lord hyr sauyour. And anone she had clere vnderstondyng, only by the techyng of the holy ghoost, that (it) is full semyng and accordyng to our lorde and our maker of nought to be serued wyth alle purytee and clennes bothe in body and in sowle; wherfore she desyred fully to haue and kepe the clennesse of virgynytee. And for that she thought well, 5 and (had) knowynge (1) by the techynge of god, that our blessyd lady goddys moder was the fyrste that founde the lyf of virgynytee: wherefor thys mayde conceyued in hyr herte that vp that mater she wolde haue recourse to our lady for helpe and counseyll. And whan that she came to seuen yere age, she took grete auysemente, as though she hadde be 10 of sadnesse of xx (2) yere of age, and contynuelly she prayed our lady, quene of aungels and virgynes, that she wolde wouchesauf to helpe hyr and gete hyr of our lord a parfyte waye to the techynge of the holy ghoost, where-by she myght doo that were moost plesynge to god and moste spedefulle for helthe of hyr sowle; and in eche prayer euer she 15 shewed hyr desyre to our lady how sore she desyred to lyue an aungels lyf and the (3) lyf of virgynytee. And in alle thys tyme the loue of the euerlastyng spouse, was more feruent fro day to day in thys maydens herte, whyche loue steryd alle hyr sowle wyth-oute ony cessyng vnto an heuenly liuynge. And whan thys wyse mayde sawe how feruent her 20 spyryte was in that desyre: by-cause she wolde not quenche the spiryte whiche that freely and gracyously hadde graunted that she asked by a hote kyndelyng of desyre: vpon a day thanne she chose hyr a preuy place, where noo body myght here hyr and where she myght speke alle a-lowde wyth a hygh voys what-euer she wolde saye, (and) there wyth 25 all lownesse of body and sowle thus spak she to our lady and sayde: O moost blyssedfull(4) Lady and moost holy virgyne, whyche fyrste amonge alle wymmen thou halowedest for euer thy virgynytee to our lord wyth makyng to hym a vowe, of whome thou were made moder of hys onely sone: thy pyte whyche may not be spoke ne tolde of tongue, lowely I 30 beseche and praye, that be none of my merytes and notwythstondyng myn vnworthynesse (thou) wouchefauf, gracyous lady, to do me so moche grace that thou me spouse to hym onely whome I desyred wyth all the strengthes of my sowle, and that is thyn holy sone my lord Ihesu cryste; and here I make to hym and to the fulle promysse that I shall neuer take 35 other spouse and I shall kepe to hym my virgynyte vndefowled after my myghte and poure." Loo, maydens that rede thys, Loo here ye may se how ordynatly alle the yeftes and vertuous werkyng and dedys of thys holy mayde were dysposed and ordeyned by that euerlastyng wysdome, whyche myghtely dysposeth alle thynges in softnes! In the age of fyx 40 yere she sawe hir spouse wyth hyr bodely eye and took of hym hys blyssynge; in the age of seuen yere she made a vowe of virgynyte.... Taketh hede also by what auysement and what ordre she kepte in makyng hyr auowe: ffyrste she desy red and askyd to haue hym to hyr spouse whome hyr sowle louyd; after that desyre and askyng she for- 45 soke euery-maner spouse, behotyng to hym trouth and feyth for euer lastynge. Thys petycyon myght not be denyed. Taketh hede also whome she prayeth, and for whom she prayed,(5) and how she prayeth: ffyrste she prayeth that lady whyche hath properly inacte the lyberalytee and the fredome of alle graces and can not but euer graunte and yeue grace, 50 be a man neuer so fowle for synne; she holdeth hyr-selfe dettour to alle, bothe to wyse and to vnwyse, she despyseth none, she opened her hande to eche man that hath nede, and stretched out hyr pawmes to eche poure man, and sheweth out hyr-self to all folke as a well that neuer faylled.

(1) and knowynge hyr. (2) 1. lxx. (3) C. in the. (4) 1. blyssfull. (5) 1. prayeth (so öfter).

How sholde that gracyous lady not here that lytell mayde so Innocent and feruent, whyche puttyth not awaye from hyr grace synfull men and women of elder age? how sholde not our gloryous lady receyue the purpose of virgynyte of that holy mayde, whyche gracyously fyrste 5 amonge men founde out the holy and clene lif of virgynytee? how sholde our mercyfull and pyteuous lady denye thys lytell mayde hyr sone, whyche drewe hym from heuen to the erthe, for he sholde be gyue to alle that belyued on hym? Now ye haue seen whom thys mayde prayed: sethe (1) now, I praye you (2), for whom she prayed. She askyd that same 10 whiche he him-self taughte for to aske whyche is asked; she sought that same whyche he byddeth alle men to seke that shall be sought, and he hym-self that shalle be sought may not put awaye ne put of, and the petycyon of suche a thynge must nedys haue graunte after our lordes promyse where he sayde: Askyth and ye shall haue, seketh (3) and ye 15 shall fynde." he sayde also in another place: ffyrste sekyth the kyngdome of god and hys ryghtwysnesse." Therefore whanne thys mayde (asked) and so besely sought soo tymely in so tender chyldys age the sone of god, whyche is hym-selfe the kyngdome of god, how or (in) what manere myght it be but that she sholde fynde what she soughte, or haue 20 that she askyd? Ferthermore now seeth in what manere she prayed or asked that she desyred, and ye shalle clerely see that hyr prayer myghte not be doon awaye ne voydyd. She dysposed hyr-selfe to receyue that she askyd, not onely for the tyme that now is, but for alle the tyme that is to come, she remeuyd alle hyr obstacles, she clothed hyr wyth a 25 plesable clothynge of pouerte (4) to hym for euer of whome she askyd hyr desyre; she bonde hyr-self and oblylhed hyr wyth a solempne vowe as to-fore god, and soo straytely restrayned hyr-selfe, that neuer the world ne the fende sholde lette hyr dysposycyon. In alle thys tyme ther faylled hyr no condycyons whyche a prayer sholde haue, but that prayer muste 30 nede be herde that she asked. For hyr-self she asked fulle mekely that was helthefull and that was alle helthe, feythfully she stood and stedfastely; and to represente hyr perseueraunce, she made a perpetuell vowe, where-by she remeuyd alle that shold be obstacle for hyr petycyon. Here may ye sekerly conclude that nedys she moste be herde of our lord! 35 Thynketh thenne sekerly that as she asked soo she resceyued of our lorde and took hyr lorde and hyr loue for hyr euerlastyng spouse of hys blysfulle moder, as she desyred, and bi helpe of that gloryous lady she was coupled for euer to hyr dere sone by a perpetuell vowe of virgynyte, as it shall be proued wyth the helpe of our lord by a clere token in the 40 last chapytre of this fyrst partye. But now ferthyrmore ye shall knowe that after thys vowe thys mayde began euery day to wexe more holy and holy and in that tender age she began to take batayll wyth hyr flefl'he, whyche as yet be-gan neuer to be rebell, but for all that she purposed to take a-waye from hyr flefl'he all flefl'hly mete as moche as she myghte. Wherfore whanne flefl'he was leyde to hyr, as it fylle ofte, eyther she leyde it to Stephen, hyr brothyr, or preuely lytyll and lytyll she voyded it, that no body sholde perceyue it. She contynued alwaye hyr dysciplynes, (5) of whyche I spake a-fore, and encresed hem more sharpely, eyther allone by hyr-self or wyth other yonge maydens. Also a grete 50 zele (6) of othyr sowles helthe began to be kyndelyd in hyr, and that was wonderfull in suche a chyldes herte; and syngulerly she loued all tho sayntes whiche laboured specyally aboute the helthe of mannes sowle. She hadde also knowyng, onely by the techynge of god, that Saynt Domynyk ordeyned the ordre of frere prechours, for loue of the feythe of holy chyrche and for the helthe of mannes sowle. Wherfore she had

