with thy sayntes we praye the to gyue to vs that we that make the feste of his precious deth may folowe the examples of his lyf And whan the chantour herd hym he sayd to hym and shewed that he erred And he sayd I erre not but I know wel what I saye and thenne wente to the body and kyssed his feete And in a tyme that the lente approched he was vysyted of dyuerse knyghtes And he prayd them that at the leste in these holy dayes they shold absteyne them fro theyr vanytees their Iolytees and doyng outrages and they in no wyse wolde agree therto And thenne he bad make redy wyn and sayd to them drynke ye the helthe of your sowles whan they had dronken the wyn they were sodenly chaunged and wente to their howses they that had denyed to doo a lytell tyme they gaf to god after all the tyme of their lyf and ladde a ryght hooly lyf At the last the holy saynt Bernard approchyng to the deth sayd blessydly to his bretheren I requyre and commaunded yow to kepe thre thynges the which I remembre to haue kepte to my power as long as I haue ben in this present lyf I haue not wylled to sclaundre ony persone and yf ony haue fallen I haue hydde hit as moche as I myght I haue euer trusted lasse myn owne wytte than ony others Yf I were hurte I neuer requyred vengeaunce of the hurter I leue to yow charyte humylyte and pacyence and after that he had done many myracles and had made Clxxj monasteryes and had ordeyned many bookes and trayttyes he accomplysshed the dayes of his lyf the lxiij yere of his age in the yere of oure lord a MClvj he slepte in oure lord amonge the handes of his sonnes and his glory shewed his departyng hens to moche peple He appyered to an abbotte in a monasterye and admonested hym that he shold folowe hym and he soo dyde And thenne saynt Bernard sayde we be comen to the Mount of Lybane thou shalt abyde here And I shalle ascende vp an hyhe And he asked hym wherfor he wold gone vp And be sayd for to lerne I wyl go vp And he beyng gretely admerueyled said what wylt thou 〈◊〉 fader to whome we byleue that ther is none to the lyke ne holden soo wyse in scyence as thou arte And he sayd here is no scyence ne here is no knowlege of trouthe but ther aboue is plente of scyence And on hyghe is the veery knowlege of trouthe And with that word he vanysshed aweye And thenne that Abbotte marked that daye and found that saynt Bernard was thenne passed to oure lord whiche shewed for hym many myracles And Innumerable To whome be gyuen laude and preysyng euerlastyng Amen Thus endeth the lyf of the glorious doctor saynt Bernard Of saynt Thimothe and interpretacion of his name THimothe is as mohe to saye as holdynge drede Or of timore that is drede and theos a word of greek whiche is deus in latyn and god in Englysshe as the drede of god Of saynt Thymothe SAynt Thymothe was taken vnder New of the prouoste of Rome and was greuously beten and had quyk lyme put in his throte and vppon his wonndes And he rendryd thankynges to god with al his herte And thenne two Angels cam to hym sayeng lyfte vp thyn hede to heuen And thenne he byheld and sawe the heuen open and Ihesu Cryste whiche helde a double crowne and said to hym thou shalt receyue this of my hand And a man named Appollynare sawe this thyng and dyd hym to be baptysed And therfor the prouost
by cause they go to fore we ben ashamed to folowe them And thenne he ranne in to a gardyn And as he sayth hym self he cast hym self doune vnder a fygge tree wepte right bytterly and gaf oute wepyng vois by cause he hadde taryed soo long fro day to day and fro tyme to tyme And was gretely tormentid soo that he had no maner in hym self for sorow of his long taryeng lyke as he wryteth in the booke of his Confessions sayde Alas lord how thou arte hyghe in hyghe thynges and depe in depenes And departest not ne goost oute of the wey And vnnethe we come to the A lord he sayd calle me moeue me chauÌ„ge me and enlumyne me rauysshe me and make swete and softe al myn enpesshementes and lettynges as hit apperteyneth for I drede them sore I haue loued the ouer late thou beaulte soo olde and soo newe I ouer late haue loued the thow were within and I was withoute and there I sought the And in the beaulte and fayrenes that thou haste I fylle all defourmed and fowle thou were with me but I was not with the Thou hast called and cryed and hast broken my deefnes Thou hast enlumyned clered and haste put awaye my blyndenes Thou haste replenisshed me with fragraunt odours and I haste me to come to the I haue tasted the and am hongry and desyre the Thou hast touched me and I am brent in the voys of leuyng thy pees and as he wept thus bitterly he herde a voys sayeng Take and rede and anone he opened the booke of thappostle and cast his eyen on the first chapytre and redde clothe ye you in our lord Ihesu crist and anone alle the doubtes of derkenes Were extynct in hym and in the mene tyme he began to be so gretely tormented With tooth ache that almoost he saith he was brought to byleue thoppynyon of Cornelys the Philosopher whiche putteth that the souerayne wele of the sowle is in wysdom and the souerayne wele of the body is in suffryng no payne ne sorowe And his payne was soo grete and vehement that he had lost his speche wherfore as he wryteth in the book of his Confessions he wrote in tables of waxe that al men shold praye for hym that oure lord shold aswage his payne And he hym self kneled doune with the other And so denly he felt hym self hoole And thenne he sygnyfyed by lettres to the hooly man saynt Ambrose that he wold sende to hym word whiche of the bookes of hooly wrytte apperteyned best to rede in for to be made moost couenable to the Crysten feythe And he sente to hym answere ysaye the prophete by cause that he was sene to be the shewer and pronouncer of the gospell and of callyng of men And whan Augustyn vnderstode not alle the begynnyng and supposed al the remenaunt to be other wyse than it was to rede he differred to rede them tylle he were more connyng in holy wrytte And whan the day of Eester cam And Austyn was xxx yere old he and hys sone whiche was named a de o datus a childe of noble wytte and vnderstondyng whome he had goten in his youthe whan he was a paynym a philosopher with Alyppe his frende by the merytes of his moder and by prechyng of saynt Ambrose receyued baptysme of saynt Ambrose ¶ And thenne as it is redde saynt Ambrose sayde The deum laudamus And saynt Austyn sayd Te dominum confitemur And soo they two to geder ordeyned made this ympne and songe hit vnto the ende And soo wytnessyth it Honorius in his booke whiche is named the myrrour of the Chirche And in some other old bookes the tytle of this ympne or psalme is intytled the Cantykle of Ambrose and of Augustyn And anone he was merueylously confermed in the faythe Catholyke And forsoke all the hope that he had in the world And renounced the scoles that he rewled And he sheweth in his book of confessions how he was fro thens forthe achauffed in the loue of god sayeng lord thou hast thorugh perâ—ed myn hert with thy charyte And I haue borne thy wordes fixed in myn entraylles And thensamples of thy maners whiche thou hast made of blacke whyte shynyng and of deed lyuyng And of corrupte thoughtes thou makest fayre and hyghe vnderstandyng in heueÌ„ly thynges I mounted vp in to the hylle of wepyng and thou gauest to me syngyng the cantycle of grees shape arowes and cooles wastyng ne I was not in tho dayes fulfylled in thy merueylous swetenes for to considere the heyght of the dyuyne counceylle vp on the helthe of the lygnage humayne How moche haue I wepte in thy ynâ—pnes and cantycles swetely sownynnge And by the vois of thy