The Life of Joseph of Arimathea

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¶Here begynneth the lyfe of Ioseph of Armathia.

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IHesu the royall ruby moost hye of renowne.

Rested in Mary þ e mayde / for her humylyte.

And fro þ e realme of rightwysnes / descended down.

To take the meke clothyng / of our humanyte.

The .v. welles of pyte to open. Adam restored he.

On the crosse and for vs shedde /his precyous blode.

There was the boke vnclapsed / of perfyte charyte vnclapsed: =unclasped

With Longis spere smyten / hangyng on the rode.

His precyous body / on the crosse beyng deed.

Sore it greued his dyscyples / euerychone.

And in the olde bokes as we rede

That amonge all other there was one

His hert was perysshed with very compassyon.

His name called Ioseph / the lorde of Aromathy

He went to pylate and full humbly desyred hym.

To haue the body of Ihesu / hym for to bury.

And pylate graunted hym / all his askyng.

Than ioseph retourned / with countenaunce demure.

And prayed Nycodymus / to go with hym.

For to take downe / our lordes precyous body.

So Ioseph layde Ihesu / to rest in his sepulture.

And wrapped his body / in a clothe called sendony. sendony: see OED s.v. sindon

Ryche was it wrought. with golde and sylke full pure.

Ioseph of a mayd it bought / in Aromathy cyte.

But yet whan Ioseph Ihesu downe toke.

The syde þ a t the wounde was on / lay to his brest.

The colde blode / that was at our lordes herte-rote

Fell within Iosephes sherte / and lay on his chest.

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Truly as holy scripture sayth / there dyde it rest.

At the holy place / aboue his stomake.

And whan our lorde / in the sendony was drest.

Thys blode in two cruettes / Ioseph dyd take

The Iewes herd say / þ a t Ioseph Ihesu had buryed.

They thought þ a t Nycodemus and he shulde repent.

The[y] went to pylat and sayd they were greued. The[y]] The 1520

Ioseph and Nycodemus for them both they sent.

Than came they to pylat to knowe all his entente

and sayd they had buryed ihesu / as he gaue them leue.

I_wys sayd all the iewes / that there were present.

He shall curse ye tyme / that his body dyd remeue.

Why sayd Ioseph iesu was goddes owne sonne.

That ye bounde lyke a thefe / and hyng on the rode.

Also to þ e hert with a sharpe spere / ye hym stonge.

and with .iii. nayles made hym shede his giltles blode.

I wote well he neuer dyd yll / but euermore gode.

He made þ e blynde to se / and heled some of lepry.

He resed Lazarus / also / by his worde.

This is true sayd Ioseph / ye knowe as well as I.

The Iues put Ioseph / in a stronge prison of stone.

In that darke house / by hym-selfe he lay.

Lyght he coude not se / for wyndowe had it none.

The[y] locked the dore / and than went theyr way.The[y]] The 1520

Cayphas and Anna / of that kept the kay.

And sealed the dore / also / they thought to be sure

For Ioseph shulde dye / playnly dyd they say.

But pacyently all theyr truble / dyd he endure.

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Than Ihesu_Christ / at his resurrection.

To Ioseph apered / about hye mydnyght.

And rered all the foure corners / of that pryson.

The walles he susteyned / by his great myght.

Ioseph that / meruayled / seyng so great a lyght.

A full precious water / our lorde threwe in his face.

Before that hour / he sawe neuer so swete a syght.

Who is there sayd Ioseph / art thou Elyas.

Our lorde spake to Ioseph / and bad hym nat fere.

He sayd aryse and toke hym vp by the hande.

I am Ihesu / whom thou buryed in the sepulture.

If thou be / sayd Ioseph / that here doth stande.

Gyue me the rychest / treasour / of this lande.

The clothe that is called the Sendony.

Ihesu led hym to the sepulture / and there it fonde.

Holde ioseph sayd ihesu / þ e couerture of my body.

