University of Virginia Library

[Scene I

The Temple at Jerusalem.]
Prisb.
ALMYGHTY God in heven so hy,
The maker of all heven and erth,
He ordenyd here all thynges evenly,
For man he ment to mend his myrth.
In nomber, weight, and mesure fyne
God creat here althyng, I say,
His lawes he bad men shulde not tyne,
But kepe his commandmentes all way.
In the mount of Syney full fayre,
And in two tabyls to you to tell,
His lawes to Moyses tuke God there
To geve to the chylder of Israell.
That Moyses shull theme gyde alway,
And lerne theme lely to knowe Goddes wyll,
And that he shulde not it denay,
But kepe his lawes stable and styll,
For payn that he hadd putt therefore,
To stone all theme that kepis it nott
Vtterly to death, both lesse and moore.
There shulde no marcy for them be soght,
Therefore kepe well Goddes commandement,
And leyd your lyf after his lawes,
Or ells surely ye mon be shent
Bothe lesse and moore, ylkone on rawes.
This is his wyll after Moyses lawe.
That ye shulde bryng your beistes good,
And offer theme here your God to knawe,
And frome your synns to turne your moode.
Suche beestes as God hais marked here,
Vnto Moyses he spake full yell,
And bad hyme boldly with good chere,
To say to the chylder of Israell,
That after that dyvers seknes seer,
And after that dyvers synes alsoo,
Go bryng your beestes to the preest even here
To offer theme vp in Goddes sight, loo.
The woman that hais borne her chylde,
She shall comme hether at the forty day
To be puryfied where she was fylde,
And bryng with her a lame, I say,
And two dove byrdes for her offerand,
And take them to the preest of lay
To offer theme vp with his holy hand:
There shulde no man to this say nay.
The lame is offeryd for Goddes honour
In sacrefyes all onely dight,
And the preistes prayer purchase secure,
For the woman that was fylyd in God sight.
And yf so be that she be power,
And have no lame to offer, than
Two tyrtle doves to Godes honoure
To bryng with her for her offrand.
Loo! here am I, preest present alway,
To resave all offerandes that hydder is broght,
And for the people to God to pray,
That helth and lyfe to theme be wroght.

Anna.
Here in this holy playce I say,
Is my full purpose to abyde,
To serve my God bothe nyght and day,
With prayer and fastyng in ever ylk a tyde.
For I haue beyn a wyddo this threscore yere
And foure yere to, the truthe to tell,
And here I haue terryed with full good chere,
For the redempcyon of Israell.
And so for my holy conversacion,
Grete grace to me hais nowe God sent,
To tell by profecy for mans redempcion,
What shall befall by Goddes entent.
I tell you all here in this place,
By Goddes vertue in prophecy,
That one is borne to oure solace,
Here to be present securely
within short space;
Of his owen mother a madyn free,
Of all vyrgens moost chaist suthly,
The well of mekenes, blyssed myght she be
moost full of grace!
And Symeon, that senyour,
That is so semely in Godes sight,
He shall hyme se and do honour,
And in his armes he shall hym plight,
that worthy leyd.
Of the holy goost he shall suthly
Take strength, and answere when he shall hy
Furth to this temple and place holy
to do þat deyd.