 | Golde Smythis |  |
[Scene I]
the road to Jerusalem, the three kings meeting.
1.
i Rex.Lorde! that levis euere-lastande lyff,
I loue þe evir with harte and hande,
That me has made to se this sight
Whilke my kynrede was coveytande.
Thay saide a sterne, with lemys bright,
Owte of the Eest shulde stabely stande,
And þat it shulde meffe mekill myght
Of I þat shulde be lorde in lande;
That men of synne shulde saff;
And certis I sall saye,
God graunte me happe to haue
Wissyng of redy waye.
2.
ii Rex.All weldand god, þat all has wroght,
I worshippe þe als is worthye,
That with thy brightnes has me broght
Owte of my reame, rich Arabie.
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What selcouth thyng it sall syngnyfie,
God graunte me happe so þat I myght
Haue grace to gete goode companye;
And my comforte encrese
With thy sterne schynyng schene,
For certis, I sall noght cesse,
Tille I witte what it mene.
3.
iii Rex.Lorde god! þat all goode has by-gonne,
And all may ende both goode and euyll,
That made for man both mone and sonne,
And stedde yone sterne to stande stone stille!
Tille I þe cause may clerly knowe,
God wisse me with his worthy wille,
I hope I haue her felaws fonde,
My yarnyng fayfully to full-fille.
[Advances and speaks to the other kings.
Sirs! god yowe saffe ande see,
And were ȝow euere fro woo.
i Rex.
Amen! so myght it bee,
And saffe yow, sir, also!
4.
iii Rex.Sirs, with youre wille, I wolde yow praye
To telle me some of youre entent,
Whedir ye wende forthe in this way,
And fro what contre ȝe are wente?
ii Rex.
Full gladly sir, I shall ȝou say.
A sodayne sight was till vs sente,
A royall sterne þat rose or day
Before vs on the firmament,
Þat garte vs fare fro home
Som poynte ther-of to presse.
iii Rex.
Sertis, syrs, I sawe þe same,
Þat makis vs þus to moyfe.
Þat makis vs þus to moyfe.
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5.
For sirs, I haue herde say sertayne
It shulde be seyne of selcowthe seere,
And ferther ther-of I wolde freyne;
That makis me moffe in this manere.
It shulde be seyne of selcowthe seere,
And ferther ther-of I wolde freyne;
That makis me moffe in this manere.
i Rex.
Sir, of felashippe are we fayne,
Now sall we wende forth all in feere,
God graunte vs or we come agayne
Som gode hartyng þer-of to here.
Sir, here is Jerusalem,
[They journey on together.
To wisse vs als we goo,
And be-yonde is Bedleem,
Þer schall we seke alsoo.
6.
iii Rex.Sirs, ȝe schall wele vndirstande,
For to be wise nowe were it nede,
Sir Herowde is kyng of this lande
And has his lawes her for to leede.
i Rex.
Sir, sen we neghe now þus nerhand,
Vn-till his helpe vs muste take heede,
For haue we his wille and his warande
Þan may we wende with-outen drede.
ii Rex.
To haue leve of the lorde,
Þat is resoune and skyll.
iii Rex.
And ther-to we all accorde,
Wende we and witte his wille.
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