The Life of St. Alban

Lydgate, John

TextBaseEarlyTudorEnglish
JLAlb256
2008
STC 256
Brown and Robbins 3748; Ringler 256 and TP 2014.5 ("To call Clio my dulnesse to redresse"). Also TP 156 ("And so longe continued tyll at the last / ... O Prothomartyr of Brutis Albion"), "stanzas added by the 1534 reviser of Lydgate's _Seint Albon and Saint Amphabel_ after lines 4217 (23 sts.), 4320 (18 sts.), and 4466(56) (2 sts. substituted)" (Ringler). Translated by Lydgate from various texts in Latin and French (see sig. Z1v and Van Der Westhuizen's ed., pp. 45-59). "Prologue and three books; the print, published to correct a Latin prose 'De ... Protomartyris Anglie Albani' (Cologne, 1502) omits 22 of Lydgate's stanzas and adds 43 new stanzas (TP 156)" (Ringler). Ed. C. Horstmann, _Festschrift zum 50-jŠhrigen Bestehen der KšnigstŠdtischen Realschule zu Berlin_ (Berlin, 1882); crit. ed. _The Life of Saint Alban and Saint Amphibal_, ed. J.E. Van Der Westhuizen (Leiden: Brill, 1974), who prints, pp. 286-95, the 43 new stanzas added by the 1534 reviser. The variant sources listed below are collated from Van Der Westhuizen's ed. UMI microfilm reel 21

Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande
[St. Albans]: [J. Herford],(1534).

Variant source 1: MS London, British Library, Lansdowne 699 (=L). Variant source 2: MS Lincoln Cathedral, 129 C.5.4 (=C)]. Variant source 3: MS London, Inner Temple Library, Petyt 511, Part XI (=P)]. Variant source 4: MS Oxford, Trinity College, D.38 (=T)]. Variant source 5: MS California, Huntington Library, MH 140 (=H)].

Composition Date: 1439 [Ringler].

---

¶Here endeth the first boke / whiche treateth of the lyfe of Albon before he was conuerted to the faythe.

sig: A1
	†Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande / and also the lyfe and passion of saint Amphabel / whiche conuerted saint Albon to the fayth of Christe.
sig: [A1v] [page blank]
sig: [A2]
	TO call Clio my dulnesse to redresse
	With all systers dwellyng at Elicon
	What myght auayle to wryte the perfytenes
	Of the holy martyr slayne full yore agone
5	For Christis fayth / the holy man Albon
	Called of ryght through euery regyon
	Prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	I not acqueynted with muses of Maro
	Nor with metris of Lucan / nor Uirgile
10	Nor sugred deties of Tullius_Cicero
	Nor of Homerus to folowe the fresshe style
	Croked to clymbe ouer so high a style
	Or for to folowe the steppes aureate
	Of Fraunces_Petrake the poete laureate
15	The golden trompet at the house of fame
	With full swyfte wynges of the pegasee
	Hath full farre the kynghtly mannes name
	Borne in Uerolame a famous olde citie
	Knyghthode in Rome the cronycle who lyst se
20	And as I fynde this yonge lusty man And] Aand 1534
	Toke fyrst order by Dyoclesyan
	Whose lyfe to wryte / of wyt I am barayne
	His high perfection curyously to tell
	Dredyng my labour shulde be in vayne
25	That neuer dranke of Pegaseus well
	But for his goodnes so hyghly doth excell
	I stande in hope his influence shall shyne
	My tremblyng penne by grace to enlumyne
sig: [A2v]
	In tender age this goodly yonge Albon
30	Borne as is sayde in Brutis_Albion
	A lordes sonne more lykely was there none
	To marciall prowes by disposition
	Whiche for his persone as made is mention
	For conditions and hygh byrthe of blode
35	In great fauour of all the lande he stode
	And for that he in vertue dyd excell
	Beloued and cherysshed of euery maner man
	By kynge Seuerus myn auctor can well tell
	Sent vnto Rome to Dioclesyan
40	With a yonge prince called Bassian
	They bothe tweyne as the statute bonde
	To be made knyghtis of his owne honde
	With them also went Amphybalus
	There baptised by pope zepheryne
45	Lefte all the worlde and becam vertuous
	Of wylfull power folowed the doctryne
	By whose teachyng and vertuous discipline
	Blessed Albon as myn auctor sayth
	Was afterwarde conuerted to our fayth
50	All his processe in order for to sette
	My purpose is / if I haue tyme and space
	If ignorance not my style let
	By influence only of goddes grace
	The troubly mystes from me to enchace
55	Of rude langage / so that I may in-dede
	To write his lyfe and ceryously procede
sig: [A3]
	Under supporte of this martyr benygne
	My penne directe by meane of his prayer
	The gracious stremes sent downe for a signe
60	Of his celestyall goodly eien clere
	To forther my labour and teache me the maner
	Of his name to write and specifie
	So as I can the ethymologie
	This name Albanus by enterpretation
65	Compowned is of plente and of whytnes
	Plente he had in great perfection
	Made whyte also with lylyes of clennesse
	With whyte roses ment stable in theyr rudenesse
	It was well sene that he stable stode
70	For Christis fayth / whan paynyms shed his blode
	Whiche two colours dyd neuer fade
	Of these lylyes nor of these roses rede
	In blessed Albon but euer ylyche glad
	Within his bapteme the lylyes dyd sprede
75	The roses splayed whan he dyd shede
	His purpurate bloude spared for no deth
	The storme abydyng tyll he yafe vp the breth
	Thus was the chapelet made of red and whyte
	Whyte for his clennes I haue so tolde aforne
80	To chese the red he dyd also delyte
	Whan from the chaffe was tryed whete-corne
	In the holy martyr that hath the bront borne
	Grayne of this frument was this man Albon
	In the gospell remembred of seynt Iohn
sig: [A3v]
85	This chose greyne for Christ was mortified
	To get encrease of his eternall glorye
	The frute grewe vp by fayth multiplied multiplied] multipliplied 1534
	Through meke sufferance he gate the victorie
	A palme of conquest to be put in memorie
90	A lauret crowne by tryumphes many-folde
	For his merites set on his hede of golde
	Nowe to this martyr crowned hygh in heuen
	Deuoutly knelyng with humble and meke visage
	Whiche syt so high aboue the sterres seuen
95	O blessed Albon / fro that celestiall stage
	Cast downe thy lyght to enlumyne my langage
	Whiche of my-selfe am naked and bareyne
	In this great nede thy fauour may be seyne
	I haue no colours / but only blacke and whyte
100	Of longe or shorte wantyng proporcion
	Where ought doth fayle / I must beare the wyte
	Golde nor asure / nor fresshe vermylyon
	But with thy gracious supportation
	In hope thou shalte conueye my penne and lede
105	To wryte thy lyfe / thus I wyll procede.
	Explicit prologus.
sig: [A4]
	Tyme remembred of olde antiquite
	The same tyme whan Cesar Iulius
	Was passed out of Rome the cite Was] Was was 1534
	Ouer the Alpeys in knyghthode famous
5	By assent of fortune notable and glorious
	This marciall man armed with plate and mayle
	Had ouer_ryden the boundes of Itayle
	Brought the countres through his hygh renowne
	Magre theyr myght to stande in obeysance
10	And ben subiectes to them of Rome towne
	All Germany conquered in substance
	Downe descendyng in-to the realme of Fraunce
	Daunted theyr pryde / and after dyd ordeyne
	With a great armye to ary[u]e vp in Briteyne
15	Twyes put of by recorde of Lucane
	At his arryuayle / of very force and myght
	By the prowesse of Cassybylan
	Touchyng the title were it wronge or ryght
	Of the sayd Cesar / deme euery maner wyght
20	What that hym lust / for inconclusyon
	Cause of his entre / was false deuisyon
	Amonge them-selfe / wherby he gat that londe
	Made the Britons to be tributarie
	To the Romayns by statute and by bonde
25	None so hardy / to be ther[t]o contrarye therto] therro 1534
	Cause of this conquest / to wryte and not tarye
	Was deuision / the cronycle ye may se
	Betwene Cassybylan / and duke Androgee
sig: [A4v]
	Ouermaistred was Brutus_Albion
30	By Iulyus sworde remembred in scripture
	Recorde the gospell where is deuision
	Frowarde discention of case or auenture
	That region may no whyle endure
	In prosperite / for by discorde and tweyne
35	To subiection was brought all Bryteyne
	Whan Cesar was put in possessyon
	Rather by force than by tytell or ryght
	Ordent statutes in that regyon
	And this was one / that no maner wyght
40	S[h]ulde in that londe receyue th'order of knyght Shulde] Sulde 1534
	For worthynes / for mede / nor fauour
	But by the handes of the emperour
	And this was done / lest parauenture
	Sondry persones enclothed with rudenes
45	Not disposed of blode nor of nature
	Shulde not presume of rurall boystousnes
	Though he had strength and hardynes
	To take vpon hym / what-euer that he be
	The sacrament of knyghtly dignite
50	An-other cause in order to deuise
	Was / none suche shulde haue gouernance
	Wherby he myght in many sondry wyse
	Catche occasyon to make purueyance
	By force of kynred / or strength of allyance
55	Through newe rebellyon in token worde or signe
	Agaynst the Romayns proudely to mali[gn]e maligne] malinge 1534, malygne L
sig: B1
	And in suche case / occasions to eschew
	The prudent Romains / castyng all-thyng toforne
	For comun profite / thought it was moost dew
60	Of high estate / nor low degree borne
	No man shulde / but if he were sworne
	To the Romains / with hert / body / and might
	Ay to be trew / that shulde be made a knight.
	By a decree / concludyng in sentence
65	With faith assured / as the statute bonde
	First they shulde appere in the presence
	Of th'emperour / sent thither of eche londe
	Than take theyr othe / next by touche of honde
	Toforne the goddes / assuraunce made of new
70	For life or dethe / to th'emperour to be trew
	This statute kept in euery region
	Beynge subiect to Rome the citie /
	Stretchynge theyr lordshyp and dominion
	With theyr Imperiall marciall dignitie
75	Ouer the boundes of many countree
	So prouided by prudent policy
	To them was subiect all worldly chiualry.
	Hauynge all kyngdomes redy to theyr honde
	Uoide of rebellion / whan they had ought a_do
80	A prince of knighthood they set in euery londe
	For gouernaunce. A stewarde eke also
	Euery region to be ruled by hem two
	In rightwisnes / lawes they dyd ordaine
	From wilfull surfettes / the comons to restraine.
sig: [B1v]
85	First prouided of high discretion
	(As Argus-iyed in theyr inwarde intent)
	To se there were no werre nor conspiration
	Against the Emperour / neither thought nor ment.
	To redresse all-thyng by iugement
90	These two estates / of prudence to attende
	At prime face all outrages to amende.
	It hath ben sayn and writen here beforne
	By olde expert Poesy / called doctrine
	Without principles: Leest aboue the corne
95	The wede wex / ayenst good graine to maligne
	To late amonge is made a medicine
	Whan that a sore wexith ded and corrumpable
	For lacke of surgiens is waxen incurable.
	Semblably / in kyngdomes and cities
100	Stormy troubles for to set aside
	Meued sodeinly amonge the comonties
	At the begynnyng / in all haste to prouide
	Them to reforme / no lenger to abide
	For first meuers / as law and right obserued
105	Punysshe them duely / as they haue deserued.
	Like theyr desertes / receiue theyr rewarde
	Cherisshe the trew / robbers to redresse
	The prince of knightes / and also the stewarde
	Ordeined were / by law of rightwisnesse
110	As the statute plainly dyd expresse /
	Like true Iuges / and kepers of the law
	Of high prudence / all riot to withdraw.
sig: B2
	And the reporte of Cronicles that ben olde
	Auctorised by great aduisement
115	As a Diademe / or a crowne of golde
	Is of a kynge called the ornament:
	So to a prince doth long a garment
	Frengid with golde / that people high and lowe
	By that difference theyr stewarde might knowe.
120	The prince of knightes vsed a pallion
	For a prerogatife in especiall /
	He and the Stewarde by election
	Of th'emperour / in party and in all
	Toke theyr charge / priuate and generall /
125	No man so hardy paine of dethe rebell
	Against theyr power to vsurpe no quarell.
	That same tyme was reignyng in Britaine
	Kyng Seuerus / a famouse knightly man
	Who cast hym fully to do his busy paine
130	To please the Emperour Dioclesian
	Sent his sonne / named Bassian
	With a thousande and fiue hondred yonge of age
	Lordes sonnes / fresshe / and lusty of courage.
	Som of this nombre were borne in Britaine
135	Some in wales / and some in Cornewalle /
	And amonge all / if I shal nat fame
	There was one / of stature and entaile /
	As ferre as kinde coulde her crafte preuaile
	By her fauour / gaue to his person
140	A prerogatife to be set aloon.
sig: [B2v]
	A goodly man and but yonge of age /
	A princes sonne of wales / as I fynde
	Called Amphiball / gracious of visage
	In whom there was non errour founde in kynde
145	By disposition / nought was left behynde /
	In myn Author / as it is compiled
	To all languages his tongue was filed.
	And for he was borne of high kynred
	He was sent furth with notable apparaile
150	Like his estate / with many a riche wede
	Not forgettyng harnesse of plate and maile
	Curiously forged / after moost fresshe entaile
	As was moost likely in euery mannes sight
	To them that shulde receiue the order of knight.
155	And while they were assembled euerichone
	It was a paradise / vpon hem to se /
	Lyke as I fynde / amonge hem there was one
	A lordes sonnes / excellyng in beautie
	Borne in the citie of Uerolamy
160	Called Albanus / right semely of stature
	To all vertue disposed by nature.
	The said Albon / by discent of lyne
	Borne to be gentill of condition
	By aspectes of grace / whiche is diuine
165	Predestinate by election
	For to be called of his region
	Prothomartyr / whan he the faith hath take
	And shed his blood for Iesu_Christes sake.
sig: [B3]
	Gracious he was in euery mannes sight
170	Well beloued / and a likely man /
	With his felowship toke the way aright
	Towarde Rome / rode with Bassian
	Come to the presence of Dioclecian /
	And for they weren so likely in shewynge
175	He passingly was glad of theyr cummynge.
	A chosen people / out_piked for the nones
	Right well besene / and manly of theyr chere
	Arayed in golde / perle / and precious stones
	As princes children / souereigne and intere
180	Them demeanynge in porte and in maner
	That if it shall shortly be comprehended
	In them was nothynge for to be amended.
	This Briton people / likely for the werres
	Stode in comparison amyd all nacions
185	As dothe the sonne amonge heuenly sterres
	Alike to theyr birthe weren theyr condicions
	High blood requireth thrugh all nacions
	To resemble in high or low parage
	Fully accordynge / like to theyr lignage.
190	To high kynred longeth high noblesse
	On high mountaines stande Cedrysse grene
	To princes children perteineth high prowesse
	As amonge stones the Ruby is moost shene
	The tarage of trees by the frute is sene:
195	Semblably / nature dyd so ordeine
	There to make knowen the blood of Britaine.
sig: [B3v]
	Upon the Emperour this people (as I tolde)
	Were awaityng / as they were of degree /
	Beynge pope in those dayes olde
200	Zepherinus / whiche kept in Rome his see /
	And whan that he behelde the great beaute
	Of this people that comen were of newe
	Within hym-selfe / sore he gan to rew.
	Musynge in his hert / thus he gan complaine
205	Full secretly with sighes lamentable /
	Halas (quod he) this people here of Britaine
	In all theyr port and maners moost notable
	So fresshe / so semely / and so honourable /
	Halas ful ofte vpon the day he saith
210	Why stant this people in errour from our faith?
	The Pope / of ruthe and compassion
	Considerynge with mercifull pitie:
	Gan seke wayes / fyndynge occasion
	To get leyser and oportunitie
215	How this people / excellyng in beautie
	Might by his labour / thrugh spirituall vertue
	Receiue baptisme by grace of Christe_Ihesu.
	The lorde aboue consideryng th'entent
	Of zepheryn in especiall
220	Suche a grace to hym he hath sent
	By influence very celestiall
	To further his purpose / that he hath Amphiball
	In Christes faith / grounded by his saw
	And conuerted vnto Christes law.
sig: [B4]
225	Amphibalus. as ye haue herde the case
	A semely man / god beyng then his guide
	First by the pope / when he baptised was
	Lefte his treasure / his pompe / and his pride
	For Christes sake / with pouertie chose to abide
230	Forsoke the worlde / kept hym-selfe secree
	Of great perfection / lyued in pouerte
	Other there weren that made no delayes
	Of zepheryn / herynge his preachynge
	To be baptised deuoutly in thoo dayes
235	But whan the rumour and the knowlegyng
	Cam to the Emperour / without more tarienge
	Thrugh all the citie comaunded them be sought
	To his presence / by force to be brought.
	By londe and see / his ministers left nought
240	To serche hem out / but in no manere
	They were nat caught: but than cam to th e thought
	Of Dioclecian / to worke as ye shall here
	Them of Britaine / to make them to appere /
	Upon a morow / when Phebus shone full bright
245	They of his hande to take order of knight
	Of antiquitie / as put is in memory:
	When th'emperour shulde knightes make
	They dyd assemble beside an oratory
	That reised was / and bylt for martis sake /
250	In whose worshyp all night they shulde wake.
	The next morow / after the maner
	At Phebus vprist / they shulde appere
sig: [B4v]
	The oratory in compas rounde and large
	Beside a temple of Bellona the goddesse
255	Where Dioclecian shulde giue first the charge
	Of hole assuraunce to auoide all doublenes
	First to kepe theyr bodies in clennesse
	For life or death / bothe in peace and werre
	The comon profite of th'empire to preferre
260	Next this charge / th'emperour anon right
	In al his moost imperiall maiestie
	Like theyr rightes girt them with swordes bright
	So as they weren of state and of degree
	Obseruaunces kept of authoritie
265	First chargynge them that they shulde entende
	Chiefly theyr goddes to worship and defende.
	Of theyr temples to saue the liberties
	Prestes of that law in right to make stronge
	Wydowes / maidens / pore folke in cities
270	Suffre in no wise no man to do them wronge
	Appease debates that haue endured longe
	For comun profite / as moost soueraine good
	In theyr defence / redy to spende theyr blood.
	Withdraw theyr hande from lucre and couetise
275	Specially to eschewen idlenes
	Pursue armes for knightly exercise
	In causes knowen / grounded on rightwisnes
	Gyue theyr Captaines suche trouthe and stablenes
	And in suche case / rather knightly dye
280	Than theyr statutes to breke or disobey.
sig: C1
	Of comon profite deuised an ymage
	Called Knighthood / an arme of theyr defence
	To holde vp trouthe / suffre non outrage
	Cherishe the pore / do no violence /
285	After theyr wages / gouerne theyr expence
	Full assuraunce / made with mouth and hande
	Susteine trouthe / bothe on see and lande.
	Make prouidence that no derision
	Fall vnwarely on high or low estate /
290	Whiche caused hath / great dissolution
	Made many a region to be infortunate /
	For where as a strife continueth / or debate
	By experience of many great citie
	The light is eclipsed of theyr felicitie.
295	Of olde custome / knighthood toke none hede
	Unto theyr owne singuler auaile
	Withdrew theyr hande from guerdon and fro mede
	Wrought nothyng but by wyse counsaile
	The hed of maters peysed with the taile
300	This is to saine / there shulde no Romaine knight
	Begyn no quarell / nor ende against right.
	For the Romaines in theyr election.
	Chose to that order / folke iust and stable
	Manly of hert and of condition
305	Sober / nat hasty / feithfull / honourable
	For comon profite preued profitable
	Benigne of porte / not proude / but debonaire
	That worde and worke for nothynge be contraire
sig: [C1v]
	Take no quarell grounded on falshed
310	Specially the pore not to oppresse
	Flee Tiranny / eschew blood to shed
	Of innocentes by wilfull sturdynesse
	Blood cryeth vengeaunce to god of rightwisnesse
	Fals homicides / contrary to nature
315	God suffreth them no while for to endure
	All-thyng odible to euery gentill knight
	Hatefull murder not support nor mainteine
	Theyr office is / as they are bounde of right
	Maidens / widowes / and pore folke to susteine
320	Fraude and extorcion anon while it is grene it] it it 1534
	In knightly wise to serche out the offence
	And chastice it by marciall violence.
	Then tonge and hert by one accorde shall draw
	On theyr promesse stedfastly to abide
325	Of antiquitie / Romains set a law
	To punisshe periury / spare non homicide
	Represse of Tirauntes the vengeable pride
	If nede fall / theyr life and blood to spende
	The right of goddes and temples to defende
330	In token wherof / who toke th'order of knight
	This was the vsage of olde antiquitie
	He shulde first be shaue of very right
	Token to auoide all superfluitie
	Of vicious lyuynge / and all dishonestie
335	Shauen away by vertuous diligence
	All olde outrages out of theyr consciences.
sig: C2
	They had of custome also this maner
	Romaine knightes of yeres yonge and grene
	To entre a bath of water cristall clere
340	From all ordures to wasshe theyr bodies clene
	Whiche bath / plainly it dyd mene /
	As bokes olde / notably don expresse
	Unto knighthode longeth all clennesse
	First / specially by attemperaunce
345	Uoide all surfettes / lyue in sobernesse
	By prudence and vertuouse gouernaunce /
	Mainteine trouthe / chastise all falsnesse
	Restreine theyr courage from riotous excesse
	Dishonest speche / and ribaudry to flee
350	Eschew auoutry / liue chaste like theyr degree.
	Clennesse longeth to euery gentill knight
	As theyr bathyng dothe plainly specifie
	Th[o]ugh theyr perfection / was made to Mars aright Though] Thrugh 1534, Thouh L
	Whilom Romains by prudent policie
355	Had in custome theyr bodies to applie
	To serue Diana / that was the cast goddesse
	That Uenus had with them non intruance.
	Uenus / to vertues contrarious
	Causeth in youth flesshely insolence
360	Giueth great occasion to folkes couragious
	Of theyr nature loueth riot and exspence
	Withdraweth in knighthode marciall diligence
	For whiche the bathe was made for a figure
	To wasshe away of Uenus all ordure.
sig: [C2v]
365	If they be wedded / holde them to theyr wyues /
	If they be syngle / no woman to opresse
	For in suche case began the blody striues
	Betwene Troy and Grekes / the story berith witnesse
	Caused many a knight to dye in distresse
370	For by th'auoutry of Paris and Eleine
	Grekes and Troyans theyr mischiefes dyd complaine
	After this bath / tokened by chastite
	Fully made faire / and voide of vnclennesse
	With a white shirte he shulde clothed be
375	To signifie the chefe founderesse
	Of all vertues / that called is mekenes
	Clene of entent / without whom certaine
	All other vertues stande but bareine
	For who-so lyst in bokes for to rede
380	Chaste in vertue / expert for to be
	Moost redy way is / his purpose for to spede
	Set his foundacion vpon humilitie
	She berith vp all / and hath the souereynte
	Whose buildyng euer / the grounde if it be sought
385	Goeth euer vpwarde / and descendeth nought.
	As a shirt the body next doeth touche
	With whose touche the body is nat offended
	So mekenes (on authors I me auouche)
	Among vertues is souereinly commended
390	She and pacience of one stocke be discendyd
	Yet in som case / reken nigh and ferre
	Peace hath conqueryd more than hath the werre.
sig: [C3]
	By prudent writyng and humble pacience
	Kynge Dindinus was nat recheles
395	To notifie the surquidrous science
	Of Alisaunder / thrugh mekenes doubtles
	To Brigmannus / mekenes brought in peas
	Meke language appeasyd the rygour
	Of this forsayd famous conquerour.
400	Whiche considered / the Romains vnderstode
	This noble vertue of humilitie
	Was in some case nedefull to knighthode
	Moost expedient to euery comontie
	Them to preserue longe in prosperitie
405	Uery mekenes vsed in prudent wyse
	Is nat atwited with no cowardise
	As to knighthode longeth gentilnes
	Thyng appropried to his religion
	Uoide of surfettes / founded on mekenes
410	As a lambe in chambre / in bataile a lion
	Where place and tyme gaue iust occasion
	By manly suffraunce / benigne of face and chere
	And play the lyon when tyme dothe require.
	By the processe of theyr obseruaunces
415	Next the shirt of mekenes for more spede
	They had a custome / with sundry circumstaunces
	Of high prowesse from hem to auoide drede
	In a mantell / for to be clad of rede
	To recompence the white shirt of mekenesse
420	With Martis colour / by knightly high prowesse.
sig: [C3v]
	This rede mantell / so as the mater stode
	Touchyng the colour / dyd plainly specifie
	They shulde nat drede for to spende theyr blode
	For comon profite vpon any partie
425	By profession of theyr chiualrie
	For this cause to auoide all drede
	They vsyd of custome a mantell of fyne rede
	This colour rede / token of high prowesse
	To susteine and holde vp trouthe and right
430	Nor entremete of wronges nor falsnesse
	For loue nor hate of no maner wight
	To no party / for fauour cast theyr sight
	Indifferent / stande egall as a lyne
	By non occasion to wronge to decline
435	A thyng ferre of / fro knightly desires
	Straunge and forein to theyr professions
	For to appere at cessions or at shires
	By maintenaunce of fals extorcions
	Or to supporte by theyr protections
440	Causes vnlefull / by brocage surmitted beforne
	To make Iurrours falsly to be forsworne.
	A thynge (god wote) this day to moche abused
	Experience in-dede as it is saine
	They haue no colour of right to be excused
445	Saue to theyr client / the partie to susteine
	But if they had before ben wasshen clene
	Bathyd as I said / in vertues also made faire
	To suche places they shulde haue no repaire.
sig: [C4]
	It is a maner of apostasie
450	A knight in peace to play the lion
	Nat accordynge vnto chiualrie
	To draw his sworde / vsynge extorcion
	The pore compleine for opression
	A thyng contrary by signes manifolde
455	To them that were spores of golde
	Sporis of golde / rounde and sharpe to ride
	So as golde is metall moost souereigne
	Right so worshyp to knighthode is chief guide
	To high noblesse / by manhode to attaine
460	A sworde also Romains dyd ordeyne
	In foure causes plainly to be draw
	After the rightes of the paynym law.
	As I tolde erste / the first for defence
	Of theyr goddes / and next for the fraunchise
465	Of theyr temples / that no violence
	Be done to them in no maner wise
	As ferre as theyr power and might may suffise
	And the seconde / neuer to be present
	Where dome shall passe of fals iugement
470	The thirde point / toforne as I haue tolde
	widowes / maidens / to helpe them in theyr might
	Punysshe robbers / and tirauntes that ben bolde
	To spoile the people by theyr frowarde might
	This was vsed / when Albon was made knight
475	The last charge for a conclusion
	Neuer to bere armes against Rome towne.
sig: [C4v]
	Other articles / mo than I can tell
	Tolde and remembryd by Dioclecian
	Notable in knighthode / by them that dyd excell
480	When th'emperour to dubbe hem first began
	Among other / the Briton Bassian
	Son of Seuerus / in Britaine kynge
	Gan thus abraide / his conceite declarynge.
	My lorde (quod he) with supporte of your grace
485	Sithe it is pleasure to your magnificence
	As ye haue shewed / here present in this place
	Of your imperiall famous excellence
	Singuler fauour / royall diligence
	As greatest lorde / called on see and lande
490	To make vs knightes with your owne hande
	Lowly besechynge to condescende and se
	Of your notable prudent policie
	Graunt vs goodly of your high maieste
	The first-fruites of your chiualry
495	Mars our patron / knightly to magnifie
	In your presence / with Iustes or tournay
	Or som other famous marciall play
	To haue in armes knightly exercise
	Our grene youthe and courages to amende
500	To lerne the maner and the Romain guise
	In palestre / day by day to entende
	So that ye lyst of grace to condiscende
	Graunt vs fredom / and a place to assigne
	Of your imperiall support moost benigne.
sig: D1
505	The Emperour considerynge first theyr cheres
	Conde them great thanke for theyr knightly request
	And commended greatly theyr desires
	Set a day / and helde a royall feest
	All nacions to come at the leest
510	As th'emperour freely dyd ordeine
	To haue adoo with knightes of Britaine.
	With Romaine knightes / first they had ado
	By commaundement of Dioclecian
	Durynge the vtas / the story telleth so
515	Amonge all Albon that knightly man
	with his Cosyn called Bassian
	Gree of the felde gyuen to them twaine
	Among Romains and knightes of Britaine.
	Of Ficulnius cam many a worthy knight
520	Of Spaigne / of Cipre and also of Sardine
	And of Almaine / in stele armed bright
	Mars was present / the felde to enlumine
	But among all / to the Briton line
	The souerein price aboue euerichone
525	Was by heraldes giuen to Albon.
	His name worthy to be put in memory
	He quit hym-selfe so like a manly knight
	Graunted to hym the price and the victory
	Thrugh his desert / of very trouthe and right
530	Called in Rome the lanterne and the light
	Of knightly prowes / and Phebus soueraine
	Thrugh all Italie / and day-sterre of Britaine.
sig: [D1v]
	Of blessed Albon / the armes in his shelde
	Square on his shulders by antiquitie
535	Of fyne asure sothely was the felde
	Therin of golde depicte was a sautree
	In whose story / at Leicester who list se
	After his passion / as I affirme dare
	In his cote-armour / kyng Offa sothely bare.
540	Of whose mynster he after was founder
	As the Cronicle maketh mencion
	A manly knight / a noble gouernour
	In his dayes / thrugh many a region
	His name sprad / and his high renowne
545	Under these armes / as put is in memory
	In euery felde had alway the victory.
	Aforne prouided (I trow of yore agoon)
	By grace of god and heuenly influence
	And by the merite of the glorious saint Albon
550	Had in knighthood marciall excellence
	And for to acquite hym by vertuouse prouidence
	To this martir / called saint Albon
	Of that minster laid the first stoon.
	After whose hande / masons dyd wyrche
555	He bare the cost / of great deuocion
	The said armes he left vnto the chirche
	This kyng Offa / as made is mencion
	And finally / by myne opinion
	By these armes / againe all that dothe them wrong
560	With helpe of Albon they shall be made stronge.
sig: D2
	The felde of Asure betokeneth stedfastnes
	The Sautree / lyke a crosse of saint Andrue
	The colour heuenly shall giue them perfitnes
	By the holy crosse / force in our lorde Iesu
565	From day to day / to encreas all in vertue
	The Prothomartir / theyr patron saint Albon
	Shall them defende fro theyr mortall foon.
	After these iustes and famous tournement
	Fully accomplisshed / tolde here in sentence
570	Bassian / disposed in his entent
	To awaite a tyme of intiere diligence
	Of the Emperour to aske goodly licence
	With the Barons / beyng in Rome towne
	Home to retourne to Brutes_Albiowne.
575	His request was graunted anon
	By Dioclecian / made non exception
	Saue onely thus / he sayd that Albon
	Shall not departe by no condicion /
	To hym he had so great affection
580	For high noblesse and semelynes alone
	He shulde abyde / and awaite on his persone.
	To Albon / egall in fayrnes
	With Dioclecian / non so great as he /
	Of manly force and hardynes
585	Famouse in knighthode / like Iudas_Machabe
	As Scipion / of prudent aduyse was he
	Of chere benigne / discrete and vertuous
	Gyuyng councell right sad and compendious.
sig: [D2v]
	Mars in armes / with Mercury eloquent
590	Amonge Romaine knightes / rekened yonge and olde
	For whiche the Emperour by great aduisement
	Of prouidence (toforne as I haue tolde)
	Before all other / Albon he hath withholde
	On hym to awaite / and abide day and night
595	Of his empire / as for moost worthy knight.
	Whan Bassian had his leue take
	Of Dioclecian / with knightes of Britaine
	The Emperour for Albons sake
	At theyr departyng list nat for to faine
600	To make hem chere / and after in certaine
	For his pleasaunce / as saith the croniclere
	Fully complete / Albon abode seuen yere.
	This mean-while (myne author writeth thus)
	When this prince was come home in-dede
605	Into his contree: A knight Carauseus
	Greatly disposed to kyll and blood to shede
	Of the Romains gate licence (as I rede)
	And of the Cenate by great auctorite
	To be made keper of the Brittisshe see
610	Bassianus by iust succession
	At his comyng home to Britaine / anon right
	Was crowned kynge of that region
	His father dede / a full notable knight
	Called Seuerus / whiche in the peoples sightes
615	Great fauour had / but Bassian in that Ile
	(The story saith) reigned but a while.
sig: [D3]
	By Carauseus (of whome I tolde beforne)
	This Bassian was slaine traitrously
	Ceptre and crowne this yonge prince hath borne
620	Carauseus vsurpyng moost falsly
	To be crowned kynge of that party
	Hauyng no title to the regally
	But a fals traine of murder and tiranny
	On Bassian thus when he was awroke
625	By intrusion the kyngdom vsurpynge
	To the Romains had his othe broke
	And in Britaine toke vpon hym to be kynge
	The Romaine tribute the whiche was hangynge
	To th'emperour / he falsly can deny
630	Graunted also within Albany.
	To the pictes for to haue a dwellynge place
	The whiche now is called Scotlonde
	And from Rome they bode no longer space
	A Cenatour cam downe with mighty honde
635	Called Allectus / the malice to withstande
	Of Carauseus with Romaine champions
	Brought in nombre fully thre legions
	This Carauseus in story as I fynde
	Whiche traitrously had murdred Bassian
640	Slaine by Allectus / his name put out of mynde
	Romaine knightes / with many a manly man
	For to accomplisshe theyr purpose they began
	Brought Britons thrugh theyr renowne
	Almoost by force vnto subiection.
sig: [D3v]
645	To theyr socour / hopynge it shulde auaile
	Against Romaines to make resistence /
	Asclepeodot / duke of Cornewaile
	They chose of new / to stande at defence
	Whiche thrugh his manly knightly excellence
650	Slew Allectus of very force and might
	And put his felow Galles to the flight.
	The proude Romains he dyd so encombre
	They might afore hym abyde in no maner
	He slew of them at London so great a nombre
655	Thrugh his knighthode / beside a ryuer /
	After whose name / as saith the Cronicler
	Is called there as Romains did blede
	Unto this day / walbroke as I rede.
	In memory of that discomfiture
660	The noble Britons / after that bataile
	Of one assent / did theyr busy cure
	The same day / armed in plate and maile
	Proudly to chose the duke of Cornewaile
	Asclepeodot / theyr purpose to attaine
665	To crowne hym kynge / and lorde of all Britaine.
	This mighty duke / knowynge theyr intent
	Agreed well vnto theyr election /
	To be crowned / that wolde he nat assent
	But auctoritie from Rome were sent downe
670	By th'emperour to Brutes_Albion /
	For whiche / caused Dioclecian
	To Britaine to sende Maximian.
sig: [D4]
	The chefe cause in sothe of his cummynge
	(With other maters that were collaterall)
675	Into that londe / was for to crowne hym kynge
	There for to reigne inhis estate royall
	And Dioclecian in especiall /
	Hath a conceite in the meane-while
	with hym to sende Albon into that Ile.
680	Bothe for trust / plainly to deuise
	And to gouerne notably that londe
	Parcell also to guerdon his seruise
	For trouth in knighthod in Albon that he fonde
	Ordeined hym / and made hym suraunce in honde
685	Prince of knightes / and stewarde soueraine
	Under Romains / thrugh all Britaine.
	He sent hym thither also for that entent
	For his wysdom and high discrecion
	With Maximian for to be present
690	At this solempne coronacion
	Of Asclepeodot / lorde of that region
	Albon as stewarde in that solempnitie
	And prince of knightes receiue his dignitie.
	By the byddyng of Dioclecian
695	Like custome vsed of antiquitie
	Make his othe to Maximian
	As prince and stewarde of moost auctoritie
	To th'emperour in his imperiall see
	As he was bounde by statutes olde and new
700	For life or dethe / euer to be trew.
sig: [D4v]
	All thinges accomplished like as I haue tolde
	Maximian retourned is againe
	With a tribute thre thousande pounde in golde
	Behynde of olde / denied of disdaine
705	Whiche was withdraw / the story saith certaine
	To the Romains / the tyme of Carauseus
	A fals tiraunt / cruell and furious
	Come into Rome when Maximian
	Returned was with all his chiualry
710	That tyme the pope named Poncian
	That busy was on that other party
	In Cecile and in Lombardy
	By deuout teachynge / as myne author saith
	To turne people vnto christes faith
715	In that time / made was non obstacle
	That yere in-dede / there was (as it was sene)
	Thrugh christes law / turned by miracle
	To the nombre of thousandes fully sixtene
	The churche of christe / tender and very grene
720	When th'emperour hath the wonders same
	Was greatly meued of malice and disdaine
	To christes faith had so great enuie
	When that he saw to his confusion
	The nombre of christen encreace and multiplie
725	Let call in haste by fals collusion
	All the lordes of that region
	And all the Cenates afore hym to apere
	At a certaine day to treat of this matere.
sig: [E1]
	Echone assemblyd in his high presence
730	Byd cast theyr wyttes togyther / and take hede
	And faithfully do theyr diligence
	In this mater theyr purpose for to spede
	What was to done in so strait a nede
	For thynges that toucheth the welthe of the citie
735	Must of wyse councell take first authoritie.
	For this mater / touched one and all
	A thynge expedient for to be amended
	Whiche to amende / first they dyd call
	The pope in hast / that hath theyr lawe offendyd
740	And to this pointe they be all condescended
	To dampne hym by hasty iugement
	And all christens that were of his assent.
	Banysshe all christens out of Rome towne
	And punysshe them by mortall crueltie
745	Not onely there / but in eche region
	With diuerse tourmentes / serched euery contree
	This statute made in Rome the citie
	Thrugh all the worlde a decree forthe sent
	They to be slaine / and theyr bodies brent.
750	Spare no place / where men dyd them knowe
	But them pursue vpon eche partie
	All theyr churches cast downe and ouerthrowe
	Plaine wi t h the grounde / where men coude them espie
	Thus stode our faith in mortall ieopardie
755	Of miscreauntes / foes to Christes law
	For drede of dethe that they haue them withdraw.
sig: [E1v]
	Against them the painems were so stronge
	Droue them for feare eche man fro his contree
	And Amphiball that bare non armes of longe
760	Saue in knighthod of wilfull pouertie
	Contrained was with other for to flee
	Paciently / with trauayle and with paine
	Passynge the see / came into Britaine.
	Conueyed he was by grace and vertue
765	In his repaire homewarde (as I rede)
	His safeconduite stronge in our lorde Ihesu
	Who so trusteth hym / amys he may nat spede
	The holy goost dyd his brydell lede
	To Uerolamy / whiche of antiquitie
770	Was in Britaine a great famous citie.
	Uerbi autores.
	OF this place here nowe I am aduerted
	Of this matier for to stynte a whyle
	And to procede howe Albon was conuerted
	To christen fayth the processe to compyle
775	The holy martyr directe shall my style
	To whose worshyp first I vndertoke
	The translation of this lyttell boke
	At the request and vertuous byddyng
	Of my father th'abbot of that place
780	A clerke noble perfyte of lyuyng
	Hauyng in custome euery houre and space
	To auoyde slouth and vertue to purchace
	Lyke any Ampte all seasons of the yere
	To gader grayne and stuffen his garner
sig: E2
785	By whose notable compylations
	Illumyned is not only his gaye library
	By also full diligent occupations
	Agaynst ydlenes to all vertue contrary
	Hat[h] set in order in his famous gra[n]ery Hath] Hat 1534, Hath L
790	A boke compyled rycher than golde in coffers
	Lyues of poetes and prudent philosophers
	Of his name the Ethymologie
	Is sayd of a[n] Home or stede of whete an] am 1534, an L
	Of god prouyded doth clerely signifie
795	Whete-gle[n]es of the mouthe of th'olde poete
	Greyne / frute / and floure with rhetoriques swete
	Of philosophers callyng to memory
	Of his labour the laureat reportory
	And as I sayde by his commaundement
800	I toke vpon me this translation
	First to compyle it in all my best entent
	His famous knyghthode and renowne
	And nowe to tell of his conuersation
	To Christis lawe I cast me for to wryte
805	Folowynge the storye his passyon to endite
	To procede lyke as I am bounde
	For to accomplysshe brefly in substance
	This lyttell boke and call it the seconde
	Of his martyrdome and meke suffraunce
810	And put aforne clerely in remembraunce
	Howe Amphiball as the cronycle sayth
	Tourned Albon vnto Christis fayth
sig: [E2v]
	Eche of them (by recorde of writynge)
	Was plainely without others remembraunce
815	For Alban had lost the knowlegynge
	Of Amphabell / and all olde acqueintaunce
	But by the meane of goddes ordynaunce
	I wyll declare / as I am bounde of det
	In Uerolamy / to tell how they met.
820	Plainly procede / as I vndertoke
	The residue to accomplysshe for his sake
	Make here an ende of the first boke /
	But now forsothe / my penne I fele quake
	Uoide of all colour / saue of letters blake
825	In this processe my dulnesse to acquite
	The martirdome of Albon to endite.
	Finis.
	sig: [E3] ¶Here begynneth the prologue of the secunde boke / treatynge of the conuersion of the blessed prothoma[r]tyr prothomartyr] prothomaptyr 1534 of Englande called Sainct Albon.
	SO as Aurora parteth the derke night
	Towarde the tyme of Phebus vprisynge
	And Lucifer with agreable light
830	Bryngeth kalendes of a glad mornynge:
	So by ensample / the true lyuynge
	Of olde tyme in saint Albon vsed
	Caused the lorde whiche guerdoneth euery thynge
	That the merites of hym were nat refused.
835	Euery thynge draweth to his nature
	Like as kynde gyueth heuenly influence
	For to disposen euery creature
	Some to profite / some to do offence
	Some to encreace by perfite prouidence
840	Where vertue hath the dominacion
	Of god ordeined by intere diligence
	That sensualitie be bridled with reason.
	Amonge painems / Iues haue be saine
	That vertue hath many of them gouerned
845	Taught by nature / wrought nothynge in vaine
	But as kynde / and reason hath vs lerned
	Good graine from chaf was discerned
sig: [E3v]
	Thus hath he proued in many a sondry place
	Good from yuell / by them truely conserned
850	Recorde vpon Cornelly and on saynt Eustace
	Who taughte Troyan whylom to done ryghte
	Whan the wydowe complayned her greuaunce
	To her grefe th'emperour cast his sighte
	Reason taught hym for all his great puissaunce
855	To her request to holde the balaunce
	Of ryghtwysenes to se though he were stronge
	In her pouerte to perswade her perturbance
	By egall dome he to redresse her wronge
	The storye of olde it put in memorye
860	For ryghtwysenes in especiall
	Howe that Troyan by prayers of Gregorye
	Was preserued from the paynes eternall
	From dampnation and cloyster infernall
	To exemplifie howe god taketh hede
865	Of his greattest power moste imperiall
	Of ryght and mercy acquiteth eche good dede
	And to the purpose of my mattiere
	Durynge his lyfe of great power and myght
	This blessed Albon who so lyste to here
870	Though lyke a prince his power yafe great lyght
	Fostred trouthe / dyd wronge to no wyght
	For whiche the lorde his hande hath nat wi t hdrawe
	To call and clepe hym his owne chosen knyght
	To be conuerted and turned to his lawe
sig: [E4]
875	His trouthe / his vertue / his natife gentylnes
	Of custome stable grounded in many wyse
	Caused god of his mercifull goodnes
	To [chese] this prince into his seruice chese] the 1534, chese L, the H
	All fals ydols manly to despise
880	This choson cha[m]pyon borne of the breton [l]yne champyon] chapyon 1534, Chaumpion L; lyne] tyne 1534, lyne L
	This newe Tytan / whose beames dyd auise
	Out of orient to lorde to enlemyne
	Nowe hensforth shall be my processe
	With gods helpe my penne to apply
885	Nowe in his tyme he keped ryghtwysenes
	And lyke a prince / howe he dyd hym gye
	To set his citie vpon eche partie
	In gouernaunce from ryght they not twynne
	Under the reignes of prudent polycye
890	Whiche to reherse / thus I wyll begynne
	¶Here endeth the prologe of the seconde boke.
sig: [E4v]
sig: F[1]
	¶Here begynneth the seconde boke of the glorious Prothomartyr saynt Albon / howe he was made gouernour of the citie of Uerolamye.
