nature departe with her thy grete mercy And in that stedfast fayth bylyue that I haue of thyn endles myght / by the whiche the daye of the generall resurreccion is comen / thou shalt not oonly reyse the bodyes / that thou hast alredy formed / that now be deed / also all thoo that are to be born shall yet be by the created it wyll please the to here my right hūble request prayer / hauyng pyte of my goost longe syn deed / of my soule soo moche vnhappy defoyled spotted with the fylth of synne / in lykewyse of myn abhomynable bodye whiche I haue so moche dysguysed made foule / that I may nomore lyue / bycause namely that I haue not had in the stedfast belyue Alas syre pardōne me by penaūce my synne whiche is double / aswell bycause of the brekyng of thy cōmaūdementes / as of dysperacōn / quyckenyng my contrycion / cōmaunde syre that this lanterne be kyndled with thy fyre / to th ende that takyng trust of thy mercy Indulgence duryng the other parte of the tyme that thou shall gyue me grace to lyue in this worlde I may curyously dylygently kepe as I ought to do thy worthy cōmaūdementes / without to departe from thy drede by all the dayes of my lyfe I may serue the deuoutly And on the sayd Resurreccōn nyght of our lorde sayng these wordes with grete shedyng of teeres he arose from his oryson for to see yf the sayd lanterne sholde be kyndled / so he toke of the syde frō the sayd cawdron but he foūde it in suche astate as when he dyde put it there wherfore yet ayen layeng flatte his vysage to the erthe he prayed god sayng O my lorde my god I wote well that thou hast ordeyned that I sholde fyght ayenst the deuyll to th ende / I myght be crowned / but I haue not be stedfast ne constaūt in asmoche that for the delectacōns of the flesshe I haue chosen to be tormented in helle Syre please the to pardōne me I confesse yet ayen to thy dyuyne bounte my fylthe wyckednesse / not oonly byfore the same I confesse it / but also byfore thy holy sayntes blessyd angels / theym I sholde confesse byfore all men / yf I trowed not to sclaūder or moeue them to shame in my persone My god haue mercy vpon me wyll quycken me to th ende that I may lerne the other And in this maner prayng thre tymes the deuoute Relygyouse penytent / he was of god exalted herde / had veray knoweloge therof by that he rose cam to his lanterne whiche he foūde brennynge full bryght / wherfore reioysshyng hym selfe he was comforted with a hope / wondred full sore of the grete grace the god had done to hym pardōnyng vnto hȳ so benyngly his synne / fullyng his desyre after his petycōn sayd I yelde vnto the graces my lord and my god / of that it hath pleaseth that in this presente world to haue mercy of me poore synnar Indygne of thy grete mysery cordye I gyuyng to all synners by this newe token confyance trust of the self mercy forgyuyng the myserable soules that thou hast created for to come to thy glorye In this maner perseueryng this holy man in his confessyon yeldyng graces thankes vnto our lord / the daye came that he toke so grete reioysshyng / that he forgate hym selfe to take his repast fode corporall And all the dayes of his lyfe he kepte besyly the lyght of the sayd lanterne puttȳg oyle therto when it neded takyng good hede that it sholde not go out / from hens forth the holy goost enhabyted in hȳ / by the helpe of whiche he profyted soo / that he was reputed holden for an holy man of grete renōmee / to whō a lytyll afore his decesse was shewed the daye that he sholde departe out of this world to the royalme of heuē ¶ An other treatyse foloweth / wherin is conteyned that folke of Relygyon ought not to possesse nothyng / begynneth in latyn Frater quidā c A Yonge man somtyme desyrynge to be a Relygyouse / forsoke the worlde and gaaf thou that he had to the poore / except some small goodes that he reserued to hȳselfe for his helpe after came vnto saynt Anthonye requyryng hȳ that he wolde receyue him to the astate of Relygyon Saynt Anthony knowyng that whiche is sayd / sayd vnto hȳ Yf thou wylt that I shall receyue the to be a monke / thou must go to the next cyte here by / that thou bye flesshe / this done that shall make fast the sayd flesshe to thy flesshe naked / then thou shall come to me ayen in that astate / thenne I shall do that thou desyreth of me The yong man desyryng sore for to do that Saynt Anthonye hadde charged hym wente and bought flesshe and fastned it atte his bare flesshe / as he hadde ordeyned hym to doo And gooyng ayen towarde hym the dogges and the byrdes folowed hym whiche by grydynes and glotony to ete of the sayd flesshe rented and knawed his owne skynne in dyuerse places of his bodye And thus he retourned to Saynt Anthonye whiche seeyng his skynne thus tourne and gnawen / he sayd to hym that in lykewyse are tourne and gnawen by the fende of helle and by his temptacyons / they that forsakyng the worlde wyll withholde and possesse theyr moneye or other temporall goodes ¶ The abbot Danyell reherced of the holy fader Arsenye / that a grete offycer Romayne came ones to hym / and brought hym the testamente of a Senatour whiche was of kynne to the sayd Arsenyen / and that by this testamente hadde made hym his heyre leuynge vnto hym many fayre herytages and grete lyuelode The holy fader Arsenye takynge this testamente wolde haue broken it and rented in peces / the whiche thynge seeyng the sayd offycer / dyde caste hym selfe doune byfore hym / besechyng hym that he sholde not doo soo / bycause that yf he hadde not conne exhybe and shewe the same ayen there as it apperteyned / he sholde haue lost his hede ¶ Thenne the holy fader Arsenye toke it agayne to hym / saynge thus Euery bodye knoweth well that I am deed longe tyme agoo afore hym that hath made this testamente / the whiche is but late decessed / and how maye he thenne haue made me his heyre / by the whiche wordes he vnderstode for to saye / that from the tyme that he gaaf hymself to be a monke or Relygyouse he dyde holde hȳ for deed as to the worlde / that he ought neuer to haue nor appropre to hȳ selfe ony thyng worldly or temporall The sayd holy fader Arsenye was ones syke in Sychye / had grete nede of a lytyll moneye for to releue hȳ from his sykenesse So was he constrayned to
hym ¶ Some tyme was a nother brother that in lyke wyse was sore tempted of the synne of fornycacyon One nyght he roose vp and wente towarde an holy fader deuoute and replenysshe of all vertues to whom he confessed his caas ¶ The holy fader knowyng his trouble / began to admoneste hym of the vertue of pacyence recytyng vnto him that whiche the psalmyste sayth in the xxv psalme Thou that arte in temptacyon Resyste with all thy strengthes be thou stedfaste and take good corage for to susteyne the coÌ„maundementes of god The brother conforted of these wordes wente ageyne to his hermytage / and soone he was tempted as he was byfore / wherfore he retourned agayne vnto the sayd holy fader whiche recomforted hym as he hadde done afore And with this he gaue hym an hope / saynge that yf he perseuered constantly / god sholde sende hym ayde and socours ¶ Soo retourned he home / but he was more tempted than afore / and came agayne to the sayd holy fader and besought hym that he wolde praye for hym ¶ The holy fader gaue him euer a good hope and recomforted hym in the fayth / saynge that without ony fawte the temptour / that is to wete the deuyll sholde goo from hym all confuse yf that he resysted corageously / saynge more / that where a batayll is more sharpe there as men suffre moost of the party aduerse / the vyctorye is there more noble and more dygne of loynge ¶ And to this purpose sayd Ysayas / that the hande of god is euer stronge ynoughe for to socoure vs / and his eâ—re is euer redy for to here vs / but we maye not goo in paradys / but by many paynes and trybulacoÌ„ns ¶ The brother seynge all these fayre admonycyons / wolde nomore retourne to his hermytage / but abode with the holy fader ¶ And from hens forth he resysted agaynst the temptacyons of the deuyll of helle ledynge a lyfe ryght holy and dygne of praysyng ¶ The abbot Moyses was in lykewyse tempted of the synne of fornycacion soo strongly that he myght not abyde within his chambre / and for to fynde remedye therto he cam to seke socours and comforte vnto an abbot named Ysodore / of whome he was somwhat comforted in admonestyng hym to resyste yf he wolde be champyon and veray knyght of god ¶ But neuerthelesse the sayd Moyses prayed hym that he sholde not retourne to his chambre ¶ Thenne Ysodore seynge that he wolde not goo a waye / he brought him vnto the hyghest place of his house / and made hym to loke out atte a wyndowe towarde the parte Occydentall ¶ And as he loked vp to the ayer / he sawe a multyde of deuyls ¶ Thenne Ysodore sayd vnto hym that they were thoos that tempte the seruauntes of god ¶ After that he made hym to loke out atte a nother wyndowe towarde the parte Oryentall where he sawe without nombre more of good angels than he hadde seen of badde ¶ TheÌ„ne Ysodore sayde to hym that they were thoo that god sente for to socour vs in all our necessytees / and for to helpe vs to resyste aganst the deuyls temptacyons ¶ And syn sayd to hym suche wordes / wyte it thenne Moyse / that yf thou wylte helpe thy selfe / thou shalte ouercome the deuyl lyghtly For we haue more of good angels to helpe vs to resyste yf we wyll doo it / than there is of wycked spyrytes for to tempte vs ¶ Thenne was the abbot Moyses comforted / and wente agayne to his hermytage vtterly delybered for to resyste agaynst the sayd temptacyon ¶ A wounderfull laudable constauÌ„ce hadde a nother hermyte dooyng penaunce in Sychye for because that afore his professyon in the lyfe heremytarye he had knowen carnaly a moche fayre woman ¶ The deuyll that euer shall mowe begyle deceyue the frendes and seuauntes of Ihesu Cryste / brought agayne full ofte in his remeÌ„braunce the same woman puttynge afore his eyen the grete beawte of her It happed by suffrauÌ„ce dyuyne that a nother brother came oute of Egypte that shewed vnto hym as trouthe it was / that the sayd woman was deed The whiche thyng herde by the sayd brother / he wente to the place there she was buryed / and syn toke a waye the erthe that was vpon her and spradde his mauntell ouer the deed bodye whiche was all rotyn / and meruayllously he began to rubbe and styre the same his mauntell ayenst the rotynes of the sayd womans kerâ—as ¶ And this done he wente agayne to his hermytage ¶ And whan ony temptacyon of the sayd woman came to hym / he putte a fore his eyen the sayd stenche and enforced hym selfe to feele it tyll that the sayd temptacyon was passed / saynge to hym selfe Corrupte careyne take thy fylle of the bodye that soo moche Inordynatly thou desyrest ¶ And by this he resysted constantâ—ly to the synne of fornycacyon and lecherye ¶ Who soeuer wyll kepe his chastyte / be ought not to haunte in places where wymmen be / all be they neuer soo parfyte ¶ Two brethern hermytes somtyme departed togyder out of theyr hermytage for to goo to the Cyte nexte by theym to selle all that they badde laboured with theyr handes in a yere for to store theym of some necessarye thynges ¶ They come to an ynne / and after that they hadde sold alle / one of them wente for to seke theyr prouysyons necessytees for all the yere / and the other taryed in the house where as they were lodged In whiche house atte the entysynges and temptacyon of the deuyll he coÌ„mytted the abhorred synne of fornycacyon ¶ Whan the other was come to hym agayne / he tolde hym that it was tyme to goo to theyr home ¶ He that hadde done the sayd synne answerd that he coude not retourne declaryng vnto hym his synne / and that he was all desperate for the same ¶ That other seeyng that he was in daunger to be dampned / for yf he hadde abyden with the worlde / happely he hadde be habaundonned / not oonly to this vyce forsayd / but also to all other / for to reduce hym to the waye of helthfull penauÌ„ce he swore and affermed vnto hym agaynste trouthe / that in lykewyse he hadde done suche an other synne / hym gyuyng to vnderstande that it was better that they sholde retourne and do penaunce suche as the holy fadres sholde enioyne them / than thou they sholde euer contynuwe to do euyll ¶ After be recomforted hym of the grete mercy of god / to hym sayeng that he neuer leueth the synner soo that he wyll retourne to hym by waye of penauÌ„ce So wente they both togyder out of the cyte ¶ And he that had not synned made lyke penauÌ„ce as his felawe dyde for to gyue hyÌ„ corage good exemple to requyre also for to haue a very hope to obteyne of our lorde his grace and mercy ¶ And within a whyle after god shewed
poore synner am not worthy to be vysyteth of thyne Angell in this corruptyble worlde ¶ To this purpose is founden of an aged fader / whan the deuyll appyered to hym makyng to hym dyuerse assaultes / the whiche he suffred pacyently in dyspysyng theyr temptacōns One of the sayd deuylles seeyng hymselfe ouer comen / appyered to hym in fourme of our sauyour sayeng Fayr fader opene thyn eyen for I am Ihesu cryste To whom he answered humbly As touchyng to me I wyll not see Ihesu cryst in this worlde / for I am not worthy / yf it pleaseth hym of his grace I shall see hym in that other worlde And with his answere the deuyll vanysshed awaye ¶ A lyke answere gaaf to the deuylles an other holy fader to whom they demaūded yf he wolde see Ihesu cryste in sayeng to theym Goo ye cursed deuylles where as it is gyuen you to be Haue I not my god whiche coūseylleth me sayeng / thou man synner yf ony come to the and saye / here or there is Ihesu cryste / gyue ther to no consente ne answere to theyr wordes / for they be alle Illusyons decepcōns ¶ A brother hermyte for to haue reuelacōn of a doubte that he had of the holy scrypture fasted .lxx. wekes / and ete not but ones in the weke After the sayd tyme seeyng the god had made to hym no reuelacōn he departed fro his chambre / and purposed to go demaunde his brother the solucyon of his questyon God knowyng his humylyte / incontynent sente to hym an Angell whiche sayd to hym Brother I notefye to the that the fastyng that thou hast made / hath not rendred the so moche agreable to god For to knowe the dyffyculte that thou pretendest to knowe / for by thy merytes / thou wendest to constrayne god to shewe it to the. But for as moche as thou hast humbled thy selfe / to wylle aske of thy felowe I am sent fro god to notefye to the the same Thenne he declared it to hym / and after the angell departed fro hym / by the whiche example it appyreth that with out humylyte we maye not obteyne of god ony grace what someuer penaūce we doo ¶ An other doctryne for of folke astate constytued in dygnyte The same holy faders wytnessen that euery man hauyng domynacyon and preemynence vpon other / yf he cōmaūde a thyng to his subgettes / so that it be by humylyte / and for thonour of god / in all thynges she shall be obeyed But yf he cōmaūde theym by arrogaūce / as to repute hym selfe worthy to be obeyed / with out to haue regarde that it be for the honour of god and without humylyte drede of god / he shall not suffre that suche lordes be obeyed of theyr subgettes And by this is knowen whan ony operacōns ben to be done yf they be foūded in charyte of good persones or euyll ¶ And therfore sayd an holy fader I hadde leuer be ouercomen in mekyng my selfe / than to vaynquysshe by my pryde ¶ And an other sayd that neuer ought one despyse his seruaunte with whom he is / for none knoweth yf he haue the spyryte of god / eyther that we haue it that despyse hym ¶ An hermyte demaunded of an holy fader / yf he sawe ony of his brethern do euyll synne dedely / yf he ought to repreue hym The holy fader answerde to hym / that yf in the company were more older than he / he ought to be stylle And by that moyen he sholde haue peas For in as moche as he holdeth hym selfe lasse than other / ther is lasse enuye / also he is more sure in his conscyence The brother replyked agayne sayeng / that he myght not bere the detryment of his broder seeyng hym synne as who sholde saye nature constrayned hym to repreue hym ¶ The holy fader answered to hym / that he myght well ones repreue hym correcte hym brotherly without more And yf by aduenture his speryte myght not be appeased he sholde retourne to god by deuoute oryson whiche sholde comforte hym ¶ Furthermore he sayd that the very seruaunt of god ought alwaye to leue his wyll / to remytte hym selfe to god in obseruyng contynuelly scylence / whiche is veray humylyte ¶ And to this purpose demaunded an hermyte of an holy fader / what was the fruyte of a man mortall / in whiche he ought to gete meryte mede ¶ To whom he answered that it was humylyte For of so moche is he the more enhaūsed in perfeccyon ¶ And therfore an holy fader sayd / that whan a man asked pardon / forgyuenes of an other of the euyll that he hath doon to hym / yf he do it by humylyte / the deuylles whiche haue tempted hym to do the euyll / incontynent departen from hym ¶ An holy fader for to teche men to eschewe vayne glorye sayd suche a parable as foloweth That is to wyte / that he that maketh oyle / couere not the eyen of the hors that tourned the mylle / he wolde not goo / but sholde tarye to doo his werke ¶ In lyke wyse also / a man that is penytente / ought not to see his operacōns vertuous / to th ende that in consyderyng theym he prayse hymself and be proude For fynably he sholde lese therby his labour and meryte And for that cause in certayn dayes the holy faders reduseden to gydre to remembraunce all theyr foule cogytacyons / to th ende that by theȳ they made a veyle to couere the vertuous werkes that they made Therfore euery man that accuseth hym selfe in veray humylyte shall neuer be dampned yf he gete the mercy of our redemer ¶ And thus for to doo an holy fader desyred more to be taught without comparyson / than to teche / to th ende of hym selfe he sholde esteme ygnoraunce and symplenesse And the same holy fader sayd / that no man ought to teche ne preche / but yf he haue aege / maners / and scyence Otherwyse he shall be reputed all his lyfe a fooll vnworthy to be amonge theym that be wyse ¶ A brother demaunded of an holy fader / what thyng was humylyte To whom he answered that it was a yefte of god / the whiche is had in dooyng penaunce bodely / in reputyng hymself a synner / to yelde hym selfe subgette to all theym with whom he conuerseth ¶ Thenne he demaundeth and asked hym what it was to saye to be subgette to men And he answered / that it was to take hede to his synnes / and not to knowe the synnes of his neyghbour / to praye cōtynuelly that god gyue mercy to synners ¶ An other requyred an holy fader that he wolde saye to hym one worde how he myght be saued He answered to hȳ that yf he myght endure all wronges that were doon to hym it is a vertue aboue all other / by the whiche he myght gete his helthe And for this
