FROM THE VISION OF PIERS THE PLOWMAN.' PASSUS XXI. (Latest Version.) Wo-weary and wetshod went I forth after, As a reckless renk1 that recketh not of sorrow, 4 5 Till I wex weary of this world · and wilned eft to sleep, and long time I slept. As is the kind of a knight that cometh to be dubbed, Then was Faith in a fenestre 12 · and cried, ‘Ah! fili David!' come to jousts. Old Jews of Jerusalem for joy they sung, 14 Then I frayned at Faith what all that fare meant, 18 And who should joust in Jerusalem 'Jesus,' he said, 'for love hath undertaken shall joust in Piers' arms, humanâ naturâ. for consummatus Deus, 16 the fruit [souls of men] belonging to Piers Plowman 18 condescension. 17 glanced, looked. plate-armour of Piers Plowman. 'Who shall joust with Jesus?' quoth I 'Jews, or the scribes?' 'Nay,' quoth Faith, 'but the fiend · and false-doom-to-die. Death saith he will for-do1· and adown bring All that liveth or looketh on land and in water. Life saith that he lieth and hath laid his life to wed?, To walk, and fetch from the fiend Piers fruit the Plowman, And lay it where him liketh and Lucifer bind, 3 And for-beat and bring adown · bale and death for ever! Then came Pilate with much people · sedens pro tribunali, The Jews and the justices against Jesus they were, 6 Then put him forth a pilour · before Pilate, and, said, 'This Jesus of our Jews' temple · japed and despised, To for-do it on a day and in three days after Edify it eft new here He stands that said it, And yet make it as much in all manner [of] points aloft and aground, Both as long and as large this we witness all!' 'Ave! Rabbi!' quoth that ribald and reeds shot at His eyes: And nailed Him with three nails naked on the rood, And, with a pole, poison [they] put to his lips, And bade Him drink, His death to let 11 and His days lengthen ; And said, 'if He soothfast be He will Himself help; And now, if Thou be Christ · God's son of heaven, Come adown off this rood and then will we 'lieve 'Consummatum est!' quoth Christ and comsed1 for to swoon Piteously and pale as prisoner that dieth. The Lord of life and of light then laid His eyes together, And dead men for that din .And told why that tempest 'For a bitter battle' the dead body said; 'Life and Death in this darkness the one for-doth the other, But shall no wight wit witterly • who shall have the mastery Ere Sunday, about sun-rising' and sank with that to earth. 10 * who sun and sea made! that He would death suffer, and al to-quashed the rocks! Lo! hell might not hold but opened, when God tholed, For Jesus, as a giant with a gin To break and to beat adown all that be against Him, . 'Suffer we,' said Truth I hear and see both A Spirit speak to hell and bids unspar the gates; Attollite portas, principes, vestras; &c.' A voice loud in that light to Lucifer cried, For here cometh with crown the king of all glory.' 'Such a light, against our leave Lazarus it fetched; 10 In the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, two sons of Simeon rise from the dead, and reveal what they have witnessed in hell during Christ's descent into it. GENERAL LIBRARY University of MICHIGAN If this king come in mankind will be fetch, And lead it where Lazar is and lightly me bind. Patriarchs and prophets have parled1 hereof long, That such a lord and a light shall lead them all hence. But rise up, Ragamuffin ! be blent bar we the gates! That no light leap in at louvre nor at loop. And thou, Ashtaroth, hoot out and have out our knaves, 8 Brimstone boiling burning out-cast it All hot on their heads that enter nigh the walls. Set bows of brake His sheltrums 10 to blend 11. Set Mahound at the mangonel 12 'Listen!' quoth Lucifer 'for I this lord know, Both this lord and this light is long ago I knew him. nor devil's queintise 15; but warn Him of the perils. He robbeth me by mastery 16. Thus this lord of light · such a law made; And, since He is so leal a Lord I 'lieve that He will not And, since we have been seised seven thousand winters, He were unwrast of1 His word that witness is of truth!' 'That is sooth,' said Satan 'but I me sore doubt, For thou got them with guile Against His love and His leave and His garden broke, on His land yedest3, Not in form of a fiend · but in form of an adder; And enticedest Eve to eat by herself, And behightest her and him after to know, As two gods, with God both good and ill; 6 7 both, And diddest them break their buxomness through false byhest"; Thus haddest thou them out and hither at the last. It is not graithly9 gotten where guile is at the root. Forthy 10 I dread me,' quoth the devil 'lest Truth will them fetch; And, as thou beguiledest God's image · in going of an adder, So hath God beguiled us all in going of a wy11' 'What lord art Thou?' quoth Lucifer.· a voice aloud said, 'The lord of might and of main that made all things. Duke of this dim place anon undo the gates, And with that breath hell brake with all Belial's bars ; For any wy of ward 12 wide opened the gates. Lucifer might not look so light him ablent 13 ; And those that our Lord loved with that light forth flew. Ashtoreth and all others · hid them in hernes 14, * They durst not look on our Lord the least of them all, and leave which Him |