The PurveyProject

Assumpcio Beate Marie Virgis

Par Élodie MONTEAU
Publication en ligne le 01 mars 2013

1/179v/ Suche a day shall be þe holy ffeste of þe assumpcion of our Lady Seint Mary. For þat same day, our souereyn saviour Criste Ihesu assumpt and toke vp vnto hym his blessid modir Maria into heuen bothe body and soule, and crowned her quene of blisse. Which day all aungellis in heuen come in procession to hir with rosis and swete smelling flouris of paradise in token þat she is rose holi and flour of all wom<e>n and so þei did omage vnto hir as þe chefe princes of blisse. It is to vndirstond þat þe assumpcion of our Lady Seint Mary it was do moste reuerently and worshipfully, it was do moste

2/180r/ joyfully and gladly. And it was do moste reuerently and worshipfully ffor allmyghty God taught in þe x commaundementis þat euery man shuld worship his fadir and modir. Wherefore in þe moste reuerence and worship to his modir it was doo, whan he wolde take hir out of þis worlde and crovne hir quene of blis. As a grete clerke writeth of þe glorious assumpcion of our Lady Seint Mary seith in þis wise. Vpon a day, xij yere aftir þe ascencion of our Lorde Criste Ihesu, as our Lady was in hir contemplacions and devout prayers abidyng þe visitacion of God, our souereyn Lorde Criste Ihesu send to hir an aungell with grete light, bering a palme of paradise in his hande and reuerentli saluted that blessid Lady, seying þus in þis wise : "Heyle Mary, Goddis modir moste blessid of all women. take his blessing þat was borne of the, ffor þat souereyn Lorde sende me to gife þe full knowlage þat iij dayes hens, þu shalt parte from þis worlde and be crowned quene of heuen. And here I shall leve with þe þis palme of paradise sent from God, which shall be born before þi blessid body of oon of þyne appostellis. And what þing þat þu desirest to be had to þi moste worship, pleasur and ease, þu shalt haue at þi desire." Than þat blessid Lady gafe lawde and praysing to our Lorde, saying to þe aungell, þat heuenly embassytour, on þis wise: “I þanke þat high and myghti prince, kinge of blis, of his visitacion. And þis I axe of my Lorde God mekely that I may see with my bodily eye all my brethern þe apostellis, þat þei may be here present at my sepulture and berying or þat I dye. More ouere, I axe mekely of my Lorde God þat Sathanas þat wickid spiryte shewe hym not at my dying.” To whom answerd þat heuenly messanger Gabriell: “O þu holy virgyn and blessid modir of God, þi will be fulfilled. And trust þis forsothe þat þis day shall assemble and mete togedir all þe holy company of apostellis, and þei shall be at þi departing, and with holy obseruaunce, helpe at þi berying. Wycked spirite shalt þu noon see, ffor þe power of þe fende þu did breke and distroye whan God was born of þi blessid body.” Than þis holy archaungell toke his leve and with grete light, vanysshed away. The palme of paradise þat þe aungell left þere with our Lady, euery lefe of it hit shyned

3/180v/ as bright as a matutyne sterr. That same tyme, Seint Iohanne Euaungelist prechid in Epheso fer cuntreis þens. And þere, sodenly, a bright clowde toke hym vp and sette hym at þe chambre durr of our Lady Seint Mari, where he called and was let in, and reuerently he saluted þat glorious virgine and modir of God. And whan she perceyved Seint Iohanne sodenly brought þiddir þorugh þe myght of God, she wepid for joye and seid vnto hym þus: “O my dere son and keper Seint Iohanne, remembre well of þi maister is worde Ihesu Criste whan he was vpon þe crosse, where he committed me to be þy modir, and þu to be my son. Now is þe tyme cum þat my gracius Lorde hath called me to departe from þis worlde to perpetuall blisse. Wherefore I commytte vnto þe þe besy cure of my body and take to þe þis holi palme of paradise sent from God. Ordeyn þu and dispose þat it may be born vnto my grave before my body, for it is þe will and bidding of God þat it shuld be so.” Than seid he to hymself desyring: “O so wolde God þat all my holy brethern þe apostell<is> were now here present þat we myght, with worship and reuerens, performe þese holy exequies of þis blessid Lady to þe laude and praysing of God. He had not so sone thought þese wordes in his hert but þat all þe apostellis were þere present, brought in bright clowdes to þat place, conveyed from diuerse parties of þe worlde, þere was a joyefull company. Whan þe apostles all assemblid togedir in oon place, of which þis Seint Iohanne Euaungelist went to þe chambre durr and made relacion to þe apostellis þat þe same day, þe modir of God shulde be departid þe soule from þe body, and brought to perpetuall blisse. Than all þei cam into þe oratory of þat blisfully Lady, and with grete reuerence, saluted hir. Than anoon, our souereyn saviour Criste Ihesu cam with grete multitude of aungellis synging, with patriarchas, prophetis, martiris, confessouris and holy virgyns, and called his blessid modir, saying in þis wise : "Veni mater mea speciosa, veni electa mea et ponam te in tronum meum qu.. concupin..t rex speciem tuam" ; "Cum vnto me my speciall modir, cum vnto me myn owne Goddis chose and I shall sett þe in þe trone and tabernacle of trinite, ffor þe kinge of blisse desireth þi beawte and þi fayrenes." Than answerd þat blessid Lady: “Paratum est cor meu Domine ëqu.í in capiti libri spiritu est de me ut facerem voluntatem tuam” ; “Mi hert wil and desire, my gracius Lorde, is redy to þe, ffor it is regesterid, wreten and seyd

