THE BISHOP OF ANTIOCH
Who was tempted by the Devil, in the likeness of a Lady.
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IN Antioch fair Town
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Did Bishop Pambus dwell:
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A man of great renown,
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Eusebius doth tell.
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This pastor without peer
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Through all the land shew'd light:
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His clean life did declare
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Him Christs disciple right,
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For he was ay both night and day
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in godly exercise:
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Dayly preaching, and truely teaching,
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mine Author specifies.
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Great peace made he in land,
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And us'd much charity:
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The poor great kindness fand,
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And counsel good had he
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The enemy of man
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Knowing him so perfite,
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Him to envy began,
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His clean life do despite:
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And sought all things how he might b[ring]
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him from felicity:
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And found a wyle him to beguile,
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with lust and leachery.
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The fiend as I heard ween,
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Became a Lady bright.
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Whose like was never seen,
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So fair unto mens sight:
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Her hair like golden threed,
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Glad was her countenance:
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Her lips like roses red.
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Her eyes they gave a glance,
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Her rich array and beauty gay
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decor'd her passing wise:
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Perfume and myrrhe she had with h[er]
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and jewels great of price,
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Wsth garlands bravely wrought
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With gold of Arabia:
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Bracelets she wanted nought
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Were sought in stea[?] ally.
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As Pambus one a day,
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Even at his dinner sate,
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In likeness of a May,
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The fiend knockt at the gate,
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The porter slie most stubbornly
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opened with crabbed fear:
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But soon was he in extasie,
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such sight was never there.
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Seeing her so decor'd,
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Askt what she would direct
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Quoth she. go tell my Lord,
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A maid with him would speak
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Matters of importance,
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Which have my spirit pin'd:
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Pray his benevolence,
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Show me his godly mind,
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The porter past in at the last
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and told where she had been.
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Quoth he, my lord, I here record,
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such sight ye have not seen.
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At your gate stands alone:
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Ladie of beauties al!
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Whose like in earth is none.
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For manners virginal,
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She comes from far Countrie,
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Right sober one her feet.
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For your counsel, saith she.
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And things that vex her spirit.
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Quoth Pambus then bid thou her gang
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to kirk till We have dyn'd;
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And afternoon I shall right soon
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come there and hear her mind.
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The porter told her soon,
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To kirk she went alone?
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As he us'd afternoon,
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Pambus to kirk is gone,
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And after prayers fervent
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He rose, as I heard ween,
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This Lady incontinent,
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Bowing down bade him good-even,
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And Pambus he right reverently,
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salutes this Lady gent:
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Then solitar familiar,
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they two a walking went.
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The Bishop gan to spear
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From whence or what she would,
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And she, as ye shall hear
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This fained tale hath told:
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In Spain, [?] I was born,
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And late come in this land:
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None knows his luck beforn,
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At fortunes chance I stand:
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My Father dear had not his peers
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Princes of this age:
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And hath not one but me alone,
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to brook his heritage,
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Though I down chastity,
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While I this life possess,
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Yet would my father marry me
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To Kings of great highness.
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I heard your godly life:
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Your counsel good and kind,
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And would no wayse be wife.
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Till first I heard your mind:
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Your good report caused me resort,
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even hither for your sake:
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Then to conclude, your counsel good:
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sir let me not fulake.
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Consider maid, quoth he,
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It stands not in your will
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To vow to chastity,
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Lest God grant grace theretill.
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For if ye vow and break,
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Better were conversation
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Chast marriage to elect
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For childrens procreation.
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Promise no way, except you
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for inconvenient:
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Better fulfil your fathers will,
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and thereto stand content.
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Quoth he, this is the best,
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In truth I do record,
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Therefore do as you list,
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Grant thanks: quoth she my Lordt
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Yet one thing ye shall trow,
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Kings have praised me,
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I love no man but you
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Nor yet shall till I die,
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Your life hath been ay just and clean,
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perfect and quiet kend;
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And you shall trust all carnall lust
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I hate to my lifes end,
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Kings of great parentage
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Do vassalage for my sake:
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But I'le refuse marriage,
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Would ye make me your maik.
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My birth nor high off spring,
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Shall me no wayes sobborn:
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I'le selve you in all thing,
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As I were beggar born:
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Then Pambus he in extasie,
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thought marvel what she meant:
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Her speech, her face, her goodly grac[e]
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o'rcame his good intent,
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Quoth he since love is free,
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And God hath love ordain'd,
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I'le love as well as ye:
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Keep faith, und be constant,
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The fiend was glad of this,
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And grew effeminate,
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Then she gave him a kiss:
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Temptation came with that,
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And Cupids dart piercing his heart
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in burning rage he sate.
