The gospelles of dystaues

¶The names of the ladyes that made the texte of the gospelles of the dystaues.

FOr to begyn than this werke it is clerely kno¦wen to all good and true catholyke crysten men to the ende that there sholde be perpe∣tuall memory of the holy wordes and vertu∣ous operacyons of our redemptoure Ihesu cryst / and of his holy apostles and sayntes that there we∣re foure ryghtwysmen electe amonge them that were re¦plete with vertue & verite for to make the holy mysteryes the whiche ben named by the scriptures the gospelles / by whiche the true and holy fayth catholyke is enlumyned and shall be vnto the ende of the worlde. Assemble than for to verefye & put forth the wordes and auctorytees of the aūcyent women. To the ende also that they shold not be lost / nor in suche wyse vanysshed but that the memory sholde remayne fresshe amonge y^e women of this present tyme / so there hath ben foūde syxe matrones wyse & pru∣dent for to recyte & rede the sayd gospels of the dystaues in the maner the whiche hereafter shall be declared / & by cause that in euery wytnesse of vyce there must be .iii. wo∣men for two men / for to make and accomplisshe than the nombre of the sayd .iiii. euāgelystes / it is of necessyte that there hath ben syxe women besy for to make this werke / bycause of the more approbacyon of trouth / of whome y^e names enseweth The fyrst was named dame Isengry∣ne of glay. The second was called dame Transelyne of y^e croke. The thyrde was named dame Abūde of the ouen / The fourth was called dame Sebylle of y^e mareys. The fyfth was named dame Gamberde the fayee. The syxth was called dame Berthe horned. These syxe ladyes were

so ryght wyse in theyr tyme that they myght haue coniu∣red a blacke deuyll or bounde hym vpon a quysshen they were so experte and nymble.