the felyshyp of saynt Iherom slepte / myght not byleue this that the holy man sayd / in slepyng he sawe a boke full of lettres of golde whiche the holy fader helde In whiche was wrote all the he sayd / with that he saw a man ful of grete liÈt whiche sayd to hyÌ„ / Why herest thou not takest hede of that whiche the holy fader sayth· Why slepest thou / Anone he a woke expowned in latyn to his felowes / that whiche he had seen / After this came a labourer holdyng a vessel ful of erth a wayted that the holy man shold speke to hyÌ„ / That seeng saynt Iherom his felowes prayed hyÌ„ that he wold say to hem what signefied the vessel ful of erth The holy man answerd / that it was not necessary thenÌ„e to hem for to know it / dowtyng hyÌ„ to fall in to that synÌ„e of vaynglory yf he told to hem the sygnyficacoÌ„n / that whiche neuertheles he declared to hem by cause they were come to hyÌ„ fro soo ferre a couÌ„tre in sayeng thê° Syth that we other faders become in to the londe of Egypt the londe hath be fertyle full of goodes tofore al that was sowen the wormes ete it / For the labourers were paynyms infydeles that whiche ben by vs coÌ„uerted to the fayth / come to brynge euery yere of therth to th ende that we sholde blesse it after they medle it wyth theyr seedes saye to them in blessyÌ„ge it· Goo forth be it to the lyke as thou byleuest in god / ¶ He recouÌ„ted also a thyng more merueylous by hyÌ„ doon to thexaltacoÌ„n of the name of god lyke as it folowyth / Also as he descended in to the cyte nye to his hermitage he fonde in the sayd cyte a Manychien· a deceyuour of the peple wyth whom he dysputed of the fayth But by cause the sayd manychien was cautelous subtyll in wordes to the ende that the herers shold not be skauÌ„dred in the crysten fayth / The holy maÌ„ sayde all ye make a fyre in the myddyl of the place / in whiche we shal put vs tweyne And I byleue that he shall be brent that hath the worste fayth and lawe / soo it was made And incontynent the holy man toke the manychyen by the honde to lede hym wyth hyÌ„ / the whiche answerde that he shold come after / And that it was reason syth he had doo make the fyre that he sholde go byfore / ThenÌ„ the holy man in the name of god deuyded the flamÌ„e in whiche he entred in abode there the space of half an hour wythoute takynge of ony harme / that seeng they that were assystent began to saye / O lord god how moche merueyloê° werkes thynges doost thou in thy sayntes / ThenÌ„e they coÌ„streyned the sayd many chyententree in to the fyre / but he alway reculed drewe abacke / Fynably they put hym therin incoÌ„tynent he began to brene / Yet that notwithstoÌ„dyng he was drawe out ayen / after dryuen oute of the cyte shamfully in cryenge that the deceynour shold be brent all quycke / A nother tyme he passed by a teÌ„ple wheras the paynymÌ„s sacrifyed theyr god / he sayd to theim / Wherfore sacrefye ye to thynges infused / how well trouthe it is that ye ben more worthy than your god dis for ye be or may be resonable / And thê° sayenge god enspired theim camÌ„ after him in to desert byleued in god ¶ There was a paynym whyche robbed cule wortes nye to thermytage of the holy man bare hem awaye to boylle in his hous / But whan he had boyllyd hem in houres ther were also greue as they were whan he gadred hem / ThenÌ„ he camÌ„ cried mercy to the bredern so he was coÌ„uerted to the fayth / Wherfore how euyl oâ— synful one be he ouÈte not therfor to haue despayr of his helth· for yf he retornÌ„ to god he shal receyue him to penauÌ„ce lyke as he dide the holy maÌ„ Mucyns / Of saynt Cyr. Ysaye Paule whiche begynÌ„yth Adhebat adhuc / Caplm x. THe holy sayntes Cyr. Ysaye / Paule wer of lyf moche solytary relygioê° As they iii. togrder went in a viage for to vysite one of her bredern / WhaÌ„ thei had gone iii. dayes Iourney nye to the monastery wher he was they were coÌ„streyned to passe a riuer on whiche was no bote to passe with thenÌ„ they sayd lete vs praye togyder to god that he woll gyue vs grace to passe this flode to th ende that we may achyue our vyage ther prayer made god sent to hem a bote And thei made asmoche way in an hour as they had doo in iii. dayes / whaÌ„ they were aryued aloÌ„de / Ysaye sayd god hath shewed me the man whiche we go to see he comyth to mete vs. For he knoweth our comyÌ„g Also paul said god hathe shewed me that after iii. dayes he shall passe oute of this worlde in to that other / In sayenge thyse wordes and in walkyng for to goo to the monastery where as they hoped to fynde theyr broder they encouÌ„tred mett hym salewed hem sayeng / Blessed be god that this day hath shewed to me in spiryte that whyche I see wyth myn eyen And thenÌ„e he shewed to theim al their cogytacoÌ„ns the merytes that they had anenst god / Anone saynt Poul thus said God hath reueled to vs that wythin thre dayes thou shalt deye / therfore declare to vs by what vertue thou hast be agreable to our lord to th ende that thou whyche art redy to goo to hym leue to thy successours some rule manere bi that whiche they maye haue meryte in their operacoÌ„ns ThenÌ„e the holy man answered in this manere I dide neuer thyng of grete meryte / But I haue called alwaye the name of god in my trybulacions / the grace of god neuer lefte me / for I had neuer necessyte / All that I wold ete changels haue brought to me also I haue had by the bouÌ„te of our lord reuelacoÌ„n of many thinges whiche haue be done in the worlde / The light of my soule was neuer quenched I haue seen thangels assystauÌ„t wyth god many tymes / Also the rewarde of the meries of relygious peple generally of al the heuenly court I haue seen also the deuyll his coÌ„plyces put in fyre perdurable the rightful men in to glory eternall / And after whaÌ„ he had by the space of iii. dayes coÌ„forted them he rendred gaaf vp his spyrite to god / And forthwyth they sawe the angels whyche bare his soule in to heuen / ¶ Of saynt Helayn whiche begynÌ„yth in latyn / Fuit et aliê° vix / Caplm xi SAynt Helain syn the tyme of his yongth was instruct in the seruyce diuyne in all chastite contyneÌ„ce And in the tyme that he was a chylde whan the fyre
theyr bodyes / And after knewe theyr fader and moder / and thanked humbly the good fader Hylaryon / And beganne to drynke and ete / lyke as they hadde had neuer greyt· ne hadde loste the lyffe / ¶ This myracle was soo spradde and renommed openly in all the countree of Egypte Syrye / In suche wyse manyfested or knowen that the peple came to hym from all partyes / Of whom many wente in to Relygyon for to lede solytary lyfe / ¶ A woman namyd Fatydya borne of the cytee of Rynocorne in the countree of Egypte whyche had be blynde by the space of ten yere / came to him in sayenge that she had dyspended alle her hauour to leches for to recouure her syghte / ¶ The holy man sayde to her Yf thou haddest gyuen for goddys sake that whyche thou haste gyuen to Fisicyens and Leches thou sholdest moche sooner haue recouered thy syghte / For god sholde haue gyuen it to the agayne / ¶ Neuerthelesse she beganne to crye mercy / And anone by his prayers her syghte was restored to her / ¶ Ther was a man in his tyme namyd Messicas born in Iherusalem the whiche was stronger thanne ony other of that countreye / ¶ For by his bodyly strengthe he bare also grete a burthen or more thanne an Asse / ¶ And the burthen that he bare was estemyd or thoughte at fiftene Muys of the mesure of that countree the burthen that he bare / ¶ It happed by the suffraunce of god that he was possessyd of a deuyll / And became enraged and madde / In suche wyse that he must be bouÌ„de wyth chaynes by the strengthe of many men / and yet cowde they not holde hym soo moche for his strengthe and gretnesse that for the vyolence of the deuyll whyche tormented hym that he by extreme woodnesse rented of theyr noses and other membres ¶ Whanne he was broughte to the chyrche he foomed att mouthe and tormentrd himself as a wood bole ¶ His parentes and kynnesmen to the ende that he myght recouer helth they broughte hym to this holy man Hylaryon / ¶ And thus as they were tofore this holy man where as his brethern trembled for drede of his merueyllous gretnesse and woodnesse / The good holy fader commaunded to vnbynde him And that noo man sholde be aferde of hym / Soo it was done / ¶ And myraculously there where tofore he myght not beholde / He became soo softe that swetly he kyssed the fete of the sayde saynt Hylaryon / And the seuenth daye after he was alle hoole and guarysshed / ¶ A nother namyd Oryon the moste Ryche and chyef in auctoryte of the cytee of Achylle by vnto the Reed see / was also in lyke wyse tourmented of a legyon of deuyllis / ¶ Wherfore he was strongly bounden wyth chaynes by all the membres of his body / ¶ Thus as saynt Hylaryon wente wyth his brethern / The same Demonyak with his two hondes bounden wyth yren tooke hym and lyfte hym vpp alle on hyghe from the erthe / Wherof the people beynge presente beganne to crye / Doubtynge that some Inconuenyent mighte come to hym / By cause he was moche feblyd and weeke by fastynge and straytnesse of lyfe / ¶ But the holy man beganne to laughe and strayne the hondes of the seke man / Whom he helde so subget that he myghte not greue ne enoye hym / ¶ And after by adiuracyons he moeued the deuylles that were wythin his body / In suche wyse that by the mouthe of the seke man· the people herde horryble and dyuerse voyces cryenge and howlynge lyke straunge beestes / ¶ And after the seke man beganne to crye / O good Ihesus vnbynde me that am thus poore and soo meschaunt and vnhappy / And I shal saye thynges whyche were neuer herde / ¶ Anone he was alle hoole and guarysshed / ¶ And a lytyll tyme after he his wyfe put theymself to goo vnto the monastery of saynt Hylaryon in than kynge hym / And in offrynge to hym grete gyftes and tresours for the helthe that he hadde recouered by his merytes / ¶ To whom the good fader saynt Hylaryon sayde / Haste not thou radde what Giezey and Symon magus suffred some tyme / ¶ Giezey solde the helthe made to Naban by his mayster Helisee / ¶ And Symon wolde haue gyue moche money to saynt Peter for to haue hadd power to gyue the grace of the holy ghoste / ¶ Thenne Oryon all we pynge sayde to hym / Fayre fader take that I offre to the / And gyue it to poore people / ¶ And Hylaryon ansueryd / Thou shalt distrybute and deale it better thanne I / For thou goost thorugh the cytees and knowest better theym that ben poore thanne I doo / ¶ It sholde not be a thyng propre ne well besemynge that I that haue renouncyd all temporell thynges sholde take the goodes of a nother / ¶ Oryon felle downe to the grounde prostrate flatte and beganne to wepe for the dysplaysaunce that he hadde of that that saynt Hylaryon wolde not receyue his offre / ¶ But saynt Hylaryon comforted hym sayenge My sone and frende be not wrothe for that I haue refusyd thy money / It is for thy prouffyte and myn / For yf I toke it I sholde offende god / Thou shalt be yet tormeÌ„ted of the deuylles whyche shall reentre in to thy body / But thou shalt take it in pacyence / And in soo doynge theyr torment shall be to the helthfull Wherfore content thyself and be from hens forth good and Iuste / ¶ A Massonne namyd Zazanus in hewynge stones was taken with a paleseye / And by his seruauntes was broughte to saynt Hylaryon / And anone was â—eelyd and guarysshed / ¶ A yonge man amorous of the doughter of his neyghbour whyche was vyrgyne / The whyche by noo wyse of atowchynge ne otherwyse cowde deceyue her / ¶ And desyryng to accomplyssh his Inordynate wyll on her wente to a cytee namyd Memphyn for to enquyre wyte of a Magycyen dwellynge there how by arte Magyqne he myght deceyue the sayde mayden / ¶ And for to brynge this abowte he was a yere vnder Esculapius Magycyen / By the moyen of whom were soules wythout nombre dampned / ¶ Fynably this yonge man after the Instruccyon of the sayd Magycyen wente to the houses of the sayde vyrgyne / And put vnder the celle or entre of the yate certayne ymages of Coper sayenge certayne wordes of the deuyll whyche he byleued sholde serue to his caas / ¶ And forth wyth the sayde mayde became alle folysshe / And by grete woodnesse she tooke of her keuerchyef of her heed and drewe her here / Straynyng her teeth and callynge the sayde yonge man / ¶ She was broughte to the holy man / In the presence of whom Incontynent the deuyll whom she hadd in her body began to crie and howle / In declarynge how by force arte Magyke he was
souerayne cure and besinesse to be alwaye arayed made fayre wyth clennesse of herte and of pure conscyence ¶ And in lyke wyse oughte we for to wake for to fynde the wayes and meanes by the whiche we maye playse him in dooynge to hym seruyse aggreable / ¶ Thise thinges sayde saynt Nonnus toke his deaken by the honde and wente in to the howse / Whyche was ordeyned for theym to be lodged in / ¶ After he wythdrewe hym in to his chambre In whyche he fell downe to the groūde / in wepynge and smytynge his breste and beganne to saye / ¶ O my god that knowest the thynges hidde I may not hyde how that by the deceyuable a rayment and dyshoneste clothinge of a synfull woman / The beaute of my soule hathe be maculate and defoyllyd / In what manere o my god shall I mowe praye to the / ¶ Or how shall I mowe Iustyfye me tofore the / ¶ Thou knoweste alle my thoughte / Maledyccyos or cursydnesse shall come to me For I offre to the sacrefyse And also make fewle my soule b◠synne / The synful woman thinkyth on no thyng but to playse the worlde / ¶ And I haue promysed to the faythe and loyaulte / And haue not kepte it to the ¶ O my lorde god I am oute of thy grace / ¶ Alas I haue noo more hope of my good werkes but onely in thy mercy / ¶ By the whiche I hope and entende my saluacyon ¶ The good saynt Nonnus abode by longe space of tyme in suche heuynesse ¶ And the Sondaye folowynge after that he hadde sayde his Houres wyth his Deaken / ¶ He recounted and shewed to hym a dreme / ¶ But he cowde not erpowne it / ¶ This dreme was of a blacke douue fowle of moche fylthe / ¶ The whyche as it semyd to saynt Nonnus that in syngynge his masse it came to the corner of the awter ¶ And after came fleenge alle abowte hym / And gaaf soo grete a stenche / That he myghte not abyde to fele it / ¶ And after that he hadd songe the masse in comynge oute of the chyrche / The same douue came agayne fleenge aboute as she dyde tofore In gyuynge to hym so grete a stenche that he myghte not endure to smelle it / ¶ Thenne he raughte his honde vppon the same douue soo dylygently that he tooke it / And threwe it in a vessell ful of water / In whiche she lefte all her ordures and fylthes ¶ And flewh a waye also whyte as a Swanne / And soo vanysshed from his eyen / ¶ And alle this sayde the holy man that he hadde seen in his slepe / ¶ Thyse thynges thus sayde they tweyne wente in to the grete chyrche where as the Bysshopp was / Whom they salewed / ¶ Whanne the Gospell of the grete masse was sayde / The bysshopp commaunded to saynt Nonnus that he sholde goo preche / And make a sermon to the people / Anone he went in to the prechynge stole / Introducynge and enfourmynge the people beyng there at the sayde chyrche in the faythe of god / ¶ And syngulerly preched of his grete Iugement to come / And of the glorye of heuen / ¶ And by his fayr Introduccyons and exhortacions was the people moeued to penannce and to contrycōn / In suche wyse that alle began to waylle and wepe for the horrour grete dysplaysaunce that they hadd of theyr synnes / ¶ Now it happed that this synfull woman Pelage whyche had passed fore by and arayed as afore is sayde came to this sermon / The whyche herynge the wordes of the ryghte good holy man / And notwytstondyng that she neuer hadde serued god but alle onely the worlde ¶ She hadde soo grete contrycyon and soo bytter dysplaysaunce of the enormyte of her synnes that she foūdred alle in teeres In suche wyse that she semyd that she mystrusted the mercy of god / And hadd none other countenaunce but contynuelly to waylle and wepe / ¶ Neuerthelesse she commaūded to tweyne of her chyldren that were at that tyme wyth her that they sholde abyde in the chyrche / And take good hede whyther the holy man wente where that she myghte fynde hym / ¶ The chyldren dyde soo· and folowed the holy man vnto the chyrche of saynt Iulian the martyr / And after came and tolde it to theyr moder / ¶ And thenne she wrote to hym a lettre in substaunce / ¶ To the right Reuerende holy man dyscyple of Ihū cryst thou holy man haste prechyd that thy god is soo moche and lowe meked hymselfe that he hathe taken mankynde pryncypally for to saue the synnars and Plublicans ¶ And he whom the aungellis dare not beholde hath wylled to conuerse and dwelle wyth the synnars in this worlde / ¶ O my ryghte dere lorde I haue ofte herde sayde of the / That thy holynesse is moche grete / And that thou ledest a ryght perfyghte lyffe / ¶ And how well that thou haste not seen hym thy sayde god wyth thy bodyly eyen the whyche shewed hymselfe to the Samarytane / Neuerthelesse thou seruest hym / Dredeste worshyppest soueraynly As the Crysten people publisshen and sayen / Therfore I byseche the that thou woll not dyspyse me / Notwythstondynge that I be a synfull woman / And that it maye playse the to teche and enfourme me in suche wyse that I maye perfyghtly knowe myn euerlastynge god / Wythoute whom I maye haue noo pardon / ne remyssyon of my synnes / ¶ The whyche letter seen by saynt Nonne he wrote to her agayne in thys manere / ¶ O woman what some euer thou be / Thou arte knowen of god / The whyche also knowyth thy wylle / I pray the that thou tempte not myn humylytee in folyly prasynge me / For I am a synfull man / and vnworthy seruytour and Seruaunte of god / ¶ But yf thou haue wyll to se me / And by me knowe and receyue oure good faythe / ¶ There ben in this cytee other Bysshoppis notable prelates with whom thou shalte see me / ¶ For it is noo thynge leyffull that thou allone sholde speke to me / ¶ Whan the poore synfull woman hadde seen this lettre / ¶ She Incontynent departed and wente in to the chirche of saynt Iulian / ¶ In the whyche were present all the bysshoppis / ¶ And she dide to saynt Nonnus to haue knowlege of her comynge / ¶ Whyche Incontynent assembled and broughte togyder the sayd bysshoppis / ¶ And that done made her to come to hym / ¶ Anone she felle downe to the fete of the holy Bysshopp saynt Nonne sayenge / ¶ I praye the my lorde that it playse the in folowyng thyne doctryne to stratche vpon me thy mercy / and make me a Crysten woman / ¶ I am the see of synne and the swolow of wyckydnesse whiche asketh and requyreth to be baptysed / ¶ Saynt Nonnus made her to stonde vpp / And sayde to her / My frende
she prayed the blessyd lady that she wolde be alwaye helpynge atte her nede / And soo wente from the cytee / ¶ And in gooynge she founde a man whyche gaaf to her .iii. pens with whyche she bought her thre loues of brede / ¶ And after askyd of hym that solde the brede whyche was the waye to goo to flom Iourdan / ¶ And whanÌ„e she knewe the gate by whiche she sholde goo / Alle the daye she wente wepynge and waylynge / ¶ And from the houre of Tyerce vnto the houre of Syxte and abowte the sonne gooynge downe She wente and arryued atte a chyrche of saynt Iohan Baptyste by the sayde flom Iourdan / In to whiche chyrche she entred for to make her prayers· The whyche accomplysshed she descended in to the flode aforsayd wisshe her face her body wyth the holy water of the sayd flom Iourdan ¶ And after that she had admynistred the holy sacrament of th aulter she ete halfe a loof the same nyghte she lay all nakyd vpon the erthe / ¶ On the morn she made her prayer to the glorioê° virgyn Mary / prayeng her that she wolde adresse her for to goo where as sholde be good for her helthe ¶ Fynably she was come to the place where as Zozimas hadde founde her / ¶ And as she sayde she hadde ben there fourty yere / ¶ Zozimas ferthermore demaunded questioned of her what thynge she had eten / ¶ She answered two looues and an halfe of brede / Whyche were bycomen as harde as stones as soone as she was passed ouer the flom Iourdan / ¶ Zozimas sayd to her / Haste thou thê° passed thy lyfe soo longe tyme wythoute payne or sykenesse / ¶ She ansueryd My fader I dare not telle the the perylles that I haue endured / ¶ Zozimas sayde Leue noo thynge but saye alle / ¶ Truely my fader sayd she I haue be seuentene yere that I hadde contynuelly desyre to ete and drynke suche mete / as I ete in the worlde / ¶ And by cause I myghte not haue it· I was in soo grete heuynesse that I myghte not endure it / ¶ In lyke wyse the flesshely thoughtes and deuyllyssh songes came to my mynde / By the whyche I was gretely tormented / ¶ But Incontynent I wepte and smote my breste in sayenge to fore myne eyen the promyse that I hadd made to god and to the blessyd vyrgyne Marye / ¶ Whanne I departed from the chyrche of Iherusalem / Pryncypally I came for socour to the holy vyrgyne Marye ¶ And in wepynge and lamentynge I prayed her to haue consolacyon comforte / ¶ Towchynge the flesshely temptacyons that came soo moche tofore me that I can not expresse ne telle ¶ For they made me soo enflamÌ„ed of my fyrste synne that I myghte not bere it / ¶ But whan I was in thyse passyons I fell downe to the erthe for to wepe and waylle abundantly / ¶ And in soo dooynge I knewe spyrytuelly that the blessyd vyrgyn Marye whyche had holpen me came for to socoure me / And I neuer lyfte vppe myne eyen from the erthe tyll I was out of thise cursyd thoughtes / In hauynge alwaye myn herte to our lady Tresorye of grace comfortresse of desolate / ¶ And the very adresseresse of theym that ben out of the waye / ¶ Zozimas after demauÌ„ded of her â—aste thou had noo mete ne clothing The holy Egypcyen ansuered / I haue eten the two loues and an halfe as I haue tolde / ¶ And the resydue of the tyme I haue ete herbes of the deserte ¶ By cause that my clothynge was all to torne in pyeces I haue lefte theym and am alle nakyd / ¶ Lete vs thynke here how many alte racoÌ„ns as well by raynes and grete coldes as by extreme hetes of the sonne that she endured / ¶ Thynke we also how many carnall temptacyons she threwe fro her / Whyche ben somoche dyffycyle to ouercome to theym that haue ben accustomed therin more thanne ony other temptacoÌ„n / ¶ After she sayd to Zozimas / Alas my frende I am nourysshed and cladde onÌ„ly wyth the worde of my god whyche hath done to me so many graces / The whyche sayth that one lyueth not oonly by brede but also by his worde whiche quykenyth more than the bodily mete / ¶ Zozimas herynge that she spake of holy Scrypture sayde to her ¶ Moder haste thou lerned the bokes of Moyses / The Psaulter and other holy scrypture / ¶ She thenne smylynge sayde to hym Fader byleue me certaynly that syth I passyd the flom Iourdan I sawe neuer man lyuynge but the. ne other beest of the worlde / ¶ I neuer lerned booke Ne neuer herde the Psaulter radde ne songen / ¶ But the worde of god whyche hathe soo grete vertue hathe enformyd myn entendement / ¶ And thys suffiseth to the. that I haue tolde to the ¶ And from hens forthe praye for me poore synfull lecherous woman / ¶ And whanne she hadde sayde thyse wordes / Zozimas kneled downe on his knees and beganne to saye / ¶ Blessed be the oonly god that dooth thynges so merueylous and in soo many persones ¶ Blessyd be thou my god whyche haste shewed to me the goodes that thou doost to theym that dreden the. and kepe alle thy commaundementes / ¶ Verely my god thou leuest neuer theym that sechen for to serue the / ¶ The good woman suffred hym not to lye on the erthe / ¶ But prayed hym that he wold neuer shewe that she had sayde to man lyuynge / ¶ And after sayd to him / My fader goo now forth on thy waye in peas / ¶ And wythin a yere herafter I shall come agayne shewe me to the / Yf god gyue vs the grace ¶ Wyth thys I praye the to doo that whyche I shall ordeyne / ¶ By cause that in your monasterye whanne ye make your holy fastynges whyche is called Lente / You re custome is to goo in to Deserte eche by hymself for to kepe his fastynge ¶ Whan that tyme shall come thou shalt not goo oute of the chyrche but kepe the monasterye / ¶ Zozimas was more abasshyd thanne tofore of that she knewe the rule of the monasterye / and began to crye ¶ O my god glorye be gyuen to the / I know that thou gyuest more grace with oute comparyson to theym that serue the truely thanne they demaunde or aske / ¶ The holy Egypcyen reprysed his worde and sayde / Fader herken / ¶ For whanne thou woldest departe from the monastery Thou shalte not mowe ¶ But the holy Thursdaye of Cene. thou shalt take the precious body of oure lorde Ihesu Cryste and his precyous blood in lyke wyse in an holy vessel and shalte come to me on that other syde of flom Iourdan withoute to passe ouer / ¶ And thenne by the grace and mercy of my god and of thyne I shall receyue hym benygnely / ¶ For I neuer receyued hym syth
