 | The Barkers |  |
[Scene I]
Heaven.[Deus.]
Ego sum Alpha et O. vita via
Veritas primus et nouissimus.
Veritas primus et nouissimus.
1.
I am gracyus and grete, god withoutyn begynnyng,
I am maker vnmade, all mighte es in me,
I am lyfe and way vnto welth wynnyng,
I am formaste and fyrste, als I byd sall it be.
My blyssyng o ble sall be blendyng,
And heldand fro harme to be hydande,
My body in blys ay abydande
Vne[n]dande withoutyn any endyng.
I am maker vnmade, all mighte es in me,
I am lyfe and way vnto welth wynnyng,
I am formaste and fyrste, als I byd sall it be.
My blyssyng o ble sall be blendyng,
And heldand fro harme to be hydande,
My body in blys ay abydande
Vne[n]dande withoutyn any endyng.
2.
Sen I am maker vnmade, and moste so of mighte,
And ay sall be endeles, and noghte es but I,
Vnto my dygnyte dere sall diewly be dyghte
A place full of plente to my plesyng at ply,
And therewith als wyll I haue wroght
Many dyuers doynges be-dene,
Whilke warke sall mekely contene,
And all sall be made euen of noghte.
And ay sall be endeles, and noghte es but I,
Vnto my dygnyte dere sall diewly be dyghte
A place full of plente to my plesyng at ply,
2
Many dyuers doynges be-dene,
Whilke warke sall mekely contene,
And all sall be made euen of noghte.
3.
But onely þe worthely warke of my wyll
In my sprete sall enspyre þe mighte of me,
And in þe fyrste, faythely, my thoghts to full-fyll,
Baynely in my blyssyng I byd at here be
A blys al-beledande abowte me;
In þe whilke blys I byde at be here
Nyen ordres of aungels full clere,
In louyng ay lastande at lowte me.
Tunc cantant ang[eli] Te deum [laudamus te dominum
confitemur].
In my sprete sall enspyre þe mighte of me,
And in þe fyrste, faythely, my thoghts to full-fyll,
Baynely in my blyssyng I byd at here be
A blys al-beledande abowte me;
In þe whilke blys I byde at be here
Nyen ordres of aungels full clere,
In louyng ay lastande at lowte me.
4.
Here vndernethe me nowe a nexile I neuen,
Whilke Ile sall be erthe now, all be at ones
Erthe haly and helle, þis hegheste be heuen,
And that welth sall welde sall won in þis wones.
Thys graunte I ȝowe mynysters myne,
To-whils ȝhe ar stabill in thoghte;
And also to þaime þat ar noghte
Be put to my presone at pyne.
[To Lucifer:
Whilke Ile sall be erthe now, all be at ones
Erthe haly and helle, þis hegheste be heuen,
And that welth sall welde sall won in þis wones.
Thys graunte I ȝowe mynysters myne,
To-whils ȝhe ar stabill in thoghte;
And also to þaime þat ar noghte
Be put to my presone at pyne.
5.
Of all þe mightes I haue made moste nexte after me,
I make þe als master and merour of my mighte,
I beelde þe here baynely in blys for to be,
I name þe for Lucifer, als berar of lyghte.
No thyng here sall þe be derand,
In þis blis sall be ȝhour beeldyng,
And haue al welth in ȝoure weledyng,
Ay whils ȝhe ar buxumly berande.
I make þe als master and merour of my mighte,
I beelde þe here baynely in blys for to be,
I name þe for Lucifer, als berar of lyghte.
No thyng here sall þe be derand,
In þis blis sall be ȝhour beeldyng,
And haue al welth in ȝoure weledyng,
Ay whils ȝhe ar buxumly berande.
3
6.
Primus angelus seraphyn.A! mercyfull maker, full mekill es þi mighte,
Þat all this warke at a worde worthely has wroghte,
Ay loved be þat lufly lorde of his lighte,
That vs thus mighty has made, þat nowe was righte noghte;
In blys for to byde in hys blyssyng,
Ay lastande, in luf lat vs lowte hym,
At beelde vs thus baynely abowete hym,
Of myrthe neuermore to haue myssyng.
7.
Primus angelus deficiens Lucifere.All the myrth þat es made es markide in me,
Þe bemes of my brighthode ar byrnande so bryghte,
And I so semely in syghte my selfe now I se,
For lyke a lorde am I lefte to lende in þis lighte,
More fayrear be far þan my feres,
In me is no poynte þat may payre,
I fele me fetys and fayre,
My powar es passande my peres.
8.
Ang. cherabyn.Lord! wyth a lastande luf we loue þe allone,
Þou mightefull maker þat markid vs and made vs,
And wroghte us thus worthely to wone in this wone,
Ther neuer felyng of fylth may full vs nor fade vs.
All blys es here beeldande a-boute vs,
To-whyls we are stabyll in thoughte
In þe worschipp of hym þat us wroghte
Of dere neuer thar vs more dowte vs.
9.
Prim. ang. defic.O! what I am fetys and fayre and fygured full fytt!
Þe forme of all fayrehede apon me es feste,
4
Þe bemes of my brighthede are bygged with þe beste.
My schewyng es schemerande and schynande,
So bygly to blys am I broghte,
Me nedes for to noy me righte noghte,
Here sall neuer payne me be pynande.
10.
Ang. seraphyn.With all þe wytt at we welde we wyrschip þi wyll,
Þu gloryus god þat es grunde of all grace,
Ay with stedefaste steuen lat vs stande styll,
Lorde! to be fede with þe fode of thi fayre face.
In lyfe that es lely ay lastande,
Thi dale, lorde, es ay daynetethly delande,
And who so þat fode may be felande
To se thi fayre face es noght fastande.
11.
Prim. ang. defec. Lucifer.
Owe! certes! what I am worthely wroghte with wyrschip, i-wys!
For in a glorius gle my gleteryng it glemes,
I am so mightyly made my mirth may noghte mys,
Ay sall I byde in this blys thorowe brightnes of bemes.
Me nedes noghte of noy for to neuen,
All welth in my welde haue I weledande,
Abowne ȝhit sall I be beeldand,
On heghte in þe hyeste of hewuen.
For in a glorius gle my gleteryng it glemes,
I am so mightyly made my mirth may noghte mys,
Ay sall I byde in this blys thorowe brightnes of bemes.
Me nedes noghte of noy for to neuen,
All welth in my welde haue I weledande,
Abowne ȝhit sall I be beeldand,
On heghte in þe hyeste of hewuen.
12.
Ther sall I set my selfe, full semely to seyghte,
To ressayue my reuerence thorowe righte o renowne,
I sall be lyke vnto hym þat es hyeste on heghte;
Owe! what I am derworth and defte.—Owe! dewes! all goes downe!
My mighte and my mayne es all marrande,
Helpe! felawes, in faythe I am fallande.
To ressayue my reuerence thorowe righte o renowne,
I sall be lyke vnto hym þat es hyeste on heghte;
Owe! what I am derworth and defte.—Owe! dewes! all goes downe!
My mighte and my mayne es all marrande,
Helpe! felawes, in faythe I am fallande.
Sec. ang. defec.
Fra heuen are we heledande on all hande,
To wo are we weendande, I warande.
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