University of Virginia Library

Saint Michael, þe aungell clere,
And saint Austyn, þe doctour dere,
And other maisters mare and myn
Sais, þat men gret mede may wyn
(And namely clerkes, þat kan of lare),
If þai þair connyng will declare
Vnto lewed men, þat kan les,
And namely thing, þat nedefull es,
þe whylk may ger þam sese of syn
And help þam vnto heuen at wyn;
And saint Paule, godes apostell dere,
Says till vs on þis manere:
‘All, þat clerkes in bokes rede,
Es wryten all anely for our spede’,
þat we may þareof ensaumple take
To saue our saules and syn forsake
And lede our liues both mare and les,
Als haly bokes beres witnes.
And, for þat god of his gret grace
Will, his pople in ilk a place
Trow in thinges, þat er to come,
Als in ded and þe day of dome,
And how ilk man sall haue his mede,
Be saued or dampned after þair dede:
þarfor he schewes ensaumpels sere
On þis mold omang vs here,
To ger vs in oure trowth be stabill
And lif in faith withowten fabill;
And so he will vs wisely wys
To kepe vs clene and com to blys.

So it bifell in a sesoune
Efter cristes incarnacioune
A thowsand wynter, be yhe bald,
And thre hundreth, als clerkes tald,
And þareto thre and twenty yhere;
þan bifell on þis manere
In Alexty, a noble toune,
þat thretty mylle es fro Bayoune,
þe XII. kalend, als clerkes call,
Of Decembre, als it gan fall,
A gret burges, þat named was Gy,
In þat same cete gan dy;
And, when þe cors in erth was layd,
þan was his gast full smertly grayd:
Vnto his wyfe he went ogayne
And suede hir with mykell payne.
He did hir dole both day and nyght,
Bot of him myght scho haue no sight,
And in hir chaumber myght scho here
Mikell noys and hydous bere,
And oft scho was so rugged and rent,
þat for sorow scho was nere schent.
þus was scho turment in þat stede
Eghtene days, after he was dede;
And scho ne wist noght witerly,
Whether it war þe gast of Gy
Or it war fandyng of þe fende,
þat so had soght hir for to schende.

þarfore sone efter on a day
Till þe freres scho toke þe way
(þat prechours war of þat cete,
Wele lyfand men of gud degre;
And till þe pryor gan scho tell
All þis ferly, how it bifell)
On saint John day þe euangelyste,
þe thred day after þe brithe of Criste.
Scho tald vnto him lest and maste,
How scho was greued with þe gaste,
And how scho was sted in þat stede,
Sen tyme þat hir husband was dede,
And how scho hoped ryght wyterly,
It was þe gast of hir lord Gy;
For in þat chaumbre oft herd was he,
Whare hir lord was wont to be;
To spyll þat bed wald he noght blyn,
þat Gy, hir lord, and scho lay in.
‘þarfor’, scho said with symple chere,
‘þat hows dar I no mare com nere;
Bot hyder I come to ask counsaile,
What thing myght in þis case auaile’.
When þe pryor had herd þis case,
Gret mournyng in his hert he mase;
Bot, for scho suld noght be affrayd,
Vnto þe woman þus he sayd:
‘Dame’, he said, ‘ne dred þe noght,
For out of bale þou sall be broght;
And haue na meruail in þi mynde
Of cases, þat falles omang mankynde,
Forwhi’, he said, ‘als kennes þir clerkes,
God is wonderfull in his werkes;
And wele I wate, þat he will now
Ordayn som poynt for our prow
To schew omang his seruandes dere
Till þair helpyng, als men sall here;
þarfor, dame, gyf þe noght ill,
Bot be blythe and byde here styll.
For to my brether I will a space
To ask þair counsail in þis case;
For omang many wytty men
Som gud counsail may þai ken,
And sykerer may it so be tane
þan of a man bi him allane;
Bot dame’, he said, ‘I sall noght dwell’.

þan gert he ryng þe chapiter bell
And gedyrd his brether all togyder,
And, hastily when þai come þider,
He declared þam all þis case,
Als þe woman said, it wase,
And prayd þam for to tell him to:
‘þarof what best es to do?’
Vnto þis tale þai tuke gud tent
And ordaind be þair comon assent,
þat þe pryor sone suld ga
And with him other maisters twa
(þe tone maister of geomettri
And þe toþer of philisophi,
þat wysest war in þair degre)
Vnto þe mayre of þat cete
To tell þis ilk auenture him tyll
And pray him, if it war his will,
þat he wald vouchesaue to send
Som sertaine men with þam to wend
To Gy hows, þat was newly dede,
To se þa wonders in þat stede
And to bere witnes of þaire dede
And mayntene þam, if it war nede.
And þus þai did with al þaire maine:
þe woman was þareof ful fayne.

When þe mayre had herd þis thing,
Twa hundreth men sone gert he bring
And armed þam fra top to ta
And bad þam with þe pryor ga:
‘And baynly do, what he will byd!’
And, als he bad, ryght swa þai dyd.

þe pryor bad þa men bidene,
þat þai suld all be schryuen clene
And here messe with deuocyoune
And sithen baldly mak þam boune.
And of requiem he sang a messe
For cristen saules both more and lesse,
And in his mynde þan toke he Gy
And prayd for him full specially.
And all, þat þan wald howsell take,
He howsyld sone for godes sake,
For þat þe fende suld noght þam fere
Ne in þair dedes do þam no dere.
And þan þe pryor full preuely
In a bost tok godes body
Vnder his gere with gud entent:
Bot na man wist, þat with him went.

He and þe men and þe maisters twa
Vnto Gy hows gon þai ga.
þe armed men þan ordand he
All obout þe hows to be
Wele vmsett on ilk a syde
To se, what auenture wald betyde:
Som in þe wyndows and som in þe dore
With wapen, þat war styf and store,
And som in þe gardyns gert he lyg
And som vpon þe howses ryg,
And euer in ilk a place bot thre
In takenyng of þe trinite;
And, þus when þai war sett obout,
He bad, þat þai suld haue no dout.

þan entred he in to þat place,
And his twa brether with him gase,
And þir wordes he said in hy:
‘Pax huic domui!’
þat es on ynglysch þus to say:
‘Pese be to þis hows allway!’
To þe chaumber he went withouten rest,
And haly water obout he kest
With ‘Vidi aquam’ and þan said þus:
‘Veni, creator spiritus’
With þe colett, þat sall efter come,
‘Deus, qui corda fidelium’;
And haly water eftsones kest he
And said: ‘Asperges me, domine’.
þan cald he þe wyfe withouten mare,
And scho come wepand wonder sare.
He said: ‘Dame, teche me to þe stede
And to þe bed, whare Gy was dede’.
þe woman was full mased and mad,
Scho trembyld þan, so was scho rad;
Vnto þe bed sone scho him tald,
þe care was at hir hert full cald;
Bot in hir wa yhit als scho was,
Scho said: ‘Sir pryor, or yhe pas,
I pray yhow for þe luf of me
And als in dede of charyte,
þat yhe wald byd som haly bede
And mak prayers in þis stede
For his saule, þat noble man’.
And þan þe pryor þus bigan
And said: ‘Dominus uobiscum’;
His brether answerd all and som;
And efterward he said onone
þe fyrst gosspell of saint Jone
(‘In principio’ clerkes it call).
When it was said, þan satt þai all
Doune on a burde þe bed besyde
And said þe seruyce in þat tyde,
þat for þe ded aw for to be,
‘Placebo’ with þe ‘Dirige’;
And after ‘laudes’ þai said in hy
þe seuen psalmes with þe letany;
And, ‘Agnus dei’ when þai said thryse,
þai herd an answer on þis wyse:
A febyll voyce þan might þai ken
Als of a child sayand: ‘Amen’.

þarfor war þai all affraid,
And þe pryor þusgate sayd:
‘I coniure þe, þou creature,
In þe vertu of our saueoure,
þat es a god of myghtes maste,
Fader and son and haly gaste,
þat was and es and sall be ay,
þat þou me answer, if þou may,
And tell me, what som I will craue,
Als fer als þou may power haue’.
And þan þe voyce with lodder bere
Said to him on þis manere:
‘A, pryor, ask sone, what þou will,
And I sall tell it þe vntyll,
Als fer als I haue myght or mynde
Or als I may haue leue be kynde’.
þis ilk voyce þan herd þai all
(þe armed men obout þe hall),
And in þai come full fast rynand
Ilk ane with wapen in þair hand;
For wele it was in þair trowyng,
þat þai suld se som gastly thing;
Bot neuer þe less yhit saw þai nane
Ne noght herd bot a voyce all ane.

þe pryor bad þam all stand styll,
And þus he spak þe voyce vntyll:
‘Whether ertow ane ill gast or a gud?’
þe voyce answerd with eger mode
And said: ‘Sir, I am a gud gast:
þat may I proue þe here in haste.
For haly wrytt þus beres witnes:
When god had made both more and les,
He loked his werkes in ilk a wane,
And þai war wonder gud ilk ane:
All war gud, þat he gan ma;
And, sen þat I am ane of þa,
A gud gast I am forþi.
And, als I am þe gast of Gy,
þarfor may þou haue in mynde,
þat I am a gud gast be kynde.
Bot I am euyl for mine euil dede,
And þarfor haue I payn to mede’.
þe pryor answerd him in hy:
‘þou says noght ryght; and here now, whi:
þat sall I schew þe here in haste.
þou sais, þou ert a wicked gaste
For þe payn, þat þou has here.
I answere þe on þis manere:
All payn es gud (þat proue I þe),
þat ordaind es in gud degre,
þat es to say, þat punysch syn
Of þam, þat in erth wald noght blyn;
For it es gyfen thurgh godes will.
þarfor I say, it es noght ill,
Ne þou es noght wicked þareby’.
And þan answerd þe gast of Gy:
‘Ilk payne es gud, I graunt wele,
For fra god es gyfen ilk a dele
Bi iugement and bi reson clere
For euell dedes, men has done here.
Bot neuer þe less yhit es it ill
To þam, þat it es gyfen vntyll.
Mi payne es yuell to me all ane,
For me it ponysch and other nane;
And, sen I haue swilk euell payne
For my syns, als es sertayne,
Ane euell spirytt men may call me
Vntill tyme, þat I clensed be
Of euell dedes, þat I haue done’.

