University of Virginia Library

CASTLE OF LOVE

MYROUR OF LEWED MEN

Whoso wele thinkes, wele may say,
For of gode thoghtes comes gode dedes ay.
God send vs thoght to his plesyng,
In whos fre wil hynges all thyng.
He is God and Lord of myȝtes mast,
The Fader and Sone and Haligast;
In godhed are thise persones thre,
And all are on God in trinite;
None is othir of thise persons thre,
Bot alle are on God and ay sal be.
Our mede is to trowe this with stable thoght,
Al be hit that mannes skil proues it noght,
Bot when we sal se God clerly,
Than sal we knawe this witerly.

Of the begynnyng of the world

God in vj dayes made bothe erthe and heuen,
And, to make haliday, cessed at the seuen.
Heuen was occupid with angeles kynde,
Euermore on God for to haue thair mynde,
Bot many thorgh pride fel into helle,
Thar sal thei all withouten ende dwelle.
Bothe sunne and mone [more] briȝt thai ware
Then seuen fold then thay now are,
And all erthli thing more vertuous,
Bifor Adam thurgh synne was vicious.
And ilk a best sul[d] haue bowed to mannes will,
Had he neuer bi way of synne don none ill.
When God had the world so parfit made
That no partie of hit defaut hade,
Then of erth he made Adam of man-age,
To his liknes in saule he was and his ymage.
Of a rib of Adam syde, when he lay slepand,
God made Eue, that sho to him suld ay be kepand;
Of on God made al mankynde, for ilkon suld loue other,
And non til other do wrong mor then til his brother.
What lyf myȝt mor be schewed to man in charite
Then in saule make him lik to the haly trinite,
Make him lord of al the world, ful of vertueȝ, and wise,
Make him eir of heuen-blis, and sette him in paradis,
Thar he and all that come of him myȝt leue withouten deyng,
If thay vse the frut of lif and kepe wel Godes biddyng?
Of all the trees of paradis bi Goddis biddyng thei suld ete,
But the frut of the tre of wetyng of gode and ille thei suld lete:
What tyme as thei ete of that thai suld forfet thair heritage
And be oblischid to deth and helle-payne, thai and all thair lynage;
Bot if thai had kepid wel all Goddis biddyng,
Thai suld haue leued ioyfully, and all thair ofspring,
Til thai had ben tan til heuen to fille that fair place
That thurgh pride of Lucifer and his feres voyde was.
Thar thai suld haue had mor ioye than hert may thenk or tunge telle,
And neuer non of thair kynd suld haue suffride payn of helle.

Of the losyng of the world thurgh synne

When Adam and Eue sesyn hade in the blis of paradys,
The fende—for he hade that ioye lost—enuy had to thair delice.
Then he come in neddir liknesse to Eue with a wommans face
And sayde: “Whi bad God ȝe suld noȝt ete of all trees that ther was?”
“Of all the trees,” quod Eue, “that thar is, we may ete at our liking,
Out-tan on that is forbod paraunter for dred of deyng.”
Than sayde the fend: “Ȝe sall noȝt deye therfore, God wot it wele,
Bot as God sall ȝe be, knawand bothe gode and yuell.”
Eue sagh that the frut was gode and ful gretly lykand;
Sho tastid sone and gaf therof till her owen husband.
Adam wolde noȝt greue his wyf bot sone he ete with hir.
Alas, that synne oblisched vs al til wikkid hell-fire!
Sone thai were put fro that place to sorow and to care,
That neuer myȝt no creature recouer it mare.
Alle thing vnder heuen made was to mannes solace,
And therfor, syn he synned, all thai lesse vertue has.
All mankynde for thi was put to thraldom of the fende,
And bounden all to his prison ay withouten ende.
How may thrall with riȝt clayme a thing of fre heritage?
With his lord may he noȝt mote, ne non of his lynage.
Thus was all this world lost, ther was no help in creature,
Bot God wist what was his wil, that of all thing was cure.

Of the ten commaundements

Then with the x commandements God forbed all synne
And taght man how he myȝt him gret mede wynne.
The first is to worschip on God and no mo.
This biddyng sal be vnderstanden so
That it forbedes all mamettrie,
And also all maner of sorcerie.
Mammentrie is to do creature that honour
That thou suld do all onely to thi creatour,
That is, worschip him for himself ouer all other thing.
A seint sal thou worschip, for he is his derlyng.
Ymages in the kirk that thou on lokes
Are to the as to the clerk are his gode bokes:
Thou sal not worschip thaim bot for tha[t] sake
That thei bringe to thi mynd thi prayer to make.
The second is: tak not the name of thi God in vayn.
Ilk fals oth vnleful and idel is theragayn:
He is ay in peril of synne dedly
That sweres bi Goddis hert or any party.
This biddyng forbedes alle heresy,
And also all feyned and fals ypocrisy.
The thrid is: thou sal kepe wel thi haliday.
That is thus mekel openly for to say:
Put fro the synne and bodely werkyng,
And gif the to God with hertly prayng.
Tak kepe her that on halyday marchandyse
Lettes man oft of Goddes seruise.
The ferd is: worschip thi fader and thi moder.
Be way of kynde thes two may noȝt be the to der;
To thaim ogh thou buxumnes and honour,
And also [faith] in thair help and socour.
And haly kirk is thi moder gastly
And the keper of thi saule thi fadir sot[h]ly.
And whoso is thi warldly lord or thi kyng
Is taken for thi fadir in this byddyng.
The fift is: thou salt no man sle vnlaghfully,
That is to say, nother bodely ne gastly,
For ille ensaumple, hate, and bakbityng
Are [a]lle to thi neghbur gastly sleyng.
Hurtyng bothe gastly and bodely is forbed,
And wernyng of mete to the pour in peril of ded.
The sext is: thou sal don non auoutrie.
And this forbedes all maner of lecherie,
Bot it be betwix the and thi wyf with gode entent,
For to kepe the lagh of God in that sacrament.
The seuent biddes that thou sal no thing stele,
Ne non othir mannes gode agayns his wille dele.
This forbedes fals cautels, deceit, and maystrie,
That mas many to loise his gode vnriȝtwisly,
And whoso harmes any man in this maner
Sal noȝt be saf bot he make asseth at his power.
The aghtend is: bere agayn no man fals witnes,
And in tyme and maner skilful layne thou sothfastnes,
When it is noȝt lefful and nedful to say,
And al lesyng eschue as wele as thou may.
The neyghend is: thi neghbur hous sal thou noȝt coueit;
In this is forboden assent to wrang and deceit.
The tend is: thou sall noȝt ȝerne another mannes wyf,
His seruant, ne his other thing, that may help his lyue.
Her is forbeden alle maner of wikked couetyse
That myght harme thi neghbur on any maner wise.
If slik thoght come to thi hert, thou sal noȝt assent,
Bot euer agayn stande with gode auysement,
And then sal thou noȝt falle in dedly synne,
Bot ilk a tyme a croun of gret ioye wynne.
Thurgh this ten thou may wynne gret ioye and eschewe payn,
Bot more help mot open heuen-ȝates the agayn.
Whoso suld agayn blis to man wynne,
Him behoued be a man that myȝt noȝt synne,
And he most ay fulfille alle Goddes wille
And neuer in thoght, word, ne dede don non ille.
Slik on myȝt, if he wald, a gode raunson wage
And bye agayn both man and heritage.
Bot slik a man in erth myȝt neuer be made,
If he of all creatours all vertues hade.

Of the restoring of the warld

A kyng ther was of souerayne worthines,
Ful of mercy and wysdam and all godenes.
A sone he hadde, knewe all his wille,
And myȝt and wald al hit fulfille.
Thai were ay bothe al on substaunce,
And betwix theim was no distaunce:
What as the fader wald haue amendyd,
By his sone godely hit suld be endid.
Four doghters hade this grete kyng,
That fulfillid all his likyng.
Thai were of his substance ilkon,
And all that substance was bot on.
Thai four doghters thurgh comune assent
Parformed al his iugement;
Bot if thise four vse ay wele thair myght,
May neuer no rewme be rewled right.
The names of thaim withouten les
Are Mercy, Sothfastnes, Right, and Pes.
Mercy when sho hade parceyued
How all mankynde was deceyued
Thurgh the fende, that be foul treson
Has geten him to his prison,
And euermore with enuy
Will torment him as enemy,
Sho was so stered to compassion
That sho wald deliuere that prison.