45

(1) C. sithe. (2) thou st. you. (3) speketh. (4) 1. purite. (5) C. dysplyens. (6) wele.

that ordre in so moche reuerence, that whan she sawe frerys of that ordre passyng forth in the waye by hir faders howse, she marked wel where they wente, and when they were passyd, fulle mekely and deuoutely she kyssed the steppes of theyr fete. From that tyme forward there wext a grete desyre in hyr sowle to go vnto that ordre, that she myght pro- 5 fyte mannes sowle wyth other brethern of that ordre. But by-cause she sawe a grete obstacle in that she was a woman, therfore she thought to folowe Saynt Eufrosyen as men clepyd hir in childhode wonderfully as for a pronostycacion, that ryght as saynt Eufrosyen feyned hyr a man and went in to a monastery of monkes, in the same manere thys mayde 10 is purposed to feyne hyr a man and go in to ferre contree, where she was not knowe, and take the abyte of the ordre of frere prechours: where she myght helpe sowles and saue them from peryl'hyng. But yet, not-wythstondyng that same thought and purpose abode longe in hyr mynde, our lord suffred not that thought to be perfourmed in dede ne 15 brought to execucyon, for pat loue was put in (1) hyr mynde to another ende, and our lord wolde also in another maner fulfyll hyr desyre. In all thys tyme thys mayde wexte fast in body and encreced in age, but moche more hyr sowle encreced in vertue. Mekenes wext fast, and deuocyon encreced, feyth was more clere, hope was gretely strengthed, 20 Charyte multy plyed hyr feruour, and of all thys vertues was gendryd a vertuous and (2) a worshypfull sadnes of maneres and of relygyous putte (3) in the syght of al men whyche consydered hyr dedys. The fader and the moder were astonyed, her brethern and susteren wondred gretely, alle the meyne of hyr faders hows meruaylled, beholdyng and perceyuynge 25 Soo hygh wysdome in soo tendyr age. And amonge many notable wyse wordes and dedys one I wylle shewe you here in commendacyon of that mayde. Hyt befylle at that tyme, after seuen yere and to-fore ten yere age, that for deuocyon that hyr moder hadde to saynt Anthony, she wolde haue a masse I-sayde in the worshyppe of the same Saynt: where- 30 for she clepyd Katheryne, hir doughter, and took hyr a certeyne of candelles and a certeyne of syluer, and sayde: „Goo, doughter, to our pary The-chyrche and praye oure paryl'he-preest to syng or do synge a masse in the worshyp of saynte Anthonye, and offer thyse candelles and thys money vp to the awtre." Thys mayde was gladde to doo alle 35 thynge that myght torne to the worshyp of god: and anone she wente to the chyrche and performed hyr moders byddyng. But for deuocyon that she hadde to here masse, she abode stylle to the ende of the masse; and whan alle was I-do, she wente home ageyn. But hyr moder wende she wolde a comen anone ageyn, anone as she had made oblacyon to the 40 preest; and for as moche as her doughter taryed so longe aftir hir semyng, whan she sawe that she was come she thought to blame hyr doughter and sayd: Cursyd be the wycked tongues that sayd thou sholdeste nomore come ageyne" thys was the manere of somme men to saye her langage, to hem (4) name(ly) that taryed to longe out. Thys 45 mayde thenne of grete wysdome herde what hyr moder sayde and helde hyr stylle a whyle and spake noo word ageyne; but after a good space thys mayde drewe hir modre a-syde and wyth grete sadnes of hyr mekely spak to hir modre and seyde: „A, lady modre, when-euer I trespas or do again)ft youre biddyng, bete ye me wyth a rodde, as you thynketh 50 best, that I be more ware another time, for it is worthy and ryghtfull that ye do so; but no-thyng, I praye you, for my defautes curseth neuer good man ne badde, ffor it is not semyng for your degree, and to me it is a full grete affliccioun in herte." While hyr modre herde these wordys, sche wondrid gretely, and no merueill was, to here her lytill doughter