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Through beauty gay of this fair May,
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his godly life forgate.
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He said, come dine wish me,
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Tomorrow well talk more.
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I shall keep tryst, quoth she,
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Right glad they parted there,
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That night with languor spent,
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Next day their tryst was set,
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Ere Pambus to dine went,
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The fiend knockt at the gate.
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Then Pambus came to meet his Dame,
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with meikle mirth and joy:
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Before them all into the hall
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this lady did convoy.
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With many lovely kiss,
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And blyth love blinks between:
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Past to the hall by this,
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The boards were covered clean,
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The courses thick were brought,
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The fiend was first set syn,
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Except the grace wants nought
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Great store of spice and wine,
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Play harp and lute in concord sweea
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with melody great store:
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Ballads of love for their behove;
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which he us'd not before,
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But ere dinner was done,
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In midst of dalliance,
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They heard one knock right soon
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At Pambus gate by chance,
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The porter stubbornly
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Said with an awful cheer,
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Ye rape o're rude, quoth he,
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Ye wot not who is here,
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Then open'd he the gate boldly,
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and saw no more indeed
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But an old man was standing than,
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clade in a Pilgrims weed,
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He askt with reverence,
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What crave you in this sort?
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Quoth he, mine indigence
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Seeks of my Lord support,
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I beg for charity
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In honour of Gods glore
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For he of clemency,
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Hath given such men more.
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The porter thus, told good Pambus,
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quoth he, say him nay,
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The fiend soon heard, and grew afeard
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her beauties gan decay.
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For he had suspection
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It was was some heavenly send,
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To utter her illusion
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And cause her craft be kend,
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With leave, quoth she, my Lord,
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Go porter back again,
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Ask if he can record
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This question to you plain:
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What's marvelous and wondrous
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that God wrought in least bounds?
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This question round if he expound,
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his witt right far abounds.
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The porter came belyve,
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Asking as I have said,
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Quoth he I shall descrive
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Great works our God hath mada;
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In mans face great difference,
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And womens manifold.
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The shapes in discrepance
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Is wonderous to behold,
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The bounds so smal well wrought with:
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though men be native brother:
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The world about, seek ye throughout,
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in all things none like other.
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The porter came to hall,
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Told as the old man spake:
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The fiend grew feard withall,
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Her visage waxed black.
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The Bishop gan to spear,
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Wherefore she was on flought;
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Quoth she, my coming here
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My body low hath brought,
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And now this rest doth me molest,
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this mea[?] and tender chear
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It vexeth me. Be blyth, quoth he.
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that will dissolve my dear.
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Go ye, quoth she, and spear,
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If he can right discern
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How far from heaven so clear
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To hell that pit intern;
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Is heaven or earth most high:
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These things if he define
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Perfect as they should be,
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He shall have entress sen:
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For Pilgrims all by their travel,
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have great intelligence;
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And best can tell manifest marvel,
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by their experience,
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The porter came again,
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Askt as he heard record;
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The old man grudged then.
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And said, what ails my Lord,
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He never wont, I wish.
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Hold poor men at the gate,
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Such questions to discuss,
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At dinner when he sate.
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Apparently he hath, said he
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Some strangers which ask thus,
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The porter then told the old man,
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a Lady beautious,
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Quoth hd then dare I say,
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She is the fiend so slie,
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To tempt if that she may,
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My lord with leacherie,
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She seeks him to destroy,
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Since his minority,
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To bring him from that joy,
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Which once he hopes to see
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Such things her sell can lightly tell
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[?]e needs not ask I ween,
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For why she fell from heaven to hel
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and knows how farr between.
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And where she bids you spear,
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Is heaven or earth most hie:
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The earth is highest there
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Through Christs humanity,
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Christ clad with our linage,
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Which is of earth most even,
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Left us hir his spirit in pledge,
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And he surmounteh heaven.
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The porter came and told the same,
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right as the man reply'd,
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The fiend shook sore and might no. more
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these heavenly news abide
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Then wax'd she vile and horrible,
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Her face right fiend like grew
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With smoake most poysonable,
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Out through the window flew,
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Then Pambus fell with dread
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On knees with tears most huge,
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Thanking his God with speed,
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In time that sent refuge.
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Saying, O Lord, true is thy word,
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thou leavest none in distress
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Who hope to see thy kind mercy:
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Such is thy great goodness.
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Then for the man he sent,
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To cause him come and dine:
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But he his way had went.
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They could no[t] find him syn:
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But knew assuredlie
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Is was some wight divine,
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Come in necessity,
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To see he should not pine,
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I leave Pambus now weeping thus
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for his sin sore offended:
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To God therefore be laus and glore,
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and so my song is ended.
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