of man was made ech lym The seuenth day god restyd hym For veryhed toke he no rest But for that he chose it day best And bade man that day he in pees And of al werkes to fees Wherfore the Saturday of al The dygnyest day we cal But a tyme shal men se Whan goddys sonne shal man be That he shal dye and after aryse The thyrd day on alwyse Which rysyng day men worshyp shal ay And that shal be the Sonday And after shal men euer calle Sonday the best of al ¶ The CC.ij questyon ¶ Yet wold I wyt more Why slepe was made wherfore SLepe is made for mannys rest Of al thyng one of the best For it esyth the herte namely And myght geuyth to al the body As yf a lorde waken be Wakyd is al his meyne There ne may slepe non of al For to be redy yf he call Tyl he slepe slepe al his Than are they the lyghter in seruys The herte of man the lord call I For it maysteryth al the body And whan it is a slepe anon The lymes rest them euerychon And than al the kyndly hete Of the body geuyth to mete Aboute the stomacke for to brynne And to dygest that ther is with in And than the kynde to hym takys That to hym shal or he wakys And purges hym of that other dele As kynde geuyth hym ful we le Thus gatheryth the body myght And is after stronge and lyght For to do that it shal do That ne ware yf slepe ware not so Therfore hath god the nyght wrought To mannys rest and els nought For payne is none ne no mornyng Unto man agayne wakyng ¶ The CC.iij questyon ¶ Shal euer in this word be Warre and contecte as men now se AT the begynnyng whan there wore Foure men in the world no more Was there warre and enuy And mannys slawghter and felony And it shal neuer seas That the world be al in peas For were the world in peas holly Men myght calle it skylfully Paradyse and els nought For there was neuer no warre wrought But loue peas and charyte And tho may holly here not be But in this world are warres two Goostly and bodely also The goostly warre may no man se Which is of the deuyl and his meyne Nyght and day on man he warres And in al that he may men deres Bodely warre al fyrst began Which is betwyx man and man And that shal neuer to ende torne Untyl it be the day of dome ¶ The CC.iiii questyon ¶ Wrathes god hī ough for mānis dede What ded so he dye good or quede THough god sawe al the world brynne And al the folke dye that are therin And dryed euerydele the see In god shold no wreth be In hym may be no euyl mode For nothyng of this worldes good Mannes dede deryth god no more What dede so he dyes no whore Than it doth the fyre to brynne A hylle that many auntes were in The payne that they fele in brennyng Ne derys them for no kynges thyng No more doth god soth to sey What tyme aman shal here dey No surar thyng than is the dede But of the tyme can no man rede And for that what tyme he dey shal God greuyth hym nothyng with al But sythen man wot no prow Whan he shal dey ne how Loke he be redy ay I rede Than shal hym not the dede drede ¶ The CC.v. questyon ¶ Which folke are it as thou wetes That the world now most susteynes FOure maner of folke there are That were it so that they ne ware The world myght not vp holden be Ne fare so wel as we now se One than are thes men of crafte That lerne other that are dafte Conyng theyr lyuelod for to wynne And god to serue without synne Another are tho that tyl the lande And wynne vs mete and drynke to hande The thryde are lordes that peas kepe For in peas may men suerly slepe If peas were not there were great doute To lyue or eny wher walke aboute The fourth maner of folke than are Chapmen that about fare Fro feyre to feyre fro lande to lande And bryng that men do wande And shuld defaute haue of it also Dyd not chapmen gyue them therto Wherfore the world with out thys Mought be kept on none wyse ¶ The CC.vij. questyon ¶ Whether is hyer as y u doyst vndarstād The kynge or the lawe of the lande LAwe is of more antyquyte Than kyng or prynce may be And yf thou wylt wyt why I shal the tel apertly The name of kynge or emperour Is geuyn for worldly honour And it fallyth to his myght The lawe for to kepe aryght Than is kynge for lawe set To kepe that lawe be not let Than is lawe more than he For to do lawe hath he potence For a thyng y t ordayned is For another than semys thys That he that it is dyght for Of them two is the more And yf the kynge for lawe be Than is lawe more than he Yet shal I say the a nother sawe If the kynge do agayne the lawe Lawe shal hym deme with skyl