(1) from. (2) tilge a vertuous and. (3) tilge and putte. (4) C. her.

teche and so wysely enforme hir, In so moche that she hadde no spirite more to blame hyr at that tyme, for the wysdom that she sawe in so yonge alitill thynge. Neuer-the-les she wolde not that hyr doughter hadde knowe that: therfor sumwhat she thoughte to speke ageyne, and 5 turned to hir doughter and seyde: why were you there so longe? The doughter seyde mekely ageyne: Modre, I herde that masse that ye badde me goo to, and whan it was I-doone, I turned home ageyn wythout ony tarieng, for I abode nowhere till I come home ageyne." Thoo was the modre by tho wordis more edyfyed than she was to-fore, and went to 10 hyr husbonde and seyd: Thus and thus hath thi yonge doughter I-spoke." He than as a good man gaf thankynges to god and bare it stylle priuely in hys herte, and seyde noughte ageyne. Loo ye, maydeūs that here or rede thys book, of thys oo poynt, all-be-yt that it be one of the leste, yet mowe ye wele perceyue how our lorde encreceth hys 15 grace all-weye in thys yonge mayde till she come to be yeres of abilitee to be weddyd, of the whyche yeres ye shalle see in the next chapytre. For of thys chapitre I make now an ende; but yet ye shall vnderstonde that I had thyse that be conteyned in thys chapytre of the same mayde for the more partye, and somme I hadde of the modre and of 20 other dwellyng in hyr fadres hows whyle she was of that age.

How hyr feruente deuocyon was (with)drawe, whyche our lord suffred for encrece of more grace folowyng; and of hyr stronge pacyence, wyth the whyche pacyens she suffred in hir fadres hows many Iniuryes. Cap. quartum. Affter the wonderfull and vertuous cours of lyuyng in the fyrst yeres 25 of thys maydens tender age, our lordes wyll was in somme lyghte defaute to suffre hyr to fall, as he suffred fulle ofte somme of hys holy sayntes, to that entent that they sholde the more myghtely aryse vp ageyne and lyue more warly and strenght hem to atteyne to the ryght waye and the heythe of perfeccyon and gloryously haue the vyctorye 30 of the fende, whyche is euer enemye to mannes sowle. These wordes I saye here: for whanne she came to the age of the yeres of abylyte to be wedded, that is to saye to the twelthe yere of hyr age or lytel more, thenne after the manere of the contree she abode styll at home and came not out of hyr fadres hows. And the fader and the moder thenne 35 and hyr other frendes and kynne, by-cause they knewe not the maydens purpose, they bethought hem and besyed hem to seke aboute where that thys mayden myght worshypfully and profytably (1) be wedded, and to what perfone.(2) Hyr moder supposed that for the grete wysdome that hyr doughter had she sholde haue be wedded to somme man of grete kynrede: 40 where-for she besyed hir fast aboute the bodely apparayll and araye of hyr doughter and taught hyr to wall he ofte hyr face and to kembe ofte hyr hede and to make hyr fayre here and to voyde alle thynge that sholde be dyshoneste or sholde make foule hyr face or hyr necke, that whan ony man came to aske after hyr for maryage, she sholde be the 45 more semely and fayrer. Thys holy mayde was alle of another purpose and had made another vowe, alle-be-it she shewed it not to hyr fader ne moder; wherfor vtterly she thoughte noo thynge to do as hyr moder bad hyr touchyng suche curyosyte: she besyed wyth alle hyr strengthes to plese god, but no man in that wyse. And whanne hyr moder hadde 50 aspyed that she had no wylle to that maner of lyuynge, she was dysplesed, and clepyd to hyr Bonauenture, hyr other doughter, whyche was late I-wedded before, and bad hyr trete soo hir suster that she myght araye hyr in bodely apparayll as the manere was of wymen in that contre that sholde be maryed, and doo as she hadde bad hyr doo to-fore

