5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
215
220
225
230
235
240
245
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
290
295
300
305
310
315
320
325
330
335
340
345
350
355
360
365
370
375
380
385
390
395
400
405
410
415
420
425
430
435
440
445
450
455
460
465
470
475
480
485
490
495
500
505
510
515
520
525
530
535
540
545
550
555
560
565
570
575
580
585
590
595
600
605
610
615
620
625
630
635
640
645
650
655
660
665
670
675
680
685
690
695
700
705
710
715
720
725
730
735
740
745
750
755
760
765
770
775
780
785
790
795
800
805
810
815
820
825
828a
830
835
840
845
850
854a
855
860
865
870
875
880
885
890
895
900
905
910
915
920
925
930
935
940
945
950
955
960
965
970
975
980
985
990
995
1000
1005
1010
1015
1020
1025
1030
1035
1040
1045
1050
1055
1060
1065
1070
1075
1080
1085
1090
1095
1100
1105
1110
1115
1120
1125
1130
1135
1140
1145
1150
1155
1160
1165
1170
1175
1180
1185
1190
1195
1200
1205
1210
1215
1220
1225
1230
1235
1240
1245
1250
1255
1260
1265
1270
1275
1280
1285
1290
1295
1300
1305
1310
1315
1320
1325
1330
1335
1340
1345
1350
1355
1360
1365
1370
1375
1380
1385
1390
1395
1400
1405
1410
1415
1420
1425
1430
1435
1440
1445
1450
1455
1460
1465
1470
1475
1480
1485
1490
1495
1500
1505
1510
1515
1520
1525
1530
1535
1540
1545
1550
1555
1560
1565
1570
1575
1580
1585
1590
1595
1600
1605
1610
1615
1620
1625
1630
1635
1640
1645
1650
1655
1660
1665
1670
1675
1680
1685
1690
1695
1700
1705
1710
1715
1720
1725
1730
1735
1740
1745
1750
1755
1760
1765
1770
1775
1780
1785
1790
1795
1800
1805
1810
1815
1820
1825
1830
1835
1840
1845
1850
1855
1860
1865
1870
1875
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
2055
2060
2065
2070
|
Saint Michael, the aungell clere,
And Saint Austyn, the doctour dere,
And other maisters mare and myn
Sais that men gret mede may wyn
(And namely clerkes, that kan of lare),
If thai thair connyng will declare
Unto lewed men, that kan les,
And namely thing, that nedefull es,
That whylk may ger tham sese of syn
And help tham unto Heven at wyn;
And Saint Paule, Godes apostell dere,
Says till us on this manere:
"All, that clerkes in bokes rede,
Es wryten all anely for our spede,"
That we may thareof ensaumple take
To save our saules and syn forsake,
And lede our lives, both mare and les,
Als haly bokes beres witnes.
And for that God of His gret grace
Will His pople in ilk a place
Trow in thinges that er to come,
Of ded and of the Day of Dome,
And how ilk man sall have his mede,
Be saved or dampned after thair dede,
Tharfor He schewes ensaumpels sere
On this mold omang us here,
To ger us in oure trowth be stabill
And lif in faith withowten fabill.
And so in world He will us wys
To kepe us clene and com to blys.
So it bifell in a sesoune
Efter Cristes Incarnacioune
A thowsand wynter, be yhe bald,
And thre hundreth, als clerkes tald,
And thareto thre and twenty yhere.
Than bifell on this manere
In Alexty, a noble toune,
That thretty mylle es fro Bayoune,
The XII kalendes, als clerkes call,
Of Decembre, als it gan fall,
A gret burges, that named was Gy,
In that same ceté gan dy.
And, when the cors in erth was layd,
Than was his gast full smertly grayd.
Unto his wyfe he went ogayne
And suede hir with mykell payne,
And did hir dole both day and nyght
Bot of him myght scho have no sight;
And in his chaumber myght scho here
Mikell noys and hydous bere,
And oft scho was so rugged and rent,
That for sorow scho was nere schent.
Thus was scho turment in that stede
Eghtene days after he was dede;
And scho ne wist noght witerly
Whether it war the gast of Gy
Or it war fandyng of the fende,
That so had soght hir for to schende.
Tharfore sone efter on a day
Till the freres scho toke the way,
That prechours war of that ceté,
Wele lyfand men of gud degré;
And till the Pryor gan scho tell
This ferly all how it bifell
On Saint John Day the Evangelyste,
The thred day after the brithe of Criste.
Scho tald unto him lest and maste,
How scho was greved with the gaste,
And how scho was sted in that stede,
Sen tyme that hir husband was dede,
And how scho hoped ryght wyterly,
It was the gast of hir lord Gy;
For in that chaumbre oft herd was he,
Whare hir lord was wont to be,
To spyll that bed wald he noght blyn,
That Gy, hir lord, and scho lay in.
"Tharfor," scho said with symple chere,
"That hows dar I no mare com nere;
Bot hyder I come to ask counsaile,
What thing myght in this case availe."
When the Pryor herd all this case,
Gret mournyng in his hert he mase;
Bot, for scho suld noght be affrayd,
Unto the woman thus he sayd:
"Dame," he said, "ne dred thee noght,
For out of bale thou sall be broght;
And have na mervail in thi mynde
Of cases that falles omang mankynde.
Forwhy," he said, "als kennes thir clerkes,
God is wonderfull in His werkes;
And wele I wate, that He will now
Ordayn som poynt for our prow
To schew omang His servandes dere
Till thair helpying, als men sall here.
Tharfor, dame, gyf thee noght ill,
Bot be blythe and byde here styll,
For to my brether I will a space
To ask thair counsail in this case;
For omang many wytty men
Som gud counsail may thai ken,
And sykerer may it so be tane
Than of a man bi him allane.
Bot dame," he said, "I sall noght dwell."
Than gert he ryng the chapiter bell
And gedyrd his brether all togyder,
And hastily when thai come thider,
He declared tham all this case,
Als the woman said it wase,
And prayd tham for to tell him to
Tharof what best es to do?
Unto this tale thai tuke gud tent
And ordaind be thair comon assent,
That the Pryor sone suld ga
And with him other maisters twa,
That wysest war in thair degré
Unto the mayre of that ceté
To tell this ilk aventure him tyll
And pray him, if it war his will,
That he wald vouchesave to send
Som sertaine men with tham to wend
To Gy hows, that was newly dede,
To se tha wonders in that stede
And to bere witnes of thaire dede
And mayntene tham, if it war nede.
And thus thai did with al thaire maine:
The woman was thareof ful fayne.
When the mayre had herd this thing,
Twa hundreth men sone gert he bring
And armed tham fra top to ta
And bad tham with the Pryor ga
And baynly do, what he will byd.
And, als he bad, ryght swa thai dyd.
The Pryor bad tha men bidene,
That thai suld all be schryven clene
And here Messe with devocyoune,
And sithen baldly mak tham boune.
Of Requiem he sang a Messe
For Cristen saules both more and lesse,
And in his mynde than toke he Gy
And prayd for him full specially.
And all that than wald Howsell take
War howsyld sone for Godes sake,
For that the fende suld noght tham fere
Ne in thair dedes do tham no dere.
And than the Pryor full prevely
In a bost tok Godes body
Under his gere with gud entent,
Bot na man wist, that with him went.
He and his forsayd brether twa
Unto Gy hows gon thai ga.
The armed men than ordand he
All obout the hows to be,
All umsett on ilk a syde
To se what aventure wald betyde:
Som in the windows, som in the dore,
With wapen that war styf and store;
And som in the gardyns gert he lyg,
And som upon the howses ryg,
And ever in ilk a place bot thre
In takenyng of the Trinité;
And, thus, when thai war sett obout,
He bad that thai suld have no dout.
Than entred he into that place,
And his twa brether with him gase,
And thir wordes he said in hy:
"Pax huic domui!"
