As a reccheles renke / þat of no woo reccheþ.
Bot ȝeede lyȝk a lorel / al my lyf-tyȝme.
Tyl y wex wery of þe world / & wilned eft to slepe.
& lened me to a lentenealentene / & long tyme y slepte.
I restid me & rutte faste / tyl ramis palmarum.
& of gurlis & of gloria laus / gretly y dremede.
& how osanna with orgenes / olde men sungen.
& oon lyȝk þe samaritan / & sumdel to peers plowman.
As is kyȝnde of a knyght / þat comeþ to be dubbid.
To getyn hym gilt spores / on galochis y-cowpid.
As dooþ an heroude of armes / whan an awntrous cometh to Iustus.
& olde Iewes of Ierusalem / for gre / gre[te] Ioyȝe þey sungen
Benedict us qui venit in nomine domini.
¶ Þanne freynede y at feythȝ / what al þat fare mente.
& who sholde Iuste in Ierusalem / Ientil Iesu he seyde.
Is Peers in þis place quod y & þanne he prente on me.
Þis is Iesus of his Ienterye / wille Iuste in Peersis armes.
In his helm & in his haburgoun / þat is humana natura.
Þat crist be not be-knowe heere / for consummatus deus.
He is in perses paltok plowhman / [þe] plowhman / þis prikiere þat shal ryde.
For þere is no dynt / þat shal hym dere in deitate patris.
/ / [¶] Who shal Iustne with Iesus quod y eyþir Iewes er scribis.
¶ Nay quod feythȝ non but þe feend / & false doome to dyȝe.
Deþ seythȝ he shal for-doon / & a-doun bryngen.
Alle þat lyveþ & lookeþ / on londe eyþir on water.
Þat for al / þat deeþ can doo / with-Innen þre dayes.
He shal feccyn fram þe feend / Peersis frut plowhman / [þe] plowhman.
& lede hit þere hym lykeþ / & lucyfer byȝnde.
& for-beete & doun brynge / bale deeþ for euere.
O mors ero mors tua morsus tuus ero.T
/ / [¶] Þan cam pilatus with gret peple / sedens pro tribunali.
To se how dowhtely sholde / [deeþ] sholde doo / & demen boþe ryghtys.
Þe Iewes & þe Iustyses / a-geyn Iesu þey weren.
& alle þe cowrt on hym criede / crucifige ful sharpe.
¶ Þo pytte hym forþ a pylour / byfore pilat & seyde.
Þis Iesus with oure temple / he Iapede / & dispysede.
He wille for-doon it in a day / & in þre dayes after.
Edyfie it eft newe / heere he stant þat seyde it.
& ȝit maken it as myche / in alle manere of poyntis.
Boþe as long & as large / on lofte & by grownde.
¶ Crucifige quod a cacchepol / y warante hym a wyccheC
& by-gan of þat þorn / a garlond to make.
& on his heed sette it sore / & seyȝde with envye.
¶ Ave Rabbi quod þo rybawdis / & threwe redelys / re[ede]s at hym.
& to hise lyppis þey pyttyn / poysoun on a poole.
& beedyn hym drynke his deþ evel / for hise dayes were done
& if þat þou / so sotyle be / save now þyn-selue.
If þou be crist & kyngis sone / come doun of þe roode.
Þan shulle we be-leeve þat lyf þe loveþ / & wille not lete þe dyȝe.
¶ Consummatum est quod crist / & comsed for to swoune.
Ful pytously & pale / as a presoner þat dyȝeþ.
Tyl þe lord of lyf & of lyght / leyde hise eyȝes to-gydres.
Þan þe day for drede with-droghȝ / & derke by-gan þe sunne.
Þe wallis waggeden & kleef / & al þe world qwakede.
& tolden why þat tempest / so longe tyme durede.
For a bitter batayle / þe dede bodies seyȝden.
Þat lyf / & deeþ / in þis derknesse / þer oon for-doþ þe toþir.
Schal no wyght wetyn witterly / who shal have þe maystrie.
Summe seyden he was goddis sone / þat so fayre dyȝede.
Vere filius dei erat iste.
& summe seyden he was a wicche / good is / we a-sayen.
