✚ Here beginneth the glorious life and passion of saint Albon protomartyr of England/ and also the life and passion of saint Amphabel/ which converted saint Albon to the faith of Christ.  
  



TO call Clio my dullness to redress  
with all sisters dwelling at Elicon  
what might avail to write the perfytenes  
Of the holy martyr slain full yore agone  
For Christis faith/ the holy man Albon  
Called of right through every region  
Protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

I not acquainted with muses of Maro  
Nor with metris of Lucan/ nor Virgile  
Nor sugared deties of Tullius Cicero  
Nor of Homerus to follow the weesshe style  
Crooked to climb over so high a style  
Or for to follow the steps aureate  
Of Frances Petrake the poet laureate   

The golden trompeter the house of fame  
with full swift wings of the pegasee  
Hath full far the knightly man's name  
Borne in Verolam a famous old city  
knighthood in Rome the chronicle who list see  
And as I find this young lusty man  
Took first order by dioclesian   

whose life to write/ of wit I am barren  
His high perfection curyously to tell  
Dreading my labour should be in vain  
That never drank of Pegaseus well  
But for his goodness so highly doth excel  
I stand in hope his influence shall shine  
My trembling pen by grace to enlumine   

In tender age this goodly young Albon  
Borne as is said in Brutis Albion  
A lords son more likely was there none  
To martial prows by disposition  
which for his person as made is mention  
For conditions and high birth of blood  
In great favour of all the land he stood   

And for that he in virtue did excel  
Beloved and cherished of every manner man  
By king Severus mine auctor can well tell  
Sent unto Rome to dioclesian  
with a young prince called Bassian  
They both twain as the statute bond  
To be made knights of his own hand   

with them also went Amphybalus  
There baptized by pope zepheryne  
Left all the world and became virtuous  
Of wilful power followed the doctrine  
By whose reaching and virtuous discipline  
Blessed Albon as mine auctor saith  
was afterward converted to our faith   

All his process in order for to set  
My purpose is/ if I have time and space  
If ignorance not my style let  
By influence only of god's grace  
The troubly mists from me to enchase  
Of rude language/ so that I may in deed  
To write his life and seriously proceed   

Under support of this martyr benign  
My pen direct by mean of his prayer  
The gracious streams sent down for a sign  
Of his celestial goodly eyen clear  
To further my labour and teach me the manner  
Of his name to write and specify  
So as I can the ethymologie   

This name Albanus by enterpretation  
componed is of plenty and of whiteness  
Plente he had in great perfection  
Made white also with lilies of cleanness  
with white roses meant stable in their rudeness  
It was well seen that he stable stood  
For Christis faith/ when paynims shed his blood   

which two colours did never fade  
Of these lilies nor of these roses read  
In blessed Albon but ever ylyche glad  
within his bapteme the lilies did spread  
The roses splayed when he did shed  
His purpurate blood spared for no death  
The storm abiding till he gave up the breath   

Thus was the chapelet made of red and white  
white for his cleanness I have so told aforne  
To cheese the red he did also delight  
when from the chaff was tried wheat corn  
In the holy martyr that hath the bront borne  
Grain of this frument was this man Albon  
In the gospel remembered of saint john   

This chose greyne for Christ was mortified  
To get increase of his eternal glory  
The fruit grew up by faith multipliplied  
Through meek sufferance he gate the victory  
A palure of conquest to be put in memory  
A lauret crown by triumphs many fold  
For his merits set on his heed of gold   

Now to this martyr crowned high in heaven  
Devoutly kneeling with humble and meek visage  
which sit so high above the stars seven  
O blessed Albon/ fro that celestial stage  
Cast down thy light to enlumine my language  
which of myself am naked and bateyne  
In this great need thy favour may be sayn   

I have no colours/ but only black and white  
Of long or short wanting proportion  
where aught doth fail/ I must bear the wite  
Gold nor azure/ nor fresh vermylyon  
But with thy gracious supportation  
In hope thou shalt convey my pen and lead  
To write thy life/ thus I will proceed.   
Explicit prologus.   


Time remembered of old antiquity  
The same time when Cesar julius  
was was passed out of Rome the cite  
Over the Alpeys' in knighthood famous  
By assent of fortune notable and glorious  
This martial man armed with plate and mail  
Had over riden the bounds of italy   

Brought the countries through his high renown  
maugre their might to stand in obeisance  
And been subjects to them of Rome town  
All Germany conquered in substance  
Down descending in to the realm of France  
Daunted their pride/ and after did ordain  
with a great army to aryne up in Briteyne   

twice put of by record of Lucan  
At his arrival/ of very force and might  
By the prowess of Cassybylan  
Touching the title were it wrong or right  
Of the said Cesar dame every manner wight  
what that him lust/ for inconclusyon  
Cause of his entry/ was false division   

Among themself/ whereby he got that land  
Made the Britons to be tributary  
To the romans by statute and by bond  
None so hardy/ to be thereto contrary  
Cause of this conquest/ to write and not tarry  
was division/ the chronicle ye may see  
Between Cassybylan/ and duke Audrogee   

Overmastered was Brutus Albion  
By julyus' sword remembered in scripture  
Record the gospel where is division  
froward dissension of case or adventure  
That region may no while endure  
In prosperity/ for by discord and twain  
To subjection was brought all Bryteyne   

when Cesar was put in possession  
Rather by force than by title or right  
Ordent statutes in that region  
And this was one/ that no manner wight  
Sulde in that land receive thorder of knight  
For worthiness/ for meed/ nor favour  
But by the hands of the emperor   

And this was done/ lest peraventure  
Sundry persons enclothed with rudeness  
Not disposed of blood nor of nature  
Should not presume of rural boystousnes  
Though he had strength and hardiness  
To take upon him/ what ever that he be  
The sacrament of knightly dignity   

An other cause in order to devise  
was/ none such should have governance  
whereby he might in many sundry wise  
Catch occasion to make purveyance  
By force of kindred/ or strength of alliance  
Through new rebellion in token word or sign  
Against the romans proudly to malinge   

And in such case/ occasions to eschew  
The prudent Romans/ casting all thing toforne  
For comun profit/ thought it was most dew  
Of high estate/ nor low degree borne  
No man should/ but if he were sworn  
To the Romans/ with heart body/ and might  
Ay to be true/ that should be made a knight.   

By a decree/ concluding in sentence  
with faith assured/ as she statute bond  
First they should appear in the presence  
Of th'emperor/ sent thither of each land  
Than take their oath/ next by touch of hand  
Toforne the gods/ assurance made of new  
For life or death/ to th'emperor to be true.   

This statute kept in every region  
Being subject to Rome the city/  
stretching their lordship and dominion  
with their Imperial martial dignity  
Over the bounds of many country  
So provided by prudent policy  
To them was subject all worldly chivalry.   

Having all kingdoms ready to their hand  
Void of rebellion/ when they had aught a do  
A prince of knighthood they set in every land  
For governance. A steward eke also  
Every region to be ruled by 'em two  
In rightwiseness/ laws they did ordain  
From wilful surfeits/ the commons to restrain.   

First provided of high discretion  
(As Argus iyed in their inward intent)  
To see there were no were nor conspiration  
Against the Emperor/ neither thought nor meant.  
To redress all thing by judgement  
These two estates/ of prudence to attend  
At prime face all outrages to amend.   

It hath been say and written here before  
By old expert Poesy/ called doctrine  
without principles: least above the corn  
The weed wax/ against good grain to malign  
To late among is made a medicine  
when that a sore wexith ded and corrumpable  
For lack of surgiens' is waxen incurable.   

Semblably/ in kingdoms and cities  
Stormy troubles for to set aside  
moved suddenly among the comenties  
At the beginning/ in all haste to provide  
Them to reform/ no longer to abide  
For first mevers/ as la and right observed  
punish them duly/ as they have deserved.   

Like their deserts/ receive their reward  
cherish the true/ robbers to redress  
The prince of knights/ and also the steward  
Ordained were/ by la of rightwiseness  
As the statute plainly did express/  
Like true judges/ and keepers of the law  
Of high prudence/ all riot to withdraw.   

And the report of Chronicles that been old  
authorized by great advisement  
As a Diadem/ or a crown of gold  
Is of a king called the ornament:  
So to a prince doth long a garment  
Frengid with gold/ that people high and low  
By that difference their steward might know.   

The prince of knights used a pallion  
For a prerogative in especial/  
He and the Steward by election  
Of th'emperor in party and in all  
Took their charge/ private and general/  
No man so hardy pain of death rebel  
Against their power to usurp no quarrel.   

That same time was reigning in Britain  
King Severus/ a famous knightly man  
who cast him fully to do his busy pain  
To please the Emperor Dioclesian  
Sent his son/ named Bassian  
with a thousand and five hundred young of age  
Lords sons/ fresh/ and lusty of courage.   

Some of this number were borne in Britain  
Some in wales/ & some in Cornwall/  
And among all/ if I shall nat fame  
There was one/ of stature and entail/  
As far as kind could her craft prevail  
By her favour/ gave to his person  
A prerogative to be set asoon.   

A goodly man/ and but young of age/  
A prince's son of wales/ as I find  
Called Amphiball/ gracious of visage  
In whom there was none error found in kind  
By disposition/ nought was left behind/  
In mine Author/ as it is compiled  
To all languages his tongue was filled.   

And for he was borne of high kindred  
He was sent forth with notable apparel  
Like his estate/ with many a rich weed  
Not forgetting harness of plate and mail  
Curiously forged/ after most fresh entail  
As was most likely in every man's sight  
To them that should receive the order of knight.   

And while they were assembled everyone  
It was a paradise/ upon 'em to see/  
Like as I find/ among 'em there was one  
A lords son/ excelling in beauty  
Borne in the city of Verolamy  
Called Albanus/ right seemly of stature  
To all virtue disposed by nature.   

The said Albon/ by descent of line  
Borne to be gentle of condition  
By aspects of grace/ which is divine  
Predestinate by election  
For to be called of his region  
Protomartyr/ when he the faith hath take  
And shed his blood for jesus Christ's sake.   

Gracious he was in every man's sight  
well beloved/ and a likely man/  
with his fellowship took the way aright  
Toward Rome/ road with Bassian  
Come to the presence of Dioclecian/  
And for they weren so likely in showing  
He passingly was glad of their coming.   

A chosen people/ out piked for the nonce  
Right well beseen/ and manly of their cheer  
Arrayed in gold/ pearl/ and precious stones  
As princes children/ sovereign and inter  
Them demeaning in port and in manner  
That if it shall shortly be comprehended  
In them was nothing for to be amended.   

This Briton people/ likely for the wars  
Stood in comparison amid all nations  
As doth the son among heavenly stars  
Alike to their birth weren their conditions  
High blood requireth through all nations  
To resemble in high or low parage  
Fully according/ like to their lineage.   

To high kindred longeth high noblesse  
On high mountains stand Cedrysse green  
To princes children pertaineth high prowess  
As among stones the Ruby is most sheen  
The tarage of trees by the fruit is seen:  
Semblably/ nature did so ordain  
There to make known the blood of Britain.   

Upon the Emperor this people (as I told)  
were a waiting/ as they were of degree/  
Being pope in those days old  
zepherinus/ which kept in Rome his see/  
And when that he beheld the great beauty  
Of thls' people that comen were of new  
within himself/ sore he 'gan to rue.   

Musing in his heart/ thus he 'gan complain  
Full secretly with sighs lamentable/  
Halas (quoth he) this people here of Britain  
In all their port and manners most notable  
So fresh/ so seemly/ and so honourable/  
Halas full oft upon the day he saith  
why stant this people in error from our faith?   

The Pope/ of ruth and compassion  
Considering with merciful pity:  
Ganseke ways/ finding occasion  
To get leisure and opportunity  
How this people/ excelling in beauty  
Might by his labour/ through spiritual virtue  
Receive baptism by grace of Christ Ihesu.   

The lord above considering th'intent  
Of zepheryn in especial  
Such a grace to him he hath sent  
By influence very celestial  
To further his purpose/ that he hath Amphiball  
In Christ's faith/ grounded by his saw  
And converted unto Christ's law.   

Amphibalus. as ye have heard the case  
A seemly man/ god being then his guide  
First by the pope/ when he baptized was  
Left his treasure/ his pomp/ and his pride  
For Christ's sake/ with poverty chose to abide  
Forsook the world kept himself secree  
Of great perfection/ lived in poverty   

Other there weren that made no delays  
Of zepheryn/ hearing his preaching  
To be baptized devoutly in thoo days  
But when the rumour and the knowleging  
Cam to the Emperor/ without more tarrying  
Through all the city commanded them be sought  
To his presence/ by force to be brought.   

By land and see/ his ministers left nought  
To search 'em out/ but in no manner  
They were nat caught: but than came to the thought  
Of Dioclecian/ to work as ye shall hear  
Them of Britain/ to make them to appear/  
Upon a morrow/ when Phoebus shone full bright  
They of his hand to take order of knight   

Of antiquity/ as put is in memory:  
when th'emperor should knights make  
They did assemble beside an oratory  
That raised was/ and bylt for martis sake/  
In whose worship all night they should wake.  
The next morrow/ after the manner  
At Phoebus' uprist/ they should appear   

The oratory in compass round and large  
Beside a temple of Bellona the goddess  
where Dioclecian should give first the charge  
Of hole assurance to avoid all doubleness  
First to keep their bodies in cleanness  
For life or death/ both in peace and were  
The common profit of th'empire to prefer   

Next this charge/ th'emperor anon right  
In all his most imperial majesty  
Like their rights gird them with sword bright  
So as they weren of state and of degree  
observances kept of authority  
First charging them that they should intend  
Chief their gods to worship and defend.   

Of their temples to save the liberties  
priests of that law in right to make strong  
widows/ maiden's/ poor folk in cities  
Suffer in no wise no man to do them wrong  
Appease debates that have endured long  
For comun profit/ as most sovereign good  
In their defence/ ready to spend their blood.   

withdraw their hand from lucre and covetise  
Specially to eschewen idleness  
Pursue arms for knightly excercise  
In causes known/ grounded on rightwiseness  
give their Eaptaines such truth and stableness  
And in such case/ rather knightly die  
Than their statutes to break or disobey.   

Of common profit devised an image  
Called Knighthood/ an arm of their defence  
To hold up truth/ suffer non outrage  
Cherish the poor/ do no violence/  
After their wages/ govern their expense  
Full assurance/ made with mouth and hand  
Sustain truth/ both on see and land.   

Make providence that no derision  
Fall unwarely on high or low estate/  
which caused hath/ great dissolution  
Made many a region to be infortunate/  
For where as a strife continueth/ or debate  
By experience of many great city  
The light is eclipsed of their felicity.   

Of old custom/ knighthood took none heed  
Unto their own singular avail  
withdrew their hand from guerdon and fro meed  
wrought nothing but by wise counsel  
The head of matters poised with the tail  
This is to sane/ there should no Roman knight  
Begin no quarrel/ nor end against right.   

For the Romans in their election.  
Chose to that order/ folk just and stable  
Manly of heart and of condition  
Sober/ nat hasty/ faithful/ honourable  
For common profit proved profitable  
Benign of port/ not proud/ but debonair  
That word and work for nothing be contratre   

Take no quarrel grounded on falsehood  
Specially the poor not to oppress  
Flee Tyranny/ eschew blood to shed  
Of innocentes by wilful sturdiness  
Blood crieth vengeance to god of rightwiseness  
Falls homicides/ contrary to nature  
God suffereth them no while for to endure   

All thing audible to every gentle knight  
Hateful murder not support nor maintain  
Their office is/ as they are bound of right  
Maidens/ widows/ and poor folk to sustain  
Fraud and extortion anon while it it is green  
In knightly wise to search out the offence  
And chastise it by martial violence.   

Then tongue and heart by one accord shall draw  
On their promise steadfastly to abide  
Of antiquity/ Romans set a law  
To punish perjury/ spare non homicide  
Repress of tyrants the vengeable pride  
If need fall/ their life and blood to spend  
The right of gods and temples to defend   

In token whereof/ who took thorder of knight  
This was the usage of old antiquity  
He should first be shave of very right  
Token to avoid all superfluity  
Of vicious living/ & all dishonesty  
shaven away by virtuous diligence  
All old outrages out of their consciences.   

They had of custom also this manner  
Roman knights of years young and green  
To enter a bath of water crystal clear  
From all ordures to wash their bodies clean  
which bath/ plainly it did mean/  
As books old/ notably done express  
Unto knighthood longeth all cleanness   

First/ specially by attemperance  
Void all surfeits/ live in soberness  
By prudence and virtuous governance/  
Maintain truth/ chastise all falseness  
Restrain their courage from riotous excess  
Dishonest speech/ and ribaudry to flee  
Eschew adultery/ live chaste like their degree.   

cleanness longeth to every gentle knight  
As their bathing doth plainly specify  
Through their perfection/ was made to Mars aright  
whilom Romans by prudent policy  
Had in custom their bodies to apply  
To serve Diana/ that was the cast goddess  
That Venus had with them non entrance.   

Venus'/ to virtues contrarious  
Causeth in youth fleshly insolence  
giveth great occasion to folks courageous  
Of their nature loveth riot and expense  
withdraweth in knighthood martial diligence  
For which the bathe was made for a figure  
To wash away of Venus all ordure.   

If they be wedded/ hold them to their wives/  
If they be single/ no woman to oppress  
For in such case began the bloody strives  
Between Troy & Greeks/ the story beareth witness  
Caused many a knight to die in distress  
For by thadultery of Paris and Eleine  
Greeks & Trojans their mischiefs did complain   

After this bath/ tokened by chastity  
Fully made fair/ and void of uncleanness  
with a white shirt he should clothed be  
To signify the chief founderesse  
Of all virtues/ that called is meekness  
clean of intent/ without whom certain  
All other virtues stand but bareine   

For who so list in books for to read  
Chaste in virtue/ expert for to be  
most ready way is/ his purpose for to speed  
Set his foundation upon humility  
She berith up all/ and hath the sovereignty  
whose building ever/ the ground if it be sought  
Goeth ever upward/ and descendeth nought.   

As a shirt the body next doth touch  
with whose touch the body is nat offended  
So meekness (on authors I me avouch)  
Among virtues is sovereinly commended  
She and patience of one stock be descended  
yet in some case/ reckon nigh & far  
Peace hath conquered more than hath the were.   

By prudent writing & humble patience  
King Dindinus was nat reckless  
To notify the surquidrous science  
Of Alisaunder/ through meekness doubtless  
To Brigmannus/ meekness brought in peas  
Meek language appeased the rigour  
Of this foresaid famous conqueror.   

which considered/ the Romans understood  
This noble virtue of humility  
was in some case needful to knighthood  
most expedient to every comontie  
Them to preserve long in prosperity  
Very meekness used in prudent wise  
Is nat atwited with no cowardice   

As to knighthood longeth gentleness  
Thing appropried to his religion  
Void of surfeits/ founded on meekness  
As a lamb in chambre in battle a lion  
where place and time gave just occasion  
By manly sufferance/ benign of face & cheer  
And play the lion when time doth require.   

By the process of their observances  
Next the shirt of meekness for more speed  
They had a custom/ with sundry circumstances  
Of high prowess from 'em to avoid dread  
In a mantel/ for to be clad of red  
To recompense the white shirt of meekness  
with Martis colour/ by knightly high prowess.   

This read mantel/ so as the matter stood  
Touching the colour/ did plaiinly specify  
They should nat dread for to spend their blood  
For common profit upon any party  
By profession of their chivalry  
For this cause to avoid all dread  
They used of custom a mantel of fine red   

This colour read/ token of high prowess  
To sustain and hold up truth and right  
Nor entremete of wrongs nor falseness  
For love nor hate of no manner wight  
To no party/ for favour cast their sight  
Indifferent/ stand equal as a line  
By non occasion to wrong to decline   

A thing far of/ fro knightly desires  
Strange and foreign to their professions  
For to appear at cessions or at shires  
By maintenance of false extortions  
Or to support by their protections  
Causes unleeful/ by brocage surmitted before  
To make jurrours falsely to be forsworn.   

A thing (god wot) this day to much abused  
Experience in deed as it is sane  
They have no colour of right to be excused  
Save to their client/ the party to sustain  
But if they had before been washen clean  
bathed as I said/ in virtues also made fair  
To such places they should have no repair.   

It is a manner of apostasy  
A knight in peace to play the lion  
Nat according unto chivalry  
To draw his sword/ using extortion  
The poor compleine for oppression  
A thing contrary by signs manifold  
To them that were spurs of gold   

Sporis of gold/ round and sharp to ride  
So as gold is metal most sovereign  
Right so worship to knighthood is chief guide  
To high noblesse/ by manhood to attain  
A sword also Romans did ordain  
In four causes plainly to be draw  
After the rights of the paynim law.   

As I told erst/ the first for defence  
Of their god's/ and next for the fraunchise  
Of their temples/ that no violence  
Be done to them in no manner wise  
As far as their power and might may suffice  
And the second/ never to be present  
where doom shall pass of false judgement   

The third point/ toforne as I have told  
widows/ maiden's/ to help them in their might  
punish robbers/ and tyrants that been bold  
To spoil the people by their froward might  
This was used/ when Albon was made knight  
The last charge for a conclusion  
Never to bear arms against Rome town.   

