 | The Pistill of Susan |  |
172
THE PISTILL OF SUSAN.
I
Per was in Babiloine a bern, in þat borw riche,Þat was a Ieuȝ ientil, and Ioachin he hiht;
He was so lele in his lawe, þer liued non him liche,
Of alle riche þat renke arayes he was riht.
His Innes and his orchardus were with a dep dich,
Halles and herbergages, heiȝ vppon heiht;
To seche þoru þat cite þer nas non sich,
Of erbus and of erberi, so auenauntliche I-diht
Þat day,
Wiþ Inne the sercle of sees,
Of Erberi and Alees,
Of alle Maner of trees
Soþely to say.
II
He hed a wif hiȝt Susan, was sotil and sage;Heo was Elches douȝtur, eldest and eyre,
173
Of alle fason of foode frelich and feire.
Þei lerned hire lettrure of þat langage,
Þe Maundement of Moises þei marked to þat may,
To þe Mount of Synai þat went in Message,
Þat þe Trinite bitok of tables a peire
To Rede.
Þus thei lerne hire þe lawe,
Cleer Clergye to knawe,
To God stod hire gret awe,
Þat wlonkest in weede.
III
He hedde an orchard newe, þat neiȝed wel nere,Þer Iewus with Ioachim priueliche gon playe;
For he real and riche of rentes euer þere,
Honest and auenaunt, and honorablest aye.
Iwis, þer haunted til her hous, hende, ȝe mai here,
Two domus of þat lawe, þat dredde were þat day,
Preostes and presidens preised als peere,
Of whom vr souerein lord sawes gan say,
And tolde
How heor wikkednes comes
Of þe wrongwys domes
Þat þei haue gyue to gomes,
Þis Iuges of olde.
174
IV
Þus þis dredful demers on daies þider drewe,Al for gentrise and Ioye of þat Iuwesse,
To go in his gardeyn, þat gayliche grewe,
To fonge flourus and fruit, þouȝt þei no fresse;
And whon þei seiȝ Susan, semelich of hewe,
Þei weor so set vppon hire, miȝt þei not sese.
Þei wolde enchaunte þat child; hou schold heo eschewe?
And þus þis cherlus vnchaste in chaumbre hir chese,
Wiþ chere.
Wiþ two Maidenes al on,
Semelyche Suson,
On dayes in þe merion,
Of Murþes wol here.
V
Whon þeos perlous prestes perceyued hire play,Þo þouȝte þe wrecches to bewile þat worly in wone;
Heore wittes wel waiwordus þei wrethen awai,
And turned fro his teching, þat teeld is in trone.
For siht of here souerayn, soþli to say,
Heore hor heuedus fro heuene þei hid apon one;
Þei cauȝt for heor couetyse þe cursyng of kai,
For riȝtwys Iugement recordet þei none,
Þey two.
175
In þe Pomeri þei play,
Whiles þei mihte Susan assay,
To worchen hire wo.
VI
In þe seson of somere, with Sibell and Ione,Heo greiþed hire til hire gardin, þat growed so grene,
Þer lyndes and lorers were lent vpon lone,
Þe sauyne and sypres, selcouþ to sene,
Þe palme and þe poplere, þe pirie, þe plone,
Þe Iunipere ientel, Ionyng bi-twene,
Þe rose ragged on rys, richest on Rone,
Iþeuwed with þe þorn trinaunt to sene,
So tiht;
Þer weore Pope-iayes prest,
Nihtyngales vppon nest,
Bliþest Briddes o þe best,
In Blossoms so briht.
VII
Þe Briddes in Blossoms þei beeren wel loude,On olyues and amylliers, and al kynde of trees,
Þe popeiayes perken and pruynen for proude,
On peren and pynappel þei ioyken in pees;
On croppus of canel keneliche þei croude,
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Þus schene briddus in schawe schewen heore schroude,
On Firres and fygers þei fongen heore seetes,
In Fay;
Þer weore growyng so grene
Þe Date wiþ þe Damesene;
Turtils troned on trene
By sixti I sayȝ.
