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A dialoge or communication of two persons
Menede. Yet yowe doo nat open thys redle.
Ogy. I shall paynte it before youre eyes, if the bysshope of Rome doo shot hys thonderbowlt amõgst all monkes, thay wyll than be chanones, & nat monkes, but and if he wold suffre all monkes to take wyues, thã wyll they be monkes,
Me. O new partakeres, I wold to god they wold take away my wyffe.
Ogy. But to come to our purpose, the college hathe skarsly any other
Me. Be thay of a vertuous lyffe?
Ogy. Nat to be dispraysyd, thay be more vertuous thã ryche of thayr yerely renttes. The temple ys goodly & goregious, but oure Lady dwellythe nat in it, but yt was purchasyd for the honor of her sone. She hathe her owne temple, that she may be of the ryght hand of her sone.
Me. Apon the right hãd. Whiche way dothe her sonne loke than?
Ogy. It is well remembryd. Whan he lokythe to the West, his mother is apõ his right hand, but whã he turnythe hym to the Este she is apon the lefte hand. But yet she dwellythe nat in that churche, for it is nat yet buyldyd all vpe, and the wynde runnythe thorow euery parte with open wyndowes & dowres, and also nat ferre of is the Occiane seye father of all wyndes.
Me. what doo yow tell me wher dothe she dwell thã?
Ogy. In ye same churche whiche I told you was nat all fynyshyd, ther is a lytle chapell seelyd ouer with wodde, on ether syde a lytle dore wher ye pylgrymes go thorow, ther is lytle light, but of ye taperes, with a fragrant smell.
Me. All these be mete for religyon.
Ogy. Ye Menedemus if you loke within you wyll say that it is a seate mete for sayntes, all thynges be so bright in gold, syluer, and precyous stones.
Me. You almost moue me to go thyther also.
Ogy. It shalnat repente you of your iornay.
Me. Spryngithe ther no holy oyle?
Ogy. I trowe you dote, that spryngythe nat but owt ofthe sepulchres of sayntes, as saynt Andrew, & saynt Katerê, owr lady was nat beried.
Me. I graût I sayd amysse, but tell on your tale.
Ogy. So moche more as thay persayue youre deuocyõ, so moche larger reliques wyl thay shew to you.
Me. Ye and peraduêture that thay may haue larger offerynges, as is sayd that, many lytle offerynges makythe a heuy boxe.
Ogygy. Her chaplens be alway at hand.
Me. Be thay of ye Chanones?
Ogy. No, thay be nat permyttyd to be with her, lest that peraduenture by occasyon of that religyon, thay shuld be plukkyd frome thayr owne religyõ, and whylst thay kepe that virgyne, thay regard very lytle thayr awne virgynyte, alonly in that inner chapell whiche is our ladyes preuy chãbre, ther standithe a certayne Chanõ at the autre.
Me. For what purpose?
Ogy. To receyue and kepe, yt whiche is offeryd.
Me. dothe any man gyue ayenst hys wyll.
Ogy. No, but many men hathe suche a gentle shamfastnes, that thay wyll gyue some thynge to hym that standythe by, other thay wyll offre more largely, whiche thay wold nat doo perauêture if that he were absent, yt standithe there.
Me. You tell me of mannes affectiones, whiche I my selffe prouyd very ofte.
Ogy. Ye trewly there be some so gyuê to our blessyd lady, that whan thay apere to put vpe thayr handes to offre, with a pure cõusyance, thay stayl yt whiche other men hathe gyuen.
Me. Than lett no man be there, wyll nat oure Lady shote her thonderbowlte at suche.
Ogy. Wherfor shuld our lady rather doo so, than God hymselffe, whom thay be nat affrayd to pluke owt hys robes, & breake ye churche walles therfore.
Mene. I am in a great doubt whether I shuld, rather maruayle apon thayre wykyd boldnes, or Goddys great gêtlenes and longe sufferynge.
Ogy. Apõ the Northe parte ther is a certayne gaate, but lest that you should make a lye, it is nat of the churche, but of the pale that compassithe a bowte the churche yarde, and that hathe a lytle wykyt, suche as be in great mennes gaates, that who so euer wyll entre, must fyrst putin hys legge, nat withowt some ioperdie, and than bowe downe hys hedde.
Me. It is ioperdie to goo thorow suche a dore, to a mannes enemye.
