 | The Barbours |  |
[Scene, by the river Jordan.]
Joh.
I thanke hym euere, but I am radde!
I am noȝt abill to full-fill
þis dede certayne.
ii Ang.
All myghtfull lorde, grete is þi grace,
I thanke þe of þi grete fordede.
Jesus.
Cum, baptise me, John, in þis place.
Joh.
Joh.
Tunc cantabant duo angeli Veni creator spiritus.
I loue þe lorde, as souereyne leche,
That come to salue men of þare sore,
As þou comaundis I schall gar preche,
And lere to euery man þat lare,
That are was thrall.
[To the audience.]
Now sirs, þat barne þat marie bare,
be with ȝou all.
1.
Joh.
Almighty god and lord verray,
Full woundyrfull is mannys lesyng,
For yf I preche tham day be day,
And telle tham, lorde, of thy comyng,
Þat all has wrought,
Men are so dull þat my preching
Serues of noght.
Full woundyrfull is mannys lesyng,
For yf I preche tham day be day,
And telle tham, lorde, of thy comyng,
Þat all has wrought,
Men are so dull þat my preching
Serues of noght.
2.
When I haue, lord, in the name of the
Baptiste þe folke in watir clere,
Þan haue I saide þat aftir me
Shall he come þat has more powere
þan I to taste,
He schall giffe baptyme more entire
in fire and gaste.
Baptiste þe folke in watir clere,
Þan haue I saide þat aftir me
Shall he come þat has more powere
þan I to taste,
He schall giffe baptyme more entire
in fire and gaste.
3.
Þus am I comen in message right,
And be fore-reyner in certayne,
In witnesse-bering of þat light,
Þe wiche schall light in ilka a man
þat is comand
In-to this worlde; nowe whoso can
may vndirstande.
And be fore-reyner in certayne,
In witnesse-bering of þat light,
Þe wiche schall light in ilka a man
þat is comand
In-to this worlde; nowe whoso can
may vndirstande.
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4.
Theȝ folke had farly of my fare,
And what I was full faste þei spied,
They askid yf I a prophete ware,
And I saide ‘nay’; but sone I wreyede
high aperte.
I saide I was a voyce that cryede
here in deserte.
And what I was full faste þei spied,
They askid yf I a prophete ware,
And I saide ‘nay’; but sone I wreyede
high aperte.
I saide I was a voyce that cryede
here in deserte.
5.
‘Loke þou make þe redy,’ ay saide I,
‘Vn-to oure lord god most of myght,
Þat is þat þou be clene haly,
In worde, in werke, ay redy dight
Agayns oure lord,
With parfite liffe þat ilke a wight
be well restored.
‘Vn-to oure lord god most of myght,
Þat is þat þou be clene haly,
In worde, in werke, ay redy dight
Agayns oure lord,
With parfite liffe þat ilke a wight
be well restored.
6.
For if we be clene in levyng,
Oure bodis are goddis tempyll þan
In the whilke he will make his dwellyng,
Ther-fore be clene, bothe wiffe and man.
þis is my reed;
God will make in yowe haly þan
his wonnyng-steed.
Oure bodis are goddis tempyll þan
In the whilke he will make his dwellyng,
Ther-fore be clene, bothe wiffe and man.
þis is my reed;
God will make in yowe haly þan
his wonnyng-steed.
7.
And if ȝe sette all youre delyte
In luste and lykyng of þis liff,
Than will he turne fro yow als tyte
By-cause of synne, boyth of man & wiffe,
And fro ȝou flee,
For w[i]th whome þat synne is riffe
Will god noght be.’
In luste and lykyng of þis liff,
Than will he turne fro yow als tyte
By-cause of synne, boyth of man & wiffe,
And fro ȝou flee,
For w[i]th whome þat synne is riffe
Will god noght be.’
8.
Ang.
