{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_14746/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_14746","id":"gutenberg_14746","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14746","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Dialogues, Latin (Medieval and modern) -- Translations into English","Imaginary conversations"],"text":"[Transcriber's note:\nThe original text has no page numbers; instead, the first few leaves\nof each 16-page signature are marked. This information is shown\nbetween paired double lines: || A iij.||. Other page breaks have\nbeen marked with double lines ||\n\nA few apparent typographic errors were corrected and are listed at\nthe end of the text. Other possible errors are also noted but were\nleft unchanged. All other spelling and punctuation are as in\nthe original.]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n                   A dialoge\n              or communication of\n             two persons, deuysyd\n           and set forthe in the la-\n            t\u00ea tonge, by the noble\n              and famose clarke.\n             _Desiderius Erasmus_\n               intituled ye pyl-\n                  gremage of\n                   pure de-\n                     uoty-\n                      on.\n\n             Newly tr\u00e3slatyd into\n                   Englishe.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n|| [+] ij.||\n\nTo the reder.\n\nAmongest the writinges of all men, dearly belouyd\nreder, not onely of the diuersyte of tongues, but also\nthe noble drawghts of so artificyall paynted figures,\nwhiche haue so lyuely expressed to ye quycke ymage, the\nnature, ordre, & proporcyon of all states, as\nconcernynge the gouernaunce of a Christen com\u00eawealthe,\nthat ther is (as I suppose) no parte of the scripture,\nwhich is not so enpowndyde, furnysshed, and set forthe,\nbut that euery Christen man, therby may lerne his dewty\nto god, hys prynce, and hys nebure, and so consequently\npasse thourough the strayte pathe of the whiche\nscripture doth testyfye vp\u00f5, very fewe can fynde ye\nentrye, wherby thorough faythe in the red\u00eaptyon of the\nworlde thorowe ye bloode of Christe the sone of god, to\nrayne || with the father and the holy goste eternally,\naccordynge to the promyse of Christe, sayinge. In my\nfathers hawse ther be many placys to dwell in, we wyll\ncome to hym and make a mansyon place with hym and I\nhaue and shall open thy name vnto them, that the same\nloue with the whiche thou louydest me, may be in theym,\nand I in th\u00ea, and thys is the kyngdome of god so often\nmouyd to vs in holy scripture, whiche all faythfull\nshall possesse and inheret for euermore: where as ye\nvnfaythfull, vnryghtswye, and synner shall not entre in\nto the kyngdome of god, bycause, of cha\u00fbgynge the glory\nof gode immortall in to the ymage of a corruptyble man,\nand therfore to incentiously he hathe suffrede them to\nwandre in theyr clowdes of ygnoraunce, preferrynge the\nlyes and corrupte || [+] iij.|| iudgmentes of man the\nveryte and the truthe of god, rather seruynge the\ncreature then the creator, amongest all the parties of\nthe whiche (as was spoken at the begynnyng) thys alwaye\nnot alonely in the newe law, but also in the olde\nTestament was as a thynge moost abhomynable and\ndisplesant in the sight of gode prohybyte and forbyden:\nbut our nature whiche hath in hym, the dampnable\nrepugna\u00fbce of synne agaynst the omnypot\u00eat power of\ngode, lest euyn frome owre fyrst father Adam, is so\nenclyned to vyces, amongest the whiche it hath not\ngyuen the least parte to thys desperate synne of\nydolatrye, agaynst the immaculate, and fearefull\ncommandement of god. Thou shalt haue no straunge Gods\nin my syght, that it is sore to be dreadde the same\niudgement to be gyuyn || vpon vs that was gyuen vpon\nthe cytye of Ninyue to be absorped of the yerthe in to\nthe yre and vengeannce of gode, whiche hathe ben the\ncause that so many wryters bothe of late dayes, and\nmany yeres passede, haue euyn to deathe, resisted thes\ndampnable bolsterers of ydolatrye, gyuen theyr selues\nto the crosse in example of reformacyon to theyr\nbretherne, bothe in wrytinge and cownsell, exhortynge\nthe flocke of Christe frome soche prophane doctryne,\namongest whome the noble and famouse clerke _Desiderius\nErasmus_ hath setforthe to the quycke ymage, before\nmennys eyes, the supersticyouse worshype and false\nhonor gyuyn to bones, heddes, iawes, armes, stockes,\nstones, shyrtes, smokes, cotes, cappes, hattes, shoes,\nmytres, slyppers, sadles, rynges, bedes, gyrdles,\nbolles, || [+] iiij.|| belles, bokes, gloues, ropes,\ntaperes, candelles, bootes, sporres, (my breath was\nalmost past me) with many other soche dampnable\nallusyones of the deuylle to use theme as goddes\ncontrary to the immaculate scripture of gode, morouer\nhe notethe as it were of arrogancye the pryuate\niudgment of certayne that of theyr owne brayne wolde\ncast out ymages of the temple, with out a comen consent\nand authoryte, some there be that alway seke halowes,\nand go vpon pylgramages vnder a pretense of holynes,\nwhervpon thes brotherhoddes and systerhoodes be now\ninuented, morouer they that haue ben at Hierusalem be\ncalled knightes of the sepulcre, and call one an other\nbretherne, and vpon palme-sondaye they play the foles\nsadely, drawynge after them an asse in a || rope, when\nthey be not moche distante frome the woden asse that\nthey drawe. The same do they conterfayte that haue ben\nat saynt Iames in Compostella. But they be more\npernycyouse, that set forthe vncertayn relyques, for\ncertayne, and attrybute more to them than they oughte\nto haue, and prostytute or sett theym forthe for\nfylthye lukre. But now whan they perceyue, that this\ntheyr d\u00e3pnable *Corbane [*A tresure boxe of ye Iewes.]\ndothe decay, and that theyr most to be lamented blyndnes\nand longe accustomed errours shuld be redressed, they, all\nfayre bothe of god and man set asyde, rebelle and\nmake insurrectyones contrary to the ordynaunce of gode,\nagaynst theyr kynge and liege lorde, prouokynge and\nallurynge the symple comynaitye to theyre dampnable\nypocrysye and conspyracy, myndyng || [+] v.|| and goynge\nabout to preuente our most soueraigne lordes iudgment,\nnot yet gyu\u00ea vpon theyr Sodomiticall actes, and most\nhorryble ypocrysy. But the worde of the lorde whiche\nthey so tyrannously go aboute to suppresse with all the\nfauerours therof shall ouercome & destroy all soch most\nto be abhorred & deceyuable inuegelers & dysturbers of\nye symple people to soch detestable treason. And that\nit may so do to the terryble example of thes and a11\nother rebelles and most dysloyal subiectes, and to ye\ngreate comforthe & c\u00f5solacy\u00f5 of his gracys faythfull\nand true comens. I requyre him which brethethe where he\nwillithe and raygnethe eternall gode to gra\u00fbt vnto our\nseyde most dradde soueraygne lorde whose maiesty as it\neuydently appereth onely applieth his diligence to the\naduaunsynge || & lettynge forthe of the most holsome\ndocumenth and teachyng of almyghty god, to the redres\nof long accustome euylls and damnable sectes, to the\nsupportacion and mayntenaunce of godly and alowable\nceremonyes, to the suppressynge and most to be desired\nabolishyng of the deuelishe and detestable vsurped\naucthoryties, dampnable errours and prophane abuses\nbrought in by that myghty Golyas, that obdurated\nPhareo, that proude Nembroth (whome god am\u00eade) the\nbyshope of Rome, to graunte (I say) vnto hys hyghnes,\nsuche hys godly ayde and assistence, that hys grace\nwith hys moost honorable counsell (agaynst whome this\narrogant conspyracy is nowe moued and begonne) may\nouercome and debelle the stud traytres as in tymes\npaste hys maiestye hath prudently || do other, that haue\nhertofore attempted to perpetrate and brynge to passe\nlike sedicyous mishief, and so to establishe the hartes\nof hys gracys true subiectes that they may wyllyngly\nand according to theyr dueties, obey and fulfyll hys\nmost lawfull and godly ordened lawes and commaundements\nwherby they shall not onely do the thyng agreable to\ngoddes wylle and teachynges, in that he willeth euery\nsoule to be subiected to the hygher power and obedyent\nto theyr prynce, but also (to theyr greate laude and\nprayse) shall shewe them selfe to be redy and\nconfirmable to do theyr dueties in aydyng hys excellent\nhyghnes to the reformacyon of all pernicious abuses &\nchiefly of detestable ydolatrye, whiche is so muche\nprohibited in holy scripture and most displeasant to\ngod, || for whiche intent and purpose the sayd most\nnoble and famous clarke _Desiderius Erasmus_, compiled &\nmade this dialoge in Laten, as it foloweth herafter\nnowe lately translated into our mother the Englishhe\ntonge. Auoyd therfore, most deare readere, all abuses\nwhereby any inconuenyence may growe, other to the\nhynderaunce of godes worde, to the displeasure of thy\nprynce, (whome thou arte so straytly commaunded to\nobaye, or to the domage of a publike weale, whiche\naboue all vices is noted most to be abhorred, not\nalonely of the most holy wryteres and expownderes of\nscripture, but also of prophane gentylles, whiche neuer\nperceyuyd other thinge than nature enclyned theyr\nhartes vnto, and so consequently to obtayne the\nfruytion of the godhode thorowe the faythe that was\n||    spoken of at the begynnynge to the\n         whiche the lorde Iesus Chri-\n           ste brynge vs all with a\n              perfaycte quyetnes,\n                   So be it.\n                       +\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n|| A.||\n\n        A pylgremage, for pure deuocy\u00f5.\n\n_Menedemus._ [*Signifieth to forsake.] What new thynge\nys it, that I se? doo I nat see _Ogygyus_ my neybur,\nwhom no m\u00e3 could espie of all thes sex monthes before?\nyt was a sayng that he was deed, It is euen he, except\nthat I be ferre deceyuyd. I wyll go to hym, & byd hym\ngood morow. Good morow Ogygyus.[*was faynyd of an old\nkynge of Thebanes.] Good morow to you Menedemus.