The Life of Saint Gregory's Mother

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¶Here-after foloweth the lyfe of saynt Gregoryes mother.

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SOmtyme in Rome a pope there was 'S' of 'SOmtyme' is guide letter in space set for large capital

That god loued full specyally

To rule his churche he hym chas

His named was caled Gregory

A mother he had in that cyte

That was full blessyd in her dede

On euery pore she had pyte

And helped all creatures at theyr nede

The deuyll at her had great dyspyte

And thought it shulde no lenger so be

With concupyscence and false delyght

He thought to brynge her fro that degre

She fell in syne within a whyle

And lyued in fowle voutri

With lust and lykynge her body to fyle

The deuyll her blynded with obstynacy

That she durste her therof neuer shryue

Lest any man shulde her bewrey

This droue forthe all her lyue

Whyle sekenes her toke that she shulde dye

Than had she neyther tyme ne space

Dethe her toke so sodenly

Alas this was an heuy case

The deuyll to haue suche maystery

Whan she was dede and layde on bere

Many was sory no wonder was

What than befell than shall ye here

Howe god dysposed for her his grace

Thoroughe prayer of saynt Gregory

That was so good in his leuynge

Our lorde shope her a remedy

A trentall for her that he shulde synge

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Howe it was ordayned and founde

Take wysely hede and ye shall here

Saynt gregory made it with his hande

And sayd it hym-selfe in this maner

Upon a nyght I me bethought

Whan all creatures were at reste

Of marualous thinges that god had wrought

In euery kynde bothe man and best

Abought mydnyght a lytell before

I harde a voyce full pyteously

Alas it sayd that I was bore

My dome is gyuen full ryghtfully

For whyle I leuyd I had my wyll

My sone durst I neuer tell

Ryghtwysenes me demeth by skyll

That I were worthy be damned in hell

Than with that voyce vp I brayde

Myne harte was sore afryght

Out of a wyndowe I me layd

And there I sawe a wonder syght

A blacke cloude and a stynkynge

Full of deuyls on euery syde

A sowle there was in fyre brennynge

I coniured it and bade it abyde

By the vertu of god in trynyte

That made heuen erthe and hell

All ye deuyls obeye to me

And answere to me that I you tell

What sowle is that ye haue there

What is the cause wherfore and why

With suche paynes that ye it dere

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That god hathe bought so precyously

The deuyll answered anone there-tyll

And sayd the mother that the bore

She hathe this done by ryght and skyll

For false lyuynge that she had before

She semed good and false within

And lyued in aduoutry to her lyues ende

To no preste wolde she tell her synne

Therfore with vs shall she wende

My body agrysed my harte also

And sayd false fende that may not be

All Rome wyll wytnes that it is false

The dedes of marcy fulfylled she

Pore ryche and all maner men

She clad and fed her god to please

And kepte her to his commaundementes ten

Why shulde she than haue this dysease

Whan body and sowle departeth in twayne

Dethe came so shortely she had no space

Ones to shryue her of her synne

The whiche the deuyll her dyd enbrace

For drede of shame she durst not tell

Neyther to no prest open her harte

And who-so dieth in syne this wotest thou well

The paynes of hell they maye not sterte

Alas sayd Gregory that euer mannes kynde

Is so thrall for thynges of nought

And that synne shulde hym blynde

To lese the parte that god hathe bought

With bolde spirite I spake to here

And sayd thou sowle here charge I the

In the vertue of god that bought man dere

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To_morow at mydday thou speke with me

In trust that god some grace wyll sende

By prayer fastynge or some almes-dede

F[ro] this Iugement the to defende Fro] For 1536

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That for the his blode dyd blede

And tell me how it stondeth with the

If any hope be of saluacyon

And put the to rest from this degre

And saue the from thy dampnacyon

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With that worde i[t] vanesshed me fro it] is 1536

And sorowe smote my harte full nye

I was full of care sorowe and wo

I fell downe and in poynt to dye

With greuous gronynge it toke the waye

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There god had ordayned it to be

All nyght I kneled for it to praye

That god wolde haue of it pyte

And to saynt Peter my predycessoure

That god gaue power to lose and bynde

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Thou graunt me to be her socoure

Some prayer for her that I myght fynde

Thus prayed I for her all that nyght

Tyll dede slepe had me take

Anone sodenly I was a_fryght

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A voyse apered and bad be awake

