Charyte Prudence and other ¶ And for to enduce to gete theym he lyued wyth theym lyke an aungell In makynge to theym dyuerse predicacyons the whiche he contynued an hole yere / ¶ And after that he knewe theym confermed in the fayth / ¶ One tyme amonge the other he beynge atte houre of mydnyghte in contemplacyon Made vnto oure Sauyour Ihesu cryste suche a prayer sayenge O thou Illumyner of alle the worlde whiche haste enlumyned this lityll people and haste losyd them from the bondes of the deuyll in gyuynge to theim scyence for to knowe the / I humbly requyre the my god that thou wolt kepe theim vnto the ende holdynge theim in thyne holy fayth To the ende that they maye doo suche thynge alway that maye be to the agreable And to me also by thy mercy it be not imputed that I departe from them ¶ For my lord god thou knowest that doo it to th ende that I be not wythdrawen from dooenge penaunce ¶ His orison accomplysshed and made an ende He made thre tymes the sygne of the Crosse vppon the sayde towne And departed thens ¶ And wente in to a place where as noo body dwellyd / ¶ On the morne the Inhabytauntes dwellers of the sayde towne came in to his chirche like as they were acustomed But they fonde hym not Wherof they were moche sorowfull and angry And wente wepynge and wayllynge sechinge him / ¶ And wenynge to fynde him soughte him in many places / But thei cowde not after he was departed fynde hym ¶ After worde of his departynge came to the bysshopp Wherof he was as moche dysplaysaunt as they were / ¶ And for as moche as shepe wythout Pastoure ben in daunger of the wulfe / He wolde not leue theym wythout a coÌ„duytour and guyde / ¶ Soo came he hymselfe in to the sayde towne for to comforte theim ¶ And after that the sayde bisshopp hadde the moost sonyngly that he cowde comforted theym ¶ He choos some of the moost notable men amonge theim whom he constytuted in holy ordres makyng some of theym preestes and some deakens ¶ And yf they hadde ony trybulacoÌ„ns or empesshements in theyr consâ—yences They wente to the sayde men soo â—aâ—â—ed / ¶ The holy man Abraham whanne he knewe how the bysshopp hadde gyuen to theym socours for theyr helthe / He rendred thankynges to god / In louynge and gloryfyenge his name And helde hym close in a lytyll hous There prayenge and thankinge god in grete Ioye and cruâ—tacyon ¶ O man of grete perfeccoÌ„n In what manere maye ony man prayse thy charyte and thy grete constaunce Whanne for the helthe of thyn neyghbours thou haste endured soo many euilles And neuerthelesse thou haste not lefte to make thy prayers and saye thyne orysons accustomyd ¶ Thou haste not varyed for alle theyr menaces and tormentes But haste perseuered vnto the ende / ¶ O charytable man whiche haste put thy body in daunger of thyne enmyes for to make to theim helthe ¶ Well mayste thou be felowe to saynt Stephen the fyrste martyr whiche prayed to god for theym that martâ—rd hyÌ„ ¶ The enmye of alle good men seeng the conuersacion of the holy man and also that for tribulacyons he cessed not from his good purpoos But alway he puryfied hymselfe as golde in the frâ—nays Came to assaylle him on a tyme atte mydnyghte as he was in his prayer And concluded to tempte hym by suche temptacyons That he sholde noo more be in wyldernesse But sholde retorne in to the worlde ¶ Thenne came the deuyll sodaynly wyth a grete lyghte clere as the sonne Wherwyth he enlumyned alle the lityll hous / ¶ And in the lyghte was a voys whiche sayde / ¶ O holy man Abraham thou shalte be well happy For in alle thy werkes thou haste be true And haste alle done after my wyll / ¶ The holy man knewe that it was the deuyll Ansuerâ—d with an hyghe voys ¶ Goo hens thou wicked and peruerted admynystrer of malice Comest thou now hither for to teÌ„pte me wyth vayne glorye / ¶ I knowleche that I am a grete synnar / ¶ And thou weneste that I repute myself Iust ¶ Awaye and goo cursyd spyryte in to the vttrest derkenesse / In to whyche thou arte condempned / ¶ By the grace of my blessyd god I shall noo thynge fere thy falaces / and dysceytful mockynges and lesynges / ¶ The name of Ihesu Cryste whom I honour and loue shall be my deffence and walle agaynst the. whanne thou shalte come for to assayle me / ¶ And Incontynente the deuyll departed / ¶ The deuyll came agayn and broughte wyth hym a clubbe for to breke downe his lytyll hous ¶ And whan he had made open that one syde / The deuyll sayd faynynge that he had with him many euill knaues To whom he sayde / Come hyther my frendes haste you lete vs entree in· And slee this papelart / ¶ The holy man beganne to saye O my god alle folke haue enuyronned me But thy name be praysed by whiche I shall ouercome theym And shall brynge vnder my fete alle myne enmyes / And Incontynent the deuyll vanisshed awaye / ¶ A lytyll whyle after the deuyll retournyd / And putt fyre in to a lytyll matte on whyche he knelyd makyÌ„ge his prayers ¶ And whanne he sawe the fyre withoute feer he quenchyd it sayenge / ¶ I shall by the myghte of god walke vppon aspydes and venymouse beestes / And trede vnder my fete the lyon and the dragon and alle the power of myne enmye / ¶ For my god shal gyue to me alwaye ayde and strengthe for to fyghte agaynst the / ¶ Sathanas seenge that he was condempned of the holy man cryeed wyth an hygh voyce sayenge / ¶ I shall vaynquysshe the. and make the to deye and euyll dethe / For I shall fynde soo many cautelles and discepcyons that thou shalte not cunue endure theym / ¶ It happed on a daye lyke as the holy man sholde ete / The deuyll transformed hym in to the fourme and shappe of a lytyll childe / ¶ And entred in to the lytyll house / And supposyd to haue torned the plater vpp sodoune / ¶ The holy man toke hym by the honde and helde hym faste tyll he hadde taken his refeccyon / ¶ Anone after the deuyll went his waye / ¶ And a lytyll while after retourned and broughte a candelstyk vnder whiche was a candell lyghte And presented tofore the holy man / whyche tooke his refeccyon / ¶ And the deuyll syngyÌ„ge sayd / Well happy ben the walkers of this worlde that walken wythoute spotte of synne / ¶ And sange soo many verses of the psalme that begynnyth Beati immaculati i via qui ambulant in lege dnÌ„i But the holy man ansuered noo thynge· tyll that he hadd taken his refeccyon / ¶ And whanne he hadde taken his refeccyon he armyd wyth constaunce spake to the deuyll sayenge thyse wordes / ¶ Thou hounde
hyÌ„ ¶ Cristen the waytest after erthly metes thyÌ„kest not vpon the fyrst martyr saynt Steuen that prayeth god for the / ¶ ThenÌ„e he lyfte vp his eyen towarde heuen sawe saynt Stephen that prayed for him / as the voys had shewed to hym / Soo departed he went in a secrete place where he made his prayer / Sayenge / O my lorde saynt Steuen the fyrste martyr what thankes shall I yeâ—e to the. I haue no thynge of myn owne that I myghte gyue the / But from heÌ„s fâ—rthon I promyse the. that for the loue of the. I shall neuer were sherte of lyÌ„uen but of wulle onÌ„ly / ¶ This Cristen on a tyme as he was layed vpon a bed of strawe / he felte the strawe meue vnder hym Soo wente he shewed it to his fader abbot / But therfore ceased not the sayd moeuynge of the strawe vnder him ¶ Fynably he torned all the strawe vp sodowne and founde noo thinge / After he toke vpp one of the bordes of the flour / vnder whiche he funde a grete somÌ„e of money that he bare thenÌ„e to his mayster / The whyche made Incontynent all his bredern to be assembled / And in their presence he denounced acursyd hyÌ„ that had hydde the sayd syluer / ¶ And there was a Conuers that was afore a Carpenter / The whyche whan he had herde caste the sayd sentence confessynge to haue gradred there the sayd tresour / came openly askyd penauÌ„ce absolucoÌ„n of his sinne / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy fader dealed the said pens to the poore And to the Carpenter he enioyned certayn penaunce for the sauacion of hys soule / ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner Patryarke and bysshop of Alexandrye after that it is rehercyd in the lyfe of the faders by saynt Leonce in his tyme bysshop of Naples / To the chapytre begyÌ„nyng in latyn ¶ Cunque peruenisseÌ„ c. Caplm C.vi FOr to haue a begynnynge to telle shewe the lyfe of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almener It is to be knowen that a man of holy conuersacoÌ„n namyd Zacharye for to vysyte ii martyrs holy the one namyd Kirrus the other IohnÌ„ came in to the cyte of Alexandrye / In whiche place this Zacharye beyng there wyth many deuoute perfyte men· takynge togyder theyr refeccyon bothe bodyly ghostly came by aduenture amonge theym a poore man that askyd an almesse / the whiche sayd that of late he had be prysoner to the Persycus ¶ And neuerthelesse they of whom he askyd theyr almesse excusyd theym / And gaaf hym noo thynge sayenge that they had noo syluer to gyue him / Wherfore the poore departed fro theym without ony almesse ¶ ThenÌ„e one of that felyshypp ranne after hym secretly gaue hym a lytyll crosse of syluer that he bare vpon hym / Sayenge to the poore that he had none other thynge to gyue hym / ¶ Zacharye seeng the secrete medefulnesse of this man was sore merueylled / shewed it to one namyd MenÌ„e yeâ—ate nexte hym and the whiche was mynystratour of the sayd IohnÌ„ the Almoner ¶ ThenÌ„e the sayd MenÌ„e beholdyng this Zacharye that somoche was merueylled of the largeuesse of hym / that had gyue his crosse sayd to hym / ¶ Zacharye merueylle not thyself of the almesse that this man hath done / For he hath lerned toyeue moche more for god dys sake of IohnÌ„ that Almoner / to whom he was Almoner wel the space of .x. yere that hath taughte hym this doctrine / ¶ This IohnÌ„ the Almoner dide infynyte almesse / For he had of god many temporel goodes / that he gaaf to the pore wythout ony thynge for to kepe for hymselfe / ¶ And soÌ„tyme whan he had gyue somoche that he had nomore to giâ—e He all sory went to some Tauerner or other marchaunt of whom he borowed some moneye for to gyue / ¶ And as he borowed thê° he sayd that it was for them of his house that had grete huÌ„gre / And he bouÌ„de hymself to the persone that sent him for to serue hym a certain space of tyme. tyll that this moneye were payed ayen / ¶ And assoone as he had borowed if he gaue it to the poore for goddis take charged theim that they shold tell noo thynge / ¶ Zacharye heryng that â— is sayd was noo thynge abasshyd to hym sayd ayen / ¶ O my broder yf thou had seen the grete almesses as I haue thou sholdest be moche moÌ„r merueyleâ— And yf thou woll come to my house I shall telle the what I haue knowen of hym / ¶ ThenÌ„e Zacharye wente wyth this MenÌ„e / And after theyr fode taken ghostly bodyly MenÌ„e began to reherce the lyffe the vertues of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner / ¶ Sayeng fyrst the he neuer sware the name of god nor of his sayntes / ¶ Thenne Zacharye axyd after ynke paper for to wryte by ordeâ— the lyfe of saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner / ¶ How the sayd saynt IohnÌ„ ordeyned to the poore folke of the cyte of Alexandrye theyr sustentacoÌ„n and dayly fode â—dynately callynge theym his lordes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Promotus ergo / Caplm C.vii. AFter that he was chosen bysshop aswell by the wyll of meÌ„ as by synguler grace of god / ¶ The fyrste dede worthy of grete remembraunce that he dyde was this / that he sente Incontynent all his dyspensatours caterers to make prouysyon / sayd to theym / ¶ O my bredern it is not noo ryght thynge to haue sorowe care for ony persone afore the dyscyples of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ His dyspensatours or catereuâ— herynge thise wordes and not knowynge what he meaned herkenyd hym besyly for to doo this that he sholde coÌ„maunde theym / ¶ Soo sayd he to theim ayen / Goo thrugh all the cyte brynge in wrytyng the nombre vnto the last of all my lordes that ben in this towne / Tho dyspensatours that vnderstode not what persones he callyd his lordes wyst not what they shold do / TheÌ„ne he expowned his wordes / sayenge / ¶ They that ye call poore nedy I saye holde theym to be my lordes for suche we oughte to take theym / For they shall helpe vs to gete the reame of heueÌ„ ¶ After that to hym were reported shewed by wrytynge thise poore that were in nombre moo than .vii. M. v C. he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that they sholde haue dayly theyr ordynary fode for the sustencyon of theyr lyues / ¶ How he stablysshyd in the cyte weyghte mesure equall / begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ IustuÌ„ vero / Caplm · C·viii THe nexte morowe after that he was chosen to be a bysshop / he sent thrugh all the cyte of Alexandrie his Stywardes other hauyng the rule polycye of the sayd cyte / To whom he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that in one selfe mesure weighte all manere of marchauÌ„dyses sholde be solde wrytynge in thys manere thrugh all the regyon / ¶ IohnÌ„ humble lytyl seruauÌ„te of
holy sacramente of the awter / But the holy man seenge that it was the deuyll sayde to hym / ¶ O cursyd deuyll why cessest thou not to trowble the deuoute soules / How arte thou soo hardy to play Iape with the holy sacrament of thawter / The deuyll answerd that he supposyd to haue dysceyued hym as he hadd done a nother / The whyche after that he had obeyed to hym he became folysshe and oute of wytte / In suche wyse that with payne and vnethe many holy men myght by prayers and orysons reduce hym agayn vnto his place to his former helth / And whan the deuyll had sayd soo he vanisshed away fro the holy man ¶ Of whom it is radd that by ouer longe beynge in prayer his poor fete whyche were contynuelly in reste were broken roten / And after that he had done this penaunce by the space of thre yeere thangell apperyd to hym said / God hath receyued thi orysons prayers / And sendyth to the worde that all thy soores shall be heelyd guarysshed / Thenne the angell towched hym by the mouth by the teeth· and IncoÌ„tyuent he was all hoole guarysshyd / of al his soores and replenysshed wyth scyence wyth all graces in suche wyse that he neuer after hadde hungre ne thurste / ¶ Thangell coÌ„maunded hym after that he shold goo to other places visytynge his bredern for to comfort theym and tenseyne teche to them holy doctryne ¶ And on a tyme it happed that a man crokebacked came to him to the ende that he myghte recouere helthe / wolde mount vpon a mare for to ryde thyder / the whyche was gyrde wyth one cengle whyche the holy man had made / For gladly euery daye in the weke â—auf the Sandaye he made cengles / coueryÌ„ges of leues of palme wouen after the custome of the countree / And so as the sayd crokebacked was mouÌ„ted on the mare he was forthwyth all hoole / by cause his fete had towched the sayd cengle ¶ The holy man was of so grete meryte vertue / that whan he sente to ony seke people of the brede whyche he had blessed wyth his honde / Yf they ete therof / they were heelyd of all maladyes and sykenesses ¶ He had also this grace that he knewe all the thoughtes of his bredern / And Incontynent wrote to ther faders and abbottes how there some ruled theym in synnes vncleÌ„nesse / And other prouffyted in scyence and vertues / Some were inpacyente sette noughte by theyr bredern / The other were constaunt and in charyte / ¶ He preched to vs to torne our eyen fro thynges transytory and to fyxe theym in goodes in fallyble eternall / ¶ Also sayd the holy fader that is of necessite to a man to haue courage manly or vyrile in leuynge the maners condycyons of euyll chyldren whyche of theyr nature ben vicyous variable and in constaunt / ¶ Of saynt Paphunce / and begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Vidimus et alium monasterium / Caplm xvi SAynt Iherom writith of a monastery after where in was an holy heremyte named PaphuÌ„ce strongly renoÌ„med emonge thermites of the desertes / He had dwellyd in thut terest or last desertes of Heracleos a cyte renoÌ„med in Thebayde / of whom saynt Iherom sayth That on a tyme he prayed god that he wolde shew to whom of the sayntes of heuen he sholde be lyke or semblable / Thangell of god answerde to hym that he sholde be lyke to a player vpon a symphonye the whiche by the stretes sought his lyuynge in syÌ„gynge / ThenÌ„e he was moche abasshed of thanswere went forth IncontyneÌ„t for to seche hym where he myght fynde hym / Whan he had fonde hym / he asked by of his lyf of his workes / And he recounted to hyÌ„ how he had alwaye lyued symply in coÌ„misynge many theftes other synnes / Paphunce yet asked hym more feâ—der yf in doynge those theftes he had euer done ony operacyon or werke vertuoê° / The sayd man answerde that he knewe in hym noo good saue on a tyme his felowes whiche were theues as he was hadd take by force a virgyn whiche was sacred to god and whan he sawe / that they wolde haue defoylled her / He thrested emonge theym preseruyd her fro corruptynge / ¶ After this he sayde· that on a nother tyme that he fonde a woman maryed walkynge wythin desertes the whyche was all desolate was nye deed for huÌ„gre by cause she had not ete in thre dayes TheÌ„ne he demauÌ„ded her for what cause she went soo alone in the wodes to whom she answerd that her husbond was prysoner thre of his children by his euyl gouernaunce / And for to eschewe that she sholde not be take she soo fledde not wythstondynge that she gaaf ouer herselfe to the sayd theyf yet neuerthelesse he dyde to her noo dyshonour But gaue to her .iii. C. shilinges of whiche she boughte her husbond the thre chyldern out of pryson / And the theyf sayd that he had done none other good thanne this whiche he had sayd / Thenne the good fader Paphunce answerd / that he hymselfe neuer had done suche werkes of charyte· Sayeng to hym more ouer that god had shewed to hym that he shold haue asmoche Ioye in heuen as he / And therfore he couÌ„seyled hym that he sholde leue his euyll lyfe / and conuerte hym to doo well And Incontynent he caste awaye his â—oytes his symphonie tourned alle his arte of musyke in to spyrytuell songes In suche wyse that he was thre yere in thermytage wyth the sayd holy fader in fastynges merueylous abstyneÌ„ce / And at laste rendred gaaf his spyryte wyth thangels in to heuen· ¶ And after the sayd saynt Paphunce put hyÌ„self to doo more penauÌ„ce gretter thaÌ„ he dyde tofore / And yet ayen he demaunded of god / to what man in erthe he was semblable the voys of heuen answered to hym that he was semblable vnto the lord of a Brugh nye to his hermytage The whiche thyng herde / he went Incontinent for to knowe of the gouernaunce of the sayd lorde / came in to hys hous / Anone as the lorde had receyued him benygnely / The holy fader demaunded of hym of his merytes and vertues / The whyche lorde wyllyng to he â—le and hyde his bountee answered to hym humbly that he neuer had done any gode dede The holy fader suffred it well sayenge that he had reuelacyon that he was semblable lyke in vertues to the holy heremytes dwellynge in deserte / The lorde knowynge the ReuelacoÌ„n made of his lyfe began tex pose the manere of his lyuynge / the whyche was gretly to be merueyled / ¶ Fyrste he sayd how wel that his wyte sythe the tyme of theyr waryage was excellently fayr of yonge aege / Neuerthelesse for the grete loanges that he hadd other tyme recyted of the
was thenne estemyd fruyte ynough for to gadre an hundred mues or tonnes of wyne / ¶ But twenty dayes after the lyberall relygyouses gadred there thre hundred / ¶ And that other that was skarce and nygardous gadred not halfe soo moche / And yet what he had gadred it tourned in to vynaygre / And soo loste it / ¶ Saynt Hylaryon thenne repreuyd all Relygyouses that were curyous of thynges transytorye / ¶ In lyke wyse a nother Relygyous auarycyous dwellynge nyghe by the space of fyue myles to saynt Hylaryon hadde a lytyll gardyne / Whyche he caused a man to kepe ¶ This Auaricious man for to take the benyuolence or good fauoure of the holy man came ofte to vysyte the brethern / And pryncypally one namyd Esicius To the ende to haue habytude and famylyertee wyth the sayde saynt Hylaryon / ¶ And broughte on a daye emonge other thynges grene cooles whyche he had gadred in his gardyne / And delyuered theym to the sayde Esicius / The whyche presented theym to the holy man Hylaryon beynge atte table / ¶ And whanne he sawe theym / Incontynent he commaunded that they sholde be taken awaye Sayenge that they were soo stynkyng that he myghte not fele the sauoure / ¶ And after demaunded or asked who hadde broughte theym thyder ¶ Esicius namyd to hym the brother / Smelle ye not theym sayde the holy man / how auaryce is roted in thyse cooles / Yf the beestes hadde theym tofore theym they wolde not ete theym / ¶ Anone Esicius bare theym to the oxen kyen / whyche wolde not ete theym / ¶ The holy man had this grace / Whanne oonly he sawe the vestymentes of a man Or that he had towched it / He knewe what synne that man hadde commysed / ¶ Whan he was .lxiij. yere olde in conteÌ„plynge the multytude of bredern that were come to him in desert also that by hym Infynyte seke men were heelyd guarysshed / ¶ He began to wepe sayenge to his brethern / Alas my brethern I haue wel loste my rewarde I supposyd to haue Renounced and forsaken the worlde / and I am retorned consyderyd the multytude of you that be wyth me ¶ For I oughte to be allone in a pytte or fosse for to doo penaunce / And to lyue solytaryly / ¶ In this lamentacyon he was by the space of two yeres / The whiche passed / he hadde Reuelacyon of the dethe of saynt Anthonye ¶ The whyche deth he shewed to the good woman of Arystene / Of whom here aboue is made mencyon / And that it was true / Two dayes after the sayde Reuelacyon came messagers whiche wytnessyd the sayde dethe· ¶ Whyche happed at the houre that he hadde shewed it to the sayde woman / ¶ His lyfe was soo holy that euery man merueylled / ¶ As well for reason of his myracles As of his abstynences / Scyence and humylytee / ¶ Bysshops Preestes Clerkes Relygyouses· Matrones and other Crysten people / As well nobles as other in grete multytude went to hym / And helde theymself well happy / whanne they hadde of the breed and of the â—ylle that he hadde blessed with his honde / ¶ By cause and aboue alle thynges he desyred solytude / And hadde appetyte to be allone / ¶ On a tyme he purposyd to leue hys hermytage and to goo fewe from hys brethern ¶ And he declared to some of theym / The whyche accordynge to his wyll and to the ende that more art hys case he myghte passe by the feldes broughte to hym an asse for to bere hym / But with grete payne myghte he sytte on him / by cause of his debylite and of the grete abstynences that he made / ¶ And whanne he beganne to passe by the desertes of Palestine moo than ten thousande persones enforcyd theym to haue supposed to tarye him / that he shold not goo / But neuerthelesse they cowde not lette ne tarye hym / ¶ And in smytyng ayenst the grouÌ„de wyth his staffe sayde for to contente theim / ¶ I knowe well that my god is noo lyer / ¶ Also I maye not see for to destroye the chyrches ne to shede the blood of my chyldern ¶ Al they that there were present knewe by his worde that he had had some reuelacyon· whyche he wold not shewe But alway they wold haue taryed hyÌ„ ¶ Thenne he sayde to theym that he wold neuer ete tyll they wolde lete him goo ¶ Seuen dayes after he toke his lene of his brethern In commaundynge theim that they sholde retorne in to theyr monasteryes / And after he wente in to Bethirion / ¶ Fyue dayes after he came in to Pelusus and there vysyted all the brethern dwellynge in Lychone / ¶ And thre dayes folowynge he wente in to a place named Thobaston for to see Dracone bysshopp and Confessour The whiche hadde ben sente thyder in â—ryle / ¶ Whanne the sayde Bysshopp sawe him / he was strongely comforted wyth his presence / ¶ Thre other dayes after he wente in to Babylone for to see Phylon the bysshopp / ¶ Thyse two bysshops hadde be sente in to exyle by the kynge Constancyus The whyche gaaf fauoure and good wyll to the Arryens Heretykes ¶ He departed from thens And two dayes folowynge he came to the castell of Affrodyton / Where he founde Bysano deaken / the whiche had be accustomed to carie water vpon camellis and Dromedaryes in to deserte to saynt Anthonye By cause there was none in the place where he abode / ¶ He recounted and shewed to the sayde Hylaryon how att houre that saynt Anthonye shold deye / it was commaunded to hym how he sholde wake alle the nyghte / ¶ Saynt Hylaryon and the sayde Bysano were by the space of thre dayes walkynge by oyuerse places / ¶ And in the ende came in to an highe mountayne / Where they founde two Relygyous men / That is to wyte Ysaac and Plusyano / ¶ his Ysaac had wreten the lyfe of saynt Anthonye / ¶ The good holy man Hylaryon wente there from place to place / To the ende to vysyte the places where saynt Anthonye had conuersid and vsed and prayed to god and had done other vertuouse werkes / And in vysytynge those places he founde a gardyne In whyche saynt Anthonye had planted and sette many trees and also hadde made many piscynes for to water theym whanne it was nede / ¶ He fouÌ„de also the place where he lay for to slepe / Whyche was noo gretter thanne the body of a persone ¶ And after retorned saynt Hylaryon wyth two of his brethern to the nexte hermytage / callyd Affrodyton / In whyche place saynt Anthonye lyued a space of tyme. solytaryly / ¶ Now hadd it not rayned in that londe in thre yeres / Lyke as the elementes sholde haue complayned the deth of saynt Anthonye / ¶ But at the Requeste of saynt Hylaryon they hadd thenne grete habundance of Rayne / ¶ After the whyche a multytude of
the sayde Pelage aroos vpp atte mydnyghte / And saynt Nonne cladde her wyth the heere / And a groos and cours robe of a man / And after the sayd daye she neuer entred in to the cytee of Anthioche / ¶ Whanne saynt Romayn knewe it she beganne to wepe / By cause she had loste her companye / And saynt Nonne comforted her in sayenge That she hadde chosen the ryght holy waye lyke as the Gospell conteyneth / ¶ In the whyche is founde that oure lorde preferred Marye Magdalene ledynge Contemplatyff lyffe tofore her faster Martha whyche ladde actyf lyfe ¶ The good Pelage in this habyte dyssymyled wente to Iherusalem in to the mounte of Olyuete / Where oure Redemer prayed to god his fader tofore his sorowefull passyon / ¶ And there she made a lityll house where she determyned to dwelle / ¶ A lytyll tyme after the Bisshopp of Anthyoche callyd togyder alle the bysshoppis that he hadde assembled / And sente eche of theim in to his bysshopryche / ¶ Thre or foure yeres after the deaken of saynt Nonne hadde a wyll to goo to Iherusalem for to vysyte the holy sepulcre of oure lorde / And the other holy places in whyche oure lorde suffred for vs so many tormentes and myseryes / ¶ And asked leue of his bisshopp / Whyche lyberally graunted to hym / ¶ Chargynge hym for to enquyre in the sayd place of a Relygyous namyd Pelage / Whyche was departed afore tyme from hym / ¶ And how well that the sayde Bysshopp named the sayd Relygyous Pelagius / ¶ Neuertheles he mente the good seruaunt of god pelage the whyche was cladde in thabyte of a man secretely departed as to fort is said / And for that cause he named her by the name of a man / ymage nynge that by cause of her clothynge she had chaunged her name / Thys deken thenne wente to Iherusalem / And after that he hadd accomplysshed hys pilgremage / he fonde the good relygyous in the mouÌ„te of Olyuete in whiche she hadde be all waye closed and shette in her lytyl hous / whyche hadde none openyng but a lytyl wyndowe / at whyche the sayd deken knocked and anone she opened it / And how be it that she hadde neuer be seen but ones syth that she had be in her grete beaulte and pomperye / yet neuerthelesse she knewe hym But he coude not knowe her by cause she was soo deffayted and dysfygured by the grete abstynences that she made in suche wyse that the bones perced the skynne / And hadd her eyen wythin her hede so depe and holow / hat she semed better to presente a dede body than a lyuynge woman / She seyeng this deken she demaunded hym of whens he was / ¶ To whome he ansuerde that he cam fro anthioche / and was thyder sente by hys bisshoppe Nonus for to visyte her / ¶ Thenne she sayde to the same deken My broder and frende saye to him that I praye hym that yt maye playse hym to praye to god for me / I hope that his prayers ben to me moche prouffytable / For he is a deuoute man and of an holy lyf / And incontynent she shytte her wyndowe / and began to saye her tierce / And the deken in lyke wyse nygh to the wall sayd wyth her / and after retorned in to Iherusalem moche comforted of the syght of one so holy woman ¶ Fro thens he wente to vysyte all the monasteryes and holy places of the cyte and for to see the relygyouse people Wyth whome he beynge there he herde saye thyngys merueyllous of the holy religyous Pelagius / In deuysynge of whome they spake of the sayd Pelage ¶ For they supposed that she hadd ben a religyous maÌ„ / by cause she fayned her allwaye to be a man / And named her self Pelagius / ¶ The same deken for the grete vertues that he herde saye of hyr / wold ones goo to vysyte her / and cam and knocked at her wyndowe / as he had don to fore / And by cause that the sayd Pelagyus ansuerde nothynge· he called hym by hys name / but neuerthelesse she ansuerd not wherfore he ferynge to offende hyr retorned thens by the space of thre dayes / the whyche passed and wenynge that he hadde be departed out of that place knocked agayn at the wyndowe soo harde that he openyd it / And lokynge in to the lytyll hous he sawe pelage whyche was deed / ¶ Thenne he cam in to Iherusalem shewde it to the relygyous people of the cyte / the whiche in grete multitude cam thyder for to fetche the corps / ¶ And after that they hadd brought it out of the â—elle or ytyll hous ¶ And by cause it was the custome to enoynte the dede bodyes wyth myrâ—e / in enoyntynge the body they knewe well that she was a woman ¶ Thenne they began to synge and rendre graces and thankynges to god / in preysynge and magnyfynge his louerâ—â—yn bounte / for contemplacoÌ„n of his noble â—â—clours whyche ben hydde not oonly in holy men but also in vertuoule wymen / whyche by strayte and haâ—de penaunces haue goten the Royame of heuen ¶ And after they put the body in a ryche tombe garnysshid with gold and precyous stones ¶ Thenne late vs praye vnto thys holy woman pelage that by her Intercessyons and prayers we maye come to euerlastynge blysse in heuen Amen / ¶ Thus endeth the lyf of saynt Pelage ¶ Here foloweth the lyf of saynt marie Egypcyen whyche in deserte ladde a solytarye lyf And begynneth in latyn Fuit quidam Senex et cetera / ¶ Capitulum xlii SAynt Ierome recounteth that in the countrey of palestyn in whyche is the cyte of Iherusalem was somtyme a ryght prudeÌ„t man of notable lyf in dedes and worde named zozymas ¶ And we fynde that there was another in lyke wyse soo named whyche was an herytyke of whome at thys tyme we shalle make noo mencyon / but oonly we shalle speke of hym that we haue fyrst named / he walked thurgh alle palestynâ— in vysytyng deuoutly alle the holy places and monasteryes that were there / ¶ Of hym self he fonde many maners for to chastyse the flesshe And for to make it subgette to his spyryte / ¶ And in effecte he was of soo grete renomme that there came to hym from ferre countrees for to here his doctryne ¶ And euery man merueylled of his grete abstynences / ¶ His moder in his Infancye and yongthe put hym in a mouastery In whiche he lyued by the space of fyfthy yere / ¶ Durynge the whyche for the mooste parte he was gretely persecuted wyth dayne cogytacyons and thoughtes / In resystynge of whom he hadde in suche wyse foughten agaynste the deuyll by grete and harde abstynences / that hym semyd that in alle the Desertes there was noo man that exceded him in doctryne ne in penaunce as he that in hys persone hadde experymented ¶ And in suche wyse
sayde He made soo lamentacyon and sorowe that he sayde thyse wordes / ¶ Alas my swete dâ—ughter myne oonly consolacyon and alle the playsaunce of myne eyen Whyche is he that robbed toke the awaye from me / And that hath quenchyd my lyghte and alle myn hope / ¶ Alas now is defoylled the beaute of thy face / ¶ A cursyd be the wulfe that hath borne awaye my shepe / ¶ Alas in what set or in what londe maye she be hydde ¶ O londe hyde not from me my douâ—ghter Eufrosyne But doo soo moche that she maye be rendred to me agayne ¶ Suche wordes and other moche merueyllous and pyteuous sayde Pafunce in wayllynge soo moche· that the assystentes and dwellers of the citee were excyted and styred to make lamentacyon and cryes / ¶ And after he retourned to his holy Abbot To whom in wepyng he declared the cause of his grete sorow and dyscomforte / To the ende that he his Relygyouses sholde praye to god that he myghte haue hasty and shortly tydynges of his doughter / ¶ And that they dysposyd theym to faste and make denowte orysons duâ—ynge an hoole weke / But neuerthelesse they herde of her noo manere tydynges / ¶ Saynt Eufrosyne prayed in lyke wyse to god that neuer her conuersacyon sholde be shewed to man ¶ After came the Abbot to her fader PafuÌ„ce and sayde to hym / My sone reioyce the syth we haue noo reuelacyon of her / ¶ We byleue stedfastly that in what place that euer thy doughter be she is in the honour of god / And hathe noo dystrowblynge ne empeshement / ¶ That herynge Pafunce was a lytyll comforted / And after that he hadde thankyd the bredern he retornyd in to his howse / ¶ Certayne dayes after passed the sayde Pafunce retornyd in to the abbaye / And recommauÌ„ded him to the bredern In requyrynge theym moche humbly that they sholde praye for him and for his doughter And syngulerly to the abbot to him sayenge ¶ Alas good fader my sorowe renewyth from daye to day more and more / ¶ Truely I may noo lenger bere it wythoute dethe / ¶ The Abbot seenge that he was soo moche sorowfull broughte hym in to the chambre where as saynt Eufrosyne was not knowyng that she was his doughter / ¶ And callyd the Relygyouse that hadde the charge of her namyd Agapyton / ¶ Saynt Eufrosyne herynge her fader was moche abasshed / And wepyng wyth grete teeres beganne to comforte her the beste she mighte as she had not be of his knowlege / ¶ Her fader beholdynge that her face was alle couered with her habyte and gretely chaunged for her fastynges and abstynences whiche she continuelly made knew her not ¶ After the lamentacyons and wayllynges / saynt Eufrosyne began to speke to her fader of the excellence of the glorye eternall / ¶ And how by abstynence Charytee almesse Chastyte and also in lyke wyse by the vertue of humylytee myghte begoten the souerayne be atytude or blessydnesse / ¶ After she admonested hym to dyspyse and contempne all worldly thynges In shewynge to hym that a man oughte not soo moche loue his chyldren as god / ¶ But by cause that she sawe her fader in moche grete trybulacyon she wolde comforte hym atte laste and sayd to hym ¶ Knowe my frende for trouthe as I byleue that thou arte bylouyd of god / ¶ And that yf thy doughter were in waye of perdycyon god wolde haue shewed in what estate she were in ¶ I byleue that she hathe chosen the waye of helthe / ¶ For he that forsakyth not alle that he hathe maye haue noo parte in heuen / ¶ Leue thenne thy malencolye and be not cause of thi perdycyon and losse / ¶ Haue pacyence and stedfaste hope / ¶ I haue herde ofte my mayster Agapyton speke of the / ¶ And how thou haste prayed the Relygyouses for to haue tydynges of thy doughter ¶ But I haue ofte prayed to the ende that thou sholdeste haue pacyence And haue desired for to see the for to comforte the. wyth the leest harme that I myghte / ¶ And after the sayde to hym / My lorde and my frende goo thy waye I praye the / ¶ And notwythstondyng that she desyred hym to goo his waye Neuerthelesse she wepte and had compassyon of him / ¶ For nature myghte not lye / ¶ Pafuncyus her fader by her wordes / was moche comforted / And nyghe as moche as he hadde founde his doughter / ¶ After he recommaunded hym to the prayers of the Abbot and Couent / And retorned home to his house / ¶ Saynt Eufrosyne in the habyte of a man lyued eyghte and thyrty yeres ¶ And anone after camÌ„ to her a sykenesse and maladye of whyche she deyed / ¶ And dutynge the sayde maladye her fader came to the abbaye for to vysyte her / Notwythstondynge that he wende alwaye that she hadde ben the Relygyouse Smaradyn / ¶ And entred in to the chambre where she laye syke and founde her almoost deed / ¶ Thenne he beganne to wepe sayeng / Alas and what shall I doo / ¶ Where ben the promyses whyche thou haste made to me Smaradyn / ¶ Where ben the swete consolacyons and the playsaunte wordes By whyche thou promysedest to me that I sholde see my doughter ¶ Alas I haue not oonly loste my doughter But also I shall lese the. the whyche haste gyuen to me soo moche comforte / ¶ Alas who shall comforte my poore olde aege and whyther shall I goo / ¶ Who shall be helpynge to me in my heuynesse / Now am I constrayned to wepe my dowble euyll and harme of the and of my doughter / ¶ It is eyghte and thyrty yere goo syth I loste my doughter / Now I retorne in to lyke sorowe ¶ Alas where shall I now fynde consolacyon and comforte / ¶ I shall descende wepynge in to helle yf god haue not pyte vppon me / ¶ Smaradyn seenge his heuynesse hadde compassyon on hym / ¶ And recomforted hym sayenge / Wherfore tormentest the thou thus / Wolte thou flee thyselfe / ¶ Ne thynkesse not thou that god is almyghty for to comforte the / Make an ende of thy heuynesse / ¶ Thynke how Iacob wepte for hys sone Ioseph as deed / And yet after oure lorde god shewed hym to hym / ¶ I praye the for the honoure of god that thou leue me not bi the space of thre dayes / ¶ Thenne her fader Pafunce supposyd that the noble Relygyous Smaradyn wythoute faulte sholde shewe to him some thynge in some manere that he shall haue knowlege of his doughter / ¶ The thre dayes passed Incontynent came agayne Pafunce to Smaradyn / And sayd thus ¶ My ryght swete frende the thre dayes ben now passed / I haue taryed lyke as thou saydest to me / ¶ Thenne saynt Eufrosyne knowynge that the daye approchyd and drewe nyghe in whyche she sholde deye· sayde to her fader / ¶ My lorde and my frende
¶ Thenne we toke her and wente to a gate soo noble and soo fayre that I can not declare / ¶ And after that the sayde gate was opened to vs. We entred in to a palays wherin were made solempnysed weddynge merueyllously honourable / And ferther we myghte not entree / ¶ But Eufraxe was taken and presented afore the lorde Imperyall of the sayde palays / And whanne she was tofore hym / She knelyd downe humbly to the grounde and kyssed the fete of the sayd lorde / ¶ And in the same place I sawe ten thousand aungellis wyth Innumerable multytude of sayntes the whyche there were awaytynge / ¶ After came the moder of the sayde lorde The whyche made redy a moche fayre crowne in the chambre of maryage / ¶ In whyche chambre the sayd moder soo fayre / soo playsaunt and soo amyable made her to entree And saye to her in delyuerynge to her the sayd crowne / ¶ Eufraxe my loue / Holde Loo here thy rewarde whiche thou shalte haue by cause thou hast vaynquysshed alle thyne enmyes / ¶ Now goo thi waye And after ten dayes thou shalte come agayne in to the glory and selycytee of heuen / ¶ And yet sayd more after the Abbesse Alas this daye is the nynthe daye / ¶ And therfore I byleue that â—omorne Eufraxe shall mouÌ„te in to heuen ¶ Iulyan whyche herkenyd all thys purpoos beganne merueyllously to wepe and waylle That she bywepte alle her body wyth teeres / ¶ And thus wepynge she came ayen to the ouen / where as Eufraxe was knedinge the brede ¶ Whanne Eufraxe sawe her she aduiâ—ed her sayenge / ¶ I commauÌ„de the in the name of god that thou saye me the cause wherfore thou wepest / ThenÌ„ Iulyan râ—counted the â—aas lyke as the hadd vnderstonden / ¶ And whanne the holy lady hadde heâ—de the narracyon / She fell downe to the erthe alle full of anguysshe and of heuynesse / ¶ Iulian laâ—e by her wepynge strongely ¶ And Eufraxe sayd to her / My syster gyue to me thyne honde lyft me vp fro heirs And brynge me where the fagottes or brusshes heâ— and leue me there ¶ Take also the brede whyche is in the ouen And heâ—e it to the systers / ¶ Iulyan dâ—de lyke as Eufraxe hadde sayde to her And tolde noo thynge therof to the Abbesse / ¶ Eufraxe beynge layde on the pament And adressynge her wordes to god sayde to hym ¶ My god my maker Why haste thou me now in abhomynacyon / Or wherfore dyspysesâ—e thou me / whiche am a pore pylgrym Orpheline ¶ Alas now is the tyme in whyche I ouhte to fyghte agaynst the deuyll myne enmye ¶ I praye the moche affectuously as moche as I maye that thou be to me pyteuouse And lete me lyue yet by the space of a yere / To the ende that I maye by waylle and lamente my synnes / For yet neuer in my lyfe haue I done suffysaunt penaunce / ¶ Alas they that ben in helle may not prayse the. But oonly they that ben lyuynge / ¶ One of the sisters herde Eufraxe wepe And wente Incontynent to the Abbesse for to shewe to her what she hadd herde / ¶ The Abbesse blamyd the systers Bi cause she hadde deffended that none sholde telle her therof / ¶ And coÌ„maunded that Eufraxe sholde be broughte to her / The whiche thynge so done / The Abbesse demaunded her / My doughter what eylest thou that wepest thus / ¶ Madame I wepe bi cause that thou knowest my dethe And neuerthelesse thou haste tolde to me noo thynge therof / Yf I hadde knowen it / I wolde haue by wepte the grete synnes of whyche I am maculate and defoylled ¶ Alas madame haue pyte on me and praye to god wyth me that he gyue to me yet a yere of respyte to doo penaunce / ¶ Thenne the Abbesse ansueryd to her / Certaynly my doughter god oure Redemptour rewardeth well in heuen / But I praye the that thou wolt praye for me To the ende that by thy merytes and prayes I maye haue wyth the partyeypacyon in the heuenly glorye / ¶ Anone after the stronge feuer tooke the good lady Eufraxe / ¶ And that seenge the systers bare her in to the Oratorye / And there kepte her tyll euen / ¶ The euyn comen / the Abbesse commaunded to her Religyouses that they sholde goo and take theyr Refeccyon / alle sauf Iulyan / whyche abode wyth the Abbesse ¶ And they two shytte the doore to theym and abode wythe Eufraxe ¶ Thynke ye that here this hystorye what lamentacoÌ„ns they made togyder / ¶ Iulyan sayde / My lady my syster my frende and my dere felowe / I praye the remembre me / And lyke as I haue alwaye holden to the faythful coÌ„panye here in erthe that I maye accompanye the in heuen / And praye to god that I maye deye wyth the / ¶ Alas I haue soo moche louyd the bodyly spyrytuelly and now thou leuest me / ¶ The morne comen / the Abbesse sent for alle the relygyouse systers· To th ende that they sholde come and take leue of saynt Eufraxe / ¶ Incontynent as they were comen they sayde to her / O oure good syster haue in heuen mynde of thy systers ¶ And after came the other whom she hadde guarysshed and helyd by her prayers and Intercessyons soo moche desolate and tormented that vnneth she myghte speke / ¶ She kyssyd the hondes of saynt Eufraxe whyche hadd chaced and put oute the deuyl of her body / ¶ And by cause that Eufraxe ansuered not to the wordes that she sayde to her / The Abbesse sayde to her / ¶ My doughter my loue thou spekest not to thy syster whyche is soo moche sorowfull and desolate / ¶ Thenne she sayde / Wherfore syster wepest thou Lete me alone for I deye Praye to god wyth alle thyne herte and he shall saue the. Also praye for me / For atte this hour suffryth my soule a grete bataylle / ¶ Thenne the Abbesse and alle the systers put theim in deuowte prayers Durynge the whiche the good Eufraxe beynge in the aege of thyrty yeres rended to god her benygne spyryte / ¶ And after was buryed by the deuowte systers in the tombe of her moder / In louynge the name of god of that they hadde an espowse soo holy and soo agreable to god / ¶ The good Iulyan whyche hadde he mastresse· and after felow of saynt Eufraxe was thre dayes longe vppon the tombe wepynge there grete habundance of teeres wythoute thynkynge to ete or drynke / ¶ The fourthe daye she came to the Abbesse and sayd to her Madame praye for me / For oure lorde Ihesu Cryste by the Intercessyon of his â—izte holy spouse Eufraxe hathe somoned me to his weddynge / ¶ And the fyfthe daye she deyed And was buryed by saynt Eufraxe / ¶ In lyke wyse twenty dayes after the dethe of saynt Eufraxe The Abbesse was bi the prayers of the sayde Eufraxe
as well by mouÌ„taynes and valeyes as by many other dangerouse places without guydynge of ony lyuynge persone / ¶ And thus alle allone am I comen hyther / ¶ Saynt Machaire wenynge that she was his wife / Toke her swetely by the honde and ladde her in to his caue / ¶ But the deuyll contynuelly wepte / Wherfore the holy man was the more redy to byleue that it hadde ben his wyfe / And wepte semblably and in lykewyse wyth her / ¶ After theyr lamentacyons and wepynges the holy man tooke akehornes herbes and wolde haue made her to ete wenynge that she shelâ—e cesse her sorowe / ¶ Now the holy man Machaire vnderstode not the cautelles and dysceytes of the deuyll / The whiche atte begynnynge were ouer subtyll and straunge for to be vnderstonde ¶ And soo they deuyseden longe wyth in the sayde caue that one syttynge by that other / ¶ And in spekynge togyder the forsayde woman towchyd his hondes by manere of flaterye As now many done for to moeue the men to vs â—â—â—ouse and fowle synne of lecherye / ¶ And in thus dooynge the poore man without to blesse hym ne comauÌ„dynge him to god fell a slepe / As yf he hadde be traueylled of many labours / ¶ Now it happed in slepynge by th art or subtyltee and shrewdenesse of the deuyll / That he dremyd to be wyth hys wyfe and to haue her companye in suche wyse that whanne he awoke he founde hymselfe alle dyscoueryd and ponished oâ— defoylled / as he hadde flesshly done wyth his wyfe / ¶ Thenne knewe he that it was the deuyll By cause that after he hadde slepte he sawe ne apperceyued her noo more / ¶ Thenne he beganne to lamente and make sorowe and make many exclamacyons and cryes to god In requyrynge hym humbly of pardonne and mercy / ¶ Now it is to be noted that the two lions whyche he hadde founde in his caue whanne he there fyrste arryued After he hadde done this synne forsoken hym and departed fro hym The whyche thynge by hym knowen And for the grete dysplaysaunce that he hadde for his synnes He put him agayne to prayer Prayenge god that he wolde enseygne and shewe hym / what suffysaunt penaunce he oughte to doo / And that it wolde playse hym to sende agayne to hym his two lyons / ¶ And Incontynente after by the wyll of god whyche herde his requeste and petycyon wolde reduce and brynge hym to the waye of heâ—the The sayde lions retourned / and beganne promptely to make a fosse or a pytte of the largenesse depnesse suffysaunt to the comyn stature of a man ¶ The holy man that seenge / thoughte that god wolde that he sholde doo his penaunce in the sayd pytte / ¶ And commaunded the lyons that they sholde couere hym in the same / And so they dyde / ¶ He beynge in the sayd pytte by the space of thre yere / Happed that by the grete InundacoÌ„n and flowynge of waters the whyche descended there the sayd caue was broken And a parte fell vppon his heed in suche wyse that by the moyen of the sayde rumpure and brekynge where as he hadde not seen noo lyghte in thre yere He sawe the sonne clerely shyne and gyuynge lyghte / ¶ Thenne he tooke the herbes whyche he founde besyde hym and ete of theym / ¶ The lyons after came agayne And they seenge the caue broken and dysconuerte They dyffeated the pytte / and brought hym oute alle hoole wythoute ony gryef or brusure / ¶ Thenne he came oute of the fosse or pytte / And rendred than kynges of that he hadde lyued soo longe wythoute seenge of sonne ne mone And also wythoute to haue ony harme of his body he was delyuered from the same caue / ¶ And knelyd downe to the grounde and was fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes wythoute moeuynge hyÌ„selfe Lyke as he hadde he Inmobyle in gloryfyenge the name of god / ¶ The sayde fourty dayes passyd He came agayne in to his caue ¶ And there he sawe foure aungellis whyche shone soo merueyllously that alle the caue was enlumyned ¶ And in the myddle of theym was our lorde and Redemer Ihesus Cryste in fourme of a man Holdynge in his honde a rodde of golde / made a sowne so strongly resownyng lyke the voys of ten men / ¶ The same noble companye songen longe / ¶ And whanne theyr songe was accomplysshed and fulfyllyd / Thre voyces togyder ansuered Amen ¶ And Incontynent oure Sauyour Ihesu Cryst wyth his aungellis whiche acompanied him vanysshed awaye and wente in to heuen / ¶ And after in a voys descended a douue wythin the sayde caue / And Incontynente was herde a noyce romblynge as thundre / and also lyghtnynges Innumerable / ¶ He herde also many voyces from heuen whyche songenâ— Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus deus / c ThenÌ„e the holy man herynge and seenge the sayde woundres was alle taken in a traunce and rauysshed in spyryte And felle downe to the erthe On whyche he was ryght dayes wythoute moeuynge honde ne fote / The whyche passyd he awoke / ¶ And thenne he knewe that god hadde sanctefyed and halowed that place / And giuen there his benedyccyon and blessynge / And thenne he recuâ—ned in to the sayd caue and praysed the name of god / in gyuyng to hym thankynges and louynges of his vysytacyon And that his grace hadde made hym worthy to haue his companye / ¶ Atte the tyme of the same vysyon He was in the aege of fourty yere And hadde dwellyd but seuen yeres in the sayd caue ¶ Whanne he hadd recounted and tolde alle thyse thynges to the thre Relygyous pylgrymes / That is to wyte Theophyle Sergius and Thimus / ¶ He Instructe and shewed to theym the maner how they myghte voyde the cursyd temptacoÌ„n and decepcyon of the deuyll of helle / In sayenge to theym that they sholden remembre and haue in mynde alwaye how the deuyll hadd dysceyued hym subtylly / ¶ And after he admonested and desyred them to abyde wyth him Or yf it playsed to theym not to abyde there that they sholde retourne in to theyr monasterye / ¶ Alle thyse consydered by the thre Relygyouses / they were moche abasshed and fell downe to the erthe in gloryfyenge the name of god / Whyche oonly dooth soo many merueyllous thynges / ¶ And also they rendred to hym thankynges of that he hadde broughte theim to the knowlege of the holy man / ¶ Theyr oryson fynysshed they prayed to the glorious saynt Machaire that he wolde praye for theym to the Sauâ—our of the worlde / That he wolde saue and kepe theym in retournynge in theyr abbaye / To the ende that by all the monasteryes where as they sholde goo They myghte also well recite and tell that whyche they hadde seen / For to ercyte and moeue alle Relygyous men to lyue vertuously / ¶ For they byleuyd fâ—â—mely that god hadd broughte theym to the sayde
gode courage to resiste theyr bataylles / for yf the deuyll whiche knoweth our feble courages in the hope by his dysceyuable teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns he myghte ouercome the. lyÈtly sholde he put vs vnder whiche ben thy huÌ„ble dyscyples And sholde enforce hym to brynge vs in dyspayr / Wherfore he desyreth to ouercome the. But god shall gyue the strengthe to resyste hym To the ende that we take ensample of the. ¶ And knowe thou that yf thou falle· And that the deuyll vaynquysshe the / Thou sholdest be cause of the ruyne of vs alle / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen herynge thise conclusyons was moche stronger thanne he was tofore / And toke courage merueyllously in prasyng the name of god / ¶ After he prayed the holy maÌ„ Appollo that he sholde not departe fro hym / After the sayd tyme Appollo vysited the sayd holy man Pachomyen· but he lyued not longe after / And was buryed bi the sayd saynt Pachomyen wyth ympnes and deuocion as in suche â—aas is a customed / ¶ Of the suretee and puyssaunce whyche saynt Pachomyen â—pâ—â—yned of god And begyÌ„nyth in latyn ¶ Tantam vero / Caplm .lxx. Sith the sayd tyme saynt Pachomyen was soo ferme and constaunt in oure lorde Ihesu Cryste That wyth his feet he wente vpon the serpentes and scorpyons wythoute te be hurte / ¶ And whanne some tyme he muste nedes passe ouer the flood the serpentes namyd Cocodrylles whyche deuoureden the men hare him to what porte he wolde goo Wythoute dooynge to hym ony oppressyon and noyaunce / ¶ Alle thynges noyenge the creatures dyde to hym honoure and worshyppe / ¶ Wherof he rendred to oure lorde god thankynges sayenge / Blessyd be thou my god whyche haste not dyspysed my humylytee and mekenesse / ¶ And whyche haste not suffred me to be disceyued by the frawde and dysceyte of myne enmye ¶ And I beinge aferde thou haste adressed to me the waye of helthe / By the whyche I shall mowe eschewe the vtter derkenesse / And to knowe the whyche arte very lyghte and glory yet durable / ¶ How saynt Pachomyen prayed god that he neuer sholde slepe To the ende that he myghte the lyghtelyer resyste the temptacyons of the deuyll / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Cunque se vsdeâ—er c / Caplm .lxxi. SAynt Pachomyen seenge that the deuyllis persecuted him soo sharpely that he neuer myghte haue rest He prayed to god that he wolde gyue to hym this pryuelege that he neuer myghte slepe to th ende that nyghte daye he myghte in wakinge ouer come the machynacoÌ„ns decepcions that the enmyes of helle layed agaynst hym To the whiche he desyred to resyste as the stronge valyaunt champyon whiche sayth / ¶ Alle the tyme of my lyfe I shall persecute myn enmyes and I shal neuer lesse vnto the tyme that they ben in my subieccoÌ„n I shall gyue to them somoche payne / that they maye abyde in noo place And I shall make theym to falle vnder my feet syth that god gyueth me streÌ„gth for to goo in batayle ayenst them / I shal neuer cesse to pray to th eÌ„de that the wyll of our lord be acoÌ„plysshed ¶ How thangell spake to Pachomyen famylierly / begyÌ„nyth ¶ Quodam vero tempore Caplm .lxxii. IT happed that the holi man beenge in prayer the angell came to speke to hym sayde ¶ Pachomyen thou knowest the wyll of god to be suche that in seruynge hym wyth pure thoughte thou gouerne al them that ben or shall be vnder the after the rule whiche is delyuered to the / ¶ Now had he receyued longe tyme tofore a table in whiche was wryten this that folowyth / ¶ The rules of the religyous hermytes delyuered by an angell to saynt Pachomyen / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Singulis iuxta vires Caplm lxxiii FYrste it was coÌ„maunded to saynt Pachomyen that he shold suffre his Relygyouses to ete drynke after theym compleâ—yon / And that he sholde make theym to labour / after that they ete lytyll or moche ¶ Also he sholde not defende them for to faste And to theym that shold ete beste he sholde Impose moost grettest charge / But to the feble wryke he sholde coÌ„myse the lytyll charges ¶ Also the aungell charged hym that he sholde make for his Religyouses dyuers habitacoÌ„ns In whiche sholde dwelle thre togider theyr mete sholde be made redy in one place onely And that alle togyder sholde take theyr refeccoÌ„n And that in the nighte they sholde take were an habyllement of lyuÌ„en whyche shold strayn theyr raynes with that they sholde haue skynnes of ghotes And that wythout vestymentes or clothes they sholde not ete drynke ne slepe / But whan they wold receyue the sacramente of the awter aâ—synge saye masse they myghte all dâ— of sauf oonly theyr gewne And whan they sholde take their refeccoÌ„ns that eche of theim sholde couer his hede with his gowne to the ende that none of theym sholde se a nother ete / ¶ Also that none of theym sholde speke whyle they ete By cause they sholde not torne theyr mynde on other parte ¶ And ferthermore that they synge or saye euery day in the mornynge twelue Orysons and as moche atte euyn and in lyke wise at mydnyghte twelue / ¶ And how well the Pachomyen sayde to the aungell that it was well lityll yf they sayd not moo prayers neuerthelesse the aungell sayd to him that he wolde not commaunde theim ony more To the ende that they that shold be feble lytyll deuoute mighte lyghtly doo it wythout exculacoÌ„n of their feblenes But they that were mighty stronge were not to be excusid by this lawe in manere but that they were â—ouÌ„de to say more ¶ Whan thaÌ„gel had derâ—â—red al this aforsayd sodenly he vanysshed away fro hyÌ„ the holy man whyche fonde hyÌ„self certayn of the sayd visyon the whiche he had seen thre times rendred graces to god / ¶ And after he enduced his relygiouse monkes to lyue after yeâ—hangell had shewed vnto hym / with that he gaaf vnto them many other doctrynes And emonge all other he sayd to theim that sith they were religyouse it were necessary to them to leue the worlde their parentes also theÌ„self to th ende that they myght lyghtly bere the crosse folow theyr gode master our sauyour redemer IhaÌ„ criste / And by his gode wordes ensamples all the relygyous bare byfore theym the frnytes of holy penaunce For how well that he was right olde / Yet for that absteyned he not to doo notwythstondynge he dyde many abstynences and more than ony of the other / Yet he toke vpon hym the besynesse charge of all thother in seruynge theym after his power / ¶ Att the houre whan they oughte to ete he couered the tables and serued theym lyke as the custome was in theyr relygyon / In lyke wyse he laboured the gardins sewe the seedes for cabochis colewortes /
conuersacyon of Theodore / To the chapytre whiche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Her talis / Caplm lxxx THorugh alle the countree and abowte it the conuersacyon of saynt Pachomyen was soo reâ—oÌ„rned that many act the example of him forsoke the worlde for to lyue a relygyous lyfe / ¶ And amonge the other a yonge chylde namyd Theodore borne of the londe of Egypte extract and come of noble parentes / Crysten folke and of the aege of xiiii yere or there abowte / From the whyche aege vpon a Twellyfth day that some Egepcyens made grete feest and grete diners The gode Theodore seenge the house of his fader and moder full of goodes / sayde by grete conpunccyon of herte in hymselfe / ¶ What prouffytyth the vnhappy yf he getyth alle the goodes of thys worlde and he lesyth the Ioye of paradyse / ¶ None wyth grete payne the woll vse at his pleysure of the goode of this worlde can not gete the heuenly glory ¶ This thynkynge in his herte he beganne to wepe and syghe Sayenge to our blessyd Sauyour Ihesu Cryste / ¶ O god almyghty thou knowest alle thynges secrete / Thou knowest that I loue not soo moche worldly thynge as thyselfe / I praye the my god that it playse the to kyndle my poore symple soule so that she that is maculate with synne be not dampned / But she whyche was boughte wyth thy bytter passyon he attendaunte and redy in al her werkes to worshypp and loue the perpetuelly / ¶ And durynge the tyme that he was in his oryson· and that he wepâ—e in this wyse came his moder to hym that sayde ¶ My sone what is he that hath made the thus sory / Thy fader I haue soughte the longe tyme in grete heuynesse for to come take thy refeccyon wyth vs / ¶ He answered my moder go your wayes I may not ete now ¶ And fynably forgetynge hymselfe and awaytynge abowte deuowte contemplacyons he wente not to dyner / ¶ From the tyme of his chyldehode that he wente to scole he ete noo meetetyll euyn was come / ¶ Some tyme he fasted two dayes wythoute ony meete / ¶ He was two yere wythoute delycate meetes lyuynge in perfyghte contynence / ¶ And fromthens fourth he purposyd to leue the worlde and yelded hym selfe to be shorne a monke· And forsoke and lefte all temporell goodes / And after putt hymselff wyth some Relygiouses lyuynge holily deuoutly wyth theym in grete drede loue of god / ¶ How Theodore was receyued of saynt Pachomyen / To the chapytre begynnynge in latyn ¶ Quodam vero Caplm lxxxi IT happed one daye amonge other that the brethern and relygyouses of the monastery where as was Theodore / after deuowte orysons dysputed of the olde Testamente of the Arke of Noe. of the rodde of Aaron / And of the tables that were gyuen to Moyses in the mountayne of Synay where the body of saynt Katheryne lyeth / And thenÌ„e one of the same Relygyouses sayde that many tymes he had berde speke of it well alonge to the holy man Pachomyen / And wyth this they rehercyd of him and of his holy lyuyng merueyllouse thynges ¶ Theodore heringe this that they sayd of hyÌ„ thise Relygyouses Prayed to god in his herte and sayde ¶ My god yf it be true that my brethern say of saynt Pachomyen gyue me grace that I maye see hym / To th ende that I may kepe alle thy commaundementes and afterwarde to be sauyd / As thou haste promysed to theym that shal loue and drede the / ¶ Certayne dayes after came to the sayde monastery a man namyd Pecusus that came for to enquyre of the good behauynge and deuocyon of the sayd Relygyouses / ¶ And by cause that Theodore was enfourmyd that he went to the monastery of the holy man Pachomyen / He prayed him be sily to take hym in his coÌ„panye / This Pecusius seenge his affeccoÌ„n entreated hym mekely and brought hym vnto the sayd monastery of saynt Pachomyen / ¶ Thenne this Theodore comynge nyght the sayd monastery thaÌ„ked god of that it had playsed hym to here his prayer soo redyly / For he desyred noo thynge so moche as to see saynt Pachomyen / ¶ And as they were come to the gate he and his felowe / ther fonde him there / Soo beganne Theodore to wepe sore in the presence of the holy man Pachomyen of the grete Ioye that he had to see him / The holy man sayd to hym My sone thou art well symple to wepe soo / For I am a synnar as thyselfe / How well that god hath take me in to his seruyce / And in sayenge this he broughte hym wythin his monastery / ¶ And whan he sawe the grete multytude of religyouses that were there / his herte was enflammed and take of a loue soo perfyghtly / that he was as in a Ialousye to vse his lyfe in that place / ¶ He was dyscrete and prudent in hys wordes werkes plenteuous in humylyte in compuccoÌ„n of herte and in operacoÌ„ns vertues as in fastinges watchyÌ„ges orysons in whiche he spende his tyme contynuelly ¶ And wyth this he comforted the sory· and the synnars by humbly correccoÌ„n frendly he admonested and warned / ¶ How Theodore refusyd to see hys moder / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Deuique tam preclaram / Caplm lxxxii SAynt Pachomyen whan he sawe the holy Conuersacyon of Theodore he louyd him with all his herte ¶ The moder of this Theodore hauynge knowlege that he was wyth the sayd saynt Pachomyen camÌ„ anone there for to see hym beryng with her lettres fro many bysshops / By the whyche they wrote well pressyly that her sone sholde be delyuerde to her agayne ¶ Soo came she fyrste to the monastery of the wymÌ„en / that was nigh ynouh the monastery of saynt Pachomyen / by cause that the wymmen went neuer to his monastery / She wrote vnto him that he sholde sende her hyr sone agayne / And with this she sente hym the lettres that the bysshops wrote vnto hym that they sholde doo soo / ¶ The holy man seenge the sayde lettres sente for Theodore / To whom he exposyd the tenour of the same / And commaunded hym to goo his waye aswell for to please his moder as for to obeye the bysshoppes commaundement / Theodore answerde vnto saynt Pachomyen / Ha my fader I demaunde the yf now I leue the astate of Religyon whyche is so moche fruytfull / And wythout whyche wyth grete payne ony canne not be sauyd / Shall I not be therof repreued at the daye of dome afore god / ¶ We haue in the gospell / that who some euer shall loue his fader or moder more than god / He shall not be worthy to be made his seruaunt / Saynt Pachomien answerd / My sone if thou seme that thou doost agaynst thy conscyence to speke wyth thy moder / I woll well that thou abyde here / But
also yf thou be otherwyse dysposyd / I wyll not kepe the by force ¶ The rule of the very Relygyouses is for to forsake alle togyder the worlde and to flee all worldly conuersacyons / ¶ And therfore he that wolde saye my fader my moder arn my blode I ought to loue them / He must take hede to saynt Poul that sayth / WhosoÌ„euer that shal be ouercom by the flesshe he shal be seruaunt to the flesshe / And in effecte euery body becomyth thrall vnto hym of whom he letyth hymselfe to be broughte vnder fote / ¶ His moder seenge that she myghte not speke with hyÌ„ purposed to dwell wyth the virgynes that had theyr place nyghe the sayde monastery where her sone was a Relygouse Hopynge by goddis grace that she sholde see hym amonge the other Relygyouses / And also that in this dooynge she sholde purchase some mede to the saluacyon of her soule / durynge the tyme that she were in the monastery wyth the sayde vyrgynes / ¶ And by this that is sayde apperyth openly / that to kepe some tyme Rygoure in the worshypp of Ihesu Cryste and not for noo praysyng ne vaynglory is ofte cause of grete goodes to theim agaynst the whiche men ben Rigorouse How be it that for a shorte space of tyme it semyth theym that men haue offended theym / ¶ Of many reprouyd Relygyouses / To the chapytre begynnynge in latyn ¶ Igitur sicut / Caplm lxxxiii AAfter that we haue seen of the maners and vertues of many vertuouse and holi Freres consequently we shall see the necligence of some reprouyd Relygyouses that folowen after theyr flesshely appetyte oute of al good rule / The whyche gaaf grete malencolyes to saynt Pachomyen / By cause that for noo manere of monycyon ne warnynges that he made to theym they wolde not retorne theym / Wherby the holy man was wonderfully sorowful and heuy / ¶ And complaynynge hym to god he sayd / ¶ O my god that haste lordshypp ouer alle the worlde / Thou commaundest vs to loue oure euyn crysten / And therfore my god that knowest my wyll and the secrete of my conscyence / I praye the that thou wolt not dispyse my oryson The whyche ofte I haue made vnto the for thyse wretchydfull Relygyouses to the ende that thou haue of theym pyte and mercy in gyuynge to theym thy drede reuerently / And grace to knowe thy dyuyne puyssaunce for to obeye and serue the / Hauynge in the onÌ„ly wythout ony other the stedfaste hope of theyr saluacoÌ„n / ¶ Truely my soule is feblyd and tourmented soo moche and all my wâ—ttes trowblyd of theyr abhomynable lyuynge and Innyquyte / ¶ The holy man seenge they wold not amende theym / He made yet agayne prayers vnto god for theym / And after gaaf to theym certayn smale easy rules to lerne theym to honour praye god / To the entente that lytyll and lytyll they myghte accustome theym to doo well / And amende theyr lyfe / ¶ Ferdermore seenge that they coude not accoÌ„plisshe theyr delectacyons and playsures wythstondynge the contynuell denyenge of saynt Pachomyen / That suffred theym neuer goo oute of the monastery for to playse theyr wyckyd wylles / They for loke the monastery and ensyewed the deuyll theyr lorde and mayster / ¶ And after that the other Relgyouses were more desyroê° in the loue of god thanne afore / ¶ For thus as the corne whanne it is weded from the euyll herbes groweth and multyplyeth the better / ¶ In lyke wyse whanne in a felyshypp of folke peasyble are some vycyouse men / It is of necessyte to throwe theym oute from the other / ¶ And by this it is seen that to a man gyuen to the worlde auayllyth hym not to be a Relygyous / For his professyon shall doo hym noo prouffyte yf he be neclygente to kepe the Rules of his Relygyon / ¶ In lyke wyse a prayer prouffyteth not that is made for theym that ben aslepe in theyr synnes yf they helpe not to awake theymself / ¶ How Relygyouses of other monasteryes comynge to vysyte the monastery of saynt Pachomien were not receyued in to the sayd place amonge the dwellers / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Confessor c. Caplm lxxxiiii THere was a preest named Denys that was Confessour Prouysor and admynystratour of of the chyrche of the Centyryens / And well byloued of the holy man Pachomyen / ¶ The whyche Denys knowynge and aperceyuynge that this holy man defferred and putt of for to gadre wythin his monasterye wyth hys brethern the Relygyouses that camen to hym from other monasterys / But made theyr necessytees to be admynystred to theym by theymselfe and wythoute the gates of his monastery / Reproued hym sharply in sayenge to hym / That he dyde not well to doo soo / ¶ The holy man tooke and resceyued benygnely his correcyon / And answeryd to hym ¶ My brother and frende god knowyth my wyll and myn entencyon / And also he knowyth wel how I desyre the saluacyon of alle soules / And none I wolde despyse ne prouoke to wrathe / ¶ I knowe also that god hath sayde in hys gospell / That thys that men shall doo to the leest of his seruauntes / He shall take it in lyke wyse as it were doon to hymselfe / ¶ And therfore wyte it that I doo not soo for to contempne theym ne dyspyse theym / But oonly by cause that I knowe some Relygyouses in my chyrche soo symple that they sholde not conne putte dyfference bytwene theyr ryght honde and lyfte honde / ¶ And yet some other there ben also that bere not the habyte of relygyon / Wherfore me semyth good and nedeful that they that ben comyng to vs from other places be receyued honestly in a nother house by ours / ¶ And whaÌ„ they woll come to the chyrche to serue god they maye come there wyth vs / And after the seruyce dyuyne doon to retourne in to theyr lodges / for to doo there theyr secrete Oracyons or other vertuouse werkes after theyr deuocyon ¶ The preest hering his answere was contente of hym / And wente agayne awaye all recomforted and wyth gode counseylle / ¶ How the gowne of saynt Pachomyen heelyd folke of the blody Flux / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Mulier et cetera Caplm lxxxiiii IN the cyte of the Centiryens a woman had hadd suffred by a longe space a syckenesse callyd the blody Flux / Soo came she to the good preest aboue namyd / And by cause he was famylier frende of saynt Pachomyen· Prayed hym humbly that it wolde playse hym to sende for the holy man Pachomyen that was in his chaÌ„bre sayeng that he had certayn necessary thynges to telle hym / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen came to the sendynge of the sayd preest / And whan he was comÌ„ with in the chirche he made his prayer after he salued the good preest Denys / as they spake
togyder the poore woman hauynge a stedfast byleue in god the sayth in the gospel / Haue coÌ„fydence thy fayth shall saue the. tooke fro behynde of the vestyment that the holy fader had vpon his heed touched it wyth grete drede / wherof it happed merueilousli that she was anone heelyd hoole souÌ„de / Soo fell she downe vpon her knees afore saynt Pachomyen thanked god of thâ—â— that he made soo grete myracles bi his seruauntes that haue to hym a stedfast hope ¶ The deuoute preest knowyng ytâ—o man hoole praysed the name of god / went agayn homewarde / ¶ How saynt Pachomyen by his deâ—â—nayâ—te was cause of the good lyfe of a Relygyous / And it begynnyth in latin ¶ Aliquando vero et cetera Caplm lxxxv CErtayne dayes after a Relygiouse that wold be a preest was broughte to saynt Pachomien by one his frende / that was mynystre at abbot of many Relygiouses / ¶ And the whyche mynystre or abbot was ofte vexed by the same Relygyouse / For by cause he wolde not conferme ne graunte the clerkely sheerynge / The whiche thenne he defferred longe / by cause it semyd hym not the sayd Relygyouse to be able ne suffysaunte for to be promoted there vnto / ¶ Fynably by cause he cowde noo lenger resyste to his Importunyte / Brought hym to saynt Pachomyen / trustynge that he sholde well contente hym / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen whanne he had vnderstonde the entencoÌ„n of the sayde Abbot He sayd to him ¶ My brother thou art come to me for as knowe the wyll of god / I counseyle she that thou gyue to him that that he askyth / And by aduenture thus dooynge his soule shall be delyuerd fro the thraldom of the deuyll ¶ For some tyme the wyckyd soo constytued in offyce or benefyte tourne theymselfe and take good maners / ¶ And therfore the wyll of god is that we shall haue pyte the one of that other / ¶ The answere well vnderstonde / the sayde Abbot confermyd and gaaf hym that that he askyd ¶ After that the sayde Religyous was constytued to a clerke he beganne all togyder to bowe to alle good condycyons / And afterward he came agayne to the holy man Pachomyen / and knelynge downe afore hym sayde / ¶ O man of god I knowe that thou arte moche agreable to god / whanne he dooth graunte the power for to dyscerne know of the saluacyon of men / ¶ Thy bounte hath vaynquysshed my malyce / For yf thou had not be pytuouse and swete I sholde haue lefte the habyte of Relygyon and sholde haue gone agayne to the worlde to fynysshe my dayes wretchydly / Wherof blessyd be thou of god / by the whyche thou haste gyuen saluacyon to my soule / ¶ The holy fader toke hym vpp from the erthe and sayde to hym / ¶ My brother I praye the that thou contynue alwayes in werkes behouynge and apperteynyng to thy dygnytee / And soo kyssed hym / And commended hym to god / ¶ How saynt Pachomyen delyuered a woman soore traueylled of the deuyll And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Adhuc autem cetera / Caplm lxxxvi SAynt Pachomyen beynge yet in the sayd place came a man to hym that prayed hym swetely that he wolde haue pyte of his doughter / the whyche was vexed and traueylled wyth the deuyll / ¶ The holy man entred within his monastery and left this man at the gate / And after he sente hym worde by the Porter that he not his Relygyous were not wonte to vysyte ony wymmen / ¶ And yf he had ony of her Rayments that he shold sende it to hym / And it sholde be halowed and blessyd / And after in puttynge the same vpon her / yf he had in god faythfull byleue and hope / His doughter by the grace of god myghte be delyuered of the sende and broughte to good recouerynge of helthe / ¶ The fader broughte the gowne of his sayd doughter And whan the holy man sawe it / He sayde to hym that it was not hers / The fader answeryd and sayd it was ¶ Thenne sayde the good holy fader to him / ¶ By cause I knowe that she kepe not her chastyte / Therfore I sayde that it was not her gowne / For she oughte to lyue chastely / Soo must she promyse to lyue in contynence / And after god shall helpe her / ¶ The fader questyoned his doughter / And she answerde that the wordes of the holy man were true / ¶ But notwythstondynge she promysed that she sholde neuer retourne to her synne / ¶ Thenne toke saynt Pachomyen an oyle and blessed it And gaue it to her fader / ¶ And after that she was enoynted wyth the same oyle she was hoole and sounde / And so she lyued afterward holyly in grete chastytee and contynence / ¶ How he helyd a childe that was traueylled wyth the fende / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Tali igitur et cetera Caplm lxxxvii AFter this a nother man that had his sone seke hauinge the deuyl in his body purposyd to lede hym for to recouere his helthe to the monasterye of saynt Pachomyen / But he cowde not / For the deuyll letted hym / Wherfore he desyred meâ—â— the holy man that he wolde praye goo for his sone and he dyde soo / And 〈◊〉 he sente hym a lytyll of halowed brede And commaunded that men sholde gyue it hym to ete afore all other mete ¶ The Spyryte dampned that was wythin the body of the forsayde chylde wold not suffre him to ete of it how well that he lete hym ete of the other brede his fylle / ¶ Thenne the fader wenynge to make his sone ete of this halowed brede brake the crommes in his honde / But it auayled not / For he wolde not take it in his mouthe ¶ The fader aduysed him that he sholde lete his sonne faste longe / And after he gaaf to hym of the sayd breed / And thenne for grete hungre he ete of it / ¶ Soone after he felle a slepe and was heeled and all togyder delyuered of the passyon of the deuyll / ¶ Soo came he and yelded graces and thaÌ„kynges to the holy man Pachomyen in gloryfyenge the name of god that dooth soo many myracles by his seruauntes / ¶ Alwayes the holy man for noo myracle that he dyde in the name of god / neuer gloryfyed hymselfe for it ¶ And wherof he is more to be praysed / Whan he made some requeste to god notwithstondynge it were not graunted to him Men sholde neuer haue knowen in hyÌ„ any sygne of sorowe or dysplaysure / But sayd by his grete mekenesse that god wolde not graunte hym that whiche he axed / By cause that his askyng myghte be contrary to his saluacyon / ne to the saluacoÌ„n of theym for whom he prayed / Notwythstondynge that he trowed to askt that that was good for the soule / ¶ Of the Conuersion of saynt Syluayn
goodes in this worlde / Pouerte is more sure for to fynde the waye of saluacoÌ„n / ¶ The holy scrypture sayth that pouertee mekyth the persone / And Dauid in his psalme sayth to this purpoos / I am gladde my god that thou haste mekyd me to th ende that I shall lerne thy IustyfycacoÌ„ns also the wayes of saluacoÌ„n / Alwayes the holy man sayd this / ¶ I byleue truly that the god that was in Iobs dayes is yet almyghty the whiche shall not fayle vs at oure nede not for the loue of me / But for to helpe and socour the pore nedy / For he sayd hymself / Thou that arte Iust good I shall not leue the / And moreouer god coÌ„maundyth vs to seke fyrste his reame his Iustyce promysyng to vs that all thyÌ„ges leyffull good that we shal aske him shall be graunted to vs / ¶ Ye knowe how to Iob very pacyent / he gaue more goodes ayen than euer he had loste afore / And the whyche Iob after that he was stablisshed ayen in his godes and in his astate· was more medefull than he had be afore / ¶ Of a seruaunt to whom he gaaf .ii. pounde of golde / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Ad extremam et cetera Caplm C.xxxiii THe holy Patryke knowynge one of his seruauntes to be fallen in grete pouertee gaaf him two pounde of golde soo secretly that noo body knewe of it / ¶ The seruaunte sayde vnto hym / ¶ Alas my lorde I shall neuer dare come byfore thy face ¶ The holy Patryarke as a wyseman answerde to hym wordes worthy of praysyng sayenge / My frende I haue not yet shedde my bloode for the. lyke that god dyde for vs / hath coÌ„maunded vs to doo it / ¶ Of a duke that refusyd to leue fyfty pounde of golde / Begynnyng in latyn ¶ Districtis / Caplm C.xxxiiii A Man was that ought moche money and cowde not paye it What for cause that his marchauÌ„dyse was not soo prosperous vnto hym· as it was wonte to be as also by cause that the ryuer of Nile had fayled that tyme for to dewe the grounde / As it was wont to doo euery yere ¶ This man went to a duke prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde lende hym fyfty pouÌ„de of golde vpon a pledge that was worth twyes asmoche / The duke denyed hym fyrste his askyÌ„ge / But neuertheles he promysed hym after that he sholde haue theym / ¶ This man was constrayned for to paye there as he owed· And this hangynge he aduysed hymself that he sholde goo to his socours there as all other were receyued that is to wyte to the holy Patryarke / ¶ Soo came the poore man vnto hyÌ„ and shewed hym his pouerte / But or he had tolde al his befall The holy Patryarke that of his nature was pitefull and myghte not see peple wepe but he must wep also toke his gowne of gaue it hym constrayned the pore to take it wyth hyÌ„ / The nyghte folowynge / the duke that had refusyd to lene to the poore man the sayd somme sawe in his dreme many folke makynge offrynges and oblacyons vpon an awter / And for one peny that they offred they receyued an hundred / ¶ And wyth theym was the god holy Patryarke behynde the backe of the same duke / ¶ There came a man that shewed hym a sacke beynge nyght by theym / sayenge to hym in this manere ¶ Take an offrynge that is wythin this sacke and goo offre it to the awter And thou shalte haue an hundred for it / ¶ The duke was neclygent to doo as he hadde hym / Neuerthelesse the good holy man that was there nyght by hym all Incontynent wente and toke it and offred it And was yeuen to him for it as to the other an huÌ„dred tymes as moche as he had offred / ¶ Whanne the duke was awakyd He cowde not vnderstonde his dreme / ¶ Soo sent he Incontynent for him that had desyred moneye of hym / And wold haue theâ—e lente hym asmoche as he dyde aske / ¶ To whom the sayd man answeryd Truely my lorde the holy Patryarke hath fulfylled myn askyÌ„ge byfore you Ye haue loste your rewarde / The duke whan he had vnderstonde thise wordes had mynde of his dreme and sayde / ¶ Truely thou tellest me trouth he bare the offrynge afore me that I wolde not bere / ¶ Cursyd be he that may â—el doo it and woll not / ¶ After he rehercyd his dreme to dyuerse folke / And 〈◊〉 that tyme forth wyllyng to recouer the tyme and the rewarde that he had loâ—â— afore sorely by his ouer grete neclygence he dysposyd himself to be large and rewarded and gaue towarde the poore peple in dealynge freely and wyth goâ—de courage grete habuÌ„dance of alâ—mesâ— and charytees / Wherof he was by our blessyd Sauyour Redemer IhuÌ„ Cryste rewarded to the hundred folde in the Ioye and blessydnesse oâ— euerlastynge glory / ¶ Of a woman that forbare wronges other sone in lawe / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vergente / Caplm Cxxxv. THe holy patryarke gladly and often went to vysyte the chyrche of the vyctoryous martyrs saynt Cyr saynt IohnÌ„ / ¶ One tyme as he was gooinge thyder he mette with a woman whiche was sore trowbled the prayed hym tauenge her of many wroÌ„ges that she sayde were done to her by her sone in lawe / One of the seruauÌ„tes of the sayde Patryarke whyche trusted of his gode wyll sayd vnto hym / Syre leue this woman / Whan thou shalt retorne thou shalt doo to her right / The holy man answerd to hyÌ„ / Thou knowest well yt. we goo for to pray / And how sholde god here vs yf we herde not fyrste this woman / And therfore the holy man went not fro that place till that she had shewed vnto hym alle her befall that he vtterly had coÌ„forted her / ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ saynt Sophronyon / Whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ AdvoluÌ„tateÌ„ igitur c. Caplm C.xxxvi GOâ— that woll sende to the wyll dothe holy Patryarke euer ferme to the heuenly thyÌ„ges sent vnto hym â—o holy men / that is to wite Iohn Sophronyon for to be his couÌ„seylers / To whom benygnely he obeyed as to his faders techers ¶ Thise .ii. holy faders meaninge the grace of the holy ghost disputed many tymes ayenst the Seueryens and other heretykes / In so moche that they preserued fro theyr InfeccoÌ„n many monasteryes chyrches / As done the good pastours that rescue theyr shepe fro the rauisshyng vulues For whyche thyng the holy man had them in grete honour reuerence / ¶ A sermon made by the forsayd holy Patriarke ayenst the beters of folke folowyth / begynnyth in latyn ¶ Si vero alicubi c· Caplm C.xxxvii YF the holy man wyst or knew that one had smyten a nother He went wyth grete humylyte vnto hym / â— desyred him sayenge / My sone it hath ben reported
was buryed / And there she kepte herselfe thre dayes wythoute ony mete or drynke / Makyng there wayllynges wythoute nombre and wepynges / Hauynge alwayes an hope that the holy Patryarke sholde lete her vnderstonde some tydynges of her synne / ¶ She often sayd vnto hym / Alas holy Patryarke I hadd soo grete an hope of thy lyfe the whyche I byleue not to be ended ¶ For god and his chyrche wytnessen vnto vs. that the Iuste lyue euerlastyngly / And therfore I byleue that thou arte not deed / But rather arte more lyuynge as to the euerlastynge lyfe· than thou were afore in this worlde / ¶ Alas my frende I ne requyre of the none other thynge / but oonly that thou wolte lete me wyte where my scrowe is become that I toke the / ¶ O my souerayne god that sayd to the woman Cananâ—e That thorugh her faythe she was sauyd / ¶ Syth that I haue in the stedfaste byleue that thou mayst make me att thys tyme acertayned of my scrowe / I byseche the / that thou woll be playsed I to haue it agayne / ¶ One a daye she sayenge suche wordes / ¶ The holy Patryarke acompanyed wyth two bysshops wyth the whyche he was entered aroos oute of his gaue· and sayde to the sayd woman / ¶ O poore nedy woman why leuest thou not in rest theym that ben here wyth me / Thou hast wepte soo moche that we ben all bedewed wyth thy teeres / And wyth this he toke her agayne her scrowe / And askyd her yf she knewe it / The whyche wordes sayd he and the sayde two holy bisshops layed theymselfe downe agayne wythin theyr tombes / ¶ And the sayde woman openyd her letter And founde therin wryten the wordes that here folowe ¶ For the loue of Iohan my seruaunte thy synne is enrased oute / ¶ O what is he that cowde or myghte reherce the power of our lorde the whiche is soo mercyfull and louely bothe to men and wymmen / And that soo freely grauntyth and dooth the wyll of all those that drede hym / And that wyth goode herte sekith hym / Whyche gloryfyeth theym that loue hym / And by myracle magnyfyeth theym / ¶ The holy Patryarke forsayd was not onÌ„ly gloryfyed in one place but in all countrees of the Eest partyes / And now saynt Iherom makyth vs to knowe hym ferdermore in thyse partyes of the Weste / ¶ How the dethe of the forsayd holy Patryarke Iohan was shewed to a relygyouse namyd Sauyn / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Eadem enim die c / Caplm C.lv. THe daye that this holy Patryarke deyed / a Relygyous man namyd Sauyn beynge in Alexandrye sawe by the wyll of god the holy Patryarke Iohan / The whyche accompanyed wyth a grete nombre of clerkes was ladde by one of theym tofore an emperour in his palays / After he sawe hym come out of the gate / ¶ The whyche vysyon bytokened the departynge of his body from the soule Whan he was out of the gate came to hym a fayre lady a yonge mayde shynynge bryghter than the sonne / Hauynge on her heed a crowne of Olyue tree· The whiche toke him anone by the honde and ladde him forthe / ¶ Bi this visyon the good relygyouse man ymagyned that the holy Patryarke was passynge oute of this worlde at that houre vnto euerlastynge glory And this he gaaf to knowe vnto dyuers persons It happed thenÌ„e that oute of Chypre came many marchauÌ„tes in to AlexaÌ„drye To whom was askid after the hour of the Patryarkes forsayd dethe / And by theyr answere was cleerly knowe that the sayd vysyon was true / And that at the same hour that as the Relygyouse man had shewed it the sayd holy Patryarke was deed / Gyuyng stedfast fayth by this that sayd is to this vysion and namly for cause of the mayde that ladde hym by the honde / For they Iudged that is was Almese / that afore tyme in this worlde had shewed herselfe to this holy Patryarke forsayd in lykenesse of a mayde / And had promysyd hym as here afore is sayd / That yf he wolde loue her / she sholde present hym byfore the souerayne emperour that is our blessed Sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Of a nother vysion that a Citeyzyn of AlexaÌ„drie had touchyÌ„ge the deth of this holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ the Almoner / begynÌ„yth ¶ CuÌ„ auteÌ„ / Caplm C.lvi. ANd not onÌ„ly by cause of the visyon of the forsayd religyoê° / but also for a nother vysion that happed to a pore man feryng god whyche dwelled in Alexandrye the enhabytauÌ„tes of the same cyte byleuyd the Almese Mercy had presented the forsayd holy Patryarke vnto god / This good pore man that same nyghte that the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ deyed sawe by spirytuell vysyon all the poore folke of the cyte of Alexandrye / Aswell children faderlees and moderlees as wymÌ„en and other what so euer persone in grete noÌ„bre / Beryng in theyr hondes brauÌ„ches of Olyue tree the whyche wente to the seruyce and Dirige of the holy Patriarke / ¶ Wherfore it was cleerly shewed Almese dede presented hym afore god / as it is sayd aboue / ¶ How out of his sepulcre flowed and ranne oyle· And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Hymnodia c· Caplm C.lvii YF we had of the gloryfycacion of the holy Patryarke none other reason to shewe but the same that here folowith / Yet ought we onely to be certayne withoute ony doubtfull demynge that he is of the nombre of sayntes / ¶ After that this holy body was enteryd buryed our Redemer wyllyng to shew the worthynes of hym· coÌ„maunded that out of his graue sholde flowe and renne oyle of whose swetnes swete smelling sauour by syÌ„guler grace were the folke beynge present fulfylled namely all the sike folke that were enoynted therwyth receyuyd fully theyr helthe ayen / And not oonly this myracle happed in the londe of Chypre aforsayd to the worshyp of the sayde holy Patryarke / But also in dyuers other to the ende that we that see how they haue contynued and lyued holyly in this worlde· sett and applye our courages to ensewe theym in theyr dooynges / ¶ We shall praye mekely the gode saynt IohnÌ„ the Almoner that it wolde playse hym of his large mekenesse for to spare for vs after oure mortall lyfe the tresours that neuer shall haue ende that he hath spared for hyÌ„self thrugh his grete almese other grete werkes so that we ensewe the same maye be wyth hyÌ„ fedde in the glory of heuen / Amen / ¶ Here begynnyth the lyfe of saynt Eugene / whose feest is halowed the day after the feest of the Natiuyte of our sauyour IhuÌ„ Cryste / And begyynyth in latin ¶ In septimo igitur et cetera Caplm C.lviii SOmtyme an Emperour of the Romayns namyd Chomodrê° for to rule gouerne the cytee of Alexandrye the londe of Egypte vnder the lordshyp of Rome sent in to
