ROBERT THE DEUYLL.

Here begynneth the lyfe of the moost myscheuoust Robert the Deuyll, which was afterwarde called the seruant of God.

Ir befel in tyme past, there was a duke in Normandye which was called Ouberte, the whiche duke was passyngé ryche of goodes, and also vertuous of lyuynge, and loued and dred God above all thynge, and dyde grete almesse dedes, and exceded all other in ryghtwysnesse and justyce, and moost cheualrouse in dedes of armes and notable actes doynge. This duke helde open house upon a Crystmasse daye, in a towne whiche was called Naverne, upon the Seyne, to the whiche courte came all the lordes and noble blode of Normandy. And because this noble duke was not maryed, his lordes nobles with one assente besought hym to marye and take a wyfe, to thentente that his lygnage myght he multyplyed thereby, and that they myght have a ryght

heyre to enherite his landes after his dysceyse. To the whyche request this good duke answered and sayd

My lordes, what thynge that ye thynke best for me to do shall be done, upon a condycyon, in that ye wyll that I be maryed, that ye puruey me a wyfe accordynge to myn estate, for and yf I shol coueyte ony heyre or noblyer of blode that I am myselfe that myghte not stand with ryght, and yf I take one that is not of so noble an house as I am, that sholde be to me grete shame, and all my lygnage; wherefore me thynke it were better that I kepe me as I am, than to do that thynge that sholde not be myne honeste, and afterwarde repente me." Whan these wordes were spoken, and well consydered by the lordes that stode there present, then there rose up a wyse baron and sayd to the duke: "My lorde ye speke very wysely, and lyke a noble prynce, but yf it please your hyeness to gyue audyence and here me speke, I shall shewe you of a certayne persone of whome ye shall enjoye yourselfe to here of her, and the whyche ye shall obteyne I knowe well." Than answered the duke, and sayd: "shewe me then who that persone is." Gracyous lorde," sayd the baron unto the duke, "the duke of Bourgone hath a doughter whyche excedethe al other in beaute, curteyse and deboynayre wysdome and good maneres, the whiche ye may have yf ye wyll desyre her, for I knowe well there wyll no man say naye thereto." To the whiche the good duke answered and said, that lady playsed hym ryght well, and that the baron had gyven hym good and wyse counsell. And in

shorte tyme after that, this lady was demaunded of her fader, the duke of Bourgone, which gaue hym her wyllyngly. And then theyr brydale was kepte honourably, which were to longe to write.

Howe the duke of Normandye with grete royalte brought his wyfe, the doughter of the duke of Burgone, in to Roan in Normandye, after he had maryed her.

AFTER that the forsayd duke had maryed the sayd ladye, he brought her with a grete company of barons, knyghtes, and ladyes, with grete tryumphe and glorye, into the lande of Normandye, and in the cyte of Roan, in the whiche cyte she was honourably receyued, and with grete melodye; and there was grete amyte betwene the Bourgonyons and the Normans, which I lete passe for to come the soner to my mater. The forsayd duke and duchesse lyued togyder the space of xviii yere without any childe. Whether it were Godde's wyl it sholde be so, or it were thrughe theyr own defaulte, I can not juge, for it were better other whyle that some people had no chylderne, and also it were better for the fader and the moder to gete no chyldren, thenne to lacke of chastysynge, the chyldren and fader and moder sholde al go to the deuyll: yet was this duke and duchesse deuout people, which loved and drede God, and gave grete almesse; and what tyme this duke wolde meddle with his lady, he euer prayed to God to sende hym a chylde, to honoure and serue God, and to multyply and

fortyfy his lynage; but nother with prayer nor with almesse dedes this good duke and duchesse could gete no chyldren.

How upon a tyme this duke and duchesse walked alone, sore complanynge the one to the other that they coude have no chylde togyder.

UPON a tyme this duke and duchesse walked, and the duke began to shewe his mynde to his ladye, saynge,

Madame, we be not fortunate in so much that we can gete noo chyldren; and they that made the maryage betwene us bothe they dyde grete synne, for I beleue and ye had been geuen to an other man, ye sholde haue had chyldren, and I also yf I had an other ladye." This lady understood his sayenge: she answered softly, saynge thus: "Good lorde, we must thanke God of that whiche he sendeth us, and take it pacyently of what so euer it be."

How Robert the Deuyll was conceyued, and how his moder gaue hymn to the deuyll in his concepcyon. THIS duke upon a tyme rode oute an hountyng in a grete angre and pensyfness, for thought that he coulde haue no chylde, sore complanynge, saynge to hymselfe, I see many women haue many fayre chyldren in whiche they enjoy gretely, by which I se wel that I am hated of God, and meruayle it is that I fall not in dyspare, for it greueth me so sore at my herte that I can gete no chyldren. The deuyll, which is alwaye redy to deceyue man

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kynde, tempted the good duke, and troubled his mynde so that he wyst not what to do nor say. Thus moued, he left his huntynge and wente home to his palayes, where he founde his ladye also vexed and moued. As he came home he toke her in his armes, and kyssed her, and dyde his will with her, sayenge his prayers to our Lorde in this wyse: "O! Lord Jhesu, I beseche the that I may get a chylde, at this houre, by the whiche thou mayst be honoured and served." But the ladye being so sore moued, spake thus folyshly, and said: "In the deuyle's name be it, in so muche as God hath not the power that I conceyue; and yf I be conceyued with chylde in this houre, I gyve it to the devyll, body and soule." And this same houre that this duke and duches were thus moued, the sayd lady was conceyued with a man chylde, whiche in his lyf wroughte moche myschefe, as ye shall here after this, but afterwards he was converted, and dyde grete penance, and dyed a holy man, as is shewed here after.

How Robert the Deuyll was borne, and what grete payne his moder suffred in hys byrthe.

THIS duchesse, as we haue herd before, was conceyued with the forsayd chylde, which she bare ix monethes as comonly women goo with chylde; and ye may well perceyue that this lady coude not be delyuered without grete payn, for she traueylled more than a moneth, and yf good prayers had not been, and almesse dedes, good werkes, and grete penance done for her, she