University of Virginia Library

The prologe of seynt Agas lyf.

As y fynd wrytyn in legend aurea,
On fyue wysys may þis wurd ‘Agatha’
Ben expounnyd; and fyrst of ‘Agyos’,
Wych sygnyfyith ‘holy’, & of ‘Theos’,
That ‘god’ toknyth; þanne in wurdys pleyne
‘Goddys holy’ ys Agas for to seyne.
And þis to hyr acordyth by congruyte,
For to goddys holy longyn thyngys thre,
As seyth Ioon wyth þe golden mouth,
Wych to blyssyd Agas were kyd & kouth,
As clennesse of herte, & eek presence
Of þe holy goost; þe thrydde ys affluence
Of werkys good. anoþir wyse,
As seyd Ianuence doth deuyse
Pertynently to oure purpos,
‘Agatha’ ys seyd of ‘Agyos’,
‘A’, ‘wyth-owte’, ‘geos’ ‘erthe’ ys;
Wher-of þe vndyrstondyng ys þis:
That Agas in hyr inward entencyoun
Uoyd was of al erdely affeccyoun.
Or of ‘aga’, wych ‘spekyng’,
And ‘Thau’, wych betoknyth ‘endyng’,
Thys wurd ‘Agatha’ seyd ys, quod he;
And wurthyly, for pleynly she
Fyrst & last in hyr spekeyng
Perfyht was, as shewyth hyr answeryng.
Of ‘agad’, to oure purpoos also,
‘Seruage’ toknyth, & of ‘Theos’ þer-to,
Wych sygnyfyith ‘souereyn’, ys deryuyid
Thys wurd ‘agatha’, & to þat applyid,
That she seyde souereyn ba[r]nage
Prouyd ys in crystys trewe seruage.
The fyte & þe last deryuacyoun,
Aftyr þis clerkys determynacyoun,
Of þis oftyn seyd name ‘Agatha’,
Is eftsonys of þis wurd ‘aga’
Wych ‘solemne’ ys by interpretacyoun,
And of ‘thav’, wych toknyth ‘consummacyoun’;
And þis to Agas longyth congruently,
For consummat she was ful solemnely
Of holy aungels by þe sepulture.
Now, blyssyd Agas, do þi besy cure
That þei wych louyn & wurshepyn þe,
Goddys holy, in þis werd mow be
Endewyd of herte wyth clennesse,
And of good werkys wyth plenteuousnesse,
Pure from al erdly affeccyoun,
And to haue in speche swych perfeccyoun
That alle here wurdys mow sow[n]de uertu;
So eek in þe seruyse of cryst Ihesu
To been excercysyd in þis werde here,
That, whan þere bodyis ben leyd on bere,
Here soulys wyth aungelys led mow be
To þat place of endlees felycyte
Where þou doost dwelle; & specyally
To Agas Fleg attende, o blyssyd lady;
And hyr to purchase help swych grace,
Owt of þis werd or she do pace,
That she may haue deu contrycyoun
Of olle hyre mys, & plener confessyoun,
Space & leyser a seeth to make,
And þe holy sacrament to take
Of crystys body, & wyth so holy entente
That þe deuyl wyth noon enpechemente
Hyre mow lette from þe souereyn blys,
Where ioye & merthe endlees ys,
Whedyr mot brynge both hyr & us
Thorgh thy merytys, oure lord Ihesus.

Here begynnys the lyf of seynt Agas.

