University of Virginia Library

A. BOURNE'S TEXT NOAH's ARK; or, The Shipwrights ancient PLAY, or DIRGE.

Deus
incipitur.
Ere was this World that I have wrought,
No Marvel it is if I do show;
Their Folk in Earth I made of Nought,
Now are they fully my Foe.
Vengeance now will I do
Of them that have grieved me ill,
Great Floods shall over them go,
And run over Hoope and hill.
All Mankind dead shall be,
With Storms both stiff and steer;
All but Noah my Darling free,
His Children and their Wives,
Ever more yet they trow'd in me,
Save therefore I will their Lives.
Henceforth my Angel free,
Into Earth look what thou would,
Greet well Noah in this Degree,
Sleeping thou shalt him find:
Bid him go make a Ship
Of stiff Board and great,
Although he be not a Wright.
Therefore bid him not lett,
He shall have Wit at Will,
Be that he come thereto;
All Things I him fulfill,
Pitch, Tar, Seam and Rowe.
Bid him in any Manner of Thing,
To Ship when he shall walk,
Of all kine Kind of Beast and Fowl,
The Male and Female with him he take.
Bid him go provey, say so,
In Ship that they not die,
Take with him Hay, Corn and Straw,
For his Fowl and his Fee.
Henceforth my Angel free
Tell him this for certain;
My Blessing with thee be,
While that thou come again.

Angelus
dicat.
Waken Noah, to me take tent.
Noah bid, if thou hear this Thing,
Ever whilst thou live thou shall repent.

Noah
respondit.
What art thou for Heaven's King,
That wakens Noah off his Sleeping,
Away I would thou went.

Angelus
dicat.
It is an Angel to thee sent,
Noah, to tell thee hard Tiding;
For every Ilk a Wight for Warks wild,
And many fowled in Sins sair,
And in Felony fowly filled;
Therefore a Ship thou dight to steer,
Of true Timber highly railed,
With thirty Cubits in Defence.
Look that she draw when she is drest,
And in her Side a Door thou shear,
With Fenesters full fitly fest,
And make Chambers both more and less,
For a Flood that up shall burst;
Such a Flood in Earth shall be,
That every like Life that hath Life-ward,
Beast and Body with Bone and Blood,
They shall be stormed through Stress of Storm;
Albeit thou Noah and thy Brood,
And their three Wives in your Hand,
For you are full righteous and good,
You shall be saved by Sea and Land,
In the Ship ere you enter out,
You take with you both Ox and Cow;
Of ilk a Thing that Life has lent,
The Male and Female you take with you.
You fetch in Fother for your Freight,
And make good Purveiance for you prove,
That they perish not in your Sight;
Do Noah as I have bidden thee now.

Noah
respondit.
Lord be then in this Stead,
That me and mine will save and shield;
I am a Man no worth at Need,
For I am six hundred Winters old,
Unlusty I am to do such a Deed,
Worklooms for to work and weeld
For I was never since I was born,
Of Kind of Craft to burthen a Boat,
For I have neither Ryff nor Ruff,
Spyer, Sprund, Spront, no Sprot.
Christ be the Shaper of this Ship,
For a Ship need make I must.
Even wo worth thou fouled Sin,
For all too dear thou must be bought,
God for Thanks he made Mankind,
Or with his Hands that he them wrought;
Therefore or ever you blind,
You mind your Wife, and turn your Thought,
For of my Work I will begin,
So well were me were all forth brought.

Deabolus
intrat.
Put off Harro, and wele away,
That ever I uprose this Day;
So may I smile and say,
I went, there has been none alive,
Man, Beast, Child nor Wife,
But my Servants were they;
All this I have heard say,
A Ship that made should be,
For to save with owten Nay,
Noah and his Meenye;
Yet trow I they shall be,
Thereto I make a Vow,
If they be never so slee,
To taynt them yet I trow.
To Noah's Wife will I wynd,
Gare her believe in me;
In Faith she is my Friend,
She is both whunt and slee,
Rest well, rest well, my own Dereday.

Uxor Noah
dicat.
Welcome, fewsthere, what is thy Name,
Tyte that thou tell me.

Deabolus
dicat.
To tell my Name I were full loath,
I come to warn thee of thy Skaith,
I tell thee secretly,
And thou do after thy Husband read,
Thou and thy Children will all be dead,
And that right hastily.

Uxor
dicat.
Go Devil, how say, for Shame.

Deabolus
dicat.
Yes, hold thee still le Dame,
And I shall tell how;
I swear thee by my crooked Snout,
All that thy Husband goes about
Is little for thy Profit;
Yet shall I tell thee how,
Thou shall weet all his Will;
Do as I shall bid thee now,
Thou shalt weet every Deal.
Have here a Drink full good,
That is made of a mightful Main,
Be he hath drunken a Drink of this,
No longer shall he learn.
Believe, believe, my own dear Dame,
I may no longer bide,
To Ship when thou shall sayre,
I shall be thy Side.

