whiche of antiquitie was in Britaine a great famous citie Verbi autores OF this place here nowe I am aduerted Of this matter for to stynte a whyle And to procede howe Albon was conuerted To christen fayth the processe to compyle The holy martyr directe shall my style To whose worshyp first I vndertoke The translation of this lyttell boke At the request and vertuous byddyng Of my father thabbot of that place A clerke noble perfyte of lyuyng Hauyng in custome euery houre and space To auoyde slouth and vertue to purchace Lyke any Ampte all seasons of the yere To gader grayne and stuffen his garner By whose notable compylations Illumyned is not only his gaye library By also full diligent occupations Agaynst ydlenes to all vertue contrary Hat set in order in his famous grauery A boke compyled rycher than golde in coffers Lyues of poetes and prudent philosophers Of his name the Ethymologie Is sayd of am Home or stede of whete Of god prouyded doth clerely signifie whete gleues of the mouthe of tholde poete Greyne frute and floure with rhetoriques swete Of philosophers callyng to memory Of his labour the laureat reportory And as I sayde by his cōmaundement I toke vpon me this translation First to compyle it in all my best entent His famous knyghthode and renowne And nowe to tell of his conuersation To Christis lawe I cast me for to wryte Folowynge the storye his passyon to endite To procede lyke as I am bounde For to accomplysshe brefly in substance This lyttell boke and call it the seconde Of his martyrdome and meke suffraunce And put aforne clerely in remembraunce Howe Amphiball as the cronycle sayth Tourned Albon vnto Christis fayth Eche of them by recorde of writynge was plainely without others remembraunce For Albon had lost the knowlegynge Of Amphabell and all olde acqueintaunce But by the meane of goddes ordynaunce I wyll declare as I am bounde of det In Verolamy to tell how they met Plainly procede as I vndertoke The residue to accomplysshe for his sake Make here an ende of the first boke But now forsothe my penne I fele quake Voide of all colour saue of letters blake In this processe my dulnesse to acquite The martirdome of Albon to endite Finis ¶ Here endeth the first boke whiche treateth of the lyfe of Albon before he was conuerted to the faythe ¶ Here begynneth the prologue of the secunde boke treatynge of the conuersion of the blessed prothomaptyr of Englande called Sainct Albon SO as Aurora parteth the derke night Towarde the tyme of Phebus vprisynge And Lucifer with agreable light Bryngeth kalendes of a glad mornynge So by ensample the true lyuynge Of olde tyme in saint Albon vsed Caused the lorde whiche guerdoneth euery thynge That the merites of hym were nat refused Euery thynge draweth to his nature Like as kynde gyueth heuenly influence For to disposen euery creature Some to profite some to do offence Some to encreace by perfite prouidence where vertue hath the dominacion Of god ordeined by intere diligence That sensualitie be bridled with reason Amonge painems Iues haue be saine That vertue hath many of them gouerned Taught by nature wrought nothynge in vaine But as kynde and reason hath vs lerned Good graine from chaf was discerned Thus hath he proued in many a sondry place Good from yuell by them truely conserned Recorde vpon Cornelly and on saynt Eustace who taughte Troyan whylom to done ryghte whan the wydowe complayned her greuaunce To her grefe themperour cast his sighte Reason taught hym for all his great puissaunce To her request to holde the balaunce Of ryghtwysenes to se though he were stronge In her pouerte to perswade her perturbance By egall dome he to redresse her wronge The storye of olde it put in memorye For ryghtwysenes in especiall Howe that Troyan by prayers of Gregorye was preserued from the paynes eternall From dampnation and cloyster infernall To exemplifie howe god taketh hede Of his greattest power moste imperiall Of ryght and mercy acquiteth eche good dede And to the purpose of my mattiere Durynge his lyfe of great power and myght This blessed Albon who so lyste to here Though lyke a prince his power yafe great lyght Fostred trouthe dyd wronge to no wyght For whiche the lorde his hande hath nat w tdrawe To call and clepe hym his owne chosen knyght To be conuerted and turned to his lawe His trouthe his vertue his natife gentylnes Of custome stable grounded in many wyse Caused god of his mercifull goodnes To the this prince into his seruice All fals y dols manly to despise This choson chapyon borne of the breton tyne This newe Tytan whose beames dyd auise Out of orient to lorde to enlemyne Nowe hensforth shall be my processe with gods helpe my penne to apply Howe in his tyme he keped ryghtwysenes And lyke a prince howe he dyd hym gye To set his citie vpon eche partie In gouernaunce from ryght they not twynne Vnder the reignes of prudent polycye whiche to reherse thus I wyll begynne ¶ Here endeth the prologe of the seconde boke ¶ Here begynneth the seconde boke of the glorious Prothomartyr saynt Albon howe