 | The Norwich Grocer's Play |  |
[_]
Item. Yt ys to be notyd that when the Grocers Pageant is played withowte eny other goenge befor yt then doth the Prolocutor say in this wise:
[First Prologue]
[Prolocutor.]
Lyke as yt chancyd befor this season,
Owte of Godes scripture revealid in playes
Was dyvers stories sett furth by reason
Of pageantes apparellyd in Wittson dayes;
And lately be fal[l]en into decayes;
Which stories dependyd in theyr orders sett
By severall devices, much knowledge to gett.
Owte of Godes scripture revealid in playes
Was dyvers stories sett furth by reason
Of pageantes apparellyd in Wittson dayes;
And lately be fal[l]en into decayes;
Which stories dependyd in theyr orders sett
By severall devices, much knowledge to gett.
Begynny[n]g in Genesis, that story repleate
Of God his creacion of ech lyvynge thynge,
Of heaven and of erth, of fysh smalle and greate,
Of fowles, herbe and tre, and of all bestes crepynge,
Of angelles, of man, which of erth hath beynge,
And of the fall of angelles, in the Apocalips to se;
Which stories with the Skriptures most justly agree.
Of God his creacion of ech lyvynge thynge,
Of heaven and of erth, of fysh smalle and greate,
Of fowles, herbe and tre, and of all bestes crepynge,
Of angelles, of man, which of erth hath beynge,
And of the fall of angelles, in the Apocalips to se;
Which stories with the Skriptures most justly agree.
Then followed this owr pageant, which sheweth to be
The Garden of Eden, which God dyd plante,
As in the seconde chapter of Genesis ye se;
Wherin of frutes pleasant no kynde therof shulde wante;
In which God dyd putt man to cherish tre and plante,
To dresse and kepe the grounde, and eate what frute hym lyste,
Exept the tre of Knoweledge, Godes high wyll to resyste.
The Garden of Eden, which God dyd plante,
As in the seconde chapter of Genesis ye se;
Wherin of frutes pleasant no kynde therof shulde wante;
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To dresse and kepe the grounde, and eate what frute hym lyste,
Exept the tre of Knoweledge, Godes high wyll to resyste.
The story sheweth further that after man was blyste,
The Lord did create woman owte of a ribbe of man;
Which woman was deceyvyd with the Serpentes darkned myste;
By whose synn owr nature is so weak no good we can;
Wherfor they were dejectyd, and caste from thence than
Unto dolloure and myseri and to traveyle and payne
Untyll Godes spright renvid; and so we ende certayne.
The Lord did create woman owte of a ribbe of man;
Which woman was deceyvyd with the Serpentes darkned myste;
By whose synn owr nature is so weak no good we can;
Wherfor they were dejectyd, and caste from thence than
Unto dolloure and myseri and to traveyle and payne
Untyll Godes spright renvid; and so we ende certayne.
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