Agas, of whom I haue spoke [b]eforn,
In an yle Cycyle clepyd was born,
And of Cathanence in þe royal cyte.
Of þe nobyllest blood eek of þat cuntre
Lyneally succedyng she dede descende,
Aftyr þe sentence of þe golden legende;
But no scryptur I fynd þat kan descrye
Of here kynrede þe lyne, ner hyre genealegye
Declaryn, nere hyr progenytours pedegre,
Nere what hyr fadrys name myht be
Nere hyre modrys, treuly; but þis I fynde,
That wyth þe yiftys both of grace & kynde
She endewyd was most excellently.
But not-wythstondyng þat in body
And soule eek she had greth excellence
Of beute; yet euere hyre dylygence
God to seruyn she dede in al holynesse,
Both daye & nyht wyth greth besynesse;
For pryuyly in hyre inward thouht
Rychesse & welth she set at nouht,
Alle fleshly lustys she dede despyse,
No werdly wurshepe myht hyr supprise
Nere fro goddys loue changyn hyr entent.
I wych mene tyme from Rome was [oon] sent
Of al þat cuntre þe reule to han,
And clepyd was hys name Quyncyan,
And to ocupyin þe offyce of consularye;
Lowe of byrth, by fortune set hye
Up-on hyre whele, wych ay vnstable
And vertyble ys & ful mutable,
Neuyr stondyng styl but euere turnyng,
As of þis Quyncyan shewyd þe endyng,
As at þe ende of þis legende
They here shul wych lyst attende.
And not oonly ygnoble was þis Quyncyan,
But he eek was a ful vycyous man,
And specyally he was lybydynous
Thorgh fleshly lust, & þere-to coueytous,
Fals of byleue & an ydolatour,
Wych to mammettys doth godly honour,
And uery god in heuene doth denye.
But whan þis Quyncyan dede aspye

Here is agas delyueryd to Affrodyse.

The purpose of Agas in hyr entent,
By hys offycers for hyr he sent,
And delueryd hyr tyl oon Affrodyse,
A wumman wych lyuyd in synful wyse,
Hyr body offryng to þe vnclennesse
Of ych þat cam, and of lyk wykkydnesse
Wyth hyr she had doughtrys nyne;
Whom he chargyd þat wyth sum gyne
They shuld alle doo al her kunnyng,
Both by behestys & by thretyng,
Of thretty dayis wyth-yn þe space,
To remeue Agas from goddys grace
And enclynyn hyr herte to ydolatrye.
And þei anoon them dede applye
To that purpoos, but yt nold not be.
‘For thys I wyl ye knowe,’ quod she,
‘That myn herte on swych a stoon ys groundyd,
And yn cryst ihesu so steedfastly foundyd
And byldyd up in swych degre
That alle youre wurdys, wych as wynd be,
Youre thretys as flodys, youre hestys as reyn,
As to me ben both frustrate & veyn.
For þow ye neuere so sore assayle
My fundacyoun, ye not preuayle
Shul mown þer-geyns, ner vndyr you alle
Shul þe byldyng maak doun to falle.’
Thus oftyn wepyng she dede seye,
And wyth deuouth herte she god dede preye
That he vouchydsaf hyr make
For hys loue deth for to take,
And so to entryn in-to that blys
Where ioy & myrth endles ys.
And whan Affrody seye þe stedefastnesse
Of blyssyd Agas, & þe goodnesse
From wych she nold remeuyd be,

Here Affrodyse delyueryth Agas ageyn to Quyncyan.

