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Olimpus was an Emperour in þe cite of Rome, þe whicℏ weddid a mayde; and aftir that she conceivid̛ with him, and brougℏt fortℏ a childe. Nowe þe lawe was þat tyme, that eche woman̛
shu[l]d go to chirche, in tyme of hire purificacion̛; and þenne she sholde make to be wretyn̛ in þe dore of the chirche iij. noble and profitable wordis, to edificacion̛ of þe peple, and thenne she shuld go home aȝen. So whenne þe Emperesse shulde be purified̛, she enteryd in to the temple; and after hire purificacion̛ she maade iij. wordis to be wretyn̛ in þe dore of þe temple, scil. Rex sum regens, et meus est totus mundus, I am a kyng gouernyng̘, and aƚƚ þe wordle is myne. [leaf 198, col. 2] It happid after þis, þat an oþer worthi lady ȝede to þe same chircℏ, with gret mynstracy afore hire; and þe Empresse lay in hire casteƚƚ wyndowe, and sawe it, and saide to hire selfe, "What! ȝonde qwene goitℏ to chirche with as gret rialte as it were I my selfe! Nay," quoþ she, "it shaƚƚ not be so, for I shaƚƚ be vengyd of hire." She went, and purveid̛ hire of two serpentis. Nowe þis forsaide worthi lady, in hire turnyng̘ hom fro chircℏ, she made to be wryte vp on þe chircℏ-dor̛, or þat she passid furtℏ, theise wordes, Infans sum ad vbera; lacte viuo puro, I am an infant at þe pappis, and live witℏ clene melke. And thenne she went home, and maad a gret fest; and thenne anoon, whenne þe fest was done, þe Emperesse
sente after the lady, þat she sholde come to hire, withoute langer delay. And þe lady come to hire, and anoon, whenne she was come, and hadde enterid in to þe chambir, þe lady knelid̛ downe and witℏ gret reuerence made hire salutacion̛. And thenne spake the emperesse, "Þou knowist not whi I sent after the?" And she saide, "Nay, lady." Thenne saide þe emperesse, "I haue here twey childeryn̛ to be noreshid, and hem shalt þou norisℏ, for þou hast melke." Thenne saide the lady, "I assent, madame; and lord wolde, that I were able or worthi to norissℏ your childeryn." Thenne saide the Empresse, "Do of and nakyn̛ þe of aƚƚ þi Clothing̘, or ellis I shaƚƚ make þe, in malgre of þi tethe, For I woƚƚ see my two childeryn̛ vpon þy pappis." And then saide þe lady, "and where ben your childryn, whom I shulde norissℏ?" And thenne þe Empresse shewid hire two serpentis, and saide, "Theise two þou most norissℏ me, witℏ þi melke." Thenne saide þe lady, "For þe love of almyȝty god, haue mercy of me ; sle me not!" Thenne saide she, "Þou laborist aƚƚ in vayne, for þou shalt norissℏ to me theise." Anoon she sette to hire pappis þe serpentis; And whan þat þei felte warme, þei sette hire feet in to hire flessℏ; and þenne þe Emperesse saide to hire, "Do þi Clothis nowe vpon̛ þe, an[d] go hom." The lady ȝede
hom, and she was so venemyd̛ by the serpentis, that withInne þe thirde day she dayde; and gret sorowe was maade for hire detℏ.
Deere frendis, þis Emperour is þe deviƚƚ, þat tooke a wyfe, scil. wickydnesse, of whom he hatℏ bygete mony sonys and doȝtris. And he ordenyd for a lawe, that eche woman̛, scil. flessℏ, after tyme þat it were clensid̛ fro synne, shulde write in þe dore of his herte some notable thing̘ þat plesid to þe deviƚƚ. And what is þat? Certenly þis it is, þat þoȝ a synner shryve him of aƚƚ his synnes, ȝit þe devel couetitℏ þat he holde withinne him wiƚƚ and purpose of synnyng̘; and þat is aȝenst þe word̛ of saynt petir, Sicut canis ad vomitum, ita homo ad peccatum, qui iterat vias suas ad vomitum. He likenitℏ and seiytℏ, þat þe synner þat turnitℏ aȝene to his synne and to his Ivel weyis, he may be likenid̛ to an hound þat turnitℏ aȝen to his vomyt. The Emperesse wrot in the dore of þe hertis of synnerys, Rex sum regens, et meus est totus mundus, I am gouernyng̘ þe wordle, and aƚƚ þe wordle is myn̛, scil. aƚƚ my hert is in þe wordle, and not to god̛. The lady, þat ȝede after to chirche with melodeys, is a man þat goitℏ with goode [leaf 198, back, col. 1] vertuys, And not only to
be purified̛ of his synnes, but neuer to turne to hem aȝen. And̛ þerfore he writitℏ in þe dore of his herte, Infans, &c. She is an infaunt, towchyng̘ synnes and synnyng̘, Hanging̘ at þe pappis of feitℏ and of hoope, The whicℏ ben two pappis of the cristyn man, by þe whicℏ he may drawe out melke of goode vertuys; And withoute vertuys, and withoute feitℏ, it is vnpossible þat a man̛ shaƚƚ be safe. But whenne the Emperesse, scil. wickydnesse of þe deviƚƚ, hatℏ envie to sucℏ a man, and seyitℏ, "Þou shalt norissℏ me ij Childeryn̛," scil. ij. serpentis, By theise serpentis we vndirstond̛ pruyd of and wrong̘ couetise of flessℏ; For þe whicℏ two of[t]e tyme a man deyitℏ. And þerfore late vs euer be abowte so to plese our god, þat we mowe come to þe blisse of hevene, &c.
