the golden legende, For lyke as golde passeth all other metalles, so
this boke excedeth all other bokes". "Finyshed the xxvii daye of
August, the yere of our lord M. CCCCC. XXVII, the xix yere of the regne
of our souverayne lord Kynge Henry the eyght. Imprynted at London in
Flete Strete at the Sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn de Worde".

In the following extract the spelling is somewhat modernised, and a few
obsolete words are omitted.

"The Life of Saynt Crysant and Saynte Daria".
Fo. cc. lxxxv.

"Here followeth the lyfe of Saynt Crysaunt, and fyrst of his name. And
of Saynte Daria, and of her name.

"Of Crysaunt is said as growen and multyplyed of God. For when his
father would have made hym do sacrifyce to the idols, God gave to hym
force and power to contrary and gaynsay his father, and yield himself to
God. Daria is sayd of dare to give, for she gave her to two thynges.
Fyrst will to do evil, when she had will to draw Crysaunt to sacrifyce
to the idols. And after she gave her to good will when Crysaunt had
converted her to Almighty God.

"Crysaunt was son of a ryght noble man that was named Polymne. And when
his father saw that his son was taught in the faith of Jesu Chryst, and
that he could not withdraw him therefrom, and make him do sacrifyce to
the idols, he commanded that he should be closed in a stronge hold and
put to hym five maidens for to seduce him with blandyshynge and fayre
wordes. And when he had prayed God that he should not be surmounted
with no fleshly desyre, anon these maydens were so overcome with slepe,