 | The Coriours |  |
[Scene, first on the way to the mountain, then the mountain itself.]
PETIR, myne awne discipill dere,
And James and John, my cosyns two,
Takis hartely hede, for ȝe schall here
þat I wille telle vnto nomoo.
And als ȝe schall see sightis seere,
Whilke none schall see bot ȝe alsoo,
Therfore comes forth, with me in fere,
For to ȝone mountayne will I goo.
Ther schall ȝe see a sight
Whilk ȝe haue ȝerned lange.
Petrus.
My lorde, we are full light
And glad with þe to gange.
Jacobus.
Lord, to thy byddyng will we bowe
Full buxumly, as we are bonne.
Johannes.
Lorde, we will wirke thy will
All way with trewe entent,
We love God lowde and stille,
þat vs þis layne has lente.
Full glad and blithe awe vs to be,
And thanke oure maistir, mekill of mayne,
Þat sais, we schall þe sightis see,
The whiche non othir schall see certayne.
Jacob.
He talde vs of his Fadir free,
Of þat fare wolde we be full fayne.
Joh.
All þat he hyghte vs holde will hee,
Therfore we will no forther frayne,
But as he ffouchesaffe
So sall we vndirstande.
[Enter Moses and Elias; Jesus, between them, is transfigured, a bright light shining.]
Beholde! her we haue nowe in hast
Som new tythandys!
Lord God! I loue þe lastandly,
And highly, botht with harte and hande,
Þat me, thy poure prophett Hely,
Haue steuened me in þis stede to stande.
In Paradise wonnand am I,
Ay sen I lefte þis erthely lande;
I come Cristis name to clarifie,
And god his Fadir me has ordand,
And for to bere witnesse
In worde to man and wyffe,
Þat þis his owne sone is
And lord of lastand liff.
Lord god! þat all welthis wele,
With wille and witte we wirschippe þe,
Þat vn-to me, Moyses, wolde tell
Þis grete poynte of thy pryuyte,
And hendly hente me oute of hell,
Þis solempne syght for I schuld see,
Whan thy dere darlynges þat þore dwell
Hase noght thy grace in swilk degree.
Oure fforme-ffadyrs full fayne
Wolde se this solempne sight,
Þat in þis place þus pleyne
Is mustered thurgh þie myght.
Brethir, what euere ȝone brightnes be?
Swilk burdis be-forne was neuere sene,
It marres my myght, I may not see,
So selcouth thyng was neuere sene.
Jacob.
What it will worthe, þat wote noȝt wee,
How wayke I waxe, ȝe will not wene,
Are was þer one, now is ther thre,
We thynke oure maistir is be-twene.
Joh.
That oure maistir is thare
Þat may we trewly trowe,
He was full fayre be-ffore,
But neuere als he is nowe.
His clothyng is white as snowe,
His face schynes as þe sonne,
To speke with hym I haue grete awe,
Swilk ffaire be-fore was neuere fune.
Jacob.
Þe tothir two fayne wolde I knawe,
And witte what werke þam hedir has wonne.
Joh.
I rede we aske þam all on rowe,
And grope þam how þis game is begonne.
Petrus.
[To Elias and Moses.]
My bredir, if þat ȝe be come
To make clere Cristis name,
Telles here till vs thre,
For we seke to þe same.
Itt is Goddis will þat we ȝou wys
Of his werkis, as is worthy.
I haue my place in Paradise,
Ennok my brodyr me by.
Als messenger withouten mys
Am I called to this company,
To witnesse þat goddis sone is þis,
Euyn with hym mette and all myghty.
To dede we wer noght dight,
But quyk schall we come,
With Antecrist for to fyght,
Beffore þe day of dome.
Frendis, if þat ȝe ffrayne my name,
Moyses þan may ȝe rede by rawe,
Two thousand ȝere aftir Adam
Þan gaffe God vn-to me his lawe.
And sythen in helle has bene oure hame,
Allas! Adam's kynne þis schall ȝe knawe,
Vn-to crist come, þis is þe same,
Þat vs schall fro þat dongeoun drawe.
He schall brynge þam to blys,
Þat nowe in bale are bonne,
This myrthe we may not mys,
For this same is Goddis sonne.
My dere discipill, drede ȝou noȝt,
I am ȝoure souerayne certenly,
This wondir werke þat here is wrought
Is of my Fadir al-myghty.
Þire both are hydir brought,
Þe tone Moyses, þe todir Ely,
And for youre sake þus are þei sought
To saie ȝou, his sone am I.
So schall bothe heuen & helle
Be demers of þis dede,
And ȝe in erth schall tell
My name wher itt is nede.
A! loued be þou euere, my lord Jesus,
Þat all þis solempne sight has sent,
Þat ffouchest saffe to schew þe þus,
So þat þi myghtis may be kende.
