 | Theophilus |  |
II.
Þis cursed sorcerer counseleth with Sathan for Theophilus, who commynge vnto him, renyeth hys christendome, Christe, and his mother Marye, geauinge to the ffynde hys wrytinge for confirmatyon of his promyse in the same.
49
Amyddes the night, when styrringe there was none,For all by nyght this cursed Iwe he wrought,
To whom he serued made invocation,
And was present in manner, at a thought.
Obedysance makinge, as seemed hym he ought,
90
And will obeye to what ye will requyre’.
50
‘I well vnderstande’, answered the ffynde,‘The some and entent of hys hole requeste.
Hym to receaue contenteth much my mynde,
But thus I answeare at his entereste:
I doinge for hym my vttermoste beste,
Hee afterwardes awaye fro me to flytt—
Behovethe thearefore well to foresee ytt.
51
Is hee fyrmelye will hys faith as renownce,Which he moste fondelye to Christ hath profeste,
And myne ordynauncys so to renounce (?)
As I shall enflame in hys inwarde breste,
I will condescende then to his behest,
Informe him what doth behoue in þis case.—
And hym present then before heere my face’.
52
The ffallse iuglynge Iwe wente home to hys house.At tyme appoynted Theophylus came,
Inwardlye moste dyuillyshlye desyrous
Of his belonginge to come by the same.
The myscreaunte Iwe hys wordis dyd thus frame:
‘Yf thowe, Theophylus, wylte haue thy mynde,
Thowe muste then order thee after thys kynde.
53
Before hym that shall thy purpose redresse,When thowe shalte come immedyatlye a now,
Thowe muste be well ware thowe doiste thee not blesse
With sygne of the crosse, which Christe henge vppon.
For yt in deade ys superstytion,
Which he, my lorde, in no wyse can abyde;
Therfore in anye wyse sett that asyde.
54
And what thowe so seeist, dysmaye thee nowhytt,For that thowe such syght sawe neaver before.
Humblynge thye sellf downe, lowe at hys feete,
And then to thye purpose thowe shalte heeare more’.
With that hee ledde hym in at a lowe dore,
Wheare Sathan sate, in stage of glytteringe golde,
As Nabagodonosor, bade to beholde.
55
The deuill, hym seeinge, sayde to the Iwe:‘Whom haste thowe heare brought before my presence?’
‘Sir’, sayde the Iwe, ‘I haue brought vnto you
A sueter to haue of your benevolence,
Who will you owe his trwe obedyence’.
91
Renounce before mee the crucyfyed Christe,
56
With what ells he promysed in his baptysme,Which are to mee thingis moste farre odyous.
Delyvered oute of that cursed scysme,
I shall to hym shewe my favour gracyous’.
‘Sir’, sayde the wicked Theophylus,
‘I am therwithall moste gladdlye contente.
To what ye commaunde I wyllinglye assent’.
57
Fferder yeate more—Sathanas agayne:‘Besydes that is sayde, thowe shalte eke denye,
For that myne owne thowe shouldiste eaver remayne,
The mother of Christe, by name called Marye’.
‘I graunte’, sayde the false departed partye,
‘I heeare doe forsake, her sonne, and all thinge
That doth appertayne to their professinge’.
58
‘Yeat not suffiseth’, saith false Sathanas,‘All thowe haste promyste, but this be also:
I muste haue wrytinge concerninge þis case
Of thye profession heere made me vnto,
Which never meanys after maye seeme to vndoe.
In steade of inke, thye blode muste testefye,
And then what thowe wilte thowe shalt fynde readye’.
59
The cursed sorcerer then pricked his thyghe,And caused the bloode to issue owte bodde;
Wherwith Theophilus gaue a great syghe,
When he behelde the same how it bledde.
And with a penne, on perchment readye spredde,
He wrote, to hys shame, this testimonye:
I Christe forsake and his mother Marye.
60
This Belyall bill written with his bloode,To Sathanas his acte he doth betake;
Whom then answerde Sathan where he stoode:
‘Unto the cytye whense thowe came, nowe make,
And I shall move the bisshoppe for thye sake.
Bee not farre absent, but neeare to be founde;
The soaner vnto thy profyte shall sownde’.
61
The Iwe hym conveyde from Sathans presence,And yeat with Sathan replenyshed was hee;
Abroade beinge browght, he badde him parte thense,
92
Who promyste he showlde haue surelye hys fee.
So with gladde harte departed companye,
Although hauinge cause to be moste sorye.
| Theophilus | |