Full bryght it was afore my face

In lykenes of an aungell clere

I wende god had ben in place

It was the deuyll that dyd apere

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And sayd thou laborest all in vayne

Go take thy rest and let this be

Thou ma[y]ste neuer by reason obtayne mayste] maste 1536

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To saue the sowle in no degre

God wyll not that thou for it praye

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Neyther for no sowle that damned is

For though thou laboure tyll domes-day

Yet shall it neuer come to blysse

Therfore praye not in this cas

For god is dysplese with the

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She hath done so great trespas

That it may neuer forgeuen be

Whan I harde this myne harte was sore

But euer me-thought he sayd not well

For goddes marcy is moche more

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Than harte may thynke or tonge can tell

To hym I answered full boldely thore

And sayd forsothe it is vntrewe

For god hymselfe for vs wolde dye

So fore mannes soule he dyd it rue

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And prayed his father whan he sholde stye

Howe canste thou saye let me se

Why prayer shulde not a soule saue

God wolde no synner dampned shulde be

That wolde on his marcy craue

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That is trewe he sayd but se what wyse

By vertue of confessyon he may be saue

But who synneth and wyll not ryse

How may he than his marcy craue

By no scrypture I can se

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That marcy to hym shulde not be due

For who so synneth dedely dampned is he

Thou knowest well that this is trewe

Yet I sayd though it be so

That god hathe sente the one his message

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Answere to this that I saye the to

Or elles me-thynke thou doest rage

Clarkes sayd and scrypture also

Ouer al the workes that euer god wrought

Marcy is chefe and passeth all tho

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Answere to this yf thou can ought

For where lucyfer thrughe his pryde

Lost heuens blysse and wente to hell

There marcy hath set mankynde his tyde

Aboue all aungelles this wotest thou well

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To this thou canst not ones say nay

Neyther al the false aungelles that there were

With that worde he wanysshed a_waye

That house rofe with hym he bare

Thunder lyghteninge there was great plente

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Cryenge of deuylles about that place

I praye god with harte so fre

To saue me for his hyghe grace

And sende me some consolacyon

And helpe this sowle that hathe nede

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To saue it euer frome damnacyon

For the woundes that he dyd blede

On the next morowe sone vpon daye

To saynt_Peters I went a_pace

My seruyce there for to saye

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And met with the sowle as I had grace

I was not so sone fro my place past

My waye thether for to take

Sodenly the wether was ouer-cast

The clowdes wexed wonder blacke

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And as I stodyed what it shulde be

A voyce I harde full pyteously

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Alas it sayd full wo is me

I knowe no meane of remedy

This cloude was blacke on euery brynke

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Full of fyre and brymstone also

There myght no creature abyde the stynke

For fere therof my mynde was so

I toke myne harte all in that tyde

Whan I sawe it drewe me nye

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I crossed my body on euery syde

And spake to it full boldely

In the vertue of god I charge the here

That toke flesshe of a vyrgyn fre

Stande there styll and come no nere

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But that I aske thou tell it me

Why arte thou put to thys desease

That dyd so moche almes-dede

And euery creatour was redy to please

With meat and drynke them for to fede

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That all rome of the spake

Thy lyuynge was holden so good aye

That neuer was founde in the lake

Neyther by nyght nor by daye

Therwith she groned full heuely

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And sayd alas that I was borne

I knowe no maner of remedy

But body and soule ben lyke to be lorne

For whyles I lyued and euer had

The worldes luste all my wyll

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In false auoutry my lyfe I lad

Thre yonge Innocentes I dyd kyll

Without baptyme they were slayne

And lost the blysse of heuen also

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I were worthy endles payne

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And for that to abyde in wo

For fere I durste it neuer saye

Nether to no preste confessed be

I was holde so perfyte aye

That euery creature sayd good by me

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Alas she sayd that I was made

That I had neuer grace to saye

But euer in synne my lyfe thus lade

Unto the houre that I shulde dye

And dethe came so sodenly

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I had no tyme amendes to make

I am well worthy for that foly

To endles payne my waye to take

Than was my harte heuy as lede

To se my mother in that degre

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But sythe she knewe no better rede

On her I had great ruthe to se

Than spoke I to her with heue chere

In chrystes name here charge I the

Within ten dayes ryght here thou apere

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In this same place and mete with me

