 | Noah and his wife, the Flood and its waning |  |
[Scene III
The Ark, as before.]
6.
1 filius.Fadir, I haue done nowe as ye comaunde,
My modir comes to you this daye.
Noe.
Scho is welcome, I wele warrande,
This worlde sall sone be waste awaye.
[Wife comes in.
Vxor.
Wher arte þou Noye?
Noe.
Loo! here at hande,
Come hedir faste, dame, I þe praye.
Vxor.
Trowes þou þat I wol leue þe harde lande,
And tourne vp here on toure deraye?
48
to fonde nowe ouer þere ffellis,
Doo barnes, goo we and trusse to towne.
Noe.
Nay, certis, sothly þan mon ye drowne.
Vxor.
In faythe þou were als goode come downe,
And go do som what-ellis.
7.
Noe.Dame, fowrty dayes are nerhand past,
And gone sen it be-gan to rayne,
On lyffe salle noman lenger laste
Bot we allane, is nought to layne.
Vxor.
Now Noye, in faythe þe fonnes full faste,
This fare wille I no lenger frayne,
Þou arte nere woode, I am agaste,
Fare-wele, I wille go home agayne.
Noe.
O! woman, arte þou woode?
Of my werkis þou not wotte,
All þat has ban or bloode
Salle be ouere flowed with þe floode.
[Detains her.
Vxor.
In faithe, þe were als goode
to late me go my gatte.
to late me go my gatte.
8.
We owte! herrowe!
Noe.
What now! what cheere?
Vxor.
I wille no nar[r]re for no kynnes nede.
Noe.
Helpe! my sonnes to holde her here,
For tille her harmes she takes no heede.
2 filius.
Beis mery, modir, and mende youre chere,
This worlde beis drowned with-outen drede.
Vxor.
Allas! þat I þis lare shuld lere.
Noe.
Þou spilles vs alle, ille myght þou speede!
3 filius.
Dere modir, wonne with vs,
þer shal no-þyng you greve.
Vxor.
Nay, nedlyngis home me bus,
For I haue tolis to trusse.
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Woman, why dois þou þus,
To make vs more myscheue?
9.
Vxor.Noye, þou myght haue leteyn me wete,
Erly and late þou wente þer outte,
And ay at home þou lete me sytte,
To loke þat nowhere were wele aboutte.
Noe.
Dame, þou holde me excused of itt,
It was goddis wille with-owten doutte.
Vxor.
What? wenys þou so for to go qwitte?
Nay, be my trouthe, þou getis a clowte.
[Strikes him.
Noe.
I pray þe, dame, be stille.
Thus god wolde haue it wrought.
Vxor.
Thow shulde haue witte my wille,
Yf I wolde sente þer tille,
And Noye, for þat same skylle,
þis bargan sall be bought.
Yf I wolde sente þer tille,
And Noye, for þat same skylle,
þis bargan sall be bought.
10.
Nowe at firste I fynde and feele
Wher þou hast to þe forest soght,
Þou shuld haue tolde me for oure seele
Whan we were to slyke bargane broght.
Wher þou hast to þe forest soght,
Þou shuld haue tolde me for oure seele
Whan we were to slyke bargane broght.
Noe.
Now, dame, þe thar noȝt drede adele
For till accounte it cost þe noght,
A hundereth wyntyr, I watte wele,
Is wente sen I þis werke had wrought.
And when I made endyng,
God gaffe me mesore fayre
Of euery-ilke a thyng,
He bad þat I shuld bryng
Of beestis and foules ȝynge,
Of ilke a kynde, a peyre.
11.
Vxor.Nowe, certis, and we shulde skape fro skathe,
And so be saffyd as ye saye here,
My commodrys and my cosynes bathe,
Þam wolde I wente with vs in feere.
Noe.
To wende in þe watir it were wathe,
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Vxor.
Allas! my lyff me is full lath,
I lyffe ouere lange þis lare to lere.
1 filia.
Dere modir, mende youre moode,
For we sall wende you with.
Vxor.
My frendis þat I fra yoode
Are ouere flowen with floode.
2 filia.
Nowe thanke we god al goode
That he has grauntid grith.
12.
3 filia.Modir, of þis werke nowe wolde ye noȝt wene,
That alle shuld worthe to watres wan.
2 filia.
Fadir, what may þis meruaylle mene?
Wher-to made god medilerth and man?
1 filia.
So selcouthe sight was never non seene,
Sen firste þat god þis worlde began.
Noe.
Wendes and spers youre dores be-dene!
For bettyr counsell none I can.
Þis sorowe is sente for synne,
Therfore to god we pray,
Þat he oure bale wolde blynne.
3 filius.
The kyng of al man-kynne
Owte of þis woo vs wynne,
Als þou arte lorde, þat maye.
13.
1 filius.Ȝa! lorde, as þou late vs be borne
In þis grete bale, som bote vs bede.
Noe.
My sonnes, se ȝe, myd day and morne
To thes catelles takes goode hede.
Keppes þam wele with haye and corne;
And, women, fanges þes foules and feede,
So þat þey be noȝt lightly lorne,
Als longe as we þis liffe sall lede.
2 filius.
Fadir, we ar full fayne
Youre biddyng to fulfille.
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Sen we wer putte to peyne.
3 filius.
He þat is most of mayne,
May mende it qwen he wyll.
14.
Noe.O! barnes, it waxes clere aboute,
Þat may ȝe see ther wher ȝe sitte.
1 filius.
I, leffe fadir ye loke þare owte,
Yf þat þe water wane ought ȝitt.
Noe.
That sall I do with-owten dowte,
For be the wanyng may we witte.
A! lorde, to þe I love and lowte,
The catteraks I trowe be knytte,
Beholde, my sonnes al three,
Þe clowdes are waxen clere.
2 filius.
A! lorde of mercy free,
Ay louyd myght þou be.
Noe.
I sall assaye þe see,
How depe þat it is here.
15.
Vxor.Loved be that lord þat giffes all grace,
Þat kyndly þus oure care wolde kele.
Noe.
I sall caste leede and loke þe space,
Howe depe þe watir is ilke a dele.
[Casts the lead.
Howe depe þe watir is ilke a dele.
Fyftene cobittis of highte itt hase
Ouere ilke a hille fully to feylle,
Butte beese wel comforte in þis casse,
It is wanand, þis wate I wele.
Ther-fore a fowle of flight
Full sone sall I forthe sende
To seke if he haue sight,
Som lande vppon to light,
Þanne may we witte full right,
When oure mornyng sall mende.
Ouere ilke a hille fully to feylle,
Butte beese wel comforte in þis casse,
It is wanand, þis wate I wele.
Ther-fore a fowle of flight
Full sone sall I forthe sende
To seke if he haue sight,
Som lande vppon to light,
Þanne may we witte full right,
When oure mornyng sall mende.
52
16.
Of all þe fowles þat men may fynde,
The Raven is wighte, and wyse is hee.
Þou arte ful crabbed and al thy kynde,
Wende forthe þi course I comaunde þe,
And werly watte andyþer þe wynd,
Yf þou fynde awdir lande or tree.
[Sends forth the raven.
The Raven is wighte, and wyse is hee.
Þou arte ful crabbed and al thy kynde,
Wende forthe þi course I comaunde þe,
And werly watte andyþer þe wynd,
Yf þou fynde awdir lande or tree.
Ix monethes here haue we bene pyned,
But when god wyll, better mon bee.
But when god wyll, better mon bee.
1 filia.
Þat lorde þat lennes vs lyffe,
To lere his lawes in lande,
He mayd bothe man and wyffe,
He helpe to stynte oure striffe.
3 filia.
Oure cares are kene as knyffe,
God graunte vs goode tydand.
17
1 fil.Fadir, þis foule is forthe full lange,
Vppon sum lande I trowe he lende,
His foode þerfore to fynde and fange,
That makis hym be a fayland frende.
Noe.
Nowe sonne, and yf he so forthe gange,
Sen he for all oure welthe gon wende,
Then be he for his werkis wrange
Euermore weried with-owten ende.
And sertis for to see
Whan oure sorowe salle sesse,
A nodyr foule full free
Owre messenger salle be,
Þou doufe, I comaunde þe,
Owre comforte to encresse.
Sen he for all oure welthe gon wende,
Then be he for his werkis wrange
Euermore weried with-owten ende.
And sertis for to see
Whan oure sorowe salle sesse,
A nodyr foule full free
Owre messenger salle be,
Þou doufe, I comaunde þe,
Owre comforte to encresse.
18.