Here spak Mercy

Thus til her fader sho began
To pray him for synful man:
“Dere fader, kyng of myȝtes mast,
Thi doghter y am, wele thou wast,
Ful of myknes, swetnes, and pite;
Dere fader, all thes haue y of the.
Now here my praier for this prison,
That he may be put til his raunson.
His enemys with thair falshede
Has put him to so gret nede
That he may neuer saued be
Bot thurgh mercy and gret pite.
Thair falshed may gretly letted be,
And that prison be ȝolden to me.
Dere fader, mercyful is thi name,
And y thin eldest doghter ame;
That y were thi doghter, myȝt y neuer say,
Bot y wald euer for sinful man pray.
Thi mercy thurgh riȝt sall he haue,
And thi gret mercy sal him saue.
I sal euer crie mercy to the,
Til that wreched prison deliuerd be.
Dere fader, my praier may noȝt be lette,
For y am ouer all thi werkes to-sette.”

Here spak Sothfastnes

When the second sister, Sothfastnes,
Hade herd Mercy thurgh her swetnes
Wold sone bye the synful prison agayn
That sho hade iugged to ay-lastand payne,
Sho sayde: “Dere fader, thi doghter am y,
As ner sib to the as is my sister Mercy.
Mercy of no thing may wele gife the dome,
Bot if y, Sothfastnes, with her come;
Hir praier may noȝt be herd of the,
Bot if hit acordand be with me.
If all hir prayers suld ay be herd,
Neuer no shrewe for the sul[d] be ferd,
Ne neuer punist no wikkednes.
That is gretly agayns riȝtwisnes,
For he suld haue no mercy
That is dampned riȝtwysly.”

Here spak Riȝtwysnes

Here spake Pece

Now Pece to the king begynnes to say:
“Faire gode dere fader, thou has loued me ay,
Thou art endles of pece, prince, and also king,
And euer in pece salt thou be, for ther [is] thi dwellyng.
If y for debate suld away fle,
Thou suld haue no place lykand to the.
Mi two dere susters now haue thai me forsaken,
And Mercy with thaim two ȝit haue thai not taken;
Withouten vs thai be thaimself han gyuen a iuggement
That suld haue ben gyuen trewly with comune assent.
Therfor hit sal noȝt ben of recorde
Til we four ben all of on acorde.
All erthly thing is made for gode pece,
And with[outen] hit may ben non ese.
Iustisry is neuer more nedeful
Bot when it is to pece spedeful.
How suld Right and Sothfastnes auaile,
When thai wil noȝt call me to thair counsaile,
Ne Mercy, my sister, that ay so gode is
That withouten hir no gilt amendid is?
Therfore out of cuntre wil I fle
Til my thre sisters acorded be.
If Sothfastnes mete with Mercy,
Then sall kis Riȝtwisnes and y.
The prison calles euer vppon Mercy,
And Mercy for him wil ay to the king cry,
Til for him be paied al his raunson
And he be deliuered out of prison.”

Here spak the kinges sone

Now the kinges sone has wele sene
That debate is his sisters betwene
And hit may noȝt wele be amesed
Bot into his hande it be sesed.
He says to that myȝty kyng anon:
“Dere fader, thou and I are all on,
On substance, on wysdam, and on powere,
And God, while the Holy Gast is our fere.
All on in substance if we be,
Neuertheles in persons we are thre.
Thurgh me the warld thou made of noȝt,
Thurgh me agayn let hit be boght.
Mercy has so mekel moued me
That of that prison I haue pite.
Dere fader, I wil don al thi wille
And punysch al that is don ill.
I sal take the clething of that wretchid prison,
And priuily for him sal I paye raunson.
Of his kynde wil I become,
And for him wil y take dome.
More payn then Riȝt and Sothfastnes wold haue
Wil y suffre that prison for to saue.
On this maner Sothfastnes and Mercy
Sal sone be made gode frendes verraly;
Also Pece and Riȝtwisnes
Thai sal kis with gret swetnes.”

Here spak the autour

Whoso redes this romance,
Trowe in God with on substance,
Bot on is God and persons thre,
Non othir thing in God may be.
Four sisters that we before rede
Are four vertues in the godhede;
To four doghters thai haue lyknyng,
For thai procure all gode doyng;
Bot all thai are on God of myȝtes mast,
He is Fader and Sone and Haly Gast.
If thou trowe this wele and stedfastly,
Thou may haue mede ay-lastan[d]ly.

Here spak the king

The kyng has herd his awen sones speche,
That of all the warld is a god leche.
“Dere sone,” he says, “thurgh the I made all thing,
And all the warld hynges in thi keping;
Thou and the Haly Gast with me
Dose all gode dede that done sal be.
Our dede may neuer departid be,
For all on God in kynde are we thre.
All only thou sal take manhede,
Bot all we thre sall do the dede,
Riȝt as two virgyns clethes the third,
And ȝit none of thaim bot on is cled.
Dere sone, this was our al thre purpos and curage,
When we made man to our liknes and ymage.
This hight y to Abraham and to Dauid,
And my prophetes acorded therwith.
If mankynd sal out of his prison wynne,
A man mot for him dye that has no maner synne,
That is of myȝt to ryse fro dede to the lyue
And his with him out of prison ryue.
And siche myȝt ther be neuer non
Bot he were bothe god and man.
Dere sone, if thou wil dye and suffre payne,
Bothe aungel and mankynde may be ful fayne.
That souerayne grace and meknes
Sall be so ful of swetnes
That neuer may man wele haue in his mynnyng
Bot he be sterid to loue the ouer al thing,
And titter be reson his hert suld brest,
Then he for any thing suld breken thi hest.”

Of Ysaies prophecies

Off Ihesu Crist telles Ysay
To all mankynde verrayly
How a child is born til vs,
And a sone is gyuen til vs;
His name sal be callid wonderful,
Counsellour and god and strenghtful,
Fader of the warld that sal come,
And prince of pece sal be his nome.

Here spake the autour

Iff any best in shap passed cours of kynde,
A wonder in that wald many man fynde,
Bot if a parfit man were a parfit as,
Mikel more meruayl wald man say it was.
Bot more maruayl may who so can
How verraily is on bothe god and man,
For he wald saue mankynde, that fouly was lorn,
Child of an erthly woman wald he be born.
Syn God in erth for loue of man wald mak his halle,
Nede it was to make it best and fairest of alle.

How Ihesus entred into a castil

Therfor a castel has the king made at his devys,
That thar neuer drede assaut of any enemys.
He sette hit on a whit roche thik and hegh,
With gode dykes al aboute depe and dregh.
Men may neuer with no craft this castil doun ruyne,
Ne may neuer do harme to hit no maner engyne.
This castil is euer ful of loue and of grace,
To al that any nede has socour and solace.
Four toures ay hit has and kernels fair,
Thre bailliees al aboute that may noȝt apair.
Nouther hert may wele thinke ne tung may wel telle
Al the bounte and the bewte of this ilk castell.
Seuen barbicans are sette so sekirly aboute
That no maner of shoting may greue fro withoute.
This castel is paynted without with thre maner colours:
Rede brennand colour is aboue toward the fair tours,
Meyne colour is ymyddes of ynde and of blewe,
Grene colour be the ground, that neuer changes hewe.
Thes colours beth [fer] and nere castes so mekil liȝt
That when men behaldes thaim, comfort mekil thair siȝt.
The castel al within, who[so] may hit knawe,
Ay is blaunched als whit as any dryuen snawe.
Four fair stremes in hit out of a welle springes,
Fro myddes the hegh tour thai fille the dykinges;
So fair and so gode that liquour ther is
That he that drank oght therof myȝt haue mekel blis.
A chaier of yuor ther was sette in this ilk tour,
With seuen grees vpward with worschip and gret honour;
Was neuer non half so fair in this warld sene,
Ne neuer non so semly hade prince ne quene.
Hit was made sotilly and al be compas cast;
The raynbowe enuyround it al stedefast.
The kynges sone has made it for his awne se;
Was ther neuer non so fair ne neuermor sal be.

