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[The Tale of Valentine, and how Devils puld his Body out of its Grave in the Church.]
Þyr was a man þat hyght Valentyne,
Playtour he was, and ryche man fyne,
For of þe cherche of Myleyne was he playtour,
More for mede þan Goddes onour.
Besyde Genë, a noble cytë,
Deyde Valentyne, and beryed shuld be;
Yn seynt Syxtes cherchë shuld he lye;
So ordeyned men whan he shuld deye.
Þe fyrste nyȝt þat he was þere leyde,
Þe wardeynes of þe cherche vpbreyde,
And herd one cry, rewly and shyl,
As he were put oute aȝens hys wyl.
Playtour he was, and ryche man fyne,
For of þe cherche of Myleyne was he playtour,
More for mede þan Goddes onour.
Besyde Genë, a noble cytë,
Deyde Valentyne, and beryed shuld be;
Yn seynt Syxtes cherchë shuld he lye;
So ordeyned men whan he shuld deye.
Þe fyrste nyȝt þat he was þere leyde,
Þe wardeynes of þe cherche vpbreyde,
And herd one cry, rewly and shyl,
276
Þe wardeynes asked what þat myȝt be,
“Ryse we vp alle, and go we se.”
Þere he was beryed, þydyr þey ran,
And sagh many fendes aboute þys man;
And of hys graue þey oute hym pulde;
Oute of þe cherche, drawe hym þey wulde;
Þe deuylys droȝ hym by þe fete
As hyt were careyne þat dogges ete.
Þe wardeynes werë sore affryght
For þat noysë and þat syght;
Aȝen to here bedde þey ȝede;
Þey durst no lenger dwelle for drede.
On þe morne whan þey were ryse,
Þey ȝede to þe graue, þere þey were so agryse;
Þer-yn alle aboute þey soght,
But þe body founde þey noȝt.
Þey opende þe dores, and loked aboute,
And fonde þe body lygge þere with-oute;
Þe fete ybounde to-gedyr ful faste,
And as a foulë careyne caste.
“Ryse we vp alle, and go we se.”
Þere he was beryed, þydyr þey ran,
And sagh many fendes aboute þys man;
And of hys graue þey oute hym pulde;
Oute of þe cherche, drawe hym þey wulde;
Þe deuylys droȝ hym by þe fete
As hyt were careyne þat dogges ete.
Þe wardeynes werë sore affryght
For þat noysë and þat syght;
Aȝen to here bedde þey ȝede;
Þey durst no lenger dwelle for drede.
On þe morne whan þey were ryse,
Þey ȝede to þe graue, þere þey were so agryse;
Þer-yn alle aboute þey soght,
But þe body founde þey noȝt.
Þey opende þe dores, and loked aboute,
And fonde þe body lygge þere with-oute;
Þe fete ybounde to-gedyr ful faste,
And as a foulë careyne caste.
Seynt Gregory seyþ hardly,
Þere he lay fyrst, he was nat wurþy;
But hys soule hadde pyne þe more
For þe pompe and pryde þat he was leyd þore.
Þere he lay fyrst, he was nat wurþy;
But hys soule hadde pyne þe more
For þe pompe and pryde þat he was leyd þore.
lordes are besy aboute to haue
Proude stones lyggyng an hye on here graue;
Þurgh þat pryde þey mowe be lore,
Þogh þey hadde do no synne byfore;
Hyt helpyþ ryȝt noght, þe toumbe of pryde,
whan þe soule fro pyne may hyt nat hyde.
Proude stones lyggyng an hye on here graue;
Þurgh þat pryde þey mowe be lore,
Þogh þey hadde do no synne byfore;
Hyt helpyþ ryȝt noght, þe toumbe of pryde,
whan þe soule fro pyne may hyt nat hyde.
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Ȝyf þou euer vsedest halewed þyng,
And wystyst hyt fyl to cherches offryng,
Hyt ys grete synne, y do þe to knowne,
Ȝyf þou helde hyt as for þyn owne.
Ȝyf þou wyþhelde any þyng seþyn
Þat hyt was to holy cherche ȝeuyn,
Þyn or ouþres, with-outë leue
Of parsone, or prest, or cherchë reue;
Hyt ys sacrylage, y þe plyȝt,
To wyþholde þat falleþ to cherchë ryȝt.
And wystyst hyt fyl to cherches offryng,
Hyt ys grete synne, y do þe to knowne,
Ȝyf þou helde hyt as for þyn owne.
Ȝyf þou wyþhelde any þyng seþyn
Þat hyt was to holy cherche ȝeuyn,
Þyn or ouþres, with-outë leue
Of parsone, or prest, or cherchë reue;
Hyt ys sacrylage, y þe plyȝt,
To wyþholde þat falleþ to cherchë ryȝt.
Ȝyf þou dedyst euer þat vnlawe,
A man oute of holy cherche to drawe
Seþen þat he toke hym þar-tyl,
Þou hast synned yn moche vnskyl.
But ȝyf he hadde do aȝens þe assyse
Þat fyl to holy cherches fraunchyse,
Slayn one þar-ynne, or robbed hyt,
Hyt shulde nat þan saue hym, by my wyt.
A man oute of holy cherche to drawe
Seþen þat he toke hym þar-tyl,
Þou hast synned yn moche vnskyl.
But ȝyf he hadde do aȝens þe assyse
Þat fyl to holy cherches fraunchyse,
Slayn one þar-ynne, or robbed hyt,
Hyt shulde nat þan saue hym, by my wyt.
Þe lewed man, holy cherche wyl forbede
To stounde yn þe chaunsel whyl men rede:
who-so-euer þarto ys custummer,
Þogh he be of grete powere,
Boþe he synneþ and doþe greuaunce
Aȝens þe clergy ordynaunce.
To stounde yn þe chaunsel whyl men rede:
who-so-euer þarto ys custummer,
Þogh he be of grete powere,
Boþe he synneþ and doþe greuaunce
Aȝens þe clergy ordynaunce.
But ȝyt do wymmen gretter folye
Þat vse to stonde among þe clergye,
Oþer at matyns, or at messe,
But ȝyf hyt were yn cas of stresse;
For þerof may come temptacyun,
And dysturblyng of deuocyun;
For foule þoght cumþ of feble ye-syȝt,
And fordoþë grace with ryȝt;
And with a tale hyt may be shewed,
Þat ys gode boþe for lered and lewed.
Þat vse to stonde among þe clergye,
Oþer at matyns, or at messe,
But ȝyf hyt were yn cas of stresse;
For þerof may come temptacyun,
And dysturblyng of deuocyun;
For foule þoght cumþ of feble ye-syȝt,
And fordoþë grace with ryȝt;
And with a tale hyt may be shewed,
Þat ys gode boþe for lered and lewed.
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