chirche I haue ben moeued egrely The voyses haue ronnen in myn eres And thy trouthe hath dropped in myn herte and thenne teres haue ronnen doune and I was wel eased with them Thenne these thynges were establysshed to be songen in the chirche of Melan And I cryed With an hyghe crye of myn herte O in pace O in idipsum O thou that sayst I shalle slepe in that same and take rest thou arte the same For thou arte not chauÌ„ged and in the is reste forgetyng all labours I redde al that psalme And I brenned whiche somtyme had ben a barker bytter and blynde ayenst the lettres honyed with the swetenes of heuen and enlumyned with thy lighte And vppon suche scriptures I helde my pees and spack not O Ihesu crist my helper how swete is it sodenly made to me to lacke the swetnesses of iâ—â—ffes and Iapes which Were fer fro me to leue and forsake and now to leue forsake them is to me grete ioye Thou hast cast them oute fro me And thou Whiche arte souerayne swetenes hast entryd in to me for them whiche aâ—te swetter than ony swetnes or delyces more clere than ony syght and more secrete than ony secrete counceylles more hyghe than al honour And ther is none more hyghe than thou And after this he tooke Nebrydyon Euodyon and his moder and retorned ageyne in to Auffryke But whannâ— But whanne they cam to hostyberyn his swete moder deyde And after her deâ—h Austyn retorned vnto his propre herytage there entended wyth them that lode with him in fastinges in prayers He wrote bokes taught them that were not wyse And the fame and renomme of hym spradde ouer all And in alle his bookes and werkes he was holden merueylous he reffused to come to ony Cyte where as was no bisshop leste he shold be lette by that offyce And in that tyme was in yponence a man full of grete vertues whiche sente to Augustyn that yf he wold come to hym that he myghte here the good of his mouthe he wold renounce the world And whanne saint Augustyn knewe it he wente hastely thyder And whanne Valeryen Bisshop of yponence herd his renommee fame he ordeyned hym a preest
meruayled of hym For they that demed hym an Heretik were madde he was al in lessons all in bookes he ne rested day ne nyghte but alway redde or wrote Hec Seuerus And lyke as it apperyth by these wordes And also he wytnessyth hym self He suffred many persecutours detractours whiche persecucions he suffred pacyently and goodly as it apperid in an Epystle that he sente to asselle I yeue thankynges to oure lord god that I am worthy that the world hate me And that wycked men and Ianglers holde me for euylle For I knowe wel that men come to heuen by the dyffame of wycked men more than by good renommee And I wold that the companye of myscreauntes shold pursewe and persecute me for the name and ryght of oure lord My wylle is that the repreef of the world aryse more feruently ageynst me soo that I myghte deserue to be preysed of our lord and that I may hope the reward of his promesse Temptacyon is desyrous and agreable whoos merite in resystynge is to be hoped reward of Cryste in heuen Ne the cursynge ne malediction is not greuous whiche is chaunged in to dyuyne laude and praysynge He deyed aboute the yere of our lord CCC lxxx and eyghte ¶ Thus endeth the lyf of saint Iheromme Here foloweth the lyf of seint Remyge And first of his name REmyge is said of Remige that is a boteman or a rower Or hit is sayd of Remys whiche ben Instrumentes by whiche the shippe is rowed and conduyted and of gyon â—hat is to saye wrastlynge He gouerned the Chirche and kepte it fro paryll of wrake and brought it to the porte of heuen And for the chirche he wrastlyd ageynst the assaultes of the deuylle Of saint Remyge SAint Remyge conuertid to the fayth the kynge the peuple of Fraunce The kynge had a wyf named Rotilde whiche was Crysten And she enforced her moche to conuerte her husbond to the Crysten fayth but she myght not And whan she hadde a childe She wold haue Crystened hym But the kynge deffended it to her And she rested not til at the last the kyng grauÌ„ted that it shold be crysten And after that it was cristened it deyde anone Thenne said the kynge Now hit apperith well that Cryst is a vyle god for by cause he may not kepe hym whiche in his faythe shold haue ben enhauÌ„ced in my kyngdome after me And she said to hym Now fele I wel that I am louyd of my god by cause he hath receyued the fyrst fruyte of my wombe he hath enhaunced to a better kyngdom my sone and to regne perpetuelly with outen ende whiche is moche better than thy kyngdome is And sooâ—e after she conceyued ageyne and had a fayr sone whome with grete prayers she baptysed as she dyd the fyrste but anone after he was seke soo that they hadde none hope of his lyf And thenne the kynge sayd to his wyf Certeynly this is a feble god whiche may not coÌ„serue ne kepe none that is baptysed in his name And yf thou haddest a thousand and dydest them to be baptysed al shold perisshe yet neuertheles the child reuyued was hole so that he regned after his fader And the faythful quene enforced her to brynge her husbond to the faythe but he reffused it in alle maners It is sayed in that other feste whiche is after thepyphanye how the kynge was conuertid to the fayth And the forsayd kynge Clouys when he was crystened sayd that he wold gyue to saynt Remige for tendowe his chirche as moche lond as he myght go aboute whyles he slepte at mydday And soo it was done but ther was a man whiche had a mylne within the circuyte whiche saynt Remyge hadde closed And as saynt Remyge wente aboute it the Mylnar putted hym out with indignacion and grete despyte And saynt Remyge sayd to hym frende haue no desdayne and late it not be to harde yf we haue also this Mylne with that other Neuertheles the Mylnar put hym out And anone the whele of the Mylne beganne to torne contrarye And thenne the Mylnar cryed after saynt Remyge and sayde Seruaunt of god come and late vs haue the mylle to gydre And saynt Remyge sayd nay hit shalle neyther be myn ne â—hyn And anone the erthe opened and swolewed in all the mylle And saynt Remyge knewe by the spyrite of prophecye and by the wylle of god that a grete famyne shold come And assembled in a Towne grete plente of whete And the dronken Vylayns of the Towne mocqued and scorned hym of his prouydence And sett the garners a fyre And when he knewe hit he cam thyder And by cause he was cold for age and his last tyme approchyd fast he satte doune by the fyre and warmed hym and sayd with a peasyble herte the fyre is alwey good Neuertheles they that made that fyre and alle the men of theyr lygnage were broken in her membres And the wymmen gowty And this endured in the same Towne vnto the tyme of Charles whiche chaced and maade them goo theyr waye and soo disperplyd them And it is to be knowen that the feste of saynt Remyge that is halowed in Ianyuer is the feste of his blessyd deth and deposicion and thys is the feste of the translacion of hys blessyd body For when after his deth the hooly body shold have be broughte to the chirche of saynt Thymothe and Appollynare with the shryne and cam nyghe vnto the chirche of saynt Cristofre it beganne to weye soo moche that they myght not meue hit fro thens in no manere At the last they prayd our lord that he wold vouchesauf to shewe them yf it were his wylle that the body shold be buryed in that chirche where as no relyques reste And thenne anone they took vp the body lyghtely ynowe and buryed hym there honourably And many myracles were ther shewed soo that they enlarged and made the chirche more ample and large And thenne they made an oratoyre behynde the aulter and wold haue do lâ—â—en for to haue leyd the body in that oratoyre but they couthe not meue hit in no manere Thenne they watched and prayd vnto oure lord and att mydnyght they fylle all a slepe And on the morne they fonde the sepulcre with the body in the place whiche aungels had borne thider whyle they slepte And this was the k lendes of octobre whiche afterward by long tyme on the same daye it was translated in to a feretre or shryne of syluer he flowrid about the yeres of our lord CCCC four score and ten ¶ Thus endeth the translacion of saint Remyge Here foloweth the lyf of seint Logier And first of his name LOgier is said of leos that is to saye peple and of ganos that is to saye angell Logyer was aungel of the peple For an angel is propyrly lyght And is a messagyer for to shewe the peuple good werkes And soo he shewed to the peple to fore the