he was made gouernour of the citie of Verolamye VNder the Romaynes chefe and principall with great auise it lyked them to ordayne By commyssyon and titell imperiall Prince and stewarde thorughout all Bretayne To chefe Albon whiche dyd first his payne Lyke a prince not slowe nor recheles To auoyde all trouble and rule the people in peas By polecy he hath so prouyded Set statutes so myghtye and so stronge And his lawes so vertuously deuyded For cōmon profyte to endure longe That no man shulde do other wronge And where he sawe innocentes oppressed Set a payne inhaste to be redressed The ryche he made lyue to theyr estate without extorcion do to the portayle Repressed ryot suffered no debate Idell people constrayned to trauayle Aforne prouyded for plente of vitayle Lyke his office with vertuous diligence By suffisaunce there were none indigence Beloued and drad with hygh and lowe degre For frende nor soo declyued not fro trouth The good hym loued for his benignite The ryche drad hym on the pore he had reuth wronges to redresse there was in hym no slouth In his domes stedfast as a wall Not singuler founde nor yet parciall Nature taught hym all vices for to flee Lyke the lawes to whiche he was bounde A chastiser of all dishoneste Gafe neuer dome tyll trouthe were out founde Nother to heuy nother to iocounde But as tyme and mater gaue hym occasyon So was demened his disposition He had also of his acqueyntance Foure vertues called Cardynall The reine of his brydell led temperance Ryghtwysenes with mercy ruled all Trouthe to defende and manhod marcyall By force also through hygh prowes Spared not to chastise all falsenes He coulde appese folke that lyste debate Refourme all rancour where he coude it espye Lyke a prince knyghtly he dyd hate Suche as coulde
that were to her reserued As I sayde erst by a prerogatyue She amonge women was mayden mother wyfe To god a mayde to fulfyll his wyll And to the lorde a seruant by mekenes Doughter mother eke faythfull ancyll whiche to remembre hath brought gostly gladnes Of all welfare our daungers to represse Aforne by recorde of prophetes in substaunce Vs to defende agayne all mortall greuaunce For whiche dere host sith it may auayle To my doctrine yeueth hartily credence God hath me sent to teache you and counsayle So that ye lust with humble diligence Become his knyght and do hym reuerence Obeye his lawe his preceptes all Taketh good hede to you what shall befall His fayth to you shall gyue so great vertue That blynde folke ye shall make for to see By inuocation only of Christe Iesu Delyuer the people from all aduersite Leprous folke and tho that lame be To be made clene and make them go vpryght And euery sykenes recouer thrugh his myght ye shall escape by his prouydence All myscheues to you that ben contrary Lyue longe tyme go free from pestilence From Christis fayth if that ye wyll not vary To graunt your askynge the lorde shall not tary But at last or ye hens wende By martyrdome ye shall make an ende By martyrdome ye shall ende your lyfe And blessedly from this worlde shall passe Out of all trouble and transitory stryfe whiche day by day doth you here manasse Thrugh Christis myght and influence of grace ye shall to god to your great auantage By meke suffraunce make your passage This was chefe cause and grounde of my cōmyng Sent by Iesu vnto this towne As a bedyll to brynge you tydyng Howe by his myghty visitation ye shall endure payne and passyon For Christis fayth in his moste pacient wyse As knyght and martyr chosen to his seruice That is his wyll ye shall fynde in dede To recompence the great humanyte whiche ye haue vsed of fredome and manhede To indigent folke and people in pouerte And specially for hospitalite with other dedes in nombre called seuen Dedes of mercy registred nowe in heuen To fede the pore whiche had no vitayle And to viset folkes in prison Receyue them that herburgh dyd fayle Bedred folkes that lay in myschiefe downe Comforte the syke mynystre them foysowne Parte with them of that they had nede And vury them that laye in myschiefe dede To his seruantes all that ye haue mynystred Cronycled ben in the heuenly consistory In his boke perpetually registred Eche good dede the lorde hath in memory It to guerdon with a palme of victorie Perpetually with hym to reigne in ioye Greatter conquest than was the sege of Troye Sith ye your handes haue not withdrawe From hospitalite pore folkes for to fede whyle ye haue lyued in this paynym lawe Causes of the poore to promote and to spede God forgetteth not to quite your mede If this be done after ye be baptised A double palme for you shalbe deuysed Lyke a prince in moste knyghty wyse Albon obeyed with entiere diligence All these wordes gan wysely aduertise Answerynge these wordes in sentence what maner worshyp what maner reuerence Shall I do than whan I am withdrawe From ydolatry and turned to Christis lawe Amphibalus yafe answere to Albon ye must beleue in no doubte be There is no god in this worlde but one The father the sonne the holy gost these thre