 | The Sporiers and Lorimers |  |
158
[Scene II]
The Temple.
5.
ius Mag.Maistirs, takes to me in tente,
And rede youre resouns right on rawes,
And all þe pepull in þis present
Euere ilke man late see his sawes.
But witte I wolde, or we hens wente,
Be clargy clere if we couthe knawe
Yf any lede þat liffe has lente,
Wolde might allegge agaynste oure lawe.
Owthir in more or lesse
If we defaute myght feele,
Dewly we schall gar dresse
Be dome euery ilk a dele.
6.
iius Mag.Þat was wele saide, so mot I the,
Swilke notis to neven me thynke wer nede,
For maistirs in this lande ar we,
And has þe lawes lelly to lede,
And doctoures also in oure degree,
Þat demyng has of ilka dede.
Laye fourthe oure bokes belyue, late see,
What mater moste were for oure mede.
iiius Mag.
We schall ordayne so wele,
Sen we all clergy knawe,
Defaute shall noman fele
Nowdir in dede ne sawe.
[Enter Jesus.
7.
Jesus.Lordingis, loue be with ȝou lentte
And mirthis be vn-to þis mene.
ius Mag.
Sone, hense away! I wolde þou wente,
For othir haftis in hande haue we.
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Sone, whoso þe hedir sente,
They were nouȝt wise, þat warne I þe,
For we haue othir tales to tente
Þan now with barnes bordand to be.
iiius Mag.
Sone, yf þe list ought to lere
To lyve by Moyses laye,
Come hedir and þou shalle here
Þe sawes þat we shall saye;
To lyve by Moyses laye,
Come hedir and þou shalle here
Þe sawes þat we shall saye;
8.
For in som mynde itt may þe brynge
To here oure reasouns redde by rawes.
To here oure reasouns redde by rawes.
Jesus.
To lerne of you nedis me no thing.
For I knawe both youre dedys and sawes.
ius Mag.
Nowe herken ȝone barne with his brandyng,
He wenes he kens more þan we knawes!
We! nay, certis sone, þou arte ouere ȝinge
By clergy ȝitt to knowe oure lawes.
Jesus.
I wote als wele as yhe
Howe þat youre lawes wer wrought.
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Cum sitte, sone schall we see,
[Jesus sits among them.
For certis so semys it noght.
9.
Itt wer wondir þat any wight
Vn-till oure reasouns right schulde reche.
And þou sais þou hast insight,
Oure lawes truly to telle and teche?
Vn-till oure reasouns right schulde reche.
And þou sais þou hast insight,
Oure lawes truly to telle and teche?
Jesus.
The holy gost has on me light,
And has anoynted me as a leche,
And geven me pleyne poure and might
The kyngdom of heuene for to preche.
ius Mag.
Whens euere this barne may be
That shewes þer novellis nowe?
Jesus.
Certis, I was or ȝe,
And schall be aftir ȝou.
10.
ius Mag.
Sone, of thy sawes, als haue I cele,
And of thy witte is wondir thyng,
But neuere the lesse fully I feele
Itt may falle wele in wirkyng.
For Dauid demys of ilka dele,
And sais þus of childir ȝing,
And of ther mouthes, he wate full wele,
Oure lord has parformed loving.
But ȝitt, sone, schulde þou lette
Here for to speke ouere large,
For where maistiris are mette
Childre wordis are noȝt to charge.
And of thy witte is wondir thyng,
But neuere the lesse fully I feele
Itt may falle wele in wirkyng.
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And sais þus of childir ȝing,
And of ther mouthes, he wate full wele,
Oure lord has parformed loving.
But ȝitt, sone, schulde þou lette
Here for to speke ouere large,
For where maistiris are mette
Childre wordis are noȝt to charge.
11.
And if þou wolde neuere so fayne
Yf all þe liste to lere þe lawe,
Þou arte nowthir of myght ne mayne
To kenne it as a clerke may knawe.
Yf all þe liste to lere þe lawe,
Þou arte nowthir of myght ne mayne
To kenne it as a clerke may knawe.
Jesus.
Sirs, I saie ȝou for sartayne,
That suthfast schalbe all my sawe,
And poure haue playnere & playne to say,
And aunswer as me awe.
ius Doct.
Maistirs what may þis mene?
