Roberd the robbere On _Reddite_ loked, And for ther was noght wherof, He wepte swithe soore; Ac yet the synfulle sherewe Seide to hymselve, "Crist, that on Calvarie Upon the cros deidest, Tho Dysmas my brother Bi-soughte yow of grace, 3420 And haddest mercy on that man For _memento_ sake, So rewe on this robbere That _reddere_ ne have, Ne nevere wene to wynne With craft that I owe; But for thi muchel mercy Mitigacion I bi-seche, Ne dampne me noght at domes-day For that I dide so ille." 3430 What bi-fel of this feloun I kan noght faire shewe; Wel I woot he wepte faste Water with bothe hise eighen, And knoweliched his gilt To Crist yet eft soones, That _Poenetentia_ his pik He sholde polshe newe, And lepe with hym over lond {106} Al his lif tyme, 3440 For he hadde leyen by _Latro_ Luciferis aunte. And thanne hadde Repentaunce ruthe, And redde hem alle to knele; "For I shal bi-seche for alle synfulle Our Saveour of grace, To amenden us of oure mysdedes, And do mercy to us alle." "Now God," quod he, "that of thi goodnesse Bi-gonne the world to make, 3450 And of naught madest aught, and man Moost lik to thiselve, And sithen suffredest for to synne, A siknesse to us alle, And al for the beste, as I bi-leve, What evere the book telleth. _O felix culpa! O necessarium peccatum Adæ! etc._ = "For thorugh that synne thi sone Sent was to this erthe, 3460 And bicam man of a maide, Mankynde to save: And madest thiself with thi sone And us synfulle y-liche _Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram. Et alibi. Qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo._ "And siththe with thi selve sone In oure secte deidest, 3470 On Good-Fryday, for mannes sake, At ful tyme of the daye, {107} Ther thiself ne thi sone No sorwe in deeth feledest, But in oure secte was the sorwe, And thi sone it ladde. _Captivam duxit captivitatem._ "The sonne for sorwe therof Lees light of a tyme, Aboute mydday whan moost light is, 3480 And meel-tyme of seintes, Feddest with thi fresshe blood Oure fore-fadres in derknesse. _Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris, vidit lucem magnam._ "And thorugh the light that lepe out of thee Lucifer was blent. And blewe alle thi blessed Into the blisse of paradys. "The thridde day after 3490 Thow yedest in oure sute, A synful Marie the seigh, Er seynte Marie thi dame; And al to solace synfulle Thow suffredest it so were. _Non veni vocare justos sed peccatores ad poenitentiam._