	UNder the Romaynes chefe and principall
	With great auise it lyked them to ordayne
	By commyssyon and titell imperiall
	Prince and stewarde th[ro]ughout all Bretayne throughout] thorughout 1534
895	To chese Albon / whiche dyd first his payne
	Lyke a prince not slowe nor recheles
	To auoyde all trouble / and rule the people in peas
	By polecy he hath so prouyded
	Set statutes so myghtye and so stronge
900	And his lawes so vertuously deuyded
	For common profyte to endure longe
	That no man shulde do other wronge
	And where he sawe innocentes oppressed
	Set a payne in haste to be redressed
905	The ryche he made lyue to theyr estate
	Without extorcion do to the portayle
	Repressed ryot suffered no debate
	Idell people constrayned to trauayle
	Aforne prouyded for plente of vitayle
910	Lyke his office with vertuous diligence
	By suffisaunce there were none indigence
sig: [F1v]
	Beloued and drad with hygh and lowe degre
	For frende nor foo declyned not fro trouth
	The good hym loued for his benignite
915	The ryche drad hym / on the pore he had reuth
	Wronges to redresse there was in hym no slouth
	In his domes stedfast as a wall
	Not singuler founde nor yet parciall
	Nature taught hym all vices for to flee
920	Lyke the lawes / to whiche he was bounde
	A chastiser of all dishoneste
	Gafe neuer dome tyll trouthe were out founde
	Nother to heuy / nother to iocounde
	But as tyme and mater gaue hym occasyon
925	So was demened his disposition
	He had also of his acqueyntance
	Foure vertues called Cardynall
	The reine of his brydell led temperance
	Ryghtwysenes with mercy ruled all
930	Trouthe to defende / and manhod marcyall
	By force also through hygh prowes
	Spared not to chastise all falsenes
	He coulde appese folke that lyste debate
	Refourme all rancour where he coude it espye
935	Lyke a prince knyghtly he dyd hate
	Suche as coulde falsely forge and lye
	Stopped his eares from all flaterye
	To foren quarelles lyst yeue no credence
	Tyll the partie come vnto audience
sig: [F2]
940	Enuious sclaunder [h]e punys[sh]ed rygorously he punysshed] be punyswed 1534, ponyssh L, he punysshid C, be punysshid P, H, be ponysshed T
	Compassed of malyce hatred and diffame
	To double tonges euer he was enmye
	Whiche to say yuell of custome haue no shame
	And backbyters that haue theyr lyppes lame
945	To say well / this prince yonge and olde
	Uoyded all suche out of his householde
	By discre[c]ion he coulde punysshe and spare discrecion] discreeion 1534, discrecion L
	His harte ay voyde of all duplicite
	Large of custome / to naked folke and bare
950	His gate ay open for hospitalite
	That if his vertues shulde rekened be
	Here in this boke tolde from yonge age
	I haue therto no connyng nor langage
	[N]ot-withstandyng as I haue behyght Not] Oot 1534
955	I wyll procede and not excuse me
	To declare howe god sawe to his knyght
	The tyme rehersed / the date also parde
	Whan Amphibalus entred the citie
	Of Uerolamy tolde eke the occasion
960	Howe he and Albon met in the town
	Amphibalus entred the citie
	Of auenture to seke herburgage
	By the stretes vp and downe wente he
	Lyke a pylgryme of chere and visage
965	Tyll it fell so he met in passage
	The noble prince playnely to conclude
	Blessed Albon with a great multytude
sig: [F2v]
	This myghty prince by great fortune
	After custome vsed that tyme of olde
970	Amyd the citie walked in his estate
	In a garment frenged all with golde
	Amphibalus vertuously made bolde
	With humble chere and meke visage
	Besought hym lowly to graunt hym herbergage
975	For whan that he on Albon cast his loke
	And hym behelde with euery circumstance
	By longe auyse of hym good hede he toke
	It fell anone into his remembrance
	Full yore agone of his acqueyntance
980	Howe they in one of fortune dyd assent
	Out of Brytayn / and vnto Rome went
	For gods sake this Amphibalus
	Of herborgage can lowly hym require
	To be receyued and take in-to his hous
985	Albon anone as the story doth vs lere
	Was in suche case straunge in no manere
	Hauyng a custome to hye and lowe degree
	Frely to graunt hospitalite
	In-to his house hym goodly hath receyued
990	This symple clerke lyst no lenger tary
	His porte his chere benyngly receyued
	Mynystred to hym all that was necessary
	From Christis lawe though Albon dyd vary
	Lyke a prince benyng and vertuous
995	Receyued hym full goodly into his hous
sig: [F3]
	Not after longe onely by goddes grace
	Of knyghtly fauour sought oportunyte
	To get a tyme / a leysour / and a space
	To auoyde from hym his people and his mayne
1000	With this pylgryme alone for to be
	And secretely whan they were met in fere
	To hym he sayde anone as yet shall here
	By many signes and tokens that I can
	Dyuers daungers straunge to recure
1005	In soth that ye be a christen man
	And of hardynes durst yourselfe assure
	To put your body and lyfe in auenture
	Amonge paynyms your persone to ieoparte
	Without dethe howe myght ye departe
1010	Quod Amphibalus Christe_Iesus of his grace
	Of his mercy / be it that I haue deserued
	From all daunger and euery peryllous place
	Christe goddes sonne my body hath preserued
	Ben my gyde / and my lyfe conserued
1015	To this citie brought me safe to preache
	His glorious lawe and his faythe to teache
	Quod Albon than / howe may this [be] trewe be trewe] trewe 1534, be trewe L
	What that he is I wolde fayne lere
	The sonne of god / a straunge thynge and a newe
1020	Had god a sonne declare this mattiere
	Quod Amphiball / so ye lyst to here
	Paciently / for nothyng wyll I spare
	Curiously the trouthe to declare
sig: [F3v]
	Amphibalus is entreated by reason
1025	On the gospell to grounde his processe
	And to confirme his disputation
	Of holy writte he toke iustly wytnesse
	Howe our beleue recordeth in sothnesse
	Of god the father and god the sonne also
1030	This is our belefe take good hede therto
	The sonne moste perfyte and moste good
	For mans helthe and saluation
	Was incarnate and toke flesshe and blode
	And semblably for shorte conclusyon
1035	Of his moste benigne consolation
	Ryght so as he firste made man in-dede
	So come he downe to take our manhede
	And as hym lyste of grace and of mercy
	By his power / whiche that is deuine
1040	Ordayned maydens to lyue here parfytly
	So he agaynwarde playnly to determyne
	Toke flesshe and bloude of a pure virgine
	The tyme come there was none obstacle
	But that he wroughte his maruaylous myracle
1045	The tyme approched of grace and gladnes
	Towarde sommer whan the lustye quene
	Called Flora with motleis of swetenes
	Clothed the soyle all in newe grene
	And amerous Ueer / agayne the son-shyne
1050	By the cherysshynge of Apryll with his shores
	Bryngeth kalendes of May and of his flowres
sig: [F4]
	So in the season heuenly and deuine
	Of wynter stormes was passed all outrage
	And in the rayne Phebus gan to shyne
1055	The same tyme to our great auauntage
	Downe from heuen was sent a message
	Whiche concluded for our felicite
	A braunche shulde sprynge out of iesse
	This newe tydynge to Nasereth was sent
1060	And Gabrell come on his message
	The trynyte hole beinge in one assent
	For to accomplysshe this gratious viage
	The holy goste holdynge his passage
	Downe descendyng ryght as any lyne
1065	In-to the breste of a pure virgyne
	Lyke as Luke in his gospell sayth
	As is remembred in the same place
	Whan Gabryell lowly gan abrayde
	Mekely sayde: Hayle Mary full of grace
1070	Thou chosen of god euery houre and space
	The tabernable of the trinyte
	Amonge all women blessed mote thou be
	Whan she had herde the angell thus expresse
	Troubled in his wordes of femynyte
1075	Thought in her-selfe of very chast clennesse
	This chosen myrrour of humylyte
	This salutation / what it myght be
	The angell seinge her aferde of womanhede
	Sayd: O Mary haue herof no drede
sig: [F4v]
1080	Afore god thou hast founden grace
	Thou shalt conceyue a chylde in all clennesse
	Of whose byrthe Bedleme shall be the place
	As the gospell can bere herof wytnesse
	And his name playnly to expresse
1085	Thou shalt hym name of moste vertue
	Whan he is borne and call hym Iesu
	Howe may this be sayde this glorious mayde
	That knowe no man in wyll dede nor thought
	Th'angell than vnto Mary sayde
1090	As I toforne haue the tydynges brought
	By the holy goste this myracle shalbe wrought
	The vertue also of hym that syt highest
	Shall ouershadowe and lyght into thy brest
	For that lorde that shall of the be borne
1095	As thynge moste holy men shall hym call
	The son of god / as prophetes wrote beforne
	Suche heuenly grace is vpon the fall
	By a prerogatyue aboue women all
	With lyght surmountyng aboue the sterres seuen
1100	This message I haue brought the from heuen
	Quod Mary fulfylled be th[y] wyll thy] the 1534, thi L
	After the worde / which thou hast brought vnto me
	Beholde this handmayde / and this humble ancille
	This was her answere with all humylyte
1105	Thoo god was pleased with her virginite
	Yet was that lorde / doctours beare wytnesse
	Pleased more with her deuoute mekenes
sig: G[1]
	Thus hath a mayde through her perfytnes
	To beare her lorde graciously deserued
1110	A chosen doughter by her pure clennes
	To beare her father / her chastite concerued
	By her merytes that were to her reserued
	As I sayde erst by a prerogatyue
	She amonge women was mayden mother and wyfe
1115	To god a mayde to fulfyll his wyll
	And to the lorde a seruant by mekenes
	Doughter and mother / and eke faythful ancyll
	Whiche to remembre hath brought gostly gladnes
	Of all welfare / our daungers to represse
1120	Aforne by recorde of prophetes in substaunce
	Us to defende agayne all mortall greuaunce
	For whiche dere host sith it may auayle
	To my doctrine yeueth hartily credence
	God hath me sent to teache you and counsayle
1125	So that ye lust with humble diligence
	Become his knyght and do hym reuerence
	Obeye his lawe and his preceptes all
	Taketh good hede to you what shall befall
	His fayth to you shall gyue so great vertue
1130	That blynde folke ye shall make for to see
	By inuocation only of Christe_Iesu
	Delyuer the people from all aduersite
	Leprous folke / and tho that lame be
	To be made clene / and make them go vpryght
1135	And euery sykenes recouer thrugh his myght
sig: [G1v]
	Ye shall escape by his prouydence
	All myscheues to you that ben contrary
	Lyue longe tyme / go free from pestilence
	From Christis fayth / if that ye wyll not vary
1140	To graunt your askynge the lorde shall not tary
	But at last or ye hens wende
	By martyrdome ye shall make an ende
	By martyrdome ye shall ende your lyfe
	And blessedly from this worlde shall passe
1145	Out of all trouble and transitory stryfe
	Whiche day by day / doth you here manasse
	Thrugh Christis myght and influence of grace
	Ye shall to god / to your great auantage
	By meke suffraunce make your passage
1150	This was chefe cause and grounde of my commyng
	Sent by Iesu vnto this towne
	As a bedyll to brynge you tydyng
	Howe by his myghty visitation
	Ye shall endure payne and passyon
1155	For Christis fayth in his moste pacient wyse
	As knyght and martyr chosen to his seruice
	That is his wyll ye shall fynde in-dede
	To recompence the great humanyte
	Whiche ye haue vsed of fredome and manhede
1160	To indigent folke and people in pouerte
	And specially for hospitalite
	With other dedes in nombre called seuen
	Dedes of mercy registred nowe in heuen
sig: [G2]
	To fede the pore / whiche had no vitayle
1165	And to viset folkes in prison
	Receyue them that herburgh dyd fayle
	Bedred folkes that lay in myschiefe downe
	Comforte the syke mynystre them foysowne
	Parte with them of that they had nede
1170	And bury them that laye in myschefe dede
	To his seruantes / and all that ye haue mynystred
	Cronycled ben in the heuenly consistory
	In his boke perpetually registred
	Eche good dede the lorde hath in memory
1175	It to guerdon with a palme of victorie
	Perpetually with hym to reigne in ioye
	Greatter conquest than was the sege of Troye
	Sith ye your handes haue not withdrawe
	From hospitalite pore folkes for to fede
1180	Whyle ye haue lyued in this paynym lawe
	Causes of the poore to promote and to spede
	God forgetteth not to quite your mede
	If this be done after ye be baptised
	A double palme for you shalbe deuysed
1185	Lyke a prince in moste knyghty wyse
	Albon obeyed with entiere diligence
	All these wordes gan wysely aduertise
	Answerynge these wordes in sentence
	What maner worshyp / what maner reuerence
1190	Shall I do than whan I am withdrawe
	From ydolatry / and turned to Christis lawe
sig: [G2v]
	Amphibalus yafe answere to Albon
	Ye must beleue and in no doubte be
	There is no god in this worlde but one
1195	The father / the sonne / the holy gost these thre
	Ioyned in one by perfyte vnite
	The foundation as I can well preue
	Firste article and grounde of our beleue
	This fayth in soth shall clerely you directe
1200	If that you lyst gyue therto credence
	All olde errours to auoyde and correcte
	If ye so done with humble reuerence
	I dare affirme and conclude in sentence
	That your begynnyng to god is acceptable
1205	And to your soule treasure moste profytable
	Of the father the power eternall
	Of the sonne souerain sapience
	Of the holy gost in especiall
	Grace dothe procede by vertuous prouidence
1210	And to descryue the magnificence
	Of all the thre / called thre and one
	Undeuided / they neuer asonder gone
	And if ye lyste vnto this lawe tourne
	Of his most digne imperiall maieste
1215	He shall you make with hym to soiourne
	This blessed lorde / this blessed trinite
	Where ioye is euer and all felicite
	Tofore whose face eternally lastynge
	Thre Ierarchies one Osanna synge
sig: [G3]
1220	Of this matiere be nothyng in doute
	Set asyde all ambiguyte
	Forsake your mawmettes / and all that false route
	For they be made of metall / stone / and tree
	Whiche may not helpe nor forther in no degree
1225	Saturne / Iupiter / Mars / and Appollo
	With the false goddessis Dyana and Iune
	Though they haue eares / in trouth they may not here
	With eien great / of lokyng they do fayle
	They be forged in golde and stones clere
1230	Who calleth to them they may nothyng auayle
	Nowe dere host forsake all this rascayle
	As I haue sayde / and do in Christ delyte
	And he by grace shall make you perfyte
	A large space Albon kepte hym close
1235	Fayned in maner as he had disdayne
	From his place in great hast arose
	Yet or he went he gan to fayne
	Ye be not wyse your doctrine is in vayne
	If it were wyst ye were in this citie
1240	Ye shulde endure full great aduersitie
	For your sake there shulde be practysed
	Dyuers tourmentes for your destruction
	For your blasphemye cruelly chastised
	Without fauour or remyssyon
1245	At the last for shorte conclusyon
	Your heed smyten of / without grace
	If ye were knowne or founden in this place
sig: [G3v]
	In this mater I can none other fele
	For your persone somwhat I stande in doute
1250	You ben here / yet I shall counsayle
	And you preserue that no man shall take hede
	Of your consayte / nor what ye mene in-dede
	And with that worde / out of the place he goth
	Sheweth a chere lyke as he had bene wroth
1255	By grace of god and fauour of fortune
	All that he sayde was done with reuerence
	Of gentylnes he was not importune
	Suffered all-thynge with humble pacience
	Albeit so / he gafe no full credence
1260	To his doctrine of thynges whiche he tolde
	Stode in doute / what partie he shulde holde
	Albon in hast thought for the best
	Whan Lucyna shone full shene and bryght
	With slepe oppressed for to take his rest
1265	Amphibalus satte all that longe nyght
	Upon his knees as gods owne knyght
	For loue of Albon with great deuotion
	Makyng full mekely his orison
	To whose prayer of grace god toke kepe
1270	And lyste to consydre his affection
	And in this whyle as Albon lay and slepe
	The same nyght he had a vision
	Straunge and dyuers by manyfolde reason
	And wonder fer from his intelligence
1275	What it ment or what was the sentence
sig: [G4]
	Towarde morowe whan Albon dyd abrayde
	Out of his slepe / and Phebus shone full shene
	Gan to maruayle / and no worde he sayde
	Touchyng his dreame / newe fresshe and grene
1280	Understode not what it shulde mene
	Rose vp in haste / and to the pylgryme went
	Besechyng hym to declare what it ment
	My frende quod he / if all-thynge be trewe
	Whiche ye haue preached of Christ and of his lawe
1285	Dyuers maruayles vnknowne straunge and newe
	Shewed to me this nyght or it can dawe
	I you beseche your witte ye nat withdrawe
	For to declare the exposition
	Whan I haue tolde you myn auision
1290	The whiche truly as I reherce can
	Lokyng vp to the heuenly mansion
	Me-thought sothly that I sawe a man
	From that place to this worlde come down
	Of whose beautie was no comparysown
1295	Eke me-thought of boystrous folke and rude
	He was beset with a great multitude
	This people enuious and frowarde of entent
	As it semed of malyce and hatered
	With many a sondry fell turment
1300	With sharpe scourges made his sydes blede
	Bounde his handes / I toke therof good hede
	And on a crosse they hynge hym vp full blyue
	With spere and nayles they yafe him woundes fyue
sig: [G4v]
	Naked he was / body / fote / and hondes
1305	On length and brede drawen with great peyne
	By the constreynt of myghty stronge bondes
	Drawen a_sonder was euery narfe and veyne
	With a sharpe spere his herte clouen in twene
	Persed he was so depe and profounde
1310	That bloude and water ranne out of that wounde
	With a reede spere they raught I toke hede
	To gyue hym drynke / eysell mengled with gall
	A crowne of thorne set vpon his heed
	And amonge his cruell paynes all
1315	Kynge of iewes in scorne they hym call
	And in despite malycyously cryenge
	Of Iewery saluted hym as kynge
	As me-thought they greately dyd offende
	To make all his body so for to blede
1320	And from the crosse downe bad hym discende
	If that he were gods sonne in-dede
	His skynne to_rent / all blody was his wede
	Lyke a meke lambe / myne herte dyd agryse
	To se hym turment in so cruell wyse
1325	After these paynes greuous and intollerable
	And all his hydous mortall tourmentry
	With a great voyce pitous and lamentable
	Upon the poynte / whan he shulde die
	To his father thus he gan to crye
1330	In to thyne handes father I commende
	My goste / my spirite / and thus he made an ende
sig: H[1]
	And with that crye as he yafe vp the gost
	From the crosse his body they toke downe
	Lyke well-stremes vpon euery coost
1335	His grene woundes shed out great foyson
	Of blody droppes / and for a conclusyon
	Of all his paynes / his body was anone
	Closed and ensealed vnder a great stone
	And whyle that he wi t h stronge honde was kept close
1340	Maruayle of maruayles most I can maruayle
	The deed body / to lyfe agayne rose
	Maugre the knyghtes with all plate and mayle
	A soden slombre theyr hedes dyd assayle
	An angell moste souerayne of delyte
1345	I sawe appere / and he was clothed in whyte
	Amonge other maruayles there was one
	Whiche I behelde in myne auision
	Out of his graue closed with a stone
	He rose vp lyke a stronge champyon
1350	With open eien I had aspection
	Of all this thyng no parte lefte behynde
	From poynt to poynt all marked in my mynde
	Rad nor songen amonge the Brytons layes
	Was neuer herde so soote an heuenly sowne
1355	After the nombre full of forty dayes
	Folowed after the resurrection
	To the tyme of his assention
	What multytude of angels all in fere
	Conueyde hym aboue the sterres clere
sig: [H1v]
1360	I sawe this thyng and knewe it wel ynowe
	By a maner vncouth apparence
	The garmentes whytter than mylke or snowe
	Of all th'angels that dyd hym reuerence
	This was theyr songe and refret in sentence
1365	Blessed be the father / blessed mote he be
	The sonne eke blessed in his humanyte
	These vncouth tydynges I sawe them in my slepe
	And many other thynges mo withall
	Secrete thynges I toke of them good kepe
1370	Not to be shewed to no man mortall
	And he tolde vnto Amphibell all
	Whan he a_woke in full humble entent
	Besechyng hym to declare what it ment
	Whiche thynges to here greatly was delyted
1375	Within hym-selfe of spirituall gladnes
	Saw that his herte was of god visited
	And full deuoutly a crosse he gan forth dresse
	Lo here quod he / this token beareth wytnesse
	Of all the signes clere as the sonne-beame
1380	That were vnto you shewed in your dreame
	The man whiche to you dyd appere
	Sent from heuen so faire and glorious
	He was the same as I shall you lere
	My blessed lorde / myn owne lorde Christ_Iesus
1385	Most benyng / moste meke and most vertuous
	Whiche on a crosse suffred passion
	As ye sawe clerely in your auision
sig: [H2]
	Only by mercy by his gratious aduise
	Of the trespas to make redemption
1390	Touchyng the aple / whiche in paradise
	Adam ate of by false suggestion
	Of a serpent to great confusion
	Fyrst of hym-selfe / nexte of all his lyne
	Tyll Christis passyon / that was our medycyne
1395	Agayne Adam the serpent was so wode
	To staunche his venym was founde none obstacle
	Tyll on the crosse Christ_Iesu spende his blode
	A medycyne / bawme / and chyefe triacle
	Lycour of lycours / dystyllyng by myracle
1400	From the cundytes of Christis woundes fyue
	Man to restore ayen from deth to lyue
	Whose blessed passyon is our restauratyfe
	Helth and diffence of moste excellence
	To asswage the bolynge of our mortall stryfe
1405	Bawme imperyall agaynst fendes violence
	The phylosophre celestiall queynt essence
	To all welfare mankynde to restore
	Helpeth all sykenesses / whan leches can no more
	Our leche / our ypocras / our gostely galyene
1410	Our samson called that venquisshed the lyon
	Our myghty champyon the famous stronge Achilles
	That bare vp heuen for our saluation
	Hye on the crosse makyng our raunson
	He that ye sawe was the same man
1415	In your auision that ouercame Sathan
sig: [H2v]
	The multytude that aboue hym stoode
	Were false iewes / his deth immagynyng
	Of cursed malyce / nayled hym to the roode
	Lyst not receyue his gratious comyng
1420	Of theyr prophetes refused the wrytyng
	Knewe not theyr lorde / but as folke aduersary
	For his goodnes / were to hym contrary
	Mercyfull Iesu gayn deth to stynte our stryfe
	Lyst suffre deth / from deth to make vs free
1425	Uenquisshed deth / with deth to brynge in lyfe
	Whan lyfe was slayne an_high vpon a tree
	Forbode frute / brought immortalyte
	By a rounde aple was caused all this losse
	By frute refourmed / that henge vpon the crosse
1430	Let me I praye you haue veray knowlegyng
	By your discrete faythfull diligence
	As ye that ben experte in many a thyng
	What obseruaunce / what due reuerence
	Unto the father and his magnificence
1435	To the holy goost / tell on fyrste of those two
	And to the sonne / what seruice shall I do
	Whan Amphabell gan playnely to aduertise
	His faythfull askyng with all humylyte
	Gan reioyse in many sondry wyse
1440	This Albon where as he stode free
	Was godly moued to aske of these thre
	By god enspired conceyued of reason
	Only of grace came this question
sig: [H3]
	Thanked god / and goodly gan hym dresse
1445	To comforte the trewe affection
	Of blessed Albon / and truely to expresse
	Hym to quite for shorte conclusyon
	Of his demaunde made a solution
	His conceytes discretely to appese
1450	Thus he sayde to set his herte in ease
	These thre persones / whiche ye haue named here
	The father the sonne the holy goste these thre
	Ben sothfastly lyke as ye shall here
	Truste me ryght well on god in trinite
1455	Ioyned in one by perfyte vnite
	Beleue this iustly / and your wyttes dresse
	For lyfe or deth / this article to confesse
	This is my fayth / and I beleue thus
	Quod blessed Albon with all humylyte
1460	There is no god but my lorde Iesus
	Whiche that come downe from his fathers see
	Mekely to take our humanyte
	For our helth and our saluation
	Lyst of his mercy to suffre passyon
1465	He with the father the holy goste these thre
	Amphibalus rehersyng vnto Albon
	They be all one god by perfyte vnite
	And other god in all the worlde is none
	And this belefe loke ye not forgone
1470	This worde ofte rehersed in sentence
	Albon fell downe with deuoute reuerence
sig: [H3v]
	Toforne the crosse / and with great repentance
	And sayde: O lorde Iesu on my mysdede
	O Iesu mercy / receyue my penaunce
1475	Whiche on the crosse lyst for my sake to blede
	And on his knees fast he gan hym spede
	With contryte herte / great to god a_lofte
	With wepyng teares the crosse he kyssed ofte
	With all his membres hath hym applyed
1480	As on the crosse Christ had be present
	And he with hym whan he was crucyfyed
	So of hole herte Albon was dilygent
	His face his eien with teares all be_sprent
	This penitent his langour for to lysse
1485	Was euer busye Christis fote to kysse
	His bytter teares from his eyen tweyne
	Lyke a christall well encreasyng at a floode
	Albon ay busy to make the water reyne
	To myngle his wepyng with Christis owne blode
1490	I mene the wounde grauen in the roode
	Upon the crosse that was to hym shewed
	Of drery sobbyng the carectes all bedewed
	By grace enspired this Albon gan hym drawe
	To take the order of religion
1495	Of Christis fayth and bynde hym to that lawe
	With wyll and herte and hole affection
	And secretely made his professyon
	To Christe_Iesu tyme and houre deuysed
	By Amphibalus whan he was baptysed
sig: [H4]
1500	With humble herte this was the langage
	Of holy Albon quod he I here forsake
	The pompe of Sathan / and all his baronage
	And all the power of the vggely fendes blake
	My soule and body to Iesus I betake
1505	Whiche for mankynde dyed it is no nay
	Thus I beleue / and rose the thyrde day
	Quod Amphibalus with a glad visage
	Be stronge of fayth our lorde is holde with the
	He wyll not fayle to confyrme your corage
1510	By tokens shewed of his beningnyte
	In especiall reporteth this of me
	To other aforne you as I reherse can
	That they were taught / they lerned it of man
	But your langage excellyng in vertue
1515	Experience hath yeue you knowlegyng
	By reuelation of our lorde Iesu
	Whiche to you hath declared euery thyng
	His byrth / his passyon / his vprysyng
	Of all this thyng lyke as ye had in syght
1520	To call you to hym to be his chosen knyght
	Whiche me semeth ought ynough suffice
	With the surplus of your auision
	To you expouned the maner and the gyse
	Of Christis fayth with full instruction
1525	Mekely of herte with supportation
	At my request your highnes not ye greue
	For to departe goodly to yeue me leue
sig: [H4v]
	I am meued of veray conscience
	Other contrees to preache Christis lawe
1530	I hope to you it shall do none offence
	For a season though I me withdrawe
	It is a by-worde / and a full olde sawe
	Whiche hath be sayd / syth gone many a yere
	Frendes alway / may not ben in fere
1535	Frendes quod Albon neuer depart asonder
	Ioyned in vertue and knyt by grace
	Though one be here and a nother yonder
	Theyr hertes ben one euery houre and space
	In god combined / ther parteth them no place
1540	Of one wyll aye in that they haue to done
	Of whiche I praye / departeth not so sone
	To abyde a weke ye may do me great ease