Meruayle me thynke haue I,
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And carpis þus connandly.
12.
iius Doct.Als wyde in worlde als we haue wente,
Itt fand we neuere swilke ferly fare,
For certis I trowe þis barne be sente
Full souerandly to salue oure sare.
Jesus.
Sirs, I schall proue in youre present
Alle þe sawes þat I saide are.
iiius Doc.
Why, whilke callest þou þe firste comaundment,
And þe moste in Moyses lare?
Jesus.
Sirs, sen ȝe are sette on rowes,
And has youre bokes on brede,
Late se, sirs, in youre sawes
Howe right þat ȝe can rede.
13.
ius Doct.I rede þis is þe firste bidding
Þat Moyses taught vs here vntill,
To honnoure god ouere all thing,
With all thy witte and all þi will;
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Erlye and late both lowde and still.
Jesus.
Ȝe nedis non othir bokes to bring,
But fandis þis for to fulfill.
The secounde may men preve
And clerly knawe, wher by
Youre neghbours shall ȝe loue
Als youre selffe, sekirly.
But fandis þis for to fulfill.
The secounde may men preve
And clerly knawe, wher by
Youre neghbours shall ȝe loue
Als youre selffe, sekirly.
14.
This comaunded Moyses to all men,
In his x comaundementis clere,
In þer ij biddingis, schall we kene,
Hyngis all þe lawe þat we shall lere.
Whoso ther two fulfilles then
With mayne and myght in gode manere,
He trulye fulfillis all þe ten
Þat aftir folowes in feere.
Þan schulde we god honnoure,
With all youre myght and mayne,
And loue wele ilkea neghboure
Right as youre selfe, certayne.
In his x comaundementis clere,
In þer ij biddingis, schall we kene,
Hyngis all þe lawe þat we shall lere.
Whoso ther two fulfilles then
With mayne and myght in gode manere,
He trulye fulfillis all þe ten
Þat aftir folowes in feere.
Þan schulde we god honnoure,
With all youre myght and mayne,
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Right as youre selfe, certayne.
15.
ius Doct.Nowe sone, sen þou haste tolde vs two,
Whilke ar þe viij? can þou ought saye?
[Jesus].
The iij biddis whare so ȝe goo,
Þat ȝe schall halowe þe halyday.
Than is þe fourthe for frende or foo,
That fadir and modir honnoure ay.
The vt e you biddis noght for to sloo
No man nor woman by any way.
The vjt e, suthly to see,
Comaundis both more and myne,
That thei schalle fande to flee
All filthes of flesshely synne.
Þat ȝe schall halowe þe halyday.
Than is þe fourthe for frende or foo,
That fadir and modir honnoure ay.
The vt e you biddis noght for to sloo
No man nor woman by any way.
The vjt e, suthly to see,
Comaundis both more and myne,
That thei schalle fande to flee
All filthes of flesshely synne.
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16.
The vijt
e fo[r]bedis you to stele
Ȝoure neghboures goodes, more or lesse,
Whilke fauteȝ nowe are founden fele
Emang þer folke þat ferly is.
The viijt e lernes ȝou for to be lele,
Here for to bere no false witnesse.
Ȝoure neghbours house, whilkis ȝe haue hele,
The ixt e biddis take noȝt be stresse.
His wiffe nor his women
The xt e biddis noȝt coveyte.
They are þe biddingis x,
Whoso will lelly layte.
Ȝoure neghboures goodes, more or lesse,
Whilke fauteȝ nowe are founden fele
Emang þer folke þat ferly is.
The viijt e lernes ȝou for to be lele,
Here for to bere no false witnesse.
Ȝoure neghbours house, whilkis ȝe haue hele,
The ixt e biddis take noȝt be stresse.
His wiffe nor his women
The xt e biddis noȝt coveyte.
They are þe biddingis x,
Whoso will lelly layte.
17.
iius Doct.Be-halde howe he alleggis oure lawe,
And lered neuere on boke to rede.
Full subtill sawes, me thinkeþ, he saies,
And also trewe, yf we take hede.
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Ȝa! late hym wende fourth on his wayes;
For and he dwelle, withouten drede,
The pepull schall full sone hym prayse
Wele more þan vs for all oure dede.
ius Doct.
Nay, nay, þan wer we wrang,
Such speking wille we spare.
