User:RHaworth/mystery/src/The First Shepherds' Play

Primus Pastor Lord, what thay ar weyll / that hens ar past! {1 ffor thay noght feyll / theym to downe cast. {2 here is mekyll vnceyll / and long has it last, {3 Now in hart, now in heyll / now in weytt, now in blast, {4 Now in care, {5 Now in comforth agane, {6 Now is fayre, now is rane, {7 Now in hart full fane, {8 And after full sare. {9 Thus this Warld, as I say / farys on ylk syde, {10 ffor after oure play / com sorows vnryde; {11 ffor he that most may / When he syttys in pryde, {12 When it comys on assay / is kesten downe wyde, {13 This is seyn; {14 When ryches is he, {15 Then comys pouerte, {16 hors-man Iak cope {17 Walkys then, I weyn. {18 I thank it god / hark ye what I mene, {19 ffor euen or for od / I haue mekyll tene; {20 As heuy as a sod / I grete with myn eene, {21 When I nap on my cod / for care that has bene, {22 And sorow. {23 All my shepe ar gone, {24 I am not left oone, {25 The rott has theym slone; {26 Now beg I and borow. {27 My handys may I wryng / and mowrnyng make, {28 Bot if good will spryng / the countre forsake; {29 ffermes thyk ar comyng / my purs is bot wake, {30 I haue nerehand nothyng / to pay nor to take; {31 I may syng {32 With purs penneles, {33 That makys this heuynes, {34 Wo is me this dystres! {35 And has no helpyng. {36 Thus sett I my mynde / truly to neuen, {37 By my wytt to fynde / to cast the warld in seuen; {38 My shepe haue I tynde / by the moren full euen; {39 Now if hap will grynde / god from his heuen {40 Send grace. {41 To the fare will I me, {42 To by shepe, perde, {43 And yit may I multyple, {44 ffor all this hard case. {45

Secundus Pastor Benste, benste / be vs emang, {46 And saue all that I se / here in this thrang, {47 he saue you and me / ouertwhart and endlang, {48 That hang on a tre / I say you no wrang; {49 Cryst saue vs {50 ffrom all myschefys, {51 ffrom robers and thefys, {52 ffrom those mens grefys, {53 That oft ar agans vs. {54 Both bosters and bragers / god kepe vs fro, {55 That with thare long dagers / dos mekyll wo; {56 ffrom all byll hagers / with colknyfys that go; {57 Sich wryers and wragers / gose to and fro {58 ffor to crak. {59 Who so says hym agane, {60 were better be slane; {61 Both ploghe and wane {62 Amendys will not make. {63 he will make it as prowde / a lord as he were, {64 With a hede lyke a clowde / ffelterd his here; {65 he spekys on lowde / with a grym bere, {66 I wold not haue trowde / so galy in gere {67 As he glydys. {68 I wote not the better, {69 Nor wheder is gretter, {70 The lad or the master, {71 So stowtly he strydys. {72 If he hask me oght / that he wold, to his pay, {73 ffull dere bese it boght / if I say nay; {74 Bot god that all wroght / to the now I say, {75 help that thay were broght / to a better way {76 ffor thare sawlys; {77 And send theym good mendyng {78 With a short endyng, {79 And with the to be lendyng {80 When that thou callys. {81 how, gyb, goode morne / wheder goys thou? {82 Thou goys ouer the corne / gyb, I say, how! {83

Primus Pastor Who is that? John horne / I make god a vowe! {84 I say not in skorne / thom, how farys thou? {85

Secundus Pastor hay, ha! {86 Ar ye in this towne? {87

Primus Pastor yey, by my crowne. {88

Secundus Pastor I thoght by youre gowne {89 This was youre aray. {90

Primus Pastor I am euer elyke / wote I neuer what it gars, {91 Is none in this ryke / a shepard, farys wars. {92

Secundus Pastor poore men ar in the dyke / and oft tyme mars, {93 The warld is slyke / also helpars {94 Is none here. {95

