 | The Prologue of Contemplacio ; King Herod |  |
What tyme þat processyon is enteryd in to þe place and þe herowdys
takyn his schaffalde
and pylat and annas and cayphas here
schaffaldys Also þan come þer An exposytour in doctorys wede þus
seyng
Contemplacio
here þe herowndys xal shewe hymself and speke.
herodes Rex
ius miles
My sovereyn lord heyest of excillens
In ȝou all jewgement is termynabyle
all crystyn doggys þat do not here dyligens
ȝe put hem to peynes þat ben inportable.
ijus miles
No þing in ȝou may be more comendable
as to dysstroye þo traytorys þat erre
ageyn oure lawys þat ben most profytable
be rythwysnesse þat lawe ȝe must proferre.
Rex Herow[OMITTED]
ius miles
To-morwe my jorne I xal begynne
to seke jhesus with my dew dilygens
ȝyf he come ȝour provynce with-inne
he xal not a-skape ȝour hey presens.
ijus miles
Myn sovereyn þis my councel þat ȝe xal take
A man þat is bothe wyse and stronge
thurwe all galyle A serge to make
yf jhesu be enteryd ȝour pepyl A-mong
Correcte hese dedys þat be do wronge
Ffor his body is vndyr ȝour bayle
as men talkyn hem among
þat he was born in galyle.
Rex
Thanne of þese materys serys take hede
Ffor A whyle I wele me rest
Appetyde requyryth me so in dede
And ffesyk tellyth me it is þe best.
Contemplacio
Sofreynes and frendys ȝe mut alle be gret with gode
Grace love and charyte evyr be ȝou A-mong
þe maydenys sone preserve ȝou þat for man deyd on rode
he þat is o god in personys thre defende ȝou fro ȝour fon.
Grace love and charyte evyr be ȝou A-mong
þe maydenys sone preserve ȝou þat for man deyd on rode
he þat is o god in personys thre defende ȝou fro ȝour fon.
Be þe leue and soferauns of all-mythty god
We intendyn to procede þe matere þat we lefte þe last ȝere
Where fore we be-seche ȝow þat ȝour wyllys be good
to kepe þe passyon in ȝour mende þat xal be shewyd here.
We intendyn to procede þe matere þat we lefte þe last ȝere
Where fore we be-seche ȝow þat ȝour wyllys be good
to kepe þe passyon in ȝour mende þat xal be shewyd here.
The last ȝere we shewyd here how oure lord for love of man
Cam to þe cety of jherusalem mekely his deth to take
And how he made his mawnde his body ȝevyng þan
to his Apostelys evyr with us to A-bydyn for mannys sake.
Cam to þe cety of jherusalem mekely his deth to take
And how he made his mawnde his body ȝevyng þan
to his Apostelys evyr with us to A-bydyn for mannys sake.
In þat mawnde he was betrayd of judas þat hym solde
to þe jewys for xxxt i platys to delyvyr hym þat nyth
With swerdys and gleyvys toke jhesu they come with þe tretour bolde
And toke hym amonges his Apostelys About myd nyth.
to þe jewys for xxxt i platys to delyvyr hym þat nyth
With swerdys and gleyvys toke jhesu they come with þe tretour bolde
And toke hym amonges his Apostelys About myd nyth.
Now wold we procede how he was browth þan
be-forn Annas and cayphas and syth beforn pylate
And so forth in his passyon how mekely he toke it for man
besekyng ȝou for mede of ȝour soulys to take good hede þer Atte.
be-forn Annas and cayphas and syth beforn pylate
And so forth in his passyon how mekely he toke it for man
besekyng ȝou for mede of ȝour soulys to take good hede þer Atte.
here þe herowndys xal shewe hymself and speke.
herodes Rex
Now sees of ȝour talkyng And gevyth lordly Audyence
Not o word I charge ȝou þat ben here present
noon so hardy to presume in my hey presence
to on-lose hese lyppys Ageyn myn intent
I am herowde of jewys kyng most reverent
þe lawys of Mahownde my powere xal fortefye
reverens to þat lord of grace moost excyllent
Ffor be his powere all þinge doth multyplye.
Not o word I charge ȝou þat ben here present
272
to on-lose hese lyppys Ageyn myn intent
I am herowde of jewys kyng most reverent
þe lawys of Mahownde my powere xal fortefye
reverens to þat lord of grace moost excyllent
Ffor be his powere all þinge doth multyplye.
