Mary Magdalene sails to Marseille

« La vie de la belle et clere Magdalene, » par François Rochefort, maître d'école de François Ier.
« La vie de la belle et clere Magdalene, » par François Rochefort, maître d’école de François Ier.
Source: gallica.bnf.fr

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français 24955, fol. 55r.

Transcription:

fol. 54v.
Icy est la fin de lescripture saincte. Et le commencement de ce que jay trouve de la Magdalene en aultrez livrez assez autentiquez. Apres la reception du sainct esprit Magdalene commensa a prescher publicquement “quod Christus erat verus messyas promissus in lege iudaeorum.” Elle vandit tous ses biens, et gecta le pris aux pietz des apoustres. Les iuifz ennuyez de ses predications, la myrent sur la mer en ung navire desarme et desgarny de toutes choses. Et avec elle le Lazare Marthe et Marcella sa chamberiere. Sainct Maximin disciple et Cedonius qui estoit ne aveugle et Jesus Christ lavoit guery. Et tous ensemble en peu de temps sans inconvenient ariverent a Marseille.

fol. 55v.
Lan XIIIIe apres la passion de Jesus Christ la Magdalene estant a Marseille fut au commencement logee soubz ung porche, a lentree dung temple auquel le roy et la roine de provence vindrent pour sacrifier aux ydolez. Maiz Magdalene les prescha si bien que sans idolatrer ilz retournerer [sic] en leur demourrancez, puy sapparut a eulx plusieurs nuyctz et par menassez piteusez les contraignit de luy bailler logis et la recevoir gracieusement elle et sa compaignie. Ung jour ainsi quelle preschoit le roy linterrogua si elle vouldroit soutenir sa foy. Ouy dist elle ainsi quelle est declairee par Sainct Pierre qui est a Rome. Lors le roy luy dist, “Credimus si filius nobis impetraveris” nous te croirons si a ta requeste ton dieu nous veult donner ung filz.

Translation:

Here is the end of the Holy Scripture and the beginning of what I have found about the Magdalene in other reputable books. After the reception of the Holy Ghost, the Magdalene began to preach publicly that Christ was the true Messiah promised in the Judaic Law. She sold all her possessions and cast all she earned at the feet of the Apostles. The Jews, tired of her preaching, put her to sea in an unarmed and unequipped boat. And with her, Lazarus’s Martha and her handmaid, Marcella, Saint Maximin the disciple and Cedonius who was born blind and who had been healed by Jesus Christ. And all together in a short time with no difficulty, they arrived at Marseille.

In the fourteenth year after the Passion of Jesus Christ, the Magdalene in Marseille was at first housed under a porch at the entrance of a temple where the King and Queen of Provence came to sacrifice to idols. But the Magdalene preached so well that they returned to their home without idolatry, and she appeared to them for several nights invoking their pity compelling them to grant her lodging and to receive her and her company with grace. One day as she was preaching, the king asked her if she wanted to prove her faith. Yes, she replied, just as it is declared by Saint Peter who is in Rome. Then the king said to her, “We will believe if we conceive a son. We will believe you if, at your request, God will give us a son.”

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