The Author’s Prologue
prose-textblock1[fol. 2v] Here foloweth prayers and full devoute contemplacyons, with thankynges of all the benefytes
gyven to mankynde, and specyally in the werke of our redempcyon, of the incarnacyon and passyon of Cryste, called the Fruyte of Redempcyon. And fyrst it putteth a prayer to move the mynde of man to laude God:
[fol. 3r] 1: A prayer to move the mynde of man to laude God
prose-textblock1Lorde my God, I desyre to laude thee, for I knowe my selfe to be made to laud thee. Open my mouth in thy laude that I may synge joye to thy name. Stere my hert in thee, put away every tedyous thynge, infunde grace, kendle love, take awaye wyckednesse of thy servaunte, clense me from all unclennesse of body and soule, that I may be founde worthy unto the honour of thy name, and therto open my lyppes. But the dygnyté of thy depe majesté who may prayse worthely? Beholde: all the vertues of hevens and every aungelyke potestaté suffyseth not to laude condyngly the magnytude of thy hyghnesse. How moche lesse a frayle man, fylth and wormes mete, fayleth in thy con|dynge [fol. 3v] laude! And so dooth also every creature, every oryson, every tonge, and sermocynacyon. What now therfore, I shall cease fro laude, for I can not worthely laude thee, or elles therfore I shall cease and holde me styll, for I knowe myselfe unclene and unsuffycyent. Be it forbode suche ingratitude that I sholde cease to laude thee, for every creature sholde laude thee, moost of all truly resonable man, to whome thou hast gyven so grete benefytes.
2: Laude to the Holy Trynyté for hymselfe, and for the creacyon of heven and erth, of aungell and man, and for his benefytes
prose-textblock1O Blessyd lorde God, fader, sone and Holy Ghost, thre persones and one god, my lorde, my God, my maker, my redemptour, my nouryssher, my defender, my swetnesse, my mercy, my refuge, my strength, my victory, my savyour, my joye, and my glorye eternall: I laude thee, I gloryfye thee, I honour and worshyp thee. O blessyd Trinité, for that thou arte in thy selfe, for thou arte the hyghest good, from whome floweth all goodnesse. Thou art gracyous eternyté, thou arte eternal felicité, thou arte the depnesse of felicité, thou arte onely God and there is none without thee. I laude and honour thee, O blessyd Trinité, that myghtfully hast made of nought heven and erthe, sonne and mone and all thynges that be in them, and for it pleased thee to make holy aungelles to laude and to use thee eternally, and that they might assyst to us faythfully in this exile with [fol. 4r] hoveable counseyles and helpynges, and to declare thy ineffable goodnesse thou madest al thynge for man, and moreover thou made man with thy propre handes to thyn owne ymage and symylytude onely for thee, and thou fourmed in hym understandynge and noblisshed hym with fre wyll. I laude and gloryfye thee, for that grete gyfte thou set hym in paradyse, flowynge with delytes that he myght have hygh thynges in fruycyon, inferyour thynges in governynge, and to possede all thynges to worshyp thee for evermore. And thou made not these noble creatures, aungell and man, for ony necessyté that thou had to them, for truly all thynge was sufficyent in thee to thyn eternall joye and glorye, but of the fervor of thy charyté thou were moved to create them that suche creatures sholde be parte takers of thyn ineffable joye and glory.
prose-textblock2I laude and honour thee, good lorde, for that it pleased thee amonge all thy blessyd werkes to make me a reasonable man, and haste gyven me wysdome, reason, understandynge, and free lyberté, and hast fourmed me with all ryght lymmes and fetures of body, and hast gyven me many blessyd gyftes, spyrytuall and temporall, and also mete, drynke, cloth, and all thynges necessary whiche many a good creature that hath served thee better than I have done hath myssed; and for that thou have visite my herte many tymes with many graces and spyrytuall monycyons delyverynge me ofte fro many perylles, bothe of body and of soule, and fro sclaundres, shames, and rebukes of this worlde to the whiche for my synnes I myght have fall unto; and for that also that thou hast suffred me in all myn iniquyté, malyce, and all myn horryble and abhomynable synnes pacyently alway abydynge for my conversyon and amendement, whan innumerable tymes thou myght [fol. 4v] have slayne me, and of ryght have put me to eternall paynes and dampnacyon.
prose-textblock3I laude and glorify thee, lorde God, for all thy mercy whiche alwayes thou hast shewed to synners, pacyently abydynge for them, mercyfully callynge them, benygnely receyvynge them, haboundauntly gyvynge grace to them, and to suche famylyaryté admyttynge them, as though they had never synned. O mercyfull lorde and pacyent God, what shall I say to thee for all these benefytes? What laudes and thankynges shall I yelde to thee? What and all my synnes were voyded fro me, truly yet were not I worthy for the leste of thy benefytes and mercyes to gyve thee condyng laude, but as a wreched synner can in all my herte I laude thee. I thanke thee. I honour and worshyp thee, and all honour and laude be yelde to thee now and evermore. Amen. Pater noster.
3: Of the myserable laps of man and of the mercy of God shewed to him, and of the incarnacyon of Cryst
prose-textblock1I laude and gloryfy thee, lord God, for thy moost excellent mercy and indycyble mysericorde, by the whiche thou dyd spare man from irreparable dampnacyon, trespassynge to thee, beynge unworthy to all thy benefytes, sendynge hym out fro the gladnesse of paradyse to do penaunce for his synnes. And all be it he was worthy eternall dampnacyon for his transgressyon, and sholde not have forgyvenesse, thou dyde not shewe than the rygoure of justyce but the swetnesse of ineffable mercy, puttynge to hym the burden of dynge penaunce, and after longe [fol. 5r] tyme gyvynge the oyle of indulgence whiche gretly he desyred. I laude and gloryfy thee, lorde God, creatour and redemptour of mankynde, for thy greate charyté by the whiche man mervaylously create, more mervaylously thou wolde hym refourme, and where as than we beynge thyn enemyes and wycked deth had taken lordshyp over us al.
prose-textblock2Thou hast remembred the bowelles of thy mercy and thou hast beholde from the hygh habytacyon of thy glory unto this wepynge valey of mysery, and hast seen thafflyccyon of thy people to be grete upon the erth, the grevous burden of the children of Adam. Therfore thou were touched withinforth with the swetnesse of charité and thou dyde put in thyselfe to thynke on us with cogitacyons of peas and redempcyon, for why whan that the fullnesse of tyme was come, thou came to vysyte us shynynge from above. And the desyres of prophetes by the exhybycyon of incarnacyon taken, thou dydest fulfyll it in apperynge god and man. Blessyd be thou therfore, O holy fader of heven, that woldest not spare thyn onely beloved sone, eternall god with thee, to sende hym downe to this myserable worlde to take flesshe and blode of a virgyn to redeme man. Blessyd be thou, o Holy Ghoost, for that thou gavest counseyle of the incarnacyon of the sone of God, and of the redempcyon of mankynde, and wroughtest the mystery of the incarnacyon of the sayd sone of God in the body of a virgyn.
prose-textblock3Blessyd be all the Holy Trinyté in whome was one counseyl, one wyll, one charité, and one operacyon in the hygh mystery of mannes redempcyon, all be it the seconde persone in deité onely toke our sayd humanité on hym; wherfore, o swete sone of God, blessyd be thou that of grete pyté, compassyon, and of excellent charité enclyned thy selfe so benygnely to descende from [fol. 5v] the trone of God, and from the herte of the fader to this valey of mysery for us to be incarnate and to take flesshe and blode of the swete virgyn Mary, the Holy Ghoost gaderynge togedyr the clene and pure droppes of blode of her virgynall body, fourmynge therwith the precyous body of thyn humanyté, fulfyllynge the holy soule and blessyd body of the sayd virgyn Mary superhaboundauntly with incomparable gladnesse and exultacyon in the tyme of the holy and clene concepcyon, and lykewyse in thy pure and chaste temporall nativité. Pater noster. Ave.