VIII
Þe fyge and þe filbert were fode med so fayre,Þe chirie and þe chestein, þat chosen is of hewe,
Apples and Almaundus þat honest are of ayre,
Grapus and garnettes gayliche þei grewe,
Þe costardes comeliche in cuþþes þei cayre,
þe Britouns, þe Blaunderers Braunches þe bewe,
Fele flourus and fruit, frelich of flayre,
With wardons winlich and walshe notes newe,
Þey waled.
Ouer heor hedes gon hyng
Þe wince and þe wederlyng,
Spyces speden to spryng,
In Erbers enhaled.
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IX
Þe chyue and þe chollet, þe chibolle, þe cheue,Þe chouwet, þe cheuerol, þat schaggen on niht,
Þe persel þe passenep, poretes to preue,
Þe pyon, þe peere, wel proudliche Ipiht;
Þe Lilye, þe louache, launsyng wiþ leue,
Þe sauge, þe sorsecle, so semeliche to siht;
Columbyne and Charuwe clottes þei creue,
With Ruwe and Rubarbe, Ragget ariht,
No lees;
Daysye and Ditoyne,
Ysope and Aueroyne,
Peletre and Plauntoyne
Proudest In pres.
X
Als þis schaply þing ȝede in hire ȝarde,Þat was hir hosbondus and hire, þat holden with hende,
“Nou folk be faren from us, þar us not be ferde;
Aftur myn oynement warliche ȝe weende.
Aspieþ nou specialy þe ȝates ben sperde,
For we wol wassche us Iwis bi þis welle strende.”
178
Vndur a lorere ful lowe þat ladi gan leende,
So sone.
By a wynliche welle,
Susan caste of hir kelle;
Bote feole ferlys hire bi-felle,
Bi Midday or none.
XI
Nou were þis domus men derf drawen in derne,Whiles þei seo þat ladi was laft al hire one;
Forte heilse þat hende þei hiȝed ful ȝerne,
With wordus þei worshipe þat worliche in wone;
“Wolt þou, ladi, for loue, on vre lay lerne,
And vndur this lorere ben vr lemmone?
Ȝe ne þarf wonde for no wiȝt vr willes to werne,
For alle gomus þat scholde greue of gardin ar gone
In Feere.
Ȝif þou þis neodes deny,
We schal telle trewely
We toke þe wiþ a-voutri
Vnder þis Lorere.”
XII
Þen Susan was serwful, and seide in hire þouȝt:“I am with serwe bi-set on eueriche syde;
Ȝif I assent to þis sin, þat þis segges haue souȝt,
I be bretenet and brent in baret to byde;
And ȝif I nikke hem with nai, hit helpeþ me nouȝt;
Such toret and teone takeþ me þis tyde.
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Betere is wemles weende of þis world wyde.”
Wiþ þis
Þo Cast heo a Careful cri,
Þis loueliche ladi;
Hir seruauns hedde selli,
No wonder Iwis.
XIII
Whon kene men of hir court comen til hir cri,Heo hedde cast of hir calle and hire keuercheue;
In at a priue posterne þei passen in hi,
And findes þis prestes wel prest her poyntus to preue.
Þo seide þe loselle aloude to þe ladi:
“Þou hast gon wiþ a gome, þi god to greue,
And ligge with þi lemon In a-voutri,
Bi þe lord and þe lawe þat we onne leeue.”
Þey swere;
Alle hire seruauns þei shont
And stelen a-wey in a stont;
Of hire weore þei neuer wont
Such wordes to here.
XIV
Hir kinrede, hir cosyns and al þat hire knewe,Wrong handes, Iwis, and wepten wel sore,
Sykeden for susan, so semeliche of hewe,
Al onwyse of þat wyf wondred þei wore.
Þei dede hire in a dungon, þer neuer day dewe,
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Marred in Manicles þat made wer newe,
Meteles, whiles þe Morwen to Middai and mare,
In drede.
Þer com hir fader so fre,
Wiþ al his affinite;
Þe prestes sauns pite,
And ful of Falshede.
XV
Þo seide þe Iustises on bench to Ioachim þe Iewe;Þat was of Iacobus kynde, gentil of dedes:
“Let senden aftur Susan, so semelych of hewe,
Þat þou hast weddet to wif, wlankest in wedes;
Heo was in trouþe, as we trowe, tristi and trewe,
Hir herte holliche on him þat the heuene hedes.”
