[Thystorye and lyf of the noble and crysten prynce Charles the grete kynge of Frauuce [sic]]

¶How Saynt Iames appye∣red to Charles / and how by the moyen and the conduyte of the sterres he went in to galyce / & what cytres he subdued ca j

CHarles the noble Em∣perour after he had ta∣ken moche payne for to mayntene the name of god / for tenhaunce the crysten fayth / and to brynge al the world in one trewe fayth and byleue / & that he had goten many contrees / he purposed neuer more to fyght ne to make bataylle / but to reste & lede forth a contemplatyf lyf in thankyng his maker of y^e grace that he had gyuen to hym in sur¦mountyng hys enemyes / Ne∣uertheles on a nyght it bawed hym / that he byhelde the heuen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sawe a quantyte of sterres in ••••∣dre tendyng alle the nyght one waye and one path / And they began at the see of frysebond in passyng bytwene alemayn and ytalye / bytwene Fraunce and guyāne / And passed ryght the sayd sterres by gascoyne / basle / Nauarre / and espayne / whyche contrees he had thenne by hys puyssaunce and contynuel payne conquerd and maad crysten / And after the ende of the sayd sterres thus goyng in ordre cam vnto galyce where as the body of the holy appostle was / he not knowyng the propre place / E∣uery nyght charles byhelde the waye of the sayd sterres / and thought moche contynuelly what thys myght be / & that it was not wythoute cause / ¶In one nyght emonge the other that

charles thought on thys waye / a man appyered to hym in vyly on whyche was so fayr so play∣saunte and so shynyng that it was meruaylle whyche sayd to hym / what doost thou my fayre sone / Charles beyng al rauys∣shed answerd / who arte thou fayr syr / That other answerd I am Iames the appostle of Ihesu Cryst / the sone of Zebedee / and propre broder of saynt Iohan the euangelyst / & am he whom god chaas to preche the crysten fayth and hys doctryne in the londe of galyce and of galylee / by hys holy grace / and he whom herode dyd put to deth by swerde / and my body abydeth emonge the sa∣rasyns whyche haue entreated it vylaynsly / & lyeth in a place whyche is not knowen / But I merueylle that thou hast not c••n¦querd my londe / Seen and con¦syderyd that thou hast conquerd so many regyons townes & cy∣tees in the world / wherfore I do the to wete / that lyke as god hath chosen the and made the su¦peryor in worldly puyssaunce aboue al other kynges & world¦ly prynces / in lyke wyse emong al them that lyuen thou art cho∣sen of god after the conduyte of the sterres to delyuer my londe fro the hande of the mescreaunt sarasyns and enemyes of crys∣tendom / ¶And to thende that thou sholdest knowe in to what place thou sholdest goo / thou hast seen on the heuen the sterres by dyuyne magnyfycence / And for to obteyne the more Ioye & gretter glorye in heuen / by haul¦tayn and grete puyssaunce thou shalt surmounte thyn enemyes / & in that same place thou shat make and doo edefye a chyrche in my name / to the whiche shal come the crysten peple of al regy¦ons for to gete helthe & pardon of their synne / After that thou shalt haue vysited my sepulture and haue made the waye sure / and ordeyned crysten men for to kepe and conserue the place / it shal be a memoyre perpetuell / Thus in thys maner appyered thre tymes saynt Iames to the emperour Charles / After these vysyons and certyfycacyons of god / he called and assembled hys subgettes / whome he dyd do put a grete multytude in good poynte / & after took hys waye / & drewe toward the contre where the sterres had shewed the waye aforesayd / and came fyrst in to spayne / and the fyrst cyte that was rebelle to hym was panpy lōne whyche was ryght stronge of murayl and towres / & gar∣nysshed wyth sarasyns / and he abode tofore it thre monethes or he coude fynde maner to confoūde it / Thenne Charles knewe not what to do but to praye god and saynt Iames for whom he went

that in the vertu of hys name he myght take that cyte / and sayd in thys manere / Fayr lord god my maker helpe me that am co∣men in to thys contre•• for to en∣haunce the crysten fayth / for to establysshe and maytene thyn holy name / And also thou ho∣ly saynt Iames by the reuela∣cyon of whome I am in thys Iourneye / I reqnyre the that I may subdewe thys cytee & entre therin / for to shewe the mysby∣leuyng peple the cause of theyr errour / to thende that this begyn¦nyng may the better determyne the ende of myn entencyon / Assone as Charles had fynys¦shed his oryson / the walles of the cyte whyche were of marble merueillously strong ouerthrew to the erth & fyl alle in pyeces / and after charles and his hoost entred in to the cyte / & he that wold be baptysed & byleue in god wythoute fyctyon was sa∣ued and put a parte / and who sayd the contrarye was forth∣wyth put to deth / Al the people of that contre whan they knewe of these tydynges & meruayl∣lous operacyons of this cyte tor¦ned in to Ruyne at the symple postulacyon of charles without contradyctyon came and yelded them to the mercy of kyng char¦les / And thus many were bap¦tysed / and chyrches were ordey¦ned / and al the contreye redu∣ced to certeyn trybute vnder the fydelyte of the emperour charles and brought theyr trybutes fro the cytees wyth oute ony other gaynsayeng in sygne of seygnou¦rye /