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22. The Harrowing of Hell













[fol. 97v]

JESUS




5





10





15





20






ADAM
26



30


EVE

35


ISAIAH


40







45



[fol. 98r]
50



SIMEON

55




60





JOHN THE BAPTIST
66



70




75


MOSES


80




85




RIBALD
90




95




BEELZEBUB
100
RIBALD



BEELZEBUB
106
RIBALD


BEELZEBUB
110




115



119
RIBALD

JESUS


RIBALD



BEELZEBUB
126



130



DAVID

135




140
BEELZEBUB




145

SATAN


150
BEELZEBUB


SATAN

BEELZEBUB
156
SATAN


160
BEELZEBUB




SATAN
166


[fol. 99r]
170




175


RIBALD


180




SATAN
186



JESUS

RIBALD
190
DAVID




195


JESUS


200

RIBALD
JESUS
RIBALD


BEELZEBUB
206



JESUS
210
RIBALD


BEELZEBUB

215


RIBALD


SATAN

221




BEELZEBUB
226


SATAN
230




235


JESUS


240


SATAN

JESUS
246



SATAN
250



JESUS
255




260

SATAN



JESUS
266



270



SATAN

275




280
[fol. 100r]




JESUS
286



290




295


SATAN


300




305




JESUS
310




315




320

SATAN



325

JESUS


SATAN
330


JESUS

335




340





[fol. 100v]
346



350



SATAN

355




360


JESUS


SATAN
366
JESUS

SATAN
370
RIBALD

JESUS

375


ADAM


380




EVE
386



JOHN THE BAPTIST
390




395

MOSES


400

DAVID



405



MOSES
410



ISAIAH

415



 
Jesus
Adam
Eve
Isaiah
Simeon
John the Baptist
Moses
Ribald, a devil
David
Beelzebub, a devil
Satan

Incipit extraccio animarum etc. 1

My Fader me from blys has send
Till erth for mankynde sake,
Adam mys for to amend;
My deth nede must I take.

I dwellyd ther thryrty yeres and two
And somdele more, the sothe to say;
In anger, pyne, and mekyll wo
I dyde on cros this day.

Therfor till hell now will I go
To chalange that is myne;
Adam, Eve, and othere mo,
Thay shall no longer dwell in pyne.

The feynde theym wan with trayn
Thrugh fraude of erthly fode;
I have theym boght agan
With shedyng of my blode.

And now I will that stede restore
Which the feynde fell fro for syn.
Som tokyn will I send before
With myrth to gar thare gammes begyn.

A light I will thay have,
To know I will com sone;
My body shall abyde in grave
Till all this dede be done.

My brether, herkyn unto me here:
More hope of helth never we had.
Foure thowsand and sex hundreth yere
Have we bene here in darknes stad;
Now se I tokyns of solace sere,
A gloryous gleme to make us glad,
Wherthrugh I hope that help is nere
That sone shall slake oure sorowes sad.
Adam, my husband heynd,
This menys solace certan;
Sich light can on us leynd
In paradyse full playn.

Adam, thrugh thi syn
Here were we put to dwell
This wykyd place within:
The name of it is hell;
Here paynes shall never blyn
That wykyd ar and fell.
Love that Lord with wyn
His lyfe for us wold sell. 2

Et cantent omnes “Salvator mundi,” primum versum. 3

Adam, thou well understand,
I am Isaias, so Crist me kende.
I spake of folke in darknes walkand;
I saide a light shuld on theym lende.
This light is all from Crist commande
That he till us has hedir sende;
Thus is my poynt proved in hand,
As I before to-fold it kende.

So may I tell of farlys feyll,
For in the tempyll his freyndys me fande.
Me thoght daynteth with hym to deyll,
I halsid hym homely with my hand.
I saide “Lord, let thi servandys leyll
Pas in peasse to lyf lastande;
Now that myn eeyn has sene thyn hele
No longer lyst I lyf in lande.”
This light thou has purvayde
For theym that lyf in lede;
That I before of thee have saide
I se it is fulfillyd in dede.

