The ꝑlyament of deuylles
AS Mary was grette with Gabryell
And had conceyued and borne a chylde
All the deuylles of the erthe / of ye 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
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
¶A serpent in desert was rered
So shall goddes sone in man be had
The soule of hym shall be vnspered
His herte to cloue and he forblad
¶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 ye Cryst wt god sholde be atwyst
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 yt he is kynde of man it is good cheson
¶Wryte we his name whyder we spede
Sychen to vs he is vnknowen
[Page]For though he be come of straunge sede
Yet in Adams grounde was he sowen
¶Whan he is type do we our dede
Loke that we do hym repe and mowne
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 bothe 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
[Page]¶Vpon 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
¶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
And gadre the floure out of our twyst
¶New Iaylours wolde wayte vs shame
One men called hym Iohan baptyst
[Page]But now he hath torned Ihesu is his name
That fyrst hyght Ihesu now is Cryst
¶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
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
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
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
A man chylde in her armes dyde bere
¶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
To worshyp Ihesu all they sought
Whiche rey [...]ed Herodes hette therre
Hym to sle for they so wrought
¶By the lyghtnynge of a sterre
To Ihesu all thre presentes they brought
Homewardes an aungell taught them nerre
Another way than they had thought
[Page]¶Than I counceyled Herode within a whyle
To dystroye the formest prophecy
That all men chyldren in towne and pyle
To sle them yt Ihesu myght with them dye
¶He fledde in to Egypt in that whyle
Theyr mawmentes fell downe from on hye
He knewe my thought and sawe my gyle
I myght not hyde me from his eye
¶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
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
If I tempte hym wt 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
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
¶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
For croked and creples he maketh ryght
[Page]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
Alegyon 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
Fyue thousande men I sawe hym fede
¶Twelue lepes of relefe therof dyde thryue
To men and chyldren that had nede
Deed men he reysed agayne on lyue
And yet wered he neuer but one wede
¶He handleth neyther money ne knyfe
Neyther in synne desireth he ony woman to kysse
But ones he saued a wedded wyfe
In spousayle that had done amysse
¶He is so wonderfull in lyfe
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
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
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
[Page]¶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
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
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
And payned hym there tyll that he deyed
¶Vnder 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
¶The sonne and moone lost theyr lyght
The elementes fought as lyght thonder
The erthe quaued and mountaynes on hyght
Valeys and stones brest asonder
¶Deed men arose thorowe his myght
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
Whan his herte was perced with a spere
Than wyst I well who he was
¶Orderne we vs with all our gere
For hyder he thynketh to make a race
[Page]Aryse we all that ben bounden here
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
¶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
¶There as the good soules dyde in dwell
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
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
Vsurper of dethe myghty in fyght
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
¶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
Through pryde ye offended my faders bede
Mannes soule for mekenes shall come hyder
There as ye fendes forfeyted that stede
[Page]¶Than sayd Lucyfer god dyde forbede
To Adam in paradyse but one tre
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
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
¶For that ye man forfeyted through a tre
Through a tre agayne bought is he now
Thou madest hym synne ye payne longeth to the
For thou waytest neuer good to mannes prow
¶Lucyfer thou me vndernome
And sayd yt 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 ye sede of erthe there spryngeth blome
So met we and parted without synne
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
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
¶Than Lucyfer answered agayne
Why spekest thou so to me here
[Page]It was but wanton wordes in vayne
I trow thow comest hyder vs to fere
¶Somtyme whan I was in heuen on hye
That I there lost for my pryde certayne
Here after I hope full sykerly
For to come to that blysse agayne
¶Cryst Ihesu spake to Sathan tho
And sayd to hym in this manere
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
But ryght soone it was ouergo
¶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
¶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
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
But therof cared thou neuer adele
Suche pryde in thyn herte gan fall
¶In heuen whan thou were at thy wyll
Thou myghtest haue ben in peas and rest
I toke the my sete full styll
It to seme thou were full prest
[Page]¶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
¶And thou repentest the neuer more
But euer aggredest thy trespace
Adam wept and syghed sore
And asked mercy and oyle of grace
¶My fader sent me hyther therfore
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
As lyght of ayre and thonder leuen
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
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
¶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
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
[Page]Tho sayd Iohan this lambe I spake of hym
That all the worldes synne abates
¶Our lorde them toke by the hande
And brought them to the place of blysse
And sayd to them I vnderstande
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
¶Thus Ihesu 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
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
And horrybly gan hym dyspyse
To me thou arte a shrewde captan
A combred wretche in cowardyse
¶Tho sayd Lucyfer sythen ye worlde fyrst began
I haue brought hyder many a grete pryce
Hyder in to hell of all kynde of man
Bothe true false folysshe and wyse
¶Hell so worshypped neuer thou were
I [...] thou coudest haue kept the so
I brought the bothe god and man in fere
Why were thou so nyce to lete hym go
¶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
[Page]¶Quod Belsabub I barred full fast
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
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
Than though he had all the Iewes slayne
¶Some were glad whan they hym se
Some were fory and some were sayne
And somtyme in one company
Amonge fyue hondred he was fayne
¶Of oyntementes full many a droppe
Mary mawdeleyne to Ihesu she brought
Ihesu went from her a lytell sloppe
And sayd mawdeleyne touche me nought
¶All his dyscyples were in wanhope
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
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
Shall for euer to paynes go
¶Than sayd Ihesu with mylde speche
To his dyscyples I wyll ye go
[Page]To all creatures about to preche
Myn vprysynge to frende and fo
¶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
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
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
That he styed to heuen where he is kynge
¶At the drefull dome without lesynge
Bothe quycke and deed there shall he deme
God gyue vs grace in our lyuynge
To serue our our god and Mary to queme
¶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 Iohn̄
¶That baptysed our lorde in flome Iordone
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
Of his blyssed moder dere
How she was taken vp with full grete deuocyon
[Page]¶Vnto her blyssed sone as her wyll were
That therto sent his aungelles adowne
And vp they bare that mayden clere
Quene of heuen they dyde her crowne
¶Than all thaungelles that were in heuen
Were at the crownynge of that mayde fre
And songe all with mylde steuen
Gloria tibi domine
¶That is a songe of Ioye and blysse
God gyue vs grace that lyght to se
Of his mercy that we not mysse
Oui natus es de virgine
¶This tale that I haue tolde you here
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
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
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
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.