WHan that I Mary Ihesus moder sate in Iherusalem at the holy feest of cester alone in my hous for moche multytude of people that came to the cyte I closed my dores & sate alone as I was wonte to do and thought pryuely on my swete sone Ihesu where he were & what that he dyde. For on hym was all my loue and my desyre set wyllynge hym to se. And hopynge that the euen before eester he wolde come to me / and besyly I sate prayenge my prayers & abode hym. And than sodeynly after the sonne goynge to rest I herde a grete noyse of people in the cyte cryen­ge as wood people / and whan I Mary Ihesus moder syttynge my selfe alone knewe not the cause of the grete cryenge & rennynge of the people togyder / than sayd I these wordes to my selfe / wolde to god I were with my sone Ihesus. A who shall tell me ony tydynges of my swete sone Ihesu / for I drede me sore that ony thynge of hardnes befall vnto hym / for I haue herde not longe here before that the Iewes haue cōspired & cast amonge them his deth. And than I Mary sory & full sore aferde in this maner sate. And loked yf ony of his apostles wolde brynge to me ony tydynges of my swete sone Ihesu. I herde anone tydynges of my swete sone. I herde anone sodeynly one smyte at my dore / and I rose anone and ranne to the fenester of my chaumbre & loked out. And whan I sawe Mary maudeleyn clothed in blacke all bewepte & her here adowne aboute her eyen & sayd to me these wordes. Come downe to me moost deuoute of all women mayde y^t lyest there hydde & moder berauysshed of thy sone. And than I Mary smyten with the swerde of sorowe went downe & dyde open my dore & anone the [Page] deuoute maudeleyne cryed to me and sayd. A reuerende moder & moost reuerende of all women knowe ye ony tydynges of Ihesu your swete sone and my reuerende mayster. And than I mary moder of Iesu full sory say­enge to her / knowest thou ony tydynges maudelayn of my swete sone Ihesu. And than maudelayn all be wepte cryed to me & sayd these wordes. Your sone & your loue & my mayster is now taken & with cordes bounden and wyckedly & cruelly of the Iewes beten & drawen. And whan I mary herde this I was anone smyten with the swerde of sorowe thrugh the herte / & I fell downe ano­ne to the erth as a deed woman. And whan these tydynges were brought to me it was the begynnynge of the nyght / & the derkenesse came aboute me that I wyst neuer wheder I went / & mannes helpe had I none but as I laye al that nyght on the erth wepȳge & cryenge that heuen myght be fylled therwith / & all my hous I wette with my wepynge of myn eyen. And than I sayd a holy fader where are thy behestes / why wolde y^u ordeyne me to be a moder & make me ryche with a chylde / now am I bereued of my chylde & am lefte alone moost vnwor­thyest of all women. A aūgell Gabryell where is now y^t ylke blysse that y^u behete me / where is now y^e somnes of grace thou behote. A gabryell why woldest thou scorne me moost vnworthyest of all moders. Beholde now Gabryell for the Ioye that y^u behete me / now haue I payne & for the gladnes now haue I sorowe / & the moderhede I am bereued of my chylde / & for the grace I haue shame / & for the lyfe I haue deth / & for the blessynge that y^u behete me now is come curse vpon me / than sayd I to my selfe. A vnblessyd moder & sorowful moder why woldest y^u coueyte a chylde and bere a chylde and nourysshe a [Page] childe / & sodeynly & wyckedly arte bereued of thy childe with these wordes and wepynge & sorowes & lamenta­cyons & wepynge of teres I spente y^e nyght whan tyme the daye began to sprynge & the derknes parted awaye than spronge a derknes for me / & than I rose vp fro the erth as I had ben almoost deed & faylynge all mannes helpe / & than came to me holy women of galyle that de­uoutly had ben in the temple y^e nyght in theyr prayers / And whan they herde that my sone was take & cruelly boūde w^t the seruauntes of y^e bysshop / & to me vnblessyd moder the holy women came with haste me to comforte And than I sayd to Mary maudelayne & to my systers and to the holy women of Galyle. Goo we now anone that we may se my sone Ihesu that is onely the cōforte of my lyfe and than myght I not go for feblenes of my body soo sore I had beten it on the nyght before of my swete sone Ihesu / but as the holy women & my systers susteyned me vp in theyr armes / & than