4: Of the vertue and holy lyfe of the virgyn Mary, by the whiche she deserved to be the moder of God, and of the Natyvyté of our lorde
prose-textblock1O Blessed vyrgyn Mary, thou arte blessyd, and ever be thou blessyd for that thou pleased God moost hyghly by moost holy and vertuous lyvynge, for anone at thy begynnynge in thy tender aege whan thou herde saye and understode that there was God, anone thou were full besy and ferefull in observacyon and kepynge of the helth of thy soule. And whan thou herdest fully that the same God was thy maker and juge of all thy werkes, inwardly thou loved him, and dradde gretely in thy mynde leeste thou sholde offende hym in worde or dede. And after that whan thou herdest that he had gyven lawe and preceptes to the people, and that he had shewed many mervayles to them, thou purposed stedfastly in thy mynde to love no thynge but hym, and than [fol. 6r] all worldely thyngs were wonderfull bytter to thee. And after this, herynge that the same God wolde redeme the worlde, and wolde be borne of a virgyn, suche charyté haddest thou to hym in thy herte that thou thoughtest no thynge but God, and thou wylled no thynge but God.
prose-textblock2And as moche as thou myght thou withdrewest thy selfe fro the presence and speche of thy parentes and frendes, and thou gave of thy goodes as moche as thou might to the poore and nedy people, reservynge of them full lytell to thyselfe to fynde thee in scarceté mete, drynke, and cloth, no thynge pleased thee but onely God. Thou wylled ever in thy herte to lyve to the tyme of his nativité yf it might so happen thou myght be made an unworthy handemayde to the moder of God. I laude and honour thee, O Mary virgyn of virgyns, that hast not sene before the none lyke to thee, ne to have ony suche folowynge after thee, that fyrst of all in the worlde amonge women hast vowed the vowe of chastyté and offred therby a gloryous gyfte to God, whan thou had it of no creature by lernynge, ne by worde ne by example thou were not taught to do so. And thou, so ornate and beawtyfyed with that vertue of chastyté and with all other vertues, thou pleased God moost hyghly, gyvynge example of good lyvynge to all other.
prose-textblock3And whan the tyme came in whiche after the consuetude virgyns were presented in to the temple, thou were there amonge them for the obedyens of thy parentes, thynkynge in thy selfe that no thynge was impossyble to God. And for as moche as he knewe that thou desyred no thynge ne wylled no thynge but onely hym, he myght kepe thee in virgynyté if it pleased hym, if not his wyll to be fulfylled. And heryng all thynge commaunded in the temple obedyently, fulfyllynge it, thou retourned home agayne. And [fol. 6v] after that, holy virgin, thou brenned more fervently and fully in the swete love of God than thou dyd before. And dayly thou were inflambed with newe ardour and hyghe desyres of love; and therfore, good lady, thou enlonged thy selfe more than thou were wonte to do fro the company of all people and were alone by thyselfe bothe day and night, dredynge gretely leest thy mouth sholde speke or eeres sholde here ony thynge agaynst the wyll of thy God, or that thyne eyen sholde se ony delectable thynge. Thou were dredefull also in kepynge sylence, leeste thou sholde be styl not spekynge suche wordes whiche thou sholde speke. And so, swete virgyn, thou were ofte troubled in mynde and ferefull how thou sholde ordre thy wyttes and lyvynge to the pleasure of God.
prose-textblock4And after, whan by the aungelyke salutacyon thou were plenarely instructe that thou sholde conceyve a sone in thy wombe by the operacyon of the Holy Ghoost, whose name sholde be Jhesus, and sholde be called the sone of God, than therwith thou had a moost fervent desyre to be the moder of God; but all be it thou knewe thyselfe electe therto of God, yet thou were not therfore in mynde exalted by elacyon, but of the fulnesse of profounde humylyté consentynge unto that so hygh a mystery, thou brake out wordes of this maner, mekely sayenge: “Lo, here the handmayde of God, befall it to me, aungell, after thy worde.” And this sayd, forthwith Goddes sone was incarnate in thy virgynall body of the Holy Ghost. I laude and glorifie thee, O good lady Mary, clene and pure virgyn, that broughtest forth in to this worlde by moost clene and chaste nativité the redemptour of the worlde, and shewed to the worlde his savyour of longe tyme desyred in the worlde. And in his byrth thou bare hym without sorowe and synne, in lykewyse as thou con|ceyved [fol. 7r] hym, in all clennes with suche exultacyon of soule and body that for thaboundaunce of joye and exultacyon thy holy fete felte not the grounde that they stode on. And whan thy swete sone our lorde Jhesu Cryste, brightnesse of the faders glory, was borne thou lapped hym in poore clothes reclynynge hym in a racke, for there was none other place wherupon to laye hym. And soo the kynge of glory wolde be borne poorely, in a poore place, and of a poore virgyn, layde on hey bytwene two beestes for to brynge us to the eternall rychesse of heven.
prose-textblock5And after his byrthe, good lady, whan thou behelde his pulcritude and beawté thy holy soule distylled as a swete dewe for joye, thynkynge thyselfe unworthy to have suche a sone, for sothely he was so fayre and delectable that who so ever behelde hym he was conforted of ony sorowe that was in herte. Therfore many of the Jewes sayd: “Go we to se the sone of Mary, that we may fynde therby consolacyon.” And al be it they knewe not that he was the sone of God, yet they receyved by the syght of hym grete and mervaylous consolacyon. And good lady, whan thou behelde and consydered the places in his fayre handes and prety fete where the sharpe nayles sholde perce thrugh, as thou had herde by holy prophetes, thy blessyd eyen were replete with teres of wepynge, and thy virgynall herte was as cloven asonder for sorowe. And whan thy lytell swete sone behelde thy eyen full of wepynge, he was sorowfull as unto the deth for thee. And whan thou consydered the myght of his deité thou were than conforted, knowynge well that thy sone wolde have it so, and that it was expedyent. And than thou confourmed all thy wyll to his wyll, and so ever good lady thy joye was myxte with sorowe.
