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What thapostle sayd I. Ye sayd he. Than I dyd
better beholde the ioynte, whiche for hys greatenes
myght well haue be a Gyãtes ioynte, rather than a
mannes. Than sayd I, saynt Peter must nedys be a great
man of stature. But at that word, ther was one of the
gentlemê that stode by, that could not forbere
lawghynge, for the which I was very sory. For if he had
holden hys pease, we had sene all the relyques, yet we
metely well pleasyd mayster Sextê, with gyuynge hym
. ij. or . iij. grotes. Before that chapell there was a
litle howsse, which he sayd ones in wynter tyme whan
that there was litle rowme to couer the reliques, that
it was sodenly broght & sett in that place. Under that
house || there was a couple of pittes, bothe fulle of
water to the brynkys, and thay say that ye sprynge of
thos pittes is dedicate to our lady, that water is very
colde, and medycynable for the hede ake and that
hartburnynge. _Me. _ If that cold water wyll hele the
paynes in the hede and stomake, than wyll oyle put owte
fyre from hensforthe. _Ogy. _ It is a myrakle that I
tell, good syr, or els what maruayle shuld it be, that
cowld water shuld slake thurste? _Me. _ This may well be
one parte of your tale. _Ogy. _ Thay say that the
fowntayne dyd sodenly sprynge owte of the erthe at the
commaundement of our lady, & I dilygently examenynge
althynges, dyd aske hym how many yeres it was sythe
that howsse was so sodenly broght thyther. Many yeres
agone saythe he. Yet, sayde I, the wallys doo nat apere
so old. He dyd nat denay it. No mor thes woden
|| B v. || pyleres. He cowld nat denay but that they
were sette there nat longe agoo, and also the mater dyd
playnly testyfye ye same. Afterward, sayd I, thys roffe
which is all of rede dothe apere nat to be very olde,
& he granted also, thes greete bemes which lye
ouerthwerte, and these rafteres that hold vpe that
howsse were nat sett longe agone. He affyrmyd my
saynge. Well sayd I seynge that no parte of the housse
is lefte but all is new, how can yow say that this was
the house whiche was broght hyther so longe agoo. _Me. _
I pray you how dyd the howskeper, auoyde hymselffe
frome your argumêt. _Ogy. _ By & by he dyd shew to vs
the mater by the skyne of a bayre whiche had hangyd be
the rafteres a longe season, and dyd almost moke the
symplenes of owre wyttes that could nat perceyue so
manyfeste an argumête we beynge || perswadyd by this
argument, askid pardon of our ignorance, and callid
into our communycacyon the heuêly mylke of our lady.
_Me. _ O how like to the sone is the mother, for he hath
left to vs so moche blood here in erthe, & she so moche
mylke, that a man wyl skarysly beleue a woman to haue
so moche mylke of one chylde, in case the chyld shuld
sukke none at all. _Ogy. _ Thay saye the same of the
holy crosse, whiche is shewyd in so many places bothe
openly, and pryuately, that if ye fragmentes were
gathered apon one heape, they wold apere to be a iuste
fraghte for a shipe, and yet Christe dyd bere all his
crosse hymselffe. _Me. _ But do nat you maruayll at
this? _Ogy. _ It may welbe a strãge thynge, but no
maruayle, seynge that the lord whiche dothe encreasse
this at hys pleasure, is almyghty. _Me. _ It is very
gently expownded, but I am || afrayd, that many of thes
be faynyd for lukre. _Ogy. _ I suppose that God wold nat
suffre hymselffe to be deludyd of suche a fasshion.
_Mene. _ Yis, haue nat you sene that whã bothe the
mother, the sone, the father, and the holy ghoste hathe
be robbyd of thes sacrilegyous theues, that thay
woldnat ones moue, or styre nother with bekke or crakke
wherby thay myght fray away the theues. So great is the
gentles of God. _Ogy. _ So it is, but here out me tale.
