Vitas patrum.

¶ Of the vertues of that other saynt Machayre of Alexandrye / And begyn¦nyth in latyn ¶ Alius vero sāctus. &c· Caplm .xxix.

[illustration]

SAynt Machaire of Alexādrye souerayn & more than all tho∣ther louyd solytude. He enquy∣red curiously of the moost ferre hermita¦ges. tyll y^t he was at y^e ferthest place of al the deserte / Where he fonde al plente¦nousnes & habūdance of dyuers fruytes & all other good thynges / ¶ There were .ii. bred{er}n. to whom he prayed y^t they shold bryge of the other hermytes thyd{er} by cause the place was moche fertyle & habūdant / The same bred{er}n dreding / & not wythout cause theym y^e they shold brynge to be deceyued wyth tēptacions of the deuyll. by cause y^t in the same de∣serte there were many deuylles. & horry¦ble monstres / And answerde to hym y^t they myghte not be broughte thyd{er} / but that they shold be in dangeour to be be¦gyled & deceyued in comynge / Then̄e the holy fad{er} retorned to his bred{er}n / To whom he shewed thyse thynges. why∣che he had seen / And by this cause they were moeuyd for to goo wyth hym for to see that same deserte· ¶ The aeged & ailcyent men consideryng y^e daūgeo∣urs of the sayd temptacōns. coūseyled y^e yonge men y^t they sholde not goo thyd{er} For the place after theyr oppynyon mi¦ghte more be cause to deceyue hem thā to moeue theym to deuocōn. And more ouer the holy fad{er} sayd to theym that y^e places is full of delyces. & yf we vsyd theym / What hope oughte we to haue of the other worlde / Whan we in this worlde shall lyue at our playsure / The yonge bred{er}n herynge thise wordes & fa¦yr remonstraūces. anone concluded not for to goo thyd{er} / The place then̄e wher¦in as dwellyd the holy fader Machair was called Sycheon. to whyche place was nother waye ne path / And was as ferre from y^e monasteryes of Nytrye a∣boute .ii· Iourneyes / They had but ly∣tyll water. & yet it was noyous & bitter to drȳke / ¶ On a tyme was presented to hym a clustre of grapes / the whyche Incontynent by charyte he sente to one of his bred{er}n whyche was seke. & he ga¦ue it to a nother. And y^t man gaaf it a nother. & he to a nother / And fro hond to honde it was soo ofte yeuen. y^e fyna∣bly it came agayn to hym fro whom it fyrste was departed / And saynt Macha¦ir knowȳge their grete loue y^t they had togyd{er}. & for to conferme our fayth sa∣ynt Iherom rehercith of the sayd saynt Machaire. y^e he herde saye of y^e mouthe of y^e sayd saynt Machaire / y^t the deuyll came to hȳ on a nyght sayeng / Macha¦ir aryse y^u. and go we where as y^e bred{er}n ben assēbled in prayer / & incōtynent by the grace of god he knew y^t it was the

••••yll. and answerd to hym / O lyar en¦••••e of trouth. answere to me presently ••••at haste y^u to doo wyth y^e congrega¦•••• of y^e holy bred{er}n / The deuyll answe•• to hȳ / Knowest y^u not well y^t thassē 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of relygyous people ne theyr dedes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neuer made. but y^t we deuylles ben ••••ed therto. come & y^u shalt see our de¦•••• / Then̄e saynt Machaire put hȳ to ••••yer / in prayenge god y^t he wold lete¦••••n know yf his worde were true. & in ••••ynent he sawe lyke lytyl blacke chyl¦•••• goo & flee by all y^e partyes of y^e chir¦•••• / Now was y^e custome there suche. y^t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 alone sayd the psalmes. & the other ••••d· or they answerd / He sawe then̄e y^e ••••••e chyld{er}n blacke as ethyopiens. whi¦•••••• deceyned & mocked al the bred{er}n. In ••he wise whan they towched some bi¦••yen. anone they were a slepe. And yf ••••••y towched theim on the mouth they ••••yd to sȳge Tofor some thei shewed ••••••m in lyknes of a woman / and in ef¦•••••• bi dyuers scornes many bred{er}n were ••••••eyued. in suche wyse y^t some myghte ••••t abide in y^e chirche / To other bred{er}n ••••y sprange vpon their sholds. by can they had none affeccōn ne thȳ kynge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their prayers / & this seeng saynt ma¦••aire. made his prayer to god. sayenge ••••y god aryse y^u and chace a way y^e fen¦••••s. to thende y^t they appyere not tofore 〈◊〉〈◊〉 face / ne tofore my bred{er}n. for our sou¦•••• ben all full of theyr socrnes. lyke as ••••w I apperceyue / His orison made. he ••••lled y^e one after y^t other al the bred{er}n / ••••fore whom he had seen y^e deuylles / & ••••ed them yf in makyng their orrsons ••••••i had ben in wyll to doo ony werkes ••••orell. lyke as y^e holy man had seen / ••••ey ansuerde ye / Then̄e the holy man knewe that the vayn thoughtes y^t they had. came of the scornȳges of y^e deuyll. And to this purpoos sayth saynt Ihe∣rom. y^t whan the thoughte of y^e man is wel sett in y^e loue of god. it neuer takith ony fantasye whiche is greuo{us} to hym or cause of syn̄e / ¶ A nother thȳge mo¦re merueylou{us} of y^e said saynt Machai¦re sayth saynt Iherom / That is to wy¦te. y^t whan ony of his bred{er}n came to re¦ceyue y^e holy sacrament of thawter / Yf they were not clene in theyr cōscyences it semyd to y^e sayd holy fad{er} / y^t the body of oure lorde retorned to thawter. But whan y^e good men came for to receyue theyr sauyour. y^e deuyllis incōtynent re¦torned bacwarde & ferre ¶ On a nother tyme y^e same saynt Machayire. & that other Machaire his brod{er}. of whom is to fore spoken. put theim in a boot for to go vysite one of theyr bred{er}n. & with the¦ym were some noble offycers / called try¦bunes right puyssaunt & ryche / hauyng w^t theym many chyld{er}n. grete nōbre of horses & Innumerable quātyte of syl∣uer wyth other good / Whan one of the¦ym sawe theim in y^e bote cladde w^t po¦re clo••hes. he sayd to theim / Alas bred{er}n y^t ye ben happy / whiche th{us} despyse the world. & in it soo despysyng were so vy¦le & poore clothes / Verily it apperyth y^t ye mocke yourself of theim of y^e worlde Then̄e the one ansuerde to hȳ. truely y^u sayst wel. for they y^t folowe god by ver¦tues mocke theymself / But y^e contrary we haue pyte of you. by cause y^t the wor¦lde deceyuynge you mocke you / Then̄e he y^t had aresoned theim whan he was retorned in to his hous gaaf for goddis loue all y^e he had / And after became hȳ¦self religio{us} w^t the holy heremytes /