\n_Mene._ I pray you frome what contray do you come to vs\nayen so saffe. For here was a great comunicacy\u00f5 that\nyou dyd sayle streght to hell. _Ogy._ No, thankyd be\ngod, I haue faryd as well syns I went hens, as euer I\ndyd in all my lyffe. _Me._ Well, a man may well\nperceyue that all soche rumours be but vanytye. But I\npray you what araye is this that you be in, me thynke\nthat you be clothyd with cokle schelles, and be || lad\u00ea\non euery syde with bruches of lead and tynne. And you\nbe pretely garnyshyd with wrethes of strawe & your arme\nis full of *snakes egges.[*Signifyeth bedes. Malsyngam\nys callyd parathalassia by cause it is ny to ye see.]\n_Ogy._ I haue bene on pylgremage at saynt Iames in\nCompostella, & at my retourne I dyd more relygyously\nvysyte our lady of Walsyng\u00e3 in England, a very holy\npylgremage, but I dyd rather vysyte her. For I was ther\nbefore within this thre yere. _Me._ I trowe, it was but\nfor your pleasure. _Ogy._ Nay, it was for pure\ndeuocyon. _Me._ I suppose you learnyd that relygy\u00f5 of\nthe Grecyanes. _Ogy._ My mother in law dyd make a vowe\nthat if her dougther shuld be delyueryd of a man chyld\nalyue, than that I shuld go to saynt Iames on\npylgremage, and ther to salute and th\u00e3ke hym. _Me._ Dyd\nyou salute saynt Iames alonly in your name, and your\nmothers. _Ogy._ No, in the name of all owre house.\n_Me._ || A ij.|| Verely I thynke that your howshold as\nwell shold haue prosperd, in case you had not salutyd\nhym at all. But I pray you what answer dyd he make to\nyour salutacyon. _Ogy._ Nothynge at all. But wh\u00e3 I dyd\noffre, me tought he dyd lawghe vpon me, and becke at me\nwith hedde, & dyd reche to me this cokleshell. _Me._\nWherfore dothe he gyue rather suche schelles, than\nother thynges. _Ogygy._ For the see, whiche is nye vnto\nhym dothe mynystre plenty of suche. _Me._ O holy saynt\nIames, that bothe is a mydwyffe to women with chyld,\nand also dothe helpe his pylgrymes. But I pray you what\nnew kynd of makyng vowes is that that whan a m\u00e3 is ydle\nhe shall put the burden apon an other mannes bakke? In\ncase that you doo bynd youre selffe with a vowe, that\nyf ye matter chaunche happyly whiche you haue in hande,\nthat I for you || shall fast twyse in on weke, do you\nbeleue that I can fulfyl youre vow? _Ogy._ No, I doo\nnot beleue it if that you dyd vowe it in youre awne\nname. It is but a sport with yow to mokke sayntes. But\nthis was my mother in law, I must nedys obey her, you\nknow womenes affectyones, & I must obaye heres. _Me._\nIf that you had not perfourmyd your vowe, what iopertye\nhad you be in? _Ogy._ I graunt, he could not haue had\nan accyon ayenst me in ye law, but he myght from\nhensforthe be deafe to my vowes, orels pryuyly send\nsome calamytye or wretchednes amongste my housholde,\nyow know well enuffe the maneres of great men. _Me._\nTell me now what that same honest m\u00e3 saynt Iames dothe,\nand howe he farythe. _Ogy._ Moche colder th\u00e3 he was\nwontyd to do. _Me._ What is the cause of it? His age?\n_Ogy._ Oh you scoffer, yow || A iij.|| know wel enoghe\nthat sayntes wax nat olde. But this new learnynge,\nwhiche runnythe all the world ouer now a dayes, dothe\ncause hym to be vysytyd moche lesse than he was wontyd\nto be, for if any doo come thay salute him alonly, but\nthey offre lytle or nothinge, and say that theyr monaye\nmay bettre be disposyd amongste pore people. _Me._ O a\nwykyd comunicacyon. _Ogy._ Ye & so great an Apostle\nwhiche was w\u00f5tyd to stand all in precyous stones &\ngold, now st\u00e3dythe all of wodde hauynge before hym\nskaresly a wax candle. _Me._ If it be trew that I here,\nit is great ioperdy lest that same chance to all the\nrest of the sayntes. _Ogy._ I thynk it wel, for ther is\nan epistle abrode whiche our lady dyd wryte apon the\nsame matter. _Me._ What lady? _Ogy._ *She that hathe\nher name of a stone.[*Our ladi of stone in Raurachia\nwhiche is a certayne cuntre.] _Me._ I trawe it is in\nRaurachia. _Ogy._ That same || is it. _Me._ yow tell me\nof a stony lady, But to whome dyd she wryte? _Ogy._ The\nepistle dothe playnely shew his name. _Me._ By whome\nwas it sent? _Ogy._ No dowbt but by an angell, whiche\ndyd lay the wrytynges ap\u00f5 the aultre, wherof he\nprechythe to whome it was sent. And lest there shuld be\nany suspecty\u00f5 of crafty c\u00f5uayance in you, you shall se\nthe epistle wryten with his owne hande. _Me._ Do you\nknow so well the hand of thangell whiche is secretary\nto our lady? _Ogy._ Yee why nat? _Me._ By what argum\u00eat?\n_Ogy._ I haue redde that *Epithaphe [*Is a scripture\nwryten on a graue.] of Bede which was grauyd of the\nangell: and the letteres agre in all thynges. I haue\nredde also ye obligacy\u00f5 whiche was sent to saynt Gyles\nas dothe aper. Dothe not thes argumentes proue that\nmater to be good enoghe. _Me._ May a man loke apon\nthem? _Ogy._ ye and if you wyll swere to kepe it ||\nA iiij.|| preuy. _Me._ Oh you shall speake to a stone.\n_Ogy._ Ther be stones now a dayes of that name very\nslawnderous, that wyll hyde nothynge. _Me._ you shall\nspeake to a domme man, & yow trust nat a stone. _Ogy._\nApon ye condycyon I wyll tell it, loke that you here\nwith bothe youre eyares. _Me._ So I doo.\n\n[The epistle of our Lady.]\n\n_Ogy._ Mary the mother of Iesu to *Glaucoplutus\n[*Glaucoplutus desirus of ryches.] s\u00eadythe gretynge.\nInsomoche as you folowe Luther, you nobly perswade,\nthat it is but in vayne to call ap\u00f5 sayntes, do ye well\nknow for that to be grettly in my fauore. For vntyll\nthys day I haue almost be slayne with the importunate\nprayers of men. Of me alone they askyd althynges, as\nwho shuld say my sone were alway a babe, because he is\nso faynyd and payntyd ap\u00f5 my breste, that yet he wold\nbe at my commaundem\u00eat and durst nat denye my petycyon,\ndredynge that if he denye my petycyon, || that I shuld\ndenye hym my teate whan he is a thurst: and very oft\nthay requyre that of me, whiche a shamfast yongman dare\nscantly aske of a Bawde, yee they be suche thynges as I\nam ashamyd to put in wrytynge. Now comythe ye\nmarchauntman and he redy to sayle into Spayne for a\nvantage, dothe c\u00f5mytte hys wyues honesty to me. Than\ncommythe thet lytle preaty Nunne and she castythe away\nher vayle redy to runne away, she leuythe with me the\ngood name of her vyrgynytye, whiche shortly she\nentendythe to take monay for. Than cryeth the wykyd\nsoudyer purposyd to robbe & saythe, blessyd lady send\nme a good praye. Now c\u00f5mythe the vnthryfty dyasser and\ncryethe, send me good chance Lady & thow shalt haue\nparte of my wynnynges: and if the dyasse runne ayenst\nhym, he blasphemes, and cursythe me, bycause || I wyll\nnat fauor his noghtynes. Now cryeth she that sellythe\nher selffe for fylthye lukre & saythe, swete lady send\nme some costomers, & if I denye it, they exclame ayenst\nme & say, thou arte not the mother of marcy. Moreouer\nthe vowes of some women be no lesse wykyd th\u00e3 folishe.\nThe mayd cryeth & saythe, O swet Mary send me a fayre\nand riche husbond. The maryed wom\u00e3 saythe send me\ngoodly chylderen. Now laborythe the woman with chyld,\nand cryeth dere lady dylyuer me of my bondes. Than\nc\u00f5mythe ye olde wyffe, and saythe flowre of all women\nsend me to lyue longe withowt coghe and drynes. Now\ncrepythe the the dotynge old man & saythe, lady send me\nfor to wax yonge ay\u00ea. Th\u00e3 c\u00f5mythe forth the phylosopher\nand cryethe send me some argum\u00eatis that be \u00eesoluble.\nThe great prest cryeth send me a fat benefyce. Th\u00e3 ||\nsaythe the bysshope kepe well my churche. Th\u00e3 cryethe\nye hye Iustyce shew me thy sone or I passe out of this\nworlde. Th\u00e3 saythe ye Cowrtyer send me trwe confession\nat the howre of my deathe. The husbondman saythe send\nvs temperate wether. The mylke wyffe cryethe owt\nblessyd lady saue our catell. Now if I denye anythynge\nby & by I am crwell. If I c\u00f5mytte it to my sone, I here\nthem say, he wyll what so euer you wyll. Shall I than\nalone bothe a woman and a mayd helpe maryneres,\nsawdyeres, marchantmen, dyasseres, maryed m\u00ea, women\nwith chyld, iudges, kynges, and husbondmen? ye and this\nthat I haue sayd is the least parte of my payne. But I\nam nat now so moche trobled with soche busynes, for\nthat I wold hartely thanke you, but that this\ncommodytye dothe brynge a greater disc\u00f5modytye with\nhym. I || haue now more ease, but lesse honor &\nprofett. Before this tyme I was callyd quene of heuen,\nlady of the world, but now any man wyll skarsly say aue\nMaria or hayle Mary. Before I was clothyd with precyous\nstones and gold, and had my chaunges, and dayly ther\nwas offeryd gold and precyous stones, now I am skarsly\ncoueryd with halffe a gowne and that is all beeyten\nwith mysse. My yerly rentes be now so smalle that I am\nskarsly able to fynde my pore quere kepar to light a\nwax c\u00e3dle before me. Yet all this myght be sufferyd,\nbut you be abowt to pluke away greater thynges, you be\nabowt (as they say) that what so euer any saynte hathe\nin any place, to take hyt frome the churches, but take\nhede what you doo. For ther is no saynte without a way\nto reu\u00eage his wronge. If you cast saynt Petre forthe of\nthe churche, he may serue || you of the same sauce, and\nshite vp heuyngates ayenst you. ye saynt Paule hathe\nhis sworde. Barthylmew is nat withowt his great knyffe.\nSaynt Wyllyam is harnysyd vnder his monkes cloke, nat\nwithowt a greate speare. What canst thou doo ayenst\nsaynt George whiche is bothe a knyght & all armyd with\nhys longe spere and his fearfull sword? Nor saynt\nAntony is nat withowt hys weapenes for he hathe holy\nfyre with hym. Ye the rest of the sayntes haue theyr\nweapones or myschefues, whiche they send apon whome\nthey liste. But as for me thou canst not cast owt,\nexcept thou cast owt my sone, whiche I hold in myne\narmes. I wyll nat be seperat frome hym, other thou\nshalt cast hym owt with me or els thou shalt let vs\nbothe be, except that you wold haue a temple withowt a\nChriste. These be the thynges that I wold || yow shall\nknow ymagyne you therfore what shal be your answer. For\nthis thinge pleasythe me very well. Frome oure stony\nchurche the calendes of Auguste, the yere frome my\nsonnes passyon a M. CCCCC. xiiij. I stony lady\nsubscrybyd thys with myne owne hande. _Me._ Trewly that\nwas a soro and fearfull epistle, I suppose that\nGlaucoplutus wyll beware fr\u00f5 h\u00easforthe. _Ogy._ Ye & if\nhe be wyse. _Me._ Wherfore dyd nat that good saynt\nIames wryte to that man of the same mater. _Ogy._ I can\nnat tell, except it be bycause he is so ferre of, and\nnow a dayes men be moche searchyd for suche maters, &\nin theyr iornaye theyr lettres tak\u00ea frome them. _Me._\nI pray you, what god dyd send you into Engl\u00f5d? _Ogy._\nI saw the wynd maruelouse prosperouse thyderward, and\nI had almoste promysyd this to that blessyd lady of\nWalsyng\u00e3 that I wold seke || her within .ij. yere,\n_Me._ What wold you axe of her. _Ogy._ No new thyngs at\nall, but suche as be comen, as to kepe saffe and sownd\nmy housholde, to encreasse my goodes, and in thys world\nto haue a l\u00f5ge and mery liffe, and wh\u00e3 I dye\neuerlastynge lyffe in another worlde. _Me._ May nat owr\nlady grante the same at home with vs? She hathe at\nAntwarpe a moche more lordly temple th\u00e3 at Walsyngame.