As a voce cryand I kend
The wayes of Crist as I well can.
I baptisid hym with both myn hende
In the water of flume Jordan;
The Holy Gost from heven discende
As a white dowfe downe on me than;
The Fader voyce, oure myrthes to amende,
Was made to me lyke as a man:
“Yond is my Son,” he saide,
“And which me pleasses full well.”
His light is on us layde
And commys oure karys to kele.

Now this same nyght lernyng have I.
To me, Moyses, he shewid his myght
And also to anothere oone, Hely,
Where we stud on a hill on hyght.
As whyte as snaw was his body;
His face was like the son for bright.
No man on mold was so myghty
Grathly durst loke agans that light,
And that same light here se I now
Shynyng on us certayn,
Wherethrugh truly I trow
That we shall sone pas from this payn.

Sen fyrst that hell was mayde
And I was put therin,
Sich sorow never ere I had,
Nor hard I sich a dyn.
My hart begynnys to brade,
My wytt waxys thyn;
I drede we cannot be glad,
Thise saules mon fro us twyn.

How, Belsabub, bynde thise boys;
Sich harow was never hard in hell.
Out, Rybald, thou royes!
What is betyd, can thou oght tell?
Whi, herys thou not this vgly noyse?
Thise lurdans that in lymbo dwell
Thay make menyng of many joyse
And muster myrthes theym emell.
Myrth? Nay, nay, that poynt is past.
More hope of helth shall thay never have.
They cry on Crist full fast,
And says he shall theym save.

Yee, though he do not, I shall,
For they ar sparyd in specyall space;
Whils I am prynce and pryncypall
They shall never pas out of this place.
Call up Astarot and Anaball
To gyf us counsell in this case,
Bell-berith and Bellyall
To mar theym that sich mastry mase.
Say to Sir Satan, oure syre,
And byd hym bryng also
Sir Lucyfer, lufly of lyre.
All redy, lord, I go.

Attollite portas principes vestras et elevamini
porte eternales et introibit rex glorie. 4

Out, harro! Out, what devill is he
That callys hym kyng over us all?
Hark, Belzabub, com ne,
For hedusly I hard hym call.
Go spar the yates, yll mot thou thé,
And set the waches on the wall.
If that brodell com ne,
With us ay won he shall;
And if he more call or cry
To make us more debate,
Lay on hym hardely
And make hym go his gate.

Nay, with hym may ye not fyght,
For he is kyng and conqueroure,
And of so mekill myght
And styf in every stoure;
Of hym commys all this light
That shynys in this bowre.
He is full fers in fight,
Worthi to wyn honoure.
Honowre? Harsto, harlot, for what dede?
All erthly men to me ar thrall;
That lad that thou callys lord in lede
He had never harbour, house, ne hall.

How, Sir Sathanas, com nar
And hark this cursid rowte.
The devill you all to-har!
What ales thee so to showte?
And me if I com nar
Thy brayn bot I bryst owte.
Thou must com help to spar;
We ar beseged abowte.

Besegyd aboute? Whi, who durst be so bold
For drede to make on us a fray?
It is the Jew that Judas sold
For to be dede this othere day.
How, in tyme that tale was told;
That trature travesses us allway.
He shal be here full hard in hold,
Bot loke he pas not, I thee pray.
Pas? Nay, nay, he will not weynde
From hens or it be war;
He shapys hym for to sheynd
All hell or he go far.

Fy, faturs, therof shall he fayll.
For all his fare I hym defy;
I know his trantes fro top to tayll.
He lyffys by gawdys and gilory;
Therby he broght furth of oure bayll
The lath Lazare of Betany.
Bot to the Jues I gaf counsayll
That thay shuld cause hym dy;
I enterd ther into Judas
That forward to fulfyll.
Therfor his hyere he has
Allwayes to won here styll.

Sir Sathan, sen we here thee say
Thou and the Jues were at assent,
And wote he wan thee Lazare away 5
That unto us was taken to tent
Hopys thou that thou mar hym may
To muster the malyce that he has ment?
For and he refe us now oure pray
We will ye witt or he is went.
I byd thee noght abaste
Bot boldly make you bowne
With toyles that ye intraste,
And dyng that dastard downe.

