for the haue oon of thornes Thou haste on thy hondes a peyrof white gloues And I for the haue my blody woundes Thou hast thy armes spradde to lede karolles and dances And myn armes been nayled on a tree with sharpe nailes Thou haste thy clothes pynched full smale And my body for the is full of greate whelys And oon thynge greuyth me mooste of all thou settyst nat by my passion that I suffred ful sore for thy sake But with thyn horrible swerynge thou vp broydest me with many greate othes by my hede eyen armes nayles sydes wouÌ„des feet bones by myn herte and by my passion that thou sholdest doo worshippe to thou dooste grete dispyte and repreef ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede in the gestes of Romaynes that an emperoure sente a grete man to a loÌ„de to be a Iuge And or he came ther no man in the countre coude swere an othe but ye and nay But whan this Iustice came emong them he made the peple to swere on bokes in sessiones and gaue them charges and so the people toke ensample of this Iustice to swere as he his men dyd By oure lordes passion sydes armes nayles face woundes blood herte and so forthe and took it so in vse that the coÌ„men people swoore as they dyd Thenne on a day as the iustice sat in his office and chargyd the peple there caÌ„me to fore him a fayre woman clothed all in grene and brought a faire childe in her lappe all blody al to martred his hede all to prycked his face disfigured his eyen oute his armes broken his hondes smyte through his nayles cutte and his fete cutte from his legges his sydes all to rente his bowelles and hert drawen onte of his body ¶ Thenne sayd this woman to the iustice what are they worthy to haue that haue thus doo to my childe And he sayde they were worthy to haue deth Than saide she thou and thy men with they re horryble othes haue thus dismembred my swete sone Iesu crist that I am modre vnto and thus ye haue taughte al your countrey ¶ wherfore thou shal haue thyn owne dome And so in sighte of all the people the erthe 〈◊〉 and the Iustice fyll downe to hell than the people were sore aâ—ast and they lefte all suche othes and dyd amend ther lyues And so lete vs leue al our othes and lyue as cristen people sholde doo and reuerence the passion of oure lorde iesu criste that was cause of oure â—â—â—eÌ„pcion by the whiche we shall coÌ„mâ—â—â— euirlastinge blysshe that neuir shall haue ende ¶ Dominica palmarum gOode frendes as ye know wele that this daye is called palme sonday But for bicause â—hat the seruyse of this daye is longe I wyll tell you why it is called Palmesonday as saint Iohan sayth Oure lorde Ihesu criste came to Betany where he saythe Venit Iesus bethaniam vbi lazarus fuit mortuus quem resuscitauit And there â—e reysed Lazar from dethe to lyue that had ley iiii daies dede and this Lazar was brother to Mary magdaleyne and to Martha that was a nother sustre Thenne iesus wyâ—t that his passion was nygh and toke Lazar wâ— the him and rydinge on an asse caÌ„me towarde Ierusalem And whenne the people herde therof the people went agaynste him Non propter Iesum tautum sed vt Lazarum viderent quem resuscitauit a mortuis Nat only for Iesu but for to se Lazar that was rysâ—n from dethe to lyue and also for to see criste doo him worshyp Acceperunt ramos palmarum et sternebant in via They tooke braunches of palme and other floures and strewyd in the way ayenste his coÌ„mynge And some spradde their clothes in the way and songe Benedictus quivenit in nomine domini Blessyd be he that coÌ„meth in the name of oure lorde kinge of Israell ¶ wherfore holy churche maketh this daye solempne procession in mynde of the procession that was made ayenst criste and also ioye and myrthe of oure rysynge from dethe to lyf that hath ley all this yere in dedely synne ¶ Nowe I truste to god that we be reysed to good lyuiÌ„ge And for aungellys of heuyn make â—oche ioye of oure resynge oute of synâ— And thus we take palme and flou◠〈◊〉 procession as they dyd and go in â—ssion knelynge to the crosse in worâ— and mynde of him that was doon 〈◊〉 crosse worshipynge and welcoÌ„mynge him with songe into the churche 〈◊〉 the people dyde oure lorde into the cytee of Ierusalem ¶ Than Iohn Byllet asketh a question and sayth that oure lorde hadde the gretyst worshyppe rydynge on the asse that euir he had in this worlde Thenne why worship wee the cros and nat the asse To this question he aunsweryth him selue and sayth that the worshippe of this worlde as salamon sayd all is but a vanyte noughte and maketh a man to forgete his god and him selue There as is gret tribulation disease and heuynesse it causeth a man to thynke of god and crye to him for socoure and help and to knowe him selue And therfore all cristen people sholde putt awaye all worldly vanyties that bringeth moche people to greate myscheif and many to euirlastynge peyne we worship the crosse for it was cause of oure redempcion saluacion to bringe vs to euirlastinge ioy and blisse that we hope all to coÌ„me to Thenne anoon whan criste was coÌ„me to the cyte of Ierusalem he went to the temple and droue oute all byers and selâ—ers that he founde therin and sayd Domus mea domus oracoÌ„nis vocabitur My house is a house of prayers and ye make it a denne of theuys Thus oure lorde yaue all cristen people ensample to leue byenge and sellynge on the holy day and in especiall in the churche ¶ Another is is why it is called Palme sonday For bicause that palme betoknyth victory wherfore all cristen peple shulde bere palme in processioun in tokenynge that he hadde foughten with the fende and hath the victory on hym by shryfte of mouthe satisfaction with dede mekely doon his penaunce wythe grete coÌ„tricion in hert And in this wyse ouircoÌ„me the goostly enmye the fende ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede in the gestys of Romaynes that it was the maner somtyme that if there were any londe that were rebell ayenste the Emperoure Anoon the Emperoure wolde sende some worthy knyghte with grete puyssaunce to that loâ—de and put them downe and maâ— them subgettes to the Empepoure of Rome And whan this knyghte hadde done so than sholde he be sett in a chayr arayed with clothes of gold in the beste wyse a braunche of palme in his honde in tokenynge that he hadde the victory and with grete worship broughte into Rome But whan he caÌ„me into any worthy cyte thenne there sholde stonde one by him and beâ—e him in the mouth with a â—nche of olyue saynge thus Knowe thy selue That is to vnderstonde thâ—â—u be greate nowe and haue the â—y
into pryson thenne he wepte sore And with that hee fyll aslepe and whanne he awoke he was in his faders churche ¶ De concepcione beate marie virginis gOode men and wymen suche a daye ye shall haue the Concepcion of oure lady the whiche day feste holy churche maketh mynde meÌ„cion of the conception of oure lady for thre speciall causes The firste is for her fader holynesse The secounde for her moders godnesse And the thrid for her mekenesse She hadde a fader that was called Ioachim that was so holy a man that whan he was but xv yere of age he departed all his godes in to thre partes And one parte he dealed to wydowes and to faderlesse children The secounde parte he gaue to pore nedy The thridde parte he kepte to him selue and to his householde And whan he was xxxii yere of age for the grete godenesse of anne he weddyd her And whan they were wedded they were to gydder xxii yere In the whiche tyme. anne neuir displeased him with no maner thinge nother night nor daye For she was so gentyll to him and they were bothe good and holy yet god sente theym no frute of their bodies but were barrâ—yn wherfore they made a vowe to god that if he wolde sende theim a childe they wold offre it vnto him vp to the temple for to serue god both nyghte and daye ¶ Thenne on a daye as Ioachim wente with his nyghboures to the temple to doo his offrynges The busshop that highte Isachar rebuked him openly bifore all the people said Ioachym it falleth nat for the that art barrayne and hast no frute to do offriÌ„ges with other people that god hath seÌ„te frute in Ierusalem Thenne was ioachim sore dismayde and astonyed with this rebuke Thenne he went hoome wepynge and tooke his shepeherd preuely with his shepe and wente forth in to a ferre countrey amonge monteyns and hylles and purposed to haue ben there all his lyf and neuir more to coÌ„me home to Anne his wyf ¶ Than whanne Ioachim was gon Anne was sory and prayed to god and said Lorde that me is woo I am barreyne and I may haue no frute And nowe more ouir my husbonde is gone away from me and I know nat whether he is gone Lorde haue mercy on me TheÌ„ne as she prayed thus an aungell coÌ„me doune and comforted her and saide Anne be of good comforte for thou shalt haue a childe in thyn olde age there was neuir noon suche ne neuir shal be ¶ Thenne was Anne aferd of this angellys wordes and of the sight of hym and laye alwaye in her prayers as she hadde be dede Thenne went the same aungell to Ioachim saide these wordes and badde Ioachim take a lambe and offre it in sacrifice to god and soo he dyd whan he had don so fro mydday to euensong tyme he ley on the groÌ„de in his prayers thankynge god with al his hert TheÌ„ne on the morow as the aungell badde he wente homwarde to anne his wyf with his shepe whan he caÌ„me nygh home the aungell caÌ„me to anne and badde her goo to the yate that was called the golden yate and abyde her husbonde there tyll he coÌ„me Thenne was she glad toke 〈◊〉 maydynes with her and went to the gate there she mette with Ioachim and said Lord I thanke for I was a wedowe now I am a wyf I was barrayn and nowe I shall bere a childe I was wo and wepinge and nowe I shall be in ioye likynge And soone after anne conceyued oure lady and whan she was borne she was called Mary as the auÌ„gell badde bifore Thanne after that she was wenyd she was brought to the teÌ„ple and lefte there emong other virgynes to serue god bothe nyght and day Thenne was she so meke emonge all other virgynes in all her lyuynge that all virgynes called her quene of virgynes Soo she is mekest of al the saintes that be in heuyn and moost redyest to helpe all theym that call to her in any nede ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede in holy wrytte a myracle of oure lady There was a lordes man that hadde gadred moche good of his lordes for he was his 〈◊〉 gadred went to bere it to his lothe Thenne was ther theuys that sette for to robbe hym â–ª by the waye in the wode there as he muste nedes goo through Soo whanne be come into the wode he bethoughte hym that he hadde not saide our lady saulter as he was wonte to do and he knelyd doune and began to saye Then come our lady lyke a fair mayden and set a garlonde on his hede and at eche Aue maria she sette a rose in the garlond that was soo brighte that all the woode shone therof and whan he had done he kyssed the erthe and wente his waye Thenne come the theues and toke hym and ladde hym to her mayster the whiche had seen all thyse doynges Thenne sayd to hym what woman was that that set the garlonde on the hede and he sayd syre for sothe I see ne woman ne garlonde thenne sayde the mayster thefe I wote well thou arte a lordys man and hast moche good wyth the But I wolde fayn wyte what womaÌ„ that it was that come to the. and why thou knelest downe And he sayd whaÌ„ I see you I was aferde And also I bethoughte me that I hadde not sayde oure lady faulter and kneled doune to say it prayng our lady to helpe me at my nede Thenne sayd he for her loue goo thy waye and praye to her for vs And soo he went his waye sauf and founde by helpe and socour of our dere lady ¶ But now ye shall here how this fest was first founde There was a kynge in Englonde that hyght wyllyam conquerour he sente thabbot off Ramsey to the kynge of denmarke on his message And whan he come in to the see there come a tempest and a derkenesse that he and all that were wyth hym wende to haue be drowned And euery man prayed besely vnto god to our lady for socour and helpe And other dyuerse sayntes and this abbot prâ—yed to god and to our lady full deuoutly Thenne come to theym a fayr woman and sayd to theym yf ye wyl haue the concepcioÌ„ of our lady in worshyp that is ii daye after saynt nycolas day she wyll be redy to helpe â— socour you at this tyme. And thenne this abbot sayd ye wyth good wyll I wyst what shold be the seruyce off of the fest Thenne sayde she the same that is in my Natiuyte â—auâ— torne the natyuite in to my concepcion and thabbot said it shold be done with full good wyll Thenne anone the teÌ„peste ceased and all was well And they sayled forth and thabbot dyd his message and come ayen sauf and souÌ„de and spedde well in euery degre and whan he come home he tolde the kyng this vision the kyng made hym preche it in
But whanne thomas herde the knyghtes armed and wolde come into the chirche and might nat he wente to the dore and vnbaryd it and tooke one of the knyghtes by the honde and saide It besemeth nat to make a castell of holy churche and tooke them by the hondes and saide Come in my children in goddes name Thenne for it was derke that they might nat se nor knowe Thomas they saide where is the tratoure Naye saide thomas no traitoure but arsshebissop Thenne one saide Flee for thou arte dede TheÌ„ne saide Thomas I come nat to flee butt to abyde Ego pro deo mori paratus suÌ„ et pro defensione iusticie et ecclesie liberate I am redy to dye for the loue of god for the right of holy churche TheÌ„ne Raynolde with his swerde poynte put of thomas cappe and smote at his hede cutte of his crowne that it henge bye like a disshe Thenne smote another att hym and smote it all of thenne fyll he downe to the grounde on his knees and elbowes and saide God in to thy hondes I putte my cause and the righte of holy churche and so dyed theÌ„the thridde knyghte smote and half his stroke fyll vpon his clerkes arme that helde thomas crosse bifore him and so the swerde fyll downe to the grounde and brake of the poynte and he said go we hens he is dede And whenne they were at the dore goynge oute Roberte Broke went agayne and sett his foote to Thomas necke and thruste oute the brayne vpon the pauemente Thus for the right of holy churche and the lawe of the londe thomas tooke his deth ¶ Thenne howe this martirdome was knowen in Ierusalem â–ª ye shall here There was an abbey of Monkes in the whiche that same day and 〈◊〉 me tyme that thomas dyed A monke lay at the dethe Thenne for he was a goode holy man of liuynge his abbote badde him If it were nat to goddes displeasure whanne he were dede he shoulde coÌ„me ayen and tell him howe he ferde and soo whanne he was dede he caÌ„me ayen and tolde his abbot whaÌ„ he dyed an aungell brought him bifore god and as he stode there â–ª he sawe a bisshoppe coÌ„me with a greate come any of aungellys and other saintes And he stode bifore god at his iugemeÌ„t and his hede dropped downe of blood of woundes that he had Thenne saide our lord to him â–ª thê° it besemyâ—h a man to come to his lordes courte And anone oure lorde sette a crowne on his hede and saide thus to him Asmoche as I haue gyue