The PurveyProject

De sancto Bartholomeo apostolo
Homilies for Saints

Par Alina MIHOC
Publication en ligne le 05 octobre 2013

1/f. 69r/ Frendys, ƿe shal haue a solempne feste in Holy Chirche of a seynt, the whiche is cleped seynt Bartilmew. And how he went into the londe of Ynde in a palmers wede to preche Goddes worde. And so he come into a temple and thereinne he fonde a deuel – his name was Astrotte – and he tolde that he cowde hele syke men of here syknesse and reysed men to lyf, and ˊmenˋ beleued on him. But after tyme that Bartilmew was comyn into the temple, Astrotte had no more powere to spekyn after that he was comyn in, but sate stille dome. And tho theise men that were in the temple had gret meruel that here god Astrotte was dome. And anon certyn men of hem toke hem togedyre and seyde thei wolde gon to here oder god Beruth, that was duellynge in anoder temple. And there thei come to h[i]m 1 and asked whi that Astrotte, here god, had no power to spekyn. And he seyde ayen to hem that there was comyn into the temple a man that was Goddess frende and Ihesu apostle. ‘His name is Bartilmew’, he seyde, ‘and whil that he is thereinne he shal haue no power to speke to yow. Therfore I prey yow’, he seyde, ‘that ƿe go home ageyn and prey him that he come not hedyre to me. For whi? Happely he mytestthanne serue me worse thanne he

2/f. 69v/ serued him’, he seyde. And tho went thei home ayen into the temple, and anon thei sout the apostle Bartilmew and thei cowde not fynde him. And it seith the ton of theise ii men that sowte him was meche traueld with the deuel. And he toke up a cry and seyde theise wordes: Apostole Dei Bartholomee, incenduntme orationis. That is to sey: ‘ƿu Bartilmewe, Goddes apostle, thi preyers brenne me’. Thanne Bartilmew spake ayen and seyde: ‘Wax ƿu dome and ƿu foule fende go ƿu from him’. And anon he was delyuered of his wel. Thanne was there a kynge – his name was Polimius – and he had a dowter that was traueld of a fende that she was wode and there durst no man fare with here. Thanne this kynge herde seyn of this holy man Bartilmew, cam to him and preyed him that he myte helpe his dowter of seche an evel and tolde him of here. And he graunte to helpe here thereof, and went to here there she was and sawe here stonde in a mannes hous faste bounde to a peler with gret iren cheynes abowte here mydel. And tho Bartilmew bad ii of the kynges man go to here and vnbynde here safly. ‘For now’, he seyde, ‘I holde her enmyes bonden that were withinne here’. And ƿat was a fende. And thei went to here and vnbonde here, and brout here forth before

3/f. 70r/ her fader hole and sounde. And neuere after she was traueld with the fende. And whane the kynge saw that his dowter was al hole, anon he ordeynde a kamel ladyr with golde and siluereand with precious clothes for to yeve it [to]2 Bartilmew, and brout it to him and thanked him of that he had don. And he wolde not receyue it, but sent it home ayen and tolde him that he desyred non erthely thinge, but only that he wolde come thedrewith al his meyne and here his prechinge. And or thei wentyn, thei lyked his worde so wele that he and alle his meyne becam cristen men and were conuerted to God. Moreouere, thanne there was a kynge in the londe – his name was Astriages – and he had a gret wrathe to Bartilmew for that he had so turned his brodere and his men to christen lay. And anon he sent out a thowsande men to take and bynde Bartilmewe and brynge him so to him. And thei dedyn as he bad. And whanne he was comyn beforn him, the kynge Astryages seyde thus to him: ‘Right as ƿu hast turned my broder to the and forsake his god, right so’, seyde he, ‘shal I do the to forsake thi god and turne to me’. And anon Bartilmew defyed him and alle his fals goddess. And tho this

4/f. 70v/ kynge was wroth and anon called after his turmentoures and bad hem that thei shulde take Bartilmew and hilde of his skyn be the bon. And thei dede so, and toke here knyues and hilde of his skyn al quyk. And whanne thei had so don, thei smete of his hed, and angels comyn anon doun from heuene and brout up his soul there to restyn in euerelastynge blisse withoutyn ende. Amen.

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