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 wate wele that the devels sall lende In fyre of Hell withouten ende, And that fyre es als bodily Als the fyre of Purgatory, And yhit pynnes it the devels in Hell, Als God says in His awen Gosspell, And als He to the fendes sall say And to the dampned on Domesday: 'Yhe weryed gastes, I byd yhow wende To fyre that lastes withouten ende, That ordand es for nathing els Bot to the devell and his aungels.' And, whare thou says, that God does noght Ogayns kynde in thinges He wroght, I say, He dose, als folk may fynde, Bi miracle ogayns kynde, Als whilom fell of childre thre, That ordand war brynt to be. In Haly Wrytt er thai named so: Sydrac, Misaac, and Abdenago. Thai war done with full gret ire Intyll a chymné full of fyre; And, als it was Our Lordes will, The fyre dyd nanekyn harme tham tyll, Bot hale and sounde thai satt and sang, Lovand the myght of God omang. Thus war thai saved in that stede Fra fyre and fra that kyndely dede. Ryght so has God ordand in me That the fyre has no pousté To wast me, if I stand tharein, Bot for to pyne me for my syn." Than sayd the Pryor: "Sen thou says, That fyre obout the bryns allways, Than think me that this hows and we Suld bryn all for the fyre of thee, Sen that it es so hate and kene." The voyce sayd: "Now es wele sene That in thee es full lytell skyll. For ryght now tald I thee untyll That God may withdraw thurgh His myght The strenthe of fyre both day and nyght So that it no harme may do In thing that it es putt unto, Als He dyd of the childre thre, Of whame bifore I tald to thee. Allso thou sese, fyre of levenyng Wendes obout be alkyn thing Kyndely, als clerkes declare it kan, And nouther bryns it hows ne man. And als thou sese, the son may passe Thurgh wyndows that er made of glasse, And the glass noght enpayred tharby. So may a spiryt, sikerly, In ilk a place com in and out And bryn noght that es him obout, Howses ne clathes ne other atyre, All if himself be flaumand in fyre. And so this hows may resayve me And itself noght enpayred be. Bot, certes, this sall thou understand: If all howses in ilk a land In a sted war brynand schire, It myght noght be so hate a fyre Als I now suffyr nyght and day." And than the Pryor to him gan say, Askand of him this resoun, If he trowed the Incarnacyoune, How Jesu Crist toke flessh and blode. The voyce answerd with eger mode Till that questyon all with envy, And full loud thus gan he cry: "A, my Pryor, whilk er tha men, That the Incarnacyoune will noght ken? Whilk er tha, that will noght knaw, How aungels sayd it in thair saw? And devels trowes it wonder wele, And saules in payne thai may it fele. Full mykell wa thai er worthy, That will noght trow it stedfastly. To ask me yit, it war no need; In Haly Wryt thiself may rede That thus says in the Gospell of Cryste: 'Wha trewly trowes and es baptyst, Till endeles blys thai sall be broght,' And allso: 'Who so trowes noght, How Crist on mold toke our manhede, Thai sall be dampned withouten drede And ever have bale withouten blys.'" Than said the Pryor: "Tell me this: Sen the Sarzyns and the Jewes And the payens it noght trowes, Whi God lates tham dwell so lang In thair thoght, sen thai trow wrang, And sen thai will for na resoune Trow Cristes Incarnacyoune." Than the voyce answerd him tyll: "It es na questyoun of Godes will; And tharfor neven it noght me to To ask whi God dose so or so Of thing that touches to His Godhede, Bot fande to do His will in dede. I wate noght whi tham lyf es lent, Bot if it be to this entent: That Cristen men may on tham fyght In the fayth for to defend thair ryght; For, on tham bataile for to bede, May Cristen men encres thair mede, If faith be fully in thair fare." And than the Pryor asked mare: "Kan thou oght tell me, whilk manere of syn Er used mast omang mankyn?" The voyce answerd on this wise: "Pryde and lychory and covatyse And usury, thir foure in fere With thair braunches many and sere That er full wlatsom day and nyght Bifor God and His aungels bryght. And thre syns er, if thai be done, For whilk God will tak vengance sone: Ane es, if man and woman here Won samen, als thai wedded were, And wandes noght thair will to wirk Withouten the sacrament of Haly Kyrk, Or if thai be wedded that tyde And outher syn on outher syde To breke thair spowsage in that space: To God this es a gret trispase. The tother syn es noght to say, Bot clerkes full kyndely knaw it may. The thred syn es