Þus þei brouȝt hire to the barre, hir bales to brewe.
Nouþur dom ne deþ þat day heo ne dredes
Als þare.
Hir hed was ȝolow as wyre
Of gold fyned wiþ fyre,
Hire scholdres schaply and schire,
Þat bureliche was bare.
XVI
Nou is susan in sale, sengeliche arayed,In A selken schert, with scholdres wel schene.
Þo Ros vp with rancour þe Renkes reneyed,
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Homliche on hir heued heor hondus þei leyed,
And heo wepte for wo, no wonder, I wene.
“We schul presenten þis pleint, hou þou euer be paied,
And sei sadliche þe soþ, riȝt as we haue sene,
O Sake.”
Þus wiþ cauteles waynt,
Preostes presented þis playnt.
Ȝit schal trouþe hem a-taynt,
I dar vnder-take.
XVII
“Þorw-out þe pomeri we passed us to play,Of preiere and of penaunce was vre purpose;
Heo com with two Maidens, al richeli þat day,
In riche robus arayed, red as þe rose;
Wylyliche heo wyled hir wenches a-way,
And comaunded hem kenely þe ȝates to close.
Heo eode to a ȝong mon in a valay,
Þe semblaunt of susan wolde non suppose,
For soþ!
Be þis cause þat we say,
Heo wyled hir wenches a-way;
Þis word we witnesse for ay,
Wiþ tonge and wiþ toþ.
XVIII
Whon we þat semblaunt seiȝ, we siked wel sare,For sert of hir souureyn and for hir owne sake.
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But ȝit we trinet a trot, þat traytur take.
He was borlich and bigge, bold as a bare,
More miȝti mon þen we his Maistris to Make.
To the ȝate ȝaply þei ȝeoden wel ȝare,
And he lift vp þe lach and leop ouer þe lake,
Þat ȝouthe.
Heo ne schunte for no schame,
But bouwed aftur for blame;
Heo nolde cuyþe vs his name,
For craft þat we couþe.”
XIX
Nou heo is dampned on deis, with deol þauȝ hir deue,And hir domus men vnduwe do hir be withdrawen.
Loueliche heo louted, and lacched hir leue
At kynred and cosyn þat heo hed euere iknawen;
Heo asked Merci with mouþ in þis mischeue.
“I am sakeles of syn,” heo seide in hir sawen;
“Grete god of his grace ȝor gultus forȝiue,
Þat doþ me derfliche be ded and don out of dawen
Wiþ dere.
Wolde god þat I miht
Speke wiþ Ioachim a niht;
And siþen to deþ me be diht,
I charge hit not a pere.”
183
XX
Heo fel doun flat in þe flore, hir feere whon heo fond,Carped to him kyndeli, as heo ful wel couþe:
“Iwis I wraþþed þe neuere, at my witand,
Neiþer in word ne in werk, in elde ne in ȝouþe.”
Heo keuered vp on hir kneos, and cussed his hand:
“For I am dampned, I ne dar disparage þi mouþ.”
Was neuer more serwful segge bi se nor bi sande,
Ne neuer a soriore siht bi norþ ne bi souþ;
Þo þare,
Þei toke the Feteres of hire feete,
And euere he cussed þat swete:
“In oþer world schul we mete.”
Seid he no mare.
XXI
Þen Susan þe serwfol seide uppon hiȝt,Heef hir hondus on hiȝ, bi-held heo to heuene:
“Þou maker of Middelert, þat most art of miht,
Boþe þe sonne and þe see þou sette vppon seuene;
Alle my werkes þou wost, þe wrong and þe riht;
Hit is nedful nou þi names to nempne.
Seþþe I am deolfolich dampned, and to deþ diht,
Lord, herteliche tak hede, and herkne my steuene
So Fre!
Seþþe þou maiȝt not be sene
Wiþ no fleschliche eyene,
Þou wost wel þat I am clene,
Haue Merci nou on me.”
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XXII
Nou þei dresse hire to deþ withouten eny drede,And lede forþ þat ladi louesum of lere.
Grete god, of his grace, of gultes vn-gnede,
Help with þe holi gost, and herde hir preyere.