This mylke is kepyd apon the hye aultre, and in the
myddys ther is Christe, with his mother apon hys ryght
hand, for her honor sake, the mylke dothe represente
the mother. _Me. _ It may be sene than? _Ogy. _ It is
closyd in crystalle. _Me. _ It is moyste thã? _Ogy. _
What tell you me of moystenes, whã it was mylkyd more
than a thowsand and fyue hunthrithe yere agone, it is
so congelyd, that a mã wold || saye that it were chalke
temperyd with the whyte of a egge. _Me. _ Ye, but do
thay sette it forthe bare? _Ogy. _ No, lest so holy
mylke shuld be defowlyd with the kyssynge of men. _Me. _
You say well. For I suppose that ther be many that
kysse it, whiche be nother clene mouthyd, nor yet be
pure virgynes. _Ogy. _ Whan ye sexten sawe vs, he dyd
runne to the aultre, & put apon hym his surplese, & his
stole about his nekke, knelyd downe relygyously, and
worshipyd it, and streghtforthe dyd offre the mylke to
vs to kysse. And at the ende of the aultre we knelyd
downe deuoutly, & the fyrste of all we salutyd Christe,
& than after we callyd apon our lady with thys prayer,
whiche we had mayd redy for the same purpose. O mother
& mayde, whiche dyd gyue sukke with thy virgynes teates
the lorde of heuen and yerthe, thy sone Iesus Christe,
we beynge puryfyed || thorowe hys precyous blode, do
desyre that we may attayne, and come to that blessyd
infancye of thy colombynes meknes, whiche is immaculate
without malice, frawde, or diseyte, and with all
affectyon of harte dothe couett and stody for the
heuenly mylke of the euangelicall doctryne, to go
forthe and encrease with it into a perfaycte man, into
the mesure of the plentefulnes of Christe, of whose
cõpany thou haste the fruycyon, togyther with the
father, & the holy ghost for euermore, so be it. _Me. _
Uerely thys is a holy prayer. But what dyd she?
_Ogygy. _ Thay bothe bekkyd at vs, excepte my eyes
waggyd, and me thoght that the mylke daunsyd. In the
meanseson the sexten came to vs, withowt any wordes,
but he held out a table suche as the Germanes vse to
gather tolle apon bridges. _Me. _ By my trothe I haue
cursyd veryofte suche || crauynge boxes, whan I dyd
ryde thorowe Germany. _Ogy. _ We dyd gyue hym certayne
monay whiche he offeryd to our lady. Thã I axyd by a
certayne yonge man, yt was well learnyd, whiche dyd
expownde and tell vs the saynge of ye Sextê, hys name
(as fere as I remembre) was Robert alderisse, by what
tokenes or argumêtes he dyd know that it was the mylke
of owr lady. And that I very fayne, & for a good
purpose desyred to knowe, that I myght stope the
mowthes of certayne newfanglyd felowes, that be wotyd
to haue suche holy relyques in derysyon and mokage.
Fyrst of all the Sexten with a froward cowntenãce wold
nat tell, but I desyryd the yong man to moue hym more
instantly, but somwhat more gently he so courtesly
behauyd hymselffe, that and he had prayd owr lady
herselffe || after that fashion, she wold nat haue be
dysplesyd therwith. And thã this mystycall chapleyn, as
and if he had be inspyryd with ye holy ghoste, castynge
at vs a frounynge loke, as & if he wold haue shote at
vs ye horryble thonderbolte of the greate curse, what
nede you (saythe he) to moue suche questyones, whan yow
see before your eyes so autentycall & old a table. And
we were afrayd lest that he wold haue cast vs out of
the churche for heretykes, but that oure monay dyd
tempte hys greate furye. _Mene. _ What dyd you in the
meaneseason? _Ogygyus. _ What suppose you? We were
amasyd as and if a man had stryke vs with a clube, or
we had be slayne with a thonderclape, and we very lowly
axid pardon of oure folishe boldenes, and gote vs frome
thens. For so must we entreate holy thynges. || Frome
thens we went in to ye howse where owre lady dwellithe,
and whan we came there, we sawe another Sexten whiche
was but a noues, he lokyd famylarly as and if he had
knowê vs, and whã we came a litle further in, we sawe
another, that lokyd moch after suche a fashion, at the
last came the thyrd. _Me. _ Perauenture thay desyryd to
descrybe you. _Ogy. _ But I suspecte another mater.