And I my-selfe my deuoure shall do

If holy churche may put helpe in the

With the powre that god gaue therto

To Peter that pope was before me

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The dyuel on it made spytefull noyse

Whan they shulde take them to theyr waye

And sayd all with one voyce

This false Gregorye wyll vs betraye

The sely sowle with them they lad

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It groned full greuously and cryed sore

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With harde paynes it was bestad

My harte was heuy and wo therfore

My waye I toke to the churche a_pace

A masse to synge for her sake

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To saynt Sebastyan that holy place

My aulter commaunded I redy to make

To masse I wente with mylde chere

And put my trust in god alone

And as he bought that soule so dere

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That daye that he wolde here my mone

Whan I sacred our lordes body

Chryste_Iesu in fourme of brede

My blode waxed colde I wyst not why

I sawe a syght I was adrede

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A naked body in a tome of stone

Full of woundes bledynge sore

His face all pale his colour was gone

His skyn his flesshe was all to_tore

A spere was put throughe his body

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In euery hande a nayle was thrusted

There was no place I coude espye

But euery Ioynte was distr[e]ssed distressed] distrusshed 1536

A wrethe of thorne vpon his hede

The pryckes throughe his brayne ran

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He loked as he had bene dede

His eyen his lyppes were all wan

His handes were crossed hym before

To se that syght myne harte was wo

Out of his harte he syghed sore

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And sayd synfull man thou arte my fo

On the aulter he hym rest

My body for pyty on hym dyd quake

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He sayd to me lo I chryst

To dye agayne for mannes sake

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Beholde my body howe it is rente

For synfull sowles this suffred I

Mystruste me not I am thy frende

My flesshe my blode thou arte trewely

All this I suffered the to saue

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Unkynde creature beholde and se

What myght I do more thy loue to haue

Than offer my-selfe to dye for the

For rather than a sowle were shente

Newe on a crosse I wolde it bye

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Thus to be beten torne and rent

So moche is my loue and my mercy

With that worde he vanysshed me fro

His wordes made my har[t]e full lyght harte] harde 1536

On my knees I fell downe tho

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And thanked [god] of that syght god] good 1536

Forthe I sange my masse to the ende

And prayed god full hartely

This sely sowle he shulde defende

And shew on it his hyghe mercy.

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BUt whan it drewe to the ny[gh]t nyght] nyhgt 1536

That all creatures toke theyr rest

To saynt_peters churche I me dyght

Before the hyghe aulter I me drest

God I besought with harte fre

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Some comforte that he myght to me sende

And swete saynt Peter myne helpe to be

That myght fro myscheue me defende

Thus it drewe ferther in the nyght

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My nature fayne wolde haue rest

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Anone before me apered a syght

Upon the hye aulter there it fest

There came a pope in his araye

Cardynalles / bysshoppes / and prestes also

I dredde it sore whan I it saye

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And gaue them rome by me to go

This pope called me anone hym tyll

And sayd come hether gregory vnto me

Thou shalte knowe our lordes wyll

Be not dysmayde what thou se

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I am Peter thy predecessoure

And here be my bretherne the apostelles all

We be come the for to socoure

With pore of god that neuer shall fall

Take this scrypture of my hande

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Oure lorde hymselfe sent it to the

All sowles to helpe out of bande

And it be done as it shulde be

And powre also to lose and bynde

In heuen and erthe at thyne owne wyll

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And other popes out of mynde

That euer shall after in erthe dwell

And for thou laborest thy mother to saue

That yet is in heuy cas

Our lorde wyll that she haue

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This trentall done for her trespas

A trentall is of thre tymes ten

And ten tymes thre the same also

So many masses she haue than

Her to rele[s]e out of her wo relese] relefe 1536

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Of ten chefe festes in the yere

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Thre masses of eche must nedes synge

With all seruyce folowynge after here

Delynge of almes and also fastynge

What feastes thes be se and take hede

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And wysely in thy mynde them pyght

Loke on this boke here maye thou rede

Of whome they be and what is theyr myght

Thre masses of the Annuncyacyon

Whan god and man conceyued was

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Our kynde to take for our redemcyon

Wit[h]in a mayde he chace his place Within] witin 1536

Therfor forsoth the knot was knyt

Flesshe and blode together ran

The father of heuen this maryage shyt

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Accordyd there was bothe god and man

The seconde feast is it of chrystes Natyuyte

Whan he was borne vs all to glade

This full blessed nedes must be

For man goddes brother there was made

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The thyrde feste is the Epyphanye

