Hymns to the Virgin & Christ, the Parliament of devils, and other religious poems.

Quindecim Signa ante diem Judicij.

[MS. B. 11. 24, Trinity College, Cambridge; ab. 1450, A.D.]

Kynge of grace, & ful of pyte, Lord of heuyn, I-blyssyd þou be! Haue mercy on vs, we the beseche, Or we lese our wytt & speche! Line 4 xv. tokenys telle I may That shal come before doomys day, As it is seyde yn the prophecye, In the book of Jeremye. Line 8 Herkenyth now þe tokenynge That þe firste day shal brynge: Fro heuyn shal a rayne falle, Hit shal be byttyr as eny galle, Line 12 Hytt shall be as red as any blod, Ouyr all þe worlle a grymly flod; Hytt schalle ouergo wyth large mett Alle that ys in erth I-sett: Line 16 The chylderyn vn-born Aferd shall be Of thys tokenynge, as I telle the, And meue hem tyll our Syth Ryth as þey speke myth. Line 20 The secunde day ys stronge with alle: The sterrys shal fro heuyn falle, So dredfulle and so breyth As the fyre off þe dondyr lyth. Line 24

Line 24 Men schalle say, "welle-away! Thys ben the tokenys off domys day!" They schall cry & syke sore, And say, "lord, mercy, thyn ore [[MS. thynore]] !" Line 28 The iij^de day ys off syche: In erthe and in heuyn-ryche The hye son thatt ys so bryth, So fayr, and so full off lyth, Line 32 Hitt shalle be swarte as any pyche: Alle thatt shall be rewlyche. Men schalle þen sone se Att mydday hytt shalle swarte be; Line 36 All thatt ben on lyve Schalle thys wordys dryve, "Alas thatt we scholle Abyde To se þis sorowe in Euery syde!" Line 40 The iiij^te day ys swythe longe, With wepynge & wyth sorow Amonge: All þat in erthe stonde Schall to red blod wende; Line 44 They schalle drawe hem to þe grownde, Ther schalle they dwelle butt no stownde, To the see þey schalle for drede, Ryth as moyses the prophytt sayde, Line 48 Thatt the mone schalle rewly falle And wynd outt of hys reche stalle. The man schalle say to hys wyff "Alas þatt we be nowe Alyve!" Line 52 The v^te day comyth swythe; For euery best þatt ys on lyve, Toward heuyn her hedd schall holde. For thatt wonþer As y yowe tollde, Line 56 Men schalle say, "lord, thyn ore Off our sorowe & off our sore!" Thys tellyth the prophecy In þe booke of Jeromy. Line 60

Line 60 Welle we schalle vndyrstonde Thatt cristyndom hatt vnþerfonge. "Thatt day, Ihesus to vs se As þou [[Omitted, and inserted in Margin.]] vs bowtyst vppon a tre, Line 64 Thatt we may com to þy blysse Lord, when þy wille ys!" The vj day schall down Falle The treys with þe croppys alle, Line 68 And toward þe erthe the croppys schalle be. For fere the man schalle lese hys wyff, The wyff her chyld, þe chylld his lyff; Alle thatt leve schall lese here wytte; Line 72 Wo they be thatt schalle a-byde hytte, Bettyr they were to be oute off lyve Than soche payne for to dryve. The vij day schalle fall down Line 76 Chyrche and castelle and euery town [[MS. down]] ; All schall to-breke; and euery hylle Shalle lowe, valeys For to Fylle; The erthe schalle [be] shene and clene; Line 80 In þis worlle alle schalle be evyn; Than schalle þe worlle evyn be: Wo ys he þat thatt schalle se! The viij day ys a day off drede, Line 84 Ryth as moyses þe prophytt seyde Thatt the see woll ryse & fle, Thatt euery best aferd schall be; Than for drede hytt woll ryse & flowe Line 88 With wawys grete, & stormys towe: Thorowe the strength off þe wynd Into the Welken hitt schall slynge; All thatt leuyth þatt day Line 92 Wold fle away, but þey ne may; Vndyr erthe I-hydd they wold be Thatt Ihesu cryst scholl nott hem Ase. Then wolle the see wytdrawe, Line 96

