Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande, and also the lyfe and passion of saint Amphabel whicheconuerted saint Albon to the fayth of Christe. — Life of Saint Alban and Saint Amphibal

Author: Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451?1534

✚ 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.

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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
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 Virgile
Nor sugred deties of Tullius Cicero
Nor of Homerus to folowe the 
 [...]esshe style
Croked to clymbe ouer so high a style
Or for to folowe the steppes aureate
Of Fraunces Petrake the poete laureate

The golden trompet
 [...] the house of fame
with full swyfte wynges of the pegasee
Hath full farre the knyghtly mannes name
Borne in Verolame a famous olde citie
Knyghthode in Rome the cronycle who lyst se
Aand as I fynde this yonge lusty man
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
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

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In tender age this goodly yonge Albon
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
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
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
Lefte all the worlde and becam vertuous
Of wylfull power folowed the doctryne
By whose reachyng and vertuous discipline
Blessed Albon as myn auctor sayth
was afterwarde conuerted to our fayth

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
Of rude langage / so that I may in dede
To write his lyfe and ceryously procede

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Vnder supporte of this martyr benygne
My penne directe by meane of his prayer
The gracious stremes sent downe for a signe
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
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
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
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
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

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This chose greyne for Christ was mortified
To get encrease of his eternall glorye
The frute grewe vp by fayth multipliplied
Through meke sufferance he gate the victorie
A palure of conquest to be put in memorie
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
O blessed Albon / fro that celestiall stage
Cast downe thy lyght to enlumyne my langage
whiche of my selfe am naked and bateyne
In this great nede thy fauour may be seyne

I haue no colours / but only blacke and whyte
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
To wryte thy lyfe / thus I wyll procede.

Explicit prologus.

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Tyme remembred of olde antiquite
The same tyme whan Cesar Iulius
was was passed out of Rome the cite
Ouer the Alpeys in knyghthode famous
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
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 aryne vp in Briteyne

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
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
None so hardy / to be therto contrarye
Cause of this conquest / to wryte and not tarye
was deuision / the cronycle ye may se
Betwene Cassybylan / and duke Audrogee

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Ouermaistred was Brutus Albion
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
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
Sulde in that londe receyue thorder of knyght
For worthynes / for mede / nor fauour
But by the handes of the emperour

And this was done / lest parauenture
Sondry persones enclothed with rudenes
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

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
Through newe rebellyon in token worde or signe
Agaynst the Romayns proudely to malinge

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And in suche case / occasions to eschew
The prudent Romains / castyng all thyng toforne
For comun profite / thought it was moost dew
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
with faith assured / as she statute bonde
First they shulde appere in the presence
Of themperour / sent thither of eche londe
Than take theyr othe / next by touche of honde
Toforne the goddes / assuraunce made of new
For life or dethe / to themperour 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
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
Voide of rebellion / whan they had ought a do
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.

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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
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
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
Stormy troubles for to set aside
Meued sodeinly amonge the comenties
At the begynnyng / in all haste to prouide
Them to reforme / no lenger to abide
For first meuers / as law and right obserued
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
As the statute plainly dyd expresse / 
Like true Iuges / and kepers of the law
Of high prudence / all riot to withdraw.

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And the reporte of Cronicles that ben olde
Auctorised by great aduisement
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.

The prince of knightes vsed a pallion
For a prerogatife in especiall / 
He and the Stewarde by election
Of themperour in party and in all
Toke theyr charge / priuate and generall / 
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
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
Some in wales / & some in Cornewaile / 
And amonge all / if I shall nat fame
There was one / of stature and entaile / 
As ferre as kinde coulde her crafte preuaile
By her fauour / gaue to his person
A prerogatife to be set asoon.

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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
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
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.

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 sonne / excellyng in beautie
Borne in the citie of Verolamy
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
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.

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Gracious he was in euery mannes sight
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
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
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
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.

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:
Semblably / nature dyd so ordeine
There to make knowen the blood of Britaine.

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Vpon the Emperour this people (as I tolde)
were a waityng / as they were of degree / 
Beynge pope in those dayes olde
zepherinus / whiche kept in Rome his see / 
And whan that he behelde the great beaute
Of thls people that comen were of newe
within hym selfe / sore he gan to rew.

Musynge in his hert / thus he gan complaine
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 full ofte vpon the day he saith
why stant this people in errour from our faith?

The Pope / of ruthe and compassion
Considerynge with mercifull pitie:
Ganseke wayes / fyndynge occasion
To get leyser and oportunitie
How this people / excellyng in beautie
Might by his labour / thrugh spirituall vertue
Receiue baptisme by grace of Christe Ihesu.

The lorde aboue consideryng thentent
Of zepheryn in especiall
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.

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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
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
But whan the rumour and the knowlegyng
Cam to the Emperour / without more tarienge
Thrugh all the citie commaunded them be sought
To his presence / by force to be brought.

By londe and see / his ministers left nought
To serche hem out / but in no manere
They were nat caught: but than cam to y
e thought
Of Dioclecian / to worke as ye shall here
Them of Britaine / to make them to appere / 
Vpon a morow / when Phebus shone full bright
They of his hande to take order of knight

Of antiquitie / as put is in memory:
when themperour shulde knightes make
They dyd assemble beside an oratory
That reised was / and bylt for martis sake / 
In whose worshyp all night they shulde wake.
The next morow / after the maner
At Phebus vprist / they shulde appere

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The oratory in compas rounde and large
Beside a temple of Bellona the goddesse
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 thempire to preferre

Next this charge / themperour anon right
In all 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
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
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
Specially to eschewen idlenes
Pursue armes for knightly excercise
In causes knowen / grounded on rightwisnes
Gyue theyr Eaptaines suche trouthe and stablenes
And in suche case / rather knightly dye
Than theyr statutes to breke or disobey.

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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 / 
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 / 
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.

Of olde custome / knighthood toke non hede
Vnto 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
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
Sober / nat hasty / feithfull / honourable
For comon profite preued profitable
Benigne of porte / not proude / but debonaire
That worde and worke for nothynge be contratre

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Take no quarell grounded on falshed
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
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
Fraude and extorcion anon while it it is grene
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
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

In token wherof / who toke thorder 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 / & all dishonestie
Shauen away by vertuous diligence
All olde outrages out of theyr consciences.

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They had of custome also this maner
Romaine knightes of yeres yonge and grene
To entre a bath of water cristall clere
Frō all ordures to wasshe theyr bodies clene
whiche bath / plainly it dyd mene / 
As bokes olde / notably don expresse
Vnto knighthode longeth all clennesse

First / specially by attemperaunce
Voide 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
Eschew auoutry / liue chaste like theyr degree.

Clennesse longeth to euery gentill knight
As theyr bathyng dothe plainly specifie
Thrugh theyr ꝑfectiō / was made to Mars aright
whilom Romains by prudent policie
Had in custome theyr bodies to applie
To serue Diana / that was the cast goddesse
That Venus had with them non intraunce.

Venus / to vertues contrarious
Causeth in youth flesshely insolence
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 Venus all ordure.

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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 & Grekes / the story berith witnesse
Caused many a knight to dye in distresse
For by thauoutry of Paris and Eleine
Grekes & Troyans theyr mischiefes dyd cōplaine

After this bath / tokened by chastite
Fully made faire / and voide of vnclennesse
with a white shirte he shulde clothed be
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
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
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
She and pacience of one stocke be discendyd
yet in som case / reken nigh & ferre
Peace hath conqueryd more than hath the werre.

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By prudent writyng & humble pacience
Kynge Dindinus was nat recheles
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.

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
Very mekenes vsed in prudent wyse
Is nat atwited with no cowardise

As to knighthode longeth gentilnes
Thyng appropried to his religion
Voide of surfettes / founded on mekenes
As a lambe in chambre in bataile a lion
where place and tyme gaue iust occasion
By manly suffraunce / benigne of face & chere
And play the lyon when tyme dothe require.