Here is full faire dwellyng for vs,
A lykand place in for to lende,
A! lord, late vs no forther trus,
For we will make with herte and hende
A taburnakill vn-to þe
Be-lyue, and þou will bide,
One schall to Moyses be,
And to Ely the thirde.
Ȝa! wittirly, þat were wele done,
But vs awe noght swilk case to craue;
Þam thare but saie and haue it sone,
Such seruice and he fouchesaffe.
He hetis his men both morne and none
Þare herber high in heuen to haue,
Therfore is beste we bide hys bone;
Who othir reedis, rudely þei raue.
Joh.
Such sonde as he will sende
May mende all oure mischeue,
And where hym lykis to lende,
We will lende, with his leue.
Hic descendunt nubes, Pater in nube.
Ȝe ffebill of faithe! folke affraied,
Beis noȝt aferde for vs in feere,
I am ȝoure God þat gudly grayth
Both erthe and eyre wt clowdes clere.
Þis is my sone, as ȝe haue saide,
As he has schewed by sygnes sere;
Of all his werkis I am wele paied,
Therfore till hym takis hede and here.
Where he is, þare am I,
He is myne and I am his,
Who trowis þis stedfastly
Shall byde in endles blisse.
Petir, pees be vnto þe!
And to ȝou also, James and John!
Rise vppe and tellis me what ȝe see,
And beis no more so wille of wone.
[The marvel vanishes.
Petrus.
A! lorde, what may þis mervayle be.
Whedir is þis glorious gleme al gone?
We saugh here pleynly persones thre,
And nowe is oure lorde lefte allone.
Þis meruayle movis my mynde,
And makis my flessh affrayed.
Jacob.
Þis brightnes made me blynde,
I bode neuere swilke a brayde.
Lorde god! oure maker almyghty!
Þis mater euermore be ment,
We saw two bodis stande hym by,
And saide his fadir had þame sent.
Petrus.
There come a clowde of þe skye,
Lyght als þe lemys on þame lent,
And now fares all as fantasye,
For wote noȝt [we] how þai are wente.
Jacob.
Þat clowde cloumsed vs clene,
Þat come schynand so clere,
Such syght was never sene,
To seke all sydis seere.
Nay, nay, þat noys noyed vs more,
Þat here was herde so hydously.
Jesus.
Frendis, be noght afferde afore,
I schall ȝou saye encheson why.
My ffadir wiste how þat ȝe were
In ȝoure faith fayland, and for-thy
He come to witnesse ay where,
And saide þat his sone am I.
And also in þis stede
To witnesse þe same,
A quyk man and a dede
Come to make clere my name.
A! lord, why latest þou vs noȝt see
Thy ffadirs face in his fayrenes?
Jesus.
Jacob.
Oure felaws ful faste wil us frayne,
How we haue faren, al in feere.
Jesus.
Þis visioun lely loke ȝe layne,
Vn-to no leffand lede itt lere,
Tille tyme mannys sone haue suffered payne,
And resen fro dede, kens it þan clere.
For all þat trowis þat thyng
Of my ffadir and me,
Thay schall haue his blessing,
And myne; so motte it be.
1.
Jesus.PETIR, myne awne discipill dere,
And James and John, my cosyns two,
Takis hartely hede, for ȝe schall here
þat I wille telle vnto nomoo.
And als ȝe schall see sightis seere,
Whilke none schall see bot ȝe alsoo,
Therfore comes forth, with me in fere,
For to ȝone mountayne will I goo.
Ther schall ȝe see a sight
Whilk ȝe haue ȝerned lange.
Petrus.
My lorde, we are full light
And glad with þe to gange.
2.
Jesus.
Longe haue ȝe coveyte for to kenne
My fadir, for I sette hym be-fore,
And wele ȝe wote whilke tyme and when
In Galyle gangand we were.
‘Shewe vs thy ffadir,’ þus saide ȝe then,
‘Þat suffice vs with-outen more;’
I saide to ȝou and to all men,
‘Who seis me, seis my fadyr þore.’
Such wordis to ȝou I spakke,
In trewthe to make ȝou bolde,
Ȝe cowde noght vndyr-take
The tales þat I ȝou tolde.
My fadir, for I sette hym be-fore,
And wele ȝe wote whilke tyme and when
In Galyle gangand we were.
186
‘Þat suffice vs with-outen more;’
I saide to ȝou and to all men,
‘Who seis me, seis my fadyr þore.’
Such wordis to ȝou I spakke,
In trewthe to make ȝou bolde,
Ȝe cowde noght vndyr-take
The tales þat I ȝou tolde.
3.
Anodir tyme, for to encresse
Ȝoure trouthe, and worldly you to wys,
I saide, quem dicunt homines
esse filium hominis?
I askid ȝow wham þe pepill chase
To be mannys sone, with-outen mys?
