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 .ix. Chapiter. ¶Of vowes, goyng barefoote, Letanies, praiyng for them that neese, crossyng the mouth when men yawne.

WHen we be brought in∣to any extreme calamy∣tie, or daūgerouse aduē∣ture, y^t can by no mans power or prouision bee releued, the vrgent ne∣cessytie cōstrainyng vs, we fal to prai¦ers, and vowes makyng, as when we promise to set vp cādels,* 1.1 Images of waxe, or siluer, w^t other lyke, suppo∣syng therby to obteine remedy of our grief. This custome was borowed of the Hebrues,* 1.2 whiche vsed to make suche vowes to God: & diuerse other coūtries of the Gētiles vsed y^e ryte to their false gods. In like maner go∣yng barefoote was taken vp of the Iewes fashion:* 1.3 whiche in their sicke¦nes & other misfortunes were wōt to pray cōtinually .xxx. dayes, forbeare wyne, shaue their heare, and after go barefoote to the temple & make obla∣cion. This maner of vowe was so er∣nestly vsed in the tyme of y^e emperour Nero, when Florus was president

of Iurye,* 1.4 y^e Bernice sister to kyng A∣grippa went her selfe barefote to the tēpte of Hierusalem, to obteine some gētlenes for her coūtremen at Florus his hādes, but al in vaine, for his aua¦rice was so vnsaciable y^t no lowlines could pacifie it. Euen so we in any of our afflictions, sickenes or other he∣uines make vowes to God & his sain¦ctes, & performe thē goyng to y^e place barefoote in sēblable maner as y^e Ie∣wes did.* 1.5 Supplicacions were ordey∣ned in a great yearth quake by Ma∣mercus bishop of Vienne in the tyme of Leo the fyrst. These be called of y^e Greke worde Letanyes,* 1.6 & are cōmon¦ly named processions, because the peo¦ple procede furth a long in array .ii. & ii. together, and go frō place to place praiyng loud. They be called the lesse Letanyes. And Agapetus, as it is re∣ported▪ fyrst appointed thē to be song euery sōday in or about the churche: although it seme by Tertulians wor∣d••s, y^t they haue be vsed frō the begin¦nyng of y^e churche, & therfore it maye be supposed that Mamercus did only renew y^e custome. Afterward Grego∣ry ordeined the great Letanies called

septiformis letania,* 1.7 y^e same time that muche people in R. perished through a great plage of swellyng of the pre∣uy mēbres, whiche came of a corrupt ayre, that was poisoned with adders and snakes, that were cast out of Ty¦ber at a merueilous high tyde.

* 1.8There was another plage wherby many as they neesed dyed sodeynly, wherof it grewe into a custome, that they, that were present when any mā neesed should say,* 1.9 God helpe you.

A like deadly plage was sometyme in yawnyng, wherfore menne vsed to fence them selues with the signe of y^t crosse:* 1.10 * 1.11 bothe whiche customes we re∣teyne styl at this day. In al other ex∣treme affayres, that we go about we vse to signe our selfes with the tokē of the crosse. And this hath bene the vsage frō the beginnyng of y^e church.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vowes.
• * 1.2

  Vowes came of y^e Hebrues
• * 1.3

  Goyng bare∣foote.
• * 1.4

  Bernice sister of Agrippa.
• * 1.5

  Supplica∣tions.
• * 1.6

  Letanies.
• * 1.7

  Letania maior.
• * 1.8

  Nesyng.
• * 1.9

  Why we say Christ helpe.
• * 1.10

  Yawnyng.
• * 1.11

  crossyng of our mouth.