Line 96 And wend to hys owyn hawe. Godd of heuyn, þat best may, Haue mercy on vs vppon þatt day! The ix day, wondyr hytt ys, Line 100 As the prophecy tellyth hytt I-wys: Thatt all þynge schall speke þan, And cry in erthe aftyr þe steuyn off man, And be-mone hem self in owr syȝth Line 104 Ryth as þey speke myth. Lord Ihesu, thy myth þou fullfelle! We be sorry þatt we dede agayn þi wille Or with towyth or with dede. Line 108 Lord Ihesu! brenge vs oute of þis drede Thatt we may com to rest! Ther bale ys most, & bote ys nexte. The .x. day ys day of welaway Line 112 As gregory sayth, and Jeromy: Than schalle knele þe angelys bryth Before þe face of godd allmyth. Seynt peter, noþer his felow-redde, Line 116 Dar nott speke A word for drede; They schalle se heuyn vngo, [[O.H.G. intgân, to perish.—Bradley.]] And þe erthe schall Also, They schalle schryke & crye lome Line 120 For þe drede of þe grett dome. Develyn schall com oute off helle As seynt Johan doyth vs tell, They schalle kry, "lord, thyn ore Line 124 Off our sorowe & of our sore! Lett vs to heuyn com! Longe þou hast hytt vs be-nome For our gylt, and our mysdede, Line 128 And for our awyn wykkyd rede!" Thys ys a day of moche sorowe; A strongyr comyth on the morrowe, The xi day comyth lyche, Line 132

Line 132 With stronge stormys sykyrlyche, And alle the stonys moche & lyte Scholle to-gedyr sore smyte; Alle the worlle schalle to-dryve; Line 136 Wo be þey þatt ben on lyve! The rayn bowe Iwryyd schalle be, Grymlyche In syȝth for to see. Than the deuelyn schalle swyde ren, Line 140 And for fere to helle torn; God wille say, "ther schull ye be, Ther schall ye wone & be war [[? war be]] :" God grownte so to be-tyde Line 144 Thatt we may be on bettyr syde! The xij day ys dredfulle than; For than was neuer schappe of man That wolle þatt god dyd hym ryth, Line 148 Yff he dyrst, & most of myth. Angelys thatt hym seruyn alle, Scholl for vs vppon kneys falle, To goddys feett for our syn; Line 152 And for the loue of all man kyn. Lord we be-seche the In þi mercy for to be! Dredfully comyth the xiij day Line 156 To all þatt Abyde hytt may. Fro the begynnynge of Adamys com Tylle the end of þe day of doome, Ne myth no man in booke rede Line 160 Half the sorow, noþer half þe drede, That god schalle say than When he comyth down yn schappe of man; For alle the stonys grett and smale Line 164 Thatt byth in erthe withoutyn tale, All they schalle to-gedyr drynge, And euerychon to oþer dynge; They schall ryse & grynd so Line 168

