The Relics of Rome, Part 60
Of Trentales for soules departed, and howe they firste began.
THere was somtime at Rome a certaine Pope called Gregory, Note this tale.whiche had a mother, whome he loued aboue all thinges, and chiefly for her goodnesse and vertue. It chaūced thorow misfortune that the aforesaid womā was big with child, which for feare of her sonne & shame of the people, whē the time of her labour drew nye, killed the childe. So like did she at an other time also no man knowing of it: After ward …t so chaunced, that the aforesayd woman fell sicke and died.All is not golde, that glistereth. The Pope and al the people did greatly reioyse of her, for they thought her to be a good woman & to be saued. But afterwarde when the aforesayde Pope song masse, he saw iust by him a certain darknesse, so that it semed rather night than day: and in the same darknesse he behelde a certayne moste miserable creature, to whom he said: O thou creature, I coniure thee in Gods behalfe, that thou declare vntounto me, what thou art. She aū swered. O most derely beloued sonne, I am thy Mother. The Pope maruellyng greatlye at the matter: sayd vntounto her: We hoped that thou haddest bene a good woman, and placed in the kingdome of Heauen. Howe commeth it to passe, that thou art now in such payne? She opened vntounto him all thinges, that she had done in this worlde: and tolde him yt therfore she suffred such paynes, yt the very flames of fyre came oute of the mouth of her. The Pope being moued with sorowe and payne of his mother, said vntounto her, O mine owne mother, cā any thing in the world deliuer thee out of this paine? She said: If any mā would sing a trentall of masses for me, I should be deliuered out of all my paines,A trentall of Masses, and what they are. & be saued. He said: What masses shoulde they be? She aunswered: Thre masses of ye Natiuity of our lord. Thre masses of ye Epiphanie of our lord Three of the Purification of our Lady.Trinities of Masses. Thre of the Annūciation of our Lady. Thre of the Resurrection of our Lord. Thre of the ascensiō of our Lord. Thre of Penthecost. Three of the Trinitie. Thre of the Assūption of our Lady: and thre of her Natiuitie: so yt these masses be celebrated within ye Octaues of ye said feasts, as on the first day, with the same Kirie eleyson. Gloria in excelsis, & Credo: & also the same Sequēce & Preface, with Communicantes. Hane igitur: Sanctus, and Agnus, as it is contained in ye Canon of the Masse: also with these prayers folowyng, so that the prayers that folowe be sayde with the collecte of the Feast vnderunder one Oremus, and vnderunder one Per dominum. There must also be sayde eueryevery daye thorowout the yeare, Placebo, and Dirige, with ix. Psalmes, and ix. lessons, and ix. Anthemes, excepte it be at the tyme of Easter, when it shal be said dayly with thre lessons only. The commēdation also must be sayd as often, so that both at Placebo, and at Dirige the first collect or prayer shall be Deus summaspes, &c. & also at the commē daciō. Againe, at the masse of the day, ye aforesayd prayer shall be sayde of him, that celebrateth the masse thorowout the whole yeare. The Collecte shall be alwayes, Deus summaspes. The secretes. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus. The post Cōmunion, Deus cuius misericordia. &c. If any man wil doe thus much for me, quod she, I shall be deliuered from my paine. And ye sonne said, that he would gladly do that for his mother. And he commaunded her, that she should come againe vntounto him at the very same time the yeare folowing. All these thynges, that she desired, were done. When the time drewe nighe that ye Pope appointed of her returne, the Pope hymselfe song masse, and sawe a great light, and in it two Aungels commyng downe, and a most goodly, faire, and beautifull Lady betwene them. He beyng afraide thought her to be the Queene of Heauen, and fell downe at the feete of her▪ saying: O Regina coeli, miserere animae matris meae. O Queene of Heauen hauehave mercye on my mothers soule. But she aunswered: O my most deare sonne, I am thy mother. Blessed be the houre yt I bare thee. For of suche one, as thou didst se me in tymes paste, hath God made me, as thou nowe seest, thorowe thy masses and prayers. And all they, for whom the aforesayd Masses shalbe longe, shalbe lykewise saued, euen as I am. Ex missali manuscripto. Anno domini. 1354.