And all þus said þe pryor sone:
‘Tell me apertely, or þou passe,
Whilk mans spirytt þat þou wasse’.
þan answerd þe voyce in hy
And said: ‘I am þe spirit of Gy,
þat here was husband in þis stede
And, als yhe wait, newly dede’.
þe pryor sayd: ‘þan wele I fynd
Be reson, þat þou ert vnkynd,
þat þou makes slyke sklaunder and stryf
Both to þi self and to þi wyf;
For, whils þat Gy was lyfand man,
Ryghtwis was he halden þan
And trew in fayth, of noble fame,
And his wif allso þe same;
And for þir meruails, þat þou mase,
Now will men say in ilk a place,
þat Gy was euell in all his lyfe,
And þarfor turmentes he his wyfe,
(For lawed folk in ilk a land
Says, euell men er oft walkand—
And Gy was halden gud allway):
þarfor þou ert vnkynd, I say’.
þe voyce answerd þan, als him thoght,
And said: ‘Vnkynd ne am I noght
Nouther to my wyf ne to my bodi;
Enchesun sall I say þe, why,
Be sawes, þat þou sall noght forsake;
For swilk a skyll here I þe make.
If þou haue gyfen a man to were
Cote or hode or other gere
And he, þat so þi cote has tane,
Wald suffer for þi luf all ane
In gud and euell to lyf and dy,
War he noght kynd to þe forþi?’
þe pryor said: ‘Yhis, for sertaine’.
And þan answerd þe voyce ogayne
And said: ‘Sir, trewly I þe tell,
In Gyes body whils I gan dwell,
Of him I toke none other thing
Bot his cors to my clethyng.
þis cors, þat I dedely call,
Gert vs bath in folyes fall;
And for þe wickednes, þat it wroght,
Am I in all þir bales broght;
And his doyng was it ilk a dele,
Als haly wrytt witnes full wele
And says, þat lykyng here of fles
Contrary to þe saule es.
And, if I suffer noght þis payne,
Gyes bodi and als his saule, sertayne,
Suld suffer payne withouten ende
In fyre of hell with many a fende;
For ilk a man both more and myn
Sall suffer penaunce for þair syn
In þis erth here, whare þai dwell,
Or els in purgatori or in hell;
And Gyes body has now na skathe,
And I am pyned to saue vs bathe.
And efter, when we com to blys,
What ioy sa I haue, sall be his;
For both togyder sall be þan
Body and saule of ilk a man.
And, sen I suffer þir payns grym,
I am noght vnkynd to him.
And, sir pryor, allso þou says,
þat I of Gy suld sklaunder rays:
þarto I answer on þis wyse,
þat I ger no sklaunder ryse.
For þat es sklaunder kyndely kend,
þat sownes in euell or hase euell end.
Wha som it dose, mon dere aby;
For haly wryt says openly:
‘Wa vnto þat man sall be,
Thurgh whame sklaunder comes, sais he’.
And, all if I answer for Gy,
I do him no velany:
Mi spekyng es all for his spede,
þat I may neuen to yhow his nede;
And als my speche may gretly gayn
Till other saules, þat suffers payn.
þat may þou, syr, þi seluen se:
For all folk of þis cete
Comes to þis hows full hastily,
And specially þai pray for Gy,
þat god delyuer him out of his care,
Als þou and þi brether dyd are;
And in þair prayers, þat þai ma,
For other saules þai pray allswa,
And prayers, þat men prayes for ane,
May help vnto þe oþer ilk ane;
And allso þa, þat er onlyue,
Sall soner of þair syns þam schryue
And gyf þam vnto penance hard,
þat þai be noght pyned afterward.
Forþi I sklaunder noght, say I,
Gyes wyf ne his body;
Bot all þe sauwes, þat I say now,
Es for þair honour and þair prow’.

þe pryor said: ‘þan ask I þe,
How any man may euell be,
When he es ded, sen þat he was
Schryuen clene, or he gan pas,
And was in will gud werkes to wirk
And ended in trowth of haly kyrk
And toke his sacramentes ilk ane’.
þe voyce answerd sone onane
And said, þat men may euell be
On twa maners, ‘þat proue I þe,
When þai er dede and schryuen clene;
þat es on þis wise to mene:
þai er euell, whare so þai wende,
þat dampned er withouten ende,
And þai er euell for certayne space,
þat suffers payne in any place
For þair syns, þat es to say,
Till tyme þat þai be wasted oway.
In my self þis same es sene:
For I was schryuen in erth full clene,
ȝit am I euell, þis es certaine,
Till I haue sufferd sertaine payne;
For, als men may in bokes rede,
Clerkes sais, þat it es nede,
þat penance alls fer pas,
Als lykyng here in þe syn was.
þarfor I say, it suffyce noght
To schryue a man in will and thoght,
Bot if he may in dede fullfyll
þe penaunce, þat es gyfen him tyll.
For þat, at we do noght, or we dy,
Sall be fullfyld in purgatory;
And clerkes proues, þat a day here
May þare reles vs of a yhere,
And a day þare to suffer payne
Es als a yhere here þare ogayne:
þarfor es gud, þat men þam schryue
And suffer penance in þair lyue’.

þe pryor þan of him gan craue,
If þat he wist oght, wha war saue,
Or whilk men war dampned bidene,
In þe stedes whare he had bene.
þe voyce answerd þan him tyll
And said: ‘It es noght godes will,
þat I suld slyke þing descry.
I sall þe say encheson, why:
All, þat in purgatori er dwelland,
To blys of heuen er þai ordand;
þarfor þam aw noght for to say,
Bot at þai may warand allway;
And soth hereof may na man tell,
Bot he had bene in heuen and hell
And sene, what sorow es in þe tane,
And in þe tother welth gud wane;
þus, in þam both wha som had bene,
Might say þe soth, als he had sene.
And, sen I am þe spirit of Gy
And suffyrs payne in purgatory,
þe saules in hell may I noght se:
I was neuer þare ne neuer sall be;
Ne in to heuen may I noght wyn,
Till I be clensed clene of syn.
þarfor I may noght sothely say,
Whilk er saued or damned for ay’.

þan þe pryor with gret will
Spak ogayne þe voyce vntyll
And said: ‘Me think, þou ert noght stabill,
Bot þou ert fals and desayuabill,
And in þis matere makes þou lyes:
þat may I proue þe on þis wyse.
Be haly wrytt full wele we knaw,
How prophetes in þe ald law
Spak and tald in feld and toune
Of Cristes incarnacioune,
And how he suld tak flessch and blode
In Mary, mayden myld of mode,
And als þai tald in many a stede,
How he in erth suld suffer dede,
And of his ryseyng tald þai ryght,
And yhit þai saw him neuer with sight.
And, sen þai war men bodily
And tald swilk thinges in prophecy
And kend þe folk, how þai myght knaw
Thinges, þat þam self neuer saw—
Bi þis reson, thinkes me,
A clene spirit, als þou suld be,
Suld haue mare force swilk thing to tell
þan þai, þat lifed in flesch and fell:
þarfor þe aght to witt bi þis,
Whilk er in bale and whilk in blys’.
þe voyce answerd to him in hast
And said: ‘Sir pryor, þir wordes er wast:
I may wele proue þe in þis place;
It es na lyknes, þat þou mase,
Betwix prophetes, þat standes in story,
And sawles, þat er in purgatory.
þe prophetes had, whils þai wond here,
Of god and of his aungels clere
And of gyft of þe haly gaste
All þair maters, lest and maste,
þat þai myght tell and preche ouer all
Before, als it suld efter fall—
Swilk power was gyfen þam tyll;
And all was for þis certayn skyll:
For lawed folk in ilk a land
Bi þair steuens myght vnderstand
And better trow, how Crist was born,
Be sawes, þat þai had said biforn;
For, sen þair sawes fra god war sent,
Men sall þam trow with gude entent.
And I am sett for sertaine space,
Till god will gyf me better grace,
þus for my syns to suffer payne.
And, sir, I say þe for certayne,
þat I may now nane aungels se
Bot þam, þat has kepeyng of me,
And to me will þai tell ryght noght,
Till I out of mi paines be broght.
þarfore I may noght say certaine,
Whilk er in blys or whilk in payne’.
þan said þe pryor sone onane:
‘Ryght in þi wordes þou sall be tane:
þou sais, na spirit may tell me,
Wha sall saued or dampned be;
And bokes beres witnes, be þou bald,
þat fendes som tyme to men has tald
And said þe soth, als þai had sene,
Of þam, þat saued and dampned had bene’.
þe voyce answerd and said ogayne:
‘þat spirit, þat dwelles in payne,
Ne na fendes, þat dwelles in hell,
Has no power for to tell
Ne any thing to man at neuen,
þat towches to preuetese of heuen,
Bot if it be thurgh godes suffraunce
Or other aungels þam tell per chaunce.
And vnto me þai tell na thing:
þarfor I may noght haue knawyng
Of heuenly blys, how it es þare,
Ne of hell, how þe fendes fare.
þe sawles, þat þare sall suffyr pyne,
þair penaunce es wele mare þan myne;
For I haue hope to be in blys,
And þarof sall þai euer mys.
þarfor es no lyknes to tell
Betwene me and þe fendes in hell’.

