 | The Parchemyners and Bokebynders |  |
61
[Scene II
The land of Vision, near Mount Moriah.]Abr.
My sone, þis wode behoues þe bere,
Till þou come high vppon yone hill.
Isaac.
Fadir, þat may do no dere
Goddis comaundement to fullfyll;
For fra all wathes he will vs were,
Whar-so we wende to wirke his wille.
Abr.
A! sone, þat was wele saide,
Lay doune þat woode euen here,
Tille oure auter be grathide,—
Lay doune þat woode euen here,
Tille oure auter be grathide,—
14.
And, my sone, make goode cheere.
Isaac.
Fadir, I see here woode and fyre,
Bot wher-of sall oure offerand be?
Abr.
Sertis, son, gude god oure suffraynd syre
Sall ordayne it in goode degre.
For sone, and we do his dessyre,
Full gud rewarde thar-fore gette wee.
In heuyn ther mon we haue oure hyre,
For vnto vs so hight has hee.
Ther-fore sone, let vs praye,
To god, bothe þou and I,
That we may make þis daye
Oure offerand here dewly.
15.
Grete god! þat all þis worlde has wrought,
And grathely gouernes goode and ill,
Thu graunte me myght so þat I mowght
Thy comaundementis to full-fill.
And gyffe my flessche groche or greue oght,
Or sertis my saule assentte þer-till,
To byrne all that I hydir broght,
I sall noght spare yf I shulde spille.
And grathely gouernes goode and ill,
Thu graunte me myght so þat I mowght
Thy comaundementis to full-fill.
And gyffe my flessche groche or greue oght,
Or sertis my saule assentte þer-till,
To byrne all that I hydir broght,
I sall noght spare yf I shulde spille.
Isaac.
Lorde god! of grete pouste,
To wham all pepull prayes,
Graunte bothe my fadir and me
To wirke þi wille all weyes!
To wham all pepull prayes,
62
To wirke þi wille all weyes!
16.
But fadir, nowe wolde I frayne full fayne,
Whar-of oure offerand shulde be grathid?
Whar-of oure offerand shulde be grathid?
Abr.
Sertis, sone, I may no lengar layne,
Thy-selfe shulde bide þat bittir brayde.
Isaac.
Why! fadir, will god þat I be slayne?
Abr.
Ȝa, suthly sone, so has he saide.
Isaac.
And I sall noght grouche þer agayne,
To wirke his wille I am wele payed;
Sen it is his desire,
I sall be bayne to be
Brittynd and brent in fyre,
And þer-fore morne noght for me.
17.
Abr.Nay, sone, this gatis most nedis be gone,
My lord god will I noght gayne-saye,
Nor neuer make mornys nor mone,
To make offerand of þe this day.
Isaac.
Fadir, sen god oure lorde all-ane
Vowchesaffe to sende when ȝe gon praye
A sone to you, when ye had nane,
And nowe will that he wende his waye,
Therfore faynde me to fell
Tille offerand in þis place,
But firste I sall you telle
My counsaille in þis case.
Vowchesaffe to sende when ȝe gon praye
A sone to you, when ye had nane,
And nowe will that he wende his waye,
Therfore faynde me to fell
Tille offerand in þis place,
But firste I sall you telle
My counsaille in þis case.
18.
I knaw myselfe be cours of kynde,
My flessche for dede will be dredande,
I am ferde þat ȝe sall fynde
My force youre forward to withstande.
Ther-fore is beste þat ye me bynde
In bandis faste, boothe fute and hande,
Nowe whillis I am in myght and mynde,
So sall ȝe saffely make offerrande.
For fadir, when I am boune,
My myght may not avayle,
Here sall no fawte be foune
To make youre forward faylle.
My flessche for dede will be dredande,
I am ferde þat ȝe sall fynde
My force youre forward to withstande.
Ther-fore is beste þat ye me bynde
In bandis faste, boothe fute and hande,
Nowe whillis I am in myght and mynde,
So sall ȝe saffely make offerrande.
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My myght may not avayle,
Here sall no fawte be foune
To make youre forward faylle.
19.
For ȝe ar alde and alle vnwelde,
And I am wighte and wilde of thoght.
