¶Hereafter foloweth a mornynge remembraū ce had at the moneth mynde of the noble prynces Margarete countesse of Rychemonde & Darbye moder vnto kynge Henry the .vii. & grandame to oure souerayne lorde that nowe is vppon whose soule almyghty god haue mercy.
¶Dixit Martha ad Ihesum.
THis holy gospell late red / conteyneth in it a dyalogue that is to saye a comynycacyon betwyxt the woman of blessyd memory called Martha and our sauyour Ihesu / whiche dyalogue I wolde applye vnto this noble prȳces late deceased / in whose remē braunce this offyce & obseruaūces be done at this tyme. And thre thynges by y e leue of god I wyll entende Fyrst to shewe wherin this noble prynces may wel be lykened & compared vnto y e blessyd woman Martha. Seconde how she may complayne vnto our sauyour Ihesu for y e paynfull dethe of her body / lyke as Martha dyde for y e dethe of her broder Lazarus. Thyrde y e confortable answer of our sauyour Ihesu vnto her agayne. In the fyrst shall stonde her prayse & cōmendacyon. In y e seconde our mornyng for y e losse of her. In the .iij. our confort agayne. Fyrst I saye y t the comparyson of them two may be made in .iiij. thȳges. In noblenes of persone / in dyscyplyne of theyr bodyes / in or deryng of theyr soules to god / in hospytalites kepȳge & charitable dealing to their neybours. In whiche .iiii the noble woman Martha (as say y e doctours entreatynge this gospell / & her lyfe) was syngulerly to be cō mended & praysed / wherfore let vs consyder lyke wise whether in this noble coūtesse may ony thyng lyke be foūde. Fyrst y e blessyd Martha was a woman of noble blode to whom by enheritaūce belonged y e castel of bethany / & this noblenes of blode they haue which descē ded of noble lygnage. Besyde this there is a noblenes [Page] of maners / withouten whiche the noblenes of bloode is moche defaced / for as Boecius sayth. Yf oughte be good in the noblenes of bloode it is for that therby the noble men and women sholde be ashamed to go out of kynde from the vertuous maners of theyr auncetrye before. Yet also there is another noblenes / whiche aryseth in euery persone by the goodnes of nature / wherby full often suche as come of ryght pore and vunoble fader and moder / haue grete abletees of nature / to noble dedes. Aboue all these same there is a foure maner of noblenes / whiche may be called an encreased noblenes / as by maryage and affynyte of more noble persones suche as were of lesse condycyon maye encrease in hyer degre of noblenes. In euery of these I suppose this coutesse was noble. Fyrst she came of noble blode lyneally descendynge of kynge Edwarde the .iij. w t in the .iiij. degre of the same. Her fader was Johan duke of Somerset her moder was called Margarete ryghte noble as well in maneres as in bloode. To whome she was a veray doughter in all noble maners / for she was bounteous & lyberall to euery persone of her knowlege or aquayntaunce. Auaryce and couetyse she moost hated. And sorowed it ful moche in al persones But specyally in ony y t belonged vnto her. She was also of synguler casynes to be spoken vnto / & full curtayse answere she wolde make to all y t came vnto her / Of meruayllous gentylnesse she was vnto all folkes / but specyally vnto her owne / whom she trusted and loued ryghte tenderly. Unkynde she wolde not be vnto no creature / ne forgetefull of ony kyndnes or seruyce done to her before / whiche is no lytel parte of veray noblenes. She was not vengeable / ne cruell / but redy anone [Page] to forgete and to forgyue iniuries done vnto her at y e leest desyre or mocyon made vnto her for y e same. Mercyfull also & pyteous she was vnto suche as was greuyd & wrongfully troubled And to them y t were in pouerty or sekenes or ony other myserye. To god & to the chirche full obedyent & tractable serchynge his honoure & pleasure full besyly. A warenes of herself she had alwaye to eschewe euery thynge y t myght dyshonest ony noble woman / or dystayne her honour in ony condycyon. Tryfelous thynges y t were lytell to be regarded she wolde let passe by / but the other y t were of weyght & substaūce wherin she myghte prouffyte she wolde not let for ony payne or laboure to take vppon hande. These & many other suche noble condycyons lefte vnto her by her auncetres she kepte & encreased them with a grete dylygens. The thyrde noblenes also she wanted not whiche I sayd was y e noblenes of Nature / she had in maner all y t was praysable in a woman eyther in soule or in body. Fyrst she was of singuler wysedome ferre passynge y e comyn rate of women she was good in