The Harrowing of Hell

Publication Statement:

This file is part of the facsimile-edition of the Auchinleck Manuscript was co-edited by Professor David Burnley and Dr Alison Wiggins. The HTML versions of the resource are freely available at http://www.nls.uk/auchinleck/

Notes:

This manuscript file was originally supplied as harrow.html and the header file was located in heads/harrow_head.html both of which were converted to TEI XML by Dr James Cummings of the Oxford Text Archive. The notes below were taken from the header file and each HTML paragraph placed in a separate note.

Scribe 1

Short couplets. Speeches assigned to personages by name. 200 lines, omitting stub and Latin speech labels. Begins and ends imperfect. The first 18 line-ends on f.35rb are additional to the version in MS Harley 2253 and probably indicate a different preface occupying about two and a half columns. At least 75 lines lost.

Probably written in the E. Midlands during the second half of the 13th century.

Two other manuscripts:
Bodleian Library MS 1687 (Digby 86). c.1275. 250 lines. Digby 86 also has in common with Auchinleck: The Sayings of St Bernard, How Our Lady's Sauter was First Found and The Thrush and the Nightingale.
BL Harley MS 2253. c.1310. W. Midlands (Ludlow). 248 lines. Harley 2253 also has in common with Auchinleck: the Alphabetical Praise of Women and The Sayings of St Bernard.

Edition:
W. H. Hulme, The Middle English Harrowing of Hell, EETS ES 100 (London: Trübner, 1907; reprinted 1961).

Other editions:
H. Varnhagen, Praemissa est Editionis Criticae Retustissimi quod Sermone Anglico Conscriptum est Dramatis Pars Prior (Erlangen, 1898). (Facsimiles of all MSS).
D. Laing, Owain Miles (Edinburgh: Privately printed, 1837).

Manual II, 449; 641. Index 185; 1258.

Source:

The Auchinleck Manuscript (NLS Adv MS 19.2.1) is one of the National Library of Scotland’s greatest treasures. Produced in London in the 1330s, it provides a unique insight into the English language and literature that Chaucer and his generation grew up with and were influenced by. It acquired its name from its first known owner, Lord Auchinleck, who discovered the manuscript in 1740 and donated it to the precursor of the National Library in 1744.