prose-textblock6Blessyd be thou, virgyn [fol. 7v] Mary moder of God, for that thou nourysshed thy swete sone our lorde with the swete hevenly fode of thy pappes, bathynge hym, byndynge hym in swadles, enbrasynge hym thy lytell swete floure in thyn armes and virginal bosom, impressynge oftentymes to his fayre mouthe swete kysses of thy delycate mouthe. And whan thou dyde se hym suffrynge the grevaunce of a yonge chylde and wepynge, thou losed his bandes, layenge thy fayre handes and holy armes over his crybbe, playenge with hym, smylynge on hym, spekynge fayre wordes to hym, and castynge the fayre lokes of thy virginall eyen on hym. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
5: Of the dolorous circumcision of our lorde Jhesu
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jesu Cryst, for that it pleased thee, obeyenge to the lawes, the eyght daye to be circumcised and anone in thy tender infancy to be kytte in thy tender flesshe with a knyfe of stone, and than to begyne to shedde thyn innocent blode for us, and to be ensigned with the swete name Jesus, named fro the begynnynge by the mouth of God, and shewed by the aungell; whiche by interpretacyon is to saye, a savyour. And after the effecte of the same name thou decreved to save us, thy people peculyer, from our synnes. And from thens-forth thou never lefte to werke our helthe. Swete Jhesu, I beseche thee for the grevous payne that thou suffred than in thy tender flesshe, and for thy bytter wepyge to circumcyse me from every spotte of synne, and graunte me suche grace that in a [fol. 8r] moost swete memory of love thy holy name Jesus may be enprynted in my herte. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
6: Of the Oblacyon of the thre holy kynges vnto our lorde Jesu
prose-textblock1Laude and honoure be to thee, lorde Jesu, that so desyrably woldest be sought of thre kynges, and so to be founde of them by ledynge of a sterre, and of them humbly to be honoured whan moost devoutly they offred to thee thre precyous gyftes, golde, encens, and myrre, havynge in them dyvyne mysteryes: the golde signifienge thy regal power, the encens thy dyvyne majesté, and the myrre of thy manhode the mortalyté. Benygne Jesu, I praye thee to sende me grace spyrytually to offre these gyftes to thee: the pure golde of perfite love, the swete encens of devoute prayer, and the clene myrre of mortyfycacyon of my frayle flesshe. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
7: Of the Presentacyon of our lorde Jesu in to the temple and of the Puryfycacyon of our lady
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lord Jesu Chryst, that every thynge woldest submytte thyselfe unto the instytucyons of the lawe, and [fol. 8v] in the armes of thy moder mekely wolde be borne with oblacyons of poore men. And so thou, lorde of the temple, woldest be presented in to the temple, and under the substaunce of oure frayle flesshe offred thyselfe to God the fader a holsome sacryfyce for us, and madest the secretenesse of thy godhede to be shewed by the olde man Symeon by inspiracyon of the Holy Ghoost dwellynge in hym. I gloryfye thee, clene virgyn Mary, that in lyke wyse woldest humbly submytte thyselfe to the lawe of puryfycacyon whan thou were no thynge bounde therto for onely unto this lawe all the women were bounde that conceyved a chylde by the sede of man. But thou, O clene vyrgyn, conceyved not thy blessyd sone by the sede of man, but by inspyracyon of the Holy Ghost. And so good lady, thou were all clene, chaste, and bryght, wherfore thou had no maner necessyté of puryfycacyon, but of profounde humylyté. O clene virgyn, thou wolde be in this worlde amonge women by purifycacyon as one of them. And soo was thy swete sone among chyldren by circumcysyon as one of them. Than seen thou, meke lady, wolde be puryfyed that haddest noo nede of puryfycacyon, howe moche cause than have we grete synners to be puryfyed and clensed that be soo defyled and cankered with synne? Therfore make us, good lady, so to be puryfyed and clensed here in this worlde from every spotte of synne that after this lyfe in all clennesse we may appere before the gloryous face of thy blessyd sone. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
8: Of the persecucyon of Jhesu, and of his fleynge in to Egypte, and of the holy Innocentes slayne of Herode
prose-textblock1[fol. 9r] Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, sapyence of the fader, and vertue of the hyghe God, that woldest so perfytly take all our infyrmytees, debylytees, and offenses on thee, exceptynge ygnoraunce and synne, so that thou wolde flee deth and a mortall man fro place to place. For Herode gylefully sought thee and founde thee not, wherfore he commaunded to slee all the children in Bethleem from two yere of aege and within that he myght slee thee amonge them. But thou, the hope of pylgrymes, wente in to Egypte, and there thou dwelled in exyle unto the deth of Herode, and dyde suffre there grete penury and poverté, for they that sholde be thyn wolde not receyve thee, but anone at thy begynnynge despysed thee. And after the deth of Herode thou were called agayne from Egypte in to Nazareth. And whan thou were thyder brought thou were humbly subgecte to thy parentes. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
9: Of the invencyon of Jhesu in the temple, and of his holy hydde lyfe
prose-textblock1I laude and honoure thee, Jhesu Cryst that beynge in aege but twelve yeres thou sate in the temple in the myddes of doctours, askynge and herynge them, and thou taught them so moche the more whan [fol. 9v] thou asked them questyons prudently. And there thou raddest thyn owne prophecy in Ysay. And thou, blessyd sone of God, began to growe in aege and wysdome as god and man. And thyrtye thre yeres thou were as a servaunt so suffrynge for our helthe, and thou were conversaunte amonge men, mekely, justly, sobrely, and pacyently to gyve us example of lyvynge. I praye thee, good Jhesu, for all the vertues in whiche thou ladde thy lyfe that thou wylte graunte me thabaoundaunce of thy grace, wherby I may profyte in dayly encreasynge of all vertues to the laude and glorye of thy name. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
10: Of the baptym of our lorde Jhesu
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, for that thou wolde be baptised of thy holy servaunte saynt Johnn whan than for thy mekenesse the fader testyfyed that thou were his onely consubstancyall sone by his voyce sayenge: “Here is my welbeloved sone, in whome I am well pleased,” the Holy Ghoost also apperynge on thee in lykenesse of a dove. And this thou toke not for thyselfe but for us to halowe therby our baptym, and to make it a holsom sacrament of salvacyon for us. Lorde Jhesu, I thanke thee for my baptym, wherby I am made a Cristen man, and for that it pleased thee I sholde be borne of crysten parentes, and in the tyme of grace, [fol. 10r] and for that I am instructe in the true fayth of thy chirche. And where as many tymes I have defyled my baptyme by synne and wyckednesse, good Jesu, I praye thee to clense me agayne by the sacrament of true penaunce so that after this mortall lyfe I may appere before thy gloryous face in the same clennesse that I was in in the tyme of my baptym. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
11: Of the fastynge of Jhesu in deserte and of his temptacyons
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jesu Cryst, that anone after thy baptym were ledde in to deserte there labourynge in bytternesse of abstynence, in hunger, in thurste, in colde, and hete, and suffred there also many other infyrmytees of man. And there thou dyde wake by nyght in prayer, and thou that arte the fode of aungell and man dyde hungre and thurste. After that thou had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes and suffred the fende to tempte thee. O good Jhesu, I beseche thee for all thy holy prayers whiche thou prayed the sayd fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes, and for all orysons whiche at all tymes thou prayed for us in the syght of God thy fader, and for thy holy and perfyte cogytacyons, wordes, and holy dedes. Sende me grace to use abstynence and vigylles, and make me holy and perfyte in all cogytacyons, wordes, and dedes to the laude [fol. 10v] and glory of thy name. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
12: Of the predicacyon and holsome doctryne of our lorde Jhesu, and of his gloryous sygnes, examples, and good maners, and of dyvers trybulacyons of hym in this worlde
prose-textblock1I laude and gloryfy thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, for all the holy werkes that thou wrought from the daye of thy holy baptym unto thy passyon, for in that tyme thou gadred the covent of thy dyscyples, and amonge them thou chase twelve apostles that by them thou might subdue to thee the proude and hygh of this worlde. And in those dayes thou opened the bosom of thy pyté and mercy to all them that came to thee, and thou preched openly to all men remyssyon of synnes, and entrynge of the kyngdome of heven. And ofte thou were fatygate and wery of journeys and of colde, and somtyme of fervor of hete, and in all this thou suffred many persecucyons and sclaundres of the progeny of them that thou were borne of. For in theyr wordes they sayd agaynst thee, and marked wrongfully thy dedes, layenge wayte on thee by daye and nyght, coveytynge contynually thy deth, resystynge thee, and dyshonestynge thee by wordes, dedes, and blasphemés sayenge: “this man is not of God, but a synner and hath a fende in hym; he maddeth in Belzabub prynce of fendes; he casteth out devylles; he begyleth the people; he is a gloton, a drynker of wyne, and the frende of publycanes.” These and manye other blasphemés they sayd of thee, and oftentymes they wolde have stoned thee, and all this thou suffred pacyently, and behad thyselfe before them as a man not herynge, and as [fol. 11r] havynge no redargucyons ne contraverces in his mouth.
prose-textblock2And for as moche as they were harde of herte and slouthfull of beleve thou confermed thy wordes with tokens folowynge: In weddynges thou tourned water into wyne. Of fyve loves and two fysshes thou fedde fyve thousande men. Thou walked upon the see. Before thy dyscyples Peter, James, and John thou were transfygured. Thou gavest syght to blynde men. Thou made the dombe to speke, the defe to here, the creples to goo. Thou cured lunatykes. Thou delyvered possessed of fendes. Thou reysed deed men. Thou clensed lepers. Thou delyvered a woman taken in advoutry, from condempnacyon of deth. Thou clensed Mary Mawdeleyn from synne. Thou heled the woman from the fluxe of blode. Thou gladded the woman askynge helth for her doughter. The woman that was incurvate and croked eightene yeres thou reysed up ryght. Whan thou were wery of thy journey, syttynge and restynge on the welles syde, to the woman talkynge with thee thou gaveste her knowlege of thee and of herselfe. And in thy predicacyon thou stered the herte of a woman with thaboundaunce of thy grace that she cryed in the myddes of the people and sayd: “Blessyd be the wombe that bare thee, and the pappes that gave thee souke.”