praye for hym And whanne they had prayd a good whyle he felte hym self made parfyghtly hole And thenne he with alle the peple gaf thankynges to our lord almyghty god and saynt Edward for his delyueraunce Also a nonne of berkynge that had ben seke twelue monethes and nyghe consumed awey had a vision on a nyght by whiche she vnderstode that she shold go to saint Edword be hoole And she makynge her prayers to saint Edward and at suche tyme as her sekenes cam she entryd in to her oratory And said the seuen psalmes and letanye whan she dyd so twyes al her payne was gone was made parfiÈtely hole thanked almyghty god whiche by the merytes of saynt Edward had heled her soone after cam to westmynstre in pylgremage And there dide shewe this myracle told how she was made hole Also ther was a MoÌ„k of Westmynstre which was acustomed to saye euery day v psalmes in the worship of god saint Edward whiche Monke was greued with thre manere sekenesses For he had on his arme a congellacion of blood in manere of a postomme he hadde also in his breste a straytnes that vnnethe he myght drawe his brest Also he had in his foote a merueylous swellyng and a grete that he myght not goo but with grete payne And whanne the yerely feest was halowed he sawe his bretheren go to the chirche at mydnyght for to rynge the bellys And he was ryghte sory that he myght not doo the same Notwithstondyng he payned hym self and wente thyder said the seuen psalmes and whan he had done sawe his bretheren rynge meryly he sayd in his prayer to saynt Edward O thow my good kynge I beseche the to praye for me that I may haue strengthe to doo as I see my bretheren do For I commytte me fully to thy myght And I byleue veryly that thou wylt suffre me no lenger in this grete dysease And whan he had made an ende of his prayers he arose vp and went to the bellys for to rynge them And anone the postomme of his arme brake And whan the fowle mater was oute he felte hym self hole of that dysease Thenne his moost payne was in his breste and he wente ageyne to praye and to yeue thankynges to god and to saynt Edward of the delyueraunce of his postomme And there he prayd full deuoutely that he myght be delyuerd of the dysease of his breste whan he aroos fro prayer he felt his herte made all hole fro the sekenes that he had in his brest Thenne he felt no dysease but on his foote whan he come amonge his bretheren in the fraitour he told them hou he was delyuerd fro tweyne of his sekenesses when they sawe hym they meruayled gretely and besought almyghty god saynt Edward that he myght be delyuerd of that disese in his foote And at nyght whan he went to his bed he put hym self holy in the merites of saynt Edward And when he arose he felte no payne but put doune his hond to his fote to fele how it was he felte that the swellyng was gone he lepe out of his bedde told to his bretheren with ful grete ioye how he was made parfightly hole as euer he was Thenne they al were ful glad went with hym to the chirche to yeue thankynges praisynges to almyÈty god to his holy confessour saint Edward for these myracles for his delyuerauÌ„ce fro the ij sekenesses wherfor god be praised in his seruaÌ„t without end ameÌ„ Thus endeth the lyf of saint Edward kyng and Confessour ¶ Here foloweth of saint Luke Theuangelist And first of his name LUke is as moche to saye as arysynge or enhauncynge hym self Or Luke is sayd of lyght he was reysyng hym self fro the loue of the world and enhauncyng in to the loue of god And he was also lyght of the world for he enlumyned the vnyuersal world by holy predicacion And herof sayth saynt Maâ—hewe Mathei quinto ye ben the lyght of the world the lyght of the world is the sonne And that lyzt hath heyght in his sete or syege And herof sayth Ecclesiastes the xxvj Chapytre the sonne rysynge in the world is in the ryght hyhe thynges of god he hath delyte in beholdyng And as it is sayd Ecclesiastes vndecimo The lyght of the sonne is swete And hit is delytable to the eyen to see the sonne He hath swyftnes in his moeuyng as it is sayd in the second book of Esdre the fourthe chapytre The erthe is grete and the heuen is hyhe And the cours of the sonne is swyft and hath prouffyte in effect For after the philosophre man engendâ—th man and the sonne And thus Luke had hyhenes by the loue of thynges celestyalle delectable by swete conuersacion Swyftnes by feruent predicacion And vtylyte and prouffyte by consceypcion wrytynge of his doctryne ¶ Of saynt Luke euangelyst LUke was of the nacion of Syrye And Anthyochyen by arte of medycyne And after somme he was one of lxxij disciples of our lord Seynt Iheromme sayth that he was discyple of thappostles and not of our lord And the glose vpon the xxv chapytre of the booke of Exodi sygnefyeth that he ioyned not to oure lorde whan he prechyd but he cam to the faith after his resurection But it is more to be holden that he was none of the lxxij disciples though somme holde oppynyon that he was one But he was of ryght grete perfection of lyf moche well ordeyned as toward god And as touchynge his neyghbour as touchynge hym self and as towchynge his offyce in signe of these foure maners of ordenaunces he was descryued to haue four faces that is to wete the face of a man the face of a lyon the face of an oxe and the face of an egle eche of these bestes had foure faces foure wynghes as it is sayd in Ezechyell the fyrst chapytre And by cause it may the better be sene late vs ymagyne some beest that hath his hede four square in euery square a face so that the face of a man be to fore and on the ryght syde the face of the lyon on the lyft syde the face of the oxe behynde the face of thaygle by cause that the face of thaygle appyerid aboue thother for the lengthe of the necke therfor hit is sayd that this face was aboue and eche of these foure had foure pennes For whanne euery beest was quadrate as we may ymagyne In a quadrate ben foure corners and euery corner was a penne By these foure beestes after that sayntes sayen ben signefyed the foure euangelystes Of whome eche of them had foure faces in wrytyng that is to wete of humanite of the passion of the resurection and of the dyuynyte how be it these thynges ben syngulerly to synguler For after saynt Iheromme Mathewe is signyfyed in the man For he was syngulerly meued to speke of thumanyte
Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Grysogone and fyrste of hys name GRysogone may be sayd of gonos in Greke whiche is as moche to say as aungel For he was wythout aungel of worldly malyce or he is sayd of gonos whiche is as moche to saye as a lâ—der For he ledde moche people to the waye of a trouthe by hys ensaumple ¶ Of saynt grisogone GRisogone was taken and sette in pryson by the commaundemente of Dyoclesyan saynt anastase fedde hym and gaue to hym mete and drynke to lyue by wherfore hir husbond was put in to a strayte pryson she sente to grysogone whiche had enformed hyr in the feythe of Ihesu crist in wrytyng thys that foloweth To the holy confessour of cryste Grysogone I anastasâ— haue taken the yoke of a wycked husbond by the mercy of god I haue eschewed his bedde by fayned and dyssymyled Infyrmyte haue nyght and day embraced the stappes of our lord Ihesu cryste my husbond hath taken aweye my patrymonye of whiche he is ennoblysshed and setteth it on fowle ydolles and hath put me in pryson as a cursed enchaunteresse for to make me to lese my lyf temporel So there bleueth nomore but I that am seruaunte to the spyrite may lye doun and deye In whiche dethe I glorefye my self but I am gretely troubelyd in my mynde that my rychessls whiche I had ordeyned to god been wasted and spente in fowle thynges fare wel seruaunte of god remembre me To whome saynt grysogone answerde ageyn by wrytyng see that thou be not angred ne troubled for ony thynge that is doon to the foloneslye in thy lyf though it be contrarye vnto the thou mayste not be dysceyued yf thou be preuyd a tyme paysyble shal come to the anon for after this derknes thou shalt see anone she florysshed light of god after this colde tyme of froste and yce there shal come to the the softe swete tyme Fare wel be wyth god and praye for me and as thys blessyd anastase was thus constreyned in suche wise that vnnethe ony brede was gyuen to hyr in foure dayes and that she supposed she shold haue deyed She wrote a pystle to hym in thys wyse To the confessour of crist grysogone anastase the ende of my tyme is comen remembre me So that whan the sowle shal departe from me that he receyue it for whos loue I suffre thyse thynges whyche thou shalt here by the mowthe of this olde woman To whome he wrote ageyn It apperteyneth alwey that derkenes goo tofore the lyght In lyke wyse after sekenes and Infyrmyte helth shal retorne and lyf is promysed after deth Alle aduersytees and prosperytees of thys world been enclosed by one ende by cause desperacion shold haue no domynacyon on the sorowful ne elacyon ne pryde shold not domyne on theym that been glad and ioyeful There is but one see in whych the shyp of our lady saylleth and our sowles vse the offyse of maronners vnder the gouernaunce of the body the shippes whiche ben fastenyd and bounden wyth stronge chaynes passen wel wythout ony brekyng thorugh the stronge wawes of the see and somme shyppes there been that haue brutyl and feble ioyntures of trees and falle ofte in peryll to be drowned but thou handmayde of Ihesu cryste haue in thy mynde the vyctorye of the crosse and make the redy to the werke of god and thenne dyoclesyan whiche was in the partyes of aquyle and slewe other crysten men commaunded that grysogone shold be broughte tofore hym to whom he sayd Take the power of the prouoste and the consulate of thy lygnage and doo sacrefyse to the goddes And he answerd I adoure worshyp one onely god of heuen and I despyse thy dygnytees as fylthe or myre and thenne sentence was gyuen vpon hym and was brought in to a place where he was byheded aboute the yere of our lord two hondred lxxx and seuen whos body saynt Zeyle the preest buryed and the heed also Thus endeth the lyf of Saint Grisogone Here foloweth the lyf of saint Katheryne virgyn and marter And first of hir name KAtheryne is said of catha that is al ruyna that is fallyng for alle the edefyce of the deuyl fyl al fro hir for the edefyce of pryde fyl fro hyr by humylyte that she had and thedefyce of flesshly desyre fyl fro hir by hir virgynyte worldly couetyse for she despysed al worldly thynges Or katheryne may be sayd as a lytel chayne for she made a chayne of good werkys by whiche she mounted in to heuen and this chayne or ladder had foure grees or stappes whiche been Innocence of werke clennesse of body despysyng of vanyte and sayeng of trouthe whiche the prophete putteth by ordre where he sayth Quis ascendet in mon tem domini Innocens manibus Who shal ascende in to the montayn of our lord that is heuen he answereth The Innocence of his handes he that is clene in his herte he that hath not taken in vayne his sowle and he that hath not sworen in fraude and deceyte to his neyghbour And it apperyth in hyr legende how thyse four degrees were in hyr KAtheryn by discent of lyne was of the noble lygnage of themperours of Rome as it shal be declared more playnelye herafter by a notable cronycle whos moste blessyd lyf and conuersacyon wrote the solempne doctour anathasius whiche knewe hir lygnage hyr lyf For he was one of hir maysters in hir tender age or she was conuerted to the cristen feythe and after the sayd anathasius by hir prechyng meruaillous werkys of our lord was conuerted also Whiche after hir marterdom was made bysshop of Alysaunder And a gloryous pyler of the chirche by the grace of god and merytes of Saynt katheryne And as we fynde by credyble cronycles In the tyme of dyoclesyan and maxymyen was grete cruel tyrannye shewyd in al the world as wel to crysten men as to paynyms Soo that many that were subgette to Rome put aweye the yocke of seruage and rebellyd openlye ageynst th empyre Emonge whome the royame of armonye was one that wythstood most the trybute of the romayns wherfore they of Rome deputed a noble man of dygnyte named constancius whiche was tofore other a valyaunt man in armes dyscrete and vertuous the which lord after he came in to ermonye anone subdued them by his dyscrete prudence deseruyd to haue the loue and fauour of his enemyes in so moche that he was desyred to marye the doughter of the kynge whiche was sole heyre of the royame and he consentyd and maryed hir sone after the kynge hir fader deyed and thenne constancius was enhaunced and crowned kynge whyche sone after had a sone by his wyf named costus at the byrthe of whome his moder deyed after the dethe of whome constancius retorned to rome to see the emperour and to knowe how his lord shyppes were gouerned in tho partyes and in
their feet he wesshed made clene theyr shone and also moche benygnelye he maad theyr beddes made theyr mete redy and so he was bothe cook and bysshop to gyder hongre and thyrste suffryd he many tymes so that he myght of hys owne mete fede his felawes he sette a parte alle precyous raymentes and moche dere he helde the hayre that was roughe and harde In thyse two good dedes doyng the good man rendred hys sowle to god and after his obsequye doon the bysshop hys successour that had to name gâ—erycus assemblyd to gyder a grete companye of peple two bysshoppes and many clerkys also and alle togyder they wente in to the deserte and whan they came vnto the place there as the corps was sayeng vygyles moche solempnelye and after they took the corps and bare it aweye with grete honour and reuerence vnto the cytee And as they came to a ruysel or chanel and wold haue passyd it hit happed that they whiche bare the corps behynde fyl doun but as I suppose the aungels susteyned the corps in the ayer for they that bare hit before yede euer and leâ—ted not and they that were fallen had noo harme but stood vp anone and bare the corps ageyn as they dyd before In the tyme that thys holy man was on lyue there was a man that lyued moche lecherously the holy man repreuyd hym many tymes therof and prayed hym that he wold leue that lyf and doo penytence or that he shold deye in that state It happed so that as the holy corps was borne to the cyte and as they passyd thorugh the said mannes grounde the same holy corps at thentre of the sayd mannes grounde stood stylle in so moche that they that bare it coude not moeue it from thens Wherfore the bysshoppes