Of the wondre that appered before his byrth

A Merueylouse syght was there seene before his byrthe / there appered a fyery garlande standynge ouer ye chaumbre of his mother whyle she trauelled & sodenly vanysshed a way: which apparē ce was peraduenture a token that he whiche sholde y• houre in the cōpanye of mortall men be borne: in the perfeccion of vnderstandynge sholde be lyke y• perfyte fygure of that rounde cyrcle of garlande and that his excellent name sholde rounde aboute the cyrcle of this hole world be mangnyfyed whose mynde sholde alway as the fyre aspyre vpwarde to heuenly thynge. And whose fyry eloquence sholde wt an ardent hert in tyme to come whorship & prayse almighty god with all his strength. And as y• flame sodenly vanisshyd so sholde this fyre sone frome ye eyen of mortal people be hydde we haue oftyntymes red that suche vnknowen and straūge tokens hathe gone before of foloweth the natyuytese excellente wyse and vertuouse men departynge (as hit were and by goddes cōmaundement) seuerynge the cradyls of suche specyall chyldren fro ye cōpany of other of the comune sorte. And shewynge yt they be borne to the accheuynge of some grete thyng. But to passe ouer other. The grete saynt ambrose: a swarme of bees flewe aboute his mouth in his cradle & some entred in to his mouthe and after yt yssuynge out agayne and fleynge vp on hyghe hydynge them selfe amonge the cloudes escaped bothe y• syght of his father and of all them that were present / whiche pronostycacyon one Paulinꝰ makynge moche of: expowned it to signyfye to vs the swete hony combes of his plesaunt wrytynge: whiche sholde shewe out the celestiall gyftes of god & sholde lyfte vp the mynde of men from erthe in to heuen.