is to wete of that he caÌ„ in humayne nature to the world of that he cometh to the IugemeÌ„t dome as it apperith in thoffyce of the chirche of this tyme And therfor the fastynges that ben in this tyme ben of gladnes and of Ioye in one partie that other partie is in bitternesse of herte By cause of the comyng of our lorde in our nature humayne they ben of Ioye gladnes And by cause of the comyng at the day of IugemeÌ„t they be of bitternes heuynes As towchyng the comyng of our lord in our bodyly flessh we may considre thre thynges of this comyng That is to wete thoportunyte the necessyte the vty lyte The oportunyte of comyng is takeÌ„ by the reson of the man that first was vaynquysshyd in the lawe of nature of the defaulte of the knowlege of god by whiche he fyll in to euyll errours therfore he was coÌ„strayned to crye to god IlluiÌ„a oculos meos that is to saye lord gyue lyght to myn eyen After cam the la we of god whiche hath gyuen coÌ„mandement in whiche he hath ben ouercome of Impuissance as first he hath cryed ther is non that fulfilleth but that comaÌ„deth for ther he is only taught but not delyuerd fro synne ne holpeÌ„ by grace therfore he was coÌ„strayned to crye ther laketh non to comande but ther is none that accoÌ„plisheth the coÌ„mandement TheÌ„ne cam the sone of god in tyme whaÌ„ maÌ„ was vaynquysshid of ygnorance ImpuissauÌ„ce to the yf he had so comeÌ„ to fore ê‘auenture man myght saye that by his owne merites he myght haue be saued thus he had not be bouÌ„de to yeld thankes to god The ij thynge that is shewd vs of this comyng is the necessyte by reson of the tyme of whiche thappostle poul speketh ad galatas the iiij chapitre At vbi venet plenitudo temê‘is whan the plenitude or ful tyme of the grace of god was ordeyned theÌ„ne he sente his sone that was god sone of the virgyne wyf whiche was made subget to the lawe To that that they be subget to the lawe he bought hem agayn were receyued sones of god by grace of adopcion Now saith saynt austyn that many demande why he cam not rather he answerth that it was by cause that the plenytude of tyme was not come whiche shold come by hym that all thynges were ordeyned made after whan this plenitude of tyme cam he caÌ„ that of tyme passed hath delyueryd vs To that we shal be delyueryd of tyme we shal come to hym where as no tyme passeth but is perpetuite The iij thyng that is shewde to vs of this comyng is the vtylyte proufit that cometh for the cause of the hurte sekenes generall For syth the maladye was general the medecyne must be general wherof saith saynt Austyn that thenne cam the grete medecyn whan the grete maladye was thurgh all the world wherof the holy chirche remembreth in vij Antemmis that ben songen to fore the natyuyte of our lord where the maladye is shewd in diuerse maners And for eche demaÌ„deth remedye of his maladye of the phisicyen For to fore the comyng of our lorde we were ygnorant blynd bounden to payne ê‘durable bonde to the deuyll Alyed to hym by euyll custome of synne ywrapped in derkenes dryuen out of our contrey and therfore we haue grete nede of a doctour or techer of ayenbyar of a delyuerer of a conduyter of a lighter or Illuminer and of a Sauyour ¶ Therfore thenne that we were ignorant we had nede that we were of hym taught and lerned ¶ And therfore we crye in the first Antheme O sapiencia que ex ore altissimi prodisti et cetera ¶ O sapience souerayne whiche art descended fro the mowthe of the most hye Come to vs teche vs the waye of prudence And for as moche as it is ouer lytyl to vs for to be taught we demaÌ„de in the secoÌ„de Antheme to be agayn bought saye O adonay dux domus israhel cÌ„ veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extenso O thou souerayn syre prynce of the hous of ysrahel come ayenbye vs by thy puyssanÌ„ce wyth armes stratched but lityl shold it prouffyt vs for to be taught ayenbought yf yet we were holden in pryson fast shette And therfore we demande to be delyuerd sayeng O radix iesse veni ad liberandum iaÌ„ noli tardare O Rote of Iesse come delyure vs tarye not And what auaylleth vnto prysoners to be bought agayn delyueryd yf they were not vnboÌ„den fre to goo where they wolde lytyl shold it prouffyte there fore we demaunde that we may be vnbouÌ„d losed fro all bonde of synne whan we crye in the fourth Antheme O clauis dauid cÌ„ O keye of dauid that closeth that noman may opene and openest that noman may shytte Come to vs cast the prisoner out of the pryson that sytteth in derkenes shadowe of deth For they that haue ben longe in pryson derk places may not se clerly but haue theyer eyen dym Terfor after we be delyueryd fro pryson it behoueth that our eyen be made clere our sight illumyned for to see whyder we shold goo therfore we crye in the fyfth antheme O oriens splendor lucis eterne veni illumina sedentes in tenebris et vmbra mortis O Oryent that art the resplendour of theternal lyght come and Illumyne them that sytte in derkenes shadowe of deth yf we were taught lighted vnbounde bought what shold it auaylle to vs but yf we shold be sauyd And therfore we requyre to be sauyd therfore we saye in the two last Anthemes the vj the vij we demande to be saued whan we crye O rex geÌ„cium veni et salua homineÌ„ quem de limo formasti O thou kynge of peoples come saue the man that thou hast fourmed of the slyme of therthe in the seuenth O emanuel rex et legifer noster ueni ad saluandum nos domine deus noster o emanuel that art our kynge berar of our lawe our lord our god come and saue vs The proufyte of his comyng is assigned of many sayntis in many maners For luke saith in the fourth chapytre that our lord was sent and came to vs for vij prouffytes where he saith the speryte of our lord on me whiche he reherseth by ordre he was sente for the comfort of the poure to hele theym that were seke in synne to delyuere theym that were in pryson to teche theym that were vncunnyng to foryeue synnes to bye agayn al mankynde And fore to yeue reward to theym that deserue it And saynt Austyn putteth here iij prouffytes of his coÌ„myng seyth In this wretchid world what haboundeth but to be born to laboure to deye Thyse ben the marchaÌ„dyses of our region and to this marchaÌ„dyses the
is the temple of peas that euer shal endure For they supposed wel that a mayd myght neuer bere ne brynge forth a chyld This temple that same tyme that our lady was delyuerd and our lord born ouerthrewe fylle alle doun Of whiche Crysten men afterward mad in the same place a chirche of our lady whiche is callyd scaÌ„ maria rotunda that is to saye the chirche of seynt marie the Round Also the same nyght as recordeth Innocent the thirde whiche was pope that there sprange and sourded in rome the same nyght a wel or a fountayne and ran largely alle that nyght alle that day vnto the ryuer of Rome called Tybre Also after that recordeth saynt IohnÌ„ GrisostoÌ„me the thre kynges were this nyght in theyr orysons and prayers vpon a montayne whan a sterre appered by them whiche had the forme of a right fayr chyld whiche had a crosse in his forhed which sayd to these thre kynges that they shold goo to Iherusalem And there they shold fynd the sone of the virgyne god and man whiche theÌ„ne was born Also ther appered in thorient thre sonnes whiche lytil lytil assembled to gydre and were all on one As it is sygnyfyed to vs that thies thre thynges is the godhed the soule and the bodye whiche ben in thre natures assembled in one persone Also Octauian themperour like as Innocent recordeth That he was moche desyred of his counseyll and of his people that he shold doo men worshippe hym as god For neuer had ther be to fore hym so grete a maistre and lord of the World as he was Thenne themperour sente for a prophetesse named Sebyle for to demand of her yf ther were ony so grete and lyke hym in therthe Or yf ony shold come after hym Thus atte hour of mydday she behelde the heueÌ„ and sawe a cercle of gold aboute the sonne And in the myddle of the cercle a mayde holdyng a chyld in her armes TheÌ„ne she called theÌ„perour amd shewd it hym whan Octauien sawe that he merveylled ouer moche wherof Sebyle sayd to hym hic puer maior te est ipsum adora This Chyld is gretter lord than thou art worshippe hym TheÌ„ne whaÌ„ themperour vnderstod that this chyld was gretter lord thaÌ„ he was he wold not be worshipped as god but worshipped this child that shold be born wherfore the Cristen men made a chirche of the same chambre of themperour and named it Ara celi After this it happed on a nyght as a grete maistre whiche is of grete auctorite in scripture whiche is named bartilmew recordeth that the Rodde of eugaddi whiche is by Iherusalem whiche berith bame flowred this nyght and bare fruit and gaf liquour of bame After this cam the angelle and apperid to the shepherdes that kepte their sheep and said to theym I anounce and shewe to you a grete Ioye For the savyour of the world is in this nyght born in the cyte of BethleeÌ„ there may ye fynd hym wrapped in clowtes And anon as the Aungell had said this a grete multitud of angelis appered with hym began to synge honour glorye helth be to god on hye And in therthe peas to men of good wyll Thenne said the shepherdes late vs goo to bethleem and see this thyng And whan they cam they fonde lyke as the angele had said And it happed this nyght that all the sodomytes that dyde synne ayenst nature were deed and extynct For god hated so moche this synne that he myght not suffre that nature humayne whiche he had taken were delyuerd to so grete shame wherof saiÌ„t AustiÌ„ saith that it lackyd but lytil that god wold not become man for that synne In this tyme Octouian made to cutte and enlarge the wayes and quyted the Romayns of all the dettes that they ought to hym This ffeste of Natyuyte of our lord is one of the grettest feestes of all the yere and for to telle alle the myracles that our lord hath shewde it shold conteyne an hole booke but at this tyme I shal leue and passe ouer sauf one thynge that I haue herde ones precâ—yd of a worshipeful doctour that what persone beyng in clene lyf desire on this day a bone of god as fer as it is rightful and good for hym our lord atte reuerence of this blessyd hie feste of his natyuyte wyll grauÌ„te it to hym theÌ„ne lete vs alway make vs in clene lyf at this feste that we may so plese hym that after this short lyf we may come vnto his blysse AmeÌ„ ¶ Here endeth the natyuyte of our lorde Ande here foloweth his circumsicion The day of the circuÌ„sicion of our lord ther ben four thynges that make and shewe it to be holy and solempne The first is the vtas of the Natyuyte The secoÌ„de thymposicoÌ„n of a newe name beryng helth The thirde theffusion of his precious blood The fourth the signes of the circumcision As for the first it apperith For the vtas of sayntes ben solempne by moche more Reson ought it to be of hym that is the sayncte of all saynctes Now it semeth that the Natyuyte of our lord ought not to haue none vtas For the natyuyte tendeth to the deth And the decees of sayntes haue their vtas by cause they be born of the natyuyte that stratcheth to lyf ê‘durable for to be after gloryfyed in body And by the same waye it semeth that the Natyuyte of the glorious virgyne Marie And of seynt IohnÌ„ baptiste and of the resurrexioÌ„ of our lord ouhgt not to haue vtas For the resurrexioÌ„ was theÌ„ don herto we ought to consydre lyke as saith a doctour that in this vtas we shold fulfylle suche thinges as we accoÌ„plisshyd not in the priÌ„cypal day that our lord was born in of whiche of auÌ„cyent tyme men were wonte to synge atte masse Vultum tuum domine cÌ„ to the honour of our lady seynt marie The other octaues or vtases as of paâ—ke whitsoÌ„tyde the Natyuytees of our lady seynt IohnÌ„ baptist ben of deuocioÌ„ as of other sayntes that men will honoure for singuler cause or affection And they may be said the octaues of figuracion For they signyfye and figure the octaue of the last resurrection perpetuell whiche is the eyght eage And as to the seconde this day was his name Imposed to hym and was named with the newe name that the mouthe of god named This is the name of whiche ther is nâ—ne other vnder heueÌ„ by whiche we may be saued that is Ihesus After seynt bernard this is the name whiche in the mouthe is hony In the eere melodye and in the herte Ioye This is the name after that he saith it lyghteth shyneth lyke oyle whan it is prechyd it fedeth the soule whan it is in the mynde of the herte it is swete and it enoynteth whan it is called And as the euangelist sayth he had thre names that is to wete the sone of god IhuÌ„s and
maketh them to ryse to newe lyf And in signeficacion herof the psalme of miserere mei deus whiche is the fyftyth psalme And the psalme of penaunce is in the tyme of lente oft vsed and sayd ¶ Thus endeth the mysterye of quanquagesme ¶ Of quadragesme THe quadragesme whiche we calle now in englyssh lente bygynneth the sonday in whiche is songen in thoffyce of the masse Inuocauit me cÌ„ And the chirche whiche was moche troubled to fore by so many trybulacions and had cryed Circundederunt me And after in respyryng syghyng had axyd helpe in sayeng Exurge domine Now she sheweth that she is herd whan she saith he hath called me and I haue herd Now it is to vnderstonde that the quadragesme conteyneth xlij dayes For to acounte the sondayes And yf they be not rekened ther ben but xxxvj dayes for to faste whiche ben the thenthe part of the dayes of the yere But the foure dayes to fore ben put to by cause the nombred sacred by the quadragesme be accomplysshyd the whiche our saueour Ihesu Cryst halowed by his holy fastyng And by cause we faste in this nombre of fourty ther may be assygned thre reasons The fyrst reason putteth seynt Austyn whiche saith that seynt mathew setteth xl generacions to th ende theÌ„ that our lord by his holy quadragesme desseÌ„ded to vs we shold assende to hym by our quadragesme That other assigneth the same sayeng To that we may haue the quynquagesme We must put to xl ten For vnto that that we may com to the blessed glorye and rest in heuen it behoueth vs to laboure alle the tyme of this present lyf And therfore our lord alode xl dayes with his dissiples after his resurection and after the tenth day he sent to them the holy ghost The third reson assigneth maister prepositiuus in the soÌ„me of thoffice of the chirche whiche seyeth The world is deuided in to iiij partyes And the yere in to iiij tymes and the man of iiij elementis iiij complexions is composed And we haue the newe lawe whiche is ordeyned of foure euangelistes And the x coÌ„maundementis that we haue broken It behoueth theÌ„n that the nombre of ten by the nombre of iiij be multiplyed that thus we make the quadragesme that we fulfiyll the coÌ„mandementis of the olde lawe newe Our body as sayd is is composed of iiij elementis lyke as they had iiij setes in oure body That is to wete the fyre whiche is in the eyen thayer in the tongue and eeres the water in the natural membres named genitoires And the erthe hath dominacion in the hondes and other membres Then in the eyen is curiosite in the tongue and eeris is scurilite In the naturel membres that is to saye genitoires voluptuosite And in the handes and other membres cruelte thise iiij thynges confessid the publicane whan he prayed god he held hym a ferre in confessyng his luxurye whiche is stynkyng lyke thus as he sayd Sire I dare not approche to the For I myght stynke in thy nose and by cause he durst not lyfte vp his eyen he confessed curiocite And in that he smote hym self on the brest he confessed cruelte And whaÌ„ he sayd deus ê“picius esto michi peccatori he confessed the cryme and glotonie whiche we ought to represse Saynt gregorye in his omelyes putteth also thre reasons wherfore in abstinence is holden the nombre of xl For the vertu of the x comaundementis in the lawe And for thaccomplysshement of the iiij bokes of theuangelistes And also in this world we that ben in mortal body be compoâ—â—d of the iiij elementis And by the wyll of the mortal body we gaynsay the commauÌ„dementes of god therfor then we that haue disobeyed the coÌ„nauÌ„demeÌ„tis of god by the desire of the flessh it is cordyng that the same flessh by iiij tymes x We put to penauÌ„ce affliccyon fro this present day vnto ester vj wekes comyng that ben xlij dayes Yf the sondayes be taken away Ther abyde in thabstynence but xxxvj dayes And the yere is demened by iij hondred sixty and v dayes we gyuen the tithe of them to god whan we fast And this saith seynt gregorye wherfore kepe we not this fastyng in the tyme that IhuÌ„ cryst fasted whiche was anon after his baptesme But we begynne so that we continue vntil ester herof ben assyned iiij reasons in the soÌ„me of thoffice of master IohÌ„n bethel in thoffice of the chirche Tle first is that we wyl aryse with IhuÌ„ Cryst For he suffrid for us And we ought to suffre for hym The second is To that we shold folowe the chyldren of Israel whiche first yssued out of egipte And in this tyme yssued also out of babylone the whiche thyng appiereth For as wel that one as that other anon as they were retorned halowed the solempnyte of ester Andthus we for to ensue them in this tyme we faste to th ende that fro egipte and fro babilone that is to vnderstond from this mortal world in to the contraye of our heritage of heuen we may entre The thirde reason is by cause that in the prym temps the hete of the flessh meueth and boyleth to th end that we may refrayne vs ther in this tyme we fast The fourth is for asmoche as anon after oure fastyng we ought receyue the body of Ihesu crist For in lyke wise as the children of Israhel to fore they had eten the lomb they put them in afflicion by penaunce in etyng wylde letuse bitter right so we ought to withdrawe put vs in affliction by penaunce to th ende that the more worthily we may take and receyue the lombe of lyf Amen ¶ Thus endeth the misterye of the quadragesme ¶ The ymbre dayes THe fastyng of the quatee temps callyd in englyssh ymbre dayes the pope Calixte ordeyned theym And this faste is kept iiij tymes in the yere and for dyuerse reasons For the first tyme whiche is in marche is hote and moyste The second in somer is hote and drye The thirde in heruest is cold drye The fourthe in wynter is cold moyste Thenne late vs faste in marche whiche is prymtemps for to represse the hete of the flessh boylyng and to aqueÌ„che luxurye or tattempre it In somer we ought to faste to th ende that we chastyse the brennyng and ardour of auarice In haruest for to represse the drought of pryde and in wynter for to chastyse the coldnesse of vntrouthe and of malyce The second reason why we faste iiij tymes for thyse fastynges here begynne in marche in the first weke of the lente to th ende that vices wexe drye in vs For they may not all be quenchid Or by cause that we caste them away And the bowes and herbes of vertues may growe in vs And in somer also in the whitson weke For thenne cometh the holy goost And therfore we ought to be feruent