and ryght Than is lawe aboue his myght And breke he lawe in eny thyng He is not worthy to be kynge Truly here after shal come one A kyng that shal hyght Salomon In his sawes say shal he Blessyd mote they al be That shal in this world rounde Do iustyce and ryght in euery stounde ¶ The CC.viij questyon ¶ May man in ony manere Ony worldly good haue here That he ouer al may with hym bere And the weyght hym not dere AMan in this world may haue Good hym eneywhere for to saue And helpe hym at his nede And euer he may it with hym lede That is conyng of some arte Which wyl not fro man parte Who so hath hym nedyth not to drede For it wyl hym both cloth and fede Bettar tresour neuer no man wan Than is conyng vn to man And whyther so aman wyl go He may it bere with out wo And here vnto none of his Wherfore shal Salomon the wyse Say as aman wel be taught That wyt and wysdome is worldys aught The CC.ix. questyon ¶ If two haue loue to gether stronge And after are a sonder longe And come to gether ought one whore May they loue so as they dyd before LOue betwyx frendes twey That onys is ne shuld not dey And yf that they in sonder be That eyther other longe not se And they to gether come efte The loue y t was before lefte Before that they in sondre wore May come agayne and ryght wel more As thou in a garden mayst se Standyng a wel lykyng tre And the gardynar behaue hym so That he take no hede therto To mucke and tyl and els it dyght It myscaryeth anon ryght Losyng his wel lykyng For it zemyd is nothyng But whan the gardynar it sees That it fayleth among other trees Hede agayne therto he takys And
dayes he dyd let them reste The fourth daye he dyd them caull And they before hym were come all ¶ Lordynges he sayd I shall tell you now For what cause I haue sent for you I am the most kynge I wysse That vnder the sonne rysynge is All the kynges of this countrye At my cōmaundment truly be Excepte Garaab the kynge That in ynde is raynynge He contraryes my commaundment And not comys to my parlyament And hym wolde I fayne compell But howe in his lāde to enter I cannot tell But men haue cowselyd me For to make there a cytye Masons and stone I thyther brought And seuen moūthes there as they wrought Ryght in the entre of his lande For to meke hym to his hande And all that they on daye wrought At nyght turned all to nought And yf Garaab hath perauenture herde Of our worke how it farede He wyll saye I haue no myght A tower in his land for to dyght Therfore your wyttes here on laye Prayeng you that ye me saye How I maye after my wyll This tower and the cytye fulfyll For I had leuer a venged to be Of Garaab that despysyth me Than y e name of all the world to bere And by my god I you swere That I shall soone for your dede Quyte rychely your mede ¶ Syr quod they we you promyse That tower suerly for to furnyshe So that ye shall a vengyd be And haue your mynde of the cytye And you vs respyte geue Fourty dayes by your leue Tyll we our arte haue ouer sene How your tower shall be made a gayne And we shall do our myght To make it stonde daye and nyght A place he causyd made redy to be With vernaunt flowers and many a tree And with freyshe water of the ryuer He commaundyd on all goodly maner That they were serued rychely That daye as his owne body Astronomers ther voare many one in fee That were the eldest men of that countryt And they wrought dylygently in theyr arte Euery one by hym selfe on his parte And whan the fourty dayes ware gone They came before the kynge anone He askyd them how they had wrought Syr quod they take you no thought Be you glade and mery also For you shall all your mynd come to Within a xiiij nyghtes ye shall se Therfore let your masons redy be Suche atyme as we shall you saye Stones vppon the tower to laye And loke that they be than redy And we all wyll be there by Full greatly thanked them the kynge And moche ioye had he of theyr sayenge ¶ Than came the daye that they had set The masons were all redy fet And the maysters wente with all To se them that worke shall With greate ioye they be gunne And wrought as longe as they had sonne Whan that the nyght came at the laste They wente home to make repaste And they lefte vpon the worke all nyght Great plenty truly of candell lyght They went all home at nyght tyme And came ageyne the nexte daye be pryme The kynge was the nexte daye wod Whan he sawe his worke not stode All the tresure that he had vp layed In ydylnesse it is