hym they sente messengers thorugh alle the â—â—untrer / Whyche soughte hym by the space of ryghtene dayes / ¶ And att lasâ—e some of theym in retornynge entred in to this lytyll house / Where they founde him on his knees prayenge to oure lorde ¶ Whanne the holy man sawe theym by hym And they beholdynge hym he sayde to theim / ¶ Wherfore be holde ye me soo / Prayse ye wyth me the name of god / Whyche hathe delyuered me from the ordure and fylth and wickydnesse of the worlde / Praye ye hym for me that he woll gyue me myghte strengthe for to bere the faytes of penaunce whyche I haue begonne / ¶ After he prayed theym that they wolde doo to him none empesshement ne lettynge And that noo more they shold come for to vysyte hym there / ¶ Thenne tooke they theyr leue and wente theyr waye / And Incontynent the holy man stopped all the holes and openynges of hys lytyll house excepte a lytyll wyndowe whyche he stopped not to the ende that by the same he myghte receyue his sustentacyon bodyly / ¶ And fro than forthou he dwellyd there longe· excercysynge hymself wyth vertuous werkes and lyuynge in clenuesse and chastyte In deuowte fastynges orisons lamentacoÌ„ns and wepynges in alle humylyte / ¶ His renoÌ„me beganne to growe and to sprede thorugh alle the countree / By whyche many deuowte persones came contynuelly and wythout cessynge there as he was As well for to haue of hym consolacyon in theyr sorowes and aduersytees as to be Instructe and taughte in doctryne example of good lyfe / ¶ Now god had gyuen to hym suche a grace that alle the wordes that he spake were soo merueyllously agreable to theym that herde hym / ¶ And lyghted theim as the rayes of the sonne lyghte the worlde / ¶ Twelue yere after his coÌ„uersacyon to god deyed his fader moder / Whyche lefte to hym golde and syluer a merueylous quantyte of the whiche he beyng aduertised sent anone Incontynent to one his famylyer frende that he sholde dystrybute it for goddis sake to pore orphanes and to other symple myserable persones To the ende that the thoughte that he myghte haue therof sholde not empesshe ne lette hym in his deuocyons orysons and contemplacyons ¶ He was aduertysed that it was soo done Wherof he was gretely comforted as he that after grete traueylle / founde hymselfe in reste and peasyble tranquyllyte / ¶ He appetyted not oonly to flee the worlde But also the goodes of fortune / ¶ And for alle erthely goodes he hadde but one robe or gowne Cours and vnthryfty clothe full of grete heer Wyth a lytyll dysshe in whyche he ete and dranke / And a lytyl pay lett wheron he laye ¶ His custome was to loue as moche the poore as the Ryche / And the vylayne / as the noble / ¶ And generally in alle the estates of the worlde he louyd asmoche one as a nother / ¶ Yf he corrected ony he dyde it not wyth rude wordes / But in grete benygnytee and swetnes ¶ Alle they that herde hym speke or so kyd on hym / Alwaye more and more they desyred to see hym / ¶ Neuer chauÌ„ged he the Rule that he hadde begonne ¶ And was continuelly by the space of fyfty yere wythoute to haue ony reporte to the worlde / ¶ Right nyghe to the cyte where he hadde be nourysshyd there was a towne where as dwellyd paynems and SarrasyÌ„s / Vnto whom had ben sente many Deakens and preestes by some souerayne Bysshops for to coÌ„uerte theym vnto the Crysten faythe / But alle they were retorned wythoute to haue done ony fruyte / ¶ For the sayde Paynyms weren obstynate in theyr ydolatrye / ¶ And it happed that the pryÌ„cypall of the sayde Bysshops beynge wyth his clerkes hadde knowlege of the holy man Abraham / ¶ And sayde to theym that it was nedefull to sende hyÌ„ in to the sayde towne For by his pacyence and holy lyfe he myghte coâ—uerte theym / ¶ The same Bysshopp thenne desyrynge to encreace oure holy faythe accompanyed wyth his clerkes came in to the lytyll house of this holy man / ¶ And whanne he was there arryâ—â—d / he salewed hym After he admonesteâ— and desyred hym to goo in to the sayde towne sayenge / ¶ O my frende I knowe that thou arte agreable to god whyche neuer refusyth to the noo thynge that thou of hym demaundest / ¶ Also thou knoweste ynough the Paynems dwellynge in this nexte towne And how we can not fynde manere to conuerte theym ¶ Wherfore it byhouyth that thou goo for to admonest and styre theym â—â—ke as god shall enseygne and 〈◊〉 the. ¶ The holy man was moche â—â—â—â—bled of the offyce that the bysshopp â—â—de gyue to hym And ansuered to hym ¶ O my lorde I pray that the thou 〈◊〉 suffre me to bywepe my wyckidnesse that I departe not from here ¶ I weâ—e well sayde the bisshopp that thou â—â—ste lefte the worlde and renounced alle erthely goodes for the blysse of heuen ¶ But neuerthelesse yf thou haddest al the vertues of the worlde and thou haue none obedyence they sholde noâ—â—â—ge prouffyte the / ¶ The holy man ansuered to hym / Alas my lorde I and 〈◊〉 other thynge but a deed bounde What thynkeste thou to be my lyfe / Wherfore sayste thou soo moche good of me / ¶ Thenne sayde to hym the bysshopp I saye the to be seruaunt of god Whyche sechest in this place where thou arte in but thy helthe oonly / But thou goo where I woll sende the. Thou shalt be cause of the helthe of Infenite persones by the grace that god shall gyue to the ¶ Ne thinke not oonly to doo thyn helthe / But also that whyche bylongyth to thy neyghbours / And thenne shalte thou haue very charyte / ¶ And by this moyen thou shalte gete more grete meryte anenste god In so moche as thou shalt bryng wyth the many soules in to heuen / ¶ The holy man herynge the bysshop And desyrynge as very obedyente to coÌ„ferme hym to his good playsure ansuered to hym that he was alle redy to go where as it sholde playse hym / ¶ Wherfor the bysshopp seenge his ryght good wyll layed his honde vppon his heed / and constytuted hym a preest / And after he broughte hym to the sayd towne ¶ And in entrynge in the whiche he sayd / O my god ryght pyteuous I byseche the. that it maye playse the to beholde my grete pouertee Freelte Imbecyllyte and the debylyte of myn ygnorauÌ„ce / ¶ Enlarge vppon me thy grace And that now thou helpe me to gloryfye thy holy name ¶ Whanne he was arryued there seenge theyr folysshe ydolatrye / He moeuyd with pyte beganne to waylle and wepe In makynge his prayer to god inlthys manere / O my god whiche arte oonly wythout synne Now I prayse the that it playse the to haue mercy on thise myserable synnars / ¶ Helas my
Charyte Prudence and other ¶ And for to enduce to gete theym he lyued wyth theym lyke an aungell In makynge to theym dyuerse predicacyons the whiche he contynued an hole yere / ¶ And after that he knewe theym confermed in the fayth / ¶ One tyme amonge the other he beynge atte houre of mydnyghte in contemplacyon Made vnto oure Sauyour Ihesu cryste suche a prayer sayenge O thou Illumyner of alle the worlde whiche haste enlumyned this lityll people and haste losyd them from the bondes of the deuyll in gyuynge to theim scyence for to knowe the / I humbly requyre the my god that thou wolt kepe theim vnto the ende holdynge theim in thyne holy fayth To the ende that they maye doo suche thynge alway that maye be to the agreable And to me also by thy mercy it be not imputed that I departe from them ¶ For my lord god thou knowest that doo it to th ende that I be not wythdrawen from dooenge penaunce ¶ His orison accomplysshed and made an ende He made thre tymes the sygne of the Crosse vppon the sayde towne And departed thens ¶ And wente in to a place where as noo body dwellyd / ¶ On the morne the Inhabytauntes dwellers of the sayde towne came in to his chirche like as they were acustomed But they fonde hym not Wherof they were moche sorowfull and angry And wente wepynge and wayllynge sechinge him / ¶ And wenynge to fynde him soughte him in many places / But thei cowde not after he was departed fynde hym ¶ After worde of his departynge came to the bysshopp Wherof he was as moche dysplaysaunt as they were / ¶ And for as moche as shepe wythout Pastoure ben in daunger of the wulfe / He wolde not leue theym wythout a coÌ„duytour and guyde / ¶ Soo came he hymselfe in to the sayde towne for to comforte theim ¶ And after that the sayde bisshopp hadde the moost sonyngly that he cowde comforted theym ¶ He choos some of the moost notable men amonge theim whom he constytuted in holy ordres makyng some of theym preestes and some deakens ¶ And yf they hadde ony trybulacoÌ„ns or empesshements in theyr consâ—yences They wente to the sayde men soo â—aâ—â—ed / ¶ The holy man Abraham whanne he knewe how the bysshopp hadde gyuen to theym socours for theyr helthe / He rendred thankynges to god / In louynge and gloryfyenge his name And helde hym close in a lytyll hous There prayenge and thankinge god in grete Ioye and cruâ—tacyon ¶ O man of grete perfeccoÌ„n In what manere maye ony man prayse thy charyte and thy grete constaunce Whanne for the helthe of thyn neyghbours thou haste endured soo many euilles And neuerthelesse thou haste not lefte to make thy prayers and saye thyne orysons accustomyd ¶ Thou haste not varyed for alle theyr menaces and tormentes But haste perseuered vnto the ende / ¶ O charytable man whiche haste put thy body in daunger of thyne enmyes for to make to theim helthe ¶ Well mayste thou be felowe to saynt Stephen the fyrste martyr whiche prayed to god for theym that martâ—rd hyÌ„ ¶ The enmye of alle good men seeng the conuersacion of the holy man and also that for tribulacyons he cessed not from his good purpoos But alway he puryfied hymselfe as golde in the frâ—nays Came to assaylle him on a tyme atte mydnyghte as he was in his prayer And concluded to tempte hym by suche temptacyons That he sholde noo more be in wyldernesse But sholde retorne in to the worlde ¶ Thenne came the deuyll sodaynly wyth a grete lyghte clere as the sonne Wherwyth he enlumyned alle the lityll hous / ¶ And in the lyghte was a voys whiche sayde / ¶ O holy man Abraham thou shalte be well happy For in alle thy werkes thou haste be true And haste alle done after my wyll / ¶ The holy man knewe that it was the deuyll Ansuerâ—d with an hyghe voys ¶ Goo hens thou wicked and peruerted admynystrer of malice Comest thou now hither for to teÌ„pte me wyth vayne glorye / ¶ I knowleche that I am a grete synnar / ¶ And thou weneste that I repute myself Iust ¶ Awaye and goo cursyd spyryte in to the vttrest derkenesse / In to whyche thou arte condempned / ¶ By the grace of my blessyd god I shall noo thynge fere thy falaces / and dysceytful mockynges and lesynges / ¶ The name of Ihesu Cryste whom I honour and loue shall be my deffence and walle agaynst the. whanne thou shalte come for to assayle me / ¶ And Incontynente the deuyll departed / ¶ The deuyll came agayn and broughte wyth hym a clubbe for to breke downe his lytyll hous ¶ And whan he had made open that one syde / The deuyll sayd faynynge that he had with him many euill knaues To whom he sayde / Come hyther my frendes haste you lete vs entree in· And slee this papelart / ¶ The holy man beganne to saye O my god alle folke haue enuyronned me But thy name be praysed by whiche I shall ouercome theym And shall brynge vnder my fete alle myne enmyes / And Incontynent the deuyll vanisshed awaye / ¶ A lytyll whyle after the deuyll retournyd / And putt fyre in to a lytyll matte on whyche he knelyd makyÌ„ge his prayers ¶ And whanne he sawe the fyre withoute feer he quenchyd it sayenge / ¶ I shall by the myghte of god walke vppon aspydes and venymouse beestes / And trede vnder my fete the lyon and the dragon and alle the power of myne enmye / ¶ For my god shal gyue to me alwaye ayde and strengthe for to fyghte agaynst the / ¶ Sathanas seenge that he was condempned of the holy man cryeed wyth an hygh voyce sayenge / ¶ I shall vaynquysshe the. and make the to deye and euyll dethe / For I shall fynde soo many cautelles and discepcyons that thou shalte not cunue endure theym / ¶ It happed on a daye lyke as the holy man sholde ete / The deuyll transformed hym in to the fourme and shappe of a lytyll childe / ¶ And entred in to the lytyll house / And supposyd to haue torned the plater vpp sodoune / ¶ The holy man toke hym by the honde and helde hym faste tyll he hadde taken his refeccyon / ¶ Anone after the deuyll went his waye / ¶ And a lytyll while after retourned and broughte a candelstyk vnder whiche was a candell lyghte And presented tofore the holy man / whyche tooke his refeccyon / ¶ And the deuyll syngyÌ„ge sayd / Well happy ben the walkers of this worlde that walken wythoute spotte of synne / ¶ And sange soo many verses of the psalme that begynnyth Beati immaculati i via qui ambulant in lege dnÌ„i But the holy man ansuered noo thynge· tyll that he hadd taken his refeccyon / ¶ And whanne he hadde taken his refeccyon he armyd wyth constaunce spake to the deuyll sayenge thyse wordes / ¶ Thou hounde
man whanne that he sawe her in that estate was moche heuy and sorowful / But neuerthelesse he dissymyled his angre the beste wyse he myghte withoute to make ony knowlege Dredinge that she shold haue knowen hym â—eest Incontynent she shold withdrawe her and hydde herselfe / ¶ After they wythdrew theim in to a lytyll chaÌ„bre where as they beganne to ete / And in takynge theyr refeccyon togyder the holy man began to playe wyth her in beholdynge her benygnely and louyngly / ¶ And by cause that in soo dooynge she hadde some remembrauÌ„ce of her vncle She that was sette tofore hym· and knewe hym not Aroos sodeinly and came and collyd hym wyth bothe her armes hauynge remembraunce of tyme passed In whiche she hadde in soo grete and perfyghte deuocyon towarde oure lorde Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And knowleged to him her courage the whyche she mighte noo lenger hyde ¶ And began Incontynent to wepe and to sorowe in castynge oute of her eyen grete habundance of teeres and in cursynge her myserable and wretchyd lyfe / ¶ Thenne the hoosteler alle abasshyd beganne to saye / Ha lady Mary what causyth you to wepe now It is two yeres syth ye came hyther / and I saw you neuer angry / ¶ To whom she ansuered / Alas I had be well happy yf I had be deed thre yeres goone / ¶ The holy man seenge her lamentacyons and wepynges beganne to say to her / ¶ Ha ha my doughter thou were right now soo Ioyouse / And now thou wepest the syÌ„nes that thou haste done / I praye the leue this purpoos / And make me goode thyere / ¶ How moche is the grete goodnesse of oure lorde whiche neuer woll lese the synnars But by his grete mercy woll calle theym agayne / ¶ The poore Marye seenge the holy man / How be it she hadde in her ymagynacyon and demynge that it was a nother whyche resembled and was lyke hym / ¶ Neuerthelesse she hadde neuer byleued that it hadde ben he Consideryng that he that was a man of ryghte holy lyfe And wold neuer haue entred in to that place somoche dyshonest ¶ Now lete vs consydre fro whens came this contrycyon soo sodayne to this poore synnar / Truely we oughte to byleue that it proceded fro the benigne mercy of god Whiche beholdynge the grete wayllynges and deuowte orysons whiche the holy man Abraham made for her that he sholde not lese his paynes ne laburs / ¶ The holy man thenÌ„e requyred of thoost that he sholde make theim gode there / As took to hym a pyece of golde whicâ— was of good valewe that he had broghte wyth hym / For he was comenâ—om ferre for the loue of the pore Maye / ¶ O merueyllous prudence O diâ—â—ecoÌ„n inenarrable the good holy man ad be fyfty yere wythout etynge of ony rede / Neuerthelesse for to with drawe is nyece from that place publyke he â—as contente to ete flesshe to drynke â—â—ne ¶ After that they had supped the pore doughter Marye prayed the holi mn to goo to bedde to the whiche he agred acorded / ¶ But whan he sawe theedde soo wel arayed hye lyfte vppe frâ— the grounde he was moche abasshed Notwythstondynge he sate therupon / ¶ After came to hym Marye for to draw of his hosyn shone / And by cause tâ—e doore was open of the chambre he coÌ„â—aunded that she shold goo shette it fyrte / After that she had shett the door he made her to come to hym / toke her by the hoâ—de as he wolde haue kyssed her / The hoâ— man whyche myghte noo lenger hyder couer his thoughte demauÌ„ded her / ¶ Come hyther my doughter knowest thoâ— me nouÈte Am not I he that so longe haue nourysshed the. O mi doughter what hast thou done Who hath pluÌ„ged thein synne Where is now thyne angelyke habyte / Where ben now thy longe and worthy prayers Alas thou were aâ—hauÌ„sed vpp in to heuen And now thou arte descended in to helle / ¶ Wheâ—â—ore my doughter IncoÌ„tynent as thou haddest coÌ„mysed the synÌ„e camest thou not to me / and lete me haue knowlege therof certes I wold thenÌ„ haue done â—enaunce for the. Alas what dredest thou noo man may be wythout synne but oonly god our souerayne protectour ¶ In heringe thise wordes Mary became as vnmouable ¶ And whan the holy man sawe that she ansuerd not again he sayd yet to her / Marye my ryghte doughter whiche arte of my blood speke to me if it playse to the. and take consolacoÌ„n comforte / For I promyse to the that I shall take thy synne vpon me And shall take on me the penaunce for to rendre acounte and dyscharge the tofore god the ryght mercyfull redemer of alle the worlde / ¶ There were they two togyder to mydnyghte in she wynge of the good holy man to Mary his nyece the grete mercy of god ¶ And after that she had longe herde hym she beganne to speke in wepynge grete teres sayd to hym / ¶ A my fader my vncle I am not worthy to be present tofore thyne eyen / Alas how may I haue remyssyon / What prayer shall I make to god that am soo horryble defoyled maculate of so many sinnes / ¶ ThenÌ„e yet the holy man for to comfort her ansuerde sayeng / ¶ My doughter and my loue Thyne Inyquytees be vppon me and noo thynge vpon the. I haue prayed to god that it maye playse to take the punysshment on me And truely I make noo doubte but that he shall soo doo Therfore come with me retorne we to oure place in whiche we haue lyued soo loÌ„ge togider vertuously / thou shalt se Effren thy frende whiche is ful of sorow of thy perdycoÌ„n / Haue no mystruste of the merci of Ihesu Cryste / How be it that thy synnes ben gretter in enormyte thanne the grete mountaynes and hylles / Yet his mercy is moche more grete / ¶ Take thenne hope in consyderynge / That it is noo newe thinge to falle in to synÌ„e But it is a ryght grete daunger to abyde therin longe / ¶ Whanne one is falle in it I byleue fermely that the fende whyche hathe the feble in fallynge He shall fynde the stronge in releuynge rysynge / ¶ My doughter thou seest that I am aunceyen and olde / Wherfore I praye the that thou haue pyte on myn olde aege And that thou come out of this publyk place and retorne in to thy first lodgynge for to doo there thy penaunce ¶ God woll not that the synnars sholde deye eternall dethe but desyreth that they sholde lyue perpetuelly ¶ Thenne she sayde to hym ¶ Yf thou knowe well my fader that I maye doo suffisaunt penauÌ„ce in suche wise that I maye deserue to haue remyssyon of my synÌ„es I woll well that we retourne where it shall playse the / ¶ In suche deuyses and lamentacoÌ„ns was Marye all the nyghte atte the feet of the sayde holy man her