He directed þis dom and þis delful dede
To Danyel þe prophete, of dedes so dere;
Such ȝiftes god him ȝaf in his ȝouþehede,
Ȝit failed hit a fourteniht ful of þe ȝere,
Nouht layne.
Þo criede þat freoly foode:
“Whi spille ȝe Innocens blode?”
And alle þe stoteyd and stode,
Þis ferlys to frayne.
XXIII
“What signefyes, gode sone, þese sawus þat þou seis?”Þus þese Maisterful men mouþes can mele.
“Þei be fendus al þe frape, I sei hit in feiþ,
And in folk of I(s)rael be foles wel fele.
Vmbiloke ȝou, lordes, such lawes ben leiþ,
Me þinkeþ ȝor dedes vnduwe such domus to dele;
Aȝein to þe ȝild-halle þe gomes vn-greiþ;
I schal be proces apert disproue þis a-pele,
For nede.
Lat twinne hem in two,
For now wakneþ heor wo;
Þei schal graunte, ar þei go,
Al heore falshede.”
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XXIV
Þei diseuered hem sone and sette hem sere,And sodeynly askede þei brouȝt into þe sale.
Bi-fore þis ȝonge prophete þis preost gon apere,
And he him apeched sone with chekes wel pale:
“Þou hast Ibe presedent, þe peple to steere,
Þou dotest nou on þin olde tos in þe dismale.
Nou schal þi conscience be knowen, þat euer was vnclere;
Þou hast in babiloygne on benche brewed muche bale,
Wel bolde.
Nou schal ȝor synnes be seene
Of Fals domes bi-deene;
For þeose In Babiloyne han bene
Iugget of Olde.
XXV
Þou seidest þou seȝe Susanne sinned in þi siht;Tel nou me trewly, vnder what tre?”
“Mon, bi þe muche god, þat most is of miht,
Vndur a Cyne, soþli, my seluen I hir se.”
“Nou þou lyest in þin hed, bi heuen vppon hiht;
An Angel with a naked swerd þe neiȝes wel nere,
He haþ brandist his brond brennynde so briȝt,
To Marke þi middel at a Mase in more þen in þre,
No lese.
Þou Brak godes Comaundement,
To sle such an Innocent,
Wiþ eny fals Iuggement
Vn-duweliche on dese.”
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XXVI
Nou is þis domus mon withdrawen withouten eni drede,And put into prison aȝeyn in-to place,
Þei brouȝten þe toþur forþ whon þe barn bede,
To fore þe folk and þe faunt freli of face.
“Cum forþ, þou corsed caytif, þou Canaan,” he sede;
“Bi-cause of þi couetise þou art in þis case;
Þou hast disceyuet þi self with þin oune dede;
Of þi wit for a wyf bi-wiled þou wase
In wede.
Þou sey nou, so mote þou þe,
Vnder what kynde of tre
Semeli susan þou se
Do þat derne dede.
XXVII
Þou gome of gret elde, þin hed is grei hored,Tel hit me treweli, ar þou þi lyf tyne.”
Þo þat roþly cherl ruydely rored,
And seide bifore þe prophet: “þei pleied bi a prine.”
“Nou þou liest loude, so helpe me vr lord;
For fulþe of þi falshed þou schalt ha euel pine;
Þou and þi cursed cumpere, ȝe mou not a-corde.
Ȝe schul be drawen to þe deþ þis dai ar we dine,
So Raþe.
An angel is neih honde,
Takes þe domes of ȝor honde,
Wiþ a brennynge bronde,
To byte ȝou baþe.”
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XXVIII
Þen the folk of Israel felle vppon knes,And lowed þat loueli lord, þat hire þe lyf lent;
Alle þe gomus þat hire god wolde gladen and glees,
Þis prophete so pertli proues his entent.
Þei trompe bifore þis traiturs and traylen hem on tres
Þorw-out þe Cite, bi comuyn assent.
Hose leeueþ on þat lord, þar him not lees,
Þat þus his seruaunt saued þat schold ha be schent,
In Sete.
Þis ferlys bi-fel
In þe days of Danyel,
Þe pistel witnesseþ wel
Of þat profete.
Ihesu crist wiþ mylde steuene
Graunt us alle þe blisse of heuene.
Graunt us alle þe blisse of heuene.
Amen.
| The Pistill of Susan | |