Basylle thou doost me grete wroÌ„ge / for this synnar is come to me not I to hym / He hath forsake his Creatour in my presence / therof he hath gyue to me his writynge wyth his honde wryten for a wytnesse of the same / the whyche wrytyng I goo present byfore the euerlastyÌ„g Iuge / ¶ Saynt Basylle thenÌ„e sayd to the deuyll / Blessyd be god / My people shall neuer ceasse to praye / nor shal not brynge downe theyr hondes whiche are heued vpward to heuen tyll that thou haste gyuen ayen the sayd wrytynge vnto this poore synnar / ¶ Alle this noble assemble made after more deuowte prayers than afore had done / And ceassed not tyll that the sayde wrytynge was taken in to the hondes of the sayde holy man / The whyche after the receyuynge of it he yelded graces vnto god / And sayd to the synÌ„aâ— byfore all the peple that was there / ¶ My broder knowest not thou this letter / He answerde ye / And that it was wryten with his owne honde / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Basille brake it in peces and brought him to the chirche for to make Confessyon / Whyche thynge done he Receyued his Creatour / And after sente-hym home agayn vnto his his wyfe / The whiche of his grete grace she thanked deuowtly our lorde / ¶ Of a woman to whom her sinÌ„es were forgyuen by the prayer of saynt Basylle / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Mulier quidaÌ„ c. Caplm C.lxiiii A Woman ryche noble full of the vanitees of the world· vsed euyll of her facultees / For she was prodyge lecherous / Soo that in all maner of her dedes she was vnagreable to god / And as a sowe dooth laye herself in a fowle putdel soo was thys woman wrapped in all fylthe vncleÌ„nesse of flesshe ¶ And somtyme by a syÌ„guler grace that god gaaf her she alone to herself made knowlege of the grete multytude of her synnes and in wepynge sayd to god / Alas my Redemer I that am a poore synnar how shall I make satysfaccoÌ„n towardes the of my synnes / I oughte for to be the temple of the holy ghost / And by my synnes I haue defoylled hurte my soule / I am the moost vnhappy of all the worlde / I byleue not that euer ony woman syn her Crystendom dyde soo synÌ„e gretely / and soo abhomynable as I haue done ¶ Alacke how shall I mow be in certayn that god woll receyue my penaunce ¶ And whan she had well bethoughte herselfe vpon her byfall / God Inspyred her to thyÌ„ke vpon the grete euylles and synnes that she had sinned and done syn her yongthe vnto her olde aege And theym she broughte in mynde wrote in a rolle / And this done / she sealed theym vnder leed / And after purposed whan saynt Basylle sholde come to the chirche for to syÌ„ge masse that she sholde delyuer he Rolle vnto hym / ¶ The whyche thynge she dyde soo in cryenge wych an hyghe voys / ¶ O holy man and seruauÌ„te of god haue pyte of me moost wretched of all other synnars / ¶ Saynt Basylle askyd her the cause of her wayllynge / and she answered / Alas my lorde I haue wryten in this Rolle all my mysdedes and wyckydnesse / I byseche the that thou wolt not loke vpon theim / But vouchesauf to doo soo moche for me by thy prayers towarde god / That they maye be forgyuen to me / ¶ I wote wel that he that hathe gyuen me vnderstondynge and wyll for to knowe theim / shall enhaunse the prayer that thou shalt make for me in this byfalfe / ¶ Therfore I byseche the socour me now at my grete nede / ¶ The holy man toke the rolle of her / And heued his hondes vp towarde heuen sayenge / ¶ O my god it aperteynyth thy dygnytee for to doo that this poore synfull woman askith / thou mayste putt and enrase oute wythin a moment alle the synnes of the worlde / ¶ I byseche the mekely for her / All oure synnes are in a certayne nombre byfore thy mageste / ¶ But thy mercy is wythoute ende / ¶ His prayer thus done / he sette the Rolle vpon the awter / And there the holy man abode prayenge god a daye and a nyghte contynuelly / ¶ The nexte morowe he called vnto hym the sayd woman in presence of some clerkes and sayd to her / ¶ WomaÌ„ thou knowest well that thy synne can not be pardonned· but by the power of god the whyche answerde / ¶ Holy fader I by leue that that thou sayst / And therfor I by seche mekely that it woll playse the to be myn helper towarde him ¶ ThenÌ„e the rolle was opened at openynge of it· It was founde that all her synÌ„es were to her foryeuen except do grete synÌ„e whiche was not enrased nor putt oute ¶ The pore woman was sore heuy dyscoÌ„forted felle to the fete of the holy maÌ„ cried / O maÌ„ of god haue pite vppon me and lyke as thou haste prayed for all my synes Yet ayen pray for me towarde god that this synÌ„e maye be also pardonÌ„ed to me / ¶ Saynt Basylle began to wepe sayde to the woman / My frende stonde vpp I haue as grete nede of pardonÌ„e as thiself / For I am a synÌ„er / He that hath put out thyn other syÌ„nes may emase the same whyche is lefte behynde / And therfore yf in tyme comynge thou kepe the coÌ„maundements of god He shall not only forgyue the this lyue / But wythall he shall gyue the the lyf eternall in euerlasting blysse / Thou shall goo in to the Hermytage where a man is namyd Effrem to whom thou shalt take thy rolle And Ieâ—â—st in god that by his prayers thou shalt be delyuerd of the same synne and shalt haue of it a full absolucoÌ„n to the saluacoÌ„n of thy soule / ¶ The woman walked solonge thrugh the wyldernesse that she fonde the holy man Effrem Soo begane she to knocke att his doâ—e cryenge ¶ O holy man of god haue pite of me / Effrem that bi the knowlege of god knewe the cause why she was come answerde vnto her / ¶ Woman goo thou thâ— way for I am a synnar as the arte / Wherby I haue nede of the mercy of god as thou hast / The woman thenÌ„e cast to hym her rolle sayeng / O holy fader the bisshop Basylle sendeth me to the. gyuynge to me a hope that thurgh thy prayers the greetest of my synnes shall be foryeuen vnto me ¶ Effrem sayd vnto her / Naye my doughter naye / He that by his prayers hathe gote remyssyon of thin other synÌ„es may yet do that the same synÌ„e for that whiche thou comest toward me shall be pardonÌ„ed vnto the / ¶ Torne ayen lyghtly towarde him to the ende that thou mayst speke wyth hym byfore his deth / The woman retorned anone / But whaÌ„ she entred in Cezaree the
/ ¶ Gregory that for that tyme was bysshopp of Nazance whan he wyste that saynt Basylle was discessed / He came to his Teâ—ment and layed hymselfe downe ouer his body makynge vpon it grete lamentacyons / ¶ And neuertheles he cryed to the peple wyth a highe voys / ¶ O peple reioyce now yourselfe and make orysons vnto god / Syngyng ympnes and psalmes / And cease not to make remembraunce of the holy man Basylle / ¶ Morouer after the comynge of the sayd bysshopp came there twelue other the whyche togyder layed the holy corps in to his sepulcre / Whyche was of Marble wythin the chyrche of the gloryous martyr Ysichrus / In whyche the good holy man Leoncius his Predecessour was was buryed / ¶ And saynt Basylle deyed the fyrste daye of Ianyuer / the fyfthe yere of the Regne of the Emperours gouernynge Valentis and Valeriani / ¶ Here folowyth of the holy fader Effrem / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Fratres enaâ—racionem volo facere / cetera Caplm C.lxv. SAynt Iherom makith mencoÌ„n in the laste chapytre of the fyrste part of the lyfe of faders of the holy Heremyte Effrem yt. was vnknowe of saynt Basylle ¶ And of the whiche Effrem saynt Iherom saythe to haue had knowlege by tellynge vnto hyÌ„ made of certain faders / ¶ And for to shewe therof It is trouthe that the sayd Effrem was borne of Syrie / He beynge in hys hermitage a frende of his shewed vnto hym the perfyte astate of saynt Basylle ¶ And for to haue of it some experyence he prayed god ryght hertely that it wolde playse hym to gyue hym by reuelacoÌ„n some knowlege of the holynesse of saynt Basylle / Our lorde that herd his prayer made to hym suche a reuelacoÌ„n That is to wyte that he beynge as halfe a slepe and halfe wakynge he sawe a pyller of fyre whiche was so long that it retchyd to the heuen / And in seenge the same he herde a voys that sayd to hym ¶ Effrem Effrem suche as thou seeste this pyller suche is Basylle / Thenne went he in to the chyrche of Cezaree in Capadoce where the sayde saynt Basyll was vpon a daye that men made solempnytee of Epiphanye / ¶ And by cause that he vnderstode noo Greke he toke an expowner with hym to whom he sayde whan he sawe saynt Basylle ordeyned in soo grete honour / We haue loste our payn / For this Basylle is not suche as I haue seen hym / ¶ The same time saynt Basylle was clothio in suche ornaments acompanyed of many clerkes / ¶ Soo was Effrem angry in himself / Sayenge we Heremytes endure bothe colde heete in the wyldernesse and haue noo rewarde / And thys Basylle here whiche is in honour proferred is a pyller of fyre / ¶ And as he was in this malencoly saynt Basylle sente to the holy fader Effrem one of his Archedeakens for to tell hym that he sholde come for to speke wyth hym / ¶ The Archedeaken came to the sayd holy fader Effrem and to hym he sayde / ¶ Thy fader Archebisshopp of Cezaree sendyth the worde that thou come speke to hym / Effrem answerde to hym / ¶ My frende it is not to vs that thou shold speke / We ben not they that he wolde haue / For we ben Straungers The Archedeaken reported this answere to saynt Basylle whyche sent hyÌ„ ayen to saynt Effrem· charged him to doo his message in this wyse / Syre Effrem I coÌ„mauÌ„de the to come to thy archebisshop / Effrem was moche merueyled gloryfyeng the name of god answerde to tharchedeaken / Truely Basylle it is a very pyller of fyre / For the holy ghost spekyth bi his mouth / Thei neuer had seen eche other but in spiryte ¶ Fynably the seruyce ended Effrem came to saynt Basylle / thenÌ„e they made th one to thother deuoute salutacoÌ„ns Saynt Basyll greted hym in this manere / O fader of holy Heremytes thou arte welcome / thou that haste multeplyed the dyscyples of IhuÌ„ Cryste thou arte welcomÌ„ Alas good fader thou haste moche payn in comynge hither for to see a poore syÌ„ner god yelde the mede after thy laboure / ¶ Effrem answerd to hym / to the holy fader all that thy herte desyreth / After he receyued his maker of the hondes of saynt Basylle / And whan they had be longe togyder Effrem prayed saynt Basylle that he wolde grauÌ„te to hym a requeste / Saynt Basylle sayde vnto him / CoÌ„mauÌ„de me saye what thou wol For I am gretely bounde vnto the forthe traueyle that thou haste take for to vysyte me / ¶ Effrem sayd vnto hym I know that all that thou shal aske of god shall be of hym grauÌ„ted vnto the gladly / For it is wryten that god dooth fulfyll the wyll of those that drede hym and shall enhauÌ„ce theyr prayers / Therfore I biseche the that thou wolt praye hym that he woll gyue me that grace that I maye speke Greke / Saynt Basylle consented vnto his requeste sayenge that it was honeste / ¶ ThenÌ„e they sett theymselfe to prayer were so longe ynough / And this done saynt Basille rose vp askyÌ„g to saynt Effrem why he made not hyÌ„selfe to be promoted to the ordre of prestehode syth that he was worthy to be a preest / Wherat he answerde that he deferred to doo the same takynge hyÌ„self vnworthi therunto bi cause he was to grete a synÌ„ar / Saynt Basille answerd vnto him / After my mynde wold god thy synÌ„es were myn ¶ Yet ayen they kneled on theyr knees to the grouÌ„de / anone the tonge of the holi fader Effrem was enfourmed to speke grekysshe langage redily began to speke it as he had be born in the myddes of Grece / ¶ They yeldes graces thankes to god therfor in loouynge praysynge his gloryous name / And after they were thre dayes togyder / Duryng the whyche space he that Effrem had broughte wyth hym for to be his Expownar of Greke langage vnto his moder laÌ„gage was made deaken / And the holi fader Effrem also ordened in the order of preesthode / And after they commauÌ„ded eche other vnto god yeuynge thaÌ„kes vnto hym of that they had seeen eche other / ¶ HEre endeth the fyrste parte of the lyfe of Faders and after folowyth the seconde parte / ¶ Sequitur secunda pars ¶ Here foloweth the seconde parte ¶ Here foloweth the seconde parte of the lyfe of holy faders of Egypte coÌ„teynyng in dyuerse bokes many laudable exhortacyons for to enduce all persones / pryncypally men of Relygyon to lyue solytaryly and well with some fayre hystoryes excytyng to flee vyces and ensyewe vertues / as more largely is declared in the table I sette at the begynnyng of this present boke where the chapytres ben declared all a longe / aswell thoos that are coÌ„teyned in the precedent fyrst parte as in this seconde / and
not towarde hym / seeyng namely that after that he had lefte them in that place he was not gone to them / hadde not seen them but in the chirche perceyuyng with sylence the holy sacrament of the aulter as the other dyde Desyrynge thenne to knowe the trouth of theyr coÌ„uersacyon / he sette hym selfe for to fast an hole weke / prayeng our lorde that his pleasure were to shewe vnto him theyr dedes And after he went toward them incontynent that they had made hyÌ„ openyng they cast themselfe doÌ„ne atte his feete worshypped hym in sylence full hertely After they sette them alle thre to oryson as it was of custome / after theyr prayers y made / saynt Macharye sette hym donne Thenne the olde made a token to the yonge that had sette hym donne theyr without ony spekynge made cordes / that he sholde goo out / he dyde so / and about the houre of none he came agayn And the eldest made to hym an other token as before the whiche y perceyued departed and wente out yet agayne and made redye suche vytaylle as they hadde for theyr refeccyon the whiche was of thre smal loues that were baken betwene asshes whiche he brought vpon the table and sette hymselfe donne agayne there makynge with the other brother his werke euer stylle withoute ony spekynge ¶ Soo called them saynte Macharye vnto hym sayeng to them Aryse and come ete And they dyde soo And this saynt Macharye dranke water out of a lytyll vessell where out they were accustomed to drynke out The table y voyded and the euen coÌ„myng to hande / they asked hym yf he wolde goo his waye Wherat he answered / that he wolde rest there / wherfore in a corner of theyr celle or habytacyon they made lyghtely redy a matte And they as wyllynge for to take theyr nyghte reste in an other cornâ—â— they dyde caste there theyr gyrdels aâ—â— vestymentes And as the two brethern dysposed them selfe for to slepe / the holy man Macharye put hym selfe agayne to praye god that he wolde shewe hyÌ„ theyr werkes / sodeynly the couerture of theyr celle opened and apperyd therin a lyght full bryght that lyghtned all the place as it hadde be fayr none dayes / the whiche lyght neuerthelesse they perceyued not But anone after wenynge that the holy fader had be a slepe / they rose blessyd them selfe after sette hymselfe to oryson heuyng theyr handes towarde heuen And in this dooyng the sayd holy fader Macharye behelde well theyr coÌ„tenauÌ„ces / so couertly that they coude not perceyue it He thenne beholdyng them sawe Incontynent come a multytude of deuyls in lykenesse of flyes that wolde tarye sette them selfe vpon the eyen vpon the face of the yonge brother / but they durst not goo nyghe the olde ¶ And anone came there the angell of god armed with a glauye breÌ„nyng as a brounde of fyre / the whiche come about this yong relygyouse / made them so wonderfully afrayde that he threwe them all out And when the mornyng came toward / they leyde themselfe doÌ„ne ayen vpon the erthe for to rest them ¶ And thenne saynt Macharye as sodeynly awaked rose vp / in lykewyse dyde the two other brethern ¶ And the olde asked hym yf he wolde that they sholde syng twelue psalmes / to that whiche thyng consentyng the holy fader / the yong brother sange fyue psalmes with six verses one Alleluya And atte euery verse came out of his mouth a bronde of fyre that ascended vnto heuen And in lykewyse out of the mouthe of the olde / euyn as he moeued his lyppes for to synge psalmes there came as a lytyll corde enflaÌ„med the Retched vnto heuen ¶ Morouer after that the holy fader had songen a lytyll takynge his leue of them / he Requyred them instantly that they wolde praye god for hym but without in ony wyse to speke they casted themselfe tofore his fete ¶ Alle the whiche thynges reherced this holy saynt Macharye / the whiche also sayd that he had knowen / that the oldest was parfyte in the drede of god / the yong to be yet tempted befought of the deuyls And with this sayd he / this oldest broder within a lytyll tyme after to haue be deceassed taken from this worlde in to paradyse / that other in lyke wyse to haue folowed hym therunto thre dayes after ¶ The abbot Moyses sayd to his brethern admoÌ„nestyng them that a relygyouse ought pryÌ„cypally souereynly to kepe obserue four thynges The fyrst is that he must kepe his tonge The seconde he must kepe the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god The .iij. he must meke hyÌ„self And the iiij he must stedfastly perseuerauÌ„tly the sharpnes of pouerte And with this it is of necessyte to a monke that euer he must wepe / hauyng contynuall Remembraunce of his synnes and that atte all houres he haue deth before his eyen ¶ Many holy faders gadred togyder prophecyed ones of the laste generacyon / amonge the whiche one named Isquyrien that was pryncypall the fyrst amonge them sayd We fulfylle yet the coÌ„maundementes of god The other heryng his wordes asked hym They that shall come after vs / what shall they do wherat he answered / they shall fulfyll haply the halfe therof / so shall they requyre the god euerlastyÌ„g / soone after they axed hyÌ„ / after the same / the other that shall come after them what shal they do He answerd yet agayn The men of the self generacyon shall not doo noo werkes of the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god / but shal forgete them And thenne shall ouerflowe all wyckednesse / charyte shall be colde / vpon them shall come greuous temptacoÌ„ns ¶ But they that shall be approued in the same fouÌ„den stedfast constauÌ„t / shal be taken for better men than we and our faders haue be / and also more approued in alle theyr werkes ¶ A Relygyouse desyryng for to dwell in the company of other Relygyouses Requyryng vnto the holy fader Agathon that he wolde teche hym how he sholde behaue hym selfe amonge them To whiche the holy fader answered / that he sholde kepe aboue all thynges that euen suche as he sholde shewe hyÌ„selfe at his entryng with them / he sholde euer shewe hym that selfe man / abydynge in alle humylyte vnto his laste dayes ¶ Some tyme the Maziniens made warre ayenst them of Sychye / they coÌ„myng in that londe / slewe many of the faders that were there Soo departed theris for this cause the abbot Poemen the abbot Nub fyue other aeged the whiche came to a place called Therenetude / where they fouÌ„de a temple olde broken wherin they dwelled by seuen dayes tyll that they knewe where eyther of them sholde dwelle in Egypt The abbot Nub that was moost olde of them all sayd to them / that hym semed to be good / that they sholde dwelle â—o
vitas patrum ¶ Here foloweth the right deuoute / moche lowable / recoÌ„mendable lyff of the olde Auncyent holy faders hermytes / late translated out of latyn in to frenshe / and dylygently corrected in the cyte of lyon / the yere of our lord M. CCCC lxxxvi vpon that whiche hath be wryten and also translated out of Greke in to Latyn / by the blessyd holy saynt Saynt Ierome right deuoute approued doctour of the chirche / other solytarye relygyouse persones after hyÌ„ And after in the yere of our lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxi reduced in to Englysshe folowyng the copye / alwaye vnder correccyon of doctours of the chirche ¶ The Prologue of the translatour FOr as moche as dayly amonge the Infenyte multytude of mortall people / is seen but fewe of theym that lyue vertuously And the contrarye many in grete nombre lyuen voluptuously / and in that maner passen forth theyr tyme. This consyderyng I haue holden reputed And yet repute holde well happy theym amonge other / whiche of our souerayn lorde and god Ihesu cryste maker conduytour of all thynges / haue obteyned that synguler grace that they may verytably saye that they haue lyued vertuously And that I see some to happen in our tyme the whiche by theyr mellyflue swete eloquence haue admynystred helthfull doctryne / by the moyen of theyr excellent bokes in latyn And other whiche haue wryten translated to our prouffyte and vnderstondyng / wherof in so dooyng they hâ—â—e meryted deserued to be gretely thanked recoÌ„maunded The whiche thyng I byleue hath not ben ouer dyffycyle ne harde to do / seen the sublymyte hyenes of theyr sharp vnderstondyng the fructuouse instruccoÌ„n whiche they haue had in lettres greke latyn By the ayde of whom they haue goten the souerayne manere well to persuade saye But I whiche in ony scyence am not suffycyentely Instructe And also I haue not in me ony begynnyng of eloquence / fynde my self all affrayed / doubtyng to be repreued of ouer hardy presumpcoÌ„n to haue soo indyscretely entreprysed the translacoÌ„n of this presente werke Neuertheles reducyng to remembrauÌ„ce the prouerbe of the ê“phete sayeng / that fortune helpeth the hardy / haue in my selfe Iuged to be a thyng lycyte and resonable / to tempte assaye yf to the vtylyte comyn prouffyte I myght make ony werke By the whiche yf I haue not vertuously lyued / atte leste I may saye that I haue not alwaye passed my tyme vnprouffytably And by this consyderacoÌ„n also / that I see but lytyll or fewe persones applye theym to lede solytary lyfe / I haue entreprysed to translate out of latyn in to the Frensshe tongue the right deuoute solytary lyfe of the auÌ„cyent or olde holy faders hermytes somtyme dwellyng / as well in the grete desertes of Egypte / of Thebayde / of Mesopotamye / as in other places / vpon whiche haue wryten Saynt Ierome / the moche auctorysed doctour of holy chirche / some other reuerende faders after hym And how well that I suppose that this werke ought not to be agreable to the redars by reason of the fayr ornate langage / wherin is none Neuertheles I byleue that many that shal see the grete penauÌ„ces / meruayllous straytnes of lyuynge / in whiche haue perseuered all theyr lyfe the sayd holy faders togydre / the fayr helthfull example that ben therin conteyned / shal employe gladly a parte of theyr tyme to rede or to here it redde And further more by cause that I doubte not / that many that shall see this boke / shal mowe verytably saye / that I haue not well elygantely ne dyrectely wryten in this present translacyon I mekely beseche theym that they take no regarde to the defaultes mepcoÌ„ns that they shall fynde But that they consyder that my lytyll â—eble engyne hath mowe here in it dooyng For my regarde or affeccyon hath not be to employe my selfe for to receyue ony temporel prouffyte or thanke / but oonly to th ende to do thynge the some may fynde prouffyte therby Or that they that can do better / that it please theym to correcte and amende / be it in augmentyng or dymynysshyng / lyke as they shall see to be doon And vnder this confydence I calle fyrste the ayde of the holy ghoost / by whoo 's helpe I shall begynne the declaracoÌ„n of the chapytres of this present boke And after I shall procede to the translacyon of the prologue And consequently of all the boke / as if shall be seen by eche partye of the same ¶ Here foloweth the declaracoÌ„n of the table of the chapytres of this present volume conteynyng in it four partyes In the fyrste of whome ben the chappytres here after declared ¶ Prologue of saynt Iherom ¶ Of saynt Iohan the hermyte / whiche begynneth in latyn PrimuÌ„ igitur Caplm primuÌ„ ¶ Of the lyfe dedes of an holy abbot named Hor. To whom by grace dyuyne was shewed the yefte of scyence of holy scrypture / begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium Caplm .ij. ¶ Of saynt AmÌ„on abbot of thre thousande monkes / begynneth in latyn Vidimus auteÌ„ Caplm .iij. ¶ Of saynt Benon abbot ledyng an angelles lyfe / begynnyng vidimus et alium Caplm .iiij. ¶ Of the cyte of Exâ—rynque / in the whiche dwelled neuer heretyke / begynnyng Vidimus auteÌ„ Caplm .v. ¶ Of saynt Theon whiche was .xxx. yere without spekynge / begynneth Vidimus aliuÌ„ Caplm .vi. ¶ Of saynt Appolonyen confessour of his vertues / begynnyng Vidimus et alium Caplm .vij. ¶ Of saynt Ammon thermyte / whiche slewe a dragon / coÌ„uerted the theues / begynneth in latyn Que audiuimus Caplm .viij. ¶ Of saynt Coprett preest heremyte and begynneth in latyn Erat quidaÌ„ Caplm .ix. ¶ Of saynt Cyr. Ysaye Paule / whiche begyÌ„neth Adhebat adhuc Caplm x. ¶ Of saynt Helayn whiche begyÌ„neth in latyn Fuit aliê° vir Caplm .xi. ¶ Of saynt Helye whiche begynneth Vidimê° aliuÌ„ senem Caplm .xij. ¶ Of saynt Pithuyon / whiche begynneth RedeuÌ„tes Caplm .xiij. ¶ Of saynt Eulogyon / whiche begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium c. Caplm .xiiij ¶ Of saynt Appellen / and begynneth in latyn Vidimus et alium presbiteruÌ„ Caplm .xv. ¶ Of saynt Paphunce / begynneth in latyn Vidimus et aliuÌ„ monasteriuÌ„ Caplm .xvi. ¶ Of the monastery of saynt Ysydoee begynnynge in latyn Vidimus apud Thebaida Caplm .xvij ¶ Of saynt Serapyon abbot / whiche begynneth in latyn Sed in regione Caplm .xviij ¶ Of saynt Apolonyon Relygyous martyr / begynnyng in latyn Tradebant ergo Caplm .xix. ¶ Of saynt Dioscore abbot begynÌ„yng Vidimus aliuÌ„ Caplm .xx. ¶ Of the monasteryes of Nitrye / begyÌ„neth in latyn Venimus Caplm .xxi. ¶ Of a nother place callyd Cecylya begynneth in latyn Post hunc vero Caplm .xxij ¶ Of saynt Ammonyon abbot
/ begynnyng Vidimê° quedaÌ„ Caplm .xxiij ¶ Of saynt Dydyme / whiche begynneth in latyn Vidimus inter eos c. Caplm .xxiiij ¶ Of saynt Crenyon whiche begynneth in latyn vidimus Caplm .xxv. ¶ Of saynt Orygene / begynnynge in latyn Erat auteÌ„ Caplm .xxvi. ¶ Of saynt Eungryon whiche begynneth in latyn Vidimus ibi et cetera Caplm .xxvij ¶ Of saynt Macharye Egypcyen / begynnyng in latyn Narrabant autem Caplm xxviij ¶ Of the vertues of that other saynt Machayre of Alexandrye / and begynneth in latyn Alius vero sanctus c. Caplm xxix ¶ Of saynt Amon fyrst religioê° in Nytrie / whiche begynneth in latyn IniciuÌ„ sancti Caplm .xxx. ¶ Of saynt Pyamon / whiche begynneth in latyn Non autem michi c. Caplm .xxxi. ¶ Of an other holy fader that whiche was named Iohan / begynnyng in latyn Erat in ipÌ„is locis Caplm .xxxij ¶ Of the peryllis that ben on the way for to go to the hermytages / begyÌ„neth in latyn Sepcies naÌ„que Caplm .xxxiij ¶ Prologue of saynt Iherom vpon the lyf of saynt Poul the fyrst hermyte / begyÌ„nyng Inter multos Caplm .xxxiiij ¶ Of the lyf of saynt Poul fyrst hermyte / begyÌ„nyng Sub decio Caplm .xxxv ¶ The lyfe of saynt Anthonye abbut begynneth in latyn Igit Anthonius c. Caplm .xxxvi ¶ Of saynt Hylaryon hermyte / and begynneth in latyn Hilarion ortus Caplm xxxvij ¶ The lyfe of saynt Malachye / and begynneth in latyn Caromas c. Caplm xxxviij ¶ The lyfe of saynt Poull the Symple hermyte / And begynneth in latyn fuit quidam et cetera Capitulum xxxix ¶ The lyfe of saynt Paula or Paulyne / And begynneth in latyn Si cuncta corporis mei membra et cetera Caplm .xl. ¶ The lyfe of saynt Pelage And begynneth in latyn Quid factuÌ„ est c. Caplm .xli. ¶ The lyf of saynt Marye Egypcyen whiche in deserte ladde a solytarye lyf begynnyth in latyn Fuit quidaÌ„ senex Caplm .xlij. ¶ The lyfe of saynt Maryne / begynnynge in latyn Fuit frater quidaÌ„ c. Caplm .xliij. ¶ The lyfe of saynt Eufrosyne / and begynnyth in latyn Fuit viâ— et cetera Caplm .xliiij. ¶ Of saynt Froutynyan / Whiche begynneth in latyn QuomaÌ„ lepe desideratis Caplm .xlv. ¶ The lyfe of saynt Symeon hermyte / begynnyth in latyn Sanctus Symeon c Caplm .xlvi. ¶ Of saynt Eusraâ—e virgyn / whiche begynyth in latyn In dichâ— theodooâ— Caplm .xlvij ¶ Of saynt Machayre Romayne whiche was fouÌ„de nyghe by paradys sâ—â—â—eltre / begynyth in laâ—yn 〈◊〉 magnificuâ—â— c. Caplm .xlviij ¶ The lyfe of saynt Pastumyen / whiche begynnyth in latyn Qui deliderâ— Caplm xlix ¶ Of saynth Qnuffryen hermyte / begynneth in laâ—yn â—eaâ—e memorie Paâ—honeius c. Caplm .l. ¶ The lyf of saynt Abraham the hermyte / begynnyth in laâ—yn Cupiâ— c Caplm .li. ¶ Of saynt Pachomyen abbot / begynnyth in laâ—yn Dâ—s noster IhuÌ„s c Caplm .lij. ¶ How in what tyme relygyon was Instytued / begynnyth in latyn Erat per idem tempus Caplm .liij. ¶ How the sayd Pachomyen wolde be crysten / begynnyth in latyn Per ideÌ„ tempus Caplm .liiij ¶ How in his yonge aege he dystroyed the Ydollys / begynnyth in latyn Hic enim c Caplm .lv. ¶ How the sayd Pachomyen was taken for to goo on werre / And begynnyth in latyn Eodem tempe et cetera Caplm .lvi. ¶ How Pachomyen receyued the holy sacrament of baptym / begyÌ„nyth in latyn Igit constaÌ„tinê° c Caplm .lvij ¶ How saynt Pachomyen desyryng to be an hermyte or relygyous / wente to the holy fader Palemon dwellynge in deserte / and begynnyth in latyn Audiuit auteÌ„ Caplm .lviij ¶ How Palemon the hermyte gaaf to Pachomyen the habyte of Relygyon / begynnyth in latyn Tunc sanctus Palemon Caplm .lix. ¶ Of his abstynence / begyÌ„nyth in latyn Per idem tempê° Caplm .lx. ¶ Of a proude relygyous man whiche came for to vysyte theym / and begynnyth in latyn Vna vero dierum et cetera Caplm .lxi. ¶ How Pachomyen went thorugh the desertes / begynnyth in latyn Igitur Pachomius Caplm .lxij. ¶ How a voys from heuen spake to Pachomyen / begyÌ„nyth in latyn QuodaÌ„ vero tempe c. Caplm .lxiij ¶ Of the deth of saynt Palemon / begynnyth in latyn Inter hec venerabilis c. Caplm .lxiiij ¶ How the sayd saynt Pachomyen one his brother named Iohan conuerseden togydre / begynnyth in latyn / Quo peracto Caplm .lxv. ¶ Of the grete repentauÌ„ce dysplaysauÌ„ce that had the sayd Pachomyen for IndygnacoÌ„n and angre that he hadde ayenst his brother / begynnyth in latyn Inter hec c. Caplm .lxvi. ¶ How saynt Pachomyen resysted the temptacyons of the deuyll / and begynnyth in latyn Tunc infatigabilis c Caplm .lxvij ¶ Of the Illusyons that the deuyl made to the sayd Pachomyen / and begynnyth in latyn Quadam vero die c. Caplm .lxviij ¶ How saynt Pachomyen was greuousely beten of the deuyll / begynnyth in latyn Alia quoque c. Caplm .lxix. ¶ Of the surete and puyssaunce whiche saynt Pachomyen opteyned of god And begynnyth in latyn TantaÌ„ vero Caplm .lxx. ¶ How saynt Pachomyen prayed god that he neuer sholde slepe / to the ende the he myght the lyghtlyer resyste the teÌ„ptacyons of the deuyll / bgynnyth in latyn CuÌ„que se videret c. Caplm .lxxi. ¶ How changell spake to Pachomyen famylyerly / begynneth QuodaÌ„ vero tempe Caplm .lxxij ¶ The rules of the relygyous hermytes delyuered by an angell to saynt Pachomyen / begynneth in latyn Singulis tuâ—ta vires Caplm .lxxiij ¶ Of thre men that came to saynt Pachomyen / begynneth in latyn Oranit auteÌ„ Caplm .lxxiiij ¶ How he resceyued many one to the state of relygyon / begyÌ„neth in latyn Regulas igit c Caplm .lxxv. ¶ Of the humylyte of saynt Pachomyen / to the chapytre the begyÌ„neth in latyn Omnes auteÌ„ c. Caplm .lxxvi. ¶ Of the charyte of saynt Pachomyen / to the chapytre whiche begynneth Quodam vero tempore et cetera Capitulum lxxvij ¶ Of the coÌ„dempnacoÌ„n of some scryptures of Orygenes / the chapytre begynnyng PeriadeÌ„ tempê° Caplm .lxxviij ¶ Of the monasterye that saynt Pachomyen dyde buylde for his suster / begynneth in latyn Comperit igitur Caplm lxxix ¶ Of the conuersacynn of Theodore To the chapytre whiche begynneth in latyn Hec talis Caplm .lxxx. ¶ How Theodore was receyued of saynt Pachomyen / to the chapytre begynnynge in latyn Quodam vero Caplm lxxxi ¶ How Theodore refusid to see his moder / begyÌ„neth in latyn Denique tam preclaram Caplm .lxxxij ¶ Of many reprouyd relygyouses / to the chapytre begynnyng in latyn Igit sicut Caplm .lxxxiij ¶ How relygyouses of other monasteryes comyng to vysyte the monastery of saynt Pachomyen were not receyued
in to the sayd place among the dwellers / begyÌ„neth in latyÌ„ CoÌ„fessor Caplm .lxxxiiij ¶ How the gowne of saynt Pachomyen heelyd folke of the blody flux / and begynneth in latyn Mulier et cetera Caplm lxxxiiij ¶ How saynt Pachomyen by his debonayrte was cause of the good lyfe of a relygyous / it begyÌ„neth in latyn AliqnÌ„ vero c. Caplm .lxxxv. ¶ How saynt Pachomyen delyuered a woman soore traueylled of the deuyll begynneth in latyn Adhuc auteÌ„ c. Caplm lxxxvi ¶ How he helyd a childe that was traueylled with the fende / begynnyth in latyn Tali igit c. Caplm .lxxxvij ¶ Of the coÌ„uersyon of saynt Syluayn begynnyth in latyn Taliter igit c Caplm lxxxviij ¶ How the holy man coÌ„mauÌ„ded that a deed bodye sholde be vnclothed of his vestymeÌ„tes / begyÌ„nyth in latyn EodeÌ„ vero tempe Caplm lxâ—xx ¶ How the holy man Pachomyen sawe the angels bere a waye the soule of a relygyous in to paradys / begynnyth in latyn Moratê° eâ— Caplm lxxxxi ¶ How some were brente by fyre dyuyne bycause they letted the buyldyng of a monasterye / and begynnyth in latyn Sanctus ergo Caplm lxxxxij ¶ Of the Inquysycyons of a phylosophie / begynnyth in lacyd â—nterea Caplm lxxxxiij ¶ Of the abstynence of the religyouses begynnyth in latyn Prouide Pachomius Caplm lxxxxiiij ¶ How saynt Pachomyen lawe corrected by reuelaâ—on of god the euyl thoughâ—es of chanachorytes that were relygyouse heretylâ—es begynnyth to latyn Hee in Pachomius Caplm lxxxxv ¶ Of the reuelacoÌ„n the saynt Pachomyen had of the gouernyng that his relygyouses sholde holde after his deth / also the prelates that were to come after hym / begynnyth in latyn Monacis vero c. Caplm lxxxxvi ¶ An exhortacoÌ„n for to withstonde the deuyll / begynnyth in latyn TuÌ„e pachomius c. Caplm lxxxxvij ¶ How saynt Pachomyen by his meryces knewe the thoughtes of men / begynnyng CuÌ„que ê‘gâ—reÌ„t Caplm lxxxxviij ¶ How the deuyll shewed hymselfe to saynt Pachomyen / begyÌ„nyng Alio veâ—o tempe Caplm lxxxxix ¶ How the myght of the deuyll was shewed to the holy man Pachomyen / begynnyth in latyn In hoc eciaÌ„ c. Caplm C. ¶ How the holy man Pachomyen helyd a man that was bytte of a Scorpyon / begynnyth in latyn Interra c Caplm C.i. ¶ How lykenesse prouffyteth oft to the saluacoÌ„n of the soule / begynnyng Tali quoque c. Caplm C.ij ¶ Of the pacyence of Zacheus that was a relygyous / begynnyth in latyn Zacheus qdaÌ„ monachê° Caplm C.iij ¶ Of the deth of saynt Pachomyen / begynnyth in latyn Certus â—taque Pachomius Caplm C.iiij ¶ Of the lyfe of saynt Crysten the relygyous / begynnyth in latyn QuidaÌ„â—enomanensis Caplm C.v. ¶ Of saynt Iohan the almoner Patryarke and bysshop of Alexandrye / after that it is rehercyd in the lyfe of the faders by saynt â—eonce / in his tyme bysshop of Naples / to the chapytre begynnyng in latyn Cumque peruenissem c Caplm C.vi ¶ How the sayd saynt Iohan ordeyned to the poore â—olke of the cyte of AlexaÌ„drye theyr sustentacoÌ„n dayly fode ordynately callyng theyÌ„ his lordes / begyÌ„nyng in latyn Promotê° ergo Caplm C.vij ¶ How he stablysshyd in the cyte weyght mesure equall / begynnyth in latyn IustuÌ„ vero Caplm C.viij ¶ How he corrected theym the receyuen ony yetres begynnyth in latyn RelatuÌ„ est auteÌ„ Caplm C.ix. ¶ How he gaaf lycence leue to them that wolde come to hyÌ„ / begyÌ„nyng in latyn Discens vero c. Caplm C.x. ¶ How the holy bysshop receyued mekely the folke that were fled for to schewe the wodenesse of theym of Percy begynnyth Cuius sancti Caplm C.xi. ¶ Of the shappe of a woman that apered to saynt Iohan the Almoner Patryarke of Alexandrye / begynnyth in latyn / CuÌ„que illis c. Caplm C.xij ¶ Of a pylgryme that wolde teÌ„pte saynt Iohan the Almoner / begynnyng in lytyn Adorione c Caplm C.xiij ¶ Of a maryner of the tynne that was torned to syluer / begynnyng in latyn Nauclerus quidaÌ„ c Caplm C.xiiij ¶ Of a Ryche man that was fallen in grete pouerte / And begynnyth in latyn Descendence sanctissimo cetera Caplm C.xv. ¶ Of Nyceta Patryce ruler of the comyn wee le in Alexandrye / begynnynge in latyn Intuens Niceta et cetera Caplm Cxvi ¶ Of the scarnesse and derthe of corne and suche goodes And of a man that requyred to be made Deaken / begynnyth in latyn Qui Abraham c Caplm C.xvij ¶ Of two clerkes that dyde falle in to synne / begyÌ„nyth in latyn QuibusdaÌ„ Caplm C.xviij ¶ Of the noyse that the holy Patryarke Iohan had ayenst the ruler Nyceta / begyÌ„nyth in latyn Deifri quidaÌ„ Caplm C.xix ¶ Of Gregorye the neuewe of the holy Patryarke / begynnyth in latyn Isle memoriabilis Caplm C.xx ¶ Of the DyacoÌ„n of the sayd holy Patryarke named Damyen / begynnynge in latyn Nunciatum est et cetera Caplm C.xxi. .xxij ¶ Of the tombe of saynt Iohan the Almoner / the whiche he wolde not suffre to be full made / begynnyth in latyn DiffinicoÌ„em c Caplm Cxxiij ¶ Of the yeftes that saynt Iohan the Almoner sent to the Patryarke of Iherusalem for a socour ayenst the Paynyms / begynnyth in latyn DuÌ„o c Caplm C.xxiiij ¶ How a marchauÌ„t gaaf to saynt Iohan the Almoner a ryche couerlet for to couere ouer his sory bedde / begyÌ„nyth Arripuit sanctus Caplm C.xxv ¶ Of a chaunger named Peter / that made hymself to be solde by his seruaunt as a bonde man for to socoure the poore people / begynnyth in latyn DignuÌ„ Caplm C.xxvi ¶ Of saynt Cerapyon / and begynnyth in latyn Omnibus et cetera Caplm C.xxvij ¶ How the holy Patryarke wolde not herken to the accusacoÌ„ns that men made agaynst the Relygyouses / And begynnyth in latyn Semper quidem c Caplm C.xxviij ¶ How the holy Patryarke vysyted the syke labouryng to theyr dethewarde / of hym that was brought prysoner in Perse / begyÌ„nyth in latyn Moralitate c Caplm C.xxix ¶ Of hym that prayed for his sone / for his shyppe that was vpon the see / bycause it sholde not perysshe / begynnyth in latyn Quod in actibus apl'orum Caplm C.xxx ¶ Of a coueytous bysshop / the whiche louyd moneye Inordynatly ouermoche / begynneth in latyn Vrgebat c Caplm C.xxxi ¶ Of the shyppes of the chirche / and how all the goodes that were therin were loste / whiche chapytre begynneth in latyn Dominus qui diuicias et cetera Caplm C.xxxij ¶ Of a seruauÌ„t to whom he gaaf two pouÌ„de of golde / begynneth in latyn / Ad extremaÌ„ c Caplm C.xxxiij ¶ Of a duke that refused to leue fyfty pouÌ„de of golde /
begynnyng in latyn Districtis Caplm C.xxxiiij ¶ Of a woman that forbare wronges of her sone in lawe / and begynnyth in latyn vergente Caplm C.xxxv. ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ saynt Sophronyon / whiche begynneth in latyn Ad voluÌ„tate igil c. Caplm C.xxxvi ¶ A sermon made by the forsayd holy Patryarke ayenst the herers of folke foloweth begynneth in latyn Si vero alicubâ— c. Caplm C.xxxvij ¶ Of the childe Orphenym the whiche was made â—â—che / begynneth in latyn Audicus c. Caplm C.xxxviij ¶ Of a begyler that borowed chyâ—ty pounde of golde of the holy Patryarke begynneth in latyn Impretermisse Caplm C xxxix ¶ Of â—habbot Vytalyon / begynneth in latyn Seneâ— quidem magnus c. Caplm C.xl. ¶ Of a begger whiche in askyÌ„g an al messe of the sayd Patryarke spake grete worden ayenst hym begynneth in latyn Precipiens Caplm C. â—lt ¶ Of the questyons that the holy Patryarke made vnto the poore people begynnyng in latyn Si vero et cetera Caplm C.xlij. ¶ Of a prynce the hated another prynce begynnyng MaliciaÌ„ Caplm C.xliij ¶ How the holy Patryarke constrayned by his humylyte the proude to be meke / begyÌ„neth Suê‘buÌ„ auteÌ„ Caplm C.xliiij ¶ A sermon that the holy Patryarke made to yâ—ue ensaÌ„ple of mekenes / begynneth Et hec Caplm C.xlv ¶ How he corrected by fayre wordes swete langage theym that went out of the chirche after that the gospell was sayd begynneth in latyn Mittam autem Caplm C.xlvi ¶ How he forbadde the folke sholde not speke in the chirche / begynneth in lalatyn Loqui auteÌ„ c. Caplm C.xlvij ¶ How he ordeyned two ordres of relygyouses / buylded theyÌ„ .ij. chirches / one in the name of our lady / the other of saynt Iohan / begynneth in latyn Volens auteÌ„ c. Caplm C.xlviij ¶ How men ought to eschewe the coÌ„pany of heretykes / begynneth in latyn Et hoc beatus Caplm C.xlix ¶ How the holy Patryarke Iuged nor coÌ„depned neuer no bodye / begynneth in latyn EuÌ„ oibus Caplm C.l. ¶ Of two clerkes that made shone / begynneth in latyn Duobus clericis c Caplm C.li. ¶ How the holy Patryarke was called of god for to decesse out of this worlde find begynnyth in latyn Et quidem Caplm C.lij. ¶ The fourme of his Testament foloweth begynneth in latyn Adueniente Caplm C.liij. ¶ Of the woman that gaaf her synne in wrytynge to saynt Iohan the Patryarke / begynnyth in latyn Aluid auteÌ„ Caplm C.liiij ¶ How the deth of the forsayd holy Patryarke Iohan was shewed to a relylygyous named Sauyn / begyÌ„neth in latyn EadeÌ„ eni die Caplm C.lvi. ¶ Of a nother vysyon that a Cytezyn of Alexandrye had / touchyÌ„g the deth of this holy Patryarke Iohan the Almoner / begynneth CuÌ„ auteÌ„ Caplm C.lvi. ¶ How out of his sepulcre flowed and ranne oyle / And begynneth in latyn / Hymnodia c. Caplm C.lvij ¶ Of the lyfe of saynt Eugene / whose feest is halowed the daye after the feest of the Natyuyte of our sauyour Ihesu cryste / begynneth in latyn In septimo igit c. Caplm C.lviij ¶ Of saynt Basylle bysshop of Capadore / begynneth in latyn Basilliê° itaque c. Caplm C.lix ¶ How Eubole was crystened in the fluÌ„me Iordan / begynneth in latyn Apprehendentes auteÌ„ c. Caplm C.lx. ¶ How sayÌ„t Basylle beyng a bysshop coÌ„posed the masse / in coÌ„posyng of whiche he sawe god his apostles / begynnyng CoÌ„uenientes c. Caplm C.lxi. ¶ Of an Ebrewe man that sawe a childe bytwene the hoÌ„des of saynt Basylle whan he deuyded the bodye of our lorde begynneth in latyn Diuino quideÌ„ c Caplm C.lxij ¶ Of one that forsoke god / gaaf a wrytynge therof sealed with his owne honde / begynneth in latyn Illudius auteÌ„ Caplm C.lxiij ¶ Of a womaÌ„ to whom her synnes were forgyuen by the prayer of saynt Basylle / begynneth in latyn Mulier quidam c. Caplm C.lxiiij ¶ Of Ioseph the Hebrewe / whiche hystorye is annexed to the sayd chapytre ¶ Of the holy fader Effrem / begynneth in latyn Fratres enarracioneÌ„ volo facere c. Caplm C.lxv. ¶ Here foloweth the declaracyon of thynges conteyned in the seconde partye of this present volume / the whiche is deuyded in some smale treaties / chapitres demauÌ„des / quodlybeths / as herafter shall appere ¶ Fyrst is the prologue of saynt Iherom by hyÌ„ made vpon the seconde partye or chapytre / begynnyng Vere munnduÌ„ c ¶ Dyuerse exhortacoÌ„ns here folowen whiche begynne in latyn QuideÌ„ sanctorum senior c. ¶ Other exortacyons folowen for to acquyre the vertue of pacyence humylyte begynnyng in latyn DicebaÌ„t sancti seniores c. ¶ Here after consequently foloweth a lytyll boke or treatyse conteynyng many InstruccoÌ„ns for folke of Relygyon other contemplatyue / how they owe to behaue them selfe the one with the other / to profyte in Relygyon / whiche begynneth in latyn Interrogauit c. ¶ An other lytyll treatyse whiche techeth to fynde the reste of conscyence / And begynneth in latyn Dixit abbas Anthonius ¶ An other treatyse techyng how men ought to styre them to compunccyon / and begynneth in latyn Dicebant de abbate Arsenio ¶ An other treatyse foloweth of contynence sobrence ayenst glotonye and other vyces And begynneth in latyn Fratres aliqui c. ¶ A nother treatyse ayenst fornycacyon ¶ An other treatyse foloweth / wherin is conteyned that folke of Relygyon ought not to possesse nothyng / begynneth in latyn Frater quidaÌ„ c. ¶ An other lytyl treatyse herafter consequently foloweth of the vertue of force of pacyence / it begynneth in latyn Sanctus abbas Anthonius c. ¶ An other lytyll treatyse conteynyng that nothyng sholde be doon for exaltacyon or vayne glorye ¶ An other lytyl treatyse techyng how no man ought to Iuge ony other ¶ An other treatyse foloweth here shewynge how one ought to haue dyscrecyon ¶ An other lytyll treatyse foloweth here after techyng how a man ought to lyue sobrely / And begynneth in latyn frater quidam ¶ An other treatyse how one ought to praye without Intermyssyon and without cessyng / begynneth in latyn Diceâ—ant de abbate ¶ An other lytyll treatyse conteynyng how a man ought to doo mercy And begynneth in latyn Preceperunt aliquando ¶ An other lytyll treatyse of obeyssauÌ„â—e or obedyence ¶ An other lytyll treatyse encytynge the people vnto the ryght necessarye vertue of humylyte and mekenesse And begynneth in latyn Abbas Anthonius ¶ Of the vertue of pacyence ¶ An other bystowe foloweth of Contemplacyon ¶ Here after foloweth the seconde chapytre of contemplacyon ¶ An other treatyse where in ben recyted and reherced the sygnes and myracles whiche were doon by the holy faders ¶ The boke of the good conuersacoÌ„n of dyuerse holy faders ¶ Here begynnen seuen chapytres / the
hath be mayntened as it is now by the holy deuoute relygy onses whyche daye nyghte praye for the vnyuersall helthe / But as it is so that the thynges right good ben ofte in lytyll quantytee right dyffycile / Neuertheles al they were in the same â—â— condycoÌ„us / For they were in grete multytude and also they were perfyte of ryight holy lyfe / Some were nygh dwellers by citees and other places in champestres / And other garnisshed wyth vertues were separate dysperded in the desertes / And as the excersice of men of armes of some prynce is one they were vnyed in charytee in theyr tyguryes orcelles / And stedfastly armyd with prayer berynge the shelde of faythe for souerayne defence were redi apparaylled to fyghte agaynste the aduersaryes of our fragylytee / By whyche they tooke by assaulte the reame of heuen / All generalli were aoumed and arayed with vertues swete and peasyble / But alle were togydre alyed and bounde wyth the bonde of charyte And for Ialousye and desyre for to gete vertues they led dide dyuerse batayles For euery man laboured and toke payne that one to be more swete and softe or more benigne than the other / That one to be more peasyble and that other right pacyente / Yf ony were more wyse than thother / Of soo moche he rendred hymselfe more humble / and seruaunte of alle the other In suche wise as he semyd to be moost ygnoraunte / And soo moche sayth saynt Iherom that god hath done to me suche grace to see their conuersacyon I shall sette my payne after that god shall gyue me the mynde for to recounte by wrytynge theyr fayre laudable manere of lyuynge / To the ende that they whiche haue not seen corporally theym maye knowe theyr holy conuersacyon and good werkes / By the whyche they maye ensyewe and lede suche a lyfe lyke to theym / And fynably maye gete by very pacyence tryumphe and vyctorye in this worlde And in the reame of heuen glory perdurable / Amen / ¶ Of saynt IohnÌ„ the Heremyte the fyrst chapytre / whiche begynnyth in latyn Primum igitur / THe noble and blessyd Doctou saynt Iherom Recountyth of saynt IohnÌ„ of Egypte The whiche was an holy Heremyte and an examplayre of alle vertues dwellynge in the partyes of Thebaydes in an Heremytage sette in an hyghe roche nygh to the cytee of Lyto / To whyche Heremytage myghte noo man goo but in grete payne and laboure / The chyrche of that Heremytage was closed and shette / And therin was the sayde Heremyte soo longe tyme. that fro his lx yere of age tyl he was lxxx yere olde that noo persone entred in to that chyrche tyll saynt Iherom vysited hym / Neuerthelesse to theym that came thyther for to vysyte hym he spake to theym thorugh a wyndowe oonly in confortynge theym / And gyuynge to theym spyrytuell refeccyon / He was neuer seen of woman in the sayd Heremytage / There were but fewe men that sawe hym / and that not alwaye / But att certayn houres dayes He suffred wel that a lityll how 's was made wythout his monastery for to lodge reste theym that came fro ferre regyons countrees for to see hym / And he hyÌ„selfe allone with in his monasterye ocupyed hym daye nyght without ony Intermyssion with alle his thoughte myghte to denowte oâ—yson prayer / And he was soo agreable to god that not allonely he had the scyence of thynges presente but also of thynges to come / And soo hadd he the yefte of prophecie as well in the prouyÌ„ces cytees nyghe by and also in ferre countrees in whyche he had neuer be To the emperour Theodosâ—en he shewed ofte tymes of his fortunes that he sholde haue of his aduersaryes / how he sholde haue vyctorye of some tyrauÌ„â—es his enmyes ¶ In a time it happed that the Ethyopyens nyght a cyte namyd Cyrene the whyche is the fyrst of the parties The baydes in the countree of Ethyopye hadd assyeged a knyghte Romayne the whyche had loste many of his peple in bataylle some slayne some take and broughte in capryuyte The sayde knyghte had lytyll peple· grete multytude of enmyes feryng for that cause to assaylle the Ethyopyens / â—ame to the sayd holy Heremyte for to couÌ„seyle what he shold doo / The why the ordeyned to hym day of batayle ayenst his enmyes / sayenge to hym that yf he soo dyde he sholde opteyne vyctorye and haue domynacoÌ„n of his enmyes / As well of theyr bodyes as of theyr goodes / And soo it happed to the sayde knighte ¶ Another knyght of Rome excercisyng the offyce of a Trybune came to the sayd Heremyte prayeng him that he and his wyffe myghte speke with hym To whom he answerd that his wyffe myghte in noo wyse speke wyth hym / And that syth he hadde be Heremyte neuer woman had seen him ne spake wyth him / The sayde knyghte abode styll in his prayers / In swerynge yf she sawe him not that she were in daungeour of dethe / And whanÌ„e the sayde Heremyte considered his Inportunytee and also her faythe sayd to hym / Goâ— to thy wyffe and saye to her that in this nyghte she shall see me But that she come not hyther / But in her bedde and in her howse I shall speke to her / Thenne wente the sayd Romayne / and consyderynge in his herte the doubtous answere of the sayde Heremyte shewed it to his wife / The whiche of the Incertayntee of that answere was strongely greuyd and ennoyed / But in the same nyghte she slepynge sawe a vysyon of a man spekynge to her whyche sayde to her thyse wordes / O woman of grete faythe for to satysfye thy desyre and wyll I am come hither for to speke to the / Neuerthelesse I admonest and warne the. that frohens fourth thou desyre not to see the bodyly vysage of the seruauntes of god / But allone haue thou desyre for to haue coÌ„templacyon in thyne herte of theyr vertues in good maners / The spyryte onely gyuyth lyfe And the flesshe prouffy tyth in noo thynge / I am not hid come to the as Iuste ne prophete lyke as thou wenest of me but for the fayth of thy Husbonde and of the / I haue prayed vnto almyghty god for to gyue to the helthe of all thy sykenesse and maladyes· thou shalt be hoole and guarysshed / And thou and thy husbonde and your housholde shall be blessyd of god / And be not vnkynde of the benefaytes that god hath gyue to you / But drede ye hym frohenforth / And demauÌ„de not of hym but the sustentacyon of your lyfe wythoute ony other rychesse / Lete it suffyse to the that thou haste seen me in slepynge / And in tyme comynge herafter desyre not to see my body / Thenne whan this woman was awaked she· recounted alle the caas to her husbonde In exposynge to hym very
ensygnes of his vysage and clothynge and habyllements of the sayd holy fader with many other tokenes / By the whyche her Husbonde knewe certaynly the sayd visyon to be true / Wherefore he sore amerueylled retorned to the sayd holy fader for to rendre and gyue thankynges of the thynges afore sayde / The whyche rendred he demauÌ„ded of hym his bene dyccyon / And after came Ioyously home to his howse / ¶ In a nother tyme a Prouoste or Capytayne of men of warre lefte his wyffe nyghe her tyme for to chylde Came for to see the sayde holy fader / And in the tyme that he aryued in the place where as he dwelled And the same day she was in grete peryll for her chyldynge / Thenne the holy fader forsayde aduertysed the sayde Prouoste and shewed to hym how she was delyuered of a fayre sone and brought fayre a bedde In sayenge to hym Thou art bounde to gyue thankynges souerayne to god / For thy wyfe whiche was in grete daungeour is delyuered oute of peryll / But haste the to retorne home and thou shalte fynde her hoole and guarysshyd wyth her chylde seuen dayes olde Whom thou shalte name IohnÌ„ / And thou shalte nourysshe hym seuen yere in thyne howse wythoute to haue ony comynycacion wyth the Pay nyms to th ende for to kepe hym from theyr vyces / The whyche seuen yere so passyd thou shalte delyuere hym to some holy relygyous man for to Instructe and teche the Crystyn fayth and doctryne / And thus the holy man as well to peple of the prouynces nygh by him as to straungers yf they requyred hym gaaf good counseyle in repreuyng theym of theyr vyces and secrete synnes ¶ He prophecyed the famyne to come / for the synne of the peple and other persecucyons comynge In excytynge the synners to penaunce and amendement of lyfe And as to Inpotents and Paralytyks whan they were broughte to hyÌ„ he blessyd hem wyth holy oyle· of whyche whan they were ennoynted they recouered helthe and guaryson of all theyr maladyes / ¶ A Senatour of Rome had a wyfe blynde whiche exorted him to lede and brynge her to the sayde holy Heremyte / To whom the sayd Senatour her husbonde answerd that he wolde neuer see ony wymmen / ThenÌ„e she prayed hym that he wolde goo to hym / And praye hym to make his oryson and prayer to god for her / For by this moyen syngulerly she hoped to recouere her syghte / The same Senatour came to this sayde holy man / and after that he hadde made his Requeste He blessyd a lytyll oyle / And sente it to the sayde blynde woman / Wyth whyche she ennoynted her eyen thre dayes And Incontynente she receyuyd her syghte in gyuynge thankynges to god ¶ Many other dedes worthy to be remembred dyde this holy man / ¶ The whyche sholde be ouer longe to wryte ¶ But saynt Iherom hathe yet wryten one in this boke / By cause he him self was there present wyth syxe other brethern / The whyche togyder came for to see the sayde holy man / ¶ And after they were aryued / And that they had salwed eche other / He receyued theym wyth grete gladnesse / And spake to eche of theym humbly / In admonestynge theym to praye to god wyth hym / As it was acustomed to the holy faders of Egypte / whanne ony came for to vysyâ—e theym / ¶ Thenne he demaunded theym yf ony of theym were a clerke / The whyâ—he answerde to him â—aye ¶ Neuerthelesse he knewe in spytyte of prophecie that one of them was a Deaken / ¶ And by humylytee he reputyd hymself vnworthy to be with lo grete and persyghte men as his felowes wâ—ee / And hydde hym behynde theym / ¶ The holy man seenge the sayde Deaken whyche was the yongest of theym And shewed hym wyth his fynger and sayde / Loo this is the Deaken The whiche answered that he was no ne / ¶ Thenne the holy man toke him by the honde and kyssyd hym and sayde / Haa my sonne denye not the grace that god hathe giuen to the. To the ende that thou take none harme for goode / And for humylytee to lye / ¶ For aboue all thynges â—â—synges oughte to be eschewed be it for good or for euyllâ— The whyche Deken receyuyd benygnly his correceyon / ¶ And this done they togyder prayeng god / One of theym had a grete Feuer· In suche wyse that he supposyd to haue deyed / ¶ Thenne he prayed the same holy man that he myghte by hym be heelyd and guarysshyd / To whome he answered / ¶ My frende thou desyreste to putte from the that thinge whiche is to the necessarye to haue / ¶ For lyke as the body is puryfyed and wasshyd by the Nytree Whyche is a spece of Salte puryfycatyff / or by other wasshynges / ¶ In lyke wyse also is puryfyed and heelyd the sowle by maladyes and other Infyrmytees corporell / ¶ Neuerthelesse after that he hadd enfourmed and taughte hym of many enscynements and doctrynes He blessyd a lytyll oyle / And gaaf it to hym to drynke / By the moyen of whyche he caste oute sodaynly of his mowthe the humoure causynge the Feuer / And retournyd alle hoole· and guarysshyd of his Feuer / ¶ This myracle done thus and after many other Instruccyons and spyrytuell refecâ—yons to theym gyuen by the sayd holy fader / He dyde admynystre to theym that was nedefull / for theyr refeccyon corporell / ¶ And in the meane whyle he wythdrewe hym in to his Celle / There beynge solytary by Reason / ¶ For to wryte his abstynence it sholne be a thynge merueyllous / For he neuer ete tofore Euen / And yf he therme ete it was ryght lytyll / ¶ Of corpulence he was lene by his abstynence / And he hadde but lytyll heere of his heede also of berde / As he that was in langour / By cause he ere noo thynge wherof his nature myghte be susteyned / He beynge of aege foure score yeres ete noo mete that was boylled ne by fyre ne other wyse / ¶ Whanne they hadde take theyr Refeccyons they retorned to him ¶ And they beynge sette tofore hym / He demauÌ„ded for what cause they were comen thyder / The whyche answered that for the helthe of theyr sowles / they were comen from Iherusalem to hym / And also for to see hym bodyly By cause of the merueyllous thynges whyche were of hym to theym recyted / ¶ For more formely is reteyned and reduced to remembraunce that whyche hathe be seen thanne that whyche hathe ben herde tolde or spoken / ¶ Thenne the holy man replenysshyd wyth Ioye in smylynge answered / I merueylle of you my chylderen that ye haue enterprysyd soo grete a waye For as ye maye see to me is noo thinge digne ne worthy of praysynge / Certaynly I am a man lytyll and pooer / Hauynge noo vertue that ye oughte to desyre / ¶ And whanne it soo
is made in the worlde / And whanne be hadde taken for to susteyne nature / He retourned to prayer for to Rendre and gyue thankynges to our souerayn lorde god / ¶ To whyche Heremyte many reuelacyons of thynges to come were shewed / But after he fell in to vayne glory for his demerytes / And became slowe and neclygent in his prayers / And prayed not to god soo moche deuowtely as he had ben accustomyd / ¶ And as he was ennoyed to contynue his prayers He therby ranne in to slowthe and Infamye and in to lecherous thoughtes / And neuertheles he soo beynge made his prayers as he was accustomyd to doo / And entrynge in to his Caue he founde brede as tofore / The whyche was not soo fayre but fusty and spotted Thenne he admerueylled and was heuy and sory / By cause this brede was not lyke ne soo good as it had ben byfore / And the thyrde daye after he beynge maculate by vayne thoughtes / supposed verily in his mynde to haue seen the ymage of a yonge woman ¶ And thenne hym semyd that he embracyd and also kyssyd her In makynge fowle attowchynges / ¶ Thys notwythstondyng / the daye folowyng he retourned in to hys prayers / But SAynt Iherom saythe that he saw a nother holy man moche honourable nyghe vnto the regyon of Thebayde namyd Hor / whyche was fader and abbot of many monasteryes And was foure score and ten yeres of aege / Hauynge a longe berde and white heere 's and Ioyous after the Iugemente of his face / And to th ende that the brethern dwellynge in the Foreste had none occasion for to goo ferre for to seche their bodily necessytees / He planted in places nighe the monasteryes trees berynge fruyte In whyche places tofore he dwelled there hadd neuer tree be planted / And yf he was moche besye for theyr refeccyons corporell / Moche more wythout comparison had he more affeccyon vnto the spyrytuell refeccyon / It is sayd that charytee begynnyth at hymself / He ete not of that whiche his brethern ete / For oonly he vsyd rootes and herbes for his mete and for his drynke oonly clere water / yf he fonde it in ocupyenge hymselfe al day and nyghte in fastynges and prayers / ¶ Whanne he was come to maturytee and rypenesse of his aâ—ge / An aungell apperyd to hym in a vysyon sayenge to hym / Many men to the obeissaunte shall bileue the / Grete multytude of peple as thousandes shall be saued by the And after the angell sayd to him that in tyme to come he sholde haue domynacyon vpon as many men as he had conuerted / And that he sholde drede no manere thynge / For all that he sholde demaunde of god he sholde opteyne / ¶ Whan the holy man had herde alle thys· he wente in to a â—elle the whyche he hadd made for hymselfe / And there he vsyd for his sustentacyon but coole wortes after that he hadd longe fasted And notwythstondyng that he ne cowde rede ne wryte / Neuerthelesse his brethern whom he vysyted in places adiacent and nyghe to his Hermytage presented to hym a booke / In whyche as he had knowen all by herte he radde lyightly / He had puyssaunce vpon the deuylles in chacynge theym oute of the bodyes of men / And by vertue of his prayers he guarysshyd and heelyd theym / ¶ Many other Hermytes and relygyous men came to him / Amonge whiche saynt Iherom came whom he receyued benyngly and prayed hym that he myghte wasshe his fete lyke as he had be acustomyd to doo to his ghestis His custome was neuer to receyue hys refeccyon corporall tyll that he had receyued his maker / ¶ On a tyme amoÌ„ge other after that he hadde receyuyd his creatour saynt Iherom aryued / He exorted his brethern and saynt Iherom to take theyr refeccyon corporell / In whyche refeccyon he spake of god and of his werkes wythout to speke of ony vanytees lyke as we doo After the refeccyon take he recounted many hystoryes of holy Heremytes / And fyrst of an holy man whyche was thre yere coÌ„tynuelly wythoute etynge of ony mete / of this worlde / but from thre dayes to thre dayes an aungel broughte to him heuenly meete / Of whyche oonly he was susteyned and fedde wythoute takynge of ony other thynge / ¶ After this he recounted to theim a nother historye / In sayenge that he had seen soo holy an Heremyte To whom the cruel deuylles came in lykenesse of angels bryngynge a charyott aâ—urned and arayed as for a grete lorde / In whyche charyott was one of the deuylles habyl lyd lyke a kynge the whyche sayde to him / Come now hither good man thy penaunce is accomplysshed / There is now nomore to doo but thou adoure worshyp me / To the ende that I enhaunce the in this charyott lyke as Hely was / But the good Relygious Heron thynkynge was admerueyled / sayde to hymselfe / Eeuery daye I adoure my god / And now he woll praye that I adoure hym / He knowyth well that I serue hym day nyght wyth all my power / I byleue that this is not my god / And therfore he said to the same deuyl I haue my kynge whom contynuelly I adoure / Wherfore I byleue that thou art not my lorde souerayne / Thenne the deuylles sawe his constaunce humylyte wente all awaye confused / Saynt Iherom sayth notwythstondynge the holy man Hor in recountynge this hystorye applyed it to be happed to a nother persone than to hym / Neuertheles the brethern affermyd the same Hor. to be it hymselfe / But by his grete humylyte he atrybuted his perfeccoÌ„n to a nother / Whan ony men came for to dwell with hyÌ„ / he was soo pyteuouse of them that he callyd his brederrn and dyde theym for to make an hous for theym There some made mortere other made tyles / And by cause his brethern seenge his charytee enioyed theym to be wyth hym / He dyde not as some done in thise dayes whiche demaunde grete quantite of money for to receyue some relygyous in theyr hous but he delyuerde to them at his dyspence and his brethern hous and vtensyles / ¶ On a tyme it happed that one of his brethern a stonge lyer came to hym the whyche had rente his robe / to the ende that the good abbot sholde see hym nakyd for to haue one newe / ThenÌ„e the holy maÌ„ knowyng by Inspyracyon his Inyquite falsenes repreued hym tofore alle his brethern / And neuer after durste he lye tofore hym / And for fynall conclusyon he was of soo grete vertues me rytes· that from all partyes came to hyÌ„ holy and deuoute relygious men for the excellence of his vertuous lyfe In whyche oughte to take ensample alle men of Relygion / ¶ Of saynt AmÌ„on abbot of thre thousande monkes / And begynnyth in latyn Vidimus autem / Caplm iii. REcyteth saynt Iherom of
thing considred by the same theues the grete horrour enormyte of theyr lyfe went rendred themself relygioê° in a monastery there lyued in penauÌ„ce vnto th ende of their dayes That same holi man was instruct expert not only in Egipcyen tongue Greke· but also in latyn tongue / And for to coÌ„forte saynt Iherom his felowes he wrote to theim in a table the graces doctryne that he hadd / His lyfe was moche strayte for the mete that he ete was ordeyned prepared wythoute fyre / whan by nyÈt he went in to desert many beettes acoÌ„panyed hyÌ„ for to rewarde heÌ„ after that he had drawe water he gaaf to them for to drynke / And for experyence herof meÌ„ myght see the paas way of the wylde bestes as chieuers bezes other aboute his hermytage ¶ In this history we oughte to note ii poyntes / the one is that a man oughte not to take vengauÌ„ce of his enmye whaÌ„ one may wel doo take it / And that other is that in eschewyng the synÌ„e of Ingratytude or vnkyndnes a man ought to gyue reÌ„dre thankes to theim that haue done to vs seruyce good / ¶ Of saynt Apolonyen coÌ„fessour of his vertues begynÌ„ynge Vidimê° aliuÌ„ ¶ Caplm vii SAynt Iherom sayth that he sawe a nother holi man named apolonyen in Thebayde nye to a cyte named Hermopolis / In that whiche cyte as we rede after the prophete Ysaye our saupom wyth his intemerate holy moder Ioseph came for to dwelle leuyng the partyes of Iudee / In the cyte sawe saynt Iherom the teÌ„ple in whiche there had be many ydols whan our lorde entred therin but at his comyng all fell in to ruyne / The same holy man had his hermitage in a mouÌ„tain aboute whiche were many monasteries settnye to the said cyte the sayd Apolonien was souerayn of v. L. relygioê° men ful of vertues / By hyÌ„ were made euery daye in the vertue of our lord many grete merueyloê° werkes Fro the tyme of his yongth he was nourysshed in abstynence vnto thage of lxxx yere in whiche aege he was whan saynt Iherom camÌ„ to see hym / His coÌ„uersacoÌ„n was soo good that bi the moyen therof of his merites toward god that his discyples were also perfyte as he hyÌ„self / And whan he had be by the space of xl yere in thermytage he herde a voys fro heuen sayeng to hym / O Apolonyen by the shall be lost the scyence of the sages of Egypte that is to saye / that they that ben reputed sage wise amonge the Babilonyens all their ydolatrye shall be by the broughte to nought confouÌ„ded / Goo in to the couÌ„tree habytable in leuynge thy hermytage / For thou shalt coÌ„uerte the peple forto serue god to ensiewe good maneres / leue their detestable vices daÌ„pnable ydolatries / ThenÌ„e the holy man prayed to god that he sholde not be teÌ„pted wyth noo vaynglory / whan he shal haue conuerted somoche peple / The voys answerd I coÌ„mauÌ„de the that thou laye thihonde vpon thy heede that thou caste in to the duste the whiche thou shalt fynde ther the whiche thynge he dyde / And anone he toke a lityll Monstre lyke a blacke Ethiopien cast him in the dust The whiche monstre cryed / I am the deuyl of pryde prynce by that he knew the he had lost all pryde· like as he had put it vnder his fote This thinge thê° done the voyse of heuen sayd to hym now goo wyth the meÌ„ for all that thou shal aske of god shal be grauÌ„ted to the wythout fawte ThenÌ„ he went vnto the places where as dwelled other heremytes / And thise thynges happed in the tyme of Iulyan the tyrauÌ„t / Now he had a fosse or a pytt nye by an hermitage in whiche he abode thenÌ„ in prayenge god incessauntly / And att leest a huÌ„dred tymes a daye he knelyd on his knees / asmany tymes by nyÈt There he lyued more by heuenly mete / than by bodily His vestyment was onÌ„ly of lynÌ„en like the frocke of a monke that wherof he couered his heede hys neck was of a nother maner lyke a scapulary / that whiche vestymeÌ„tes neuer payred in desert but were all his lyfe al hole / The holy maÌ„ was in that place as a spiryte liuyng in pouerte / doynge soo many myracles the no tongue can recouÌ„te For his holynes he was hold reputed of the peple of the couÌ„tree as an apostle· or an holy prophete / Al the religiouses hermytes of the regyons adiacent came to hyÌ„ as to ther fader gaaf to hyÌ„ their soules for to gouerne / He taughte hem to do wel to estudie to abstynence after her possybilyte / But fyrst in ensewyng the doctryne of IhuÌ„ cryst he obserued theim suche as he wold be for to kepe hem to th eÌ„de yt. they shold not refuse but lyue after his exaÌ„ple / SoÌ„tyme the religyoê° persones beÌ„ euyll bi cause that her pastour is of euyl lyfe right at thaposyte the good shepeherd makyth his shepe good clene / In the tyme aforsaid of Iulyan the tyrauÌ„t the boly man ApolonyeÌ„ herd say the one of his bredern was hold prisemer / thenÌ„e he his bredern came to vysite hyÌ„ to coÌ„forte hym / And also admonest that in his trybulacyon he shold be constauÌ„t· that in the daugeour that he was in he ouÈte to reioyse in ye uyng hyÌ„ to vnderstonde that in aduersyte the vertue is shewed / A Centuryon the is to say a capitain hauyÌ„ge a C. men vnder his charge camÌ„ as al enraged to know who had suffred the holy man his felowes to entre within his prison / And he put closed within his pryson the said holy man his felowe coÌ„mysed many men to kepe hem / But god the leuith not his seruauÌ„tes in dauÌ„geour sente at mydnyght an angel merueylously shynyng / Of whom alle the kepars were so abasshed that they wist not where to be come anone they kneled downe on her knees tofore the holy men sayenge that they sholde goo whan it pleysed theym For certenly they had leuer deye for heÌ„ than to kepe heÌ„ ayenst the wyll of god In lyke wyse the sayd Centuryon on the morn eerly came wyth his pryncypall knyÈtes in to the pryson / in prayenge the sayd holy men for to departe gaaf them leue for to goo where they wolde By this we see that what soeuer infamye that is done to the ryÈtfull yf he hath fayth hope in god wyth charyter god shall helpe hem alway WhaÌ„ the holy men sawe the grace the god had done to hem al vnyed togider retorned in to thermytage thaÌ„kyng our sauiour redeÌ„ptour The gode holi maÌ„ after admonested alway his bredern to resist the teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns of the feÌ„de / sayd to hem / Yf ye resyst the deuyll whiche is
bredern by humylite answerd that he alone as the moost worthy vertuous shold make the prayer / so he dyde at theyr request in prayeng deuoutly / His oryson accoÌ„plysshed after that they had answerd Amen / came sodeÌ„ly to thate of their hermitage men vnknowe / as it semyd of strange couÌ„tree charged wyth all metes that they myghte desyre / There some had apples of dyuers sortes· raysyns nottes figges in grete habuÌ„dance / thother had hony tofore the tyme that it cowde be made naturelly / mylke grete quantyte with hoote brede good And whan thei had presented their yeâ—tes incontynent they went a way as yf they had be sent fro some grete lorde ¶ Here ought to be noted that suche thynges were none in Egipte also they that broughte theim were also vnknowe / were not of the mayntene ne of the langage of the couÌ„tree / Wherfore it maye surely be byleuyd that it was a very myracle / Whan the sayd relygious men had ete suffycyently they rendred thaÌ„king to god / kept the residue whiche endured for theyr refeccyon fro that daye of ester tyll the feest of pentcost / It is no synÌ„e thenÌ„e to ete delycate metes / whan it is take sobrely / And by that one is not moeued to synÌ„e / It happed afterward the one of his bredern prayed hyÌ„ to make a request to god that it wold plese hym to gyue to hym very humylytee / by cause he was proude wythout clemence / The holy man anone made his prayer deuoutly for hym incontynent he was so huÌ„ble meke that all his bredern merueyiled In the tyme it happed that there was grete famine huÌ„gre in the parties of Thebayde so grete that they wyst not what to ete Some wyth theyr wyues came to the holy man / For they knewe wel that oftymes by the grace of god wyth out mete the relygious were fedd susteyned / And whan the holy man saw heÌ„ he doubted no thyng / but had confydeÌ„ce in god whiche had ynough for to nourysshe theim / Now there he had thre baskettes with brede / whiche was suffisauÌ„t for the bodily sustentacoÌ„n of the religyous men there onely for one daye / Whiche baskets brede he dide do sett in the myddes amonge theim / the benedyccoÌ„n made by the grace of god they lyued by the sayd brede / by the space of four monethes all they that by the constreynt of the famyne were come thyder / An other tyme he dide a lyke myracle / on the oyles in whete / in multeplyenge aboue the therth had brought forth / The deuyll seeng this sayd to him I wene perfytly that thou art Helyas or thapostle of god / the holy man answerde / Wherfore sayst thou suche wordes / thapostles prophetes were not they men as we ben / the whiche haue lefte vs in theyr place we nest thou not the god was wyth theim and now he is wyth vs. he is shall be almyghty yf god be good wherfore art thou euyll lete vs remembre the thynges tofore wrytt / how they ben worthy of grete remeÌ„brauÌ„ce the whiche ben verefied by the wytnesse of the holy man / TheÌ„ne restith now to write of the miracles of the sayd holy man / whiche saynt Ierom sawe / ¶ On a tyme in the presence of the sayd saynt Ierom. the holy maÌ„ dyde doo brynge to the table the baskettes full of brede / But whan he had distrybuted sette it vppon the table / And that euery man had take his refeccyon the sayd baskettes were agayn fyllyd and full as they were byfore / ¶ A nother tyme the relygious bredern walkyd for to see the sayde holy man Amonge whom was saynt Iherom / And thre dayes tofore the sayd bredern came to the place where as the holy man was the sayd holi man shewed to bis bredern relygyous that the bredern were comyng fro Iherusalem in to theyr hous / wha they knewe theyr approchyng· they came ayenst theym in syngynge some byfore and some after / And in lyke wyse dyde the holy man the whiche also wasshed theyr fete and dyde to theim many other seruyces lyke as they were accustomed ¶ And saynt Iherom sayth that they neuer ete tyll that they had receyued theyr maker And after theyr reâ—â—â—â— take / some went in to desert / the other abode in wakyng / and ocupyeng theymself al the nyght in holy scrypture And notwithstondyng that they were out of worldly Ioy. yet had they more eâ—â—ltacon / than ony man lyuynge in the worlde / For where as is Ioye in to scyence there is alwaye Ioye / ¶ Neuer was there ony of theym heuy ne sorowfull / The holy man sayd to theim ofte it is of necessytee yf ye he Iuste ryghtfull that ye be alwaye Ioyous / Lete the paynims layd he wepe and the hethen men synners / Also knowe ye for certayne that they the loue worldly thinges reioyce theim in getynge londes possessyons / We thenÌ„e that gete and haue hope to haue the glorye eternall ought alwaye to be Ioyous / For the glorye goodnesse that we entende to haue shal be wythout ende / And they that entende the worldly thynges is but of lytyll endurynge / Wherfore we oughte to be more Ioyous than they that ben worldly Thus counseylith the appostle that sayth that we oughte to reioyce vs contynuelly in giuyng thankynges to god wyth all our thoughte / ¶ He gaaf also counseylle that yf ony brother relygyous gooth to see one that other / He oughte not oonly to praye hym to abyde tarye / But to constreyne him / Lyke as Abraham in receyuynge the pylgryms Constrayned theym by charyte to soiourne in his house / ¶ He coÌ„mauÌ„ded also to his bredern to receyue theyr maker / to the ende that they sholde not wythdrawe theym fro the grace of god / For in soo doynge they sholde contynuelly remembre the passyon of Ihesu Cryste In lyke wyse he coÌ„maunded theym expressely to faste the Wenesdaye by cause that the same daye Iudas machyned the dethe of Ihesu Cryste / And in lyke wyse the Frydaye / For that daye he receyued dethe passion / ¶ The holy man blamed moche the heremytes whiche had longe heer berde and yâ—ons on theyr neckes / For he sayd that they dyde not that but for the glory of the worlde / And also the coÌ„mauÌ„demente of god is that fastynge prayer be done pryuely / For god oonly oughte to knowe the good dedes that we done / ¶ And after saynt Iherom his felowes toke his benedyccyon / And he delyuered to theym some of his burdern for to conduyce theym thorugh the desertes / ¶ Of saynt Ammon thermyte / whyche slew a dragon conuerted the theues and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Que an diuimê° / Caplm viii SAynt Iherom wrytyth that he his felowes came to a place / where as dwellid saynt
AmÌ„on in walkyng thrugh the desert towarde the South / They sawe in theyr waye the trace of a grete serpent merueylousli of xv cubytes of lengthe the whiche fered theym gretly / But the bredern that conduyted theym coÌ„forted theim in exortynge theim to haue good hope sayenge / Ye shall knowe what is our fayth whan ye shall see the dragon slayn by vs / We haue slayn many bestes be ye no thing afride we haue credence in god whiche hath sayd that we shall haue domynacoÌ„n vpon the serpentes dragons vpon all our enmyes / what someuer thynge that the bredern sayd saynt Iherom his felowes were aferde in prayeng theym that they shold goo nomore by the waye of the dragon / but sholde goo seke a nother waye / Neuertheles one of hem wythoute drede went fourth the same waye / A nother broder came the whiche warned heÌ„ also the broder that folowed the dragon that they shold goo no ferder for he was so feerfull the vneth durst ony beholde hyÌ„ Finably all they went in to the monasterye of the broder that was therby / the whiche tolde to them that nye to his hous was a deuoute man moche famous / of whoÌ„ he was dyscyple by whom many myracles had be done shewed That same maÌ„ was namyd AmÌ„on / by cause some theues had done to hym moche payne in robbyng fro hyÌ„ his brede his sustenauÌ„ce / coÌ„mauÌ„ded to it dragons that they sholde kepe the dore of his monasterye to th eÌ„de that the theues shold haue no power tentre in / The theues camÌ„ lyke as they were wont to doo / whan they sawe the dragons they wold haue slayne theim / ThenÌ„e the holy man aperceyuyd that the bestes were almost deed· blamed the theues sayeng that ther were of harde euyll nature for they dradd not god ne his seruauÌ„tes by cause that they had putt to deth the bestes that he had coÌ„mysed to kepe his hous After he dide do entre the theues in to his hous set hem at the table in tyme while they ete he amonested hem of the helth of her soules / in suche wyse that he conuerted hem / And at laste thei were as perfite as the holy man whiche had preched to hem / ¶ A nother tyme there was a dragon that destroyed alle the Regyons nyghe by abowte hyÌ„ ¶ And the Inhabytauntes neyghboures to the holy man came to him / And broughte to hym the sonne of a Heerd man / The whyche was as deed oonly by the syghte of the sayde dragon / And prayed hym that he sholde praye to god hertely / to the ende that by hys prayers merytes the chylde myght be reysed to lyf / ThenÌ„e the holy man blessyd hym gaaf to hym of the holy oyle and anone he reuyued came agayne to lyf / And after the holy man went to the place where that forsayd dragon was And whan he had fonde hym he knelyd down on his kneâ—s for to make his prayer / Incontynent that the dragon aperceyued hym he came to hym siflinge and enforcyng hym by grete Impetuosite for taproche the sayd holy man for to deuoure hym / But as he the drad hym noo thynge sayd to hym The sone of god att this tyme come for to slee the / And incontynent the dragon cleft in the myddes and deyed sodenly / After he was deed he stanke / and enfected all the countree / The habytauntes assembled theym And broughte a grete masse of eithe to laye on hym / But yet they durst not approche the place where he laye deed but that the holy man we represent ¶ Herupon we ought to note that whan ony doo to vs dysplaysure we oughte not to take vengauÌ„ce but wroughte to labour for to conuert our enmye and aduersary like as this holy man dyde to the theues / ¶ Secondly that euery man oughte to labour for to conserue and kepe the comyn wele vnto the deth / Lyke as this holy man dyde whaÌ„ he aduentured hymselfe to slee the dragon / ¶ Of saynt Coprete preest and Heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Erat quidam / Caplm ix THere was an holy man in the same hermitage named Coprete of lxxx yere of aege the whiche in his sayeÌ„ges dedes was moche vertuoê° He heled hem that were seke chaced the deuylles out of menÌ„es bodyes dide many myracles / Some he dide us the presence of saynt Iherom whiche for his grete renoÌ„mee went to see him and was of hyÌ„ moche humaynly receyued After that sayÌ„t Iherom his felowes hyÌ„ prayed that he wold recouÌ„te to hem of his faytes his dedes also of his merites for whiche he made so many myracles werkes / ThenÌ„e he recouÌ„ted of hyÌ„self his predecessours / but as touchyÌ„g hyÌ„self he nas as touchyÌ„g to vertues but a disciple of chauÌ„ciens And that sayd he by humilite / First he tolde of a fader named Mucins whiche fyrste had he heremyts in the sayd hermytage had begâ—n fyrst to shewe the way of helâ—h / but at he was heremyte he had â—e the strongest â—heyf in sâ—tree suche was his coÌ„uersacoÌ„n / It happed on a night that he supposid to haue pylled robbed the hous of a vyrgine sacred / And by cause he myghte not lyÈtly entre in he mouÌ„ted vpon the couerture tylyng of the hous· was the â—â—soo longe that he slept there / He beynge thê° a slepe herde a voys whiche said to him / Lesse euyll man of thy murdres pylleries conuerte the to lede a solytary lyf / And yf that so doo I shall make the prynce lorde ouer many knyghtes / he beynge yet a slepe in his dreme / was shewed to hyÌ„ a grete multytude of hermytes / And the voys coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym that he sholde be their gouernour / After the sayde theyf awoke sawe tofore hym the mayde whiche he wolde haue robbed ThenÌ„e the mayde sayd to him Alas â—m frende who are ye fro whens come ye wherfore be ye here come / And the man as wythout ony entendement answerde noo thynge / But onÌ„ly demauÌ„ded that she shold shewe hym the way to some chyrche for he demauÌ„ded onÌ„ly to be in a monastery / The mayde theÌ„ne knewe that this came fro god / And broughte him to the chirche delyuerd hym to the preest / To whom the sayde man prayed that he myght be cristned knelyng downe on his knees tofore the preest / And requyryng place in whiche he myght do his penauÌ„ce Wyth this he demauÌ„ded the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes by the whiche he miÈt walke in the way of hel the / The preestes seenge this were abasshed by cause they knewe hym to be a theyf full of alle synne merueyled of this thynge / And this notwystondyng they delyuerd to hym thre the fyrst verses of the fyrst psalme of the psaulter that is to say Beatê° vir Sed in lege
dnÌ„i Et erit tanquaÌ„ lignuÌ„ / The whiche verses by hyÌ„ considred said that they suffysid to bryÌ„ge a man to euerlastyng lyf / After that he had be thre dayes wyth theym he went in to an hermitage whan he was in desert he ete noo thyng but rotes kept right dyligently the vertues whiche the prestes had delyuerd yeue to hyÌ„ not onÌ„ly in wordes· but also by effect operacoÌ„ns / And after this he retourned to theim whiche were moche abasshed how sodenly he was become so vertuoê° in ledyng soo harde strayte a lyf / they constreyned hyÌ„ for to dwell emonge theim / ThenÌ„e he wyllyng not to dysobey soiournod wyth theim a weke· that whiche passed he retorned in to desert / And was there vii· yere in grete abstynence in kepyng holy scrypture / ete no thyng but brede / that on the son daye / Whiche brede was mynystred to hym by grace diuyne / For whan he rose fro prayer he fonde the brede alle redy wythout bryngyng of ony persone / His refeccoÌ„n take he ete nomore tyl the nexte sonday folowyng After longe tyme he retorned fro desert / many were by him coÌ„uerted to penauÌ„ce Emong whoÌ„ a yonge man camÌ„ to hym for to be his dyscyple / ThenÌ„e clad hyÌ„ the holy man with thabyte of hermytes whiche was of the skyuÌ„e of a ghote / after enfourmyd him wyth the rules of heremytes Hrewith he had grete besynesse to bury the dede bodyes yf ony had passed out of this worlde / WhaÌ„ the childe that was his discyple saw his spirytuel fader thê° bury the dede men in clothyng theim honestli ThenÌ„e sayd he I wolde well that my fader shold clothe me thus whan I wer deed And the holy man sayd to him so shal I doo shall yeue to the asmoche as that shal saye it suffyseth / After a lytyll tyme the childe deyed was buried with his fayr fader / And whan he had wrapped him in fayr vestyments he demauÌ„ded him yf it suffised / The chylde that was tho deed answerd tofore al them that were presence there ye / that he had ynouz that his promyse was acoÌ„plysshed / ThenÌ„e all they that were present were moche admerueylled / After that the chylde was buryed the holy fader retorned in to his hermitage / whä he had be long tyme there he came ayen to vysyte his bredern in cominge it was shewed to hyÌ„ that one of hem was in deyeng And by cause it was late he hasted hyÌ„ for to see him at leest or he deyed for he was ferre fro the place where the seke man laye / that dyde he considering that our lord sayth / that we ouÈt to walke whyle we haue light For who that walketh in lyght / that is to say in instyce he offeÌ„dyth not god / therfore by cause the the sonÌ„e decluâ—ed theuynge came on He coÌ„masided to the sonÌ„e in the name of god that he shold cary yeue his lyghte vnto the time that he were comÌ„ vnto the place where the seke man was / And anone the sonÌ„e taried abode vnto the tyme that he was come / ThenÌ„e the bredern were abasshed demauÌ„ded at his comynge frowhens proceded the tarienge of the sonÌ„e / And he answerd ne remeÌ„bre ye not that our loâ—ue sayth / that who someuer hath somoche fayth as the greyne of mustard / of whiche of one grayne come procede infynyte greynes c· Anone the bredern vnderstoden that it was by his merytes that the sonne had be fixed in his syege and trone / And whan he was entred to to the place where as the seke man was / for whom he had so hasted for to come he fonde hym deed / And incontynente the holy man Mucyns kyssed hym in demauÌ„dyng him / Answere to me my broder / Whether haddest thou leuer â—e deed wyth IhuÌ„ Cryst or to come lyue agayn in this worlde / And the bâ—odder answerde / Alas my fader wherfore demaundest thou me this questyon / Thou knowest wel that it is of necessite that I be wyth my god / For. for to be in the worlde nys but myserye / Fader hermyte sayd he thenne to hym / Now goo thy waye thenÌ„e my sone / and praye for me ThenÌ„e the broder layd hym downe agayn in the bedde as he had slepte / Of whyche thynge they that were present were moche abasshed / For they knewe well that he was a man of God of holy lyfe / And this done the holy fader cladde the corps like as he was acustomyd to burye theym that were deed / walked all the nighte in prayers / And after the sayd holy man went to vysite a nother broder that laye on deyenge / And by cause that this broder doubted to be reproued of his lyfe tofore god / Prayed the holy man that he wolde gete of god that his dayes myghte be proloÌ„ged / to th eÌ„de that he myght ameÌ„de his lyfe / the holy fader answerd / What hast that do al thâ— lyf / Hast thou had no space to do penauÌ„ce thou woldest neuer lasse thy synÌ„es but alway haste augmented heÌ„ notwythstoÌ„dyng sayd the holy maÌ„ iâ— thou wylt promyse cameÌ„de thy coÌ„scyence satysfye for thy synÌ„es we shal praye god for ye. they put beÌ„ al to prayer anone after the holy maÌ„ had prayed the lyfe of the broder to be proloÌ„ged thre yere ThenÌ„e the holy man reysed hym out of his bed the frere beyng al hole went wyth him in to deserte / And whaÌ„ the iii. yeres were acoÌ„plysshed he brouÈt hyÌ„ ayen in the place where he had take hyÌ„ ledyng moâ—e the lyfe of an angel than of a man Wherof all the bredern were admerueyled that he was becomÌ„ in so perfyte lyf / After that the freres wer asseÌ„bled he beyng in the myddes amonge hem / the holy man began to preche of the penauÌ„ce coÌ„uersacoÌ„n of the sayd broder al the nyght And in makyÌ„g the sayd sermon lyke as the broder had be a slepe / he rendred gaue vp his spiryte vnto the holy sayntes to heuen his body was buryed / And after the seruyce done the holy man retorned in to deserte / in goynge thyder oftymes he passed the ryuer of Nyle / whyche is a ryuer merueylously grete depe / yet he neuer entred therin depper than to his knees whiche is a thynge moche merueylous / Another tyme the deuyll preseÌ„ted to hym tresours infinyte whyche he said that thei had be loÌ„ging to kyÌ„g Pharao were hyd in therth / The holy man Mucyns answerd to hyÌ„ / the and thi money be in perdicoÌ„n perpetuel / Oftymes he entred in to the hous of the bredern there where al the dores were shytt closed / whaÌ„ he wold in a moment he made a grete way And as saynt copret recouÌ„ted of the holy men tofore sayd one of