thus ther beÌ„ iij dayes euery day hath his nyght goyng byfore after bede the ordre of the dayes was chauÌ„ged the cours ordeyned for byfore the dayes wente byfore the nyghtes folowed after the tyme of the passyoÌ„ that ordre was chauÌ„ged for the nyghtes gooÌ„ byfore this is by mysterie For maÌ„ first ouerthrewe in the day fyll in to the nyght of synne And by the passyon resurrection of IhÌ„u cryst he caÌ„ agayn fro the nyght of synne vnto the day of grace As touchyng the secoÌ„d coÌ„sideracion it ought to be knowen that it is accordyng to reson that anoÌ„ after his deth he ouht not to aryse but ought to abyde vnto the third day that for v· reasoÌ„s the first for the signyfycacion to that that the lyght of his deth shold cure our double deth therfore .j. day hool ij nyghtes he laye in the sepulcre that by the day we vnderstande the light of his deth by the ij nyghtes our double deth and this reason assigneth the glose vpon saynt luc luce vicesimo vpon this text Oportebat xpristum pati cetera The second for certayn probacion For right so as in the mouth of tweyne or of thre is the wytnes establysshyd right so in thre dayes is proued all dede and fayt veritable And to th ende to preue that his deth was veritable he wold lye therin thre dayes The thirde for to shewe his puissaunce ¶ For yf he had arysen anon it shold seme that he had not suche myght for to gyue his lyf as he had to reyse hym And this reason toucheth thappostle ad Corintheos xv· Therfore is ther first made mencioÌ„ of his deth lyke as his deth was veryly shewed so his very resurrection is shewed and declared ¶ Fourthly for to figure the restauracion ¶ And this reason assigneth Petrus rauenensis Iesu cryst wold be thre dayes in his sepulcre in fygure in benefete doyng that is to wete to restore them that ben falle to repayre them that ben in therthe And to redeme them that were in helle The fyfthe for the representyng of treble estate of ryghtful men And this reason assigneth seynt gregorye vpon ezechiel sayeng The sixth day of the weke Ihesus suffred deth The saterday he laye in the sepulcre The sondaye he aroos The present lyf is yet to vs the sixth day For in anguisshes and sorowes we ben tormented The saterday also is that we rest vs in our sepulcre For after the deth we shal fynde the rest for our soule The sonday is the eyght day that day we shal be free of the deth and of all sorowe in body and in sowle in glorye Thenne the sixth day is to vs sorowe the seuenth reste and the eyghte glorye As to the thirde coÌ„sideracioÌ„ how he aroos it appiereth veryly that he aroos myghtyly For by his propre myght he aroos Iohannis nono Potestatem habeo cÌ„ I haue said I haue power to delyuer my soule and I haue power to resume it agayn that is to saye to deye whan I will â— And to ryse agayn whan I will Secondly he aroos Ioyously For he toke awaye all myserye all infirmyte and all seruitud wherof he saith in the goospell of IohÌ„n Iohannis xxvj he said whan I shal aryse agayn I shal auaunce me and goo to fore you in to galylee where ye shall see me free and delyuerd Galylee is as moche to saye as transmygracion that is to saye deyyng Ihesu cryst thenne whan he aroos wente to for vs For he wente fro myserye to glorye and fro corrupcion to incorrupcion wherof saynt lyon the pope saith After the passion of Ihesu Cryst the bondes of deth broken he was transported from Infirmyte to vertu fro mortalite to perpetuite and fro vylonnye to glorye â— Thirdly he roos prouffytably for he caryed wyth hym his proye wherof saith Ieremye the iiij chapiter Ascendit leo de cubili cÌ„ The lyon is resen out of his bedde Ihesus ascended on hye vpon the crosse And the robbour of the peple enhaunsed hym self Ihesu Cryst robbed helle wherin was thumayne lygnage As he had said Cum exaltatus fuero cÌ„ Whan I shal ascende on hye I shall drawe to me alle myne of whom helle hath holden and kept the soules whiche were enclosed in derknes and the bodyes in sepulture Fourthly he aroos merueylously For he aroos without openyng of the sepulcre whiche abode fast closed For lyke as he yssued out of his moders bely And to his disciples the dores closed and shytte so he yssued out of his sepulcre wherof is red in scolastica historia of a monke of saynt laurence without the walles in the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord M. jCxj whiche meruaylled of a gyrdle with whiche he was gyrt that with out vndoyng or openyng it was cast to for hym wherof whan he sawe it he erueylled m and he herd a voys in thayer sayeng Thus may Ihesu cryst yssue out of his sepulcre the sepulcre all cloos Fyftly he aroos trewly For he aroos in his propre body And by sixe maners he shewed that he was veryly rysen First by the Angele whyche lyed not Secondly by many and oftymes appyeryng Thirdly by etyng openly and by no art fantastyke Fourthly by palpacioÌ„ of his very body Fyftly by osteÌ„cion of his wouÌ„des by whiche he shewde that it was the propre body in whiche he had veryly suffred deth Syxthly by his presence in comyng in to the hows the gates shytte whan he entâ—ed sodanly and Invisibly by whyche he shewde that his body was gloryfyed Seuenthly he aroos Inmortally For he shal neuer after deye IohÌ„is vj xpuÌ„s resurgens cÌ„ And seynt denys in an epistle that he made to demophilum saith that IhuÌ„ cryst after his assencoÌ„n sayd to an holy man named Carpo I am alle redy yet to suffre for to saue man by which it semeth that yf it were nede that yet he were redy to suffre deth as it is conteyned in the same epistle This holy man Carpo tolde to seynt denys that a paynem peruerted a Crysten man and brought hym out of the faith And this Carpo toke suche angre therfore in hys herte that he was seke and this Carpo was of so grete holynes that as ofte as he song masse an heuenly vision appered to hym But whan he shold praye for the conuersion of them bothe dayly he prayd god that both tweyn myght be brent in a fyre ¶ And on a tyme abought mydnyght he made this prayer vnto god And sodanly the hous in whiche he was in was deuided in two partyes And a right grete fornaysse appiered there And he loked vp and behelde the heuen and saw it open IhuÌ„ Cryst whiche was enuyronned wyth a grete multitude of angellis and beside the fournays thise two men were tremblyng for grete drede that they had the whiche men were byten of serpentes that yssued out of the fournays whiche drew
sayeng suffre ye hym brethern and late hym curse me loo I haue thys lx yere blasphemed by my werkys Cryst and may not I not bere one blame or vice of thys man And he comanded that a sack of money full shold be brought to fore thys poure man that he shold take as moche as he world On a tyme after that the gospell was redde in the chyrche the peple wente out and talked ydle tales And thys holy patriarke apperceyued them and folowed after and satte doun emong them and said to them Sones there as the sheep been there must the sheepherde be also And therfor eyther ye muste entre with me in to the chyrche or ellys I must abyde wyth you here And thus he dyde tweyes And therby he taught the peple to abyde stande in the chyrche Another tyme ther was a yongman had rauysshed anonne And the clerkys repreued the yong man therof to fore saynt IohÌ„n And said he ought to be cursid therfor by cause he had lost ij sowles his owne and the nonnes Thenne saynt Iohan withstode theyr sentence sayeng not so my sones not so I shal shewe to you that ye coÌ„myse two synnes Fyrst ye doo ayenst the comandement of god whyche saith Iuge ye not and ye shal not be Iuged Secondly ye wyte not for certayn whether they haue synned in to thys day and haue not be penytent and haue repented them It fyll many tymes that saynt IohÌ„n was rauysshyd in hys prayers and was in a traunce And he was herd dyspute with our lord in thyse wordes So good lord Ihesu cryst so I in partyng and thou in mynystryng late vs see who shal ouercome On a tyme whan he was seek vexid wyth the feures and sawe that he approched hys ende he said I yelde to the thankynges For thou hast herd my wretchidnes prayeng thy goodnes that at my deth shold be fouÌ„de wyth me but one besaunt or one pece of money and that yet I comande to be gyuen to the poure And thenne he yelded hys soule vnto all myghty god And his venerable body was put in a sepulcre where the bodyes of ij bysshoppis were buryed And the two bodyes by myracle gaf rome and place to the body of saynt IohÌ„n For they remeued eche fro other and left the mydle voyde for his body A lityl tyme to fore hys deth ther was a woman had coÌ„mysed a grete and horryble synne And durst not be shryuen therof ne â—hewe it to noman saynt IohÌ„n bad here wryte hit and seale it and brynge it to hym And he wold praye for her she assented therto she wrote her synne and dylygently closed and sealed it And delyuerd it to saynt IohÌ„n And anon after saynt IohÌ„n waxe seek and deyde And whan she herd that he was deed she supposed her self confused and shamed For she wende that he hath delyuerd it to somÌ„e other man and she cam to hys tombe and there wepte cryed moche lamentably sayeng Alas Alas I supposed to haue eschewid my coÌ„fusion now I am made confusion vnto all other wepte bytterly prayeng saynt IohÌ„n that he wold shewe to here where he had lefte her wrytyng And sodenly saynt IohÌ„n cam and appiered to her in thabyte of a bysshop on eyther syde of hym a bysshop and said to the woman why troblest thou me so moche and thies sayntes wiâ—h me and suffrest not vs to haue reste loo here our clothes ben alle weet of thy teeris And thenne delyuerd to her her scrowe agayn sealed as it was to fore sayeng to her Se here thy seall opene thy wrytyng and rede it whyche anoÌ„ she opened and all her synne was disfaced and clene out and she fonde therin wreton Alle thy synne is foryeuen and put away by the prayer of IohÌ„n my seruaunt And thenne she rendred thaÌ„kynges to our lord god and to saynt IohÌ„n And thenne saynt IohÌ„n with the two bysshoppis retorned in to theyr sepulture Thys holy man saynt IohÌ„n flowrid in the yere of our lord vjCv in the tyme of foke themperour Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Iohan the Almosner Of the conuersion of saynt paule of the name of conuersion COnuersion is sayd of conuertor I am torned or is as moche as to gydre torned from synnes and euyllis he is not conuerted that shryueth hym to the preest of one synne and hydeth an other It is said conuersion For saynt paule thys day was conuerted to the fayth leuyng hys vices why he is said paule it shal be said afterward ¶ Of the conuersion of saynt Paule THe conuersion of saynt Paule was made the same yere that cryste suffred hys passion and saynt stephen was stoned also not in the yere naturell but appieryng For our lord suffred deth the viij kalendes of apryll And saynt stephen suffred deth the same yere the thyrde day of august And was stoned and saynt paule was conuerted the viij kalendis of feuerer And thre reasons ben assigned wherfor the conuersion of saynt paule is halowed more than of other saynctes Fyrst for thensample by cause that no synnar what someuer he be shold despayre of pardon whan he seeth hym that was in so grete synne to be in so grete Ioye Secondly for the Ioye For lyke as the chyrche had grete soâ—owe in hys persecucion So had she grete Ioye in his conuersion Thyrdly for the myracle that our lord shewde whan of j so cruel a persecutour was made so trewe a prechour The conuersion of hym was merueyllous by reson of hym that made hym and of hym that ordeyned hym and of the pacient that suffred it by reson of hym that made hym to be conuerted that was Ihesu cryst whyche shewde there his merueillous puyssaunce in that he said it is harde to the to stryue ayenst the alle or prycke and in that he chaunged hym so sodaynly For anon as he was chaunged he said lord what wylt thou that I doo vpon thys word sayth saynt Austyn the lambe slayn of the wulues hath made of a wulf a lambe For he was redy for to obeye that to fore was wood for to persecute Secondly he shewd hys merueyllous wysedom hys merueyllous wysedom was in that that he toke fro hym the swellyng of pryde in offryng to hym the inward thynges of humylyte and not the heyghte of mageste For he said I am Ihesus of nazareth And he called not hym self god ne the sone of god but he said to hym take thynfirmytees of humanyte and caste away the squames of pryde Thyrdly he shewde hys pyteous debonayrte and mercy whyche is signefied in that that he that was in dede and in wylle to persecute he conuerted how be it he had euyl wyll as he that desyred alle the menaces and thretenynges had euyll purpoos as he that wente to the prynce of preestis as he that had a Ioye in hys euyl werkis that he ladde the crysten men bounden to Iherusalem And therfor hys Iourneye and
that we may deserue to be enoynted with thoynement of charyte and of mercy that after this shorte lyf We may come to euerlastyng lyf in heuen Amen Thus endeth the lyf of seynt Domynyk Here foloweth the lyf of seynt Sixte and first of his name SIxtus is sayde of Sios that is god and of status that is to say state so sixtus is as moche to say as godly state Or sixtus is sayd of sisto sistis as it were stedfast and ferme and fixus that is fixed For he was stedfaste and fyxe in the fayth in passion and in good werke and operacion Of Seynt sixte pope martir SIxtus the Pope was of athenes and was first a phylosophre and after was dsciple of Ih̄u cryste was the souerayn bysshop And after was presented to decien valerien Emperours With two of hys discyples and dekenes felycyssyme Agapite And whan decien myght not enclyne hem in no manere he made them to be brought to the temple of Mars for to doo sacrefyse to hym or for to be put in pryson of mamertyn and whan he had refused to doo sacrefise and Was brought in to pryson of mamertyn the blessyd seynt laurence cryed after hym sayeng Fader whyther goost thou wythout thy sonne preest whyther goost thou without thy mynystre To whom sixte sayd Sone I leue the not but gretter bataylles ben due to the after thre dayes thou deken shal folowe me preest but in the mene whyle take the tresours of the chirche and departe them where thou wylt whan he had destributed them to poure crysten men valerien the prouost ordeyned that Syxte shold be broughte agayn for to doo sacrefyse in the temple of mars And yf he refused it he shold haue his hede smeton of And whan he was ledde the blessyd laurence cryed after hym sayeng Fader leue me not For I haue despended alle thy tresours and thenne the knyghtes herd speke of the tresours and helden Laurence And thenne they beheded sixte Felicissym and Agapyte and so they thre suffred deth to gydre In thys same day is the feste of the transfyguracion of our lord and renewyd of newe wyn yf it may be founden of a ripe grape in somme chyrches and this day ben the grapes blessyd in somme places and the peple take therof and ete it in stede of holy brede And the reson why is of thys that our lord sayd in his soper to his dyscyples I shalle not drynke of thys generacion of the vyne tofore I shalle drynke it newe wyth you in the regne of my fader And this transfyguracion in that whyche he sayd newe representeth the gloryous Inuocacion that Ihesu cryste had after his resurrection and therfor on this day of the transfyguracion whiche representeth the resurection men seke newe wyn And it is to wyte that some say that the transfyguracion Was made in veer but the dyscyples disclosed it not but kepte it secrete by cause our lord commaunded that they shold not dysclose it tyl he was rysen fro deth to lyf But after they manyfested and dysclosed it on thys day Thus endeth of Seynt Sixte pope and Martir Here begynneth the lyf of seint Donat and first of his name Donat is as moche to say as borne of god And that is by regeneracion of grace Infusion and glorificacōn For there is treble generacion spirituel of god that is to saye of natyuyte religyosite and of body mortalite For whan seyntes deye that it is sayd that they be born For the passyng out of thys world of sayntes is not sayd deth of sayntes but natalyte the chyld appetiteth to be born to haue larger place to dwelle in more mete for to ete better ayer to respyre and to see lyght And whan the sayntes yssue out of the bely of holy chyrche theyr moder by deth the four thynges they receyue aforsayd after theyr manere and therfor they be sayd born or gyuyng or gyuen of god ¶ Of Seynt Donat DOnat was norysshyd and taught of the emperour Iulyan thēne thys Iulian was ordeyned to be soubdeken but whan he was enhaunsed to be Emperour he slewe the fader and moder of donate And donate fledde in to the cite of arentyne dwellyd there with hyllarye monke and dyd there many myracles ffor the prouost of the cyte had a sonne demonyake and whan he was brought to for◠Seynt donate the wyckyd spirite began to crye and say In the name of our lord Ih̄u cryst doo me none harme ne be greuous to me ne that I goo out of my hous O donat wherfor constraynest thou me to yssue out with tormentes but he was anon delyuerd whan donat prayed There was a man named Eustace whiche receyued in Tuskane the rentes of the prynce and lefte the money in the kepyng of his wyf named Eufronye But for sorowe that she had of the enemyes that destroyed the contree she hyd the money and deyed for sorowe and whan her husbond cam agayn he coude not fynde the money and whan he with his children shold be brought to tormente He fledde to Seynt donat and donat went with hym to the sepulcre of his Wyf sayd with a clere voys Eufronye I coniure the by the vertu of the holy ghoost that thou say where thou hast leyde this moneye And she answerd out of the sepulture and sayd At the entree of the hows where I dalue it And thenne they went thyder and fonde it like as she had sayd a lytil whyle after Satirus the bysshop deyed in our lord and alle the clergy choos donat to be bysshop in his place and so he was On a day as seynt gregore recounteth in his dyalogue whan Seynt donate houseled the peple after masse and the deken mynystred the body of our lord to the peple sodanly the deken fyll wyth the chalyce by thympulsion and threstyng of the paynems that cam thyder and the chalyse brake wherof he was sory and so was alle the peple And seynt donat gadred to gydre the pieces of the chalice and made his prayer and remysed it in his first forme and a lytil pyece the deuyll toke awaye and hydde it which piece lacketh yet in the chalyce and that chalice is kepte in the sayd chyrche in Wytnes of thys myracle And the paynyms that sawe thys Were conuerted to the fayth in so moche that lxxx of them receyued bapteme There was a welle or a fontayne enfected that who that dranke if it was anon deed And seynt donat went anon thyder vpon his asse for to praye and make the water hool and anon an horryble dragon yssued out of the fontayn and wonde his tayle aboute the legges of the asse and adressyd hym ayenst donate and donate smote hym wyth his staffe or as somme say he spytte in hys mouth and he deyed and thenne he prayed to our lord chased awaye alle the venym out of the fontayne Another tyme whan he
