The Parliament of Devils

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The parlyament of deuylles

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AS Mary was grette with Gabryell

And had conceyued and borne a chylde

All the deuylles of the erthe / of the ayre and of hell

Helde theyr parlyament of that mayde mylde

¶What man had made her wombe to swell

To tempt her ye tende to sylde sylde: =seld(om)

Her chyldes fader who can tell

Who dyde with her tho werkes wylde

¶In hell the fendes tho answered

We knewe neuer fader that he had

But amonge prophetes we haue lered

That god with man had conuenaunt made conuenaunt: =covenant

¶A serpent in desert was rered

So shall goddes son in man be had

The soule of hym shall be vnspered vnspered ='unbarred, opened'; see OED s.v unspear v1

His herte to_cloue and he forblad forblad: =forbled, 'covered with blood'

¶These prophetes speke so in myst

What they ment we neuer knewe

They spake of one sholde hyght Cryst

But Maryes sone hyght Ihesu

¶And they sayd that Cryst with god sholde be atwyst atwyst ='united, intertwined'; see MED s.v. atwisten v, where this example is cited

But this Ihesu neuer in the godhede grewe

We ben begyled all with our lyst

The clothe is all of another hewe

¶And though god make his parlyment

Of peas / mercy / trouthe / and reason

And from heuen to erthe his sone be sent

In mankynde to take a ceason

¶We shall ordayne by one assent

A preuy-counceyle all of treason

And clayme Ihesu for our rent

For that he is kynde of man it is good cheso[n]

¶Wryte we his name whyder we spede

Sythen to vs he is vnknowen

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For though he be come of straunge sede

Yet in Adams grounde was he sowen

¶Whan he is rype do we our dede

Loke that we do hym repe and mowne mowne: =mow; an archaic form of the infinitive is used for the sake of the rhyme-scheme

For though god hym-selfe our rolles rede

By ryght we chalenge Ihesu for our owne

¶To me mayster-deuyll it lyes

To Ihesu wyll I take hede

To nourysshe hym in fantasyes

His freyle flesshe bothe to clothe and fede

¶And though that he be neuer so wyse

Yet out of the way I wyll hym lede

And make of hym both fole and nyse

And in hell his soule brede

¶Thus the deuylles theyr wyles cast

With theyr argumentes grete

And thyrty yere they founded fast

To tempte Ihesu in many an hete

¶In-to a wyldernes with Ihesu I past

Of hym knowlege for to gete

And forty dayes there dyde he fast

Without slepe drynke or mete

¶The mayster-deuyll wonder thought

Of Ihesus worthy compleccyon

By mannes fode lyued he nought

But by prayer and deuocyon

¶But whan he hongred as me-thought

To tempte hym than I made me bowne

Lo here ben stones harde wrought

Make therof breed to mannes foysowne

¶Forsothe Ihesu sayd not onely in brede

Is veryly mannes propre lyuynge

But euery worde of the godheed

To body and soule is confortynge

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¶Upon an hygh pynacle I hym brought anone

And left hym there and adowne I spronge

And sayd saue the harmeles bothe lymme & bone

And do now maystryes whyle thou arte yonge The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶If thou be goddes sone lete se

Of the is wryten longe agone

Aungelles in hondes sholde bere the

Leest thou spurne thy fote at a stone

¶Ihesus sayd in holy wryte thou mayst se

Tempte not thy lorde god lyuynge alone

With all thy myght in euery degre

Thou shalte hym serue and other none

¶The deuyll sawe it myght not gayne

Of Ihesu his purpose he gan mysse

He brought hym to an hygh mountayne

And badde hym do as he wolde wysse

And there he shewed hym for certayne

Iewelles rychesse and worldly blysse

Worshyp me here and become my swayne

And I shall gyue the all this

¶Go Sathanas from blysse thou hye

From heuen_ryche that ryall toure

In Exody it is wryten certaynly

Thyn lorde god thou shalte honoure

¶Alas quod the deuyll how arte thou so wytty

Thy wordes are bytter / thy werkes are soure

Thy conclusyon knytteth me so feruently

I abode neuer so sharpe a shoure

¶The deuylles gadred theyr grete frame

And helde theyr parlyament in the myst.