\n_Ogy._ I denye nat but it may be so, but in dyuers\nplaces she grantes dyuers thynges, wether it be her\npleasur so to do, or bycause she is so gentle, that as\nc\u00f5cernynge this purpose, she wyll gyue her selfe to our\naffecty\u00f5es. _Me._ I haue harde oft of saynt Iames, but\nI pray you describe to me the kyngdome of Walsyngam.\n_Ogy._ Verely I shall tell you as shortly as I canne.\nYt is the most holy name in all England, and you may\nfynde some in || that yle, that suppose thayr subst\u00e3ce\nshal nat prospayre except they vysyte her with thayr\nofferynge euery yere ones as thay be able to gyue.\n_Me._ Wher dothe she dwell? _Ogy._ At the vttermost\nparte of all England betwyxt the Northe and the Weste,\nnat vary ferre from the see, skarsly iii myles, the\ntowne is almost susteynyd by the resort of pylgrymes.\nThe college is of Can\u00f5es, but thay be suche as hathe\nthayr name of the Laten tonge and be called Seculares,\na kynd betwyxte monkes & Chanones. _Me._ What you tell\nme of *Amphybyanes, [*Amphybyanes be thynges doutfull.]\nsuche as ye m\u00f5stre *Fyber is.[*Fyber is a beste of ye\nsee & ye land.] _Ogy._ No thay be rather suche as the\n*Cocatrice. [*A Cocatrice wil kyll a man with a loke,]\nBut withowt dissimulation, I shall put you owt of this\ndowte in thre wordes. To them that thay hate, thay be\nChanones, and to them that thay loue thay be Monkes\n_Menede._ Yet yowe doo nat open thys redle. _Ogy._ ||\nI shall paynte it before youre eyes, if the bysshope of\nRome doo shot hys thonderbowlt am\u00f5gst all monkes, thay\nwyll than be chanones, & nat monkes, but and if he wold\nsuffre all monkes to take wyues, th\u00e3 wyll they be\nmonkes, _Me._ O new partakeres, I wold to god they wold\ntake away my wyffe. _Ogy._ But to come to our purpose,\nthe college hathe skarsly any other *emolum\u00eates\n[*R\u00eattes.] but of the liberalite of our lady. For the\ngreat offeryngs be kepyd stylle, but if ther be any\nlitle some of monaye offerid that goith to the comens\nof the company, & the mayster whome thay call pryoure.\n_Me._ Be thay of a vertuous lyffe? _Ogy._ Nat to be\ndispraysyd, thay be more vertuous th\u00e3 ryche of thayr\nyerely renttes. The temple ys goodly & goregious, but\noure Lady dwellythe nat in it, but that was purchasyd\nfor the honor of her sone. She hathe her owne temple,\n|| B.|| that she may be of the ryght hand of her sone.\n_Me._ Apon the right h\u00e3d. Whiche way dothe her sonne\nloke than? _Ogy._ It is well remembryd. Whan he lokythe\nto the West, his mother is ap\u00f5 his right hand, but wh\u00e3\nhe turnythe hym to the Este she is apon the lefte hand.\nBut yet she dwellythe nat in that churche, for it is\nnat yet buyldyd all vpe, and the wynde runnythe thorow\neuery parte with open wyndowes & dowres, and also nat\nferre of is the Occiane seye father of all wyndes.\n_Me._ what doo yow tell me wher dothe she dwell th\u00e3?\n_Ogy._ In ye same churche whiche I told you was nat all\nfynyshyd, ther is a lytle chapell seelyd ouer with\nwodde, on ether syde a lytle dore wher ye pylgrymes go\nthorow, ther is lytle light, but of ye taperes, with a\nfragrant smell. _Me._ All these be mete for religyon.\n_Ogy._ Ye Menedemus if you loke within you || wyll say\nthat it is a seate mete for sayntes, all thynges be so\nbright in gold, syluer, and precyous stones. _Me._ You\nalmost moue me to go thyther also. _Ogy._ It shalnat\nrepente you of your iornay. _Me._ Spryngithe ther no\nholy oyle? _Ogy._ I trowe you dote, that spryngythe nat\nbut owt of the sepulchres of sayntes, as saynt Andrew,\n& saynt Kater\u00ea, owr lady was nat beried. _Me._ I gra\u00fbt\nI sayd amysse, but tell on your tale. _Ogy._ So moche\nmore as thay persayue youre deuocy\u00f5, so moche larger\nreliques wyl thay shew to you. _Me._ Ye and peradu\u00eature\nthat thay may haue larger offerynges, as is sayd that,\nmany lytle offerynges makythe a heuy boxe. _Ogygy._ Her\nchaplens be alway at hand. _Me._ Be thay of ye\nChanones? _Ogy._ No, thay be nat permyttyd to be with\nher, lest that peraduenture by occasyon of that\nreligyon, thay shuld be plukkyd || B ij.|| frome thayr\nowne religy\u00f5, and whylst thay kepe that virgyne, thay\nregard very lytle thayr awne virgynyte, alonly in that\ninner chapell whiche is our ladyes preuy ch\u00e3bre, ther\nstandithe a certayne Chan\u00f5 at the autre. _Me._ For what\npurpose? _Ogy._ To receyue and kepe, that whiche is\nofferyd. _Me._ dothe any man gyue ayenst hys wyll.\n_Ogy._ No, but many men hathe suche a gentle\nshamfastnes, that thay wyll gyue some thynge to hym\nthat standythe by, other thay wyll offre more largely,\nwhiche thay wold nat doo perau\u00eature if that he were\nabsent, that standithe there. _Me._ You tell me of\nmannes affectiones, whiche I my selffe prouyd very\nofte. _Ogy._ Ye trewly there be some so gyu\u00ea to our\nblessyd lady, that whan thay apere to put vpe thayr\nhandes to offre, with a pure c\u00f5usyance, thay stayl that\nwhiche other men hathe gyuen. _Me._ Than || lett no man\nbe there, wyll nat oure Lady shote her thonderbowlte at\nsuche. _Ogy._ Wherfor shuld our lady rather doo so,\nthan God hymselffe, whom thay be nat affrayd to pluke\nowt hys robes, & breake ye churche walles therfore.\n_Mene._ I am in a great doubt whether I shuld, rather\nmaruayle apon thayre wykyd boldnes, or Goddys great\ng\u00eatlenes and longe sufferynge. _Ogy._ Ap\u00f5 the Northe\nparte ther is a certayne gaate, but lest that you\nshould make a lye, it is nat of the churche, but of the\npale that compassithe a bowte the churche yarde, and\nthat hathe a lytle wykyt, suche as be in great mennes\ngaates, that who so euer wyll entre, must fyrst putin\nhys legge, nat withowt some ioperdie, and than bowe\ndowne hys hedde. _Me._ It is ioperdie to goo thorow\nsuche a dore, to a mannes enemye. _Ogy._ So it is, the\nsexten dyd tell me that || B iij.|| ther was ones a\nknyght whiche fleeynge hys enemye, than aprochynge, dyd\nride thorow ye wykyte, and than the wretche dispayrynge\nin hym selffe, apon a soden motion, dyd commend\nhymselffe to ye blessyd virgyne, whiche was than at\nhand. But now commythe the myrakle. By and by that\nknyght was all in the churche yarde, and hys aduersary\nwas ragynge at the dore wowte. _Me._ And dyd he tell\nyou so maruylous a myrakle for a trewthe? _Ogy._ No\ndowte. _Me._ But I suppose that he could nat so\nlyghtely doo that to you so a great a philosopher.\n_Ogy._ He dyd shewe to me in that same wykytte in a\nplate of coper, the ymage of the knyght fastenyd with\nnayles and with the same garmentes that the Englishmen\nwere wontyd to wayre at that tyme, as you may see in\nthat olde pictures, whiche wyl nat lye, Barbours had ||\nbut lytle lyuynge at that tyme: and dieres & websteres\ngotte but litle monay. _Me._ Why so? _Ogy._ For he had\na berd like a goote, and his cote had neuer a plyte,\n& it was so litle, that with strayte gyrdynge it mayd\nhys body to apere lesse than it was. Ther was another\nplate, that was in quantyte and fourme like to a\ncheste. _Me._ Well now it is nat to be doubtyd ap\u00f5.\n_Ogy._ Under ye wykyte ther was a grate of yrne, that\nno man c\u00e3 passe theryn but a footem\u00e3, for it is nat\nconuenyent that any horsse shuld tread after apon ye\nplace, whiche the knyght dyd c\u00f5secrate to owr lady.\n_Me._ Nat withowt a good cause. _Ogy._ Frome that parte\ntoward the Este, there is a litle chapell, full of\nmaruayles and thyther I w\u00eate, ther was I receyuyd of\nanother of our ladyes chaplenes, ther we knelyd downe,\nto make our litle prayeres. By & by, he broght forthe\n|| B iiij.|| the ioynte of a mannes fynger, the\ngreatyste of thre, which I kyssyd, & askyd whose\nrelyques thay were, he dyd say that thay were saynt\nPetres. What thapostle sayd I. Ye sayd he. Than I dyd\nbetter beholde the ioynte, whiche for hys greatenes\nmyght well haue be a Gy\u00e3tes ioynte, rather than a\nmannes. Than sayd I, saynt Peter must nedys be a great\nman of stature. But at that word, ther was one of the\ngentlem\u00ea that stode by, that could not forbere\nlawghynge, for the which I was very sory. For if he had\nholden hys pease, we had sene all the relyques, yet we\nmetely well pleasyd mayster Sext\u00ea, with gyuynge hym\n.ij. or .iij. grotes. Before that chapell there was a\nlitle howsse, which he sayd ones in wynter tyme whan\nthat there was litle rowme to couer the reliques, that\nit was sodenly broght & sett in that place. Under that\nhouse || there was a couple of pittes, bothe fulle of\nwater to the brynkys, and thay say that ye sprynge of\nthos pittes is dedicate to our lady, that water is very\ncolde, and medycynable for the hede ake and that\nhartburnynge. _Me._ If that cold water wyll hele the\npaynes in the hede and stomake, than wyll oyle put owte\nfyre from hensforthe. _Ogy._ It is a myrakle that I\ntell, good syr, or els what maruayle shuld it be, that\ncowld water shuld slake thurste? _Me._ This may well be\none parte of your tale. _Ogy._ Thay say that the\nfowntayne dyd sodenly sprynge owte of the erthe at the\ncommaundement of our lady, & I dilygently examenynge\nalthynges, dyd aske hym how many yeres it was sythe\nthat howsse was so sodenly broght thyther. Many yeres\nagone saythe he. Yet, sayde I, the wallys doo nat apere\nso old. He dyd nat denay it. No mor thes woden\n|| B v.