University of Virginia Library

VI.—THOMAS.

thane eftir þat al þis ves done,
þe apostil & abnes alsone
of Innere Inde com to þe kynge,
þat blith ves grettumly of his cumynge,
& namly for þat manis sak,
þat suld þe palace to hym mak.
þane led he thomas but abad,
quhare þat þe pal[a]ce suld be mad,
þat tuk a lange red in his hand,
as man of craft þat vare cunnand;
þane þare-vith al þe palace can merk,
quhare þat þe kinge vald haf his vark.
& þar a palace one sic vyijs
sa craftly he cane dewyse,
þat þar ves nane sic in-to rome
be Iugment of manis dome.
þe kinge, þat hard his dewice,
& persavit þat he ves vyise,
sad: “richt wele It feris þe
seruand to kingis fore to be.
þar-fore, as þu dewisise now,
mak furth myn wark, & trevly trew,
þat þi trawel sal be þe quet
ful wele, fra þu haf endit It!”
þane gert þe kinge gyf hym in hy
siluere and gold plentuisly,
& a fere cunctre passit to,
quhare he sa gretly had to do,
þat twa ȝeris he dwel[i]t þare.
& þe apostile in þat sychware,
vith þat tresoure he had tane,
pouer men relewit mony ane;
& prechit sa faste, þat he
nere al þe folk of þat cunctre
had conuertit, & but abade
gert kirkis fele & gret be made,
& of baptisme þe sacrament
gert þam tak in gud entent.
bischopis syne ordanyt he,
to serwe god in þare degre
In haly kirke, & clerkis bath,
þat suld þe puple kepe fra wath
of þe fals fend vith þare prechinge,
& eke þe treutht vith þar techinge.
& in sic oys quhen he had all
spendit þe tresoure gret & smal,
þe kinge com hame, & ferly thocht
þat he fand nocht his palace wrocht,
& hard how þe apostil had done
vith his tresoure. for-þi rycht sone
he gerte cal hym & abnen bath,
& in fel presone put þame rath,
& in þare bandis bundyne be,
til he thocht quhat vyse he
micht torment þam maste felloun[l]y.
þane rane hym in mynde in hy
þat he vald firste quyke þam fla,
& bryne þame syne in doile & va.
& one þe thrid day, quhen he
had maste thocht of sic cruelte,
his brothire deit, þat hechte gad,
fore quham þe puple gret dule mad,
& foure dais, vith gret cure,
þai vare makand his sepulture.
bot gad, þe ferde day, rase fra ded
before al þat vare in þat sted,
quha var ab[a]ysit gretumly,
quhen þai saw þat grete ferly.
nocht-þane wele sone þai hym clad,
& to þe kynge, his bruthire, hym led.
to quhome sad he: “bruthire, but hone
I tel þe, þu has mysdone;
fore hyme þat þou thinkis to fla,
or do hym bryne ore ony wa,
Is godis frend, to quham ay
angelis serwys nycht & day,
þat me in paradice has lede,
& schawyt me þe welful stede,
quhare he þe fare palace has mad,
as he before hycht had to þe glad.
na is nocht vndir þe ayre he
palace tendparte so fare to se;
for ma na gold be mar brycht
þane It is to se with sycht;
& set oure all is þat vanis
with brycht & schenand preciuse stanys,
as sardiane, topias fyne, Iaspis,
Iape, crissolit, & onix fyne is,
saphir of assay, & berial clere,
& charbunckile of price ful dere,
& adamant, þat her of gene,
þat mekil helpis to þe ewine.
& quhen I faste musand ves
one þe beute of þat place,
þe angel sad to me, thomas had
to myn bruthir þat palace mad.
& [I] sad: ‘ful fane wald I
þare-of be portare anerly.’
& he sad me þane but abad:
‘þi bruthyre has hym-selwine mad
vnworthi þare-in fore to be;
bot I to god prais fore the,
þat þu mycht ryse & luf vith oþ[i]re,
til þu had boucht It fra þi bruthire,
gyfand hym of þi gud fre
þe coste of It þat mad [h]as he,
þat he vend vele [þat] he had tynte,
& þare-fore to sla men had mynte.’”
& quhen he had sad þis resone,
he rane rycht rath to þe presone,
quhare þe apostil bundyn ves set,
& fel one kneis til his fet,
askand pardonne pytuisly
til his bruthire þat wes gylty,
& lystly lousit sone þe band,
þat thomas had in fwte & hand,
& prait hym þat he vald take
a riche clethinge for his sake.
& sancte thomas til hym can say:
“me þu kennis ȝet be na way,
þat þai þat ȝarnis for to be
In hewyne & þare-In hafe pouste,
ȝarnis til hafe na temporale gud,
ovtane anerly clath & fud.”
thane, quhen sancte thomas of pressone
come, þe kinge ves redy bowne
& faste com rynnand for to bete
his mysded, & fel doune til his fete,
& askit mercy reufully.