There ihesu bad ioseph to his owne place wende.

And sayd kepe thou thy house / dayes fully forty.

Farwell sayd our lorde. Ioseph my frende.

Where-euer thou becom / peace be with the.

I go to my disciples / that longe after me.

Ioseph wept for ioy / that was of yeres olde.

Saynge / o Ihesu worshypped may thou be.

For thy grace I haue spyed / is better than golde.

Ioseph kept his house as our lorde bad.

And on the morowe cayphace went to the pryson.

No-body he there founde than was he full sad.

Where is Ioseph sayd anne I trowe he be gon.

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I marueyle he sayd the seales were hole eche one

And yet he out of the house is gone.

For wo they all wyst nat what to done.

Sayeng he that conuayed hym was a false felone

So worde they had that in Armathya cyte.

Ioseph was / than sent they to hym gretyng.

By theyr letters made full craftely

Him lowly prayeng that theyr writing

He [w]olde ouer-se and as [touchyng] any-thyng wolde] holde 1520; touchyng] 1520 omits, touchyng Skeat

That was done to hym they were wo therfore.

And prayed to Ioseph his louers he wolde bryng.

For they wolde be frendes with hym for euermore

This mater to shorten Ioseph thyder went.

And shewed them how theyr lorde delyuered hym

Out of the pryson suche grace god me sent.

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Well sayd the Iewes we meruayle of one thyng.

How he gate out with all his connyng. Skeat: gate [thee] out

Ioseph sayd he lyfted the house fro the grounde.

They sayd by what crafte was it hanging

That it fell nat in sonder but stode styll sounde

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Well sayd Ioseph this was a great wonder.

Whan the sharpe spere to his hart was pyght

To se great rockes and stones breke a_sonder.

The sonne darked and withdrewe his lyght.

The erthe trymbled by his great myght.

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All these were maruaylous sayd Ioseph than.

Deed bodyes in theyr graues were sene with si[gh]t sight] sihgt 1520

Wherfore I dare say he is very god and man.

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Now here how Ioseph came into englande.

But at that tyme it was called brytayne.

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Than .xv. yere with our lady as I vnderstande.

Ioseph wayted styll / to serue hyr he was fayne.

So after hyr assumpcyon the boke telleth playne.

With saynt Philyp he went into fraunce.

His sonne and his wyfe to serue god with payne.

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Fayne for to folowe vertuous gouernaunce.

Ioseph had a sonne whose name was Iosephas

That our lorde a bysshop dyd consecrate.

A vertuous lyuer the boke sayth that he was.

Phylip bad them go to great_brytayn fortunate

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So to the see they went of ioye seperate.

For of them there were .v.C. and mo.

In that company bothe erly and late

Taryeng for passage / togyder forto go.

A shyp they toke as I vnderstande.

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And passed without peryll ouer the salt streme

Into the hauen they all aryued to lande

But yet of brytayne they fayled theyr course clene.

They fortuned to a countre of a tyraunt kene.

Called wales there was a kyng that tyme

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They landed all as þ e boke telleth on an ester euyn

xxxi. yere after the passyon about the houre of nyne

Whan the kyng knewe that they dyd lande

He toke Ioseph and all his felowes truly.

And put them in pryson great and strong.

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Than they all prayed to god almyghty.

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And he herde theyr prayers lyghtly.

That they were delyuered in short space.

He thought his seruauntes sholde nat in peryl lye.

Than he sent them confort by his great grace.

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Our lorde apered to a kyng in the west.

That named was Mordrayous in-dede

Bydding hym for to make hym prest

With all his myght in-to wales to spede.

Sayng there be my seruauntes that of helpe nede

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Go thou theder and bere thy swerde in thy hande thy] they 1520

That proude kyng that me doth nat drede.

Thou shalt hym ouercome and all his lande.

Than the kyng after his vysion sene.

Thought in hast his deuer to do

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So vp he rose in the mornyng.

