Saint Nycholas of tollentyne   portrait of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino   

 portrait of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino  

THis glorious and blessed confessor & true religious keeper called saint Nycholas of tollentyne/ was borne in a country called Pycen in a well disposed city called Fyrmane. His father's name was Compagnous. His mother height Amata/ both were very devout folk/ and well disposed. The which long lacking a child greatly desiring to have one/ full busily both day & night besought almighty god with devout voice & prayers that they might have one that might be his diligent servant. And because they thought themself unworthy to be herd/ they daily worshipped blessed saint Nycholas devoutly beseeching him to be their advocate that they might obtain their petycionand asking. And at the last of their more devotion by the inspiration of the holy ghost they went on pilgrimage to a town of the country of Apuley called Barus. Where the for said glorious bishop saint Nycholas by an image that was there of him that was greatly sought & worshipped. And when they had done their pilgrimage they returned home again faithfully trusting on god our lady & saint Nycholas to have their desiring & petition/ as at the last they had by their concession & grace. For anon after they came home the foresaid devout woman Amata conceived and by process she had a child/ whom she caused to be christened Nycholas in the worship of their advocate & patron saint Nycholas that they behette to for a child.   

lectio. ij.  
THis foresaid child Nycholas brought up in the virtuous examples & wholesome teachings of his father & mother/ & also well lettered in scripture/ grew in childhood marvelously good/ so that all the folk of the town praised his virtuous living being but a child/ & his gracious disposition against all men/ as prophesying afore/ said plainly that great holiness should prove afterward in him/ for his life showed and appeared a certain special prerogative of all gentleness certely/ meekness/ softenes/ chastity of mind and body and so great abstinence he died that when he was but vij year old he fasted three days in the week. Also he was of great pity/ so that oftentimes wilfully he brought poor men seek or diseased in to his father's house/ and there through his entice caused them to be relieved & cherished. Also he was of good religion and believe unto god whose ensamples he looked upon or red or else remembered/ the good words & commandments with a right fervent desire he gladly heard & fastly ever printed them in his mind. In the which thing is noted a marvel the which blessed Nycholas told in his last days to a certain relygous' man that took heed to him when he was sore seek on a time/ saying that in his childhood when he died help a priest to sing mass. When the blessed sacrament was lift up/ our saviour jesus christ appeared to him in the likeness of a fair child in a relucent garment and a bright shining face and merry cheer/ saint Nycholas heard him saying these words.  
Innocentes & recti adheserunt michi. That is to say Innocentes & good harmless men hath drawn unto me. Also he said that in so much that he strongly relysted their great temptation of all ghostly enemies & ever for soak his own will to please him/ he should have the more grace and acception of prayers. Lo what meed it is to wax good by times/ for grace groweth after governance.   

Lcton. iij.  
AS he was a young man he greatly coveted religion/ which ever he specially loved/ & was made a canon in a place called saint saviour/ he grew up in virtue as he begun treading down & leaving a side all the vices of youth & with great pain marvelously for bearing and leaving all manner of sloth wildness & sins of youth. It forturied on a time he heard a certain religious man of the number of them that blessed saint Austyn had ordained & called frere hermit when this blessed saint Nycholas heard this holy religious man declare & show openly among the people the perils/ jeoperdyes & vanities of the world exorting all folk in their hearts to despise the world/ & when this blessed Nycholas heard him anon it kindled him inwardly/ in so moche that utterly he purposed wilfully to do & fulfil that thing with all his heart that the religious man had advised him to do. Wherefore he yode to the religious man whose words were rooted in his heart & lowly prayed him that he would help him for charity out of the bands of the world in the which said saint Nycholas I have been fetered & cumbered unto this day/ & that I might be worthy too be received among the number of your brethren freres hermits of the order of saint Austyn. For I quoth saint Nycholas heartily desire ever to serve & give me to god/ utterly to for sake the world/ the devil/ & my flesh. And in every thing & point to live religiously to the uttermost of my power by the grace of god/ & so died he gladly. His father and his mother were glad thereof/ and at the first consented thereto.   