þane thomas sad til hym in hy:
“god has ful mekile donne for ȝow,
þat let ȝou se his secret now.
for-[þi] in hym now ȝe trew alway,
& beis baptiste but delay,
gyfe ȝe wil parcenaris be
of his grete blys & lestand gle.”
þane gad sad: “bruthire, I hafe sene
þe wel-full palace fare and schene,
þat thomas mad, & lef gat I
of god, It at þe to by.”
& thomas sad: “in till his will
Is it to sell or till hald still.”
he sad: “þane It sall myn be,
syne I þe coste has mad, parde,
& of his awyne syne lat myn bruthire
gere ȝou, thomas, mak hym ane vthire;
and gyfe he be nocht penny bowne,
lat it til vs bath be commowne.”
& sad þe apostil: “fele palace
has bene, & are in hewine alwais,
sene god fyrste had þis varld wrocht,
þat with nane vthire thing ar bocht
bot with þe price of trewtht rychtvijs
& almus-ded one syndry vyse.
& wardly riches be-fore ȝow
ma pase na way, þat wele ȝe trew!
fore he þat gyffis his almus here,
quhen to hald It he has powere,
Is lyk hym þat in merknes gais
& a lanterne before hym has;
& he þat liffand It deferris,
Is lyk a man þat merknes merryse,
& gerris þe lanterne borne be
be-hynd hym, þe gat to se.
þare-for It is thankful thinge
to gyfe almane of fre lykine
til men liffis, & has fre will
to gyfe, or to hald þame still.”
of a monethe efter þe space,
quhen þat Is sad here, downe vas,
þe apostil did forowte bad
a congregacione sone be mad
of puyre & riche men elyke
for þe maste parte of þe kinryke;
& al þat euire ware sek & sayre,
he gerte disseuire fra þam þare,
& his prayere mad fore þam þan;
& al þe puple sad “amen.”
a fyr-schauchte of þe hewyn rath,
þane thomas & þe puple bath
saw stryk þe ȝerd, & gert ly þare
a space of ane houre & mare;
sa þat all wend but ony dowt,
þat þare þai suld be ded alowte.
þan thomas sad vith gladsum chere:
“ryse vpe now, myn brethir dere!
for god as fyr-schacht nov com here,
to make þire seke men hale & fere.”
þane al þe sek men, þat come þare,
parfyt heyle gat in þat sychare,
& lowit god & sancte thomas
of þat grete habundand grace.
þane sancte thomas vas rycht fovs
till tel þe twelfe greis of vertuse.
þe firste of þame, to rekine now,
Is: in god fermly til trew,
þe quhilk in substance bot ane Is,
& thrinfald in-to personis.
& by þ[r]e ensampile schawit he
felably quhow ma þis be;
for in til a man visdome Is,
& of þat ane þare procedis
vndirstandynge, memore, & wite;
for wyt is þat gerris þe fynd Ite,
þat þu lerit [nocht], & memore syne
Is þat þu laris, þu nocht tyne,
& vndirstandynge is þe aucht,
þat may be schawit or ellis tacht.
þe tothir ensampil tane ma be
sufficiandly be þe wyne-tre—
tre, & leffe, & froite with-all,
bot a wyne-tree we call.
þe threde: þat in þe hewid of man,
ar wittis four, quha rekine can,
as sycht, herynge, gustyne, tastyne,
& ȝet þir foure ar bot a thynge,
& in þe hewid ar herbreit all,
& bot a hewid ȝet ve It call.
þe tothire stage is þat we,
fore to wyne grace, suld baptist be.
þe thryd: þat we ay suld be bone
to fle fornicacione.
þe fyrd is: gyf we be wyse,
ve suld eschew auarice.
þe fyfte stage is: suthly,
to keep men fra gluttony.
þe sexte: gyf man, perchance
fel in syne, suld do pennance.
þat in lele pennance we suld dwel,
as fore þe sewine gre ve ma tell.
& [þe] aucht wel ma be,
for to luf hospitalyte.
þe ninte: for to sek goddis will
In althinge, & till fulfill.
þe tend gre is: till eschew
agane goddis wil we wirk nov.
þe lewine is: þat cheryte
to frend & fa euire haf we.
þe twelfte: þat men be ay reddy
to bere þir stagis sekyrly.
&, or he had his sermone mad,
þare ware baptiste but a-bad
a-lefyne thousand of men,
foroute barnys ore weman,
þat be thomas of goddis grace
to cristine treutht conuertit ves.
and quhen al one þis vyise
ves done as I devyse,
In hest ynde, or he fane,
he went, & þar throw ferlys schan.