That es on Ynglysch thus to say:
"Pese be to this hows allway!"
To chaumber he went withouten rest,
And haly water obout he kest
With "Vidi aquam" and than said thus:
"Veni, Creator Spiritus"
With the Colett, that sall efter come,
"Deus, qui corda fidelium";
And haly water obout kest he
Eftsones and said: "Asperges me."
He cald the wyfe withouten mare;
Scho come wepand wonder sare.
He said: "Dame, teche me unto the stede
And to the bed, whare Gy was dede."
The woman was full mased and mad:
Scho trembyld than, scho was so rad.
Unto the bed sone scho him tald;
The care was at hir hert full cald,
Bot in hir wa, yhit als scho was,
Scho said: "Sir Pryor, or yhe pas,
I pray yhow for the luf of me,
And als in dede of charyté,
That yhe wald byd som haly bede
And mak prayers in this stede
For Gy saule, that noble man."
And than the Pryor thus bigan
And said: "Dominus vobiscum";
His brether answerd all and som.
And efterward he said onone
The fyrst gosspell of Saint Jone
("In principio" clerkes it call).
When it was said, than satt thai all
Doune on a burde the bed besyde
And said the servyce in that tyde,
That for the ded aw for to be:
"Placebo" with the "Dirige,"
And after the Laudes thai said in hy
The seven Psalmes with the Letany.
"Agnus Dei" than said thai thryse,
And ane than answerd on this wyse:
A febyll voyce than might thai ken
Als a child sayand: "Amen."
Tharfor war thai all affraid,
And the Pryor thusgate sayd:
"I conjure thee, thou creature,
In the vertu of our Saveoure,
That es a God of myghtes maste,
Fader and Son and Haly Gaste,
That was and es and sall be ay,
That thou me answer, if thou may,
And tell me, what som I will crave,
Als fer als thou may power have."
And than the voyce with lodder bere
Said to him on this manere:
"A, Pryor, ask sone, what thou will,
And I sall tell it thee untyll,
Als fer als I have myght or mynde
Or als I may have leve be kynde."
This ilk voyce than herd thai all
(The armed men obout the hall),
And in thai come full fast rynand,
Ilk ane with wapen in thair hand;
For wele it was in thair trowyng
That thai suld se som gastly thing.
Bot nevertheless yhit saw thai nane,
Ne noght herd bot a voyce all ane.
The Pryor bad tham all stand styll,
And thus he spak the voyce untyll:
"Whether ertow ane ill gast or a gud?"
He answerd than with myld mode,
"I am a gud gast and nane ill,
I may thee prove be proper skyll.
For Haly Wrytt thus beres witnes:
When God had made both more and les,
He loked His werkes in ilk a wane,
And thai war wonder gud ilk ane.
All war gud, that He gan ma,
And, sen that I am ane of tha,
A gud gast I am forthi.
And, als I am the gast of Gy,
Tharfor may thou have in mynde,
That I am a gud gast be kynde,
Bot I am evell after my dede,
And tharfor have I pyne to mede."
The Pryor answerd him in hy:
"Thou says noght right, and here now whi:
That sall I schew thee here in haste.
Thou sais, thou ert a wicked gaste
For the payn that thou has here.
I answere thee on this manere:
All payns er gud (that prove I thee),
That ordaind er in gud degré,
That es to say, that punysch syn
Of tham that in erth wald noght blyn,
For it es gyfen thurgh Godes will.
Tharfor I say, it es noght ill,
Ne thou es noght wicked thereby."
And than answerd the gast of Gy:
"Ilk payne es gud, I graunt wele,
For fra God es gyfen ilk a dele
Bi jugement and bi reson clere
For evell dedes men has done here.
Bot nevertheless yhit es it ill
For tham, that it es gyfen untyll.
Mi payne es yvell to me all ane,
For me it ponysch and other nane;
And, sen I have swilk evell payne
For my syns, als es sertayne,
Ane evell spirytt thou may call me
Unto tyme that I clensed be
Of evell dedes, that I have done."
And all thus said the Pryor sone:
"Tell me apertely, or thou passe,
Whase man spirytt that thou wasse."
Than answerd the voyce in hy
And said: "I am the gast of Gy,
That here was husband in this stede
And, als yhe wait, newly dede."
The Pryor sayd: "Than wele I fynd
Be reson, that thou ert noght kynd,
That thou makes slyke sklaunder and stryf
Both to thiself and to thi wyf;
For, whils that Gy was lyfand man,
Ryghtwis was he halden than
And trew in fayth, of noble fame
And his wif allso the same;
And for thir mervails that thou mase,
Now will men say in ilk a place,
That Gy was evell in all his lyfe,
And tharfor turmentes he his wife,
For lawed folk in ilk a land
Says evell men er oft walkand,
And Gy was halden gud allway.
Tharfor thou ert unkynd, I say."
The voyce answerd, als him thoght,
And said: "Unkynd ne am I noght
Nouther to my wyf ne to Gy;
And, sir, that sall thou here in hye
Be sawes that thou sall noght forsake;
For swilk a skyll here I thee make.
If thou have gyfen a man to were
Cote or hode or other gere
And he, that so thi cote has tane,
Wald suffer for thi luf all ane
In gud and evell to lyf and dy,
War he noght kynd to thee forthi?"
The Pryor said: "Yhis, for sertaine."
And than answerd the voyce ogayne
And said: "Sir, trewly I thee tell,
In Gyes body whils I gan dwell,
Of him I toke none other thing
Bot his cors to my clethyng.
This cors, that I dedely call,
Gert us bath in folyes fall;
And for the wickednes that he wroght,
Am I in all thir bales broght;
And his doyng was it ilk a dele.
Als Haly Wrytt witnes full wele
And says, that lykyng here of fles
Contrary to the saule es.
And, if I suffer noght this payne,
Both Gy and his saule, for sertayne,
Suld suffer payne withouten ende
In fyre of Hell with many a fende.
For ilk a man both more and myn
Sall suffer penaunce for thair syn
In this erth here, whare thai dwell,
Or els in Purgatori or in Hell.
And Gyes body has now na skathe,
And I am pyned to save us bathe.
And efter, when we com to blys,
What joy sa I have sall be his;
For both togyder sall we be than
In body and saule everilk a man.
And, sen I suffer thir payns grym,
I am noght unkynd to him.
And, sir Pryor, allso thou says,
That I of Gy suld sklaunder rays.
Tharto I answer on this wyse,
That I ger no sklaunder ryse.
Sklaunder es that kyndely kend
That sownes in evell or hase evell end.
Wha som it dose, mon dere aby;
For Haly Wryt says openly,
'Wa unto that man sall be,
Thurgh whame sklaunder comes,' sais He.
Tharfor if I answer for Gy,
I do him no velany.
Mi spekyng es all for his spede,
That I may neven to yhow his nede;
And als my speche may gretly gayn
Till other saules that suffers payn.
That may thou, syr, thiself se,
For all folk of this ceté
Comes to this hows full hastily,
And specially thai pray for Gy,
That God delyver him out of his care,
Als thou and thi brether dyd are.
And in thair prayers that thai ma,
For other saules thai pray allswa;
And prayers that men prayes for ane,
May help unto the other ilk ane;
And allso tha that er onlyve
Sall soner of thair syns tham schryve
And gyf tham unto penance hard,
That thai be noght pyned afterward.
Tharfor I sklaunder noght, say I,
Gyes wyf ne his body.
Bot all the sauwes, that I say now,
Es for thair honour and thair prow."
The Pryor said: "This ask I thee,
How any man may evell be,
When he es ded, sen that he was
Schryven clene or he gan pas,
And was in will gud werkes to wirk
And ended in trowth of Haly Kyrk
And toke his sacramentes ilk ane."
The voyce answerd sone onane
And said, that men may evell be
On twa maners: "That prove I thee,
When thai er dede and schryven clene,
That es on this wise to mene:
Thai er evell, whare so thai wende,
That dampned er withouten ende;
And thai er evell for certayne space,
That suffers payne in any place
For thair syns, that es to say,
Till tyme that thai be wasted oway.
