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The Marchallis

XVIII.The Flight into Egypt

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[Scene, Joseph's abode at Bethlehem.]
Joseph.

Thow maker þat is most of myght,
To thy mercy I make my mone,
Lord! se vnto þin symple wight
That hase non helpe but þe allone.
For all þis worlde I haue for-saken,
And to thy seruice I haue me taken.
With witte and will,
For to fulfill
Þi commaundement.
Þer-on myn herte is sette,
With grace þou has me lente,
Þare shall no lede me lette.

For all my triste, lorde, is in þe,
That made me, man, to thy liknes,
Thow myghtfull maker, haue mynde on me,
And se vnto my sympplenes.
I waxe wayke as any wande,
For febill me faylles both foote and hande;
What euere it mene!

139

Me thynke myne eyne
hevye as leede.
Þer-fore I halde it best,
A whille her in þis stede
To slepe and take my reste.

[Sleeps.]

Mar.
[Prays to the child apart.]
Thow luffely lord þat last schall ay,
My god, my lorde, my sone so dere,
To thy godhede hartely I pray
With all myn harte holy entere;
As þou me to thy modir chaas,
I beseke þe of thy grace
For all man-kynde,
Þat has in mynde
To wirshippe þe.
Þou se thy saules to saue,
Jesu my sone so free,
Þis bone of þe I crave.

[Enter Angel Gabriel.]

Ang.
Wakyn, Joseph! and take entente!
My sawes schall seece thy sorowe sare,
Be noght heuy, þi happe is hentte,
Þare-fore I bidde þe slepe no mare.

Jos.
A! myghtfull lorde, what euere þat mente?
So swete a voyce herde I neuere ayre.
But what arte þou with steuen so shylle,
Þus in my slepe þat spekis me till,
To me appere,
And late me here
What þat þou was?

Ang.

Joseph, haue þou no drede,
Þou shalte witte or I passe
Therfore to me take hede.

140

For I am sente to þe,
Gabriell, goddis aungell bright,
Is comen to bidde þe flee
With Marie and hir worthy wight;
For Horowde þe kyng gars doo to dede
All knave childer in ilke a stede,
Þat he may ta
With ȝeris twa
Þat are of olde.
Tille he be dede away,
In Egipte shall ȝe beelde
Tille I witte þe for to saie.

Jos.

Aye lastand lord loved mott þou be,
That thy swete sande wolde to me sende.
But lorde, what ayles þe kyng at me?
For vn-to hym I neuere offende.
Allas! what ayles hym for to spille
Smale ȝonge barnes þat neuere did ille
In worde ne dede,
Vn-to no lede
Be nyght nor day.
And sen he wille vs schende,
Dere lorde, I þe praye,
Þou wolde be oure frende.

For be he neuere so wode or wrothe,
For all his force þou may vs fende.
I praye þe, lorde, kepe us fro skathe,
Thy socoure sone to vs þou sende;
For vn-to Egipte wende we will
Thy biddyng baynly to fulfill,
As worthy is
Þou kyng of blisse,
Þi will be wroght.

141

[Exit Angel, Joseph turns to Mary.]

Marie, my doughter dere,
On þe is all my þought.

Mar.
A! leue Joseph, what chere?

Jos.
Þe chere of me is done for ay.

Mar.
Allas! what tythandis herde haue ȝe?

Jos.
Now certis, full ille to þe at saye,
Ther is noght ellis but us most flee,
Owte of oure kyth where we are knowyn
Full wightely bus vs be withdrawen,
Both þou and I.

Mar.
Leue Ioseph, why?
Layne it noght,
To doole who has vs demed?
Or what wronge haue we wroght,
Wherfore we shulde be flemyd?

Jos.
Wroght we harme? nay, nay, all wrang,
Wytte þou wele it is noght soo,
Þat yonge page liffe þou mon for-gange,
But yf þou fast flee fro his foo.

Mar.
His foo, allas! what is youre reede,
Wha wolde my dere barne do to dede?
I durk, I dare,
Whoo may my care
Of balis blynne?
To flee I wolde full fayne,
For all þis worlde to wynne
Wolde I not se hym slayne.

10.

