For That Piece That Went Upright
From The Earth To The Head Was Of Cypress; And The Piece That Went
Overthwart, to the which his hands were nailed, was of palm; and
the stock, that stood within the earth, in
The which was made the
mortise, was of cedar; and the table above his head, that was a
foot and an half long, on the which the title was written in
Hebrew, Greek and Latin, that was of olive.
And the Jews made the cross of these four manner of trees; for they
trowed that our Lord Jesu Christ should have hanged on the cross,
as long as the cross might last. And therefore made they the foot
of the cross of cedar; for cedar may not, in earth nor water, rot,
and therefore they would that it should have lasted long. For they
trowed that the body of Christ should have stunken, they made that
piece, that went from the earth upwards of cypress, for it is well-
smelling, so that the smell of his body should not grieve men that
went forby. And the overthwart piece was of palm, for in the Old
Testament it was ordained, that when one was overcome he should be
crowned with palm; and for they trowed that they had the victory of
Christ Jesus, therefore made they the overthwart piece of palm.
And the table of the title they made of olive; for olive betokeneth
peace, as the story of Noe witnesseth; when that the culver brought
the branch of olive, that betokened peace made between God and man.
And so trowed the Jews for to have peace, when Christ was dead; for
they said that he made discord and strife amongst them. And ye
shall understand that our Lord was y-nailed on the cross lying, and
therefore he suffered the more pain.
And the Christian men, that dwell beyond the sea, in Greece, say
that the tree of the cross, that we call cypress, was of that tree
that Adam ate the apple off; and that find they written. And they
say also, that their scripture saith, that Adam was sick, and said
to his son Seth, that he should go to the angel that kept Paradise,
that he would send him oil of mercy, for to anoint with his
members, that he might have health. And Seth went. But the angel
would not let him come in; but said to him, that he might not have
of the oil of mercy. But he took him three grains of the same
tree, that his father ate the apple off; and bade him, as soon as
his father was dead, that he should put these three grains under
his tongue, and grave him so: and so he did. And of these three
grains sprang a tree, as the angel said that it should, and bare a
fruit, through the which fruit Adam should be saved. And when Seth
came again, he found his father near dead. And when he was dead,
he did with the grains as the angel bade him; of the which sprung
three trees, of the which the cross was made, that bare good fruit
and blessed, our Lord Jesu Christ; through whom, Adam and all that
come of him, should be saved and delivered from dread of death
without end, but it be their own default.
This holy cross had the Jews hid in the earth, under a rock of the
mount of Calvary; and it lay there two hundred year and more, into
the time that St. Helen, that was mother to Constantine the Emperor
of Rome. And she was daughter of King Coel, born in Colchester,
that was King of England, that was clept then Britain the more; the
which the Emperor Constance wedded to his wife, for her beauty, and
gat upon her Constantine, that was after Emperor of Rome, and King
of England.
And ye shall understand, that the cross of our Lord was eight
cubits long, and the overthwart piece was of length three cubits
and a half. And one part of the crown of our Lord, wherewith he
was crowned, and one of the nails, and the spear head, and many
other relics be in France, in the king's chapel. And the crown
lieth in a vessel of crystal richly dight. For a king of France
bought these relics some time of the Jews, to whom the emperor had
laid them in wed for a great sum of silver.
And if all it be so, that men say, that this crown is of thorns, ye
shall understand, that it was of jonkes of the sea, that is to say,
rushes of the sea, that prick as sharply as thorns. For I have
seen and beholden many times that of Paris and that of
Constantinople; for they were both one, made of rushes of the sea.
But men have departed them in two parts: of the which, one part is
at Paris, and the other part is at Constantinople. And I have one
of those precious thorns, that seemeth like a white thorn; and that
was given to me for great specially. For there are many of them
broken and fallen into the vessel that the crown lieth in; for they
break for dryness when men move them to show them to great lords
that come thither.
And ye shall understand, that our Lord Jesu, in that night that he
was taken, he was led into a garden; and there he was first
examined right sharply; and there the Jews scorned him, and made
him a crown of the branches of albespine, that is white thorn, that
grew in that same garden, and set it on his head, so fast and so
sore, that the blood ran down by many places of his visage, and of
his neck, and of his shoulders. And therefore hath the white thorn
many virtues, for he that beareth a branch on him thereof, no
thunder ne no manner of tempest may dere him; nor in the house,
that it is in, may no evil ghost enter nor come unto the place that
it is in.
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