 | The Gyrdillers and Naylers |  |
[Scene I]
Herod's court.
1.
Her.
Powre bewsheris aboute,
Peyne of lyme and lande,
Stente of youre steuenes stoute,
And stille as stone ȝe stande,
And my carping recorde;
Ȝe aught to dare and doute,
And lere you lowe to lowte
To me youre louely lorde.
Peyne of lyme and lande,
Stente of youre steuenes stoute,
And stille as stone ȝe stande,
And my carping recorde;
Ȝe aught to dare and doute,
And lere you lowe to lowte
To me youre louely lorde.
2.
Ȝe awe in felde and towne
To bowe at my bidding,
With reuerence and renoune,
As fallis for swilk a kyng
Þe lordlyest on-lyue
Who her-to is noght bowne,
Be all-myghty mahounde
To dede I schall hym dryue!
To bowe at my bidding,
With reuerence and renoune,
As fallis for swilk a kyng
Þe lordlyest on-lyue
Who her-to is noght bowne,
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To dede I schall hym dryue!
3.
So bolde loke no man be,
For to aske help ne helde
But of mahounde and me,
Þat hase þis worlde in welde,
To mayntayne vs emelle,
For welle of welthe are we,
And my cheffe helpe is he;
Her-to what can ȝe tell.
For to aske help ne helde
But of mahounde and me,
Þat hase þis worlde in welde,
To mayntayne vs emelle,
For welle of welthe are we,
And my cheffe helpe is he;
Her-to what can ȝe tell.
4.
i Cons.Lord, what you likis to do
All folke will be full fayne,
To take entente þer-to,
And none grucche þer-agayne.
Þat full wele witte shall ȝe,
And yf þai wolde noȝt soo,
We shulde sone worke þam woo.
Her.
Ȝa! faire sirs, so shulde it bee.
5.
ii Cons.Lorde, þe soth to saie,
Fulle wele we undirstande,
Mahounde is god werraye,
And ȝe ar lorde of ilke a lande.
Ther-fore, so haue I seell,
I rede we wayte all-way,
What myrthe most mend ȝou may.
Her.
Certis ȝe saie ryght well.
6.
But I am noyed of newe,
Þat blithe may I noȝt be,
For thre kyngis as ȝe knowe
That come thurgh þis contree,
And saide þei sought a swayne.
Þat blithe may I noȝt be,
For thre kyngis as ȝe knowe
That come thurgh þis contree,
And saide þei sought a swayne.
i Cons.
Þat rewlle I hope þam rewe,
For hadde þer tales ben trewe,
They hadde comen þis waye agayne.
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7.
ii Cons.We harde how þei ȝou hight,
Yf they myght fynde þat childe,
For to haue tolde ȝou right,
But certis þei are begilyd.
Swilke tales ar noght to trowe,
Full wele wotte ilke a wight,
Þer schalle neuere man haue myght
Ne maystrie unto ȝou.
8.
i Cons.Þam schamys so, for certayne,
That they dar mete ȝou no more.
Her.
Wherfore shulde þei be fayne
To make swilke fare before;
To saie a boy was borne
That schulde be moste of mayne?
This gadlyng schall agayne
Yf þat þe deuyll had sworne;
To make swilke fare before;
To saie a boy was borne
That schulde be moste of mayne?
This gadlyng schall agayne
Yf þat þe deuyll had sworne;
9.
For be well neuer þei wotte,
Whedir þei wirke wele or wrang
To frayne garte þam þus-gate,
To seke that gedlyng gane,
And swilke carping to kith.
Whedir þei wirke wele or wrang
To frayne garte þam þus-gate,
To seke that gedlyng gane,
And swilke carping to kith.
ii Cons.
Nay lorde, they lered ouere latte,
Youre blisse schall neuere abatte,
And therfore, lorde, be blithe.
[Enter Messenger.]
10.
Nunc.Mahounde with-outen pere
My lorde! ȝou saue! and see.
Her.
Messenger, come nere,
And, bewcher! wele ye be.
What tydyngis telles þou, any?
Nun.
Ȝa! lorde, sen I was here,
I haue sought sidis seere,
And sene merueyllis full many.
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11.
Her.And of meruayles to move,
That were most myrthe to me.
Nunc.
Lorde, euen as I haue seene,
The soth sone schall ȝe see,
Yf ȝe wille, here in hye.
I mette tow townes betwene
Thre kyngis with crounes clene,
Rydand full ryally.
Her.
A! my blys! boy, þou burdis to brode!
