EEBO-TCP · Phase 1

The Acts of English Votaries

by John Bale · 1495–1563

Published: 1546
Length: 26,451 words
Reading: ~2 hours
Divisions: 97

From the title page

The actes of Englysh votaryes comprehendynge their vnchast practyses and examples by all ages, from the worldes begynnynge to thys present yeare, collected out of their owne legendes and chronycles by Iohan Bale. ...

[Printed at Wesel [i.e. Antwerp By S. Mierdman] in the yeare of our Lorde God. 1.5.4.6]

Original spelling, as transcribed by the Text Creation Partnership.

Front matter
Title page
Preface❧ The preface of thys boke.
Text
Religious tractThe Actes of Englysh votaryes, comprehendynge their vnchast practyses and examples by all ages, from the…
Part¶Marryage instytuted of God.
Part¶Marryage contempned of Sathan.
Part¶Marryage of Prestes in both lawes.

More by John Bale

See all

Comedy Concerning Corruption of Three Laws of Nature by Sodomites

1538

Show full contents

Part¶The Samothytes and their chastyte.
Part¶Brute with hys Druydes.
Part¶The Druydes and their chastyte.
Part¶Prestes marryed and vnmarryed.
Part¶Christ alloweth marryage in hys.
PartThe Apostles & fyrst preachers marryed
PartBrytayne first conuerted by mē maryed.
Part¶Christyanyte somwhat corrupted.
Part¶The first sprynge of monkerye in Brytayne.
Part¶Heresye in Brytayne aryseth of monkerye.
Part¶A prestes sonne was Saynt Partrick.
Part¶Sayntes were begottē in whordome.
Part¶Lyke examples are amonge the Turkes.
Part¶More Sayntes yet begotten in whoredome
Part¶Whoredome estemed most holynesse.
Part¶Women greuouse and solacyouse.
Part¶A spirytuall example of a votarye.
Part¶Vrsula with her sort, appoynted to marrye.
Part¶An historye to their ghostlye purpose.
Part¶Fyne workemanshyp to be marked,
Part¶Vowynges ded not yet constrayne.
Part¶The Saxons entre with newe Christyanyte.
Part¶More Englysh boyes solde at Rome.
Part¶Augustyne entreth with hys Mōkes
Part¶Their first spirytuall prouysyons here.
Part¶Their preparacyons for Antichrist,
Part¶The prouynge of Augustynes Apostleship.
Part¶The Englysh churche begynneth with tyrannye.
Part¶What the Brytayne churche was afore.
Part¶Antichrist approched fast to hys full age.
Part¶The chastyte of hys masmongers.
Part¶Contempt of marryage, with tayles.
Part¶Stryfe aboute the Eastre celebracyon.
Part¶Great busynesse for their other tradycyons.
Part¶Relygyouse examples dysuadynge marryage.
Part¶Other relygyouse examples of that age.
Part¶The wanton toyes of the holye fathers.
PartThe ghostly bestowynge of their vowes
Part¶Erkenwalde and Osith, with their Nondryes.
Part¶The perfyght age of the Beast.
Part¶For the varyaunce had in supputaciōs
Part¶Sealynges to the Beastes obedyence
Part¶More sealynges yet to Antichristes kingedome.
Part¶Chastyte, Monkes, Monasteryes, and Penaunce.
Part¶The foundacyon of their Purgatorye.
Part¶Chastyte of Cuthbert and doctryne of Colfride.
Part¶The fallen starre, and .ij. Hornes of the Beast.
Part¶The fall of kyngedoms, and rayse of the Papacye.
Part¶An olde prophecye of Merlyne dysclosed.
Part¶The whores fleshe eaten of the x. hornes.
Part¶Actes of vowed virgynyte for that age.
Part¶A spirytuall conueyaunce to be marked.
Part¶Kynges became pylgrymes, and their wyues Nonnes.
Part¶Great experymentes of virgynyte.
Part¶Images admytted, with chast examples.
Part¶Englysh monkes become Antichristes Apostles.
Part¶The great Apostle of all Germanye.
Part¶Doctryne of Bonyface, with sale of whores.
Part¶The monasteryes of fulda & floryake.
Part¶Oxforde shurned. And Aleuinus monkes.
Part¶Englyshe men ponnyshed at Rome.
Part¶Popes chosen from thens fourth by their. N.
Part¶Holye water, with a boke agaynst marryage.
Part¶Miracles and wonders wrought.
Part¶Monkerye augmented by Dunstane.
PartThe relygyouse Occupyenge of Dunstane.
Part¶He vexeth kynge Edwyne, retaynynge hys concubyne.
Part¶Dunstane kepeth the Kynges of Englande vndre.
Part¶The chastyte of holye churche there.
Part¶A popes bastarde ys made pope
Part¶Dunstanes autoryte agaynst marryed prestes.
Part¶Dunstane executeth hys deuylyshe commyssyon.
Part¶Kynge Edgare ys brought vndre therby.
Part¶Dunstane fashyoneth the kynge to hys purpose.
Part¶Kynges become th Beastes Images.
Part¶Dunstane ys accused of yll rule.
Part¶The kynge defendeth Dunstane & destroyeth wolues.
Part¶Oswalde with hys Beastlye autoryte.
Part¶Dunstane maketh a Kynge at hys pleasure.
Part¶Dunstane maketh an Idoll to speake.
Part¶That Idoll ys crowned Kynge of Englande.
Part¶An example of Claustrall virgynyte.
Part¶Dunstane dysputeth with sorcerye and murther.
Part¶Dunstanes prouysyon in Englande for Sathan.
Part¶Sygnes and plages folowynge these myschefes.
Conclusion¶The Conclusyon of thys fyrst boke.
List of authors¶The Autours names both Englyshe and other, out of whom thys present Boke ys collected.
Epigraph
Back matter
Colophon

The Acts of English Votaries

From the title page

Contents

More by John Bale

Subjects

Details