What betokenes this castil

This castil of solas and of socour
Is hir blissed body that bar our saueour.
Hit was made for refuyt to all manes kynde;
Whoso fles therto, socour sal he fynde.
The roche whit and fair with his stablenes
Is the hert of hir in al halynes,
That sette hir to serue God withouten any drede
In souerayne clene meknes and clene maydenhede.
The grene colour bi the ground, that wil so wele last,
Is the treuth of our lady, that ay was stedefast.
The meyne colour in the myddest of this castil walle
Was stable hope to come to grace, that saue mankynd sall.
The rede colour abouen, brennand in the siȝt,
Was brennand loue of God and man, that gyues mykil liȝt.
No wonder [i]f this castil ware ful whit withinne,
For the hert of that may was neuer foulyd with synne.
The four toures gret and strong, that fair were to se,
Ware gastly strenght and sobernes, riȝt and sutilte;
Thes four vertues stekes out al maner of wykkednes
And kepes fast withynne al that is godnes.
The baillies, on ay withynne another in thre stage,
Are clene maydenhed and moderhed and trewe spousage;
Woman with thes thre, bot Seint Mary, was ther neuer non,
Bot whoso sal be sauf of synne, of thes he most haue on.
Seuen barbicans fair seuen vertues calle we,
That in our lady suffred no vice for to be,
For gret meknes in hir hert venquist ay al pride,
And hir gret charite enuy myȝt not abyde;
Hir discrete abstinens fordid al glotonye,
And hir clene maydenhed suffred no lecherie;
Wikkid couetyse in hir hert myȝt neuer dwelle,
For wilful pouert in hir hert keped the castil;
Pacience in hir hert euer was so prest
That synne of wrath therin myȝt neuer haue rest;
Ther was so mekil in hir hert of comfort gastly
That ther myȝt neuer synne of slewth dwelle therby.
The fair welle in the castil, that filles ay the dykes,
Is grace in Goddes moder, that synful man ay likes.
Thou that myster has of grace, go to this spring-welle:
Whoso help has of hir, sal neuer go to helle.
Make the dykes of meknes and of gode wille,
And four stremes of that grace sal the sone fille.
On streme euermore sal the clene wasch of synne that is past,
Another agayn temptacion sal make the stedefast,
The thirde sal stere the to do werkes of charite,
And the ferd sal ber the to blis that ay sal be.
This welle is euermore springand mercy and pite:
If thou haue no part therof, it is al lange on the.
The trone of yuor is the saule of our swete lady;
Seuen grees that lys therto are werkes of mercy;
The raynbowe that bendes ouer with his colours thre
Is the myȝt that couers hir of the haly trinite.
No wonder if this castel wer ful fair in siȝt,
When God, the sonne of riȝtwisnes, wald therin liȝt!
He come thurgh the cloise ȝate, and when he went, clois it was,
Riȝt as the briȝt sonne-beme comes and goos thurgh the glas.
Al that man nede has [is] in this ilk castell;
He that help has of hit has ynogh of wele.

Here spak the autour

Gentil lady of this castell,
Let me my myscheue to the telle!
Moder of mercy and qwene of pite,
To synful man thou art ay avowe;
Ther[for] at thi ȝates now y lye,
Thi help and mercy for to crye.
Mercy sal y fast crie befor this louely tour,
Euer til I fynde sum of thi socour.
Hope of help me made hider for to fle,
When thre gret enemys fast pursued me.
On is the foule fende with al his companie,
That puttes forth pride and wrath and gret enuye;
The secund is the fals warld with many schrewed gyse,
That shotes ay at me sha[r]ply with all couetise;
The third is myn awne flesch, to me a gret enemy,
That prickes me with lecherie, sleuth, and glotony.
Welle of mercy, I be ded and sone al fordon
Bot a streme of thi grace come to me sone.
Lady, let me lye in thi castel dyke
And wasch me wele ther to thi seruant like;
Then if myn enemys wil me assaile,
In traist of thi gode help y tak that bataile.
In this castil Ihesu Crist tok of the mankynd,
Therfor hope y euer hir socour for to fynde.
Here hid God his gret power in mannes liknes,
And laide enbuschement for the fend and al his wi[k]kednes.
Thou art the ȝert of Aaron that bar the faire flour,
When thou in clene maydenhede bar thi creatour.
Thou art the stegh of Iacob, thurgh wham is gate to heuen.
He may hope wele of help that deuoutly wil the neuen.
The kinges sone of al this world ligh the withynne,
For to saue and socour wel al synful man of synne.
Now he has acorded alle his sisters foure,
And Pece is cryed for man heghe vp in the toure.
Now God and man are togeder both in o person,
Now has man ynogh wharwith to bye him fro prison;
Now on man more parfit and withouten lak
Than euer was Adam ar he Goddis biddyng brak,
He is fre to plede for vs and al our riȝt dereigne,
And no creature may haue cause vpon him to pleyn.
In token of the prince of pees when he til vs come,
Pees was oueral in the world and reuling was in Rome.
Ioye is sungen now to God vpon hegh in heuen,
And pes in erthe til al man that are of gode wil euen.

How Ihesus was gode counseillour

Now, man, behold thi saueour,
Howe he was gode counseillour,
To bringe the to thin heritage,
That was forfet thurgh outrage.
If thou wil ay folowe his rede,
Thou sal eschue ay-lastand dede,
And so recouer the ioye of heuen,
If thou wil folowe his counseill euen.
When he for the become man here,
He fand the a thrall, of no power
For to recouer that thou had lost,
Bot he for thi riȝt wold pay the cost.
Then souerayn meknes and charite
Schewed Ihesu Christ, thi lord, for the.
“Dere brothir,” he said, “of the I haue pite grete,
That al thi fair heritage fouly is forfait.
Neuerthelees fal noȝt in despeir,
For of that heritage y am heir.
To double riȝt hit falles to me,
The ton of thaim y may wele gyf the;
If thou wil kepe my comaundement,
Thou sal ay haue it verrament,
For I am God, blis is bounden to me so fast
That y may neuer fro me hit cast;
For I am of Adam kynde and withouten synne,
I may clayme his heritage and bi skil hit wynne.
If thou [wil] ouer al thing riȝt hertly loue me
And loue thin euencristen for the loue of me,
All thin enemys the agayn sal no thing auaile,
And y sal sone for thi sake to me ta this bataile.
If thou wil hald [in] thi hert how y for the sal fiȝt,
Mi ȝok sal ay be swete to the and my birthin ful liȝt.
Lerne at me, for I am mylde and also meke of hert;
Therto may mekel help ay wilful pouert:
Meknes is a verray token of him that is in grace,
And pride an euidence of him that charite non has.
He that settes his hert to mekel on riches,
Thai drawe him sone te pride fro vertue of meknes.”

Here spak the autour

Now sues that man his lordes counsail
That al to the contrary dos trauail.
How may he socour seke of Ihesu meknes
That settes himself to mekel vpon heghnes?
Therfor drede he may that so wil him bere
Of a foul falling doun with Lucifer.
Neuerthelees a riche man with his riȝtwisnes,
And he loue ay God wele in hertly meknes,
He may wele saue his saule with fast fleyng of synne
And with werkes of mercy the ioye of heuen wynne.

