The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #122382   Message #3460347
Posted By: Jim Dixon
02-Jan-13 - 10:12 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: White Pater Noster
Subject: RE: Folklore: White Pater Noster
From Typographical Antiquities: An Historical Account of Printing in England, Scotland and Ireland … from 1471 to 1600 ... by Joseph Ames (London : Miller, 1810), page 109:

'The popish white pater noster, which I had from my learned frende and antiquarie Mr. John Scott, 1624. This was called The spell of Edmonds Bury.

'Peters Brother where lyest all night?
There as Chryst y yod.
What hast in thy honde? heauen keyes.
What hast in thy tother?
Broade booke leaues.
Open heauen gates,
Shutt hell yeates.
Euerie childe creepe christ ouer
White Benedictus be in this howse
Euerye night.
Within & without. This howse rounde about
St. Peter att the one doore
St. Paule att the other
St. Michael in the middle
Fyer in the flatt
Chancell-op shatt
Euerie naugers bore
An Angell before.

White pater noster. Amen.'

By this (says Herbert) is seen the darkness that the vulgar lived in.

'White pater noster.

'The lord is our Foster
Our ladye is our mother
And St. Peter is myne neame
Followe Followe that well streame
What hast thou in thy right hand
The sonne & the moone.
What holst thou in thy leaft hande?
Gilboone—Gilboone.
What holdest thou vnder thy belte?
Heauen keyes, heauen keyes.
Ope, ope heauen yates,
Steike steike hell yates
God and St. Beni knyght
Keepe me this night
From all ill wight
Ether within or without
Or seauen score miles round about.'

'This last white pater noster I hadd from my learned & most pleasant good frend Mr. John Wrenham, neare to Brandon Ferrey in Norfolke: he told me that he stole it truly from a great papist in those partes, 1637.

'To morrowe is good fryday
Weele fast whyle we may
Till we heare the knell
Of oure lords bell
Our lorde stands att his masse
With his : 12 : Apostles
Fayer lady whats yonder bright?
Fayer lady whatts yonder bright?
Yonders myne owne deare sonne
Nayled to the holy roode tree
Through hande through foote
Through holy harte roote
Through the harde brayne panne
Well them that thii frydayes peale can
Say it in the morne
Seauen times forborne,
Say it at noone
Seauen times fore doome,
Say it in the euen
Seauen times forgiuen
All the day of our doome than
Wells they this Frydayes peale can.'

Sequunt' orōnes sēte Birgitte: dicte xv. o. MS. in the margin.