The festyuall

¶De soncto thoma archiep̄o cantuariensi.

[illustration]

GOod men & wymmen suche a daye ye shall haue saynt Thomas daye y^t was slayn for y^e ryght of holy chirche & the lawe of this londe. This holy man Thomas was born in the cyte of London / & his fader was called Gylbert and was shyref of London Then̄e afterwarde he ordeyned hymself & went in to the holy londe. & there he was take and put in pryson / Then came a worshypfull woman to hȳ & sayd yf he wolde plyght her his trouth to wedde her / she wolde helpe hȳ and brynge hȳ out of dysease. & he dyde so. Then came Gylbert home in to Englonde / & whā this womā same her tywe she came after & met in London at y^e chirche of Poules / thenne Gylbert made the bysshop to crysten her & afterwarde for to wedde theym togyder / and Gylbert gate saȳt Thomas on this woman So whan she was with childe / she dremed in a nyght y^t she came to saynt Poules chirche but / whā she wolde haue gone in / she thoughte her wombe was so grete that she myght not in to the chirche by noo waye. Thenne on the morowe she went vnto her confessour & tolde hym all the dreme. Thenne sayd he dame be gladde & thanke god hyghly. For y^u hast a childe in thy body y^t all holy chirche shal be to lytel to receyue hym. Thenne was she gladde and thā¦ked god hyghly. And so soone after was this childe born & was called Thomas Thenne by space he wexed a man and so he was a man in all degree For he serued the kyng man¦ly & serued god worthely / & deyed for the lawes of holy chir∣che mekely. I may well saye he serued the kyng manly For whan he was made chaūceler of Englonde / this londe was so ful of outlondysshe men and so sore ouersette w^t theym y^t there myght noman go by the waye vnrobbed But in shor∣te tyme after. Thomas with his wysedome and with his man hode droue them all out of this londe / so that all the people myght go faue and vnberobbed / Thomas was also

manly in repayrynge of the kynges maners that were lete falle downe & destroyed. And in especyall the kȳges palays at London & at Westmynster that was all lete fallen dow∣ne. But bytwene Eester and Wytsontyde Thomas made to repayre it ayen / for he hadde there so many werkmen of dyuerse craftes that a man sholde vnnethe here his felowe speke for dōnynges of strokes. He was also manly in dedes of armes for there as the kyng hadde many Castelles and townes out of his hondes and he spente moche good for to gete theym / and shedde moche blood for the getȳge of theȳ ayen at the fyrst & they were holde out of his hondes. Then¦ne Thomas w^t his wyttes and wysdome gate them ayen Also whan he was in the kynges warres of Fraūce / he quy¦te hym so māfully / that whan y^e kyng of Englonde had exy¦led Thomas / the kyng of Fraunce was his chyef helpe & so¦cour. Also Thomas was as māfull in his araye. for he was clothed in the best and rychest clothe and furre that myght be founde. And also his aparayl his sadels brydels shone as bryght as ony syluer / He was also manfull in his housholde for his halle was euery daye in the somer season strewed w^t grene russhes / & in wynter with clene heye for to saue the knyghtes clothes that fatte in the floure for defaute of pla¦ce to sytte on For there came so many euery day to ete of his mete & drynke / for he wolde haue al maner of deȳtyes that myght be founde in this londe. In so moche that the kyng hymself many tymes vnwarned came to Thomas to mete bothe for loue that he had to Thomas / and also to see the a∣raye / and also the reuell that was in Thomas housholde / for there spake so moche people worshyp to Thomas. And for more truer and also better loue that thenne was bytwe∣ne the kyng and Thomas whyle it laste was neuer bytwe∣ne two men. Wherfore I put this ensample. ¶It happed that it felle in colde wynter as the kȳg and Thomas came

rydynge togyder in chepe syde at London. The kyng was ware of a poore man that was well nere naked / and had no clothes and was sore a colde Thenne sayd the kyng to Tho¦mas / it were grete almes dede to gyue to this poore mā bet¦ter clothes. Syre sayd Thomas of suche ye sholde take he∣de. Thenne had Thomas a clothe of gode scarlet and well furred with ryche furre. Thenne the kyng layde honde on this clothe & wolde haue pulled it from Thomas for to ha∣ue gyue to this poore man / but Thomas helde it faste. And thus they wrasteled longe. In so moche that they were lyke to falle to the grounde / but at the last by fauour Thomas suffred the kyng to take his clothe of. And thenne the kyng cast it to the poore man / and badde hym renne awaye fast & selle it / and bye hym other / and yf thou besette it well thou mayst fare the better euer whyle thou lyuest. Thenne Tho∣mas fayned hymself wrothe. But in his heete he was well plesed that his robe was so well besette / Thenne the people merueyled gretely fyrst what was bytwene the kyng and Thomas. But whan as they sawe what it meaned / the peo¦ple were gladde and hadde grete sporte therof. ¶This I saye to shewe you exemple how well they loued togyder / th{us} Thomas serued the kyng manfully. Also we must lerne of our lorde patrone saynt Thomas to serue god deuoutly For he serued god full deuoutely / for as soone as he was made archebysshop of Caūterbury / anone he torned his lyuynge in to better lyuynge and thought to serue the kyng of heuen as well as he had the kyng of this worlde before. And ano∣ne he layde awaye scarlet and ryche furres / and all ryche a byllementes of clothe of sylke and were clothe of myddell pryce and cast awaye sylke and sendell. and wered here next his naked and bare body in suffrynge grete pouerte / and harde punysshement of his flesshe that it sholde not vsurpe his good wyll and in lyke wyse he made a breche of the sa∣me

