Classic Poem

Dauid the prophet, & Moyses,
wittenesse & saith how itt was
tha t god had made thorrow his Might
heauen full of Angells bright:
the ioy tha t the hadden then,
forsooth no tounge tell can,
till Lwcifer, w i th guilt of pryde,
& all tha t held w i th him tha t tyde,
Such vengeance god on them can take
tha t they are now feinds blake.
& I find in holy ritt,
the fell from heauen to hell pitt
6 dayes & 7 nights,
as thicke as hayle in thunder lights;
& when it was our Ladyes will,
heauen closed againe full still.
the feendes tha t I told of ere,
fellen out of heauen w i th Lucifer;
those tha t bidden on the ayre on haight,
fell the beene, stronge & sleight;
of they ayre the take their light,
& haue great strenght & might
after man to make a bodye
fayre of coulour & rudye,
discending downe among mankind
to tise men to deadlye sinne.
all they wist well beforne
tha t Jesu wold on Mary be borne;
therto the feendes hadden enuye,
& said to the earth the wolden hye
to neigh on earth a maiden Mild,
& begett on her a child
Thus the wend the world to haue filed,
but att the Last they were beguiled:
I shall you tell how itt was;
now yee may heere a wonderous case
in tha t time, I vndestand,
a rich man was in England,
& had a good woman to his wiffe,
&liued together a cleane liffe;
a sonne they had, & daughters 3,
the fairest children tha t might bee
anon a feende tha t I of told,
tha t woonen in the ayre soe bold;
& for to tempt tha t good woman
he light on the earth then,
& in her body had great might,
& brought her into striffe & fight,
& made her after w i th Egar Moode
to cursse her child as shee was woode.
vpon a day att Euen Late,
thorrow the feend, w i th great hate
w i th her sonne she gan to grame,
& curst him fast by his name,
& to the devill shee him behight
w i th all her power & her might.
then was the feende glad & blythe,
& thought to doe him shame swithe;
& when it was come to night,
the feende went to her house right,
& strangled her sonne where he lay.
the wiffe rose vp when it was day,
& found her ssonne dead att Morrow,
& went & strangled her selfe for sorrowe;
& when her Lo rd heard this,
anon swithe for sorrow I-wis
sodainlye he dyed thoe
w i thout shrift or houzell alsoe
the folke of the cuntrye tha t tyde,
tha t wooned there neere beside,
came together then to see,
& had ruth & great pittye,
& many a man tha t day
weeped, & sayd " well-awaye "
for tha t good man & his wiffe
tha t had liued soe good a liffe!
an Hermitt tha t wooned there beside,
came to see them there tha t tyde —
Blasye forsooth his name was —
& oft for them he sayd " alas! "
tha t it was beffallen soe,
in his heart he was full woe,
& said it was verament
thorrow the ffeendes incomberment.
the daughters he found there aliue;
the Hermitt hee can them shriue;
& when he had done & sayd,
fayre penance on them he Layd;
& when hee had done soe,
home again can he goe.
then the Maydens all in fere
served god w i th blythe cheere
in all England then was the vsage,
if any woman did outrage
(but if itt were in her spousage,)
if any man old or younge
might it witt of tha t countrye,
all qu[i]cke shee shold doluen bee,
but if it were a light woman called
to all men tha t aske her wold
soe the ffeend tha t had might,
tha t wooned in the ayre light,
into the earth he light downe then,
& went vnto an old woman,
& hight her both gold & fee
to wende to the sisters 3,
the eldest mayden to enchant,
some younge mans body to enfante;
And shee might bring her therto,
he hett her gold for eu er -more
tha t old Queane was full glad,
& did as the devill her badde,
& went to the sisters 3.
as soone as shee might them see,
to the eldest sister soone she saiyd
" alas, my deere sweete Mayd!
