Charles Davidson — English Mystery Flays. 276 



Before stanza 9. Rybald. Sen fyrst that helle was may de, 



And I was put therein 

 Siche sorow never ere I had, 

 Nor hard I siche a dyn ; 

 My hart begynnys to brade. 

 My wytt waxys thyn, 

 I drede we can not be glad, 

 Thise saules mon fro us twyn. 



With considerable re-arrangement of parts, after the words, " At- 

 tolite," etc., the line, " Out, harro, out! what deville is he." This 

 confusion arises from the rejection of the translation accompanying 

 the Latin lines. 



After line 140. If that brodelle com ne 



With vu ay won he shalle. 



After line 126. David says— Nay, withe hym maj^ ye not fyght, 



For he is kyug- and eonqueroure. 

 in the place of — I lered leuand with-outen lees, 

 He is a kyng of vertues clere. 



After line 130. Of hym commys alle this light 

 That shynys in this bowre. 



x^fter line 136, eight lines are inserted, the last eight of stanza 12 

 having been used earlier. 



How sir Sathanas, com nar 



And hark this cursid rowte ! 

 Sathanas. The deville you all to-har! 



What ales the so to showte ? 



And me, if I com nar 



Thy brayn bot I bryst owte. 

 Belzabub. Thou must com help to spar, 



We are beseged abowte. . 



A transposition of Jesus's speech takes place, and the discarding 

 of the Latin, while the translation is retained — Y gives both — is 

 made the excuse for the introduction of two additional lines. 



And let my folk furthe gone 



Wheder ye wille or none. 



Before stanza 17. Rybald. What art thou that spekys so ? 

 Jesus. A king of blys that hight Jesus. 

 Rybald. Yee, hens fast I red thou go. 

 And melle the not with vs. 

 Belzabub. Oure yates I trow wille last, 

 Thay ar so strong I weyn, 

 Bot if oure barres brast 

 For the thay shalle not twyn. 



Before line 198, in place of— Telle lucifer alle is unlokynne. 



Belsabub exclaims — Harro ! oure yates begyn to crak. 

 In sonder, I trow, they go. 

 And helle, I trow will alle-to-shak ; 

 Alas, what I am wo ! 



The last two additions improve the dramatic quality of the action. 