Ogy. So it is, the sexten dyd tell me that ther was ones a knyght whiche fleeynge hys enemye, than aprochynge, dyd ride thorow ye wykyte, and than the wretche dispayrynge in hym selffe, apon a soden motion, dyd commend hymselffe to ye blessyd virgyne, whiche was than at hand. But now commythe the myrakle. By and by that knyght was all in the churche yarde, and hys aduersary was ragynge at the dore wowte.
Me. And dyd he tell you so maruylous a myrakle for a trewthe?
Ogy. No dowte.
Me. But I suppose that he could nat so lyghtely doo that to you so a great a philosopher.
Ogy. He dyd shewe to me in that same wykytte in a plate of coper, the ymage of the knyght fastenyd with nayles and wt the same garmentes yt the Englishmen were wontyd to wayre at that tyme, as you may see in that olde pictures, whiche wylnat lye, Barbours had but lytle lyuynge at that tyme: and dieres & websteres gotte but litle monay.
Me. Why so?
Ogy. For he had a berd like a goote, and his cote had neuer a plyte, & it was so litle, that with strayte gyrdynge it mayd hys body to apere lesse than it was. Ther was another plate, that was in quantyte and fourme like to a cheste.
Me. Well now it is nat to be doubtyd apõ.
Ogy. Under ye wykyte ther was a grate of yrne, that no man cã passe theryn but a footemã, for it is nat conuenyent that any horsse shuld tread after apon ye place, whiche the knyght dyd cõsecrate to owr lady.
Me. Nat withowt a good cause.
Ogy. Frome that parte toward the Este, there is a litle chapell, full of maruayles and thyther I wête, ther was I receyuyd of another of our ladyes chaplenes, ther we knelyd downe, to make our litle prayeres. By & by, he broght forthe the ioynte of a mannes fynger, the greatyste of thre, which I kyssyd, & askyd whose relyques thay were, he dyd say that thay were saynt Petres. What thapostle sayd I. Ye sayd he. Than I dyd better beholde the ioynte, whiche for hys greatenes myght well haue be a Gyãtes ioynte, rather than a mannes. Than sayd I, saynt Peter must nedys be a great man of stature. But at that word, ther was one of the gentlemê that stode by, that could not forbere lawghynge, for the which I was very sory. For if he had holden hys pease, we had sene all the relyques, yet we metely well pleasyd mayster Sextê, with gyuynge hym .ii. or .iii. grotes. Before that chapell there was a litle howsse, which he sayd ones in wynter tyme whan yt there was litle rowme to couer the reliques, that it was sodenly broght & sett in that place. Under that house there was a couple of pittes, bothe fulle of water to the brynkys, and thay say that ye sprynge of thos pittes is dedicate to our lady, that water is very colde, and medycynable for the hede ake and that hartburnynge.
Me. If that cold water wyll hele the paynes in the hede and stomake, than wyll oyle put owte fyre from hensforthe.
Ogy. It is a myrakle that I tell, good syr, or els what maruayle shuld it be, yt cowld water shuld slake thurste?
Me. This may well be one parte of your tale.
Ogy. Thay say that the fowntayne dyd sodenly sprynge owte of the erthe at the commaundement of our lady, & I dilygently examenynge althynges, dyd aske hym how many yeres it was sythe that howsse was so sodenly broght thyther. Many yeres agone saythe he. Yet, sayde I, the wallys doo nat apere so old. He dyd nat denay it. No mor thes woden pyleres. He cowld nat denay but yt they were sette there nat longe agoo, and also the mater dyd playnly testyfye ye same. Afterward, sayd I, thys roffe which is all of rede dothe apere nat to be very olde, & he granted also, thes greete bemes which lye ouerthwerte, and these rafteres that hold vpe that howsse were nat sett longe agone. He affyrmyd my saynge. Well sayd I seynge that no parte of the housse is lefte but all is new, how can yow say that this was the house whiche was broght hyther so longe agoo.
Me. I pray you how dyd the howskeper, auoyde hymselffe frome your argumêt.
Ogy. By & by he dyd shew to vs the mater by the skyne of a bayre whiche had hangyd be the rafteres a longe season, and dyd almost moke the symplenes of owre wyttes that could nat perceyue so manyfeste an argumête we beynge perswadyd by this argument, askid pardon of our ignorance, and callid into our communycacyon the heuêly mylke of our lady.
Me. O how like to the sone is the mother, for he hath left to vs so moche blood here in erthe, & she so moche mylke, that a man wyl skarysly beleue a woman to haue so moche mylke of one chylde, in case the chyld shuld sukke none at all.