Other articles/ more than I can tell  
Told and remembered by Dioclecian  
Notable in knighthood/ by them that did excel  
when th'emperor to dub 'em first began  
Among other/ the Briton Bassian  
Son of Severus/ in Britain king  
'Gan thus abraide his conceit declaring.   

My lord (quoth he) with support of your grace  
Scythe it is pleasure to your magnificence  
As ye have showed/ here present in this place  
Of your imperial famous excellence  
Singular favour/ royal diligence  
As greatest lord/ called on see and land  
To make us knights with your own hand   

Lowly beseeching to condescend and see  
Of your notable prudent policy  
Grant us goodly of your high majesty  
The first fruits of your chivalry  
Mars our patron/ knightly to magnify  
In your presence/ with justes or tourney  
Or some other famous martial play   

To have in arms knightly excercise  
Our green youth and courages to amend  
To learn the manner and the Roman guise  
In palestre/ day by day to intend  
So that ye list of grace to condescend  
Grant us freedom/ and a place to assign  
Of your imperial support most benign.   

The Emperor considering first their cheres  
Conde them great thank for their knightly request  
And commended greatly their desires  
Set a day/ and held a royal feast  
All nations to come at the least  
As th'emperor freely did ordain  
To have ado with knights of Britain.   

with Roman knights/ first they had ado  
By commandment of Dioclecian  
During the utas/ the story telleth so  
Among all Albon that knightly man  
with his Cousin called Bassian  
Greenshield of the field given to them twain  
Among Romans and knights of Britain.   

Of Ficulnius came many a worthy knight  
Of Spaigne/ of Cipre and also of Sardine  
And of Almain/ in steel armed bright  
Mars was present/ the field to enlumine  
But among all/ to the Briton line  
The soverein price above everyone  
was by heralds given to Albon.   

His name worthy to be put in memory  
He quit himself so like a manly knight  
Granted to him the price and the victory  
Through his desert/ of very truth and right  
Called in Rome the lantern and the light  
Of knightly prows/ and Phoebus' sovereign  
Through all Italy/ and day star of Britain.   

Of blessed Albon/ the arms in his shield  
Square on his shoulders by antiquity  
Of fine azure soothly was the field  
Therein of gold depicte was a sautree  
In whose story/ at Leicester who list see  
After his passion/ as I affirm dare  
In his cote armour/ king Offa soothly bare.   

Of whose minster he after was founder  
As the Chronicle maketh mention  
A manly knight/ a noble governor  
In his days/ through many a region  
His name spread/ and his high renown  
Under these arms/ as put is in memory  
In every field had always the victory.   

Aforne provided (I trow of yore agoon)  
By grace of god and heavenly influence  
And by the merit of the glorious saint Albon  
Had in knighthood martial excellence  
And for to acquit him by virtuous providence  
To this martyr/ called saint Albon  
Of that minster laid the first stoon.   

After whose hand/ masons did work  
He bore the cost/ of great devotion  
The said arms he left unto the church  
This king Offa/ as made is mention  
And finally/ by mine opinion  
By these arms/ again all that doth them wrong  
with help of Albon they shall be made strong.   

The field of Azure betokeneth steadfastness  
The Sautree/ like a cross of saint Andrue  
The colour heavenly shall give them perfectness  
By the holy cross/ force in our lord jesus  
From day to day/ to encreas all in virtue  
The Prothomartir/ their patron saint Albon  
Shall them defend fro their mortal soon.   

After these jousts and famous tournement  
Fully accomplished/ told here in sentence  
Bassian/ disposed in his intent  
To await a time of entire diligence  
Of the Emperor to ask goodly licence  
with the Barons/ being in Rome town  
Home to return to Brutus' Albiowne.   

His request was granted anon  
By Dioclecian/ made non exception  
Save only thus/ he said that Albon  
Shall not depart by no condition/  
To him he had so great affection  
For high noblesse and semelynes alone  
He should abide/ and await on his person.   

To Albon/ equal in fairness  
with Dioclecian/ non so great as he/  
Of manly force and hardiness  
Famous in knighthood/ like judas Machabe  
As Scipion/ of prudent advise was he  
Of cheer benign/ discrete and virtuous  
giving council right sad and compendious.   

Mars in arms/ with Mercury eloquent  
Among Roman knights/ reckoned young & old  
For which the Emperor by great advisement  
Of providence (toforne as I have told)  
Before all other/ Albon he hath withhold  
On him to await and abide day and night  
Of his empire/ as for most worthy knight.   

when Bassian had his leave take  
Of Dioclecian/ with knights of Britain  
The Emperor for Albon's sake  
At their departing list not for to feign  
To make 'em cheer/ and after in certain  
For his pleasance/ as saith the croniclere  
Fully complete/ Albon abode seven year.   

This mean while (mine author writeth thus)  
when this prince was come home in deed  
Into his country: A knight Carauseus  
Greatly disposed to kill and blood to shed  
Of the Romans gate licence (as I read)  
And of the Cenate by great authority  
To be made keeper of the Brittisshe see   

Bassianus by just succession  
At his coming home to Britain/ anon right  
was crowned king of that region  
His father deed/ a full notable knight  
Called Severus/ which in the people's sights  
Great favour had/ but Bassian in that isle  
(The story saith) reigned but a while.   

By Carauseus (of whom I told before)  
This Bassian was slain traitorously  
sceptre and crown this young prince hath borne  
Car●useus usurping most falsely  
To be crowned king of that party  
Having no title to the regally  
But a falls train of murder and tyranny   

On Bassian thus when he was awroke  
By intrusion the kingdom usurping  
To the Romans had his oath broke  
And in Britain took upon him to be king  
The Roman tribute the which was hanging  
To th'emperor/ he falsely can deny  
Granted also within Albany.   

To the pietes for to have a dwelling place  
The which now is called scotland  
And from Rome they bode no longer space  
A Cenatour came down with mighty hand  
Called alectus/ the malice to withstand  
Of Carauseus with Roman champions  
Brought in number fully three legions   

This Carauseus in story as I find  
which traitorously had murdered Bassian  
Slain by alectus/ his name put out of mind  
Roman knights/ with many a manly man  
For to accomplish their purpose they began  
Brought Britons through their renown  
almost by force unto subjection.   

To their succour/ hoping it should avail  
Against Romans to make resistance/  
Asclepeodot/ duke of Cornwall  
They chose of new/ to stand at defence  
which through his manly knightly excellence  
Slew alectus of very force and might  
And put his fellow Galls to the flight.   

The proud Romans he did so encumber  
They might afore him abide in no manner  
He slew of them at London so great a number  
Through his knighthood/ beside a river/  
After whose name/ as saith the Chronicler  
Is called there as Romans did bleed  
Unto this day/ walbroke as I read.   

In memory of that discomfiture  
The noble Britons/ after that battle  
Of one assent/ did their busy cure  
The same day/ armed in plate and mail  
Proudly to choose the duke of Cornwall  
Asclepeodot/ their purpose to attain  
To crown him king/ and lord of all Britain.   

This mighty duke/ knowing their intent  
Agreed well unto their election/  
To be crowned/ that would he nat assent  
But authority from Rome were sent down  
By th'emperor to Brutus' Albion/  
For which/ caused Dioclecian  
To Britain to send Maximian.   

The chief cause in sooth of his coming  
(with other matters that were collateral)  
Into that land/ was for to crown him king  
There for to reign in his estate royal  
And Dioclecian in especial/  
Hath a conceit in the mean while  
with him to send Albon into that i'll.   

Both for trust/ plainly to devise  
And to govern notably that land  
parcel also to guerdon his service  
For troth in knighthod in Albon that he fond  
Ordained him/ and made him surance in hand  
Prince of knights/ and steward sovereign  
Under Romans/ through all Britain.   

He sent him thither also for that intent  
For his wisdom and high discretion  
with Maximian for to be present  
At this solemn coronation  
Of Asclepeodot/ lord of that region  
Albon as steward in that solemnity  
And prince of knights receive his dignity.   

By the bidding of Dioclecian  
Like custom used of antiquity  
Make his oath to Maximian  
As prince and steward of most authority  
To th'emperor in his imperial see  
As he was bound by statutes old and new  
For life or death/ ever to be true.   

All things accomplished like as I have told  
Maximian returned is again  
with a tribute three thousand pound in gold  
Beh●nde of old/ denied of disdain  
which was withdraw/ the story saith certain  
To the Romans the time of Carauseus  
A false tyrant/ cruel and furious   

Come into Rome when Maximian  
Returned was with all his chivalry  
That time the pope named Poncian  
That busy was on that other party  
In Cecile and in Lombardy  
By devout teaching/ as mine author saith  
To turn people unto Christ's faith   

In that time/ made was none obstacle  
That year in deed there was (as it was seen)  
Through Christ's law/ turned by miracle  
To the number of thousands fally sixteen  
The church of christ/ tender & very green  
when th'emperor hath the wonders same  
was greatly moved of malice and disdain   

To Christ's faith had so great envy  
when that he saw to his confusion  
The number of christian increase and multiply  
Let call in haste by false collusion  
All the lords of that region  
And all the Cenates afore him to apere  
At a certain day to treat of this matter.   

Echone assembled in his high presence  
Bid cast their wits together/ and take heed  
And faithfully do their diligence  
In this matter their purpose for to speed  
what was to done in so straight a need  
For things that toucheth the wealth of the city  
Must of wise council take first authority.   

For this matter/ touched one and all  
A thing expedient for to be amended  
which to amend/ first they did call  
The pope in haste/ that hath their law offended  
And to this point they be all condescended  
To damn him by hasty judgement  
And all christens that were of his assent.   

Banyssshe all christens out of Rome town  
And punish them by mortal cruelty  
Not only there/ but in each region  
with diverse torments/ searched every country  
This statute made in Rome the city  
Through all the world a decree forth sent  
They to be slain/ and their bodies brent.   

Spare no place/ where men did them know  
But them pursue upon each party  
All their churches cast down and overthrow  
Plain with the ground/ where men could them espy  
Thus stood our faith in mortal jeopardy  
Of miscreants/ foes to Christ's law  
For dread of death that they have them withdraw.   

Against them the painems were so strong  
drove them for fear each man fro his country  
And Amphiball that bare non arms of long  
Save in knighthod of wilful poverty  
Constrained was with other for to flee  
Patiently/ with travail and with pain  
Passing the see/ came into Britain.   

Conveyed he was by grace and virtue  
In his repair homeward (as I read)  
His safe-conduct strong in our lord Ihesu  
who so trusteth him/ amiss he may nat speed  
The holy ghost did his bridle lead  
To Verolamy/ which of antiquity  
was in Britain a great famous city.   

Verbi autores.  

OF this place here now I am adverted  
Of this matter for to stint a while  
And to proceed how Albon was converted  
To christian faith the process to compile  
The holy martyr direct shall my style  
To whose worship first I undertook  
The translation of this little book   

At the request and virtuous bidding  
Of my father th'abbot of that place  
A clerk noble perfit of living  
Having in custom every hour and space  
To avoid sloth and virtue to purchase  
Like any Ampte all seasons of the year  
To gather grain and stuffen his garner   

By whose notable compylations  
illumined is not only his gay library  
By also full diligent occupations  
Against idleness to all virtue contrary  
Hat set in order in his famous gravery  
A book compiled richer than gold in coffers  
lives of poets and prudent philosophers   

Of his name the Ethymologie  
Is said of am Home or stead of wheat  
Of god provided doth clearly signify  
wheat gleves of the mouth of th'old poet  
Greyne/ fruit/ and flower with rhetoric's sweet  
Of philosophers calling to memory  
Of his labour the laureate reportory   

And as I said by his commandment  
I took upon me this translation  
First to compile it in all my best intent  
His famous knighthood and renown  
And now to tell of his conversation  
To Christis law I cast me for to write  
Following the story his passion to indite   

To proceed like as I am bound  
For to accomplish briefly in substance  
This little book and call it the second  
Of his martyrdom and meek sufferance  
And put aforne clearly in remembrance  
How Amphiball as the chronicle saith  
Turned Albon unto Christis faith   

Each of them (by record of writing)  
was plainly without others remembrance  
For Albon had lost the knowledging  
Of Amphabell/ and all old acquaintance  
But by the mean of god's ordinance  
I will declare/ as I am bound of det  
In Verolamy/ to tell how they met.   

Plainly proceed/ as I undertook  
The residue to accomplish for his sake  
Make here an end of the first book/  
But now forsooth my pen I feel quake  
Void of all colour/ save of letters black  
In this process my dullness to acquit  
The martyrdom of Albon to indite.    
Finis.  
¶ Here endeth the first book/ which treateth of the life of Albon before he was converted to the faith.    


¶ Here beginneth the prologue of the second book/ treating of the conversion of the blessed prothomaptyr of England called Saint Albon.  

SO as Aurora parteth the dark night  
Toward the time of Phoebus uprising  
And Lucifer with agreeable light  
Bringeth kalends of a glad morning:  
So by ensample/ the true living  
Of old time in saint Albon used  
Caused the lord which guerdoneth every thing  
That the merits of him were nat refused.   

Every thing draweth to his nature  
Like as kind giveth heavenly influence  
For to disposen every creature  
Some to profit/ some to do offence  
Some to increase by perfit providence  
where virtue hath the domination  
Of god ordained by inter diligence  
That sensuality be bridled with reason.   

Among painems/ jues have be sane  
That virtue hath many of them governed  
Taught by nature/ wrought nothing in vain  
But as kind/ and reason hath us learned  
Good grain from chaff was discerned  
Thus hath he proved in many a sundry place  
Good from evil/ by them truly conserned  
Record upon Cornelly and on saint Eustace   

who taught Trojan whilom to done right  
when the widow complained her grievance  
To her grief th'emperor cast his sight  
Reason taught him for all his great puissance  
To her request to hold the balance  
Of rightwiseness to see though he were strong  
In her poverty to persuade her perturbance  
By equal doom he to redress her wrong   

The story of old it put in memory  
For rightwiseness in especial  
How that Trojan by prayers of Gregory  
was preserved from the pains eternal  
From damnation and cloister infernal  
To exemplify how god taketh heed  
Of his greatest power most imperial  
Of right and mercy acquitteth each good deed   

And to the purpose of my mattiere  
During his life of great power and might  
This blessed Albon who so list to here  
Though like a prince his power gave great light  
Fostered truth/ did wrong to no wight  
For which the lord his hand hand not withdraw  
To call and clepe him his own chosen knight  
To be converted and turned to his law   

His truth/ his virtue/ his native gentleness  
Of custom stable grounded in many wise  
Caused god of his merciful goodness  
To the this prince into his service  
All falls idols manly to despise  
This choson chapyon borne of the breton tyne  
This new Titan/ whose beams did avise  
Out of orient to lord to enlemyne   

Now henceforth shall be my process  
with gods help my pen to apply  
How in his time he keeped rightwiseness  
And like a prince/ how he did him gye  
To set his city upon each party  
In governance from right they not twin  
Under the reigns of prudent policy  
which to rehearse/ thus I will begin   
¶ Here endeth the prologue of the second book.   

¶ Here beginneth the second book of the glorious Protomartyr saint Albon how he was made governor of the city of Verolamye.  

Under the Romans chief and principal  
with great avise it liked them to ordain  
By commission and title imperial  
Prince and steward thorughout all Bretayne  
To chief Albon/ which did first his pain  
Like a prince not slow nor reckless  
To avoid all trouble/ and rule the people in peace   

By policy he hath so provided  
Set statutes so mighty and so strong  
And his laws so virtuously divided  
For common profit to endure long  
That no man should do other wrong  
And where he saw innocentes oppressed  
Set a pain inhaste to be redressed   

The rich he made live to their estate  
without extortion do to the portayle  
Repressed riot suffered no debate  
Idle people constrained to travail  
Aforne provided for plenty of victual  
Like his office with virtuous diligence  
By suffisance there were none indigence   

Beloved and dread with high and low degree  
For friend nor so declyved not fro troth  
The good him loved for his benignity  
The rich dread him/ on the poor he had ruth  
wrongs to redress there was in him no sloth  
In his domes steadfast as a wall  
Not singular found nor yet partial   

Nature taught him all vices for to flee  
Like the laws/ to which he was bound  
A chastiser of all dishonest  
Gafe never doom till truth were out found  
Nother to heavy/ neither to iocounde  
But as time and matter gave him occasion  
So was demeaned his disposition   

He had also of his acquaintance  
Four virtues called cardinal  
The rain of his bridle led temperance  
rightwiseness with mercy ruled all  
Truth to defend/ and manhood martial  
By force also through high prows  
Spared not to chastise all falseness   

He could appease folk that list debate  
reform all rancour where he could it espy  
Like a prince knightly he did hate  
Such as could falsely forge and lie  
Stopped his ears from all flattery  
To foreign quarrels list give no credence  
Till the party come unto audience   

Envious slander be punyswed rigorously  
Compassed of malice hatred and di●●ame  
To double tongues ever he was enemy  
which to say evil of custom have no shame  
And backbiters that have their lips lame  
To say well/ this prince young and old  
Voided all such out of his household   

By discreeion he could punish and spare  
His heart ay void of all duplicity  
Large of custom/ to naked folk and bare  
His gate ay open for hospitalite  
That if his virtues should reckoned be  
Here in this book told from young age  
I have thereto no cunning nor language   

Oot withstanding as I have behyght  
I will proceed and not excuse me  
To declare how god saw to his knight  
The time rehearsed/ the date also pard  
when Amphibalus entered the city  
Of Verolamy told eke the occasion  
How he and Albon met in the town   

Amphibalus entered the city  
Of adventure to seek herburgages  
By the streets up and down went he  
Like a pilgrim of cheer and visage  
Till it fell so he met in passage  
The noble prince plainly to conclude  
Blessed Albon with a great multitude   

This mighty prince by great fortune  
After custom used that time of old  
Amid the city walked in his estate  
In a garment frenged all with gold  
Amphibalus virtuously made bold  
with humble cheer and meek visage  
Besought him lowly to grant him herbergage   

For when that he on Albon cast his look  
And him beheld with every circumstance  
By long advice of him good heed he took  
It fell anon into his remembrance  
Full yore agone of his acquaintance  
How they in one of fortune did assent  
Out of britain/ and unto Rome went   

For gods sake this Amphibalus  
Of herborgage can lowly him require  
To be received and take in to his house  
Albon anon as the story doth us lere  
was in such case strange in no manner  
Having a custom to high and low degree  
Freely to grant hospitality   

In to his house him goodly hath received  
This simple clerk list no longer tarry  
His port his there benignly received  
ministered to him all that was necessary  
From Christis law though Albon did vary  
Like a prince benign and virtuous  
received him full goodly into his house   

Not after long only by god's grace  
Of knightly favour sought opportunity  
To get a time/ a leysour/ and a space  
To avoid from him his people and his main  
with this pilgrim alone for to be  
And secretly when they were met in fere  
To him he said anon as ye shall here   

By many signs and tokens that I can  
divers dangers strange to recure  
In sooth that ye be a christian man  
And of hardiness durst yourself assure  
To put your body and life in adventure  
Among paynims your person to ieoparte  
without death how might ye depart   

Quod Amphibalus Christ jesus of his grace  
Of his mercy/ be it that I have deserved  
From all danger and every perilous place  
Christ gods son my body hath preserved  
Ben my guide/ and my life conserved  
To this city brought me safe to preach  
His glorious law and his faith to teach   

Quod Albon than/ how may this true  
what that he is I would fain lere  
The son of god/ a strange thing and a new  
Had god a son declare this mattiere  
Quod Amphiball/ so ye list to here  
Patiently/ for nothing will I spare  
Curiously the truth to declare   

Amphibalus is entreated by reason  
On the gospel to ground his process  
And to confirm his disputation  
Of holy writ he took justly witness  
How our believe recordeth in soothness  
Of god the father and god the son also  
This is our belief take good heed thereto   

The son most perfit & most good  
For man's health and salvation  
was incarnate and took flesh and blood  
And semblably for short conclusion  
Of his most benign consolation  
Right so as he first made man in deed  
So come he down to take our manhood   

And as him list of grace and of mercy  
By his power/ which that is divine  
Ordained maidens to live here perfectly  
So he again ward plainly to determine  
Took flesh and blood of a pure virgin  
The time come there was none obstacle  
But that he wrought his marvelous miracle   

The time approached of grace and gladness  
Toward summer when the lusty queen  
Called Flora with motleiss of sweetness  
Clothed the soil all in new green  
And amorous Veer/ again the son shine  
By the cherishing of Apryll with his shores  
Bringeth kalends of May & of his flowers   

So in the season heavenly and divine  
Of winter storms was passed all outrage  
And in the rain Phoebus 'gan to shine  
The same time to our great advantage  
Down from heaven was sent a message  
which concluded for our felicity  
A branch should spring out of iesse   

This new tiding to Nasereth was sent  
And Gabrell come on his message  
The trinity hole being in one assent  
For to accomplish this gracious voyage  
The holy ghost holding his passage  
Down descending right as any line  
In to the breast of a pure virgin   

