WHan that I Mary Ihesus moder sate in Iherusalem at the holy feest of cester alone in my hous for moche multytude of people that came to the cyte I closed my dores & sate alone as I was wonte to do and thought pryuely on my swete sone Ihesu where he were & what that he dyde . For on hym was all my loue and my desyre set wyllynge hym to se . And hopynge that the euen before eester he wolde come to me / and besyly I sate prayenge my prayers & abode hym . And than sodeynly after the sonne goynge to rest I herde a grete noyse of people in the cyte cryenge as wood people / and whan I Mary Ihesus moder syttynge my selfe alone knewe not the cause of the grete cryenge & rennynge of the people togyder / than sayd I these wordes to my selfe / wolde to god I were with my sone Ihesus . A who shall tell me ony tydynges of my swete sone Ihesu / for I drede me sore that ony thynge of hardnes befall vnto hym / for I haue herde not longe here before that the Iewes haue conspired & cast amonge them his deth . And than I Mary sory & full sore aferde in this maner sate . And loked yf ony of his apostles wolde brynge to me ony tydynges of my swete sone Ihesu . I herde anone tydynges of my swete sone . I herde anone sodeynly one smyte at my dore / and I rose anone and ranne to the fenester of my chaumbre & loked out . And whan I sawe Mary maudeleyn clothed in blacke all bewepte & her here adowne aboute her eyen & sayd to me these wordes . Come downe to me moost deuoute of all women mayde that lyest there hydde & moder berauysshed of thy sone . And than I Mary smyten with the swerde of sorowe went downe & dyde open my dore & anone the deuoute maudeleyne cryed to me and sayd . A reuerende moder & moost reuerende of all women knowe ye ony tydynges of Ihesu your swete sone and my reuerende mayster . And than I mary moder of Iesu full sory sayenge to her / knowest thou ony tydynges maudelayn of my swete sone Ihesu . And than maudelayn all be wepte cryed to me & sayd these wordes . Your sone & your loue & my mayster is now taken & with cordes bounden and wyckedly & cruelly of the Iewes beten & drawen . And whan I mary herde this I was anone smyten with the swerde of sorowe thrugh the herte / & I fell downe anone to the erth as a deed woman . And whan these tydynges were brought to me it was the begynnynge of the nyght / & the derkenesse came aboute me that I wyst neuer wheder I went / & mannes helpe had I none but as I laye al that nyght on the erth wepynge & cryenge that heuen myght be fylled therwith / & all my hous I wette with my wepynge of myn eyen . And than I sayd a holy fader where are thy behestes / why wolde thou ordeyne me to be a moder & make me ryche with a chylde / now am I bereued of my chylde & am lefte alone moost vnworthyest of all women . A aungell Gabryell where is now that ylke blysse that thou behete me / where is now the somnes of grace thou behote . A gabryell why woldest thou scorne me moost vnworthyest of all moders . Beholde now Gabryell for the Ioye that thou behete me / now haue I payne & for the gladnes now haue I sorowe / & the moderhede I am bereued of my chylde / & for the grace I haue shame / & for the lyfe I haue deth / & for the blessynge that thou behete me now is come curse vpon me / than sayd I to my selfe . A vnblessyd moder & sorowful moder why woldest thou coueyte a chylde and bere a chylde and nourysshe a childe / & sodeynly & wyckedly arte bereued of thy childe with these wordes and wepynge & sorowes & lamentacyons & wepynge of teres I spente the nyght whan tyme the daye began to sprynge & the derknes parted awaye than spronge a derknes for me / & than I rose vp fro the erth as I had ben almoost deed & faylynge all mannes helpe / & than came to me holy women of galyle that deuoutly had ben in the temple the nyght in theyr prayers / And whan they herde that my sone was take & cruelly bounde with the seruauntes of the bysshop / & to me vnblessyd moder the holy women came with haste me to comforte And than I sayd to Mary maudelayne & to my systers and to the holy women of Galyle . Goo we now anone that we may se my sone Ihesu that is onely the conforte of my lyfe and than myght I not go for feblenes of my body soo sore I had beten it on the nyght before of my swete sone Ihesu / but as the holy women & my systers susteyned me vp in theyr armes / & than