the preestys the clerkes and all the peple that were there were moche meruaylled and sore troubled also by cause that the nyght was nyghe and they wyst not where they myght be lodgyd Thenne a duc that was in the companye named nod do sayd thus to theym ye see how he refuseth to entre Wythm the grounde of thys synnar my towne is here nye I counceyl that we retorne thyder for to abyde and reste vs there alle nyght For also we ne haue here what to fede thys peple wythal for of al prouysyons or store I ne haue but a lytel byer within a lytel vessel and a lytel brede yf it pleased to god and to the holy corps that we myght be there or the nyght come and how be it that ferre aweye it was thens Neuerthelesse by the wylle of god they were there right soone and them semyd that the holy corps bare hym self and namely that they were borne thyder where they came by day lyght And thenne sayd noddo to them I praye to saynt arnolde that by his grace he wyl fede vs alle thys nyghte For wel I wote that at his prayer we shal haue al that to vs nedeth and soone with that lytel drynke and brede that they had by the grace of god and of the saynt they were alle fedde and rassassyed that nyght and yet moche remayned of hit bothe of drynke and of brede â— On the morne nexte wyth grete ioye they walkyd and bare the holy corps in to the cyte They of the cyte also came to mete the corps in processyon wyth grete reuerence as he that had ben their pastour or gyde of theyr sowles whyche of longe tyme they had not seen moche reuerentelys they buryed the holy corps in the chirche of the appostles A woman that Iule had to name whiche of longe tyme had loste hyr syght came to the sepulture of saynt arnolde and ferueâ—lye hyr prayer there made by hym recouerd hyr syght Another woman on a sonday wrought god punysshed hir for hir ij handes were styffe and contrefayte she came in to the chirche Where the holy corps laye besought the saynt wyth feythful herte sore wepyng and anone recouerd helthe The solempnyte of thys glorious saynt is celebred the xvij day of the kalendys of auguste in the honour of god that lyueth wythoute ende regneth In seculorum secula amen Thus endeth the lyf of Saint Arnolde Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Turyen SAint Turyen was archebysshop of dol in lytel bretaygne and was borne in a towne nygh to the sayd cyte where was a chyrche of ¶ Hys fader and hys moder were yssued of noble lygnage In that tyme a man of holy lyf confessour and frende of god was archebysshop of the sayd cyte and was named Sampson Soo thenne as the vessel of holynesse that is to wete turyen that yet was but a chylde of age but he was by vertu of the holy ghoost fylled wyth grace relenquysshed and lefte for loue of our lord all hys parentes whiche were of grete estate the fayre lyuelode also that he shold haue and came in to the cyte of dol toward saynt sampson Whan Saynt sampson sawe hym he ordeyned sette hym to kepe his kyen and hys other beestys This prefygured be to hym gladly sygnefyeng that he shold be in tyme to come pastour or gyde of the sheep of our lord whan he shold receyue the dygnyte of archebysshop And in this estate kepyng the beestys esprysed of the loue of god and not of no thynge humayn he dyd calle euery clerke that passed before hym prayed hym that he wold write somme letters within a lytel payre of tables that he had for to lerne and knowe them whan he beganne to knowe wel ynough his letters it plesed our lord that he shold lerne and knowe tharte of gramayr and so moche of grace gafe god to hym that he had a melodyous and fayr voys at chyrche more thenne ony of his other felawes and soo as by many a tyme his voys pleased moche to the archebysshop he reteyned and took hym stylle wyth hym and of hym he made as of his owne adopted sone and moche endeuoyred hym to make hym to lerne the deuyne scripture and swetely gouerned hym So moche grewe and fructefyed the chylde in resplendour or lyghte of alle good veertues by good doctrynes exaumples that the sayd archebysshop ordeyned hym mayster of the clerkes of his chapel The wele of this chylde turyen multeplyed euer fro better to bâ—tter in the loue grace of our lord The archebysshop saynt sampson that as thenne was olde consyderynge the holy lyf that turyen ledde the good vertues of whiche he was fylled and that he was in age parfyte ordeyned hym archâ—bysshop in his place and namely he yet lyuyng wold see hym to be possessour of the dygnyte of the archebysshop and so whan by the consecracion dyuyne he was chosen to the sayd dygnyte all the peple made ioye therof For wel they perceyued that he was ful of the grace of god On a tyme as he lyfte vp his eyen toward heuen he sawe a wyndowe wyde open and the
the wordes of our profession And shal shewe to fore vs alle that euer we haue don and in what place and what tyme we haue synned And what good theÌ„ne we shold haue don he shal saye to the Iuge right trewe Iuge deme Iuge this synnar to be myn for his trespaas whiche wold be thyne by grace he is thyne by nature he is myne by his myserye he is thyne by thy passyon he is myne by monycion To the he hath be in obedyent To me he hath be obedyent he hath receyued of the the vesture of Inmortalite Of me he hath taken this penyble cote wyth whiche he is clad he hath lefte thy vesture and is comen to myn Ryght Iuste demer Iuge hym to be myne for to be dampned with me Alas Alas how may the mouthe of them open that shal thus be fouÌ„den whaÌ„ they shal be Iustly dampned to be with the deuyll â— The second accusement is oure owne trespaas For oure owne propre synnes shal accuse vs As the wyse salomoÌ„ saith sapieÌ„tie quarto venient in cogitatoÌ„em pccoÌ„rum suorum timidi traduceÌ„t illos ex aduerso iÌ„iqitates eorum To the Iugement they shal come in the thought of their synnes in grete drede And their wyckednesses shal caste them out afterward TheÌ„ne theyr werkes shal saye to gydre Thou hast made vs we ben engendred of the we shal not leue the But alleway we shal be with the And â—ith the we shal goo to the dome Thus in many thynges crymes they shal accuse the synners The thirde accuseâ— shal be all the world wherof sayth seynt gregorye yf thou demande who shal accuse the I saye the world whiche is offended And saynt IohnÌ„ grisestome seyth that at that day there we shal answere nothyng but the heuen the erthe the water the sonne the dayes the nyghtes shal be in wytnes of our synnes And yf we speke not oure werkes our thoughtes shall be moeued and all the world shal be ayenst vs to fore god And shal accuse vs strongly The sixth thyng that ensieweth the dome shal be witnes trewe without fayllyng The synnar shal haue iij wytnessis ayenst hym That one that is aboue hym that is to wete that shal be Iuge wytnes lyke as he saith by the mouth of Ieremye the prophete I am Iuge and witnes saith our lord That other witnes is within hym that is to wete his conscience therfor saith saint Austyn yf thou dredest the Iuge comyng correcte thy conscience For the worde of thy mouth is the wytnes of thy conscience That other wytnes is by hym that is his propre angele deputed to his kepyng the whiche by cause that he knoweth his conscience shal bere witnes ayenst hym wherof it is said in Iob The heuenes that is to saye the angeles theÌ„ne shall shewe thynyquytees of the synners The seuenth thyng that shal be atte Iugement is the constraynt of the synners wherof saith saynt gregoire O how strayte shall be the wayes to synners all aboue shal the Iuge sytte ful of wrath And vnderneth thorrible coÌ„fused region of payne on their ryght side theyr synnes whiche shal accuse theym On