University of Virginia Library

[Scene III.]

Nota, the Harrod passeth, and the iij kynges comyth agayn to make there offerynges.
Bethlehem: a house there; a star above.
i Rex.
A! sirs, for sight what shall I say?
Whare is oure syne? I se it not.

ii Rex.
No more do I, nowe dar I lay
In oure wendyng som wrange is wroght.

iii Rex.
Vn-to þat Prince I rede we praye,
That till vs sente his syngne vnsoght,
Þat he wysse vs in redy way
So frendly þat we fynde hym moght.

i Rex.
A! siris! I se it stande
A-boven where he is borne,
Lo! here is þe house at hande,
We haue noȝt myste þis morne.

[Maid opens the door.]
Anc.
Whame seke ȝe syrs, be wayes wilde,
With talkyng, trauelyng to and froo?
Her wonnes a woman with her childe,
And hir husband; her ar no moo.

ii Rex.
We seke a barne þat all shall bylde,
His sartayne syngne hath saide vs soo,
And his modir, a mayden mylde,
Her hope we to fynde þam twoo.

Anc.
Come nere, gud syirs, and see,
Youre way to ende is broght.

iii Rex.
Behalde here, syirs, her and se
Þe same þat ȝe haue soght.

i Rex.
Loved be þat lorde þat lastis aye,
Þat vs has kydde þus curtaysely,
To wende by many a wilsom way,
And come to þis clene companye.

ii Rex.
Late vs make nowe no more delay,
But tyte take furth oure tresurry,
And ordand giftis of gud aray
To worshippe hym, als is worthy.

iii Rex.
He is worthy to welde
All worshippe, welthe, and wynne;
And for honnoure and elde,
Brother, ȝe shall be-gynne.

i Rex.
Hayle! þe fairest of felde folk for to fynde,
Fro the fende and his feeres faithefully vs fende,
Hayll! þe best þat shall be borne to vnbynde
All þe barnes þat are borne & in bale boune,
Hayll! þou marc us þi men and make vs in mynde,
Sen þi myght is on molde misseis to amende.
Hayll! clene þat is comen of a kynges kynde,
And shall be kyng of þis kyth, all clergy has kende.
And sith it shall worþe on þis wise,
Thy selffe haue soght, sone, I say þe,
With golde þat is grettest of price
Be paied of þis present, I pray þe.

ii Rex.
Hayll! foode þat thy folke fully may fede,
Hayll! floure fairest, þat neuer shall fade,
Hayll! sone þat is sente of þis same sede,
Þat shall saue vs of synne þat oure syris had,
Hayll! mylde, for þou mette to marke vs to mede,
Off a may makeles þi modir þou made,
In þat gude thurgh grace of thy godhede,
Als þe gleme in þe glasse gladly þow glade,
And sythyn yow shall sitte to be demand,
To helle or to heuen for to haue vs,
In-sens to þi seruis is semand.
Sone! se to þi suggettis and saue vs.

iii Rex.
Hayll! barne þat is best oure balys to bete,
For our boote shall þou be bounden and bett,
Hayll! frende faithtfull, we fall to thy feete,
Thy fadiris folke fro þe fende fals þe to fette.
Hayll! man þat is made to þi men meete,
Sen þou and thy modir with mirthis ar mette,
Hayll! duke þat dryues dede vndir fete,
But whan thy dedys ar done to dye is þi dette.
And sen thy body beryed shalbe,
This mirre will I giffe to þi grauyng.
The gifte is not grete of degree,
Ressayue it, and se to oure sauyng.

Mar.
Sir kyngis, ȝe trauel not in vayne,
Als ȝe haue ment, hyr may ȝe fynde;
For I consayued my sone sartayne
With-outen misse of man in mynde,
And bare hym here with-outen payne,
Where women are wonte to be pynyd.
Goddis aungell in his gretyng playne,
Saide he shulde comforte al man kynde,
Thar-fore doute yow no dele,
Here for to haue youre bone,
I shall witnesse full wele,
All þat is saide and done.

i Rex.
For solas ser now may we synge,
All is parformed þat we for prayde,
But gud barne, giffe vs thy blissing,
For faire happe is be-fore þe laide.

ii Rex.
Wende we nowe to Herowde þe kyng,
For of þis poynte he will be paied,
And come hym-selffe and make offeryng
Vn-to þis same, for so he saide.

iii Rex.
I rede we reste a thrawe,
For to maynteyne our myght,
And than do as we awe,
Both vn-to kyng and knyght.

[Enter Angel.]
Ang.
Nowe curtayse kynges, to me take tent,
And turne be-tyme or ȝe be tenyd,
Fro God hym selfe þus am I sent
To warne yow, als youre faithfull frende.
Herowde the kyng has malise ment,
And shappis with shame yow for to shende,
And for þat ȝe non harmes shulde hente,
Be othir waies God will ye wende
Euen to youre awne contre.
And yf ȝe aske hym bone,
Youre beelde ay will he be,
For þis þat ȝe haue done.

i Rex.
A! lorde, I loue þe inwardly.
Sirs, God has gudly warned vs thre,
His Aungell her now herde haue I,
And how he saide.

ii Rex.
Sir, so did we.
He saide Herowde is oure enmye,
And makis hym bowne oure bale to be
With feyned falsed, and for-thy
Farre fro his force I rede we flee.

iii Rex.
Syrs, faste I rede we flitte,
Ilkone till oure contre,
He þat is welle of witte
Vs wisse,—and with yow be.