to Petyr and Poule so moche ioye I graunte the. and the monke saide Hereby I knowe well that this is the gretest busshop in Englonde â–ª and is slayne for goddes sake And weâ—e â—e well that I goo to euirlastinge blâ—sâ—e This tolde the Patryarke of IerusaleÌ„ sone after that thomas dyede â–ª there caÌ„me into Englonde after peple to fight agayn the hethen men ¶ Narracio ¶ Also there was a byrde that was taughte to speke and coude saye saint thomas as she herde other pilgrymes speke moche of sainte thomas And it hapnyd on a tyme this byrde satt without his cage and there caÌ„me a sparhawke and wolde haue slayn him and anon the byrde cryed on sainte Thomas helpe anoon the sparhauke fel downe dede Then saint thomas of his grete graâ—e and godenesse herde the byrde wist nat what she ment Moche more he wolde haue herde a cristen man or a cristen woman that cryed hertly to him for helpe and socoure ¶ Narracio ¶ Also we rede there was a man that thomas loued passinge well in his lyue And it fyll so that this man fell â–ª seke on a tym and coÌ„me to saint thomas â—ombe praynge him of socoure and helpe and anone he was hole But after â—e bethoughte him that his sekenesse was encreasinge to his soules helthe and so wente agayn prayenge thomas that if it were more mede to his soule to be seke than hole that he might be seke ayen so he was thaÌ„ked god seint thomas Then whan the kinge herde how god wroughte so many miracles for saynt Thomas he went to Caunterbury barefote and wolwarde and almoost naked saue a feble cote to binde his body in goyng in the feÌ„ne and in the lake as he hadde been a pore man in this londe prayenge to saint Thomas of forgyuenesse of his trespasse and at the tombe he made al the couente to gyue disciplyne by and by on his bare bodye with a rodde And there he dampned all sory customes and false lawes that was cause of the debate bitwene Thomas and the kinge bifore and graunted the churche her fredome ayen wente his way ¶ Thenne these foure knyghteâ— whan they herde howe god had wroughte for Thomas they were full sory of their cursed dedes cursed the tym that euir it hapnyd so with theym and lefte all their londes and wente to Ierusalem into the holy londe to were on goddes ennemyes But william Tracy was letted by the waye and fyll seke and roted all his body In somoche that him selue with his owne hondes caste awaye his owne flesshe lomp mele and so died an horrible deth And the other thre also dyed a pytous deth sone after And thus within thre yeres after Thomas dethe they dyed all foure But as longe as they lyued they cried euir mercy to god and to saint thomas and so I hope they hadde De circumcisione domini gOode frendes suche a daye is called neweyeres daye and is the firste daye of the begynnyng of the newe yere that is cuÌ„myng and is the laste daye of the yere that is gone And therfore this daye ye shall coÌ„me to god and holy churche to here youre diuyne seruyce for this yere For lyke as a godâ— seruaunte that hath a good maister makâ—th his couenaunte but ones but holdeth forth from yer to yere hauing ful truste in his maister that he woll for his gode seruice gyf him agode reward in his grete nede at his last ende In the same wyse goddes seruauntes maken couenaunte with him but ones that is at the cristenynge at the fonte and ther he maketh couenaunte to be goddes seruaunt hauynge full truste in god that at his grete nede that is at the daye of dome wyll quyte him for his seruyce in euirlastinge blisse of heuyn And so wyll he do to all that be good true seruauntes Thus this day is called new yeres daye Also it is called Circumcisio domini The circumcision of oure lorde Alsoo this daye is called Neweyeres day for this daye is the firste daye of the CaleÌ„der and the yere gooth moche by the calender therfore it is called neweyeres daye Saint Austyn sayth this daye this nyghte hethen peple vse many false opyniones and witche crafte false byleue the whiche been nat to tell emoÌ„ge cristen people lest they turne to that vse wherfore ye that
an Emperour that hyght Dyoclesian how he dyde many crasteÌ„ men to deth thenne he wente to hym and rebuked hym of his cursed 〈◊〉 Thenne the emperour commaunded to put George anone in to pryson and to laye hym vpryght and to lay a mylstone vpon his breest to presse hym to deth Thenne George prayed to god for helpe and Our lady kepte hym that he hadde noo harme in no parte of his body â–ª and whan the Emperour herde therof he dyde make two wheles and put hem full of hokes and George was sette in the myddes bytwene them And thenne the wheles were tourned and soo to rase his flesshe fro the bones And whan George was in this touâ—ment anone he prayed to god off socour and helpe anone he was holpe And thenne they put hym in to a hote limekylle and closed hym ther in For he shold haue be brente but oure lorde tourned it to colde and there he was iii dayes And thenne they wente to haue founde hym brente and he was sauff fro all maner harmes and was mery Thenne he was brought forth and set byfore the Emperour and George repreâ—ed hym of his fals goddis said to hym they were but fendes wythout myght and power Thenne the Emperour made to bete his mouth wyth stones tyll he was to powned made to bete his bare body wyth drye besomes tyll the flesshe fyll from the bones the people myghte see his guttes yet after they made hym drynke venym that was made strong for the nones for to haue payned hym to deth And whan George had made a signe of the crosse he dranke the poyson wythout greeff In so moche that the man that made the poyson tourned to cristen feyth and anone he was done to deth ¶ Thenne the nyght after as George was in pryson god come to hym and sayd George be of good comforte to morowe thou shalt make an ende and come to euerlastynge ioye and blysse And set a crowne on his hede â–ª and gaff hym his blessynge Thenne on the morowe for he wolde not doo worship to the false goddis The emperour made to smyte of his hede And thenne as the emperour wold haue gone to his â—â—lays there come a fyre lyghtenyng brente hym and all his people ¶ we fynde in a story of Antioche wryten â–ª that besyde â—herusalem a fayre yonge knyghte appered to a prest sayde I â—m saynt George and a leder of Crysâ—en people and commauÌ„ded the prest that he shold bere wyth hym his relykes â–ª come wyth hym to the sege of Iherusalem But whan they come to the walles â–ª the hethen peple therin were so strong that the cristen durste not come to the walles â–ª thenne come saynt george clothed in whyte made a crosse on his breste and went vp the ladder and bad the cristen people come after hym And so wyth the helpe of saint george they gate the cite of Iherusalem And slewe all the hethen people that were founde there And therfore lete vs praye to saynt George to helpe vs ayenst oure gostly enmy now euer Amen ¶ De saÌ„cto marco euaÌ„gelista GOod frendes suche a daye ye shall haue saynt â—arkeâ— daye that was one of the four euangelistis that wrote cristis gospell and preched them to the people TheÌ„ne marke was first an hethen man And after he was crystened of saynt peter he made hym to go preche to the peple goddis worde And thenne for he was soo holy a man the people wold haue had hym to be a preste But he was soo meke in hym selfe that he made one of his thombes to be cut of For he thoughte he was not worthy to be a preste but for god wolde haue it foo Saint peter wyth grete instaunce made him take thordre of presthode vpon hym Thenne was he besy bothe daye and nyghte to preche the worde of god And all that he sayd wyth worde He confermed it with good ensample and wyth doyng of grete myracle Thus by the inspiracion of the holy goost he wente in to the cyte of Alisaunder for to torne the people to the feyth Thenne whaÌ„ he come to the cite vnnethe that he was entred in the Cite his shoo brast and therby he wyft well that he shold be dede Thenne he sawe a man sytte clout shone to poure peple and marke prayed hym to mende his shoo Thenne for this man was pour hym thoughte it was almesse to helpe hym at that tyme. And toke his shoo and began to sewe and anone wyth his nalle he hurte his honde and what for ache and for grete payne he said god helpe and whaÌ„ marke herde that he called to god anone marke prayed to god for hym And thenne marke spytted on the erth and blyssed it and anoynted his hoÌ„de therwyth and sayd In nomine patris Ihesu cristi filii dei viui sanctur manê° tuâ— â–ª In the name of the fader Ihesu cryste the sone of the quycke god thy honde be hol ¶ Vocabatur autem homo ille ananias Forsoth that man was called ananya And whan ananya sawe suche vertu in marke he prayed hym to dwelle styl wyth hym Comoratusque ibidem duobus annis And there he dwelled two yeres cristened hym and al his houshold and afterwarde for grete holynesse that marke sawe in this man he made hym arshebysshop Thenne the people sawe how marke preched in the cite they toke hym teyed a rope aboute his necke And drewe hym amonge stones tyll the flesshe fell to the erthe and sayd drawe we the bugull to the bugull place Soo whan he was drawe nye to the deth thenne they putte hym in to pryson tyll on the morowe Thenne the same nyghte Cryste come to hym in to pryson and sayde Peaâ— be to the marke myn euangelyste be not agast for I am wyth the. Thenne on the morowe they come and fett him oute of pryson And drewe hym tyll he was dede And whan he sholde dye he sayde In manus tuas And soo gaue vp the gooste ¶ And afterwarde they wolde breâ—â—e his body And thenne there came suche an erth quake wyth a lyghtenynge thonderyng that ther durst no man abide Thenne in the nyght crysten people come and toke markis body beryed it Thenne felle it so that euery cristen loÌ„de halowed saint markis day saue one countrey that is called appolonya the whiche countrey was so greued wyth hete and droughte that all the countrei fayled theym of frute so that they were well nye famysshed And there come a voys from heuen and bad theim halowe saynt markis daye and theÌ„ne they shold be comforted and they dede soo and anone god sent hem plente of all maner of frutes ynough ¶ Now it is to wyte why we sholde faste this daye and goo in procession we rede in the cyte of rome on this daye fell suche a qualme and a soden deth that whan a man yaned or gaped or fâ—esed
water And as constantyne laye in his bedde sore aferde of maxencius for he was moche byger of people thanne he was thenne came to him an aungell with a signe of the crosse shynynge as golde sayd to him To morow whan thou goest to the batayll Take this â—yne in thyn honde and by the vertue thâ—â— of thou shalt haue victory Then was constantyne wounder gladde and anone lete make a crosse of tree to bere it to fore him to the batayll But whanne maxencius sawe him nygh the brydge he was so fyers of him selue that he had forgete the trappe the whiche he had made him selue and so came on the bridge and fyll downe to the water by the trape and was drowned Thenne was al his aste wondre fayne to yelde theim to Constantyne with good wyll Then for constantyne was nat yet crystned And also he was helyd of a Leperhode that he hadde Thenne anoon by couÌ„seyll of the pope he sent his modre quene Elene that was quene of IerusaleÌ„ and prayed her to go and seke the crose that criste dyed on This Elene was a kinges doughter of Englonde and the emperour of Rome wedded her for her beautie and soo she was made empresse of Rome But after her husbondes dethe she hadde the kingdome of Ierusalem to dowry where she made gadre all the iewes that might be found and saide But if they wolde shewe her the crosse they shulde all be brent TheÌ„ was there one of theym that hight Iudas and all saide that he knewe beste where the croce was Thenne said Elene to him Si vis viuere osteÌ„de michi lignum crucis If thou wylt lyue shewe me the crosse that god dyed vpon or els thou shalte be brente and so putte him to grete distresse Thenne he sawe he muste nedes tell or dye and saide to theym I biseche you lede me to the mounte of Caluary there as I shall bydde you and I shall shew you the crosse of Criste for he was blynde and myght nat se And soo whanne he was brought to the moÌ„te of Caluary he knelyd downe and prayed longe and whanne he had prayed the place where the crosse was meuyd and the erthe quoke and there came a swete sauoure fro that place that the crosse laye that was as swete as any spycery in the worlde and then they dygged there longe and at the last they founde thre crosses But then wyst thei nat whiche was cristes crosse fro the other â—weyn And then toke they a dede body and layd nowe on that one crose and then on that other And whan it come to cristes crosse anone the body rose to lyf and thanâ—ed god Thynne saide Iudas thou arte criste truly and sauyoure of the worlde and after that Iudas was cristned was an holy man after Thenne tooke Elyne a parte of that crosse and sent it to her sone Constantyne And the Remenaunte therof she made to shryne it in syluer and golde and lefte it in Ierusalem with all the worshippe that she coude ¶ Thus holy churche maketh mencion this day that the holy crosse was founde Thenne as we rede we fynde in a citee that was called Birectus A cristen man hyred a house of a Iewe to dwel in Thenne hadde this man a rode whiche Nicodemus hadde made in mynde of criste Thenne tooke he this rode and sette it in a preuy place of his house for sighte of the Iewes and dyd it worship after his coÌ„mynge Then after it fell so that this man went into a nother house and hapnyd to leue this rode behind him vnwetynge Thenne come a iewe and duelt in the house there this cristen man hadde been in Then for to make him good chere his neyghboures come on a nyght and souped with hym And as they sat at souper and spake of this cristen man that duelled there bifore this iewe loked beside him and in a corner he sawe this rode And whan he sawe that anon he began to grynde with his teeth and to chide with this other iewe his neyghboure and saide thou art turned to cristen feyth haste a rode dooste it worshippe pryuely Then this other iewe swore nay as depe as he coude that it was nat so ne neuir saw it bifore that thyme yet nat withstandyng that other iewe went tolde his neyghboures and saide that this man was a preuy cristen man and hadde a rode priuely in his house Then anon come all his neyghboures wode for wrath al to bete this man and drewe him tugged him in the worste maner that they coude and so at the laste they saide all this is the ymage that thou beleuest vpon And they toke the ymage and bete it and scourged it and crowned it wyth thornes and at the laste they made the strengest of theym to take a spere and with all his myghte he smote it to the herte And anoon therwith blode water ran oute by the sides Then wer theâ—fore aferd therof and saide Take we pottes and fyll them with this blode and let vs bere it into the temple there as the seke people is of diuerse maladies anoynte them therwith if they be hole with the blode than cry we god mercy and anon let vs be cristned maÌ„ and woman Then they anoyntyd the seke people with this blode and anoon they were hole Then went these iewes to the busshop of the cyte and tolde him all the caas anon he knelyd downe on his knees thanked god of this fair myracle And whan he cristned the Iewes he toke vyolles of glasse cristall ambre put of this blood in them seÌ„t about in diuerse churches of this blode as many men vnderstonde come to the blode of hayles ¶ Mylites tellith in his Crouyeles that many yeres after that Ierusalem was dâ—stroyed the iewes wolde haue bylded it ayeÌ„ Then as they went thiderwardes erly in a mornynge they founde many croces by the way â—they were aferd therof and turned homwarde ayen yet on the morowe they went agayn then were the crosses full of blode and thenne they fledde homwardes agayn echone yet wolde they nat leue therby but went ayen the thridde day then fyre rose oute of the erthe and brent them euirechone to asshes De scoÌ„ ioheÌ„ ante portam lati gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue saint Iohns daye at the porte latyn why is it called soo It hapned as this daye this holy saint prechyd the worde of god in a cyte that was called Ephesie â–ª the iustice of the cyte sawe that he turned moche people to the byleue of Criste and wolde haue hadde him to doo sacrifice to false goddes and for he wolde nat but rather lese his lyf Then the iustice lete take him and coÌ„maunded him to be sette in persone while he sent to the Emperoure of Rome to knowe what he shulde do wâ— the him And so â—reÌ„s came to themâ—eroure
