35. DEATH'S WARNING.
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[MS. Bodley, Douce, 322, leaves 19b. to 20.]
1
Syth that ye lyste to be my costes,
And in your book to set[ten] myne image,
Wake and remembre wyth grete auys[in]es,
Howe my custome and mortall vsage
Ys for to spare nether olde ne yonge of age,
But that ye nowe in thys world leuyng,
Afore be redy or I my belle rynge.
2
My dredefull spere [that ys] full sharpe ygrounde
Doth yow now, lo, here thys manace,
Armour ys noon that may withstande hys wounde
Ne whom I merke ther ys non other grace,
To fynde respite of day, oure, ne space;
Wherfore be redy, and haue no dysdeyne
Yef of my commyng the tyme be vncerteyne.
3
Remembre your yeres almost past be,
Of flowryng age lasteth but a seasoun,
By procese at ey[e] men may see
Beaute declyneth, hys blossom falleth doune,
And lytyll and lytyll, tyll by successioun
Cometh croked elde, vnwarly [in] crepyng,
With hys patent purely than manysshyng.
4
The gospell byddeth than [to] wake and pray[e];
For of my commyng there ys no tyme sette,
Ne no man knoweth [the hour] when he shall d[e]ye,
Ne agayne myne entre no gate may be shutte;
Twene me and kynde ther ys a knot [y-knet]
That in thys worlde euery lyuyng creature
For Adams synne must dye of nature.
5
O worldely folke, auerteth and take hede
What vengeaunce and punycioun
God shall take, after ye be dede,
For your trespas and youre transgressioun,
Whyche breken hys preceptes ayenst all reasoun;
Ye haue foryete howe, with hys precious bloode
Yow for to saue, he dyed on the roode.
6
Lerne for to dye and hate for to lye,
Of olde offens amonge haue repentaunce,
And to eschewe all skorne and mok[e]ry[e],
Ayenst vyces do almes and penaunce,
And for to haue moste souueranly plesaunce,
To sewe the pathes of oure lorde Ihesu,
Trewe exampeler of grace and vertew,
7
Whyche for oure sake and oure redempcioun,
And for oure loue was nayled to a tree,
Suffred payne and [cruel] passioun,
And nothyng asketh of hygh ne lowe degree,
Recompensed ayenwarde for to be,
But that we sette all holy oure ententes,
For to fulfyll hys commaundmentys,
8
Wherby men may that prudent be and wyse,
The ioyes clayme, whyche be eternall,
And entre [ageyn] in-to paradyse,
From whens [our fadyr] Adam had a fall;
To whyche place aboue celestiall,
O Cryste Ihesu, so brynge vs to that glory,
Whyche by thy dethe had[dest] the victory.
Amen.