By the processe of theyr obseruaunces
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
with Martis colour / by knightly high prowesse.

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This rede mantell / so as the mater stode
Touchyng the colour / dyd plaiinly specifie
They shulde nat drede for to spende theyr blode
For comon profite vpon any partie
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
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

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
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
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.

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It is a maner of apostasie
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
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
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
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

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
The last charge for a conclusion
Neuer to bere armes against Rome towne.

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Other articles / mo than I can tell
Tolde and remembryd by Dioclecian
Notable in knighthode / by them that dyd excell
when themperour 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
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
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
Mars our patron / knightly to magnifie
In your presence / with Iustes or tournay
Or som other famous marciall play

To haue in armes knightly excercise
Our grene youthe and courages to amende
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.

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The Emperour considerynge first theyr cheres
Conde them great thāke for theyr knightly request
And commended greatly theyr desires
Set a day / and helde a royall feest
All nacions to come at the leest
As themperour freely dyd ordeine
To haue adoo with knightes of Britaine.

with Romaine knightes / first they had ado
By cōmaundement of Dioclecian
Durynge the vtas / the story telleth so
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
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
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
Called in Rome the lanterne and the light
Of knightly prowes / and Phebus soueraine
Thrugh all Italie / and day sterre of Britaine.

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Of blessed Albon / the armes in his shelde
Square on his shulders by antiquitie
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.

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
Vnder 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
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
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
with helpe of Albon they shall be made stronge.

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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
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
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.

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
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
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.

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Mars in armes / with Mercury eloquent
Amonge Romaine knightes / rekened yonge & 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
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 departynge list nat for to faine
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
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

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
Great fauour had / but Bassian in that Ile
(The story saith) reigned but a while.

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By Carauseus (of whome I tolde beforne)
This Bassian was slaine traitrously
Ceptre and crowne this yonge prince hath borne
Car
 [...]useus 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
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 themperour / he falsly can deny
Graunted also within Albany.

To the pietes 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
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
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.

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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
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
Thrugh his knighthode / beside a ryuer / 
After whose name / as saith the Cronicler
Is called there as Romains did blede
Vnto this day / walbroke as I rede.

In memory of that discomfiture
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
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
By themperour to Brutes Albion / 
For whiche / caused Dioclecian
To Britaine to sende Maximian.

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The chefe cause in sothe of his cūmynge
(with other maters that were collaterall)
Into that londe / was for to crowne hym kynge
There for to reigne in his estate royall
And Dioclecian in especiall / 
Hath a conceite in the meane while
with hym to sende Albon into that Ile.

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
Prince of knightes / and stewarde soueraine
Vnder Romains / thrugh all Britaine.

He sent hym thither also for that entent
For his wysdom and high discrecion
with Maximian for to be present
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
Like custome vsed of antiquitie
Make his othe to Maximian
As prince and stewarde of moost auctoritie
To themperour in his imperiall see
As he was bounde by statutes olde and new
For life or dethe / euer to be trew.

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All thinges accomplished like as I haue tolde
Maximian retourned is againe
with a tribute thre thousande pounde in golde
Beh
 [...]nde of olde / denied of disdaine
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
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

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 fally sixtene
The chirche of christe / tender & very grene
when themperour 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 nomber of christen encreace and multiplie
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.

[Page]
Echone assemblyd in his high presence
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
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
And to this pointe they be all condescended
To dampne hym by hasty iugement
And all christens that were of his assent.

Banyssshe all christens out of Rome towne
And punysshe them by mortall crueltie
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.

Spare no place / where men dyd them know
But them pursue vpon eche partie
All theyr chirches cast downe and ouerthrowe
Plaine w
t the groūde / where men coude them espie
Thus stode our faith in mortall ieopardie
Of miscreauntes / foes to Christes law
For drede of dethe that they haue them withdraw.

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Against them the painems were so stronge
Droue them for feare eche man fro his contree
And Amphiball that bare non armes of longe
Saue in knighthod of wilfull pouertie
Constrained 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
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 Verolamy / whiche of antiquitie
was in Britaine a great famous citie.

Verbi autores.

OF this place here nowe I am aduerted
Of this matter for to stynte a whyle
And to procede howe Albon was conuerted
To christen fayth the processe to compyle
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 thabbot of that place
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

[Page]
By whose notable compylations
Illumyned is not only his gaye library
By also full diligent occupations
Agaynst ydlenes to all vertue contrary
Hat set in order in his famous grauery
A boke compyled rycher than golde in coffers
Lyues of poetes and prudent philosophers

Of his name the Ethymologie
Is sayd of am Home or stede of whete
Of god prouyded doth clerely signifie
whete gleues of the mouthe of tholde 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 cōmaundement
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
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
And put aforne clerely in remembraunce
Howe Amphiball as the cronycle sayth
Tourned Albon vnto Christis fayth

[Page]
Eche of them (by recorde of writynge)
was plainely without others remembraunce
For Albon 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 Verolamy / to tell how they met.

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
Voide of all colour / saue of letters blake
In this processe my dulnesse to acquite
The martirdome of Albon to endite.

Finis.

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

[Page]

¶Here begynneth the prologue of the secunde boke / treatynge of the conuersion of the blessed prothomaptyr of Englande called Sainct Albon.

SO as Aurora parteth the derke night
Towarde the tyme of Phebus vprisynge
And Lucifer with agreable light
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.

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
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
Taught by nature / wrought nothynge in vaine
But as kynde / and reason hath vs lerned
Good graine from chaf was discerned


[Page]Thus hath he proued in many a sondry place
Good from yuell / by them truely conserned
Recorde vpon Cornelly and on saynt Eustace

who taughte Troyan whylom to done ryghte
whan the wydowe complayned her greuaunce
To her grefe themperour cast his sighte
Reason taught hym for all his great puissaunce
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
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
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
Though lyke a prince his power yafe great lyght
Fostred trouthe / dyd wronge to no wyght
For whiche the lorde his hande hath nat w
tdrawe
To call and clepe hym his owne chosen knyght
To be conuerted and turned to his lawe

[Page]
His trouthe / his vertue / his natife gentylnes
Of custome stable grounded in many wyse
Caused god of his mercifull goodnes
To the this prince into his seruice
All fals y dols manly to despise
This choson chapyon borne of the breton tyne
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
Howe 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
Vnder the reignes of prudent polycye
whiche to reherse / thus I wyll begynne

¶Here endeth the prologe of the seconde boke.

[Page]

[figure]

[Page]¶Here begynneth the seconde boke of the glorious Prothomartyr saynt Albon howe he was made gouernour of the citie of Verolamye.