In myself this same es sene,
For I was schryven in erth full clene,
And I am evell, this es certaine,
Till I have sufferd sertaine payne.
For, als men may in bokes rede,
Clerkes sais that it es nede
That penance alls fer pas,
Als lykyng here in the syn was.
Tharfor I say it suffyce noght
To schryve a man in will and thoght,
Bot if he may in dede fullfyll
The penaunce that es gyfen him tyll.
For that at we do noght or we dy,
Sall be fullfyld in Purgatory;
And clerkes proves that a day here
May thare reles us of a yher,
And a day thare to suffer payne
Es als a yhere here thare ogayne.
Tharfor es gud that men tham schryve
And suffer payn here in thair lyve."
The Pryor than of him gan crave,
If that he wist oght wha war save,
Or whilk men war dampned bidene,
In the stedes whare he had bene.
The voyce answerd than him tyll
And said: "It es noght Godes will
That I suld slyke thing descry.
I sall thee say encheson why:
All that in Purgatori er dwelland,
To blys of Heven er thai ordand.
Tharfor tham aw noght for to say,
Bot at thai may warand allway;1
And soth hereof may na man tell,
Bot thai had bene in Heven and Hell
And sene what sorow es in the tane,
And in the tother welth gud wane;
Thus, in tham both wha som had bene,
Might say the soth, als he had sene.
And, sen I am the spirit of Gy
And suffyrs payne in Purgatory,
The saules in Hell may I noght se.
I was never thare ne never sall be.
Ne into Heven may I noght wyn,
Till I be clensed clene of syn.
Tharfor I may noght sothely say
Whilk er saved or damned for ay."
Than the Pryor with gret will
Spak ogayne the voyce untyll
And said: "Me think thou ert noght stabill,
Bot thou ert fals and desayvabill,
And in this matere makes thou lyes.
That may I prove thee on this wyse.
Be Haly Wrytt full wele we knaw
How prophetes in the Ald Law
Spak and tald in feld and toune
Of Cristes Incarnacioune,
And how He suld tak flessch and blode
In Mary, mayden myld of mode;
And als thai tald in many a stede
How He in erth suld suffer dede,
And of His ryseyng tald thai ryght,
And yhit thai saw Him never with sight.
And sen thai war men bodily
And tald swilk thinges in prophecy
And kend the folk how thai myght knaw
Thinges that thamself never saw,
Bi this reson, thinketh me,
A clene spirit, als thou suld be,
Suld have mare force swilk thing to tell
Than any that war in flesch and fell.
Tharfor thee aght to witt bi this,
Whilk er in bale and whilk in blys."
The voyce answerd to him in hast:
"Sir Pryor, thir wordes er all wast,
I may wele prove thee in this place.
It es na lyknes, that thou mase,
Betwix prophetes, that standes in story,
And sawles, that er in Purgatory.
The prophetes had, whils thai war here,
Of God and of His aungels clere
And of gyftes of the Haly Gaste,
All thair maters, lest and maste,
That thai myght tell and preche over all
Before what thing suld fall.
Swilk power was gyfen tham tyll,
And all was for this certayn skyll:
For lawed folk in ilk a land
Bi thair stevens myght understand
And better trow, how Crist was born,
Be sawes that thai had said biforn.
For, sen thair sawes fra God war sent,
Men sall tham trow with gude entent.
And I am sett for sertaine space,
Till God will gyf me better grace,
Thus for my syns to suffer payne.
And, sir, I say thee for certayne,
That I may now nane aungels se
Bot tham that has kepeyng of me,
And to me will thai tell ryght noght
Till I out of this bale be broght.
Tharfore I may noght say certaine,
Whilk er in blys or whilk in payne."
The Pryor than said sone onane:
"Ryght in thi wordes thou sall be tane.
Thou sais, na spirit may tell me,
Wha sall saved or dampned be;
And bokes beres witnes, be thou bald,
That fendes somtyme to men has tald
And said the soth, als thai had sene,
Of tham that saved and dampned had bene."
The voyce answerd and said ogayne:
"That spirit that dwelles in payne,
Ne na fendes that dwelles in Hell,
Has no power for to tell
Ne unto no man here at neven
That towches the prevetese of Heven,
Bot if it be thurgh Godes suffraunce,
Or other aungels tham tell per chaunce.
And unto me thai tell nathing.
Tharfor I may noght have knawyng
Of hevenly blys, how it es thare,
Ne of Hell, how the fendes fare.
The sawles, that thare sall suffyr pyne,
Thair penaunce es wele mare than myne;
For I have hope to be in blys,
And tharof sall thai ever mys.
Tharfor es no lyknes to tell
Betwene me and the fendes in Hell."
Than said the Pryor: "I pray thee now,
Tell me in what stede ertow?"
The voyce answerd and said in hy:
"I am here in Purgatory."
Than said the Pryor: "Proved thou hase
That Purgatory es in this place.
For ryght als thou es purged here,
So may other saules in fere;
And, whare saules may be purged all,
Purgatory men may it call.
Tharfor bi thir sawes that thou says,
Purgatory es here always."
The voyce answerd on this manere
And said: "Thare er Purgatoryes sere:
Ane es comon to mare and les,
And departabill aneother es."
The Pryor said: "Now wate I wele
That thou ert fals in ilk a dele.
A saule may noght in a tyme ga
To be ponyst in places twa;
For, whils he sall be in the tane,
Of the tother he may have nane,
For in a place he suffers payne."
The voice than said: "This es certayne,
For I am here, withouten fabyll,
In Purgatory departabyll
Ilk a day, als God vouches save.
Bot other payn behoves me have:
For ilk a nyght behoves me
In comon Purgatory pyned be
For to suffyr paynes sare
With other saules that er thare."
The Pryor said: "Kan thou me wys,
Whare comon Purgatori is,
Whare thou of payns has swilk plenté?"
"In mydes of all the erth," says he,
"Thare es that place ordand for us."
And than the Pryor answerd thus:
"Als thou says may it noght be.
Be propir skyll that prove I thee.
The mydes of the erth a stede es dyght,
And Purgatory aneother es right;
And twa stedes may noght be in ane.
Tharfor I say thou has mysgane.
If Purgatory, whare thou dwelles,
War in mydes the erth, whare thou telles,
Twa stedes in ane than burd be thare,
And that sall thou se never mare.
Tharfor so es it noght arayd."
The voyce answerd sone and sayd:
"Stedes er ordand here full rathe,
Bodily and gastly bathe.
The saule es gastly, and forthi
It occupyes na stede bodily.
That es to say, be it all ane
When mans body tharfra es tane.
This ilk stede, als thou may se,
Haldes both the saule and thee,
And yhit er noght here stedes twa.
And herebi may thou se allswa
How rayne and slete, haile and snaw,
Er in the ayre, kyndely to knaw,
And ilk ane has his cours be kynde.
So es that place whare we er pynde."
The Pryor said: "Tell us in fere,
Whi that thou ert ponyst here."
The voyce answerd him in haste:
"For in this place I synned maste,
Of whilk syns I gan me schryve
And did na penaunce in my lyve.
Tharfore here sall I penaunce have
For that syn, till I be save."
The Pryor said: "Telle, if thou kan,
What thing noyse mast a man
In tyme of ded when he es tane."
The voyce answerd sone onane
And said: "The syght sall mast him dere
Of foule fendes, that him wald fere;
For than thai sall obout him be
Defygurd all in foule degré,
And grysely sall thai gryn and gnayst
Out of his witt him for to wrayst;
And than befor him sall be broght
All wickednes that ever he wroght.
So will thai fande, with any gyn,
Thurgh wanhope if thai may him wyn."
The Pryor said: "Than wald I fayne
Wytt what remedy war here ogayne,
And what may help men alther maste
In bandes of ded when thai er braste."
