The parliament of devils AS Mary was grette with Gabryell And had conceived and borne a child All the devils of the earth /of the air and of hell Held their parliament of that maid mild ¶ What man had made her womb to swell To tempt her ye tend to sylde Her child's father who can tell Who died with her though works wild ¶ In hell the fiends though answered We knew never father that he had But among prophets we have lered That god with man had covenant made ¶ A serpent in desert was rered So shall gods son in man be had The soul of him shall be inspired His heart to clove and he forblad ¶ These prophets speak so in mist What they meant we never knew They spoke of one should height christ But Mary's son height Ihesu ¶ And they said the Cryst with god should be atwyst But this Ihesu never in the godhead grew We been beguiled all with our list The cloth is all of another hew ¶ And though god make his parliament Of peas /mercy /truth /and reason And from heaven to earth his son be sent In mankind to take a season ¶ We shall ordain by one assent A privy council all of treason And claim Ihesu for our rent For that he is kind of man it is good cheson ¶ Write we his name whyder we speed Sychen to us he is unknown For though he be come of strange sede Yet in Adam's ground was he sown ¶ When he is type do we our deed Look that we do him repe and mown For though god himself our rolls rede By right we challenge Ihesu for our own ¶ To me master devil it lies To Ihesu will I take heed To nourish him in fantasies His freyle flesh both to cloth and feed ¶ And though that he be never so wise Yet out of the way I will him lead And make of him both fool and nice And in hell his soul breed ¶ Thus the devils their wiles cast With their arguments great And thirty year they founded fast To tempt Ihesu in many an heat ¶ In to a wilderness with Ihesu I passed Of him knowledge for to get And forty days there died he fast Without sleep drink or meet ¶ The master devil wonder thought Of Jesus' worthy complexion By man's food lived he naught But by prayer and devotion ¶ But when he hongred as me thought To tempt him than I made me bown Lo here been stones hard wrought Make thereof breed to man's foysowne ¶ Forsooth Ihesu said not only in breed Is verily man's proper living But every word of the godhead To body and soul is comforting ¶ Upon an high pinnacle I him brought anon And left him there and adown I sprung And said save the harmless both limb & bone And do now masteries while thou art young ¶ If thou be gods son let se Of the is written long agone Angels in hands should bear the least thou spurn thy foot at a stone ¶ Jesus' said in holy write thou mayst see Tempt not thy lord god living alone With all thy might in every degree Thou shalt him serve and other noon ¶ The devil saw it might not gain Of Ihesu his purpose he 'gan miss He brought him to an high mountain And bad him do as he would wis And there he showed him for certain jewels richesse and worldly bliss Worship me here and become my swain And I shall give the all this ¶ Go Sathanas from bliss thou high From heaven rich that rial tour In Exodus it is written certainly Thine lord god thou shalt honour ¶ Alas quod the devil how art thou so witty Thy words are bitter /thy works are sour Thy conclusion knitteth me so fervently I abode never so sharp a shower ¶ The devils gathered their great frame And held their parliament in the mist. One would rifle us at hame And gadre the flower out of our twist ¶ New jailers would wait us shame One men called him johan baptist But now he hath turned Ihesu is his name That first height Ihesu now is christ ¶ Laugh ne sport I him never saw But in stableness he is always And straightly keepeth god's law And strongly withstandeth mine affray ¶ To works of vice he will not draw A wonders word I heard him say The great temple he would down thrawe And raise it again on the third day ¶ When he was borne wonders befell Over all was peas both east and west In Rome of oil there sprung a well From trystmer to tiber it ran priest ¶ In Rome the temples down fell Their mammets died all to breast Angels to shepherds glory 'gan tell In earth to all mankind both peas and rest ¶ The emperor in Rome stood high Three sons in one he saw shining clear In the mids of them a maiden he sye A man child in her arms died bear ¶ The emperor and Cybyll spoken prophecy And they accorded both in fere And said gods son mankind should buy It is a token the