To Quyncyan she seyd on þis degre:
‘Syre, as fer-forth as I kan aspye,
Esyere yt ys stonys to mollyfye
And to makyn as soft as ys lyht brede,
And brennyng yryn to þe softnesse of lede,
Than yt ys þis tendyr maydyns herte
Fro þe entent of crystene feyth conuerte,
Wych both impossyble semyng to be.’
And anoon Quyncyan comaundyd þat she
Shuld be brouht to hys presence;
And whan she come was, he hys sentence
Vttryd þus: ‘damysel, anoon sey me
Of what kynrede born ye be.’
Quod Agas: ‘I sey yt for no pompousnesse,
A ientylwumman I am, as bern wytnesse
Al my parentele ryht wele kan.’
‘If þou þan,’ quod he, ‘be a ientyl wumman,
A serual persone why shewyst the
In maners & condycyouns for to be?’
‘For I am,’ quod she, ‘crystys handmayde;
Therefore to shewe me I ne am dysmayde
A seruyle persone for crystys sake.’
‘Than to þis questyoun a sieth þou make,’
Quod Quyncyan; ‘syth þou ientyl art & fre
Of byrth, [an] handmayde hou mayst þou be?
For by al resoun, as I do gesse,
Ful contrarye ben seruage & ientylnesse,
And to-gedyr no wys may be combynyd.’
‘I-wys,’ quod agas, ‘yf þou were illumynyd
Of heuenely grace wyth þe influence,
Thou sone shuldyst chaungyn [þ]is sentence
And yn þine inwarde conseytys sone aspye
That crystys seruage ys grettest genterye,
And most souereyn fredam & lyberte
Is in hys seruyse prouyd to be;
Whom to seruyn ys a kyngys offyhs.’
‘Ya, leue al þis talkyng,’ quod he, ‘unwyhs!
And of two thyngys anoon do chese:
That ys to seyn, whethyr þou wylt lese
Thy lyf of peyn wyth greth vyolence,
Or ellys louly to offryn frankensence,
Deuoutly knelyng up-on þi kne,
On-to oure goddys, wych immortal be
And al thyng weldyn in her subieccyoun.’
‘I-wys,’ quod she, ‘syth so hy renoun
Is in youre goddys, as þou doost expresse,
I wold to Venus youre goddesse
Thy wyf were lyk & þou to Ioue
Thy god, whom to syttyn aboue
Thow feynyst othyr goddys alle,
And syngulerly for helpe to hym doost calle
And in ych myschef for socour dost seke.’
And anoon a buffet vndyr þe cheke
He comaundyd hyr haue, seying þis wyse:
‘In-to þe iniurye of þi justyse
Be not presumpteuous þi mouth to vndo,
But kepe þi tonge, wyhsdam wyl so,
And iape me not, I the counsayle.’
‘Sykyrly,’ quod Agas, ‘I grethly meruayle
That þou, wych holdyst þi-self so wyhs,
So fonnyd art wexyn & so nyhs,
And so fer forth led in errour
That swych goddys þou doost honour
And wyrshepyst wyth greth solemnyte,
To whom comparyd for to be
And to be assemelyd to as in lyf
Neythyr þe þou deynyst ner þi wyf,
But thynkyst iniurye to you & wroung
That I desyre you to lyue long
Wyth your goddys in egal degre;
For yf þei very perfyht goddys be,
Uoyde of al malyhs & of yre,
[I] to you but good no thyng desyre;
And efthsonys, on þat oþir syde,
If from here lyf thou þe dyuyde,
Dysdeynyng her lyknesse of entente,
Thanne to my purpoos þou doost assente,
And as lytyl apprysyst hem as do y.’
Quod Quyncyan, ‘why art þou so besy
Wyth veyn cours of wordys slye
And cautelous me for to ludyfye,
And to prolonge þe tym in sotyl wyse?
Shortly I sey, but þou sacryfyse
Do to oure goddys in humble manere
Here opynly & wyth hert entere,
Swych torment to þe I shal applye
That for uery peyn þou shalt dye,
And so lesyn al werdly solas.’
To whom demurely þus seyd agas:
‘Ful lytyl I charge hou þou me threte;
For thowe wyld bestys þou behete
To me to sende, whan crystys name
They onys here they shul waxe tame;
And thowe þou threte me by feer,
Yet chaunge no wyse I wyl my chere,
For þe dew of heelful saluacyoun
Aungelys from heuene shul bryng me doun;
And þow þou torment & woundys me threte
And wyth yerdys & scourgys to be bete,
Yet of þe holy gost counfort to haue
I hope weel swych as schal me saue,
And so strong make in sundry wyse
