5 fol. 137r 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 fol. 137v 61 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 fol. 138r 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 fol. 138v    161 165 170 175 180 185 190 195

Man, fro myscheff thou thee amend, And to my talkyng thou take god hede. Fro synnes seven thou thee defend; The lest of all is for to drede. For of the lest I wyll you speke, And fro hell I wyll you tech. Bewere, man: God wyll hym wreke Of hym that his teching do breke. The fyrst sacrement that ever God made, That was wedloke in gode fey; Beleve thou that, withouten drede. For that schall last to Domesdey, Hys awne word, if we wyll hold, Tyll deth com that all schall werke And us all in cley to fold. The gretyst kyng in all this werld, Be som cause hys croune may forgon; I take wytnes of Kyng Rycherd, And Kynge Saber and Absolone, And Kynge Davyd that made the Sauter boke. For synne that he dyde with Bersabe, Cryst fro hym hys croune he toke; Thus holy wryte tellys me. The gretyst clerke that ever thou seyste, To take hym under heven cope, He may never take order of preste, (Bot he have leve of the pope) And he begetyn in avowtry, Or els a basterd he be borne. Thus I canne well telle to thee, The ordyre of preste he hath forlorne. And the begger at the tounes ende, To hym wedloke is as fre As the ryall kyng of kynd, For all is bot a dyngnité. Man, if thou wyst what it were To take another than thi wyffe, Thou woldyst rather sofer it To be sleyn with a knyffe. For if thou take another mans wyffe, A wrong eyer thou muste nedys gete. And thus thou bryngys thre saulys in stryffe, In hell fyre to ly and hete. Bot wreches thinke in there herte, That fele them gylty in thus case, With schryft of moth and penans smerte They wene there blys for to umbrace. Bot and thei dyed a sothen deth Withouten schryft or repentans, To hell thei go withouten lete, For thei canne chese non other chans. A god sampull I wyll thou telle, To my tale if ye take hede: In Felamownte this case befelle, Thirti wynter sene the dede. Ther duellyd two brether in the toune, As the story tellys me beforne, Be one fader and moder getyne; Squyres thei were of grete renoune. The elder brother had a wyffe, The feyrest woman in all that londe, And yit usyde a cursyde lyffe And brought hys saule in bytter bonde. He rought not what woman he toke, So lytell he set by hys wyffe. The devyll caught hym in a croke And merkyd hys mode with grete myscheffe. The two brether upon a dey With enmys were sleyn in fyght. The elder to helle he toke the wey; The yenger to paradys ryght. And this was knaune in sothnes. Herkyns, syres, what I schall sey: Take gode hede, both more and les, For Godys love bere this tale awey. The elder brother hade a sone, a clerke, Fully fiftene yere of age. He was ryght holy in hys werke; To hym schuld fall the herytage. For hys fader he made grete mone, As fallys a gode sone of kynd. Every nyght to hys fader grave wold he gone For to have hys soule in mynde. Thus he prayd both dey and nyght To God and to hys Moder dere Of hys fader to have a syght In what place that he in were. The chyld, that was so nobull and wyse, Stod at hys fader grave; Ther com one in a whyte surples, And prevely toke hym by the sleve. “Come onne, chyld, and go with me, For God hath herd thi prayer. Chyld, thi fader thou schall se Were he bryneth in helle fyre.” He lede hym to a comly hylle; The erth opynd and he in yede. Smoke and fyer gan ther oute welle, And many saules glowand in glede. Ther he saw many a sore turmente, How soulys were put in grete pyning. He saw hys fader, how he brent, And be the membrys how he hyng. Fendys bold with crowkys kene Rente hys fader fro lyth to leme. “Chyld, thou covetys thi fader to sene: Loke up now and speke with hym.” “Alas, fader, how stand this case, That ye be in this peynes strong?” “Son,” he seyd, “I may sey alas, That ever I dyde thi moder wronge. “For sche was both feyre and gode, And also both trusty and trew. Alas, I was wers than wode; Myn awne bale there I dyde brew.” “Whether is there any seynt in hevyn That ye were wont to have in mynde That myght you lowse oute of prison — Oure Lady Mary or som gode frende?” “Sone, all the seyntys that be in hevene, Ne