Whan thre kynges with presentes sought

Throughe Herodes landes hym to espye

To offer gyftes that they had brought

This feste is full blessed and also holy

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Who-so hereth a masse that daye

Of soden dethe he shall not dye

Nor mysshap in no iorney

The fourthe is of our dere ladye

To the temple whan she her dyght

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With meke harte her to puryfye

After the lawe as it was ryght

The fyfte feast is of our saluacyon

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A sowle to helpe that is in nede

It must be of his Resurrexcyon

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A masse it is of full great mede

In the worshyp of his passyon

That suffred dethe for our sake

Who-so syngeth it with deuocyon

A sete for hym he dothe make

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The syxte feste muste be truely

Of the gloryous Assencyon

Whan he to heuen dyd stye

To knyt the knot of our redemcyon

His owne goste downe he sent

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Bothe wyt and wysdome vs to teche

To rule his lawe whan he was went

His chyrche to kepe and his gospel to preche

The seue[n]th masse muste be of the holy-goost seuenth] seueth 1536

That is chefe comforte of our consolacyon

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This masse helpeth a sowle mooste

Out of payne to saluacyon

The two other feste of our lady be

Chefe meane bytwene god and man

The Assumpcyon and her Natyuyte

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These be the [ten] festes that ye must han ten] then 1536

These make thyrty the hole trentall

Thre mas[s]es of eche feste thou must take masses] mastes 1536

A sowle from payne delyuer thou shall

If it be songe for the sowles sake

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An oryson there it that longeth therto

At euery masse it muste be sayd nede

With good deuocyon loke it be do

It is the chefe thynge the sowle to fede

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God that art our redemcyon

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Salue also of mannes sowle here

As thou chase also the lande of promyssyon

Before all other to be borne there

And suffered dethe in that holy lande

To paye our raunsome amendes to make

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Delyuer the sowle from the dyuels hande

And to thy mercy lorde thou it take

And as thou wolde therin dye

And halowed it with thy precyous blode

Delyuer it lorde frome penury

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That blessed land that is so good

By the hyghe vertue of thy grace

The people that leueth nat in the

Tourne theyr hartes and gyue them space

That they may sone amendyd be

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And all that leue in the

Thou socour them for thy lordly mercy

And of vs haue m[ar]cy and pyte marcy] mracy 1536

In the houre whan we shall dye

The whiche reygneth with the father dere

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With the holy goste that grace dothe sende

By all the worldes that euer were

Or euer shall without ende

Now how thou shalt synge this trental then

Take now thou good hede for euermore

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Whan a feste cometh of these the[n]

Faste ye muste the euen before

Brede and water holde the therto

None other mete loke thou take

Placebo and Dirige loke thou say also

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Shryue the clene and redy make

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The nexte morowe thy masse to synge

W[i]th all seruyce of the day With] Weth 1536

Seuen psalmes with the letany say fastinge

And commendacyon yf thou maye

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Forgette not the orison goynge before

In euery masse of this trentall

It is chefe salue of the sore

Loke euery daye thou saye it all

Within seuen dayes two masses nedes more

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Of the same feste must be

And all other seruyce say it before

As thou dydest in euery degre

A peny in almes thou must dele

To some pore man that it nedes

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That it maye stande to thy sowle-hele

For it is chefe of all good dedes

This rule thou kepe at euery masse

If thou wylte brynge a sowle from blame

Do this wysely more and lasse

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And teche all other to do the same

Farewell Gregory I parte the fro

Be stedfast in mynde nyght and daye

Temtacyon of the fendes thou shalt se so

To let the of thy purpose yf they maye they] thou 1501

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Whan he was gone and this lyght past

My harte was colde my body afryght

There was no comforte but in god to trast

I toke me to his marcy all that longe nyght

THan it befell vpon the nexte day

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Ryght in the mornynge-tyde mornynge] morowe 1501

To scala_celi I toke the waye scala_celi] ara_cely 1501; the] my 1501

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And prayed to god to be my gyde

The dyuell at me had great spyte

He thought my purpose for to let

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With false collusyons hym to quyte

The good dede I was on set

For whan I shulde my masse begynne

A maruelous thynge appered than

Deuyls of helle came rynnynge in

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In lykenes of myne owne men

And sayd alas that they were bor[ne] copytext or microfilm defective

What doest thou nowe here this t[yde]