That, what-so-euere þou kanst deuyse
Of peyn & of cruel torment,
Thorgh hys grace of hool entent
I hem alle despyse wyth herte entere.’
And he anoon wyth a sturdy chere
Chargyd hyre on-to prysoun be lad,
For she hym vttyrly confoundyd had
Aforn alle folk euene opynly.
Whedyr Agas went as myryly
And as gladly as þow þat she
To a feste royal led had be.
And as she þedyr went & eek there,
Lych as Ianuence us dooth lere.
In hys book clepyd golden legende,
Wyth deuouth preyer she dede comende
To god hyr cause ful humbylly.
And Quyncyan, þe next morwe erly,
Agas beforn hym comaundyd apere,
To whom he seyd on þis manere:
‘Agas, I counsel þe for þi prowe,
Cryst for þi god forsake thowe
Euene here in opyn audyence,
And to my goddys offre wyth reuerence,
Deuouthly on þi kne knelyng.’
But Agas ne wolde for no thyng
Neythyr cryst for hyr god forsake
Ner to hys goddys sacryfyse make.
Wherfore anoon hyr comaundyd he
Vp-on a iebet hangyd to be,
And there-to be betyn ful cruelly.
And she þus hym seyde demurely:
‘I in þis peynys haue swych lykyng
As he þat heryth a newe glad tydyng,
Or as he þat seth & doth vndyrfounge
Hym whom to seen he desyryd hath longe,
Or as he þat depe hyd in grounde
A precyous tresour hath neuly founde
Wych neuere to-forn he had seyn.
For þis I wyl þou knowe certeyn,
That, lych as þe nobyl greyn whete,
Tyl yt be weel trosshyn & bete
And from þe chaf be partyd so clene
That no fylth þer-in be sene,
It ne shal be put in-to þe garnere
Of þe lord; & so in lych manere
May not my soule, depuryd from vyce
Entryn yn of gloryous paradyce
By palme of martyrdam to þe place
But þou my body do al to-race
Wyth þi tormentours ful dylygently.
Spare not ther-fore, for I am redy
To suffre what-euere þou lyst to do.’
Quod Quyncyan þan, ‘anoon, go to,
O tormentours, & to þis damysel ying
Sumwhat shewyth of youre kunnyng.
Touchyth hyr a lytyl from þe herte
Vp-on hyr pappys & doth hyr smerte,
And let hyre knowyn what ys peyn.’
And þei anoon hyre gunne to streyn;
Sum wyth pynsouns blunt & dulle
Hyr tendyr brestys begunne to pulle
Ful boystously; summe in here hondys
Browhtyyn brennyng hoot fyr-brondys,
And therwyth hyr pappys al to-brent;
Sum wyth yirnene forkys out rent
The flesh þer-of, that grete pyte
How þe blood owt ran yt was to se
On euery syde ful plenteuously.
And whan þis was doon, he gan to cry
And chargyd hys tormentours in al hast
Hem of to kutten & way to kaste
Wyth-oute pyte or reuthe, allas!
Al þat he bad performyd yt was,
And whan a-wey was kut both flesh & fel,
Agas þus seyd: ‘o wrecchyd & cruel
And cursyd tyraunth, hast þou no shame
A-wey to kuttyn that on thy dame
Thou dedyst soukyn for þi fostryng
Ere þou koudyst etyn, whyl þou were ying
And ere þou wyt haddyst or dyscresyoun?
Where-fore me semyth greth confusyoun
It awt to be to euery man
Thus to dysfyguryn a wumman
As þou hast me in þi fersnesse.
But not-wythstondyng al þi cruelnesse,
Maugre al þi furyous vyolence,
Thorgh help of heuenely influence
In my soule al hool wyth-ynne
Pappys I haue wych fro me tuynne
Thou neuere shalt moun wyth no peyne,
Where-wytht I fostre & susteyne
Al my wyttys ful dylygently,
Wych to my lord god halwyd haue y
From þe begynnyng of my tendyr age.’
And þis seyd, Quyncyan in hys fers rage
To prysoun chargyd hyre to be lad
Wyth-owte lettyng, & eek forbad
That no leche shuld entryn hyre to;
Mete & drynk he chargyd also
No man so hardy hyr to brynge,
To enfamyne hyre fully purposynge
In hys malyncoly & in hys yre.
But god, wych of heuene ys lord & syre
And al thyng weldyth at hys wylle,
Wold not suffren hym for to spylle
Hys seruaunth wyth so cruel iugement;
Wherfore to hyre in prysoun he sent
A ould man a-boute mydnyht,

