Page:Divine Comedy (Longfellow 1867) v1.djvu/429

Rh was. And he sayd, " My name is Ju- das, that solde our Lorde Jesu Chryst for XXX. pens, whiche sytteth here moche wretchedly, how be it I am worthy to be in the gretest payne that is ; but our Lorde is so mercyfull that he hath rewarded me better than I have deserved, for of ryght my place is in the brennynge hell ; but I am here but certayne tymes of the yere, that is, fro Chrystmasse to twelfth daye, and fro Eester tyll Whytsontyde be past, and every feestfull daye of our lady, and every Saterdaye at noone tyll Sonday that evensonge be done ; but all other tymes I lye styll in hell in ful brennynge fyre with Pylate, Herode, and Cayphas; therfore accursed be the tyme that ever I knewe them." And than Judas prayed saynt Brandon to abyde styll there all that nyght, and that he wolde kepe hym there styll that the fendes sholde not fetche hym to hell. And he sayd, ** With Goddes helpe thou shalt abyde here all this nyght." And than he asked Judas what cloth that was that henge over his heed. And he sayd it was a cloth that he gave unto a lepre, whiche was bought with the money that he stale fro our Lorde whan he bare his purse, " wherfore it dothe to me grete payne now in betyng my face with the blow- ynge of the wynde ; and these two oxe tongues that hange here above me, I gave them somtyme to two preestes to praye for me. I bought them with myne owne money, and therfore they ease me, bycause the fysshes of the see knawe on them and spare me. And this stone that I syt on laye somtyme in a desolate place where it eased no man ; and I toke it thens and layd it in a foule waye, where it dyd moche ease to them that went by that waye, and therfore it easeth me now ; for every good dede shall be rewarded, and every evyll dede shal be pun- ysshed." And the Sondaye agaynst even there came a grete multitude of fendes blastyng and rorynge, and badde saynt Brandon go thens, that they myght have theyr servaunt Judas, " for we dare not come in the presence of our mayster, but yf we brynge hym to hell with us." And saynt Brandon sayd, " I lette not you do your mays- ters commaundemcnt, but by the pow- er of our Lorde Jesu Chryst I charge you to leve hym this nyght tyll to morow." " How darest thou helpe hym that so solde his mayster for XXX. pens to the Jewes, and caused hym also to dye the moost shamefull deth upon the crosse ? " And than saynt Brandon charged the fendes by his passyon that they sholde not noy hym that nyght. And than the fendes went theyr way rorynge and crvenge towarde hell to theyr mayster, the grete devyll. And than Judas thanked saynt Brandon so revvfully that it was pite to se, and on the morowc the fendes came with an horryble noyse, saycnge that they had that nyght suffred grete payne bycause they brought not Judas, and sayd that he shold sufFre double payne the sixe dayes folowynge. And they toke than Judas tremblynge for fere with them to payne.