Attollite portas principes vestras, etc. 6

Outt, harro! What harlot is he
That sayes his kyngdom shal be cryde?
That may thou in sawter se,
For of this prynce thus ere I saide:

I saide that he shuld breke
Youre barres and bandys by name,
And of youre warkys take wreke;
Now shall thou se the same.

Ye prynces of hell, open youre yate
And let my folk furth gone;
A prynce of peasse shall enter therat
Wheder ye will or none.

What art thou that spekys so?
A kyng of blys that hight Jesus.
Yee, hens fast I red thou go
And mell thee not with us.

Oure yates I trow will last,
Thay ar so strong I weyn;
Bot if oure barres brast
For thee they shall not twyn.

This stede shall stand no longer stokyn;
Open up and let my pepill pas.
Out, harro, oure bayll is brokyn,
And brusten ar all oure bandys of bras!

Harro, oure yates begyn to crak;
In sonder I trow they go,
And hell I trow will all to-shak!
Alas, what I am wo.

Lymbo is lorne, alas!
Sir Sathanas, com up;
This wark is wars then it was.
Yee, hangyd be thou on a cruke!

Thefys, I bad ye shuld be bowne,
If he maide mastrés more,
To dyng that dastard downe,
Sett hym both sad and sore.

To sett hym sore that is sone saide;
Com thou thiself and serve hym so.
We may not abyde his bytter brayde;
He wold us mar and we were mo. 7
Fy, faturs, wherfor were ye flayd?
Have ye no force to flyt hym fro?
Loke in haste my gere be grayd;
Myself shall to that gadlyng go.
How, thou belamy, abyde
With all thi boste and beyr
And tell me in this tyde
What mastrés thou makys here.

I make no mastry bot for myne.
I will theym save, that shall thee sow.
Thou has no powere theym to pyne,
Bot in my pryson for thare prow
Here have they sorjornyd, noght as thyne
Bot in this wayrd, thou wote as how.
Why, were has thou bene ay syn
That never wold negh theym nere or now?
Now is the tyme, certan,
My Fader ordand herfor
That thay shuld pas fro payn
In blys to dwell forevermore.

Thy fader knew I well by syght:
He was a wright his meett to wyn.
Mary me mynnys thi moder hight,
The utmast ende of all thy kyn.
Say who made thee so mekill of myght?
Thou wykyd feynde, lett be thi dyn.
My Fader wonnes in heven on hight
In blys that never more shall blyn;
I am his oonly Son,
His forward to fulfyll.
Togeder will we won,
And sonder when we wyll.

Goddys son? Nay, then myght thou be glad,
For no catell thurt thee crave;
Bot thou has lyffyd ay lyke a lad
In sorow and as a sympill knave.
That was for the hartly luf I had
Unto mans saull, it for to save,
And for to make thee masyd and mad,
And for that reson rufully to rafe.
My godhede here I hyd
In Mary, moder myne,
Where it shall never be kyd
To thee ne none of thyne.

How now? This wold I were told in towne.
Thou says God is thi syre;
I shall thee prove by good reson
Thou moyttys as man dos into myre.
To breke thi byddyng they were full bowne
And soyn they wroght at my desyre;
From paradise thou putt theym downe
In hell here to have thare hyre.
And thou thyself by day and nyght
Taght ever all men emang
Ever to do reson and right,
And here thou wyrkys all wrang.

I wyrk no wrang that shall thou wytt
If I my men fro wo will wyn;
My prophetys playnly prechyd it,
All the noytys that I begyn.
They saide that I shuld be that ilke,
In hell where I shuld intre in,
To save my servandys fro that pytt
Where dampnyd saullys shall syt for syn,
And ilke true prophete tayll
Shal be fulfillid in me.
I have thaym boght fro bayll;
In blis now shall they be.

Now sen thou lyst to legge the lawes,
Thou shal be tenyd or we twyn,
For those that thou to witnes drawes
Full even agans thee shall begyn.
As Salamon saide in his sawes
Who that ones commys hell within
He shall never owte, os clerkys knawes;
Therfor, belamy, let be thy dyn.
Job, thi servande, also
In his tyme can tell
That nawder freynde nor fo
Shall fynde relese in hell.

