 | Iacob and Esau |  |
scæna decima.
Esau. Ragau. Rebecca. Isaac. Mido.And is he gone in deede to mine vncle Laban,
In Mesopotamia at the toune of Haran?
And is Iacob gone to the house of Bethuel?
But I shall mete with him yet one daye well enough.
And who is this? my mother, whom I see here now?
Ragau.
She stoode here al this while sir, did ye not her see?
Esau.
Didst thou see her stand here, & wouldest not warne me?
Rebecca.
Sonne Esau, afore God thou art much to blame,
And to do as I heare of thee, is a foule shame.
Esau.
Mother what is it ye heard of me of late?
Rebecca.
That thou doest thy brother Iacob deadly hate.
Esau.
Hate Iacob? I hate him and will do till I dye.
For he hath done me both great wrong and vilanny.
And that shal he well know if the Lord geue me lyfe.
Rebecca.
Fye vpon thee to speake so like a lewde caytife.
Ragau.
My maister Esau is of nature much hote,
But he will be better than he saith, feare not.
Esau.
My birthright to sell did he not make me consent?
Rebecca.
But the same to do were not thy selfe content?
There is no man to blame for it but thine owne selfe.
Esau.
Yea mother, see that ye holde with that mopishe elfe.
It is your deinty dearlyng, your princkoxe, your golpoll,
He can neuer be praised enough of your soule,
He must euer be extolled aboue the Moone,
It is neuer amisse that he hath said or done.
I would he were rocked or dandled in your lappe:
Or I would with this fauchon I might geue him pap.
I meruail why ye should so loue him, and me not?
Ye groned as well for the one as thother I wotte.
But Iacob must be aduaunced in any wyse:
But I shall one day handle him of the new guise.
Rebecca.
Both on thy fathers blessyng and mine I charge thee,
That thy soule entend neuer such iniquitie,
Beware by the example of Caym I thee rede,
That thou bring not the Lordes curse vpon thy head.
Esau.
And what should I take all this wrong at Iacobs hande?
Rebecca.
Forgeue, and the Lorde shall prosper thee on the lande.
For my sake let passe this grudge against thy brother.
Ragau.
Syr, your mothers request is but reasonable,
Which for you to graunt shal be muche commendable.
Esau.
Mother, though it be a great thing that ye require:
Yet must all malice passe at your desire.
And for your cause mother, this mine angre shall slake.
Rebecca.
I thanke thee my sonne, that thou doost it for my sake
Esau.
For your sake with Iacob I will be at accorde.
Rebecca.
And shall I call thy father to be as recorde?
Esau.
As pleaseth you mother, I can be well content.
Rebecca.
Then wyll I go call hym hyther incontinent.
And where he dooth already loue thee very well,
This wyll make hym to loue thee better a greate deale.
Ragau.
Truely syr, this is of you a right gentill part:
At least yf it come from the bottome of your harte.
Esau.
It must nowe be thus, but when I shall Iacob fynde,
I shall then do, as God shall put into my minde.
Rebecca.
He hath at my woorde remitted all his quarele.
Isaac.
Forsooth I loue him the better a great deale.
And if he be here, I woulde commende his doing.
Isaac.
All prest here father to tary on your comming.
Esau.
Sonne Esau, thou haste thy selfe well acquited.
That all quarell to Iacob thou haste remitted.
It was the Lordes pleasure that it should thus be,
Against whose ordinance to stande is not for thee:
But nowe to the entent it may please the Lorde,
To knitte your hartes one day in a perfect concorde,
We shall first in a song geue laude vnto his name,
And than with all gladnesse, within confirme the same.
Rebecca.
As ye thinke best dere husbande I agree therto.
Esau.
Mee ye may commaunde to what ye will haue me to do:
And so maye ye do also Ragau my man.
Isaac.
I see none, but praise we the Lorde the hest we can.
Cal foorth all our household that with one accord,
Ragau calleth al to syng.
This song must be song after the prayer.
O Lorde
the God of our father Abraham,
Howe deepe and vnsearcheable are thy iudgementes?
Thy almightifull hande did create and frame,
Both heauen and earth and all the elementes.
Howe deepe and vnsearcheable are thy iudgementes?