Like as Luke in his gospel saith  
As is remembered in the same place  
when Gabryell lowly 'gan abraid  
meekly said: Hail Marry full of grace  
Thou chosen of god every hour and space  
The tabernable of the trinity  
Among all women blessed mote thou be   

when she had heard the angel thus express  
Troubled in his words of femynyte  
Thought in herself of very chaste cleanness  
This chosen mirror of humility  
This salutation/ what it might be  
The angel seeing her afeard of womanhead  
Said: O Mary have hereof no dread   

Afore god thou hast founden grace  
Thou shalt conceive a child in all cleanness  
Of whose birth Bedleme shall be the place  
As the gospelll can bear hereof witness  
And his name plainly to express  
Thou shalt him name of most virtue  
when he is borne and call him jesus   

How may this be said this glorious maid  
That know no man in will deed nor thought  
Thangell than unto Mary said  
As I toforne have the tidings brought  
By the holy ghost this miracle shallbe wrought  
The virtue also of him that sit highest  
Shall overshadow and light into thy breast   

For that lord that shall of the be borne  
As thing most holy men shall him call  
The son of god/ as prophets wrote before  
Such heavenly grace is upon the fall  
By a prerogative above women all  
with light surmounting above the stars seven  
This message I have brought the from heaven   

Quod Mary fulfilled be the will  
After the word/ which thou hast brought unto me  
Behold this handmaid/ & this humble ancille  
This was her answer with all humility  
Thoo god was pleased with her virginity  
yet was that lord/ doctors bear witness  
Pleased more with her devout meekness   

Thus hath a maid through her perfectness  
To bear her lord graciously deserved  
A chosen daughter by her pure cleanness  
To bear her father/ her chastity concerned  
By her merits that were to her reserved  
As I said erst by a prerogative  
She among women was maiden mother & wife   

To god a maid to fulfil his will  
And to the lord a servant by meekness  
Daughter & mother/ & eke faithful ancyll  
which to remember hath brought ghostly gladness  
Of all welfare/ our dangers to repress  
Aforne by record of prophets in substance  
Us to defend again all mortal grievance   

For which dear host sith it may avail  
To my doctrine giveth heartily credence  
God hath me sent to teach you and counsel  
So that ye lust with humble diligence  
Become his knight and do him reverence  
Obey his law & his precepts all  
Taketh good heed to you what shall befall   

His faith to you shall give so great virtue  
That blind folk ye shall make for to see  
By invocation only of Christ jesus  
deliver the people from all adversity  
Leprous folk/ and though that lame be  
To be made clean/ and make them go upright  
And every sickness recover through his might   

ye shall escape by his providence  
All mischiefs to you that been contrary  
Live long time/ go free from pestilence  
From Christis faith if that ye will not vary  
To grant your asking the lord shall not tarry  
But at last or ye hens wend  
By martyrdom ye shall make an end   

By martyrdom ye shall end your life  
And blessedly from this world shall pass  
Out of all trouble and transitory strife  
which day by day/ doth you here manasse  
Through Christis might and influence of grace  
ye shall to god/ to your great advantage  
By meek sufferance make your passage   

This was chief cause and ground of my coming  
Sent by jesus unto this town  
As a bedyll to bring you tiding  
how by his mighty visitation  
ye shall endure pain and passion  
For Christis faith in his most patient wise  
As knight and martyr chosen to his service   

That is his will ye shall find in deed  
To recompense the great humanity  
which ye have used of freedom and manhood  
To indigent folk and people in poverty  
And specially for hospitality  
with other deeds in number called seven  
deeds of mercy registered now in heaven   

To feed the poor/ which had no victual  
And to viset folks in prison  
receive them that herburgh did fail  
Bedrid folks that lay in mischief down  
Comfort the sick minister them foysowne  
part with them of that they had need  
And vury them that lay in mischief deed   

To his servants/ & all that ye have ministered  
Cronycled been in the heavenly consistory  
In his book perpetually registered  
Each good deed the lord hath in memory  
It to guerdon with a palm of victory  
Perpetually with him to reign in joy  
Greater conquest than was the siege of Troy   

Sith ye your hands have not withdraw  
From hospitality poor folks for to feed  
while ye have lived in this paynim law  
Causes of the poor to promote and to speed  
God forgetteth not to quite your meed  
If this be done after ye be baptized  
A double palm for you shallbe devised   

Like a prince in most knyghty wise  
Albon obeyed with entire diligence  
All these words 'gan wisely advertise  
Answering these words in sentence  
what manner worship/ what manner reverence  
Shall I do than when I am withdraw  
From idolatry/ and turned to Christis law   

Amphibalus gave answer to Albon  
ye must believe & in no doubt be  
There is no god in this world but one  
The father/ the son/ the holy ghost these three  
joined in one by perfit unite  
The foundation as I can well prove  
first article & ground of our believe   

This faith in sooth shall clearly you direct  
If that you list give thereto credence  
All old errors to avoid & correct  
If ye so done with humble reverence  
I dare affirm and conclude in sentence  
That your beginning to god is acceptable  
And to your soul treasure most profitable   

Of the father the power eternal  
Of the son sovereign sapience  
Of the holy ghost in especial  
Grace doth proceed by virtuous providence  
And to describe the magnificence  
Of all the three/ called three and one  
undivided/ they never asunder gone   

And if ye list unto this law turn  
Of his most dignen imperial majesty  
He shall you make with him to sojourn  
This blessed lord/ this blessed trinity  
where joy is ever and all felicity  
Tofore whose face eternally lasting  
Three jerarchies one hosanna sing   

Of this matter be nothing in doubt  
Set aside all ambiguyte  
Forsake your mammets/ and all that false rout  
For they be made of metal/ stone/ & tree  
which may not help nor further in no degree  
Saturn/ jubiter/ Mars/ and Apollo  
with the false goddessis Dyana and june   

Though they have ears/ in troth they may not here  
with eyen great/ of looking they do fail  
They be forged in gold & stones clear  
who calleth to them they may nothing avail  
Now dear host forsake all this rascayle  
As I have said/ and do in Christ delight  
And he by grace shall make you perfit   

A large space Albon kept him close  
Feigned in manner as he had disdain  
From his place in great haste arose  
yet or he went he 'gan to say  
ye be not wise your doctrine is in vain  
If it were wist ye were in this city  
ye should endure full great adversity   

For your sake there should be practised  
divers torments for your destruction  
For your blasphemy cruelly chastised  
without favour or remission  
At the last for short conclusion  
your heed smitten of/ without grace  
If ye were known or founden in this place   

In this matter I can none other feel  
For your person somewhat I stand in doubt  
you been here/ yet I shall counsel  
And you preserve that no man shall take heed  
Of your conceit/ nor what ye mean in deed  
And with that word/ out of the place he goth  
showeth a cheer like as he had been wroth   

By grace of god and favour of fortune  
All that he said was done with reverence  
Of gentleness he was not importune  
Suffered all thing with humble patience  
Albeit so he gafe no full credence  
To his doctrine of things which he told  
Stood in doubt/ what party he should hold   

Albon in haste thought for the best  
when Lucyna shone full sheen and bright  
with sleep oppressed for to take his rest  
Amphibalus sat all that long night  
Upon his knees as gods own knight  
For love of Albon with great devotion  
Making full meekly his orison   

To whose prayer of grace god took keep  
And list to consider his affection  
And in this while as Albon lay and sleep  
The same night he had a vision  
Strange and divers by manifold reason  
And wonder fer from his intelligence  
what it meant or what was the sentence   

Toward morrow when Albon did abraid  
Out of his sleep/ and Phoebus shone full sheen  
'Gan to marvel/ and no word he said  
Touching his dream/ new fresh and green  
Understood not what it should mean  
Rose up in haste/ and to the pilgrim went  
Beseeching him to declare what it meant   

My friend quoth he/ if all thing be true  
which ye have preached of Christ & of his law  
divers marvels unknown strange & new  
showed to me this night or it can daw  
I you beseech your wit ye nat withdraw  
For to declare the exposition  
when I have told you mine avision   

The which truly as I rehearse can  
Looking up to the heavenly mansion  
Me thought soothly that I saw a man  
From that place to this world come down  
Of whose beauty was no comparysown  
Eke me thought of boisterous folk & rude  
He was beset with a great multitude   

This people envious & froward of intent  
As it seemed of malice and hatred  
with many a sundry fell tourment  
with sharp scourges made his sides bleed  
Bound his hands/ I took thereof good heed  
And on a cross they hang him up full belive  
with spear and nails they gave him wounds five   

Naked he was/ body/ foot/ and hands  
On length and breed drawn with great pain  
By the constraint of mighty strong bonds  
Drawn asunder was every narfe and vain  
with a sharp spear his heart cloven in tween  
Pierced he was so deep and profound  
That blood and water ran out of that wound   

with a reed spear they reached I took heed  
To give him drink/ easel mingled with gall  
A crown of thorn set upon his heed  
And among his cruel pains all  
King of jews in scorn they him call  
And in despite maliciously crying  
Of jewery saluted him as king   

As me thought they greatly did offend  
To make all his body so for to bleed  
And from the cross down bade him descend  
If that he were gods son in deed  
His skin to rend/ all bloody was his weed  
Like a meek lamb/ mine heart did agryse  
To see him torment in so cruel wise   

After these pains grievous and intolerable  
And all his hideous mortal tourmentry  
with a great voice piteous and lamentable  
Upon the point/ when he should die  
To his father thus he 'gan to cry  
In to thine hands father I commend  
My ghost/ my spirit/ and thus he made an end   

And with that cry as he gave up the go●  
From the cross his body they took down  
Like well streams upon every coost  
His green wounds shed out great ●oyson  
Of bloody drops/ and for a conclusion  
Of all his pains/ his body was anon  
Closed and ensealed under a great stone   

And while that he with strong hand was kept close  
Marvel of marvels most I can marvel  
The deed body/ to life again rose  
Maugre the knights with all plate and mail  
A sudden slumber their hedes did assail  
An angel most sovereign of delight  
I saw appear/ and he was clothed in white   

Among other marvels there was one  
which I beheld in mine avision  
Out of his grave closed with a stone  
He rose up like a strong champion  
with open eyen I had aspection  
Of all this thing no part left behind  
From point to point all marked in my mind   

Rad nor sungen among the Brytons lays  
was never heard so soot an heavenly sown  
After the number full of forty days  
Followed after the resurrection  
To the time of his ascension  
what multitude of angels all in fere  
Conveyed him above the stars clear   

I saw this thing and knew it well enough  
By a manner uncouth appearance  
The garments white than milk or snow  
Of all th'angels that did him reverence  
This was their song and refret in sentence  
Blessed be the father/ blessed moat he be  
The son eke blessed in his humanity   

These uncouth tidings I saw them in my sleep  
And many other things more withal  
Secret things I took of them good keep  
Not to be showed to no man mortal  
And he told unto Amphibell all  
when he a work in full humble intent  
Beseeching him to declare what it meant   

which things to here greatly was delighted  
within himself of spiritual gladness  
Saw that his heart was of god visited  
And full devoutly a cross he 'gan forth dress  
Lo here quoth he/ this token beareth witness  
Of all the signs clear as the son beam  
That were unto you showed in your dream   

The man which to you did appear  
Sent from heaven so fair and glorious  
He was the same as I shall you lere  
My blessed lord/ mine own lord Christ jesus  
Most benign/ most meek/ and most virtuous  
which on a cross suffered passion  
As ye saw clearly in your avision   

Only by mercy by his gracious advise  
Of the trespass to make redemption  
Touching the apple/ which in paradise  
Adam ate of by false suggestion  
Of a serpent to great confusion  
first of himself/ next of all his line  
Till Christis passion/ that was our medicine   

Again Adam the serpent was so wooed  
To staunch his venom was found none obstacle  
Till on the cross Christ jesus spend his blood  
A medicine balm and chief treacle  
Liquor of liquors/ distilling by miracle  
From the cundytes of Christis wounds fine  
Man to restore again from death to live   

whose blessed passion is our restauratyfe  
Health and diffence of most excellence  
To assuage the boling of our mortal strife  
balm imperial against fiends violence  
The phylosophre celestial quaint essence  
To all welfare mankind to restore  
Helpeth all sicknesses/ when leches can no more   

Our leche/ our hippocras/ our ghostly galyent  
Our samson called that venquisshed the lion  
Our mighty champion the famous strong Achilles  
That bore up heaven for our salvation  
high on the cross making our ransom  
He that ye saw was the same man  
In your avision that overcame Satan   

The multitude that above him stood  
were false jews/ his death immagyning  
Of cursed malice/ nailed him to the rod  
List not receive his gracious coming  
Of their prophets refused the writing  
knew not their lord/ but as folk adversary  
For his goodness/ were to him contrary   

Merciful jesus gain death to stint our strife  
List suffer death/ from death to make us free  
Venquisshed death/ with death to bring in life  
when life was slain an high upon a tree  
Forbade fruit/ brought immortality  
By a round apple was caused all this loss  
By fruit reformed/ that hinge upon the cross   

Let me I pray you have very knowledging  
By your discrete faithful diligence  
As ye that been expert in many a thing  
what observance/ what due reverence  
Unto the father and his magnificence  
To the holy ghost/ tell on first of those two  
And to the son/ what service shall I do   

when Amphabell 'gan plainly to advertise  
His faithful asking with all humility  
'Gan rejoice in many sundry wise  
This Albon where as he stood free  
was godly moved to ask of these three  
By god inspired conceived of reason  
Only of grace came this question   

Thanked god/ and goodly 'gan him dress  
To comfort the true affection  
Of blessed Albon/ and truly to express  
Him to quite for short conclusion  
Of his demand made a solution  
His conceits discreetly to appease  
Thus he said to set his heart in ease   

These three persons/ which ye have named here  
The father the son the holy ghost these three  
Ben soothfastly like as ye shall here  
Trust me right well on god in trinity  
joined in one by perfit unite  
Believe this justly/ and your wits dress  
For life or death/ this article to confess   

This is my faith/ and I believe thus  
Quoth blessed Albon with all humility  
There is no god but my lord jesus  
which that come down from his fathers see  
meekly to take our humanity  
For our health and our salvation  
List of his mercy to suffer passion   

He with the father the holy ghost these three  
Amphibalus rehearsing unto Albon  
They be all one god by perfit unite  
And other god in all the world is none  
And this belief look ye not foregone  
This word oft rehearsed in sentence  
Albon fell down with devout reverence   

Toforne the cross/ and with great repentance  
And said: O lord jesus on my misdeed  
O jesus mercy/ receive my penance  
which on the cross list for my sake to bleed  
And on his knees fast he 'gan him speed  
with contrite heart/ great to god a loft  
with weeping tears the cross he kissed oft   

with all his membres hath him applied  
As on the cross Christ had be present  
And he with him when he was crucified  
So of hole heart Albon was diligent  
His face his eyen with tears all be sprent  
This penitent his languor for to lysse  
was ever busy Christis foot to kiss   

His bitter tears from his eyen twain  
Like a crystal well increasing at a flood  
Albon ay busy to make the water rain  
To mingle his weeping with Christis own blood  
I mean the wound graven in the rood  
Upon the cross that was to him showed  
Of dreary sobbing the characts all be dewed   

By grace inspired this Albon 'gan him draw  
To take the order of religion  
Of Christis faith and bind him to that law  
with will and heart and hold affection  
And secretly made his profession  
To Christ jesus time and hour devised  
By Amphibalus when he was baptized   

with humble heart this was the language  
Of holy Albon quoth he I here forsake  
The pomp of Satan/ and all his baronage  
And all the power of the ugly fiends black  
My soul and body to jesus I betake  
which for mankind died it is no nay  
Thus I believe/ and rose the third day   

Quod Amphibalus with a glad visage  
Be strong of faith our lord is hold with the  
He will not fail to confirm your courage  
By tokens showed of his beningnyte  
In especial reporteth this of me  
To other aforne you as I rehearse can  
That they were taught/ they learned it of man   

But your language excelling in virtue  
Experience hath give you knowledging  
By revelation of our lord jesus  
which to you hath declared every thing  
His birth/ his passion/ his uprising  
Of all this thing like as ye had in sight  
To call you to him to be his chosen knight   

which me seemeth aught enough suffice  
with the surplus of your avision  
To you exponed the manner and the guise  
Of Christis faith with full instruction  
meekly of heart with supportation  
At my request your highness not ye grieve  
For to depart goodly to give me leave   

I am moved of very conscience  
Other contrees to preach Christis law  
I hope to you it shall do none offence  
For a season though I me withdraw  
It is a by word/ and a full old saw  
which hath be said/ fyth gone many a year  
Friends always/ may not been in fere   

Friends quoth Albon never departed asunder  
joined in virtue and knit by grace  
Though one be here and another yonder  
Their hearts been one every hour and space  
In god combined/ there parteth them no place  
Of one wyllaye in that they have to done  
Of which I pray/ departeth not so soon   

To abide a week ye may do me great ease  
By your doctrine to have instruction  
My lord jesus how shall I him please  
with right hole heart and true affection  
To serve him duly like my profession  
And in his faith wherein I most delight  
with your teaching that I may be perfit   

Amphibalus knowing his intent  
List in no wise deny his asking  
The long night they together spent  
Only in prayer and devout praising  
For out of sight they chose their abiding  
From noise of folk they 'gan themself withdraw  
And all that while they spoke of Christis law   

Of Christis faith and of his religion  
was their faith and their dalliance  
Among to god they maid their orison  
Them to detende from fiends accombrance  
In this while god gave them sorry chance  
A cursed paynim of malice and envy  
where they met the place he did espy   

To avoid them of comfort and refuge  
This paynim aforesaid of malice list not spate  
For to accuse them both unto the judge  
Of their meeting the manner to declare  
And moreover evil moat he far  
Of malicious froward cursedness  
The judge he set a fire with woodness   

with envious sturdy violence  
Through the city they searched were & sought  
And commanded to appear in the presence  
Toforne the judge both two to be brought  
The town searched/ but they found them nought  
Blessed Albon moved of courage  
To keep his master & save him from damage   

Upon a night before the dawning  
This blessed Albon his master 'gan convey  
with heavy cheer most piteously weeping  
Out of the city brought him on the way  
At the departing fared as they would die  
So were their hearts joined in one chain  
Not like to twin/ till death depart them in twain   

O faithful love standing in such a state  
By resemblance in comparison  
As whilom did david and jonathas  
Maugre king Saules persecution  
Feigning was none nor dissimulation  
Like to endure plainly to termine  
Till Antropos their lives tried atwyne   

Their love more sad stable and virtuous  
In comparison than the poets made  
Of Pyrothe or of Thedeus  
Of Norestes/ either of Pylade  
Fresh for a season/ that would soon fade  
As whilom did the love of Achilles  
And Patroclus slain amid the prees   

when that Ector the Trojan champion  
Slow Patroclus for his frowardness  
Maugre Achilles for all his high renown  
To exemplify there is no stableness  
In worldly love/ but change and doubleness  
Be it of blood kin or ally  
without virtue all standeth in jeopardy   

Of these twain the love was another  
By enterchaunging/ between them set a law  
Albon to abide and to die for his brother  
Amphibalus his presence to withdraw  
In their hearts the fervence did adawe  
Of perfit love to endure long  
As Solomon writeth/ that love as death is strong   

In all such case the love maketh hearts bold  
And by ensample that love avoideth dread  
Albon for love took his cloth of gold  
And like a prince list to change his weed  
Of entire heart he 'gan it for to spread  
Over the shoulders of Amphibali anon  
The hour when they atwynne should gone   

From all his fone he justly was assured  
who that ever had on this cloth of gold  
Till he the place fully have recured  
To stand atlarge aforne as I have told  
Thus with sobbing and weeping manifold  
God suffered them a sundry to divide  
Forsook them not but was their bothes guide   

A simple sclavenne fortorne and thread bore  
Of Amphabals a full old garment  
This noble prince Albon list not spare  
To cast upon him though it were all to rend  
So hole to Christ was set all his intent  
And in his poverty to show that he was plain  
To his Tygurry returned home again   

Amphibalus northward to his passage  
There of heart/ god to be his guide  
For a time to eschew the cruel rage  
Of paynims as fortune list provide  
But holy Albon did the bront abide  
To live and die as God's champion  
Christ bore his standard/ the cross was his penon   

His sudden chance he held it was no loss  
Forsook riches took him to poverty  
His treasure was to kneel aforne the cross  
His hearty joy and his felicity  
And for a while thus I let him be  
In his prayers/ and tell I will in deed  
How his enemies against him proceed   

There was a statute proclaimed in the town  
who that would not do no reverence  
Unto their god's/ nor meekly kneel down  
In to their fire for to cast incense  
He should anon by cruel violence  
Be take and laid upon an altar bound  
Toforne their gods & slain with many a wound   

Of his body to make sacrifice  
Superstitious was this oblation  
which of new paynims 'gan practise  
Again the doctrine and predication  
By Amphybalus brought into the town  
By the judge set in ordinance  
On him and Albon first to do vengeance   