VNder the Romaynes chefe and principall
with great auise it lyked them to ordayne
By commyssyon and titell imperiall
Prince and stewarde thorughout all Bretayne
To chefe 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
And his lawes so vertuously deuyded
For cōmon profyte to endure longe
That no man shulde do other wronge
And where he sawe innocentes oppressed
Set a payne inhaste to be redressed

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
Lyke his office with vertuous diligence
By suffisaunce there were none indigence

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Beloued and drad with hygh and lowe degre
For frende nor soo declyued not fro trouth
The good hym loued for his benignite
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
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
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
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
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

[Page]
Enuious sclaunder be punyswed rygorously
Cōpassed of malyce hatred and di
 [...]ame
To double tonges euer he was enmye
whiche to say yuell of custome haue no shame
And backbyters that haue theyr lyppes lame
To say well / this prince yonge and olde
Voyded all suche out of his householde

By discreeion he coulde punysshe and spare
His harte ay voyde of all duplicite
Large of custome / to naked folke and bare
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

Oot withstandyng as I haue behyght
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 Verolamy tolde eke the occasion
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
Tyll it fell so he met in passage
The noble prince playnely to conclude
Blessed Albon with a great multytude

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This myghty prince by great fortune
After custome vsed that tyme of olde
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

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
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
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
This symple clerke lyst no lenger tary
His porte his there benyngly receyued
Mynystred to hym all that was necessary
From Christis lawe though Albon dyd vary
Lyke a prince benyng and vertuous
Receyued hym full goodly into his hous

[Page]
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
with this pylgryme alone for to be
And secretely whan they were met in fere
To hym he sayde anone as ye shall here

By many signes and tokens that I can
Dyuers daungers straunge to recure
In soth that ye be a christen man
And of hardynes durst your selfe assure
To put your body and lyfe in auenture
Amonge paynyms your persone to ieoparte
without dethe howe myght ye departe

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
To this citie brought me safe to preache
His glorious lawe and his faythe to teache

Quod Albon than / howe may this trewe
what that he is I wolde fayne lere
The sonne of god / a straunge thynge and a newe
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

[Page]
Amphibalus is entreated by reason
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
This is our belefe take good hede therto

The sonne moste perfyte & moste good
For mans helthe and saluation
was incarnate and toke flesshe and blode
And semblably for shorte conclusyon
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
Ordayned maydens to lyue here parfytly
So he agayn warde 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

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 Veer / agayne the son shyne
By the cherysshynge of Apryll with his shores
Bryngeth kalendes of May & of his flowres

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So in the season heuenly and deuine
Of wynter stormes was passed all outrage
And in the rayne Phebus gan to shyne
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
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
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
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
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

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Afore god thou hast founden grace
Thou shalt conceyue a chylde in all clennesse
Of whose byrthe Bedleme shall be the place
As the gospelll can bere herof wytnesse
And his name playnly to expresse
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
Thangell than vnto Mary sayde
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
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
This message I haue brought the from heuen

Quod Mary fulfylled be the wyll
After the worde / which thou hast brought vnto me
Beholde this handmayde / & this humble ancille
This was her answere with all humylyte
Thoo god was pleased with her virginite
yet was that lorde / doctours beare wytnesse
Pleased more with her deuoute mekenes

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Thus hath a mayde through her perfytnes
To beare her lorde graciously deserued
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 & wyfe

To god a mayde to fulfyll his wyll
And to the lorde a seruant by mekenes
Doughter & mother / & eke faythfull ancyll
whiche to remembre hath brought gostly gladnes
Of all welfare / our daungers to represse
Aforne by recorde of prophetes in substaunce
Vs 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
So that ye lust with humble diligence
Become his knyght and do hym reuerence
Obeye his lawe & his preceptes all
Taketh good hede to you what shall befall

His fayth to you shall gyue so great vertue
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
And euery sykenes recouer thrugh his myght

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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
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
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

This was chefe cause and grounde of my cōmyng
Sent by Iesu vnto this towne
As a bedyll to brynge you tydyng
Howe by his myghty visitation
ye shall endure payne and passyon
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
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

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To fede the pore / whiche had no vitayle
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
And vury them that laye in myschiefe dede

To his seruantes / & all that ye haue mynystred
Cronycled ben in the heuenly consistory
In his boke perpetually registred
Eche good dede the lorde hath in memory
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
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

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
Shall I do than whan I am withdrawe
From ydolatry / and turned to Christis lawe

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Amphibalus yafe answere to Albon
ye must beleue & in no doubte be
There is no god in this worlde but one
The father / the sonne / the holy gost these thre
Ioyned in one by perfyte vnite
The foundation as I can well preue
Firste article & grounde of our beleue

This fayth in soth shall clerely you directe
If that you lyst gyue therto credence
All olde errours to auoyde & correcte
If ye so done with humble reuerence
I dare affirme and conclude in sentence
That your begynnyng to god is acceptable
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
And to descryue the magnificence
Of all the thre / called thre and one
Vndeuided / they neuer asonder gone

And if ye lyste vnto this lawe tourne
Of his most dignē imperiall maieste
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

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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 / & tree
whiche may not helpe nor forther in no degree
Saturne / Iubiter / 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 & stones clere
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
Fayned in maner as he had disdayne
From his place in great hast arose
yet or he went he gan to sayne
ye be not wyse your doctrine is in vayne
If it were wyst ye were in this citie
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
At the last for shorte conclusyon
your heed smyten of / without grace
If ye were knowne or founden in this place

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In this mater I can none other fele
For your persone somwhat I stande in doute
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

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
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
Amphibalus satte all that longe nyght
Vpon 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
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
what it ment or what was the sentence

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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
Vnderstode 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 & of his lawe
Dyuers maruayles vnknowne straunge & 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

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
Eke me thought of boystous folke & rude
He was beset with a great multitude

This people enuious & frowarde of entent
As it semed of malyce and hatered
with many a sondry fell turment
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

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Naked he was / body / fote / and hondes
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
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
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
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

After these paynes greuous and intollerable
And all his hydous mortall tourmentry
with a great voyce pitous and lamentable
Vpon the poynte / whan he shulde die
To his father thus he gan to crye
In to thyne handes father I commende
My goste / my spirite / and thus he made an ende

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And with that crye as he yafe vp the go
 [...]
From the crosse his body they toke downe
Lyke well stremes vpon euery coost
His grene woundes shed out great 
 [...]oyson
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 w
t stronge honde was kept close
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
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
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
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

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I sawe this thyng and knewe it well ynowe
By a maner vncouth apparence
The garmentes whytter than mylke or snowe
Of all thangels that dyd hym reuerence
This was theyr songe and refret in sentence
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
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
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
That were vnto you shewed in your dreame

The man whiche to you dyd appere
Sent from heuen so fayre and glorious
He was the same as I shall you lere
My blessed lorde / myn owne lorde Christ Iesus
Most benyng / moste meke / and most vertuous
whiche on a crosse suffred passion
As ye sawe clerely in your auision

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Only by mercy by his gratious aduise
Of the trespas to make redemption
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

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
From the cundytes of Christis woundes fyne
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
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 galyent
Our samson called that venquisshed the lyon
Our myghty chāpyon the famous strōge Achilles
That bare vp heuen for our saluation
Hye on the crosse makyng our raunson
He that ye sawe was the same man
In your auision that ouercame Sathan

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The multytude that aboue hym stoode
were false iewes / his deth immagynyng
Of cursed malyce / nayled hym to the rodde
Lyst not receyue his gratious comyng
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
Venquisshed 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

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
Vnto the father and his magnificence
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
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

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Thanked god / and goodly gan hym dresse
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
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
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
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

He with the father the holy goste these thre
Amphibalus rehersyng vnto Albon
They be all one god by ꝑfyte vnite
And other god in all the worlde is none
And this belefe loke ye not forgone
This worde ofte rehersed in sentence
Albon fell downe with deuoute reuerence

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Toforne the crosse / and with great repentance
And sayde: O lorde Iesu on my mysdede
O Iesu mercy / receyue my penaunce
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
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
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
I mene the wounde grauen in the roode
Vpon the crosse that was to hym shewed
Of drery sobbyng the carectes all be dewed

By grace enspired this Albon gan hym drawe
To take the order of religion
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

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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
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
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
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
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
Mekely of herte with supportation
At my request your highnes not ye greue
For to departe goodly to yeue me leue

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I am meued of veray conscience
Other contrees to preache Christis lawe
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 / fyth gone many a yere
Frendes alway / may not ben in fere

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
Of one wyllaye 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
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
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
And all that whyle they spake of Christis law

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Of Christis fayth and of his religion
was theyr fayth and theyr dalyance
Amonge to god they mayde theyr orison
Them to detende from fendes accombrance
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 spate
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

with enuious sturdy violence
Through the citie they serched were & sought
And cōmaunded to appere in the presence
Toforne the iuge both two to be brought
The towne serched / but they founde them nought
Blessed Albon meued of corage
To kepe his maister & saue hym from damage

