[Sidenote: The lord of the feast goes among his guests.]
Now i{n}-myddeȝ þe mete þe mayst{er} hym biþoȝt,
Þat he wolde se þe semblé þ{a}t samned was þ{er}e,
& re-hayte rekenly þe riche & þe pou{er}en,[8]
& cherisch hem alle w{i}t{h} his cher, & chaufen her Ioye, 128
Þen he boweȝ fro his bour i{n} to þe brode halle,
[Sidenote: Bids them be merry.]
& to þe best on þe bench, & bede hy{m} be myry,
Solased hem w{i}t{h} semblau{n}t & syled fyrre;
Tron fro table to table & talkede ay myrþe, 132
[Sidenote: On the floor he finds one not arrayed for a holyday.]
Bot as he ferked ou{er} þe flor he fande w{i}t{h} his yȝe,
Hit watȝ not for a haly day honestly arayed,
A þral þryȝt i{n} þe þrong vnþryuandely cloþed,
Ne no festiual frok, bot fyled with werkkeȝ. 136
Þe gome watȝ vn-garnyst w{i}t{h} god me{n} to dele,
& gremed þ{er}-w{i}t{h} þe grete lord & greue hy{m} he þoȝt;
[Sidenote: Asks him how he obtained entrance, and how he was so
bold as to appear in such rags.]
“Say me, frende,” q{uod} þe freke w{i}t{h} a felle chere,
“Hov wan þ{o}u into þis won i{n} wedeȝ so fowle? 140
Þe abyt þat þ{o}u hatȝ vpon, no haly day hit menskeȝ;
Þ{o}u burne for no brydale art busked i{n} wedeȝ!
How watȝ þ{o}u hardy þis ho{us} for þyn vnhap [to] neȝe,
I{n} on so ratted a robe & rent at þe sydeȝ? 144
[Sidenote: [Fol. 59a.]]
Þow art a gome vn-goderly i{n} þat gou{n} febele;
Þ{o}u praysed me & my place ful pou{er} & ful [g]nede,
[Sidenote: Does he take him to be a harlot?]
Þat watȝ so prest to aproche my p{re}sens here-i{n}ne;
Hopeȝ þ{o}u I be a harlot þi erigant to prayse?” 148
Þat oþ{er} burne watȝ abayst of his broþe wordeȝ,
[Sidenote: The man becomes discomfited.]
& hurkeleȝ dou{n} with his hede, þe vrþe he bi-holdeȝ;
He watȝ so scou{m}fit of his scylle, lest he skaþe hent,
[Sidenote: He is unable to reply.]
Þat he ne wyst on worde what he warp schulde. 152
[Sidenote: The lord commands him to be bound, and cast into a
deep dungeon.]
Þe{n} þe lorde wonder loude laled & cryed,
& talkeȝ to his tormentto{ur}eȝ: “takeȝ hym,” he biddeȝ,
“Byndeȝ byhynde, at his bak, boþe two his handeȝ,
& felle fett{er}eȝ to his fete festeneȝ bylyue; 156
Stik hym stifly i{n} stokeȝ, & stekeȝ hy{m} þ{er}-aft{er}
Depe i{n} my dou{n}gou{n} þ{er} doel eu{er} dwelleȝ,
Greui{n}g, & grety{n}g, & gryspy{n}g harde
Of teþe tenfully to-geder, to teche hy{m} be quoy{n}t.” 160
[Sidenote: This feast is likened to the kingdom of heaven, to
which all are invited.]
Thus comparisu{n}eȝ kryst þe kyndom of heueñ,
To þis frelych feste þat fele arn to called,
For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþ{er} & þe bett{er},
Þat eu{er} wern fulȝed i{n} font þat fest to haue. 164
[Sidenote: See that thy weeds are clean.]
Bot war þe wel, if þ{o}u wylt, þy wedeȝ ben clene,
& honest for þe haly day, lest þ{o}u harme lache,
For aproch þ{o}u to þat prynce of parage noble.
He hat{es} helle no more þe{n} hem þat ar sowle.[9] 168
[Headnote: GOD IS DISPLEASED WITH THE WICKED.]
[Sidenote: Thy weeds are thy works that thou hast wrought.]
Wich arn þe{n}ne þy wedeȝ þ{o}u wrappeȝ þe i{n}ne,
Þat schal schewe he{m} so schene schrowde of þe best?
Hit arn þy werkeȝ wyt{er}ly, þ{a}t þ{o}u wroȝt haueȝ,
& lyued w{i}t{h} þe lyky{n}g þ{a}t lyȝe in þy{n} hert, 172
Þat þo be frely & fresch fonde i{n} þy lyue,
& fetyse of a fayr forme, to fote & to honde,
& syþe{n} alle þy{n} oþ{er} lymeȝ lapped ful clene,
[Sidenote: For many faults may a man forfeit bliss.]
Þe{n}ne may þ{o}u se þy sauior & his sete ryche. 176
For fele fauteȝ may a freke forfete his blysse,
[Sidenote: For sloth and pride he is thrust into the devil’s
throat.]
Þat he þe sou{er}ayn ne se þen, for slauþe one,
As for bobau{n}ce & bost & bolnande p{r}iyde,
Þroly i{n}-to þe deueleȝ þrote man þry{n}geȝ bylyue, 180
[Sidenote: [Fol. 59b.]]
[Sidenote: He is ruined by covetousness, perjury, murder, theft,
and strife.]
For couetyse, & colwarde & croked dedeȝ,
For mon-sworne, & men-sclaȝt, & to much drynk,
For þefte, & for þrepy{n}g, vn-þonk may mon haue;
[Sidenote: For robbery and ribaldry, for preventing marriages,
and supporting the wicked, for treason, treachery, and tyranny,
man may lose eternal bliss.]
For roborrye, & riboudrye & resou{n}eȝ vntrwe, 184
& dysheriete & depryue dowrie of wydoeȝ,
For marry{n}g of maryageȝ & may{n}tnau{n}ce of schreweȝ,
For traysou{n}, & trichcherye, & tyrau{n}tyré boþe,[10]
& for fals famacions & fayned laweȝ; 188
Man may mysse þe myrþe, þat much is to prayse,
For such vnþeweȝ as þise & þole much payne,
& i{n} þe creatores cort com neu{er} more,
Ne neu{er} see hym with syȝt for such sour to{ur}neȝ. 192
[Sidenote 8: MS. poueu{er}.]
[Sidenote 9: _fowle_ (?).]
[Sidenote 10: loþe (?).]
[Headnote: THE FALL OF THE ANGELS.]