Chapter 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.]