And lened me to a lenten , & longe tyme I slepte

And of christes passion & penaunce , þe people þat of-raught

Rest me ther and rut faste , till Ramis palmarum .

Of gerles and of Gloria laus , greatly me dremed

And howe Osanna , by Organy , olde folke songen

One semblable to þe Samaritane , & somdeale to Pierce þe plowman

Barefote on an asse backe , boteles came prickynge

Without spore or speare , spackly he loked

As is the kind of a knyght , that commeth to be dubbed

To get him gilt spores , and galoches couped

Than was faith in a fenester , and cried , O fili Dauid

As doth an heraude of armes , whan auentrous commeth to iustice

Old Iewes of Ierusalem for ioy they songen

Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini .

Than I frained at fayth , what all that fare bymente

Who should iuste in Ierusalem , Iesus he sayde

And fetch þat the fend claimeth , Pierce frute þe plowman

Is Pierce in this place quod I , & he preint on me

Thys Iesus of his gentry will iuste in Pierce armes

In his helme & in his herbergeon , Humana natura

That Christ be not knowne here , for consummatus deus

In Pierce paltock the plowman , thys priker shal ride

For no dynte shal him dere as in Deitate patris

Who shall iuste with Iesus quod I , Iewes or scribes ?

Nay quod he the foule fende , & false dome & death

Death sayth he shall for-do , and adowne brynge

All that lyueth or loketh , in londe or in water

Lyfe sayth that he lieth , and layeth his life to wed

That for all that death can do within thre dayes

To walke & fetch from the fend , Pierce fruit þe plowman

And laye it there him liketh , and Lucifer bind

And for-beat and downe bringe , bale death for euer

O Mors ero mors tua .

Than came Pilate with mich puple , Sedens pro tribunali

To se how doughty deth shold do , & deme her boths right

The Iewes & iustice , againe Iesu they were

And all the court vp and cried Crucifige sharpe

Tho put him forth a pylour before pilate and said

This Iesus apon Iewes temple iaped & despised

To fordo it on one daye , and in thre dayes after

Edifie it eft newe , here he standes that saide it

And yet make it as muche in all maner of poyntes

Both as longe and as large , by loft and by grounde

Crucifige quod a catche-pole , I warrant him a witche

Tolle Tolle quod an other , and toke of kene thornes

And began of kene thornes , a garlonde to make

And set it sore on his heade , and sayde in enuy

Aue Rabbi saide that rybaude , and threw redes at him

Nayled him with thre nayles naked on the rode

And poyson on a pole , they put vp to his lyppes

And bidden him drinke his dethes euil , his daies were done

And if that thou sotle be , helpe nowe thy-selfe

If þou be Christ & kinges sonne , come downe of þe rode

Than shold we leue þat life þe loueth , & wol not let þe dye

Consummatum est , quod Christe , and comseth for to swonne

Pitiously and pale as a prisoner , doth that dieth

The Lord of life & of light tho , laied his eies togither

The day for dread withdrew , & darck became þe sunne

The wall wagged and clefte , & all the world quaued

Dead men for that dine , came out of depe graues

And tolde why that tempest so longe time endured

For a bitter battel the dead body saide

Life & deth in this darknes , here one fordoth þe other

Shal no wight wit witterly , who shal haue maistrye

Er sonday about sunne rising , & sanke with that to thearth

Some said that he was gods sonne , þat so fayre dyed

Uere filius dei erat iste .