/ in whiche was so moche vermyn / that it was an horry∣ble syght for to se / but this knewe but fewe people. And eue¦ry wednesday and fryday he made his confessour to bete hȳ with a rodde vpon his bare body as a chylde is beten in the scole. And he vsed euery daye for to wasshe thre poore men∣nes fete knelynge on the grounde. And then he gaue to eche of them four pens. And also moche more penaunce he vsed in praynge & in wakynge that were to moche to tell at this tyme. Thenne whan Thomas was in the abbay of Pounte¦ney / vpon a daye whan he had sayd masse he kneled downe before the awter in his prayers. Thenne the abbot of the sa¦me place had to speke with hym / & stode vnder a pyler and abode after Thomas / and he sawe our lorde Ihesu Cryste appere to Thomas and tolde hym how he sholde be slayne in Caunterbury in his owne chyrche for his sake / & bad him be stedfast and holde forthe as he had begon. Thenne came Thomas out of his chapell / and anone the abbot fell doune to the grounde and sayd. Syr we may blysse the tyme and the houre that euer ye were borne / and also blyssed myght she be that bare you for to haue suche vesytacyon as I haue herde you haue. Thenne sayd Thomas. I charge the that thou neuer tell it to no man whyles I am alyue / no more he dyde. But whan Thomas was deed / he tolde it openly too all the people. Thus I may well saye that Thomas serued our lorde deuoutly. He deyed also for the lawe of holy chyrch mekely / for whan he sawe the kynge begyn to make lawes to ouerset the holy chyrche and suche lawes as wolde haue dystroyed the lande. Thenne Thomas put hym selfe forth and repreued che kynge of his mysdedes. Thenne was the kynge wrothe and made a parlyament at Northampton / and for that saynt Thomas wolde not set his seale vnto the cursed lawes the whiche the kynge and his sorye counceyle hadde ordeyned and constytued in the realme. Anone they

called hym a traytour to the kȳge and exyled hym out of y^e londe Thenne Thomas wente vnto the kyng of Fraunce for socour and helpe / and full goodly and mekely he recey∣ued hym and all his clerkes and founde theym almoost .vii yere all that they behoueden. Thenne grete dysease and gre¦uaunce Thomas had of the kyng of Englonde / and al he suffred mekely And thenne by treatyse and counseyll of y^e pope and of the kyng of Fraunce / there was made a fynyte loue day bytwene the kyng & Thomas. But whan y^e kyng sholde haue kyssed Thomas he wolde not / For he sayd he had made his othe he wolde neuer kysse hym. But badde hȳ go home to his chirche boldely. Thenne by the counseyll of the kyng of Fraunce and byddynge of the pope Thomas ca¦me home to Caunterbury / Thenne were there four cursyd knyghtes of lyuynge that thought to haue a grete thanke of y^e kyng & made her auowe togyder to slee Thomas & so on childernasse daye almost al the nyght they went & came to Thomas halle syr Reynold beryston syr Wyllyam tracy syr Rycharde breton / & syr Hew morley. Then̄e syr Reynol¦de beryston for he was best of kynde. anone sayd he to Tho¦mas / the kyng y^t is beyonde the see sente vs to the & badde y^t y^u sholde assoyle the bysshop that y^u cursyddest. Thenne sayd Thomas / they be not acursyd by me / but by the pope / & I may not assoyle that he had cursyd. well sayd Reynold / thē∣ne we se thou wylt not doo the kynges byddynge and swo∣re a grete othe by the eyen of god thou shalt be deed. Then∣ne cryed the other knyghtes slee slee / and they went dow∣ne to the courte and armed theym. Thenne prestes and cler¦kes drewe them to the chirche to Thomas and spered the dores to them. but whan Thomas herde the knyghtes ar∣med and wolde come in to the chirche and myght not / he went to the dore and vnbarred it / and toke one of y^e knygh∣tes by the honde and sayd / it besemeth not to make a castel