& two þevis also / þoleden deþ þat tyȝme.
Vpon crossis be-syde crist / so was þe comoun lawe.
But a cacchepol cam forþ / & crakede boþe here leggys.
& here armes after / of eyþyr of þe þevis.
But þere was no boy so bold / crystis body to towche.
For he was knyght & kyngis sone . keende for-ȝaf þat þrowe.
Þat noon harlot were so hardy / to leynd / leyn hondys on hym.
But þere cam forþ a knyght / with a kene spere grounde.
He hyȝghte Longeys as þe lettre telleth / & longe hadde lost his syghte
& by-fore pylat & oþir peple / in þe place he hovede.
& mawgre manye of his teeþ / he was mad þat tyme.
To take þe spere in his hond / & Iustne with Iesus þere
For alle þey weryn vnhardy / þat houede on horse or stede.
To towche or to taste hym / or take hym doun of þe roode.
But þis blyȝnde bacheler / þat bar hym þorghȝ þe herte.
Þan fel þe knyght vpon knees / & criede crist mercy.
For a-geyn my wille it was / to wounde ȝow so soore.
He syȝghede ofte & seyde / sore it me a-þynkyþ.
For þe dede þat y have doo / y doo me in ȝoure grace.
Have on me rewthe ryȝtful crist / & ryght with þat he wepte.
He callyd hem alle caytifis / & he cursede hem for euere.
For þis fowle vilenyȝe shal be / vengance to ȝou alle.
To don þe blyȝnde . beetyn . & bynde / it was a boyes conseyle.
A ȝee curse / curs[ed]e caytyfis / knyghthod was it neuere.
To mys-doon a deed body / by day / or be nyght
& þe gree hath he ȝit getyn / for alle hise greete woundis.
¶ For ȝoure Champioun chiualeer / & chef knyght of ȝou alle.
Ȝeldeþ hym recreaunt rennyngge / ryght a / a[t] Iesu-is wille.
For be þis derknesse y-doo / deeþ worthȝ y-venkischid.
& ȝe lordeynes have y-loost / for lyf shal have þe maistrie.
& ȝoure fraunchise þat free was / fallyn ys in þraldom.
& ȝee cherlis & ȝoure children / cheven schulle ȝe neuere.
Ne have lordchepe in londe / ne no londys tylthe.
But al shal bareyne ben / & ȝee vseryȝe shulle vse.
Wiche is lyf of / [þat] oure lord / in alle lawis a-cursethȝ.
Now ȝoure goode dayes be don / as danyel prophesyede
Cum veniat sanctus sanctorum T
¶ What for fere of þis ferly / & of þe false Iewis.
Owt of þe west coost / a wenche as me þowhte.
Cam walkynge in þe weyȝe / & to helle she lokede.
Mercy hyghte þat mayde / a meeke þyng withalle.
A ful benygne beurde / & buxsum of speche.
Hire sister as it semede / cam softly hire after.
Eve / Eve[n] owt of þe Est / & westwarde she lookede.
A ful komely creature / trewthe she hette.
For þe vertue þat hire folwe / folwe[d] / a-feerd was she neuere.
& whan þese Maidenys mettyn / mercy & trewthe.
Eyþir askid oþir / of þis greete wondir.
Of þe dene / & þe derknesse / & why þe day so lowrede.
& swich a lyght / & a leem / lay be-fore helle.
I have ferly of þis fare / in fayþ seyde trewthe.
& þus y wende for to wete / what þat wondir meneþ.
¶ Have no merveyle quod Mercy / for merthe it be-tokneþ.
A maide þat hette Marie / & Moodir with-outyn felynge.
Of ony kende creature / she conseyuede þorghȝ speche.
& þorghȝ grace of þe holy goost / she wex grete with childe.
With-outyn wem in-to þis world / a kaue / k[n]aue child she broghte.
& þat my tale be trewe / y take god to witnesse.
Wiche dyede / & deeþ þolede / þis day abowtyn mydday.
& þat is cause of þis clyps / þat closeþ now so þe sunne.
In menynge þat man shal / fram derknesse be drawe.
Þe wiche lyght / & leem / lucyfer shal bleenden.
For patriarkis & prophetis / have prechid here-of often.