So to punish one and one by row  
without mercy or long advisement  
To blessed Albon this statute was well know  
Both of their doom and cruel judgement  
And ay this prince/ stable in his intent  
Made strong in god/ for life or death tendure  
The lords hand/ and his adventure   

when summer flowers blowed white and red  
And were in their highest lusty fresh season  
And fiery Phoebus'/ from the crabs head  
Took his passage toward the lion  
At Verolamy/ in that royal town  
The same time paynims have averted  
To Christis faith/ how Albon was converted   

For which against him so obstinate they stood  
Like wild boors or tygyrs in their rage  
Vengeable of heart furious and wooed  
Malancoly and pale of their visage  
And all the night with cursed fell language  
'Gan to menace like wolves ravenous  
This blessed Albon and Amphibalus   

The dark tides of the cloudy night  
withdrough their shadows and their skies black  
And lucifer 'gan show his beams bright  
And Aurora hath the bed forsake  
Of fiery Titan and her leave take  
And Phoebus' Chariot draweth up with flegoute  
And 'gan illumine all the Orisoute   

The wholesome balm 'gan in meadows fleet  
Among the flowers and wholesome leaves green  
The silver dew 'gan the soil to weet  
Like pearls round as any crystal sheen  
when nature of worldly things the queen  
Ordained a day of fresshenes' plentous  
when Albon was besieged in his house   

The paynims 'gan make theirself strong  
This noble prince Albon to pursue  
Upon that hour when the larks song  
In their leden and 'gan the day salue  
Their purpose was specially to sew  
Amphibalus but that he was gone  
In stead of him they fill upon Albon   

Aforne the cross they found him kneeling  
In his prayer and they upon him went  
He rose up and made no tarrying  
And the great multitude that the judge sent  
Fell upon him and like wolves him rend  
In their furious mortal fell deluge  
They him present anon afore the judge   

Meek as a lamb of port and cheer benign  
To done his battle/ like Christis own knight  
His banner was his standard and his sign  
The cross of jesus/ which he bore upright  
maugre paynims in their alder sight  
Like a champion again them to warry  
Under that penon cast him to live and die   

God was with him to sustain his party  
Steadfast of heart/ hardy as a lion  
Put his life for Christ in ieopertye  
Of body naked/ truth was his habergon  
His shield was faith/ his sword and his burden  
His spear his pole-axe/ surer than steel to endure  
was only hope/ the victory to recure   

His sabbatons set on ground of truth  
And his griefs forged with stabilnes  
And his polayns pliant without flouthe  
And his quisshews borne up with high prowess  
A pair of curesse/ closed with rightwiseness  
And his vauntbrace was trust that went before  
Rerebrace of charity/ which might not be forlorn   

Gloves of plate to bear of and defend  
was true affection meddled with the deed  
A large pavice greatly to commend  
Of true meaning to avoid away all dread  
And thus in truth who so list take heed  
All in virtues enarmed for defence  
with a cote armour above of patience   

charity was chief of his counsel  
Taught him the manner/ again his cruel soon  
How that he should do to his great avail  
Enter in to the field/ and knyghly to gone  
All that it so were/ that he was but alone  
His banner splayed/ full early on the morrow  
Grace was his guide with saint Iohn to borrow   

first he was led by mortal violence  
Draw and torn in most cruel wise  
The holy cross up borne for his defence  
And brought he was to do sacrifice  
Unto their idols/ but he them did despise  
Asclypiodot the judge there present  
And all the city gathered of intent   

This god's knight holding the cross in hand  
Invisible by virtue of that sign  
And paynims that about him stand  
Cruel and cursed again him 'gan malign  
Though they were there borne of one line  
The judge troubled when that he took heed  
Of Christis cross/ & had in manner dread   

Albon always this prince full notable  
Stood ay upright with look most courageous  
Ever of one heart/ as any centre stable  
The cross afforne banner most glorious  
Most agreeable and most victorious  
And first of all the story doth us lere  
Of his master/ the judge of him did inquire   

And asked of him to what party he was gone  
By his sleight and his uncouth wile  
which despised their gods every eachone  
Come of now their city to beguile  
At whose words Albon stint a while  
And said at last with sober countenance  
He was departed by god's ordinance   

Quod the judge where ever that he be  
Either embesyled or else set a side  
Touching the faith that he hath taught to the  
And therein been thy master and thy guide  
And is now fled/ and durst not abide  
By his doctrine a reason full notable  
His preaching is nought or he is not stable   

I trow he would have come to presence  
If in his faith had be no variance  
Other some remorse of his conscience  
Hath cast his heart in new repentance  
If he had had in his faith constance  
Like a master he should nat have gone  
And his disciple in mischief leave alone   

In this doctrine as to mine intent  
There is disobeyed under some falseness  
Or in his teaching he is fraudolent  
which the brought in so great woodness  
To forsake thy treasure and riches  
Of all our gods in so froward wise  
Of wilfulness/ and malice them to despise   

Thou standist now in a full perilous point  
The clerk hath brought the in so great a snare  
And set thy reason so far out of joint  
And made thy wit so naked and so bare  
That thou art plainly to declare  
In Christis cause/ and so from our faith to err  
Again all our gods to begin mortal war   

which thing considered/ as it is skill & right  
And equally poised in balance  
wrong to do them by any manner wight  
Nother by favour/ friendship/ nor sufferance  
May not pass without great vengeance  
Upon blasphemy the law doth ordain  
Again the gods/ death to be their pain   

Unto a fool thou gafe hasty credence  
And by his folly he hath the beguiled  
first to the gods/ thou dost no reverence  
Of despite wilt not be reconciled  
Thou farest as a man which is unabyled  
Stonding as now from grace desolate  
Vile and abject out of thine old estate   

In such case each man may be deceived  
By such false foreign information  
But now thine error is clery apperceived  
So by counsel/ for thy salvation  
Or thou incur the indignation  
And or judgement by rigour the manare  
Forsake that feet/ fall down and axe grace   

To thine estate thou mayst thus be restored  
with humble heart/ do them sacrifice  
And thy treasure & thy riches shallbe mored  
And increased in many a sundry wise  
To great worship/ and suddenly arise  
Of towns/ castles/ lord we shall the make  
So thou wilt the faith of Christ forsake   

Of heart and thought very indivisybel  
Albone stood hole and kept his ground & place  
The judges promise flattering and fallybel  
Boisterous threatenings/ with which he 'gan menace  
Void of dread/ of one cheer/ and one face  
This manly prince/ this hardy knight Albon  
Stood between both/ stable as any stone   

To the judge said as ye shall here  
Thy menaces nor promise of pleasance  
In froward speech/ nor thy frowning cheer  
Shall me not move on point from my constance  
In Christ jesus/ is hole my suffisance  
For me list not here long process to devise  
Thy gold thy treasure thy gods I despise   

And where thou hast my master eke accused  
Of inconstance/ and duplicity  
Be right well sure god hath him excused  
That he did/ the counsel come of me  
He fled not god wot for fear of the  
I was assented to keep him absence  
And else he had come to audience   

From the truth me list not to decline  
All thy words be said but in vain  
Of my master/ I confess the doctrine  
For life nor death/ never to turn again  
From Christis faith/ which standeth in certain  
For it causeth folks lame to go upright  
And folks blind to recure their sight   

This faith so hold infyxed is in my mind  
Unto me more precious and more dear  
Than all the stones/ that comen out of Ind  
Or all the riches that thou rehersyst here  
Gold or treasure/ reckoned all in fear  
worldly worships/ pomp or veynglorye  
To faith compared be things transitory.   

This faith in god maketh me so rich and strong  
All worldly good for it I do despise  
what should longer draw the along  
To false gods in no manner of wise  
I will not do worship nor sacrifice  
Echon been false and have neither wit nor wind  
ye that serve them be very mad or blind   

Most deceivable when a man hath need  
Ben your gods with all your mammetry  
It hath been proved aforne in my kindred  
And many other borne of mine ally  
All such rascayle of purpose I defy  
False and failing of old time and new  
To all their servants of custom most untrue   

I cast never with them to have a do  
Nor make fire upon their aulteris  
This is mine answer take good heed thereto  
Nor none incense cast in their senseres  
Nor kneel aforne them this. C.M. years  
This is in some for one word and all  
My last will and answer final.   

with this answer there rose up a sudden cry  
Noise of the people clamour and weeping  
About the martyr they went busily  
Like wodemen upon him gauring  
He heard all their speech/ spoke again nothing  
The judges menace/ the people's violence  
He suffered all/ and kept his patience   

The people again him vengeable and cruel  
Unto their temples brought him anon right  
By violence they 'gan him to compel  
To their gods to offer and to set up light  
Blessed Albon as gods own knight  
Stable of heart/ and hole in his intent  
To sacrifice would never assent   

The people then in their furious heat  
By the jews cruel commandment  
They strypte him first/ and with scourges beat  
Till his body and skin was all to rend  
But he with glad cheer sufferde his torment  
His eyen uplyfte/ to god began abraid  
And to the lord devoutly thus he said   

Lord god quoth he keep mine inward thought  
Grant of thy grace in my grievous pain  
Patience/ that I ne grudge nought  
Of thy mercy O jesus not disdain  
My frail flesh/ from mumur to restrain  
sith that my will stant hole without strife  
To the to offer my soul and eke my life   

Remember the lord on thy servant Albone  
For neither flody storms/ wind/ nor rain  
May hurt that house bylte on stable stone  
And semblably it is full seld say  
who buildeth in Christ/ buildeth not in vain  
sith my building stant holy in thy grace  
Suffer not my will remove from this place   

My voice/ my tongue/ my will fully record  
All of assent without exception  
For life for death they never shall discord  
But thou jesus madest our redemption  
Now by the virtue of thy passion  
O blessed lord grant me constance  
Among the pains hole will and meek sufferance   

whiles the martyr was scourged and beat  
This was his voice/ on Christ jesus to cry  
To call his help would never let  
Nother for smart/ nor painful tormentrye  
Unto paynims law/ he would never apply  
Nother for menace rebuke nor rigour  
For fair speech/ for promise nor favour   

Like a dyamande he would not be broke  
Nor restrained from his old constance  
From Christis faith they might not revoke  
with all their feigned words of pleasance  
Than was he put under governance  
Of the judge/ as a lamb among hounds  
Full six weeks not to pass his bounds   

During this time the book maketh mention  
He straitly kept of moo than one or twain  
Like a martyr hold in strait prison  
Might not reach further than his chain  
The elements his wrongs 'gan to complain  
In their manner against nature's law  
Their benefits of kind to withdraw   

Upon the earth/ on herb/ grass/ nor flower  
On all these three was no dew seen  
The ground to cherish come neither rain nor shower  
For no moisture fell upon the green  
Flora slept/ that is the flowers queen  
Aeolus the smooth winds soft  
All this while inspired not aloft   

The earth scaldeth with the fervence of the son  
heat on nights was intolerable  
There grew no fruit/ the skies were so done  
Greynes come none/ upland was not arable  
Thus by a manner complaint lamentable  
Heaven and earth complained them of right  
The injury done unto god's knight   

The people plained for lacking of victual  
Deemed it cause of some sorsery  
That Thelementis list to hold a battle  
For Christis knight to hold up his party  
Again miscreants with their tormentrye  
Magre their malice to make the martyr strong  
To show by signs the paynims did him wrong   

Astlepeodet sitting as judge than  
Though he to Albon had great hatred  
yet because of dioclesian  
To slay the martyr durst not proceed  
Till he had sent letters as I read  
To th'emperor rehearsing how Albon  
Forsaken had their gods every eachone   

Informing him of his obstinacy  
How all their gods he set also at nought  
And how their power plainly he doth defy  
And was made christian of heart will and thought  
And hath also subtilely ways thought  
The people's hearts from our gods withdraw  
In their despite to follow a new law   

But the great and kind familiarity  
which Albon had with the emperor  
Because also of his great dignity  
And of his kin had so great favour  
That the judge dread for to do rigour  
Upon this prince of death or cruelty  
Till from the emperor he had authority   

And but there done great execution  
By high advise of all the hole empire  
To punish all though from false rebellion  
which to destroy your gods so desire  
with which letters the emperor set a fire  
Abode no longer/ but hastily 'gan ordain  
To send his fellow down into britain   

And in great haste the story telleth express  
dioclesian hath sent a great power  
with maximian called Herculesse  
Into Braytayne to search out the mattier  
where that any were found far or near  
Of Christis faith to slay everichone  
without mercy/ except only Albon   

His life to save by a condition  
If to their sects he would again restore  
From Christis loore/ turn his opinion  
Of their god's/ the stantes to support  
To dioclesian that they may report  
How that Albon doth him sore repent  
To Christis faith/ that he did assent   

Made him promise/ so that he would turnen  
To their idols/ with feigned fair language  
Among with thretninges' they daily him adiurens  
To pervert his heart and his courage  
But ever ylyche of cheer and of visage  
Between fire & water/ now hard now blandishing  
From his constance they might him never bring   

Like a strong tower bylte on a high mountain  
Took none heed of their monitions  
Stood in our faith so stable and so certain  
Their rich promise of castles and of towns  
with many lordship's in divers regions  
He set at nought/ by grace and by virtue  
His ground to stable he abode in Christ jesue   

Than by precept of dioclesian  
If he not change for fairness nor for dread  
The charge was yeven to maximian  
By judgement and doom to taken heed  
To assign a knight to smitten of his heed  
Such one as had in knighthood high renown  
Should on this prince done executioune   

This was so commanded by sentence  
Of the emperor that Amphibalus  
If he were take by notable violence  
without mercy should be served thus  
By judgement cruel and furious  
Made naked first and to a stake bound  
At his navel made a large wound   

He compelled among the cruel rout  
At the navel his bowels to be take  
And his guts searched round about  
Like a long rope tied to a stake  
And of his life so an end make  
And at last void of all pity  
Smite of his heed by furious cruelty.   

This was the doom touching the torments  
Of blessed Albon and Amphibalus  
Falsely concluded in the judgements  
Of Maxymyan/ mine auctor telleth thus  
with Asclepeodet wooed and contraryus  
In that city both two there present  
In Verolamy/ which gave this judgement   

The citezyns gathered environ  
For this matter with great diligence  
Both of London and many other town  
Of judgement to here that sentence  
given upon Albon in open audience  
Under these words put in remembrance  
As ye shall here rehearsed in substance   

Time of the emperor dioclesian  
when he stood highest in his majesty  
At Verolamy the story tell can  
when Albon was lord of that city  
though days called for his dignity  
Record of chronicles/ which list not feign  
Prince of knights and steward of Bretayne   

During his life to have possession  
All his power aforne hath be practised  
But now for he by false rebellion  
Of wilfulness and malice hath despised  
Before these days by antiquity devised  
The old worships notable and famous  
Done to jupiter Apollo and Venus   

For which cause let every man take heed  
Like as the law concludeth of right  
By judgement in hast he to be deed  
His heed smitten of first in the people's sight  
By the hands of some old worthy knight  
Because the martyr was of high renown  
There should a knight done execution   

By doom also after when he were deed  
The place assigned by sort or adventure  
From the body/ when parted was the heed  
The corpse there should have his sepulture  
Passing an other private creature  
There to be graven the body with the heed  
joined together in a great chest of lead   

with him buried his cross and his sclaveyne  
A large tomb for a memorial  
This was the doom of the judges twain  
In Verolam city full royal  
To avenge their gods infernal  
Upon Albon when they did dame  
Again their laws for a false blaspheme   

Dempte he was cause of misadventure  
That their lands brought forth no grain  
The benefits withdrawn of nature  
To cherish their fruit come neither dew nor rain  
By sudden vengeance as ye have heard me say  
Diversely their sorrows were made double  
To find the cause what made all this trouble   

Either it come by some froward adventure  
By witchcraft or by sorcery  
which so long upon them doth endure  
Either by artmagyke or by nygramancy  
Each dempt after his fantasy  
within the city they said eke many one  
It come for vengeance of saint Albone   

with this sudden unware adversity  
I troubled was all the region  
Of Verolamy the greatest of that city  
Made among them a convocation  
Of all the country/ city/ borough/ and town  
The wisest come down from each party  
Against this mischief to shape a remedy   

Among themself cast a providence  
wrong that was done to Albon in that town  
Against truth and good conscience  
Of this mischief/ was chief occasion  
And by assent to release his prison  
Their adversity so might be amended  
By mean of him/ to whom they had offended   

Barefote and bare when that he was take  
Like a prisoner brought to their presence  
Of this matter a counsel they 'gan make  
Dempt of reason in him was none offence  
For at themself began the violence  
And he stood quite in their opinion  
Of his injury having compassion   

They considered his blood and his kindred  
His alliance and his high noblesse  
For they stood a parcel in great dread  
All the city troubled with heaviness  
To see their lord brought in such distress  
Causing that city and that famous town  
To stand in rumour and great dissension   

seeing their steward that was so noble a knight  
And a man free borne of that city  
His famous line down descending right  
From the romans of old antiquity  
By comparison the chronicle who list see  
The stock conveyed of him that was so good  
First from Trojans and from roman blood   

first from the party/ for to speak of Troy  
He had with Ector magnanimyte  
Of whose noblesse all britain may have joy  
Sad a Scipion void of duplicity  
And Verolamy that famous old city  
May well rejoice/ renewed ever in lyche  
with his relics that it is made so rich   

And to rehearse of his conditions  
A rightful prince in all his governance  
In him was never found occasions  
Of froward meaning/ nor double variance  
Never meant to no man displeasance  
Poised all this alas void of refuge  
Now like a thief he stand aforne the judge   

But to reform his birth and liberty  
The chief of the city did their busy pain  
This noble prince among them to go free  
From bond or fetters/ or noise of any chain  
But thereupon the martyr 'gan complain  
within himself lest such noise and sown  
In any wise should let his passion   

That kind of mercy/ which they did him show  
Of his pains by a manner of allegiance  
The martyr 〈◊〉 to speak in words few  
It was to him most odious vengeance  
For his desire and his hearty pleasance  
was only this short process to make  
To suffer death only for Christis sake   

with hearty sobbing profound and deep  
Toward heaven meekly he kest his sight  
Of inward constraint pitously can weep  
The cross aforne him devoutly held upright  
crying to jesus have mercy on thy knight  
Let not the fiend by no collusion  
Steer the people to let my passion   

To the people turning his knightly face  
Said unto them of heart and hold courage  
your feigned favour your dissymuled grace  
May in this case do me none advantage  
Fully disposed to perform my voyage  
For to accomplish like as I have begun  
In Christ jesus my triumph may be won   

sith I am ready for to endure pain  
Of my free will why suffer ye so long  
Of my desire I desire most sovereign  
For Christis sake to endure pains strong  
My martyrdom/ why do ye so prolong  
In your ententagayne me ye do err  
That I do covet so long to differre   

I marvel how ye may sustain  
Of negligence so long to abide  
while the martyr is new fresh and green  
Execution for to set a side  
Look your statutes and thereupon provide  
Unto your goddess reporteth how that I  
Of all the world am their most enemy   

sith they be wrought of men that been mortal  
Unworthy proved to bear any dignity  
But forged idols of stones and metal  
Falsely usurped again the deyte  
Foles do wrong to kneel upon their knee  
For who calleth to them they give none audience  
Dumb as a stock/ void of intelligence   

A fool is he among fools all  
To a blind stock/ that kneeleth to have sight  
And so is he that doth for strength call  
To him that hath no power nor no might  
Can not discern between darkness and light  
Large lypped words have they none  
Of tongue moved/ as any stock or stone   

O fruitless hope/ O false trust despaired  
O vanity/ O rudeness detestable  
O appearance with manhood foul appared  
O ignorance passing abominable  
O Idolaters of courage most unstable  
why worship ye in your conceits blind  
Cursed mammets/ that have neither wit nor mind   

They be proved worse of condition  
Lass of power soothly than be ye  
Of worldly things ye have inspection  
They have great eyen yet they may not see  
Boistous hands/ they feel nothing pard  
Their arms long they make no diffence  
with their deaf ears may have none audience   

what thing is worse than give the sovereynts  
Of your handwarke to forge false images  
Deaf blind and dumb/ unto whose deyte  
Though ye call ay afforne their visages  
They know nothing th'intent of your languages  
Of all five wits they be so defectyfe  
what causeth this/ but lack of soul and life   

For how might he verrayle in deed  
without feeling of joy or heaviness  
Restore to life folks that been deed  
Or make them hole that plain of their sickness  
For all distress disobeyed or doubleness  
Of worldly mischiefs sought on each party  
was first brought in by false idolatry   

A man that hath memory of reason  
whom god hath made like to his image  
Is foul blended in his discretion  
To false idols to kneel or do homage  
woe be to them ruin and damage  
Trouble mischief unto one and all  
To such mawmettry that for help call   

when the paynims heard and understood  
That they might not remove his conscience  
From Christ jesus that died upon the road  
For fair nor foul/ for favour nor violence  
To do by their counsel and all of one sentence  
A place assigned like their opinion  
Should at Holmehurst suffer his passion   

In their opinion by controversy  
Stood at debate as they were applied  
what manner death Albon should die  
which hath their gods and their sect denied  
Some of a cross would have him crucified  
Other there were/ that did in malice rave  
would have him quick karued in his grave   

