<c>Hankin On the wolds have I walked wild Under bushes my bower to build From stiff storms my sheep to shield My seemly wethers to save, From comely Conwy unto Clywd In their shelters them to hide A better shepherd on no side No earthly man may have
For with walking weary I have me wrought Beside the stream my sheep I sought My lively tups are in my thought, Them to save and heale From the sore and scab it sought Or the rot, it if were wrought If the cough had them caught Of it I could them heal.
Lo, here be my herbs safe and sound Wisely wrought for every wound - That would a whole man bring to ground Within a little while - Of henbane, and hoarhound Tibbie, radish and egremont Which be my herbs all safe and sound All mingled in a row.
Here be more herbs I tell it you I shall rank them in a row: Finter, fanter and feverfew And also pennywort This is all that I know. For be it wether or be it ewe I shall heal them in a row, Clean them from their hurt
Here is tar in a pot To heal them form the rot. Well I can and well I wot The tails from them take And if sworn it were cursed Yet shall the tail be in my purse And the sheep never the worse To frolic in the field.
But no fellowship here have I Save myself, in good faith Therefore for a friend will I cry But first will I drink, if I may. <d>He drinks
Ho, Harvey, Ho Drive thy sheep here below. Thou may not hear unless I blow <d>[on my horn] As ever I have health
<c>Harvey Fellow, now be we well met And though methinks us needs Had we Tudd here by us set Then might we sit and feed us
<c>Hankin Yet to feed us friendly i’faith How might we have our service? Thou must cry loud, by this day; Tudd is deaf and may not well hear us.
<c>Harvey How, Tud, come, for thy father’s kin! <d>Shouting
<c>Hankin Nay, faith, thy voice is wondrous dim Why, knowest thou not him? Fie man, for shame! Call him Tudd, Tibby’s son And then will the fool come For in good faith it is his wont To love well his Dame’s name.
<c>Harvey How, Tudd, Tibby’s son! <d>Shouting
<c>Tudd Sir, in faith now I come <d>Entering up the aisle For yet have I not all done That I have to do. To stew a salve for our sheep And - lest my wife should it wit - With great gravel and grit I scour it out of this old pan
Hemlock and hay-riff - hold that - With tar boyste must all be tamed Pennygrass and butter for fat sheep; Of this salve I am not ashamed.
Ashamed am I not to show No point pertaining to my craft No better - that I well know - In land is nowhere living.
For, good men, this is not unknown To husbands that be here about; That each man must bow to his wife And cower for fear of a clout.
Thus for clouts now care I; All is for fear of womankind Now will I cast my ware hereby And hie fast till I get to Hankin
Hankin, hold up thy hand and haul me To bring me up on high there by thee
<c>Hankin Gladly sir, if thou would be by me For loth me is to deny thee
<c>Harvey Now since God has gathered us together With good heart I thank him of his grace Welcome be thou: well fair weather Tudd, shall we shape us to some solace?
<c>Tudd Solace would best be seen That we shape us to our supper; For meat and drink, well I deem To each deed is most dear.
<c>Hankin Lay forth, each man alike What he hath left of his livery And I will put forth my piece With my part, first of all us three.
<c>Harvey And such store as my wife had In your heart soon shall you see In the beginning to make us glad For in good meat there is much glee
Here is bread this day was baken Onions, garlic and leeks Butter that was bought in Blacon And green cheese that will grease well your cheeks
<c>Tudd And here ale of Halton I have And what meat I had to my hire This pudding shall no man dispraise And a jannock of Lancashire
Lo, here a sheep’s head soused in ale And a grain to lay on the green, And sour milk. My wife had ordained A noble supper, as well is seen.
<c>Hankin Now will I cast off my cloak And put on’t part of my livery Put all that I have in my poke And a pig’s foot, from puddings pure.
<c>Tudd Abide, fellows, and ye shall see here This hot meat - we serve it here. Bowls of the best, A pudding with a prick in the end.
<c>Hankin My satchel to shake out To shepherds I am not ashamed, And this tongue pared round about, With my teeth it shall be tamed Bid me do gladly, and I thee. For by God here is good grazing Come eat with us, God of heaven high But take no heed that here be no housing.
<c>Harvey Housing enough have we here While we have heaven over our heads Now to wet our mouths it is the time This flask will I tame, by your leave.
<c>Tudd And of this bottle now will I bib For here is bowls of the best.
<c>Hankin Fellows now our bellies be full Think we on him that keeps our beasts. Blow thy horn and call after Trowle And bid him, Son, to share our feast.
