 | Chateau d'amour |  |
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
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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.
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