The fifth part of the day of doom (Judgement)

 (Folio 35r)

Speak we now of the day of doom

That of tokens before shall come

Ten things in this men may read

That touches the great day of dread

That some before that day shall be

Some at that day as men shall see

The first is wonder tokens several (sere)

That before that day men shall see here

The second if of fire that shall burn

The world and all that is therein

The third is of the rising general

Of all men both great and small

The fourth is of Christ coming down

To (deme) judge in his proper person

The fifth is of the certain (stede) place

The Christ shall deme both quick and the dead

The sixth is of the form of men

In the which Christ shall show him

The seventh if of accusers many

That sinful be accused openly

The eighth is of the hard reckoning

That they shall yield of their living

The ninth is of men after it they have wrought

Some shall be (demed) judged and some shall not

The tenth is of the doom final

When Christ shall make ending of all

(Folio 35v) Of these shall some fall I say

Some before and some at that day

Before the day shall tokens come

Of which here we may find some

As of Antichrist and his (pouste)

And other that before shall be

Which tokens men shall think hard

As men may here afterward

And who so will advise him well

He may each say hear see and feel

Tokens that men may understand

That some say is his command

For many things that shall have been

Against the ending now are seen

Through which great clerks can (aspye) espy

That towards domesday it fast comes (hye)

Therefore we should make us ready here

As though the day of doom were coming near

Christ�s disciples would have had knowing

Of some taken against his last coming

They spoke to Christ in this manner

In the gospel as you may hear

Dic nobis signum adventus tui et consummacionem seculi et Ihesu Christus dixit eis videte ne quis vos seducat. Multi enim venient in nominee meo et multos seducet.

Said us, cried they of thy coming

Some taken it as of the world�s ending

(Folio 36r) Christ thus answered to them then

(Lukes)Look that you (desayve) deceive no man

For many shall come in my name

That shall say that Christ I am

And many a man they shall beguile

But he shall reign here but a while

Men against men with strength shall rise

And (rewme) realm against realm of the same wise

Pestilence and hunger shall be

And earthquakes in many a country

All this shall be beginning hard

Of sorrows that shall come afterwards

Wickedness shall fell many fools

Charity of many shall waxen cool

These tokens to his disciples told he

That before the worlds end shall be

Some of these have here I been

And some of them shall yet be seen

And first of Antichrist will I say

That shall come before Domesday

After that the destruction shall be

Of the empire of Rome that yet is free

Some times all lands about

Were subject to Rome under (loute) deference

And at certain times given (trowage) tribute

As custom was and usage

All lands most that custom do

As Saint Paul saith thus thereto

(Folio 36v) Quoniam nisi venerit dissencio primum non antea veniet antichristus

He says but first destruction comes

That all lands hold again Rome

So that it be put to destruction

With them that first were in subjection

Er that time Antichrist shall not come

The which shall be before the day of doom

For that time shall no country

In subjection of Rome be

No then shall no man be (bughsome)

No obedient to the Church of Rome

That empire that was so mighty

Is destroyed a great party

But at the last as I said (ore)

It shall be destroyed well more

But the dignity that to it shall fall

Shall not in that time perish all

But it shall dwell without a doubt

In his regions round about

Thus shall the first beginning be at Rome

For it is head of Christendom

When it is put to destruction

All holy church shall be put down

Some clerks say that one shall come

The which shall have the Empire of Rome

All holy and his crown here

Well in peace without were

He shall be the last emperor that shall be

(Folio 37r) And most of all the kings of (pouste)

He shall well maintain his state

And the Empire without debate

And after at the last end

To Jerusalem shall he wend

And on the mount of Olyvette

The sceptre of Rome shall he let

His crown he shall lay down also

And leave them there from there to go

Thus shall end the dignity of Rome

A little before Antichrist�s come

As clerks say that have understanding

Of Daniel and Saint Paul�s saying

Then shall Antichrist�s time begin

That Paul called the man of Sin

Though he be man yet nevertheless

He shall be well of wickedness

The devil�s son he shall be called

But by kind men shall him not sway hold

For his turning from good to ill

The devil�s work he shall fulfil

All the power of the devil in hell

And all his wit shall with him dwell

To Christ contrarius  shall he be

Through pride he shall himself high hold

Above(n) all the planets told

That Iubiter and Mercury

(Folio 37v) And Appolyon and (H)ercule

And he shall hold (heghe) high himself to be

Above(n) the Holy Trinity

That all creatures more or less

Should honour him over all things that is

Sinful shall be his coming

And full wonderful his living

And his ending sudden

Through might of God he shall be slain

In his time shall be much tribulation

More persecution shall be then

Than ever was since the world began

Antichrist is this much to say

As he that is against Christ ay

Then may each man be called by skill

Antichrist that does against God�s will

And all though may be Antichrist called

That against God�s law will hold

By many skills we may some (knawe) know

That much done against God�s law

But Antichrist as saith Holy Writ

Shall come here after it come not yet

The most tyrant without pity

That ever was or ever shall be

Therefore I hold these great misdoers

(Folio 38r) As Antichrists (lymes) lackeys and (forgangers) followers

Now who so will a while dwell

A party here I will him tell

Of the manner of Antichris�s beginning

And of his life and his ending

He shall be (geten) begot clerks tell can

Between sinful man and woman

And after he shall conceived be

The fiend shall end by his (pouste)

In to his mother�s womb a son

A great clerk saith this shall be done

Through his might he shall be forth brought

And wonders by him shall be wrought

He calls the child that shall be lorn

And in Corazin he shall be born

Of a woman of kindred of Dan

Christendom shall he have none

He shall be malicious with envy

Of him thus speaks the prophesy

 

The full text of the fifth book can be found in a newly published book. Details are shown on "The Mediaeval Bookshop" section of this site or can be found by following the link to Amazon below.