Thenne late us ſo bleſſe us with the ſygne of the bleſſyd croſſe that we may therby be kepte fro the power of our ghooſtly and dedely enemye the devyl / and by the glorious paſſyon that our ſaveour Iheſu cryſt ſuffred on the croſſe after this lyf we may come to his everlaſtyng blyſſe amen/. Thus endeth thynvencion of the holy croſſe. [Illustration] [Illustration: +Here foloweth the Exaltation of the holy Croſſe.+] [Sidenote: 29 _The Roman and Engliſh Churches celebrate this Feſtival on February 14._] [Sidenote: 30 _Carrion._] [Sidenote: 31 _Vileneſs._] [Sidenote: 32 _Reſourced or repleniſhed._] Exaltation of the holy Croſſe[29] is ſayd / bycauſe that on this daye the hooly croſſe & faythe were gretely enhaunced/. And it is to be underſtonden that tofore the paſſion of our lord Iheſu cryſte / the tree of the croſſe was a tree of fylthe / For the croſſes were made of vyle trees, & of trees without fruyte / For al that was planted on the Mount of Calvarye bare no fruyt. It was a fowle place / for hit was the place of torment of thevys / It was derke / for it was in a derke place and without any beaute / It was the tree of deth / for men were put there to dethe / It was alſo the tree of ſtenche / for it was planted amonge the caroynes[30] / & after the paſſyon the Croſſe was moche enhaunced / For the Vylte[31] was tranſported into preciouſyte / Of the whiche the bleſſyd ſaynt Andrewe ſayth / O precious holy Croſſe god ſave the / his bareynes was torned into fruyte / as it is ſayd in the Cantyques / I ſhall aſcende up in to a palme tree / et cetera / His ignobylyte or unworthynes was tourned into ſublymyte and heyght / The Croſſe that was tormente of thevys is now born in the front of themperours / his derkenes is torned into lyght and clereneſſe/ wherof Chryſoſtom ſayth the Croſſe and the Woundes ſhall be more ſhynyng than the rayes of the Sonne at the jugement / his deth is converted into perdurabylyte of lyf / whereof it is ſayd in the preface / that fro hens the lyf reſourded[32] / and the ſtenche is torned into ſwetenes / canticorum /. This exaltacion of the hooly croſſe is ſolempnyſed and halowed ſolempnly of the Chirche / For the faythe is in hit moche enhaunced /. [Sidenote: 33 _Choſroes II., who reigned in the ſeventh Century._]