13: Of the entrynge of oure lorde Jhesu in to Jherusalem and of his Laste Souper
prose-textblock1[fol. 11v] Blessyd be thou, lorde Jhesu Cryste, for the moost holy teres of wepynge whiche thou wepte at the monument of Lazar, and upon the cyté of Jherusalem, and for all the wepynges that ever thou wepte. And for thy humble and meke entrynge in to Jherusalem, whan thou sate on an asse before fyve dayes of , for thou came as a pascall lambe to be offred the syxte daye for our synnes, whan the Hebrewe people mette with thee with floures and palmes cryenge and saynge: “Blessyd be he that cometh in the name of the lorde.” And not longe after the nyghte before thy passyon thou made thy Laste Souper with thy dyscyples, sayenge to them these wordes: “One desyre is whiche effectually I have desyred to ete this pascall souper with you, that is playnly to saye, I have fervently desyred to gyve you myne owne body and blode, and to fede you therwith before I suffre deth for you.”
prose-textblock2And after thou had eaten the pascall lambe with them thou dydeste ryse fro the table and puttest off thy garment, fastnynge a lynnen cloth aboute thee, and full humbly thou enclyned thyselfe, wasshynge thy dyscyples fete, and dryenge them with a cloth. And this done thou put on thy vesture agayn, and syttynge downe eftsones at the table thou sayd: “Knowe ye what I have done to you; I, lorde and mayster, have gyven example to you that in lykewyse as I have done so you to do the same.” And among all other wordes that thou spake thou were troubled in spyryte, and protestynge thou sayd: “Truly I saye to you that one of you shall betraye me.” And herynge this they began to be full sory, and all they one after an other sayd to thee: “Lorde, whether I am he.” And thou sayd to them: “He that putteth his hande with me in the dysshe, he it is that shall betraye me.” [fol. 12r] And the souper ended thou made a terminacyon of the olde testament, begynnynge the newe, whan than with thy holy handes thou dyd consecrate thy precyous body and blode in fourme of brede and wyne, fedynge thy discyples therwith, gyvynge them auctoryté and by them to all preestes to the worldes ende to do the same, whan thou sayd these words: “Do ye this into my commemoracyon.”
prose-textblock3O, what excellent love shewed thou unto us, good Jhesu, in that tyme whan not onely thou wolde dye for us, but also woldest fede us dayly with thy precyous body and blode, that we sholde not hungre ne thurste for evermore. And for that we synne dayly agaynst God, and thou myght dye but ones for us; therfore in this worthy sacrament thou wolde dayly be offred by the handes of the preest to God thy fader for our cotydyan synnes. And for as moche as we be in dayly conflycte of batayle with our cruell enemy the fende, thou ordeyned suche provysyon for us that the percepcyon of this worthy sacrament sholde be as a toure of strengthe for us agaynst his cruell malyce. And for that we sholde have sure truste to obteyne the kyngdome of heven, thou hast gyven us the sacrament of thy precyous body to be a pledge or a wedde to us of eternall glory, and to lede us the waye to thy gloryous kyngdome. Benygne Jhesu, I praye thee to gyve me grace soo worthely to receyve thy precyous body before my deth, wherby I may attayne the kyngdome of heven, for faythfully I truste so on thy grete mercy that thou wylte not exclude them from thy hevenly kyngdome, unto whome it pleaseth thee to be knytte unto by connexyon of this honourable sacrament. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
[fol. 12v] 14: Of the prayer that our lorde made thryes on the mount of Olyvete
prose-textblock1Thankynges be to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, that after thou had wrought the forsayd mysteryes of consuetude thou wente than to the mount of Olyvete, where before thy passyon thryes thou made thy prayer to thy fader of heven, in whiche moost devoute prayer thou suffred in thy selfe a grete conflycte, by reason of two loves that were in thee: one was by meanes of the love whiche naturally thou had to thy humanyté, and in the other parte by reason of the fervent and charytable love whiche thou had to mannes soule, whan by knowlege of thy godhede thou called unto thy holy mynde all the horryble passyon that thou sholde suffre for man in thy tender virginall body. Wherfore suche drede was in thee by reason of naturall love whiche thou had to thyselfe that thou prayed to thy fader sayenge: “Fader, yf it be possyble, make and cause the chalyce of this bytter passyon to be taken fro me.” But yet the fervor of thexcellent love whiche thou had to the redempcyon and salvacyon of mannes soule exceded ferre thy fyrste natural love, and in suche maner overcame it and depressed it, that in concludynge thy prayer thou sayd: “Fader, not my wyll in this this petycyon, but thyn be fulfylled and done.”
prose-textblock2And after thou had prayed thus thre tymes, the dolorous passyon that [fol. 13r] thou sholde suffre was so fresshely with bytternesse prynted in thy holye mynde that for anguysshe of naturall drede thou were cast in to suche an agony that for the pureté of thy complexyon thou swette blode and water so that the pure droppes of blode fell unto the grounde. And than an aungell sente from thy fader appered confortynge thee. And notwithstandynge all this in shewynge that thou loved mannes soule better than thyne owne lyfe, thou lefte not to suffre bytter passyon and cruell deth for us. O good Jhesu, for thy holy prayer, bytter agony and excellent love whiche thou shewed to us sende me grace to be devoute to thee in holy prayers, and hertely to love thee agayne for the swete love thou hast shewed to me. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
15: Of the capcyon of our lorde Jhesu, and of his byndynge, and how he was presented before the judges, and of his illusyons
prose-textblock1I laude and gloryfye thee, lorde Jesu Cryste, that after thou were conforted of the aungell, voluntaryly thou went to the place where thou knewe to mete with thy traytour Judas, and after that he had betrayed thee with a kysse, all thy frendes fleynge from thee, thyn enemyes violently set holde on thee, byndynge thy handes behynde thee that came to lose the bande of our captyvyté, and thou full mekely [fol. 13v] saydest to that company: “As to a thefe ye come with knyves and staves to take me, whan dayly I was techynge in the temple, and ye dyde not holde me, but now this is your houre and power of derknesse.” And the wycked persones caryed thee, moost meke lambe, as a thefe or a gylty man fast bounde and presented thee fyrst to Anna and thou, moost wysest, was there examined of thy doctryne and of thy dyscyples, as though thou had ben most vnwyse. And thou answered: “That I spake was openly sayd, therfore aske them that herde me what my words were.” And thou, lorde of all thynge, were sore stryken by the handes of one that stode besyde sayenge: “Why gyveste thou suche answere to the bisshop?” And thou answered agayne mekely: “Yf I speke evyll, take wytnesse of evyll; and if I sayd well, why smytest me?”
prose-textblock2Than Annas sente thee fast bounde to Cayphas, before whome they made thee, lorde of heven, to stande, to whome thousande thousandes of aungells assysteth in heven, beholdynge and laudynge thee. And there thyn enemyes sought and sayd agaynste thee many fals testymonyes. And thou that art the hygh trouth sayd no worde, but suffred all thynge equally, and stode there in grete pacyence and charyté, God before men, the creatour before the creature. And whan thou were asked and adjured, humbly thou confessed to be the sone of God. And they sayd that thou spake blasphemés, and that thou were worthy deth, and they smote thee cruelly on the face and on the necke with theyr handes, and behad themselfe full malycyously agaynst thee after theyr owne wyll, not onely despysynge thee, the sone of God, but they forgate in thee all compassyon of humanyté, and they began to spytte in thy amyable face in the whiche aungelles desyreth to beholde, and they defyled thee, the moost beauteous in fourme [fol. 14r] and shape before all the chyldren of men, wyth the fylth of rechynges and spyttynges of theyr lothsome mouthes. And in desrysyon they hyd thy moost bryght eyen that illumyneth heven and erth, and they strake thee full scornefully sayenge: “Prophecy now, and tell who he is that smyteth thee.” And many other blasphemés they put to thee, and these wycked men without ony mercy sought meanes to slee thee, not sparynge to smyte thee on the face, and thus they vexed thee all the nyght with injuryes, despysynges, and passyons.