remembraūce & of holdyng memorye A redy wytte she had also to conceyue all thynges. Albeit they were ryght derke / right studyous she was in bokes whiche she hadde in grete nombre bothe in Englysshe & in Frensshe / & for her exercyse & for y e prouffyte of other she dyde translate dyuers maters of deuocyon out of Frensshe in to Englysshe. Ful often she complayned y t in her youthe she had not gyuen her to y e vnderstondynge of latyn wherin she had a lytell perceyuynge specyally of y e rubrysshe of y e ordynall for y e sayeng of her seruyce whiche she dyde wel vnderstande. Here vnto in fauour / in wordes / in gesture / in euery [Page] demeanour of herself so grete noblenes dyde appere / y t what she spake or dyde it meruayllously became her. The .iiii. noblenes whiche we named a noblenes goten or encreased she had also. For albeit she of her lynage were ryght noble / yet neuertheles by maryage / & adioynyng of other blode it toke some encreasement For in her tendre aege she beynge endued w t so grete towardnes of nature / & lyklyhode of enherytaūce many sued to haue had her to maryage. The duke of suth folke whiche thā was a man of grete experyēce moost dylygently procured to haue had her for his sone and heyre. Of y e contrary parte kinge Henry y e .vi. dyd make meanes for Edmonde his broder then therle of Rychemōde. She whiche as then was not fully .ix. yeres olde / doutfull in her mynde what she were best to do asked counsayll of an olde gentylwoman whome she moche loued & trusted / whiche dyde aduyse her to cō mende herselfe to saynt Nycholas y e patron & helper of al true maydens / & to beseche him to put in her mȳ de what she were best to do. This coūsayl she folowed & made her prayer so full often / but specyally y t nyght whan she sholde y e morowe after make answer of her mynde determynatly. A meruaylous thing y t same nyghte as I haue herde her tell many a tyme / as she lay in prayer callynge vpon saynt Nicholas / whether slepynge or wakyng she coude not assure / but aboute .iiii of y e clocke in y t mornȳge one appered vnto her arayed like a bisshop / & naming vnto her Edmonde had take hȳ vnto her husbande. And so by this meane she dyde enclyne her mynde vnto Edmonde y e kinges broder & erle of Rychemonde. By whom she was made moder of y e kinge y t deed is / whose soule god ꝑdon / & grandame [Page] to our souerayne lorde kyng Henry y e .viii. whiche now by y e grace of god gouerneth y e realme. So what by lygnage what by affinite she had .xxx. kinges & quenes within y e .iiii. degre of maryage vnto her. Besyde erles / markyses / dukes / and princes. And thus moche we haue spoken of her noblenes.
SEconde y e blessyd Martha is praysed in chastysynge her body by crysten dyscyplyne / as in abstynence / fastyng / sharpe clothes werynge / chastite w t other. Whiche thing albeit necessary to euery crysten persone wyllynge to be saued / yet it is moche more to be praysed in the nobles / hauyng this worldy lyberte As it was in this noble prynces late deceased whome my purpose is not vaynly to extol or to magnyfye aboue her merytes / but to y e edefyenge of other by thexā ple of her. I wold reherce somwhat of her demeanȳg in this behalue / her sobre temperaūce in metes & drynkes was knowen to al them y t were conuersaūt w t her wherin she lay in as grete wayte of herself as ony ꝑsone myght / kepinge alway her strayte mesure / & offendyng as lytel as ony creature myght. Eschewȳge bankettes / reresoupers / ioncryes betwyxe meales. As for fastynge for aege & feblenes albeit she were not boūde yet tho dayes y t by y e chirche were appoynted she kept them diligently & sereously / & in especyall y e holy lent thrugh out y t she restrayned her appetyte tyl one mele & tyl one fysshe on y e day / besyde her other peculer fastes of deuocion / as saint Anthony / mary Maudeleyn saynt Katheryn w t other. And thorowe out al y e yere y e fryday & saterday she full truely obserued. As to harde clothes wering she had her shertes & gyrdyls of heere / whiche whā she was in helth eueri weke she fayled [Page] not certayne dayes to weare somtyme y t one / somtyme y t other / y t full often her skynne as I herde her say was perced therwith. As for chastyte thoughe she alway contynued not in her vyrgynte yet in her husbā des dayes longe tyme before that he deyede she opteyned of hym lycence & promysed to lyue chast / in the handes of the reuerende fader my lorde of London / whiche promyse she renewed after her husbandes dethe in to my handes agayne / wherby it may appere y e dyscyplyne of her body.