Ogy. Thay saye the same of the holy crosse, whiche is shewyd in so many places bothe openly, and pryuately, that if ye fragmentes were gathered apon one heape, they wold apere to be a iuste fraghte for a shipe, and yet Christe dyd bere all his crosse hymselffe.
Me. But do nat you maruayll at this?
Ogy. It may welbe a strãge thynge, but no maruayle, seynge that the lord whiche dothe encreasse this at hys pleasure, is almyghty.
Me. It is very gently expownded, but I am afrayd, that many of thes be faynyd for lukre.
Ogy. I suppose yt God wold nat suffre hymselffe to be deludyd of suche a fasshion.
Mene. Yis, haue nat you sene that whã bothe the mother, the sone, the father, and the holy ghoste hathe be robbyd of thes sacrilegyous theues, that thay woldnat ones moue, or styre nother with bekke or crakke wherby thay myght fray away the theues. So great is the gentles of God.
Ogy. So it is, but here out me tale. This mylke is kepyd apon the hye aultre, and in the myddys ther is Christe, wt his mother apon hys ryght hand, for her honor sake, the mylke dothe represente the mother.
Me. It may be sene than?
Ogy. It is closyd in crystalle.
Me. It is moyste thã?
Ogy. What tell you me of moystenes, whã it was mylkyd more than a thowsand and fyue hunthrithe yere agone, it is so congelyd, that a mã wold saye that it were chalke temperyd with the whyte of a egge.
Me. Ye, but do thay sette it forthe bare?
Ogy. No, lest so holy mylke shuld be defowlyd with the kyssynge of men.
Me. You say well. For I suppose yt ther be many that kysse it, whiche be nother clene mouthyd, nor yet be pure virgynes.
Ogy. Whan ye sexten sawe vs, he dyd runne to the aultre, & put apon hym his surplese, & his stole about his nekke, knelyd downe relygyously, and worshipyd it, and streghtforthe dyd offre the mylke to vs to kysse. And at the ende of the aultre we knelyd downe deuoutly, & the fyrste of all we salutyd Christe, & than after we callyd apon our lady with thys prayer, whiche we had mayd redy for the same purpose. O mother & mayde, whiche dyd gyue sukke with thy virgynes teates the lorde of heuen and yerthe, thy sone Iesus Christe, we beynge puryfyed thorowe hys precyous blode, do desyre that we may attayne, and come to that blessyd infancye of thy colombynes meknes, whiche is immaculate without malice, frawde, or diseyte, and with all affectyon of harte dothe couett and stody for the heuenly mylke of the euangelicall doctryne, to go forthe and encrease with it into a perfaycte man, into the mesure of the plentefulnes of Christe, of whose cõpany thou haste the fruycyon, togyther with the father, & the holy ghost for euermore, so be it.
Me. Uerely thys is a holy prayer. But what dyd she?
Ogygy. Thay bothe bekkyd at vs, excepte my eyes waggyd, and me thoght yt the mylke daunsyd. In the meanseson the sexten came to vs, withowt any wordes, but he held out a table suche as the Germanes vse to gather tolle apon bridges.
Me. By my trothe I haue cursyd veryofte suche crauynge boxes, whan I dyd ryde thorowe Germany.
Ogy. We dyd gyue hym certayne monay whiche he offeryd to our lady. Thã I axyd by a certayne yonge man, yt was well learnyd, whiche dyd expownde and tell vs the saynge of ye Sextê, hys name (as fere as I remembre) was Robert alderisse, by what tokenes or argumêtes he dyd know that it was the mylke of owr lady. And that I very fayne, & for a good purpose desyred to knowe, yt I myght stope the mowthes of certayne newfanglyd felowes, that be wotyd to haue suche holy relyques in derysyon and mokage. Fyrst of all the Sexten wt a froward cowntenãce wold nat tell, but I desyryd the yong man to moue hym more instantly, but somwhat more gently he so courtesly behauyd hymselffe, yt and he had prayd owr lady herselffe after yt fashion, she wold nat haue be dysplesyd therwith. And thã this mystycall chapleyn, as and if he had be inspyryd with ye holy ghoste, castynge at vs a frounynge loke, as & if he wold haue shote at vs ye horryble thonderbolte of the greate curse, what nede you (saythe he) to moue suche questyones, whan yow see before your eyes so autentycall & old a table. And we were afrayd lest that he wold haue cast vs out of the churche for heretykes, but that oure monay dyd tempte hys greate furye.
