The.xii. chapiter

The author sumwhat notyth the froward myndys of many folk that wold be very hard to beleue a man in a myracle vppon his othe / & very light in a shrewd tale to beleue a woman on her word.

NOw where ye requyre how many witnes shuld be requisite and suffice to make you thynk your self in reson to haue good cause to beleue so strange a thyng / me thynkyth yt ryght few were suffycyent of them that wold say they saw a grete good thyng done by the power & goodnes of god. except it be harde for vs to beleue eyther that god ys so myghty yt he may do it or so good yt he wold do it But because ye wold wit of me how many recordys were requysyte / ye thīg standyth not so much in nomber as in weyght. Some twayn be more credyble than sum.x. And albe yt y• I se not greatly why I shuld mystrust any one that semith honest & tellith a good tale of god in whych there apperyth no specyall cause of lyeng / yet yf any wytnes wyll serue you / thā wold I wyt of you how many your self wold agre. For I now put case yt there cam.x. dyuers honest men of good substaunce out of.x. dyuers partyes of the realme / […]che off them wyth an offeryng at one pylgrymage / as for ensample at our Lady of Ipswych / & ech one of them affyrming vppon theyr othe a myracle don vppō them self in sum grete so dayn help wel apperyng to passe the power of crafte or nature / wold ye not beleue yt amōg them all at the lestwyse twayn of those.x. sayd trew? No by oure lady q he not & they were.x. and.xx. why so q I. Mary quod he for wer they neuer so many hauyng none other wytnesse but eche man tellyng hys tale for hym selfe / they be but syngle all & lesse than syngle. for euery myracle hath but one record / and yet he not credable in hys owne cause. & so neuer a myracle well ꝓuyd. well sayd I / I lyke well your wysdome yt ye be so cyrcumspect that ye wyll nothyng beleue without good suffycyent & full profe. I put you than quod I a nother case that.x. yong womē not very specially known for good but takē out at auēture / dwellyng all in one towne / wold report & tell that a frere of good fame heryng theyr confessyons at a pardon / wold haue geuē them in penaunce to let hym lye wyth them / on youre fayth wolde ye not beleue yt among so many sum of thē said trew? yes yt I wold quod he by ye mary mas beleue they said trew all.x. & durst well swere for them & they were but.ii. whi so q I they be as sigle witnes as ye other of whō I told you before. for nōe of thē cā tell what was sayd to ā other & yet they be vnsworn also / & therwyth be they but womē whych be more light & lesse to be regardyd / dwellyng all in one towne also / & therby myght they ye more easely conspyre a false tale. They be q he wytnes good ynogh for such a mater / the thyng ys so lykely of yt selfe that a freer wylbe womanysh loke the holy horeson neuer so sayntly. ye deny not q I but god may as easly do a good turn by myracle as any mā may do an yuell by nature. That is trew q he & he lyst. well quod I se now what a good way ye be in / yt ar of your owne good godly mīde more redy to beleue ii. sīple womē yt a man wyll do noght / than.x. or.xx. men yt god wyll do good