The Harrowing of Hell

general notes

... mare . {f.35vb} View facsimile
... helle fare

... helle
...es duelle
...e
... pine
...den man
...e adam
...emmed was
... þe glas
...ouŠt for his
... was his
... born
...ar for lorn
... in erþe here
...e half Šere
...ow

...n
...de
...nde
... pointe
... be
...e
...te

... come
... sone
...e
...e

...g

... crist

...m

... Šaue

Vntil crist loked þaim vnto, {f.36ra} View facsimile
As man auŠt to prisouns do;
He liŠted out of his heiŠe tour
Into seynt Mari bour;
5000 He was born for our misdede
In þis world in pouer wede,
In þis world he suffred dede,
For to deliuer ous fram þe qued.
Þan Ihesu hadde spilt his blod
1000 For our sinnes on þe rode,
He nam him þe riŠt way
Vnto helle for soþe to say.
Þan he com þer þan seyd he
As y schal now telle þe.

dominus ait.

1500 ‘Hard gates haue y gon

& suffred pines mani on;
Þritti winter & þridde half Šere
Haue y wond in lond here;
Almast is so michel gan
2000 Seþþen y bicom first man;
Seþþen haue y fond & wist
Hot & cold, hunger & þrest.
Man haþ don me schame & þouŠ
Wiþ word, wiþ dede & michel wouŠ;
2500 Þai tok me wiþouten sake,
Þai bond min honden bihinde mi bac,
Þai bete me til y ran on blode,
Þai dempt me to hong on rode;
Alle for Adams sinne, ywis,
3000 Þan haue y þoled þis.
Adam þus dere haue y bouŠt,
& þou no louedest me neuer nouŠt;
Adam y haue bouŠt ful sare
& y wil suffre it na mare.
3500 Today y schal bring of pine,
Adam, þe & alle þine.’

satanas dixit.

‘Who is þat ich here þare?
Y rede þat he spek namare,
For he may so michel do
4000 Þat he schal comen ous vnto
For to ben our fere
& loke hou we playen here.’

dominus ait.

‘Þou may wele wite mi play {f.36rb} View facsimile
Þat min wil y haue oway;
4500 Wele þou wost wat ich am:
More þan þritti winter is gan
Þat þou hast frained me
For to wite what y be;
Seþþen fondestow neuer nan
5000 Wiþ me as wiþ anoþer man,
& þou wost wele forþan
Þat ich am more þan ani man.
Þou schalt wite þis ich day
Þat y schal haue min oway,
5500 & y schal þe leue here
In sorwe among þine fere.’

satanas dixit.

‘Par ma fay! ich hald mine,
Al þat ben hereinne;
Wiþ resoun wil y telle þe
6000 Þat þerogain may þou nouŠt be;
Þat me bihoueþ haue & hald
& wiþouten ende wald,
For whoso biggeþ aniþing,
It owe to ben his wiþouten lesing;
6500 Adam hungri come me to,
Manred y made him me to do;
For an appel þat y Šaf him
He is min & al his kin.’

dominus ait.

‘Satanas’ he seyd ‘it was min,
7000 Þe appel þat þou Šaf him;
Þe appel & þe appel-tre,
Boþe war maked þurth me;
Hou may þou on ani wise
Of oþer mennes þing mak marchandise?
7500 Seþþen þou bouŠtest him wiþ mine,
Wiþ resoun schuld ichaue him.’

satanas dixit.

‘Ihesu, wele y knawe þe,
Þat ful sore reweþ me;
Þou art lord ouer al,
8000 & euer was & ay be schal.
Heuen & erþe weld þou þe,
Þe soules in helle lat þou be;
Lat me haue þat ich halde,
Þat þou hast, wele mot þou it wald.’ {f.36va} View facsimile

dominus ait.

8500 ‘Sitte now stille, Satanas.

Þe is fallen a mesas.
Wenestow þat y dyed for nouŠt?
Wiþ mi dede was mankin bouŠt;
Þai þat haue serued me,
9000 In blis schal þai euer be;
Þai þat noþing serued me,
Þai schal in helle be wiþ þe;
Bot þou schalt ben in more pine
Þan ani oþer þat is þereinne.’

Satanas dixit.

9500 ‘Þer may me no man wers do

Þan ichaue had hiderto;
Ich haue hadde so michel wo,
Þat me no rek whider y go.
Šif þou bireuest me of mine,
1000 Y schal bireue þe of þine;
Y schal go fro man to man
& bireue þe mani an.’

[d]ominus ait.

‘So y schal speke þe wiþ,
Þat y shal do þe hold griþ;
1050 So fast schal y binde þe,
Þat fewe schaltow binim me;
Were þou vnbounde among men,
Al þou wost binim me hem.
Þe smale deuels þat er vnstrang,
1100 Þai schal among mankin gang,
& al schul þai haue pain
Þat wil nouŠt stond hem oŠain.
Helle Šates, y com Šou to,
Now ich wil þat Še vndo;
1150 Whare is he, þat Šateward?
Ich hold him for a coward.’

Iannator ait.

‘Ich haue herd wordes hard
Whi y no may be no steward;
Y lete hem stond & ren oway,
1200 Lete hem Šeme whoso may.’

dominus ait.

‘Helle Šates, here y Šou felle,
& seþþen wil ich herwe helle;
Lucifer, here y þe binde; {f.36vb} View facsimile
Schaltow neuer heþen winde
1250 Vntil it com domesday.
Fare þou seþþen whare þou may,
Fare þou seþþen ware þou fare,
No dostow neuer man care.’

adam dixit.

‘Welcom, lord God of lond,
1300 Godes sone & Godes sond,
Welcom, lord, mot þou be,
Long haues ous þouŠt after þe;
Lord, seþþen þou art comen to ous,
Þou bring ous out of þis hous.
1350 Lord, þou wost what ich am,
Þou me schope of erþe man,
& þou me madest formast man,
& þou me clepetest sone, Adam;
& Šif ich haue sinnes wrouŠt,
1400 Ful dere now here ichaue hem bouŠt.
Whoso sinneþ ani wiŠt,
Þe sinne is more þan þe pliŠt.
Ša, leue lord, Godes sone,
Welcom be þou & worþ come;
1450 Al, lord, þat here be
Haue Šerned, lord, after þe.
We hope wele of þi coming
Of our sinnes haue botening.’

eua ait.

‘Knawe me, lord, ich am Eue,
1500 Adam & ich ware þe so leue,
Þou Šaue ous to Šeme paradis,
& we it Šemed as vnwise
When we þi comandment forlete,
When we of þat appel ete.
1550 So long haue we ben herinne,
Þat wele haue we bet our sinne.
Leue lord, Šiue ous leue,
Adam & his wiif Eue,
To fare out of þis foule wike
1600 Into þe blis of heuenrike.’

dominus ait.

‘Adam, y haue Šouen mi liif
For þe & for Eue þi wiif;
Wenestow ichadde ben ded for nouŠt?
For mi ded is mankin bouŠt.’ {f.37ra} View facsimile

abrabam ait.

1650 ‘Lord Crist, ich it am

Þat þou cleptest Abraham.
Þou schust com to helle pine
For to haue ous, lord, for þin[e];
Do astow bihet me:
1700 Bring me lord to heuen wiþ [þe].’

dominus dixit.

‘Abraham, it was wel
Þat þou seydest, eueri del,
For mi swete moder wes
Born & schapen of þi fles.’

dauid dixit.

1750 ‘Lord, ich am Dauid þe king,
Þat was born of þine ofs[pring;]
Also astow me bihet
Þurth þe lore of þat prophete,
Þou bring ous of þis foule [hous]
1800 To þe blis of heuen ycore[n ous].’

dominus ait.

‘Dauid, þou was born of mi [kin]
For þi godenes þou art m[in],
More for þi godenesse
Þan for ani sibbenesse.’

Iohannes dixit.

1850 ‘Lord Crist, ich am Johan
Þat þe hof in þe flom Jordan;
Now a gode while is agon,
Þat y suffred martirdom.
Þou sentest me þe riŠt way
1900 Into helle, for soþ to say,
Þat þou schust deliuer of hell[e pine]
Þat þou þerin fond, lord, of þi[ne].
Now artow comen for to do
Þat þou saidest me vnto.’

dominus ait.

1950 ‘Iohan, Johan, ich it wat

Þat y sent þe þe gat;
Þou schalt se þat y schal do
Þat þou seydest me vnto.’

moyses dixit.

‘Lord þou Šaue me al wiþ skil
2000 Þe lay Sinay on þe hil.’