in the whiche he called Iohn all â—e worste that he coude saide he was a false disceiuour of the people Then wrote themperour agayn to the Iustice bad that he shulde sende Iohn to him to come and so he dyd And themperour apposed him of his dedys and Iohn stoode stedefast in the feyth for grete scorne the emperoure made to clyppe some of Iohns here of his hede for he hadde a faire hede of here And whaÌ„ be was so clipyd all the people lough him to scorne and so dyd him grete disease they ledde him to a gate of the towne of Rome whiche is called porte latyne ther they put him in a tonne of hote feruent oyll and closed him therin and put vndre fyre to haue brente him therin but he was goddes owne derlynge He kept him so that he had no harme in no part of his body Thenne whanche peple we nyd that he had be dede they vnclosed the tonne and found him as hole and as founde in all parties of his bodye and clothes as no thyng hadde touched him Therfore cristen people lete make a churche there in the worship of god of his martirdome that he suffred ther Then for the Emperour might nat ouircoÌ„me him by no waye of martirdome and penaunce he exiled him into an yle that is called Pathmos Then herd saint Iohns modre that her sone was sent to Rome for to be dede For gret sorow and coÌ„passion of him she went after to Rome But whan she herde that he was exiled she turned ayen went homwarde And so whan she came to a cyte that was called vetulam and ther she fyll seke and dyed there she was buryed beside the cyte in a roche And whan she hadde layne there many yeres saint Iames her other sonne came thydre and toke up his moders body it smelled as swete as any spycerye brought it into the cyte and buryed it there with grete worship and honoure De sancto IoheÌ„ baptista gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue an high feste and an holy that is called saint Iohns day the Baptiste and it is called so for he baptised Criste in the water of flaine Iordan wherfore ye shall faste theuyn And ye shall vnderstonde and knowe how the euynâ— were firste founde in olde tyme In the beginning of holy â—huâ—che It was soo that the people came to churche with candellys brennyng and wolde wake and come with lighte towarde nyght to the churche in their deuociones and after they fell to lechery songes daunses harpyng pipynge also to glotony and synne and so tourned the holynesse to cursednesse wherfore holy faders ordeyned the people to leue the wakynge and to faste theuyn and thus turned the wakinge into fastynge But it is called vigilia that is wakinge in englissh and it is called the euyn for at euyn they were wonte to come to the churche But in worshippe of saint Iohn the people waked at home and made thre maner of fyres Oone was clene bones and noo wode and that is called a bone fyre A nother is clene wode and no bones and that is called a wode fyre for people to sytte and wake therby The thridde is made of wode and bones that is called saynt Iohnes fyre The firste fyre as a greate clerke Iohn Byllet tellith he was in a certein countre Soo in the countre there was so grete hete the whiche causeth the dragones to go to gydder in toknyng that Iohn dyed in brennynge loue to god man And they that dye in charite shal haue parte of all gode prayers they that doo nat shall neuir be sauyd ¶ Thenne as this dragon fleeth in the ayre they shedde downe to the waterâ— frothe of their kynd and so enuenemed the waters and causeth moche peple to tâ— their dethe therby many dyuerse â—esse Thenne on a tyme there were many grete clerkes and radde of kinge Alisaundre how on a tyme as he sholde haue a batyll with the kynge of ynde And this kinge of ynde broght with him many oliphantes berynge castelles of tre on ther backes as the kind of theim is to haue armed knightes in the castell for the batayll Then knewe alisaundre the kynde of the OliphaÌ„tes that they dradde no thynge more than the iarrynge of swyne wherfore he made to gadre to gydder all the swyne that myght be goten and caused them to be dreuyn as nygh the oliphantes as they myghte wel here the iaâ—ryng of the swyne And then they made a pygge to crye and whan the swyne herde the pyg cry anoon they made a grete iarryng and assone as the oliphantes herd that they began to flee echone and cast down the castelles and sleew the knyghtes that wer in them and by this meane Alisander hadde the victory Also these wise clerkes knowe well that dragones hate nothing more than the stynche of breÌ„ning bones Therfore they gadred as many as they mighte fynde and brent theym And so with the stynche therof they droue awaye the dragones and so they were brought oute of grete disease The ii fyre was made of wode for that woll brenne light and woll be seen ferre for it is the cheif of fyres to be seen ferrre and tokenynge that saynte Iohn was a lanterne of light to the people Alsoo the people made blases of fyre for they shuld be seen ferre and specially in the nyghte Saynte Ierom the prophet many a yere or god was borne he prophecyed and spake thus with goâ—â—es moâ—the and saide Priusquam te formaui in vtero noui te Bifore or thou were fourmed in thy modres wombe I knewe the. Et aÌ„tequam exires de vulua sanctificauite And bifore or thou yedest oute of thy modres wombe I halowed the Et ê“phaÌ„m iÌ„ geÌ„tibus dedi te And I gaue the a prophete to the peple Thenne for saint Iohn shulde be holy or he were borne god sent his aungell gabriell to zacary sainte Iohnes fad as he dyd sacryfice in sâ—â—de of abâ—a the busshop in the temple prayed to god to haue a childe For bothe he his wyf were barrayne and olde Then said the aungell to zacary Ne tâ—neas zacaria Drede nat zacary god hath â—eâ—d thy prayer Elizabeth vxor tua parâ—et filium et vocabitur nomen eius Iohannes Elizabeth thy wyf shall haue a child and his name shal be called Iohn He shal be fulfilled with the holy ghooste Et multi in natiuitate eius gaudebuÌ„t And many shall ioye in the byrthe of him Then for zacary was olde he praied the aungell to haue a token of his biheste Then saide the aungell to hym he shulde be dombe tyll the childe were borne so he was Then conceyued elyzabet And whan she was quyck with childe oure lady come with childe also to speke with Elizabeth and anoone â–ª as she spake to elysabeth saynt Iohan played in his moders wombe for ioye of crystis presence
and asked in the name of god what they were And he sayd fendes that were sente to the emperour that was dede to luke yf they myght haue hym for her rewarde thenne the armyte coÌ„maunded them to come agayn by him to knowe howe they sped and he dyd so and said whaÌ„ his sinnes were layed in the balaunce and was nye ouercome Thenne come the brennyng deken laurence layed a grete pot on the balaunce it drewe vp altogyder this pot was a gret chalyce that theÌ„perour made to worship saint laureâ—nce Thus ye may lerne to suffre a yenst enuyous people also what mede is in largnesse to gyue them that haue nede and what ioye and meryte it is to suffre trybulacion and persecucion disease paciently lerne of the holy marter saint laurence and lete vs take him for a myrrour and praye to hym that he wyll be medyatour to god for vs that we may come to euerlastyng blysse ¶ De assumpcione beate Marie virginis GOod frendes suche a daye ye shall haue the Assumpcion of our lady and it is called soo for the daye her sone toke her vp in to heuen body and soule and crowned her quene of heuen for thaungelis of heueÌ„ come to fett her vp Angellis syngyng come wyth procession ayenst her wyth roses and lylyes of paradyse in token that she is rose lylye and floure of all wymmen and they dyd homage to her for all angellis and sayntes in heuen made ioy and melodye in worship and honour of her and so holy chirche maketh mynde of her assumpcion And yet the gospell of that daye maketh no mencion but of two susters that was Martha and Mary mawdalene and sayde thus Inâ—rauit ihesus in quoddâ—â— castellum et mulier quedaÌ„ c. ¶ Ihesus entred in to a castell and a woman that was called Martha toke hym in to her house And she had a suster that was called mary that sat atte Cristis feete and herde hym speke Thenne was martha besy to serue cryste and she said to hym Sire byd my suster aryse and helpe me thenne answered Criste Maria meliorem partem elegit que non auferetur ab ea ¶ Mary hath chose the better parte the whiche shall not be tak awaye from her Thyse ben the wordes of the gospell of that daye And here be no wordes of our lady as be semyng But he that redeth what saint ancelme sayth there he may see that the gospell perteyneth all to our lady and to the lyuyng of her For she was the castel that Ihesus entred in to for ryght as a castel hathe dyuerse properteis that longen to a castell that it shold be myghty and stroÌ„g ryght soo was our lady before alle other wymmen For there as wymmen be freyle and feble and easy to ouercome our lady was stronge as a castell and ayenstode the cawtelis of the fendes engynis and put theym besyde at all tymes For ryght as a castell hath first a depe dyke right so had our lady a depe mekenesse in strength off the castell in so moche she passed other in vertu of mekenesse wherfore god chose her to be moder to his sonne before all other wiÌ„men and therto cryste bereth wytnesse thus ¶ Quia respexit humilitatem ancille sue For god behelde the mekenesse of his hondmayden all generacion shal blisse me This dyke yf it be full of water it is the more strenger to the castel this water is compassion that a man shold haue for his sinnes and for other peoples disease This water had our lady On this dyke lieth a drawe brygge that shall be drawe vp ayenst crunyes and lete downe ayenst frendes By this brygge ye shall vnderstonde discrete obedience for right as a man shal not lete downe the brigge to his enmy though he byd hym soo man shall not lete the fende come to his soule though he tempte hym But anone as he is bodeÌ„ ony thinge that is helpe and socour to his saule thenne shall he lete doune the brygge of obedience and the sooner the better this dyde our lady whan thangell gabryell tolde her of her concepcion of her sonne she lete not downe the brygge anone tyll she knewe wheder he was a frende or an enmye and said she shold conceyue and be a mayde and kepte the vowe of chastite that she had made to fore and as she herde yt. she lete downe the brygge of obedience and sayd Ecce ancilla domini Lo here goddis owne hand mayden be it done to me after thy worde this castell is treble walled ¶ The first walle betokeneth wedlocke for first she was wyf to Ioseph or elles the iewes wolde haue stoned her as for a lechour yff she had conceyued wythout wedlocke and so the ferther wall betokeneth pacience and thynner virginyte that is maydenhede but that is lytyll worth but it be strengthed wyth the wall of paâ—ience and lytyll helpe is for maydenhede it is lytyll worth that can noo thynge suffre of persecucion not dysese but euer pleynyng and grutchynge and to be a claterer a iangeler a curser and a waryer and a scolde of her tonge thyse defende not maydenhede but rather cast it downe for maydenhede shode be of fewe wordes and that she speketh shold be honest and worship bothe to her owne persone and to all them that ben in her presence For it is an olde englishe a mayden shold be seen and not herde this vertu had our lady For saint Bernard sayth rede all the gospel ouer and thou shalt not fynde that our lady in all her lyf spake but iiii tymes The first to gabryell the ii to Elizabeth the iii. to her own sonne in the temple and the iiii at the weddyng in the caue of galyle Thus must the walle of pacience defende the walle of maydenhede This walle of maydenhede it be wel kepte it is passynge all other As bede saith wedlocke is â—ye â–ª there as it is wel kepte but yet wedow hode is hygher but virgynyte passâ—th al hath worshyp in heuen passing al other This wal kepte our lady for she was clene both by fre wyl by vowe she had a degre passyng al other maidens that euer were or euer shall bee for she was both mayde and moder And in this castell is a gate that betokeneth feyth for ryght as it is impossible for a man to goo thurgh a walle of stele ryght soo it is inpossyble to a maÌ„ to pleyse god wythout feyth Thus feith had our lady passyng ol other ¶ For as it semeth impossible for a woman to conceyue wythout â—arnal concupyscence of maÌ„ for it was neuer seen byfore But by techyng of an angell she byleued And soo came cryst and entred by the gate of byleue in to the castell that is in to the body of our lady This gate had a tour aboue which betokeneth charyte For that is aboue all thyng and that vertu had our lady well
