Isaye.The Sovereign that seeth every secret,He save you all and make you perfect and strong,And give us grace with His mercy for to meet!For now in great misery mankind is bound;The serpent hath given us so mortal a woundThat no creature is able us for to releaseTill the right Unction of Judah doth cease.Then shall much mirth and joy increase,And the right root in Israel spring,That shall bring forth the grain of holiness;And out of danger He shall us bringInto that region where He is KingWhich above all other far doth abound,And that cruel Satan he shall confound.Wherefore I come here upon this groundTo comfort every creature of birth;For I, Isaye the prophet, hath foundMany sweet matters whereof we may make mirthOn this same wise;For, though that Adam he deemed to deathWith all his childer, as Abel and Seth,Yet Ecce virgo concipiet,—Lo where a remedy shall rise.Behold, a maid shall conceive a childAnd get us more grace than ever men had,And her maidenhood nothing defiled.She is deputed to bear the Son, Almighty God.Lo! sovereignties, now may you be glad.For of this maiden all we may be fain;For Adam, that now lies in sorrows full sad,Her glorious birth shall redeem him againFrom bondage and thrall.Now be merry every mon,For this deed briefly in Israel shall be done,And before the Father in throne,That shall glad us all.More of this matter fain would I move,But longer time I have not here for to dwell.That Lord that is merciful his mercy so in us may proveFor to save our souls from the darkness of hell;And to His blissHe us bringAs He isBoth Lord and KingAnd shall be everlastingIn secula seculorum, Amen.[ExitIsaiah;enterGabrieltoMary.]Gabriel. Hail, Mary, full of grace!Our Lord God is with thee;Above all women that ever was,Lady, blessed mote thou be!Mary. Almighty Father and King of bliss,From all disease thou save me now!For inwardly my spirits troubled is,That I am amazed and know not how.Gabriel. Dread thee nothing, maiden, of this;From heaven above hither am I sentOf embassage from that King of blissUnto thee, Lady and Virgin reverent!Saluting thee here as most excellent,Whose virtue above all other doth abound.Wherefore in thee grace shall be found;For thou shalt conceive upon this groundThe Second Person of God in throne;He will be born of thee alone;Without sin thou shalt him see.Thy grace and thy goodness will never be gone,But ever to live in virginity.Mary.I marvel sore how that may be.Man's company knew I never yet,Nor never to do, cast I me,While that our Lord sendeth me my wit.Gabriel.The Holy Ghost in thee shall light,And shadow thy soul so with virtueFrom the Father that is on height.These words, turtle, they be full true.This child that of thee shall be bornIs the Second Person in Trinity;He shall save that was forlorn,And the fiend's power destroy shall He.These words, Lady, full true they been,And further, Lady, here in thine own lineageBehold Elizabeth, thy cousin clean,The which was barren and past all age,And now with child she hath beenSix months and more, as shall be seen;Wherefore, discomfort thee not, Mary!For to God impossible nothing may be.Mary.Now, and it be that Lord's willOf my body to be born and for to be,His high pleasures for to fulfilAs his own handmaid I submit me.Gabriel.Now blessed be the time setThat thou wast born in thy degree!For now is the knot surely knit,And God conceived in Trinity.Now farewell, Lady of mightes most!Unto the Godhead I thee beteach.Mary.That Lord thee guide in every coast,And lowly He lead me and be my leech!Here the angel departeth, and Joseph cometh in and saith:Joseph.Mary, my wife so dear,How do ye, dame, and what cheerIs with you this tide?Mary.Truly, husband, I am hereOur Lord's will for to abide.Joseph.What! I trow that we be all shent!Say, woman; who hath been here sith I went,To rage with thee?Mary.Sir, here was neither man nor man's even,But only the sond of our Lord God in heaven.Joseph.Say not so, woman; for shame, let be!Ye be with child so wonders great,Ye need no more thereof to treat,Against all right.Forsooth, this child, dame, is not mine.Alas, that ever with mine eyneI should see this sight!Tell me, woman; whose is this child?Mary.None but yours, husband so mild,And that shall be seen, [i-wis].Joseph.But mine? alas! alas! why say ye so?Well-away! woman, now may I go,Beguiled, as many another is.Mary.Nay, truly, sir, ye be not beguiled,Nor yet with spot of sin I am not defiled;Trust it well, husband.Joseph.Husband, in faith! and that a-cold!Ah! well-away, Joseph, as thou art old!Like a fool now may I standAnd truss.But, in faith, Mary, thou art in sin;So much as I have cherished thee, dame, and all thy kin,Behind my back to serve me thus!All old men, example take by me,—How I am beguiled here may you see!