Þat a man sholde / man save / þorghȝ a maidenys helpe.
& þat was tynt þorghȝ a tree / a tree sholde it wynne.
& þat dethȝ doun broghte / dethȝ sholde releve.
For Adam & Eve / & habraham & oþere.
Patriarkis & prophetis / þat in peyne lyggen /
Be-leeve þou neuere þat ȝoone lyght . shal hem on lofte brynge.
Ne have hem out of helle / holde stylle mercy þyn tunge.
It yt / y[s] but trewfelis þat þou tellyst / trewþe whot þe soþe.
For he þat oones is in helle / owt komeþ he nevere.
Ioob þe prophete & patriark / repreviþ þyn sawis.
Qvia in inferno nulla est redempcio.
¶ Þanne Mercy ful myȝldely / mowthede þese woordis.
For venyȝm for-dooþ venyȝm / & þat y preue be resoun.
For of alle venymys / fowlest is þe skorpioun.
For þere may no medycine helpe / þe place þere styngiþ / [he] styngiþ.
Tyl he be deed & do þerto / þe evil þan he distroyeþ.
Of þe fyrste venym / þorgh vertue of hym-selue.
So shal þis deeþ doo / y dar my lyf legge.
Al þat deeþ dide first / þorghȝ þe devely / devely[s] temptyng
& ryght as þorghȝ gyle / man was by-gyled.
So shal grace þat he gan / maken a good sleyghte.
Ars ut artem falleret.
¶ Now suffre we quod trewthe / y see as me þynkyþ.
Owt of þe nyppe of þe northȝ / nowht ful feer hennys.
Ryghtwisnesse com rennynge / reeste we þe whyle.
For she whoot more þan wee / she was er we boþe.
/ / [¶] Þat is soþ seide mercy / & y see heere by sowthe.
Where Pees comeþ pleyenge / in pacience y-cloþid.
Love haþ coueytyd hire longe / leve y non oþir.
But he sent hire sum lettre / what þis lyȝt be-meenyþ.
¶ Whan Pees in pacience clothid / aprochede hem tweyne.
Ryȝtwysnesse hire reuerrenside / for hire ryche cloþis.
& in hire gaye garnementis . whom to greete he þowhte.
/ / [¶] My wille is quod he / to weende / & wolkome hem alle.
Þat many a day myght not see / for merknesse of synne.
As Adam & Eve / & manye moo in helle.
Love þat is myn lemman / swiche lettris me sente.
& how þat god haþ for-gyve / & grauntyd me pes & mercy.
To been mannys meynpernour / for euere-more after.
& þat deede shal euere dure / dormiam & requiescam.
¶ What raviste þou quod ryghtwisnesse / or art þou y-drunke.
Beleevist þou þat ȝoone lyght / vnlowke myghte helle.
& save mannys sowle . syster wene þou it neuere.
For at þe fyrste by-gynnynge / god gaf doome hym-selue.
Þat Adam & Eve / & alle þat hem sewede.
Sholden dyȝen doun-ryght / & dwelle in peyne after
If þat þey towchid a tre / & of þe frut eetyn.
And adam afterwarde / a-ȝens his defense.
& þe love oure / [of] oure lord / & his loore boþe /.
Þat here peyne be perpetuel / & no prayere may hem helpe.
For-þy let hem chewe as þey chose / & chyde we not syster.
For it ys boteles bale / þe bittes þat þey eetyn.
¶ I shal praye quod pees / here peyne mote have an ende.
& woo / in-to wele / mote wenden at þe laste.
For þey hadde wiste{n} of no woo / hadde þey no weele knowe.
For no wyght whot what wele is / þat neuere woo suffrede.
Ne what is hoot hungir / þat hadde neuere defawhte /
For if no nyght neere / no man as y beleve.
Shulde weten witterly / what day is to meene.
Shulde neuere ryght ryche man / þat lyve / lyve[þ] in reste & ese.
Wetyn what woo is / ne were þe deeþ of kende.
So god þat by-gan al / of hys goode wille.
By-cam man of a mayde / mankyȝnde to save.
Þe wyche vnknytteþ alle care / & comsynge is of reste.
For tyl Modicum mette with vs / y may it weel a-vowe.