How Ihesus mot with the fende

Now here how thi lord mette for thi riȝt,
Atte last for thi loue put him to fiȝt.
When the godhede was hid in the mankynd,
And the fende in him no synne myȝt fynde,
He tempted him with thre thinges that made Adam dede.
“If thou be Goddes sone,” he said, “make of stones brede!”
“Noght only thurgh brede,” quod Ihesu Crist, “leues man,
Bot thurgh ich word that comes of Goddes wysdam.”
The fend sette Crist on the temple and bad him lepe doun,
Goddes aungeles to kepe him suld be redy and boun;
If he were Goddes sone, in handes thai suld him bere,
So at no ston suld he stumble ne nothing suld him dere.
“Writen,” quod Ihesu Crist, “in haly writ y rede:
Thou suld not tempte God, thi lord, when thou has no nede.”
The fend shewid him al the warld and saide: “This gif y the,
If thou wil bowe doun to the ground and so adour me.”
“Writen it is,” quod Ihesu Crist, “thi God sal thou adoure,
And only sal thou serue him with so mekil honoure.”
“Go, Satanas,” quod Ihesu Crist, “for the am y noȝt ferd!”
“And I am prince,” quod the fend, “of this midlerd;
I haue gode sesyn therynne and of ful lange tyme,
And be confermyng of God al mankynd is myne,
For man brak Goddes bydding and of the appel ete,
He sal be in payn with me euermore, I the hete.
God wil not do so gret wrong to reue me my pray:
If he haue any riȝt, let se what he can say!
The couenant that God made that sal I alway hold,
No man for to breke it sal neuer be so bold.”
“Man,” quod Ihesu, “hade keped al Goddes biddyng,
Hade he noȝt be lettid with betrayng,
When thou saide til Eue: ‘For that mete sal noȝt man dye,
Bot ȝe sal be as goddes, bothe wyse and sle.’
How may thou couenant reioys be reson
That thou made man to breke be thi foul treson?”
“Alas,” then quod the fend, “wher hade thou this connyng
For to venquys me today thus with thi motyng?
Mote euermore how as thou mote will,
Man sal euermore be in my prison stille,
Bot if thou, before he passe forth,
Paye as mekil raunson for him as he is al worth.”
“That is reson,” quod Ihesu Crist, “and that ful verrailye.
I wil noȝt tak man fro the with vnskilful maistrie.
Loke what his raunson sal be skilfully,
And I sal paye hit for him, and that ful largely.”
“Better then,” quod the fend, “sal his raunson be
Then al this ilk warld is worth that thou now may se.”
“I graunt,” quod Ihesu Crist, “to this couenant,
For my lest fynger is mekil more vailiant
Then a thousand worldes, if that thai ware.”
“Certes,” quod the fend then, “that is al my care,
For of al this warld ay y haue sum skill,
Bot in the is no thing sene at myn awen will.
And if thou wil gyue thi fynger him to bye,
Than sal thou make a febil marchandie,
And ȝit most thou suffre for him als mekil payn
As he hade done, and he in helle euer hade layn.”
Ihesu said: “I sal do more than thou has ast,
And this couenant betwix vs sal be made ful fast.”
Then the fend him to the dede as for his prison toke,
And choked on the godhede as fisch dos on the hoke.

Of Cristes passion

Behald now the passion of Cristes manhede,
How he gaf al himself to socour the at nede,
Both body and saul and his lymes alle
Lete punysch for the when that thou was thrall.
Thre and thirty ȝere for the to bye thi forfete,
He suffred cold, hunger, and thrist, and trauail wonder grete.
Befor that he for synne of man til his passion ȝode,
He prayed so hertly til his fader that he swette blode.
He was tane as a thef and bounden wonder fast,
And bette with hard knotty stringes whil thei wold last;
Fro the croun of the hed to the fote-sole
No pece of his skyn myȝt be founden hole.
Fete and hande wer drawen out and nayled to the tre,
As straitly for more penaunce as euer thai myȝt be.
He was lifted vpon hegh and leten doun so fast
That all the vaynes and the synnues in his body brast.
All that blissed body stremed doun of blode,
For to wasch synne ther was a noble flode.
His saule ful drery agayn the deyng
To make asseth for thi saule wikked likyng
The sharp croun of thornes crouned him so fast
That the sharpnes of thaim into the brayn brast,
And then he henged doun his heued with mekel meknes
For to make asseth for mannes proudnes.
His eghen wex fade and dym and lost al thair myȝt
For to make asseth alway for synne of mannes siȝt.
His eres hard fals reproues with gret scornyng
For to make asseth fully for synne of our hering.
His neys smelled of the Iewes snot and foul spitting
That thei cast vpon his face to blode and sweting;
This suffrance of Ihesu Crist, that lord is of al thing,
May make asseth for all synne of our smelling.
Bitter aisel and galle, when he was thristy,
Drank he to make fully asseth for mannes glotony.
When he was aght dayes old, with a culter of stone
Thai karf his tendre membre away, that bi the lagh was don;
This penance of that child, that was so worthi,
Miȝt make asseth for synne of mannes lechery.
Al the body aboute with brising and beting
Was punysched ynogh for synne of touching.
His hende nayled to the crosse al for thi sake
May for synne of thin hend asseth ynogh make.
His fete nayled thurd with yrne nayles
Made asseth for al thi wikkid trauayles.
He prayed for man til his fader hyngand an the croys
With bittir teres, and ȝeld the gast with a gret voys.
He was both God and man ful verraily,
That so ȝelded the gast, lyueand the body,
For saule goos neuer fro the body be the cours of kynde,
Whyl thou may in the body fyue wittes fynde.
Bot God strenghed his body to suffre more reddure
Than euer myȝt haue suffred any other creature.
His hert, that was clouen thurgh with a sharp spere,
That may make asseth for al synne that may dere.
His hert-blode and clene water was therout broȝt
To wasch away al enuy and al ille thoȝt.
This, of ful gret mercy, is sette on comon broche,
And the welle of pite springes out of this roche.
If thou wil forsake synne and cry mercy,
Thou sal neuer faile therof certaynly.
How that thou may synne with any lymme that is thine,
A lymme of Crist is punysched to thi medicine.
When God thus suffred dede, as we rede in boke,
The sunne sone withdrogh his liȝt and the erthe whoke,
And the vail of the temple euen brast in two,
And the harde stones swiftly cleue also;
Many a man rose than that were before dede,
And al bare thei wittenes of his godhede.

Of the sorowe of our lady

What sorowe hopes thou then hade his modur Mary,
When thing that has no reson for him was so sary!
Certes, lady, Symond swerd past thurghout thi hert,
And the paynes of thi sone wer in the ful smert,
That thi hert hade neuer lasted on non-kyn wyse,
Hade thou noȝt trewed stedfastly that he suld vprise.
Lady, what nede was the for to make sorowe,
For thi sone dyed synful man to borowe?
Thou wote that he sal ryse agayn thurgh his awen myȝt
And with a body ful of ioye apertely to thi siȝt.
Thou wote the fend is venquist and wetes it noȝt,
Til thi sone out of helle haue al his chosen broȝt.
[For] he dyed til he rose that [men] myȝt him se,
Alle the trewth of hali kerk was stedfast in the.
Alle his awen disciples of him thai wer dredand,
Bot the faith in thi hert ay it was lastand.
Dere lady, succour vs of dedly synnyng
For the ioye that thou hade of his vprising!

How Ihesus is almyȝti

He rose by his awne myȝt, and that verraily,
And shewed so that he was Ihesus almyghti.
He that al this warld made first of riȝt noȝt,
Man dampned agayn with his blode he boȝt.
Thus has he gyuen vs a gode counsail,
And thurgh riȝt venquist the fend in batail.
His lyf has shewed vs a ful redy gate
For to entre if we will in-with heuen-ȝate,
For we sul traist on him in al our nede:
He shewed vs the myȝt of God in his manhede.
Power of God and man was mellid in his dedis,
And that to stablenes of our treuth gretly spedis.
Riȝt as a sharp swerd of the fire al glowand
The egge kerues, if he smyte, the hete is brenand,
So godhede and manhede in o person
Shewed thair kyndnes to mannes reson.
We rede when he was called til a weddyng,
Whan thaim failed wyne, sone at his bydding,
Thai filled pottes of clene water in the stede of wyne,
And thai wer turned into wyne, and that gode and fyne.
When he bad fette water, he shewed his manhed,
And when he turned hit to wyne, he shewed his godhed,
For he myȝt haue made wyne withouten water broȝt,
Riȝt as he made, when he wald, al the warld a noȝt.
Also with fyue loues and only fisches two
He fedde, as we rede, fyue thousand and mo;
When thai hade eten ynogh, all that ther were,
Twelf lepes of relef ful away thei bere.
His manhed to thaim all delt bret and fische,
Bot his godhed ther multiplied al this.
Ȝit we rede that Lazar hade [lain] four dayes in his graue,
When Ihesu Crist fro ded to lyue wald him vp haue;
First he grette and sithen he cryed to Lazar,
That shewed that he was verray man thar.
When Lazar rose fro the ded and [did] mannes dede,
Then was shewed that in Crist was verray godhede.