_Mene. _ What was it? _Ogygy. _ There was a certayne
theffe that had stole almost all owr ladyes frontlet,
and I supposyd that they had me in suspycyon thereof.
And therfore whan I was within the chapell I mayd my
prayers to our lady after thys fashiõ. Oh cheffe of all
women Mary the mayd, most happy mother, moste pure
virgyne, we vnclene, and synners, doo vysyte the pure &
holy, and after our abylytye we haue offeryd vnto the,
we pray thy that thy || C. || sone may grante this to
vs, that we may folow thy holy lyffe, and that we may
deserue thorow the grace of the holy ghoste,
spirytually to cõceyue the lord Iesus Christ, & after
that conceptyon neuer to be separat from hym, Amen.
This done I kyssyd the aultre, and layd downe certayne
grotes for myne offerynge and went my waye. _Me. _ What
dyde our lady now, dyd nat she make one sygne, that you
myght know that she had hard youre prayeres. _Ogy. _ The
lyght (as I told you before) was but litle, and she
stode at the ryght ende of the aultre in the derke
corner, at the last the communicatyõ of the fyrst
Sexten had so discoregyd me, that I durst not ones loke
vpe with myne eyes. _Me. _ This pylgremage came but to
smale effecte. _Ogy. . _ Yes, it had a very good & mery
ende. _Me. _ You haue causyd me to take harte of grasse,
for (as Homere || saythe) my harte was almost in my
hose. _Ogy. _ Whan dynar was done, we returnyd to ye
temple. _Me. _ Durste you goo & be susspecte of felonye?
_Ogy. _ Perauenture so, but I had nat my selffe in
suspiciõ, a gyltles mynde puttythe away feare. I was
very desyrous to see that table whiche the holy Sexten
dyd open to vs. At the last we fownde it, but it was
hãgyd so hye that very fewe could rede it. My eyes be
of that fashion, that I can nother be callyd *Linceus,
[*Linceus ys a beaste so quike eyed that it wyll see
thorow any wall] nother purre blynd. And therefore I
instantly desyryd Alldryge to rede it, whose redynge I
folowyd with myne owne eyes, because I wold skarsly
truste hym in suche a mater. _Me. _ Well, now all
doubtes be discussyd. _Ogy. _ I was ashamyd that I
doubtyd so moche, ye mater was so playne set forthe
before oure eyes, bothe the name, the place, the thynge
it selffe as it was || C ij. || done, to be breffe,
there was nothynge lefte owte. There was a mane whos
name was Wylyam whiche was borne in Parise, a man very
deuoute in many thyngs but pryncypally excedynge
relygyous in searchynge for the relyques of all sayntes
thorowowt all the world. He after that he had vysytyd
many places, contrayes, and regyones, at the laste
came to Cõstantynenople. For Wylhelmes brother was
there byshope, whiche dyd make hym pry to a certayne
mayde, whiche had professyd chastyte, that hadde parte
of oure ladyes mylke, which were an excedynge precyous
relyque, if that other with prayer, or monaye, or by
any crafte it myghte be gotte. For all the reliques
that he hadde gotte before were but tryfles to so holy
mylke. Wyllyam wold not rest there tyll that he had
gotte halffe of that holy mylke, but whan he had ||
it, he thoghte that he was richer than Croeseus. _Me. _
Why nat, but was it nat withowt any goodhope? _Ogy. _ He
went thã streght home, but in hys iornay he fell seke.
