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DIABOLUS Make rome, belyve, and late me gang.
Who makis here all this thrang?
High thou hense, high myght you hang
Right with a roppe.
I drede me that I dwelle to lang
To do a jape.
For sithen the firste tyme that I fell
For my pride fro heven to hell,
Evere have I mustered me emell
Emonge mannekynde,
How I in dole myght gar tham dwell
Ther to be pynde.
And certis, all that hath ben sithen borne
Has comen to me, mydday and morne,
And I have ordayned so tham forne,
None may thame fende,
That fro all likyng ar they lorne
Withowten ende.
And nowe sum men spekis of a swayne
Howe he schall come and suffre payne
And with his dede to blisse agayne
Thei schulde be bought.
But certis this tale is but a trayne,
I trowe it noght.
For I wotte ilke a dele bydene
Of the mytyng that men of mene,
How he has in grete barett bene
Sithen he was borne,
And suffered mekill traye and tene
Bothe even and morne.
And nowe it is brought so aboute
That lurdayne that thei love and lowte,
To wildirnesse he is wente owte
Withowtyne moo.
To dere hym nowe have I no doute,
Betwyxte us two.
Before this tyme he has bene tent
That I myght gete hym with no glent,
But now sen he allone is wente
I schall assay
And garre hym to sum synne assente
If that I may.
He has fastid, that marris his mode,
Ther fourty dayes withowten foode;
If he be man in bone and bloode
Hym hungris ill;
In glotonye than halde I gude
To witt his will.
For so it schall be knowen and kidde
If Godhed be in hym hidde,
If he will do as I hym bidde
Whanne I come nare,
Ther was nevere dede that evere he dide
That greved hym warre.
Thou witty man and wise of rede,
If thou can ought of Godhede,
Byd nowe that ther stones be brede
Betwyxte us two.
Than may thei stande thyselfe in stede
And othir moo.
For thou hast fastid longe, I wene,
I wolde now som mete wer sene
For olde acqueyntaunce us bytwene,
Thyselve wote howe.
Ther sall no man witte what I mene
But I and thou.
JESUS My Fadir, that all cytte may slake,
Honnoure everemore to thee I make
And gladly suffir I for thy sake
Swilk velany,
And thus temptacions for to take
Of myn enmy.
Thou weried wight, thi wittis are wode,
For wrytyn it is, whoso undirstande,
A man lyvis noght in mayne and mode
With brede allone,
But Goddis wordis are gostly fode
To men ilkone.
Iff I have fastid oute of skill,
Wytte thou me hungris not so ill
That I ne will wirke my Fadirs will
In all degré;
Thi biddyng will I noght fullfill,
That warne I thee.
DIABOLUS A, slyke carping nevere I kende;
Hym hungres noght as I wende.
Nowe sen thy Fadir may thee fende
Be sotill sleghte,
Late se yf thou allone may lende
Ther uppon heghte,
Uppon the pynakill parfitely.
Tunc cantant angeli Veni, creator.
A, ha, nowe go we wele therby;
I schall assaye in vayneglorie
To garre hym falle,
And if he be Goddis Sone myghty,
Witt I schall.
Nowe liste to me a litill space:
If thou be Goddis Sone, full of grace,
Shew som poynte here in this place
To prove thi myght.
Late se, falle doune uppon thi face,
Here in my sight.
For it is wretyn, as wele is kende,
How God schall aungellis to thee sende,
And they schall kepe thee in ther hande
Wherso thou gose
That thou schall on no stones descende
To hurte thi tose.
And sen thou may withouten wathe
Fall and do thyselffe no skathe,
Tumbill downe to ease us bathe
Here to my fete,
And but thou do I will be wrothe,
That I thee hette.
JESUS Late be, warlowe, thy wordis kene,
For wryten it is, withouten wene,
Thy God thou schall not tempte with tene
Nor with discorde;
Ne quarell schall thou none mayntene
Agaynste thi Lorde.
And therfore trowe thou, withouten trayne,
That all thi gaudes schall nothyng gayne,
Be subgette to thi sovereyne
Arely and late.
DIABOLUS What, this travayle is in vayne,
Be ought I watte.
He proves that he is mekill of price;
Therfore it is goode I me avise
And sen I may noght on this wise
Make hym my thrall,
I will assaye in covetise
To garre hym fall,
For certis I schall noght leve hym yitt,
Who is my sovereyne, this wolde I witte.
