Theophilus :: :: University of Virginia Library

Theophilus

Forrest, William (fl. 1530-1581)

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Theophilus.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

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VIII.

Theophilus, restored to his pristinate state, thought yt not goode (or hys partye) to conceale so great a myracle, wherfore he went to the busshope theare then, a much godlye man, and opened to him all the whoale cyrcumstaunce therof, contented to haue yt publyshed to the people, to the glorye of God and his moste blessed mother, the virgin Marye.

150

All this transacte, overpaste and gone,
Theophilus, quieted in conscience,
With in hym self condescended anon,—
This myracle of so great excellence
To haue yt hydde and shrowded vnder scylence,
He thowght yt dyd to the contrarye tuche,
For that Godes honor yt sette forth so much,

151

Allso his glorious mothers great deale,
The lyke neaver seene in practice before;
Wherfore such thinge to couer or conceale,
He thowght in conscience to be great sore,
Although to his shame yt make an uprore
Of admyration before the worldes sight.
So better then God to reaue of hys right.

152

All shame of the worlde sett vtterlye aparte,
All drede of the same what eaver myght befalle,
He fullye determined in his harte,
His shame to God a glorye appeare shall.
Unto the busshoppe he dreste him forth with all,
In seacret beseachinge him reverentlye
To heare of his mynde a certaine secreacye.

153

The busshoppe much gentelye graunted his request,
And went a parte to heare what he wolde saye.
None neare save theye twoe, avoyded the reste,
To whom Theophilus opened furthe weye
All the whole matter as in hys mynde laye,
In such penytent and sorowfull wyse
That tearys distilled a downe from his iyes.

154

The reverende ffather hearinge the case
Of thys synners to grace conversion,
He magnyfyed God eaven in the same place

109

With tearys owt of his iyen conspersyon.
Who in hell floodis havinge submersion,
To be delyvered such myracul(o)us wise,
He ioyed, with ioyes farre passinge to devise;

155

And sayde vnto hym much amyablye:
‘Deare brother, while heare thowe haste thy beinge,
Haue in remembrance Godes specyall mercy,
Which he hath shewed thee concerninge this thinge;
And of his mother bee not forgettinge.
Great cause thowe haste, and for hundreth thingis moe,
Emonges which let never this owt of mynde goe.

156

And behoveth thee great penaunce to indue,
For great the cause of thys myserable fall,
And great Godes mercye, that thee doth ensue:
Therfore great repentance in especyall.
This myracle so myrificall,
It owght be revealed to Goddes glorye,
And to the praise of the virgin Marye’.

157

‘O ffather’, he sayde, ‘I will yt no lesse,
Beseachinge your ffatherlye reverence
To cause be convented a populous presse,
I beinge by you before there presence,
To whom the Lorde Criste shewed to hys defense;
Ye, to his honoure, openinge the same,
I, for my syn, contented to bare blame’.

158

Then caused the busshoppe a bell to be ronge,
Which over the cyte gave a great sownde.
Ere longe to the temple came a great thronge,
Wheare in the same the busshoppe theye founde,
And hym envyroned abowte rownde,
Advaunced on hyghe, the more to be espyed,
The penytent person standinge by hys syde

159

In pyteous wise, with tearys yealdinge owte,
Not droppe meale, but passinge aboundantlye,
Bare foote and bare legge, I put you owte of dowbte,
And in sackeloth coate moste penytentlye.
Overmuch to good hee thowght yt certaynlye,
Whois pyteous spectacle movyd to pyttye
All there then present of that noble cyte.

160

Scylence requiered, the reverende ffather,
To whom the charge of the cure dyd belonge,
Pawsinge as he sawe the people gather,

110

Tyll comen so manye as lyste there amonge,
Ceasinge the bell, that longe tyme hadd ronge,
Vnto the people theare then in presence
Under this manner opened hys sentence:

161

‘Wee, right wortheye audyence, heere gathered thys tyde,
Set in owre offyce, Goddes glorye to mayntayne,
You to instructe by all wee can provyde,
With lyves example and gostlye foode agayne,—
Endeavoringe therin moste gladde with the payne,—
Haue at this season cawsed this convention
Onelye and specyallye for this intention:

162

The mightye soveraigne Kinge of kingis all,
The onlye God that created all thinge,
And reigneth above in blysse eternall,
Which will of no synner the pearishinge,
Hath at this daye, to hys worthye praysinge,
And to all synners specyall comforte
Shewde myracle straunge, which wee shall reporte.