& synciane, þat wes vorthy,
& tendir frende to mygdony,
þe vyfe of carise, & cosyne
to þe kinge þar be rycht lyne,
threv his prayer sa wrocht he,
& at, þocht scho blynd ves, [he] gert hir se.
to synciane sad mygdony:
“venys þou þat hym se ma I?”
þane mygdonny of hire consale
but bad hire habit changit hale,
& vith powere folk com to þe place,
quhare þe apostil prechand ves
of þe wrechitnese þat here
men has, til þai be brocht on bere,
& sad: “þis present lyfe
Is ay in vrechitnese & stryfe,
& vndirlout to chansis sere,
sa þat men liffis ay ine vere;
and quhen men venis beste þat þai
sal lyfe in lykine & in play,
þan cumys ded vnwenandly,
& rewis þame al [a]-wa in hy;
& þane þe flesche, þat ve fed here
maste vantonly in daynttis sere,
Is lathaste tu luk one þane,
fra þe lyf be ovt of þame.”
syne for-thirmare he can preche,
& forsit hym þame to teche
four resonis, quhy men here
suld gladly goddis word here,
lyknand þat word in his prechinge
to foure maner of sere thinge:
ane til þe oy[n]ment of þe ee,
þat helpis men clerly to se.
& of þat ee þe vndoynge
Is of oure harte & vndirstandinge,
þat lichtis þe hart & makis It clere,
þat Ignorance be-fore mad swere.
alsa It is lyk to poycion
men takis fore purgacione,
þat clengis oure flesche fra ȝarninge
of fleschly luste & sinful thynge;
& til a plaister lyk ma be,
quhar-thru of syne wondis hel we;
& lyke to met It is vith-all,
quhare-vith oure saule fed ve sall;
for ve suld set our maste delyte
In goddis vord fore sawle profyte.
for, as medycyne þat is parfyte,
dois to þe body na profyte,
bot man resavit it within,
sa the sawle, sek of syne,
ma hafe na helpe of goddis word,
bot It be hyd in-[to] his hurd,
quhen grathly he has hard It,
In his harte bot he It knyt.
of þis vord prechit thomas sa,
þat baptisme tuk mygdona,
þe vyfe of caryse, þat na wa
to his bed ȝed fra þat day.
þat caryse askit at þe kynge
þat he mycht thomas thraly thringe
In-to presone, & did rycht sa.
quhare to hym com mygdona,
& prayt hym of forgyvnes,
þat he for hyr tholit distres.
þane confortand he sad hyre till,
þat payne he tuk vith gud will.
carisius vent to þe kynge
rycht þane, but tary[i]nge,
& for his vif gretly can men,
þat ves ful cister to þe quen,
and prayt hym tendirly,
þat he þe quen vald send in hy,
& fand gyf scho mycht get hir wil,
& gere hyre cum agan hym til.
þane þe quen vent but bad,
& cristyne þat oure ves mad
threu hyre cister, of goddis grace,
þat to pervert hyre purpos ves.
& quhen scho sene had sere ferlyis,
þat thomas dyd mony vyis,
sad: “of god veryte be þai
þat wil nocht trev in cristis la,
seand þe thynnge þat þis man here
dois in þe name of Ihesu dere.”
the apostil þan thru his gud lare
Infowrmyt al þat var þare
schortly of thre, þat is to say,
þat þai suld honoure þe kirk ay,
& to the prestis do honoure
of haly kyrk þat has þe cure,
& be na way þat þai ware swere
goddis vord euir to here.
þe quen þan com agane
þe kynnge, þat hyr þis can f[r]ane:
“quhar has þu bene, dame, al day?”
till hyme sodanly can scho say:
“I wende myn cistere mygdony
had bene a fowle, but nov se I
þat wyser wyfe ma nocht be;
fore to þe apostil scho brocht me,
þat has me kend þe suthfast vay
to cristis blyse, þat lestis ay.”
þe quene vald nocht fra þat day
bede with þe kynge be ony way.
þe kynge, þat wes þan full gretly
grewit, bad þai suld in hy—
þat þai suld þe apostil bynd
fulfaste his handis hym behynd,
& brynge to hym but delay.
& quhen he come, þis can he say:
“þu hyll man & of will thra,
þat gerris oure wiffis fra vs ga,
Induce þam now to cum ws till,
gyf þe ded þu eschew will!”
þe apostil sais: “one na-kyne vyse
may I do þat, quhil þat þu Is
In sic erroure as þu arte now,
as be ensampil þu may trew,
as Is þe ensampile of þe kynge,
& of þe towre, & þe wylsprynge.
for þu, þat kynge & mychtty Is,
deigneis nocht till hafe ful serwice,
but wil þat, quha serwis þe,
mane or wemen, honeste be;
þane sal þu trew in þe sammyn vyse,
þat god ȝarnis honeste serwice
of man or wyf, quhethir it be,
þat seruis hym in þare degre.
