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|| A.||

A pylgremage, for pure deuocyo.

Menedemus. [Signifieth to forsake.] What new thynge ys it, that I se? doo I nat see _Ogygyus_ my neybur, whom no ma could espie of all thes sex monthes before? yt was a sayng that he was deed, It is euen he, except that I be ferre deceyuyd.  I wyll go to hym, & byd hym good morow.  Good morow Ogygyus.[was faynyd of an old kynge of Thebanes.] Good morow to you Menedemus. Mene. I pray you frome what contray do you come to vs ayen so saffe.  For here was a great comunicacyo that you dyd sayle streght to hell. Ogy. No, thankyd be god, I haue faryd as well syns I went hens, as euer I dyd in all my lyffe. Me. Well, a man may well perceyue that all soche rumours be but vanytye.  But I pray you what araye is this that you be in, me thynke that you be clothyd with cokle schelles, and be || lade on euery syde with bruches of lead and tynne.  And you be pretely garnyshyd with wrethes of strawe & your arme is full of snakes egges.[Signifyeth bedes.  Malsyngam ys callyd parathalassia by cause it is ny to ye see.] Ogy. I haue bene on pylgremage at saynt Iames in Compostella, & at my retourne I dyd more relygyously vysyte our lady of Walsynga in England, a very holy pylgremage, but I dyd rather vysyte her.  For I was ther before within this thre yere. Me. I trowe, it was but for your pleasure. Ogy. Nay, it was for pure deuocyon. Me. I suppose you learnyd that relygyo of the Grecyanes. Ogy. My mother in law dyd make a vowe that if her dougther shuld be delyueryd of a man chyld alyue, than that I shuld go to saynt Iames on pylgremage, and ther to salute and thake hym. Me. Dyd you salute saynt Iames alonly in your name, and your mothers. Ogy. No, in the name of all owre house. Me. || A ij.|| Verely I thynke that your howshold as well shold haue prosperd, in case you had not salutyd hym at all.  But I pray you what answer dyd he make to your salutacyon. Ogy. Nothynge at all.  But wha I dyd offre, me tought he dyd lawghe vpon me, and becke at me with hedde, & dyd reche to me this cokleshell. Me. Wherfore dothe he gyue rather suche schelles, than other thynges. Ogygy. For the see, whiche is nye vnto hym dothe mynystre plenty of suche. Me. O holy saynt Iames, that bothe is a mydwyffe to women with chyld, and also dothe helpe his pylgrymes.  But I pray you what new kynd of makyng vowes is that that whan a ma is ydle he shall put the burden apon an other mannes bakke?  In case that you doo bynd youre selffe with a vowe, that yf ye matter chaunche happyly whiche you haue in hande, that I for you || shall fast twyse in on weke, do you beleue that I can fulfyl youre vow? Ogy. No, I doo not beleue it if that you dyd vowe it in youre awne name.  It is but a sport with yow to mokke sayntes.  But this was my mother in law, I must nedys obey her, you know