Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 35

FRederik themperour wedded ysabel kyng henryes sust / that yere iewes were brought bifore the kyng at westmestre / for they had hyd a child al a yere at norwich / & aft{er} that they had cir¦cumcyded hym they cast for to naile hym to the crosse / kyng henry wedded the erles doughter of prouynce / Iohn scot erle of Chestre and of huntyngdon deyd without children at derēhal•• the seuēth day of Iuyn & was beryed at chestre / but bycause that this lādes

had prerogatyues of realte / his erldō fyll in to the kynges hond & his systres that were his eyres had other lādes / therfor in cōpē¦sacion by cause that so feyr a lordship shold not be deled bytwene dystanes of women / this Iohan had four systres / one of hem mar¦garet was wedded to aleyn of galwey and bore the mayde deuer∣goyl / This mayde was wedded to Iohn bayllol / & bare Iohn bail¦lol / kyng of scotlād / the other syster Isabel was maryed to robert de bruys / the third sister wold dyed without childrē / the fourth sis¦ter alda was maryed to henry de hastyngys / Also this yere Octo¦bonus the legate cam in to englond / & ordeyned many good orde¦naūces for the prouffyte of hooly chirche / whyle he passed thurgh Oxenford was grete fyghtyng bytwene the scolers and som of his meyne / so that one of his men was slayne / & he hym••self octo¦bonus was besyeged in the belfray at osenay till euensonge tyme / & myght vnneth be delyuerd by many of the kynges mynystres that cam thider from abyndon / than he was brought at walyng∣ford & cursed the mysdoers & suspended the studie of oxenford til that the abbot & chanons of osenay & maystres regentes of oxen∣ford cam barfote & bare legged and vngird thurgh london to the legate and had foryeuenes vnneth / that yere a fals clerk feyned hym self mad / & espyed the pryuyte of the kynges court / & cam by a wyndowe in to the kynges chambre at wodstock for to slee the kyng / but by the crye of an holy woman he was taken & dra∣wen at Couentre / Edward kyng henryes eldest sonne is borne at westmynstre / hym cristned octoban the legate and confermed ed¦mond archebisshop / This yere the kynges of Tartres whan th••y had ouercome the eest landes they departed hem in twey compa∣nyes / that one party therof destroyed so hūgary & pannonia that men of the coūtray ete the flessh of their own childrē / & many scra¦pyd of the pouder of an hyll and ete it as it were mele / Af••er the nynth gregory the fourth Celestinus was pope one moneth / & the see was voyde one yere / And after him the fourth innocent was pope enleuen yere and syx monethes / Oure saueours crowne of thornes wa•• brought in to Fraunce / Octobonus went oute of en¦glond and was take in the see of the emperours men / At Chestre kyng henry entred in to wales / & dauid the prince cam to him at ruthlād / that yere dyed seint edmōd at pōteny & bonefas was ar¦chebisshop aft{er} him / this edmōd was born at abendon besides oxē¦ford / & had an holy fader & moder / his faders name was edward rych̄ by his surname / by assēt of his wif he lad relygyous lyf at

eueshā / his moders name was mablye / she vsed the heer & an ha¦berion / & fought in her flesshe ageynst the fflesshe / Edmond was born cleene of al wem of childhode on saynt edmondes daye the kyng and martir / and lay al that day from the morow tyde to e∣uen as though he were a swowne / So that they that were there wold haue buryed hym yf his moder had not withsayd hym / he was cleped edmond that is gracyous and clene / for he was bor∣ne on a saynt edmondes daye / And also whyle his moder was with childe with hym / she wente a pylgremage / and badde her bedes at saynt edmondes tombe / and there she was first ware that the childe was alyue / ¶ From his fyrste childhode this vsed his wytte to the studye of goodnesse by occupacion of goostly / lyuynge / For good vsage and customme shold afterward haue the maystrye / and voyde al wycked dedes / though he were shy∣nyng with al the floures of vertues / yet he chose the clennes that makyth man be next god / In token therof he made his auowe to oure ladye by his moders counseyl / he vsed the heer and fasted euery fryday with brede and water / and vsed euery sonday and holy day to saye al the sauter er he wold dyne / In his childhode he lerned his gramer and was soo dysesed with the hede ache that he had no hope to spede afterward in lore / his moder spak to hym and sayd sone I trowe that the lewd and vnsemely tonsour that thou vsest is cause of thy woo / Than afterward he vsed tonsoure of a clerk / and was hool of al that woo / In a tyme he walked by hym self in a meede / besydes oxenford / and a fayr childe appe¦red to hym and sayde / hayl my leef / I wonder that thou knowest me not. and namely whyle I am alwey by thy syde in scole and in other places / therfor what thou seest in my forheede wryten / prente it euery nyght in thyne owne forhede / The wrytinge was Ihesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum / that is Ihus of Nazareth kyng•• of Iewes / Therafter he lerned alwey to haue oure lordes passion in his mynde / Ones for besynes of a lesson that he muste rede he forgate it / ¶ Thenne whan the day byganne to spryn¦ge the old enemy bond fast his hondes / by cause that he shold not blesse hym self / and he prayd in his herte / and the enemy fyl dou∣ne from hym bytwene the bedde and the wal / and he coniuryd hym by the shedyng of goddes bloode that he shold telle wherwith he myght be moost y chasted / with that thou hast now nempned quoth the fende / Another tyme he had foryete to saye this oryson / O beata et intemerata / And saynt Iohan the ewangelyst appered