consumyd he sayed And he anon cauled before hym the clerkes And sayed are thes your good werkes That you haue caused me for to do By the god that I beleue on and loue also Quyte I shall all your dede And for your werkes ye shall haue mede Bynde them fote and hande Thes wordis were spred a brode in his lāde And so they were in pryson cast Therin kepte without fauor fast ¶ Ferof this towre the voyce rane And vnto Garaab at lenght it came Whan he it herde great ioye he had And in his herte he was full glade A letter he made to kyng Boccus And sent it by hym that spake thus I Garaab of ynde kynge To the Boccus sendes gretynge We haue vnderstondyng well Of thy worke and thy wyll euerydele Of the Cytye thou woldest dyght But thou hast theyrto no myght Neyther by arte nor by engyn For to brynge it to a fyne But wylt thou sende me to my fere Thy doughter that to the is so dere And I shall gyue the leue thereto To make that thou desyrest so This came to Boccus the kynge All in skorne and in mockynge Boccus thought his herte shulde blede Whan he herde the letters rede And was so wode with that answere That by and by he slewe the messyngere Than dyd he in his lande crye Yf there ware eny lowe or hye That cowde hym cownsell of that thynge How he myhht brynge it to endynge That cytye with the tower He shulde with great honoure Gyue hym his doughter vnto wye With halfe his tresure in his lyfe Well two dayes after this crye The kynge sat full drerely For he wyste not what to do Than came an olde man hym to And sayd syr I shall not craue Your doughter nor your tresure to haue But yf you wyll do me good I shall wytsafe to amende your mode And shew who shall on hym take Your tower and cytye for to make ¶ The kynge anon swore by his god That he loued and trusted in euer more He shulde so quyt his seruyse That it shulde lyke hym and all his Syr he sayed this is beste to do Sende the kynge Tractabar vnto And praye hym for your seruyse That he you lende in eny wyse The boke of Astronomye That Noe had with hym in balye By an Aungell was made that boke And Noe to one of his sonnes it toke And so hath it gone I tell you That Tractabar hath it now Praye hym also you to lende And with that boke hastely to sende His astronomer Sydrac Whiche shall vndo all the hole pac All your wyll shall sone be do Yf Sydrac come you ones to Anon the kynge dyd letters make And to a messynger he dede them take And vnto Tractabar them sent Withe a full ryche and good present Desyryng hym very curtesly His boke and Sydrac to sende shorty ¶ Whan Tractabar that messengere Had receyued with louynge there Sayeng you are ryght welcome to me Grete ioye I haue that I nou se My lorde and my frende Boccus To sende me louyng letters thus A boke to sende hym he prayes me That in olde tyme had Noe That boke can fulfyll his wyll Of a thynge that lyes beryed in a hyll That who so myght come them to He myght an his wyll do My father wente vp to that hyll But he myght neuer come ther tyll But Boccus is of moche myght And he wyll with them fyght That vpon that hyll wonne He shall haue his wyll sone He sent hym his boke and Sydrac And a letter that thus spake Unto our lorde and frende The kynge Boccus vnto we sende Whom kynge Garaab getteth well And certyfyeth that we haue euery dele Accordyng your mynde we sende you to Our boke and our clarke also And thanke ye moche of your sendynge A glade man
was Boccus tho Whan Sydrac before hym cam truly He toke hym by the hande ryght gladly And tolde hym euery dele of his case And how to hym it befallen was ¶ Syr quod Sydrac that lande I wysse Euery dele be weched is There shall nere man spede Upon that lande to do no dede That therof shall come eny prosperyte Excepte theyr wychecrafte vndoune be And I shall it redely vnbynde ¶ I thaÌ„k the quod the kyng for thy wordes ¶ Syr kynge quod Sydrac we fynde In this â—osse that was Noes â—ynde That an aungel came hym to From his god that sent hym tho And tolde hym that he myght fynde An hyll fare in the lande of ynde That called is the grene rauens hyll And hath that name for this skyll Whan Noe the rauen sent Out of the arke verament To proue yf there apered eny grounde But he fell on careyn that he founde And wolde not truly come awaye The dowe vpon another daye Fownd lande and came ageyne blyue With a branche of grene olyue That hyll is of length as we rede Foure ioyrneys and thre of brede People ther dwelleth of strange chere