Gerasyne quene of Scycyle whiche hadde made of her husbond that was a cruel tyraunt a meke lambe And was suster of Moryce the Bisshop and of Darye moder of saynt Vrsula To whome the fader of saynt vrsula had sygnefyed by secrete lettres She by thynspyracion of god put her self in the weye with her foure doughters Babylla Iuliana Victorea and aurea and her lytel sone Adryan whiche for loue of his susters wente in the same pylgremage And lefte alle in the hande of his owne sone and cam in to Brytayne And saylled ouer see in to Englond And by the counceyl of thys quene the virgyns wâ—re gadred to gydre fro dyuerse Royammes And she was ledar of them And at the last she suffryd martirdome with them And thenne the condycion made all thynges were made redy Thenne the quene shewed her counceylle to the knyghtes of her companye And made them alle to swere this newe chyualrye And thenne beganne they to make dyuerse playes and games of bataylle as to renne here and there and fayned many maner of playes And for alle that they lefte not their purpoos And somtyme they retourned fro this playe at mydday and somtyme vnnethe at euen songe tyme And the barons and grete lordes assembled them to see the fayre games and disportes And alle had ioye and playsyre in beholdyng them and also meruaylle And at the lasie whan Vrsula hadde conuertid all these Virgyns vnto the faith of Cryst they wente alle to the see And in the space of a daye· they sailled ouer the see hauynge soo good wynde that they arryued at a porte of gaule named Tyelle and fro thens cam to Coboyn where an Angel of our lord appyeryd to vrsula and tolde her that they shold retorne ageyne the hole nombre to that place and there receyue the crowne of martirdom fro thens by the monycyon of the angel they went toward Rome And whanne they cam to Basyle they lefte there theire shippes and wente to Rome a fote At the comynge of whome the pope Ciriacus was moche glad by cause he was borne in Brytayne And hadde many Cosyns amonge them And he with his clerkis receyued them with alle honour And that same nyght it was shewed to the pope that he shold receyue with them the Crowne of martirdome whiche thyng he hydde in hym self and baptifid many of them that were not thenne baptised And when he sawe tyme couenable when he had gouerned the chirch one yere and enleuen wekes and was the xix 〈◊〉 after Peter he purposed to fore alle the peple and shewed to them his purpoos and resigned his offyce and his dygnyte but alle men gaynsayd it and specially the cardynallys whiche supposed that he trespaced leuynge the glorye of the papacye And wold goo after this folysshe vyrgyns but he wold not agree tabyde but ordeyned an holy man to occupye in his place whiche was named Ametus And by cause he left the syege apostolyque ayenst the wylle of the clergye the clerkes put oute his name of the Cathologue of popes and alle the grace that he had goten in his tyme This holy companye of wymmen made hym for to leue hit And thenne two felon prynces of the Chyualrye of Rome Maxymyen and Affrycan sawe these grete companye of vyrgyns and that many men and wymmen assemblyd to them doubted that Crysten relygyon shold moche be encreaced by them wherfor they requyred dylygently of their vyage And thenne sente they messagers to Iulyan theire Cosyn prynce of the lygnage of the Hunes that he shold brynge his hoost ageynst them And shold assemble at Coleyne And there byhede them by cause they were Crysten And the blessyd Cyryake yssued oute of the Cyte of rome with this blessyd company of vyrgyns And Vyncent preest Cardynal and Iaques that was come fro Brytayne in to Antyoche and had holde there seuen yere the dignyte of the Bisshop whiche thenne hadde vysyted the pope and was gone oute of his Cyte And held company with these virgyns whan he herd of their comyng and suffrid martirdome with them And mauryce Bisshop of Leuytane the Cyte vncle of babylle and Iulyan And Folarius Bisshop of lucence with supplyce bisshop of Rauenne whiche thenne were come to Rome put them in the companye of these virgyns Ethereus the husbond of Vrsula abydyng in britayne was warned of our lord by a vysyon of an Angel that he shold exhorte his moder to be Crysten For his fader deyde the fyrste yere that he was Crystned And Ethereus his sene succeded after hym in his regne And thenne whan these holy vyrgyns retorned fro Rome with the bisshops Ethereus was warned of oure lord that he shold anone aryse and goo to mete his wyf at Coleyne and there receyue with her the Crowne of martirdome the whiche anone obeyed to admonestements dyuyne And dyd do baptyse his moder and cam with her and his lytel suster Florence thenne also baptysed and with the bisshop Clement metynge the holy virgyns and accompanyed them vnto martirdome Marculus bisshop of grece and his nece Constaunce doughter of Dorothe kynge of Constantynople which was maryed to the sone of a kynge but he deyde to fore the weddyng And she auowed to our lord her vyrgynyte they were also warned by a vysyon cam to Rome and ioyned them to these vyrgyns vnto the martirdome And thenne alle these vyrgyns cam with the bisshops to Coleyne And fonde that it was besyeged with the Hunes And whan the Hunes sawe them they beganne to renne vpon them with a grete crye and araged lyke wolues on shepe and slewe alle this grete multitude And whanne they were al byheded they cam to the blessyd Vrsule the prynce of them seyng her beaute soo merueylous was abasshed and began to comforte her vpon the dethe of the vyrgyns and promysed to her to take her to his wyf And whan she hadde refused hym and despysed hym at all he shote at her an arow and perced her thorugh the body And so accomplysshed her martirdome And one of the vyrgyns whiche was named Cordula was sore aferd and hydde her self alle that nyght in a ship but on the morn she suffrid deth by her free wylle and toke the crowne of martirdome And by cause her feest was not holde with the other vyrgynes she appierid longe after to a recluse and commaunded hym that the next daye folowynge the feste of the virgyns her feest shold shold be remembryd They suffrid dethe the yere of our lord CCxxxviij But somme holde oppynyon that the the reason of the tyme sheweth that they suffred not dethe in that tyme For Cecylle ne Constantynople were thenne no Royammes but it is supposed that they suffryd deth longe tyme after whanne Constaunt was Emperour And that the hunes and gothes enforced them ageynste Crysten men in the tyme of themperour Marcyen that regned in the yere of oure lord four Clix Hit is
Fourthy by cause they ben put to their husbondes this excellence that virgynyte had as to the respect of thaccouplement of mariage appiereth by manyfold comparacion For maryage fylleth and swelleth the bely And virgynyte the mynde Wherof Augustyn sayth Vyrgynyte chesith to folowe more the lyf of angels in their flesshe than tencreace the nombre of mortal peple in their flesshe For it is more blessid and more plentyuous tencreace their mynde than to be grete with childe For somme haue Children of sorowe And vyrgynyte bryngeth forth Children of Ioye virgynyte replenyssheth heuen of children And they that ben maryed replenysshe the erthe And Iherome saith The weddynges fylle the erthe and vyrgynyte fylleth heuen that one is of grete besynes And this is of grete reste virgynyte is scylence of charge pees of the flesshe Redempcion of vyces and pryâ—cesse of vertues Mariage is good But virgynyte is better Seynt Iheromme saith to palmacyen the difference bitwene maryage and virgynyte saith they difference as moche as is bitwene not to synne and to do well or as I maye clerlyer saye as is bytwene good and better For maryage is compared to thornes And vyrgynyte to Roses And he sayth to Eustochium I preyse mariage for they engeÌ„dre virgyns I gadre fro the thornes roses gold fro therthe and oute of the shelle a precious margaryte or stone Fyfthly is shewed the dignyte and excellence of vyrgyns For they enioye many pryueleges For the vyrgyns shall haue the crowne that is callyd Aureola they only shalle synge the newe songe They shall be cladde with vestymentes of the same with Ihesu Cryst and ioye alwey with hym And they shalle folowe alwey the lambe The fourthe the laste this feest is establysshed for to Impetre and gete the sonner that thyng that we pray fore by cause that we honoure this daye alle the sayntes generally whiche also praye for vs all to geder And so they may the lyghtly er gete the mercy of oure lord for vs For yf hit be Impossible that the prayers of somme sayntes be not herd hit is moche more Impossible that the prayers of al shold not be herd And this reason is touched whan hit is sayd in the collette Desideratam nobis tue propiciacionis habundanciam multiplicatis intercessoribus largiaris lord gyue to vs by the multyplyed prayers of all thy sayntes the desyred habundance of thy debonayrte And the sayntes praye for vs by meryte and by effect by merite whan their meryte helpeth vs by effecte whanne they desyre our desyres to be accomplysshed And this do they not but there as they accomplysshe the wylle of oure lord And that on thys day alle the sayntes assemble them for to pray for vs It is shewed in a vysyon that happend in the second yere after this feste was stablysshed On a tyme whan the sextayne of saynt Peâ—â—r had by deuocion visited all the aulters of the Chirche And had requyred suffragies of alle the sayntes Atte last he cam ageyne to th aulter of saynt Peter And there rested a lytell and sawe there a vysyon For he sawe the kynge of kynges in an hyhe throne sit And alle the Aungels aboute hym And the blessyd virgyn of vyrgyns cam crowned with a ryght respleÌ„d ysshynge rowne And there folowed her a grete multitude of vyrgyns withoute nombre and contynentes also And anone the kynge arose ageynst her and made her to sytte on a sete by hym And after cam a man cladde with the skynne of a camell and a grete multitude of auncyent and honourable faders folowynge hym And after cam a man in thabyte of a bisshop and a grete multitude in semblable habyte folowyng hym And after cam a multitude of knyghtes without nombre whome folowed a grete company of dyuerse peple Thenne cam they all to fore the Trone of the kynge And adoured hym vpon their knees And thenne he that was in thabyte of a Bisshop beganne matyns and the other folowed And an Aungel whiche ladde this sextayne thus in the vysyon expowned this vysyon to hym and sayd that oure blessyd lady the vyrgyne was she that was in the fyrst company he that was cladde in the heyre of camels was saint Iohan baptyst with the patriarkes and prophetes And he that was aourned in thabyte of a bisshop was Peter with thappostles The knyghtes were the martirs And the other the confessours the which al cam to fore oure lord syttynge in his throne for to gyue to hym lawde and than kynges of thonour that was done to them in this world of the mortalle peple And prayd to hym for alle the vnyuersal world And after the Aungel brought hym in to another place and shewed to hym men and wymmen somme in beddes of gold other enioyenge in dyuerse delytes othir naked and poure and other beggyng And sayd to bym that this was the place of purgatory they that dwellyd there were the sowles they that habounded in welthe were the sowles of them whiche were socoured by theire Frendes by many aydes The poure were the sowles of whome theire executours and Frendes sette not by them ne dyde no thynge for them And thenne he commaunded hym that he shold shewe this to the pope that after the feste of all halowen he shold establisshe the commemoracion of alle sowles And that generalle suffrages temporall myght be done for them on the next day where they may haue none in speciall ¶ Thus endeth the solempnyte of al saintes ¶ Here foloweth the commemoracion of al soules THe memorye of the departynge of al Crysten soules is stablysshed to be solempnesed in the chirche on this day to th ende that they may haue generall ayde and comforte where as they may haue none specyall lyke as it is shewed in the forsayd reuelacion And Peter damyens saith that in Cecyll in the yle of wulcan saynt Odylle herd the voyces the howlynges of deuyls whiche complayned strongly by cause that the sowles of them that were deed were taken aweye fro their handes by almesses and by prayers And therfor he ordeygned that the feste and remembraunce of them that ben departed oute of this world shold be made and holden in al monasteryes the day after the feest of al holowen the whiche thyng was approuyd after of al holy Chirche And therof we may specially touche two thynges Fyrst of the purgacion of tho sowles And secondly of their suffrages Of the first is to be considered thre thynges Fyrst who ben they that ben purged Secondly by whome they ben purged Thyrdly where they ben purged It is to wete that there ben thre maners of them that ben purged The fyrst ben they that deye to fore er they haue done satisfaction of the penaunce that hath ben enioyned to hem Neuertheles yf they had so moch coÌ„tricion in the herte that it had suffysed tefface the synne they shold haue frely passyd to the lyf perdurable hou be it that
