[89] Singer's ed. reads _yeve_.
[90] Orig. ed. and Singer read _we haue and helpe them_.
+ _Of the frere that prechyd in ryme expownynge the ave maria._ liii.
+ A certayne frere there was whiche, vpon Our Lady day the Annuncyacion,
made a sermon in the Whyte Freres in London, and began his antetexte
thys wyse. Aue Maria gracia plena dominus tecum &c. These wordes, quod
the frere, were spoken by the aungell Gabryell to Oure Ladye, whan she
conceyued Christe; which is as moche to saye in our mother tonge as: all
hayle, Mary, well thou be; the sonne of God is with the. And furthermore
the aungell sayde: thou shall conceyue and bere a sonne, and thou shalt
call his name Jesum; and Elyzabeth thy swete cosyn, she shall conceyue
the swete Saynt John. And so [he] proceded styll in his sermon in suche
fonde ryme, that dyuers and many gentylmen of the court that were there
began to smyle and laughe. The frere that perceyuyng said thus:
Maysters, I pray you, harke; I shall tell you a narracyon. There was
ones a yonge preest, that was nat all the best clerke, sayd masse and
redde a colect thus: Deus qui vigenti filii tui &c. wherfore he shulde
haue said vnigeniti filii tui &c.; and after, whan masse was done, there
was suche a gentylman, as one of you are, nowe that had herde this
masse, came to the preest and sayde thus: syr, I pray you tell me how
many sonnes had God Almyghty? Quod the preest: why aske you that? Mary,
syr, quod the gentylman, I suppose he had xx sonnes: for ye sayd right
nowe: Deus qui viginti filii tui.[91] The preest, perceyuynge how that
he deryded hym, answered hym shortely and said thus: howe many sonnes so
euer God Almyghty had, I am sure that thou arte none of them: for thou
scornyst the worde of God. And so sayde the frere in the pulpet: no more
are ye none of the chyldren of God: for ye scorne and laughe at me nowe,
that preche to you the worde of God whiche
_3 lines wanting._
_By this ye may_[92] perceyue wel that the best, the wysyst and the most
holyest matter that is, by fond pronuncyacion and otterauns, may be
marryd nor shall not[93] edyfye to the audyence. Therfore euery proces
shold[94] be vtteryd wyth wordys and countenaunce conuenyent to the
matter.
Also yet by thys tale they that be vnlearnyd in the laten tonge may know
the sestence[95] of the Aue Maria.