II.

[Sidenote: The lord of the feast goes among his guests.] Now i{n}-myddeȝ þe mete þe mayst{er} hym biþoȝt, Þat he wolde se þe semblé þ{a}t samned was þ{er}e, & re-hayte rekenly þe riche & þe pou{er}en,[8] & cherisch hem alle w{i}t{h} his cher, & chaufen her Ioye, 128 Þen he boweȝ fro his bour i{n} to þe brode halle, [Sidenote: Bids them be merry.] & to þe best on þe bench, & bede hy{m} be myry, Solased hem w{i}t{h} semblau{n}t & syled fyrre; Tron fro table to table & talkede ay myrþe, 132 [Sidenote: On the floor he finds one not arrayed for a holyday.] Bot as he ferked ou{er} þe flor he fande w{i}t{h} his yȝe, Hit watȝ not for a haly day honestly arayed, A þral þryȝt i{n} þe þrong vnþryuandely cloþed, Ne no festiual frok, bot fyled with werkkeȝ. 136 Þe gome watȝ vn-garnyst w{i}t{h} god me{n} to dele, & gremed þ{er}-w{i}t{h} þe grete lord & greue hy{m} he þoȝt; [Sidenote: Asks him how he obtained entrance, and how he was so bold as to appear in such rags.] “Say me, frende,” q{uod} þe freke w{i}t{h} a felle chere, “Hov wan þ{o}u into þis won i{n} wedeȝ so fowle? 140 Þe abyt þat þ{o}u hatȝ vpon, no haly day hit menskeȝ; Þ{o}u burne for no brydale art busked i{n} wedeȝ! How watȝ þ{o}u hardy þis ho{us} for þyn vnhap [to] neȝe, I{n} on so ratted a robe & rent at þe sydeȝ? 144 [Sidenote: [Fol. 59a.]] Þow art a gome vn-goderly i{n} þat gou{n} febele; Þ{o}u praysed me & my place ful pou{er} & ful [g]nede, [Sidenote: Does he take him to be a harlot?] Þat watȝ so prest to aproche my p{re}sens here-i{n}ne; Hopeȝ þ{o}u I be a harlot þi erigant to prayse?” 148 Þat oþ{er} burne watȝ abayst of his broþe wordeȝ, [Sidenote: The man becomes discomfited.] & hurkeleȝ dou{n} with his hede, þe vrþe he bi-holdeȝ; He watȝ so scou{m}fit of his scylle, lest he skaþe hent, [Sidenote: He is unable to reply.] Þat he ne wyst on worde what he warp schulde. 152 [Sidenote: The lord commands him to be bound, and cast into a deep dungeon.] Þe{n} þe lorde wonder loude laled & cryed, & talkeȝ to his tormentto{ur}eȝ: “takeȝ hym,” he biddeȝ, “Byndeȝ byhynde, at his bak, boþe two his handeȝ, & felle fett{er}eȝ to his fete festeneȝ bylyue; 156 Stik hym stifly i{n} stokeȝ, & stekeȝ hy{m} þ{er}-aft{er} Depe i{n} my dou{n}gou{n} þ{er} doel eu{er} dwelleȝ, Greui{n}g, & grety{n}g, & gryspy{n}g harde Of teþe tenfully to-geder, to teche hy{m} be quoy{n}t.” 160 [Sidenote: This feast is likened to the kingdom of heaven, to which all are invited.] Thus comparisu{n}eȝ kryst þe kyndom of heueñ, To þis frelych feste þat fele arn to called, For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþ{er} & þe bett{er}, Þat eu{er} wern fulȝed i{n} font þat fest to haue. 164 [Sidenote: See that thy weeds are clean.] Bot war þe wel, if þ{o}u wylt, þy wedeȝ ben clene, & honest for þe haly day, lest þ{o}u harme lache, For aproch þ{o}u to þat prynce of parage noble. He hat{es} helle no more þe{n} hem þat ar sowle.[9] 168

[Headnote: GOD IS DISPLEASED WITH THE WICKED.]

[Sidenote: Thy weeds are thy works that thou hast wrought.] Wich arn þe{n}ne þy wedeȝ þ{o}u wrappeȝ þe i{n}ne, Þat schal schewe he{m} so schene schrowde of þe best? Hit arn þy werkeȝ wyt{er}ly, þ{a}t þ{o}u wroȝt haueȝ, & lyued w{i}t{h} þe lyky{n}g þ{a}t lyȝe in þy{n} hert, 172 Þat þo be frely & fresch fonde i{n} þy lyue, & fetyse of a fayr forme, to fote & to honde, & syþe{n} alle þy{n} oþ{er} lymeȝ lapped ful clene, [Sidenote: For many faults may a man forfeit bliss.] Þe{n}ne may þ{o}u se þy sauior & his sete ryche. 176 For fele fauteȝ may a freke forfete his blysse, [Sidenote: For sloth and pride he is thrust into the devil’s throat.] Þat he þe sou{er}ayn ne se þen, for slauþe one, As for bobau{n}ce & bost & bolnande p{r}iyde, Þroly i{n}-to þe deueleȝ þrote man þry{n}geȝ bylyue, 180 [Sidenote: [Fol. 59b.]] [Sidenote: He is ruined by covetousness, perjury, murder, theft, and strife.] For couetyse, & colwarde & croked dedeȝ, For mon-sworne, & men-sclaȝt, & to much drynk, For þefte, & for þrepy{n}g, vn-þonk may mon haue; [Sidenote: For robbery and ribaldry, for preventing marriages, and supporting the wicked, for treason, treachery, and tyranny, man may lose eternal bliss.] For roborrye, & riboudrye & resou{n}eȝ vntrwe, 184 & dysheriete & depryue dowrie of wydoeȝ, For marry{n}g of maryageȝ & may{n}tnau{n}ce of schreweȝ, For traysou{n}, & trichcherye, & tyrau{n}tyré boþe,[10] & for fals famacions & fayned laweȝ; 188 Man may mysse þe myrþe, þat much is to prayse, For such vnþeweȝ as þise & þole much payne, & i{n} þe creatores cort com neu{er} more, Ne neu{er} see hym with syȝt for such sour to{ur}neȝ. 192

[Sidenote 8: MS. poueu{er}.] [Sidenote 9: _fowle_ (?).] [Sidenote 10: loþe (?).]

[Headnote: THE FALL OF THE ANGELS.]