 | The Death of Herod |  |
herodes rex
Now am I sett at mete
and wurthely servyd at my degre
Com forth knyghtys sytt down and ete
and be as mery as ȝe kan be.
ius miles
Lord at ȝowre byddynge we take oure sete
with herty wyl obey we the
þer is no lorde of myght so grett
thorwe all þis werde in no countre
In Wurchepp to a-byde.
Herodes
I was nevyr meryer here be-forn
Sythe þat I was fyrst born
than I am now ryght in þis morn
in joy I gynne to glyde.
Mors
herodes Rex
Now kende knyghtys be mery and glad
With all good diligens shewe now sum myrth
Ffor be gracyous mahound more myrth never I had
ne nevyr more joye was inne from tyme of my byrth
Ffor now my fo is ded and prendyd as a padde
aboue me is no kynge on grownd nere on gerth
merthis þerfore make ȝe and be ryght no thynge sadde
spare nother mete nor drynke and spare for no dyrthe
of wyne nor of brede
Ffor now am I a kynge alone
So wurthy as I may þer be none
þerfore knyghtys be mery echone
ffor now my ffo is dede.
ius miles
Whan þe boys sprawlyd at my sperys hende
by sathanas oure syre it was a goodly syght
A good game it was þat boy for to shende
þat wolde abene oure kynge and put ȝow from ȝour ryght
ijus miles
Now trewly my lorde þe kynge we had ben vn-hende
and nevyr non of us Able for to be a knyght
If þat Any of us to hem had ben a frende
and asavyd Any lyff a-ȝen þi mekyl myght
Ffrom deth hem to flytt.
herodes Rex
Amonges all þat grett rowthte
he is ded I haue no dowte
þerfore menstrell rownd a-bowte
blowe up a mery fytt.
Hic dum buccinant mors interficiat herodem et duos milites subito et diabolus recipiat eos.
Diabolus
All oure all oure þis catel is myn
I xall hem brynge on to my celle
I xal hem teche pleys fyn
and showe such myrthe as is in helle
It were more bettyr Amonges swyn
þat evyr more stynkyn þer be to dwelle
ffor in oure logge is so gret peyn
þat non erthely tonge can telle
with ȝow I go my way
I xal ȝow bere forth with me
and shewe ȝow sportys of oure gle
of oure myrthis now xal ȝe se
and evyr synge welawey.
Mors
Now am I sett at mete
and wurthely servyd at my degre
Com forth knyghtys sytt down and ete
and be as mery as ȝe kan be.
ius miles
Lord at ȝowre byddynge we take oure sete
with herty wyl obey we the
þer is no lorde of myght so grett
thorwe all þis werde in no countre
In Wurchepp to a-byde.
Herodes
I was nevyr meryer here be-forn
Sythe þat I was fyrst born
than I am now ryght in þis morn
in joy I gynne to glyde.
Mors
Ow I herde a page make preysyng of pride
all prynces he passyth he wenyth of powste
he wenyth to be þe wurthyest of all þis werde wyde
kynge ovyr All kyngys þat page wenyth to be
He sent into bedlem to seke on every syde
Cryst for to qwelle yf þei myght hym se
but of his wykkyd wyl lurdeyn ȝitt he lyede
goddys sone doth lyve þer is no lorde but he
Ouer all lordys he is kynge
I am deth goddys masangere
All myghty god hath sent me here
ȝon lordeyn to Sle with-owtyn dwere
ffor his wykkyd werkynge.
all prynces he passyth he wenyth of powste
he wenyth to be þe wurthyest of all þis werde wyde
kynge ovyr All kyngys þat page wenyth to be
He sent into bedlem to seke on every syde
Cryst for to qwelle yf þei myght hym se
but of his wykkyd wyl lurdeyn ȝitt he lyede
goddys sone doth lyve þer is no lorde but he
Ouer all lordys he is kynge
I am deth goddys masangere
All myghty god hath sent me here
ȝon lordeyn to Sle with-owtyn dwere
ffor his wykkyd werkynge.
I am sent fro god deth is my name
All thynge þat is on grownd I welde at my wylle
both man and beste and byrdys wylde and tame
Whan þat I come them to with deth I do them kylle
Erbe gres and tres stronge take hem all in same
ȝa þe grete myghty Okys with my dent I spylle
what man þat I wrastele with he xal ryght sone haue schame
I ȝeve hym such a trepett he xal evyr more ly stylle
Ffor deth kan no sporte
wher I smyte þer is no grace
Ffor aftere my strook man hath no space
to make amendys ffor his trespace
but god hym graunt comforte
All thynge þat is on grownd I welde at my wylle
both man and beste and byrdys wylde and tame
Whan þat I come them to with deth I do them kylle
Erbe gres and tres stronge take hem all in same
ȝa þe grete myghty Okys with my dent I spylle
what man þat I wrastele with he xal ryght sone haue schame
I ȝeve hym such a trepett he xal evyr more ly stylle
175
wher I smyte þer is no grace
Ffor aftere my strook man hath no space
to make amendys ffor his trespace
but god hym graunt comforte
Ow se how prowdely ȝon kaytyff sytt at mete
of deth hath he no dowte he wenyth to leve evyr-more
to hym wyl I go and ȝeve hym such An hete
þat all þe lechis of þe londe his lyf xul nevyr restore
A-ȝens my dredful dentys it vaylyth nevyr to plete
or I hym part fro I xal hym make ful pore
All þe blood of his body I xal hym owt swete
Ffor now I go to sle hym with strokys sad and sore
Bothe hym and his knyghtys all
þis tydeof deth hath he no dowte he wenyth to leve evyr-more
to hym wyl I go and ȝeve hym such An hete
þat all þe lechis of þe londe his lyf xul nevyr restore
A-ȝens my dredful dentys it vaylyth nevyr to plete
or I hym part fro I xal hym make ful pore
All þe blood of his body I xal hym owt swete
Ffor now I go to sle hym with strokys sad and sore
Bothe hym and his knyghtys all
I xal hem make to me but thrall
with my spere sle hem I xall.