<c>Harvey Well said, Hankin, by my sooth For that shrew I suppose us seeks My horn to sound I will not cease Till that lad has some of our leeks
<c>Tudd Leeks to his livery is liking Such a lad nowhere in land is Blow a note for that meeting While that horn now in they hand is
<c>Hankin With this horn shall I make a “hoo” That he and all Heaven shall hear Yonder lad that sits on the lea The loud of this horn shall hear <d>Blows horn
<c>Trowle Good lord, look on me <d>Elsewhere on the stage And my flock here as they fed have On this wold walk we Are no men here, that no way. All is bare, perdi, Therefore, sheep, we mun go, No better may be Of beast that blood and bone have.
Wot I not, day or night What necessities I may need, Nettle, hemlock and butter I have here And my good dog Dottynowle That is never slow to be chiding. If any man come me by And would know which way best were My leg I lift up where I lie And wish him east or west away.
If I rose when I lay I would think that travail lost. Nor king, nor Duke, by this day Rise will I not - but take my rest. Now here sit down I will, And pipe at this pot like a Pope. Would God that I were down, Out of harm’s way as I hope.
No man drink here shall drink Save myself, the devil of the drink. All this talk I set at little, Nay, ye lads, I sit not by ye For you have many a foul fit, Thou fowle fylth, though thou flit, I defye thee.
<c>Hankin Trowle, take tent to my talking For thy tooth here is good tugging While thy wethers go walking On this loin thou may have good lugging
<c>Trowle Fie on your loins and your livery Your livers, lights and lungs Your sausage, souse and saveloy Your sitting without any songs!
On this hill I hold me here No hope of your hot meat have I But flit with my fellows in fear And your sheep all securely save I
<c>Harvey For thou savest our sheep, Good knave, take keep Since thou may not sleep Come eat of this souse.
<c>Trowle Nay the dirt is so deep, Stubbed therein for to steep And the maggots on it creep At home in thy house.
Therefore, meat, if I may Of your cooking today Will I nought by no way Till I have my wages.
I would to have been gay But, see, so ragged is mine array; And penny-pinching is your pay To any poor page.
<c>Tudd Trowle, boy, for God’s tree Come eat a morsel with me And then wrestle will we Here on this wold.
<c>Trowle That will I never flee! Though it be with all three To win my livery That will I hold <d>He joins the others Now comes Trowle the True A tournament I bid to fight With my masters. Come on now Come forth - who is most of might?
<c>Hankin Trowle, better thou never knew; Eat of this, meat for a knight
<c>Trowle Nay, spare it. If I spew All on your heads will it light
<c>Harvey How should we suffer this shame Of a shrew thus to be shent?
<c>Tudd This lad lusts to be lame And lose a limb ere he went.
<c>Trowle Have done! Begin we this game But ware less your coat be rent. That were little dole to our dame, Though in the middest of Dee you were drent.
<c>Hankin False lad, fie on thy face! On this ground thou shall have a fall
<c>Trowle And this, sirs, be your solace Hankyn, shepherd, shame thee I shall Wroth thou art, worse than thou was Beware lest thou welter here by the wall
<d>They fight and he throws Hankin
<c>Harvey Boy, lest I break thy bones Kneel down and ask me a boon Lest I destroy thee here on these stones Cease, lest I shend thee too soon
<c>Trowle Go thee to growls and groans! Good were thee thy old rags to save soon Little doubt of thy moans Lie there, tyke, for deeds done. <d>Throws Harvey
<c>Tudd Out, alas, he lies on his loins But let me go now to that lad Shepherds he shames and shends For last now am I struck dead
<c>Trowle Both your backs here to me bend; For all your boasts I hold you to bad Hold your arses and your backsides Then hope I to have as I have had <d>Throws Tudd
Lie there, lither, in the lake My livery now will I take This curry, this coat and this cake For ye be cast, now will I catch! To the devil I you all betake As traitors to your task On this wold with this will I walk Over all the world wander and watch <d>Moves away
<c>Hankin Fellows, this a foul case is That we be thus cast of a knave All against our will he has this But I must needs hold the harms that I have
<c>Harvey That I have I needs must hold Of these unhappy harms of hear I Therefore I will wait on this wold For better weather, for I am weary
<c>Tudd If we be weary no wonder What with wrestling and waking God amend it with his making
<d>The star appears
<c>Hankin What is all this light here That blazes so bright here On my black beard? For to see this light here A man may be afright here For I am afeard
<c>Harvey Feard for a fray now May we be all now And yet it is night Yet seems it day now Never, soothly to say now Saw I such a sight.
<c>Tudd Such a sight seeming And a light gleaming Lets me to look. All to my deeming From a star streaming It to me struck.
<c>Trowle That star if it stand To seek will I find Though my sight it fails me While I live in land Why should I not find If it will avail me?
Ah, Goddes might! In yonder star light is Of the sun this sight is As it now seems.