goodlake that first inhabyted crowland in the fennys And the first daye that he come thyder was on saynt Barthylmewis daye· Thenne he prayed to this holy appostle to bee his patrone ayenst the wycked spirytes that were in that place For it was called thinhabytacion of fendes for there durst noo man dwelle there for fendes theÌ„ne whaÌ„ this holy maÌ„ was come thider almost lost his wyttes for fere But thenne by grete grace he had mynde of saynt Barthylmew And prayed hym wyth all his herte of help and socour Thenne anone come saint Barthylmew and commaunded the fendes to goo from that place Thenne the fendes made a grete horryble noyse and wente her waye and sayd Alas alas for now haue we loste our myght and our habytacion and nowe shall we goo to helle for euermore and soo sorowynge and waylinge they wente theyr way Thenne this holy man thaÌ„ked god and saynt Barthylmew for the grete helpe and socour that he had done to hym Hereby ye may see vnderstonde that this holy appostle is euer redy to all that wyl calle to hym with good deuocion he wyll helpe them at theyr nede De â—tate â—eate maâ—â—â— gOodâ— frendes suche a daye ye shall haue the Natiuyte of oure lady that is whan she was borne ye shall fast the euyn And come to god and holy churche in the worshyp of oure lady saint maryâ— Ioachym was her fader and saint anne her madre There canne no man tel the ioye that Ioachym and Anne hadde in their hertes whan our lady was borne For they hadde prayed xxx yere to god nyghte and day and dealyd moch almes And for the goode dedys that they dyd they hadde reuelacion of god that they sholde be holy and please god and also by the byrthe of oure lady the repreue that they hadde bifore of their bareynesse shulde be put awaye And soo Anne went oute emonge other wymen So the byrthe of oure lady gladed the fader and the moder wherfore god seÌ„t them frute of their bodies more by grace than by kynde Thenne all the neyghboures come and conforted anne called her doughter mary as the angel badde or she were borne or begoten ye shall vnderstonde that holy church worshippeth thre byrthes One of oure lorde iesu criste That other of oure lady The thridde of saint Iohn baptyst shewynge openly that euery man and womâ—n that woll be sauyd muste be thryes borne Firste of his modre in to this worlde The secounde from synne by water wasshynge And the thridde oute of this worlde to ioye passinge The firste betokenethe by our lady thâ— seconde by sainte Iohn Baptyst the thridde by our lorde 〈◊〉 câ—iste For 〈◊〉 thre byrthes iâ— grete ioye â—â—yn and 〈◊〉 Though a woman haue greate pâ—yne in the byrthe of her childe I may 〈◊〉 byleue sainte Anne thenne oure laâ—yâ—â— modre hadde nat so in her byrthe of her childe oure lady For â—he was halowed in her moder wombe holy borne â—oly euir after Soo whan she was born and wanyd and was thre yere of age Ioachym and anne and other frendes brought mary into the cyte of Ierusalem to fore the temple as they had made their auowe to fore Thenne the temple stode on an hyll and was xv fâ—eyres vp to the dore and so they lefte mary at the nethermooste steyâ—e while thei made theym redy to do their offrynge Thenne went mary to the vppermâ—ste grece her self knelynge downe and made her prayers to god as she hadde ben of grete age For the holy gooste was euir with her and gaue her grace Also god sent her an aungell to kepe her and to teche her And whanne her fader and her modre hadde offred â—â—y wâ—nte home and lefte her there and she chaunged no â—here bâ—â— gaue her selue all to spirituell occupaâ—ion And euery day fro morowe to vndren she wâ—â— in her prayers from vndren to noâ—â— she occupyed her craft of wenynge of clothes in the temple And anone the mete and the drynk that was set to her she gaue to the pore people was in her deuocion tyll an aungell broughte hyr mete Thenne she lâ—â—ed so clene and so honestly that all her felâ—wes called her qâ—â—ne of maydâ—â—â—â— And whaÌ„ any maÌ„ spake to heâ— mekely she louâ—ed with her hede and saide ¶ Deo gracias For that word was comon in her mouthe and therfore she is lykned to a spicers shop for she smelleth swete for the presence of the holy goste was with her and habundaunce of vertues that she shulde bere the kyng of vertues And thus her byrthe daily is ioye to all crysten people ¶ Howe this daye was firste founde a grete clerke Iohn Byllet tellith There was an holy maÌ„ that prayed to god ofte by nyght tyme And so on a nyghte as he was in his deuociones he herde a songe of an angel in heuyn that oure lady was borne of her modre and noo more of all the yere after So on a nyght he herd this melody in the ayr wherfore this holy maÌ„ prayed to god that he might haue wittynge what was the cause that he herd that melody that certeyn nyght and no more of all the yere after Thenne came an aungell to him and saide That nyghte oure lady was borne of her modre and therfore the melody was made in heuyn at that tyme Thenne went he to the pope and tolde him howe the angell saide Thenne the pope coÌ„manded that day sholde be halowed for euirmore ¶ Thus come this feste firste into holy churche And so oure lady is borne by water wasshynge that is by cristnynge For whanne oure lorde Iesu criste was baptised in the water of flome iordane Thenne oure lady and the xii appostelles in that tyme were cristned Therfore right as oure lorde folowed the olde lawe and the newe lawe bothe and all that fyll to a man of right and so our lady fulfilled both the lawes and all that fyll to a womaÌ„ at that cristnynge For there her sone toke his right name and she bothe And as the gospel telleth whanne oure lord Iesus was cristned the fader of heuen spake and saide Hic est filius meus dilectus c. Here is my welbelouyd sone but after he was called goddes sone â–ª afore the tyme oure lady was called the wyfe of Ioseph and after that she was called the modre of iesu to moch worship to her ¶ The thridde tyme our lady was borne to ioye passinge For whan she shold passe out of this world her sonne come with a greate multitude of aungelles and broughte her to heuyn with moche ioy and there crowned her quene of heuyn Empresse of hel and lady of all the worlde soo she is in euirlastinge blysse Narraico ¶ we fynd of our lady how ther was a iewe that was borne in Fraunce and come into Englonde for diuerse maters that he hadde to do with other people And come to gloucestre and to Bristowe and
so wolde goo into wyllshyre but he was take by the wey with theuys and ladde into an olde house bounde to a post and his hondes behinde him and so lefte him ther all nyghte and at the laste he fyll a slepe sawe a fayre woman clothed in whyte he neuir sawe noon such and euyn therwith he awoke and felte him selue loose Then he sawe oure lady so bright that he thoughte she passed the sonne said what arte thou and she saide I am mary that thou and thy nacion despisen say that I bare neuir goddes sonne But nowe I am coÌ„me to bryng the oute of thy erroure and oute of pryson that thou arte in therfore come thou with me and stonde yonder at the stone and loke downewarde and so he dyd and there he sawe the horrible peynes of hel that he was nygh oute of his mynde Thenne saide oure lady to him These be the peynes that be ordeyned to al tho that wyll nat beleue in my sones passion and in the feyth of holy churche yet come forth and se more and she set him on a hye hyll and shewyd a place of grete ioye and myrthe in somoche that he was rauysshed with that sight Then saide oure lady Lo these been ordeyned to al tho that beleue in the incarnacion of god and that he was borne of me I clene mayde bifore and after And that my sonne shedde his blood for all maÌ„kynde Nowe haste thou seen both ioye and peyne chose whiche thou haste leuyr Thenne he wente moche of the nyghte he wyst nat what waye but walkyd forthe And on the morowe he come to Bathe there he was cristned and named Iohn after was a holy man ¶ Then to come agayn to oure purpose of oure lady what tyme that IoachiÌ„ hadde offred oure lady into the temple to the bisshop to kepe her saue in ward tyll she were xii yere of age and more Thenne muste the busshop ordeyne her an husbonde and then they lete crye al aboute in the countre that kynges lordes and other gentylles that were with oute wyues shold come at a certein day for to knowe who were best worthy to wedde that faire mayde that was floure of all maydens For right as the lily is white and faire emonge briers and other floures Right so was oure lady emonge other maydenes So whan they come to Ierusalem to see the mayden that was of the beste bloode of the worlde The busshop ordeyned an olde staff of asshe that hadde been kepte in the temple many yeres was al worme etyn and he saide He that handeleth that staff and burgenyd and bere floures he shulde haue the mayden and she was brought forthe into the temple yâ— all the people myght see her Then â—ad the busshop brynge forthe the staf and whan any man handled it he bad him holde it vp on hye that the peple myght se if it burgened Then went it to kynges prynces lordes knyghtes and sauyers and other gentylmen but it wolde nat be the firste daye ne the second day so the thridde day they shulde make an ende Thenne came there an olde man into the temple and hadde herde of this but he sawe it nat and thought to goo se how the peple dyd come thyder and stode a ferre in a corner and loked on this mayden Thenne he thought in him selue he wolde nat handell the staf for this mayde is nat for me that is so passynge faire and I so passinge olde Thenne come there a white doue fall vpon his hede with a golden byll and her feet shone as it hadde be bright burnysshed golde that all the people sawe her and some wolde haue caughte her but they might nat Then was the busshop ware and badde Ioseph come vp to him anone and Ioseph saide nay she is nat for me she is to yonge and I am to olde to gouerne her estate Then said the busshop handell this staf he dyd and anone it was grene and began to burgyn and bare leuys and blosomed and bare frute Thenne was the busshop gladde and Ioseph sory for to haue her for he was full purposed neuir to haue wyf Thenne the busshoppe weddyd theym worshipfully and bad Ioseph take her home with him and so he dyd Thenne sone after the holy goste lighted in her with gretynge of the aungell gabriell And soo beganne to weye greate with childe Then Ioseph loked on her and thoughte to haue gone awaye pryuely fro her and leue her allone Thenne come an aungell to Ioseph and badde he sholde take mary to his kepynge and studye no more thervpon and leue all such thoughtes for it was goddes wyll and god him selfe wyll that it be so Thenne he lefte all suche fantasies and kepte her well as a man shulde doo his wyf De exaltacione sancte crucis gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue holy rode daye in the whiche ye shall coÌ„me to the churche in worship of hym that was done on the crosse that day is called Exaltatio sancte crucis The exaltacion of the crose whan saint Elyn hadde set the crose in Ierusalem cristen peple dyd it grete reuerence But then come the kinge of Perce that was called Cosdre and he tooke the crosse with him and made the cyte bare and bare awey all that he might and went into the temple and toke all the treasoure iewelles and precious stones and bare them awaye Thê° this cursed man did distroy many kingdomes and so bare the holy crosse into his owne countre Thenne the Emperoure Eraclius herde herof and was full wrothe and sory And sent to this kinge cosdre to trete with him For eraclius was a cristen man Then cosdre aunsweryd cursedly and said he wold nat trete tyll he hadde all his people to forsake cristendome and to do sacrifice to his mawmentes Thenne this Emperoure eraclius betooke all to god gadred him an ooste of people to fight with this cursed kynge cosdre hoping in god to gete the holy crosse agayn But whan this cursed kynge Cosdre come he fyll in suche a fantasy madnesse that he tooke his sone all the gouernaunce of his realme And lete make an house for him selue in maner of an aulter lyke vnto heuyn and made it all shynynge gold and precious stones And sette him selue in the myddes in a chaire of golde and coÌ„maunded that all the people shulde call him god and so satte and the holy crosse in his right hoÌ„de in stede of his sonne and on the left honde a tame cocke in stede of the holy gooste and him selue in the myddes in stede of the trynyte And thus he sat lyke a mad man Thenne whanne his sone herd that Eraclius was coÌ„mynge he went ayenste him and met him att a grete water ouer the whiche water was a brydge Thenne by the assent of bothe their often the ii cheif capitaynes a middes the bridge shold
fight for hem all and bothe the endes of the brydge shulde be drawen vp And whiche of theym that hadde the victory sholde haue bothe the kyngdomes Thenne was eraclius so full in feyth of the crosse trustyd in the prayer of the people that he ouircome his enmy Thenne cosdres people by strengith of the holy gooste turned to the feyth by free wyll of hem selue And whanne they were all criste nyd then went Eraclius with both the ostes to the olde kynge cosdre as he satt in his trone and saide to him thus For by cause thou haste doo worshyp to the holy crosse thou shal chose if thou wil be crystned and haue thy kyngdome ayen for a lytell trybute in reste and peas or els to be dede and he forsoke to be cristned Thenne anoon Eraclius smote of his hede and made a crye that his treasoure sholde be dealyd emong his men and precious stones and other Iewelles sholde be kepte to restore the churches that were distroyed and bare the crosse to Ierusalem And whan he came to the mounte of olyuete toward the cyte of Ierusalem rydynge on a traped horse he wolde haue ryden into the cyte of Ierusalem but sodenly the gates fell to gydder was a playn wal Thenne he was gretely astonyed and marueyled gretly of that vengeaunce and made a grete mone Thenne come an aungell and stode vpon the gates sayde Quando rex noster whan the kynge of heuyn come this way thrugh this gates towarde his passion he rode on no trapped horse nor in no clothe of golde but mekely on a symple â—sâ—e gyuynge ensample of mekenesse to al peple Thenne the aungell went his way then the kinge with all the deuocion that he coude or myghte doo anoon dyd of his clothes to his sherte and went bare foot and bare legged Then the gate opnyd he wente in to the cyte so to the temple and offred the crosse ayen as it was to fore Thenne for the grete ioye that the people hadde of that crosse and for the grete miracles that god shewed it was more worshypped after thanne it was to fore and the worshyp of the croce that was cast downe after was lyft vp ¶ wherfore this day is called they altacion of the crosse For as saint Austyn sayth the crosse was firste of grete spyte and vilany nowe it is of so grete worshyp that emperoures kynges worshippe it ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede in legenda aurea that a iew come to a churche and for defaute that no man was in the churche he went to the rode and for greate enuye that he had to criste he cutte the rodes throte and anone the bloode stert out on his clothes and so his clothes were all rede blood and thenne he hyd the rode in a pâ—â—uye place And as he wente home a cristen man met him and saide to him Thou haste slayn some man where hast thou done him and he sayd nay and the cristen man saide thy clothes been all blody of him Thenne this iew kneled downe and saide Forsoth the god that these cristen people byleue vpon is of greate vertue tolde him howe he had done and cryed mercy with al his hert and soo he was cristenyd a holy maÌ„ after and so went to euirlastynge ioy and blysse to the whiche god bring vs all Amen De quatuor temporum gOde frendes this weke ye shal haue ymbre daies that is wednesday fridaye and saturday the whiche Câ—lâ—xt the pope ordeyned iiii tymes in the yere to al that be of couenable age to faste For certayn causes as ye shall here Oure olde faders fastyd foure tymes in the yere ayenste foure