Þou John, take tente what I schall saye,
I brynge þe tythandis wondir gode,
My lorde Jesus schall come þis day,
Fro Galylee vn-to þis flode
Ȝe Jourdane call,
Baptyme to take myldely with mode
þis day he schall.
I brynge þe tythandis wondir gode,
My lorde Jesus schall come þis day,
Fro Galylee vn-to þis flode
Ȝe Jourdane call,
Baptyme to take myldely with mode
þis day he schall.
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9.
John, of his sande ther-fore be gladde,
And thanke hym hartely, both lowde and still.
And thanke hym hartely, both lowde and still.
Joh.
I thanke hym euere, but I am radde!
I am noȝt abill to full-fill
þis dede certayne.
ii Ang.
John, þe aught with harte and will
To be full bayne
To be full bayne
10.
To do his bidding, all by-dene.
Bot in his baptyme, John, take tente,
Þe heuenes schalle be oppen sene,
The holy gost schalle doune be sente
To se in sight,
The fadirs voyce with grete talent
be herde full riȝt,
Bot in his baptyme, John, take tente,
Þe heuenes schalle be oppen sene,
The holy gost schalle doune be sente
To se in sight,
The fadirs voyce with grete talent
be herde full riȝt,
11.
Þat schall saie þus to hym for-thy
[OMITTED]
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12.
Joh.
With wordes fewne
I will be subgett nyght & day
as me well awe,
To serue my lord Jesu to paye
in dede & sawe.
I will be subgett nyght & day
as me well awe,
To serue my lord Jesu to paye
in dede & sawe.
13.
Bot wele I wote, baptyme is tane
To wasshe and clense man of synne,
And wele I wotte þat synne is none
In hym, with-oute ne with-inne.
What nedis hym than
For to be baptiste more or myne
als synfull man?
To wasshe and clense man of synne,
And wele I wotte þat synne is none
In hym, with-oute ne with-inne.
What nedis hym than
For to be baptiste more or myne
als synfull man?
14.
Jesus.
John, kynde of man is freele
To þe whilke þat I haue me knytte,
But I shall shewe þe skyllis twa,
Þat þou schallt knawe by kyndly witte
By-cause why I haue ordand swa;
and ane is þis,
Mankynde may noȝt vn-baptymde go
to endless blys.
To þe whilke þat I haue me knytte,
But I shall shewe þe skyllis twa,
Þat þou schallt knawe by kyndly witte
175
and ane is þis,
Mankynde may noȝt vn-baptymde go
to endless blys.
15.
And sithen my selffe haue taken mankynde
For men schall me þer myrroure make,
I haue my doyng in ther mynde,
And also I do þe baptyme take.
I will for-thy
My selfe be baptiste, for ther sake,
full oppynly.
For men schall me þer myrroure make,
I haue my doyng in ther mynde,
And also I do þe baptyme take.
I will for-thy
My selfe be baptiste, for ther sake,
full oppynly.
16.
Anodir skill I schall þe tell,
My wille is þis, þat fro þis day
Þe vertue of my baptyme dwelle
In baptyme-watir euere and ay,
Mankynde to taste,
Thurgh my grace þerto to take alway
þe haly gaste.
My wille is þis, þat fro þis day
Þe vertue of my baptyme dwelle
In baptyme-watir euere and ay,
Mankynde to taste,
Thurgh my grace þerto to take alway
þe haly gaste.
17.
Joh.All myghtfull lorde, grete is þi grace,
I thanke þe of þi grete fordede.
Jesus.
Cum, baptise me, John, in þis place.
Joh.
Lorde! saue thy grace þat I for-bede
Þat itt soo be;
For lorde, me thynketh it wer more nede
Þou baptised me.
Þat itt soo be;
For lorde, me thynketh it wer more nede
Þou baptised me.
18.
Þat place þat I yarne moste of all,
Fro thens come þou, lorde, as I gesse,
How schulde I þan, þat is a thrall,
Giffe þe baptyme, þat rightwis is,
And has ben euere?