Primus Pastor It is sayde full ryfe, {96 &ldquo;a man may not wyfe {97 And also thryfe, {98 And all in a yere.&rdquo; {99

Secundus Pastor ffyrst must vs crepe / and sythen go. {100

Primus Pastor I go to by shepe. / {101

Secundus Pastor nay, not so; What, dreme ye or slepe? / where shuld thay go? {102 here shall thou none kepe. / {103

Primus Pastor <s2>A, good sir, ho! Who am I? {104 I wyll pasture my fe {105 where so euer lykys me, {106 here shall thou theym se. {107

<c>Secundus Pastor Not so hardy! {108 Not oone shepe tayll / shall thou bryng hedyr. {109

<c>Primus Pastor I shall bryng, no fayll / A hundreth togedyr. {110

<c>Secundus Pastor What, art thou in ayll / longys thou oght whedir? {111

<c>Primus Pastor Thay shall go, saunce fayll / go now, bell weder! {112

<c>Secundus Pastor I say, tyr! {113

<c>Primus Pastor I say, tyr, now agane! {114 I say skyp ouer the plane. {115

<c>Secundus Pastor wold, thou neuer so fane, {116 Tup, I say, whyr! {117

<c>Primus Pastor What, wyll thou not yit / I say, let the shepe go? {118 <s0>Whop! {119

<c>Secundus Pastor <s1>abyde yit. /

<c>Primus Pastor <s2>Will thou bot so? knafe, hens I byd flytt / as good that thou do, {120 Or shall I the hytt / on thi pate, lo, {121 shall thou reyll; {122 I say, gyf the shepe space. {123

<c>Secundus Pastor Syr, a letter of youre grace, {124 here comys slaw-pase {125 ffro the myln whele. {126

<c>Tercius Pastor What a do, what a do / is this you betweyn? {127 <s0>A good day, thou, and thou. {128

<c>Primus Pastor <s2>hark what I meyn &hellip; {129 &hellip; {130 You to say: {131 I was bowne to by store, {132 drofe my shepe me before, {133 he says not oone hore {134 shall pas by this way; {135 Bot and he were wood / this way shall thay go. {136

<c>Tercius Pastor yey, bot tell me, good / where ar youre shepe, lo? {137

<c>Secundus Pastor Now, sir, by my hode / yit se I no mo, {138 <s0>Not syn I here stode. / {139

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>god gyf you wo and sorow! {140 ye fysh before the nett, {141 And stryfe on this bett, {142 sich folys neuer I mett {143 Evyn or at morow. {144 It is wonder to wyt / where wytt shuld, be fownde; {145 here ar old, knafys yit / standys on this grownde, {146 these wold, by thare wytt / make a shyp be drownde; {147 he were well qwytt / had sold, for a pownde {148 sich two. {149 thay fyght and thay flyte {150 ffor that at comys not tyte; {151 It is far to byd hyte {152 To an eg or it go. {153 Tytter want ye sowll / then sorow I pray; {154 Ye brayde of mowll / that went by the way- {155 Many shepe can she poll / bot oone had she ay- {156 Bot she happynyd full fowll / hyr pycher, I say, {157 Was broken; {158 &ldquo;ho, god&rdquo;, she sayde, {159 bot oone shepe yit she hade, {160 The mylk pycher was layde, {161 The skarthis was the tokyn. {162 Bot syn ye ar bare / of wysdom to knawe, {163 Take hede how I fare / and lere at my lawe; {164 ye nede not to care / if ye folow my sawe; {165 hold, ye my mare / this sek thou thrawe {166 On my bak, {167 Whylst I, with my hand, {168 lawse the sek band; {169 Com nar and, by stand {170 Both gyg and Iak; {171 Is not all shakyn owte / and no meyll is therin? {172

<c>Primus Pastor <s0>yey, that is no dowte. / {173

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>so is youre wyttys thyn. And ye look well abowte / nawther more nor myn, {174 So gose youre wyttys owte / evyn as It com In: {175 Geder vp {176 And seke it agane. {177

<c>Secundus Pastor May we not be fane! {178 he has told vs full plane {179 Wysdom to sup. {180

