 | Noah and his wife, the Flood and its waning |  |
[Scene I
The Ark in the forest where it was built.]
1.
Noye.
That Lord þat leves ay lastand lyff,
I loue þe euer with hart and hande,
That me wolde rewle be reasonne ryffe,
Sex hundereth yere to lyffe in lande.
Thre semely sonnes and a worthy wiffe
I haue euer at my steven to stande;
Bot nowe my cares aren keen as knyffe,
By-cause I kenne what is commannde.
Thare comes to ilke contre,
Ȝa, cares both kene and calde.
For god has warned me,
Þis worlde wastyd shalle be,
And certis þe sothe I see,
As forme ffadres has talde.
I loue þe euer with hart and hande,
That me wolde rewle be reasonne ryffe,
Sex hundereth yere to lyffe in lande.
Thre semely sonnes and a worthy wiffe
I haue euer at my steven to stande;
Bot nowe my cares aren keen as knyffe,
By-cause I kenne what is commannde.
Thare comes to ilke contre,
Ȝa, cares both kene and calde.
For god has warned me,
Þis worlde wastyd shalle be,
And certis þe sothe I see,
As forme ffadres has talde.
2.
My ffader Lamech who likes to neven,
Heere in this worlde þus lange gon lende,
Seuene hundereth yere seuenty and seuene,
In swilke a space his tyme he spende.
He prayed to god with stabill steuene,
Þat he to hym a sone shuld sende,
And at þe laste þer come from heuen
Slyke hettyng þat hym mekill amende;
And made hym grubbe and graue,
And ordand faste be-forne,
For he a sone shulde haue,
As he gon aftir crave;
And as god vouchydsaue
In worlde þan was I borne.
Heere in this worlde þus lange gon lende,
Seuene hundereth yere seuenty and seuene,
In swilke a space his tyme he spende.
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Þat he to hym a sone shuld sende,
And at þe laste þer come from heuen
Slyke hettyng þat hym mekill amende;
And made hym grubbe and graue,
And ordand faste be-forne,
For he a sone shulde haue,
As he gon aftir crave;
And as god vouchydsaue
In worlde þan was I borne.
3.
When I was borne Noye named he me,
And saide þees wordes with mekill wynne,
‘Loo,’ he saide, ‘þis ilke is he
That shalle be comforte to man-kynne.’
Syrs, by þis wele witte may ye,
My ffadir knewe both more and mynne,
By sarteyne signes he couthe wele see,
That al þis worlde shuld synke for synne.
Howe god shulde vengeaunce take,
As nowe is sene sertayne,
And hende of mankynde make,
That synne would nouȝt for-sake
And howe þat it shuld slake,
And a worlde waxe agayne.
And saide þees wordes with mekill wynne,
‘Loo,’ he saide, ‘þis ilke is he
That shalle be comforte to man-kynne.’
Syrs, by þis wele witte may ye,
My ffadir knewe both more and mynne,
By sarteyne signes he couthe wele see,
That al þis worlde shuld synke for synne.
Howe god shulde vengeaunce take,
As nowe is sene sertayne,
And hende of mankynde make,
That synne would nouȝt for-sake
And howe þat it shuld slake,
And a worlde waxe agayne.
4.
I wolde god itt wasted were,
Sa þat I shuld nott tente þer-tille.
My semely sonnes and doughteres dere,
Takis ȝe entent vn-to my skylle.
Sa þat I shuld nott tente þer-tille.
My semely sonnes and doughteres dere,
Takis ȝe entent vn-to my skylle.
1 fil.
Fader we are all redy heere,
Youre biddyng baynly to fulfille.
Noe.
Goos calle youre modir, and comes nere,
And spede vs faste þat we nouȝt spille.
1 fil.
Fadir we shal nouȝt fyne
To youre biddyng be done.
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Alle þat leues vndir lyne,
Salle sone, son, passe to pyne.
| Noah and his wife, the Flood and its waning | |