I met with some of my sones dyscyples wepynge to whome I sayd thus Se ye not my swete sone Ihesu . I pray you tell me where ye lefte hym . And they sore wepynge sayd to me these wordes . We sawe hym bounde with cordes & beten with scourges & his face defouled with spyttynge and ledde forth with wycked seruauntes of Cayphas to be denyed vnder Pylate / and his lokynge was pale and his chere was ghostly / & all his body chaunged that vnnethes we myght knowe hym . And than I Mary Ihesus moder moost soryest of all moders and fulfylled with sorowe sayd these wordes . A Ihesu my swete sone what here I of the / what bytter and harde tydynge be tolde to me of the. And than sayd I to some of his dyscyples . May I se my swete sone Ihesu in ony maner that I myght haue hym out of theyr handes . And they that sawe me make this sorowe sayd to me . Goo lady and tary not yf ye wyll speke with your sone on lyue / for now he is lad with armed knyghtes in to Pilates palays for the Iewes thynke to dampne hym to the moost dyspyteous dethe . And whan I Mary herde these wordes I was smyten euen thrugh the herte with sorowe & as a deed woman I went forth & was borne vp with my systers & vnnethes myght I come to Pylates palays for faynt . And whan I came and wolde haue gone in to the palays I myght not come nye the gates for the multytude of people but as nygh as I myght I put me there & stode as a stone stycked in the grounde / than I cast vp myn eyen to the fonester of the palays yf I myght haue seen my swete sone Ihesu / and than to the fenestre of the palays came Pylate & sayd to all the people . I fynde no cause in Ihesu why that he sholde be put to deth wheder ye wyl that Ihesu go or barabam that is a mansleer . And whan I herde this I lyfte vp myn herte as though I had be rered fro deth to lyfe & hoped that barabam mansleer sholde haue be put to deth & my sone Ihesu let go on lyue . But than I herde an horryble voyce of al the people cryenge and sayd . Do Ihesu on the crosse / do Ihesu on the crosse . And whan I herde this cryenge of the people . I was smyten with the swerde of sorowe / & as a deed woman I fell vpon the erth semynge to the people that I had ben deed & so I laye longe tyll my systers toke me vp & comforted me / & so I stode longe there and abode yf that I myght haue my swete sone Iesu or that I myght haue spoken to Pylate that he wolde haue delyuered my swete sone Ihesu that lothles lambe & the wycked Iewes whan they herde me crye and sawe me wepe sore they blamed me sore & badde me holde my peas thou theues moder & nouryce to this traytour : for thy sone is worthy to be deed for he deceyueth the people / & therfore thou shalt se hym soone done on the crosse before thyn owne eyen . And than anone I fell downe as a woman fallen in dyspayre thus despysed of the people . And anone I herde a voyce of the people cryenge as they had been wood & sayd . Brynge out to vs Ihesus of nazareth that he were done on the crosse . And anone pylate assented to them & fyrst they bette hym with scourges & than clothed him in purpure & afterwarde toke hym to the Iewes to spyll on the crosse And than they brought forth before the eyen of the wretched moder Ihesu my swete sone crowned with a crowne of thorne vpon his heed / & his eyen all pale & his face all rede of blode & his heere of his heed hangynge ouer his eyen all bebledde & berynge a crosse vpon his backe that he sholde dye on / & a rope aboute his necke as a comyn thefe put bytwene two theues . And whan I sawe this cruell syght than fayled I of my strength & than wexed my sorowe newe whan I sawe hym / & for moche people I myght not come nere hym I cryed to him & he myght not here me for the people that folowed hym . And than sayd my systers to me / go we mary by this way for this is the nere waye / & than we shall mete with your sone & speke with hym or he dye / & than I rose vp as a woman strengthed with a newe spyryte and wente fast on that 〈◊〉 / & sodeynly I mette with my sone Ihesu in the 〈◊〉 way beringe the crosse vpon his backe / & than sayd 〈◊〉 ●hese wordes to my swete sone Ihesu . A my swete sone Ihesu wheder goost thou so fast so heuyly charged with that crosse / what thynkest thou to do with thy moder to let me thus alone & in dyspayre / thynkest thou to forsake thy moder . A my dere sone Ihesu take me to thy moder