Thy ho[u]sholde / thy treasoure / all [is g]one housholde] hossholde 1536

Thy men be spylte on euery syde

490

Thy place is on fyre thy people spyllen

Come saue this myschefe or all is shente

Leue this purpose tourne home agayne

Or all thy lyue-dayes thou shalte repent

I was a_frayd nere out of my mynde a_frayd nere out of my] aferde nere out of 1501

495

They semed my seruauntes and my men

In very lykenes of mannes kynde

They appered before myne eyen

To rome I retourned with carefull chere

And prayed saynt Peter myne helpe to be

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I loked aboute yf peryll were

All-thynge I founde in prosperyte

Than thanked I god with all my myght

And thought it was the deuyls dede

To the churche I tourned agayne full ryght

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This holy trentall there to spede

The tyde of daye it was nere past

These false fendes dyd me betraye

My purpose to spyll was all there cast

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That for the sowle I shulde not praye I] 1501 omits

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I crossyd my brest and to the aulter yede

And sayd my masse as I shulde do

With gostly fode the sowle to fede

With all thynges that longeth therto

Thus I procedyd by and by

515

Whyles ten dayes were at an ende

I was glad the tyme drewe nye

I trustyd her state for to amend

The next daye in the mornynge

In the twylyght or it were day

520

A lytell before the sonne-rysynge

I went alone my Matans to say

Within a whyle my blode wexed colde

A spryte came rennynge me besyde

Lyke a chylde of t[w]o yere olde two] tho 1536

525

I spake to it and bad it a_byde

In the vertu of Crystes holy name

What creature I saye thou be

Stande here styll and make no grame

Tyll I haue tolde my wyll to the

530

Anone it tourned and sayd to me

I am the sowle that thou labourest fore

Grace shall I haue thoroughe laboure of the thoroughe laboure 1536] thorough the loboure 1501

Blessed be the houre that thou were borne borne] bore 1501

God hath take me to his marcy

535

By the vertue of this trentall I shall haue

The blysse of heuen perpetually

Fro damnacyon now am I saue

Now do thy deuocyon for chrystes sake deuocyon] deuocyons 1501

I may no lenger abyde here

540

Gyue me leue my waye to take

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My kepers come they nyghe me nere

Beware she sayd they wyll the noye

Auoyde the place and let them passe

Thus sone it vanysshed fro my Ioye

545

I se no more where it was

I rose and was ryght sore agaste

I wyst not well where to abyde

The wether anone was ouer_caste

Deuylles cryed anone on euery syde

550

With a loude voyce they cryed all

Out alas we lese our praye

This false Gregory quyte [w]e shall we] she 1536, we 1501

Within shorte tyme yf that we maye

I was a_ferde my body dyd quake

555

It thundred and lyghtened spytuosly

For fere I durste [n]o waye take

I trowed my-selfe that tyme to dye

My sowle I put in goddes wyll

I crossed my body on euery syde

560

Whyle all were done I stode there styll

And let it passe and ouer_slyde

Sone after anone the wether ceased

The sone appered and shone full bryght

Than my comfort fast encreased

565

Home I went with all my myght

And thanked god and our lady

And saynt Peter that was so good

That me preserued so specyally

From the perell that I in stode

570

THis passyd forthe many a daye

What befell than shall ye here

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The fende thought he wolde assay