THyrdly y e blessyd Martha is cōmended in orderynge of her soule to god / by often knelynges / by sorowfull wepynges / & by contynual prayers & medytacyons wherin this noble prynces somwhat toke her part. Fyrst in prayer euery daye at her vprysynge whiche comynly was not longe after .v. of y e clock she began certayne deuocyons / & so after theym w t one of her gentylwomen y e matynes of our lady / whiche kepte her to then she came in to her closet / where then w t her chapelayne she sayd also matyns of y e daye. And after y t dayly herde .iiij. or .v. masses vpon her knees / soo contynuynge in her prayers & deuocions vnto y e hour of dyner / whiche of y e etynge daye was .x. of y e clocke / & vpon y e fastynge day .xj. After dyner ful truely she wolde go her stacyons to thre aulters dayly. Dayly her dyryges & cōmendacyons she wolde saye. And her euensonges before souper bothe of y e daye & of our lady / besyde many other prayers & psalters of Dauyd thrugh out y e yere. And at nyght before she wente to bedde she faylled not to resorte vnto her chapell / & there a large quart of an hour to occupye her in deuocyōs. No meruayl though al this long tyme her knelȳge was to her [Page] paynfull / and so paynfull that many tymes it caused in her backe payne and dysease. And yet neuertheles dayly whan she was in helth she faylled not to say the crowne of our lady whiche after the manere of Rome conteyneth .lx. and thre aues / and at euery aue to make a knelynge. As for medytacyon she had dyuers bokes in Frensshe wherwith she wolde occupy herselfe whan she was wery of prayer. Wherfore dyuers she dyde translate oute of Frensshe in to Englysshe. Her meruayllous wepynge they can bere wytnes of whiche here before haue herde her confessyon whiche be dyuers and many / & at many seasons in y e yere lyghtly euery thyrde daye / can also recorde the same tho y e were present at ony tyme / whā she was housylde whiche was ful nye a dosen tymes euery yere: what flodes of teeres there yssued forth of her eyes / she myght wel saye. Exitus aquarum deduxerūt oculi mei. And more ouer to thentente all her werkes myght be more acceptable and of gretter meryte in the syght of god suche godly thynges she wolde take by obedyence whiche obedyence she promysed to the fore named fader my lorde of London for the tyme of his beynge w t her. And afterwarde in lyke wyse vnto me whereby it if may appere the dylygent ordre of her soule to god.
FOurthe the holy Martha is magnyfyed for her godly hospytalyte and charytable dealynge to her neyghbours. Moche besynes there is in kepynge hospytalyte. And therfore oure lorde sayd vnto her. Martha martha solicita es & tbarꝭ erga plri. The housholde seruaūtes muste be put in some good [Page] ordre. The straungers of honeste whiche of theyr curtesy resorteth for to vysyte the souerayne must be consydered. And the suters / also whiche cometh compelled by necessyte to seche helpe & socoure in theyr cause muste be herde. And the poore & nedy / specyally wold be releued & conforted. Fyrst her owne houshold with meruayllous dylygence & wysdome this noble prynces ordred prouydynge reasonable statutes & ordynaū ces for them / whiche by her offycers she cōmaūded to be redde .iiij. tymes a yere. And oftentymes by herself she wolde soo louyngly courage euery of them to doo well. And somtyme by other meane persones. Yf ony faccyons or bendes were made secretely amongest her hede offycers / she w t grete polycye dyde boulte it oute and lyke wyse yf ony stryfe or contreuersy / she wolde w t grete dyscrecyon study the reformacyon therof.
¶For the straungers / o meruayllous god what payn what labour she of her veray gentylnes wolde take w t them to bere them maner and company / & intrete euery persone. And entertean them accordynge to theyr degre and hauour / & prouyde by her owne cōmaundement that nothynge sholde lacke y t myght be conuenyent for them / wherin she had a wonderfull redy remē braūce & perfyte knowlege.