Some also aforne or he were deed  
Of false envy and furious woodness  
would have his eyen out of his heed  
That he should in mischief of blindness  
All desolate and abject in darkness  
Follow his master with his eyen blind  
Of adventure till he might him find   

Echeon concluding that he shall be deed  
And finally thus was their judgement  
Lad to Holmehurst there smite of his heed  
The cruel judges with paynims of assent  
Like a lamb/ monges wolves all to rend  
Toward his death and piteous passion  
In chains bound led him through the town   

No favour showed letting nor obstacle  
But cruel rigour void of all pity  
Like as men gone to some uncouth spectacle  
People come down his martyrdom to see  
The judge alone left in the city  
Like tormentors this was their furious cry  
Out of this town draw forth our enemy   

By experience at eye ye may dame  
Like his desert so followeth him his chance  
To our god's most odious blaspheme  
Ground and ginning of our sudden grievance  
On whom they list to show their vengeance  
This was their noise far from all reason  
As they him lad toward his passion   

There was so great concors of folks about  
The multitude 'gan always to multiply  
Of paynims contagious was the rout  
The ground so full on every party  
Men might uneath any space espy  
To stand upon/ mine auctor list not feign  
when blessed Albon was led toward his pain   

The fervent heat of the summer son  
Hath with his streams/ the soil so clad & brent  
Up in the lion as his course hath run  
with his brenning the ground was almost shent  
Under the feet where as the people went  
The soil so hot of sudden adventure  
For enchaufing they might not endure   

Lasting this heat/ when Phoebus shone so clear  
The people in number waxed more than lass  
Till that they come to a great river  
whose sturdy wawis would not suffer them pass  
The great deepness 'gan them to manasse  
The bridge straight/ the people so great and huge  
That many one were dreynt in that deluge   

Great press of people down to the water came  
The river deep/ the bridge narrow & small  
They that could over the river swum  
who that could not turned over as a ball  
The cumbrous press caused many a fall  
The noise was great the rumour & complaint  
In his passage of people that was dreynt   

Favour was none of brother unto brother  
They were so busy to pass the river  
In that great pride each man oppressed other  
To pass the bridge there was so great daungere  
The heat importable that time of the year  
Caused many one/ which on the bridge stood  
For great faintness/ to fall in to the flood   

This great mischief when Albon 'gan behold  
Moved of mercy and of compassion  
with weeping eyen as they water would  
Unto the earth fill on his knees down  
His look upcasted with great devotion  
Toward heaven making his prayer  
To Christ jesus said as ye shall here   

O lord jesus out of whose blessed side  
when thou for man were nailed on the road  
Through whose heart/ there did a spear glide  
At which wound ran water out and blood  
O blessed lord most merciful and good  
So as I saw in mine avisyon  
Out of thine heart two liquors ran adown   

That is to say/ red blood and water clear  
Those two liquors of our redemption  
At my request dry up this river  
Staunch the flood and here mine orison  
And take this people under thy protection  
Suffer that they with dry feet may wend  
Of my passion to see an end   

And whiles the tears from his eyen ran  
Down by his cheeks on each party  
By devout prayer of this holy man  
All suddenly the river was made dry  
The flood staunched and vanished as a sky  
He needed not the manner out to search  
when god by grace list any thing to werche   

For he that made maugre Pharaoh  
The people of Israel pass the red see  
with dry feet/ the same lord even so  
was that Albon kneeled upon his knee  
praying the lord of grace and pity  
Grant the people to have inspection  
And pass the river to sen his passion   

An uncouth marvel/ a gracious miracle  
folks drowned/ low at the bottom sayne  
with gods might/ where may be none obstacle  
The river dry/ found was again  
Void of moisture/ smooth was and plain  
Of the holy martyr/ the virtue always mored  
folk aforne drowned/ to life were restored   

No token of death was in their faces sayne  
But quick and lively to every man's sight  
These great miracles notable in certain  
first of the river/ dried by gods might  
All this considered the self same knight  
which was assigned for to do vengeance  
On blessed Albon/ fill in repentance   

The same knight astonied and afeard  
which through Albon toward his passion  
Of god visited/ cast away his sword  
Afore the martyr/ meekly kneeled adown  
And unto god made his confession  
beseeching Albon of comfort and succour  
In humble wise beknowing his error   

Servant of god/ O blessed man Albon  
Thy god only/ is very god certain  
There is no god soothly but he alone  
All other gods bear here name in vain  
By the miracles/ which that I have say  
I dare affirm/ the troth it doth well prove  
He is very god/ on whom that I believe   

I wot right weal he is mighty and is good  
For in a moment/ through his magnificence  
At thy request voided hath the flood  
As lord of lords most dign of reverence  
None like to him of power and potence  
which on this earth as sovereign lord and king  
Passing all other/ doth marvels in working   

Set all a side the deed beareth witness  
Of no collusion nor of no false appearance  
Of godly might showing his greatness  
Right as it is in very existence  
For which I ask of all old negligence  
Mercy/ and pray for my trespass  
O glorious martyr/ that lord to do me grace   

There is no lord/ but only Christ jesus  
He is my lord and I will be his knight  
which made these streams to depart thus  
A great miracle wrought in the people's sight  
His power is great/ and he is most of might  
All false gods here I do forsake  
And to his mercy all holy I me take   

This knight by grace thus suddenly converted  
The name of whom was Araclius  
which thing when paynims have adverted  
They fell upon him as wolves despitous  
Touching the river/ said it was not thus  
It weren their gods and none other wight  
That wrought this miracle by their great might   

Our mighty gods most famous and most good  
Of their benign gracious influence  
They have avoided this river and this flood  
Of whose secrets we have experience  
And in effect full notable evidence  
which for our sake/ if it be well sought  
For our passage this miracle have we wrought   

For to accomplish that we have begun  
Again our most enemy like to our intention  
Our god most mighty the fiery fervent son  
with his great heat and beams yuyronne  
Hath ravished with a short conclusion  
This glorious Phoebus with his streams clear  
The watery moisture of this great river   

They have considered our great devotion  
which we have toward their deyte  
How we labour for execution  
Again their most enemy found in the city  
But for hinder their magnanymytie  
Though thou in contrary accordyst with Albon  
Hast an opinion against us everichone   

Thus was their language and their dalliance  
Of hateful malice against this true knight  
with great rebukes for his repentance  
Fill upon him like wolves anon right  
And called him in all the people's sight  
To their gods he was a falls blaspheme  
worthy to die/ of malice thus they dame   

Ran upon him with pains full uncouth  
Of great malice they had unto Albon  
first they smitten the teeth out of his mouth  
And there they broke his bones everichone  
without wound member was left none  
Of mind of heart always hole he stood  
For in his breast the faith of Christ abode   

Only by grace he had this advantage  
In his belief so holy did he stand  
which for his faith might suffer no damage  
Kept his promise/ which he took in hand  
He left half deed lying upon the strand  
from wycke or worse/ fro crime to crime in deed  
Like homicides the paynims 'gan proceed   

with broke bones/ this piteous wounded knight  
was on the strand left with deadly cheer  
Pale of hew/ might not sit upright  
As the story in order doth us lere  
By many a stub and many a sharp brere  
Barefote they led him/ void of compassion  
This blessed Albon towards his passion   

That he was bare the traces were well sayen  
For with his blood the soil was died red  
Made his passage toward a high mountain  
Through sharp stones/ quare as spears head  
Thus entreated aforne or he was deed  
without weeping/ what earthly creature  
Might see a prince/ such deadly pain endure   

Steadfast of heart his trust would never fail  
Grounded in god and in his faith so stable  
Goth up the hill to accomplish his battle  
And there were people verily innumerable  
The son was hot/ the heat importable  
In point almost with fervence and with dust  
To slay the people with a sudden thirst   

Constrained with heat 'gan cry each one  
Of cursed malice and great malyncoly  
Upon the martyr made assault anon  
And said through his magic and his sorcery  
That they were like through mortal thirst to die  
Against whose deadly furious cruelty  
Blessed Albon 'gan show his charity   

To pray for them that did him most torment  
This was his custom and his old usage  
with hole heart and humble true intent  
Prayed god with tears in his visage  
Of this mischief to stint the great rage  
That the people should in no degree  
Because of him to suffer adversyre   

O lord quod he/ for thy heavenly empire  
Like as thou art most mighty of pusance  
Thy smooth wind by grace let inspire  
Called zepherus to do them allegiance  
This rigours eyre with dew of attemperance  
Between hot and cold set a mean in deed  
Or thou do vengeance mercy may proceed   

Of this mischief ordain a release  
without vengeance suffer people gone  
That whilom madest thy servant Moses  
with his yard to smite upon a dry stone  
At whose touching come water out anon  
Now gracious lord with new streams fresh  
On this hill these people do refresh   

Thy gracious mercy from them do not expelle  
Of blessed Albon rehearsed this prayer  
At his teat anon sprang up a well  
Full plentous with crystal streams clear  
A wonders thing/ and a marvelous to here  
From a dry hill of moystyr void at all  
To see spring a well clearer than crystal   

Of which water there was so great foison  
And of that spring so gracious abundance  
That from above there came a river down  
This wholesome stream was of so great pleasance  
To staunch their thirst found their suffisance  
The heat assuaged the people out of dispreyre  
By god's grace so temperate was the eyre   

Thus was the people refreshed at their lust  
By the holy martyr merciful and good  
yet of false malice they had a froward thirst  
In their courages like furious folk and wooed  
Again nature for to shed blood  
The blood of him/ which in their disease  
By his prayer their mischief did appease   

Their thirst was staunched/ they were refreshed weal  
But a false thirst of malice and hatred  
In their desires/ was staunched never a deal  
They were busy the bliss full blood to shed  
Of him that holp them in great need  
Like blasphemous/ making a false obstacle  
Gave unto the son thank for this miracle   

with voice upraysed falsely they began  
Thus they said of outrageous clamour  
Praising and laud be to you the son  
which in this mischief hath be our saviour  
Staunched our thirst/ with his gracious liquor  
By his beams most fresh and clear shining  
Us to relieve made a well up spring.   


Verba translatoris  
O people unkind blinded with false error  
O froward people/ rude/ dull/ and obstinate  
O bestial folk/ forthest from all savour  
Of grace and virtue/ o people infortunate  
In your conceit/ o folk most indurate  
That god hath showed for love of Albon  
ye gift thanks to images made of stone   

O most unhappy/ o people ungracious  
worse than beasts/ o void of all reason  
O cruel tygries/ o wolves furious  
O foolish asses/ dull of discretion  
Falsely to dame in your opinion  
Thing that Albon by grace of god hath won  
ye gave the laud other to star or son   

ye set a side the southfast son of life  
The son of grace that doth all the world gye  
which may you save again all mortal strife  
To all our sores may do best remedy  
ye do great wrong for to defy  
This worldly son from temporal brightness  
And to forsake the son of rightwiseness   

Like false blasphemus forsook your creature  
And do worship to a creature  
The son of life may clyppis no shower  
whose heavenly beams by record of scripture  
giveth light of grace to every creature  
But ye be froward his influence to take  
And for your idols his lordship's to forsake   

what may avail jupiter or Saturn  
Or cruel Mars/ that causeth strife or war  
Or worldly Phoebus'/ the one day doth her sojourn  
The night cometh on/ the light is fro you far  
And eke your Venus/ called the day star  
All these reckoned in your mad woodenness  
Called of your custom gods and goddess   

God that this day showed here  
To magnify his glorious knight Albon  
with a fresh well/ and dried the river  
reckon up your gods and forget never one  
Of these miracles/ forsooth his part is none  
A fool is he that of them doth retch  
Sith unto such thing their power may not stretch   

Of their power me list no more to entreat  
which leadeth men unto their damnation  
Mars nor jupiter/ nor Phoebus with his heat  
May do no favour nor mytigation  
Again the mischief like your opinion  
The said miracles were wrought by virtue  
For love of Albon by grace of Christ jesue   

your disctetions been so foul blended  
your conceit dark/ and false in your opinion  
maugre your mammets in all my best intent  
I will proceed with hole affection  
To accomplish up the holy passion  
Of saint Albon by grace of his favour  
In his translation following mine author.   

After these miracles showed at the well  
A gracious treasure a yefte of great price  
Like here toforne as ye have heard me tell  
yet for all that following their old avice  
The people abode still in their malice  
From the mountain/ cast not for to wend  
Of the martyr till they have made an end   

first hent his locks that were long and large  
maliciously bound them to a stake  
Chose out a knight/ and on him laid the charge  
Tha● in all hast he should him ready make  
And a sword sharp in his hand take  
And they him bad having of god no dread  
with a great stroke to smite of his heed   

The heed hang still/ the body fell to ground  
His cross also all besprent with blood  
Kept for a relic/ when it was after found  
Maugre paynims contagious and wood  
For amongs them secretly there stood  
A christian man/ the which took keep  
The said cross devoutly for to keep   

This tormentor this cursed paynim knight  
He that smote of the heed of saint Albon  
By vengeance he hath lost his sight  
Both his eyen fill from his heed anon  
without recure his worldly joy was gone  
which first was glad to make the martyr bleed  
Like his deceit deserved hath his meed   

This wounded knight/ which in the valley abode  
Araclius as ye have heard me devise  
The death of Albon when he understood  
which for feebleness might not arise  
'Gan pain himself in full piteous wise  
Among paynims as he might him keep  
with hand and foot upon the hill to creep   

Upon the monition of the same knight  
Aforesaid himself on hand and foot to gone  
The judge him met and spoke to him thus right  
Thou that hast so many a broke bone  
Climb up fast and pray to thine Albone  
Cease not/ but cry upon him sore  
Thy broke bones and wounds to restore   

first of all run to him and take heed  
To be made hole of thine infirmity  
unto the body/ join again the heed  
And in all hast thou shalt recured be  
From all sickness and adversity  
And after that oo thy busy cure  
To ordain for his sepulture   

And sith thou art a knight of his doctrine  
Let see what he may now do the avail  
To make the hole by craft of medicine  
Call unto him fast/ & look that thou not fail  
And thou shalt find an uncouth marvel  
If thou not cease upon him for to cry  
Against all sickness/ thou shalt find remedy   

This maimed knight gave good audience  
To that the judge said in derision  
All set in fire with sudden hot fervence  
'Gan to abraid of great devotion  
I trust quod he of hole affection  
Only by virtue and merits of Albon  
God unto health me may restore anon   

Through his power and his magnificence  
The eternal lord may by his great might  
By the prayer and merciful clemence  
Of him that is his master/ and he his knight  
I that am lame to make me go upright  
And these words said/ with great love & dread  
So as he might crope up to the heed   

with great devotion he 'gan the heed embrace  
To the heed he brought it anon right  
All bedewed with weeping was his face  
Of woeful heart to see that piteous sight  
That holy prince albon Christis own knight  
By whose merit/ when he crept on the ground  
All suddenly he rose up hole and sound   

And when he was restored again to his strength  
He gave praising laud and reverence  
with humble cheer fill prostrate in length  
Thanking god of entire diligence  
And in the people's open audience  
Seized not saint Albon for to praise  
For love of whom Christ jesus did him raise   

His force against Christ made him to recure  
The people present might see and know  
Than he devoutly made a sepulture  
fathering stones dying on a row  
Laid the martyr in the ground down low  
And all a loft his labour was weal seen  
He covered it with torues fresh and green   

whereof paynims had great envy  
when they beheld how the same knight  
Restored was and hole in each party  
So suddenly to his force and might  
whereof astonied was every man and wight  
Thought in themself it was again nature  
A brosed man so soon forto recure   

Again this knight they took their counsel  
Among them 'gan his death conspire  
Thought it should be to them great avail  
To slay this man they were so set a fire  
His hasty death so greatly they desire  
Some said that he had in his intent  
Some witchcraft or some experiment   

Some other said in their judgement  
Like their own false immagynatyfe  
This was wrought by enchantment  
Or by some magic had a preservative  
Not to be slain with dagger/ sword/ nor knife  
But so were/ the story doth remember  
That he were hue in pieces every member   

Among themself was great controversy  
And each of them 'gan his verdict show  
Till it befell of malice and envy  
Falls paynims in number not a few  
In pieces small/ have him all to hew  
Of his recuring having no manner of dread  
All of one assent they smote of his heed   

This blessed knight as the story saith  
Stood always in one in his perseverance  
Of will/ of heart/ steadfast in the faith  
List not change for tourment nor penance  
To holy Albon equal inconstance  
As he was made fellow of his victory  
So is he now partable of his glory   

After all this vengeable cruelty  
And all this mortal furious violence  
For to go home again to their city  
To all the people the judge gave licence  
At their departing all of one sentence  
And with one voice/ homeward as they resort  
Their language was as the story doth report   

woe that judge that doth none equity  
woe be to him that doth no rightwiseness  
And woe to him that can have no pity  
woe to that judge governed with woodness  
And woe to him that of false hastiness  
worketh upon will by false collusion  
without title of truth or of reason   

This was the noise the rumour and the cry  
when they departed home from the mountain  
Truth will out maugre falls envy  
rightwiseness may not be hid it is certain  
As for a time it may be overlay  
By ensample as passed is the daungere  
Of stormy weders/ Phoebus' is most clear   

Our gracious lord jesus most benign  
which all governeth by eternal might  
List to show many a gracious sign  
Following upon the self same night  
After the passion of his blessed knight  
Out of whose tomb was seen an heavenly stre●●  
Ascending upward bright as the son beam●   

The same time when folks to bed went  
Over the city/ this bright stream 'gan shine  
Last all the night no man knew what it meant  
Upward erect right as any line  
The people saw/ how it did enlumine  
The long night as god did ordain  
To all four parts stretching of Bretayne   

with this uncouth marvelous miracle  
was seen and heard during all the night  
People gathered to look upon that spectacle  
Between joy and dread/ rejoicing of that light  
As they could discern and know of right  
This was the ditty/ which in that light was song  
As following is written in latin tongue   

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus   

And were there seen ascending up and down  
In the celestial glorious bright sky  
Heavenly angels that made noise and sown  
with this refret in this harmony  
Let us with song upreyse and magnify  
The laud of Albon notable and glorious  
This day with martyrs made victorious   

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus   

This song was herd by report through the town  
And remembered upon each party  
For a singular commendation  
Of him that was prince of his chivalry  
Steward of Bretons to govern them and gye  
whose singular laud and triumph glorious  
This day with martyrs is made viccorious   

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus   

This noble prince of Brutis Albion  
Hath suffered death and mortal turmentrye  
Stable of heart this Christis champion  
Having despite of all idolatry  
This blessed martyr crowned above so high  
with angels song soete and melodious  
This day with martyrs is made victorious   

Albanus vir egregius martyr extat gloriosus.   

O protomartyr full famous of renown  
Among paynims having the mastery  
To be cause ground and destruction  
In Verolamy of all false mawmettrye  
Thy life for Christ hath put in ieopartye  
For which this day with song melodious  
Thou art with martyrs made victorious   

Be unto that city supportour and patron  
Keep them from sorrow/ sickness/ and malady  
From pestilence and ill infection  
And of their enemies repress all tyranny  
which be fraunchised with the regally  
Of thy presens'/ o martyr glorious  
with all that longeth to the and to thine house   

And blessed martyr most lowly I the reqire  
which abidest in the heavenly mansion  
with laurer crowned above the stars clear  
Only of mercy to have compassion  
If ought be said in this translation      

¶ Here beginneth the third book/ which telleth of the conversion of many of the paynims unto the faith. And also of the martyrdom of holy Amphibalus/ which converted saint Albon to the faith of Christ. which Amphibalus was the prince's son of wales.  