þan said þe pryor: ‘I pray þe now,
Tell me: In what stede ertow?’
þe voyce answerd and said in hy:
‘I am here in purgatory’.
þan said þe pryor: ‘Proued þou hase,
þat purgatory es in þis place;
For ryght, als þou es purged here,
So may other saules in fere;
And, whare saules may be purged all,
Purgatory men may it call.
þarfor bi þir sawes, þat þou says,
Purgatory es here allways’.
þe voyce answerd on þis manere
And said: ‘þare er purgatoryes sere:
Ane es comon to mare and les,
And departabill ane other es’.
þe pryor said: ‘Now wate I wele,
þat þou ert fals in ilk a dele:
A saule may noght in a tyme ga
To be ponyst in places twa;
For, whils he sall be in þe tane,
Of þe tother he may haue nane:
In a stede bus him suffer payne’.
þan said þe voyce: ‘þis es certayne,
For I am here withouten fabyll
In purgatory departabyll
Ilk a day, als god vouches saue.
Bot other payn behoues me haue:
For ilk a nyght behoues me
In comon purgatory pyned be,
For to suffyr paynes sare
With other saules, þat dwelles þare’.
þe pryor said: ‘Kan þou me wys,
Whare comon purgatori is,
Whare þou of payns has swilk plente?’
‘In mydes of all þe erth’, says he;
‘þare es þat place ordand for vs’.
And þan þe pryor answerd þus:
‘Als þou says, may it noght be:
Be propir skyll þat proue I þe.
þe mydes of þe erth a stede es dyght,
And purgatory ane other es ryght,
And twa stedes may noght be in ane:
þarfor I say, þou has mysgane.
If purgatory, whare þou dwelles,
War in mydes þe erth, whare þou telles,
Twa stedes in ane þan burd be þare,
And þat sall þou se neuer mare:
þarfor so es it noght arayd’.
þe voyce þan answerd sone and sayd:
‘Stedes er ordand here full rathe
Bodily and gastly bathe.
þe saule es gastly, and forþi
It occupyes na stede bodily,
þat es to say, be it all ane,
When mans body þarfra es tane.
þis ilk stede, als þou may se,
Haldes both þi saule and þe,
And yhit here er noght stedes twa;
And herebi may þou se allswa,
How rayne and haile and slete and snaw
Er in þe ayre, kyndely to knaw,
And ilk ane has his cours be kynde:
So es þat place, whare we er pynde’.

þe pryor said: ‘Tell vs in fere,
Whi þat þou ert ponyst here’.
þe voyce answerd him in haste:
‘For in þis place I synned maste,
Of whilk syns I gan me schryue
And did na penaunce in my lyue;
þarfore here sall I penaunce haue
For þat syn, till I be saue’.

þe pryor said: ‘Now, if þou kan,
Tell vs, what thing noyse mast man,
In tyme of ded when he es tane’.
þe voyce answerd sone onane
And said: ‘þe syght sall mast him dere
Of foule fendes, þat him wald fere;
For þan þai sall obout him be
Defygurd all in foule degre,
And grysely sall þai gryn and gnayst
Out of his witt him for to wrayst;
And þan befor him sall be broght
All wickednes, þat euer he wroght:
So will þai fande with any gyn,
Thurgh wanhope if þai may him wyn’.

þe pryor said: ‘þan wald I frayne,
What remedy war here ogayne,
And what thing may help men maste,
In bandes of ded when þai er braste’.
þe voyce said: ‘þare es som man,
þat thar noght hope of na help þan.
For, if a man here lede his lyue
In syn and sithen will noght him schryue
Ne in hert will haue no care
For þe dedes, he has done are,
þan sall his aungell to him tell,
How Crist suffyrd payns so fell,
And how he dyed for his bihoue.
And þat sall be to his reproue
To schew him, how he was vnkynde
Here on þis mold, whils he had mynde,
And how þat he was mysauysede,
Godes sacramentes when he dispysede,
þat wald noght schryue him of his syn,
Bot lyked it euer and ended þarein.
And, when þir sawes er þusgate sayd,
þan sall þe fendes obout him brayd
And manase him with all þair myght
And say: ‘Com forth, þou wreched wight!’
So sall þai harl him vnto hell
Withouten end in dole to dwell.—
And, if a man be clensed clene
And schryfen of all his synnes bedene
And take his sacramentes ilk ane
And in þat tyme with ded be tane,
Yf all his penaunce be noght done,
His gud aungell sais to him sone:
‘Comforth þe wele, I sall þe were,
þat þe deuels sall þe noght dere’;
And to þe fendes þan sall he say:
‘Yhe wicked fendes, wende hethen oway,
For yhe haue na part in þis man’.
And þe fendes sall answer þan
And say on þis wise: ‘Oures he es
Be reson and be ryghtwisnes’,
And þare þan sall þai schew ful sone
All euell dedes, þat he has done
Bath in eld and als in yhowth,
Sen first he kyndely wittes couth,
And say: ‘He synned þus and þus:
þarfore him aw to wende with vs’.
His gude aungell sall mak debate
And say: ‘He synned, wele I wate,
On þis wise, als yhe haue tald;
Bot he es borowde, be yhe bald,
For he was schryuen and clensed clene
And toke his sacramentes all bidene,
And sorow he made for his synnyng:
To clensyng fyre þat sall him bryng;
And þe meryte of Cristes passyon now
Sall be betwix him and yhow
And serue him for scheld and spere,
þat yhour desaytes sall him noght dere;
And Cristes hend and als his syde,
þat thirled war with woundes wyde,
Sall be bitwix him and yhour hende
And fra yhour felnes him defende;
And Cristes face, þat buffett was,
Betwix him and yhour face sall pas,
So þat he sall noght on yhow se
Ne for na thing abaysed be;
All Cristes body spred on þe rode
Sall be vnto him armoure gude,
Swa þat yhe sall haue no powere
Him for to dere on na manere;
All þe lymes of Ihesu fre,
þat for mankynd war pyned on tre,
Sall clens him now of his foly,
He dyd with lyms of his body;
þe saule of Crist, als yhe wele ken,
þat yholden was for erthly men,
Sall purge him now of all þe plyght,
þat þis saule dyd thurgh his awen myght,
So þat in him sall leue no gylt,
Forwhi he suld with yhow be spylt,
Ne no payn vnto him sall stand
Bot purgatory, þat es passand:
þare sall he suffer certaine space,
Till he be purged in þat place,
And sithen sall he with vs wende
And won in welth withouten ende’.
And þus es Cristes passyoune
Sett bifor vs redy boune
For to defend vs fra þe fende,
Out of þis world when we sall wende:
þarfor vs aw, if we be kynde,
To haue þat passyoune mast in mynde.—
And als men may haue helpyng gude
Of Mary, þat es myld of mode:
If we oght for hir here haue done,
Baldli may we ask hir bone,
And vs to help scho will hir haste,
In ded when our myster es maste.
For if a man, or he hethen fare,
Be schryuen clene, als I said are,
þat blyssed bryd will be full boune
To socoure him in þat sesoune
And fend fro þe fendes in fere
And say to þam on þis manere:
‘Mayden and moder both am I
Of Jesu, my son, god allmyghty,
And of heuen am I coround quene
And lady of all þe erth bidene,
And I am emperys of hell,
Whare yhe and other deuels dwell;
And, sen þat I am quene of heuen
Vnto my son þus sall I neuen,
þat he sall deme for luf of me
þis man in purgatory to be,
Till he be clensed clene of syn,
And so to heuen I sall him wyn.
And also, sen I am lady
Of all þe erth, þis ordaine I
Thurgh þe will of my son dere,
þat ilk a bede and ilk prayere,
þat now in all þis warld es sayd,
Vntyll his profett be puruayd,
And all þe messes and almusdede
Sall turne þis man now vnto mede;
And bi þa dedes and be þa messe
Sall his penaunce be made lesse,
þat to him es ordaind for his syn,
þat yhour falshede gert him fall in.
And, sen I am emperis of hell,
þarfor yhour force now sall I fell:
I comand yhow, yhe hethen fare
And at yhe noy þis man no mare,
þat ended in my son seruyse’.—
And, when scho has said on þis wyse.
All þe halows hegh in heuen
Hyes all vnto hir full euen
And vnto Jesu all in fere,
And þus þan mak þai þair prayere:
‘Lord Jesu, god allmyghty,
Fader of heuen, man of mercy,
Haue mercy on þis man, þat es
Our awen brother and our fless!
Sen þou wald com fra heuen on hight
And suffer payn for mans plyght,
þou meng þi mercy with þis man’.—
þus sall man saule be saued þan,
And his gud aungell sall him take
To purgatory aseth to make,
And to him he sall tak tent,
Till he haue sufferd his turment.
And þan þe wicked gastes sall ga
þethen oway with mykell wa.
On þis manere may gude prayere
And almusdedes, þat men dose here,
And meryte of Cristes passyoune
And of halows gud orisoune
Help a man in his dying
And vnto clensyng fyre him bryng’.