for this cause by the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ they were denouncyd acursyd / ¶ That one of theym tweyne knowleged his synne / But the other abydynin his obstynacy dyspysed the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For he was well gladde to haue occasyon for to flee the chyrche to abyde in his wyckydnesse / And neuerthelesse he thretenyd the sayde Patryarke to dysplayse hym in hys persone / ¶ And men sayde comynly that it was he that had born to the Patryce Niceta the money of the chyrche that was taken vnder the bedde of the sayd Patriarke / And that had be yelden again afterwarde as it is sayd afore / ¶ The malyce of this outrageous acursyd maÌ„ was shewed to the holy Patryarke but this notwythstondyng he had of hym pyte / And remembred the worde of the apostle saynt Poul sayenge / Who is he that is seke not I / ¶ Now was the charyte of the sayd Patryarke soo grete / the whan he sawe one in synÌ„e he wepte vpon hym / And as to hym was aduys he felte well his sykenesse / ¶ He thenÌ„e made the sayd acursed man to be callid to hym / And waâ—tyd him of his conscyence as he was wonte to warne his other subgettes / ¶ But whan he sawe his euyll frowardnesse and that he was made harde in his synne / He lefte and forsoke hym as a rotyn membre / ¶ This neuerthelesse vpon a Sondaye the sayde Clerke beynge yet in his frowardes As the holy Patryarke came to the awter for to offre his sacryce vnto god / after his custome / ¶ He remembred hym of the counseylle of Ihesu Cryste that sayd / ¶ Whanne thou shalt brynge thine offrynge vnto the awter / And that thou shalt thynke that thy brother hathe some euyll wyll and hate agaynste the / Thou oughtest to leue that that thou woldest offre to god / And goo to hym thyne enmye for to reconcyle the wyth hym / ¶ Wherfore the holy Patryarke willynge to doo soo· sente Incontynent for the sayde acursyd man / And made the messager praye that he sholde come to speke wyth hym vnder surete / And whanne he was come / This holy Patryarke knelyd on his knees afore him And beloughte hym of mercy / ¶ Wherof it happed that the sayd acursyd persone had knowlege of his sinne and he hymselfe requyred mercy / ¶ Thorugh his humylyte was the prowde frowâ—de man mekyd in his pryde / ¶ And by his charytee was the hate of the sayde acursyd man paste / ¶ And fynably he dyde penaunce of the sinne that he had done / And had of it grete contrycyon dyspleysaunce / ¶ Of the noyse that the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ had agaynst the Ruler Niceta / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Deâ—mquidam / Caplm C.xix NEuer to haue noyse with a nother it is angels lyfe / SoÌ„tyme to stryue the one wyth the other it is manÌ„es lyf / Euermore to haue noyse hate it is a deuyls lyfe / ¶ To this purpose is to be noted that the holy Patriarke / for some right of the lawe Cyuyl had on a tyme questyon wyth the sayd Patrice Niceta / The questyon was suche that the Patrice wold haue certain trybute to be put sett of newe vpon the peple of the londe / The whiche thynge the sayd Patryarke wolde not consente / by cause that the poore folke sholde haue be hurte therby ouer sore / ¶ And for the grete varyaunce that fell therby they departed from eche other with wrath the one agaynst the other / ¶ Soone after att after none / aboute fyue of the clocke / The sayd holy Patryarke thynkinge in hymself that the wyse man oughte neuer to angre hymself for noo maner cause that it be sente his Archedeaken to the said ruler Niceta sent him onÌ„ly thise wordes ¶ DnÌ„e sol ad occasuÌ„est / That is asmoche for to say my lorde the sonne is nygh to goo vnder / After that Niceta had herde thise wordes he cowde not hold his couÌ„tenaunce but as fulfylled wyth the fyre of the holy ghoste camÌ„ to the sayd holy Patryarke the whiche whan he sawe hym he sayd to hyÌ„ / ¶ Alas thou arte welcome the sone of the chyrche obeyssauÌ„t to her coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ThenÌ„e they dyde enbrace eche other in token of grete loue After the whyche enbraginces the holy Patriarke began totake the worde said to hym in this wyse / ¶ My lord I praye the byleue me / For by cause I knowe the sore trowbled I wolde well haue spoke with the / for none other cause I couÌ„seylle warne the the in tyme to come thou byleue nomore noo reportes of false tales flaterers ¶ For yf thou woll lene thyne eeres vnto suche they shall gyue the a cause many euylles to begynne / And they shall counseylle the that thyÌ„ge whyche shall not be nother leyffull good ne prouffytable / ¶ For I haue founde myselfe dysceyued therby oftentymes / ¶ Wherfore to theyr reportes sayenges flaterynges and false accusacyons men oughte neuer to gyue credence nor faythe / ¶ Thenne the Patryce consyderynge the mekenesse and the fayr ensamples of the sayd Patryarke answerde that he sholde neuer byleue suche men / Nor sholde not gyue faythe byleue to theyr flaterynges ne to theyr wordes / ¶ But he sholde dyspyse theym and sette theym alle atte noughte / ¶ And by this manere meanes was peasyd that questyon that was bytwix theym for the cause aboue sayde / ¶ Of Gregori the neuew of tholy Patryarke / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Iste memoriabilis / Caplm C.xx BYtwene one namyd Gregory whiche was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke a Tauerner of Alexandrye moeuyd a grete debate / In whyche this Gregory openly was sore wronged by shamefull wordes to hyÌ„ sayd by the sayd Tauerner / the whiche Gregory consyderyng· the he that was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke had be thus dyspysed or fowle spoken vnto openly of a man Infamyd began to wepe right sore / And the holy Patryarke seenge the secrete dysplaysauÌ„ce sorowe that his neuewe made / wolde know what was the cause / Grogory herupon examined coude not for his grete anâ—e dyscharge nor shewe his courage in â—â—wyse nor speke wyth the sayd holy Patryarke / ¶ Neuertheles some that had herde seen the debate tolde hym a parte how it was / The holy Patryarke willyng to he le fyrste his neuew or euer he sholde enquyre ferder of the trouth of the befall sayd to hym for to comfort hym suche lyke wordes in substaunce / My neuew I am gretely merueyllyd· sore euyll apayd how that foole hath be so holde to open his mouth ayenst the / Byleue thou me I ensure the. that I shall doo this daye a thynge wherby all Alexandrye shall merueylle / ¶ And after seenge his anger heuinesse tempred peasen kyssed his sayd neuew sayd / My swete frende yf in folowynge
a monyth or two ete nother oyle nor other lycour / And thiselfe poore IohnÌ„ hast thou an hope to haue playsure euerlastyÌ„g· and thou etest drinkest of the best breede wyne fysshe and lyest in a bedde well apparayled / And a thyng that is more excedynge thou haâ—e a ryche couerlet vnder the whiche thou art warmed CertayÌ„ly who that lyueth in suche delyces wyth grete payne he may gete the lyf euerlastyng Alas IohnÌ„ remembre in thyself of the sharpe worde proferred sayde to the euyll Ryche man that was suche / ¶ Thou wyckid ryche haste had many goodes in thy lyfe the poore / many sorowes the whyche thou dispysed in puttyng theim fro the as foule vyle / Therfor now thou arte wyth good ryght tormented / the poore comforted in euerlastynge Ioye / ¶ Whan the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ had consydred all thyse thynges / he concluded in hymself that the nyghte folowynge he sholde not beele hym wyth the sayd couerlet that the sayd marchaunt had sente hym / but he dyde consydre the more better couenable a thinge it were that an C.lxxxiiii pore men the whiche he callyd his lordes shold be heelyd wyth than hym alone / ¶ It is trouth that in AlexaÌ„drye folke made couerlets of Rede wherof men had four for a peny / and the couerlet that was gyuen to hyÌ„ had coste .xxxvi. pens of golde / The next daye he sent it to be solde / it happed that he that had yeue it to the sayd Patryarke boughte it for the sayd somÌ„e sente it ayen to the sayd Patryarke / that made it to be solde thre tymes / and the marchauÌ„t thre tymes sent it ayen prayenge hym that he sholde heele hymself wyth that he sholde haue hym in remembrauÌ„ce / ¶ The holy man toke it supposynge a thynge to be leyffull couenable to fynde a meane by the whyche men may for the sauynge of the ryche yeue theyr moneye for goddis sake Pryncypally whan they ben couetous folke wythout mercy / For by this meane men wynne ofte theyr soules / and also grete mede wythall / ¶ And for to approue his entencoÌ„n he toke for a witnesse saynt Typhanye that subtylly toke the money of saynt IohnÌ„ the Patryarke of Iherusalem And dealyd it to the poore peple / ¶ Of a chaunger namyd Peter that made hymself to be solde by his seruaunt as a bonde man for to socoure the pore peple / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ DignuÌ„ c. Caplm Cxxvi. THe holy Patriarke rehercyd often a nother befall well lyke the other that is conteyned in the chappytre byfore sayd / Whyche he sayde it was happed in Affryque / As one of his seruauntes beynge his atourneye in Cypre had tolde hym The whyche was a faythful a true man to the hour of his dethe / the whiche had dwelled in the sayd londe of Affryque wyth a ryche man that kept a chaunge / ¶ And he sayde that vpon a tyme amonge other there as his dwellynge place was the poore folke were gadren at the sonÌ„ syde in the strete and tolde the one to the other the houses where they moost ofte had almesses praysed theym moche / ¶ And in lyke wyse they nombred the houses where they had noo thinge and sayd moche euyll of theym / Soo sayde one of theym that he ofte had almesse of a chaunger that dwellyd nexte hym The whyche Chaunger was mayster of the sayd Patryarkes seruaunt as he sayd / ¶ That other poore man answered that neuer by hyÌ„ nor by none other of his house was not gyue hym noo almesse / ThenÌ„e a nother of the sayd pore folke sayde to theym / What woll ye gyue me yf I canÌ„e doo somoche that I gete almesse there / ¶ Alle the poore people beynge there at the sonÌ„e syde knowynge the couetyse the colde charite of the ChauÌ„ger / made a wager wyth the sayd poore man Sayenge that he cowde not gete noo thinge of hym And he to the contrary sayd / he shold haue somwhat of him / ¶ Soo came he to the dore of the sayd ChauÌ„gers place And wayted whan he shold come out / And as bi aduenture the sayd Chaunger was gone afore out of his sayd hous and was comynge homewarde ayen / And after him were asses comynge loden with loues of brede made of Rye for his meyne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the sayd poore man seenge the sayd ChauÌ„ger the brede of rye that was brought to his place wyth hym askyd hyÌ„ thre or foure tymes an almesse for goddis sake / ¶ The chauÌ„ger as noyouse to here hym soo ofte calle after hym for an almesse lokyd abowte hym / yf he myghte fynde a stone for to caste at hym / but he fonde none thenÌ„ he toke a loof of brede that whiche by grete dyspyte he caste at his heed / And this seenge the poore man toke vp the brede and went agayn to his felowes shewed it vnto theym sayenge it was yeuen hym there / ¶ It happed two dayes after that the sayd Chaunger felle syke / wende well to haue deyed / And in the sykenesse he had a vysion whyche was suche / That he muste gyue acounte of all his dedes / the whyche he sawe in a balaunce / Soo came byfore hym two grete companyes wherof the one was a grete meyne of blacke dredfull persones and sore ferdfull for to see and the other felyshyp was al whyte full-gracyons playsaunt for to behold / They that were whyte sayd amonge theym that in all his werkes he neuer dyde ony goode dede But oonly an almesse that he had done two dayes afore and yet it was ayenst his wyll / But the blacke folke poynted and shewed him euylles wythout nombre by hyÌ„ coÌ„mytted done as well by the synne of Couetyse as of other / ¶ And thenne the sayd whyte folke desyrynge to saue hym fro daungeour· coÌ„maunded hym that he sholde encreace his almesse and also that he shold amende his lyf / Or elles the blacke persones sholde euermore tormente hym ¶ After he was awaked he knew his vysion to be true / For he hadd seen therby al that he euer he dyde in his youth vnto that houre And the sayd blacke persones hadd broughte the balance for to weye his mysdedes / but the other had noo thynge to brynge wyth theym excepte onÌ„ly the almesse that he had do as by constraynynge and agaynst hys wyll / ¶ Thenne he sayde in hymselfe / Alas my god / somoche thou arte meke / ¶ Yf thou grauÌ„test that onÌ„ly an almesse whyche I haue gyue spytefully to be vnto me somoche worthe as to delyuer me out of the power of the deuyls How moche good doth an almesse that is gyuen wyth mekenesse deuocoÌ„n / ¶ And from that tyme fourth the sayd ChauÌ„ger was soo grete gyuer of almesses so free that he spared not his owne body / ¶ Ones in a mornynge it befell
of the worlde / he answerde that it was the same that was vpon the worlde / The wordes of the worlde are swete notwithstondyng that it shall be full bytter to hym that shall lyue in it vyciously / But who that wol be in the worlde maye not obeye his sensualytee serue god / By cause that none shall not serue well two lordes And that the naturell manly desyres are contrary to the saluacoÌ„n of our soules / And therfore my mayster coÌ„maunder sayde saynt Basylle / I praye the lete vs quycken our spirytes that ben deed by syÌ„nes / And for to purchace lyfe euerlastyÌ„ge lete vs folowe the techynges of thapostles of the souerayn god Redemer of all the worlde / ¶ Yf we woll put payne to obeye hym notwythstondynge that we ben alle redy stryken in aege Yet shall we haue asmoche of rewarde by medyacoÌ„n of his grace as they that haue be in his seruyce from the tyme of theyr yongthe / ¶ For it is wryten in the gospell that as grete a rewarde had he that came at the hour of Sexte as he the was comÌ„ at the hour of Prime / The doctour Eubole herynge the warnynges of his dyscyple Basylle began to saye / ¶ O Basylle true shewer expownar of that faythe of Criste thrugh the. I byleue in one god almyghty In tyme past that I knewe I dyde shewe the. now alle that is myne I gyue vnto the. putt in thy possessoÌ„n purposyng to lede wyth the thou remenauÌ„te of my lyfe / yf it playse to my god IhuÌ„ Cryst I shall receyue wtin shorte tyme the holy sacramente of baptym / Saynt Basylle answerde O my mayster blessyd be oure god that hath mekely lyghtned the in giuynge to the wyll courage to forsake leue the foule errours wherin thou were ouerthrowen thrugh the vayn worldly science· and that now thou knowest his mercy ¶ Syth that thou woll be wyth me· I shall teche the how we shal lyue in getynge our wee le in delyueryng ourself from the lettyÌ„ges of this wretched world / ¶ Fyrst we shall selle all that we haue shall gyue it to the poore nedy for goddys sake after we shall goo to the holy cytee of Iherusalem / The whyche thynge they dyde / And clothyd theymself in Raymentes lyke Crysten people / for to receyue Crystendom / ¶ And in goynge thyder they torned many Paynems that they fonde in theyr waye to the Crysten fayth / ¶ How Eubole was crystened in the FluÌ„me Iourdan / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Apprehendentes autem cetera Caplm C.lx. THenne whan saynt Basylle his doctour Eubole were come in Ihâ—l'm they went vysited al the holy places worshiped theim for the loue of our lorde / After they presented theself tofore the bisshop of the cyte namyd Marimyen kneled byfore him bysechyge him that he wold crysten them in the flum Iordan ¶ The sayd bysshop receyued theim moche mekely / acompanyed with many notable persones sad theim to the forsayd flum / WhaÌ„ theâ— were come to the bryke of the same saynt basyll sate on both his knees / besouÈt god deuoutly that he wold vouchesauf to shewe some token to theim of his grace After he rose vp toke of al his clothes for to entre wythin the flood thenÌ„e the sayd bysshop went crystned hym / Att whiche crystnynge a moche merueyloê° thynge happed there / For a grete lyght as it had be fyre makyng wonderful shinyng came from heuen vpon theim / out of the fyre flewe out a whyte doue / the whiche after she had trowbled the water flewe ayen in to heuen / Of whiche thyÌ„ge those present were moche merueyled For they had neuer seen soo quycke ne soo grete a lyghte / Soo began they to prayse glorifye the name of god and pryÌ„cipally the bisshop the contynuelly remeÌ„bred the loue that saynt Basylle had to the Redemer of the world They .ii. thenÌ„e togyder crystened enoynted with the holy oyle retorned to Ihrl'm there they dwelled a yere ¶ After the knowlege of whiche they toke theyr waye towarde Anthyoche / thenne was saynt Basylle made Deaken / ¶ How sayÌ„t Basylle beyng a bysshop coÌ„posed the masse / in coÌ„posyng of whiche he sawe god his apostles begynning ¶ CoÌ„uenientes c· Caplm C.lxi. MAny bysshops were assemblyd in Anthyoche the whyche chose saynt Basylle to be bysshop And after that he was ordened he made his prayer to god bysechyng hym that he wold gyue him the gyfte of vnderstondynge by the whyche he myght to the exaltacoÌ„n of the fayth his glorioê° name make a seruyce or offyce to hym agreable in makynge vnto hym oblacyon of his precyous blode / And that in this dooyng he myghte receyue the grace of the holy ghost ¶ The gode Basylle after this request was by the space of sixe dayes as al chauÌ„ged wythdrawe fro his thought / But neuertheles he purposed to make the sayde seruyce / ¶ And on a nyghte after the sayd dayes paste / he had a syghte of god the whyche acompanyed of all his apostles as whan he wrote the wordes that preestes proferon vpon the breed sayde to hym / Basylle after thy desyre be thy mouth fulfyllyd of praysynge to th ende that by thy owne worde thou make sacrefyce vnto me of my bloode / ¶ Saynt Basylle that coude not abyde the syght departed with grete fere and went to the awter where he began to saye wryte this that here folowyth / Be my mouth fulfylled wyth loeuynge to th ende that it synge ympne to thy Ioye / Wyth this he made many other orysons that ben customably sayd whan the body of our lorde is to be consecrate of the preest / the whiche are not to be wryten to ony laye folke / Nor to be had in comynicacoÌ„n but onÌ„ly amonge men of the chirche / And after the consecracoÌ„n eleuacoÌ„n of the hoste whyche was of brede he deuyded it in thre partes / of the whiche he vsyd the one in grete drede reuerence the other he kepte for to bere wyth hym / and the thyrde he kepte for to be putt in to a doune of fyne golde the whyche he had doo make for to be hanged ouer the awter in by tokenyng of that same doune that appered ouer hym whan he was crystned in the flum Iordan / ¶ Eubole manâ— other clerkes were thenne afore the gate of the temple beholdinge this mystery they sawe abowte hym a wonderful lyght whyche constrayned them to fall to the grouÌ„de / And wyth this they sawe a grete multytude of men al clothed in whiche rayments / the whyche acoÌ„pamed hym in makynge the sayd sacrefyce ¶ The masse done saynt Basyll gooyng out of the chyrche / al them present worshipped him puttynge byfore hyÌ„ theyr knees to the grounde made hym more grete honour than they had be acustomyd
