Early English Alliterative Poems 20

Early English Alliterative Poems 20

[Sidenote: The Lord commands them to go out into the fields, and

bring in the halt, blind, and “one-eyed.”]

Sayde þe lorde to þo ledeȝ, “layteȝ ȝet ferre,

Ferre out i{n} þe felde, & fecheȝ mo gesteȝ,

Wayteȝ gorsteȝ & greueȝ, if ani gomeȝ lyggeȝ,

What-kyn folk so þer fare, fecheȝ hem hider, 100

Be þay fers, be þay feble for-loteȝ[5] none,

Be þay hol, be þay halt, be þay onyȝed,

& þaȝ þay ben boþe blynde & balt{er}ande cruppeleȝ,

[Sidenote: For those who denied shall not taste “one sup” to

save them from death.]

Þat my ho{us} may holly by halkes by fylled; 104

For certeȝ þyse ilk renkeȝ þat me renayed habbe

& de-nou{n}ced me, noȝt now at þis tyme,

Schul neu{er} sitte in my sale my sop{er} to fele,

Ne suppe on sope of my seve, þaȝ[6] þay swelt schulde.” 108

[Sidenote: [Fol. 58b.]]

[Sidenote: The palace soon became full of “people of all

plights.”]

The{n}ne þe sergau{n}teȝ, at þat sawe, swengen þ{er}-oute,

& diden þe dede þat [is] demed, as he deuised hade,

& w{i}t{h} peple of alle plyteȝ þe palays þay fyllen;

[Sidenote: They were not all one wife’s sons, nor had they all

one father.]

Hit weren not alle on wyueȝ su{n}eȝ, wonen w{i}t{h} on fader; 112

Wheþ{er} þay wern worþy, oþ{er} wers, wel wern þay stowed,

[Sidenote: The “brightest attired” had the best place.]

Ay þe best byfore & bryȝtest atyred,

Þe derrest at þe hyȝe dese þat dubbed wer fayrest;

[Sidenote: Below sat those with “poor weeds.”]

& syþen on lenþe biloogh{e} ledeȝ inogh, 116

& ay a segge soerly[7] semed by her wedeȝ;

So with marschal at her mete mensked þay were,

Clene men i{n} compaynye for-knowen wern lyte,

[Sidenote: All are well entertained “with meat and minstrelsy.”]

& ȝet þe symplest in þ{a}t sale watȝ serued to þe fulle, 120

Boþe with menske, & w{i}t{h} mete & mynstrasy noble,

& alle þe laykeȝ þat a lorde aȝt i{n} londe schewe.

[Sidenote: Each with his “mate” made him at ease.]

& þay bigo{n}ne to be glad þat god dri{n}k haden,

& vch mon w{i}t{h} his mach made hy{m} at ese. 124

 

[Sidenote 1: _aywhere_ (?).]

[Sidenote 2: Looks like _burre_ in MS.]

[Sidenote 3: _swer_ (?).]

[Sidenote 4: MS. _plate_.]

[Sidenote 5: _forleteȝ_ (?).]

[Sidenote 6: MS. þaȝ þaȝ.]

[Sidenote 7: _soberly_ (?).]

 

 

[Headnote: THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT.]

 

II.

 

[Sidenote: The lord of the feast goes among his guests.]

Now i{n}-myddeȝ þe mete þe mayst{er} hym biþoȝt,

Þat he wolde se þe semblé þ{a}t samned was þ{er}e,

& re-hayte rekenly þe riche & þe pou{er}en,[8]

& cherisch hem alle w{i}t{h} his cher, & chaufen her Ioye, 128

Þen he boweȝ fro his bour i{n} to þe brode halle,

[Sidenote: Bids them be merry.]

& to þe best on þe bench, & bede hy{m} be myry,

Solased hem w{i}t{h} semblau{n}t & syled fyrre;

Tron fro table to table & talkede ay myrþe, 132

[Sidenote: On the floor he finds one not arrayed for a holyday.]

Bot as he ferked ou{er} þe flor he fande w{i}t{h} his yȝe,

Hit watȝ not for a haly day honestly arayed,

A þral þryȝt i{n} þe þrong vnþryuandely cloþed,

Ne no festiual frok, bot fyled with werkkeȝ. 136

Þe gome watȝ vn-garnyst w{i}t{h} god me{n} to dele,

& gremed þ{er}-w{i}t{h} þe grete lord & greue hy{m} he þoȝt;

[Sidenote: Asks him how he obtained entrance, and how he was so

bold as to appear in such rags.]