The voyce said: "Thare es som man
That thar noght hope of na help than.
For if a man here lede his lyve
In syn and sithen will noght him schryve,
Na in hert will have no care
For the dedes he has done are,
Than sall his aungell to him tell
How Crist suffyrd payns so fell,
And how He dyed for his bihove.
And that sall be to his reprove
To schew him how he was unkynde
Here on this mold, whils he had mynde,
And how that he was mysavysede,
Godes sacramentes when he dispysede,
That wald noght schryve him of his syn,
Bot lyked it ever and ended tharein.
And, when thir sawes er thusgate sayd,
Than sall the fendes obout him brayd
And manase him with all thair myght
And say: 'Com forth, thou wreched wight!'
So sall thai harl him unto Hell
Withouten end in dole to dwell.
And, if a man be clensed clene,
And schryfen of all his synnes bedene,
And take his sacramentes ilk ane,
And in that tyme with ded be tane,
Yf all his penaunce be noght done,
His gud aungell sais to him sone:
'Comforth thee wele, I sall thee were,
That the devels sall thee noght dere';
And to the fendes than sall he say:
'Yhe wicked fendes, wende hethen oway,
For yhe have na part in this man.'
And the fendes sall answer than
And say on this wise: 'Oures he es
Be reson and be ryghtwisnes,'
And thare than sall thai schew ful sone
All evell dedes that he has done,
Bath in eld and als in yhowth,
Sen first he kyndely wittes couth,
And say: 'He synned thus and thus:
Tharfore him aw to wende with us.'
His gude aungell sall mak debate
And say: 'He synned, wele I wate,
On this wise als yhe have told;
Bot he es borowde, be yhe bald,
For he was schryven and clensed clene,
And toke his sacramentes all bidene,
And sorow he made for his synnyng.
To clensyng fyre that sall him bring,
And the meryte of Cristes Passyon now
Sall be betwix him and yhow
And serve him for scheld and spere,
That yhour dartes sall him noght dere;
And Cristes hend and als His syde,
That thirled war with woundes wyde,
Sall be bitwix him and yhour hende,
And fra yhour felnes him defende;
And Cristes face, that buffett was,
Betwix him and yhour face sall pas,
So that he sall noght on yhow se
Ne for nathing abaysed be;
All Cristes body spred on the Rode
Sall be unto him armoure gude,
Swa that yhe sall have no powere
Him for to dere on na manere;
All the lymes of Jhesu fre,
That for mankynd war pyned on Tre,
Sall clens him of that foly
He dyd with lyms of his body.
The saule of Crist, als yhe wele ken,
That yholden was for erthly men,
Sall purge him now of all the plyght
That saule dyd thurgh his awen myght,
So that in him sall leve no gylt
Forwhi he suld with yhow be spylt,
Ne no payn unto him sall stand
Bot Purgatory, that es passand.
Thare sall he suffer certaine space,
Till he be purged in that place,
And sithen sall he with us wende
And won in welth withouten ende.'
And thus es Cristes Passyoune
Sett bifor us redy boune
For to defend us fra the fende,
Out of this world when we sall wende;
Tharfor us aw, if we be kynde,
To have that Passyoune mast in mynde.
And als men may have helpyng gude
Of Mary, that es myld of mode.
If we oght for hir here have done,
Baldli may we ask hir bone,
And us to help scho will hir haste,
In ded when our myster es maste.
For if a man, or he hethen fare,
Be schryven clene, als I said are,
That blyssed bryd will be full boune
To socoure him in that sesoune
And fend fro the fendes in fere
And say to tham on this manere:
'Mayden and moder both am I
Of Jesu, my Son, God allmyghty,
And of Heven am I coround quene
And lady of all the erth bidene,
And I am emperys of Hell,
Whare yhe and other devels dwell;
And for that I am quene of Heven,
Unto my Son thus sall I neven
That He sall deme for luf of me
This man in Purgatory to be
Till he be clensed clene of syn,
And so to Heven I sall him wyn.
In als mykell als I am lady
Of all the erth, this ordaine I
Thurgh the will of my Son dere,
That ilk a bede and ilk a prayere,
That now in all this warld es sayd,
Untyll his profett be purvayd,
And all the messes and almusdede
May turne this man now unto mede;
And bi tha dedes and be tha messe
Sall his penaunce be made lesse,
That to him es ordaind for his syn,
That yhour falshede gert him fall in.
For I am emperis of Hell,
Tharfor yhour force now sall I fell.
I comand yhow yhe hethen fare,
And at yhe noy this man no mare,
That ended in my Son servyse.'
And, when scho has said on this wyse,
All the halows hegh in Heven
Hyes all unto hir full even
And unto Jesu all in fere,
And thus than mak thai thair prayere:
'Lord Jesu, God allmyghty,
Fader of Heven, Man of Mercy,
Have mercy of this man that es
Our awen brother and als our flesch.
Sen Thou wald com fra Heven on hight
And suffer payn for mans plyght,
Thou meng Thi mercy with this man.'
Thus sall man saule be saved than,
And his gud aungell sall him take
To Purgatory aseth to make,
And to him he sall tak tent
Till he have sufferd his turment.
And than the wicked gastes sall ga
Thethen oway with mykell wa.
On this wyse may gude prayere
And almusdedes, that men dose here,
And meryte of Cristes Passyoune
And of halows gud orisoune
May help a man in his dying
And unto clensyng fyre him bring."
The Pryor said unto him than
And asked, if that any man
Of Jesu Crist may here have syght
Or of Mary, His moder bryght,
Or els the halows verraily
In thair fourme, when thai sall dy.
The voyce answerd and said: "Nay,
Bot on this wise, als I sall say,
Bot if it be so haly a man
That has na nede of purging, than
Ne for to dwell in Purgatory,
Thai sall se tham openly,
And synfull men sall noght tham se."
The Pryor said: "Than think me,
That thou says now thiself to skorne
Ogayns the sawes thou said beforne;
For thou said, Cristes Passyoune
And also Mary suld be boune
And other halows, that er in Heven,
To pray for him with myld steven.
Than semes it that he se tham may."
The voyce answerd and sayd: "Nay;
Thai sall be thare, I grant thee wele,
Bot he sall se tham never a dele
In thair lyknes verraily.
And this es the encheson whi:
For the grettest blys of Heven it es
For to se Crist in His lyknes,
That es to say, in His Godhede;
Than thurt men have nane other mede
Than in thair dying Him to se,
And in that blys than thai suld be
Sodainly at thair ending,
And that war noght acordand thing."
Than the Pryor of him asked,
If spirytes, that war hethen passed,
May kyndely knaw be morn or none
The dedes that here er for tham done,
Or prayer that we for tham ma?
The voyce answerd and said: "Yha."
The Pryor said: "Than kan thou say,
Wharof I sang Mess this day?"
The voyce answerd ogayne full tyte
And said: "Thou sang of Saint Spiryte."
The Pryor answerd, als he knew,
And said: "I se, thou ert noght trew.
Of Requiem I sang, certaine,
For Cristen saules, that er in payne.
Tharfor thou says noght sothfastly."
The voyce answerd to him in hy:
"I graunt graythely, or I gang,
Of Requiem full ryght thou sang;
Bot yhit I say thee, neverthelesse,
Of Saint Spirytt was the Messe.
That sall thou be ensaumple se:
For, custom es, in ilk contré,
If any man outher ald or yhing
Of aneother suld ask a thing,
What thing so lygges his hert most nere,
That in his speche sall fyrst appere
And first be in his wordes always.
For God thus in His gospell says:
'Ex habundancia cordis os loquitur';
'That of the fulnes of the hert
Spekes the mowth wordes smert.'
And for the Messe of Saint Spiryte
To my profytt es mast perfyte
And allso of the Trinité.
Thir messes mykell amendes me;
Bot the Mess of the Haly Gast,
In my mynde es althir mast.