vnto the holy faders by reuelacyon dyuyne the trouth of this befalle / that the one gafe his bodye to penauÌ„ce for the salualoÌ„n of his felawe / how be it that he had not done the synne ¶ Men maye doo no fayrer almose than to gyue his body for to saue his euencrysten to praye god for his soule ¶ An other brother there was that semblably was tempted of the synne of lecherye / wherfore by dyuerse tymes he camto one holy fader that was dwellyng ynough nyghe him euer he besought hym that he wolde praye god for hyÌ„ / but the more that the holy fader prayed / the sayd brother to more besely requyred him to praye for hym ¶ And for this cause the sayd holy fader was both nyght daye in oryson for him / but it prouffyted hyÌ„ nought / wherof the sayd holy fader was sore dyscomforted knowyng that his oryson was not herde ¶ But our lord for to comforte hym shewed to hym a vysyon the cause why he was not herde / that it was by occasyon of the neglygence of hyÌ„ for whom he prayed / the whiche wolde not helpe hym selfe for to resyst corageously ayenst the temptacoÌ„n of the deuyls / but rather toke a plesure to see the Illusyons that the deuyll presented vnto hym puttyng in his mynde the remeÌ„braunce of many dyshonost women And how well that in these folysshe Illusyons his good angell that was full heuy and sory as him semed of that he resysted not ayenst the sayd temptacyons / neuertheles he made no force for it So sayd he to the sayd brother My frende but yf the take corage of thy self castyng a backo the delectacoÌ„ns that the deuyll presented to the I can not helpe that by my prayers And therfor thou must put thy selfe in oryson to fast / to sygh to wepe / other abstynences to do Thou knowest that the leche whan he wyl gyue to the pacyent some remedyes ayenst his maladye / yf the seke kepe not hyÌ„selfe from suche metes that ben contrarye to his helthe / with grete payne the leche shall he le hyÌ„ ¶ Also thy selfe the arte in dedely synne thou puttest no payne to recouer the grace of god that thou hast lost / but doest the contrarye of that he coÌ„mauÌ„deth the to do thrugh the pleasure that thou takest in the temptacoÌ„ns of the flesshe Therfor helpe thy selfe / god shall helpe ye. For otherwyse the holy faders that are leches spyrytual sholde not conne because to restore to thy soule her helthe ¶ The brother by these remonstracoÌ„ns toke at his herte so grete contrycyon that he obteyned the mercy of god / the sclauÌ„deroê° wycked passyon of lecherye wente a waye from hym ¶ For no maner of nede that a man hath he ought not to suffre the ony yong woman serue in his house / all be she his kynneswoman or otherwyse ¶ An her myte beyng in his hermytage doynge there penauÌ„ce was by one his kynnes woman wretchedly deceyued For the deuyll styred the same his kynnes womaÌ„ for to see the sayd hermyte in his hermytage where he receyued her benyngly / at this cause she bode with hyÌ„ a space of tyme / the whiche tyme / he knewe her carnaly Not ferre froÌ„ the same hermytage dwelled a holy fader right deuoute / the which by many dayes afore the caas was happed / when he put water in a vessell of his owne for hyÌ„ to dryÌ„ke / incoÌ„tyneÌ„e as he wold take the vessell trowyÌ„g to haue droÌ„ken of the water / the vessell tourned vpsodoÌ„ne in his hande spylled the water coude not drynke out of it Thenne he thought he wolde shewe this to his felawe for to knowe what it mente Soo toke he his waye for to come to his hermytage / but he was beclypped of the nyghte and constrayned for to goo lye in a Temple where Yooles were ¶ As he slepte within the sayde Temple / he herde the deuyls that sayde one to the other / how that nyghte they hadde made an hermyte to falle in the synne of fornycacyon with a woÌ„man that was of his sybbe ¶ The holy hermyte herynge these wordes was therof sore meruaylled ¶ On the morowe acte sprynge of the daye he began to walke forth on his waye vnto the tyme that he was come there as his felawe was ¶ And entryng in his hermytage he founde hym trystefull and sore to the deth ¶ After his gretynge yeuen vnto hym tolde hym how his water dyde spylle oute of his vessell when he sholde drynke / and that for to haue his counseyll in this matere / he was come towarde hym ¶ That other that hadde done the sayd synne of lecherye answered ¶ Alas my brother I haue gretter nede of thy counseyll / than thou of myne / for the last nyght I felle in to the fowle dyshonest and abhomynable synne of fornycacyon / wherof I haue offended my god and my maker wyckedly ¶ Thenne his felawe sayd to hym / that he wyst it well and shewed hym the maner / how he beynge a slepe within a Temple of Ydoles hadde herde the deuyls sayeng the one to the other that whiche is sayd ¶ Thenne he that hadde synned as withoute hope wolde haue gone to the worlde and forsake his hermytage But that other recomforted hym aswell as he coude / praynge hym to abyde styll in his telle / and that better it was to sheue oute the sayde woman to th ende they two togyder myghte doo penaunce tyll that god had pardonned hym his synne / the whiche thynge he dyde / and syth ledde a lyfe moche deuoute and holy ¶ Whan men are ouermoche vexed trauaylled of the deuyll / and tempted of the synne of fornycacyon / the souerayne remedye is to occupye hym selfe in prayers and orysons / or in temporall werkes / and I lee ydlenes whiche is the rote of all vyces ¶ To this purpose we rede that an holy hermyte beyng in a place named Celya / the whiche by the deuyls was sore tempted for to acomplysshe the synne of lecherye He consydered in hym selfe that it was of necessyte that he sholde sette hym selfe to some werke by the whiche his bodye were strongly trauaylled ¶ Now this broder was a potmaker / so aduysed he that he sholde make a woman of erthe / in dede he dyde so / after that she was made / he sayd to his thoughtes the tourmented him of the synne of fornycacyon that he had a woman to kepe But bycause that this notwithstandyÌ„g he was euer teÌ„pted as aboue / he ymagyned to labour more than he had done tofore / made childern of erthe saynge after to his thoughtes when they moeued hyÌ„ to lecherye that he hadde bothe wyfe and childern Morouer for to ouercome his passyons / he purposed to laboure more than he had done afore / sayng that nedes he muste trauaylle / aswell for to gete his wyfe
in two lytyll pottes moche lyke to eche other So it happed that his dyscyple in makyng his sayd pappe he toke the potte where in the oyle was wenyng to him to haue taken the other where in the honny was / and of this oyle sore stynknyge he powred in to the sayd pappe And how be it that by meane of the sayde oyle the pappe was of an ryght euyll taste / neuerthelesse he ete twyes of it / at the thyrde tyme / he tolde hym that he myght ete nomore therof / wherfore the dyscyple desyryng that he sholde ete more of it He sayd to hym Ha my fader it is soo good / looke I shall ete of it with you Thenne he toke of the same for to ete of it / thus doynge he knewe that it was all stynkynge ¶ Thenne he kneled before the holy fader cryed hym mercy sayeng Alas my fader I am cause of thy deth / alas why dydest not telle me therof ¶ The abbot answered / my sone be not angry / yf god had wolde that I sholde haue ete it god wolde haue grauÌ„ted that 〈…〉 haue tâ—ken to it the honny 〈◊〉 the cyte / ¶ The abbot Poemen sayd that yf Nabuzar 〈◊〉 the prynce of the tâ—ken / that is to wyt a souerayne 〈◊〉 man in dressyng of metes / hadde not come in Iherusalem / the Temple of god sholde not haue be brenâ—e by â—yre That is to sa yt / that yf the desyre of the synne of glotonye is not put one in man / his spyryte may not be enflamed nor moeued to fyght ayenst the deuyll ¶ Saynte Macharye had of custome / that when he ete with his brethern / yf men presented hym with 〈◊〉 / he dranke of it / but after for as many tymes that he had dronken therof / he absteyned hym selfe by as many dayes that he dranke nother water nor wyn Notwithstandyng he dranke it Ioyously / hopyng that afterwarde by abstynenâ—e suche as it is sayd / he myght therfore â—ere penauÌ„ce ¶ And for this cause his dyscyple knowyng the grete affeccyon that he bare in makynge the sayd abstynence / forbode that none sholde presente hym with wyn to drynke / sayng that the wyne that he dranke / was vnto hym by cause of the sayd afflyccyon more cause of tourmente / than of substentacyon ¶ In a congregacyon or assemblee of Relygyouses etyng togyder flesshe where the abbot Theodore was / a Relygyouse among the other was there fouÌ„de that ete noo maner of mete ¶ And by adueÌ„ture bycause he had brought with hym some oynoâ—s or herbes whiche he wolde haue ete with saâ—â— He called one of them that serued at the table sayd vnto him My sone I ete nothyng that is â—â—st nor soden / but I praye the gyue me a lytyll salte ¶ The souerayne abbot of this assemble / herynge the sayd brother / he sayd vnto the seruauÌ„t / why gyuest that hym not that he asketh / when thou seest that he eteth nothyng ¶ Thenne the abbot Theodore in rebukynge hym by cause he had shewed openly his abstynence / sayd vnto hym ¶ It had be better my brother that thou had eten flesshe in thy celle or habytacyon / than that thou sholdest haue sayd these wordes in the presence of so many Relygyouses / gyuyng to knowe by the same wordes that rather he sholde haue absteyned hym selfe from etynge of salte / than to shewe his abstynence / whiche he ought to haue kept secrete ¶ A brother in lykewyse came ouer to the abbot Syluayn whiche dwelled in the montayn of Syna He seeyng that his Relygyouses occupyed themself to temporall werkes sayd to hym ¶ Fader abbot / why suffrest thou that the brethern werke applye themselfe to operacyons worldly Thou knowest well that it is wryten that Marye Magdalene hath chosen the best parte for herselfe / that is to wyte contemplacyon ¶ The abbot heryng these wordes / coÌ„maunded that men sholde take to the sayd brother a boke of contemplacyon that he sholde be shett within a chaÌ„bre there contemplatyuely for to apply hym selfe to deuoute oryson The whiche thyng was thus done / the sayde Relygyouse was left within the sayde chambre all allone tylle that eueryche of them had taken his refeccyon / wherfore he as wery noyouse to be there so longe seeyng that he was not called for to ete / he came to the abbot asked hym yf he sholde not ete ¶ The same abbot for to repreue hym of his folysshe repreyff / saye to hym Thou art a man all spyrytuall that hath no nede of mete nor drynke maternall ¶ With this the brother yelde hym selfe all confuse knowyng that he had done yll to haue repreued hym as aboue it is sayd ¶ And thenne the holy fader sayd agayne vnto hym O brother thou knowest now that Marthe is necessarye vnto Marye and that by Marthe Marye is praysed That is to saye that the lyfe contemplatyue hath nede of the lyfe actyue ¶ There were somtyme two brethern Relygyouses / euery of them had to name Iohan. One of them whiche was abbot lesse than that other of stature tempted with boost and vayne glorye / sayde to the moost that he wolde lede an angelles lyfe / serue to god contynuelly without ony other thyng to do ¶ Soo lefte he his monasterye and all that he had wente to an hermytage where he kepte hym a whyle / syn Retourned to his brother / knocked atte his dore / his brother asked who was there that knocked so Wherat he answered that it was his brother That other kepyng his dore shette sayd there ayenst My brother is now with the angels it maye not be that he sholde haâ—Ì„te with the men So lefte he hym atte his dore all a hole nyght ¶ And in the mornyng gyuyng to hym entrynge he sayd to hym in this maner ¶ My brother yf thou be a man / thou must labour / otherwyse thou canst not lyue ¶ Thenne this other broder knowe his grete hooâ— cryeng mercy to his brother / and toke hym to his werke agayne ¶ An other brother was / that was sore subget to the synne of blasphemye / that whiche ryght sory for this vyce went vnto all the olde faders that he wyst ony wherfore to declare vnto them his myÌ„de therupon ¶ But Incontynent that he come to them / he was soo shamefast that he durst not shewe his synne to them So wente he oftentymes for this cause towarde the abbot Poemen / neuerthelesse he came ayene without to telle him ony thyng therof ¶ But the sayd abbot seyng hym pensefull malencolyouse / constrayned hym so that he opened to him his corage / in sayeng vnto him that he was right sory that he was thus enclyned to the sayd synne of blasphemye ¶ Thenne the sayd holy fader couÌ„seylled him / that at all tymes that he sholde be tempted of it / he sholde resyste sayeng vnto
same man in presence of all the assystens began to telle openly / how he was a grete synner hadde hooly gyuen hym selfe in tyme passed vnto many a grete synne foule abhomynable And how entryng in the chirche he had herde the wordes of our lorde / sayeng by the mouthe of Ysaye the prophete ¶ Wasshe your selfe be clene / put awaye the malyces synnes from your soules / for to be present purely clenely before my presence / lerne to do good / seke Iustyce ryghtwysnesse ¶ And yf your synnes be reed enflaÌ„med by the bronde of coÌ„cupyscence / in dooyng this the sayd is / they shall become whyte as snowe ¶ And also yf ye wyll here me do that I saye / ye shall ete of the goodes of the erthe ¶ And morouer sayd the sayd repentauÌ„t synner I am a wretched fornycatour whiche is touched with coÌ„punccoÌ„n thrugh the sayd wordes of thou prophete / entryng within the chirche I haue sayd vnto god in my corage Syre I knowe that thou art he that is come for to saue the synners / wherfore humbly I praye the that now it wyll please the to accomplysshe in me vnworthy synner that that the hast promysed by the mouthe of the holy prophete And fro this tyme I promyse the with all myn herte / that I shall nomore retourne in to my synne And in witstondyng to all wyckednes and Iniustyce I thynke me to serue the with coÌ„scyence pure clene From this daye thenne from this houre wyll thou wouchesaufe to receyue me as veray penytent / worshypyng thy souerayn god hede forsakyng all my synnes / the whiche thyng thou ought not to refuse me seen that I haue in my self stablysshed sworen to kepe all thy Iustyfycacyons ¶ And vnder this promesse the forsayd penytent sayd that he was come out of the sayd chirche ordeynyng in hym selfe neuer to do synne ¶ The whiche thynges heryng that sayd good olde men beyng there / they began to crye to god warde sayeng in this wyse O lord god how grete praysyngly ben thy werkes / that hast done all thynges in wysdom ¶ The abbot Iosephell goynge with some other good olde faders toward the abbot Poemen / one of the frendes of the sayd Poemen brought afore his monasterye a childe of his / that IncoÌ„uenyentes vexacoÌ„ns of the deuyll had the face all dysfygured / the whiche frende syttyng with his sayd childe without the sayd monasterye wept with grete habondauÌ„ce of teeres And one of the sayd good olde faders heryng that weylynge sorowes of the fader of the sayd childe / was gone out of the sayd monasterye for to wyte who moeued hyÌ„ for to wepe so / he axed hym of the cause Wherat he answered / that he was kynnesman vnto the sayd abbot Poemen / was come there to the ende he myght haue thrugh his meane the helth to the sayd childe / whiche neuerthelesse he feered to haue brought within the chirche doubtyng that the sayd abbot Poemen whiche had feere to haue bruyt renoÌ„mee that he sholde make myracles / wolde haue put hym out agayn Sayeng morouer that he seeyng the sayd holy faders come there / he had purposed vnder theyr confydence that he sholde bryng there his sayd childe And after castyng his wordes towarde the abbot Iosephell forsayd / he sayd thus to hyÌ„ ¶ Holy fader haue mercy vpon me my childe make hym to be brought therin with the / to th ende that the holy fader Poemen seeyng hyÌ„ he wyll praye god for hym ¶ The whiche abbot Iosephell beryng the same childe to the celle of the sayd Poemen vsyng with wyse counseyll presented hym not at fyrst metyng vnto the abbot Poemen For he wolde not haue be well contente yf he hadde seen that the sayd Iosephell sholde haue had so grete trust of hym / as for to haue heled hym by myracle / but he presented hym vnto the lower brethern sayd to them ¶ My brethern blesse thy childe praye god for hym / after he requyred the other brothern to do so lykewyse / folowyngly he came to the sayd abbot Poemen to whom he made lyke Requeste But neuertheles he wolde not entromytte hyÌ„ therof And where all theym beyng present requyred hyÌ„ to praye with theym as they dyde / he was content to do so So stode he vp wepyng prayed with that other in this maner O my god thy wyll be for to helpe this childe whiche is thy creature / suffre no lenger that the sende haue ony domynacoÌ„n ouer hym The whiche oryson fynysshed the sayd childe blessyd by hyÌ„ with the sygne of the crosse / he was anone gyuen hole sonde vnto his fader ¶ Somtyme one of the holy faders was axed / yf pouerte was a parfytte good / the whiche answered that it was a grete afflyccyon / but who that susteyneth it wylfully all â—e it he be tormented with it in his flesshe / neuerthelesse in beryng the same he fyndeth the reste of his owne soule ¶ A yonge Relygyouse made suche a questyon to an olde relygyouse / that is to wyte / yf a brother of his ought hyÌ„ a lytyll somme of moneye yf he sholde are it hyÌ„ or no. To the whiche that olde answered that he myght well are it with humylyte ones oonly ¶ And the yong sayd to hym Yf he wyll not paye me thenne / what ought I to do ¶ Thou shalt sayd the other speke nomore of it Ye but sayd the yong monke I shall not haue power to breke my corage but that I shall be to hym hasty or callyng therupon Wherat the olde answered / thou muste be mayster of thy selfe / chyde with thyn owne selfe oonly / to th ende that thou angre not thy brother / for thou ought to kepe the there from as besely as thou canst / seen namely that thou art a Relygyouse ¶ An other yong broder Requyred one the was olde / that he wolde telle hyÌ„ how by what maner he myght gete parfytte mekenesse Wherat he answered that he sholde come to it lyghtly / yf he wolde consyder his owne wyckednesse / not they of other / sayng with this / that the perfeccion of man is humylyte of asmoche as the man abateth hyÌ„selfe lowe by humylyte / so moche more is he enhauÌ„sed by his humylyte / for lyke as the cursed synne of pryde yf hit wyll be areysed vnto heuen / is confounded ouerthrawen vnto the betom of helle All thê° humilyte yf it descendeth vnto the lowest degre / it is then exalted vnto heuen ¶ The holy abbot Macharye walkynge on a tyme by the desertes / fouÌ„de in his waye vpon the erthe the hede of a dede man whiche hede he tourned with his staffe ouer all sydes / thus doyng be herde the hede that sorowed weyled And bycause it sowned no worde that be coude vnderstande
/ he asked what made it so to complayne Where at the hede answered / that it was the bede of a preest of the paynemyes lawe whiche had be a prynce of the synagoge of Ydoles that in the same place were reuerenced and worshypped / and by cause I knowe the fulfylled with the holy goost I am moeued for to requere thy grace / knowyng that atte ony tyme that it wyll please the for to praye for them that be in payne / they shall fele some consolacyon ¶ Thenne the sayd holy abbot Macharye sayd to hyÌ„ Now answer me / what is your comforte / what is your payne Wherat the same hede more stroÌ„gely weylyng than tofore began to saye ¶ Ha holy fader our payne is so grete / that we be from the fete to the hede thrawen within a feerful fyre / whiche is more hyghe than there is space betwene the heuen the erthe / that more encreaceth our sorowe It is not vnto vs possyble for to see eche other / but the faces of euery one of vs ben Ioyned ouerthward vnto our backes ¶ And when thou prayest for vs / thenne see we the one the other openly / whiche is vnto vs some comforte ¶ These wordes sayd / the holy man Macharye began to wepe sayd Cursed be the daye in whiche the man hath presumed to despyse or breke the commauÌ„dementes of god ¶ And after he enquered agayne of the sayd hede / yf in the place where they were tourmented / were ony grete paynes To whom it answered that in that wretched place were many one that were moche more lowe therin than the paynemes were ¶ And where the holy fader asked what they were / the hede answered sayd / we that haue had no knowloge of the souerayne god haue some what of mercy / but as to them that haue knowen hym forsaken / they be vnderneth vs traueylled tourmented with dyuerse tourmentes ¶ The whiche wordes y herde by the good abbot forsayd / after that he hadde shoued the sayd hede in to the erthe / he wente forthon his waye ¶ An other brother axed of an aeged holy fader / why men of Relygyon were oftentymes tempted and befought of the deuyll of helle / wherat he answered It is bycause that we caste awaye from vs our armour deffenses that are pacyence / humylyte / debonarete / wyllefull obedyence ¶ An other broder requyred the abbot Sysonyns that he sholde telle hym / yf the deuyll dyde persyewe soo strongely the Relygyouses that thenne were / as they dyde the other in tyme passed The whiche Sysonyns answered vnto him that they more prycked and pursyewed them / than they hadde done the older because that the deuyll knoweth the endynge of the worlde whiche draweth nyghe / where his tourmentes shall encreace multyplye in dyuerse maners wherin he desyreth to acoÌ„panyed with Infynyte legyons of synners for to be brenned and tourmented with hym in fyre and in sulphure where he wayteth to brenne perpetuelly And for this cause he pursyeweth the folke / not oonly soo besely the wycked folke whiche he knoweth to be lyghtly torned to obeye his cursed moost grettest wyles / but also more curyously with more grete dylygence he pursyeweth the good folke where he knoweth them to be of more stable stedfast corage ¶ Some other brethern knowyng an other aeged fader to be wounderfull prudente and wyse / asked hyÌ„ by what meanes he had goten so grete wysdom Wherat he answered / that he had neuer reteyned nor suffre to soyourne in his herte ony euyll thoughtes / by the whiche he doubted to haue prouoked our lord god to be wroth ayenst hym ¶ Saynt Anthonye sayd that a Relygyouse yf to hym were possyble ought to gyue acomptes vnto his elders / not onely of all the passes that he maketh in his celle or in his monasterye / but also of all the water that he drynketh of euery tyme that he taketh of it for to drynke / to th ende he sholde make hym contente certayne of his lyuyng gouernemente for to kepe hym selfe that he shall not trespasse nor take awaye contrarye to them ¶ The abbot Poemen sayd that the fende in no thyng taketh so grete a gladnesse as he dothe whan he maye ouer come a synner so that he wyll not vtter nor shewe his synnes by confessyon ¶ A yâ—ng relygyouse sayd to an aeged fader that oftentymes he questyoned the olde faâ—ers to th ende they sholde tell hym also that he sholde serue of them some good lore Instruccyons for his soule to be saued but what soeuer they tolde hym he coude not withholde no thynge Now had this olde fader to whoâ—â— he spake two vesselles that were empty So comaunded â—e to the yong Relygyouse that he sholde take one of them wasshe it clene with fayte water sette it ayen in his place whiche thyng be made hym do ones ones agayne ¶ Thenne sayd to hym the olde fader that he sholde brynge hym bothe the vesselles he dyde so ¶ And thenne he asked hym whiche of them two was clener Wherat the yong answered that it was that selfe wherin he had putte water with the whiche he had wasshed it The olde sayd there ayenst My sone it is thus of our soule when it herkenneth often the wordes of god / for how be it that it kepeth noo thynge of thoo wordes that it hereth or of those that it Requyreth to be tolde vnto it for to saue the soule by / neuerthelesse it is more clene therby / than yf it herde not nor asked noo thyng of it / by this namely / that thus doyeng she escheweth euyll thoughtes and ouercometh the temptacyons of the deuyll ¶ An other sayd also to an olde fader that when a Relygyouse haunted and occupyeth hym selfe to good werkes / the deuyll coÌ„myng to hym for to torne hym can not haue no power ouer hym bycause that he fyndeth noo place for him ¶ And by this cause he departeth and gooth awaye anone leueth the same Relygyouse in peas ¶ To the contrarye yf he suffreth and applyeth hym selfe in euyll werkes / the deuyll fyndeth anone a place for to kepe him companye ¶ And all be it that the teâ—hynge of god wyll often shewe hym for to doo good / neuerthelesse withstandynge his obstynate and frowardnesse she departeth from hym syghtely and seueth hym / wherfore it is of nede / but yf he wyll be loste / that with alle his herte he tourne his affeccyon vnto almyghty god ¶ And thus doyeng the sayd shewyng shall soone come to him agayne ¶ To an other yonge relygyouse that asked of an auncyent holy fader / how longe a monke ought to labour / was answered by the sayd holy fader / vnto the tyme that he shall possesse Ihesu Cryste / because that he that hath hym in possessyon / nedeth not to labour