I met w^t some of my sones dyscyples wepynge to whome I sayd thus Se ye not my swete sone Ihesu. I pray you tell me where ye lefte hym. And they sore wepynge sayd to me these wordes. We sawe hym boūde with cordes & beten with scourges & his face defouled with spyttynge and ledde forth with wycked seruaūtes of Cayphas to be denyed vnder Pylate / and his lokynge was pale and his chere was ghostly / & all his body chaunged that vnnethes we myght knowe hym. And than I Mary Ihesus moder moost soryest of all moders and fulfylled with sorowe sayd these wordes. A Ihesu my swete sone what here I of the / what bytter and harde tydynge be tolde to me of the. And than sayd I to some of his dyscyples. May I se my swete sone Ihesu in ony maner that I myght [Page] haue hym out of theyr handes. And they that sawe me make this sorowe sayd to me. Goo lady and tary not yf ye wyll speke with your sone on lyue / for now he is lad with armed knyghtes in to Pilates palays for y^e Iewes thynke to dampne hym to the moost dyspyteous dethe. And whan I Mary herde these wordes I was smyten euen thrugh y^e herte with sorowe & as a deed woman I went forth & was borne vp with my systers & vnnethes myght I come to Pylates palays for faynt. And whan I came and wolde haue gone in to the palays I myght not come nye the gates for the multytude of people but as nygh as I myght I put me there & stode as a stone stycked in the groūde / than I cast vp myn eyen to the fonester of the palays yf I myght haue seen my swete so­ne Ihesu / and than to the fenestre of the palays came Pylate & sayd to all the people. I fynde no cause in Ihesu why that he sholde be put to deth wheder ye wyl that Ihesu go or barabam that is a mansleer. And whan I herde this I lyfte vp myn herte as though I had be re­red fro deth to lyfe & hoped y^t barabam mansleer sholde haue be put to deth & my sone Ihesu let go on lyue. But than I herde an horryble voyce of al the people cryenge and sayd. Do Ihesu on the crosse / do Ihesu on y^e crosse. And whan I herde this cryenge of the people. I was smyten with the swerde of sorowe / & as a deed woman I fell vpon the erth semynge to the people y^t I had ben deed & so I laye longe tyll my systers toke me vp & comforted me / & so I stode longe there and abode yf that I myght haue my swete sone Iesu or that I myght haue spoken to Pylate that he wolde haue delyuered my swete sone Ihesu that lothles lambe & the wycked Iewes whan they herde me crye and sawe me wepe sore they [Page] blamed me sore & badde me holde my peas thou theues moder & nouryce to this traytour: for thy sone is worthy to be deed for he deceyueth the people / & therfore y^u shalt se hym soone done on the crosse before thyn owne eyen. And than anone I fell downe as a woman fallen in dyspayre thus despysed of the people. And anone I herde a voyce of y^e people cryenge as they had bē wood & sayd. Brynge out to vs Ihesus of nazareth that he were done on the crosse. And anone pylate assented to them & fyrst they bette hym w^t scourges & thā clothed hȳ in purpure & afterwarde toke hym to the Iewes to spyll on y^e crosse And than they brought forth before the eyen of y^e wret­ched moder Ihesu my swete sone crowned w^t a crowne of thorne vpon his heed / & his eyen all pale & his face all rede of blode & his heere of his heed hangynge ouer his eyen all bebledde & berynge a crosse vpon his backe that he sholde dye on / & a rope aboute his necke as a comyn thefe put bytwene two theues. And whan I sawe this cruell syght than fayled I of my strength & than wexed my sorowe newe whan I sawe hym / & for moche people I myght not come nere hym I cryed to hȳ & he myght not here me for the people that folowed hym. And than sayd my systers to me / go we mary by this way for this is the nere waye / & than we shall mete with your sone & speke with hym or he dye / & than I rose vp as a woman strengthed with a newe spyryte and wente fast on that [...] / & sodeynly I mette with my sone Ihesu in the [...] way beringe the crosse vpon his backe / & than sayd [...] [...]hese wordes to my swete sone Ihesu. A my swete so­ne Ihesu wheder goost thou so fast so heuyly charged w^t that crosse / what thynkest thou to do with thy moder to let me thus alone & in dyspayre / thȳkest thou to forsake [Page] thy moder. A my dere sone Ihesu take me to thy