the felyshyp of saynt Iherom slepte / myght not byleue this that the holy man sayd / in slepyng he sawe a boke full of lettres of golde whiche the holy fader helde In whiche was wrote all the he sayd / with that he saw a man ful of grete liÈt whiche sayd to hyÌ„ / Why herest thou not takest hede of that whiche the holy fader sayth· Why slepest thou / Anone he a woke expowned in latyn to his felowes / that whiche he had seen / After this came a labourer holdyng a vessel ful of erth a wayted that the holy man shold speke to hyÌ„ / That seeng saynt Iherom his felowes prayed hyÌ„ that he wold say to hem what signefied the vessel ful of erth The holy man answerd / that it was not necessary thenÌ„e to hem for to know it / dowtyng hyÌ„ to fall in to that synÌ„e of vaynglory yf he told to hem the sygnyficacoÌ„n / that whiche neuertheles he declared to hem by cause they were come to hyÌ„ fro soo ferre a couÌ„tre in sayeng thê° Syth that we other faders become in to the londe of Egypt the londe hath be fertyle full of goodes tofore al that was sowen the wormes ete it / For the labourers were paynyms infydeles that whiche ben by vs coÌ„uerted to the fayth / come to brynge euery yere of therth to th ende that we sholde blesse it after they medle it wyth theyr seedes saye to them in blessyÌ„ge it· Goo forth be it to the lyke as thou byleuest in god / ¶ He recouÌ„ted also a thyng more merueylous by hyÌ„ doon to thexaltacoÌ„n of the name of god lyke as it folowyth / Also as he descended in to the cyte nye to his hermitage he fonde in the sayd cyte a Manychien· a deceyuour of the peple wyth whom he dysputed of the fayth But by cause the sayd manychien was cautelous subtyll in wordes to the ende that the herers shold not be skauÌ„dred in the crysten fayth / The holy maÌ„ sayde all ye make a fyre in the myddyl of the place / in whiche we shal put vs tweyne And I byleue that he shall be brent that hath the worste fayth and lawe / soo it was made And incontynent the holy man toke the manychyen by the honde to lede hym wyth hyÌ„ / the whiche answerde that he shold come after / And that it was reason syth he had doo make the fyre that he sholde go byfore / ThenÌ„ the holy man in the name of god deuyded the flamÌ„e in whiche he entred in abode there the space of half an hour wythoute takynge of ony harme / that seeng they that were assystent began to saye / O lord god how moche merueyloê° werkes thynges doost thou in thy sayntes / ThenÌ„e they coÌ„streyned the sayd many chyententree in to the fyre / but he alway reculed drewe abacke / Fynably they put hym therin incoÌ„tynent he began to brene / Yet that notwithstoÌ„dyng he was drawe out ayen / after dryuen oute of the cyte shamfully in cryenge that the deceynour shold be brent all quycke / A nother tyme he passed by a teÌ„ple wheras the paynymÌ„s sacrifyed theyr god / he sayd to theim / Wherfore sacrefye ye to thynges infused / how well trouthe it is that ye ben more worthy than your god dis for ye be or may be resonable / And thê° sayenge god enspired theim camÌ„ after him in to desert byleued in god ¶ There was a paynym whyche robbed cule wortes nye to thermytage of the holy man bare hem awaye to boylle in his hous / But whan he had boyllyd hem in houres ther were also greue as they were whan he gadred hem / ThenÌ„ he camÌ„ cried mercy to the bredern so he was coÌ„uerted to the fayth / Wherfore how euyl oâ— synful one be he ouÈte not therfor to haue despayr of his helth· for yf he retornÌ„ to god he shal receyue him to penauÌ„ce lyke as he dide the holy maÌ„ Mucyns / Of saynt Cyr. Ysaye Paule whiche begynÌ„yth Adhebat adhuc / Caplm x. THe holy sayntes Cyr. Ysaye / Paule wer of lyf moche solytary relygioê° As they iii. togrder went in a viage for to vysite one of her bredern / WhaÌ„ thei had gone iii. dayes Iourney nye to the monastery wher he was they were coÌ„streyned to passe a riuer on whiche was no bote to passe with thenÌ„ they sayd lete vs praye togyder to god that he woll gyue vs grace to passe this flode to th ende that we may achyue our vyage ther prayer made god sent to hem a bote And thei made asmoche way in an hour as they had doo in iii. dayes / whaÌ„ they were aryued aloÌ„de / Ysaye sayd god hath shewed me the man whiche we go to see he comyth to mete vs. For he knoweth our comyÌ„g Also paul said god hathe shewed me that after iii. dayes he shall passe oute of this worlde in to that other / In sayenge thyse wordes and in walkyng for to goo to the monastery where as they hoped to fynde theyr broder they encouÌ„tred mett hym salewed hem sayeng / Blessed be god that this day hath shewed to me in spiryte that whyche I see wyth myn eyen And thenÌ„e he shewed to theim al their cogytacoÌ„ns the merytes that they had anenst god / Anone saynt Poul thus said God hath reueled to vs that wythin thre dayes thou shalt deye / therfore declare to vs by what vertue thou hast be agreable to our lord to th ende that thou whyche art redy to goo to hym leue to thy successours some rule manere bi that whiche they maye haue meryte in their operacoÌ„ns ThenÌ„e the holy man answered in this manere I dide neuer thyng of grete meryte / But I haue called alwaye the name of god in my trybulacions / the grace of god neuer lefte me / for I had neuer necessyte / All that I wold ete changels haue brought to me also I haue had by the bouÌ„te of our lord reuelacoÌ„n of many thinges whiche haue be done in the worlde / The light of my soule was neuer quenched I haue seen thangels assystauÌ„t wyth god many tymes / Also the rewarde of the meries of relygious peple generally of al the heuenly court I haue seen also the deuyll his coÌ„plyces put in fyre perdurable the rightful men in to glory eternall / And after whaÌ„ he had by the space of iii. dayes coÌ„forted them he rendred gaaf vp his spyrite to god / And forthwyth they sawe the angels whyche bare his soule in to heuen / ¶ Of saynt Helayn whiche begynÌ„yth in latyn / Fuit et aliê° vix / Caplm xi SAynt Helain syn the tyme of his yongth was instruct in the seruyce diuyne in all chastite contyneÌ„ce And in the tyme that he was a chylde whan the fyre
dyuyne operacions / In whiche gardyne he had palme trees· apple trees many other trees that he told them that he had planted there And sayd saynt Coprett that he had doo this to thensaÌ„ple of the labourers his neighbours whiche were acustomed to come fetche of the duste pouldre drye erthe in the places where as the holy faders dwelled / sewe / threwe abrode the same erthe vpon theyr londe / Byleuynge fermly that it shold be therby the more fertile habuÌ„dant / He sayd ferdermore that it shold be grete shame to the holy faders there dwellyng yf the labourers sholde haue in theim gretter fayth thanÌ„e they seeng that the same fayth was in theim by the holy faders confermyd / ¶ Of saynt Helye whyche begynnyth ¶ Vidimê° aliuÌ„ senem / Caplm xii SAynt Iherom saith that he his felowes sawe a nother holy fader namyd Helye nye a cite namyd Anthinos· whiche was Metropolytane in the partyes of Thebayde / this holy fader was of â—hage of an C. x. yere or there aboute / Whiche in vertue holy lyf semyd to be egall to Helye the prophete / This holy man was moche solitary for he was bi the space of lxx yere in a deserte soo horryble that it maye not well be wryten / And there be was in passynge his lyf solytary in suche wise not where the peple of the worlde dwellyd / The waye was so harde sharpe that they that came thyder myghte not passe it / the place where he lay was so terryble that noo man myght beholde it wtoute horrour / And whan it came soo that his membres began to tremble for aâ—ge he vsed for his mete a lytyll brede oyle olyue moche sobrely ¶ But in his yongthe he had fasted many tymes aâ—â— hoole weke wythout ony etynge / Theâ— was neuer man sawe hym goo oute of his hermytage like as other heremytes wytnessen / He had that yeâ—re of god that all they that went to hym· retorned neuer wythout to haue that whiche they demauÌ„ded / And also he helyd guarisshed heÌ„ of all sekenesse maladyes / at last finysshed in glory eternall his daye / ¶ Of saynt Pithiryon whiche begynnyth ¶ RedeuÌ„tes / Caplm xiii IN suche wise as saynt Iherom his felowes retorned fro the hayde they sawe a mouÌ„tayne / vnto the whyche noo man myght goo without grete diffyculte payne / In the sayd mouÌ„tayne were dyuerse heremyte of whom saynt Pithyrion was fader abbot the whiche had be dyscyple of saynt Anthonye / And after had dwellyd with saynt Amon. of whom is afâ—â—r wryten / ¶ This same saynt Pythiryon was of soo grete vertue / aswell in helpyng the seke peple as in fyghtyng resystynge the deuylles / Whiche hadd dowble the vertues of the sayd two faders / That is to wyte of the sayd saynte Anthonye of whom we shall speke herafter and of the forsayd saynt Amon of whom he had be successiuely dyscyple ¶ Saynt Iherosme was enseyned taught of the sayd saynt Pythiryon how he myght resyste eschewe the teÌ„ptacoÌ„ns of the deuyll of hell / ¶ Who some euer woll haue domynacoÌ„n puyssauÌ„ce vpon the deuylles hym behouyth fyrst that he resyste ayenst his synnes passyons / And whan we shall haue take a waye one vyce or one synne fro our soule / the deuyll that tempteth a man of the sayde synne Incontynent shall departe fro the body where it hath ben His lyfe was moche strayte / For two tymes in a weke he ete but onely / Ne dranke but a lytyll browet made with meele wythout to take ony other refeccoÌ„n in what aege he was / But our lorde whiche knewe the Right grete and synguler deuocyon that he had in hym and to his seruyce gaaf to hym aboue nature strengthe and courage to bere susteyne those ryght strayte and merueillous penaunces / ¶ Of saynt Eulogyon whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vidimus et alium Caplm xiiii AFter this spekith saynt Iherom sayenge / that he sawe an other holy fader namyd Eulogyon / ¶ The whyche amonge other graces that he had he knewe al the thoughtes good euyll of all theym that in his presence came to the aulter for to receyue theyr maker or creatour / ¶ Soo it happed on a tyme that some relygiouses wolde receyue theyr sauyour / But the holy man kepte theym fro it sayenge to one of theym thyse wordes / O myschaunte man arte thou soo folysshe to come for to receyue thy god And thou haddest this nyghte wyll for to acomplysshe the synne of Fornycacyon / And he sayde to that other / thou haste sayde in thyne herte that it is no more daungeour to admynystre hymselfe to the table of Ihesu Cryste in dedely synne than in the astate of grace / And that is alle one beynge good and euyll / And after he sayde to a nother / Thou haste sayd in thyself that the sacramente of the awter maye not Iustefye the / ¶ And thenne sente theym agayne for to doo penaunce / Reputyng theym vnworthy to receyue the sacrament of the awter / ¶ Here vpon oughte the preestes to take ensample whan they prepare and make theym redy to saye masse / And also alle other creatures that gone purpoos to receyue the holy sacrament of the awter / ¶ Of saynt Appellen· and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vidimus aliuÌ„ presbiteruÌ„ / Caplm xv SAynt Appellen was a forgeur of â—ren / And that whiche was necessary to the bredern he forgyd it to theym / ¶ On a nyght as he was forgynge the deuyll came to hym to lykenesse of a fayr woman and brought him werke for to forge / Thenne the holy man toke out of his furnays a baâ—â—e of yren and caste it in to her vysage Thenne the deuill made soo terryble a crye that all the bredern were awaked / therof he had suche a yefte of god / that frothan forthou he myghte take in his bare honde wythout to be brente the yren alle hote hrennynge reed ¶ And whan saynt Iherom his felowes came to hym he receyued theym benygnely and tolde to theym of the maners lyfe of some of his bredern / ¶ And fyrste of one namyd IohnÌ„ the whyche was moche olde auncyen surmountyng the other in holynesse of lyfe and of good maners / And tolde to theym that at the begynnyng that the sayd IohnÌ„ came in to deserte He was thre yere vnder a toche in oryson prayer wythout lyenge on the grounde ¶ The sayd IohnÌ„ slepte not but lenynge / And ete not but on the Sondaye / On whyche day the preste admynystred to hym the holy sacrament of the awter of whyche he lyuyd onely / ¶ On a daye the deuyll wenynge to dysceyue hym transfigured hymselfe to the semblaunce of a preest / And came tofore hym the houre acustomyd In faynynge to gyue to hym the
louable vertu of chastyte / He had to the same desyred and persuaded her therto syth and after that she hadd hadd by hym thre chyldren / That by the space of xxx yere· durynge the whyche they had contynuelly ben playsauntly in maryage that one wyth that other / Yet had they neuer towched flesshely that one wyth the other / ¶ But at suche tyme as they were prycked desyred tacomplysshe theyr flesshly delectacoÌ„ns / they haue myghtly wythstode and resysted theym duryng the tyme aforsayd / as they yet done / ¶ Secondly he sayd that all his lyfe he had not cessed to lodge pylgryms And that he hymself went fyrste to receyue theym in / He had neuer dyspysed the poore peple but had benygnly mynystred to theym theyr necessytees / In doynge Iustice he spared noo more his chyldren than the estrangers / The godes of other he neuer retayned / Yf ony dyscorde hadd be moeuyd emonge his men / he neuer cessed tyll he hadd made theym acorded / Neuer man founde his seruauntes doynge ony euyll to other his beestes had neuer done ony doÌ„mage to the graynes or corne of his neygboure ¶ Who some euer wolde sowe ony corne on his loÌ„de he wolde neuer for bydde it hym ne also to gadre take the prouffyte / ¶ And more ouer he wolde neuer suffre the riche to offende ne hurte ne greue the poore / But had alway studyed to doo playsure to other / And also of all theym that had pleeted tofore hym he neuer condempned one / but had constreyned theym tacorde theymself / ¶ And this seenge the fader heremyte bowynge his heed / gaaf to hym his blessynge / The blessynge of god of Syon be yeue graunted to the. to the ende that thou mayste eternally see the goodes of Iherusalem all thy lyfe / ¶ And for asmoche said saynt PaphuÌ„ce that thou haste acomplysshed thy dayes in vertues werkes good maners / There abydeth one thynge whiche is necessary / That is that the leue alle thy mouable goodes herytages / And renounce theim in folowyng thy lorde Instructour Ihesu cryste / And incontynent withoute to dyspose his godes the sayd lord with the sayd holi fader wente soo ferre that they came to a ryuer where neuer ony persone had passed wythout boote / The holy fader constreyned hym to entre therin / And notwythstondynge the water was moche depe Neuerthelesse they passed it lyghtly wythout to entree more depe than theyr sydes / ¶ After they went so longe that they came to the deserte / Where saynt Paphunce delyuerd to hym a lytyll celle a lytyll hous nyghe vnto his monasterye / In exposynge to hym the Rules of holy conuersacyon and the excersyte of perfyghtnesse / ¶ And after that he duely and suffysauntly Instruct / The sayde holy fader Paphunce wente hys waye and constreyned hymself to lede a more straytter lyfe than he had done byfore / And also to doo make greter abstynences / And the payne that he had to for suffred and the penaunce that he had borne suffred· he reputed ouer lytyll Seeng that they that were in the worlde dyde thynges of soo grete vertue / Lyke as dyde they two aforsayd / ¶ After that the lord of whom is tofore spoken had lyued the space of longe tyme in the hermytage in augmentynge multeplyenge his perfeccyon / The sayd Paphunce beynge there in his celle or lytill house sawe the soule of the sayd lorde borne by angelles in to heuen sayenge / Blessyd is he whom thou hast chosen / For he shall dwelle wyth the / And by that knewe the holy fader that the sayd lorde was sauyd / ¶ Wherfore the sayd holy fader constreyned himself to doo yet more grete abstinences than he dyde tofore / And in lyke wyse prayed he yet god agayne that he wolde shew to hym to whom he was semblable amonge the men / To whyche request a voys answerde / Thou shalt be semblable to a marchauÌ„t whyche anone shall come hyder for to vysite the / Wherfore aryse and goo to mete hym / ¶ Anone the holy fader aroos and wente downe for to mete the sayd marchaunt that whyche came fro Alexandrye and brought fro Theybayde many marchaundyses the whyche he had in thre shyppes whiche was worth of theyr money .iii. thou sande shyllynges or there abowte And by cause he was a good man louyd well relygyon· be broughte to the sayde holy fader ten sackes full of pesen and benes for to make wyth potage / And whan Paphunce sawe hym he sayd to hym / What doost thou man of god / What lyfe ledest thou in erthe or what consolacoÌ„n hast thou wyth theym that ben celestyall / Leue vnto erthly worldly peple the goodes of the world And doo somoche that thou be marchaunte solicytour of the reame of heuen and folowe thy sauyour / The whiche shall calle the in shorte tyme ¶ The whyche thynge soo happed / For the marchaunt folowynge the good admonycyons of saynt Paphunce made to be gyue dealed his goodes to poore men / seruauntes of god / And ledde a lyfe solytarye / And soone after he passed fro this corruptyble worlde / in to the glory of heuen / ¶ And in lyke wyse after deyed the holy fader Paphunce / But yet the angell shewed to hym his dethe sayenge / ¶ Come thou holy man blessyd of god Loo here the prophetes whiche hen with me for to receyue the. The whyche grace I haue not shewed to the byfore / to the ende that thou sholdest not be proude / ¶ The holy man lyued one day after and recounted this that sayde is to some preestes whiche were come thider for to vysyte hym ¶ And after he gaue to theym many techinges / ¶ Amonge all other he shewed to theym / that they sholde neuer despyse other of what estate or what vocacion he was though he were vycyous / ¶ For in euery ordâ—e of mannes lyfe there ben two soules pley saunt to god by doynge some thynges secretly and vnknowen / ¶ And thus may be concluded / that the habyte makyth not the man pleysaunt ne agreable to god / but oonly the clennesse of lyf ¶ After that the sayde holy fader Papounce hadd gyue to his brethern enseygnements and many other techynges And that he had take leue of theym in grete humylyte / he rendred his soule to god / Whyche the holy angelles bare in to heuen in the presence of the assystences In syngyng songes and dyctees celestyall / ¶ Of the monastery of saynt Ysodore begynnynge in latyn ¶ Vidimus apud thehaidam / Caplm xvii IN Thebayde was a monastery and couent of saynt Ysodote playsaunte and gretly renoÌ„med / ¶ The relygyouses that were there wythin hadde moche grete and large howses / ¶ There were many pondes gardynes and trees berynge frute / Wyth this there were all thinges necessary for the bodyly lyfe In suche wise
that they hadd noo nede to goo out for to suche their necessytees to lyue / ¶ Tofore the gate of the sayde Monasterye was an olde man moche prudente / the whyche sayd to all theym that wold en tree / That yf they wold entree ones in they sholde neuer come oute / And that suche was the lawe / ¶ Now there was one thynge therin moche merueyllous / For Incontynent as one was entred the sayde lawe toke none effecte / By cause of his propre wyll wythout constraynt he was contente to abyde there / In suche wyse that he was rauysshed in contemplynge his perfeccyon and holynes that was wythin the sayd monastery / ¶ And that same olde man that kepte the gate hadd a lytyll house· in whyche he receyuyd all theym that came thyder And treated manerly and well ¶ Ferthermore sayth saynt Iherom that whan he arryued there he myghte not entre therin But enquyred of the Portyer the manere of lyuynge in the sayd monasterye / The whyche sayd to hym and to his felyshipp / That there with in were two auncyente and olde men Whyche oonly hadd power to goo oute and entree in agayne / The whiche were Pourueyours for to pourueye for the poore lyf of the bredern that were within / Whyche alwaye weren in scylence makynge theyr prayers and occupyenge all theyr lyfe tyme in vertuouse ocupacyons to serue god / ¶ Yet was there more merueylles / ¶ For neuer was there ony of the Relygiouses that were seke there wythin / ¶ But whan they sholde deye they shewed theyr dethe that one to that other in the presence of theyr felowes / And rendred theyr spyryte Ioyously to god / ¶ Of saynt Serapyon abbot / whyche begynnynth in latyn ¶ Sed et in regione Caplm xviii SAynt Iherom sawe in the regyon Aâ—senoitte a nother deuowte Relygyous man namyd Serapyon· Abbot and fader of many monasteryes / In whyche were nyghe by .x. Mill Relygyouses and heremytes lyuynge of theyr propre labours / And of that whyche they wanne in the season whan they gadred the corne grayneâ— / ¶ And they gaue to the sayd Abbot the mooste parte of theyr gayne by whyche they were nourysshed and susteyned the poore peple / ¶ The custotome was suche not oonly in that Relygyon but also in all Egypte for to hyre the sayde Heremytes and relygyouses in the tyme of Haruest / And eche of theym wanne abowte a foure score mewes or combes of grayne after the mesure of the sayd countree of Egypte Some more and other lasse after that the seeson was more habundaunt plenteuous or sharpnesse scarsytee / And of the same the moost parte was gyue to poore peple after the ordynauÌ„ce and dyscrecoÌ„n of theim that were ordeyned to make dystrybucoÌ„n of the same corne grayne / ¶ Theyr charytee was soo grete that they gaaf not oonly to the pore of the same countreye but they sente shyppes full charged lade in to Alexandrye for to gyue to prysoners nedy of the countreye For in Egypte were not poore peple ynoughe for to gyue in almesse the sayd corne graynes ¶ Saynt Iherom sawe also in the cytees of Mempheos Babylone a multytude Innumerable of heremytes the whyche were all full of vertues graces to god agreable / ¶ In that couÌ„tree it is sayd that the places is where as Ioseph made his grenyres for the famyne / And therfore that place is called the place of the tresours of Ioseph / Other call it Pyramidas by cause they had suche credence that suche where shold be ther asseÌ„bled by Ioseph in that maner ¶ Of saynt Apolonyon Religyous martyr begynnyng in latyn ¶ Trade hant ergo / Caplm xix THe .ii. holy olde faders of whom is tofore wryten in the chapytre precedent Recounted tolde to saynt Iherom his felowes that emonge the sayd heremytes and relygiouses there was one namyd Apolonyon / Whyche for his ryght honeste lyfe was ordeyned in the ordre of Deaken / In whyche estate he was strongly persecuted / ¶ And durynge the sayd persecucoÌ„n the sayde Apolonyon admonested alwaye his bredern to receyue martyyrdom ¶ Anone after he was take put in pryson / And he beynge therin came to hym the persecutours whiche were Paynyms / Whyche in mockynge hyÌ„ dyde to hym many Iniuryes / And specyally one namyd Phylemon whyche was moche amyable debonayr to the peple called hyÌ„self seductour deceyour of the peple / And sayd more ouer the he was worthy to be in the hate of al the worlde / Whan saynt Apolonyon hadd herde al this he answerd moche curteisly sayd / ¶ Alas my frende I pray to god oure maker that he haue mercy pite on the / And that he not Impute to the thyniuryes shames that thou dost to me presently / The whiche answer herde by Phylemon he was heuy sorowfull in his hert / And moued with suche contrycoÌ„n conpuÌ„pcion that Incontynent he declared hymself crysten / And wyth as ardaunte desyre enflaÌ„med of grete charyte came to the Iuge to whom tofore al the peple he began to crye / O wyked Iuge thou trayueyllest Iniustly the poore seruauÌ„tes of god that ben cristen For they ne doo ne saye ony euyll / The Iuge herynge thise wordes hadd supposed at fyrst that he had proposed suche wordes in Iape / But after bi cause he sawe hym perseuere in the same / he sayd that sodenly he was bycome a foole / Phylemon answerde / Herke take hede Iuge I am noo foole but thou art enraged and out of thy wytte whanne wythout reason and vnryghtfully haste putt to dethe the good true Crysten peple / Knowe thou that now I hold shall holde the crysten lawe the whiche is necessary to all men lyuynge in thys worlde ¶ ThenÌ„e the Iuge supposed to haue repelyd him by fayr wordes But by cause he sawe hym constaunt / he menacyd hym wyth Infynyte tormentes / ¶ The Iuge also moeuyd wyth wrathe agaynst the holy fader Apolonyon / Knowynge that it was by his exortacyon that the sayd Phylemon had renouÌ„ced his lawe made hym to suffre mani tormentes called hyÌ„ deceyuer begyler / saynt apolonion said to hyÌ„ ha Iuge knowe thou thy maker Certaynly I desyre that thou and all the assystents sholde kepe the errour that I kepe holde / That is to saye that they were crysten / And Incontynent that sayd the Iuge coÌ„maunded that they sholde bothe two be putt in to a fyre tofore al the peple / And soo doynge they two togyder began to praye god soo hye that euery man myghte here in sayenge / O souerayne god Ihesu cryste our protectour suffre not the soules to be lost that confesse the openly / But shewe to vs euydently our helthe / And Incontynent thyse wordes sayd· descended a clowde full of water the whiche quenchyd all the fyre / Of whiche the Iuge the peple were merueylously abasshed
cause of the grete heete of the sonne / And slewe theym wyth his fete as lytyll wormes of the erthe wythout that they dyde to him ony harme / Wherefor in hym was acoÌ„plysshed the worde of the prophete sayeng / Thou shalt make thy Iourneye vpon aspydes basylyks / And vnder the fote thou shalte putt the lyon the dragon / ¶ Of saynt Crenyon whiche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vidimê° / Caplm xxv A Nother also whiche was namyd Crenyon of moche auÌ„cyente aege as of an C. x. yere olde / And was dyscyple of saynt Anthonye / The whyche amonge all other vertues that he had he was humble peâ—fâ—ghtly / The whiche vertue suffysed to gete the reame of heuen / And wythout this vertue none other vertue maye prouffyte to the soule / For by that all other vertues ben requyred / ¶ Of saynt Orygene begynnynge in latyn ¶ Erat autem / Caplm xxvi ALso there was a nother called Orygene Dyscyple of saynt Anthonye merueyllous in all operacoÌ„ns / His worde was edyfycatyff that they whom he endoctryned put in effecte by operacoÌ„ns all his doctryne / ¶ Of saynt Enagrion whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Vidimus ibi / cetera Caplm xxvii AFter he sawe also in the same place a nother named Enagrion a man right wyse / the whyche was Instructe of saynt Machairy / Whyche was strongely possessed wyth all vertues / ¶ And aboue all thynge he Instructed his brethern to lyue sobrely Sayeng if they wolde eschewe the fantasyes and Illusions of the deuyll that they sholde not drynke soo moche water as they well myghte drynke / Bycause that grete repleccyon of water causyth dyuerse fantasyes in mannes body / By the moyen wherof the deuyll with synne entreth more lyghtly / ¶ Inenfecte the sayd holy hermyte Enagryon and his brethern ete not for all metes but oonly a lytyll brede and salte / Wherof they were more contente than we ben of metes delycyous and curyouse / ¶ Of saynt Machayre Egypcyen / begynnynge in latyn ¶ Narrabant autem / Caplm xxviii AFter saynt Iherom Recountyth that somme of the Auncyent faders Recyted to hym amonge theyr other brethern there were tweyne named Machayre that one Egipcyen dyscyple of saynt Anthonye that other of Alexandrye / notwythstoÌ„dyng the they were of dyuers regyons yet were they egall in vertues and soo grete that thei shone in edify cacoÌ„n of maners of good lyf lyke vnto ii shynynge steires How well the Machary Egypcyen had by synguler grace the vertuoê° maners of saynt Anthonye He beynge on a time in his cell or lytyl hous was perpetred coÌ„mysed a murdre by some homycides / by reason wherof he was acused pursued a symple man InnoceÌ„t of the caas The whiche seeng be mighte none otherwyse escape went for refuge to the sayd Machaire affermyng by his othe not to be culpable of the caas ThenÌ„e thei that pursued camÌ„ vpon hyÌ„ wold haue take hyÌ„ there haue ladd hym for to haue condeÌ„pned hym to dethe / This seeng the holy man prayed requyred theim that or they proceded ony ferder ayenst hym whiche sayd hyÌ„self to be Innocent wold lede hym to the place where as the man that was slayd was buryed / He beyng comÌ„ thyder made his prayer vpon the buryel / in prayers god deuoutly that it wold pleyse hym to shewe manyfest the trouth of this thyng / Hys prayer made he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the deed maÌ„ in the vertue of the passion of our blessid sauiour IhuÌ„ cryst the he shold declare yf he that was accused whyche there was holde take had slayne hym or none To whom he the was deed answerde the he had not done it / ne therin was gylty Thacusers heryng this answere were moche merueyled kneled on ther knees to for the holy fader Machairy in prayeng hym huÌ„bly the he shold demaunde of the deed man who had slayne hy / the holy man answerd the he wold not in â—ayeng thise wordes It suffyâ—eth to me that thynnocent be delyuerd For it longyth noo thyng to me that the culpable be acused / ¶ A nother tyme came to hy some parentes or frendes of a yonge damoysell the whiche bâ—arte magyk was conuerted in to a Iument or a mare as it semyd to all theim the lawe her / IncoÌ„tynent as he lawe theym / he demaunded for what cause they were come to hym ThenÌ„e they auswerde that by their comyÌ„ge to hym they hoped that by the moyen of his prayers merytes to obteyne the sayd damoysel to be remysed in her fyrste strength semblauÌ„ce / ThenÌ„e he excyted them to pray also he made his oryson vnto god that whiche oryson acheued he enoynted the mayde / whyche as sayd is was lyke a mare / The whyche incontynent after apeâ—â—d to the men in her fyrst fourme that is to wyte in the seÌ„blauÌ„ce of a mayde / ¶ A nother mayde whiche had the meÌ„bres soo rotes infect the wormes might be seen cryng hee flesshe vnto the bones was brouÈt tofore this holy man· to whom he sayd / O doughter be constauÌ„t for god hath not yeâ—e to the this sykenesse for to deye but for thy helth / ¶ Thenne was the holy man Machaire vii dayes durynge in prayers and enoyntyng her euery daye And the said .vii. dayes passed she was all hoole souÌ„de / ¶ Of the same wrytyth saynt saynt Iherom that an Heretyke Ierasitain / whiche is to saye in langage Egypcyen heresees by his art had deceyued mocked many bredern of the deserte / And att laste he came to the holy fader Machaire / to whom he made many questyons argumentes / For he supposyd to haue tourned deceyued hym / ¶ The holy man by fayre wordes answerde to his argumentes whyche were subtyll / But by cause the the holy fader saw that by hym the fayth of the bredern perysshed / he sayd to the same Heretyke / Wherfor dysputest thou thus ayenst me for to torn by thy heresye theym that herkene the / ¶ Lete vs goo to the sepuleres of our predecessours whiche ben deed / To th ende that to hym whiche our lord shall gyue grace for to reyse the deed maye by this thyÌ„ge make clere appere to all theym that shall be present that his lawe is the beste / Thenne they wente to the sepulcres ¶ Thenne sayd saynt Machaire now calle a deed man and reyse hym / The Heretyke answerd that it apperteyned to him fyrste for to calle to his god / TheÌ„ne saynt Machaire felle platte downe in prayer sayenge / O my souereyn lorde and god I byseche and requyre the mekely that it playse the in this houre in the Reysyuge of this deed man here buryed to shewe openly the whyche of vs tweyne hath moost rightfull fayth Not that I presume soo moche of myself / that my oryson or prayer be of the enhauÌ„ced / But for to encreace and make open the
holy lawe / And also for to conferme thoos that ben here presente / And to brynge theym oute of the heresye of this Heretyke ¶ Incontynent thyse wordes sayde He called the deed man by the name that he hadd in hys lyfe / The whyche anone answerd and rose / ¶ And after that the brethern vnwounde his couerynge He shewed him all lyuyng to thoos that were there presente / The Heretyke this seenge was moche admerueyled / And fledde a way for drede of al the bredern / Whiche chaced hym oute of the countreye / ¶ Therfore oughte noo man dyspute the faythe agaynst the Heretykes but yf he be Inspyred and taughte of god / By the helpe of whom he maye by myracles more than by reasons verytably preue that whyche he woll mayntene / ¶ Of the vertues of that other saynt Machayre of Alexandrye / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Alius vero saÌ„ctus c· Caplm .xxix. SAynt Machaire of AlexaÌ„drye souerayn more than all thother louyd solytude He enquyred curiously of the moost ferre hermitages tyll that he was at the ferthest place of al the deserte / Where he fonde al plentenousnes habuÌ„dance of dyuers fruytes all other good thynges / ¶ There were .ii. bredern to whom he prayed that they shold bryge of the other hermytes thyder by cause the place was moche fertyle habuÌ„dant / The same bredern dreding / not wythout cause theym the they shold brynge to be deceyued wyth teÌ„ptacions of the deuyll by cause that in the same deserte there were many deuylles horryble monstres / And answerde to hym that they myghte not be broughte thyder / but that they shold be in dangeour to be begyled deceyued in comynge / ThenÌ„e the holy fader retorned to his bredern / To whom he shewed thyse thynges whyche he had seen / And by this cause they were moeuyd for to goo wyth hym for to see that same deserte· ¶ The aeged ailcyent men consideryng the dauÌ„geours of the sayd temptacoÌ„ns couÌ„seyled the yonge men that they sholde not goo thyder For the place after theyr oppynyon mighte more be cause to deceyue hem thaÌ„ to moeue theym to deuocoÌ„n And more ouer the holy fader sayd to theym that the places is full of delyces yf we vsyd theym / What hope oughte we to haue of the other worlde / Whan we in this worlde shall lyue at our playsure / The yonge bredern herynge thise wordes fayr remonstrauÌ„ces anone concluded not for to goo thyder / The place thenÌ„e wherin as dwellyd the holy fader Machair was called Sycheon to whyche place was nother waye ne path / And was as ferre from the monasteryes of Nytrye aboute ii· Iourneyes / They had but lytyll water yet it was noyous bitter to dryÌ„ke / ¶ On a tyme was presented to hym a clustre of grapes / the whyche Incontynent by charyte he sente to one of his bredern whyche was seke he gaue it to a nother And that man gaaf it a nother he to a nother / And fro hond to honde it was soo ofte yeuen the fynably it came agayn to hym fro whom it fyrste was departed / And saynt Machair knowyÌ„ge their grete loue that they had togyder for to conferme our fayth saynt Iherom rehercith of the sayd saynt Machaire the he herde saye of the mouthe of the sayd saynt Machaire / that the deuyll came to hyÌ„ on a nyght sayeng / Machair aryse yu. and go we where as the bredern ben asseÌ„bled in prayer / incoÌ„tynent by the grace of god he knew that it was the â—â—yll and answerd to hym / O lyar enâ—â—e of trouth answere to me presently â—â—at haste thou to doo wyth the congregaâ—â— of the holy bredern / The deuyll answeâ— to hyÌ„ / Knowest thou not well that thasseÌ„ 〈◊〉 of relygyous people ne theyr dedes 〈◊〉 neuer made but that we deuylles ben â—â—ed therto come thou shalt see our deâ—â— / ThenÌ„e saynt Machaire put hyÌ„ to â—â—yer / in prayenge god that he wold leteâ—â—n know yf his worde were true in â—â—ynent he sawe lyke lytyl blacke chylâ—â— goo flee by all the partyes of the chirâ—â— / Now was the custome there suche that 〈◊〉 alone sayd the psalmes the other â—â—d· or they answerd / He sawe thenÌ„e yeâ—â—â—e chyldern blacke as ethyopiens whiâ—â—â— deceyned mocked al the bredern In â—he wise whan they towched some biâ—yen anone they were a slepe And yf â—â—â—y towched theim on the mouth they â—â—yd to syÌ„ge Tofor some thei shewed â—â—â—m in lyknes of a woman / and in efâ—â—â— bi dyuers scornes many bredern were â—â—â—eyued in suche wyse that some myghte â—â—t abide in the chirche / To other bredern â—â—y sprange vpon their sholds by can they had none affeccoÌ„n ne thyÌ„ kynge 〈◊〉 their prayers / this seeng saynt maâ—aire made his prayer to god sayenge â—â—y god aryse thou and chace a way the fenâ—â—s to th ende that they appyere not tofore 〈◊〉 face / ne tofore my bredern for our souâ—â— ben all full of theyr socrnes lyke as â—â—w I apperceyue / His orison made he â—â—lled the one after that other al the bredern / â—â—fore whom he had seen the deuylles / â—â—ed them yf in makyng their orrsons â—â—â—i had ben in wyll to doo ony werkes â—â—orell lyke as the holy man had seen / â—â—ey ansuerde ye / ThenÌ„e the holy man knewe that the vayn thoughtes that they had came of the scornyÌ„ges of the deuyll And to this purpoos sayth saynt Iherom that whan the thoughte of the man is wel sett in the loue of god it neuer takith ony fantasye whiche is greuoê° to hym or cause of synÌ„e / ¶ A nother thyÌ„ge more merueylouê° of the said saynt Machaire sayth saynt Iherom / That is to wyte that whan ony of his bredern came to receyue the holy sacrament of thawter / Yf they were not clene in theyr coÌ„scyences it semyd to the sayd holy fader / that the body of oure lorde retorned to thawter But whan the good men came for to receyue theyr sauyour the deuyllis incoÌ„tynent retorned bacwarde ferre ¶ On a nother tyme the same saynt Machayire that other Machaire his broder of whom is to fore spoken put theim in a boot for to go vysite one of theyr bredern with theym were some noble offycers / called trybunes right puyssaunt ryche / hauyng with theym many chyldern grete noÌ„bre of horses Innumerable quaÌ„tyte of syluer wyth other good / Whan one of theym sawe theim in the bote cladde with pore cloâ—hes he sayd to theim / Alas bredern that ye ben happy / whiche thê° despyse the world in it soo despysyng were so vyle poore clothes / Verily it apperyth that ye mocke yourself of theim of the worlde ThenÌ„e the one ansuerde to hyÌ„ truely thou sayst wel for they that folowe god by vertues mocke theymself / But the contrary we haue pyte
of you by cause that the worlde deceyuynge you mocke you / ThenÌ„e he that had aresoned theim whan he was retorned in to his hous gaaf for goddis loue all the he had / And after became hyÌ„self religioê° with the holy heremytes / ¶ Of saynt Amon fyrst relgioê° in Nytrie whiche begynynnth in latyn ¶ IniciuÌ„ sancti / Caplm .xxx. THe fyrste Heremyte in Nytrye was called Amon. the soule of whom IncoÌ„tynent after his dethe was seen by saynt Anthonye borne by angels in to heuen / But for to wryte of his ryght holy lyf we shall begyn at his natyuyte ¶ He was of noble riche frendes the whiche ayenst his wyll dide hyÌ„ to be maryed to a noble womaÌ„ of the couÌ„tree of Nytrye He beynge layed a bedde wyth her the fyrste nyght of theyr espoussaylles he made to her many fayr exortacoÌ„ns in ercytynge her to the noble vertue of chastyte and of vyrgynyte vnder suche or lyke wordes / My loue by cause the wythout fawte thynge corrupte shall fynde corrupcoÌ„n / And by the contrary thynge not corrupt oughte to hope incorrupcoÌ„n / Therfore it is more auaylable to vs tweyne togyder hoole to dwelle entier without flesshly touchynge vs. than the one were corrupte of the other / Thise wordes herde by the dyrgyne / she consented therto lyghtly lyued togyder in honest chastyte virgynyte longe tyme after the deth of theyr frendes And after the holy man went in to the nexte deserte to his dwellynge assembled many Heremytes / And the sayd virgyne abode in her hous accompanyed wyth many virgyns / After that he had be a certayn tyme solytarily in the deserte Some men broughte to hym a chylde enchayned / The whyche had be byten wyth a wood honde besechyng hym to pray for the helth of the sayd chylde / The holy man ansuerde that he had not deserued somoche anenst god that shold enhauÌ„ce his prayers / But neuertheles he sayd to theym that the helthe of the sayd chylde was in theyr hodes / For whanÌ„e they wolde rendre to a poore wydowe an oxe whiche they had robbed fro her theyr childe shold haue helth shall be al hoole / Of whiche wordes they were moche abasshed merueylynge by what manere the holy maÌ„ might know the thefte that they had done soo secretly / ThenÌ„e they went home rendred to the widow the ore that they had stolen / by the prayer of the holy man the chylde was made hole ayen and had his helthe / ¶ A nother tyme came some other to hym / of whom he wolde proue the courages / ¶ He sayde to theym that he had grete necessyte of a tonne ful of water / for to yeue drinke to hem that disyted hyÌ„ / And prayed requyred theim that they wolde brynge to hym a tonne full / whyche they promysed for to doo and to fulfylle / ¶ And after that they were departed fro him the one sayd to his felow the haste promysed the water aswel as I Wherfore thou shalt doo it be borne to hyÌ„ yf thou wolt that it be borne / For I haue not but my camell that whiche shal neuer bere it / That other answerde thou knoweste wel the I ne haue but an asse / the whiche maye not bere soo moche as thy camell maye / For the one is more stronger than the other / To whom that other answered / Doo what thou wolt for I woll not slee my camell / ThenÌ„e the other sayd / I shall laye it on myn asse that whyche thou darst not laye on thy camell / But I hope that the meryte of the holy man shall make possyble that whiche is impossyble to a creature / The asse anone after the he was charged wyth the tonne full of water bare it to the lodgis of the holy man Amon. also lightly as he had borne noo thynge on hym / And thenÌ„e the sayd saynt Amon in receyuyng the sayd water sayd to the gode man whiche was come thyder for to guyde his beest Thou haste done well for to brynge the tonne vpon thyn asse for the camell of thy felowe is deed / And whaÌ„ that other was retorned he fonde that it was true ¶ The sayd Amon was somoche bilouyd of god that he gate of hyÌ„ singuler graces / emong thother whan he wolde passe go ouer the ryuer of Nyle bycause he was shamfaste to vnclothe hyÌ„self sodainly he fonde hymself set ouer the ryuer on that other side of the ryuage / Therfore we oughte faythfully to byleue / that to Iuste and good men is noo thynge impossyble / ¶ Of saynt Pyamon whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Non auteÌ„ michi c. Caplm .xxxi. SAynt Iherom recouÌ„tyth in procedyÌ„ge ferder in this werke that this is not a thinge worthy neresonable that ony sholde eschewe or leue to wryte the faytes dedes of the holy faders dwellyÌ„ge in deserte nye the see Parthenie nye to a castell namyd Dyolcho whyche amonge the holy faders he sawe an holy man namyd Pyamon whiche had the yeft of all humylyte benygnytee of reuelacoÌ„n / ¶ On a time whan he sacrefysed to god he sawe an angell nye his awter holdynge a boke in whyche was wryten the names of some relygyouses assystent to his awter / some he wrote not / After the sacrefyce done he axed of theym of whom the names were not writen / But by theyr ansuere he fonde that they were all in dedely synÌ„e Thenne he admonested theym to duo contynuell penaunce / And he hymselfe also lyke as he had be culpable as they were· wepte waylled And contynued so longe and vnto the tyme that in callynge theim vnto the holy sacramente of thawter he knewe by the angel that he had wryten theym in the boke / that they had done penauÌ„ce agreable to god / ¶ A nother tyme he was beten of deuilles that he might not remeue fro the place / Thenne it happed that on a Sondaye that he hadd a custome to receyue his maker / he was constrayned to be horne of his bredern to thawter / Tofore whiche he lyeng flatte on therth / he sawe thangell the caughte his honde for to lyft hyÌ„ vp / forthw t he was hoole / ¶ Of an other holy fader that whiche was namyd IohnÌ„ begyÌ„nyng in latyn ¶ Erat in ipis locis / Caplm .xxxii. THere was in the places aforsayd an holy man namyd IohnÌ„ a nother than he of whom tofore is spoken· fulfylled with alle grace / EmoÌ„ge al other he had one suche that all they that went to hym of what trybulacyon they were trowbled by his worde in contynent they were coÌ„forted / with that he heelyd many persones of dyuers dyseses / And saynt Iherom sayth after al thyse hystoryes by hyÌ„ wreton that for doubte of grete peryllis dauÌ„gers whiche thenne were in the waye he durste not goo in to the hye regyon of Thebayde by Serene wherof
it is wreten here tofore / In the whyche regyon lyke as it is sayd there were many holy faders more perfyte in vertues graces that in theym of wham is made mencoÌ„n here tofore / ¶ Of the peryllis that ben on the way for to goo to the hermytages begyÌ„nith in latyn ¶ Sepcies naÌ„que / Caplm .xxxiii. SAynt Iherom in gooynge to the hermitages was .vii. tymes in daunger / And in the eyghte god delyuerde hym / ¶ On a tyme he his felowes were fyue dayes and fyue nâ—ghtes in gooynge wythoute to haue ony thynge to ete· or to drynke for to susteyne and mayntene their bodyly lyfe / ¶ Also they were in a valeye out of whyche yssued a salte humour / the whyche by the hete of the sonÌ„e Incontynent was harded as yce / And that yce tourned in to salte soo rude and soo sharpe that it prycked in manere of nedles / of whyche the wayes were soo aspre or sharpe and soo dyuers that not onÌ„ly the bare fote men that some soo went / but also they that shoed with gode and stronge shoes were cutte broken / ¶ The peryll of whyche waye saynt Iherom myghte vnnethe escape / ¶ The thyrde peryll was in a valeye where as they were in In the whiche the grouÌ„de was soo softe and moryssh that they entred vp to the raynes / They seenge theymselfe soo sonken and lette wythin thordure beganne to praye god in sayenge eche by hymself / My god god saue me / for the waters haue enuyronned and closed me vnto the dethe / I am drowned vnto the botom of the slyme of the erthe and haue noo strengthe for to socour my life / ¶ The fourth was whan thre dayes durynge they were in grete Inundacyons ouerflowenges of waters that were flowed ouer the bankes out of the ryuer of Nyle / ¶ The fifthe peryll in gooyng by the see syde / where as they were chaced of theues aboute of .x. myle waye / And notwythstondynge that the theues dyde to hem none harme neuertheles they made theym to renne / that they were almoost deed for traueyle / ¶ The syxte was in passyÌ„ge ouer the flood of Nyle where as they were in grete merueylous dauÌ„ger to be slayn ¶ The seuenth was vpon the ryuage of a lake or ponde called Marethse for they were born by Impetuse terryble wyndes in a merueylous yle in that whyche they were in a traunse for the grete colde that was there / The whiche thynge happend to theym in the dayes of that so lempnyte of thepiphanye / ¶ The .viii. was in comynge to the monasteryes of Nytrye in whyche place they founde a grete stagne or ponde comynge out of the water of Nyle in whiche place were in fynyte nombre of merueyllous beestes pryncypally serpents venemous namyd Cokadrylles / the whyche beestes whan the sonÌ„e shone came to the ryuage of the sayd stagne laye there lyke as thei had ben deed / And whan they camÌ„nye for to see them wenyng that they had ben deed / IncoÌ„tynent they aroos for to deuoure theym they wyste not what to do but calle the name of god that whiche InuocacoÌ„n made the sayde beestes Incontynent fledde to wythin the ponde as thei had be chaced bi an angel of heuen / ¶ After that they were escaped fro the sayd places they went to the monasteryes of Hermytes Religiouses for yelde thankynges to god whiche for soo grete perylles dauÌ„gers had delyuerd theym / In consyderyng the sayd perylles maye clerely openly be knowen that saynt Iherom ne the other gloryons sayntes haue not wythout to suffre grete merueylloê° paynes trybulacoÌ„ns come to the reame of heuen / But desiryng to come to the same / haue ben contente not oonly to forsake the vanytees delectacyons of the worlde / But also some to expose theyr bodies to bere terryble and strayte penauÌ„ces And other to suffre horrible tormentes vnto the deth abydynge the retrybucoÌ„n of the souerayn rewarder Ihesu Cryste / To whom be attrybued glorye / honour puyssaunce eternally / Amen / ¶ Here folowen the lyues and fayttes of holy faders of Egypte that dwelleden in Syrye and Thebayde / Lyke as saynt Iherom fonde theym antentyely wreten in Greke / And after by him translated in to Eatyn / To whom he adiousted many other dedes of the sayde holy faders / Whyche by other translatours had be verytably translated / And fyrst folowith shortly the Prologue of saynt Iherom in the lyf of saynt Poul the fyrste hermyte / the forsayd Prologue begynyth in latin ¶ Ini multos / Caplm .xxxiiii. MAny aske sayth saynt Iherom who was the firste hermyte / Some saye Helye· other saye saynt IohnÌ„ whyche began to prophecye tofore he was borne / Other saye saynt Anthonye / But saynt Machaire Amathas discyples of sayÌ„t Anthonye sayen that a Thebaien named Poul was the fyrste whiche began the lyfe of an hermyte Not onÌ„ly that in hyÌ„ was begon the name that whiche oppynion approueth sayÌ„t Iherom / But neuertheles for asmoche as it semyth to be a vayn curyosyte for to wylle desire to knowe who was the fyrst also that in that lyeth noo thynge that is somoche helthfull it is moche better more vaylable to dispose appliâ— hyÌ„ to folow thother gode maners vertues of the holy faders than to tarye of a thyng of soo lytyll valewe / ¶ Of the lif of saynt Poul first hermyte begyÌ„nyng ¶ Sub decio / ca· xxxv· IN the tyme of Decyen Valeryen persecutours of the fayth of Cryste that Cornelius aâ—t Rome Cypryan at Cartage excersyced theyr wood tyraÌ„nye / Many holy deuoute Crysten men were martred in Egypte in Thebayde in suche wise that the chirche was for that cause merueylously persecuted / the name of our blessyd sauyour Ihesu Cryste horrybly dispysed defouled / ¶ Thenne to this purpose saynt Iherom recountynge .ii. tyranÌ„yes emonge the other coÌ„mysed perpetred by the sayde Cyprian tellyth of a martyr whom he enforced to endure many tormentes of fyre whiche coude neuer hurte hym ne doo to hym ony gryef or harme the whyche thynge the sayd Cypryan bare aygrely / ¶ And by grete cruelte he dyde hym to be enoynted with hony and dyde doo bynde his hondes byhynde his backe to th ende that the bees flyes sholde sore and longe stynge prycke hym / ¶ To a nother yonge man whom he cowde not ouercome by tormentes / He dyde doo make a fetherbed well arayed in a fayr gardyn full of reed rooses floures de lys / nye to afayre rennynge water / To whiche bed he made hym faste wythout to do to hym ony gryef in suche wise that he cowde not ryse ne torne on the one syde ne on that other ¶ And after that eche man was departed made a comyn woman whiche was excellent was perfyghte in bodyly beaute / whyche enbraced him
¶ I knome well that I am not worthy to see the / But neuerthelesse I praye the open to me thy doore / ¶ For surely my frende I shall neuer departe fromhens tyll I haue seen that / Thou susteynest well that brute beestes Wherfor thenÌ„e openest not thou thy doore to me that am a beest resonable I haue sought the. haue fouÌ„de that / And haue knocked to th ende that thou shold open the dore to me / the whiche thyÌ„ge yf thou doo not I shal dey-here in abydyng that / And thê° tofore the dore of saynt Poul· the blessyd saynt Anthonye sorowed / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Poul ansuerde to hyÌ„ / O knyght of god noo man threnyth that / in desyrynge like as the desirest / thou thretnest mein wayllynge sayenge that thou shalte deye· yf I opene not to the the dore / And thus in smylynge saynt Poul opened the dore to sayÌ„t Anthonie / whaÌ„ it was opened that one saluted that other by theyr names / And yet hadd they neuer seen eche other / And after that they embracyd and kyssed togyder a long whyle / ¶ Now lete vs thynke what welcomynges and thankes full of deuocyon were thenÌ„e bitwene theim tweyne Certaynly it shold be loÌ„ge to reherce / ¶ After saynt Poul began to saye / Alas my broder thou haste taken grete labour for to see me / And I am noo thynge but a wretchyd carayne all roten for aege / thou seest a man the whyche anone shall be come asshes or duste / But charite enduryth and suffreth all manere traueylle how grete someuer it be / ¶ Now say to me my broder how men ben gouerned in the worlde / Yf ony be deceyued by the temptacyon of the enmye the deuyll / vnder what domynacion is the worlde gouerned / And in sayeng suche wordes togyder came a Crowe or a byrde whiche lete falle a loof of brede tofore thise two holy men / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Poul sayd / My right dere byloued broder leâ—e vs thynke on the goodnes of our lorde the whyche hath sente to vs our dyner / Helas he is moche mercyfull lowely / It is now syth .lx. yeres that euery daye I haue had halfe a loof of breede but now at thy comyng god hath multeplyed the porâ—dern and hath sente dowble pytaunâ—e / ThenÌ„e by a welle or fouÌ„tayne whiche was there they rendred gaue thankynges vnto god / And after they were by two houres in doynge honoure that one to that other· whyche of theym sholde departe the brede / Saynt Poul sayd it was saynt Anthonies parte to doo it by cause he was his gheste Sayenge that honoure oughte alwaye to be gyuen to the ghestes / Saynt Anthonye sayde the contrary / But that it apperteyned to saynt Poul / By cause he was more auncyente and more perfyghte / ¶ For vnto the perfyghte and vertuous is honoure due / ¶ And at laste they holdyng the same breede bytwene theyr hondes / It was departed and deuyded by the grace of god that to eche of theym abode his porcyon / ¶ And after that they had eten they dranke a lytyll water of the fountayne in renderyng and gyuynge graces and thankes to god / ¶ That done they putt theym bothe togyder in prayer And woke all the nyghte in prayenge to god deuowtly / ¶ O deuowte soule Thynke what prayer euery man now makyth on his partye / ¶ They had noo fantasye of the worlde In thynkynge what they sholde ete or drynke / Clooth or to hoose or shoo theym / ¶ Alas we that ben in the worlde canne not saye an Aue maria wythoute to haue lettynges wythoute nombre· or empesshements As euery man knowyth in hymselfe / ¶ On the moâ—â—e whanÌ„e it was daye saynt Poul sayd to saynt Anthonye / It is longe syth I knewe that thou dwelledest in thyse Regyons ¶ For god hath promysed to me longe sythe that I sholde haue one his seruaunte wyth me / But bycause that in folowynge the appostle it is longe syth that I desyred to be wyth IhuÌ„ cryst / thou art by hym sent byder to th eÌ„de that thou put my body whiche is but erthe within the bely of his moder whiche is the erthe / with his bredern whiche hen the wormes the ben of the erth / ThenÌ„e saynt Anthony began to wayle wepe so habuÌ„dantly that none can write in prayeÌ„ge hym that he myght holde hym companye in this mortall waye of the worlde Saynt Poul ansuerde / Thou oughtest not to seche that thynge whyche is in thy possessyon / but the strange thynges / ¶ It is necessary to the to leue thy careyne and folowe Ihesu Cryste / And to thyne other bredern that they gouerne theym by the ensample of thy lyfe / Wherfore thou shalt goo to thyne house / And thou shalte brynge the mantell whiche the bysshopp Athanase gaaf to the for to couere my body whan it shal be deed / And thyse wordes sayde saynt Poul to saynt Anthonye not for drede that his body sholde be wythout couerture / For neuer in his lyfe he had not couerde it but wyth leues of palmes / but he sayd this to the ende / that saynt Anthonye sholde departe and that his dethe sholde not be to hym sorowfull / ¶ O how grete charyte is soone come emonge theym that ben perfyghte for one daye oonly that they had ben togyder / ¶ Saynt Poul dradde to angre saynt Anthonye / His requeste herde saynt Anthonye was merueylously abasshyd how he knewe that saynt Athanase hadd gyuen to hym a mantell / And by that he knewe that he had god in his hertâ—â— And therfore he durste not answere· bâ—â— kyssed hym soo swetly soo brotherly / bothe his eyen hondes in weping grete teeres that he myght not well departe from him / ¶ And after he came agayn in to his hermytage / And by cause that saynt Anthonye was moche feble by cause of his abstynences myght not soo soone come as his courage constrayned hym / ¶ And thus as he came in to his lytyll hous / two of his discyples came metynge hym / And sayd to hym ¶ Where haste thou be soo longe fader What haste thou be soo longe from vs Helas we supposed to haue loste that / and doubted that thou haddest ben deed / Thou arte tyght welcome / For the heuynesse that we had for thy departyng Thy comynge agayne hath rendred to vs Ioye without melancolye / ¶ He ansuerde to theym / Helas I am a poore synar vnworthy to be namyd Relygyouse / ¶ I haue seen Helye and Iohan in deserte / ¶ And verely I haue seen saynt Poul in heuen / ¶ And Incontinente he tooke in his celle the mantell for to retorne towarde saynt Poul / ¶ Thenne the bredern demaunded of hym the cause why he was soo heuy soo sorowfull / ¶ And he answeryd to theym / That there was a tyme to speke And a tyme
to be stylle / ¶ Thenne he toke a lytyll mete / And retourned by the waye that he came / Desyrynge syngulerly to see the holy Heremyte Poul Doubtynge also that he sholde rendre his soule to god in his absence / ¶ And after fynably he wente wyth soo grete dylygence as was to him possyble / and in suche wyse as that he had not walked but thre houres / ¶ WhanÌ„e he sawe 〈◊〉 â—â—ule of saynt Poul amonge the an 〈◊〉 Appostles / Prophetes and marters pure clene and white as snowe borne vpp in to heuen / And Incontynente he felle downe to the erthe / And couered his heed wyth sonde in sayenge / ¶ Wherfor Poul leuest thou me / Helas wherfore goost thou wythoute sayenge to me a dieu / or farewell / Helas I haue ouerlate knowen the / And ouer soone thou goost / Now haue I loste alle comforte Helas if I had not seen the ne knowen I shold not now haue the harme ne euyll that I haue / ¶ O man of god make thy requeste now in that hye place / where as the angels haue borne the to / that I maye by very faythe goo soone and folowe the / ¶ After that he had well egrely wepte waylled he was and founde hymself also lyghte as a byrde or a fowle fleenge and not wythout cause / For he beynge arryued at the hermytage of saynt Poul / He fonde hym knelynge on his knees vnmoeuable his hede beynge lyft vp on hyghe and his hoÌ„des Ioyned in suche wyse as saynt Anthonye had supposyd as he had ben yet alyue / But by cause he drewe noo brethe he wyste well he was deed / He was abowte to burye hym in sayenge psalmes and ympnes / lyke as thenne was the custome to burye the faders of Egypte / He supposyd to haue putt hym in to the erthe / But he founde neyther pykeys ne shouel for to make a pytt or graue / Wherof his heuynesse was encreaced consyderyng that he myght not lyghtly make it / For it was foure Iourneyes vnto his monastery / And of that other parte he thought in hymself that withoute pykâ—oys and shouel he myghteâ—e doo noo thynge / ¶ He beynge 〈◊〉 malencolye concluded in hymself byde there tyll he sholde deye nyghe to the layd body ¶ And thus thynkynge came two lyons sodaynly whyche made saynt Anthonye sore aferde / But he anone retorned towarde god by deuowte orison / And anone was assured and had noo more fere ne drede / ¶ And he behelde the lyons whyche began to waylle and lamente by the corps of saynt Poul / Lyke as they had had vnderstondynge resonable / And after theyr wayllynges / they made a depe pytte of the lengthe of the holy saynt Poul / The whyche made they came to saynt Anthonye / and lycked his hondes and fete Lyke as they had axyd his benedyccyon for theyr rewarde that they had there done / ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye in praysynge god sayd / O my lorde my god wythout the prouydence of whom one oonly leef of the tree fallyth not to the grounde / Gyue to thyse lyons that whyche thou knowest that ought to be gyuen to them / ¶ And after blessyd theym wyth the sygne of the Crosse to the ende that they sholde goo theyr waye / And after whan they were departed he putt the body in the erthe the beste wyse he myghte / And on the morne came agayne / And as his heyre brought his robe of leeues / the whyche he ware or Eester daye and Whytsondaye oonly / ¶ Vpon this matere for to excyte theym that haue soo moche payne for to hope and to assemble bi neclygent wayes townes castelles lordshippes and other temporell godes in soo grete quantyte and the whyche some tyme begge in the ende of theyr dayes / Saynt Iherom knowynge the holy lyfe of the sayde gloryous saynt Poul / whyche neuer hadde suffraunce ne Indygence makyth to theym suche an exhortacyon / ¶ Thynke thou prowe man that drynkest and etest in vessellis of golde and syluer and gayely made fayr and ryche wyth precyouse stones / Thynke that to the deuowte and holy man Whyche hadd not but oonly one Robe of leues of Palme was heuen opened And to the prowde is hells made redy ¶ Thynke in lyke wyse of thy sepulture composyd of stones of marble or of syluer gylce / Or that is couered with veluet with whiche thou mayst be brente / ¶ Helas the holy man hadd not but a lytyll of erthe / Helas ye worldly men deporte or forbere you / And take not so moche payne to gadre and hepe richesses / ¶ Alas how is a man soo moche a foole for to burye a nother in clothe of golde or of sylke / For Incontynent and as soone as a man whiche hathe lyued euyll and synfully is out of this worlde / He is but in wepynges and in waylynges / ¶ The sepulcre of golde ne the dothe of parement maye not raunsonÌ„e hym fro the paynes that he suffreth / ¶ Alas poore prowde man wolt thou deye in thy pryde that desyrest to be buryed soo costle we / ¶ Fro whens comyth this folye / Whan thou haste be ambycyous in thy lyfe and that hath be made to the soo many vayne honours / Thou desyrest yet that they yet sholde be made to thy careyne after thy deth / ¶ And ofte perauenture some haue fayre and ryche sepulture of whom the soule suffreth harde payne / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Anthonye Abbot / Whyche fyrste was broughte in to wrytynge and sente by saynt Anathase to the bysshopp of Alexandrye / And after by saynt Enagrion preest translated out of Greke in to latyn and put it to this present boke whiche is made of holy faders / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Igitur Anthonius c. Caplm .xxxvi. SAynt Anthonye born in Egipte was come of ryght noble pareÌ„tes as was of noblesse of lignage as of holy conuersacyon / He was nourysshed soo solytaryly that he knewe noo man of the world / but onÌ„ly his frendes ¶ Whan he was a lytyll grete that is to wyte in his Infancye he wolde not goo play with lytyll chyldern but he went in to the chyrche herynge the seruyce of god / And notwythstondynge that the chyldren of ryche houses had a custome to be delicyously nourysshed with dyuers metes / Neuerthelesse saynt Anthonye desyred them neuer / but was coÌ„tent wyth suche as men gaaf to hym / ¶ After the deth of his frendes he abode faderles in thage of .xix. or .xx. yere with hyÌ„ dwelled his syster whom he gouerned taught in gode dedes werkes thê° passyÌ„g the tyme· vi moÌ„thes hauÌ„ting the chirche he thouÈt how thapostles left all theyr substaunce and goodes for to folowe theyr swete lorde and mayster Ihesu Cryste / ¶ On a tyme he beynge in the chyrche herde one rede a gospell / Whyche made mencyon how our lord sayd to a Ryche man
/ Yf thou wolt be perfyghte selle all that thou haste gyue it to the poore and come folowe me And for that thou shalt haue tresour in heuen / ¶ And Incontynent lyke as the holy scrypture makych mencyon he gaue ouer all his possessions / And thre huÌ„dred mesures or acres of londe whyche apperteyned to hym he lefte to his neyghbours / to th ende that he wolde noo thynge of theyrs ne of his syster / Al his other moeuable goodes he solde and toke the money and gaue it to poore people excepte a lytyll whyche he gaaf to his syster whyche was of â—asâ—e aege more fâ—ble of complecâ—nn than he was ¶ And after agayne he retorned to the â—hyâ—â—he / And herde â—adde in the gospel that noo man ought to thynke how he sholde lyue on the morne / And thenne he distrybuted the rysydue of his godes to poore peple And after that he wold no more retorne home to his hous / But recomended his syster to the vyrgynes / To th ende that by theyr good ensamples she sholde be the better enfourmyd in good maners ¶ All his desyre was to enquyre where he sholde fynde ony holy men for to vysyte theym to the ende that he myghte receyue some fruyt / Like as the bee gooth fro floure to floure for to gadre some thynge for to make his hony ware / ¶ Emonge the other there was one solytary man not ferre fro his hous / Whom he ofte vysyted / After that he was retorned to his hermytage he gate his lyuynge by the labour of his hondes / consyderynge that he whiche labourith not is not worthy to ete / ¶ Helas he had somoche ryches whyche he had gyuen for goddis sake / For the honour of whom and in obeyenge his worthy Instruccyons he was content afterwarde to labour / to begge / ¶ What shal thou doo · thou cursyd auaricyous man whyche wolt no thynge gyue for goddis sake / Vneth with grete payne woldest thou nourysshe a poore persone one hoole daye / ¶ Take ensample on saynt Anthonye / whyche lefte al for to be a poore beggar / Yet of that he wanne wyth his grete laboure / he kepte for hym but brede for his sustenauÌ„ce / And the remenauÌ„t he gaaf to the poore / He gouerned hym soo honestly that he was merueylously biloued of all his bredern / ¶ Of al theym that he vysyted he helde to hymselfe some vertue / Of that one he wanne contynence chastytee of an other gladnesse of an other mekenesse lowlynesse of a nother studye pacyence / And fynably he had the fayr vertue of charytee / whyche is the maystresse of all vertues / And in suche wise he profited fro vertue to vertue that emonge alle his bredern there was none lyke to hym / ¶ The deuyll of hell enuye to mankynde seenge the holy lyfe whyche saynt Anthonye began to lede was enuyuous and enterprysed to tempte him / ¶ Fyrst he layed tofore his eyen to th ende that he shold departe out of his hermytage the noblesse of his byrth his sister whom he had lefte alone thabuÌ„daÌ„ce of his godes of the goodes that he myght gete / the dyuerse metes that he might ete generally he presented to him all thynges playsauÌ„t to nature / ¶ And after he shewed hym how it was harde to gete vertue seen consydered the freelte of his bddy· And that he myghte yet lyue longe tyme / Wherfore thenne sholde he be thenne longe in deserte / ¶ All thyse thynges putt he in his mynde for to haue reuokyd hym from his good purpoos / But this notwithstondyng he ouercame alwaye the deuyll by deuowte prayers and ferme constaunce ¶ Often tymes he tempted hym in the synne of the flesshe that was by cause he was in his yonge aege But by longe fastynges and contynuell abstynences he wythstode it manly / ¶ Some tyme by nyght the deuyll apperyd to hym in the lykenesse of a fayre woman / But Incontynente for to wythstonde it he remembred how hys flesshe sholde rote in wormes hastely / ¶ A nother tyme the deuyll moeuyd styred hym to lyue Ioyoeusly in lustes of his flesshe and of the worlde / And thenÌ„e anone he wolde bringe to remembraunce the paynes and tourmentes of helle and the Ioyes of heuen / And by this manere he wythstode all the temptacyons of the deuill / ¶ Fynably whan the deuyll sawe that he myghte not ouercome the good holy man / He knelyd downe to hym in the semblaunce or lykenesse of a lytyll horryble chylde blacke and howlynge / And also in cryenge sayde to saynt Anthonye / ¶ I haue deceyued many heremytes and holy men but by the I am ouercome and put vnder fote / ¶ Saynt Anthonye thenÌ„e asked hym what he was to whom he ansuerde / I am the grete solycytour of Lecherye the deceyuer of yonge peple· called the spyryte of fornycacyon whyche ofte tymes haue tempted the. alwaye thou hast ouercome me / And whan the gode knight saynt Anthonye herd this ansuere / he began to yelde thankynges to god of this that he had put hym vnder fote and sayd / My god be thou my ayde and my Protectoure / And I shall neuer fere ne drede myn enmye ¶ And Incontynent the deuyll whyche was seen by saynt Anthonye as a fantasme vanysshed away / and he sawe hym no more / And thus was the fyrste vyctory gyuen to saynt Anthonye / ¶ But this notwythstondynge he was not well assured / For he knewe by holy scrypture that the deuyll had diuerse maners for to tempte men / Wherfore he kepte him more strongely thenÌ„e and put his body in grete suffraunce to th ende that yf he had vyctory in ony thynges ayenst the deuill he shold not be ouercom by other And for this cause he occupyed his tyme in prayers orysons more than ony of his bredern heremytes ¶ The moost parte he woke nyghte daye / he ete but one tyme on the day and that was after the sonne gooynge downe / Some tyme in thre or foure dayes he ete not but ones and that was brede salte a lytyll water / His bedde was of Ionckes and his vestyment of hayre / ¶ Ofte tymes he laye all naked vpon the grounde / And how well that he had longe tyme suche abstyneÌ„ces yet were they to hym noo thynge greuous / But thoughte alwaye to be att the begynnynge of his penaunce in encreacyng alway his sayd abstynences / ¶ And for teschewe vayÌ„glory / he dyde payne to forgete theim / And in dede he forgate al the good dedes that he hadde doone And enforced to doo more than he had done tofore / ¶ He remembred alwaye in his herte the prophete Helye that sayde / My god seeth to whom we oughte to be clene and apparayled to obeye him wyth redy wylle / ¶ He considerynge alwaye also how he oughte to gouerne hymselfe
euery daye whyle he lyued / And hauynge noo regarde to the tyme passed / At alle houres he prepared to be in suche estate as it apperteyneth to a veryry Crysten man and catholyque / ¶ Saynt Anthonye thenÌ„e thus lyuynge departed from his hermytage / And wence ferder from the cyte / ¶ And sence to one his kynnesman that in certayn dayes he sholde sende hym for to lyue for the sustentacyon of his lyfe / whiche kynnesman and frende dyde it gladlâ— / ¶ On a tyme it happed that he hyselfe came for to vâ—syte hym / ¶ And after that he hadd vysyted hym He lefte hym allone faste shytte / ¶ And the deuylles came in grete multytude whyche brake vpp the doore / And bete hym soo moche that he had loste his voyce / and his herynge / ¶ And he beynge lefte so fore hurte and wounded / that the payne of his woundes surmounted all tormentes of mankynde / ¶ whanne he that broughte hym to ete retourned to him / and founde his doore broken and hymself halfe deed he toke hym on his necke and bare hym vnto his house / He beinge there the neyghbours frendes came to / and sawe him almoost dede· beganne merueyllously to wepe / And so longe endured that fynably for gryef they felle a slepe excepte he that broughte hym / ¶ The nyghte beynge come / saynt Anthonye lyfte vp his hede and sawe hym that broughte hym thyder slepte not / ¶ Thenne he prayed hym that he wolde here hym agayn to his hermytage / And he so dyde in obeyeng his grete prayers / ¶ And whan he was in his hermytage he put hymselfe in prayer the whiche done fynysshed He began to crye wyth an hye voys in spekynge to the deuylles / ¶ O ye enmyes dampned wicked I Anthonye an here and am not fledde / And though ye doo to me more martyrdom payn yet shall ye not conne departe me fro the loue of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And yet more ouer he sayd yf al the worlde were agaynst me I shal drede noo thynge / The deuyll seenge that he had suffred somany tormentes merueylled how he was soo hardy to retorne / ¶ Thenne the deuyll callyd his cursed dogges sayde / Ne see ye not how this folysshe hermyte agryth scornyth vs. by cause he hathe not be ouercome neyther by the spyryte of fornycacion ne also by betynge Ne by the payne that we haue done to his body / ¶ Make ye redy for he muste by vs be more pugnisshed than he was byfore / He shall ryght soone â—ete what we ben / And Incontinent was made a grete tempeste that the hous was broken on al sydes / And therin entred a innumerable multytude of deuylles in diuers formes / Some in lykenesse of bulles and other of lyons of dragons of wulues of addres of serpentes scorpyons and the other in other dyuerse formes as of liepardes / tygres beâ—es eche of hem cried after his nature / The lyon cryed in his crye wyllynge to slee him / the bulle thretnynge hym wyth his hornes / and so euery beeste tormented hym in his maner / ¶ As towchyÌ„ge his bodi he was moche febled but as to wchynge the soule he was constauÌ„t a bydynge in the loue of god mocked theym all and sayd to the deuylles / Yf ye haue strengthe there nedyth but one to assaylle me / yet more ouer he sayde to theym / Yf ye ben puyssauÌ„t god hathe gyue you power ouer me I am redy that ye deuoure me / yf he hath yeuen to you noo power / wherfore enforce ye so yourself / Knowe ye not well that the signe of the Crosse is the shelde of faythe and a walle inexpugnable for to defende vs agaynst you / ¶ And heryng they grunted wyth theyr teeth of the dyspyte that they had of that they were mocked of hym wythout to haue ony power ouer hym / ¶ Wherfore our lord why the leuyth not his seruauntes in daungeour / Seenge the vyctorye of his gode knyghte saynt Anthonye / came for to vysyte hym / Descendynge as a lyghte in to his habytacyon / ¶ After whyche lyghte receyued all his paynes and soores were heelyd / And his hous whyche was al to broken was Incontynent made agayne ¶ Saynt Anthonye knewe thenne that god was come to comforte him / And beganne to crye / O my god / O good Ihesus where were thou whan I was thus scorged all this daye why camest thou not atte begynnynge for to heele my woundes and soores / ¶ The voyce ansueryd / Anthonye I was here / But I taryed thy vyctorye / ¶ And now bi cause thou haste strongly foughten I shall alwaye helpe the / And shall make thy name be renommed thorugh oute all the worlde / The whyche voyce herde He aroos vp and was more stronge and constaunte to praye god thanÌ„e he was tofore / ¶ And he was atte that tyme .xxxv. yere olde ¶ And after whanÌ„e his vertues began to growe / He came to an aeged fader whyche dwelled nye to hym / of whom is spoken tofore / Prayenge hym that they myghte dwelle togyder / ¶ Neuerthelesse by cause that he shold not complayne of his olde aege / And also bycause that he had not be accustomed to be conuersaunt wyth ony persone / Saynt Anthonye desyrynge to lyue solytaryly / And takynge example of the sayde holy fader wente alle alone vnto a mountayne / ¶ And in gooynge thyder the deuyll whyche cessyd not to tempte hym layed in his waye a plater full of syluer / ¶ The whiche saynt Anthonye seenge ouerthwartly in thynkyng that the sayde plater hadd be layed there by the deuylles crafte / By cause that in the waye came not but byrdes and wylde beestes / ¶ And thenne sayde saynt Anthonye / Goo thou dampned deuyll / thou and thy syluer in to eternall perdicyon / And that sayde the plater vanysshed awaye· as fume or smoke departyth from the fyre / ¶ And after that he sawe a grete masse of golde / And for fere therof he fledde to the mountayne / Lyke as he wolde haue eschewed a grete fyre / ¶ And after that he had passed a grete flood he founde a castell in deserte full of venimouse beestes / In whiche he abode as a newe hoost / ¶ And Incontynent as he was lodged all the beestes fledde awaye / ¶ ThenÌ„e he stopped then tree with stones And layed as moche breed therin as shold suffyse hyÌ„ for .vi. monethes / ¶ Now it was soo that the brede of Thebayde endured longe as the space of a yere or there abowte / Neuer after he wold not departe ne speke to man of the worlde but twyes onÌ„ly in the yere / And toke his sustentacyon vnder couuerture wythoute to speke to theym that broughte to hym the sayde sustentacoÌ„n / ¶ Many freres desyryÌ„ge to see hym waked all the nyghte at his doore / the whyche ofte tymes herde
regyon that we pretende to haue / Lyke as god wytnessyth in the gospell is wythin vs / ¶ Ne doubte not that yf our soule be not maculate or spotted ne defoyled wyth synne / That in her shall be the fountayne of alle vertues / ¶ TheÌ„ne it is of necessyte that it be good / For it is created or made of a mayster / whyche is souerayne good / that is god oute Creatoure and Maker / ¶ Lete vs consydre the wordes of oure Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste sayenge ¶ Doo ye soo that ye haue the herte clene to the god of Israhell / ¶ And in lyke wyle sayth saynt Iohan / whiche sayth / ¶ Doo ye soo that your wayes be ryghtfull pure and clene / Gouerned by the faythe of god / ¶ Now for to doo soo it byhouyth vs for to kepe vs from the spotte of synne / ¶ We oughte souerainly and â—â—atly for to kepe vs from yee or wâ—athe / ¶ For whanne the man is angry / Wyth ryght grete payne maye he doo ony werke agreable or playsaunt vnto god / By cause that yre or wrathe empessheth and lettyth vertue / The whyche is none other thynge but god / ¶ Yet after also sayd saynt Anthonye to the Relygyouses / My lytyll chyldren kepe you from vayne wordes and fro pryde / ¶ Some there ben that enterpryce and avaunte theym to doo well / But they folowe not the dede whyche they enterprysed and purposed / ¶ Other there ben that clothe theim and araye theym wyth vestymentes of Relygyouses / and folowe Relygyon / to the ende to seme and appyere good / But within their hertes they ben wulues enraged / And ben werse thanne deuylles ¶ For vnder the shadow of good / they done Infynyte harmes and euylles / ¶ After the holy fader saynt Anthonye shewed to theym some fallaces or disceytes whyche the deuylles done in dyuerse maners and mockynges / In sayenge that often tymes the deuyll sheweth him to the holy men in lykenesse of men / In blaundysshynge theym and flaterynge theym wyth fayte and swete wordes / And in praysynge theyr estate and constaunce / ¶ And often tymes promyseth that / whiche they may not gyue / That is the glorye and Ioye of heuen / ¶ For to eschewe suche Illusyons and mockynges / Whanne they ben felte comynge Oughte men to enseygne and blesse theym wyth the sygne of the Crosse / And Incontynent it shall tourne in to noughte / ¶ For by the meryte of the passyon that our souereyne lorde and Redemer Ihesu Cryste suffred in the Crosse / Alle suche Illusyons or mockynges shaâ—â—lese theyr strengthe and vertue / ¶ He sayde also that some tyme come some Illusyons or deceyuynges whyche cause terrour drede to theym that the deuylles admynystre theym And that done they for to takeÌ„ awaye from men theyr mynde ¶ But agaynst suche Illusions or scornynges byhouyth to haue stedfaste faythe / And soo shall it be wythstonde lyghtly / ¶ For to knowe thenne the dyfference of good and euyll angellis / It oughte to be knowen / that whanne the good angell comyth / Hys chere and regarde is swete and amyable or louely ¶ And by cause he desyreth but peas / He makyth none noyse ne clamoure / And his voyce is not herde / ¶ He gyuyth Ioye and exultacyon to synnars / ¶ For oure lorde is wyth hym / whyche is welle and fountayne of alle good / Incontynent also as oure soule seeth hym / yf it were to hym possyble he sholde breke the membres of the body / and wold goo wyth the good angell whan he is there presente / ¶ The benygnyte of the same aungell is soo grete / that yf he caused ony drede atte the begynnynge for his grete lyghte Incontynent he takyth awaye from the man all drede and fere / ¶ Ryght soo dyde Gabryell to Zatharye beynge in the Temple / also with the Shepeherdes / whanne he shewed the Natyuyte of Ihesu Cryste ¶ But of the euyll Aungelles / the countenaunce and chere is crimynell dredefull / ¶ His entree horryble· Theyr mocyon and waye is Inconstaunte / As of fooles or of theues / ¶ And Incontynent as they ben tofore men the soule feâ—eth and dredyth / ¶ Alle the fyue wyttes ben trowbed / And feere of dethe folowyth / ¶ Desyre of shrewdnes Lachednesse of vertue / And wekenesse of courage ¶ Thenne whanne to the vnderstondynge comyth a thoughte or a presentacoÌ„n in lykenesse of an angell After the drede presentyth hym Ioye Hope in god and charyte / ¶ We oughte veritably to byleue that this comyth from god / Whyche sendeth to vs his ayde and socoure / ¶ In suche wyse Abraham the Patryarke seenge god reioyced him / ¶ In lyke wyse saynt Iohan Baptyste beynge in the wombe of saynt Elyzabeth his moder / Whanne the gloryous vyrgyne Mary moder of our Sauyoure Ihesu Cryste came to vysyte her / He whyche was not yet borne· reioyced hym merueyllously / ¶ By whyche it apperyth that the good aungell atte his comynge gyueth consolacyon and comforte / And makyth the persone to be assured As he dide whan he shewed the ryght Ioyeous Natyuyte of our Sauyour Ihesu Cryst to the same gloryous vyrgyne Marye in sayenge to her / ¶ Marye be not aferde for thou haste founde grete grace towarde god / ¶ And the contrarye by apperynge and represeÌ„tacions of euyll angellis haue be many tymes deceyued the gentyles and Paynems / ¶ But we Crysten men ben preseruyd By cause that god hath taken awaye from the deuyl the domynacyon and power that he hadde vppon vs. whanne he sayde to hym ¶ Goo thou abacke Sathanas / It is wreton that thou shalte adoure and worshipp thy god / and oonly shal thou serue to hym / ¶ By thyse same wordes whiche god sayde to the deuyll He toke his power from hym / ¶ There is also gyuen to vs power to saye to hym whan he wolde tempte vs Goo abacke Sathanas ¶ And Incontynent he shall be vaynquysshed / And shall departe from vs / ¶ After saynt Anthonye prayed they that they shold not be curyous to doo myracles / to the ende / That yf they or one of theym by the vertue of our lorde made ony / they sholde not renne for that cause in to dampnable vyce of pryde and of vayne glory / ¶ In lyke wyse he defended to theym that they sholde not dyspyse that one the other But exhorted theim that they sholde payne theymselfe to lede togyder good lyfe and honeste / ¶ Also sayde he for to doo and make myracles is not in oure power / But in the power of god / ¶ For he sayth in the Gospell in spekynge to his dyscyples / ¶ Gloryfye ye not yf the deuylles ben subgett to you but reioyece ye you that your names beÌ„ wrete in heuen ¶ Here it is to be noted that they that done miracles and prodygees by arte magyke / Wythoute to haue the gyfte
of the grace of god whanÌ„e they shall crye to god ¶ Haue we not dryuen awaye the deuylles in thy name / And many other vertues haue ben done in callynge the / and makynge Inuocacyon to god the blessed and very Iudge / ¶ To theym that he knowyth that heryth not hys sygne / He shall ansuere to theym / Certayne I knowe you not / for ye haâ—e neuer myn enseygne / ¶ After god shall say to theim / Goo ye a backe from me for ye haue ben alwaye euyll chyldren of Inyquyte / ¶ Saynt Anthonye sayd afterward / By cause it is harde to knowe the comynge of the good angell or euyll / ¶ We oughte to praye hym that it playse hym to gyue to vs scyence to conne dyscerne / ¶ For after the scrypture we oughte not byleue euery spyryte / ¶ On a tyme the deuylles came to saynt Anthonye / Whyche sayde to hym ¶ Anthonye we come to shewe to the oure lyghte / And Incontynent saynt Anthonye closyd his eyen and wolde not see theym / But putte hymselfe to prayer his even closyd / And anone the lyghte of the deuyllis quenched / ¶ A nother tyme they came and songe tofore hym / And spake togyder of holy scrypture / But that notwythstondyÌ„ge saynt Anthonye stopped his eeres / ¶ A nother tyme they made his monastery to tremble and shake / But he in his thoughte abode vnmoeuable / And prayed to god constauntly / ¶ Ofte tymes they came spryngynge and syflynge tofore hym wyth an hyghe voyce ¶ But Incontynent as he retorned to god theyr noyce and tempest torned into lityll noyce / that vnneth sayde saynt Anthonye myghte here it ¶ On a time camÌ„ one whiche had his body wonderly grete and sayde he had the vertue of god / The whiche demauÌ„ded of saynt Anthonye what he wolde haue of hym / ¶ And whanne he sawe hym soo grete He armyd him Incontynent wyth prayer / And toke the sheelde of fayth / By whyche anone he became as lytyl as half a fote ¶ A notherey me came the deuyll in fourme of a Relygyous man broughte to hym and sayd to hym / It is tyme that thou ete / thou haste ouerlonge fasted / Take corporell refcceyon to th ende that thou be not seke / ¶ Anone after saynt Anthonye byhelde hym and sawe that his face was pale / And putt hymself to prayer / And thenne the deuyll wente his waye by the wyndowe lyke vnto fume or smoke / ¶ A nother tyme he presented hym golde for to dysceyue hym / But he neuer wolde loke on it / ¶ A nother tyme came the deuyll knocked atte the doore of his monastery whan saynt Anthonye went out he sawe hym soo grete that him semed that his heed raughte to heuen ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Anthonie demaunded hym what he was and what thyng he soughte / And he ansuered that he was callyd Sathanas / And that he came thyder by cause the Relygyouses dyspysed hym / And alle Crysten men cursyd hym / ¶ And saynt Anthonye ansuerd that it is well right and requysyte that all Crysten folke despyse curse hym / ¶ For ofte by his temptacyons he broughte theym in hate / the one agaynste a nother / ¶ Where vpon the deuyll ansuered· that he dyde not But they theymself were angry togider / ¶ And more ouer the deuyll sayde to hym / That the myghte and puyssaunce of the deuylles was faylled by the moyen of the passyon of Ihesu Cryst / And that they had noo more noo cytee ne other place for to enhabyte in / By cause the name of god was reclamed and named in al townes and cytees / And also in desertes whyche ben enhabyted by Relygyouses and heremytes / Thenne saynt Anthonye hauynge the grace of god with him ansuered prudently / ¶ I byleue not that thou weneste to saye trouthe / For thou arte the capitayne of lesyÌ„ge and of fallaces ¶ But thou art constrayned to saye this sentence whyche is true / ¶ Certaynly Ihesu Cryste pryued the of alle thy strengthest and vertues syth the tyme that thou lostest thy beawte of an aungell by the spotte of thy synne / ¶ And Incontynent that saynt Anthonye had achyeuyd his prayer / The sayde deuyll vanysshed awaye ¶ Saynt Anthonie sayde thenne to his relygiouses / My brethern drede not the Illusyons of the deuyll / ¶ For god whyche hathe putt from vs the deuylles / And that aybdyth wyth vs / As longe as we ben in grace / He shall kepe vs from theyr dyuerse temptacyons / ¶ Lete vs sette oure charge to resyste wythstonde theyr tytulacyons and cauyllacyons as moche as we maye / For whanne they knowe that oure thoughtes ben vayne freeyll and Inconstaunt They putte theym in to the bodyes of men / ¶ And as theues houndes wulues enraged they rauysshe body soule / ¶ Iob by his stedfaste fayth ouercame the deuyll / ¶ And Iudas was the contrarye / ¶ The pryncypall thynge and moost necessarye for to vaynquysshe and ouercome the deuyll is to take playsaunce in spyrytuell thynges / and to haue contynuelly his herte to god / ¶ This vertue makith the deuylles to flee as the smoke vanysshyth awaye / ¶ Therfore my brethern sayde saynt Anthonye yf ony vysyon come to vs / it must hardely be demaunded who is he that preseÌ„tyth hym tofore vs / whens he comyth / ¶ And yf it be the aungell of god / The drede that we had shall to urne Incontynent in to Ioye / ¶ But yf it be the deuyll / And yf he be demaunded of a deuoute soule / Incontynent he shall departe / ¶ After that saynt Anthonye had made his exhortacyons / Eeuery one of the brethern was merueyllously enioyed / And after they enforcyd theym to gete vertues / ¶ And they that hadd hadde tofore but lytyll faythe were confermyd· and hadd perfyâ—ghte fayth / ¶ And the other toke awaye all folysshe oppynyons from theyr thoughtes / In suche wyse that after they dradde not ony temptacion of the deuyll / But were more abasshed how saynt Anthonye hadde theym soo highly Instruct or taught theym to knowe dyfference of the good aungell and of the wyckyd and euyll / ¶ In the tyme that Maxymyan persecuted the Crysten people / Saynt Anthonye lefte his monastery sayenge to his brethern / Lete vs goo wyth our brethern martyrs / To th ende that we ben martred wyth theym / Or att leest that we see theim suffre martyrdom / ¶ By the whyche wordes it appyereth many festly that thenne was saynt Anthonye martyr in wyll / ¶ And whanne ony was broughte tofore the Iudge He comforted theym in sayenge / that they sholde not feere the dethe / But sholde be constaunt or stedfaste in the faythe / ¶ The Iudge seeng the constaunce of saynt Anthonye of his felowes was honâ—â—bly an angryd And dyde doo for bede that noo Relygyous sholde abyde in the towne
