III

Bot I haue herkned & herde of mony hyȝe clerkeȝ,
& als in resouneȝ of ryȝt red hit my seluen,
Þat þat ilk proper prynce þat paradys weldeȝ
Is displesed at vch a poynt þat plyes to scaþe.
Bot neuer ȝet in no boke breued I herde
Þat euer he wrek so wyþerly on werk þat he made,
Ne venged for no vilté of vice ne synne,
Ne so hastyfly watȝ hot for hatel of his wylle,
Ne neuer so sodenly soȝt vn-soundely to weng,
As for fylþe of þe flesch þat foles han vsed;
For as I fynde þer he forȝet alle his fre þewes,
& wex wod to þe wrache, for wrath at his hert,
For þe fyrste felonye þe falce fende wroȝt.
Whyl he watȝ hyȝe in þe heuen houen vpon lofte,
Of alle þyse aþel aungeleȝ attled þe fayrest,
& he vnkyndely as a karle kydde areward,
He seȝ noȝt bot hym self how semly he were,
Bot his souerayn he forsoke & sade þyse wordeȝ:
“I schal telde vp my trone in þe tra mountayne
& by lyke to þat lorde þat þe lyft made.
With þis worde þat he warp, þe wrake on hym lyȝt,
Dryȝtyn with his dere dom hym drof to þe abyme,
In þe mesure of his mode, his metȝ neuer þe lasse,
Bot þer he tynt þe tyþe dool of his tour ryche,
Þaȝ þe feloun were so fers for his fayre wedeȝ
& his glorious glem þat glent so bryȝt;
As sone as dryȝtyneȝ dome drof to hym seluen,
[Þi]kke þowsandeȝ þro þrwen þer-oute
Fellen fro þe fyrmament, fendeȝ ful blake
Weued at þe fyrst swap as þe snaw þikke,
Hurled in-to helle-hole as þe hyue swarmeȝ;
Fyltyr fenden folk forty dayeȝ lencþe,
Er þat styngande storme stynt ne myȝt;
Bot as smylt mele vnder smal siue smokes for-þikke,
So fro heuen to helle þat hatel schor laste,
On vche syde of þe worlde aywhere ilyche.
Þis hit watȝ a brem brest & a byge wrache,
& ȝet wrathed not þe wyȝ, ne þe wrech saȝtled,
Ne neuer wolde, for wylnesful, his worþy god knawe,
Ne pray hym for no pité, so proud watȝ his wylle,
For-þy þaȝ þe rape were rank, þe rawþe watȝ lyttel;
Þaȝ he be kest into kare he kepes no better.
Bot þat oþer wrake þat wex on wyȝeȝ, hit lyȝt
Þurȝ þe faut of a freke þat fayled in trawþe.
Adam in obedyent ordaynt to blysse,
Þer pryuely in paradys his place watȝ de-vised,
To lyue þer in lykyng þe lenþe of a terme,
& þenne en-herite þat home þat aungeleȝ for-gart,
Bot þurȝ þe eggyng of eue he ete of an apple
Þat en-poysened alle pepleȝ þat parted fro hem boþe,
For a defence þat watȝ dyȝt of dryȝtyn seluen,
& a payne þer-on put & pertly halden;
Þe defence watȝ þe fryt þat þe freke towched,
& þe dom is þe deþe þat drepeȝ vus alle.
Al in mesure & meþe watȝ mad þe vengiaunce,
& efte amended with a mayden þat make hade neuer.