<c>Hankin It seems, as I now see A bright star to be, There to abide. From it we may not flee But aye glare at the glow Till it down glide
<c>Harvey Fellows, will we Kneel down on our knee After comfort For the true Trinity For to lead us to see Our elders Lord?
<c>Tudd Our Lord will declare To us through our prayer Whereto it will apent. And why on high here The air is so clear, Now shall we be kent.
<c>Trowle Lord, of this light Send us some sight Why that it is sent Before this night Was I never so afright Of the firmament
<c>Hankin Now fie! By my faith Now is it nigh day So was it never. Therefore I pray The sooth us to say
<d>Angels sing “Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis” <d>React to Shepherds’ misunderstanding throughout the following.
Fellows in fear, May ye not hear This music on high?
<c>Harvey In “glore” and in “glere”? Yet no man was near Within our sight
<c>Tudd Nay, it was a “Glory”
<c>Trowle Of this strange story Such mirth is merry I would have more
<c>Hankin As I then deemed “Selsis” it seemed That he sang so
<c>Tudd What song was this, say you That he sang to us all three? Expounded shall it be Ere we shall pass As I am eldest of degree And also best, as seems me It was “Glorus Glorus” with a “Glee” It was neither more nor less.
<c>Trowle Nay, it was “glorus glarus” with a “glo” And much of “celsis” was thereto As ever I have rest or woe Much he spake of “glas”
<c>Harvey Nay, it was neither “glas” nor “glye” Therefore fellows, now stand by
<c>Tudd By faith he was some spy Our sheep for to steal Or else he was a man of our craft, For seemly he was, and wondrous deft.
<c>Trowle Nay, he came by night - his mind on theft Our tups with tar to seal.
<c>Hankin Nay, on a “glor” and on “glay” and a “gly” Sang Gabriel when he so gloried. When he sang I might not be sorry; Through my breast-bone his bleating bored
<c>Harvey Nay, by God, it was a “gloria” That Gabriel sang when he said so. He had a much better voice than I have As in heaven all Angels have so.
<c>Tudd Will ye hear how he sang “celsis”? For on that sadly he set him; Neither sings “sar” nor so well “cis” Nor “Peace merry maid when she met him.”
<c>Trowle One time he touched on “tar”, Ad thereto I took good intent; All heaven might not him hear, That note on high when he up went.
<c>Hankin And after a “pax” or a “peace” Up like a pie he piped. Such a melody - so clear and sweet, Never in my life me so liked
<c>Harvey Upon “hominibus” he muted, That much marvel to me was And aye I quaked when he so fluted I dare not look where that it was
<c>Tudd Yet, yet he sang more than all this For some word is worthy a pother For he sang “bonae voluntatis” That is a thing that passes all other.
<c>Trowle Yet, and yet he sang more too From my mind it shall not start He sang also of a “Deo” Me thought that healed my heart.
And that word “terra” he framed, From which I take good intent And “pax” also may not be blamed For that to this song I assent.
<c>Hankin Now pray we go to him with good intent And sing I will and me unbrace And he will let us to be kent And to send us of his grace.
<c>Harvey Now since I have all my will Never in this world so well I was. Sing we we now, I say you, shrill A merry song for us to solace.
<c>Trowle Sing we now; let’s see Some song I will assay All men now sing after me, For music of me learn ye may.
<d>They sing “Trolly loly loly loo” and dance
<c>Tudd Now wend we forth to Bethlehem That is best out song to be For to see the star-gleam And the fruit of that maiden free.
<c>Hankin Now follow we the star that shines Till we come to that holy stable To Bethlehem bend our limbs Follow we it without any fable.
<c>Harvey Follow we it and hie full fast Such a friend loath us were to fail Launch on! I will not be the last At Mary for to marvel.
<d>Music They go towards Bethlehem and Mary and Joseph position themselves at the screen with the baby and manger.
<c>Tudd Stint now: go no more steps; For now the star begins to stand
<d>Angel appears still in pulpit
<c>Angel Shepherds, of this sight Be ye not afright For this is Goddes might Take this in mind. To Bethlehem now right There shall you see in sight That Christ is born tonight To redeem all mankind.
<c>Trowle To Bethlehem take we the way For with you I think to wend The prince of peace for to pray Heaven to have at our end. And singe we all, I rede, Some mirth to his Majesty For certain now see we it indeed The King Son of heaven is he.
<c>Hankin See, See, surely, Here I see Mary And Jesus Christ hard by Lapp-ed in hay.
<c>Harvey Kneel we our knee And pray we him of mercy And welcome him worthily So woe does away.
<c>Tudd Away all our woe is And many men’s moe is Christ, Lord, let us kiss Thy crib or thy clothes.