Mene. What dyd you in the meaneseason?
Ogygyus. What suppose you? We were amasyd as and if a man had stryke vs with a clube, or we had be slayne with a thonderclape, and we very lowly axid pardon of oure folishe boldenes, and gote vs frome thens. For so must we entreate holy thynges. Frome thens we went in to ye howse where owre lady dwellithe, and whan we came there, we sawe another Sexten whiche was but a noues, he lokyd famylarly as and if he had knowê vs, and whã we came a litle further in, we sawe another, yt lokyd moch after suche a fashion, at the last came the thyrd.
Me. Perauenture thay desyryd to descrybe you.
Ogy. But I suspecte another mater.
Mene. What was it?
Ogygy. There was a certayne theffe yt had stole almost all owr ladyes frontlet, and I supposyd yt they had me in suspycyon thereof. And therfore whan I was within the chapell I mayd my prayers to our lady after thys fashiõ. Oh cheffe of all women Mary the mayd, most happy mother, moste pure virgyne, we vnclene, and synners, doo vysyte the pure & holy, and after our abylytye we haue offeryd vnto the, we pray thy that thy sone may grante this to vs, that we may folow thy holy lyffe, and that we may deserue thorow the grace of the holy ghoste, spirytually to cõceyue the lord Iesus Christ, & after that conceptyon neuer to be separat from hym, Amen. This done I kyssyd the aultre, and layd downe certayne grotes for myne offerynge and went my waye.
Me. What dyde our lady now, dyd nat she make one sygne, that you myght know that she had hard youre prayeres.
Ogy. The lyght (as I told you before) was but litle, and she stode at the ryght ende of the aultre in the derke corner, at the last the communicatyõ of the fyrst Sexten had so discoregyd me, that I durst not ones loke vpe with myne eyes.
Me. This pylgremage came but to smale effecte.
Ogy.. Yes, it had a very good & mery ende.
Me. You haue causyd me to take harte of grasse, for (as Homere saythe) my harte was almost in my hose.
Ogy. Whan dynar was done, we returnyd to ye temple.
Me. Durste you goo & be susspecte of felonye?
Ogy. Perauenture so, but I had nat my selffe in suspiciõ, a gyltles mynde puttythe away feare. I was very desyrous to see that table whiche the holy Sexten dyd open to vs. At the last we fownde it, but it was hãgyd so hye that very fewe could rede it. My eyes be of that fashion, that I can nother be callyd
Me. Well, now all doubtes be discussyd.
Ogy. I was ashamyd that I doubtyd so moche, ye mater was so playne set forthe before oure eyes, bothe the name, the place, the thynge it selffe as it was done, to be breffe,there was nothynge lefte owte. There was a mane whos name was Wylyam whiche was borne in Parise, a man very deuoute in many thyngs but pryncypally excedynge relygyous in searchynge for the relyques of all sayntes thorowowt all the world. He after that he had vysytyd many places, contrayes, and regyones, at the laste came to Cõstantynenople. For Wylhelmes brother was there byshope, whiche dyd make hym pry to a certayne mayde, whiche had professyd chastyte, that hadde parte of oure ladyes mylke, which were an excedynge precyous relyque, if that other with prayer, or monaye, or by any crafte it myghte be gotte. For all the reliques that he hadde gotte before were but tryfles to so holy mylke. Wyllyam wold not rest there tyll that he had gotte halffe of that holy mylke, but whan he had it, he thoghte that he was richer than Croeseus.
Me. Why nat, but was it nat withowt any goodhope?
Ogy. He went thã streght home, but in hys iornay he fell seke.
Me. Iesu there is nothynge in thys worlde yt is other permanent, or alwayes in good state.
Ogy. But whan he sawe & perceyuyd that he was in greate ioperdye of his lyffe, he callyd to him a frenchman, whiche was a very trusty companyon to hym in hys iornay. And commaundyd all to auoyd the place, and make sylence, & pryuyly dyd betake to hym thys mylke, apon this condycyõ, that if it chãcyd to come home saffe & sownde he wuld offre that precyous tresure to our ladyes aultre in Paryse, whiche standythe in the myddys of the ryuere Sequana, whiche dothe apere to separat hymselffe to honor and obaye our blessyd lady. But to make short tale. Wylyam is deade, & buryed, the Frenchman mayd hym redy to departe apon hys iornay, & sodêly fell seke also. And he in great dyspayre of amendynge, dyd commyth ye mylke to an Englishmã, but nat withowt great instance, and moche prayer he dyd that whiche he was mouyd to doo. Than dyed he. And ye other dyd take the mylke, and put it apon an aultre of ye same place the Chanones beynge present, whiche were yt as we call Regulares. Thay be yet in the abbaye of saynt Genofeffe. But ye Englishmã obtaynyd the halffe of that mylke, & caryed it to Walsyngã in England, the holy ghost put suche in hys mynde.
