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Tunc respiciens senescallus vadyt ad herodem dicens
Senescallus
Lord I haue walkyd be dale and hylle
And wayted as it is ȝour wyll
The kyngys iii. stelyn awey full styll
thorwe bedleem londe
They wyl nevyr so moty the
Com in þe lond of Galyle
Ffor to se ȝour fay cete
ne dedys of ȝour honde.

herodes Rex
I ryde on my rowel ryche in my regne
Rybbys fful reed with rape xal I rende
popetys and paphawkys I xal puttyn in peyne
with my spere prevyn pychyn and to pende
The gomys with gold crownys ne gete nevyr ageyn
to seke þo sottys sondys xal I sende
Do howlott howtyn hoberd and heyn
Whan here barnys blede vndyr credyl bende
Sharply I xal hem shende
The knaue childeryn þat be
in all israel countre
thei xul haue blody ble
ffor on I calde vnkende.
It is tolde in grw
his name xulde be jhesu

170

i-fownde
to haue hym ȝe gon
hewe þe flesch with þe bon
and gyf hym wownde
Now kene knyghtys kythe ȝoure craftys
and kyllyth knaue chylderyn and castyth hem in clay
Shewyth on ȝour shulderys scheldys and schaftys
Shapyht amonge schel chownys ashyrlyng shray
doth rowncys rennyn with rakynge raftys
tyl rybbys be to-rent with a reed ray
lete no barne beleve on bete baftys
tyl a beggere blede be bestys baye
Mahound þat best may
I warne ȝow my knyghtys
A barn is born I plyghtys
Wolde clymbyn kynge and knytys
and lett my lordly lay.
knyghtys wyse
chosyn ful chyse
A-ryse a-ryse
and take ȝoure tolle
And every page
of ii ȝere Age
or evyr ȝe swage
sleyth ilke a fool.
On of hem alle
was born in stalle
ffolys hym calle

171

kynge in crowne
With byttyr galle
he xall down falle
my myght in halle
xal nevyr go down.

ius miles
I xall sle scharlys
And qwenys with therlys
here knaue gerlys
I xal steke
Fforth wyl I spede
to don hem blede
thow gerlys grede
we xul be wreke.

ijus miles
Ffor swerdys sharpe
as An harpe
quenys xul karpe
and of sorwe synge
barnys ȝonge
they xul be stunge
thurwe levyr and lunge
we xal hem stynge.

Angelus
A-wake joseph and take þi wyff
thy chylde also ryd be-lyff
ffor kynge herowde with sharpe knyff
his knyghtys he doth sende
The fadyr of hevyn hath to þe sent
In to Egypte þat þou be bent
Ffor cruel knyghtys þi childe haue ment
with swerde to sle and shende.

Joseph
Awake good wyff out of ȝour slepe
and of ȝour childe takyght good kepe
Whyl I ȝour clothis ley on hepe
and trus hem on þe asse
kynge herowde þe chylde wyl scloo
þerfore to Egypte muste we goo

172

An Aungel of god seyd me soo
and þer-fore lete us passe.

Tunc ibunt milites ad pueros occidendos et dicat prima femina
ia femina
Longe lullynge haue I lorn
Alas qwhy was my baron born
With swappynge swerde now is he shorn
þe heed ryght fro þe nekke
Shanke and shulderyn is al to torn
Sorwyn I se be-hyndyn and be-forn
both mydnyth mydday and at morn
of my lyff I ne recke.

ija femina
Serteynly I sey þe same
gon is all my good game
my lytyll childe lyth all lame
þat lullyd on my pappys
my Ffourty wekys gronynge
hath sent me sefne ȝere sorwynge
mykyl is my mornynge
and ryght hard arne myn happys.

ius miles
Lorde in trone
makyght to mone
qwenys gyn grone
in werdl aboute
upon my spere
a gerle I bere
I dare well swere
lett moderys howte.

ijus miles
Lord we han spad
as ȝe bad
barnis ben blad
and lyne in dych
Fflesch and veyn
han tholyd peyn

173

and ȝe xul reyne
euer more rych.

herodes rex
Ȝe xul haue stedys
to ȝour medys
londys and ledys
ffryth and ffe
wele haue ȝe wrought
my ffo is sought
to deth is he brought
now come up to me.
In sete now am I sett as kynge of myghtys most
All þis werd ffor þer loue to me xul þei lowt
both of hevyn and of erth and of helle cost
Ffor dygne of my dygnyte þei haue of me dowt
þer is no lord lyke on lyve to me wurth a toost
nother kyng nor kayser in all þis worlde abought
If any brybour do bragge or blowe a-ȝens my bost
I xal rappe þo rebawdys and rake þem on rought
With my bryght bronde
Þer xal be neythey kayser nere knyge
But þat I xal hem down dynge
lesse þan he at my byddynge
be buxum to myn honde.
Now my jentyll and curteys knyghtys herke to me þis stownde
Good tyme sone me thynkygh at dyner þat we were
Smertly þerfore sett a tabyll a-non here fful sownde
Couerid with a coryous cloth and with rych wurthy fare
Servyse ffor þe lovelyest lorde þat levynge is on grownde
Beste metys and wurthyest wynes loke þat ȝe non spare
þow þat a lytyl pynt xulde coste a Ml. pownde
brynge alweye of þe beste for coste take ȝe no care
Anon þat it be done.

Senescallus
My lorde þe tabyl is redy dyght
here is watyr now wasch forthryght

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now blowe up mynstrall with all ȝour myght
þe servyse comyth in sone.