¶ The discripcion / and foūdacion of the ho­ly apostolyke Hospitall / and Confraternite of the holy Goost in Rome / and by whome it was fyrste founde and edified.

[depiction of the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, descending on Mary, mother of Jesus, and twelve disciples]
[...]

¶ For ye instruccion of all suche as desire to know howe the Apostolyke hospitall & confraternite of the holy goost in Rome was firste founde / and by whome it was esta­blisshed and / in what place it is edifyed: in this litell trea­tyse here folowynge it shalbe declared.

¶ Fyrste ye shall vnderstande / that this sayd hospital is edified nere vnto ye water of Tymber a this syde the brid [...] [...]ynt Ange within a large boow shote of saynt Pe [...] [...]urche and palayes of our holy father ye pope / and next vnto brydge (that nowe is fallen in decaye & ruyne) the whiche is called the brydge of Nero. And more ouer within the sayde Hospitall is a fountayne / whiche yet at this tyme is called the fountayne of Nero. And where as nowe is the vynyarde of the sayde Hospitall / some tyme there stode the palayes of Nero. And also where as now standeth the churche of the sayd hospitall (as we fynd by writynge) the sayde Nero caused a howse to be buylded / whiche was called Taberna meritoria: that is to say the house of pyte / the whiche house the sayd Nero let buylde to the simylytude of another called Taberna meritoria: where as nowe is edified the churche of our Lady / ouer water of Tymber / in the whiche place at the houre that our sauiour Iesu was borne sprange a fountayne of oyle the whiche ranne into Tymber in the syght of all people. And in to this forsayd howse were resceyued all auncient gentylmen & men of warre / that had trauayled in batayle aboute the publike welthe / whiche in theyr age were fallē in pouerte / and were nat able to socoure them selfe: than in the sayd house they were honestly nourisshed.

¶ And sith ye tyme our feyth catholyke hath ben establis­shed and augmented / in the sayd place hath ben edified a ryghte fayre churche in the worshyppe of god / and of the virgyn Marye / the whiche was called Sancta Maria [Page] ¶ Also in the sayd hospitall to resceyue the seke people be ordeyned. iii. C. beddes / where sometyme ye shall se. iii. or iiii. C. seke folke and moo.

¶ Also the children that be gyuen to the sayd hospitall to gouerne: for as many as they haue (both in the sayd Ho­spitall & i the coūtre / ye whiche be put to nourisshe at a pla­ce acustomed for them / tyll they be. v. or. vi yere of age) for eche of those childrē they pay a ducate a moneth / & somty­me they haue a M. & somtyme mo: the whiche they kep [...] & nourisshe tyll they be able to lerne some sciēce: & some of ye men children be religious men / & some craftꝭ men & some be (ser)uauntis in the sayd place. And likewyse they kepe the mayden children tyll they be spousable / & than they mary them honorably at the dispence of the sayd hospitall.

¶ Also in the sayd hospitall be prestes & religious men / ye serue god both day & nyght. And there be also. iii. C. lrvi. hospitals belongynge to the sayd hospitall / the whiche be in diuers coūtres: & in them also ye said warkꝭ of mercy be acomplisshed. And in the forsayd hospitall dayly is a dole of brede & mete to pore people from mornynge to noone.

¶ Also in the sayd hospitall be many seruauntꝭ / that take wages: and also they fynde many souldiours / that gard & defēde certayne castels: as the castell of saynte Seuere Tryꝑgule / & other beynge on the ꝑtes of the myscreantꝭ. wherfore Pope Innocent the .viii. Alexander the .vi. Piꝰ the .iii. Iuly the .ii. and also our holy father pope Leo that nowe is / seynge ye great cost & charge of the sayd hospital ye whiche they be nat able to susteyne without the charite & almes of cristē peple: wherfore our said holy father hath cōfirmed & extended the confraternite / & all the indulgences of the sayd hospitall / wyllynge that it shulde be publis­shed / & conduted in all places within cristendome: as it ap pereth in the bulles & vulgaries of the sayd holy fathers.

¶ Also the sayd indulgence & cōfraternite were neuer denulled / reuoked / nor violate: but alway augmented. Also the warkes of misericorde of the sayd hospitall dayely be augmented by the helpe of good cristen people / and prin­cipally within this Royalme by the sacred maieste of the mooste myghty kynge of Englande / the moost reuerent father my lorde Cardinall and legate / my lorde the Ar­chibysshop of Caunturbury Prymate of England / and of all other prelates.

¶ Also the sayd holy matter is conduted by the verray religiouse ꝑsones of the sayd hospitall and ordre of the holy goost: amonge whom is a speciall Comyssarie / whyche maye make and ordeyne perpetually the sayd confrater­nyte and indulgēce in all churches / where he and his sub­stitutes shall erecte the forsayd pardone.

¶ Wherfore than so great and digne pardone / gyuen for so holy a cause ought uat to be refused: but with great de­uocion shulde be desired both for them that be alyue / and for them that be deed.

¶ And fynally / though no pardon were graunted to the sayd hospitayll / yet for the honoure of god / and to fulfyll the markes at mysericorde / that euery cristen man & wo­man ought to put to theyr helpynge handes to the susten facion of ye pore people and other warkes of charite that dayly he done in the sayd hospitall / to the ende yt for theyr good dedes (done in thys worlde) they may opteyne the ioye of paradise and reygne with the father and the sone / and the holy goost worlde without ende. Amen.

¶ Thus end [...]h the discripcion and foundacion of the holy apostol [...] [...]ospitall of the holy Goost in R [...] [...]ulgar­ly called Saynte Esp [...].

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