hye and solempne festes if we wol shewe vs gode children we must fast folowe the same rule that they vsed therfore we faste iiii tymes First in marche The seconde at wytsontyde The thridde bitwene heruest and seed tyme and the iiii bifore cristmasse Marche is a tyme that it dryeth vp the moistre that is in the erthe wherfore we faste that tyme to drye the erthe of oure body of the humoures that be nedefull to the body and to the soule for that tyme the humoures of lechery temteth a man moost of any tyme of the. yere Also we fast at wytsontide for to gete grace of the the holy goste that we may be in loue and charite to god and to all the worlde Caritas cooperit multitudinem pecâ—atorum Charite couereth the multitude of synnes Also we fast for to haue mekenesse in our hertes and to putte awaye all pryde that reyneth within vs Also we faste bitwene heruest sedetyme for to haue grace to gader frutes of gode werâ—is into the house of oure conscience and so by ensample of gode lyuynge emong the people that we be comen with both ryche and pore Also we faste in wynter for to slee all stynkynge wedes of synne and of foule erthe of flesshely lustes that make good aungelles and good people to withdrawe theym fro vs. For right as the nettyll brenneth roses and other floures that growe nye him In the same wyse a vicious man or woman stereth setteth on fyre theym that be in their company And for these causes we fast foure tymes in the yere and euery tyme thre daies that betoken thre speciall vertues that helpe a man to grace that is fastynge deuoute prayenge and almessededys doyng And by opunion of moche people these dayes be called ymbre daies bycause that oure elder faders wold on these daies ete no brede but cakes made vndre asshes so by the etyng of that they reduced into their mynde that they were but asshes and so sholde turne ayen wyst natt how sone by that they turned away from all delyciouse metes and drynkes toke non hede but that they had easy sustenaunce This caused theym to thynke on deth that wyll cause a maÌ„ to desire no more than he nedeth and absteyne him selue fro all maner of bodily lustes And to encrese in vertues by the whiche we may come to euirlastynge blysse Amen De sancto Matheo gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue saint Mathewes daye whiche was cristes appostyl and ye shall faste the euyn come to god and holy church in the worshyp of god and saint mathewe He is gretely comeÌ„ded in holy churche for certeyne holy vertues that he hadde He was obedieÌ„t to criste at the firste calling the gospell he preched without faynynge he suffred passion withoute any denyenge Firste he was obedient to criste at the firste callynge for he satte at a certeyn place besy to gete good and crist come that waye and loked on him and bad him come and goo with him Thenne he caste soo greate loue to criste that he lefte all his godes that he hadde sued criste forth full symple and ful pore Also he fedde criste gladly for on a daye he prayed criste to ete with hym and made
SAM PEPYS CAR ET IAC ANGL REGIB A SECRETIS ADMIRALIAE Mens cujusque is est Quisque ¶ The helpe and grace of almighty god thrugh the besechinge of his blessed mo 〈…〉 saynt mary be with vs at oure begynnynge help vs and spede vs here in oure lyuynge and bringe vs vnto the blisse that neuir shalle haue endynge Amen Myn owne simple vnderstondinge I fele wele how it fareth by other that been in the same degree and haue charge of soules and holden to teche their parisshyns of all the principal festys that come in the yere shewynge vnto theym what the hooly saintes suffred and dyd for goddes sake and for his loue So that they sholde haue the more deuocion in good saintes with the bettre wyll come vnto the churche â–ª to serue god and pray his holy saintes of their help But for many excuse theÌ„ for defaute of bokes and also by symplenesse of connynge Therfore in help of suche this tretyse is drawen oute of Legenda aurea that he that lyst to studye therin he shal fynd redy therin of all the principall festes of the yere of echone a shorte sermon nedefull for hiÌ„ to teche and for other to serue And for this treatise speketh of all the high festys of the yere I woll and praye that it be called festiuall the whiche begynneth at the firste sonday of the Aduent in worship of god and all his sayntes that ben wretyn therin ¶ Incipit liber qui vocatur festialis GOde men and wemen this day is called the first sonday in aduent wherfore holy church maketh mencion of the coÌ„mynge of criste goddes sone into this world 〈…〉 maÌ„kinde oute of the deuylles bondage â–ª to bringe all well doers into the blisse that euir shall last And also of his other coÌ„mynge that shall be at the daye of dome whan he shall coÌ„me to deme all wacked doers into the peyne of hel for euir But the firste coÌ„mynge of â—huÌ„ Criste into this worlde brought ioye and blisse with him Therfore holy churche vsed songes of myrth as alleluya and other And for the second coÌ„mynge of criste shall be soo cruell that no tonge may tell Therfore holy churche seyth downe songes of melodye as Te deum Gloria in excelsis â–ª and weddinge For after that daye shall 〈◊〉 be weddinge more in to 〈…〉 ynge of veÌ„geaunce that coÌ„meth after Then after the the first coÌ„myng of crist into this worlde sainte Austyn sayth there been there thinges ryf in this worlde that ben 〈◊〉 the trauayll and deth This is the testamente that Adam oure forme fadre made to all his ofsprynge after him that is to be borne in sekenesse and for to lyue in trauayll and for to dye in drede But criste he came to be oure socoure of this testamente and was borne and trauayled and deyed he was borne to bringe men oute of sekenesse into euirlastinge helthe he trauayled to bryng man to euir lastinge reste he deyed to brynge man to euirlastinge lyf This was the cause of the firste coÌ„mynge of criste into this worlde wherfore h 〈…〉 wyll escape the dome that he shall coÌ„me to in the secounde coÌ„myng he must ley downe all maner of pryde of herte and knowe him selue a wreche of erth and holde meknesse in his hert he must trauayle his body in good werkes and gete truly his lyuelode with trauayll of his body and putte awaye all ydelnesse For he that woll nat trauayl his body in good werkes â–ª as sainte beinÌ„ sayth he shall trauayll euir with fendes in hel and for drede of dâ—th he muste make him euir redy to god whan he woll fende for him that is to say shryue 〈◊〉 â—ene of all his synnes and nat 〈…〉 yere to yere but assone as he 〈…〉 ryse vp and mekely tak◠〈…〉 fadre then shall 〈…〉 come haue gret worship 〈…〉 a knight she wyth his woū◠〈…〉 had in batayll in moche 〈…〉 to him Right so the synnes 〈…〉 hath doon and is shreuyn of 〈…〉 his penaunce shal be moche wâ—â—ship to him and grete coÌ„fusion to 〈…〉 And that he hath nat shryu◠〈◊〉 â—halbe shewyd openly to al the worlde in grete shamâ— to him This is sayd for the firste coÌ„mynge of crist in to this worlde Vnde DnÌ„s veniet ad iudicium· The coÌ„mynge of criste is to the dome Tunc videbunt filium hominis venientem in nubibus cum potestate magna et maiestate And these coÌ„mynges shal be so cruell that fyftene daies afore shall coÌ„me tokens of grete drede So that therby the people may knowe that sone after coÌ„myth the dome Secundum IeronimuÌ„ As Ierom sayth The firste day the water shall ryse vpon the see and it shall be higher than any hyll by xl cubytes The secounde day the see shal fal downe so lowe that vnnethe it may be seâ—â— The thridde daye all the fysshe and bestes in the see shall make suche a crye and a rorynge that no tonge may tell it but god him selue The fourthe daye the see and waters shall brenne· The v day all trees â–ª and herbes shall swete blood and al maner of foules shal coÌ„me to gidder and nother ete nor drynk for drede of the dome that is coÌ„mynge The vi day all grete bildinges castel sys toures steples and houses shal fal downe and brenne tyll the sonne ryse ayen The vii day all stones and rockes shall bete to gydre that eche shall breke other with an horrible noyse whiche shal be herde into heuyn The eyghte day the erthe shall quake so that there may no man stonde theron but shall fall downe The ix day the peple shal goo oute of their dennys goo as they were myndlesse and noone speke to other The tenth day hylles and erth shal be euyn and playn The xi day al graues and tombes shall open and the bodies shall stonde vpon them The tuelthe day sterres shall fall from heuyn shotynge oute brennynge bemys a dredefull signe to see The xiii day they shall deye that beren lyf The xiiii day heuyn and erthe shall brenne The xv day heuyn and erthe shal be made new and all people shal aryse in the age af xxx wynter and coÌ„me to the dome Dominus veniet ad iudicium cum multitudine angelorum ¶ Thenne shall come to the dome our lord Ihesu Criste very god and man wyth his angelis And shewe his wouÌ„dis fresshe bledyng as thaâ— daye he deyed on the crosse wyth all the instrumeÌ„tes of his passion ¶ The spere croune scourges nailes hamer pynsones and the garland of thornes to shewe what he suffred in his passion for mankynd Thenne maye they be sory and ferde that haue sworne by his passion or wouÌ„dis or by ony membre of his body that shall be a grete represse to theym But they amende theym in this worlde or they deye Thenne wyll our lorde gretely thanke theym that haue doo mercy in this worlde for his sake to theyr euyn crysten And
and all suche thynges that may come of cursed and wyked tonges Therfore the holy ghoste cometh in the lyckenesse of tonges of brennynge fyre to brenne oute the malyce and enuy and to anoynte hem wyth swetnes off grace loue and charyte And therfore we shall praye to the holy ghoste to yeue vs grace so to tempre our tonges that we maye euermore speke good that our hertes maye be fed wyth mekenesse that we may be able to be fed wyth the holy ghoste as saynt Gregory was whan he expowned the prophecye he toke to hym his deken saynt Peter to wryte as he expowned and made drawe bytwene hem For saynt Peter shold not see how he dyde in his stodyeng Thenne as saynt Gregory satt in his chayer Holdyng vp his hondys and his eyen to heuen warde The holy ghost came lyke a white doue wyth fote and bylle brennyng golde and satte on Gregory ryght sholdre and putte her bylle in Gregoryes mouth And whan he wythdrewe it thenne he bad Peter wryte and soo contynued tyl he had made an ende But he expowned the gospell soo boldly that Peter had merueylle therof and preuely made a hole in the cloth that was bytwene gregory and hym and sawe how the holy ghoste fedde hym And anone the holy gost shewed Gregory how Peter had done thenne Gregory blamed Peter And charged hym that he shold neuer saye noo thynge whyle he lyued But whan gregory was dede an heretyâ—â— wolde haue â—renned his bokys That this holy man 〈◊〉 And thenne Peter wythstode hym and saide nay and tolde all how the holy ghoste had done to hym whyle he expowned the prophecy And soo saued his bokes vnbrenned that he had made by the grace of god and yefte of the holy ghoste the whiche yeue vs grace to be fedde of hym here in our lyuyng that we maye haue the blysse that neuer shall haue ende ameÌ„ ¶ In die sancte trinitatis GOod men and wymmen this daye is an hyghe and a soleÌ„pne feste in holy chirche For it is of the holy trynyte For as holy chirche atte wytsontyde maketh mencion how the holy goost come to crystis dysciples Now at this tyme is made mencion of all thre persones that is for to say Pater filius et spiritus sanctê° Fader sone and holy ghost thre persones and one god wherfore we ben bouÌ„de to doo al the reuerence and worship that we can or maye to this holy trynyte Also ye shall vnderstond why how And what the cause is that this feste was ordeyned This holy fest was worshyped for the trynyte fyrst fyndyng for heretykis confoundyng and for the Trynyte worshypynge Fyrste it was ordeyned for the fourme of the trynyte fyndyng And a greate clerke Iohan belleth telleth that fourme trinite was in the first man adam oure soâ—â— fader that cometh of theâ—â—he one persone and eue of adam the seconde persone of them bothe cometh the thirde persone as her chylde Thus the trynyte was founde in man wherfore man shold haue mynde to doo worshype to the holy trynyte For holy chirche ordeyned that in weddynge of a man and woman to gyder soo that the masse of the Trynyte is songen And atte his dethe one bell shall be ronge in worshyp of the trynyte wherfore all cristeÌ„ people ben bounde gretly to worshyp the holy trynyte The second cause is the feste is ordeyned in confundynge of heretykes and of lollers for to dystroye them and her false opynyons that they had ayenst the holy trynyte For ryght as heretykis in the begynnynge of the feyth wyth her swete wordes and fals opynyons were aboute to distroye the feyth of the holy trynyte In the same wyse lollers nowe a dayes wyth her false spyce of gyle be aboute also to wythdrawe the people from the trewe byleue and feyth of the holy trynyte the byleue feyth of the holy chirche Popes martirs and confessours to the deth Ryght soo now thyse lollers pursuen men of holy chirche ben aboute in all maner wayes that they can and may fynde to distroye and vndo hâ—m soo that they myghte haue theyr purpose And thus they shew openly that they be not goddis seruauntes For they ben oute of charyte and he that is oute of charyte is ferre from god But he that suffreth trybulacyon persecucion and disease for the loue of al myghty god And preyeth for his â—es and mysdoers And wylle doo noo vengeaunce but put all in god almyghty and quyte hem ful well in euerlastynge blysse For oure Lorde sayth thus Michi vindictam et ego retribuam Put all thynge to me and I shal quyte euery man after his deseruynge for though god suffre holy chyrche to bee pursued by suche mysse and proude he uerys at the laste he ordeyneth suche a remedy that holy chirche is holpen and her enmyes confounded and shamed Thus it happed on a tyme wyth themperour of rome that hyght Attylya â–ª he was made by heretikes as Iohan bellet telleth the whiche emperour pursued cristen peple sore and hated hem and holy chirche gretly wherfor he made to brenne all the bokes that myght be founde of crysten feyth But as almyghty god wolde â–ª there was a good holy man and that was a grete clerke and the clerke was called Alpunous that in mayntenynge of the feyth off holy chirche he made the story of the trinyte â–ª and the story all soo of saynt steuen and brought it vnto the pope for to haue hem songen and rede in holy chirche But by counseyll of that greâ— clerke they toke the story of saynt steuen and lefte the story of the holy trynyte tyll the tyme that saynt Gregory was pope thenne for to preue hem and doo hem shame that ben suche mysbyleuyng people and wold not byleue in the trynyte but made after her reason many heretykes and in consyderacion ¶ of hem ¶ Saynt Gregory the pope ordeyned this feste to be halowed and this story to be songe and redde in holy chirche in worship of the Trynite wyth all cristen people The thirde cause is for the hyghe trynyte worshypynge and for all crysten men shold knowe howe in what maner they shold byleue in the trynyte for as holy chirche techeth he that byleueth in the trynyte shall be saued and they that done not shall bee dampned ¶ Thenne it is full expedyent and nedefull to all crysten people to knowe how they shold lyue ye shal vnderstonde that parfyt loue to god is the byleue For he that byleueth parfitly maketh noo questions Fides non habet meritum vbi humana racio pâ—ebet experimentum ¶ Feyth hath noo mede ne meryte where mannys wytte yeueth experience Thenne it is good for all crysten peple to make loue to be medyatoure to the holy ghoste prayng hym to lyghten vs wythin our soules that we may haue grace to come to his parfyte byleue Therfore this daye was set next wytsondaye hopynge that the holy ghoste wyll be redy to all