Made of body as we are here But theyr vysages for to se on Are as houndes euerychon By the lawe of femynne as it tellys Lyes it there no man in dwellys On that hyll such frutfulnese is That .xij. M. herbes there growys Foure thowsand may good do Foure thowsand are yuel to The thyrd thowsand who theÌ„ vnderstode May do nether yuell ne good Seuen maner waters there are on And all they gather in tyl one The dewes the herbes cause to sprynge And yf you wyll haue your entendynge Fynde menys the herbes to wynne And than may you neuer blynne To do all that your wyll is And ouercome your enemys The kynge made ioy whan he herde this And swore so euer haue I blys His tresure and goddes to lose all But thos herbes haue I shall ¶ Redely on the thyrde daye He with great company went his waye Unto the hyll warde they made spede And Sydrac with them dyd lede The thyrtene daye come they tyll A vale at the fote of the hyll There taryed they thre dayes The fourth daye to y e hyll toke theyr wayes But the people that dwelled there Hard that they come were Anon agayne them went boldly And dyd bet them backe manfully Unto the vale ageyne they tourned And fyften dayes so they iourned And than went they to the hyll ageyne Truly with all theyr mayne And fought with them full hardely But they ware dyscomfortyd fouly Unto the dale ageyne they went And after great succoure they sent Whan they come they dyd them spede Ageyne that they ware at that dede And than they that on the hyll wore They dyd dyscomforte for euer more And viij dayes they dwellyd styll Hauynge all the hyl at wyll ¶ Boccus was hethen and knew nought God that heuyn wrought He beleuyd all in ydolatre And in false ymagere Sydrac beleuyd in the Trynyte Kepynge his coÌ„maundment with dylygeÌ„se The kynge where he yede His mammetes with hym dyd lede And vpon the eyghtene daye Upon the hyll where they lay Theyr warre clene don The kynge made redy a pauylyon And his goddes forth fet Eche one in his place was set There ware they set in molde Both of syluer and golde And amonge them there was one Rychest of them euerychone Of golde and syluer comly to se Hyest amonge them stode he Most had in honoure Amonge all that there wore Bestes the kynge forth gan call To make sacryfyce with all He toke Sydrac by the hande With other lordes of his lande To the pauylyon they went The bestes ware there present A shepe very fat he toke truly Kyllynge hym with his knyfe deuoutly Before hym that so hye stode And offeryd to hym the blode And euery one slewe at the last And aboute the pauylyon them cast ¶ Sydrac wondered in his thought And markyd sadly what they wrought ¶ Kynge Boccus sayd Sydrac vp ryse And vnto our god make sacryfyse ¶ Sydrac answeryd with great yre And sayd that shall I neuer syre Sacryfyse shall I make hym to Heuyn and erth that made also Both ayer element sonne and the se And all that therin be Also that made both Adam and Eue He is the god that I on beleue ¶ The kynge was wrothe there he stode And askyd hym in his mode What canyst thou by my goddes say Are they not good and all thynges may ¶ Nay quod Sydrac trust me to They are wycked and false also And the deuyl in them dwellynge is Craftely that begyleth the I wys And all that honoure to them make But I cownsel you them forsake For a bad god I hym suppose That cannot amannys herte dysclose I had leuer to dethe be tourmentyd Or of me they shulde be honoryd ¶ The kynge was wrothe of his sayeng And caused his goddes forth to bryng And whan they were before hym brought He sayd Sydrac dysdayne nought Sacryfyse to do anone Before so rych a god as this is one Syr he sayd my sacryfyce Shall be to god that hye iustyce That made man and man not hym But this is the deuelys lym The deuyl of them thanke takyth That vnto hym honour makyth Therfore they be refusyd of me All thes mahowndes that ye here se Now was the kynge moued sore That his goddes despysed wore And sayd to Sydrac tell thou me Thy god how callyd is he ¶ Syr he sayd I shall tell ywys On god a goostly substance is And the aungels of heuyn lyght That are so noble and so bryght Passynge the sonne in manyfolde Hauynge great ioy on hym to beholde ¶ The kynge than callyd two of his That ware in his lawe counted wyse For to dyspute with Sydrac But he cast them sone abacke And ouercome all theyr reson Ryght in opyn dysputacyon ¶ Praye thou than quod they thy god vnto And we wyll to ours also Trustynge to haue tokenynge