	By your doctryne to haue instruction
	My lorde Iesu howe shall I hym please
1545	With ryght hole herte and true affection
	To serue hym duely lyke my profession
	And in his fayth wherin I moste delyte
	With your teachyng that I may be perfyte
	Amphibalus knowyng his entent
1550	Lyst in no wyse denye his askyng
	The longe nyght they to_gether spent
	Only in prayer and deuoute praysyng
	For out of syght they chose theyr abydyng
	From noyse of folke they gan them-selfe withdraw
1555	And all that whyle they spake of Christis law
sig: I[1]
	Of Christis fayth and of his religion
	Was theyr fayth and theyr dalyance
	Amonge to god they mayde theyr orison
	Them to defende from fendes accombrance
1560	In this whyle god yafe them sory chaunce
	A cursed paynym of malyce and enuie
	Where they met the place he dyd espie
	To auoyde them of comforte and refuge
	This paynym aforsayd of malyce lyst not space
1565	For to accuse them bothe vnto the iudge
	Of theyr metyng the maner to declare
	And moreouer yuell mote he fare
	Of malycyous frowarde cursednes
	The iuge he set a_fyre with wodenes
1570	With enuious sturdy violence
	Through the citie they serched were and sought
	And commaunded to appere in the presence
	Toforne the iuge both two to be brought
	The towne serched / but they founde them nought
1575	Blessed Albon meued of corage
	To kepe his maister and saue hym from damage
	Upon a nyght before the dawnyng
	This blessed Albon his maister gan conueye
	With heuy chere most pituously wepyng
1580	Out of the citie brought hym on the waye
	At the departyng fared as they wolde dye
	So were theyr hertes ioyned in one cheyne
	Not lyke to twynne / tyl deth departe them in twayne
sig: [I1v]
	O faythfull loue standyng in suche a state
1585	By resemblaunce in comparyson
	As whylome dyd Dauyd and Ionathas
	Maugre kyng Saules persecution
	Faynyng was none nor dissimulation
	Lyke to endure playnly to termyne
1590	Tyll Antropos theyr lyues tryed atwyne
	Theyr loue more sad stable and vertous
	In comparyson than the poetes made
	Of Pyrothe or of Thedeus
	Of Horestes / outher of Pylade
1595	Fresshe for a season / that wolde sone fade
	As whylome dyd the loue of Achylles
	And Patroclus slayne amyd the prees
	Whan that Ector the Troyan champyon
	Slowe Patroclus for his frowardnes
1600	Maugre Achylles for all his high renown
	To exemplifie there is no stablenes
	In worldly loue / but chaunge and doublenes
	Be it of blode kynne or alye
	Without vertue all standeth in ieoperdye
1605	Of these tweyne the loue was a nother
	By enterchaungyng / betwene them set a lawe
	Albon to abyde and to dye for his brother
	Amphibalus his presens to withdrawe
	In theyr hertes the feruence dyd adawe
1610	Of perfyte loue to endure longe
	As Salamon writeth / that loue as deth is stronge
sig: [I2]
	In all suche case the loue maketh hertes bolde
	And by ensample that loue auoydeth drede
	Albon for loue toke his cloth of golde
1615	And lyke a prince lyst to chaunge his wede
	Of entier herte he gan it for to sprede
	Ouer the shulders of Amphiball anone
	The houre whan they atwynne shulde gone
	From all his fone he iustly was assured
1620	Who that euer had on this clothe of golde
	Tyll he the place fully haue recured
	To stande at large aforne as I haue tolde
	Thus with sobbyng and wepyng manyfolde
	God suffered them a_sondry to deuyde
1625	Forsoke them not but was theyr bothes gyde
	A symple sclauenne fortorne and threde-bare
	Of Amphabals a full olde garment
	This noble prince Albon lyst not spare
	To cast vpon hym though it were all to_rent
1630	So hole to Christe was set all his entent
	And in his pouert to shewe that he was playne
	To his Tygurry returned home agayne
	Amphibalus northwarde to his passage
	Chere of herte / god to be his gyde
1635	For a tyme to eschewe the cruell rage
	Of paynyms as fortune lyst prouyde
	But holy Albon dyd the bront abyde
	To lyue and dye as goddis champyon
	Christ bare his standerd / the crosse was his penon
sig: [I2v]
1640	His sodayn chaunce he helde it was no losse
	Forsoke ryches toke hym to pouerte
	His treasure was to knele aforne the crosse
	His hertie ioye and his felicite
	And for a whyle thus I let hym be
1645	In his prayers / and tel I wyll in-dede
	Howe his enemyes agaynst hym procede
	There was a statute proclaymed in the towne
	Who that wolde not do no reuerence
	Unto theyr goddes / nor mekely knele downe
1650	In-to theyr fyre for to cast ensence
	He shulde anone by cruell violence
	Be take and layde vpon an aulter bounde
	Toforne theyr goddes and flayne wi t h many a wounde
	Of his body to make sacrifice
1655	Superstitious was this oblation
	Whiche of newe paynyms gan practise
	Agayne the doctryne and predication
	By Amphybalus brought into the towne
	By the iudge set in ordynaunce
1660	On hym and Albon fyrst to do vengeance
	So to punysshe one and one by rowe
	Without mercy or longe auisement
	To blessed Albon this statute was well knowe
	Bothe of theyr dome and cruell iugement
1665	And ay this prince / stable in his entent
	Made stronge in god / for lyfe or deth tendure
	The lordes hande / and his auenture
sig: [I3]
	Whan somer floures blowed whyte and redde
	And were in theyr highest lusty fresshe season
1670	And fyry Phebus / from the crabbes hedde
	Toke his passage towarde the lyon
	At Uerolamy / in that royall towne
	The same tyme paynyms haue auerted
	To Christis fayth / howe Albon was conuerted
1675	For whiche agaynst hym so obstynate they stode
	Lyke wylde boores or tygyrs in theyr rage
	Uengeable of herte furyous and wode
	Malancoly and pale of theyr visage
	And all the nyght with cursed fell langage
1680	Gan to manace lyke wolfes rauenous
	This blessed Albon and Amphibalus
	The darke tydes of the cloudy nyght
	Withdrough theyr shadowes and their skyes blake
	And Lucyfer gan shewe his beames bryght
1685	And Aurora hath the bedde forsake
	Of fyry Titan and her leue take
	And Phebus Chariot draweth vp wi t h flego[n]te
	And gan illumyne all the Oriso[n]te
	The holsome bawme gan in meddowes flete
1690	Amonge the flowres and holsome leues grene
	The syluer dewe gan the soile to wete
	Lyke perles rounde as any christall shene
	Whan nature of worldly thynges the quene
	Ordeyned a day of fresshenes plentous
1695	Whan Albon was beseged in his hous
sig: [I3v]
	The paynyms gan make theyr-selfe stronge
	This noble prince Albon to pursewe
	Upon that houre whan the larkes songe
	In theyr leden and gan the day salewe
1700	Theyr purpose was specially to sewe
	Amphibalus but that he was gon
	In-stede of hym they fyll vpon Albon
	Aforne the crosse they founde hym knelyng
	In his prayer and they vpon hym went
1705	He rose vp and made no taryeng
	And the great multytude that the iuge sent
	Fell vpon hym and lyke wolfes hym rent
	In theyr furyous mortall fell deluge
	They hym present anon afore the iuge
1710	Meke as a lambe of porte and chere benynge
	To done his batayle / lyke Christis owne knyght
	His banner was his standerde and his signe
	The crosse of Iesu / whiche he bare vpryght
	Magre paynyms in theyr alder syght
1715	Lyke a champyon agayn them to warrye
	Under that penon cast hym to lyue and dye
	God was with hym to susteyn his partie
	Stedfast of herte / hardy as a lyon
	Put his lyfe for Christ in ieopertye
1720	Of body naked / trouthe was his habergon
	His shelde was fayth / his sworde and his burdon
	His spere his pollar / surer than stele to endure
	Was only hope / the victorie to recure
sig: [I4]
	His sabbatons set on grounde of trouthe
1725	And his greues forged with stabilnes
	And his polayns plyant without slouthe
	And his quisshews borne vp with high prowesse
	A payre of curesse / closed with ryghtwysenesse
	And his vauntbrace was truste that went beforne
1730	Rerebrace of charyte / which myght not be forlorne
	Gloues of plate to beare of and defende
	Was true affection medled with the dede
	A large pauice greatly to commende
	Of trewe meanyng to auoyde away all drede
1735	And thus in trouthe who-so lyst take hede
	All in vertues enarmed for defence
	With a cote-armour aboue of pacience
	Charyte was chefe of his counsayle
	Taught hym the maner / agayn his cruell fone
1740	Howe that he shulde do to his great auayle
	Enter in-to the felde / and knygh[t]ly to gone knyghtly] knyghly 1534, knyhtly L
	All that it so were / that he was but alone
	His banner splayed / full erly on the morowe
	Grace was his guyde with saynt Iohnn to borowe
1745	Fyrst he was led by mortall violence
	Drawe and torne in moste cruell wyse
	The holy crosse vp borne for his defence
	And brought he was to do sacrifice
	Unto theyr ydols / but he them dyd dispise
1750	Asclypiodot the iuge there present
	And all the citie gathered of entent
sig: [I4v]
	This goddes knyght holdyng the crosse in honde
	Inuisible by vertue of that signe
	And paynyms that aboute hym stonde
1755	Cruell and cursed agayn hym gan malygne
	Though they were there borne of one lyne
	The iuge troubled whan that he toke hede
	Of Christis crosse / and had in maner drede
	Albon alway this prince full notable
1760	Stode ay vpryght with loke moste coragious
	Euer of one herte / as any centre stable
	The crosse afforne banner most gloryous
	Moste agreable and moste victorious
	And fyrste of all the story doth vs lere
1765	Of his maister / the iudge of hym dyd enquere
	And asked of hym to what partie he was gone
	By his sleyght and his vncouth wyle
	Whiche dispysed theyr goddes euery_chone
	Come of nowe theyr citie to begyle
1770	At whose wordes Albon stynt a whyle
	And sayde at last with sobre countenaunce
	He was departed by goddes ordynaunce
	Quod the iuge where-euer that he be
	Either embesyled or els set a_syde
1775	Touchyng the fayth that he hath taughte to the
	And therin ben thy maister and thy guyde
	And is nowe fledde / and durst not a_byde
	By his doctryne a reason full notable
	His preachyng is nought or he is not stable
sig: K[1]
1780	I trowe he wolde haue come to presence
	If in his fayth had be no varyance
	Other some remors of his conscience
	Hath cast his herte in newe repentance
	If he had had in his fayth constance
1785	Lyke a maister he shulde nat haue gone
	And his disciple in myschefe leaue alone
	In this doctryne as to myne entent
	There is disceyte vnder some falsenes
	Or in his teachyng he is fraudolent
1790	Whiche the brought in so great wodenes
	To forsake thy treasure and ryches
	Of all our goddes in so frowarde wyse
	Of wylfulnes / and malyce them to dispise
	Thou standist nowe in a ful perlous poynt
1795	The clerke hath brought the in so great a snare
	And set thy reason so farre out of ioynt
	And made thy wyt so naked and so bare
	That thou arte pleynly to declare
	In Christis cause / and so from our fayth to erre
1800	Agayne all our goddes to begyn mortall warre
	Whiche thynge consydered / as it is skylle and ryght
	And egally paysed in balaunce
	Wronge to do them by any maner wyght
	Nother by fauour / frendshyp / nor suffraunce
1805	May not passe without great vengeaunce
	Upon blasphemy the lawe doth ordeyne
	Agayn the goddes / deth to be theyr peyne
sig: [K1v]
	Unto a foole thou gafe hasty credence
	And by his foly he hath the begyled
1810	Fyrst to the goddes / thou dost no reuerence
	Of despite wylte not be reconsyled
	Thou farest as a man whiche is vnabyled
	Stondyng as nowe from grace desolate
	Uyle and abiecte out of thyne olde estate
1815	In suche case eche man may be disceyued
	By suche false foren information
	But nowe thyne errour is clery apperceyued
	So by counsell / for thy saluation
	Or thou incurre the indignation
1820	And or iugement by rygour the manace
	Forsake that secte / fall downe and axe grace
	To thyne estate thou mayst thus be restored
	With humble herte / do them sacrifyce
	And thy treasure and thy ryches shalbe mored
1825	And encreased in many a sondry wyse
	To great worshyp / and sodeynly aryse
	Of townes / castels / lorde we shall the make
	So thou wylte the fayth of Christe forsake
	Of herte and thought very indiuisybel
1830	Albone stode hole and kept his grounde and place
	The iuges promysse flateryng and fallybel
	Boystous threatnynges / wi t h whiche he gan manace
	Uoyde of drede / of one chere / and one face
	This manly prince / this hardy knyght Albon
1835	Stode betwene bothe / stable as any stone
sig: [K2]
	To the iuge sayde as ye shall here
	Thy manaces nor promys of pleasance
	In frowarde speche / nor thy frownyng chere
	Shall me not meue on poynt from my constaunce
1840	In Christ_Iesu / is hole my suffisance
	For me lyst not here longe processe to deuise
	Thy golde thy treasure thy goddes I despise
	And where thou hast my maister eke accused
	Of inconstance and duplicite
1845	Be ryght well sure god hath hym excused
	That he dyd / the counsell come of me
	He fled not god wote for feare of the
	I was assented to kepe hym absence
	And elles he had come to audience
1850	From the trouthe me lyst not to declyne
	All thy wordes be sayde but in vayne
	Of my maister / I confesse the doctryne
	For lyfe nor deth / neuer to turne agayne
	From Christis fayth / whiche standeth in certeyne
1855	For it causeth folkes lame to go vpryght
	And folkes blynde to recure theyr syght
	This fayth so hole infyxed is in my mynde
	Unto me more precious and more dere
	Than all the stones / that comen out of Inde
1860	Or all the ryches that thou rehersyst here
	Golde or treasure / rekened all in feare
	Worldly worshyps / pompe or veynglorye
	To fayth compared be thynges transytorye.
sig: [K2v]
	This faythe in god maketh me so ryche and stronge
1865	All worldely good for it I do despise
	What shulde lenger drawe the alonge
	To false goddes in no maner of wyse
	I wyll not do worshyp nor sacrifise
	Echon ben false and haue nother wit nor mynde
1870	Ye that serue them be very mad or blynde
	Most deceyuable whan a man hath nede
	Ben your goddes with all your mawmetrye
	It hath ben proued aforne in my kynred
	And many other borne of myn allye
1875	All suche rascayle of purpose I defye
	False and faylyng of olde tyme and newe
	To all theyr seruauntes of custome most vntrewe
	I cast neuer with them to haue a_do
	Nor make fyre vpon theyr aulteris
1880	This is myn answere take good hede therto
	Nor none ensence cast in theyr senseres
	Nor knele aforne them this .C.M. yeres
	This is in somme for one worde and all
	My last wyll and answere fynall.
1885	With this answere ther rose vp a sodeyn crye
	Noyse of the people clamour and wepyng
	Aboute the martyr they wente busylye
	Lyke wodemen vpon hym gauryng
	He herde all theyr speche / spake agayn nothyng
1890	The iuges manace / the peoples violence
	He suffred all / and kept his pacience
sig: [K3]
	The people agayne hym vengeable and cruell
	Unto theyr temples brought hym anone ryght
	By violence they gan hym to compell
1895	To theyr goddes to offre and to set vp lyght
	Blessed Albon as goddes owne knyght
	Stable of herte / and hole in his entent
	To sacrifice wolde neuer assent
	The people then in theyr furyous hete
1900	By the iewes cruell commaundement
	They strypte hym fyrst / and with scourges bete
	Tyll his body and skynne was all to_rent
	But he with glad chere sufferde his torment
	His eien vplyfte / to god began abrayde
1905	And to the lorde deuoutly thus he sayde
	Lorde god quod he kepe myn inwarde thought
	Graunt of thy grace in my greuous payne
	Pacience / that I ne grudge nought
	Of thy mercy O Iesu not disdeyne
1910	My freyle flesshe / from murmour to restreyne
	Syth that my wyll stant hole without stryfe
	To the to offre my soule and eke my lyfe
	Remembre the lorde on thy seruant Albone
	For nother flody stormes / wynde / nor reyne
1915	May hurte that house bylte on stable stone
	And semblably it is full selde seyne
	Who byldeth in Christe / byldeth not in veyne
	Syth my byldyng stant holy in thy grace
	Suffre not my wyll remeue from this place
sig: [K3v]
1920	My voyce / my tonge / my wyll fully record
	All of assent without excepcion
	For lyfe for dethe they neuer shall discord
	But thou Iesu madest our redemption
	Nowe by the vertue of thy passyon
1925	O blessed lorde graunt me constance
	Amonge the paynes hole wyll and meke suffrance
	Whyles the martyr was scourged and bete
	This was his voyce / on Christ_Iesu to cry
	To call his helpe wolde neuer lete
1930	Nother for smerte / nor paynfull tormentrye
	Unto paynyms lawe / he wolde neuer applye
	Nother for manace rebuke nor rygour
	For fayre speche / for promysse nor fauour
	Lyke a dyamande he wolde not be broke
1935	Nor restreyned from his olde constance
	From Christis fayth they myght not reuoke
	With all theyr fayned wordes of pleasance
	Than was he put vnder gouernance
	Of the iuge / as a lambe amonge houndes
1940	Full syxe wekes not to passe his boundes
	Duryng this tyme the boke maketh mention
	He streytly kept of moo than one or twayne
	Lyke a martyr holde in streyte pryson
	Myght not reche further than his cheyne
1945	The elementes his wronges gan to compleyne
	In theyr maner agaynst natures lawe
	Theyr benefytes of kynde to withdrawe
sig: [K4]
	Upon the erthe / on herbe / grasse / nor floure
	On all these thre was no dewe sene
1950	The grounde to cherysshe come nother rayne nor shoure
	For no moisture fell vpon the grene
	Flora slepte / that is the floures quene
	Eolus the smothe wyndes softe
	All this whyle enspired not alofte
1955	The erthe scaldeth with the feruence of the sonne
	Hete on nyghtes was intollerable
	There grewe no frute / the skyes were so donne
	Greynes come none / vplande was not erable
	Thus by a maner complaynt lamentable
1960	Heuen and erthe complayned them of ryght
	The iniurie done vnto goddes knyght
	The people playned for lackyng of vitayle
	Demed it cause of some sorsery
	That Th'elementis lyst to holde a batayle
1965	For Christis knyght to holde vp his partye
	Agayne myscreantes with theyr tormentrye
	Magre theyr malyce to make the martyr stronge
	To shewe by signes the paynyms dyd him wronge
	Astlepeodet syttyng as iuge than
1970	Though he to Albon had great hatered
	Yet bicause of Dioclesyan
	To slee the martyr durst not procede
	Tyll he had sent letters as I rede
	To th'emperour rehersyng howe Albon
1975	Forsaken had theyr goddes euery_chone
sig: [K4v]
	Enformyng hym of his obstinacy
	Howe all theyr goddes he set also at nought
	And howe theyr power pleynly he doth defye
	And was made christen of herte wyll and thought
1980	And hath also subtylly wayes thought
	The peoples hertes from our goddes withdrawe
	In theyr despyte to folowe a newe lawe
	But the great and kynde famylyaryte
	Whiche Albon had with the emperour
1985	Bycause also of his great dignite
	And of his kynne had so great fauour
	That the iudge drad for to do rygour
	Upon this prince of deth or cruelte
	Tyll from the emperour he had auctorite
1990	And but there done great execution
	By hygh aduise of all the hole empire
	To punysshe all tho from false rebellyon
	Whiche to destroye your goddes so desyre
	With whiche letters the emperour set a fyre
1995	Abode no lenger / but hastyly gan ordeyne
	To sende his felowe downe into Brytayne
	And in great hast the story telleth expresse
	Dioclesyan hath sent a great power
	With Maxymyan called Herculesse
2000	Into Braytayne to serche out the mattier
	Wher that any were founde farre or nere
	Of Christis fayth to sleyne euerychone
	Without mercy / except only Albon
sig: L[1]
	His lyfe to saue by a condition
2005	If to theyr sectes he wolde agayne restore
	From Christis loore / turne his opinion
	Of theyr goddes / the sta[tu]tes to support statutes] stantes 1534, statutis L, statute P
	To Dioclesyan that they may report
	Howe that Albon doth hym sore repent
2010	To Christis fayth / that he dyd assent
	Made hym promyse / so that he wolde turnen
	To theyr idols / with fayned fayre langage
	Amonge with thretninges they dayly him adiuren
	To peruerte his herte and his corage
2015	But euer ylyche of chere and of visage
	Betwen fyre and water / now harde now blandysshyng
	From his constance they myght hym neuer bryng
	Lyke a stronge towre bylte on a hygh mountayne
	Toke none hede of theyr monitions
2020	Stode in our fayth so stable and so certayne
	Theyr ryche promysse of castels and of towns
	With many lordshyps in dyuers regyons
	He set at nought / by grace and by vertue
	His grounde to stable he abode in Christ_Iesue
2025	Than by precepte of Dioclesyan
	If he not chaunge for fayrenes nor for drede
	The charge was yeuen to Maxymyan
	By iugement and dome to taken hede
	To assigne a knyght to smyten of his hede
2030	Suche one as had in knyghthode hygh renoune
	Shulde on this prince done executioune
sig: [L1v]
	This was so commaunded by sentence
	Of the emperour that Amphibalus
	If he were take by notable violence
2035	Without mercy shulde be serued thus
	By iugement cruell and furyous
	Made naked fyrst and to a stake bounde
	At his nauyll made a large wounde
	He compelled amonge the cruell route
2040	At the nauyll his bowels to be take
	And his guttes serched rounde aboute
	Lyke a long rope tyed to a stake
	And of his lyfe so an ende make
	And at laste voyde of all pytye
2045	Smyte of his heed by furyous cruelty.
	This was the dome touchyng the tormentes
	Of blessed Albon and Amphibalus
	Falsely concluded in the iugementes
	Of Maxymyan / myn auctor telleth thus
2050	With Asclepeodet wode and contraryus
	In that citie bothe two there present
	In Uerolamy / whiche yafe this iugement
	The citezyns gathered enuiron
	For this matter with great diligence
2055	Bothe of London and many other towne
	Of iugement to here that sentence
	Youen vpon Albon in open audience
	Under these wordes put in remembrance
	As ye shall here rehersed in substaunce
sig: [L2]
2060	Tyme of the emperour Dioclesyan
	Whan he stode hyest in his maiestie
	At Uerolamy the story tell can
	Whan Albon was lorde of that citie
	Tho days called for his dignitie
2065	Recorde of cronycles / whiche lyst not feyne
	Prince of knyghtes and stewarde of Bretayne
	Duryng his lyfe to haue possession
	All his power aforne hath be practysed
	But nowe for he by false rebellyon
2070	Of wylfulnes and malyce hath despysed
	Beforne these dayes by antiquite deuised
	The olde worshyps notable and famous
	Done to Iubyter Appollo and Uenus
	For whiche cause let euery man take hede
2075	Lyke as the lawe concludeth of ryght
	By iugement in hast he to be dede
	His hede smyten of fyrst in the peoples syght
	By the handes of some olde worthy knyght
	Bycause the martyr was of high renowne
2080	There shulde a knyght done execution
	By dome also after whan he were deed
	The place assigned by sorte or auenture
	From the body / whan parted was the heed
	The corps there shulde haue his sepulture
2085	Passyng an-other priuate creature
	There to be grauen the body with the heed
	Ioyned to_gether in a great chest of leed
sig: [L2v]
	With hym buryed his crosse and his sclaueyne
	A large tombe for a memoryall
2090	This was the dome of the iuges tweyne
	In Uerolame citie full royall
	To auenge theyr goddes infernall
	Upon Albon whan they dyd deme
	Agayne theyr lawes for a false blaspheme
2095	Dempte he was cause of mysauenture
	That theyr landes brought forth no grayne
	The benefytes withdrawen of nature
	To cherisshe theyr frute come noder dew nor reyne
	By sodeyn vengeance as ye haue herde me seyne
2100	Diuersely theyr sorowes were made double
	To fynde the cause what made all this trouble
	Either it come by some frowarde aduenture
	By wytchecrafte or by sorcery
	Whiche so longe vpon them doth endure
2105	Either by artmagyke or by nygramancy
	Eche dempt after his fantasy
	Within the citie they sayd eke many one
	It come for vengeance of saynt Albone
	With this sodeyn vnware aduersite
2110	Itroubled was all the regyon
	Of Uerolamy the greattest of that citie
	Made amonge them a conuocation
	Of all the countre / citie / borough / and towne
	The wysest come downe from eche partie
2115	Agaynst this myschefe to shape a remedye
sig: [L3]
	Amonge them-selfe cast a prouydence
	Wronge that was don to Albon in that towne
	Agaynst trouthe and good conscience
	Of this myschefe / was chefe occasyon
2120	And by assent to relece his prison
	Theyr aduersite so myght be amended
	By meane of hym / to whom they had offended
	Barefote and bare whan that he was take
	Lyke a prisoner brought to theyr presence
2125	Of this matter a counsell they gan make
	Dempt of reason in hym was none offence
	For at them-selfe began the violence
	And he stode quite in theyr opinion
	Of his iniury hauyng compassyon
2130	They consydered his blode and his kynred
	His alyaunce and his hygh noblesse
	For they stode a parcell in great drede
	All the citie troubled with heuynesse
	To se theyr lorde brought in suche distresse
2135	Causyng that citie and that famous towne
	To stande in rumour and great discention
	Seinge theyr stewarde that was so noble a knight
	And a man fre-borne of that citie
	His famous lyne downe descendyng ryght
2140	From the Romayns of olde antiquite
	By comparyson the cronycle who lyst se
	The stocke conueyed of hym that was so good
	First from Troyans and from Romayn blode
sig: [L3v]
	Fyrst from the partye / for to speake of Troye
2145	He had with Ector magnanimyte
	Of whose noblesse all Brytayne may haue ioye
	Sad a[s] Scipion voyde of duplicitie as] a 1534, as L
	And Uerolamy that famous olde citie
	May well reioyse / renewed euer in lyche
2150	With his relyques that it is made so ryche
	And to reherse of his conditions
	A ryghtfull prince in all his gouernance
	In hym was neuer founde occasyons
	Of frowarde meanyng / nor double varyance
2155	Neuer ment to no man displeasance
	Peysed all this / alas voyde of refuge
	Nowe lyke a thefe he stande aforne the iuge
	But to refourme his byrth and lyberte
	The chefe of the citie dyd theyr busy payne
2160	This noble prince amonge them to go free
	From bonde or fetters / or noyse of any chayne
	But therupon the martyr gan complayne
	Within hym-selfe leste suche noyse and sown
	In any wyse shulde let his passyon
2165	That kynde of mercy / whiche they dyd hym shewe
	Of his paynes by a maner of allegeaunce
	The martyr dempt to speake in wordes fewe
	It was to hym moste odious vengeaunce
	For his desyre and his herty pleasance
2170	Was only this shorte processe to make
	To suffre dethe only for Christis sake
sig: [L4]
	With herty sobbyng profounde and depe
	Towarde heuen mekely he kept his syght
	Of inwarde constreynt pitously can wepe
2175	The crosse aforne hym deuoutly helde vpryght
	Cryenge to Iesu haue mercy on thy knyght
	Let not the tende by no collusyon
	Stere the people to let my passyon
	To the people turnyng his knyghtly face
2180	Sayd vnto them of herte and hole corage
	Your fayned fauour your dissymuled grace
	May in this case do me none auauntage
	Fully disposed to perfourme my viage
	Forto accomplysshe lyke as I haue begon
2185	In Christ_Iesu my tryumphe may be won
	Syth I am redy for to endure payne
	Of my free wyll why suffre ye so longe
	Of my desyre I desyre moste souerayne
	For Christis sake to endure paynes stronge
2190	My martyrdome / why do ye so prolonge
	In your entent agayne me ye do erre
	That I do couet so longe to differre
	I maruayle howe ye may susteyne