|| pyleres. He cowld nat denay but that they\nwere sette there nat longe agoo, and also the mater dyd\nplaynly testyfye ye same. Afterward, sayd I, thys roffe\nwhich is all of rede dothe apere nat to be very olde,\n& he granted also, thes greete bemes which lye\nouerthwerte, and these rafteres that hold vpe that\nhowsse were nat sett longe agone. He affyrmyd my\nsaynge. Well sayd I seynge that no parte of the housse\nis lefte but all is new, how can yow say that this was\nthe house whiche was broght hyther so longe agoo. _Me._\nI pray you how dyd the howskeper, auoyde hymselffe\nfrome your argum\u00eat. _Ogy._ By & by he dyd shew to vs\nthe mater by the skyne of a bayre whiche had hangyd be\nthe rafteres a longe season, and dyd almost moke the\nsymplenes of owre wyttes that could nat perceyue so\nmanyfeste an argum\u00eate we beynge || perswadyd by this\nargument, askid pardon of our ignorance, and callid\ninto our communycacyon the heu\u00ealy mylke of our lady.\n_Me._ O how like to the sone is the mother, for he hath\nleft to vs so moche blood here in erthe, & she so moche\nmylke, that a man wyl skarysly beleue a woman to haue\nso moche mylke of one chylde, in case the chyld shuld\nsukke none at all. _Ogy._ Thay saye the same of the\nholy crosse, whiche is shewyd in so many places bothe\nopenly, and pryuately, that if ye fragmentes were\ngathered apon one heape, they wold apere to be a iuste\nfraghte for a shipe, and yet Christe dyd bere all his\ncrosse hymselffe. _Me._ But do nat you maruayll at\nthis? _Ogy._ It may welbe a str\u00e3ge thynge, but no\nmaruayle, seynge that the lord whiche dothe encreasse\nthis at hys pleasure, is almyghty. _Me._ It is very\ngently expownded, but I am || afrayd, that many of thes\nbe faynyd for lukre. _Ogy._ I suppose that God wold nat\nsuffre hymselffe to be deludyd of suche a fasshion.\n_Mene._ Yis, haue nat you sene that wh\u00e3 bothe the\nmother, the sone, the father, and the holy ghoste hathe\nbe robbyd of thes sacrilegyous theues, that thay\nwoldnat ones moue, or styre nother with bekke or crakke\nwherby thay myght fray away the theues. So great is the\ngentles of God. _Ogy._ So it is, but here out me tale.\nThis mylke is kepyd apon the hye aultre, and in the\nmyddys ther is Christe, with his mother apon hys ryght\nhand, for her honor sake, the mylke dothe represente\nthe mother. _Me._ It may be sene than? _Ogy._ It is\nclosyd in crystalle. _Me._ It is moyste th\u00e3? _Ogy._\nWhat tell you me of moystenes, wh\u00e3 it was mylkyd more\nthan a thowsand and fyue hunthrithe yere agone, it is\nso congelyd, that a m\u00e3 wold || saye that it were chalke\ntemperyd with the whyte of a egge. _Me._ Ye, but do\nthay sette it forthe bare? _Ogy._ No, lest so holy\nmylke shuld be defowlyd with the kyssynge of men. _Me._\nYou say well. For I suppose that ther be many that\nkysse it, whiche be nother clene mouthyd, nor yet be\npure virgynes. _Ogy._ Whan ye sexten sawe vs, he dyd\nrunne to the aultre, & put apon hym his surplese, & his\nstole about his nekke, knelyd downe relygyously, and\nworshipyd it, and streghtforthe dyd offre the mylke to\nvs to kysse. And at the ende of the aultre we knelyd\ndowne deuoutly, & the fyrste of all we salutyd Christe,\n& than after we callyd apon our lady with thys prayer,\nwhiche we had mayd redy for the same purpose. O mother\n& mayde, whiche dyd gyue sukke with thy virgynes teates\nthe lorde of heuen and yerthe, thy sone Iesus Christe,\nwe beynge puryfyed || thorowe hys precyous blode, do\ndesyre that we may attayne, and come to that blessyd\ninfancye of thy colombynes meknes, whiche is immaculate\nwithout malice, frawde, or diseyte, and with all\naffectyon of harte dothe couett and stody for the\nheuenly mylke of the euangelicall doctryne, to go\nforthe and encrease with it into a perfaycte man, into\nthe mesure of the plentefulnes of Christe, of whose\nc\u00f5pany thou haste the fruycyon, togyther with the\nfather, & the holy ghost for euermore, so be it. _Me._\nUerely thys is a holy prayer. But what dyd she?\n_Ogygy._ Thay bothe bekkyd at vs, excepte my eyes\nwaggyd, and me thoght that the mylke daunsyd. In the\nmeanseson the sexten came to vs, withowt any wordes,\nbut he held out a table suche as the Germanes vse to\ngather tolle apon bridges. _Me._ By my trothe I haue\ncursyd veryofte suche || crauynge boxes, whan I dyd\nryde thorowe Germany. _Ogy._ We dyd gyue hym certayne\nmonay whiche he offeryd to our lady. Th\u00e3 I axyd by a\ncertayne yonge man, yt was well learnyd, whiche dyd\nexpownde and tell vs the saynge of ye Sext\u00ea, hys name\n(as fere as I remembre) was Robert alderisse, by what\ntokenes or argum\u00eates he dyd know that it was the mylke\nof owr lady. And that I very fayne, & for a good\npurpose desyred to knowe, that I myght stope the\nmowthes of certayne newfanglyd felowes, that be wotyd\nto haue suche holy relyques in derysyon and mokage.\nFyrst of all the Sexten with a froward cownten\u00e3ce wold\nnat tell, but I desyryd the yong man to moue hym more\ninstantly, but somwhat more gently he so courtesly\nbehauyd hymselffe, that and he had prayd owr lady\nherselffe || after that fashion, she wold nat haue be\ndysplesyd therwith. And th\u00e3 this mystycall chapleyn, as\nand if he had be inspyryd with ye holy ghoste, castynge\nat vs a frounynge loke, as & if he wold haue shote at\nvs ye horryble thonderbolte of the greate curse, what\nnede you (saythe he) to moue suche questyones, whan yow\nsee before your eyes so autentycall & old a table. And\nwe were afrayd lest that he wold haue cast vs out of\nthe churche for heretykes, but that oure monay dyd\ntempte hys greate furye. _Mene._ What dyd you in the\nmeaneseason? _Ogygyus._ What suppose you? We were\namasyd as and if a man had stryke vs with a clube, or\nwe had be slayne with a thonderclape, and we very lowly\naxid pardon of oure folishe boldenes, and gote vs frome\nthens. For so must we entreate holy thynges. || Frome\nthens we went in to ye howse where owre lady dwellithe,\nand whan we came there, we sawe another Sexten whiche\nwas but a noues, he lokyd famylarly as and if he had\nknow\u00ea vs, and wh\u00e3 we came a litle further in, we sawe\nanother, that lokyd moch after suche a fashion, at the\nlast came the thyrd. _Me._ Perauenture thay desyryd to\ndescrybe you. _Ogy._ But I suspecte another mater.\n_Mene._ What was it? _Ogygy._ There was a certayne\ntheffe that had stole almost all owr ladyes frontlet,\nand I supposyd that they had me in suspycyon thereof.\nAnd therfore whan I was within the chapell I mayd my\nprayers to our lady after thys fashi\u00f5. Oh cheffe of all\nwomen Mary the mayd, most happy mother, moste pure\nvirgyne, we vnclene, and synners, doo vysyte the pure &\nholy, and after our abylytye we haue offeryd vnto the,\nwe pray thy that thy || C.|| sone may grante this to\nvs, that we may folow thy holy lyffe, and that we may\ndeserue thorow the grace of the holy ghoste,\nspirytually to c\u00f5ceyue the lord Iesus Christ, & after\nthat conceptyon neuer to be separat from hym, Amen.\nThis done I kyssyd the aultre, and layd downe certayne\ngrotes for myne offerynge and went my waye. _Me._ What\ndyde our lady now, dyd nat she make one sygne, that you\nmyght know that she had hard youre prayeres. _Ogy._ The\nlyght (as I told you before) was but litle, and she\nstode at the ryght ende of the aultre in the derke\ncorner, at the last the communicaty\u00f5 of the fyrst\nSexten had so discoregyd me, that I durst not ones loke\nvpe with myne eyes. _Me._ This pylgremage came but to\nsmale effecte. _Ogy.._ Yes, it had a very good & mery\nende. _Me._ You haue causyd me to take harte of grasse,\nfor (as Homere || saythe) my harte was almost in my\nhose. _Ogy._ Whan dynar was done, we returnyd to ye\ntemple. _Me._ Durste you goo & be susspecte of felonye?\n_Ogy._ Perauenture so, but I had nat my selffe in\nsuspici\u00f5, a gyltles mynde puttythe away feare. I was\nvery desyrous to see that table whiche the holy Sexten\ndyd open to vs. At the last we fownde it, but it was\nh\u00e3gyd so hye that very fewe could rede it. My eyes be\nof that fashion, that I can nother be callyd *Linceus,\n[*Linceus ys a beaste so quike eyed that it wyll see\nthorow any wall] nother purre blynd. And therefore I\ninstantly desyryd Alldryge to rede it, whose redynge I\nfolowyd with myne owne eyes, because I wold skarsly\ntruste hym in suche a mater. _Me._ Well, now all\ndoubtes be discussyd. _Ogy._ I was ashamyd that I\ndoubtyd so moche, ye mater was so playne set forthe\nbefore oure eyes, bothe the name, the place, the thynge\nit selffe as it was || C ij.|| done, to be breffe,\nthere was nothynge lefte owte. There was a mane whos\nname was Wylyam whiche was borne in Parise, a man very\ndeuoute in many thyngs but pryncypally excedynge\nrelygyous in searchynge for the relyques of all sayntes\nthorowowt all the world. He after that he had vysytyd\nmany places, contrayes, and regyones, at the laste\ncame to C\u00f5stantynenople. For Wylhelmes brother was\nthere byshope, whiche dyd make hym pry to a certayne\nmayde, whiche had professyd chastyte, that hadde parte\nof oure ladyes mylke, which were an excedynge precyous\nrelyque, if that other with prayer, or monaye, or by\nany crafte it myghte be gotte. For all the reliques\nthat he hadde gotte before were but tryfles to so holy\nmylke. Wyllyam wold not rest there tyll that he had\ngotte halffe of that holy mylke, but whan he had ||\nit, he thoghte that he was richer than Croeseus. _Me._\nWhy nat, but was it nat withowt any goodhope? _Ogy._ He\nwent th\u00e3 streght home, but in hys iornay he fell seke.\n_Me._ Iesu there is nothynge in thys worlde that is\nother permanent, or alwayes in good state. _Ogy._ But\nwhan he sawe & perceyuyd that he was in greate ioperdye\nof his lyffe, he callyd to him a frenchman, whiche was\na very trusty companyon to hym in hys iornay. And\ncommaundyd all to auoyd the place, and make sylence, &\npryuyly dyd betake to hym thys mylke, apon this\ncondycy\u00f5, that if it ch\u00e3cyd to come home saffe & sownde\nhe wuld offre that precyous tresure to our ladyes\naultre in Paryse, whiche standythe in the myddys of the\nryuere Sequana, whiche dothe apere to separat hymselffe\nto honor and obaye our blessyd lady. But to make short\ntale. Wylyam is deade, & || C iij.