trowbled in his corage And as soone as the daye was come / he toke his waye in soo grete dylygence that he came to the hermytage of that other Relygyouse of whome the deuyls made theyr boost / the whiche he founde moche sorowfull and heuy ¶ Soo dyde he shewe ryght well to hym that that was happed vnto hym of his water / and how dyuerse tymes it was spylled by it selfe when he wende for to haue dronke of the same Askynge of hym what myght be the cause that it soo happed ¶ Thenne the other Relygyouse sayd vnto hym ¶ O my brother thou art welcome syth it hath please the for to come hether for to shewe vnto me thyne Inconuenyences ¶ Truly brother myn I haue well more nede of thy good counseylle and comforte / than thou hast of myn For but late agoo / I am fallen in the synne of fornycacyon ¶ Thenne answered to hym his felawe Veryly my brother I haue wel knowen therof this nyght ¶ Alas and how answered that other ¶ Certaynely sayd he in slepynge within the Temple of ydolles / whiche lyeth by the waye hetherwarde bytwene thyn lodgys and myn I haue herde the deuyls that spaken of the and were wonderfull gladde of the same synne / in whiche they haue the ouerthrawen And anone the poore broder sayd vnto hym as by dysperacyon ¶ Ha my brother I am nomore worthy to be nor acompanye whith the holy hermytes Relygyouses of the hermytages / certaynly I wyll now goo presentely for to vse wretchydly my lyfe with the folke of the worlde ¶ Thenne the good relygyouse requyred hym by good charyte that he sholde not abyde in that foly / drawyng his trust aback from the grete mercy of god / but sholde take a good corage and purpose hym selfe for to lyue euer a Relygyouse lyfe / lyuyng so lytaryly in the desertes / as he was wonte to do in tyme passed / that he sholde forsake leue that cursed woman / for it was thrugh the entytynge of the deuyll that she was come there These wordes herde / the poore Relygyouse repented hym of his synne by veray contrycyon grete penauÌ„ce whiche he contynued longe / vnto the tyme that he founde hym selfe better than he was / in rest of conscyence ¶ An aeged holy fader sayd / that thre thynges / that is to wyte / to putte hym selfe from the besynesse solycytudes / to be transyble to thynke in his herto vpon his synnes engendre in a Relygyouse the vertue of charyte ¶ An other Relygyouse moeued a questyon to an aeged holy fader askyng hyÌ„ Yf it happeth that a Relygyouse falleth in to some synne / soo that the other Relygyouses be therby sklauÌ„dred / what remedye shall they soke vpon the same Answeryng to the whiche questyon / the sayd holy fader folde the hystorye that folâ—weth saynge Atte a monasterye in Egypte dwelled a dyaken well famed rendured / in whom tyme happeth that a man of courte / by a Iuge hauyng power of the londe was banysshed or in suche wyse trowbled that he was constrayned to withdrawe hyÌ„self / whiche with all his meny came to the monastery where the sayd dyaken dwelled / this courtire in the sayd monastery soiournyng / the sayd dyaken atte the sayd instygacoÌ„n entycyng of the deuyll coÌ„mysed the synne of fornycacoÌ„n and adulterye with this courtyers wyfe / wherof grete sclauÌ„der coÌ„fusyon moeued among the relygyouses there / wherfore he moeued by grete shame contrycoÌ„n / wente secretly vnto an olde fader declared to hyÌ„ his befall / prayng hym that he wold gyue hym couÌ„sell to helpe hym that he myght aryse from his greuous synne And talkyng togyder / the olde fader ledde hym in to a secrete celle that he had ferre within the deserte / the whiche celle seeyng this dyaken / he prayed the sayd holy fader / that he sholde burye hym quycke therin / that he sholde neuer telle to no bodye where he was So entred he within this dwellyng that was derke obscure / there he made an harde a vertuouse penauÌ„ce by a longe a grete space of tyme / duryng the whiche happed in the londe of Egypte a grete dreought scarsenesse bycause that the water of Nub that was theÌ„ne veray small myght not wete the countree as she had acustomed / Wherfore the people began to make deuoute prayers / letanyes and orysons prayng our lorde that he wolde haue pyte of them and to sende them some water for the mayntenynge of theyr poore lyues And in makyng thyse sayde prayers It was shewed vnto an holy hermyte by the wyll of god / that the water of the sayd flood sholde not were nor growe vnto the tyme that the dyaken whiche was hydde within the celle of the sayd holy fader in the desertes of Egypt / sholde come for to praye with the other for to haue the sayd water The whiche Reuelacyon this holy fader Incontynente shewed to all the other faders / whiche anone wente towarde the sayd dyaken brought hym out of the sayd celle And syn after sett hymselfe to prayers and orysons with them / soone after the sayd water grewe encreaced in so grete habondauÌ„ce that the derthe ceassed / wherby they had goodes suffysaunt And they that had be afore sklauÌ„dred and shamed by hym / were well praysed syn of hym for his grete and harde penaunce / wherof they praysed and gloryfyed the name of god ¶ Two brethern Relygyouse wente ones to a cyte whiche was nyghe theyr hermytage for to selle there theyr werke that they had made for to gete theyr lyuyng And when they were come to the sayd cyte / after that they were departed the one fro the other for to spede more soone theyr dedes / one of them fulfylled the synne of fornycacoÌ„n His brother came soone ayen towarde hym / tolde hym that they sholde retorne to theyr celles / wherat the poore synner answerd / that he sholde not retourne thyther / why sayd the other / bycause I am not worthy to be there ony more / bycause that syn that thou departed from me I haue folyshly dampnbly done the wretched synne of fornycacoÌ„n ¶ Thenne his brother desyryng to wynne his soule kepe from dampnacyon / sayd to hym in this wyse In good sothe my brother / as moche is happed vnto me syn I lefte the / and therfore we shall not dyspere our selfe / but we shall Retourne ayen to our celles for to wepe there ouer our synnes and do penauÌ„ce / and god thrugh his mercy shall forgyue vs our trespasses And incontynent that they were gone ayen / they shewed vnto the auncyent faders that / that was happed vnto them / they gaue them suche penaunces as they semed good ¶ In this dede is well to be consydered the grete charyte of the broder that had not synned / but for to gyue his broder
it so that they be sore curyouse besy for to put them in to the hertes of the persones / alwayes it is not to thē possyble for to make them abyde therin / but yf they wyll hemself / wherfor thou ought to knowe not fere / but the thou mayst receyue or forsake them whan thou wylt And to this purpose maye be applyed this that the Madyanitees dyd when they made fayre clad theyr thoughters / put them in the syght byfore the presence of the childern of Israell For they cōstrayned not none of them for to haue doo carnaly with the sayd wȳmen / but they that folysshly dyde sette theyr loue vpon them / dyde what they wolde with them / thēne the Madyanites angred moeued ayenst them that had defoyled theyr doughters / thretned the other / but they toke vengeaūce of the fornycatours / whiche they broughte all to deth And thus hast thou for to do of the lecherouse tēptacōns in castyng them from the / to th ende that they be not cause of the deth ¶ Thenne answered the broder Good fader ye coūseyll me right well / but what shall ye answere to me of that I am weyke and soo feble that this passyon ouercometh me ¶ Thou must sette all thyn affeccyon sayd the holy fader to withstonde And when the deuyls shall enforce them for to moeue thy herte for to thynke euyll or to speke some ylle answer them not in no wyse / but aryse for to praye god doo penaūce saynge O sone of god haue mercy vpon me Ha good fader sayd the brother I shall do well this / atte lest I am well in a thought to do soo / but I haue not in myn herte no maner of cōpunccion For I can not vnderstande the vertue of the wordes of the oryson that thou tellest to me Well sayd the holy fader yf thou vnderstandest nothyng of it / thou shalt thynke oonly therupon For I haue herde saye the abbot Pastor / also other olde faders this worde / that is to wyte that the enchauntour knowyng not perfyghtly what betoken the wordes by the meanes of whiche he maketh his incantacōns / but alwayes he knoweth that by suche wordes spoken to the serpent that hereth them / that selfe serpent is incontynent enchaūted Lykewyse how well that we knowe the vertue of the wordes that we put forth in our orysons / always the deuyls when they here them they aferde therof and by the vertue and drede of the same / they goo from vs. ¶ Some ancyent sayd that the thought of fornycacyon is as freylle as lyght for to breke as paper For yf the happeth to come vpon vs that we refuse her and cast her behynde vs / she is of lyght ouercome It is thenne nedefull that we haue dyscrecōn in our thoughtes cogytacyons / by the whiche we haue to knowe / that they that consente to them ought not to haue thus dooyng ony hope to be saued / but they that withstande ayenst them may owe to wayte for theyr rewarde the crowne of vyctory in the Royalme of heuen ¶ Two brethern sore assaylled tempted of the synne of fornycacōn / not hauyng afore theyr eyen the drede of god nor the memory of the helthe of theyr soules / as foles and out of wytte forsoke and lefte theyr hermytages / and ledyng eche of them a comon woman with them / went and accompanyed certayne space of tyme among the worldly folke ¶ And after that they had thus wantonly lyued / one of them shewed to the other theyr vnhappy and wycked lyuyng / and sayd to hym suche wordes Lete vs consydere and take hede what goodes we lese / that lyuyng soo wyckedly we leue the lyfe of angels for to accompanye and vs to defoyle in soo stynkyng a fylthe / the whiche shall be cause vnto vs for to go in to broundes and tourmentes that euer shall last I praye the my brother lete vs goo agayne to the hermytage and doo penaunce for the synnes that we haue done soo presumptuously ¶ The whiche thyng they purposed and were delyvered for to doo And folowyng theyr delyberacyon came to the desertes where as they founde the aeged holy faders / to whome ryght humbly and in grete contrycyon they besought that they wolde receyue them to penaunce as they dyde ¶ And after that they hadde made an hoole confessyon of all theyr synnes / the auncyent faders dyde shytte theym within theyr celles / where as they were by the space of a yere where as they made to be admynystred to them a lytyll brede and a lytyll water for to susteyne theyr lyffe withall / as moche to the one as to the other For also they were bothe y lyke of face and of aege ¶ And after that / that they hadde done theyr penaunce and that they were loos agayne and lete out of theyr celles / the holy fader seeyng the one of them to be wonderfull pale heuy / that other moche boystouse gladde / they wondred sore vpon / withstandynge that to eyther of them / as moche to the one as to the other / there lyuyng indyfferently had be admynystred vnto them / wherfor they moeued a questyon vnto hym that soo pale and heuy was / askyng hym what dedes he had had in his thoughtes duryng the tyme of the penaūce that he had ben in his celle / wherat he answered ¶ In good sothe sayd he I haue had euer in Remembraūce the paynes tourmentes that I haue deserued / and in whiche I was aferde to come / for the grete abhomynable and vyle synnes that I haue done And for this cause for the grete drede that I toke therof I am become thus drye and lene by the contynuelly ensyght that I had therupon In son moche that my bones haue perced and yet perce my flesshe as ye see And after they questyoned the other sayng And thou brother what thought haddest thou in thy celle The Relygyouse answered I rendred contynually graces and thankes vnto my god of that it had pleased hym to delyuer me out of the fylthes and vnclennesse of this worlde / and from the paynes and tormenees euerlastyng / in callyng me ayen to this angels lyfe And in Remembryng my selfe of the grete mercyes of my god I wexed gladde in my selfe as yet styll I do The whiche wordes herde of the sayd aeged faders / they Iuged that theyr penaunce was lyke and semblable towarde god / and thanked them ¶ An auncyent holy fader was in the desertes of Sychye / the whiche fylle in a grete sykenesse / and for to Releue hym therfrom / many brethern besyed them curyously for to serue and admynyster vnto hym all his necessytees as well as they coude ¶ This holy fader consyderyng the payne and traueyle that they toke and bore about hym / thought in hym selfe for to goo in to Egypte
his mynde / coÌ„syderyng theyr werkes he began to wryte in the erthe in sayeng these wordes Pambo fasted two dayes hole in the weke / eteth two lytyll loues baken in the asshes / is he therfor a monke / nay and after he wrote sayeng Pambo receyueth of his werkes .ij pens dystrybuteth in almes / is he therfore a monke / certaynly nay And after that he was styll a lytyll he sayd to theym that the werkes that they dyde were good But yf they kept theyr conscyences ayenst theyr neyghbours in soo doyng they sholde be saued And with these wordes that sayd relygyoê° beyng well edyfyed / departed retorned in grete Ioye ¶ An other broder Relygyous asked the sayd abbot Pambo / how he myght do that the euyll spyrytes / that is to saye the deuylles of helle defended hym to do ony good werke to his neyghboures To whom the holy fader answered / that he sholde saye nomore so / for in tho wordes he made god a lyer / but he sayd to hyÌ„ absolutely these wordes I wyll not do mercy / sayd that god purueyeng for our caas ayenst the sayd enemyes of helle / had sayd these wordes That is to wyte I haue gyuen to you power to marche vpon the serpent scorpyons / to trede theym vnder your fete And in lyke wyse I haue gyuen to you power vpon the strength of thenemye Thenne sayd the holy fader to the Relygyous / why defoulest not that the stynkyng and foule enemyes ¶ Thabbot Paladius sayd that it is of necessyte / that the soule that wyll lyue coÌ„uerse accordyng to the wyll of Ihesu cryste / to lerne in the fayth tho thynges whiche he knoweth not / also that he shewe teche manyfestly that whiche he had lerned And yf the soule do not eueryche of these two thynges there as she may do it / it may be sayd of suche a soule that she is withholden with a maladye enraged For the fyrst pryncypall begynnyng to departe hyÌ„ selfe fro god / is to haue ennoye greuauÌ„ce to shewe teche the good that he can And whan we haue appetyte that the soule alwaye loue god ¶ An other relygyous axed of thabbot Sysoy wherfor it was that his passyons myght not departe froÌ„ hyÌ„ To whom the holy fader answere / that it was bycause that the vessellys of the same passyons were within hyÌ„ / as who sholde saye he receyued theym ouer lyghtly And furthermore he answered hyÌ„ that he sholde gyue to theym theyr wages the they were worthy to haue / they shall goo theyr waye ¶ Saynt Syncletyce sayd that they whiche by grete labours / in peryll of the see gadre assemble teÌ„porall rychesses haue grete thynges Thenne they desyre to gete yet more repute lytyll or nothyng that they haue And the worse is they sette all theyr entent affeccoÌ„n to haue gete thoo thynges that they haue not But we our selfe whiche ought to enforce vs to prouffyte in relygyon / haue no charge or besynesse of thynges that is to saye of vertues that we ought to gete / also we wyll not possesse theym whiche ben to vs necessary for to gete that loue of our lord Yet sayd that good lady Syncletyce that the ther be two maner of heuynesses / that one is to the soule vtyle prouffytable / that other corrupteth is ryght doÌ„megeable TheÌ„ne the heuynesse whiche is prouffytable is that / whaÌ„ by cause of our synnes we wayle wepe for theym / for thyngnorauÌ„ce of our neyghbours / also in feryng that we fall not fro our good purpose / to th ende that we may come to the perfeccoÌ„n of all bouÌ„de / this is the veray spece of heuynesse That other heuynesse the corrupteth the soule / is that whiche the fende sendeth to vs without ony reason / that whiche tholde faders calle it ennoye or greuauÌ„ce / therfore it is necessary to vs to cast it away with all dylygence / in makyng to god contynuell prayers psalmodyes orysâ—â—s ¶ Yet sayd the holy lady Syncletyce / that the fende by his euyll cautell excyteth somtyme theym that ben conteÌ„platyfe to make grete inmoderate abstynences And otherwhyle he putteth in to theyr ymagynacoÌ„n that whiche is but resonable / to be harde dyffycyle to bere / whan theÌ„ne we wyll dyscerne thabstynence dyuyne holsome fro the whiche is tyraÌ„nyke dyabolyke / we ought to obserue kepe the thynges / that is to wyte / that in all tyme we haue one vnmutable rule in fastyng / that we determyne not sodaynly to faste four or fyue dayes coÌ„tynuell / after we to fyll the bely with grete multytude of metes / for that reioyceth moche strongly our enemye aduersary the deuyll / for alway that whiche is done without mesure / gooth to corrupcoÌ„n / lete vs not thenne sodaynly caste awaye our armour / to th ende that we be not fouÌ„de naked in the bataylle / by this nakednes taken lyghtly put to deth Now our armour ben our bodyes / the knyght is our soule / wherfore it behoueth vs to be dylygent kepe vs that we be redy to socour that one that other ¶ On a tyme two olde faders camen fro the partyes of Peluse vnto the abbesse Sarre / in comyng thyder they sayd that it was nede to meke theymself / that is to say / to purpose to her some wordes whiche sholde gyue to her cause of humylyte They theÌ„ne arryued to her in deuysyng togyder the one of them tweyne sayd to her / that she sholde take hede be well ware / that she enhauÌ„sed ne lyfte vp her self in her corage / that she sholde not be proude in auauÌ„tyng sayng that to her whiche was a woman were comen solytary relygyouses To whom prudently she answered that how be it that she was a woman of sexe femenyne / neuertheles she had the corage of a man as she wolde saye that she was not so indyscrete for tenhauÌ„ce her self by ouer moche vauÌ„terye And morouer the sayd abbesse sayd to theym / yf I requyred of god that euery maÌ„ sholde haue of me good reputacoÌ„n eyther were of me well edyfyed I sholde do so moche that I wolde be fouÌ„de doynge penauÌ„ce tofore theyr yates / but I seche not this vayne glorye / but praye god that my corage my werkes be reputed of lytyll estymacoÌ„n ayenst all men ¶ Thabbot Ypericiê° sayd that he is veryly wyse that by his werkes / not by worded ensygneth techeth other ¶ On a tyme cam a noble maÌ„ of Rome be cam made hyÌ„self relygyous in a chirche of Sychye / whiche had had tofore a palays moche gretly renoÌ„med / had a seruauÌ„t whiche mynystred to hyÌ„ his necessytees The preest hauyng the pryncypall mynystracoÌ„n of the same chirche / coÌ„syderyng that this relygyoê° man had be in
