[104r]
Thre Causes why the Sonne Entred the Signe of Cancer
Capitulo xiii
`Thre causes why that the
sonne entred the signe of Cancer, whiche is cleped
the Crabbe: thre ther ben assigned, for thre tymes
he retourned fro thennes that he had comen.
`One was in the
spyryte only, that had ben at Helle, and efte
ageyne retorned to the body. The second retorne was
fro dethe to the lyf, the thyrd day erly. The
thyrdde retourne was fro Erthe in to Heuene, the day
that he ascendyd to Heuen, fro whennes he come
fyrste, what tyme he tooke humanyte. These ben thre
glorious recours of this noble sonne, and owen wel
to haue noble festes.
`The fyrst two were done in one
day, and soo is the feste solempnysed to geders.
And in these ryall festes the Kyng yeueth his leuery ful ryche and ryal robes of ioye and of
gladsomnesse. Vpon theyr hedes haue they all cappes
of gold, and gyrd they ben also with ceyntes of gold ful lustely
shynynge, and sette ful of saphyres fro one ende to
another.
`Vnder the sterred Cercle in these two festes it is
acustomed and ordeyned that alle this hoole assemble
dressyd them seluen for to thanke the Hihe Lord,
preise hym, and worshypen. There ben many lusty songes, and moche
melodye with dyuerse instrumentes, soo that alle
Heuene veryly moueth for ioye. Ne none is there that
ne enforcith hym seluen to maken melodye.
`This day moueth the Cercle wonder fast aboute, and
bryngeth alle this peple to the Kynges Presence,
where they fynden a table redy with brede and wyn,
whiche table is susteyned and born vp by Aungels ful
ioiously syngyng. This breed and this wyn the Hyhe
Kyng blessith with his hand. And to eueriche as they
passen forth, he yeueth parte therof, & said in
this wyse: "this is
my Fleshe131, whiche that I abandoned for the loue of
man anone to the dethe. And this is my Blood, whiche
I shedde openly vpon the Roode tre for to bye
mankynde oute of the fendes power."
`Soo thenne, whan that this Cercle hath made his
reuolucion, and alle they ben fed with this glorious
feste by the handes of the Souerayne Kynge, thenne
they enforcen them to syngen and to ioyen, and seyen
in this wyse:
