1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

N           N                 N         N       N N                     N                   N         N

T       T   T                               T             T           T         T                                       T                         T

Gode men, ye schul suche a day have the fest of Seynt Anne, that was modur to oure Lady. Wherefore in worschep of oure Ladi Mari, ye schulde come that day to holy chyrch and worchepon hur modur, Seynte Anne. Thanne schul ye knowen that we redyth of fyve holy wommen that weren kalled Anne. And lest any unkonyng man toke one for another, therfore I wil telle yow of thys wommen, to knowen one be another.     The forme Anne was modur to Samuel, Goddys holy profetthe, that was bischop aftur Heyly and governod the pepul of Israel fele yerus. This Anne hadde ane husbande that was called Elchana and mythe have none schyldren be this Anne, for scheo was bareyne. But at the laste, be gevyng of grete almus and wyth devoute preyer to God, God grauntid this Anne a sone that was called Samuel, os I sayde beforon.     Anothour Anne was wyf to a man that was callyd Raguel, and haddon a doghtur that was callyd Sara, the wyche Sara hadde seven husbandys and evre the fende the forme nyghte strangeled hem, for thei wolde have cowpled wyth this womman, Sare, for grete lust of hur flesse and not in reverens of God ne in purpos to geton chyldron to do Goddys service. Wherefore God gaf the fende power to sclene hem or thei hadde defowlyd the womman. Bot aftur com Tobye the yonge, the wyche an angel browth to Raguel hous. And so, be tysyng of this angel, this Tobye weddyd this Sare, and thre dayes and thre nythes he forbare hys wyfe, and weron in here preyeres, and so the ferthe nyght yode to hur bedde and haddon schyldren.     The thrydde Anne was Thobyes wyf the elder, the wyche was fadour and modur to this Tobye that I have spokyn of beforen. The weche Tobye the elder was an holy man and dud besyly the werkys of mercy and of charité. And yete God, to previn hys meke suffraunce, made hym blynde. Thus on a day, whan he hadde beryed so many dede bodyes that weryn slayne that he was wery of travayle, he lay downe in hys hows by the wowe to reston hym, and so os he lokud up the fyntyng of swalowes fel upon hys eyen, and so was blynde. Bot for he toke hys desese paciently and evre thankyd God of hys visitacioun, therfor God sende hym hys syght ageyne.     The ferth Anne was in the tempul of Jerusalem whan Joseph and our Lady broghton Criste into the tempul on Candelmes Day. And than cam this Anne and prophesyed of Cryste how it fel aftyr of Hym. This Anne was so holy that whan scheo hadde ben wedde seven yere and hur husband dyed, than scheo yode into the tempul of Jerusalem and was ther servyng God day and nyght tyl scheo were foure score yer olde. And than scheo hadde suche a grace that scheo see Criste er scheo dyed and handled Hym wyth hyre handys.     The fyfte Anne is oure Lady modur and fostred hyr of hur brestes. And whan scheo was of age, scheo browte hur into the tempul of Jerusalem and lafte hyr thare among othur virgynes of hur age to lerne Moyses lawe and to serve God bothe day and nyght, and so scheo dude. This Anne hadde an husbande that was called Joachym, the whyche cam of the lyne and of the kynde of David the kyng. But for cause that prophetes toldyn long beforen how that the kyngdam of David schulde decende to Criste, and so dydon wryton in bokys, the wyche bokys weron kepte in the tresurye of the tempul in mynde of this thyng, Herode, kyng of Jerusa- lem, thoght to turne this kynde of lynage in hym and hys eyres aftyr hym. Where- fore he toke these bokys oute of the tresurye and made to brenne hem, so that whan thei weryn done away the mynde of Cryste schuld a ben forgeton and he myght so conveyon be sleytys the lynage of Kyng David doun into hym and to hyse. Wherefore ther ben bot few bokys that tellon openly how that Joachim cam be descende from David. But whan this Herode hadde done this fowle dede, yete were there gode men and wyse that hadde copyes of these bokys wyth ham at home, the wyche tellyth how Joachim cam of the kynde of David. For David hadde mani childron, and among alle he hadde on that was callyd Nathan, of the whyche was ther on Levi, and of this Levi was ther on Panther, and of Panther was ther on Barpanther; the wyche Barpanther was Joachymes fadur, and he was fadur to Mary, Cristis modur, the whech he hadde be Anne hys wyf, and aftyr gaf hyr in mariage to Joseph. And than dyed aftur Joachym, and Anne toke another husbande was called Cleophas and hadde be hym another doghtur was callud Mari Cleophe, and aftur he dyed. And than sche toke the thridde husbande, that was callyd Salome, and be hym scheo hadde the thridde doghtur, and scheo was callyd Mari Salome. And so, whan scheo hadde geton hyr thre schyldren in worchep of the Trenité, scheo wolde have no mo, bot aftur alle hyr lyve scheo gaf hyr to chastité and to holynesse.     And so of these three doghtyres ther com an holy lynage. For the forme doghtur, Mari, scheo bare oure Lorde Jhesu Criste. The secunde, Mary Cleophe, was weddyd to a man that was callud Alpheus and hadde foure sonnes: James the Lesse and Joseph that was callud Barsabas, Symon, and Judas. The thrydde Mary was weddyd to a man that was callyd Zebedeus and hadde be hym to sonnus, Jamus the More and Seynt John the Evangelie. Thus, as God sayde Hymself, of a gode tre comyth a gode froyte, so of theis holy womman, Seynt Anne, com an holy ofspryng. Wherefore ye schal pray to Seynt Anne to pray for us to hyr holy doghtur, oure Lady, that scheo wyl pray for us to hyr dere Son, to gef us hele bothe in body and soule, etc.