Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton.

  • George Gordon Coulton
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/570 page 14
    Meny men telleth that in the northe side of Irlond is the ilond of lyf; in that ilond is no man that may deie; but whan they beeth i-holde with hard siknesse they beeth i-bore out to the next ilond, and deie there. There is also Patrick his purgatorie, that was i-schewed at his prayere to conferme his prechynge and his lore, whan he preched to mysbileved men of sorwe and peyne that evel men schal thole1 for thire wicked wordes, and of joye and of blisse that gode men schal fonge2 for there holy dedes. He telleth that who that suffreth the peynes of that purgatorie, yif it be enjoyned hym for penaunce, he schal nevere suffre the peynes of helle, but he dye fynalliche with oute re- pentaunce of synne, as the ensample is i-sette more ful at this chapitres ende. Thei this sawe myght be sooth, it is but a jape. For no man that dooth dedely synne schal be i-saved, but he be verrey repentaunt, what sommever penaunce he doo ; and every man that is verray repentaunt at his lifes ende of al his mysdedes, he schal be sikerliche i-saved and have the blisse of hevene, though he nevere [hear] speke of Patrik his purgatorie. (p. 371.) Touchynge Patrik his purgatorie take hede that the secounde Seynt Patryk, that was abbot and nought bisshop, whyle he preched in Irlond studied wel faste besily for to torne thilke wicked men, that levede as bestes, out of there yvel lyf for drede of the peynes of helle, and for to conferme them in good lyf by hope of the grete blisse of hevene; and they seide that they wolde nought torne, but [if] some of them myghte knowe somwhat of the grete peynes and the blisse, that he spak of, whyle they were here on lyve. Thanne Seynt Patrik preied to God alle myghty therfore; and oure Lord Jesus Crist apperede to Patrik, and took hym a staf, and the text of the gospel that beeth in the contray in the erche- bisshops ward. Thanne oure Lorde ladde Patrik into a wilde place, and schewed hym there a round pitte that was derke with ynne, and seide: Yif a man were verray repentaunt and stable of byleve, and went in to this pitte, and waked there 1 endure. 2 take.
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