 | The Merceres |  |
504
[Scene II
The Seat of Judgment.]
24.
Deus.
Mi postelis and my darlyngis dere,
Þe dredfull dome þis day is dight.
Both heuen and erthe and hell schall here,
Howe I schall holde þat I haue hight,
That ȝe schall sitte on seetis sere,
Be-side my selffe to se þat sight.
And for to deme folke ferre and nere,
Aftir þer werkyng, wronge or right.
Þe dredfull dome þis day is dight.
Both heuen and erthe and hell schall here,
Howe I schall holde þat I haue hight,
That ȝe schall sitte on seetis sere,
Be-side my selffe to se þat sight.
And for to deme folke ferre and nere,
Aftir þer werkyng, wronge or right.
25.
I saide also whan I you sente
To suffre sorowe for my sake,
All þo þat wolde þame right repente
Schulde with you wende and wynly wake;
And to youre tales who toke no tente,
Shulde fare to fyre with fendis blake,
Of mercy nowe may noȝt be mente,
Butt aftir wirkyng, welth or wrake.
To suffre sorowe for my sake,
All þo þat wolde þame right repente
Schulde with you wende and wynly wake;
And to youre tales who toke no tente,
Shulde fare to fyre with fendis blake,
Of mercy nowe may noȝt be mente,
Butt aftir wirkyng, welth or wrake.
26.
My hetyng haly schall I fullfille.
Therfore comes furth and sittis me by
To here þe dome of goode and ill.
Therfore comes furth and sittis me by
To here þe dome of goode and ill.
i Apost.
I loue þe, lord god all myghty,
Late and herely, lowde and still,
To do thy bidding bayne am I,
I obblissh me to do þi will,
With all my myght, als is worthy.
27.
ii Apost.A! myghtfull god, here is it sene,
Þou will fulfille þi forward right,
And all þi sawes þou will maynteyne;
I loue þe, lorde, with all my myght.
Þer-fore vs þat has erthely bene,
Swilke dingnitees has dressed and dight.
Deus.
Comes fourthe, I schall sitte ȝou betwene,
And all fulfille þat I haue hight.
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28.
i Diab.Felas, arraye vs for to fight,
And go we faste oure fee to fange,
Þe dredefull dome þis day is dight,
I drede me þat we dwelle full longe.
ii Diab.
We schall be sene euere in þer sight,
And warly waite, ellis wirke we wrange,
For if þe domisman do vs right,
Full grete partie with vs schall gang.
29.
iii Diab.He schall do right to foo and frende,
For nowe schall all þe soth be sought,
All weried wightis with vs schall wende,
To payne endles þei schall be broght.
30.
Deus.
Ilke a creature, takes entent,
What bodworde I to you bringe,
Þis wofull worlde away is wente,
And I am come as crouned kynge.
Mi fadir of heuene, he has me sente,
To deme youre dedis and make ending,
Comen is þe day of jugement,
Of sorowe may ilke a synfull synge.
What bodworde I to you bringe,
Þis wofull worlde away is wente,
And I am come as crouned kynge.
Mi fadir of heuene, he has me sente,
To deme youre dedis and make ending,
Comen is þe day of jugement,
Of sorowe may ilke a synfull synge.
31.
The day is comen of kaydyfnes,
All þam to care þat are vnclene,
Þe day of bale and bittirnes,
Full longe abedyn has it bene,
Þe day of drede to more and lesse,
Of care, of trymbelyng and of tene.
Þat ilke a wight þat weried is
May say, allas! þis daye is sene!
506
Þe day of bale and bittirnes,
Full longe abedyn has it bene,
Þe day of drede to more and lesse,
Of care, of trymbelyng and of tene.
Þat ilke a wight þat weried is
May say, allas! þis daye is sene!
32.
Here may ȝe see my woundes wide,
Þe whilke I tholed for youre mysdede,
Thurgh harte and heed, foote, hande, and hide,
Nought for my gilte, butt for youre nede.
Beholdis both body, bak, and side,
How dere I bought youre brotherhede.
Þes bittir peynes I wolde abide
To bye you blisse, þus wolde I bleede.
Þe whilke I tholed for youre mysdede,
Thurgh harte and heed, foote, hande, and hide,
Nought for my gilte, butt for youre nede.
Beholdis both body, bak, and side,
How dere I bought youre brotherhede.
Þes bittir peynes I wolde abide
To bye you blisse, þus wolde I bleede.
33.
Mi body was scourged with-outen skill,
As theffe full thraly was [I] thrette,
On crosse þei hanged me, on a hill,
Blody and bloo, as I was bette.
With croune of thorne throsten full ill,
Þis spere vnto my side was sette,
Myne harte bloode spared noght þei for to spill,
Manne for thy loue wolde I not lette.