[Nunc.]
Sir, þer may no botment be.
12.
[Her.]O we! by sonne and mone,
Þan tydis vs talis to nyght.
Hopes þou þei will come sone
Hedir, as þei haue hight,
For to telle me tythande?
Nunc.
Nay, lorde, þat daunce is done.
Her.
Why, whedir are þei gone?
Nunc.
Ilkone in-to ther owne lande.
13.
Her.How sais þou, ladde? late be.
Nunc.
I saie for they are past.
Her.
What, forthe away fro me?
Nunc.
Ȝa, lord, in faitht ful faste.
For I herde and toke hede
How þat þei wente, all thre,
In to ther awne contre.
Her.
A! dogges, þe deuell ȝou spede.
14.
Nunc.Sir, more of þer menyng
Ȝitt well I undirstode
How þei hadde made offering
Unto þat frely foode
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Þai saie he schulde be kyng,
And welde all erthely thyng.
Her.
Allas! þan am I lorne.
15.
Fy on thaym! faytours, fy!
Wille þei be-gylle me þus.
Wille þei be-gylle me þus.
Nunc.
Lorde, by ther prophicy,
Þei named his name Jesus.
Her.
Fy! on þe, ladde, þou lyes!
ii Cons.
Hense! tyte, but þou þe hye,
With doulle her schall þou dye,
That wreyes hym on this wise.
16.
Nunc.Ȝe wyte me all with wrang,
Itt is þus and wele warre.
Her.
Thou lyes! false traytoure strange,
Loke neuere þou negh me nere.
Vppon liffe and lyme
May I þat faitour fange,
Full high I schall gar hym hange,
Both þe harlott and hym.
17.
Nunc.I am nott worthy to wyte,
Bot fares-wele, all þe heppe!
i Consul.
Go, in þe deueles dispite,
Or I schall gar the leppe,
And dere aby this bro.
[Exit Messenger.
Herodus.
Alas! for sorowe and sighte,
My woo no wighte may wryte,
What deuell is best to do.
18.
ii Cons.Lorde, amende youre chere,
And takis no nedles noy,
We schall ȝou lely lere,
Þat ladde for to distroye,
Be counsaille if we cane.
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Þat may ȝe noght come nere,
For it is past two ȝere
Sen þat þis bale be-gane.
19.
i Cons.Lorde, þerfore haue no doute
If it were foure or fyve,
Gars gadir in grete rowte
Youre knyghtis kene be-lyue.
And biddis þam dynge to dede
Alle knave childir kepte in dowte,
In Bedlem and all aboute,
To layte in ilke a stede.
20.
ii Cons.Lorde, saue none, for youre seell,
Þat are of ii ȝere age with-inne,
Þan schall þat fandelyng felle
Be-lyue his bliss schall blynne,
With bale when he shall blede.
Her.
Sertis, ȝe saie right wele,
And as ȝe deme ilke dele,
Shall I garre do in-dede.
And as ȝe deme ilke dele,
Shall I garre do in-dede.
21.
Sir knyghtis, curtayse and hende,
Þow ne nott bees nowe all newe,
ȝe schall fynde me youre frende,
And ȝe þis tyme be trewe.
Þow ne nott bees nowe all newe,
ȝe schall fynde me youre frende,
And ȝe þis tyme be trewe.
i Cons.
What saie ȝe, lorde, lette see.
Her.
To Bedlehem bus ȝe wende,
That schrewe with schame to schende
Þat menes to maistir me.
That schrewe with schame to schende
Þat menes to maistir me.
22.
And a-bowte Bedlehem boght he,
Bus yowe wele spere and spye,
For ellis it will be waghe
Þat he losis þis Jury.
And certis þat were grete schame.
Bus yowe wele spere and spye,
For ellis it will be waghe
Þat he losis þis Jury.
And certis þat were grete schame.
ii Cons.
My lorde, þat wer vs lathe,
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And we welle worthy blame.
23.
i Miles.Full sone he schall be soughte,
That make I myne a-vowe.
i Cons.
I bide for him ȝow loghte,
And latte me telle yowe howe.
Go werke when ȝe come there,
By-cause ȝe kenne hym noght,
To dede they muste be brought,
Knave childre, lesse and more.
24.
Her.Ȝaa, all with-inne two ȝere,
That none for speche be spared.
ii Miles.
Lord, howe ȝe vs lere
Full wele we take rewarde,
And certis we schall not rest.
[Exeunt.
| The Gyrdillers and Naylers | |