The Pilgrimage of Pure Devotion

Excerpt

Enedemus. Signifieth to forsake. What new thynge ys it, that I se? doo I nat see Ogygyus my neybur, whom no mã could espie of all thes sex monthes before? yt was a sayng that he was deed, It is euen he, except that I be ferre deceyuyd. I wyll go to hym, & byd hym good morow. Good morow was faynyd of an old kynge of Thebanes.. Good morow to you Menedemus.

Mene. I pray you frome what contray do you come to vs ayen so saffe. For here was a great comunicacyõ that you dyd sayle streght to hell.

Ogy. No, thankyd be god, I haue faryd as well syns I went hens, as euer I dyd in all my lyffe.

Me. Well, a man may well perceyue that all soche rumours be but vanytye. But I pray you what araye is this that you be in, me thynke that you be clothyd with cokle schelles, and be ladê on euery syde with bruches of lead and tynne. And you be pretely garnyshyd w wrethes of strawe & your arme is full of Signifyeth bedes. Malsyngam ys callyd parathalassia by cause it is ny to y see. snakes egges.

Ogy. I haue bene on pylgremage at saynt Iames in Compostella, & at my retourne I dyd more relygyously vysyte our lady of Walsyngã in England, a very holy pylgremage, but I dyd rather vysyte her. For I was ther before within this thre yere.

Me. I trowe, it was but for your pleasure.

Ogy. Nay, it was for pure deuocyon.

Me. I suppose you learnyd that relygyõ of the Grecyanes.

Ogy. My mother in law dyd make a vowe that if her dougther shuld be delyueryd of a man chyld alyue, than that I shuld go to saynt Iames on pylgremage, and ther to salute and thãke hym.

Me. Dyd you salute saynt Iames alonly in your name, and your mothers.

Ogy. No, in the name of all owre house.

Me. Verely I thynke y your howshold as well shold haue prosperd, in case you had not salutyd hym at all. But I pray you what answer dyd he make to your salutacyon.

Ogy. Nothynge at all. But whã I dyd offre, me tought he dyd lawghe vpon me, and becke at me with hedde, & dyd reche to me this cokleshell.

Me. Wherfore dothe he gyue rather suche schelles, than other thynges.

Ogygy. For the see, whiche is nye vnto hym dothe mynystre plenty of suche.

Me. O holy saynt Iames, that bothe is a mydwyffe to women with chyld, and also dothe helpe his pylgrymes. But I pray you what new kynd of makyng vowes is that that whan a mã is ydle he shall put the burden apon an other mannes bakke? In case that you doo bynd youre selffe with a vowe, that yf y matter chaunche happyly whiche you haue in hande, that I for you shall fast twyse in on weke, do you beleue y I can fulfyl youre vow?

Ogy. No, I doo not beleue it if that you dyd vowe it in youre awne name. It is but a sport with yow to mokke sayntes. But this was my mother in law, I must nedys obey her, you know womenes affectyones, & I must obaye heres.

Me. If that you had not perfourmyd your vowe, what iopertye had you be in?

Ogy. I graunt, he could not haue had an accyon ayenst me in y law, but he myght from hensforthe be deafe to my vowes, orels pryuyly send some calamytye or wretchednes amongste my housholde, yow know well enuffe the maneres of great men....