Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ...
Kail, J., ed., Bodleian Library.
Page  118

Libera me, domine.

(42)
¶ Delyuere me, lord, from endeles deþe
In þat grete dredful day,
     332
Where heuenys schullen be styred from erþe breþe,
Whenne þou shalt come to deme for ay.
To heuen, or helle, þat on he geþ;
Þe word be fyre, and grete afray.
     336
Þanne, woo to the synful, his soule sleþ,
And fendys claymen hym for here pray.
(43)
¶ That day shal be a day of drede,
Of wraþþe and myschyf, and wrechidnesse.
     340
Þere may no man oþere rede,
Ne make amendis for his mysse.
ffor worldly witnesse of synful ded,
Gostly payne in bitternesse.
     344
Þere helpeþ neþer counseil ne med;
Ech man for hymself, to payne, or blysse.
(44)
¶ What shal y say for shame and drede,
Or what to do, fool and nys,
     348
Whanne y shal schewe forþ no good dede
Byfore so gret iuge and wys?
Al folk on me woln take hede,
Wayte after vertue, and fynde vys.
     352
Say, "God, mercy, þy dome y drede,
ffor in þe, al mercy lys."
(45)
¶ Now, crist, of þy mercie we craue,
Haue mercie on vs, and leue noȝt,
     356
We byseche þe, þat come [folio 127b] mankynde to saue.
To bye vs, þou from heuene vs soȝt,
Oure herytage for vs to haue.
Þat wern lorn, þou hast boȝt.
     360
Wyl noȝt dampne in helle kaue,
Thy honde warke þou hast wroȝt. Page  119
(46)
¶ Þe brennynge soule in helle hete,
Withouten ende wepe thoo.
     364
Allas, oure synnes don vs bete,
Þay say, 'wo, wo, wo!
Here is no remedie to gete.'
Þay walke in derkenesse to and fro,
     368
Þe stynk and derkenesse is so grete,
Allas, in þysternesse we go.
(47)
¶ God, that art shapere of al,
Of slyme of erthe þou me wroȝt.
     372
Wiþ þy blod principal,
Wonderly þou haste vs boȝt.
Þouȝ my body now rote smal,
My soule to my body shal be broȝt.
     376
Out of my graue, reyse me þou schal
To lyues man, and fayle noȝt,
(48)
¶ Blod and boon, flesche and felle.
Here my prayer: in parfitnesse
     380
At domesday comaunde my soule to dwelle
In Abrahamys bosum, in thy blisse,
Whenne þou shalt delyuere me fram syȝt of helle.
Þou breke þe ȝates of helle, ywisse,
     384
Þou souȝtest helle in peynes felle,
Ȝaf lyȝt to hem in grete bryȝtnesse.
(49)
¶ Alas, y may be schamed sore,
At domesday stonde in drede;
     388
I, to come so gret a Iuge byfore,
And shewe forþ no good dede,
Bote fardel of synnes gadred in store;
Þe fendes redy my rolle to rede,
     392
Þe countretayle to shewe, þe score,
Þe leste steppe þat euere y ȝede. Page  120
(50)
¶ The good aungel on his ryȝt syde,
Whenne he hem ladde with merye songe,
     396
And whenne he wolde noȝt folwe hy[m], glyde
Out of the waye, he wente wronge;
In vertues he nolde abyde;
Þe good aungel mourned amonge.
     400
"With þe soule nel y chyde;
Y ȝeue þe vp for endeles longe."
(51)
¶ At domesday no man shal be excusyd,
Lord ne lady, mayde ne knaue;
     404
ffor wykked counsel scholde be refusyd,
And after good counsayle craue.
After warke þat þay vsed,
I shal hem deme, or saue.
     408
Þe sauyd excusyd, þe dampnyd accusyd,
As thay deseruyd echon haue.
(52)
¶ Ech touche and mouynge with hys honde,
Þe leste twynkelynge wyþ his eyȝe,
     412
His wronge worke sitte or stonde,
Ryde or go, sitte or lyȝe.
Þouȝ he spede noȝt þere he dede fonde,
Hys conscience wole hym bewrye;
     416
Benefice, auauncement, hous or londe,
The leste bargayn þat he dede bye.