One wolde ryfle vs at hame

100

And gadre the floure out of our [gr]yst gryst] twyst 1509, gryst Lgryst ='corn for grinding'; see OED s.v. grist n2, 2b, where this example is cited from L

¶New Iaylours wolde wayte vs shame wayte ='show, do'; see OED s.v. wait v2

One men called hym Iohan_baptyst

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But now he hath torned Ihesu is his name

That fyrst hyght Ihesu now is Cryst

105

¶Laugh ne sporte I hym neuer sawe

But in stablenes he is alway

And straytly kepeth goddes lawe

And strongly withstandeth myn affray

¶To werkes of vyce he wyll not drawe

110

A wonders worde I herde hym say

The grete temple he wolde downe thrawe

And reyse it agayne on the thyrde day

¶Whan he was borne wonders befell

Ouer-all was peas bothe eest and west

115

In Rome of oyle there spronge a well

From trystmer to tyber it ranne prest

¶In Rome the temples downe fell

Theyr mawmettes dyde all to_brest

Aungelles to shepeherdes glory gan tell

120

In erthe to all mankynde bothe peas and rest

¶The emperoure in Rome stode hye

Thre sones in one he sawe shynynge clere

In the myddes of them a mayden he sye sye: =saw

A man-chylde in her armes dyde bere

125

¶The emperour and Cybyll spoken prophecye

And they accorded bothe in fere

And sayd goddes sone mankynde sholde bye

It is a token the tyme draweth nere

¶Also thre kynges came from ferre

130

To worshyp Ihesu all they sought

Whiche reysed Herodes herte therre therre: =there

Hym to sle for they so wrought

¶By the lyghtnynge of a sterre

To Ihesu all thre presentes they brought

135

Homewardes an aungell taught them nerre

Another way than they had thought

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¶Than I counceyled Herode within a whyle

To dystroye the formest prophecy

That all men-chyldren in towne and pyle

140

To sle them that Ihesu myght with them dye

¶He fledde in-to Egypt in that whyle

Theyr mawmentes fell downe from on hye mawmentes: =maumets

He knewe my thought and sawe my gyle

I myght not hyde me from his eye

145

¶To tempte Ihesu it wyll not auayle

Of the worldes good he hath no nede

I lese on hym so moche trauayle

The more I so werke the worse I spede

¶With the sharper assautes I hym assayle

150

The lesse of me he standeth in drede

The bolder in byker I byd hym batayle

The lesse of me he taketh hede

¶For yf I tempte hym with wrathe or pryde

With pacyence and mekenes he scomfyteth me

155

If I tempte hym with lechery I must me hyde

He voydeth me of with chastyte

¶In glotony and enuy he wyll not abyde

But is euer in mesure and charyte

In couetyse and auaryce he wyll not ryde

160

But is euer in largesse and pouerte

¶The deuyll sayd neyther in hote ne cole

I may not make hym stumble ne fall

I wyst hym neuer go to scole

And yet I sawe hym dyspute in the scole-hall

165

¶He set hym-selfe on the hyest stole

And argued agaynst the maysters all

Some called hym wyse / some called hym fole

But goddes sone he dooth hymselfe call

¶His werkes passeth mannes kynde

170

For croked and creples he maketh ryght

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For deef and dombe and borne blynde

He gyueth them speche herynge and syght

¶Madde-men he gyueth them theyr mynde

He maketh mesels hole and lyght

175

A legyon of fendes in a man he dyde fynde

All he droue out through his myght

¶Wyne of water he maketh blyue

And dothe many a wonders dede

With two fysshes and loues fyue

180

Fyue thousande men I sawe hym fede

¶Twelue lepes of relefe therof dyde thryue lepes ='baskets'

