 | Golde Smythis |  |
[Scene II]
Herod's court.
7.
Nun.Mi lorde ser Herowde! kyng with croune!
Herod.
Pees! dastard, in þe deueles dispite.
Nun.
Sir, new nott is full nere þis towne.
Herod.
What! false losell, liste þe flighte?
129
ii Mil.
Lorde, messengers shulde no man wyte;
It may be for youre awne rennowne.
Herod.
That wolde I here, do telle on tyte.
Nun.
Mi lorde, I mette at morne
iij kyngis carpand to-gedir
Of One þat is nowe borne,
And þai hight to come hedir.
8.
Herod.Thre kyngis, forsothe!
Nun.
Sir, so I saie,
For I saughe þem my-self all seere.
i Con.
My lorde, appose hym, we yow praye.
Herod.
Say, felowe, ar they ferre or nere?
Nun.
Mi lorde, þei will be here þis day.
Þat wotte I wele, withouten were.
[Exit messenger.
Herod.
Haue done; dresse vs in riche array,
And ilke man make tham mery chere,
That no sembland be seene
But frenshippe faire and stille,
Tille we wete what þei meene,
Whedir it be gud or ill.
[Enter the three kings.]
9.
i Rex.A! lorde, þat lenys þis lastand light,
Whilke has vs ledde oute of oure lande,
Kepe þe, sir kyng, and comly knyght,
And all þi folke þat we here fande.
Herod.
Mahounde, my god and most of myght,
Þat has myn hele all in his hande,
He saffe you sirs! semely in sight;
And telle vs nowe som new tythande.
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Sum shall we saie ȝou sir,
A sterne stud vs by-forne,
That makis vs speke and spir
Of ane þat is nowe borne.
10.
Herod.Nowe borne! þat birthe halde I badde.
And certis, vn-witty men ȝe werre
To lepe ouere lande to late a ladde.
Say when lost ȝe hym? ought lange be-fore?
All wyse men will wene ȝe madde,
And therfore moffis it neuere more.
iii Rex.
Ȝis certis, such hartyng haue we hadde,
We schall noȝt seys or we come thore.
Herod.
This were a wondir thyng!
Say, what barne shulde þat be?
i Rex.
Sir, he shall be kyng
Of Jewes and of Jude.
11.
Herod.Kyng! in þe deuyl way, dogges, Fy!
Now I se wele ȝe roþe and raue.
Be ony skymeryng of the skye
When ȝe shulde knawe owthir kyng or knave?
Nay, I am kyng and non but I,
That shall ȝe kenne yff þat ȝe craue,
And I am juge of all Jury
To speke or spille, to saie or saffe.
Swilke gawdes may gretely greue,
To wittenesse þat neuere was.
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Lorde, we aske noght but leue,
Be youre poure to passe.
12.
Herod.Whedir? in þe deuyls name.
To late a ladde here in my lande?
Fals harlottis, but ȝe hye you hame,
Ȝe shall be bette and boune in bande.
ii Cons.
[Aside.]
My lorde, to felle þis foule deffame,
Lattis all such wondir folle on hande,
And speres þaim sadly of þe same,
So shall ȝe stabely vndirstande
Þer mynde and þer menyng,
And takis gud tente þam too.
Herod.
[Aside.]
I thanke þe of þis thyng,
And certis, so will I doo.
And certis, so will I doo.
13.
Nowe kyngis, to cache all care away
Sen ȝe ar comen oute of youre kytht,
Loke noght ye legge agayne oure lay,
Uppon peyne to lose both lyme and litht.
And so þat ȝe þe soth will saye,
To come and goo I graunte yow grith,
And yf youre poynte be to my pay,
May falle my selfe shall wende you with.
Sen ȝe ar comen oute of youre kytht,
Loke noght ye legge agayne oure lay,
Uppon peyne to lose both lyme and litht.
And so þat ȝe þe soth will saye,
To come and goo I graunte yow grith,
And yf youre poynte be to my pay,
May falle my selfe shall wende you with.
i Rex.
Sir kyng, we all accorde,
And says a barne is borne
Þat shall be kyng and lorde,
And leche þam þat ar lorne.
14.
ii Rex.Sir, the thar meruayle no-thyng,
Of þis ilke nott þat þus-gate newes,
For Balaham saide a starne shulde spring
Of Jacobe kynde, and þat is Jewes.
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Sir, Isaie sais a mayden ȝenge
Shall bere a sone amonge Ebrewes,
Þat of all contrees shall be kyng,
And gouerne all þat on erthe grewes;
Emanuell shalbe his name,
To saie, God sone of heuen,
And certis þis is þe same,
Þat we now to you neven.
15.
i Rex.Sirs, þe proved prophete Osee
Full trulye talde in towne and toure,
Þat a mayden of Israell, sais he,
Shall bere one like to þe lely floure.
He menys a barne consayued shulde be
With-outen seede of man socour,
And his modir a mayden free,
And he both sone and saueour.
ii Rex.
Þat fadirs has talde beforne
Has noman myght to marre.
Herod.
Allas! þan am I lorne,
Þis waxith ay werre and werre.
16.
i Con.
[Aside.]
My lorde, be ȝe no-thyng a-bast,
Þis bryge shall well to ende be broght,
Bidde þam go furthe and frendly frast
Þe soth of þis þat þei haue soght,
And telle it ȝou; so shall ȝe trast
Whedir þer tales be trew or noght.
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And make all wast þat þei haue wroght.
Herod.
[Aside.]
Nowe, certis, þis was wele saide,
Þis matere makes me fayne.
Sir kyngis, I halde me paide
Of all youre purpose playne.
Þis matere makes me fayne.
Sir kyngis, I halde me paide
Of all youre purpose playne.
17.
Wendis furth, youre forward to fulfill,
To Bedlem, it is but here at hande.
And speris grathe, both goode and ill,
Of hym þat shulde be lorde in lande.
And comes agayne þan me vntill,
And telle me trulye youre tythande,
To worshippe hym þat is my will,
Þus shall ȝe stabely vndirstande.
To Bedlem, it is but here at hande.
And speris grathe, both goode and ill,
Of hym þat shulde be lorde in lande.
And comes agayne þan me vntill,
And telle me trulye youre tythande,
To worshippe hym þat is my will,
Þus shall ȝe stabely vndirstande.
ii Rex.
Sertis, syr, we sall you say
Alle þe soth of þat childe,
In alle þe hast we may.
ii Con.
Fares wele, ȝe be bygilid!
[Exeunt the three kings.
18.
Her.Nowe certis, þis is a sotille trayne,
Nowe shall þei trewly take þer trace,
And telle me of þat litill swayne
And þer counsaill in þis case.
If it be soth, þei shall be slayne,
No golde shall gete þam bettir grace.
Go we nowe, till þei come agayne,
To playe vs in som othir place.
This halde I gud counsaill,
Yitt wolde I no man wist;
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To loyse þam as vs list.
[Exeunt.]
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