—To wed so young a child.Now farewell, Mary, I leave thee here alone,—[Woe] worth thee, dame, and thy works each one!—For I will no more be beguiledFor friend nor foe.Now of this deed I am so dull,And of my life I am so full,No further may I go.[Lies down to sleep; to him enters an Angel.]First Angel.Arise up, Joseph, and go home againUnto Mary, thy wife, that is so free.To comfort her look that thou be fain,For, Joseph, a clean maiden is she:She hath conceived without any trainThe Second Person in Trinity;Jesu shall be his name, certain,And all this world save shall He;Be not aghast.Joseph.Now, Lord, I thank thee with heart full sad,For of these tidings I am so gladThat all my care away is cast;Wherefore to Mary I will in haste.[Returns toMary.]Ah! Mary, Mary, I kneel full low;Forgive me, sweet wife, here in this land!Mercy, Mary! for now I knowOf your good governance and how it doth stand.Though that I did thee mis-name,Mercy Mary! while I live,Will I never sweet wife thee grieveIn earnest nor in game.Mary.Now, that Lord in Heaven, sir, He you forgive!And I do forgive you in His nameFor evermore.Joseph.Now truly, sweet wife, to you I say the same.But now to Bethlehem must I wind,And show myself, so full of care;And I to leave you, thus great, behind,—God wot, the while, dame, how you should fare.Mary.Nay, hardily, husband, dread ye nothing;For I will walk with you on the way.I trust in God, Almighty King,To speed right well in our journey.Joseph.Now, I thank you, Mary, of your goodness,That ye my words will not blame;And sith that to Bethlehem we shall us dress,Go we together in God's holy name.[They set out and travel awhile.]Now to Bethlehem have we leagues three;The day is nigh spent, it draweth toward night;Fain at your ease, dame, I would that ye should be,For you groan all wearily, it seemeth in my sight.Mary.God have mercy, Joseph, my spouse so dear;All prophets hereto doth bear witness,The weary time now draweth nearThat my child will be born, which is King of bliss.Unto some place, Joseph, hendly me lead,That I might rest me with grace in this tide.The light of the Father over us both spread,And the grace of my Son with us here abide!Joseph.Lo! blessed Mary, here shall ye lend,Chief chosen of our Lord and cleanest in degree;And I, for help to town will I wend.Is not this the best, dame? what say ye?Mary.God have mercy, Joseph, my husband so meek!And heartily I pray you, go now from me.Joseph.That shall be done in haste, Mary so sweet!The comfort of the Holy Ghost leave I with thee.Now to Bethlehem straight will I wendTo get some help for Mary so free.Some help of women God may me send,That Mary, full of grace, pleased may be.[In another part of the place a shepherd begins to speak.]First Pastor.Now God, that art in Trinity,Thou save my fellows and me!For I know not where my sheep nor they be,This night it is so cold.Now is it nigh the midst of the night;These weathers are dark and dim of light,That of them can I have no sight,Standing here on this wold.But now to make their heartes light,Now will I full rightStand upon this lo,And to them cry with all my might,—Full well my voice they know:What ho! fellows! ho! ho! ho![Two other shepherds appear (in the street).]Second Pastor.Hark, Sim, hark! I hear our brother on the lo.This is his voice, right well I know;Therefore toward him let us go,And follow his voice aright.See, Sim, see, where he doth stand!I am right glad we have him fand!Brother where hast thou been so lang,And it is so cold this night?First Pastor.Eh! friends, there came a pirie of wind with a mist suddenly,That forth of my ways went IAnd great heaviness then made I!And was full sore afright.Then forth to go wist I not whither,But travelled on this lo hither and thither;I was so weary of this cold weatherThat near past was my might.Third Pastor.Brethren now we be past that fright,And it is far within the