	Of neglygence so longe to abyde
2195	Whyle the martyr is newe fresshe and grene
	Execution for to set a_syde
	Loke your statutes and therupon prouyde
	Unto your goddes reporteth how that I
	Of all the worlde am theyr most ennemy
sig: [L4v]
2200	Syth they be wrought of men that ben mortall
	Unworthy preued to beare any dignitie
	But forged ydols of stones and metall
	Falsely vsurped agayne the deyte
	Foles do wronge to knele vpon theyr knee
2205	For who calleth to them they yeue none audience
	Domme as a stocke / voyde of intelligence
	A fole is he amonge foles all
	To a blynde stocke / that kneleth to haue syght
	And so is he that doth for strength call
2210	To hym that hath no power nor no myght
	Can not discerne betwene darkenes and lyght
	Large-lypped wordes haue they none
	Of tonge m[uete] / as any stocke or stone muete] meued 1534, mewet L
	O fruteles hope / O false trust dispayred
2215	O vanyte / O rudenes detestable
	O apparence with manhode foule appared
	O ignorance passyng abhomynable
	O Idolaters of corage most vnstable
	Why worshyp ye in your conceytes blynde
2220	Cursed mawmets / th a t haue nother wyt nor mynde
	They be proued worse of condition
	Lasse of power sothely than be ye
	Of worldly thynges ye haue inspection
	They haue great eien yet they may not se
2225	Boistous handes / they fele nothyng parde
	Theyr armes longe they make no diffence
	With theyr defe eares may haue none audience
sig: M[1]
	What thynge is worse than yeue the souereynte
	Of your handwarke to forge fals ymages
2230	Defe blynde and dombe / vnto whose deyte
	Though ye call ay afforne theyr visages
	They knowe nothyng th'entent of your langages
	Of all fyue wyttes they be so defectyfe
	What causeth this / but lacke of soule and lyfe
2235	For howe myght he verrayle in-dede
	Without felyng of ioye or heuynes
	Restore to lyfe folkes that ben deed
	Or make them hole that playne of theyr sykenes
	For all distresse disceyte or doublenes
2240	Of worldely myscheues sought on eche partie
	Was fyrst brought in by false ydolatrye
	A man that hath memory of reason
	Whom god hath made lyke to his ymage
	Is foule blent in his discretion
2245	To fals ydols to knele or do homage
	Wo be to them ruyne and damage
	Trouble myschyefe vnto one and all
	To suche mawmettry that for helpe call
	Whan the paynyms herde and vnderstode
2250	That they myght not remoue his conscience
	From Christ_Iesu that dyed vpon the rode
	For fayre nor foule / for fauour nor violence
	To do by theyr counsell and all of one sentence
	A place assigned lyke theyr opinion
2255	Shulde at Holmehurst suffre his passyon
sig: [M1v]
	In theyr opinion by controuersye
	Stode at debate as they were applyed
	What maner deth Albon shulde dye
	Whiche hath theyr goddes and theyr secte denyed
2260	Some of a crosse wolde haue hym crucyfyed
	Other there were / that dyd in malice raue
	Wolde haue hym quicke karued in his graue
	Some also aforne or he were deed
	Of false enuie and furyous wodenes
2265	Wolde haue his eien out of his heed
	That he shulde in myschefe of blyndnes
	All desolate and abiecte in darkenes
	Folowe his maister with his eien blynde
	Of auenture tyll he myght hym fynde
2270	Echeon concludyng that he shall be deed
	And fynally thus was theyr iugement
	Lad to Holmehurst there smyte of his heed
	The cruell iuges with paynyms of assent
	Lyke a lambe / monges wolfes all to_rent
2275	Towarde his dethe and pitous passyon
	In cheynes bounde led hym through the towne
	No fauour shewed lettyng nor obstacle
	But cruell rygour voyde of all pitie
	Lyke as men gone to some vncouth spectacle
2280	People come downe his martyrdome to se
	The iuge alone lefte in the citie
	Lyke turmentours this was theyr furyous cry
	Out of this towne drawe forth our ennemy
sig: [M2]
	By experience at eye ye may deme
2285	Lyke his desert so foloweth hym his chaunce
	To our goddes moste odious blaspheme
	Grounde and gynnyng of our sodeyn greuance
	On whom they lyst to shewe theyr vengeance
	This was theyr noyse far from all reason
2290	As they hym lad towarde his passyon
	There was so great concors of folkes aboute
	The multytude gan alway to multiplie
	Of paynyms contagious was the route
	The grounde so full on euery partie
2295	Men myght vnneth any space espie
	To stande vpon / myn auctor lyst not feyne
	Whan blessed Albon was led towarde his peyne
	The feruent hete of the sommer sonne
	Hath with his streames / the soile so clad and brent
2300	Up in the lyon as his course hath ronne
	With his brennyng the grounde was almost shent
	Under the fete where as the people went
	The soyle so hote of sodeyn auenture
	For enchaufynge they myght not endure
2305	Lastynge this hete / whan Phebus shone so clere
	The people in nombre waxed more then lasse
	Tyll that they come to a great ryuere
	Whose sturdy wawis wolde not suffre them passe
	The great depenes gan them to manasse
2310	The brydge streite / the people so great and huge
	That many one were dreynt in that diluge
sig: [M2v]
	Great preace of people downe to the water cam
	The ryuer depe / the brydge narowe and small
	They that coude ouer the ryuer swam
2315	Who that coude not turned ouer as a ball
	The comberous preace caused many a fall
	The noyse was great the rumour and complaynt
	In his passage of people that was dreynt
	Fauour was none of brother vnto brother
2320	They were so busy to passe the ryuer
	In that great pryde eche man oppressed other
	To passe the brydge there was so great daungere
	The hete importable that tyme of the yere
	Caused many one / whiche on the brydge stode
2325	For great fayntnes / to fall in-to the flode
	This great myschefe whan Albon gan beholde
	Moued of mercy and of compassyon
	With wepyng eyen as they water wolde
	Unto the erthe fyll on his knees downe
2330	His loke vpcast with great deuotion
	Towarde heuen makyng his prayere
	To Christ_Iesu sayde as ye shall here
	O lorde Iesu out of whose blessed syde
	Whan thou for man were nayled on the rode
2335	Through whose herte / there dyd a spere glyde
	At whiche wounde ranne water out and blode
	O blessed lorde moste mercyfull and good
	So as I sawe in myn auisyon
	Out of thyn herte two lycours ranne adown
sig: [M3]
2340	That is to say / red bloud and water clere
	Those two lycours of our redemption
	At my request drye vp this ryuer
	Staunche the floode and here myn oryson
	And take this people vnder thy protection
2345	Suffre that they with dry fete may wende
	Of my passyon to se an ende
	And whyls the teares from his eien ranne
	Downe by his chekes on eche partie
	By deuout prayer of this holy man
2350	All sodeynly the ryuer was made drye
	The flode staunched and vanysshed as a skye
	He neded not the maner out to serche
	Whan god by grace lyst any thynge to werche
	For he that made maugre Pharao
2355	The people of Israell passe the red see
	With drye fete / the same lorde euen so
	Was that Albon kneled vpon his knee
	Prayeng the lorde of grace and pitie
	Graunt the people to haue inspection
2360	And passe the ryuer to sen his passyon
	An vncouth maruayle / a gracious myracle
	Folkes drounde / lowe at the bottom sayne
	With goddes myght / where may be none obstacle
	The ryuer drye / founde was agayne
2365	Uoyde of moysture / smothe was and playne
	Of the holy martyr / the vertue alway mored
	Folke aforne drownde / to lyfe were restored
sig: [M3v]
	No token of deth was in theyr faces sayne
	But quicke and lyuely to euery mannes syght
2370	These great myracles notable in certayne
	Fyrst of the ryuer / dryed by goddes myght
	All this consydered the selfe-same knyght
	Whiche was assigned for to do vengeaunce
	On blessed Albon / fyll in repentance
2375	The same knyght astonyed and aferde
	Whiche through Albon towarde his passyon
	Of god visited / cast away his swerde
	Afore the martyr / mekely kneled adowne
	And vnto god made his confessyon
2380	Besechyng Albon of comforte and socour
	In humble wyse beknowyng his errour
	Seruant of god / O blessed man Albon
	Thy god only / is very god certayne
	There is no god sothly but he alon
2385	All other goddes bere here name in veyne
	By the myracles / whiche that I haue seyne
	I dare affirme / the trouth it doth well preue
	He is very god / on whom that I beleue
	I wote ryght wele he is myghty and is good
2390	For in a moment / through his magnyfycence
	At thy request voyded hath the flood
	As lorde of lordes moste digne of reuerence
	None lyke to hym of power and potence
	Whiche on this erthe as souerayne lorde and kynge
2395	Passyng all other / doth maruayles in werchynge
sig: [M4]
	Set all a_syde the dede beareth wytnes
	Of no collusyon nor of no false apparaunce
	Of godly myght shewyng his greatnes
	Ryght as it is in very existence
2400	For whiche I aske of all olde neglygence
	Mercy / and pray for my trespace
	O glorious martyr / that lorde to do me grace
	There is no lorde / but only Christe_Iesus
	He is my lorde and I wyll be his knyght
2405	Whiche made these stremes to departe thus
	A great myracle wrought in the peoples syght
	His power is great / and he is moste of myght
	All fals goddes here I do forsake
	And to his mercy all holy I me take
2410	This knyght by grace thus sodeynly conuerted
	The name of whom was Araclius
	Whiche thynge whan paynyms haue aduerted
	They fell vpon hym as wolfes dispitous
	Touchyng the ryuer / sayd it was not thus
2415	It weren theyr goddes and none other wyght
	That wrought this myracle by theyr great myght
	Our myghty goddes most famous and most good
	Of theyr benyngne gracious influence
	They haue auoyded this ryuer and this flood
2420	Of whose secretes we haue experience
	And in effecte full notable euidence
	Whiche for our sake / if it be well sought
	For our passage this myracle haue we wrought
sig: [M4v]
	For to accomplysshe that we haue begon
2425	Agayn our moste enemy lyke to our entention
	Our god most myghty the fyry feruent sonne
	With his great hete and beames yuyronne
	Hath rauysshed with a shorte conclusyon
	This gloryous Phebus with his streames clere
2430	The watry moysture of this great ryuere
	They haue consydered our great deuotion
	Whiche we haue towarde theyr deyte
	Howe we labour for execution
	Agayne theyr moste ennemy founde in the citie
2435	But for hynder theyr magnanymytie
	Though thou in contrary accordyst with Albon
	Hast an opinion agaynst vs euerychone
	Thus was theyr langage and theyr dalyance
	Of hatefull malyce agaynst this trewe knyght
2440	With great rebukes for his repentance
	Fyll vpon hym lyke wolfes anone ryght
	And called hym in all the peoples syght
	To theyr goddes he was a fals blaspheme
	Worthy to dye / of malyce thus they deme
2445	Ranne vpon hym with paynes full vncouth
	Of great malyce they had vnto Albon
	Fyrst they smyten the tethe out of his mouthe
	And there they brake his bones euerychone
	Without wounde membre was lefte none
2450	Of mynde of herte alway hole he stode
	For in his brest the fayth of Christe abode
sig: N[1]
	Only by grace he had this auantage
	In his belefe so holy dyd he stande
	Whiche for his fayth myght suffre no damage
2455	Kepte his promyse / whiche he toke in hande
	He lefte halfe deed lyeng vpon the strande
	Fro wycke or worse / fro cryme to cryme in-dede
	Lyke homycydes the paynyms gan procede
	With broke bones / this pytous wounded knyght
2460	Was on the stronde lefte with deedly chere
	Pale of hewe / myght not syt vpryght
	As the story in order doth vs lere
	By many a stubbe and many a sharpe brere
	Barefote they led hym / voyde of compassyon
2465	This blessed Albon towardes his passyon
	That he was bare the traces were well seyne well] welll 1534
	For with his blode the soile was dyed redde
	Made his passage towarde a hygh mounteyne
	Through sharpe stones / [s]quare as speres hedde square] quare 1534, squar L
2470	Thus entreated aforne or he was deed
	Without wepyng / what erthely creature
	Myght se a prince / suche deadly payne endure
	Stedfast of herte his trust wolde neuer fayle
	Grounded in god and in his fayth so stable
2475	Goth vp the hyll to accomplysshe his batayle
	And there were people veryly innumerable
	The sonne was hote / the hete importable
	In poynt almost with feruence and with dust
	To slee the people with a sodeyn thurst
sig: [N1v]
2480	Constrayned with hete gan cry eche one
	Of cursed malyce and great malyncoly
	Upon the martyr made assaute anone
	And sayde through his magyke and his sorcery
	That they were lyke through mortall thurst to dye
2485	Agaynst whose deedly furyous cruelte
	Blessed Albon gan shewe his charyte
	To pray for them that dyd hym moste turment
	This was his custome and his olde vsage
	With hole herte and humble trewe entent
2490	Prayed god with teares in his visage
	Of this myschefe to stynt the great rage
	That the people shulde in no degre
	Bicause of hym to suffre aduersyte
	O lorde quod he / for thy heuenly empire
2495	Lyke as thou arte most myghty of pusance
	Thy smothe wynde by grace let enspire
	Called zepherus to do them allegeance
	This rygours eyre with dewe of attemperance
	Betwene hote and colde set a meane in-dede
2500	Or thou do vengeance mercy may procede
	Of this myschefe ordeyne a relece
	Without vengeance suffre people gone
	That whylom madest thy seruant Moyses
	With his yerde to smyte vpon a drye stone
2505	At whose touchyng come water out anone
	Nowe gracious lorde with newe stremes fresshe
	On this hyll these people do refresshe
sig: [N2]
	Thy gratious mercy from them do not expelle
	Of blessed Albon rehersed this prayer
2510	At his fete anone sprange vp a well
	Full plentous with cristall stremes clere
	A wonders thynge / and a maruaylous to here
	From a drye hyll of moystyr voyde at all
	To se spryng a well clerer than cristall
2515	Of whiche water there was so great foyson
	And of that sprynge so gracious habundance
	That from aboue there came a ryuer downe
	This holsom streme was of so great pleasaunce
	To staunche theyr thurst founde ther suffisance
2520	The hete aswaged the people out of dispeyre dispeyre] dispreyre 1534
	By goddes grace so temperate was the eyre
	Thus was the people refresshed at theyr lust
	By the holy martyr mercyfull and good
	Yet of false malyce they had a frowarde thurst
2525	In theyr corages lyke furyous folke and wode
	Agayne nature for to shede blode
	The blode of hym / whiche in theyr disease
	By his prayer theyr myschefe dyd appese
	Theyr thurste was staunched / they were refresshed wele
2530	But a false thurst of malyce and hatered
	In theyr desyres / was staunched neuer a dele
	They were besye the blys_full blode to shed
	Of hym that holpe them in great nede
	Lyke blasphemous / makyng a false obstacle
2535	Gaue vnto the sonne thanke for this myracle
sig: [N2v]
	With voyce vpraysed falsely they began
	Thus they sayde of outragyous clamour
	Praysyng and laude be to you the sonne
	Whiche in this myschefe hath be our sauiour
2540	Staunched our thurst / with his gracious lycour
	By his beames moste fresshe and clere shynyng
	Us to releue made a well vp spryng.
	Uerba translatoris
	O people vnkynde blynded with fals errour
	O frowarde people / rude / dull / and obstinate
2545	O beastiall folke / forthest from all sauour
	Of grace and vertue / o people infortunate
	In your conceyte / o folke moste indurate
	That god hath shewed for loue of Albon
	Ye gyfe thankes to ymages made of stone
2550	O most vnhappy / o people vngratious
	Worse than beastis / o voyde of all reason
	O cruell tygrys / o wolfes furyous
	O folysshe asses / dull of discretion
	Falsely to deme in your opinion
2555	Thynge that Albon by grace of god hath wonne
	Ye yefe the laude other to sterre or sonne
	Ye set a_syde the southfast sonne of lyfe
	The sonne of grace that doth all the worlde gye
	Whiche may you saue agayn all mortall stryfe
2560	To all our sores may do best remedy
	Ye do great wronge for to defye
	This worldly sonne from temporall bryghtnes
	And to forsake the sonne of ryghtwysenes
sig: [N3]
	Lyke false blasphemus forsoke your creature
2565	And do worshyp to a creature
	The sonne of lyfe may clyppis no shoure
	Whose heuenly beames by recorde of scripture
	Yeueth lyght of grace to euery creature
	But ye arne frowarde his influence to take
2570	And for your ydols his lordshyps to forsake
	What may auayle Iupiter or Saturne
	Or cruell Mars / that causeth stryfe or warre
	Or worldely Phebus / th a t one day doth her soiurne
	The nyght cometh on / the lyght is fro you farre
2575	And eke your Uenus / called the day-sterre
	All these rekened in your mad wodenesse
	Called of your custome goddes and goddesse
	God that this day shewed here
	To magnifie his gloryous knyght Albon
2580	With a fresshe well / and dryed the ryuer
	Reken vp your goddes and forget neuer one
	Of these myracles / forsoth his parte is none
	A fole is he that of them dothe retche
	Sith vnto suche thing their power may not stretche
2585	Of theyr power me lyst no more to entreate
	Whiche leadeth men vnto theyr dampnation
	Mars nor Iupiter / nor Phebus with his hete
	May do no fauour nor mytigation
	Agayne the myschefe lyke your opinion
2590	The sayde myracles were wrought by vertue
	For loue of Albon by grace of Christ_Iesue
sig: [N3v]
	Your disc[r]etions ben to foule blent discretions] disctetions 1534
	Your conceyt derke / and false in your opinion
	Magre your mawmettes in all my best entent
2595	I woll procede with hole affection
	To accomplysshe vp the holy passyon
	Of seynt Albon by grace of his fauour
	In his translation folowyng myn auctour.
	After these myracles shewed at the well
2600	A gracious treasure a yefte of great price
	Lyke here-toforne as ye haue herde me tell
	Yet for all that folowyng theyr olde auice
	The people abode styll in theyr malyce
	From the mounteyne / cast not for to wende
2605	Of the martyr tyll they haue made an ende
	Fyrst hent his lockes that were longe and large
	Malycyously bounde them to a stake
	Chose out a knyght / and on hym layde the charge
	That in all hast he shulde hym redy make
2610	And a sworde sherpe in his hande take
	And they hym bad hauyng of god no drede
	With a great stroke to smyte of his hede
	The hede hynge styll / the body fell to grounde
	His crosse also all besprent with blode
2615	Kepte for a relyque / whan it was after founde
	Maugre paynyms contagious and wode
	For amonges them secretely there stode
	A christen man / the whiche toke kepe
	The sayde crosse deuoutly for to kepe
sig: [N4]
2620	This turmentour this cursed paynym knyght
	He that smote of the hede of saynt Albon
	By vengeance he hath lost his syght
	Bothe his eien fyll from his hede anone
	Without recure his worldly ioye was gone
2625	Whiche fyrste was glad to make the martyr blede
	Lyke his disceyt deserued hath his mede
	This wounded knyght / whiche in the valey abode
	Araclius as ye haue herde me deuise
	The deth of Albon whan he vnderstode
2630	Whiche for feblenes myght not aryse
	Gan peyne hym-selfe in full pitous wyse
	Amonge paynyms as he myght hym kepe
	With honde and fote vpon the hylle to crepe
	Upon the monition of the same knyght
2635	Aforsayd hym-selfe on hande and fote to gone
	The iuge hym met and spake to hym thus ryght
	Thou that hast so many a broke bone
	Clymbe vp fast and praye to thyn Albone
	Ceasse not / but crye vpon hym sore
2640	Thy broke bones and woundes to restore
	Fyrst of all renne to hym and take hede
	To be made hole of thyne infirmyte
	Vnto the body / ioyne agayne the hede
	And in al hast thou shalte recured be
2645	From all sykenes and aduersyte
	And after that do thy busy cure
	To ordeyne for his sepulture
sig: [N4v]
	And syth thou arte a knyght of his doctryne
	Let se what he may nowe do the auayle
2650	To make the hole by crafte of medycyne
	Call vnto hym fast / and loke that thou not fayle
	And thou shalte fynde an vnkouth meruayle
	If thou not cesse vpon hym for to crye
	Agaynst all sykenes / thou shalte fynde remedye
2655	This maymed knyght yafe good audience
	To that the iuge sayde in derysyon
	All set in fyre with sodeyn hote feruence
	Gan to abrayde of great deuotion
	I truste quod he of hole affection
2660	Only by vertue / and merytes of Albon
	God vnto helthe me may restore anone
	Through his power and his magnyfycence
	The eternall lorde may by his great myght
	By the prayer and mercyfull clemence
2665	Of hym that is his maister / and he his knyght
	I that am lame to make me go vpryght
	And these wordes sayde / with great loue and drede
	So as he myght crope vp to the hede
	With great deuotion he gan the heed embrace
2670	To the heed he brought it anone ryght
	All bedewed with wepyng was his face
	Of wofull herte to se that pytous syght
	That holy prince albon Christis owne knyght
	By whose meryte / whan he crepte on the grounde
2675	All sodeynly he rose vp hole and sounde
sig: O[1]
	And whan he was restored agayne to his strength
	He yafe praysyng laude and reuerence
	With humble chere fyll prostrate in length
	Thankyng god of entier diligence
2680	And in the peoples open audience
	Seased not saynt Albon for to prayse
	For loue of whom Christ_Iesu dyd hym rayse
	His force agaynst Christe made hym to recure
	The people present myght se and knowe
2685	Than he deuoutly made a sepulture
	Gadryng stones lyenge on a rowe
	Layed the martyr in the grounde downe lowe
	And all a_lofte his labour was wele sene
	He couered it with torues fresshe and grene
2690	Wherof paynyms had great enuie
	Whan they behelde howe the same knyght
	Restored was and hole in eche partye
	So sodeynly to his force and myght
	Wherof astonyed was euery man and wyght
2695	Thought in them-selfe it was agayn nature
	A brosed man so soone for to recure
	Agayne this knyght they toke theyr consayle
	Amonge them gan his deth conspyre
	Thought it shulde be to them great auayle
2700	To slee this man they were so set a_fyre
	His hasty deth so greately they desyre
	Some sayd that he had in his entent
	Some wychecrafte or some experiment
sig: [O1v]
	Some other sayde in theyr iugement
2705	Lyke theyr owne false immagynatyfe
	This was wrought by inchauntement
	Or by some magyke had a preseruatyfe
	Not to be slayne with dagger / sworde / nor knyfe
	But so were / the story doth remembre
2710	That he were hew in peces euery membre
	Amonge them-selfe was great controuersy
	And eche of them gan his verdyte shewe
	Tyll it befell of malyce and enuye
	Fals paynyms in nombre not a fewe
2715	In peces smale / haue hym all to_hewe
	Of his recuryng hauyng no maner of drede
	All of one assent they smote of his hede
	This blessed knyght as the story sayth
	Stode alway in one in his perseuerance
2720	Of wyll / of herte / stedfast in the fayth
	Lyst not chaunge for turment nor penance
	To holy Albon egall inconstance
	As he was made felowe of his victorye
	So is he nowe partable of his glorye
2725	After all this vengeable cruelte
	And all this mortall furyous violence
	For to go home agayne to theyr citie
	To all the people the iuge yafe lycence
	At theyr departyng all of one sentence
2730	And with one voyce / homwarde as they resorte
	Theyr langage was as the story doth reporte
sig: [O2]
	Wo that iuge that doth none equite
	Wo be to hym that doth no ryghtwysenes
	And wo to hym that can haue no pitie
2735	Wo to that iuge gouerned with wodenes
	And wo to hym that of false hastynes
	Worketh vpon wyll by false collusyon
	Without tytle of trouthe or of reason
	This was the noyse the rumour and the crye
2740	Whan they departed home from the mountayne
	Trouthe wyll out magre fals enuie
	Ryghtwysenes may not be hyd it is certayne
	As for a tyme it may be ouerlayne
	By ensample as passed is the daungere
2745	Of stormy weders / Phebus is most clere
	Our gracious lorde Iesu most benyngne
	Whiche all gouerneth by eternall myght
	Lyst to shewe many a gracious sygne
	Folowyng vpon the selfe-same nyght
2750	After the passyon of his blessed knyght
	Out of whose tombe was sene an heuenly streme
	Assendyng vpwarde bryght as the sonne-beame
	The same tyme whan folkes to bed went
	Ouer the citie / this bryght streme gan shyne
2755	Last all the nyght no man knewe what it ment
	Upwarde erecte ryght as any lyne
	The people sawe / howe it dyd enlumyne
	The longe nyght as god dyd ordayne
	To all four partes stretchyng of Bretayne
sig: [O2v]
2760	With this vncouth maruaylous myracle
	Was sene and herde duryng all the nyght
	People gathered to loke vpon that spectacle
	Betwene ioye and drede / reioysyng of that lyght
	As they coude discerne and knowe of ryght
2765	This was the ditie / which in that lyght was songe
	As folowyng is wrytten in latyn tonge
	Albanus vir egregius martir extat gloriosus
	And were there sene assendyng vp and downe
	In the celestiall glorious bryght skye
	Heuenly angels that made noyse and sowne
2770	With this refret in this armonye
	Let vs with songe vpreyse and magnyfye
	The laude of Albon notable and glorious
	This day with martyrs made victorious
	Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus
	This songe was herde by reporte through th e towne
2775	And remembred vpon eche partie
	For a synguler commendation
	Of hym that was prince of his chyualrye
	Stewarde of Bretons to gouerne them and gye
	Whose synguler laude and tryumphe glorious
2780	This day with martyrs is made vic[t]orious victorious] viccorious 1534
	Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus
sig: [O3]
	This noble prince of Brutis_Albion
	Hath suffered deth and mortall turmentrye
	Stable of herte this Christis champyon
	Hauynge dispite of all idolatrye
2785	This blessed martyr crowned aboue so hygh
	With angels songe so[o]te and melodious soote] soete 1534, soote L
	This day with martyrs is made victorious
	Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus.
	O prothomartyr full famous of renown
	Amonge paynyms hauyng the maistrye
2790	To be cause grounde and destruction
	In Uerolamy of all false mawmettrye
	Thy lyfe for Christe hath put in ieopartye
	For whiche this day with songe melodyous
	Thou arte with martyrs made victorious
2795	Be vnto that citie supportour and patron
	Kepe them from sorowe / sykenes / and malady
	From pestilence and yll infection
	And of theyr ennemyes represse all tyrannye
	Whiche be fraunchised with the regallye
2800	Of thy presens / o martyr glorious
	With all that longeth to the and to thyn hous
	And blessed martyr most lowly I the requere
	Whiche abydest in the heuenly mantion
	With laurer crowned aboue the sterres clere
2805	Only of mercy to haue compassyon
	If ought be sayde in this translation There is a leaf missing (O3v and O4)
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2810	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2815	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2820	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2825	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2830	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
	[ ]
2835	[ ]
	[ ]
sig: [O4v]
sig: P[1]
	¶Here begynneth the thyrde boke / whiche telleth of the conuersion of many of the paynims vnto the fayth. And also of the martyrdome of holy Amphibalus / whiche conuerted saynt Albon to the fayth of Christe. whiche Amphibalus was the princes sonne of wales.