Vpon a nyght before the dawnyng
This blessed Albon his maister gan conueye
with heuy chere most pituously wepyng
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 deꝑte them in twayne

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O faythfull loue standyng in suche a state
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
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 Norestes / outher of Pylade
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
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

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
Of perfyte loue to endure longe
As Salamon writeth / that loue as deth is stronge

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In all suche case the loue maketh hertes bolde
And by ensample that loue auoydeth drede
Albon for loue toke his cloth of golde
And lyke a prince lyst to chaunge his wede
Of entier herte he gan it for to sprede
Ouer the shulders of Amphibali anone
The houre whan they atwynne shulde gone

From all his fone he iustly was assured
who that euer had on this clothe of golde
Tyll he the place fully haue recured
To stande atlarge aforne as I haue tolde
Thus with sobbyng and wepyng manyfolde
God suffered them a sondry to deuyde
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
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
There of herte / god to be his gyde
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

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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
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
Vnto theyr goddes / nor mekely knele downe
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 & slayne w
t many a wounde

Of his body to make sacrifice
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
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
And ay this prince / stable in his entent
Made stronge in god / for lyfe or deth tendure
The lordes hande / and his auenture

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whan somer floures blowed whyte and redde
And were in theyr highest lusty fresshe season
And fyry Phebus / from the crabbes hedde
Toke his passage towarde the lyon
At Verolamy / in that royall towne
The same tyme paynyms haue auerted
To Christis fayth / howe Albon was conuerted

For whiche agaynst hym so obstynate they stode
Lyke wylde boores or tygyrs in theyr rage
Vengeable of herte furyous and wode
Malancoly and pale of theyr visage
And all the nyght with cursed fell langage
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
And Aurora hath the bedde forsake
Of fyry Titan and her leue take
And Phebus Chariot draweth vp w
t flegoute
And gan illumyne all the Orisoute

The holsome bawme gan in meddowes flete
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
whan Albon was beseged in his hous

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The paynyms gan make theyr selfe stronge
This noble prince Albon to pursewe
Vpon that houre whan the larkes songe
In theyr leden and gan the day salewe
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
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

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
Lyke a champyon agayn them to warrye
Vnder 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
Of body naked / trouthe was his habergon
His shelde was fayth / his sworde and his burdon
His spere his pollax / surer than stele to endure
was only hope / the victorie to recure

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His sabbatons set on grounde of trouthe
And his greues forged with stabilnes
And his polayns plyant without flouthe
And his quisshews borne vp with high prowesse
A payre of curesse / closed with ryghtwysenesse
And his vauntbrace was truste that went beforne
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
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 sone
Howe that he shulde do to his great auayle
Enter in to the felde / and knyghly to gone
All that it so were / that he was but alone
His banner splayed / full erly on the morowe
Grace was his guyde with saynt Iohn̄ to borowe

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
Vnto theyr ydols / but he them dyd dispise
Asclypiodot the iuge there present
And all the citie gathered of entent

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This goddes knyght holdyng the crosse in honde
Inuisible by vertue of that signe
And paynyms that aboute hym stonde
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 / & had in maner drede

Albon alway this prince full notable
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
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
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 orels set a syde
Touchyng the fayth that he hath taughte to the
And therin ben thy maister and thy guyde
And is nowe fledde / and durst not abyde
By his doctryne a reason full notable
His preachyng is nought or he is not stable

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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
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
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 full perlous poynt
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
Agayne all our goddes to begyn mortall warre

whiche thynge consydered / as it is skylle & ryght
And egally paysed in balaunce
wronge to do them by any maner wyght
Nother by fauour / frendshyp / nor suffraunce
May not passe without great vengeaunce
Vpon blasphemy the lawe doth ordeyne
Agayn the goddes / deth to be theyr peyne

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Vnto a foole thou gafe hasty credence
And by his foly he hath the begyled
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
Vyle and abiecte out of thyne olde estate

In suche case eche man may be disceyued
By suche false foren information
But nowe thyne errour is clery apꝑceyued
So by counsell / for thy saluation
Or thou incurre the indignation
And or iugement by rygour the manare
Forsake that seete / fall downe and axe grace

To thyne estate thou mayst thus be restored
with humble herte / do them sacrifyce
And thy treasure & thy ryches shalbe mored
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
Albone stode hole and kept his grounde & place
The iuges promysse flateryng and fallybel
Boystous threatnynges / w
t whiche he gan manace
Voyde of drede / of one chere / and one face
This manly prince / this hardy knyght Albon
Stode betwene bothe / stable as any stone

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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
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
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

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
For it causeth folkes lame to go vpryght
And folkes blynde to recure theyr syght

This fayth so hole infyxed is in my mynde
Vnto me more precious and more dere
Than all the stones / that comen out of Inde
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.

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This faythe in god maketh me so ryche and strōge
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 wynde
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
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
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.

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
The iuges manace / the peoples violence
He suffred all / and kept his pacience

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The people agayne hym vengeable and cruell
Vnto theyr temples brought hym anone ryght
By violence they gan hym to compell
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
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
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
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
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

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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
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
Nother for smerte / nor paynfull tormentrye
Vnto 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
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
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
The elementes his wronges gan to compleyne
In theyr maner agaynst natures lawe
Theyr benefytes of kynde to withdrawe

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Vpon the erthe / on herbe / grasse / nor floure
On all these thre was no dewe sene
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

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
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 Thelementis lyst to holde a batayle
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
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 themperour rehersyng howe Albon
Forsaken had theyr goddes euery chone

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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
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
Bycause also of his great dignite
And of his kynne had so great fauour
That the iudge drad for to do rygour
Vpon this prince of deth or cruelte
Tyll from the emperour he had auctorite

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
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
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

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His lyfe to saue by a condition
If to theyr sectes he wolde agayne restore
From Christis loore / turne his opinion
Of theyr goddes / the stantes to support
To Dioclesyan that they may report
Howe that Albon doth hym sore repent
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
But euer ylyche of chere and of visage
Betwen fyre & water / now harde now blādysshyng
From his constance they myght hym neuer bryng

Lyke a stronge towre bylte on a hygh mountayne
Toke none hede of theyr monitions
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

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
Suche one as had in knyghthode hygh renoune
Shulde on this prince done executioune

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This was so commaunded by sentence
Of the emperour that Amphibalus
If he were take by notable violence
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
At the nauyll his bowels to be take
And his guttes serched rounde aboute
Lyke a longe rope tyed to a stake
And of his lyfe so an ende make
And at laste voyde of all pytye
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
with Asclepeodet wode and contraryus
In that citie bothe two there present
In Verolamy / whiche yafe this iugement

The citezyns gathered enuiron
For this matter with great diligence
Bothe of London and many other towne
Of iugement to here that sentence
youen vpon Albon in open audience
Vnder these wordes put in remembrance
As ye shall here rehersed in substaunce

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Tyme of the emperour Dioclesyan
whan he stode hyest in his maiestie
At Verolamy the story tell can
whan Albon was lorde of that citie
Tho days called for his dignitie
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
Of wylfulnes and malyce hath despysed
Beforne these dayes by antiquite deuised
The olde worshyps notable and famous
Done to Iubyter Appollo and Venus

For whiche cause let euery man take hede
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 renowme
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
Passyng an other priuate creature
There to be grauen the body with the heed
Ioyned to gether in a great chest of leed

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with hym buryed his crosse and his sclaueyne
A large tombe for a memoryall
This was the dome of the iuges tweyne
In Verolame citie full royall
To auenge theyr goddes infernall
Vpon Albon whan they dyd deme
Agayne theyr lawes for a false blaspheme

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
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
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
I troubled was all the regyon
Of Verolamy 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
Agaynst this myschefe to shape a remedye

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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
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
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

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
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
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