<c>Trowle Solace now to see this Builds in my breast, bliss Never after to do amiss Nor things that him loath is.
<c>Hankin Whatever that old man that here is? Take heed how his head is hoar His beard is like a bush of briars With a pound of hair about his mouth and more
<c>Tudd Why, with his beard though it be rough Right well to her he heeds. Worthy wight, now we would know Will you deny us, worthy in weeds?
<c>Mary Shepherds, soothly I see That my son you hither sent Through Goddes might in majesty That in me lit and here is lent This man married was to me For no sin in such assent But to keep my virginity And truly with no other intent.
<c>Joseph Good men, Moses take in mind As he was made through God All-might Ordain-ed laws for us to bind Which that we should keep of right. Men and women for to bind Lawfully them both to light To be fruitful, as men may find That time was wedded every wight.
Therefore wedded to her I was As law would have; her for to cheer From noise and slander and trespass And through that deed the Devil to dare As told me Gabriel, full of grace When I had trussed up all my gear To have fled and never seen her face, By him was I arrested there
For he said to me sleeping That she guiltless was of sin. And when I heard that tokening From her durst I no way turn. Therefore, go forth and preach this thing All together and not in twain That you have seen your heavenly king Who has come all mankind to win.
<c>Hankin Great God, sitting on they throne That made all thing of nought Now we may thank thee each one This is he we have sought.
<c>Harvey Go we near anon With such as we have brought Ring, brooch, or precious stone - Let’s see whether we have aught to proffer.
<c>Tudd Let us do him homage.
<c>Hankin Who shall go first? The page?
<c>Harvey Nay, ye be father in age. Therefore ye must first offer
<d>Possible music underscoring shepherds’ presentation of gifts
<c>Hankin Hail, King of heaven so high Borne in a crib Mankind unto thee Thou hast made full sib.
Hail, king, born in a maiden’s bower Prophets did tell thou should be our succour This clerks do say, Lo, I bring thee a bell; I pray thee save me from hell So that I may with thee dwell And serve thee for aye.
<c>Harvey Hail, the Emperor of hell And of heaven also The fiend shalt thou fell That hath ever been false.
Hail, the maker of the star That stood us before Hail, the blessedest Baron That ever was born. Lo, son, I bring thee a bowl Thereby hangs a spoon, For to eat they pottage with at noon, As I myself full often-times have done. With my heart I pray thee to take it.
<c>Tudd Hail, prince withouten any peer, That mankind shall relieve Hail the foe of Lucifer The which beguil-ed Eve.
Hail the granter of hopes, For on earth now thou dwells Lo, son I bring thee a cap, For I have nothing else.
This gift, son, that I give thee is but small; And though I come the hindmost of all When thou shalt men to thy bliss call, Good Lord, think yet on me.
<c>Trowle My dear, with devotion unto thee I me dress My state in fellowship that I do not lose; And for to save me from all sickness, I offer thee a pair of my wife’s old hose.
For other jewels, my son, Have I none for to give That is worth anything at all, But my good heart, while I live And my prayers till death doth me call.
<c>Hankin Now, farewell mother and maid For of sin nought thou wottest . Thou has brought forth this day God’s Son of might most.
Wherefore men shall say “Blessed in every coast and place Be he, a memorial for us all.” And that we may from sin fall And stand ever in his grace Our Lord God be with thee
<c>Harvey Brethren, let us walk all three Singing walk homewardly Unkind will I never in no case be But preach all that I can and know, As Gabriel taught me by his grace. Singing “Away Heathen” will I.
<c>Tudd Over sea, if God grant grace I will gang and go about now To preach this thing in every place; And sheep will I keep no more now. <d>Lays down crook
<c>Trowle I rede we us agree For our misdeeds amends to make For so now will I; And to the child I wholly me betake For aye securely. Shepherd’s craft I here forsake, <d>Lays down crook And as an anchorite hereby I will in my prayers watch and wake.
<c>Hankin And I a hermit, To praise God, to pray, To walk by stile and by street, In wilderness to walk for aye. And no man living shall I meet But for my living I shall him pray, Barefoot on my feet. <d>Removing sandals And thus will I live ever and aye.
For aye, ever and always This world I fully refuse My amiss to amend with moans. Turn to thy fellows, and kiss.
I yield, for in youth We have been friends, iwys. Therefore lend me your mouth And friendly let us kiss.
<c>Harvey From London to Lowth Such another shepherd I wot ne’re is. Both friend and colleague God grant you all his bliss.
<c>Tudd To that bliss bring you Great God, if that thy will be. Amen, all sing you; Good men, farewell ye.
<c>Trowle Well for to fare, each friend God of his might grant you; For here we make an end Farewell, for we from you now go.
<d>Harvey raises up crooks in the shape of a cross. Tableau. Music