XXV. THE COUNCIL OF THE JEWS.

Demon. I am 3our lord Lucifer, that out of helle cam,
Prince of this werd, and gret duke of helle.

Wherefore my name is clepyd Sere Satan,
Wheche aperyth among 3ow a matere to spelle.

I am norssher of synne to the confusyon of man,
To bryng hym to my dongeon ther in fyre to dwelle.

Ho so evyr serve me, so reward hym I kan,
That he xal syng weleaway ever in peynes felle.

Lo! thus bountevous a lord than now am I,
To reward so synners, as my kend is;

Whoso wole folwe my lore and serve me dayly,
Of sorwe and peyne anow he xal nevyr mys.

for I began in hefne synne for to sowe, Amonge alle the angellys that weryn there so bryth;

And therfore was I cast out into helle ful lowe, Notwythstandyng I was the fayrest and berere of lyth.

3et in drowe in my tayle of tho angelys bryth; With me into helle takyth good hed what I say; Ileste but tweyn agens on to abyde there in lyth, But the iij.” part come with me, this may not be seyd nay.

Takyth hed to your prince than, my pepyl everychon, And seyth what maystryes in hefne Igan ther do play;

To gete a thowsand sowlys in an houre me thynkyth it
but skorn,
Syth I wan Adam and Eve on the fyrst day.

But now mervelous mendys rennyn in myn rememberawns,
Of on Cryst wiche is clepyd Joseph and Maryessone;

Thryes I tempte hym be ryth sotylle instawnce,
Aftyr he fast fourty days ageyns sensual myth or reson.

for of the stonys to a mad bred, but sone I had conclusyon, Than upon a pynnacle, but angelys were to hym assystent; His answerys were mervelous, I knew not his intencion; And at the last to veyn glory, but nevyr I had myn intent.

And now hath he xij. dyscypulys to his attendauns,
To eche towne and cety he sendyth hem as bedellys;
In dyverce place to make for hym purvyauns,
The pepyl of hese werkys ful grettly merveyllys.
To the crokyd, blynd, and dowme, his werkys prevaylys,
La3arus that foure days lay ded his lyff recuryd;
And where I purpose me to tempt, anon he me asaylys;
Mawdelyn playn remyssyon also he hath ensuryd.

Goddys son he pretendyth and to be born of a mayde,
And seyth he xal dey for mannys salvacion,
Than xal the trewth be tryed and no fordere be delayd,
Whan the soule from the body xal make separacion;
And as for hem that be undre my grett domynacion,
He xal fayle of hese intent and purpose also,
Be this tyxt of holde remembryd to myn intencion,
Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio !

But whan the tyme xal neyth of his persecucion,
Ixal arere new engynes of malycious conspiracy,

Plenté of reprevys Ixal provide to his confusyon,
Thus xal I false the wordys that his pepyl doth testesy;

His discipulis xal forsake hym, and here mayster denye,
Innoumberabyl xal hese woundys be of woful grevauns.

A tretowre xal countyrfe his deth to fortyfye ;
The rebukys that he gyf me xal turne to his displesauns.

Some of hese dyscypulys xal be chef of this ordenawns,
That xal fortesye this terme that in trost is treson;

Thus xal I venge be sotylté al my malycious grevauns;
for nothyng may excede my prudens and dyscrecion.

Gyff me 3our love, grawnt me myn affeccion,
And I wyl unclose the tresor of lovys alyawns,

And gyff 30w 3oure desyrys afftere 3oure intencion;
No poverté xal aproche 3ow, fro plentevous abundauns,

Byholde the dyvercyté of my dysgysyd varyauns,
Eche thyng sett of dewe nateralle dysposycion,

And eche parte acordynge to his resemblauns,
ffro the sool of the foot to the hyest asencion.

Off fyne cordewan a goodly peyre of long pekyd schon;
Hosyn enclosyd of the most costyous cloth of crenseyn;
Thus a bey to a jentylman to make comperycion,
With two doseyn poyntys of cheverelle, the aglottes of sylver
feyn.

A shert offeyn Holond, but care not for the payment;
A stomachere of clere reynes the best may be bowth ;

Thow poverté be chef, lete pride ther be present,
And alle tho that repress pride, thou sette hem at nowth.

Cadace wolle or flokkys, where it may be sowth,
To stuffe withal thi dobbelet, and make the of proporcyon ;
R

Two smale legges and a gret body, thow it ryme nowth, 3et loke that thou desyre to an the newe faccion.

A gowne of thre 3erdys, loke thou make comparison,
Unto alle degrees dayly that passe thin astat;

A purse withoutyn mony, a daggere for devoscyon;
And there repref is of synne, loke thou make debat.

With syde lokkys I schrewe thin here to thicolere hangyng downe,
To herborwe qweke besty's that tekele men onyth;
An hey smal bonet for curyng of the crowne,
And alle beggeres and pore pepyll have hem in dyspyte.
Onto the grete othys and lycherye gyf thi delyte;
To maynteyn thin astate lete brybory be present;
Andyf the lawe repreve the, say thou wylt flyth,
And gadere the a felachep after thin entent,

Loke thou sett not be precept nor be comawndement,
Both sevyle and canon sett thou at nowth;
Lette no membre of God but with othys be rent;
Lo! thus this werd at this tyme to myn entent is browth.
I, Sathan, with my felawus this werd hath sowth,
And now we han it at houre plesawns;
for synne is not shamfast, but boldnes hath bowth,
That xal cause hem in helle to have inerytawns.

A beggerys dowtere to make gret purvyauns,
To cownterfete a jentylwoman, dysgeysed as she can,
And yf mony lakke, this is the newe chevesauns,
With here prevy plesawns to gett it of sum man.
Here colere splayed, and furryd with ermyn, calabere, or satan;
A seyn to selle lechery to hem that wyl bey;
And thei that wyl not by it, yet i-now xal thei han,
And telle hem it is for love, she may it not deney.

I have browth 30w newe namys, and wyl 3e se why for synne is so plesaunt to eche mannys intent,

3exal kalle pride oneste, and nateralle kend lechory, And covetyse wysdam there tresure is present.

Wreth manhod, and envye callyd chastement;
Seyse nere sessyon, lete perjery be chef;

Glotenye rest, let abstynawnce beyn absent;
And he that wole exorte the to vertu, put hem to repress.

To rehers al my servauntes my matere is to breff,
But alle these xal everyth the dyvicion eternal;

Thow Cryst by his sotylté many materys meef,
In evyrlastynge peyne with me dwellyn theixal.

Remembre, oure servauntes, whoys sowlys ben mortalle, for I must remeffe for more materys to provyde;

I am with 30w at alle tymes whan 3e to councel me calle, But for a short tyme myself I devoyde.

Johannes Baptist. I, John Baptyst, to 3ow thus prophesye,
That on xal come aftyr me and not tary longe,
In many folde more strengere than I,
Of whose shon I am not worthy to lose the thonge.
Wherefore I councel the 3e reforme alle wronge,
In 3our concyens of the mortalle dedys sevyn,
And for to do penawns loke that 3e fronge,
for now xal come the kyngdham of hevyn.

The weys of oure lord cast 30w to aray,
And therin to walk loke 3e be applyande :

And make his pathys as ryth as 3e may,
Kepyng ryth forth, and be not declinande.

Neyther to fele on ryth nor on lefte hande,

But in the myddys purpose 3ow to holde,