Myselffe ordande thee thore to sitte,
This wote thou wele,
And right even as I ordande itt,
Is done ilke dele.
Than may thou se sen itt is soo
That I am soverayne of us two,
And yitt I graunte thee or I goo
Withouten fayle,
That, if thou woll assente me too,
It schall avayle.
For I have all this worlde to welde,
Toure and toune, forest and felde,
If thou thyn herte will to me helde
With wordis hende,
Yitt will I baynly be thy belde
And faithfull frende.
Behalde now, ser, and thou schalt see
Sere kyngdomes and sere contré;
Alle this wile I giffe to thee
For evermore,
And thou fall and honour me,
As I saide are.
JESUS Sees of thy sawes, thou Sathanas,
I graunte nothyng that thou me askis;
To pyne of helle I bide thee passe
And wightely wende
And wonne in woo, as thou are was,
Withouten ende.
Non othyr myght schal be thy mede,
For wretyn it is, who right can rede,
Thy Lord God thee aught to drede
And honoure ay,
And serve hym in worde and dede
Both nyght and day.
And sen thou dose not as I thee tell,
No lenger liste me late thee dwell.
I comaunde thee thou hy to hell
And holde thee thar
With felawschip of fendis fell
For evermar.
DIABOLUS Owte, I dar noght loke, allas.
Itt is warre than evere it was;
He musteres what myght he has,
Hye mote he hang.
Folowes fast, for me bus pas
To paynes strang.
I ANGELUS A, mercy, Lorde, what may this mene?
Me merveyles that ye thole this tene
Of this foule fende cant and kene,
Carpand you till;
And ye his wickidnesse, I wene,
May waste at will.
Methynke that ye ware straytely stedde,
Lorde, with this fende that nowe is fledde.
JESUS Myn aungell dere, be noght adred,
He may not greve.
The Haly Goste me has ledde,
Thus schal thow leve.
For whan the fende schall folke see
And salus tham in sere degré,
Thare myrroure may thei make of me
For to stande still,
For overecome schall thei noght be
Bot yf thay will.
II ANGELUS A, Lorde, this is a grete mekenesse
In yow in whome al mercy is,
And at youre wille may deme or dresse
Als is worthy;
And thre temptacions takes expres,
Thus suffirrantly.
JESUS My blissing have thei with my hande
That with swilke greffe is noght grucchand,
And also that will stiffely stande
Agaynste the fende.
I knawe my tyme is faste command;
Now will I wende.
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room, quickly; go; (see note); (t-note)
noisy crowd
Get
rope
fear; too long
jest
Always; thus; (see note)
Among
sorrow; make
tormented
born
on behalf of them
defend
(see note)
(t-note)
trick
think
(i.e., with certainty); indeed
insignificant person; refer to
strife
great trickery; harm
rascal; venerate
harm
been alert
get (catch); deception
test
cause; some
affects adversely; mood; (see note)
greatly
hold; good
know
shown
near
deed
worse
(see note)
(see note)
bread
[good] stead
more
food
know
sorrow
enemy
accursed creature; mad
spiritual food
each one
unreasonably
such talk
thought
defend
By subtle sleight
Let
pinnacle perfectly; (see note)
Then the angels sing “Come, Creator [Spirit]”; (t-note)
(t-note)
test [him]
cause to fall
listen
known
toes; (t-note)
danger
harm
both
feet
And if; angry
promise
warlock; malignant
doubt
[be] tempted; harm
deception
tricks
Early
effort
(i.e., For all I know)
advise
in this way
slave (captive)
cause; [to] fall
leave
there
ordained
entirely
ere
govern; (see note)
Tower; field
hold (submit [yourself])
gracious
willingly; support
many countries
(t-note)
before; (t-note)
Cease
pain; order you to go; (see note)
quickly
dwell; previously
reward
written
ought; fear
desire; [to] let
go (hurry)
(i.e., remain there)
malicious
dare
worse
strength
High might
must pass (be transferred)
strong
signify; (see note)
endured; affliction
cruel and provocative
Talking to you
destroy
(i.e., were in a difficult situation)
harass [me]
believe; (t-note)
assails
Their example
(see note)
judge or direct
endure openly
sovereignly (royally)
(see note)
grief; complaining
firmly
coming; (see note)
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