time draweth near ¶ Also three kings come from ferre To worship Ihesu all they sought Which rey●ed Herodes heat therre Him to sle for they so wrought ¶ By the lightning of a star To Ihesu all three presents they brought Homewards an angel taught them near Another way than they had thought ¶ Than I counceyled Herod within a while To destroy the formest prophecy That all men children in town and pile To sle them that Ihesu might with them die ¶ He fled in to Egypt in that while Their mawmentes fell down from on high He knew my thought and saw my guile I might not hide me from his eye ¶ To tempt Ihesu it will not avail Of the worlds good he hath no need I lose on him so much travail The more I so work the worse I speed ¶ With the sharper assaults I him assail The less of me he standeth in dread The bolder in byker I bid him battle The less of me he taketh heed ¶ For if I tempt him with wrath or pride With patience and meekness he scomfyteth me If I tempt him with lechery I must me hide He voideth me of with chastity ¶ In gluttony and envy he will not abide But is ever in measure and charity In covetise and avarice he will not ride But is ever in largesse and poverty ¶ The devil said neither in hot ne coal I may not make him stumble ne fall I wist him never go to school And yet I saw him dispute in the school hall ¶ He set himself on the highest stole And argued against the masters all Some called him wise /some called him fool But gods son he doth himself call ¶ His works passeth man's kind For crooked and creples he maketh right For deaf and dumb and borne blind He giveth them speech hearing and sight ¶ Mad men he giveth them their mind He maketh mesels hole and light Alegyon of fiends in a man he died find All he drove out through his might ¶ wine of water he maketh belive And doth many a wonders deed With two fishes and loves five five thousand men I saw him feed ¶ Twelve leaps of relief thereof died thrive To men and children that had need Deed men he raised again on live And yet weared he never but one weed ¶ He handleth neither money ne knife Neither in sin desireth he any woman to kiss But once he saved a wedded wife In spousal that had done amiss ¶ He is so wonderful in life I can not know well what he is I would he had ended our strife He is out of our books /and we out of his ¶ sithen I him first tempt began I saw him never change hew One's he bade me go soul Satan Evermore that reproof I rue ¶ In works he is god /in person a man Like to him I never noon knew Where learned he all the wit that he can For every day he doth wonders new ¶ I followed him once to a place To a mountain upon height Peter johan and james there was Hely and Moses stood there upright ¶ I would have seen Jesus' face But I might not it shone so bright The sothfast son died it embrace The bright beams blended my sight ¶ To let the prophecy soon I went The jews to sle Jesus' I gave them choice If he die on the road we shall be shent I would not that they had given that voice ¶ I was woe for that judgement Of crucifige to here the noise Pilate'S wife I bade busily give tent That Ihesu were not done on the croyse ¶ Yet the jews for his deeds good False witness against him conspired And nailed him upon the road And pained him there till that he died ¶ Under his left side I myself stood And after his soul straightly spied I wist never whyder it yode When he gave it up so manly he cried ¶ The son and moon lost their light The elements fought as light thunder The earth quaved and mountains on height Valleys and stones breast asunder ¶ Deed men arose thorough his might To bear witness of that wonder My mind failed I lost my sight I wist not how soon I come there under ¶ Jesus' soul is go I wot not where So privily he died fro me pass When his heart was pierced with a spear Than wist I well who he was ¶ Orderne we us with all our gear For hyder he thinketh to make a race Arise we all that been bounden here And stiffly defend we our place ¶ For if that he would hyder come We shall go everichone Against him both all and some And tear of him bone from bone ¶ Than said Lucifer anon It is but waste to speak so The spirit of him is now hyder come For to work us all woe ¶ There as the good souls died in devil They cheyned the gates and barred them fast Anon Jesus' said /ye princes fell Open the gates that ever shall last ¶ And let in your king of heaven & hell The devils asked him than in haste Who is the king of bliss thou