University of Virginia Library

Me þingþ a Myhelmasse day in Holy Churche also
Of a bataille þat sein Michel wiþ a dragon ssolde do
Þat was þe luþer Lucifer þat was is felawe
And somdel is souerein forte he gan misdrawe
Ac þo he þat angel was þoru is [s]ori prute
Bicom to a luþer deuel and biȝet wel lute
And fel out of is heie sege þat he ches amis
To þe deope put of helle as is wonynge is
Fram þe hexte stude þat is wiþ one swenge he com
To þe lowest iwis a wonder wei he nom
No wonder wat was him wi uerde þe ssrewe so
He pleide mid þe valling torn to wel he couþe it do
Iambeleue he com swenge into helle gronde
A murgore in he hadde er þat worse þere he fonde

408

A wonder sweng me þincþ he made is biȝete was wel lute
Acorsi he may eueremo is misfaringe prute
For as sone as God hadde ymad heuene & eorþe & helle
He made him ferst & is felawes as ich ȝou may telle
And he anon as he was ymad bigan to smite in prute
And wolde be[o] as hei as oure Louerd & biȝet wel lute
Monye hulde faste wiþ him & noȝt alle of one lore
Somme delited inis dede somme lasse & somme more
Somme ferde as hom ne roȝte noþer of on ne of oþer
Þer ne bileuede in heuene non of hom ne hore maister noþer
Sein Michel maister was [] to driue hom of heuene adoun
Þat was þe bataille þat he made mid þe luþer dragoun
Þe maister dragoun Lucifer and is pur felawes echon
Þat faste held wiþ is prute he drof hom to helle anon
Ac hi þat somdel wiþ him hulde and noȝt folliche so uaste
Out of heuene he hom drof and into þe lift hom caste
Al here byneþe toward eorþe þere mest tempest is
And þere hi ssolleþ in pine be[o] forte Domesday iwis
And as hore gult þe more was þe more is hore pine also
And þe worse stude hom is itake hore penance on to do
Ac to helle ne ssolde hi noȝt forte Domesday wende
Ac þere hi ssolleþ þere afterward bileue wiþoute ende
Oþer were þat for hom somdel in misþoȝt were
Ac naþeles hi hulde bet mid God ac vnneþe hi forbere
Þulke wende out of heuene ek and aboue þe oþere beoþ
Anhei vnder þe firmament and Godes wille iseoþ
And so ssolleþ be[o] somdel in pine forte þe worles ende
Ac hi ssolleþ a Domesday aȝen to heuene wende
In eor[þ]lich parais somme beoþ also
And in oþer studes an eorþe hore penance to do
For hore defaute in heuene þoru oure Louerdes grace
Man was ferst an eorþe imad to folfeolle þulke place
For tene ordren of angles þer were ymad þo
And þe teoþe uel adoun in to pine and wo

409

And nie hondred ȝute þer beoþ & þanne is man iwroȝt
To folfelle þe teþe ordre þat of heuene was ibroȝt
Sone so man was imad and sunegede also
And forgulte þe heie ioie þat hi were ymad two
In helle he was wiþ Lucifer & wiþ oþer luþer vode
Forte oure Louerd hom aboȝte in fleiss & in blode
Þe luþer gostes beoþ aboute mid hore luþer poer
To bitraie wrecche men and bringe into hore panter
And þe gode beoþ eke aboute mid poer þat hore is
Forto wardi men fram sunne þat hi neworche amis
Boþe þe luþer & þe gode aliȝteþ ofte adoun
And to men in slepe comþ and in auision
And sseweþ hom in metinge moni a wonder dede
Ac þe gode of gode þinge & þe luþer euere of quede
And derieþ ofte men in slep & bodieþ sorwe & care
And ofte hi of liggeþ men þat me clupeþ þe mare
For þat is al hore delit wanne hi moweþ do men wo
Ac þeoues hi cheseþ aniȝt aboute to fle[o] & go
Mest hi greueþ selimen wanne hi liggeþ upriȝt
Op hom hi liggeþ heuie inou nere hi nere so liȝt
Hi of liggeþ as an heui stok as hi wolde a man astoffe
Þat he ne ssel wawy fot ne hond ne vnneþe enes poffe
Dai þat such luþer chamberlein þat awakeþ men so sore
And God ȝiue hom sorwe inou & euere þe leng þe more
And alle þat loueþ is companie for he nas neuere hende
Ȝif eny of ȝou him loueþ wel oure Louerd him sone sende
Þe ssrewen wolleþ ek oþerwile mankunne to bitraie
Aliȝte adoun in monnes forme biniȝte & bidaie
And liggeþ ofte bi wymmen as hi were of fleiss & blode
Ac þe engendrure þat hi makeþ ne comþ neuere to gode
And ofte in forme of womman aday and eke niȝt
Hi leteþ men hom ligge bi and bitraieþ hom outriȝt

