ADVERTISEMENT ... CONTENTS. TREATYSE CONCERNYNGE... THE SEUEN PENYTENCYALL PSALMES COMPYLED.. AT THE EXORTACION AND STERYNGE OF THE MOOST EXCELLENT PRINCESSE MARGARETE COUNTESSE OF RYCHEMOUNT SERMON SAYD IN THE CATHEDRALL CHYRCHE OF SAYNT POULE WITHIN THE CYTE OF LONDON THE BODY BEYNG PRESENT OF THE MORNYNGE REMEMBRAUNCE HAD AT THE MONETH MYNDE OF THE SERMON MADE AGAYN THE PERNICYOUS DOCTRYN OF MARTIN LUUTHER WITHIN THE OCTAUES OF THE ASCENSYON BY THE ASSINGNE- CONSOLATION, WRITTEN BY JOHN FYSSHER BISHOPPE ... 349-363 THE WAYES TO PERFECT RELIGION MADE BY JOHN FYSSHER, BYSHOP HER DILIGENCE AND ASCETICISM. xi honour in ony condycyon. Tryfelous thynges that were lytell to be regarded she wolde let passe by, but the other that were of weyght & substaunce wherin she myghte prouffyte she wolde not let for ony payne or laboure to take vppon hande' (290-1). Nobleness of nature: Fyrst she was of singuler wysedome ferre passynge the comyn rate of women, she was good in remembraunce & of holdyng memorye. A redy wytte she had also to conceyue all thynges, albeit they were ryght derke. Right studyous she was in bokes. whiche she hadde in grete nombre bothe in Englysshe & in Frensshe, & for her exercyse & for the prouffyte of other she dyde translate dyuers maters of deuocyon out of Frensshe into Englysshe. Ful often she complayned that in her youthe she had not gyuen her to the vnderstondynge of latyn wherin she had a lytell perceyuynge, specyally of the rubrysshe of the ordynall for the sayeng of her seruyce whiche she dyde wel vnderstande. Here vnto in fauour, in wordes, in gesture, in euery demeanour of herself so grete noblenes dyde appere, that what she spake or dyde it meruayllously became her' (291-2). Her many suitors: St Nicholas in a vision recommends her, in her ninth year, to accept Edmond earl of Richmond (292-3). 'Martha is praysed [not in the gospels] in chastysynge her body by crysten dyscyplyne, as in abstynence, fastyng, sharpe clothes werynge' (293). Here (as in p. 269, in relation to her son) Fisher protests that he does not flatter, when he bears this testimony to his patroness: 'I wold reherce somwhat of her demeanyng in this behalue, her sobre temperaunce in metes & drynkes was knowen to al them that were conuersaunt with her, wherin she lay in as grete wayte of herself as ony persone myght, kepinge alway her strayte mesure, & offendyng as lytel as ony creature myght. Eschewynge bankettes, reresoupers, ioncryes betwyxe meales. As for fastynge for aege & feblenes albeit she were not bounde, yet tho dayes that by the chirche were appoynted she kept them diligently & sereously, & in especyall the holy lent, thrughout that she restrayned her appetyte tyl one mele & tyl one fysshe on the day besyde her other peculer fastes of deuocion, as saint Anthony, mary Maudeleyn, saynt Katheryn with other. And thorowe out al the yere the fryday & saterday she full truely obserued. As to harde clothes wering she had her shertes & gyrdyls of heere, whiche whan she was in helth eueri weke she fayled not certayne dayes to weare somtyme that one, somtyme that other, that full often her skynne as I herde her say was perced therwith. As for chastyte thoughe she alway contynued not in her vyrgynyte yet in her husbandes dayes longe tyme before that he deyede she opteyned of hym lycence & promysed to lyue chast,1 in the handes of the reuerende fader my lorde of London, whiche promyse she renewed after her husbandes dethe in to my handes agayne, wherby it may appere the dyscyplyne of her body' (293-4). Her devotions beginning shortly after 5 a.m., matins of our lady, matins of the day, four or five masses heard upon her knees, and so till dinner (at 10 on the eating day, and 11 on the fasting day). Then her stations to three altars, her daily dirges and commendations, evensong of the day and of our lady, beside many other prayers and psalms; at night in her chapel she occupied a large quarter of an hour in her devotions; her kneeling often caused in her back pain and disease. Daily, when in health, she said the crown of our lady (63 aves), kneeling at every ave. Her French books for meditation, divers whereof she translated. Her weeping at confession (often every third day); when she was 'housylde' (nigh a dozen times a year) floods of tears issued from her eyes. To enhance the merit of her works, she would take such godly things by obedience, promised first to Bp. Fitzjames, then to me (294-6, cf. 300). Her hospitality: to the king's visitors, to suitors. Statutes for her household read 4 times a year. Her skill in settling disputes among her officers. Her entertainment of strangers according to their degree and 'hauour.' Twelve poor maintained in her house; whom she nursed when sick and at their deathbeds learnt how to die. To ministers of any devotion and virtue she shewed all the comfort she could (296-7). Her sufferings from cramp, which made her cry: 'O blessed Ihesu help me. O blessyd lady socoure me.' 'It was a mater of grete pyte, lyke a spere it perced the hertes of all her true seruauntes that was aboute her & made theym crye also She is generally represented in a nun's habit. |