¶For the suters / it is not vnknowen how studyously she procured Justyce to be admynystred by a long season so longe as she was suffred. And of her owne charges prouyded men lerned for the same purpose euenly & indyfferently to here all causes / and admynystre ryght and Justyce to euery party / whiche were in no small nombre. And yet mete and drynke was denyed to none of them.
[Page] ¶For the poore creatures / albeit she dyd not receyue in to her house our sauyour in his owne persone as y e blessyd Martha dyde / she neuertheles receyued theim that dothe represent his persone. Of whome he sayth hymselfe Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis michi fecistis. Poore folkes to y e nombre of .xij. she dayly and nyghtly kepte in her house / gyuynge them lodgyng / mete & drynke & clothynge / vysytyng them as often as she conuenyently myght. And in theyr sykenes vysytynge them & confortynge them / & mynystrynge vnto them with her owne handes. And whan it pleased god to call ony of them out of this wretched worlde she wolde be presente to se theym departe and to lerne to deye. And lyke wyse brynge them vnto the erthe / whiche as Bonauēture affermeth is of gretter meryte than yf she had done all this to the selfe persone of our sauyour Ihesu. And y e other seruaūtes and mynystres of our lorde. Whom she herde were of ony deuocyon & vertue ful glad she was at al tymes whan she myght gete theym to whome she wolde lyke wyse shewe the comforte y t she coude. Suppose not ye that yf she myghte haue goten our sauyoure Ihesu in his owne persone / but she wolde as desyrously and as feruently haue mynystred vnto hym as euer dyde Martha / whan thus moche she dyde vntyll his seruaūtes for his sake.
¶Thus it maye appere some comparison of y e blessid Martha & of this noble prynces whiche was the fyrst promysed.
FOr the seconde that is to saye for the complaynynge & lamentacyon y t the soule of this noble prynces myghte make for the dethe of her only body. [Page] It is to be consydered that oftentymes in scrypture y e vertuous and holy faders maketh lamentable exclamacyons agaynste almyghty god / for that he semeth to be more indulgent and fauourable vnto y e wycked persone then vnto the good lyuer. The prophete Dauyd sayth in this maner. zelaui super iniquos: pa cem pctō (rum) videns. Quia non est respectus morti eorum nec firmamentū ī plaga eorū. That is to saye it perceth my stomacke to se the rest & case that synners often haue It is not loked for y e deth of them / nor none abydynge stroke or punysshemente falleth vpon them. The prophete Iheremy sayth also complaynynge vpon god. Quare via impiorum prosperatur bene est oībus qui preuaricātur et inique agunt. Why dothe the wycked persones prospere in theyr way. wele it is with al them that breke the lawes / and do wyckedly. The prophet Abacuc sayth lyke wyse cryenge vpon god. Quare respitis contemptores et taces conculante nupio iustiorem se. why lokest thou fauourably vpon them y t dyspyse the. And suffrest a synner to bere downe him that is more ryghtwyse than he is. And the holy-man Job. Quare ergo īpii viuūt subleuati sūt confortati qm diuitiis. why then be the wycked persones suffered for to lyue. They be set alofte / and they be comforted with rychesse.
¶The reason that moueth them thus to murmure & complayne may be this. There is in almyghty god .ij. vertues specyally commended & magnyfyed thorowe out al scrypture. That is to say mercy & ryghtwysnes [Page] And bothe these sholde moue hym rather to be fauourable vnto the good than vnto y e badde. Fyrst his mercy sholde moue him therto haue pyte and compassyon where is the gretter cause of pyte but the greuaunce trouble and vexacyon of the good persone hath gretter cause of pyte and is moche more pyteous than of the euyll persone. wherfore it may be thought that almyghty god whiche of his owne proprety is mercyful and redy to gyue mercy. Deus cui proprium est misereri. He sholde rather shewe his mercy vpon y e good than vpon the badde. And here vnto his ryghtwysnes also sholde enclyne hym / for of his ryghtwysnes he sholde gyue vnto euery persone accordynge to his deserte. But the good deserueth rather by theyr goodnes to haue fauoure shewed vnto them then the badde. Wherfore