And tharfor I say thou sang
Of Saint Spirit, I say noght wrang,
And here now the encheson whi:
For, whils I lyfed here bodily,
I spended my wyttes and my powere
Full ofte sythes in synnes sere,
When I suld have tham spended ryght
To Godes worschepe with all my myght
And mensked the Fader with all my mayne;
For of Him comes all power playne
That men has here, whils att thai lyf,
After His grace als He will gyf.
Tharfor, what man so dose unryght
Thurgh his power or his myght
Or be his strenkith, if that it be,
Ogayns the Fader, than synnes he;
For al power He weldes allways,
Als David in the Psauter says:
'Omnia, quecunque voluit, Dominus fecit.'
He says: 'The Fader may fullfyll
In Heven, in erthe, what som He will.'
And to Crist, God Son, es gyfen full ryght
All wysdom both bi day and nyght.
Tharfor God Son thai syn ogayne,
That here dispendes thair wittes in vayne
And settes tham so on werldly gude,
That ryches es mare in thair mode
Than Crist, God Son, that boght tham dere.
I have synned on the same manere.
Till the Haly Gast es gyfen all grace
And all bountes in ilk a place.
Ogayns Him oft allso synned have I,
When that I used in foule foly
The gyftes, that He me gaf of kynde,
And wald noght mensk Him in my mynde.
My gud favor and my fairhede
Have I oft used in synfull dede,
And vertus have I turned to vyce.
Thus have I wroght als wryche unwyse.
Tharfore aseth now bus me make
To the Thre Persons for my syn sake.
And my gud aungell has me sayd
The prayers that er so purvayd,
And messes of the Trinité,
May gretely help now unto me.
And, for that I have synned maste
Ogayns the gyftes of the Haly Gast,
Covetand here mare ryches
Than He me gaf of His gudnes,
Or than He vouched safe me to sende;
And tharfor, this myss to amende,
Messes sungen of Saint Spirytt
In my payne may do mast respyt.
And tharfor, sir Pryor, I say,
Of Saint Spiritt thou sang this day.
All if thine office ordaind ware
For Cristen saules, als thou said are,
Thou said with gud devocioune
Of the Haly Gast ane orysoune,
And that ilk orysoune, for certayne,
Alegged me mare of my payne
Than all the other, that thou sayd
For tyll all saules thai war purvayd.
And, sen that helped me all ane
Wele mare than the other ilk ane,
Of the Haly Gast, I say, thou sang.
If thou me wyte, thou has the wrang."
The Pryor askes him than this thing:
For how many saules a prest myght syng
On a day and in a stede,
Whether thai war quyk or dede,
And ilk ane have in lyke gudenes
And in lyke meryte of the Mess.
The voyce answerd and gan say,
That a prest anely on a day
For all saules may syng and rede
And ilk ane of his mess have mede
Bi vertu of the Sacrament.
"And tharfor to this tak tent:
Jesus Crist with Jewes voyce
Was anely offyrd on the Croyce,
And thare He dyed and gaf the gast
Unto His Fader of myghtes mast
For salvacioun of all mankyn
And noght anely for a man syn.
Ryght so the prest in ilk a Messe
Offers Criste, ryght als He es
In hale Godhede, als clerkes ken,
In amendement of all Cristen men.
Tharfor in a Messe may be tane
All Cristen sawles als wele als ane,
And better may it part tham tyll.
That prove I thee be proper skyll.
For gret difference may men fele
Bitwene spirituall thing and temporele.
Temporall thing, that thou sese here,
When it es parted in paracels sere,
In the ma parcels it parted es,
Itself leves ay wele the les,
That es, for porcyoun partyse thar fra.
Als if thou ane appell ta
And part it into many hende,
With thiself sall lytell lende.
Als wele may thou understand,
That spirituall thing es ay waxand.
That may thou se be ryght resoune,
Als if thou tak this orysoune,
The Pater Noster, and forth it ken
Kyndely to all Cristen men.
And so when that it teched es,
In itself it es noght les;
In understandyng es it mare,
When ma it kan than couth it are.
So es the Messe and the prayere
That ordand er for saules sere,
For ded and quyk, if that it be,
The more it es in it degree."
The Pryor answers and says:
"Haly Wryt witnes allways
That saules er saved, for certayne,
And oft delyverd of thair payne
Be speciall prayers and speciall dede,
That frendes dose here for thair mede;
And tha frendes dose mare for ane
Than for other saules ilk ane.
Than think me that his mede sall fall
Mare than it war done for all,
And mare alegge him of his payne."
The voyce answerd thus ogayne:
"Ilk a prest, that Messe synges,
Him nedes for to do twa thinges:
First his prayers sall he make
Specially for his frendes sake,
Whilk he es mast halden untyll,
That God him help of alkyns ill;
And, when he has so prayed for ane,
Than sall he pray for other ilk ane,
And ilk ane has mede of that Messe.
Bot he, for wham it ordaind es,
Es helped mast fro bale tharby.
And on the same manere am I
Delyverd of my penaunce here,
That I suld have sufferd foure yhere,
For mysdedes als it was dett.
A lyfand frend thus has it lett.
I have a cosyn, that thou wele knew,
A pore frere, that I fynd trew.
I helped him whils he had nede,
Whils he to the scoles yhede;
And allso sithen, when he was frere,
I fand him fully fyve yhere.
And for myself full wele I wroght:
That gudenes now forgetes he noght,
For in his mynde he has me maste.
Tharfor I sall be helped in haste.
I sall have penaunce in this place
No ferrer bot fra hethen to Passe.
If thou will witt this for certayne,
At Pasch com to this place ogayne,
And, if thou here noght than of me,
Sothly, certayne may thou be,
That I am hent up into Heven."
And, als he bad, he dyd full even:
At the Pasch after the hows he soght,
And of the voyce he herd ryght noght.
Tharfor he trowed, als he said are.
Bot in that tyme he asked mare
And said: "Kan thou trewly tell,
If thou in that ilk Heven sall dwell,
That for Godes halows es purvayd?"
The voyce answerd sone and sayd:
"Sire, I tald thee are full even,
That I come never yhit in Heven.
Tharfor I may tell thee no mare
Of orders that er ordaind thare.
Bot of blys may I be full bald,
For thus myne aungell to me tald:
To Pasch I suld in penance be,
And than, he said, that I suld se
The Kyng of Heven in His Godhede
With His aungels all on brede
And with His halowes everilk ane.
And than I answerd sone onane
And sayd: 'A, lord, me think full lang,
That meney till I com omang.'
Bot He be loved in ilk a place,
That unto me has gyfen slyke grace!"
The Pryor said: "What helpes mast
Unto Heven a saule to hast
Out of the payne of Purgatory?"
The voyce answerd and said in hy:
"Messes may mast help tham then,
That er said of haly men
And namely of myld Mary fre."
The Pryor said: "Than think me
The Office of the Ded, certaine,
Of Requiem, was made in vayne,
Sen other availes tham more than it."
The voyce unto him answerd yhit
And said: "Full mykell avail it may,
When any men for all will pray;
And, for that lawed men here in land
Kan noght graythely understand,
That saules has nede of other messe,
Tharfor that Offyce ordaind es."
The Pryor said: "Sen thou has kende,
That specyall messes may mast amende,
Whilk other prayers withouten tha
May tyttest saules fra penaunce ta?"
The voyce answerd and said in hy:
"The seven Psalmes with the Letany."
The Pryor said: "That war noght ryght;
For God the Pater Noster dyght
Als of all prayers pryncipall,
And aungels made the Ave all
Unto myld Mary for our mede,
And twelve apostels made the Crede.
And the seven Psalmes er erthly werkes
Ordand of byshopes and other clerkes,
Men for to say that has mysgane,
And David made tham everilk ane;
And nouther David, wele we ken,
Ne byshopes ne nane other men
Unto God er noght at neven,
Ne yhit unto aungels of Heven,
Ne tyll apostels er thai noght pere.