their lyft syde theyr enemyes deuylles without noÌ„bre drawyng them to torment within theym theyr coÌ„science shal be brennyng And with out forth the world brennyng The caytyf and myserable synnar thus taken whyther shal he flee or whyter shal he goo he shal not mow hyde hym For it is Impossible And to shewe it is Intollerable so moche that he shal not conne bere it The eyghte that he shal haue the sentence inreuocable This sentence shal neuer be repelled ne it may be appeled For thappellacion shal not be receyued for thre causes as it shold be in Iugement the first cause is for thexcelleÌ„ce of the Iuge As of a kynge yf he yeue a sentence it may not be appelled in his royaume For ther is none therin aboue hym souerayn and in like wise of themperour and of the pope Secondly for theuydence of the cryme wiche is notoryly knowen Thirdly whan the thynge of whiche the Iugement is yeuen may not be differred And that it haue not dilacion And for thise thre causes ther maye none appele be fro the dyuyne sentence First for thexcellence of the Iuge For god hath none aboue hym but he is aboue all other in eternyte in dignyte and in auctorite And somme wise may be appelled fro the Emperour to god But fro god may nomaÌ„ appelle for he hath none aboue hym Secondly for the crime For alle trespaas and synnes shal be there openly shewd wherof saith seynt Ierome that in this daye alle our dedes shal be shewd like as they were writen in a table noted Thirdly for the thyng whiche may not suffre dilacion For alle thynges that shal be don atte Iugement shal be don in a twynkelyng of an eye TheÌ„ne late vs pray that we may in this holy tyme so to receyue hym that at the day of Iugement we may be receyued in to his euerlastyng blisse Amen ¶ Thus endeth thystorye of thaduente ¶ Here foloweth the Natiuite of our lorde ihesu Crist Whan the world had endured fyue thousand nyne hondred yere after eusebe the holy saynt Octouian themperour coÌ„manded that alle the world shold be descriued so that he myght knowe how many cytees how many townes how many personnes he had in alle the vniuersal world TheÌ„ne was so grete peas in therthe that alle the world was obeyssaunt to hym And therfore our lorde wold be born in that tyme that it shold be knowen that he brought peas fro heuen And this emperour coÌ„manded that eueri maÌ„ shold goo in to the tounes cytees or villages frowhens they were of and shold brynge with hem a peny in knowlechyng that he was subgette to th empyre of rome And by so many pens as shold be founden receyued shold be knowen the nombre of the personnes Ioseph whiche theÌ„ne was of the lignage of dauid And dwellyd in Nazareth wente in to the cyte of Bethlem And ladde with hym the virgyne marie his wyf And whan they were comen theder by cause the hostryes were alle taken vp they were constrayned to be with oute in a comyn place where alle peple wente And ther was a stable for an asse that he brought with hym and for an oxe In that nyght our blessid lady and moder of god was delyuerd of our blessyd sauyour vpon the heye that laye in the racke At whiche Natiuite our lord shewd many meruaylles Fo by cause that the world was in so grete peas the Romayns had don mad a teÌ„ple whiche was named the temple of peas On whiche they coÌ„seylled wyth Appollo to knowe how longe it shold stond and endure Appollo answerd to them that it shal stoÌ„d as loÌ„ge tyl a mayde had brought forth and born a chyld And therfore they dyde do wryte on the portal of the temple loo this
is the temple of peas that euer shal endure For they supposed wel that a mayd myght neuer bere ne brynge forth a chyld This temple that same tyme that our lady was delyuerd and our lord born ouerthrewe fylle alle doun Of whiche Crysten men afterward mad in the same place a chirche of our lady whiche is callyd scaÌ„ maria rotunda that is to saye the chirche of seynt marie the Round Also the same nyght as recordeth Innocent the thirde whiche was pope that there sprange and sourded in rome the same nyght a wel or a fountayne and ran largely alle that nyght alle that day vnto the ryuer of Rome called Tybre Also after that recordeth saynt IohnÌ„ GrisostoÌ„me the thre kynges were this nyght in theyr orysons and prayers vpon a montayne whan a sterre appered by them whiche had the forme of a right fayr chyld whiche had a crosse in his forhed which sayd to these thre kynges that they shold goo to Iherusalem And there they shold fynd the sone of the virgyne god and man whiche theÌ„ne was born Also ther appered in thorient thre sonnes whiche lytil lytil assembled to gydre and were all on one As it is sygnyfyed to vs that thies thre thynges is the godhed the soule and the bodye whiche ben in thre natures assembled in one persone Also Octauian themperour like as Innocent recordeth That he was moche desyred of his counseyll and of his people that he shold doo men worshippe hym as god For neuer had ther be to fore hym so grete a maistre and lord of the World as he was Thenne themperour sente for a prophetesse named Sebyle for to demand of her yf ther were ony so grete and lyke hym in therthe Or yf ony shold come after hym Thus atte hour of mydday she behelde the heueÌ„ and sawe a cercle of gold aboute the sonne And in the myddle of the cercle a mayde holdyng a chyld in her armes TheÌ„ne she called theÌ„perour amd shewd it hym whan Octauien sawe that he merveylled ouer moche wherof Sebyle sayd to hym hic puer maior te est ipsum adora This Chyld is gretter lord than thou art worshippe hym TheÌ„ne whaÌ„ themperour vnderstod that this chyld was gretter lord thaÌ„ he was he wold not be worshipped as god but worshipped this child that shold be born wherfore the Cristen men made a chirche of the same chambre of themperour and named it Ara celi After this it happed on a nyght as a grete maistre whiche is of grete auctorite in scripture whiche is named bartilmew recordeth that the Rodde of eugaddi whiche is by Iherusalem whiche berith bame flowred this nyght and bare fruit and gaf liquour of bame After this cam the angelle and apperid to the shepherdes that kepte their sheep and said to theym I anounce and shewe to you a grete Ioye For the savyour of the world is in this nyght born in the cyte of BethleeÌ„ there may ye fynd hym wrapped in clowtes And anon as the Aungell had said this a grete multitud of angelis appered with hym began to synge honour glorye helth be to god on hye And in therthe peas to men of good wyll Thenne said the shepherdes late vs goo to bethleem and see this thyng And whan they cam they fonde lyke as the angele had said And it happed this nyght that all the sodomytes that dyde synne ayenst nature were deed and extynct For god hated so moche this synne that he myght not suffre that nature humayne whiche he had taken were delyuerd to so grete shame wherof saiÌ„t AustiÌ„ saith that it lackyd but lytil that god wold not become man for that synne In this tyme Octouian made to cutte and enlarge the wayes and quyted the Romayns of all the dettes that they ought to hym This ffeste of Natyuyte of our lord is one of the grettest feestes of all the yere and for to telle alle the myracles that our lord hath shewde it shold conteyne an hole booke but at this tyme I shal leue and passe ouer sauf one thynge that I haue herde ones precâ—yd of a worshipeful doctour that what persone beyng in clene lyf desire on this day a bone of god as fer as it is rightful and good for hym our lord atte reuerence of this blessyd hie feste of his natyuyte wyll grauÌ„te it to hym theÌ„ne lete vs alway make vs in clene lyf at this feste that we may so plese hym that after this short lyf we may