Miracles showed/ and marvels many fold  
This blessed martyr for to magnify  
As here toforne ye have heard me told  
The night illumined with the golden sky  
Song of angels with heavenly armony  
The people astonied trembling in the dark  
To see how Christ list for the martyr work   

But on your breast remember your trespass  
To th'earth fall prostrate down  
Prayeth to the lord for to do you grace  
Of your offence and transgression  
Or that he take vengeance on your town  
Trusteth plainly/ whether ye be wroth or fain  
All this wrought for him that ye have slain   

This light from heaven/ which that is descended  
For Albon showed/ and the golden sky  
Let us repent of that we have offended  
Of our trespass mercy to jesus cry  
And forsake all idolatry  
Taking ensample all by one accord  
Of this martyr that whilom was our lord   

we may consider a thing against nature  
How the night with her dark darkness  
Passing reason of any creature  
Is by miracle turned to brightness  
Of angels heard a melodious sweetness  
And all thing briefly to comprehend  
For the merits of Albon to commend   

Maugre mammets/ which can but deceive  
Impotent and very feeble of might  
By experience as ye conceive  
brighter than day hath made the dark night  
To declare the merits of his knight  
Plainly to show light of his perfytenes  
which may nat be eclipsed by no foreign darkness   

Again this lord/ which is most of might  
we have erred in our opinion  
And done unto him great wrong and unright  
To make our faith and our profession  
To false idols/ which in this royal town  
we have so long in our paynim wise  
As idolaters do froward service   

Let us now damn all such error  
And forsake with entire diligence  
All false gods/ which may do no succour  
To their servants present nor absence  
wherefore let us now clear our conscience  
And axe forgyfenes of our lord jesus  
which hath in Albon showed so great virtue   

Let us not tarry/ but in all hast we can  
Go seche means for our salvation  
In divers countries to find up the man  
which by his labour and predication  
Converted Albon in the same town  
To Christis faith/ that martyr most benign  
This night declared by many an uncouth sign   

From our rites and ceremonies old  
And false errors enclypsed with darkness  
Done to mammets/ with whom we were wholde  
Of ignorance by consuete rudeness  
And to direct and clarify our blindness  
From all error and idolatry  
The best way that I can espy   

By these miracles/ which Christ jesus hath wrought  
For love of Albon the same night  
That his master may in haste be sought  
For it is likely according weal to right  
sith god hath showed such miracle for his knight  
He that was cause of his conversion  
Might best provide for our salvation   

I mean as thus in very equity  
sith god in Albon hath showed such virtue  
His master should have great authority  
That was sent him by grace of Christ jesus  
To put our doubt at a plain issue  
By miracles declaring new and new  
His masters teaching faithful was and true   

All that people being in presence  
Of god inspired as by one assent  
with one voice commending that sentence  
Gafe the favour in all their best intent  
Took their way by great advisement  
Toward wales and sought on every side  
Searching the country where he should abide   

Of whose preaching notable was the fame  
Both in his living and perfit holiness  
Full glad they were/ when they heard his name  
And towards him fast they 'gan them dress  
As the story plainly beareth witness  
Came by grace where he did teach  
The word of god/ and to the people preach   

And full devoutly upon him they abode  
Having aforne him right great audience  
As they come to him/ even as he stood  
And him saluted with great reverence  
Greatly rejoicing of his devout presence  
Offered to him or they ferther gone  
The same cross he gave unto Albon   

The which cross was newly sprent with blood  
when he for Christ suffered passion  
By which token full well he understood  
That he was slain/ fell on his knees down  
Kissing the cross with great devotion  
In his arms with tears all be rained  
That holy relic full sweetly he hath strained   

He thanked god with devout observance  
And that martyrs humble patience  
This new people with devout attendance  
which was come to gave him audience  
All at ones with full great reverence  
And heart contrite kneeling on their knees  
Forsook their idols and old vanities   

Their myspent time to them was great loss  
To all virtue an odious spectacle  
Till time they were marked with the cross  
In their forehead by grace and miracle  
with that victorious triumphal signacle  
And following on/ like their first intent  
received of baptism the holy sacrament   

within a while the fame went abroad  
far about in story as I read  
divers countries of this thing how it stood  
Till at last the noise 'gan spread  
Of Verolamy/ how verily in deed  
Citezyns their goods have forsake  
A full great number/ and their journey take   

To follow the traces of Amphibalus  
A new preacher strange and foreign  
Their old rites false and superstitious  
They have renounsed and hold all that been vain  
They have also of very high disdain  
From them abject/ mine aucter list not lie  
All their idols and false mawmettrye   

when the rumour was come unto the city  
They were troubled/ having great marvel  
what it meant or what it should be  
At prime face like a great dissavayle  
To comen profit they dempt in their counsel  
It was full like their city to encumber  
inquired first what failed of their number   

In their rolls were a thousand found  
And their names entitled everichone  
A thing likely the city to confound  
But remedy ordained were anon  
That such a number by assent were gone  
By great avise cast it was dew  
A mighty thing though folk to pursue   

And with strong hand searched out the rote  
Of this matter in hope it should avail  
They gathered them on horseback and on foot  
And 'gan ordain a mighty strong battle  
Of sundry folk armed in plate and mail  
Against fugytifes gone out of the cite  
And on Amphibalus avenged for to be   

Of whose person so notable was the fame  
Through all wales and contres environ  
That the report of his good name  
'Gan to increase through all the region  
Of his doctrine and predication  
which through wales shone like a load star  
Them to direct/ which in our faith doth err   

though folk that were come to him of new  
From Verolamy his preaching for to here  
Like a doctor in Christis faith most true  
received them with all his heart entiere  
Informed them and taught them the manner  
Cf Christis law with busy diligence  
And they were glad to abide in his presence   

little and little in he 'gan them draw  
To catch faith and savour in his doctrine  
Of hole heart forsook the paynims law  
And with great will their courage did incline  
So to persever/ and so their life to fine  
In Christis law as folk that list not tarry  
So for to abide and never more to vary   

Other there were/ which 'gan pursue  
The said people of malice and of hate  
This new doctrine of Christis trans●newe  
which come upon armed with mail and plate  
Sent from that city of purpose to debate  
Against them/ which that for Christis sake  
Faith of paynims unwarely hath forsake   

Followed after with rumour noise and sown  
To fall upon them with sudden adventure  
Searching in wales about town and town  
Of Amphibalus the presence to recure  
which like a clerk grounded in scripture  
To that people at reverence of our lord  
Stood amongs them/ and preached gods word   

And one there was for anger almost wooed  
That broke first out showing his conceit  
To Amphibalus among them as he stood  
whereof that people was all and hole receit  
O thou quoth he ground of all disobeyed  
Rote of fraud/ falseness/ and treachery  
To all our god's traitor and enemy   

That thou hast done thou mayst it not forsake  
Of froward contempt maliciously practised  
Against our gods a quarrel for to take  
Their laws old presumptously despised  
As these people contagiously disguised  
To great damage of us and of our cite  
which trust me well shall not unpunished be   

It is no doubt it shall not abide long  
Of their injury and their godly grievance  
As they be most mighty and most strong  
They suddenly shall take on the vengeance  
But if thou wilt eschew their pusance  
first do repent thee/ to find them more treatable  
And seche a mean to make them merciful   

first of all do thy business  
Of their great ire to appease the rancour  
Afore these people/ show outward thy meekness  
To louse the bonds/ which by thy labour  
Thou hast them brought in full great error  
Be so busy again with faithful attendance  
Them to counsel to fall in repentance   

gift them counsel and make them to assent  
with heart and body no danger for to make  
To axe mercy and sore repent  
Or sudden vengeance be on them take  
Of that they have our gods forsake  
For this no doubt but it be done in deed  
we shall again them vengeably proceed   

For if they stand in their first error  
As they began froward and obstinate  
They shall of mercy find no favour  
without exception of high or low estate  
But like as people most infortunate  
die upon the sword take this for full sentence  
As is concluded by martial violence   

yet there was one surprised with fervence  
Of Christis law steadfast in the faith  
which had both cunning and eloquence  
And for his master holy writ he lay  
To thilk paynim even thus he saith  
Our lord god/ which called is jesus  
Shall be this day our refuge and virtue   

And our chief help in tribulation  
which shall percase show some miracle  
By his most mighty domination  
Therefore these folk an uncouth spectacle  
That there again shallbe none obstacle  
Through gods might and merciful goodness  
Some man to same of his sudden sickness   

Our master here whom that ye reprove  
In Christis name to show an evidence  
From all mischief some sick man to relieve  
which lieth outraged by mortal violence  
But to declare the magnificence  
Of Christ jesus anon without more  
To health again such one he shall restore   

Not incovert but in your alther sight  
we have such trust in his parfynesse  
Fro whose doctrine as we have behyght  
we shall not change for death not distress  
without feigning or any doubleness  
your counselling in Christis holy name  
Follow his teaching and to do the same   

ye threte fast to maken us afeard  
But god alone he is our defence  
jesus is strong again spear and sword  
Under whose pavise of perfit patience  
we shall abide concluding in sentence  
we forsake all false idolatry  
And for Christis sake ready for to die   

Favour of blood nor none alliance  
cherishing of treasure nor promise of kindred  
expert kindred nor none acquaintance  
Fair behests/ menaces nor hatred  
All set aside both love and dread  
The faith of Christ of hole heart we have take  
All false idols and mammets we forsake   

Of this answer the paynims almost wooed  
Like tigers fell/ vengeable as lions  
Of innocentes to shed the christian blood  
with sharp swords like ravenous felons  
They kill and slay of all conditions  
As hungry wolves in their bestial rage  
without exception of old or young of age   

The father there again all skill and right  
Of his son took his deadly wound  
Brother and brother was slain in that fight  
And with their spears/ that were square & round  
Their nigh cousins were glad to confound  
There was none spared of blood nor kindred  
without mercy each others blood to shed   

Of aged folk there was no reverence  
In that unkindly sudden cruel shower  
middle age/ nor age of innocence  
Nor blood of blood list know his neighbour  
Nor none to other list show his favour  
Echon were slain the story telleth thus  
And were converted by Amphibalus   

froward tyrants that this people sleeth  
Most merciless with polar sword and knife  
Each pressed in aforne other toward the death  
So ametous was that chartable strife  
Like folk that were glad to lose their life  
Of one courage and of one patience  
To die for Christ/ so hole was their fervence   

Among these holy seyntes everichone  
That forsook their town and their cite  
There was none left alive but one  
Of all that come Amphibalus to see  
which by occasion of his infirmity  
Abode behind feeble and impotent  
which at their dying might not be present   

when Anphibalus saw them all deed  
ligging in the field/ turned up set down  
with piteous cheer saw their wounds bleed  
Of woeful heart and compassion  
Devoutly made his commendation  
praying jesus with voice full piteously  
On all though souls to have mercy   

At lichfield fill all this adventure  
This great slaughter and made is mention  
Of which slaughter record of old scripture  
By days old named was the town  
This word Lychefelde by interpretation  
Is to say in that tongue as I read  
A field that lieth full of bodies deed   

There these martyrs suffered passion  
Of one courage and of one stableness  
The paynims in their opinion  
Most obstinate in their cursedness  
Made a vow in their woodness  
Never to eat for none occasion  
Till Amphibalus were brought to their town   

Like wodemen they about him ride  
The holy man plainly to declare  
with spears wounded body back and side  
went aforne them with his feet all bare  
The more ungodly/ they did with him far  
The more the martyr with cheer and visage  
Patiently suffered their own outrage   

To him they had froward fell language  
The stone weigh did him great duresse  
And though that he felt in his passage  
Under his feet/ constraint of great sharpness  
Mytygation of all his heaviness  
was when he the place did approach  
where Albon lay grave under a roche   

The homecydes of whom tofore I told  
Had in this while a manner repentance  
backward among as they 'gan behold  
The people slain of their alliance  
By their own furious governance  
For they themself like folk that were wood  
The slaugter made upon their own blood   

Looking behind first when they took heed & beheld  
There own brethren cousins and kindred  
By their hands lay slain in the field  
They 'gan to weep/ to see their wounds bleed  
This same time or they took any heed  
They found a man that lay lanquisshing  
Upon the field most piteous complaining   

This sick man with a full deadly face  
For great constraint of his malady  
saw Amphibalus forby should pass  
with deadly voice 'gan to him cry  
Servant of god do me succour or I die  
For jesus sake lowly I the reqire  
To help his servant that lieth in mischief here   

For by the calling of his holy name  
I have such trust in Christ jesus and the  
Though I lie here impotent and lame  
By thy merits thou mayst help me  
To be made hole of this infirmity  
Maugre paynims/ that can about him prece  
Of this clamour would not he sense   

In his prayer he doth always continue  
Such faith he had in his opinion  
paynims saw he was importune  
And so stable in his action  
Hadden in disdain and in derision  
His great noise/ but maugre her felnesse  
He arose up hole of all his old sickness   

This seek man that lay bound in pain  
Of old sickness grievous and importable  
By Amphibalus lay bound in a chain  
was made all hole/ and of his limbs stable  
This can the lord which is most merciable  
Of sick folks here their complaints  
And work miracles for his holy saints   

This miracle gracious and uncouth  
first of this man relieved of his sickness  
The death of the martyrs 'gan spring north and south  
Of their wilful sufferance with meekness  
Homeward again paynims 'gan them dress  
But this miracle when they did avert  
They were greatly astonied in their heart   

Among themself they broke openly  
Though they to Christ were contrarious  
Of this miracle wrought suddenly  
They spared not plainly to say thus  
The god of christian is great and marvelous  
Great is his virtue the deed beareth witness  
To heal a man so soon in his sickness   

As they told erst/ paynims at last  
wonder desirous toward your country  
They road armed and began to high fast  
And sped them so that they might see  
The crested walls of their city  
As they thought that time for the best  
After labour a while for to rest   

They were oppressed with hunger and with thirst  
For that time list no further for to ride  
And each one of them following their own lust  
Chose his ground a certain home to abide  
Their shield their spears set them down a side  
Them to refresh leisure they have found  
whiles Amhibalus lay in his fecers bound   

The tormentors refreshed at the best  
As I have told after their weariness  
The holy martyr might have no piece nor rest  
Bounden in chains by full great duresse  
In his most labour and greatest distress  
Maugre paynims when he a leisure caught  
To his most av the word of god he taught   

This mean while that all this thing was wrought  
As ye have herd come tiding to the town  
how Amphibalus was to the city brought  
Master unto Albon/ as made is mention  
At whose entering great people there come down  
Thought in themself all their heaviness  
By his coming was turned in to gladness   

Dempte among them both one and all  
The matyre had standing other wise  
how Amphibalus from Christis faith was fall  
Of that law left all his old emprise  
Come to their gods to do sacrifice  
All their friends with them were repaired  
Of whom toforne they despaired   

The bestial folk supposed in certain  
How all the people that went by assent  
To Amphibalus were come home again  
By force of them/ that were for them sent  
But they failed foul in their intent  
For through the town the noise went anon  
Like as it was/ how they were deed everichone   

Again Christis of malice set a fire  
Homecydes tormentors that did this cruel deed  
which fill upon them in their cruel ire  
though that made the martyrs for to bleed  
Of indignation and of great hatred  
The self same made relation  
Of their slaughter through verolamy town   

The fathers wept with sorrowful sighs great  
when they heard their sons were deed  
piteous mothers their sobbing can not let  
whose watery eyen with weeping made red  
Through the city both in length and breed  
widows maidens ran with their here to torn  
That so suddenly have their friends lost   

Such piteous weeping I trow not there was  
At the brenning of the famous Ilyon  
In Troy when the stead of brass  
was by sleight compassed of Sinon  
For through every street of Verolamy town  
This noise was herd deadly and mortal  
Like as men sing at feasts funeral   

In their most woeful lamentation  
They said among them with high and low estate  
The time is come of our destruction  
Cite of citezyns forsake and desolate  
Most outrageous and most disconsolate  
To be noted of furious fell hatred  
Blood again blood so felly to proceed   

For our defence we have now none excuse  
folk infortunate by division  
we shall from henceforth be called the refuge  
As folk abject of every nation  
So importable is our confusion  
That we be like never to find grace  
Among no folk to show ons grace   

we can nor may our seluen acquit  
For our excuse a reason for to make  
But here after that folks will us awyte  
Our kin our blood their gods have forsake  
On whom vengeance so mortally was take  
In strange country so plainly to describe  
Among also/ that none was left alive   

Alas alas unburied in the field  
Cast out to the beasts that walk in pasture  
kin again kin in arms bare on shield  
An hateful war/ a war again nature  
which lie now deed without sepulture  
So late done it may not be succoured  
Of foul and beast a pray to be devoured   

Alas our joy is turned in to despair  
The staff broke of our unwieldy age  
Our harp troubled/ our fortune is not fair  
froward to us she turneth her visage  
woe to that man that with his language  
Caused Albon our gods to forsake  
And maugre them/ the faith of Christ to take   

which hath alas perturbed the cite  
Brought our welfare to desolation  
Ground and ginning of this mortality  
Of our alyes and citezyns of the town  
whose bodies now lain upsetdowne  
O mighty gods of power immortal  
Defend the people of our cite royal   

To our request your ears down incline  
Take vengeance upon our enemy  
which is cause of our mortal ruin  
And of our mischief the rote finally  
Revenge your wrong ye that be most mighty  
On him that causeth/ that we be seek and groan  
Let the vengeance rebound on his person   

Of their plaints and of their woeful clamours  
They seized not like folks most vengeable  
Till it fill so that tormentors  
perceived well they were not treatable  
How their sorrow was intolerable  
Of compassion list no longer spare  
Of all this thing the truth to declare   

All suddenly they began to abraid  
Their deadly sorrows and plaints to refrain  
Of the most worthy of the town they said  
O citezyns/ why list ye so complain  
Leave your weeping/ your tears doth restraint  
For by report of us that were present  
Void of disobeyed or meaning fraudolent   

ye have more cause of gladness than weeping  
And greater matter of consolation  
Than of distress or of complaining  
For if the ground be sought out by reason  
Touching your friends slaughter and passion  
ye have more ground us list not for to feign  
For to be glad/ than for their death to prayne   

By sundry tokens that were contemplative  
Of signs showed/ the deed beareth witness  
Their death was entered in to everlasting life  
End of sorrow concluded on gladness  
From this dark valley went up to brightness  
where day departed is from the night  
And bright Phoebus loseth never his light   

It is according full well to nature  
A man to weep for friends that be deed  
But again ward by record of scripture  
For Christis sake/ who list his blood to shed  
A thousand fold shall receive his meed  
And for his life/ which is but transitory  
Eternally to abide and live in glory   

where is no complaint/ nor no part of sorrow  
But everlasting gladness in that place  
Ilyche new both at eve and at morrow  
From woe to joy from sobbing to solace  
where death hath lost his power to menace  
Fie on despair/ for death to make strife  
where joy followeth of everlasting life   

death in this world should not be complained  
Of them that pass from worldly vanity  
Such as by grace and mercy have attained  
with Christ to reign in his eternal see  
where joy is ever and all felicity  
And for such folk midday eve and morrow  
It were woodness for to make sorrow   

ye be bound plainly to conclude  
To thank god for friends that ye miss  
which hath chose so great a multitude  
Of this city/ and brought them unto bliss  
Of joy perpetual they may never miss  
Making a change from this temporal  
For thilk life above celestial   

Take heed hereto/ and giveth good audience  
Of thing that we shall make rehersale  
And it imprenteth in your advertence  
Touching your friends slain in battle  
whom that we did so mortally assail  
All this considered to complain ye do wrong  
As ye shall know paraunter or ought long   

Aforne rehearsed the same tormentors  
with a great oath present there all the town  
To them not only/ but to their successors  
To be reported through all that region  
Maden there open protestation  
Touching this matter they cast to express  
Shall have no touch nor spot of falseness   

They 'gan their matter briefly to conclude  
Touching the story to all their intent  
In Verolamy to all the multitude  
Of great and small being there present  
rehearsing first how that they were sent  
with mighty hand to all contres environ  
To seek their friends/ were fled from the town   

Under these words spoke for their party  
By your bidding we went as ye well know  
with force and arms/ searching to espy  
To north wales in countries high and low  
Till it fell so within a little throw  
Lad by fortune/ we found them everichone  
with him that whilom was master to Albon   

Out of this city they were fled and gone  
Some that were full nigh of your ally  
Upon the master abiding of Albon  
we found eke gathered a great company  
And of Pectis we did also espy  
with walsemen of new that were draw  
And converted unto christian law   

By thilk clerk that all these things wrought  
From whom they would depart in no manner  
Among all/ our kindred out we sought  
Took them apart/ and with full friendly cheer  
with fair speech requests and prayer  
Maynte with manassis/ and softness of language  
From that doctrine to revoke their courage   

But ever they stood in such obstinacy  
On him abiding each hour and moment  
By their answer rather for to die  
All of accord and eachone of assent  
List in no wise follow our intent  
when we might not our purpose recure  
we left our tretes and took our armour   

Of which they were not astonied nor afeard  
For Christis sake/ each readier than other  
who might first run under the sword  
In their meeting brother slain of brother  
There was such press it might be none other  
For Christis sake echon were fain  
For a prerogative/ who might first be slain   

Upon the son/ which was the father heir  
The father showed most cruel violence  
which in nature was neither good nor fair  
The son also void of all benevolence  
To his father did no manner of reverence  
There was no mercy/ but martial outrage  
without exception of old or young of age   

Patience was captain in the field  
Of them that suffered death for Christis sake  
Their spear was hope/ meekness was their shield  
Other defence they list not for to make  
In thilk quarrel/ which they had take  
List not depart till spent was their blood  
which on the plain ran large as a flood   

The lord that sitteth above the stars clear  
Saugh and beheld the great patience  
Of his knights/ whose blood like a river  
Ran in the field by mortal violence  
whom to comfort of his magnificence  
The heaven all open to show his great virtue  
Said unto them that blessed lord jesus   

Cometh up to me my knights most enter  
Proved in battle right victorious  
Assendeth up above the stars clear  
My gate is open and ready is my house  
Again your coming most rich and glorious  
with triumph that never shall dissever  
And with a palm that shall lasten ever   

O Paradyse/ o chosen citezyns  
For your notable triumphal prowess  
Making your claim as very denzyns  
There to abide your knightly nobylnes  
To spend your blood/ was showed no scarceness  
For me to suffer death by great outrage  
dign among martyrs/ come take your heritage   