dost of tell Weenest thou to make us all aghast ¶ Strong god and king of might I am lord and king of bliss Usurper of death mighty in fight Everlasting gates open without miss ¶ Both peas mercy troth and right I brought them at one and made them to kiss Everlasting gates open on height And let in your king to take out his ¶ For I the soul of Ihesu christ am come hyder witness thereof my body in earth lieth deed And the holy ghost with the soul together That never shall part fro the godhead ¶ In heavens bliss ye stood full slyder Through pride ye offended my faders bede Man's soul for meekness shall come hyder There as ye fiends forfeited that stead ¶ Than said Lucifer god died forbid To Adam in paradise but one tree On pain of death to have for that deed And after in hell ever to be ¶ And thou art come of Adams sede Therefore by right we challenge thee For in holy write thou may read In hell is no remyde ¶ Ihesu said Lucifer troth thou tellest me But thou wottest not thyself how There is a bond hell /but this is free The bond hell was ordained for you ¶ For that the man forfeited through a tree Through a tree again bought is he now Thou madest him sin the pain longeth to the For thou waytest never good to man's prow ¶ Lucifer thou me undernom And said that I was of the sede of Adam's kin Forsooth I died out of the godhead come And took flesh and blood a maid within ¶ For as of the sede of earth there springeth bloom So met we and parted without sin Thine argument is false so is thy doom By what right wouldest thou me win ¶ Who was chief of thy counsel In heaven when thou forfeited the bliss In paradise Adam thou didst assail And tempted him to forfeit his ¶ And I in his quarrel took battle Against my father to amend his miss Wherefore of thy purpose thou shall fail For thy quarrel naught it is ¶ Than Lucifer answered again Why speakest thou so to me here It was but wanton words in vain I trow thou comest hyder us to fere ¶ Sometime when I was in heaven on high That I there lost for my pride certain Here after I hope full sickerly For to come to that bliss again ¶ Cryst Ihesu spoke to Satan tho And said to him in this manner It is but waste to speak so Or any such words to utter here ¶ That time while thou in heaven were Full moche joy hadst thou tho For all thy fellows were glad there But right soon it was overgo ¶ Lucifer spoke to him again And said to him with words sere Here have I dwelled in woe and pain Moore than four thousand year ¶ Help me to that bliss again The which I lost for my pride there For there in it is pleasure certain To devil with angels shining clear ¶ Here me Lucifer I shall the tell Or ever any thing was wrought Heaven or earth air or hell Forsooth than I made the of naught ¶ In heaven when thou stodest weal I made the above angels all But thereof cared thou never adele Such pride in thine heart 'gan fall ¶ In heaven when thou were at thy will Thou mightest have been in peas and rest I took the my seat full still It to seem thou were full priest ¶ And while I went where me list And come again anon on high Thou said thou were worthiest And to sit there as well as I ¶ And thou repentest the never more But ever aggredest thy trespass Adam wept and sighed sore And asked mercy and oil of grace ¶ My father sent me hither therefore And on a tree let death me chase A spear through my heart 'gan boar And let out the worthiest oil that ever was ¶ In my faders name of heaven Open the gates against me As light of air and thunder leaven The gates to braced and 'gan to i'll ¶ God took out Adam and Eve full even And all his chosen company The prophets said with mild steven A song of wonders now sing we ¶ Aha said Adam my god I see He that made me with his hand I see said No where cometh he That saved me both on water and land ¶ Quod Abraham I se my god so free That saved my son from bitter bond Thomas said Moses the tables he betook me His law to preach and understand ¶ Quod David we spoke of one so stout That should break the brazen gates Quod zachary and his folk take out And leave there still such as he hates ¶ Quod Simeon he lighteneth his folk in dim Where as darkness shedeth their states Thomas said johan this lamb I spoke of him That all the worlds sin abates ¶ Our lord them took by the hand And brought them to the place of bliss And said to them I understand This bargain I have bought or this ¶ For rich and poor fire and bond That will ask grace and amend their miss Shall be