þar-for, me think, I serwe no blame
quhen I say: god luffis þe sammynne
In his serwandis, as þu will
þi serwandis trewly serwe þe till.
& I with besynes & cure
has bygyt now a wel he toure,
& þu, me thinke, for fawt of wyt,
byddis me now distroy It;
& I hafe dolvyne in þe erde eke,
a spryngayd in It to seke,
& has fundyne, and þu sais me
þat I suld stope [it] & lat be?”
þan wes þe kynnge Angry and wrath,
& bad his tormentouris wel rath
brynge platis of Irne & stele,
& in þe fyre gert het þam wele,
& ger þe appostil one þam stand,
bundyne faste bath fwt & hand,
bar-fwte. bot þare a ferly fell:
þat vndyr þam sprange vpe a well
& sloknyt sone be goddis grace
þai brynnand platis in þat place.
& þane þe kynge at þe consell
of his macht, þat wes ferly fell,
gert het ane oyne hat brynnand,
& thomas þare-In fute & hand
gert put. bot sone but bade
thru goddis grace It cald wes mad,
& [he] þe tothire day but were
of It come owt hale & fere.
& þane sad caryse to þe kynge:
“gud lord, gere hym mak som offeringe
til oure gret god, þe sene, & sa
his god with hyme he sall wrath ma,
& fra þis tyme furth na mare sal he
one þis wyis helpe hym, ȝe sal se.”
sancte thomas þane þai bad in hy:
“til oure tempil ga sacrify!”
& thomas sad to þame one hycht:
“quhilk opis þu be of mare mycht,
þu or þat thinge þat mad has þu?
& suthfaste god dispicis now,
& honowryse þi awne payntynge,
at na-thinge settand hewynis kynge;
bot, as carisius sais, þe
venys þat my god wrath wil be
with me, gyf þat I sacrify
to þi god. na; bot sikyrly
with þi god wrath wil he be,
& with þi-selfe, bot nocht with me;
for þi god þat ȝe honoure all,
he sal gere brak in powdir small;
bot I þat god sal ho[no]ur ay,
sa mychty dedis ma do sa.
þi god, þare-for, q[u]hen I honoure
& criste, myn god, in-to þat houre
þi god ourtirwis nocht in hy,
til þi god sal I sacrify;
sa þu do þe sammyn to myne,
quhen þu seis þi god vertu tyne.”
þane sad þe kynge: “me think þat þu
as pere & peyre sais to me now.”
sancte thomas þane in hebrow spak
to þe fend, þat ves ful blak:
“þu, þat in þat Idol dwellis
to dissawe men & do nocht ellis,
þat alsone as I knel done
to myn god for deuocione,
I commavnd þe, þat þou brak all
þat ydole in-to powdir small.”
with þat þe apostil knelit done,
& sad þir wordis with hey sone:
“lo, I honoure, bot na mawnment,
bot suthfaste god in gud entent;
lo, I honoure, bot na metall,
þat brokill is & sone ma fall;
bot lo, I honoure god of hewyne
& Ihesu criste, his sone ful ewyne,
In quhais name I þe commawnd,
ful fend, þat þare-In is dwelland,
þat þu þat semulacre brake,
or ony man may hand þe reke.”
þane at þat word but ony mare
It meltit as It vax ware,
& þe fend, þar-In had bene,
flaw a-way, & neuir wes sene.
þan al þe prestis gef a ȝell,
as þai had bene fendis of hell.
& of þe tempil þare bischope,
for doute þe apostol suld eschape,
with a swerd strak hym in hy
In at þe bak throw þe body,
sayand: “I sal revenge sone
þe wrange þat to myn god is done.”
bot carisius & þe kynge
In þat place mad na mare dwellinge,
bot fled richt faste out of þat sted,
fra þai saw þe apostole ded;
for þai weste wele þat þe pup[i]le,
to tak rewengeance, war in will
to sla þam & þe byschope bryne,
þat done had þat horrible syne,
þat þai to þe apostol had don.
þane cristyne men, but ony howne,
hym enterit with gret honoure
In a grawe, mad with gret cure,
quhare god of hewyne dois fore hym ay
myraclis grete to þis day,
&, as I trew, sal do euirmare
til al þai þat are sek or sare,
& sekis hym dewotly
& threw, sal hafe þare helpe in hy.
for, þocht to treu he wes swere,
quhen he can goddis wordis here,
he wes eftyr fwll wel trewand,
quhen he a fyngyr of his hand
had put depe in goddis syd,
yn þat wonde bath depe & wyd.
& sa þe benysone he wane
of Ihesu criste to mony man,
þat blissit al þat saw nocht,
& trewit It in ded & thocht.
for-þi, sancte thomas, we þe pray
þat þu oure helpe be, now & ay,
& get vs grace, we hynne ma twyne
but det, schame & deidly syne.