lcton. iiij.  
AS this blessed saint Nycholas had taken upon him the religion of frere hermits of the order of saint Austyn about the xu year of his age/ helyved virtuously therein till convenient & able time of his full age/ and than he was made a priest in a town called cyngulꝰ. At the last he was sent of the rulers of the order to Tollentyne where he led almost all his life with a marvelous abstinence in so moche the he fasted four days every week breed & water alonely/ beside the days that were commanded by the church. Also flesh/ fish nor eggs/ white meet nor apples this blessed Nycholas never eat. And on a time when he was sore seek they that had power to command uneath could bring him or cause him to eat fless he a certain season because to make him strong and restore his health. And an other time when he was so sore & grievously seek than there seemed no longer life in him/ nor no man behete him life in this world/ as he was in a faint sleep he saw Mary virgin mother of god/ & also saint Austyn whose help he besought with all intention of all his heart standing by him with a merry cheer. And when this blessed saint Nycholas saw them afore him he greatly marveled and thanked them of their coming. And they exhorted him & commanded him to be of good cheer/ the blessed virgin Mary showed her finger to a street and commanded him that in the name of her son he should go in that street to a certain woman whose name she showed him/ & that he should ask the woman new bake breed in the honour of our lady & her son and wet it in water/ and anon he should amend. And as he was commanded in his sleep he died when he waked trusting in almighty god & the blessed virgin marry and saint Austyn to be heeled/ & so he was.   

lcton. v.  
THis blessed saint Nycholas punished his flesh & his body with great hardness & correction And for more correction he ware most often chains of iron. And also soft & easy beds & sitings & soft and easy clothes & raiments he ever refused. He lay upon chaff the which he thought was to easy for his body. Also the clothes the he ware was sharp course and hard and often chafed his body in many places. Also in him was great steadfastness/ for on a time when he was enticed & counseled of a certain rich kinsman of his/ that he should leave so sharp & hard a life and go back to an other place the he could get him to where he might live more plenteously/ and more deliciously saint Nycholas ever refused it utterly with a strong mind in god/ for he could never bow his mind thereto. His meekness & obedience was exceeding without measure/ for not alonely to his superior/ but also to his evenall and his inferior. He was obedient in goodness and suffered them all. He had to all folk a singular and a marvelous pity and charity/ namely to poor folk/ and needy/ & to them that were in any trouble or sickness/ whom often he visited & comforted when he was very seek and weak himself. Sometime he comforted them & relieved them with words and sometime he exhorted them to keep patience with good doctrine of scripture. And sometime he refreshed them with bodily food and clothing every man after his need. Also he caused through his sweet exhortation and great many men that he knew had richesse to do the same too the poor and needy. When this blessed saint Nycholas had knowledge of any folks sins or faults either by privy confession/ or by any otherwise he was so sorry that he would weep and pray for them and punished his body sore with fasts and correction to get them forgiveness and grace to amend themself and to continue in goodness. This blessed saint Nycholas was pale of face shamefast and glad/ and merry of countenance/ of a smooth and fair flesh/ and kind to every body. And he was most mice/ ready/ and diligent to any thing that he should do that was good & goodly   

Lcton vi  
ALso this blessed saint Nycholas said mass every day/ but he never said mass but he was clean shriven afore/ ne there can no tongue tell the devotion that he had ever and in especial at mass/ for the straight of his mass was so speedy towards god that on a time when he went to a place called Pethaurus in a certain wilderness by the way and laid him down upon the ground for faintness/ and was half a sleep there appeared unto him the soul of a certain man whom saint Nycholas knew well ynoghe and loved in his life/ the which prayed him instantly that he would say mass for him/ the which should not deliver and do profit alonely to him but also it should profit unto innumerable other souls the which souls were in a certain plain there nigh by that he showed to saint Nycholas/ where they were punished and tormented with grievous pains/ and that same soul the which was comen unto saint Nycholas for succour and help was also tormented with them with the same self torments that they had. And even so it was done. ¶ For seven days after this blessed saint Nycholas had done the mass he saw than in his sleep the same soul in great & infinite joy and mirth thanking saint Nycholas entirely beseeching him that through his help the other great innumerable multitude of souls might be delivered from their grievous pains/ and that they might come to heaven to everlasting joy and gladness.    