the holy faders seynge in this world the wycked in prosperyte And the good in trouble & aduersite make these complayntes and exclamacions aboue rehersed agaynst almyghty god and some crye vpon hym as though he were a slepe. Exurge qua re obdormis domine. Some other threpe y t he hathe forgoten theym. Quare obliuisseris in opie nostre / & tribulationis nostre. Some thȳke there is noo god at all. Dixit incipiens in corde suo non est deus. Some weneth at y e leest he is absente & asketh where he is. Ubi est deustuus. In thys condycion was y e blessyd woman Martha. She knew that our sauyour Ihesu was so good and mercyfull / And shewed his goodnes generally to al persones / she byleued faythfully that yf he had be present at y e dethe [Page] of Lazarus her brother whom for his goodnes he loued so moche he wolde not haue suffred hym to deye. And therfore she sayd vnto hȳ. Domine si fuisses hic frater meus nō fuisset mortuus. That is to saye Syr yf thou had ben presente my brother had not ben deed. And in lyke maner y e soule of this noble prȳces whiche had y e body adioyned vnto it in fauour & loue as syster & brother it myght complayne for the dethe of y e body / syth euery parte of y t same body had ben so occupyed in the seruyce of god before. Her eyes in wepynges & teares somtyme of deuocion somtyme of repentaunce / hereares herynge the worde of god & the dyuyne seruyce whiche dayly was kept in her chapell w t grete nombre of preestes / clerkes and chyldren to her grete charge & cost / her tongue occupyed in prayer moche parte of the daye / her legges and fete in vysytynge the aulters and other holy places goynge her stacyons customably whan she were not let / her handes in gyuynge almes vnto the poore and nedye / and dressynge them also whan they were syke and mynystrynge vnto them mete and drynke. These mercyfull and lyberall handes to endure the moost paynful crā pes soo greuously vexynge her and compellynge her to crye. O blessyd Ihesu helpe me. O blessyd lady socoure me. It was a mater of grete pyte / lyke a spere it perced y e hertes of all her true seruaūtes y t was aboute her & made theym crye also of Ihesu for helpe & socoure w t grete haboundaūce of teares. But specyally whan they sawe y e dethe so hast vpon her and that she must nedes departe from them / and they sholde forgo so gentyll a maystrts / so tender a lady then wept they [Page] meruayllously / wepte her ladyes and kynnes women to whom she was full kynde / wepte her poore gentylwomen whom she had loued so tenderly before / wept her chamberers to whome she was full deare / wepte her chapelaynes and preestes / wepte her other true & faythfull seruauntes. And who wolde not haue wept that there had ben presente. All Englonde for her dethe had cause of wepynge. The poore creatures y t were wonte to receyue her almes / to whome she was alwaye pyteous and mercyfull. The studyentes of bothe the vnyuersytees to whome she was as a moder. All the lerned men of Englonde to whome she was a veray patronesse. All the vertuous and deuoute persones to whō she was as a louȳge syster / all y e good relygyous men and women whom she so often was wont to vysyte and comforte. All good preestes and clerkes to whome she was a true defenderesse. All the noble men and women to whome she was a myrroure and exampler of honoure. All y e comyn people of this realme for whom she was in theyr causes a comyn mediatryce / and toke ryght grete dyspleasure for them / and generally the hole realme hathe cause to complayne & to morne her dethe. And all we consyderynge her gracyous and charytable mynde. So vnyuersally & consyderynge the redynes of mercy and pyte in our sauyour Ihesu may saye by lamentable complaynt of our vnwysdome vnto him. Ah domine si fuisses hic Ah my lorde yf thou hadde ben present and had herde this sorowfull cryes of her thy seruaunte with the other lamentable mornȳges of her frendes & seruaūtes thou for thy goodnes wold not haue suffred her to dye [Page] But thou wolde haue take pyte and compassyon vpō her. It foloweth in the gospell by the mouthe of Martha. Sed et nunc scio quia quecū (que) poposceris a deo dabit tibi deus. That is to saye what so euer thou wylt aske of god thy fader I knowe wel he wyll graunte it