 | The Parchemyners and Bokebynders |  |
[Scene, Abraham's abode in Beersheba.]
Abraham! Abraham!
Abr.
Loo I am here.
Ang.
Nowe bodeword vnto þe I brynge,
God wille assaye þi wille and cheere,
Giffe þou wille bowe tylle his byddyng;
Isaak, þi sone, þat is the dere,
Whom þou loues ouer alle thyng,
To þe lande of Vyssyon wende in feere,
And there of hym þou make offering.
I salle þe shewe fulle sone,
The stede of sacrifice,
God wille þis dede be done,
And þerfore þe avise.
Fadir, I am euere at youre wille,
As worthy is with-owten trayne,
Goddis comaundement to fulfille
Awe all folke forto be fayne.
Abr.
Sone, þou sais me full gode skille,
Bott all þe soth is noȝt to sayne,
Go we sen we sall þer-tille
I praye god send vs wele agayne.
Isaac.
Childir, lede forthe oure Asse,
[To the two servants.
With wode þat we sall bryne,
Euen as god ordand has,
To wyrke we will be-gynne.
[They set out.
Att youre biddyng we wille be bowne,
What way in worlde þat ȝe wille wende.
2 Fam.
Why, sall we trusse ought forthe a towne
In any vncouthe lande to lende?
1 Fam.
I hope tha haue in þis sessoune,
Fro god of heuyn sum solayce sende.
2 Fam.
To fulfille yt is goode reasoune,
And kyndely kepe þat he has kende.
1 Fam.
Bott what þei mene certayne,
Haue I na knowlage clere.
2 Fam.
It may noght gretely gayne,
To move of swilke matere.
No, noye you noght in no degre
So for to deme here of oure dede,
For als god comaunded so wirke wille we,
Vn-tille his tales vs bus take hede.
1 Fam.
Alle þos þat wille his seruandis be,
Ful specially he wille thaym spede.
Isaac.
Childir, with all þe myght in me.
I lowe that lorde of ilke a lede,
And wirshippe hym certayne,
My wille is euere vnto.
2 Fam.
God giffe you myght and mayne
Right here so for to doo.
Sone, yf oure lord god almyghty,
Of my selfe walde haue his offerande.
I wolde be glade for hym to dye,
For all oure heele hyngis in his hande.
Isaac.
Fadir, for suth, ryght so walde I,
Leuer þan lange to leue in lande.
Abr.
A! sone, thu sais full wele, for-thy
God geue þe grace grathely to stande.
Childir, bide ȝe here still;
[To the servants.
No ferther sall ȝe goo.
For ȝondir I se þe hill
That we sall wende vntoo.
Kepe wele our Asse and all oure gere,
To tyme we come agayne you till.
[Exeunt Isaac & Abr.
1.
Abr.
Grett god, þat alle þis world has wrought,
And wisely wote both gud and ille,
I thanke hym thraly in my thought
Of alle his laue he lens me tille.
That þus fro barenhede has me broghte,
A hundereth wynter to fulfille,
Thou graunte me myght so þat I mowght
Ordan my werkis aftir þi wille.
For in þis erthely lyffe
Ar non to god more boune,
Then is I and my wyffe
For frenshippe we haue foune.
And wisely wote both gud and ille,
I thanke hym thraly in my thought
Of alle his laue he lens me tille.
That þus fro barenhede has me broghte,
A hundereth wynter to fulfille,
Thou graunte me myght so þat I mowght
Ordan my werkis aftir þi wille.
For in þis erthely lyffe
Ar non to god more boune,
Then is I and my wyffe
For frenshippe we haue foune.
2.
Vn-to me tolde god on a tyde,
Wher I was telde vnder a tree,
He saide my seede shulde multyplye,
Lyke to þe gravell of þe see,
And als þe sternes wer strewed wyde,
So saide he þat my seede shuld be;
And bad I shulde be circumcicyd,
To fulfille þe lawe; þus lernynde he me.