Jos.
I warne þe he is thraly thrette.
With Herowde kyng, harde harmes to haue,
With þat mytyng yf þat we be mette
Þer is no salue þat hym may saue.
I warne þe wele, he sleeis all
Knave childir, grete and small,

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In towne and felde,
With in þe elde
Of two ȝere.
And for thy sones sake,
He will for-do þat dere,
May þat traytoure hym take.

11.

Mar.
Leue Joseph, who tolde yow þis?
How hadde ȝe wittering of þis dede?

Jos.
An aungell bright þat come fro blisse
This tythandis tolde with-owten drede.
And wakynd me oute of my slepe,
Þat comely childe fro cares to kepe,
And bad me flee
With hym and þe
On-to Egipte.
And sertis I dred me sore
To make my smale trippe,
Or tyme þat I come þare.

12.

Mar.
What ayles þei at my barne
Slike harmes hym for to hete?
Allas! why schulde I tharne
My sone his liffe so sweete,
His harte aught to be ful sare,
On slike a foode hym to for-fare,
Þat nevir did ill
Hym for to spille,
And he ne wate why.
I ware full wille of wane
My son and he shulde dye,
And I haue but hym allone.

13.

Jos.
We! leue Marie, do way, late be,
I pray þe, leue of thy dynne,
And fande þe furthe faste for to flee
Away with hym for to wynne,

143

That no myscheue on hym betyde,
Nor none vnhappe in nokyn side,
Be way nor strete,
Þat we non mete
To slee hym.

Mar.
Allas! Joseph, for care!
Why shuld I for-go hym,
My dere barne þat I bare.

14.

Jos.
þat swete swayne yf þf þou saue,
Do tyte, pakke same oure gere,
And such smale harnes as we haue.

Mar.
A! leue Joseph, I may not bere.

Jos.

Bere arme? no, I trowe but small,
But god it wote I muste care for all,
For bed and bak,
And alle þe pakke
Þat nedis vnto vs.
It fortheres to fene me
Þis pakald bere me bus,
Of all I plege and pleyne me.

15.

But god graunte grace I noght for-gete
No tulles þat we shulde with vs take.

Mar.
Allas! Joseph, for greuaunce grete!
Whan shall my sorowe slake,
For I wote noght whedir to fare.

Jos.
To Egipte talde I þe lang are.

Mar.
Whare standith itt?
Fayne wolde I witt.

Jos.
What wate I?
I wote not where it standis.

Mar.
Joseph, I aske mersy,
Helpe me oute of þis lande.

16.

Jos.
Nowe certis, Marie, I wolde full fayne,
Helpe þe al þat I may,

144

And at my poure me peyne
To wynne with hym and þe away.

Mar.
Allas! what ayles þat feende
Þus wilsom wayes make vs to wende;
He dois grete synne,
Fro kyth and kynne
He gares vs flee.

Jos.
Leue Marie, leue thy grete!

Mar.
Joseph, full wo is me,
For my dere sone so swete.

17.

Jos.
I pray þe Marie, happe hym warme,
And sette hym softe þat he noght syle,
And yf þou will ought ese thyn arme,
Gyff me hym, late me bere hym awhile.

Mar.
I thanke you of youre grete goode dede,
[Gives the child to Joseph.
Nowe gud Joseph tille hym take hede,
þat fode so free!
Tille hym ȝe see
Now in this tyde.

Jos.
Late me and hym allone,
And yf þou can ille ride
Haue and halde þe faste by þe mane.

18.

Mar.
Allas! Joseph for woo,
Was neuer wight in worde so will!

Jos.

Do way Marie! and say nought soo,
For þou schall haue no cause ther-till.
For witte þou wele, god is oure frende,
He will be with vs wherso we lende,
In all oure nede
He will vs spede,
Þis wote I wele,
I loue my lorde of all,
Such forse me thynke I fele,
I may go where I schall.

145

19.

Are was I wayke, nowe am I wight,
My lymes to welde ay at my wille,
I loue my maker most of myght,
That such grace has graunte me tille.
Nowe schall no hatyll do vs harme,
I haue oure helpe here in myn arme.
He will vs fende,
Wherso we lende,
Fro tene and tray.
Late vs goo with goode chere,
Fare wele and haue gud day!
God blisse vs all in fere.

Mar.
Amen as he beste may.