And some said he was a witch , good is that we assaien

Whether he be dead or not dead , down er he be taken

Two theues also tholed , death that tyme

Besides Christe apon a crosse , so was the commen lawe

A catchpole came forth , and cragged both the legges

And the armes after , of eyther of tho theues

And was no boye so bolde , godes body to touch

For he was knight & kings sonne , kind forgaue þat time

That no harlot were so hardy , to lay hand apon hym

And ther came forth a knight , with a kene spere ground

Hight Longis as þe letter telith , & long had lost his sight

BeforeP ilate / Before Pilate and other people , in the place he houed

Maugre his many teth , he was made that time

To take his spere in his hande , and iusten with Iesus

For al they wer vnhardi , that houed on horse or stode

To touch or to taste him , or taken downe of rode

But thys blinde bachiler bare him throughe the hert

The blud sprang doun bi þe spere , & vnsparrid his eine

Than fell the knight apon knees , & cried him mercy

Agayne my wyll it was lorde , to wound you so sore

He sighed and said sore it me forthinketh

For þe dede that I haue done , I do me in your grace

Haue on me ruth rightfull Iesu , & right with þat he wept

Than gan Fayth felly the false Iewes despise

Called hem caytyfes accursed for euer

For this fowle villany , vengeaunce to you all

To do the blind bete him bound , it was a boyes counsel

Cursed Caytifes knighode was it neuer

To misdo a dead bodye by day nor by nyght

The gre yet hath he gotten , for al hys greate wound

For your champion chiualer chiefe knyght of you all

Yelde hym recreant , runnyng right at Iesus wyll

For by this darckenes do , hys death worth auenged

And ye lurdens haue loste , for life shall haue þe mastry

And your franchis that fre was fallen is in thraldome

And ye Cherles & your chyldren chyuen shal you neuer

Ne haue lordshyp in lande , ne no lande tyll .

But all bareyne be and vsury vsen ,

Which is lyfe that our lord in all lawes accurseth ,

Now your good daies ar done as Daniel prophecied

Whan Christ come of her kingdom þe croun shuld sease

Cum venerit sanctus sanctorum , tunc cessabit vnctio vestra .

What for feare of the farly and of the false Iewes ,

I drowe me in that darkenes to Descendit ad inferna ,

And there I saw sothly , Secundum scripturas ,

Out of the west coste a wenche as me thought ,

Came walking in the way to helward she loked

Mercy hyght that mayde , a meke thyng withall ,

A full benigne byrde and buxeome of speche ,

Hyr syster as it semed came worthely walking

Euen oute of thest and westward she loked ,

A full comely creature Truth she hyght ,

For the vertue þat her folowed , afered was she neuer

Whan these maydens met mercy and truth

Eyther asked other of thys great meruell ,

Of the din & of the darkenes , & howe the daye raued

And which a lyght and aleme / a leme laye before hell ,

I haue farly of thys fayth sayd trueth ,

And am wending to wit what this wonder meneth ,

Haue no merueyle quod mercy , myrth it betokeneth

A mayd that hyght mary and mother without feling

Of any kynnes creature conceyued through speche

And grace of the holieghost wexe great with chylde ,

Without wembe into this worlde she brought hym

And that my tale be true I take God to wytnes ,

Syth thys barne was borne be .xxx. / thirty wynter past

Which died & deth tholed thys day about middaye ,

And that is cause of this clipse þat closed now the sonne

In meaning that man shal from merknes be drawen ,

The which this light & this leem shal Lucifer ablend

For Patriarks & Prophets haue preched here often

That man shall man saue throughe a womans helpe ,

And that was tynt through tree , tree shall it wynne ,

And that dethe downe brought , deth shall relieue ,

That thou tellest quod truth , is but a tale of waltrot

For Adam and Eue , Abraham and other

Patriarkes and prophetes yet in payne liggen ,

Leue thou neuer that you / yo[n] lyght them may aloft bring ,

Ne haue them out of hell , holde thy tonge mercye ,

It is but a tryfle that þou tellest , I truth wote the soth ,

For that is once in hel outcometh he neuer ,

Iob the prophete patriarkes repugneth thy sawes ,

Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio .

Than mercy full mekelye mouthed these wordes ,

Through experience quod he I hope they shalbe saued ,

For venime fordoth venime & that I proue by reason ,

For of all venimes foulest is the scorpion ,

May no medicine helpe the place there he styngeth

Till he be dead and do thereto , the euil he destroyeth

The firste venimuste through venime of him-selfe

So shall thys fordo , I dare my life ligge

All that death did firste , throughe þe deuils entisinge

And right as through gile , man was begiled

So shall grace that began , make a good sleight

Ars vt artem falleret .

Nowe suffer we said truth , I se as me thinketh

Out of the nyppe of the north , not full farre hence

Ryghtwysenes came runnynge , reste we the while

For he wotteth more than we , he was er we both

That is soth said mercy , and I se here by south

Where peace cometh playing in pacience clothed

Loue hath couetid hir long , leue I none other

But he sent her some letter what this light bemeneth ,

What ouerhoueth hell thus , she vs shall tell ,

Whan peace in pacience clothed thus aproched nere them twain

Rightfulnes hir reuerenced for hir rich clothing

And prayed peace to tell her to what place she wold ,

And in hir gay germent whom she grete thought .