Me. By my trothe this is a godly tale.
Ogy. But lest there shuld be any doubte of this mater, ye Byshopes whiche dyd grante pardon to it thayre names be wryten there, as thay came to vysyte it, nat withowt thayre offerynges, and thay haue gyuen to it remyssyon, as moche as thay had to gyue by thayre authorite.
Me. How moche is that?
Ogy. Fowrty dayes.
Mene. Yee is there dayes in hell.
Ogy. Trewly ther is tyme. Ye but whan thay haue grãtyd all thayre stynte, thay haue no more to grante.
Ogy. That is nat so for whan one parte is gone another dothe encrease, and it chansythe dyuersly euyn as the tonne of Canaidus. For that althoghe it be incontynently fyllyd, yet it is alway emptye: and if thou be takynge owt of it, yet there is neuer the lesse in the barell.
Me. If thay grãte to an hunderithe thowsand mê fowrty dayes of pardone, wuld euery man haue elyke?
Ogy. No doubte of that.
Me. And if any haue forty byfore dynar, may he axe other forty at after souper, is there any thynge left than to gyue him?
Ogy. Ye, & if thou aske it ten tymes in one howre.
Me. I wold to God that I had suche a pardon bagge, I wold aske but .iii. grotes, and if thay wold flowe so faste.
Ogy. Ye but you desyre to be to ryche, if yt you myght for wyshynge, but I wyl turne to my tale, but there was some good holy man whiche dyd gyue this argumente of holynes to that mylke, and sayd that our Ladyes mylke whiche is in many other places, is precyous & to be worshipyd but thys is moche more precyous, & to be honoryd, bycause the other was shauen of stones, but this is the same that came out of the virgynes brest.
Me. How kno you that?
Ogy. The mayd of Cõstantynople, which dyd gyue it, dyd saye so.
Me. Perauenture saynt Barnard dyd gyue it to her.
Ogy. So I suppose. For whã he was an old man, yet he was so happy yt he sukkyd of ye same mylke, that Iesus hymselffe sukkyd apon.
Me. But I maruayle why he was rather callyd a hony sukker than a mylke sukker. But how is it callyd oure ladyes mylke that came neuer owt of her breste?
Ogy. Yes it came owt at her breste, but perauenture it light apon the stone yt he whiche sukkyd knelyd apon, and ther was receyuyd, and so is encreasyd, & by ye wyll of god is so multyplyed.
Me. It is wel sayd.
Ogy. Whan we had sene all thys, whyle that we were walkynge vpe & downe, if that any thynge of valure were offeryd, so yt anybody were present to see thaym ye Sextens mayd great haste for feare of crafty cõuayêce, lokynge apõ thaym as thay wold eate thaym. Thay poynte at hym with there fynger, thay runne, thay goo, thay come, thay bekke one to an other, as tho thay wold speake to thaym that stand by if thay durste haue be bold.
Mene. Were you afrayd of nothynge there?
Ogy. Yis I dyd loke apõ hym, lawghynge as who shold saye I wold moue him to speake to me, at laste he cam to me, and axid me what was my name, I told him. He axid me if yt were nat I that dyd hange vpe there a table of my vowe writen in Hebrew, within .ii. yere before. I confessid that it was ye same.
Me. Cã you wryte hebrewe?
Ogygy. No but all that thay cãnat vnderstond, thay suppose to be Hebrewe. And than (I suppose he was send for) came the posterior pryor.
Me. What name of worshipe is yt? Haue thay nat an abbate?
Ogy. No
Me. Why so?
Ogy. For thay cannat speake Hebrew.
Me. Haue thay nat a Bishope?
Ogy. No.
Me. What is ye cause?
Ogy. For oure lady is nat as yet so ryche, that she is able to bye a crosse, & a mytre, whiche be so deare,
Me. Yet at least haue thay nat a presedente?
Ogy. No veryly. What lettythe thaym?
Ogy. That is a name of dygnyte and nat of relygyõ. And also for that cause suche abbayes of Chanones, doo nat receyue the name of an abbate, thay doo call thaym maysters?