<c>Iak Garcio Now god gyf you care / foles all sam; {181 Sagh I neuer none so fare / bot the foles of gotham. {182 Wo is hir that yow bare / youre syre and youre dam, {183 had she broght furth an hare / a shepe, or a lam, {184 had bene well. {185 Of all the foles I can tell, {186 ffrom heuen vnto hell, {187 ye thre bere the bell; {188 God gyf you vnceyll. {189

<c>Primus Pastor how pastures oure fee / say me, good pen. {190

<c>Iak Garcio <s0>Thay ar gryssed to the kne. / {191

<c>Secundus Pastor <s1>fare fall the!

<c>Iak Garcio <s2>Amen! If ye will ye may se / youre bestes ye ken. {192

<c>Primus Pastor Sytt we downe all thre / and drynk shall we then. {193

<c>Tercius Pastor yey, torde! {194 I am leuer ete; {195 what is drynk withoute mete? {196 Gett mete, gett, {197 And sett vs a borde, {198 Then may we go dyne / oure bellys to fyll. {199

<c>Secundus Pastor <s0>Abyde vnto syne. / {200

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>be god, sir, I nyll! I am worthy the wyne / me thynk it good skyll; {201 My seruyse I tyne / I fare full yll, {202 At youre mangere. {203

<c>Primus Pastor Trus! go we to mete, {204 It is best that we trete, {205 I lyst not to plete {206 To stand in thi dangere; {207 Thou has euer bene curst / syn we met togeder. {208

<c>Tercius Pastor Now in fayth, if I durst / ye ar euen my broder. {209

<c>Secundus Pastor Syrs, let vs cryb furst / for oone thyng or oder, {210 That thise wordis be purst / and let vs go foder {211 Oure mompyns; {212 lay furth of oure store, {213 lo, here! browne of a bore. {214

<c>Primus Pastor Set mustard afore, {215 oure mete now begyns; {216 here a foote of a cowe / well sawsed, I wene, {217 The pestell of a sowe / that powderd has bene, {218 Two blodyngis, I trow / A leueryng betwene; {219 Do gladly, syrs, now / my breder bedene, {220 With more. {221 Both befe, and moton {222 Of an ewe that was roton, {223 Good mete for a gloton; {224 Ete of this store. {225

<c>Secundus Pastor I haue here in my mayll / sothen and rost, {226 Euen of an ox tayll / that wold, not be lost; {227 ha, ha, goderhayll! / I let for no cost, {228 A good py or we fayll / this is good for the frost {229 In a mornyng; {230 And two swyne gronys, {231 All a hare bot the lonys, {232 we myster no sponys {233 here, at oure mangyng. {234

<c>Tercius Pastor here is to recorde / the leg of a goys, {235 with chekyns endorde / pork, partryk, to roys; {236 A tart for a lorde / how thynk ye this doys? {237 A calf lyuer skorde / with the veryose; {238 Good sawse, {239 This is a restorete {240 To make a good appete. {241

<c>Primus Pastor yee speke all by clerge[te], {242 I here by your clause; {243 Cowth ye by youre gramery / reche vs a drynk, {244 I shuld be more mery / ye wote What I thynk. {245

<c>Secundus Pastor haue good ayll of hely / bewar now, I wynk, {246 ffor and thou drynk drely / in thy poll wyll it synk. {247

<c>Primus Pastor A, so; {248 This is boyte of oure bayll, {249 good holsom ayll. {250

<c>Tercius Pastor ye hold, long the skayll, {251 Now lett me go to. {252

<c>Secundus Pastor I shrew those lyppys / bot thou leyff me som parte. {253

<c>Primus Pastor be god, he bot syppys / begylde thou art; {254 <s0>Behold, how he kyppys. / {255

<c>Secundus Pastor <s2>I shrew you so smart, And me on my hyppys / bot if I gart {256 Abate. {257 Be thou wyne, be thou ayll, {258 bot if my brethe fayll, {259 I shall sett the on sayll; {260 God send the good gayte. {261