“Say me, frende,” q{uod} þe freke w{i}t{h} a felle chere,

“Hov wan þ{o}u into þis won i{n} wedeȝ so fowle? 140

Þe abyt þat þ{o}u hatȝ vpon, no haly day hit menskeȝ;

Þ{o}u burne for no brydale art busked i{n} wedeȝ!

How watȝ þ{o}u hardy þis ho{us} for þyn vnhap [to] neȝe,

I{n} on so ratted a robe & rent at þe sydeȝ? 144

[Sidenote: [Fol. 59a.]]

Þow art a gome vn-goderly i{n} þat gou{n} febele;

Þ{o}u praysed me & my place ful pou{er} & ful [g]nede,

[Sidenote: Does he take him to be a harlot?]

Þat watȝ so prest to aproche my p{re}sens here-i{n}ne;

Hopeȝ þ{o}u I be a harlot þi erigant to prayse?” 148

Þat oþ{er} burne watȝ abayst of his broþe wordeȝ,

[Sidenote: The man becomes discomfited.]

& hurkeleȝ dou{n} with his hede, þe vrþe he bi-holdeȝ;

He watȝ so scou{m}fit of his scylle, lest he skaþe hent,

[Sidenote: He is unable to reply.]

Þat he ne wyst on worde what he warp schulde. 152

[Sidenote: The lord commands him to be bound, and cast into a

deep dungeon.]

Þe{n} þe lorde wonder loude laled & cryed,

& talkeȝ to his tormentto{ur}eȝ: “takeȝ hym,” he biddeȝ,

“Byndeȝ byhynde, at his bak, boþe two his handeȝ,

& felle fett{er}eȝ to his fete festeneȝ bylyue; 156

Stik hym stifly i{n} stokeȝ, & stekeȝ hy{m} þ{er}-aft{er}

Depe i{n} my dou{n}gou{n} þ{er} doel eu{er} dwelleȝ,

Greui{n}g, & grety{n}g, & gryspy{n}g harde

Of teþe tenfully to-geder, to teche hy{m} be quoy{n}t.” 160

[Sidenote: This feast is likened to the kingdom of heaven, to

which all are invited.]

Thus comparisu{n}eȝ kryst þe kyndom of heueñ,

To þis frelych feste þat fele arn to called,

For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþ{er} & þe bett{er},

Þat eu{er} wern fulȝed i{n} font þat fest to haue. 164

[Sidenote: See that thy weeds are clean.]

Bot war þe wel, if þ{o}u wylt, þy wedeȝ ben clene,

& honest for þe haly day, lest þ{o}u harme lache,

For aproch þ{o}u to þat prynce of parage noble.

He hat{es} helle no more þe{n} hem þat ar sowle.[9] 168

 

[Headnote: GOD IS DISPLEASED WITH THE WICKED.]

 

[Sidenote: Thy weeds are thy works that thou hast wrought.]

Wich arn þe{n}ne þy wedeȝ þ{o}u wrappeȝ þe i{n}ne,

Þat schal schewe he{m} so schene schrowde of þe best?

Hit arn þy werkeȝ wyt{er}ly, þ{a}t þ{o}u wroȝt haueȝ,

& lyued w{i}t{h} þe lyky{n}g þ{a}t lyȝe in þy{n} hert, 172

Þat þo be frely & fresch fonde i{n} þy lyue,

& fetyse of a fayr forme, to fote & to honde,

& syþe{n} alle þy{n} oþ{er} lymeȝ lapped ful clene,

[Sidenote: For many faults may a man forfeit bliss.]

Þe{n}ne may þ{o}u se þy sauior & his sete ryche. 176

For fele fauteȝ may a freke forfete his blysse,

[Sidenote: For sloth and pride he is thrust into the devil’s

throat.]

Þat he þe sou{er}ayn ne se þen, for slauþe one,

As for bobau{n}ce & bost & bolnande p{r}iyde,

Þroly i{n}-to þe deueleȝ þrote man þry{n}geȝ bylyue, 180

[Sidenote: [Fol. 59b.]]

[Sidenote: He is ruined by covetousness, perjury, murder, theft,

and strife.]

