 | The Castell of Perseverance |  |
SCENE XXII
MISERICORDIA.
A mone I herd of mercy meve
And to me, Mercy, gan crye and call;
But if it haue mercy, sore it schal me greve,
For ell it schal to hell fall.
Rythwysnes, my systyr cheve,
Þys ȝe herde; so dyde we all.
For we were mad frendys leve
Whanne þe Jevys proferyd Criste eysyl and gall
On þe Good Fryday.
God grauntyd þat remission,
Mercy, and absolicion,
Þorwe vertu of hys passion,
To no man schuld be seyd nay.
And to me, Mercy, gan crye and call;
But if it haue mercy, sore it schal me greve,
For ell it schal to hell fall.
Rythwysnes, my systyr cheve,
Þys ȝe herde; so dyde we all.
For we were mad frendys leve
Whanne þe Jevys proferyd Criste eysyl and gall
On þe Good Fryday.
God grauntyd þat remission,
Mercy, and absolicion,
Þorwe vertu of hys passion,
To no man schuld be seyd nay.
Þerfore, my systyr Rytwysnes,
Pes, and Trewthe, to ȝou I tell,
Whanne man crieth mercy, and wyl not ses,
Mercy schal be hys waschynge-well:
Wytnesse of Holy Kyrke.
For þe leste drope of blode
Þat God bledde on þe rode
It hadde ben satysfaccion goode
For al Mankyndys werke.
Pes, and Trewthe, to ȝou I tell,
Whanne man crieth mercy, and wyl not ses,
Mercy schal be hys waschynge-well:
Wytnesse of Holy Kyrke.
For þe leste drope of blode
Þat God bledde on þe rode
It hadde ben satysfaccion goode
For al Mankyndys werke.
JUSTICIA.
Systyr, ȝe sey me a good skyl,
Þat mercy pasyt mannys mysdede.
But take mercy whoso wyl
He muste it aske wyth love and drede;
And eueryman þat wyl fulfyll
Þe dedly synnys and folw mysdede,
To graunte hem mercy me þynkyth it no skyl;
And þerfore, systyr, ȝou I rede
Lete hym abye hys mysdede.
For þou he lye in hell and stynke,
It schal me neuere ouyrþynke.
As he hath browyn, lete hym drynke;
Þe Devyl schal qwyte hym hys mede.
Þat mercy pasyt mannys mysdede.
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He muste it aske wyth love and drede;
And eueryman þat wyl fulfyll
Þe dedly synnys and folw mysdede,
To graunte hem mercy me þynkyth it no skyl;
And þerfore, systyr, ȝou I rede
Lete hym abye hys mysdede.
For þou he lye in hell and stynke,
It schal me neuere ouyrþynke.
As he hath browyn, lete hym drynke;
Þe Devyl schal qwyte hym hys mede.
Vnusquisque suum honus portabit.
Trowe ȝe þat whanne a man schal deye,
Þanne þow þat he mercy craue,
Þat anon he schal haue mercye?
Nay, nay, so Crist me saue!
Þanne þow þat he mercy craue,
Þat anon he schal haue mercye?
Nay, nay, so Crist me saue!
Non omne qui dicit ‘Domine, Domine’ intrabit regnum celorum.
For schuld no man do no good
All þe dayes of hys lyve
But hope of mercy be þe rode
Schulde make boþe werre and stryve
And torne to gret grewaunse.
Whoso in hope dothe any dedly synne
To hys lyvys ende, and wyl not blynne,
Rytfully þanne schal he wynne
Crystis gret vengaunse.
All þe dayes of hys lyve
But hope of mercy be þe rode
Schulde make boþe werre and stryve
And torne to gret grewaunse.
Whoso in hope dothe any dedly synne
To hys lyvys ende, and wyl not blynne,
Rytfully þanne schal he wynne
Crystis gret vengaunse.
VERITAS.
Rytwysnes, my systyr fre,
Ȝour jugement is good and trewe.
