A boke newly translated out of Latyn in to Englisshe, called The folowing of Christe with the Golden epistel of saynt Barnard.

❧Of the brennynge desyre that some de¦uoute persones haue had to the bo¦dy of Chryste. The .xiiii. Cha.

O Howe great multitude of swetnesse is it lorde that thou haste hydde / for them that drede the / but what is it than for theym that loue the: verely whan I remembre me of many deuoute persones that haue come to this hooly sacramente with so great feruoure of deuocyon I am than many tymes astonyed & confoūded ī my selfe that I go vnto thy aulter and to the table of the holy cōmunion so coldely & with so lytel feruour & that I abyde stil so drye and without any affeccyon of hert and that I am nat so hooly kyndeled be∣fore the my lorde god / nor so strōgly dra∣wen therby in affeccion to the as many de¦uoute persones haue bene / the whiche of the greate desyre that they haue hadde to this hooly communion / and for a feable loue of herte that they haue had thereto myght nat refrayne them selfe from we∣pynge / but effectuously with the mouthe of theyr herte and body to gether opened their mouthes to the Lorde that arte the lyuely fountayne bicause they coulde nat otherwyse aswage ne temper theyr hun∣ger but that they toke the holy body whi¦che they dyd with great ioy and spiritual gredines. Truely the great brēuing faith

of them is a probable argumēt of thy ho¦ly presence / and they also knowe verely theyr lorde in brekynge of breade whose hertes so strongly brenneth in thē by the presence of their lorde Iesu sacramental∣ly than walkynge with them / but verely suche affeccion and deuocion & so stronge feruour and loue be ofte tyme farre from me / be thou therfor moste swete and be∣nygne lorde Iesu mercifull and meke vn∣to me and graunt me thy poore seruaunt that I may fele somtyme some lytel part of the harty affeccyon of thy loue in thys holy cōmunyon / that my fayth maye the more recouer and amende / & myne hope through thy goodnes be the more perfite and my charite beynge ones perfitly kyn¦deled / and hauynge experyence of the he∣uenly Manna: do neuer fayle. Thy mer∣cy lorde is stronge ynoughe to graunt to me thys grace that I so muche desyre / & whan the tyme of thy pleasure shal come beningly to visite me with the spirite of a brennyng feruour to the / and thoughe I do nat brenne in so greate desyre as suche specyall deuoute persones haue done / yet neuerthelesse I haue desyre by thy grace to be inflamed with that brēnyng desyre

prayeng & desyryng that I may be made parte taker of all suche thy feruēt louers & to be nombred into theyr holy cōpany.