The PurveyProject

De sancto Thoma Cant
Homilies for Saints

Par Alina MIHOC
Publication en ligne le 05 octobre 2013

1Frendys, we redyn of an holy marter, seynt Thomas, that was sumtyme archebeshope of Canterbery. And we fynde that what tyme that he was made beshope, he toke him anon to an holy leuynge and put his body into gret penaunce in fastynge and werynge of the heyere eueremore next the body. And anoder was this, that he wolde neuere more gon to mete til the pore men were serued. And eueremore the x^e peny that com to him, he wolde dele it to the pore men with his owne hondes. And also he wolde don preuely anoder thinge: euery day he wolde wassh xiii pore mennes feet. And this lyf he led al his lyf tyme. And afterword fel a gret debate betwene kynge Herry and him, and the causes were theise: the kynge wolde haue reysed newe lawes of Holy Chirch and Thomas wolde not suffre him for to don hit. And therefore kynge Herry dede exilen him out of this londe. And tho he went him to

2/f. 42v/ the court of Rome. And there he dede plete ayenst him and ouerecam the kynge. And so at the vii yeres ende, Thomas had leue of the pope Alisaunder to gon home ayen into his owne londe. And this archebeshope cam home into his owne londe ayen and brout with him the popes bulles vnderled to take ayen the archebeshopes se. And whanne he was comyn home ayen, thei were ioyful inow and were rightglad of his comynge. And after that he was comyn ayen to duelle a lytel while in pes. Then at the last there come to his palys iiii knytes wele armed. And thus thei com cryenge: ‘Where is the archebeshope?’. And Thomas answerd hem ayen and seyde: ‘What wil ye with him se him here ? Hit am I’, he seyde. And tho anon on of hem spake ayen and seyde: ‘ƿathe shulde dyen anon’. And Thomas seyde ayen theise wordes: Paratus sum mori proChristos et per iusticia et libertate ecclesie perhibeoexperte dei et anatemate etnecui quia noceatis alii. And this is to seyn: ‘Redy I am to dyen for Cristes loue and for rightwisnesse and for fredam of Holy Chirche. I defende yow on Goddes behalf and of peyne of cursynge that ƿe do non oder man harme’, seyde he. And whanne he had seyde theise wordes, anon Thomas kneled doun and

3/f. 43r/ on of theise knytes drewe out his swerde and therewith he pared Thomas crowne bethe brayn. And anoder cam after that and stered the brayn togedyr and after he threwe it on the pawment. And whil thei dedyn thus, he meued nothinge nor dede bate no contenaunce til he yelde up the goste to Criste.And this martirdam he dede suffre for the lawes of Holy Chirche. And after this God shewed there he lith many myracles as witnesse thei wele that hath ben at that same place there that holy marter Thomas lyth shryned.Amen.

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