of holy chirche and toke theym by the hondes & sayd / come in my childern in goddes name. Thenne for it was derke y^t they myght not see nor knowe Thomas they sayd / where is the traytour. Nay sayd Thomas no traytour / but arshe¦bysshop. Thēne one sayd flee for y^u art deed / Nay sayd Tho¦mas I came not to flee but to abyde (Ego pro deo mori pa¦ratus sum et pro defensione iusticie & ecclie libertate) I am redy to deye for the loue of god & for the fredom and ryght of holy chirche. Thenne Reynold w^t his swerdes poynt put of Thomas cappe & smote at his heed & cutte of his crow∣ne that it henge by lyke a dysshe thenne smote y^e other at hȳ and smote it all of. Thenne felle he downe to the groūde on his knees & elbowes and sayd God in to thy hondes I put my cause and the ryght of holy chirche & so deyed. Thenne the thyrde knyght smote / and his half stroke felle vpon his clerkes arme that helde Thomas crosse before hym & so his swerde felle downe to the grounde & brake of y^e poynt & he sayd Gowe hens he is deed. And whan they were atte dore goynge syr Robert broke wente ayen and sette his fote to Thomas neke and thurst out the brayn vpon the pauymēt Thus for the ryght of holy chirche & the lawe of the londe Thomas toke his deth Then how this martyrdome was knowen in Ihrlm ye shall here There was an abbey of mō¦kes in the whiche that same daye & the same tyme y^t Tho∣mas deyed a mōke laye at his deth / then for he was a good holy man of lyuynge / his abbot badde hȳ yf it were not to goddes dysplesure whā he were deed he sholde come ayen & ces••e hȳ how he fared / & so whā he was deed he came ayen and tolde his abbot whan he deyed an angell brought hym before god and as he stode there / he sawe a bysshop come w^t a grete company of angelles and other sayntes and he sto∣de before god at his Iugement / and his heed dropped dow¦ne

of blood of woundes that he had. Then̄e sayd our lorde to hȳ / thus it besemeth a man to come to his lordes courte & anone our lord sette a crowne on his heed & sayd thus to hȳ As moche as I haue gyue to Peter & poule / so moche Ioye I graunte the And y^e monke sayd here by I knowe well y^t this is the gretest bysshop in Englonde & is slayne for god∣des sake. & wete well that I go to euerlastynge blysse This tolde y^e patryarke of Ihrlm soone after that Thomas was deed / ther came in to Englonde after peple to fyght ayenst he then men.

¶Narracio

¶Also ther was a byrde y^t was taught to speke and coude saye saȳt Thomas as she had herde other pylgryms to spe¦ke moche of saynt Thomas / & it happed on a tyme this byr¦de satte without his cage and there came a sperhawke and wolde haue slayne hȳ. & anone the byrde cryed on saȳt Tho¦mas helpe & anone this sperhawke fell downe deed. so saȳt Thomas of his grete grace & goodnes here the byrde and wyst not what shemente / moche more wolde he haue herde a crysten man or crysten woman that cryed hertely to hym for helpe and socour.

¶Narracio

¶Also ther was a man that Thomas loued passynge well in his lyf / & it felle so y^t this man felle syke on a tyme & came to Saȳt Thomas tōbe prayēge hȳ of socour & helpe & ano¦ne he was hole but after he bethought hȳ y^t his sykenes was encreasȳge to his soules hele & so went ayen prayenge Tho¦mas y^t yf it were more mede to his soule to be syke thā hole y^t he myghte be syke ayen / & so he was & thanked god & saȳt Thomas. Then̄e whan y^e kyng herde how y^e god wrought so many myracles for saȳt Thomas he wente to Caūterbu¦ry barefoot & wolwarde almoost naked saue a feble cote to bȳde his body & wente as he had be poore mā in this lōde

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prayenge to saynt Thomas of forgyuenes of his trespace / and at the tombe he made all the couent by and by too gyue dyscyplyne on his bare body with a rodde / and there he dāp¦ned all sory customes and false lawes that was cause of the debate betwene Thomas and the kynge before / & graun∣ted the chyrche her fredome agayne / and wente his waye. Thenne these .iiii. knyghtes whan they herde how god had wrought for Thomas they were full sory of theyr cursed de¦des / and cursed the tyme that euer it happened so with thē and lefte all theyr londes / and went to Iherusalem in to y^e holy lande to warre on goddes enmyes / but Wyllyam Tra¦cy was letted by the way / and fel seke and roted al his body in so moche that hymselfe with his owne handes kest away the flesshe lompe mele / and so deyed an horyble dethe. And the other thre also deyed in a pyteous dethe soone after / & thus within thre yere after the dethe of Thomas they dyed all foure / but as longe as they lyued they cryed euer mercy to god and to saynt Thomas / and so I hope they had.