come vnto his blysse AmeÌ„ ¶ Here endeth the natyuyte of our lorde Ande here foloweth his circumsicion The day of the circuÌ„sicion of our lord ther ben four thynges that make and shewe it to be holy and solempne The first is the vtas of the Natyuyte The secoÌ„de thymposicoÌ„n of a newe name beryng helth The thirde theffusion of his precious blood The fourth the signes of the circumcision As for the first it apperith For the vtas of sayntes ben solempne by moche more Reson ought it to be of hym that is the sayncte of all saynctes Now it semeth that the Natyuyte of our lord ought not to haue none vtas For the natyuyte tendeth to the deth And the decees of sayntes haue their vtas by cause they be born of the natyuyte that stratcheth to lyf ê‘durable for to be after gloryfyed in body And by the same waye it semeth that the Natyuyte of the glorious virgyne Marie And of seynt IohnÌ„ baptiste and of the resurrexioÌ„ of our lord ouhgt not to haue vtas For the resurrexioÌ„ was theÌ„ don herto we ought to consydre lyke as saith a doctour that in this vtas we shold fulfylle suche thinges as we accoÌ„plisshyd not in the priÌ„cypal day that our lord was born in of whiche of auÌ„cyent tyme men were wonte to synge atte masse Vultum tuum domine cÌ„ to the honour of our lady seynt marie The other octaues or vtases as of paâ—ke whitsoÌ„tyde the Natyuytees of our lady seynt IohnÌ„ baptist ben of deuocioÌ„ as of other sayntes that men will honoure for singuler cause or affection And they may be said the octaues of figuracion For they signyfye and figure the octaue of the last resurrection perpetuell whiche is the eyght eage And as to the seconde this day was his name Imposed to hym and was named with the newe name that the mouthe of god named This is the name of whiche ther is nâ—ne other vnder heueÌ„ by whiche we may be saued that is Ihesus After seynt bernard this is the name whiche in the mouthe is hony In the eere melodye and in the herte Ioye This is the name after that he saith it lyghteth shyneth lyke oyle whan it is prechyd it fedeth the soule whan it is in the mynde of the herte it is swete and it enoynteth whan it is called And as the euangelist sayth he had thre names that is to wete the sone of god IhuÌ„s and
yere and departyd out of this world and deyed worthely the thyrd day of Ianyuer And was buryed in the mounte of parys called mounte par louer and now is callyd the mounte of saynt geneuefe in the chyrche of saynt Peter and Poule the whiche as sayd is at the begynnyng the kyng bowys somtyme named cloius dyd doo make by thenhortemente of this holy virgyn for the loue of whom he gaue grace to many prysonners al hyr departyng and after there were many fayr myracles whyche by neglygence by enuye and not retchyng were not wryton as he confessyd that put hir lyf in latyn exepte two whyche he sette in th ende of his book as here foloweth Vnto the sepulcre of the holy vyrgyn was broughte a yonge man that was soo seek of the stone that his frendys had no hope of lyf In grete wepyng and sorowe they brought hym thyder requyryng ayde of the holy vyrgyn Anone after theyr prayer the stone yssued and was forthwith alle hool as he had neuer been seek Another man came thyder that gladly wrought on the sonday Wherfore our lord punysshed hym for his handes were so bynommen and lame that he myght not werke on other dayes He repentyd hym and confessid his synne and came to the tombe of the said virgyne and there honoured and prayed deuoutelye and on the morne he retorned alle hool praysyng and thankyng our lord that by the worthy merites prayers of the holy virgyne graunte gyue vs pardon grace ioye ê‘durable After the dethe of the blessyd virgyne saynt geneuefe was assigned a lampe at hir sepulcre in whiche the oyle fourded and sprange lyke water in a welle or fontayn Thre fayre thynges shewyd our lord by this lampe for the fyre and lyght brennyd contynuelly The oyle lassed not ne mynysshed the seek peple were heled there Thus wrought our lord by the merites of the blessyd vyrgyne corporally Whiche moche more habundantly wyrcheth by hir merytes to the sowles spirituelly Many moo myracles hath our lord shewyd at her sepulcre whyche ben not here wryton for hit shold be â—uer longe to remembre them al and yet dayly ben shewyd wherfore in euery necessyte and nede lete vs calle on thys glorious saynt the blessyd geneuefe that she be medyatryce vnto god for vs wretchid synnars that we may so lyue and amende vs in this present lyf that we may come whan we shall departe hens by hir merites vnto the lyf perdurable in heuen amen ¶ Thus endeth The lyf of saynt Geneuefe Here foloweth the lyf of saynt Maturyne SAint maturyn was borne of the dyosyse of sens and his fader was callyd maryn which by the commauÌ„dement of the emperour maxymyen persecuted moche strongely crysten men but his sone maturyne fro the tyme of his Infancye priuyly in his herte and in wyll was dysciple of Ihesu criste was moche sorowful of the predycacion of his fader moder for as moche as they were paynyms myscreauntes wherfore he prayed many tyme our lord IhÌ„u cryste that by his benygne grace he wold conuerte them So it happed on a nyght as he slepte a wys said to hym maturyn thy petycion is herde and graunted who anone aroos gaue and rendryd grete thankynges to our lord The moder of saynt maturyne beyng enspyred with the holy ghoost came to hym and sayd O my sone what rewarde what meryte shal we haue yf we byleue in Ihesu cryste as by many tymes thou hast desyred vs thenne saynt maturyne sayd to hir Moder I lete you wyte that after the general resurrexion body sowle shal haue ioye wythout ende and that so moche that herte humayn may not thynke ne tonge speke ne pronounce anone thenne the moder of saint maturyn wente to hir husbond his fader for to telle to hym what hyr sone had sayd To whome the fader sayd thus I haue thys nyght seen in a vysyon that our sone maturyne was entryd in to a shepcote and that there was delyuerd to hym a grete multytude of shep and theÌ„ne they bothe two receyued the holy sacramente of baptesme of an holy bysshop named polycarpe whiche ordeyned and made saynt maturyn preest whan he was but xx yere olde After that that saynt mauryce and his felowes were marterd and that the peple of the romayns had suffryd many dyuerce trybulacions The emperour maxymyen had a doughter whiche had a wycked spyryte in hir body whiche tormentyd hyr moche and persecuted for whome hyr fader the emperour dyd do make many craftes of enchauÌ„tementes for to guarisshe and hele but hit auayled no thynge Thenne the fende that was wythin hyr cryed and sayd by the mowthe of the mayde O emperour it auayleth the nothynge that thou doest For I wyl not departe from hens tyl thou hast brouÈt hyther out of fraunce maturyn the seâ—uaunte of god whiche by his prayers shal gete helthe to thy doughter and vnto the peple and anone themperour wyth a grete multitude of peple wente to seche hym and broughte hym to rome vpon thys condycion that they shold swere promyse that yf it happed wat he deyed by the waye they shold brynge or sende hym to the place to be buryed where as they had taken hym and whan they came nyghe to rome the peple came ageynst hym and receyued hym moche reuerently And anone as he was comen to rome he helyd and delyuerd the doughter of themperour fro the handes of the fende Semblably all the other seek men that were presentyd to hym he helyd them Neuertheles it happed so that the day of the kalendys of nouembre he rendrid and gaue vp his sowle to god moche holyly Thenne took they the precious body and enoynted it wyth noble oynementes and beryed it