Thy almightifull hande did create and frame,
Both heauen and earth and all the elementes.
Man of the earth thou haste formed and create,
Some do thee worship, and some stray awrye,
Whome pleaseth thee, thou doste choose or reprobate,
And no fleshe can aske thee wherfore or why?
Some do thee worship, and some stray awrye,
Whome pleaseth thee, thou doste choose or reprobate,
And no fleshe can aske thee wherfore or why?
Of thine owne will thou didst Abraham electe,
Promising him seede as sterres of the skie,
And them as thy chosen people to protecte,
That they might thy mercies praise and magnifie.
Promising him seede as sterres of the skie,
And them as thy chosen people to protecte,
That they might thy mercies praise and magnifie.
Performe thou O Lorde, thine eternall decree,
To me and my seede the sonnes of Abraham,
And whom thou haste chosen thine owne people to bee,
Guide and defende to the glorie of thy name.
To me and my seede the sonnes of Abraham,
And whom thou haste chosen thine owne people to bee,
Guide and defende to the glorie of thy name.
FINIS.
Then entreth the Poete, and the rest stand
still, til he haue done.
The Poet entreth.
Whan
Adam for breakyng Gods commaundement
Had sentence of death, and all his posteritie:
Yet the lorde our God who is omnipotent,
Had in his owne selfe by his eternall decree,
Appointed to restore man, and to make him free,
He purposed to saue mankynde by his mercie,
Whome he once had created vnto his glorie.
Had sentence of death, and all his posteritie:
Yet the lorde our God who is omnipotent,
Had in his owne selfe by his eternall decree,
Appointed to restore man, and to make him free,
He purposed to saue mankynde by his mercie,
Whome he once had created vnto his glorie.
Yet not all fleshe did he then predestinate,
But onely the adopted children of promise:
For he forknewe that many would degenerate,
And wylfully giue cause to be put from that blisse:
So on Gods behalfe no maner default there is,
But where he chooseth, he sheweth his great mercy:
And where he refuseth, he doth none iniury,
But onely the adopted children of promise:
For he forknewe that many would degenerate,
And wylfully giue cause to be put from that blisse:
So on Gods behalfe no maner default there is,
And where he refuseth, he doth none iniury,
But thus farre surmounteth mans intellection,
To attaine or conceiue, and much more to discusse:
All must be referred to Gods election,
And to his secret iudgement, it is meete for vs,
With Paule the Apostle to confesse and say thus:
Oh the deepnesse of the riches of Gods wisedome,
How vnsearcheable are his wayes to mans reason?
To attaine or conceiue, and much more to discusse:
All must be referred to Gods election,
And to his secret iudgement, it is meete for vs,
With Paule the Apostle to confesse and say thus:
Oh the deepnesse of the riches of Gods wisedome,
How vnsearcheable are his wayes to mans reason?
Our parte therfore is first to beleue Gods worde,
Not doubtyng but that he wil his elected saue:
Then to put full trust in the goodnesse of the Lorde,
That we be of the number which shall mercy haue:
Thirdly so to liue as we may his promise craue.
Thus if we do, we shall Abrahams chyldren be:
And come with Iacob to endlesse felicitie.
Not doubtyng but that he wil his elected saue:
Then to put full trust in the goodnesse of the Lorde,
That we be of the number which shall mercy haue:
Thirdly so to liue as we may his promise craue.
Thus if we do, we shall Abrahams chyldren be:
And come with Iacob to endlesse felicitie.
All the rest of the actours aunswer Amen.
Then foloweth the prayer.
Isaac.
Now vnto God let vs pray for all the whole clergy,
To geue them grace to auaunce gods honor and glory.
Rebecca.
Then for the Quenes maiesty let vs pray,
Unto God to kepe her in helth and welth night and day,
And that of his mere mercy and great benignitie,
He will defend and maintaine hir estate and dignitie,
That she beeing greeued with any outward hostilitie,
May against her enimies, alwaye haue victorie.
Iacob.
God saue the Quenes counsailours most noble and true,
And with all godlinesse their noble heartes endue.
Esau.
Lord saue the nobilitie and preserue them all:
And prosper the Quenes subiects vniuersall.
Amen.
| Iacob and Esau | |