163

This poore penytent which yee heere beholde,
Seduced by the envyous serpent,
With Sathan entred this bargaine bolde,
And sowlde his sowle, which sore he doth repent,
Renouncynge the Christian sacrament,
Allso oure saviour, Jesus by name,
With allso hys glorious mother the same;

164

Off which he made an obligation
Write with his blode, to make the more sure,
Geavinge the same with hartes contentation,
To bee hys servaunte for eaver to endure.
But God throwgh his mercye of him takinge cure,
Infused his grace in specyall wise,
Which fullye moved hys fawte to recognise.

165

This saide present person seduced such waye,
Comen to him self, tooke great repentaunce,
Ashamynge hys syn to goe so astraye
From him that hath all in hys governance,
And thought him vnworthye for his inconstance
To call vpon him for hys reamedye,
Humblinge him self to hys mother Marye.

166

Though so neaded not, sith hee all thingis maye,
To whom referred all kinde of iudgement,

111

Yeat so he wolde yt as wee maye well saye,
Sith happened quoit(?) so playne and evydent,
To whom to his praise her fame more excellent;
For shee but dothe at his exitation,
Therfor to his cheiff commendation.

167

But shee the instrument whearbye hee wrought
Our humaine kinde to grace to reconcayle,
Bye fflesche on her takinge þat vs on roode bought.
He pleased in this his myserable exile
To sende her to bringe him to hys ovyle,
Through whose entreatance in this greevous case
Shee brought him agayne into her sonnys grace.

168

Wherfore she is to bee highlye honored,
Both for her owne and sunys specyall sake;
Although of him her honoure borowed,
Yeat never the lesse his honour to aslake,
For, certayne, her honor to hys doth make,
For shee of him her graces havinge all,
To him then, of due, the honor to falle.

169

To this ende, o moste Christian audyence,
This noble acte to you I doe declare,
To praise of Godes moste highe magnifycence,
Who wolde the death of on Christian synner,
How eaver greevous hee happeneth to erre:
Much more readyer our synnes to forgeive
Then wee, through our meanys, him therin to meve.

170

This shippe which was loste, hee fownde it agayne.
This prodygale childe is come to peanaunce;
Who beinge late deade, as syn can ordayne,
Ys nowe revyved: such his happye chaunce.
This odyous leaper of his encombraunce
Delyvered, and of blynde made to see:
Such the great goodnes of Goddes maiestee.

171

This I rehearse heare to all in presence,
Of the like falle for eaver to beware;
What eaver mysfortune maketh penitence,
Not so, wetinglye, tenter the dyvilles snare;
How eaver, through syn; of grace made bare,

112

Yeat never to despaire of Goddes mercye,
As this to vs all maye examplyfye.

172

And what thoughe this man hath roved astraye,
Him to abhorre, revyle or deteste
Behoveth vs not in anye kinde waye,
—Sith with forgeuenes God hathe him nowe bleste,—
Therefore to him nowe none his syn to keste.
Who of you all from syn is all cleare,
Throwe stone at hym firste, yf he dare appeare.

173

When anye of vs with wetinge consent
Commytteth syn mortall, wee Christe do forsake.
Then owght wee on this poore synner relent,
And not at his greif a iestinge to make,
By his example but rather to take
Occasion to ryse from such mortall state,
Syth syn none so huge but God maye mytigate;

174

To whom bee all honour, dignyte and prayse
In sorte as to him moste specyall is dwe,
And to settinge forth the same in more wayes,
—For that all graces by him doth ensue,—
Be praise to the mother of Christe Jesu,
Moste glorious Ladye, by whose medyation
Theophilus founde the weye to salvation’.

175

Then made this reverende bushoppe to synge
In praise to God for this myracle greate,
The cantycle of moste worthye praysinge,
‘Te deum laudamus’, to the purpose moste meate,
He helpinge therin in his cathedrall seate.
So of Theophilus an ende wee make,
Who vnto relygion the waye dyd take,

176

Theare leadinge a lief moste penytentiall
In fastinge, prayinge and other penaunce,
To thexample of other synners all,
That lyste there syn haue in consyderaunce,
Tyll God of his mercye sawe suffisaunce.
Then tooke hee him owte of this carcerall payne,
With him in his roialme for eaver to raigne.

177

Bruited abroade this great myracle than,
Honor to God dyd eaverye wheare spred,
And to his mother that so in neede can
Doo helpe to synners so hardlye besteade.
Then weare orations to her offred,

113

Servyces songe all Christendome thorowe,
So farre as anye of this thinge dyd knowe.

178

And more and more as the fame therof grw,
Christian devotion to her dyd encrease.
Who furthered therin dyd neaver yt riw,
But theye to haue cause that cause yt to cease.
In sayinge truthe, none neade hold his pease;
—To whom I refferre, yf truthe I haue sayde;
The rewarde of truthe she see mee then payde.

F(f)inis 27. octobris 1572 per me Guilelmum Forrestum.