diebus ¶ If I hadde eten asmoche as thou haste eten I sholde nat be a hungred as I trowe in thre daies And then said the cristen man to the iewe Vere nichil comedi Forsothe saide the cristen man to the iewe I ete no maner mete this daye TheÌ„ne saide the iewe Ego vidi te comedere puerum pulcerimum qualem sacerdos eleuauit ad altare I sawe the ete a child the which the preste helde vp at the aulter Et tunc venit pulcerimus homo habeÌ„s multos pueros iÌ„ gremio suo Thenne caÌ„me there a faire man that had many children in his lappe Et dedit vnicuique vestruÌ„ vnnÌ„ puerum taleÌ„ qualem sacerdos comedit And he gaue eche cristen man a childe suche as the preest ete yet to sharp youre bileue the more to this hooly sacrament I shewe you this ensample ¶ we rede in sainte Gregoryes tyme. There was a woman that hight Lacyna and she made brede for the pope other prestes to singe with for to housell with the peple Also the pope caÌ„me to this woman with her housel sayd take here goddes body Thenne this woman smyled and laughed Thenne the pope withdrewe his honde and laid the oste vpon the Aulter and turned to this woman Lacyua and sayd to her why smylest thou whan thou sholdest resceiue cristes body And she sayd why callest thou that cristes body that I made with myn owne hondes Thenne was gregory the pope sory for her misbeleue bad all the people pray to god to shewe some myracle for this womannys helpe And whanne they hadde prayed longe Gregory went to the autre ayen and founde thoste turnyd into rede flesshe and bloode bledynge and he shewyd it to this woman Thenne she cryed and sayd Nowe lorde I crye the mercy I byleue that thou art very god and man and goddes sone of heuyn in fourme of brede Thenne badde Gregory the people to pray agayn that it sholde turne ayen to bredes lykenesse and it dyd and with the same ofte he housled this woman Lacyua ¶ And therfore lete vs doo all the worshyp that we may to the sacrameÌ„te be nat in mysbeleue ¶ Also we fynde that in Deuonshyre beside exbridge was a woman ley seke and was nygh dede and sente after a holy persone aboute mydnyght to haue her rightes Thenne this man in all haste that he myght arose and went to the churche and toke goddes body in a boxe of yuery and put it into his bosome and went forth toward this womaÌ„ And as he went through a foreste in a fayre mede that was his next way It happed that his boxe fell oute of his bosome to the grounde And he wente forth and wyst it nat and caÌ„me to this woman and herde her confession And then he asked her if she wold be housted she said ye syre theÌ„ne he put his hoÌ„de in his bosom sought the boxe whaÌ„ he founde it not he was full sory and sadde and sayd dame I wyl goo after goddis body and come anone ayen to you and soo went forth sore wepynge for his symplenesse and soo as he com to a welow tree he made ther of a rode stryped hym self naked bete hym self that the blode ranne doune by his sydes and said thus to hym self O thou symple man why hast thou loste thy lord god thy maker thy saucour creature And whan he had thus beten him self he dyd on his clothes and wente forth And thenne he was ware of a pyâ—ar of fyre that lasted from erthe to â—â—uen and he was all astonyed therof yâ—â—he blessed hym and wente therto there lay the sacrament fallen oute off the boxe to the grasse and the pylour shone as bryght as ony sonne and lasted from goddis body to heuen And all the â—estis of the foreste were come aboute goddis body and stode in compasse rounde aboute it and all kneled on iiii knees saue on blacke horse that kneled but on that one knee thenne saide he yf thou be ony best that may speke I charge the in goddis name here present in fourme of brede tel me why thou knelest but on thy one knee Thenne said he I am a fende of helle and wyll not knele and I myghte but I am made ayenst my wyll For it is writon that euery knelyng of heuen of erthe shall be to the worshyp to the lord god why art thou lyke an horse he said to make the people to stele me at suche a towne was on haÌ„ged for me at suche a toune a nother Thenne sayd this holy person I commaunde the by goddis flesshe and his blode that thou goo in to wyldernesse and be there as thou shalt neuer dysease crysten people more And anone he wente his waye he myght noo lenger abyde And theÌ„ne this man went forth to this woman and dyde her ryghtes By the whiche she was saued and went to euerlastyng saluacion To the whiche brynge vs to he that for vs shed his blode vpon the rode tree Amen De festo sciÌ„ Andree appostoli GOod men wymmen suche a daye ye shall haue saynt andrewis daye and ye shall fast the euen and come to god and to al holy chirche and worship this holy saynt that daye for iii specyall vertues One is for his greate holynesse in his doynge The seconde for his good lyuyng The thirde for his greate passyon suffryng ¶ He was a man of holy lyuyng for whan he vnderstode and herde of saynt Iohan the Baptist that he was preching in deserte Anone he lefte all his worldly occupacion and wente to hym and was his diciple and soo after on a daye as cryst come walkynge by the way saint iohaÌ„ baptist sawe hym walking he said to his disciyples Ecce agnus dei qui tollit peccata mundi ¶ See the lambe of god that shal do awaye the synne of al the worlde And whan Saynt Andrewe herde that anone he leete saynt Iohan baptiste and sewed Criste And whanne he herde criste preche It pleased him so well that anon he weÌ„t and fett Petyr his broder to here cryste preche Thenne they caste grete loue to god and sone after as they wer in the see of galile fisshinge criste caÌ„me and called them and anon they left fysshiÌ„ge shyppe nette and all that they had and sued crist euir after were wyth him tyll he styed vp to heuyn ¶ Narracio ¶ Thenne after that saint Andrewe prechyd amonge the people then on a day as he prechyd It happed soo there was a man emong the peple that was called nycoll that hadde lyued many wynters in lechery but yet by the grace of god he thoughte to amende his lyue And whanne he herde that the word of god was of so grete vertue that it sholde putte awaye all temptaciones of synne he lete write a gospell and bare with him whersoeuir he weÌ„t with the vertue therof he
whan saint wolstone visited his busshopriche the people brought a man bifore him that dyd his neyghboures moche disease wold neuyr be in peas praynge the busshop to chastice him whan the busshop hade prechyd to this man he was euir leâ—gre the worse Then the busshop and al the peple prayed to saint mathye to shewe some myracle by this maÌ„ what he was worthy to haue Then anoon in sighte of all the peple there came oute of the erthe ii fendes with brennynge hokes and plucked this quycke man doune to hell And whan he was gone the people were releuyd and had reste and peas euyr after Amen De annunciacione beate marie virginis gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue an highe and a solempne feste in holy churche thannuÌ„ciacion of oure lady he that hath auowed or ioyned in penaunce must faste the euyn ¶ ye shall vnderstonde that it is called thannuÌ„ciacion for this cause For the fad of heuyn sent his angel gabriel Missus est angelus gabriel a deo in ciuitateÌ„ cui nomen Nazaret In the cyte that was called Nazareth to oure lady that was newe weded by the byddynge of god and reuelacion of the holy ghooste to a man called Iosephe And as she was in her chambre in her praiers the angell gabriell come to her said Oure lorde is with the Then was she gretly astonyed of this gretynge For there was in the countre a man that coud moche wichcraft so with helpe of fendes he made hym self lyâ— an angel came to dyuerse maydens said he was sente from god to theym on his message so ofte tymes laye by hem dyde hem grete vylonye thenne whaÌ„ our lady herde telle of that man she was a drad lest it had be he For she had spoke wyth noo angell before nor ther were no suche wordes ne suche gretinges made neuer none to her before Thenne gabriell the angell comforted her and saide ¶ Ne timeas maria inuenisti graciam apud dnÌ„m Drede not mary forsoth thou hast fouÌ„de grace at our lord For amonge al the wymen our lord hath chosen the for to be moder of his sone And hym thou shal coÌ„ceyue by feyth by loue of the holy goost wythout ony dede of maÌ„ that shal shadow the. quenche al flesshely lust tende the lyght of goostely loue that thou shalt coÌ„ceyue the sone of the hyghe god And thus thou shal be moder mayde so was neuer none before Thenne anone our lady herde thise wordes and anone therwyth come a spirituel swetenesse ioye in her herte that anone or ony erthely man cowde telle it so wyth al the reuereÌ„ce of mekenesse that she cowde She answerde thus ayen and sayde Ecce ancilla domini fiat michi secundum verbum tuum Lo here goddis own mayd redy to goddis wyl prayng it may be to me ryght as thou sayst Thus that blissed body coÌ„ceyued our lord Ihesu cryst in euerlastyng ioye to al the world Thus I ma eye lykeÌ„ our lady to a precioê° stone called onyx it is as clere as ony cristall shal of kynde whan the sonne shyneth hote on hym he openeth and receyueth a droppe of the dewe of heuen in to hym and closed ayen tyl ix monethes after thenne it openeth and falleth out a stone of the same kinde and so closeth ayen as euer it was â–ª and neuer openeth after Thus our lady was as clene as ony cristal for the hote loue of the holy goost at the ix monethis ende she was delyuered of her sone our lord Ihesu criste and was after as clene mayden as she was to fore Thenne whan the angell had done hâ—s message he wente his waye to heuen â–ª And our lady wente to her cosyn elysabeth that was grete wyth châ—ld with Saynt Iohan baptist And when she come to Elysabeth she grete her mâ—kely And assone as our lady spake to Elysabeth the childe in elysabethis woÌ„be pleyde and made grete ioye For he sawe that our lord had take mankynde and was come to saue hem that was lorn Thenne our lady dwelled there wyth Elysabeth her cosyn tyll the tyme that saynt Iohan was borne and was mydwyfe to Elysabeth and toke saynt Iohan from therthe and ther she lerned all that her neded for to knowe ayenst the tyme that her sone shold be borne And was parfyte ynough therof Thenne mekely she toke her leue and wente home ayen to Nazareth Thenne thoughte Ioseph he wold go loke how his wyf dyde and wente towarde her And whan our Lady herde of his comynge she wente ayenst hym and grete hym full mekely But whaÌ„ Ioseph sawe her grete wyth childe he merueyled gretely how that myght be For well he wyste it was not his for he had neuer part of her body in that degree For he knewe well that she had made a vowe before that she wold neuer haue parte of mannys body And thought how that he was made to wedde her by the byddynge of the holy gooste and grete myracle shewynge thought right in his herte he was not worthy to dwelle in her companye thoughte in his herte to haue gone home ayen and to leue her there Thenne come an angell to hym and sayd be not aferde to take mary thy wyf to thy kepyng for it is of the holy gooste that is quycke in her body For thou shalt be kepar and norissher to her child whaÌ„ it is borne calle it Ihesus For he shall be sauyour to all the world Thenne ye shall vnderstonde that for iiii causes As saynt Ambrosius saith Oure lady was wedded to this olde man Ioseph The firste was yf she had conceyued wythout wedlocke the iewes wolde haue said that she had be an euyll woman of her body and soo haue stoned her to deth The second cause was for she was soo shame faste that and she had herde ony haue put ony defam to her she wold haue deyed for sorowe The thirde cause was for Ioseph sholde bere wytnesse of her maydenhode The fourth cause for Ioseph sholde helpe her at her byrthe and brynge her to Bethelem and after in to Egypte and so ayen in to her own countrey For thise four causes she was wedded to this olde man Ioseph and also to begyle the fende that he shold not knowe hym fro another childe Now haue ye herde of the AnnunciacioÌ„ There be some people that aske a question why there stondeth a wyne potte wyth lilyes betwene our Lady and gabriell the angell at her salutacion This is the cause For our Lady at her salutacion conceyued by feyth ¶ Narracio ¶ It befell thus vpon a cristmas day that a Cristen man and a Iewe satte to gyder and spake of the Concepcion of our lady and as they were there stode a wyne pot to fore them with a lilie therin Thenne sayde the cristen man we byleue that our lady conceyued lyke as this lylye conceyued coloure of grene
