Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 13

VVlpius crinitus traianus was born in spayne and was emperour nyneten yere· among his frendes he was free of herte and besy in dedes of Armes and esy in gouernynge of cy∣teseyns and myghty in reuelyng of cytees and townes. He chas¦tysed the danes Scytes Sarmates hiberes. Colches and Ara∣bes. he ordeyned a nau••y in the reede see for to werre in Inde / He made hym self euery mannes felawe & vysyted ofte his frendes

for he wold be salewed of hem and wete how they ferde. he gre∣ued no man he dyde no thyng wrongfully for to haue the more esche••es but be made his seruauntes ryche that them neded to gre¦u•• no man / his frendes blamed him for he was soo comyn to a••le maner men / he answerd and sayde / I wyl be suche an emperour•• to other men as I wold they were to me if they were emperour•• ¶ R Helymandus sayth that in a tyme traianus was lepte to hors for to goo to batayl for the comynte / And there come a wydowe wepynge and toke hym by the foote and prayd hym that he wolde doo hir ryght and iustice of hem that hadde slayne her sonne / I shal doo the right sayde themperour whan I come ageyne. what sayd she yf thou neuer comest ageyne Thanne sayd•• themperour my successours shal doo the right / what pro••yt sayd she shal be to the yf another man doo me good· thou art det¦tour to me / and thou shalt resseyue as thou deseruest by thin own dedes. ¶And so it is fraude for to yelde not that is du••· whan it may be yolden ¶ Thy successour shal fare wel yf he bere hym wel and doo as he sholde Traianus was meued by these wor¦des and lyght doun of his hors and dyde the wydowe right and Iustyce And therfor he was worthy to haue an ymage in rome Also on a tyme Traianus sone rode on a wylde hors and slough a wydowes sonne And therfor traianus yaue his owne sonne to the wydowe for her sonne ¶And by cause of this gre••e right wysenes it semeth that seynt gregory wan his soule out of helle ¶ Creuisa So myght a man wene that were wors than wode or oute of right byleue ¶ Whan euariscus was martrid. Alex∣ander come after hym and was pope ten yere. he ordeygned holy water to be blessyd with salt and to be spryngt in cristen menni•• houses. he put in to the masse / Qui pridie quam pa••eretur / And so forth vnto these wordes hoc est &c ¶ Also he ordeyned that water sholde be medled with the wyn in the chalyce for to byto¦kene the onyng of crist and of holy chir••he / And he ordeyned that the oost shold be of therf brede and ••f lytel quantite / and seyde the scarser this oost be the better it is Symon that hete sy¦meon also cleo••has sone / the lasse Iames successour was nay∣led to the crosse in the chirche of Ierusalem. And alle men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that so olde a man of six score yere myght suffre that passio•• Ignacius bisshop of antyochia Iohans disciple was broughte to Rome and throwen to wylde beestes· And while he was tor∣mented he cryed alwey besyly Iesus / ¶ Thenne after his deth

his herte was hewen in to smal gobeites ¶And in euery gobbet was foūden iesus wreton with lettres of golde / the second plini{us} nonocomensis a pleter and a wryter of storyes was in his flow∣res· he was mayster to traianus themperour / and refreyned hym in many thynges & in especial that he shold not persecute ne gre∣ue cristen men ¶ Also this not withstondynge the knyght∣hode and chiualrye that he vsede alway· yet he wrote seuen and thyrtty bookes of the storye of kynde in the which he descryueth clerly the world and al that is therinne· ¶Atte laste he wente for to serche and enquere the cause of the grauel that is in the see stronde whiche is alayed with heepes of grauel as it is sayde· ¶After the passion of Alysaundre the pope sixtus was pope al¦moost enleuen yere / he ordeyned that trisagium that is sanctus / sanctus sanctus shold be songe atte masse And that the corpo∣ras shold not be of sylke nether sendel but clene lynen clothe not dyed and that no woman shold handle no towelles of the auter And though men rede that Alysander suffred deth in adrians ty¦me •• yet thenne was not Adrian Emperour / but perauentur con¦sul or prefect. In this trayanus tyme placidas mayster of knigh¦tes went on huntyng and mette with an herte hauynge bitwe∣ne his hornes the crucifix which sayd to hym that he his wyf & his children shold suffre moche wo and sorowe ¶And after this he was crystend and his wyf and his children / and he had a newe name and was named eustace Cassiodorus ¶ This Traianus deyde in the flux in Selencia the yere of his age / lxiij His bones were in a golden vrne or potte and buryed in the mar¦ket place vnder a piler that he had made of an honderd and four and fourty foote high· Loos and mynde of hym is soo spronge that yet in our tyme men praye in plesyng of prynces / More gra¦cious mo••e thou be than 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was Augustus / and better than traianus▪