gaue it to his dyscyples sayeng take you and drynke for thys is the chalys of my propre and owne blood that is the confyrmacyon bothe of the newe and olde testamente and mysterye of feythe whyche shal be spylte for you and for my peple in remyssyon of your synnes and as many tymes ye shal doo thys that I shewe you here ye shal do it in the memorye of me and therfore in the seuenth parte of the canon of the masse the preest whan he hath layed doun the body of our lord he taketh the chalys and after lokyng vpward he blessyth it and sayth take you and drynke for here is the chalyce of myn owne propre blood and right soone after the preest hath sayd these forsayd wordes in latyn in mynde of our lord the wyne is conuerted in to the propre and owne blood of Ihesu cryste that same Whyche he spylte for vs on the rood tree And here it is to wete that in thys precyous sacramente we may consyder ix myracles moche meruayllous the whiche may be aprouyd by somme semblaunce or lykenesse of nature The fyrst is that the substaunce of the breed of the wyne is chaunged in to the substaunce of the body precious blood of cryste and thys is shewyd to vs by suche a symylytude or lykenesse naturally that is that of food of brede and wyne bothe flesshe and blode are engendryd in creature moche more stronger our lord that is souerayne nature may doo by vertu of his wordes that the bred and the wyne is conuerted in to his owne body and in to his precious blood The second myracle is that euery day ofte and many tymes the breed is conuerted in to the propre and owne body of our lord not withstondyng none augmentacyon or encrees is don in god ensaumple of nature For yf I wote a thynge secrete I may vttere and reherce hit in many and dyuers places and notwythstondyng I ne wote it the more ne better than I dyd toforne ¶ The thyrd is that euery day our lord is parted and eten and hath no dymynysshyng that is to say that god nor the sacramente is not lesse therfore reason naturalle For yf I haue a candel lyght euery one may take of the lyght of it wythout it be lessyd or dymynysshed therfore Also euery one may take that holy sacramente withoute dymynysshyng of hit but who that taketh it vnworthely he dymynyssheth hym self The fourth myracle is that whan the hoostye is parted god is in eche parte entyerly Ensaumple of the glasse For whan the glasse is parted or broken in to pyeces in euery parte of hit apperyth the fygure of the thynge that is presented before in hit The fyfthe myracle is that yf thys precyous sacramente be taken of an euyl and synful creature the sacramente of hit self is not fowled therfore For we see that the beemes of the sonne passeth thorugh and ouer ordure and fylthe and the sonne is nothynge foule therfore but rather thordure or fylthe is made clene therof Thus it is that somtyme whan the creature hath receyued the body of our lord vnworthely consyderyng that he hath mysdoon to haue receyued his sauyour in to so grete ordure or fylth of synne he conceyueth by bytternesse or smartyng so grete a contrycyon that he therfore retourneth to grace and thus he is pourged or made clene of his synne The syxth myracle is that the body of our lord Ihesu cryste is sode of dethe to the synnars For Saynt paule the appostle sayth that he that eteth it vnworthely he eteth it to his dampnable Iugemente For ryght euen so as stronge wynes and stronge metes is vnprouffytable or lettyng to seeke peple ryght so is the body of our lord Ihesu cryste nuysable and lettyng to the synnars ¶ The seuenth myracle is that so grete a thynge Whyche alle the World may not comprehende is conteyned in soo lytel an hoostye For we see that a grete hylle may be comprysed and perceyued wyth an eye moche more stronger is that the vertu deuyne may be by his puyssaūce comprysed and conteyned in a lytel hoostye The viij myracle is that our lord al entyerly in dyuers places attones is perceyued of dyuers persones In suche manere We see perceyue that the worde of a creature is knowen and perceyued in dyu ers places attones of many and dyuers creatures The ix myracle is whan the breed is conuerted in to the precious body of our lord the accidentes abyden that is to wete whytnesse roundenesse and sauoure and not therfore it is noo breed but it is the body of Ih̄u cryste the which is yeuen vnder the likenesse of breed for thys that that myght be grete horrour a preest to ete rawe flessh and also to drynke blood After thys consecracion these myracles are conteyned and sayth the preest in the viij parte of the canon an oryson that begynneth thus Vnde vt memores c̄ In the whiche oryson the preest Incyteth vs to haue mynde of the passyon of our lord Ihesu cryste of hys resurrexyon and of his glorious ascencyon to th ende that by his passyon we be Incyted to charyte by his holy resurrexyon we be Incyted to feythe and by his glorious ascencion to hope of our helthe ffor his passyon sheweth to vs charyte for thys that by his charyte he wold suffre dethe for vs And therfore the preest in that oryson he maketh fyue tymes the sygne of the crosse in the memorye and mynde of the fyue woundes that our lord receyued on the crosse and there that tyme euery creature ought to sette his herte to thynke on the passyon of cryste And thus doyng the creature shal acquyre veray feythe by the knowleche of the holy resurrexyon and veray hope by his gloryous ascencyon after in thys same partye the preest prayeth that our lord wyl accepte the sacrefyse in suche manere as he dyd of abel of abraham and of melchysedech For specyally these thre were accepted of god as specyal frendes After in the ix parte of the canon of the masse the preest Inclyneth hym whiche Inclynacion representeth or betokeneth thys that our lord after his souper wente to the montayn of olyuete and there he enclyned hym self prayeng to god the fader sayeng Syr I the praye yf it may be that thou transferre fro me thys bytter chalyce and therfore he sayth an oryson that thus begynneth Supplices to rogamus In the whiche the preest remembreth maketh mencyon of the for the forsayd prayer and whan he cometh to saye a worde that is Ex hac altaris perticipacione c̄ he kysseth the aulter the whyche kyssyng betokeneth thys that Iudas made whā he betrayed his mayster our lord Ihesu cryste and caused hym to be taken after in thys same orison the preest maketh thre tymes the syyne of the crosse for thys that our lord prayed in the sayd mountaygne of olyuete he swette blood allonge his body and therfore he maketh
word vocabis nomen eius ihesum And here thou shalt Impose to hym this name whiche was gyue to hym by thangele to fore begynnyng of this world whan thēne he sayde thou shalt Impose to hym this name he sheweth the denominacion made by Ioseph And whan he said that of the angelle or of the souerayn it was made he towched the ij other domynaciōs And therfore was this Circumsicion establyssyd in the heed begynnyng of the yere at Rome whiche is chief of the world and ennobled with the first lettre of the chief of the A.b.c. sette in the first place thus fourmed Ihesu Crist the hede of the chirche is this day circūcided the name is gyue to hym and Imposed And the vtas of the natyuyte is halowed The thirde thynge that is considered of this holy day is theffusion or shedyng of the blood of Ihesu Cryst For on this day fyrst he began to shede his bloode the whiche after dyuerse tymes he shedde Fyue tymes he shedde his blood for vs First atte his circumsicion And this tyme was the begynnyng of oure redēpcion Secondly in oryson And in this tyme he shewde the desire that he had of our redempcion Thirdly wan he was bound to the pyler and beten and this was the merite of our redempcion for by his woūdes we were saued Fourthly whā he was crucyfyed And this tyme was the prys of oure redempcion And thēne he payed that whiche he had not taken Fyfthly whan his syde was opened And this tyme was of our redempcion the sacrement For thenne out of his syde yssued blood water whiche signefyeth that we ought to be puryfyed by the water of baptesme the whiche water ought to haue vertue and effect of the precious blood of Ihesu Cryst The sixthe thyng of this holy day is the signacle of the Circumsicion the whiche Ihū Cryst on this day of his benygnyte daygned to take And ye ought to knowe that for many resons he wold be circuncised First for the cause of hym self that he wold shewe that he had takē our uery flessh humayne For he knewe wel that ther shold somme come after that shold saye that he had not taken body real of the virgyne Marie And therfore wold he be circumcised really in flessh humayne for to destroye theyr erroure And to shede his naturel blood For a body fantastyque shal shede no blood Secondly for the cause of vs for to shewe to vs how we shold be circuncised spirituelly After that saynt bernard saith Ther be two maner of circumsicions that we ought to doo that is to wete withoute forth our flessh within our herte The circumsiciō of our body is in thre thynges in habyte that it be not noyeful In operacion that it be not repreuable in worde that it by not despytous The circumsicion of the herte within forth is also in thre thynges in thought that it be holy in affection that it be pure in encencion that it be rightfull Item for the rightful cause of vs to that he wold saue vs in this maner that he was cutte in one mēbre for to saue all the body In lyke wyse wold Ihū Cryst suffre the cuttyng of his circumcision for to saue all the spyrituel body of the chirche They ben the mēbres of the chirche that byleue in hym whiche by the faith of the chirche shall be saued Of whiche circumsicion saith saynt poul ad Colocenses secundo ye haue taken the circumcison not made with the honde to despoylle cutte the flesshe but the spirituel circumsicion of Ihesu Cryst is that all vices be cutte of take away Thirdly he wold be circumcised by cause of the Iewes that they shold haue none excusacion but for to byleue in hym For yf he had not be circumsised they myght saye they ought not to receyue hym by cause he folowed not the fadres of the lawe Fourthly by cause the deuyl shold haue no knowleche of the mystery of thyncarnacion As the circumsicion was gyuen ayenst orygynal synne the deuyl wende that he that receyued it were a synnar had nede of the remedye of circumsicion And for this cause Ihesu Cryste wold that his moder beyng all way a virgyne shold be maryed by cause that by the sacrament of matrymonye his Incarnacion shold be hyd from the feende Fyfthly for to fulfylle parfyght Iustice and parfyght humylyte the whiche is to submytte hym to one lower than hym selfe therfore wold he thus be circumcised for to shewe to vs this humylite as he that is lorde and maistre of the lawe submysed hym selfe to the lawe Sixthly for tapproue and fulfyll the lawe of Moyses the whiche was good holy For he was not comen for to destroye the lawe but for to fulfylle and kepe the lawe Thus saith saynt poul the xv chapytre I saye to you that Ihesu Cryst was mynystre of the circumsicion for the trouth of god to conferme the promesses that he had mad vnto the fadres of tholde lawe And the cause why the circumsicion was made the viij day ther ben assigned many reasons The first is for to vnderstonde the sence of the lettre as it lyeth For lyke as Raby moyses whiche was a right grete philosophre in theologye how wel that he was a Iewe whan a chylde in the state of vij dayes after he is born is also tēdre as he were yet in the wombe of his moder And atte vij day he is fortefyed and affermed Therfor as he saith our lord wold that the lytil children atte viij day shold be circumcised by cause they shold not be hurte by the grete tendrenes that they haue yet And he wold not that they shold abyd aboue the viij day for iij causes that he assigneth The first is fore to eschewe the peryll of deth that he shold not deye within the viij dayes The seconde is for teschewe the payne of the chyldren For in the doyng of the circumsicion is a grete payne And therfore wold our lord god that they were circumcised whylis they had lytyl ymagynacion For whan they haue lytil vnderstōdyng they fele not so moche payne The thirde cause for teschewe the heuynes of the parentes For by the circumsicion many chyldren deyed And yf they had abyden til they had be gretter And thēne deyed the fader and moder shold haue ben more soroufull than they shold be atte age of viij dayes The second cause is vnderstande in spirituel dede that is to wyte that the viij day is taken for the resurrexion whiche is the vtas of our lyf For thenne shal we be circumcised fro alle payne and fro all myserye And thus thies viij dayes shall be vnderstod by the viij ages The first is fro Adam to Noe The secōd fro Noe to abraham The thirde fro abrahā to Moyses The fourthe fro moyses vnto Dauid The fyfte fro Dauid to Ihesu Cryst The vj fro Ihesu Cryst vnto th ēde of the world The vij of the deyeng
on therthe And the viij of the general resurrection to heuen Or by theis viij ben vnderstande viij thynges the whiche we haue in the lyf perdurable the whiche seynt Austyn reherceth in recityng that our lord saith what other thynge is it that he saith I shal be theyr god that is that I shal be to them all that wherof they shal be ful And al that whiche by reson they may demaunde that is to wete lyf helth mete habondance of all glorye honour and peas and all goodnes Or otherwise we may take by the vij dayes a man in body in soule of whiche the iiij dayes ben vnderstande by the iiij elementes of whiche the body is composed And iij dayes they ben iij vertues naturell that ben in the soule for to desire or coueyte For to be angry or moeued For to vnderstonde reason to conceyue it The man theÌ„ne that now hath vij dayes whan he shal be ioyned to god fro whom the Ioynyng shal neuer be deffeted theÌ„ne shal he haue the viij day And in this viij day he shal be circumcised fro all synne and from alle payne The thirde reason is taken after the sens morall And after this the viij dayes may be taken in dyuerse purpos The first may be said knowlege of his synne lyke as dauid saith Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco I haue knowlechyng of my synne The seconde pourpos is for to leue synne and take the good the whiche is shewd vs by the sone that dispended his good folyly And whan he had perceyued that he had don euyll folisshly he aduertised hym self and saide I shal departe and retourne to my fader And shal praye that I may serue hym and that he receyue me to mercy make me as one of his seruauÌ„tis The thirde is shame of synne wherof saith seynt poul to theÌ„ that for their synnes be in peyne and in torment what fruyt haue ye founden in tho synnes in your lyf of whiche now ye be ashamed The fourth is drede of the comyng Iugement and dome wherof Iob saith I haue fered and doubted god as men drede the wawes of the see in their grete rage and tempest And seynt Iherome saith thus Siue comedam siue bibam cÌ„ As ofte as I ete or drynke or that I doo ony other thynge alway me semeth that I here the soun the voys cryeng Aryse ye dede meÌ„ and come to the dome and Iugement The v is concricion wherof seynt Iherome saith gyue thy wepyng bytternesse of that whiche thou hast angryd thy god by thy synne The vj is confession wherof dauid saith dixi confitebor cÌ„ I haue said purposed in my herte that I shal confesse me to god and make knowleche of my synne The seuenth is hope of pardon For yf Iudas had had very repentaunce hope and had confessid his synne he had had foryeuenes pardon The viij is satisfaction and sacrefyse And then is the maÌ„ veryly circumcised not only fro the synne but also fro payne where the ij first dayes ben for the sorowe of synne that hath be don and the will for tamende it the thirde day we shold confesse the euyll that we haue don and the good dedes that we haue left The other iiij dayes ben oryson effusion of teres AfflictioÌ„ of body And almesse gyuen Or other wise by these viij dayes may be vnderstaÌ„de viij thynges of whiche the consideracion cutteth of and taketh awey all euyll wyll of synne And who that shal coÌ„sidere it shal haue made a grete Iorney Of whiche seynt bernard nameth vij of them sayeng that vij thinges ben in thessence of a man that yf a man wel considere them he shal neuer synne And they be thies the vnite of our nature the vilte and fylthe of our werkes The sorowe of our yssuyng The mutabylite of our estate Thangnyssh of the deth The myserable and vnsurete of our nature of body and of soule The dampnacion detestable and horrible the consideracion of the glorye of heuene whiche may not be recounted the fourth reason is taken to the vnderstandyng espirytuell And after this the fyue dayes shal be the fyue bokes of moyses in whiche the lawe is conteyned And the two other ben the prophetes the the psalmes of dauid And the viij shal be the doctryne of the gospellis but in the first vij dayes the circumcision parfyght was not made but on the viij daye was parfyght circumcision of synne and of payne now it is made in hope After it shal be don in dede And of the flessh of the circumcision of Ihesu Cryst it is said that the aÌ„gelâ— brought it to Charlemayn he bare it to Amcon And sette it there honourably in the chirche of our lady And after as it is said that he bare it to Chartres And now it is said to be at Rome in the chirche that is called scaÌ„ sanctorum And there it is wreton that the precious flessh of IhuÌ„ Cryst is there right clere and the nauyll also Also it is said that it is in the chirche of our lady at aÌ„dwarp in braband And there I knowe Well that on trynyte sonday they shewe it with grete reuereÌ„ce And is there born abowte with a grete and a solempne procession and that though I be vnworthy haue seen dyuerse tymes And haue rede and herd there of many myracles that god hath shewd there for it And as towchyng I haue herd saye there that there was a Cardynal sente fro Rome for to see it And as he was at his masse solempnly it was leyd â—n the corporas at whiche tyme it bled thre dropes of blood on the said corporas There they worshippe it as fore the flessh of our lord whiche was cutte of at his circunsicion named it there prepucium dnÌ„i yf it be trewe to somme it semeth merueyll by cause it is so that the flessh that was cut of was of the very flessh that was cutte of his body humayne ¶ Somme hold that whan Ihesu Cryst aroos fro deth to lyf that he retourned with the body gloryfyed to his place Of the vtas of the natyuyte of Ihesu Cryst that is callid the day of circumsicion we fynd that Ihesu Cryst sayde by the mouthe of his sayntes Non vâ—ni legeÌ„ soluere sed adimplere I cam not said IhuÌ„ Cryst to breke the lawe but to fulfylle it And he was that day circcumcised and named Ihesus whiche is as moche to saye as sauyour And at the circumcision must be cutte a litil of the skynne at th ende of the membre or yerde And that is sygnysyrd and shewde that we ought to be circumcised and cutte and takeen away fro vs the synnes and euyll vices that is to wyte Pryde wrath enuye couetyse slougth gloute nye and lecherye and all synnes and purge vs by confession by contrycion by satisfaction by almesdedes and by prayers and to gyue for goddes sake of the