prose-textblock3And erly in the sprynge of the day the prynces and senyours of prestes came togyder, takynge counseyle how they myght destroye thee by moost shamefull deth, and they had thee before them, askynge whether thou were the sone of God and that thou sholde shewe it openly. And thou answered, confermynge that thou were the sone of God. And they sayd: “What other wytnes shal we desyre; we have herde it sayd of his own mouth.” Than all the multytude rose up and ledde thee forth fast bounde and presented thee to Pylate the juge, accusynge thee and saynge that thou were a subverser and deceyver of the people, techynge over all Jury unto that cyté. Pilate herynge this caused thee to be ledde to Herode, and thou went thyder full mekely and pacyently in the wayes of our helth. And whan thou were presented before Herode thyn enemyes stode constauntly accusynge thee. And Herode asked thee many questyons, trustynge to have seen some token or myracle of thee. But thou, good Jhesu, gavest none answere and wolde shewe noo token but the sygne and token of humylyté and pacyence. And they mocked thy goodly provydence, trowynge thy pacyence and humylyté to be fatuyté and ygnoraunce. Therfore Herode with all his despysed thee, and in mockage they put on thee a whyte [fol. 14v] vesture in tokenynge of fatuité, and so with unhonesté unreverently Herode sente thee to Pylate agayne. And that daye bycause of thee, Pylate and Herode were made frendes that before tyme loved not other. And by the waye as thou wente Jhesu, myne onely hope, from one wycked man to an other thou were illuded and weryed with sore percucyons and strokes. Meke Jhesu, I beseche thee for all these irrysyons and vexacyons that thyn enemyes dyd to thee, defende me from all myn enemyes bodyly and ghostly, and sende me pacyence in all trybulacyons and adversytees. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
16: Of the clamour of the Jewes agaynst Jhesu to haue hym crucyfyed and of his expolyacyon and flagellacyon
prose-textblock1Lorde Jhesu Cryst, sone of the ever lyvynge God, I laude and gloryfy thee for all the injuryes thou suffred whan thyne enemyes brought thee in to the pretory before Pilate, and they wolde not entre in, but Pylate wente out to them and sayd: “What accusacyon brynge you ayenst this man?” And all they cryed: “Yf he were not a malefactour, we wolde not brynge hym to thee.” Than Pylate wente agayne in to the pretory and called thee to hym and sayd: “Thou arte the kynge of Jewes.” And thou answered agayne: “Thou hast sayd so.” Than Pylate sayd to thee: “Thy people and bysshopes hath brought thee to me; what hast thou done?” Thou answered: “My kyngdome is not of this worlde; yf my kyngdom were of this worlde, my mynystres truly wolde make defence that I sholde not be yolden to the Jewes.” Pylate sayd: “Therfore, than, thou arte a kynge.” And thou answered mekely: “Thou sayst [fol. 15r] that I am a kynge; therto truly I am borne, and for that I came in to the worlde that I might bere wytnesse of trouth, and every man that is of trouth hereth my worde.”
prose-textblock2And Pylate wente out agayne to the Jewes, and sayd: “I fynde no cause of deth in this man, therfore I wyll chastyse hym and let hym go. There is a consuetude amonge you that I shall delyver you a prysoner at ; wyll ye that I delyver to you the kynge of Jewes?” They answered: “Nay, not hym, but Baraban.” Than Pylate toke thee and made thee personally to put off thy clothes, and thou stode naked and bare, suffrynge the erubescensy of nakednesse in the presence of thy moder as thou were borne of her body, and before thyne irrysors and enemyes, all thy frendes fleynge from thee. And personally thou put thy handes aboute the pyller, and thyn enemyes bounde thee fast, and the cursed tyrantes layde upon thy fayre body, tender and clene from every spotte of synne, some with whyppes and some with roddes, and thy skynne was so tender and fayre so that with the leest stroke that they coude laye on thy body the purpre blode appered fresshely in syght upon the fayre beauteful skynne. And at the fyrste stroke thy sorowfull moder that stode by thee fell to the grounde as deed, and takynge spyryte agayne she behelde all thy body beten and scourged that the stremes of blode ranne downe on every syde, the bare bones appreynge of thy sydes. And this was moost bytter of all whan they drewe the knotty scourges they rent awaye the flesshe withall. And than, good Jhesu, thou stode all tremblynge and quakynge for anguysshe and payne, all blody and torne, so that fro the sole of the fote to the toppe of the heed in thee was no hole place where thou myght suffre ony more betynge. Than one moved in spyryte asked [fol. 15v] whether they wolde slee thee not juged to dethe.
prose-textblock3And than whan thou were losed from the pyller, thy blessyd moder behelde the place where as thou stode, and she sawe it replete with thy blode, and she folowynge thee knewe where thou had gone by the tokens and steppes of blode, for the grounde where thou had gone appered infuded with thy blode. And all this, swete Jhesu, thou suffred, takynge on thee all the wrathe whiche we deserved for our synnes. O good Jhesu, for the bytternesse of thy scourgynge with the whiche the tender membres of thy body were torne, and for the grete sorowe that entred thrughe thy body whan thou were taken from the pyller and clothed agayne in thyn own clothes, and for thy dredes, anguysshes, effusyons of blode, and for all the pryntes of woundes whiche thou toke in thy bytter scourgynge, and for the hony swete memory of thy blessyd passyon, I beseche thee to gyve me grace perseverauntly to bere it in the cogitacyons of my herte, and that thou wylte oversprynge the interyour partes of my herte with thy precyous blode to the laude and glory of thy name. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
17: Of the expolyacyon, illusyon, crownacyon, and persecucyons of the heed of Jesu
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde unto thee lorde Jhesu Cryste that the thyrde houre of the daye were spoyled of thy clothes by the mynystres of Pilate, and before al the company of thyne enemyes they clothed thee, kynge of glorye, with an olde purpre clothe, that fro the begynnynge were circumdate with glory and honour. And settynge thee upon a stole they put a buystous garlonde of [fol. 16r] sharpe thornes on thy heed whiche with theyr staves they had wraythed, smytynge and pressynge it downe as cruelly as they myght without ony mercy, soo that the blode stremed downe pyteously from thy devyne heed over thy face and necke, that therwith thyn eyen were blynded, thyne eers, nose, and thy mouth repleted with thy blode, and all dysfygured.
prose-textblock2And they gave thee a reede in thy ryght hande for a regall septre, whiche arte kynge of kynges and lorde of lordes, and knelynge before thee they illuded thee, sayenge: “All hayle kynge of Jewes.” And they smote thee with grete strokes that art lorde of vertue, to whome sonne, mone and every celestyall ordre dooth servyce, and they spette in thyne amyable face, of whose pulcrytude and beauté the sonne and the mone mervayleth, and they toke the reede from thy hande which was grete and harde and smote thee therwith on the heed. O good Jhesu, for this thorny crowne whiche with many punctures wounded thy blessyd heed, and for thy myserable vysage whiche was dysfygured reed and waylful by smytynges and wepynges, blacke and blewe with plages, suffused with blode, and fyled by spettynge: graunte my soule so amyable a face that thy clere eyen may delyte to se her. Pater noster. Ave.
