Piers Plowman - Maybe You Like It

1.111: "Lucifer with legions lerned it in hevene,
1.112: [And was the lovelokest to loke after Oure Lord (one)]
1.113: Til he brak buxomnesse; his blisse gan he tyne,
1.114: And fel fro that felawshipe in a fendes liknesse
1.115: into a deep derk helle to dwelle there for evere.
1.116: And mo thousandes myd hym than man kouthe nombre
1.117: Lopen out with Lucifer in lothliche forme
1.118: For thei leveden upon hym that lyed in this manere:
1.119: Ponam pedem in aquilone, et similis ero Altissimo.
1.120: And alle that hoped it myghte be so, noon hevene myghte hem
holde,
1.121: But fellen out in fendes liknesse [ful] nyne dayes togideres,
1.122: Til God of his goodnesse [garte the hevene to stekie
1.123: And gan stable it and stynte] and stonden in quiete.
1.124: " Whan thise wikkede wenten out, wonderwise thei fellen —
1.125: Somme in eyr, somme in erthe, somme in helle depe;
1.126: Ac Lucifer lowest lith of hem alle:
1.127: For pride that he putte out, his peyne hath noon ende.
1.128: And alle that werchen with wrong wende thei shulle
1.129: After hir deth day and dwelle with that sherewe;
1.130: Ac tho that werche wel as Holy Writ telleth,
1.131: And enden as I er seide in truthe, that is the beste,
1.132: Mowe be siker that hire soules shul wende to hevene,
1.133: Ther Treuthe is in Trinitee and troneth hem alle.
1.134: Forthi I seye, as I seyde er, by sighte of thise textes —
1.135: Whan alle tresors arn tried, Truthe is the beste.
1.136: Lereth it th[u]s lewed men, for lettred it knoweth —
1.137: That Treuthe is tresor the trieste on erthe.'
1.138: "Yet have I no kynde knowynge,' quod I, "ye mote kenne me bettre
1.139: By what craft in my cors it comseth, and where.'
1.140: "Thow doted daffe!' quod she, dulle are thi wittes.
1.141: To litel Latyn thow lernedest, leode, in thi youthe:
1.141: Heu michi quia sterilem duxi vitam iuvenilem!
1.142: It is a kynde knowynge that kenneth in thyn herte
1.143: For to loven thi Lord levere than thiselve,
1.144: No dedly synne to do, deye theigh thow sholdest —
1.145: This I trowe be truthe; who kan teche thee bettre,
1.146: Loke thow suffre hym to seye, and sithen lere it after;
1.147: For thus witnesseth his word; worche thow therafter.
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