þe pryor said vnto him þan
And asked, if þat any man
Of Jesu Crist may here haue syght
Or of Mary, his moder bryght,
Or of þe halows verraily
In þair right fourme, when þai sall dy’.
þe voyce answerd and said: ‘Nay,
Bot on þis wise, als I sall say,
Bot if it be so haly a man,
þat has na nede of purgyng þan
Ne for to dwell in purgatory:
þai may se þam openly,
And synfull men may noght þam se’.
þe pryor said: ‘þan think me,
þat þou says now þi self to skorne
Ogayns þe sawes, þou said beforne;
For þou said, Cristes pascyoune
And also Mary suld be boune
And other halows, þat er in heuen,
To pray for him with myld steuen:
þan semes it, þat he se þam may’.
þe voyce answerd and sayd: ‘Nay;
þai sall be þare, I grant þe wele,
Bot he sall se þam neuer a dele
In þair lyknes verraily.
And þis es þe encheson, whi:
For þe grettest blys of heuen it es
For to se Crist in his lyknes,
þat es to say, in his godhede;
þan thurt men haue nane other mede
þan in þair dying him to se,
And in þat blys þan þai suld be
Sodainly at þair endyng:
And þat war vnacordand thing’.

þan þe pryor of him asked,
If spirytes, þat es hethen passed,
May kyndely knaw be morn or none
þe dedes, þat here er for þam done,
Or prayers, þat men for þam ma?
þe voyce answerd and said: ‘Yha’.
þe pryor said: ‘þan kan þou say,
Wharof I sang mess to day’?
þe voyce answerd ogayne full tyte
And said: ‘þou sang of saint spiryte’.

þe pryor answerd, als he knew,
And said: ‘I se, þou ert noght trew:
Of Requiem I sang, certaine,
For cristen saules, þat er in payne;
þarfor þou says noght sothfastly’.
þe voyce answerd to him in hy:
‘I graunt graythely, or I gang,
Of Requiem full ryght þou sang;
Bot yhit I say þe neuer þe lesse,
Of saint spirytt was þe messe.
þat sall þou be ensaumple se:
For, wele þou knawes, in ilk contre,
If any man outher ald or yhing
Of ane other suld ask a thing,
What thing so lygges his hert most nere,
þat in his speche sall fyrst appere
And first be in his wordes allways;
For god þus in his gospell says:
‘Ex habundancia cordis os loquitur:
Of þe fulnes of þe hert
Spekes þe mowth wordes smert’.
And þe messe of saint spiryte
To my profytt es mast perfyte
And allso of þe trinite:
þir messes moste amendes me;
Bot þe mess of þe haly gast
In my mynde es althir mast.
And here now þe encheson, whi:
For, whils I lyfed here bodily,
I spended my wyttes and my powere
Full of sythes in synnes sere,
When I suld haue þam spended ryght
To godes worschepe with all my myght
And mensked þe fader with all my mayne.
For of him comes all power playne,
þat men has here, whils att þai lyf,
After his grace als he will gyf.
þarfor, what man so dose vnryght
Thurgh his power or his myght
Or be his strenkith, if þat it be,
Ogayns þe fader þan synnes he;
For al power he weldes allways,
Als Dauid in þe psauter says:
‘Omnia, quecunque uoluit, dominus fecit’;
He says: ‘þe fader may fullfyll
In heuen, in erthe, what som he will’.—
To Crist, god son, es gyfen full ryght
All wysdom both bi day and nyght:
þarfor god son þai syn ogayne,
þat here dispendes þair wittes in vayne
And settes þam so on werldly gude,
þat ryches es mare in þair mode
þan Crist, god son, þat boght þam dere.
I haue synned on þe same manere.—
Till þe haly gast es gyfen all grace
And all bountes in ilk a place.
Ogayns him oft siþes synned haue I,
When þat I vsed in foule foly
þe gyftes, þat he me gaf of kynde,
And wald noght mensk him in my mynde;
For my fauor and my fairhede
Haue I done many synfull dede,
And vertus haue I turned to vyce
Thurgh wekid werkes als wryche vnwyse.
Wharfore aseth now bus me make
To the thre persons for my syn sake.
þarfore messes of þe trinite
May gretely help now vnto me
For greuance, þat to me es graide,
Als my gud aungell has me sayd;
And, for þat I haue synned maste
Ogayns þe gyftes of þe haly gast
Couetand here mare ryches,
þan he me gaf of his gudnes
Or þan he vouched safe me to sende,
þarfor, þis myss to amende,
Messes sungen of saint spirytt
In my payne may do mast respyt.
And þarfor, sir pryor, I say,
Of saint spiritt þou sang to day.
All if þine office ordaind ware
For cristen saules, als þou said are,
þou toke with gud deuocioune
Of þe haly gast ane orysoune,
And þat ilk orysoune, for certayne,
Alegged me mare of my payne
þan all þe other, þat þou sayd
(For tyll all saules þai war puruayd);
And, sen þat helped me all ane
Wele mare þan þe other ilk ane,
Of þe haly gast, I say, þou sang:
If þou me wyte, þou has þe wrang’.

þe pryor askes him þan þis thing,
For how many saules a prest myght syng
In a tyme and in a stede,
Whether it be for quyk or dede,
And ilk ane haue in lyke gudenes
And in lyke meryte of þe mess.
þe voyce answerd and gan say,
þat a prest anely on a day
For all saules may syng and rede
And ilk ane of his mess haue mede
Bi vertu of þe sacrament.
‘And þarfor to þis tak tent:
Jesus Crist with Jewes voyce
Was anely offyrd on þe croyce,
And þare he dyed and gaf þe gast
Vnto his fader of myghtes mast
For saluacioun of all mankyn
And noght anely for a man syn.
Ryght so þe prest in ilk a messe
Offers Criste, ryght als he es
In hale godhede, als clerkes ken,
In amendement of all cristen men.
þarfor in a messe may be tane
All cristen sawles als wele als ane,
And better may it part þam tyll:
þat proue I þe be proper skyll.
For gret difference may men fele
Bitwene spirituall thing and temporele:
Temporall thing, þat þou sese here,
When it es parted in paracels sere,
In þe ma parcels it parted es,
It self leues ay wele þe les,
þat es, for porcyoun partyse þar fra;
Als if þou ane appell ta
And part it in to many hende,
With þi self sall lytell lende.
On þe toþer side þou vnderstand,
þat spirituall thing es ay waxand:
þat may þou se be ryght resoune,
Als if þou tak þis orysoune,
þe Pater noster, and forth it ken
Kyndely to all cristen men;
And, so when þat it teched es,
In it self it es noght les,
Bot in vnderstandyng es it mare,
When ma it kan, þan couth it are.
So es þe messe and þe prayere,
þat ordand er for saules sere,
For ded and quyk, if þat it be:
þe more it es in it degre’.

þe pryor answers sone and says:
‘Haly wryt witnes allways,
þat saules er saued, for certayne,
And oft delyuerd of þair payne
Thurgh speciall prayers and speciall dede,
þat frendes dose here for þair mede;
And þa frendes dose mare for ane
þan for other saules ilk ane;
þan think me, þat his mede sall fall
Mare, þan it war done for all,
And mare alegge him of his payne’.
þe voyce answerd þus ogayne:
‘Ilk a prest, þat messe synges,
Him nedes for to do twa thinges:
First his prayers sall he make
Specially for his frendes sake,
Whilk he es mast halden vntyll,
þat god him help of alkyns ill;
And, when he has so prayed for ane,
þan sall he pray for other ilk ane,
And ilk ane has mede of þat messe;
Bot he, for wham it ordaind es,
Es helped mast fro bale þarby.
And on þis same manere am I
Delyuerd of my penaunce here,
þat I suld haue sufferd, bi foure yhere,
For mysdedes als it was dett:
A lyfand frend þus has it lett.
I haue a cosyn, þat þou wele knew,
A pore frere, þat I fynd trew;
I helped him, when he had nede,
Whils he to þe scoles yhede;
And allso sithen, when he was frere,
I fand him fully fyue yhere.
And for my self full wele I wroght:
þat gudenes now forgetes he noght,
For in his mynde he has me maste;
þarfor I sall be helped in haste:
I sall haue penaunce in þis place
No ferrer bot fra hethen to Passe.
If þou will witt þis for certayne,
At Pasch com to þis place ogayne,
And, if þou here noght þan of me,
Sothly, certayne may þou be,
þat I am hent vp in to heuen’.

And, als he bad, he dyd full euen:
At þe Pasch after þe hows he soght,
And of þe voyce he herd ryght noght;
þarfor he trowed, als he said are.

Bot in þat tyme he asked mare
And said: ‘Kan þou trewly tell,
If þou in þat ilk heuen sall dwell,
þat for godes halows es puruayd?’
þe voyce answerd sone and sayd:
Sir, I tald þe are full euen,
þat I come neuer yhit in heuen;
þarfor I may tell þe no mare
Of orders, þat er ordaind þare.
Bot of blys may I be full bald,
For þus myne aungell to me tald,
To Pasch I suld in penance be,
And þan, he said, þat I suld se
þe kyng of heuen in his godhede
With his aungels all on brede
And with his halowes euerilk ane.
And I answerd sone onane
And sayd: ‘A, lord, me think full lang,
þat meney till I com omang;
Bot he be loued in ilk a place,
þat vnto me has gyfen slyke grace!”

þan said þe pryor: ‘What helpes mast
Vnto heuen a saule to hast
Out of þe payne of purgatory?’
þe voyce answerd and said in hy:
‘Messes may mast help þam þen,
þat er said of haly men
And namely of myld Mary fre’.
þe pryor said: ‘þan think me,
þe office of þe ded, certaine,
Of Requiem, was made in vayne,
Sen other auailes þam more þan it’.
þe voyce answerd vnto him yhit
And said: ‘Full mykell auail it may,
When any men for all will pray;
And, for þat lawed men here in land
Kan noght graythely vnderstand,
þat saules has nede of other messe,
þarfor þat offyce ordaind es’.