thou hast fayre feete & hande,
a gentle body for to sounde,
white hayre & long arme;
I-wise it is much harme
tha t thy bodye might not assay
w i th some younge man for to play,
tha t yee might find in eu er y place
game, mirth, & great solace "
" certaine, " said the maiden then,
" if tha t I take any man,
but if it were in spousing,
any man either old or younge,
& itt were knowen in this countrye,
all quicke I shold doluen bee. "
" nay, certaine, " said the old queane,
" yee may it doe w i thout deane
both in bower & in bedd,
although noe man doe you wedd;
& therfore dread thee nought,
for it needs neu er be forth brought;
& if thou wilt doe by my read,
thou diddest neuer a better deede. "
soe thorrow the queanes inchantment
& the feends incumberment,
the eldest sister, the sooth to say,
lett a young man w i th her play;
& when shee liked best the game,
it turned her to much shame,
for shee was taken & forth drawen,
& of her game shee was knowen,
& for tha t worke doluen was.
many a man sayd for her " alas! "
the ffeende yett another while
the other sister he can beguile,
& made her to loue a faire young man,
& after was his lem m an then.
shee was taken forth-wise,
& brought before the hye Iustice
her iudgment to vnderstand,
as itt was the law of the Land.
the Iustice opposed her thoe
wherfore shee had done soe;
shee answered as shee was taught,
& said shee forsooke itt nought,
& said shee was a light woman
to all tha t wold come to her com m on;
& soe shee scaped them away,
soe tha t her followed all that day
of Harlotts a great race
to fyle her body for tha t case.
yett the feende in tha t while
the 3 d sister can beguile
then was the youngest sister soe woe
tha t nye her hart burst in tow,
for her mother had hangd her selfe,
& her one sister quicke was delfe,
& for that her father dyed amisse,
& her brother was strangled I-wis,
her other sister a whore stronge,
tha t harlotts was eu er among;
almost for sorrow & for thought
in wan-hope shee was brought.
to the Hermitt shee went then,
to that hight Blassye, tha t good man,
& told him all the sooth beforne,
How all her kindred were forlorne.
the Hermitt had wonder great;
on gods halfe he her besett,
" I bid thee haue god in thy mind,
& let be the lore of the feende, "
& bade her " forsake in any wise
pryde, hate, & couetise,
alsoe sloth and enuye,
& mans flesh in lecherye,
all such workes for to flee;"
& bade her " gods servant bee,"
& bade her to " take good keepe
tha t shee layd her not downe to sleepe,
& namelye not in the night,
vnlesse shee had a Candle light,
& windowes & dores in tha t stond
to be spurred to roafe and ground,
& make there againe w i th good noyce
the signe of the holy crosse."
& when he had taught her soe,
home againe can shee goe,
& served god w i th hart glad,
& did as the hermitt her bade;
& yett the feend thorrow enuye
beguiled her w i th treacherye,
& brought her into a dreerye cheere:
I shall you tell in what manner.
vpon a day verament
w i th neighbors to Ale shee went;
long shee sate, & did amisse
tha t drunken shee was I-wis.
her other sister tha t I of told,
tha t was a whore stout & bold,
came thither tha t same day
w i th many harlotts for to play,
& missaide her sister as shee was wood,
& called her other then good.
soe long shee Chidd in a resse,
the whore start vp w i thout lesse,
& went to her sister in a rage,
& smote her on the visage.
then home to her chamber shee can goe,
& made to the dores betweene them tow,
& cryed out; & Neighbors came,
& the whore soone the name
& drouen her away anon,
& the harlotts eu er ye one.
when they were driuen away,
the maid tha t in the chamber Lay
all made, as shee were woode,
weeped & fared as shee were w i th ill moode.
& when it was come to night,
vpon the bed shee fell downe right,
all both shodd & cladde;
shee fell on sleepe, & all was madd,
& forgott her howse vnblessed,
as the hermitt had her vised
then was the ffeende glad & blythe,
& thought to doe her shame swithe;
ouer all well hee might,
for there was noe crosse made tha t night
& to the Mayd anon he went,
& thought all christendome to haue shent
a traine of a childe he put in her thoe,
& passed away where hee cam froe.
& when tha t woman was awaked,
& found her body lying naked,
& shee grope w i th her hands,
& some seed there shee found,
wherby shee wende witterlye
tha t some man had Lyen her by.
