University of Virginia Library

[Scene III

Mary and Joseph at Bethlehem.]
Mary.
Joseph, my husbonde and my feer,
Ye take to me grathely entent,
I wyll you showe in this manere,
What I wyll do, thus haue I ment.
Full xl days is comme and went
Sens that my babb Jesu was borne,
Therefore I wolde he were present,
As Moyses lawes sais hus beforne,
Here in this temple before Goddes sight,
As other women doith in feer,
So me thynke good skyll and right
The same to do nowe with good chere,
after Goddes sawe.

Jos.
Mary, my spowse and madyn clene,
This matter that thowe moves to me
Is for all these women, bedene,
That hais conceyved with syn fleshely
to bere a chylde.
The lawe is hedgyd for theme right playn,
That they muste be puryfied agayne,
For in mans pleasoure for certayn
before were they fylyd.
But Mary byrde, thowe neyd not soo,
For this cause to bee puryfiede, loo,
in Goddes temple.
For certys, thowe arte a clene vyrgyn,
For any thoght thy harte within,
Nor never wroght no flesly synne
nor never yll.

Mary.
That I my madenheade hais kept styll
It is onely throgh Goddes wyll,
that be ye bold.
Yett to fulfyll the lawe, ewysse,
That God almyghty gon expresse,
And for a sample of mekenesse,
offer I wolde.

Jos.
A! Mary, blyssed be thowe ay,
Thowe thynkes to do after Goddes wyll,
As thowe haist said Mary, I say,
I will hartely consent there-tyll
withouten dowte.
Wherefore we dresse vs furth oure way,
And make offerand to God this day,
Even lykwyse as thy self gon say
with hartes devowte.

Mar.
Therto am I full redy dight,
But one thyng, Joseph I wolde you meyve.

Jos.
Mary, my spouse and madyn bright,
Tell on hartely, what is your greyf?

Mar.
Both beest and fewll hus muste neydes haue,
As a lambe and ij dove byrdes also,
Lame haue we none nor none we crave,
Therefore Joseph what shall we do,
what is your read?
And we do not as custome is,
We are worth to be blamyd, i-wysse,
I wolde we dyd nothing amys
as God me speyd.

Jos.
A! good Mary, the lawe is this,
To riche to offer bothe the lame and the byrd,
And the ij tyrtles, i-wys,
Or two doyf-byrdes shall not be fyrd
for our offerand;
And Mary, we haue doyf byrdes two,
As falls for hus therefore we goo,
They ar here in a panyer, loo,
Reddy at hand.
And yf we haue not both in feer,
The lame, the burd, as ryche men haue,
Thynke that vs muste present here
Oure babb Jesus, as we voutsaue
before Godes sight.
He is our lame, Mary, kare the not,
For riche and power none better soght;
Full well thowe have hym hither broght
this our offerand dight.
He is the lame of God, I say,
That all our syns shall take away
of this worlde here.
He is the lame of God verray,
That muste hus fend frome all our fray,
Borne of thy wombe, all for our pay,
and for our chere.

Mar.
Joseph, my spowse, ye say full trewe,
Than lett vs dresse hus furth our way.

Jos.
Go we than Mary, and do oure dewe,
And make meekly offerand this day.
[They set forth.
Lo, here is the tempyll on this hyll,
And also preest ordand by skyll,
power havand.
And Mary, go we thyther forthy,
And lett vs both knele devowtly,
And offre we vp to God meekly
our dewe offrand.