þe pryor said: ‘Sen þou has kende,
þat specyall messes may mast amende,
Whilk other prayers withouten þa
May tyttest saules fra penaunce ta?’
þe voyce answerd and said in hy:
‘þe seuen psalmes with þe letany’.
þe pryor said: ‘þat war noght ryght;
For god þe Pater noster dyght,
Als of all prayers pryncipall,
And aungels made þe Aue all
Vnto myld Mary for our mede,
And þe twelue apostels made þe Crede.
And þe VII psalmes er erthly werkes
Ordand of byshopes and other clerkes
Men for to say, þat has mysgane,
And Dauid made þam euerilk ane;
And nouther Dauid, wele we ken,
Ne byshopes ne nane other men
Vnto god er noght at neuen,
Ne yhit vnto aungels of heuen
Ne tyll apostels er þai noght pere:
þarfore me think, þat þair prayere
May noght of slyke bounte be
Als þe Pater noster and þe Aue
And þe Crede, þat þe apostels puruayde’.
þe voyce answerd þan and sayde:
‘þir prayers er full mykell of mede
And full haly, if we tak hede,
In þam self. þis es sertayne,
And for þair makers mykell of mayne:
We sall þam wirschepe, als worthi es,
Bifor all þe other, out tane þe messe.
Bot neuer þe less, sir, certainly,
þe VII psalmes with þe letany
For to say es mast suffrayne
Vnto þe saules, þat suffers payne;
For þai er ordaind, mare and myn,
Euer a psalme for a syn,
And so þai stroy þe synes seuen:
þarfor þai er nedefull to neuen.
þe fyrst psalme gudely grayde
Ogaynes pryde es puruayde;
And þus to vnderstand it es:
‘Lord, deme vs noght in þi wodenes,
Als þou dyd Lucifer, þat fell
For his pryde fro heuen to hell’;
And so þe other psalmes on raw
Ilk ane a syn oway will draw
Thurgh help of halows in fere,
þat ordaind er in þat prayere’.

þe pryor eftsones him assayls
And said: ‘Tell me, what it auayls,
Or if saules þe better be,
To pray Placebo and Dirige
With þe offyce, þat for þe ded es dyght’.
þe voyce answerd him on hyght
(With gret force out gan he bryst)
And said: ‘A, pryor, and þou wyst,
How gretly þat it may þam gayne,
þan hope I, þat þou wald be fayne
Oft for to bede þat blyssed bede
For þi frendes, þat er dede;
And, for þou sall it better knaw,
þe priuatese I sall þe schaw.
In Placebo es puruayd
Fyue psalmes, þat sall be sayd
Aneli for þe euensang,
With fyue antems als omang:
þa ten togeder, when þai er mett,
For þe saul er þusgat sett,
For to restore, wha to þam tentes,
Vnto þe saule þe ten comandementes;
þai sall mak mynde, how he þam dyd,
So þat his mede sall noght be hyde.
Neghen psalmes þan sayd sall be
Afterward in þe Dirige,
And þai sall signify full ryght
þe neghen orders of aungels bryght,
To whilk orders þe saule sall win,
When he es purged of his syn;
þat order sa he sall fullfyll,
When þa psalmes er sayd him tyll.
þe neghen antems next folowand
And thre versikles, þou vnderstand,
þe twelue poyntes of trowth þai bring ful chere
To him, þat þai er sayd fore here,
And telles, how he trowed þam ryght
Here on þis mold, when he had myght,
Als haly kyrk him kyndely kende:
And so þai may him mykell amende.
þe neghen lessons bi þam all ane
For þe neghen degrese er trewly tane;
For ilk a saule, þat suffers pyne,
Bus nedes be in ane of þir nyen,
þat es to say, outher yhong or ald
Or pore or of pouste bald
Outher in clennes lyfe to lede
Outher in wedlayke or in wydowhede
Outher clerk or lawed man—
In som of þir sall he be þan:
In whilk degre sa he es in,
þir lessons sall to welth him wyn;
And þe neghen respons for to rede
Sall mak him tyll haue mykell mede.
þe fyue psalmes of þe ‘Laudes’ all ane
For þe fyue wittes may wele be tane:
þat ilk a saued saule sall fele;
And þai sall bere witnes full wele
(And fullfyll it with mayn and myght),
þat þe saule þam vsed ryght.
þe fyue antems þan folowand
In witnes for þe saul sall stand
And faythly help for to fullfyll
þe fyue strenthes, þat god gyfes saules vntyll;
For god gaf, when þis word bigan,
Thre strenthes to saules of ilk a man,
þe whilk strenthes of myght er slyke,
þat vnto god man saule es lyke,
And allso other strenthes twa
Vnto mans bodyse gan he ma,
þat to þe saule dose na socoures,
Bot makes þam lyke godes creatures:
First I say, bi strenthe of thoght
þe saule lyke vnto god es wroght;
þe secund es strenthe of vnderstandyng,
þat es lyke godes son in all thing;
þe thred thingh, strenthe of will,
þe haly gast it es lyke tyll;
And bi mysgangyng and vnwytt
Lyke ane vnskylfull best es it:
Forwhi þe saule dwelles als a stane
And feles als a best all ane
And lyfes als tres, þus clerkes telles,
And vnderstandes als gud aungels.
þir strenthes er þus ryght arayd,
When þis seruyse for saules es sayd.
Allso þe psalme of Benedictus
And of Magnificat helpes þus
For to saue þe saules fra skathe
Thurgh godhede and manhede bathe,
Wharof þai sall be certayne
To se, when þai er past þare payne,
And lat þam witt, how þai sall wende
And won in welth withouten ende.
þe twa antemes, þat er puruayd
With þe psalmes for to be sayd,
May be tald þe company
Of aungels on þe ta party
And of halows on þe tother syde,
þat with þe saules in blys sall byde.
þe colettes, þat men efter mase,
Er demed for þe dedes of grace,
þat saued saules to god sall yeld
With all wirschip, þat þai may weld.
And, sa when þai er mended of mys,
þan sall þai lende in lastand blys.
þarfor, sir pryor, þir prayers
Helpes saules þus, als þou heres’.

þus when he had declared þis thing,
All, þat it herd, had gret lykyng,
And mery made þai, ilk a man.
Bot þan þe gast full sone bigan
To morne and mak full symple chere
And sayd to þam on þis manere:
‘Askes hastily, what yhe will;
Mi tyme es nere neghand me tyll,
þat me bus gang, als es my grace,
To suffer paynes in other place:
To gretter greuance bus me ga’.
þe pryor said: ‘Sen it es swa,
þis wald I witt, now ar þou wende,
If we may oght to þe amende’.
With symple voyce þan answerd he
And sayd: ‘If yhe wald say for me
Fyue sithes specially
þe fyue ioyes of our lady,
þat myght help mykell me vntyll’.
þai graunted all with full gud will,
And on þair knes þai sett þam doune
And said with gud deuocyoune
‘Gaude uirgo, mater Christi’
With þe fyue vers folowand fully,
Bowsomly, als he þam bad,
And þarfor was þe gast full glad.
He thanked þam with wordes fre
And said: ‘Wele haue yhe comforth me;
Mi payne es somdele passed now,
þat I may better speke with yhow’.

þan said þe prior: ‘Kan þou oght tell,
What deres mast þe fendes of hell?’
þe gast answerd and said in hy:
‘þe sacrament of godes body;
For, in what stede goddes body ware,
And þe fendes of hell war þare,
Vnto it burd þam do honoure,
And so sall ilk a creatoure’.
þe pryor said: ‘þan think me,
þat all spirites suld it suthely se,
When it es on þe auter grayde’.
þe voyce answerd sone and sayde,
þat spirites may it kyndely ken
Mare verraily þan other men.
þe pryor asked him þis skyll:
‘May deuels do any dere þaretyll
Or disturbe it be any way?’
þe voyce answerd and said: ‘Nay,
Bot if þat a prest be vnclene,
In dedly syn, þat es to mene,
Or other syn, what som it be;
In swilk prestes has þe fende pouste
For to merre þam in þair messe,
If þai dwell in þair wickednes.
And yhit he comes noght comonly
To ger þam be abayst þareby;
Bot, when he wate, þat þai lyf wrang,
þe ofter wald he, þat þai sang,
And þat es to encrese þair payne:
For of þair euell fare es he fayne’.
þe pryor asked withouten lett
And said: ‘Es þare nane aungell sett
To gheme þe auter fra euell thing,
Whils godes body es in makyng,
And als þe prest in þat tyme to wys?’
þe voice answerd and sayd: ‘Yhis;
And gude aungels war noght present,
With euyll spirytes myght all be shent;
For þai wald sone disturbe þe prest
And putt vayne thoghtes in to his brest,
So þat he suld noght worthily
Haue myght for to mak godes body
With honoure, als it aw to be:
So suld he think on vanyte’.
þe pryor said: ‘I wald witt fayne,
What remedy war here ogayne
For to defende þe fendes fell’.
þan said þe voyce: ‘I sall þe tell;
If þat þe prest in godes presence
Be clene in his awen conscience
And mak his prayers with clene thoght,
þan þe deuels may dere him noght’.
þe pryor said to him þir sawes:
‘Es þare na prayer, þat þou knawes,
A prest to say, byfore he syng,
þat myght fordo swilk euell thing?’
þe voyce said: ‘What prest so hade
þe prayer, þat saint Austyn made,
þe whilk Summe Sacerdos es calde,
And he with gude deuocyoune walde
Say it ilk day, or he sange,
To messe þan myght he baldly gang,
For wathes it wald so wele him were,
Vnnethes suld any deuels him dere’.