full evell thing, That es manslaghter with maynsweryng." Thus when all thir sawes war sayd The woman to the Prior prayd, That he wald spek the gast untyll, So that he dyd hir no more ill For the luf of God of myghtes mast. The Pryor than said to the gast: "I conjure thee be God all ane And bi His halows everilk ane, If thou may schon, that thou sese And lat thi wyf now lyf in pese And persue hir no more with payne." Than the gast answerd ogayne: "That may I noght for nanekyns nede, Bot scho lyf chaste in wydowhede And allswa ger syng for us twa Thre hundereth messes withouten ma: A hundreth of the Haly Gast sall be Or els of the Haly Trinité, And a hundreth of Our Lady And of Requiem fyfty And other fyfty als in fere Of Saint Peter, the apostell dere." The woman herd thir wordes wele And graunted to do ilk a dele, And went with gud devocyoune Till all the freres of the toune And prestes and monkes of ilk abbay And gert tham syng all on a day Thre hundreth messes gudely grayde On the covand bifore sayde. And so when that thai songen ware, The gast of Gy greved hir no mare. Bot yhit the Pryor in that place Unto the gast twa resons mase And asked, if he wist on what wyse Or in whilk tyme Anticrist suld ryse And tak ogayn trew Cristen men. The gast on this wise answerd then And said: "It falles noght unto me To tell noght of Godes preveté. It es na question us unto What so His will es for to do." The Prior said: "Me think ryght wele Thou heres my spekyng ilk a dele." The gast said: "Yha, for certayne." And sone the Pryor sayd ogayne: "Than has thou eres to thi hereyng, Forwhi thou ert a bodily thing And noght gastly, als thou has tald." The voyce answerd with wordes bald: "Haly Wryt schewes us this skyll: The Spirit enspires whare it will, And His voyce wele may thou here, Bot thou may noght on na manere Witt what place that it comes fra Ne unto what place it sall ga." And, ryght als he thir wordes gan say, Sodainly he went oway, So that thai herd of him no mare In that tyme, whils thai war thare. And be than was tyme of evensange, And the Prior bad ilk man gang, In the name of God, whare thai wald be: "And, whare yhe com, in ilk contré, If yhe be asked of this case, Says the soth, ryght als it wase And als it es here proved in dede." And hastily than hame thai yhede. The Pryor than withouten faile The woman thus he gan counsaile, That scho suld kepe hir clene and chaste, Als scho was warned with the gaste. And als he bad aneother thinge, That ilk day a prest suld synge Contynuely thare in that place For Gy saule fro thethen to Pase. With full gud will the woman dyd Als the Pryor gan hir byd. A prest sho gat with full gud chere. Bot hir hows durst scho noght com nere; Scho was so dredand ay for dole. And on the twelft day efter Yhole, That clerkes calles Epiphany, Untyll the freres scho went in hy, And tyll the Prior sone scho yhode, That had done hir so mykell gude. And he ordaind with all his mayne Untyll hir hows to wend ogayne For to here and herken mare, If thai myght fynd that ferly fare. He toke of other orders twa, Of Austyns and Menours allswa, So that thai war twenty freres All samen outtane seculeres. And samen so ogayne thai went To Gyes hows with gud entent, And in that hows said thai and he "Placebo" with the "Diryge" For his saule, that was husband thare, Als he and his brether did are. When thai had sayd in gud degré Till "Requiescant in pace," Thai herd a voyce com tham besyde, Als it did at that other tyde. Lyke a besom bi tham it went That war swepand on a pavement. Tharfor som of the folk war flayd, Bot till it sone the Pryor sayd: "I conjure thee with mayn and mode In the vertu of Cristes blode, In this stede at thou stand styll And answer, what we say thee tyll." And than the voyce with wordes meke, Als a man that had bene seke, Untyll the Pryor thus gan say: "Whi deres thou me thus ilk a day? It es noght lang sen I tald thee What thing so thou wald ask of me, What suld I now say to yhow here?" And than answerd aneother frere, A divynour of gret clergy, And said: "Tell here till us in hy, Whether that thou of payn be quytt, Or els what payne thou suffers yhit." The voyce answerd sone onane And sayd: "Love God all His lane! For swilk grace unto me es grayde Thurgh messes, that war for me sayde, That fra this tyme now afterward Am I past fra the payns hard In comon Purgatory thare I was are. In that place sall I com no mare." Untyll that voyce than said the frere: "Tell us what penance has thou here, Sen thou fra Purgatory es paste." The voyce answerd at the laste: "I suffer flawme of fyre full hate." The frere said: "Tell us, if thou wate, If anything amend thee may." The voyce answerd and sayd: "Nay. Me bus it suffer certaine days." Yhit than the Prior to him says: "Lo, how have I gederd here Freres and other folk in fere Of thi wordes to bere witnes And of thir mervayls mare and les, That we may all this case declare Bifor the pape, when we com thare. And tharfor tell us som mervaile That we may trow withouten fayle." The voyce answerd to thir sawes: "I am noght God, that wele thou knawes, And mervayls falles to na man els Bot unto Him and His aungels. And nevertheless thus I yhow teche: Bot if yhe better the pople preche Than yhe have done this tyme beforne, Lightly may yhe be forlorne; And speke yhe sall mast specyally Ogayns the syn of symony, Usur and manslaghter and maynsweryng, Avoutry and fals witnes beryng. Thir syns, bot if the folk forsake, I warn yhow God will vengeance take, And warn it, whar for the prayere Of myld Mary, His moder dere, And of His halows everilk ane Grevouse vengance mond be tane Full many tymes omang mankyn, When thai use swilk outrage syn. And yhe sall suffer the same payne, Bot if yhe preche fast thareogayne. For syn es used now wele mare Than any werkes of Godes lare. That sall thai som tyme full sare rew." Than asked the Pryor, if he knew, How many papes suld be of Rome Fra that tyme tyll the Day of Dome. The voyce said: "I kan tell nathing What sall fall in tyme coming. Tharfor thou may noght wit for me How many papes of Rome sall be Ne what sall com ne what es gane. And tharfor may yhe now ilk ane, Whare so yhe will, wende forth yhour way, Bot for me luke fast that yhe pray And for all saules, that suffers payne. For this I say yhow for certayne: Haly Kyrk prays noght so fast For Cristen saules, that hethen er past, Als thai war won, ryght wele I ken Ne no mare dose religiouse men. Tharfor I rede thai mend tham sone, Or any evell be to tham done." Thir tales when he had tald tham tyll, He sayd no mare, bot held him styll, And of him herd thai than no mare. Tharfor all men that thare ware Went and tald thir thinges ilk one Playnly unto the Pape John The twa and twenty, I understand. And at the Pasch next folowand That same pape sent men of his For to seke the soth of this. The hows of Gy oft sythes thai soght, Bot of the gast ne fand he noght, And thareby myght men witt full even That he was went up intyll Heven, Whare comforth es withouten care, Als himself had said tham are. Untyll that comforth Crist us ken Thurgh prayer of His moder! Amen.

angel bright; (see note) Augustine; (see note) masters greater and lesser Say; reward know of learning; (see note) understanding uneducated; know less needful is which; prepare them [to] cease to win (see note) to books read; (see note) only; benefit example souls more and less; (t-note) books; bear witness because; great people; every Believe; are death; Judgment; (t-note) each; shall; reward damned according to; deeds shows various examples earth among To prepare; fidelity [to] be steadfast; (t-note) live; deception; (see note) guide (advise); (t-note) bliss; (t-note) season; (see note) Incarnation be you assured hundred; counted years happened (see note) thirty miles; Bayonne; (see note); (t-note) 20 November occurred citizen city died corpse spirit; sharply troubled [back] again afflicted; great pain; (t-note) caused her suffering Though; she; (see note) chamber might she hear; (t-note) Great noise; dreadful commotion distraught and torn; (see note); (t-note) almost overcome she tormented; place On the eighth day (i.e., after a week); (see note) she did not know truly was; spirit; (see note) was torment; fiend sought; destroy soon after To the friars she; (see note) preachers; city Good living; status And to the Prior she proceeded [to] tell; (see note) wonder; occurred St. John's Day; Evangelist; (see note) third; birth She told; least and most (i.e., every detail) troubled beset; place Since [the] time truly spirit chamber; (t-note) accustomed make desolate; would; cease; (see note) she open manner house hither; counsel made so she should not dread you not at all difficulty; shall no marvel circumstances; among Therefore; as these clerks know works well I know Set some point; testing show among; servants dear For; shall hear do not distress yourself (be