The Harrowing of Hell


... mare . [f.35vb] [Image]
... helle fare [Stub. Lineation commences from f.36ra]
... helle
...es duelle
...e
... pine
...den man
...e adam
...emmed was
... þe glas
...ouȝt for his
... was his
... born
...ar for lorn
... in erþe here
...e half ȝere
...ow
...n
...de
...nde
... pointe
... be
...e
...te
... come
... sone
...e
...e
...g
... crist
...m
... ȝaue
Vntil crist loked þaim vnto, [f.36ra] [Image]
As man auȝt to prisouns do;
He liȝted out of his heiȝe tour
Into seynt Mari bour;
He was born for our misdede[5]
In þis world in pouer wede,
In þis world he suffred dede,
For to deliuer ous fram þe qued.
Þan Ihesu hadde spilt his blod
For our sinnes on þe rode,[10]
He nam him þe riȝt way
Vnto helle for soþe to say.
Þan he com þer þan seyd he
As y schal now telle þe.
dominus ait.
‘Hard gates haue y gon[15]
& suffred pines mani on;
Þritti winter & þridde half ȝere
Haue y wond in lond here;
Almast is so michel gan
Seþþen y bicom first man;[20]
Seþþen haue y fond & wist
Hot & cold, hunger & þrest.
Man haþ don me schame & þouȝ
Wiþ word, wiþ dede & michel wouȝ;
Þai tok me wiþouten sake,[25]
Þai bond min honden bihinde mi bac,
Þai bete me til y ran on blode,
Þai dempt me to hong on rode;
Alle for Adams sinne, ywis,
Þan haue y þoled þis.[30]
Adam þus dere haue y bouȝt,
& þou no louedest me neuer nouȝt;
Adam y haue bouȝt ful sare
& y wil suffre it na mare.
Today y schal bring of pine,[35]
Adam, þe & alle þine.’
satanas dixit.
‘Who is þat ich here þare?
Y rede þat he spek namare,
For he may so michel do
Þat he schal comen ous vnto[40]
For to ben our fere
& loke hou we playen here.’
dominus ait.
‘Þou may wele wite mi play [f.36rb] [Image]
Þat min wil y haue oway;
Wele þou wost wat ich am:[45]
More þan þritti winter is gan
Þat þou hast frained me
For to wite what y be;
Seþþen fondestow neuer nan
Wiþ me as wiþ anoþer man,[50]
& þou wost wele forþan
Þat ich am more þan ani man.
Þou schalt wite þis ich day
Þat y schal haue min oway,
& y schal þe leue here[55]
In sorwe among þine fere.’
satanas dixit.
‘Par ma fay! ich hald mine,
Al þat ben hereinne;
Wiþ resoun wil y telle þe
Þat þerogain may þou nouȝt be;[60]
Þat me bihoueþ haue & hald
& wiþouten ende wald,
For whoso biggeþ aniþing,
It owe to ben his wiþouten lesing;
Adam hungri come me to,[65]
Manred y made him me to do;
For an appel þat y ȝaf him
He is min & al his kin.’
dominus ait.
‘Satanas’ he seyd ‘it was min,
Þe appel þat þou ȝaf him;[70]
Þe appel & þe appel-tre,
Boþe war maked þurth me;
Hou may þou on ani wise
Of oþer mennes þing mak marchandise?
Seþþen þou bouȝtest him wiþ mine,[75]
Wiþ resoun schuld ichaue him.’
satanas dixit.
‘Ihesu, wele y knawe þe,
Þat ful sore reweþ me;
Þou art lord ouer al,
& euer was & ay be schal.[80]
Heuen & erþe weld þou þe,
Þe soules in helle lat þou be;
Lat me haue þat ich halde,
Þat þou hast, wele mot þou it wald.’ [f.36va] [Image]
dominus ait.
‘Sitte now stille, Satanas.[85]
Þe is fallen a mesas.
Wenestow þat y dyed for nouȝt?
Wiþ mi dede was mankin bouȝt;
Þai þat haue serued me,
In blis schal þai euer be;[90]
Þai þat noþing serued me,
Þai schal in helle be wiþ þe;
Bot þou schalt ben in more pine
Þan ani oþer þat is þereinne.’
Satanas dixit.
‘Þer may me no man wers do[95]
Þan ichaue had hiderto;
Ich haue hadde so michel wo,
Þat me no rek whider y go.
ȝif þou bireuest me of mine,
Y schal bireue þe of þine;[100]
Y schal go fro man to man
& bireue þe mani an.’
[d]ominus ait.
‘So y schal speke þe wiþ,
Þat y shal do þe hold griþ;
So fast schal y binde þe,[105]
Þat fewe schaltow binim me;
Were þou vnbounde among men,
Al þou wost binim me hem.
Þe smale deuels þat er vnstrang,
Þai schal among mankin gang,[110]
& al schul þai haue pain
Þat wil nouȝt stond hem oȝain.
Helle ȝates, y com ȝou to,
Now ich wil þat ȝe vndo;
Whare is he, þat ȝateward?[115]
Ich hold him for a coward.’
Iannator ait.
‘Ich haue herd wordes hard
Whi y no may be no steward;
Y lete hem stond & ren oway,
Lete hem ȝeme whoso may.’[120]
dominus ait.
‘Helle ȝates, here y ȝou felle,
& seþþen wil ich herwe helle;
Lucifer, here y þe binde; [f.36vb] [Image]
Schaltow neuer heþen winde
Vntil it com domesday.[125]
Fare þou seþþen whare þou may,
Fare þou seþþen ware þou fare,
No dostow neuer man care.’
adam dixit.
‘Welcom, lord God of lond,
Godes sone & Godes sond,[130]
Welcom, lord, mot þou be,
Long haues ous þouȝt after þe;
Lord, seþþen þou art comen to ous,
Þou bring ous out of þis hous.
Lord, þou wost what ich am,[135]
Þou me schope of erþe man,
& þou me madest formast man,
& þou me clepetest sone, Adam;
& ȝif ich haue sinnes wrouȝt,
Ful dere now here ichaue hem bouȝt.[140]
Whoso sinneþ ani wiȝt,
Þe sinne is more þan þe pliȝt.
ȝa, leue lord, Godes sone,
Welcom be þou & worþ come;
Al, lord, þat here be[145]
Haue ȝerned, lord, after þe.
We hope wele of þi coming
Of our sinnes haue botening.’
eua ait.
‘Knawe me, lord, ich am Eue,
Adam & ich ware þe so leue,[150]
Þou ȝaue ous to ȝeme paradis,
& we it ȝemed as vnwise
When we þi comandment forlete,
When we of þat appel ete.
So long haue we ben herinne,[155]
Þat wele haue we bet our sinne.
Leue lord, ȝiue ous leue,
Adam & his wiif Eue,
To fare out of þis foule wike
Into þe blis of heuenrike.’[160]
dominus ait.
‘Adam, y haue ȝouen mi liif
For þe & for Eue þi wiif;
Wenestow ichadde ben ded for nouȝt?
For mi ded is mankin bouȝt.’ [f.37ra] [Image]
abrabam ait.
‘Lord Crist, ich it am[165]
Þat þou cleptest Abraham.
Þou schust com to helle pine
For to haue ous, lord, for þin[e];
Do astow bihet me:
Bring me lord to heuen wiþ [þe].’[170]
dominus dixit.
‘Abraham, it was wel
Þat þou seydest, eueri del,
For mi swete moder wes
Born & schapen of þi fles.’
dauid dixit.
‘Lord, ich am Dauid þe king, [175] [ Lord: MS reads Hord. Artist's error.]
Þat was born of þine ofs[pring;]
Also astow me bihet
Þurth þe lore of þat prophete,
Þou bring ous of þis foule [hous] [ þis: s is superscript.]
To þe blis of heuen ycore[n ous].’[180]
dominus ait.
‘Dauid, þou was born of mi [kin]
For þi godenes þou art m[in],
More for þi godenesse
Þan for ani sibbenesse.’
Iohannes dixit.
‘Lord Crist, ich am Johan[185]
Þat þe hof in þe flom Jordan; [ Lord: MS reads Hord. Rubricator's error.]
Now a gode while is agon,
Þat y suffred martirdom.
Þou sentest me þe riȝt way
Into helle, for soþ to say,[190]
Þat þou schust deliuer of hell[e pine]
Þat þou þerin fond, lord, of þi[ne].
Now artow comen for to do
Þat þou saidest me vnto.’
dominus ait.
‘Iohan, Johan, ich it wat[195]
Þat y sent þe þe gat;
Þou schalt se þat y schal do
Þat þou seydest me vnto.’
moyses dixit.
‘Lord þou ȝaue me al wiþ skil
Þe lay Sinay on þe hil.’[200]