Feria. ij.  

lec. j  
THe custom of singing of this blessed saint was ever to be busy so that he slept never a night almost/ but prayed continually/ and the day also/ save when he was busy either in refreshing his body with meet or drink/ the which he took full soberly and full seldom as it is showed before/ or else in hearing confessions or doing other necessary things that were good and virtuous. He prayed with so great steadfastness and intention & was elevate & firmly set with so great attendement & vehement of devotion that he seemed holy ravished in god/ & utterly delivered & done of fro man/ nor there was nothing so high and great to obtain but with the excellent delight & business as who saith with so hot affection & high devocyan of his most steadfast prayers this blessed saint obtained it & gate it.   

lcton two  
FOr the which namely he used a certain oratory & praying place joined & fast by an altar where now his most holy bones are & rest. Also in his cell lay a stone the which he kneeled upon/ & another the he leaned his arms upon when he was so weary that he could in no wise hold them up no longer/ and winter and summer kneeled on the cold stones.   

lectio. iij.  
Hereof the fiends had great despite so that they ceased not alonely to tempt him with divers temptations/ but also they saying that they could in no wise cause him to consent to no manner suggestions of temptations/ set against him open battle/ and vexed him with most sharpest rebukes/ threats vexations and sore wounds. More over more Inwardly and hardly than a man can think. ¶ And more over on a time when this blessed saint Nycholas amended his garments the devils took it away from him because his prayer was of so great effect/ & they would have caused him to leave of his prayer/ and muse on things unprofitable to his soul the which this blessed saint Nycholas knew right well because of his good living & most great pain in resisting temptation the which two things good living and forsaking the consenting of temptation & for the same cause another time they put out his lamp & cast it on the ground and broke it.   

lcton. iiij.  
ALso oftentimes these foresaid devils made great noises in his cell howling abominably/ because his prayers was of so great effect/ & made rushing & clattering of stones/ and cracking of the timber as all the cell should have fallen down. And forall this they saying that they could not in no wise let him of his prayer/ nor one's too make him to look aside for he thought on god. And once he said if it be temptation I will pray moche more to have grace to with stand it. if it be gods sonde I will pray fervently to have mercy and grace for I care not what pain come to my body so it be to the health of my soul. And the devils saying that they could not let him but he prayed more and more/ they came in at his door with huge and oryble looks & fearful noises/ roarings and cryings. And they scorged him so greatly & bet him so fiercely that many days after the marks of the whips & scourges appeared in all the parts of his body.   

Lectio. v.  
THe which also another time they did unto him in his cell door where they met him by night going to his oratory/ they chid him & overthrew him grievously to the ground. And ever when he would have risen up they beat him down again and hurt him right sore/ and made so great noise that the freres heard it and rose from their beds. And as they knew the horrible battle of this holy man they took him up as deed and bore him too his bed. And thereof this blessed saint Nycholas was so feblysshed that ever after he was lame. And like wise we read that it happened so to saint Anthony abbot. This thing was of great prove & holiness/ & that he was good which the devils hated so/ & died so great pain and persecution that he was a martyr ghostly.   

lectio. vi.  
THese wicked devils also had great envy of saint Nycholas good brethren & of the brightness of his most holy life/ fro whom as they knew well came so bright beams of virtue that chased all darkness of deadly sin and lighting with good ensample/ and glorified all holy church both far & broad. Also through the great counsel of god it fortuned that this blessed saint Nycholas saw a marvelous vision of a star the first appeared unto him when he was a sleep as there were a great multitude of people upon it so that him thought it stretched fro the town that he was borne in/ unto Tollentyne where after he diseased. At last it appeared unto him more oftener/ when he was awaked & ever it went afore him to an altar that stood by his oratory that he prayed in.    

Feria. iij.  

lcton. j  
When this blessed saint Nycholas turned his back to go fro the altar the star vanished away/ the which when this virtuous father understood many years afore his death commanded that his body should be buried there when he shall depart and that no man should take it fro thence. Also by this vision plainly god would it should be signified that the most brightest clearness of his most holy life and the brightness of his great deserves showed every where & the full constant & shining brightness of his great and innumerable miracles should lighten & spring out at the altar where by the vision of god would he should be buried.   