troubled) But; glad; stay brothers; a while; (see note) counsel among; intelligent good advice; know more certainly; accepted by himself alone shall not delay began; chapter; (see note) gathered; brothers; together there; (t-note) told them; situation As; was asked listened carefully decided by soon should go masters two; (see note); (t-note) mayor; city same occurrence; to were would promise A number of; them to go; (t-note) Gy's house, who place; (t-note) bear witness; actions protect; if it were necessary strength; (t-note) glad mayor Two hundred; prepared from top to toe; (t-note) ordered; go obediently as he ordered; so those; forthwith should; shriven clean; (see note) hear Mass; devotion then boldly; ready Mass; (see note) Christian souls; more and less (all); (t-note) took who then wished to receive the Eucharist; (see note) Were soon given the Eucharist So that; fiend should not; frighten Nor; actions; harm secretly pendant; God's body (i.e., the Host); (see note) clothing; purpose But no; knew aforementioned brothers two; (t-note) house they went; (t-note) then arranged about; house All set around on every side event would occur by; by the door; (see note) weapons; sturdy and strong he caused to lie house's roof And always in each place just three token; Trinity set about ordered; should two brothers; went these; immediately Peace to this house; (see note); (t-note) is in English Peace; house always chamber holy; about; cast I have seen water; (see note) Come, Creator Spirit; (see note) Collect; should after; (see note) O God, who the hearts of the faithful . . . holy; about cast Soon after; Sprinkle me; (see note) called; without more [delay] She came weeping very bitterly; (t-note) show; place where; died distraught; beside herself She trembled; frightened soon she; took worry; cold But; woe, as yet she was before you leave you; love also as an act of charity you would make some holy petition place Gy's soul; (t-note) The Lord be with you; (see note) every one of them afterwards; at once John In the beginning; (see note) sat Down; bench service of that season ought to be I will please (i.e., appease); Guide [me]; (see note) immediately Litany [of the Saints] thrice someone; manner feeble; apprehend As; saying; (see note) said as follows command you By the power; Savior of greatest power Father; Holy Ghost shall; always; (see note) whatever; ask for As far as louder tone in quickly shall; unto you As far as; power or understanding as; allowance by nature; (see note) same running Each one; weapon opinion should see; ghostly yet; none Nor heard; alone unto are you an evil spirit or a good; (see note); (t-note) mild manner; (t-note) good spirit; none evil to you; reason Holy Writ (i.e., Scripture); bears witness; (see note) more and less (i.e., everything) works; every one wonderfully good each one made since; one of those good spirit; therefore as; spirit understand by nature evil according to my deeds pain for reward quickly say not; hear now why shall I show you here quickly say; are pains are; you ordained are; degree punish sin would not stop given by Nor are you Each from; given every bit By; by clear reason evil yet given unto My; evil; alone punish; none other since; such evil as is certain An evil Until; cleansed evil plainly, before; go away Which man's; were; (t-note) immediately place as you know (t-note) By reason; not natural such scandal; strife while; living Righteous; considered then true in faith these marvels; make everywhere torments uneducated; every; (see note) are often walking [after death] considered; always are unnatural (unkind) as it seemed to him Unkind (i.e., unnatural) Neither; (t-note) shall; hear immediately By words; shall not ignore such a proof given; wear Coat; hood; clothing taken Would; your love alone to live and die Were; thereby Yes, for certain again while; did dwell body; clothing body; mortal Made us both all into sin (follies) (t-note) these sufferings every bit desire; flesh soul is (t-note) Should fiend every man; more and less; (see note) Shall where else no harm pained; both later; bliss Whatever joy; shall then soul every since; these; grim unkind (unnatural) should scandal raise manner cause no scandal to arise Scandal; sort of knowledge leads to; has; intent Whoever; does, must dearly pay Holy Writ (i.e., Scripture); clearly Woe; (see note) whom scandal My; well-being explain to you also; greatly benefit For; souls see your