My will is to wende quod she and to welcome them all ,

That many a day might not se for merknes of sinne ,

Adam and Eue and other mo in hell ,

Moses and manye mo mercy shall haue ,

And I shall daunce therto , do thou so syster

For Iesus iusteth well , Ioye beginneth dawe ,

Ad vesperum demorabitur fletus ad matutinum leticia .

Loue that is my lemmon such letters me sent ,

That mercye my sister and I mankinde shuld saue

And þat God hath forgeuen & graunted me peace & mercy

To be mans mainpernour for euer-more after ,

Lo here the patent quod peace , In pace in idipsum ,

And that dede shall dure Dormiam er / e[t] requiescam .

What rauest þou quod rightwisenes , or þou arte ryght dronk

Leuest thou that yon light vnlocke might hell ,

And saue mans soule , sister wene it neuer ,

At the beginning God gaue the dome him-selfe

That Adam and Eue and all that them sewed ,

Shuld dye downe right and dwell in pyne after ,

If that they touched a tree and the frute eaten ,

Adam afterwarde agaynst hys defence

Freet of that frute , and forsoke as it were ,

The loue of our lord and his lore bothe ,

And folowed þat the fende taught & hys felowes wyll

Against reason & rightwisenes record thus with truth

That their payne be perpetuall , & no prayer them help ,

Therfore let them cheue as they chose , & chide we not sisters

For it is boteles bale they / the byt þat they eaten .

And I shall proue quod peace their payne must haue end

And we into waele must wende at last

For had thei wist of no wo , weale had thei not know

For no wighte wotes what weale is þat neuer wo suffred

Ne what is whote hungre þat neuer had defaute

If no might nere no man as I leue ,

Shuld wite witerly , what day is to meane ,

Should neuer right richman þat liuech / liue[t]h in rest and ease

Wyte what wo is , ne were the deth of kinde ,

So God that began all of his Good will

Became man of a mayde mankinde to saue ,

And suffred to be sold to the sorowe of dyeng

The which vnknitteth all care and comsing is of rest ,

For tyll modicum met mid vs I may it well avowe ,

Wote no wight as I wene what is inough to mene ,

Therfore God of his goodnes þe first gome Adam ,

Set him in solace and in souereyne myrth

And syth he suffred him sinne , sorowe to fele ,

To wit what weale was kyndely to knowe it ,

And after God auentred him-selfe & toke Adams kind

To wytt what he hath suffred in thre sundry places ,

Both in heauen and in earth and to hell he thinketh

To wyt what all wo is that wote of all ioye ,

So it shall fare by this folke their foly & their synne

Shal lerne them what langor is & lyfe without end ,

Wote no wight what warre is there þat peace reineth

Ne what is witerly weale till , welaweye him teache ,

Than was there a wighte with two brodeeyen / brode eyen

Boke hyght that beaupier , a bolde man of speach

By gods body , quod thys boke , I wil bear witnes

That tho this barne was borne , there blased a starre

That al the wise men of this world in one wit accorden

That suche a barne was borne , in Bethlems citye

That mans soule shoulde saue , and synne destroy

And al þe elementes saith the boke hereof bereth witnes

That he was god þat al wrought , þe welken first shewed

Tho ther were in heauen tooken , Stella comata

And tindeden hir as a torche , to reuerence his byrth

The light folowed the lorde , into the lowe earth

The water witnessed þat he was god , for he went on it

Peter the apostle perceiued his gate

And as he went on the water , wel him knew & said

Iube me venire ad te super aquas .

And lo how the sunne gan lacke her light in her-selfe

Whan she see him suffer that sunne and sea made

The earth for heuines that he woulde suffer

Quaked as quycke thing , and al to-quassed / [bi]quass[h]ed the roch

Lo heuen myght not hold , but opened tho God tholed

And let out Simons sonnes to se him hong on roode

And now shal Lucifer leue it , though him loth think

For Gygas the gyant , with a gynne engined

To breake and to beate downe , þat ben agayne Iesus

And I boke wolbe brente , but Iesus rise to lyue

In al myghtes of man , and his mother glade

And conforten all his kynne , & out of care brynge

And all the Iewes ioye , vnioyne and vnloken

And but if they reuerse his rode , and his resurrection

And bileue on a newe lawe , be lost life and soule

Suffer we sayd Truth , I heare and I se both

Howe a spirite speketh to hel , and byd vnspar þe gats

Attollite portas & . cetera .