all the angellus under the skye, One oure space out of this peyn They have no power to lyft me. “Sone, if every gras were a preste That growys upon Godys grounde, Of this peyn that thou me seyste, Canne never make me unbounde. “Sone, thou be a preste, I wote wele. Ons or this dey seven yere, At Messe at matyns, ne at mele, Thou take me never in thi prayer; 1 “Loke, sone, thou do as I thee sey. Therfor I werne thee wele beforne, For ever the more thou prayst for me, My peynes schall be more and more. “Farewele,” he seyd, “my dere sone, The Fader of heven betech I thee, And werne every man wher so thou com Of wedloke-brekyng were to be.” The angell began the chyld to lede Sone out of that wrechyd wone, Into a forest was long and brede; The sone was uppe and bryght it schone. He lede hym to a feyre arbour: The pathys were of clene crystalle That to hys syght was passyng feyre, And als bryght as any beralle. The wallys semyd of gold bryght, With dores and with tourys strong. They herd upon the gatys on hyht Mynstralsy with angellus songe, The pylycan and the popynejay, The tymour and the turtell trewe, A hondreht thousand in a rewe, The nyghtyngale with notys newe. On a gren hyll he saw an tre; The savour of it was strong and store. Pale it was, and wanne of ble; Lost it hat the frute and floure. A reufull syght that chyld gane se, And of that syght he hade grete drede. “A, god lady, how may this be? The blode of this tre lokys so rede.” The angell seyd, “This is the tre That God Adam the frute forbede. And therfor dryven oute was he, And in the erth hys lyffe he lede. “For in the place there thou seys it spred Grew the appull that Adam bote, And that was thourhe Evys rede, And the devyll of hell it wote. “When any synfull com hereine, As thou seyst, chyld, with me, For vengawnce of that cursyd synne The blode ryneth oute of this tre.” He lede hym forth upon the pleyn. He was were of a pynakyll pyght; Syche one saw he never none Of clothes of gold that burnest bryght. Ther-under sate a creatoure Als bryght as any sonebeme; The angell dyd hym grete honour. “Lo, son,” he seyd, “this is thin eme. “Thy fader brother, thou may sene, In hevenes blys withouten ende. So myght thi fader wele a bene, And he to wedloke had be kynde. “Therfor he hath gete hym helle Endles in that depe dongeon, Ther ever more for to duelle, For in helle is no redempcyon.” Man, fro myscheff thee amend, And thou may syte all save fro care. Fro dedly synne God thee defende, And unto blys thi saull schall fare. AMEN QUOD RATE

(see note); (t-note) least [serious] guide; (see note) avenge (see note); (t-note) good faith (see note) shall affect (transform) lose (see note) Sapor; Absolom; (see note); (t-note) Psalter (Psalms); (see note) Bathsheba saw under heaven’s cloak (i.e., in the world) enter priestly orders permission; (t-note) If he is begotten in adultery; (t-note) lost town’s edge unrestricted only one rank; (see note) knew heir; necessarily beget in danger burn confession of mouth; strict expect; embrace (obtain); (t-note) But if; sudden without delay take no other course good example Falmouth; (see note) [It has been] thirty; since the events [happened]; (see note); (t-note) begotten; (see note) yet [he] followed (t-note) cared not in his hook (in his clutches) marked (darkened) his spirit By enemies known as fact remember this tale heritage (i.e., property); (t-note) moan (lament) As befits; by nature (t-note) (t-note) surplice (robe) privately Where he burns pretty hill went pour glowing in flame suffering by the members (genitals); hung crooks (forks) limb to limb desire insane own sorrow; create Is there loose (release) One hour’s time; (see note); (t-note) release [blade of] grass; priest you see me [in] [They] could never unbind me nor at meals (t-note) I commend you to to beware place [that] was long and broad beryl (precious stone); (see note) doors; towers up high on the gates songbird (see note); turtledove (t-note) smell; pungent of color had (t-note) good lady (i.e., the angel) blood (see note) where you see bit; (t-note) by Eve’s advice (t-note) sinful [person] aware; fixed tent; (see note) never before shone brightly uncle (t-note) have been been true earned himself (see note) sit (remain) entirely safe