night,Full soon will spring the daylight,It draweth full near the tide.Here awhile let us rest,And repast ourselves of the best;Till that the sun rise in the eastLet us all here abide.There the shepherds draws forth their meat and doth eat and drink and as they drink, they find the star and say thus:Third Pastor.Brethren, look up and behold!What thing is yonder that shineth so bright?As long as ever I have watched my fold,Yet saw I never such a sightIn field.Aha! now is come the time that old fathers hath told,That in the winter's night so cold,A child of maiden born be He wouldIn whom all prophecies shall be fulfilled.First Pastor.Truth it is without nay,So said the prophet Isaye,That a child should be born of a maid so brightIn winter nigh the shortest day,Or else in the midst of the night.Second Pastor.Loved be God, most of might,That our grace is to see that sight;Pray we to Him as it is right,If that His will it be,That we may have knowledge of this significationAnd why it appeareth on this fashion;And ever to Him let us give laudation,In earth while that we be.There the Angels sing "Gloria in excelsis Deo."Third Pastor.Hark! They sing above in the clouds clear!Heard I never of so merry a quere.Now, gentle brethren, draw we nearTo hear their harmony.First Pastor.—Brother, mirth and solace is come us among;For by the sweetness of their song,God's Son is come, whom we have looked for long,As signifieth this star that we do see.Second Pastor."Glory, gloria in excelsis," that was their song;How say ye, fellows, said they not thus?First Pastor.That is well said; now go we henceTo worship that child of high magnificence,And that we may sing in His presence"Et in terra pax hominibus."There the shepherds sings "As I out rode," and Joseph saith:Joseph.Now, Lord, this noise that I do hear,With this great solemnity,Greatly amended hath my cheer;I trust high news shortly will be.There the Angels sing "Gloria in excelsis" again.Mary.Ah! Joseph, husband, come hither anon;My child is born that is King of bliss.Joseph.Now welcome to me, the maker of mon,With all the homage that I con;Thy sweet mouth here will I kiss.Mary.Ah! Joseph, husband, my child waxeth cold,And we have no fire to warm him with.Joseph.Now in mine arms I shall him fold,King of all kings by field and by frith;He might have had better, and Himself would,Than the breathing of these beasts to warm him with.Mary.Now, Joseph, my husband, fetch hither my child,The Maker of man, and high King of bliss.Joseph. That shall be done anon, Mary so mild,For the breathing of these beasts hath warmed [Him] well, i-wis.[Angels appear to the shepherds.]First Angel.Herd-men hend,Dread ye nothingOf this star that ye do see;For this same mornGod's Son is bornIn Bethlehem of a maiden free.Second Angel.Hie you thither in haste;It is His will ye shall Him seeLying in a crib of poor repast,Yet of David's line come is He.[The Shepherds approach and worship the Babe.]First Pastor.Hail, maid, mother, and wife so mild!As the angel said, so have we fand.I have nothing to present with thy childBut my pipe; hold, hold, take it in thy hand;Wherein much pleasure that I have fand;And now, to honour thy glorious birth,Thou shalt it have to make thee mirth.Second Pastor.Now, hail be thou, child, and thy dame!For in a poor lodging here art thou laid,So the angel said and told us thy name;Hold, take thou here my hat on thy head!And now of one thing thou art well sped,For weather thou hast no need to complain,For wind, ne sun, hail, snow and rain.Third Pastor.Hail be thou, Lord over water and lands!For thy coming all we may make mirth.Have here my mittens to put on thy hands,Other treasure have I none to present thee with.Mary.Now, herdmen hend,For your coming,To my child shall I pray,As He is heaven King,To grant you His blessing,And to His bliss that ye may wendAt your last day.There the shepherds singeth again and goth forth of the place, and the two prophets cometh in and saith thus:First Prophet.Novels, novels,Of wonderful marvelsVery high and diffuse unto the hearing!As Scripture tells,These strange novelsTo you I bring.Second Prophet.Now heartily, sir, I desire to know,If it would please you for to showOf what manner a thing.First Prophet.Very mystical unto your hearing,—Of the nativity of a King.Second Prophet.Of a King? Whence should he come?First Prophet.From that region royal and mighty mansion,The Seed celestial and heavenly wisdom,The Second Person and God's own Son,For our sake now is man become.This goodly sphereDescended hereInto a Virgin clear,She undefiled.