To lese all I dyd this yere

In the feast of wytsontyde

575

The thre masses of the trentall

The false fende had aspyed

They profyte the sowle moste of all

With false sleyghtes and subtylte

Me to let was all his caste

580

In the chapell wherin was he

The false fende [in] he ran faste in] 1536 omits, in 1501

Euen as I was boune to masse

In lykenes of a naked man

Full of woundes bledynge sore was

585

He cryed on hym and sayd alas than

Helpe me nowe for I am lorne

There is no remedy in this case

I was aferde whan I hym se

Great people came in euery place

590

And sayd false traytour thy dethe is dyght

This is no place the for to hyde

With dagers drawen and swerdes bryght

To sle hym they were about in that tyde

Myne harte agrysed whan I sawe it thus

595

For mannes slaughter I was in fere

To them I went a great pase went] whent 1536

And sayd syrs what do ye here

I charge you auoyde out of this place

And make no debate here

600

They swore by hym that all hathe wrought

Out of this place we wyll not stere

Tyll he be dede that we haue sought

He shall neuer haue other ende in faye

sig: C1

I sawe remedy in that case nought

605

I was af[er]de and drede alwaye aferde] afrede 1536

Lest they wolde suspende the place

Me to let as for that daye

Anone it fell in my mynde thus

It was the fendes collucyon aye

610

Some sleyght or subtylyte for to fynde

Tyll tyme of the daye were all done

The holy trentall to let blynde

The soule to haue in theyr daunger sone

Before the aulter I set me

615

And sayd to them in this manere

In the vertue of hym that dyed on tre

Ye false deuyls I saye to you here

Out of this place fast fle

That neuer after ye me afraye

620

The deuyll thought aspyed was he

They vanysshed with sorow and care away care] carey 1536

They made a noyse and loude they cryed

The chaple stepell with them they bare

I sange masse to the ende vnhyed

625

In peas and concyence of rest thare

The soule to god I dyd commende

Enterely besechynge hym of grace

And this sowle fro payne to defende

In blysse of heuen grauntynge a place

630

ANd this yere was come to ende

That the trentall was nyghe done

I prayed to god some token me to sende

And for his mar[c]y to here my bone marcy] marry 1536

Some comforte of the sowle to here

sig: [C1v]

635

Howe it stode and in what degre

And yf the tyme were ought nere

That she from payne delyuered shulde be

The nyght before that I shulde synge

The last masse of the trentall

640

A voyce I harde and sawe nothynge

To me it spake with voyce small

Awake it sayd and to me attende

Of thy mother thou louest so dere

Nowe is the trentall at an ende

645

Meruaylous thynges thou shalte here

I am he sayd the good aungell

Thynke vpon what I say the

Tydynges trewe I the tell

The tyme is come quyte shall she be

650

Anone as thou haste thy deuoure done

And songe the masse of the Natyuyte

Of her thou shalte here full sone

She shall come this waye by the

Anone sodenly vpon a brayde

655

If thou her aungell be

Why woldes thou suffer her thus arayde

And let her in this maner dye

Thou was not fryndely in thy kepynge

That to the was take so specyally

660

Thou lettest her perysshe in her endynge

Thou dydest not thy deuore truely

For without the she dyd ryght nought

Thou were a feble frynde at nede

To lese the ymage that god had wrought

665

Howe canste thou excuse the in this ded

Yes he sayd wylt thou se howe

sig: C2

In her creacyon fyrst of all

Innocency I kepte her she myght not bowe

Neyther in no wyse to hym fall

670

But whan dyscrecyon dyd her shewe

Our lorde sent wyt her to teche

All badnes her to eschewe

And gaue her frewell to be her leche

To chose eyther good or bad

675

Bothe were put to her eleccyon

Wysdome ynoughe also she had

To kepe her sowle frome dampnacyon

Yet I sayd all this maye be

That fre eleccyon was in her wyll

680

Howe canst thou excuse thy parte let se

But thou was cause that she dyd yll

If thou haddest thy parte do

And closed aboute her harte with drede

And thyne helpe therto

685

She shulde neuer haue done this dede

Grace he sayd was chefe of all

That she lacked without doute

But conscyence tolde her she dyd fall

It was nought she yede aboute

690

He is most chefe of our accuse

Apechynge her bothe day and nyght

And sayd this rode dyd she refuse

And wolde not repent whyle she myght

In good dedes dyd I her wrappe

695

And made her do almes-dedes and fast

And kepe her alway fro mysshap

In hope that she wolde tourne at the last

The deuyll at the last had her betrapped

sig: [C2v]