A voyce loude in that lyght to lucyfer cryeth

Princes in this place vnpinneth and vnlocketh

For here commeth with crowne , that king is of glory

Than sighed Sathan , and sayde to hem all

Such a light againste our leaue , Lazar out fette

Care and combraunce is commen to vs all

If this kinge come in , mankinde wil he fetch

And lead it there him liketh , and lightly me bind

Patriarkes and prophetes haue proled hereof longe

That suche a Lorde and a light , should lead hem al hence

Listneth quod Lucifer , for I thys lorde knowe

Both this Lord & this light , is long ago I knew it

May no death him deare , ne no fendes quentise

And wher he wil is his wai , & warne him of þe perels

If he reue me of my right , he robbeth me by mastrye

For by right and by reason , the reukes / re[n]kes that ben here

Body and soule be mine , both good and euil

For him-selfe saide , that syre is of heauen

If Adam eate the apple , all shoulde dye

And dwell with vs deuels , this threatenyng he made

And he that sothnes is , said these wordes

And sithen he seased seuen hundred wynter

I leue that lawe nil not , leaue him the least .

That is sothe quod Satan , but I me sore dreade

For thou gate hem with gile , and his garden brake

And in semblaunce of a serpent , sate apon the apple tre

And eggedest hem to eate , Eue by hir name

And toldest hir a tale , of treason were thy words ,

And so thou haddest hem out , and hider at the last

It is not graithly gayten , there gyle is the rote

For God will not be begiled quod Gobelyn , ne be iaped ,

We haue no tru title to them for bi treson wer thei damnid

Certes I me dred quod the deuil , lest truth wil them fetch

These .xxx. / thirty wynter as I wene he hath gone preched

I haue assayled him with synne , and somtime asked

Wher he wer god or gods sonne , he gaue me short answer

And thus he hath trolid fnrth / f[u]rthN this xxxii. / thirty-twoN winter

And when I se it was so , leaping I went ,

To warne Pilatus wyfe , what done man was Iesus

For Iewes haten him and haue done him to death ,

I wolde haue lengthed his lyfe for I leued if he dyed

That his soule shuld suffre no synne in his syght ,

For the body while it on bones yede about was euer

To saue man from sinne if him-selfe wolde ,

And now I se wher a soul cometh hitherward sailing

With glory and with great light God it is I wote wel

I red we flee quod he faste all hence ,

For vs were better not be then abyde his syght

For thy lesinges lucifer , lost is al our praye

First through the we fell from heauen so hye ,

For we beleued on thi leasings ilorne we haue Adam

And all oure lordships I leue on land and on water ,

Nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur foras ,

Eft the light bad vnloke and Lucifer answered

What lord art thou ? quod Lucifer , Quis est iste ?

Rex glorie , The light soone sayd ,

And lord of might and of mayne & al maner vertues ,

Dominus virtutum .

Dukes of this dimme place anon vndo the gates

That Christ may come in , the kings sonne of heauen

And with that breth hell brake with belialles barrs ,

For any wye or ward wide open the gates ,

Patriarkes and prophetes , Popnlus / Pop[u]lus in tenebris .N

Singing sainct Iesus songe , Ecce agnus dei ,

Lucifer loke ne might , so light him ablent ,

And tho that our lorde loued into his light laught

And sayd to sathan lo here my soule to amendes

For all sinful soules to saue that bene worthy ,

Myne they be & of me I may the better them clayme

Although reason recorde and right of my-selfe ,

That if they eate the aple all should dye

I behight them not here hell for euer

For the dede þat they did thi disceyte it made ,

With gyle thou them got , agayne all reason

For in my place paradise in person of an eddre ,

Falsely thou fettest there , thing that I loued

Thus lyke a lysard with a ladyes visage

Thefly thou me robbest the old lawe graunteth ,

That gilers be begyled and that is good reason ,

Dentem pro dente et oculum pro oculo .