vnto the. who may doubte but y e sone of god of whome saynt Poule sayth. In diebus carnis sue preces et supplicationes / offerens exauditus est pro sua reuerētia. That is to saye in the dayes of his mortalite whan he was mortall here in erthe yet neuertheles he was herde of almyghtye god in his prayer and askynge / his fader for his reuerente behauoure. Who may doubte but moche rather now he shall be herde whan he is in soo gloryous maner aboue in heuen. And there presente before the face of his fader for our cause as sayeth saynt Paule. In troiuit ipse celum vt appareat vultui dei ꝓ nobis. He hathe entred the heuen to appere before y e vysage of his fader for vs / to shewe the woundes whiche he dyde suffre for the delyueraunce of vs from syn Yf in his mortall body he prayed & asked forgyuenes for his enmyes that crucefyed him and cruelly put hȳ vnto the dethe. And yet neuertheles he opteyned hys petycyon for them. Moche rather it is to suppose that he shal opteyne his askynge her that had so often compassyon of his blessyd passyon / and dyd bere it so often in her remembraunce as dyd this noble prynces. Thā for his mortal enmyes whiche were many and but vylaynes / he prayed vndesyred of only / he let not so to do by y e greuous paynes of dethe whiche he there suffred Nowe therfore he beyng in so grete glorye aboue and [Page] at all lyberte. Yf all we call & crye vpon hym prayer for this one soule of this moost noble prynces whiche was his faythfull & true seruaunt. Who maye thynke but y t he for his infynyte goodnes wyll haue mercye there vpon. We wyll not craue vpon him y t he shal restore the body agayne to lyfe / as he dyde the body of lazarus / we muste be contente w t the dethe of it / & lerne therby to prepayre our owne bodyes to y e same poynt within shorte tyme. But we shall w t moost entyer mindes beseche hym to accepte y t swete soule to his grete mercy to be parteyner of y t euerlastynge lyfe w t hym & w t his blessyd sayntes aboue in heuen / whiche I pray you al nowe affectually to praye / & for her now at this tyme moost deuoutly to say one Pater noster.
FYrst ye haue herde y e goodly condicyons of this noble prynces whome we dyde resemble vnto the blessyd woman Martha. Ye haue herde also in the ij. place a pyteous complaynt of the parte of her soule for the dethe of her body made vnto our sauyour Ihū Nowe wyll I rememembre y e comfortable answer of our mercyfull sauyoure agayne vnto her wherof we all may be gretely comforted & take cause & matere of grete reioysynge. It foloweth in the gospell. Dixit ei iesus resurget frater tuus. That is to saye in Englysshe. Ihesu sayd vnto her / thy broder shal ryse agayne. I said before that consyderynge the loue and amyte that is betwyxe the soule & the body they maye be thought to be as broder and syster. A trouthe it is the soules that be hens departed out of theyr bodyes / [Page] haue neuertheles a natural desyre and appetyte to be knytte & ioyned w t them agayne / whiche thinge not onely the theologyens wytnesse / but y e phylosophers also. A grete comforte then it is vnto the soule y t hath so longynge desyre vnto the body to here y t the body shal ryse agayne. And specyally in y t maner & forme of rysynge / wherof saynt Poule speketh in this wyse. Se minat in corruptione: surget in incorruptione. Seīatur in ignobilitate: surget in gloria. Seīatur ī infirmitate: surget in vtute. Seīa tur corpus aīale surget corpus spūale. Foure condycyons y e body hathe whan it dyeth & is put in to the groūde. Fyrst it anone begynneth to putrefye & resolue in to foule corrupcyon. The ayre dothe alter it: the grounde dothe moyste it / the wormes dothe brede of it & fede also. Seconde it is vyle & lothely to behold & ryght vngoodly to y e syght. Thyrde it is vnweldy / & not of power to styre itself or to be conuayed from place to place. Fourth it is so grosse y t it occupyeth a row me & kepeth a place & letteth other bodyes to be presēt in y e same place. Agaynst these four y e bodyes of them y t shall be saued shall take at theyr rysynge agayne .iiij other excellent gyftes. Agaynst y e fyrste it shall be in y t condicion y t neyther y e ayre / ne y e water / ne fyre / ne knife / nor wepen nor stroke / nor sekenes shall anoye it.
