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¶The helpe and grace of al∣mighty god thrugh the besech∣inge of his blessed mo〈…〉〈…〉 saynt mary be with vs at oure begyn¦nynge / help vs and spede vs he¦re in oure lyuynge / and bringe vs vnto the blisse yt neuir shalle haue endynge. Amen.
Myn owne simple vnderstondin¦ge I fele wele how it fareth by other that been in the same degree. and haue charge of soules. and holden to te¦che their parisshyns of all the principal festys that come in the yere. shewynge vnto theym what the hooly saintes suf¦fred and dyd for goddes sake and for his loue. So that they sholde haue the more deuocion in good saintes. & with the bettre wyll come vnto the churche▪ to serue god and pray his holy saintes of their help But for many excuse thē for defaute of bokes and also by sym∣plenesse of connynge Therfore in help of suche this tretyse is drawen oute of Legenda aurea: that he that lyst to stu¦dye therin. he shal fynd redy therin of all the principall festes of the yere. of echone a shorte sermon nedefull for hī to teche. and for other to serue And for this treatise speketh of all the high fe∣stys of the yere I woll and praye that it be called festiuall the whiche begyn¦neth at the firste sonday of the Aduent in worship of god and all his sayntes that ben wretyn therin.
¶Incipit liber qui vocatur festialis..
GOde men and wemen this day is called the first sonday in ad¦uent. wherfore holy church ma¦keth mencion of the cōmynge of criste. goddes sone into this world〈…〉〈…〉 mā¦kinde oute of the deuylles bondage▪ & to bringe all well doers into the blisse that euir shall last. And also of his o∣ther cōmynge that shall be at the daye of dome whan he shall cōme to deme. all wacked doers into the peyne of hel for euir. But the firste cōmyn¦ge of ••hū Criste into this worlde brou∣ght ioye and blisse with him. Therfore holy churche vsed songes of myrth as alleluya and other And for the second cōmynge of criste shall be soo cruell yt no tonge may tell Therfore holy chur¦che seyth downe songes of melodye as Te deum. Gloria in excelsis▪ and wed¦dinge For after that daye shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be weddinge more in to〈…〉〈…〉ynge of vēge¦aunce that cōmeth after Then after the the first cōmyng of crist into this worl¦de sainte Austyn sayth there been there thinges ryf in this worlde that ben 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the trauayll. and deth This is the testa¦mente that Adam oure forme fadre ma¦de to all his ofsprynge. after him that is to be borne in sekenesse. and for to ly¦ue in trauayll. and for to dye in drede. But criste he came to be oure socoure. of this testamente: and was borne and trauayled and deyed he was borne to bringe men oute of sekenesse into euir∣lastinge helthe. he trauayled to bryng man to euir lastinge reste: he deyed to brynge man to euirlastinge lyf. This was the cause of the firste cōmynge of criste into this worlde. wherfore h〈…〉〈…〉