Ergo soule shall soule quite and sin to synne wende

And all that man hath misdo I man will amende ,

Membre for membre in tholde lawe was amendes

And lyfe for lyfe also and by that law I clayme it ,

Adam and all his issue at my will hereafter ,

And that death in them fordid , my deth shal releue

And both quicken & quite þat queynt was through sinne ,

And that grace gyle destroyeth , good fayth it asketh ,

So leue I not Lucifer , agayne the lawe I fetche them ,

But by right and by reason , ransome here my liges

Non ueni soluere legem , sed adimplere ,

Thou fettest mine in my place agaynst all reason

Falsely and felously , good fayth me it taught

To recouer them by ransome and by no reason els

So that through gile þou gate , through grace it is won ,

Thou lucyfer in likenes of a luther eddre ,

Gatidst by gyle tho that God loued

And in lykenes of a leode , that lorde am of heauen

Graciously thy gyle haue quite , go gyle agayne gyle ,

And as Adam & all through a tree shulde turne agayne

And gyle is gyled and in hys gyle fallen ,

Et cecidit in foueam quam fecit ,

Now begynneth thy gile agayne the to turne ,

And my grace grow aye greater and wyder

The bytternes that þou hast brewed , brouke it thy-selfe ,

Thou arte doctor of deth , drinke that thou maydest ,

For I that am lord of lyfe , loue is my drynke ,

And for that drinke to day I dye apon earth

If aught so me thrusteth yet for mans soule sake ,

May no drinke me moyst ne my thurst slake ,

Tyll the vendage fall in the vale of Psaphat / [Io]saphat

That I drinke right rype must Resurrectio mortuorum .

And than shall I come as a king crowned with angels ,

And haue out of hell all mens soules ,

Fendes and fendkins before me shall stande ,

And bene at my bidding , wheresoeuer me liketh ,

And to be mercyable to man than my kind it asketh ,

For we bene brethern of bloud , but not of baptim al ,

And all that bene my hole brethern in bloud & baptim

shall not be dampned to death that is without ende ,

Tibi soli peccaui , et cetera

It it / i[s]N not vsed in earth to hangen a felon ,

Ofter then once though he were a traytour

And if the kinge of that kingdome come in that tyme ,

There the felon thole shuld death other els

Lawe wold haue geue him lyfe if he loked on him .

And I that am king of kinges shall on such a time

There doome to the deth damneth all wycked

And if lawe will I loke on them , it lieth in my grace ,

Whether they dye or dye not , for that they done ill

Be it any thing about the boldnes of their sinnes ,

I do merci through right-wisnes & al mi words true

And though holy write wil þat I bewroke of them þat did euyll .

Nullum malum impunitum , et cetera .

They shuld be clensed clerely & washen of their sinnes

In my pryson purgatorye tyll Parce it hoote ,

And my mercy shalbe shewed to many of my brethren

For bloud may suffre bloud bothe hungry and a cale ,

And bloud may not se bloud blede , but him rewe .

Audiui arcana verba que non licet homini loqui .

And my right-wisenes & right shall rule all hell ,

And mercy all mankind before me in heuen ,

For I were an vnkinde king , but I my kind helpe ,

And namely at such a nede , ther nedes help behouith

Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo .

Thus by lawe quod this lord , lead I wyl from hence

Tho that me loued and leued in my comming

And for thi lesing lucifer , that þou leigh till Eue ,

Thou shalt a-by it better / b[i]tter , & bound him with cheynes

Astaroth and all the rout hyd hem in hernes ,

Thei durst not loken on our lord the boldest of hem all ,

But letten him lead furth what him liked & let what him lyste

Many hundred of angels harped and sange .

Culpat caro purgat caro , regna deus dei caro

Than pyped peace of poesie a note .

Clarior est solito post maxima nebula phebus , post inimicitias

After sharpe shoures quod peace , most sheene is the sonne

Is no wether warmer then after watery cloudes ,

Ne no loue leeuer , ne leuere frendes

Than after warre & wo , whan loue & peace be masters

Was neuer war in this world , ne wickednes so kene

That loue and him luste , to laught ne brought

And Peace through patience all perell stopped ,

Trewse quod Truth , thou tellest vs soth by Iesus

Clyppe we in couenaunte , and eche of vs kisse other

And let no people quod peace , perceiue þat we chyd

For impossible is nothinge to him , that is almighty .

Thou saist soth quod rightousnes , & reuerently him kissed

Peace and peace here , Per omnia secula seculorum ,

Misericordia et veritas obuiauerunt sibi .

Iusticia et pax osculate sunt .

Truth trumped tho , and songe , Te deum laudamus

And than luted Loue in a loude note

Ecce quam bonum et quam Iucundum . &cetera .

Tyll the daye dawed these damosels daunced

That men range to þe resurrection , & right with þat I waked

And called Kit my wife , & Collet my daughter

Arise and reuerence gods resurrection

And crepe to þe crosse on knees , & kisse it for a Iewell

For gods blessed body it bare for oure bote

And it afereth the fende , for such is the myght

May no gryslye goste glyde , there it shadoweth .