[BUCH 11.1
ALBON UND AMI’HABEL.
151
Boistous handes, | they feie nothyng,
parde,
>400 Theyr armes longe they make no
diflence,
With theyr defe eares may haue none
audience.
What thynge is worse than yeue
the souerevnte
Of your handwarke to forge fals
ymages,
Defe, blynde and dombe; | vnto whose
deyte
■405 Though ye call ay afforne theyr
visages,
They knowe no-thyng thentent of
your langages;
Of all fyue wyttes they be so de-
fectyfe —
What causeth this | but lacke of soule
and lyfe?
For ho we myght he verrayle in dede
Mio Without felyng of ioye or heuynes
Restore to lyfe folkes that ben deed
Or make them hole that playne of
theyr sykenes?
For all distresse, disceyte or doublenes
Ofworldelymyscheues, soughton eche
partie,
>415 Was fyrst brought in by false ydola-
trye.
A man thaf hath memory of reason,
Whom god hath made lyke to his
ymage,
Is foule blent in his discretion
To fals ydols to knele or do homage.
1420 Wo be to them, ruyne and damage,
Trouble, myschyefe vnto one and all
To suche mawmettry that for helpe
call!“
Whan the paynyms herde and
vnderstode
That they myght not remoue his
conscience
1423) I. forged. 1428) tilge and. 1434) of st.
l 435 From Christ Jesu that dyed vpon
the rode,
For fayre nor foule, | for fauour nor
violence
To do by theyr counsell: and all of
one sentence
A place assigned, lyke theyr opinion,
Shulde at Holmehurst suffre his
passyon.
1430 In theyr opinion by controuersye
Stode at debate, as they were applyed
What maner deth Albon shulde dye
Whiche hath theyr goddes and theyr
secte denyed;
Some of a crosse wolde haue hym
crucyfyed,
1435 Other there were, | that dyd in malice
raue,
Wolde haue hym quicke karued in
his graue,
Some also, aforne or he were deed,
Of false enuie and furyous wodenes
Wolde haue his eien out of his heed:
1440 That he shulde in myschefe of
blyndnes
All desolate and abiecte in darkenes
Folowe his maister with his eien
blynde,
Of auenture tyll he myght hym fynde;
Echeon concludyng that he shall
be deed.
■445 And fynally thus was theyr iugement:
Lad to Holmehurst there smyte of
his heed —
The cruell iuges with paynyms of
assent.
Lyke a lambe ) monges wolfes all
to-rent,
Towarde his detheand pitouspassyon
1450 In cheynes bounde led hym through
the towne,
No fauour shewed, lettyng nor ob
stacle,
on. 1447) I. iuge.
1390) wanhope st. manhode. apeyred. 1394) nothe haue wit ne. 1395) benprevid. 1396) belli. 1398) mow.
1400) may make, defence. 1401) yefe st. haue. 1403) forged mit iibschr. d. 1405) tofore. 1406) langage.
1409) verrely. 1413) For all disseite trouble and. 1414) wordly. in. 1420) rewyne, 1424) remewe-
1426) fauowre ne. 1427) 00. 1429) Holmeherst. his fehlt. 1432) of deth, 1434) on st of. 1435) were««
which, 1436) buriede st karued. 1437) or fehlt. 1438) and;fehlt. 1440) and st. of. 1442) is eyn, 1444) shulde.
1445) this. 1446) ladde vnto H. and ther to s. 1447) iuge. 1448) amonge. 1450) ladde. 1454) cam