All his lordes he called hym to.

He sayd in-to wales in-dede must I go.

Now thyder wyll I hye me with all my myght.

God to me appered and bad me do so.

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A_gayne the prince of that countre for to fight

In all hast he dysposed his householde.

And to a lorde he toke the realme to gouerne.

To delyuer goddes seruauntes he sayd he wolde.

I knowe no maner man that shall me werne

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In his iourney he hyed he thought not to turne

Tyll he came to the place there Ioseph was

Many a towne in wales dyd he burne

The prynce of that countre herd therof in space

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And to Mordrayous he sent a messangere

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Prayng hym to come in with peace

He sayd this lande is poore therfore I hym fere

Besechyng his goodnesse this stryfe to sease

And I wyll hym gyue a lady perelesse

Myn owne doughter by name called Labell

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Precyously arayed in cloth of rychesse

He bad the messangere all this vnto hym tell

Than went the messangere vnto Mordrayous

And sayd all as is before tolde

Syr kyng my lorde the prayeth to be gracious

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Unto him and not so fyerse and bolde

And ye shall haue his doughter with plentie of golde

With all the prysoners that in his pryson be

Ioseph and his felowes both yong and olde

Than sayd Mordrayous he shall haue peace with me.

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On a day these kynges togeder both dyd mete

Mordrayous toke Labell to his wyfe

Eche saluted other with wordes swete

And loued togyder the terme of theyr lyfe

For Mordrayous was doughty with swerd and knyfe

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That all landes nere hym dyd dowt.

Ioseph was delyuered from daungeer blyfe blyfe: see OED s.v. belive

With his felawes all the hole rowt

Than hyther into brytayne Ioseph dyd come

And this was by kyng Aueragas dayes

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So dyd Ioseph and also Iosephas his sonne

With many one mo as the olde boke says

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This kynge was hethen and lyued on fals layes

And yet he gaue to Ioseph aulonye aulonye: =Avalon

Nowe called Glastenbury and ther he lyes

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Somtyme it was a towne of famous a[n]tyquyte.

There Ioseph lyued with other hermyttes twelfe

That were the chyfe of all the company

But Ioseph was the chefe hym-selfe

There led they an holy lyfe and gostely

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Tyll at the last Ihesu the mighty

He sent to Ioseph th'aungell gabryell

Which bad hym as the writyng doth specify

Of our ladyes assumpcyon to bylde a chapell

So Ioseph dyd as the aungell hym bad

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And wrought there an ymage of our lady

For to serue hyr great deuocion he had

And that same ymage is yet at Glastenbury

In the same churche there ye may it se

For it was the fyrst as I vnderstande

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That euer was sene in this countre

For Ioseph it made wyth his owne hande

The rode of northdore of london also dyd he make

Moche lyke as our lorde was on the rode done

For this Ioseph fro the crosse hym dyd take.

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And loke howe a man may make by proporcion

A deed ymage lyke a quycke by cunnynge

So lyke the rode of northdore Iesu henge deed

For Ioseph made it nere semyng

Unto our lorde enclynynge his heed

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Than Ioseph there abode prechyng the fayth.

Tyll by the course of nature he dyed

Thus the olde boke recordeth and sayth

But in-dede his body at Glastenbury doth abyde.

Our lorde for hym well doth prouyde

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Likely there to be sought with many a .M. .M.: =thousand

The name of Glastenbury wyll sprede full wyde

To men and women of many a straunge lande

By whose prayer god sheweth many myrakyll

Proued the .xviii. yere of henry our kyng

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In doltyng parysshe there was sicke longe whyle

Two yonge women of the pestelence lamentyng

Which passed the cure of men in eche thynge

Theyr prayer makyng to ioseph of Aramathye

So began to recouer and brought theyr offryng

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On Symone day and Iude vnto Glastenbury

And syth god there hath shewed many a myrakyl

I lacke tyme and season all to expresse

But yet all that do vysyte that holy habytakyll

It is euer lyke newe to them that call in distresse

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Four C. yere ago / the boke bereth wytnes

So longe there hath rested that holy body

And nowe pleaseth it god of his goodnesse

Great myracles for hym to worke as ye may se

Many be there holpen through our lordes myght

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A chylde of welles raysed fro deth without dout.

