S. IVES
S. Ives was born in little Britain in the diocese of Trygvier, begotten of parents noble and catholic, and it was revealed to his mother in her sleep that he should be sanctified. In his first age he was of right good conditions, and right humbly and devoutly frequented the churches, hearing ententively the masses and the sermons. Much of his time he employed to study busily the holy letters, and read much curiously the lives of the saints, and pained himself much with all his power for to ensue them; the which by process of time was adorned of right great wisdom and renowned full of great science both in right civil and in canon law, and also in theology well lettered as it appeared sith, as well in contemplation and judgment as giving counsel to the souls upon the fait of their conscience. For after that he had occupied and exercised much holily and devoutly the fait of advocacy in the bishop's court of Trygvier, ever pleading without taking any salary the causes of the miserable and poor persons, exposing himself to it with his good gree and not required by them for to defend their questions and differences, he was chosen into the office of the official, first in the court of the archdeacon of Rennes, and afterwards in the said court of the bishop of Trygvier. He succoured them that were
180