come to me deuoure me / And yf ye be come hyther by thentysement of myne aduersarye goo fro me· I am the seruaunt of god / And Incontynent lyke as they had ben hunted they fledde awaye / ¶ A nother tyme as saynt Anthonye made a tresse for to make a lytyll basket / For his custome was to gyue somethynge to theym that broughte to him of theyr goodes / A beeste hauynge the face of a persone and the Resydue of an Asse· drewe from his hondes the sayd tresse / And Incontynent as he sawe that / He blessyd hym wyth the sygne of the Crosse / And sayde I am the seruaunt of god / Yf thou be sente to me in his name / I shall not flee from the / anone he vanysshed a waye / ¶ Other moo grete thynges dyde saynt Anthonye as it shall appyere here after / ¶ His brethern on a tyme prayed hym that he wolde come and see them / And by cause that vppon the waye beynge bytwene his hermytage and the place where as were his brethern was noo water / He dyde doo charge mete water vppon a Camell for to susteyne the necessytees of hym and theym that were wyth hym / ¶ Whanne they were at the myddyll of the waye / theyr water faylled / ¶ And they had soo grete thurste that they were well nyghe deed / by cause of the grete heete that there was / ¶ And lete theyr Camell goo acte the aduenture of god / ¶ And the good saynt Anthonye moeuyd wyth pyte wente behynde his felowes And put hymselfe to prayer / The whyche done / sodaynly apperyd a fountayne / of whyche they were alle refresshed and eased ¶ And anone after they sechynge theyr Camell for to gyue to hym drynke fonde him casuelly bounden wyth his corde to a grete stone / ¶ Theyr waye accomplysshed at ende / saynt Anthonie his brethern came to the monasterye where as were his brethern / ¶ And anone they came hastely to hym In enbracynge and kyssynge hym / Lyke as he hadde be theyr owne fader / Anone after he beganne to comforte theyr soules / In praysynge the auncyentes and aeged / And in exhortynge the yonge to vertuouse lyuynge / ¶ And amonge other thynges he sayde to theym they sholde ofte rede the lyues of the good auncyent or aeged faders / To the ende that by their vertues they myghte be encyted and styred to lyue well And to wythdrawe from dooynge ony maner euyll / ¶ One named Froncho the whiche was of Palestine was tormented of a deuyl in suche wyse that wyth his teeth he detrenched and bote his tonge / And with that he enforcyd him to put out his eyen / ¶ He was broughte to saynt Anthonye to the ende that he myghte recouuer his helthe / Saynt Anthonye sayde vnto hym that he sholde goo in to Egypte / And anone he sholde be guarisshed and heelyd / ¶ He gaaf noo fayth to his ansuere / But abode prayenge that he wolde heele hym ¶ Thenne he sayde that there he myghte not be heelyd / ¶ Froncho byleued in his wordes And as soone as he came in to Egypte he was guarysshed and heelyd / ¶ A vyrgyne of the regyon Trypolytane was seke of a sykenesse the moost horrible that hath be seen / Fro her nose thrylles her eyen her eeres came oute Incessaūtly humours ordures so stynkynge that it was an horryble thynge to beholde and see / For the sayd fylthes as soone as they felle on the grounde they torned in to wormes / ¶ Her frendes and parentes desyrynge her helthe and hoping to obteyne the same by the moyen of saynt Anthonye putt theym on the way for to lede her to him / And in gooynge they founde sone some relygyouses whyche wente for to see saynt Anthonye / ¶ And soo they prayed theym that they myghte goo wyth theym / ¶ And soo longe they wente togyder that they came vnto a good man namyd Paphonce / to whom Maxymyen had doo pulled out his eyen for the name of Ihesu Cryst / ¶ They beyng there arryued the relygyouses made the parentes the mayde to abide there with the good holy man / And they went forthe to saynt Anthonye recounted to hym the caas of the poore mayde / In prayenge him that she myghte come entree in to his monasterye / ¶ Saynt Anthonye wolde in noo wyse that she sholde entree but sayde to the relygyouses / ¶ Goo ye forth thyder yf the mayde be not deed ye shall fynde her all hole guarisshed / ¶ And yet he sayde / none ought to come to me for to recouuer helth / ¶ For to giue helthe to seke men apperteyneth to the Sauyoure of the worlde / Neuertheles he sayd As I prayed vnto god the helthe of his doughter was shewed to me / ¶ Then̄e they wente where as the mayde was wyth her frēdes in the house of saynt Paphunce / there founde her alle guarysshed / ¶ Two brethern walkynge for to goo see saynt Anthonye in walkynge that one deyed for thurste that other laye stratched on the erthe abode the dethe ¶ Saynt Anthonye that knowynge bi Reuelacyon of god callyd tweyne of his brethern / whyche were comen thyde to hym / And sayde to theym thus / ¶ Goo ye hastely in the waye that ledyth men in to Egypte / And also take wyth you a botell wyth water / For ye shall fynde a brother deed for thurste / and a nother nyghe exspyred / ¶ The space of the waye was wel a Iourneye thens / ¶ Incontynent they wente and founde alle true that saynt Anthonye hadde sayde / ¶ They buryed the deed man / And broughte that other wyth theim / ¶ Yf ony demaūde or aske wherefor saynt Anthonye shewed not the Reuelacyon tofore the dethe of the brother / It maye be ansuered that the questyon is inpropre / ¶ For the Iugement proceded of god and not of saynt Anthonye / In soo moche that god wolde that the one shold deye / And that other sholde by saynt Anthonye be restored to his helthe / ¶ On a tyme as saynt Anthonye was prayeng to god sawe the soule of saynt Ammon religyous in Nytrye borne in to heuen by many angellis syngynge melodyously / ¶ A nother accompanyed wyth a good man namyd Theodore wolde passe the ryuer called Licuim / And by cause they myghte not passe the ryuer wythout they sholde doo of theyr clothes be all naked / Saynt Anthonye prayed the sayd Theodore that he wolde goo abacke to the ende that he sholde not see hym bare / That notwtstondyng saynt Anthonye beyng ashamed for to vnclothe hym by the grace of god he was sette ouer on that other syde of the ryuer / Theodore passed the ryuer after hym was moche admerueylled how soo hastely saynt Anthonye was passed ouer / And toke hym by the fete swore that he wolde neuer leue hym tyll he had tolde to
Notwythstondynge that he hadd dwelled in deserte His fame renommee was soo grete in Yytalye in Spayn and in Fraūce that none was lyke / ¶ And in hym hathe be verefyed the worde of our blessyd Sauyour and Redemer Ihesu Criste / Sayenge that he that mekyth hym shall be exalted / As he hath be thorugh alle the worlde / In whyche in dyuerse partyes and regyons ben yet done myracles withoute nombre to the praysynge and exaltacyon of his gloryous name / As well vpon the bodyes of mankynde / As vppon the brute beestes and vnresonable / In suche wyse that emonge alle the other gloryous sayntes / He is ryghte deuoutly adoured and prayed vnto / ¶ Lete vs thenne praye hym deuowtly that it playse hym to praye to god for vs myserable synnars / to that that his worthy playsure be to gyue vs ferme constaunt wyll and affeccyon to dyspyse by his ensample this present worlde in suche manere / that fynably we may obteyne the reame of heuen / ¶ Thus endyth the lyfe of the blessyd saynt Anthonye And after folowyth the lyfe of saynt Hylaryon Heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Hilarion ortus Caplm .xxvii. SAynt Hylaryon was borne in the countree of Palestyne in a towne namyd Thabatha fyue myle fro a cyte called Gasa or ther abowtes / ¶ He was as a Rose flourysshynge emonge the thornes / For his fader was a Paynem and serued thydollis / But Hylaryon serued god ¶ His fader sente hym in to Alexandrye for to lerne the science of Gramaire / In the whyche he was suffysauntly Instructe after his yonge aege / But that more is of valewe he lerned the very scyence of the faythe of Cryste / ¶ For he byleuyd in Ihesu Cryste / ¶ He beynge a scoler fledde all vyces and synnes despysyng generally alle the vanytees of the worlde / And occupyed hymself oonly to serue god and holy chyrche / ¶ Whan̄e he herde the renōmee of saynt Anthonye / whyche was strongely spradde in alle Egypte / He wente to see hym / And he beinge there arryued / chaunged his habyte / And was there .ij. monethes wyth hym in contemplacōn and Ioyeng the grete humylytee of saynt Anthonye / ¶ And as he receyued humaynly the brethern that wolde be Relygyous wyth hym / In lyke wyse as he was hymselfe harde and sharpe to correcte theim soo he was redy to admonest theym ¶ He was sobre in metes / And he was neuer syke for what someuer abstynence he dyde / ¶ Whanne the holy fader Hylaryon had seen his holy conuersacyon / He retorned wyth some Relygyouses in to the house of his fader / Whom he founde and his nyece also deed and departed oute of this worlde / ¶ And in contynent as towched of the holy ghoste· he distrybuted his parte of theyr godes to poore folke / and reserued no thȳge for hymselfe / In consyderynge the scrypture that sayth / That he whyche renoucyth not alle that he possessyth maye not be dyscyple of Ihesu Cryste ¶ And how well that he was not but fyftene yeres olde / ¶ Neuerthelesse he wente alle naked abowte seuen myles ferre from the forsayde cytee of Gaza in to a place full of theues And whan his frendes told hym the peryll / to whiche he wente to / ¶ He ansuered that he that wold eschew the dethe perdurable oughte to dyspyse the dethe naturell / ¶ Alle men merueylled of his life con / syderynge his aege / whyche was yet so tendre / And neuerthelesse endured somothe payne / ¶ His clothynge was oonly of a sacke and a mantell of pellycon whyche saynt Anthonye had gyuen to hym / ¶ The deuyll seenge the lyffe of this childe by cause he myght not calle hym agayne to the worlde / Tormented hym strongly to the ende to ouercome hym and brynge hym vnder his rule / ¶ He bete hym wyth fystes on his breste sayenge to him / ¶ Lytyll Asse I shall well kepe the from gooynge backe / Thou shalte not haue oonly barley breede for to ete / but shalt deye for hūgre and thurste / ¶ In Somer I shall make the to haue colde / And I shal put the in suche astate that thou shalte not remembre but for to ete and drynke wythoute to thynke on god / ¶ The holy chylde ete not in thre or four dayes but a lityll herbes and fygges ¶ Yet for to augmente encreace hys penaunce in fastynge he laboured the erthe / And made fyscellis wouen wyth Rede and Ionkes / In consyderynge that he that takyth noo payne to labour is not worthy to ete / ¶ On a nyghte he herde many dyuerse voyces lyke the voyces of a chylde / the bletynge of shepe / the lowynge of oxen the clamour of wymmen the crye of lions and many other dyuerse voyces / ¶ And all this dyde the deuyll whyche supposed to haue broughte hym out of his wytte by the feere of the herynge / And after by his eyen / ¶ And he anone knelyd downe and markyd his forhede wyth the sygne of the Crosse / And after he lokyd on that one syde that other / wenynge to haue seen the beestes and the other thynges / Wherof he had herde the voys / And Incontynent he sawe theym in a carte whiche horses drewe rennynge as they hadde ben wood / ¶ Thenne he began̄e to crye and calle the name of Ihesu / And anone the erthe opened / ¶ And alle the companye soo cryenge and howlynge sonke downe in to the pytte of helle / ¶ Thenne beganne he to saye thyse wordes wreten in the Cantycle of the cursyd Pharao whyche sayth thus / ¶ The horse the man that was vpon hym / God hathe throwen theym in the see / The deuylles goon in the lykenesse of horse chariottes / But we shall be borne in the name of our lorde / The enmyes of hell enuyous of our Redempcyon present to vs soo many of dyuers and cursyd temptacyons / that wyth grete payne it is possyble to recyte theym / ¶ Often tymes whanne the blessyd chylde Hylary on slepte / The deuyll in lykenesse of a woman all naked shewed hym to him ¶ Whanne he ete he presented to hym the remembraunce of dyuerse metes / ¶ Some tyme whanne he was in prayer he passed byfore hym lyke a wulffe howlynge / A nother tyme lyke a foxe / A nother tyme lyke a bataylle of men armed In suche wyse that one lete him selfe falle tofore hym in demaundyng hym sepulture / ¶ On a tyme as he laye flatte vpon the grounde makynge his prayers to god / came the deuyll behynde hym / Whyche smote hym on the heles and on the backe and on the heede sayeng / Aryse thou Hylaryon / Wherfore slepest thou / ¶ But not for alle that he moeuyd hym noo thynge / He was soo moche rauysshyd in his prayers / ¶ From that tyme as he was syxtene yeres olde he withdrewe hym
theyr bodyes / And after knewe theyr fader and moder / and thanked humbly the good fader Hylaryon / And beganne to drynke and ete / lyke as they hadde had neuer greyt· ne hadde loste the lyffe / ¶ This myracle was soo spradde and renommed openly in all the countree of Egypte Syrye / In suche wyse manyfested or knowen that the peple came to hym from all partyes / Of whom many wente in to Relygyon for to lede solytary lyfe / ¶ A woman namyd Fatydya borne of the cytee of Rynocorne in the countree of Egypte whyche had be blynde by the space of ten yere / came to him in sayenge that she had dyspended alle her hauour to leches for to recouure her syghte / ¶ The holy man sayde to her Yf thou haddest gyuen for goddys sake that whyche thou haste gyuen to Fisicyens and Leches thou sholdest moche sooner haue recouered thy syghte / For god sholde haue gyuen it to the agayne / ¶ Neuerthelesse she beganne to crye mercy / And anone by his prayers her syghte was restored to her / ¶ Ther was a man in his tyme namyd Messicas born in Iherusalem the whiche was stronger thanne ony other of that countreye / ¶ For by his bodyly strengthe he bare also grete a burthen or more thanne an Asse / ¶ And the burthen that he bare was estemyd or thoughte at fiftene Muys of the mesure of that countree the burthen that he bare / ¶ It happed by the suffraunce of god that he was possessyd of a deuyll / And became enraged and madde / In suche wyse that he must be bouÌ„de wyth chaynes by the strengthe of many men / and yet cowde they not holde hym soo moche for his strengthe and gretnesse that for the vyolence of the deuyll whyche tormented hym that he by extreme woodnesse rented of theyr noses and other membres ¶ Whanne he was broughte to the chyrche he foomed att mouthe and tormentrd himself as a wood bole ¶ His parentes and kynnesmen to the ende that he myght recouer helth they broughte hym to this holy man Hylaryon / ¶ And thus as they were tofore this holy man where as his brethern trembled for drede of his merueyllous gretnesse and woodnesse / The good holy fader commaunded to vnbynde him And that noo man sholde be aferde of hym / Soo it was done / ¶ And myraculously there where tofore he myght not beholde / He became soo softe that swetly he kyssed the fete of the sayde saynt Hylaryon / And the seuenth daye after he was alle hoole and guarysshed / ¶ A nother namyd Oryon the moste Ryche and chyef in auctoryte of the cytee of Achylle by vnto the Reed see / was also in lyke wyse tourmented of a legyon of deuyllis / ¶ Wherfore he was strongly bounden wyth chaynes by all the membres of his body / ¶ Thus as saynt Hylaryon wente wyth his brethern / The same Demonyak with his two hondes bounden wyth yren tooke hym and lyfte hym vpp alle on hyghe from the erthe / Wherof the people beynge presente beganne to crye / Doubtynge that some Inconuenyent mighte come to hym / By cause he was moche feblyd and weeke by fastynge and straytnesse of lyfe / ¶ But the holy man beganne to laughe and strayne the hondes of the seke man / Whom he helde so subget that he myghte not greue ne enoye hym / ¶ And after by adiuracyons he moeued the deuylles that were wythin his body / In suche wyse that by the mouthe of the seke man· the people herde horryble and dyuerse voyces cryenge and howlynge lyke straunge beestes / ¶ And after the seke man beganne to crye / O good Ihesus vnbynde me that am thus poore and soo meschaunt and vnhappy / And I shal saye thynges whyche were neuer herde / ¶ Anone he was alle hoole and guarysshed / ¶ And a lytyll tyme after he his wyfe put theymself to goo vnto the monastery of saynt Hylaryon in than kynge hym / And in offrynge to hym grete gyftes and tresours for the helthe that he hadde recouered by his merytes / ¶ To whom the good fader saynt Hylaryon sayde / Haste not thou radde what Giezey and Symon magus suffred some tyme / ¶ Giezey solde the helthe made to Naban by his mayster Helisee / ¶ And Symon wolde haue gyue moche money to saynt Peter for to haue hadd power to gyue the grace of the holy ghoste / ¶ Thenne Oryon all we pynge sayde to hym / Fayre fader take that I offre to the / And gyue it to poore people / ¶ And Hylaryon ansueryd / Thou shalt distrybute and deale it better thanne I / For thou goost thorugh the cytees and knowest better theym that ben poore thanne I doo / ¶ It sholde not be a thyng propre ne well besemynge that I that haue renouncyd all temporell thynges sholde take the goodes of a nother / ¶ Oryon felle downe to the grounde prostrate flatte and beganne to wepe for the dysplaysaunce that he hadde of that that saynt Hylaryon wolde not receyue his offre / ¶ But saynt Hylaryon comforted hym sayenge My sone and frende be not wrothe for that I haue refusyd thy money / It is for thy prouffyte and myn / For yf I toke it I sholde offende god / Thou shalt be yet tormeÌ„ted of the deuylles whyche shall reentre in to thy body / But thou shalt take it in pacyence / And in soo doynge theyr torment shall be to the helthfull Wherfore content thyself and be from hens forth good and Iuste / ¶ A Massonne namyd Zazanus in hewynge stones was taken with a paleseye / And by his seruauntes was broughte to saynt Hylaryon / And anone was â—eelyd and guarysshed / ¶ A yonge man amorous of the doughter of his neyghbour whyche was vyrgyne / The whyche by noo wyse of atowchynge ne otherwyse cowde deceyue her / ¶ And desyryng to accomplyssh his Inordynate wyll on her wente to a cytee namyd Memphyn for to enquyre wyte of a Magycyen dwellynge there how by arte Magyqne he myght deceyue the sayde mayden / ¶ And for to brynge this abowte he was a yere vnder Esculapius Magycyen / By the moyen of whom were soules wythout nombre dampned / ¶ Fynably this yonge man after the Instruccyon of the sayd Magycyen wente to the houses of the sayde vyrgyne / And put vnder the celle or entre of the yate certayne ymages of Coper sayenge certayne wordes of the deuyll whyche he byleued sholde serue to his caas / ¶ And forth wyth the sayde mayde became alle folysshe / And by grete woodnesse she tooke of her keuerchyef of her heed and drewe her here / Straynyng her teeth and callynge the sayde yonge man / ¶ She was broughte to the holy man / In the presence of whom Incontynent the deuyll whom she hadd in her body began to crie and howle / In declarynge how by force arte Magyke he was
entred in to her / ¶ After that he hadh sayde thyse wordes / he sayde to saynt Hylaryon / Wherfore coÌ„maundest thou Hylaryon to me that I sholde goo hens and departe / Knowest thou not well that I am holden vnder the zelle and entree of the hous of the mayde / And I am by art magyke bounden wyth chaynes / and may not departe / but yf the yonge man that louyth her· whyche by his arte hath bounde me vnbindeth and leteth me goo ¶ The holy man sayde to hym / Thy force is not grete syth that thou arte bounden wyth soo lytyll bondes / Saye to me false enmye how thou arte soo hardy to entree within the body of this virgyne / ¶ The deuyll ansuered to the ende that I wolde kepe her a vyrgyne / ¶ How sayde saynt Hylaryon Sayest thou thyselfe Conseruatour of vyrgynyte And thou art traytoure to chastyte ¶ Now saye to me wherfore haste not thou entred in the bodi of the yonge fole amerouse ¶ The deuyll ansuered By cause that an other deuyll my felowe namyd the deuyll of loue is there ¶ Thyse wordes sayde saynt Hylaryon commauÌ„ded the deuyll to voyde oute of the body of the sayde mayde / The whyche Incontynent and by euydente myracle was heelyd and guarysshyd / ¶ After this saynt Hylaryon repreuyd the yonge man of that he hadde gyuen sygne of loue to the yonge mayde / By the whyche he deseruyd to be possessyd of the deuyll / ¶ A nother namyd Candydalus that whyche was Iudge vnder the emperour Constantyne of the Prouynce of Germanye / The whyche after the historyes stondeth bytwene the countreyes of Saxonne and of Almayne / And was brought to saynt Hylaryon in to the cite of Gaza in Syrye for to be delyuered from the puyssaunce of the deuyll of whyche he was tormented euery nyghte / ¶ And Incontynent as he was tofore saynt Hylaryon he was hoole guarysshed / ¶ This was a thynge wel merueyllouse how in soo ferre countree was knowen his renommee / ¶ That is to wyte in Syrye Palestyne Egypte and Germanye / ¶ Whanne the sayde Candydalus was heelyd / He wolde haue gyuen to saynt Hylaryon ten pounde of goloe / But he tooke but oonly a loof of barley / ConsideryÌ„ge that who someuer sholde be nourysshed of suche mete sholde consydre golde and syluer for dounge and ordure / ¶ The holy man heelyd not oonly the beestes resonable / But also brute beestes / ¶ A merueyllous grete Camell / the whyche hadde slayne many persones / And in the ende he was take by thyrty men whyche broughte hym bounden to saynt Hylaryon / ¶ His eyen were reed as fyre and scumed in suche wyse that men were gretly aferde to beholde· him ¶ But the holy man coÌ„maunded hym Incontynent that he sholde be loosed and lete goon / ¶ And anone they that were there fledde moche ferre from the Camell / Excepte one that abode by hyÌ„ ¶ ThenÌ„e he beganne to saye to the deuyll that was wythin the Camell / O dampned deuyll thou makest me noo thyng aferde / For somoche as t thou art in a grete beeste / ¶ For thou arte as myghty in a lytyll Foâ—e as thou arte in a grete Camell / ¶ After he layed his honde tofore the sayde Camell / whyche came alle wood and enraged / ¶ And anone he bowed his heede vnto the erthe / Wherof eche man was abasshed how in soo lytyll whyle the sayde beeste soo enraged or wood was become soo mylde and came / ¶ In effecte saynt Iherom saythe that he wolde not wryte alle the dedes of saynt Hylaryon / For the tyme sholde not be shorte / As he wolde saye that they were Innumerable ¶ Whanne some of Syryâ— came to saynt Anthonye he sayde to theim / ¶ Wherfore come ye fro soo ferre / Haue ye not my sone Hylaryon wyth you / The whyche shal ayde and helpe you by his prayers / ¶ In the name of the same Hylaryon in Palestyne were many chyrches made ¶ His humylytee was merueyllouse grete ¶ And for in the same and in al other vertues to gyue and shewe goode ensample to the holy and deuowte Relygyouses / Often tymes he wente to visyte theym in theyr hermytages / The whyche knowynge his grete vertues folowed hym well ofte in soo grete nombre that they were often tymes wyth hym nighe by a two thousande men / ¶ Thus as the holy man wente vysytyng the desertes of Cades / ¶ He came in to Heluse a cytee where alle the peple were assembled for to doo sacrefyce to the Temple of Venus / ¶ In that Temple were many Paynems / The whiche had ben delyuered of the deuyll by the Intercession prayer of the holy man Hylarion / ¶ And whanne they apperceyued hym to passe tofore the temple aforsayde They and theyr wyues sprange oute of the Temple / and sayd to him in langage Syryaque / Bareth / Whiche is as moche to saye as gyue benedyccyon to theym that prayen the / Mekely he herde theim / And prayenge theim that they sholde not adoure him by prayers / but one god oonly eternell / ¶ Merueyllous grace of god happed to theym / For by his comynge and by his prayers they were in suche wyse enspyred that from that hour they made theym Crysten And helde hym for theyr Bysshopp / ¶ A nother tyme as he wolde departe for to goo vysyte the Relygyouses to hym subgettes / He sente his lettres to some Relygyouses in to lodgys in whiche he wolde lodge / ¶ And amonge the brethern there was one whiche was merueyllously scarse and nygardouse / And wolde noo thynge gyue / ¶ Wherfore the other prayed to the holy man that he wold lodge in his hermiâ—age· to the ende to correcte this cursyd vyce / ¶ He ansuered to theym / What wolde ye shold be done to hym / He sholde sklaunder vs / And we sholde but traueylle hym / ¶ Ten dayes after the Relygyouses had knoulege that the holy man sholde passe by his vyne yerde / Sente kepars in to the vyne yerde / ¶ In commaundynge theym that yf ony wolde entree in to it / That they sholde caste stones atte theym / The holy man this seenge and knowynge what there sholde come therof beganne to laughe atte the folye of the sayde Relygyous / And went in to the house of a nother moche lyberall namyd Sabbas / The whiche by cause it was Sondaye / desyred theym al to goo ete of the grapes and raysons in his vyne yerde / And that they sholde take theyr refeccyons / ¶ But saynt Hylaryon letted theym to soo do Sayenge cursyd be he of vs that eteth tofore that he hath hadde refeccyon spirytuell / ¶ Lete vs serue god fyrste And after ye shall goo in to the vyne yerde And soo they dyden / ¶ Now was thre thousand that entred in to the vyne yerde / ¶ And after that they had eten after theyr appetytes / there
serpentes and venymouse beestes roo◠vp agaynst the peple / Of the Infeccion of whom they deyed in dyfferently wythout remedye yf Incontynent they had not be brought to saynt Hylaryon whiche gaaf theim oyle blessyd Of whiche anone as theyr woundes were touched were hole guarysshed / ¶ And by that cause that in those partyes he was soo moche knowen / And that there was done to hym ouermoche grete honour He went in to Alexandrye and came in to a monasterye namyd Oason / ¶ Ferdermore bi cause he had not dwellid in no towne walled syth he had be religyous He went to Brynchion by Alexandrye wyth some of his brethern that he knewe where he was receyued benygnely / ¶ But anone after by cause that they sawe the discyples of the holy man make redy his asse for to departe / they prayed hym wyth Ioyned hondes that he wolde abyde / For they hadd leuer haue deyed than he sholde departe fro theym ¶ Thenne the holy man for to comforte them sayd that he was constrayned hastly to depart / To th ende that by his ouerlonge taryenge there wyth theym he sholde be cause of heuynesse / ¶ Sayeng to theym ferdermore that for some thynges that they sholde see after come They sholde well know that not with oute grete cause he sholde not departe soo hastely from theym and theyr monastery / ¶ And the day after it happed that the Pryncypall of the cyte of Gaza / A cytee nyghe by wherin dwelled Paynems and enmyes to the lawe of oure lorde Ihesu cryste / Whyche were aduertysed of the comynge of saynt Hilaryon to the sayde monastery / Knowynge that their lawe was in waye and daūger to be all destroyed by the moyen of the sayde saynt Hylaryon / And for to eschew the same concluded to goo to the sayde monastery for to putte hym to dethe / ¶ And soo Incontynent they wente thyder ¶ And they fyndynge that soo hastely was departed from thens / And wythoute to be aduertysyd· ne warned of theyr enterpryse and purpose / Imposed and put to him that he was a Magycyen / Sayenge emonge theim that that they myghte cleerly knowe that he sawe before thynges that comen after / ¶ Now it oughte to be vnderstonde that whanne saynt Hylaryon was departed from Palestyne / They of Gaza demaūded of Iulyan whyche thenne was emperoure lycence for to slee his discyple Esicius / ¶ And for more lyghter to take him / they had wreton to alle the londes there abowte ¶ His chyrche was thenne dystroyed beten downe / And his Relygyouses slayn / ¶ The whyche thynge he had perceyued by reuelacyon / wherfore he was departed by cause he wold not see that dystruccyon / Lyke as tofore is sayde / ¶ Saynt Hylarion soo departed from Bruchyon and the desertes retournyd in to Oason / Where he was a yere or there abowte ¶ But by cause his renomee and fame was thrugh that londe spradde· He wold goo to places where he sholde not be knowe / ¶ And wente for to passe ouer the see / and to dwell in yles where he sholde not be knowen ¶ In that tyme Adryan whyche was his dyscyple comynge from Palestyne arryued to hym sayenge / That Iulyan the Emperoure was slayne / And that in his place regued an Emperoure that was Crysten / ¶ Whanne the holy man herde his purpoos he blamyd hym / ¶ And neuerthelesse he wolde not retorne / But he and Zazanius one his discyple went in to a shippe for to come in to Cecyle / ¶ And whanne they were in the myddill of the see / the sone of the maronner was rauisshed of a deuyll Whyche entred in to his body ¶ And by cause that saynt Hylaryon by force of coniuracyon wold haue constrayned hym to departe oute of the sayd sone He sayde to hym ¶ O seruaunt of god why suffrest thou not me to be in peas wythin the water / Gyue me spase to goo to the londe / ¶ For yf I departe here / I sholde falle in to the abysme / ¶ The holy man ansuered to the deuylll Yf my god hath gyuen to the puyssaunce and power to abyde / Abyde thou And yf thou haste noo myghte I shall caste the oute / ¶ Anone after the chylde was hoole and guarysshed / ¶ After this saynt Hilaryon to the ende that he sholde not be knowen made the Maronners to swere other that were there that they shold not shewe his name / ¶ And whanne he was arryued in an hyghe mountayn in Cecyle named Pachumum he wold haue gyuen to the Maronner for his solaire a boke of the gospellis whiche he hadd doo make in his yongthe for hym and his dyscyple Zazanius / ¶ The Marōner seenge that he had none other thynge wolde noo thynge haue / ¶ And to th ende that he wold not there be knowen of the Marchaūtes of the Eest partyes / He wente ferre in to the myddyll of the lond well twenty myle from the see / ¶ And there in a desert he made of the broken bowes and wode fagottes and brusshes / and charged and layd in the necke of his dyscyple for to bere to the market in the nexte towne / To the ende that he sholde brynge breede for theyr sustentacyon / ¶ Alas lete vs consydre the pouertee of this holy man / and how moche euyl he suffred for to come to heuen / we that haue soo moche good / How suppose we to haue it / I byleue that it shall be wyth grete payne / ¶ And how well that the holy man was goon in to a straūge countree by cause he wolde not be knowen / ¶ Neuerthelesse anone after by the moyen of his merueyllous werkes· Hys fame was grete thorugh alle the countree of Cecylle / ¶ And the fyrste knowlege of hym was by a a man whyche had a deuyll wythin his body / the whyche man was broughte in to the chirche of saynt Peter of Rome / ¶ And on a daye amonge the other / the deuyll cryed by the mouthe of the seke man with in shorte tyme Hylaryon shall entre in to Cecylle the whyche wenyth to hyde hym / But I shall goo to him and shal manyfeste and shewe him thorugh out the londe of Cecylle / For suche is the playsure of god / ¶ Anone the same man wyth his seruauntes wente to the see came a londe in Pachumium / ¶ And lyke as the deuyll broughte hym tofore the hermytage of saynt Hylaryon And Incontynent was alle hoole / ¶ The whyche curacyon was the fyrste myracle that he made in Cecylle / ¶ And after came to hym Innumerable seke people / Of whom he refusyd many grete gyftes whyche they wolde haue gyuen to hym / ¶ Consyderynge by hym that whyche oure Sauyour sayd to his dyscyples / ¶ I haue gyuen to you grace / wythoute ony thynge to gyue therfore Gyue ye in lyke wyse wythout takynge of ony thynge / ¶ Esicius dyscyple
/ ¶ A merueyllouse thynge in sayenge thyse wordes the membres of the seke man were restored in theyr strength and helthe / In suche wyse that he wente vppon his fete / ¶ Of whyche thynge and myracle the fame sprange and spradde there alle abowte / ¶ Wherfore the holy man Hylaryon wolde noo lenger abyde there / Not for to departe from thens for ony mutabylyte or chaungynge of thoughte / But by cause he desyred to lyue solytaryly wythoute to haue knowlege of ony persone / ¶ Whanne he was foure score yeres olde he felte himselfe moche feble / And by cause that Esicius his dyscyple was thenne absente / He made a cedule or letter of his honde / By the whyche he lefte to hym alle that he hadde / ¶ That is to wyte his Robe Whyche was made of a sake / His Frocke his Pelycon and his Gospellis / ¶ Alle thyse were noo greteâ—ychesses / ¶ Many deuowte Relygyouses of the cytee of Pafun And wyth theym a notable-woman named Constance att prayers of whom he hadd heeled her sone and her doughter / Camen to hym by cause he was in dysposicyon to deyeed / And spoken wyth hym as he hadde To whom he requyred and neuerthelesse commaunded that Incontynent as he sholde be deed They sholde putt hym in to the erthe in a gardine nyghe to his hous / ¶ And tofore that he deyed there as he hadde noo more charyte he sayd to his soule / What dredest thou my soule / Goo oute of my body / Wherfore arte thou aferde / ¶ It is now gone thre score and ten yere syth thou seruedeste Ihesu Cryste / And now thou dredest to deye / ¶ And thus sayenge he rendred his spyryte to god / Incontynent they buryed hyÌ„ wythin the gardyne ¶ Anone after his dyscyple Esicius whyche was in Palestyne knew his departyng / And thenne he came in to Cypre / ¶ And whanne he was in the gardyne where as he was buryed / He fayned that he wolde dwelle there / ¶ To the ende that they that kepte hym sholde haue noo suspecyon ne mysdemyng that he wolde transporte and carye away the body of saynt Hylaryon / But he wroughte soo pryuely that ten monethes after that he stele hym a waye transported or caryed hym to Maxymian his auncyen and olde chyrche in the whyche the same Esicius and also all the men and Relygyouses there abowte buryed hym in his frocke and his pelycon / Whyche as it is sayde is there alhoole / ¶ And saynt Hylaryon is yet as he was in playne lyfe / Gyuynge out odoures sauours merueyllously smellynge swete / ¶ The good woman Constaunce / whyche hadde be acustomyd in curyouse wakinges to passe the tyme in makinge her prayers there as he had be burybe alyue / ¶ Whanne she knewe that he was transported and taken from thens She wynge the grete loue that she had to him Rendred and gaaf Incontinente her spyryte vnto god / ¶ And yet preseÌ„tly by this occasyon is there grete questyon bytwene theym of Cypre and of Palestyne / ¶ By cause they of Cypresayen that they haue the spirite / ¶ And they of Palestyne sayen to haue the body / ¶ Neuerthelesse in Cypre atte this daye ben done to the praysynge of him moo myracles thanne in Palestine / ¶ And perauenture for almoche as he loued more the place ¶ Or by cause onely that it playsyth god that soo it be done / ¶ Thus endeth this Prossesse of the ryghte holy and deuowte man saynt Hylaryon / ¶ Here folowyth the life of saynt Malachye / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Caromas / Caplm .xxxviii. CAromas is a cyte in Syrie distaunt or beynge of fernesse fro Anthyoche abowte thyrty myle / In the whyche dwelled Malachye a man soo named / ¶ Malachye is a sayeng Syryaque / The whyche in latyn tongue is asmoche to saye as kynge / ¶ This same Malchus or Malachye was an holy man borne of Syrye with hym was alwaye an olde woman the whyche was so olde that she semyd alwaye redy to deye ¶ Thei two were so contynuelly in the chirche that they myghte be lykenye to Zacharye and Elysabeth in deuocoÌ„n / ¶ Saynt Iherom beyng in Syrye some cyteyzyns of the same cyte axed yf the sayd Malachie same woman were maryed or kynnes folke / By cause he sawe theym soo contynuelly togider / ¶ To whom was ansuered that they were holy and deuoute persones towarde god / Thenne saynt Iherom wente to vysite the holy man for to demaunde and enquyre of his life / ¶ The holy man Malachyas sayd to him that he was born of a place namyd Nyzibam / and oonly Herytour of his fader and moder / ¶ The whyche for to contynue their lygnage wold haue constrayned hym to take the Sacrament of Maryage / And nothwythstondynge that he was by his fader strongly menaced and threrenyd / And of hys moder affectuously requyred for to marye hym / ¶ Neuerthelesse he loued beter to these the state of Relygyon and to renounce and forsake the world / ¶ After he sayde to hym that for doubte of the Romayns that made watche vpon the passages and of other men of the sayde countree / He durste not goo in to the Eeste / But wente hym in to the Weste ¶ He sayde to hym also that he had be in an Hermytage whyche was namyd Calcidâ—s and stode towarde the Southe bytwene Mynas Heroas / ¶ And that he had founde there good Relygyous vnder whyche werkynge and laborynge he had lyued longe tyme. ¶ After he was in wyll to retorne in to hys countree / By cause that he wyste well that his fader was deed ¶ And for this cause he wold haue the goodes that were lefte for to gyue a parte to poore peple / Another parte to make a churche the Resydue for to susteyne his lyfe / ¶ The whiche thinge he had declared to his Abbot as he sayd / And he Incontynent blamyd hym / sayenge that it was temptacyon of the deuyll / ¶ And alleged and shewed to hym for the same many fayre hystoryes of some Relygyouses whyche in lyke caas hadd be deceyued / ¶ For the denyll vnder the coloure of good thynge temptyth alwaye the persone for to make him to accomplysshe and doo some euyll / ¶ He sayde ferdermore that his Abbott hadde sayde to hym / That he resembled and was lyke the hounde the whiche after he hadd made his vomyte Retourned and receyued it agayne / ¶ And for prayer that the Abbot cowde doo he wolde not consente to abyde ¶ How be it that he knelyd downe on his knees tofore hym / Prayenge that he sholde not goo / but abyde wyth him in prayenge and shewyng that he that putteth his honde to the plough· That is to saye that entreth in to Relygyon And he loke backewarde / Is not worthy to haue the kyngdom of heuen / ¶ Alas sayde Malachye to
cause that they dradde the depnesse of the sayde Ryuer they passed the water vppon theyr sackes whyche weren full of theyr beeres flesshe / The sayde flesshe was soo hurte that they myghte kepe it noo lâ—nger channe thre dayes / But they recompenced it in drynke / ¶ For in that water thei dranke for the thurste that was to come / ¶ After that they had passed the sayde water / They â—anne in beholdynge alway behynde theim for to knowe yf ony folowed them / and more by nyghte thanne by daye By cause they fered the Saâ—ralyns And also for to eschewe the grete here of the daye / ¶ Yet whanne he tolde thyse thynges to saynt Iherom / He sayde that he was not yet well assured of the grete feere that he that tyme hadde / ¶ And after that he and his wife hadde gone thre dayes They sawe two men come tofore theym Rydynge on two Camellis / And supposyd as it was true / That it was the lorde that they had lefte / Of whom they were soo aferde that they abode noo thynge but dethe / ¶ Thus as they were in this anguysshe they sawe a grete pytte by theym / In whyche they wente to hyde theym / ¶ But wenynge to eschewe a grete peryll they putt theym selfe in a gretter / For in the same pytte were Innumerable venymouse beestes The whyche hadde putt theymselfe in for the here of the sonne / ¶ And thenÌ„e they sayd yf god helpe vs vnhappy we shall be sauf / And yf he dispyse vs synnars / we shall deye here / ¶ After sayd Malachyas to saynt Ierom / Now thynke fayre fader what drede we hadde whanne we sawe the lorde his seruaunte vppon the brynke of the pytte / The whyche we hadde by aduenture thus founden / ¶ In procedynge ferder to the ende of his caas / Malachyas rehercyth that IncoÌ„tynent as the lord his sayde yoman were comen thyder vppon the brynke of the sayd pytte / The lorde made his seruaunt to goo downe in to the pytte / ¶ And bicause he was trowbled in his syghte bicause he was come oute of the clerenes of the sonne / He cowde not knowe theym wythin / ¶ And whanne he was entred wythin the heyghte of thre Cubytes / ¶ He beganne to crye come oute ye meschaunt theues ye shall annoe be slayn / ¶ But Incontynent he was taken of a lyonesse by the thenâ—e and stranglyd hym / ¶ The lorde seenge that hys yoman caryed longe / And strongly enangred came to the sayd pytte / ¶ But anone after he was entred therin / He was in lyke wyse strangled of a lyon / ¶ After recyted and tolde Malachy as that whanne he and his wife sawe the lorde his yoman soo slayne they were aferde that the beestes sholde slee theim / And durste not moeue fro thens ¶ But they were armed of the walle of clene conscyence / ¶ A merueyllouse thinge / The brute beestes were more redy to defende theym thanne they were theymself / ¶ On the morne tofore day the sayde beestes departed from theym And lefte Malachyas his wyfe therto / ¶ But that notwythstondyng they durste not goo oute for the grete drede that they hadde / ¶ And whanne the euen came they wente oute of the pytte aforsayde / And founde the two camelles on whyche the lord and his yoman rode rode vppon / ¶ And soo they bothe anone lyghte vppon theym ¶ And the tenthe daye after they came to Rome / There they beynge comen thyder / recounted alle theyr caas to a Trybune romayne / ¶ And after they were sente to Sabituan duke of Mesopotamye / and there they solde theyr camelles / ¶ And by cause that the Abbot Malchus was deed in the towne of Caromas in Syrye / He dwelled wyth the Relygyouses And sette his wyfe after wyth the vyrgynes / ¶ Thynke ye now ye that ben chaste and vyrgines obseruynge and kepinge chastytee and vyrgynytee / That neuer in that estate ye shall not longe be in captyuytee / ¶ Ne also wylde beestes mowen not noye ne grieue you / ¶ And knowen ye for certayne that how well that we ben alle mortall / Neuerthelesse ye shall neuer see chaste persone and clene of herte to be ouercome· ne put vnder of his enmyes / ¶ Thus endyth this prensent treatyse of saynt Malachye / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Poul the symple heremyte / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Fuit quidam et cetera Caplm .xxxix. SAynt Poul surnamyd the symple was one of the discyples of saynt Anthonye / made hymselfe an heremyte by cause that his wife had gyuen herself to a nother man thanne hym / Of whyche thynge whanne he was aduertysed / he was merueyllously trowblyd / ¶ Neuerthelesse he tolde it to noo body / But wente in to the desertes ¶ And after that he hadde longe gone in the same / He rendred and putt hym selfe in to the monasterye of saynt Anthonye / ¶ To whom in arryuyng there / He demaunded and asked fyrste the waye by the whyche he myghte be sauyd / ¶ Saynt Anthonye sayde to hym That for to gete his saluacyon it was of necessyte / that he sholde doo and accomplysshe alle that sholde be commaunded to hym / ¶ The whyche answered that he shold soo doo / ¶ And thenÌ„e saynt Anthonye wyllynge to preue hys constaunce sayde to hym / ¶ Abyde here atte this doore vnto the tyme I haue prayed god in myn Oratory ¶ Saynt Anthonye was there a nyghte and a daye all hoole / But neuerthelesse saynt Poul departed not ne remeued not / but he behelde ofte by the wyndowe what he dyde wythin / And knewe that contynuelly he prayed wythoute moeuyng hymselfe / ¶ On the morne saynt Anthonye prechyd to hym of many enseygnements and techynges / In shewinge to hym how some tyme he muste laboure and refresshe his spyrytes / Wherby he shold after be more prompte and redy for to praye to god / ¶ Also wyth alle his thoughte and strengthe be oughte to kepe the commaundementes of god / ¶ And att euyn in takynge his refeâ—cyon he sholde ete and drynke lytyll And he sholde drynke but water / ¶ After this that he hadd Instructe and taughte him in alle techynges necessary for his helthe ¶ He delyuered to hym a lytyll Hermytage stondyng thre myles from hym / to whyche saynt Anthnoye wente ofte for to vysyte hym ¶ And alwaye he founde hym in feruente deuocyon In obseruyng and kepynge the rules and commaundementes that he hadde sayde to hym / ¶ On a daye came to saynt Anthonye some brethern ryght perfighte and of moche strayghte lyffe / ¶ Emonge whom was saynt Poul the symple / ¶ And as in an eueÌ„tyde they spake of the holy scripture In recytynge tellynge the dedes of Ihesu Cryste and of the prophetes / ¶ Saynt Poul bi his syplenesse demaunded / yf god hadde be tofore the prophetes / ¶ Saynt
therfore it is to be noted that after the deth of her husbonde Toxocius / She dystrybuted and dealed that one halfe of his godes vnto the poore people / Of whyche some were nourisshed and other clothed And other after theyr dethe buryed / ¶ And whanne a poore body was susteyned and holpen of a nother thanne of her / Anone she was sory as though she hadd loste moche good / ¶ Whan she had longe tyme ladde suche holy lyfe / She wolde not endure and suffre the praysynge of the worlde ¶ For by the occasyon of that she was of noble lygnage many lordes came to vysyte her / ¶ Thenne she beganne to dyspyse the honoure temporall / In desyrynge to goo to deserte for to doo penaunce / ¶ In that tyme it happed that the bysshoppis of the Eest and of the Weste came to Rome for the decension and stryfe of some chyrches ¶ Emonge whom saynt Paula sawe a notable a good man namyd Paulyn Bysshop of Anthyoche / ¶ And a nother namyd Epysanus bysshopp of the cytee of Salamonye in Cypres / The whyche cyte now is called Constance ¶ And the sayd Epifanus was lodged in her howse ¶ And for the grete vertues of the same Bysshoppis she was enflammed wyth loue of god more thanne tofore / ¶ And concluded in herselfe to leue her house in suche manere / That for chyldren ne for the noblesse of her howsene for possessyons that she had she myght neuer be wythdrawen from her holy purpoos / ¶ And after that the Wynter was passed The same Bysshopps putt theym to the see for to retorne to their chirches ¶ Thenne she wente wyth theym for to goo to the hermytages of saynt Anthonye and of saynt Paule Heremytes ¶ After that she hadde saylled by the see / She descended atte a Porte namyd Fratre / And there came to her alle her parentes and frendes / ¶ And that was more pietoê° came thider her childer whyles they arryued and came a londe The shyppes beyng thenne redy for to saylle and take the see / her chyldren were atte Ryuage or hauen / ¶ The lytyll Toxocius helde vpp his hondes to hys moder saynt Paula / And her doughter Ruffine whiche was redy to be maried wepte and prayed her that she wolde tarie abyde tyll the weddynge were done / But the good lady garnisshed with ferme constaunce helde vp her hondes and eyen vnto heuen / In hauynge more grete pyte on her soule thanne of her chyldren / ¶ To whom she shewed noo more affeccyon / thanne yf they hadde not ben her chyldren / Ne she theyr moder / ¶ Now oughte it here to be noted that Nature oughte to be strongely moeuyd to pytee and compassyon whanue she sawe her chyldren thus strongely wepe after her ¶ But neuerthelesse she was constaunt and stedfaste and retourned not / ¶ Alas there is noo martyrdom more sharpe than to departe from frendes / ¶ Alas is this not a werke agaynst nature To leue forsake and abandonne thus her children Ye maye well thynke that she hadd grete faythe / and synguler loue to god / ¶ And it maye well be byleuyd that she was soo wyse and prudente that she louyd theym of a feruente loue well ordeyned / ¶ For tofore or she departed she hadde gyuen to theym alle her good / ¶ Alas she was dysheryted in this worlde for to make her ryche in a nother worlde / ¶ The shyppe thenne sessyd not to saylle for ony prayer that her chyldren made / ¶ But by cause she myghte not see theim wythoute some heuynesse she torned her eyen from theym / and from the Rynage or cooste where as they were / ¶ In effecte the shyppe saylled soo scire that after many dayes they airyued and came a londe in thyles of Pounce / ¶ And by cause the wynde was not grete but ouer calme amonge the stony see and many peryllous passages Of whiche that one was namyd Cylla / A nother Carthdis An other Adriaticus whyche ben daungeours in the see for the rockes that ben there / They descended and came a londe And in goinge a londe she felte her membres soo wery and ouermoche trauaylled as she sholde haue deyed ¶ There she toke a lytyll refecedcoÌ„n for to comfort her / ¶ After that she had be in Citharee in Rhodes and in other many yles She came in to the yle of Cypre / In whyche place she soiourned bi the space of ten dayes wyth the sayd Bysshopp Epyfanius / ¶ Thenne whanne she hadde vysited alle the monasteryes there she toke the see and came on londe in Scylence ¶ After she came in to Anthyoche there she was a lytyll tyme wyth the bysshopp Paulyne / ¶ Alas the good lady whyche woned to be borne wyth .x. Emuches had not in walkynge all thyse wayes and other here tofore declared but a poore Asle Vpon whiche she sate ¶ And she vysited not oonly the holy places in the yles tofore declared but also she was in theym of Syrye of Fenyce / ¶ How well that of theym saynt Iherom makyth noo mencyon / ¶ For he hath wreten oonly that whyche hathe be founde in holy hystoryes / ¶ After that she had passed Iherico Romayn and Colugne / She entred in to a lytyll towne namyd Sarepta bytwene Thyrye and Syrye / ¶ And by cause she wente abowte alle that londe it were a longe thynge to recounte what she dyde in that vyage / ¶ Fynably she came in to Iherusalem the whiche cytee hath thre names / That is to wyte Iehus Salem and Iherusalem / Whan she was comen thider / The pryncypall of the cytee / hauynge the offyce of Proconsull made to be arayed for her a lytyll place like an hermitage / ¶ But tofore er she soiourned there she wente to vysite the holy places / and to worshipp the holy Crosse wheron oure lorde was crucyfyed for the Redempcyon of man kynde / ¶ Now thynke we how many teeres she lete there thenne falle whanne she byhelde by a merueyllouse câ—mpunccyon / As yf oure lorde had yet ben there / ¶ In lyke wyse she came to the Sepulture / whyche was not wythout kyssynge and worshyppynge deuououtly / ¶ After in to the mount of Syon / whiche Dauyd reedefied / where she sawe the pyler bysprente wyth the precyous blood of our lorde / To the whyche he hadd be bounden for to be beten byfore Pylate / ¶ There also she sawe in the place in whyche after the prophecye of Ioel. the holy ghoste descended vppon syxe score persones / ¶ After she wente to Betheleem / And on the ryghte syde of the waye she taryed to see the Sepulcre of Rachel in the place where Beniamyn was borne / ¶ After she came in to the place where oure lorde was borne in the stable / Where she beganne to be in contemplacyon / And remembred how the chylde was layed and wrapped in lytyll
hope that thou shalt be alwaye min helper in alle myn affayres and dedes / ¶ And for that cause I drede noo thynge that ony man doo to me ¶ For euery man that shall honoure the shall alwaye be comforted / ¶ And also there oughte noo persone of the worlde be adradde of what auctorite or estate that he be of / But oonly thou / ¶ The sayde good lady saynt Paula also obserued and kepte good pacyence in all her trybulacions vnto her dethe / ¶ In consyderynge that alle they thenne enforce theym to doo dysplaysure to theyr enmyes in desyrynge vengaunce / They done agayne theymselfe / And alle theyr ferocyte and wodnesse retournyth agaynst theymself / ¶ Here after folowyth of the order of the monasterye of the good lady saynt Paula / And also of the contynence of the deuowte good and holy Relygyouses / As well of theym as came to vysyte her as of other / And how she laboured and dyde payne in the acquysycyon and purchasynge of theyr helthe of theyr soules / THe sayd good and ryght deuoute lady saynt Paula had ryght grete vertues in her / And soo ryght grete charytee that she gaaff for the loue of god alle her goodes / and abandonned and forsoke alle temporell thynges / for to gete heuenly thynges ¶ Her vyrgynes were moche noble benygne softe gracious amyable and debonayr or meke merueyllously / the whiche she hadde assembled of dyuerse prouynces / Whom the deuowte lady saynt Paula hadde deuided in to thre companyes / And on euery companye she had ordeyned a maystresse ouer theym / ¶ And notwythstondyng that they were separate and alone towchynge theyr etynge and drynkynge / Yet were they togyder for to praye to god / ¶ They hadde amonge theym a sygne to synge Alleluya / And Incontynent as it was songe / She came the fyrste herselfe for to moeue the other virgynes to come to prayer / ¶ On the mornynge att houre of Tyerce att Syxte att None at Euensonge and att Midnyght That is to wite att houre of Matynes they songe the sawter / And they were alle constrayned to come to it / ¶ And euery day they lerned somwhat of holy scrypture / ¶ On the Sondaye eche companye of the sayde vyrgynes wyth theyr maystresse came to the chyrche to praye and serue god att alle the houres aforsayd / ¶ And all the other dayes of the weke they laboured and wroughte to make robes and other vestymentes for poore people or for theymselfe / ¶ And yf ony were that came late atâ— the houres for to psalmodye or slouthful to do their werke She corrected them by softe meanes / ¶ And yf ony of her sayde vyrgynes were hasty or wrothe / By good loue and swetnesse she corrected theym and broughte theim in the waye of helthe / ¶ And yf she were softe humble and pacyent Alwaye notwythstondynge she shewed and corrected her by good manere noo more ne lasse thanne yf she hadde faylled herselfe / ¶ In folowynge the wordes of saynt Paul the Appostle sayenge / What woll ye that I doo to you / Shall I correcte by rodde or bi fayrnesse and debonayrte / Alle were egall / For they had none other thynge but theyr lyuynge and clothynge / ¶ And yf emonge theim were moeuyd ony complaynt or debate / Bi fayrnesse she broughte theym agayne in to loue / ¶ She constrayned the vyrgynes to faste to chastyse the flesshe / ¶ And whan they sawe they hadde payne in the stomacke / She answered to theym that is â—â—â—e auayllyd to theym to be euyll disposyd / thanne that theyr soules sholde be like by the synÌ„e of the flesshe ¶ Yf oony were more worldly or more curyously arayed thanne the other / ¶ She repreuyd her in sayenge / that the curyous araye of the hody was the fylthe of the soule / ¶ And that neuer from the herte of a vyrgyn oughte to procede ony fowle worde / ¶ Yf ony were a Iangeler a Lyar. or Chyder / She warnyd her for to amende her ¶ And yf she amended her not / She made her to abide tofore the chyrche doore for to pray to god / And to ete and drynke oute of the companye of her systers / To the ende that she sholde correcte herselfe by shame / ¶ She defendeth thefte as Sacrylege / And that whyche the worldly men sayde to be venyall synne / She reputed and helde it a ryght grete dedely synne / ¶ For to recounte of her clemence and lowelynesse It is a thynge merueyllous / ¶ Yf her systers were syke she serued theym / And gaaf to theym to ete flesshe / ¶ But whanne she was in sykenesse she ete none / And in that pryncypally she was not lyke to other ¶ She that was olde dyde more abstynences thanne her yonge vyrgynes / ¶ On a tyme in the monthe of Iuyll for the grete hete of the sonne She hadde the febres or axes / ¶ The physycyens counseylled her that she shold ete metes more nutrytyf thanne she had be accustomyd / And also that she sholde drynke wyne / ¶ For the water that she dranke myghte cause her to haue the Ydropesye / ¶ But neyther for the bysshopp Epifanyus ne for ony other she wolde not ete ony other thynge thanne she hadde ben accustomyd / ¶ Helas yf we take hede to her lyfe / we shall fynde that she made good commutacyons and marchaundyses / ¶ And she wepte in this worlde to the ende that she myghte laughe in that other / ¶ She ware the hayre / to the ende that she myghte haue fayre vestymentes and precyouse in heuen / ¶ She fasted deuoutly for to haue spyrytuell Refeccyon And she for soke alle the goodes of this worlde for to be Ryche in heuen / ¶ And dyspysed the worldly glorye for to haue glory euerlastynge / ¶ On a tyme she wente to an Heretyke whiche proposed many questyons ¶ The fyrste questyon was / What syÌ„ne myghte a chylde doo that was tourmented wyth the deuyll / ¶ The seconde In what aege men and wymmen shall aryse from dethe to lyfe / ¶ Adioustynge to this demaunde or questyon / Yf she sayde in the aege in whyche we deye / Thenne it behouyth to haue nouryces for to nourisshe the chyldren whiche deyed in yonge aege / also tofore the tyme that they were sure of the pappes / ¶ And yf she sayde that they sholde aryse in other aege / Thenne it sholde not be ResurreccoÌ„n / But oonly transformacion oute of one body in to a nother / ¶ After he demaunded yf wymmen sholde aryse as wymmen and the men in fourme of men Or otherwyse / ¶ Concludynge yf they aroos in fourme of men and wymmen / That they sholde be maryed in paradys / ¶ And yf alle sholde aryse in fourme of men / That the Resurreccyon sholde not be of those bodyes that were deed / ¶ And whanne suche questyons were to her proposyd
/ ¶ She recounted theym to saynt Iherom / ¶ The whyche in spekynge to the sayde Heretyke and in enfourmynge hym other questyons confounded his in this manere / ¶ Fyrst saynt Iherom demaunded hym yf he byleuyd the Resurrexcōn generall / ¶ The Heretyke ansuered Ye / sowe oughte to byleue / ¶ For it is an artycle of the faythe / ¶ Secondly he demaunded yf the same body that deyed sholde ryse agayne / ¶ He ansuered Ye For it is also trouth / ¶ Thyrdly he demaunded yf the bodyes sholde aryse in the sexe or kynde in the whyche they sholde be deed / That is to wite yf the man shall aryse in the lykenesse of a man / And also in like wise the woman in lykenesse of a woman / ¶ To this demaunde or question the Heretyke ansuered nought / ¶ Saynt Iherom sayde after to him / ¶ Syth that thou wolt not ansuere I shall saye to the by manere of ansuere / ¶ That yf a man ryse not in lykenesse of a man / And a woman in lykenesse of a woman / Thenne it sholde not be Resurreccyon of theym that deyed The whiche Resurrexcyon thou grauntest to be / And also it is true / ¶ We haue prouff herof by oure lorde Ihesu Cryste / The whyche whanne he was arysen shewed his woūdes whyche he hadde receyued in the Crosse / ¶ And also whanne saynt Thomas towched him in his worthy side / ¶ Sayd not oure lorde to his dyscyples / Beholde and see my woundes / To the ende that certaynly ye byleue that I am he that hathe be crucyfyed ¶ Thenne that syth oure lorde after his Resurrexcyon was seen and towched / And that his discyples herde him speke / ¶ It aperyth cleerly thy his membres that he arose in lykenesse of a man and not of a woman / ¶ For by his membres it apperyth that he hadd a body / ¶ By cause that the body is not wythoute membres ne the membres also wythout body / ¶ Therfore it muste conclude that the men shall aryse as men / And wymmen as wymmen / ¶ As towchinge the conclusyon that the Heretyke made in sayenge That maryages oughte to be made in heuen / ¶ Saynt Iherom ansuered that there sholde be none / ¶ For oure lorde saythe that after the Resurreccyon generall shall neuer be maryage made / ¶ And by this the scrypture sayth that there shall none be maryed / And yf it be argued to be wryten that we shall be lyke to good aungellis the Proposycyon oughte to be vnderstonde that we shall be sēblable or lyke to theym in conuersacyon and blessydnesse / As is promysyd to vs. Not by nature / ¶ Saynt Iohan Baptist tofore that he was byheded was called an aungell But for that he hadde not the nature of aungellis / ¶ The symylytude or lylenesses of aungellis is oonly promysed in holynesse of lyfe / ¶ But the nature not for that shal be chaunged / ¶ Yf ony argued in sayenge that god ete after his Resurreccyon Thenne we shall ete after that we were reysed / ¶ The argumente is not prouffytable / ¶ For that whyche was done was for the approbacyon and veryfyenge of the sayyd Resurrexcyon / ¶ He also whanne he hadde Reysyd the sayde good Lazare / Whyche hadde be deed foure dayes ete wyth hym / ¶ Also the doughter of the Synagoge anone after that god hadde reysed Commaunded that mete sholde be gyuen to her / To the ende that they that sawe thise and herde of thise reysinges sholde ne myght not saye that they were bodyes fantastyke / But were very bodyes whyche hadd ben deed and reysed agayne / ¶ As towchynge the question of the chylde vexed of the deuyll whyche had not synned / ¶ And also in what aege we shall aryse / ¶ Saynt Iherom fyrste sayth that the Iugementes of god aren as a grete swolowe / ¶ His scyence is also to vs vnknowen / ¶ Neuer man knewe what god hathe in his entendemente and purpoos / ¶ Secondly ought to be noted with saynt Iherom / That a man whanne he is ten or twenty or thyrty Or a hūdred yere olde is none other than whā he is but two or thre or foure yere olde ¶ And neuerthelesse after the tradycyons and sayenges of the chyrche and the doctryne of saynt Poul / we shal ryse in the aege of perfeccyon In whyche oure lorde aroos fro thyrty to two and thyrty yeres / ¶ And in whyche aege was Adam fourmyd after that the Iewes wytnesse / ¶ In retournynge thenne to saynt Paula / And for to speke of her entendemente sayth saynt Iherom that ofte she kepte and obserued the commaundement that sayth Andi israhel ettace That is to saye ¶ Man here and bestylle / For the good lady Paula was well lyghte to here / And slowe to speke / ¶ She was curyous and besie to haue bokes of holy scrypture / And radde theym gladly / ¶ And for better to prouffyte in theym / She constrayned saynt Iherom to expowne to her the olde Testamente and the newe / ¶ But whanne for ony doubtes he differred to expowne to her certayne proposycyons / Sayenge to her that he cowde not expowne theym / She wolde not byleue hym / ¶ But by contynuell Interrogacyons and desyres she constrayned him to expowne theym after the Sentence moost apparent or lykely and after trouthe and good sens / ¶ Her vnderstondynge was soo grete that she lerned of saynt Iherom the Ebrewe tongue / In suche wyse that she songe the psalmes of the Psaulter in Ebrewe tongue / And songe noo more in latyn / ¶ After that we haue recyted of her holy lyfe conuersacōn that is to saye of her gloryous departing oute of this worlde ¶ Whanne the good lady saynt Paula felte that she had no more hete but a lytyll in her stomack / ¶ She beganne to saye thyse wordes that folowe in wepynge and wayllynge bytterly ¶ O my god I haue desyred the beaultee of thy heuen and glory / ¶ O lorde that thy Tabernacles and dwellynge places ben fayre shynynge / O lorde god I haue more desire to be in thy hous that is in the chyrche than to dwelle with them of the worlde ¶ Anone after she cessed to speke saynt Iherom seeng that she ansuerd not to ony thyng that he demaunded or asked of her / ¶ He asked why she ansuered not / ¶ And yf she hadde in her herte ony heuynesse or gryef / ¶ The goode lady ansuered in Greke / Naye / but she sawe alle Ioyousete and gladnesse / ¶ After she spake noo more / But sygned her wyth the sygne of the Crosse / ¶ There were dyuerse bysshoppis as well of Iherusalem as of other places And wyth theim were grete nombre of preestes and Innumerable companyes of vyrgynes and Relygyouses / ¶ In presence of whom she herde oure lorde / whiche callyd her sayenge / ¶ Come to me my
spowse my culuer or douue / ¶ For the wynter and the Rayne ben passed / ¶ To whom she answered / ¶ The flowres ben on the erthe / The tyme of Harueste is come / I byleue to see the goodes of oure lorde in the londe of lyuynge people / ¶ And in thus sayenge she rendred to god her blessyd soule / ¶ But in soo dooynge the people beynge presente were not moeuyd to wepynge ne wayllynge / lyke as men of the worlde now a dayes done for theyr parentes and frendes / Whom they haue soone forgoten / ¶ But the bysshoppis sette honde on the Byer / The other herynge lampes and tapres· And other syngynge deuowte Ympnes and Psalmes in the mydle of the chyrche / And in the sepulture of oure lorde where oure sauyour Ihesu Cryste was buryed / ¶ Alle the people of the cytees of Palestyne came to her Entyerement / ¶ And soo many of Relygyouses men and wymmen were there / that it was merueyllouse to see and behold· ¶ And in effecte yf ony defaylled there that hadde not ben atte theyr laste seruyce They were reputed and holden as Sacryleges / ¶ The Wydowes and poore Wydowes to the example of Dorcade sheweden there the vestymentes whyche the good lady saynt Paula hadde made / ¶ And generally alle poore persones cryeden after her / As after theyr mode ¶ Lete vs thynke thenne we myserable synnars / ¶ And pryncypally they that amasse and possesse grete Ryches tresours / ¶ How the good lady Paula abandouned and forsoke alle her tresour for to gyue for goddis sake / ¶ He las what cowde one more yeue / She reteyned and kepte noo thynge for herselfe / ¶ Thynke marchauntes what marchaundyses she made / Whanne she chaunged alle her golde and her syluer in to thynges Incommutable / ¶ She forsoke alle for to haue alle And she wolde be ryght poore for to be Ryche / ¶ Saynt Iherom after this adressyd his wordes to the doughter of saynt Paula whyche was moche deuowte / ¶ For she folowed the good vertuouse maners of her holy moder / ¶ O Eustochium Reioyce thyselfe my doughter / For I know that thou haste but lytyll good in this worlde / But thou oughtest to enioye the for thyn holy moder / ¶ Whyche by longe martyrdome is crowned in the glory of heuen ¶ She hathe spared to the grete Rychesses / ¶ For thou shalte haue by successyon thy god whiche is more Ryche Tresour thanne alle the golde in the worlde / ¶ Thus in Bethleem where god was born deyed gloryously the good saynt Paula / ¶ Of whom the gloryous soule flewe in to heuen in to euerlastynge glory and blysse / ¶ The whyche graunte to vs the eternall god in one essence and thre in persones / By the merytes and prayers of the gloryous sayntes saynt Paula and saynt Iherom her singuler and moost specyall frende in this worlde and in the other / Amen / ¶ Thus endeth the lyfe of the ryght deuoute holy woman saynt Paula / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe ' of saynt Pelage / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quid factū est c / Caplm .xli. AMonge you that woll knowe that god oure maker woll not lese a Cristen man / How grete a synnar that he be / ¶ Herke and ofte rede the lyfe of saynt Pelage / And ye shall knowe yf ye woll retorne to god our Maker by penaunce that ye shall haue remyssyon / And in the ende foryeuenesse of youre synnes / ¶ Thenne sȳnais ye oughte to reioyce yourselfe of that ye here / ¶ For it is alle ayde and comforte that comyth to you And also cause of lamentacyon / ¶ An holy bysshop of Anthyoche for certayne cause callyd togyder for certayne causes althe bysshoppis nyghe abowte him / whiche came to him to the nombre of eyghte ¶ Emonge whom was an holy bisshopp callyd Nonnus / that was a Religyous man of the monastery of The benesyens / ¶ And bi cause that he was of right holy lyf He was violently and by stronge honde rauisshed from his abbaye and electe bysshopp / ¶ The whiche Bysshoppis assembled were commaunded by the sayde saynt Nonnus and his seruytours / And they sholde assemble in the chyrche of saynt Iulyan the marter / ¶ And to the regarde of other they were put in howses nighe the chyrche / ¶ They beynge there prayed the sayde holy Bisshopp Nonnus that he sholde saye to theym some thyng for the helthe and comforte of their soules ¶ The whiche thynge he graunted to theym benygnely / ¶ And desyrynge sore to prouffyte hymselfe and theym also ¶ Beganne to enduce theym and teche theym after the doctryne of oure Redemer Ihesu Cryst / ¶ On a tyme emonge thother as he preched to them of the holy Gospell / ¶ He sawe passe tofore hym vpon a lytyll mulet the moost excellent Iougleresse or Daunceresse that was in the cytee of Anthyoche soo rychely and worldly ornate and arayed / That vppon her was seen noo thynge but golde and syluer and ryche pyerrerye / ¶ And wyth that she hadde a Coler of golde aboute her necke / and also was accompanyed wyth seruauntes and chambryeres in lyke wyse arayed / ¶ In passynge thus in the waye she fylled the ayre wyth merueyllouse swete odours and sauours / ¶ Whanne the Bysshopps sawe her soo passe consyderynge the beaute of her / torned the yr eyen to the erthe / To the ende that they sholde not by her commyse or thȳke ony dedely synne / ¶ Saynt Nonnus behelde her ryght affectuously and after demaūded the other Bysshoppis yf they hadde ony desectacyon o◠playsaunce in the beaute of the sayde fayre woman / The whyche answered noo thynge / ¶ Thenne the sayde Nonnus beganne to wepe and waylle In suche wyse that his bosome was full of teeres / ¶ And yet agayne he demaunded theym yf they reioyced not theym in beholdynge of the same woman ¶ And lyke as afore they answered not / ¶ Thenne he sayde to theym / Truely I haue strongly delyted me And her beaute hath merueyllously playsed me / For god hathe ordeyned her to sette her tofore his seete whyche is merueyllous whanne he shall Iudge vs. and theym of oure Bysshopryche / ¶ And yet he sayd to his felowes the Bysshoppes / My ryght well bylouyd frendes Thynke how ofte she hathe kembed wasshed made fayre herself for to playse her amourouse or loues whyche thys daye ben / And tomorn shall not be / ¶ She appoynted herself soo honestly that there fayllyd not a pynne as towchynge to the world / ¶ And yf she for to playse the worlde takith so moche besynesse ¶ Alas we that haue god oure fader god kynge of heuen and of erthe what shall we doo / ¶ And who shall gyue to vs the heuenly goodes whyche maye not be estemyd nor thoughte / ¶ What shall we doo / Truely we oughte to haue
souerayne cure and besinesse to be alwaye arayed made fayre wyth clennesse of herte and of pure conscyence ¶ And in lyke wyse oughte we for to wake for to fynde the wayes and meanes by the whiche we maye playse him in dooynge to hym seruyse aggreable / ¶ Thise thinges sayde saynt Nonnus toke his deaken by the honde and wente in to the howse / Whyche was ordeyned for theym to be lodged in / ¶ After he wythdrewe hym in to his chambre In whyche he fell downe to the groūde / in wepynge and smytynge his breste and beganne to saye / ¶ O my god that knowest the thynges hidde I may not hyde how that by the deceyuable a rayment and dyshoneste clothinge of a synfull woman / The beaute of my soule hathe be maculate and defoyllyd / In what manere o my god shall I mowe praye to the / ¶ Or how shall I mowe Iustyfye me tofore the / ¶ Thou knoweste alle my thoughte / Maledyccyos or cursydnesse shall come to me For I offre to the sacrefyse And also make fewle my soule b◠synne / The synful woman thinkyth on no thyng but to playse the worlde / ¶ And I haue promysed to the faythe and loyaulte / And haue not kepte it to the ¶ O my lorde god I am oute of thy grace / ¶ Alas I haue noo more hope of my good werkes but onely in thy mercy / ¶ By the whiche I hope and entende my saluacyon ¶ The good saynt Nonnus abode by longe space of tyme in suche heuynesse ¶ And the Sondaye folowynge after that he hadde sayde his Houres wyth his Deaken / ¶ He recounted and shewed to hym a dreme / ¶ But he cowde not erpowne it / ¶ This dreme was of a blacke douue fowle of moche fylthe / ¶ The whyche as it semyd to saynt Nonnus that in syngynge his masse it came to the corner of the awter ¶ And after came fleenge alle abowte hym / And gaaf soo grete a stenche / That he myghte not abyde to fele it / ¶ And after that he hadd songe the masse in comynge oute of the chyrche / The same douue came agayne fleenge aboute as she dyde tofore In gyuynge to hym so grete a stenche that he myghte not endure to smelle it / ¶ Thenne he raughte his honde vppon the same douue soo dylygently that he tooke it / And threwe it in a vessell ful of water / In whiche she lefte all her ordures and fylthes ¶ And flewh a waye also whyte as a Swanne / And soo vanysshed from his eyen / ¶ And alle this sayde the holy man that he hadde seen in his slepe / ¶ Thyse thynges thus sayde they tweyne wente in to the grete chyrche where as the Bysshopp was / Whom they salewed / ¶ Whanne the Gospell of the grete masse was sayde / The bysshopp commaunded to saynt Nonnus that he sholde goo preche / And make a sermon to the people / Anone he went in to the prechynge stole / Introducynge and enfourmynge the people beyng there at the sayde chyrche in the faythe of god / ¶ And syngulerly preched of his grete Iugement to come / And of the glorye of heuen / ¶ And by his fayr Introduccyons and exhortacions was the people moeued to penannce and to contrycōn / In suche wyse that alle began to waylle and wepe for the horrour grete dysplaysaunce that they hadd of theyr synnes / ¶ Now it happed that this synfull woman Pelage whyche had passed fore by and arayed as afore is sayde came to this sermon / The whyche herynge the wordes of the ryghte good holy man / And notwytstondyng that she neuer hadde serued god but alle onely the worlde ¶ She hadde soo grete contrycyon and soo bytter dysplaysaunce of the enormyte of her synnes that she foūdred alle in teeres In suche wyse that she semyd that she mystrusted the mercy of god / And hadd none other countenaunce but contynuelly to waylle and wepe / ¶ Neuerthelesse she commaūded to tweyne of her chyldren that were at that tyme wyth her that they sholde abyde in the chyrche / And take good hede whyther the holy man wente where that she myghte fynde hym / ¶ The chyldren dyde soo· and folowed the holy man vnto the chyrche of saynt Iulian the martyr / And after came and tolde it to theyr moder / ¶ And thenne she wrote to hym a lettre in substaunce / ¶ To the right Reuerende holy man dyscyple of Ihū cryst thou holy man haste prechyd that thy god is soo moche and lowe meked hymselfe that he hathe taken mankynde pryncypally for to saue the synnars and Plublicans ¶ And he whom the aungellis dare not beholde hath wylled to conuerse and dwelle wyth the synnars in this worlde / ¶ O my ryghte dere lorde I haue ofte herde sayde of the / That thy holynesse is moche grete / And that thou ledest a ryght perfyghte lyffe / ¶ And how well that thou haste not seen hym thy sayde god wyth thy bodyly eyen the whyche shewed hymselfe to the Samarytane / Neuerthelesse thou seruest hym / Dredeste worshyppest soueraynly As the Crysten people publisshen and sayen / Therfore I byseche the that thou woll not dyspyse me / Notwythstondynge that I be a synfull woman / And that it maye playse the to teche and enfourme me in suche wyse that I maye perfyghtly knowe myn euerlastynge god / Wythoute whom I maye haue noo pardon / ne remyssyon of my synnes / ¶ The whyche letter seen by saynt Nonne he wrote to her agayne in thys manere / ¶ O woman what some euer thou be / Thou arte knowen of god / The whyche also knowyth thy wylle / I pray the that thou tempte not myn humylytee in folyly prasynge me / For I am a synfull man / and vnworthy seruytour and Seruaunte of god / ¶ But yf thou haue wyll to se me / And by me knowe and receyue oure good faythe / ¶ There ben in this cytee other Bysshoppis notable prelates with whom thou shalte see me / ¶ For it is noo thynge leyffull that thou allone sholde speke to me / ¶ Whan the poore synfull woman hadde seen this lettre / ¶ She Incontynent departed and wente in to the chirche of saynt Iulian / ¶ In the whyche were present all the bysshoppis / ¶ And she dide to saynt Nonnus to haue knowlege of her comynge / ¶ Whyche Incontynent assembled and broughte togyder the sayd bysshoppis / ¶ And that done made her to come to hym / ¶ Anone she felle downe to the fete of the holy Bysshopp saynt Nonne sayenge / ¶ I praye the my lorde that it playse the in folowyng thyne doctryne to stratche vpon me thy mercy / and make me a Crysten woman / ¶ I am the see of synne and the swolow of wyckydnesse whiche asketh and requyreth to be baptysed / ¶ Saynt Nonnus made her to stonde vpp / And sayde to her / My frende
the holy Decretes ben suche that a publike and comin synful woman oughte not be baptysed / Yf she gyue not pledge neuer to retorne to her synne ¶ This ansuere herde she felle downe agayne to his fete / In wasshynge theym wyth her teeres and wypynge theym wyth her heere / and sayd to hym / ¶ O Nonnus I praye humbly to the god that my synnes wyckydnesse be to the Imputed yf thou dyfferre to baptyse me / ¶ And also I pray wyth this that thou neuer haue parte ne porcyon wyth the sayntes in heuen / yf thou make me not now Crysten / ¶ And ferder more that thou be constrayned to forsake his lawe / And adoure and worshyp the ydollis / yf thou espouse and wedde me not this day vnto hym / by the ryghte holy sacrament of baptym ¶ Then̄e alle the bysshoppis and other that were there sayden that they hadde neuer seen ony synfull woman haue more bytter dysplaysaunce of her synnes / ¶ Thenne they sente the Deaken of saynt Nonne vnto the Bisshopp of the cytee / For to recyte and shewe to hym this caas / ¶ To the ende that he shold sende one of the Abbesses whyche were to hym subgette / for to enfourme and comforte this sayde poore synfull woman / ¶ The Bysshopp herynge thyse thynges was moche Ioyefull and glad ¶ And sente thyder saynt Romayne the abbesse whiche was chief in vertu and dygnytee / ¶ Whyche founde the sayde synfull woman wepynge in grete habundaunce and plentee of teeres at the fete of the holy man saynt Nonnus / ¶ Whiche vnneth myghte make her to aryse / ¶ But neuerthelesse she sayde to her / ¶ My doughter aryse vpp and confesse and vtter alle thy synnes / To the ende that thou be baptysed / ¶ Thenne she answered / Ha madame yf I sholde well examyne and serche my conscyence / I sholde fynde that I neuer haue done ony good ¶ But haue gyuen and habandonned me to alle maledyccyon and wyckednesse / ¶ And knowe that my synnes ben more grette in nombre thanne the grauell of the see / ¶ But I truste in god / and hauynge confiaunce in the / he shall efface and putte awaye alle my fylthes of synne ¶ Then̄e the holy man saynt Nonnus asked what her name was / To whyche she ansuered I am namyd Pelage / ¶ How well they of Anthyoche call me Margaryte by cause of the pyerrye or nyce and dyssolute and wanten ornements and raymentes of whyche late I arrayed myn vyle and detestable caroyne / ¶ In makynge of the same openly and maddely the werke and boutye of the deuyll of helle / ¶ Anone after saynt Nonne baptysed her ¶ And namyd her by her name Pelage / ¶ And after mynystred vnto her the body of our lorde And that done he lefte her in the gouernaunce of saynt Romayne / And gaaf to her his benedyccyon / ¶ After saynt Nonne sayde to saynt Iherom / My frende brother we oughte this daye to reioyce vs / And to ete oylle and drynke wyth spyrytuell gladnesse· more thanne we haue ben accustomed and vsed In takinge consolacyon and comforte of the helthe of this synfull woman / And so concluded to dyne togyder / ¶ And thus as they toke theyr refeccyon They herde the deuyll crye at theyr gate lyke vnto the voyce of a man sayeng / ¶ O maledyccyon / O maledyccyon / Wherfore is that I suffre soo moche of this olde man here / ¶ Suffysed not it ynough that he hathe conuerted thyrty thousande Sarrasyns to the Crysten faythe / ¶ And in lyke wyse the noble and grete cyte Helyopolis the whyche adoured and worshipped me and alle they that conuersed and dwellyd in it / And syth hath take a waye from me myn hope / I shall nomore endure his machinacions / Acursyd be the daye that tholde man was borne / ¶ Suche wordes or semblable in substaunce cryed the deuyll tofore the yate / yet agayne in adressynge his wordes to saynt Pelage said to her ¶ Ha mi damoysel thou makest to me the payn that I suffre endure / Thou Resemblest to Iudas that solde his mayster whyche was one of the nombre of his dyscyples / ¶ Thou haste in lyke wyse solde me to thys olde man Nonus / ¶ Thenne saynt Nonne sayde to her / That she sholde blesse her wyth the sygne of the holy Crosse / whiche she dyde / ¶ And Incontynent and wythoute taryenge the deuyll vanysshed away ¶ Two dayes after she sleped wyth saynt Romayne The deuyll apperyd to her and awoke her / ¶ And after sayde to her / My frende Margarete what thynge haue I done to the / I haue enryched the wyth golde and syluer / And haue done to the alle that whyche thou haste demaunded o◠desired of me / ¶ Wherfor doost thou to me soo grete dyshonoure to become Crysten / ¶ Thenne she blessyd her and sayde to the deuyll / My god whyche hathe preserued me from the deuomynge of thyne horryble teeth hathe sette me in his heuenly chambre / ¶ And yet I hope that he shall fyghte for me agaynst the / Whyche demaundest and desyrest noo thynge but myn perdycyon / ¶ And after the deuyll came noo more to her / ¶ The thyrde daye after that she was baptysed she sente for her sone / to whom she sayde / That he sholde goo in to her Garderobe / and to put in writynge alle that she hadde / As well golde and syluer and other goodes / ¶ And that he sholde brynge all to her / wythoute to leue ony thynge / The whyche chylde dyde soo / ¶ After she wente for saynt Nonne for her ghostly moder / ¶ And whan he was come she sayd to hym / My lorde and frende loo here the Rychesse of whyche Sathan hathe enryched me / ¶ Now I putte theym in to thy power and dyscrecion / ¶ And I aske neuer ony thynge But the Rychesse of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ The sayde saynt Nonne callyd the eldeste of theym that kepte the chyrche / And delyuered to hym alle the same Richesses In sayenge to hym / I commaunde the in the honoure of the Trynyte of heuen that thou neuer entree in to this chyrche / Tyll that thou haste dystrybuted alle thyse goodes· As well to poore wydowes and orphelyns As to the suffretous poore and nedy / To the ende that the goodes goten by synne be made tresoure of Iustyce / ¶ Wyth this the holy man cursyd excomyned alle theym that sholde do◠the contrarye and theyr houses / yf they receyued and kepte ony thynge / ¶ After she called alle her chyldren and sayde to theym / ¶ My chyldren I praye you to departe you from this worlde to the ende that as we haue ben togyder / we maye be in lyke wyse togyder in heuen ¶ For here ye maye gete noo thynge· but synne and wyckydnesse / ¶ The eyghte daye after her baptysynge /
thankyd god ¶ And dyssposyd hym for to make and begynne to dygge a pytte or a Sepulture to burye her in / ¶ But for as moche as he hadde neyther pykeys ne shouell for to make it / ¶ He founde a lytyll bowhe wyth whyche he began to delue in the erthe / The whyche was soo harde / that he was a long space of tyme. wythoute to make ony thynge ¶ Fyrste he was olde and feble ¶ Secondly the grounde was harde ¶ Thyrdly he was strongely ennoyed and wepte contynuelly / ¶ And in lyke wyse resystynge he byhelde the corps of the good Marye Egypcyen / He sawe a merueyllouse grete Lyon whyche lycked the fete of the blessyd corps / ¶ Thenne he was somwhat aferde / For neuer tofore hadde he seen suche a beeste ¶ Also she hadde sayde to hym that she hadde none seen in alle the tyme that she hadde ben in deserte / ¶ Thenne Zozimas blessed hym with the sygne of the crosse in beholdynge the sayde lyon / Whyche made to hym a sygne of salutacyon / ¶ That seenge Zozimas commaunded hym to make the sepulture for the good holy woman / The whyche he dyde accordynge to the quantyte of her body / And after in way lynges and wepynges Zozimas couerde the sayde body whiche was alle nakyd in lyke wyse as he hadde founde it in the presence of the sayde lyon / Whyche anone after departed / ¶ And Zozimas retorned in to his monastery and recounted and tolde to his brethern the caas in suche wyse as it happed / Wherfore they were moche admerueylled / ¶ And after that tyme they solempnysed and worshypped the daye of her departynge oute of this worlde / ¶ The Abbot Iohan corrected theim whyche hadde trespassed and synned lyke as saynt Marye Egypcyen had sayde to the sayde Zozimas / ¶ The whyche lyued in the sayde monasterye vnto the aege of an hundred yeres / ¶ After whyche tyme he deyed in reste / And his soule wente in to the glorye of heuen / ¶ To whyche he brynge vs that deyed on the Crosse / Amen / ¶ Thus endyth the lyfe of the holy blessyd woman saynt Marye Egypcyen / ¶ And nexte folowyth the lyfe of saynt Maryne / Begynnynge in latyn ¶ Fuit frater quidam / et cetera Caplm .xliii. SOmtyme a seculer man whiche hadde but one oonly doughter / whom he delyuerd to gouerne to one of his freÌ„des / And after he put hym self in relygyon / where he dyde wyth a good wyll / alle that thabbot commaunded hym / After that he hadd be there a longe space of tyme / he ofte remembryd his doughter / insuche wyse that he becam alle melancolyus / ¶ Thabbot seenge his corage chaunged / and that he was not so Ioyous as he had be accustomed / demaunded him the cause of his heuynesse / ¶ Thenne he ansuerde in wepynge / that he hadde lefte in the cyte an oonly sone whome he moche loued and for that cause he was melancolyous / and also by cause he wyst not how he dyde / The abbot sayd to hym / Goo fetche hym and brynge hym hyther to th ende that he may duelle wyth the / And neuerthelesse the sayd relygious hadde no sone but oonly a doughter as afore is sayd / the whyche hadde to name Maryne / but he wold not telle soo to the abbot / by cause he hadd concluded to bringe her in / in abyte dyssymyled / And went to the cyte / whyche was dystant fro his monastery xxxii myle or there aboute / And brought his doughter clad lyke a man / and callyd hyr Maryn / In whyche estate she was theryn vnto the age of riuâ—· yere and was suffycyently Instructe / as welle in letture as otherwyse in the waye of helthe / hir fader shewed hyr how vyrgynyte was a fayre estate moche agreable to god / In prayeng her ryght affectuously to kepe hit well / and that she sholde be ware and wyse from the grynnes of the fende And that she sholde neuer late be knowen that she was a woman / she comen to the age of xvii yere / her fader deyed and departed out of the worlde ¶ After she becam moche obeyssaunt to thabbot and to alle them of the monastery / in suche wyse that she was merueyllously loued of thabbot and of all the relygyous wenynge allewaye that she hadde be a man ¶ The sayd monastery hadde .ii. oxen and alytyll carte seruynge for the relygious for to fetche their necessytees at the see whyche was by theim a thre myle of ¶ On a tyme the abbot called Maryn / and asked hym why he wente not somtyme lyke as the other brethern dyde for to fetche vytayllys for the couente Maryn whiche was moche oberssaunt wente incontynent thyder / Now it is to be noted that on the waye there was a man named Paudoux in whos hous the sayd Maryn otherwhyle abode alle nyght wyth his other brethern / Whan it was soo late that they myght not retorne to the monastery And hit happed that the doughter of the sayd Paudoux was wyth chylde goten by a man of warre ¶ The fader seyenge hys doughter grete wyth chylde began to repreue her angrely and thretened her for to knowe who hadde-goten it / ¶ Thenne by thynstruccyon of her loue ansuerde that Maryn the relygyous hadde doon it ¶ The fader thenne accompanyed wyth hys frendes cam to thabbot / ¶ recouÌ„ted to him the caas Wherof thabbot was gretely admerueylled And sente anone for Maryn / And demaunded of hym yf he hadde commysed thys grete synne / Maryn began to wepe sayd Fader Abbot I haue gretely synned / the whyche dyspleasyth me sore-Wherfore I praye you that ye wyll charge me wyth penaunce suche as ye shall thynke to be apperteynynge to the correccyon of my grete offense / ¶ Thabbot in a grete furye droof him out of the monastery / to fore whyche wythout entrynge in agayn she was by the space of foure yere / lyeng vnder the gate vpon the bare ground / makyng there sharpe penaunce for the synne whyche she hadde not commysed / And whanne the brethern wente for prouysyon of the couent / she asked of them brede for the loue of god and suche penaunce she endured by the space of iiii yere in whiche tyme she endured not oonly grete indigenâ—es / But also many rebukes and shames / as well of the parenteâ— and frendes of the doughter whiche hadde leyde to by the sayd caas / as of other folke thyder comynge / whyche called her paper laâ—d and ypocryte And yet that worse is / ¶ After that the sayd doughter hadde leyen in a certayn tyme for to noâ—â—â—ysshe her chylde whyth her pappes / ¶ She brought the chylde to hym sayengeâ— holde Maryn take thys chylde / and nourysshe it lyke as thou haste made it ¶ She receyued it benygnly / And two yere duryng she nourysshed it swetely with suche as was gyuen to hiâ— for the