Tharfore me think that thair prayere
May noght of slyke bounté be
Als the Pater Noster and the Ave
And the Crede, that the apostels purvayde."
The voyce answerd than and sayde:
"Thir prayers er full mykell of mede
And full haly, if we tak hede,
In thamself, this es sertayne,
And for thair makers mykell of mayne.
We sall tham wirschepe, als worthi es,
Bifor all the other, outtane the Messe.
Bot nevertheless, sir, certainly,
The seven Psalmes with the Letany
For to say es mast suffrayne
Unto saules, that suffers payne;
For thai er ordaind, mare and myn,
Ever a Psalme for a syn,
And so thai stroy the syns seven.
Tharfor thai er nedefull to neven.
The fyrst Psalme gudely grayde
Ogayns pryde es purvayde;
And thus to understand it es:
'Lord, deme us noght in Thi wodenes,
Als thou dyd Lucifer, that fell
For his pryde fro Heven to Hell.'
And so the other Psalmes on raw
Ilk ane a syn oway will draw
Thurgh help of halows in fere,
That ordaind er in that prayere."
The Pryor eftsones him assayls
And said: "Tell me, what it avayls,
Or if saules the better be,
Of 'Placebo' and 'Dirige'
With the Offyce that for the ded es dyght."
The voyce answerd him on hyght
(With gret force out gan he bryst)
And said: "A, Pryor, and thou wyst
How gretly that it may tham gayne,
Than hope I that thou wald be fayne
Oft for to bede that blyssed bede
For thi brether that er dede.
And, for thou sall it better knaw,
The privatese I sall thee schaw.
In 'Placebo' es purvayd
Fyve Psalmes, that sall be sayd
Aneli for the evensang,
With fyve antems als omang.
Tha ten togeder, when thai er mett,
For the saul er thusgat sett,
For to restore, wha to tham tentes,
Unto the saule ten comandementes;
And makes in mynde, how He tham dyd,
So that His mede sall noght be hyde.
Tha fyve Psalmes when thai er mett
For fyve wittes of the saule er sett,
Tharfor to schew, be reson ryfe,
How he tham spended in his lyfe
And that he spended tham noght in vayne
That sall lett parcells of his payne.
The fyve antems sayd bitwene,
Fyve myghtes of the saule may mene
That sall bere witness on thair wyse
How he tham spended in Godes servyse.
Neghen Psalmes than sayd sall be
Afterward in the 'Dirige,'
And thai sall signify full ryght
Neghen orders of aungels bryght,
The whilk orders the saule sall be in,
When he es purged of his syn;
That order sa he sall fullfyll,
When tha Psalmes er sayd him tyll.
The neghen antems next folowand
And thre versikles, thou understand,
The twelve poyntes of trowth thai bring ful chere
To him, that thai er sayd fore here,
And telles how he trowed tham ryght
Here on this mold, when he had myght,
Als Haly Kyrk him kyndely kende.
And so thai may him mykell amende.
The neghen lessons bi tham all ane
For the neghen degrese er trewly tane;
For ilk a saule, bus nedes be,
Som of thir neghen in his degré,
That es to say, outher yhong or ald
Or pore or of pousté bald,
Outher in clennes lyfe to lede,
Outher in wedlayke or in wydowhede,
Outher clerk or lawed man-
In som of their sall he be than:
Thir lessons sall to welth him wyn
In whilk degré sa he was in.
And the neghen respons for to rede
Sall mak him tyll have mykell mede.
The fyve Psalmes of the 'Laudes' all ane
For fyve wittes may wele be tane
That ilk a saved saule sall fele.
And thai sall bere witnes full wele
And fullfyll it with mayn and myght,
That the saule tham used ryght.
The fyve antems than folowand
In witnes for the saul sall stand
And faythly help for to fullfyll
Fyve strenthes, that God gyfes saules untyll.
For God gaf, when this world bigan,
Thre strenthes of saules to ilk a man,
The whilk strenthes of myght er slyke,
That unto God man saule es lyke,
And allso other strenthes twa
Unto mans bodyse gan he ma,
That to the saule dose na socoures,
Bot makes tham lyke Godes creatures.
First I say, bi strenthe of thoght
That saule lyke unto God es wroght;
The secund es strenthe of understandyng,
That es lyke Godes Son in that thing;
The thred thingh, strenthe of will,
The Haly Gast it es lyke tyll;
And bi mysgangyng and unwytt
Lyke ane unskylfull best es it.
Forwhi the saule dwelles als a stane
And feles als a best all ane
And lyfes als tres, thus clerkes telles,
And understandes als gud aungels.
Thir strenthes er thus ryght arayd,
When this servyse for saules es sayd.
Allso the psalme of 'Benedictus'
And of 'Magnificat' helpes thus
For to save the saules fra skathe
Thurgh Godhede and manhede bathe,
Wharof thai sall be certayne
To se, when thai er past thare payne,
And lat tham witt, how thai sall wende
And be in blys withouten ende.
The twa antemes, that er purvayd
With the Psalmes for to be sayd,
May be tald the company
Of aungels on the ta party
And of halows on the tother syde,
That with the saules in blys sall byde.
The colettes, that men efter mase,
Er demed for dedes of grace,
That saved saules to God sall yeld
With all wirschip that thai may weld.
And sa when thai er mended of mys,
Than sall thai lende in lastand blys.
Tharfor, sir Pryor, thir prayers
Helpes saules thus, als thou heres."
Thus when he had declared this thing,
All that it herd had gret lykyng,
And mery made he, ilk a man.
Bot than the gast full sone bigan
To morne and mak full simple chere,
And sayd to tham on this manere:
"Askes of me sone what yhe will;
Mi tyme es nere neghand me tyll
That me bus gang, als es my grace,
To suffer payne in other place.
To gretter grevance bus me ga."
The Pryor said: "Sen it es swa,
This wald I witt, first ar thou wende,
If we may oght to thee amende."
With symple voyce than answerd he,
And sayd: "If yhe wald say for me
Fyve sithes specially
The fyve joyes of Our Lady,
That myght help mykell me untyll."
Thai graunted all with full gud will,
And on thair knes thai sett tham doune
And said with gud devocyoune
"Gaude, virgo, mater Christi"
With the fyve vers folowand fully,
Bowsomly, als he tham bad,
And tharfor was the gast full glad.
He thanked tham with wordes fre
And said: "Wele have yhe comforth me;
Mi payne es somdele passed now,
That I may better speke with yhow."
The Prior said: "Kan thou oght tell
What deres mast the fendes of Hell?"
The gast answerd and said in hy:
"The sacrament of Godes Body;
For, in what stede Goddes Body ware,
And the fendes of Hell war thare,
Unto it burd tham do honoure,
And so sall ilk a creatoure."
The Pryor said: "Than think me
That all spirites suld it suthely se,
When it es on the auter grayed."
The voyce answerd sone and sayde,
That spirites may it kyndely ken
Mare verraily than other men.
The Pryor asked him this skyll:
"May devels do any dere tharetyll
Or disturbe it be any way?"
The voyce answerd and said: "Nay,
Bot if that a prest be unclene,
In dedly syn, that es to mene,
Or other syn, what som it be.
In swilk prestes has the fende pousté
For to merre tham in thair Messe,
If thai dwell in thair wickednes.
And yhit he comes noght comonly
To ger tham be abayst thereby.
Bot, when he wate that thai lyf wrang,
The ofter wald he that thai sang,
And that es to encrese thair payne,
For of thair evell fare es he fayne."
The Pryor asked withouten lett
And said: "Es thare nane aungell sett
To yheme the auter fra evell thing,
Whils Godes Body es in makyng,
And als the prest wisely to wys?"
He answerd and sayd: "Yhis.