	Myracles shewed / and maruayles many-folde
	This blessed martyr for to magnyfye
	As here-toforne ye haue herde me tolde
2840	The nyght illumyned with the golden skye
	Songe of angels with heuenly armony
	The people astonyed tremblyng in the derke
	To se howe Christ lyst for the martyr werke
	But on your brest remembre your trespas
2845	To th'erth fall prostrate downe
	Prayeth to the lorde for to do you grace
	Of your offence and transgression
	Or that he take vengeance on your towne
	Trusteth playnly / whether ye be wrothe or fayne
2850	All this wrought for hym that ye haue slayne
	This lyght from heuen / whiche th a t is descended
	For Albon shewed / and the golden skye
	Let vs repent of that we haue offended
	Of our trespas mercy to Iesu crye
2855	And forsake all ydolatrye
	Takyng ensample all by one accorde
	Of this martyr that whylome was our lorde
sig: [P1v]
	We may consydre a thyng agaynst nature
	Howe the nyght with her derke derkenesse
2860	Passyng reason of any creature
	Is by myracle turned to bryghtnesse
	Of angels herde a melodious swetnes
	And all-thynge brefely to comprehende
	For the merytes of Albon to commende
2865	Maugre mawmettes / whiche can but disceyue
	Impotent and very feble of myght
	By experience as ye conceyue
	Bryghter than day hath made the derke nyght
	To declare the merytes of his knyght
2870	Playnly to shewe lyght of his perfytenes
	Whiche may nat be clypsed by no foreyn derkenes
	Agayne this lorde / whiche is moste of myght
	We haue erred in our opinion
	And done vnto hym great wronge and vnryght
2875	To make our fayth and our professyon
	To fals idols / whiche in this royall towne
	We haue so longe in our paynem wyse
	As idolatres do frowarde seruice
	Let vs nowe dampne all suche errour
2880	And forsake with entier diligence
	All false goddes / whiche may do no socour
	To theyr seruantes present nor absence
	Wherfore let vs nowe clere our conscience
	And axe forgyfenes of our lorde Iesu
2885	Whiche hath in Albon shewed so great vertue
sig: [P2]
	Let vs not tary / but in all hast we can
	Go seche meanes for our saluation
	In dyuers countres to fynde vp the man
	Whiche by his labour and predication
2890	Conuerted Albon in the same towne
	To Christis fayth / that martyr moste benyngne
	This nyght declared by many an vnkouth signe
	From our rytes and ceremonyes olde
	And false errours enclypsed with darkenes
2895	Done to mawmettes / with whom we were wi t hholde
	Of ignorance by consuete rudenes
	And to directe and clarifye our blyndnes
	From all errour and ydolatrye
	The best way that I can espie
2900	By these myracles / whiche Christ_Iesu hath wrought
	For loue of Albon the same nyght
	That his maister may in hast be sought
	For it is lykely accordyng wele to ryght
	Syth god hath shewed suche myracle for his knyght
2905	He that was cause of his conuersion
	Myght best prouyde for our saluation
	I mene as thus in very equite
	Syth god in Albon hath shewed suche vertue
	His maister shulde haue great auctoritie
2910	That was sent hym by grace of Christ_Iesu
	To put our doubte at a playne issue
	By myracles declaryng newe and newe
	His maisters teachyng faythfull was and trewe
sig: [P2v]
	All that people beinge in presence
2915	Of god enspired as by one assent
	With one voyce commendyng that sentence
	Gafe the fauour in all theyr best entent
	Toke theyr way by great auisement
	Towarde wales and sought on euery syde
2920	Serchyng the countre where he shulde abyde
	Of whose preachyng notable was the fame
	Both in his lyuyng and perfyte holynes
	Full glad they were / whan they herde his name
	And towardes hym fast they gan them dresse
2925	As the story playnly beareth wytnesse
	Came by grace where he dyd teache
	The worde of god / and to the people preche
	And full deuoutly vpon hym they abode
	Hauyng aforne hym ryght great audience
2930	As they come to hym / euen as he stode
	And hym saluted with great reuerence
	Greatly reioysyng of his deuoute presence
	Offered to hym or they ferther gone
	The same crosse he yafe vnto Albon
2935	The whiche crosse was newly sprent with blode
	Whan he for Christ suffered passyon
	By whiche token ful well he vnderstode
	That he was slayne / fell on his knees downe
	Kyssyng the crosse with great deuotion
2940	In his armes with teares all be_reyned
	That holy relyque full swetely he hath streyned
sig: [P3]
	He thanked god with deuout obseruance
	And that martyrs humble pacience
	This newe people with deuoute attendance
2945	Whiche was come to yefe hym audience
	All at ones with full great reuerence
	And herte contrite knelyng on theyr knees
	Forsoke theyr ydols and olde vanytees
	Theyr myspent tyme to them was great losse
2950	To all vertue an odious spectacle
	Tyll tyme they were marked with the crosse
	In theyr forhede by grace and myracle
	With that victorious tryumphall signacle
	And folowyng on / lyke theyr fyrst entent
2955	Receyued of baptisme the holy sacrament
	Within a whyle the fame went abrode
	Farre about in story as I rede
	Dyuers countres of this thynge howe it stode
	Tyll at last the noyse gan sprede
2960	Of Uerolamy / howe verely in-dede
	Citezyns theyr goodes haue forsake
	A full great nombre / and theyr iourney take
	To folowe the traces of Amphibalus
	A newe preacher straunge and foreyne
2965	Theyr olde rytes false and superstitious
	They haue renounsed and holde al that ben vayne
	They haue also of very high disdayne
	From them abiecte / myn aucter lyst not lye
	All theyr ydols and false mawmettrye
sig: [P3v]
2970	Whan the rumour was come vnto the citie
	They were troubled / hauyng great maruayle
	What it ment or what it shulde be
	At prime face lyke a great dissauayle
	To comen profyte they dempt in theyr counsayle
2975	It was full lyke theyr citie to encombre
	Enquered fyrst what fayled of theyr nombre
	In theyr rolles were a thousande founde
	And theyr names entytled euerychone
	A thynge lykely the citie to confounde
2980	But remedy ordeyned were anone
	That suche a nombre by assent were gone
	By great auise cast it was dewe
	A myghty thyng tho folke to pursewe
	And with stronge hande serched out the rote
2985	Of this matter in hope it shulde auayle
	They gathered them on horsebacke and on fote
	And gan ordeyne a myghty stronge batayle
	Of sondry folke armed in plate and mayle
	Agaynst fugytifes gon out of the cite
2990	And on Amphibalus auenged for to be
	Of whose persone so notable was the fame
	Through all wales and contres enuiron
	That the report of his good name
	Gan to encrease thorough all the regyon
2995	Of his doctrine and predication
	Whiche through wales shone lyke a lode-sterre
	Them to directe / which in our fayth doth erre
sig: [P4]
	Tho folke that were come to hym of newe
	From Uerolamy his preachyng for to here
3000	Lyke a doctour in Christis fayth most trewe
	Receyued them with all his herte entiere
	Enformed them and taught them the maniere
	Of Christis lawe with busy diligence
	And they were glad to abyde in his presence
3005	Lytell and lytell in he gan them drawe
	To catche fayth and sauour in his doctryne
	Of hole herte forsoke the paynyms lawe
	And with great wyll theyr corage dyd enclyne
	So to perseuer / and so theyr lyfe to fyne
3010	In Christis lawe as folke that lyst not tary
	So for to abyde and neuer more to vary
	Other there were / whiche gan pursewe
	The sayde people of malyce and of hate
	This newe doctrine of Christis transmewe
3015	Whiche come vpon armed with mayle and plate
	Sent from that citie of purpose to debate
	Agaynst them / whiche that for Christis sake
	Fayth of paynyms vnwarely hath forsake
	Folowed after with rumour noyse and sowne
3020	To fall vpon them with sodeyn auenture
	Serchyng in wales aboute towne and towne
	Of Amphibalus the presence to recure
	Whiche lyke a clerke grounded in scripture
	To that people at reuerence of our lorde
3025	Stode amonges them / and preached goddes worde
sig: [P4v]
	And one there was for anger almost wode
	That brake fyrst out shewyng his conceyte
	To Amphibalus amonge them as he stode
	Wherof that people was all and hole receyte
3030	O thou quod he grounde of all disceyte
	Rote of fraude / falsenes / and trechery
	To all our goddes traytour and ennemye
	That thou hast done thou mayst it not forsake
	Of frowarde contempte malyciously practised
3035	Agaynst our goddes a quarell for to take
	Theyr lawes olde presumptously dispised
	As these people contagiously disguysed
	To great damage of vs and of our cite
	Whiche trust me well shall not vnpunysshed be
3040	It is no doubte it shall not abyde longe
	Of theyr iniury and theyr godly greuance
	As they be moste myghty and most stronge
	They sodenly shall take on the vengeance
	But if thou wylte eschewe theyr pusance
3045	Fyrst do repent the / to fynde them more tretable
	And seche a meane to make them mercyfull
	Fyrst of all do thy busynesse
	Of theyr great ire to appese the rancour
	Afore these people / shewe outwarde thy mekenes
3050	To louse the bondes / whiche by thy labour
	Thou hast them brought in full great errour
	Be so besy agayne with faythfull attendance
	Them to counsell to fall in repentance
sig: Q[1]
	Gyfe them counsell and make them to assent
3055	With herte and body no daunger for to make
	To axe mercy and sore repent
	Or sodeyn vengeance be on them take
	Of that they haue our goddes forsake
	For this no doubte but it be done in-dede
3060	We shall agayne them vengeably procede
	For if they stande in theyr fyrst errour
	As they began frowarde and obstynate
	They shall of mercy fynde no fauour
	Without exception of high or lowe estate
3065	But lyke as people most infortunate
	Dye vpon the sworde take this for full sentence
	As is concluded by martyall violence
	Yet there was one supprised with feruence
	Of Christis lawe stedfast in the fayth
3070	Whiche had bothe connyng and eloquence
	And for his maister holy wryt he laythe
	To th'ylke paynym euen thus he saythe
	Our lorde god / whiche called is Iesu
	Shall be this day our refuge and vertue
3075	And our chefe helpe in tribulation
	Whiche shall percase shewe some myracle
	By his most myghty domination
	Therfore these folke an vnkouth spectacle
	That there ayen shalbe none obstacle
3080	Through goddes myght and mercyfull goodnes
	Some man to sa[ue] of his sodeyn sykenes saue] samc 1534, save L
sig: [Q1v]
	Our maister here whom that ye repreue
	In Christis name to shewe an euidence
	From all myschefe some syke man to releue
3085	Whiche lyeth outraged by mortall violence
	But to declare the magnyfycence
	Of Christe_Iesu anone without more
	To helth agayne suche one he shall restore
	Not in couert but in your alther syght
3090	We haue suche trust in his parfy[t]nesse parfytnesse] parfynesse 1534
	Fro whose doctryne as we haue be hyght
	We shall not chaunge for deth not distresse
	Without faynyng or any doublenesse
	Your counsellyng in Christis holy name
3095	Folowe his teachyng and to do the same
	Ye threte fast to maken vs aferde
	But god alone he is our defence
	Iesu is stronge agayne spere and swerde
	Under whose pauise of parfyte pacience
3100	We shall abyde concludyng in sentence
	We forsake all false ydolatrye
	And for Christis sake redy for to dye
	Fauour of blode nor none allyaunce
	Cherysshyng of treasure nor promyse of kynred
3105	Experte kynred nor none acqueyntance
	Fayre behestes / manaces nor hatered
	All set asyde both loue and drede
	The fayth of Christ of hole herte we haue take
	All false ydols and mawmettes we forsake
sig: [Q2]
3110	Of this answere the paynyms almost wode
	Lyke tygrys fell / vengeable as lyons
	Of innocentes to shede the christen blode
	With sharpe swerdes lyke rauenous felons
	They kyll and slee of all conditions
3115	As hongry wolfes in theyr beastiall rage
	Whithout exception of olde or yonge of age
	The father ther-agayn all skylle and ryght
	Of his sonne toke his deadly wounde
	Brother and brother was slayne in that fyght
3120	And with theyr speres / that were square and rounde
	Theyr nygh cosyns were glad to confounde
	There was none spared of blode nor kynred
	Without mercy eche others blode to shed
	Of aged folke there was no reuerence
3125	In that vnkyndly sodeyn cruell shoure
	Myddell age / nor age of innocence
	Nor blode of blode lyst knowe his neybour
	Nor none to other lyst shewe his fauour
	Echon were slayne the story telleth thus
3130	And were conuerted by Amphibalus
	Frowarde tyrantes that this people sleeth
	Most mercyles with pollar swerde and knyfe
	Eche preased in aforne other towarde the deth
	So ame[r]ous was that charytable stryfe amerous] ametous 1534, amorous L
3135	Lyke folke that were glad to lese theyr lyfe
	Of one corage and of one pacience
	To dye for Christe / so hole was theyr feruence
sig: [Q2v]
	Amonge these holy seyntes euerychone
	That forsoke theyr towne and theyr cite
3140	There was none lefte alyue but one
	Of all that come Amphibalus to see
	Whiche by occasyon of his infirmyte
	Abode behynde feble and impotent
	Whiche at theyr dyenge myght not be present
3145	Whan Amphibalus sawe them all deed
	Lyggyng in the felde / turned vp-set-downe
	With pitous chere sawe theyr woundes blede
	Of wofull herte and compassyon
	Deuoutly made his commendation
3150	Prayenge Iesu with voyce full pytously
	On all tho soules to haue mercy
	At Lychefelde fyll all this auenture
	This great slaughter and made is mention
	Of whiche slaughter recorde of olde scripture
3155	By dayes olde named was the towne
	This worde Lychefelde by interpretation
	Is to say in that tonge as I rede
	A felde that lyeth full of bodyes deed
	There these martyrs suffered passyon
3160	Of one corage and of one stablenes
	The paynyms in theyr opinion
	Most obstinate in theyr cursednes
	Made a vowe in theyr wodenes
	Neuer to eate for none occasyon
3165	Tyll Amphibalus were brought to theyr towne
sig: [Q3]
	Lyke wodemen they about hym ryde
	The holy man playnly to declare
	With speres wounded body backe and syde
	Went aforne them with his fete all bare
3170	The more vngoodly / they dyd with hym fare
	The more the martyr with chere and visage
	Patiently suffred theyr owne outrage
	To hym they had frowarde fell langage
	The stone weye dyd hym great duresse
3175	And though that he felte in his passage
	Under his fete / constreynt of great sharpenes
	Mytygation of all his heuynes
	Was whan he the place dyd approche
	Where Albon lay graue vnder a roche
3180	The homecydes of whom to_forne I tolde
	Had in this whyle a maner repentance
	Bakwarde amonge as they gan beholde
	The people slayne of theyr allyance
	By theyr owne furyous gouernance
3185	For they them-selfe lyke folke that were wode
	The slaug[h]ter made vpon theyr owne blode slaughter] slaugter 1534
	Lokyng behinde fyrst whan they toke hede and beheld
	There owne brethern cosyns and kynred
	By theyr handes lay slayne in the felde
3190	They gan to wepe / to se theyr woundes blede
	This same tyme or they toke any hede
	They founde a man that lay lanquisshyng
	Upon the felde moste pitous compleynyng
sig: [Q3v]
	This syke man with a full deadly face
3195	For great constreynt of his malady
	Sawe Amphibalus forby shulde passe
	With deadly voyce gan to hym crye
	Seruant of god do me socour or I dye
	For Iesu sake lowly I the requere
3200	To helpe his seruant that lyeth in myschefe here
	For by the callyng of his holy name
	I haue suche trust in Christ_Iesu and the
	Though I lye here impotent and lame
	By thy merytes thou mayst helpe me
3205	To be made hole of this infyrmyte
	Maugre paynyms / that can about hym prece
	Of this clamour wolde not he sece
	In his prayer he doth alway continue
	Suche fayth he had in his opinion
3210	Paynyms sawe he was importune
	And so stable in his action
	Hadden in disdeyne and in derysion
	His great noyse / but magre her felnesse
	He arose vp hole of all his olde sykenesse
3215	This seke man that lay bounde in payne
	Of olde sykenesse greuous and importable
	By Amphibalus lay bounde in a chayne
	Was made all hole / and of his lymmes stable
	This can the lorde whiche is most mercyable
3220	Of syke folkes here theyr complayntes
	And worche myracles for his holy sayntes
sig: [Q4]
	This myracle gracious and vnkouth
	Fyrst of this man releued of his sykenesse
	The deth of the martyrs gan spry[n]ge northe and southe
3225	Of theyr wylfull sufferance wi t h mekenes
	Homwarde agayne paynyms gan them dresse
	But this myracle whan they dyd auerte
	They were greatly astonyed in theyr herte
	Amonge them-selfe they brake openly
3230	Though they to Christ were contraryous
	Of this myracle wrought sodenly
	They spared not playnly to say thus
	The god of christen is great and maruaylous
	Great is his vertue the deed beareth wytnesse
3235	To heale a man so sone in his sykenes
	As they tolde erst / paynyms at last
	Wonder desyrous towarde your contre
	They rode armed and began to hye fast
	And sped them so that they myght se
3240	The crested walles of theyr citie
	As they thought that tyme for the best
	After labour a whyle for to rest
	They were oppressed wi t h hunger and with thurst
	For that tyme lyst no forther for to ryde
3245	And eche one of them folowyng theyr owne lust
	Chose his grounde a certayne home to abyde
	Their shelde theyr speres set them downe a_syde
	Them to refresshe layser they haue founde
	Whyles Amphibalus lay in his feters bounde
sig: [Q4v]
3250	The turmentours refreshed at the best
	As I haue tolde after theyr werynesse
	The holy martyr myght haue no pece nor rest
	Bounden in chaynes by full great duresse
	In his most labour and greattest distresse
3255	Maugre paynyms whan he a layser caught
	To his most foone the worde of god he taught
	This meane-whyle th a t all this thyng was wrought
	As ye haue herde come tydyng to the towne
	Howe Amphibalus was to the citie brought
3260	Maister vnto Albon / as made is mention
	At whose entrynge great people there come downe
	Thought in them-selfe all theyr heuynesse
	By his comyng was turned in-to gladnes
	Dempte amonge them bothe one and all
3265	The matyre had standyng other-wyse
	Howe Amphibalus from Christis fayth was fall
	Of that lawe lefte all his olde emprise
	Come to theyr goddes to do sacrifice
	All theyr frendes with them were repayrde
3270	Of whom toforne they dispayred
	The beastiall folke supposed in certayne
	Howe all the people that went by assent
	To Amphibalus were come home agayne
	By force of them / that were for them sent
3275	But they fayled foule in theyr entent
	For through the towne the noyse went anone
	Lyke as it was / howe they were deed euerychone
sig: R[1]
	Agayne Christis of malyce set a_fyre
	Homecydes turmentours that dyd this cruell dede
3280	Whiche fyll vpon them in theyr cruell ire
	Tho that made the martyrs for to blede
	Of indignation and of great hatered
	The selfe-same made relation
	Of theyr slaughter through verolamy towne
3285	The fathers wepte with sorowfull syghes great
	Whan they herde theyr sonnes were deed
	Pytous mothers theyr sobbyng can not let
	Whose watrye eien with wepyng made red
	Through the citie bothe in lengthe and brede
3290	Wydowes maydens ran with theyr here to_torne
	That so sode[n]ly haue theyr frendes lorne
	Suche pitous wepyng I trowe not ther was
	At the brennyng of the famous Ilyon
	In Troye whan the stede of brasse
3295	was by sleyght compassed of Synon
	For through euery strete of Uerolamy towne
	This noyse was herde deedly and mortall
	Lyke as men synge at feastes funerall
	In theyr most wofull lamentation
3300	They said amonge them with hygh and low estate
	The tyme is come of our destruction
	Cite of citezyns forsake and desolate
	Most outragyous and most disconsolate
	To be noted of furyous fell hatered
3305	Blode agayn blode so felly to procede
sig: [R1v]
	For our defence we haue nowe none excuse
	Folke infortunate by deuision
	We shall from hensforth be called the refuge
	As folke abiecte of euery nacion
3310	So importable is our confusyon
	That we be lyke neuer to fynde grace
	Amonge no folke to shewe ons grace
	We can nor may our-seluen acquite
	For our excuse a reason for to make
3315	But here-after that folkes wyll vs a_wyte
	Our kynne our blode theyr goddes haue forsake
	On whom vengeance so mortally was take
	In straunge countre so playnly to descryue
	Amonge also / that none was lefte alyue
3320	Alas alas vnburyed in the felde
	Cast out to the beastes that walke in pasture
	Kynne agayne kynne in armes bare on shelde
	An hatefull warre / a warre agayne nature
	whiche lye nowe deed without sepulture
3325	So late done it may not be socoured
	Of foule and beast a pray to be deuoured
	Alas our ioye is turned in-to dispayre
	The staffe broke of our vnweldy age
	Our harpe troubled / our fortune is not fayre
3330	Frowarde to vs she turneth her visage
	Wo to that man that with his langage
	Caused Albon our goddes to forsake
	And magre them / the fayth of Christ to take
sig: [R2]
	Whiche hath alas perturbed the cite
3335	Brought our welfare to desolation
	Grounde and gynnyng of this mortalite
	Of our alyes and citezyns of the towne
	Whose bodies nowe lyen vpsetdowne
	O myghty goddes of power immortall
3340	Defende the people of our cite royall
	To our request your eares downe enclyne
	Take vengeance vpon our enemy
	Whiche is cause of our mortall ruyne
	And of our myschefe the rote fynally
3345	Reuenge your wronge ye that be most myghty
	On hym that causeth / that we be seke and grone
	Let the vengeance rebounde on his persone
	Of their plaintes and of their wofull clamours
	They seased not lyke folkes most vengeable
3350	Tyll it fyll so that turmentours
	Perceyued well they were not treatable
	Howe theyr sorowe was intollerable
	Of compassyon lyst no lenger spare
	Of all this thynge the trouthe to declare
3355	All sodeynly they began to abrayde
	Theyr deedly sorowes and playntes to refrayne
	Of the most worthy of the towne they sayde
	O citezyns / why lyst ye so complayne
	Leue your wepyng / your teares doth restraynt
3360	For by report of vs that were present
	Uoyde of disceyte or meanyng fraudolent
sig: [R2v]
	Ye haue more cause of gladnesse than wepyng
	And greatter matter of consolation
	Than of distresse or of complaynyng
3365	For if the grounde be sought out by reason
	Touchyng your frendes slaughter and passyon
	Ye haue more grounde vs lyst not for to fayne
	For to be glad / than for theyr deth to p[l]ayne playne] prayne 1534, pleyn L
	By sondry tokens that were contemplatyfe
3370	Of signes shewed / the deed beareth wytnes
	Theyr deth was entred in-to euerlastyng lyfe
	Ende of sorowe concluded on gladnes
	From this darke valey went vp to bryghtnes
	Where day departed is from the nyght
3375	And bryght Phebus leseth neuer his lyght
	It is accordyng full well to nature
	A man to wepe for frendes that be dede
	But agaynwarde by recorde of scripture
	For Christis sake / who lyst his blode to shede
3380	A thousande-folde shall receyue his mede
	And for his lyfe / whiche is but transytory
	Eternally to abyde and lyue in glory
	Where is no complaynt / nor no parte of sorowe
	But euerlastyng gladnesse in that place
3385	Ilyche newe both at eue and at morowe
	From wo to ioye from sobbyng to solace
	Wher deth hath lost his power to manace
	Fye on dispeyre / for dethe to make stryfe
	Where ioye foloweth of euerlastyng lyfe
sig: [R3]
3390	Dethe in this worlde shulde not be complayned
	Of them that passe from worldely vanite
	Suche as by grace and mercy haue attayned
	With Christ to reigne in his eternall see
	Where ioye is euer and all felicite
3395	And for suche folke mydday eue and morowe
	It were wodenes for to make sorowe
	Ye be bounde playnly to conclude
	To thanke god for frendes that ye mysse
	Whiche hath chose so great a multitude
3400	Of this citie / and brought them vnto blysse
	Of ioye perpetuall they may neuer mysse
	Makyng a chaunge from this temporall
	For th'ylke lyfe aboue celestiall
	Take hede hereto / and yeueth good audience
3405	Of thynge that we shall make rehersale
	And it imprenteth in your aduertence
	Touchyng your frendes slayne in batayle
	Whom that we dyd so mortally assayle
	All this consydered to complayne ye do wronge
3410	As ye shall knowe paraunter or ought longe
	Aforne rehersed the same turmentours
	With a great othe present there all the towne
	To them not only / but to theyr successours
	To be reported through all that regyon
3415	Maden there open protestation
	Touchyng this mater they cast to expresse
	Shall haue no touche nor spot of falsenesse
sig: [R3v]
	They gan theyr matter brefly to conclude
	Touchyng the story to all theyr entent
3420	In Uerolamy to all the multitude
	Of great and small beinge there present
	Rehersyng fyrst howe that they were sent
	With myghty honde to all contres enuiron
	To seke theyr frendes / were fled from the towne
3425	Under these wordes spake for theyr partie
	By your byddyng we went as ye wel knowe
	With force and armys / serchyng to espie
	To north wales in countres high and lowe
	Tyll it fell so within a lyttell throwe
3430	Lad by fortune / we founde them euerychone
	With hym that whylom was maister to Albon
	Out of this citie they were fled and gone
	Some that were full nygh of your allye
	Upon the maister abydyng of Albon
3435	We founde eke gethered a great company
	And of Pectis we dyd also espie
	With walsemen of newe that were drawe
	And conuerted vnto christen lawe
	By th'ylke clerke that all these thynges wrought
3440	From whom they wolde departe in no maner
	Amonge all / our kynred out we sought
	Toke them aparte / and with full frendly chere
	With fayre speche requestes and prayere
	Maynte with manassis / and softnesse of langage
3445	From that doctryne to reuoke theyr corage
sig: [R4]
	But euer they stode in suche obstinacy
	On hym abydyng eche houre and moment
	By theyr answere rather for to dye
	All of accorde and echeone of assent
3450	Lyst in no wyse folowe our entent
	Whan we myght not our purpose recure
	We lefte our tretes and toke our armour
	Of whiche they were not astonyed nor aferde
	For Christis sake / eche redyer than other
3455	Who myght fyrst renne vnder the swerde
	In theyr metyng brother slayne of brother
	There was suche prese it myght be non other
	For Christis sake echon were fayne