To men and chyldren that had nede

Deed men he reysed agayne on_lyue

And yet wered he neuer but one wede

185

¶He handleth neyther money ne knyfe

Neythe[r] in synne desireth he ony woman to kysse Neyther] Neythet 1509

But ones he saued a wedded wyfe

In spousayle that had done amysse

¶He is so wonderfull in lyfe

190

I can not knowe well what he is

I wolde he had ended our stryfe

He is out of our bokes / and we out of his

¶Sythen I hym fyrst tempte began

I sawe hym neuer chaunge hewe

195

Ones he bad me go foule Sathan

Euermore that reprefe I rewe

¶In werkes he is god / in persone a man

Lyke to hym I neuer none knewe

Where lerned he all the wytte that he can

200

For euery day he doth wonders newe

¶I folowed hym ones to a place

To a mountayne vpon hyght

Peter Iohan and Iames there was

Hely and Moyses stode there vpryght

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205

¶I wolde haue seen Ihesus face

But I myght not it shone so bryght

The sothfast sonne dyde it enbrace

The bryght beames blent my syght

¶To lete the prophecy soone I went

210

The Iewes to sle Ihesus I gaue them choyse

If he deye on the rode we shall be shent

I wolde not that they had gyuen that voyse

¶I was wo for that Iugement

Of crucifige to here the noyse

215

Pylates wyfe I bad besyly gyue tent

That Ihesu were not done on the croyse

¶Yet the Iewes for his dedes good

False wytnes agaynst hym conspyred

And nayled hym vpon the rode

220

And payned hym there tyll that he deyed

¶Under his left syde I my-selfe stode

And after his soule straytly spyed

I wyst neuer whyder it yode

Whan he gaue it vp so manly he cryed

225

¶The sonne and moone lost theyr lyght

The elementes fought as lyght thonder lyght ='bright'? L reads: as leit [lightning] of þundir

The erthe quaued and mountaynes on hyght

Ualeys and stones brest asonder

¶Deed men arose thorowe his myght

230

To bere wytnes of that wonder

My mynde fayled I lost my syght

I wyst not how soone I came there-vnder

¶Ihesus soule is gone I wote not where

So pryuely he dyde fro me pas

235

Whan his herte was perced with a spere

Than wyst I well who he was

¶Ordeyne we vs with all our gere

For hyder he thynketh to make a race

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Aryse we all that ben bounden here

240

And styfly defende we our place

¶For yf that he wolde hyder come

We shall go euerychone

Agaynst hym bothe all and some

And tere of hym bone from bone

245

¶Than sayd Lucyfer anone

It is but waste to speke so

The spyryte of hym is now hyder come

For to werke vs all wo The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶There-as the good soules dyde in-dwell

250

They cheyned the gates and barred them fast

Anone Ihesus sayd / ye prynces fell

Open the gates that euer shall last

¶And lete in your kynge of heuen & hell

The deuylles asked hym than in hast

255

Who is the kynge of blysse thou doost of tell

Wenest thou to make vs all agast

¶Stronge god and kynge of myght

I am lorde and kynge of blysse

Usurper of dethe myghty in fyght

260

Euerlastynge gates open without mysse

¶Bothe peas mercy trouth and ryght

I brought them at one and made them to kysse

Euerlastynge gates open on hyght

And lete in your kynge to take out his

265

¶For I the soule of Ihesu_cryst am come hyder

Wytnesse therof my body in erthe lyeth deed

And the holy-goost with the soule togyder

That neuer shall parte fro the godheed

¶In heuens blysse ye stode full slyder

270

Through pryde ye offended my faders bede

Mannes soule for mekenes shall come hyder

There-as ye fendes forfeyted that stede

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¶Than sayd Lucyfer god dyde forbede

To Adam in paradyse but one tre

275

On payne of dethe to haue for that dede

And after in hell euer to be

¶And thou arte come of Adams sede

Therfore by ryght we chalenge the

For in holy wryte thou may rede

280

In hell is no remyde

¶Ihesu sayd Lucyfer trouth thou tellest me

But thou wotest not thy-selfe how

There is a bonde hell / but this is fre

The bonde hell was ordeyned for you

285

¶For that the man forfeyted through a tre

Through a tre agayne bought is he now

Thou madest hym synne the payne longeth to the

For thou waytest neuer good to mannes prow waytest ='show'? See OED s.v. wait v2

¶Lucyfer thou me vndernome

290

And sayd that I was of the sede of Adams kyn

Forsothe I dyde out of the godhede come

And toke flesshe and blode a mayde within

¶For as of the sede of erthe there spryngeth blome

So met we and parted without synne

295

Thyn argument is false so is thy dome

By what ryght woldest thou me wynne

¶Who was chefe of thy counsayle

In heuen whan thou forfeyted the blys

In paradyse Adam thou dydest assayle

300

And tempted hym to forfeyte his

¶And I in his quarell toke batayle

Ayenst my fader to amende his mys

Wherfore of thy purpose thou shall fayle

For thy quarell nought it is

305

¶Than Lucyfer answered agayne

Why spekest thou so to me here

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It was but wanton wordes in vayne