····By whose work obscureOur frail natureIs now beguiled.Second Prophet.Why, hath she a child?First Prophet.Eh! trust it well;And never-the-lessYet is she a maiden even as she was,And her Son the King of Israel.Second Prophet.A wonderful marvelHow that may be,And far doth excellAll our capacity:How that the Trinity,Of so high regality,Should joined beUnto our mortality!First Prophet.Of his own great mercy,As ye shall see the exposition,Through whose humanityAll Adam's progenyRedeemed shall be out of perdition.Sith man did offend,Who should amendBut the said man, and none other?For the which cause HeIncarnate would beAnd live in misery as man's own brother.Second Prophet.Sir, unto the Deity,I believe perfectly,Impossible to be there is nothing;Howbeit this warkUnto me is darkIn the operation or working.First Prophet.What more repriefIs unto beliefThan to be doubting?Second Prophet.Yet doubts oft-times hath derivation.First Prophet.That is by the means of communicationOf truths to have a due probationBy the same doubts reasoning.Second Prophet.Then to you this one thing:Of what noble and high lineage is sheThat might this veritable prince's mother be?First Prophet.Undoubted she is come of high parage,Of the house of David and Solomon the sage;And one of the same line joined to her by marriage;Of whose tribeWe do subscribeThis child's lineage.Second Prophet.And why in that wise?First Prophet.For it was the guiseTo count the parent on the man's line,And not on the feminine,Amongst us here in Israel.Second Prophet.Yet can I not espy by no wiseHow this child born should be without nature's prejudice.First Prophet.Nay, no prejudice unto nature, I dare well say;For the King of nature mayHave all at His own will.Did not the power of GodMake Aaron's rodBear fruit in one day?Second Prophet.Truth it is indeed.First Prophet.Then look you and read.Second Prophet.Ah! I perceive the seedWhereupon that you spake.It was for our needThat He frail nature did take,And His blood He should shedAmends for to makeFor our transgression;As it is said in prophecyThat of the line of JudeeShould spring a right MesseeBy whom all weShall have redemption.First Prophet.Sir, now is the time come,And the date thereof run,Of His nativity.Second Prophet.Yet I beseech you heartilyThat ye would show me howThat this strange noveltyWere brought unto you.First Prophet.This other night so cold,Hereby upon a wold,Shepherds watching their fold,In the night so farTo them appeared a star,And ever it drew them nar;Which star they did beholdBrighter, they say, in fold,Than the sun so clearIn his midday sphere,And they these tidings told.Second Prophet.What, secretly?First Prophet.Nay, nay, hardily;They made thereof no counsel;For they sang as loudAs ever they could,Praising the King of Israel.Second Prophet.Yet do I marvelIn what pile or castleThese herdmen did Him see.First Prophet.Neither in halls nor yet in bowersBorn would He not be,Neither in castles nor yet in towersThat seemly were to see;But at His Father's will,The prophecy to fulfil,Betwixt an ox and an assJesu, this King, born he was.Heaven He bring us till!Second Prophet.Sir, ah! but when these shepherds had seen him there,Into what place did they repair?First Prophet.Forth they went and glad they were,Going they did sing;With mirth and solace they made good cheerFor joy of that new tiding;And after, as I heard them tell,He rewarded them full well:He grant them heaven therein to dwell;In are they gone with joy and mirth,And their song it is "Noël."There the prophets goeth forth andHerodcometh in, and the messenger.Nuntius.Faites paix, dominies, barons de grande renom!Paix, seigneurs, chevaliers de noble puissance!Paix, gentils hommes, compagnons petits et grands!Je vous command de garder, trestous, silence!Paix, tant que votre noble Roi seit ici present!Que nulle personne ici non fasse point de difference,N' ici harde de frapper; mais gardez toute patience,—Mais gardez [a] votre seigneur toute reverence;Car il est votre Roi tout puissant.Au nom de lui, paix tous! je vous command,Et le roi Herod le grand-diable