Als he come late hym gang,
And move vs nowe nomore.
[Enter Mary and Joseph.]
18.
Mar.A! dere Joseph, what is youre rede?
Of oure grete bale no bote may be,
Myne harte is heuy as any lede
My semely sone tille hym I see.
Nowe haue [we] sought in ilk a stede,
Boþe vppe and doune, ther days thre,
And whedir þat he be quyk or dede
Ȝitt wote we noght, so wo is me!
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Mysese had neuere man more,
But mournyng may not mende;
I rede forther we fare
Till God some socoure sende.
But mournyng may not mende;
I rede forther we fare
Till God some socoure sende.
19.
Aboute ȝone tempill if he be ought,
I wolde we wiste þis ilke nyght.
I wolde we wiste þis ilke nyght.
Mar.
A! sir, I see þat we haue sought!
In worlde was neuere so semely a sight.
Lo! where he sittis, ȝ[e] se hym noght?
Emong ȝone maistiris mekill of myght.
Jos.
Now blist be he vs hedir brought,
For in lande was neuere non so light.
Mar.
A! dere Joseph, als we haue cele,
Go furthe and fette youre sone and myne,
This day is gone nere ilke a dele,
And we haue nede for to gang hyne.
20.
Jos.With men of myght can I not mell,
Than all my trauayle mon I tyne,
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They are so gay in furres fyne.
Mar.
To þam youre herand for to say
Suthly ȝe thar noȝt drede no dele,
They will take rewarde to you all way,
Be-cause of elde; þis wate ȝe wele.
Jos.
When I come there what schall I saye?
I wate neuere, als haue I cele.
Sertis, Marie, þou will haue me schamed for ay,
For I can nowthir croke nor knele.
21.
Mar.Go we to-gedir, I halde it beste,
Vn-to ȝone worthy wysse in wede,
And yf I see, als haue I reste,
Þat ȝe will noȝt, þan bus me nede.
Jos.
Gange on, Marie, and telle thy tale firste,
Thy sone to þe will take goode heede;
Wende fourth, Marie, and do thy beste,
I come be-hynde, als God me spede.
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A! dere sone Jesus!
[They come forward.
Sen we loue þe allone,
Why dosse þou þus till vs,
And gares vs make swilke mone?
Why dosse þou þus till vs,
And gares vs make swilke mone?
22.
Thy fadir and I be-twyxte vs twa
Son for thy loue has likid ill,
We haue þe sought both to & froo,
Wepand full sore as wightis will.
Son for thy loue has likid ill,
We haue þe sought both to & froo,
Wepand full sore as wightis will.
Jesus.
Wherto shulde ȝe seke me soo?
Ofte tymes it hase ben tolde you till,
My fadir werkis, for wele or woo,
Thus am I sente for to fulfyll.
Mar.
There sawes, als haue I cele,
Can I noȝt vndirstande;
I schall thynke on þam wele,
To ffonde what is folowand.
23.
Jos.Now sothely sone, þe sight of þe
Hath salued vs of all oure sore;
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Att Nazareth I wolde we wore.
Jesus.
Be-leves wele, lordis free,
For with my frendis nowe will I fare.
i doct.
Nowe, sone, wher þou schall bide or be,
God make þe gode man euermore!
No wondir if ȝone wiffe
Of his fynding be full fayne;
He schall (and he haue liff)
Proue till a praty swayne.
God make þe gode man euermore!
No wondir if ȝone wiffe
Of his fynding be full fayne;
He schall (and he haue liff)
Proue till a praty swayne.
24.
But sone, loke þat þou layne for gud or ill
Þe note þat we haue nemed her nowe,
And if it like þe to lende her stille,
And wonne with vs, welcome art þowe.
Þe note þat we haue nemed her nowe,
And if it like þe to lende her stille,
And wonne with vs, welcome art þowe.
Jesus.
Graunte mercy, Sirs, of youre gode will,
No lenger liste me lende with ȝou,
My frendis thoughtis I wol fulfille
And to þer bidding baynely bowe.
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Full wele is vs þis tyde,
Nowe maye we make goode chere.
Jos.
No lenger will we bide,
Fares wele, all folke in feere.
Jhc, Maria, Joseph, Primus doctor, secundus doctor, & tercius doctor.
| The Sporiers and Lorimers | |