III.

Bot I haue herkned & herde of mony hyȝe clerkeȝ, & als i{n} resou{n}eȝ of ryȝt red hit my seluen, [Sidenote: The high Prince of all is displeased with those who work wickedly.] Þ{a}t þat ilk prop{er} prynce þat paradys weldeȝ Is displesed at vch a poy{n}t þat plyes to scaþe. 196 Bot neu{er} ȝet i{n} no boke breued I herde Þat eu{er} he wrek so wyþ{er}ly on werk þat he made, Ne venged for no vilté of vice ne sy{n}ne, Ne so hastyfly watȝ hot for hatel of his wylle, 200 Ne neu{er} so sodenly soȝt vn-sou{n}dely to weng, As for fylþe of þe flesch þat foles han vsed; For as I fynde þ{er} he forȝet alle his fre þewes, [Sidenote: For the first fault the devil committed, he felt God’s vengeance.] & wex wod to þe wrache, for wrath at his hert, 204 For þe fyrste felonye þe falce fende wroȝt. Whyl he watȝ hyȝe i{n} þe heuen houen vpon lofte, Of alle þyse aþel au{n}geleȝ attled þe fayrest, [Sidenote: He, the fairest of all angels, forsook his sovereign, and boasted that his throne should be as high as God’s.] & he vnkyndely as a karle kydde areward, 208 He seȝ noȝt bot hym self how semly he were, Bot his sou{er}ayn he forsoke & sade þyse wordeȝ: “I schal telde vp my trone i{n} þe tra mou{n}tayne & by lyke to þat lorde þat þe lyft made. 212 With þis worde þat he warp, þe wrake on hy{m} lyȝt, [Sidenote: For these words he was cast down to hell.] Dryȝtyn w{i}t{h} his dere dom hym drof to þe abyme, I{n} þe mesure of his mode, his metȝ neu{er} þe lasse, Bot þer he tynt þe tyþe dool of his to{ur} ryche, 216 [Sidenote: [Fol. 60a.]] Þaȝ þe felou{n} were so fers for his fayre wedeȝ & his glorio{us} glem þat glent so bryȝt; As sone as dryȝtyneȝ dome drof to hy{m} seluen, [Þi]kke þowsandeȝ þro þrwen þer-oute 220 [Sidenote: The fiends fell from heaven, like the thick snow, for forty days.] Fellen fro þe fyrmame{n}t, fendeȝ ful blake Weued[11] at þe fyrst swap as þe snaw þikke, Hurled i{n}-to helle-hole as þe hyue swarmeȝ; Fyltyr fenden folk forty dayeȝ lencþe, 224 Er þat styngande storme stynt ne myȝt; Bot as smylt mele vnder smal siue smokes for-þikke, [Sidenote: From heaven to hell the shower lasted.] So fro heuen to helle þat hatel schor laste, On vche syde of þe worlde aywhere ilyche. 228 Þis[12] hit watȝ a brem brest & a byge wrache, [Sidenote: The devil would not make peace with God.] & ȝet wrathed not þe wyȝ, ne þe wrech saȝtled, Ne neu{er} wolde, for wylnesful, his worþy god knawe, Ne pray hym for no pité, so proud watȝ his wylle, 232 [Sidenote: Affliction makes him none the better.] For-þy þaȝ þe rape were rank, þe rawþe watȝ lyttel;[13] Þaȝ he be kest into kare he kepes no bett{er}. [Sidenote: For the fault of one, vengeance alighted upon all men.] Bot þat oþ{er} wrake þat wex on wyȝeȝ, hit lyȝt Þurȝ þe faut of a freke þat fayled i{n} trawþe. 236 [Sidenote: Adam was ordained to live in bliss.] A{da}m i{n} obedyent[14] ordaynt to blysse, Þer pryuely i{n} paradys his place watȝ de-vised, To lyue þer i{n} lyky{n}g þe lenþe of a terme, & þe{n}ne en-herite þat home þat au{n}geleȝ for-gart, 240 [Sidenote: Through Eve he ate an apple.] Bot þurȝ þe eggy{n}g of eue he ete of an apple Þat en-poysened alle pepleȝ þat parted fro hem boþe, [Sidenote: Thus all his descendants became poisoned.] For a defence þat watȝ dyȝt of dryȝtyn seluen, & a payne þer-on put & pertly halden; 244 Þe defence watȝ þe fryt þat þe freke towched, & þe dom is þe deþe þat drepeȝ v{us} alle. [Sidenote: A maiden brought a remedy for mankind.] Al i{n} mesure & meþe watȝ mad þe vengiau{n}ce, & efte amended w{i}t{h} a mayden þat make hade neu{er}. 248

[Sidenote 11: _wened_ (?).] [Sidenote 12: _ȝis_ (?).] [Sidenote 13: MS. _lyttlel_.] [Sidenote 14: _obedience_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE WICKEDNESS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.]