4/181r/ of me as þine hande mayde to performe þi holy will and pleasur.” And anoon, þe soule of þat blessid Lady passed forth into þe handis of allmyghty God withëouteí peyn, ffor she, by inspiracion of þe holy goste withoute syn conceyveid, right so she died withoute peyn. Than our souereyn savyour Criste Ihesu commaunded þe apostellis, saying to þem in þis wise : “Bere ye þat holy body of my modir þat clene virgine to Gethsamam in þe vale of Iosaphat, and ye shall fynde a new monument, a grave. Ley þat holy body þerein, and þat ye abide þer þese iij dayes folowyng vnto I cum ageyn to you.” Thus, with moch joy and aungellis songe, þe soule was born into blis. Whan þat blessid body of our Lady was leyde on þe bere, Seint Iohanne Euaungelist seid vnto Seint Petir: “O þu holi broþer Petir, for as moch as our souereyn maister Criste Ihesu haþe chose þe to be prince of apostellis, þerefore it is moste worthy to þe and convenyent þat þu bere þis palme bifore þe holi body of our Lady.” “Nay,” seide Seint Petir, “it is moste semyng þat oo virgyne mynitre to anoþir.” Than holi Seint Iohanne haste also bi reuelacion of God seen þe misterijs and þe secretis of heven. “þerefore it is moste right vnto þi modir assigned bi Criste þan eny oþir apostyll.” So aftir þis altircacion, Seint Iohanne Euaungelist toke þat holy palme of paradise and bare it beforn þat blesfull body of our Lady. Seint Petir, Seint Poule with oþir conveyed forth þe bere and þat oþir apostellis with aungellis songe þis holy psalme, In exitu Israel de Egipto, so all þe citee of Iherusalem was replesshid with þat heuenli songe. Thus hering, þe Iewis and a grete multitude of Rome, in grete haste armed þem with violence, purposed to distroye and brenne þat holy body if our Lady. So þe prince of þe Iewes first layed handis vpon þe bere to drawe it dovn, forthwith his handis were seer and dry as a dry stik, and were fast to þe bere. And all þe Iewis þat cam with hym þei were sodenly blynde bi þe hande of God. Than Seint Petir seyd vnto þe Iew, prince of preestis : “If þu woll beleve in Criste Ihesu and gefe full credence þat þis is þe verrey body of Goddis modir, þu shall be relevid.” "I beleve,” seid þe Iewe, “in þat souereyn Lorde Criste Ihesu, and þat þis is þe blessid body of Goddis modir.” And forthwith, he was hole. Than Seynt Petir bad þe prince of þe Iewis take þe holy

5/181v/ palme þat Seint Iohanne Euaungelist bare in his hande and touche þe peple þat were blynde þerwith, and beleve in Criste Ihesu and in his modir Maria and þei shuld be restored ageyn to þeir sight. And so all þat were touched with þe palme and beleved stedfastly, þei myght see ageyn, but þei þat were obstinate and wolde not beleve in Criste Ihesu and in his modir Maria, þei were blynde euere aftir. So þan, þe apostellis bare forth þe holy body and leyd it in þe grave in gethsaman in þe vale of Iosaphat as God commaunded. Thus was þis holy assumpcion done worshipfully and reuerently. I seid also it was do joyefully and gladly, ffor þe iij day aftir, our souereyn Lorde Ihesu cam dovn ageyn with a grete multitude of aungellis, and Michael, þat holy archaungel, bringing and presenting þat holy soule of Maria in þe presens of God. Than þat myghtifull Lorde called þe body of his blessid modir in þis wise : “Serge praxiam mea et amica mea, et cetera” ; “Rise vp my love, rise vp my Lady modir, ryse vp my frende. Rise vp tabernacle of blisse, rise vp heuenly temple þat neuere was defyled with syn. Rise vp, þu shalt neuere fele peyn, come to me Lady of erthe, emperesse of hell and I shall crowne þe quene of blisse. Veni coronaberis, com holy modir, worship of all women, þe vale of blessidnes, sytt on my right hande. for þi mekenes, I graunte to the þe crovn of joye and gladnes.” þan þe blessid soule of our Lady yede forth and brought oute þe body from þe tombe and grave. Than bothe body and soule were assumpt with Criste with grete multitude of aungellis synging and bringing hir to perpetuall blisse. And as þe son illumineth þe day light, so þat blessid Lady lightened all þe cuntrey of heuen. And so she sittith next the trynyte in heuen, body and soule glorified togedir and full sekir and certeyn þat hir joye shall euere endure. Thus þan I may say þe assumpcion was done joyfully and gladly. Third I seid it was done devoutly and holyly, þat is to say in bodi and soule, putting awey þe comyn condicion of mankinde þat is to dy, and so þe body turn to corrupcion, ffor she was take vp boþe body and soule into heven. but sum men were in dovte þerof how it myght bi Goddis ordynance as Seint Thomas of Yude