þe pryor asked him yhit full ryght,
If he saw euer þat solempne syght,
Of godes body þe sacrament,
Out of þis world sen þat he went.
þe voyce said: ‘Yha, I se it yhit,
For on þi brest þou beres it;
In a box þou has it broght,
Als it was on þe auter wroght’.
Hereof þe folk awondred ware,
Forwhi þareof wist þai neuer are,
þat þe pryor had godes body,
Bot resayued it in his messe anely.
þe pryor said: ‘þan wald I witt,
Whi þat þou noght honours itt,
Sen þou says, ilk a creature
Till godes body sall do honoure,
And þou wate wele, þat it es here?’
þe voyce answerd on þis manere:
‘I haue it honourd in my kynde
With all my myght and all my mynde,
Sen first þat þou it hyder broght,
All if þou persayued it noght’.
þe pryor þan with gud entent
Toke þe blyssed sacrament
Out of his clathes, whare it was layd,
And to þe spiryt þus he sayd:
‘If þou trow it stedfastly,
þat þis is godes blyssed body,
And ilk a spirit, wele wate þou,
Bihoues vnto godes body bow,
And sen it es of swilk pouste,
In vertu þareof I comand þe,
þat þou ga with me playne pase
To þe vttermast yhate of all þis place’.
þe voyce answerd: ‘I am boune,
Bot noght to folow þi persoune;
Bot with my lord fayne will I wende,
þat þou haldes betwix þi hende’.

þan þe pryor toke þe gate
Fast vnto þe forsayd yhate,
And allso his brether twa
With him went and many ma.
He loked obout and saw ryght noght;
Bot in his hereyng wele him thoght,
þat a noyse after him come
Lyke a besom made of brome,
þat war swepand a pament:
Swilk a noyse ay with þam went.
And þarto spak þe prior þus:
‘þou spirytt, schew þe vnto vs
Witerly, als þou ert wroght!’
Hereto þe spiryt answerd noght.
þe pryor þan ogayne gan pass
Vnto þe wydow, whare scho wass
Lygand sare seke in hir bed
(So had scho lang bene euell led).
þe voyce folowd, als it did are,
Vntyll þai in þe chaumbre ware.
þan sone þe woman gan bygyn
Grysely for to gnayst and gryn
And cryed loud, als scho war wode.
All war astoned, þat þare stode;
Gret sorow þai had þat syght to se,
For of hir payne was gret pete.
Bot neuer þe less all men, þat myght,
Assembled for to se þat syght
And persued vnto þat place;
For þai wald witt þat wonder case.
þe woman lay lyke vnto lede
In swounyng doune, als scho war dede.
þe pryor, when he saw þis care,
Him thoght, full euell þat he come þare;
Bot neuer þe less yhit stode he styll,
And þus he said þe voyce vntyll:
‘In þe vertu of Cristes passyoune
Say me þe soth in þis sesoune,
Whi it es and for what thing,
þat þi wife mase slyke mornyng’.
þan said þe voyce full sarily:
‘Scho wate hir self, als wele als I’.
þe pryor þan with gud entent
Sone vnto þe woman went,
And till hir þus gan he say:
‘In þe name of god, dame, I þe pray,
Tell vnto me all þi thoght’.
And scho lay styll and answerd noght,
And so obout þe bed þai stode
To luke, if oght myght mend hir mode;
And many for hir wa gan wepe.
Sone efter scho bigan to crepe
Vpon hir knes, so als scho may,
And cryand loud þus gan scho say:
‘Lord Jesu, als þou boght me,
Of my payne þou haue pete
And graunt me of þi help in haste
To bete þis bale, þat me has braste!’
þe pryor saw hir sorow and site,
And to þe voice þus said he tite:
‘Whi es þi wife þus trauaild here?’
þe voyce answerd on þis manere:
‘I tald ryght now here þe vntyll,
þat hir self wist, for what skyll;
And, if þou will witt mare allway,
Ask hir self, scho kan þe say’.
þan eft þe pryor to hir gase,
And mykell mane to hir he mase
And said: ‘To saue þi self of sare
Tell me þe cause of all þi care,
And out of bale I sall þe bryng’.
Scho lay and answerd him no thing;
And þan he stode als man amayde,
And till þe spirytt sone he sayde:
‘þou creature, I coniure þe
Bi godes myght and his pouste
And bi þe vertu of his body
And of his moder, myld Mary,
And bi þe mylk, he souke swete,
And bi þe teres, scho for him grete,
When scho saw hir son be slane,
And bi þe halows euerilk ane,
þe certaine soth þat þou me say
Of þis meruail, if þou may,
Whi þi wife has all þis payne’.
And þan þe voyce answerd ogayne
And said: ‘Hir murnyng mare and myn
Was all for ane vnkyndely syn,
þat we did bifor my dede
Betwix vs twa here in þis stede;
Of whilk we bath war schryuen sone,
Bot þe penance was noght done.
þarfor penance vs bus fullfyll
Now als ferre, als falles þaretyll’.
þan said þe prior: ‘Now, er þou pass,
Say to me, what syn it was,
þat wedded men may warned be
To do na thing in þat degre
Ne lyke to it in dede ne thoght’.
þe voyce said: ‘God will it noght,
þat I þat syn vnto yhow say,
þat thurgh schryft es done oway.
Of þat syn we bath war schryuen:
þarfor of god it es forgyuen
Als to þe blame, þat be þou bald.
Bot touchand þe penance I þe tald,
Aseth bus vs make for þat syn,
Or we any welth may wyn.
And þat, þat es done fra godes syght,
To tell it to men, it war noght ryght,
Bot if it war, als god forbede,
Eftsones so done in dede.
Bot vnto wedded men sall þou say
And warn þam, þat þai kepe allway
þe rewle of wedyng with þair myght
And duely do both day and nyght;
For þare er many comon case,
In whilk wedded men may trispase;
þe cases er kyndeli for to ken
On molde omang all witty men.
þis was þe suffrayne poynt’, sais he,
‘Whi þat god lete me speke with þe,
þat þou suld trow þis stedfastly
And other men be mended þareby,
So þat þai may þair syns forsake
And in þair lyue amendes make’.
þe woman, wepand als scho lay,
With sary hert þus gan scho say:
‘Gud Gy, for luf of me
Say, if I sall saued be
Or I sall dwell in dole euer mare
For þat syn, þat þou neuend are,
Wharof, I wate, god was noght payd’.
þe spirit answerd sone and sayd:
‘For þat ded þou dred þe noght,
þe penaunce nere tyll end es broght;
þou sall be saued, for certayne’.
And þan þe woman was full fayne
And sayd þare kneland on hir kne
A Pater noster and ane Aue;
Scho loued god with word and will.
And þan þe pryor said hir tyll:
‘Dame, whils þou þis lyf may lede,
Ilk day, luke, þou do almusdede,
For almusdede may syns waste’.
Vnto þat word answerd þe gaste:
‘Dame’, he said, ‘par charyte,
When þou dose almus, think on me,
For to alegge som of my payne’.
And þan þe pryor gan him frayne,
Whi he come noght in þat sesoune
Vnto men of religioune
For to tell to þam his lyfe
Titter þan vnto his wyfe,
Sen þat he wist, þai war mare nere
At pray to god, þan wemen were,
And mare wisely þai couth him wys.
þe voyce answerd þan vnto þis
And sayd: ‘I lufed mare my wyfe
þan any other man on lyfe,
And þarfor first to hir I went;
And, when me was gyfen þe iugement
To suffyr penance in þis place,
I asked god of his gret grace,
þat my wife myght warned be
For to amend hir mys bi me;
And of his grace he gaf me leue
On þis wise hir for to greue
And for to turment hir biforne,
So þat scho suld noght be lorne,
Ne þat scho suld noght suffyr pyne
For hir syns, als I do for myne,
Bot do it here in hir lyf days’.
All sone þan þe pryor says:
‘Can þou oght tell me, how lang
þat þou sall thole þa payns strang?’
þe spirit sayd: ‘I vnderstand,
To Pasch, þat now es next comand;
þan sall my payne be broght till ende,
And vnto welth þan sall I wende’.

þe pryor said: ‘I meruail me,
How þou to speke has swilk pouste
And has na tong ne other thing,
þat instrument es of spekyng’.
þe voyce answerd on þis manere:
‘Ne sese þou noght, a carpentere,
þat diuerse werkes oft syþes has wroght,
Withouten ax may he do noght?
And ay þe ax will redy be
With him to hew on ilk a tre,
And it may nouther styr ne stand
Withouten help of mans hand.
Ryght swa a man here yhow omell
Withouten tong may na thing tell;
And with his tong yhit spekes he noght
Bot thurgh þe ordenance of þe thoght,
þat es, of þe saule allways,
þat ordans all, þat þe tong says.
And forþi be þis tale tak tent,
þe body es bot ane instrument
Of þe saule, als þou may se,
And þe saule in him self has fre
Alkyns vertuse, myght and mynde:
Swilk gyftes er gyfen to him be kynde;
þarfor he may speke properly
Withouten help of þe body.
And, whare þou says, a man may noght
Speke þe thing, þat comes of thoght,
Bot he haue mowth and tong als,
In þat, I say, þi sawes er fals;
For haly wryt witnes full ryght,
þat god and all his aungels bryght
Spekes wisely to ald and yhong,
And þai ne haue nouther mowth ne tong.
Ryght so may I and ilk spiryte
Fourme voyces full perfyte
And wirk þe wordes, how so we will,
And spek withouten tong yhow tyll’.