Whot no whyght as y weene / what it is to meene.
For-þy god of his goodnesse / þe firste goome Adam.
He sette hym in solace / & in a souereynn Ioyȝe.
& sytthe he suffred hym synnen / sorwe to feele.
To wete what wele ys / & kendely to knowe it.
& after god awnterid hym-selue / & took adam-is kynde.
To wete what he suffrede / in þre sundry places.
Boþe in hevene & in erthe / & now to helle he þynkyþ.
To wete what al woo ys / þat woot of alle Ioyȝe.
/ / [¶] So it shal fare by þis folk / here foly & here synne.
& what ys witterly weele / wellawey shal hym techen.
¶ Þan was þere a wyght / with tweyn broode eyȝes.
Book hyghte þat bewpere / a boold man of speche.
By goddis bodi quod þis book /. y wille beere witnesse.
Þat þo þis barn was y-bore / þere blasede a sterre.
Þat alle þe men in þis world / in oo witt a-corden
Þat swich a barn was y-born / in bedleem cyte
Þat mannys sowle sholde save / & sori synne distroyȝe.
& þo þat weryn in heuene / tooken Stella comata
& tendid hire as a torche / to reuerense his burthe.
& þat lyght folwid oure lord / in-to þe lowe erthe.
¶ Þe water witnessiþ þat he was god / for he wente on it.
Seynt Peeter þe apostle / a-parceyuede his gate.
& whan he seyȝ on þe water / he knew hym wel & seide.
Iube me venire ad te super aquas.
& loo how þe sunne gan looke / hire lyght in hire-selue.
Þe erthe for evynesse / þat he wolde suffre.
Qwakede as a qwik þyng / & al by-qwache þe rooche.
& leetyn out symondes sones / to seen hym hange on roode.
In al þe myghtys of a man / & his moodir glade.
& conforte alle his kyn / & out of care hem brynge.
& but if þey reuerence / his roode / & his ressurexioun.
& by-leve on a newe lawe / þey been loost lyf & soule.
/ / [¶] Suffre seyde trewthe / y heere & see boþe.
A spiryȝt spekeþ to helle / & byddis vnspere þe ȝatis.
Ȝee princes of þis place / vnpynneþ & vn-lowkeeþ.
For heere comeþ with crowne / þe kyng þat is of glorie.
¶ Þan seyde / s[ike]de sathan soone / & seyde þus to helle
Swich a lyght aȝens oure leve / lazar it fette.
Care & combraunnce / ys comen to vs alle.
If þis kyng come In / mankende wille he fecche.
& leede hem þere lazar ys / & lyghtly me byȝnden.
Patriarkis & prophetis / þan parlyd here-of longe.
¶ Listneþ quod lucifer / for y þis lord knowe.
Boþe þe lord & þe lyght / it is longe a-goo y knewe hem.
May no deeþ þis loord dere / ne no deuelys qweyntise.
& where he wille . ys his weyȝe / but war hym of þe pereyl.
If he reve me of my ryght / & robbe me by maystrie.
For be ryȝt & resoun / þe renkys þat been heere.
Body & sowle þey ben myne / boþe goode & ylle.
For hym-selue seyde so / þat syre þat is of hevene.
& dwellyn heere with vs / þis þretenynge he made.
& he þat soþnesse is / seyȝde to hym þese wordis.
Sytthe y was sesed / þis seuene hundred wynter.
I leve þat lawe wil nowht / leete hym þe leeste.
¶ Þat is sooþ seyde sathan / but y soore drede.
& in semblaund of a serpent / þou seete on þe appiltre.
& eggiddist hem / to eete / Eve by hym-selue / hi[re]-selue.
& toldist hire a tale / of tresoun / were þe woordis.
& also / þou haddist hem owt / & hidir at þe laste.
It is nowht grayþly geete / þere gyle is þe roote.
For god wille nowht gyled bee / quod gobelyn ne be Iapid.
We have non trewe tytle to hem / þorgh resoun / [t]resoun were þey dampned.
Sertys y drede me quod þe deuyl / leest trewþe wille hem fecche.
¶ Þis .xxx.ti wynter as y weene / he wente a-bowte & prechid.