For couetyse, & colwarde & croked dedeȝ,

For mon-sworne, & men-sclaȝt, & to much drynk,

For þefte, & for þrepy{n}g, vn-þonk may mon haue;

[Sidenote: For robbery and ribaldry, for preventing marriages,

and supporting the wicked, for treason, treachery, and tyranny,

man may lose eternal bliss.]

For roborrye, & riboudrye & resou{n}eȝ vntrwe, 184

& dysheriete & depryue dowrie of wydoeȝ,

For marry{n}g of maryageȝ & may{n}tnau{n}ce of schreweȝ,

For traysou{n}, & trichcherye, & tyrau{n}tyré boþe,[10]

& for fals famacions & fayned laweȝ; 188

Man may mysse þe myrþe, þat much is to prayse,

For such vnþeweȝ as þise & þole much payne,

& i{n} þe creatores cort com neu{er} more,

Ne neu{er} see hym with syȝt for such sour to{ur}neȝ. 192

 

[Sidenote 8: MS. poueu{er}.]

[Sidenote 9: _fowle_ (?).]

[Sidenote 10: loþe (?).]

 

 

[Headnote: THE FALL OF THE ANGELS.]

 

III.

 

Bot I haue herkned & herde of mony hyȝe clerkeȝ,

& als i{n} resou{n}eȝ of ryȝt red hit my seluen,

[Sidenote: The high Prince of all is displeased with those who

work wickedly.]

Þ{a}t þat ilk prop{er} prynce þat paradys weldeȝ

Is displesed at vch a poy{n}t þat plyes to scaþe. 196

Bot neu{er} ȝet i{n} no boke breued I herde

Þat eu{er} he wrek so wyþ{er}ly on werk þat he made,

Ne venged for no vilté of vice ne sy{n}ne,

Ne so hastyfly watȝ hot for hatel of his wylle, 200

Ne neu{er} so sodenly soȝt vn-sou{n}dely to weng,

As for fylþe of þe flesch þat foles han vsed;

For as I fynde þ{er} he forȝet alle his fre þewes,

[Sidenote: For the first fault the devil committed, he felt

God’s vengeance.]

& wex wod to þe wrache, for wrath at his hert, 204

For þe fyrste felonye þe falce fende wroȝt.

Whyl he watȝ hyȝe i{n} þe heuen houen vpon lofte,

Of alle þyse aþel au{n}geleȝ attled þe fayrest,

[Sidenote: He, the fairest of all angels, forsook his sovereign,

and boasted that his throne should be as high as God’s.]

& he vnkyndely as a karle kydde areward, 208

He seȝ noȝt bot hym self how semly he were,

Bot his sou{er}ayn he forsoke & sade þyse wordeȝ:

“I schal telde vp my trone i{n} þe tra mou{n}tayne

& by lyke to þat lorde þat þe lyft made. 212

With þis worde þat he warp, þe wrake on hy{m} lyȝt,

[Sidenote: For these words he was cast down to hell.]

Dryȝtyn w{i}t{h} his dere dom hym drof to þe abyme,

I{n} þe mesure of his mode, his metȝ neu{er} þe lasse,

Bot þer he tynt þe tyþe dool of his to{ur} ryche, 216

[Sidenote: [Fol. 60a.]]

Þaȝ þe felou{n} were so fers for his fayre wedeȝ

& his glorio{us} glem þat glent so bryȝt;

As sone as dryȝtyneȝ dome drof to hy{m} seluen,

[Þi]kke þowsandeȝ þro þrwen þer-oute 220

[Sidenote: The fiends fell from heaven, like the thick snow, for

forty days.]

Fellen fro þe fyrmame{n}t, fendeȝ ful blake

Weued[11] at þe fyrst swap as þe snaw þikke,

Hurled i{n}-to helle-hole as þe hyue swarmeȝ;

Fyltyr fenden folk forty dayeȝ lencþe, 224

Er þat styngande storme stynt ne myȝt;

Bot as smylt mele vnder smal siue smokes for-þikke,

[Sidenote: From heaven to hell the shower lasted.]

So fro heuen to helle þat hatel schor laste,

On vche syde of þe worlde aywhere ilyche. 228

Þis[12] hit watȝ a brem brest & a byge wrache,

[Sidenote: The devil would not make peace with God.]

& ȝet wrathed not þe wyȝ, ne þe wrech saȝtled,

Ne neu{er} wolde, for wylnesful, his worþy god knawe,

Ne pray hym for no pité, so proud watȝ his wylle, 232

[Sidenote: Affliction makes him none the better.]