<c>Tercius Pastor Be my dam saull, alyce / It was sadly dronken. {262

<c>Primus Pastor Now, as euer haue I blys / to the bothom it is sonken. {263

<c>Secundus Pastor <s0>yit a botell here is. / {264

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>that is well spoken! <s0>By my thryft we must kys. / {265

<c>Secundus Pastor <s2>that had I forgoten. Bot hark! {266 Who so can best syng {267 Shall haue the begynnyng. {268

<c>Primus Pastor Now prays at the partyng {269 I shall sett you on warke; {270 We haue done oure parte / and songyn right weyll, {271 <s0>I drynk for my parte. / {272

<c>Secundus Pastor <s2>Abyde, lett cop reyll.

<c>Primus Pastor Godys forbot, thou spart / and thou drynk euery deyll. {273

<c>Tercius Pastor Thou has dronken a quart / therfor choke the the deyll. {274

<c>Primus Pastor Thou rafys; {275 And it were for a sogh {276 Ther is drynk enogh. {277

<c>Tercius Pastor I shrew the handys it drogh! {278 ve be both knafys. {279

<c>Primus Pastor Nay! we knaues all / thus thynk me best, {280 <s0>so, sir, shuld, ye call. / {281

<c>Secundus Pastor <s2>furth let it rest; <s0>we will not brall. / {282

<c>Primus Pastor <s2>then wold I we fest, This mete Who shall / into panyere kest. {283

<c>Tercius Pastor syrs, herys; {284 ffor oure saules lett vs do {285 Poore men gyf it to. {286

<c>Primus Pastor Geder vp, lo, lo! {287 ye hungre begers ffrerys! {288

<c>Secundus Pastor It draes nere nyght / trus, go we to rest; {289 I am euen redy dyght / I thynk it the best. {290

<c>Tercius Pastor ffor ferde we be fryght / a crosse lett vs kest, {291 Cryst crosse, benedyght / eest and west, {292 ffor drede. {293 Jesus onazorus, {294 Crucyefixus, {295 Morcus, andreus, {296 God be oure spede! {297

<c>Angel herkyn, hyrdes, awake! / gyf louyng ye shall, {298 he is borne for [y]oure sake / lorde perpetuall; {299 he is comen to take / and rawnson you all, {300 youre sorowe to slake / kyng emperiall, {301 he behestys; {302 That chyld is borne {303 At bethelem this morne, {304 ye shall fynde hym beforne {305 Betwix two bestys. {306

<c>Primus Pastor A, godys dere dominus! / What was that sang? {307 It was wonder curiose / with small noytys emang; {308 I pray to god saue vs / now in this thrang; {309 I am ferd, by ihesus / somwhat be wrang; {310 Me thoght, {311 Oone scremyd on lowde; {312 I suppose it was a clowde, {313 In myn erys it sowde, {314 By hym that me boght! {315

<c>Secundus Pastor Nay, that may not be / I say you certan, {316 ffor he spake to vs thre / as he had bene a man; {317 When he lemyd on this lee / my hart shakyd than, {318 An angell was he / tell you I can, {319 No dowte. {320 he spake of a barne, {321 We must seke hym, I you warne, {322 That betokyns yond starne, {323 That standys yonder owte. {324

<c>Tercius Pastor It was meruell to se / so bright as it shone, {325 I wold haue trowyd, veraly / it had bene thoner flone, {326 Bot I sagh with myn ee / as I lenyd to this stone; {327 It was a mery gle / sich hard I neuer none, {328 I recorde. {329 As he sayde in a skreme, {330 Or els that I dreme, {331 we shuld go to bedleme, {332 To wyrship that lorde. {333

<c>Primus Pastor That same childe is he / that prophetys of told, {334 Shuld make them fre / that adam had sold. {335

<c>Secundus Pastor Take tent vnto me / this is inrold, {336 By the wordys of Isae / a prynce most bold {337 shall he be, {338 And kyng with crowne, {339 Sett on dauid trone, {340 Sich was neuer none, {341 Seyn with oure ee. {342

