There is a comfort in spite of Adam's fall. Where-fore I cum here apon this grownde (84) To comforde eyuere1 creature off birthe; For I, Isaye the profet, hathe fownde Many swete matters whereof we ma make myrth 19 Isa. vii. 14. For, thogh that Adam be demid to deythe Loo, where a reymede schall ryse! The child of Be-holde, a mayde schall conseyve a childe And gett vs more grace then eyuer men had, 23 Sche ys deputyd to beare the Sun, Almyghte God. 28 Benediction. But lengur tyme I haue not here for to dwell. That Lorde that ys marcefull his marce soo in vs ma preve For to sawe owre sollis from the darknes of hell; 40 And to his blys He vs bryng, Asse he ys Bothe lord and kyng, And schalbe eyuerlastyng, In secula seculorum, amen!5 1 S. eyerue, corr. by M. 2 The sign for er is used for ir, ri, ar (marce), e (under), as well as for er and re. 4 So S., M. shall be. 3 Correct. by M. 5 Lines 41-46 as two in S., the first ending with kyng. 46 [Exit Isaiah; enter Gabriel to Mary.] GABERELL. Hayle, Mare, full of grace! Owre Lord God ys with the ;1 Aboue all wemeñ that eyuer wasse, Lade, blesside mote thow be ! MARE. All-myght Fathur and King of blys, From all dysses thou saue me now! For inwardely my spretis trubbuld ys, Thatt I am amacid and kno nott how. GABERELL. Dred the nothyng, meydin, of this; From heyvin a-bowe hyddur am I sent Of ambassage from that Kyng of bly's Unto the, lade and virgin reyuerent! With-owt sin thou schalt hym sec.1 50 (85) 54 Thy grace and thi goodnes wyl neyuer be gone, Luke i. 26-46. Salutation of She is troubled. 'Fear not; Manis cumpany knev I neyuer yett, Nor neyuer to do, kast I me, Whyle thatt owre Lord sendith me my wytt. GABERELL. The Wholle Gost in the schall lyght, And schado thy soll soo with virtu From the Fathur thatt ys on hyght. These wordis, turtill, the3 be full tru. This chylde that of the schalbe borne Ys the Second Persone in Trenete; He schall saue that wase forlorne And the fyndis powar dystroie schall he. 1 This and the preceding line as one in S. 71 The Holy Ghost shall light in her. 75 Her son a saviour. 79 2 The contraction here is for us, and is used to represent the genitive and the plural throughout. It has been written is, the customary spelling in S. 3 M. here and throughout prints the[y]. Her kinswoman Elizabeth. Nothing impossible to God. His handmaid. Gabriel's blessing These wordis, lade, full tru the bene, And furthur, lade, here in thy noone lenage The wyche wasse barren and past all age, Where-for, discomforde the not, Mare! MARE. Now, and yt be thatt Lordis wyll Asse his one hande-mayde I submyt me.. GABERELL. Now blessid be the tyme sett and farewell. Now fare-well, lade off myghtis most! Vnto the God-hed I the be-teyche. MARE. Thatt Lorde the gyde in eyuere cost, (86) 83 87 91 95 99 Matt. i. 1825. Here the angell departyth, and Joseff cumyth in and seyth: "Who hath been with thee ? 104 JOSOFF. Whatt! I troo thatt we be all schent! Sey, womon; who hath byn here sith I went, To rage wyth thee? MARE. Syr, here was nothur mañ nor mans eyvin, The messen. But only the sond of owre Lorde God in heyvin, ger of God.' 109 JOSOFF. Sey not soo, womon; for schame, ley be! He disbelieves. Ye be with chyld soo wondurs grett, Agense all right. JOSOFF. But myne allas! alas! why sey ye soo? Be-gyld as many a-nothur ys. MARE. Na, truly, sir, ye be not be-gylde, Nor yet with spott of syn I am not defylde; Trust yt well, huse-bonde. JOSOFF. Huse-bond, in feythe! and that acold! Lyke a fole now ma I stand And truse.2 But, in feyth, Mare, thou art in syn; Soo moche ase I haue cheyrischyd the, dame, and all thi kyn, Be-hynd my bake to serve me thus ! All olde men, insampull take be me, How I am be-gylid here may you see! To wed soo yong a chyld. Now fare-well, Mare, I leyve the here alone, [Wo]1 worthe the, dam, and thy warkis ycheone!— For I woll noo-more be be-gylid 3 For frynd nor fooe.2 Now of this ded I am soo dull, And off my lyff I am soo full, No farthur ma I goo.2 [Lies down to sleep; to him enters an angel.] Aryse up, Josoff, and goo whom ageyne Vnto Mare, thy wyff, that ys soo3 fre. I. ANGELL. To comford hir loke that thow be fayne, For, Josoff, a cleyne meydin ys schee: 142 146 1 Emend. by M. 2 This and the preceding line as one in S. 3 S. be gylid be, emend. by M. 4 S. ANGELL J; so below for angels, shepherds, kings, knights, and women, alteration by M. 5 M. so. 'Arise, go home again unto thy wife. The child is Jesus.' He will go home in haste. Sche hath conseyvid with-owt any trayne. The Seycond Person in Trenete; Jesus1 schalbe hys name, sarten, And all thys world sawe schall he; (88) 150 JOSOFF. Now, Lorde, I thanke the with hart full sad, For of these tythyngis I am soo glad Thatt all my care awey ys cast; [Returns to Mare.] He begs forgiveness; A! Mare, Mare, I knele full loo; he has misnamed her. He must go to Bethlehem. 'I will walk with you.' Forgeve me, swete wyff, here in this lond! Marce, Mare! for now I kno 155 Of youre good gouernance and how yt doth stond. 159 God wott, the whyle, dame, how you schuld fare. 171 MARE. Na, hardely, husebond, dred ye nothyng; I trust in God, all-myghte kyng, To spede right well in owre jurney. JosOFF. Now I thanke you, Mare, of youre goodnes Thatt 3 ye my wordis woll nott blame; And syth that to Bedlem we schall vs dresse, Goo we to-gedur in Goddis wholle name. 1 S. Jhu here and throughout. 2 This and the preceding line as one in S. 3 M. That. 6 M. your. 175 179 |