with you here jocund In my kingdom heavens bliss ¶ Thus Ihesu christ harowed hell And led his servants to paradise With the other hells would he not mell Where fiends black bounden lice ¶ And where dampened souls ever shall devil That will not amend but ever be nice tormented with horrible devils fell That sometime were angels of price ¶ Hell reproved though the devil Satan And horrybly 'gan him despise To me thou art a shrewd captan A cumbered wretch in cowardice ¶ Thomas said Lucifer sithen the world first began I have brought hyder many a great price Hyder in to hell of all kind of man Both true false foolish and wise ¶ Hell so worshipped never thou were I● thou couldst have kept the so I brought the both god and man in fere Why were thou so nice to let him go ¶ Quod hell not with thy power I might not warn him one of though He took out all that were him dear I might not let him though he would mo ¶ Quod Beelzebub I barred full fast The gate with lock /chain /bolt /and pin And with one word of his mouths blast They broke up and he come in ¶ He bound me and down me cast It is no boat to strive with him When the dreadful doom is come and passed Our endless pain is than to begin ¶ Though the jews made Ihesu to die Yet on the third day he rose to life again It was to him more victory Than though he had all the jews slain ¶ Some were glad when they him see Some were sorry and some were sayne And sometime in one company Among five hundred he was feign ¶ Of ointments full many a drop Mary mawdeleyne to Ihesu she brought Ihesu went from her a little slop And said mawdeleyne touch me naught ¶ All his disciples were in wanhope For to comfort them Ihesu thought And bade them his wounds handle & grope I have flesh & blood so spirits have naught ¶ Thomas was of right hard believe Till he had spoken with Ihesu though Ihesu spoke with words breve Come hither Thomas and speak me to ¶ For here thou mayst now the sooth preue How that I was on the road ydone And he that will not on it believe Shall for ever to pains go ¶ Than said Ihesu with mild speech To his disciples I will ye go To all creatures about to preach Mine uprising to friend and foe ¶ And tho that believe that ye teach Bodies and souls saved been tho And they that believe not I say to each They shall for ever to pain go ¶ from you fiends shall i'll for my name Address and venom shall from you steel Though ye drink poison it shall you not tame Neither harm you ne no grief feel ¶ I shall new tongues in you frame All manner of language forth to deal And they that ye touch seek or lame Body and soul I will them hele ¶ Our lord after his resurrection here In earth he was forsooth dwelling Till holy thursday comen were That he stied to heaven where he is king ¶ At the drefull doom without losing Both quick and deed there shall he deem God give us grace in our living To serve our our god and Mary to queem ¶ Of all the children that ever were borne Save only christ himself alone Was noon so holy here before As was this holy child saint Iohn ¶ That baptized our lord in flome jordone With full devout and good devotion And after for Jesus' love to death 'gan go And suffered full great passion ¶ Now shall I tell with full good cheer Of that holy assumption Of his blessed mother dear How she was taken up with full great devotion ¶ Unto her blessed son as her will were That thereto sent his angels adown And up they bore that maiden clear Queen of heaven they died her crown ¶ Than all thangels that were in heaven Were at the crowning of that maid free And song all with mild steven Gloria tibi domine ¶ That is a song of joy and bliss God give us grace that light to see Of his mercy that we not miss Oui natus es de virgine ¶ This tale that I have told you here Is called the devils parliament Thereof is read in time of the year On the first sunday of clean lent ¶ Who that will for heaven procure Keep him fro the devils combrement In heaven his soul may then be sure With angels to sing in light splendent ¶ This lesson of new was made but late There be no trifles in it at all The devils boost thus 'gan he bate Our curteyse christ /our king rial ¶ He help us all in at heavens gate With saints to sit there out of thrall Cryst keep us out of harm and hate For thine holy spirit so special Amen. ¶ Thus endeth the parliament of devils. imprinted by Wynkyn de word printer /unto the most excellent princess my lady the kings mother. The year of our lord. M. CCCCC. & ix