CAXTON, William (Imp.)

CAP. XXVIII: An Ensample that happed at the masse of seynt Martyn: / And yet I shalle saye to yow what befelle att the masse of seynt Martyn of Tours / The hooly man songe the masse And his godsone seynt Bryce helpe hym to synge which was after hym Archebisshop of Tours / This saynt Bryce began to laughe / And saynt Martyn apperceyued it / And when the masse was done / seynt Martyn callyd hym / And demaunded of hym why he laughed / And he answerd hym that he had sene the deuyll / whiche put in wrytynge / alle that the men and wymmen talked to geder as longe as he sayd the masse / Thenne it happed / that the parchemyn in whiche the fende wrote / was ouer shorte / And he began to drawe it oute a long with his teeth. for to ma∣ke it larger / And when he so drewhe with his teeth / the perch I myn escaped fro hym / in suche wyse that he smote his heede ayenst the stone walle / And for that cause I lough / And whan saynt Martyn hadde herd that seynt Bryce had sene this / he preched vp on this mater to the peple / how it was grete perylle to speke & tal¦ke in the masse tyme / and in the tyme of the seruyce of god / And yet susteyne the grete clerkes that me ought not saye no prayers in the masse tyme / And in especial whyle the gospell is red and per omnia with the preface / And for these causes aforsaid my fair doughters / ye haue herby a fayre ensample / how that ye ouʒt to mayntene you humbly and deuoutely in the Chirche / and not to talke ne iangle for no thyng that may happen.

El demonio escribe , Estira el pergamino , Rompe el pergamino y provoca risas