the honeste of Jacob his hous amendyd (the) in-moderaunce and the dyshoneste of Nycolas hous whiche hadde weddyd Jacob his doughter.

Ferthermore ye shall vnderstonde pat Jacob vsed the crafte of makyng of colours wherwyth wolle and wollen (1) clothes ben dyed. This crafte 5 vsed bothe he and his sonys: In that contree they ben called dyers. Wherfore full wonderfully god ordeyned that a dyers doughter shol be made the spouse of the Emperour of heuen, as ye shall see by goddes grace after in this boke. - Somme of this that I haue shewed in this chapytre was knowe to the more parte of the cyte, and somme her confes10 sour had of the sayd mayde Katheryn and of her moder and of many relygyous persons and of seculers whiche were neybours and of kynrede to the same Jacob and to his wyf.

Of her byrthe, and of the merueylous werkinge whiche our lord wrought and shewed in the chylhode of this holy vyrgyn and mayde. Cap. ij. 15 Whan this forsayd Lapa whiche was lyke a fructuous be (2) fulfyllyd (3) the hyue (4) of Jacob her husbonde in bryngyng forth full ofte bothe sones and doughters, It befyll aboute the laste tyme of the berynge of chyldren by the ordynaunce and dysposycyon of our lordis mercy that she conceyued and brought forth two doughters, freell and febyll by nature, 20 but moche more freell of (5) bodely strengthe as semed outward; but strengthe and stabylnesse they hadde in the syght of god. Whan Lapa the moder besely behelde theym, she thought well that she suffysed nought to nouryl'he them bothe forthe wyth her owne mylke: wherfore by a good auysement she commytted that one to another noryse, and 25 that other she wythhelde and kepte stylle to be noryl'hed forth wyth her owne mylke. And soo it befyll by the ordynaunce of our lorde that she chosed that doughter to her owne kepyng whiche our lord of euerlastynge tyme hadde chose vnto his spouse. Bothe they resceyued the grace of baptysme, and all-be-it that they were (bothe) of the nombre of goddes chose 30 chyldren, yet the forsayd mayde was called Katheryn, and that other was called Johan. This later suster whan she hadde receiued this grace of baptysme, in the same grace she went forth to heuen: ffor in short tyme after she passed out of this worlde; Katheryne abode stylle sukkyng on her moders brestes, by goddes ordynaunce: she wold drawe to 35 heuen a longe cheyne of soulis. And for as moche as Lapa pe moder consyderyd that Katheryn abode and that other was deed, she nouryl'hed her more dyligently, hopyng that she was chose to abyde and be goddes chyld; and ofte-sythes this moder lapa wolde saye to maister Reymond, confessour (6) to this holy mayde, that she louyd Katheryn passyngly aboue 40 alle the sones and doughters that euer she hadde. She sayde vnto hym also that she conceyued soo ofte that she myght neuer nouryl'he ony chylde of her wyth her owne mylke; Katheryn she nourylhed forth in to be ende of the tyme pat she neded to be vnder the nouryll he, and in alle that tyme she conceyued not, as (7) it semed that oure lorde for that 45 doughter hadde graunted her a tyme of reste of traueylyng of the byrthe of chyldren, and in a token that she myght come to the ende of conceyuyng and byrthe in that doughter whiche sholde after ateyne and gete the ende of alle perfection.