that this day shewed hym to thise kynges And at his baptesme where the voys of the fader was herd the holy ghoost seen And at the feest torned water in to wyn and fedde fyue thousand men besyde wymen and chyldren with v. loues and two fysshes that at the reuerence of this hye and grete feste he forgyue vs oure trespaces and synnes that after this short lyf we may come tohis euerlastyng blysse in heuen Amen Thus endeth the fest of Epyphanye of the thre kynges Here begynneth Septuagesme AT Septuagesme begynneth the tyme of deuiacioÌ„ or goyng out of the way of the world whiche began at Adam and dured vnto moyses And in this tyme is redde the book of genesis The tyme of septuagesme representeth the tyme of deuyacioÌ„ that is of transgression The sexagesme sygnefyeth the tyme of reuocacion The quinquagesme signefieth the tyme of remyssion The quadragesme signefieth of penaunce and satisfaction The septuagesme begynneth whan the chirche syngeth in thoffyce of the masse circuÌ„dederunt me and endureth vnto the saterday after ester day The septuagesme was institued for thre reasons lyke as mastre IohÌ„n beleth putteth in thoffyce of the chirche The first reason was for the redempcion For the holy fadres somtyme ordeyned that for thonour of thascencion of IhÌ„u cryst In the whiche our nature ascended in to heuen And was enhaunsed aboue thangeles that this day shold be halowed solempnly And shold be kepte fro fastyng And at the begynnyng of the chirche also solempne as the sonday And procession was made in representyng the procession of thappostles which they made on that day or of thaÌ„gellis that cam to mete hym and therfor comenly the prouerbe was that the thursday and the sonday were cosyns For thenne that one was as solempne as that other but by cause that the festes of sayntes cam and ben multeplyed whiche were greuous to halowe so many festes therfore the feste of the thursday cessed And for to recompence that ther is a weke of abstynence ordeyned lyke to lente and is called septuagesme That other reeason is for the sygnyficacion of the tyme For by this tyme is signefyed to vs the tyme of deuiacion of goyng out of the way of eyxle and of tribulacion of thumayne lignage fro syth Adam vnto th ende of the world Whiche exile is halowed vpon the reuolucion of vij dayes of vij M. yere vnderstoÌ„deÌ„ by lxx dayes or lxxC yeris For fro the begynnyng of the world vnto thascencion we acounte vj thousand yere and of the rest that we rekene it for the seuenth thousand of whiche god knoweth only the terme Now it is so that Ihesu cryst bought vs out of this exile in the vj age in hope of perpetuel lyf of all them that be reuested with the vesture of Innocence by bapteme we ben regenerate And whan we shal haue passed the tyme of this exyle he shal clothe vs of double vesture that is to wete of body and soule in glorye and in the tyme of deuyacion and of exyle we leue the songe of gladnes that is alleluya but the saterday of ester we synge one alleluya In enioyeng vs thankyng god of the vesture perpetuel whiche by hope we abyde for to recouure in the sixth age And in the masse we sette a tracte In fyguryng the labour that yet we ought to doo and in fulfyllyng the comandemens of god And the double Alleluya that we synge after ester sygnefyeth the double vesture tht we shaal haue in body and in soule The thirde Reson is for representacion For the septuagesme representeth lxx â–ª yere in whiche the chyldren of Israhel were in babilone in seruytude And in suche maner that they caste away and lefte their vsage of songe of gladnesse sayeng Quomodo cantabimus canticum domini cÌ„ ¶ Thus leue we the songe of preysyng and of gladnes After licence was gyuen to them to retorne in the tyme of Sexagesme and begonne thenne to Ioye and so we doo the satirday of ester as in the yere of Sexagesme we synge Alleluya in representyng their Ioye and gladnesse how wel in the retornyng they had payne and sorowe to take their thynges and bere with them therfor we synge anon after the tracte whiche foloweth the alleluya And in the saterday after ester in whiche Sptuagesme is complete we synge double Alleluya in fyguryng the playn gladnesse that they had whan they were retorned in to theyr contree And this tyme thus of the seruytude of the chyldren of Israhel representeth the tyme of our pylgremage of the lyf of this world ¶ For thus as they were delyuerd in the syxtyth so were we in the syxte age And as they had payne in gadryng assemblyng theyr thynges for to bere with them So haue we in fulfyllyng the comandements of god And like as they were in reste whan they cam in to their contre and in gladnes and in Ioye in lyke wyse we synge double alleluya that betokeneth double Ioye that we shal haue as wel in body as in sowle In this tyme theÌ„ne of exile of the chirche full of many tribulacions and as throwen out in to the depenesse of desperacion almost and despayr sigheth for sorowe in sayeng thoffyce of the masse Circundederunt me gemitus mortis cÌ„ And sheweth many demonstracions that she suffreth as well for the myserye that she had deserued by synne As for the double payne that she is ronne in as for the trespas to her neyghbour but all way for as moche as she falle not in despayr is purposed to her in the gospell and epystle thre maner of Remedyes The first is that yf she will yssue of thyse tâ—ybulacions that she laboure in the vygneyerde of her sowle in cuttyng and pullyng out the vyces and the synnes And after in the waye of this present lyf she seche the werkys of penaunce And after that in doyng spyrytuel bataylle she defende her strongly ayenst the temptacions of thenemye And yf she doo thyse iij. thynges she shal haue threfold reward For in labouryng god shal gyue her the peny and in wel rennyng the prys And in well fyghtyng the crowne And by cause that septuagesme sygnefyeth the tyme of our captyuyte the remedye is purposed to vs By the whiche we may be delyuerd in fleyng the myserye by rennyng by vyctorye in fyghtyng and by the peny in vs ayen beyng ¶ Here endeth the mysterye of Septuagesme ¶ Of Sexagesme THe Sexagesme begynneth whan is songe in the chirche at office of the masse Exurge domine And this endeth the wednesday after ester day And was instytued for redempcion for sygnefycacion and for representacion For redempcioÌ„ it was instytued For Melchisedech the 〈◊〉 and syluestre Institued that men shold ete twyes on the saterday to th ende that they that that had fasted the fryday whiche shold all way be fasted were not greued And in rechaet them of the saterdayes of this tyme they adiousted and Ioyned
a weke of the lente therto And called it sexagesme That other reson for signeficacion For that tyme sygnefyeth the tyme of wedowhed of the chyrche and the wayllyng of the same for thabsence of here spouse Wiche was rauishid in to heueÌ„ Ther be ij wynges gyueÌ„ to the chirche The j is thexercitacioÌ„ of vj werkis of mercy the fulfyllyng of the x coÌ„mademeÌ„ts of the lawe for sixti make six sithes ten And by six be vnderstond the vj werkes of mercy and by ten the n comandementis of the lawe The thirde reson is for representacion For the sexagesme representeth also the mysterye of redemption For by ten is vnderstond the man whiche is the tenth peny whiche is made formed to that that he be the reparacion of ix ordres of angellis or for that he is fourmed of foure qualytees to the body And to the soule he hath iij powers that is to wete memorye vnderstondyng and wyll whiche ben made that he serue the blessyd trynyte to th ende that we byleue fermly in hym and loue hym ardantly and dylygently we haue holde hym in our mynde By sixe ben vnderstonde vj mysteryes by the whiche the man is redemyd by Ihesu cryst the whiche ben the Incarnacion the Natyuyte the passion his discencion in to helle his resurrexion And his ascencion in to heuene And by cause that the sexagesme stratcheth vnto the wednesday after ester that day is songen venite benedicti cÌ„ For they that fulfylle the werkes of merci shal here in th ende venite as Ihesu cryst witnesseth And thenne shal the dore be opened to the spouse And embrace god her spouse And it is warned in a pystle that she shold beere paciently tribulacion as seynt poul dyde in thabsence of her espouse and in the gospell that she be alway ententif to sowe good werkes And that she that had songen as despayred Circundederunt me gemitus mortis Now retorne for to demaunde that she be holpen in her trybulacions and require to be delyuerd in sayeng Exurge domine adiuua cÌ„ whiche is the begynnyng of thoffice of the masse And this doth holy chirche in thre maners For somme ben in holy chirche that ben oppressed of aduersite but they ben not cast out And some that ben not oppressed ne caste out And somme that ben oppressyd and caste out And by cause that they may not bere aduersitees it is to drede and grete perill lest the prosperitees all to breke theym wherfor holy chirche cryeth that he aryse as to the fyrst in confortyng them for it semeth that he slepeth whan he delyuereth them not She cryeth also as to the seconde that he aryse in conuertyng them fro whome it semeth that he tourneth his face fro them in puttyng them fro hym She cryeth also as to the thirde that he arise in helpyng them in prosperite And in delyueryng them Here endeth the mysterye of sexagesme Of quinquagesme tHe quinquagesme dureth fro the sonday in whiche is songeÌ„ in the chirche in thoffyce of the masse Esto mihi cÌ„ And that endeth on ester day and is Iustitued for supplecion fulfyllyng for signeficacion and for representacion for fulfyllyng and accomplysshyng by cause that we shold faste fourâ—y dayes after the fourme of Ihesu cryst And ther be but xxxvj dayes to faste but meÌ„ fast not the sondayes for the gladnesse and the reuerence of the resurrexion and also for thensaunple of IhuÌ„ cryst whiche ete two tymes with his disciples on the day of his resurrexion whan he entred in where his discples were and the dores or yates shytte And they brought hym parte of a rosted fyssh and of an hony combe And after that with his ij disciples whiche wente to Emaus He ete also as some saye And therfore ben foure dayes put to for acoÌ„plysshyng of the sondayes whiche be not fasted And after by cause the clergye goon by fore the comyn peple so shold they goo in deuocion and holynesse therfo they begynye to faste two dayes byfore and absteyne them fro etyng flessh And thus is one weke putto whiche is called the qunquagesme after this that saynt ambrose saith that other reason is for the signeficacion for the quynquagesme signefyeth the tyme of remyssion And of penaunce in whiche the synnes ben pardonned and foryeueÌ„ The fyftythe yere was the yere of remyssyon For thenne the dettes were quyted The bonde men were fraunchised lete goo free And eueryche cam agayn to his heritages by whiche is vnderstande that by penaunce our synnes be foryeuen And fro the seruitude bondage of oure enemye we be delyuerd And so we ben retourned to the mansion of our heritage of heuen The thirde reason is for representacion For the quynquagesme representeth not to vs only the tyme of remyssyon But also thestate of the beatitude of heuene whiche is to vs represented For in the fyftyth yere seruauntes were made free And in the fyftyth day that the laÌ„be was sacrefyed the lawe of moyses was gyuen And the fyftyth day after the holy goost was gyuen And therfore this name fyfty representeth the beatitude of heuen where as was taken the possession of liberte the knowleche of verite and perfectioÌ„ of charite Now it is to wete that thre thinges ben necessarye whiche be conteyned and sette in thepystle and in the gospell that is that penaunce that is to saye the werkes of penaunce ben perfyght That is to wete charite whiche is purposed in the epistle And the memorie of the passion of Ihesu cryst and faith whiche is vnderstonde by the sight gyuen to the blynde man whiche ben coÌ„teyned in the gospell For fayth maketh the werkes acceptable to god For without faith noman may plese god the mynde of the passioÌ„ of god maketh tho werkes lyght wherof saith saint gregory yf the passyon of Ihesu cryst be well had in mynde ther is nothyng but it may be born and suffred easely For the loue of god may not be ydle this saith seynt gregorye yf it werke it is grete And if it refuse it is no loue And thus as the chirche at the begynnyng as despayrede had cryed Circundederunt me gemitus mortis after retornyng to hym demaunded to be holpen Thus now whan she hath take affyaunce and hope of pardon for hope of penaunce she prayeth and saith esto mihi in deum protectorem Or she demaundeth iiij thynges that is to wete protection confirmacion refuge conduyte All the chyldren of the chirche or they ben in grace or they ben in synne or in aduersyte or in prosperite They that ben in grace demande for to be confermed They that ben in synne demaunde refuge They in aduersyte demaunde protection that they fro their tribulations may be defended they in prosperite demaunde conduyte that they â—ay be of god ledde and conduyte And thus as it is said quynquagesme termineth And endeth at ester by cause that penaunce
and esprysed in the loue of the holy goost They be fasted also in Septembre to fore mychelmas And thise be the thirde fastynges by cause that in this tyme the fruytes ben gadred we shold rendre to god the fruytes of good werkes In decembre they ben also And they ben the fourth fastynges and in this tyme the herbes deyen And we ought to be mortefyed to the world The thirde reason is fore tensiewe the Iewes For the Iewes fasted foure tymes in the yere that is to wete to fore ester to fore whitsontyde to fore the set tyng of the tabernacle in the temple in septembre And to fore the dedicacion of the temple in decembre The fourth reason is by cause the man is composed of iiij elementis touchyng the body and of thre vertues or powers in his sowle that is to wete the vnderstondyng the wyll the mynde To this thenne that this fastyng may attempre in vs iiij tymes in the yere at eche tyme we faste thre dayes to th ende that the nombre of foure may be reported to the body and the nombre of thre to the sowle Thise ben the reasons of maister beleth The v reason as saith IohnÌ„ damascenus in marche and in prymtemps the blode groweth and augmenteth in somer colere In septembre melancolye And in wynter flewme thenne we faste in marche for tattempre and depresse the blode of concupiscence disordynate for sanguyne of hys nature is ful of flesshly coÌ„cupiscence In somer we faste by cause that colere shold be lessed and refreyned of whiche cometh wrath And thenne is he ful naturelly of yre In heruest we fast for to refrayne melancolye the melancolyous man naturelly is cold couetous and heuy In wynter we faste for to daunte and to make feble the flewme of lyghtnes and forgetyng For suche is he that is fleumatyke The sixte reason is for the prymtemps is lykened to the ayer the somer to fyre the heruest to therthe and the wynter to water Thenne we faste in marche to th ende that the ayer of pryde be attemperat to vs In somer the fyre of concupiscence of auaryce In septembre the erthe of coldenesse and of the derknes of Ignorance In wynter the water of lightnes and Inconstaunce The vij reson is by cause that marche is reported to Infancye Somer to yongthe Septembre to stedfast age vertuous And wynter to auncyente or olde age We faste thenne in marche that we may be in thynfancye of Innocencye In somer for to be yonge by vertu and constaÌ„ce In heruest that we may be ripe by at teÌ„peraunce in wynter that we may be auncient old by prudence honeste lyf or atte leste that we satysfye to god of that whiche in thise iiij seasons we haue offended hym The viij reson is of maystre guylliam dancerre We fast saith he in thise iiij tymes of the yere to th ende that we make amendes for all that we haue faylled in all thise iiij tymes and they be don in thre dayes eche tyme to th ende that we satisfye in one day that whiche we haue faylled in a moneth that whiche is the fourth day that is wednesday is the day in whiche our lord was betrayed of Iudas the fryday by cause our lord was crucifyed the saterday by cause he lay in the sepulcre thappostles were for of herte and grete sorowe Thus endeth the ymbre dayes THe Passyon of our lord was bytter for the sorowe that he suffred in derysions despituous And of many fylthes fructuous The sorowe was cause of fyue thynges The first by cause it was shamefulle for the place of the mount of caluarye where as malefactours and crymynel persones were put to execucion And he was there put to deth right foull the crosse was the tormente of theues And yf the crosse was thenne of shame and of vylonye she is now of glorye and of honour wherof saith saynt Austyn Crux latronum qui erat supplicium cÌ„ The crosse whiche was the Iustice of theuys is now become the sygne of glorye in the forhedes or frontes of emperours And yf he had suche honour at his tormente what dyde he to hys seruant for the shameful felawshp that he dyde to hym for he was sette with malefactours but the one of them was conuerted whiche was called dysmas lyke as it is said in the gospell of Nychodemus And he was on the ryght syde of our lord And that other on the lyfte sâ—de was dampned whiche was callid gesmas To that one thenne he gaf the royame of heuene and to that other helle wherof saith saynt Ambrose Auctor pietatis in cruce cÌ„ he saith the auctour of pyte hangyng on the crosse deuyded offyces of pâ—te in scculyer erandes that is to saye The persecucion to thapostles peas to his disciples hys body to the Iewes hys spyryte to the fader to the vyrgyne the messages of the weddyng of the souerayn espouse To the theef peradys To synners helle And to the Crysten penytent he comanded the crosse Loo this is the testament that Ihesu cryst made hangyng in the crosse Secondly the sorow was caused Iniustly For none iniquite was founde in hym And pryncypally Iniustly they accused hym of thre thynges The first was they said that he deffended to paye the trewage and for he said that he was a kynge and he said hym to be the sone of god ¶ And ayenst thyse thre accusacions we saye on the good fryday thre excusacions in the persone of Ihesu crist Whan we synge popule meus Where Ihesu crist repreued them of thre benefetes that he dyde and gaf to them that is to wete the delyueraunce of them fro Egypt the sustentacion and the gouernauÌ„ce in deserte And the plantacion of the vigne in a londe propyce lyke as Iesu cryst wold saye thhou accusest me by cause that I deffende to paye thy trewage And thou oughtest more to thaÌ„ke me of that I haue delyuerd the fro the trewage and fro the scruytude of pharao and of Egypte Thou accusest me that I calle my self kynge and thou oughtest better to yelde me thankynges of that whiche I gouerned the in deserte with mete royalle Thou accusest me of this that I saye me to be the sone of god And thou oughtest more to thank me that I haue chosen the to be in my vygne yerde and in a ryght good place I haue planted them The thirde cause is by cause he was despyted forsaken of his frendes whiche semed a thyng more tollerable to be suffred of his enemyes than of them whom he helde to be his freÌ„des And alleway he suffred deth for his frendes and hys neyghbours that is of theÌ„ of whos lignage he was born Thys said he by the mouth of dauid Amici mei proximi cÌ„ My frendes my neyghbours haue approcheed ayenst me and so haue contynued wherof said Iob capitlÌ„o xxx Noti mei quasi aliem