And I am wighte and wilde of thoght.
Abr.
To bynde hym þat shuld be my beelde!
Outtane goddis will, þat wolde I noght.
But loo! her sall no force be felde,
So sall god haue that he has soght.
Fare-well! my sone, I sall þe ȝelde
[Binds him.
Outtane goddis will, þat wolde I noght.
But loo! her sall no force be felde,
So sall god haue that he has soght.
Fare-well! my sone, I sall þe ȝelde
Tylle hym þat all this world has wroght.
Nowe kysse me hartely, I þe pray,
Isaak, I take my leue for ay.
My blissyng haue þou enterly,
Me bus þe mys!
And I beseke god all-myghty
He giffe þe his.
Thus aren we samyn assent,
Eftir thy wordis wise,
Lorde god! to þis take tente,
Ressayue thy sacrifice.
Nowe kysse me hartely, I þe pray,
Isaak, I take my leue for ay.
My blissyng haue þou enterly,
Me bus þe mys!
And I beseke god all-myghty
He giffe þe his.
Thus aren we samyn assent,
Eftir thy wordis wise,
Lorde god! to þis take tente,
Ressayue thy sacrifice.
20.
This is to me a perles pyne,
To se myn nawe dere childe þus boune!
Me had well leuer my lyf to tyne
Than see þis sight, þus of my sone.
It is goddis will, it sall be myne,
Agaynste his saande sall I neuer schone;
To goddis cummaundement I sall enclyne,
That in me fawte non be foune.
Therfore my sone so dere,
If þou will any thyng saye,
Thy dede it drawes nere,
Fare-well, for anes and ay.
To se myn nawe dere childe þus boune!
Me had well leuer my lyf to tyne
Than see þis sight, þus of my sone.
It is goddis will, it sall be myne,
Agaynste his saande sall I neuer schone;
To goddis cummaundement I sall enclyne,
That in me fawte non be foune.
Therfore my sone so dere,
If þou will any thyng saye,
Thy dede it drawes nere,
Fare-well, for anes and ay.
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21.
Isaac.Now, my dere fadir, I wolde you praye,
Here me thre wordes, graunte me my bone!
Sen I fro this sall passe for ay,
I see myn houre is comen full sone.
In worde, in werke, or any waye
That I haue trespassed or oght mysdone,
For-giffe me fadir, or I dye þis daye,
For his luffe þat made boþe sonne and mone.
Here sen we two sall twynne,
Firste god I aske mercy,
And you in more and myne,
This day or euere I dy.
22.
Abr.Now my grete god, Adonay!
That all þis worlde has worthely wroght,
For-gyffe the sone, for his mercye,
In worde, in worke, in dede, and thoght.
Nowe sone, as we ar leryd
Our tyme may not myscarie.
Isaac.
Nowe fare wele, all medilerth,
My flesshe waxis faynte for ferde;
Nowe fadir, take youre swerde,
Me thynke full lange ȝe tarie.
23.
Abr.Nay, nay sone, nay, I the be-hete,
That do I noght, with-outen were,
Thy wordis makis me my wangges to wete,
And chaunges, childe, ful often my cheere.
Ther-fore lye downe, hande and feete,
Nowe may þou witte thyn oure is nere.
65
A! dere fadir, lyff is full swete,
The drede of dede dose all my dere.
As I am here youre sone,
To god I take me till,
Nowe am I laide here bone,
Do with me what ȝe will.
The drede of dede dose all my dere.
As I am here youre sone,
To god I take me till,
Nowe am I laide here bone,
Do with me what ȝe will.
24.
For fadir, I aske no more respete,
Bot here a worde what I wolde mene,
I beseke ȝou or þat ȝe smyte,
Lay doune þis kyrcheffe on myn eghne.
Than may ȝoure offerand be parfite,
If ȝe wille wirke thus as I wene.
And here to god my saule I wite,
And all my body to brenne bydene.
Now fadir be noght myssyng,
But smyte fast as ȝe may.
Bot here a worde what I wolde mene,
I beseke ȝou or þat ȝe smyte,
Lay doune þis kyrcheffe on myn eghne.
Than may ȝoure offerand be parfite,
If ȝe wille wirke thus as I wene.