But yet this moder Lapa after the nouryllyng of Katheryn ones she 50 conceyued and bare a doughter, whiche was called Johan, and there she made an ende of beryng of chyldren, after that she hadde boren xxv chyldren. Whan this mayde was thus broughte forth and halowed to god and whan she hadde lefte the mylke and toke to ete brede: whyle

(1) C. wollen and wolle. (2) vyne by (3) fulfyllyng. (4) wyne. (5) by of. (6) her .confessour. (7) 1. that.

she wente aboute alone, she began to be soo acceptable and soo byloued to all tho that sawe her, and soo wyse and wonderfull wordes she spake, that vnnethes her moder myght holde her in her owne hous. Eche man aboute of her neybours and of her kynrede lad her home wyth theym, and glad they were who myght haue her to here her wyfe speche and 5 that they myght haue felawshyp of (1) the gladenesse of that yonge mayde; soo that of a maner gladdenesse of (2) a passyng solace they called her not by her owne ryght name Katheryn, but Eufrosyna. And what meued them to calle her soo, they wyst not theym-felf; but she afterward sommetyme wolde saye and suppose that it was a mystery, by-cause she pur- 10 posed to folowe saynt Eufrosyne in lyuyng. Her confessour, that wrote this legende, supposed that the yonge mayde in her chyldis speche vsed somme maner of sownynge that nyghed or acorded to that name Eufrosyne, and soo in maner as they wolde reherce her wordes they called her soo by that name. Neuertheles what-euer it was that appieryd she 15 burgenyd out in her chilhode as a tree by ony suche shewyng what fruyt was brought forth. Afterward in her olde age the wysdome and the prudence of her speche and connyng and the swetenesse of her holy conuersacion myght not be rehersed wyth tongue, lyghtly wryte wyth penne, by theym that knewe only the veryte of thys, whiche hadde 20 very experyence (3). She hadde also an Inward werkynge, whyche shewed well not only by her speche but by her conuersacion; wher-thorugh many mennys sowlis were drawe to go(o)d and hadde thorugh her grace grete lykyng and sauour in god, in somoche that all heuynesses were excluded of all mennys hertes whiche were conuersaunt wyth her; and not only 25 that, but all thinges that noyed the sowle was put awaye, also the remembraunce of eche noye or angwylhe was take awaye; and of this folowed eche man soo grete reste and stabylnesse of sowle, whiche they hadde (neuer) byfore, that euery man woundred of theym-self and made Ioye wyth a newe maner of gladdenesse, and eche man in his owne 30 sowle cryed and sayde: „here it is good for vs to be: make we thre tabernacles for our dwellyng-place." And of this none wounder, for doutles he was there hydde inuysybly in the breste of his spouse, whiche was transfygured in the hylle, as saynt Peter sayde and other appostles.

Now ferthermore to our purpos: this chosen mayde in her full ten- 35 der age soone began to waxe and was comforted wyth the holy ghost, in token that she sholde be soone fulfylled wyth the dyuyne wysdome. Aboute her age of fyue yere, whan she was taught to save the salutacion of the aungell Aue maria, she recordyd it besely and sayde it full ofte; and whan she coude saye it, as she was enspired from heuen, she began 40 to grete oure lady (4) goyng vpward on a stayere and comynge dounward on the same stayere, at eche grees of the stayere to worshyppe our lady wyth an Aue maria. This she tolde her confessour afterward in the secretenesse of confession. By this ye maye see that she, that fyrst in the begynnynge shewed forth fyrst plesyng and acceptable wordes to men, after that yonge age she began....to stye vp from thynges that were inuysyble. After this holy begynnyng she encresed euery daye: and than, as it pleasyd our lord, she was vyseted wyth a gracyous and a wounderfull vysyon, to stere her and to shewe here hy(e)r gyftes of grace of the holy ghoost, and to shewe other how a lytyll plante shold be brought 50 forthe and soo nourylhed in to an hi(5) tree of Cidre by the moyster of

(1) C. and st. of. (2) and of. (3) so C.; lat.: quidquid tamen fuerit, aperiendo quod iam in infantula germinabat, quod fructificavit postmodum in adulta. Sapientia siquidem et prudentia sermonum ejus, necnon et dulcedo sanctae conversationis ejus, non posset nec lingua nec calamo facile recitari; soli qui experti sunt, hoc noverunt. (4) tilge to - lady. (5) C. him.