Of the sacrament of the auter

God of all his meruailes made vs a gode mynd,
When he wold in forme of brede dwell with mankind.
Thurgh the vertue of Cristes wordes of the sacrament
That the prest reherces at his messe with gode entent,
Brede into Cristes flesch and wyne into his blode
Sudanly is turned for mannes gastly fode.
Nother brede ne wyne is after sacryng in the messe
Bot verray Goddes flesch and blode in thair liknes.
Ther is of brede and wyne sauour, colour, and figure,
Lastand thurgh Goddes wil agayn cours of nature,
But vnder this liknes is non other substance
Bot Goddes body and his blode with thair purtenance.
In Crist God and man, saul and body, flesch and blode
Are so fast knyt togeder with kynde and loue gode
That whar that is any party of Cristes awen body
Ther will God be, and tha[t] all verraily.
Therfor vndir liknes both of wyn and brede
Is verray both God and man that for vs was dede.
This is Goddes dede and passes mannes wit,
He has mekel mede that trewly trowes hit.
In this liknes gyues hit vs God, that is so gode,
For we wald be escheu of rawe flesch and of blode.
Brede and wyne in the stomak taken to mete
Turnes into flesch and blode thurgh kyndly hete.
Whi may noȝt God then, that al thing made of noȝt,
And, as haly writ sais, many wonder wroȝt,
Turne sone into flesch and blode both brede and wyne,
For to be to cristen man gastly medicine?
If thou receyue his flesch and blode worthily,
Thou sal be as quik lym of his body,
And if thou kepe the so out of dedly synne,
As a cosyn of his thou sal heuen wynne.
The pask-lambe in the ald lawe that al men suld ete
And man that God send fro heuen til his folk mete
And blod that was euer offrid for clensyng of synne
Was taken of his sacrament, that our help is ynne.
All the tokens of this sacrament that we ay can fynd
In the old lawe trugh trouth of this comes til our mynd,
And all the maruailes that God [wroȝt], ar he man ware
And [boren] of that clene mayden and modir that him bare.
If man wil with al his myȝt loue this sacrament
And vse hit out of dedly synne ay with gode entent,
Nother tunge may wel telle ne hert may wel think
The noble and gastly profit of this mete and drink.

How Ihesus is al strenghty

Now hast thou herd wele how Ihesus is almyȝty,
Here now how he is ouer al other strenghty.
This name of Ihesus has so gret in him vertu and myȝt
That all in heuen, erth, and helle suld til him loute with riȝt.
Oft in this name God mannes prayer spedes
Agayn the fend that hit ful mekil dredes.
This name is mirthe in hering and comfort in siȝt,
Triacle in mouth and in hert that is of mekil myȝt,
Socour to all synful men, and to seke solace,
To him that is repentant ay ful of grace.
The fend was prince of this warld and hade man in prison
Ay til our [lord] Ihesu Crist hade suffred passion.
Ther was non so hely that myȝt in erth dwell
Bot his saule, qwen he died, suld go to hell.
Hely men wer in merknes, ther thai no payn feld,
Bot the fend fro thair ioye agayn thair wil thaim held,
And the ȝate of paradys was agayn thaim stoken,
Til Ihesus with his passion hade made it open.
When the fende sagh him wele on the crois hyngand,
He wend to haue made him forth ay in hell lengand,
Bot sone the saul with the godhede as a fer lyon
And a kyng of al the warld, and noȝt as a prison,
Come to hell and brast thair barres with his will fre,
And toke out all anon with him that dyed in charite.
Him calles men a lord strong and myȝty,
That has ay, when he wil, in batail the maistry.
Sone he venquist the fend and cuttyd his power,
That he suld noȝt tempt vs more then we miȝt ber.
Thus is Ihesus our refut, strenght, and socour,
Our help and our hele, our ioye and our honour.

How Crist is our fader gastly

Here now how Crist was our formfader gastly,
Riȝt as Adam was to man formfader fleschly.
All that was of Adam born lost heuen for his synne,
And all that Cristes children will be bi him may hit wynne.
Baptisme has the vertu of Cristes hert-blode,
To make thaim his childer that wil take hit with gode.
Thus riȝt as al men dyed thurgh Adam,
So may al be quikned agayn in Cristes name.
Was neuer no fader that any son so der hade boȝt
As Crist, that man wesch of synne and out of prison broȝt.
In fourty houres after his ded herged he helle,
[[OMITTED],]
And apered to his disciples in many maner wyse,
To proue soth that he said that he suld vprise.
He ete and drank with thaim ichon riȝt in thair siȝt,
And spak that was nedeful to thaim, mekel of gastli liȝt,
And elleuen of thaim he blamed sithen,
For thei trowed noȝt that he was vprisen.
Bot it was til our faith ful heply
That Thomas of Ynde trowed lattly,
Til he into Crist hert-wond hade put his hand.
Than said he: “Thou art my god and my lord lyuand!”
“For thou has sene me,” quod Crist, “now thou trowes riȝt;
Blissed be tha[t] trowes wele withouten any siȝt.”
When our faith was thus confermed, as thou has wele hard,
Then bad Crist thei suld it preche thurghout al the warld
And [baptize] all that wald be in trouth stedfast
In the name of the Fader and the Son and the Haligast,
For ther [may] neuer non in heuen-blis wone
Bot he thurgh baptyme be made Cristes awen sone.
In this fader was neuer no wemme of synne,
The[r]for be him may [we] blis clayme and wynne.
Adam come of erth and band vs all to prison;
Crist then come fro heuen and payed for vs raunson.
When he stegh vp agayn to heuen riche blis,
He tok al the ded with him that was his;
Ther he haldes sesyn in his heritage
To al that wil folow him of his lynage.
Thar Fader and Sone and Haligast
Are all on God of myȝtes mast.
Insiȝt of this thre persons in on godhede
Sal be in heuen our gret ioye and our mede.
Then sal we [se] in that ioyfulnes
How Crist, our der fader, is verray prince of pees.
When Ihesu Crist of heuen had wonnen his gret riȝt,
Then was sent the haligast anon, as he hade hiȝt.
His disciples hertes anon he wald enspire
In the fader liknes with tunges of fire;
So the haligast was send and sett thaim aboue,
That of the fader and the sone is the gode loue
And is al on God with thaim in verray vnite,
Bot he is third person in the trinite.
When thei wer thus fulfilled of the haligast,
Thai couth wele al langage and speke hit sone in hast;
Thai were so confermed in trouth and al ful of grace
That for to preche Goddes lawe thai dred no kinges face.

Of the articles of trouth

Here now of the articles of our trouth that we al traist inne,
And the seuen sacramentȝ that soccours vs of synne.
We sal trowen in on God of myȝtes althermast,
That is the Fader and the Sone and the Haligast;
None is other of this persones thre,
Bot all are on God in [the] trinite.
Thes thre are on God and on verray nature,
That made first of riȝt noȝt al maner creature.
We trowe in haly kirk and haly mannes dedes,
That God ay with his grace thaim strenghtes wel and spedes
In trouth and sacramentȝ and dedes of charite,
Thurgh whilk to the repentant forgifnes of synne sal be.
He that trowes noȝt as hali kirk is in dedly synne,
And mede in heuen in that state may he neuer wynne.
At day of dome sal al mankynd vprise,
For to take ay-lastand dome on many diuers wise:
The gode sal go to heuen to ay-lastand blis,
And the wikkid to helle-fire that ay-lastand is.
The aghtend article is of Cristes manhede,
How Mary conceyued him in clen maydenhede;
When the aungel Gabriel come and gret hir with gode,
The haligast made a body of hir clennest blode
And put a saul into hit that al wysdam can;
Then God the Sone toke that and become man.
The neghend is that he of Maiden Mary was born,
And no thing of hir maydenhede therfor was lorn.
The tend is that he suffred paynes wilfully,
Al to ded opon the crois and biryng of body.
The elleuend [is] that Crist in saule went doun to hell
And toke out al his awen chosen that with him suld dwell.
The twelft is that he rose fro dede on the thrid day
And apperyd qwik in flesch with many tokens verray.
The thrittend is that he stegh vp hegh into heuen,
Ther he sittes in manhed with his fader euen.
The fourtend is that he sal come vpon domesday
And gyue riȝtwis dome to qwik and dede, that sal last ay.

Of the seuen sacraments

Ȝet the seuen sacramentȝ are nedful to kenne,
For baptyme of al synne may soccour all men,
For who as taas hit lawefully,
Of synne is clensed al fully.
The secund sacrament is confermyng,
That agayn the fend is a gret strenghting.
The third is the sacrament of the auter,
That is declared a litel befor here.
The ferth is penance ordaynd for mannes synne;
This lawefully has thre parties him withinne:
Sorow of hert, schrift of mouth, and asseth-making;
This thre of mede and grace bringes agayn taking.
The fift sacrament is for seke men anoynting:
This is soccour agayn al uenial synnyng.
The sext is ordour that clerkes has on diuerse wise,
And therthurgh has diuerse power in Goddes seruise.
That seuend betwix man and woman is wedding
For remedie of lecherie and childer nurishing.
Thurgh gode and laweful vsyng of any of this seuen
May men wele escheu payn and liȝtly come til heuen;
Grace in this seuen heles man of al gastly sore,
And seuen vertues ables him that thou red before.
Seuen giftes of the haligast helpes ay his dede,
And seuen maner of blis parfourmes his mede.