_Me. _ Iesu there is nothynge in thys worlde that is
other permanent, or alwayes in good state. _Ogy. _ But
whan he sawe & perceyuyd that he was in greate ioperdye
of his lyffe, he callyd to him a frenchman, whiche was
a very trusty companyon to hym in hys iornay. And
commaundyd all to auoyd the place, and make sylence, &
pryuyly dyd betake to hym thys mylke, apon this
condycyõ, that if it chãcyd to come home saffe & sownde
he wuld offre that precyous tresure to our ladyes
aultre in Paryse, whiche standythe in the myddys of the
ryuere Sequana, whiche dothe apere to separat hymselffe
to honor and obaye our blessyd lady. But to make short
tale. Wylyam is deade, & || C iij. || buryed, the
Frenchman mayd hym redy to departe apon hys iornay,
& sodêly fell seke also. And he in great dyspayre of
amendynge, dyd commyth ye mylke to an Englishmã, but
nat withowt great instance, and moche prayer he dyd
that whiche he was mouyd to doo. Than dyed he. And ye
other dyd take the mylke, and put it apon an aultre of
ye same place the Chanones beynge present, whiche were
yt as we call Regulares. Thay be yet in the abbaye of
saynt Genofeffe. But ye Englishmã obtaynyd the halffe
of that mylke, & caryed it to Walsyngã in England, the
holy ghost put suche in hys mynde. _Me. _ By my trothe
this is a godly tale. _Ogy. _ But lest there shuld be
any doubte of this mater, ye Byshopes whiche dyd grante
pardon to it thayre names be wryten there, as thay came
to vysyte it, nat withowt thayre offerynges, and thay
haue || gyuen to it remyssyon, as moche as thay had to
gyue by thayre authorite. _Me. _ How moche is that?
_Ogy. _ Fowrty dayes. _Mene. _ Yee is there dayes in
hell. _Ogy. _ Trewly ther is tyme. Ye but whan thay haue
grãtyd all thayre stynte, thay haue no more to grante.
_Ogy. _ That is nat so for whan one parte is gone
another dothe encrease, and it chansythe dyuersly euyn
as the tonne of Canaidus. For that althoghe it be
incontynently fyllyd, yet it is alway emptye: and if
thou be takynge owt of it, yet there is neuer the lesse
in the barell. _Me. _ If thay grãte to an hunderithe
thowsand mê fowrty dayes of pardone, wuld euery man
haue elyke? _Ogy. _ No doubte of that. _Me. _ And if any
haue forty byfore dynar, may he axe other forty at
after souper, is there any thynge left than to gyue
him? _Ogy. _ Ye, & if thou aske it ten tymes in one
howre. _Me. _ I wold || C iiij. || to God that I had
suche a pardon bagge, I wold aske but . iij. grotes, and
if thay wold flowe so faste. _Ogy. _ Ye but you desyre
to be to ryche, if that you myght for wyshynge, but I
wyl turne to my tale, but there was some good holy man
whiche dyd gyue this argumente of holynes to that
mylke, and sayd that our Ladyes mylke whiche is in many
other places, is precyous & to be worshipyd but thys is
moche more precyous, & to be honoryd, bycause the other
was shauen of stones, but this is the same that came
out of the virgynes brest. _Me. _ How kno you that?
_Ogy. _ The mayd of Cõstantynople, which dyd gyue it,
dyd saye so. _Me. _ Perauenture saynt Barnard dyd gyue
it to her. _Ogy. _ So I suppose. For whã he was an old
man, yet he was so happy that he sukkyd of ye same
mylke, that Iesus hymselffe sukkyd apon. _Me. _ But I
maruayle why he was || rather callyd a hony sukker than
a mylke sukker. But how is it callyd oure ladyes mylke
that came neuer owt of her breste? _Ogy. _ Yes it came
owt at her breste, but perauenture it light apon the
stone that he whiche sukkyd knelyd apon, and ther was
receyuyd, and so is encreasyd, & by ye wyll of god is
so multyplyed. _Me. _ It is wel sayd. _Ogy.