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the holy gost. Aboute her age of vj yere It befyll that this chosen mayde wyth her brother Steuen, somme-what elder than she, wente to her suster Bonauentura, of whiche suster is made mencion byfore, perauentur on someuer ende or to loke how she ferde, as the maner of 5 frendes of kynrede is soo to doo. Whan she hadde doo that they were bode to doo, in her goyng homward agayn by the waye whiche is called in her tongue wallis piacta, (1) this holy may lyfte vp her eyen: and agaynste her ouer the chirche of the freer prechours she sawe in the ayer a full fayre chambre, ryally aparayed wyth all ryches and honeste, where oure 10 lorde Ihesu Cryste (sat) in a trone Imperyall, clothed wyth pontyfycall vesture, hauyng on his hede a myter papall, and wyth hym were saynt Peter and saynt Poule and saynt Johan Euangelyst. And whan she behelde alle thys, she was fyrst astonyd; but by a-vysement stably she stode styll and wyth a louyng (2) herte deuoutly she loked on her sauy15 our bothe wyth bodely and gostely eyen. And anone our lorde....drewe her loue to hym mercyfully, sette his eyen of his mageste vpon her graciously and louyngly wyth a maner (3) smylyng chere, and reched out his ryght arme toward her and ouer her, and gaue her his blessyng wyth the token of the holy crosse, after (4) the maner of other Bysshoppes and prelates. The grace of this gyfte of god was spedfull and soo effectuously putte in her, that anon she was transformed and rauysshed in spyryte vnto oure lord whome she sawe and behylde wyth soo greate gostely lykynge, and not only her gooyng and her waye was out of her mynde, but fully she hadde forgoten her-selfe, and ofte she wente in the 25 waye besyde men and bestes, (5) (that) by nature dredfull sholde be as a chylde, but euer the eyen and the hede were vpward abydyng vppon that blysfull vysyon; and none doughte soo she wolde haue abyde, but she hadde be touched or take awaye by somme other body, as longe as that vysyon had endured. But at the laste, whyles thys was shewed 30 to the mayde, Steuen her broder helde forthe his waye and was passed her a greate space, wenyng that she had folowed hym; but whan he tourned hym and sawe her not folowe, he tourned agayn and sawe his suster ferre behynde stondyng styll in the waye and loke vp in the fyrmament. And thenne he cryed after her wyth a lowde voys and called 35 her; she answerde not and toke (6) none hede. Thenne he wente nere, cryeng after her; but his voys helped not. He woundred and wente thenne and drewe her by the honde and sayde what doost thou here? why comest thou not forthe?" She anon cast doune a lytyll her eyen, as she hadde awaked of an heuy slepe, and sayde: A, yf thou sawe that 40 I sawe, thou woldest not haue lette me from this holy vysyon." And anone as she had said tho wordes, she lyft vp her eyen agayne to beholde more vp that she hadde seen; but the vysyon was alle wythdrawe and cesyd, as his wyll was whiche aperyd to-fore. And that myght she not bere wythout a sharpe stroke of sorowe and anone she vengyd her on 45 her-self wyth sore wepynge, for sorowe that she (had) caste doune her eyen. And from that tyme and houre this yonge mayde and vyrgyn saint Katheryn began to waxe olde in vertues and sadnesse of maners and to haue a wounderfull witte and a felyng body bothe by grace and by nature, In soo moche that her dedes were nother chyldy lhe ne as a yonge 30 woman, but they semed rather to alle men that they came of the wysedom of a greate worshypfull age. Soo that anone was shewed that the fyre of dyuyne loue was kyndeled in her herte, by the whiche vertu her intellection was made clere, her wyll was feruent, her memorye was comforted, and alle her outward werkyng shewed in alle thynges the rewle

(1) lat. Valle Piatta. (2) C. louyngyng. (3) man neuer. (4) and after. via publica penes homines et animalia saepissime transeuntia... permanebat.

