¶ The fyrst chaptre.

THis blyssed virgyn saynt katheryn was by the dyscent of the lyne and of the noble kyn rede of the Emperoure of Rome / as it shalle be de­clared more playnly here after / by a noble cronycle whiche moost blyssed lyfe and conuersacyon was writē of the solēpne doctour Athanasiꝰ that knew hir byrth hir kynred hir holy lyfe & conuersacyon. And this same Athanasius was done of hir may­sters in hir tender age / and by the grace of the holy gost she was cōuerted to the faithe. And after that she was cōuerted / she cōuerted the same athanasi us by holy and meruelous werkes that oure lorde wrought in hir. and after by his wysdom he was made bisshop of Alisandre / & was a glorious pyler of holy church / by the grace of oure lorde god & hir holy meritis / as we do fynde by credible cronycles For in the tyme of themperour Dioclesian & maximian / so great & cruel tyranny was shewed in the worlde & not only of cristen but also of paynymes that in y ^t tyme many a realme that was sub get to tome put a way the yok of ther seruage & opē [...]y re­belled aienst them perour amōge which the realme of Ermony was one of the mooste that myghtely [Page] [Page] withstode the tribute that longed to the emperour of rome wherfore ther was chosen to apeas that rebellyon a lorde of greate dygnyte of the counseyle of highe cōstancius which was afore al other manly in armes / and therwith right discrete and fulle of vertues. The which lorde than whanne he cam in to Ermony staūched so by hys vertue and man lye gouernaunce that rebellyon / that he deserued the loue of all his ennemyes / soo ferfurthe / that the kynge and alle his people desyred that he shulde wedde the doughter and the heire of the lande and whāne this was doone within a whyle after the kynge of Ermonie dyed / & constancius was crowned kynge of that lande the which within a while after had a son by the quene the which was clepid costus And sone after that died the quene for whō was made great lamentacion of hir people. After whos dethe cōstancius the kynge tourned agayne to Rome for to se the emperoures welfare / and for to se & knowe howe his lordeshyppes were gouer­ned in tho partyes. and in the mene tyme came ty­dynges to themperour of Rome howe that greate brytayne that nowe is called Englonde rebellyd agaynste the emperour of Rome. wherefore it was sene amonge the coūsel / that it was to requyre con stanciꝰ the kyng of Ermonie to take on hym for to redresse that rebellyon. the which request he godlly graunted & drew him towardes tho ꝑties & in hi [...] cōminge he ruled hym so by his vertue & prudēce [Page] [Page] wherefore we be in derkenes & tyl the light of grac [...] come we may not se the clere waye. and whanne hym lyst to come he shal voyde away the derk clo­thes of ignorance. & she we hym clerely to me whi­che I so feruētly desyre and loue. And if so be that hym lyste not that I fynde hym / yet reason com­maundeth me to kepe hole that is vnhurt. wherfo­re I beseche you humbly my lady my moder that ye ne noone other neuer meue moore of this mater For I by hyghte you playnely that for to dye ther­fore I shalle neuer haue other but oonly hym that I haue dyscryuyd / to whome I shall truely kepe al the pure loue of my herte. And with this she ro­se vp / and hir moder & all the lordes frome the par­liament. And with great sorowe / and lamētacien they toke ther leue & went on their way. & thanne they yonge lady went home vnto hir paleys whose herte was so set on fyre with thys husbonde y ^t she had discryued that she coude no thinge thynke n [...] do but all hir mynde & hir intencyon was only on hym / wherfoore she stodyed & mused contynually howe she myght fynde hym but it wold nat be as yit / forsoth she had no meanes therto. Nat wyth­standinge he was full nere hir herte. for he it was that had kynled hir herte wyth a brēnynge fyres loue that shulde neuer be quenched by no peynene tribulacion which was wele sene in hir glorio [...] passion herafter.