Line 168 Thatt þe fyr fro hem schalle go; They schall bren also bryth As þe fyr of þe dondyr lyth. The xiiij day ys A day of sorowe; Line 172 Stronge fyr schalle com on þe morow, Ther schalle nothyng in þys worlle leve Butt schalle bren to morow tyll eve. Thys passyth nott swythe sone; Line 176 On the morow ys þe day of doome. The xv day comyth swythe: For euery man þat was on lyve Fro Adamys tyme, the fyrst man, Line 180 Alle to the dome schalle com than, Euery man of xxx^ti wynter olde, All schall com þe dome to be-holde; Euery man schalle oþere mete Line 184 Att the mownte of olevett. Two angelys schall blowe her bemys; The folke schall com alle attonys. Fulle sore than they may Agryse Line 188 Whan they shulle to þe dome aryse; Two angelys schall com be-forne With þe scorges, and with the crowne of thorn, With drewry cher and sory mode, Line 192 As hytt on hys hedd stode; And the sper al so scharpe As hytt stod on hys hertt. For no enuy, ne for no pryde, Line 196 Longeus hym stonge dorow þe syde: Longeus then styll stode, On hys fyngorys ran þe blod, He strokyd ther-with hys eyn ryth, Line 200 They be-coom as cler as candyllȝth. "Kynge and lord full of pyte, Thys mys-gylt þou for-yeue me! I dyd hyt for non evyll dede, Line 204

Line 204 Noþer for no covetyse of mede." Angelys schall brenge þe rode bryth, With blody naylys precyous of syth. Then comyth our lord with drewry mode, Line 208 Wyth armys I-spred all on blod: "Man, now þe soth þou mayst I-se, Whatt I sufferd her for the. Thys passyon I sufferd her for þe: Line 212 I-cronyd I was with thornys of a tre; Thys was to the leff for to swere Be my eyn & be myn here, And be my paynys that wher stronge. Line 216 Man, hytt was þe fulle ryve To swere be my wowndys fyve, Be my tethe And my tonge, Be my hertt and be my longe, Line 220 Hytt thowyth the fulle grett pryde For to swere be my syde, Be my brayne & be my hedd; [[? heved]] be my sowle I was ofte be-revyd. Line 224 Man, hytt was full grett dyspyte So offte to make me edwyte! Thou woldyst nott clothe me, ne fede, Thou woldyst nott helpe me att my nede! Line 228 Man offte þou hast for-sworn me! Man what sufferst þou for me?" Than comyth our lady hem be-fore— In blyssyd tyme was she I-bore— Line 232 With terys rennynge alle on blodd, Sore wepynge with drewry modd; "Fadyr, & son, and holygost, Kynge and lord as þou wost, Line 236 My swete son, I praye de [[thee]] My bone to day þou grawnt me! Thy honde warke þat þou hast wrowyth, My dere son, for-lese hem nowhte! Line 240

Line 240 Thou bowst hem wyth þy blodd And with þy flessch vppon þe rode; My swete son, I pray the For all mankynd þat I may be; Line 244 Graw[n]te hem þy swete blysse, None of hem þatt þou ne mysse." "Modyr, thy wille I-fullfyllyd shall be, Thy bone to day I grawnt hytt þe; Line 248 The goode y wille lese nowth, My hondwerke that I haue wrowth. Thys þatt wallde nott serue me, My blysse schalle they neuere se, Line 252 Into payne they schalle wende, To haue [[haue repeated in MS.]] hytt euere withoutyn ende. My chyldryn þat haue seruyd me, In my blysse they schall euere be; Line 256 Ye scholl com with me to heuyn With angelys songe and mery steuyn. And he clepyth hym be-fore,— In blyssyd tyme wer they I-bore,— Line 260 He spekyth to hem myldelyche, 'Comyth with me to my kyngdome ryche.' " Lord we be-seche þe Thy swete blysse þatt we mott se; Line 264 When we com to oure lyvys ende, Into thy blysse þat we mot wende, And grawnt vs thatt hytt so be! Amen, Amen, lord, For charite! [

[For the meaning of l. 182, see Hampole's Pricke of Conscience, ed. Morris, 1863, p. 135, ll. 4983-90:

Þan sal alle ryse in þe same eld þanÞat God had fully here als man . . . .Þan was he of threty yhere elde, and twa,And of thre monethes þar-with alswa;In þat elde alle sal ryse at the lastWhen þai here þe grete bemes blast.]

[For dorow through, l. 197, and de thee, l. 237, compare The English Conquest of Ireland, E. E. T. Soc.]

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