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Fyrst from the partye / for to speake of Troye
He had with Ector magnanimyte
Of whose noblesse all Brytayne may haue ioye
Sad a Scipion voyde of duplicite
And Verolamy that famous olde citie
May well reioyse / renewed euer in lyche
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
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
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

That kynde of mercy / whiche they dyd hym shewe
Of his paynes by a maner of allegeaunce
The martyr 
 [...] to speake in wordes fewe
It was to hym moste odious vengeaunce
For his desyre and his herty pleasance
was only this shorte processe to make
To suffre dethe only for Christis sake

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with herty sobbyng profounde and depe
Towarde heuen mekely he kest his syght
Of inwarde constreynt pitously can wepe
The crosse aforne hym deuoutly helde vpryght
Cryenge to Iesu haue mercy on thy knyght
Let not the fende by no collusyon
Stere the people to let my passyon

To the people turnyng his knyghtly face
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
For to accomplysshe lyke as I haue begon
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
My martyrdome / why do ye so prolonge
In your ententagayne me ye do erre
That I do couet so longe to differre

I maruayle howe ye may susteyne
Of neglygence so longe to abyde
whyle the martyr is newe fresshe and grene
Execution for to set a syde
Loke your statutes and therupon prouyde
Vnto your goddes reporteth how that I
Of all the worlde am theyr most ennemy

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Syth they be wrought of men that ben mortall
Vnworthy 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
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
To hym that hath no power nor no myght
Can not discerne betwene darkenes and lyght
Large lypped wordes haue they none
Of tonge meued / as any stocke or stone

O fruteles hope / O false trust dispayred
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
Cursed mawmets / y
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
Boistous handes / they fele nothyng parde
Theyr armes longe they make no diffence
with theyr defe eares may haue none audience

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what thynge is worse than yeue the souereynts
Of your handwarke to forge fals ymages
Defe blynde and dombe / vnto whose deyte
Though ye call ay afforne theyr visages
They knowe nothyng thentent of your langages
Of all fyue wyttes they be so defectyfe
what causeth this / but lacke of soule and lyfe

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
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
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
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
Shulde at Holmehurst suffre his passyon

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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
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
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

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
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
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

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By experience at eye ye may deme
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
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
Men myght vnneth any space espie
To stande vpon / myn auctor lyst not feyne
whā blessed Albon was led towarde his peyne

The feruent hete of the sommer sonne
Hath with his streames / the soile so clad & brent
Vp in the lyon as his course hath ronne
with his brennyng the grounde was almost shent
Vnder the fete where as the people went
The soyle so hote of sodeyn auenture
For enchaufynge they myght not endure

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
The brydge streite / the people so great and huge
That many one were dreynt in that diluge

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Great preace of people downe to the water cam
The ryuer depe / the brydge narowe & small
They that coude ouer the ryuer swam
who that coude not turned ouer as a ball
The comberous preace caused many a fall
The noyse was great the rumour & complaynt
In his passage of people that was dreynt

Fauour was none of brother vnto brother
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
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
Vnto the erthe fyll on his knees downe
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
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

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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
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
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
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
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
Voyde of moysture / smothe was and playne
Of the holy martyr / the vertue alway mored
Folke aforne drownde / to lyfe were restored

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No token of deth was in theyr faces sayne
But quicke and lyuely to euery mannes syght
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

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
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
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
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
Passyng all other / doth maruayles in werchynge

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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
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
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

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
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
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

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For to accomplysshe that we haue begon
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
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
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
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

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
Of mynde of herte alway hole he stode
For in his brest the fayth of Christe abode

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Only by grace he had this auantage
In his belefe so holy dyd he stande
whiche for his fayth myght suffre no damage
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
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
This blessed Albon towardes his passyon

That he was bare the traces were welll seyne
For with his blode the soile was dyed redde
Made his passage towarde a hygh mounteyne
Through sharpe stones / quare as speres hedde
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
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

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Constrayned with hete gan cry eche one
Of cursed malyce and great malyncoly
Vpon the martyr made assaute anone
And sayde through his magyke and his sorcery
That they were lyke through mortall thurst to dye
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
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 aduersyre

O lorde quod he / for thy heuenly empire
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
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
At whose touchyng come water out anone
Nowe gracious lorde with newe stremes fresshe
On this hyll these people do refresshe

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Thy gratious mercy from them do not expelle
Of blessed Albon rehersed this prayer
At his tete 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

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
The hete aswaged the people out of dispreyre
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
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
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
Gaue vnto the sonne thanke for this myracle

[Page]
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
Staūched our thurst / with his gracious lycour
By his beames moste fresshe and clere shynyng
Vs to releue made a well vp spryng.

Verba translatoris
O people vnkynde blynded with fals errour
O frowarde people / rude / dull / and obstinate
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

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
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
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

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Lyke false blasphemus forsoke your creature
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
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 / y
e one day doth her soiurne
The nyght cometh on / the lyght is fro you farre
And eke your Venus / 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
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 thīg their power may not stretche

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
The sayde myracles were wrought by vertue
For loue of Albon by grace of Christ Iesue

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your disctetions ben so foule blent
your conceyt derke / and false in your opinion
Magre your mawmettes in all my best entent
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
A gratious 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
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
Tha
 [...] in all hast he shulde hym redy make
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
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

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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
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
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

Vpon the monition of the same knyght
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
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 all hast thou shalte recured be
From all sykenes and aduersyte
And after that oo thy busy cure
To ordeyne for his sepulture

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And syth thou arte a knyght of his doctryne
Let se what he may nowe do the auayle
To make the hole by crafte of medycyne
Call vnto hym fast / & 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

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
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
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 & drede
So as he myght crope vp to the hede

with great deuotion he gan the heed embrace
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
All sodeynly he rose vp hole and sounde

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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
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
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

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
Thought in them selfe it was agayn nature
A brosed man so soone forto recure

Agayne this knyght they toke theyr consayle
Amonge them gan his deth conspyre
Thought it shulde be to them great auayle
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

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Some other sayde in theyr iugement
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
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
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
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

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
And with one voyce / homwarde as they resorte
Theyr langage was as the story doth reporte

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wo that iuge that doth none equite
wo be to hym that doth no ryghtwysenes
And wo to hym that can haue no pitie
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
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
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
After the passyon of his blessed knyght
Out of whose tombe was sene an heuenly stre
 [...]
Assendyng vpwarde bryght as the sonne beam
 [...]

The same tyme whan folkes to bed went
Ouer the citie / this bryght streme gan shyne
Last all the nyght no man knewe what it ment
Vpwarde 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

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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
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
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 y
e towne
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
This day with martyrs is made viccorious

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus

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This noble prince of Brutis Albion
Hath suffered deth and mortall turmentrye
Stable of herte this Christis champyon
Hauynge dispite of all idolatrye
This blessed martyr crowned aboue so hygh
with angels songe soete and melodious
This day with martyrs is made victorious

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus.