	For a prerogatyue / who myght fyrst be slayne
3460	Upon the sonne / whiche was the father heyre
	The father shewed most cruell violence
	Whiche in nature was nother good nor fayre
	The sonne also voyde of all beneuolence
	To his father dyd no maner of reuerence
3465	There was no mercy / but marciall outerage
	Without exception of olde or yonge of age
	Pacience was captayne in the felde
	Of them that suffered deth for Christis sake
	Theyr spere was hope / mekenes was theyr shelde
3470	Other defence they lyst not for to make
	In th'ylke quarell / whiche they had take
	Lyst not departe tyll spent was theyr blode
	Whiche on the playn ran large as a flode
sig: [R4v]
	The lorde that sytteth aboue the sterres clere
3475	Saugh and behelde the great pacience
	Of his knyghtes / whose blode lyke a ryuere
	Ran in the felde by mortall violence
	Whom to comforte of his magnificence
	The heuen all open to shewe his great vertue
3480	Sayd vnto them that blessed lorde Iesu
	Cometh vp to me my knyghtes most entere
	Proued in batayle ryght victorious
	Assendeth vp aboue the sterres clere
	My gate is open and redy is my house
3485	Agayne your comyng most ryche and glorious
	With tryumphe that neuer shall disseuer
	And with a palme that shall lasten euer
	O Paradyse / o chosen citezyns
	For your notable tryumphall prowesse
3490	Makyng your clayme as very denzyns
	There to abyde your knyghtly nobylnes
	To spende your blode / was shewed no scarsenesse
	For me to suffre deth by great outrage
	Digne amonge martyrs / come take your heritage
3495	The amerous fayre of feruent desyres
	In your conquest of most souereyne price
	Haue gyue you title to be possessioners
	Eternally to clayme lyke your auise
	Abydyng space in the heuenly paradise
3500	To be registred fre from all worldly stryfe
	With the holy martyrs in the boke of lyfe
sig: S[1]
	From this worlde we saugh them flee to heuen
	By many signes whiche that dyd appere
	From deth to lyfe / aboue the sterres seuen
3505	We stode astonyed beholdyng the manere
	Howe Christe_Iesu with a benyngne chere
	Lyst to receyue into his regyon
	These holy martyrs of Uerolamy towne
	In these nombre of martyrs that were founde
3510	Full nyne hundred and nynty rekened clene
	And nyne therto slayne with many a wounde
	Of whose blode / as it was well sene
	All in-to redde stayned was the grene
	The flode so great of blode that come downe lowe
3515	That one from another no man coude knowe
	They lay so oppressed vnder the horse fete
	No man myght haue very knowlegyng
	The blody streme dyd ouer_flowe and flete
	Theyr deedly faces vpon the grounde lyggyng
3520	But sodenly there fell a wonders thyng
	Eche from other only by goddes grace
	Was thorough the felde knowen by the face
	By the prayer of Amphibalus
	Of the deed bodyes with woundes grene
3525	A great myracle the story telleth thus
	Theyr woundes hole that no carectes were sene
	Ioyned together and souded eke so clene
	A straunge syght / a syght of great delyte
	The blody streme as mylke ranne all whyte
sig: [S1v]
3530	Thus by prayer of one ryghtfull man
	Of theyr woundes fyrst fearefull and terryble
	There was no carecte as we reherse can
	By apperance that outwarde was visible
	For vnto god nothyng is impossyble
3535	For they that were mangled and disfourmed
	By grace and prayer sodeynly were refourmed
	The people frowarde in theyr opinion
	Seing this myracle and were there present
	By a contraryous exposition
3540	Sayd aye the worst in theyr false iugement
	And vengably echon of assent
	Of false malyce dyd theyr busy cure
	To denye them theyr kyndly sepulture
	But cast them to beastis of malyce and disdayne
3545	To suche as weren disposed to rauyne
	Without reuerence lyke an olde carayne
	They agayne them so felly gan maligne
	But Christe_Iesus most gracious and benygne
	To preserue his martyrs by myracle
3550	Agayne paynyms haue shewed an obstacle
	A wolfe come downe with sturdy violence
	Terryble of loke and furyous of chere
	Agayne beastis wylde to make resystence
	Towarde the seintes that they came no nere
3555	An egle also with persyng eien clere
	Houyng alofte / as all men behelde
	Fro touche of foule / kepte all day the felde
sig: [S2]
	Wherof Pictis greatly gan maruayle
	They of wales had a maner of drede
3560	Thought in them-selues these tokens may not fayle
	It cometh of god and of no mans dede
	And of reason whan they toke hede
	Fyrst of the wolfe and of the egle alofte
	Stode astonyed and gan to wonder ofte
3565	It is appropred to the wolfe of nature
	As clerkes say mannes flesshe to attame
	Amonge all caryns where they may it recure
	They most reioyse / and therof haue most game
	But he that maketh wylde beastis tame
3570	Daunteth serpentes / whiche on grounde lowe crepe
	Hath made a wolfe his martyrs for to kepe
	From all beastis disposed to rauyne
	By his myracle and gracious worchyng
	And by his power heuenly and deuine
3575	Of later date he yafe eke the kepyng
	Of blessed Edmonde / mayde / martyr / and kyng
	Unto a wolfe the heed most vertuous
	It to preserue from beastis rauenous
	In this myracle / who can vnderstande
3580	To be noted is great conuenience
	Of martyrs / whiche were with violent hande
	Slayne for the fayth by humble pacience
	And th'ylke martyrs / whiche made no resistence
	So were slayne for Christ / as it is founde
3585	At Lychefelde / with many a blody wounde
sig: [S2v]
	Folowyng the ensample / these martyrs euerychon
	For Christ deth sufferyng and full great payne
	Of theyr prince / that called was Albon
	In his tyme stewarde of Brytayne
3590	As I trust these noble princes twayne
	Edmonde and Albon / these ioyned two
	Shall saue this lande in that we haue to do
	This kynges banner of assure is the felde
	Therin of golde be crownes thre
3595	The same campe beareth Albon in his shylde
	Bete in the myddes of golde a fresshe sawtre
	Agayn our enmyes / whan they together be
	In one assembled / shall make our partye stronge
	Magre all tho that wolde done vs wronge
3600	Of est Englande kynge and champyon
	Blessed Edmonde shall his baner sprede
	The prince of knyghtes in Brutis_Albion
	And prothomartyr shall vs helpe at nede
	A thousande martyrs that theyr blode shede
3605	For Christis fayth / slayne at Lychefelde
	Shall vs defende with spere sworde and shelde
	These tokens sene / the paynems gan to sease
	Of theyr pursute and furyous wodenesse
	And by myracle they sodenly gan to prease
3610	To kysse the relyques / on knees gan them dresse
	With many signes and tokens of mekenesse
	And where afore as they began to maligne
	They shewed them-selfe most goodly and benygne
sig: [S3]
	Theyr olde malyce / and theyr frowarde disdeyne
3615	Hauyng the matters fyrst in derysyon
	From that conceyte they turned be agayne
	And caught in theyr herte a newe opinion
	Them to worshyp with great deuocion
	Gafe thankyng to god / and were therof full fayne
3620	That suche a nombre in that lande was slayne
	Of holy martyrs and holowed with theyr blode
	Whiche thynge to put in token of victorie
	Perpetually they thought that it was good
	Theyr nombre and names to set in memorie
3625	Whiche fro this lyfe fleynge and transitorie
	Be nowe translated / where they may not mysse
	Eternally with Christ to reigne in blysse
	Whan the turmentours had theyr tales tolde
	Ryght as it fell in order of euery thynge
3630	Of Uerolamy the people yonge and olde
	Present there that tyme / herde all theyr talkynge
	The more partye lefte theyr wepynge
	For by reporte only of theyr langage
	Of theyr sorowe / the constraynt gan to swage
3635	They gan the lorde to magnifie and prayse
	And to reioyse the glorie of theyr kynred
	Whiche by grace he lyste so hygh vprayse
	By mertyrdome theyr precious blode to blede
	For his sake dye without any drede
3640	All with one voyce at ones in sentence
	This was theyr noyse with deuoute reuerence
sig: [S3v]
	Great is that god / greatest and glorious
	Aboue all goddes of most magnificence
	That maketh his seruantes so victorious
3645	To gette so great tryumphe by theyr meke pacience
	And by his myghty imperyall influence
	This lorde Iesu most gracious and benigne
	Shewed in theyr deth so many an vncouth signe
	Theyr grene woundes terryble to beholde
3650	With sherpe swerdes seuered ferre a_sonder
	For lacke of blode / whan they were sterke and colde
	One parte there / and an other parte yonder
	The redde blode / this was a great wonder
	Turned to mylke whyte as openly was sayne
3655	Theyr woundes large hath souded newe agayne
	He may be called a leche veryly
	Whiche hath practised so hygh a medycyne
	Suche mortall hurtes to cure them sodeynly
	Whose royall bawme is heuenly and deuine
3660	Galiene coude not imagyne
	Nor ypocras duryng all theyr lyues
	Suche consoudes nor suche senatiues
	The vertue shewed and power glorious
	Of Christ_Iesu by great experience
3665	And of his martyr blessed Amphibalus
	That day declared by notable euidence
	By whose prayer they beinge in presence
	These myracles / who so lyst take hede
	The same day accomplysshed were in-dede
sig: [S4]
3670	Whiche thyng remembred the iuge was nygh wode
	Whose sodeyn ire no wyght coude appese
	Great preace about in the place ther stode
	They of this matyr felte so great disease
	But for he cast hym fynally to please
3675	The paynyms in his malencoly
	Distraught of rancour thus he gan to cry
	Howe longe shall we endure or susteyne
	This great iniury / sclaunder / and clamour
	Let vs serche out what it shulde mene
3680	This hatefull noyse and furyous romour
	But I wote well grounde of this errour
	That this clerke / whiche not yore agon
	As ye wele knowe was maister to saynt Albon
	Whose doctrine / if it were vertuous
3685	Or come of god as ye reporte and say
	He shulde not haue demeaned hym thus
	So great a nombre suffre for to dye
	Of innocentes that dyd his lust obeye
	But it is lyke I do well apperceyue
3690	This clerke was busye the people to disseyue
	By some false crafte of incantation
	Or by some sotell and straunge experience
	Folke forto blynde by some illusyon
	Or by collusyon of false apparence
3695	Lyke as it were soth in existence
	With some coniurison or some charme made of new
	A thynge that is nought to shewe as it were trew
sig: [S4v]
	For by his compassed false deception
	The worthyest borne of this cite
3700	Haue ben perysshed / as made is mention
	And brought to nought by great aduersite
	Wherupon I make a newe decree
	Payne of deth yeuyng this sentence
	To the bochers / who that yeueth credence
3705	That all other therby may be aferde
	By playne ensample of theyr punysshon
	Where they be founde go vnto the swerde
	Without mercy of any remyssyon
	And after this he sent for all the towne
3710	Hygh estates and lowe dyd do call
	And whan they come he sayde to them all
	Let vs procede and werken fynally
	And therunto set an ordinance
	All of asse[nt] vpon our ennemy assent] Asseus 1534, assent L
3715	As we are bounde take on hym vengeance
	That euery man gan hym-selfe auaunce
	With suche weapyn playnly as they founde
	Sworde / knyfe / dagger / or what come first to hande
	So great people out of wales come than
3720	In theyr furyous rage and cruelte
	That there was lefte vnnethes any man
	Whiche that abode within the citie
	Eche cryed on other / go we hense let se
	Who that can fyrst make hym-selfe stronge
3725	To be auenged vpon our great wronge
sig: T[1]
	Theyr goinge out was to the north partye
	A medeled people of folkes nyse and rude
	That no man coude remembre fynally
	The great nombre nor the multitude
3730	All the citie playnly to conclude
	Was almost voyde myn auctor tell can
	Lefte alone of woman chylde and man
	Amonge the bochers and turmentours stronge
	One was marked aforne in that passage
3735	Whiche that thought his felowes abode longe
	Ranne forth fast to get hym auantage
	And lyke a wolfe in his cruell rage
	Stynt [n]euer tyll that he founde
	The place where Amphibalus was bounde
3740	Lyke a bocher persed his entrayles
	This homycyde that ranne afore the route
	Raffe his nauyll and toke out his bowelles
	And at a stake / whiche that stode without
	Tyed lyke ropes euyn rounde about
3745	And with a scurge the martyr he gan make
	In sercle wyse to go aboute the stake
	By the grace of god in his sufferyng
	Felly assayled with many a great turment
	Shewed no token of sorowe nor grudgyng
3750	But alway one stable in his entent
	Tyll his bowels were rased out and rent
	With turmentours in theyr cruell rage
	He chaunged no chere of loke nor visage
sig: [T1v]
	Two turmentours accorsed all theyr lyues
3755	Amphibalus set vp for a signe
	And cast at hym swerde dagger spere and knyues
	And euer the more agayne hym they dyd maligne
	The more they founde hym gracious and benigne
	A pronosticke maruaylous in nature
3760	Saue goddes grace howe he myght endure
	To wonder vpon a merueylous myracle
	Was sene that day in peoples syght
	Howe this martyr vp set for a spectacle
	So longe lyued agayne natures ryght
3765	His blode was spent and lost was all his myght
	And his humedite called radicall
	In synewes and ioyntes wasted was at all
	His soule his spirite his goostly remembrance
	Stode in theyr strength of spirituall swetnes
3770	His heuenly feruence / his charite in substance
	Appalled not by no foren duresse
	Fors bore his baner agayne his mortall feblenes
	To preue this texte / sayd ago full longe
	Howe persed loue / as any deth is stronge
3775	O bodely force feble to stande vpryght
	After his flesshely disposition
	In goostly strength lyke Hercules of myght
	For vertuous noblesse egall to Sampson
	Proued this day in Brutis_Albion
3780	Was Amphibalus / with whom who lyst aduerte
	Was nothyng lefte / saue only tonge and herte
sig: [T2]
	In his herte as longe as ther was lyfe
	He ceased not gods worde to preache
	Grace was guyde / and trouthe his preseruatife
3785	Fayth bare vp all / charite was his leche
	His tonge enspired the people for to teache
	His body feble / his membres impotent
	Yet tonge and herte were of one assent
	His herte stronge stable as a dyamant
3790	Fayth had of stele forged his ymage
	His hope in god was so perseuerant
	Dispayre in hym myght haue none auantage
	For his gracious influent langage
	And by myracles in hym shewed than
3795	That day to Christ was turned many a man
	His doctrine fyxe in his remembrance
	Most souerently than gan therin delyte
	Let theyr ydols go vnto a myschaunce
	Whiche myght them nother helpe nor profyte
3800	God with his grace lyst them to visite
	Of one assent / gan them redy to make
	After his counsell the fayth of Christ to take
	They were compuncte and maden theyr prayer
	With repentance and voyce most lamentable
3805	To graunt them parte of that he suffered there
	Touchyng his passyon greuous and importable
	In that ioye / whiche is perdurable
	Touchyng the syghtes that they had sene
	Therof by grace to put them in certene
sig: [T2v]
3810	Lyke as theyr trust and theyr perfyte beleue
	Was in Iesu of herte thought and dede
	With hole affection that it shall them not greue
	For Christes sake theyr blode in hast to blede
	They stode so hole hauyng of deth no drede
3815	In theyr opinion our fayth to magnyfye
	That they dispised all ydolatrye
	Theyr prince and iuge the whyle in presence stode
	Lyke a man fall in-to a franesye
	Uoyde of reason and as a tyrant wode
3820	Commaunded all his turmentours to hye
	Without exception of lowe or hygh partye
	To kyll and sleye and no mercy take
	That haue theyr goddes of dispite forsake
	They preased in the martyr to encombre
3825	Lyke gredy wolfes or tygrys of assent
	They slough that day a thousande full in nombre
	For to obeye his fell commandement
	Amphibalus beinge ther present
	Whiche in sp[i]rite besyly gan entende spirite] sptrite 1534
3830	To Christ_Iesu theyr soules to commende
	A cruell paynem stoute indurate and bolde
	Spake to the martyr of hatefull cruelte
	Whiche of the citie other newe or olde
	In any wyse hath trespased agayne the
3835	Whiche hast caused theyr great aduersite
	These innocent people in so shorte a whyle
	With thy traynes and sleyghtes to begyle
sig: [T3]
	Our statutes and lawes thou hast foyled
	By occasyon of thy parlous langage
3840	And our citie most cruelly spoyled
	Of her people bothe olde and yonge of age
	Cause of theyr losse and mortall damage
	And thou aforne them forwounded to the deth
	Stondest in poynt to yelde vp thy brethe
3845	In suche disioynt thou mayst not recure
	Dissentrayled bounden to a stake
	And our goddes thou hast aboue measure
	Felly prouoked vengeance on the to take
	Yet and thou woldest repent and forsake
3850	Thy Christis secte and fro thy fayth withdrawe
	And of hole herte turne to our lawe
	Worshyp our god / whom thou hast offended
	And be in wyll to do so no more
	Of thyn hurtes thou myghtest be amended
3855	And axe grace as I haue tolde before
	To helth agayne they myght wele restore
	Thy woundes greuous / whiche seme incurable
	Make them full hole they be so merciable
	Upon wretches benyngnly to rewe
3860	Suche as lyst falle in theyr grace
	And wyll repent lowly and be trewe
	Aske mercy of theyr olde trespas
	They may not fayle within a lyttell space
	To be accepte wounded halte and lame
3865	By my counsell do thy-selfe the same
sig: [T3v]
	Whiche standest nowe as a spectacle
	Afforne the people / whiche haue them in disdeyne
	Praye our goddes to shewe some myracle
	By theyr power that it may be sene
3870	That thou maiste be restored newe agayne
	To that mercy / and afterwardes be assured
	Of all thy woundes for to be recured
	If thou thus do they wyll be gracious
	To modifie theyr vengable violence
3875	Let be thou paynym / quod Amphibalus
	Feble is theyr myght and mortall in sentence
	In thy langage thou dost great offence
	To yefe laude worshyp or praysyng
	To fals ydoles that haue no seing
3880	For they be voyde of grace and all vertue
	Haue nother tyme nor immaginatyfe
	There is no god but my lorde Iesu
	That deed bodyes restoreth agayne to lyfe
	He is my helth and my restoratife
3885	All your goddes of whiche nowe ye tell
	Ben but fendes that suffre payne in hell
	Them to prayse and worshyp ye be blynde
	For depe in hell is theyr abydyng
	Ye do great wronge them to haue in mynde
3890	Whiche euer endure in complaynt and wepyng
	And were tyrantes here in theyr lyuyng
	And of false drede toke theyr originall
	To be defied knowyng they be mortall
sig: [T4]
	In hell is nowe theyr habitation
3895	Perpetually ordeyned to abyde
	Of your false goddes the commemoration
	Is holden therwith all theyr pompe and pride
	With fyre beset on euery syde
	Whiche neuer is queynte of infernall feruence
3900	Nor the worme deed of theyr conscience
	All they that serue them in theyr lyue
	Shall of theyr paynes be with them partable
	Out of charyte folke that lyst to stryue
	False aduoutrers / detractours detestable
3905	And homycydes most abhomyn[a]ble abhomynable] abhomynb le 1534
	That weren or ben here of theyr assent
	Haue and shall haue parte of theyr turment
	Lyke theyr desertes they must haue theyr mede
	And thou paynym shalte haue thy parte in payne
3910	For thy false errour but thou repent in-dede
	Shalte eke with them I tell the in certeyne
	Ben embrased in a fyrye chayne
	With Sathan stocked amyd the smokes blake
	But if thou wylte thy mawmettry forsake
3915	Forsake the ryghtes of false ydolatry
	Thy secte thyn errour of olde vanyte
	Dispayre the not / for great is the mercy
	Of Christe_Iesu / whiche wyll accepte the
	With all other that here present be
3920	So that they wyll of fayth and hole entent
	Receyue of baptisme the holy sacrament
sig: [T4v]
	Fyrst of baptisme the vertue to deuise
	Lyke as it is grounded in scripture
	It wassheth away / who so lyst aduertise
3925	Of mannes synne all fylthe and all odure
	Causeth a man all grace to recure
	Openeth heuen as sayen these clerkes
	Forsaketh sathan and all his mortall workes
	Tho that were children of perdition
3930	Under the fende by synne and wretchednes
	By grace of baptisme as made is mention
	Our fayth receyued standeth in sykernesse
	Flete to the grace and doth your busynesse
	As I to_forne haue to you deuised
3935	Forsake your goddes / and beth in hast baptised
	Water of baptisme doth synnes puryfye
	Water of confort and consolation
	Clenseth the fylthe of all ydolatrye
	Originall well of our sa[l]uation saluation] sauation 1534
3940	Condite and ryuer of our redemption
	Called in scripture water regeneratyfe
	Whiche restoreth a man vnto gostly lyfe
	It is the heed-springe and the gostly streme
	Whiche conueyeth a man to paradise
3945	Ryuer and porte vnto Ierusalem
	Of all ryuers this ryuer beareth the price
	As to folkes that be prudent and wyse
	Suche as wasshe them in this holsome ryuer
	Auoydeth from them all infernall daunger
sig: U[1]
3950	And scoureth away all venym serpentyne
	And spottis blacke called originall
	By grace causeth / whiche that is deuine
	Renewyng men to be celestiall
	And for a conclusion in this mater fynall
3955	To forsake your goddes / whiche may do you no goode
	By my counsell be bathed in this flode
	The streme therof shall glad your citie
	And race away the rust of olde outrages
	And with a flowe of all prosperite
3960	Renewe both your herte and your corages
	And you preserue from infernall damages
	Ye stande free cheseth nowe of tweyne
	Eternall lyfe / or euerlastyng peyne
	After these notable exhortations
3965	Grounded on fayth and perfyte charyte
	The paynyms lyke tygrys or lyons
	In theyr hasty furyous cruelte
	Fyllen vpon the martyr bounde to a tree
	On eche syde assayled hym at ones
3970	With rounde kalyons and with sharpe stones
	A great myracle / god lyst that day to shewe
	And this martyr lyke goddes champyon
	Beset all aboute with paynyms not a fewe
	Stode aye vpryght / no partye downe
3975	Stable in prayer and in orison
	Erecte to god / not turnyng north ne southe
	The worde of god neuer out of his mouthe
sig: [U1v]
	Saue the word of god / and his grace was impossible
	To abyde that bronte / where he had force or might
3980	In soule and spirite stondyng inuisible
	The eien vp lyfte of his inwarde syght
	Towarde heuen Phebus was neuer so bryght
	At mydsomer in his myd-day spere
	As he sawe Iesu in the heuen appere
3985	On the ryght syde of his father dere
	Fyne of his tryumphe / and of his turmentry
	Herde of angels with sugred notes clere
	Celestiall songe / whiche in theyr melody
	Gan prayse the lorde / and there he gan espy
3990	His blessed Albon clad in purple wede
	Token of Christ he lyst his blode to blede
	To that martyr amonge martyrs all
	Of trust assured whylom betwene them twayne
	Amphibalus for helpe began to call
3995	O blessed Albon that sufferdist great payne
	For Christis sake of mercy not disdeyne
	To pray Iesu that lyst for vs to dye
	To sende his angels my iournay to conueye
	That cruel Sathan trouble not my passage
4000	Nor that his malyce may clayme in me no ryght
	By the martyr rehersed his langage
	Come two angels from heuen with great lyght
	This voyce eke herde in all the peoples syght
	There as he stode bounden to a stake
4005	Upon the poynt to dye for goddes sake
sig: [U2]
	O Amphibalus after thy deuise
	With thy disciple glorious prince Albon
	Thou shalte this day be in paradyse
	Ryght in erthe as ye were both one
4010	With your triumphe ye shall together gone
	And with your palmes ye shall be in glorie
	with a tytle of euerlastyng victorie
	Amonge martyrs receyue this your mede
	Lyke your deserte of eternall guerdon
4015	A crowne of golde / and a purple wede
	Forged with saintes in the heuenly mansion
	Lyke to rubies most souerayne of renowne
	Albon and thou perpetually shall shyne
	In Uerolamy the citie to enlumyne
4020	In this whyle two angels downe descende
	To the holy martyr for his gostly socoure
	On his soule benyg[n]ly to attende benygnly] benygly 1534
	Whytter than snowe or any lyly-floure
	His gost conueyeng vnto the heuenly towre
4025	Paynyms this tyme bydyng in the felde
	Greatly abasshed / whan they this thynge behelde
	Herder of herte than flynt or any stone
	After his spirite was borne vp to heuen
	Turmentours in theyr malyce ay one
4030	Feruent in fyry ire as any beuen
	Lyke as iewes fell vpon saynt Steuen
	So were they busy of hatefull cursednesse
	The deed body with stones to oppresse
sig: [U2v]
	They had the martyr in so great disdayne
4035	After his deth gan make a newe affray
	That no memory shulde of hym be sayne
	Upon the grounde where that he lay
	Safe ther was one / whiche that stole awaye
	The deed corps / and dyd his busy cure
4040	Most secretely to make his sepulture
	He was christen the man whiche dyd his payne
	The deed corps to close it in the grounde
	In secrete wyse tyll Iesu lyst ordeyne
	And prouide a tyme that he may be founde
4045	Whiche for the fayth suffered many a wounde
	And this done by grace for the nones
	Maugre all tho that cast on hym stones
	Dukes erles and lordes of the towne
	Were ouer_come almost with fastyng
4050	Amonge paynyms rose a discention
	That wolde haue had the body in kepyng
	Whiche had auowed in theyr out-goynge
	To brynge the martyr by othe and surete
	Other quicke or deed home to theyr cite
4055	Amonge them-selfe of vengeance gan to stryue
	With swordes drawe fell at deuision
	By their promyse outher deed or a_lyue
	To brynge the martyr with them to the towne
	Whiche were vnworthy to haue possession
4060	Of suche a treasure tyll god lyst shape a tyme
	Of gracious chaunge to sende a newe pryme
sig: [U3]
	Agayne theyr promyse god made an obstacle
	Whan they of newe began the martyr to manace
	The body was besyled by myracle
4065	And eke buryed in a secrete place
	There to abyde tyll god lyst of his grace
	As I sayde erste this treasure of renowne
	May be founde to glad with all the towne
	Thus whan the paynims had shewed theyr vttrance
4070	Of the martyr the doctrine hole forsake
	God vpon them dyd openly vengance
	All theyr lymmes and membres gan to shake
	With a palsey theyr tonges were eke take
	With whiche membre afforne in many wyse
4075	The fayth of Christ they lyst falsely to dispise
	The handes touched of these homicydes
	Impotent of power and of myght