_ Whan we had
sene all thys, whyle that we were walkynge vpe & downe,
if that any thynge of valure were offeryd, so that
anybody were present to see thaym ye Sextens mayd great
haste for feare of crafty cõuayêce, lokynge apõ thaym
as thay wold eate thaym. Thay poynte at hym with there
fynger, thay runne, thay goo, thay come, thay bekke one
to an other, as tho thay wold speake to thaym that
stand by if thay durste haue be bold. _Mene. _ Were you
afrayd of nothynge there? _Ogy. _ Yis I dyd loke
|| C v. || apõ hym, lawghynge as who shold saye I wold
moue him to speake to me, at laste he cam to me, and
axid me what was my name, I told him. He axid me if yt
were nat I that dyd hange vpe there a table of my vowe
writen in Hebrew, within . ij. yere before. I confessid
that it was ye same. _Me. _ Cã you wryte hebrewe?
_Ogygy. _ No but all that thay cãnat vnderstond, thay
suppose to be Hebrewe. And than (I suppose he was send
for) came the posterior pryor. _Me. _ What name of
worshipe is that? Haue thay nat an abbate? _Ogy. _ No
_Me. _ Why so? _Ogy. _ For thay cannat speake Hebrew.
_Me. _ Haue thay nat a Bishope? _Ogy. _ No. _Me. _ What is
ye cause? _Ogy. _ For oure lady is nat as yet so ryche,
that she is able to bye a crosse, & a mytre, whiche be
so deare, _Me. _ Yet at least haue thay nat a
presedente? _Ogy. _ No veryly. What lettythe thaym?
_Ogy. _ That is a name || of dygnyte and nat of relygyõ.
And also for that cause suche abbayes of Chanones, doo
nat receyue the name of an abbate, thay doo call thaym
maysters? _Me. _ Ye, but I neuer hard tell of pryor
posterior before. _Ogy. _ Dyd you neuer learne youre
grãmere before. _Me. _ Yis I know prior posterior amõgst
the fygures. _Ogy. _ That same is it. It is he that is
nexte to the prioure, for there priour is posterior.
_Me. _ You speake apon the supprioure. _Ogy. _ That same
dyd entertayne me very gently, he told me what greate
labure had be abowt ye readynge of thos verses, & how
many dyd rubbe thayr spectakles abowt thaym. As oft as
any old ancyent doctor other of deuynyte or of the
lawe, resorted thyder, by and by he was broght to that
table, some sayd that thay were lettres of Arabia, some
sayd thay were faynyd lettres. Well || at the last came
one that redde the tytle, it was wryten in laten with
greate Romayne lettres, ye Greke was wryten with
capytale lettres of Greke, whiche at the fyrst syght do
apere to be capytale latê lettres, at thayr desyer I
dyd expownde ye verses in laten, trãslatynge thaym word
for word. But whã thay wold haue gyuyn me for my
labour, I refusyd it, seynge that ther was nothynge so
hard that I wold not doo for our blessyd ladyes sake,
ye thogh she wold commaûd me to bere this table to
Hierusalê. _Me. _ What nede you to be her caryoure,
seynge that she hathe so many angelles bothe at her
hedde and at her fette. _Ogy. _ Than he pullid owt of
hys purse a pece of wodde, that was cutt owte of the
blokke that our ladye lenyd apon. I perceyuyd by and by
thorow the smell of it, that it was a holy thynge. Than
whan I sawe so || greate a relyque, putt of my cappe,
and fel down flatte, & very deuoutly kyssyd it . iij. or
. iiii tymes, poppyd it in my pursse. _Me. _ I pray you
may a man see it? _Ogy. _ I gyue you good leue. But if
you be nat fastynge, or if you accompanyed with yowre
wyffe the nyght before, I conceyle you nat to loke apon
it. _Me. _ O blessed arte thou that euer thou gotte this
relyque. _Ogy. _ I may tell you in cowncell, I wold nat
gyue thys litle pece for all ye gold that Tagus hathe,
I wyll sett it in gold, but so that it shall apere
thorow a crystall stone. And than the Supprioure whã he
sawe that I dyd take the relyque so honorably, he
thoght it shuld nat be lost, in case he shuld shew me
greater mysteries, he dyd aske me whether I hadde euer
sene our ladyes secretes, but at that word I was
astonyed, yet I durst nat be so so bold as to demande
what thos || secretes were. For in so holy thynges to
speake a mysse is no small danger. I sayd that I dyd
neuer se thaym but I sayd that I wold be very glade to
see thaym. But now I was broght in, and as I had be