6/182r/ was not þere at þe assumpcion but anon aftir, he cam and seid he myght not beleve þat our Lady Seint Mari was in heven bothe body and soule togedir. Wherefore, right as he spake it and thought it, our Lady let ffall dovn hir girdyll from heven into Seint Thomas handis. And she saide to hym þus: “Right as þu woldest not beleve þat my son Criste Ihesu was rysen from dethe to life in verrey body vnto þu haddist putte thyne hande in at his side, so bi þis token I send þe my girdyll, beleve now þat I am in heven bodi and soule with Criste.” Oþir proposicions þere be many, of which Seint Bernard writeth and spekith þus: “If it so were þat þe blisfull body of our Lady Seint Mari were here in erth amongis vs, men and women wolde þan many oon reche and visite þat place. þere it lyeth, as ëmení done Seint Petir and Poule at Rome, the sepulture of Criste at Iherusalem, and many oþir seintis bodyes. As at Caunterbery, Seint Edmundis bery, Seint Edwardis at Westminster and many oon moo. But for she is bodily in heven, men seke not hir walkyng and traueling, but bi devocion in heven. Seint Austyn fortifyeth and seyth þat corrupcion of synne makith man to turn to corrupcion. But God forbede it þat þat fair body of Goddis modir shuld turn to corrupcion þat was halowed in hir modirs wombe, and euer aftir was kept with þe holy goste from all manere of corrupcion, and norysshed with þe oyle of holynes and in clennes in lyving. Than he withdraw moche of þe sonnes worship þat þinkeþ any filth or corrupcion bi þe modir, ffor he þat is hir son and þe well of love Criste Ihesu had be full ëlothí to see þe fayr pappis and tendir tetis þat he was fedde vpon and sowked on þem, to haue be gnawe with stynking wormes. Lothe had he be to see þat fayre face of his mylde modir Maria þat made hym so oft glad, for to haue roted and stinke. Lothe he had be to see þoo fair handis of his modir to haue turned to erthe and filth, þat full oft handelyd hym. lothe he had be to haue suffred wormis and frongis walowe in þat wombe þat Criste hymself lay in. And þerefore, a childe is bounde to worship his modir. Therefore

7/182v/ Criste toke his modir from all filth and corrupcion and brought body and soule into perpetuall joye, worship and clennes. I rede in a cronicle of Seint Elizabeth of Spayne how hit was shewed hir bi reuelacion þat sawe a tombe with a grete light abought and in þe [tombe was] a fayr woman and an aungell synging abawte hir. And sone aftir, she was take vp ovt of þe tombe with aungell. Than cam a man byëengí bright as þe son, bering þe signe of þe cros in his hande, with grete mltitude of aungellis and seyntis many moo with hym. He toke up þis woman into heven. Than þis holi woman Seint Elizabeth axed an aungell what þis myght mene. The aungell seid þat God had shewed hir for hir holynes ëiní this vision how our Lady Seint Mari was toke up into heuen with aungellis, body and soule. Than she þanked allmyghti God and did þis reuelacion to be cronycled. I rede of a clerke þat loovid our Lady euery day, did hir reuerence with hir v joyes þat she had of hir son Ihesu. But whan he shuld dye, he was aferde of Goddis dome þat he quaked for drede. Than our Lady com and comfort hym, seying to hym þus: “O þu dere and welbeloued seruaunte, be not adred for I shall defende þe from þy gostely enemy and be þi protectrix and answer for the, þat so oft tyme þu haste gladdid me and worshipt me in remembring of my v joyes. Wherefore þu shall goo with me into joye of perpetuall blisse.” This is þe story of þe assumpcion of our Lady Seint Mari, mercifull modir of God. Wherefore we shall with devoute mynde worship þat blessid fest þat she vouche safe to be mercifull mediatrix and a speciall aduocate vnto our souereyn saviour Criste Ihesu, þat we may so life in þis lif to his pleasur þat aftir þe vnstablenes of þis worlde, we may cum to þat endeles blisse þat he bought <us> to with his precious blode. Amen.

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