moder that crosse & I shall bere it vpon myn owne backe / and sone dye thou not without thy moder ne go y^u not with­out thy moder / but swete sone Iesu let vs lyue togyder and dye togyder / & than my swete sone Ihesu hauynge more ruthe on his owne moder than on his owne payne that he suffred / anone for sorowe he felle downe vnder his crosse that he bare / & anone for sorowe of my swete sone Ihesu I fell downe as a woman that had gyuen vp her last spyryte / & there were we bothe all to troden of the people / & my sone Ihesu cōstrayned to aryse & go forth with his crosse / & the wycked Iewes and cruell me the moder of Ihesu vyolently departed fro my sone / & euerlaye my sone vnder y^e crosse. And y^e wycked Iewes cōstrayned a man we called hym Symeon to bere the crosse to a place was called Caluarye / & than the cruell Iewes smote my sone Ihesu with theyr fete & bete hym with scourges & made hymselfe bere it vpon his backe / vp at the moūt of caluarye. And thus hyed the wycked Iewes to offre vp that lothles lambe. And without all other that was my swete sone Ihesu / & than I Mary moost sorowfull of all moders pursued after my swete sone Ihesu as fast as I myght to se what deth y^e lambe sholde suffre that was my solace & my Ioye & vnnethes myght I come to the mount of caluarye / but as I was susteyned by my systers so wery & ful of woo was in my body / & by the tyme that I came to the moūt of caluary the wycked Iewes had done my sone vpon the crosse / & arered vp the crosse and put it in the erth / & than loked I vpon my swete sone Ihesu w^t my wepynge eyen bytterly wepynge & cryenge / & sayd to hym these wordes. A my swete sone Ihesu / a my moost loue Ihesu why lokest [Page] thou not vpon thy sorowfull moder / why spekest y^u not to thy sorowfull moder / why wylte y^u leue me thus alone / wheder shall I go my swete sone Ihesu / in what hous shall I rest my swete sone Ihesu. A my swete sone thoughe thou haue no ruthe on thy selfe haue ruthe on thy sorowfull moder. And whan my swete sone Ihesu herde me thus crye & wepe he caste his eyen vpon me & vnnethes he sayd to me these wordes. Womā be of good comforte for herefore I came in to this worlde & herefore I toke this body of the y^t here hangeth on the crosse to daye for to helpe mannes soule & to bye the soules out of payne that were lost for synne / & therfore I suffre this cruell & harde passyon that thou seest / & therfore moder rest now of thy wepynge & of thy cryeng / for this is my faders wyl / & also moder let it be thy wyll so in dyenge I shall slee the deth / & w^t the vyctorye of my passyon I shall ryse the thyrde day. And herefore moder take here that meane tyme Iohan my dyscyple that I loue well let hym be thy sone & be thou his moder / & to hym I ta­ke the to warde / for now I shall dye on the crosse. And whan my sone Ihesu had sayd these wordes he cast vp his eyen to heuen & betoke to his fader his soule / and soo with a grete crye yelded vp his ghost / & than I Marye fell downe vpon the erth / & all the people wende I had ben deed. And aboute y^e houre of none there came cruell knyghtes and stode before my sone / & one of them with a spere opened his syde and claue his herte in two / and that sorowe clefte my herte in two. And whan my so­nes syde was opened and his herte clouen a two / than wente the knightes theyr way. And than came Ioseph of arinathye a noble man and a ryghtfull and wolde haue taken downe my swete sone Ihesus of the crosse / & [Page] whan I sawe hym I wexed quycke agayne in my spy­ryte and toke strength to me and sayd. A my swete Io­seph wylte thou take downe the body of my swete sone Ihesu. Now I praye the swete Ioseph take hȳ downe and delyuer hym to his wretched moder that deed body of my sone. And than Ioseph sayd full curteysly to me. A mary and moder of Iesu goddes sone of heuen. A holy lady and aboue all other blessyd and euer holy. A mo­der and mayde and moder without wemme abyde a ly­tell whyle and leue thy wepynge and thy sorowe. For I vnderstonde y^u arte blessyd amonge all women. And I byleue that thy sone wyll aryse from deth to lyfe within a shorte tyme. And therfore worthy lady let vs now in y^e meane tyme worthely burye this holy body / for to mo­rowe is holy daye & we may not werke. And whan Io­seph had sayd these wordes to me I was somwhat comforted