In worlde wher-for we wonne
He sendes vs richeys ryve,
Als ferre as schynes þe sonne,
He is stynter of stryve.
Abram first named was I,
And sythen he sette a sylypp ma,
And my wiffe hyght Sarae
And sythen was scho named Sara.
Wher I was telde vnder a tree,
He saide my seede shulde multyplye,
Lyke to þe gravell of þe see,
And als þe sternes wer strewed wyde,
So saide he þat my seede shuld be;
57
To fulfille þe lawe; þus lernynde he me.
In worlde wher-for we wonne
He sendes vs richeys ryve,
Als ferre as schynes þe sonne,
He is stynter of stryve.
Abram first named was I,
And sythen he sette a sylypp ma,
And my wiffe hyght Sarae
And sythen was scho named Sara.
3.
But Sara was vncertan thanne
That euere oure seede shulde sagates ȝelde,
Be-cause hir-selfe sho was barrane,
And we wer bothe gone in grete eelde.
But scho wroght as a wyse woman,
To haue a barne vs for to beelde,
Hir seruand prevely scho wan
Vn-to my bede my wille to welde.
Sone aftir þan be-felle
When god oure dede wolde dight,
Sho broght forthe Esmaell,
A sone semely to sight.
That euere oure seede shulde sagates ȝelde,
Be-cause hir-selfe sho was barrane,
And we wer bothe gone in grete eelde.
But scho wroght as a wyse woman,
To haue a barne vs for to beelde,
Hir seruand prevely scho wan
Vn-to my bede my wille to welde.
Sone aftir þan be-felle
When god oure dede wolde dight,
Sho broght forthe Esmaell,
A sone semely to sight.
4.
Than aftirward when we waxed alde,
My wyffe sche felle in feere for same,
Oure god nedes tythynges tyll vs talde,
Wher we wer in oure house at hame,
Tille haue a sone we shulde be balde,
And Isaak shulde be his name,
And his seede shulde springe many falde.
Gyff I were blythe, who wolde me blame?
And for I trowed þis tythynge,
That god talde to me þanne,
The grounde and þe begynnyng
Of trowthe þat tyme be-ganne.
My wyffe sche felle in feere for same,
Oure god nedes tythynges tyll vs talde,
Wher we wer in oure house at hame,
Tille haue a sone we shulde be balde,
And Isaak shulde be his name,
And his seede shulde springe many falde.
Gyff I were blythe, who wolde me blame?
And for I trowed þis tythynge,
That god talde to me þanne,
The grounde and þe begynnyng
Of trowthe þat tyme be-ganne.
58
5.
Nowe awe I gretely god to yeelde,
That so walde telle me his entente,
And noght gaynestandyng oure grete eelde,
A semely sone he has vs sente.
Now is he wight hym-selfe to welde,
And fra me is all wightnes wente,
Ther-fore sall he be my beelde.
I lowe hym þat þis lane has lente,
For he may stynte oure stryve,
And fende vs fro alle ille,
I love hym as my liffe,
With all myn herte and will.
That so walde telle me his entente,
And noght gaynestandyng oure grete eelde,
A semely sone he has vs sente.
Now is he wight hym-selfe to welde,
And fra me is all wightnes wente,
Ther-fore sall he be my beelde.
I lowe hym þat þis lane has lente,
For he may stynte oure stryve,
And fende vs fro alle ille,
I love hym as my liffe,
With all myn herte and will.
6.
Ang.Abraham! Abraham!
Abr.
Loo I am here.
Ang.
Nowe bodeword vnto þe I brynge,
God wille assaye þi wille and cheere,
Giffe þou wille bowe tylle his byddyng;
Isaak, þi sone, þat is the dere,
Whom þou loues ouer alle thyng,
To þe lande of Vyssyon wende in feere,
And there of hym þou make offering.
I salle þe shewe fulle sone,
The stede of sacrifice,
God wille þis dede be done,
And þerfore þe avise.