18: Of the wrongfull condempnacyon of Jhesu to the deth of the crosse
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, for the holy and devoute steppes that thou wente, goynge fro the pretory berynge the crowne of thornes and the purpre vestyment whan Pilate presented thee to thyn enemyes [fol. 16v] saynge: “Beholde man” — as though he sayd, yf this man hath offended the lawe, spare hym now for as moche as ye se hym dejecte, myserable, and rewfull to beholde. And they behelde thee with terryble eyen and cryed: “Crucyfy hym, crucify hym.” And Pilate sayd: “I fynde no cause in hym, therfore take ye hym and crucify hym.” Than they cryed: “We have a lawe, and after the lawe he muste dye for he nameth hymselfe the sone of God.” Than Pylate entred in to the pretory, and called thee to hym and sayd: “From whens arte thou?” And thou, sapyence that procedest fro the mouth of the hygh God, answered no worde, for thou were so meke in all thy injuryes that the juge of iniquyté mervayled therof. And whan he sayd to thee that he had power to crucyfy thee and also to delyver thee, thou answered mekely: “Thou sholde not have power in me, but yf it were gyven thee from above.”
prose-textblock2Than Pylate wente out and sayd to the Jewes: “Beholde your kynge.” They denyed and forsoke thee to be theyr kynge, sayenge: “We have noo kynge but Cesar.” Truly Jhesu, I knowlege thee this day to be my God and my lorde, and playnly I joye in thee, that we have thee to be our advocate and bysshop that knowest well howe to have compassyon of our infyrmytees, and I praye thee that thou wylte knowlege me this daye before the face of thy fader, and say this to my soule: “I am thyn onely helth.” O myn onely solace, the people cryed horrybly agayne on thee to the juge, sayenge: “Yf thou let hym passe, so thou art not Cesars frende.” Than Pilate knowynge that for envy they had brought thee to hym, but yet wyllynge to satysfy the people, he wasshed his handes and sayd: “I am innocent from the blode of this man — ye may it se.” And all the people cryed and sayd: “The vengeaunce of his blode muste fall on us and on our chyldren.” Than he delyvered to them Baraban, and [fol. 17r] juged thee, innocent sone of God, to deth. O good Jhesu, for this terryble sentence of thy dampnacyon, and for the grete humylyté, pacyence and softnesse whiche thou shewed us in all thy trybulacyons and anguysshes whiche thou suffred, goynge in and out fro juge to juge, make me humble and peasyble in all my werkes. Amen. Pater noster.
19: Of the berynge of the crosse to Calvary, and of the crucyfyenge of Jhesu
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, that the syxt houre of the day puttest off the purpre vestyment, where than the cursed tyraunts fyersly plucked it off from thy tender body, sore wounded, whan it was cleven faste with drye blode to thy body; wherwith they drewe the skynne and the flesshe, with the whiche thy body was all to rent, rased and torne, and stremed agayne fresshely with blode. And than they clothed thee eftsones in thyn owne vesture full ygnomynyously, and thou were ledde bytwene two theves berynge thyn owne crosse, grete and hevy on thy sholdres, thrugh the cyté towarde Calvary with grete wondrynge of people — some lamentynge and waylynge for thee, some illudynge and scornynge thee, and some smytynge thee with sore strokes, sayenge: “Go forthe thefe, go forth traytour, go forth fals deceyver and begyler of people.” And al be it thy sorowfull moder for multytude of people coude not se who smote thee, yet she myght here clerely the sowne of the violent percucions and strokes that they layde on thee.
prose-textblock2And than thou were so faynte of body and so feble by meanes of so [fol. 17v] grete passions and effusyons of blode that thou fell downe to the grounde with the hevy crosse on thy backe. And than they compelled an other man to bere thy crosse to Calvary, and this they dyde for no compassyon of thee but for fere leest thou sholde have dyed without greter turmentes. And the good woman Veronyca brought to thee a fayre sudary whiche thou set to thy vysage, wherin thou prynted a pyteous pycture and a dolorous memoryall of thy passyon to be depely prynted in the hertes of thy lovynge poore servauntes in this worlde. And as thou wente in these paynfull trybulacyons, thou tourned thyselfe to the women that folowed lamentynge thee with swete wordes confortynge them, and desyred that they sholde not wepe on thee, but on themselfe and on theyr chyldren.
prose-textblock3And whan thou came to the place of paynes, all the instrumentes for thy crucyfyenge were ordeyned there redy, whiche thy moder behelde with moost sorowfull herte, and personally there thou put off thy clothes, the wycked mynystres sayenge amonge themselfe: “These vestures be ours, he may no more have them for that he is condempned to deth.” And thou Jhesu standynge there naked and bare as thou were borne, one rennynge brought to thee a coverynge, wherof inwardly thou joyed, and fastenynge it aboute thy myddes mekely thou layest downe on the crosse, spredynge out thyn armes and layenge forth thy legges in length, thou offred there thy precyous wounded body on the harde crosse in sacrifyce to God thy fader as a moost meke lambe for our synnes. And the cursed tyrantes cruelly nayled fyrst thy ryght hande where the hole was perced for the nayle to entre, and than with a rope fastned to thy handwrest vyolently, halynge and drawynge, they nayled thy lefte hande on the syde of the crosse where as the [fol. 18r] hole was ordeyned for the same; and in lyke maner halynge, drawynge, and straynynge they crucyfyed fyrste thy ryght fote and upon the same thy lefte fote with two nayles, wherby the synewes and vaynes of thy body were broken. And by suche cruell extencyon and haylynge the joyntes of thy body were dyssolved and losed that all the bones myght be nombred, and all the woundes of thy body, and all the dolours of them therby were renewed, and the horryble payne of thy woundes entred thrugh all thy bowells and the sharpenesse of the nayles perced the secretes of the marowe of thy bones and synewes, bryngynge out to us the precyous tresours of thy blode.
prose-textblock4O good Jesu, for all these dolours that thou suffered goynge to thy deth, and in thy crucyfyenge whan thou were strayned so on the crosse that thou coude not meve hande, fote, ne none other membre of thy body but onely thy tongue, wherwith thou might praye for thyn enemyes, and for all the doloures that wente thrugh all the interyour partes of thy body whan thy crosse was reysed and let fall in to the morteys with suche vyolence that all thy sore bones cracked, and for the grete charyté that made thee ascende on the crosse: I praye thee that thy charyté may brenne and consume all my synnes so fully in my soule that she may be made a moost pure myrrour in the syght of thy godhede. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
20: Of the blasphemés of the Jewes and of the prayer of Jhesu on the crosse for his enemyes
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, for that thou hangynge on the crosse suffred many grete derisyons and insultacions of thy cruell enemyes, for why som of them sayd that thou were a thefe, and som that thou were a grete lyer, and som affermed and sayd that none was worthyer [fol. 18v] deth than thou were. And some sayd that thou coude helpe other men but thou coude not helpe thyselfe, and some blasphemynge sayd: “Yf thou be Cryste kynge of Israell come downe off the crosse that we may byleve on thee.” And many other blasphemés they sayd of thee. And notwithstandynge all this thou had more compassyon of them, thy cruell enemyes, than thou hade of thy selfe, suffrynge so grete tourmentes so that of thy haboundaunt charyté thou prayed for them sayenge: “Fader, forgyve them for they knowe not what they do.” O cruelté of people of this worlde, that wyl shewe no mercy for smal offences done agaynst them, but wyll be avenged without pyté, nothynge regardynge the grete charyté of Cryste, gyvynge us example of excellent compassyon, but suche vengeable people sholde remembre this wryten: that they whiche wyll shewe no mercy, no mercy shall have. Jhesu, I praye thee for thy passyon, and for the charyté that thou shewed prayenge for thyn enemyes, gyve me grace to love my frendes in thee, and myn enemyes for thee, and gladly to forgyve them that offendeth me that thou, mercyfull lorde, wylte forgyve all myn offences wherwith I have provoked thee ofte to wrathe. Pater noster. Ave.