I trow thou comest hyder vs to fere

¶Somtyme whan I was in heuen on hye

310

That I there lost for my pryde certayne

Here-after I hope full sykerly

For to come to that blysse agayne The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶Cryst_Ihesu spake to Sathan tho

And sayd to hym in this manere

315

It is but waste to speke so

Or ony suche wordes to vtter here

¶That tyme whyle thou in heuen were

Full moche Ioye haddest thou tho

For all thy felawes were glad there

320

But ryght soone it was ouergo The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶Lucyfer spake to hym agayne

And sayd to hym with wordes sere

Here haue I dwelled in wo and payne

More than foure thousande yere

325

¶Helpe me to that blysse agayne

The whiche I lost for my pryde there

For there-in it is pleasure certayne

To dwell with aungelles shynynge clere

¶Here me Lucyfer I shall the tell

330

Or euer ony-thynge was wrought

Heuen or erthe ayre or hell

Forsothe than I made the of nought

¶In heuen whan thou stodest wele

I made the aboue aungelles all

335

But therof cared thou neuer-a_dele

Suche pryde in thyn herte gan fall The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶In heuen whan thou were at thy wyll

Thou myghtest haue ben in peas and rest

I toke the my sete full styll toke the ='delivered, entrusted to thee'; see OED s.v. take v, 60 (=betake)

340

It to seme thou were full prest seme ='burden, weigh down'; see OED s.v. seam v1. L reads: Ȝeme, 'control, have charge of' (see OED s.v. yeme v)

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¶And whyle I went where me lyst

And come agayne anone on hye

Thou sayd thou were worthyest

And to syt there as well as I The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

345

¶And thou repentest the neuer-more

But euer aggred[g]est thy trespace aggredgest] aggredest 1509aggredgest 'aggravates'; see OED s.v. aggrege, aggredge v, 3

Adam wept and syghed sore

And asked mercy and oyle of grace

¶My fader sent me hyther therfore

350

And on a tre lete dethe me chace

A spere through my herte gan bore

And lete out the worthyest oyle that euer was

¶In my faders name of heuen

Open the gates agaynst me

355

As lyght of ayre and thonder-leuen thonder-leuen ='thunderflash'; see OED s.v. levin n. L reads: As liȜt of leite [lightning], and þundir leeme

The gates to_brast and gan to fle

¶God toke out Adam and Eue full euen

And all his chosen company

The prophetes sayd with mylde steuen

360

A songe of wonders now synge we

¶Aha sayd Adam my god I se

He that made me with his honde

I se sayd Noe where cometh he

That saued me bothe on water and londe

365

¶Quod Abraham I se my god so fre

That saued my sone from bytter bonde

Tho sayd Moyses the tables he betoke me

His lawe to preche and vnderstonde

¶Quod Dauyd we spake of one so stout

370

That sholde breke the brasen gates

Quod zachary and his folke take out

And leue there styll suche as he hates

¶Quod Symeon he lyghtneth his folke in dym

Where-as derkenes shedeth theyr states shedeth: =sheds, 'separates, divides'?

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375

Tho sayd Iohan this lambe I spake of hym

That all the worldes synne abates The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶Our lorde them toke by the hande

And brought them to the place of blysse

And sayd to them I vnderstande

380

This bargayne I haue bought or this

¶For ryche and poore fre and bonde

That wyll aske grace and amende theyr mysse

Shall be with you here Ioconde

In my kyngdome heuens blysse

385

¶Thus Ihes[u]_cryst harowed hell

And ledde his seruaunts to paradyse

With the other helles wolde he not mell

Where fendes blacke bounden lyse

¶And where dampned soules euer shall dwell

390

That wyll not amende but euer be nyse

Tourmented with horryble deuylles fell

That somtyme were aungelles of pryce

¶Hell repreued tho the deuyll Sathan repreued: =reproved

And horrybly gan hym dyspyse

395

To me thou arte a shrewde captan

A combred wretche in cowardyse

¶Tho sayd Lucyfer sythen the worlde fyrst began

I haue brought hyder many a grete pryce

Hyder in-to hell of all kynde of man

400

Bothe true false folysshe and wyse

¶Hell so worshypped neuer thou were

If thou coudest haue kept the so

I brought the bothe god and man in fere

Why were thou so nyce to lete hym go

405

¶Quod hell not with thy powere

I myght not warne hym one of tho

He toke out all that were hym dere

I myght not let hym though he wolde mo

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¶Quod Belsabub I barred full fast