Ȝe aunswered and saide, ‘sum moyses,’
And sum saide þan, ‘Hely it is.’
And sum saide, ‘John Baptist;’
Þan more I enquered you ȝitt,
I askid ȝiff ȝe ought wiste
Who I was, by youre witte.
Ȝoure trouthe, and worldly you to wys,
I saide, quem dicunt homines
esse filium hominis?
I askid ȝow wham þe pepill chase
To be mannys sone, with-outen mys?
Ȝe aunswered and saide, ‘sum moyses,’
And sum saide þan, ‘Hely it is.’
And sum saide, ‘John Baptist;’
Þan more I enquered you ȝitt,
I askid ȝiff ȝe ought wiste
Who I was, by youre witte.
4.
You aunswered, Petir, for thy prowe,
And saide þat I was Crist, God sonne;
Bot of thy selffe þat had noght þowe,
My Fadir hadde þat grace be-gonne.
Þerfore bese bolde and biddis now
To tyme ȝe haue my Fadir sonne.
And saide þat I was Crist, God sonne;
Bot of thy selffe þat had noght þowe,
My Fadir hadde þat grace be-gonne.
Þerfore bese bolde and biddis now
To tyme ȝe haue my Fadir sonne.
Jacobus.
Lord, to thy byddyng will we bowe
Full buxumly, as we are bonne.
Johannes.
Lorde, we will wirke thy will
All way with trewe entent,
We love God lowde and stille,
þat vs þis layne has lente.
187
5.
Petrus.Full glad and blithe awe vs to be,
And thanke oure maistir, mekill of mayne,
Þat sais, we schall þe sightis see,
The whiche non othir schall see certayne.
Jacob.
He talde vs of his Fadir free,
Of þat fare wolde we be full fayne.
Joh.
All þat he hyghte vs holde will hee,
Therfore we will no forther frayne,
But as he ffouchesaffe
So sall we vndirstande.
[Enter Moses and Elias; Jesus, between them, is transfigured, a bright light shining.]
Beholde! her we haue nowe in hast
Som new tythandys!
6.
Helyas.Lord God! I loue þe lastandly,
And highly, botht with harte and hande,
Þat me, thy poure prophett Hely,
Haue steuened me in þis stede to stande.
In Paradise wonnand am I,
Ay sen I lefte þis erthely lande;
I come Cristis name to clarifie,
And god his Fadir me has ordand,
And for to bere witnesse
In worde to man and wyffe,
Þat þis his owne sone is
And lord of lastand liff.
7.
Moyses.Lord god! þat all welthis wele,
With wille and witte we wirschippe þe,
Þat vn-to me, Moyses, wolde tell
Þis grete poynte of thy pryuyte,
And hendly hente me oute of hell,
Þis solempne syght for I schuld see,
Whan thy dere darlynges þat þore dwell
Hase noght thy grace in swilk degree.
188
Wolde se this solempne sight,
Þat in þis place þus pleyne
Is mustered thurgh þie myght.
8.
Petrus.Brethir, what euere ȝone brightnes be?
Swilk burdis be-forne was neuere sene,
It marres my myght, I may not see,
So selcouth thyng was neuere sene.
Jacob.
What it will worthe, þat wote noȝt wee,
How wayke I waxe, ȝe will not wene,
Are was þer one, now is ther thre,
We thynke oure maistir is be-twene.
Joh.
That oure maistir is thare
Þat may we trewly trowe,
He was full fayre be-ffore,
But neuere als he is nowe.
9.
Petrus.His clothyng is white as snowe,
His face schynes as þe sonne,
To speke with hym I haue grete awe,
Swilk ffaire be-fore was neuere fune.
Jacob.
Þe tothir two fayne wolde I knawe,
And witte what werke þam hedir has wonne.
Joh.
I rede we aske þam all on rowe,
And grope þam how þis game is begonne.
Petrus.
[To Elias and Moses.]
My bredir, if þat ȝe be come
To make clere Cristis name,
Telles here till vs thre,
For we seke to þe same.
10.
Elias.Itt is Goddis will þat we ȝou wys
Of his werkis, as is worthy.
I haue my place in Paradise,
Ennok my brodyr me by.
Als messenger withouten mys
Am I called to this company,
189
Euyn with hym mette and all myghty.
To dede we wer noght dight,
But quyk schall we come,
With Antecrist for to fyght,
Beffore þe day of dome.
11.
Moyses.Frendis, if þat ȝe ffrayne my name,
Moyses þan may ȝe rede by rawe,
Two thousand ȝere aftir Adam
Þan gaffe God vn-to me his lawe.
And sythen in helle has bene oure hame,
Allas! Adam's kynne þis schall ȝe knawe,
Vn-to crist come, þis is þe same,
Þat vs schall fro þat dongeoun drawe.