to hym in his slepe / and manaced him to smite with a pawmer And for hooly wrytt sayth that he that rectheth not of the smale fallyth awey lytel / and litel / and he wold euery day shryue him and clense him of venyal synnes / by entysyng of the old enemy his hoostes doughter not only with sygnes and bekkes / but also with wordes auentred her to tempte saynt Edmond for to do a¦mysse and wold not cesse / er she cam to the hooly mans chambre and was strypte and scourged and soo she putt of her utchyng and whan the enemy myght not spede by the wenche he auentred by the wyf to assaylle hym / but edmōd wold not take her yeftes withoute leue of the husbond / and put her of soo ashamed / and though he was not infra sacros / he was a mayster of Art / and vsed to here a masse / and saye his houres euery day / er he wolde rede / and was prouffytable to his scolers / for he taught hem here masse also / whanne he toke moneye of his scolers he leyde it in a wyndowe and seyd powder to pouder / & asshes to asshes / but the money was ofte take awey / with his felaws in game other els pryuel̄y with theeues / whanne he radde arithmetryk / his moder that was deede appered to hym in his sleepe and axyd of hym & sayde what fygures be these that thou studiest yune / & he answer¦red suche and suche / than she peynted thre cerkles in hyr ryght honde as though she wold mene the fader and sonne and hooly goost and sayde / Sonne studye thou in these fygures after this tyme / Selde he sate in chirche but he bad his bedes other standyng other knelyng / For he was a noble precheour / a sharp arguer & a mylde lyster. For he was auysed and toke heede of falace / and was waare and wyse in assoylynge of questions / and did grete prouffyte in redyng ¶ For greete abstynence his heer fyll aweye from his berde and heede / soo that his lyppes semed y cloue / he vsed alwey grete mete & lefte flesshe on mon∣daye and wonesdaye / and also in septuagesima that is al the len¦te from tyme that Alleluya is closed / he wold taste noo Flesshe the daye before that he wold singe his masse / and soo ofte it hap∣ped that he ete noo Flesshe in a moneth al hoole / he ete but selde twyes a daye / he rought not of lectuaryes and of medecyns / For grete knelyng his knees were harde as the sooles of his feete / Euery daye he said thre paire of matyns and of houres of the da¦ye of our ladye and of the hooly goost with Placebo and dirige A night after his firste sleepe he wolde aduise and saye certeyne prayers and psalmes / Yf ony enuious worde. come in place / he