The amorous fair of fervent desires  
In your conquest of most sovereign price  
Have give you title to be possessioners  
Eternally to claim like your avise  
Abiding space in the heavenly paradise  
To be registered fire from all worldly strife  
with the holy martyrs in the book of life   

From this world we saugh them flee to heaven  
By many signs which that did appear  
From death to life/ above the stars seven  
we stood astonied beholding the manner  
How Christ jesus with a benign cheer  
List to receive into his region  
These holy martyrs of Verolamy town   

In these number of martyrs that were found  
Full nine hundred and ninety reckoned clean  
And nine thereto slain with many a wound  
Of whose blood/ as it was well seen  
All in to red stained was the green  
The flood so great of blood that come down low  
That one from an other no man could know   

They lay so oppressed under the horse feet  
No man might have very knowledging  
The bloody stream did over flow and fleet  
Their deadly faces upon the ground ligging  
But suddenly there fell a wonders thing  
Each from other only by god's grace  
was through the field known by the face   

By the prayer of Amphibalus  
Of the deed bodies with wounds green  
A great miracle the story telleth thus  
Their wounds hole that no characts were seen  
joined together and souded eke so clean  
A strange sight/ a sight of great delight  
The bloody stream as milk ran all white   

Thus by prayer of one rightful man  
Of their wounds first fearful and terrible  
There was no carecte as we rehearse can  
By appearance that outward was visible  
For unto god nothing is impossible  
For they that were mangled and disfourmed  
By grace and prayer suddenly were reformed   

The people froward in their opinion  
Seing this miracle and were there present  
By a contrarious exposition  
Said aye the worst in their false judgement  
And vengably echon of assent  
Of false malice did their busy cure  
To deny them their kindly sepulture   

But cast them to beasts on malice and disdain  
To such as weren disposed to ravin  
without reverence like an old carrion  
They again them so felly 'gan malign  
But Christ jesus most gracious and benign  
To preserve his martyrs by miracle  
Again paynims have showed an obstacle   

A wolf come down with sturdy violence  
terrible of look and furious of cheer  
Again beasts wild to make resistance  
Toward the saints that they came no near  
An eagle also with piercing eyen clear  
Hoving aloft/ as all men beheld  
Fro touch of foul/ kept all day the field   

whereof Pictis greatly 'gan marvel  
They of wales had a manner of dread  
Thought in themselves these tokes may not fail  
It cometh of god and of no man's deed  
And of reason when they took heed  
first of the wolf and of the eagle aloft  
Stood astonied and 'gan to wonder oft   

It is appropered to the wolf of nature  
As clerks say man's flesh to attame  
Among all caryns where they may it recure  
They most rejoice/ and thereof have most game  
But he that maketh wild beasts tame  
Daunteth serpent's/ which on ground low creep  
Hath made a wolf his martyrs for to keep   

From all beasts disposed to ravin  
By his miracle and gracious working  
And by his power heavenly and divine  
Of later date he gave eke the keeping  
Of blessed Edmonde/ maid/ martyr/ and king  
Unto a wolf the heed most virtuous  
It to preserve from beasts ravenous   

In this miracle/ who can understand  
To be noted is great convenience  
Of martyrs/ which were with violent hand  
Slain for the faith by humble patience  
And thilk martyrs/ which made no resistance  
So were slain for Christ/ as it is found  
At Lychefelde/ with many a bloody wound   

Following the ensample/ these martyrs everyone  
For Christ death suffering and full great pain  
Of their prince/ that called was Albon  
In his time steward of britain  
As I trust these noble princes twain  
Edmonde and Albon/ these joined two  
Shall save this land in that we have to do   

This kings banner of assure is the field  
Therein of gold be crowns three  
The same camp beareth Albon in his shield  
beat in the mids of gold a fresh sawtre  
Again our enemies/ when they together be  
In one assembled/ shall make our party strong  
Magre all though that would done us wrong   

Of est England king and champion  
Blessed Edmonde shall his banner spread  
The prince of knights in Brutis Albion  
And protomartyr shall us help at need  
A thousand martyrs that their blood shed  
For Christis faith slain at lichfield  
Shall us defend with spear sword and shield   

These tokens seen/ the paynims 'gan to seize  
Of their pursuit and furious woodenness  
And by miracle they suddenly 'gan to press  
To kiss the relics/ on knees 'gan them dress  
with many signs and tokens of meekness  
And where afore as they began to malign  
They showed themself most goodly & benign   

Their old malice/ and their froward disdain  
Having the matters first in derision  
From that conceit they turned be again  
And caught in their heart a new opinion  
Them to worship with great devotion  
gave thanking to god/ & were thereof full fain  
That such a number in that land was slain   

Of holy martyrs and hollowed with their blood  
which thing to put in token of victory  
Perpetually they thought that it was good  
Their number and names to set in memory  
which fro this life fleeing and transitory  
Be now translated/ where they may not miss  
Eternally with Christ to reign in bliss   

when the tormentors had their tales told  
Right as it fell in order of every thing  
Of Verolamy the people young and old  
Present there that time/ heard all their talking  
The more party left their weeping  
For by report only of their language  
Of their sorrow/ the constraint 'gan to suage   

They 'gan the lord to magnify and praise  
And to rejoice the glory of their kindred  
which by grace he list so high uprayse  
By mertyrdome their precious blood to bleed  
For his sake die without any dread  
All with one voice at ones in sentence  
This was their noise with devout reverence   

Great is that god/ greatest and glorious  
Above all gods of most magnificence  
That maketh his servants so victorious  
To get so great triumph by their meek patience  
And by his mighty imperial influence  
This lord jesus most gracious and benign  
showed in their death so many an uncouth sign   

Their green wounds terrible to behold  
with sharp swords severed far asunder  
For lack of blood/ when they were stark & cold  
One part there/ and an other part yonder  
The red blood/ this was a great wonder  
Turned to milk white as openly was say  
Their wounds large hath souded new again   

He may be called a leech verily  
which hath practised so high a medicine  
Such mortal hurts to cure them suddenly  
whose royal balm is heavenly and divine  
Galiene could not imagine  
Nor hippocras during all their lives  
Such consoudes nor such senatives   

The virtue showed and power glorious  
Of Christ jesus by great experience  
And of his martyr blessed Amphibalus  
That day declared by notable evidence  
By whose prayer they being in presence  
These miracles/ who so list take heed  
The same day accomplished were in deed   

which thing remembered the judge was nigh wooed  
whose sudden ire no wight could appease  
Great press about in the place there stood  
They of this matyr felt so great disease  
But for he cast him finally to please  
The paynims in his melancholy  
Distraught of rancour thus he 'gan to cry   

How long shall we endure or sustain  
This great injury/ slander/ and clamour  
Let us search out what it should mean  
This hateful noise and furious romour  
But I wot well ground of this error  
That this clerk/ which not yore agone  
As ye we'll know was master to saint Albon   

whose doctrine/ if it were virtuous  
Or come of god as ye report and say  
He should not have demeaned him thus  
So great a number suffer for to die  
Of innocentes that did his lust obey  
But it is like I do well apperceive  
This clerk was busy the people to deceive   

By some false craft of incantation  
Or by some sotell and strange experience  
folk for to blind by some illusion  
Or by collusion of false appearance  
Like as it were sooth in existence  
with some comurison or some charm made of new  
A thing that is nought to show as it were true   

For by his compassed false deception  
The worthiest borne of this cite  
Have been perished/ as made is mention  
And brought to nought by great adversity  
whereupon I make a new decree  
pain of death giving this sentence  
To the bochers/ who that giveth credence   

That all other thereby may be afeard  
By plain ensample of their punysshon  
where they be found go unto the sword  
without mercy of any remission  
And after this he sent for all the town  
High estates and low did do call  
And when they come he said to them all   

Let us proceed and werken finally  
And thereunto set an ordinance  
All of Asseus upon our enemy  
As we are bound take on him vengeance  
That every man 'gan himself advance  
with such weapyn plainly as they found  
Sword/ knife/ dagger/ or what come first to hand   

So great people out of wales come than  
In their furious rage and cruelty  
That there was left unneaths any man  
which that abode within the city  
Each cried on other/ go we hence let see  
who that can first make himself strong  
To be avenged upon our great wrong   

Their going out was to the north party  
A medeled people of folks nice and rude  
That no man could remember finally  
The great number nor the multitude  
All the city plainly to conclude  
was almost void mine auctor tell can  
Left alone of woman child and man   

Among the bochers and tormentors strong  
One was marked aforne in that passage  
which that thought his fellows abode long  
Ran forth fast to get him advantage  
And like a wolf in his cruel rage  
stint never till that he found  
The place where Amphibalus was bound   

Like a bocher pierced his entrails  
This homicide that ran afore the rout  
Raffe his navel and took out his bowels  
And at a stake/ which that stood without  
Tied like ropes even round about  
And with a scourge the martyr he 'gan make  
In sercle wise to go about the stake   

By the grace of god in his suffering  
Felly assailed with many a great tourment  
showed no token of sorrow nor grudging  
But always one stable in his intent  
Till his bowels were razed out and rend  
with tormentors in their cruel rage  
He changed no cheer of look nor visage   

Two tormentors accorsed all their lives  
Amphibalus set up for a sign  
And cast at him sword dagger spear and knives  
And ever the more again him they did malign  
The more they found hmn gracious and benign  
A pronosticke marvelous in nature  
Save god's grace how he might endure   

To wonder upon a marvelous miracle  
was seen that day in people's sight  
Now this martyr up set for a spectacle  
So long lived again natures right  
His blood was spent and lost was all his might  
And his humedite called radical  
In sinews and joints wasted was at all   

His soul his spirit his ghostly remembrance  
Stood in their strength of spiritual sweetness  
His heavenly fervence/ his charity in substance  
Appalled not by no foreign duresse  
Fors bore his banner again his mortal feebleness  
To prove this text/ said ago full long  
Now pierced love/ as any death is strong   

O bodily force feeble to stand upright  
After his fleshly disposition  
In ghostly strength like Hercules of might  
For virtuous noblesse equal to Samson  
Proved this day in Brutis Albion  
was Amphibalus/ with whom who list advert  
was nothing left/ save only tongue and heart   

In his heart as long as there was life  
He ceased not gods word to preach  
Grace was guide/ and truth his preseruatife  
Faith bore up all/ charity was his leech  
His tongue inspired the people for to teach  
His body feeble/ his membres impotent  
yet tongue and heart were of one assent   

His heart strong stable as a dyamant  
faith had of steel forged his image  
His hope in god was so perseverant  
Despair in him might have none advantage  
For his gracious influent language  
And by miracles in him showed than  
That day to Christ was turned many a man   

His doctrine fire in his remembrance  
Most soverently than 'gan therein delight  
Let their idols go unto a mischance  
which might them neither help nor profit  
God with his grace list them to visit  
Of one assent/ 'gan them ready to make  
After his counsel the faith of Christ to take   

They were compuncte and maden their pray  
with repentance and voice most lamentable  
To grant them part of that he suffered there  
Touching his passion grievous and importable  
In that joy/ which is perdurable  
Touching the sights that they had seen  
Thereof by grace to put them 〈…〉   

Like as their trust and their perfit believe  
was in jesus of heart thought and deed  
with hole affection that it shall them not grieve  
For Christ's sake their blood in haste to bleed  
They stood so hole having of death no dread  
In their opinion our faith to magnify  
That they despised all idolatry   

Their prince and judge the while in presence stood  
Like a man fall in to a franesye  
Void of reason and as a tyrant wooed  
Commanded all his tormentors to high  
without exception of low or high party  
To kill and slay and no mercy take  
That have their gods of despite forsake   

They pressed in the martyr to encumber  
Like greedy wolves or tigers of assent  
They slough that day a thousand full in number  
For to obey his fell commandment  
Amphibalus being there present  
which in spirit busily 'gan intend  
To Christ jesus their souls to commend   

A cruel paynim stout indurate and bold  
Spoke to the martyr of hateful cruelty  
which of the city other new or old  
In any wise hath trespassed again the  
which hast caused their great adversity  
These innocent people in so short a while  
with thy trains and sleights to beguile   

Our statutes and laws thou hast foiled  
By occasion of thy perilous language  
And our city most cruelly spoiled  
Of her people both old and young of age  
Cause of their loss and mortal damage  
And thou aforne them forwounded to the death  
standest in point to yield up thy breath   

In such disjoint thou mayst not recure  
Dissentrayled bounden to a stake  
And our gods thou hast above measure  
Felly provoked vengeance on the to take  
yet and thou wouldest repent and forsake  
Thy Christis sect and fro thy faith withdraw  
And of hole heart turn to our law   

worship our god/ whom thou hast offended  
And be in will to do so no more  
Of thine hurts thou mightest be amended  
And axe grace as I have told before  
To health again they might weal restore  
Thy wounds grievous/ which seem incurable  
Make them full hole they be so merciable   

Upon wretches benyngnly to rue  
Such as list fall in their grace  
And will repent lowly and be true  
Ask mercy of their old trespass  
They may not fail within a little space  
To be accept wounded halt and lame  
By my counsel do thyself the same   

which standest now as a spectacle  
Afforne the people/ which have them in disdain  
Pray our gods to show some miracle  
By their power that it may be seen  
That thou mayst be restored new again  
To that mercy/ and afterwards be assured  
Of all thy wounds for to be recured   

If thou thus do they will be gracious  
To modify their vengeable violence  
Let be thou paynim/ quod Amphibalus  
Feble is their might and mortal in sentence  
In thy language thou dost great offence  
To gave laud worship or praising  
To false idols that have no seeing   

For they be void of grace and all virtue  
Have neither time nor immaginatyfe  
There is no god but my lord jesus  
That deed bodies restoreth again to life  
He is my health and my restoratife  
All your gods of which now ye tell  
Been but fiends that suffer pain in hell   

Them to praise and worship ye be blind  
For deep in hell is their abiding  
ye do great wrong them to have in mind  
which ever endure in complaint and weeping  
And were tyrants here in their living  
And of false dread took their original  
To be defied knowing they be mortal   

In hell is now their habitation  
Perpetually ordained to abide  
Of your false gods the commemoration  
Is holden therewith all their pomp and pride  
with fire beset on every side  
which never is quaint of infernal fervence  
Nor the worm deed of their conscience   

All they that serve them in their live  
Shall of their pains be with them partable  
Out of charity folk that list to strive  
False adulterers/ detractors detestable  
And homicides most abhomynble  
That weren or been here of their assent  
Have and shall have part of their tourment   

Like their deserts they must have their meed  
And thou paynim shalt have thy part in pain  
For thy false error but thou repent in deed  
Shalt eke with them I tell them certain  
Ben embraced in a fiery chain  
with Satan stocked amid the smokes black  
But if thou wilt thy mawmettry forsake   

Forsake the rights of false idolatry  
Thy sect thine error of old vanity  
Despair the not/ for great is the mercy  
Of Christ jesus/ which will accept the  
with all other that here present be  
So that they will of faith and hole intent  
receive of baptism the holy sacrament   

first of baptism the virtue to devise  
Like as it is grounded in scripture  
It washeth away/ who so list advertise  
Of man's sin all filth and all odure  
Causeth a man all grace to recure  
Openeth heaven as say these clerks  
Forsaketh sathan and all his mortal works   

though that were children of perdition  
Under the fiend by sin and wretchedness  
By grace of baptism as made is mention  
Our faith received standeth in sickerness  
Flete to the grace and doth your business  
As I tofore have to you devised  
Forsake your god's/ and beth in haste baptized   

water of baptism doth sins purify  
water of comfort and consolation  
Cleanseth the filth of all idolatry  
Original well of our salvation  
Condite and river of our redemption  
Called in scripture water regeneratyfe  
which restoreth a man unto ghostly life   

It is the heed springe and the ghostly stream  
which conveyeth a man to paradise  
river and port unto jerusalem  
Of all rivers this river beareth the price  
As to folks that be prudent and wise  
Such as wash them in this wholesome river  
Avoideth from them all infernal danger   

And scoureth away all venom serpentine  
And spots black called original  
By grace causeth/ which that is divine  
Renewing men to be celestial  
And for a conclusion in this matter final  
To forsake your god's/ which may do you no good  
By my counsel be bathed in this flood   

The stream thereof shall glad your city  
And race away the rust of old outrages  
And with a flow of all prosperity  
Renew both your heart and your courages  
And you preserve from infernal damages  
ye stand free chooseth now of twain  
Eternal life/ or everlasting pain   

After these notable exhortations  
Grounded on faith and perfit charity  
The paynims like tigers or lions  
In their hasty furious cruelty  
Fyllen upon the martyr bound to a tree  
On each side assailed him at once  
with round kalyons and with sharp stones   

A great miracle/ god list that day to show  
And this martyr like god's champion  
Beset all about with paynims not a few  
Stood aye upright/ no party down  
Stable in prayer and in orison  
Erect to god/ not turning north ne south  
The word of god never out of his mouth   

Save the word of god/ & his grace was impossible  
To abide that brunt/ where he had force or might  
In soul and spirit standing invisible  
The eyen up lift of his inward sight  
Toward heaven Phoebus was never so bright  
At midsummer in his mid day spear  
As he saw jesus in the heaven appear   

On the right side of his father dear  
Fine of his triumph/ and of his tormentry  
Heard of angels with sugared notes clear  
Celestial song/ which in their melody  
'Gan praise the lord/ and there he 'gan espy  
His blessed Albon clad in purple weed  
Token of Christ he list his blood to bleed   

To that martyr among martyrs all  
Of trust assured whilom between them twain  
Amphibalus for help began to call  
O blessed Albon that sufferdist great pain  
For Christis sake of mercy not disdain  
To pray jesus that list for us to die  
To send his angels my journey to convey   

That cruel Satan trouble not my passage  
Nor that his malice may claim in me no right  
By the martyr rehearsed his language  
Come two angels from heaven with great light  
This voice eke heard in all the people's sight  
There as he stood bounden to a stake  
Upon the point to die for god's sake   

O Amphibalus after thy devise  
with thy disciple glorious prince Albon  
Thou shalt this day be in paradise  
Right in earth as ye were both one  
with your triumph ye shall together gone  
And with your palms ye shall be in glory  
with a title of everlasting victory   

Among martyrs receive this your meed  
Like your desert of eternal guerdon  
A crown of gold/ and a purple weed  
Forged with saints in the heavenly mansion  
Like to rubies most sovereign of renown  
Albon and thou perpetually shall shine  
In Verolamy the city to enlumine   

In this while two angels down descend  
To the holy martyr for his ghostly succour  
On his soul benygly to attend  
white than snow or any lily flower  
His ghost conveying unto the heavenly tower  
paynims this time biding in the field  
Greatly abashed/ when they this thing beheld   

Herder of heart than flint or any stone  
After his spirit was borne up to heaven  
tormentors in their malice ay one  
Fervent in fiery ire as any beven  
Like as jews fell upon saint Steven  
So were they busy of hateful cursedness  
The deed body with stones to oppress   

They had the martyr in so great disdain  
After his death 'gan make a new affray  
That no memory should of him be sayne  
Upon the ground where that he lay  
Safe there was one/ which that stole away  
The deed corpse/ and did his busy cure  
Most secretly to make his sepulture   

He was christian the man which did his pain  
The deed corpse to close it in the ground  
In secret wise till jesus list ordain  
And provide a time that he may be found  
which for the faith suffered many a wound  
And this done by grace for the nonce  
Maugre all though that cast on him stones   

Dukes earls and lords of the town  
were over come almost with fasting  
Among paynims rose a dissension  
That would have had the body in keeping  
which had avowed in their out going  
To bring the martyr by oath and surety  
Other quick or deed home to their cite   

Among themself of vengeance 'gan to strive  
with sword draw fell at division  
By their promise other deed or a live  
To bring the martyr with them to the town  
which were unworthy to have possession  
Of such a treasure till god list shape a time  
Of gracious change to send a new prime   

Again their promise god made an obstacle  
when they of new began the martyr to menace  
The body was besyled by miracle  
And eke buried in a secret place  
There to abide till god list of his grace  
As I said erst this treasure of renown  
May be found to glad with all the town   

Thus when the paynims had showed their utterance  
Of the martyr the doctrine hole forsake  
God upon them did openly vengeance  
All their limbs and membres 'gan to shake  
with a palsy their tongues were eke take  
with which member attorne in many wise  
The faith of Christ they list falsely to despise   

The hands touched of these homicydes  
Impotent of power and of might  
Their bodies unwieldy back eke and sides  
Their legs faltered for to stand upright  
Their mouths stood wrong/ a goggle stood their sight  
Each member and joint out of order stood  
And their judge also suddenly wax wood   

hands to godward when they be vengeable  
Feet that ran of custom for damage  
Cruel eyen/ which be not merciable  
Mortal tongues that damn men in their rage  
By detraction/ mouths for false language  
Like their deserts of old who list remember  
God of his right 'gan punish every member   

The eighe for looking receive his guerdon  
The tongue for speaking taketh his salary  
Blood wrongfully shed requireth of reason  
Hastily vengeance though it a while tarry  
Murder homicide/ which be to god contrary  
Death of martyrs/ slaughter of innocentes  
crieth vengeance to god in their torments   