<c>Tercius Pastor Also Isay says / oure faders vs told {343 That a vyrgyn shuld pas / of Iesse, that wold {344 Bryng furth by grace / a floure so bold; {345 That vyrgyn now has / these wordys vphold, {346 As ye se; {347 Trust it now we may, {348 he is borne this day, {349 Exiet virga {350 De radice iesse. {351

<c>Primus Pastor Of hym spake more / Sybyll as I weyn, {352 And nabugodhonosor / from oure faythe alyene, {353 In the fornace where thay wore / thre childre sene, {354 The fourt stode before / godys son lyke to bene. {355

<c>Secundus Pastor That fygure {356 Was gyffen by reualacyon {357 That god wold haue a son; {358 This is a good lesson, {359 Vs to consydure. {360

<c>Tercius Pastor Of hym spake Ieromy / and moyses also, {361 Where he sagh hym by / a bushe burnand, lo! {362 when he cam to aspy / if it were so, {363 Vnburnyd was it truly / at commyng therto, {364 A wonder. {365

<c>Primus Pastor That was for to se {366 hir holy vyrgynyte, {367 That she vnfylyd shuld be, {368 Thus can I ponder, {369 And shuld haue a chyld / sich was neuer sene. {370

<c>Secundus Pastor pese, man, thou art begyld, / thou shall se hym with eene, {371 Of a madyn so myld / greatt meruell I mene; {372 yee, and she vnfyld / a virgyn clene, {373 So soyne. {374

<c>Primus Pastor Nothyng is inpossybyll {375 sothly, that god wyll; {376 It shalbe stabyll {377 That god wyll haue done. {378

<c>Secundus Pastor Abacuc and ely / prophesyde so, {379 Elezabeth and zachare / and many other mo, {380 And dauid as veraly / is witnes therto, {381 Iohn Baptyste sewrly / and daniel also. {382

<c>Tercius Pastor So saying, {383 he is godys son alon, {384 without hym shalbe none, {385 his sete and his trone {386 Shall euer be lastyng; {387

<c>Primus Pastor Virgill in his poetre / sayde in his verse, {388 Even thus by gramere / as I shall reherse; {389 &ldquo;Iam noua progenies celo demittitur alto, Iam rediet virgo, redeunt saturnia regna.&rdquo;

<c>Secundus Pastor weme! tord! what speke ye / here in myn eeres? {390 Tell vs no clerge / I hold you of the freres, {391 ye preche; {392 It semys by youre laton {393 ye haue lerd, youre caton. {394

<c>Primus Pastor herk, syrs, ye fon, {395 I shall you teche; {396 he sayde from heuen / a new kynde is send, {397 whom a vyrgyn to neuen, oure mys to amend, {398 Shall conceyue full euen / thus make I an end; {399 And yit more to neuen / that samyne shall bend {400 vnto vs, {401 With peasse and plente, {402 with ryches and menee, {403 Good luf and charyte {404 Blendyd amanges vs {405

<c>Tercius Pastor And I hold it trew / ffor ther shuld be, {406 When that kyng commys new / peasse by land and se. {407

<c>Secundus Pastor Now brethere, adew! / take tent vnto me; {408 I wold, that we knew / of this song so fre {409 Of the angell; {410 I hard by hys steuen, {411 he was send downe ffro heuen. {412

<c>Primus Pastor It is trouth that ye neuen, {413 I hard hym well spell. {414

<c>Secundus Pastor Now, by god that me boght / it was a mery song; {415 I dar say that he broght / foure &amp; twenty to a long. {416

<c>Tercius Pastor I wold, it were soght / that same vs emong. {417

<c>Primus Pastor In fayth I trow noght / so many he throng {418 On a heppe; {419 Thay were gentyll and small, {420 And well tonyd with all. {421