wolde not be in pledynge of causes / he wold haue men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s••culer court with hym to the mete / For he wold wynne hem 〈…〉〈…〉 blesse of heuene / he wold not vysyte his houses of offyce / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 heere acomptes of his mynystres / he spente alwey more ••han he hadde He chalengyd of his seruanntes clennesse of body by couenaunte wryten / Soo that yf ony of hem fyll in to lecherye / he shold take his hyer and take his leeue / and goo his wey / Tethynges and offrynges and redempcion̄ of his synnes / he spente only in myl∣de vses / he had byfore hym paynted the ymage of oure lady and al aboute hym the passion of our lord / And soo the lesson come of the booke / and byfore the ymage he had his hedes / and of ey∣ther come grete deuocion / the tyme of etyng and slepyng and re∣dyng whanne he myght not studye he tolde hit al lost / As ofte as he opened his bible / he wold worship it with a crosse / whanne the legacy of the crosse was commytted to hym he toke noo procura¦toryes that hym were graunted but ayenste the vsages of other suche legates he trauaylled on his owne coste / he prechyd at oxen¦ford at gloucestre / at wyrcetre / and Reyn. that fyll on the people he made turne ageyne with his prayers· It happed as he slepte in his studye that a candel fyll doune on his byble and brente / but whanne he awoke he sawe / noo brennynge was seen / Al¦so with hys penne he made thre crosses on a kybe that he hadde / & it vanysshed awey / his heeris that he wered were throwen in to the fyer whan they were old / but they myght not brenne and in the heres that he wered myght vnnethe ony worme be founde / Somtyme messagers were sent from Caūterbury to Salesbury For edmond tresorer of that place shol̄de come and be Archebis¦shop of Caunterbury / the deen of Salesbury spake to hem and sayde ye be welcom and euel come / ye be welcome for ye do wor¦ship to oure chirche / but ye be euyl come / for ye take oure tresoure with the tresorer / hym shamed not to drawe of his owne hosen & shone / Euery man that he met in the wey / that wolde be shryuen to hym· he wolde lyght doune of his hors / and here his shryfte / & spare for no let of comyng to his ynne / nother for wynde nother for reyne / ne for other weder / he ferde as the olif tree that holdith to yt self the bytternesse in the rynde and heldeth oute toother the swetnesse of the oyle / soo he was harde to hym self / and easy and goodly to other men / he beete his brest ofte with his honde & his knees ageynst the grounde / Soo that clerkes that lay in se∣ler•• vnder hym myght vnneth slepe For worship of oure lady he

worshiped al wymmen / but therby he was neuer y wemmed / but in a tyme one blamed hym that was hoomely with hym / For a fayr wyf that he wold ofte speke with / And he answerde and sayde / Sawe thow not how fayr she was / y know••••che / she hath ofte sette by me / but by her was I neuer more temp••ed / that I was by the wal / and yet more th••ugh all that I haue trespaced in that maner synne were wryten in my forhede I shol̄de not be ashamed / he hated takers of yeftes and sayde in Frensshe Entre¦prendre / and prender is but one lettre aloone / At last by exytyng of the deuyl kyng henry and the chapytre hous of Caunterbury was rebel ageynst hym / In that hurlyng he made it as though he knewe it not / and kyssed hem and preserued hym and dyde to hem al other homely dedes / and whanne his frendes sayde he was to mylde / and yafe ensample to other men for to aryse in the same wyse / he answerd and sayd the swellyng of the see as mylk / we shal souke and ete wylde hony in the wyldernesse of this world with Iohan baptist the forgoer of our lord / the power of takyng wreche moote be withholde only in goddes hande / I wol not of other mennes defautes gete me loenge and vnprouffytable c••st & trauayll / than he had prelates to geders & axyd how he might releue hooly chirche that was made subgette and thral / It was counseyled that the kyng and other men that were rebell shold be warned / and yf they wolde not amende / than the wreche of C••n¦sures of hooly chirche / sholde not sl••pe / the hooly man assenteth & & goth to the kyng / the kyng axith auysement / and he abideth but al for nought / therfor the kyng was spared aloone and all other that were rebell were denounsed acursed / but therby wolde not the euel doers be amended / Than hym was leuer suffre the maly¦ce for a tyme than kyth his myght in plee and in stryf / for be to¦ke heede that though he hadde doone al that he myght / hit myghte happe that the Popes legate that was than in englond / wol¦de vndoo al his sentence and dedes and so comforte the kyng to wors dedes / but yf the Archebisshop were presente and corrected not her trespas and errours / hit myght seme that he wolde alo¦we his dedes by a maner feyned suffraunce / therfore hym was leuer be absente for a tyme for to shewe ther by the sorowe of his herte and that he was soore agreued with her malyce / than his last sekenesse byganne to waxe greuous and strong / and he wēt oute of poyntney / to soysy / and he byhyght hem that he wold come ageyne on saynt Edmondes day / whanne the sacramente of the

auter was brought hym he sayde thou art my lord / the I haue loued. in the I haue trowed / the I haue prechyd / the I haue sought and none other / Men tellyn that it goth in to the wombe / but I telle that it goth in to the soule and thought / than he we∣sche the woundes of the ymage of the crucyfyx / and kyssed hem full swete / and sayde / ye shal drawe vp water in Ioye of oure sa∣ueours welles /