þe pryor askes him, in what stede
þe saules dwelles, when men er dede,
Vnto tyme þat þe dome be done;
‘For þan, þou says, þai sall witt sone,
Whether þai sall to ioy or payne’.
þe gast þan answerd sone ogayne
And said: ‘A lytell while beforne,
Or þat þe erthly lyf be lorne,
þe saule sall se and here vnhyd
All þe dedes, þat euer he dyd,
þe vgly deuels and aungels bryght.
And efter þe porcyon of his plyght
In þat same tyme sall he se,
Whider þat he sall iugged be—
To comon purgatory, þat es stabyll,
Or vnto purgatory departabyll
Or els vnto þe payns of hell
Or vnto heuen in blys to dwell’.

þe prior þan with wordes hende
Asked, how sone a saule may wende,
When it es past fra þe body,
To heuen or hell or purgatory.
þe voyce answerd and sayd: ‘It may
In a lytell space wend all þat way;
Sone es it broght, whare it sall be,
Als þou may be ensaumple se.
þou sese, when þe son es rysand,
þe lyght gase sone ouer ilk a land;
It passes ouer all þe world full playne,
Bot if þare stand oght þareogayne;
Right swa þe saules, when men er ded,
Al sone er in þair certaine stede:
To heuen or hell þai wend in hy.
And, if þai pass to purgatory,
Som tyme wende þai noght so sone,
And þat es for þair profett done:
If þai haue any faythfull frende
In þis world here, when þai wende,
þat for þam will ger syng or rede
Or els do any almusdede,
þai may so do for þam þat tyde,
þat in þe ayre þe saule sall byde,
Vntyll it haue þe merit tane
Of þair prayers euerilk ane;
And so bi help of þair gudenes
May his penaunce be made les;
þe dedes, þat er so done in haste,
Vnto þe saule es helpyng maste.
On þe same manere, als I say,
In þis cete was done þis day.
A frere dyed and demed he was
Till comon purgatory at pas;
Bot in þe tyme of his transyng
Of his breþer he asked þis thing,
þat þai suld do in dede and saw
For him, als þai war bon bi law;
And þe messes, þat þam aght for to say,
Pur charyte he gan þam pray,
þat þai suld be said in hy
And euerilk ane of our lady.
And, als he bad, ryght so þai dyd,
And afterward þan þus bityd:
When he was dede in flessch and fell,
His aungell demed his saule to dwell
In comon purgatory playne
Thre monethes to suffer payne,
Als worthy was efter his dede;
Bot þan our lady Mary yhede,
And tyll hir son scho prayd þat tyde,
þat þe saule in þe ayre suld byde,
Vntyll it had þe meryte clere
Of dedes, þat war done for it here;
And twa oyres þan bayde it styll
In þe ayre, als was godes wyll,
And swilk mercy of god had he
Thurgh prayer of his moder fre
And thurgh þe dedes, þat here was done,
þat he sall be in blys full sone;
In payne he has no lengar tyme
Bot fra now till to morne at pryme’.

þan sayd þe prior till him sone:
‘Whilk dedes of all, þat here er done,
May tyttest help a saule to heuen?’
þe voyce answerd and said full euen:
‘Parfyte werkes of charyte,
þat er done, als þam aw to be,
þat es to say, to godes bihoue,
And our euencristen if we loue:
þan of our werkes will god be payd’.

þe pryor answerd sone and sayd:
‘If þat þou kan, tell vs in haste,
What maner of men þat now er maste
In purgatory to suffyr payne’.
þe gaste answerd sone ogayne:
‘Na man comes þat place within
Bot anely þai, þat has done syn;
And all, þat syns and saued sall be,
Er pyned þare of ilk degre
Efter þe dedes, þat þai haue done’.

And þan þe pryor asked sone,
What manere of folk þat he here fande,
þat in þair lyues war best lyfande.
þe voyce said: ‘Sir, soth it es
(And haly wryt wele beres wytnes),
þat na man aw other to prays,
Whether he do wele or euell always;
For mans lyfe es to prayse na thing,
Bot if he may haue gud endyng;
For na man in þis world here wate,
Whether he be worthi to luf or hate,
Ne whether his werkes war euell or wele,
Vnto þe dome be done ilk dele:
þan sall he se him self, certayne,
Whether he be worthi ioy or payne’.

þe pryor said: ‘þis ask I þe:
Whilk es þe maste parfyte degre
Of all, þat in þis ground es grayde?’
þe gast answerd sone and sayde:
‘In ilk a state I se’, he says,
‘Som thinges to lak and som to prays;
þarfor I will prayse na degre,
Ne nane sall be dispraysed for me.
Bot neuer þe less þis wald I rede,
þat ilk a man in ilk a stede
Serue god with all þair myght,
In what degre so þai be dyght’.

þe pryor asked with wordes stabyll,
If þat god war oght mercyabyll
To saules, þat er in purgatory.
þe gast said: ‘Yha, sir, sykerly;
For vnto som, þis es certayne,
Relese he þe ferth part of þair payne,
Of som þe thred part he releses,
Of som þe secund part he seses.
And þat es for gude prayers sake,
þat frendes here for þam will make:
If any dedes be for þam done,
þan may þai pass fra payns sone.
Lyfand frendes þus may þam lett
Of payn, þat þai suld dregh be dett,
And als þe prayers of aungels
And of halows, þat in heuen dwelles’.

þe pryor said: ‘þis wald I craue,
Whatkyn payn þi self sall haue,
In purgatory whils þou sall dwell’.
þe voyce said: ‘I sall þe tell,
In flawme of fyre þus bus me stand,
þat alþer hattest es brynand,
And haue na comforth me to kele’.
þe pryor said: ‘Now se I wele,
þat þou ert no sothfast gaste:
þat sall I proue þe here in haste.
þis wate þou wele, if þou haue mynde:
God dose na thing ogaynes kynde;
For, if he dyd, þis dar I say,
His werkes wald sone be wast oway.
And bodyly thing þe fyre I call,
And þou es a gast spirytuall:
And bodily thing may haue no myght
In gastly thing bi day ne nyght;
þan be ensaumple may þou se,
þat fyre may haue no myght in þe,
All if þou þarein graythely gang’.
þe voyce said: ‘Sir, þou has þe wrang,
þat þou me calles sa dyssayuabyll,
Sen þou has fon in me no fabyll.
Bot neuer þe lesse, sir, whare þou says,
þat bodily thing be nakyn ways
In gastely thing may haue powere,
I answer þe on þis manere.
þou wate wele, þat þe deuels sall lende
In fyre of hell withouten ende,
And þat fyre es als bodily
Als þe fyre of purgatory,
And yhit pynnes it þe deuels in hell,
Als god witnes in his gosspell,
How he to þe fendes sall say
And to þe dampned on domesday:
‘Yhe weryed gastes, I byd yhow wende
To þe fyre, þat lastes withouten ende,
þat ordand es for na thing els
Bot to þe deuell and his aungels’.
And, whare þou says, þat god dose noght
Ogaynes kynde in þinges, he wroght,
I say, he dose, als folk may fynde,
Bi miracle oft ogaynes kynde,
Als whilom fell of childre thre,
þat ordand war brynt to be.
In haly wrytt er þai named so:
Sydrac, Misaac and Abdenago.
þai war done with full gret ire
Intyll a chymne full of fyre;
And, als it was our lordes will,
þe fyre dyd nanekyn harme þam tyll;
Bot hale and sounde þai satt and sang
Louand þe myght of god omang:
þus war þai saued in þat stede
Fra fyre and fra þat kyndely dede.
Ryght so has god ordand in me,
þat þe fyre has no pouste
To wast me, if I stand þarein,
Bot for to pyne me for my syn’.
þan sayd þe pryor: ‘Sen þou says,
þat fyre obout þe bryns allways,
þan think me, þat þis hows and we
Suld bryn all for þe fyre of þe,
Sen þat it es so hate and kene’.
þe voyce sayd: ‘Now es wele sene,
þat in þe es full lytell skyll.
For ryght now tald I þe vntyll,
þat god may withdraw thurgh his myght
þe strenthe of fyre both day and nyght,
So þat it no harme may do
In thing, þat it es putt vnto,
Als he dyd to þe childre thre,
Of whame bifore I tald to þe.
Allso þou sese, fyre of leuenyng
Wendes obout be alkyn thing
Kyndely, als clerkes declare it kan,
And nouther bryns it hows ne man,
Bot if it be thurgh ani chance,
þat it brin bi goddes sufrance.
And als þou sese, þe son may passe
Thurgh wyndows, þat er made of glasse,
And þe glass es noght enpayred þarby,
So may a spiryt, sikerly,
In ilk a place com in and out
And bryn noght, þat es him obout,
Howses ne clathes ne other atyre,
All if him self be flaumd in fyre;
And so þis hows may resayue me
And it self noght enpayred be.
Bot, certes, þis sall þou vnderstand:
If all howses in ilk a land
In a sted war brynand schire,
It myght noght be so hate a fyre,
Als I now suffyr nyght and day’.