Here comyth seynt Petyr to Agas in prysoun.

Beforn whom went a chyld wyth lyht.
Thys old man sempt a leche to be,
And dyuers medycyns wyth hym broht he
Wych were both good & sure
And suffycyent hyr woundys for to cure.
And whan he cam euene þere she was,
To hyre he seyd þus: ‘o mayde Agas,
Al-be-yt so þat þis mad man,
Thys consularye, þis Quyncyan,
Wyt torment hath þe doon greth dere,
Yet hast þou hym wyth þine answere
Tormentyd more þan he hath þe;
For in hys conscyence ful confuse ys he,
And, as yt semyth, at hys wyttys ende.
But for I present was whan he dede rende
From þi brest þi pappys cruelly
Wyth-oute eythyr pyte or mercy,
I consyderyd haue by my kunnyng
That wyth good dylygence & entendyng
They mounn wele be recuryd ageyn
And maad al hool, yf þou wylt, certeyn.
And comyn I am to þe same entent,
And wyth me brouht many an oynement
Wych be both good & profytable,
And to cure ych soor good & able;
And ellys I nolde haue come now here.’
Quod Agal ageyn wyth ful sad chere:
‘Syre, treuly I wyl ye knowe þat y
Dede neuere yet medycyn to my body
Syth I was born, wherfore now shame
To begynne yt were & wurthy blame.’
‘Doughtyr, I am a crystyn man,’ quod he,
‘And þerfore þou nedyst not to be shamyd of me.’
‘Nay, nay, syre,’ quod Agas, ‘certeynly
No thhyng a-shamyd of you am y,
Ner aferd, for syth fer stopyn in age
Ye been, as semyth by your vysage,
And, on þat oþir syde, wyth greth torment
So woundyd I am & so al to-rent,
That on no wyse, as yt semyth be me,
No man of lust myht tempyd be;
Wherfore, fadyr, ryht humbylly
I you thank & sey gramercy
That ye of your cherytabylnesse
Vouchesaf to do swych besynesse
Me to curyn wyth greth dylygence;
But yt shal not be, wherfore goth hence.’
‘And what ys cause, I you beseche,’ quod he,
‘That you to coryn ye nyl [s]uffryn me?’
‘I-wys, syre,’ quod she, ‘for ful of uertu
A lord I haue, clepyd cryst Ihesu,
Wych of swych myht ys & of puyssaunce
That wyth o wurde al my greuaunce
He curyn may and euere sore,
And perfyth helth to me restore.
Therfore, yf he wyl, yt shal be do.’
‘And þis same lord sent me þe to,’
Quod þis elder, softly smylyng,
‘And hys apostyl I am wythowte doutyng,
In whos name, I dar wele expresse,
Dylyueryd þou art from al dystresse,
And eek alle þi woundys ful curyd be.’
And þis seyd, sodeynly vanysshyd he
And no more was seyn in þat plas.
Ianuence seyth þat seynt Petyr yt was.
And anoon wyth a deuouth entencyoun
On bothen hyr knees Agas fel doun,
And thankyd god wyth deu mekenesse
Of alle hys greth grace & hys goodnesse,
For alle hyr woundys both mest & lest
Ful curyd were, & to hyre breest
Hyr pappys restoryd meruelously
At Petrys partyng euene sudeynly.
And wyth þe bryhtnesse þat þere was
In þe prysoun, whan curyd was Agas
Of seynt Petyr, so astoynyd were
Hyre kepers alle & so ful of fere,
That from hyre they went anoon
And þe dorys lefth opyn euerychon
Of þe prysoun, & fast gunne fle.
Quod oon to hyr þan: ‘o mayde fre,
Syth alle þi kepers ben flad awaye,
Goth wher you lyst, I yow praye,
For euery dore ope stond ful wyde.
Wherfore why lenger ye here abyde?’
Quod Agas, ‘woldyst þou [I] shulde fleen hens
And so lesyn þe froyht of perfyht pacyens?
God forbede, for not oonly so
It shulde befalle, but eek þer-to
I shulde be cause thorgh my cowardnesse
That my kepers shulde been in dystresse
And grethly damagyd for lesyng of me.
It shal not be so, for I wyl not fle,
But pleynly what-euere of me betyde
Stylle in þis prysoun I wyl abyde,
As long as yt lykyth my lord, my loue,
Cryst Ihesu, wych in heuene aboue
Lyuyth & regnyth of myhtys most
Wyth hys fadyr & wyth þe holy gost,
And euere hath doon & shal doon ay.’
But sone, euene aftyr þe fourte day,
For Agas out of prysoun sent
Quyncyan, and þus hys entent
To hyr he seyde: ‘oon of þese two
Chese anoon whethyr þou wylt do:
That ys to seyn, or in humble wyse
To oure goddys þou shalt sacryfyse
Beforn alle folk here opynly,
Or ellys wyth more cruel tormentry
Than þou hast suffryd be maad to dye.’
‘Thy wurdys,’ quod Agas, ‘been ful of folye,
Wykkyd, froward, & ful of uanyte,
The eyr defoulyng in sundry degre.
Sey me now, o wrecche in þi felyng,
But wrecchyddere yet in þin vndyrstondyng
Woldyst þou þat I shuld make
Sacryfyse to stonys, & god forsake
Wych ys in heuene, & from al dystresse
Me hath delyueryd thorgh hys goodnesse,
And of my body hath curyd euery wounde?’
‘Who ys he,—that sey me þis stounde—
Wych þe hath helyd?’ quod Quyncyan.
‘I seye,’ quod she, ‘cryst, god and man,
And sone of hyr by a specyal prerogatyff
Wych was both maydyn, modyr & wyf,
And of god eek þat syttyth in heuene on hy.
‘How darst þou,’ quod he, ‘so malapertly
Hym nem[n]yn ageyn in my presence,
Of whom to heryn me doth offence?’
‘How-euere,’ quod Agas, ‘þe yt hangyr or greue,
On cryst my lord I wyl beleue
Wyl þat my lyf here doth endure,
And louyn hym wyth herte clene & pure,
And wyth my lyppys to hym clepe & calle
In euery nede, what-so-euere befalle,
Wych, yf he wyl, may me saue.’
‘Now shal be sene yf powere haue
Thy cryst,’ quod he, ‘þe to saue & hele
From swych peynys as þou shalt fele
Sone aftyr þis!’ & anoon he bad
Broke sherdys greth plente abrood be sprad,
And vndyr þo sherdys ful hoot brennyng
Colys be kast, & wyth-oute tarying
Agas al nakyd þer-on be leyd;
And doon was anoon lych as he seyd.
And whyl þei were besy vndyr hyr to rake
The hoot colys, sodeynly to quake
The erthe began, and so myhtyly
The cyte yt shook þat a greth party
Fel sodeynly doun, & in þe fallyng
Two conselours wyth þe iuge syttyng
It oppressyd & slow wyth many oon mo.
And forth-wyth þe peple, ful of wo,
Wyth o voys ful loude þus dede crye:
‘Syr iuge, for þe wnryhtful tormentrye
To Agas doon we suffre al thys,
Wherfore to secyn oure counsel yt ys,
Ne hap what ellys may be-falle.’
And whan þei on hym þis wyse dede calle,
Inportunely he roylyd in hys mende
How he myht best þis matere ende;
For whan he þus sey þe erthe quake
And on euery syde doun housys shake,
Castellys, tourys, & wallys hye,
He wex aferde; & on þat oþir partye,
Of þe peple he drede sedycyoun
Wych lyk was to growyn in þe toun.
Anoon he chargyd hys tormentours
Agas to relese of hyr sharp shours,
And quenche þe feer, & to prysoun hyr lede.
And as he comaundyd done was in dede;
Where whan she cam, wyth hert entere
To god she maad þus hyre preyere:
‘Lord ihesu cryst, wych me of nowt
Oonly by grace hast made & wrowt,

þe last of Agas in prysoun.

And fro my yung & tendyr age
Preseruyd hast from synnys seruage,
And my body also from pollucyoun
Hast kept of al fleshly corrupcyoun,
And þe werdys loue hast fro me take,
And hast eek vouchydsaf me vyctryhs make
Of alle tormentys, & wythoute resystence
Wyth þe vertu me enduyd of pacyence,
Taak now up my spyryth, I þe prey hertly,
And comaunde me to come to þi mercy.’
And whan she þus had preyid-wyth mylde steuene
Wyth a greth voys to þe fadyr of heuene,
She yald up þe spyryt, aftyr Ianuence decre

The deth of Agas.

A-boute þe yerys of grace two hundryd fyfty & thre,
Wych tyme as Decius was emperour.
Ane whyl wyth oynementys of sw[e]te odour
Feythful peple dede here besy cure
Hyr blyssyd body to þe sepulture
Redy to dressyn, euene vnwarly
A yung man, in clothys of sylk freshly
Arayid, & wyth hym al clad in whyht
An hundryd chyldryn & mo ful freshly dyht,
Be-syde Agas graue dede stonde,
And a taplet of marbyl held in hys honde
Wyth an epy[t]aphye craftely graue þere-yn,
These wurdys conteynyng in latyn:

Of wych scripture in wurdys fewe
Ianuence þe sentence þus dede shewe:
‘Thys Agas,’ quod he, ‘had a soule holy,
And to hyr passyoun she hyre offryd frely;
Honour eek & worshype to god yaf she,
And fredam she purchasyd to hyr cuntre.’
Thys was þe sentence of þe seyde tablet.
And whan on þe graue yt up was set,
The yunglyng wyth alle hys cumpany
Awey dede vanysshyn euene sodeynly,
Wych neuere were seyn aftyr þat whyle
In al þe marchys of cycyle.
And whan puplysshyd was þis myracle & told
Of paynyms & iewys both yung & old,
Ful many oon wyth greth dylygence
Come to hyre sepulcre & dede reuerence
To þis holy martyr & blyssyd virgyne.
But sone aftyr þat she hyr lyf dede fyne,
As Quyncyan wyth greth pompe & pryde