brothers did already make one each one those who are alive sooner; be shriven give themselves pained scandalize words; (t-note) benefit (see note) after before; pass intended truth; Holy Church at once two ways are dead; shriven clean That is to say accordingly are; wherever; go damned are washed away is seen as; books read say; necessary as far pass As attachment Unless given to him Therefore that which we do not before Shall (see note) there release; year there Is as; year desired [to know] knew any who which; damned utterly places unto should such; reveal shall; reason are dwelling are they destined truth; no (t-note) the one the other well-being well earned whoever truth, as since progress truly Which are; forever again; to stable (i.e., orthodox) deceitful lies in this way; (t-note) (see note) Old Law Spoke and told in field and town Incarnation should; flesh and blood mild of manner told; place should; death resurrection told; (t-note) yet since told such taught By; I think; (t-note) should Should; more; such flesh; skin ought to know by this Which; misery; which wasted (i.e., useless) no similarity; make; (see note) souls; are while; were; (t-note) bright gifts; Holy Ghost; (see note) matters; least and most In advance; should occur Such; given; to reason uneducated By; voices believe By sayings since believe no; see Except those who have keeping misery Which are; which at once; (t-note) caught; (see note) Who assuredly fiends; have told truth, as Nor any to explain (name) What touches on the hidden matters Unless; permission knowledge pain miss similarity place are you immediately in company these accounts There; several; (see note) One is; to all And another is set apart for an individual know on every point at one time go punished; two the one the other; none one place fable separate allows must be inflicted upon me [it] behooves me be pained agonizing Can; explain (see note) such plenty the middle established reason In the middle; place is set another one erred (t-note) would arranged Places are assigned; quickly both; (t-note) therefore is taken from there very place the soul and yourself yet are hereby; also rain; sleet, hail; snow naturally to know each one; according to nature pained all together are punished Because; most (see note) troubles (annoys) most death; taken at once most; harm would take as a companion Disfigured horribly; grimace; gnash [teeth] wrest torment; means By means of despair be pleased to; (t-note) Know; against most of all In bonds of death; overcome there; no afterwards Nor in the past deadly benefit reproof unnatural earth, while ill-advised despised enjoyed these accusations are thus shriek menace creature hurl grief shriven; completely every one death; taken Be well comforted; protect harm You; go hence away justice Both; age; also in youth Since; human understanding knew (t-note) it is fitting for him to dwell know way as you; told redeemed, be you assured fully (see note) Passion; (see note) shield and spear your barbs; harm; (t-note) Christ's hands; also His side pierced hands treachery buffeted Between; shall pass humiliated; (t-note) Cross (see note) So harm limbs; generous pained; Tree (i.e., the Cross) cleanse limbs know oppressed guilt own power guilt For which; destroyed passing (transitory) afterwards live Passion already prepared go it befits us; natural most also mild of disposition anything Confidently; help death; need; greatest before he travels away before woman; ready succor protect; fiends gathered together (see note); (t-note) crowned entirely empress; (see note) because say judge; love Inasmuch as every petition; (see note) world To; profit masses; almsdeeds; (see note) reward by those deeds; those masses (t-note) assigned; (t-note) your; made him fall in strength; destroy you [that] you go away that you bother; more; (t-note) saints high Gather; right up to her together own; also; flesh; (t-note) Since; from; high plight join a man's soul reparation pay attention (t-note) go; (t-note) Thence; great woe In these ways; (see note) almsdeeds; do saints' beneficent prayers saints truly shape Except; as mock yourself Against; claims prepared saints mild voice not a bit truly reason (see note) in His own image Divinity need; reward Suddenly fitting (t-note) thither by nature; noon deeds make Yes Of what; Mass quickly Holy Spirit truthfully immediately readily, before I came yet; [to] you the Holy Spirit; Mass example every either