And þan þe pryor to him gan say
Askand of him þis questiowne,
If he trowed þe incarnacyoune,
How Jesu Crist toke flessh and blode.
þe voyce answerd with eger mode
Till þat questyon all with envy,
And full loud þus gan he cry:
‘A, my pryor, whilk er þa men,
þat þe incarnacyoune will noght ken?
Whilk er þa, þat will noght knaw,
How aungels sayd it in þair saw?
And deuels trowes it wonder wele,
And saules in payne þai may it fele;
Full mykell wa þai er worþy,
þat will noght trow it stedfastly.
To ask me yit, it war no nede:
In haly wryt þi self may rede,
þat þus says in þe gospell of Cryste:
‘Wha trewly trowes and es baptyst,
Till endeles blys þai sall be broght’
And allso: ‘Who so trowes it noght,
How Crist on mold toke our manhede,
þai sall be dampned withouten drede
And euer haue bale withouten blys”.
þan said þe pryor: ‘Tell me þis,
Sen þat þe Sarzyns and þe Jowes
And þe payens it noght trowes,
Whi god lates þam dwell so lang
In þair thoght, sen þai trow wrang,
And sen þai will for na resoune
Trow Cristes incarnacyoune’.
þan þe voyce answerd him tyll:
‘It es na questyoun of godes will;
And þarfor falles it noght þe to
To ask, whi god dose so or so
Of thing, þat touches to his godhede;
Bot fande to do his will in dede!
I wate noght, whi þam lyf es lent,
Bot if it be to þis entent,
þat cristen men may on þam fyght
In þe fayth for to defend þair ryght;
For, on þam bataile for to bede,
May cristen men encres þair mede,
If faith be fully in þair fare’.

And þan þe pryor asked mare:
‘Kan þou oght tell me, whilk manere of syn
Er vsed mast omang mankyn?’
þe voyce answerd on þis wise:
‘Pryde, lychory and couatyse
And vsury, þir foure in fere
With þair braunches many and sere,
þai er full wlatsom day and nyght
Bifor god and his aungels bryght.
And thre syns er, if þai be done,
For whilk god will tak vengance sone:
Ane es, if man and woman here
Won samen, als þai wedded were,
And wandes noght þair will to wirk
Withouten þe sacrament of haly kyrk,
Or if þai be wedded þat tyde
And outher syn on outher syde
To breke þair spowsage in þat space:
To god þis es a gret trispase.
þe tother syn es noght to say,
Bot clerkes full kyndely knaw it may.
þe thred syn es full euell thing,
þat es manslaghter with maynsweryng’.

þus when all þir sawes war sayd,
þe woman to þe prior prayd,
þat he wald spek þe gast vntyll,
So þat he dyd hir no more ill
For goddes luf of myghtes mast.
þe pryor þan said to þe gast:
‘I coniure þe be god all ane
And bi his halows euerilk ane,
If þou may schon, þat þou sese
And lat þi wyf now lyf in pese
And persue hir no more with payne’.
þan þe gast answerd ogayne:
‘þat may I noght for nanekyns nede,
Bot scho lyf chaste in wydowhede
And allswa ger syng for vs twa
Thre hundereth messes withouten ma:
A hundreth of þe haly gast sall be
Or els of þe haly trinite
And a hundreth of our lady
And of Requiem fyfty
And other fyfty als in fere
Of Saint Peter, þe apostell dere’.

þe woman herd þir wordes wele
And graunted to do ilk a dele;
Sone, als sho might, sho mad hir boun
Till all þe freres of þat toune
And prestes and monkes of ilk abbay
And gert þam syng all on a day
Thre hundreth messes gudely grayde
On þe couand bifore sayde;
And, so when þat þai songen ware,
þe gast of Gy greued hir no mare.

Bot yhit þe pryor in þat place
Vnto þe gast twa resons mase
And asked, if he wist, on what wyse
Or in whilk tyme Anticrist suld ryse
And tak ogayn trew cristen men.
þe gast on þis wise answerd þen
And said: ‘It falles noght vnto me
To tell noght of godes preuete;
It es na question vs vnto,
What so his will es for to do’.

þe prior said: ‘Me think ryght wele,
þou heres oure spekyng ilk a dele’.
þe gast said: ‘Yha, for certayne’.
And sone þe pryor sayd ogayne:
‘þan has þou eres to þi hereyng,
Forwhi þou ert a bodily thing
And noght gastly, als þou has tald’.
þe voyce answerd with wordes bald:
‘Haly wryt þus telles vs till:
‘þe spirit enspires, whare it will,
And his voyce wele may þou here;
Bot þou may noght on na manere
Witt, what place þat it comes fra
Ne vnto what place it sall ga”.

And, ryght als he þir wordes gan say,
Sodainly he went oway,
So þat þai herd of him no mare
In þat tyme, whils þai war þare.
And be þan was tyme of euensange,
And þe prior bad ilk man gang
In þe name of god, whare þai wald be;
‘And, whare yhe com, in ilk contre,
If yhe be asked of þis case,
Says þe soth, ryght als it wase
And als it es here proued in dede’.
And hastily þan hame þai yhede.

þe pryor þan withouten faile
þe woman þus he gan counsaile,
þat scho suld kepe hir clene and chaste,
Als scho was warned with þe gaste;
And als he bad ane other thinge,
þat ilk day a prest suld synge
Contynuely þare in þat place
For Gy saule fro þethen to Pase.
With full gud will þe woman dyd,
Als þe pryor gan hir byd:
A prest scho gat with full gud chere.
Bot hir hows durst scho noght com nere:
Scho was so dredand ay for dole.

And on þe twelft day efter Yhole,
þat clerkes calles Epiphany,
Vntyll þe freres scho went in hy,
And tyll þe prior sone scho yhode,
þat had done hir so mykell gude.
And he ordaind with all his mayne
Vntyll hir hows to wend ogayne
For to here and herken mare,
If þai myght fynd þat ferly fare.
He toke of other orders twa,
Of Austyns and Menours allswa,
So þat þai war twenty freres
All samen withowten seculeres.
And samen so ogayne þai went
To Gyes hows with gud entent,
And in þat hows said þai and he
‘Placebo’ with þe ‘Diryge’
For his saule, þat was husband þare,
Als he and his brether did are.
When all was sayd in gud degre
Till ‘Requiescant in pace’,
þai herd a voyce com þam besyde,
Als it did at þat other tyde;
Lyke a besom bi þam it went,
þat war swepand on a pauement.
þarfor som of þe folk war flayd;
Bot till it sone þe pryor sayd:
‘I coniure þe with mayn and mode
In þe vertu of Cristes blode,
In þis stede at þou stand styll
And answer, what we say þe tyll’.
And þan þe voyce with wordes meke
Als a man, þat had bene seke,
Vntyll þe pryor þus gan say:
‘Whi deres þou me þus ilk a day?
It es noght lang, sen I tald þe
All, þat þou wald ask of me.
What suld I now say to yhow here?’

And þan answerd ane other frere,
A diuynour of gret clergy,
And said: ‘Tell here till vs in hy,
Whether þat þou of payn be quytt,
Or els what payne þou suffers yhit’.
þe voyce answerd sone onane
And sayd: ‘Loue god all his lane!
For swilk grace vnto me es grayde
Thurgh messes, þat war for me sayde,
þat fra þis tyme now afterward
Am I past fra þe payns hard
In comon purgatory, þare I was are:
In þat place sall I com no mare’.

Vntyll þat voyce þan said þe frere:
‘Tell vs, what pain has þou here,
Sen þou fra purgatory es paste’.
þe voyce answerd at þe laste:
‘I suffer flawme of fyre full hate’.
þe frere said: ‘Tell vs, if þou wate,
If any thing amend þe may’.
þe voyce answerd and sayd: ‘Nay;
Me bus it suffer certaine days’.

Yhit þan þe prior to him says:
‘Lo, how haue I gederd here
Freres and other folk in fere
Of þi wordes to bere witnes
And of þir meruayls mare and les,
þat we may all þis case declare
Bifor þe pape, when we com þare;
And þarfor tell vs som meruaile,
þat we may trow withouten fayle’.
þe voyce answerd to þir sawes:
‘I am noght god (þat wele þou knawes),
And meruayls falles to na man els
Bot vnto him and his aungels.
And neuer þe less þus I yhow teche:
Bot if yhe better þe pople preche,
þan yhe haue done þis tyme beforne,
Lightly may yhe be forlorne;
And speke yhe sall mast specyally
Ogayns þe syn of symony,
Vsur, manslaghter and maynsweryng,
Avoutry and fals witnes beryng.
þir syns bot if þe folk forsake,
I warn yhow, god will vengeance take,
And warn it, whar for þe prayere
Of myld Mary, his moder dere,
And of his halows euerilk ane
Greuouse vengance mond be tane
Full many tymes omang mankyn,
When þai vse swilk outrage syn.
And yhe sall suffer þe same payne,
Bot if yhe preche fast þareogayne.
For syn es vsed now wele mare
þan any werkes of godes lare:
þat sall þai som tyme full sare rew’.

þan asked þe pryor, if he knew,
How many papes suld be of Rome
Fra þat tyme tyll þe day of dome.
þe voyce said: ‘I kan tell na thing,
What sall fall in tyme comyng;
þarfor þou may noght wit for me,
How many papes of Rome sall be
Ne what sall com ne what es gane.
And þarfor may yhe now ilk ane,
Whare so yhe will, wende forth yhour way;
Bot prayes for me more, if yhe may,
And for all saules, þat suffers payne.
For þis I say yhow for certayne:
Haly kyrk prays noght so fast
For cristen saules, þat hethen er past,
Als þai war won, ryght wele I ken,
Ne no mare dose religiouse men.
þarfor I rede, þai mend þam sone,
Or any euell be to þam done’.

þir tales when he had tald þam tyll,
He sayd no mare, bot held him styll,
And of him herd þai þan no mare.
þarfor all men, þat þare ware,
Went and tald þir thinges ilk one
Playnly vnto þe pape John
þe twa and twenty, I vnderstand.

And at þe Pasch next folowand
þat same pape sent men of his
For to seke þe soth of þis
(þe hows of Gy oft sythes þai soght),
Bot of þe gast ne fand he noght,
And þareby myght men witt full euen,
þat he was went vp intyll heuen,
Whare comforth es withouten care,
Als him self had said þam are.

Vntyll þat comforth Crist vs ken
Thurgh prayer of his moder! Amen.