And gude aungels war noght biforne,
With evyll spirytes myght all be lorne,
For thai wald sone disturbe the prest
And putt vayne thoghtes into his brest,
So that he suld noght worthily
Have myght for to mak Godes Body
With honoure, als it aw to be.
So suld he think on vanyté."
The Pryor said: "I wald witt fayne
What remedy war here ogayne
For to defende the fendes fell."
Than said the voyce: "I sall thee tell.
If that the prest in Godes presence
Be clene in his awen conscience,
And mak his prayers with clene thoght,
Than the devels may dere him noght."
The Pryor said to him thir sawes:
"Es thare na prayer that thou knawes,
A prest to say byfore he syng,
That myght fordo swilk evell thing?"
The voyce said: "What prest so hade
The prayer that Saint Austyn made,
That 'Summe Sacerdos' es calde,
And he than with devocyoune walde
Say it ilk day, or he sange,
To Messe than myght he baldly gang,
For wathes it wald so wele him were,
Unnethes suld any devels him dere."
The Pryor asked him yhit full ryght,
If he saw oght that solempne syght,
Of Godes Body the sacrament,
Out of this world sen that he went.
The voyce said: "Yha, I se it yhit,
For on thi brest thou beres it
In a box thou has it broght,
Als it was on the auter wroght."
Hereof the folk awondred ware,
Forwhi thareof wist thai never are,
That the Pryor had Godes Body,
Bot resayved it in his Messe anely.
The Pryor said: "Than wald I witt,
Whi that thou noght honours itt,
Sen thou says, ilk a creature
Till Godes Body sall do honoure,
And thou wate wele, that it es here?"
The voyce answerd on this manere:
"I have it honourd in my kynde
With all my myght and all my mynde,
Sen first that thou it hyder broght,
All if thou persayved it noght."
The Pryor than with gud entent
Toke the Blyssed Sacrament
Out of his clathes, whare it was layd,
And to the spiryt thus he sayd:
"If thou trow it stedfastly,
That it is Godes Blyssed Body,
And ilk a spirit, wele wate thou,
Bihoves unto Godes Body bow;
And sen it es of swilk pousté,
In vertu thareof I comand thee,
That thou ga with me playne pase
To the uttermast ghate of all this place."
The voyce answerd: "I am boune,
Bot noght to folow thi persoune.
Bot with my Lord fayne will I wende,
That thou haldes betwix thi hende."
Than the Pryor toke the gate
Fast unto the forsayd ghate,
And allso his brether twa
With him went and many ma.
He loked obout and saw ryght noght,
Bot in his hereyng wele he thoght,
That a noyse after tham come
Lyke a besom made of brome,
That war swepand a pavement.
Swilk a noyse ay with tham went.
And than spak the Prior thus:
"Thou spirytt, schew thee unto us
Witerly als thou ert wroght!"
Hereto the spiryt answerd noght.
The Pryor than ogayne gan pass
Unto the wydow, whare scho wass
Lygand sare seke in hir bed,
So had scho lang bene evell led.
The voyce folowd, als it did are,
Untyll thai in the chaumbre ware.
Than sone the woman gan bygyn
Grysely for to gnayst and gryn
And cryed loud, als scho war wode.
All war astoned, that thare stode.
Gret sorow thai had that syght to se,
For of hir payne was gret peté.
Bot nevertheless all men that myght
Assembled for to se that syght
And persued unto that place,
For thai wald witt that wonder case.
The woman lay lyke unto lede
In swounyng doune als scho war dede.
The Pryor, when he saw this care,
Him thoght full evell that he come thare.
Bot nevertheless yhit stode he styll,
And thus he said the voyce untyll:
"In the vertu of Cristes Passyoune
Say me the soth in this sesoune,
Whi it es and for what thing,
That thi wife mase slyke morning."
Than said the voyce full sarily:
"Scho wate hirself, als wele als I."
The Pryor than with gud entent
Sone unto the woman went,
And till hir thus gan he say:
"In the name of God, dame, I thee pray,
Tell unto me all thi thought."
And scho lay styll and answerd noght,
And so obout the bed thai stode
To luke, if oght myght mend hir mode.
And many for hir wa gan wepe.
And sone than scho bigan to crepe
Upon hir knes, so als scho may,
And cryand loud thus gan scho say:
"Lord Jesu, als Thou boght me
Of my payne, Thou have peté
And graunt me of Thi help in haste."
The Pryor than says unto the gaste:
"Whi es thi wife thus travaild here?"
The voyce answerd on this manere:
"I tald ryght now here thee untyll,
That hirself wist for what skyll;
And, if thou will witt mare allway,
Ask hirself, scho kan thee say."
Than the Pryor to hir gase,
And mykell mane to hir he mase
And said: "To save thiself of sare
Tell me the case of all thi care,
And out of bale I sall thee bring."
Scho lay and answerd him nothing.
And he stode als man amayde,
And till the spirytt sone he sayde:
"Thou creature, I conjure thee
Bi Godes myght and His pousté,
And bi the vertu of His body,
And of His moder, myld Mary,
And bi the mylk He souke swete,
And bi the teres scho for Him grete
When scho saw hir Son be slane,
And bi the halows everilk ane,
The certaine soth that thou me say
Of this mervail, if thou may,
Whi thi wife has all this payne."
And than the voyce answerd ogayne
And said: "Hir murnyng mare and myn
Was all for ane unkyndely syn,
That we did bifor my ded
Betwix us twa here in this stede,
Of whilk we bath war schryven sone.
Bot the penance was noght done.
Tharfor our payne us bus fullfyll
Now als ferre als falles tharetyll."
The Prior said: "Now, er thou pass,
Say to me, what syn it was,
That wedded men may warned be
To do nathing in that degré
Ne lyke to it in dede ne thought."
The voyce said: "God will it noght,
That I that syn suld tyll yhow say,
That thurgh schryft es done oway.
Of that syn we bath war schryven.
Tharfor of God it es forgyven
Als to the blame, that be thou bald.
Bot touchand penance I thee tald,
Aseth bus us make for that syn,
Or we any welth may wyn.
And that, that es done fra Godes syght,
To tell to men it war noght ryght,
Bot if it war, als God forbede,
Eftsones so done in dede.
Bot unto wedded men sall thou say
And warn tham that thai kepe allway
The rewle of wedyng with thair myght
And duely do both day and nyght.
For thare er many comon case
In whilk wedded men may trispase.
The cases er kyndeli for to ken
On molde omang all witty men.
This was the suffrayne point," sais he,
"Whi God lete me speke with thee,
That thou suld trow this stedfastly
And other men be mended thareby,
So that thai may thair syns forsake
And in thair lyve amendes make."
The woman, wepand als scho lay,
With sary hert thus gan scho say:
"Gud Gy, for luf of me,
Say if I sall saved be
Or I sall dwell in dole ever mare
For that syn that thou nevend are,
Wharof, I wate, God was noght payd."
The spirit answerd sone and sayd:
"For that ded thou dred thee noght;
The penaunce nere tyll end es broght.
Thou sall be saved, for certayne."
And than the woman was full fayne
And sayd thare kneland on hir kne
A Pater Noster and ane Ave.
Scho loved God with word and will.
And than the Pryor said hir tyll:
"Dame, whils thou this lyf may lede,
Ilk day, luke thou do almusdede,
For almusdede may syns waste."
Unto that word answerd the gaste:
"Dame," he said, "par charyté,
When thou dose almus, think on me,
For to alegge som of my payne."
And the Pryor than gan him frayne,
Whi he come noght in that sesoune
Unto men of religioune
For to tell to tham his lyfe
Titter than unto his wyfe,
Sen that he wist thai war mare nere
To God than any wemen were,
And mare wisely thai couth him wys.
The voyce answerd than unto this
And sayd: "I lufed mare my wyfe
Than any other man on lyfe,
And tharfor first to hir I went;
And when me was gyfen the jugement
To suffyr penance in this place,
I asked God of His gret grace
That my wife myght warned be
For to amend hir mys bi me.