old or young another lies; near (see note); (t-note) boldly Mass; [the] Holy Spirit profit; most perfect These masses greatly Holy Ghost the best of all (t-note) wrong hear; reason while; lived spent; wits Very many times; various; (t-note) worship honored; strength fully while that they live as; give does strength; (t-note) Against; then wields Psalter (see note); (t-note) whatever against uses; vain worldly goods mind bought (i.e., redeemed) them dearly To virtues; every Against (t-note) in my nature honor excellence virtues; vice done; wretch reparation; must (t-note) provided Against Coveting; more promised sin [the] Holy Spirit; (t-note) relief (see note) directed as; earlier prayer Relieved to; provided since; alone more; each one understand; wrong alive each one; equal value equal merit priest once every one; reward power; Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist) pay attention (see note) once; Cross gave the ghost (i.e., died) greatest power mankind; (t-note) one man's sin each Mass; (see note) (t-note) full Divinity; know Christians encompassed as well as one reason perceive temporal see various pieces more leaves always; less for [a] portion parts therefrom one apple take divide; hands yourself; remain always growing (see note) prayer (i.e., the Lord's Prayer); make known; (see note) taught more more; know; knew; before intended; various living (see note) deeds friends do; reward those; do more; one each one reward relieve Whom; most bound to everything bad reward whom; directed most; suffering years; (see note) determined living friend; relieved kinsman poor friar; find when When; schools went later; friar looked after; years most (see note) farther; from now to Easter understand Easter; again hear taken up promised; exactly Easter; house believed; before same saints; provided told you before yet; (see note) assured (see note); (t-note) Easter; (see note) far and wide saints every one company But may He be; (t-note) given such in haste generous I think (see note) Since; benefit; (t-note) great benefit uneducated readily (t-note) Since; explained Which; besides those most quickly; from; take Litany [of the Saints]; (see note) established Ave [Maria] (i.e., Hail Mary); (see note) reward the [Apostles'] Creed Made by gone astray neither; know not to be compared to; equal (see note) benefit These; great of help take heed great of power worship except Litany [of the Saints] beneficial destroy explain well performed Against; offered judge; fury; (t-note) in order Each one saints in company immediately; attacks avails; (see note) I will please (i.e., appease); Guide [me]; (see note) prescribed immediately burst if you knew eager offer; prayer obscure matters Only; evensong (i.e., vespers) anthems (i.e., antiphons); (see note); (t-note) performed appointed who; pays attention performed; (t-note) wits (senses); appointed rigorous used remit portions anthems powers; mean in their way used Nine (t-note) (see note) which so those nine anthems; following three versicles trusted earth; ability Holy Church; properly taught much nine accepted must needs be these nine either young or old poor; power strong purity wedlock; widowhood uneducated these; (t-note) These; well-being so responses to have great reward all together; (see note) accepted avail power and might anthems; following gives to souls (t-note) men's bodies; make provide no succor by third like unto straying; error Non-rational beast Because; stone; (see note) feels; beast lives; trees; (t-note) These (see note) (see note) from harm both know two anthems; provided recited [by] one side saints; the other abide collects; make (i.e., say) directed yield wield so; sin reside; lasting these downcast expression approaching to me; (see note) must go must; go Since; so know; before; go away anything; help times (see note) much for me; (t-note) knees Rejoice, virgin, mother of Christ verses following Obediently; bade gracious somewhat harms most the fiends (see note) place must truly altar set by nature know More truly reason (i.e., question) harm thereto by Unless; impure say whatsoever power mar; (t-note) remain commonly (i.e., ordinarily) cause; humiliated knows; live wrong more often increase behavior; pleased delay protect; altar wisely to inform Yes If; (see note) lost ought like to know against evil; (t-note) own harm these words prevent such Augustine 'Highest Priest' is called; (see note) before confidently go