|| buryed, the\nFrenchman mayd hym redy to departe apon hys iornay,\n& sod\u00ealy fell seke also. And he in great dyspayre of\namendynge, dyd commyth ye mylke to an Englishm\u00e3, but\nnat withowt great instance, and moche prayer he dyd\nthat whiche he was mouyd to doo. Than dyed he. And ye\nother dyd take the mylke, and put it apon an aultre of\nye same place the Chanones beynge present, whiche were\nyt as we call Regulares. Thay be yet in the abbaye of\nsaynt Genofeffe. But ye Englishm\u00e3 obtaynyd the halffe\nof that mylke, & caryed it to Walsyng\u00e3 in England, the\nholy ghost put suche in hys mynde. _Me._ By my trothe\nthis is a godly tale. _Ogy._ But lest there shuld be\nany doubte of this mater, ye Byshopes whiche dyd grante\npardon to it thayre names be wryten there, as thay came\nto vysyte it, nat withowt thayre offerynges, and thay\nhaue || gyuen to it remyssyon, as moche as thay had to\ngyue by thayre authorite. _Me._ How moche is that?\n_Ogy._ Fowrty dayes. _Mene._ Yee is there dayes in\nhell. _Ogy._ Trewly ther is tyme. Ye but whan thay haue\ngr\u00e3tyd all thayre stynte, thay haue no more to grante.\n_Ogy._ That is nat so for whan one parte is gone\nanother dothe encrease, and it chansythe dyuersly euyn\nas the tonne of Canaidus. For that althoghe it be\nincontynently fyllyd, yet it is alway emptye: and if\nthou be takynge owt of it, yet there is neuer the lesse\nin the barell. _Me._ If thay gr\u00e3te to an hunderithe\nthowsand m\u00ea fowrty dayes of pardone, wuld euery man\nhaue elyke? _Ogy._ No doubte of that. _Me._ And if any\nhaue forty byfore dynar, may he axe other forty at\nafter souper, is there any thynge left than to gyue\nhim? _Ogy._ Ye, & if thou aske it ten tymes in one\nhowre. _Me._ I wold || C iiij.|| to God that I had\nsuche a pardon bagge, I wold aske but .iij. grotes, and\nif thay wold flowe so faste. _Ogy._ Ye but you desyre\nto be to ryche, if that you myght for wyshynge, but I\nwyl turne to my tale, but there was some good holy man\nwhiche dyd gyue this argumente of holynes to that\nmylke, and sayd that our Ladyes mylke whiche is in many\nother places, is precyous & to be worshipyd but thys is\nmoche more precyous, & to be honoryd, bycause the other\nwas shauen of stones, but this is the same that came\nout of the virgynes brest. _Me._ How kno you that?\n_Ogy._ The mayd of C\u00f5stantynople, which dyd gyue it,\ndyd saye so. _Me._ Perauenture saynt Barnard dyd gyue\nit to her. _Ogy._ So I suppose. For wh\u00e3 he was an old\nman, yet he was so happy that he sukkyd of ye same\nmylke, that Iesus hymselffe sukkyd apon. _Me._ But I\nmaruayle why he was || rather callyd a hony sukker than\na mylke sukker. But how is it callyd oure ladyes mylke\nthat came neuer owt of her breste? _Ogy._ Yes it came\nowt at her breste, but perauenture it light apon the\nstone that he whiche sukkyd knelyd apon, and ther was\nreceyuyd, and so is encreasyd, & by ye wyll of god is\nso multyplyed. _Me._ It is wel sayd. _Ogy._ Whan we had\nsene all thys, whyle that we were walkynge vpe & downe,\nif that any thynge of valure were offeryd, so that\nanybody were present to see thaym ye Sextens mayd great\nhaste for feare of crafty c\u00f5uay\u00eace, lokynge ap\u00f5 thaym\nas thay wold eate thaym. Thay poynte at hym with there\nfynger, thay runne, thay goo, thay come, thay bekke one\nto an other, as tho thay wold speake to thaym that\nstand by if thay durste haue be bold. _Mene._ Were you\nafrayd of nothynge there? _Ogy._ Yis I dyd loke\n|| C v.|| ap\u00f5 hym, lawghynge as who shold saye I wold\nmoue him to speake to me, at laste he cam to me, and\naxid me what was my name, I told him. He axid me if yt\nwere nat I that dyd hange vpe there a table of my vowe\nwriten in Hebrew, within .ij. yere before. I confessid\nthat it was ye same. _Me._ C\u00e3 you wryte hebrewe?\n_Ogygy._ No but all that thay c\u00e3nat vnderstond, thay\nsuppose to be Hebrewe. And than (I suppose he was send\nfor) came the posterior pryor. _Me._ What name of\nworshipe is that? Haue thay nat an abbate? _Ogy._ No\n_Me._ Why so? _Ogy._ For thay cannat speake Hebrew.\n_Me._ Haue thay nat a Bishope? _Ogy._ No. _Me._ What is\nye cause? _Ogy._ For oure lady is nat as yet so ryche,\nthat she is able to bye a crosse, & a mytre, whiche be\nso deare, _Me._ Yet at least haue thay nat a\npresedente? _Ogy._ No veryly. What lettythe thaym?\n_Ogy._ That is a name || of dygnyte and nat of relygy\u00f5.\nAnd also for that cause suche abbayes of Chanones, doo\nnat receyue the name of an abbate, thay doo call thaym\nmaysters? _Me._ Ye, but I neuer hard tell of pryor\nposterior before. _Ogy._ Dyd you neuer learne youre\ngr\u00e3mere before. _Me._ Yis I know prior posterior am\u00f5gst\nthe fygures. _Ogy._ That same is it. It is he that is\nnexte to the prioure, for there priour is posterior.\n_Me._ You speake apon the supprioure. _Ogy._ That same\ndyd entertayne me very gently, he told me what greate\nlabure had be abowt ye readynge of thos verses, & how\nmany dyd rubbe thayr spectakles abowt thaym. As oft as\nany old ancyent doctor other of deuynyte or of the\nlawe, resorted thyder, by and by he was broght to that\ntable, some sayd that thay were lettres of Arabia, some\nsayd thay were faynyd lettres. Well || at the last came\none that redde the tytle, it was wryten in laten with\ngreate Romayne lettres, ye Greke was wryten with\ncapytale lettres of Greke, whiche at the fyrst syght do\napere to be capytale lat\u00ea lettres, at thayr desyer I\ndyd expownde ye verses in laten, tr\u00e3slatynge thaym word\nfor word. But wh\u00e3 thay wold haue gyuyn me for my\nlabour, I refusyd it, seynge that ther was nothynge so\nhard that I wold not doo for our blessyd ladyes sake,\nye thogh she wold comma\u00fbd me to bere this table to\nHierusal\u00ea. _Me._ What nede you to be her caryoure,\nseynge that she hathe so many angelles bothe at her\nhedde and at her fette. _Ogy._ Than he pullid owt of\nhys purse a pece of wodde, that was cutt owte of the\nblokke that our ladye lenyd apon. I perceyuyd by and by\nthorow the smell of it, that it was a holy thynge. Than\nwhan I sawe so || greate a relyque, putt of my cappe,\nand fel down flatte, & very deuoutly kyssyd it .iij. or\n.iiii tymes, poppyd it in my pursse. _Me._ I pray you\nmay a man see it? _Ogy._ I gyue you good leue. But if\nyou be nat fastynge, or if you accompanyed with yowre\nwyffe the nyght before, I conceyle you nat to loke apon\nit. _Me._ O blessed arte thou that euer thou gotte this\nrelyque. _Ogy._ I may tell you in cowncell, I wold nat\ngyue thys litle pece for all ye gold that Tagus hathe,\nI wyll sett it in gold, but so that it shall apere\nthorow a crystall stone. And than the Supprioure wh\u00e3 he\nsawe that I dyd take the relyque so honorably, he\nthoght it shuld nat be lost, in case he shuld shew me\ngreater mysteries, he dyd aske me whether I hadde euer\nsene our ladyes secretes, but at that word I was\nastonyed, yet I durst nat be so so bold as to demande\nwhat thos || secretes were. For in so holy thynges to\nspeake a mysse is no small danger. I sayd that I dyd\nneuer se thaym but I sayd that I wold be very glade to\nsee thaym. But now I was broght in, and as I had be\ninspired with the holy ghost, than thay lyghted a\ncouple of taperes, & set forthe a litle ymage, nat\ncouryously wroght, nor yet very gorgeous, but of a\nmeruelous virtue. _Me._ That litle body hathe smale\npowre to worke myrakles. I saw saynt Christopher at\nParise, nat a carte lode, but as moche as a greate\nhylle, yet he neuer dyd myrakles as farre as euer I\nherd telle. _Ogy._ At our ladyes fette there is a\nprecyous stone, whos name as it is nother in Greke nor\nLaten. The Frenchem\u00e3 gaue it the name of a tode,\nbycause it is so like, that no man (althoghe he be\nconynge) can set it forthe more lyuely. But so moche\ngreater is || the myrakle, that the stone is litle, the\nfourme of the tode dothe nat apere, but it shynythe as\nit were enclosyd within that precyous stone. _Me._\nPerauenture they ymagyne ye symylytude of a tode to\nbe there, euyn as we suppose whan we cutte ye fearne\nstalke there to be an egle, and euyn as chyldren\n(whiche they see nat indede) in ye clowdes, thynke they\nsee dragones spyttynge fyre, & hylles flammynge with\nfyre, & armyd m\u00ea encownterynge. _Ogy._ No, I wold you\nshuld know it, there is no lyuynge tode that more\neuyd\u00eatly dothe expresse hymselffe than it dyd there\nplaynly apere. _Me._ Hetherto I haue sufferyd thy lyes,\nbut now get the another that wyll beleue the, thy tale\nof a tode. _Ogy._ No maruayle Menedemus thogh you be so\ndisposyd, for all the world cannot make me to beleue\nyt, not & all doctoures of dyuynyte wold swere || it\nwere trewe. But that I sawe it with myne eyes, ye with\nthes same eyes, dyd I proue it. But in ye meanseson me\nthynke you regard naturall phylosophye but litle. _Me._\nwhy so, because I wyll nat beleue ye asses flye? _Ogy._\nAn do you nat se, how nature the worker of all thynges,\ndothe so excell in expressynge ye fourme bewty, &\ncoloure of thaym maruylously in other thynges, but\npryncypaly in precyous stones? moreouer she hathe gyuen\nto ye same stones wonderouse vertu and str\u00eakthe that is\nalmost incredyble, but that experience dothe otherwyse\ntestyfye. Tell me, do you beleue that a Adamand stone\nwold drawe vnto him stele withowt any towchynge therof,\nand also to be separate frome him ayen of hys owne\naccorde, excepte that yow had sene it with yowre eyes.\n_Me._ No verely, nat and if .x. Arystoteles wold\nperswade me || to the contrarye. _Ogy._ Therfore\nbycause you shuld nat say thys were a lye, in case you\nhere any thynge, whiche you haue not sene prouyd. In a\nstone callyd Ceraunia we see ye fashon of lightnynge,\nin the stone Pyropo wyldfyre, Chelazia dothe expresse\nbothe the coldnes and the fourme of hayle, and thoghe\nthou cast in to the hote fyre, an Emrode, wyll\nexpresse the clere water of the seye. Carcinas dothe\ncounterfayte ye shape of a crabfishe. Echites of the\nserpente vyper. But to what purpose shuld I entreat, or\ninuestygate the nature of suche thynges whiche be\ninnumerable, wh\u00e3 there is no parte of nature nor in the\nelementes, nother in any lyuynge creature, other in\nplanetes, or herbes ye nature euyn as it were all of\npleasure hathe not expressyd in precyous stones? Doo\nyow maruayle th\u00e3 that in thys stone at owre ladies\nfote, || D.