Agaynst y e .ij. it shall ryse bryght & gloryous and in y e moost goodly & beauteous manere. Agaynst y e thyrde it shall be more nymble & more redy to be conuayed to ony place where y e soule wolde haue it then is ony swalowe. Agaynst the .iiij. it shall be subtyle y t it shall perce thorowe the stone walles without ony anoyaūce of [Page] them. This shall be a farre dyfference & a grete dyuersyte of her body as she had it before / and as she shall in conclusyon receyue it agayne. But yet me thinke I se what the soule of this noble pryncesse may answere agayne somwhat to lesse & to mynysshe this dysconfort after the same maner that Martha dyde answere vnto our sauyour Ihesu. Scio ꝙ resurget in resurrectione in nouissimo die. That is to say I knowe well y t it shall ryse agayne in the laste daye of y e general resurreccyon / but y t is farre hens / that is long to come. Et spes que diffentur affligit animam. And the hope of a thynge delayed tormenteth y e soule in the meane tyme. Therfore our sauyour more comfortable answereth to her agayne & sayth in this maner. Ego sum resurrectio & vita. That is. I am sayth he the veray cause of raysynge of the body. And I am also the veraye cause of lyfe vnto the soule. As who saye tho the rysynge of the body be delayed for a season / the soule neuertheles shal for the meane tyme haue a pleasaunt & a swete lyfe. A lyfe full of comfort a lyfe full of ioye & pleasure / a lyfe voyde of all sorow & encombraūce / a lyf not lyke vnto y e lyfe of this wretched world whiche is alway entermelled w t moche bitternes / eyther with sorowes / eyther w t dredes or elles with perylles. In hoc mundo non dolere nō timere non periclitari impossibile est. Sayeth saynt Austyn. It is impossyble to lyue in this worlde & not to sorowe / not to drede / not to be in peryl. This same noble prynces yf she had contynued in this worlde she sholde dayly haue herde & sene mater & cause of sorowe as well in herselfe as in her frendes parauenture. [Page] Her body dayly sholde haue waxen more unweldy / her syght sholde haue be derked / and her herynge sholde haue dulled more and more / her legges sholde haue faylled her by & by. And all the other partyes of her body waxe more crased euery daye / whiche thynges sholde haue ben mater to her of grete dyscomforte And albeit these thinges had not fallen vnto her forth with / yet she sholde haue lyued alwaye in a drede and a fere of them. Dare I say of her she neuer yet was in that prosperyte but the gretter it was y e more alwaye she dredde the aduersyte. For whan the kynge her sone was crowned in all y t grete tryumphe & glorye / she wepte meruayllously. And lyke wyse at the grete tryumphe of the maryage of prynce Arthur. And at the laste coronacyon wherin she had full grete Joye / she let not to saye y t some aduersyte wolde folowe / so that eyther she was in sorowe by reason of the present aduersytes / or elles whan she was in prosperite she was in drede of y e aduersyte for to come. I passe ouer y e perylles & daungers innumerable whiche dayly & hourly myght haue happed vnto her wherof this lyf is ful And therfore saynt Gregory sayth. Uita hec terrena eterne vite comparata mors est potius di cenda quam vita. And for that cause who y t ones hathe tasted the pleasures of y t lyfe / this is vnto them a veray dethe for euer after. Example of Lazarꝰ whiche after y t he was restored to y e myseryes of this lyfe agayne / he neuer lough but was in contynuall heuynes and pensyfnesse. Now therfore wolde I aske you this one questyon. Were it not suppose ye al this considerd a meetly thȳg for vs to desyre to haue this noble princes here amōgest vs agayn to forgo y e ioyous lyfe [Page] aboue to wante y e presence of y e gloryous trynyte whō she so longe hathe sought & honoured to leue y t moost noble kyngdome to be absent frome the moost blessyd company of sayntes & sayntesses & hether to come agayn to be wrapped & endaūgered with y e mysteres of this wretched worlde / w t the paynfull dyseases of her aege / w t the other encomberaunces y t dayly happethe in this myserable lyfe. Were this a reasonable request of oure partye / were this a kynde desyre / were this a gentyl wysshel y t where she hathe ben so kinde & louȳg a maystresse vnto vs / all we sholde more regarde our owne prouffytes then her more synguler wele & comforte. The moder y t hathe so grete affeccyon vnto her sone y t she wyll not suffre hym to departe from her to his promocyon & furtheraūce but alway kepe hym at home / more regardynge her owne pleasure than hys wele / were not she an vnkinde & vngentyl moder / yes verayly / let vs therfore thȳke our moost louyng maystres is gone hens for her promocyon / for her grete furtheraunce / for her