that crosse & I shall bere it vpon myn owne backe / and sone dye thou not without thy moder ne go thou not without thy moder / but swete sone Iesu let vs lyue togyder and dye togyder / & than my swete sone Ihesu hauynge more ruthe on his owne moder than on his owne payne that he suffred / anone for sorowe he felle downe vnder his crosse that he bare / & anone for sorowe of my swete sone Ihesu I fell downe as a woman that had gyuen vp her last spyryte / & there were we bothe all to troden of the people / & my sone Ihesu constrayned to aryse & go forth with his crosse / & the wycked Iewes and cruell me the moder of Ihesu vyolently departed fro my sone / & euerlaye my sone vnder the crosse . And the wycked Iewes constrayned a man we called hym Symeon to bere the crosse to a place was called Caluarye / & than the cruell Iewes smote my sone Ihesu with theyr fete & bete hym with scourges & made hymselfe bere it vpon his backe / vp at the mount of caluarye . And thus hyed the wycked Iewes to offre vp that lothles lambe . And without all other that was my swete sone Ihesu / & than I Mary moost sorowfull of all moders pursued after my swete sone Ihesu as fast as I myght to se what deth the lambe sholde suffre that was my solace & my Ioye & vnnethes myght I come to the mount of caluarye / but as I was susteyned by my systers so wery & ful of woo was in my body / & by the tyme that I came to the mount of caluary the wycked Iewes had done my sone vpon the crosse / & arered vp the crosse and put it in the erth / & than loked I vpon my swete sone Ihesu with my wepynge eyen bytterly wepynge & cryenge / & sayd to hym these wordes . A my swete sone Ihesu / a my moost loue Ihesu why lokest thou not vpon thy sorowfull moder / why spekest thou not to thy sorowfull moder / why wylte thou leue me thus alone / wheder shall I go my swete sone Ihesu / in what hous shall I rest my swete sone Ihesu . A my swete sone thoughe thou haue no ruthe on thy selfe haue ruthe on thy sorowfull moder . And whan my swete sone Ihesu herde me thus crye & wepe he caste his eyen vpon me & vnnethes he sayd to me these wordes . Woman be of good comforte for herefore I came in to this worlde & herefore I toke this body of the that here hangeth on the crosse to daye for to helpe mannes soule & to bye the soules out of payne that were lost for synne / & therfore I suffre this cruell & harde passyon that thou seest / & therfore moder rest now of thy wepynge & of thy cryeng / for this is my faders wyl / & also moder let it be thy wyll so in dyenge I shall slee the deth / & with the vyctorye of my passyon I shall ryse the thyrde day . And herefore moder take here that meane tyme Iohan my dyscyple that I loue well let hym be thy sone & be thou his moder / & to hym I take the to warde / for now I shall dye on the crosse . And whan my sone Ihesu had sayd these wordes he cast vp his eyen to heuen & betoke to his fader his soule / and soo with a grete crye yelded vp his ghost / & than I Marye fell downe vpon the erth / & all the people wende I had ben deed . And aboute the houre of none there came cruell knyghtes and stode before my sone / & one of them with a spere opened his syde and claue his herte in two / and that sorowe clefte my herte in two . And whan my sones syde was opened and his herte clouen a two / than wente the knightes theyr way . And than came Ioseph of arinathye a noble man and a ryghtfull and wolde haue taken downe my swete sone Ihesus of the crosse / & whan I sawe hym I wexed quycke agayne in my spyryte and toke strength to me and sayd . A my swete Ioseph wylte thou take downe the body of my swete sone Ihesu . Now I praye the swete Ioseph take him downe and delyuer hym to his wretched moder that deed body of my sone . And than Ioseph sayd full curteysly to me . A mary and moder of Iesu goddes sone of heuen . A holy lady and aboue all other blessyd and euer holy . A moder and mayde and moder without wemme abyde a lytell whyle and leue thy wepynge and thy sorowe . For I vnderstonde thou arte blessyd amonge all women . And I byleue that thy sone wyll aryse from deth to lyfe within a shorte tyme . And therfore worthy lady let vs now in the meane tyme worthely burye this holy body / for to morowe is holy daye & we may not werke . And whan Ioseph had sayd these wordes to me I was somwhat comforted therwith & helped to wasshe my sones body that was defouled with spyttynge betynge & bledynge . And whan we had wasshed it we wyped it & anoyntes it / & so at the last I was smyten with a newe sorowe / & than I sayd these wordes to my swete sone there he laye deed . A clene flesshe & vnwēmed that lyest here that were of my flesshe / why woldest thou thus dye on the crosse & be offred for synne for thou arte holy flesshe & clene from all maner of synne / and thou hast sore bought the synne of all men . And whan I had sayd these wordes I fell downe vpon the body of my swete sone Ihesu wepynge bytterly and cryenge sore . And than I kyssed the woundes of his heed / & than his handes / and than his fete . And than the wounde in the syde / and than I cleped all the body in myne armes and kyssed it and sayd these wordes . A my swete sone Ihesu I the wretched moder wende neuer to haue seen this sorowe of the nor these sorowes haue suffred for the / but I wende for to haue had many Ioyes & neuer to haue departed fro the. And whyle I sayd these wordes Ioseph & his felawes hyed them lyghtly to wynde & bynde my sone in a cloth . And whan they had bounde that one partye of his body & wolde bynde that other I fell downe to the woundes that were bounde and vnbounde them agayne & efte agayne / & than was I smyten with a newe sorowe that I myght not suffre hym to bynde hym of a longe tyme / & for my sorowe & for the lamentacyon that I made vnneth myght they all that stode there take the deed body fro me / & so at the laste they wolde bere hym to the sepulture . I folowed him wepynge & cryenge wonderly sore / & whan they came to his sepulcre they wolde haue buryed hym anone & I myght not suffre that in no wyse but mekely I prayed them in this maner & sayd . A ye noble men & ye holy women burye not my swete sone Ihesu but suffre me to haue my sone a lytel whyle in myn armes that I may kysse hym / and whan they sawe the grete sorowe that I was in / they made grete lamentacyon & abode a lytell whyle so that at the last they wolde nedes burye hym / than cryed I & sayd / burye me with hym . I may not lyue without him And than Ioseph & his felawes departed me worshypfully fro the sepulcre & honestly & worshypfully buryed my sone Ihesu / & whan he was buryed I stode without the tombe wepynge & cryenge & fulfylled all with sorowe sayd these wordes . A aungell Gabryell thou saydest to me hayle Mary full of grace & beholde . I am now full of sorowe / thou saydest to me our lorde is with the and beholde now my lorde & my swete sone is put awaye fro me that I may not se hym . And also thou saydest to me blessyd be thou amonge all women I am turmented & cursed . And at the laste thou saydest to me / blessyd to the fruyte of thy wombe / & beholde now my sone that is the fruyte of my wombe is here wyckedly stayne / and now lyeth here in tombe full of woundes . And whan I had sayd these wordes I fel downe for sorowe vpon the erth / & than Iohn that was charged of my sone on the crosse to be my sone sawe me thus sorowe he toke me vp in his armes / & for feblenesse of my body I myght not stonde but as Iohn & other women ladde me in to Iherusalem & as I went I turned my hede oft agayne for sorowe that I was departed fro the sepulcre of my swete sone Ihesu / & all that sawe me in the way were tempted to wepe for the sorowe & lamentacion that I made / & than Iohn led me home in to my chambre & sayd to me these wordes . Now rest here the moder of my lord vpon the arysynge of the swete sone Ihesu and my lorde & seale of thy sorowe . And lady I am gyuen to be thy sone that am not worthy to be thy seruaunt . For Iohan may not be lykened to Ihesu the sone of Zebede to the sone of god ne the seruaunt to his lorde / ne the dyscyple of his mayster / ne no creature may be lykened to hym that made him . But neuertheles my reuerende lady I shall worshyp you in all that I can with all my strength serue you with these wordes and many other wordes Iohn comforted me oftentymes & euer was redy me to please vnto the resurreccyon of my swete sone Ihesu . And whan we sawe hym aryse from deth to lyfe / than were we fulfylled with more Ioye than they were before with sorowe . I blessyd my swete sone Ihesu . And thus endeth our ladyes lamentacyon with grete Ioye of goddes resurreccyon / he graunt vs al his benedyccyon . AMEN .