inspired with the holy ghost, than thay lyghted a
couple of taperes, & set forthe a litle ymage, nat
couryously wroght, nor yet very gorgeous, but of a
meruelous virtue. _Me. _ That litle body hathe smale
powre to worke myrakles. I saw saynt Christopher at
Parise, nat a carte lode, but as moche as a greate
hylle, yet he neuer dyd myrakles as farre as euer I
herd telle. _Ogy. _ At our ladyes fette there is a
precyous stone, whos name as it is nother in Greke nor
Laten. The Frenchemã gaue it the name of a tode,
bycause it is so like, that no man (althoghe he be
conynge) can set it forthe more lyuely. But so moche
greater is || the myrakle, that the stone is litle, the
fourme of the tode dothe nat apere, but it shynythe as
it were enclosyd within that precyous stone. _Me. _
Perauenture they ymagyne ye symylytude of a tode to
be there, euyn as we suppose whan we cutte ye fearne
stalke there to be an egle, and euyn as chyldren
(whiche they see nat indede) in ye clowdes, thynke they
see dragones spyttynge fyre, & hylles flammynge with
fyre, & armyd mê encownterynge. _Ogy. _ No, I wold you
shuld know it, there is no lyuynge tode that more
euydêtly dothe expresse hymselffe than it dyd there
playnly apere. _Me. _ Hetherto I haue sufferyd thy lyes,
but now get the another that wyll beleue the, thy tale
of a tode. _Ogy. _ No maruayle Menedemus thogh you be so
disposyd, for all the world cannot make me to beleue
yt, not & all doctoures of dyuynyte wold swere || it
were trewe. But that I sawe it with myne eyes, ye with
thes same eyes, dyd I proue it. But in ye meanseson me
thynke you regard naturall phylosophye but litle. _Me. _
why so, because I wyll nat beleue ye asses flye? _Ogy. _
An do you nat se, how nature the worker of all thynges,
dothe so excell in expressynge ye fourme bewty, &
coloure of thaym maruylously in other thynges, but
pryncypaly in precyous stones? moreouer she hathe gyuen
to ye same stones wonderouse vertu and strêkthe that is
almost incredyble, but that experience dothe otherwyse
testyfye. Tell me, do you beleue that a Adamand stone
wold drawe vnto him stele withowt any towchynge therof,
and also to be separate frome him ayen of hys owne
accorde, excepte that yow had sene it with yowre eyes.
_Me. _ No verely, nat and if . x. Arystoteles wold
perswade me || to the contrarye. _Ogy. _ Therfore
bycause you shuld nat say thys were a lye, in case you
here any thynge, whiche you haue not sene prouyd. In a
stone callyd Ceraunia we see ye fashon of lightnynge,
in the stone Pyropo wyldfyre, Chelazia dothe expresse
bothe the coldnes and the fourme of hayle, and thoghe
thou cast in to the hote fyre, an Emrode, wyll
expresse the clere water of the seye. Carcinas dothe
counterfayte ye shape of a crabfishe. Echites of the
serpente vyper. But to what purpose shuld I entreat, or
inuestygate the nature of suche thynges whiche be
innumerable, whã there is no parte of nature nor in the
elementes, nother in any lyuynge creature, other in
planetes, or herbes ye nature euyn as it were all of
pleasure hathe not expressyd in precyous stones? Doo
yow maruayle thã that in thys stone at owre ladies
fote, || D. || is the fourme and fashon of a tode. _Me. _
I maruayle that nature shuld haue so moche lesure, so
to counterfayt the nature of althynges. _Ogy. _ It was
but to exercyse, or occupye the curyosytye of mannes
wytte, and so at the lest wyse to kepe vs frome
ydlenes, and yet as thoghe we had nothynge to passe ye
tyme with all, we be in a maner made apon foles, apon
dyesse, and crafty iogeleres. _Me. _ You saye very
truthe. _Ogy. _ There be many men of no smale grauytye,
that wyll say thys kynd of stones, if that you put it
in vynagre, it wyll swyme, thoge you wold thruste it
downe with violence. _Me. _ Wherfore do thay sette a
tode byfore our lady? _Ogy. _ Bycause she hathe
ouercome, trode vnderfote, abolyshyd all maner of
vnclennes, poysõ, pryde, couytousnes, and all wordly
affectyones that raygne in man. _Me. _ Woo be to vs,
that hathe so many todes in owre hartes. || _Ogygy. _
We shal be purgyd frome thaym all, if we dylygêtly
worshipe owre lady. _Me. _ How wold she be worshipyd.