(5) lat. in (6) C. take.

of goddes lawe. And, as she sayd in confessyon to hyr confessour_full mekely and lowely, she (1) lerned and knewe at that tyme, wythout techyng of ony body or ony redynge or heryng, onely by the Infusyon of the holy ghoost, the leuyng and the maners of the holy faders of Egypte and the lyuyng of many other Sayntes, and specyally the (2) lyfe 5 of Saynt Domynyk. She hadde soo grete desyre to folowe the lyuyng of the holy fadres and Sayntes, that she myghte noo thynge ellys thynke but howe that she myght come therto. And by that cause many newe thynges beganne in that holy mayde, that hyr holy lyuyng and dedes broughte all men in to a wonder. For after that tyme she sought oute 10 where that she myght haue a pryue place to abyde in preuely whanne she wolde vse bodely afflyccyons and whanne she wolde occupye hyr in prayer and holy medytacyons; In that place at certeyne tymes she Scourged hyr lytell tender body wyth a lytell scourge. She lefte of all maner pleyes and dysportes and besely gafe hyr to prayer and medy- 15 tacyons; full stylle she was and gaf (hyr) alle to scylence euery day more and more, ageynste the condycyon of chyldren; lasse bodely mete she toke thenne she was wonte to-fore and that is not wonte to falle in chyldren that be wexynge.

Exemplum. By the exfaumple of thys yonge mayde many damsellys 20 of dwellyng there nye and of hyr age were steryd to god by grace and gadred, to here of hyr holy and gracyous wordys and after her power to folowe hyr holy werkys: where-thorugh it fyll that alle tho chyldren att certeyne tymes camen to-gyder in to a preuy place of hir hows where she dwellyd, as she hadde chosen to-fore hyr-self, and alle they fcourgyd 25 hem-selfe as she dyde, and eche of them sayde a certeyne (of) Pater noster and of Aue maria, as Katheryne bad hem saye. Alle these werkynges were but tokenys of gretter meruaylles that sholde folowe after that. For, as hyr moder tolde full ofte to Mayster Reymond and she, whan he asked hyr, myghte not denye hyt, full (3) ofte, goyng vpward 30 and dounward the grees of hyr faders hows, vysybly to alle their syghte that sawe hyr, swyftely she wente in the ayre and touched noo grees wyth her fete. And thys fylle namely whanne she wolde flee a-waye oute of companye, and specyally from the syghte of (4) companye of men. And for as moche as she had a grete lykynge in the begynnyng to say 35 hyr Aue maria and to grete our lady ther-wyth in goynge vp and doune on hyr faders grees, therfore it is to suppose that thys myracle was shewed there rather thanne in another place. Forthermore, for as moche as she had knowynge of the lyfe of holy faders of Egypte by reuelacyon, therfore wyth alle her strengthes she was steryd gretely to folow hem; 40 In so moche that in pat yong tender age full feruentely she desyred to be in the wyldernesse as the holy faders were in olde tyme, but she myghte not bethynke hyr by what-maner waye she myght perfourme hyr desyre. And by-cause it was not ordeyned of god that she sholde dwell in soo solytary place, oure lorde suffred hyr to stonde to the wytte 45 of hir proper nature as in that, and she myght nomore knowe what she sholde doo as touchyng that purpose, than hyr owne chyldes wytte wolde shewe hyr. And ryght so it befyll that she wyth hyr feruent wyll to her purpose she ouercame the tendrenesse and the frealte of hyr age, but yet hadde she not the parfyte vyctorye. For erly on a morow-tyde she 50 thought to go to the deserte or ellys wyldernesse and abyde in a solytary place, wherefor by chyldys prouydence she purueyed her of a lofe of brede, and of no more; fforthe she wente toward hyr susters hows that was wedded, whyche hows was faste by the gate is clepyd the gate of saynt Anfanye; she passyd hyr sustres (5) hows and forthe she wente out at

(1) that she. (2) of the. (3) that full. (4) tilge syghte of. (5) C sustrer.