As theffe full thraly was [I] thrette,
On crosse þei hanged me, on a hill,
507
With croune of thorne throsten full ill,
Þis spere vnto my side was sette,
Myne harte bloode spared noght þei for to spill,
Manne for thy loue wolde I not lette.
34.
Þe Jewes spitte on me spitously,
Þei spared me nomore þan a theffe,
Whan þei me strake I stode full stilly,
Agaynste þam did I no thyng greve.
Behalde mankynde, þis ilke is I,
Þat for þe suffered swilke mischeue,
Þus was I dight for thy folye,
Man, loke thy liffe was to me full leffe.
Þei spared me nomore þan a theffe,
Whan þei me strake I stode full stilly,
Agaynste þam did I no thyng greve.
Behalde mankynde, þis ilke is I,
Þat for þe suffered swilke mischeue,
Þus was I dight for thy folye,
Man, loke thy liffe was to me full leffe.
35.
Þus was I dight þi sorowe to slake,
Manne, þus behoued þe to borowed be,
In all my woo toke I no wrake,
Mi will itt was for þe loue of þe.
Man, sore aught þe for to quake,
Þis dredfull day þis sight to see,
All þis I suffered for þi sake,
Say man, what suffered þou for me?
Manne, þus behoued þe to borowed be,
In all my woo toke I no wrake,
Mi will itt was for þe loue of þe.
Man, sore aught þe for to quake,
Þis dredfull day þis sight to see,
508
Say man, what suffered þou for me?
36.
Mi blissid childre on my right hande,
Youre dome þis day ȝe thar not drede,
For all youre comforte is command,
Youre liffe in likyng schall ȝe lede.
Commes to þe kyngdome ay lastand,
Þat ȝou is dight for youre goode dede,
Full blithe may ȝe be where ȝe stande,
For mekill in heuene schall be youre mede.
Youre dome þis day ȝe thar not drede,
For all youre comforte is command,
Youre liffe in likyng schall ȝe lede.
Commes to þe kyngdome ay lastand,
Þat ȝou is dight for youre goode dede,
Full blithe may ȝe be where ȝe stande,
For mekill in heuene schall be youre mede.
37.
Whenne I was hungery ȝe me fedde,
To slake my thirste youre harte was free,
Whanne I was clothles ȝe me cledde,
Ȝe wolde no sorowe vppon me see.
In harde presse whan I was stedde,
Of my paynes ȝe hadde pitee,
Full seke whan I was brought in bedde
Kyndely ȝe come to coumforte me.
To slake my thirste youre harte was free,
Whanne I was clothles ȝe me cledde,
Ȝe wolde no sorowe vppon me see.
In harde presse whan I was stedde,
Of my paynes ȝe hadde pitee,
Full seke whan I was brought in bedde
Kyndely ȝe come to coumforte me.
509
38.
Whanne I was wikke and werieste
Ȝe herbered me full hartefully,
Full gladde þanne were ȝe of youre geste,
And pleyned my pouerte piteuously.
Be-lyue ȝe brought me of þe beste,
And made my bedde full esyly;
Þerfore in heuene schall be youre reste,
In joie and blisse to be me by.
Ȝe herbered me full hartefully,
Full gladde þanne were ȝe of youre geste,
And pleyned my pouerte piteuously.
Be-lyue ȝe brought me of þe beste,
And made my bedde full esyly;
Þerfore in heuene schall be youre reste,
In joie and blisse to be me by.
39.
i an. bona.Whanne hadde we, lorde, þat all has wroght,
Meete and drinke þe with to feede?
Sen we in erþe hadde neuere noght
But thurgh þe grace of thy godhede.
ii an. bona.
Whanne waste þat we þe clothes brought,
Or visite þe in any nede?
Or in þi sikenes we þe sought,
Lorde, when did we þe þis dede?
40.
Deus.
Mi blissid childir, I schall ȝou saye,
What tyme þis dede was to me done,
When any þat nede hadde, nyght or day,
Askid ȝou helpe and hadde it sone.
Youre fre hartis saide þem neuere nay,
Erely ne late, mydday ne none,
But als ofte sithis as þei wolde praye,
Þame thurte but bide, and haue þer bone.
What tyme þis dede was to me done,
When any þat nede hadde, nyght or day,
510
Youre fre hartis saide þem neuere nay,
Erely ne late, mydday ne none,
But als ofte sithis as þei wolde praye,
Þame thurte but bide, and haue þer bone.
41.
Ȝe cursid caytiffis of Kaymes kynne,
Þat neuere me comforte in my care,
I and ȝe for euer will twynne,
In dole to dwelle for euermare;
Youre bittir bales schall neuere blynne,
Þat ȝe schall haue whan ȝe come þare.
Þus haue ȝe serued for youre synne,
For derffe dedis ȝe haue done are.
