VI

On ark on an euentyde houeȝ þe downe,
On stamyn ho stod & stylle hym abydeȝ;
What! ho broȝt in hir beke a bronch of olyue,
Gracyously vmbe-grouen al with grene leueȝ;
Þat watȝ þe syngne of sauyté þat sende hem oure lorde,
& þe saȝtlyng of hym-self with þo sely besteȝ.
Þen watȝ þer ioy in pat gyn where Iumpred er dryȝed,
& much comfort in þat cofer þat watȝ clay-daubed.
Myryly on a fayr morn, monyth þe fyrst,
Þat falleȝ formast in þe ȝer, & þe fyrst day,
Ledeȝ loȝen in þat lome & loked þer-oute,
How þat wattereȝ wern woned & þe worlde dryed.
Vchon loued oure lorde, bot lenged ay stylle,
Tyl þay had tyþyng fro þe tolke þat tyned hem þer-inne;
Þen godeȝ glam to hem glod þat gladed hem alle,
Bede hem drawe to þe dor, delyuer hem he wolde;
Þen went þay to þe wykket, hit walt vpon sone,
Boþe þe burne & his barneȝ bowed þer-oute;
Her wyueȝ walkeȝ hem wyth & þe wylde after,
Þroly þrublande in þronge, þrowen ful þykke;
Bot Noe of vche honest kynde nem out an odde
& heuened vp an auter & halȝed hit fayre,
& sette a sakerfyse þer-on of vch a ser kynde,
Þat watȝ comly & clene, god kepeȝ non oþer.
When bremly brened þose besteȝ, & þe breþe rysed,
Þe sauour of his sacrafyse soȝt to hym euen
Þat al spedeȝ & spylleȝ; he spekes with þat ilke
In comly comfort ful clos & cortays wordeȝ:
“Now noe no more nel I neuer wary,
Alle þe mukel mayny [on] molde for no manneȝ synneȝ,
For I se wel þat hit is sothe, þat alle manneȝ wytteȝ
To vn-þryfte arn alle þrawen with þoȝt of her hertteȝ,
& ay hatȝ ben & wyl be ȝet fro her barnage;
Al is þe mynde of þe man to malyce enclyned,
For-þy schal I neuer schende so schortly at ones,
As dysstrye al for maneȝ synne [in] dayeȝ of þis erþe.
Bot waxeȝ now & wendeȝ forth & worþeȝ to monye,
Multyplyeȝ on þis molde & menske yow by-tyde.
Sesouneȝ schal yow neuer sese of sede ne of heruest,
Ne hete, ne no harde forst, vmbre ne droȝþe,
Ne þe swetnesse of somer, ne þe sadde wynter,
Ne þe nyȝt, ne þe day, ne þe newe ȝereȝ,
Bot euer renne restleȝ rengneȝ ȝe þer-inne.”
Þerwyth he blesseȝ vch a best, & bytaȝt hem þis erþe.
Þen watȝ a skylly skyualde, quen scaped alle þe wylde;
Vche fowle to þe flyȝt þat fyþereȝ myȝt serue,
Vche fysch to þe flod þat fynne couþe nayte,
Vche beste to þe bent þat bytes on erbeȝ;
Wylde wormeȝ to her won wryþeȝ in þe erþe,
Þe fox & þe folmarde to þe fryth wyndeȝ,
Herttes to hyȝe heþe, hareȝ to gorsteȝ,
& lyouneȝ & lebardeȝ to þe lake ryftes,
Herneȝ & hauekeȝ to þe hyȝe rocheȝ;
Þe hole-foted fowle to þe flod hyȝeȝ,
& vche best at a brayde þer hym best lykeȝ;
Þe fowre frekeȝ of þe folde fongeȝ þe empyre.
Lo! suche a wrakful wo for wlatsum dedeȝ
Parformed þe hyȝe fader on folke þat he made;
Þat he chysly hade cherisched he chastysed ful hardee,
In de-voydynge þe vylanye þat venkquyst his þeweȝ.
For-þy war þe now, wyȝe, þat worschyp desyres,
In his comlych courte þat kyng is of blysse,
In þe fylþe of þe flesch þat þou be founden neuer,
Tyl any water in þe worlde to wasche þe fayly,
For is no segge vnder sunne so seme of his crafteȝ,
If he be sulped in synne, þat [ne] sytteȝ vnclene.
On spec of a spote may spede to mysse
Of þe syȝte of þe souerayn þat sytteȝ so hyȝe,
For þat schewe me schale in þo schyre howseȝ,
As þe beryl bornyst byhoueȝ be clene,
Þat is sounde on vche a syde & no sem habes,
With-outen maskle oþer mote as margerye perle.