|| is the fourme and fashon of a tode. _Me._\nI maruayle that nature shuld haue so moche lesure, so\nto counterfayt the nature of althynges. _Ogy._ It was\nbut to exercyse, or occupye the curyosytye of mannes\nwytte, and so at the lest wyse to kepe vs frome\nydlenes, and yet as thoghe we had nothynge to passe ye\ntyme with all, we be in a maner made apon foles, apon\ndyesse, and crafty iogeleres. _Me._ You saye very\ntruthe. _Ogy._ There be many men of no smale grauytye,\nthat wyll say thys kynd of stones, if that you put it\nin vynagre, it wyll swyme, thoge you wold thruste it\ndowne with violence. _Me._ Wherfore do thay sette a\ntode byfore our lady? _Ogy._ Bycause she hathe\nouercome, trode vnderfote, abolyshyd all maner of\nvnclennes, poys\u00f5, pryde, couytousnes, and all wordly\naffectyones that raygne in man. _Me._ Woo be to vs,\nthat hathe so many todes in owre hartes. || _Ogygy._\nWe shal be purgyd frome thaym all, if we dylyg\u00eatly\nworshipe owre lady. _Me._ How wold she be worshipyd.\n_Ogy._ The most acceptable honor, that thou canste doo\nto her is to folowe her lyuynge. _Me._ You haue told\nall at ones. But this is hard to brynge to pass. _Ogy._\nYou saye truthe, but it is an excellente thynge. _Me._\nBut go to, and tell on as you begane. _Ogy._ After thys\nto come to owre purpose, the Supprioure shewyed to me\nymages of gold and syluer, and sayd, thes be pure gold,\nand thes be syluer and gyltyd, he told the pryce of\neuery one of thaym, and the patrone. Whan I wonderyd,\nreioycynge of so maruelous ryches, as was abowt our\nlady, than saythe the Sext\u00ea bycause I percayue, that\nyou be so vertuously affecte, I suppose it greate\nwronge, to hyde any thynge frome you, but now you shall\nsee the pryuytyes || D ij.|| of our lady, and than he\npullyd owt of the aultre a whole world of maruayles, if\nI shuld tell you of all, a whole daye wold nat suffyse,\n& so thys pylgremage chansyd to me most happy. I was\nfyllyd euyn full withe goodly syghts, and I brynge also\nwith me this wonderous relyque, whiche was a tok\u00ea gyuen\nto me fr\u00f5e our lady. _Me._ Haue you nat it prouyd, what\nvalewre your woden relyque is on? _Ogy._ Yis, that I\nhaue, in a certayne Inne within thys thre dayes, ther I\nfownde a certayne man that was bestraght of hys wytte,\nwhiche shuld haue be bownde, but thys woden relyque was\nput vnder hys nekke pryuyly, wherapon he gad a sadde\nand sownd sleape, but in the mornynge he was hole and\nsownde as euer he was before. _Me._ It was nat the\nphrenysy, but the dronk\u00ea dropsye, sleape ys wontyd to\nbe a good medicyne for ye dysease. || _Ogy._ Wh\u00e3 you be\ndysposyd to skoffe Menedemus, yt ys best that you gette\na nother maner of gestynge stokke than thys, for I tell\nyou it is nother good nor holsome, to bowrde so with\nsayntes. For thys same m\u00e3 dyd say, that a woman dyd\napere to hym, in hys sleape, after a maruelouse\nfashion, which shold gyue hym a cuppe to drynke apon.\n_Mene._ I suppose it was *Ellebor\u00fb. [*Elleborum wyll\nrestore a man to hys senses that hathe lost th\u00ea.]\n_Ogy._ That is vncertayne, but I kno well ye m\u00e3 was\nwell broght into hys mynde ayen. _Me._ Dyd you other\ncome or goo by Sante Thomas of Cantorbury that good\narchebishope. _Ogy._ What els/there ys no pylgremage\nmore holy. _Me._ I wold fayne here of yt, and I shold\nnat trouble you. _Ogy._ I pray you here, & take good\nhedd. Kente ys callyd that parte of England, that\nbuttythe apon Fra\u00fbce and Flanders, the cheffe cytye\nthere of ys Cantorburye, in yt there be ij. || D iij.||\nAbbayes, bothe of thaym be of Saynte Benedycts ordre,\nbut that which ys callyd Saynte Augustyns dothe apere\nto be the oldre, that whiche ys callyd now Saynte\nThomas dothe apere to haue be the Archebyshope of\nCantorburys see, where as he was wontyd to lyue with a\nsorte of monkes electe for hymselffe, as Byshopes now\nadayes be wontyd to haue thayr howses nye vnto the\nchurche, but aparte frome other canons howses. In tymes\npaste bothe Byshopes & Chanones were wontyde to be\nmonkes, as may be playnly prouyd by many argumentes.\nThe churche which ys dedycate to Saynte Thomas, dothe\nstreche vpe apon heght so gorgeously, that it wyll moue\npylgrymes to deuocion a ferre of, and also withe hys\nbryghtnes and shynynge he dothe lyght hys neybures,\n& the old place whiche was wontyd to be most holy, ||\nnow in respecte of it, is but a darke hole and a lytle\ncotage. There be a couple of great hye toures, which\ndoo seme to salute strangeres aferre of, and thay dow\nfyll all the contray abowt bothe farre and nere, with\nthe sownde of great belles, in the fronte of the\ntemple, whiche is ap\u00f5 the southe syde, there stand\ngrauen in a stone thre armyd men, whiche with thayr\ncruell handes dyd sleye the most holy saynte Thomas,\nand there is wryten thayr surnames Tracy, Breton, and\nBeryston. _Me._ I pray you wharfore doo thay suffer\nthos wykyd knyghtes be so had in honoure. _Ogy._ Euyn\nsuche honor is gyuen to thaym as was gyu\u00ea to Iudas,\nPylate, and Caiphas, & to the compauy of the wykyd\nsowdyeres, as you may se payntyd in the tables that be\nsett before aultres. Thayr surnames be putto lest any\nman hereafter shuld vsurpe any || D iiij.|| cause of\nthayr prayse. Thay be payntyd byfore mennes eyes,\nbycause that no cowrtyer after thys shuld laye viol\u00eat\nhandes other ap\u00f5 Byshopes, or the churche goodes. For\nthes thre of this garde strayght apon that wykyd acte,\nwente starke madde, nor thay had neuer had thayr mynde\nayen, but that thay prayd to blessyd saynt Thomas.\n_Me._ O blessyd pacyence of suche martyres. _Ogy._ At\nour entre in, lord what a pryncely place dyd apere vnto\nvs, where as euery m\u00e3 that wyll may goo in. _Me._ Is\nthere no maruayle to be sene. _Ogy._ Nothynge but the\ngreate wydnes of the place, and a sorte of bokes,\nthat be bownde to pyleres wherein is the gospell of\nNicodemus, and I cannat tell whos sepulkre. _Me._ What\nthan? _Ogy._ Thay do so dylyg\u00eatle watche lest any m\u00e3\nshulde entre in to the quere of yron, that thay wyll\nskarsly suffre a man || to loke apon it, whiche is\nbetwyxte the greate churche & the hye quere (as thay\ncalle it) a man that wyll go thyther must clyme vp many\nstayres byfore, vndre the whiche there is a certayne\nwykyt with a barre that openythe the dore apon the\nnorthe syde. There standythe forthe a certayne aultre\nwhiche is dedycate to our lady, it is but a lytle one,\nand I suppose set there for no other purpose, but to be\na olde monum\u00eat or sygne, that in thos dayes there was\nno greate superfluyte. There thay saye that thys\nblessyd martyr sayd his last good nyght to our lady,\nwh\u00e3 he shuld departe hensse. In ye aultre is the poynte\nof the sword that styryd abowt the braynes of thys\nblessyd martyr. And there lye his braynes shed apon the\nyerthe, whereby you may well knowe yt he was nere\ndeade. But the holly ruste of thys grat I deuoutly\nkyssed for loue of ye || D v.|| blessyd martyr. From\nthens we w\u00eat vndre the crowdes, whiche is nat withowt\nhys chaplaynes, & there we sawe the brayne panne of\nthat holy martyr whiche was thraste quyte thorow, all\nthe other was coueryd with syluer, the ouerparte of the\nbrayne panne was bare to be kyssyd, and there with all\nis seth forthe a certayn leden table hauynge grauyd in\nhym a tytle of saynte Thomas of Acrese. There hange\nalso the sherte of heyre, & hys gyrdle with hys heren\nbreches where with that noble champy\u00f5 chastnyd hys\nbody, thay be horryble to loke apon, and greatly\nreproue oure delycate gorgeousnes. _Me._ Ye perau\u00eature\nso thay do the m\u00f5kes slotefulnes. _Ogy._ As for that\nmater I c\u00e3nat affyrme nor yet denye, nor yet it is no\npoynte of my charge. _Me._ Ye saye truthe. _Ogy._ Frome\nthens we returnyd in to the quere, & apon || ye northe\nsyde be ye relyques shewyd, a wonderouse thynge to se,\nwhat a sort of bones be broght forthe, skulles, iawes,\nthethe, handes, fyngres, hole armes, wh\u00e3 we had\nworshipyd thaym all, we kyssyd thaym, that I thoght we\nshuld neuer haue mayd an ende, but that my pylgremage\nfelow whiche was an vnmete companyon for suche a\nbusynes, prayd thaym to make an end of sethynge forthe\nthayre relyques. _Me._ What felowe was that? _Ogy._\nHe was an Englyshma callyd Gratiane colte a man bothe\nvertuouse and well learnyd, but he had lesse affectyon\ntoward pylgremages than I wold that he shuld haue.\n_Me._ One of Wyclyffes scoleres I warrante you? _Ogy._\nI thynke nat, althoghe he had redde hys bokes, how he\ncame by thaym I cannat tell. _Me._ He dysplesyd mayster\nSext\u00ea greuosly. _Ogy._ Th\u00e3 was there broght forthe ||\nan arme whiche had yet the redde fleshe apon it, he\nabhorryd to kysse it, a man myght se by hys countenance\nthat he was nothynge well pleasyd, & than by and by\nmayster Sexten put vp hys relyques. But than we lokyd\nap\u00f5 the table whiche was ap\u00f5 the aultre, and all hys\ngorgeousnes, aftrewarde thos thyngs that were hydde\nvnder the aultre. ther was nothynge but riches\nexcedynge, a man wold accompte both Midas and Cresus\nbeggers in respecte of thos riches that ther was sett\nabrode. _Me._ Was ther no more kyssynge th\u00ea? _Ogy._ No,\nbut an other affection and desyre came ap\u00f5 me. _Me._\nWhat was that? _Ogy._ I syghed that I had no suche\nrelyques at home. _Me._ Oh a wycked desyre & an euyl\nthought _Ogy._ I graunt, and therefore I axyd,\nforgyfnes of saynt Thomas before I remouyd one fote, to\ndeparte out of the church. After || thes thus we were\nbrought in to ye reuestry, o good lorde what a goodly\nsyght was ther of vestm\u00eates of veluet & clothe of\ngolde, what a some of candlestykes of gold? We sawe\nther saynt Thomas crosse staffe, ther was se\u00ea also a\nrede ouerlayed with syluer, it was but of a smalle\nwyght, vnwrought, nor no longer then wold retch vnto a\nmans mydgle. _Me._ Was ther no crosse? _Ogy._ I sawe\nnone at all, ther was shewed vs a robe of sylke treuly,\nbut sowed with cowrse threde, garnysshyd with nother\ngold nor stone. Ther was also a napkyn full of swette\nblody, wher with saynt Thomas wypyd bothe hys nose and\nhys face, these thynges as monum\u00eates of auncyent\nsobernes we kyssed gladely. _Me._ Be not these thynges\nshowed to euery body? _Ogy._ No for sothe good syr.\n_Me._ How happened it that you were in so good\ncredens, that no || secret thynges were hyd frome you?\n_Ogy._ I was well acquyntede with the reuerende father\nGwylyame warham the archbyshope. He wrote .ij. or .iij.