Þat neuere me comforte in my care,
I and ȝe for euer will twynne,
In dole to dwelle for euermare;
Youre bittir bales schall neuere blynne,
Þat ȝe schall haue whan ȝe come þare.
Þus haue ȝe serued for youre synne,
For derffe dedis ȝe haue done are.
42.
Whanne I had mistir of mete and drynke,
Caytiffis, ȝe cacched me fro youre ȝate,
Whanne ȝe were sette as sirs on benke,
I stode þer-oute, werie and wette,
Was none of yowe wolde on me thynke
Pyte to haue of my poure state;
Þer-fore till hell I schall you synke,
Weele are ȝe worthy to go þat gate.
Caytiffis, ȝe cacched me fro youre ȝate,
Whanne ȝe were sette as sirs on benke,
I stode þer-oute, werie and wette,
Was none of yowe wolde on me thynke
Pyte to haue of my poure state;
511
Weele are ȝe worthy to go þat gate.
43.
Whanne I was seke and soriest,
Ȝe visitte me noght, for I was poure,
In prisoune faste whan I was feste,
Was none of you loked howe I fore.
Whenne I wiste neuere where for to reste,
With dyntes ȝe draffe me fro your dore,
Butte euer to pride þanne were ȝe preste,
Mi flessh, my bloode ofte ȝe for-swore.
Ȝe visitte me noght, for I was poure,
In prisoune faste whan I was feste,
Was none of you loked howe I fore.
Whenne I wiste neuere where for to reste,
With dyntes ȝe draffe me fro your dore,
Butte euer to pride þanne were ȝe preste,
Mi flessh, my bloode ofte ȝe for-swore.
44.
Clothles whanne I was ofte, and colde,
At nede of you ȝede I full naked,
House ne herborow, helpe ne holde,
Hadde I none of you, þof I quaked.
Mi mischeffe sawe ye many-folde,
Was none of you my sorowe slaked,
Butt euere for-soke me, yonge and alde,
Þerfore schall ȝe nowe be for-saked.
At nede of you ȝede I full naked,
House ne herborow, helpe ne holde,
Hadde I none of you, þof I quaked.
Mi mischeffe sawe ye many-folde,
Was none of you my sorowe slaked,
Butt euere for-soke me, yonge and alde,
Þerfore schall ȝe nowe be for-saked.
45.
i aia. mala.Whan had þou, lorde þat all thyng has,
Hungir or thirste? sen þou god is,
512
Whan was þou naked or herberles?
ii aia. mala.
Whan was it we sawe þe seke, allas!
Whan kid we þe þis vnkyndinesse,
Werie or wette to late þe passe,
When did we þe þis wikkidnesse?
46.
Deus.
Caistiffis, als ofte als it be-tidde
Þat nedfull aught askid in my name,
Ȝe herde þem noght, youre eris ȝe hidde,
Youre helpe to þame was noȝt at hame.
To me was þat vnkyndines kyd,—
Þere-fore bere þis bittir blame,
To leste or moste whan ȝe it did,
To me ȝe did þe selue and þe same.
Þat nedfull aught askid in my name,
Ȝe herde þem noght, youre eris ȝe hidde,
Youre helpe to þame was noȝt at hame.
To me was þat vnkyndines kyd,—
Þere-fore bere þis bittir blame,
To leste or moste whan ȝe it did,
To me ȝe did þe selue and þe same.
47.
Mi chosen childir, comes vnto me,
With me to wonne nowe schall ȝe wende,
Þere joie and blisse schall euer be,
Youre liffe in lyking schall ȝe lende,
Ȝe cursed kaitiffis, fro me ȝe flee,
In helle to dwelle with-outen ende,
Þer ȝe schall neuere butt sorowe see
And sitte be Satanas þe fende.
With me to wonne nowe schall ȝe wende,
513
Youre liffe in lyking schall ȝe lende,
Ȝe cursed kaitiffis, fro me ȝe flee,
In helle to dwelle with-outen ende,
Þer ȝe schall neuere butt sorowe see
And sitte be Satanas þe fende.
48.
Nowe is fulfillid all my for-þoght,
For endid is all erthely thyng,
All worldly wightis þat I haue wroght,
Aftir þer werkis haue nowe wonnyng,
Thei þat wolde synne and sessid noght,
Of sorowes sere now schall þei syng,
And þei þat mendid þame whils þei moght,
Schall belde and bide in my blissing.
For endid is all erthely thyng,
All worldly wightis þat I haue wroght,
Aftir þer werkis haue nowe wonnyng,
Thei þat wolde synne and sessid noght,
Of sorowes sere now schall þei syng,
And þei þat mendid þame whils þei moght,
Schall belde and bide in my blissing.
Et sic facit finem cum melodia angelorum transiens a loco ad locum.
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