An abridgement of the notable woorke of Polidore Vergile conteignyng the deuisers and firste finders out as well of artes, ministeries, feactes & ciuill ordinaunces, as of rites, and ceremonies, commo[n]ly vsed in the churche: and the originall beginnyng of the same. Co[m]pendiously gathered by Thomas Langley

❧The firste Chapiter. ¶Of Reliques, stacions, the yere of Iubilie, Pardons.

NOT LONG after the mar∣tyrdome of Pe¦ter and Paule,* 1.1 bothe many, & that of diuerse sortes as well men as women 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the example of their constā∣cie, were enco∣raged to suffre sundery kindes of tor¦mentes in seuerall partes of y^e world for the mainteignance of Christe his religiō.* 1.2 But namely in Rome muche murther of innocente bloudde was committed of tyrantes by many ma∣ner of punishementes, and a greate number died in Chrstes cause, emong other certain bishoppes to the soume of thirty and twoo were slain by ex∣treme persecusion, onlesse it were se∣uen of theim, whiche by deathe were preuented afore thei attaigned the croune of Martyres. Therefore con∣sideryng

that muche martyres bloud was spente, & that specially in Rome and many from other places wer cō∣ueighed thither, Cletus and Anacle∣tus bishoppes there did seriously go about to reuerence them. For the one appoin••ted a place,* 1.3 where Martyres should seuerally haue their sepultu∣res aparte from the laye people, and the other by degree denounced hym accursed as a sacrilege, that by word or deede hyndered mennes deuocion from visityng the toumbes of the A∣postles. Vpon this occasion Calistus the firste buylded beyonde Tyber a churche in honoure of our Lady,* 1.4 and Constanstyne Emperoure edified to Peter, Paule, and Laurence temples This matter was by Gregory the sainct sette forwarde to the encrease of supersticious deuocion:* 1.5 For he ap∣poyncted these Letanies of sainctes with Ora pro nobis too bee songen with Masses on certayne solemne daies in the chief temples of the citee promisyng theim▪* 1.6 that repaired thy∣ther at suche solemne feastes cleane remission of synnes by his pardone. And he named the pompouse sacrifi∣ces

staciōs bycause thei wer celebra∣ted on certain daies limited and pre∣scribed by statute.* 1.7. Bonifacius the eight in the yere of our Lorde a thou∣sande three hundred, appoyncted the yere of Iubile, or grace, to bee kepte euery hundred yere with cleane re∣mission A pena & culpa to all theim that visited the temples of the Apo∣stelles Peter & Paule.* 1.8 And this was taken vp of the example of the He∣brues, albeet thei did kepe it euery .l. yeres or els as some thynke be assi∣gned the yeres accordyng to the olde feastes of Apollo and Diana whiche the Romaynes Heathen solemnised euery hundred yere, and of that thei were called Ludiseculares. Aboute fifty yeres after.* 1.9 Clemente the sixte decreed that it should bee celebrated euery fifty yeres as the Hebrues rite was,* 1.10 bycause no manne was able to attain the olde iubile of an hundred yeres. Laste of all Sextus the fourth restraygned the yere of grace to the xxv. yere,* 1.11 and he hymself kepte it at that daie, whiche was in the yere of Goddes grace shewed by his sonne Iesus Christe too the worlde a thou∣sande

foure hundred three score and fiftene.* 1.12 Aboute the same tyme Par∣dons were very ••ief, and muche vsed but who was the firste authoure of theim I haue not redde in any wry∣ter, sauyng that saincte Gregory (as I saied a fore) proclaymed Pardons as a reward for theim,* 1.13 that came too his Stacions. This seede sowen by Gregory grewe too a ripe haruest in the tyme of Bonifacius the .ix. whi∣che reaped muche money for y^e chaffe. After this Alexander the sixte that was in the yere of our Lorde a thou∣sande fiue hundred assinged the Iu∣bilee and Stacions to bee had insun∣dery prouinces and countrees,* 1.14 to the entent that lesse thrōg of people and more thrifte of money might come to Rome, and so the people should only lose their money and saue their la∣boure.* 1.15 But Moses was the firste authoure of the Iubilee, as appea∣reth by Iosephus in the olde Testa∣ment.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Reliques.
• * 1.2

  Many bisho∣pes of Rome suffered mar••tyrdome.
• * 1.3

  Martyres wer seuerally buried.
• * 1.4

  Churches of our Lady.
• * 1.5

  Peters chur∣che.
• * 1.6

  Letanies.
• * 1.7

  Stacions
• * 1.8

  Iubile euery hundred yere.
• * 1.9

  Ludiseculares.
• * 1.10

  Iubile at fifti yeres.
• * 1.11

  Iubile at .xxv yeres.
• * 1.12

  Pardons.
• * 1.13

  Pardōs wer profitable to the purse.
• * 1.14

  Iubylee was sente into all countrees for money.
• * 1.15

  Moses was first authour of the Iubilee