[Page] [Page] Ere I leue this yonge quene as for a tyme syttyng in hir palyce cōtynually thinking and ymagynynge howe she myght fynde this newe spouse with many a tere of elongacyon and many a sore syghe / for hir blynde ignoraunce and nowe I shall turne as our lorde wyl gyue me grace to she we howe oure lorde by hys speciall my racle clepyd hir to baptyme / in a synguler manere [...]hat neuer was herd of before ne sith & after howe [...]e wedded hir visibly ī a glorious maner / shewīge hir soueraigne tokens of loue / that neuer was she­wid to none exthly creature saue only to oure lady his blessyd moder. ¶ Besyde Alysander a certeyn space of myles ther dwelte an holy fader in deserte that hight Adrian the which had serued oure holy fader almyghty god the space of. xxx. yere in grea­te penaunce. And on a daye as he walked by foore his celle in meditacion / ther cam agaynst hym the most reuerēt lady that any erthly creature myght beholde. and whan the heremyte bihelde hir most excellent estate / and hyghe beaute aboue kynde he was so sore astoned and dredefull that he fyl dow ne as deede. Thanne this blessyd lady seynge hys great drede / cleped him goodly by his name & said broder Adryan drede ye not for I am not come to you but for your great worshyp honour & profyte with that she toke hym by the hand myldly & cō ­forted hym & saide to hym in this wise. Adrian ye must go on a message to the cyte of Alisaundre for [Page] [Page] me and into the palys of the yonge Quene & ther, ye must say to hir that that lady gretethe hyr well whose son she chase to hir lorde and husbonde syt­tinge in hir parlement with hir moder and all hyr lordes aboute hir where she had a greate contluy­te and batayle in kepinge of hir virgynyte / and tel hir that the same lorde that she dyd chese there ys my son that am a clene virgyn and he desyreth hir beautye and he loueth hir chastite amonge all vir­gyns in erthe / & byd hir without tariynge that she come with you alone into this place and she shalbe newe clothed and than she shall see hym / and ha­ue hym to hir euerlastinge spouse. The heremyte heringe all this / answered thus. O blessed Lady howe shulde I do this message. for nouther I kn­owe the cite ne the wey and what am I though I knewe it for to doo suche a message vnto the quene Hir meny woll nat suffre me to come vnto hir presence: and she woll nat byleue me of my message. but put me in duraunce as thoughe I were a fay. toure. ¶ Adryan saide this blessyd Lady drede ye nat for that that my son hath begonne in hir must nedis be perfourmed: for were ye well she is a spe­cyall chosyn vessel of grace before all other women wherfore tary nat ne drede nat. For bothe ye shall knowe the cyte and also the wey into hyr Paleys for there shall no creature take hede to you.

¶ And whan ye come into hir paleys take goode hede whiche dores open agaynst you / and enter in [Page] [Page] boldly tyll that ye come vnto this faire yonge que ne whome ye shall fynde alone in hir stodye stody inge full sore in hir wittis of that that woll nat be wherfore my son hath compassyon on hir laboure and for hir goode wyll she shal be specially fed w ^t his grace that was neuer none lyke to hir / out ake myn owne ꝑsone that am his owne moder. wher fore Adryan hye you fast & bringe me my dere doughter that I loue with all myn herte. And whan Adryan had receyued hys message / he layde hym downe flatte before hys souerayne lady saynge in this wyse. All worshyp & Ioy be to my lorde god your blessyd son. & your blessyd wyll be fulfylled & I woll go at your cōmaundement.

¶ The vii. chapter.

And anone adrian rose him vp & hied him fast to the cyte of alisāder & passed the desert and so furth tyll he came to the cyte / and soo he wente furth to the paleys as he had lerned so dyd he / and entred in at the dores the whyche opened ageynste hym / & so he yode from chamber to chaumber tyll y ^t he cam to the secrete stody where as no creature vsed to come but she hir self alone / & whan that he entred in at the dore he sawe where sate the fairest creature & the most goodly y ^t any creature myght beholde / and she sate so sadde in hir stody that she herde hym nat vnto the tyme that he kneled hym