and so cast down his pride
with my spere sle hem I xall.
and so cast down his pride
herodes Rex
Now kende knyghtys be mery and glad
With all good diligens shewe now sum myrth
Ffor be gracyous mahound more myrth never I had
ne nevyr more joye was inne from tyme of my byrth
Ffor now my fo is ded and prendyd as a padde
aboue me is no kynge on grownd nere on gerth
merthis þerfore make ȝe and be ryght no thynge sadde
spare nother mete nor drynke and spare for no dyrthe
of wyne nor of brede
Ffor now am I a kynge alone
So wurthy as I may þer be none
þerfore knyghtys be mery echone
ffor now my ffo is dede.
ius miles
Whan þe boys sprawlyd at my sperys hende
by sathanas oure syre it was a goodly syght
A good game it was þat boy for to shende
þat wolde abene oure kynge and put ȝow from ȝour ryght
176
Now trewly my lorde þe kynge we had ben vn-hende
and nevyr non of us Able for to be a knyght
If þat Any of us to hem had ben a frende
and asavyd Any lyff a-ȝen þi mekyl myght
Ffrom deth hem to flytt.
herodes Rex
Amonges all þat grett rowthte
he is ded I haue no dowte
þerfore menstrell rownd a-bowte
blowe up a mery fytt.
Hic dum buccinant mors interficiat herodem et duos milites subito et diabolus recipiat eos.
Diabolus
All oure all oure þis catel is myn
I xall hem brynge on to my celle
I xal hem teche pleys fyn
and showe such myrthe as is in helle
It were more bettyr Amonges swyn
þat evyr more stynkyn þer be to dwelle
ffor in oure logge is so gret peyn
þat non erthely tonge can telle
with ȝow I go my way
I xal ȝow bere forth with me
and shewe ȝow sportys of oure gle
of oure myrthis now xal ȝe se
and evyr synge welawey.
Mors
Off kynge herowde all men beware
þat hath rejoycyd in pompe and pryde
Ffor all his boste of blysse ful bare
he lyth now ded here on his syde
Ffor whan I come I can not spare
Fro me no whyht may hym hyde
now is he ded and cast in care
In helle pytt evyr to A-byde
his lordchep is al lorn
Now is he as pore as I
wormys mete is his body
his sowle in helle ful peynfully
of develis is al to-torn.
þat hath rejoycyd in pompe and pryde
Ffor all his boste of blysse ful bare
he lyth now ded here on his syde
Ffor whan I come I can not spare
Fro me no whyht may hym hyde
now is he ded and cast in care
In helle pytt evyr to A-byde
his lordchep is al lorn
177
wormys mete is his body
his sowle in helle ful peynfully
of develis is al to-torn.
All men dwellyng upon þe grownde
Be-ware of me be myn councel
Ffor feynt felachep in me is fownde
I kan no curtesy as I ȝow tel
Ffor be a man nevyr so sownde
of helth in herte nevyr so wel
I come sodeynly with-in a stownde
me with-stande may no castel
my jurnay wyl I spede.
of my comyng no man is ware
Ffor when men make most mery fare
þan sodeynly I cast hem in care
and sle þem evyn in dede.
Be-ware of me be myn councel
Ffor feynt felachep in me is fownde
I kan no curtesy as I ȝow tel
Ffor be a man nevyr so sownde
of helth in herte nevyr so wel
I come sodeynly with-in a stownde
me with-stande may no castel
my jurnay wyl I spede.
of my comyng no man is ware
Ffor when men make most mery fare
þan sodeynly I cast hem in care
and sle þem evyn in dede.
Thow I be nakyd and pore of array
and wurmys knawe me al a-bowte
Ȝit loke ȝe drede me nyth and day
Ffor whan deth comyth ȝe stande in dowte
Evyn lyke to me as I ȝow say
shull all ȝe be here in þis rowte
Whan I ȝow chalange at my day
I xal ȝow make ryght lowe to lowth
and nakyd for to be
Amonges wormys as I ȝow telle
Vndyr þe erth xul ȝe dwelle
and thei xul Etyn both flesch and felle
As þei haue don me.
and wurmys knawe me al a-bowte
Ȝit loke ȝe drede me nyth and day
Ffor whan deth comyth ȝe stande in dowte
Evyn lyke to me as I ȝow say
shull all ȝe be here in þis rowte
Whan I ȝow chalange at my day
I xal ȝow make ryght lowe to lowth
and nakyd for to be
Amonges wormys as I ȝow telle
Vndyr þe erth xul ȝe dwelle
and thei xul Etyn both flesch and felle
As þei haue don me.
| The Death of Herod | |