Of the seuen giftes of the haligast

The first gift, dred of God, puttes fro man pride mast
And makes him wele-manerd, pouer in hert and tast,
And that are thus meke in hert and pouer gastly,
Crist blesses thaim alway, and heuen is thaires treuly.
The second gift is pite, that puttes out enuy
And makes man to worschip God, his fader gastly,
And Goddes lawe and his neghbour for Goddes awen sake;
And thes gode dedes gode, benigne, and myld wil him make;
Thai that has vertuously that ilk myldnes
Ay sal haue lyuyng in mekil blissednes.
The third gift is cunnyng, that puttes away wrath
And mas man to loue godenes and with wikkednes to wlath,
And haue sorow for his synne and taryyng of blis,
For this is man blissed, and heuen sal be his.
This gift of cunnyng may noȝt ful longe be
Withouten gastly ioye and gret charite.
The ferth gift is gastly strenght, that puttes away slouth,
And to eschape all perils mas man to haue trouth;
Hit mas man to suffre wel and long to bide riȝt,
And riȝt be done to God and man ȝerne with al his myȝt.
And whoso has this ȝernyng and hungres riȝtwisnes,
Thai sal be fulfilled of hit and haue gret blissednes.
That fift gift is counsail, that fordos couetise,
And in hegh thing and hard mas man of gode auyse;
Hit mas man ay gode and benigne in alkyn thinge,
And rewles hym wele in warkes of mercy-doyng.
And all that warkes of mercy dos deuoutely
Are blissed of Ihesu Crist and ay sal haue mercy.
The sext gift is vnderstanding, that glotery fordos,
And stires to certayn trouth that him gastly behose,
And makes him of all synne clene in hert to be.
Suche men are blissid of Crist, for thai sal God se.
The seuent gift is wysdam, that fordos lecherie,
And confortes man in ioye of God and pes swetly,
And mas man to kepe and make pees with gret besines.
Siche are called Goddes childer and sal haue blissednes.
In suffring oght for riȝt standes the aghtend blis,
And who as euer suffres so, the rewme of heuen is his.

Of Antecristes commyng

That tyme when God wil suffre before the [day] of dome,
To tempte and pursue cristen men Anticrist sal come.
He sal be born in Babiloyn of the kynd of Dan,
That sum tyme her in erth of Iacob childer was an.
He sal regne in Iersalem and himself [Crist] call;
Then many of the[s] wretched Iewes sal fast til him fall.
When he mas him God, his gode aungel sal him forsake;
Then the fend sal him enspir and hede of wikkednes make.
He sal feyne thurgh fendes craft ner al Cristes meruailes,
Bot ay in him charite, mercy, and meknes failes.
Simple men sal he deceyue with miracles-doyng,
Couetous with gret giftes and gode with punysching.
He sal make men as God to adour his ymage,
And on thair [forehed] bere a mark of his seruage.
Whoso has noȝt that mark, sal nouther bye ne sell,
Bot Antecristes tyrant sal thaim to ded quell.
Be reson and in haly writ it is Goddes sawe:
Thurgh payn sal God neuer stresse man to forsake his lawe,
Bot what as any man dos her with his fre will,
Sal turne him, after it is, to gode or to ill.
Betwix Antecristes comyng and his gret ill-doyng
Sal Ely and Ennok com preche for mennes sauyng;
Then Antecrist sal sle thaim in Iersalem,
And God sal raise thaim to lif and tak thaim to his leme.
Bot thre ȝere and a half sal Antecrist haue maistry,
For to saue his chosen that ordayns Goddes mercy.
Then thurgh Goddes myȝt sal that wikked be slayn,
And all chosen that trespast then sal turne agayn.
The[n] ful many Iewes sal turne to Cristes lawe,
And hali kirk sal liue in pes out of tyrantȝ awe
Shortir tyme or lenger til that Crist wil come,
To make the worldes ende and gif his grete dome.

Of the day of dome

In the same fourme in whilk Crist suffrid payn
To deme both qwhik and ded he sal come agayn.
Then sal he shewe his body stremand al on blode
And his hert clouen in two, as he henge on rode,
And say: “For ȝow suffred I al this gret payn,
Telles now what ȝe to me has done theragayn!”
Allas! what may then til him synful man say,
That neuer wele withouten synne spendes on day.
Man sal ȝelde acompt then of al that God him sende,
Body and saul, witte and gode, how he has it spende,
And of ilk an ydel word that euer he here spak;
In wikked word and wikked dede then sal be gret lak.
After that degre of synne or of charite
That any man dyes inne sal he domed be.
Than sal clere conscience be mekil more of-told
Than any gret lordship with a world ful of gold,
For al sal then perisch that we here now make,
And synful man sal for drede sore tremble and qwak.
All synne for whilk is noȝt worthily asseth made her
Bes shewed ther al openly to shame and gret ler.
Ilk a man then sal se his dome verraily,
And for gret drede of God thus sal thei all cry:
“Montayns, falles doun on vs for to hid vs,
That we se noȝt the wrath of God, that is so hedous.
Allas! that euer wer we born anything to craue,
For withouten ende we are lorn, for nothing may vs saue.
Alas, alas, and wele-away! wherof may we ȝelp?
Whe are shent foreuer and ay, for no thing may vs help.”
Haly writ sais that befor this dome
Ouer al this wide warld a huge fire sal come.
Seint Peter sais that then al sal brenne;
Erth and water and al the warld and al that is therinne,
Heuens and ayr and all the elements
Fire thurgh brennyng then sal clens;
Fire sal noȝt touche heuen in the whilk is blis,
Bot other heuens that vnder hit is.
The fire sal purge venial synne,
And ful hard pyne thaim that dedly [synne] is inne;
Hit sal fordo thing that sal noȝt endure,
And make al the remanant of fairer figure.
Then al the qwik bestes sal tak thair endyng,
That were made bot for a tyme of mannes leuyng.
The four elements sal be farer seuen fold
Then euer thai were any tyme other newe or old.
Ther sal be no chaunging fro cold to the hete,
Ne non other tempest of wynd and wedirs gret;
Al cold and hete, foul venum, fylth, and stynk,
For to punish thaim in hell sal doun then synk.
The heuens sal noȝt turne aboute bot stand ay in rest,
The sunne ay in the est, the mone in the west;
Ilkon sal be more clere seuen fold than he was,
Bot[h] to Goddes worschip and to mannes solas.
This sais God bi Ysaie, that his wil wele knewe:
“Lo, I make both heuens and erth all span-newe.”
This fairnes of the warld sal dampned men noȝt se,
For thai sal be in helle-payne or that fairnes sal be.
First when God wil, sall aungeles a gret noyse make,
And Crist thaim that are in blis sal with him take.
Then the remanant that sal be in that blis faire
Sal be rauyst him agayn vp into the aere.
All sall ryse fro ded to lyf of Adames lynage
Als in thair awen statur of thritty ȝer age.
All Goddes chosen then sal ful parfit be
Withouten any foulnes or superfluite.
Then sal Crist say to thaim on his riȝt honde
A gode word of all wordes comfortande:
“Come, ȝe my fader blissed, and haues the reume of heuen,
That befor the warld was made [was] ordaynd ȝow ful euen!
Ȝe gaf me mete, whan I was hungry;
Ȝe gaf me drynk, whan y was thristy;
When I hade nede, ȝe harbard me;
When I was naked, ȝe cleded me;
Ȝe visit me, when I was seke,
And in prison ȝe wald me seke.
That ȝe did for my loue to the lest of myne,
That same ȝe did to myself, theron sal ȝe noȝt tyne.”
Then wikked men for heuenes of synne
Sall noȝt agayn Crist into the aier wynne
Bot thai on the erth [sal] Cristes wordes here,
That sal be to thaim withouten ende a lere,
When he sais: “Go, waried, into the fire of helle,
Thar ȝe in payne withouten ende with the fend sal dwell.
Ȝe serued neuer ioye ay-lastandly,
For ȝe fulfilled noȝt the warkes of mercy.”
Take now gode kepe here, wardly cristen m[a]n,
And do thi saule profit als wele as thou can!
Thurgh warkes of mercy may men heuen wynne,
And thai that dos thaim noȝt sal noȝt come therinne.
Bot ther are seuen warkes of mercy bodely,
And also other seuen warkes of mercy gastly;
Thurgh trewe kepyng of any of this seuen
May a trewe cristen man wel come to heuen.
Sex bodely warkes has thou befor redde,
The [seuent] taght Tobie when he beryd the dede.
Seuen gastly warkes, that are of more mede,
May thou hald in thi mynd to thin awen spede.
The first is for to teche the vncunnand,
The second is to counsail the doutand,
The thrid is to confort him that is sorowful,
The ferth is to chasty him that is in synne wilful,
The fift is to forgif him that has ill wratthed the,
The sext is to support him that irksum is to the,
The seuent is to pray to God for all thes hertely,
That he amend thaim of thair faute thurgh his gret mercy.