O prothomartyr full famous of renown
Amonge paynyms hauyng the maistrye
To be cause grounde and destruction
In Verolamy 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

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
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
Only of mercy to haue compassyon
If ought be sayde in this translation

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[figure]

[Page]¶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
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
To therth 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
All this wrought for hym that ye haue slayne

This lyght from heuen / whiche y
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
And forsake all ydolatrye
Takyng ensample all by one accorde
Of this martyr that whylome was our lorde

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we may consydre a thyng agaynst nature
Howe the nyght with her derke derkenesse
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

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
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
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
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
whiche hath in Albon shewed so great vertue

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Let vs not tary / but in all hast we can
Go seche meanes for our saluation
In dyuers countres to fynde vp the man
whche by his labour and predication
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
Done to mawmettes / with whom we were wholde
Of ignorance by consuete rudenes
And to directe and clarifye our blyndnes
From all errour and ydolatrye
The best way that I can espie

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
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
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

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All that people beinge in presence
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
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
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
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

The whiche crosse was newly sprent with blode
whan he for Christ suffered passyon
By whiche token full well he vnderstode
That he was slayne / fell on his knees downe
Kyssyng the crosse with great deuotion
In his armes with teares all be reyned
That holy relyque full swetely he hath streyned

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He thanked god with deuout obseruance
And that martyrs humble pacience
This newe people with deuoute attendance
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
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
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
Of Verolamy / 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
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

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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
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
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
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
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
Of his doctrine and predication
whiche through wales shone lyke a lode sterre
Them to directe / which in our fayth doth erre

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Tho folke that were come to hym of newe
From Verolamy his preachyng for to here
Lyke a doctour in Christis fayth most trewe
Receyued them with all his herte entiere
Enformed them and taught them the maniere
Cf Christis lawe with busy diligence
And they were glad to abyde in his presence

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
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 trans
 [...]newe
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
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
Stode amōges them / and preached goddes worde

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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
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
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

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
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
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

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Gyfe them counsell and make them to assent
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
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
But lyke as people most infortunate
Dye vpon the sworde take this for full sentence
As is concluded by marcyall violence

yet there was one supprised with feruence
Of Christis lawe stedfast in the fayth
whiche had bothe connyng and eloquence
And for his maister holy wryt he laythe
To thylke paynym euen thus he saythe
Our lorde god / whiche called is Iesu
Shall be this day our refuge and vertue

And our chefe helpe in tribulation
whiche shall percase shewe some myracle
By his most myghty dominacion
Therfore these folke an vnkouth spectacle
That there ayen shalbe none obstacle
Through goddes myght and mercyfull goodnes
Some man to same of his sodeyn sykenes

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Our maister here whom that ye repreue
In Christis name to shewe an euidence
From all myschefe some syke man to releue
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 incouert but in your alther syght
we haue suche trust in his parfynesse
Fro whose doctryne as we haue behyght
we shall not chaunge for deth not distresse
without faynyng or any doublenesse
your counsellyng in Christis holy name
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
Vnder whose pauise of parfyte pacience
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
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

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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
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
And with theyr speres / that were square & 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
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
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 ametous was that charytable stryfe
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

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Amonge these holy seyntes euerychone
That forsoke theyr towne and theyr cite
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

whan Anphibalus 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
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 flaughter recorde of olde scripture
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
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
Tyll Amphibalus were brought to theyr towne

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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
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
And though that he felte in his passage
Vnder 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

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
For they them selfe lyke folke that were wode
The slaugter made vpon theyr owne blode

Lokyng behinde fyrst whā they toke hede & beheld
There owne brethern cosyns and kynred
By theyr handes lay slayne in the felde
They gan to wepe / to se theyr woundes blede
This same tyme or they toke any hede
They founde a man that lay lanquisshyng
Vpon the felde moste pitous compleynyng

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This syke man with a full deadly face
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
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
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
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

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
Of syke folkes here theyr complayntes
And worche myracles for his holy sayntes

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This myracle gracious and vnkouth
Fyrst of this man releued of his sykenesse
The deth of the martyrs gan sprynge northe and southe
Of theyr wylfull sufferance w
t 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
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
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
The crested walles of theyr citie
As they thought that tyme for the best
After labour a whyle for to rest

They were oppressed w
t hunger and with thurst
For that tyme lyst no forther for to ryde
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 Amhibalus lay in his fecers bounde

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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
Maugre paynyms whan he a layser caught
To his most soone the worde of god he taught

This meane whyle y
t all this thyng was wrought
As ye haue herde come tydyng to the towne
Howe Amphibalus was to the citie brought
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
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
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
But they fayled foule in theyr entent
For through the towne the noyse went anone
Lyke as it was / howe they were deed euerychone

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Agayne Christis of malyce set a fyre
Homecydes turmentours that dyd this cruell dede
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

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
wydowes maydens ran with theyr here to torne
That so sodenly 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
was by sleyght compassed of Synon
For through euery strete of Verolamy towne
This noyse was herde deedly and mortall
Lyke as men synge at feastes funerall

In theyr most wofull lamentation
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
Blode agayn blode so felly to procede

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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
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
But here after that folkes wyll vs awyte
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

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
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
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

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whiche hath alas perturbed the cite
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
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
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
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

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
For by report of vs that were present
Voyde of disceyte or meanyng fraudolent

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ye haue more cause of gladnesse than wepyng
And greatter matter of consolation
Than of distresse or of complaynyng
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 prayne

By sondry tokens that were contemplatyfe
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
And bryght Phebus leseth neuer his lyght

It is accordyng full well to nature
A man to wepe for frendes that be dede
But agayn warde by recorde of scripture
For Christis sake / who lyst his blode to shede
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
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

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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
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
Of this citie / and brought them vnto blysse
Of ioye perpetuall they may neuer mysse
Makyng a chaunge from this temporall
For thylke lyfe aboue celestiall

Take hede hereto / and yeueth good audience
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
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
Maden there open protestation
Touchyng this mater they cast to expresse
Shall haue no touche nor spot of falsenesse

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They gan theyr matter brefly to conclude
Touchyng the story to all theyr entent
In Verolamy 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

Vnder 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
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
Vpon the maister abydyng of Albon
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 thylke clerke that all these thynges wrought
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
From that doctryne to reuoke theyr corage

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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
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
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

Vpon 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
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
Other defence they lyst not for to make
In thylke quarell / whiche they had take
Lyst not departe tyll spent was theyr blode
whiche on the playn ran large as a flode

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The lorde that sytteth aboue the sterres clere
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
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
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
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

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
To be registred fre from all worldly stryfe
with the holy martyrs in the boke of lyfe

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From this worlde we saugh them flee to heuen
By many signes whiche that dyd appere
From deth to lyfe / aboue the sterres seuen
we stode astonyed beholdyng the manere
Howe Christe Iesu with a benyngne chere
Lyst to receyue into his regyon
These holy martyrs of Verolamy towne

In these nombre of martyrs that were founde
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
That one from an other 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
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
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

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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
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
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 on malyce and disdayne
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
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
An egle also with persyng eien clere
Houyng alofte / as all men behelde
Fro touche of foule / kepte all day the felde

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wherof Pictis greatly gan maruayle
They of wales had a maner of drede
Thought in them selues these tokes 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

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
Daūteth 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
Of later date he yafe eke the kepyng
Of blessed Edmonde / mayde / martyr / and kyng
Vnto a wolfe the heed most vertuous
It to preserue from beastis rauenous

In this myracle / who can vnderstande
To be noted is great conuenience
Of martyrs / whiche were with violent hande
Slayne for the fayth by humble pacience
And thylke martyrs / whiche made no resistence
So were slayne for Christ / as it is founde
At Lychefelde / with many a blody wounde

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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
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
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

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
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
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 & benygne

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Theyr olde malyce / and theyr frowarde disdeyne
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 / & were therof full fayne
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
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
Of Verolamy 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

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
All with one voyce at ones in sentence
This was theyr noyse with deuoute reuerence

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Great is that god / greatest and glorious
Aboue all goddes of most magnificence
That maketh his seruantes so victorious
To gette so great tryumphe by theyr meke paciēce
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
with sherpe swerdes seuered ferre a sonder
For lacke of blode / whan they were sterke & 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
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
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
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

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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
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
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
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
This clerke was busye the people to disseyue

By some false crafte of incantation
Or by some sotell and straunge experience
Folke for to blynde by some illusyon
Or by collusyon of false apparence
Lyke as it were soth in existence
with some comurison or some charme made of new
A thynge that is nought to shewe as it were trew

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For by his compassed false deception
The worthyest borne of this cite
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

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
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 Asseus vpon our ennemy
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 hāde

So great people out of wales come than
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
To be auenged vpon our great wronge

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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
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
whiche that thought his felowes abode longe
Ranne forth fast to get hym auantage
And lyke a wolfe in his cruell rage
Stynt neuer tyll that he founde
The place where Amphibalus was bounde

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
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
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

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Two turmentours accorsed all theyr lyues
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 hmn gracious and benigne
A pronosticke maruaylous in nature
Saue goddes grace howe he myght endure

To wonder vpon a merueylous myracle
was sene that day in peoples syght
Nowe this martyr vp set for a spectacle
So longe lyued agayne natures ryght
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
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
Nowe persed loue / as any deth is stronge

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
was Amphibalus / with whom who lyst aduerte
was nothyng lefte / saue only tonge and herte

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In his herte as longe as ther was lyfe
He ceased not gods worde to preache
Grace was guyde / and trouthe his preseruatife
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
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
That day to Christ was turned many a man

His doctrine fyre in his remembrance
Most souerently than gan therin delyte
Let theyr ydols go vnto a myschaunce
whiche myght them nother helpe nor profyte
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 praye
with repentance and voyce most lamentable
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 
 [...]