them by force in to the fournays also of other men they were repreued and vylonnyed And this holy man Carpo in beholdyng them had grete delyte and toke pleysaunce in theyr pugnycion in suche wise that he lefte the vision of heueÌ„ and sette not ther by but was angry that they fyll not sodenly in to thefournays and thenne as he loked vp in to heuen he sawe the vision that he had to fore seen And IhuÌ„s Cryst whiche had pyte of thise two men a roos vp out of his trone cam vnto them with a grete multitude of angellis And put forth his hond and delyuerd them And IhÌ„s sayd to Carpo smyte me from hens forth I am redy to suffre for to saue man This ensample recyteth saynt denys As to the fourth article wherfore he abode not vntyl the generall resurrection Thre reasons ben assygned ¶ The first for the dignyte of his body For he was deyfyed and cam fro the deyte And therfore it was no reson that his body shold so longe lye in therthe wherof dauid saith Non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem Thou shalt not suffre thyn holy body see corruption The secoÌ„d reason is for the stedfastnes of the fayth For yf he had not thenne arysen the faith had perisshyd men wold not haue byleued that he had be very god And that appiereth wel For in his passioÌ„ sauf our lady alle lost fayth But whan they had knowleche of his resurrection they recouerd it agayn as saith seynt poul Si xpristus non surrexerit vana est fides nostra yf Ihesu Cryst had not rysen our fayth had be vayn or none The thirde cause For thexemplar of our resurrection Ther shold be but fewe that shold byleue the resurrection to come yf Ihesus Cryst had not rysen And this is our example and our hope And therfore sayen thappostles Ihesu Cryst is arysen And we shal aryse For his resurrection is cause of oures wherof saith saynt gregorye Our lord by example hath shewed that he promysed in reward as that we shold knowe hym to haue rysen ¶ Thus in our self we shold haue hope of the reward of his resurrection And we ought to knowe that Ihesu Cryste wold not prolonge his resurrection aboue thre dayes to th ende that desperacioÌ„ shold not be in the world As to the fyfthe Article it is wherefore he aroos he aroos for foure thynges moche proufytable to vs ¶ For his resurrection made the Iustyficacion of our synnes she enseyneth new lyf of maners she engendrith the hope of reward and ordeyneth the resurrection of all Of the first saith saynt poul ad Romanos Ihesu Cryst deyed for our synnes and aroos for to Iustefye vs ¶ Of the secâ—nde lyke as Ihesu Cryst aroos by the glorye of the fader whiche is a new glorious lyf So ought we in spyrituell lyf take newe maners Of the thirde By his grete mercy god hath reysed vs in hope of lyfe by the resurrection of Ihesu Cryste ¶ Of the fourth it is said to vs in scripture Ihesu Cryst aroose fro deth For by man is deth come to men And by man that is Ihesu Cryste the lyf is come to men Thus ben they the fyrst of dede meÌ„ Adam of theÌ„ that deyde IhÌ„u cryst of theÌ„ that ben a lyue by his resurrection And thus it appiereth that Ihesu cryst had iiij propretees in his resurrection The first is that our resurrection is differed vnto the last resurrection And Ihesu cryst aroos the third day As saith the glose vpon this psalme Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus cÌ„ At euensongetyme shal be wepyng And on the morn gladnes and Ioye The glose saith that the resurrection of Ihesu Cryst is cause sufficient of the resurrectioÌ„ of sowles in this present tyme And of the bodyes in tyme to come The seconde proprete is that we ryse by hym And he aroos by hym self wherof saith saynt ambrose how myght he seke helpe to reyse his body whiche reysed other The thirde proprete is that we become duste or asshes And his body myght not be torned in to asshes ¶ The iiij proprete is that his resurrection is cause sacramental of our resurrection ¶ As touchyng the sixte article hou ofte he appiered the day of his resurrection he appiered fyue tymes ¶ First to marie Magdalene marci vltimo After his resurrectioÌ„ he appiered first to marie magdalene whiche is fygure of penitentes And for fyue reasons he appiered to her First for she loued hym most ardantly by cause she loued so moche god foryafe and pardonned her many synnes Secondly for to shewe that he deyde for synners Mathei ix Non veni vocare cÌ„ I cam not for to calle rightful men but synners to penaunce ¶ Thirdly for to veryfye his word Mathei xxi AmeÌ„ dico quia meretrices cÌ„ ¶ To the ypocrites and phariseys he sayd that comyn wymen and the publicaÌ„ shold goo to fore them to the kyngdome of heuen Fourtly for by cause that lyke as a woman was messager of deth so a woman shold he messager of lyf after the glose â— Fyftely lyke as synne habounded so shold grace more habounde lyke as thappostle saith ad romanos v. The seconde tyme he appered to the thre maries whiche retorned fro the monumeÌ„t whan he said to theym auete god grete you And thenne they approched hym And helde his feet And that is the figure of humble prayers to whom our lord appered as wel for the reason of the nature as for the reason of thaffectioÌ„ For they helde his Feet whiche sygnefyeth thaffection of the herte Thirdly he appered to saynt pieter but whan ne in what place it is not knowen but yf it were by auenture whan he retorned fro the monument wyth saynt IohnÌ„ For it myght wel be that saynt peter in somme place torned fro saynt IohnÌ„ where god appiered to hym or by auenture whan he was allone in the monument lyke as it is sayd in scolastica historia or parauenture in a Caue or a fosse For it is redde in thistoryes whan he renyed and forsoke our lord that he fledde in to a Caue where as the montayn is whiche is called the montayne of the cocque or ellis after that it is said that he wepte thre dayes contynuelly after that he had renyed god And there Ihesus appered to hym and comforted hym sayeng â— Peter bere the vertu of obedyence to whome our lord sheweth hym Fourtly he appiered to his disciples whiche wente to Emaus wiche is as moche to saye as desire of couÌ„seyll and signefyeth to vysyte the poure membres of Ihesu cryst and to helpe them as it is said in the gospell Goo and selle all that thou hast And gyue it to poure people Fyftly he appiered to his disciples whiche were to gydre in a place closed and this signefieth relygyous men that ben in the world with the yates of theyr v wyttes closed Thyes fyue apparicions weren the day of
sobrely and in contynence and after at ester had receyued theyr sauyour After they disordred them in etyng in drynkyng in playes and in lecherye nd A therfore our lord was meuyd ayenst them and sente to them a grete pestelence whiche was called the botche of impedymye and that was cruell sodayne and caused peple to dye in goyng by the waye in playeng in beyng atte table and in spekyng one with another sodeynly they deyed In this manere somtyme fnesyng they deyed so that whā ony persone was herd fnesyng anone they that were by said to hym god helpe you Or Cryst helpe and yet endureth the custōme And also whan he fneseth or gapeth he maketh to fore his face the signe of the crosse and blessith hym And yet endureth this custome And how that pestelence begā it is founde in the lyf of saynt gregorye Secondly this letanye is said procession of seuen ordres by cause that whan they were made seynt gregorye ordeyned them by vij ordynances For in the first ordre was all the clergye in the second were the monkes and relygyous men In the thirde were alle the nonnes In the fourth alle the children In the fyfthe all the laye peple In the sixthe alle the wydowes And in the vij alle they that were maryed But by cause that nowe we may not fulfylle in nombre of personnes we ought to fulfylle it in nōbre of letanyes For it ought to be said vij tymes or the procession be left Thirdly this letanye is said the black crosse For thenne in signe of pestylence of wepyng and of penaunce they cladde them wyth black clothes And parauenture for that same cause they couerd the crosse and the aulters wyth blessyd hayres And thus we shold take on vs clothyng of penaūce Ther is an other letanye whiche is called the lasse letanye the whiche is made the thre dayes tofore thascēcion And this Instituted seynt Mamertyn bisshop of vyane in the tyme of themperour lyon whiche regned the yere of our lord iijClviij to fore the Institucion of the first And is said the letanye the lasse the rogacions and processions For it is The lasse letanye to the difference of the first by cause that this lasse letanye was Institued of a lasse whiche was a symple bisshop in a lasse place and for lasse maladye And the cause of the institucion was this For thenne at vyane were grete erthe quaues of whiche fyl doun many chirches and many houses and ther was herde grete sownes and grete clamours by nyght And thenne happed a terrible thyng on ester day For fyre descended fro heuen that brente the kynges palays yet happed more merueyllous thyng For lyke as the fendes had entred in to the hogges right so by the suffraunce of god for the synnes of the peple the fendes entred in to wulues and other wylde bestes whiche euerych doubted and they wente not only by the wayes ne by the feldes but also by the cytees ronnen openly And deuoure den the chyldren olde men and wymen And whan the bisshop sawe that euery day happed suche sorouful aduentures he cōmanded and ordeyned that the peple shold faste thre dayes And he instituted the letanyes and thenne the tribulaciō ceassed And fro than forth on the chirche hath ordeyned confermed that this letanye shold be kept and obserued ouer all It is said also Rogacions For thenne we praye and demaunde the suffrages of alle the sayntes and we thus haue good cause for to kepe this ordenaūce and faste in thise dayes And for many reasons it is institued Fyrst by cause it appeaseth the bataylles that comynly begynne in prymtemps Secōdly by cause that the fruytes whiche be thēne tendre that god will multeplye Thirdly by cause that euery man shold mortefye in hym self the moeuynges of hys flessh whiche in that tyme boylle Fourtly by cause that euerich dispose hym self to receyue the holy goost For by fastynges by orysons and by deuocion is one more able and more worthy But two other reasōs assigneth maistre will̄m dancerre by cause than whan Ih̄u cryst wold ascende vnto heuen he sayde Aske ye duely and ye shal haue And we may the more faithfully demaunde whan we haue the promesse of god Secondly by cause the holy chirche fasteth prayeth that she haue but lytil flessh that is to make the body lene by abstynence and to gete wynges by prayer For prayer is the wynge of the sowle by whiche she fleeth to heuen to th ende that she may folowe Ih̄u cryste ascēdyng vp to fore vs to shewe vs the waye And knowe ye that the foule that haboundeth in plente of flessh and hath but fewe pennes or fethers he may not wel flee Thus this letanye is called procession For thenne the chirche maketh generall procession And in this procession the crosse is born the clockes and belles ben sowned and rongen the ba ners ben born And in somme chirche a dragon with a grete taylle is born And ayde and helpe is demaunded of alle seyntes ¶ And the cause why the crosse is born and the belles rongen is for to make the fēdes and euyll spyrites aferd and to flee For lyke as the kynges haue in bataylles tokenes and signes royall as her trompes and baners right so the kynge of heuen perdurable hath hys signes mylytaunt in the chirche he hath belles for busynes and for trōpes he hath the crosse for baners And lyke as a tyraunt and a malefactour shold moche doubte whan he shal here the busynes and trompes of a myghty kynge in his lande and shal see his baners In lyke wyse the enemyes the euyll spyrites that ben in the regiō of thayer doubte moche whan they here the trompes of god whiche ben the belles rongen And whan they see the baners born on hye And this is the cause why the belles be rongē whan it thondreth and whan grete tempestes and oultrages of wether happen to th ende that the fendes and wicked spyrites shold be abasshed and flee and ceasse of the moeuyng of tempest how be it also that ther is another cause ther with that is for to warne the crysten peple that they put them in deuocion and in prayer for to praye god that the tempest may ceasse Ther is also the baner of the kynge that is the crosse whiche the enemyes dred moche and doubte For they drede the staf with whiche they haue ben hurte And this is the reason wherfore in somme chirche in the tyme of tempest and of thondre they sette out the crosse ayenst the tempest to th ende that the wycked spyrites see the baner of the souerayn kynge for drede therof that they flee And therfore in procession the crosse is born And the belles rongē for to chace and hunde away the fendes beyng in thayer and to th ende that they leue to tempest vs The crosse is born for to represente the victorye of the resurrectiō
and of thascencion of ihesu cryste For he ascēded in to heuē wyth all a grete praye And thus this baner that fleeth in the ayer signefyeth Ihesu cryste assendyng vnto heuene And as the peple folowe the crosse the baners and the procession Ryght so whan Ihesu Cryste styed vp in to heuen a grete multitude of seyntis folowed hym And the songe that is songen in the procession signefyeth the songe of angellis and the preysynges that cam ayenst Ihesu cryste and conduyted and conueyed hym to heuene where is grete Ioye and melodye In som chirches and in especiall in them of fraunce is accustomed to bere a dragon with a longe taylle fylled ful of chaff or other thynge The two first dayes it is born to fore the crosse And on the thirde day they bere it after the crosse with the taylle all voyde by whiche is vnderstonden that the first day to fore the lawe or the seconde vnder the lawe the deuyl regned in the world And on the thirde day of grace by the passyon of Ihesu cryste he was put out of his Royame After in this procession singulerly we calle the suffrages of alle the sayntes And why we calle to the sayntes dyuerse reasōs ben assigned here to fore But yet ther be of the generall wherfore we praye the sayntes Fyrst for our pouerte and for the glorye of sayntes and for the reuerence of god For the sayntes may well knowe the vowes and the prayers of the supplyauntes For in the myrrour perpetuel that is Ihesu cryste they vnderstonde how moche it apperteyneth to theyr Ioye and to our prouffyt Thenne the first reason is for our pouerte and for our myserye or for our defaute we haue somme merite to th ende that where our merites be not suffycient the suffrages of sayntes may auaylle vs or for deffaute that we haue in contemplacion of god And that we may see parfyghtly the lyght souerayn that we see and beholde in his sayntes or for the deffaulte that we haue in louyng god For we see that some shewe more gretter affection to a saynt than they doo to god And suche peple be in perfyght The second reason is for the glorye of sayntes For god wyll that we call the sayntes by cause that by their suffrages that we requyre we gloryfye them the more gretly we preyse them The thirde reason is for the reuerence of god to th ende that the synners that haue offended god the which dar not approche to god in theyr persones they approche hym by the frendes of god in demandyng their suffrages And in thyes letanyes we ought to repete this songe of angellis Scē deus Scē fortis Scē et inmortalis miserere nobis Item Ioh̄n damascene recordeth in his fourth book that in Constantynoble for a trybylacion that happed there there were letanyes made it happed that a chyld amydde the peple was rauysshed to heuen this cantycle he lerned there And after thenne he retorned to the people And in the mydde of the peple he songe it And anon that tribulacion ceassed and after at the Ceene of Calcidone this cantycle was approuued the cause concluded we knowe that it is so that the fendes ben put out by thys cantycle Sancte deus Of this cantycle and praysyng the auctorite is approued by iiij reasons Fyrst by cause that an angele taught it first Secondly by cause at the prolacion and repeticion of this cantycle that tribulacion ceassed Thyrdly by cause that the sene of Calcydone approuued it And fourtly by cause that the fendes and enemyes so moche drede and doubte it ¶ Thus enden the Letanyes the more and the