also in saynt Mathewe / where as it is sayd / ye shall pray thus Pater noster c. Fader our whiche art in heuens so forth ¶ Of thabbot Sysoys / some relygyouses sayden / that yf he had soone brought doun his handes / whan he hadde lefte theym vp to heuen makyng his prayers Incontynent he had be rauysshed and in a traunce And therfore whan ony was with hym in prayer / he made hyÌ„ to take doun his hondes / doubtyng that he sholde entre in to a traunce / or to be rauysshed / or that he shold so abyde by longe espace of tyme. ¶ An olde man sayd that contynuell prayer correcteth the thought of synne ¶ An other sayd / that as it is not possyble to a man to see his owne face in foule and trouble water / ryght in lyke wyse it is not possyble that a man maye knowe his owne fayte and dede / yf it be not gadred in hym selfe without to haue regarde / without to thynke vpon on the fayte dedes of other ¶ An holy man cam on a tyme to the mountayne of Synay And as he wente he mette in his waye a relygyoê° brother / the whiche all wepyng sayd to hyÌ„ Alas fader we ben lost in our countree For it rayneth not / ther is no moystnes in the erthe Thenne sayd to hym the holy man / ye ought to praye god for to haue some rayn Thenne answered the brother Alas we haue prayed hym soo longe / and notwithstondyng it hath not rayned Thenne sayd the holy man to hym / ye haue not prayed affectuously ne hertly ynough And yf thou wylte wyte and haue knowleche / come with me and lete vs praye togyder TheÌ„ne the holy man kneled doun on his knees / and lyfte vp his handes in grete deuocoÌ„n and prayed god / and anone it began to rayne That seeyng the sayd brother / was sore aferde / and fyll doun to the fete of the sayd abbot The whiche abbot fleyng the praysynge of the worlde and of men departed anone Thus thenne many praye vnto god / but they be not herde / for they be not worthy ¶ Some freres sayden suche wordes / We founde on a tyme some olde faders whiche prayden god / with the whiche we sette vs doun in salewyng theym / and spack with theym longe of many thynges And theÌ„ne after we wolde haue departed / and we made to theym requeste that they sholde praye to god Thenne answerde of tholdest of theyÌ„ sayeng Haue ye not prayde / we answered yes fayr fader But whan we entred in here our prayer was thenne done / and sythen we haue alwaye spoken togydre / and by that we haue not prayde / for one may not praye speke one with a nother The sayd holy man answered My brethern pardoÌ„ne me / ther is here one of our olde brethern / that whiche in spekynge with you hath made an hondred thre prayers Thus thenne to speke togydre of puffytable thynges and helthfull / letteth not to praye / for that same is to pray god And this sayd we prayde / and after the holy faders went theyr waye leste vs. ¶ Here begynneth an other lytyll treatyse conteynyng how a man ought to doo mercy And begynneth in Latyn Preceperunt aliquando ¶ Thabbot Cassyen sayd whan we came to Palestyne in Egypte / an holy fader receyued vs in to his lodgys / we beyng comen in to his hous demaunded asked hyÌ„ Fader wherfore kepest not thou the rule of fastyng / whan thou receyuest ony of thy brethern / lyke as they do in Palestyne / the holy maÌ„ answered I haue alwaye fasted after my power / allone with my selfe And how well the fastyng is prouffytable necessarye / yet alwaye it is in our wyll / and with that god coÌ„mauÌ„ded vs that we be charytable / wherfor in receyuyÌ„g you many other brethern whiche I see not oft I ought to do dylygently that whiche apparteyneth to charyte / for whaÌ„ ye shal be departed froÌ„ me I shal mowe theÌ„ne fast as I dyde tofore / see we not that they that be boden to the weddyng of a spouse they beyng atte weddyng ought not to fast / but the weddyng the fest fynysshed they may well fast / thê° in your pÌ„sence for to excercyse that werke of very charyte I faste not / but in your absence I may well do it ¶ Furthermore sayd the same abbot Cassyan I my brethern went to an other holy olde fader / that whiche made vs to ete dryÌ„ke ynough / netheles yet he enforced vs to ete more TheÌ„ne I answerd to hyÌ„ for my selfe for the other fader we thaÌ„ke you / we haue eten suffycyently it is seefull that we ete not so ofte The holy man answered I haue this daye leyd the table sixe tymes to my frendes that ar come for to see me I haue sixe tymes eten with theyÌ„ / yet alwaye haue I huÌ„gre wherfor I am abasshed how ye be so soone full whiche haue not eten but onely ones In this partye sayen the holy doctours that we ought not to folowe this rule For that whiche was vertue to theyÌ„ / is or shall be vyce to many of vs. ¶ A coÌ„mauÌ„dement generall theÌ„ne was gyueÌ„ in the royame of Sychye / that euery man sholde fast an hole weke / that the fest of ester sholde be halowed in thesame weke Now it happed that duryng the same some brethern of egypte cameÌ„ to thabbot Moyses for to vysyte hyÌ„ / that whiche made to theyÌ„ a lytyll potage a pytauÌ„ce for to susteyne theyÌ„ coÌ„syderyng that they were wery trauaylled of theyr waye in dyghtyng dressyng the sayd pytauÌ„ce / the sauour fumee therof spredde all about theÌ„ne the neyghbours not knowyng the cause redy to saye euyll sooner than well / went to the prestes clerkes of the next chirche sayÌ„g that habbot Moyses that was reputed so holy a man had brokeÌ„ vyolated the general coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t for he fasted not that weke / the whiche thyng was ynough apparauÌ„t as they sayd / bycause he had ordeyned dressed dyuerse metes The presâ— knowyÌ„g of that one syde the good lyf of the sayd abbot / of the other syde that folysshe byleue of the people answerde / we shall speke to hym whan he cometh to chirche the saterdaye after whan the holy abbot was within the chirche the prest began to saye to hyÌ„ O holy abbot thou hast offended as touchyng of men / but as towarde god thou hast kepte his coÌ„mauÌ„d right constantly Here may be noted a thyng moche necessary to be kept / that is that a persone of the chirche in tyme of fastyÌ„ge ought not to ete to fore the symple people ygnorauÌ„â— in ony maner For by theyr imprudence folye / they Iuge it in to euyll / where he that so shall be noted may do it lawfully for
a good entente / as for cause of sekenesse or other necessyte ¶ A broder cam to thabbot Pastor the seconde weke of lente / in declaryng to hyÌ„ his thoughtis / fouÌ„de in hyÌ„ some rest of coÌ„scyence / theÌ„ne sayd the broder to hyÌ„ I had thought to haue dyfferred this daye for to haue come to the for lytyll thyng The abbot asked hyÌ„ wherfor / the broder answered I doubted by cause that it was lente that the yate sholde not haue be opened Thenne sayd to hyÌ„ the abbot we haue not be acustomed to shette the yate / by the whiche men entre herin / but we desyre more besyly to close shette the yate of that tongue As who wolde say that it is more vayllable to close refrayne his tongue from spekyng in tyme place / than to close and shette the materyall dore of his hous ¶ A broder sayd to thabbot Pastor / yf I gyue ony thyng to my neyghbour / anone the deuyll tempteth me with the synne of vayne glorye / wherfor I drede to do almesse The holy man answered / we ought to socour the necessyte of our neyghbours for the loue of god The same olde fader sayd to the broder one suche a parable Two men labourers dwelled in a cyte / of the whiche the one of that he had sowen gadred but lytyll good therof / yet that whiche he had gadred was not very clene That other dyde sowe nothyng / also he gadred nothyÌ„ge I aske the thenne yf it so happed that ther cam an honger or famyne / whiche of thyse myght best escape this dauÌ„ger The broder answered that he that had sowen gadred TheÌ„ne sayd the holy maÌ„ lyke wyse we ought to sowe good werkes / to th ende that the tyme of famyne beyng come / that is to saye / that we may nomore deserue / the whiche thyng theÌ„ne we wolde haue done may not recouuer it / that we deye not eternally ¶ An other broder cam to speke to a good fader / in departyng froÌ„ hyÌ„ bycause he had supposed to haue letted hyÌ„ sayd to hyÌ„ Fader pardoÌ„ne me / for I haue letted that in thy rule maner to lyue relygyously / to whom the holy man answered thou hast not letted me in my rule for acordyng to the same I ought in good charyte mercy receyue all comers ¶ A man moche solytary strayt of lyuyng / the occupyed hyÌ„self in excercyse of dyuerse werkes dwelled nygh by a monastery in whiche were a grete multytude of bredern / soÌ„tyme it happed that they that went to vysyte cam vnto this holy maÌ„ whiche was so moche solytary they coÌ„strayned hyÌ„ to ete aboue the hour determyned after that they asked hyÌ„ sayng fader art not thou wroth bycause thou etest to fothyn hour / he answered I am neuer wroth / but whaÌ„ I do after myn owne wyll for asmoche as I do this coÌ„trary ayenst my wyll I am nothyÌ„g wroth ne sory therfore ¶ Ther was in Syrye vpoÌ„ that way of desertes an olde man whiche had a custome to receyue all the relygyoê° ê‘sones that passed by that way On a tyme amoÌ„g the other passed a moche so lytary man that whiche for what prayer that the olde fader made / he wold not dryÌ„ke ne ete / sayeng that in no wyse he wolde breke his fast / but the holy maÌ„ sore displesed by cause he wold not acorde to his prayer sayd to hyÌ„ I pray the syth thou wold not ete ne dryÌ„ke with me / at the lest that thou wyle holde me coÌ„pany to pray vnto god vnder a tree whiche is here by / of it bowe doun at my prayer tofore thyn / thou shalt do that I shall requyre the / the whiche thyng that holy fader accorded to hyÌ„ TheÌ„ne began he to praye that was so strayt in his fastyng but the tree bowed nothyng doun warde TheÌ„ne after that other begaÌ„ to praye / all sodaynly the tree bowed it doun / the seeyng that other / he obteÌ„pred obeyed to his wordes / praysed god both togyder of the caas that was to theyÌ„ happed ¶ Two relygyoê° persones cam to an holy man / that whiche had of custome not to ete of all the longe daye / but whan he sawe theyÌ„ he was moche Ioyous / and sayd to theyÌ„ / the fastyng hath his rewarde For who the eteth for charyte / he accoÌ„plyssheth two coÌ„mauÌ„dement / for he leueth his owne wyll / accomplyssheth the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god in fedyng refresshyng his brethern ¶ A relygyoê° man of Thebes had receyued of god suche a grace / that he myght gyue to all Indygent nedy that whiche was to theym necessary One tyme amonge thother as he dyde his almesse in a strete / he sawe tofore hyÌ„ for to haue some thyng / a woman clothed with olde clothes all to rente that it was pyte to see The relygyoê° man hauyng on her coÌ„passyon / toke his hoÌ„de full of money wenyng to haue gyuâ— it to the sayd woman / but by the grace of god / his honde closed myght gyue to the womaÌ„ but a lytyll parte therof / wherby it appered that she was not so indygent / as it appered withoutforth And after that ther cam an other woman well clothed / whan be sawe her / he sayd in hyÌ„selfe / this persone had no nede toke in his hoÌ„de a lytyll almesse for to gyue to her / but in openyng his honde she toke more than he had put in / in sygnefyeng that this woman was more indygent than her clothes sheweth withoutforth Thenne he meruaylled moche / enquyred of the astate of these two wyÌ„men / he fonde that this womaÌ„ that was well clothed was of grete kynne / was falleÌ„ in pouerte / for that cause she was ashamed for to be euyl clothed / but the other was so clad for to moeue the people for to gyue to her theyr almes And now in these dayes ouer al the worlde be many suche abusyde therfor it is not euyll sayd / see wel to whom that gyuest / for oftymes men gyue to hyÌ„ that is rycher than he that gyueth / how be it that men suppose by cause he is euyl clothed that he hath no thyng ¶ Ther was a relygyoê° man whiche had a broder seculer / that whiche was moche poore / all that the relygyous man myght wyÌ„ne he delyuered to hyÌ„ / but how moche more he gaf to hyÌ„ / the more poore he was / of whiche thyng that relygyoê° meruaylled / declared it vnto a good holy man / whiche sayd to hyÌ„ in this maner yf thou wylt byleue me gyue to hyÌ„ nomore / whan he shall come to the / saye to hyÌ„ My broder whyâ—e I had ony good I gaaf it to that / therfor labour now / of that thou wyÌ„nest sende to me for my dyner / whan ony
man to entre in to her chambre / where as was a bedde richely arayed / couered with a precyous couerynge vpon whiche she laye / byddyng hym to come to do his lecherye But he that desyred other thyng than to coÌ„myse that dyshonest synne / by a maner of drede / prayed her that yf ther were a place more secrete within there that she wolde lede hyÌ„ thyder / to th ende that none sholde see theym To the whiche she answered in this wyse that her chambre was secrete ynough / that ther sholde no persone see theym there But she sayd that ther is no place so secrete in the worlde that ony thyng can be hydde from god / whiche knoweth and seeth all thynges The holy fader heryng this answere sayde to her / my frende knowest thou well that ther is a god / ye sayd she And I byleue the resurreccyon generall / and after the same we shall haue the royame of heuen / yf we doo the werkes requyred for to come thyder And ferther more I byleue that ther is helle / in whiche shall be tourmented the myserable dampned persones for the perpetuell vengeaunce of theyr synnes The holy fader Paphunce heryng these wordes sayd to her Now my frende I aske the syth thou knowest these thynges / how thou art so hardy to lyue so meschauÌ„tly / to be cause of the perdycyon and losse of so many myserable soules / whiche ben by thoccasyon of the soo yrremyssybly loste and dampned / and of whom thou must relde acompte to fore god Thays heryng the holy fader / and his meruayllous remonstraunces was at the hour touched to the herte / that she fyll doun on her knees to fore hym sayeng Fader I hope that by grete penaunce and meane of thy holy prayers I shall mowe obteyne remyssyon of my grete and foule stynkyng synnes And therfore I requyre the that it please the to gyue me the space of thre houres And them passed I shall accomplysshe alle that whiche thou wylt commaunde me / the whiche requeste the holy Paphunce accorded to her And assygned to her a place to the whiche she promysed to come yelde her to hym And incontynent the doon / she toke all the goodes that she had goten by her lecherye / bare theym in to the myddes of the cyte / and there she threwe theym in to a grete fyre / whiche she had kyndled for to brenne And in so doyng she sayd Come hyther ye dyshonest lecherous people whiche soo moche shamefully haue synned with me / see how I dyspose that whiche ye haue gyuen to me And sayeng the sayd wordes she brente alle generally that she hadde of ony valewe / whiche well amounted after that the hystorye conteyneth to fourty pounde of golde That doon she wente to the place to her assygned by the sayd fader / whiche taryed there for her And fro thens he ledde her in to a monastery of virgyns where as she was by hym closed in a celle lytyll strayte / of the whiche he closed the dore / as he sholde neuer haue opened it / made a lytyll wyndowe a lowe by the grouÌ„de by whiche she myghte receyue a lytyll brede and water / without ony other thyng to ete or drynke And with that she had none withdraught / where as she myght doo her aysement / but vnder her Whan she was shette and closed in / she requyred humbly the holy fader Paphunce / that he wolde Instructe and teche her the maner after that whiche she sholde praye vnto god To the whiche he answered that she was not worthy to adoure hyÌ„ ne to lefte vp her vysage ne her handes towarde heuen / whiche hadde be cause of coÌ„mysynge soo many fylthes and corrupcyons ¶ And yet sayd the holy fader Thays thy prayer shall be made in this maner / thou beyng layde on the erthe towarde the eest shalt saye many tymes My god whiche haste formed me haue pyte on me ¶ This good woman Thays dyde this penauÌ„ce thre yere duryng / the whiche thre yere passed / the holy fader Paphunce had mercy and pyte of her / but yet neuerthelesse he wolde not lete her out / without to haue counseyll of the abbot Anthonye / the whiche after that the sayd Paphunce hadde recounted the grete penaunce that she hadde doon / made to be assembled and putte to prayer all his dyscyples for to knowe yf her synne were forgyue and pardonned / hopyng that god sholde shewe or doo be shewed some thyng They beyng in deuoute and feruent prayers / one of theym named Paulus whiche was of the pryncypall dyscyples of saynt Anthonye was sodaynly rauysshed / and hym thought that he sawe in heuen a bedde â—orned right precyously / and kepte with four virgyns meruayllously fayr Thenne he sayd to hym selfe / that this fayr bedde was prepared for his mayster Saynt Anthonye and for none other ¶ And he beynge in this ymagynacyon / herde a voys sayeng to hym that it was for Thays whiche in her tyme hadde be a comyn woman ¶ On the morn erly the sayd Paulus recouÌ„ted to his brethern the sayd vysyon / the whiche herde by the sayd fader Paphunce / he knewe that the sayde Thays hadde obteyned pardon and remyssyon of her synnes And thenne departed from thens and wente vnto the monasterye / where in she was enclosed And whan the good Thays sawe that her dore was opened / she began to crye that they sholde lete her abyde there vnto her laste daye But Paphunce wolde not agree vnto her petycyon And sayd to her that she sholde come forth / and that her synnes were pardonned and forgyuen After that she was out / for to declare how she had doon her penaunce She sayd to the sayd abbot / that all the tyme that she hadde be closed and shette in / ther was not one mynute / but that she hadde consydered all her synnes whiche she hadde coÌ„mysed in wepyng and wayllyng habondauntly ¶ Thenne thabbot sayd to her For the drede that thou hast hadde of thy synnes / god hath forgyuen the / and not for thy penaunce Fyften dayes after / that she yssued out of her celle / she rendred and gaaf vp her soule to almyghty god as the hystorye conteyneth ¶ Here begynneth an other hystorye of Contemplacyon FOr as moche as it is notoyre and knowen / that amonge other vertuous werkes Contemplacyon is ryght excellent as that whiche incontynent adresseth to god Therfore in this present treatyse by the grace of the holy ghoost we shall determyne of contemplacyon / in procedyng forthon by examples / lyke as we haue doon to fore Thenne in the fyrst partye of this fyrst chapytre / is shewed the grete excellence of contemplacyon by one example as it foloweth ¶ An holy man cam in Sychye to the abbot Arsenye beeyng in his celle / and whan he was come he founde his dore shette / and he
that it was god For it is wryten in the psalmyste God is our refuge / strengthe vertue in trybulacōns whiche persecute vs strongely ¶ A brother asked hym what prouffyten the fastynges and wakynges that men make The holy man answered / that they make the soule humble and meke For it is wryten Lorde god beholde my mekenes my labour / and forgyue me my synnes / yf it pleaseth the. And therfore yf we take on vs payne / god shall haue pyte mercy on vs. ¶ A brother demaunded of an olde fader / what ought a man to doo agayne the temptacōns of the fende To whome he answered / he ought fyrst to wepe to th ende that god helpe hym And yf he praye deuoutly / god shall socoure hym For it is wryten Yf god helpe me I fere noo man ¶ A brother asked yf a bondeman haue trespaced / what shall he saye to his lorde / yf he wyll punysshe hym To this he answered that he sholde saye My lorde I haue trespaced / but yf it please the. I praye the to pardonne me / anone his mayster shall forgyue hȳ Thus we that be boūde and seruaūtes to god / whan we haue synned / and we retorne to hym in confessyng our synnes / he wyll pardonne vs Incontynent The ende of our operacyons is not to Iuge ony persone For whan god slewe all the fyrste begoten in Egypte / ther was not one hous but there was one therin deed Thenne asked a brother what was that that soo saye And he answered to hym / that yf we behelde well our synnes / we sholde thynke noo thyng of the synnes of our neyghboures It is grete folye to a man to forsake his deed corps in his hous / for to go by wepe one in his neyghbours hous he is deed towarde his neyghbour / the whiche thynketh not on the werkes of other / and dooth no harme to ony persone / ne thynketh none euyll in his corage / the whiche also despyseth no man bycause he is a synner / and the whiche is not vnyed to hym that dooth euyll to his neyghbour / ne speketh yll of ony persone / but sayd to hym selfe God knoweth the thought of euery man / I not It behoueth thenne to flee the detractours For it is sayd in the gospell Iuge no man / to th ende that ye be not Iuged of god One ought not also hate ony persone / though he were his enemye Ne despyse a man bycause he chydeth with his neyghbour For otherwyse thou sholdest haue noo reste ne peas in thy conscyence ¶ An other olde fader sayd / thou man lyuyng thynke that thy god is born of the virgyne Marye for the loue of the / he hath be made man and alwaye abydeth god / he hath be made a lytyll childe / he was a redar and prechar whan he toke the boke in the synagoge and sayd The speryte of god is vpon me / by cause he that hath enoynted me / hath sente me to preche the gospell to the poore synners / he had be subdeken / whan he chaced out of the temple theȳ that solde and theym that bought / he was deken whan he weeshe the feet of his appostles / in cōmaūdyng theym to wesshe the feet of theyr brethern / he was made preest whan he abode in the myddell of the temple techynge theym / he was made bysshop in takyng the brede and in delyueryng to his dyscyples / he hath be beten for the loue of the / he hath be crucyfyed / he aroos the thyrde daye And after ascended in to heuen / and all for vs / and all he hath doon for to saue vs. And neuertheles we wyll nothynge endure ne suffre for the loue of hym Late vs thenne be sobre and wake we / praye we deuoutly and kepe we his cōmaūdementes to th ende that we may be saued / was not Ioseph solde in to Egypte in to a straunge londe The thre childern were they not brought prysoners in to Babylon And how well they had no knowlege / god was theyr helpe and were saued in th ende / for as moche as they dradde / who that gyueth hym all to god hath no free wyll / but doth as god cōmaūdeth hym without payne of conscyence And yf thou wylt do after thyn owne wyll without helpe of god / thou shalt haue ouermoche payne in thy conscyence ¶ A brother asked of thabbot Pastor fader what is that to saye / that one ought not to thynke on the next daye folowynge The holy man answered / that is to vnderstonde of a man that is in temptacyon / that is to saye / that he ought to resyste it the same daye / without to thynke to resyste it on the morn ¶ A brother demaūded from whens it cam / that a man how well he be a grete synner / neuerthelesse he is not a shamed to detracte the renōmee and fame of an other To whom the holy man answered by suche a parable / ther was a poore man whiche had a wyfe the whiche sawe an other woman that was moche fayrer than his wyfe with out comparyson / and desyred her and dyde soo moche that he had her in maryage / but she was as poore as that other It happed thenne / that tho two wyues / wente with her husbonde to a market And by cause they were both naked / they put theym selfe in a tonne but that one seeyng that the people were departed / sprang out of the tonne / and founde olde clothes and ragges / couered her in suche wyse / that she myght well goo amonge the people / without to haue ony shame Thenne that other woman hauyng therof enuye sayd to hyr husbonde This folysshe woman is all naked / and neuerthelesse she is not a shamed to goo amonge the people Thenne answered to hyr the husbonde in grete angre / she hath some what couered and hydde hyr pouerte and confusyon / but as for the / thou art all naked / and yet thou mockeste her as moche as thou mayste ¶ Thus sayd the holy fader / is eche man a detractour / the whiche not consyderyng his owne synnes / cesseth not to saye euyll of an other whiche ben better than he ¶ The abbot Iohan sayd to some of his brethern / that there were thre phylosophres the whiche were good frendes to gydre Of whiche one of theym deyeng lefte his childe to that other And whan he was grete / he defoylled the wyfe of his moneytour / wherfore he was put out of the hous And how well that he dyde grete penaunce / neuerthelesse the phylosopher wolde not suffre hym to reentre in to his hous But sayd to hym that he sholde goo amonge theym that were Iuged to the deth for to dygge gadre with them metall within the Ryuer thre yere longe And whan he hadde soo doon and fulfylled that penaunce / he sholde retourne to the phylosophre and than he