And broght her to myschefe

700

And led her euery fote that she stepped

In trust of grace she wolde amende

Thus was I busy her to saue

And kepte her euer from all wo

She myght no more of me craue

705

I dyd my deuoure ynoughe therto

I asked hym than where he had be

Syth she dyed and made her ende

With her contynually than sayd he

Fro great paynes her to defende

710

And nowe it is almoste past ouer

I must agayne to her gyde to her gyde] to be hir gyde 1501

The tyme me draweth wonder nere

Farwell I may no lenger abyde

Than was I glad as foule of day

715

In all the hast that I myght fynde

To ende this trentall without delay

That no faute were of my parte behynde

That daye than there was I styll

Within the churche in my prayer

720

And there abode our lordes wyll

In hope of [her] that I myght here her] 1536 omits, hir 1501

Thus it drewe almost to eue

I thought my-selfe it was best

With some fode my body to releue

725

And sone after to take my rest

Whan I had supped I rose full ryght

Into a garden me to rome

Tyll it were fayre in twylyght

And tyme almost to take myne home

730

As I loked into the eest

sig: C3

A great sonne-beme ther I sawe

Longe whyle there dyd it last

And sodenly anone it dyd withdrawe

Therewith myne harte began to glad

735

I hopyd some tydynges to here that nyght

I kneled downe and prayer made

And thanked god of that syght

Within a whyle there came a lyght

As far as I myght wel se

740

Therwith the fyrmament wexte all bryght

I marueled greatly what it myght be

So it encresed more and more

And drewe to me a good spede

I sawe it come and drede it sore

745

I wayted a place and thether yede

There to abyde what-so-euer befell

To se some ende of that syght

A spirite it was that wyste I well

It hasted to me with all the myght

750

It was an aungell that came in hast

And sayd Gregory thou shalte se

Thyne owne mother be not agast

How she standeth and in what degre

Therwith meued was my mode

755

I loked aboute on euery syde

Anone the lyght before me stode

The bryghtnes therof I myght not abyde

The sowle in the myddes therof was pyght

The good aungell stode hyr besyde

760

My sperites were rauesshed with that syght

I taryed to se what wolde betyde

She spake to me full myldely

sig: [C3v]

And sayd sone blessed thou be

That euer I bare the in my body

765

Thou haste brought me to this degre

Without ende to be in ioye abydynge

And well is hym that euer was bore

That maye for hym this trentall do synge

For it profyteth a sowle more

770

Than any other erthely thynge

Therfore for chrystes sake fonde

Let prestes synge soules sauynge

And he that wyll vnderstonde

Moche good shall [to] them be hauynge to them be hauynge] them behauynge 1536, to them be hauynge 1501

775

For many is the sowle that there is lore

For faute of socore and releuynge

Full sore they shall abye therfore

That haue theyr goodes in theyr kepynge

And curse the howre and allso the day

780

The mother them bare the father them gate

With deuyls of hell shall be there playe

That suffereth a sowle to lye in that state suffereth a sowle to lye] suffreth a soule to lay 1501, suffred a soule to lye 1515

For he is false and eke vnkynde

That leueth a sowle in damnacyon

785

And with his owne good may it vnbynde

And brynge it to saluacyon

For chrystes sake preche it aboute it] it 1501, this 1515

And tell the people of this peryll

For they that be in faute without doute

790

There is no remedy they shall to hell

Without ende there dwell shall they

In fyer and brymstone for theyr dede ] theyr 1501, that 1515

Full dere they shall that good abye

And haue that rewarde for theyr mede

sig: [C4]

795

Farewell nowe and haue my blessynge

Take this in mynde and be of good chere

Tyme is come of our departynge

I maye no longer abyde here

The cloudes opened on euery syde

800

Aungelles fro heuen downe were sent

With myrthe and melody she vp styed

All aboue the sterres in the fyrmament

To the blysse of heuen without ende ende] ende is 1536, ende 1501

Where myrthe and ioye without ende [is] ende is] ende 1536, end is 1501, 1515

805

Suche messangers our lorde her sende

Her sorowe and care for to lys

Whan I had this syght sene

It was well drawen in-to the nyght

I was ryght glad and also fayne

810

That god had shewed me that syght

To bed I wente and toke my reste

As goddes wyll was I shulde do

And there bethought me what was the best

All other sowles to brynge fro wo

815

I called all the clarkes of that citye

And ordeyned this trentall to be in mynde

And all prestes in eche degre

And gaue them power to lose and bynde

To helpe all sowles that had nede

820

That lay in paynes that were full sore

The blesse of heuen to haue [for] theyr mede for] 1536 omits, for 1501

Chryste graunt them all that same blysse thore

That helpeth any sowle heuen to wynne

Of all good praers that they not mysse

825

Whan body and sowle shall parte atwayne atwayne] a_twynne 1515

This trentall wryten in thre langages

sig: [C4v]

In laten / frenche and englysse eke

In scala_celi who wyll it se scala_celi] Ara_celi 1501

In the southe-syde he maye it seke

830

God bryng vs to the blysse that euer shalbe

AMEN

¶Enprynted at London By Iohnn_Mychell