Noah
dicat.
This Labour is full great
For like an old Man as me,
Lo, lo, fast I sweat,
It trickles at our myn ee;
Now Home will I wende,
My weary Bones for to rest,
For such Good as God hath sent,
There I get of the best.
Rest well Day, what Chear with thee.

Uxor
dicat.
Welcome, Noah, as might I thee
Welcome to thine own Wayns.
Sit down here beside me,
Thou hast full weary Baynes:
Have eaten, Noah, as might I thee,
And soon a Drink I shall give thee,
Such Drink thou never none afore.

Noah
dicat.
What the Devil what Drink is it,
By my Father's Soul I have nere lost my Wit.

Uxor
dicat.
Noah, bode you tell me whereabout you wends,
I give God a Vow, we two shall nere be Friends.

Noah
dicat.
O Yes Dame could thou layne
I would thee tell my Wit.
How Good of Heaven an Angel sent,
And bad me make a Ship,
This World he will fore doe
With Storms both stiff and steer fell,
All but thee and me, our Children and Wifes.

Uxor
dicat.
Who Devil made thee a Wright,
God give him Evil to fayre
Of Hand to have such slight,
To make Ship less or more perfect,
Men should have heard wide where
When you began to smite.

Noah
dicat.
Yes Dame it is God's will,
Let be so thou not say,
Go make an End I will,
And come again full throng.

Uxor
dicat.
By my Faith I no rake
Whether thou be Friend or Foe,
The Devil of Hell thee speed,
To ship when thou shalt go.

Noah
dicat.
God send me Help in high,
To clink you Nail too
God send me help in high,
Your Hand to hold again,
That all may well be done,
My Strokes be not in Vain.

Angelus
dicat.
God hath thee Help hither send,
Thereof be thou right bold,
Thy Strokes shall fair be kend,
For thou thy Wife has cowld.

Noah
dicat.
Now is this Ship well made
within and without thinks me,
Now home then will I wend
To fetch in my Money,
Have good day both old and young,
My Blessing with you be.

Deabolus
dicat.
All that is gathered in this Stead,
That will not believe in me,
I pray to Dolphin Prince of dead,
Scald you all in his Lead
That never a one of you thrive, nor thee.

B. EDITED TEXT Noah's Ark; or The Shipwrights' Ancient Play or Dirge

Deus
incipitur.

Angelus
DICAT.
Waken, Noah, to me take tent!
Noah, but if thou hear this thing
Ever whilst thou live thou shall repent.

Noah
RESPONDIT.
What art thou, for Heaven's King,
—Away, [away] I would thou went—
That wakens Noah off his sleeping?

Angelus
DICAT.

Noah
RESPONDIT.

Deabolus
INTRAT.

Uxor Noah
DICAT.
Welcome, bewschere; what is thy name?
Tyte that thou tell me.

Deabolus
DICAT.
To tell my name I were full laith.
I come to warn thee of thy skaith:
I tell thee secretly,
And thou do after thy husband read
Thou and thy children will all be dead,
And that right hastily.

Uxor
DICAT.
Go, devil, how say, for shame!

Deabolus
DICAT.

Noah
DICAT.

Uxor
DICAT.
Welcome, Noah, as might I thee,
Welcome to thine own wayns!
Sit down here beside me,
Thou hast full weary baynes.
Have eaten, Noah, as might I thee,
And soon a drink I shall give thee,
Such drank thou never ayns.

Noah
DICAT.
What the devil!
What drink is it?
By my father's soul,
I have nere lost my wit!

Uxor
DICAT.
Noah, bot thou tell me [now]
Whereabout thou wends,
I give God [in Heaven] a vow
We two shall nere be friends.

Noah
DICAT.

Uxor
DICAT.
Who devil made thee a wright?
God give him evil to fayre—
Of hand to have such slight
To make ship less or mair.
When thou began to smite
Men should have heard wide-where.

Noah
DICAT.
Yes, dame, it is God's will;
Let be, so thou not say.
Go make an end I will,
And come again full thrae.

Uxor
DICAT.
By my faith, I no rake
Whether thou be friend or foe.
The devil of hell thee take
To ship when thou shalt go.

Noah
DICAT.
God send me help in hy
To clink yon nails twain;
God send me help in hy
Your hand to hold again.
That all well done may be
My strokes be not in vain.

Angelus
DICAT.
God hath thee help hither send,
Thereof be thou right bold.
Thy strokes shall fair be kend,
For thou thy wife has told.

Noah
DICAT.
Now is this ship well yare,
Within and without, thinks me.
Now home then will I fare
To fetch in my meenye.
Have good day, both less and mair;
My blessing with you be.

Deabolus
DICAT.
All that is gathered in this stead
That will not believe in me,
I pray to Dolphin, prince of dead,
Scald you all in his lead,
That never a one of you thrive nor thee.