vous emporte!Herod.Qui statis in Jude et Rex Israel,And the mightiest conqueror that ever walked on ground;For I am even he that made both heaven and hell,And of my mighty power holdeth up this world round.Magog and Madroke, both them did I confound,And with this bright brand their bones I brake asunder,That all the wide world on those raps did wonder.I am the cause of this great light and thunder;It is through my fury that they such noise doth make.My fearful countenance the clouds so doth encumberThat off-times for dread thereof the very earth doth quake.Look, when I with malice this bright brand doth shake,All the whole world from the north to the southI may them destroy with one word of my mouth!To recount unto you mine innumerable substance,That were too much for any tongue to tell;For all the whole Orient is under mine obedience,And prince am I of Purgatory and chief captain of hell;And those tyrannous traitors by force may I compel,Mine enemies to vanquish and even to dust them drive,And with a twinkle of mine eye not one to be left alive.Behold my countenance and my colour,Brighter than the sun in the midst of the day.Where can you have a more greater succourThan to behold my person that is so gay?My falcon and my fashion, with my gorgeous array—He that had the grace alway thereon to think,Live he might alway without either meat or drink.And this my triumphant fame most highliest doth aboundThroughout this world in all regions abroad,Resembling the favour of that most mighty Mahound;From Jupiter by descent and cousin to the great God,And named the most renowned King Herod,Which that all princes hath under subjection,And all their whole power under my protection.And therefore, my herald, here, called Calchas,Warn thou every port that no ships arrive,Nor also alien stranger through my realm pass,But they for their truage do pay marks five.Now speed thee forth hastily,For they that will the contrary,Upon a gallows hanged shall be,And, by Mahound, of me they get no grace.Nuntius.Now, lord and master, in all the hastThy worthy will it shall be wrought,And thy royal countries shall be past.In as short time as can be throught.Herod.Now shall our regions throughout be soughtIn every place both east and west;If any caitiffs to me be brought,It shall be nothing for their best.And the while that I do rest,Trumpets, viols, and other harmonyShall bless the waking of my majesty.HereHerodgoeth away and the three kings speaketh in the street.First Rex.Now blessed be God of his sweet sond,For yonder a fair bright star I do see!Now is he comen us among,As the prophet said that it should be.A said there should a babe be born,Coming of the root of Jesse,To save mankind that was forlorn;And truly comen now is He.Reverence and worship to Him will I do,As God and man, that all made of nought.All the prophets accorded and said even so,That with his precious blood mankind should be bought.He grant me grace,By yonder star that I see,And into that placeBring me,That I may Him worship with humilityAnd see His glorious face.Second Rex.Out of my way I deem that I am,For tokens of this country can I none see;Now God, that on earth madest man,Send me some knowledge where that I be!Yonder, me-thinks, a fair bright star I see,The which betokeneth the birth of a childThat hither is come to make man free;He born of a maid, and she nothing defiled.To worship that child is mine intent;Forth now will I take my way.I trust some company God hath me sent,For yonder I see a king labour on the way;Toward him now will I ride.Hark! comely King, I you pray,Into what coast will ye this tideOr whither lies your journey?First Rex.To seek a child is mine intent,Of whom the prophetes hath meant;The time is come, now is he sent,By yonder star here may [I] see.Second Rex.—Sir, I pray you, with your license,To ride with you unto His presence;To Him will I offer frankincense,For the Head of all Holy Church shall He be.Third Rex.I ride wandering in wayes wide,Over mountains and dales; I wot not where I am.Now, King of all Kings, send me such guideThat I might have knowledge of this country's name.Ah! yonder I see a sight, by seeming all afar,The which betokens some news, as I trow;As, me-think, a child pearing in a star.I trust He be come that shall defend us from woe.Two Kings yonder I see,And to them will I rideFor to have their company;I trust they will me abide.Hail comely Kings and gent!Good sirs, I pray you, whither are ye meant?First Rex.To seek a child is our intent,Which betokens yonder star, as ye may see.Second Rex.To Him I purpose this present.Third Rex.Sirs, I pray you, and that right humbly,With you that I may ride in company.To Almighty God now pray weThat His precious person we may see.HereHerodcometh in again and the messenger saith:Nuntius.