therwith & helped to wasshe my sones body that was defouled with spyttynge betynge & bledynge. And whan we had wasshed it we wyped it & anoyntes it / & so at the last I was smyten with a newe sorowe / & than I sayd these wordes to my swete sone there he laye deed. A clene flesshe & vnwēmed that lyest here that were of my flesshe / why woldest thou thus dye on the crosse & be offred for synne for thou arte holy flesshe & clene from all maner of synne / and thou hast sore bought the synne of all men. And whan I had sayd these wordes I fell downe vpon the body of my swete sone Ihesu wepynge bytterly and cryenge sore. And than I kyssed the woundes of his heed / & than his handes / and than his fete. And than the woūde in the syde / and than I cleped all the body in myne armes and kyssed it and sayd these wordes. A my swete sone Ihesu I the wretched moder wende [Page] neuer to haue seen this sorowe of the nor these sorowes haue suffred for the / but I wende for to haue had many Ioyes & neuer to haue departed fro the. And whyle I sayd these wordes Ioseph & his felawes hyed thē lyght­ly to wynde & bynde my sone in a cloth. And whan they had bounde that one partye of his body & wolde bynde that other I fell downe to the woūdes that were boūde and vnbounde them agayne & efte agayne / & than was I smyten with a newe sorowe that I myght not suffre hym to bȳde hym of a longe tyme / & for my sorowe & for the lamentacyon that I made vnneth myght they all y^t stode there take y^e deed body fro me / & so at the laste they wolde bere hym to the sepulture. I folowed hȳ wepȳge & cryenge wonderly sore / & whan they came to his sepulcre they wolde haue buryed hym anone & I myght not suffre that in no wyse but mekely I prayed them in this maner & sayd. A ye noble men & ye holy women burye not my swete sone Ihesu but suffre me to haue my sone a lytel whyle in myn armes that I may kysse hym / and whan they sawe the grete sorowe that I was in / they made grete lamentacyon & abode a lytell whyle so that at the last they wolde nedes burye hym / than cryed I & sayd / burye me with hym. I may not lyue without him And than Ioseph & his felawes departed me worshyp­fully fro the sepulcre & honestly & worshypfully buryed my sone Ihesu / & whan he was buryed I stode without the tombe wepynge & cryenge & fulfylled all w^t sorowe sayd these wordes. A aungell Gabryell y^u saydest to me hayle Mary full of grace & beholde. I am now full of sorowe / thou saydest to me our lorde is w^t the and beholde now my lorde & my swete sone is put awaye fro me that I may not se hym. And also y^u saydest to me blessyd be y^u [Page] amonge all women I am turmented & cursed. And at the laste thou saydest to me / blessyd to the fruyte of thy wombe / & beholde now my sone that is the fruyte of my wombe is here wyckedly stayne / and now lyeth here in tombe full of woūdes. And whan I had sayd these wordes I fel downe for sorowe vpon the erth / & than Iohn̄ that was charged of my sone on the crosse to be my sone sawe me thus sorowe he toke me vp in his armes / & for feblenesse of my body I myght not stonde but as Iohn̄ & other women ladde me in to Iherusalem & as I went I turned my hede oft agayne for sorowe that I was departed fro y^e sepulcre of my swete sone Ihesu / & all that sawe me in the way were tempted to wepe for y^e sorowe & lamentacion that I made / & than Iohn̄ led me home in to my chambre & sayd to me these wordes. Now rest here the moder of my lord vpon y^e arysynge of the swete sone Ihesu and my lorde & seale of thy sorowe. And la­dy I am gyuen to be thy sone that am not worthy to be thy seruaunt. For Iohan may not be lykened to Ihesu the sone of Zebede to the sone of god ne the seruaunt to his lorde / ne the dyscyple of his mayster / ne no creature may be lykened to hym that made hȳ. But neuertheles my reuerēde lady I shall worshyp you in all that I can with all my strength serue you with these wordes and many other wordes Iohn̄ comforted me oftentymes & euer was redy me to please vnto the resurreccyon of my swete sone Ihesu. And whan we sawe hym aryse from deth to lyfe / than were we fulfylled w^t more Ioye than they were before with sorowe. I blessyd my swete sone Ihesu. And thus endeth our ladyes lamentacyon with grete Ioye of goddes resurreccyon / he graunt vs al his benedyccyon. AMEN.