anone he deyed and there deyed many sodeynly Thenne was there a pope that was called pellagius that comaunded all cristen people that whan he yaned euery man shold make a Crosse ouer his mouthe And whan ony man herd another fâ—ese he shold saye crist helpe the. and soo many were saned and there he made the people goo a procession so prayed to all the sayntes of heuen to praye to god for them and soo they dyde Thenne come after saynt gregori and made them doo the same on saynt markis day to halowe and fast goo in procession and canonysed it to be done for euer more Thenne come there a pope that was called Liberius in his tyme all maner frutes in tyme of the yere of grete tendernesse of it self toke grete harme soo what by thonder lightenyng and vnkynde hetes by stormes myldewes by wormes and by longe taylde flyes for greate vengeaunce that anone after ester daye the people iourned ayen to her olde synne hauyng no rewarde of the sacrament whiche they haue receyued thrfore god sente more vengeaunce this tyme thaÌ„ in ony other tyme of the yere wherfore this holy pope to put awaye all thyse thinges in especyall goddis wreche fro the people he commaunded to all cristen people to halowe and to fast and goo in procession and he that sayd that it is made by a constytucion is acursed tyll he come to amendement And therfore I charge you and counseyll you al that thynke to be saued kepe this daye after the rule of the holy chirche In die Philippi et Iacobi â—Ood frendes suche a daye ye shall haue the fest of Philip and Iacob the whiche were holy appostles ¶ But for this fâ—st cometh wythen the fest of ester ye shall not faste the 〈◊〉 But ye shall come to the chirche and worship god and the holy appostles Thenne ye shall knowe well that philippe was ordeyned by al other appostles to go in to the contrey that was called Sytha to preche to the vnbyleued people But whan he came theder and preched ayenste the maâ—â—mentes that they were fendes and noo goddis and soo they toke hym ladde hym to her temple wold haue coÌ„streyned him to do sacrefyce Thenne as they ¶ were besy to doo hym dysease sodeynly a grete dragon come oute of the erthe and slewe thre of thyse mysbyleued people and venemed the people soo wyth his brethyng that there felle on hem suche a sykenesse that the woo and the sorowe that they had they cryed after helpe TheÌ„ne said philipe to hem yf ye wold be holpen heled of your siknesse and also thyse men rered from deth to lyfe fyrste cast doune the mametes set in theyr stede crosses there as our lord deyed vpon And doo it worship thenne they dyde so for they were glad to be holpen off her sikenesse and assone as they hadde doo soo they were holpen And thenne philyppe prayed to god for thyse thre men to reyse from deth to lyf Tunc precepit philippus dracom vt in locum suum redescenderet ¶ Thenne phylyppe commaunded the dragon to goo downe to his place ayeÌ„ and neuer disease man more Thenne the cursed peple of the cyte sawe that phylyp wolde haue tourned all the people toke hym and dyde hym vpon a crosse And soo on a crosse he deyed wente to euerlastyng blisse ¶ Now shall ye here of Iacob that was called amonge the appostles Iacobus minor The lesse Iames. for to knewe from Iacobus maior Iames the more was saynt Iohan euangelist brother But whan Iacobus or Iames that is all one name This was called cristis owne brother for he was soo moche lyke to crist theÌ„ne whan the iewes wold haue take criste they coâ—de not knowe 〈…〉 nother But as iudas betrayed 〈◊〉 wyth kyssynge of him by the kyssynge Cryste was knowen and taken This Iames was so holy fro the tyme that he was borne that aslonge as he lyued he neuer dranke wyne ale ne syder nor noo maner of drynke that myght make a man dronke ne neuer ete flesshe ne his hede was neuer shauen ne vsed neuer to be baumed wyth oyle as the maner is of the countrey for hete of the sonne Nor he ware neuer lynen clothe And he lay vpon his knees prayeng for the people that his knees were soo thyk that they were bollen oute lyke a camell This was the first man that euer songe masse in vestymentis as prestes do now Thenne it felle soo that tyme in the Cite of Iherusalem by the dede off cristis dethe that it must nedis be distroyed wherfore this holy man Iames was made bysshop of the Cite of Iherusalem and there he was lefte to preche and to tourne the people to better liuynge but for they were soo combred wyth synne that they had none other grace of amendement but nedys for the prophecye of Crist must be fulfylled and the Cyte distroyed wherfore thyse men toke saynt Iames and sett hym to preche the feyth of Cryste For moche of the people were tourned to cryste And he stode vp and preched by good reyson how all that byleued not in criste shold be damned at the day off dome in to helle pytte Thenne the mayster of the 〈…〉 caste hym downe from the 〈…〉 that he stode in and wyth stones they bete hym doune tyll he was dede Then he â—nelyd on his knees prayenge to god to forgyue him his dethe and therwith a cursed man with a staff smote him on the hedâ— that the brayne fyll oute and soo in this wise he gaue vp the gooste Then after for vengeaunce of cristes deth for this holy mannys deth the cite of ierusalem that was that tyme the gretyst cyte of the worlde and neuir lyke for to haue be wonne sone after was distroyed vnto the vttermoost In somoche that the stones of all the walles of the cyte was turned vp side doune as our lord Iesu criste sayd xl wynter bifore that it shulde be soo and it was the iewes were dryuen oute into diuerse contrees In somoche that al the kingdomes were distroyed and yet been vndre othere kynges and euir shal be subgettes no possessioners ¶ yet ye shall here more of the distruction of this cyte of Ierusalem to shewe how vengeable god is to them that be gladde to shedde cristen mennys bloode as they were whanne god wolde haue take vengeance of the cytee It hapnyd so that a man of pylates the whiche dyd crist to deth came fro Ierusalem towarde Rome but the tempest in the see toke him droue him vpon a lande by a temple with gret teÌ„peste and there duelled a grete lorde that was called Vaspasian And for this cause he was called soo for he had a malady in his nose threlles there dropped oute of his nose wormes lyke waspes Then saide vaspasian to this man Fro what countrey coÌ„mest thou he aunswered him and saide fro Ierusalem and wolde
angelis of sathanas that ye lete that man goo doune that al the peple may see whom thei haue worshyped Thenne symond felle doune all to brast theÌ„ne was themperour wroth and made to lede peter poul forth And dyde peter on a crosse and his hed downwarde and so put hym to dethe poule for he was a gentylman born For the more worshyp they smote off his hede Thenne the peple sawe angellis stondyng on the crosse there as peter henge wyth crownes And whan poules hede was smytte of there come out fayr plente of mylke after blode Thenne in the nyghte after come cristeÌ„ peple and layd her bodyes to gyder in a graue· there they lay tyl cristeÌ„ feyth was more open in rome TheÌ„ne wolde they haue bore eyther body to his chirche but they cowde not knowe eyther bones fro other Thenne come there a vois fro heuen said the more bones be of the precher and the lesse of the fyssher So after whan the cristen feyth come in to this londe kynge ethelbert lete make a grete chirche at westmynstre in worship of Saynt Peter and another in london of saynt poule And soo on a daye whan the chirche of saynt Peter shold be halowed in the nyghte afore was a man fysshyng ¶ in the tamyse vnder westmynâ— And 〈…〉 â—em reuesshed had vp the 〈…〉 grete dred and quakyng and there they fonde a lityll wryting here lyeth and restech Thomas archebysshop of caunterbury Primat of Englonde and the popes legate sleyn for the ryght of holy chirche the fyfthe daye of cristmasse Thenne for grete deuoâ—ion that they had of that syght· all cryed saynt Thomas And thenne they toke the hede to the Archebysshop to kysse and so they kyssed it all And thenne they behelde his woundes and sayd they were vngracious that wounded the thus And soo layd hym in shryne and couered it wyth cloth of golde and sette torches aboute it brennyng and the people to wake it al nyght Thenne on the morowe come all the states of this londe And bare the shryne to the place there as it is nowe wyth all the reuerence and worshippe that they cowde And there it is wyth worshyp Amen De sancta maria magdalena GOod frendes suche a daye ye shall haue the feste of Mary magdaleyn that was so holy that our lord Ihesu crist loued her best of all wymmen nexte his own moder wherfore ye shall come to god and to holy chirche and praye to that holy woman that she wyll praye to oure lord for vs. that we maye haue grace for she was the first in tyme of grace that dyde penaunce for she had loste grace by fleshly luste so she is made a myrrour to all other synners that wyl forsake synne and do penaunce they shal haue grace the whiche was lost by sinne She had a fader that was a grete lorde and nye of the kynges blode and had a grete lordshyp in IherusaleÌ„ the whiche he gaue to lazarus his sonne and he gaue mary the castelle of mawdeleyne wyth al the lordshyp longyng therto of the whiche castell she had her name and was called mary mawdeleyn for she was lady ther of Thenne as many bokes sayen Saynt Iohan euangeliste wedded her And our lord bad hym goo wyth hym and kepâ— his virgynyte and soo he dyde and was clene virgyn And mawdelayne wâ—â—t forth and gaue her all to synne In so moche she lost the name of mawdeleâ—n and was called the synfull woman â–ª But it was often seen that our lord made of the grettest sinner the holâ—â—st afterwardes And so whaÌ„ our lord sawe tyme he gaue this womaÌ„ grace to â—â—owe her self to haue repentaunce for her synnes Thenne whan mary herde the crist was at a mannis house that was called Symon the pharise she toke a boxe wyth oyntement suche as the people vsed the tyme for hete of the sonne went thyder but she durst not for shame go tofore hym herde hym speke thenne she toke a greate sorowe in her herte and wept tenderly and wyth the teres of her eyeÌ„ she wasshed cristis feâ—e And wyth the here 's of her hede she weped hem and wyth all the loue of her herte she â—ysshed hem anoynted hem but no worde she spake that ony man mighte here but softely in her herte she cryed mercy and made a vowe to him that she wolde neuer trespasse more Thenne our lord had pyte on her and cast oute of her vii fendes and forgaue her all her synnes in heryng of all that there were thenne she toke suche a loue to crist that she lefte all her lordshypâ— of mawdeleyn wyth all other goodes and sued hym forth wyth grete loue that in his passion there as his disciples fled from hym she lefte hym neuer tyll she wyth helpe of other had layed hym in his tombe and whan no man durste goo thyder for fere of the knyghtes that kepeth hym she spared not Cum tenebre essent It was derke in the dawynge she toke wyth her swete bawmes to anoynte Crystis body wyth this she shewed loue bothe in wyll and in dede wherfore cryst in his lyfe for her loue heled Martha her suster of the rede flyxe that she had vii yere to fore and payned her full sore ¶ Et resuscitauit Lazarum a mortuis ¶ And reysed Lazar her broder from dethe to lyfe that had lyen iiii dayes stynkynge in his graue and whan our lord rose from deth to lyfe he appered to her and suffred her to touche hym kyssed his fete Thenne whan it was knowen to the iewes that cryst shewed her so many tokenes of loue before all other Thenne whan criste was styed vp to heuen· the iewes toke Mary and Martha her suster lazarus maxencius and many other and put them in a shyp that was old 〈…〉 â—aâ—e drowned them but g◠〈…〉 soo for all thing at his wyll and brought them sauf to a londe â–ª called Marcyle And there they rested vnder a baâ—â—e that was nye the temple Thenne mary sawe moche people comyng toward the temple to do sacryfice to her mawmettes And the lord of the countrey come wyth hem But mawdeleyn was gracious and wyth her gracious wordes tourned hym ayen Thenne this lorde had grete luste to here her speke and sayd thus to her that yf god that thou spekest of be so gracious and so grete of power as thou sayste praye to him that I may haue a chylde by my wyff that is bareyne and thenne wyl I byleue in hym Thenne mary said she wold and wythin short tyme after the lady conceyued and was wyth chyld Thenne this lord anone after ordeyned to goo to Iherusalem to Peter to wyte of hym wheder mawdeleyns prechinge were true or no. and vytayled his ship and made hym redy Thenne come his lady prayenge hym that she myght goo wyth hym Soo wyth grete prayer the lord graunted her
to gyue to theym that had nede Then blessed Laurence folowed his master and saide Sancte pater noli me derelinquere Holy fader forsake nat me for I haue dealyd all the tresoure that thou tookest to me wherfore go nat thou to thy passion assone but let me goo with the as we haue seruyd god to gydder So lete vs suffre deth to gyddre Then said the pope I wyll goo to fore and thow shall come after and suffre more penaÌ„ce then I may For I am olde and thou arte yonge and mayste suffre more thaÌ„ I. and therfore make the redy for ther is grete turment ordeyned for the TheÌ„ were there some that herde LaureÌ„ce speke of treasoure Thenne the Emperouâ— sente after Laurence and sayd Ostende michi thesauros eccleÌ„ Shewe me the tresoure of the churche or els thou shalte be putt to suche a torment that thou shal be fayne to deliuer it Thenne how pope Sixtê° and saint Laurence come to this treasour ye shal here ¶ we rede that there was a hooly man that hight origines that coÌ„uerted Philyp the Emperoure Thenne the Realme of Fraunce was rebell ayenste the emperoure of Rome Thenne the emperoure sent a knight of his into Fraunce with moche people to ouircome fraunce This knyght was called decyus and in shorte tyme he made frauÌ„ce subgettes to the Emperoure as they were bifore Then whanne this emperoure phylip herde that Decyus hadde doon so well to grete worshyp to Decius and to thanke him for his iourney The emperoure toke with him a fewe men and rode oute of Rome ayenst decius to welcome hym home Thenne decius sawe that the Emperoure dyd him so greate worship he thoughte it hadde be for drede and nat for loue thought to be emperoure him selue And so in the nyght nexte after as the Emperoure lay in his bedde slepynge Decius slew him and toke all his people to Rome with him Thenne whanne the Romaynes the senatoures herde therof what for drede and what for loue they made Decius Emperoure Thenne whanne Philippes sone herde tel that his fader was dede in this wyse he was aferde that decius wolde haue slayne him and tooke all his faders tresoure to holy churche and bare it to pope Sixtus and to Laurence praynge hem if so were that Decius slewe him they shold dele this treasoure to holy churche and â—o pore people that hadde nede Thenne decius made to slee philyps sone for fere left he wolde auenge his faders deth whanne he hadde come to mannys state And this was the tresoure that pope Sixtus and Laurence hadde and for this tresoure they put LaureÌ„ce into prison Then was there a man that hyght Lucellê° in prison that by grete weping had loste his sighte then Laurence made him to se agayn and cristned hym wherfore many blynde men wymen come to Laurence and hadde ther sight Thenne the Emperoure sent to LaureÌ„ce to deliuer the treasoure Then he praied him of thre daies respyte and theÌ„ne he wolde shewe him the treasoure Soo thies thre daies Laurence was lete out of prison and went and gadred all the pore people to gyder that he coude fynd blynde lame or croked and the thridde daye he broughte them bifore the Emperoure to his palys and saide Lo here is euirlastinge tresoure this wyll neuir fayll for it wyll endure for euer in heuyn Soo shewyd Laurence ayenste couetise largenesse for he delyd for goddes sake all that he hadde and myghte haue spent it invanyte and he had wolde Also in turmeÌ„t of his passion he shewyd loue and swetnesse Thenne themperoure coÌ„maunded to brynge forthe all maner of turmentry scourges nayles stones salte pyche brymstone breÌ„nyng coles yron shaftes barres of yron gredirens and coÌ„manded al shold be spent vpon Laurence but if he wold shewe the treasoure forsake his god And to doo sacrifice to mawmentes Thenne saide Laurence thou vnblessed man these metes and drynkes haue I euir desired For right as swete metes and drynkes please thy bodye So these turmentes please my soule and maken me stronge and myghty to suffre passyon for my lordes sake Thenne was themperour â—â—â—th and commaunded to bete hym wyth scourges full of knottis and leue not tyll the blode ranne downe on euery syde and thenne they layd cheynes off yron brennynge to his sydes that brenned the flesshe fro the bones and euer laurence thanked god hertely