moost wele & prouffyte. And herin comforte vs / herin reioyse ourselfe & thanke almyghty god whiche of his infynyte mercy so gracyously hathe dysposed for her. But ye wyll say vnto me. Syr yf yf We were sure of this we wolde not be sory / but be ryght hertly glad & ioyous therfor As for suerte veray suerte can not be had but only by y e reuelacyon of god almighty. Neuertheles as farre as by scrypture / this thȳge can be assured in thende of this gospel folowingly iz made by our sauyour a stronge argument almost demōstratyue of this same thynge / y e argumēt is this. Euery persone y t putteth theyr full truste in cryst Ihū [Page] Albeit they be deed in theyr bodyes yet shall they neuertheles haue lyfe in theyr soules / & that lyf y t neuer shall haue ende. But this noble prynces she put her ful truste in cryste▪ Ihesu verayly byleuynge that he was the sone of god & came in to this worlde for y e redempcyon of synners / wherfore it must necessaryly folowe y t albeit her body be deed her soule is in y t ioyous lyfe y t neuer shall cease. The fyrste parte of this argument foloweth in y e gospell. Qui credit in me etiam simortuus fuerit viuet. That is to say who y t fully trusteth in cryst Ihū / albeit they be deed in theyr bodies / they neuertheles shal lyue in theyr soules. But yet we wante a lytell I sayd more than this. I saw y t lyfe shall neuer haue ende / & for this also it foloweth. Et oēs (qui) viuit & credit ī me nō moriet ineternū. That is to saye euery persone y t hathe this lyfe & this full trust in Ihesu shall neuer dye. So here appereth well y t fyrst parte of our argument. For y e .ij. part now y t this noble prynces had full fayth in Ihesu cryste it may appere yf ony wyll demaūde this questyon of her y t our sauyour demaūded of Martha / he sayd to her / Credis hoc. Byleuist y u this? what is y t / that this gē tylwoman wolde not byleue / she y t ordeyned .ij. contynual reders in bothe y e vnyuersytes to teche y e holy dyuynyte of Ihesu / she y t ordeyned prechers perpetuall to publysshe y t doctryne & fayth of cryste Ihesu / she y t buylded a college royall to y e honour of y e name of crist Ihesu / & lefte tyll her executours another tobe buylded to mayntayn his fayth & doctryne. Besyde al this foūded in y e monastery of westmynster where her body lyeth thre prestes to praye for her perpetually. She [Page] whom I haue many tymes herde saye y t yf y e crysten prynces wolde haue warred vpon the enmyes of his faith she wold be glad yet to go folowe y e hoost & helpe to wasshe theyr clothes for y e loue of Ihū / she y t openly dyde wytnesse this same thynge at y e houre of her dethe / whiche saynge dyuers here presente can recorde how hertly she answered whan y e holy sacrament contaynȳge y e blessid Ihū in it was holden before her / & y e questyon made vntyl her whether she byleued y t there was verayly y e sone of god y t suffred his blessyd passyō for her & for all mankynde vpon y e crosse. Many here can bere recorde how w t all her herte & soule she raysed her body to make answere there vnto / & confessed assuredly y t in y t sacrament was conteyned cryst Ihesu y e sone of god y t dyed for wretched sȳners vpon y e crosse in whom holly she put her truste & confydence / these same wordes almoost y t Martha confessed in the ende of this gospell. Ego credidi quia tu es christus filius dei qui ī mūdū venisti. That is to saye I haue byleued y t thou art cryst y e sone of gad whiche came in to this worlde. And so sone after y t she was aneled she departed & yelded vp her spyryte in to y e handes of our lorde / who may not nowe take euydent lyklyhode & coniecture vpon this y t the soule of this noble woman whiche so studyously in her lyf was occupyed in good werkes / & with a faste fayth of cryst / & the sacramentes of his chirche was defended in y t houre of departynge out from y e body was borne vp in to y e countre aboue w t y e blessyd aūgelles deputed & ordeyned to y t holy mystery. For yf y e herty prayer of many ꝑsones Yf her owne contynuall prayer in her lyf tyme. yf y e sacramētes of y e chirche orderly taken. yf indulgences & [Page] pardons graūted by diuers popes / yf true repentaūce & teeres / yf fayth & deuocyon in criste Ihesu / yf charyte to her neyghbours / yf pyte vpon y e poore / yf forgyuenes of iniuries / or yf good werkes be auaylable / as doubtles they be / grete lyklyhode & almoost certayne coniecture we may take by them / & all these y t soo it is in dede. Therfore put we asyde all wepynge & teeres / & be not sad ne heuy as men withouten hope / but rather be we gladde & ioyous / & eche of vs herin con [...]ort other. Alwaye praysynge & magnyfyenge the name of oure lorde / to whome be laude and honoure endlesly Amen.