And of His grace He gaf me leve
On this wise hir for to greve
And for to turment hir biforne,
So that scho suld noght be lorne,
Ne that scho suld noght suffyr pyne
For hir syns, als I do for myne,
Bot do it here in hir lyf days."
All sone than the Pryor says:
"Can thou oght tell me how lang
That thou sall thole tha payns strang?"
The spirit sayd: "I understand,
To Pasch, that now es next command.
Than sall my payne be broght till ende,
And unto welth than sall I wende."
The Pryor said: "I mervail me
How thou to speke has swilk pousté
And has na tong ne other thing
That instrument es of spekyng."
The voyce answerd on this manere:
"Ne sese thou noght, a carpentere,
That diverse werkes oft sythes has wroght,
Withouten ax may he do noght?
The ax ay will redy be
With him to hew on ilk a tré,
And it may nouther styr ne stand
Withouten help of mans hand.
Ryght swa a man here yhow omell
Withouten tong may nathing tell.
And with his tong yhit spekes he noght,
Bot thurgh the ordenance of the thought:
That es, of the saule allways,
That ordans all that the tong says.
And forthi be this tale tak tent,
The body es bot ane instrument
Of the saule, als thou may se,
And the saule in himself has fre
Alkyns vertuse, myght and mynde.
Swilk gyftes er gyfen to him be kynde.
Tharfor he may speke properly
Withouten help of the body.
And whare thou says a man may noght
Speke the thing that comes of thoght,
Bot he have mowth and tong als,
In that, I say, thi sawes er fals.
For Haly Wryt witnes full ryght
That God and all his aungels bryght
Spekes wisely to als and yhong,
And thai ne have nouther mowth ne tong.
Ryght so may I and ilk spiryte
Fourme voyces full perfyte
And wirk the wordes, how so we will,
And spek withouten tong yhow tyll."
The Pryor askes him in what stede
The saules dwelles when thai er dede
Unto tyme that the dome be done:
"For than thou says thai sall witt sone
Whether thai sall to joy or payne."
The gast than answerd sone ogayne
And said: "A lytell while beforne
Or that the erthly lyf be lorne,
The saule sall se and here unhyd
All the dedes that ever he dyd.
The ugly devels and aungels bryght
And efter the porcyon of his plyght
In that same tyme sall he se,
Whider that he sall jugged be
To comon Purgatory, that es stabyll,
Or unto Purgatory departabyll
Or els unto the payns of Hell
Or unto Heven in blys to dwell."
The Prior than with wordes hende
Asked how sone a saule myght wende,
When it es past fra the body,
To Heven or Hell or Purgatory.
The voyce answerd and sayd: "It may
In a lytell space wend all that way.
Sone es it broght whare it sall be,
Als thou may be ensaumple se.
Thou sese, when the son es rysand,
The lyght gase sone over ilk a land;
It passes over all the world full playne,
Bot if thare stand oght thareogayne.
Right swa the saules, when men er ded,
Al sone er in thair certaine stede.
To Heven or Hell thai wend in hy.
And, if thai pass to Purgatory,
Som tyme wende thai noght so sone,
And that es for thair profett done:
If thai have any faythfull frende
In this world here, when thai wende,
That for tham will ger syng or rede
Or els do any almusdede,
Thai may so do for tham that tyde,
That in the ayre the saule sall byde,
Untyll it have the medes tane
Of thair prayers everilk ane.
And so bi help of thair gudenes
May his penaunce be made les.
The dedes that er so done in haste
Unto the saule es helpyng maste,
On the same manere als I say
In this ceté was done this day.
A frere dyed and demed he was
Till comon Purgatory at pas,
Bot in the tyme of his transyng,
Of his brether he asked this thing,
That thai suld do in dede and saw
For him als thai war bon bi law.
And the messes that tham aght for to say,
Pur charyté he gan tham pray,
That thai suld be said in hy
And everilk ane of Our Lady.
And, als he bad, ryght so thai dyd,
And afterward than thus bityd:
When he was dede in flessch and fell,
His aungell demed his saule to dwell
In comon Purgatory playne
Thre monethes to suffer payne,
Als worthy was efter his dede.
Bot than Our Lady Mary yhede,
And tyll hir Son scho prayd that tyde,
That the saule in the ayre might byde
Untyll it had the meryte clere
Of dedes that war done for it here.
And twa oyres than bayde it styll
In the ayre, als was Godes wyll,
And swilk mercy of God had he
Thurgh prayer of his moder fre
And thurgh the dedes that here was done,
That he sall be in blys full sone.
In payne he has no lengar tyme
Bot fra now unto to morne at pryme."
Than sayd the Prior till him sone:
"Whilk dedes of all, that here er done,
May tyttest help a saule to Heven?"
The voyce answerd and said full even:
"Parfyte werkes of charyté
That er done als tham aw to be,
That es to say, to Godes bihove,
And our evencristen if we love.
Than of our werkes will God be payd."
The Pryor answerd sone and sayd:
"If that thou kan, tell us in haste
What maner of men that now er maste
In Purgatory to suffyr payne."
The gaste answerd sone ogayne:
"Na man comes that place within
Bot anely thai that has done syn;
And all that syns and saved sall be,
Er pyned thare of ilk degré
Efter the dedes that thai have done."
And than the Pryor asked sone,
What manere of folk that he here fande,
That in thair lyves war best lyfande.
The voyce said: "Sir, soth it es
And Haly Wryt wele beres wytnes,
That na man aw other to prays,
Whether he do wele or evell always;
For mans lyfe es to prayse nathing,
Bot if he may have gud ending.
For na man in this world here wate,
Whether he be worthi to luf or hate,
Ne whether his werkes war evell or wele,
Unto the dome be done ilk dele.
Than sall he se himself, certayne,
Whether he be worthi joy or payne."
The Pryor said: "This ask I thee:
Whilk es maste parfyte degré
Of all that in this ground es grayde?'
The gast answerd sone and sayde:
"I se in ilk state," he says,
"Som thinges to lak and som to prays.
Tharfor I will prayse na degré,
Ne nane sall be dispraysed for me.
Bot nevertheless this wald I rede,
To ilk a man in ilk a stede
To serve God with all thair myght
In what degré so thai be dyght."
The Pryor asked with wordes stabyll,
If that God war oght mercyabyll
To saules that war in Purgatory.
The gast said: "Yha, sir, sykerly.
For unto som, this es certayne,
Relese He ferth part of thair payne,
Of som the thred part He releses,
Of som the secund part He seses.
And that es for gude prayers sake,
That frendes here for tham will make.
If any dedes be for tham done,
Than may thai pass fra payns sone.
Lyfand frendes thus may tham lett
Of payn that thai suld dregh be dett,
And als the prayers of aungels
And of halows, that in Heven dwelles."
The Pryor said: "This wald I crave:
Whatkyn payn thiself sall have,
In Purgatory whils thou sall dwell?"
The voyce said: "I sall thee tell.
In flawme of fyre thus bus me stand,
That alther hattest es brynand,
And have na comforth me to kele."
The Pryor said: "Now se I wele,
That thou ert no sothfast gaste.
That sall I prove thee here in haste.
This wate thou wele, if thou have mynde,
God dose nathing ogayns kynde.
For, if He dyd, this dar I say,
His werkes wald sone be wast oway.
And bodyly thing the fyre I call,
And thou a gast spirytuall;
And bodily thing may have no myght
In gastly thing bath day and nyght.
Than be ensaumple may thou se,
That fyre may have no myght in thee,
All if thou tharein graythely gang."
The voyce answerd: "Sir, thou has the wrang,
That thou me calles sa dyssayvabyll,
Sen thou has fon in me no fabyll.
Bot neverthelesse, sire, whare thou says
That bodily thing be nakyn ways
In gastely thing may have powere,
I answer thee on this manere.
Thou wat |