Lame ar there heled the blynde restored to sight

One that had the fransy to his wytte was brought

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The vykary of welles that thyder had sought

On the tenth day that many men dyd se

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Where .iiii. yere afore he stande nor go mought

Released he was of part of his infyrmyte

There is continuaunce of grace as it is shewed

On a woman of banwell þ e wyfe of Thomas_Roke

Whyche was tempted by the fende and greatly styred

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With hyr husbandes knyues she cut hyr throte

And doutlesse as true men do report

She slewe hyrselfe so greuous was the wounde.

For wo hyr husband wyst not whether to resort

Whan he sawe hyr all blody and his own knife found.

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This wofull man seynge his wyfe thus lye.

Whiche with his knyfe had done that wofull dede

Unto his neyghbours he cryed full pyteously

Hym for to helpe in that tyme of nede

The wounde to sewe fast he began to spede

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Besechynge our lorde and holy Ioseph.

This woman to saue and so hertely prayed

That anone after she began to drawe brethe

And they yet say that the stytches brake

That the flesshe / closed and that was wonder

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She was confessed / hoseled / eneled and spake

Therfore good men this in your myndes ponder

Yet lyueth and in the .ix. day of apryl came she thyder

And went before the honourable procession

The same knyfe she offred vp all blody there

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Now thanked be god and Ioseph she is hole and sounde

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The .ix. day of Aprill Iohnn_Lyght gentylman

Dwellynge besyde Ilchester at lyghtes_care

His wyfe had vpon her a feuer quartayn

By the space of two yere vexed gretly

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No medycyne nor phisyke þ a t coude do her remedy

[......................................] A line has dropped out here

And promysed thyder her offrynge deuoutly.

Than was she delyuered of her dysease certayne

The tenth daye of Apryll that was than sonday

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A chylde was smyten with a plage all deed

And to euery mannes syght an houre so he lay

His moder hertely to sent Ioseph prayed

And bowed her offryng in her hert sore afrayed bowed: poss. emend to vowed

The chylde recouered and had his hele

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And on saynt marke daye there they offred

Hole and sounde no herme dyde he fele

The .xv. day of Apryll one Robert_Browne

Of yeuell that at ylchester was prysoner

He was delyuered by proclamatyon

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And went to gader his fees for the kepar

The prysoner about his legge had a fetter

He prayed ioseph to helpe him as he was not gilty

And sodenly the fetters sprange fro hym there

In myddes of þ e market-place of Glastenbury

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Iohnn_Gyldon gentylman of port_melborne

The syde of his mouth was drawen to his eare

His lyft syde and his arme was benome

That he of his lyfe stode in great fere

Speke coude he nat nor hymselfe stere

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He prayed to Ioseph promysyng his offryng

So of his sykenes he was delyuered clere

Saue onely of an hurte in his lefte arme

The .xx. day of apryll Iohnn_popes wyfe of comtone

Had a yong chylde that was taken sodenly

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And so contynued and coude not be holpen

His moder prayed to god and Ioseph deuoutly

Her offrynge promysed than founde she remedy

The chylde recouered and had his lymmes at wyll

Lo ye well-dysposed people here may ye se

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That there is nothynge to god impossyble

Yonge walter_sergaunt dwellynge in Pylton

His chylde in the pestylence was in Ieopardy

And sore panged that he myght not meue hym

So that to theyr syght he appered deed veryly

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This wofull moder as the neyghbours testefy

Prayed to Ioseph and of the chylde the mesure

And promysed to do her offrynge truly

Than shortly after the chylde dyde recure

Also Alys wyfe to Walter_benet dwellyng in welles

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Infect with the frenche pockes a yere and more