He schall brynge þam to blys,
Þat nowe in bale are bonne,
This myrthe we may not mys,
For this same is Goddis sonne.
12.
Jesus.My dere discipill, drede ȝou noȝt,
I am ȝoure souerayne certenly,
This wondir werke þat here is wrought
Is of my Fadir al-myghty.
Þire both are hydir brought,
Þe tone Moyses, þe todir Ely,
And for youre sake þus are þei sought
To saie ȝou, his sone am I.
So schall bothe heuen & helle
Be demers of þis dede,
And ȝe in erth schall tell
My name wher itt is nede.
13.
Petrus.A! loued be þou euere, my lord Jesus,
Þat all þis solempne sight has sent,
Þat ffouchest saffe to schew þe þus,
So þat þi myghtis may be kende.
190
A lykand place in for to lende,
A! lord, late vs no forther trus,
For we will make with herte and hende
A taburnakill vn-to þe
Be-lyue, and þou will bide,
One schall to Moyses be,
And to Ely the thirde.
14.
Jacob.Ȝa! wittirly, þat were wele done,
But vs awe noght swilk case to craue;
Þam thare but saie and haue it sone,
Such seruice and he fouchesaffe.
He hetis his men both morne and none
Þare herber high in heuen to haue,
Therfore is beste we bide hys bone;
Who othir reedis, rudely þei raue.
Joh.
Such sonde as he will sende
May mende all oure mischeue,
And where hym lykis to lende,
We will lende, with his leue.
Hic descendunt nubes, Pater in nube.
15.
Pater.Ȝe ffebill of faithe! folke affraied,
Beis noȝt aferde for vs in feere,
I am ȝoure God þat gudly grayth
Both erthe and eyre wt clowdes clere.
Þis is my sone, as ȝe haue saide,
As he has schewed by sygnes sere;
Of all his werkis I am wele paied,
Therfore till hym takis hede and here.
Where he is, þare am I,
He is myne and I am his,
Who trowis þis stedfastly
Shall byde in endles blisse.
191
16.
Jesus.Petir, pees be vnto þe!
And to ȝou also, James and John!
Rise vppe and tellis me what ȝe see,
And beis no more so wille of wone.
[The marvel vanishes.
Petrus.
A! lorde, what may þis mervayle be.
Whedir is þis glorious gleme al gone?
We saugh here pleynly persones thre,
And nowe is oure lorde lefte allone.
Þis meruayle movis my mynde,
And makis my flessh affrayed.
Jacob.
Þis brightnes made me blynde,
I bode neuere swilke a brayde.
17.
Joh.Lorde god! oure maker almyghty!
Þis mater euermore be ment,
We saw two bodis stande hym by,
And saide his fadir had þame sent.
Petrus.
There come a clowde of þe skye,
Lyght als þe lemys on þame lent,
And now fares all as fantasye,
For wote noȝt [we] how þai are wente.
Jacob.
Þat clowde cloumsed vs clene,
Þat come schynand so clere,
Such syght was never sene,
To seke all sydis seere.
18.
Joh.Nay, nay, þat noys noyed vs more,
Þat here was herde so hydously.
Jesus.
Frendis, be noght afferde afore,
I schall ȝou saye encheson why.
My ffadir wiste how þat ȝe were
In ȝoure faith fayland, and for-thy
He come to witnesse ay where,
And saide þat his sone am I.
192
To witnesse þe same,
A quyk man and a dede
Come to make clere my name.
19.
Petrus.A! lord, why latest þou vs noȝt see
Thy ffadirs face in his fayrenes?
Jesus.
Petir, þou askis over grete degree,
That grace may noȝt be graunted þe, I gesse.
In his godhed so high is he
As all ȝoure prophetis names expresse,
Þat langar of lyffe schall he noght be
Þat seys his godhede as it is.
Here haue ȝe sene in sight
Poyntes of his priuite,
Als mekill als erthely wighte
May suffre in erthe to see.
That grace may noȝt be graunted þe, I gesse.
In his godhed so high is he
As all ȝoure prophetis names expresse,
Þat langar of lyffe schall he noght be
Þat seys his godhede as it is.
Here haue ȝe sene in sight
Poyntes of his priuite,
Als mekill als erthely wighte
May suffre in erthe to see.
20.
And therfore wende we nowe agayne
To oure meyne, and mende þer chere.
To oure meyne, and mende þer chere.
Jacob.
Oure felaws ful faste wil us frayne,
How we haue faren, al in feere.
Jesus.
Þis visioun lely loke ȝe layne,
Vn-to no leffand lede itt lere,
Tille tyme mannys sone haue suffered payne,
And resen fro dede, kens it þan clere.
For all þat trowis þat thyng
Of my ffadir and me,
Thay schall haue his blessing,
And myne; so motte it be.
| The Coriours | |