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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
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
Voyde of reason and as a tyrant wode
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
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 spirite besyly gan entende
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
whiche hast caused theyr great aduersite
These innocent people in so shorte a whyle
with thy traynes and sleyghtes to begyle

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Our statutes and lawes thou hast foyled
By occasyon of thy parlous langage
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

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
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
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

Vpon wretches benyngnly to rewe
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
By my counsell do thy selfe the same

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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
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
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

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
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
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

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In hell is nowe theyr habitation
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
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
And homycydes most abhomynble
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
For thy false errour but thou repent in dede
Shalte eke with them I tell them certeyne
Ben embrased in a fyrye chayne
with Sathan stocked amyd the smokes blake
But if thou wylte thy mawmettry forsake

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
So that they wyll of fayth and hole entent
Receyue of baptisme the holy sacrament

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Fyrst of baptisme the vertue to deuise
Lyke as it is grounded in scripture
It wassheth away / who so lyst aduertise
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
Vnder 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
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 sauation
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
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

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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
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
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
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
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
Stable in prayer and in orison
Erecte to god / not turnyng north ne southe
The worde of god neuer out of his mouthe

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Saue the word of god / & his grace was impossible
To abyde that bronte / where he had force or might
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

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
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
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
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
Vpon the poynt to dye for goddes sake

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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
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
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 Verolamy the citie to enlumyne

In this whyle two angels downe descende
To the holy martyr for his gostly socoure
On his soule benygly to attende
whytter than snowe or any lyly floure
His gost conueyeng vnto the heuenly towre
Paynyms this tyme bydyng in the felde
Greatly abasshed / whan they this thyng behelde

Herder of herte than flynt or any stone
After his spirite was borne vp to heuen
Turmentours in theyr malyce ay one
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

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They had the martyr in so great disdayne
After his deth gan make a newe affray
That no memory shulde of hym be sayne
Vpon the grounde where that he lay
Safe ther was one / whiche that stole awaye
The deed corps / and dyd his busy cure
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
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
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

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
Of suche a treasure tyll god lyst shape a tyme
Of gracious chaunge to sende a newe pryme

[Page]
Agayne theyr promyse god made an obstacle
whan they of newe began the martyr to manace
The body was besyled by myracle
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 whā the paynims had shewed theyr vttrāce
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 attorne in many wyse
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
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
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

[Page]
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 / whiche be to god contrary
Deth of martyrs / slaughter of innocentes
Cryeth vengeance to god in their tourmentes

Specially all the turmentours
That were assented for to slee Albon
Faded away as dewe on sommer floures
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
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
were all at ones turned Christis fayth

[Page]
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
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
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

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
Theyr false goddes of new they haue dispysed
And moste mekely by grace were baptised

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And so longe continued / tyll at the last
By a rurall person / disciple of pelagiane
His her eticall doctrine / longe tyme begon & past
Newly renewed and fast toke rote agayne
Peruerted the people of this Brutis Britayne
And specially in this citie of olde Verolamy
Moche increased this doctrine of infamy

wherwith sore troubled was all the hole clergy
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
To prouide remedy for this myschefe in speciall

Lastely concluded by the hole counsell
Sent vnto Verolamy two auncient clerkes
In lernyng and vertue / ryght famous and excell
The one called Germayne a myrour in good warkes
Confoūder 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
And came to this citie of Verolaminensis
where the people ꝑuerted / were greuously insensate
And from the trewe fayth / crokedly abrogate
By thereticall doctrine of the erroneus person
Declared to the people with deuylysshe illusion

[Page]
Good people afore this tyme / of feruent deuocion
For recours of pylgryms / had builded an oratory
Ouer the tombe and 
 [...] of holy saynt Albon
wheder these bysshops of blessed memory
Came and made prayer to the martyr instantly
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 ꝑueth the sequele / was ryght acceptable
For than the heretikes / day ne tyme detec
 [...]ed
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
Of god by meane of the martyrs intercessyon
To his tōbe they returned / w
t hert & mynd effectual
Redoublyng theyr prayer / w
t humble deuocion
For the great tryumphe / and vtter subiection
That thenmyes of god / had susteyned that day
Exhortyng the people / to laude god and praye

And mekely on theyr knees / w
t all dew reuerence
Vncouered the tombe / where the corps lay
There founde the reliques in state and essence
All though he had layne ther many a longe day
And of the same reliques they toke no parte away
But of therth all blody saint Germane toke a por­cion
To bere aboute w
t hym of feruent deuotion

[Page]
And for the same in full recompence
A cophyn enclosed with relyques many one
Of all thapostels / and 
 [...] 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

Than departed Germayne and his felowe Lupus
In to theyr owne countres there to remayne
within foure yeres after / agayne it happened thus
Newly to sprynge / theresyes of pelagyans
Than the clergy sent of newe for saynt Germayne
who hastely graunted to come and discusse
All doutes associate / with holy Seuerus

who breuely confounded and brought to vtterance
All theretykesto theyr shame and confusyon
That done they retourned agayne into Fraunce
The people delyuered from deuyllysshe illusion
Albert 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
Of the furyous saxons / and theyr pagan ryte
For after that they had in this lāde made inuasion
Churhes and clergy they distroyed quite
To adnull Christis lawe was all theyr delyte
And compell the christen to theyr false ydolatry
In suche miserable lyfe was all theyr felicite

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Thus by them all this region in maner 
 [...]
From 
 [...] fayth / and holy saynt Alb
 [...]
The 
 [...] and tombe decayed and 
 [...]
Token or knowlege there was lefte none
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 ot the people / all derke & obumbrate
From the fayth of Christ was clerely lost and go
worshyppyng ydols of power aduychilate
Reason of knowlege by wyll was obnubilate
By longe continuance accustomed and vsed
That good and trew doctrine / they vtterly refused

Thylke holy saynt Albon / to the godhed directed
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 the longe begyle
To abate and suppresse / to the christen releue
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
That by goddes helpe shortly made purueyance
These fautes to redresse / by grace as he may
This noble deuoute prince called kynge Offs

[Page]
It 
 [...]t this kyng thā beinge at Bygging
Besy
 [...] 
 [...]ynstowe his owne maner place
Callyng to memory all his former lyuyng
How by the blody swerd his peace he had purchace
Cōpuncte by contrition callyng for grace
Besought god on his knees / with feruēt deuocion
Some knowlege to haue of his synnes remyssyon

Than sodēly in the chapel came a maruelous light
Inflamed the king with a swete fraragraūt odour
The kynge fyrst astonyed / to se it so bryght
Than after coforted gaue laude prayse & honour
To that only god / grounde of all socour
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
And also commaundement as he dyd than tell
All scismes and heresyes / from the contre texpell
He shulde perceyue with all diligence anone
To translate the reliques of holy saynt albon

The kyng or this tyme of the pope had purchased
That Lychefelde shulde be / tharchebysshops see
wherby Canterbury was greatly defased
But for that tyme there was no remedy
All whiche I on
 [...]ye and returns to our story
Howe and by whom was done this translation
Of archebysshop and bysshops w
t feruent deuocion

[Page]
After that the angell at Bathe had thus appered
Of this ꝓthomartyr Albō / made the kyng relacion
He called Humbertus / whome he had than arered
Archebysshop of Lychefeld / and made declaration
Of thangelles cōmandement / for the translation
Of this holy martyr / than the bysshop anon ryght
Obeyed and prepared therto w all his myght

Accompanyed with suffraganes / two he had than
Theyr names to recount / I let ouer passe
The kyng & they to Verolamy / w
t 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

They toke vp the bones w
t all humble deuotion
And bate them to the church w
t 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
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
Folkes lame and podagryd / went than vpryght
Lepres made cleue / by prayer of this knyght
And palatyke folke / as the story doth remembre
And all other diseased / were hole in euery membre

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Be glad and mery / thy title riche and goode
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
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
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
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.