21: Of the mercy of Jhesu shewed to the thefe hangynge at his ryght syde
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, benygne Jhesu, for the grete mercy thou shewed to the thefe that henge besyde thee at thy ryght syde whan of hertely contricyon and stedfast fayth he sayd to thee: “Have mynde of me, lord, whan thou comest to thy kyngdome.” And thou, lord of mercy, not onely graunted him forgyvenes of synnes but also the blisse of paradyse, sayenge to hym: “Truly I say to thee, this daye thou [fol. 19r] shalte be with me in paradyse.” Mercyful Jesu, I praye thee to graunt me so bytter contricyon for my synnes before I dye, wherby I may obteyn of them ful remyssyon, and also the blysse of paradyse with the worshypfull thefe that henge at thy ryght syde. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
22: Of the words of Jesu commendynge his moder to saynt John
prose-textblock1I laude and gloryfy thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, for the ineffable doloure whiche thou had hangynge on the crosse, beholdynge thy sorowfull moder standynge besyde thee, tourmented in soule with inestymable dolours and anguysshes for moderly compassion that she had of thee, whan she behelde thee her onely sone so pyteously extent on the crosse without offence, wounded with thousande woundes, and flesshe taken of her virgynall flesshe all to rente and torne. And for the cruell deth whiche thou suffred of the people of whose progenye thou were borne havynge no consolacyon of frende, for all were fledde fro thee, therfore thou loked to the grounde where thy dolorous moder stode, yf happely she myght helpe thee — but thou had no helpe of her for she was faynt and sorowfull.
prose-textblock2And whan thou behelde her and other that loved thee standynge by her, sore wepynge and waylynge, whiche lever wolde have suffred that payne that thou suffred in themselfe with thyne helpe, or to brenne in hell for evermore than to se thee so crucyate and tourmented. And the sorowe that thou toke for thy moder and frendes waylynge for thee exceded all the bytternesse and trybulacyons that thou suffred in thy body or in thy herte, for full tenderly thou loved them. And thou commended [fol. 19v] thy moder to thy dyscyple saynt John, sayenge to her: “Woman, beholde thy sone.” Jhesu, I beseche thee that in the dredefull houre of my deth thou wylte commende me to the proteccyon of thy blessyd moder, that she may defende me fro the malyce and power of fendes, that by theyr wicked sotylté they brynge me not in to desparacyon, elacyon, ne from my fayth, but defended by her thy passyon helpynge I may obteyne the joy eternall. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
23: Of the thurste of Jhesu on the crosse and of his bytter drynke
prose-textblock1I laude and gloryfy thee lorde Jhesu Cryste for the thurste thou suffred on the crosse by reason of ofte and greate effusyons of blode and turmentes, but more ardently thou thursted our helth and salvacyon, sayenge thus: “Sitio,” “I thurste.” And thou, the fonte of the water of lyfe, tasted soure eysell medled with bytter gall by a sponge therwith fulfylled and put to thy mouth, and that thou wolde suffre and taste for mannes trespasse, tastynge the fruyte forboden hym by God. For this thurste and bytter drynke, Jhesu, I praye thee quenche in me the thurste of carnall concupyscence and the hete of worldly delectacyon, and kendle my desyre so to vertue and to every good werke that after this lyfe I may be made dronke in heven with the plentefulnesse of thy hous, and with the swete wyne of the vysyon of thy godhede. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
24: Of the grete clamour of Jesu on the crosse: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsake me?”
prose-textblock1[fol. 20r] Laude and honoure I yelde to thee, lorde Jesu Cryst, that so myserably hengest on the crosse bytwene two theves, all wounded and pyteously rent. And for as moche as thou were best and stronge of complexyon, therfore lyfe stryved with deth in thy wounded body: for some whyles the dolours of thy membres and synewes of thy body wounded ascended to thy hert, whiche was moost fresshe and uncorrupte, whiche vexed thee with incredyble dolour and passion. And some whyles the dolour descended from the herte unto the membres, lacerate and torne, and so dethe was prolonged in thee, Jhesu, with grete bytternesse.
prose-textblock2And hangynge on the crosse in suche horryble tourmentes thou cryed to thy fader with a grete voyce, sayenge, “My God, my God why hast thou forsake me,” as though thou sayd: “O fader, have mynde, why thou forsakest me in these bytter anguysshes. Therfore it is that I sholde make satysfaccyon to thee for the synne of man, and that I myght turne away thy wrathe fro them, and so reconcyled by me they may fynde grace before thy face. O my fader and lorde, I have fulfylled it with bytter passyon and cruell deth; I have made satysfaccyon to thy faderly charité with the brennynge desyre of broderly charité, and whose maker I was fro the begynnynge I am made now theyr redemptour and savyour. And the kyngdome of heven whiche I posseded fro the begynnynge by ryghtful herytage of a sone, now I am become man in this late tyme, and all bespronge with myn owne blode, that man whose broder I am become may possede the same kyngdome for evermore in herytage by broderly ryght.”
prose-textblock3O swete Jhesu, hertely I praye thee for all the woundes of thy precyous body, and for the fervent anguysshe whiche thou suffred on the crosse to be there as a man forsaken of God, for that God sholde not forsake us eter|nally, [fol. 20v] and for the bytter wepynges whiche thou wepte on the crosse for us with dolefull cryenge for huge bytternesse of sorowes and ardent desyre of charyté. Forsake me not, meke Jhesu, at my last ende, but receyve me to thy mercy and save my soule that thou hast bought so dere. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
25: Of the wordes of Jhesu on the crosse: “Consummatum est”
prose-textblock1Lorde Jhesu Cryste, that arte moost pureste myrroure of the Holy Trinité, whome I beholde now with the inwarde eyen of my mynde, with all myn inwarde bowelles I laude and gloryfy thee, that aboute the houre of thy deth saydest these wordes: “Consummatum est.” As though thou sayd: “Every thynge that hath be sayd of me by the mouthes of holy prophetes or fygured of me in the lawe fro the tyme of my concepcion unto the houre of my deth now is fulfylled in me.” Lorde Jhesu Cryste, I praye thee for the vertue of these holy wordes, graunte me grace to fulfyll obedyently all thy wyll in observacyon of thy holy preceptes and to ordre my lyfe after thy holy counseyles, wherby thy passyon helpynge I may obteyne eternall felycyté. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
26: Of the expyracyon of Jhesu, and of the myracles befallynge in the tyme of his deth
prose-textblock1Redemptour of mankynde, Jhesu Cryst, I laude and honour thee that whan the tyme of deth was come thy blessed eyen apprered all deedly, the chere of thy vysage was all waylynge and lamentable, thy mouth [fol. 21r] opened, thy tethe apperynge whyte, thy tongue all blody, thy bely cleved to thy backe all consumed fro moystnesse as though thou had no bowelles, all thy body pale and wanne by reason of flowynges out of blode, thy handes and fete gretely swollen by straynynge and naylynge to the crosse, thy heere and berde reed with blode and clotted. And than for the greate anguysshe of deth of the partye of thy manhode, thou cryed to thy fader sayenge: “O fader, into thy handes I betake my spyryte.” Than the virgyn thy moder, herynge these wordes as moost sorowfull moder, all the membres of her body trembled and quoke; and ever after whyles she lyved, as ofte as she remembred these wordes, it sowned in her eeres as present and fresshe to her herynge.
prose-textblock2And than good Jhesu whan deth came, wherby thy herte for vyolence of dolours sholde breke in sonder all thy body trembled, and a lytel lyftynge up thy heed thou enclyned it on thy sholdre, thy handes withdrewe themselfe a lytell from the place of perforacyon, and than thy fete susteyned moche of the weyght of thy body, thy fyngers and armes somwhat extended themselfe and strongly strayned themselfe upwarde to the tree, and with suche bytter dolours thy herte brake in sondre. And thy holy soule departed from thy blessyd body and with the godhede wente downe to hell, and brekyng up the gates of deth toke out all the holy soules whiche thou hade thus redemed, settynge them in the felycyté of paradyse. And in the daye of thyn Ascencyon thou presented them whome thou had bought with thy precyous deth to thy holy fader of heven.