410

For hi weteþ wuch beoþ men þat to folie habbeþ wille
Al one in som deorne stude hi stondeþ þanne wel stille
And mani fol hom liþ so by in wode and eke in mede
Ac þer nis non þat so deþ þat ne acoreþ þe dede
Hore membres toswelleþ somme & somme ofscapeþ vnneþe
And somme fordwineþ al awei forte hi be[o] ibroȝt to deþe
More wonder it is iwis hou eni ofscapeþe of liue
For an attri þing it is to lemman oþer to wiue
And ofte in forme of womman in moni deorne weie
Me sicþ of hom gret companie boþe hoppe & pleie
Þat eleuene beoþ icluped þat ofte comeþ to toune
And bi daie muche in wode beoþ & biniȝte upe heie doune
Þat beoþ of þe wrecche gostes þat of heuene were inome
And mony of hom a Domesday ssolleþ ȝute to reste come
Ac þe ssrewen þat beoþ biniȝte and eke bidaie
Fondieþ wiþ wuch felonie hi moweþ men mest bitraie
For þulke tyme þat þe deuel oure ferste uader wan
Þoru þe appel þat he him ȝaf maister he was of man
And faste us hadde al to him forte oure Louerd us boȝte
And for men were so alle his þe lasse of hom he roȝte
Ne noþing he nas engynous as þe ssrewene nou beoþ
For plente nis no deinte as we alday iseoþ
He uerde as deþ a port dogge inorissed in portoun
For he geþ ofte in prece of men among hom up & doun
To men nenimeþ he no ȝeme to berke on hom noȝt ene
Ac among men geþ stille inou bote eny man him hene
Also uerde þe deuel þo for man was al his
And hadde of hom so gret plente he ne tolde noȝt þerof iwis
Ne nas noþing clib to hom to asaili hom wiþ wou
Namore þan þe port hond þat among hom is nou
Ne he nas grim to engini men as he nouþe is

411

Suþþe oure swete Louerd was ibore of is moder iwis
Hadde he be[o] such biuore as he haþ suþþe iwis
Vnneþe was þare enyman þat nadde ibe[o] al his
Ac oure Louerd after is deþ broȝte him in harde logge
And þane ssrewe teide uaste inou as me deþ a tei dogge
A tei dogge is clib inou wanne man comþ inis siȝte
And grenneþ & bercþ inou and drauþ mid al is miȝte
Ac ȝif enyman him comþ so nei þat he set on is toþ
Siker be[o] he bit sore inou as alle suche doþ
Ac clibbost upe hom he is þat þrouweþ him mid ston
Ac nei noman ne may he come bote wo so wole to him gon
Nou late suþþe he was iteid þe deuel farþ also
He bercþ & grenneþ toward men bote wo so wole to him go
Ac wanne man him comþ so ney þat he him mowe areche
He wole bite harde inou and is lesson teche
Þat bote he turne to amendement & take to Godes leche
And þoru þe prest him lete ssriue him worþ ido gret wreche
Hardost þe deuel bit men wanne eny comþ him to
Of hom þat him arerede er & godnesse habbeþ ido
For þere wiþ me him arereþ mest & suþþe him wolleþ wiþdrawe
And comeþ so nei þat he mowe him reche he cacþ him wel vawe
And ope is poer harde him bit is bites beoþ wel ille
He nemay noman as ȝe seoþ take aȝen is wille
Namore þanne mai a tei dogge þat is iteid in stronge teie
Ac wanne he nemai areche men wide he cast is eiȝe
Ȝif he may enyman iseo þat to him wole drawe