lasse ¶ Here begynneth next the Ascēcion of our lorde THascencion of our lord Ihesu cryst was the fourty day after his resurrection for whiche to declare vij thynges ben to be consydered Fyrst thenne he ascended Secondly why he ascended anon after his resurrection Thyrdly how he ascended Fourthly what companye ascended with hym Fyftly by what meryte he ascended Syxtly where he ascēded seuēthly werfore he ascended As to the first he ascēded fro the moūt of olyuete by bethanye the whiche mōtayne after another relacōn is said the mōtayne of thre lyghtes For by nyght on the side of the west it is lyghted of the fyre that brēneth in the tēple which neuer is put out ne quenchyd On the mornyng it is light of thoryent for she hath first the rayes of the sonne byfore it shyneth in the cyte and also it hath grete haboūdaūce of oylle that nourissheth the lyght therfor it is said the hylle of iij lyghtes vnto this hylle Ih̄u crist cōmanded his disciples that they shold goo For on the day of his ascēcion he appered ij tymes one tyme to xj disciples that ete in the hall where they had souped with hym Alle the appostles the disciples also the wymē abode in the partye of Ihrl̄m which is said Mellos in the mōtayne of Syon where dauid had made his palais there was the grete hall arayed ordeyned for to souppe where as Ih̄u crist cōmanded that they shold make redy to for ete the paske lābe in this place the xj apostles abode the other disciples the wymē abode in dyuerse mansyons there aboute and whan they had eten in this halle our lord appiered to them repreued them of their Incredulite And whan he had eten with them had comāded them that they shold goo to the moūt of Olyuete on the syde by betanye he appered agayn to them and answerd to them of the demaūdes that they made to hym indiscretly and with his handes lyft he blessyd them anō to fore them he ascended vnto heuen Of the place of this ascencion saith supplicius bisshop of Ih̄rm it is in the glose For there was edyfyed a chirche in the place where were made the signes of his ascenciō neuer syth myght be sette there ony pamēt it coude not be leyde ne sette but anone it yssued out And the stones of the marble sprange in to the vysages of them that sette it And that is a signe that they be stones on which cryst passed vpon whiche lye in the pouldre duste abyde for a tokene signe certayn As to the second poynt werfor he ascended not anon after his resurrection but abode xl dayes that was for iij reesons Fyrst for the certificacion of his resurrection And more stronge it was to proue his resurrection than his passion for fro the first day vnto the thirde the passyon myght be wel preued but to preue the veray resurrection it required moo dayes therfor a gretter tyme was requyred bytwene the resurrection thascencion than bytwene the passyon resurrectiō And herof saith lyon the pope in a sermon of thascēcion This day the nōbre of xl dayes is complete dispensed by right holy ordenaunce to the prouffyt of our ensegnemēt techyng to th
he said I am he that disputeth Iustice and rightwisnes of helthe in the redempcion of humayne lignage he was Iustice in as moche as he that was creatour brought agayn his creatures fro the straunge Iurisdiction And he was rightwisnes in as moche as the enemye whiche had assaylled vs he put cast out of the domynacion that he had in thumayne lignage And after this maketh saynt denys a question Syth the pryncypal angellis ben nyghe to god and ben without moyen enlu myned of god wherfore demaunded they the one of the other lyke as that they wold haue lerned eche of other but he saith that gyueth this solucion that in that they demaÌ„unde eche of other it sheweth that they desire to knowe And in that first emonge them they had collacion it sheweth that they durste not auaunce them to fore the dyuyne progression And for this first they ought to axe echeone other by cause that paraduenture their interrogacioÌ„ were not ouer hasty vpon the illuminacioÌ„ that they had receyued of god without moyen The second question is And that was the first and souerayn aungele sayeng to Ihesu Cryst Why is thy clothyng rede and thy vestymentis as troden or fulled in a presse Our lord hath his clothyng and his body rede all couerd with blood by cause that yet whan he ascended he had his woundee in his body after this that bede saith he must kepe his woundes in his body for v reasons and he said thus Our lord kepeth his woundes And to the day of Iugement he shal kepe them to th ende that it conferme his resurrection And for to praye the fader for vs he presenteth them to th ende that the goode see the grete merci by whiche he hath redemed them ¶ And that the wycked peple may knowe that rightwisly they be dampned And that eternelly he bere with hym the signes of his gloriouse victory perpetuell And to this question answereth our lord Torcular calcaui cÌ„ The presse I haue torned fowled all allone And of all men ther was not one that wold helpe me the presse is the crosse in the whiche he was pressid in suche wyse that the blood sprange out ¶ Thus Ihesu cryst called the enemye the pressour whiche that thus had wrapped thumayne lygnage with cordes of synne and quenchid hym so clene that he had nothyng spirituel but that it was without expressyd And only he shewd it in the vyrgyne marye but our champion fought so strongly And defowled the pressour so foule that he brake the bouÌ„des of synne And ascended into heuen And after this hâ— opened the tauerne of heuen and poured out the wyne of the hooly goost The thirde question is the whichâ— the lasse angellis made to the gretter more in sayeng who is this kynge of glorye They answerd and sayde The lord of vertues he is kynge of glorye And of this question of thangellis and of thanswere of the other saith saynt Austyn Al the ayer is halowed in the companye dyuyne ¶ And alle the tourbe of deuellis fleyng in thayer fledde bacward whan Ihesu cryst ascended to whome thaungellis that were in the company of god ranne And demaunded who is this kynge of glorye And they answerd this is he that was whyte and colourd as a rose the whiche was seen without colour and wythoute beaute Seke in the tree stronge in his despoylle Fowll reputed in his body wel armed in the batayll styngyng in his deth Fair in his resurrection whyte bornÌ„ of the virgyne Rede in the crosse pale in repreuys And clere in heuene As to the fyfte it is for what merite he ascended And we ought to vnderstonde that he ascended in treble meryte wherof saith saynt Iherome Ihesu cryst ascended in meryte of trouth For that which had be promysed by prophetes he fulfyllyd in merite of humylyte debonayrte For lyke as he was sacrefyed lyke a lombe for the lyf of the peple in meryte of Iustice But by Iustyce and not only by puyssaunce but by Iustyce and by ryght thou hast delyured man and I haue withholden of thy puyssaunce And thy vertue shal brynge the to heuen this said god the fader to the sone As to the sixthe that is whither he ascended it ought to be knowen that he ascended aboue alle the heuenes as thappostle saith ad ephesios quarto He that descended fro heuen that is he that ascended aboue alle the heuenes by cause he fufylled all thynges he said aboue alle the hâ—uenes by cause ther be many heuenes aboue whiche he ascended ¶ There is an heuene materiel an heuene racionel an heuen Intellectuel and an heuene substaÌ„cyall Ther ben many heuenes materyel The heueÌ„ of thayer which is called aereuÌ„ one other called ethereuÌ„ Anotheâ— olâ—imperiuÌ„ another igneuÌ„ another sidereuÌ„ another crystallinum and another empireuÌ„ The heueÌ„ resonable is the man Iuste whiche is said Iuste by cause of the dyuyne habytacion For lyke as heuene is the sete of god as the prophete ysaye sayth CluÌ„ uiichi sedes est our lord saith that the heuene is his sete reght so is the soule of a rightwis man lyke as salomon saith The soule of a rightwis man is the sete of sapyeÌ„ce by reason of the holy coÌ„uersacion For the sayntes by holy coÌ„uersacion and desyre dwelle in heuen as saith saynt poul our coÌ„uersacion is in heueÌ„ by cause of coÌ„tynuell oê‘acion in vertue For lyke as the heuenes moue contynuelly without restyng in suche maner the seyntes moeue alway by good werkes The heuen intellectuell beÌ„ thauÌ„gellis thauÌ„gellis beÌ„ called heueÌ„ by the reasoÌ„ of dygnyte of their vnderstondyng wherof saith saynt denys in the boke of dyuyne names in the iiij chapitre The dyuyne spirites the aungelles beÌ„ aboue the creatares which beÌ„ lyue aboue all thynges that lyue vnderstonde and knowe aboue alle other wittes reasons more than alle other thynges that been in beyng they desire wele good of which they be ê‘ticipauÌ„t that is god Secondly they ben right fair by cause of thir nature and of their glorye of which beaute sayth saynt denys in the boke tofore alleged Thangel is the manyfestacion of dedes wyll of god by whom they be shewd and he is the clerenes of derke light he is a myrour pure right clere without receyunyg of ony fylth or spotte in hym yf it be leeffull to saye he is the beaute the comformyte of the bounte of god Thirdly they be right stronge by cause of theyr vertue myght of which strenght saith IohÌ„n damascene in his second boke the viij chapytre where he saith Fortes sunt et parati cÌ„ The angellis of god ben stronge and alway redy to fulfyl the wyll of god And they be found alleway anon where god wille haue them The heuen hath iij coÌ„dicions It is right hye ryght fayr and right stroÌ„ge Of ij the first saith salomoÌ„
the lawe of my faders And he that lyyth with me is seynt Stephen whiche was stoned of the Iewes and cast out of the cite for to be deuoured of the bestes and byrdes but he kepte hym to whom he kepte his fayth wyth out hurtyng And I wyth grete dylygence toke vp the body With grete reuerence buryed it in my newe tombe And that other that lyeth with me is Nychodemus my neuewe whiche went by nyght to Ih̄u cryst and receyued bapteme of Peter and Ioh̄n therfor the prynces of prestes were āgry wyth hym and wold haue sleyne hym but that they lefte atte reuerence of vs Neuertheles they toke away alle hys substaunce and deposed hym from his pryncypate and bete hym strongly lete hym lye for deed And thenne I ledde hym in to my hous where he lyued after but a fewe dayes and whan he was deed I buryed hym atte feet of seynt stephen And the thirde that is wyth me is abybas my sone whiche in the xx yere of his age receyued bapteme wyth me And Was a clene virgyne and lerned the lawe of god with my disciple poule And Ethea my wyf and selemus my sone whyche wold not receyue the fayth of Ih̄u crist were not Worthy to be in our sepulture thou shalt fynd them buryed in a nother place And shalt fynd theyre tombes voyde and ydle and whan he had sayd all this seynt Gamaliel vanysshed away And thenne lucyan awoke and prayed to god yf this vysyon were trewe that it myght be shewed yet the second tyme and the third tyme and the nexte fryday after folowyng he appered lyke as he dyd tofore and said to hym wherfor hast thou desdayn to do that whiche I haue requyred the and he sayd to hym Syre I haue no desdayne but I haue prayed god yf it be in his name that it apere to me yet onys agayn and Gamaliel said to gym bycause thou hast thought in thy corage that yf thou fynd vs how thou myghtest deuyse the reliques of eche of vs I shalle ensigne the of eueriche by symylitude to knowe the tombes and reliques of eche of vs and thenne he shewed thre panyers of gold and the fourth of siluer of the which that one was ful of rede roses the other tweyne of white roses And the fourth whyche was of siluer was full of saffron and gamalyel sayd to hym thyse panyers ben our tombes these roses ben our reliques and the first ful of rede roses is the tombe of seynt Stephen whiche only of vs alle deserued the crowne of martirdom The other tweyne ful of White roses ben the tombes of me and nychodemus Whiche perseuered with a clene herte in the confessyon of Ih̄u cryste and the fourth of siluer whiche is ful of saffron is of abybas my sonne Whiche shyneth by whytenes of vyrgynyte and yssued out of this world pure nette and this sayd he vanysshed away and the fryday after that weke folowyng he apperyd to hym agayn alle angry and blamed hym greuously of his delayment and necligence And anon lucian went to Iherusalem and recoūted alle by ordre to Ioh̄n the bysshop and called the other bysshops and wente to the place that was shewed to lucien and Whan they had begon to delue meued therthe a ryght swete sauour Was felt And by the merueyllous flauour and swetenesse and by the merites of the sayntes lxx seke men Were heled of their Infirmytees And thus the reliques of thyse seyntes Were transported in to the chirche of syon whiche is in Iherusalem In the whiche seynt stephen vsed thoffice of tharchedeken And there were they ordeyned for right honourably In the same houre descended fro heuen moche rayne and of thys vision and inuencion bede maketh mencion in his cronyke and this Inuencōn saith seynt bede was in the same day that his passyon is halowed and his passyon as it is sayd was the same day also But the festes haue ben chaunged by double reson The first reson is by cause that Ih̄u cryste was borne in erthe that man shold be born in heuen therfor it apperteyneth that the feste of Seynt stephen shold folowe the natyuyte of cryst ffor he was first marterd for criste for to be born in heuen and so it signefyeen that the one folowe that other therfor it is songen in the chirche yesterday cryst was born in erthe that thys day stephen shold be borne in heuen the second reson is that the feste of the Inuencion is more solempnly made than the feste of his passyon that is only for the natyuyte of our lord Ihu cryste Neuertheles our lord hath shewed many myracles in thynuencion of hym And bycause his passyon is more worthy than his Inuencion therfor ought it to be more solenpne and therfor the chyrche hath transported his passyon to the tyme in which it is had in gretter reuerence And as seynt austyn sayth the translacion of hym was in this maner Alexandre senatour of constantynople went with his wif to Iherusalem And made there a fayre oratorye to Seynt stephen the first martir after his deth he dyd hym to he buryed by his body and seuen yere after Iuleane his wyf wold retorne in to her contrey by cause that the prynces did to her wrong And wold carye wyth her the body of her husbond and whan she had made long requeste to the bisshop with many prayers The bysshop shewed to her two tombes of siluer sayde to her I wote not whiche of thise tweyne is thy husbond And she sayd to hym I wote wel and went hastely and enbraced the body of stephen And thus by caase of fortune whan she wend to haue taken the body of her husbond She toke the body of the prothomartir and whan she was within the shippe wyth the body there was herd hymnes and songes of angels and a right swete odour and the deuyls cryed menyd grete tempest sayeng Alas Alas ffor the fyrst martir stephen passyth her by which beteth vs cruelly with fyre and the maronners were in grete doubte cryed on seynt stephen And anon he appered to them and saide I am here doubte ye nothyng and anon grete peas was and fayr weder in the see Thenne were there herd the voys of deuyls cryeng felon prynce brenne thys shyppe For stephen our aduersayre is within it with that the prynce of deuillis sent fyue deuyllis for to brenne the shippe but thangel of our lord plunged them doun in the grounde of the see and whan they came to caladoyne the deuyllis cryed sayeng the seruaūt of god cometh whiche was stoned to deth of the felon Iewes Thenne came they in sauete in to Constantynople the body of seynt stephen was brought with grete reuerence in to a chirche and this sayth seint Austyn the coniuncōn of the body of seynt stephen wyth the body of seint laurence was made by this ordenaunce It happed that