prose-textblock3And thou, good Jesu, henge on the crosse naked and so poore and nedy that thou had not wheron to reclyne thy heed, but at the last thou reclyned it on thy sholdre for foure [fol. 21v] causes. One was that thou myght gyve a kysse to thyn espouse Holy Chyrche, and to shewe her that all the wrathe of thy fader was mytygate and peasyfyed by thee. The seconde was to aske a reclinatory in the herte of man. The thyrde thou reclyned thy heed on thy sholdre as sayenge: “What sholde I have done more for thee than I have done? Shewe me, for I am redy yet to do it for thee and to helpe thee.” The fourth as though thou sayd: “Trust veryly in me, for that thou can not do I may do it for thee.”
prose-textblock4And in thy deth, good Jhesu, creatures havynge no reason wayled for thee, for why, stones brake, monumentes opened, and many bodyes of holy men that were deed dyd ryse. The vayle of the temple dyd breke fro the hygheste parte unto the grounde, and the sonne, as sorowynge for thee, withdrewe his lyght that all the worlde was derke. O ingratytude of reasonable man, that can not sorowe for thy passyon, for whome thou suffred it so paynfully. For this dolorous passion and deth, Jhesu, I beseche thee to be mercyfull to me in the dredefull houre of my deth, and graunt me right mynde and speche to the last ende of my lyfe, and that I may have more mynde of thee and of thy passyon than of the dolours and paynes that than I shall suffre, and commendynge my soule to thy blessyd handes thou wylt receyve her whome thou hast bought to the glory that hath none ende. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
27: Of that the body of Cryst henge deed thre houres on the crosse, and of the openynge of his syde with a spere, and of certayne utylytees therof
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, for that it pleased thee to hange thre houres myserably deed on the crosse. Lykewyse, as thou henge thre hou|res [fol. 22r] alyve in horryble tourmentes on the crosse, and that it pleased thee to suffre thy holy syde to be opened with a spere that blode and water plenteously ran out. And than were the gates of heven opened to us, whiche fro the tyme that Adam had synned to that houre were contynually sparde ayenst us. And as our fyrst moder Eve was fourmed of the syde of Adam slepynge in paradyse, so our chaste moder Holy Chyrche, good Jesu, of thy syde — whiche arte the seconde Adam, hangynge deed on the crosse — was fourmed, and all the sacramentes of the same our sayd good moder of thy forsayd precyous wounde toke all theyr strength and vertue. And where as by the transgressyon of our fyrst parentes Adam and Eve all we were the chyldren of perdycyon, soo by thee, swete Jhesu the seconde Adam, by thy passyon and the sacrament of baptym we be made the chyldren of adopcyon. And by the merytes of the same passyon with helpe of the sacramentes of Holy Chyrche — thy chaste espouse, our good moder — we truste stedfastly to be the chyldren of salvacyon. O swete Jhesu, hertely I praye thee that the merytes of thy precyous wounde, with the helpe of the sayd blessyd sacrament may open the gates of heven to me that after this mortal lyf I may have free entrynge there to dwel with thee for evermore. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
28: Of the takynge downe of the body of Cryste fro the crosse and of his sepulture
prose-textblock1[fol. 22v] Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryst, for that thou were taken downe off the crosse by the besy labour of thy frendes Joseph and Nychodeme, and thy sorowfull moder receyved thee on her lappe with full bytter wepynge, where thou lay as a man all to-drawen and torne in every membre so pyteously dysfygured that thou were more lyke a lepre than a clene man, and thy deed eyen were all blody, thy mouth colde as yse, thyn armes were so styffe, colde, and spredde abrode as thou henge on the crosse that thy moder and frendes aforesayd had grete besynesse to brynge them downe to thy bely. And thy wofull moder wyped and dryed thy blody woundes with a cloth, and closed thy mouth and eyen whiche were open by deth, and this done, thy wounded deifyed body was lapped in a clene sudary and dressed with odoramentes and layde and buryed in the lowe place of the herte of the erth. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
29: Of the gloryous Resurreccyon of Jesu, and of his apparycyons
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, that the thyrde daye dyde ryse from deth gloryfyed in body and soule with thy godhede, apperynge to thy blessyd moder as we mekely may ymagyn, and also to Mary Mawdeleyn. And thou mette with the women comynge from the monument sayenge to them: “All hayle [fol. 23r] ye.” And they came to thee, layenge handes on thy fete, and also the same daye of thy Resurreccyon thou appered to two dyscyples goynge to Emaus, and they knewe thee in brekynge of brede. And agayne thou entred to thy dyscyples the gates beynge shytte and sayd: “Peas be to you, I am — drede ye not.” And before them thou dyd ete parte of a rosted fysshe, and of a hony combe. And at the see Tiberiadis thou shewed thyselfe to thy dyscyples, and brede and fysshe whiche thou had taken of them thou delyvered to them, and full frendly thou comyned with them, and specyally with Peter that had denyed thee. And after eyght dayes agayne thou appered to thy dyscyples and gavest them thy peas. And thou conforted Thomas harde of beleve by shewynge of thy woundes to hym. Pater noster. Ave Maria.
30: Of the mervaylous Ascencyon of our lorde Jhesu
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste, for all that ever thou dyde fro the daye of thy gloryous Resurreccyon, unto the daye of thy mervaylous Ascensyon, for fro that daye oftentymes thou appered to thy dyscyples, and to other thy faythfull frendes, frendly confortyng them of the sorowe and hevynesse whiche they toke for thee in thy passyon, and confermynge them in thy fayth, hope and charyté. And last of all thou ascended on the mount of Olyvete, and lyftynge up thy hande thou gave them thy dyvyne benediccyon, and in the syght [fol. 23v] of all that were there thou were lyfte up in to heven where thou shewed all thy woundes and vyctory to the syght of thy fader, and syttynge at his ryght syde coomnipotent and coeterne thou were crowned with glory and honour. Lorde Jhesu Cryste, for the glory of thyn Ascencion gyve me grace to folowe thee by grees of vertue from day to day, that after this lyfe as a membre of thy mystycall body I may be knytte to thee, ye heed of the same body, in heven blysse for evermore. Amen. Pater noster. Ave.
31: Of the myssyon of the Holy Ghost on the blessyd daye of
prose-textblock1Thankynges I yelde to thee, lorde Jhesu Cryste that after ten dayes of thyne Ascencyon sendest downe the Holy Ghoost after thy promesse to thy dyscyples in lykenesse of tongues of fyre brennynge, wherby they were so illumyned with grace that with theyr mouthes in the tongues of al nacyons they preched the lawe of thy brennynge charyté, wherof all the people mervayled. And confermynge the wordes of theyr doctryne by open myracles they converted innumerable people to thy fayth, so that Peter in one day converted thre thousande from theyr erroure. Benygne Jhesu, I praye thee to sende me grace of the Holy Ghoost and his swete consolacyon in all my werkes with the blessyd gyftes of hym, wherby I may lede here an acceptable lyfe unto thy pleasure, that I may therby obteyne the joye and glory that never shall have ende. Amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria. Credo in Deum.
prose-textblock2Te deum laudamus, etc.
Epilogue
prose-textblock1[fol. 24r] O all ye servantes of God unto whose handes this devoute lytell treatyse shall come, yf ye fynde swetnesse or devocyon in Jhesu Cryste therby, laude ye God therfore, and of your charyté praye for the Anker of London wall, wretched Symon, that to the honour of Jhesu Cryst and of the virgyn his moder Mary hath compyled this mater in Englysshe for your ghostly conforte that understande no Latyn.
prose-textblock2Deo gratias.
prose-textblock3Here endeth the treatyse called the Fruyte of Redempcyon, whiche devoute treatyse I Rycharde, unworthye bysshop of London, have studyously radde and overseen, and the same approve as moche as in me is to be radde of the true servauntes of swete Jhesu, to theyr grete consolacyon and ghostly conforte, and to the merytes of the devoute fader, compounder of the same.
prose-textblock4Enprynted by Wynkyn de Worde, the .