Thenne was decius wode for woo said though thou wyth thy wytche crafte scornest my tourmentis yet thou sholdest not scorne me And thenne he commauÌ„ded ayen to bete hym wyth whippes and knottes of lede tyll the bones were bare Thenne laurence helde vp his hede and prayed to god thenne came a voyce fro heuen and sayd thou muste suffre moo tourmentis and passion for loue of me This decius herde it hym self and thou shal come in to grete ioye and blysse Thenne sayde decius to the people ye may here all how the fendes come and comforte hym goo and bete hym ayen wyth scourges Thenne was there a knyghte of the emperours that hyght Romanus that sawe an angell wyth a shete of sylke come and wype laurence sydes Thenne he forsoke the emperour become the dysciple of saynt LaureÌ„ce And laurence anone crystened hym Thenne decius made to smyte of Romanus hede thenne deciê° dyd make a grete fyre and set a gred-yren theron to rost laurence and thrested hym downe wyth fyre forkes TheÌ„ne laurence loked vpon themperour sayd thou wretche that syde that is â—osted ynough ete therof whyle that other syde rosteth I drede not thy tormentes and caste his eyen vp to god and sayd Lorde Ihesu criste take my spyrite and so he yelde vp the goâ—â— Thenne the tourmentours wente her waye and lefte the body lyeng there Thenne come cristen people and toke the body and beryed it wyth grete lamentacion Thus Laurence shewed mekenesse ayenst malyce and largenes ayenst couetyse ayenst passyon loue swetenesse for the gret loue that he had to god â–ª made hym sett noughte by all his tourmentis that were doo to his body ¶ Saynt gregory telleth how there was a preste that hyghte staculus and was besy to amende a chirche of saint Laurence that was dystroyed wyth loÌ„bardes but he wanted brede to his werke men and made moche sorowe therfore· and he prayed to god and to saint Laurence besely of helpe And thenne he loked in to an ouen and foude it ful of new white brede But he wente it wold haue serued hem for a weke it fonde hem ynough all the tyme that his werke was a makyng ¶ We fynd that there was an emperour that wâ—â— a cursed man of lyuyng And whan he was dede there come a legion of feÌ„des to fetche hym and as they come by an holy hermites celle they made a grete noyse thermyte had grete merueyll therof and opened a wyndowe spake to one of hem that come behynde
thomas he saw suche a shyning in his face that he wente it had be crist Thenne sayd thomas to the kynge Byleue in Crist and thou shall be hole And he sayd I byleue hole in hym and feyne I wold be wroke on them that hauen doo hym to deth and anone he was hole Thenne Iudas wente to symon and wente bothe to gyder in to persy to preche And there they dyd many myracles so that they tourned the kynge and xlii thousande to crysten feyth And soo the cristen peaple encreased strongely Soo the kynge and all his meny were crystened and wythdrewe theyr offrynges from the mawmentes that was the bisshops lyuyng wherfore they were soo wrothe that they gadred hem too gydre and toke thyse appostles and lad them in to theyr temples to doo sacryfyce to their mawmentis or elles they shold be dede Thenne come an angell and asked hem yf they wold haue her enmyes dede or noo And they sayde they desyred to haue her enmies tourned to the feith And the angell asked yf they wolde suffre marterdom for crystis sake and they sayd they wolde suffre dethe TheÌ„ne they commaunded and tourned to the mawmentes in the temple and coÌ„maunded the fendes in them to come oute and to pulle the ymages all to peces and soo they dyde Thenne was the bysshop wroth that her goddis fell soo too peces And anone there come a thondryng and a lyghtenynge and cloue the temple in iii. partyes downe to the grounde and thyse bisshoppes sodeynly slew thyse appostles Thenne the kynge toke theyr bodyes and beryed hem ryally And made ther◠〈◊〉 fayr chirche in worshyp of god and thâ—se holy appostles Amen ¶ De festâ— olm sanctorum GOod frendâ—â— suche a daye ye shall haue all halowen daye and ye shall faste the euyn on the morowe come to the chirche and worshyp god and our lady and all halowyn Frendes ye shall vnderstonde that this feste was ordeyned for thre specyall causes and those ben thyse ¶ First for the temple halowyng for omyssion fulfyllyng and also for neclygent lyuing First for the temple halowyng for whan the Romanis were lordes of all the world they made a teÌ„ple in Rome lyke a doffehous and named it pantheon and set in the myddes of the temple an ymage that was the cheef mawmente of Rome and of euery londe in the worlde another ymage all aboute the walles and the name of the londe that the ymage was off wreten vnder the fote of the ymage And all was made by nygrymancy yf that ony londe tourned from themperour Anone the ymage of the londe wolde tourne his baâ—ke to the ymage of rome and his face to the walle Soo whan the bysshop come to the temple and founde ony ymage tourned anone they wolde goo to the emperour and telle hym Thenne wolde they ordeyne an oste of people and sende in to that londe and set them at rest and peas And soo this temple endured thus vnto the tyme that pope Boneface the fourth came Thenne he went to theÌ„perour that was called foca and prayed that he wolde gyue hym that temple that he myght putte oute the multitude of mawmentis And to halowe it in the worshyppe of god and our lady and all hâ—lowen soo he gaue the pope the temple Thenne come there another pope that was called Gregory and commaunded all holy chirche to halowe the fest lyke as it was begon Also this feste was ordeyned by the same pope to fulfylle our omyssions For many sayntes dayes in the yere we leuen vnserued for there be soo many that we may not serue echeone by hym self For as Iherom sayth that there ben for eche daye in the yere x. thousande marters oute take the fyrst daye of Ianuary wherfore holy chirche ordeyned that this daye we shold fulfylle that we haue lefte behynde all the yere And thus euery sayntes euen hath his worshyp to god and our lady and all halowen Also this feste is ordeyned to be halowed to clense vs of oure necligence vncuÌ„nynge and also by wordely occupacions doyng we be full recheles in kepynge our holy dayes and therfore this feste is ordeyned for we shal make amendes asmoche as we maye· of that we haue trespassed in other festes And therfore vnderstonde ye that they been in grete perell that breke this feste or ony other in wordely ocupacyons werkyng or in ony synne doyng in byeng or in sellyng or in ony other falshede contryuyng Also ye shall vnderstonde that this daye our prayers shall be sooner herde than ony other daye For this daye all the sayntes in heuen come to gyder to pray to god for vs and therfore ye may knowe well that all comyng to gyder shall be sooner herde than one or two by hem self The saintes that ben in heuen were some tyme as we ben now bothe in flesshe bâ—ode body and bone And were our elder faders they ben full glad make moche ioye whan they may gete ony preyers or almesdedes of vs. wyth the whiche they may presente god and our lady â–ª prayng for vs. and to shewe you by ensample how that all saintes come to gyder as this daye ye shall here ¶ Narracio ¶ we fynde wreten in legenda aurea that in the same yere this fest was ordeyned to be halowed there was a keper of saint Pâ—ters chirche in Rome that this daye after matens at mydnyght whan al the peple were gone from matens for grete deuocyon that he had â–ª he wente to euery aulter in the chirche saide his deuocions And whan he had gone all aboute thenne wente he to the hye aulter and there felle a slepe his spyrite was rauysshed and sawe the fader of heuen syttyng in his mayeste and a grete multytude of angellis abowte hym And thenne come a fayr quene wyth a crowne on her hede rychely arayed and a grete companye of vyrgins and maydens sâ—ynge her â—â—enne the kynge arose ayenst her and â—adde to fetche a chare of gold set hâ—â—in Thenne come 〈◊〉 clothed 〈◊〉 â—nels skinnis and him sued a grete company of good men Thenne come another lyâ—e a bisshop and after hym many other bysshops And thenne come a greate multytude as it had ben knyghtes and after hym moche other people and all they come before the kynge and dyde hym worship Thenne the bysshop began to sayâ—â—mateâ—s thenne spak this man to the angell that lad hym and asked what all thyse people were in that araye Thenne sayd the angell the kynge is god hym self And the Quene is oure Lady and he that was clothed in camels skynnis was Iohan Baptiste other patryarkis and prophetes wyth hym The bisshop was saint peter and other apostles and confessours wyth hym The knyght was saynt George wyth other marters comyners that were good trewe lyuers and seruauntes to god here vpon erthe And they come all to thaÌ„ke god for the grete worshyp that they had here in erthe praied
the fende the fende wyth hym But how the fende is dreuen awaye by halowyng I will telle yow by ensample that is wreten in legenda aurea ¶ Saint Gregory sayth in a boke that is called dyalogus on a tyme as a châ—rche was on halowyng a swyne ranne amonge the people to and fro and so ranne oute of the chirche dore and that was a fende that ranne awaye but yet the nexte nyght after he come ayen made suche anoyse as though al the chirche shold haue falle downe thenne come neuer ayen more But there be many lewde people that saye her prayers they were as good at home as atte chirche For yf ther be ony man or woman that hath a mater to speke wyth his good frende and wolde feyne haue his â—nteÌ„te he wyl go home to his hous goodly and lowely in hope to spede the better Ryght soo yf ony man wolde praye to god deuoutli he shold come to chirche there is god for he that is in clene lyf and prayeth to god speketh with hym for many of you wote not howe ye shold praye The settyng of the chirche gyueth you knowleche for the chirche is set in the este And soo whan ye praye sette your hertes in the est prayng hertely for mercy wyth perfyte charyte For though it be put oute of your herytage by malyce of the fende â–ª that is enmye to your soules For we shold not haue the ioye of paradyse that he was in and loste it by his pride Also we lost it by our fadres trespase adam lete vs thynke that crist deyed in the est And therfore lete vs praye besely in to the est that we maye be of the nombre that he deyed fore Also let vs thynke that he shall come oute of the este to the dome wherfore lete vs praye hertely to hym and besely that we maye haue grace of contrycyon 〈◊〉 our hertes of our mysdedes wyth shryft and satisfaction that we maye stonde that daye on the ryght hoÌ„de of our lord Ihesu crist and so be off the nombre that shall be saued come to euerlastynge blysse and ioye and that we may scape that horryble rebuke that shall be gyuen to all them that shall be dampned and goo to euerlastyng peyne that wyl not be sory repente them and aske mercy in this worlde And thus for deuoute prayers holy chirche was ordeyned to be halowed For god sayth thus ¶ Domus mea damus oracionis vocabitur My hous is called an hous of prayers But it is now made an hous of rownynge whysperynge cryeng clatering scornyng tales and symple spekynge mowyng of vanyte and many symple wordes and lewde Narraico ¶ we rede how saynte Gregory was at masse on a tywe and saynt Austyn was his deken and bad the people tourne to the popes blessyng Thenne he sawe two wymmen rowne to gyder in the popes chapell and the fende sat in her neâ—ke wrytyng a greate rolle and it lacked parchemente and he drewe it oute with his teeth and so it fell oute of his clawes and sainte Austyn sawe it and wente and tooke it vp Thenne the pope was wrothe and asked hym why that he loughe hym to scorne And he shewyd him what the fende hadde wreten of the wymen and then he come to the wymen and asked theym what they hadde saide all thys masse tyme. and they sayd oure Pater noster Thenne the pope badde rede the roll to theym that the fende hadde wryten And saint Gregory redde it there was neuir a gode worde therin Thenne they knelyd downe and asked mercy and besoughte the pope to praye for theym and so he dyd amd broghte theym oute of the fendes bokes Alsoo for longe restynge to holy churche for whanne a man is dede he is broughte to the churche to his reste ¶ Somtyme the people were buryed at home as pore people and the ryche were buryed in the hyll toppes and some at the foote of the hyll in tombes made of rockes But for the sauoure was so great and greuous holy faders ordeyned church yerdes to bury the peple for ii causes One is to be praied for as holy church vseth And another is for the body shal lye there withoute trauayll For the feÌ„des hath noo maner of power to any thynge within cristen buryelles But if so be that the dede body be nat worthy to be buryed in suche holy grounde For as Iohn Byllet telleth that there shulde noon other body be buryed in the churche but if it be the patrone that defendeth it fro bodily enmyes or the parson vicary preest or clerke that defende the churche fro gostly enneuyes with 〈…〉 For so◠〈…〉 buryed theâ—â— and caste oute 〈◊〉 on the morowe and 〈…〉 in the graue ¶ 〈…〉 come on a tyme to a wardeyn of a churche and badde him go to the bâ—shop byd him caste out the body that he had buryed therr or els he shall be dede within threty daies and so he was for he wolde nat doo as he was bydde ¶ Narracio ¶ Also we rede in gestis of Rome that an aungell tolde an holy Busshoppe that hight Encres howe that charles the kynge of Fraunce was dampned for he toke away holy churche right that goode people hadde gyuen tofore and bad him go and open his tombe and see it Thenne the busshop went with other people and opned the tombe and there came oute a grete dragon slepe forthe and lefte the tombe brennynge within as it hadde be an ouyn mouthe ¶ And thus to bury in holy place is but lytell avayll to theym that be daÌ„ned ¶ Also there be many that walke on nyghtes whan they be buryed in holy place but that is nat longe of the feÌ„de but of the grace of almyghty god whiche grace he graunte vs all that for vs shedde his blode on the rode tree Amen ¶ Per me Ricardum Pynson T◠〈…〉 se 〈…〉 and the firste destincâ—ion sayth that the souerayne cause why god made all creatures in heuyn erth or water 〈◊〉 his oune godenes by the whiche he wold that some of theym sholde haue parte and be communers of his euirlastinge blis But for asmoche as no creature myghte coÌ„me to that blisse withoute knoulege of him â–ª Therfore he made resonable creatures as angelles mankynd of wytte and wysdome wherby they sholde knowe him and so through that knowlege come to the blisse that they were made to This maner of knowlege hadde our forne fader Adam and eue in the state of their innocencye withoute any trauayll The whiche we shold haf had also if they had nat synned But that knowlege that we haue nowe is of herynge lernynge teching of other that can the lawe the faythe of holy churche The whiche we that haue the cure of soules be bounde to teche or to do teche oure parisshynes on peyne of dampnacion of oure soules ¶ And for asmoche as my wyl is nat to offende god