—Hail, lord most of might!Thy commandement is right;Into thy land is come this nightThree kings, and with them a great company.Herod.What make those kings in this country?Nuntius.To seek a king and a child, they say.Herod.Of what age should he be?Nuntius.Scant twelve days old fully.Herod.And was he so late born?Nuntius.Eh, sir, so they showed me, this same day in the morn.Herod.Now, in pain of death bring them me beforn.And therefore, herald, now hie thee in haste,In all speed that thou were dight,Or that those kings the country be past;Look thou bring them all three before my sight.And in Jerusalem inquire more of that child;But I warn thee that thy words be mild,For there must thou heed and craft wieldHow to fordo his power, and those three kings shall be beguiled.Nuntius.Lord, I am ready at your bidding,To serve thee as my lord and king;For joy thereof, lo, how I springWith light heart and fresh gambolling,Aloft here on this mould!Herod.Then speed thee forth hastily,And look that thou bear thee evenly;And also, I pray thee heartily,That thou do commend meBoth to young and old.[TheMessengergoes to theKings.]Nuntius.Hail, sir kings, in your degree!Herod, king of these countries wide,Desireth to speak with you all three,And for your coming he doth abide.First Rex.Sir, at his will we be right bain.Hie us, brethren, unto that lord's place;To speak with him we would be fain;That child that we seek, He grant us of His grace![They go toHerod.]Nuntius.Hail, lord without peer!These three kings here have we brought.Herod. Now welcome, sir kings, all in-fere!But of my bright blee, sirs, abash ye not!Sir kings, as I understand,A star hath guided you into my land,Wherein great hearting ye have foundBy reason of her beams bright.Wherefore I pray you heartilyThe very truth that ye would certify,How long it is surelySince of that star you had first sight.First Rex.Sir king, the very truth to say,And for to show you as it is best,This same is even the twelfth daySith it appeared to us to be west.Herod.Brethren, then is there no more to say,But with heart and will keep ye your journey,And come home by me this same way,Of your news that I might know.You shall triumph in this country,And with great concord banquet with me,And that child myself then will I see,And honour him also.Second Rex.Sir, your commandment we will fulfil,And humbly obey ourself theretill.He that wieldeth all things at willThe ready way us teach,Sir King, that we may pass your land in peace!Herod.Yes, and walk softly even at your own ease.Your passport for a hundred daysHere shall you have of clear command,Our realm to labour any waysHere shall you have by special grant.Third Rex.Now farewell, king of high degree!Humbly of you our leave we take.Herod.Then adieu, sir kings all three!And while I live be bold of me.There is nothing in this countryBut for your own ye shall it take.[Exeunt theThree Kings.]Now these three kings are gone on their way;Unwisely and unwittily have they all wrought.When they come again they shall die that same day,And thus these vile wretches to death they shall be brought.Such is my liking.He that against my laws will hold,Be he king or kaiser never so bold,I shall them cast into cares cold,And to death I shall them bring.There Herod goeth his ways and the three kings come in again.First Rex.O blessed God, much is thy might!Where is this star that gave us light?Second Rex.Now kneel we down here in this presence,Beseeching that Lord of high magnificenceThat we may see his high excellence,If that his sweet will be.Third Rex.Yonder, brother, I see the star,Whereby I know He is not far;Therefore, lords, go we narInto this poor place.There theThree Kingsgoes in to the jesen, toMaryand herChild.First Rex.Hail, Lord, that all this world hath wrought!Hail, God and man together in-fere!For thou hast made all thing of nought,Albeit that Thou