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
Lett call to gedre / of diuers regions
Most cunninge maysters of wryghtes & masons.

[Page]
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
Replenished w
t people / of saynt benettes ꝓfession
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
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
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
with all liberties and fraunchies full ryall
Perpetually bound yt in brede and in lenght
In honour of saint Albō / to stonde in his strenght

O Verolamy as I haue tolde beforne
O Famous olde citie / amonge all nations
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.

[Page]
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
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
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
whiche that abode in his opinion
There shulde come in great reuerence
Tyme commyng folke of religion
Specially to Verolamy towne
whiche that shulde do theyr busy payne
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
Than to theyr hartes / gladnes shall rebounde
That vseth our fayth / whan Iesu lyst by grace
Of his infinite mercy / a tyme to purchase

[Page]
This same man / of full trewe intent
whiche busy was / this story to endue
Vnto 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

And as I haue tolde / this boke w
t 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
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
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
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 cōmyng of saynt Germayn for errours to be
After all these / the tyme of his inuention
Done by kynge Offa / w
t his holy translation

[Page]
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
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 theresies of false pelagyane
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 themperour Theodosius

Foure hundred and forty / of our lorde .ix. yeres mo
And in the fyrst yere of Vortigern the kynge
And the fyfte yere of the fyrst pope Leo
Theodose the seconde emperour than beinge
In his .xxi. yere after iust rekenynge
Saynt Germayn come fyrst / and lupus also
To distroye theresies / that were begon tho

C.xliii. yeres by iuste computation
After his passion / thus come saynt Germayn
And forty and two yere without variation
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

[Page]
CCC.xliii. yeres after saynt Germayne
whiche was seuen hundreth / lxxx. & .xiii. yere
Of our lorde Iesu / as stories doth determyne
That thangell at Bath / to kyng Offa dyd appere
To translate saynt Albon / w
t all heuenly chere
The fyrst Adrian pope / the .vi. Constantine thēpe­rour
whā this translation was done w
t all honour

Perceyue nowe good reders / & gyue true iugemēt
Betwene the monkes of Colen / & of blessed Albon
The Coloners wryteth after theyr entent
To cause the pylgryms to w
tdrawe theyr deuotion
From Verolamy / & to folowe theyr affection
Sayinge that they haue the very body
To theyr shame and rebuke / detendyng suche foly

And to proue theyr intent / playnely they say
That these heresyes of false pelagiane
Began in the reigne of noble kynke 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 theresyes were brought than to vttrance

And so by Germayn / were brought vnto Rauenus
The body of saynt Albon / and there themperour
Valentiniane / he was nobly receyued than
And also the body / with all godly honour
where Germayn sore vexed w
t a mortall dolour
Departed this lyfe and vale of all misery
To theternall lyfe / in the celestiall glory

[Page]
After whose deth themperours mother
Placida by name / as Coloners doth say
To Rome brought this body / she with many other
with all dewe reuerence / there abode many a day
Tyll Otto themperour / w
t his mother Theophana
Brought it to Colen / to tharchebysshop Brunon
In to the monastery of holy Panthaleon

Also at the tyme of this translation in dede
Adrian was pope / and that they confesse
And whan Valentiniane / to thempyre dyd procede
Liberious was pope / in his .xii. yere doutlesse
As diuerse Historiographers / playnly do expresse
So that of the sees spirituall nor temporall
Agreeth w
t theyr accomptes / after theyr memoriall

They say also the body is yet incorrupt
From the thyes vpwarde / they haue in possession
whiche saiynge me semeth of trouthe be interrupte
Onles they wyll graunt any vnsemyng diuision
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
whan therisies 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

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They say also that themperour Valentiniane
Shulde mete. s. Germain / whā he came to Rauene
whiche can not be trewe / but all spoken in vayne
For CCC.lxvi. was the yeres of our lorde than
whan Valentiniane fyrste began to reigne
That was .lxxx.iii. yeres before that Germayne
Came to distroye theresies 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
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 iugemēt

But they that be lerned can rede as well as ye
Conferre histories / and also accompte the yeres
Can well perceyue howe craftely ye do flye
From trouthe / thistories so playnly apperes
And are not they accursed y
t false wytnesse beares
And specyally in writing / to the derogation
Of theyr bretherne in god of a nother nation

Remembre ye ware in Englande but late
with the .vii. Henry that myghty ryall kynge
where couertly ye sought meanes w
t many a noble
To staye & aide you in this vntrewe lesing estate
But ye durst not abyde thende of the rekenyng
For feare of afterclappes that myght haue ensued
ye where afrayde to drynke of suche as ye brewed

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wherfore reduce your selfe / false wrytynge reuoke
Knowlege your offence / of wyll more than dede
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.

O blessed Albon / o martyr most beningne
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
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
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
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
Of all thy seruauntes in Brutis Albion

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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
Graunt our requestes for loue of thylke 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
All theyr greuous and mischefes to amende
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

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 foundous
Of thy liberties royall protector
There brought in fyrst men of religion
One theldest 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
As there protectour ageyne all aduersitie
And doer haue mynde vpon ther citie
whiche is made famous by thy passion
O prothomartyr of Brutis Albion.

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To the cite be patron prince and guyde
In thy seruice make them diligent
with longe felicite on the othersyde
Conserue thyn Abbot and thy deuout couent
Syth they are bounde of herte and hole entent
Euer the to serue by theyr profession
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
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
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 Brutis Albion

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
May holde vpryght agaynste falce extorcion
O prothomartyr of Brutis Albion

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Praye for marchantes / and artificers
To encrease by vertue in theyr busynesse
That there be founde no fraude in theyr desyres
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
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
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
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
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.

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¶ Here endeth the glorious lyfe and passyon of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande / and also the lyfe & passyon of saynt Amphabell / whiche cōuerted saynt Albon to the faith of Christe. whose lyues were translated out of frenche and laten in to Englisshe / by Iohn̄ Lydgare monke of Bury / and now lately put in print / at request of Robert Catton / abbor of thexempte 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.

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Here begynnethe the glorious lyfe and passion of seint Albon prothomartyr of Englande, and also the lyfe and passion of saint Amphabel whicheconuerted saint Albon to the fayth of Christe. — Life of Saint Alban and Saint Amphibal

Author: Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451?1534

Verbi autores.

¶Here begynneth the prologue of the secunde boke / treatynge of the conuersion of the blessed prothomaptyr of Englande called Sainct Albon.

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[Page]¶Here begynneth the seconde boke of the glo­rious Prothomartyr saynt Albon howe he was made gouernour of the citie of Verolamye.

[Page]¶Here begynneth the seconde boke of the glorious Prothomartyr saynt Albon howe he was made gouernour of the citie of Verolamye.