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 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
Lustneþ, lordynges, leof and dere,
Ȝe þat wolen of þe sonday here!
Þe sonday a day hit is
Þat angeles and archaungeles Ioyen, I-wis,
More in þat ilke day
Þen eny oþur, as I þe say.
Þen wol we her ate dwelle
Ho preyed furst rest for soules in helle.
Þat is to witen, I sei þe so,
Poul and Michel Archaungel bo.
ffor god of his grete miht
Þe peynes of helle put in heore siht.
Poul sayh bi-foren helle ȝates
Brennynge tres þat neuer slakes;
Mony on for heore synne þonne
Weore I-pyned and honged þer-onne:
Summe bi hondes and bi feet þere,
Summe bi þe her, summe bi þe ere,
Summe bi þe Armes þat weore longe,
And summe þer hengen bi þe tonge.
Ȝe þat wolen of þe sonday here!
Þe sonday a day hit is
Þat angeles and archaungeles Ioyen, I-wis,
More in þat ilke day
Þen eny oþur, as I þe say.
Þen wol we her ate dwelle
Ho preyed furst rest for soules in helle.
Þat is to witen, I sei þe so,
Poul and Michel Archaungel bo.
ffor god of his grete miht
Þe peynes of helle put in heore siht.
Poul sayh bi-foren helle ȝates
Brennynge tres þat neuer slakes;
252
Weore I-pyned and honged þer-onne:
Summe bi hondes and bi feet þere,
Summe bi þe her, summe bi þe ere,
Summe bi þe Armes þat weore longe,
And summe þer hengen bi þe tonge.
He sauȝ a caudren brennynge at enes
Of diuerse colours wiþ seue lemes,
And þer weore þei for heore synne
Diuersliche I-pynet þer-Inne;
And seuen peynes weoren þer also
Þat duden þe soules muche wo:
Of diuerse colours wiþ seue lemes,
And þer weore þei for heore synne
Diuersliche I-pynet þer-Inne;
And seuen peynes weoren þer also
Þat duden þe soules muche wo:
Þe furste of snouȝ, þe secunde of ys,
Þe þridde fuir in alle wys,
Þe ffeorþe blod, as I þe say,
Þe ffyfþe Eddres of foul aray,
Þe sixte leyt, as mon may þink,
Þe seueþe peyne hit was of stynk.
At þat penaunces were þei in cast,
Synful soules, and al for-þrast,
Þe wȝuche þat nolden in no chaunce
ffor heore synnes do no penaunce;
Þer weore þei turmented in þo ledes,
And vche reseyued aftur his deedes.
Summe wepten and ȝelled þenne,
Summe gouleden, and summe dude brenne;
Þei disireden euere to dye—
Hit miht not beo, wiþ-outen lyȝe,
ffor þe soule, wher-so hit go,
Schal neuer dyen, for weole nor wo.
Þerfore sore hit is to drede
Þe places of helle for wikkedhede!
In þe wȝuche þer is a whel brennynge,
Wiþ muche serwe euer-lastynge;
Vndur þat wheol is þer þore
A þousund grisly peynes sore,
ffyue tyme vche day, to telle,
Beo turmented wiþ þe Angel of helle,
In vche of þo fyue tymes
Ben a þousund soules turmented in pynes.
Þe þridde fuir in alle wys,
Þe ffeorþe blod, as I þe say,
Þe ffyfþe Eddres of foul aray,
Þe sixte leyt, as mon may þink,
Þe seueþe peyne hit was of stynk.
At þat penaunces were þei in cast,
Synful soules, and al for-þrast,
Þe wȝuche þat nolden in no chaunce
ffor heore synnes do no penaunce;
Þer weore þei turmented in þo ledes,
And vche reseyued aftur his deedes.
Summe wepten and ȝelled þenne,
Summe gouleden, and summe dude brenne;
Þei disireden euere to dye—
Hit miht not beo, wiþ-outen lyȝe,
ffor þe soule, wher-so hit go,
Schal neuer dyen, for weole nor wo.
Þerfore sore hit is to drede
Þe places of helle for wikkedhede!
In þe wȝuche þer is a whel brennynge,
Wiþ muche serwe euer-lastynge;
Vndur þat wheol is þer þore
A þousund grisly peynes sore,
ffyue tyme vche day, to telle,
Beo turmented wiþ þe Angel of helle,
In vche of þo fyue tymes
Ben a þousund soules turmented in pynes.
253
Aftur þat sayh he, þer he stod,
A wondur orible grisly flod,
And in þat flod say he þere
Mony deueles bestes were:
As ffissches þei were in þat flod þo,
Todus, Neddres, Snakes, mony mo,
And þe synful soules in hiȝ
Eten and gnowen wiþ-outen merci—
Of hem tok I no more kep
But as a Lyun doþ of a schep.
Ouer þat watur he sayȝ ligge
A wondur long and an heiȝ brugge,
And ouer þat brugge saf goon þen
Þe soules of good rihtful men
Wiþ-outen harm of word or dede,
And also wiþ-outen eny drede.
A wondur orible grisly flod,
And in þat flod say he þere
Mony deueles bestes were:
As ffissches þei were in þat flod þo,
Todus, Neddres, Snakes, mony mo,
And þe synful soules in hiȝ
Eten and gnowen wiþ-outen merci—
Of hem tok I no more kep
But as a Lyun doþ of a schep.
Ouer þat watur he sayȝ ligge
A wondur long and an heiȝ brugge,
And ouer þat brugge saf goon þen
Þe soules of good rihtful men
Wiþ-outen harm of word or dede,
And also wiþ-outen eny drede.
Þe soules of synne[r]s, as I þe telle,
ffallen doun þer, in pyne to dwelle,
Þer to take and resseyue so
As þei on eorþe deserueden to.
Be war of þis, I sei, beo-fore,
As God seide in þe gospel þore:
ffallen doun þer, in pyne to dwelle,
Þer to take and resseyue so
As þei on eorþe deserueden to.
Be war of þis, I sei, beo-fore,
As God seide in þe gospel þore:
Ligate per fasciculos ad comburendum:
Byndeþ hem in knucchenus forþi,
To brenne, lyk to licchi,
Spous-brekers wiþ lechours,
Rauisschers wiþ rauisschours,
Wikked wiþ wikked also,
ffor so schul þei to-gedere go.
ffor eueri creature go schal
Bi þat brugge sum or al,
And lasse or more schal he be deruet,
Er aftur he haþ heer deseruet.
To brenne, lyk to licchi,
Spous-brekers wiþ lechours,
Rauisschers wiþ rauisschours,
Wikked wiþ wikked also,
ffor so schul þei to-gedere go.
ffor eueri creature go schal
Bi þat brugge sum or al,
And lasse or more schal he be deruet,
Er aftur he haþ heer deseruet.
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |