FOr asmoche as oftentymes grete doubtes & doubtefull thynges deceyueth the reders / therfore all doubtes sette a parte ye shall se dyuers thynges extracte of the veray true & probate assercyons of hystoryal men touchynge and concernynge th antyquytes of t honourable monastery of oure lady in Glastenburye . After the tyme that our sauyour Ihesu cryste was put vnto deth by passyon of the crosse & all thynges were fully complete whiche were wryten and spoken of him by holy prophecye . That holy man Ioseph of Armathy came vnto Pylate and asked of hym the body of our sauyour Ihesu cryste / whan the body was graunted to hym he wrapped it in a fayre whyte clothe and interyd it in a tombe newely made where neuer man was buryed in / what tyme the Iewes had parfyte knowlege that this Ioseph had so worshypfully brought the body of cryst in erthe / they thought vtterly in theyr myndes and kest so also the meanes how they myght set handes vpon hym / & one named Nychodemus and many dyuers other the whiche were the veray true louers and iust aduocates of our sauyour fledde and kepte them secrete / excepte onely the sayd Ioseph & Nychodemus whiche full boldly presented them selfe & made rehersall vnto the Iewes vnder these wordes / what sholde moue you to be dyspleased with vs for asmoche as we haue buryed the body of Ihesu cryst / knowe ye full well sayd Ioseph & Nychodemus to the Iewes that ye haue mysdone agaynst the ryghtfull man / ye cast ne thynke not in your myndes the grete benefytes he hathe done and shewed to you ye haue for his grete goodnes crucyfyed hym & with a sharpe spere wounded hym . The Iewes herynge those wordes set hande on Ioseph and closed hym in an house where was no wyndowe / & annas & cayphas sealed the dore vpon the locke and assygned and deputed cretayne men to kepe hym and watche hym and his felowe Nychodemus was let goo at lyberte . They intreated Ioseph soo vngoodly for as moche that he was the man that desyred the body of Ihesu cryst / and was the pryncypall mouer and begynner that the body was so worshypfully interyd & buryed-after this was done vpon theyr sabbat daye they gaderyd them in a companye the chefe rulers of the temple and caste theyr myndes togyder how & by what maner of dethe they myght destroye Ioseph & whan they were all in fere Annas and Cayphas were commaunded by theym to present Ioseph for as moche as they had sealed the dore where he was inclosed in & whan theyr seales were broken & the dore opened Ioseph was gone . Than they sent out spyes to seke hym & fynably he was founde in his owne cyte called Aramathya / & whan they had redy tydynges & perfyte knowlege of it / bothe chefe rulers & all the comynalte of the Iewes inioyed gretely & thanked the verray god of Israell that it was knowen where Ioseph was become whiche was thus inclosed vnder kepynge warde and custodye . Thenne they gadred in a multytude and they the whiche were pryncypalles and heedes preposynge this questyon and sayd what meanes myghte we fynde that we myght craftely haue Ioseph vnto vs and so for to speke with hym . Thenne they concluded generally that an epystle sholde be wryten vnto hym / and this was the effecte of the lettre . Ioseph peace be with the and with all thy company . Nowe we knowe full well that we haue full greuously offended god and the / therfore we praye the vouch saue too come vnto vs that we maye comen with the for we meruaylle gretely how thou was taken out of the place in the whiche thou was putte / we knowlege ourselfe vnto the that we haue malygned sore agayn the / wherfore almyghty god hathe delyuered the that our wycked counseyll and vnhappye mynde myght not hurte the / therfore worshyppefull Ioseph whiche arte well beloued amonge all people / peace be with the. Thenne this epystle made and wryten they chose seuen persones amonge theym all whiche were the best and moost synguler frendes that Ioseph had & sayd vnto theym / whan ye go forth take your way in to Aramathia vnto Ioseph & grete hym well in our behalue and take vnto hym this our epystle / whan the seuen persones electe & chosen had theyr full answer with theyr lettre delyuered anone they came to the cyte of Aramathya where Ioseph was and full louyngely salued hym shewynge theyr comynge & the cause gyuynge vnto hym the epystle whiche receyued them full curteysly / and whan he had ouerloked the lettre and knewe the effecte thenne he sayd these wordes . Blessyd be my lorde god of Israell whiche hathe delyuered and saued me that my blode hath not be shed nor I destroyed blessyd be my lorde god the whiche hathe kepte me vnder his wynges . Thenne Ioseph in token of loue & peace kyssed the .vii. persones whiche were sente in message vnto hym and full kyndely hadde them into his house . And vpon the nexte daye after he toke his asse and walkynge kepte them company vnto Iherusalem . And whan the Iewes herde of his comynge they wente agaynst hym and in their metynge sayd with one voyce peace be in thy comynge fader Ioseph / and he resaluted theym vnder this maner and sayd . Peace be with you and amonge you all and there they kyssed hym all / thenne Nychodemus receyued hym into his house and made hym a grete dyner / vpon a daye whan the Iewes were gadered togyder Annas and Cayphas sayd vnto Ioseph / shewe thou now before the god of Israell & openly declare vnto vs suche thynges as we shall examyn the of for as moche as it is not vnknowen that we were sore greued for by cause thou lettest bury the body of Ihesu cryste and therupon we enclosed the in a preuy house and the morowe we sent to haue spoken with the and myght not fynde the / wherfore we meruaylled gretely and were sore affrayed of it how this myghte be vnto this tyme that we se the nowe / therfore whyles thou arte presente certefye vs verely howe this mater was brought that thou was thus secretely conueyed awaye . Ioseph dysdayned not to gyue theym answere but sayd vnto theym boldely . What tyme ye closed me in that house on godefrydaye the morowe vpon whiche is the sabbate daye in the mydnyghte whan I was besy in my prayers to desyre god to be my helpe and socour / sodeynly in the meane tyme the house that I was in was taken vp by the foure angles . And I sawe Ihesus bryghter thenne ony lyght that euer I sawe afore and for grete fere I fell downe to the erthe / thenne he toke me by the hande frome the grounde and wyped my face with a rose and kyssed me and sayd vnto me be not aferde Ioseph loke vpon me and knowe thou full well that I am he . Thenne loked I vp and called hym mayster Helyas supposynge that he hadde ben Hely the prophete / thenne he spake vnto me and sayd I am not Hely but I am Ihesus whose boody thou letest be buryed / thenne for by cause I was somdele doubtfull of it I sayd vnto hym yf thou be he shewe me the tombe wherin I layde the. Thenne he toke me by the hande and broughte me vnto the place where I interyd hym . Furthermore he shewed me the clothe in the whiche I wrapped his body and also the sudarye that I bounde his hede withall . Thenne these thynges seen I knewe well that it was Ihesus and I honoured hym as my dutye was recytynge these wordes . Blessyd be he that is come in the name of god . Thenne he toke me by the hande and soo ledde me in myn house in the Cyte of Aramathya & sayd vnto me reste thou here peacybly these fortye dayes go not forth frome thy house . And I shall goo vnto my dyscyples that hath grete luste for to seme . And this sayd and done . Ihesus vanysshed awaye . Thenne after these fortye dayes were hole and fullye complete Ioseph of Aramathya aboue reherced stedfastly fyxed his mynde in the feruente loue of the fayth / gaue hym selfe to the dyscyplyne and doctryne of saynt Phylyp the appostle of our blessyd lorde Ihesu Cryste . And whan that he was suffycyently instructe in his lore and techynge / bothe he and his sone Iosephes receyued of saynt Phylyp the holy sacrament of baptysme / and after that Ioseph was sente vpon a message frome saynt Iohan the appostle & euangelyst from ephesye vnto the gloryous moder of Ihesu cryste oure lady and also after that was presente with saynt Phylyp and other dyscyples what tyme that / that