wyth moche reuerence and whan they had leyed it in the erthe on the morne they came vnto the sepulture and fonde the holy body aboue the erthe nyghe vnto the same sepulture and thenne were they alle abasshed and wyste not what to do how be it whan one of the knyghtes that had broughte hym out of ffraunce had remembryd of the ê“messe that they had made anone he sayd to the peple the cause wherfore it was And anone after by the commaundemente of the Emperour the knyghtes brought the body ageyn moche solempnely in to his contreye in a place where our lord by the merytes of the holy body hath shewyd many myracles and vertues Of whyche by the blessyd prayers hys Intercessyons we may haue parte Amen Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Maturyne ¶ Here foloweth of Saynt Uictor marter SAint Uictor the gloryous knyght marter in the tyme of anthonyn and aurelyen emperours was presented as a crysten man vnto a duc called Sebasten whyche wold haue made saynt victor do sacrefyse to thydolles to whom saynt vyctor answerd that he was a trewe knyght to Ihesu cryste that he wold not do sacrefise whan the duc vnderstode that he commaunded that his
of our lord Luke was fygured in the Oxe For he deuysed aboute the presthode of Ihesu Cryst Marke was fygured in the lyon For he wrote more clerely of the resurection For as somme saye the fawnes of the lyon ben as they were deed vnto the thyrd day but by the brayeng of the lyon they ben reysed at the thyrde day And therfor he beganne in the crye of predicacion Iohan is fygured as an Egle whiche fleeth hyest of the foure For he wrote of the dyuynyte of Ihesu Cryste For in hym ben wreton foure thynges he was a man borne of the vyrgyne he was an oxe in his passyon A lyon in his resurection And an Egle in his ascencion And by these four faces it is wel shewed that luke was ryghtfully ordeyned in these four maners For by the face of a man it is shewed that he was ryghtfully ordeyned as touchyng his neyghbour how he ought by reason teche hym drawe hym by debonayrte and nourysshe hym by lyberalyte for a man is a best resonoble debonayre and lyberalle by the face of an Egle it is shewed that he was ryghtfully redeyned as towchyng god For in hym the eye of vnderstandynge beheld god by contemplacion and the eye of his desyre was to hym by thought or effecte And olde age Was put awey by newe conuersacion The Egle is of sharp syght soo that he beholdeth well wythoute moeuyng of his eye the raye of the sonne And whan he is merueylous hyghe in the ayer he seeth wel the smale fysshes in the see he hath also his becke moche croked soo that he is lette to take his mete he sharpeth it and whetteth it ageynst a stone and maketh it couenable to the vsage of his fedynge And whanne he is rosted by the hote sonne he throweth hym self doune by greete forse in to a fontayne And taketh away his old age by the hete of the sonne and chaungeth his fethers and taketh awey the derkenes of his eyen By the face of the lyon it is shewed how he was ordeyned as towchyng hym self For he hadde noblesse by honeste of maners and holy conuersacion he hadde subtylytee for teschewe the lyggynge in a wayte of his enemyes And he had suffraunce for to haue pyte on them that were tormentid by afflyctyon The lyon is a noble best For he is kynge of beestes he is subtyll he defaceth his traces and stappes wyth his taille whan he fleeth so that he sholde not be founden he is suffryng For he suffryth the quartayne By the face of an oxe hit is shewed how he was ordeyned as touchyng his offyce that was to wryte the gospell For he proceded morally that is to saye by moralyte that he beganne fro the natyuyte and childhode of Ihesu Cryst And so proceded lytell and lytell vnto his last consummacion he beganne discretely And that was after other two euangelistes that yf they had lefte ony thynge he shold wryte hit And that whiche they had suffycyently sayd he shold leue he was wel manerd that is to saye wel lerned and enduced in the sacrefyses and werkes of the temple as it appiereth in the begynnyng in the myddle and in the end The Oxe is a moralle beest and hath his foote clouen by whiche is discrecion vnderstanden and it is a best sacrefysable And truly how that Luke was ordeygned in the foure thynges hit is better shewed in the ordynaunce of his lyf Fyrste as towchynge his ordenaunce vnto god After saynt Bernard he was ordeyned in thre maners that is by affection and desyre by thought and Intencion thaffection ought to be holy the thought clene And entencion ryÈtfull he hadde the affection holy For he was fulle of the hooly ghoost lyke as Iheromme sayth in his prologue vpon Luke he wente in to Bythynye fulle of the hooly ghoost Secondly he hadde a clene thoughte For he was a vyrgyne in body and mynde in whiche is noted clennesse of thought Thirdly he had ryghtfull intencion For in alle thynges that he dyd he sought the honoure of god And of these two last thynges it is sayd in the prologue vpon thactes of Appostles he was with oute synne and abode in vyrgynyte this is touchyng the clennesse of thought he louyd best to serue oure lord That is to the honour of our lord This is as to wchyng the ryghtfulle intencion Fourthly he was ordeyned as towchyng his neyghbour we ben ordeyned to our neyghbour whan we doo that we ought to do After Rychard of saynt Victour ther ben thre thynges that we owe to our neyghbour that is our power oure knowlege and our wylle and late the fourth be put to that is alle that we may doo Our power in helpyng hym our knoulege in counceylyng hym Oure wylle in his desyres and our dedes in seruyses As towchyng to these foure saynt Luke was ordeyned For he gaf fyrst to his neyghbour his power in aydynge and obsequyes And that appiereth by that he was ioyned to pawle in his trybulacions and wold not departe fro hym but was helpyng hym in his prechynges lyke as it is wreton in the Epystle of pawle in the second chapytre to Thymothee sayeng luke is only with me In that he sayth only wyth me hit sygnyfyeth that he was an helpar as that he gaf to hym comforte ayde And in that he sayd only it signyfyeth that he ioyned to hym fermely And he sayd in the eygthe Chapytre to the Corynthyens he is not allone but he is ordeyned of the Chirches to be felawe of our pylgremage Secondly he gaf his knowlege to his neyghbour in counceylles he gaf thenne his knowlege to his neyghbour whan he wrote to his neyghbours the doctryne of thappostles and of the gospell that he knewe And herof he berith hym self wytnes in his prologue sayenge it is myn auys and I assente good thephyle to wryte to the ryght well of the begynnynge by ordre soo that thou knowe the trouthe of the wordes of whiche thou arte taught And it appyrreth well that he gaf his knowlege in counceyls to his neyghbours by the wordes that Iheromme sayth in his prologue that is to wete that his wordes ben medecyne vnto a seke sowle Thyrdly he gaf his wylle vnto the desyres of his neyghbour And that appyereth by that that he desyreth that they shold haue helthe perdurable lyke as pawle sayth to the Colocenses Luke the leche saleweth yow that is to saye thynke ye to haue helthe perdurable for he desyreth it to yow Fourthly he gaf to his neyghbour his dede in their seruyses And it appiereth by that that he supposed that oure lord had be a straunge man and he receyued hym in to his hows and dyde to hym alle the seruyse of charyte For he was felawe to Cleophas whan they wente to Emaus as somme saye And Gregorye sayth in his morallys that Ambrose sayth it was another of whome he nameth the name Thyrdyly he was well ordeyned as touchyng hym self ¶ And after