Satan in the habit of a Monk.
I go, I come, I travel night and day,
I beat my brains, that by no kind of way
My labour be in any wise misspent.
Reign God aloft above the firmament,
The earth at least to me doth wholly draw,
And that mislikes not God nor yet his law.
As God by his in heaven is honoured:
So I on earth by mine am worshipped.
God dwells in heaven, and I on earth likewise:
⟨p. 8⟩God maketh peace, and I do wars devise.
God reigns above, and I do reign below:
God causeth love, and I do hatred sow.
God made the starry skies and earthy clods:
I made much more: for I did make the gods.
God served is by Angels full of light:
And do not my fair Angels glister bright?
I trow there is not one of all my swine,
Whose groin I make not goldlike for to shine
These lechers, drunkards, gluttons overfed,
Whose noses shine fair tipped with brazil red,
Which wear fine precious stones upon their
Are my upholders & my Cherubins. (skins,
God never made a thing so perfect yet,
That could the makers full perfection hit.
But I have made, (whereof I glory may)
A thousand worser then my self far way.
For I believe and know it in my thought,
there's but one God, & that my self am nought.
But yet I know there are whose foolish mind
I have so turned quite against the kind,
That some (which now is common long ago)
Had lever serve a thousand gods than one▪
And others have conceived in their brain,
That for to think there is a God is vain.
Thus since the time the man on mould was made,
With happy luck I followed have this trade
⟨p. 9⟩And follow will (come loss or come there gain)
So long as I this habit may maintain,
I say this habit wherewithal as now
The world is unacquainted: but I vow
The day shall come it shall be known so rife,
Of every wight, both child, yea man, and wife,
That neither town nor village shall scape free
From seeing it to their great misery.
O cowl, o cowl, such mischief thou shalt work,
And such abuse shall underneath thee lurk
At high noon days: O Cowl, o Cowl I say,
Such mischief to the world thou shalt convey,
That if it were not for the spitefulness,
Wherewith my hart is fraughted in excess:
Even I my self the wretched world shall rue,
To see the things that shall through thee insew.
For I, than who, of all none worse can be,
Am made yet worse by putting on of thee.
Satan in the habit of a Monke.
I goe, I come, I trauell night and day,
I beate my braynes, that by no kind of way
My labour be in any wise misspent.
Reigne God aloft aboue the firmament,
The earth at least to me doth wholly draw,
And that mislikes not God nor yet his lawe.
As God by his in heauen is honored:
So I on earth by myne am worshipped.
God dwells in heauen, and I on earth likewize:
⟨p. 8⟩God maketh peace, and I doe warres deuize.
God reignes aboue, and I doe reigne belowe:
God causeth loue, and I doe hatred sowe.
God made the starrie skies and earthy clodds:
I made much more: for I did make ye godds.
God serued is by Angells full of light:
And doe not my faire Angells glister bright?
I trow there is not one of all my swine,
Whose grooyn I make not goldlike for to shine
These lechours, drunkards, gluttons ouerfedd,
Whose noses shine faire tipt with brazell redd,
Which weare fine precious stones vppon their
Are my vpholders & my Cherubins. (skinnes,
God neuer made a thing so perfect yit,
That could the makers full perfection hit.
But I haue made, (whereof I glory may)
A thowsand worser then my selfe farre way.
For I beleue and know it in my thought,
therz but one God, & that my self am nowght.
But yit I know there are whose foolish mind
I haue so turned quite against the kind,
That some (which now is commō long agone)
Had leuer serue a thowsand gods than one▪
And others haue conceiued in their brayne,
That for to thinke there is a God is vayne.
Thus since ye time ye man on mowld was made,
With happy lucke I followed haue this trade
⟨p. 9⟩And follow wil (come losse or come there gain)
So long as I this habit may mainteine,
I say this habit wherewithall as now
The world is vnacquainted: but I vow
The day shall come it shall be knowne so rife,
Of euery wight, both child, yea man, and wife,
That nother towne nor village shall scape free
From seeing it to their great miserie.
O cowle, o cowle, such mischef thou shalt wurk,
And such abuse shall vnderneath thee lurke
At high noone daies: O Cowle, o Cowle I say,
Such mischief to the world thou shalt conuey,
That if it were not for the spitefulnesse,
Wherewith my hart is frawghted in excesse:
Euen I my selfe the wretched world shall rew,
To see ye things that shall through thee insew.
For I, than who, of all none worse can be,
Am made yit worse by putting on of thee.