412

Anon he ginþ to tolli him as man deþ is felawe
For wanne a man nemai noȝt is felawe bringe ner
Wiþ is hond he tolleþ him as wo seiþ icham her
Þe deuel tolleþ wiþ is hond as wel as deþ a man
And fif fingres þer on he haþ þat he wel bisette can
Ech of is fingres haþ a name as we clupeþ oure also
Þe leste hatte liteman for he is lest þerto
Suþþe þe next hatte leche for wanne a leche makeþ oȝt
Wiþ þulke vinger he wole taste were it be[o] ariȝt iwroȝt
Longe man hadde þe middemost for lengost he is
Þe veorþe hatte techare for þerwiþ me tecþ iwis
As wo seiþ lo him þer of wam we speke er longe
For þe þoume strengost is þeruore me clupeþ him stronge
Þanne hatte þe leste liteman þe next him hatte leche
Suþþe þe longe longeman þe techare for he deþ teche
Stronge is þe þoume icluped þou wost wel wi it is
Þe vif fingres þe deuel haþ and hore name iwis
Þerwiþ he tolleþ men to him wanne men stondeþ fer ato
And wiþ fol þoȝt to him lokeþ and not wat he wole do
And is inwit him seiþ þat it gret sunne were
And gret wille he haþ þerto ac he ne der it do for fere
Þe deuel stont & fawe wolde hente him bi þe polle
Wiþ liteman is leste finger he ginþ him ferst to t[o]lle
And seiþ war of erte adrad a wel lite sunne it is
And makeþ þe sunne lite inou for þe finger is lite iwis
Ȝif he nemay wiþ þulke finger a man to sunne teche
Wiþ is felawe he tolleþ next þat me clupeþ leche
And seiþ oure Louerd is god leche & fol of milce & ore
Wel he wole hele & forȝiue þei þe sunne were more
He nis noȝt so wrechfol as me weneþ deore he haþ þe aboȝt
Wel more sunne he forȝifþ þereuore ne drede þe noȝt
And bote he mowe þer wiþ wynne he pult two is felawe
Þe longe þat sit him next þat al were hi todrawe

413

And seiþ þou ert ȝong inou þou miȝt libbe wel longe
And þi sunnes bete wel þei hi were ten so stronge
Scholdestou nou bileue þi wille wat ssolde þi ȝonge blod
Þou sselt ȝute libbe longe inou & amendi al þi mod
Bote he mowe ȝute make a man þerwiþ do amis
He tolleþ wiþ is techare þat þe nexte felawe is
And seiþ lo þere þulke preost and þulke kniȝt also
And þulke person & manie oþere þat more sunne habbeþ ido
And naþeles it beoþ godemen and god lif ledeþ inou
Þulke man nas neuere ibore þat among ne dude wou
Sein Poul mid is owe honde an hondred men slou
Seinte Marie Magdalein to lecherie drou
Seinte Peter þrie in one niȝt oure Louerd forsok also
And loke ek þis oþer halwen wat sunne hi habbeþ ido
And þei hi beoþ heie in heuene ne worste neuere so heie
More sunne þanne þou wolt do þou miȝt bete ar þou deye
Þou wost be[o] oþer þanne enyman [b]ihold al aboute
A mysdede is sone ibet war of hastou doute
Ȝif he nemai mid is techare make is wei roume
Mid þe stronge he tolleþ þanne mid is ssrewe þoume
And seiþ þou ert strong inou more sunne to bete
Wostou bileue so murie þing þench þat it is swete
Þou miȝt be[o] þerof issriue & it worþ forȝiue clene
Goþ forþ hardeliche naue þou none teone
And bet þi sunne afterward for þe ne failleþ strengþe non
For wel feblore þanne þou ert wel ofte wole misgon
And suþþe do hore penance and naþeles noȝt wel stronge
For oure Louerd is euere ȝare sunfolmen to auonge
In þis manere þe luþer ssrewe wanne he vnderȝet oȝt
Þat men lokeþ toward him & somdel changeþ hore þoȝt
He tolleþ hom euere ner & ner mid is fingres arewe
Nou luþer þrift up al þe hond for euere he was a ssrewe
Daye þat sori wolde be[o] þei he were al tohewe

414

Forto sunne he bringþ manion & to amendement vewe
Þeruore biþencheþ ȝou wanne he wole ȝou to sunne pute
And wiþ is fingres tolleþ ȝou & seiþ þe sunne is lute
And þat oure Louerd is leche & milsfol & þat þou sselt libbe longe
And þat oþere sunegeþ more þat nebeoþ noȝt so stronge
Anon so ȝe þencheþ such a þoȝt biþench ȝou þerto
Hou þe ssrewe tolleþ ȝou & wiþ wuche finger also
Seggeþ him he lucþ loude wo so deorste him telle
Saue þat he maister is in þe deope put of helle
And God holde him is dignete and is noble maistrie
Forte somme of ȝou ȝeue al is god bynyme him þe baillie
For siker woso vuel deþ and comþ to is tollinge
He wole him bringe euere ner & ner & in deppore sunne bringe
And attenende in þe put of helle þat he worþ euere forlore
Þat vnneþe him tit þe grace to wiþdrawe him biuore
Þei hy nemowe us noȝt ise[o] among us hi beoþ þicke
And þei hi out of helle be[o] hor pine is strong & wikke
For hi fareþ as þe man þat in acces of feuere is
Beo he in hous oþer in felde is bernynge ilast iwis
Fer and ner he mai go ac euere ilast is pine
Hit is bi þe deuel her also and bi is hine
For þei hi out of helle be[o] hy ne ssolle so atroute
Þat hi þe bernynge of helle wiþ hom ne bereþ aboute