HEre shall be showed the miracles of this blessed saint briefly. There was a certain woman that ever when she conceived the child was borne or the time/ & she took great sorrow & confessed herself with great wailings & weepings/ & betook herself to him do what he would with her/ meekly beseeching him too pray for her/ for it was utterly against her will. And this blessed saint Nycholas so prayed for her unto god that ever after she had good deliverance. ¶ The same woman had a little daughter that had so grievous a swelling under her chin that it must needs be cut & not without great peril. And yet this blessed saint Nycholas through his prayer yielded her safe & sound to her mother.   

lcon. iij.  
ALso this blessed saint Nycholas delivered an other woman the which through travail eight days tofore was grievously pained unto death. Also he heeled another woman fro great pain that she had in her eyen & in her heed & in her face swelling/ through the beseeching of her son to saint Nycholas that knew than his virtue. Also another child that fell in the fire & the hands & the arms was so sore burned that the fingers grew together/ which was heeled through the prayers of saint Nycholas.   

lcton. iiij.  
IN likewise he healed another woman's son that fell also in to the fire & brent all his face & lost his sight. And also he gave another woman her sight that had two great eyen & they stared out and yet she could not see. Also another woman had so great disease in her eyen that she could not see at all. And she had both leches and charms for the same cause/ and when they had done the best that they could she was never the better but had more sorrow/ for she lost both her wit & natural strength/ but by the prayers of this blessed saint Nycholas she had perfit sight and strength.   

lcton. v.  
ALso it is to be noted that he perfitly heeled an other woman that was so often vexed with so great need ache that she might neither hear nor see. ¶ Also he perfitly healed a woman of the bloody flyxe/ whom no leech nor medicine could help. Also he perfitly healed a woman's breast that was sore hurt. Also he fully healed a certain religious man of his order that was brusten & sore vexed withal. Also he healed perfitly another that had lost the strength of all the left side of his body/ and that foot of his left side. And also another that was most grievously vexed with heed ache & many other he delivered fro most grievous and fearful axes. Also he fully healed another man that hewed blocks & cut the shins of his legs with so great stroke that all the leches said plainly that there was no hope at all that ever he should be heeled.   

lcton. vi.  
THis saint Nycholas also knew afore and proved full many things by the holy ghost. also a poor woman gave him a certain of flower for alms/ he left some of it/ and she had that little home in her vessel/ and it was so increased when she should occupy it by miracle that it was moche more than ever it was. Also at mass when there was water brought him and he lacked wine/ by his prayer the water was turned in to good wine.  
Also partryges was brought him dear and roasted/ he commanded them to flee and they had feathers and life/ & flew forth with all as well as ever they did. Also by his prayer he made a stone hole again the king afore the crucifix with iron chains & fell upon his heed. Also by his prayer he made hole another stone that a great black bird like a kite died break/ when there was a counsel taken in the cloister of Tollentyne too make a pit and wite where it might best be done through the prayers of this holy man it is sooth that in the top of a certain read the water sprang up/ by the which token they understood plainly that there it was best to dig it. ¶ In translatio scti Nicolai.    


Lectio. j  
ALso this great miracle is to be had in mind that when this pit was in digging a great quave began both in the pit & in the foundation of that church. And when this blessed saint prayed weeping the ground was sad & sure/ so that there was no fere falling. When that this most holy man shone with so great miracles at the last god ordained to call him unto him/ and when the end of his life drawed nigh he heard by night before matin's time the most sweetest angels the which abode continually vi months before his death.   

lcton. ij.  
THis blessed saint Nycholas had so great delight in the hearing of them that he brenning for that desire of another life and ceased not to say with saint Paul I desire and covet to be departed & to be with christ/ for than I were surer. And openly he said unto them that were present that the time of his death was nigh/ the which he took with so great meekness and devotion that they marveled that stood by/ namely when they saw him with so great meekness asking them forgiveness for all that he had trespassed them. He went with so great joy & gladness that he was seen stand ever by the heavenly company of angels/ and it was no marvel because our saviour jesus christ appeared to him with his blessed mother virgin/ & saint Austyn his advouryes comforting him & saying/ well thou be thou good servant and true come in to the joy of thy god. etc.    

¶ Thus endeth the life of saint Nycholas of Tollentyne. imprinted at London in Fleetstreet at the sign of the son by Wynkyn de word.  

Wynkyn de word.   tripartite printer's device of Wynkyn de Worde, McKerrow 23, incorporating: a sun over a crescent moon with stars; the mark and initials of William Caxton; de Worde's name, a hunting dog and sagittary below