410

The gate with locke / chayne / bolte / and pyn

And with one worde of his mouthes blast

They brake vp and he came in

¶He bounde me and downe me cast

It is no bote to stryue with hym

415

Whan the dredefull dome is come and past

Our endles payne is than to begyn

¶Though the Iewes made Ihesu to dye

Yet on the thyrde day he rose to lyfe agayne

It was to hym more vyctory

420

Than though he had all the Iewes slayne

¶Some were glad whan they hym se

Some were sory and some were fayne

And sometyme in one company

Amonge fyue hondred he was sayne sayne: =seen

425

¶Of oyntementes full many a droppe

Mary_mawdeleyne to Ihesu she brought

Ihesu went from her a lytell sloppe sloppe ='in a sloping or slanting manner or position'; see OED s.v. slope adv. (an aphetic form of aslope)

And sayd mawdeleyne touche me nought

¶All his dyscyples were in wanhope

430

For to conforte them Ihesu thought

And bad them his woundes handle & grope

I haue flesshe & blode so spyrytes haue nought

¶Thomas was of ryght harde beleue

Tyll he had spoken with Ihesu tho

435

Ihesu spake with wordes breue

Come hyder Thomas and speke me to

¶For here thou mayst now the sothe preue

How that I was on the rode ydo

And he that wyll not on it beleue

440

Shall for euer to paynes go

¶Than sayd Ihesu with mylde speche

To his dyscyples I wyll ye go

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To all creatures about to preche

Myn vprysynge to frende and fo

445

¶And tho that beleue that ye teche

Bodyes and soules saued ben tho

And they that beleue not I say to eche

They shall for euer to payne go

¶Fro you fendes shall fle for my name

450

Addres and venym shall from you stele

Though ye drynke poyson it shall you not tame

Neyther harme you ne no grefe fele

¶I shall new tongues in you frame

All maner of language forth to dele

455

And they that ye touche seke or lame

Body and soule I wyll them hele

¶Our lorde after his resurreccyon here

In erthe he was forsothe dwellynge

Tyll holy-thursday comen were

460

That he styed to heuen where he is kynge

¶At the drefull dome without lesynge drefull: =dreadful

Bothe quycke and deed there shall he deme

God gyue vs grace in our lyuynge

To serue our god and Mary to queme our] our our 1509The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

465

¶Of all the chyldren that euer were borne

Saue onely Cryst hymselfe alone

Was none so holy here-beforne

As was this holy chylde saynt Iohnn

¶That baptysed our lorde in flome Iordone

470

With full deuout and good deuocyon

And after for Ihesus loue to dethe gan gone

And suffred full grete passyon

¶Now shall I tell with full good chere

Of that holy assumpcyon

475

Of his blyssed moder dere

How she was taken vp with full grete deuocyon

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¶Unto her blyssed sone as her wyll were

That therto sent his aungelles adowne

And vp they bare that mayden clere

480

Quene of heuen they dyde her crowne The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶Than all th'aungelles that were in heuen

Were at the crownynge of that mayde fre

And songe all with mylde steuen

Gloria tibi domine

485

¶That is a songe of Ioye and blysse

God gyue vs grace that lyght to se

Of his mercy that we not mysse

Qui natus es de virgine The rhyme-scheme varies in the second half of the stanza.

¶This tale that I haue tolde you here

490

Is called the deuylles parlyament

Therof is red in tyme of the yere

On the fyrst sonday of clene-lent

¶Who that wyll for heuen procure

Kepe hym fro the deuylles combrement

495

In heuen his soule may than be sure

With aungelles to synge in lyght splendent

¶This lesson of new was made but late

There be no tryfles in it at all

The deuylles boost thus gan he bate

500

Our curteyse Cryst our kynge ryall

¶He helpe vs all in at heuens gate

With sayntes to syt there out of thrall

Cryst kepe vs out of harme and hate

For thyn holy spyryte so specyall

505

Amen.

¶Thus endeth the parlyament of deuylles. Enprynted by Wynkyn_de_worde prynter vnto the moost excellent pryncesse my lady the kynges moder. The yere of our lorde .M.CCCCC. & .ix.