The deth of Quyncyan

To enserchyn hyre patrymonye dede ryde,
Tweyn hors of hys wex ful sauage
And gunne to nehyn in here fers rage;
Of wych þe toon hym greuously boot,
And wyth hys kakun þe toþir hym smoot,
And doun hym threu in-to a reuere,
Whos body neuere aftyr dede apere
Nere myht be foundyn in no wyse,
Ne neuere shal tyl, at þe last asyse,
Reioynyd to þe soule, on-to helle
It shal goon, þe[r]-yn to dwelle
Wyth deuelys in peyn endlesly.
Lo, þus kan god ful ryhtfully
Ful lowe hem throwyn wych þat hye
In here propyr conceyt aboue þe skye
Surmountyde were as for a tyde.
Lo, þis ys euere þe ende of pryde,
And of hem wych oute of here mynde
Puttyn here creatour, & ben vnkynde
To hys goodnesse, & euere debate
Wyth hys seruauntys & hem doon hate,
And lyst in no wyse here god knowe,
Tyl þei in peyn be plounchyd lowe.
In-fynyht exaunplys here-of we han;
But for þis tyme þis Quyncyan
As to oure purpoos ys suffycyent,
Whom fro seruyl condycyoun fortune up hent,
Of hyre whele by uertybylyte,
And put hym in þe staat of hy degre,
And wyth greth worchepe hym dede auaunce,
And yaf hym þe reule & þ gouernaunce
Of þat wurthy & comodyous yle
Wych of ould tyme clepyd ys cycyle,
And þe dygnyte eek of consularye.
And whan þus clombyn was so hye,
For hys vnkyndenesse sone ouyr-th[r]owe,
As ye herd, he was, & leyd ful lowe.
I wyl of þis mater now no more seyn,
But to blyssyd Agas turne I wyl ageyn,
And makyn an ende of hyre legende.
But fyrst I wyl, who-so lyst attende,
As Ianuence techyth, o myracle telle,

A myracle of seynt Agas.

Wych in þe cyte of Cathenence befelle,
Aboute swych tyme by reuolucyoun
As blyssyd Agas suffryd hyr passyoun;
Next folwyng lytyl [b]eforn hyr day,
Of veniaunce fel þis meruelous frey.
A greth hyl, wych stood þat cyte nere,
Sodeynly brast, & þer-oute cam fere
Ryht copyous wych feruently brent,
And toward þe cyte so swyftly yt went
And so impetously as yt had been a brook
Of reyn-watyr; & what-euere yt took
In hys rennyng cours, wer yt styk or stoon
Or erthe, in feere yt went anoon
And consumyd was almost sodeynly.
And whan þe multytude of paynyms sy
Thys wyse al thyng aboute hem brenne,
Doun from the hyl þei gunne to renne
To Agas graue, ful ny for fer
Owt of here wyt; & whan þei come þer,
They took þe veyl wych þe graue dede wrye,
And toward þe feer þei fast dede hye,
And betwyn þe cyte & þe feer yt set,
So trustyng þe cours þere-of to let
And þe furyous rage & þe greth vyolence.
And so yt dyde; for swych resystence
It made, þat, whan yt cam þer-to,
It cecyd & no more harm myht do.
And doutlees al þis doon was
The meryht to shewyn of blyssyd Agas,
And how plenteuously in grace she dede habounde;
And þe frowardenesse eek for to confounde
Of paynyms, wych neuere wyl beleue
How myhty god ys, tyl þei yt preue
Be sum myracle shewyd sensybylly.
Now, blyssyd Agas, wych in heuene on hy,
Crounnyd as a quene wyth ioye & blys,
Lyuyst & regnyst as wurthy ys,
And eueremore shalt wyth-owtyn ende,
Purchace us grace or we hens wende,
In þis owtlaurye so to lyuyn & do
That at owre partyng we may come to,
Plenerly purged from al oure synne,
The gloryous place wych þou art ynne,
There euere to abyde wyth god & the,
Sey yche man Amen pur cheryte.

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