	Theyr bodyes vnweldy backe eke and sydes
	Their legges faltred for to stande vpryght
4080	Theyr mouthes stode wronge / a_gogle stode theyr syght
	Eche membre and ioynt out of order stode
	And theyr iuge also sodenly waxe wode
	Hondes to godwarde whan they be vengable
	Feete that ranne of custome for damage
4085	Cruell eien / whiche be not merciable
	Mortall tonges that dampne men in theyr rage
	By detraction / mouthes for false langage
	Lyke theyr desertes of olde who lyst remembre
	God of his ryght gan punysshe euery membre
sig: [U3v]
4090	The eighe for lokyng receyue his guerdon
	The tonge for speakyng taketh his salarie
	Bloud wrongefully shede requireth of reason
	Hastly vengance though it a whyle tary
	Murder homycyde / which be to god contrary
4095	Deth of martyrs / slaughter of innocentes
	Cryeth vengeance to god in their tourmentes
	Specially all the turmentours
	That were assented for to flee Albon
	Faded away as dewe on sommer floures
4100	And come to nought almost euerychone
	The mynde of the martyr abode alway in one
	And day by day the great laude and glorie
	Gan more and more encrease of victorie
	The sade vengeance no whyle was conseled
4105	Nor the great noyse of theyr aduersite
	Take vpon paynems wolde not be healed
	Theyr trouble and rumour was not kepte secrete
	For drede of whiche the chiefe of theyr citie
	Medled with grace as the story sayth
4110	Were all at ones turned to Christis fayth
sig: [U4]
	With ryght hole herte and full deuout humblenesse
	From theyr olde secte they gan away declyne
	Gan prayse the lorde for his ryghtwysnesse
	And some by grace heuenly and deuine
4115	By influence that dyd vpon hym shyne
	Lefte all the worlde treasure and substance
	And to Rome went for to do penance
	And by grace of our lorde Christ_Iesu
	They renounced all theyr olde errour
4120	And sawe in theyr goddes there was no vertue
	Helpe at nede conforte nor socour
	But all at ones with diligent labour
	Of false ydols forsoke the sacryfyce
	Become christen in most humble wyse
4125	Myracles shewed and vertous doctrine
	Of Amphibalus with vertous diligence
	Grace annexed whiche dyd on them shyne
	Caused the citie of all theyr olde offence
	To axe mercy and with hole diligence
4130	Theyr false goddes of new they haue dispysed
	And moste mekely by grace were baptised
sig: [U4v]
	And so longe continued/ tyll at the last
	By a rurall person/ disciple of pelagiane
	His hereticall doctrine/ longe tyme begon & past
4135	Newly renewed and fast toke rote agayne
	Peruerted the people of this Brutis_Britayne
	And specially in this citie of olde Uerolamy
	Moche increased this doctrine of infamy
	Wherwith sore troubled was all the hole clergy
4140	Not stronge inough/ by lernyng and prudence
	These olde errours to refourme & rectify
	But glad to sende for helpe and defence
	To the clergy of Fraunce/ to be theyr assistence
	Where assembled a counsell of clergy in generall
4145	To prouide remedy for this myschefe in speciall
	Lastely concluded by the hole counsell
	Sent vnto Uerolamy two auncient clerkes
	In lernyng and vertue/ ryght famous and excell
	The one called Germayne a myrrour in good warkes
4150	Confounder of heretykes/ & all fyry sparkes
	Of scismaticall doctrine/ by gostly influence
	He was consecrate bysshop of Antisiodorence
	And Lupus the bysshop of Trecassinensis
	In this holy iournay/ with hym was associate
4155	And came to this citie of Uerolaminensis
	Where the people peruerted/ were greuously insensate
	And from the trewe fayth/ crokedly abrogate
	By th'ereticall doctrine of the erroneus person
	Declared to the people with deuylysshe illusion
sig: X[1]
4160	Good people afore this tyme/ of feruent deuocion
	For recours of pylgryms/ had builded an oratory
	Ouer the tombe and corps/ of holy saynt Albon
	Wheder these bysshops of blessed memory
	Came and made prayer to the martyr instantly
4165	That he for them in theyr batayle and conflycte
	Wolde be meane to god/ the heretyke to conuicte
	Theyr prayer to god/ by the martyr preferred
	As proueth the sequele/ was ryght acceptable
	For than the heretikes/ day ne tyme deferred
4170	Was clerely conuicte of theyr errours detestable
	And reduced to grace/ by treuthe infallable
	By Lupe and Germane in playne disputation
	Renounsyng theyr errours/ made abiuration
	Than for that grace/ gyuen them in especiall
4175	Of god by meane of the martyrs intercessyon
	To his tombe they returned/ with hert & mynd effectual
	Redoublyng theyr prayer with humble deuocion
	For the great tryumphe/ and vtter subiection
	That th'enmyes of god/ had susteyned that day
4180	Exhortyng the people/ to laude god and praye
	And mekely on theyr knees/ with all dew reuerence
	Uncouered the tombe/ where the corps lay
	There founde the reliques in state and essence
	All-though he had layne ther many a longe day
4185	And of the same reliques they toke no parte away
	But of th'erth all blody saint Germane toke a porcion
	To bere aboute with hym of feruent deuotion
sig: [X1v]
	And for the same in full recompence
	A cophyn enclosed with relyques many one
4190	Of all th'apostels/ and martyrs with reuerence
	Whiche he gathered in places where he had gone
	There he them offered to blessed saynt Albon
	For a perpetuall memory of that his acte and dede
	And to all pylgryms to haue rewarde and mede
4195	Than departed Germayne and his felowe Lupus
	Into theyr owne countres there to remayne
	Within foure yeres after/ agayne it happened thus
	Newly to sprynge/ th'eresyes of pelagyane
	Than the clergy sent of newe for saynt Germayne
4200	Who hastely graunted to come and discusse
	All doutes associate/ with holy Seuerus
	Who breuely confounded and brought to vtterance
	All th'eretykes to theyr shame and confusyon
	That done they retourned agayne into Fraunce
4205	The people delyuered from deuyllysshe illusion
	Albeit shortely after/ theyr former abusyon
	Returned theyr myndes and brought in appostacy
	Theyr god forgettyng to laude and magnifie
	And all that was done by the greuous occasyon
4210	Of the furyous saxons/ and theyr pagan ryte
	For after that they had in this lande made inuasion
	Chur[c]hes and clergy they distroyed quite Churches] Churhes 1534
	To adnull Christis lawe was all theyr delyte
	And compell the christen to theyr false ydolatry
4215	In suche miserable lyfe was all theyr felicite
sig: [X2]
	Thus by them all this region in maner peruerted
	From Christis fayth/ and holy saynt Albon
	The chapell and tombe decayed and subuerted
	Token or knowlege there was lefte none
4220	Deuotion and prayer forgotten and gone
	Tyll god of his goodnes and mercyfull pitie
	Wold reuele his sayntes/ to the laude of his deite
	Thus duryng this tyme thre hundred yere & mo
	The hertes of the people all derke & obumbrate
4225	From the fayth of Christ was clerely lost and go
	Worshyppyng ydols of power adnychilate
	By longe continuance accustomed and vsed
	That good and trew doctrine/ they vtterly refused
	Th'ylke holy saynt Albon/ to the godhed directed
4230	His deuoute prayer/ his countrey to reconcile
	To Christis owne fayth/ all heresyes reiected
	With errours and scismes/ from them put in exile
	The disceytes of the deuyll/ hath them longe begyle
	To abate and suppresse/ to the christen releue
4235	And to all heretikes shame and repreue
	His prayer well herde/ god hath prouyde
	A captayne/ a ruler/ a prince of great pleasance
	Ouer this contre/ to reigne rule and gye
	Discended of blode from royall aliance
4240	That by goddes helpe shortly made purueyance
	These fautes to redresse/ by grace as he may
	This noble deuoute prince called kynge Offa
sig: [X2v]
	It happed that this kyng than beinge at Bygging
	Besydes wynslowe his owne maner place
4245	Callyng to memory all his former lyuyng
	How by the blody swerd his peace he had purchace
	Compuncte by contrition callyng for grace
	Besought god on his knees/ with feruent deuocion
	Some knowlege to haue of his synnes remyssyon
4250	Than sodenly in the chapel came a maruelous light
	Inflamed the king with a swete [fra]graunt odour fragraunt] fraragraunt 1534
	The kynge fyrst astonyed/ to se it so bryght
	Than after co[n]forted gaue laude prayse & honour conforted] coforted 1534
	To that only god/ grounde of all socour
4255	And set fast in hym/ his trust and confidence
	Dayly to serue hym/ with all dewe reuerence
	This kynge then lyinge in the citie of Bath
	Halfe slepyng in a slombre appered an angell
	Shewyng that of god suche fauour he hath
4260	And also commaundement as he dyd than tell
	All scismes and heresyes/ from the contre t'expell
	He shulde perceyue with all diligence anone
	To translate the reliques of holy saynt albon
	The kyng or this tyme of the pope had purhcased
4265	That Lychefelde shulde be/ th'archebysshops see
	Wherby Canterbury was greatly defaced
	But for that tyme there was no remedy
	All whiche I omyt and returne to our story
	Howe and by whom was done this translation
4270	Of archebysshop and bysshops with feruent deuocion
sig: [X3]
	After that the angell at Bathe had thus appered
	Of this prothomartyr Albon / made the kyng relacion
	He called Humbertus/ whome he had than arered
	Archebysshop of Lychefeld/ and made declaration
4275	Of th'angelles commandement/ for the translation
	Of this holy martyr/ than the bysshop anon-ryght
	Obeyed and prepared therto with all his myght
	Accompanyed with suffraganes/ two he had than
	Theyr names to recount/ I let ouer_passe
4280	The kyng & they to Uerolamy/ with many noble men
	Accompaned/ came reuerently to the same place
	Where as a fyrye pyllour bryghtly shynynge was
	Ouer the tombe & place/ where as lay saynt Albon
	By whiche token/ they founde the cophyn anone
4285	They toke vp the bones with all humble deuotion
	And bare them to the church with ympnes and songe
	The kynge and his nobles folowed the processyon
	Where many fayre myracle was done than amonge
	The relyques enclosed in a shryne great and longe
4290	Of syluer and golde set with great ryches
	Thus with all solempnite/ endeth this busynes
	Not without myracles as the story doth vs teache
	They that were blynde/ recured haue theyr syghte
	The domme also was restored to theyr speche
4295	Folkes lame and podagryd/ went than vpryght
	Lepres made clene/ by prayer of this knyght
	And palatyke folke/ as the story doth remembre
	And all other diseased/ were hole in euery membre
sig: [X3v]
	Be glad and mery/ thy title riche and goode
4300	Londe of brytane called brutes_Albion
	Whiche art inbaumed/ with the purple bloode
	Of blessed saint Albon/ prince of that region
	And specyally O noble and ryall towne
	Of verelamy/ reioyce and be iocounde
4305	So riche a treasure/ is in thy boundes founde.
	Richer treasure/ more worthy to be commended
	Moche better then in Troy/ was euer Palladion
	For on thy soyle/ of newe is discendyd
	A celestiall dew/ of grace and all fosion
4310	And specially by/ angelicall reuelation
	Whiche on thy londe/ of newe dothe rebounde
	That blessed Albon/ is in thy boundes founde.
	Hector whylom/ was Troyans Champion
	And Haniball protector of Cartago
4315	Marchus_Maluius/ saued Rome towne
	The capitolie/ conserued frome dammage
	And in britayne nowe in more lattre age
	Of holy Albon when the corps was founde
	Made in that region all thinges to habounde.
4320	Kynge Offa as I sayd/ hauynge this vision
	Whiche of saynt Albon/ was patron and founder
	By myracles shewed/ for his good deuocion
	The place where was hyd/ this ryche treasure
	He with cost and diligent laboure
4325	Lett call to_gedre/ of diuers regions
	Most cunninge maysters of wryghtes & masons.
sig: [X4]
	To buylde the churche/ of blessed saint Albon
	Indowed the same/ with londes and possession
	So that in all Britayne/ lyke to that is none
4330	Replenished with people/ of saynt benettes profession
	Almost .viii.C. yere continued in succession
	Takynge fyrst auctorite/ as the hystorie telle can
	Graunted by bulles of pope Adriane.
	After went hym-selfe/ this noble worthy kynge
4335	Of great deuotion to Rome the ryall citie
	Spared no cost/ tyll he in euery-thynge
	Had of his purpose graunt and autoritie
	Priuileges/ fredomes/ and liberties
	By the pope then/ confirmed to that place
4340	For loue of saint Albon with many especial grace.
	By auctoritie/ as ye haue hard deuysed
	He had his askynge/ by power spirituall
	And for his part/ to be more auctorised
	He hath annexed his power in especyall
4345	With all liberties and fraunchies full ryall
	Perpetually bound yt in brede and in lenght
	In honour of saint Albon / to stonde in his strenght
	O Uerolamy as I haue tolde beforne
	O famous olde citie/ amonge all nations
4350	Whiche in thy boundes/ hadst suche a prince borne
	Notable in knyghthode/ with all conditions
	Of hygh prowes/ by manyfold reasons
	Wordy by vertu and by ryall lyen
	To be in degre/ aboue all the worthies nyen.
sig: [X4v]
4355	He that whylom was busy to compyle
	This noble historie/ trewly of entent
	In latyn tonge to directe his style
	Ryght as he sawe/ so was he diligent
	It to conuey/ bicause he was present
4360	Yet lyst he not I suppose of mekenes
	Tell what he was nor his name expresse
	To hym-selfe/ he gaue none other name
	After the story/ as I reherse can
	Excepte he wrote of drede/ and of honest shame
4365	He wolde be called as he wrote than
	Of all wretches the symplest man
	Of other name as by his wrytyng
	To vs he lefte no maner knowlegyng
	Saue he of trust and good confydence
4370	Whiche that abode in his opinion
	There shulde come in great reuerence
	Tyme commyng folke of religio[n]
	Specially to Uerolamy towne
	Whiche that shulde do theyr busy payne
4375	The fayth of Christe/ for to preache in Britayne
	Than shall the trouthe be openly knawe
	Whan the errour is loused and vnbounde
	Of paynyms and Christis worde be sawe
	Thorowe all the londe/ false ydols to confounde
4380	Than to theyr hartes/ gladnes shall rebounde
	That vseth our fayth/ whan Iesu lyst by grace
	Of his infinite mercy/ a tyme to purchase
sig: Y[1]
	This same man/ of full trewe intent
	Whiche busy was/ this story to endite
4385	Unto the see of Rome/ with the boke he went
	By great aduise his purpose to acquite
	And fynally lyke as he doth playnly wryte
	All false goddes and ydols to forsake
	Baptisme to receyue and Christis fayth to take
4390	And as I haue tolde/ this boke with hym he brought
	To be sene ouer with meke and lowe subiection
	To all that courte/ and humbly he besought
	Our lorde Christe_Iesu with deuoute intention
	After theyr dewe and full examynation
4395	Called to recorde this story made of newe
	Lyke as he wrote that euery worde was trewe
	This boke accomplysshed/ notable and famous
	Of hym that was in Brutis_Albion
	Called prothomartyr most vertuous
4400	That for Christ suffered passion
	That yere accompted of his translation
	Fro Christis byrthe and his natiuite
	Fully seuen hundreth nynty yere and thre.
	Nowe perfyte reders/ that dyuers stories hath sene
4405	Marke well the tymes/ of this here expressed
	Whan that saynt Albon by the paynyms kene
	For Christis fayth/ from this lyfe was suppressed
	The commyng of saynt Germayn for errours to be
	After all these/ the tyme of his inuention
4410	Done by kynge Offa/ with his holy translation
sig: [Y1v]
	CC.lxxxx.iii. yeres of our lorde Christ_Iesu
	The reigne of Dioclesyon the .xix. yere
	Christis holy fayth to reuyue and renewe
	Suffred saynt Albon/ the story doth appere
4415	Maximiane & Asclipiodot/ both his iuges were
	It was in the seconde yere/ of the pope Gaius
	That holy saynt Albon was martyred thus
	Than one hundreth & one yere after his passion
	Began fyrst th'eresies of false pelagyane
4420	Which was .CCCC.iiii. yeres/ by iust computation
	After that Christ/ had take our nature humayne
	The .xiiii. yere of the Brittisshe kynge Graciane
	In the .iii. yere of the fyrst Anastacious
	And the .xvi. yere of th'emperour Theodosius
4425	Foure hundred and forty/ of our lorde .ix. yeres mo
	And in the fyrst yere of Uortigern the kynge
	And the fyfte yere of the fyrst pope Leo
	Theodose the seconde emperour than beinge
	In his .xxi. yere after iust rekenynge
4430	Saynt Germayn come fyrst/ and lupus also
	To distroye th'eresies/ that were begon tho
	C.xliii. yeres by iuste computation
	After his passion/ thus come saynt Germayn
	And forty and two yere without variation
4435	After the fyrst tyme of the falce pelagian
	Yet within fyue yeres saynt Germayn come agayn
	As is shewed before/ with holy Seuerus
	All former heresies by grace to discus
sig: [Y2]
	CCC.xliii. yeres after saynt Germayne
4440	Whiche was seuen hundreth/ lxxx. & .xiii. yere
	Of our lorde Iesu/ as stories doth determyne
	That th'angell at Bath/ to kyng Offa dyd appere
	To translate saynt Albon/ with all heuenly chere
	The fyrst Adrian pope/ the .vi. Constantine th'emperour
4445	Whan this translation was done with all honour
	Perceyue nowe good reders/ & gyue true iugement
	Betwene the monkes of Colen/ & of the blessed albon
	The Coloners wryteth after theyr entent
	To cause the pylgryms to withdrawe theyr deuotion
4450	From Uerolamy/ & to folowe theyr affection
	Sayinge that they haue the very body
	To theyr shame and rebuke/ defendyng suche foly
	And to proue theyr intent/ playnely they say
	That these heresyes of false pelagiane
4455	Began in the reigne of noble kynge Offa
	And also in the tyme of pope Adrian
	Affyrmyng that than shuld come in Germayne
	And with hym Lupus/ a clerke of great substance
	And all th'eresyes were brought than to vttrance
4460	And so by Germayn/ were brought vnto Rauenus
	The body of saynt Albon/ and there th'emperour
	Ualentiniane/ he was nobly receyued than
	And also the body/ with all godly honour
	Where Germayn sore vexed with a mortall dolour
4465	Departed this lyfe and vale of all misery
	To th'eternall lyfe/ in the celestiall glory
sig: [Y2v]
	After whose deth th'emperours mother
	Placida by name/ as Coloners doth say
	To Rome brought this body/ she with many other
4470	With all dewe reuerence/ there abode many a day
	Tyll Otto th'emperour/ with his mother Theophana
	Brought it to Colen/ to th'archebysshop Brunon
	In-to the monastery of holy Panthaleon
	Also at the tyme of this translation in-dede
4475	Adrian was pope/ and that they confesse
	And whan Ualentiniane/ to th'empyre dyd procede
	Liberious was pope/ in his .xii. yere doutlesse
	As diuerse Historiographers/ playnly do expresse
	So that of the sees spirituall nor temporall
4480	Agreeth with theyr accomptes/ after theyr memoriall
	They say also the body is yet incorrupt
	From th'yes vpwarde/ they haue in possession
	Whiche saiynge me semeth of trouthe be interrupte
	Onles they wyll graunt any vnsemyng diuision
4485	Of a corporall body to be cut in perticion
	Yet I can not knowe what parte they shulde haue
	For kynge Offa founde nothyng/ but the bones in his graue
	They say also that kyng Offa & saynt Germayne
	Was bothe at one tyme/ at this translation
4490	Whan th'erisies was destroyde of false pelagian
	In whose tymes is a great alteration
	Who lust accompt by iust compotation
	Shall fynde .CCC. yeres .xliiii. also
	That kynge Offa came after saynt Germayn was go
sig: Y[3] [wrongly printed as 'y.ii.']
4495	They say also that th'emperour Ualentiniane
	Shulde mete .s. Germain/ whan he came to Rauenne
	Whiche can not be trewe/ but all spoken in vayne
	For CCC.lxvi. was the yeres of our lorde than
	Whan Ualentiniane fyrste began to reigne
4500	That was .lxxx.iii. yeres before that Germayne
	Came to distroye th'eresies of pelagiane.
	Therfore good bretherne of holy saynt Benet
	Monkes of Colen leue this your bablyng
	Ye be so ferre hense/ in-dede ye can not let
4505	Ony deuoute persons/ for to do theyr offryng
	I wyll not denie/ but your vntrewe surmysyng
	May brynge some people/ pucyll and innocent
	For lacke of trewe knowlege/ in a wrong iugement
	But they that be lerned can rede as well as ye
4510	Conferre histories/ and also accompte the yeres
	Can well perceyue howe craftely ye do flye
	From trouthe/ th'istories so playnly apperes
	And are not they accursed that false wytnesse beares
	And specyally in writing/ to the derogation
4515	Of theyr bretherne in god of a ####trans#### nother nation
	Remembre ye ware in Englande but late
	With the .vii. Henry that myghty ryall kynge
	Where couertly ye sought meanes with many a noble estate
	To staye & aide you in this vntrewe lesing
4520	But ye durst not abyde th'ende of the rekenyng
	For feare of afterclappes that myght haue ensued
	Ye [were] afrayde to drynke of suche as ye brewed were] where 1534
sig: [Y3v]
	Wherfore reduce your-selfe/ false wrytynge reuoke
	Knowlege your offence/ of wyll more than dede
4525	For if ye continue/ ye shall haue but a mocke
	Men knoweth howe ye can in ony wyse procede
	But if that other ye loue god or drede
	Folowe the trouthe/ so shall ye do best
	And in lytle medlynge/ ye shall fynde moche rest.
4530	O blessed Albon/ o martyr most benigne
	Called of Brytons stewarde most notable
	Prince of knyghtholde preued by many a signe
	In all thy workes iust prudent and treatable
	And in thy domes ryghtfull and mercyable
4535	Be in oure paueye/ shelde of protection
	O prothomartyr of Brutes_Albion
	Let all thy seruauntes grace and mercy fynde
	Whiche that call to the in myschefe and distresse
	And haue thy passion and martyrdome in mynde
4540	Agayn frowarde ennemyes & all frowarde duresse
	Of thy benigne mercyfull goodnes
	Them to defende be thou theyr champion
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	Syth thou arte named gracious benigne & good
4545	The fyrste also/ whiche that in Britayne
	Suffred paynems to shede thy gentyll blode
	For Christes faith to die and suffre peyne
	O glorious prince of mercy not disdeyne
	To here the prayers and deuoute orison
4550	Of all thy seruauntes in Brutis_Albion
sig: [Y4]
	Thou were a myrrour and of mercy and pitie
	Haddest a custome here in this worlde lyuyng
	To cherysshe pylgrymes and heldest hospitalite
	All poure folke and strangers refresshyng
4555	Graunt our requestes for loue of th'ylke kynge
	Called kynge Offa whiche had a vision
	Where thou were buryed in Brutis_Albion
	Lyke a prince of ryght thou muste entende
	To forther all them that lyue in thy seruyce
4560	All theyr greu[e]s and mischefes to amende greues] greuous 1534, greves P
	And by thy prayer a pathe for hym deuyse
	To lyue in vertue and vices to despise
	By thy most knyghtly mediacion
	O prothomartyr of Brutes_Albion
4565	For his sake haue in remembraunce
	To all thy seruauntes to do succoure
	Whiche of deuocion to do the pleasaunce
	Was in thy chyrche chef bylder and foundour
	Of thy liberties royall protector
4570	There brought in fyrst men of religion
	One th ####elidede;eldest Abbeys in Brutes_Albion ####
	Amonge all other remembre that place
	It to preserue in longe prosperite
	Where thou arte shryned to grete encrece of grace
4575	As there protectour ageyne all aduersitie
	And [eu]er haue mynde vpon ther citie euer] doer 1534, euer P
	Whiche is made famous by thy passion
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion.
sig: [Y4v]
	To the cite be patron prince and guyde
4580	In thy seruice make them diligent
	With longe felicite on the other syde
	Conserue thyn Abbot and thy deuout couent
	Syth they are bounde of herte and hole entent
	Euer the to serue by theyr profession
4585	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	And specially pray/ for our most riall prince
	Our redouted lord/ and most gracious souerayne
	Most victorious kinge/ our sheld and our defence
	Both kinge & Emperour/ within all this Britane
4590	Defender of the faith/ of Irlonde lorde & captaine
	Henry the .viii. surmountyng in renowne
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	Pray for his spouse/ his louynge lady dere
	His riall quene Anna/ notable and famous
4595	Indowed with grace/ and vertu without pere
	Pray for oure princes/ that she may be prosperous
	Elizabeth by name/ both beautifull and gracious
	Pray that theyr issue/ haue fortunate succession
	O prothomartyr of Brutus_Albion
4600	Pray for princes that this londe gouerne
	To rule the people by prudent policie
	Pray for the chyrche that lyke a clere lanterne
	By good ensample ther subiectes for to gye
	And pray also that the chiualrie
4605	May holde vpryght agaynste falce extorcion
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
sig: [Z1]
	Praye for marchantes and artificers
	To encrease by vertue in theyr busynesse
	That there be founde no fraude in theyr desyres
4610	So that false lucre haue none encreasse
	By thy prayer do also represse
	All tyranny and all false extorcion
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	And with these o martyr glorious
4615	Syth thy prayer may so moche auayle
	Pray to the lorde aboue most gracious
	Agayne indigence to sende inough of vitayle
	And specially pray for the porayll
	Them to releue with plenty and foyson
4620	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	Noble prince most soueraigne and entier
	Corne frute and grayne to encrease and multiplie
	Blessed Albon praye for the labourer
	To plough and carte theyr handes so to applie
4625	That grace may so gouerne them and gye
	To great increase gyue all this region
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion
	All these estates remembred in substance
	Ioyne them in vertue by perfyte charyte
4630	Lyke a prince take them in gouernance
	And them preserue from all aduersyte
	Set peace amonge them and vertuous vnite
	All where nowe reigneth pride and deuision
	O prothomartyr of Brutis_Albion.
	Finis.
sig: [Z1v]
	¶Here endeth the glorious lyfe and passyon of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande/ and also the lyfe & passyon of saynt Amphabell/ whiche conuerted saynt Albon to the faith of Christe. whose lyues were translated out of frenche and laten in-to Englisshe/ by Iohnn_Lydgate monke of Bury/ and now lately put in print/ at request of Robert_Catton/ abbot of th'exempte monasterye of saynt albon. The .xxvi. yere of our soueraigne lorde kyng Henry the eyght. And in the yere of our lorde God .M.D.xxx.iiii.