Ȝef ony crystyn be so hardy his feyth to denye
Or onys to erre Ageyns his lawe
On gebettys with cheynes I xal hangyn hym heye
and with wylde hors þo traytorys xal I drawe
To kylle A thowsand crystyn I gyf not An hawe
to se hem hangyn or brent to me is very plesauns
to dryvyn hem in to doongenyns dragonys to knawe
And to rend here flesche and bonys on-to here sustenauns.
Or onys to erre Ageyns his lawe
On gebettys with cheynes I xal hangyn hym heye
and with wylde hors þo traytorys xal I drawe
To kylle A thowsand crystyn I gyf not An hawe
to se hem hangyn or brent to me is very plesauns
to dryvyn hem in to doongenyns dragonys to knawe
And to rend here flesche and bonys on-to here sustenauns.
Johan þe baptyst crystenyd cryst
and so he dede many on
þer-fore my-self dede hym bryng o dawe
It is I þat dede hym kylle I telle ȝou every-chon
Ffor And he had go forth he xuld A dystroyd our lawe
Where as crystyn Apperyth to me is gret grevauns
It peynyth myn hert of tho tretowrys to here
Ffor þe lawys of mahownde I have in governawns
þe which I wele kepe þat lord hath no pere
Ffor he is god most prudent
Now I charge ȝou my lordys þat ben here
Yf Any crystyn doggys here doth Apere
Bryng þo tretorys to my hey powere
And þei xal haue sone jewgement.
þer-fore my-self dede hym bryng o dawe
It is I þat dede hym kylle I telle ȝou every-chon
Ffor And he had go forth he xuld A dystroyd our lawe
Where as crystyn Apperyth to me is gret grevauns
It peynyth myn hert of tho tretowrys to here
Ffor þe lawys of mahownde I have in governawns
þe which I wele kepe þat lord hath no pere
Ffor he is god most prudent
Now I charge ȝou my lordys þat ben here
Yf Any crystyn doggys here doth Apere
Bryng þo tretorys to my hey powere
And þei xal haue sone jewgement.
ius miles
My sovereyn lord heyest of excillens
In ȝou all jewgement is termynabyle
all crystyn doggys þat do not here dyligens
ȝe put hem to peynes þat ben inportable.
ijus miles
No þing in ȝou may be more comendable
as to dysstroye þo traytorys þat erre
ageyn oure lawys þat ben most profytable
be rythwysnesse þat lawe ȝe must proferre.
273
Now be gloryous mahownd my sovereyn savyour
these promessys I make as I am trewe knyth
þoo þat excede his lawys be ony errour
to þe most xamefullest deth I xal hem dyth
But o thyng is sore in my gret delyte
þere is on jhesus of nazareth as men me tellyth
of þat man I desyre to han A sythte
ffor with many gret wondrys oure lawe he fellyth.
these promessys I make as I am trewe knyth
þoo þat excede his lawys be ony errour
to þe most xamefullest deth I xal hem dyth
But o thyng is sore in my gret delyte
þere is on jhesus of nazareth as men me tellyth
of þat man I desyre to han A sythte
ffor with many gret wondrys oure lawe he fellyth.
The son of god hym-self he callyth
And kyng of jewys he seyth is he
And many woundrys of hym be-fallyth
My hert desyryth hym for to se
Serys yf þat he come in þis cowntre
With oure jurresdyccion loke ȝe A-spye
And a-non þat he be brouth on-to me
And þe trewth myself þan xal trye.
And kyng of jewys he seyth is he
And many woundrys of hym be-fallyth
My hert desyryth hym for to se
Serys yf þat he come in þis cowntre
With oure jurresdyccion loke ȝe A-spye
And a-non þat he be brouth on-to me
And þe trewth myself þan xal trye.
ius miles
To-morwe my jorne I xal begynne
to seke jhesus with my dew dilygens
ȝyf he come ȝour provynce with-inne
he xal not a-skape ȝour hey presens.
ijus miles
Myn sovereyn þis my councel þat ȝe xal take
A man þat is bothe wyse and stronge
thurwe all galyle A serge to make
yf jhesu be enteryd ȝour pepyl A-mong
Correcte hese dedys þat be do wronge
Ffor his body is vndyr ȝour bayle
as men talkyn hem among
þat he was born in galyle.
Rex
Thanne of þese materys serys take hede
Ffor A whyle I wele me rest
Appetyde requyryth me so in dede
And ffesyk tellyth me it is þe best.
| The Prologue of Contemplacio ; King Herod | |