(1) C. parfytably. (2) prosone.

hyr moder knewe welle that Katheryne loued Bonauenture fulle tenderly, and supposed that she sholde be broughte in to that more lyghtely by hyr suggestyons thanne by ony other and soo she was, as ye shalle see after. For by suffraunce of oure lorde she was broughte so Inne thorough speche and example of hyr suster Bonauenture by many- 5 maner wayes, that at the laste she assentyd to (do) hyr besynesse in apparaylle of hyr body after the wylle of hyr moder, not-wythstondynge that stably she kepte hyr purpose neuer to haue husbonde. But after she graunte(d)(1) to hyr sustre and folowed hyr wylle in suche araye, she maad soo moche sorowe whanne that she was confessyd therof, wyth terys and 10 sobbyng, that eche body shold suppose that she hadde do somme greuous synne. She vsed ofte to be confessyd generally, and alway whan she came to pat poynt, she accused her-selfe full harde wyth wepyng and sore sobbyng. But the confessour, alle-be-it he knewe that a vertue it is of go(o)d and lowely sowles to see in them-self defaute where none is, 15 and where it is but lytyll, it semeth hem (2) full grete, neuerthelesse for as moche as she accused her-self and demed her worthy euerlastynge payne for that synne sauyng the mercy of god, there(for) he asked her whether she purposed or wylled in all that tyme to do agaynst her vowe. She sayde nay, for it came neuer in her herte. Also he asked agayne whether she 20 dyde it to the plesaunce of ony man In speciall or to the plesaunce of all men. She answerd and sayde, ther was none so moche payne to her as to beholde men or to be seyne of men or to be there men shold fynde her. Wherfore when her faders men, pat lerned dyers crafte in her faders hous, came to ony place or chambre where she was, she fledde as 25 faste awaye as adders hadde come to her, soo that all men wondred; she wold neuer goo to the wyndowe ne to the dore of the hows to see how men wente by the waye. Thenne he sayd: „why deserued (3) that dede whiche was but for a bodely ornamente, euerlastyng payne, namely whan the apparelle was not to excessyuely?" She answerd and sayde that 30 to excessyuely she loued her suster, and, as her thought, more than god, as that tyme, wherfore she wepte wythout remedye and dyd harde penaunce. Her confessour wold haue replyed agayne and sayde: alle-bee-it ther was somme excesse of loue, it was but lytyll, and that dede as of him-self was not I-doo for noo wycked or euyl entencion, but for vayne 35 plesaunce of her for the tyme, and that was not agaynste the precepte of god. She herde how her confessour replyed (4): she lyft vp her eyen to god and wyth a lowde voys cryed and sayde: „A, my lorde god, what ghostely fader haue I nowe, whiche excuseth my synnes!" and wyth a sore grutchynge agaynst her-self, she tourned to her confessour and sayde: 40 ffader, thynke ye that this wretchedfull and mooste vnworthy creature of god whiche hath receyued of my maker of nought soo many gracyous yeftes wythout my labour and wythouten ony meryte, shold occupye ony tyme in arraye and vayne apparelle of this roten fleflhe, whiche myght (cause) or induce a dedely synne? I wene, she sayde, helle 45 suffyseth not to punyflhe me, hadde not the pyte of god doo graeyously and mercyfull wyth me." After thyse wordes her confessour durst nomore speke of that mater. But than after that (5) he besyed him to knowe yf that blessyd sowle had euer in her lyf be kept wythouten ony spotte of dedely synne, soo that she hadde kepte fully (6) 50 hole her vyrgynyte both of body and of sowle, not only from the synne of fleflhely steryng, but also of alle maner of synne. And after that he knewe how vertuous and how clene a sowle she hadde, this wytnesse and recorde he bare of her conuersacion and both sayd and wrote that

(1) the graunte. (2) hym. (3) deserued ye. (4) 1. wolde haue replyed? (5) tilge after that. (6) 1. full.