I have a-sayed hym with synne / & summe y have hym asked.
Wher he were god / or goddis sone / he ȝaf me schort answere.
& þus he haþ trollyd forþ / þis two & .xxx.ti wynter
& whan y seyȝ it was so / slepynge y wente
To warne Pilatis wif / what was with crist to doone.
For þe Iewes hated hym / & have doon hym to deþe.
& y wolde have lengþid his lyf / for y leve if he dyede.
Þat his soule wolde not suffre / no synne in his syghte.
To saven men fram synne / If hem-selue wolde.
& now y see where a sowle / comeþ hidirwarde seylyng
With gloria & gret lyght / y knowe crist is his name.
I reede / we fleen quod he faste alle hennys.
For we were bettre here not be / þan byden in his syghte.
For þy lesyngis lucifeer / loost is al oure trauayle.
¶ Fyrst / we fylle þorghȝ þe / fram heuynne so heyȝe.
& now for þyn laste lesynge / y-loore have we Adam.
& al oure lordche / lordche[pe] y leeve / on londe & on water.
Nunc princeps huius mundi eicietur foras.
¶ Eft þe lyght bad vn-lowke / & lucifer answerede.
What Lord art þou quod Lucifer quis est iste.
¶ Þou dewk of þis dym place / a-noon vndo þese ȝatys.
Þat crist may come In / þe kyngis sone of hevene.
& with þat breeþ helle brast / & belyallis barrys.
For ony weey or warde / wyȝde openeden þe ȝatis.
¶ Patriarkis & prophetis / And populus in tenebris.
Sungen seynt Iohan-is song / ecce agnus dei.
& þo þat oure lord lovede / in-to his lyght he lawhte.
& seyde to sathan loo heere myn sowle to a-mendys.
Myȝne þey been & of me / y may þe bet hem cleyme
Al-þowhȝ resoun recorde / & ryght of myn-selue.
If þey þat eetyn þe appil / alle sholde dyȝen.
I be-hyghte hem not heere / helle for euere.
For þe dede þat þey dyden / þyn disseyȝt it made.
With gyle þou hem gete / a-geyn alle resoun
For in myn paleys of paradyȝs / in persone as an addre.
Falsly þou fettyst þere / þyng þat y lovede.
¶ Þou lyknest þe to a lyzard / with a ladies visage.
& þefly þou me robbedist / þe olde lawe grawnteþ.
Þat gyloures been by-gyled / & þat is good resoun.
¶ Ergo sowle shal sowle qwite / & synne to synne wende
& al þat man haþ mys-doon / y may it wel a-mende.
Membre for membre / be þe olde lawe was a-mendis.
& lyf for lyf also & be þat lawe y cleyme.
Adam & alle his Issew / at my wel craftere / [wille herafter].
& þat deeþ in hem / for-dede / my deeþ shal releve.
& boþe qwyt / qwy[k] & quit / þat þou qwenchist with synne.
& þat grace . distroyeþ / [gyle] distroyeþ / good feyþ it askeþ.
Be-leve it neuere lucyfer / þat y a-geyn þe lawe fecche hem.
But be ryght & resoun / y raunsoun here my leeges.
Non veni soluere legem atque propheciasT sed ad-implere.
Þou fettyst mynne / in myn place / a-geyn ryght & resoun.
Falsly & felounly / good feyþ me it tawhte.
¶ To recouere hem þorghȝ raunsoun / & be no resoun ellis.
So þat with gyle þou geete / with grace it was y-wonne.
& þey lucifeer in lyknesse / of a lythir adder.T
¶ & y in lyknesse of a leede / & lord am y of hevene.
Graciously gyle haþ þe qwit / goo gyle a-geyn gyle.
& as Adam & alle men / þorghȝ a tree dyȝede.
So Adam & alle þorgh a tre / shulle turne to lyve.
& gyle is be-gyled / & in his gyle fallen.
Et cecidit in foueam quam fecit.
¶ Now by-gynneþ þy gyle a-geyn / [/] a-geyn þy gyle to turne.
& myn grace to growe / euere grettere & grettere.
& þe bitternesse / þou hast browe / now browke it þy-selue.
Þat art doctour of deeþ / drynk of þat þou madist.
