_Of the church of the holy sepulchre._
IN that Churche of the sepulcre on the north syde is the place where
our Lord was done[1] (_in_) prison, and there is a part of the
cheyne with which he was bound, and there he appeared fyrst to Mary
Magdeleyne when he was risen from death and she trowed[2] that he
had bene a gardeiner. In the Church of the sepulcre was wont to be[3]
Chanons of sainct Benet and they had a pryour; but the Patryarke was
theyr soveraigne.
And without the dores of the Churche on the righte syde as men go up
xviii grees,[4] our Lorde sayde to his mother[5] _Ecce filius tuus_.
That is to say, Woman beholde thy sonne, _De inde dixit discipulo,
Ecce mater tua_. That is to say, Then said he to his disciple, Behold
thy mother.[6] And these wordes he sayde when he hanged upon the
crosse. And upon these greces went our Lorde when he bare the crosse
uppon his shoulder, and under these greces is a Chappell where the
priestes synge, but not after our lawe, and alway they make theyr
Sacrament of the aulter of bread, say _Pater noster_ &c., and other
prayers, as with the which thing they say the wordes of whome the
sacrament is made, for they know not of the addicions that many Popes
haue made but they singe in good devocion. And nere there is the stone
wher our Lord rested him when he was wery for bearing of the crosse.
And ye shall understand that before the Churche of the Sepulcre is the
citie most strong[7] for the great playne that is betwene the citie
& the church; on the East side without the walles of the citie is the
vale of Josaphat that commeth to the walles. In that vale of Josaphat
without the citie, is the churche of sainct Stephen where he was
stoned to death, and thereby is the gate gylted that may not be
opened. Through this gate our Lord entred on palme Sonday upon an
asse, and the gate opened against him whan he would go to the Temple,
and yet are the steppes of the asse sene in three places the which
stand[8] in full harde stones. Before the churche of the sepulcre
two hundred paces, is a great hospitall of Sainct John, in the which
hospytall are liiii pyllers made of stone.
[Illustration]
And to go towarde the East from the hospitall is a righte fayre
churche that men call our lady the greate, and then is there another
church after that, that men call our lady of the latyn,[9] and there
it was Mary Cleophe and Magdeleyne drew[10] theyr here whan oure Lord
was put to death.
[Footnote 1: Put.]
[Footnote 2: Thought or believed.]
[Footnote 3: Were formerly Canons of the Order of St.
Benedict.]
[Footnote 4: Should be _greces_ or steps.]
[Footnote 5: The printer has omitted the word "_Mulier_ ecce,"
&c.]
[Footnote 6: Gospel according to St. John, cap. 19, vv. 26,
27.]
[Footnote 7: _Pynson_ says, "most wake" or weak, and other
editions say, "feeble."]
[Footnote 8: _Pynson_ has this passage: "The wyche are full of
harde stones."]
[Footnote 9: _Pynson_ says "Nostre dame de Vatyns."]
[Footnote 10: Tore.]