Who shall sonyst haue his askynge And loke how that we shall fare In this wylde countre where we are Anone they all forth wente And helde a great parleamente Than was there one that spake ¶ I shall tel you this Sydrac That causyth y e kyng this werke to begyne And brought vs here it for to wyne Without hym may it nought Our purpose to ende be brought And through his enchauntmente Our god with fyre hath brente Neuerthelesse I rede that we Counsel that he delyuered be And whan we haue that we haue sought And in to our countre agayne brought Hauynge our purpose on our enemyes Than shall the kynge by my aduyse Cause hym hanged and drawen to be By cause to our god he hath do felone ¶ All assentyd to that conclusyon And made to the kynge of it relacyon ¶ Anone the kynge chose hym ten Of his most sagyest wyse men And byd them to Sydrac goo Sayenge that the kynge was woo That he
sake ¶ The CCC.xviij questyon ¶ Came fro y t other world euer eni thiÌ„ng That of helle or heuyn told tydyng MAny haue come ageyne here Good men that with god were The folke to counsel and telle Both of heuyn and of helle Y t ware good men here before Of whom that we yet haue lore They wrote in bokes what was wrought By cause men shulde for get it nought The great ioy that is in heuen That no tong in erth may reken And the great payne of helle That they haue that therin dwelle This told adamys sonne Abel Seth and Enocke also wel Noe and Melchysedech also And other prophytes set therto Throughe goddys coÌ„maundment They are hyther ageyne sent That is to say theyr techyng Throughe which we haue knolegeyng Of heuyn and helle both Wel is he that they roth ¶ The CCC.xix questyon ¶ Shal aman eny thyng sey Whan he shal to slepe hym ley AMan that beleuyth in god aryght And kepyth his wyl at his myght WhaÌ„ he to slepe doth lay hiÌ„ doune He shal say this oryson Lord god of myght most To the be take I my goost Thou kepe it lord and it defende From encombrance of the fende From hym lord thou me clere That he me neuer dere Haue mercy on me heuyn kyng And graunt me lord my askyng And than slepe he hardely With out drede of thy enemy ¶ The CCC.xx. questyon ¶ Of al batayle that is in lande Which is the strongest to withstande BAtayle strongar wor I nought Whan that I haue al be thought Than is temptacyon of the deuyl None that doth aman more euyl Other batayls sees some day But the deuyls fondyng lastyth ay Slepe man or wake he where so he be That batayle may he euyl fle And be he neuer so stedfast Yet wyl the deuyl hym cast a cast And man may not fle of the stede But with fastyng or some holyhede And be cause that warre is euer on one Therfore strengar wot I none ¶ The CCC.xxj questyon ¶ How lyeth a chyld tel me this ¶ In the mothers wombe whan it is A chyld throughe goddys grace Hath in the mothers wombe aspace In a chambyr one of the seuen Of the matryce that of men be callen And the fystes soth to saye Lye be fore the eyen twaye And great ioy they haue and reioysyng There they lye and lykyng And they wold neuer more Come in other stede than thore But whan they are here comen And the ayre of this worlde haue taken Than wold they not be there agayne ¶ The CCC.xxij questyon ¶ Tel me now of wynes tyte Why some is rede and some whyte NOe was the fyrst man That euer vyne to plant began Fourthy plantes he gathered and fette That ware in fourthy dayes sette Euery day two in erth he dyght One on day a nother on nyght Tho that the day ware sette vpon Unto the sonne on it shon For hete of sonne that shon than Of goddys grace tho rede becam And that in erth on nyght dyd lay Whan the sonne was a way For nyghtes keelth that felle theron Be came whyte euerychone Wherfore are the red hottar wele Than the whyte agreat dele ¶ The CCC.xxiij questyon ¶ Haue foules beastes eny spekyng Or vnderstandyng of eny thyng OF beast or foule shalt thou none fynde That hath language in his kynde Of al beastes men recken can Hath none language but man Foules and beastes crye by dene But they wot neuer what they mene Whan that one makyth a crye That other herys redely And cryeth ageyne by and by But what they mene wot not they Al that euer they cry and do Of kynd is and vsage also Which kynde hath god them dyght For man shal ouer them haue myght ¶ The CCCxxiiij questyon ¶ Whether helpeth the sowle more That aman doth here before Or that men after do for hym Whan that he is deed and dym BOth helpes man in nede But both are not