<c>Tercius Pastor yee, bot I can thaym all, {422 Now lyst I lepe. {423

<c>Primus Pastor Brek outt youre voce / let se as ye yelp. {424

<c>Tercius Pastor I may not for the pose / bot I haue help. {425

<c>Secundus Pastor <s0>A, thy hart is in thy hose! / {426

<c>Primus Pastor <s2>now, in payn of a skelp <s0>This sang thou not lose. / {427

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>thou art an yll awelp ffor angre! {428

<c>Secundus Pastor Go to now, begyn! {429

<c>Primus Pastor he lyst not well ryn. {430

<c>Tercius Pastor God lett vs neuer blyn; {431 Take at my sangre. {432

<c>Primus Pastor Now an ende haue we doyn / of oure song this tyde. {433

<c>Secundus Pastor ffayr fall thi growne / well has thou hyde. {434

<c>Tercius Pastor Then furth lett vs ron / I wyll not abyde. {435

<c>Primus Pastor No lyght makethe mone / that haue I asspyde; {436 Neuer the les {437 lett vs hold, oure beheste. {438

<c>Secundus Pastor That hold I best. {439

<c>Tercius Pastor Then must we go eest, {440 After my ges. {441

<c>Primus Pastor wold, god that we myght / this yong bab see! {442

<c>Secundus Pastor Many prophetys that syght / desyryd veralee {443 <s0>to haue seen that bright. / {444

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>and god so hee wold shew vs that Wyght / we myght say, perde, {445 We had sene {446 That many sant desyryd, {447 with prophetys inspyryd, {448 If thay hym requyryd, {449 yit I-closyd ar thare eene. {450

<c>Secundus Pastor <s0>God graunt vs that grace. / {451

<c>Tercius Pastor <s2>god so do.

<c>Primus Pastor Abyde, syrs, a space / lo, yonder, lo! {452 It commys on a rase / yond sterne vs to. {453

<c>Secundus Pastor It is a grete blase / oure gate let vs go, {454 here he is! {455

<c>Tercius Pastor Who shall go in before? {456

<c>Primus Pastor I ne rek, by my hore. {457

<c>Secundus Pastor ye ar of the old store, {458 It semys you, Iwys. {459

<c>Primus Pastor hayll, kyng I the call! / hayll, most of myght! {460 hayll, the worthyst of all! / hayll, duke! hayll, knyght! {461 Of greatt and small / thou art lorde by right; {462 hayll, perpetuall / hayll, faryst wyght! {463 here I offer! {464 I pray the to take- {465 If thou wold, for my sake, {466 with this may thou lake,- {467 This lytyll spruse cofer. {468

<c>Secundus Pastor hayll, lytyll tyn mop / rewarder of mede! {469 hayll, bot oone drop / of grace at my nede; {470 hayll, lytyll mylk sop! / hayll, dauid sede! {471 Of oure crede thou art crop / hayll, in god hede! {472 This ball {473 That thou wold resaue,- {474 lytyll is that I haue, {475 This wyll I vowche saue,- {476 To play the with all. {477

<c>Tercius Pastor hayll, maker of man / hayll, swetyng! {478 hayll, so as I can / hayll, praty mytyng! {479 I cowche to the than / for fayn here gretyng; {480 hayll, lord! here I ordan / now at oure metyng, {481 This botell- {482 It is an old by-worde, {483 It is a good bowrde, {484 for to drynk of a gowrde,- {485 It holdys a mett potell. {486

<c>Mary he that all myghtys may / the makere of heuen, {487 That is for to say / my son that I neuen, {488 Rewarde you this day / as he sett all on seuen; {489 he graunt you for ay / his blys full euen {490 Contynuyng; {491 He gyf you good grace, {492 Tell furth of this case, {493 he spede youre pase, {494 And graunt you good endyng. {495

<c>Primus Pastor ffare well, fare lorde! / with thy moder also. {496

<c>Secundus Pastor we shall this recorde / where as we go. {497

<c>Tercius Pastor we mon all be restorde / god graunt it be so! {498

<c>Primus Pastor Amen, to that worde / syng we therto {499 On hight; {500 To Ioy all sam, {501 With myrth and gam, {502 To the lawde of this lam {503 Syng we in syght. {504