loue of god / ¶ The relygyouse brethern seyeng her grete pacyence and humylyte / moeued wyth grete pytee and compassyon prayde thabbot that it wold playse hym in preferrynge mercy tofore the rygour of Iustyce to calle agayn brother Maryn / whyche thynge he wolde in no wyse doo / hauynge allwaye ayenst hym merueyllous indygnacyon bycause of the sayd trespaas / ¶ Fynably he beynge vaynquysshyd by contynuel prayers of hys brethern / called hyÌ„ in agayn and sayd to hym / Maryn I haue grete conscience / seen the grauâ—te of thy synne / yet I admytte the neuertheles to come in for to playse my brethern whyche haue humbly prayde me for the many tymes / I suffre that thou and thy myserable chylde whyche hast goten in aduoultrye be lodged her wythyn as straunge persones / ¶ And by cause that thou art not worthy for to felawshyppe and commynyke wyth the brethern but in doynge to them scruple lyke as the caas shall requyre / I ordeyne that thou be allwaye subgette to make clene all the places of here wythin / take here awaye the fylthe and vnclene thynges / And also in lyke wyse to fetche water for to wasshe the pottes disshes and to helpe the nedes of the brethern / ¶ The whyche penaunce she accepted wyth good wyll and good herte / and so longe she contynued that â—he departed out of this world fro lyf to deth / ¶ Thys thynge pronouÌ„ced by the brethern to theyr abbot / Whyche sayd to them / My brethern ye knowe well the enormyte of hys synne of whyche he hath not made condygne penaunce / And therfore it is not decent ne couenable that he be buryed in our monastery But neuertheles seen his obedyence / I am content that ferre in the maner accustomed he buryed by you out of the monastery / The brethern for to doo that whyche was permytted to theym came in to the lytyll chambre where he was deed / ¶ And in dyspoyllynge and takynge of his clothes for to ennoynte hym / They knewe that she was a woman And were merueylously abasshed ¶ And began to waylle bytterly wyth grete abundaunce of teeres / ¶ And Incontynent camen and shewed to the abbot / Who for this thynge was gretely â—oenyd and towchyd of a merueyllous contrycyon and dysplaysure / ¶ And telle there to the grounde Smytynge wyth his hondes agaynst his brest and his heed sayenge / ¶ O gloryous Maryâ—e I byseche the that of the afflyccyâ—â—s whyche I haue gyuen to the / that thou accuse me not tofore god / For by ygnoraunce I haue done it / ¶ Alas yf thou haddest tolde to me the trouth / I had neuer commysed towarde the thys merueyllous fawâ—e / ¶ After that he hadde moche lamented and waylled he dyde doo burye her solempnly wythin the chyrche of the monasterye / ¶ And that same daye came she whiche hadde vntruely accused her of the caas for whyche she hadde done soo grete penaunces / The whyche vexed and tormented of the deuyll confessyd openly her synne / Declarynge the name of hym whyche hadde goten the chylde / ¶ Alle the Relygyouses persones of the monasteryes nyghe by aduertysed of this mysterye / In the honoure of the glorious vyrgyn came to the monastery wyth theyr Crosses and tapres lyghte and brennynge / in syngyng ymâ—â—â—s and psalmes / In praysynge the name of god / To whom they thanked and rendred graces of that whiche had playsed hym for the edifycacyon of the yr soules to shewe to theym this merueyllous fayte ¶ And after in the sayde monasterye were shewed and done many myracles by the prayers of the holy vyrgyne saynt Maryne / ¶ Thus endyth the lyfe of saynt Maryne / ¶ The lyfe of saynt Eufrosyne / begynnyth in latyn ¶ Fuit vir et cetera Caplm .xliiii. IN Alexandrye was a man named Pafunce moche honourable and kepynge the commauÌ„dementes of god / He toke a wyfe whyche was of moche honeste lyfe / As she that was extracte of noble parentes vertuous / ¶ But she was barayn steryle and moche sorowfull by cause she had noo chyldren ne lygnye / ¶ The good PafuÌ„ce was moche soroufull bi cause he had noo chyldren / that myght succede to his possessyons / His wyfe hadd grete solycytude to nourysshe the poore people ¶ She seruyd god daye nyghte Contynuelly she prayed hym that it myghte playse hym to gyue her a chylde by generacyon pryncypally by cause that her husbonde was soo dysplaysaunt that he mighte haue none ¶ And he hymself semblably prayed / and forcyd hyÌ„self to finde some deuowte man that wolde praye god for hym that he myghte obteyne his desyre by the moyen of his prayers And to that ende he enlarged to the poore grete quantite of his goodes temporall / On a tyme he entred in to a monastery where he founde a good fader loued of god after the renomÌ„e of the countree for the contemplacoÌ„n of whom he frequented in the sayd monastery diuers times dooyng there his almesse tofore eâ—he declaryd his wyll desyre to the Abbot ne to the relygyouses ¶ Fynably he sayde to theym that he had all his lyfe desyred to haue generacyon but neuerthelesse he cowde not haue it / ¶ Thabbot the relygyouses desyrynge to helpe in his aduersytee prayed god for hyÌ„ in suche wise that by the will of god he had a moche fayâ— doughter the whiche after that she was .vii. yeres olde was baptysed and callyd Eufrosyne ¶ And whan she was of .iii. yere aege her moder departed out of this worlde· leuyng her husbonde alyue the whyche enfourmyd the sayd doughter aswell in letture as in good maners / And in suche wise prouffyted that not oonly her fader her parentes but also all thynhabitauÌ„tes of the cyte or the moost parte merueylled theym also of her bodyly bewte ¶ Soo it happed that for her grete vertues perfeccions she was of many desyred in maryage but al were forsaken excepte one whyche passed alle other in rychesse and in honours / ¶ In ryght yonge aege she was therto acorded / ¶ Whan she was .xviii. yere olde her fader ladd her to the monastery where he had ben accustomed to praye god And there gaaf grete quantyte of money / sayd to thabbot / ¶ Fader abbot loo here the fruyte of thy prayer / Neuertheles I am constrayned to marye her I require the to praye for her / ¶ Thabbot admonested her to lyue in honeste chastyte pacyeÌ„ce and also soueraynly to drede god / ¶ And she beÌ„ynge in this monasterye where she soiourned wyth her fader by the space of thre dayes began to haue contemplacoÌ„n in the good honeste conuersacyon of the Relygyouses And thoughte in herself that wel happy were thise men relygyouses / whiche in this worlde were semblable to angellis and in the ende of theyr lyfe sholde deserue the glorye eternell / ¶ The thre dayes passed Pafunce requyred
I knowe that I shal not lyue longe And that god hathe holpen me to fyghte agaynste the deuyll vnto now / It restyth oonly that I gyue the consolacyon of thy doughter Eufrosyne / ¶ Byleue surely that I am she / And therfore be constaunt and myghty wythoute in ony wyse to angre the ¶ And this that I shewe to the. ne shewe ne declare it to ony man lyuynge / ¶ But thou allone tofore that I be putt in the erthe shall wasshe me To the ende that noo man knowe that I am a woman / ¶ I haue promysed many londes and possessyons to the chyrche here wythin / ¶ And therfore thou shalte accomplysshe and fulfyll my promyse It is a place of grete deuocyon / ¶ Praye for me I commaunde the to god and my body and my soule / ¶ And in sayenge thyse wordes she rendred and gaaf her spiryte to god ¶ Whanne Pafunce the fader of the good lady hadde herde thyse wordes / seenge that she was thenne deed fell doune to the erthe as deed / ¶ After this ranne Agapytus and he seenge that Smaradyn was deed And Pafunce fallen downe to the erthe casted water in to the vysage of Pafunce In sayenge / ¶ What eylest thou my lorde and frende Aryse vppe / ¶ Pafunce ansuered Alas that I deye not ryght here / This daye haue I seen thynges enarrable / ¶ After he roos vp and fell vppon the face of his doughter wysshe her wyth his teeres / ¶ And whan̄e he hadde longe waylled and wepte vppon the body / He sayde wyth an hyghe voyce ¶ Alas my swete doughter why haddeste not thou more sooner shewed and manyfested thyselfe to me To the ende that I hadde deyed gladly with that ¶ Vnhappynesse is comen to me syth that· thou haste hydde thyselfe soo longe from me ¶ Alas how haste thou vaynquysshed and putt vnder thy fete the aduersytees of this worlde And now thou arte in eternall glorye / ¶ Agapyton that herynge wente to the Abbot and shewed hym alle the caas / ¶ Whanne the Abbot was comen / In lyke wyse he began to wepe wyth Pafunce in sayenge / ¶ O Eufrosyne spowse of Ihesu Cryste / The tyme is comen that thou oughtest to remembre thy brethern / ¶ Praye for vs. to the ende that we maye come to the porte of helthe / ¶ Alle the bredern there assembled and seenge this myracle gloryfyed worshypped god in sayeng ¶ Honour and praysynge be to god of heuen and of erthe / Whyche that makyth not oonly to men merueyllouse thynges but also to wymmen / ¶ And thus as alle were there assembled for to burye the corps / A brother whyche hadde but one eye kyssed her And Incontynent he sawe clerly wyth that other eye / ¶ Her fader dystrybuted and dealed al his possessyons and lyuelood to the sayde chirche and monastery And rendred and became hymself Relygyous in the same place and monasterye / Where as he lyued ten yeres after / And after hys dethe fynably was buryed bi saynt Eufrosyne his oonly doughter and sauyd in heuen / ¶ To the whrche by theyr intercessyons and prayers it maye playse god that we maye all come atte the ende of oure dayes / ¶ The whyche graunte vs the fader sone and holy ghost / Amen / ¶ Thus endyth the lyfe of the gloryous saynt Eufrosyne / ¶ Of saynt Frontynyan Whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quomam sepe desideratis / Caplm .xlv. ¶ Those ben the condycyons of theim that lyuen in the worlde / ¶ Lete vs demaunde and aske fyrste the Reame of heuen / ¶ And lete vs doo after Iustyce ¶ And by this moyen alle good thynges shall come to vs / ¶ After that euer yche of theym after his power entended to prayer the beste wyse they myghte ¶ But the good fader prayed not onely for hymselfe but for alle the other ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued in the sayde Deserte / The enmye of nature whyche is alwaye enuyouse / Pryncypally of theym whyche done penaunce / Tempted theym· and assayled wyth many assaultes / In suche wyse that he made theym alle to murmure and to grutche agaynst theyr Abbot / And sayde that one to that other / Wherfore is it that oure Abbot hathe made vs to come in to this Deserte / ¶ They that ben in townes and castellis shall haue as well heuen as we Soo that they done good werkes ¶ And we slee ourselfe here by fastynges And by abstynence we deyen for hungre / ¶ And thus the moost parte of theim were mouyd to retourne to the worlde / ¶ This knowynge saynt Frontinyan came to theym and sayde / Wherfore alye my bredern come ye hyther with me for to murmure and grutche agaynste god / Knowe ye not well by holy scrypture that a Iuste man shall neuer deye for hungre / ¶ And yf he haue not for to ete God shall sende hym some by his aungell Lyke as he hathe doon to many of whom we rede / ¶ Thynke that god hathe alwaye his eye vppon the deuowte soules / Thynke also how god nouryssheth the rauen̄s wythin theye neest whanne the fader ne the moder woll not nourysshe them by cause they ben whyte / ¶ Whanne they ben fyrste hayghte or borne / ¶ My brethern haue ye alwaye the loue of god in youre hertes And I assure certefye you for trouthe that ye shall neuer haue defaulte of mete ne of drynke / ¶ And yf it soo happened / whyche I byleue shall neuer come that ye sholde haue hungre or thurste / And whan̄e it soo were / Thenne myghte ye haue cause to accuse god of the wordes that he hathe sayde in the gospell / thus sayenge to hym / ¶ O god we haue kepte thy commaundementes And haue byleuyd that thou haste sayde that is to wyte that thou shalte nourysshe thy seruauntes wyth heuenly mete / We haue had in the hope neuertheles thou haste lefte vs / But I praye you alle ne murmure ne grutche noo more thus in likewyse as oure faders auncyente dyde in Deserte whanne they were delyuered from the honde of kynge Pharao / ¶ Abyde ye and tarye a whyle And ye shall knowe how god pourneyth to theym that dredyth hym and louyth hym ¶ After thyse wordes of saynt Frontynyan alle they ceaseden theyr murmuracyons and grutchynges / ¶ And of that they hadde soo done they were moche sorowfull and dysplaysaunte / ¶ On a nyghte after that they had soo ben corrected / An aungell apperyd to a Ryche man / ¶ And sayde thus to hym / ¶ Thou man that lyuest in grete delyces worldly playsures and hauinge habundaunce of goodes and the poore seruauntes of god ben in Deserte whyche haue grete hungre / ¶ I aduertyse and counseylle the that thou aryse vppe And that thou sende theym some mete for to ete / ¶ Or ellis thou shalte renne in to the Indygnacyon of
god / ¶ The man slepynge was gretely admerueyled / ¶ On the morne erly he callyd togyder alle his frendes and recounted to theym alle that the angel had shewed to hym / ¶ But he knewe noo thynge in what place the holy faders were / ¶ Wherfore he cowde not do that the aungell hadde sayde to hym / ¶ On the morne he was yet agayn menaced thretened and beten by thangell / By cause he hadde not accomplysshed and fulfylled his commauÌ„dement ¶ In lyke wyse as he dyde tofore he dyde doo assemble alle his frendes for to haue counseylle how he myghte doo that whiche the aungell hadde commaunded hym / In shewyng to theym the woundes that he hadde receyued of the aungell / ¶ And notwythstondynge none of theym wyste not what to saye / By cause they knew not the place where the relygyous were in deserte / ¶ Emong the other there was one wyse man that counseylled hym that he sholde lade and charge thre score ten Camellis wyth vytaylle / And to lete theym goo there as they wolde withoute to be ladde ne conduyted of ony persone / ¶ For yf it were soo that suche reuelacyon came of a good aungell He sholde pourney for theym / And yf it came of an euyll aungell He sholde take it in pacyence / This counseyle playsed to alle them that were presente / ¶ And it was soo executed in ladynge thre score and fyue Camellis with vytayle for the Relygyouses / And fyue other wyth vytaylle for the sayde Camellis / ¶ After they were thus laden he made his prayer to god thus sayenge / O my god I requyre the. as Prouyder of alle theym that lyuen / That it may playse the to adresse and to gouerne alle thyse Camellis to go to the place where thy seruauntes ben / in suche wyse as it shal playse the / And also to brynge them home agayne yf it soo playse the. wythoute empesshement or lettynge in to myn howse / ¶ Thenne he made theym to departe wythoute ony persone to goo wyth theym for to be theyr guyde / ¶ And soo they wente alonge by a mountayne by the space of foure dayes / And fynably came to the yate of theyr monasterye / ¶ And by cause that they songe theyr seruyce they myghte not here those sayde Camellis ne theyr grete sownettes ne belles / â—auf oonly the Abbot whyche was nyghe the gate / Whyche was fyrst aduysed and hadd knowlege of theym to his grete Ioye and exultacyon By cause that god hymselfe hadde purueyed to his nedefull petycyon and prayer ¶ The sayde Abbot Frontynyan sayde noo worde vnto the tyme that al the seruyse was accomplysshed and ended / ¶ And after the ende of the sayde seruyse he callyd togider alle his brethern To whom he sayde / ¶ O my brethern where ben now youre murmuracyons and grutchynges / ¶ See ye now how god hath sente myraculously thyse Camellis laden wyth vytaylle / ¶ Alle they togyder rendred and gaaf thankynges to god In praysynge and magnefyenge his name / ¶ And after dischargeden and vnloded the sayd Camellis· and wysshe theyr fete / And that done they gaaf to them to ete suche mete as they hadde brought wyth theym / ¶ And with that also wente to the mountayne for to fetche grasse for to Refresshe theym more largely / ¶ On the morowe the Abbot departed aile the vytaylles / And layed agayne on the Camellis halfe theyr ladynge / To the ende to eschewe the sinnes that they myghte commyse and doo by ouer grete habundaunce and plentee of those goodes / ¶ And sente theym to hym agaynt that hadde sente theym / ¶ In prayenge to god / that from alle harme and euyll he wolde kepe theym / and also theyr mayster and lorde / ¶ Seuen dayes after they of the howse of the sayde riche man whyche had sente forthe the sayd Camellis / ¶ One of theym herde the sownettis and bellis sawenge theym comynge togyder and And aduertysed and tolde the other / ¶ Thenne alle they alle togyder went to mete theym / And founde theym all togyder alle hoole / And not lener ne in worse poynte thanne they were att the yt departynge for alle theyr ferre and longe Iourney / ¶ The ryche man whiche tofore was heuy doubtynge the losse of his Camellis receyued theim Ioyously In louynge and praysynge the name of god / ¶ And after that same tyme durynge the lyfe of the sayde saynt Frontynyan contynued to sende to hym ofte of hys goodes as well for hym as for his Relygyouses by whyche the sayde hadde noo suffraunce of hungre ne necessytee of ony thynge / And this thynge happed the thyrtenth yere of the Empyre of Anthonye Emperoure of Rome / ¶ Saynt Iherom sayth vppon this paas / that who some euer shal doo almesse vnto the seruauntes of god And haue towarde theym a pyteuous herte In enlargynge to theym of his goodes for theyr necessytees He shall be rewarded of god in this lyf or in euerlastynge lyfe / ¶ The whyche yeue vs the fader the sone and the holy ghoste / Amen / ¶ Thus endyth the life of saynt Frontynyan whyche was a deuowte and holy Relygyous / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Symeon heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Sanctus Symeon et cetera Caplm .xlvi. SAynt Symeon was not he the receyued in the Temple oure Sauyoure and redemer Ihesu Cryste ¶ Fourty dayes after he was borne The whyche made the Psalme Nunc dimittis / ¶ But this holy man of whom presentely we shall rede was halowed of god in his moders wombe / ¶ He was swetely nourysshed of his parentes and frendes / And kepte and droue the beestes of his fader vnto thirtene yeres of his aege / ¶ Thnne it happed as he kepte those beestes that he apperreyued a chyrche / In to whyche he entred leuynge his beestes in the feldes / And in that chyrche thenne was radde the Epystle of saynt Poul / ¶ Incontynent saynt Symeon aâ—yd an auncyent man what sygnefyed that whyche was thenne radde / ¶ The whyche answered to hym that the epystle sygnefyed / How a man oughte to loue and drede god wyth alle his myghte and thoughte / ¶ Saynt Symeon asked what it was to laye to drede god / ¶ The sayd auncyent man answered to hym / My sone why mockest thou me / ¶ The chylde ansuered to hym / My fader I aske the as hym whiche maye comforte me I am as a â—ude asse and ygnoraunt whiche knowyth noo thynge / ¶ And therfore I praye the that thou wolte teche me in that whyche I shall demaunde and aske the The auncyent fader in heryng thyse wordes taught hym in this manere and sayde ¶ My sone who someuer fastyth and mekyth hymselfe in kepynge the commaundementis of god forsakyth fader and modeâ— frendes and all the goodes of the worlde In folowynge the doctryne of holy
faders he shall haue for hys herytage the reame of heuen / ¶ Whanne the chylde herde thyse wordes he knelyd downe tofore him sayenge / ¶ Thou arte my fader and my moder / And wyth this I take the for my Dyrectour of alle my werkes and operacyons / Thou haste this daye sauyd my soule· the whyche was in the waye of perdycyon ¶ Now I shall goo in suche wyse as thou haste taughte me Or god shall conduyte and lede me / ¶ His wyll of me be done / ¶ Yet the good fader enfourmyd hym that he sholde haue pacyence in aduersytee / ¶ And after this the sayde Symeon wente vnto a monasterye of a ryght perfyghte man namyd Thymothee Tofore the yates of whiche monastery he taryed fyue dayes wythoute mete and wythout drynke / ¶ After the sayde fyue dayes the holy Abbot Thymothee came out of the sayde monasterye And founde the chylde Symeon / ¶ And he askyd hym of whens he was / And yf he hadde done ony harme by cause he was fugyâ—yf / ¶ Saynt Symeon answered sayenge Syre I haue not begyled ne trowbled my frendes ne none other persones of the worlde ¶ But I desire to be the seruaunte of god yf it playse hym / ¶ To the ende that I may saue my soule the whiche is loste / ¶ And therfore I praye the / that thou receyue me in to thy monasterye for to serue alle the brethern therin ¶ Thenne the good Abbot tooke hym by the honde as he hadde knowen hys grete deuocyon / And ladde hym in to the monasterye / sayenge to the relygiouses ¶ Alle ye my brethern I delyuer to you this chylde namyd Symeon for to teche and enfourme hym in the Rules of oure monasterye / ¶ And therfore I coÌ„maunde you that eche of you be to him as his fader / For I byleue that he shal be of the nombre of perfyghte men / ¶ The chylde Symeon seruyd the sayde Relygyous by the space of foure monethes / In whyche foure monethes he lerned the Psaulter In lyuynge allone spyrytuelly / ¶ For the refeccoÌ„n that he hadde wyth the Relygyouses he gaaf it secretely to the poore people / ¶ And notwythstondynge that the brethern toke theyr refeccyon alwaye atte euyn saynt Symeon tooke noo thynge but on the seuenth daye / ¶ On a daye amonge the other he tooke the corde of the pytte by whyche they drewe the water / and bounde it on his bare flesshe abowte his raynes and his sholdres / ¶ And soo faste he bounde it abowte that the corde entred wyth in his flesshe vnto the bone / ¶ And for this cause his flesshe roted and was ful of vermyn The whyche fell from hym in suche wise as the good Symeon walked ¶ Now it happed that the bredern knew that he ete not but from one son daye to a nother / And they founde him gyuynge his porcyon to the poore people ¶ And soo they accused hym to the Abbot sayenge That he brake the rules of the abbay / And also that he was alle enfecte And they felte hym moche stynkynge / ¶ The Abbot made hym to come speke to hym In repreuynge hym of his strayte lyfe By cause he ete not euery daye ones lyke as he hymselfe dyde / And there was noo dyscyple aboue his mayster / ¶ And after he made hym to be dyspoylled / And thenne they founde how he was bounde wyth a corde And that it was the cause why he stanke soo / ¶ The Abbot was gretly abasshed and prayed hym that he wolde goo oute of the monasterye But fyrste they tooke it from hym wyth grete payne and smarte / And dyde doo hele hym / ¶ And that done he departed oute of the monasterye secretely / And went vnto a deserte place whyche was not ferre from the sayde monasterye / Where he founde a pytte whyche was not vsyd / And in whyche was noo water / but there were therin euyll spyrytes ¶ The nyghte folowynge was shewed to the Abbot Thymothee that many armyd people came for to assyege the howse for to haue the good seruaunt of god Symeon / ¶ And yf they wold not delyuere hym / That they wolde thretene to brenne theym and all theyr monasterye / ¶ Whanne Thymothee was awakyd consyderyng this reuelacyon / And that he hadde soo blamyd the seruaunte of god was sore aferde and recyted to his brethern the sayde reuelacyon / ¶ And how he was therwyth sore trowblyd / ¶ The nyghte folowynge came abowte the howse moche people that cryed wyth an hyghe voyce / ¶ Thymothee delyuer to vs Symeon ¶ He is better bylouyd wyth god thanne thou / Wherfore haste thou trowbled hym soo hardely / ¶ Alle the heuenly courte is wrothe wyth the / ¶ By cause for hym god shall doo merueyllous thynges / whyche man neuer dyde / ¶ Incontynente Tymothee aroos and went to his brethern commaudynge theim that wyth oure delaye they sholde goo and fynde Symeon / or ellis they were all in way to deye wythin theyr monasterye / ¶ The brethern anone wente oute of their chyrche for to go seche where thei myghte fynde the good Symeon / but they cowde not fynde hym / ¶ Thenne they retorned to the Abbot sayeng that they hadde serched ouer alle sauf in the pytte of the deserte / ¶ The abbot whyche of thise tydynges was moche dysplaysed tooke wyth hym fyne of hys brethern wyth whom he transported hym vnto the sayde pytte wherin the good Symeon was descended / ¶ And tofor â—r they wolde goo downe in that place they made theyr prayers to god to haue grace for to fynde the good relygyous Symeon / And that he wolde kepe theym from Inconuenyent / And that done they descended in to the pytt ¶ The holy man Symeon seenge theym there sayde to theym / O ye seruauntes of god / I praye you suffre ye me to abyde here that I maye yelde my spyryte to god / For I haue but a lytyl whyle to lyue / And my soule is yet alle greuyd of that I haue enfecte your house / ¶ The Abbot ansuerd / Certaynly my frende we shall not leue the here / But thou shalte come with vs in to our monasterye / For we knowe that thou arte louyd of god / ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they broughte hym wolde he or noo into theyr chyrche / In whyche alle they felle downe to his fete and cryed hym mercy of the offence that they had done to hym / ¶ Saynt Symeon wepynge sayde to theym / Helas my brethern ye grieue me to exalte me thus that am a poore synnar / And ye ben soo holy faders / ¶ A yere after dwelled saynt Symeon in the sayde monasterye / And after he departed secretely in to a solytary place Whyche was not ferre from the sayde monasterye / ¶ And there edefyed a lytyll cloysture of stones / And there dwellyd he thre yeres / ¶ In that tyme beganne his fame to
growe in the places nyghe vnto his habytacyon in whyche he dwellyd after by the space of .xvi. yeres / ¶ Thenne it happed that his sayde fame and renomÌ„ee spradde ouer all the countree / ¶ And was soo agreable to the people that they made to hym two chyrches in whyche he dwellyd yet by the space of foure yere / ¶ The whiche yeres passed he diâ—e many grete miracles In helynge by his prayers many that were dombe / Some demonyakes Blynde· deyf Lazars and other sekenesses / ¶ Moche people as well Sarrasyns as PersauÌ„s and of other ferre regyons herynge the bruyte of his vertuous renommee camen to hym / as well for to serue hym and honoure hym / as for to receyue the faythe catholyke of hyÌ„ ¶ He beyng in the sayd place the deuyl apered to hyÌ„ in the forme of a shynynge angel· beyng in a charyot whyche was coÌ„duyted ladde by the strengthe of horses all enflamed the whiche lyghted al the place where as saynt Symeon was / To whom the deuyll began to saye thise wordes Symeon take hede to that whiche god sendith to the by me / I am come hyder for to ranyssh that in this charyot / as was the gode prophete Helye Thy tyme is comen / Come vppe wyth me her in / To the ende that thou come in to paradyse / ¶ Where as ben the aungels accompanyenge the moder of god / the Appostles and alle the heuenly courte / ¶ And dyfferre it not / For I woll retorne to heuen / ¶ Saynt Symeon full of humylyte prudence that somwhat was disceyued made his prayer to god in sayenge / Helas my Redemer me that am a poore synnar Wylt thou rauysshe in to heuen ¶ And in sayenge thyse wordes he lyfte vppe his ryghte foote and his honde also for to mounte and goo vppe in to the charyott / ¶ But fyrste he made the signe of the Crosse vppon the sayd charyot / ¶ And Incontynent it vanysshed alle awaye / Where by he knewe that it was the deuyll whyche wolde haue disceyued hym / Wherof he was moche abasshed / ¶ And by cause that his righte foote was ouer redy to ascende in the sayde charyot / He made it to bere penaunce ¶ For he was an hoole yere vpon a pyler hauynge oonly one fote on the erthe / And there susteyned hym but one fote / ¶ There engendred a postom in his legge out of whyche fell downe grete multytude of vermyn aswell vppon the pyler as vpon the grounde / ¶ Now he had wyth hym a yonge discyple namyd Anthonye whiche after wrote his lyfe The whyche in obeyenge the commaundement of the sayd saynt Symeon gadred toke to hym the sayd vermyn that fyll fro the sayd apostome / that whyche he puttynge theym in to the sore sayenge to theym thexample of Iob ¶ Take ye ete that god hath sent to you / ¶ Bazylle kyng of the SarrasyÌ„s herynge the fame of his holy life transported hymself for to se hym ¶ And he beynge comen founde hym prayenge to god ¶ But in soo dooynge fell downe a worme from his sore vpon the same kynge / ¶ The whyche meuyd of a feruent deuocyon that he had to the holy man tooke the same worme and layed vppon his eyen / ¶ Saynt Symeon repreuynge hym askyd hym wherfore he hadde soo doo sayenge to hym that it was noo thynge but a worme / To whom the same kinge ansuered that it was noo worme but it was a precious stone / And soo it was verely / ¶ For by myracle and by the grete faythe of the sayd kynge the sayd worme in his honde was conuerted in to a precyous stone namyd Margaryte ¶ And therwith departed the good kynge replenysshyd in good faythe / ¶ And toke leue of the holy fader Symeon / ¶ Longe tyme after his moder herde tydynges of hym And came to hys chyrche for to se hym / ¶ But by cause that wyÌ„men neuer entred in where as he was / The good holy man whyche had herde and well vnderstonde the voys of his moder dyde doo saye and prayed her / that she wolde haue a lytyl pacience and that in short tyme by the playsur of god they shold eche of them se other That seeng his moder begun to wepe sayng to hyÌ„ / Helas my sone this is the receyuyng rewarde that thou dost to me for to haue born that in my beli haue yeuen the swete mylke out of my pappes after so swetly haue norisshed / Certain I haue done pore nourysshyÌ„g whan in stede to receyue me thou yeuest to me wepyÌ„ge waylyÌ„ge / Helas who shold not wepe that heryth her sone thus speke to his moder / ¶ Whanne the holy man herde the lamentacyons of his moder / He began to wepe as strongely as she dyde / And after he sayde to her swetely wythoute to see her face / ¶ My lady my moder wepe no more For I promyse you that wythin shorte tyme we shall se eche other / ¶ His moder not contente of hys ansuere prayed for to se hym more thaÌ„ tofore / sayenge / ¶ My sone I praye the in the name of hym that hath formyd the. syth that I haue be soo long out of thi presence that now I maye se the. or that I maye more playnly here thy voys / or elles I am deed / ¶ Thynke how thy fader is deed for loue of the / Helas my sone· doo not so that I deye in this heuynesse / ¶ Thyse wordes sayde she slepte as heuy sore gryeuyd / For thre dayes thre nightes she had contynuelly prayed for to se hym / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Symeon beganne to praye god for her / And Incontynent she rendred vpp her soule to god ¶ That done the dede corps was born tofore the holy man / that whyche made his prayer to god for her sayenge / ¶ My god I praye the to take the soule of my good moder / the whyche hath endured somoche sorowe for me anone the body of his moder began to moue in the presence of all the assystentis / ¶ And after saynt Symeon made an other prayer sayenge / My god whyche syttyst in trone aboue Cherubyns and that seest cleerly all thynges vnto thabbysmes lowest places / And Adam tofore he was born whyche haste promysed thy reame to theym that loue the. the spakeste to Moyses in thenflaÌ„med busshe gauest thy benedyccoÌ„n to AbrahaÌ„ Whiche puttest the soules of good persones in eternall glorye them of euyl lyfe in perpetuell fyre ¶ And also that gauest refeccoÌ„n to Helye by two crowes Now receyue the soule of my moder wyth the holy faders lyke as onely thou mayst doo none other / ¶ After this prayer accomplysshed he ne lyued but .xvi. yere / ¶ In the tyme nyhe vnto his monastery towarde the partyes of the Northe dwellyd a dragon whyche was soo venemous that there aboute as he was grewe
noo grasse ne herbe ¶ That dragon by caas of fortune or otherwyse was put in his right eye a stake of a câ—byte longe / soo came tofore the place where as the holy man was ¶ And bi a sygne oonly that the sayd Symeon made vpon the sayd dragon the stake fell out of his eye / The relygiouses thenne beyng present seeng this myracle with drewe theym togyder to theyr monastery gaaf deuowtly thankynges to god ¶ The sayd beest thê° guarisshed helyd as sayde is wythdrewe hym from theym wythout dooynge ony dysplaysure in ony wyse / ¶ And after that al the brethern relygyous were wythdrawen in to their chirche the same dragon fell downe humbly tofore the dore of the sayd chyrche for to gyue thankyÌ„ges to the holy man Simeon of the good that he had done to hym by his prayers / ¶ In the tyme a woman drynkynge out of a stone potte receyued drynkyng in to her body a lytyll serpente beynge in the same potte / Wherof she was soâ— greuously seke that the Physicyens ne the Magycyens cowde fynde noo remedye / ¶ Thenne was she broughte vnto saynt Symeon / The whyche Incontynent sette her on the grounde / ¶ And wythoute to gyue to her ony medycyne made her to drynke of the water of his monastery / ¶ And as soone as she had drunken therof / The serpente sprange oute or her body as longe as thre cubytes or there abowtes / And the woman was all hoole and guarysshed / ¶ And the same houre the sayde serpente clefte asondre / And was hanged vpp in the same place by the space of seuen dayes for a perpetuell remembraunce / ¶ It was soo that in the sayde place there was no water· In suche wise that not oonly the men but also the beestes â—eyed for thurste ¶ Thenne saynt Symeon was requyred to praye god that he wolde gyue to theym water / ¶ And Incontynent the grounde opened and caste oute water habundantly / ¶ And after he dide delue in the sayde place to the depnesse of seuen cubytes / And neuer after they faylled water / ¶ In that countree there was a beeste namyd Parde / Of whyche beest whan the lyon hadde to doo wyth her he engendred on her a nother beest callyd a Leoparde / ¶ For the crueltee of that beest durste noo persone goo thorugh the feldes / ¶ That seenge the dwellars in that countree For to haue ayde comforte came to saynt Symeon / ¶ The whyche commaunded theym that they sholde sowe and sprynge on the grounde the water of their chyrche in the places where as the sayde beest haunted And soo they dyde / And anone they were of hym delyuered ¶ And anone after they founde the beest myraculously deed / ¶ Thenne they thanked god In the name of whom saynt Symeon made so grete euydent myracles / ¶ And whanne he dide ony on ony persone he deffended theym that he sholde neuer shewe ony thynge but onely they shold thanke god and noothynge hym / Gyuyng to theym to vnderstonde that god hadd helyd theym and not he / ¶ Aboue alle thynges he forbadde theim that they sholde not swere the name of god / but oonly for Iuste cause ¶ And for vniuste they sholde swere by the name of Symeon the poore synnar / ¶ And saynt Iherom sayth that yet in the partyes of the Eest and other straunge Regyons they of the sayde partyes and regions swere oonly and comynly the name of saynt Symeon / ¶ A theyf named Ionathas for the grete and myscheuous euyllis that he hadde done was soo strongely chacyd that he was constrayned to entree in to the chyrche of saynt Symeon / And enbracyd a pylar by the whyche he stode / ¶ Saynt Symeon demaunded hym what he was / ¶ And wherfore he was there entred / To whom he ansuered I am Ionathas whyche haue done soo moche euyll in the worlde But I woll repente me and doo penaunce / ThenÌ„e the holy man sayde to him / Thou arte ryght welcome my brother for the penitentis is the reame of heuen / But come not hither for to tempte me ne also for to retourne to thy synne / ¶ And thus sayeng came the offycers of Anthyoche that sayde to saynt Symeon / ¶ Delyuer to vs the theyf Ionathas or ellys alle the cyte shall aryse and moeue theym agaynst the. For the beestes ben redâ— for to deuoure hym / ¶ Saynt Symeon ansuered My frendes I haue not broughte hym hyther It is a gretter mayster thanne I ¶ And therfore yf ye maye take him wyth you / For as towchynge to me I dare not towche hym by cause I drede god whiche hathe sent hym hyther / ¶ Thenne they retornyd and sayde to the lordes of the Iustyce / where they hadde fonde hym / and that whyche Symeon hadde sayde to them Wherfore they durste not towche hym / ¶ The theyf Ionathas whyche thenÌ„e was conuerted and contynuenge in lamentacyons and wepynges / After that he hadde ben there seuen dayes in holdynge the sayde pylar sayde to saynt Symeon / ¶ My lorde and frende yf it playse the I am redy to goo hens / ¶ Symeon ansuered / Arte thou now wery to doo penaunce And wolt thou retoâ—ne to thy malyce accustomyd Ionathas ansuered / Naye my lorde I am not But the tyme is come that I must deye / ¶ And in sayenge thyse wordes he yelded vpp his spurte to god TheÌ„ne as they wolde haue buryed hym came the Iustyces of Anthyche wenynge to haue taken hym / ¶ saynt Symeon thenne ansuered ¶ My frendes he that sente hym hytheâ— comyth to fetche him wyth all the celestyall courâ—e The whiche maye you and youre cytee make to sinke in to helle / And the poore Ionathas theyf make to ascende in to heuen ¶ And knowe ye that I myselfe yf I hadde knowen that god wolde not haue be dysplaysed wyth me I wolde haue delyuered hym to you / And therfore traueylle ye noo more / ¶ The lordes of the Iustyse herynge thyse wordes retorned agayne And recounted and tolde alle that they hadde seen / ¶ A lytyll tyme after one named Anthony Of whom is tofore spoken and the whyche hadde longe serued saynt Symeon founde hym in prayer / And by cause he had be soo thre dayes that is to wyte the Frydaye Saterday and Sonday Durynge the whyche he had not spoken but was there as vnmoeuable / the good relygyous Anthony was moche abasshed / ¶ And sayde to hym My lorde and my fader it is tyme that thou aryse / For it is thre dayes now sythen the people haue taryed for to haue thy blessynge / To whom saynt Symeon ansueryd noo worde / ¶ Thenne sayd Anthony / Alas what maye I haue trespassed to the. that thou spekest noo thynge to me / And seenge that he spake not / He durste not awake hym / For he dradde hym moche / ¶ Neuerthelesse he abode by hym by the space
in the monasterye where as her doughter was ¶ The Emperoure hadde tydynges therof / And callyd the Senatoure that hadde promysed to take the yonge doughter Eufraxe / And sayd to hym that she was a Relygyous / ¶ Thenne the Senatour was moche abasshed therof ¶ And dide doo soo moche that at his Requeste and desyre the Emperoure wrote to her that she shold come to Rome for to accomplysshe and fulfyll theyr maryage ¶ The lettres beynge by her radde she ansuered in this manere / ¶ Lorde Emperour I haue receyued thy lettres / and me semyth that seen the loue that in tyme passed thou haste hadd to my fader and moder ¶ Yf I shold of the demaunde and aske counseylle of the thynge of whyche thou haste wryten to me Thou woldeste not counseylle me soo to doo For also it is not lawfull Syth that longe agoon I haue gyuen myselfe to my god Inmortall Ihesu Cryste and desyre to be his spowse Wherof I haue gyuen to hym my faythe ¶ Sholde I gyue hym ouer for to haue a man mortall and Incorruptyble the whiche shall be eten with wormes / ¶ Ne knowest thou not wel that if I be here this daye I shall not soo to morowe God forbede that I shold doo to god and to me suche Innyquyte and wyckednesse / ¶ Wherfore I praye the that thou sende noo more for me / For thou shalte lese thy traueylle and laboure By cause that I knowe to be to me inpossyble to leue my espowse Ihesu Cryste / ¶ Wyth this I praye the that thou haue mynde of my parentes and kynnesfolke / In giuynge for the helthe of theyr soules and for the honoure of god al the goodes temporell whyche they haue left to me / ¶ I knowe wel that my fader alle his lyfe hathe well and truely seruyd the. Wherof he accepted thy loue and benyuolence ¶ Thenne in distrybutynge his goodes thou shalt haue remembraunce of hym In fauour of whom yf it playse the And I praye the also that thou wolt put alle thy bonde men and prysoners in fraunchyse and playne lyberte / ¶ And that the thou wol sende for alle the Receyuours of my fader / And quyte and forgyue theym peasibly alle that they owen of rentes and Reuenues / To the ende that I maye without solicytude or besynesse serue my god and espowse / ¶ The emperour radde thyse lettres many tymes and al mooste alle the nyghte / ¶ And on the morne by tymes he assembled alle the Senatoures And the fader of hym that hadde fyauncyd her ¶ And in the presence of theym alle were the lettres radde / Whereof alle they beganne to wepe for Ioye ¶ And of comyn assente they sayde Verely lorde Emperoure Eufraxe is doughter of Antigonius and of holy Eufraxe her moder / Whyche weren of thy lygnage and generacyon ¶ And now she shewyth it well certaynly For of an holy Rote procedyth and comyth fourth gladly an holy braunche ¶ All they praysyd and gloryfyed god in prayenge for her / ¶ And after the Emperoure dystrybuted alle the godes of the mayden accordynge to that she hadde wryten ¶ And after the Emperoure deyed and was buryed wyth hys parentes and kynnesmen / ¶ Saynt Eufraâ—e thenne ladde a moche strayte life ¶ For at one tyme was that she ete but ones on the daye / And after she constrayned herselfe to ete but ones in two dayes ¶ And after that one 's in thre dayes / ¶ She allone made clene the chambres of the systers / Made theyr beddes And bare water in to the kechyn / ¶ The custome of the same Abbaye was yf ony of the systers were tempted wyth ony temptacyon of the deuyll she tolde it to the Abbesse ¶ The whyche prayed and dyde doo praye god to the ende that the deuyll sholde departe fro her / ¶ On a daye it happed that the goode Eufraxe was tempted of the fende / And for to resyste wythstonde hym She putt asshes on her cowche / ¶ And she laye on them and slepte / The whyche thynge seenge the Abbesse knewe that she was vexed wyth some temptacyon / ¶ And prayed for her in sayenge to god / ¶ O my god whyche haste created and formyd this mayde after thy dyuyne bountee and goodnesse / ¶ I praye the that thou wolt conferme her in thy drede / ¶ After the Abbesse callyd her and sayde to her / Wherfore haste thou not shewed to me thy temptacion giuen to the by the deuyll / ¶ Incontynent she felle downe to her fete And cryed her mercy In sayenge· ¶ Pardonne me madame For I durste not notyfye and shewe it to you / ¶ The Abbesse sayd to her Mi doughter thou haste begonne to fyghte agaynst the deuyll / Be stronge and coÌ„staunte to the ende that thou be crowned wyth Laureoâ— wyth the vyrgynes gloryously ¶ A lytyll whyle after she was agayn tempted / And shewed her temptacyon to out of her systers namyd Iulyan / the whyche counseyllyd her that she shold shewe it to the Abbesse to the ende that she sholde praye for her / ¶ After she said to her / ¶ We alle ben tempted of the deuyll / But whanne we haue good hope we ouercome the deuyll our temptatour / ¶ Eufraxe thankyd her of her gode counseylle that she hadde gyuen to her to the edyfycacyon of her soule and went to the Abbesse And shewed to her her temptacyon ¶ The Abbesse comforted her in sayenge / My doughter fere the noo thynge but enforce put thyself to wythstonde hym / ¶ For it is the deuyll whyche dooth this euyll / ¶ And yf thou wythstoÌ„de hym constantly and stedfastly / thou shalte ouercome hym alwayes / ¶ Knowe thou my doughter that thou shalte haue many other temptacyons / for to resyste and wythstonde To whiche yf thou fele the feble of spyryte It behouyth the to doo more abstynence thanne thou haste done here tofore / And in soo dooynge thou shalte be ryghte well belouyd of thy spowse Ihesu cryste / ¶ A nother tyme the Abbesse asked her how longe it was syth she ete ony mete She ansuered thre dayes / ¶ Thenne sayd the Abbesse to her That she sholde yet abyde a nother daye or that she sholde ete / The whyche she dyde wyth a good wyll in rendrynge herselfe redy and prompte in obedyence / ¶ Whanne she was twenty yeres olde lyke as her yeres grewe so she augmented and encreacyd her penaunce / ¶ She was fayre and curteyes / By her maner she shewed euydently that she was descended of noble folke / But that notwythstondynge she was humble and obeyssaunt ¶ In a place of theyr monastery was a grete multytude of stones / ¶ And the Abbesse for to proue her humylyte commaunded her that she bere theym vnto an euen by the chyrche whyche was ferre from the place where as the sayde stones laye / ¶ Emonge the same stones there were grete
somoned to her maryage / ¶ And dyde doo assemble all the sisters for to chese an other Abbesse / And they chose one namyd Theogenye / ¶ And after that she was made Abbesse / She callyd her and sayde / My sister thou seest that the sisters haue made good wytnesse of the. And therfore I commaunde the in the name of the Trynite that thou thinke not on temporel godes ne on vayne playsauÌ„ce of this worlde / Ne suffre thy systers be occupied on erthly thynges But make theym to excersyse fastynges prayers and other vertuouse werkes / To the ende that they maye by theyr merytes gete the glorye of heuen / ¶ After she sayde to her systers Ye my good systers haue seen the holy conuersacyon of the ryght deuowte Eufraxe / Doo ye lyke as she hathe doon / to then de that ye maye accompanye her in heuen / And haue wyth her the fruycyon of euerlastynge blessydnesse / And whan she hadde thus sayde she entred in to her Oratorye / and shytte the dore / And after defended that none sholde entere tyll on the morne ¶ On the morn they came vnto the sayde Oratorye and founde that she hadde rendred her spyryte to god ¶ And they buryed and sayed her solempnely by the sayde holy saynt Eufraxe / ¶ And after that tyme there were non moo of theym buryed in the yr sepulâ—ure / ¶ Maâ—ty Demonyakes weâ—en guarysshed vppon the combe where the deuylles cryed ¶ O Eufraxe what shall we doo / Thou doost vs more harme after thy dethe thanne in thy lyte ¶ By thâ—se thynges we oughte to enforce vs to ensyewe by vertuous werkes the ryght persyghte lyte of saynt Eufraxe And in soo dooynge fynably we shall haue the glorye eternall The whyche by her Intercessyons we maye gete Amen ¶ Thus fynysshyth the story of saynt Eufraxe / ¶ Of saynt Machanâ— Romayne whiche was founde nyght by Paradys terrestre / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Gloriam et magnificentiam et cetera Caplm .xlviii. After the reporte and wytnesse of thre deuoute relygyous men Theophyle Serguis Thymus We shall see of the lyfe of saynt Machaire / ¶ The sayd thre relygyous men mette togyder by a monasterye in Mesopotamia in the countree of Syâ—t bytwene two floodes / Of whyche that one is named Eufraxes and that other Tygris / ¶ The Abbot of the sayd monastery was callyd Asclypyon the whiche receyued theym benygnely for to make there theyr professyon after the rule of the sayde monasterye / ¶ Longe tyme after that they hadde lyued comyÌ„ly wyth the brethern / ¶ On a daye aboute nyne of the clocke in the mornynge they mette togyder vpon the Ryuer of Eufrates in disputynge of the conuersacyon and of the grete laboure of the brethern of the sayde monastery / ¶ And thenÌ„e came to Theophile a thought Whyche he sayde to his two felowes Sergius and Thâ—mus ¶ My brethern I shall saye to you / Truly it play syth me / and I haue grete desyre to walke and goo soo ferre vnto that I maye fynde the heuen and the erthe Ioyne togyder / ¶ The other sayd / We haue holde the alwaye companye / And yet we shall not leue the / For thy maners and thy wordes playse vs. We shall goo with the. and not forsake the vnto the dethe ¶ Thyse wordes sayde they departed from thens ¶ And after that they had gone by the space of ten dayes Iourney They arryued and came to the cyte of Iherusalem / And worshypped the places where our lorde Ihesus Cryst had be ¶ His Crosse his sepulture and other sayntuaryes ¶ And after came to Bethleem in whiche place they also worshipped the cribbe where in oure lorde hadde layen and were also in the place where the aungelus spekynge to the Shepeherdes songen Gloria in excelsis deo the whyche place standyth two myle from Bethleem ¶ And after they wente vpp in to the mounte of Olyuete Where as our lorde Ihesu Cryste ascended in to heuen whanne he was receyued in a clowde the daye of his gloryous Ascencyon / ¶ They came agayne in to Iherusalem And there adoured and worshyped god ¶ And after they departed as people gyuynge ouer refusynge all delyers temporell Wythoute to haue ony regarde ne thoughte to the worlde / ¶ The fyfthe daye they passed the Ryuer of Tygris / And entred in to the londe of Perse ¶ They came in to a grete felde namyd Assya / In whyche saynt Mercure martyr slewe Iulyan the Apostata / ¶ After they reentred in to a cyte namyd Catyssefodo / In whyche the bodyes of the thre chyldren Anany as Azaryas and Mysaell ben buryed / ¶ And there they soiourned many dayes / ¶ Foure monethes after they passed the londe of Perse / And entred in to the londe of Inde / And aryued in an how se in whyche noo man dwellyd / ¶ And there they abode two dayes / ¶ And the thyrde daye they sawe come to them a man and a woman armyd / Of whom they had grete drede / ¶ But by cause that the sayd man and woman hadde supposyd that the relygyouse men had ben spyrytes or espyes and retorned agayne / And asseÌ„bled almost a thre thou sande Ethyopyens / The whyche arryued there and bylette the house al aboute where as they weren on theyr knees prayenge to god / ¶ And the other sette fyre atte the foure corners of the howse ¶ The whyche thynge knowen by the religyous men were moche aferde and not wythoute cause / And sprongen out in to the myddes of theym in callynge the name of Ihesu Cryste Sauyoure of alle the worlde / ¶ The sayde Ethyopyens after that they hadde longe parlemented togyder in theyr langage whiche the sayd freres vnderstode noo thynge / ¶ Fynably they lad theym· and broughte theym in pryson obscure and derke / ¶ Alas whanne they weren in pryson none gaaf to them nother mete ne drinke / And had noo comforte of ony man liuynge But beganne to wepe and requyred the mercy of god / ¶ Whanne the cursyd Ethyopyens sawe that they were in contynuell prayer / They lete theym goo oute In chacynge and betinge theym vylandusly rygoryously wyth grete staues tyll they were oute of theyr prouynce / ¶ And they sayd that thei were foure score dayes wythoute mete And herof the Recytour callyth god to wytnesse / The whyche for the honour of god we oughte pyteuously to byleue ¶ Fynably they departed oute of theyr Regyons / And wente towarde the couÌ„treye of the Eest Where they founde a felde delycyous alle full of trees berynge sauourous fruyte and merueyllouse swete Wherof they thankyd god / And ete alle theyr fylle of the fruytes of the sayde trees / And after passed the sayde londe of Iude. And entred in to the londe of Chanane ¶ Whanne they sawe the vysages of the Inhabytauntes of the sayde countreye / They were moche admerueyled ¶ In that countree the men
place / for and to the ende to knowe the holy man / And also for to shewe and manyfeste his holy lyfe and conuersacyon / ¶ The holyman Machaire made huÌ„bly thenne his prayer to god for theym ¶ And after gaaf to theym his blessynge And after kyssed theym in recomâ—undynge theym to god / ¶ To the ende that they myghte make theyr voyage in peas after his good playsure wyll ¶ Fynably he commauÌ„ded his two lyons that they sholde conduyte theym tyll they were passed the derke places where as they were seuen dayes and seuen nyghtes wythout departinge from the place lyke as it is tofore wryten / ¶ The whyche lyons after that by sygne they had taken leue of the holy man broughte theym vnto the place where as Alysaundre hadd made the wrytynge makynge mencyon of the wayes lyke as it is declared tofore ¶ And whan they came to the sayde place the lyons lytyll humbled theym / and toke leue of theym / And retorned to the holy man / ¶ And after they wente wyth the grace of god soo longe that they entred in to the londe of Perse wythoute to haue ony lettynge / And camen to the cyte of Catessodo In whyche ben the thre childre that were put in the furnays of fyte nyghe by Babylone / And after they passed the Ryuer of Tygre ¶ And the fyftenth daye after they reentred in to Iherusalem And there vysyted the holy places as they hadde done byfore / ¶ And fynably they came agayn in to theyr monasterye / In whiche whanne they were arryued / recounted alle that whyche they hadd seen / And pryncypally of saynt Machaire / And thenne alle the Relygyouses glorifyeden the name of god / To whom be gyuen laude and glorye eternall Amen / ¶ Yf ony woll repute this hystorye far apocryphum tofore or he Impute ony blame to the rude and vncunnynge translatoure whyche supplyeth moche affectuously that fyrste he see saynt Ierom in his wrytyng / in the boke of the lyfe of holy faders Vppon the whyche hath be made this presente translacoÌ„n in suche wyse as the Intytulacyon conteynyth of this presente hystorye / to the ende that the gretter fayth be therto yeuen and adiousted ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Pastumyen whyche begynnyth in latyn ¶ QmÌ„ desidero c· Caplm .xlix. IHesu Cryste oure Sauyour lyke as hath wryten saynt Iherom hathe not manyfested nor shewed his Reame ne his glorye oonly to grete and excellente clerkes of this worlde But to symple and ygnoraunt of alle scyence cunnynge / ¶ As now now ye shal see in the lyf of saynt Pastumien / The whiche was of the lygnage and kynred of Mempheus that was a paynem / And was in his yongthe moche symple and vncunnynge of lettres ¶ Not defoyllyd wyth vyces of Paynems But lyued by enbraydynge and weuynge of cordes of Ionkes / ¶ He neuer pronouÌ„ced fowle worde oute of his mowthe ¶ And yet whanne he was in the worlde He fledde besyly and ofte the conuersacoÌ„n of wymmen / ¶ Euer more he lyued in charitee and hadde peas wyth euery persone wythoute to moeue with his neyghbour ony discorde ne dyscencyon Applyenge hyÌ„selfe to alle vertuous werkts Notwythstondynge that he was not yet Crysten ¶ He beynge in the aege of thyrty yere God wolde take from hym the corrupcyon of synneâ— for to make him to haue the lyfe eternall / ¶ On a tyme the aungel came and sayd to hym / Pastumyen haste thou not knowen god of heuen / And he ansuerde Naye / And that oonly he dyde hys â—â—atâ— But yf god were in heuen or not he hadde not herde saye ¶ For he was not a clerke for to knowe the thynges dyuyne and celestyall / ¶ The aungell thenne sayde to hym / Now praye god / and he shall gyue to the sapyence / To whom ansuered the holy man / that he cowde not praye / ¶ For he knewe not what prayer was / ¶ Thenne the aungell toke a leyf of the Laurell tree and sette a prayer theron sayenge to hym / That he sholde ete it / ¶ And how wel that it semyd hym bytter Yet neuerthelesse it gaaf hym the fourme and manere to praye god / ¶ The sayde holy man Incontynent ete it / ¶ And it was bytter to hym in his mowthe But alle his herte was replenysshyd wyth swetnesse ¶ Thus thenne he began to prayse and magnefye the name of god ¶ The aungell after towchyd his lyppes / And toke from him the bytternesse of his mouthe ¶ And anone after saynte Pastumyen knew hyghe thynges of holy scrypture lyke as he hadde estudyed therin alle his lyfe / ¶ After the aungell sayde to hym that he sholde sette his knees to the grounde and his face in to the Eest ¶ And that Incontynent he sholde haue wythoute defawte alle that he wolde demaunde of god / ¶ Soo he dyde And that done he beganne to saye I shal loue prayse all my lyfe the name of god whyche is soo benygne to teche theym to know that ben ygnoraunce ¶ And byscyence Infusyd makyth sodaynly by theym his name his lawe and his glorie to be manyfested / ¶ O my god my maker thou haste sente to vs fro heuen thy propre sone for to redeme vs from the paynes and trybulacions of helle by his sorowfull passyon / ¶ In the name of the same thy sone whyche is god and man I require the and praye as humbly as I can or maye that to me whyche am here in darkenesse woll gyue lighte and clerenesse ¶ My god my redemer / thou wotest and knowest that I cowde not say one worde that was to thy praysynge yf thou haddest not taughte me / ¶ Now I byleue stedfastly that the blynde by yllumynacyon and lightnyd seen cleerly / ¶ The deyf haue herynge the dombe haue spekynge / The crokyd go on right / ¶ Poore and symple of vnderstondynge haue knowlege of grete scyences and enseignementes ¶ And also the poore and myserable synnars ben of the called ¶ Alas my god my maker what was I ¶ What myghte ne what â—â—â—gthe haue I hadde by whyche I that was soo symple was worthy to be called of the. for to prayse the. magnyfye and serue By whyche I dare require demaunde for to be puryfyed and clensyâ— of my spottes and fylthes of synne ¶ I haue lyued alwaye lyke vnto the Paynyms whyche ben as brute beestes ¶ And now I knowe that the synnars shall neuer haue Ioye after theyr dethe yf they conuerte theym not to the fayth ¶ And for soo moche as thou whyche acte my Redemer wylte not that I be loste by my poore freyltee / ¶ I supplie the that it maye playse the to enseygne and teche me better and better / To the ende that I maye knowe the as my only Sauyour protectour / And as righte puyssaunt kynge soueraynly regnynge in heuen and in erthe / Whyche better thanne ony other mayste
enfourme me in thyne holy lawe ¶ And fynably wyll gyue to me the glorye eternall / ¶ And from thens forth on Pastumyen besyed hym in deuowte comtemplacyons / Alwaye awaytinge that the angell of god sholde come agayne to him ¶ But that notwithstondynge he wente agayne to his crafte / whyche was as tofore is sayde to make cordes of Ionâ—es / ¶ And fynably the aungell apperyd to hym and sayde / Pastumyen wolt thou that I lede the to a preest / Whyche shal baptyse the in the name of the fader of the sone and of the holy ghoste / To whom he ansuered that it was the grettest Ioye that myghte come to hym / And that he desyred none other thynge ¶ Anone the aungell tooke him by the heere 's / and bare hym vnto a place where as was an an holy man named Prisce / To whom the Aungell commaunded that he sholde enseygne and teche hym the faythe and lawe / And to lyue as a good Crysten / ¶ The holy fader seenge the grete bryghtnesse of the aungell Sodaynly he was abasshed in suche wyse that he felle downe for fere / But the aungell releuyd hym and comforted hym sayenge ¶ Be not aferde / for I am the seruaunte of god as thou arte / ¶ And in sayenge thise wordes the aungell chaunged his fourme vnto the semblaunce or lickenesse of a man clad wyth whyte and of a playsaunt face / ¶ After agayne he sayde to hym / Doubte the noo thynge / I come to the for to shewe to the fro god / That it is his playsure that thou take to the this goode man Pastumyen / And that thou enfourme hym in the faythe of holy chyrche To the ende that he maye deserue the glorye eternall / ¶ And Incontinente the aungell departed / ¶ Saynt Prysce thenne toke Pastumien And enfourmyd hym in the faythe / And to faste and to doo other vertuous werkes / ¶ After he baptysed hym and this done he made a prayer vnto oure lorde sayenge thus ¶ O sone of god I yelde to the humbly thaÌ„kynges of thys that it hathe playsed the. by thyne holy ghoste to reconcyle me to god thy fader And thou haste redemyd me from eternall dethe / The whyche dethe suffren perpetuelly alle they that byleue not in thy name / Alas I knowlege now that alle thynges the lasse oughte to obeye the gretter And the symple to theym that ben wyse / ¶ The seconde commaundement that ye oughte / for to kepe is subieccyon To the ende that in reuerent drede ye maye serue god wyth a chaste herte pure and clene / ¶ The thirde is that ye oughte to lyue sobrely and Iustly in hauynge compassyon on youre soules and of others / ¶ The fourth that ye oughte to chastyse youre bodyes by fastynges and abstynence after your possybylyte / For to the spyryte desyrynge to gete vertue it is a synguler delectacoÌ„n and playsaunce to be and enhabyte in a body lene by penaunce / ¶ The fyfthe is for to be ofte in oryryson and prayer in ensâ—ewyng the doctryne of the appostle whyche commaundyth vs to praye god wythoute ceassynge / For after his doctryne alle they that contynuelly faste and pray to god Lyghtly they putt vnder by the vertue of the faythe alle the cautels and subteltees of the deuyll of helle / And causyth also to resyste and wythstonde alle vyces and synnes / ¶ Fyrst and pryncypally to pryde / For of that synne proceden alle euylles And euery daye as one seeth by experyence / Pryde is the orygynall roote of al synnes / ¶ By pryde ben the aungellys caste downe in to helle / By cause that Adam desyrynge to knowe the good euyll ete of the fruyte forboden in transgressynge and brekynge the commaundement of god / ¶ By this concupiscence he deseruyd and bounde him and alle his posterytee and ofsprynge vnto the dethe eternall / Wherof we hadde neuer be quyte yf the blessyd sone of god by his grete mercy and by his worthy dethe and passyon hadde not quyted redemed vs / ¶ The vertue opposyte and coÌ„trary to pryde is Humylytee roote of alle good / And the begynnyng and getâ—nge of al vertues wythoute the whyche was neuer none ne neuer shall persone be perfyghte / ¶ And the cause that most moeuyd oure blessyd Sauyoure to take oure humanyte in the wombe of the vyrgyne of the Intemerate and moost clene and ryght blessyd vyrgyne Marye that was her humylytee For in soo doynge is wryten in the Cantycle / God hathe beholden the humylytee and mekenes of his hondmayde Quâ—a respexte humilitatem ancille sue c ¶ After the holy man Pastumien commaunded theym that they sholde haue charytee fraternall togyder in hauyng perfyghte faythe / Sayenge that the princypall Rule and mooste grettest charge that Religyouses oughte to haue is for to haue one wyth a nother perfyghte loue and charytee / Wythoute the whiche none Relygyouses in the cloystre maye not well gouerne theymselfe / ¶ Whan many brethern ben togyder wythoute loue eche entendyth to his synguler prouffyte / And soo theyr comynte is deuyded / ¶ Soo euery reame and other gouernement of multytude and of subgettes yf it be deuyded wythoute doubte it is desolacyon / ¶ Alas now the mooste parte of Relygyouses in this present tyme enteÌ„de to be Abbottes Pryours and to offyces Desyrynge to be oute from theyr brethern / ¶ Lyke as the byrde sechyth but to escape oute of the cage / ¶ And who sholde demaunde or wyte the reason wherfore I trowe that there sholde be defaulte to haue loue wyth theyr brethern / ¶ For by cause that thei ben ouermoche replenysshyd and fulfyllyd wyth the dampned vyce of Pryde they can not be compatyble and felyshypped wyth the other / But woll be alone ¶ A lorde god well is chaunged the tyme that the holy faders fledd in to deserte sedynge there a solytary lyfe for to renounce and leue the worlde / and to lede a lyfe contemplatyf / ¶ And as it is sayde the Relygyouses whanne they be closyd in an abbay where as they haue ben put for to be oute of the worlde / They thynke on none other synne but to opteyne and gete pryeryes and other benefyces / Whether it be by synne or no synne to the ende to retorne agayne to the worlde / For the whyche thynges all deuocyon is loste / ¶ Perauenture yf the Pryours were vnyed and onyd wyth the abbayes / And that suche Relygyouses had none occasyon for to departe with oute lycence / It sholde be better and lightlyer for theyr helthe / thanne for to seke theyr lodges from vyllage to vyllage / ¶ It hath be seen in tyme passed that the chyldren of kynges for to serue god haue renouÌ„ced and vtterly forsaken all theyr rychesses / ¶ But now whan there ben many in a noble house / they ben made Abbottes tofore that they ben relygyouses ¶ Noo
thynge for deuocyon But to the ende for to enryche theym wyth goodes and rychesses of the chyrche for to lyue atte theyr playsure God knowyth what shall be the ende ANd folowynge thenne the doctryne and tethynge that Pastumyen gaaf to his Religyouses ¶ He commaunded theym ferthermore to loue not oonly the one that other But to loue god pryncypally wyth all theyr herte / That was the fyrste commaundement that god gaaf to Moyses in the moutayne of Synay / ¶ But wyth the same commaundement must be Ioyned the lone that we oughte to haue that one wyth a nother / ¶ Whanne alle Relygyouses louen eche other / and god pryncypally and fyrste / Yet muste they haue the vertue of obedyence / ¶ Loue wythoute obedyence is noo thynge ¶ For lyke as the grasse lettyth the corne to fructefye and encreace / In lyke wyse who that is in obedient and fastyth and prayeth / bryngyth fourth noo fruyte for fawte of obedyence / ¶ After he commaunded theym to excercyse the nyghtes in prayers / ¶ For by nyghte the deuyll makyth moo lettynges to deuowte persones thanne he dooth in the daye Lyke as the Gospel saythe / ¶ Who woll doo euyll Hatyth lyghte / ¶ And to this purpoos sayth the Gospell Awake awake For ye know not the howre whanne the theyf of the soules woll come / ¶ He commaunded theym also that they sholde wryte in a Table of theyr conscyences all the commaundementes of god / And that ofte they sholde laye the clothe for to take refeccyon spyrytuell in sauourynge and etynge the ten loues composyd of the ten commaundementes of the fayth ¶ The twelue artycles of the lawe / And the werkes of mercy / ¶ More ouer he sayde / O ye my brethern / whyche desyre to be very obedyent and charytable to loue eche other / byleue ye after the sentence of Baruth the prophete whyche sayth / that ye ben now the felowes of god / ¶ And in a nother place the holy scrypture sayth well happy â—en the peasyble For they ben the sones of god / ¶ Now they that ben peasyble ben obedyent and charytable / ¶ They thene that shall desyre in this corruptyble world to enioye the fruytes of heuen / He muste renounce and forsake his propre wyll in hauynge perfyghâ—e charyte / ¶ After he coÌ„maunded theym yf they hadde amonge theym ony dyscencyon or debate / that Incontynente it sholde be appeasyd / For god oure lorde dwellyth ne abydeth but in one place of peas / ¶ And the contrarye where as is dyssencyon the deuyll regnyth ¶ And ferthermore he deffended them that they neuer sholde be angry ne wrothe ne to theyr brethern ne to straungeres / ¶ And that for ony gayne of the worlde that they myghte gete They sholde not oâ—cupye theym wyth temporell thynges But oonly in werkes spyrytuell By the whyche they myghte lyghtely gete the herytage of the Reame of heuen / ¶ And whanne ony temptacyons sholde come to theym the whyche with grete payne the ymyghte eschewe / ¶ He admonested theym to torne to god / In lyf tynge theyr hondes to heuen And sayenge ¶ O my god I pray the that it playse the to helpe me / And to enforce my poore freyltee to the ende that I maye vaynquysshe and surmounte my mortall enemye / ¶ And he sayde that anone after oure prayer made to god Comen his aungellis to oure ayde for to comforte vs / ¶ And for to proue thys thynge to be true He tolde thenÌ„e to theym that on a tyme. he beynge on a mountayne came tofore hym a grete companye of deuyllis in lyckenesse of men humayne And bi cause that by the will of god he knewe well that they were deuylles / He all resoluyd / And wythoute hauynge ony drede kneled downe on the erthe in prayenge god that it wolde playse hym to make the same deuylles to departe / ¶ And Incontynent they vanysshed awaye as a fume or a smoke tofore the wynde / ¶ Many other temptacions the deuylles made to hym But god delyuered hym alwaye by the deuowte prayers that he made / ¶ Therfore in concludynge he sayde to his Relygyouses / My chyldren be ye ferme and stable in the faythe in resystynge the deuylles temptacyons / And that ye ben clymynge by feruente charyte to the loue of god / The whyche in soo dooenge he shall to you be alwaye a protectour / And by his helpe ye maye gete the reame of heuen / ¶ Thus endyth the storye of the ryght holy man Pastumyen ¶ Here folowyth of saynt Onuffryen Heremyte / And begynnyth in latyn Beate memorie paphoncius et cetera / Caplm .l. SAynt Phaphunce hauynge desyre for to vysyte alle the Relygyouses that weren in the hermytages for to accomplysshe the helth of his body more lyghtly his waye bare wyth him a lityll water and brede / ¶ And whanne he hadde walked by the space of foure dayes his vytaylle faylled him / And became all confusyd and halfe deed By cause he was soo feble that he hadde neytheyr foote ne legge that myghte susteyne hym / by cause he had neyther to ete ne to drynke / ¶ But neuerthelesse he was by the helpe of god made alle hoole and guarysshed / And hadde as moche strength as though he hadde well eten and dronken / ¶ And thenne beganne to walke agayne And contynued soo foure dayes without mete and drynke ¶ The sayd foure dayes passed / by cause he felte hymselfe feble / He was constrayned to lye downe on the erthe as he hadde be deed / ¶ And he lyenge on the erthe Sodaynly sawe by hym a man in merueyllous glory ferdfull and terryble in shynynge / Worthy of prasynge in beawte / Longe of corpulence and right clere of regarde / Whom Paphunce seenge hadde grete fere but anone after he comforted hym / ¶ For in approchyng towched his lyppes and his houdes / And restored and gauf to hym strengthe / ¶ And Incontynent aroos vpp and walkyd seuentene dayes after tyll he came to a place where as god wolde brynge hym ¶ To whyche place he came and saw a man as he rested hauynge his face terryble all coueryd wyth heer lyke as a brute beest / ¶ And fro the raynes downe alowe he hadde a vestement of leues and of herbes / ¶ Whanne Paphunce sawe thys man soo deformyd / He was sore abasshyd / And not wythoute cause / ¶ For he hadde neuer seen suche lyckenesse of man ne of woman and wyst not what to doo But fledde in to a mountayne whyche was nyghe to that place And there hydde hym vnder the braunches of the trees / He was soo sore aferde / ¶ And there he beganne to syghe merueyllously ¶ Knowynge that by cause of his aege and abstynence he myghte goo noo ferther / ¶ This man seenge that Paphunce was fledde tofore him / and that he was aferde came nyghe to hym And callynge and cryenge with an hyghe
voys sayd to hym ¶ O man of god come doune from the moyntayne / And be not aferde / For I am a man mortall as thou arte / ¶ Whanne Paphunce herde thyse wordes he was gladde and comforted / And tooke agayne hys mynde and courage and anone came downe from the place where he had ben / ¶ And after that he hadd salewed the holy man He fell downe on his knees tofore him ¶ The holy man anone defended him that he sholde not knele to hym sayenge so hym / Aâ—yse thou my frende thou arte the seruaunte of god namyd Paphunce loued of alle the sayntes of heuen / ¶ Thenne Paphunce aroos vpp Notwythstondyng that he was wery aswel for his longe fastynges as for his olde aege ¶ After he made hym to sytte by hym Desuynge to knowe his name· his conuersacyon and manere of lyuynge ¶ He sayde to him / Knowe thou seruaunte of god that by longe Iourneyes I haue walked in thise desertes and haue endured grete hungre and thirste / But now my vyage is accomplysshyd and fulfylled ¶ And I fele a solace in my membres / Lyke as they were all fyllyd and quyte of alle payne / And therfore I praye the my lorde and my frende for the hononore and loue of hym For the name of whom thou hast dwellyd in thise desertes thou tell me whens thou arte and thy name / ¶ And also whanne thou camyst in to this place to enhabyte here / ¶ The holy man seenge the grete affeccion of his desyre and also the traueylle that he hadde taken to fynde Ansuered to hym of that he hadde askyd And demaunded hym in sayenge to hym Fyrste that his name was Onuffâ—en Secondly that it was thre score and ten yeres that he hadde dwellyd in that deserte / Lyuynge wyth brute beestes etynge grapes and herbes in the mountaynes and valeyes And syth that he came thyther he hadde neuer seen man ne woman sauf him onely / ¶ Neuerthelesse he sayde that in his yongthe he had be nourysshed in a monasterye namyd Herâ—mopolyn in the prouynce of Thay / In whyche monasterye were an hundred Relygyouses / ¶ After he declared to hym how the relygyouses of the sayde monasterye lyueden in eâ—ynge and drynkynge alle togider And dyde then penaunces that one lyke to that other / ¶ And that whiche was playsaunt to that one was to that other agreable And yet that was more They hadde alle one wyll One herte And one thoughte / ¶ In the sayde monasterie was so grete taâ—ytuâ—ytee and scylence amonge the Relygyouses that none durste ones speke wythoute a Iuste cause / ¶ He beyng in this sayde monasterye herde recounte the lyfe of an holy fader namyd Helye / ¶ And how he hadde lyued in grete abstynence in deserte in grete straytnesse of lyfe / ¶ And how he hadde many preuyleges aboue the power of man kynde / ¶ In lyke wyse of saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyst whyche ladde soo holy merueylouse lyfe in deserte tyll that he had baptysed oure lorde Ihesu Cryste in the floâ— Iordan / ¶ Thenne herynge tolde of the Relygyouses the gloryouse lyues of theym· and many other / ¶ The sayde Onuffryen requyred of the sayde brethern that thei wolde saye to hym Yf the auncyent holy faders of the deserte had ben more stronge thanÌ„e they or more feble / ¶ They ansuered that they hadde ben more stronge For wythoute mannis comforte and wyth oute mete and drynke they lyued in deserte ¶ But they sayde that in spekynge as they hadde ben the holy faders of the sayd desertes We haue consolacion the one of an other / ¶ For whanne we haue hungre we fynde the mete redy / Whanne we ben seke / We thynke Incontynent and done penauÌ„ce to gete vs helth ¶ We haue fayre houses and grete edyfyces / And they that ben in deserte haue noo consolacyon / ¶ They haue hungre colde and hete And in al tribulacyons haue noo socours but of god ¶ And therfore whom some euer woll dwelle there· Hym behouyth to be constaunt and stedfaste for to endure al suche penaunces / ¶ Yet more the deuyll gyuyth to theym wythoute comparison more settynges and temptacions for to dyuerte theym from theyr good wyll / that to theym comynyke by the worlde / ¶ But whanne they haue very faythe Alwaye they ouercome the fende by armes spyrytuell / ¶ The aungellis comforte theym ofte / And delyuer to theym that is necessary for theym / ¶ For it is wryten / that they that shall putt theyr hope in gode Shall haue the vertue of strengthe for to endure all thynge / wyth fethers as an Egle for to flee to heuen / ¶ And yet more they that shall haue thurste shall drynke in the fountayne eternell / ¶ And the herbes that they shall ete shall gyue to theym also grete swetnesse as hony / ¶ Whanne the Relygyouses ben tempted of ony temptacyons / They oughte to putt theym to praye god lyftyng theyr hondes to heuen ¶ And Incontynente the angellis descende and come downe for to helpe theym to fyghte agaynste the deuyll / ¶ Thus also saythe the prophete Dauyd That in the ende the poore people shall not be forgeten ne theyr pacyente shall not perysshe / ¶ And also god enhauncyth alwaye the poore of spyryte And delyueryth theym from alle trybulacyons ¶ Fynably the same faders sayde to that ryght holy man saynt Onuffryen That the Aungelles contynuelly serue the Iuste and good Whyche arne peâ—fyghte in the loue of god / ¶ And theyr sowles ben Illumyned and kyndled wyth the lyghte of grace and of trouth ¶ Saynt Onuffryen whanne he hadd herde the fayr Instruccyons of thyse holy faders Hadde the herte all embraced wyth grete desire for to doo penaunce and to fyghte agaynste the deuyll / In suffrynge all pouertee to the ende that he myghte come to the glorye eternall / ¶ And thoughte in himselfe to accomplysshe and perfourme the counseyll of the sayde prophete Dauyd ¶ Techynge and sayenge that it is a good thyng to Ioyne hymselfe for the loue of god / And to sette in hym his hope / ¶ Whanne saynt Onuffryen hadde althyse thynges consydered He tooke a lytyll brede and a fewe pesen or benes to make potage wyth alle for to lyue abowte a foure dayes ¶ After he departed by nyghte secretely out of his abbaye / makynge his prayer to god That it myghte pleyse him to enseygne and shewe the place where he sholde doo his penaunce / ¶ And came in to a mountayn The whyche he passed ouer for to come in to deserte ¶ And he beynge there arryued and to men sawe in a place tofore hym a grete lyghte The whyche as hym semyd came strayghte to him / Wherof he was atâ—â—de ¶ And supposyd that it had sygnâ—fyed that be sholde retorne in his monastâ—rie / ¶ In the sayde lyghte he sawe a man ryght playsaunte sayenge to hym that he sholde noo thynge
be aferde for he was an aungel commysed and sent by god and departed for to gouerne and lede hym in the deserte / ¶ And after he layde to hym / See that thou haue thy herte ryght and Iuste / And be thou laboryous in good werkes for the aungell sayde I shall not leue the vnto the dethe ¶ Atte the houre wherof I shall presente the to the mageste of god ¶ After that they hadde walked abowte seuen myle they aryued and came in to a caue fayre ynough / In whyche saynt Onuffryen founde a nother holy man / ¶ And seenge hym / he fell platt downe to the erthe Demaundynge of hym humbly his benedyccyon and blessynge The whyche demaunded / the same holy man tooke hym vpp / And kyssed him in token of peas ¶ After he sayd to hym thou shalte be my brether in this deserte / ¶ And therfore come and entre in in the name of god Whiche yeue to the grace to haue to hym â—euerente drede In suche wyse that alle thyn operacyons and werkes be to hym greble / ¶ Wyth this brother he abode many dayes forto enquire of his vertues and of his manere of lyuynge The whiche gaaf to hym many enseynemens â—â—hortacyons how he sholde lyue solytaryly and bi what meane he sholde resyste and wythstonde the temptacoÌ„ns of the deuyll / ¶ Some dayes he made hym to arise and to goo oute of his caue sayenge to hym My sone it is tyme that thou goo bens for thou mayst not dwelle here / But thou shal goo in to a nother â—ue In whiche thou shalte dwelle allâ—ne / ¶ And yf thou be stronge and stedfaste in the faythe Thou shalt put vnder thy fete alle the temptacyons of the deuyll / ¶ They tweyne togyder walkyd foure dayes / And the fifthe they arcyued in a place called Calidonia by whyche were palmes habundantly / ¶ Whan ther weren in the sayde place He sayde to hym ¶ Now come hyther my frende â—â— here the place that god hathe prepared made redy for the to serue hym and to doo thy penaunce / ¶ After that they were they arryued / The holy man was wyth hym by the space of thyrty dayes In enfourmynge hym alwaye / ¶ And shewynge to him the Rules and maners of lyuynge holy it / in kepynge the commaundementes of the chyrche / ¶ After alle thyse thynges / the sayd holy man made his prayer to god for saynt Onuffryen / ¶ And after tooke leue of hym And wente agayne in to his caue / ¶ Saynt Onuffryen kepte hym and abode in this sayde place· in doynge strayte penaunce / ¶ And the holy Heremyte whyche hadde brought hym thyther came for to vysyte hym euery yere For to knowe of the conuersacyon of his lyuynge / ¶ And on a tyme amonge the other in gooynge as he was accustomyd for to vysyte saynt Onaffryen / ¶ He fell to the grounde and gaaf vppe his ghoste to god / Wherof saynt Onuffryen was merueyllously trowbled and vexyd / ¶ Fynably after that he hadde longe wepte vppon the corps He buryed it in the same place / In the mooste honeste wyse that was to hyÌ„ possyble after hys lytyll power ¶ Paphunce whyche was also walkinge by the desertes Whanne he had herde alle this that saynt Onuffryen had recounted and shewed to hym / He sayd to hym ¶ Ha holy fader I knowe that many labours and paynes thou hast endured in this deserte / ¶ Certayne my broder sayd the holy man Thou mayst byleue that I haue hadd soo moche pouertee in this deserte / That ofte tymes and for the mooste parte I estemyd my selfe to be atte the terme of my dethe / ¶ felte noo strengthe in me ¶ Some tyme of the daye I haue ben brente wyth hete of the sonne· ¶ In the nyghte I haue be wasted with vapours and humyditees of the erthe ¶ Many tymes I haue hadde grete hungre and grete thurst ¶ And shortely to saye I canne not declare the merueyllous sorowes and afflyccyons that I haue endured / ¶ But I haue hope that god shall rewarde â—e my rewarde / In gyuynge to me spyrytuell rychesses whyche encreace augment euery daye and neuer mâ—nysshe ¶ And for to notefye to that the bouÌ„te of god whyche neuer leuyth his seruauntes He hathe sente to me ofte tymes by one of his aungellis brede and water / Of whiche and also of dates whyche growe nighe by to my caue and of some herbes I haue had suffisauntely my bodyly refâ—ccyon / ¶ After this he sayd to the holy man Paphunce / My frende yf thou wolt accomplisshe the wyll commaundemente of god Note and marke that he him selfe hath sayde that we sholde not haue ony cure or besynesse to ete ne to dryÌ„ke ne also of our vesture ne clothynge / ¶ For god our fader wotyth and knoweth all the whiche to vs is necessary / therfore yf in seruynge hym well we demauÌ„de of him the reame of heuen withoute ony faulte we shall haue all those thynges that to vs ben necessary / ¶ After PaphuÌ„ce asked of saynt OnuffrieÌ„ if he receyued oft his maker how he receyued hym ¶ To whom he ansuered that the Saterdaye and the Sondaye thaungell of god brought to hym the ryghte precyous body and blood of oure lorde / ¶ And knowe ye for certayn sayde saynt Onuffryen That alle they that vertuously vsentheyr lyffe in desert and wyldernesse ben parteners of suche Ioye as I haue / ¶ Alle thyse thynges herde and consydered by the holy man Paphunce ¶ He was soo perfightely reioyced that he remembred noo more of all the sorowes and euylles that he hadde endured and suffred in the desertes / ¶ Soo moche hym semyd the worde of the sayde holy man was swete and pleysaunt Wherefore he myghte wyth the psalmyste well say / ¶ O my god thy wordes ben to me more swetter than hony oâ— other sauours and swete lycour / ¶ Saynt Onuffryen after broughte hym vnto Celydoyne thre myle nyght to the mountayne where he hadde fouÌ„de hym ¶ And whanne they were in the place where he dwellyd / Onuffryen he togyder put them in oryson and prayer / The whyche done / Onuffryen sayd to Paphunce / ¶ O seruaunt of god I see and knowe that thou arte in daunger of dethe / Yf thou take not thy refeccyon Aâ—yse thou and ete / ¶ Paphunce wolde not ete ne drynke But att laste he was constrayned by the sayd Onuffryen for to ete brede / ¶ They tweyne thenne togyder dranken and eten / ¶ And after passed fourth alle the nyghte wythout slepynge In spekynge contynuelly the wordes of god / ¶ On the morninge erly saynt PaphuÌ„ce beholdynge the holy man Onuffryen sawe his vysage whyche was also pale and dyffeated as of a deed man / ¶ Thenne he demaunded what thynge he hadde / The holy man ansueryd to hym and sayde / ¶ My brother frere Paphunce be noo thynge