Then shee rose vp in hast,
& found her dore sparred fast.
when shee found tha t it was soe,
in her hart shee was full woe,
& thought it was some wicked thinge
tha t wold her to shame bringe.
all the night shee made great sorrowe,
& to the Hermitt shee went att morrowe,
& told him all the case.
the hermitt sayd, " alas! alas!
tha t shee had broken her pennance; "
& said it was the ffeends combrance.
" A! good father! " said shee thoe,
" what if itt be fallen soe
tha t a child be on me gotten,
& any man may it witten,
then shall I be deluen anon
all quicke, both bodye & bone "
" certaine, " said the good man,
" my deere daughter, after then
I shall you helpe w i th all my might
till of itt I haue sight.
goe home, daughter, now, mine,
& haue gods blessing & mine,
for he may — & his will bee —
out of thy sorrow bringe thee. "
home shee went w i th dreerye moode,
& serued god w i th hart good;
& eu er ye day after then
her wombe will greater began
soe tha t shee might it not hyde,
but itt was p er ceiued in tha t tyde.
then was shee taken forsoothe I-wisse,
& brought afore the hye Iustice.
the Iustice opposed her thoe
why shee had done soe;
& for shee wrought against the law,
he Iudged her for to be slowe.
& shee answered & said, " nay,
I wrought neu er against the law, "
& sware by him tha t dyed on tree,
" was neu er man tha t neighed mee
w i th fleshly lust or Lecherye,
nor kissed my body w i th villanye. "
the Iustice answered anon,
" Dame, thou Lyest by St. Iohn!
thy words beene false & wylde,
when men may see thou art w i th childe!
in this world was neu er childe borne
but mans seede there was beforne,
saue Iesu christ thorrow his might
was borne of a mayden bright
how may thou for shame then
say thou had neu er p ar t of any man,
when I myselfe they soothe may see
tha t a child is gotten of thee? "
" certaine, S i r, " shee said then,
" I goe w i th child w i thout any man
by him, " shee said, " tha t made this day,
there was neu er [man] tha t by me Lay;
but as I sleeped one night,
by mee lay a Selcoth wight;
but I wist neu er what it was,
therfore I doe me in thy grace "
the Iustice said w i th outen fayle,
" I neu er hard of such a marueil!
to-day nay shall the woman be delfe
till I haue asked wiffes 12
if any child may be made
w i thout getting of Manhood;
& if the say itt may soe bee,
all quitt shalt thou goe, & free;
And if the say tha t it may nay;
all quicke, men shall delfe thee to-day. "
on 12 wiues shee did her anon,
& they answered euery one,
tha t " neu er child was borne of maiden
but Iesu Christ, " they all saydden.
Blasye the Hermitt vpstart then,
to answer the iustice he began,
" S i r Iustice, " he sayd thoe,
" hear me in a word or tow:
tha t this woman hath told eche deale,
certez I beleeue itt weele;
& yee beleeven her right nought.
by god & all this world wrought,
I haue her shriuen & taught the law,
to mee wold shee neu er a-know
tha t any man for any meede
neighed her body w i th fleshlye deede;
therfore it is against the law
tha t shee doluen shold be this day.
giff shee haue serued for to spilt,
the chylde in her wombe hath not gilt;
therfore, S i r, doe by my reade,
& put her not this time to dead,
but doe her in warde before
till the childe be bore;
& then, " he sayd, " god itt wott,
2 yeere keepe it shee motte,
& p er adventure, " he sayd, " then
the child may proue a good man. "
then said the Iustice,
" Hermitt, thy words are full wise;
therfore by thy doome I will;
noe man to-day shall her spill. "
th e y Iustice com m anded anon
to lead her to a tower of stone,
& tha t noe wight shold w i th her goe
but a midswiffe, & noe moe.
the tower was strong & hye,
tha t noe man might come her nye;
a window there was made thoe,
& a cord tyed therto
to draw therein all thinke,
fire & water, Meate & drinke
& when the time was comen,
Shee bare a selcoth sonne