And doutlesse as her owne neyghbours telles

Her fete were so paynfull and sore

That go coude she not but as she was bore

Thyder was she brought in-to the chapell

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Uerely she was heled and lefte her styltes thore

And on her fete wente home resonably well

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Iohnn_Abyngdons wyfe of welles had a sykenesse

Moost paynfull with a sore called a fistula

So long i[t] contynued that she laye spechelesse it] is 1520

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And her lymbes dyde rotte truly they do say

So that with a knyfe the peces were cut away

At last she thought she had sene Ioseph in pycture

How he toke god fro the crosse and to hym dyde pray

Her for to hele and than began she to recure

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All the myracles to shewe it were to longe

There is many mo full great þ a t I do not reherse

As pestylence purpyls and agonys strong

With megrymes also and men þ a t haue lyen specheles

And this I knowe well both in prose ryme and verse

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Men loue nat to rede an ouer-longe thyng

Therfore I entende this mater to short and sease

I pray you all to marke well the endynge

Ye pylgrymes all gyue your attendaunce

Saynt ioseph there to serue with humble affectyon.

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At Glastenbury for to do hym reuerence

Lyft vp your hertes with goostly deuocyon

Therwith conceyuyng this brefe compylacyon

Though it halte in meter of eloquence

All-thyng is sayd vnder correctyon

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And wryten to do holy Ioseph reuerence

Ye lettred that wyll haue more intellygence

Of the fyrst foundacyon of Ioseph there

The olde bokes of Glastenbury shall you ensence

More plainly to vnderstande this forsayd matere

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To you shall declare the hole cronycle clere

Wryten full truly with a notable processe

Make ye no doute nor be not in fere

As olde clerkes therof bereth wytnesse

Sothely Glastenbury is þ e holyest erth of england

370

Rede saynt Dauydes lyfe and there may ye se

That our lorde it halowed with his owne hande

For Dauyd by myracle proued it parde

Chryst made through his handes two holes truely

Than went Dauyd and his masse began

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And after sakeryng the holes dyd shyt a sayd he

This church was halowed by a better than I am

Great meruaylles men may se at Glastenbury

One of a walnot tree that there dooth stande

In the holy grounde called the semetory

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Harde by þ e place where kynge Arthur was founde

South fro Iosephs chapell it is walled in rounde

It bereth no leaues tyll the day of saynt Barnabe

And than that tree that standeth in the grounde

Spredeth his leaues as fayre as any other tree

385

Thre hawthornes also that groweth in werall

Do burge and bere grene leaues at Christmas

As fresshe as other in May whan þ e nightyngale

Wrestes out her notes musycall as pure as glas

Of all wodes and forestes she is þ e chefe chauntres

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In wynter to synge yf it were her nature

In werall she myght haue a playne place

On those hawthornes to shewe her notes clere

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Lo lordes what Ihesu dooth in Ianuary

Whan the great colde cometh to grounde

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He maketh the hauthorne to sprynge full fresshely

Where as it pleaseth hym his grace is founde

He may loose all-thing that is bounde

Thankes be gyuen to hym that in heuen sytteth

That floryssheth his werkes so on the grounde

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And in Glastenbury. Quia mirabilia fecit.

¶A praysyng to Ioseph.