¶ For y þat am lord of lyf / love is myn drynke.
& for þat drynk to-day / y dyȝede vpon erthe.
Þat y drynke rype must / ressurreccio mortuorum
& þan shal y come as a kyng / crowned with angelis.
& have now out of helle / alle myn mennys sowlys.
¶ Feendis & feendekynes / be-fore me schulle stoonde
& been at myn byddynge / where-so-euere me lykeþ.
But not so merciable to man / my keende may not aske.
For we been breþeryn of blood / & in bapteme alle.
But alle ben myn hoole breþeryn / in blood & in bapteme
It is nowht vsed in erthe / to hangen a feloun
Oftere þan oones / þey he were a tretour.
& if þe kyng of þat kyngdom / ceme in þat tyȝme.
Þere þe feloun þole / scholde / deeþ / or oþir-wyse.
Lawe wolde / he ȝeve hym lyf / & he lookede on hym
¶ & y am kyng of kynges / & shal come swich a tyȝme.
& þeyre deedis deme to þe deþ / & dampne alle wikkede.
& if lawe wille y looke on hem / it lyȝthȝ in myn grace.
Wheyþir þey deyȝen or deyȝen nowht / for þat þey dyden ille.
Be it ony þyng a-bowten / þe boldnesse of here synnys.
& þey holy writ wolde be wrooke / of hem þat dyden ylle.
Nullum malum inpunitum.
¶ Þey shulle ben clensed cleerly / & waschen of here synnes.
In myn prisone purgatorie / tyl parce y seende.
& myn mercy shal be schewed / to manye of myn breþeryn
For blood may suffre his blood / boþe on-hungred & a-kale.
But blood may not seen his blood / bleede but hym rewe.
Audiuit archana verba que non licet homini loqui.
¶ But Ryghtwyȝsnesse & ryght / shal rewle al helle.
& Mercy al man-kende / before me in hevene.
For y were an on-kyȝnde kyng / but y myn kyn holpe.
& namely at swich a neede / þere needis helpe by-houyþ.
Non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo domine
/ / [¶] Þus be lawe quod oure lord / ledyn fram hennes y wille.
& for þyn lesyngis lusyfeer / þat þou lowe to Eve.
Þou shalt a-byȝe bitterly / & anon he bond hym with cheynes.
& astarot & alle þe rowte / hydden hem sone in hernes.
Þey durste not looke on oure lord / þe boldest of hem alle.
Þan ledde with hym what hym lykede / & leefte what hym lyste.
Culpat caro / purgat caro / regnat deus dei caro.
¶ Þanne pypede pees / of poysyȝe a noote.
Clarior est solito / post maxima nebula phebus.
Post inimicitias clarior est & amor.
/ / [¶] After scharpest schoures quod pees / moost schene is þe sunne.
Þer is no whedir warmere / þan after watry clowdes.
Ne no love levere / ne leuerere to freendys.
¶ Þan after werre & woo / whan love & pees ben oned.
Was neuere werre in þis world / ne wikkidnesse so kene.
Þat love & hym lyste / to lawynge he browhte.
& pees þorghȝ patience / alle pereylis he stoppeþ.
¶ Trews quod trewthe þo þou tellyst vs sooþ of Iesus.
Clyppe we in þis connaunt / & ecch of vs kysse oþer.
¶ Ȝee lete no peple quod pees / perceyve þat we chyden.
For inpossible is no þyng / to hym þat al is myghty / [is al-myghty].
Misericordia & veritas obuiauerunt sibi.T
¶ Þanne trewþe trumpede þo / & treblide te deum laudamus.
¶ & love lawhte of hym / in a luddere noote.
Ecce quam bonum & quam iocundum.
Tyl þe day dawede / þese damyselis carolden.
Þat men rungen to þe ressureccioun / & ryght þerwith y waked.
¶ I callid kytte my wif / & calote myn dowhter.
& crepiþ on knees to þe cros / & kysse it for a Iewel.
For cristis blessid body / bar it for oure boote.
& it a-feeryþ þe feend / for swich is þe strengþe.
Þat þere may no grisly goost / glyde þere it schadweþ.
Explicit Passus
.xiiijus.