liest poorly here.A cupfull [of] gold here have I thee brought,In tokening Thou art without peer.Second Rex.Hail be Thou, Lord of high magnificence!In tokening of priesthood and dignity of office,To Thee I offer a cupfull of incense,For it behoveth thee to have such sacrifice.Third Rex.Hail be Thou, Lord long looked for!I have brought Thee myrrh for mortality,In tokening Thou shalt mankind restoreTo life by Thy death upon a tree.Mary.God have mercy, kings, of your goodness!By the guiding of the Godhead hither are ye sent.The prevision of my sweet Son your ways home redress,And ghostly reward you for your present![As theKingsgo away, they say.]First Rex.Sir kings, after our promise,Home by Herod I must needs go.Second Rex.Now truly brethren, we can no less,But I am so for-watched I wot not what to do.Third Rex.Right so am I; wherefore, I you pray,Let all us rest us awhile upon this ground.First Rex.Brethren, your saying is right well unto my pay.The grace of that sweet child save us all sound![While they sleep theAngelappears.]Angel.King of Taurus, Sir Jaspar,King of Araby, Sir Balthasar,Melchior, King of Aginar,To you now am I sent.For dread of Herod, go you west home;Into those parts when ye come down,Ye shall be buried with great renown;The Holy Ghost thus knowledge hath sent. [Exit.]First Rex.Awake, sir Kings, I you pray!For the voice of an angel I heard in my dream.Second Rex.That is full true that ye do say,For he rehearsed our names plain.Third Rex.He bade that we should go down by west,For dread of Herod's false betray.First Rex.So for to do it is the best;The Child that we have sought guide us the way!Now farewell, the fairest, of shape so sweet!And thanked be Jesus of his sond,That we three together so suddenly should meet,That dwell so wide and in strange lond,And here make our presentationUnto this King's Son, cleansed so clean,And to his Mother, for our salvation;Of much mirth now may we mean,That we so well have done this oblation.Second Rex.Now farewell, Sir Jaspar, brother, to you,King of Taurus, the most worthy!Sir Balthasar, also to you I bow,And I thank you both of your good companyThat we together have had.He that made us to meet on hill,I thank Him now, and ever I will;For now may we go without ill,And of our offering be full glad.Third Rex.Now sith that we must needly go,For dread of Herod that is so wroth,Now farewell brother, and brother also,I take my leave here at you both,This day on feet.Now He that made us to meet on plain,And offer to Mary in her jesayne,He give us grace in heaven againAll together to meet.[They go out, andHerodand his train occupy the pageant.]Nuntius.Hail King, most worthiest in weed!Hail, maintainer of courtesy through all this world wide!Hail, the most mightiest that ever bestrode a steed!Hail, most manfullest man in armour man to abide!Hail in thine honour!These three kings that forth were sent,And should have come again before thee here present,Another way, lord, home they went,Contrary to thine honour.Herod.Another way! Out! out! out!Hath those false traitors done me this deed?I stamp! I stare! I look all about!Might I them take I should them burn at a gleed!I rend! I raw! and now run I wood!Ah! that these villain traitors hath marred this my mood!They shall be hanged if I may come them to!Here Herod rages in the pageant and in the street also.Eh! and that kerne of Bethlehem, he shall be dead,And thus shall I fordo his prophecy.How say you, sir Knights? is not this the best rede,That all young children for this should be dead,With sword to be slain?Then shall I Herod live in ledeAnd all folk me doubt and drede,And offer to me both gold, riches and meed;Thereto will they be full fain.First Miles.My lord king, Herod by name,Thy words against my will shall be;To see so many young children die is shame,Thereforecounsel thereto gettest thou none of me.Second Miles.Well said, fellow, my truth I plight.Sir King, perceive right well you may,So great a murder to see of young fruitWill make a rising in thine own country.Herod.A rising? Out! out! out![There Herod rages again and then saith thus:]Out! villain wretches, haro upon you I cry!My will utterly look that it be wrought,Or upon a gallows both you shall die,By Mahound most mightiest, that me dear hath bought.First Miles.Now, cruel Herod, sith we shall do this deed,Your will needfully in this realm must be wrought;All the children of that age die they must need;Now with all my might they shall be upsought.Second Miles.And I will swear here upon your bright swerd,All the children that I find, slain they shall be;That make many a mother to weep and be full sore aferd,In our armour bright when they us see.Herod.Now you have sworn, forth that ye go,And my will that ye work both by day and night,And then will I for fain trip like a doe;But when they be dead I warn you bring them before my sight.