_Ogy. _ The most acceptable honor, that thou canste doo
to her is to folowe her lyuynge. _Me. _ You haue told
all at ones. But this is hard to brynge to pass. _Ogy. _
You saye truthe, but it is an excellente thynge. _Me. _
But go to, and tell on as you begane. _Ogy. _ After thys
to come to owre purpose, the Supprioure shewyed to me
ymages of gold and syluer, and sayd, thes be pure gold,
and thes be syluer and gyltyd, he told the pryce of
euery one of thaym, and the patrone. Whan I wonderyd,
reioycynge of so maruelous ryches, as was abowt our
lady, than saythe the Sextê bycause I percayue, that
you be so vertuously affecte, I suppose it greate
wronge, to hyde any thynge frome you, but now you shall
see the pryuytyes || D ij. || of our lady, and than he
pullyd owt of the aultre a whole world of maruayles, if
I shuld tell you of all, a whole daye wold nat suffyse,
& so thys pylgremage chansyd to me most happy. I was
fyllyd euyn full withe goodly syghts, and I brynge also
with me this wonderous relyque, whiche was a tokê gyuen
to me frõe our lady. _Me. _ Haue you nat it prouyd, what
valewre your woden relyque is on? _Ogy. _ Yis, that I
haue, in a certayne Inne within thys thre dayes, ther I
fownde a certayne man that was bestraght of hys wytte,
whiche shuld haue be bownde, but thys woden relyque was
put vnder hys nekke pryuyly, wherapon he gad a sadde
and sownd sleape, but in the mornynge he was hole and
sownde as euer he was before. _Me. _ It was nat the
phrenysy, but the dronkê dropsye, sleape ys wontyd to
be a good medicyne for ye dysease. || _Ogy. _ Whã you be
dysposyd to skoffe Menedemus, yt ys best that you gette
a nother maner of gestynge stokke than thys, for I tell
you it is nother good nor holsome, to bowrde so with
sayntes. For thys same mã dyd say, that a woman dyd
apere to hym, in hys sleape, after a maruelouse
fashion, which shold gyue hym a cuppe to drynke apon.
_Mene. _ I suppose it was *Elleborû. [*Elleborum wyll
restore a man to hys senses that hathe lost thê. ]
_Ogy. _ That is vncertayne, but I kno well ye mã was
well broght into hys mynde ayen. _Me. _ Dyd you other
come or goo by Sante Thomas of Cantorbury that good
archebishope. _Ogy. _ What els/there ys no pylgremage
more holy. _Me. _ I wold fayne here of yt, and I shold
nat trouble you. _Ogy. _ I pray you here, & take good
hedd. Kente ys callyd that parte of England, that
buttythe apon Fraûce and Flanders, the cheffe cytye
there of ys Cantorburye, in yt there be ij. || D iij. ||
Abbayes, bothe of thaym be of Saynte Benedycts ordre,
but that which ys callyd Saynte Augustyns dothe apere
to be the oldre, that whiche ys callyd now Saynte
Thomas dothe apere to haue be the Archebyshope of
Cantorburys see, where as he was wontyd to lyue with a
sorte of monkes electe for hymselffe, as Byshopes now
adayes be wontyd to haue thayr howses nye vnto the
churche, but aparte frome other canons howses. In tymes
paste bothe Byshopes & Chanones were wontyde to be
monkes, as may be playnly prouyd by many argumentes.