of one mede For yf a man goyng be In a daâ—knesse there he may not se And a â—anthorne go hym before Therof hath he lyght wel more Than thoughe be hynd folowed two For for them myght he mysgo Also a man that doth good here As long as he may hym selfe stere Therof hath the sowle more mede Than for such two after dede Many men haue that rede To do for them whan they are deed Whan hym selfe may haue it no more The lesse thanke he is worthy therfore Wold he for goddys loue it dele Whyle that he ware in hele Than went before hym the lyght To lede hym the wey a ryght ¶ The CCC.xxv questyon ¶ Fysshes that swym here and thore In water slepe they neuer more FIsshes that are in the see Or in ryuer whether it be Haue theyr eyen bryght within And to and fro they euer swym It is not of theyr kynd the ryght That they slepe other day or nyght If they be wery they wyl rest A whyle where them thynketh best And yf they felt the ayre also As we or foules or beastes do That aboue erth wone Of kynd shuld they slepe ful sone ¶ The CCC.xxvj questyon ¶ Of al that in the world be The fayrest foule which thynketh the IF al the foules y t god hath wrought Wore in to one place brought And stode al vpon a flocke The fayrest of al were the cocke And he hath thynges thre That in none other may men se On his hede he beryth a crowne And spore vpon his shanke downe And god hath geuen hym the myght To know the howrs of day and nyght The cocke is gelous ouer his wyfe And oft for her makyth stryfe And he shuld haue defaut of mete Or his wyfe yf he myght ought gete And yf he dwelled in felde also Or in wod as other do Al the foules that before hym wore Reuerence shuld here them thore And for his fayrnesse haue of hym awe Than is he fayrest with lawe ¶ The CCC.xxvii questyon ¶ Which is the fayrest beast that is And that aman myght not mys HOrs is the fayrest beast in lande Stalworthyest and made to hande With horses oft lordes gete Lande and lyfe drynke and mete Horses in harow and in ploughe In cart and euerywhore good I noughe Horses bere men to and fro There they on fote myght not go Wherfore is he best and fayrest And vnto mannys behoue the best ¶ The CCC.xxviij questyon ¶ Tel me now yet thynges mo The fayrest horses which are tho HOrses in the world are many one But not al shapen after one He that wel shapen shal be Behouyth to haue this properte Foure thynges long behouyth hym to And foure thynges short also And foure thynges large somedele Than is he horse shapen ful wele Longe shankes and longe hals Long tayle and long rybbes al 's Foure short thynges is no lake Hede ere 's pastors and backe Foure large thynges come there nest Mouth nostrels croupe and brest And
dey ¶ The people drew themself bake All that were angre with Sydrac They chose fouer men of the host That wysest were and coude most For to hold dysputacyon Ageyne Sydrac and his reson Thes fouer before the kynge went And sayd to hym with one assent This wich with his wichcraft lewdly Hath you mouyd gretly Syr let hym come forth now And we shall dyspute with hym before you ¶ So it come to pase at the last And to dyspute they began fast They shewed hym theyr fals lawe ¶ And he vndyd it on a rawe He destroyed with good reson All theyr fals and peruert opynyon Wrothe a way than gan they tourne For agayne hym cowd they not spourne Whan they ouercome wore And they myght do no more They went anon forth and fet Of starke venom a gobet And came to Sydrac there he stode And sayd thou seyst thy god is good Daryst thou in the name of hym Drynke this gobet of venym For if he be trew and strong also To the it can no velony do ¶ By god Sydrac that that you wene May not a vayl you a bene ¶ Uenom of adder nor of snake That eche in goddys name take May greue me ryght nought Gyue it hyther that ye haue brought ¶ The venom in his hande toke he That all the people about myght se Ye that to my god trust not to Anon shall se what he can do He dranke that venom anon ryght And was hole sownde and lyght All the people that there gadered was Had great wonder at that caas ¶ The kynge was full glad therefore And sayd to all that there wore Had Sydracis god not myghty byn He had brust that we had it syne And thes four that dyd hym spyte Thought he wold a be deed quyte ¶ Whan the deuyll was out lepyd Of his great god that he was in crepyd He and his felowes also In to other goddes dyd go And they all at the last Uppon the kynge a cry dyd cast And sayd