Of the paynes of hell

Turne we now agayn sumwhat for to telle
Of the orrible paynes that ay are in helle.
Helle is a depe pit stynkand with all myrknes,
Ther the dampned ay sal be halden in gret distres.
All that is in the warld of filth and of stynk
At day of dome sal doun thedir synk,
For to eke thair stynkand payne al be hit gret,
For ther sal be of hell-fire wondir huge hete.
That brennand fire withouten ende so gretly hit glowes
That al the watur in the warld may not sloken his lowes.
Ther is als gret cold on another side;
Ther sudanly for more payne into hit sal thei glide.
Thai sal noȝt haue no roume theron beside another,
Bot all be cast on a hepe as of turf a fother.
Ilkon sal stynk on other and double his payne,
And ilkon ay to greue other sall be ful fayne.
Ther sal be gnasting of teth for gretnes of payne,
And euer in the hert a sorowe souerayne,
That thai haue lost for a litil lykyng of synne
The ioye of the siȝt of God, that al godenes is inne.
And this worme of conscience sal bit thaim euermore
And ouer all paynes ay be to thaim a sore.
No likyng sal thai haue, shortly for to say,
Bot al thing agayn thair wil that thaim gref may,
And thus sal thai be punist ay-lastandly
Withouten hope of mercy or any remedy.

Of the ioyes of heuen

Thair ioye in heuen sal wele more be
Then any hert may think or any egh se,
Ne non ert[h]ly mannes ere may wele here
The ioye that God has ordaynd til his awen dere.
This ioye sall haue then ay-lastand sekirnes,
For Crist, kyng of ioye, sal then be prince of pes.
Ilk mannes body of thaim that God wil saue
Four fair dowers of ioye in heuen sal haue.
First the body sal be parfit there,
That no thing in al the warld myȝt him [d]ere;
All the fir of hell myȝt him neuer brenne,
If he neuer so lange were laide therinne.
The second dower of the body sal be briȝtnes,
That man sal haue that dede in gastly clennes.
Ilk a body sal be there seuen [fold] more briȝt
Then the sunne is here when it most liȝt,
And this gret briȝtnes of the body
Sal euermore cleth hit fair and honestly.
The third dower of the body sal be sutilnes,
For hit sal be so clensid of all rudnes
That non ert[h]ly body may lette hit to passe,
More then the sunne-beme is lettid be the glas.
The ferth dower of the body sal be deliuernes,
For hit sal be clensid so wel of alkyn heuynes
That sudanly whedir as the saul has ȝernyng
Thedir sal the body glide withouten more letting.
In thes four dowers sal thi body be so parfit
That of all erthly ioye of hit sal be delit.
Thre gastly parties of thi saul ioye sal fulfill;
Thes are vnderstanding, a mynd, and a will.
Vndirstanding that her was in trewth stedfast
Of poyntes of our faith that manes [reson past]
Sal in clere siȝht of God al that he trowed se,
And in that souerayn sair siȝt al ful of blis be.
All wysdam, al godenes, all fairnes, al myȝt
Sal rauysh man to the loue of God in that fair siȝt.
Man sal se in God, as in a myrour,
All that he wil or may be to his honour.
Ilk man as he deserued mor or lesse her
Sal haue ther ay the siȝt of God more or lesse cler,
Bot al sal be so fully payd in that siȝt
That couayt clerer siȝt non sal haue no myȝt,
And thus in the saul the vnderstanding
Sal ay be fulfilled of ioye and likyng,
And this sal be in mannes saul the first dower
After that he deserued when that he was her.
His will that her loued God ouer al thing
And his euencristen for Goddes bidding
In the loue of God ther sal be so parfit
That al his ȝernyng sal be ful of delit.
That loue sal be ay so gret, so gode, and so fair
That nothing that may befall sal hit oght empair.
His mynd that hoped to haue ioye thurgh grace and mercy
And dyed stedfast in trouth withouten synne dedly
Sal haue mekil more ioye then he euer wend,
And sikirnes that hit last ay withouten end.
So sal ilk blissed saul be fulfillid of blis
That hit may nothing ȝerne thare that hit may mys.
He has parfit blis that has al his will,
And so be that he t[h]en nothing will ill.
Ther sal nothing be that may greue bot al liking
That sal ay last sikirly withouten endyng.
Sothly thre dowers of the saul are the gret blis,
And mannes ioye is mesurd after he has of this.
This gret ioye is of Gode loue and likyng and siȝt,
Al other ioye toward this [is] of litil myȝt,
As he that has the sunne-liȝt vpon a fair day,
For many torches if he liȝt no better se he may;
Noȝt more liȝt bot more maners of liȝt he has,
And that may be to him a maner of solace.
Cler siȝt of God sal ther be mannes fode,
And briȝtnes of body sal be clething gode.
Wark sal be thar of God a mery louyng,
That neuer withouten end sal haue irking.
If Adam hade lyued to the warldes ende,
And al the wittes of all men God had him send,
Ȝit myȝt he noȝt haue told fully
The lest poynt of that ioye verraily.
Ther sal be nothing that may displese
Bot al honeste and gode that may ese.
[Thre] maner of men sal haue a ioye special,
That is callid in haly writ of ioye a coronale.
Thes thre maners are verray martires,
Alle-clene uirgines, and haly techers.
Ilkon sal haue ther als [mekil] ioye of othir
Als he were a thousand sith his brothir;
Ilkon of other ioye sal haue a liking,
And that sal be thaim of ioye a doubling.
This doubling sal be in noumbre a gretnes,
Noȝt to the ioye before euen mykilnes.
After degre of loue of God that man hade her
Sal his ioye be mesurd withouten any wer.
Man sal haue souerayne ioye in siȝt of godhede,
And sithen a gret ioye of Crist manhede,
That he is both God and man that boȝt him with his blode,
And deyned to shewe to man so hertly mekil gode;
That his [brother] sal euer be his lord and his god,
That sal be a confort to him withouten make od.
In himself he has his ioye of al the dowers,
Both of body and of saul, as clerkes vs leres.
Of the qwene of heuen, our lady Mary,
That is Goddes moder and well of mercy,
Flour of all uirgines and avowe to mankynd,
May all that are in heuen gret confort fynd;
Amang all creatures sho has wele of all weles,
For sho is moder of the king that al ioye deles.
Sithen ix ordres of aungeles confortes man in blis
With thair gret myrth and ioyfulnes, that thai may neuer mys.
Sithen al maner of men that to blis wendis
And specialy all gode men frendes
Ekys his ioye and confort when thai are mette,
And that sall ay last withouten any lette.
Ȝit heuen and erth and all creatures
Sal be to mannes ioye whiles hit endures;
All the sorow and paynes of hell ay-lastandly
Sall confort him that eschaped thaim thurgh mercy.
Thus sal man in heuen ay fynd ioye and leth,
Aboue him, withinne him, aboute and beneth.
Ay, sais Seint Austyn sothfastly,
Man suld forsake resonably
All the welthes of this warld euermore and ay
For to haue the ioye of heuen only a day.
How mekil more then suld man ay forsake synne
While he lyued in erth that blis for to wynne?
The godenes of God, the fairnes, the wysdam, the myȝt,
The ioye, the solace, the confort, that ay is in his siȝt,
Passes all mannes mynd, vndirstanding, and wit,
Bot if he may come to blis fully and clerly se hit.
Therfor he that all creatures first made of noȝt
And with his awne hert-blode al mankynd boȝt
Thurgh his grace and mercy graunt vs that ioye to se,
How thre persones are all on God in trinite.