aferde / and knowe thou that bi the wyll of god thou arte comen vnto this place / To the ende to burye me laye my body in the erthe / ¶ Anone my soule shall departe fro my body shall be borne in to the heuenly Reame / ¶ My brother I knowe thy desire and thy wyll / ¶ And therfore whanne thou shalte be retournyd in to Egypte· I praye the that thou remembre me and of my name / ¶ And to the ende that thou and alle thy brethern be desyrynge to haue of me remeÌ„braunce I shall saye to the the prerogatyues and specyall gyftes that I haue obteyned of my lorde and god Rededemer of alle the worlde / ¶ Fyrste euery persone that shall make to hym Immolacyon or sacrefyce be â— in messes or otherwyse in soo dooynge haue mynde of my name He shall be preserued and kepte from alle frawdelous decepcyons and temptacyons dyabolyke and worldly / ¶ And att laste be shall haue partycipacion wyth the aungellis in the reame of heuen / ¶ And yf ony haue noo power to make the sacrefyce / And in gyuynge oonly for the loue of god and of me an asmesse to some poore man Wythout faâ—â—e I shall praye for hym in heuen to then de that god make him worthi to haue part of his excellent glori ¶ yet yf he may not doo neyther that one ne that other In gyuynge a candell or in makynge a lytyll oblacyon As encencynge wyth â—â—ence or other offrynge / Certaynly I shall soo make prayer to god To the â—â—â—e that he haue euerlastynge Ioye / ¶ Paphunce herynge thyse alle thyse â—â—ynges made to hym this demaunde â—â— question Now fader yf some or ony persone haue noo power to doo ony of thyse thre thynges / By what moyen maye he doo for to be in thi recommendacyon and prayer / To the ende that as what trybulacyon he be in / thou make thyne oryson for hym / ¶ The holy man ansuered / My brother and frende yf it happed as thou sayst / That the suppliaunt haue noo facultee ne power to doo ony of the thynges aforsayd Yf he knele downe on his knees In lyftynge his hondes Ioyned to god and sayenge deuowtly thre tymes the Pater noster Aue maria in the honoure of the glorious Trinyte of heuen / and remember my name / Surely I shall doo soo moche anenste the same ryght holy Trinyte that he shall haue parte in the reaâ—e of heuen with all the sayntes that ben there / ¶ Or yf ony be in doubte or hesytacyon of the thynges tofore sayde He maye rede saynt Iherom in his boke whyche he hathe composyd in latyn Intytulyd of the lyfe of faders / Of the whyche hath be made this present traÌ„ssacyon as in other places hathe be sayd And there he shall see alonge this that is sayde here tofore / ¶ In retournynge to purpoos the holy Paphunce was gretely content wyth the wordes of saynt Onuffryen ¶ And for asmoche as he reputed the same place where as they wereÌ„ to be holy / he prayed to the sayd Onuffryen that he wolde gyue him lycence to dwelle there after his dethe / The whyche thynge the good holy fader wold not But commaunded hym that he sholde retorne in to Egypte / And there perseuere in goode werkes / For in the ende he sholde haue felycyte eternall / ¶ Whanne Paphunce hadde herde his ansuere He knelyd doune tofore the holy fader Onuffryen and sayde to hym this that folowyth ¶ Alas my dere fader frende I knowe and byleue that alle that thou shalte demaunde of god For the loue of whom thou haste be lxx yeres in this deserte thou shalte lyghtly obteyne· ¶ Thenne gyue to me now thy blessynge To the ende that I be also perfyghte as thou / ¶ The holy fader ansuered / My brother Paphunce be not angry For thy demaunde shall be obteyned / Be thou stedfaste in the faythe in seruynge god wyth all thyne herte and wyth alle thy thoughte / And by this moyen thou shalte haue eternall lyfe / ¶ I praye to oure lorde that thou be kepte alwaye of his worthy aungellis in alle thy cogytacyons and wylles To the ende that thou be clene and puryfyed tofore the face of Ihesu Cryste ¶ Whanne the holy man hadde sayde alle thyse wordes He knelyd downe to the grounde / And in wepynge sayde ¶ O my god now in to thyne hondes myghte puyssaunce and streyngthe I coÌ„mende my spyryte / And thyse wordes sayde sodaynly came a grete lyghte / whyche enuyronned alle his body / ¶ Thenne after came many aungels to grete multytude / whyche songen songes melodyous Wherof alle the ayre resowned And bare the soule vnto the reame of heuen / ¶ Paphunce whyche herde those aungellis synge / Beganne to wepe and drowne in teeres sayeng / Alas I haue well cause to make lamentacyon whanne wyth soo grete payne I haue founde the holy man Onufryen And hane be soo lytyll whyse wyth hym / ¶ After whanne he hadde longe waylled wepte· He departed his garment in to two partes / And of that one he cladde hymselfe / And in that other he wounde the body of the holy man putte it in a Sepulture of stone whiche was there / ¶ Paphunce seenge that he was there alone wepte more thanne he dyde byfore / ¶ And supposyd to haue entred in to the caue of the holy man / But whanne he was atte the entree a grete parte of the roche fell downe / By whyche he knewe that god wolde not that he sholde vse the resydue of his lyfe in the sayde place / ¶ And soo thenne he came agayne in to his monastery in Egypte / Where as he recounted this bistorye lyke as tofore is wreton / ¶ And the holy man saynt Onuffryen deyed the twellyfth daye of Iuyn the day of saynt Barnabe the appostle / ¶ Here folowyth the lyfe of saynt Abraham the Heremyte And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Cupio et cetera Caplm .li. ¶ Soo it happed that the tyme to halowe the Sacrament of maryage approched and drewe nyghe / But by cause that he wolde not abyde thereby and persyste / His parentes and kynnesmen were angry wyth hym soo gretely that for the greyf that he hadde of theyr heuynesse He concluded in hymself to procede forthe therin / ¶ Thenne the mariage of theym solempnysed / And he beynge in his chambre and layed a bedde wyth his spowse and wyfe / ¶ Sodaynly there came vpon him a feruent wyll for to departe and goo oute of the cyte / ¶ And soo departed from thens that he was well two myle from the cyte / Where he founde a lytyll house Wherin noo man frequented nor vsyd / And entred in and kepte hym there a certayne tyme prayenge and makinge deuoute prayers to god / ¶ Whanne his parentes and kynnesâ—es knewe that he was goon they were moche angry / And for to seche
vncle / ¶ To whom also she said alas my lord what shall I mowe gyue or rewarde the for thy good grace and mercy that in so grete desyre and affeccyon thou purchasyst to me / ¶ On the morne by tyme whan they sholde departe and goo theyr way She sayd to hym / Myne vncle I haue spared haue here wythin a lytyll golde and other vestures saye to me what it playsyth the that I shall doo wythal To whom the holy man sayd I woll my meâ—e that thou leue here in this place Infamyd all those godes that thou hast goten by synne and Infamye for they benot worthy to be yeue for goâ— is sake to the poore people / ¶ Soo thene they departed from that dyshoneste pâ—ce / And soo moche exployted theyr â—ye / that fynably they came to the place here afore she hadd be nourisshyd / An was remysed in to her lytyll chambre clad wyth her olde cote / ¶ Thynke now what sorowe complaintes they made after that / me wepynge euery daye the holy ma for the synne of his nyece Lyke as hâ— had commysed hymself / and shewed â—e grete enormyte therof more bytter thanÌ„e he durste haue done or he hade broughte her thyther / ¶ O merueyllus and Inestymable charyte that â—â— to redeme the soule of his niece he waâ—â—ontent to byÌ„de hyÌ„self to doo penaun for her / Who shall be he that wythout wayllynge wepynge shall remembâ— the merueylous lamentacyons that they dyde after her reduccoÌ„n fro synn to penaunce / ¶ Who is also he thâ— wold not rendre also thankynges to god of suche a conuersyon / ¶ She was after that of soo honeste a lyfe and conuersacyon That many notable peâ—sones from diuers places came to her â—or to be coÌ„forted in theyr aduersytees â—â—y the moyen of her prayers and orisons ¶ Ten yere after lyued the deuout â—holy man Abraham The whiche seenge the grete penaunces â—â— his nyece loâ—yd her better more herteâ— than he hadd done byfore / of her vertuous lyfe rendred contynuelly thankynges right deuoutly to god / ¶ And whan he had attayned thaâ—ge of lx yere / and his â—â— yere fyfty ¶ They rendred theyr soules to god whiche gaaf to theym his glorye felicyte eternall / The whiche gyue to vs. the fader the sone and the holy goost / Amen / ¶ Of saynt Pachomyen abbot and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Dominis noster thuÌ„s c. Caplm .lii. IN recitynge of saynt Pachomyen and of many other sayntes and holy faders ¶ Saynt Iherom sayth in substaunce / ¶ Oure lorde Ihesus fountayne of all sapyence and lighte of very doctryne sone of god the fader / by the vertue and puyssaunce of whom alle hathe ben created and made wyllynge to shewe our poore freelte of the enormyte of synne whiche is soo moche enclyned to vs hathe shewed by his right worthi pite mekenes many wayes and maners to seche our helthe ¶ Considre we thenne the grace that he gaaf to Abraham oure auncyent fader Whanne in obeyenge to his coÌ„maundement he wolde haue offred Ysaac his fyrste sone ¶ He was content with the obeyssaunce of Abraham whiche hadde mede and meryte of his sacrefyce / ¶ And yet abode his sone alyue All the prophetes whyche haue hadde soo many reuelacoÌ„ns / And that knew that god myghte not lye haue shewed to vs that there sholde come a medycyne or leche whiche sholde heele alle our sores woundes That is oure lorde Ihesu Cryste Whiche by his passyon hath bought and redemed vs from the paynes of helle / ¶ He is soo humble that neuer he dyspisyth oure petycyons / Soo that they ben resonable and helthfull And also that they ben demaunded wyth a contryte and humble herte ¶ Considre we also the grace that we haue whanÌ„e by the sacrament of baptym we ben regenerat and purifyed of origynall sinÌ„e of oure fyrste fader Adam / ¶ And also we haue herde the appostles whiche haue endoctryned vs in the holy faythe / whyche we holde and kepe / ¶ Whanne the same oure faythe beganne to be publysshed The deuyll oure grete enmye supposyd by his temptacyons to haue broughte to noughte alle Cristyante But soo as we reden many sayntes by prayers other afflyccoÌ„ns lyghtly putt them vnder / ¶ Some Paynems emperours Romains after the passion of our lorde enforcid hem to persecute crysteÌ„ men of whom many went in to Egypte the whiche vnto the deth endured grete martyrdom for the honoure of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And from daye to daye the chirches were augmented edefyed and made in the name of the martyrs ¶ Some other forsoke the worlde / And vseden alle theyr lyfe in wyldernesse in desertes / As of many is wryton here tofore / ¶ The some were cladde with heyrof ghotes / ¶ Other dyde penaunce in fastynge an hoole weke wythoute etynge Endurynge alle theyr lyfe in colde and hete and other necessitees Innumerable / ¶ And in soo doinge haue opteyned of our lorde synguler prerogatyues As it hathe ynough be declared in the lyues of holy faders here tofore wreton ¶ How and in what tyme Relygyon was Instytuted And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Eâ—at pâ—ide teÌ„pus / Caplm .liii. DVrynge the persecucoÌ„n whyche themperours of Rome made so crysten men dwellyd in the deserte saynt Anthony where as he ladde a lyfe semblable in perfeccoÌ„n vnto the lyfe of Helye Helyser saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyste / ¶ Of the maners conuersacyon of saynt Anthonye / Saynt Anathase bysshopp of Alexandrie hath made many grete fayre wytnesses Whiche ben thynges moche prouffytable to alle people of deuocoÌ„n to see theym and in theym to haue contemplacoÌ„n· ¶ Also the sayd Athanase hath wreton of saynt Ammon of his merytes as here tofore is wreton recyted And semblably of saynt Theodore the whiche holy faders were the fonÌ„dement begynnynge of Religyon / And of whom in theyr lyuyÌ„ge the grete fame flourysshed in dyuers Regyons ¶ In that tyme were a few religious people in Thebayde But after the persecucyon of Dyoclesyan and Maxymyan emperours tyrauÌ„tes Inhumayn Many persones of dyuers settes folowed the lawe of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ For some went into desert and other in to Religyon / And thenne began the chirche to flourysshe multeplye ¶ How the sayd Pachomien wolde be Crysten / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Peridem teÌ„pus / Caplm .liiii. IN the same tyme dwelled Pachomien in Thebayde the whiche was a Paynem Holdynge the law in whiche his fader and moder hadde enfourmyd hym But after by the grace of god he wolde be Crysten And how wel that in his adolesceÌ„nt he was Paynem / as tofore is sayde Neuerthelesse he was moche vertuous ¶ And also syth his coÌ„uersion he prouffyted merueyllously in acquysicoÌ„n of vertues In suche wise that by the moyen of his righte holy lyffe he was moche renoÌ„myd in dyuers countrees and Regions in lyke wyse as more amply shall
be declared herafter ¶ How in his yonge aege be distroyed the Ydollis / begynÌ„ith in latyn / ¶ Her enim c / Caplm .lv. THis sayde Pachomyen in hys yonge aege beynge yet a chyld was broughte by his parentes as to a temple of ydolatrye beynge by the ryuer of Nyle for to adoure and sacâ—rfye the ydolles / ¶ The preest sacrylege wold make sacrefyce whanne they were come after theyr dampnable and wycked lawe / ¶ But the deuyll wolde not gyue ansuere as he hadd be accustomyd to doo Wherof the folysshe preeste was moche abasshed / ¶ And fynably the deuyll shewed to the cursyd preest / that the goddis wolde yeue none ansue â—t but yt Pachomyen were expulsid oute of the same temple / ¶ His parentes were moche angrye whanne they sawe hym constrayned to departe from theym And wiste not what they sholde do ¶ A nother tyme he beinge replenysshyd wyth the grace of god / As one gaaf him to drynke of the wyne that had be sacrefyed to the ydolles / Incontynente he casted it vppe agayne by manere of vomyte Lyke as it hadde be poyson Notwythstondyng that he was not yet Crysten / ¶ How the sayde Pachomyen was taken for to goo on werre And beginÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Eodem tempore et cetera Caplm .lvi. IN the same tyme Constantyn obteynynge the Empyre of rome dide constrayne all the yonge men of his countree for to habylle put theim in armes for to serue hym in his warre / Emonge whom he was reteyned to wages / ¶ The sayde Pachomyen whyche thenne was in the aege of twenty yeres / After that he was put vppon the see / The wynde aroos / And made theym to arryue in a cyte in whyche dwelled Crysten men / ¶ Whanne they of the cyte sawe theym come lyberally they receyued theym / And honestly they admynystred to theym alle theyr necessitees / ¶ Pachomyen seengâ—â—â—yr charite and humanytee enquyred â—â— his felowes what men they were / Whyche ansuered to hym that they were crysten men / And that theyr custome was to be soo humble and charytable to alle the worlde Hopinge to haue therfore rewarde of their god ¶ Pachomyen herynge this was moche heuy in his herte for that he myght not haue none other knowlege of them ¶ Wherfore he made his prayer to god in sayenge / O god almyghty whyche haste made heuen erthe graunte thou to me my prayer That is that it playse the to giue me perfighte knowlege of thy name / And that I be delyuered of the oblygacyon in whyche I 'am bounde And I shall be thy seruaunt alle the tyme of my lyfe / ¶ And I promitte to the that I shall renounce the worlde for to beye the onely / He thenÌ„e retornynge frothe warre wyth his felowes they passyd by dyuerse countrees and Regyons in whiche some tyme Pachomyen was tempted wyth the synne of the flesshe / But neuertheles rmeÌ„bryng of the promise that he hadd made to god he resisted the temptacoÌ„n And wolde neuer coÌ„mise the sayd synne Desyrynge for the loue of oure lorde to lyue chastely / ¶ How Pachomyen receyued the holy Sacrament of baptim / And bgynnyth in latyn ¶ Igitur constantinus c Caplm lvii· IT happed that Constantyn the Emperour of Rome after that he was Crysten And that by the faythe credence that he hadde to god He hadde opteyned vyctorye agaynste his aduersaryes Concluded for to dyscharge his subgettes of the grete exaccyons and charges that they bare by cause of men of warre And to gyue theym leue and to sende theym home And soo he dyde / ¶ Pachomyen thenne seenge hymselfe delyuered of his seruyce IncoÌ„tynent came in to a towne called Smobostrum beynge beyonde the partyes of The haydes / ¶ And there in the chirche in acomplysshinge the promyse that he made to god Promtly he was baptysed But a merueyllous thynge happed after his baptesme / ¶ For in the same nyghte that he was crystened he sawe in his dreme / How in to his ryght bonde descended a dewe the whiche myraculously coÌ„uerted in to hony / ¶ After he herde a voys whiche sayde to hym O Pachomyen considre wel this that is happed to the. For this is the sygne of the grace that god hathe gyuen to the / ¶ Pachomyen was after enflammed wyth the grace of the holy ghoste / And rendred hymselfe wyth the relygyouse men for to lerne the state of holy and perfyghte life / ¶ How saynt Pachomien desirynge to be Heremyte or Relygyous / wente to the holy fader Palemon dwellynge in deserte / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Andiuit autem / Caplm .lviii. AFter that Pachomyen herd say that in desertes was an holi man named Palemon moche deuoute contynuelly seruynge god He wente to hym and knocked atte his doore / ¶ And he opened halfe his doore / and demaunded of hym what he wolde â—â— what he soughte ¶ Now the holy man Palemon was terryble to beholde· By cause that by longe tyme lyuynge solytaryly he hadde ladde a strayt lyfe and harde in the deserte / ¶ Pachomyen ansuerde to hym moche humbly / Fayre fader I come to the by the coÌ„maundemente of my god to the ende that I â—e made and constytuted Relygios ¶ The holy fader sayde to him Thou mayst not be Relygyous here / It is not a lytyll thynge to be made Relygyous But he oughte well rypely to thynke the holy conuersacyon in whiche he oughte to liue / ¶ For many haue ben in desertes sayd the holy fader whiche haue not perseueryd in theyr begynnynges / ¶ Pachomyen ansuered that the maners in all persones ben not semblable / ¶ And therfore he prayed hym / that he wolde receyue hym And by succession of tyme he sholde knowe his courage and affecyon / ¶ The holy fader sayde to hym / My frende I haue sayde tofore that here thou mayste not be Relygyous / And therfore goo in to some Monastery of Relygyon / ¶ And whanne thou haste hâ—â—d in chastyte and contynence in obeyenge the rules of Religyon / ThenÌ„e shalte thou come agayne to me gladly I shall receyue the / ¶ But take hede what I shall saye to the / And waye it well tofore thou procede ony ferther / And I shall saye to the what thou shalte doo to gete the helthe of thy soule / I lyue here compentli ynough / ¶ For my custome is to ete oonly brede and salte I vse none oyle ne wyne / And I wake ordynarily tyll mydnyghte / And somtyne all the nyghte / Bisye some tyme in prayer A nother tyme in contemplacion Or otherwise ocupienge myselfe in some helthfull werke / ¶ Pachomyen whanne he had all herde Lyke as the dyscyples ben abasshed in the presence of theyr mayster / So he was somwhat abasshed in herynge the wordes of the holy man But this notwythstondynge he trustynge in the grace of god he purposyd alle to endure /
wytte / And fynably came in to a cyte namyd Panos / And there as enraged threwe hymselfe in to a depe caue full of hote water In whiche sodainly he deyed / ¶ How Pachomyen went thorugh the desertes And begynnith in latyn ¶ Igitur pachomius / Caplm .lxii PAchomyen after wente bare fote thorugh the deserte and bi mountaynes Endurynge pacyently the pryckynges and hurtes of thornes whereof his feet were swollen and moche soâ—e / ¶ And he enioyed in hymselfe reducynge to remembraunce how our lorde hadde in his feet and his hondes holes perâ—yd by foâ—e of grete naylles recourbled blout / Whyche were more greuous than yf they hadde ben sharpe pryckynge ¶ Alle his herte and desire was for so dwelle in place solytarye for to praye god by grete desyre / To the ende be and alle the worlde myghte be preseruyd and kepte from the trawdes decepcyons and temptacyons of oure enâ—â—ye the sende of helle / ¶ How a voâ—â— from heuen spake to Pachomyen And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quodam vero tempore et cetera / Caplm .lxiii. IT happed on a tyme that saynt Pachomyen entrynge in a towne namyd Thebayde ferre ynough from his hermytage / In whiche towne whan he entred dwelled noo persone ¶ He putt hymselfe in prayer / and was there longe / ¶ Soo herde he a voys from heuen whyche sayd to hyÌ„ Pachomyen abyde in this place where thou arte And edefyâ— here a monastery Many shall come to the. desirynge to prouffyte by thy Instytucyons ¶ And thou shalte gyue to theym the rule whiche I shall desyner to the / ¶ After that appyered the aungell whyche broughte to hym a table in whiche was wryten the rule whiche be sholde teâ—he all theym that sholde come to the sayde place for to be relygyous vnder hym / ¶ The whyche rule yet kepen the Tabenesiens ¶ Saynt Pachomyen ryght affectuously alle that whyche thangell had broughte to hym / ¶ And after came agayne to the holy fader Palemon / To whom he recyted alle that whiche was happed to hym In prayenge hym that he wolde goo with him to the place where the aungel had spoken to hym as sayd is / ¶ Palemon whiche was humble wolde not trowble his dyscyple / went in to the towne wyth hyÌ„ / And there ariued Incontynent after the coÌ„maundement of god made a lytyll hous / In the whyche longe tyme they prayed to god deuowtely / Bysechynge hym that they myghte perfourme the chirche lyke as the angell had warned Pachomien ¶ Longe tyme after Palemon sayd to Pachomyen Now I knowe that the grace of god is descended vpon the. that thou arte dysposyd for to dwelle in this place where thou arte / Wherfore I praye thou that we make this paccyon couenanÌ„t togyder That durynge all the tyme of oure lyfe we be not separate in courage ne deuyded / But by vysitacyon fraternall we gyue consolacyon eche to other The whyche paccyon they made and entrehelden / For after ofte tymes they vysited eche other / ¶ Of the deth of saynt Palemon And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Inter heâ— venerabilis c / Caplm .lxiiii. A Lytyll tyme After Palemon strongly enfebled of nature by the extreme abstinences that he made felle in a grete maladye / by cause of the whyche well ofte he ete wythoute drynke And somtyme he ete not / But his refeccyon was eyther to ete or to drynke oonly / ¶ Some brethern came thither for to vysite him / And prayyed hym to enforce to take refeccoÌ„n suffisauntly for to susteyne his body / But the holy man herynge theyr requeste toke oonly mete for to comforte his membres Whiche were moche enfeblysshed by his sayd abstynences But neuertheles that auayled noo thynge / ¶ For his maladye was to hyÌ„ more greuous whaÌ„ he ete more thanne he was accustomye ¶ And therfore he wolde not ete but after his appetyte and suffred pacyently his maladye Consyderyng that many marters had ben despieced in to pyeces ¶ Some hadd theyr heedes smyten of The other haue ben brent in fire And alwaye they perseuered vnto th ende for the loue of Ihesu Cryste / ¶ And the holy man sayd he had by theyr examples farye ample matere of pacyence And that he ought not for a lytyll maladye corrumpe by gormandyse his lytyll penaunces and fastynges acustomyd / ¶ He sayd ferther that they had gyuen hym more payne by the metes that he had eten in his maladye thanne the abstynences that he made And soo retourned to his fyrste penaunce / ¶ And a moneth after in perseuerynge in fastynges he deyed rendred his soule to god ¶ But tofore his dethe came to hyÌ„ saynt Pachomyen whiche behelde hyÌ„ as his fader in kyssynge enbracynge hyÌ„ As he had sayd to hym fare well And after he buryed his body in the erthe / his soule was enhauÌ„ced gloryously with changellis in to the Ioye glory of heuen / The whiche graunt to vs the fader the sone the holy ghost / Amen / ¶ How the sayde saynt Pachomyen one his brother namyd Iohn conuerseden togyder And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quo peâ—â—o / Caplm .lxv. AFter the saynt Palemon was bi saynt Pachomyen buryed the same saynt Pachomyen came agayne in to his monastery where god hadde Instytuted to hym / ¶ And after came to hyÌ„ his broder germayn named IohnÌ„ whiche longe tyme hadde sought hym / ¶ The holy man seenge his brother was moche Ioyous for sith he had be Crysten he had seen none of his freÌ„des ¶ The gode IohnÌ„ dwellyd with his brother / yf they were bredern carnally yet were they moche more bredern spyrytuelly / They two had but one will one selfe desyre Nyghte daye they thoughte on the faythe of oure lorde renouncynge all worldly rychesses ¶ They wanÌ„e theyr lyuynge onÌ„ly wyth makynge of celles / yf they had ony thyng superflue of theyr labour / Incontynent it was dystrybuted vnto poore for thono in of god / ¶ All theyr clothyng was of one vesture made of lynÌ„en clothe / As the Relygiouses were then robes / ¶ But the holy man Pachomien ware thayre for to kepe his body in seruytude / whanÌ„e soÌ„tyme be slepte by nyghte He laye not on the erthe but lenynge / Ferynge that yf he laye downe that he sholde reste ouer moche atte his case therby he myght falle in some â—yÌ„ne or euyll teÌ„ptacoÌ„n / ¶ Of the grete repentaunce and dysplaysaunce that had the sayde Pachomyen for IndygnacoÌ„n and angre that he hadde agaynst his brother / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Inter hec et cetera Caplm .lxvi. Saynt Pachomyen bi the grace of god dyde encreace the place where he IohnÌ„ his broder dwellyd to the ende that they that shold comÌ„ to dwell in the sayde place lyke as thangell had shewed sholde fynde place for to dwell in / ¶ IohnÌ„ whiche was thelder was wrothe with hyÌ„ by
watred theym / ¶ And yf ony knocked att the doore of the chyrche he was the fyrste redy to open it / ¶ He serued theym that were seke and admynystred to theym theyr necessytees / ¶ In doynge thyse thynges he gaaf ensample of humylyte to all his dyscyples / and occasyon to serue not oonly to theyr auncyents and elders but also to theym that came after theym to the Relygyon / ¶ Also he admonested to excercyse them after theyr vocacyon callynge / And coÌ„maunded theym to make contynuelly prayâ—es and estudye hesyly in especyall in the holy gospelles / to the ende that therby they myght acustome theym gladly in the coÌ„maundementes of god And to loue hym aboue all thynges hertely And payne theym for to acomplysshe theim in getynge of vertues for fynably to obteyne the Ioye felycyte eternall / ¶ Of thre men that came to saynt Pachomyen and begynnyth in latyn Exâ—â—nt autem Caplm lxxiiii IT happed that thre men / that one namyd Postentesus that other Surys and the thyrd Oblys came for to vysyte the holy heremyte Pachomyen the whyche by his wordes by ensamples of holy lyf moued theym to doo penaunce / ¶ And whan they had contempled his bountee that one of theym sayd to the other / ¶ Certainly we knowe now that they erre openly that saye that the chyldern ensiew folowe the maners of theyr faders moders / and saye not wel / For oftymes of euyll fader euyll moder descende ryght good chyldren as it aperyth by this holy man Pachomyen whiche is soo Iuste that in his lyf he neuer brake ony of the coÌ„mauÌ„dements of god / And neuerthelesse he is extracte descended of the lignage of Paynyms ydolatours all contrary to the lawe of god / And ayenst theim that haue folysshe ymaginacoÌ„ns sayenge that thei haue good to doo well or euyll / For yf they ought to be sauyd they shall be sauyd / And yf they oughte to be dampned thei shal so be / Thyse ben fooles and enraged / For we fynde in holy scrypture our blessyd sauyour to haue sayde / ¶ Come to me ye that ben charged wyth many euylles and I shall dyscharge you / And in this sayenge he excepted not one / ¶ Also he woll not the dethe of a synner / And therfore euery one oughte to perseuere in his goodnesse to his lyues ende / ¶ Thyse thre men came ayen afterwarde to the holy man prayeng hyÌ„ that he wold telle theym the cause wherefor he toke that payne vpon hym to serue all his religyouses / Wherat he answerde sayenge to theym in this wyse / ¶ Whan men woll lerne a mare or some other beest for to bere a grete burthen they gyue her firste a lytyll charge And after by contynuance men encrease her burthen / For who sholde fyrst gyue her almoche as she myghte bere she haply wolde not endure with it but sholde be rebell / ¶ All thus muste I doo to my bredern whyche god hath gyue me to kepe in a good rule / ¶ Fyrste I gyue theym a lytyll charge And after by example I shewe to theym how they oughte to doo whan they haue seen the burthen that I haue borne nowe / I haue be longe â—â—fore theym in this monastery / And they ben come theim but a while agoon / Wherfore I oughte to bere a more charge than they done now / ¶ How he resceyued many one to the state of Relygyon / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Regulas igitur et cetera Caplm lxxvi AFterwarde by the grace of god that benygnly callyth euery one to doo penaunce / came many deuowte persones to the holy man for to lyue solytaryly wyth hym / AmoÌ„ge whyche came Pawle / a nother Pachomyen and one namyd Iohan. the whyche lyued there a holy lyfe and honeste wythout ony spotte of synne / After this he stablysshed some for to haue the gouernaunce and rule of the monastery / And pryncypally the moost vertuouse humble aboue the other / ¶ And sayd the holy man that lyke as a spâ—â—cle of fyre that fallith amonge an kepe of sheuys of corne may not be but with grete paynt queÌ„chyd And often tymes it is seen that it brennyth all the hooâ—e hepe / In lyke wise yf in a relygyon be some Relygyouses that chaunge there thoughtes to that cursyd vyce of ambycyon / Desyrynge to be fyrste and princypall in the Ordre / And to haue there grete offyces / ¶ Yf from theyr hert thê° enflammed they putt not awaye soone the bronde of this euyll suggestion rihtlyghtly / They lese Incontynente that they haue soughte by longe tyme afore ¶ And for this cause the holy man wolde not consente nor suffre that the one sholde haue ony lordshyp or premynence ouer the other / And namly vpon a solempne feeste / ¶ And to the ende that this Inordinate affeccyon were take fro theym and wyll to precede that one the other / He made a preest to come that was not of that monasterye for to doo there the offyce and seruyce that sholde admynystre theym the sacramentes / ¶ And more ouer he sayd that it is better to lyue in charyte and in humylyte than in dysordynate worshypp / ¶ And yf some clerke or preest came to hym for to be Relygyous He made to hym honour after his astate / and lyke as it aperteyneth to a man of the chyrche / ¶ Of the humylyte of saynt Pachomyen To the chapitre that begynnyth in latyn ¶ Omnes autem et cetera / Caplm lxxvi THe humylyte of the holy fader Pachomyen was so grete that al the seruauntes of god he honoured and louyd ¶ To the olde to the seke and to the lytyll he dyde all ghostely and bodyly seruyses / Counseyllynge and comfortynge theym for the saluacyon of theyr soules / ¶ And soo he seenge that the nombre of his Relygyouses encreaced / he made and constytued some of theym his Coadiutours and helpers / And other he ordeyned as Pryours for to helpe hym to saue theyr soules / And techynge theym the Rules to hym gyuen by the angell ¶ He constrayned theym all to be very obedyent and to haue the drede of god in their hertes ¶ And whan he that had the gouernaunce and charge of the werkes of the monastery was fayllynge in ony thynge / The good holy fader Pachomyen toke the charge vpon hym / And amended the fawte as seruaunt of all the other Not for to seme meke by vaynglory / But by very affeccyon and goode loue / ¶ Of the charytee of saynt Pachomyen / To the chapytre whyche begynÌ„yth ¶ Quodam vero tempore et cetera Caplm lxxvii SAynt Pachomyen was moche pytefull and charytable / He seenge that in the places beynge night to his monastery were many folke that ocupyed them in none other wise but to kepe the beestes / wythoute comynge to chyrche / And wythoute receyuynge of theyr creatoure / Came to
one namyd Pyceryen bysshopp of the Cenâ—â—ryens / And gaaf hym counseyle that he sholde doo buylde a chirche in the same place / where as thyes Pastours or Shepherdes dwellyd / to the ende that they sholde be for this cause more enclined and deuowte to praye god / And to receyue there theyr ryghtes and sacramentes of the chyrche / And thus made the bysshopp to be doon / ¶ But by cause that there were noo clerkes not yet that dyde the seruyce of the chyrche / He and some of his Relygyouses came to vysyte theim / And shewed theym some hystoryes of the holy scrypture / ¶ And by this he excyted and mouyd the good persones to deuocyon Soo that by hys doctryne many were conuerted to the fayth And his charyte was spradde aswell vpon the mysbyleuyd peple as vppon the Crysten folke / ¶ For whan he sawe ony men or wymmen that were Heretykes or oute of the true byleue He wept / Prayenge god for theym that he wolde torne theym / ¶ Of the coÌ„dempnacoÌ„n of some scryptures of Origenes / The chapytre begynnyng ¶ Per idem tempus et cetera Caplm lxxviii THe same tyme Achanase that perfight was and replenisshed of all vertues was bysshop of Alexandrye / The whyche as he vysyted the chyrches / prechynge the Crysten faythe / Came to the place where saynt Pachomyen was / ¶ Whyche knowynge of his comynge acompanyed of alle his religiouses / Came wyth grete gladnesse agaynst the sayd Achanase syngynge Ympnes and orysons / And was receyued of hym and of his Relygyouses ryght gladly / ¶ But the good holy fader Pachomyen shewed not hymself to hym / But bydde hym amonge hys Relygyouses / By cause that the bysshopp of the Centiryens of whom iâ— spoken aboue had sayd moche good of hym vnto saynt Athanase whiche had be strongly persecuted of the Heretykes Arryens / ¶ And by cause the sayd holy man Pachomyen was very deuowte a good Crysten man Also that he knewe well the persecucyons that the sayd Athanase hadd suffred by the Arryens This Pachomyen whyche wyth alle his myghte bare and mayntened the true Crysten folke / Approuyd strongly the condycyons and holy lyuynge of saynt Athanase / And hertly leuyd hym / And hadde the obstynate Heretykes in fore grete Indygnacyon / And pryncypally Orygenes that was chaced oute of the chyrche by Eraclius bysshopp of Alexandrye / ¶ Orygenes by his false doctryne hadd gyuen many vntrueful techynges contrary to the holy scrypture / ¶ For lyke as they that woll gyue poyson to drinke putt hony amonge it for to haue awaye the euyll taast and the bytternesse therof from the tonge / to the ende that it maye be dronke more lyghtly / ¶ Soo dyde the sayd Orygenes the whyche sayde and broughte forthe fayre and honeste proposicyons But he corrupted theym by false exposycyons that was cause of the losse of moche Crysten peple / ¶ Wherfore the holy man Pachomyen deffended not only to his Relygyouses that they sholde not rede in none of this Orygenes bokes / But also he wolde that yf some other dyde rede theym they sholde not here theym by noo meanes What someuer sentence it were / ¶ One tyme amonge his bokes he founde of the sayd Orygenes volumes / Whyche Incontynent he dyde caste in to a water sayenge / Yf it were not by cause that the name of god is wrytt in the bokes of Orygenes I shold brenÌ„e theym all / ¶ By this apperyth the charyte whyche he hadd to the holy byleue and faythe of Crystendom / ¶ WhanÌ„e some Religyous blamyd his felawe he wolde not here hym / But fledde from hym as moche as he cowde / Consyderynge the worde of the Psalmyste sayenge / I shall persecute hym that shall bakbyte his euyn crysten / ¶ And he sayd that a good persone shold neuer speke none euyll worde ¶ And to this purpoos he alledged many historyes Princypally of one Machayre whiche in blamynge Moyses was Incontynente punysshed by the honde of god / ¶ Of the monastery that saynt Pachomien dide buylde for his suster and beginnyth in latyn ¶ Comperit igitur Caplm lxxix THe suster germayne of the sayde holy man Pachomyen desyrynge to see hym wente to his monastery / Wenynge to her that he as gladde of her comynge sholde receyue and treate her humaynly / But he sent worde to her by the Porter / that he was hoole and sounde / But he wolde not see her wyth his bodily eyen / And more ouer that yf she wolde forsake the worlde and serue god / He shold doo buylde a howse for to lodge her wher she sholde doo penaunce / And that he dowted not yf she wolde begyn to lyue there a holy lyffe Reguler that many other wymmen sholde yelde theymselfe to serue god wyth her / ¶ And she heringe thyse wordes from her brother She was replenysshed att herte wyth so grete compunccyon and suche contrycyon that she promysed to serue god alle her lyfe / ¶ Wherfore the holy man seenge that she was all redy torned gaue graces thaÌ„kynges to our lord ¶ And after he commaunded his brethern that they sholde make her a chapell ferre ynoughe from his monastery / ¶ So it happed soone after by the grace of god that from al prouynces countrees came wymmen that yelded theymself to Religyon with the sayd syster of saynt Pachomyen The whyche he admonested to resyste alwayes ayenst the fleshly temptacyons ¶ And in lyke wyse after the cunnynge that god had yeue hyÌ„ He foreyd him to excyte theym to vertues good maners / Prayenge god that it wolde playse hym to preserue theym in his grace / ¶ More ouer he gaaf to theym suche and lyke rules as his Relygyouses dyde kepe / Sauf that they sholde not were noo gretes fellis / And yf ony Relygyous had a syster or some other kynne whyche she wolde vysyte / She sholde not goo there but that she toke wyth her one of the eldeste of the Relygyon / ¶ And they oughte not to speke togyder / but in the presence of the Abbesse or elles of some of theldest Relygyouses / ¶ Nor she sholde not bere ne gyue noo thynge oute of theyr howses ¶ For the Religyouses aswell the men as the wymmen oughte not fro that tyme to haue noo thynge of theyr owne ¶ And yf by aduenture they sholde of necessytee make some reparacoÌ„ns they chose the moost perfyghte and of moost honeste conuersacyon for to see that that was of nede sholde be doo / But they ete not dranke wyth the other / ¶ And whan by the wyll of god some Nonne derparted from lyfe to dethe / Her felowes broughte her vnto the ryuage of a ryuer that parted the two monasteries And thenne came the monkes agaynste theym there / whyche toke the corps of the Nonne for to be buryed wythin theyr chyrche / And the wymmen of the Relygyon retorned to theyr abbaye / ¶ Of the
deth cowde neuer ouercome him / Who was that was deed yet he neuer rootyd / ¶ The holy man Theodore answerde / O phylosophre thy questyons ben lyghte to soylle and lyghte to be answerde / ¶ As to the fyrste I answere the that it was Adam / To the seconde it was Enoch whyche is in paradyce in erthe / And to the thyrde I saye / that it was the wyfe of Loth that was torned in to a masse of salte / the whyche is yet there as she was soo torned for the confusyon of them that wolde not byleue it ¶ And therfore sayd Theodore / My frende thynke noo more to suche folysshe scyences / For the scyence of this worlde is but folye afore god / But worshypp byleue the god that we byleue / ¶ Whan the phylosophre had herde his answere he was sore merueyled / And after that he aposed hym nomore / ¶ Of the abstynence of the relygyouses / And begynnynth in latyn ¶ Prouide pachomius / Caplm lxxxxiiii THe holy fader Pachomyen after he had be longe in the said monastery nyghe by the sayde cyte / He went to a nother that was gouerned vnder one of his dyscyples / The relygyouses well glad of his comynge came ayenst hym in grete Ioye / amoÌ„ge theym was a yonge chylde the whyche seenge the holy fader began to crie sayd / ¶ O fader abbot syth that thou departed from oure monastery we haue not ete noo caboshe nother other potage / the holy man sayd to him / My sone angre not thyselfe / For I shall make some to be soden for the / ¶ He went from thens to the chyrche where he made his prayer / The whyche done he went to the coke asked him how longe it was ago that he made ony potage for the freres he answerde that it was well ii monethes paste / ThenÌ„e axyd the holy maÌ„ of hym why he had not entreated hys brethern after the rule that he had yeue hym / Wherat the coke answerde mekely that he had done so but that whyche he sodde made redy was loste by cause none ete therof but onÌ„ly the smale relygyouses / And to th ende he shold not be ydle he with some relygiouses had made aboute .l. peces of mattes / ¶ The holy man coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym that all the sayde mattes sholde be brought afore hym / Incontynent that they were sette there in an hepe he made fyre to be put among theym / ¶ And thenÌ„e sayd to the sayd coke to the other bredern / Lyke as ye haue dyspysed the rule that I had gyue to you Soo haue I brenÌ„ed your labours to the ende that ye shall knowe what labour ye doo· whan ye hate dyspise the coÌ„mauÌ„dements that ben yeue to you by youre fader abbot for the sauacoÌ„n of your soules ¶ Wite it that they that for consideracoÌ„n of the godly thynges absteyne themselfe to doo thys that is in theryr power / they deserue grete mede of god / by the contrary he that absteynyth hyÌ„self to doo that thynge whyche is to hym defeÌ„ded forbode not onÌ„ly for the defence in terdyccoÌ„n but by some coÌ„straynyng for nouÈte he wayteth for ony rewarde the refor / ¶ But they that haue many metes byfore theym there as they haue goode appetyte to ete of theim absteyne theymselfe therfro for the loue of god / they deserue grete mede / And so do not they that forbere theym onÌ„ly by cause that they haue none / ¶ How saynt Pachomyen sawe corrected by reuelacoÌ„n of god the euyl thouztes of thanachorites that were relygiouse heretykes / begynnyth in latyn ¶ Hec cuÌ„ pachomius / Caplm lxxxxv IN this meane tyme he correctinge by wordes some of his relygyouses the porter came to hyÌ„ shewed hyÌ„ how many religyouse he remytes desyred to speke wyth hyÌ„ / So he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that they sholde be lete in / brought afore hym / ¶ After that they were entred by him honestly reuerently receyued and theyr orysons done in the chyrche they were brought fro chaÌ„bre to chambre sawe all the oratoryes of the bredern / ¶ And after prayed the holy man that they myght speke with hyÌ„ secretly / He brought theim in to his owne chaÌ„bre / In the whyche by longe space in manere of a collacoÌ„n or refeccyon spirytuell they disputed bytwene heÌ„ of the holy scryptures / And hangynge the sayd collacoÌ„n or disputacoÌ„n the holy man felt smellyd a wonderful stenche so abhomynable that wyth grete pain he might endure it / But neuertheles by cause hym semyd by theyr wordes that they were wyllyng to speke of the holy scryptures he suffred the stenche wolde not enquere wherof it came / And they coÌ„tynued in this disputacoÌ„n somoche so longe that the nyghte drewe nye where by thise heremytes were constreyned to depart / ¶ Incontynent after saynt Pachomyen sett hyÌ„self to prayer besoughte our lorde· that he wolde shewe to hym from whens this stenche camÌ„ that he had felt / Soo was it shewed to hym by the grace of god that theresies in whiche thei were obstynatly abydyng causyd them soo stynkynge Of the whiche thynge the holy man this knowynge went anone after theym so besily spedde his way that he ouertoke theym / And this done he askyd theym· yf they had not studyed in the bokes of Orygenes / Wheratt they answerd naye / ¶ And after he sayd to them / I ensure you that al they that shall redde the thynges by him wryten that shal seke gyue fayth therunto they shall haue hell for theyr dwelling places the whiche thynge I ensure you to be true ye shall knowe it / Therfor yf ye woll see for the sauacyon of your soules caste all the volumes of Orygenes in to the ryuer / ¶ After he retorned to his monastery fonde his relygiouses in prayer / ¶ Of the Reuelacyon that saynt Pachomyen hadd of the gouernynge that his religyouses sholde holde after hys dethe / And also the Prelates that were to come after hym / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Monachis vero et cetera Caplm lxxxxvi SAynt Pachomyen vpoÌ„ a tyme that his religiouses toke their refeccoÌ„n he closed hyÌ„self with in his oratory seruynge there god in deuowte oryson vnto thour of mydnyÈte / Besechynge hym that he wold shewe vnto hyÌ„ what thastate rule of his relygiouses shold be that that was to come to theym / And who shold hold his monastery after his deth / So was to hym shewed of god that the sayd monastery sholde be encreacyd / there sholde be relygyouses that shold lyue deuoutly holily and also other that shold be neclygent of theyr sauacoÌ„n / ¶ After he sawe wyth his ghostly tye a grete nombre of religyouses in a valeye sore derke depe / Wherof some wold haue styed the mouÌ„tayn thother ran a
hym / Syck that it playsyth the to doo thus / at leest suffir that thy hondes be enoynted with oyle to the ende that thou mayst helpe thyself more longer wyth theym / Zacheus in grauntynge to his requeste enoynted his hondes for to recouere helthe / ¶ The whyche thynge seenge the holy fader Pachomyen he sayde vnto hym / ¶ Now come hyther broder thinkeste thou that the oyle that thou haste putte in thyne hondes canne helpe the for to haue helthe / Haste thou more truste in this enoyntynge vysyble thanne in god that is Inuysible / ¶ Byleueste thou not that he whiche is soo medeful hath remeÌ„braunce of vs wthout that we doo pray for our helth / Whan hyÌ„ shall playse he shall sette an ende to our sorowes passyons ¶ Certaynly we ought to beleue that the sykenesses that we suffre shal be cause to make vs haue euerlastyng rewardes in the glory of paradyce / Thenne Zachius answerd / Alas my fader pardonne me and praye god for my wretchydnesse to th ende that it â—oll pleyse him for to pardoÌ„ne me my synne / And from that houre he toke suche a dysplaysure of the synne that he thought to haue done in vsynge of the sayd oyle that he contynued in lamentacâ—â—â— wepynges a hoole yere / wyth this he fastyd two yere / And in fastyng he toke a smale refeccion / ¶ The holy fader Pachomien knowyng his grete pacyence / Whan he wolde excyte his Religyouses to be stedfast pacyent he layed to theym the good fader Zacheus the whiche gate deserued by his right grete forberyng to haue heuen at the ende of his dayes / ¶ Of the deth of saynt Pachomyen / begynnyth in latyn ¶ Certus itaque pachomius / Caplm C.iiii. SOne after a solempnite of Ester the holy man Pachomyen felt hyÌ„self sore seke feble with hyÌ„ was Theodore that full besily seruyd hym / And he beynge in this grete sykenes he had alway the face well colouryd mery ii dayes bifore that he deyed he asseÌ„bled all his bredern / In the preseÌ„ce of whom he made suche a proposicoÌ„n / ¶ RyÈt dere bredern I knowe the god wol call me that I shall sone goo oute of this world after the holy faders / So I beseche you hertely that ye woll remeÌ„bre you alwaye of the rules charges that I haue yeue done to you afore this tyme / that ye woll kepe yourself wel fro the secte of thaâ—ryens of thother ouerleders denyers of the fayth of IhuÌ„ Cryst / but acoÌ„panye haunte wyth theym the drede god that loue him perfytly / I see the tyme of my life that comyth to an ende my dethe is nye / And therfore chose in my presence a pastour that shall be fader techer of the saluacoÌ„n of your soules And asmoche as I can know Petronyen semyth me wyse ynouÈ for to teche you to kepe you fro euyll doynge but what someuer I saye of it ye may chose after your good discrecoÌ„n him that shal seme you good / ¶ They all togyder amoÌ„ge theym chose Petronyen swetly and wyth theyr good wyll / the whiche was constaunt stedfast in the fayth meke of conuersacyon / Wyse of vnderstondynge and perfyghte in condycyons / ¶ Saynt Pachomyen knowynge that this Petronyen was that tyme syke in the monastery of the Thebenesyens prayed deuoutly our lorde for his helthe / to the Relygyouses that were absent was sent worde that they shold come to the decease of theyr fader abbot Pachomyen / The whiche in blessynge hymselfe wyth the vertuous sygne of the Crosse deceassed vpon the TranslacoÌ„n daye of saynt Nycholas in the moneth of Maye And yelded his soule in the hondes of an angell of heuen· that was come for to receyue it / ¶ And att his dethe were present dyuers Religyouses in grete noÌ„bre whyche all the nyghte contynuelly sayd psalmes aboute his body And on the morowe he was buryed in the mountayn where his graue was ordeyned ¶ Soone after was the holy fader Petronien sent for by some that brought hyÌ„ But he was yet sore feble lyued not long after Pachomyen Leuyng his successour a nother holy fader namid orsiscuÌ„ / ¶ Of the lyfe of saynt Crysten the relygyoê° / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Cuidam cenomanensis / Caplm C. â—â— FOlowynge the manere that is begon / restyth to wryte sheâ— of saynt Cristen borne of the countree of Mayne the whiche in his yonge aege was Heremyte in that châ—rche bysshopryche of Tours in a place callyd Gastineton ¶ He was in his yonge â—â—yes sore pricked styngâ—ed of the syke of the flesshe / But by fastynges abstyneÌ„ces he made lent subdued his body in suche manere that he rendres brought it in thraldom / ¶ Durynge the tyme of Lent he fasted wythoute drynke but oonly one daye of the weke / In wynter for to bryng his flesshe the mere downe lowe / he put hymself in colde water to the necke / ¶ And he beyng on a tyme in the water he herde a voce towarde the Weste that sayd vnto hym O Crysten all this that thou doost profyteth the no thynge / For the god that thou callest vpon shall not helpe the to haue that thou askest· But thou 〈◊〉 retourne to me I shall make the haue thy will IncoÌ„tynent ¶ Crysten knewe that it was the voyce of the deuyl / Soâ— toke hymself to pray god humbly that he wold helpe hym ayenst the temptacoÌ„ns of the deuyll / ¶ After this he purposed to vse his lyf in pylgrymages â—s vysytyng the holy places / And fynably he toke a staffe and soo longe he wente barefote that he camÌ„ nye a chyrche in whiche he kneled on his knees prayenge our lord that he wold gyue him goode counseyle for to perfourne that whiche he had begon / And Incontynent he smelled a merueyllous stenche nye haâ— In smellyng of the whyche he knewe that it was the deuyll that had tesyd him to leue his bredern the habyte of relygius ¶ Soo gaaf he thankynges to god retoured ayen to his abbaye / ¶ One daye vpon the feest of saynt Steuen he aslepe in the chyrche in the tyme that men radde thise wordes ¶ Et lapidauerunt stephanuÌ„ / whiche makith mencoÌ„n of the stonynge of saynt Steuen / ¶ And after sodainly he woke sayeng cryeng with an hye voys / Ha I am well neclygente to slepe at this hour whan men stonyd saynt Seâ—uen he was in oryson prayeÌ„ge god for theym that stonyd hym / And I vnhappy sholde now praye hym / to the ende that he sholde praye god for me / ¶ Thenne he beganne to praye saynt Steuen / And on the morne as he was is the Refectoire with his bredern for to take his refeccoÌ„n or euer he had take ony mete he herd a voys that said to
et cetera Caplm C.xvi. IN Alexandrye was a Prouost or ruler of the cyte namyd Nyceta fulfylled of the deuyll the whyche came to argue and repreue the holy Patryarke saynt Iohan / Sayenge to hym / ¶ Syre ye waste all the londe For ye deale to freely the syluer that is broughte to you / Better it were that ye sholde putt it to the comyn tresour / ¶ The holy man wythoute to angre hymself answerde to hym / Haa my lorde it is not leyffull that the goodes gyuen to the god in heuen be torned or appropred to the erthely thynges / ¶ But and yf semith the to be doo / Goo thou vnder my bedde and take the tresoure of Ihesu Cryste that is there / So doo therof thy wyll / ¶ Thenne this Patrice that hadd the rule and gouernaunce of the comyn wee le in Alexandrye made alle to be laden / And lefte hym noo more than to the nombre of an huÌ„dred penyes of golde / ¶ And as he was comynge downe from the sayd Patryarkes chambre / He mette wyth men of Affryque the whiche bare certayne bot telles full of golde / Vpon some of the whiche was wryten / Hony ryght good And vpon the other / Hony wythoute smoke / ¶ The sayde Patryce or Ruler whan he sawe thise superscrypcoÌ„ns sente worde to the sayd holy man that he sholde sende hym some honne / ¶ And he that was so moche humble and meke sente hym the bottell vpon whyche was wryten Honee right good wyth a letter wherin was wryten this that fofolowyth ¶ Our lorde that hath sayd I shall not leue the. Is wythout lesynge / And he is very god the whyche gyueth bothe mete and lyfe / ¶ And noo man corruptyble can not by ony wyse constrayne him / And therfore to god I coÌ„mende the / ¶ And after he commaunded to theym that bare the sayd battelles· that they sholde make theym to be openyd afore theym / And that they sholde saye that all the other that they had seen were full of syluer / ¶ The whyche thynge done / Whanne the sayde Patrice sawe that he sente hym but one bottell alone / he was sore we othe agaynst hym / And after he radde his lettre ¶ And whanÌ„e he sawe that worde That man corruptyble canne not constrayne god / He was full sory and dysplaysaunt of that he hadd done / ¶ And Incontynent came agayne to the holy Patryarke / And toke hym agayne alle that he had hadde of hym ¶ And wyth this he gaaf hym of hys owne thre hundred penies of golde / Requyryng hym by grete contrycyon that he wolde gyue hym penaunce for his synnes / ¶ Thenne the holy man was sore merueyllyd of his conuersyon soo sodaynly sore / ¶ And seenge his repentaunce comforted hym wyth mery wordes / And from that tyme ther were soo grete frendes togyder that the sayd Nicera Patrice of Alexandrye made hym his Godsypp / ¶ Of the scarnesse and derthe of scorne and suche goodes / ¶ And of a man that required to be made Deaken and begynnyth in latyn ¶ Qui Abraham c. Caplm C.vii. GOd that tempted Abraham for to knowe his obeyssaunce / Towchynge the offrynge vp of hys sone Ysaac / ¶ In lyke wyse be tempted the good Patryarke Iohan as herafter folowyth / ¶ It is rehercyd here aboue how the Assiryens that had be sore oppressyd of the Percyens For to eschewe theyr woodnesse forsoke and lefte theyr owne londe / And many of theim came to Alexandrie for to be socoured in theyr pouertee by the holy Patryarke Iohan / ¶ They beynge in Alexandrye happed there a grete derthe and scarcitee of corne thorugh the occasyon of the flode of the ryuer of Nyle that bedewyth and watreth the londe had be soo mynysshyd lessed of water that it myghte not yeue hys moystâ—es ouer floweÌ„ges acustomyd to the erthe ¶ Soo had act that tyme the Patriarke gyuen for goddis sake to the poore peple alle hys tresour and wyste not where to borow more nother golde nor syluer / Wherof he was ryght sory and namely by cause he myghte nor contynue his almesse / as he had of custome / ¶ He sett hyÌ„self to praye contynued in his orysons loÌ„ge tyme ¶ In the sayd cite was a man bygame / that is to wyte the whiche by cause he knewe that the holy man was in grete necessytee wolde constrayne hyÌ„ to make hyÌ„ a deaken in his chirche / And by cause he sholde not haue durst speke to hym therof he sent hym a letter by the whyche he besoughte hym that he wolde make hym deaken in his chirche / to the ende that in seruynge god wyth hyÌ„ he might haue remyssoÌ„n of his synÌ„es he sholde gyue hym .ii. C.M. Rasers of whete wyth a C. four score pouÌ„de of money / ¶ His lettres seen the Patryarke sent for hym after made to go oute of his chambre all his folke that were there / By cause that he wolde not repreue hym by for theim / ¶ After that they were gone the holy Patryarke sayd to hym / ¶ My frende thy proffer is moche necessary seeng the tyme of the derthe that we haue now / But neuerthelesse it is defoylled with the synne of Symonye ¶ In the olde testament men offred not the bestes to god· were they grete or lytyll / but yf they were pure clene / ¶ For of those that were bespotted man dyde neuer offrynge / ¶ And therfore god had not agreable the sacrefyce of Caym / ¶ And as towchyng my bredern or euer thyself or I were god had pâ—rueyed and nourysshyd theym / And he shall yet doo soo to theim and to me as I hope / ¶ For all they that kepe the coÌ„maundements of god / shall not haue nother nede nor pouerte but all plentee habundance of goodes / ¶ Our lorde that multeplyed the .v. loues of barley / maye well multeplye also .x. Rasers of whete that are in my Garnere / ¶ And therfore my frende I shall tell the for an answere that whiche is wryten in that tes of thapostles / That is that thou shalt not haue in the chirche nother part nor porcoÌ„n ¶ And as he sayd thise wordes came Incontinent tidynges to the holy Patriarke how two shyppes of the chirche were londed wythin the hauen and came out of Cecyle lade wyth whete / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy man thankyd oure lord sayeng / My god I thaÌ„ke the that thou wolde not haue suffred that I shold haue solde thy grace for ony nede that I haue had / ¶ Certaynly my god I byleue stedfastli that thou shalt neuer forsake in the grettest nede theym that shall obeye the / that wyth good herte shall fulfylle thy coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ¶ Of two clerkes that dyde falle in to synne / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Quibusdam / Caplm C.xviii TWo yonge Clerkes hauynge questyon togyder smote wrongefully eche other / ¶ And
for this cause by the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ they were denouncyd acursyd / ¶ That one of theym tweyne knowleged his synne / But the other abydynin his obstynacy dyspysed the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For he was well gladde to haue occasyon for to flee the chyrche to abyde in his wyckydnesse / And neuerthelesse he thretenyd the sayde Patryarke to dysplayse hym in hys persone / ¶ And men sayde comynly that it was he that had born to the Patryce Niceta the money of the chyrche that was taken vnder the bedde of the sayd Patriarke / And that had be yelden again afterwarde as it is sayd afore / ¶ The malyce of this outrageous acursyd maÌ„ was shewed to the holy Patryarke but this notwythstondyng he had of hym pyte / And remembred the worde of the apostle saynt Poul sayenge / Who is he that is seke not I / ¶ Now was the charyte of the sayd Patryarke soo grete / the whan he sawe one in synÌ„e he wepte vpon hym / And as to hym was aduys he felte well his sykenesse / ¶ He thenÌ„e made the sayd acursed man to be callid to hym / And waâ—tyd him of his conscyence as he was wonte to warne his other subgettes / ¶ But whan he sawe his euyll frowardnesse and that he was made harde in his synne / He lefte and forsoke hym as a rotyn membre / ¶ This neuerthelesse vpon a Sondaye the sayde Clerke beynge yet in his frowardes As the holy Patryarke came to the awter for to offre his sacryce vnto god / after his custome / ¶ He remembred hym of the counseylle of Ihesu Cryste that sayd / ¶ Whanne thou shalt brynge thine offrynge vnto the awter / And that thou shalt thynke that thy brother hathe some euyll wyll and hate agaynste the / Thou oughtest to leue that that thou woldest offre to god / And goo to hym thyne enmye for to reconcyle the wyth hym / ¶ Wherfore the holy Patryarke willynge to doo soo· sente Incontynent for the sayde acursyd man / And made the messager praye that he sholde come to speke wyth hym vnder surete / And whanne he was come / This holy Patryarke knelyd on his knees afore him And beloughte hym of mercy / ¶ Wherof it happed that the sayd acursyd persone had knowlege of his sinne and he hymselfe requyred mercy / ¶ Thorugh his humylyte was the prowde frowâ—de man mekyd in his pryde / ¶ And by his charytee was the hate of the sayde acursyd man paste / ¶ And fynably he dyde penaunce of the sinne that he had done / And had of it grete contrycyon dyspleysaunce / ¶ Of the noyse that the holy Patryarke IohnÌ„ had agaynst the Ruler Niceta / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Deâ—mquidam / Caplm C.xix NEuer to haue noyse with a nother it is angels lyfe / SoÌ„tyme to stryue the one wyth the other it is manÌ„es lyf / Euermore to haue noyse hate it is a deuyls lyfe / ¶ To this purpose is to be noted that the holy Patriarke / for some right of the lawe Cyuyl had on a tyme questyon wyth the sayd Patrice Niceta / The questyon was suche that the Patrice wold haue certain trybute to be put sett of newe vpon the peple of the londe / The whiche thynge the sayd Patryarke wolde not consente / by cause that the poore folke sholde haue be hurte therby ouer sore / ¶ And for the grete varyaunce that fell therby they departed from eche other with wrath the one agaynst the other / ¶ Soone after att after none / aboute fyue of the clocke / The sayd holy Patryarke thynkinge in hymself that the wyse man oughte neuer to angre hymself for noo maner cause that it be sente his Archedeaken to the said ruler Niceta sent him onÌ„ly thise wordes ¶ DnÌ„e sol ad occasuÌ„est / That is asmoche for to say my lorde the sonne is nygh to goo vnder / After that Niceta had herde thise wordes he cowde not hold his couÌ„tenaunce but as fulfylled wyth the fyre of the holy ghoste camÌ„ to the sayd holy Patryarke the whiche whan he sawe hym he sayd to hyÌ„ / ¶ Alas thou arte welcome the sone of the chyrche obeyssauÌ„t to her coÌ„mauÌ„dements / ThenÌ„e they dyde enbrace eche other in token of grete loue After the whyche enbraginces the holy Patriarke began totake the worde said to hym in this wyse / ¶ My lord I praye the byleue me / For by cause I knowe the sore trowbled I wolde well haue spoke with the / for none other cause I couÌ„seylle warne the the in tyme to come thou byleue nomore noo reportes of false tales flaterers ¶ For yf thou woll lene thyne eeres vnto suche they shall gyue the a cause many euylles to begynne / And they shall counseylle the that thyÌ„ge whyche shall not be nother leyffull good ne prouffytable / ¶ For I haue founde myselfe dysceyued therby oftentymes / ¶ Wherfore to theyr reportes sayenges flaterynges and false accusacyons men oughte neuer to gyue credence nor faythe / ¶ Thenne the Patryce consyderynge the mekenesse and the fayr ensamples of the sayd Patryarke answerde that he sholde neuer byleue suche men / Nor sholde not gyue faythe byleue to theyr flaterynges ne to theyr wordes / ¶ But he sholde dyspyse theym and sette theym alle atte noughte / ¶ And by this manere meanes was peasyd that questyon that was bytwix theym for the cause aboue sayde / ¶ Of Gregori the neuew of tholy Patryarke / And begynÌ„yth in latyn ¶ Iste memoriabilis / Caplm C.xx BYtwene one namyd Gregory whiche was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke a Tauerner of Alexandrye moeuyd a grete debate / In whyche this Gregory openly was sore wronged by shamefull wordes to hyÌ„ sayd by the sayd Tauerner / the whiche Gregory consyderyng· the he that was neuew of the sayd holy Patryarke had be thus dyspysed or fowle spoken vnto openly of a man Infamyd began to wepe right sore / And the holy Patryarke seenge the secrete dysplaysauÌ„ce sorowe that his neuewe made / wolde know what was the cause / Grogory herupon examined coude not for his grete anâ—e dyscharge nor shewe his courage in â—â—wyse nor speke wyth the sayd holy Patryarke / ¶ Neuertheles some that had herde seen the debate tolde hym a parte how it was / The holy Patryarke willyng to he le fyrste his neuew or euer he sholde enquyre ferder of the trouth of the befall sayd to hym for to comfort hym suche lyke wordes in substaunce / My neuew I am gretely merueyllyd· sore euyll apayd how that foole hath be so holde to open his mouth ayenst the / Byleue thou me I ensure the. that I shall doo this daye a thynge wherby all Alexandrye shall merueylle / ¶ And after seenge his anger heuinesse tempred peasen kyssed his sayd neuew sayd / My swete frende yf in folowynge
But they cowde not see hym noo morere / ¶ The mayster knowynge the vertues of Peter / And the place wherof he was come wonderfull sory of that he had boughte hym to be his bondman / ¶ And yet more by cause that he hadd sette hym to the offyce of his kechyn / Seenge that he was soo holy a persone And pryncypally they that callyd him foole and from his wytte / Whan they had knowlege of it they were sore troublyd wyth alle / And bare therfore grete penaunce / ¶ The whyche hystory rehercyd often the holy Patryarke / for to moeue the hertes of the Crysten to gyue gladly almesses of theyr goodes for goddis sake to poore folke / ¶ Of saynt Cerapyon / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Omnibus et cetera / Caplm C.xxvii THe holy Patriarke IohnÌ„ that was cladde wyth alle vertues / reherced shewed gladly many good hystoryes / And pryncypally of theym that deuowtely dyde theyr almeses / ¶ One daye amonge other it happed that he reherced and shewed of saynt Scrapyon / otherwyse callyd Sydomyen / ¶ How that on a tyme amonge other in goynge by the waye he had gyuen hys mantell to a poore man / ¶ And after as he wente forthe on his waye He founde a nother poore man / that was al trowbled for colde / To the whyche poore man he gaaff his gowne / And abode all nakyd / Beryng onÌ„ly a boke of gospels / ¶ Soo was he anone mette of a man / that askyd hym Who had thus dyspoylled hym / ¶ To whom in shewynge the sayde boke of gospels wyth his fynger he answeryd in this manere / ¶ The same hath done it / As he wolde saye that she 〈◊〉 of the sayd gospels hadde constraynyd hym to gyue for goddis sake bothe his mantell and his gowete / ¶ It happed after one tyme amonge other that he solde the sayde gospels / And in lykewyse gaaf the moneye that he had for it for goddis sake ¶ Soo after his clerke vnknowynge that his mayster had solde the sayd boke / questyoned of hym where were his gospels / ¶ And the sayd holy man answered hym mekely in this wyse / Truely my sone god hath commaunded that men sholde selle all that they haue for to gyue to the poore for goddis sake / ¶ And therfore haue I solde the same gospels / And the moneye therof I haue gyuen for his loue to the poore peple / ¶ A nother thynge a more wonderful dede done of the sayd holy man / A pore woman wente towarde hym / sayenenge to hym in this wyse / That she her chyldren by grete pouertee and â—â—ede deyed for hungre / ¶ The sayd holy man seenge that he hadde noo thynge to gyue to this poore woman but oonly hymselfe / ¶ And consyderynge yf she wolde selle hym to the Grekes / She sholde well haue money for hym ¶ For the Grekes had a custome that they boughte men and wymmen straungers fro theyr nacyon / ¶ And sayde vnto her thyse wordeâ— / ¶ My frende I haue noo thynge to gyue the / But I shalt lern the how them shalt haue moneye for to socour the and thyne at thy nede / ¶ Thou shalt sell me to the Grekes and shalt take the moneye for â—◠¶ The poore woman herynge thyse wordes was alle asharayd / But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he enfourmed her soo that she 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ente for to selle hym / And in 〈◊〉 she solde hym to Marchauntes of Gâ—â—ke ¶ Wherof it happed by the will of god That wythin a shorte tyme afâ—â— he torned all the Grekes to the crysten faythe / ¶ The holy Patryarke this consyderynge sayd to hymself / ¶ Alas I wenâ—â— to haue doone some good for to gyâ—â— that that god had gyuen / But I geâ—â— not soo grete Rewarde as doone my 〈◊〉 that gyue not onÌ„ly theyr goodes but also put theyr owne bodyes for the compassyon and piâ—e that they haue of theyr neyghbours / ¶ We other thenÌ„e that are bywrapped wyth many synÌ„es and ytâ—â—ue neyther ourself nor our goodes / ought wel to drede the rightwysnes of god / And therto we sholde wel take hede consyderyng that by almesses we may saâ—e ourself lyghtly / ¶ How the holy Patryarke wolde not herken to the acusacions that men made agaynst the Relygyouses / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Semper quidem Caplm Cxxviii· THe holy Patryarke lefte neuer noo Relygyouses to haue ony nede / Soo that thei were of holy conuersacyon / And also wolde not here speke nor herken to theym that sayd euyll by theym / ¶ Wherof it happed ones that a Relygyouse that wente from strete to strete sekynge his brede wyth a fayre yonge mayde / Mette wyth some euyl folke / The whyche came and shewed to the holy man / How that the sayd Relygyouse went thrugh the cyte / And how he shamyd all other Relygyouses / ¶ The holy Patryarke weninge to correcte the synne of the sayd Religious made the sayd mayde to be rebukyd and departed from his felyshypp / ¶ And soone after was the Relygyouse sore beten and casten in pryson / ¶ The nyghte folowynge apperryd to the sayde Patryarke in his slepe a Relygyous that shewed him his backe al rotyn and sayd to hym / ¶ O Patryarke it is thy wyll that it be soo done / I promyse the that thou haste atte this tyme erryd as a man / And byleue that I saye / For the lyfe the dethe are nyghe me / And this sayenge he wente awaye / ¶ The nexte daye folowynge in the mornynge eerly the holy Patryarke sente for the forsayde Relygyouse for to vnderstonde yf he cowde know whether it was he of whom the forsayd Vysyon was apperyd shewed vnto hym / ¶ And whanne he was broughte byfore hym / Seenge hys vysage pale he was all ashamyd / ¶ After by cause he wolde see his backe / for to wyte yf it was rotyn as that other that he sawe in a vysion / Prayed hym that he wolde vnclothe hym· and that he sholde not be ashamyd / ¶ The poore relygyous had all his lyâ—nes soo sore that he had almost noo power to reâ—eue hym / Neuerthelesse wyth moche payne vnclothed himself / ¶ And it was founde that he had noo membres manly and his backe was all rotin / ¶ ThenÌ„e the holy Patryarke sent all his seruauÌ„tes out of the chambre and callid to him the sayd religyous / And askyd hyÌ„ why he ladd that mayde wyth hym / SayeÌ„g to hym that all folke pryncypally religyouses oughte to kepe hemself from sklaundre shame / and aboue all thinges fro companye of wymÌ„en / ¶ The relygyous answerde that it was not loÌ„ge agoo that he was in the cite of GazaÌ„ And as he wolde haue come thens / after leue taken of his abbot Cirus the sayd mayde whyche was a Sarrasyn was come to hym abowte euen had prayed hym that he wolde not leue her by cause she wold
sholde well thynke therat he sholde well haue cause to become humble and meke / ¶ How he corrected by fayre wordes swete langage theym that went out of the chyrche after that the gospell was sayd / And begynnith in latyn ¶ MittaÌ„ autem / Caplm Cxlvi BY cause that some Seculers or laye people had of a custome that they wente oute of the chyrche after the gospell was done / The holy Patryarke dyde correcte theym of this saweâ— / ¶ And desyrynge to moeue theym vnto deuocion / One daye amonge other departed oute of his palays And came and sette hym amonge theym in the chyrche / Wherof they were gretely merueylled / ¶ Thenne for to answere to theyr thoughtes sayd vnto theym / My chyldren it is exspedyent and nedefull that the shepeherde be there as his shepe ben / And therfore yf ye abyde in the chirche of god there out I shall doo as ye done ¶ For your loue I am come to the chyrche / And ye goo there oute / ¶ And alwayes yf I had wolde I mighte wel haue soÌ„ge my masse in my chapell of my bysshopriche / and sholde not haue come to you ¶ Bi this maner of meane they al corrected theymself â—â—â—fered to doo as they were acustomyd / ¶ Wherby men maye euydently and openly knowe that the good maners of a Prelate and his holy lyuynge is ofte tymes cause of the amendement correccyon of his euyll subgets / The whyche at his ensample enforce theymselfe to lyue vertuously / By meane of whyche good lyfe they gete the glory of heuen / Whiche largely is yeuen bi our blessyd Sauyour Redemer Ihesu Cryste to theym that fleenge the lykynges and worldly playsures purpoos theym selfe to lyue a lyfe honeste and holy after the techyÌ„ges of his true doctryne / ¶ How he forbadde that folke sholde not speke in the chyrche / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Loqua autem cetera / Caplm C.xlvii ANd whan the holy Patryarke herde ony speke in the chyrche / Incontynent he made theym to be putt oute / And sayd to theym / ¶ Syth that ye ben come in to the chirche for to praye god I commauÌ„de you that all your thoughtes be torned vnto prayer / ¶ For it is writen that the house of god is a house of prayer / And ye Clatterers and Ianglers make therof a pytte of theues / ¶ How he ordeyned two orders of Relygiouses and buylded theym two chirches / One in the name of oure Lady the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Voleâ—â—s autem cetera Caplm C.xlviii THis meane tyme the holy Patriarke ordeyned two ordres of relygyouses / and buylded two monasteryes for theim / One in the name of the moost holy moder of god and the other of saynt IohnÌ„ / And dyde doo make for theym lytyll houses for to kepe theymself therin solytary / By cause they sholde haue none occasyon to goo out of theyr Relygyon / Ordeyned also certayne men in the cyte that bare theym all theyr necessytees / Sendyng theim word that they shold haue besinesse of the lyfe spyrytuell / And he sholde see for theyr bodily lyfe / And he wold that the charge of the seruyce of the chyrche bothe bi daye by nyght sholde be put vnto hym / to th ende that whyche they sholde doo in theyr celles or lytyll houses sholde be for the helthe of theyr soules / To that whiche lyf this holy man by the sayd entysyÌ„ges contynued theim / ¶ How men oughte to eschewe the coÌ„pany of Heretykes / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Et hoc beatê° / Caplm C.xlix ABoue alle other thynges thys holy man defended vnto the cristen that they sholde nother comyn nor acompanye wyth the heretykes / Sayenge that it was more worth to a crysten to be alle alone / than to be acompanyed wyth an Heretyque / And more ouer he sayd that lyke as a wedded man sholde be punysshyd yf he left his wyf and wedded a nother somwhere in a nother londe / Soo sholde a crysten be punysshyd / that shold leue the comynycacoÌ„n wyth his lyke for to acompanye with the Heretiques / ¶ And more ouer syth that we ben maryed to a wyf sure chaste whiche is the holy chirche crysten / yf we leue it for the comynycacoÌ„n of Heretiques / We oughte as fornicatours to be greuously punisshed stoned of the deuyls of hell / asmoche as we shold be yf we had had the flesshly coÌ„pany of a nother woman than our owne wife / ¶ How the holy Patriarke iuged nor coÌ„deÌ„pned neuer no body / BegynÌ„ith in latyn ¶ CuÌ„ oÌ„nibus / Caplm C.l. AMoÌ„ge the other grete vertues that this holy Patryarke had· namly he had one right grete whiche was suche / that he neuer iuged no persone nor also wold not here theim the sayd ony euyl bi a nother / To this purpose is to be knowe that he beynge in Alexdrye a yonge man rauisshed a right fayr regyous mayde and ladde her wyth hyÌ„ vnto Constantynople / This thyÌ„ge came to his knowlege consideryng the loothnes of the befall And for the grete charytee that he had to the helthe of man / He was soo sory for it that it semyd he sholde haue deyed / ¶ And a lytyl whyle after that this caas was soo happed / He beynge wyth some clerkes / and dysputynge of holy scryptures / came in his remembraunce the sayde befall / ¶ In spekynge of the whyche by cause al those present Iuged this forsayd man a ryght grete abhomynable synnar They wolde haue hym acursyd But the holy Patriarke wolde not performe the same Sayenge that ther sholde be cause of two euylles / ¶ Fyrste in that they sholde doo as he sayd ayenst the commaundement of god and sholde breke it / By cause it is wryten that we oughte not to iudge ony body / And we shall not be Iudged / ¶ The second euyll for that they wyste not yf the sayd clerke had wythdrawe the sayd relygyoê° woman out of her monastery / for to doo euyl wyth her / And was not yet knowen whether he had defoylled her or not / ¶ Wherfore they oughte not to cast vpon hym the sayd sentence of cursynge / ¶ For men oughte not to Iudge but this that men see to be euyll done / ¶ And for to conferme his worde he rehercyd of .ii. relygyouses amoÌ„ge whom was one / whyche passynge thorugh the cyte of Thyre mette wyth a strompett comyn named Porphyre / The whyche cryed after the abbot / O fader saue me lyke Ihesu Cryste saued the woman synnar / ¶ The abbot that fered not the speche of the world sayd vnto her that she sholde come after hȳ· and she dyde so ¶ The same abbot brought her by the honde afore al the peple out of the cyte of Thyr / The whiche thyng was anone tolde / But this notwythstondyng the abbott torned neuer from his
in Alexandrye / And we knowe wel that our fader ComÌ„odius ordened the to be there / Not oonly as Prouoste but as a kynge In suche wyse that in all thy lyfe thou sholdest neuer be reuokyd therfro / And noo successour sholde not be gyuen to the / ¶ Wherfore we desyrynge some thynges to be multyplyed vnto the benefices of the same order / We seÌ„de the worde of coÌ„mauÌ„dement that to the ryght myghty goddes thou doo make lyke sacrefice as we haue acustomyd or otherwyse thou shalt be bi reuyd fro thy dygnytee And wyth thys thy goodes shal be vnto vs applyed as forfayted / ¶ The Prouoste Phylyppe whan he herde thyse tydynges feyned hymself to be syke tyll that he had caused al his goodes to be dealed vnto the poore for goddis sake / and to the chyrches And he hymself weut and comforted the Crysten· to the ende they sholde be more stable constaunt and not ferynge the dethe / ¶ Durynge the sayde tyme notwithstondyng that he was coÌ„maunded to wythdrawe hymself oute of the offyce of Prouoste / Neuerthelesse by cause none other was yet come that sholde ocupye the sayd offyce the peple seruyd and obeyed hym as theyr Prouoste / And ouer this the preestes ordeyned hym theyr Bysshopp / ¶ Soo was the good Phylyppe a hole yere well seruynge god in suche astate / The yere expyred was ordeyned to the office of the Prouoste one namyd Perennius whyche trowed to haue slayn hym / But by cause he was moche agreable to god to the peple he cowde not fynde the wayes therof / ¶ Finably he made to be put secretly some subtyll and euyll dryuels that feyned to be Crysten wythin the chyrche where as was the goode Phylyppe and slewe hym in doynge the dyuyne seruyce / ¶ Thyse vnhappy Dreuels murdrers were take put in pryson in the hondes of the Prouoste PereÌ„nius / The whiche Prouoste felyng hyÌ„ self gyltye of this synne / And feynyng as he wolde haue made them to be kepte surely for to speke wyth theym and enquyre of the trouthe of the befall made theym to be putt in to pryson vnder good kepers / ¶ But neuertheles in fewe dayes after he lete them goo free by pardon Indulgence of the prynces ¶ Eugene that in the sayd cyte had begon a Couente of vyrgines buryed the body of her fader the martyr wythin the chyrche where she helde her / ¶ Also her moder Claudia had begon an hospytall whiche she had endowed wyth suffysauÌ„t rentes fayr possessyons / for to herbrugh the poore pylgrymes was at the buryenge of the sayd blessyd martyr somtyme her husbonde ¶ Whan his seruyce was done / Claudia moder to Eugene her chyldren retorned to Rome they there lo come / one of the sayd chyldren was made Senatour of Rome / the other Consul of Cartage and thother vycarye in Affryque / ¶ Eugene hadde many cosyns bothe of men of wymmen dwellynge in Rome that came to see her desyryng at her ensample to be Crysten ¶ AmoÌ„ge other saynt Basille a vyrgyne / that was of the lygnage of kynges cowde not fyÌ„de the meanes to speke wyth Eugene for to be Crysten / So made she her to be prayed bi a messager that she wolde sende her some InstruccoÌ„ns of the Cristen fayth ¶ TheÌ„ne saynt Eugene sente her two crysten knyghtes / Prothus Iacintus toward the sayd Basylle for to be by theÌ„ taught in the faythe of holy chirche / The whyche she receyued worshypfully as apostles of IhuÌ„ Cryste / ¶ All daye all nyghte she was wyth theym spekinge of the holy scrypture / And by cause they were Emyches therof folowed noo sklauÌ„dre / ¶ In the sayde tyme one namyd Cornille was pope of Rome / whiche came to her secretly crystned her / WhaÌ„ saynt Basylle was coÌ„fermyd in the faythe by the sacrament of baptesme / she came almoost euery nyght visited saynt Eugene all the wydowes that were cristned went to the couent of saynt Claude the moder of Eugene the virgyns resorted to saynt Eugene / ¶ The sayd saynt Cornyll at that tyme pope went euery Saturday visyted them / expownyg vnto theim deuoute ympnes soÌ„ges all the longe nyght vnto the spring of the daye / ¶ Valerien Galien in tho dayes were emperours that whiche began to haue the Crysten in grete Indignacyon for by cause the saynt Cyprien coÌ„uerred them of Cartage / saynt Cornylle the Romayns / Soo was sent Paternê° Proconsul in to Cartage for to bringe theâ—â— to deth Cyprien that whiche thyng he dyde â— by all thê° he deyed a martyr ¶ The same tyme saynt Eugene knewe by the wyll of god / that saynt Basylle shold be martâ—ed for to kepe her vyrgynyte the whiche reuelacoÌ„n she gaue her to know saynt Basylle answerd to Eugene· that also she had vnderstond by reuelacoÌ„n of god that Eugene shold haue a dowble crowne of martyrdom one for the meryte that she had gote in Alexandrâ—e thother for shedynge of her bloode that she sholde suffre for to kepe her faythe ThenÌ„e saynt Eugene yelded graces to god sayenge / O my god onÌ„ly sone of the euerlastyg god the fader that art come in to this vyle world within the wombe of the right holy virgin I byseâ—he the right huÌ„bly that it woll playse that to grauÌ„te vnto altho virgines whiche that hast coÌ„mitted to be ruled by me the grace that they maye come to thy euerlastyng Ioye / ¶ Eugene after went wyth her vyrgyns and sayd to them suche or lyke wordes in substaunce / ¶ My sisters the vyneyerde is now ripe / the seeson is now come that the gode vynes shall be pressed out of the grapes wyth fete / but after that the vyne shal be strayned made well pure clene / It shall be preseÌ„ted for to be dronke in the ryall courte of the kynge / And therfore sayde god I am the vyne And ye my dyscyples are the raysyns / My systers that are sprynges reysyns of virgynytee be euer redy for to make fayre worshypp the lawe whyche ye holde Virgynyte is the fyrst shewing of gode vertues nyhe neyghbour to god lyke vnto angels moder of life freÌ„de vnto holynes waye of suretee lady of Ioye leder of vertue nourysshinge crowne of fayth the socours yelder of charyte ¶ And therfore my systers we oughte to desyre none other thynge somoche as to lyue in vyrgynyte / yet noâ—e grete deuocoÌ„n we ought to haue as to deye for her in this byhalfe / ¶ Ye knowe that all erthly thynges come wyth grete Ioye· but after departyng they are cause of grete heuynesse soo they gyue a laughter a Ioy sondayn for to be the causeâ— of wepyng euerlastyÌ„gly / For this lyfe is but a momente to the regarde of the lyfe that euermore shall last / And at the ende al those that therupon shall
set theyr affeccyon loue shall falle in to euerlastynge daÌ„pnacoÌ„n / ¶ ThenÌ„e my douÈters syth that ye haue abyden wyth me hitherto haue in you constaÌ„ce perseuerauÌ„ce vnto the laste ende / Wepe in this world to the entent that ye shal haue euerlastyng Ioye ¶ Now I beseche the holy ghost that he wyll kepe you / and I bileue he shal preserue you in your vyrgynytee / ¶ Desire not my bodyly presence / but yf I haue done ony good werkes folowe me ghostly / After that she had thê° preched exhorted theym to remeÌ„bre the heuenly thynges for to flee the erthly she kyssed all them saynt Basille coÌ„mauÌ„ded theym to god / ThenÌ„e Eugene saynt basylle departed fro theym ¶ That same daye one of the wymÌ„en seruaunt wyth saynt Basylle forsayde went towarde PoÌ„pee that whiche had trouthplyght this holy Basille shewed vnto him that she her vncle Helain were become cirsten that he shold neuer wedde her bisyde this she sayd to him that she had with her .ii. Emiches that is to wyte Prothê° Iacintê° that whiche Eugene had sente to her for to torne her to the crysten faythe And how she serued theym as goddes Inmortall in kyssynge dayly theyr fete ¶ Pompee as affrayed wente towarde Helayn that was vncle gouernour of saynt Basylle / sayd to hyÌ„ / Wyte it Helayn that now I woll make my wedding therfor shewe me Basylle whiche is yeuen to me by theÌ„perour all the Romayn prynces / Helayn answerde / My frende I haue nourisshed her duryng the tyme of her yongâ—â— / For at the tyme she was in my kepyâ—ge for the loue of her fader that was in kinÌ„esman / I haue done for her all that was in me possyble but neuertheles she is out of my rule hath her free choyâ— / therfore yf thou woll speke wyth her goo to her hous / ¶ ThenÌ„ was Pompee more angry than afore went anâ—e to her hous / So coÌ„mauÌ„ded he the Pâ—â—ters that they shold goo telle Basylle theyr maystresse that he wolde speke with her / The gode lady sent him worde ayen that she wolde nother see him nor mete wyth hym / therfore he myghte well goo home ayen / ¶ PoÌ„pee was fulfylled wyth wrathe more than he was afore thrugh the fauour of all the Senatours· camÌ„ tofore themperours sayd vnto theym / O emperours ryght holy socour at this hour your subgets Romayn and put from this noble cytee of Rome the new goddes that Eugene hath brought in it comyng out of the londe of Egypte / It is longe syth that the Crysten are lettynge the comyn wee le For they done done other thynge but onÌ„ly mocke with the holy ceremonyes of our lawe / They dispyse oure goddes ryght myÈty sayeng that they ben ydoles rauysshyÌ„ge deuyls / They chaunge the right of nature / they breke maryage wythdrawe vnto them the yonge doughters In sayenge that it is a dangerous thyng that a byrde shall take her spouse by wedlocke / What shall we doo noble emperours / by whom shall the Romayns be honoured also the kyÌ„ges subdued / yf the wyÌ„men that we oughte to haue to be our wyues be take awaye from vs. by whom we mighte haue yssue to whom we myght coÌ„maunde / Where shal theÌ„ne be the reparacoÌ„n of the strengthes of the Romayns for the contynuauÌ„ce of batayles / ¶ Whan Pompee had made an ende of his wordes all the Senatours begaÌ„ to wepe ouer saynt Basylle And that notwytstondynge Galien the emperour Iudged Incontynent that she sholde take Pompee to her lorde husbonde / Or elles by wepen he sholde make her lyfe to be broughte at an ende / And in lyke wyse Eugene but yf she wolde doo sacrefyce vnto the goddes / And besyde this he ordened grete punysshmeÌ„t to be take thrugh all the cyte vpon tho that sholde hyde by ony manere the cristen peple ¶ And after a messager was sente to saynt Basylle / that coÌ„mauÌ„ded her in the emperour Galiens byhalfe that she shold come speke with hym or elles that she shold take Pompee to her husbonde / The good vyrgin answerde that she wold not / And her spowse sholde be IhuÌ„ Cryst the sone of the euerlastynge god none other / ¶ In sayeng the whiche wordes the messager percyd thrugh thrugh the body slewe her / ¶ After he take Prothus Iacyntê° broughte theym in to the temple for to worshyp the goddes / And as they camÌ„ thyder â— were makynge theyr prayers to IhuÌ„ Cryst thydâ—lle of Iupyter that was in the temple was smyten to many smalle pyeces / ¶ Nicecius that was the tyme Prouoste of Rome made them to be byheded at the fete of saynt Basylle notwythstondynge that she was deed / ¶ After that he sent for saynt Eugene asked how by her art magyk she had conuerted so grete peple / The good lady bolde and stedfast in the fayth / answerde holdly sayenge â—yn arte is not magyke But my byleue is in that selfe god that hath a fader wythout moder and a moder wythoute fader / And the whyche fader hath engendred hyÌ„ with out moder / And she in like wise conceyued hym wythoute knowlege of man / ¶ My god my mayster hathe a wyfe a vyrgyn whyche engendreth a contynuell multytude of children / ¶ His flesshe is Ioyned to the flesshe of his wife a virgin· Wythout lettyng ther kysse eche other they shal be euerlasting in loue / And soo are they so perfyte that al virgynyte all charyte all onÌ„lynes of body is there kepte / ¶ Nicecius Prouoste romayne dredynge the themperour shold here her speke / for he doubted moche leest he sholde be torned to the crysten fayth by her wordes· Incontynent made her to be broughte in to the temple of the goddesse Diana for to doo sacrefyce to the sayd goddesse or elles to suffre deth ¶ The good ladi Eugene put herselfe on bothe her knees heuynge her hondes towarde heuen sayde / O my god the knowest the secretes of my conscyence / that hast kepte my vyrgynyte by thy lâ—ue that haste gyuen to me thy blessyd sone to my spouse that hath made to regne in me the holi ghost I pray that now that thou wolte be wyth me preseÌ„tly for to helpe me confesse thy holy name to th ende that alle thoos that worshyp this ydoll maye be coÌ„fouÌ„ded wyth theyr sacrefyces / anone all the temple felle downe / was al togyder broken excepte the awter afore the whyche saynt Eugene was knelynge / ¶ And thyse thynges were done in the yle of Lychâ—anye in presence of a grete multytude of peple that ther was come for to see th ende of saynt Basylle Some began to calle crye layenge that she was Innocent â—other callyd her Magycyen ¶ All this befall was shewed to the Prouoste whiche made it to be knowen vnto
