Elizabeth shal beare thee a sonne, and thou shalt cal his name John: 14and thou shalt have ″ joy and exultation, and many shal rejoyce in his nativitie. 15For he shal be great before our Lord; [1] and wine and sider he shal not drinke; and he shal be replenished with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb. 16And he shal Mal. 4, 6.* convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17And he shal goe before him Mt. 11, 14.* in the spirit and vertue of Elias, that he may convert the harts of the Fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisedom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect People.✠ 18And Zacharie said to the Angel: Whereby shal I know this? for I am old; and my wife is wel striken in her dayes. 19And the Angel answering said to him: I am Gabriel that assist before God; and am sent to speake to thee, and to Evangelize these things to thee. 20And behold, [2] thou shalt be dumme, and shalt not be able to speake until the day wherein these things shal be done; for-because thou hast not beleeved my wordes, which shal be fulfilled in their time. 21And the People was expecting Zacharie; and they marveled that he made tariance in the Temple. 22And comming forth he could not speake to them, and they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. And he made signes to them, and remained dumme. 23And it came to passe, after the dayes of his office were expired, ″ he departed into his house. 24And after these dayes Elizabeth his wife conceaved; and hid herself five months, saying: 25For thus hath our Lord done to me in the dayes wherein he had respect to take away my reproch among men.
26 b The Gospel upon the Annunciation of our Lady, March 25. And on Imber wenesday, and for a votive Masse of our Ladie in Advent.b And in the sixt month, the Angel Gabriel was sent of God into a citie of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 Mt. 1, 18.* to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgins name was Marie. 28And the Angel being entred in, said unto her: ″ The beginning of the AVE MARIE, See the rest v. 42.Haile ″ ful of grace, our Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the Angel said to her: Feare not Marie, for thou hast found grace with God. 31 Esa. 7, 14.* Behold thou shalt conceave in thy womb, and shalt beare a Sonne; and thou shalt cal his name Jesus. 32He shal be great, and shal be called the Sonne of the most High, and our Lord God shal give him the seat of David his Father: 33 Dan. 7, 14, 27.* and he shal reigne in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shal be no end. 34And Marie said to the Angel: [3] How shal this be done, ″ because I know not man? 35And the Angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shal come upon thee, and the power of the most High shal overshadow thee. And therfore also that which of thee shal be borne Holy, shal be called the Sonne of God. 36And behold ″ Elizabeth thy cosin, she also hath conceaved a Sonne in her old age; and this month, is the sixt to her that is called barren; 37because there shal not be impossible with God any word. 38And Marie said, [4] Behold the handmaid of our Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.✠ And the Angel departed from her.
39 c The Ghospel upon the Visitation of our Lady, Jul. 2. And upon the Imber friday in Advent.c And Marie rising up in those dayes, went unto the hil countrie with speed into a citie of Juda. 40And she entred into the house of
- ↑ This abstinence foretold and prescribed by the Angel, sheweth that it is a worthie thing, and an act of religion in S. John, as it was in the Nazarites.
- ↑ Zacharie punished for doubting of the Angels word.
- ↑ She doubted not of the thing as Zacharie, but enquired, of the meanes.
- ↑ At this very moment when the B. Virgin gave consent, she conceaved him perfect God and perfect man.