For þou arte roote of rightwissenesse,
Þat forfette neuere.
Fro thens come þou, lorde, as I gesse,
How schulde I þan, þat is a thrall,
Giffe þe baptyme, þat rightwis is,
And has ben euere?
For þou arte roote of rightwissenesse,
Þat forfette neuere.
176
19.
What riche man gose from dore to dore
To begge at hym þat has right noght?
Lorde, þou arte riche and I am full poure,
Þou may blisse all, sen þou all wrought.
Fro heuen come all
Þat helpes in erthe, yf soth be sought,
fro erthe but small.
To begge at hym þat has right noght?
Lorde, þou arte riche and I am full poure,
Þou may blisse all, sen þou all wrought.
Fro heuen come all
Þat helpes in erthe, yf soth be sought,
fro erthe but small.
20.
Jesus.
Thou sais full wele, John, certaynly,
But suffre nowe for heuenly mede,
Þat rightwisnesse be noȝt oonlye
Fullfillid in worde, but also in dede,
thrughe baptyme clere.
Cum, baptise me in my manhed
Appertly here.
But suffre nowe for heuenly mede,
Þat rightwisnesse be noȝt oonlye
Fullfillid in worde, but also in dede,
thrughe baptyme clere.
Cum, baptise me in my manhed
Appertly here.
21.
Fyrst schall I take, sen schall I preche,
For so be-hovis mankynde fulfille
All right-wissenesse, als werray leche.
For so be-hovis mankynde fulfille
All right-wissenesse, als werray leche.
Joh.
Lord, I am redy at þi will,
And will be ay.
Thy subgett lord, both lowde and still,
in þat I may.
And will be ay.
Thy subgett lord, both lowde and still,
in þat I may.
22.
A! lorde, I trymble þer I stande,
So am I arow to do þat dede,
But saue me lord, þat all ordand,
For the to touche haue I grete drede,
for doyngs dark.
Now helpe me lorde, thurgh þi godhede,
to do þis werke.
So am I arow to do þat dede,
But saue me lord, þat all ordand,
For the to touche haue I grete drede,
for doyngs dark.
Now helpe me lorde, thurgh þi godhede,
to do þis werke.
23.
Jesu, my lord of myghtis most,
I baptise þe here in þe name
Of the fadir and of the sone and holy gost!
But in þis dede, lorde, right no blame
Þis day by me.
And bryngis all thase to thy home
þat trowes in þe.
I baptise þe here in þe name
Of the fadir and of the sone and holy gost!
177
Þis day by me.
And bryngis all thase to thy home
þat trowes in þe.
Tunc cantabant duo angeli Veni creator spiritus.
24.
Jesus.
John, for mannys prophyte, wit þou wele,
Take I þis baptyme, certaynely,
The dragons poure ilk a dele
Thurgh my baptyme distroyed haue I;
Þis is certayne;
And saued mankynde, saule and body,
fro endles payne.
Take I þis baptyme, certaynely,
The dragons poure ilk a dele
Thurgh my baptyme distroyed haue I;
Þis is certayne;
And saued mankynde, saule and body,
fro endles payne.
25.
What man þat trowis and baptised be
Schall saued be and come to blisse,
Who-so trowes noȝt, to payne endles
He schalbe dampned sone, trowe wele þis.
But wende we nowe
Wher most is nede þe folke to wisse,
both I & ȝou.
Schall saued be and come to blisse,
Who-so trowes noȝt, to payne endles
He schalbe dampned sone, trowe wele þis.
But wende we nowe
Wher most is nede þe folke to wisse,
both I & ȝou.
26.
Joh.I loue þe lorde, as souereyne leche,
That come to salue men of þare sore,
As þou comaundis I schall gar preche,
And lere to euery man þat lare,
That are was thrall.
[To the audience.]
Now sirs, þat barne þat marie bare,
be with ȝou all.
| The Barbours | |