7.
Abr.
Lord god, þat lens ay lastand light,
This is a ferly fare to feele,
Tille haue a sone semely to sight,
Isaak, þat I loue full wele,
He is of eelde, to reken right,
Thyrty ȝere and more sum dele,
And vnto dede hym buse be dight,
God has saide me so for my seele.
And biddis me wende on all wise
To þe lande of Vysionne,
Ther to make sacryfice
Of Isaak þat is my sone.
This is a ferly fare to feele,
Tille haue a sone semely to sight,
Isaak, þat I loue full wele,
He is of eelde, to reken right,
Thyrty ȝere and more sum dele,
And vnto dede hym buse be dight,
God has saide me so for my seele.
59
To þe lande of Vysionne,
Ther to make sacryfice
Of Isaak þat is my sone.
8.
And þat is hythyn thre daies iornay,
The ganeste gate þat i gane goo,—
And sertis, I sall noght say hym nay,
If god commaunde my self to sloo.
Bot to my sone I will noght saye,
Bot take hym and my seruantis twoo,
And with our Assee wende forthe our waye,
As god has saide, it sall be soo.
[Enter Isaac.
The ganeste gate þat i gane goo,—
And sertis, I sall noght say hym nay,
If god commaunde my self to sloo.
Bot to my sone I will noght saye,
Bot take hym and my seruantis twoo,
And with our Assee wende forthe our waye,
As god has saide, it sall be soo.
Isaak, sone, I vndirstande
To wildirnesse now wende will we,
Thare-fore to make oure offerand,
For so has god comaunded me.
To wildirnesse now wende will we,
Thare-fore to make oure offerand,
For so has god comaunded me.
9.
Isaac.Fadir, I am euere at youre wille,
As worthy is with-owten trayne,
Goddis comaundement to fulfille
Awe all folke forto be fayne.
Abr.
Sone, þou sais me full gode skille,
Bott all þe soth is noȝt to sayne,
Go we sen we sall þer-tille
I praye god send vs wele agayne.
Isaac.
Childir, lede forthe oure Asse,
[To the two servants.
With wode þat we sall bryne,
Euen as god ordand has,
To wyrke we will be-gynne.
[They set out.
10.
1 Fam.Att youre biddyng we wille be bowne,
What way in worlde þat ȝe wille wende.
2 Fam.
Why, sall we trusse ought forthe a towne
In any vncouthe lande to lende?
1 Fam.
I hope tha haue in þis sessoune,
Fro god of heuyn sum solayce sende.
2 Fam.
To fulfille yt is goode reasoune,
60
1 Fam.
Bott what þei mene certayne,
Haue I na knowlage clere.
2 Fam.
It may noght gretely gayne,
To move of swilke matere.
11.
Abr.No, noye you noght in no degre
So for to deme here of oure dede,
For als god comaunded so wirke wille we,
Vn-tille his tales vs bus take hede.
1 Fam.
Alle þos þat wille his seruandis be,
Ful specially he wille thaym spede.
Isaac.
Childir, with all þe myght in me.
I lowe that lorde of ilke a lede,
And wirshippe hym certayne,
My wille is euere vnto.
2 Fam.
God giffe you myght and mayne
Right here so for to doo.
12.
Abr.Sone, yf oure lord god almyghty,
Of my selfe walde haue his offerande.
I wolde be glade for hym to dye,
For all oure heele hyngis in his hande.
Isaac.
Fadir, for suth, ryght so walde I,
Leuer þan lange to leue in lande.
Abr.
A! sone, thu sais full wele, for-thy
God geue þe grace grathely to stande.
Childir, bide ȝe here still;
[To the servants.
No ferther sall ȝe goo.
For ȝondir I se þe hill
That we sall wende vntoo.
13.
Isaac.Kepe wele our Asse and all oure gere,
To tyme we come agayne you till.
[Exeunt Isaac & Abr.
| The Parchemyners and Bokebynders | |