of the worlde / he answerde that it was the same that was vpon the worlde / The wordes of the worlde are swete notwithstondyng that it shall be full bytter to hym that shall lyue in it vyciously / But who that wol be in the worlde maye not obeye his sensualytee serue god / By cause that none shall not serue well two lordes And that the naturell manly desyres are contrary to the saluacoÌ„n of our soules / And therfore my mayster coÌ„maunder sayde saynt Basylle / I praye the lete vs quycken our spirytes that ben deed by syÌ„nes / And for to purchace lyfe euerlastyÌ„ge lete vs folowe the techynges of thapostles of the souerayn god Redemer of all the worlde / ¶ Yf we woll put payne to obeye hym notwythstondynge that we ben alle redy stryken in aege Yet shall we haue asmoche of rewarde by medyacoÌ„n of his grace as they that haue be in his seruyce from the tyme of theyr yongthe / ¶ For it is wryten in the gospell that as grete a rewarde had he that came at the hour of Sexte as he the was comÌ„ at the hour of Prime / The doctour Eubole herynge the warnynges of his dyscyple Basylle began to saye / ¶ O Basylle true shewer expownar of that faythe of Criste thrugh the. I byleue in one god almyghty In tyme past that I knewe I dyde shewe the. now alle that is myne I gyue vnto the. putt in thy possessoÌ„n purposyng to lede wyth the thou remenauÌ„te of my lyfe / yf it playse to my god IhuÌ„ Cryst I shall receyue wtin shorte tyme the holy sacramente of baptym / Saynt Basylle answerde O my mayster blessyd be oure god that hath mekely lyghtned the in giuynge to the wyll courage to forsake leue the foule errours wherin thou were ouerthrowen thrugh the vayn worldly science· and that now thou knowest his mercy ¶ Syth that thou woll be wyth me· I shall teche the how we shal lyue in getynge our wee le in delyueryng ourself from the lettyÌ„ges of this wretched world / ¶ Fyrst we shall selle all that we haue shall gyue it to the poore nedy for goddys sake after we shall goo to the holy cytee of Iherusalem / The whyche thynge they dyde / And clothyd theymself in Raymentes lyke Crysten people / for to receyue Crystendom / ¶ And in goynge thyder they torned many Paynems that they fonde in theyr waye to the Crysten fayth / ¶ How Eubole was crystened in the FluÌ„me Iourdan / And begynnyth in latyn ¶ Apprehendentes autem cetera Caplm C.lx. THenne whan saynt Basylle his doctour Eubole were come in Ihâ—l'm they went vysited al the holy places worshiped theim for the loue of our lorde / After they presented theself tofore the bisshop of the cyte namyd Marimyen kneled byfore him bysechyge him that he wold crysten them in the flum Iordan ¶ The sayd bysshop receyued theim moche mekely / acompanyed with many notable persones sad theim to the forsayd flum / WhaÌ„ theâ— were come to the bryke of the same saynt basyll sate on both his knees / besouÈt god deuoutly that he wold vouchesauf to shewe some token to theim of his grace After he rose vp toke of al his clothes for to entre wythin the flood thenÌ„e the sayd bysshop went crystned hym / Att whiche crystnynge a moche merueyloê° thynge happed there / For a grete lyght as it had be fyre makyng wonderful shinyng came from heuen vpon theim / out of the fyre flewe out a whyte doue / the whiche after she had trowbled the water flewe ayen in to heuen / Of whiche thyÌ„ge those present were moche merueyled For they had neuer seen soo quycke ne soo grete a lyghte / Soo began they to prayse glorifye the name of god and pryÌ„cipally the bisshop the contynuelly remeÌ„bred the loue that saynt Basylle had to the Redemer of the world They .ii. thenÌ„e togyder crystened enoynted with the holy oyle retorned to Ihrl'm there they dwelled a yere ¶ After the knowlege of whiche they toke theyr waye towarde Anthyoche / thenne was saynt Basylle made Deaken / ¶ How sayÌ„t Basylle beyng a bysshop coÌ„posed the masse / in coÌ„posyng of whiche he sawe god his apostles begynning ¶ CoÌ„uenientes c· Caplm C.lxi. MAny bysshops were assemblyd in Anthyoche the whyche chose saynt Basylle to be bysshop And after that he was ordened he made his prayer to god bysechyng hym that he wold gyue him the gyfte of vnderstondynge by the whyche he myght to the exaltacoÌ„n of the fayth his glorioê° name make a seruyce or offyce to hym agreable in makynge vnto hym oblacyon of his precyous blode / And that in this dooyng he myghte receyue the grace of the holy ghost ¶ The gode Basylle after this request was by the space of sixe dayes as al chauÌ„ged wythdrawe fro his thought / But neuertheles he purposed to make the sayde seruyce / ¶ And on a nyghte after the sayd dayes paste / he had a syghte of god the whyche acompanyed of all his apostles as whan he wrote the wordes that preestes proferon vpon the breed sayde to hym / Basylle after thy desyre be thy mouth fulfyllyd of praysynge to th ende that by thy owne worde thou make sacrefyce vnto me of my bloode / ¶ Saynt Basylle that coude not abyde the syght departed with grete fere and went to the awter where he began to saye wryte this that here folowyth / Be my mouth fulfylled wyth loeuynge to th ende that it synge ympne to thy Ioye / Wyth this he made many other orysons that ben customably sayd whan the body of our lorde is to be consecrate of the preest / the whiche are not to be wryten to ony laye folke / Nor to be had in comynicacoÌ„n but onÌ„ly amonge men of the chirche / And after the consecracoÌ„n eleuacoÌ„n of the hoste whyche was of brede he deuyded it in thre partes / of the whiche he vsyd the one in grete drede reuerence the other he kepte for to bere wyth hym / and the thyrde he kepte for to be putt in to a doune of fyne golde the whyche he had doo make for to be hanged ouer the awter in by tokenyng of that same doune that appered ouer hym whan he was crystned in the flum Iordan / ¶ Eubole manâ— other clerkes were thenne afore the gate of the temple beholdinge this mystery they sawe abowte hym a wonderful lyght whyche constrayned them to fall to the grouÌ„de / And wyth this they sawe a grete multytude of men al clothed in whiche rayments / the whyche acoÌ„pamed hym in makynge the sayd sacrefyce ¶ The masse done saynt Basyll gooyng out of the chyrche / al them present worshipped him puttynge byfore hyÌ„ theyr knees to the grounde made hym more grete honour than they had be acustomyd
/ And att this cause he askyd theym what it was that had moeued theym to come there also the cause why they made hym so grete honour / TheÌ„ne they tolde hym the wonderfull syghte that they had seen / of the whiche saynt Basylle yelded graces to god / ¶ And certayne dayes after he gadred all the peple / In the presence of whom he put the one of the sayd thre partes of the hoste in to the sayd douune of golde hanged it reuerently ouer the awter / And this done He for to comforte the peple and to conferme in the holy faythe of Ihesu Cryste made a moche fayre prechynge / ¶ Att whyche was the grete abbot Of whom herafter shall be spoken / ¶ Of an Ebrew man that saw a chylde bytwene the hoÌ„des of saynt Basylle whan he deuided the body of our lorde And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Diuino quidem c· Caplm C.lxii. BY the wyll of god and duringe the tyme the saynt Basille on a tyme amoÌ„ge other songe masse An Eâ—rewe that was there saw a chylde bitwene the hondes of the sayd saynt Basylle / ¶ The chylde as it semyd to the sayd Ebrewe was by this Basylle parted deuyded / And where they alle after the masse sayd admynistred them self in receyuynge the body of our lorde The sayd Ebrewe man put hymselfe amonge the other Crystens / And so saynt Basylle admynystred hym an hoste as to the other / And consequently askyd to be admynystred wyth the holy chalys that semyd him to be fylled with blood / And his askynge was gyuen to hym / ¶ And he kepynge of eyther one parte bare it vnto his wyfe for to shewe it to her and to conferme her in the vyson that he had seen / ¶ And the nexte daye after he retorned to the holy bysshop and made hymself to be crystned wyth all his meyne / ¶ Of one that forsoke god and gaaf a wrytynge therof sealed wyth his owne honde / And begyÌ„nyth in latin ¶ Illudius auteÌ„ / Caplm C.lxiii A Holy man that had be Chapelayn to saynt Basylle and his sucessour in the bysshopryche of Capadoce / And the whyche wrote vnto saynt Iherom the lyf of saynt Basylle / ¶ Reherseth that a Senatour of Rome called Protherius hadd a doughter The whyche he wolde offre and sacrefye vnto god / Thynkynge that she shold be a relygyous woman / But the deuyll enuyuous ouer all goodnesse ¶ For to lette and wythdrawe the holy purpoos of the sayd Protherius / enflaÌ„med wyth the fyre of concupyscence one of his housholde seruauntes / The whyche enamoured hymselfe on his sayd doughter / ¶ And by cause he knewe for certayne that he was not her lyke for to haue her by maryage / He wente to a mayster of Magyke / To whom he shewed his caas / Sayeng that yf he cowde lerne hyÌ„ ony meane by the whiche he myghte haue the sayd doughter He sholde gyue hym a grete somme of golde / ¶ The Magycyen or Nygramancer answerd that he cowde not do it / ¶ But and he wolde he shold make him speke with the deuyll / whiche was his procurour / By whoo 's werkyng he sholde well now haue ryght soone hys wyll / ¶ Thenne the folisshe louer answerde to the sayd Magicyen / That he was redy to doo all that he shole commaunde hym / Soo that he myghte gete all that he desired / ¶ Thenne the sayd Magycien made him to forsake his Creatour And to forsake his parte of the Ioyes of paradis / And this done he made hym to take hym a bylle conteynynge the wordes that folowe wryten oonly wyth his owne honde / ¶ My lorde and my Procurour / by cause that I muste wythdrawe oute of the Crysten relygyon· and bynde myself to thy wyll to the ende that thy subgettes ben multeplyed / I sende the this messager berer of my lettrers whyche is desyrous taken wyth the loue of a may de / Werfore I praye that thou wolt doo soo moche for me that his wyll be fulfylled / To th ende that by hym I may haue Ioye and glory / And power to coÌ„mauÌ„de other / and brynge theym in thy obeyslaunce / ¶ This letter soo made the Magycyen delyuered it to the folysshe louer / and sayd to hym / That att a certayne hour of the nighte / he sholde goo and put himselfe vpon the graues of the Paynyms and Heretykes / And that there he sholde holde vp his letter in the ayre And anone certayne messengers sholde come to hym whyche sholde brynge hym to the deuyll / ¶ Thus dyde this vnhappy wretche / And sodainly came to hym a grete multytude of wickyd spirytes from the prynce of derkenesse and of wyckydnesse The whyche in grete Ioye ladde hym tofore theyr prynce / Whyche was sett vp on hihe in a grete chayer / And abowt hym were a grete multytude of deuylles wythoute nombre / In presence of whom he presented his wrytynge / ¶ And after that it was radde / the sayd prynce sayde vnto hym / ¶ Now come hyther my freÌ„de / Doost thou byleue in me / He answerd ye / ¶ Yet agayn questyoned him sayenge / ¶ Doost thou forsake Ihesu Cryste / he answerd as afore / Ye / TheÌ„ne the prynce of the deuylles sayde to hym / ¶ Ye Crysten men are false shrewes / For whan ye haue nede to be holpen of me / Ye praye me / And after that ye haue gote your desyre Ye denye and forsake Incontynent to that ye haue promysed to me / And soone after retonrne to youre god whyche is soo moche good and swete and mercyfull / That he refusyth not ony Synnar / ¶ But this notwythstondynge / yf thou wolte that I shall doo thy wyll to be performed and fulfilled to thy behouf playsure / Thou muste fyrste gyue to me a letter of thyne honde / By the whyche thou shalt denye and forsake the sacrament of baptesme and the crysten faythe / ¶ SecoÌ„dly thou shalt promyse me that thou shalt serue me in this worlde And atte the daye of dome thou shalte holde me felishyp for to be wyth me afterwarde perpetuelly in all the tormentes that I suffre / This vnhappy man promysed him all the same / And IncoÌ„tynent all the deuylles maysters of fornycacion were sente towarde the sayde mayde for to tempte and styre her to the loue of the vnhappy man forsayde ¶ The whyche sodaynly was soo take wyche loue of hym that she myghte no ther ete nor drynke / And after that she had borne this woodnesse a lytyll space of tyme / Fynably she sayde vnto her fader / ¶ O my fader haue pyte vpon me / For certainly I am sore tormented of the loue of one of thy seruauÌ„tes / My fader I biseche the shewe now what a loue thou haste to thy chylde / For yf thou enclyne and falle not to my wee le thou shalte see me deed wythin shorte tyme / ¶
The fader began to wepe sayenge Alas what is falle to the my doughter What is he that woll take fro me my tresour / What is he that hath defoyled the / What is he that hath put oute the lyghte of myn eyen / I wolde haue maryed the to the souerayne kinge Ihesu Cryst and to hym aâ—owe thy vyrgynytee for to serue hym in deuoute relygyon / My truste was to haue be saued by the And thou art now wered wode and in to ydle loue ybroughte and leuyth the loue of thy Creatoure / Truely but yf thou take Ihesu Cryste to thy spowse thou shalt put myn olde aege in to perpetuell sorowe / ¶ The doughter wolde not agree to the wyll of her fader / but answerd / My fader yf thou graunt me not my desyre I ensure the that thou shalt see me fynysshe my dayes thrugh bytter anguysshe wythin shorte tyme ¶ The fader ferynge her wordes purposed hymselfe to playse her / And sent for her sayd louer for to make the brydale bytwene theym / ¶ And after that he had taken to theym all his goodes He sayd vnto his doughter for his last worde to her / ¶ Goo my vnhappy doughter thou shalt repente the ones of that thou haste thus lefte god for to serue the deuyll / ¶ After that they were maryed they dwelled togider a certain space of time Duryng the whiche the folissh louer thus wedded went neuer to the chyrche And also receyued not his Creatoure / ¶ Wherof some toke hede and shewed it vnto the sayd doughter his wife sayeng that her husbonde was not a Crysten man / ¶ Whan the wretched woman had herde thyse tydynges she layed her selfe downe at the grouÌ„de as coÌ„fortlees and with her nayles scratchyd her tend vysage bete her whyte brestes trowynge to haue slayne herself for sorowe ¶ After she sayd suche wordes / Ha my god neuer that persone shall be sauyd that dysobeyeth his frendes / Who shal sende worde to my fader of my coÌ„fusyon Ha wretchydnesse is wel happed to me In what vnhappe am I comÌ„ whi was I euer borne Alas that I was not after my byrth caught in to heuen / as she was thê° in suche sorow her husbonde came trowynge to haue knowen the causes of her wrath / ¶ And after that he had stylled and peasyd her somwhat / She desyred hym to goo wyth her to the chirche for to receyue togyder their maker / ¶ Thenne the wretchyd man confessyd his synne vnto his wyfe / ¶ The whyche as hauynge force and courage of man ranne vnto saynt Basille and sayd to hym / ¶ Alas thou man of god haue of me pyte poore and vnhappy / I haue yeuen my bodi for to be gouerned by the deuyl / Haue pyte of me horryble Inobedyent that wolde not obeye my fader / ¶ And after that she had reherced shewed all the befalle of her husbonde / Saynt Basylle sente for hym for to wyte of hym yf this thynge was true / Wherat he answerd ye / ¶ ThenÌ„e for to brynge hym to penaunce He askyd hym yf he wolde retorne for to serue Ihesu Cryste / He answerde he myghte not / by cause that he had promysyd to the deuyll that he shold neuer doo to hym seruyce· and had gyuen therof his wrytynge wyth his owne honde to the deuyll / ¶ Saynt Basylle his answere well vnderstonde shewed vnto him the grete mercy of god and how he is euer redy to receyue mekely oure penaunce / ¶ The good doughter knelyd byfore the sayd saynt Basylle sayd to hym O thou seruaunt of god haue mercy of our synne / The holy man enquyred of the sayd husbonde yf he had ony hope to be sauyd Wherat he answerde that ye / ¶ This herynge he brought theym in to a secrete place wythin the chyrche And durynge thre dayes he kepte hym there in contynuell prayers And oft tymes bothe daye and nyghte he came and vysyted hym / And askyd hym how it was wyth hym And he answered alwayes that he had none hope more of lyfe / by cause of the cryenges and callynges that the deuelles made dayly and nyghtly abowte hym / ¶ Whyche shewed vnto hym the wrytynge that he hadde made vppon his promyse to the prynce of helle / Sayenge vnto him ¶ Goo vnhappy man thou arte come vnto vs / And not we to the / What we neste thou for to do / ¶ The holy man comforted hym and moeuyd and styred hym in sayenge to hym / That he sholde euer haue stedfaste faythe and good hope in god ¶ He gaue hym a lytyll mete / And blessyd hym wyth the signe of the Crosse / ¶ And after he made hym to entree in his place where he was byfore / ¶ Whanne he hadde ben there â—i the space of fourty dayes / The holi man came to him / And examyned hym how he dide / ¶ He answered that he was in good suretee / For that nyghte he had seen the sayd saynt Basylle that bataylled for hym agaynst the deuylles / And that he hadde ouercomen theym / ¶ Thenne the holy man broughte hym streyght to his chambre where his slepynge place was / ¶ And the nexte daye by the mornynge he gadred togyder all the Clergye and other folke of deuocyon / To whom saynt Basylle declared and shewed this that folowyth / ¶ My chyldren ye knowe that I am your Pastour / And that I muste yelde acompte of your soules / I hadd lost a shepe / The whyche god hath sente agayne to me / ¶ And by cause that the good Pastour for to quyte his coÌ„scyence oughte to praye contynuelly for his shepe / I enioyne and coÌ„mauÌ„de you that ye bothe day nyght be wyth me for to praye god to th ende that this shepe soo come ayen to me may purchace his saluacoÌ„n / ¶ Soo began they al togider to praye god wyth wepynge syngyng Kyrieleyson After the gode pastour toke the pore man by the honde broughte hym in to the chyrche / ¶ The deuyll vnto whom he had done hoÌ„mage all his company came to the assemble / trowynge to haue take the poore synÌ„ar out of the holy bysshops hondes / soo began he to crye wyth an horryble voyce sayeng / O thou holi man of god helpe me / ¶ ThenÌ„e saynt Basylle torned his wordes vnto the deuill sayd to hyÌ„ What askest thou the deuyll dampned the worste of alle other wicked tendes / It suffyseth the not that thyself all thâ— company be dampned but art abowte full belye thrugh your cursed temptacoÌ„ns for to make the pore creatures of god to false wyth you in hell / The deuyll answerde / Basylle the doost me wâ—â—ge to my grete harme / for I my felowes here well the voyces of theym the synge Kyncleyson / Saynt Basylle answerd / God dooth this to thi harme not I / The deuyll yet agayn sayd to hym /
cyte she mett the corps of saynt Basille that men brought to his graue / ¶ Thenne she made grete cryenges sayeng / Ha poore vnhappy what shal thou doo now / O holi man of god whi haste thou sent me to the holy fader Effrem syn that thou myghte gete remyssyon of my synne / I byleue it was by cause I sholde not gyue the man lettyng at thy dethe / ¶ The poore synful woman layed her rolle vpon the corps of the holy man / The whyche thynge knowen of one of the prestes that was at the buryenge of hym he wolde see rede the same rolle / And opened it in dede / But he fonde noo thynge wryten therin / ¶ ThenÌ„e he sayd vnto the woman / ¶ O woman what desyrest thou Thy rolle is wythoute ony scrypture Thou knewe not the Indulgence that god had done to the / ¶ All the peple seenge this myracle beganne to thanke god that hath gyuen myghte to the quirke to enrase and put oute by pardonne the synÌ„es fulfilled and done by the wretchyd synnars / ¶ Of Ioseph the Hebrewe / Whyche Hystorye is ann dexed to the sayde chapytre / IOseph the Hebrewe was some tyme a leche well expert in the craft of Physike and so sure that in tastynge the poulse of what someuer persone he wyste to saye .iiii. or .v. dayes afore the decesse of the syke the very hour that he shold passe out of this worlde / And by the grete experyence that he had in medycyne / He was sore enuyed of the other leches / ¶ But saynt Basylle that knewe by reuelacyon of god / that in tyme comynge he sholde be regenered by the holy sacrament of baptym loued hym moche / And ofte comyned wyth hym / desyrynge hym to forsake his errour and to torne hym to that fayth of crystendom / ¶ The whyche Ioseph answerde to hym vpon the same / that he sholde deye in the faythe where he was borne in / ¶ Saynt Basylle replyed ayenst his answere sayenge / Ioseph byleue that I shall telle the / Certaynly I ensure the that wythout the sacrament of baptym / nother thyself nor I shall not come in paradys Haue not thyn elder faders ben baptysed / Knowest thou not that for our redempcoÌ„n Iesu Cryste hath take oure nature in the wombe of the vyrgyn Mary / And for that self RedempcoÌ„n he was crucyfyed and broughte to dethe / And soone after he rose from dethe to lyfe / and now he sytteth at the ryght honde of hys fader / And atte the ende he shall come to Iudge and yelde vnto euery one after that he hath deseruyd / ¶ Thenne it is Impossyble wythout regeneracoÌ„n of the water of the holy ghost / and also wythout the coÌ„munyon of the sacrament of the awter that we shall be sauyd / But what soeuer exortacion that the holy man made vnto Ioseph / he wolde take noo hede to his wordes / ¶ It happed so the god / whyche wolde calle vnto hym the good saynt Basylle made hym know the houre of his dethe by reuelacyon of god / And thenÌ„e he sent for Ioseph the leche forsayde for to Iudge the houre of his deth / Ioseph after that he had tasted the veyne of saynt Basyll sayd to his seruauÌ„tes that they sholde make redy his wyndynge shete for to burye hyÌ„ wythall / and that he cowde not lyue loÌ„ge / ¶ Saynt Basylle that vnderstode this Iugement asked him how he knewe it / Wherunto he answerde that he knewe it certayÌ„ly by the felynge of his veyne / ¶ The holy man sayd vnto hyÌ„ My frende thou woâ—est not what thou sayst / Ioseph answerde to hym / this daye shall the sonne goo with the sonÌ„e ¶ The holi man sayd vnto him And yf I dey not tyll to morow in the mornynge what shall thou saye / He answered that it was not possyble / And that wyth grete payne he sholde lyue yet an houre / And therfore he tolde hym that he sholde dyspose of his besynesse and of his chirche / For he sholde deye afore that the daye sholde faylle / ¶ Saynt Basylle sayde to hym / Now come hyther leche / What shal thou saye yf I lyue vnto to morowe syxe of the clocke / ¶ He answered to hym That he sholde thenne deye wyth hym / ¶ Saynt Basylle sayde vnto hym / Atte leest yf thou wolt deye take afore the â—he fayth of Ihesu Criste and the sacrament of baptesme / ¶ Thenne Ioseph promysed hym / that yf he lyued as longe as he hadde sayde / Wythoute ony manere delaye / he sholde be obeyssaunte to his wyll / Thenne the holy man made his prayer vnto god / to th ende that he wolde lengthe his dayes onÌ„ly for to torne Ioseph the Ebrewe to the fayth / The whyche requeste god graunted to hym And in the mornynge nexte he sent for the sayd leche / the whiche wening that he hadde be dede came Incontynent to his lodgynge / ¶ But whan he sawe that he was yet alyue he felle downe at his fete and cryed hym mercy / Sayenge that there was no god soo grete as the god of the Crystens / ¶ And thenÌ„e he forsoke the lawe of the Iewes and toke the cristen fayth / Desyryng saynt Basille that he and alle his meyne myghte be crystned / ¶ The holy man sayde vnto hym / that he sholde crysten theym hymselfe· And thenne the good leche Ioseph toke him ayen by the honde / and towchyd the vayne of his right arme / And after that he had felte it he sayde vnto hym / ¶ My lorde thy nature is febled wery that thou shold not conne goo to the chyrche / The holy man answered vnto hym / ¶ We haue our god whyche is creatour of nature the whyche recoÌ„fortyth vs / ¶ And how he it that the holy man had noo naturell strengthe yet went he to the chyrche in whiche the said Ioseph his company Seruauntes were Incontynent cristenyd / And after the sayd saynt Basylle brought the sayd Ioseph vnto his Doâ—tour / and there was yeuen vnto him a spyrytuell foâ—e in rehercyng vnto hym the Ioyes of heuen / ¶ Sone after the holy man dyssposyd hymselfe for to synge masse / ¶ And after that it was done he kyssed all the Pryncypall of the chyrche the lordes of the towne / Vnto whom he Recommended ryghte besyly Ioseph the newe Cristen / ¶ After he wente agayne to his house / In whyche yeldinge graces and thankes vnto god betoke his soule in to his hondes / ¶ Whan the good Ioseph in his scyence had wel consydered the dethe of the sayde saynt Basylle he sayd / ¶ Truely holy fader Basyll / ¶ Yf thou hadd wolde thou sholdest not as yet haue deyed ¶ / And this he sayde by cause that he knewe well that he had lyued longe ouer naturell possybylytee ¶ The nexte daye wyth grete honour was his body buryed within the chirche
in the thyrde fourth partes consequently folowynge / and all togyder translated from Latyn in to Frensshe out of the bookes that therof haue be made by the right deuote approued doctour in holy chirche saynt Ierome And fyrste the prologue begynneth in latyn Vere munduÌ„ c. WHat is he that doubteth / but that the worlde is kepte and preserued by the meryte of sayntes / and amonge other by thoos of whome the lyfe is wryten in this presence volume / the whiche haue fled all concupyscence in all haue forsaken the worlde Reputynge as for nought alle that is in it And for to withdrawe therfrom fully theyr affeccyons and them to tourne vnto god wolde enhabyte dwelle in wodes deserte Some in â—aues / and other in roches hyghe montayns / without to haue hadde ony care or besynesse of theyr mete or of theyr drynke And as hauyng theyr oonly coÌ„fydence in the medefulnes of god / they haue gone without syluer / without brede and without ony other mete in to solytary places where as no persone hauÌ„ted nor no goodes grewe there but herbes wylde fruyte O thyng wouÌ„derfull They neuer had honger ne thurst but haue be susteyned fedde oonly of the grace and mercy of our lorde Soo ought we well to loue our god whan his wyll is that thrugh theyr merytes we may be asswaged of our euylles by theyr supplycacyons wherby we obteyne the remyssyon of our synnes ¶ Ye that rede this presente booke take noo hede to the langage rude and yll ornated / but oonly to the substaunce whiche is frutefull The dyuyne scyence Requyreth not to be fulfylled with sophistycacyons nor proposycyons ornate or polyshed / but oonly of matere of trouthe Somtyme ornatynge of wordes maketh the proposycion to be withdrawen fro the trouthe The holy lyues and deuote conuersacyons of the worshypfull Patryarkes and prophetes / as Abraham Ysaac· and Iacob Moyses Hely and Iohan ben reduced and shewed by wrytynge / not oonly to the ende that they shall be gloryfyed here / For they are gloryfyed of god in heuen right hyghely but also to th ende that by theyr vertuous werkes we maye take doctryne of trouth and ensample of good lyfe ¶ Dyuerse exhortacyons here folowen whiche begynne in latyn QuideÌ„ sanctorum senior c. SOme Relygyouses persones questyoned one of the holy faders of Egypt why he dyde so grete abstynence Wherunto he answered in this maner My childern it is of necessyte that we hate all the reste of this present lyfe and all bodely delectacoÌ„ns and repleccyon of bely / without to Requyre ony honours to be done vnto vs of men / and our lorde Ihesu cryst shall gyue vs honours celestyall / lyfe with reste eternall / and gloryous gladnesse with his angels This holy man sayd that mete and drynke are to man behouyng of necessyte / but not withstandynge men ought not to take theym but for to susteyne the body and not to the full bely as moche as it coude well take Slepe in lykewyse behoueth kyndely vnto man / but also we ought not to slepe as moche as the bodye desyreth / the reason why is / bycause whan we slepe as moche as nature appetyte is / the bodye therby wexeth slowthfull wherby he is not so redy for to werke And to the contrarye watchyng yeldeth the thought the wytte of man more subtyll and more clene And therfore sayd the holy faders that watchyng in good werkes well ordeyned Illumyneth the thought And the watchynges super flu and Inordynat bryng forth franesye and madnesse and greue the hede and the body full fore Semblablyyre behoueth vnto man not agaynst some other for to moeue his passyons / but for to be angry agaynst hym selfe and his synnes / to the ende that more easely he maye put them from hym in amendyng of his lyfe ¶ Therfore when we see our neyghbours or other doo ony thyng agaynst the coÌ„maundemente of god / we ought to angre oure selfe agaynst theym for theyr synnes / and suche sharply to correcte in all dylygence to th ende that after theyr correccion and amendement they may be saued and come to euerlastyng blysse ¶ A nother holy fader beyng in the myddes of the desertes lyuyng there in meruayllous abstynence as Inpossible to be borne / was enquyred and questioned of some of them that sore meruaylled of his perseueraunce / and how he myght endure in a place soo drye and barayne the grete penaunces that he bare there Where at he answered that the pouerte that he suffred in this worlde was not one houre of the paynes of helle ¶ And more he sayd that it was behofull to vs for soo lytell a tyme as we haue to abyde in this mortall lyfe to do penaunce and resyste agaynst the desyre of the flesshe / to th ende that we maye haue the recompense that neuer shall fayle / that is the glorye eternall ¶ God in dyuerse maners gyueth socours and ayde to them that for the worshyp of hym doon and accomplysshe thynges that be aboue nature And to this purpose men fynde that some tyme was a holy fader in Egypte / the whiche by his holy conuersacyon was wounderfully enuyed of the deuylles that oftentymes greuously bete hym ¶ And one daye amonge other they tourmented hym soo sore that on the morowe by the houre of pryme he fouÌ„de hym selfe soo vnable by feblenes of his bodye / that hym semed he was come to his last daye / aswell by cause of the gryef that they hadde doon vnto hym / as also by cause he had fasted to longe / but notwithstandyng he dysposed hym to faste vnto the houre of certe ¶ Soone after atte the same houre to hym selfe he sayd that he sholde cary vnto the houre of seâ—te / alwayes he deyed for honger ¶ Consequently when seâ—te approched / he purposed to fast vnto the houre of none And thus by many dayes he toke vpon hym suche penaunces ¶ One daye as he trowed to haue taken his repast he sawe a grete smoke come out of the baskete wherin he layde his brede / and the whiche smoke went out atte the wyndowe of his lytyll â—elle Soo purposed he to hym selfe that he sholde not ete that daye / and by these abstynences was the sayd holy fader soo confeâ—ned in the fayth / that he was two dayes without honger ne thrust ¶ And by meane of whiche abstynences and the helpe of god he restrayned and brought vnder feet the temptacyons of lecherye and glotonye ¶ On a tyme certayne brethern went oute of theyr monasterye for to vysyte the holy hermytes in the deserte And as god ledde them they arryued in the lytyll house of the good holy fader for sayd / of whome they were right souyngly receyued And bycause that he sawe that the sayd brethern were wery he made them ete before the houre acustomed them presented of suche goodes as he hadde ¶ Comyng towarde euen and
made all suche fautes as he was acused of So sayd they to the sayd abbot O fader we haue as moche as to vs hath be possyble suffred endured the grete fautes of the brother Eulalius / by whose wyckednesse slouth and neclygence all the necessaryes ornamentes of our chirche be wasted toren and broken / he setteth nought by our correccyons and wyll doo no thyng for vs. And therfor we are come towarde the for to wyt what thy wyll is to be done in this behalfe ¶ The abbot thenne answered to them My brethern lat vs abyde awhyle and haue pacyence / and theÌ„ne after we shall dyspose therof as we shall see moost expedyent lawful to be doo This answere soo done / the abbot entred in his secrete oratorye / made his request vnto god to the ende he wolde Instructe hym what was to be done of the sayd Relygyouse / whiche thynge was to hym shewed of our lordes dyuyne reuelacyon ¶ And anone he assembled all his relygyouses / to whome he sayde this that foloweth ¶ My bretheren byleue me I ensure you I loue better the matte of Eulaliê° with his humylyte and pacyence / than all the werkes of those that murmure agaynst hym and that dysprayse hym And to the ende that ye shall knowe what meryte he hath toward god / bryÌ„ge me here all your mattes ye shall see what I shall doo ¶ The mattes that brought and sette togydre all in a hepe the fader abbot made them to be fyred And in effect nothyng abode there vnbrente / excepte oonly the matte of the good Eulalius / the whiche in the myddes of all the other abode hole withoute ony hurte of the fyre ¶ All the brethern seeyng this myracle humbly Requyred him pardon of that they hadde spoken lyed vpon hym / syth bare hym honour as to one of the gretest of theyr monasterye ¶ Eulalius seeyng that men dyde to him so grete honour doubtyng to lese humylyte by vayn glorye or otherwyse departed vpon a nyghte and yede his waye to enhabyte him selfe in the deserte within a caue for to eschewe the worshyp and pryde of the worlde ¶ It is prouffytable necessarye that we knewe the laudable vertue of pacyence of the holy fader abbot Anastasiê° to th ende that we consyderyng the same / his meruayllous magnanymyte kyndenesse / we enforce oureself to be suche atte his exemple ¶ He had a boke of fyn parchemen coÌ„teynyng both the olde and the newe testamente / the whiche was of grete pryce and value For it was estymed to be worthe .xviij. shylyng of the money that atte that tyme had cours / the whiche sholde drawe to a ryght grete somme of syluer of the money that is now occupyed in this londe ¶ A Relygyouse came towarde hym for to see hym / and seyng that he was not in his lodgys / sawe the sayd boke the whiche bycause that it semed hym fayre he toke it and bare it away as a theef Anastasiê° retourned sought his boke for to studye in it / but he fouÌ„de it not ¶ And because he was tolde that the sayd Relygyouse hadde be in his lodgys / he thought that he hadde robbed it / and dredynge leste he sholde forswere hymselfe yf he made questyon vnto hym of it / he durst not telle hym nothyng of it ¶ Within a whyle after the sayd Relygyouse brought the sayd booke with hym to be solde in a Cyte moost nere to the monasterye of the sayd saynt Anastasius ¶ And because that the marchauÌ„t to whome the sayd Relygyouse wolde haue solde the sayd booke / wolde not by it withstandynge this that he knewe not how moche it myght well be worth / he lente therupon the somme of .xvi. shelynges And this done he cam to the holy fader Anastasius for to shewe hym the sayd boke to wyt of hym yf it was well worth the sayd .xvi. shelynges ¶ The good abbot Anastasius andswered vnto hyÌ„ ye / that it was a good boke So wente agayn the marchauÌ„t to the sayd broder / gaf hym for it certayne pryce of syluer by a sale made bytwene them / with this bargayne he tolde him / that the abbot Anastasius had tolde hym that it was a good boke that it was well worthe the pryce ¶ Thenne was the brother sore aferde asked of the sayd marchaunt / yf the sayd abbot had not tolde him none other thyng The whiche answered that nay ¶ The brother herknyng after these wordes was righte sory and asked the boke agayne of the sayd marchaunt And syn after in grete compunccyon yelded it ayene to the bysshop Anastasius prayeng hym that he wolde forgyue hym his synne ¶ Anastasius wolde not take agayne the sayd boke / but gaue it vnto him desyryng him that he sholde take it with hym / but the broder wolde neuer departe thens tyll Anastasius had taken it agayne as his owne / and syghed and wepte full sore askyng pardon of his synne Whan the holy abbot sawe his compunccyon / he toke this broder for to dwelle with hym / with whome he abode all the dayes of his lyue ¶ An other hermyte there was somtyme named Pyot that whiche abode a space of tyme with saynt Anthony / whan the sayd Pyot was come to .xxv. yere of his age / of the consentyng of saynt Anthonye / he wente to a place moche secrete and ferre from all folke for to lyue there solytaryly / the whiche place was sette betwix the londe of Nitrye the deserte of Sychye / when he was come to the sayd place / he was constrayned to make a welle for to haue water out of the erthe ¶ And as he was deluynge and besy about it / he purposed to drynke of suche water that he sholde fynde there It happed that it was founde so salte and so bytter / that all thoo that came there to see this holy hermyte were constrayned to bryng water with them because they myghte not drynke of the water of his welle forsayde ¶ Neuerthelesse the good Pyot vsed the same water duryng the space of .xxx. yere and had none other drynke And when the other brethern dede telle him that he sholde departe from the sayde place for to eschewe the sayd water / he answered to them My brethern yf we flee the bytternesses of this world / how trowe ye that we be worthy to haue the Ioyes of paradyse ¶ This Pyot lyued an harde lyfe and a sharpe For whan he wente to ony other place / he bare with hym but a lofe of brede as blacke as ashys and of fygges fyue ¶ In .xxx. yere he neuer wente out of his hermytage / nother for dethe of his parentes nor for ony other necessyte ¶ Atte the ende of .xxx. yere a wydowe his owne syster sent two of her childern to praye hym that he wolde come speke with her a fore her dethe / to whome he answered that he wolde
not goo to her Wherfore this two childeren wente towarde seynt Anthonye and prayed hym that he wolde commaunde hym for to goo vysyte his syster And saynt Anthonye dyde so ¶ Soo toke the good hermyte Pyot a nother Relygyouse with him and obeynge to the commaundement of saynt Anthonye wente for to vysyte his syster ¶ When they were come atte her house / he closed his eyen by cause he sholde not see her / and after sayd vnto her I am thy brother / beholde me as moche as thou wylte / and Incontynente he departed and wente agayne to his hermytage ¶ And this he dyde for to Instructe the prelates and abbottes / that they sholde not gyue leue to theyr relygyouses for to see theyr parentes or neyghboures whan they wolde goo theyr for the grete Inconuenyences that sholde mowe happen there by ¶ An abbot called Iohan dwellynge in a moūtayne named Calamys had in lykewyse a syster whiche was a woman of Relygyon / the whiche hadde tysed hym for to forsake the worlde / all the vanytees of the same He was xxiiij yere that he wente neuer out of his monasterye and without to go vylyte his syster / how well she desyred sore to see hym And to this entent she sent him lettres by the whiche she prayde hym humbly that he wolde come speke with her a fore the endynge of her lyfe for to be comforted of hym att her last ende ¶ Neuerthelesse he wolde not goo there Wherfore she wrote to hym agayne letyng hym to wyte yf he came not vnto her / that she sholde be cōstrayned for to go to hȳ herself The holy abbot was thenne sore on angred thynkyng in hym selfe / but yf he dyde ayenst the entente and purpose of his syster / he sholde be cause that / many other women atte the exemple of her sholde vndertake in lyke wyse for to goo see theyr kynnesmen that were of Relygyon / to the grete hurtynge of theyr saluacyon / wherfore he loued better for to go to her / than that she sholde haue occasyon for to come to hym ¶ Soo toke he two of his Relygyouses with hym for to bere hym company / and wente to the monasterye where his syster was ¶ And after that he hadde knocked atte the gate / his syster came there acompanyed with two other women of Relygyon But bycause that in .xxiiij. yere they hadde not seen eche other she knewe not her brother / the whiche neuerthelesse knewe her well / but he wolde not make hym to be knowen ¶ The brethern that were come with hym asked of her some water for to drynke / for they were wery and chaffed of the waye ¶ And after that they hadde dronke they retourned agayne to theyr monasterye without ony other worde to haue with her Wherfore she not knowyng that it hadde be he / and wrote vnto hym agayne / that he sholde come see hyr / or ellys her soule perysshed ¶ The abbot her brother for an answere sente her worde / how that he hadde be with her by that same token that she had gyuen them drynke / wherfore it sholde suffyse her / and otherwyse she sholde not see hym ¶ And with this by his lettres prayed her / that she wolde haue hym for euer Recomended in prayers towarde god / for to obteyne more easely by meane of the same the saluacyon of his soule ¶ An other Relygyouse dyde otherwyse Some folke brought hym worde that his syster was syke / and anone he purposed for to goo to her that hadde not sente for hym / whan he was come to the monasterye where she was professed Incontynent she sent to him worde that he sholde retourne agayne and that she wolde not speke with hym / but and god wolde she sholde see hym in heuen ¶ And this dyde the good ladye for to shewe that the men ought not to be lycenced nor suffred all be they parentes or other what soo euer they be to haunte in the monasteryes where women of Relygyon be ¶ For to knowe the vertues of the abbot Theodorus / it is to be noted that he was dyscyple of Saynt Pachomyen of whome is wryten here afore where it is touched how in Thebayde be many monasteryes and Infynyte Relygyouses vnder hym ¶ It happed that the syster of the sayd Theodorus for to see hym / transported her selfe vnto the monasteryr wherof he was abbot / to whome some of his Relygyouses Incontynente that she was come wente and shewed vnto hym her comynge ¶ The whiche thynge by hym knowen / not wyllyng for to speke with her / sente her worde / that it myght suffyse her to knowe that he was in good helthe / and that she sholde not care nomore for to come see hym ¶ Morouer prayed her that she sholde Renounce the deceyuable vanytees of the worlde / and that she sholde take her to the astate of Relygyon / to the ende that she sholde come to the felycyte and beatytude eternall / and after that she sholde thynke in her selfe that yf she dyde not soo in kepyng the commaundementes of god / she myghte not in noo wyse be saued ¶ And to the this purpose in hauynge stedfast fayth and hope in god / without ony doubte she sholde lyue euerlastyngly ¶ When she hadde herde his answere / as she hadde be Inspyred of the holy goost / she yelded her in a monasterye of women of Relygyon where she was of ryght holy conuersacyon ¶ The moder of the sayde Theodorus when she vnderstode these tydynges / made some bysshopes to wryte vnto saynt Pachomyen fader abbot of the sayd Theodorus her sone / that he sholde commaunde hym for to come speke with her / and Saynt Pachomyen dyde so atte the requeste of the sayd bysshopes that had wryten to hym for it Theodorus after the lettres of his fadr abbot seen and redde that his moder had broughte hym / sente her worde that for feere to offende god / he durste not speke with her For thus to doo he sholde gyue to many a Relygyouse bothe to men women occasyon maner to doo the same Wherfore he prayed her that she wolde contente herselfe that for that tyme with hym she sholde not speke She thenne abydyng atte the gate whan she knewe that he wolde not come speke with her / purposed to herself neuer to retourne atte her house Soo wente she to a monasterye of virgyns whiche was nyghe ynough by the sayde abbaye / sayeng in herselfe that she sholde see hym some tyme whenne he sholde goo oute of it for the nedefull affayres of the same / ymagynynnge also / that she myght profyte in the monasterye of the sayd virgyns for the holy deuoute lyfe that they ledde theyr / wherby lightly she myght do her saluacōn in takyng exēple to the constaūce of her sone ¶ Saynt Pachomyen of whom is wryten here afore dyde meruaylouse thynges and was almoost egall vnto saynt Anthonye ¶
and consequently the felycyte eternall ¶ An other abbot named Danyell testyfyed of the sayd abbot Arsenyen / that he aplyed hym self gladly for to make baskettes of leues of certayn trees / to the whiche werke he muste haue water for to wete his leues / often it happed that the water wherwith he halpe hymselfe stanke right sore / wherof his habytacyon was infecte marred / neuertheles he wolde not cast a waye the sayd water / but when there was lytyll of it / he put more to the same / wherof some of his brethern dede blame him / askyng why he cast not the olde water awaye toke of the fresshe by it self ¶ To whom he answered that in tyme passed he was wonte to haue in his chambre all maner of swetnesse lycours smellyng swete by cause it shold be swete of smellȳg / wherfore in stede of the sayd sauours full swete smellyng of that whiche he had delyted long / he wolde haue other that were rotyn stynkyng to th entent that he sholde not be repreued nor shent to haue lyued in this worlde ouermoche deyntely / bryngyng ayen to this purpose the horryble stenches tourmentes of helle that they that be dampned do fele / the hystorye of the wycked ryche man the lyued here so deyntely / the whiche is now buryed in the pyete of helle ¶ An other brother demaūded of hym how he ought to make his orysons / sayeng that for no prayer that he made he coude not haue a very nor stedfast cōpunccōn / namely by cause he vnderstode not the scrypture ¶ The holy abbot Arsenyen answered hȳ / that they the vnderstand not the holy scrypture ought contynuelly to praye god as well as the were grete clerkes / gaf an exemple of the serpente that herkeneth after the voyce of the enchaūtour / for all be it that he vnderstandeth hȳ not / alwayes he yeldeth hȳselfe subget to the sayd enchaūtour ¶ Also they the proferen the holy wordes of the fayth of holy chirche / all be it that they vnderstande no thyng of it / alwayes in sayeng them / they chasse put awaye by the vertue strengthe of suche holy worde◠/ the stedfast byleue that they haue in god the deuyls fro them / pryncypally bycause that the deuyll maye not here the holy wordes that whiche haue be sayd by the true prophetes and holy sayntes ¶ Somtyme not ferre fro the celle or habytacōn of saynt Machary was a murdre done / of the whiche iniustly was a sȳple man accused / when he sawe that by auctoryte of the Iustyce men wolde haue take hȳ for the sayd caas He fled awaye to the monasterye of saynt Macharye The offycers the pursued hȳ for to fynde the meanes to bryng hȳ with them / sayd to the Relygyouse / that yf he were not yeldē in theyr hādes / they theyr abbot Macharye sholde deye for it ¶ And bycause that this Macharye wyst not how to resyste / he requyred the sergeantes that they sholde bryng him there as he that had be murdred was buryed / they dyde soo And thenne be made his prayer to god anone he called the deed bodye / the whiche answered / here I am ¶ Saynte Macharye thenne adiured hym / that he sholde telle yf he hadde be slayne by hym that men wolde take oute of his monasterye or noo / wherat he answered naye / wherof tho same sergeantes were sore meruaylled / and kneled before saynt Macharye / and prayed hym that he wolde wyt of the deed who had kylde hym The holy man answered that he wolde not do it / for it suffysed hym that the sayd Innocente sholde be delyuered / and that it aperteyned hym not make the malefactour to be accused / the whiche myght do penaunce saue his soule ¶ And by this that is sayd aboue / it appyreth ynoughe that men of the chirche ought not to accuse ne knowe of synfull befall / atte lest in maner that deth folowe not therby ¶ A brother gaue a grape of Rasyns to the sayd saynt Macharye the whiche he sent to one of his brethern that was syke / the syke sende it to an other / thus consequently it was sente from celle to celle so moche the fynally / he that last receyued it sente it agayne vnto Saynte Macharye The whiche when he knewe that the sayd grape hadde be gyuen sente from one brother to the other / namely consyderyng that the celles habytacōns were sore ferre from eche other / he thanked god by synguler affeccyon / of the grete charytees whiche by this he knewe was amonge his Relygyouses ¶ Of hym selfe it is wryten / that the deuyll for to deceyue hȳ / transtygured hym lyke a monke / came knocked atte his dore sayeng Macharye aryse come with the other monkes that longe syn are in oryson ¶ The holy man knowyng that it was the deuyll he answered to hym O false lyer enuye of trouthe / what hast thou to do now to brynge thy selfe with the company of the deuoute relygyouses whiche enforce them selfe for to praye god wherat the deuyl answered to hym O Macharye thou knowest not thenne how that they neuer doo praye without vs. Now come on thy waye / thou salt see yf I saye trouthe or not ¶ Thenne saynt Macharye sette hym selfe to oryson / prayed god that he wolde shewe to hym yf it was trouthe that the deuyll had tolde hym ¶ After he wente to the chirche where the brethern sayd matyns / incontynent that he was within the chirche / he sawe a multytude of deuyls as blacke as Ethyopyens or men of Inde the were with his relygyouses To some they shette theyr eyen to the other they closed the mouth to the ende that they sholde not synge / afore the other that after matyns sette them self to oryson / the sayd fendes for to kepe them therfro / they transfygured them self in dyuerse speces of women And what soeuer prayer that the sayde bretheren made / thoo same fendes brought ayen dyuerse fantasyes in to theyr myndes ¶ Alwayes some of them were moche deuoute / and in suche wyse they resysted agaynste the temptacyons and mockynges aboue sayde / that the sayde fendes taryed nor arrected not nyghe them / but wente awaye all confuse ¶ Whenne Saynte Macharye hadde seen this scorne or derysyon / he began to syghe and to wepe made suche an oryson to our lorde O my redemptour I beseche the right humbly that it wyll please the to gyue helpe and socours to our poore soules / the whiche be all fulle of wycked deceyuynges After he called togyder all his Relygyouses and questyoned them of theyr conscyences after that he hadde seen the deuylles tempte them when they were in oryson Some to hym answered and sayd that they hadde be of purpose to forsake theyr monasterye And some sayd that they
before hym on his knees / castyng hym self to the erthe / as they that asked to the holy faders theyr blessyng were wouÌ„â—e for to do ¶ And after that he had made his oryson / he wente out of the celle of the sayd holy fader leuyng his childe there ¶ And so it happed that the holy fader forsayd tendyng styll to his prayers contemplacoÌ„ns / had not seen the sayd good man / or atte lest had not spoken to hym / in tournyng hym selfe a backe he sawe the childe thus caste afore hym as afore is sayd / wenyng that he had be thus prayeng vnto god He saye vnto hym suche wordes / aryse my sone go after thy fader And Incontynent after these wordes / the childe meruayllously arose went towarde his fader / whiche seeyng hym alyue agayne was soueraynly meruaylled / knowynge the grace that god had done to hym / he gaaf to hym graces than kynges And also came thanked the sayd abbot that wyst no thyng therof wherof he receyued not vnto hym the worshyp nor the glorye / but he was ful sory to here telle of suche thynges / â—oâ—â—tyng that the noyse that myght aryse therby sholde be cause to make hym falle in to the synne of vayne glorye / wherfore expresly he defended vnto the sayd good man that he sholde neuer telle nothyng of it at lest tyll after his deth ¶ A seculer man taken of the deuyll was brought somtyme in to a chirche where were many monkes / the whiche made togydre theyr prayers for hym / but neuerthelesse the deuyll wolde not leue hym Soo were they purposed for to desyre theyr abbot Besaryon that he sholde praye for hym / but they were yet in a dyffyculte / sayeng that yf they sholde go telle hym this in his chambre / he sholde not come to the chirche / wherfor beryng this man towarde hyÌ„ they dyde sette him donne by the waye where theyr sayde abbot sholde come / began agayne togydre for to praye god for the sayd man ¶ And when the sayd abbot sholde haue passed by eche of them beganne for to calle and crye O fader abbot awake this man Incontynent the holy man makyng ouer hym the sygne of the crosse coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym that he sholde aryse go out of the waye / he dyde soo ¶ An other was in Egypte that had a childe whiche had the palsey / the whiche as the pleasyr of god was / he toke bare him vnto the celle of saynt Besaryon / sore wepyng lefte hym at the â—ore ¶ This done the childe began to wepe weyle And the holy man that loked out atte the wyndowe sawe hym sayd My childe who hath brought the there / wherat the childe answered Syre it was my fader that hath lefte me here ¶ Thenne saynt Besaryon sayd to hym / stande vp my sone goo after hym / and anone with good helth he departed went after his fader ¶ The abbot Mutues sayd / that the more that a man denieth hym selfe a grete synner / he is without comparacyon moche more parfyt and more nexte god than the other be that do not soo ¶ And to this purpose Ysaye sayeng / god called hym selfe wretchyd abhomynable synner / we haue in this worlde but care / and contynuelly in dauÌ„ger to falle ¶ Also it is wryten he that is vp / lat hym beware of a fall / we rowe in the see / euer in daunger to be perysshed Morouer he sayd that they that are in solytarye places rowe in sauete as lyghtned with the sonne of ryghtwysnesse ¶ And they that are in the worlde rowe in dauÌ„ger / that is to wyte for doubte of the nyght / that betokeneth vnknowyng / but not withstaÌ„dynge it happeth often to them that be seculers / how be it that they rowe in the derkenesse of the nyght / that is to wyte amonge the wretchydnesse and worldly troubles / that theyr shyppe cometh to port salue ¶ And they that be in relygyon bycause that they be assured as them semeth / yf they become neclygent and proude / they leue theyr good styre and ruler / that is to wyte mekenesse / wherof it happeth somtyme that theyr shyppe is drowned in the see ¶ And right soo as it is Impossyble a shyp to be sure without nayles / also it is Impossyble to be saued without mekenesse whiche is neuer angry / nor wyll neuer consente that an other shall be angry Mekenesse is to forgyue hym that hath trespasseth agaynst vs afore that he repenteth / that is to saye as soone as he hath done to vs ony shame Iniurye or wronge ¶ The abbot Macharye ones well erly dyde fette leues of a lawrer tree for to make mattes withall And as he came homewarde ayen he mette the deuyll that bare a sharpe secle wherwith he wende to haue stryke atte hym / but he coude not ¶ And after as for grete dyspyte he cryed lowde sayd O Machary thou gyuest me moche tourment / when I wene for to trouble hurte the I can not / and yet alwayes I go beyonde the in all werkes / for thou etest drynkest whiche I do neuer soo Thou spekest somtyme / I haue neuer lust to do so Neuerthelesse thou settest me vnder so to in one thyng / that is in mekenesse Thenne the holy fader dyde sette hym selfe to oryson / the dampned spyryte dyde vanysshe awaye ¶ A man that taken was of the deuyl smotte ones one of the holy faders of Egypte in the face vpon his â—o cheke And Incontynente the holy fader proffred hym his other cheke for to receyue an other stroke of hym ¶ The deuyll seeyng his mekenesse myght not endure the same wente out of the sayd lyke mannes bodye ¶ An other holy fader sayde that alle the vertues that a Relygyouse myght perfoâ—me / without humilyte they can not prouffyte hym nothyng For humylyte is the messageâ— of charyte In hauyng the whiche men be with god whiche is the same charyte ¶ The abbot Macharye as he was clyÌ„myng vpon the montayn of Nitrye he badde a dyscyple of his that he sholde goo afore hym And in his waye he mette with a preest of the paynemyes lawe / beryng a grete logge at his neck to whome the dyscyple callynge vpon hym began to saye ¶ O thou deuyll where doest thou renne now The preest that was angry of his wrong dyde bete so sore the dyscyple that he lefte him for deed Anone after this preest mette with saynt Macharye that greted him sayeng O thou man that delyuered the other saued mayst thou be ¶ And thenne the preest demaunded of hym / what good haste thou see in me that thou hast so curtously greted me The holy man answered vnto hym / that he had see hym renne and labour in his waye full fast / and he wyst not where And this sayd he to the sayd preest because that
parfyte in the drede of god ¶ And they beynge in this ymagynacyon they sawe his face wounderfully and more bryght than it was a fore ¶ Thenne sayd he to them / see see my brethern our lorde cometh And saynge these wordes he gaaf vp his gooste in the handes of god ¶ The holy fader Arsenyen was in his tyme so vertuous so moche enflaÌ„med with the loue of Ihesu cryst / that the moost parte of the tyme contemplyeng his worthy deth passyon / he wepte bewaylled / so that by coÌ„tynuauÌ„ce of wepynge awaye the habondauÌ„ce of teeres from his eyen all the herys of the lyddes of the eyen fell of neuer grewe ayen / when he sholde deye he ordeyned to his dyscyples that they sholde not do none almose nor ony charytable dede for hyÌ„ / sayeng that yf he had hymselfe done some he shold fynde it bycause that these his dyscyples were troubled of that they sawe the houre of his deth drawe nygh / he sayd vnto them My childern the houre of my deth is not yet come / when it shall be nyghe I shall not be styll / but alwayes I praye you / that yf ye dese to sorn ony parte of my body / ye shall therof gyue acompte afore god in his Iugemente / where I shal accuse you therof yf ye do so ¶ Thenne they asked hym what they sholde do with his bodye / for they wyst nothyng of wyndyng of deed folke ¶ So answered he thenne to them Ye shall bynde my feet togydre with a corde theÌ„ne ye shall drawe me vnto the top of the montayn where men haue of custome to bury that other ¶ After he toke hyÌ„self to wepe as he was wonte to do all the tyme of his lyf ¶ And where the holy faders beyng about hyÌ„ sawe hyÌ„ wepe so sore / they asked hym / what moeued hym for to do so / yf he had ony drede or feer To whome he answerd / the truly he doubted moche our lorde as he alwayes had done / namely syth that he was made Relygyouse The holy abbot Poemen seeyng hym after his deth sayd suche wordes of hym O holy fader Arsenyen / thou art well happy that thou hast wept so moche in these worlde / for certaynly he that not haue wept here / shal be coÌ„strayned to wepe in the other worlde And it is Impossyble that a man maye be forborn other for to wepe here with his wyll for to decerne the Ioye euerlastyÌ„g / or to wepe by coÌ„straynte in the tormentes of helle for the punycoÌ„n of his syÌ„nes ¶ Of this holy fader Arsenyen folde the holy fader abbot Danyell that how be it that he was gretly lettred experte in that knowloge of holy scrypture / neuerthelesse feryn to renne in to vayn glorye / he wolde neuer argue therof / nor also wryte no maner of pystles / but yf he was coÌ„strayned by grete necessite for to do so / when he fouÌ„de hyÌ„self in the couent of that coÌ„pany of holy faders he stode always behyÌ„de a pyler yf ony was there / to th ende that he shold not haue occasioÌ„ to loke nor speke vnto ony ê‘sone / also because no bodye sholde see nor spek to hyÌ„ His beholdyÌ„g was al lyke to an angell / he had his herys whyt as Iacob had / also arayed as he was / longe beâ—teful of bodye / how be it always that he was sore lene drye / yet came his herde doÌ„ne to the bely of hyÌ„ / so was he bowyng foreward bycause of his grete age / he deyed when he was come to his four score .xv. yere ¶ He hadde dwelled .xl. yere in that palays of the noble Theodosyen whiche was fader to Honorius Archadins ¶ After that he dwelled in a place called Troyn vpon Babylony towarde the cyte of Nemphis / thre yere in Alexandrye ¶ After he retourned ayen to Troyn forsayd where he dwelled other two yeres / there he yelded his goost to god as he that was fulfylled with veray fayth with the grace of the holy goost ¶ Saynt Athanasy bysshop of AlexaÌ„drye sent worde ones to the abbot Pambon that he sholde come see hym The whiche obeyng to his request went there with some of his Relygyouses And in coÌ„myng toward the sayd Athanasy whiche seeyng some seculers that were in theyr waye putte not them selfe in purpose for to doo nor shewe to them due Reuerence / he sayd to them Aryse vp my frendes salue these good Relygyouses to the ende that they shall gyue you theyr blessynges / certaynely they spake often with god / theyr worde is holy And in sayeng these wordes / he sawe in the strete a poore syÌ„ner a comon woman whiche was curyously arayed ¶ So began be to wepe when he sawe her / wherfore it was asked of hym by theym presente what thynge moeued by for to wepe To the whiche beynge present â—e answered two thynges whiche I see cause me to do so One is the losse of that poore woman / the other is that I take not so grete thought nor care to please god / as she dothe to please the synners dyshonest men ¶ It is fouÌ„de wryten of an olde holy fader that when he had Intencyon to do penauÌ„ce of some synne wherof he was desceyued his sensualyte sayd to hyÌ„ that he sholde deferre it to an other daye that he sholde alwayes come tyme ynoughe for to repente hym of it â—e answered that he sholde not lâ—ue for to do redely his penauÌ„ce / for it ought for to be done hastly / bycause that we be not in surte that we shall lyue do daye more And after when he sholde haue done his purpose god sholde do thenne or the next daye his pleasure of hym ¶ An other of the holy faders shewed of a bysshop that whiche bycause he had herde telle the two of his subgettes were auoutrers / he prayed our lord that he wolde gyuen certayn knowloge yf they were as fowle bespotted as folke sayd / vpon a daye then after that he had songe masse / his subgett coÌ„myng to the aulter for to receyue there the precyous bodye of our lorde / he knewe by dyuyne inspyracyon whether theyr thoughtes were good or badde / namely he knewe the synners by theyr faces that were black as coles / theyr eyen reed as blood And the other that were clene puryfyed of theyr synnes he knewe also by theyr vysages vestymentes that shewed to be whyte / to all the whiche Indyfferently be admynystred the holy sacramente of the aulter And this done the faces of some of them semed him as bryght as the sonne gyuyng a lyght soueraynly And the faces of the other semed as they had be esprysed with a dredefull flame But in gyuyng the sayd sacramente to the two aduoutrers of whiche is touched aboue / he apperceyued that one of them had the
that thou art gone all redy ferre from thy celle / but come folowe me And the holy fader dyde so / sodeynly he founde hym self before his lytell house where he was parted fro ¶ Thenne sayd the childe to the holy man that he sholde entre his celle for to praye god therin And after these wordes sayd / the good hermyte entred in to his celle / the childe vanysshed awaye ¶ The abbot Danyell sayd of saynt Arsenye that euery satyrdaye / he was so contynuall in his orysons that he cessed not to praye tyll that he sawe the sonne tourned behynde his backe / yet abode therat / heuyng vp his handes to heuen tyll that the mornyg was come ayen and that the sonne rysyng smote his ey syght with his beames And yet he passed the other nyght wakyng / but towarde the mornyng / when for to satysfye the freeltee of his kynde / he was constrayned for to slepe a lytyll / he called vpon slepe sayd / comhether euyll seruaunt And thus shettyng his eyen / he toke all syttyng a lytyll rest / anone after he rose ayen ¶ The abbot Lucius beynge within a grete pytte depe / where he helde him selfe contemplatyuely / came there ones vnto hym certayne hermytes or Relygyouses that made themselfe to be called the bedemans To whome by the sayd holy fader Lucius was axed to what hande werkes they where wonte for to occupye them selfe Wherat they answered / that they dyde no maner of temporall werke But folowynge the doctryne of saynt Paule without Intermyssyon or lettyng they prayed god Thenne he asked them ayen yf they ete not And they answered yes Yet he asked them / yf they slept not / lykewyse they sayd ye And I aske you thenne sayd the holy fader abbot / when ye ete / or slepe / who prayeth god for you To that whiche questyon they wyst not what they sholde answere Thenne he sayd to them My brethern pardonne me I see well by your answeres / that ye doo not as ye tell me / saynge that ye praye goâ— without lettynge / but I wyll shewe vnto you / that in labouryng werkynge with myn handes I praye god contynuelly / when by the ayde of god I wyll take me to werke I do sette me donne / by me I do ley a quantyte of small palmes of the whiche I pare of the pylles therof I make mattes / whyle I am besy about the same I praye saynge to god in this wyse Syre haue mercy of me after thy grete mercy and after the multytude of thy grete mercyes forgyue myn wyckednesse I aske you / yf this to be sayd / is prayer or no. And they answered that it was a true prayer And syth ayen the holy fader Lucius sayd vnto them / when I labour thus thrughe out the daye / in labouryng I praye god I gete with my labour .xij. or .xv. small penys / somtyme more / another tyme lesse / wherof I putte atte dore of my celle two penys for some poore bodye that happeth to come forby fyrst / with the remenauÌ„t I do bye this that is vnto me nedefull for my lyuyng And my trust is / that he that taketh my sayd almose prayeth god for me when I ete or also when I slepe / or atte leste by so moche space of tyme as I putte in my repast takynge or in slepyng / by all thus the grace of god helpyng I trust god I do that whiche holy scrypture exhorteth saynge Praye without ceassynge ¶ The abbot Macharye vpon a tyme among other beryng maundes of his makyng to a mart for to be solde / fouÌ„de hym selfe so sore wery because of the longe waye / that he was constrayned to sytte donne vpon the erthe for to rest hym selfe saynge / my god thou knoweste that I maye no more go And incontynent he fouÌ„de hymselfe by a ryuer whiche he must passe ouer / whiche was yet sore ferre from that place where he had sette hyÌ„ selfe donne afore when he made his complaynte ¶ The abbot Ammon departynge from his celle for to go fette water att a welle / he founde in his waye a grete serpente basylyque / seeyng that he coude not eschewe / but that the saye serpent sholde bryng hym to dethe / yf he were not keped there from of the grace of god / dyde sette hym selfe donne afore the serpente forsayd saynge to our lord in this wyse My god I knowe that I must deye or ellys this beste And these wordes sayd / this basylyke by that myght of god deyed sodeynly all tered in peces ¶ The abbot Besaryon and a dyscyple of his owne walkynge togydre alonge the shores of the see / the sayd dyscyple was sore greued with grete thurste bycause of the grete heâ—e that was that daye there Soo was he constrayned to telle vnto his fader in god Besaryon that his grete thurst tormented hym right sore The whiche thyng heryng the holy fader / his oryson vnto god Redely y made / coÌ„maunded hym to take of the water of the see for his drynke And where he had dronken of it / he founde it veray swete and good so fylled he with it a boteyll that he bare with hym ¶ The holy fader Besaryon seeyng this sayd vnto hyÌ„ / why haste thou fylled thy boteylle with the same water The dyscyple feryng the holy fader answered Helas fader I requyre the of pardon I haue be soo sore payned with thurst / that I feere me to falle therat yet agayne ¶ To whom the sayd holy fader sayd My sone god pardonne the the same / thou ought to wyte that god is euery where / and he maye gyue graunte the water good and swete in what soeuer place that he wyll / soo that thou haue a veray loue and affeccyon towarde hym toward thyn euen crysten with veray fayth and good hope in kepynge his coÌ„maundementes ¶ An olde fader reherced of a yong man the whiche hauyng a wylle for to be a man of Relygyon / was of his moder sore letted therfrom / but neuerthelesse she coude not do somoche there ayenste that she myght tourne hym from his good purpos sayng that he wolde saue his soule / wherby fynably she coÌ„sented therunto ¶ And after that he was receyued in Relygyon / he passed therin a parte of his yongthe in grete neâ—lygence of his soule It happed thenne that his moder deyed / and anone after her dyscease he fell syke with a gryuouse sykenesse / duryng the whiche his goost was rauysshed and borne out of his bodye for to be presented afore the Iugemente of god / there to receyue the punysshemente of his mysdedes / but in this rauysshyng / he sawe his moder that was in grete sorowe and tourmentes with those that were there coÌ„dempned She seeyng there hyr son was wonderfully abasshed / and sayd vnto hym Ha my sone and
what is this / art thou here coÌ„dempned for to suffre euerlastyng tourmentes Alas where ben the fayre wordes / that thou saydest / whan thou woldest ayenst my good wyll entre in to Relygyon / saynge that in this maner thou wolde do the saluacoÌ„n of thy soule Heryng the whiche wordes and seeyng the gryuouse tourmentes that his moder suffred / he founde hymselfe so ouercome so abasshed that he wyst not what he sholde answere ¶ And after this by hym seen herde his goost came in to his bodye ayen / and as by the wyll of god it was suffred / he retorned from his syknesse vnto good helth ayen So thought he in hym selfe that this vysyon was to hym by god his mercy done / and for this cause he shâ—tt hym selfe within his celle / thynkynge to enforce hym selfe there to his soules saluacoÌ„n / whiche for to gette / he made there grete sharpe penaunces for his synnes and neclygences passed And in effect he was somoche bowed to weryâ— and trauaylle his bodye there by paynes and afflyccyons / that many one requyred hym that he sholde not take so moche vpon hym And namely bycause that euer without seassyng he wept syghed / prayed hym that he sholde somtyme absteyne hymselfe from wepyng to th ende that he sholde not lese his syght by it / or that he sholde renne in to some other Inconuenyences But neuerthelesse he wolde not be coÌ„forted / saynge that syth he myght not susteyne noâ— endure the Rebukes of his moder that he had seen in these wretched and horryble tourmentes / with more grete hardenesse payne he sholde abyde or endure the wrath of god of his sayntes atte the daye of his grete Iugemente ¶ A Relygyouse was in Egypte moche solytarye / that amonge the other bycause of his grete humylyte / was sore famed He had a syster that lyued wantonly among men / the whiche was cause of the dampnacyon losse of many one So was this Relygyouse oftentymes Requyred pursyewed of dyuerse good men / that he sholde goo towarde her in the cyte where she kepte herselfe to th ende that by meanes of his admonycyons he myght do so moche that she wolde forbere withdrawe her from suche dampnable wantonnesse And where he came to the place openly where she helde herselfe / a man of her knowloge wente hastly towarde her sayd Here is thy brother that cometh towarde the She y moeued with grete gladnesse / leueyng her louers whiche she wolde fayne haue pleased / with her hede all bare wente out of her lodgys for to renne ayenst her brother / where thenne she enforced herselfe for to haue taken hym in her armes kysse hym / he sayde vnto her Alas my syster my right dere frende I praye the that thou wyll haue pyte vpon thy soule in consyderynge the grete paryll in whiche thou lyuest where so many a wretchyd man thrugh the occasyon of the is perysshed / wherof atte the last thou shalt must suffre Infynyte paynes for it and tourmentes Intollerable ¶ She heryng the wordes of her brother / and shakynge horrybly / thynkynge vpon the same / beganne for to saye vnto hym Alas my brother / thynkest thou that after soo many euylles whiche I haue done I myght yet come for to gette my soules saluacyon / Wherat he answered I ensure the my frende / yf thou wyll doo thy deuoyre / that lyghtely thou shalte be saued ¶ Thenne she castynge her selfe atte her brothers fete Requyred hym right besyly that he wolde led her with hym there as she myght do penaunce And thenne he answered vnto her My syster I wyll well / but goo fyrst and couere thy hede / and thenne come after and folowe me To whome she sayd agayne Goo we my brother goo we It is better for me to walke and goo amonge the men bare hede and all dyfformate / than for to Retourne to the synnes abhomynable wherat I haue tysed them / ¶ And as they sette them selfe for to walke togydre / her brother excyted and warned her for to doo penaunce And seeyng that some folke mette them by the waye / he sayd to her My frende bycause that euery man knoweth not that thou art my syster / and to th ende that we gyue none occasyon to folke that goo by to thynke or saye ylle / me semeth to be necessarye that thou sette thy selfe a lytyll out of the waye tyll that they be passed / and thenne I shall calle the agayne to me The whiche thynge she graunted him with a good wyll And anone after when hym thought that they sholde not mete nomore ony folke / he called her to hym ayen saynge My syster lete vs go our waye And after that he had called her two or thre tymes she answered hym not / he wente there as she was behynde an hedge fouÌ„de her dede / founde also the trayne of her passes where she had tredde all full of blode bycause that she had putte of bothe her hosys shone And where as her brother hadde shewed this thyng vnto some of his brethern Relygyouses / they had amonge them grete doubte of her saluacyon / but our lorde shewed vnto one of them / that bycause that in walkyng she had forsaken the flesshly desyres worldly pleasurs / by merueylouse contrycyon had sette herselfe for to wepe to complayne vpon the gryfâ—es of her synnes For this cause he had receyued agreably her deuoute penauÌ„ce ¶ Saynt Athanasye obteynynge the archebysshopryche of Alexandrye and dwellyng there / many heretykes enforced themself for to bespotte with theyr errours the holy fayth of crystendom And atte this cause for to haue destroyde the sayd errours / he made saynt Anthonye to come in the cyte / whiche beynge there / an olde blynde man named Dydymus came towarde him whiche was well lettred wonderfully taught in holy wryte In spekyng and dysputyng of whiche saynt Anthonye meruaylled moche of the grete engyne vnderstandyng that this blynde man had theim And gyuyng a laude to the hyghenesse of his corage / askyng hym yf he was not heuy sory that he had lost his bodely eyen ¶ And where the same Dydymus shamefast dyspleased with it dyde not answere nothyng to his askyng ¶ Saynt Anthonye the seconde tyme and also the thyrde tyme questyoned hym as afore / but he answered hym nomore than he had done att the fyrst tyme / wherby he gaue to knowe vnto saynt Anthonye the heuynes that he bare in his corage to haue lost the bodely lyght ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye this knowyng sayd in this maner I meruayll me how a man prudente sage maye be sory of the domage losse of that thyng whiche the pyssemyers the bees the flyes haue where as they sholde be gladde of that thyng whiche the postles other sayntes haue deserued to haue Veryly it is a better thyng more
grete to see with the spyrytuell eyen / than with the bodely eyen / to possesse rather suche eyen / by the whiche a synne as lytyll as for to take vp a strawe can not be done / than the eyen that by one oonly loke of concupyscence maye make a man to falle in to the gryÌ„nes of deth with tormente euerlastyng ¶ A Relygyouse dwellyng in the desertes of Nytrye whiche was more sparynge than a couetouse man / not takyng hede that our lorde was solde for .xxx. penys / left behynde hym when he was deed a hondred shelyng whiche he had spared with weuyng of clothes The relygyouses his neyghbours that dwelled in the same desertes as two or thremyle one from an other / hadde togydre counseyll / what they ought for to doo with this hondred shelyng Some of them sayd that men ought to deale it to the poore folke for goddes sake / some sayde that it sholde be gyuen to the chyrche / and some sayd that they ought to sende it to the parentes of the forsayd relygyouse that was deed ¶ But saynt Macharye / the holy fader Pambo / saynt Ysodore and some other holy faders beynge atte the same counseyll and spekyng out of the mouthe of the holy goost decerned concluded that it sholde be buryed with theyr mayster that hadde spared them / saynge Thy moneye be with the to thy losse and destruccoÌ„n And to th ende that this thynge be not thought cruelly done It is to be noted / that by this was moeued suche a feere and soo grete a drede amonge all the monkes and Relygyouses of the londe of Egypte / that euery of them thought a right grete and abhomynable synne in a man to leue onely oo shelyng after his deth ¶ A yong stryplyng borne of Grece became a Relygyouse in the desertes of Egypt And how well that he was sore abstynente and made lene his bodye with paynfull fastynges / grete labours and longe watchynges / neuerthelesse he coude not putte out in hym the mocyons of flesshely concupyscence And where this thyng was shewed vnto the fader abbot of his monasterye / he fouÌ„de the maner for to preserue him therfrom by suche a meane He coÌ„mauÌ„ded to a grete man moche hughe and sore harde / that he sholde goo chyde fyersly / and saye many grete wronges to the sayd Relygyouse / and that yet after grete shame sayd and done to hym / he sholde not gyue hym leue to scuse hym selfe / but sholde euer contynue his blames and complayntes ayenste hym / the whiche thynge this man Incontynent fulfylled And for to moeue and trouble more the sayde yonge Relygyouse / all be it that he was not gylty of the shames that he sayd by hym / he called some persones for to be presente when he spake vnto hym suche shames / the whiche as they hadde be lerned afore helde with the sklaunderar and bare out his dede to the blame of the poore Relygyouse Innocente Where by he consyderynge the grete outrage and shame of the wronges that hym were layed vpon agaynste all truthe / toke hym selfe for to wepe and syghe soo sore that it was grete wounder And contynued his teeres a longe space of tyme as he that was Replenysshed other fulfylled with moche grete heuynesse and putte from all ayde and socoure and other comforte as to hym semed But that he Retourned to god his creatour and Redemer / vnto whome lyenge flatte and castynge hym selfe to the erthe / he made Ryght sorowfull and bytter complayntes of the grete wronges Iniuryes and Rebukes whiche wrongfully and without a cause hadde be putte vpon hym And he contynued this lyfe well an hole yere the whiche ended and acomplysshed / this yonge man was questyoned and asked / how he bare hym selfe touchyng his lecherouse temptacyons / and yf he was passyoned therwith ony more bycau-of them Where vnto he andswered sayd vnto them Alas when it is not honest for me for to haue aptyte to lyue lenger / that I ought to desyre my selfe deed for the grete shames that haue be layd vpon me / how sholde I remeÌ„bre of ony lecherouse appetyte to be within me / as he wolde haue sayd / that detraccyon whiche Iniustly had be done ouer hym / had taken awaye from hym all other cogytacoÌ„ns thoughtes And by this meane the sayd yong Relygyouse was thrugh the aduyse of the sayd holy fader saued kept from the sayd temptacyons / came syn ayen casely to the right waye when he knewe that the sayd wronges had be done to hym for to make hym for to forgette the temptacyons aboue sayd ¶ Here after consequently foloweth a lytyll boke or treatyse conteynyng many instruccyons for folke of Relygyon other contemplatyue / how they owe to behaue them selfe that one with the other / to profyte in Relygyon / whiche begynneth in latyn Interrogauit c. A Relygyouse Requyred the abbot Anthonye that he wolde teche hym how he myght sooneste please our lorde To the whiche Relygyouse the same abbot answered / that to what soeuer place that he sholde goo / he sholde alwayes haue god afore his eyen / and that in the thynges that he sholde doo / he sholde euer haue the wyenessynge and prouynge of the holy wryte / and that he sholde not be vnstedfaste / but in all places where he hadde to dwelle / he sholde perseuerantly abyde therat and not to departe sodeynly therfrom Tellyng morouer vnto hym that in kepyng and obseruyng curyously these thre thynges / he sholde purchace his saluacyon ¶ The abbot Pambo askynge of the abbot Anthonye / how he ought to ledde hym selfe for to lyue vertuously This anthonye sayd to hym / trust not vpon thy holy lyfe Repente not of the thyng that is passed where no remedy can not be hadde to it Refrayne thy tonge from ouermoche and vnprofytable langage kepe also that thou fylle not thy bely ¶ Saynt Gregorye sayd that our lord asketh thre thynges to be pryncypally kept by euery crysten man / the fyrst that he haue a veray fayth kepe it with all his soule / the seconde that he be true in his wordes / the thyrde that he be contente chaste of bodye ¶ Saynt Euagrius sayd that the mere that is dyre without craftly sauer as fruytes herbes rotys is a couenable â—â—ete for men of Relygyon / that suche mete bryÌ„geth them to the hauen of saluacoÌ„n Impassyble / that is to saye to the blysse that euer shall last without ende ¶ Ayen he sayd / that a Relygyouse to whome the deth of his fader was tolde / answered vnto hym that brought hym this tydynges My frende leue of blame no more my fader / saynge by the that he is deed / for thou sayst not well / bycause that I knowe well that he is Inmortall By the whiche wordes / the sayd Relygyouse gaue to vnderstande / that he reputed not hym selfe to
nature departe with her thy grete mercy And in that stedfast fayth bylyue that I haue of thyn endles myght / by the whiche the daye of the generall resurreccion is comen / thou shalt not oonly reyse the bodyes / that thou hast alredy formed / that now be deed / also all thoo that are to be born shall yet be by the created it wyll please the to here my right hūble request prayer / hauyng pyte of my goost longe syn deed / of my soule soo moche vnhappy defoyled spotted with the fylth of synne / in lykewyse of myn abhomynable bodye whiche I haue so moche dysguysed made foule / that I may nomore lyue / bycause namely that I haue not had in the stedfast belyue Alas syre pardōne me by penaūce my synne whiche is double / aswell bycause of the brekyng of thy cōmaūdementes / as of dysperacōn / quyckenyng my contrycion / cōmaunde syre that this lanterne be kyndled with thy fyre / to th ende that takyng trust of thy mercy Indulgence duryng the other parte of the tyme that thou shall gyue me grace to lyue in this worlde I may curyously dylygently kepe as I ought to do thy worthy cōmaūdementes / without to departe from thy drede by all the dayes of my lyfe I may serue the deuoutly And on the sayd Resurreccōn nyght of our lorde sayng these wordes with grete shedyng of teeres he arose from his oryson for to see yf the sayd lanterne sholde be kyndled / so he toke of the syde frō the sayd cawdron but he foūde it in suche astate as when he dyde put it there wherfore yet ayen layeng flatte his vysage to the erthe he prayed god sayng O my lorde my god I wote well that thou hast ordeyned that I sholde fyght ayenst the deuyll to th ende / I myght be crowned / but I haue not be stedfast ne constaūt in asmoche that for the delectacōns of the flesshe I haue chosen to be tormented in helle Syre please the to pardōne me I confesse yet ayen to thy dyuyne bounte my fylthe wyckednesse / not oonly byfore the same I confesse it / but also byfore thy holy sayntes blessyd angels / theym I sholde confesse byfore all men / yf I trowed not to sclaūder or moeue them to shame in my persone My god haue mercy vpon me wyll quycken me to th ende that I may lerne the other And in this maner prayng thre tymes the deuoute Relygyouse penytent / he was of god exalted herde / had veray knoweloge therof by that he rose cam to his lanterne whiche he foūde brennynge full bryght / wherfore reioysshyng hym selfe he was comforted with a hope / wondred full sore of the grete grace the god had done to hym pardōnyng vnto hȳ so benyngly his synne / fullyng his desyre after his petycōn sayd I yelde vnto the graces my lord and my god / of that it hath pleaseth that in this presente world to haue mercy of me poore synnar Indygne of thy grete mysery cordye I gyuyng to all synners by this newe token confyance trust of the self mercy forgyuyng the myserable soules that thou hast created for to come to thy glorye In this maner perseueryng this holy man in his confessyon yeldyng graces thankes vnto our lord / the daye came that he toke so grete reioysshyng / that he forgate hym selfe to take his repast fode corporall And all the dayes of his lyfe he kepte besyly the lyght of the sayd lanterne puttȳg oyle therto when it neded takyng good hede that it sholde not go out / from hens forth the holy goost enhabyted in hȳ / by the helpe of whiche he profyted soo / that he was reputed holden for an holy man of grete renōmee / to whō a lytyll afore his decesse was shewed the daye that he sholde departe out of this world to the royalme of heuē ¶ An other treatyse foloweth / wherin is conteyned that folke of Relygyon ought not to possesse nothyng / begynneth in latyn Frater quidā c A Yonge man somtyme desyrynge to be a Relygyouse / forsoke the worlde and gaaf thou that he had to the poore / except some small goodes that he reserued to hȳselfe for his helpe after came vnto saynt Anthonye requyryng hȳ that he wolde receyue him to the astate of Relygyon Saynt Anthony knowyng that whiche is sayd / sayd vnto hȳ Yf thou wylt that I shall receyue the to be a monke / thou must go to the next cyte here by / that thou bye flesshe / this done that shall make fast the sayd flesshe to thy flesshe naked / then thou shall come to me ayen in that astate / thenne I shall do that thou desyreth of me The yong man desyryng sore for to do that Saynt Anthonye hadde charged hym wente and bought flesshe and fastned it atte his bare flesshe / as he hadde ordeyned hym to doo And gooyng ayen towarde hym the dogges and the byrdes folowed hym whiche by grydynes and glotony to ete of the sayd flesshe rented and knawed his owne skynne in dyuerse places of his bodye And thus he retourned to Saynt Anthonye whiche seeyng his skynne thus tourne and gnawen / he sayd to hym that in lykewyse are tourne and gnawen by the fende of helle and by his temptacyons / they that forsakyng the worlde wyll withholde and possesse theyr moneye or other temporall goodes ¶ The abbot Danyell reherced of the holy fader Arsenye / that a grete offycer Romayne came ones to hym / and brought hym the testamente of a Senatour whiche was of kynne to the sayd Arsenyen / and that by this testamente hadde made hym his heyre leuynge vnto hym many fayre herytages and grete lyuelode The holy fader Arsenye takynge this testamente wolde haue broken it and rented in peces / the whiche thynge seeyng the sayd offycer / dyde caste hym selfe doune byfore hym / besechyng hym that he sholde not doo soo / bycause that yf he hadde not conne exhybe and shewe the same ayen there as it apperteyned / he sholde haue lost his hede ¶ Thenne the holy fader Arsenye toke it agayne to hym / saynge thus Euery bodye knoweth well that I am deed longe tyme agoo afore hym that hath made this testamente / the whiche is but late decessed / and how maye he thenne haue made me his heyre / by the whiche wordes he vnderstode for to saye / that from the tyme that he gaaf hymself to be a monke or Relygyouse he dyde holde hȳ for deed as to the worlde / that he ought neuer to haue nor appropre to hȳ selfe ony thyng worldly or temporall The sayd holy fader Arsenye was ones syke in Sychye / had grete nede of a lytyll moneye for to releue hȳ from his sykenesse So was he constrayned to