In good feyth so þynkyth me;
Late hym hys owyn dedys rewe.
I am Veritas and trew wyl be
In word and werke to olde and newe.
Was neuere man in fawte of me
Dampnyd nor savyd, but it were dew.
I am euere at mans ende.
Whanne body and sowle partyn atwynne,
Þanne wey I hys goode dedys and hys synne,
And weydyr of hem be more or mynne
He schal it ryth sone fynde.
Ȝour jugement is good and trewe.
In good feyth so þynkyth me;
Late hym hys owyn dedys rewe.
I am Veritas and trew wyl be
In word and werke to olde and newe.
Was neuere man in fawte of me
Dampnyd nor savyd, but it were dew.
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Whanne body and sowle partyn atwynne,
Þanne wey I hys goode dedys and hys synne,
And weydyr of hem be more or mynne
He schal it ryth sone fynde.
For I am Trewþe and trewþe wyl bere,
As grete God hymself vs byd.
Þer schal noþynge þe sowle dere
But synne þat þe body dyd.
Syth þat he deyed in þat coveytous synne,
I, Trewþe, wyl þat he goo to pyne.
Of þat synne cowde he not blynne;
Þerfore he schal hys sowle tyne
To þe pytte of hell.
Ellys schuld we, boþe Trewþe and Rytwysnes,
Be put to ouyrmekyl dystresse
And euery man schuld be þe wers
Þat þerof myth here tell.
As grete God hymself vs byd.
Þer schal noþynge þe sowle dere
But synne þat þe body dyd.
Syth þat he deyed in þat coveytous synne,
I, Trewþe, wyl þat he goo to pyne.
Of þat synne cowde he not blynne;
Þerfore he schal hys sowle tyne
To þe pytte of hell.
Ellys schuld we, boþe Trewþe and Rytwysnes,
Be put to ouyrmekyl dystresse
And euery man schuld be þe wers
Þat þerof myth here tell.
PAX.
Pes, my systyr Verite!
I preye ȝou, Rytwysnes, be stylle!
Lete no man be ȝou dampnyd be
Nor deme ȝe no man to helle.
He is on kyn tyl vs thre,
Þow he haue now not al hys wylle.
For hys loue þat deyed on tre,
Late saue Mankynd fro al peryle
And schelde hym fro myschaunsse.
If ȝe tweyne putte hym to dystresse
It schuld make gret hevynesse
Betwene vs tweyne, Mercy and Pes,
And þat were gret grevaunce.
I preye ȝou, Rytwysnes, be stylle!
Lete no man be ȝou dampnyd be
Nor deme ȝe no man to helle.
He is on kyn tyl vs thre,
Þow he haue now not al hys wylle.
For hys loue þat deyed on tre,
Late saue Mankynd fro al peryle
And schelde hym fro myschaunsse.
If ȝe tweyne putte hym to dystresse
It schuld make gret hevynesse
Betwene vs tweyne, Mercy and Pes,
And þat were gret grevaunce.
Rytwysnes and Trewthe, do be my red,
And Mercy, go we to ȝone hey place.
We schal enforme þe hey Godhed
And pray hym to deme þis case.
Ȝe schal tell hym ȝoure entent
Of Trewthe and of Rytwysnesse,
And we schal pray þat hys jugement
May pase be vs, Mercy and Pes.
All foure, now go we hens
Wytly to þe Trinite
And þer schal we sone se
What þat hys jugement schal be,
Wythovtyn any deffens.
And Mercy, go we to ȝone hey place.
We schal enforme þe hey Godhed
And pray hym to deme þis case.
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Of Trewthe and of Rytwysnesse,
And we schal pray þat hys jugement
May pase be vs, Mercy and Pes.
All foure, now go we hens
Wytly to þe Trinite
And þer schal we sone se
What þat hys jugement schal be,
Wythovtyn any deffens.
Tunc ascendent ad PATREM omnes pariter et dicet VERITAS:
| The Castell of Perseverance | |