Here endes the Myrour of Lewed Men.

A munk made this myrour only for lewed mennes sake,
Thou that will se saule-hele, this thi myrour thou take!

KING AND FOUR DAUGHTERS

Jhesu Cryst, heuyn kynge,
Be at my begyninge.
Ther is no man þat may ȝelpe
Bot he hath nede of Godys helpe.
Fader and Sone and Holy Goste,
One God of myȝhtys moste.
He helpe vs at oure nede;
Wiþouten hym may we not sped.
I sate and lokyd on a romance,
Was made in þe lond of France;
Grostyd it made out of dyuine,
All in French out of Latyne.
He saw all men hade not vertu
To know Latyn, Ebrew, and Grew,
The[r]for in French he mad it þer,
That men myȝt wyte what it were.
Ȝit may not all men French vnderstond,
And namely men of Ingelond.
Therfor, soth as I þe tolde,
Ryme on Inglych make [I] wolde,
That men myȝht haue þerof solace.
Now, God, þerto gyfe vs grace!

De principio creacionis mundi

Now at þe fyrst begyninge
I schall tell of þe werld makyng,
And how it was fyrste gyuen to Adam,
Of whom oure fyrst synne camme,
And also of paradys iwys,
That was full of werldys blys,
And of heuen, þat is so hye,
How it was lorne thorow folye,
How it come after to mankynd,
As ȝe may afterwerd fynd.
Wiþin vj deys ryȝht
All þe werld we[s] idyȝht;
Allmyȝhty God, þat is þe beste,
The vij dey he gan reste.
Therof ȝe haue herd telle.
God kep vs fro þe peyn of helle!
When God allmyȝhty of nouȝht
Heuyn and erth all hade wrought,
Wiþ all þe pourtynans small and grete,
Lord, þat was feyr and swete!
Now is þe sone clere and lyȝht:
That tyme it was vij so bryȝht;
The mone þat schynes no[w] by nyȝht,
Than it schone also bryȝht
As do[s] þe sone now onne deye.
And sey therof no man naye:
I tell ȝew now sothlye,
It wytnes þe prophet Isaye,
And at hym I take wytnesse
That euery thyng more and lesse,
In erth, in ayer, water, and flode,
Seth Adam synned, was not so gode
Als it was fyrste beforne,
Or Adam and Eue wer forlorne.
Lorne was Adam and all hys kynne
For þat ilke foule synne,
And all þer kynne, as I ȝow telle,
Euerychon þei went to helle.
Wrong was it not bote skyll,
So euery man may [se] þat wyll.
Gode is to thinke þeron aryȝht,
For to loue God allmyȝht.

De medio mundi et de fine

Misericordia et Veritas obviaverunt sibi.

Sothnes, hyr syster, þis pleynt herd,
Sone sche com and ansuerd:
“Fader, what may þis pleynt be
That Mersy, my syster, makys to þe?
Wold sche for hyr myld herte
Bryng þis prisoner owte of smerte?
Scho wold he wer fro peyn ibrouȝht,
Bot I, Sothnes, wyll it nouȝht.
A trew thyng, fader, I tell þe:
Ȝiff all thyng myȝht sauyd be
For whom my syster wyll praye,
Schall non of þe stand aye.
I ame Sothnes, herkens to me,
And þat name I hade of þe!
Men callys me kyng in euery kythe,
And ȝiff sothnes wones þe wyth,
Mersy of hym may þou haue none,
Bot I, Sothnes, fro þe gone.
Pyte off hym may non be wroght,
For hymselue wyll it nouȝht.
Kyng off sothnes, do than ryght
And late avenge þe of þat wyght!”
The syster Ryght þeder gan gone;
Thys wordys sche herd euerychone.
When sche þe pleynte onderstode,
Sche ansuerd wiþ myld mode:
“Fader, my name is callyd Ryght,
That name I hade of thy myght.
Seth I ame Ryght, and þou hast me,
As Soth it seys, it muste be,
For Ryght wyll in non wyse
That seruant wer in unyse.
That Soth hath seyd, I, Ryȝht, it wyll,
For it is reson and skyll.
Late þou hym in priso[n] be,
Tyll þou hym iuge befor þe!
For Ryght wyll haue all onderhond,
That he, Soth, do onderstond;
Ryght gyffes iche man be Sothe his rede,
Be it to gode, be it to quede.
Whyll þat he thyn hest held,
We wer wiþ hym wiþ spere and scheld,
Both Mersy, Soth, and Ryght,
And Pese, my syster, wiþ all oure myȝt.
Vs all iiij he hath forsake,
Right wyll þerfor vengeans take.”
Non god word was þer speke,
When þat Mersy was oute steke.
Than was þat wrech wiþ peynes schent,
Hys god benom, hys clothes rente;
In peyn was he manyfolde,
As Soth and Ryght bothe it wolde.
And also þat of hym com,
All þei had þe same dome.
Soth and Ryght wiþouten les
Went wiþout Mersy and Pes,
And be contre as þei wend,
All þat wreches kynd þei schent;
So fast þei gan þem doun dryue
That þei left neuer one of lyue.
A flode ouer all dyd go;
viij þat left of lyue and nomo:
That was Noe and his thre sones—
Ther wer no mo left in no wonys—
In Noys schype wiþ þer wyues,
Wherin þei sauyd þer lyues.
That was þan a reufull syght,
And ȝit it was bote soth and ryȝht.
The syster Pes myȝht nowher be,
Sche was sent out contre,
For sche may for no thyng
Be among wreth and werryng.
Than was Pes in mych care,
When sche saw þe werld þus fare.
To hyr fader hyr wey sche leyd,
And com to hym sone and seyd:
“Fader, I ame þi douȝter Pes,
I auȝht be at thy dese.
Thou arte kynge of pes so dere:
My fader, þan must þou here!
My two systeres, Soth and Ryght,
Wiþ Pes and Mersy þei hold fyght;
All wiþout oure asente
They don all þer iugement.
I, Pese, and my syster Mersy bothe,
We com no[t] heder consell to noþe,
And we foure aw be all at one.
Thys thyng, fader, may not þus gon:
I, Pes, wyll abyde wiþ the,
Tyll all pese among þem be.
All godnes thorow pes to end is brouȝt;
Whoso hath pes, he feylys nouȝht;
Wiþouten pes is wroȝht no thyng,
Be it neuer so grete doyng.
Whoso euer aboute wyll wend,
Pese schall folow at þe ende.
Soth and Ryght it is þer fe
For to kepe þe name of me,
For þei haue non oþer nede
Bot pes to kepe in euery lede.
Why schall I than be forsake,
When þou pes for me gan take?
Bot I haue Mersy, my syster, wiþ me:
I may not els sauyd be.
Seth þou arte kyng of pes in lond,
My word aw to be vnderstond.
Off þe foure systeres a resyn clere
Now ryȝht wyll I schew here:
Thorow vs iiij schall all be wrouȝt,
In vnyte is all my thouȝt;
All we iiij verament
Schall make one iugement.
Therfor iugement auȝht be nouȝt,
Tyll we iiij at one be brouȝt;
All we behouyth togeder take,
Ryght iugement for to make.
Thys seruant onne non wyse
May be leuyd in þat vnyse;
Wiþouten my syster Mersy and me
Iugement may non gyuen be.
Mersy, my syster, cryes euermo
Mersy for hym þat is in wo;
Therfor I, Pes, at þe endes
Schall fond to make þe frendes.”
The kyngys son both wyse and queynt
Herd þe iiij systeres pleynt.
Wiþouten hym on non wyse
Acord may not ryȝht aryse.
“Fader,” he seyd, “thyn I ame;
Off þe, fader, fyrst I com.
Wysdom, fader, my name it is,
For whom was made þis werldys blys;
Thou and I, fader, all one we be
In wytte and myȝht and dygnyte.
Off þis contake, þat I here,
Mersy hath told me reson clere,
Wherof, fader, I haue pyte
That seruant in peyn schall so be.
Thy seruant clothing take I wyll;
Both wiþ sothnes and wiþ skyll
That iugement I wyll onderfonge
And all þat euer to ryȝht wyll longe.
I schall cry Pes wiþouten mys,
And Ryȝht and Pese I schall do kys.
All contake leyd schall be,
My wyll it is I schall saue þe.”

FOURE DOUGHTERS