Ioyned in one by perfyte vnite The foundation as I can well preue Firste article grounde of our beleue This fayth in soth shall clerely you directe If that you lyst gyue therto credence All olde errours to auoyde correcte If ye so done with humble reuerence I dare affirme and conclude in sentence That your begynnyng to god is acceptable And to your soule treasure moste profytable Of the father the power eternall Of the sonne souerain sapience Of the holy gost in especiall Grace dothe procede by vertuous prouidence And to descryue the magnificence Of all the thre called thre and one Vndeuided they neuer asonder gone And if ye lyste vnto this lawe tourne Of his most dignē imperiall maieste He shall you make with hym to soiourne This blessed lorde this blessed trinite where ioye is euer and all felicite Tofore whose face eternally lastynge Thre Ierarchies one Osanna synge Of this matiere be nothyng in doute Set asyde all ambiguyte Forsake your mawmettes and all that false route For they be made of metall stone tree whiche may not helpe nor forther in no degree Saturne Iubiter Mars and Appollo with the false goddessis Dyana and Iune Though they haue eares in trouth they may not here with eien great of lokyng they do fayle They be forged in golde stones clere who calleth to them they may nothyng auayle Nowe dere host forsake all this rascayle As I haue sayde and do in Christ delyte And he by grace shall make you perfyte A large space Albon kepte hym close Fayned in maner as he had disdayne From his place in great hast arose yet or he went he gan to sayne ye be not wyse your doctrine is in vayne If it were wyst ye were in this citie ye shulde endure full great aduersitie For your sake there shulde be practysed Dyuers tourmentes for your destruction For your blasphemye cruelly chastised without fauour or remyssyon At the last for shorte conclusyon your heed smyten of without grace If ye were knowne or founden in this place In this mater I can none other fele For your persone somwhat I stande in doute you ben here yet I shall counsayle And you preserue that no man shall take hede Of your consayte nor what ye mene in dede And with that worde out of the place he goth Sheweth a chere lyke as he had bene wroth By grace of god and fauour of fortune All that he sayde was done with reuerence Of gentylnes he was not importune Suffered all thynge with humble pacience Albeit so he gafe no full credence To his doctrine of thynges whiche he tolde Stode in doute what partie he shulde holde Albon in hast thought for the best whan Lucyna shone full shene and bryght with slepe oppressed for to take his rest Amphibalus satte all that longe nyght Vpon his knees as gods owne knyght For loue of Albon with great deuotion Makyng full mekely his orison To whose prayer of grace god toke kepe And lyste to consydre his affection And in this whyle as Albon lay and slepe The same nyght he had a vision Straunge and dyuers by manyfolde reason And wonder fer from his intelligence what it ment or what was the sentence Towarde morowe whan Albon dyd abrayde Out of his slepe and Phebus shone full shene Gan to maruayle and no worde he sayde Touchyng his dreame newe fresshe and grene Vnderstode not what it shulde mene Rose vp in haste and to the pylgryme went Besechyng hym to declare what it ment My frende quod
that longeth to the and to thyn hous And blessed martyr most lowly I the requere whiche abydest in the heuenly mantion with laurer crowned aboue the sterres clere Only of mercy to haue compassyon If ought be sayde in this translation ¶ Here begynneth the thyrde boke whiche telleth of the conuersion of many of the paynims vnto the fayth And also of the martyrdome of holy Amphibalus whiche conuerted saynt Albon to the fayth of Christe whiche Amphibalus was the princes sonne of wales Myracles shewed and maruayles many folde This blessed martyr for to magnyfye As here toforne ye haue herde me tolde The nyght illumyned with the golden skye Songe of angels with heuenly armony The people astonyed tremblyng in the derke To se howe Christ lyst for the martyr werke But on your brest remembre your trespas To therth fall prostrate downe Prayeth to the lorde for to do you grace Of your offence and transgression Or that he take vengeance on your towne Trusteth playnly whether ye be wrothe or fayne All this wrought for hym that ye haue slayne This lyght from heuen whiche y t is descended For Albon shewed and the golden skye Let vs repent of that we haue offended Of our trespas mercy to Iesu crye And forsake all ydolatrye Takyng ensample all by one accorde Of this martyr that whylome was our lorde we may consydre a thyng agaynst nature Howe the nyght with her derke derkenesse Passyng reason of any creature Is by myracle turned to bryghtnesse Of angels herde a melodious swetnes And all thynge brefely to comprehende For the merytes of Albon to commende Maugre mawmettes whiche can but disceyue Impotent and very feble of myght By experience as ye conceyue Bryghter than day hath made the derke nyght