Here Sathanas Seased His Prysonners and Byrafte Theym Scrippe and Burdon

Capitulo xliiii

Thenne lyfte hym vp this cursyd Sathanas and byganne to crye `Hyder, hyder fast, cometh on with me, for alle to longe haue we taryed here abydynge this Iugement, and that me sore annoyeth.'

Thenne come there dauncynge forthe a lothely companye with fowle defourmed vysages and grisely of theyr personnes. They floyted and they tabered, they yellyd and they cryed, ioyinge in theyr maner, as semyd by theyr semblaunt. But soothly vnto me and other of my companye hit was the moost peyneful ioye and the mooste encomberous melodye that euer I herde byfore.

Soo come they to theyr pilgrymes, and sayden to theym thus: [35v] `casteth alweye fro yow these scrippes and these burdons, for of youre pylgremage ye haue made an ende. Youre wardeynes ben flowen theyr weyes. Of them gette ye no more comforte. But we wyl done with you ryght as lyketh vs. Goo we fast in to Helle; there shal we fynde a warm duellynge place.

`Now wepeth, yellyth, cryeth, brayeth, as besyly as ye can; there is none other bote. And lete this be youre dyte and youre songe: Alas the careful tyme that euer we were conceyued or in this world y bore for to come to so moche sorowe as we ben now toward. Now auayleth nought vs oure terys ne our wepyng, for oute of this peynful meschyef maye neuer be redempcion ne no manere of comforte.'