Specially all the tormentors  
That were assented for to slay Albon  
Faded away as dew on summer flowers  
And come to nought almost everichone  
The mind of the martyr abode always in one  
And day by day the great laud and glory  
'Gan more and more increase of victory   

The sade vengeance no while was conseled  
Nor the great noise of their adversity  
Take upon paynims would not be healed  
Their trouble and rumour was not kept secret  
For dread of which the chief of their city  
Meddled with grace as the story saith  
were all at ones turned Christis faith   

with right hole heart and full devout humbleness  
From their old sect they 'gan away decline  
'Gan praise the lord for his rightwiseness  
And some by grace heavenly and divine  
By influence that did upon him shine  
Left all the world treasure and substance  
And to Rome went for to do penance   

And by grace of our lord Christ jesus  
They renounced all their old error  
And saw in their gods there was no virtue  
Help at need comfort nor succour  
But all at ones with diligent labour  
Of false idols forsook the sacrifice  
Become christian in most humble wise   

Miracles showed and virtuous doctrine  
Of Amphibalus with virtuous diligence  
Grace annexed which did on them shine  
Caused the city of all their old offence  
To axe mercy and with hole diligence  
Their false gods of new they have despised  
And most meekly by grace were baptized   

And so long continued/ till at the last  
By a rural person/ disciple of pelagian  
His her eticall doctrine/ long time begun & passed  
Newly renewed and fast took rote again  
Perverted the people of this Brutis Britain  
And specially in this city of old Verolamy  
Moche increased this doctrine of infamy   

wherewith sore troubled was all the hole clergy  
Not strong enough/ by learning and prudence  
These old errors to reform & rectify  
But glad to send for help and defence  
To the clergy of France/ to be their assistance  
where assembled a counsel of clergy in general  
To provide remedy for this mischief in special   

lastly concluded by the hole counsel  
Sent unto Verolamy two ancient clerks  
In learning and virtue/ right famous and excel  
The one called Germayne a mirror in good work  
Confounder of heretics/ & all fiery sparks  
Of schismatical doctrine/ by ghostly influence  
He was consecrate bishop of Antisiodorence   

And Lupus the bishop of Trecassinensis  
In this holy journey/ with him was associate  
And came to this city of Verolaminensis  
where the people ꝑuerted/ were grievously insensate  
And from the true faith/ crookedly abrogate  
By thereticall doctrine of the erroneus person  
Declared to the people with devilish illusion   

Good people afore this time/ of fervent devotion  
For recourse of pylgryms/ had builded an oratory  
Over the tomb and 〈◊〉 of holy saint Albon  
whether these bishops of blessed memory  
Came and made prayer to the martyr instantly  
That he for them in their battle and conflict  
would be mean to god/ the heretic to convict   

Their prayer to god/ by the martyr preferred  
As ꝑueth the sequel/ was right acceptable  
For than the heretics/ day ne time detected  
was clearly convict of their errors detestable  
And reduced to grace/ by truth infallible  
By Lupe and German in plain disputation  
Renounsing their errors/ made abjuration   

Than for that grace/ given them in especial  
Of god by mean of the martyrs intercession  
To his tomb they returned/ with heart & mind effectual  
Redoubling their prayer/ with humble devotion  
For the great triumph/ and utter subjection  
That thenmyes'enemies of god/ had sustained that day  
Exhorting the people/ to laud god and pray   

And meekly on their knees/ with all dew reverence  
uncovered the tomb/ where the corpse lay  
There found the relics in state and essence  
All though he had lain there many a long day  
And of the same relics they took no part away  
But of th'earth all bloody saint German took a portion  
To bear about with him of fervent devotion   

And for the same in full recompense  
A cophyn enclosed with relics many one  
Of all th'apostles/ and 〈◊〉 with reverence  
which he gathered in places where he had gone  
There he them offered to blessed saint Albon  
For a perpetual memory of that his act and deed  
And to all pylgryms to have reward and meed   

Than departed Germayne and his fellow Lupus  
In to their own countries there to remain  
within four years after/ again it happened thus  
Newly to spring/ theresies of pelagyans  
Than the clergy sent of new for saint Germayne  
who hastily granted to come and discuss  
All doubts associate/ with holy Severus   

who briefly confounded and brought to utterance  
All theretykesto their shame and confusion  
That done they returned again into France  
The people delivered from devilish illusion  
Albert shortly after/ their former abusion  
Returned their minds and brought in appostacy  
Their god forgetting to laud and magnify   

And all that was done by the grievous occasion  
Of the furious saxons/ and their pagan rite  
For after that they had in this land made invasion  
Churhes and clergy they destroyed quite  
To adnul Christis law was all their delight  
And compel the christian to their false idolatry  
In such miserable life was all their felicity   

Thus by them all this region in manner 〈◊〉  
From 〈◊〉 faith/ and holy saint Alb●●  
The 〈◊〉 and tomb decayed and 〈◊〉  
Token or knowledge there was left none  
Devotion and prayer forgotten and gone  
Till god of his goodness and merciful pity  
would reveal his saints/ to the laud of his deite   

Thus during this time three hundred year & more  
The hearts ot the people/ all dark & obumbrate  
From the faith of Christ was clearly lost and go  
worshipping idols of power advychilate  
Reason of knowledge by will was obnubilate  
By long continuance accustomed and used  
That good and true doctrine/ they utterly refused   

Thilk holy saint Albon/ to the godhead directed  
His devout prayer/ his country to reconcile  
To Christis own faith/ all heresies rejected  
with errors and schisms/ from them put in exile  
The deceits of the devil/ hath the long beguile  
To abate and suppress/ to the christian relieve  
And to all heretics shame and reprove   

His prayer well heard/ god hath provide  
A captain/ a ruler/ a prince of great pleasance  
Over this country/ to reign rule and gye  
Descended of blood from royal alliance  
That by gods help shortly made purveyance  
These faults to redress/ by grace as he may  
This noble devout prince called king Off'ss   

It 〈…〉 t this king than being at Bygging  
Besy●●●ynstowe his own manner place  
Calling to memory all his former living  
How by the bloody sword his peace he had purchase  
compunct by contrition calling for grace  
Besought god on his knees/ with fervent devotion  
Some knowledge to have of his sins remission   

Than suddenly in the chapel came a marvelous light  
Inflamed the king with a sweet fraragraunt odour  
The king first astonied/ to see it so bright  
Than after coforted gave laud praise & honour  
To that only god/ ground of all succour  
And set fast in him/ his trust and confidence  
Daily to serve him/ with all dew reverence   

This king then lying in the city of Bath  
Half sleeping in a slumber appeared an angel  
Showing that of god such favour he hath  
And also commandment as he did than tell  
All schisms and heresies/ from the country texpell  
He should perceive with all diligence anon  
To translate the relics of holy saint albon   

The king or this time of the pope had purchased  
That lichfield should be/ th'archbishops see  
whereby Canterbury was greatly defaced  
But for that time there was no remedy  
All which I only and returns to our story  
how and by whom was done this translation  
Of archbishop and bishops with fervent devotion   

After that the angel at Bathe had thus appeared  
Of this ꝓthomartyr Albon/ made the king relation  
He called Humbertus/ whom he had than arered  
archbishop of Lychefeld/ and made declaration  
Of thangels commandment/ for the translation  
Of this holy martyr/ than the bishop anon right  
Obeyed and prepared thereto w all his might   

Accompanied with suffragans/ two he had than  
Their names to recount/ I let over pass  
The king & they to Verolamy/ with many noble men  
Accompanied/ came reverently to the same place  
where as a fiery pillar brightly shining was  
Over the tomb & place/ where as lay saint Albon  
By which token/ they found the cophyn anon   

They took up the bones with all humble devotion  
And bate them to the church with ympnes and song  
The king and his nobles followed the procession  
where many fair miracle was done than among  
The relics enclosed in a shrine great and long  
Of silver and gold set with great riches  
Thus with all solemnity/ endeth this business   

Not without miracles as the story doth us teach  
They that were blind/ recured have their sight  
The dumb also was restored to their speech  
folks lame and podagryd/ went than upright  
Lepres made cleave/ by prayer of this knight  
And palatyke folk/ as the story doth remember  
And all other diseased/ were hole in every member   

Be glad and merry/ thy title rich and good  
Land of brytane called brutes Albion  
which art inbaumed/ with the purple blood  
Of blessed saint Albon/ prince of that region  
And specially O noble and rial town  
Of verelamy/ rejoice and be iocounde  
So rich a treasure/ is in thy bounds found.   

Richer treasure more worthy to be commended  
Moche better than in Troy/ was ever Palladion  
For on thy soil/ of new is descended  
A celestial dew/ of grace and all fosion  
And specially by/ angelical revelation  
which on thy land/ of new doth rebound  
That blessed Albon/ is in thy bounds found.   

Hector whilom/ was Trojans Champion  
And Hannibal protector of Cartago  
Marchus Maluius/ saved Rome town  
The capitolie/ conserved from damage  
And in britain now in more latter age  
Of holy Albon when the corpse was found  
Made in that region all things to abound.   

King Offa as I said/ having this vision  
which of saint Albon/ was patron and founder  
By miracles showed/ for his good devotion  
The place where was hid/ this rich treasure  
He with cost and diligent labour  
Let call to gether/ of divers regions  
Most cunning masters of wryghtes & masons.   

To build the church/ of blessed saint Albon  
Endowed the same/ with lands and possession  
So that in all Britain/ like to that is none  
Replenished with people/ of saint benettes profession  
Almost viii C. year continued in succession  
Taking first authority/ as the history tell can  
Granted by bulls of pope Adriane.   

After went himself/ this noble worthy king  
Of great devotion to Rome the rial city  
Spared no cost/ till he in every thing  
Had of his purpose grant and authority  
Privileges/ freedoms/ and liberties  
By the pope then/ confirmed to that place  
For love of saint Albon with many especial grace.   

By authority/ as ye have hard devised  
He had his asking/ by power spiritual  
And for his part/ to be more authorized  
He hath annexed his power in especial  
with all liberties and fraunchies full rial  
Perpetually bound it in breed and in length  
In honour of saint Albon/ to stand in his strength   

O Verolamy as I have told before  
O Famous old city/ among all nations  
which in thy bounds/ hadst such a prince borne  
Notable in knighthood/ with all conditions  
Of high prows/ by manifold reasons  
wordy by virtue and by rial lain  
To be in degree/ above all the worthies nyen.   

He that whilom was busy to compile  
This noble history/ truly of intent  
In latin tongue to direct his style  
Right as he saw/ so was he diligent  
It to convey/ because he was present  
yet list he not I suppose of meekness  
Tell what he was nor his name express   

To himself/ he gave none other name  
After the story/ as I rehearse can  
Except he wrote of dread/ and of honest shame  
He would be called as he wrote than  
Of all wretches the simplest man  
Of other name as by his writing  
To us he left no manner knowledging   

Save he of trust and good confidence  
which that abode in his opinion  
There should come in great reverence  
Time coming folk of religion  
Specially to Verolamy town  
which that should do their busy pain  
The faith of christ/ for to preach in Britain   

Than shall the truth be openly gnaw  
when the error is loused and unbound  
Of paynims and Christis word be saw  
Thorough all the land/ false idols to confound  
Than to their hearts/ gladness shall rebound  
That useth our faith/ when jesus list by grace  
Of his infinite mercy/ a time to purchase   

This same man/ of full true intent  
which busy was/ this story to endue  
Unto the see of Rome/ with the book he went  
By great advise his purpose to acquit  
And finally like as he doth plainly write  
All false gods and idols to forsake  
Baptism to receive and Christis faith to take   

And as I have told/ this book with him he brought  
To be seen over with meek and low subjection  
To all that court/ and humbly he besought  
Our lord Christ jesus with devout intention  
After their dew and full examination  
Called to record this story made of new  
Like as he wrote that every word was true   

This book accomplished/ notable and famous  
Of him that was in Brutis Albion  
Called protomartyr most virtuous  
That for Christ suffered passion  
That year accounted of his translation  
from Christis birth and his nativity  
Fully seven hundredth ninety year and three.   

Now perfit readers/ that divers stories hath seen  
Mark well the times/ of this here expressed  
when that saint Albon by the paynims keen  
For Christis faith/ from this life was suppressed  
The coming of saint german for errors to be  
After all these/ the time of his invention  
Done by king Offa/ with his holy translation   

CC. lxxxx.iii. years of our lord Christ jesus  
The reign of Dioclesyon the xix year  
Christis holy faith to revive and renew  
Suffered saint Albon/ the story doth appear  
Maximiane & Asclipiodot/ both his judges were  
It was in the second year/ of the pope Gaius  
That holy saint Albon was martyred thus   

Than one hundredth & one year after his passion  
Began first theresies of false pelagyane  
which was. CCCC. iiii. years/ by just computation  
After that Christ/ had take our nature human  
The xiiii year of the Brittisshe king Graciane  
In the iii year of the first Anastacious  
And the xvi year of th'emperor Theodosius   

Four hundred and forty/ of our lord ix years more  
And in the first year of Vortigern the king  
And the fift year of the first pope Leo  
Theodose the second emperor than being  
In his xxi year after just reckoning  
Saint german come first/ and lupus also  
To destroy theresies/ that were begun though   

C.xliii. years by just computation  
After his passion/ thus come saint german  
And forty and two year without variation  
After the first time of the false pelagian  
yet within five years saint german come again  
As is showed before/ with holy Severus  
All former heresies by grace to discus   

CCC.xliii. years after saint Germayne  
which was seven hundredth/ lxxx. & xiii year  
Of our lord jesus/ as stories doth determine  
That th'angel at Bath/ to king Offa did appear  
To translate saint Albon/ with all heavenly cheer  
The first Adrian pope/ the vi Constantine th'emperor  
when this translation was done with all honour   

perceive now good readers/ & give true judgement  
Between the monks of Colen/ & of blessed Albon  
The Coloners writeth after their intent  
To cause the pilgrims to withdraw their devotion  
From Verolamy/ & to follow their affection  
saying that they have the very body  
To their shame and rebuke/ detending such folly   

And to prove their intent/ plainly they say  
That these heresies of false pelagian  
Began in the reign of noble kynke Offa  
And also in the time of pope Adrian  
affirming that than should come in Germayne  
And with him Lupus/ a clerk of great substance  
And all theresies were brought than to utterance   

And so by german/ were brought unto Ravenus  
The body of saint Albon/ and there th'emperor  
Valentiniane/ he was nobly received than  
And also the body/ with all godly honour  
where german sore vexed with a mortal dolour  
Departed this life and vale of all misery  
To th'eternal life/ in the celestial glory   

After whose death th'emperors mother  
Placida by name/ as Coloners doth say  
To Rome brought this body/ she with many other  
with all dew reverence/ there abode many a day  
Till Otto th'emperor/ with his mother Theophana  
Brought it to Colen/ to th'archbishop Brunon  
In to the monastery of holy Panthaleon   

Also at the time of this translation in deed  
Adrian was pope/ and that they confess  
And when Valentiniane/ to th'empire did proceed  
Liberious was pope/ in his xii year doubtless  
As diverse Historiographers/ plainly do express  
So that of the sees spiritual nor temporal  
Agreeth with their accounts/ after their memorial   

They say also the body is yet incorrupt  
From the thighs upward/ they have in possession  
which saying me seemeth of truth be interrupt  
Unless they will grant any unseeming division  
Of a corporal body to be cut in partition  
yet I can not know what part they should have  
For king Offa found nothing/ but the bones in his grave   

They say also that king Offa & saint Germayne  
was both at one time/ at this translation  
when therisies was destroyed of false pelagian  
In whose times is a great alteration  
who lust account by just compotation  
Shall find. CCC. years xliiii also  
That king Offa came after saint german was go   

They say also that th'emperor Valentiniane  
Should mete. s. Germain/ when he came to Ravene  
which can not be true/ but all spoken in vain  
For CCC.lxvi. was the years of our lord than  
when Valentiniane first began to reign  
That was. lxxx.iii. years before that German  
Came to destroy theresies of pelagian.   

Therefore good brethren of holy saint Benet  
Monks of Colen leave this your babbling  
ye be so far hence/ in deed ye can not let  
any devout persons/ for to do their offering  
I will not deny/ but your untrue surmysing  
May bring some people/ pucyll and innocent  
For lack of true knowledge/ in a wrong judgement   

But they that be learned can read as well as ye  
Confer histories/ and also account the years  
Can well perceive how craftily ye do fly  
From truth/ th'histories so plainly appears  
And are not they accursed that false witness bears  
And specially in writing/ to the derogation  
Of their brethren in god of another nation   

Remember ye ware in England but late  
with the vii Henry that mighty rial king  
where covertly ye sought means with many a noble  
To stay & aid you in this untrue losing estate  
But ye durst not abide th'end of the reckoning  
For fear of afterclappes that might have ensued  
ye where afraid to drink of such as ye brewed   

wherefore reduce yourself/ false writing revoke  
Knowledge your offence/ of will more than deed  
For if ye continue/ ye shall have but a mock  
Men knoweth how ye can in any wise proceed  
But if that other ye love god or dread  
Follow the truth/ so shall ye do best  
And in little meddling/ ye shall find moche rest.   

O blessed Albon/ o martyr most beningne  
Called of Brytons steward most notable  
Prince of knyghtholde proved by many a sign  
In all thy works just prudent and treatable  
And in thy domes rightful and merciable  
Be in our paveye/ shield of protection  
O protomartyr of Brutus' Albion   

Let all thy servants grace and mercy find  
which that call to the in mischief and distress  
And have thy passion and martyrdom in mind  
Again froward enemies & all froward duresse  
Of thy benign merciful goodness  
Them to defend be thou their champion  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

sith thou art named gracious benign & good  
The first also/ which that in Britain  
Suffered paynims to shed thy gentle blood  
For Christ's faith to die and suffer pain  
O glorious prince of mercy not disdain  
To here the prayers and devout orison  
Of all thy servants in Brutis Albion   

Thou were a mirror and of mercy and pity  
Hadst a custom here in this world living  
To cherish pilgrims and heldest hospitality  
All pour folk and strangers refreshing  
Grant our requests for love of thilk king  
Called king Offa which had a vision  
where thou were buried in Brutis Albion   

Like a prince of right thou must intend  
To further all them that live in thy service  
All their grievous and mischiefs to amend  
And by thy prayer a path for him devise  
To live in virtue and vices to despise  
By thy most knightly mediation  
O protomartyr of Brutus' Albion   

For his sake have in remembrance  
To all thy servants to do succour  
which of devotion to do the pleasance  
was in thy church chief builder and foundous  
Of thy liberties royal protector  
There brought in first men of religion  
One theldest Abbeys in Brutus' Albion   

Among all other remember that place  
It to preserve in long prosperity  
where thou art shrined to great increase of grace  
As there protector again all adversity  
And doer have mind upon their city  
which is made famous by thy passion  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion.   

To the cite be patron prince and guide  
In thy service make them diligent  
with long felicity on the otherside  
Conserve thine Abbot and thy devout covent  
sith they are bound of heart and hold intent  
Ever the to serve by their profession  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

And specially pray/ for our most rial prince  
Our redoubted lord/ and most gracious sovereign  
Most victorious king/ our shield and our defence  
Both king & Emperor/ within all this Britain  
Defender of the faith/ of ireland lord & captain  
Henry the viii surmounting in renown  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

Pray for his spouse/ his loving lady dear  
His rial queen Anna/ notable and famous  
Endowed with grace/ and virtue without pere  
Pray for our princes/ that she may be prosperous  
Elizabeth by name/ both beautiful and gracious  
Pray that their issue/ have fortunate succession  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

Pray for princes that this land govern  
To rule the people by prudent policy  
Pray for the church that like a clear lantern  
By good ensample their subjects for to gye  
And pray also that the chivalry  
May hold upright against false extortion  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

Pray for merchants/ and artificers  
To increase by virtue in their business  
That there be found no fraud in their desires  
So that false lucre have none increase  
By thy prayer do also repress  
All tyranny and all false extortion  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

And with these o martyr glorious  
sith thy prayer may so much avail  
Pray to the lord above most gracious  
Again indigence to send enough of victual  
And specially pray for the porayll  
Them to relieve with plenty and foison  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

Noble prince most sovereign and entire  
Corn fruit and grain to increase and multiply  
Blessed Albon pray for the labourer  
To plough and cart their hands so to apply  
That grace may so govern them and gye  
To great increase give all this region  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion   

All these estates remembered in substance  
join them in virtue by perfit charity  
Like a prince take them in governance  
And them preserve from all adversity  
Set peace among them and virtuous unite  
All where now reigneth pride and division  
O protomartyr of Brutis Albion.   
Finis.   

¶ Here endeth the glorious life and passion of saint Albon protomartyr of England/ and also the life & passion of saint Amphabell/ which converted saint Albon to the faith of Christ. whose lives were translated out of french and latin in to english/ by Iohn Lydgare monk of Bury/ and now lately put in print/ at request of Robert Catton/ abbor of thexempt monastery of saint Albon. The xxvi year of our sovereign lord king Henry the eight. And in the year of our lord God. M. D.xxx.iiii.