A faithfull fewle to sende art þow,
Of alle with-in þere wauys wyde,
Wende forthe, I pray þe, for owre prowe,
And sadly seke on ilke a side
Yf þe floodes be falland nowe,
Þat þou on þe erthe may belde and byde;
Bryng vs som tokenyng þar we may trowe
What tydandes sall of vs be-tyde.
Of alle with-in þere wauys wyde,
Wende forthe, I pray þe, for owre prowe,
And sadly seke on ilke a side
Yf þe floodes be falland nowe,
Þat þou on þe erthe may belde and byde;
53
What tydandes sall of vs be-tyde.
[Sends forth the dove.
2 filia.
Goode lorde! on vs þou luke,
And sesse oure sorow sere,
Sen we al synne for-soke
And to thy lare vs toke.
3 filia.
A twelmothe bott xij weke
Have we be houerand here.
19.
Noe.Now barnes, we may be blithe and gladde,
And lowe oure lord of heuenes kyng,
My birde has done as I hym badde,
An olyue braunche I se hym brynge.
Blyste be þou fewle þat neuere was fayd,
That in thy force makis no faylyng,
Mare joie in herte never are I hadde,
We mone be saued, now may we synge!
Come hedir my sonnes in hye,
Oure woo away is wente,
I see here certaynely
Þe hillis of hermonye,
1 filius.
Lovyd be þat lord for-thy
That vs oure lyffes hase lente.
20.
Vxor.For wrekis nowe þat we may wynne,
Oute of þis woo þat we in wore,
But Noye, where are nowe all oure kynne,
And companye we kn[e]we be-fore.
Noe.
Dame, all ar drowned, late be thy dyne,
And sone þei boughte þer synnes sore.
Gud lewyn latte vs be-gynne
So þat we greue oure god nomore;
He was greved in degre,
And gretely moved in mynde,
For synne as men may see,
Dum dixit penitet me.
Full sore for-thynkyng was he
That euere he made mankynde.
And sone þei boughte þer synnes sore.
Gud lewyn latte vs be-gynne
So þat we greue oure god nomore;
He was greved in degre,
And gretely moved in mynde,
54
Dum dixit penitet me.
Full sore for-thynkyng was he
That euere he made mankynde.
21.
That makis vs nowe to tole and trusse,
But sonnes he saide, I watte wele when,
Arcum ponam in nubibus,
He sette his bowe clerly to kenne,
As a tokenyng by-twene hym and vs
In knawlage tille all cristen men,
That fro þis worlde were fynyd þus,
With wattir wolde he neuere wastyd þen.
Þus has god most of myght,
Sette his senge full clere
Vppe in þe Ayre of heght;
The rayne-bowe it is right,
As men may se, in sight,
In seasons of þe yere.
But sonnes he saide, I watte wele when,
Arcum ponam in nubibus,
He sette his bowe clerly to kenne,
As a tokenyng by-twene hym and vs
In knawlage tille all cristen men,
That fro þis worlde were fynyd þus,
With wattir wolde he neuere wastyd þen.
Þus has god most of myght,
Sette his senge full clere
Vppe in þe Ayre of heght;
The rayne-bowe it is right,
As men may se, in sight,
In seasons of þe yere.
22.
2 fil.Sir, nowe sen god oure souerand syre
Has sette his syne þus in certayne,
Than may we wytte þis worldis empire
Shall euermore laste, is noȝt to layne.
Noe.
Nay, sonne, þat sall we nouȝt desire,
For and we do we wirke in wane,
For it sall ones be waste with fyre,
And never worþe to worlde agayne.
Vxor.
A! syre owre hertis are feere for þes sawes
That ȝe saye here,
That myscheffe mon be more.
Noe.
Beis noȝt aferde þerfore,
Ȝe sall noght lyffe þan yore,
Be many hundereth yhere.
23.
1 filius.Fadir, howe sall þis lyffe be ledde,
Sen non ar in þis worlde but we?
55
Sones, with youre wiffes ȝe salle be stedde,
And multyplye youre seede salle ȝe.
Ȝoure barnes sall ilkon othir wedde,
And worshippe god in gud degre;
Beestes and foules sall forthe be bredde,
And so a worlde be-gynne to bee.
Nowe travaylle salle ȝe taste
To wynne you brede & wyne,
For alle þis worlde is waste;
Theȝ beestes muste be vnbraste,
And wende we hense in haste,
In goddis blissyng & myne.
| Noah and his wife, the Flood and its waning | |