[Herodand his train go away, andJosephandMaryare, while asleep, addressed by anAngel.]Angel.Mary and Joseph, to you, I say,Sweet word from the Father I bring you full right;Out of Bethlehem into Egypt forth go ye the way,And with you take the King, full of might,For dread of Herod's rede!Joseph.Arise up, Mary, hastily and soon;Our Lord's will needs must be done,Like as the angel us bade.Mary.Meekly, Joseph, mine own spouse,Toward that country let us repair;At Egypt to some kind of house,God grant us His grace safe to come there!Here the women come in with their children, singingthem; andMaryandJosephgo away clean.First Woman.I lull my child, wondrously sweet,And in mine arms I do it keep,Because that it should not cry.Second Woman.That Babe that is born in Bethlehem, so meek,He save my child and me from villainy!Third Woman.Be still, be still, my little child!That Lord of lords save both thee and me!For Herod hath sworn with wordes wildThat all young children slain they shall be.First Miles.Say ye, whither, wives, whither are ye away?What bear you in your arms needs must we see.If they be man-children, die they must this day,For at Herod's will all thing must be.Second Miles.And I in hands once them hent,Them for to slay nought will I spare;We must fulfil Herod's commandement,Else be we as traitors and cast all in care.First Woman.Sir knights, of your courtesy,This day shame not your chivalry,But on my child have pityFor my sake in this stead;For a simple slaughter it were to sloOr to work such a child woe,That can neither speak nor go,Nor never harm did.Second Woman.He that slays my child in sight,If that my strokes on him may light,Be he squire or knight,I hold him but lost.See, thou false losenger,A stroke shalt thou bear me here,And spare for no cost.Third Woman.Sit he never so high in saddle,But I shall make his brains addle,And here with my pot-ladleWith him will I fight.I shall lay on him as though I wood were,With this same womanly gear;There shall no man steer,Whether that he be king or knight.First Miles.Who heard ever such a cryOf women that their children have lost?And greatly rebuking chivalryThroughout this realm in every coast,Which many a man's life is like to cost;For this great wreak that here is doneI fear much vengeance thereof will come.Second Miles.Eh! brother, such tales may we not tell;Wherefore to the king let us go,For he is like to bear the peril,Which was the causer that we did so.Yet must they all be brought him to,With wains and waggons fully freight;I trow there will be a careful sight.[They go toHerod.]First Miles.Lo! Herod, King, here mayest thou seeHow many thousands that we have slain.Second Miles.And needs thy will fulfilled must be;There may no man say there-again.[EnterNuntius.]Nuntius.Herod, King, I shall thee tellAll thy deeds is come to nought;This child is gone into Egypt to dwell.Lo! sir, in thine own land what wonders ben wrought!Herod.Into Egypt? alas for woe!Longer in land here I cannot abide;Saddle my palfrey, for in haste will I go,After yonder traitors now will I ride,Them for to slo.Now all men hie fastInto Egypt in haste!All that country will I tasteTill I may come them to.Finis ludi de tailors and shearmen.
This matter newly corrected by Robert Croo, the 14th day of March, finished in the year of our Lord God 1534, then being mayor Master Palmer; also Masters of the said Fellowship, Hugh Corbett, Randal Pinkard, and John Baggeley.
These songs belong to the Tailors' and Shearmen's Pageant. The first and the last the shepherds sing, and the second or middlemost the women sing.
Thomas Mawdycke, die decimo tertio Maii, anno domini millesimo quingentesimo nonagesimo primo. Praetor fuit civitatis Conventriae D. Matthaeus Richardson, tunc consules Johannis Whitehead et Thomas Cravener.