And here to god my saule I wite,
And all my body to brenne bydene.
Now fadir be noght myssyng,
But smyte fast as ȝe may.
Abr.
Fare-wele, in goddis dere blissyng,
And myn, for euer and ay.
That pereles prince I praye
Myn offerand here till haue it,
My sacryfice þis day,
I praye þe lorde ressayue it.
25.
Ang.Abraham! Abraham!
Abr.
Loo! here I wys.
Ang.
Abraham, abyde, and halde þe stille.
Sla noght thy sone, do hym no mysse,
Take here a schepe thy offerand tyll,
[A sheep comes in.
Is sente þe fro the kyng of blisse.
That faythfull ay to þe is fone,
He biddis þe make offerrand of þis,
Here at this tyme, and saffe thy sone.
26.
Abr.I lowe þat lord with herte entier,
That of his luffe þis lane me lente,
To saffe my sone, my darlyng dere,
And sente þis schepe to þis entente,
66
So sall it be as þou has mente.
My sone, be gladde and make goode cheere,
God has till vs goode comforte sente;
He will noght þou be dede,
But tille his lawes take kepe,
And se, son, in thy stede,
God has sente vs a schepe.
27.
Isaac.To make oure offerand at his wille
All for oure sake he has it sente.
To lowe þat lorde I halde grete skyll,
That tylle his menȝe þus has mente.
This dede I wolde haue tane me till,
Full gladly lorde, to thyn entent.
Abr.
A! sone, thy bloode wolde he noght spill,
For-thy this shepe thus has he sente.
And sone I am full fayne
Of our spede in þis place,
Bot go we home agayne,
And lowe god of his grace.
[going.
28.
Ang.Abraham! Abraham!
Abr.
Loo! here in dede.
Harke sone! sum saluyng of our sare.
Ang.
God sais þou sall haue mekill mede
For thys goode will þat þou in ware,
Sen þou for hym wolde do þis dede,
To spille thy sone and noght to spare;
He menes to multiplie youre seede,
On sides seere, as he saide are;
And yit he hight you this,
That of youre seede sall ryse,
Thurgh helpe of hym and his
Ouere hande of all enmys.
For thys goode will þat þou in ware,
Sen þou for hym wolde do þis dede,
To spille thy sone and noght to spare;
He menes to multiplie youre seede,
On sides seere, as he saide are;
And yit he hight you this,
That of youre seede sall ryse,
Thurgh helpe of hym and his
Ouere hande of all enmys.
29.
Luk ȝe hym loue, þis is his liste,
And lelly lyff eftir his laye,
For in youre seede all mon be bliste,
That ther bese borne be nyght or day.
If ȝe will in hym trowe or triste,
He will be with ȝou euere and aye.
And lelly lyff eftir his laye,
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That ther bese borne be nyght or day.
If ȝe will in hym trowe or triste,
He will be with ȝou euere and aye.
Abr.
Full well wer vs and we it wiste,
Howe we shulde wirke his will alwaye.
Isaac.
Fadir, þat sall we frayne
At wyser men þan wee,
And fulfille it fulfayne,
In dede eftir oure degree.
30.
Abr.Nowe sone, sen we þus wele hase spede,
That god has graunted me thy liffe,
It is my wille þat þou be wedde,
And welde a woman to thy wyffe;
So sall thy sede springe and be spredde,
In the laweȝ of god be reasoune ryffe.
I wate in what steede sho is stede,
That þou sall wedde, withowten stryffe.
Rabek þat damysell,
Hir fayrer is none fone,
The doughter of Batwell,
That was my brothir sone.
31.
Isaac.Fadir, as þou likes my lyffe to spende,
I sall assente vnto the same.
Abr.
One of my seruandis sone sall I sende
Vn-to þat birde to brynge hir hame.
The gaynest gates now will we wende.
[Coming back finds the servants.
My barnes, yee ar noght to blame
Ȝeff ȝe thynke lang þat we her lende;
Gedir same oure gere, in goddis name,
And go we hame agayne.
Euyn vnto Barsabe,
God þat is most of mayne
Vs wisse and with ȝou be.
| The Parchemyners and Bokebynders | |