Olympyus reigned̛ in the Citee of Rome, a fuƚƚ wise man, that toke a maiden̛ [mayde] to wyf̘, that conseived̛, and bare a child̛. There was that tyme a law made, that every woman in her
purificacion̛, the whiche gotℏ to chirche, shuld̛ write iij. notable wordes in [onne] the chirche-dorre, to edificacion̛ of the peple; whan this were done [seid] , she shuld̛ go home witℏ solempnyte. ¶ It hapned̛ [happede] , that the Empresse shuld̛ be purified̛, and went into the temple; and after the purificacion̛ thise wordes that folowen̛ were written̛ on the chirche-dore, ¶ I am a kynge rewlyng the world̛; the world̛ is aƚƚ myne [at myne] . It *befelle aftirward̛ [fille after] , that a noble lady and a gentile shuld̛ go to chirche, *to be purified̛ [omitted] , witℏ trumpes and dyverse maner [maners] of Mvsike. ¶ whan the Empresse sawe this, anon̛ she said̛, "loo! this woman witℏ so [omitted] grete solempnyte gothe to be purified̛; it shaƚƚ not be so, but I shaƚƚ be avenged̛ [vengyd] on her." ¶ Anon̛ she ordeyned̛ [ordened hire of] ii. serpentes. The lady, whan she was purified̛, and shuld̛ go home, she did̛ write on the chirche-dore, I am a child̛; I souke my mylke at my [omitted] modirs tetes, and I [omitted] live clenly. whan this was done, she went home, and made a grete fest to aƚƚ. ¶ whan the fest was done, the Empresse sent to her a messanger, that she shuld̛ come to her.
The lady went to her. ¶ anon̛ whan she was [omitted] entred̛ the chambre of the Empresse, worshipfully she saluted̛ *the Empresse [here] . ¶ Than [omitted] said̛ the Empresse, "wotest thou whi I send̛ for the?" *she said̛, "naye, my lady." than seid̛ [leaf 27, back] the Empresse [omitted] , "I have .ij. smale sonnes to be norisshed̛, the whiche I shaƚƚ take to the; do of thi clothes wilfully, or thou shalt agayn̛ thi wille, for I desire *to se [omitted] my sonnes on thi tetes." the lady said̛, " Where are your liteƚƚ children̛?" she shewed̛ to her .ij. foule [omitted] serpentes. ¶ Than said̛ the lady *to the Empresse, "for the love of god [omitted] have mercy on me, and slee me not, for I wille [wole passim] bye my lif̘ of you *rather than to be thus [or I sholde be] dede." ¶ The Empresse said̛, "Thou laborest in vayn̛, for thou shalt norissℏ me thise ij. children̛." and anon̛ she put hem to her pappes; and than she bad̛ her [that here] clothes shuld̛ be put on her
agayn̛. and the thirde day after she died̛, as [omitted] by fretyng of the addres, of whos dethe was [ther was] made *grete sorow [a grete dole] in the Cite.
Frendes, this Emperour is a deveƚƚ that toke a wyf, that is, wikkednesse, vpon the whiche he gate a sone. wherfore he made a lawe, that every woman, that is to sey, the flessℏ, after that it is clensed̛ of synne, he must write in the dorre of his hert some notable thyng, that may please hym; and the scripture is this, ¶ Alle thougℏ I a synner be confessed̛, yit the deveƚƚ wille that he have a wille to turne agayn̛ to synne. and that is agayn̛ the saiyng of seint Petre, as a hounde gotℏ to his fomet, so dothe a synner that gotℏ agayn̛ to his synne. ¶ The Empresse wrote in the dorre of synnefuƚƚ men, I am a kyng rewlyng the world̛ and the world̛ is aƚƚ myne, that is to sey, alle myne hert is the world̛, and the world̛ is aƚƚ myn̛, and no thyng to god̛. ¶ The lady, that went aftir to the chirche witℏ trumpes, is a man that gotℏ witℏ good̛ vertues, not alle
only to be purified̛ of aƚƚ his synnes, but that in no wise from hens forward̛ he declyn̛ to synne agayn̛. And therfore it is written̛ in the dorre of thyn̛ hert, ¶ I am a sowkyng child̛, that is, vnto synne, and hangyng at the tetes of feitℏ and hope, the whiche are ij. tetes of cristen̛ men, by the whiche we now draw to mylke of good̛ vertues. wherfore witℏ outen feitℏ it is vnpossible to be saved̛. ¶ Also by feitℏ we are made sauf̘, after the appostels wordes. The Empresse, the wyf of the deveƚƚ, that is, wikkednesse, hathe Envie to suche a man, and seitℏ, thou shalt norrissℏ me ij. sones, that are ij. serpentes, the whiche are, pride of lyf̘, and concupiscence of flessℏ; for the whiche two, ofte sithe man is slayn̛ gostly. ¶ Therfore stodie we so to please god̛ in aƚƚ thyng, that we may come to ever lastyng Ioye witℏ outen̛ ende. Amen.