Boccus thou had lost thy wyt To play now this folysh tyt To change thy old lawe And to trust in this withes sawe Us thou hast now forsakyn And to a wychcrafte the takyn And we shall forsake the None of vs thy frend wyll be Thy sacryfyce we shall forsake On thy goddes we shall do wrake All thy bestes we wyll slo And helpe ageyne the thy fo We shall also hast blyue Out of thy kyngdom the to dryue All thy chyldern sle we shall And other of thy kyne with all And thy self with soth to sey On euyl deth shall cause to dey But thou wilt slake all this And beleue styll in thy blys Reuoke all that thou hast sayd And all that thy hert is on layed And breke yender pot in two His wichcraft for to vndo And the water at the last Unto thy howndes thou cast Seyng that Sydrac doth not blynne This wo to bryng the in THe kynge all that wer thore Of this thyng wonderyd sore And a masyd were sumdele ¶ Sydrac that beheld full well And sayd syr dysmay ye noght On god of heuyn be thy thought Let the deuyll haue no intrese The with his engyn to refreshe For thou shalt se anon ryght That I shall destroy hym and his myght A betyll in his his hande he toke And to the false goddes he it shoke He stode and sayd all on hye In his name that is almyghty I shall you breke this uery day And the deuyll dryue away With his betyll he layd vpon And brake the ydols euerychone Whan the deuyll saw nomore That his dwellynge myght be thore He and all his company Began then from thens to hye And an hydyous cry they cast Whan the ydols were all to brast An erthquake dyd they make anone So that y e folke thought euerychone That the yerth sanke downe went Thunder and lyghtenyng also they sent Hayle and rayne also there wore That made the folke abasshed sore And the kynge of all the host Was abasshed all the moost ¶ Sydrac sawe the kynge in drede Anon he vnto hym dyd yede And sayd syr dyscomfort ye nought Goddys myght that all hath wroght Is stronger than the deuyl of hell And that thou shalt perseue well Therfore dred not but comfort the Ouer vs shall sone his grace be Downe came than an aungell bryght All abowt hym mych lyght ¶ And sayd Sydrac take with thyn handys The water that in the pot standys On the fouer corners of the how 's it cast As long as eny of it doth last In the name of the Trynyte Betokenyd of the stakys thre Bete together fast the two And the deuyll shall fle there fro ¶ Sydrac dyd as he hym bad And fayer wether anon they had An other aungel they sawe commyng Beryng aswerd all brennyng And smot the deuyll and hym dyd shent And thos ydols all to brent All the folke that there wore And wold not be conuertyd before Whan they had sene that syght They turned vnto god anon ryght ¶ Boccus the kynge whan he that sauh Alytel he began to lawgh In his hert he was full iocound And askyd Sydrac in that stound ¶ Leue Sydrac and tell now me What syngnyfy the stakes thre And the pot of erth also That thou the water dydyst put into And why thou so the water dyd cast And bet to gyther the stakes fast ¶ Syr he sayd the stakes thre Do sygnyfye the Trynytye Father and sonne and holygoost That ar one god as thou well knowest By the erthen pot I take This world that god of erth dyd make The thre Rakys the pot vp bar God it syngnyfyeth be thou well ware The water that in the pot was don Syngnyfyeth playnly goddys sonne That in this world shall borne be Of a fayr vyrgyn puer and fre And that sonne shall all with ryght Destroy the deuyll and his myght Uppon a crosse he shall be done And dye about the tyme of none In erth shall he buryed without fayl be And ryse vp within dayes thre Through that dede shall he call Adam and verely his frendes all Out of wo and of theyr mornfull care That now in the deuyllys handes are The water that I at the last About on the fouer corners dyd cast Betokenys fouer men that shall tho In fouer sydes of the world shall go That many a man shall suerly wyte Euery one his boke shall wryte By the whiche they confownde shall The deuyl and his power all The stakes that I together smot Made gret benne as ye it wot That was in tokyn of them tho That with goddys sonne shall go And shall his dyscypyls also be They shall preche the Trynyte And the noyse of them shall wende Ouer all to the worldes ende For they shall to the people preche And the ryght beleue them teche That man had better not be borne That it despysyth for he is forlorne And thos that ar in ryght beleue Goddys sonne shall