O Ioseph sanctificate is thy fyrst foundation

Thy parentycle may be praysed of vs all

Armony syng with hertely Iubylacyon

That causeth many sorowes fro theyr hertes fall

Of creatures dysconsolate that there for grace call

Lawdyng Ioseph with deuoute reuerence

As a principall place chosen of Christ moost speciall

There shal thei fynde confort of Christes magnificence

Hayle mighty gyaunt heuen and erth thou dyde bere

As bright as the mone tha[t] Illumyneth þ e nyght. that] than 1520

Moche stronger than Sampson that had no pere

Hayle floure fragrant [tha]t with thy great myght that] it 1520

Putteth fendes vnto flyght and euery yll ayre

From men that deuoutly do theyr dylygence

Here Ioseph to serue with offrynge or prayer

Shall fynde confort of our lordes magnyficence

Hayle Ioseph that bere the swete hony-combe

On good friday as holy scripture doth specyfie

In thyn earme þ u bere both the lyon and the lambe

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God and man in one humanyte

In sepulture thou layd the myrrour of humylyte

Bryghter than lucyfer in his resplendence

After he had payed our raunsom and made vs fre

Of his great fauour grace and magnyfycence

Hayle myghty balynger charged with plenty

Thou hast cast anker in the hauen of aduentere.

O dentyous dyamonde þ e destroyer of yll desteny

As gay as euer was phebus in his golde spere

O noble Ioseph the tyme of grace draweth nere

Hayle myrre so precyous dystroynge al pestelence

O royall gem whome men shall seke full ferre

Here to haue confort of our lordes magnyfycence.

Heyle tresour of Glastenbury moost imperyall

In fauour smellynge swete as eglantyne

Now shall thy name flourysshe ouerall

Ihesu for thy sake the bell of mercy doth rynge.

Great cause hath Englande (Laus deo to synge

God and Ioseph to prayse with all our dylygence

That many men delyuereth out of mournynge

By our lordes fauour grace and magnyfycence

O noble Ioseph O ghostly phe[syc]yon phesycyon] phecysyon 1520

By the is cured many a malady

Nat vsynge pylles / dregges / ne pocyon

Ne other medecyne yet doost thou remedy

To pockes / pestylence / and also frency

And all maner of feuer we se experyence

Thou helest Iaundes / goutes and dropsyes

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By our lordes fauour grace and magnyfycence

Now holy Ioseph pray for vs to our lorde

To sende vs peas and perfyte charite

And amonge the comyns welth and concorde

And that our ryche men may vse lyberalyte

Whiche than shall [wende] towarde the deyte wende] 1520 omits, wende Skeat

Where aungelles to Ihesu do great reuerence

Unto the whiche god bryng bothe you and me

Of his fauour grace and magnyfycence.

¶ Ioseph serue dei omnipotentis miserere mei malefactoris. Esto michi solamen in susp[i]riissuspiriis] susperiis 1520 continuum iuuamen in molestiis. Super id quod opto da remedium et tollator eo quicquid dessonum Ioseph discipule da in futuris agenda facere in non agendis vim hec resistere in virtuosis vitam terminare demum in celis tecum habitare.

Versus. Sancte ioseph christi discipule. Responsorium. Intercede pro nobis ad Iesum qui elegit te. Oremus.

DOmine iesu_christe cui omnis lingua confitetur respice in nos seruos tuos et placare precibus tui dilecti discipuli ioseph: vt ipso intercedente mereamur in presentia habere pe[cca]tipeccati] petisti 1520 remedium et in futuro tue visionis dulcedinem. Qui viuis. etc.

¶Responsorium. Serue dei ioseph sanctissime preces nostras clementer accipe morbos c[e]descedes] cades 1520 et pestes remoue. Et si meremur iam penas luere christem regem superne glorie non iratum sed blandum effice. Versus. Ut cum ceperit mundum discernere et in dextri[s]dextris] dextriri 1520 oues reponere. Non ira. Oratio.

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OMnipotens sempiterne deus qui beatissimum ioseph famul[u]m tuum tribuisti vnigeniti filii tui corpus exanime de cruce deponere: eique iusta humanitatis officia [per]soluerepersoluere] prosoluere 1520 presta quesumus vt qui eius memoriam deuote recolimus consuete misericordie tue senciamus auxilium Per eundem dominum nostrum. AMEN.

¶Imprinted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the George / by Richard_Pynson printer vnto the kinges noble grace Anno. domini. M.CCCCC.xx.

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