To declare the merytes of his knyght Playnly to shewe lyght of his perfytenes whiche may nat be clypsed by no foreyn derkenes Agayne this lorde whiche is moste of myght we haue erred in our opinion And done vnto hym great wronge and vnryght To make our fayth and our professyon To fals idols whiche in this royall towne we haue so longe in our paynem wyse As idolatres do frowarde seruice Let vs nowe dampne all suche errour And forsake with entier diligence All false goddes whiche may do no socour To theyr seruantes present nor absence wherfore let vs nowe clere our conscience And axe forgyfenes of our lorde Iesu whiche hath in Albon shewed so great vertue Let vs not tary but in all hast we can Go seche meanes for our saluation In dyuers countres to fynde vp the man whche by his labour and predication Conuerted Albon in the same towne To Christis fayth that martyr moste benyngne This nyght declared by many an vnkouth signe From our rytes and ceremonyes olde And false errours enclypsed with darkenes Done to mawmettes with whom we were wholde Of ignorance by consuete rudenes And to directe and clarifye our blyndnes From all errour and ydolatrye The best way that I can espie By these myracles whiche Christ Iesu hath wrought For loue of Albon the same nyght That his maister may in hast be sought For it is lykely accordyng wele to ryght Syth god hath shewed suche myracle for his knyght He that was cause of his conuersion Myght best prouyde for our saluation I mene as thus in very equite Syth god in Albon hath shewed suche vertue His maister shulde haue great auctoritie That was sent hym by grace of Christ Iesu To put our doubte at a playne issue By myracles declaryng newe and newe His maisters teachyng faythfull was and trewe All that people beinge in presence Of god enspired as by one assent with one voyce commendyng that sentence Gafe the fauour in all theyr best entent Toke theyr way by great auisement Towarde wales and sought on euery syde Serchyng the countre where he shulde abyde Of whose preachyng notable was the fame Both in his lyuyng and perfyte holynes Full glad they were whan they herde his name And towardes hym fast they gan them dresse As the story playnly beareth wytnesse Came by grace where he dyd teache The worde of god and to the people preche And full deuoutly vpon hym they abode Hauyng aforne hym ryght great audience As they come to hym euen as he stode And hym saluted with great reuerence Greatly reioysyng of his deuoute presence Offered to hym or they ferther gone The same crosse he yafe vnto Albon The whiche crosse was newly sprent with blode whan he for Christ suffered passyon By whiche token full well he vnderstode That he was slayne fell on his knees downe Kyssyng the crosse with great deuotion In his armes with teares all be reyned That holy relyque full swetely he hath streyned He thanked god with deuout obseruance And that martyrs humble pacience This newe people with deuoute attendance whiche was come to yefe hym audience All at ones with full great reuerence And herte contrite knelyng on theyr knees Forsoke theyr ydols and olde vanytees Theyr myspent tyme to them was great losse To all vertue an odious spectacle Tyll tyme they were marked with the crosse In theyr forhede by grace and myracle with that victorious tryumphall signacle And folowyng on lyke theyr fyrst entent Receyued of baptisme the holy sacrament within a whyle the fame went abrode Farre about in story as I rede Dyuers countres of this thynge howe it stode Tyll at last the noyse gan sprede Of Verolamy howe verely in dede Citezyns theyr goodes haue forsake A full great nombre and theyr iourney take To folowe the traces of Amphibalus A newe preacher straunge and foreyne Theyr olde rytes false and superstitious They haue renounsed and holde al that ben vayne They haue also of very high disdayne From them abiecte myn aucter lyst not lye All theyr ydols and false mawmettrye whan the rumour was come vnto the citie They were troubled hauyng great maruayle what it ment or what it shulde be At prime face lyke a great dissauayle To comen profyte they dempt in theyr counsayle It was full lyke theyr citie to encombre Enquered fyrst what fayled of theyr nombre In theyr rolles were a thousande founde And theyr names entytled euerychone A thynge lykely the citie to confounde But remedy ordeyned were anone That suche a nombre by assent were gone By great auise cast it was dewe A myghty thyng tho folke to pursewe And with stronge hande serched out the rote Of this matter in hope it shulde auayle They gathered them on horsebacke and on fote And gan ordeyne a myghty stronge batayle Of sondry folke armed in plate and mayle Agaynst fugytifes gon out of the cite And on Amphibalus auenged for to be Of whose persone so notable was the fame Through all wales and contres enuiron That the report of his good name Gan to encrease thorough all the regyon Of his doctrine and predication whiche through wales shone lyke a lode sterre Them to directe which in our fayth doth erre Tho folke