He sayde full soyth, that shall thou se,
In hell shal be no relese,
Bot of that place then ment he
Where synfull care shall ever encrese.
In that bayll ay shall thou be,
Where sorowes seyr shall never sesse,
And my folke that were most fre
Shall pas unto the place of peasse;
For they were here with my will
And so thay shall furth weynde.
Thou shall thiself fulfyll
Ever wo withoutten ende.

Whi, and will thou take theym all me fro?
Then thynk me thou art unkynde.
Nay, I pray thee do not so;
Umthynke thee better in thy mynde,
Or els let me with thee go.
I pray thee, leyffe me not behynde.
Nay, tratur, thou shall won in wo,
And till a stake I shall thee bynde.

Now here I how thou menys emang
With mesure and malyce for to mell,
Bot sen thou says it shal be lang
Yit som let allwayes with us dwell.
Yis, wytt thou well, els were greatt wrang:
Thou shall have Caym that slo Abell,
And all that hastys theymself to hang
As dyd Judas and Architophell,
And Daton and Abaron,
And all of thare assent,
Cursyd tyranttys everilkon
That me and myn tormente.

And all that will not lere my law
That I have left in land for new,
That makys my commyng knaw
And all my sacramentys persew,
My deth, my rysyng, red by raw —
Who trow thaym not, thay ar untrewe —
Unto my dome I shall theym draw,
And juge theym wars then any Jew.
And thay that lyst to lere
My law and lyf therby
Shall never have harmes here,
Bot welth, as is worthy.

Now here my hand, I hold me payde;
Thise poyntys ar playnly for my prow.
If this be trew that thou has saide,
We shall have mo then we have now.
Thies lawes that thou has late here laide
I shall theym lere not to alow;
If thay myn take, thay ar betraide,
And I shall turne theym tytt, I trow.
I shall walk eest, I shall walk west,
And gar theym wyrk well war.
Nay, feynde, thou shal be feste,
That thou shall flyt no far.

Feste? Fy, that were a wykyd treson!
Belamy, thou shal be smytt.
Devill, I commaunde thee to go downe
Into thi sete where thou shall syt.
Alas, for doyll and care
I synk into hell pyt.
Sir Sathanas, so saide I are;
Now shall thou have a fytt.
Com now furth, my childer all.
I forgyf you youre mys;
With me now go ye shall
To joy and endles blys.

Lord, thou art full mekyll of myght
That mekys thiself on this manere,
To help us all as thou had us hight
When both forfett, I and my fere.
Here have we dwelt withoutten light
Foure thowsand and sex hundreth yere.
Now se we by this solempne sight,
How that thi mercy makys us dere.
Lord we were worthy
More tornamentys to tast.
Thou help us, Lord, with thy mercy
As thou of myght is mast.

Lord, I love thee inwardly
That me wold make thi messyngere,
Thi commyng in erth to cry,
And tech thi fayth to folk in fere,
Sythen before thee for to dy
To bryng theym bodword that be here,
How thay shuld have thi help in hy;
Now se I all those poyntys appere.
David, thi prophete trew,
Oft-tymes told unto us
Of thi commyng he knew,
And saide it shuld be thus.

As I saide ere, yit say I so:
Ne derelinquas domine
Animam meam in inferno: 8
Leyfe never my saull, Lord, after thee
In depe hell, wheder dampned shall go;
Suffre thou never thi sayntys to se
The sorow of thaym that won in wo,
Ay full of fylth, and may not fle.
Make myrth, both more and les,
And love oure Lord we may
That has broght us fro bytternes
In blys to abyde, for ay.

Therfor now let us syng
To love oure Lord Jesus;
Unto his blys he will us bryng,
Te Deum laudamus.

