Payis, seneoris, schevaleris de nooble posance !1 Pays, gentis homos,2 companeonys petis egrance! 8 Je vos command dugard treytus sylance. Payis, tanque vottur nooble Roie syre ese presance! 5 479 commands Que nollis persone ese nou fawis perwynt dedffer ance, 9 Nese harde de frappas; mayis gardus to to 10 paceance, 13 Mayis gardus 11 voter seneor to cor 12 reyuerance; (98) ERODE. Qui statis 16 in Jude et Rex Iseraell, For I am evyn he thatt made bothe hevin and hell, Magog and Madroke, bothe the[m]18 did I con- And with this bryght bronde there bonis I brak on sunder, 485 Thatt all the wyde worlde on those rappis did wonder. 492 pretty lively oral discussion of the most perplexing of the difficulties, and as I unfortunately neglected to take any notes at the time, I find myself unable, except in one or two cases, to remember to which of the two each suggestion belongs. Of course they are not responsible for any mistakes that may appear here. I have printed the text with no change except in punctuation." All of the notes upon this passage are taken directly from M. 1 puissance. 2 The second o is probably only a careless form of e. 3 et grands. 4 de garder trestous. 5 roi seit ici present. 6 nulle. 7 Kittredge: ici non fasse point. 9 frapper. 10 gardez tote. 8 Ne se. 11 A preposition before the indirect object seems unnecessary. 12 tote. 13 Sheldon: Car il est votre roi tout puissant. 14 A (au) nom de lui (Sheldon suggests loi instead of lui). 15 Sheldon suggests that the line properly ends with grand (modifying Erott and rhyming with 484),-diable vos emporte! being merely an unattached pleasantry addressed to the audience. 16 Qui statis is in red in S. 17-17 M. that.. ground. C. C. PLAYS. 18 So M. everybody to be silent, patient and reverential in presence of King Herod. Herod made heaven and hell, defeated Magog and Madroke, the cause of light and thunder and earthquakes; he is prince of purgatory and captain of hell, and could annihilate his enemies by batting his eye. To look at him is better than meat or drink. I am the cawse of this grett lyght and thunder; My feyrefull contenance the clowdis so doth incumbur Loke, when I with males this bryght brond doth All the whole world from the north to the sowthe To reycownt vnto you myn innevmerabull substance,— Thatt were to moche for any tong to tell; And those tyraneos trayturs be force ma I compell dryve, And with a twynke of myn iee not won to be lafte alyve. Behold my contenance and my colur, Bryghtur then the sun in the meddis of the dey. Where can you haue a more grettur succur Then to behold my person that ys soo gaye? drynke. And thys my tryomfande fame most hylist dothe a bownde Throgh-owt this world in all reygeons abrod, He resembles Reysemelyng the fauer of thatt most myght Mahownd; Mahomet, is descended from Jupiter and is a cousin to the Deity. God, (99) And namyd the most reydowndid kyng2 Eyrodde, M. emends to he. Cp. ll. 685-8. 506 513 520 And therefore, my hareode here, callid Calcas, Nor also aleond stranger throg my realme pas, For the thatt wyll the contrare Apon a galowse hangid schalbe, And, be Mahownde, of me the gett noo grace! NONCIOS. Now, lord and mastur, in all the hast And thy ryall cuntreyis schalbe past In asse schort tyme ase can be thoght. ERODE. Now schall owre regeons throgh-owt be soght Yff any katyffis to me be broght, Yt schalbe nothyng for there best. And the whyle thatt I do resst, Trompettis, viallis, and othur armone Schall bles the wakyng of my maieste. Here Erod goth awey and the iij kyngis speykyth in the I. REX. Now blessid be God of his swet sonde, Now Asse the profet 2 seyd thatt yt schuld be. A seyd3 there schuld a babe be borne, To save mankynd that wasse for-lorne; Reyuerence and worschip to hym woll I do Asse God and man, thatt all made of noght. All the profettis acordid and seyd evyn soo, 524 His herald announce a tax of five marks on foreigners. 528 Calchas will do it. 532 539 543 547 (100) That with hys presseos blod mankynd schuld be 551 A search for aliens ordered, Matt. ii. 1-12. The first king sees the star and remembers the prophecy, Isa. ix. 1. Thatt I ma hym worschipe with umellete II. REX. Owt of my wey I deme thatt I am, Send me sum knoleyge where thatt I be! sees the star Yondur, me thynke, a feyre, bryght star I see, of prophecy, The wyche be-tocunyth the byrth of a chyld Thatt hedur ys cum to make man fre; 557 561 He borne of a mayde,2 and sche nothyng defyld. 565 To worschip thatt chyld ys myn in-tent; Forth now wyll I take my wey. will worship the child. III. REX. I ryde wanderyng in veyis wyde, The third King is also lost, For the hed of all Whole Churche schall he be. 581 Ouer montens and dalis; I wot not where I am. Now, Kyng off all kyngis, send me soche gyde name. 1 This and the preceding line as one in S. 3 Supplied by S. 585 (101) A! yondur I se a syght, be-semyng all afar, and also sees the star. The wyche be-tocuns sum nevis, ase I troo; Asse me thynke, a chyld peryng in a stare. I trust he be cum that schall defend vs from woo. 589 And to them woll I ryde1 To kyngis yondur I see, Forto haue there cumpane; I trust the wyll me abyde.1 Hayle, cumly kyngis augent ! 2 Good surs, I pray you, whedder ar ye ment? II. REX. III. REX. Surs, I pray you, and thatt ryght With you thatt I ma ryde in cumpane. [ALL] To all-myghte God now prey we Thatt hys pressiose persone we ma se. Here Erode cumyth in ageyne and the messengere seyth: NUNCIOS. Hayle, lorde most off myght! Thy commandement ys right; In-to thy land ys comyn this nyght iij kyngis and with them a grett cumpany. EROD. Whatt make those kyngis in this cuntrey? NONCIOS. To seke a kyng and a chyld, the sey. ERODE. Of whatt age schuld he bee? NONCIOS. Skant twellve deyis old fulle. EROD. And wasse he soo late borne? NONCIOS. 593 597 602 606 610 (102) E! syr, soo the schode me, thys same dey in the morne. EROD. Now, in payne of deyth, bryng them me beforne; And there-fore, harrode, now hy the in hast, In all spede thatt thow were dyght Or thatt those kyngis the cuntrey be past; Loke thow bryng them all iij before my syght; 1 This and the preceding line as one in S. 4 M. thou. 614 617 The Kings ineet, and ride in company. Herod learns of the kings and their mission. 'Bring them before me on pain of death. |