vncle / ¶ To whom also she said alas my lord what shall I mowe gyue or rewarde the for thy good grace and mercy that in so grete desyre and affeccyon thou purchasyst to me / ¶ On the morne by tyme whan they sholde departe and goo theyr way She sayd to hym / Myne vncle I haue spared haue here wythin a lytyll golde and other vestures saye to me what it playsyth the that I shall doo wythal To whom the holy man sayd I woll my meâ—e that thou leue here in this place Infamyd all those godes that thou hast goten by synne and Infamye for they benot worthy to be yeue for goâ— is sake to the poore people / ¶ Soo thene they departed from that dyshoneste pâ—ce / And soo moche exployted theyr â—ye / that fynably they came to the place here afore she hadd be nourisshyd / An was remysed in to her lytyll chambre clad wyth her olde cote / ¶ Thynke now what sorowe complaintes they made after that / me wepynge euery daye the holy ma for the synne of his nyece Lyke as hâ— had commysed hymself / and shewed â—e grete enormyte therof more bytter thanÌ„e he durste haue done or he hade broughte her thyther / ¶ O merueyllus and Inestymable charyte that â—â— to redeme the soule of his niece he waâ—â—ontent to byÌ„de hyÌ„self to doo penaun for her / Who shall be he that wythout wayllynge wepynge shall remembâ— the merueylous lamentacyons that they dyde after her reduccoÌ„n fro synn to penaunce / ¶ Who is also he thâ— wold not rendre also thankynges to god of suche a conuersyon / ¶ She was after that of soo honeste a lyfe and conuersacyon That many notable peâ—sones from diuers places came to her â—or to be coÌ„forted in theyr aduersytees â—â—y the moyen of her prayers and orisons ¶ Ten yere after lyued the deuout â—holy man Abraham The whiche seenge the grete penaunces â—â— his nyece loâ—yd her better more herteâ— than he hadd done byfore / of her vertuous lyfe rendred contynuelly thankynges right deuoutly to god / ¶ And whan he had attayned thaâ—ge of lx yere / and his â—â— yere fyfty ¶ They rendred theyr soules to god whiche gaaf to theym his glorye felicyte eternall / The whiche gyue to vs. the fader the sone and the holy goost / Amen / ¶ Of saynt Pachomyen abbot and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Dominis noster thuÌ„s c. Caplm .lii. IN recitynge of saynt Pachomyen and of many other sayntes and holy faders ¶ Saynt Iherom sayth in substaunce / ¶ Oure lorde Ihesus fountayne of all sapyence and lighte of very doctryne sone of god the fader / by the vertue and puyssaunce of whom alle hathe ben created and made wyllynge to shewe our poore freelte of the enormyte of synne whiche is soo moche enclyned to vs hathe shewed by his right worthi pite mekenes many wayes and maners to seche our helthe ¶ Considre we thenne the grace that he gaaf to Abraham oure auncyent fader Whanne in obeyenge to his coÌ„maundement he wolde haue offred Ysaac his fyrste sone ¶ He was content with the obeyssaunce of Abraham whiche hadde mede and meryte of his sacrefyce / ¶ And yet abode his sone alyue All the prophetes whyche haue hadde soo many reuelacoÌ„ns / And that knew that god myghte not lye haue shewed to vs that there sholde come a medycyne or leche whiche sholde heele alle our sores woundes That is oure lorde Ihesu Cryste Whiche by his passyon hath bought and redemed vs from the paynes of helle / ¶ He is soo humble that neuer he dyspisyth oure petycyons / Soo that they ben resonable and helthfull And also that they ben demaunded wyth a contryte and humble herte ¶ Considre we also the grace that we haue whanÌ„e by the sacrament of baptym we ben regenerat and purifyed of origynall sinÌ„e of oure fyrste fader Adam / ¶ And also we haue herde the appostles whiche haue endoctryned vs in the holy faythe / whyche we holde and kepe / ¶ Whanne the same oure faythe beganne to be publysshed The deuyll oure grete enmye supposyd by his temptacyons to haue broughte to noughte alle Cristyante But soo as we reden many sayntes by prayers other afflyccoÌ„ns lyghtly putt them vnder / ¶ Some Paynems emperours Romains after the passion of our lorde enforcid hem to persecute crysteÌ„ men of whom many went in to Egypte the whiche vnto the deth endured grete martyrdom for the honoure of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And from daye to daye the chirches were augmented edefyed and made in the name of the martyrs ¶ Some other forsoke the worlde / And vseden alle theyr lyfe in wyldernesse in desertes / As of many is wryton here tofore / ¶ The some were cladde with heyrof ghotes / ¶ Other dyde penaunce in fastynge an hoole weke wythoute etynge Endurynge alle theyr lyfe in colde and hete and other necessitees Innumerable / ¶ And in soo doinge haue opteyned of our lorde synguler prerogatyues As it hathe ynough be declared in the lyues of holy faders here tofore wreton ¶ How and in what tyme Relygyon was Instytuted And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Eâ—at pâ—ide teÌ„pus / Caplm .liii. DVrynge the persecucoÌ„n whyche themperours of Rome made so crysten men dwellyd in the deserte saynt Anthony where as he ladde a lyfe semblable in perfeccoÌ„n vnto the lyfe of Helye Helyser saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyste / ¶ Of the maners conuersacyon of saynt Anthonye / Saynt Anathase bysshopp of Alexandrie hath made many grete fayre wytnesses Whiche ben thynges moche prouffytable to alle people of deuocoÌ„n to see theym and in theym to haue contemplacoÌ„n· ¶ Also the sayd Athanase hath wreton of saynt Ammon of his merytes as here tofore is wreton recyted And semblably of saynt Theodore the whiche holy faders were the fonÌ„dement begynnynge of Religyon / And of whom in theyr lyuyÌ„ge the grete fame flourysshed in dyuers Regyons ¶ In that tyme were a few religious people in Thebayde But after the persecucyon of Dyoclesyan and Maxymyan emperours tyrauÌ„tes Inhumayn Many persones of dyuers settes folowed the lawe of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ For some went into desert and other in to Religyon / And thenne began the chirche to flourysshe multeplye ¶ How the sayd Pachomien wolde be Crysten / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Peridem teÌ„pus / Caplm .liiii. IN the same tyme dwelled Pachomien in Thebayde the whiche was a Paynem Holdynge the law in whiche his fader and moder hadde enfourmyd hym But after by the grace of god he wolde be Crysten And how wel that in his adolesceÌ„nt he was Paynem / as tofore is sayde Neuerthelesse he was moche vertuous ¶ And also syth his coÌ„uersion he prouffyted merueyllously in acquysicoÌ„n of vertues In suche wise that by the moyen of his righte holy lyffe he was moche renoÌ„myd in dyuers countrees and Regions in lyke wyse as more amply shall
the deuyll / and to conduyte and lede to the glorye of heuen / as she whiche is moder and conseruatryce of other vertues ¶ Of Heron an auncyent fader Capitulum .xxxiiij. ANd to th ende that I shewe to you how dyscrecoÌ„n is requysyte necessary I shall recounte to you an example of an auncyent fader named Heron / the whiche bycause he was not dyscrete in his operacyons loste the rewarde meryte of theym / deyed myschauÌ„tly / hit is trouthe that this sayd Heron was by the space of fyfty yere in desertes lyuyng in so grete dyscrecoÌ„n as euer ony man lyued But the deuyll enuyous of his good lyfe tempted hym in suche wyse that he sclaundred all the other brethern of thermytage / for he hymselfe entreprysed to faste coÌ„tynuelly / wente not out of his hermytage / in suche wyse that the holy daye of paske or ester he cam not to the chirche with the other brethreÌ„ / wherfor they were euyll content / wenyng that he had ben seke brought to hym a lytyll pytauÌ„ce / to the ende that for the solempnyte of the daye he sholde ete a lytyll / but he wolde nothyng so do / and proceded to hym this folye by thynstygacoÌ„n of the deuyll / whiche by the suffrauÌ„ce nf god was appyered to hym in lykenes of an angell of heueÌ„ / bycause he had rendred hymselfe subgette to hym / persuaded this brother that he sholde caste hyÌ„self in to a pytte for to preue his grete vertue constauÌ„ce / wherfore the sayd olde brother trustyng in his owne vertue lepe caste hym selfe in to the same pytte The other brethern sechyng after him herde hym crye within the pytte / they drewe hym as he had be deed And the thyrde daye after obstynate in his errour / for none myght make hym to byleue that this thyng was Illusyon dyabolyke ¶ Of tweyne relygyouses whiche wolde not ete / but yf god sente to theym theyr refeccyon / begynnyng Quid dicam Caplm .xxxv. TWo brethern dwelled beyonde thermytage / in whiche was woned to dwelle saynt Anthonye the whiche wolde not ete but yf god sente to theym theyr refeccoÌ„n And whan they had longe walked they were nygh deed for huÌ„ger / they cam to a people that were named the Mazytes / the whiche people ben moche cruell murderers Neuertheles whan they sawe these brethern / they cam to theym all swetly brought to theym brede / for they sawe that they were enfamysshed The one of theym toke the brede also agreably as god had sente it to hym / supposed so / for he sayd in hym selfe that god had so doon / to th ende that the sayd Mazytes that were accustomed to slee the people sholde saue his lyfe his felawes / the whiche were nygh deed / and thus that brother ete it Neuertheles that other wolde not ete therof / thynkynge that a man had gyue to theym that refeccoÌ„n / not god Now how well that they had folysshly begoÌ„ne / neuertheles that one achyeued wysely / for in th ende he knewe his faulte / ete / by whiche he eschewed the deth But the other began euyll / achyeued worse / therfore he deyed corporally / and myght happen eternally ¶ Of a relygyous whiche wolde sacrefye his sone to the deuyll begynnynge in latyn Quid dicaÌ„ c. Caplm .xxxvi. WHat shall I saye of a relygyoê° the whiche I shall not name / for as moche as he lyueth yet / the whiche was deceyued by the deuyll For oftyme he appered to hyÌ„ in forme of an angell of heuen And euery nyghte the fende enlumyned his celle as wel as he had had lyght On a daye theÌ„ne amonge the other / the deuyll admonested hym that he sholde sacrefyce to god a childe that he had / the whiche dwelled in the monasterye with hym / doynge hym to vnderstonde that in so dooyng he sholde be equale to the patryarke Abraham The whiche thyng he wolde haue doon / yf his childe by the wyll of god had not escaped out of his celle wherby it appyereth that he was not well dyscrete ¶ Of a Relygyous to whome the deuyll shewed the armee of crysten men and of the sarasyns / begynnyng Fuit c. Caplm .xxxvij. THer was an other Relygyous / the whiche in all his lyfe lyued in ouer grete rygour of abstynence / neuer yssued out of his celle And whan he cam to the ende of his lyfe / he was in suche wyse tempted of the fende / that he whiche had surmouÌ„ted tofore all other relygyouses / becam the moost meschauÌ„t For the deuyll for to peruerte hym shewe to him oftymes a grete company of crysten men / as well relygyouses as seculers blacke / foull infecte / on thopposyte he shewed to hym a coÌ„pany of Infydeles shynyng as the sonne And sayd to hyÌ„ furthermore that yf he wolde be partycypauÌ„t of the glorye of those Infydeles / he sholde do cyrcuÌ„cyse hyÌ„ / the whiche for this cause / he put hyÌ„ in this folye to wyll be cyrcuÌ„cysed / by whiche euery man knewe that he was deceyued / therby it appiereth that it is dauÌ„ger / whan ther is no dyscrecoÌ„n ¶ How for to be coÌ„fessyd of his synnes it chasseth awaye the deuyll more than other thyng begynnyng in latyn Abbas c. Caplm .xxxviij. THabbot serapyon whan he wolde enforme teche his yonge monkes / he recouÌ„ted to theym of his lyfe / whan he was yong as they were / sayd / whan I was yonge as ye now be I dwelled with thabbot named Thebona / I had this custome with me / that euery daye whan I had dyned I hydde in my bosome a lytyl loof of brede / whiche I ete deceyued my mayster And how well that I dyde thus euery day alwaye whan I had eten it I repented me had moche grete heuynes of the thefte that I had doon / that I had noo pleasyr whan I had eten the brede / for my coÌ„scyence sayd to me well that I ought not so to do And so I was coÌ„strayned by contrycoÌ„n to shewe it to the holy man with whom I dwelled It happed that some brethern cam to this holy man / whan they had dyned / he gaaf to they many good doctrynes enseygnemeÌ„t amonge whiche he sayd to they that ther was nothyng that reioyced the deuyll so moche / as whan a relygyous man shewed not his euyll thoughtes to his ghoostly fader I theÌ„ne heryng these wordes fouÌ„de my selfe heuy sore dyspleasauÌ„t / wenyng that the holy man knewe my thoughtes And incoÌ„tynent I began to lamente secretly / after to syghe wepe soo openly that eche of theyÌ„ apperceyued it / Incontynent I toke the loof that was in my bosome brought it to hyÌ„ / cam my selfe fyll doun to the feet of the holy man of the other / in sayeng to theyÌ„ how euery
daye I stale a loof / askyng of theyÌ„ pardon mercy And anone the holy man sayd / haue thou affyauÌ„ce in god my childe / for thy confessyon shall make that this daye surmouÌ„te thyn enemye / whiche is the deuyll of helle / vpon whom thou shalt haue power by thy confessyon / whiche hath empesshed that by his temptacoÌ„n / therfor yf thou wylt / the deuyl shal nomore be mayster ouer the / syth that thou confessest thy synÌ„e / for he is cast out of thy conscyence by this true confessyon And vnneth had the holy man achyeued his wordes / whan a laÌ„pe enlumyned spraÌ„ge out of my bosome / the whiche fylled the celle with stenche in suche wyse that no persone myght endure And thenne agayn sayd the holy man / loo see here how god approueth my wordes / to the ende that thou knowe vysybly thordure and stenche / the whiche was in thy herte / to be throwen caste out by true hole coÌ„fessyon / that the deuyll shal neuer dwell in thy herte And by this moyen was taken awaye fro me the stenche of the deuyll of helle / in suche wyse that neuer after he tempted me ¶ Of Relygyous people slayne by the Infydeles begynnyng in latyn In palestine c. Caplm .xxxix. IN the partes of Palestyne nygh to a vyllage / where as was borne the ê“phete Amos / ther was a grete hermytage / the whiche touched the flood of Iordane / nygh to the cyte of Sodome The holy hermytes that dwelled there in seruyng god were slayne of sarasyns that cam vpon theyÌ„ by aduenture The bodyes of the sayd holy faders were in suche wyse receyued by theyÌ„ of Arabye that eche of theym fought with other for to haue theyÌ„ / to th ende the after theyr sepulture theyr bones sholde abyde with theym for relykes in the places where they sholde be buryed ¶ Of thabbot Danyell begynnyng in latyn Inter c. Caplm .xl. THabbot Danyell amonge all other hath ben alway egall in all vertues / but pryncypally hath floured in humylyte / bycause of the whiche of his softenes he was Instytuted abbot of the sayd place in thoffyce of a deken And this holy abbot enioyed to moche of his humylyte / that all they that he knewe to hyÌ„ semblable / he enhauÌ„sed theyÌ„ to thoffyce sacerdotal And furthermore the sayd abbot desyryng to haue a successour the were worthy to gouerne his monastery Instytuted the sayd Danyell to be a preest The whiche neuertheles for what someuer dygnyte that he had / he lefte nothyng of his former humylyte / but alwaye how well that he was preest he excercysed the offyce of a deken oonly / reputyng hyÌ„selfe vnworthy to excercyse the offyce sacerdotall But PaphuÌ„ce whiche supposed to make hyÌ„ his successour was deceyued / for god toke hyÌ„ tofore deyed tofore hyÌ„ ¶ Of thabbot Serenus begynnynge / SuÌ„me c. Caplm .xli. I Haue seen syth thabbot Serenus a man right vertuoê° syngulerly renoÌ„med for the grete excellent vertues that dyde shyne in hym / not oonly in operacoÌ„n in warde / but also in apparence outwarde / the whiche also amonge the other vertues he had one in especyall whiche was the vertue of chastyte And bycause that it is a thyng aboue nature for to be chaste / therfor I wyll shewe how he hadde this vertue The same holy man daye nyght entended to prayers orysons / fastynges wakynges And for to abyde vndefouled of the synne of the flesshe / he prayde our lorde so affectuously so deuoutly that his prayers were herde For in one nyght an angell appyered to hyÌ„ in slepyng / whiche toke out of his bodye as a botche all swollen / after put it in to his entraylles agayn lyke as tofore / sayd to hym O Serenus see here all the lecherye of thy flesshe whiche is taken fro the. And knowe thou that this daye thou haste wonne the purete clennes perpetuelly of thy bodye the whiche thou hast demauÌ„ded of god This suffyseth as touchyng the lyfe of this sayd holy man / the whiche whan we cam to hym we demauÌ„ded dyuerse questyons / pryncypally of the temptacoÌ„ns of the fende But he answered to vs all Ioyously lyke as he was acustomed / that the deuyl of helle had no power vpon a persone / but as god gyueth to hyÌ„ lycence / as we haue exaÌ„ple of Iob whom the deuyl myght not tempte / but as god permytted hyÌ„ ¶ How the deuylles haue not so moche power now ayenst the monkes as they had in olde tyme begynnyng in latyn Satis tamen Caplm .xlij. WE knowe as moche by experyence as by other relacoÌ„n of olde faders / that the deuylles of helle haue not so moche power ayenst the monkes now in thyse dayes present / as they had ayenst theym in tyme passed For theÌ„ne ther dwelled but fewe monkes in hermytages And the deuylles were so terryble for to tempte / the people of so lytyll resystence / that ryght fewe abode in thermytages other places solytarye And also in the hermytages where as ther were .x. or .xij. relygyouses / the deuyll was there so contynuell / that they durst neuer slepe togydre but whyles the some slepte / the other prayed to god And after whan they that had prayed wolde slepe / they awoke the other the whiche prayed in lyke wyse / all for teschewe the ferocyte cruelte of the deuyll And therfor now the deuylles ben more lette to tempte vs for two causes The fyrst for the sygne of the crosse / That other for we be of lasse resystence than the holy faders were / therfore the deuylles retche not to tempte vs / For they knowe well that they shall wynne haue vs lyghtly Soo they dayne not to fyght ayenst vs that be latchous redy to falle / as they do ayenst the veray champyons of our sauyour Ihesu cryst We also haue seen redde / yet see rede all daye that they that be holy Iuste / haue oftymes ben possessed tempted of the deuyll of helle / not oonly for theyr synÌ„es / for they had none / but god suffred it to th ende that they sholde be proued as golde in the fornays / that at the daye of Iugement / they sholde go strayte in the glorye of heuen / after that / whiche is sayd / that the ryghtfull Iust is proued in the fornays of very humylyte And in an other place it is sayd I chastyse theym that I loue / and this is ynough shewed in our tyme of thabbot Paulus / of thabbot Moyses / the whiche how well that they were rihgt Iuste holy / alwaye were they persecuted ¶ Of thabbot Paule begynnyng in latyn Hic igitur abbas c. Caplm .xliij. THabbot named Paule had the thought so pure and so chaste / that he had neuer the wyll to see not oonly the vysage