\nwordes in my fauour. _Me._ I here of many that he is a\nm\u00e3 of syngler humanite. _Ogy._ But rather thou woldest\ncall hym humanite it selfe if thou dydest well know\nhym. For ther is in hym soche lernynge, so vertuouse\nlyffe, soche purenes of maneres, that a m\u00e3 cowld wyshe\nno gyfte of a parfayte Byshope in him, that he hathe\nnat. Frome thens afterward we were ladde to greater\nthynges. For behynde the hyghe aultre, we asc\u00eadyd as it\nwere in to a nother new churche, ther was shewed vs in\na chapell the face of the blessed man ouergylted and\nwith many precyous stones goodly garnysshed. A soden\nchaunse here had almost marred the matter and put vs\nout of conceyte. _Me._ I tary || to knowe what euyl\nchaunse yow wyll speke of. _Ogy._ Here my company\u00f5\nGrati\u00e3 gote hym lytle fauoure, for he, after we had mad\nan ende of praynge, inquyred of hym that sate by the\nhede, herke, he seyd, good father, is it true that I\nhere, that saynt Thomas whyl he it lyued was mercyfull\ntoward ye poer people? That is very true saythe he, and\nhe beg\u00e3 to tell greatly of his liberalyte and\ncompassyon that he shewede to the poer and nedy. Then\nsayd Grati\u00e3: I thynke that affection and good mynd in\nhim not to be chaungyde, but that it is now moche\nbetter. Unto this graunted ye keper of the hede, agayn\nsayd he, then in as moche as thys holy man was so\ngratyouse vnto ye poer, whan he was yet poer, & he hym\nselfe had nede of monay for ye necessarys of hys body,\nthynke ye nat that he wold be cont\u00eat, now that he is so\nryche, and also nedethe || nothynge, that if a poer\nwom\u00e3 hauynge at home chylderne lakynge mete and drynke,\nor els doughters beynge in danger to lose ther\nvirginite, for defaute of ther substaunce to mary them\nwith, or hauynge her husbande sore syke, and destitute\nof all helpe, in case she askyd lycens, & pryuyly stole\naway a small porcyon of so greate riches, to sukkre her\nhowshold, as and if the shold haue it of one that wold\nother leane, or gyue it to herre? And whan he wold nat\nanswere that kepyd the golden hedde, Gracyane, as he is\nsom what hasty, I, saythe he, doo suppose playnly, that\nthis holy man wold be gladde, yf that she, now beynge\ndeade, myght sustayne the necestiye of pore people. But\nthere mayster parson begone to frowne, & byte hys\nlyppe, with hys holowe eyes lyke to *Gorgone [*A m\u00f5ster\nthat hathe snakes for heares apon her hedde.] ye\nmonstre to luke ap\u00f5 vs. I doo not dowbte he wold haue\n|| cast vs out of the temple, and spytte ap\u00f5 vs,\nbut that he dyd knowe that we were comendyd of the\narchebsyhope. But I dyd somwhat myttygate the manes\nire, with my fayre wordes, saynge that Gratiane dyd nat\nspeake as he thoghte, but that he gestyd as he was\nwontyd to doo, and stoppyd hys mouthe with a fewe pens.\n_Mene._ Treuly I do greatly alow your goodly fashion,\nbut oftentymes ernestly I c\u00f5syder, by what meaynes they\nmay be ac\u00f5pted without faute & blame, that bestow so\nmoche substance in buyldyng churchys, in garnysshynge,\nand enrychynge them without all mesure. I thynke as\ntouchyng the holy vestmentes, & the syluer plate of the\ntemple ther ought to be gyuyn, to the solempne seruys,\nhys dygnyte and comlynes, I wyll also that the buyldyng\nof the churche shall haue hys maiesty decent and\n|| E.|| conuenyent. But to what purpose seruyth so many\nholy water pottes, so many c\u00e3dlestyckes, so many ymages\nof gold. What nede there so many payre of organes (as\nthay call them) so costely & chargeable? For one payre\ncan not serue vs: what profyteth ye musicall criynge\nout in the temples that is so derely bought and payed\nfor, whan in the meaneseson our brothers and systers\nthe lyuely temples of Christe liynge by the walles/dye\nfor hungre & colde. _Ogy._ Ther is no vertuouse or wyse\nman, that wold nat desyre a meane to be hadde in thes\nthynges. But in as moche as thys euyl is growen and\nspronge vp of superstityon beyond mesure, yet may it\nbetter be sufferde, specially when we consyder on the\nother syde the euyll conscience and behauyor of them\nthat robb the churches of what so euer iuellys ther may\nbe so founde, thes || ryches were gyuen in a maner\ngreat men, & of pryncys, the whiche they wold haue\nbestowede vpon a worse vse, that is to say other at the\ndyce or in the warres. And if a man take any thynge\nfrom thense. Fyrst of all it is taken sacrylege, then\nthey hold ther handes that were accustomed to gyfe,\nbesyde that morouer they be allured & mouyde to\nrobbynge & vaynynge. Therfore thes mene be rather the\nkepers of thys treasures th\u00ea lordes. And to speake a\nworde for all, me thynket it is a better syght to\nbeholde a temple rychely adourned, as ther be some with\nbare wolles, fylthy and euyl fauorde, more mete for\nstables to put horses then churches for Chrysten\npeople. _Me._ Yet we rede that Byshopes in tymes paste\nwere praysede and c\u00f5mended bycause they solde the holy\nvesseles of theyr churches, and with that money helped\nand releued the || E ij.|| nedy and poure people.\n_Ogy._ Thay be praysede also now in our tyme, but thay\nbe praysed onely, to folow ther doynge (I suppose) thay\nmay not, nor be any thynge dysposede. _Me._ I\ninterrupte and lett yowr c\u00f5munycatyon. I loke now for\nthe c\u00f5clusyon of ye tale. _Ogy._ Gyffe audyence, I wyll\nmake an ende shortly. In the meane seson comyth forthe\nhe that is the cheffe of them all. _Me._ Who is he? the\nabbot of the place? _Ogy._ He werythe a mytre, he may\nspend so moche as an abbot, he w\u00e3ted nothynge but ye\nname, and he is called prior for this cause\ntharchebyshope is tak\u00ea in the abbotes sted. For in old\ntyme who so euer was archbyshope of ye dyocese, the\nsame was also a monke. _Me._ In good faythe I wold be\ncontent to be namyde a Camelle, if I myght spende\nyerely the rentes and reuennes of an abbot. _Ogy._ Me\nsemede he was a || man bothe vertuous and wyse, and not\nvnlearnede Duns diuinite. He opened the shryne to vs in\nwhiche ye holle body of the holy m\u00e3, thay say, dothe\nrest and remayne. _Me._ Dydste thou see hys bones.\n_Ogy._ That is not conuenient, nor we cowld not come to\nit, except we sett vp laders, but a shryne of wod\ncouerede a shryne of gold, when that is drawne vp with\ncordes, th\u00e3 apperith treasure and riches inestimable.\n_Me._ What do I here? the vilest part and worst was\ngolde, all thynges dyd shyne, florishe, and as it were\nwith lyghtnynge appered with precyouse stones and those\nmany and of great multitude: some were greater than a\ngowse egge. Dyuerse of ye monks stode ther aboute with\ngreate reuerence, the couer takyn a way, all we kneled\ndowne and worshyped. The pryor with a whyte rodde\nshowed vs euery stone, addynge therto the || E iij.||\nfrenche name, the value, & the autor of the gyfte, for\nthe cheffe stonys were sent thyther by great prynces.\n_Me._ He ought to be a man of an excedyng witt &\nmemory. _Ogy._ You gesse well, how beit exercyse & vse\nhelpeth moche, for euyn the same he dothe oftentymes.\nHe brought vs agayne in to the crowdes. Our lady hathe\nther an habitacyon, but somwhat darke, closed rownde\naboute with double yren grats. _Me._ What feared she?\n_Ogy._ Nothinge I trow, except theues. For I saw neuer\nany thing more laden with riches synse I was borne of\nmy mother. _Me._ You show vnto me blinde ryches.\n_Ogy._ Wh\u00ea they brought vs candells we saw a sight\npassynge ye ryches of any kynge. _Me._ Dothe it excede\nour lady of walsyng\u00e3? _Ogy._ To loke vp\u00f5 this, is\nricher, the secret tresure she knoweth her selfe, but\nthis is not shewede, but to great || men, or to\nspecyall frendes. At the last we were brought agayne in\nto the reuettry, there was taken out a cofer couered\nwith blacke lether, it was sett downe apon the table,\nit was sett open, by and by euery body kneled downe and\nworshipyd. _Me._ What was in it? _Ogy._ Certayne torne\nragges of lynnen clothe, many hauynge yet remaynynge in\nthem the token of the fylthe of the holy mannes nose.\nWith these (as they say) saynt Thomas dyd wype a way\nthe swett of hys face or hys neke, ye fylthe of hys\nnose, or other lyke fylthynes with whiche mannes body\ndothe abownde. Then my companyon Gratian, yet ones\nagayn, got hym but smalle fauour. Unto hym an Englyshe\nman and of famylyare acquayntenance and besyde that,\na man of no smalle authorite, the Prior gaff gentylly\none of the lynn\u00ea ragges, thynkynge to haue gyuen\n|| E iiij.|| a gyfte very acceptable & pleasaunt, But\nGratian there with lyttle plea sede and content, not\nwith out an euydent synge of dyspleasure, toke one of\nthem betwene hys fyngers, and dysdaynyngly layd it down\nagayne, made a mocke and a mow at it, after\nthe maner of puppettes, for thys was hys maner, if any\nthing lykede hym not, that he thought worthy to be\ndespysede. Wher at I was bothe ashamed and wonderously\nafrayed. Not withstondynge the Prior as he is a man not\nat all dull wytted, dyd dyssemble the matter, & after\nhe had caused vs drinke a cuppe of wyne, gentylly he\nlet vs departe. When we came agayne to London. _Me._\nWhat shuld ye do at Londo: seynge ye were not farre\nfrom the see cost, to seale in to yowr cuntre? _Ogy._\nIt is true. But that see cost I refused and gladely dyd\nfle from it, as from a place that is || noted and more\neuyl spoken of it, for robbyng, stelynge, and vntrue\ndealynge, then is of dangerouse ioperdy in the see, be\nthat hyll Malea wher many shyppes be drowned & vtterly\ndestroyed for euer. I wyll tell the what I dyd se the\nlast passage, at my commynge ouer. We were many caryed\nin a bote frome Calys shore to go to the shyppe.\nAmongest vs all was a pour y\u00f5ge m\u00e3 of Fra\u00fbce, and\nbarely appayrelled. Of hym he demauuded halfe a grote.\nFor so moche thay dow take and exacte of euery one for\nso smalle a way rowynge. He allegede pouerty, then for\nther pastyme thay searched hym, plucked of his shoes,\nand betwene the shoo and the soule, thay fownde .x. or\n.xij. grotes, thay toke th\u00ea from hym laughyng at the\nmater: mockinge and scornyng the poer & myserable\nFrenchman. _Me._ What dyd ye fellow than? _Ogy._ What\nthyng dyd || E v.