Explicit extraccio animarum ab inferno. 9
 












(see note); (t-note)

(t-note)
To earth
Adam’s sin



somewhat more, truly
suffering; (see note)
died


lay claim to what; (see note)
many others
pain

fiend; won; deceit
(see note)



place; (see note)
fiend fell from
token
make their delight (games)


soon; (t-note)

deed

brothers, listen
health
years; (see note); (t-note)
placed
manifold
gleam; (see note)

soon; relieve
gracious

did shine
clearly

sin

wicked

pains; cease
cruel



(see note)


taught
spoke; walking
shine; (see note)
Christ
here sent

twice taught; (see note)

strange discoveries
found
precious; deal
embraced; intimately
loyal
life everlasting; (see note)
salvation
desire
provided
live on earth

deed

voice crying I taught; (see note)

hands
river
descend
dove; then





cares to relieve

(see note)
(see note)
Elias

snow
sun
earth
Quickly

Shining; certainly
I believe
soon pass

Since; (see note)


noise
beat quickly


must; depart

Beelzebub; (t-note)
clamor; heard
exaggerate; (see note); (t-note)
has happened

louts; (see note)
moaning
display joy among themselves
point
health



(see note); [fol. 98v]
locked
chief

(see note)
give
Baal-berith and Belial; (see note)
such mischief make
sire

lovely of countenance; (see note)


(see note)




near
hideously; heard
bar the gates; thrive
guards; (see note)
scoundrel
always live


boldly
way



much
strong; struggle

room
fierce

Listen, scoundrel
slaves
lord in chief


near
hear; cursed company
torment
shout
near
brain; burst
close
besieged all around

dare
attack

dead

traitor opposes
securely confined

depart
before; worse; (see note)
destroy
before

traitors

tricks
lives by tricks and deceits; (t-note)
pain
loathsome; (see note)
gave counsel; (see note)


promise
hire
dwell

since


tend
Hope
display; intended
if; rob; prey
before
be upset
ready
toils; trust
strike; fool

(see note)

scoundrel
proclaimed; (see note)
psalter see


break

vengeance
see

gate; (see note)
from there be gone

Whether


bliss; is named
from here; say
do not concern yourself

gates
think
burst
break in two

closed
(see note)
barrier
burst

crack
Asunder; believe
shake




worse
hook

Thieves; bade; ready

strike; fool
Cause him to be

easily spoken; [fol. 99v]; (see note)

bitter torment

frightened
flee from him
Look; prepared
fellow
fair friend
boast and noise
time



pain; (see note)
punish
their profit; (see note); (t-note)
sojourned
prison
where; ever since
go near; before

ordained
from



carpenter; earn; (see note)
I recall; is called; (t-note)
(see note)
much
noise; (t-note)
dwells
cease
only
promise
dwell
separate; (t-note)


wealth; need
lived always as if
simple man
earnest love
soul
confused
remorsefully to rave
hide
my mother
revealed
nor



reason
argue; (see note)
ready
soon; desire

their hire

Taught; among

works all wrong


deliver
plainly
tasks
very one; (see note)
enter

damned souls
each true prophet’s tale

misery


desire to cite
annoyed before we part

against
speeches; (see note)
once
as clerks know
friend; noise
servant; (see note)

neither friend nor foe
release from

truthfully; see
(see note)
meant
sinful; increase
misery forever
various; cease

peace

go forth



from me; (see note)


Consider

leave
traitor; remain


hear; intend meanwhile
speak


wrong
Cain; slew; (see note)
(t-note)

(see note)
those of like mind



learn; (see note)

known
sacraments pursue
read in turn; (see note)
believe them not
judgment
worse
desire to learn


wealth

(see note)
profit


recently laid down
teach them not to recognize
mine
quickly

make; do much worse
fiend; secure
flee not far


struck
(see note)

sorrow

before

forth; children
misdeeds




commit yourself in this manner; (t-note)
promised
transgressed; companion

(t-note)
solemn
dear; (see note)

torments to experience; (see note)

most


would
to earth to announce
teach; faith; in company
Subsequently
message
high
points appear
true; (see note); (t-note)
Often



before




saints to see
dwell in woe
Ever
altogether; [fol. 101r]; (t-note)

from bitterness
always

sing


(see note)