From perils; protect Lest; harm ever; solemn since Yes; now altar Because; previously received know according to my nature Even if you perceived clothes believe; (t-note) know since; such power (t-note) go; at a brisk pace gate obligated eagerly way aforementioned gate more swishing; broom sweeping always show yourself Truly; are Lying sorely sick before; (t-note) Horribly; gnash (teeth); grimace as [if]; insane astonished pity followed understand; circumstance lead swooning down at this time (season) makes such mourning sorrowfully knows; (see note) look; state of mind woe crying pity troubled unto knows; reason know more went great remonstrance; made sorrow misery amazed command power sucked wept slain saints; one truth marvel mourning; more and less (i.e., entirely) unnatural; (see note) death place must as far as falls thereto before; go away (see note) confession; removed forgiven assured touching; told Reparation must Before; well-being away from duly instances trespass natural to understand earth; intelligent main (t-note) believe weeping sorry sorrow mentioned before know; requited (see note) glad kneeling almsdeeds take away for charity do alms alleviate ask; (see note) More readily nearer women could understand him loved more alive sin grieve lost living days endure; strong Easter; coming well-being I am amazed capability no tongue Do you not see times (t-note) always neither move nor you among guidance guides therefore; pay attention freely All powers of strength and thought; (see note) by nature mouth; tongue sayings are false old and young judgment Because lost hear unhidden (t-note) afterwards; affliction stable (i.e., permanent) separated courteous sun is rising goes quickly Unless; anything in the way quickly profit prepare to; read at that time bide benefits taken city to pass passing over word bound by ought For charity occurred flesh; skin ordered; (see note) As; (see note) went at that time air hours; (t-note) gracious prime (about 6:00 a.m.) most quickly Perfect befits them according to God's will fellow Christians be requited (satsified) pained According to found living ought; praise knows judgment; every bit arranged; (see note) each; (see note) lack; praise advise assigned resolute at all merciful Releases; one-fourth one-third one-half; remits Living; relieve suffer by obligation flame; must hottest of all; burning cool true spirit contrary to the laws of nature; (see note) destroyed properly deceitful caught; fable no kind of dwell as As pains own damned; Judgment Day troubled spirits; (see note) ordained (see note) once befell ordered; burnt put furnace no kind of healthy Loving place natural death power destroy pain burns hot; sharp is; rational power see; lightning all kinds of sun harmed (impaired) surely attire Even if receive harmed At once; burning entirely hot Asking believed; (see note) sharp manner which those teaching accept woe Who; believes; baptized; (see note) (see note) earth assumed a human nature damned without doubt (see note) pagans; believe lets; remain believe wrongly argument Believe mention Divinity endeavor (see note) Unless increase; reward expedition mankind lechery; covetousness; (see note) these; together; (see note) diverse disgusting Live together fear Holy Church either; either marriage trespass The other third manslaughter; perjury; (t-note) these teachings command believe; cease no kind of Except if also has sung hundred; more hundred together everything abbey had them performed promise inquiries makes knew in what way (see note) assail secret things; (see note) (see note) confident explanation these by; evensong (vespers) bade (t-note) home; went As then to Easter dreading always Yule (Christmas); (see note) (see note) went; (t-note) such great determined; power hear; listen once more wonder done (see note) Augustinians; Franciscans also; (see note) together not counting diocesan priests; (see note) (see note) time broom sweeping frightened strength and courage sick Unto trouble wise man grace conveyed passed flame; hot know I must gathered together pope believe; (t-note) these requests Unless; people lost simony; (see note) Usury; manslaughter; perjury Adultery; lying Grievous; might; taken; (t-note) commit such outrageous sin Unless; hard thereagainst; (t-note) teaching sorrowfully (see note) Judgment gone look (t-note) hence; passed used to advise Before These these (see note) following truth many times found into before