hange there theyr cordes and nettes a brode whiche comprysed .xl. mesures in length and brede And in huntyng in the sayd place / the holy fader saynt Macharye with his two dyscyples beynge nygh by the corde was there fouÌ„den by the sayd chyldern theyr people the whiche seeyng the sayd saynt Macharye to be meruayllously rowgh / had a face terryble ferdfull to beholde / werof the syght of hyÌ„ meruayllously abasshed / and began to aske and demaunde of hym yf he were a man or some espyryte To whom he answerde that he was a synfull man whiche byleued on the sone of god the whiche had receyued deth on the crosse passyon for the saluacyon of mankynde / and hym worshypped with all affeccyon / as to hym oonly to whom was due adoracyon honour And heryng his answere they sayd that they wyste not what he sayd / and that they had none other goddes but the sonne / the fyre / and the water / and that it byhoued that they adoured theym / and sholde make to theym sacrefyce Saynt Macharye answered to theym that he neuer sholde soo doo / by cause that the sonne was a planete / and the fyre and water two clementes / whiche had noo puyssauÌ„ce ne power but suche as was gyuen to theym at theyr creacyon of god theyr maker And by this and other reasons Saynt Macharye shewed to them that they erred meruayllously Wherfore he admonested theym to conuerte theym to god whiche had created theym and all other thynges The same childern and theyr folke heryng these wordes of saynt Macharye began to mocke hym in sayeng Sayst thou not that thy god hath ben crucyfyed / yes sayd saynt Macharye And yet I saye more / that it is he whiche by his deth mortefyeth synne sleeth eternall deth After the whiche wordes soo sayd / they dyde to Saynt Macharye and to his dyscyples many tormentes wyllyng to constrayne hem to make sacrefyce to the sonne / to the fyre / and to the water / as to theyr goddes / whiche they vtterly refused and wolde not doo it For whiche cause after dyuerse tourmentes they smote of the hedes of the two dyscyples of saynt Macharye / but they wolde not soo promptly putte hym to deth by cause they wolde put hym to more tourmentes and soo they dyde And among other they sette hym in the myddle of a place where they establysshed to shote at hym / as he had be a butte And they shotte many arowes / some in his backe and other in his brest In suffryng the sayd tourmente saynt Macharye sayd to the two childern False and vntrewe tyrauntes Inhumayne / for as moche as I see that of one accorde and consentement ye be determyned to shede thynnocent blood / and to putte to deth myserably the poore seruauntes of god I wyll aduertyse you and notefye / that to morn at this hour your moder shall be without childern / and shall be pryued fro the syght of you / and that ye shall more hurte and gryeue your selfe / and shall with your arowes shede your owne blood to gydre The sayd childern dyspysyng the wordes of the sayd saynt Macharye and mocked hym On the morn they wente on huntynge as they dyde to forn / And it happed that an herte was taken in theyr cordes / the whiche notwithstondyng escaped Thenne they rode after with all dylygence to th ende that they myght take hym / and in shotyng theyr arowes ayenst hym they slewe eche other / lyke as saynt Macharye had sayd to theym ¶ The abbot Pastor sayd that a Relygyous man is veryly knowen to be a monke in his temptacyons / that is to wyte whan he resysteth theym constantly and myghtyly Yet sayd the sayd abbot beyng in Sychye on a tyme to his relygyouses My brethern ye knowe well that we be hyther come for to labour Now I see well that here is no maner labour / wherfore I determyne that we goo to some other place / where we may fynde to labour / to th ende that in soo dooyng we may fynde rest as who wolde saye / that the grettest batayll that a relygyous man may mene ayenst hym selfe / is to be ydle For in werkyng many euyll thoughtes cogytacyons ben eschewed ¶ Saynt Syncletyce sayd in spekyng to his monkes / yf ye conuerse in the monasterye with the other / chaunge not youâ—â—ace / for ye destroye your selfe yf ye soo doo And in lyke wyse as an henne yf she leue her egges without to couere theym / she shall neuer haue chykens / for they may not be formed for lacke of hete Right soo in lykewyse the relygyous man or woman that transporteth hym selfe from one place to an other / in leuyng the place of his Relygyon shall neuer fructefye in vertuous werkes For he or she is all colde in the vertue of fayth for as moche as he transporteth and chaungeth his owne place ¶ Ferthermore he sayd / that whan the deuyll may not make to falle in to synne a Relygyous persone or other by the pryckynges of pouerte / he admynystreth to hym habundauÌ„ce of Richesses for to make hym synne by the moen of theym And in lyke wyse / whan he maye not excyte hym by Iniuryes and repreues / he maketh to be mynystred to hym praysynges and vayne glorye And there where he procureth to a persone that he haue all the cases of his bodye / and may not begyle and seduce hym by delectacyons and worldly pleasaunces Thenne he enforceth hym to make hym falle by aduersytees and molestacyons whiche he maketh to come contrarye to his wylle And ofte to theym that he wyll teÌ„pte / he maketh to come vpon theym some sekenesses and maladyes / by the whiche he maketh the Relygyouses ferdfull / and troubleth in theym the charyte that they haue towarde god / But how well that the bodye be tourmented by hote feures enflamed with thrust Insacyable / he that suche afflyccyons susteyneth and endureth ought to haue in his remembraunâ—â— mynde the eternall fyre / and the vnspekable tourmentes of helle / And in consyderyng theym well he shall not be slowe ne feble to suffre the aduersytees of this worlde but shall bere theym with grete corage in hym selfe / enioyeng of that whiche our lorde by suche aduersytees vysyteth hym / in hauyng in his mouth the wordes of Dauyd in the psaulter whiche ben these My god whiche chastyseth his synners / hath by his grace chastysed me / and hath not condempned me to deth And yf the Relygyous thus tourmented be a synner and in ruste as the yron / he shall lose his ruste by the fyte of aduersyte And yf he be Iuste beryng his maladyes and aduersytees pacyently fro grete perfeccyon / he shall be promoted to more gretter And yf he be stedfast / he shall be puryfyed to the confusyon of the deuyll / whiche is gyuen to a man for to tempte hym with the pryckynges of his
wente forth theyr waye camen to this yong relygyous man / whome they fonde lyeng vpon a matte wepyng bytterly the grete synne that he had doon And he seeyng the dyscyples of saynt Anthonye sayd to theym I pray you my brethern saye to the olde fader that he wyll praye to god for me / that it may please hyÌ„ to gyue me respyte of .x. dayes I hope that duryng them I shall do so moche that he shall be contente of me Notwithstandyng be departed deyed fyue dayes after folowyng ¶ Some Relygyoê° persones somtyme made to saynt Anthonye many grete lowable reportes of humylyte of one of theyr brethern / wherfore saynt Anthonye desyryng to knowe yf he were suche as they sayden / called the same relygyous man sayd to hyÌ„ many grete Iniuryes / that whiche he myght not pacyently bere / sayd to hyÌ„ that he was lyke to an hous that whiche byfore outwarde is moche ornate enryched of sumptuous werke / but behynde all vnshytte so ruynous that the theuys haue left nothyng that ought is worth ¶ Many aged faders sayen of the holy faders Arsenye Theodore called the stedfast / that aboue all thynges they hated vayne glorye worldly Alwaye Arseny whan ony Relygyouses camen to hyÌ„ / he hasted not to go ayenst theym But Theodore dyde the contrarye ¶ A preest named Eulogius whiche was dyscyple of saynt Iohan archebysshop of Alexandrye was of a meruaylloê° abstynence / for he fasted two dayes in the weke without to ete ony thyng / ofte he fasted the surplus of the weke in etyng ones oonly on the daye ete but brede salte And for this cause for his other vertues / he was moche praysed alowed of the people On a tyme he cam to the abbot Ioseph in a place named Panese / wenyng that the sayd Ioseph ladde a lyfe more strayt than he The sayd Ioseph receyued hyÌ„ in grete Ioye / made to hyÌ„ for good loue charyte to prepare his refeccyon the moost honestly that he myght And seeyng the dyscyples of Eulogius that he had other mete than that whiche he had taken to ete / sayden that Eulogius ete not but brede salt But neuertheles the abbot Ioseph whiche wolde not that euery man knewe his grete abstynences preuely ete of the mete that he had ordeyned for Eulogius And duryng thre dayes that the sayd Eulogius his dyscyples soyourned with the holy abbot Ioseph / they neuer apperceyued that the sayd Ioseph ne his dyscyples psalmodyed or made ony prayers But neuerthelesse they prayden sayd theyr psalmes secretely / wherfore Eulogiê° his dyscyples departed with out to be suffysauÌ„tly edyfyed And as they walked it pleased to god that the weder chauÌ„ged becam derke in suche wyse / that for this cause they were coÌ„strayned to retourne to the fader Ioseph And whan they knocked at the yate of the monasterye they herde the sayd Ioseph his brethern whiche songen and psalmodyed They herked a long whyle theyr psalmodye / after that they had longe herked / fynably they knocked atte yate / whom ayen the holy fader receyued moche Ioyously The dyscyples of Eulogius for the grete hete had brought a lytyll botell / in whiche they put water of the whiche the holy fader Ioseph was wonte to drynke / they gaue the same to Eulogius for to drynke for to afresshe hyÌ„ but whan he felte and had tasted it / he wolde not drynke it / bycause he felte by the taste that it was salt And for to saye the trouthe it was not swete / for they were waters of the see of the ryuers medled togydre And this thyng in his corage / he requyred the holy man Ioseph that he sholde enseygne teche hyÌ„ his maner of lyuyng sayeng / how is it holy fader so / that whan I cam fyrst hyther ye songe not ne psalmodyed / now syth we departed ye haue bygonne to do it And furthermore whan I wolde haue dronken of your water I fonde that it was salt To the whiche questyon the abbot Ioseph answered / that whiche of all his Relygyous brethern were ony thyng troubled by errour sholde medle salt water with the fresshe Thenne Eulogius not content with this answeer / and wyllyng to knowe of that he asked prayed hym ayen that he sholde saye to hym / fro whens it proceded that the sayd water was salt To whom the holy fader answered sayeng / that this lytyll buurage was in stede of wyne the charyte had pourueyed to theym / but that water was the ordynary drynke that the relygyous brethern dranke / by whiche wordes he taught Eulogiê° how he ought to haue dyscrecyon in his thoughtes / dryue awaye from hyÌ„ all mutabylyte of corage / that he sholde make hym selfe comyn with the other brethern etynge fro thens forthon all metes that were sette tofore hym Also he taught hym how he sholde secretely praye And these thynges by hyÌ„ consydered he sayd to Ioseph / that certaynly he knewe his werkes also of his dyscyples to be doon in parfyght charyte ¶ The abbot Zenon whiche hadde be dyscyple of the abbot Syluayn sayd / that a relygyous man ought neuer to desyre to dwelle in a place gretly renoÌ„med / ne with a man hauyng a grete name / ne sette or make ony fondemente for to buylde to hym selfe a celle or habytacyon ¶ On a tyme cam a broder to thabbot Theodore called the stedfast soyourned thre dayes with hym / prayeng hyÌ„ that he wolde saye to hym some worde of edyfycacyon But he wolde saye no thyng to hym And seeyng the sayd relygyous that he had no wyll to saye ony thyng to hym / departed full heuy sorowfull The whiche thyng seeyng the dyscyple of the sayd Theodore / demaunded wherfor he wolde not saye to hym some good worde / to th ende that he had not departed euyll contente of hym To whom the holy fader answered / that he wolde saye nothyng to hyÌ„ bycause he was a grete marchauÌ„t and entermeter / the whiche enquyred and demauÌ„ded to knowe some newe thyng for to gloryfye hym selfe in the wordes of an other ¶ An other broder asked the sayd Theodore in enquyryng hym of some thynges / of whiche he wolde neuer entermete To whom the holy fader answered I am abasshed how thou presumest to aske me of suche thynges Thou resemblest to hyÌ„ whiche yet had not fonde the shyppe / ne put his maryners therin / ne also begonne to rowo nor saylle And yet is comen to the porte or Cyte where he had dysposed to come / whan thou hast fyrst doon some thyng / thenne mayst thou well speke ¶ Thabbot Cassyen sayd that a broder whiche had lerned to trotte from place to place cam on a tyme towarde the holy fader Serapyon / the whiche holy fader after some wordes wyllyÌ„g to praye god or to psalmodye with
haue sayd thought is a thyng humayne / but in coÌ„mauÌ„dyng to gyue the potage thou haste done a thynge dyuyne Thenne sayd to hym thabbot Sysoy yf god gloryfye not a man / his glorye shall neuer be stable ¶ The abbot Amenas sayd to the abbot Sysoy that he sholde applye hyÌ„ to rede the scryptures / to th ende to lerne to aorne make fayr his wordes / for to be redy answere to all askynges that sholde be made to hyÌ„ Sysoy sayd that it was no nede to rede for to make his wordes fayre / but a man ought vertuously pourueye hym of holynesse in his wordes / by clennes of conscyence / as who wolde say / that a man that lyueth vertuously can not speke euyll ne ylle ¶ The abbot Symeon beyng in desertes A Iuge of a prouynce came for to see hym And in comyng he fonde the sayd Symeon / whiche by the ayde and helpe of his gyrdell was cloÌ„men on a palmyer for to make it clene And asked hym not knowyng that it was he Where was the olde fader Symeon that dwelled there solytaryly And he answered that there was noman there solytary / the whiche answere herde by the Iuge / he departed ¶ An other tyme cam an other Iuge for to see hyÌ„ / of whiche thyng his dyscyples were aduertysed / cam sayeng to hyÌ„ Fayr fader make you redy / for here cometh a grete man for to see you for to haue your blessyng To whom the holy fader Symeon answered Now well well I shal make me redy / wente toke an olde sacke wherwith he couered his hede his sholdres / holdyng in his hande brede chese sette hyÌ„ doun ete at the dore of his celle as he had ete no mete thre dayes byfore The Iuge his people arryued there seeyng his coÌ„tynauÌ„ce sette nothyng by hym And retourned sayeng as by mocquery / is this the monke solytary of whome we haue herde saye so many thynges ¶ Saynt Syncletyce that in lyke wyse that as a tresour that is publysshed and shewed is ofte mynysshed and dyspendyd In lyke wyse euery vertue after that it is publysshed / lyghtly is put awaye and fynysshed And all in lyke wyse as waxe whiche is nygh the fyre is molten In lyke wyse the soule whiche is praysed becometh vayne / leseth the rygour of vertue He sayd furthermore that all in lyke wyse as it is Impossyble a thyng to be in one tyme bothe herbe seed So it is Impossyble that they that haue glorye mondayn delyte theym therin maken ony fruyte for to haue the heuenly glorye ¶ In a hye fest halowed among the relygyouses of the hermytages / in the whiche they had a custome to take theyr refeccoÌ„n in the chirche One relygyous man among the other called one of the seruauÌ„t in sayeng that he ete no boyled mete / but oonly brede salt / the whiche thyng herde by the sayd seruauÌ„t / he called an other in sayeng to hyÌ„ openly with an hye voys Bryng some salt to this broder here / for he eteth none other thyng And one of the olde faders heryng the arose vp cam to the Relygyous that aâ—ed for salte / sayd to hyÌ„ that it had be more expedyent to haue eten flesshe in his celle than to haue herde the wordes that had be sayd of hyÌ„ to fore so many relygyous people / as who sholde saye that he ought to be ashamed / to haue herde recyted of hym after his owne worde that he ete noo thyng but brede salte For yf he had be vertuoê° none ought to apperceyue it ¶ On a tyme vnto an aged fader were come som strauÌ„gers / to whom for theyr refeccoÌ„n he had do make good potage it happed that the same tyme came to hyÌ„ a broder moche abstynent / that ete no brede / they syttyng atte table begoÌ„ne to ete / he brought chiches for hyÌ„selfe ete theym in the coÌ„pany of the other / after that they were rysen fro the table / an aged fader called secretly the broder sayd to hyÌ„ / Broder whan thou shalt come herafter to fore ony men / kepe the well fro shewynge to hyÌ„ / or from letyng hyÌ„ apperceyue thyn abstynence or coÌ„uersacoÌ„n / yf thou wylte do ony strayt abstynence / kepe that in thy celle go not out The sayd relygyous heryng these wordes / enclyned to theym / determyned to lyue lyke to the other / to ete suche mete as sholde be brought in to the company of other relygyous folke ¶ An other holy fader sayd that the humayne ê“uydence takath awaye cutteth from hym all fattenesse yeldeth hym drye ¶ An other olde fader sayd yf thou wylt holsomly lyue / it behoueth the in fleeyng the worlde to flee fro the men in mockyng the sayd worlde the men that ben therin / to repute fayne thyself to be a fooll ¶ An other lytyl treatyse rechyng how noman ought to Iuge ony other A Relygyous monke beyng vnder the charge and congregacyon of the abbot Helye happed on a tyme a temptacoÌ„n or a cause for the whiche he was putte out of the congregacyon And he wente vp to a montayne vnto the holy abbot saynt Anthonye And after that he had abyden by a certayne tyme / he sente hym ayen to the congregacoÌ„n from whens he was departed / but incontynent that his felawes sawe hym / they put hym out ayen / wherfore yet efte ones he retourned vnto the sayd fader Anthonye layeng to hym that they wolde not receyue hym And for that cause the holy fader sente to theym suche a parable A shyppe hath be in daunger for to be perysshed in the see / where she hath left the charge that she bare / and with grete labour payne she hath be brought vnto londe / ye thenne my brethern wyll ye drowne and do perysshe the shyppe that hath be delyuered They knowynge by these wordes / that the sayd holy abbot Anthonye had sente hym ayen to theym / and anone agreably they receyued hym ¶ A relygyous monke had coÌ„mysed a synne / for the whiche he was constrayned by a preste to auoyde out of the chirche The abbot Besaryon at that tyme beyng present arose vp and wente also out / sayeng to hym that he was a synner / as was the sayd Relygyous monke ¶ The abbot Ysaac dwelled in the desertes of Thebayde / and sawe on a tyme amonge the other in the congregacyon of the relygyouses / among whom he sawe one that was culpable of a synne / for the whiche he Iuged the sayd relygyous And in retornyng in to his hermytage / wenyng to entre in to his celle / he fonde thangall of god whiche letted hyÌ„ to entre / sayeng that he wolde not suffre hyÌ„ to entre in And the sayd abbot asked of hyÌ„ the cause And he answered hyÌ„ / that god
the sayd brother was renommed thrugh all the Relygyon / lyke as was the holy Patryarke Abraham / whan he vnto our lorde wolde haue sacrefyed his sone Ysaac ¶ It was demaunded and asked of an holy man / that whiche hadde more meryte / of hym that dwelled with the Relygyouses / and is obedyente in all thynges to theym / or he that dwelleth in an hermytage there lyuyng solytaryly without ony companye ¶ The holy man sayd that he that is with the Relygyouses / and to theym is obedyent in all thynges For he dothe noo thynge after his owen wyll / but all that he dooth is atte the wyll of other But he that is in the hermytage / how well that he be moche solytarye / yet alwaye he vseth his owne wyll / and is not subget to ony persone ¶ An holy man sayd that in heuen was shewed to hym four ordres maners of people ¶ The fyrst ordre was of seke men / whiche hadde in pacyence theyr maladyes and sekenesses / and gloryfyed god and his sayntes ¶ The seconde was of theym that hadde gladdly receyued pylgryms for the worshyp of god / and they were called hostelers ¶ The thyrde ordre was of theym that dwelled in desertes / and sawe not the worlde / and lyued in the sayde desertes in straytnes of penauÌ„ce ¶ The fourth ordre was of theym that for the honour of god submytted theym to theyr faders spyrytuell / and were in all thynges to theym obedyent But amonge the four ordres / they that had be obedyent were adorned and arrayde with fayr colours of precyous stones / and crowned with crownes of golde / and hadde more Ioye than the other thre ordres ¶ Yet the same holy man sayd furthermore / that he had asked and demauÌ„ded of hym that had shewed to hym these ordres / how it myght be that the sayd ordre of obedyence hadde moost glorye / seen that it was amonge the other lasse For it semeth the vertue of obedyence to be a lytyll vertue ¶ To whom it was answered That not without cause they that were obedyent hadde the moost grettest glorye For they that receyue the pylgrymes doo that charyte after theyr owne wyll And the hermytes that goon in to theyr hermytage / and renounce the worlde / doo it of theyr free wyll But they that be obedyent / haue noo propre wylle For for the honour of god they haue submysed alle theyr wyll to the wyll of theyr soueraynes / wherfore they haue in heuen grettest glorye And therfore it is openly knowen that the vertue of obedyence is for to be recoÌ„mended amonge all other vertues And therfore euery persone ought tenforce hym to his power to folowe it ¶ It is founde that for fyue reasons obedyence ought more to be chosen / than the other vertuers ¶ The fyrste for it is cause of the helthe of the very true crysten men / kepeth the vertues ¶ The seconde for it is that techeth to the Royame of heuen ¶ The thyrde for it openeth the yate of heuen It also enhauÌ„ceth the men fro the erthe / that is to sa yt from thynges erthely worldly vnto heuenly thynges ¶ The fourth reason for it abydeth in heuen with the blessyd angellys / whiche alwaye be obedyent to god ¶ The fyfth reason / for it is all the desyre of the sayntes of heuen For by veray obedyence many comen vnto the heuenly glorye ¶ Here foloweth an other lytyll treatyse encytyng the people vnto the ryght necessarye vertue of humylyte and mekenesse And begynneth in latyn Abbas Anthonius AFter that in the chapytre precedent hath be made mencoÌ„n of the vertue of obedyence / foloweth now couenably of the vertue of humylyte In the whiche consysteth the perfeccyon of euery vertue / vpon whiche it ought fyrst to be noted / that in this lytyll treatyse be comprysed some prouffytable dyctes and prouerbes of holy faders By the consyderacyon of whiche euery persone of what someuer astate or condycyon that he be may lerne lyghtly the very waye of humylyte ¶ And fyrste here is conteyned one of the causes / by the whiche saynt Anthonye kepte hym from ouermoche enquyryng of the secrete Iugemens of god / in humblynge hym selfe as indygne and vnworthy to knowe the lest of the dyuyne secretes celestyall For he beynge in a profounde medytacyon / as meruayllynge hym selfe of the dyuyne Iugemens made suche a requeste vnto god That is to wyte / that he wolde shewe to hym yf it pleased hym / wherfore it was soo that some lyued soo lyâ—â— a whyle / and some other aboue naturell aege From whens procedeth and / that some for ony labour that he taketh / may noo thynge haue ne gete And other without labour and to haue payne / haue alle the goodes of the worlde And pryncypally they that be Iniuste haue all the erthe in possessyon And the good and vertuous haue noo thynge but maledyccyon / mendycyte / and pouerte ¶ Thenne the sayd Anthonye herde a voys that sayd to hym Anthonye thynke on thy selfe / syght not for the dedes of an other / for the pleasyr of god is that / of whiche thou waâ— â—â—â—tolyest thy selfe to be soo doon / knowe the that his Iugemens be as a grete a depe abysme The secretes of god whiche he wyll hyde / a man ought not tenquyre ¶ The sayd holy fader Anthonye sayde to thabbot Pastor It is a grete werke in a man / that without to Iustefye hym selfe / he accuse hym to fore god of his synnes And with that he be stronge and constauÌ„t to withstaÌ„de all temptacyon / as stedfastly concluded neuer to defoyle the lawe of god / that vnto the last ende of his deth ¶ Also yet sayd the holy fader Anthonye / that he hadde seen all the grynnes of the deuyll stratched and leyde ouer all the erthe And in seeyng began to wept in grete teres sayeng Ha ha my god who shall be he / the whiche shall eschewe to be taken in one of these grynnes ¶ Thenne he herde a voys that sayd to hym Anthonye that shall be he that shall be garnysshed with one fyght humylyte / the whiche is the / without the whiche no vertue is paâ—◠〈◊〉 ¶ Some auncyent faders among 〈◊〉 whiche was the abbot named Ioseph vysyâ—â—den the sayd Saynt Anthonye And they beyng comen to hym he asked theym / and fyrste the yongeste in makyng vnto theym some proposycyons of holy scrypture The same yong brethern / wenynge to haue doon well / answered to hym in expownynge his questyon To whom togyder he answered sayeng to theym / yet haue ye not fouÌ„de that whiche ye ought to knowe After he tourned hym towarde the abbot Ioseph / in lyke wyse he demauÌ„ded hym a questyon of the holy scrypture / the whiche abbot answered to hyÌ„ sayeng hyÌ„ selfe vnworthy to expowne the 〈◊〉 proposycoÌ„n of the holy scrypture / that he knewe not what it was to
good maners And therfore a brother asked thabbot Alonius and demaunded hym what it was of contennement ¶ Thenne he sayd that it was to be amonge bestes vnresonable / as they that ben in deserte / that haue renounced all worldly honour And to that purpose he called the vertue of humylyte erthe In the whiche god our sauyour wyll that sacrefyce be made and accomplysshed ¶ Also after his doctryne and techyng he that excedeth not his astate shal not be reputâ—d proude / but he shall be praysed and honoured of eueryche / he hym selfe by moche grete humylyte serued the brethern beyng at the table / whan they toke theyr refeccyon to gydre And oftentymes the brethern sayd ofte grete praysynges of hym amonge theym But neuerthelesse he answered to they not one worde And whan he was asked and demaunded wherfore he answered to theym not in sayeng some thyng / he sayd for this reason Yf I hadde answered / it sholde seme that I were gloryoê° of theyr praysynges ¶ The abbot Ioseph was on a tyme with the abbot Pastor and in spekyng togydre of one named Agathon The sayd Pastor named hym Abba / whiche is as moche to saye as fader And by cause it was a name of honour and of auncyent The sayd Ioseph asked for what reason he hadde called hym fader / seen that he was yet moche yong To whome he answerde his tongue / that is to saye tacyturnyte / and prudence in langage made hym to deserue to be named fader / for the aege made hym not soo to be called / but the vertue Therfore the sayd Pastor neuer gaynsayde by wordes with an holy fader / but all theyr wordes he enhaunsed praysed ¶ In the tyme that Theophyle bysshop of Alexandrye cam from thou sayd place of Alexandrye / in to the desertes of Sychye / the relygyouses for to come speke to hym were assembled / prayde to an abbot named Pambo / that he wolde make a predycacyon att the comyng of the sayd Theophyle for to comforte hym in esperyte The whiche answerd yf he be not wel edefyed with my scylence / he shal be lasse by my wordes ¶ A brother that was named Pystus / and seuen other brethern hermytes his felawes vysyteden thabbot Sysoy dwellyng in that yle whiche is called Clysmatos / to whom they prayde / that he wolde gyue to theyÌ„ some admonycoÌ„ns / by the whiche they myght be the better gete theyr helth To whom he answered My brethern pardonne me yf it please you / for I am not but a best a Idyote without entendemeÌ„t But I shall recouÌ„te to you that whiche I haue seen in .ij. holy faders That one was named thabbot Or / that other abbot Atrem that whiche I haue vysyted long tyme for to knowe theyr coÌ„uersacoÌ„n / theÌ„ne whan I was arryued with theyÌ„ I prayed theyÌ„ in lyke wyse as ye haue prayed me / that they shold gyue to me some doctryne for my helth wherto the sayd abbot answered / broder do here in all that whiche thou shalt see doon by vs here / other thyng can I not saye repreche Thou shalt knowe here my fader Atrem / whiche dooth by the moyen of the grace of god more than he maye in all vyolence And in lyke wyse dooth god to all other that enterpryse this rule and maner of lyuynge They were not both of one prouynce But in theym was all plenytude of grace And pryncypally Atrem was of grete obedyence / and Or of parfyght humylyte / as it appereth fayttes whiche shall after be sayd ¶ On a tyme a certayne man brought a fysshe for to ete / the whiche thabbot Atrem wolde make redy for theyr dyner And as he putte the knyef in the fysshe for to deuyde and cutte it / the abbot Or began to crye Atrem atrem / and incontynent the sayd Atrem lefte his knyfe within the fysshe without to drawe it out and deuydyng of the fysshe And the sayd Atrem ranne to the sayd abbot Or / without to saye that he sholde tarye tyll he hadde appoynted the fysshe ¶ Thenne demaunded the holy fader Sysoy of the sayd Atrem how he hadde goten soo grete obedyence / he answered that it was by the merytes of his abbot Or / and thenne he knewe his obedyence For the sayd fysshe was not rosted ne appoynted lyke as it apperteyned Notwithstandynge the sayd Atrem wolde haue done it gladdely to th ende / that the sayd Sysoy sholde knowe his obedyence / whan they cam to dyner / the sayd Atrem delyuered fyrst a parte of the sayd fysshe but halfe soden / the whiche the sayde holy fader Or ete in praysyng it as ryght good and well appoynted After he presented of the sayd fysshe to hym an other parte / whiche was not but / but halfe soden sayeng Fader forgyue me for this pyece hath ben by me euyll soden and appoynted ¶ The holy fader Or answered My broder I byleue that thou hast doon the beste that thou coudest doo arter thy power / and therfore it is to me agreable ¶ Whan this was doo the sayd Atrem spacke to the sayd Sysoy sayeng these wordes ¶ My brother and frende thou seest well that thobedyence that is in me procedeth of this good abbot Or / whiche is soo humble and obedyente that I am constrayned to ensyewe and folowe his maners and condycyons ¶ After this the sayd Sysoy departed moche Ioyous and conforted And rewled hym selfe vpon that whiche he hadde seen in the sayd two holy faders Therfore answered the sayd Sysoy to one of the brethern whiche was with the sayd Pystus whan he asked hym / broder shewe to vs sygne and example of charyte towarde vs / and gyue to vs some doctryne My frende who hath plenytude of vertues / and pryncypall humylyte aboue all other he compryseth all the holy scrypture ¶ An other brother asked and demauÌ„ded of hym what was of very pylgremage To whom he answered / that it was to kepe hym selfe stylle And in what someuer place that he were / to blame nothyng / but all to prayse / with out to haue ony desyre of ony worldly thyng that it were ¶ An hermyte on a tyme vysyted the abbot Sysoy in a place named the montayne of saynt Anthony / to whom the sayd broder sayd these wordes Fayr fader it is a longe tyme that thou hast he here I suppose and bylere certaynly that thou hast not yet the noble vertues that had the holy fader Anthonye / the whiche answered to hym Alas my brother and my frende what sayst thou / yf I had one sparkle of his charyte whiche was in hym I sholde be all in a fyre Notwithstondynge I wote not ne knowe man so parfyght that may bere the penaunces / whiche made and suffred the good and holy abbot saynt Anthonye After he asked yf in tyme passed the deuylles tempted the relygyous people as they dyde thenne that
that an hermyte had with hym a yonge dyscyple replenysshed with alle euyll wylle On a tyme amoÌ„g other the holy man repreued hym of his synne in sayeng to hym My sone do not that That not withstondyng the same dyscyple amended not hym selfe / wherfore thermyte seeyng that he was pertynax obstynate he corrected hym nomore / but coÌ„cluded in hym selfe / to suffre hym to do what hym good semed After that yet he dyde worse / for he shytte closed the celle of the sayd hermyte In the whiche was nomore but thre loues oonly / suffred hym faste thre dayes / duryng the whiche tyme / the sayd hermyte sayd noo thynge ne dyde to hym ¶ This knowyng an other hermyte his next neyghebour made potage for hym delyuered it to hym by an hole of the walle of his celle / asked hym wherfore his dyscyple was so longe or he cam / he answered without ony angre / that whan it pleased hym he sholde come ayen ¶ Many phylosophres beyng togydre in a place / passed by theym a Relygyous well and honestly clothed after his astate The phylosophres desyryng to preue the pacyence of the relygyoê° man called hym in sayeng to hym Ha monke come and speke to vs / and so he dyde ¶ After this passed an other grete monke and of lowe condycoÌ„n / to whome the phylosophres sayden Ha monke folysshe and euyll come and speke with vs / incontynent he went to theym And anone as he was comen / one gaue a buffet to hym on the cheke After whiche buffet by hym receyued whiche was armed with pacyence / presented to theym that other cheke after the couÌ„seyll of Ihesu cryste / whan they knewe his pacyence / they praysed hym / and made hym to sytte in the myddes of theym / sayeng / veryly this is a veray monke ¶ After they demaunded how moche more penaunce doo ye in deserte than they that be in the worlde For they sayd / yf ye faste / soo doo we / yf ye chastyse your bodye / soo do we / thenne what doo ye more than we The monke answered / we lyue in hope / and we kepe scylence and our thought fro thynkyng euyll The phylophres herynge this last answere / praysed theyÌ„ sayeng that it was an harde thyng that to do to theym that ben in the worlde / for they theym selfe coude not do it ¶ An holy fader hadde a dycyple of grete pacyence / the whiche on a tyme / by cause that he was angry putte hym anone out of his hous ¶ The good dyscyple was not proude / but yelded hym humbly and pacyente wente not from the dore of his fayr fader / to fore the whiche whan the fader opened his dore / the dyscyple anone fylle doun on his knees / in askynge hym forgyuenes ¶ The holy fader gretely admeruaylled of his pacyence sayd to hym Ha my sone from hens forth thou shalt be my fader / for by thyne humylyte and pacyence / thou hast ouercome my pusyllanymyte Entre and goo in my sone / thou shalt be holden and reputed my fader And I that am olde shall be thy yong dyscyple / that is to saye / that I am yonger than thou in vertues For by thy grete pacyence constauntly suffred / thou hast put doun my feble age ¶ And to this purpose recounten some holy faders / that many yonge Relygyous men nowrysshed theym that ben olde bycause of theyr euyll gouernaunce And pryncypally we fynde of an olde hermyte whiche made not in a daye nyght but one matte / the whiche he solde anone and dranke the moneye whiche he hadde receyued Soo it happed that a yonge brother with hym lodged / whiche also euery daye made a matte / the whiche in lyke wyse the same olde man solde with the his / enployed in wyn all the moneye that he had receyued for theym after dranke it without to brynge ony therof to his dyscyple sauf oonly a lytyll brede whiche he brought to hym atte euyn This lyfe ladde the olde fader by the space of thre yere / without ony grutchyng of the yonge man or ony euyll worde After consyderyng that he was naked he ete not but brede not halfe ynoughe / purposed hym to departe and to goo in to an other hermytage / but on that other syde he consydered that he ought to endure it for the loue of god And that he was not hermyte for ony other thyng but for to doo penaunce / wherfore he concluded that he wolde not departe out of his hermytage ¶ And anone an Aungell appyered to hym sayeng Brother departe not / for to morn we shall come to the. Of this apparycyon was moche Ioyous the yonge dyscyple And after he prayde his olde fader thermyte that on the morn he wolde not goo out of his celle in to the towne as he was accustomed to goo euery daye / and that his frendes sholde come seche hym The hour comen that the sayd hermyte was accustomed to goo for to selle his mattes / he sayd to his dyscyple My sone I wyll goo to selle our mattes For they for whom thou abydest seen that it is now late / wylle not come this daye ¶ The dyscyple answered My fader knowe for trouthe that they shall come And in sayeng those wordes he rendred and yelded vp his speryte Thenne the olde fader began to crye / helas helas / a longe tyme it is that I haue lyued in this deserte in grete neclygence of my helthe / and thou vertuous childe by the pacyence that thou hast had of me in a lytyll tyme hast taken by assault the Royame of heuen And fro theÌ„ne forthon the olde hermyte becam moche sobre / lyued more holyly than he had be accustomed ¶ Grete pacyence and meruayllous suffred a comyn woman was named Thays / the whiche was of soo grete beaute garnysshed / that for her pleasaunte maynteyne and swere regarde many yonge fresshe and lecherous persones solde theyr rentes and reuenues for to entreteyne and accompanye the sayd Thays And in th ende they cam to shamefull pouerte and mendycyte And that worse / detestable more dauÌ„gerous thynge was / by cause that many pretended to enioye her eueryche at his owne wyll Oftentymes her dore was blody with the blood of the yong men that in grete nombre faught for her An holy fader abbot named Paphunce aduertysed of her poore myserable lyfe / desyryng to withdrawe the sayd Thays from her euyll lyfe / cladde hyÌ„ selfe in seculer habyte / toke moneye for to go to the hous of the sayd Thays dwellynge thenne in a cyte of Egypte The holy saynt fonde her in her hous And after that he had salewed her / he presented offred to her a shelyng for her rewarde of the synne whiche he fayned to coÌ„myse with her Thays whiche toke of all hondes receyued the shelyng / made the good
fruyt of this palme gaaf to the same lyon / whiche toke it of his honde moche swetely as it had ben a beest domestyke tame / whan he had eten / he wente his waye By whiche we may well knowe that the vertue power of god habouÌ„ded in the sayd hermyte beeyng solytary ¶ How an holy man nourysshed a wulfe the whiche demauÌ„ded of hyÌ„ pardon begynnyng in latyn Alium eque Capitulum .vij. AFter we sawe an holy man whiche dwelled in a lytyll hous in whiche myght but one man come in / with whiche man was a wulfe accustomed to come whyles that he souped / and faylled neuer atte hour of souper / abode alwaye atte dore vnto the tyme that the holy man gaaf hym some brede whiche was at soupor / and whan he had taken brede of the hande of the holy man / he bowed to hym fyrste and thenne wente his waye It happed on a tyme that this holy man wente with an other / cam not agayn tyl it was nyght This wulfe cam as he had be accustomed atte hour of souper fouÌ„de hym not / therfore he entred within the hous of the holy man / toke the brede that was in his paner ete it After thynkyng that he had doon euyll / wente his waye Incontynent Thermyte cam home fouÌ„de his paner broken one of his loues lost / and wyst not who had taken it awaye / but for as moche as the daye folowyng this wulf cam not lyke as he had be accustomed / he doubted som what that he had doon this thefte Neuertheles by cause he was sory for his absence / he prayed to god that he wolde sende to hyÌ„ this wulf for to comforte hym / whiche was accordeth to hyÌ„ And the .vij. daye after the wulfe cam agayn atte hour of souper / but for shame drede he durst not approche / fro ferre he fylle doun to the grouÌ„de by sygnes he demauÌ„ded pardon of his trespas The whiche thyng seeyng the holy hermyte made hyÌ„ come ner pardoÌ„ned hyÌ„ gyuyng to hyÌ„ double pytauÌ„ce of brede / thus he toke awaye his heuynes cam alwaye as he had be customed Here may we see the power of god whiche maketh the cruell best to be meke tame as loÌ„bes / wherfore the peple ought well to drede our lorde Ihesu cryst whan they see that the besâ— drede hym And to th ende that noman doubte of this that sayd is I shal saye to you thynges more meruaylloê° with out ony thyng to fayne / but oonly I shall saye that I haue seen ¶ How fyue lytyll lyons beyng blynde were enlumyned by an holy man begynnyng in latyn Habitabant Capitulum .viij. MAny holy men dwelleden in deserte without ony houses / to th ende that none sholde vysyte theym they abode neuer in one place bycause they loued aboue all thyng to lyue solytaryly On a tyme it happed that two monkes of Nytrye camen for to vysyte an holy fader that lyued solytaryly / the whiche had be of theyr conuent And whan they had sought hym by longe space of tyme. Fynably in the moneth of Iuyn they cam to th ende of the deserte named Memphis And he had dwelled there by the space of .xij. yere / the whiche how well that he fledde the companye comynycacyon of all other men / alwaye whan he knewe that they were of the relygyon of whiche he had be a relygyoê° man / he abode theyÌ„ was with theym by the space of thre dayes / the fourth daye he brought theyÌ„ within the same deserte / to the whiche we folowed And anone cam a lyonesse meruayllously grete / the whiche fylle doun at the fete of this holy solytarye men And as she had chosen hyÌ„ amonge the other made sygne to hym that he sholde folowe her whiche thyng this holy man dyde tyll that the sayd lyonesse cam to hyr caue / after she entred in brought to hym fyue lytyll lyons that whiche were blynde of nature / she leyed theym at the feet of this holy man solytarye / the whiche knewe well what she desyred And he made his prayer to god / after touched the eyen of those fyue lytyll lyons / incontynent they sawe And this doon / the two relygyoê° monkes whiche were come thyder for to see this holy man / retourned in to theyr monasterye praysyng magnefyeng god his sayntes ¶ How a broder by a storke knewe what herbes he sholde ete / whiche not / begynnyng in latyn Fuit et alius Capitulum .ix. IN that deserte was an hermyte newe comen bycause that he knewe not the herbes was strongely tourmented For ofte he ete of the herbes that were venemous whan he supposed to haue eten good And thus for this cause he was .vij. dayes without to ete / but god seeyng his afflyccyon sente to hym a storke the whiche brought to hym a grete fardell of herbes / theym that were good holsom to ete / the same storke chace theym out leyed theym a parte / to th ende that he sholde after knowe theym And that so doon / he flewhe awaye / thus this brother knewe what he sholde ete / whiche he sholde leue ¶ Of a brother dwellyng in the montayne of Syna the whiche spacke to no persone by the space of fyfty yere / begynnyng Sed longuÌ„ Caplm .x. KNowe ye my frendes that it sholde be to me a moche harde thyng to recouÌ„te to you al the fayttes dedes of holy men dwellyng in deserte with the whiche I haue conuersed a yere and .vij. monethes And amonge all other I haue frequented with hym that had the oxe / of whom I haue spoken tofore in the .vi. chapytre of this thyrde parte I haue also frequented two other monasteryes of saynt Anthonye in whiche yet at this present tyme dwelle some of his dyscyples In lyke wyse I haue ben in the place where the fyrst hermyte saynt Poul dwelled I haue seen the montayn of Synay the heyght wherof approucheth so nygh heuen / that it semeth that it toucheth it / it is so hygh that from byneth may not be seen the hyghest therof / noman lyuyng may go vp to the hyest of it Bytwene the sydes of this montayn was sayd that ther dwelled an holy hermyte whiche I myght not see / how well that moche dylygently I had sought hym / the whiche had seen noo persone in fyfty yere / he had no garment / but vsed his heer in stede of a robe / whan he myght espye the ony man sought hym he fledde in to the deserte bycause he wolde not be seen It was sayd that syth the space of fyue yere in the tyme that I was in that place / he had spoken oonly with an holy man / whiche had asked of hym why he fledde so the presence of men Thenne the solytary man sayd to hym / that he
vs the sayd celle for he wolde departe / to th ende that we sholde byleue hym the better / he sayd he wolde haue lefte it though we had not comen thyder / wherfor we toke it / he wente and made an other with grete labour dyffyculte And after by grete charyte he gaaf it to other pylgryms with alle the vtensylles that were therin And after he made an other in whiche he dwelled ¶ Of two yonge childern the whiche berynng fygges to a seke Relygyous deyed by the waye / begynneth in latyn Quidā c. Caplm .xxx. ABbot Iohan beyng in Sychye cam to hym a brother / whiche brought to hym fygges / the whiche afterwarde sente theym by two yonge childern to an holy man moche seke / the whiche dwelled in deserte in an hermytage dystaunt fro the chirche of the sayd abbot Iohan .xviij. myle or ther aboutes The whiche childeren beryng these fygges went towarde the sayd brother that was seke And thus as they wente they were surprysed with a clowde so thycke that they lost theyr waye / and so gooyng nyght and daye coude not fynde the celle of the sayd hermyte / but were constrayned to abyde in the waye / bycause they were moche wery and trauaylled / as well for cause of the grete hōgre / as for the grete and terryble thurst that they had suffred And soo they kneled on theyr knees in prayeng to our lorde And in soo dooyng they rendred and yelded bothe theyr soules vp to god ¶ After two or thre dayes / the abbot Iohan seeyng that these two yonge childern that they came not agayne / he sente for to seche theym thrugh the deserte / and they were folowed by the trace of theyr paas and feet / the whiche were enprynted in the sonde in suche a wyse that they bothe were founden deed knelyng on theyr knees / and the fygges all hole by theym / of whiche they wolde not ete / but they hadde be more contente to suffre the dethe corporell / than without the permyssyon of theyr abbot to ete that whiche they were cōmaūded to bere to the sayd seke Relygyous brother ¶ Of the monkes of Egypte and of theyr dylygence / begynnyng in latyn Per totū Caplm .xxxi. THrugh all the regyon of Egypte / the Relygyouses ben neuer ydell / but wynne dylygentely theyr lyuyng with labour trauaylle of theyr bodyes / and gyuen for the loue of god that whiche they wynne aboue theyr lyuyng / not only to pylgryms but also to theym of lybye that ben nedy Indygent / also to prysoners / seke malades of townes cytees to theym neyghbours / estemyng that by suche werkes they make a pleasaūt sacrefyce acceptable to god For they saye that a relygyous persone / how well that he do or make some thyng / yet is he alwaye tempted of some deuyll But he that nothyng dooth is vexed and tempted of Innumerable quantyte of deuylles Thabbot Paulus moche holy approued relygyous dwelled in a deserte so barayne that there ne grewe ony thyng but palmes of whiche he lyued For he was so ferre fro men / that whan he had made ony thyng / he coude neuer selle it / bycause of the grete dystaunce of the place And to th ende that he sholde not be ydell / he gadred euery daye of the palmes weyed them oftentymes / to the ende that he sholde not ete more at one tyme than at an other / and made of the leuys of the palmes lytyll mattes or maundes soo many that he fylled with all a fosse or dyke And atte the ende of the yere / seeyng that ther cam no man for to bye haue his werke / he putte fyre on them and brente theym And after the nexte yere folowyng he made as many for to eschewe ydlenes for he sayd that it is not possyble that a relygyous persone may lyue Iustely / yf he be ydell ¶ Of a brother whiche was a blasphemer of god / the whiche by punycōn dyuyne was enbraced with lecherye Capitulum .xxxij. I Haue knowen an other broder the whiche was in suche wyse tempted in the synne of lecherye / that vnneth he myght withstande it / wherfor he cam to an holy man to whom he sayd Alas fader what ought I to do I am all brente with the fyre of lechery The holy fader answered to hym in syghynge I byleue my childe that god hath not sente to the this passyon so stronge and so vehemente / yf thou haddest not blasphemed in some wyse hym or his sayntes The poore Relygyous heryng the holy fader / fylle doun to his fete confessyd hym that he had blasphemed the name of god / that he mought not haue perfeccōn of vertue in his soule ¶ Of dyscrecyon the whiche is moder of all vertues / begynnynge in latyn Quodam Caplm .xxxiij. ON a tyme camen some holy faders to the abbot Anthonye / demaūdyng of hym coūseyll Instruccōn for to lyue salutaryly / thenne he made to theym a collacōn that whiche endured from euyn tyll on the morn in the mornyng / after that he made a questyon the whiche endured to mydnyght folowyng And this was the questyon / whiche vertue amonge all the other preserueth moost the relygyous persones fro the grynnes laas of the deuyll / bryngeth one in to felycyte eteternall To this questyon eueryche of theym answered after his capacyte vnderstandyng And some sayden / that the Relygyous persone was delyuered fro the deuyll by fastynges / by wakynges / other vertues The other sayden that neuer the deuyll shall be surmoūted of a brother / but by very pouerte of speryte The other sayden that oonly they that were in the depnesse of deserte myght surmoūte the deuyll of helle / so that they haue parfyght loue charyte to god The other affermeden that they that receyueden the pylgryms / doon to theym due seruyce myght lyghtely ouercome the fende Thus were these brethern in cōtrauersye vpon this mater / therfore the sayd abbot sayd to theym My brethern this that ye haue sayd is well necessary to theym that wyll folowe god by very relygyon / but this is ouer lytyll for to be delyuerd fro the puyssaūce of the fende For we haue seen some of our brethern lyuynge Iustely in the thyckest of deserte whiche in th ende haue fallen / hath be cause of theyr ruyne faulte of dyscrecyon / the whiche they had not in theyr operacyons And alwaye it is ryght necessary to a relygyous persone / bycause that it sheweth alwaye the ryall waye to paradyse / and it kepeth that one be not ouer moche / ne ouer lytyll contynent in his werkes / and it is manyfeste that without dyscrecyon may be hadde noo vertue And these wordes sayd / the sayd brethern were all of that opynyon / that dyscrecyon is she that may delyuer the Relygyous persones fro the grynne of
the Ryuage / and after leyde hym in a shyppe / and ledde hym to Saynt Anthonye Now hadde Saynt Anthonye a custome / whan his dyscyple cam to hym for to sygnefye the comyng of ony people / whether they were of Egypte / or of Iherusalem And aboue this he had or deyned / whan hym semed that they were deuoute people / he sholde answere that they were of Iherusalem But and yf they were symple and ydeottis / he sholde saye that they were of Egypte Thenne Saynt Anthonye demaunded his dyscypl◠what people were come The dyscyple answered / fader some of theym be of Egypte / and the other be of Iherusalem Thenne saynt Anthonye made to theym good chere / and after all the nyght he was with theym in prayers orysons in admonestyng theym for theyr helthe In the whiche nyght after that he had called some that he knewe / he called thre tymes Eulogius / but he answered not / wenyng that he had called some other so named Thenne saynt Anthonye sayd to hym answere / for I speke to the that art come fro Alexandrye And thenne after sayd Eulogius / what wylt thou that I saye Saynt Anthonye sayd / wherfor art thou come hyther Thenne Eulogius answered sayd / he that hath shewed to the my name / shal also wel shewe to the / the cause of my comyng Saynt Anthonye sayd I knowe well wherfor thou art comen / but I wyll that thou saye it tofore all thy brethern Thēne began Eulogius to saye I foūde this seke man in the comyn waye despysed of euery man / I haue taken hym in promysyng to god to socoure hȳ in all his necessytees after my power / to the ende that fynably we both two myght be saued / haue ben .xv. yere togydre lyke as it hath ben shewed to you / but for as moche syth certayne tyme / he hath greued and molested me by grete Iniuryes I come vnto you to th ende that ye coūseyll me what I shal do therin I haue some tyme thought to put him awaye from me / as well by reason of the sayd Iniuryes / as for as moche as I can not contente hȳ Thēne answerde to hȳ saynt Anthonye moche rudely how hast thou dar thynke to put hym fro the. I assure the / that yf thou puttest hym out from the / he shall fynde an other that shall better thynke than thou By this answere was Eulogius soo abasshed that he wyst not what to saye That seeyng saynt Anthonye began to speke to the seke man / come hyther thou man vnworthy of heuen of the erthe / foull and Infecte / shalt thou not cesse to grudge and murmure ayenst the seruaunt of god / whiche for the honour of hym hath so benyngly the receyued After he went to his brethern and exhorted eche of theym after that he had necessyte Anone after he retourned to the seke man and to Eulogius and sayd to theym My brethern departe you not a sondre syth ye haue so longe lyued in peas And god shall vysyte you by his mercy grace / whiche hath suffred thyse aduersytees to come to you for to preue you For he knoweth that your ende is nygh / and ye shall be fynably crowned in beatytude euerlastynge And these wordes sayd they wente to theyr celles / and fourty dayes after Eulogius deyed / thre dayes after the seke man deyed / wente to our lorde ¶ An holy fader named Cronius sayd that saynt Anthony prayed an hole yere to god that he wolde shewe hȳ the place of good people the place of the euyll Thenne appyered to hym a geaūt so grete that he touched the clowdes / had vnder his feet a flood lyke vnto the see And furthermore he sawe soules flee lyke byrdes / all they that flewhe aboue the hondes of the geaunt were saued but they that flewhe lowe were plunged in the water And after this vysyon he herde a voys sayeng to hȳ / that the soules that flewh aboue the hondes of the geaūt were the soules of Iuste good people whiche wente strayt in to heueuen / but the other were they that wente to dampnacōn perdycōn for theyr voluptees and flesshely pleasaūces ¶ Of the drede of god THe psalmyste sayd that the drede of god is the begynnyng of sapyence And therfor in this chapytre is made mencōn of the same by suche an example ¶ A monke demaūded of thabbot Pyemon how the soule that dredeth not god / maye resyste the temptacōns Thenne answered the holy fader The soule somtyme dredeth god / but not whan it is tyme / and thus parfyghtly it may not withstonde the enemye yf it dredeth not actuelly For the drede of god is the cause of the grete perfeccōn of the soule ¶ A brother demaunded on a tyme of an olde fader / how the drede of god may come in the soule Thenne answerde the holy man sayeng / yf a man be humble / that he condempne no persone And also yf he be large to do almesse after his faculte he shall drede god ¶ An auncyent olde fader sayd to a Relygyous brother / that he ought to haue thre thynges in hym That is to wyte / the drede of god / parfyght humylyte / and pouerte of spyryte ¶ A monke cam and complayned to an aged fader sayeng to hym I haue an herte so enbarded that I can not drede my god / to whom the holy man sayd I byleue that yf a man take good hede in hym selfe Iugyng hȳ a synnar / that he sholde fere drede god After the brother asked what it was to saye to take hede of hym selfe Tehnne the holy man answered / he that taketh hede of hymself thynketh that he is a grete synnar / haue remembraūce of the grete Iugement of god / at the whiche euery man shall be / to rendre gyue acōptes of his werkes good euyl And for so moche yf a man thynke on this he shall fere drede god Here ben to be noted two thynges that engendren the drede of god / that one is very humylyte / that other is to thynke of the grete daye of the Iugement of god ¶ Here foloweth of the temptacyons of thenemye A Brother demaunded of thabbot Achyles how the deuylles had power ouer vs. To whome the holy man answered by our wylles For yf our wyll consented not to do euyll / it sholde be no synne In lyke wyse thenne / yf we submysed not our wyll to the deuyll / he sholde haue no power ouer vs. For by symylytude the trees be cutte hewen with an axe / whiche is helued with the selfe tree / yf it were not helued / it myght not be hewen All in lyke wyse is it of vs. For the tree sygnefyeth our soules / and the helues our wyll / and the axe the deuyll whiche maye not hewe without an helue /
/ and ought to flee theym as the venym of a serpent or of a scorpyon / to caste theym lyghtly behynde fro his herte The seconde sayde / syth that I haue renoūced and forsaken the worlde I haue sayd euery daye in my selfe On this daye thou art born by grace / this daye thou begynnest to serue god / this daye thou begȳnest to dwelle here / be thou alway as a pylgyme with out to haue other estymacōn of thy selfe / and thou shalt be shortly delyuered The thyrde sayd In the mornyng I moūte vp to my god by prayer in stratchyng my selfe vpon the erthe / prayeng hym that he forgyue me my synnes After I praye to thangellys and other creatures resonable that they supplye praye to god for me / this doon I goo to Iherusalem to see that the Iewes doon The fourth sayd It semeth me that I am with god his dyscyples in the moūte of Olyuete / me semeth that god sayth to me / be thou alway with my dyscyples enhaūsed in contemplacōn And entremete that with no worldly thynges they abuse thy soule / in takyng exāple of Marye magdalene / that whiche sette her atte feet of the sauyour of the worlde in heryng his wordes whiche ben suche Be ye all holy and parfyght / so sayth your fader of heuen And lerne of hym whiche is hūble of herte swete The fyfth sayd I see euery daye thangellys moūtyng descendyng for to calle the holy soules to bryng theym in to paradyse / do nothyng but abyde myne ende in sayeng Lorde god my herte my conscyence is redy and apparaylled whan thou shalt wyll to take it The .vi. sayd It semeth to me euery daye that after my prayes god sayth to me Labour in the loue of me / I shall make the reste Fyght yet a lytyll ayenst the enemye / after thou shalt see my helthe my glorye / yf thou loue me / yf thou art my sone retourne the hardely to me whiche am thy fader / yf thou be my broder / haue thou shame for me / endure the opbrobryes of the people for the honour of me For I haue endured euylles Infenyte for the loue of the / yf thou be my sheep my subgette folowe my passyon The .vij. sayde I thynke alway on the fayth of god on hope / on charyte dyleccōn I haue hope for to enioye my selfe / charyte for drede the I not hate ony man / fayth for to fortefye me ayenst myn enemyes The .viij. sayd I abyde in grete constaūce the deuyll / whatsomeuer parte he go And I praye to god deuoutly / that he do no gryef to ony persone / pryncypally to theym that drede god The .ix. sayd I consydere by contemplacōn dyuyne the vertues angelyke / in the myddes of theym the sone of god shynyng as the sonne ouer aboue all creatures And in consyderyng the swete armonye of angellys cometh in to my remēbraūce that whiche is wryten Lord god the heuens recounte thy glorye / the fyrmament thy werkes meruayllous And in this contemplacōn al that is vpon therth me semeth dust pouldre The .x. sayd I see myn angell whiche is alwaye besyde me kepeth me / thenne I remēbre of that whiche is wryten by the psalmyste I haue alwaye god tofore my thought For he is alwaye at my right syde to th ende that I be not moeued by euyll temptacōns And for as moche as I drede myn angell whiche moūteth alwaye to heuen feryng that he ne shewe my werkes to god The .xi. sayd I haue gyuen my selfe to all vertues / that is to wyte to abstynence / chastyte / humylyte / charyte / dyleccōn / of whiche what someuer parte I fynde my selfe I am enuyronned of theym / enforce my selfe to kepe theym / to th ende that after my deth / they may wytnesse that they haue rested dwelled in me The xij sayd / amonge you faders whiche haue the heuenly conuersacōn / ye haue also the sapyence dyuyne And for as moche as I see you enhaūsed in vertuous werkes ye haue all renounced the worlde the goodes therof Thenne may I saye without synne that ye ben erthely angellys / heuenly men / touchyng your conuersacōn the whiche is in heuen / of whiche thynges I me repute Indygne vnworthy for my synnes whiche accompanye me ouerall where I goo / on the ryght syde and lyfte syde And therfore I me repute worthy to be dampned Thou shalt be putte hastely with theym that for theyr demerytes be in wepynges and in perpetuell wayllynges And in this I consydere some of theym that strayne theyr teeth for the grete payne that they endure in all the partyes of the bodye And in sygne of humylyte I caste my selfe on the erthe takyng asshes / and prayeng god that it may please hym to preserue me from these tourmentes Furthermore I sawe in that helle a see all boyllynge / in the whiche ben moche people of dyuerse astates whiche cryen soo strongely that it is Impossyble to expresse / and the whiche ben pryued fro the mercy of god by cause of the enormyte of theyr synnes And for as moche consyderynge these paynes I wepe by compassyon the falle of worldely people whiche lyue in so grete daunger And in this dooyng I remembre of that whiche is wryten in the psalme My teres haue ben to me also prouffytable as brede of the daye and nyght For by the moyen of theym I haue nourysshed my soule spyrytuelly Alle in lyke wyse as the bodye is nourysshed by brede materyalle ¶ The whiche contemplacyons afore sayd / of the whiche sayenges and dyctes of the sayd holy Auncyent and olde faders we ought with all our power to folowe / to the ende that in so dooyng we may come in to the Royame of heuen The whiche graunte vs he that regned perpetuelly AMEN ¶ Here fynyssheth the fourthe parte of the lyfe of holy faders of Egypte and of Grece ¶ Here foloweth the fyfth parte and some smale treatyses of the praysyng of vertues c. ¶ Here foloweth the fyfthe parte ¶ Here folowed some smale treattys of the praysyng of vertues / as well morall as theologycall / vpon which saynt Macharye made his prologue / whiche was auctour compylatour of theym spekyng in this maner FOr as moche my right dere byloued brother that somtyme thou haste affectuously requyred me to make some lytyll boke or treatyse of the praysyng of vertues I desyryng to fulfylle thy requeste haue compyled this presente booke to the praysyng of god and to the saluacyon of thy soule / knowynge the grete desyre that thou haste to see the holy scryptures And for that cause I am gladde to haue accomplysshed that whiche hath pleased the to requyre me / to th ende that thou mayst alwaye prouffyte in the loue of god / and also that I be
Emperour his absolucyon And that doon he suffred hym to entre in to the chirche In whiche he entred not vpryght but prosteâ—ned and flatte to the grounde vpon the pament And beganne to saye with the psalmyste Lorde god my tongue clyue to my chekys / please if the to quyckene me after thy worde And in takyng his hede with his two hondes rendynge his heere 's and wetynge the pament of the chirche with grete habundaunce of teeres / demaunded humbly pardonne and mercy of oure sauyour Ihesu cryste And the hour comen for to go to the offryng made his oblacyon in grete wepynges and wayl lynges And after that he sette hym doun in the quyre or â—hore lyke as he tofore hadde be accustomed The whiche thyng seeyng Saynt Ambrose asked hym what thyng he made there To whom humbly he answered / that he entended to receyue the holy sacramente of the aulter And anone after Saynt Ambrose dyde doo saye to hym by an Archedeken that the chore or the quyre of the chirche was oonly ordeyned for the preestes And that it was not leeffull to other to entre in to it / commaundynge hym that he sholde go out abydyng the percepcyon of the precyous bodye of Ihesu Cryste with the other Theodosius herynge these wordes / mekely answered thus I am not sette here by presumpcyon / but for as â—oche as in Constantynople the custome is suche that the Emperour / whan the seruyce of god is in doynge sytteth in the chore or quyre with the preestes And in his excusacyon thus made / he yssued in thankyng humbly Saynt Ambrose of his good exhortacyon By whiche example may be knowen the grete Iustyce of that one and of that other How be it / that I haue grete meruaylle of the grete hardynes of Saynt Ambrose towarde the sayd Emperour And also of the obeyssauÌ„ce of hym In whiche thou hast matere to take good example of the endes tofore alledged And therfore I praye the that ofte thou rede this hystorye / And yf thou so do puttyng it in effecte / thou shalt eschewe all vyces and synnes / the whiche thynge neuerthelesse thou mayst not do without the specyalle ayde and helpe of our sauyour and redemer Ihesu Cryste / as sayth Saynt Iohan in his fyrste gospell / spekyng in the persone of our lord Ihesu Cryste sayeng thus Without me ye may do no good thynge that is merytorye Thenne ought not the stronge man to gloryfye hymself in his strengthe ne the wyse man in his wysedom / ne in lyke wyse the ryche man in his rychesse / but they ought to gloryfye theym in the knowleche of god / as he hym selfe sayth in spekynge by the mouthe of the prophete Iheremyas And to this purpose sayth saynt Poull in one of his Epystles spekynge to the Corynthyens My bretheren / he that wyll gloryfye late hym gloryfye in god and nothynge in hym selfe / the whiche wordes ben well to be noted pryncypally by theym that mayntene that a man may conduyte and gouerne his propre wylle without helpe of god / whiche we ought not to byleue For yf we may not without hym thynke ony thynge / by more gretter reason we may do noo thyng without hym And therfore yf thou doo ony good werke / presume not that it procedeth of the / but of god whiche hath gyuen to the his grace to do accomplysshe it ¶ How one ought gladly rede the scryptures / begynnyng in latyn Sanctarum c Caplm .xv. TO rede the scryptures / is in partye to knowe the felycyte eternall For in theym a man may see what he ought to doo in conuersacyon Also that lyghtly he may see his face in a myrrour Ofte to rede purgeth the soule from synne / it engendreth drede of god / and it kepeth the soule from eternall dampnacyon And all in lyke wyse as we be nourysshed with bodely mete as touchyng the bodye In lyke wyse as touchyng the soule we ben nourysshed by the lecture and redynge of scrypture To this purpose sâ—â—â—â— psalmyste My god that thy wordes ben swete to myn eeres to here and to vnderstonde But yet is he more happy whiche redeth the scryptures / and dooth that whiche he fyndeth therin For they be made to the ende / that in knowyng theym we may lyue in this worlde well and Iustely And as it is sayd that the blynde byhoueth ofte more on his waye / than he that seeth moche clere In lyke wyse well ofte he that knoweth not the lawe of god synneth / there as he that knoweth it synneth not And a man without a techer / is as a blynde man without a leder And therfore be dylygent and besy to rede the scryptures For in redyng theym the naturell wytte and vnderstandyng ben augmented in soo moche that men fynde that whiche ought to be lefte / and take that wherof may ensyewe prouffyte Infenyte And also he shall fynde in theym what he ought to do ¶ Of the yefte of peas / begynnynge in latyn Saluator c. Capittulum .xvi. THe yefte of peas the whiche amonge all other is souerayne / lefte our lorde Ihesu Cryste to his appostles / whan he ascended in to heuen the daye of his ascencyon to the right syde of god the fader in sayeng to theym I gyue to you my peas I haue lefte to you peas / and soo shall I fynde you agayne And this that he gaaf to theym / that is to saye peas / he desyreth to fynde agayne at the day of dome in euery crysten man And he hymself sheweth to vs in an other place of the gospell the goodes of peas where he sayth Blessyd be the peasyble / for he that is very peasyble in his conscyence is the sone of god / but he that hath noo peas in his herte is the sone of the deuyll And this we ought to vnderstande of very peas / whiche is oonly in the conscyence of ryghtfull men For the euyll persones haue peas with theyr felawes but in theyr coÌ„scyence they haue it not The fyrste peas bryngeth ledeth to saluacoÌ„n / the seconde to dampnacyon Peas is with the good vertuous / warre is with the euyll vycyous / peas is cause of the receyuyng of the holy ghoost Peas is moder of loue dyleccoÌ„n / peas is sygne of holynesse / of the whiche sayth the prophete Loue ye peas and veryte Peas is the helth of the people / the grete honour of the prynce / the Ioye of the contree / and the drede of enemyes Thenne it ought alwaye to be kepte / for who is with it is with god Thoffyce of a preest is to admoneste the people of the whiche they ought to do And the people ought to here huÌ„bly For the herdeman ought to deffende his sheep from all thynges vniuste And the people ought to be to hym obeyssauÌ„t ¶ Here foloweth the pystle of saynt Macharye to monkes / whiche begynneth in latyn In primis c.
Caplm xvij YF a man knowe well what he is / what is his maker / he wyll repente hyÌ„ of his synnes in makyng deuoute penauÌ„ce / as fastynges / abstyneÌ„ces / almesses or other good dedes / that he haue in hate all voluptuousyte bodyly pleasauÌ„ce / god shall gyue to hyÌ„ very contrycoÌ„n parfyght knowleche of his offenses / in so moche that he shall see the tronke or beme in his owen eye / shall not see the festue in the eye of his neyghbour / that is to wyte that he shall knowe his grete synnes / not the smale of his neyghbour TheÌ„ne may he well saye with the psalmyste Lord god I knowe the enormyte of my synne / whiche is coÌ„tynuelly in thy presence I shal also haue remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the IugemeÌ„t of haueÌ„ of helle / yf he see that his herte be ferme constauÌ„t in the drede of god / wtout to drede his aduersary the fede of helle / he is a very relygyoê° / but all in lyke wyse as the shyp is drowned by grete habuÌ„dance of water / in lyke wyse a relygyous man that possesseth ony goodes teÌ„porell is drowned by synne / for he goth dyrectly ayenst the vowâ— of relygyon / by the whiche he auouwed wylfull pouerte And on the contrarye a relygyoê° persone that is not possessed of ony thyng he fleeth in to the royame of heue by coÌ„templacoÌ„n For the eygle that fleeth on hye aboue al other byrdes cometh sooner to the terme of his cours there receyueth his salarye And furthermore it is expedyent to good relygyoê° to rede praye be as brethern togydre / for in so doyng the dyffycultees ben the sooner determyned better disputed / thaÌ„ for testudye eche by hyÌ„self Four thyÌ„ges ben moche necessary to a man of the chirche / knowlege of the lawe of god / thystory in the whiche is coÌ„teyned the lyf to come / the seruyce of the church / the scyeÌ„ce of gramayre / by that whiche is knowen the sygnyfycacoÌ„ns of the termes of latyn he that hath not renouÌ„ced the world knoweth not what is of the 〈…〉 is sayd in a comyn prouerbe / that also well by houeth to thauarycyoê° man that he hath as that whiche he hath not To hyÌ„ that trusteth in god the rychesses fayllen not For he wyll not haue theym / but to an euyll persone / all byhoueth to his appetyte / how well that he hath many goodes temporell / lete vs lyue theÌ„ne as hauyng nothynge / all possessyng by suffysauÌ„ce For the lyfe the vesture is the rychesse of lyuyng men / yf thou hast thy goodes thy power domynacoÌ„n / selle theym gyue theym for the loue of god / or yf not take theym from thy herte thought / yf one take awaye thy robe or thy vesture / lete hym go that hath taken it away robbed the. For it byhoueth to gyue selle his goodes for to nourysshe susteyne the poore people / he that hath gyueÌ„ hyÌ„selfe to god hath gyueÌ„ all that he hath we rede that the holy sayntes apostles for to folowe our sauyour redemer Ihesu cryste leften generally all that they hadden And the good wydowe that gaaf .ij. ferthynges to thoffryng was preferred tofore the grete and excellent yeftes of Cresus For she had more meryte for as moche as she gaaf all that she had / he lyghtly despyseth all thyng / that reputeth hym selfe redy for to deye We ought to thynke on the thynges that folowe / that is to wyte on the passyon of our sauyour Ihesu cryst to th ende that we haue therin comforte On the hour of deth / to the ende that we make vs redy On the daye of Iugement to th ende that we may yelde good acomptes On helle to th ende that we drede eschewe it And on heuen to th ende that we desyre it The fende of helle bryngeth vayne surete to the corage of man in thre maners Fyrst he admonesteth hym that he confesse hyÌ„ not in ony wyse of his trespaces synnes / in sayeng to hym that he is yet yonge that he may lyne alwaye not deye Secondely he admonesteth gyueth hyÌ„ to vnderstonde that other men hath more synned coÌ„mysed moo euylles than he / neuertheles they haue longer lyued than he Thyrdly he gyueth to hyÌ„ boldynes hardynes to synne perseuere in his euylles sayeng to hyÌ„ / what someuer that a man doth synne god that is soueraynely pyteous mercyfull shall forgyue hym all / thus he bryngeth a man to daÌ„pnacoÌ„n perpetuell to the tormeÌ„tes of helle God our sauyour hath gyuen dyuerse remedyes to the soule for to make hyÌ„ clene guarysshe hyÌ„ of his synne For some may purge theyÌ„ by almesse / other by orysons prayes / other for to receyue pylgryms / the other by fastyng wakyng / other for to be chaste / other by humylyte / the other by very obeyssauÌ„ce / some by very pacyence / some haue scyence / the other sapyence / other haue that yefte of the tongue / other haue that yefte to he le seke men / all these thynges maketh the holy ghoost / whiche deuydeth his graces as hyÌ„ semeth good And yf thou beholde well in thy psalmes / thou shalt fynde thyncarnacyon / the passyon / the resurrexion / thassencoÌ„n of our sauyour redemer Ihesu cryste / and the other mysteryes of our fayth Thou shalt fynde therin orayson prayer more deuoute than thou mayst in thy selfe thynke with right ample confessyon of thy synnes / also for to calle for the mercy of god Thou shalt fynde there furthermore all vertues yf thou wylt that god shewe theym to the. Yf thou wylt saye a psalme well deuoutely Saye that same that begynneth Beati inmaculati c. And whan thou shalt haue estudyed alle thy lyfe to vnderstonde that same psalme I byleue certaynely that thou sholdest not vnderstande it For in it is not a verse / but it conteyneth of the lawe of god / or some coÌ„mauÌ„dement of the same / or wordes incytyng to feruent deuocoÌ„n And therfore it is not necessarye to demauÌ„de ne enquyre so many bokes For thou hast ynough of the psaulter all thy lyfe In whiche thou shalt fynde for one partye the gospellys prophecyes / other bokes dyuerse And generally thou shalt fynde yf thou beholde well all the operacoÌ„ns worthy to be remembred of our sauyour redemer Ihesu cryste / as it hath be sayd here tofore The place habytacoÌ„n of our sauyour redemer is an herte Iuste rightfull The fondement of the hous is the fayth / the heyght is hope / the brede largenes is charyte / the lengthe is perseuerauÌ„ce / the sydes of the hous habytacoÌ„n ben peas concorde / the yates ben Iustyce and trouthe / the beaute is good example / The wyndowes ben the sayenges of sayntes / the pament is humylyte of herte / the chambres ben the good prelates / the dore is the place of peas / the couerture is loyalte / the table of Ihesu cryste in this chambre is good conuersacoÌ„n / his seruyce in the same is good remeÌ„brauÌ„ce / his reste is good wyll his chayre is clerenes of thought / his spouse is the soule holy sacred / his chambrelayns ben the vertues / his â—hyef chambrelayne is charyte / that gouerneth the chambre of our lorde / humylyte is tresorer / holy sapyence ensumyneth the sayd chambre / clennes maketh clene the chambre / bouÌ„te bryngeth the swete encence therin / dylygence arayeth the chambre / abstynence leyeth the table / attemperance kepeth clennes in the coÌ„scyence / watche kepeth the chambre / penauÌ„ce gyueth the dyscyplyne chastyseth theym that haue offended / good conscyence and wyll is the portyer / the whiche good wyll hath engendred all the vertues afore sayd And good perseueraunce nouryssheth theym God thenne gyue vs his grace to fynde in vs suche an hous that it maye please hym to lodge therin / to th ende that in this worlde he kepe vs fro aduersyte spyrytuell And in th ende of our dayes / he brynge vs with hym in to his Royame of heuen for to be partyners of the glorye eternall / the whiche graunte to vs the holy trynyte Amen ¶ Explicit ¶ Thus endyth the moost vertuouse hystorye of the deuoute right renommed lyues of holy faders lyuynge in deserte / worthy of remembraunce to all well dysposed persones / whiche hath be translated out of Frensshe in to Englysshe by Wyllyam Caxton of Westmynstre late deed / and fynysshed it at the laste daye of his lyff Enprynted in the sayd towne of Westmynstre by my Wynkyn de Worde the yere of our lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxv and the tenth yere of our souerayne lorde kyng Henry the seuenth vitas patrum
saye / that whiche the sayd saynt Anthonye had demauÌ„ded hym ¶ Thenne saynt Anthonye sayd to hym / that he â—onâ—y had fouÌ„de the yate of humylyte / for in spekyng of the holy scrypture ought noman to gloryfye hym / but rather to meke humble hym ¶ Thabbot Arsenye beyng allone in his celle / the deuylles camen somtyme for to lette hym of his contemplacoÌ„ns On a tyme among the other they cam at the hour / whan the brethern brought hym his refeccyon corporall And they taryeng at the dore herde the sayd abbot cryeng with an hye voys sayeng My god leue me not without thy mercy And bycause I neuer dyde dede merythâ—ryous I praye the gyue me grace that now I may entrepryse the begynnyng of helthfull lyfe And this sayd 〈…〉 humylyte / â—ow he it he had so 〈…〉 ledde a ryght parfyght lyâ—◠¶ Of the same holy abbot Arsenye recounten his brethern / that whan he was in the palays of themperour / ther was none cladde with more precyous Robes than he And countrarye whan he was Relygyous for to more to meke humble hym selfe / he cladde hym with the moost vyle clothynge more course than all the other He asked on a tyme of an olde fader of Egypte what thoughtes and medytacyons he ought to haue for to lyue holyly The whiche olde fader answered to hym sayeng Arsenye I meruaylle me how thou that art a clerke / knowyng the grekysshe lettres latyn / demauÌ„dest suche a questyon of me that am a rude man / that can not dyscerne bytwene synne vertue Thenne the holy fader Arsenye coÌ„syderyng his humylyte sayd to hym these wordes I haue knowen the lawes tradycoÌ„ns latyne greke But yet knewe I neuer the a.b.c of suche a rude man that is no clerke / whan he spacke / his speche was sorowfull / whan he was styll spacke not / it was to hym gladnesse ¶ Whan thabbot Pastor herde tydynges of his deth / he sayd of hym these wordes Thou art well happy fader Arsenye / for thou hast wepte bewayled thy selfe in this worlde As who sholde saye / he that bewayleth ben epeth not his synnes in this worlde mortall / in doyng penytence / he shal bewept hyÌ„ incessauÌ„tly in torment euerlastyng ¶ An holy fader named Danyell wytnesseth of the sayd holy fader Arsenye many fayr rewles of his holy conuersacyon ¶ Fyrste the sayd abbot Arsenye presumed neuer to speke ony questyon doubtouse touchynge holy scrypture ¶ Secondely be wrote not gladly ony lettres myschyef to his Relygyous brethern And whan he had be longe out of his couent / was come ayen to the chirche / he shewed not hym selfe / but put hym selfe behynde a pyler by cause he wolde not be seen / also that he sholde see none other Notwithstandynge that his face was angelyke pleasant as the face of Iacob ¶ Thauncyent faders rehercen that some relygyoê° brethern presented theyÌ„ selfe to fore thabbot Ammon / to th ende that he sholde Iuge some questyon moeued among theym But the good fader Ammon dyssymyled wolde Iuge no persone That seeyng a woman she sayd to an other that was by her My neyghbour take hede see this fayr fader whiche is all a fooll Thus as she sayd these wordes / the sayd Ammon vnderstode it / and sayd to her My frende how longe wenest thou that I haue had paynes labours in deserte for to gete this fatuyte folye And for thoccasyon of the / that is to wyce for thy Iniuryouses I sholde haue this daye loste it As who sayd / that yf I had not endured pacyently that whiche she had sayd / he had falle in Inpacyence / by that he had loste the meryte of his penauÌ„ces / yf by newe penauÌ„ce he had not retorned to god ¶ The holy faders recouÌ„ten that in the cyte of Exyrynque was a bysshop named Assus / the whiche beyng a monke to fore he was electe bysshop / ladde a right harde strayt lyfe And also wel whan he was bysshop / he wolde haue ledde suche a lyfe / as that he had ledde in his hermytage Thenne as desolate / wenyng to be out of the grace of the holy ghost made ofte his prayer vnto god in sayeng O my lord my god / the dygnyte epyscopall in whiche I am coÌ„stytued maketh me to be separate from thy loue In so moche that I may not doo suche penaunces as I was wonte to doo in deserte To whom was shewed that nay / and that our lord socoured hym more whan he was in deserte in solytude / bycause that men myght not thenne helpe hym But he beyng a bysshop he myght haue ayde and helpe of men / wherfore god gaaf not soo grete consolacyon ne suche strength in his penaunces strayt lyuyng ¶ The abbot Danyell wytnesseth that in Babylon the doughter of a prouoost was vexed of a deuyll the whiche she hadde within her bodye The sayd prouoost had grete famylyaryte with a Relygyous man / of whom he asked ofte couÌ„seyll for to knowe by what moyen his doughter myght ben preserued from this vexacyon dyabolyke ¶ The sayd monke answered that he knewe noo remedye / but the prayers of the holy hermytes lyuyng in the desertes But by cause that the sayd monke knewe theyr humylyte / he counselled the sayd prouoost that he sholde awayte whan ony of theym cam to the market for to selle theyr hottes or paners / and that he sholde bye thâ—ym and not paye / but constrayne hym to come to his hous for his moneye And whan he were come / he sholde make his doughter demonyake to come to fore hym / thenne he sholde praye hyÌ„ to praye to god for his sayd doughter / hopyng by this moyen that she sholde be heled and restored to her helth And fynably it happed than that an olde hermyte cam to the market for to selle his paners And anone after the counseyll of the Relygyous man the sayd prouoost brought hym to his hous / for to paye to hym there his moneye for the marchauÌ„dyse that he hadde bought of hym And after that the holy fader was entred in to the hous / the doughter beyng gryeuously tourmented of the deuyll was presented tofore hym The whiche in hyr grete woodnesse gaaf to the sayde hermyte incontynent a buffet vpon his cheke The whiche consyderyng the coÌ„maundement of our lorde Ihesu cryste in his gospell / presented and profred to hyr that other cheke / to th ende that she sholde gyue to hym yet an other buffette The deuyll whiche was with in the bodye of the sayd doughter / whan he perceyued the grete humylyte of the holy hermyte / by his grete pryde he coude ne myght noo lenger kepe ne holde hym within her in the presence of the holy man But with an hye voys cryed by the mouthe of the sayde doughter sayeng O vyolente
is to byleue that whiche he seeth not ¶ Thabbot Theodore spekyng on a tyme of thoperacoÌ„ns of the soule / and of thoperacoÌ„ns of the handes / his brethern sayden to hym Fader saye ye to vs what dyfference is ther bytwene the werkes of the soule / and of theym of the hondes And he sayd to theym / all that whiche we do for the loue of god in kepyng his coÌ„mauÌ„dementes is called the operacoÌ„ns of the soule / but the whiche we do for synguler prouffyt is sayd the werke of the handes ¶ The abbot Appollo whan one demauÌ„aed hym of his labour / he wente forth Ioyously with eueryche sayd I walke with my kyng Ihesu cryste go labour for my soule And that to do is a good rewarde And by this may one conclude / that there / where one may edefye his neyghbour without offendyng god / he ought to fulfylle his wyl alwaye seen in tyme place ¶ How one ought to forsake his wyll and specyally the Relygyouses ¶ A brother comynge in to Sychye for to see thabbot Arsenius wolde not tarye for ony prayer that was made to hym / sayeng that he wolde not ete tyll that he had spoken to hym So that one of the brethern brought hym to thabbot Arseniê° whiche thenne was in his celle Anone they began to pray to god after they satte doun / but he that broughte that other seeyng that Arseniê° sayd nothyng / sayd that he wolde goo his waye Thenne sayd he that was comeÌ„ And I also wyll go / so wente they bothe two Thenne began the strauÌ„ger to praye that other that they sholde go see thabbot Moyses / to the whiche that other accorded The sayd Moyses receyued theym ryght benygnely And after they wente bothe tweyne And in walkyng sayd to the strauÌ„ger he that had brought hyÌ„ thyder Now here my brother / thou hast seen these two olde faders whiche thou desyredest so moche to see saye now / whiche of them semeth to the / the better The relygyoê° answered that he whiche had receyued theym so benygnely semed to hym to be the better The whiche answere heryng an holy fader / he prayed to god in this maner / Lorde god please it to the to shewe to me whiche of theym hath moost meryte / eyther he that for the loue of god fledde all the syght of men theyr companye or he that for thy name receyueth all pylgrymes Thenne were ther shewed to hym two shyppes / in that one of theym he sawe the holy ghoost peasyble / the abbot Arsensiê° with hym / in that other he sawe a legyon of angellys / with theym thabbot Moyses / whiche putted hony in to his mouthe / by whiche he knewe well that bothe two of theym hadden good salarye rewarde ¶ How one ought to serue the seke men MOche peple of dyuerse regyons cameÌ„ to saynt Anthonye for to receyue helthe / amonge whom ther cam a monke of Alexandrye named Eulogius / whiche had be a scoler that whiche desyryng to ensyewe our lord had renouÌ„ced all his goodes in reseruyÌ„ge some porcoÌ„n lytyll quaÌ„tyte / of whiche he hoped to lyue in tyme comyng / but he fouÌ„de hyÌ„self by dyuerse temptacoÌ„ns in suche wyse troubled in his corage that he myght not abyde in ony monastery wherfor leuyng his hermytage / he fouÌ„de in his way a man whiche was seke of a maladye called elephantyke / by the whiche he had not in all his meÌ„bres ony helth but in his toÌ„gue / by that whiche he shewed to hym his maladye This seeyng eulogiê° made his prayer sayeng lord god in thy name for the honour of that I receyue this man whiche is persecuted by gryeuoê° maladye / to th ende that in receyuyng hyÌ„ I may gete the glory of heuen And therfor my god gyue to me fauour / to th ende that I may achyeue this werke After he sayd to the seke man My broder yf the wylt I shall receyue that in to my hous / after my power I shall serue the / theÌ„ne answerd the seke man Alas syre yf it so please that I wolde well Thenne sayd Eulogiê° I go in to my hous for to fetche an asse for to bryng the thyder / so he dyde serued hyÌ„ in al his nechssytees by the space of .xv. yere / after by thadmonycoÌ„n of the deuyll / the seke man wolde haue goon awaye / began to grudge murmure ayenst Eulogiê° in sayeng to hyÌ„ Thou art a man fugytyfe / whiche hast lefte thy hous / wenest by thoccasyon that thou seruest me to recouer the helthe of thy soule This not withstondyng Eulogiê° prayed hyÌ„ that he wolde leue to saye to hyÌ„ suche Iniuryes in sayeng My frende / yf I haue offended that in ony thynge telle it to me / I shall amende it The seke man answered / go thy waye I sette not by thy flateryes / sette me in the comyn waye out of this deserte TheÌ„ne sayd to hyÌ„ Eulogiê° I praye the appease thy selfe The seke man answered I may nomore endure thy derysyons mockes / also I may no lenger lyue in this maner / for I wyll ete flesshe And to that Eulogius was contente / he wente fette to hym some / as soone as the seke man sawe but he began to crye Thou abbuseste / thou mayst not satysfye my wyll For I wyll goo see the worlde Thenne Eulogius brought to hym a multytude of monkes whiche were fast by / to th ende that he myght appease hym / but after that he had seen them he was more cruell than he was tofore / began to saye I may not see the / thou enforcest thy selfe for to brynge to me a multytude of people that doo noo thynge but deuoure thy sabstauÌ„ce And in so tormentyng hym selfe / and yet sayd I wyll go in to the worlde / bere me agayne thyder where as thou tokest me And he was soo troubled in his entendement / that yf he had myght he wolde haue hanged hym selfe Thenne Eulogius demaunded of the relygyous counseyll what he sholde do with this seke man sayeng that he was in a meruayllous perplexite for his terryble wordes / and sayd I woto not whether I ought to put hym forth / or to kepe hym with me To whom the brethern sayd Thou shall put this seke man in a shyppe / shalt lede hym to thabbot Anthonye in his monasterye / and thou shalt abyde there tyll he come out of the caue wherin he dwelleth And whan thou shalt see hym / thou shalt recount thy payne to hym whiche thou endurest / in demaundynge of hym counseylle vpon this mater / and how that thou shalt therin procede / and doo all that whiche he shall saye to the / for he shall saye noo thynge but that it procedeth of god The sayd Eulogius obeyed to the holy relygyouses And by nyght he bare this seke man vnto