The churche which ys dedycate to Saynte Thomas, dothe
streche vpe apon heght so gorgeously, that it wyll moue
pylgrymes to deuocion a ferre of, and also withe hys
bryghtnes and shynynge he dothe lyght hys neybures,
& the old place whiche was wontyd to be most holy, ||
now in respecte of it, is but a darke hole and a lytle
cotage. There be a couple of great hye toures, which
doo seme to salute strangeres aferre of, and thay dow
fyll all the contray abowt bothe farre and nere, with
the sownde of great belles, in the fronte of the
temple, whiche is apõ the southe syde, there stand
grauen in a stone thre armyd men, whiche with thayr
cruell handes dyd sleye the most holy saynte Thomas,
and there is wryten thayr surnames Tracy, Breton, and
Beryston. _Me. _ I pray you wharfore doo thay suffer
thos wykyd knyghtes be so had in honoure. _Ogy. _ Euyn
suche honor is gyuen to thaym as was gyuê to Iudas,
Pylate, and Caiphas, & to the compauy of the wykyd
sowdyeres, as you may se payntyd in the tables that be
sett before aultres. Thayr surnames be putto lest any
man hereafter shuld vsurpe any || D iiij. || cause of
thayr prayse. Thay be payntyd byfore mennes eyes,
bycause that no cowrtyer after thys shuld laye violêt
handes other apõ Byshopes, or the churche goodes. For
thes thre of this garde strayght apon that wykyd acte,
wente starke madde, nor thay had neuer had thayr mynde
ayen, but that thay prayd to blessyd saynt Thomas.
_Me. _ O blessyd pacyence of suche martyres. _Ogy. _ At
our entre in, lord what a pryncely place dyd apere vnto
vs, where as euery mã that wyll may goo in. _Me. _ Is
there no maruayle to be sene. _Ogy. _ Nothynge but the
greate wydnes of the place, and a sorte of bokes,
that be bownde to pyleres wherein is the gospell of
Nicodemus, and I cannat tell whos sepulkre. _Me. _ What
than? _Ogy. _ Thay do so dylygêtle watche lest any mã
shulde entre in to the quere of yron, that thay wyll
skarsly suffre a man || to loke apon it, whiche is
betwyxte the greate churche & the hye quere (as thay
calle it) a man that wyll go thyther must clyme vp many
stayres byfore, vndre the whiche there is a certayne
wykyt with a barre that openythe the dore apon the
northe syde. There standythe forthe a certayne aultre
whiche is dedycate to our lady, it is but a lytle one,
and I suppose set there for no other purpose, but to be
a olde monumêt or sygne, that in thos dayes there was
no greate superfluyte. There thay saye that thys
blessyd martyr sayd his last good nyght to our lady,
whã he shuld departe hensse. In ye aultre is the poynte
of the sword that styryd abowt the braynes of thys
blessyd martyr. And there lye his braynes shed apon the
yerthe, whereby you may well knowe yt he was nere
deade. But the holly ruste of thys grat I deuoutly
kyssed for loue of ye || D v. || blessyd martyr. From
thens we wêt vndre the crowdes, whiche is nat withowt
hys chaplaynes, & there we sawe the brayne panne of
that holy martyr whiche was thraste quyte thorow, all
the other was coueryd with syluer, the ouerparte of the
brayne panne was bare to be kyssyd, and there with all
is seth forthe a certayn leden table hauynge grauyd in
hym a tytle of saynte Thomas of Acrese. There hange
also the sherte of heyre, & hys gyrdle with hys heren
breches where with that noble champyõ chastnyd hys
body, thay be horryble to loke apon, and greatly
reproue oure delycate gorgeousnes. _Me.