[They set out and travel a while.]

Now to Bedlem haue we leygis three;

The day ys ny spent, yt drawyth toward nyght; Fayne at your es, dame, I wold that ye schulde be,

For you groue1 all werely, yt semyth in my syght. 183

Luke . 4-7.

Three leagues

to Bethlehem.

MARE. God haue marcy, Josoffe, my spowse soo dere; (89) The time

All profettis herto dothe beyre wyttnes,

The were tyme now draith nere

Thatt 2 my chyld wolbe borne, wyche ys Kyng
of blis.

187

Vnto sum place, Josoff, hyndly me leyde,
Thatt I moght rest me with grace in this tyde.
The lyght of the Fathur ouer hus both spreyde,
And the grace of my sun with vs here a-byde! 191

JOSOFF. Loo! blessid Mare, here schall ye lend,

Cheff chosyn of owre Lorde and cleynist in degre ; And I for help to towne woll I wende.

Ys nott this the best, dame? whatt sey ye?

MARE. God haue marce, Josoff, my huse-bond soo meke!

And hartely I pra you, goo now fro me.

Josoff.

Thatt schalbe done in hast, Mare soo3 swete!
The comford of the Wholle Gost leyve I with

foretold draws near.

'Lead me to

a place where I may rest.'

'Stay here:

I go to the town for 195 help.'

[In another part of the place a shepherd begins to speak.]

1. PASTOR.

Now God, that art in Trenete,

Thow sawe my fellois and me!

For I kno nott wheyre my scheepe nor the be,

Thys nyght yt ys soo colde.

1 M. changes to grone, but suggests that it may be for growe.

2 M. That.

3 M. so.

4 M. wemmen.

8

He will call them.

Another shepherd hears and recognizes his voice.

The first

shepherd explains.

I. PASTOR. E! fryndis, ther cam a pyrie of wynd

with a myst suddenly,

Thatt forth off my weyis went I

And wase full sore afryght.5

211

217

221

225

And grett heyvenes then made I

229

Then forto goo wyst I nott whyddur,

But trawellid on this loo hyddur and thyddur;

I wasse so were of this cold weddur

'It is nearly day;

III. PASTOR. Brethur, now we be past that fryght,

Thatt nere past wasse my might.

And hit ys far within the nyght,

Full sone woll spryng the day-lyght,
Hit drawith full mere the tyde.

1 This and the preceding line as one in S.

2 S. And this nyght hit ys soo cold, corr. by M.
4 S. in, corr. by M. 5 S. afrayde, emend. by M.

237

3 M. That.

233

Here awhyle lett vs rest,

let us refresh ourselves.'

And repast owreself of the best;

Tyll thatt the sun ryse in the est

Let vs all here abyde.

There the scheppardis drawys furth there meyte and doth
eyte and drynk; and asse the drynk, the fynd the star,
and sey thus:

III. PASTOR. Brethur, loke vp and behold!
Whatt thyng ys yondur thatt schynith soo
bryght?

Asse long ase eyuer I haue wachid my fold,}

Yett sawe I neyuer soche a syght

In fyld.1

A ha! now ys cum the tyme that old fathurs hath

told,

Thatt in the wynturs nyght soo cold

Thatt a2 chylde schuld be borne of a made soo
bryght

In wentur ny the schortist dey

Or elis in the myddis of the nyght.

'Yes; for it
is nigh the
shortest day.'

255

II. PASTOR. Loovid be God, most off myght,

Thanksgiving.

That owre grace ys to see thatt syght;

Pray we to hym, ase hit ys right,

Yff thatt his wyll yt be,

Thatt we ma haue knoleyge of this syngnefocacion

And why hit aperith on this fassion;

And eyuer to hym lett vs geve lawdacion,

In yerthe whyle thatt we be.

259

263

There the angelis syng "Glorea in exselsis Deo."

III. PASTOR. Harke! the syng abowe in the clowdis

clere !

Hard I neyuer of soo myrre a quere.

1 This and the preceding line as one in S. 2 S. has I. Emend. by M.

3 M. That.

A merry choir!

The shepherds recall the song.

Now, gentyll brethur, draw we nere

To here there armony.1

I. PASTOR. Brothur, myrth and solas ys cum hus

among;

For be the swettnes of ther songe,

Goddis Sun ys cum, whom we haue lokid for long,

"Glore, glórea in excelsis," that wase

Asse syngnefyith thys star that we do see.

II. PASTOR.

ther sónge;

How sey ye, fellois, seyd the not thus ?

1. PASTOR. Thatt ys wel seyd 2 now goo we hence
To worschipe thatt chyld of hy manyffecence,

And that we ma syng in his presence

"Et in tarra pax omynibus."

267

271

273

277

There the scheppardis syngis " Ase I owt Rodde," and (92)
Josoff seyth:

JOSOFF. Now, Lorde, this noise that I do here,

With this grett solemnete,

Gretly amendid hath my chere;

I trust hy nevis schortly wolbe.

281

Mary announces the Saviour's birth.

Warmed by the breathing of the beasts.

MARE.

A! Josoff, husebond, cum heddur anon;
My chylde ys borne that ys Kyng of blys.
JOSOFFE. Now welcum to me, the Makar of mon,
With all the omage thatt I con;

Thy swete mothe here woll I kys.

MARE. A Josoff, husebond, my chyld waxith cold,
And we haue noo fyre to warme hym with.

JOSOFF. Now in my narmys I schall hym fold,
Kyng of all kyngis be fyld and be fryth;
He myght haue had bettur, and hym-selfe1 wold,
Then the breythyng of these bestis to warme
hym with.

286

292

MARE. Now, Josoff, my husbond, fet heddur my chyld,

Josoff.

The Maker off man and hy Kyng of blys.
That schalbe done anon, Mare soo myld,
For the brethyng of these bestis hath warmyd
[hym]1 well, i-wys.

[Angels appear to the shepherds.]

296

1. PASTOR. Hayle, mayde-modur and wyff soo myld! Asse the angell seyd, soo haue we fonde.

I haue nothyng to present with thi chylde

But my pype; hold, hold, take yt in thy hond;
Where-in moche pleysure that I haue fond;

And now, to oonowre thy gloreose byrthe,
Thow schallt yt haue to make the myrthe.

11. PASTOR. Now, hayle be thow, chyld, and thy

dame!

For in a pore loggyn here art thow leyde,
Soo the angell seyde and tolde vs thy name;

Holde, take thow here my hat on thy hedde!
And now off won thyng thow art well sped,
For weddur thow hast noo nede to complayne,
For wynd, ne sun, hayle, snoo and rayne.

1 Suppl. by M. 3 M. cribbe.

2 This and the preceding line as one in S.
4 M. mothur.
5 S. apore, corr. by M.

313

320

but hasten to see him.'

A greeting to Mary,

and a present
to Jesus;
he gives his
pipe.

Take my hat on thy head!'