|| he? He wept. _Me._ Whether dyd they\nthys by any authoryte? _Ogy._ Suerly by the same\nauthoryte that thay steyle and pycke straungers males\nand bowgettes, by the whiche they take a way mennes\npursys, if they se tyme and place conuenyent. _Me._\nI meruayll that they dare be so bold to doo soch a\ndede, so many lokynge vpon them. _Ogy._ They be so\naccustomed, that they thynk it well done. Many that\nwere in the shyp lokede owt and sawe it also, in the\nbote were dyuerse Englyshe marchauntes, whiche grudged\nagaynst it, but all in vayne. The botem\u00ea as it had ben\na tryflyng mater reiosed and were glade that they had\nso taken and handelyd the myserable Frenchman. _Me._\nI wold play and sporte with these see theues, & hange\nthem vpon the gallowes. _Ogy._ Yet of such both the\nshores swarme full. Here tell me, I pray the. What ||\nwyll great m\u00ea do, wh\u00ea theues take vp\u00f5 them to\nenterpryse soch masterys. Therfore, herafter I had\nleuer go fourty myllys aboute, th\u00ea to go that way,\nthoffe it be moche shorter. Morouer euyn as ye goynge\ndowne to hell, is easy and leyght, but ye c\u00f5mynge frome\nthens of greate dyffyculty, so to take shyppynge of\nthis syde the see, is not very easy, and the landynge\nvery hard & dangeroufe. Ther was at London dyuerse\nmaryners of Antwerpe, with them I purposed to take the\nsee. _Me._ Hathe that c\u00fbtre so holy maryners? _Ogy._\nAs an ape is euer an ape, I gra\u00fbte, so is a maryner\neuer a maryner: yet if thou compare them vnto these,\nye lyfe by robbynge, and pyllynge and pollynge, they\nbe angelles. _Me._ I will remembre thy saynge, if at\nany tyme I be dysposed to go and se Engl\u00e3de. But come\nagayne in to ye waye, frome whens I broght the\n|| E vi.|| owt. _Ogy._ Then as we whent toward London not\nfarre from Canterbury, we came in to a great hollow and\nstrayt way, morouer bowyng so downe, with hyllys of\neyther syde, that a man can not escape, nor it cannot\nbe auoyed, but he must nedes ryde that way. Up\u00f5 the\nlefte hand of the way, ther is an almes howse for olde\npeople, frome them runnyth on owt, as sone as they here\na horseman commynge, he casteth holy water vpon hym,\nand anone he offereth hym the ouerlether of a shoo\nbownde abowte with an yerne whope, wherin is a glasse\nlyke a precyouse stone, they that kysse it gyf a pece\nof monay. _Me._ In soche a way I had leuer haue an almes\nhowse of olde folkes, then a company of stronge theues.\n_Ogy._ Gratian rode vpon my lefte hande nerer the almes\nhowse, he caste holy water vpon hym, he toke it in\nworthe so so, || when the shoo was proferred hym, he\nasked what he ment by it, saythe he, it is saynt Thomas\nshoo. There at he turned and was very angry, & turned\ntoward me: what (saythe he) meane these bestes, that\nwold haue vs kysse ye shoes of euery good man? Why doo\nthey not lyke wyse gyue vs to kysse the spottel, &\nother fylthe & dyrt of the body? I was sory for the old\nm\u00e3, & gaue hym a pece of money to c\u00f5forthe hym with\nall. _Me._ In myn opyny\u00f5 Gratian was not all together\nangry with owt a good cause. If shoes and slyppers were\nkept for a tok\u00ea of sobre lyuynge, I wold not be moch\ndyscontent ther with, but me thynks it is a shame full\nfashyon for shoes, slyppers, and breches to be offered\nto kysse to any man. If some wold do it by there owne\nfre wyll, of a certene affecty\u00f5 of holynes, I thynke\nthey were whorthy of pardon. _Ogy._ It were || better\nnot to thes thynges, if I may say as I thynke, yet owt\nof thes thynges that cannat forthwith be amended, it is\nmy maner if ther be any goodnes thereyn, to take it\nout, and apply it to the best. In ye meanseson that\ncontemplacy\u00f5 and light delited my mynde, that a good m\u00e3\nis lykened to a shepe, an euyll man to a benemouse\nbest. The serpent after she is dede, c\u00e3 stynge no more,\nnot withstondyng with her euyll sauour and poyson she\ninfecteth and corruptyth other. The shepe as l\u00f5ge as\nshe is a lyue norryseth with her mylke, clothet with\nher wolle, makyth riche with her lambes, when she is\ndeade she gyueth vs good and profytable lether, and all\nher body is good meat. Euen so, cruell men, gyuen all\nto the world, so longe as they lyue be vnprofitable to\nall m\u00ea, when they be deade, what with ryngyng of\nbellys, and pompyouse || funeralles they greue them\nthat be on lyue, and often tymes vexe ther successours\nwith new exactyones. Good men of the other syde at all\nassais be profytable to all men, and hurtfull to noo\nman. As thys holy man, whyle he was yet alyue, by hys\ngood example, hys doctryne, his goodly exhortatyons\nprouokyd vs to vertuouse lyuynge, he dyd c\u00f5fort the\nc\u00f5forthlesse, he helped ye poure, ye and now that he is\ndeade, he is in a maner more profytable. He hathe\nbuylded thys costly & gorgeouse churche, he hath caused\ngreate authoryte thorough out all Englande vnto the\nordre and presthode. At ye last, thys pece of the show\ndothe susteyne a company of poure people. _Me._ Thys is\nof my faythe a godely c\u00f5templacy\u00f5, but I maruayll\ngreatly, seyng you ar thus mynded, that ye neuer dyd\nvysyte saynt Patryckes purgatory in Yerlande, of the ||\nwhiche the comyn people boost many wonderouse thynges,\nwhiche seme to me not lyke to be true. _Ogy._ Of a\nsuerty ther is not so meruelouse talkynge of it here,\nbut the thynge it selffe doth fare excede. _Me._ Hast\nthou bene ther than, & gonne thorow saynt Patryckes\npurgatory? _Ogy._ I haue saylede ouer a ryuer ot hell,\nI went downe vnto the gates of hell, I saw what was d\u00f5e\nther. _Me._ Thou dost me a greate pleasure, if thou\nwyll wotsaue to tell me. _Ogy._ Lett this be the\nprohemy or begynnynge of owr communycatyon, longe\nenough as I suppose. I wyll gett me home, & cause my\nsouper to be made redy, for I am yet vndynede. _Me._\nWhy haue you not yet dyned? is it bycause of holynes?\n_Ogy._ Noo of a truthe, but it is bycause of enuy and\neuyll will. _Me._ Owe ye euyll wyll to yowr bely? _Ogy._\nNo, but to the couetyse || tauerners euer catchynge and\nsnatchynge the whiche when they wyll not sett afore a\nman that is mete & conuenyent, yet they are not afearde\nto take of stra\u00fbgers that, whiche is bothe vnright and\nagaynst good consciens. Of thys fashy\u00f5 I am acustomed\nto be auengede vpon th\u00ea. If I thynke to fare well at\nsouper other with myne acquayntauns, or with some host\nsom what an honest man, at dyner tyme I am sycke in my\nstomacke, but if I chaunce to fare after myne appetyte\nat dyner, before souper also I begynne to be well at\nease in my stomacke. _Me._ Wre ye not ashamede to be\ntaken for a couetouse fellow & a nygerde? _Ogy._\nMenedeme they that make cost of shame in soche thynges,\nbeleue me, bestow theyr money euyll. I haue lerned to\nkepe my shame for other purposys. _Me._ Now I longe for\nthe rest of yowr comunycacyon, || wherfore loke to haue\nme yowr geste at souper, where ye shall tell it more\nconuenyently. _Ogy._ For sothe I thanke you, that ye\noffere yowr selfe to be my gest vndesyred, when many\nhertely prayed refuse it, but I wyll gyue yow double\nthankes, if ye wyll soupe to day at home. For I must\npasse that tyme in doynge my dewty to my howsehold. But\nI haue counsell to eyther of vs moche more profytable.\nTo morrow vnto me and my wyfe, prepare our dyner at\nyowr howse, then and if it be to souper tyme, we will\nnot leyue of talkynge, vntyll you say that ye are wery,\nand if ye wyll at souper also we wyll not forsake you.\nWhy, claw you your hede? prepare for vs in good fayth\nwe wyll come. _Me._ I had leuer haue no tales at all.\nWell go to, you shall haue a dyner, but vnsauery,\nexcept you spyce it with good & mery tales. _Ogy._ But\nhere || you, are ye not mouyd and styrrede in your\nmynde, to take vpon yow these pylgremages? _Me._\nPerauenture it wyll sett me a fyre, after ye haue told\nme the resydew, as I am now mynded, I haue enough to do\nwith my statyons of Rome. _Ogy._ Of Rome, that dyd\nneuer see Rome?. _Me._ I wyll tell you, thus I go my\nstatyons at home, I go in to the parler, and I se vnto\nthe chast lyuynge of my doughters, agayne frome thense\nI go in to my shope, I beholde what my seruauntes,\nbothe men and women be doynge. Frome thense into\nthe kytchyn, lokynge abowt, if ther nede any\nof my cownsell, frome thense hyther and thyther\nobseruynge howe my chylderne be occupyed, what\nmy wyffe dothe, beynge carefull that euery\nthynge be in ordre, these be statyons of Rome.\n_Ogy._ But these thynges saynt Iames wold dow\n||    for yow. _Mene._ That I shuld se vn-\n         to these thynges holy scriptu-\n             re commaundethe, that\n               I shuld commyt the\n                charge to sayntes\n                  I dyd rede yt\n                    neuer com-\n                      maun-\n                      ded.\n\n              God saue the kynge\n\n                     FINIS.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Corrected Errors:\n  _v_ = verso (back of page)\n\n[+] iiij.\nthe pryuate iudgmegt of certayne\n    _was_ iudgmegt\n\n[+] v.\nc\u00f5solacy\u00f5 of his gracys faythfull and true comens\n    _was_ ofh is\n\n[+] v. _v_\nprudently\n    _was_ prudenly, but catchword has _prudently_\n\n[+] vi.\nbut also (to theyr greate laude and prayse)\n    _was_ prayse(\n\n[+] vi. _v_\nDesiderius Erasmus\n    _was_ Dsiderius Erasmus\n\nB\nWhan he lokythe to the West\n    _was_ te West\n\nD iij. _v_\nto the company of the wykyd sowdyeres\n    _was_ compauy\n\nD v.\nFrome thens we returnyd in to the quere\n    _was_ returuyd\n\nE ij. _v_\nMe semede he was a man bothe vertuous and wyse\n    word _a_ printed only as catchword\n\nE viij.\nI haue saylede ouer a ryuer to hell\n    _was_ ot\n\n\nAdditional Problems:\n\n[+] iiij.\nto use theme as goddes\n    _u_ printed for _v_\nwhervpon thes brotherhoddes and systerhoodes\n    _v_ printed for _u_\nA Good morow Ogygyus. / Good morow to you Menedemus.\n    change of speaker not marked\n\nC v.\n_Ogy._ No veryly. What lettythe thaym? _Ogy._ That is\na name of dygnyte and nat of relygy\u00f5.\n    change of speaker not marked\n\nE ij. _v_\nWhat do I here? the vilest part and worst was golde,\n    change of speaker unclear","title":"A dialoge or communication of two persons: Deuysyd and set forthe in the late[n] tonge, by the noble and famose clarke. Desiderius Erasmus intituled [the] pylgremage of pure deuotyon. Newly tra[n]slatyd into Englishe.","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":14853}