gloryous vyrgyn was assumpte in to heuen . And as many thynges as euer he herde and sawe of oure lorde Ihesu cryste and of his blessyd moder oure lady saynt Mary / he shewed theym and preched theym in dyuerse regyons and places and conuerted moche people vnto the crysten fayth and baptysed them . And at the last . xv . yere after the gloryous assumpcyon of our blessyd lady he toke his sone Iosephes with hym and wente to saynt Phylyp in to Fraunce and consequently as it is wryten in a boke called Graall Ioseph of Aramathia whiche buryed the body of oure lorde Ihesu cryste after that he was baptysed of the holy man saynt Phylyp the appostle came in to grete Brytayn whiche was promysed to hym and his yssue & he brought with hym his wyfe and his sone Iosephes whome our sauyoure before that tyme hadde made a bysshop and consecrate hym in a Cyte called Sara / & there came with hym syxe houdred persones of men and women and mo / & the men made a solempne vowe for to lyue chastely frome theyr wyues vnto the tyme they hadde entered in to grete Brytayne and all the nombre brake this vowe excepte . xxxvii . whiche were commaunded by our sauyour to passe ouer the se saylynge vpon the shyrte of Iosephes and soo came to londe vpon Ester euen in the mornyn̄ge / the resydue of them for as moche as they were penytent and sory for the transgressyon of theyr vowe at th ynstaunce & prayer also of Ioseph were brought ouer in a vessell whiche kynge Salamon crafrely had made to contynue and dure vnto crystes tyme / and the same daye that theyr companye came vnto londe vpon Iosephs shyrte they applyed vnto londe in the same vessell whiche god had prouyded for theym whiche were gyded by a duke of Medor named Natianiis whome Ioseph baptysed byfore in the cyte of Sara / and with theym came also the kynge of the same cyte called Mordrams to whome almyghty god after that appered & shewed to hym his syde handes & feet perysshed with the spere and nayles / and whan the kynge Mordrams sawe that he was moued with compassyon and sayd . O my lorde god what man was so bolde and so presumptuous thus to dele with the / our sauyour answered to hym agayne and sayd . The false kynge of Northwales hath this wyse done with me whiche hathe put my seruaunt Ioseph of Aramathya with his company in pryson and full vnkyndly denyeth them theyr lyuynge for by cause they shewed & preched my name in his realme / therfore sayd almyghty god vnto mordrams / gyrde the with thy swerde aboute thy myddell and goo with all hast possyble vnto that partyes and take vengeaunce vpon the tyraunt & delyuer my seruauntes oute of pryson & daunger / whan the kynge a woke of his slepe he was full glade of that vysyon shewed vnto hym and so set his realme & his housholde in good waye & toke a grete company with hym & toke his Iourney and as god was his guyde he came vnto the place where the kynge of Northwales the tyraunt was and commaunded hym he sholde promytte and suffre the seruauntes of almyghty god to passe out of pryson and to be at lyberte / the tyraunt wolde not in no wyse condescende vnto kynge Mordrams commaundement / but with grete indygnacyon charged hym shortely without delaye to voyde out of his londe whan kynge Mordrams herde this langage he came fyersly vpon hym with his company and with and duke Naciamis aboue sayd & with condygne and Iuste vengeaunce slewe hym / thenne this done kynge Mordrams wente vnto the pryson where that vnhappye kynge hadde Ioseph and his company in holde / & with grete Ioye brought them forth and shewed vnto them the vysyon made vnto hym of god and theyr delyuerynge thenne all they in grete myrthe thanked god hertely . Thenne kynge Mordradms gaue the realme & kynge dome of Northwales with the appertenence vnto one called Celydomus sone vnto duke Nacyanus and gaue hym also to be his wyfe Labell the kynges doughter of Persye whiche Labell the sayd Celydomus with helpe and socoure of his fader hadde before with grete dyffyculte conuerted vnto Crystes sayth whose doubte and meruaylous actes be wryten in the bokes named Grall aboue reherced .