so that it weyeth more and was heuyer And thenne I was angry and brak an ere of the pot And he called that pot a chalyce whiche themperour hadde gyuen to the chirche Emstence whiche he had in speciall deuocion And had do made it in thonoure of saynt laurence And for the gretenes of it hit had two eres ¶ And it was founden thenne that emperour deyde that tyme and one ere was broken of the Chalyce Gregory reherceth in his Regystre that his predecessour coueyted to make better somme thynges aboute the body of saynt laurence but he wyste not where it lay netheles the body of saynt laurence was discouerd and vnheled by ygnoraunce but alle they that were there present as wel monkes as other were deed in fyften dayes after It is to wete that the passyon of saynt laurence was moost excellent in foure thynges lyke as it is founden by the sayenges of saynt Maxymyn bisshop and of saynt Austyn Fyrst in the sournes of his passion or bytternes Secondly in prouffyte or effect Thyrdly in constaunce or strengthe And fourthly in the merueylous bataylle and maner of his vyctorye Fyrst it was right excellent in the bytternes of the peyne this sayth saynt Maxymyn And after somme bookes of saynt Ambrose Bretheren saynt laurence was not slayn by short and symple passion For who that is smyten with a swerd he deyeth but ones And who that is caste in a fyre is delyuerd at ones but this hooly man was tormented by longe and multyplyed paynes so that the dethe shold not fayle hym at tormente ne fayle hym at the ende ¶ we rede that the blessid chyldren wente thorugh the flambes And haue gone vpon the coles brennyng harfeet wherof saynt laurence is not to be preferred of lasse glorye For as they wente in theyr paynes thorugh the flāmes This in his torment laye vppon the fyre They defowled and trade vpon the fire with their feete And this was restreyned for to leye his sydes therin They praide in their paynes holdynge vp their handes to oure lord god but he was stratched in his payne and prayd oure lord with alle his body And it is to wete that the blessid laurence is he that after saynt Stephen ought to holde the prymacye Not only for that he suffred gretter payne than other martyrs as is wel founde and redde that many haue suffred as moche payne but it is sayd for sixe causes Fyrste for the place of the passion For hit was at Rome whiche is heed of the world and Syege of the Apostles Secondly for thoffyce of the predycacion For he accomplysshed dylygently thoffyce of prechyng Thyrdely for the lowable dystrybucion of the tresours that he gaf alle to poure men wysely And these thre Reasons putteth Maister Wylliam of Ancerre Fourthly for the antyquyte and proued martirdome For yf it be sayd that somme other haue had gretter payne Alwey hit is not so Autentyke And also somtyme in doubte but the passion of saynt laurence is moche solempne and approued in the Chirche ¶ And therfore many Sayntes approuue his passion in theyr Sermons and afferme hit Fyftly for the degree of dignyte For he was Archedeken of the Syege of Rome And as it is sayd ther was neuer sythe Archedeken in Rome ¶ Sixtely for the cruelte of tormentes For he suffred them right greuous as he that was rosted vppon a gredyron of yron ¶ Wherof saynt Austxn sayth Sythe that the membres were broken by many dyuerse betynges He was commaunded to be tormented vppon a gredyl of yron and was leide therupon whiche by contynuell heete that was ther vnder the gredyll hadde tho force to brenne soo that he was tormented by the tornynge of his membrys more forcybly For the payne was the more long Secondly he was right eycellent in effecte or prouffyte For after this that Austyn and Maxymyn saye this bytternes of payne made hym hyghe by gloryfycacion and honourable by opynyon renomed and lowable by deuocion and noble by contencion Fyrst it made hym hyhe by gloryficacion wherof saynt Austyn sayth Persecutour thou we rewood ayenst the martir more than wood For whan thou assemblest peyne thou encreacest his glorye thyn engyn fonde not glorye of the ayde whan thynstrumentes of the tormentes transported hym in thonoure of vyctorye And after Maxymyn in somme bokes of Ambrose it is sayd how be hit that the membres were bounden in the hete of the sparcles the force of the feith was not corrupt the body suffred enpayryng but he gate the gayne of helthe And saynt Austyn sayth truly his body is blessid For torment neuer chaunged hym out of the feyth of god but his relygyon crowned hym in holy reste Secondly he was honourable by oppynyon and renommee after maxymyn and Ambrose that saye we may lykene the blessid laurence to mustard seed whiche is broken by many maners whan by the grace of his mystery he replenysshed the world of good odoure For to fore that he was constytute in his body he was humble vnknowen and seruysable And after that he was all to broken and brente he shedde in all the chirches of the world the odour of his noblesse ¶ Also this is an hooly thynge and playsaunt that the solempnyte of saynt laurence be nobly honoured whoos shynyng flammes he as vaynquysshoure holy chirch haloweth this day in alle the world in so moche that his gloryous passyon enlumyneth alle the world by the glorye of his martyrdō Thyrdely he was lowable by deuocion wherfor was he so lowable and so with deuocion to be reputed Seynt Austyn sheweth it by thre reasons and sayth thus We ought to receyue the blessid man with deuocion Fyrst for he gaf his precious blood for the loue of oure lord And after for by cause he had vnto oure lord grete affynyte shewyng that the feyth of cristen men ought to deserue to be of the company of martirs Thyrdly by cause he was soo holly of conuersacion that in the tyme of pees he deseruyd the croune of martirdom Fourthly he made hym self noble by folowyng wherof saynt Austyn sayth that the cause of all his passion was by cause he exhorted other to be lyke to hym In thre thynges he shewed hym to vs folowyng Fyrste in strong suffryng of aduersitees wherof saynt Austyn sayth the moost prouffitable forme for tenforme the peple to god is the faire speche of martirs It is lyght to praye and it is prouffytable to admoneste and warne the thynges And thexamples be better than the wordes And it is more to teche by werke than by voys And in thys right excellent maner of techyng the persecutours myght fele of laurence how he shone by grete dygnyte And how the merueylous strengthe of hys courage gaf not only place of byleue but also comforted and strengthed other by ensample of his suffraunce Secondly by gretenes of the feyth and feruour of loue Wherof Maxymyn sayth and Ambrose also whan he vaynquysshyd by feyth the
Rome lyke as in shewyng that hit departed fro the seygnourye of Rome And thenne anone the Romayns wold brynge grete puyssaunce in to that prouynce And there subdued it to their seygnourye And yet it suffysed not to the Romayns that they hadde in theire seignorye alle the false ymages of the prouynces but maade to eche of tho false goddes a Temple lyke as tho goddes hadde maade them lordes and vaynqueurs of alle the prouynces And by cause that alle the ydolles myght not be in that Temple They made a gretter Temple more merueylous and hyhe than alle the other And for to shewe the more their wodenesse They dedyed this Temple in thonour of alle theyr goddes And more for to deceyue the peple the Bisshops of thydolles fayned that it had ben commaunded to them of Cybele a goddesse that is called moder of the goddes And they called this Temple Pantheon whiche is as moche to saye as alle goddes of pan that is all and theos that is god And by cause they wold haue victory of alle the people therfore they made a grete Temple to alle the sones of Cybele And the foūdament of this Temple was cast round by a spere that by that forme the perdurablete of theire Goddes sholde be shewed And for as moche as the grete quantite of the erthe whiche was within semed not susteynable to be voyded and that the werke was a lytel sene aboue the erthe they fylled the creuyses within the erthe and medled penyes with therthe And dyd alwey so tylle the sayd Temple was fully accomplysshed And thenne they gaf lycence that who someuer wold take awey the erthe that all the money that he fonde with therthe shold be his Thenne cam hastely grete companye of peple and voyded anone the Temple And at the last the Romayns maade a pyne of copper and gylt and set it in a ryght hyhe place And it is sayd alle the prouynces were entaylled and grauen merueylously within that pyne So that alle they that come to Rome myght see in that pyne in what parte his prouynce was And this pyne after longe tyme fylle and remayned in the ouerest parte of the Temple And in the tyme of Focas themperour what tyme Rome had receyued the faythe Boneface the fourthe 〈◊〉 fro saynt gregory about the yere of our lord six honderd and fyue gate of Focas the said Temple And dyd doo take awey and enface alle the ordure of alle tho ydolles And the fourthe kalendes of Maye he halowed it in thonour of our lady saynt Marye and of alle the martirs And called it saint Marye at martres whiche now is called sancta Maria rotunda that is saint Marye the round For thenne was made no solempnite of the Confessours And by cause ther assembled grete multitude of peple at his feest And there myght not be found haboundaunce of vitaylle for the peple that cam 〈◊〉 Gregory establysshed this feste to be in the kalendes of Nouembre For thenne oughte to be gretter habondaunce of vytaylle whanne the corne is had in and wyne made And establisshed this daye to be halowed thorugh the world in the honour of alle sayntes And thus the Temple that had be made for alle thydolles is now dedycate and halowed to alle the sayntes And where as the worshippynge of ydolles was vsed ther is now the praysyng of all sayntes Scondely it is ordeyned for the supplement of thynges offendyd and trespaced that is to saye for to accomplysshe suche as we haue ouerpassed For we haue lefte and ouerpassed many sayntes of whom we haue made no feste ne may not halowe the fest of euery saynt by hym self as wel for the grete multitude whiche ben Infynyte as for our Infyrmyte For we ben feble and weyke and maye not suffyse for the shortnesse of tyme For the tyme may not suffyse therto And as saynt Ierome sayth in a pystle whiche is in the begynnynge of his kalender ther is no day except the fyrst daye of Ianyuer but that there may be foundeh euery day mo than fyue thousand martirs And therfor by cause we maye not syngulerly make feest of euery saynt saynt Gregory th◠〈◊〉 hath ordeyned and establysshed that we shall on one daye honoure them generally to gydre And Mayster Wylliam of Ancerre putteth sixe resons in the somme of the offyce wherfore hit was establysshed that we shold here in thys world make solempnyte of the sayntes The fyrste is for the honoure of the dyuyne mageste For whan we doo worship to the saynte or sayntes we worshipe god in his sayntes and say that he is merueylous in them For who that dothe honoure to sayntes he honoureth hym specyally which hath sanctyfyed them The second is to haue ayde in our Infyrmyte For by oure self we may haue none helthe therfor haue we nede of the prayers of sayntes And therfore we ought to honoure them that we may deserue that they ayde and helpe vs It is redde in the thyrdde book of kynges of the fyrst chapytre that bersabee is as moche to saye as the pytte of fyllynge whiche is to saye the Chirche tryumphaunt sayenge to her sone that is to saye that to the Chirche tryumphaunt he had obteyned the regne by his prayers The thyrdde cause is for thaugmentacion of oure surete that is to saye for the glorye that is purposed in vs in their solempnyte oure hope and surete ben augmented and encreaced And yf mortal men and dede myght thus be enhaunced by theire merytes it is trouthe that the myghte and puyssaunce shalle no thyng there by be mynuysshed ne lassed The fourth for thensample of vs folowynge For when the feste is remembryd we ben called tensiewe and folowe them soo that by thensample of them we despyse alle erthely thynges And desyre celestyall thynges ¶ The fyfthe is for the dette of entrechaungynge neyghbourhede For the sayntes make of vs feste in heuene For thaungels of god and the holy sowles haue ioye and make feste in heuene of a synnar that dothe penaunce And therfor it is ryght whanne they make of vs feste in heuen that we make feste of them in erthe The sixthe is for the procuracion of our honour For whanne we honoure the sayntes We procure our honour For their solempnyte is our dignyte For whan we worshipe oure bretheren we worshippe our self For charyte maketh al to be comyn And our thynges ben celestyall erthely and perdurable And aboue these reasons Iohan damascene putteth thre reasons in his fourthe boke the seuenth Chapytre why wherfore the sayntes and theire Relyques ought to be honoured of whiche some ben preysed for their dygnytees and somme for the preciousytees of their bodyes And the dygnyte of them is in four maners For they ben frendes of god Sones of god heyres of god and oure dukes and ledars And saynt Iohan putteth these auctorytees Iohannis decimo tercio For the first Iam non
of theyr kynnesmen that the penaunce done for them by their Frendes is vaillable to them hit is shewed by a solempne Doctour whiche reherceth that there was a woman whiche hadde her husbond dede And she was in grete despair for pouerte And the deuyll appierid to her and sayd that he wold make her ryche yf she wold do as he wold saye to her And she promysed to do hit And he enioyned her that the men of the chirche that she shold receyue in to her hous that she shold make them doo fornycacion Secondly that she sholde take in to her hows by daye tyme poure men And in the nyght dryue them oute voide and hauynge no thyng Thirdly that she shold in the Chirche lette prayers by her Ianglyng And that she shold not confesse her of none of alle these thynges And at the laste as she approched toward her deth her sone warned her to be confessid And she discouered to hym what she had promysed And saide that she myght not be shryuen And that her confession shold auaylle her no thyng But her sone hasted her and saide he wold do penaunce for her she repentid her and sente for to fetche the preest But to fore er the preest cam the deuyls ronnen to her and she deyde by thoorryblenes of hem Thenne the sone confessid the synne of the moder And dyd for her seuen yere penaunce And that accomplysshed he sawe hys moder And she thanked hym of her delyueraunce And in lyke wyse auaille the Indulgences of the chirche It happed that a legate of the pope praid a noble knyght that he wold make warre in the seruyse of the chirche and ryde to Albigoiâ— And he wold therfore gyue pardon to his fader whiche was deed And the knyght â—ode forth and abode there an hole lente And that done his fader appiered to hym more clere than the day and thanked hym of his delyueraunce And as to the third that is to say for whom the suffrages ben don ther ben iiij thynges to be considere Fyrst who ben they to whome it may prouffyte Secondly Wherfor hit ought to prouffyte them Thyrdly hit muste be knowen yf hit prouffyte to alle egally Fourthly how they may knowe the suffrages that ben done for them As to the fyrst who ben they to whome the suffrages may prouffite It is to be knowen as saynt Austyn sayth that alle they that departe out of this world or they ben right good or ryght euylle or bytwene both Thenne the suffrages that ben done for the good ben for to yelde thankynges for them And they that ben done for the euyl ben somme comforte to them that lyue And they that ben done for them that ben myddle and bytwene bothe they ben clensynges to them And they that ben ryght good ben they that anone flee to heuen And ben quyte of the fyre of purgatory and of helle also And there ben thre manere of this peple that ben children baptysed Martirs and parfyght men These ben they that parfyghtely mayntenyd the loue of god the loue of his neyghbour and good werkes And thoughte neuer to plese the world but to god only And yf they had done ony venyal synne Hit was anone putte awey by the loue of charyte lyke as a drope of water in a fornays And therfor they bere no thyng with them that oughte to be brent And who that prayeth for ony of these thre maner peuple or doth ony suffrages for them he doth to them wrong For saynt Augustyn sayth he doth wrong that prayeth for a martir But yf one praye for one that is rizt good of whome he doubteth that he be in heuen thenne of his orysons ben yeuen thankynges And they come to the prouffite of hym that prayeth lyke as Dauyd sayth My prayer shal be tornyd in to my bosome And to these maners of peple is the heuen anon open whan they departe ne they fele no fyre of purgatory And this is signyfyed to vs by the thre to whome the heuen was opened It was fyrst opened to Ihesu Cryst whan he was baptysed prayeng by whiche is signefyed that the heuen is open to them that ben baptitised be they yong or aged yf they deye anone they flee in to heuen For baptysme is clensyng of all orygenall synne and mortalle by the vertu of the passion of Ihesu Cryst Secondly hit was opened to saynt Stephen whan he was stoned wherof it is said in thactes of thappostles I see the Heuens open And in this is sygnefyed that hit is open to alle martirs And they flee anone to heuen as soone as they departe Thyrdly hit was opened to saint Iohan theuaÌ„gelist whiche was ryght parfyght wherof is sayd in thapocalipse I behelde and loo the dore was open in heuen by whiche it appiereth that it is opened to parfyght men that haue alle accomplysshed their penaunce And haue in them no venyal synnes or yf ony happen to be commysed anone it is consumed extyncte by the ardour of charyte And thus heuen is open to these thre maner of peple whiche entre lyghtly in for to regne perpetuelly The ryght euyll and wycked men ben they that anon ben plunged in to the fyre of helle For whome yf their dampnacion be knowen there ought no suffrages be done for them after that saint Augustyn sayth yf I knewe my fader to he in helle I wold no more praye for hym than for the deuyll but yf ony suffrages were done for a dampned man Of whome were doubte that he so were neuertheles they shold not prouffite hxm to his delyueraunce ne that is to say fro the paynes ne do the mytygacion of them ne lassyng of it ne shortynge of tyme For as Iob sayth In helle is no redempcion They that ben myddle good ben they that haue with them some thyng to be brent and purged that is to say wode heye and stupple or els they that ben surprysed with dethe before they myght haue accomplysshed their penace in their lyf Ner they be not so good but that they nede haue suffrages of their frendes ne they be not so euylle but that suffrages myght prouffyte ease them And the suffrages that ben done for them ben clensynges for them And these ben they to whom suffrages only may prouffyte And in doynge suche maner suffrages the chirche is acustomed to obserue thre maner dayes that is the seuenth day the thyrttyest day And thannyuersarye And the reson of these thre dayes is assigned in the book of offyce The seuenth daye is kepte and obseruyd that the soules shold come to the sabate of euerlastynge reste or by cause that all the synnes that they haue commysed in their lyf be foryeuen whiche they haue done by seuen dayes or that all the synnes that they haue commysed in theyr bodye whiche is made of four complexions and in their sowle â—in whiche ben thre poures may be forgyuen The trentalle