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KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural
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And to knele before the crosse vnto the
word of god which the crosse preacheth is not euell. Neyther to
knele doune before an image in amans meditacions to cal the
lyuinge of the saint to minde for to desyre god of lyke grace
to folow the ensample / is not evell.
But the abuse of the thynge is euell / and to haue
a false fayth: as to beare a pece of the crosse aboute a man /
thynkynge that so longe as that ys aboute hym / spyrytes shall
not come at him / his enimies shall do him no bodyly harme /
all causes shall go on his side euen for beringe it aboute him
/ and to thynke that yf it were not aboute him yt wold not be
so / & to thinke / if any misfortune chaunce / that it came
for leauynge it of or because this or that ceremonie was lefte
vndone / and not rather because we haue broken Gods commaundementes / or that God tempteth vs to proue oure pacyence.
Thys ys playne ydolatrie / and here a man ys captyue / bonde and seruaunt vnto a false faith and a false ymaginacyon / that ys nother god ner hys worde. Now am I Gods only and ought to serue
nothynge but god and hys worde. My bodye must serue the rulars
of
thys world and my neyboure (as god hath appoynted it) & so
must all my goodes: but my soule must serue God only / to loue
hys law
and too trust in hys promyses of mercye in all my
nedes. And in like
maner yt ys that thousandes / whyle the prest
patereth Saynt Ihons Gospell in latine ouer theyr heedes /
crosse them selues wyth / I
trow / a legyon of crosses / behynde and before and
wythe reuerence on the very arses and (as Iack off napis when he
claweth him selfe) ploucke vp theyr legges and crosse so moch as
their heeles and the
very soles of their fete / & beleue that if it
be done in
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God . . .
pacyence. Cf. 1 Thess. 2.4.
serue God only.
Cf. Deut. 11.13.
promyses of
mercye. Cf. Luke 1.72.
Saynt Ihons
Gospell. CWM 7.181/2 and n. The Prologue on the incarnation of
the Word (John 1.1–14) was a favorite medieval locus of God's power to
save. It was at times recited over the sick before the Last Rites and
was read as a blessing for good weather. In the late Middle Ages its
recital became associated with the final blessing at Mass, as the "Last
Gospel," being seen as protection against the devil's attacks which
would recommence when Massgoers left the consecrated
building, cf. Jungmann 2.543–46.
and wythe reuerence
on the very arses. Henry Walter, the Victorian editor,
bowdlerized this passage but uncannily preserved the
offensive word "arse" in "coarse": "A coarse expression is here omitted"
(PS 3.61n2). Keith Thomas (36) and Brigden (16n48) both cite the PS
version, but Duffy (215) quotes the original . Walter also
omitted references to sexual organs, Obedience
P2v (PS 1.285n1); to marital relations, Matthew
05 (PS 2.125n2); to excretory functions, Prelates F7 (PS 2.300n1), 1 John D3,
D5v (PS 2.174n2, 2.177n3), but Walter did not omit references to
excretory functions in Mammon F7v (PS
1.100). Walter castrated the text of Obedience by
omitting "the privey membre of God which ys" (R8v) before the phrase
"the word of promise" (PS 1.311 without note). For another unmarked
emendation, cf. [O7, “where of . . . soforth” and commentary note].
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