semede he was a || man bothe vertuous and wyse, and not
vnlearnede Duns diuinite. He opened the shryne to vs in
whiche ye holle body of the holy ma, thay say, dothe
rest and remayne. _Me._ Dydste thou see hys bones.
_Ogy._ That is not conuenient, nor we cowld not come to
it, except we sett vp laders, but a shryne of wod
couerede a shryne of gold, when that is drawne vp with
cordes, tha apperith treasure and riches inestimable.
_Me._ What do I here? the vilest part and worst was
golde, all thynges dyd shyne, florishe, and as it were
with lyghtnynge appered with precyouse stones and those
many and of great multitude: some were greater than a
gowse egge. Dyuerse of ye monks stode ther aboute with
greate reuerence, the couer takyn a way, all we kneled
downe and worshyped. The pryor with a whyte rodde
showed vs euery stone, addynge therto the || E iij.||
frenche name, the value, & the autor of the gyfte, for
the cheffe stonys were sent thyther by great prynces.
_Me._ He ought to be a man of an excedyng witt &
memory. _Ogy._ You gesse well, how beit exercyse & vse
helpeth moche, for euyn the same he dothe oftentymes.
He brought vs agayne in to the crowdes. Our lady hathe
ther an habitacyon, but somwhat darke, closed rownde
aboute with double yren grats. _Me._ What feared she?
_Ogy._ Nothinge I trow, except theues. For I saw neuer
any thing more laden with riches synse I was borne of
my mother. _Me._ You show vnto me blinde ryches.
_Ogy._ Whe they brought vs candells we saw a sight
passynge ye ryches of any kynge. _Me._ Dothe it excede
our lady of walsynga? _Ogy._ To loke vpo this, is
richer, the secret tresure she knoweth her selfe, but
this is not shewede, but to great || men, or to
specyall frendes. At the last we were brought agayne in
to the reuettry, there was taken out a cofer couered
with blacke lether, it was sett downe apon the table,
it was sett open, by and by euery body kneled downe and
worshipyd. _Me._ What was in it? _Ogy._ Certayne torne
ragges of lynnen clothe, many hauynge yet remaynynge in
them the token of the fylthe of the holy mannes nose.
With these (as they say) saynt Thomas dyd wype a way
the swett of hys face or hys neke, ye fylthe of hys
nose, or other lyke fylthynes with whiche mannes body
dothe abownde. Then my companyon Gratian, yet ones
agayn, got hym but smalle fauour. Unto hym an Englyshe
man and of famylyare acquayntenance and besyde that,
a man of no smalle authorite, the Prior gaff g