The PurveyProject

De sancto Iacobo apostolo
Homilies for Saints

Par Alina MIHOC
Publication en ligne le 05 octobre 2013

1/f. 64r/ Frendys, ȝe shal haue a solempne feste in Holy Chirche of seynt Iame, Cristes holy apostle, the whiche was Iohn euangeliste broder. And it tellith in1 the lyf of him ƿat he went in the londe of Iure and preched Goddes worde to the peple. And with his prechinge, he turned many to Cristen feith. And also it fel that there was a gret kynge of the lawe in the londe, and herde seyn seche a man was comyn thedyre into that cuntre and that conuerted his peple fast from him and exited hem to leue here fals lawe that thei were inne, and turne holy to his lawe and into his beleue that he tawte hem there. And anon this kynge Ermogines sent on [of] his men to this holy man Iame – his name was Philetus – to loke what man he was and of whome he leued and of whome he preched. And whanne he was comyn to him, anon he asked him how that he wolde preuen that Ihesu Criste of Nazareth was Goddess sone. And seynt Iame was enspired with the Holy Goste, and tolde how he was Goddessone be holy Scripture and preued it before him so that he cowde not ageynsey him. And whanne he had herde this

2/f. 64v/ answere, he went him home ayen and tolde his maystre that he was Ihesu Cristes seruant and how that he was on of his apostles, and how he conuicte him be Holy Scripture. And also he tolde him how that he yaf sight to the blynde in his Lordes name, and how he reysed ded men to lyf, and also how he heled lepers; and thei that had deuels withinne hem he coniured hem out from hem and heled hem. ‘And al this I sawe don and therefore’, seyde he, ‘if ƿe wil do after me, I counsel the to go to him and aske him foryifnesse for that ƿu hast don here. And if ƿu wilt not don so’, seyde he, ‘wete ƿu wele that thi wychecrafte that ƿu hast vsed out and out shal not profete the, but ben a foule confusioun to the.For wete ƿu wele for certyn that I am turned to him and I shal ben on of his dissyples.’ And Ermogines herde theise tythenges of him and anon he was wrothe there with. And toke this man Philetus and bonde him faste for theise tythenges that he myte not steryn on the stede. And whanne he had so don he seyde to him: ‘Now shal we sen whedyr thi Iame wil vnbynde the of thi bondes’. And anon this man Philetus sent his sone to Iame to telle him how he was bonde for his loue. And whanne seynt Iame wist it, anon he toke the childe a sudere clothe in his honde and bad bere it to him and lat him sey theise wordes: Dominus Ihesus Christus erigit elisos ipse soluit conpeditus. And this is to seyn : ‘The

3/f. 65r/ Lord Ihesu Cryste listeth hem that ben hert and he vnbyndeth hem that ben bounde’. And anon as he had seyde theise wordes and touched the suder cloth, he was vnbounde of his bondes. And anon he ran ayen to Iame and thanked him. And after that, this man that vsed sortilege cam to Iame and was conuerted to Cristes feyth. And toke his penaunce for his trespas and was after a perfyte man and loued wele God. And anon seynt Iame toke him his pilgrymes staffe in his honed, and bad him gon home to his hous and takyn al his sortileges and knytte hem togedre and with gret peyse of led hangynge thereon and right so throw hem alle into the se; and so he dede. And also he bad that he shulde not let the staffe come out of his honde. And so it fel withinne v dayes after that Abiather the beshope sawe wele that Ermogines and a gret multitude of peple were turned from his lawe thurgh myracles and the prechinge of the apostle Iacob, and beleued in Criste and he was sore agreued therewith. And anon he commaunde his men to take him and lede him forthe to Erawde kynge and bydde smyte of his hed. And there thei leyde honde on this apostle Iame and bounde a rope aboute his nekke, and so thei led him forthe to Erawde the kynge. And whanne he was come before

4/f. 65v/ him, anon he commaunde hem to lede him forthe without the toun and there to smyte of his hed. And as thei led him forthe to ben heded, there was a man ley in the weye as he cam and had ley longe bedrade beforn. And whanne he sawe him, he toke up his honde and blessed him, and the man rose up and was al hole. And the same Sarzin that dede the rope abowte his nek sawe wele that had don, and anon fel doun at his feet and seyde to him: ‘ƿu Goddes holy apostle, I prey the that ƿu woldest2 foryeve me my trespass and make me a cristen man’. And he asked for he beleued in the Fader and the Sone and the Holy Goste. ‘I beleue’, he seyde, and cristende him. And anon kneled doun and made his preyers and thei come behynde him and smote of his hed. And thus he ended there. Amen.

Notes

Pour citer ce document