How that Sathanas Maketh Protestacion
of Apele to this Iugement

Capitulo xxxix

But this ne suffryd nought easyly this cursyd Sathanas, but hydously began to crye and sayd `Mychael', quod^a he, thou dost here no ryght, but grete wrong and veray [30v] fals treson, that thou sendist here this wretchyd pylgrym in to peyne temporel, that dureth but a space only, for the prayer of this vnthryfty fals Mysericord. Myschaunce mote she haue, for this fals bulle whiche she hath traytourly hyr seluen counterfeted^b outher elles by fals suggestion subtylly purchacyd, sholde lyghtely haue be withseyd yf I must haue hadde tyme & place of audyence. And no doute, yf Iustyce must haue trauayled ther fore, she wold ful soone haue purchacyd a bulle in contrary, outher yf I myghte haue gone, I wold my self haue done it. And wyte it wel, yf my counseyl wyll it, I shal appele fro thy sentence as for very fals and very open wrong.

`Though I the dysplese, yet spare ne wyl I nought, and to the Souerayne Iuge wyl I bryng this cause at the Last Day of General Assyse. And yf ther may be founden in thy iugement ony poynt of errour, he shalle spoylen the thy worshyp and of thy Prouostry with grete shame & shendshyp.

`And certeynly, yf I wyst that it shold be plesaunt to Lucifer my Lord & al the grete counceyl^c of Hell, anon withouten taryeng I wold openly appelle, wherfore I make protestacyon in presence of this Court, that within ten dayes I shal make myn appelle, yf so is that my counceyl assente therto. And wyte it wel, forsothe, that this pylgrym shal no weye passen, that I nyl doo my besynesse to greuen hym yf I may. And euer wyl I ben his enemy euenforth my power.'

Ful sorowful was this Sathanas when he sawe that he ne myght nought acheuen his desyre. And grete anguysshe he hath when ony pylgrym escapeth hym so by iugement.

Here Endeth the First Booke
of the Pylgremage of the Sowle