that gate, and so dyd she neuer afore; and soo passyd forthe tyll she came to a waye out of the Cyte where she saw noo hows stonde nyghe there as she dyde in the cyte: and thenne she thought wel she was nyghe the deserte. Yet wente she somwhat forther and at the laste she founde 5 a lytel caue vnder a banke, whyche plesyd hyr well, and forth she wente in with a glad herte, wenyng to hyr that she hadde fonde the wyldernesse whyche that she hadde desyred. And all-be-it that she it had not yet, our lorde, almyghty god, whome she behelde long to-fore and receyued hys holy blessyng, whyche gladly acceptyth all holy desyres, alle-be10 it that our lord hadde not dysposed hys spouse to haue that manere of lyuyng, yet wolde not he suffre that dede that she dyde of good desyre to passe awaye wyth-out a token, to shewe her that she dyd was acceptable and plesyng to hym: and anone as she began to praye there feruently, she was I-lyfte vp lytell and lytell from the erthe, and the body 15 wente vp as hyghe as the heigth of the caue wolde suffre, and so she stode in prayer fro the morow in to none. Thys mayde perceyued welle that she was areryd from the erthe, and as for that tyme she wende it had ben the worchyng of hyr enemye, whyche wold wyth hys fraudes and dysceytes lette hyr prayer and desyre that she had to the deserte: 20 and for that cause she besyed hir and enforced hyr the more stablye and feruently to praye. At the laste aboute the houre of the day whan our lord aftir his passyon of the crosse (1) was take doun fro (2) the crosse, she descendyd lytell and lytell as she ascendyd: and by Inspyracion of our lord she hadde vnderstondyng and knowyng that the tyme was not yet 25 I-come where-in she sholde not putte hyr body in suche afflyccyon for our lorde, ne that she sholde leue her faders hows in suche maner: wherefor she torned as she came. But whan she wente out and sawe she was allone, and behelde the gate of the Cytee longe and full ferre to her age and feblynesse, dredynge also that hyr fader and moder shold wene 30 that she had be loste, she coude no more but beganne to praye and commytted hyr fully to god. And anone in a shorte whyle by the ordynaunce and myght of our lorde she was borne vp in the eyre and sette in the gate of the Cytee wyth-out ony harme; and anone she wente home in alle the hast that she myght or coude. Thys she tolde to a 35 Cosyne of heres, whyche was callyd Laxa (3); but to hyr fader and moder alle thys was hydde and vnknowen tyll she came to elder age; for they wende she hadde come fro hyr susters hows that was wedded. Of (4) thys that is shewed in thys chapytre, in somme partye Lapa hir moder tolde to mayster Reymond, whyche was hyr last confessoure, and in somme 40 partye her-self, and of somme Laxa hyr cosyne; not-wythstondyng that he hadde grete witnesse (5) of alle that is I-wrytton and sayd a-fore, saue of (6) the laste, bothe of hyr fyrst confessour, whyche was I-nouryl'hed in hyr faders hows, and of many worshypfull and trewe matrons, of neyghbours nyghe and of other besyde nygh to hyr fader and moder and to hyr.

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Of hyr vowe made of virgynyte, and of other vertuous liuynge and meruaylles whyche be-fyll tyll she came to the age of abylytee to be wedded to man but wedded was she not ne neuer wolde. Cap. iij. SO moche vertue and grace was in that vysyon whyche is rehersyd in the nexte chapytle to-fore, that all worldly loue and affeccyon was wyth50 drawen out from the herte of thys holy yonge mayde, and onely the holy loue of goddys sone and of the gloryous mayde and moder of our lord Thesu cryste stylly and stedfastly was prented in hyr herte. Wherfore she sette alle thynge at noughte, soo that she myght onely wynne our

(1) tilge of the crosse. (2) 1. was don on. (3) 1. Lysa. (4) 1. Al. (5) C. swetenesse. (6) at.