THE COVENTRY NATIVITY PLAY
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Rhys, Ernest
[Exeunt the Three Kings: Enter the Herald and King Herod.
Herald. Hail, King most worthiest in wede!257 Hail, maintainer of courtesy through all this world wide! Hail, the most mightiest that ever bestrode a steed! Hail, most manfullest man in armour man to abide! Hail in thine honour! These three kings that forth were sent And should have come again before thee here present, Another way, Lord, home they went Contrary to thine honour.
Herod. Another way!--out! out!--out! Hath those foul traitors done me this deed? I stamp, I stare, I look all about; Might them I take I should them burn at a glede.258 I rend, I roar, and now run I wood;259 Ah! that these villain traitors hath marred this my mood! They shall be hanged if I come them to.
[Here Herod rages in the pageant, and in the street also.
Eh! and that kerne260 of Bethlehem, he shall be dead, And thus shall I do for his prophecy. How say you, sir knights, is not this the best red,261 That all young children for this should be dead With sword to be slain? Then shall I, Herod, live in lede,262 And all folk me doubt and dread, And offer to me both gold, riches, and mede,263 Thereto will they be full fain.
1st Soldier. My Lord, King Herod by name, Thy words against my will shall be To see so many young children die, is shame; Therefore counsel thereto gettest thou none of me.
2nd Soldier. Well said, fellow, my troth I plight; Sir king! perceive right well you may So great a murder to see of young fruit, Will make a rising in thine own countrey.
Herod. A rising!--out! out! out!
[There Herod rages again, and then saith thus:
Out villain wretches, hereupon you I cry, My will utterly, look that it be wrought, Or upon a gallows both you shall die, By Mahound, most mightiest, that me dear hath bought!
1st Soldier. Now, cruel Herod, sith we shall do this deed, Your will needfully in this must be wrought. All the children of that age, die they must need, Now with all my might they shall be upsought.
2nd Soldier. And I will swear here upon your bright sword, All the children that I find, slain they shall be; That make many a mother to weep, and be full sore afeard, In our armour bright, when they us see.
Herod. Now you have sworn, forth that ye go And my will that ye work both by day and night, And then will I for fain trip like a doe; But when they be dead, I warn you, bring them before my sight.
Angel. Mary and Joseph, to you I say, Sweet word from the Father I bring you full right; Out of Bethlehem into Egypt forth go ye the way And with you take the king, full of might, For dread of Herod's red.264
Joseph. Arise up, Mary, hastily and soon! Our Lord's will needs must be done, Like as the angel bade.
Mary. Meekly, Joseph, mine own spouse, Toward that country let us repair, In Egypt,--some token of house,-- God grant us grace safe to come there!
[Here the women come in with their children, singing them, and Mary and Joseph goeth clean away.
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child; By, by, lullay, lullay, thou little tiny child; By, by, lully, lullay.
O sisters too! how may we do, For to preserve this day This poor youngling, for whom we do sing By, by, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his raging, Charged he hath this day His men of might, in his own sight, All young children to slay.
That woe is me, poor child for thee! And ever morn and day, For thy parting neither say nor sing, By, by, lully, lallay.
1st Woman. I lull my child wondrously sweet, And in my arms I do it keep, Because that it should not cry.
2nd Woman. That Babe that is born, in Bethlehem so meek, He save my child and me from villainy!
3rd Woman. Be still! be still! my little child! That Lord of lords save both thee and me; For Herod hath sworn with words wild That all young children slain they shall be.
1st Soldier. Say ye whither, ye wives, whither are ye away? What bear you in your arms needs must we see; If they be men children, die they must this day, For at Herod's will all things must be.
2nd Soldier. And I in hands once them hent,265 Them for to slay nought will I spare; We must fulfil Herod's commandment; Else be we as traitors, and cast all in care.
1st Woman. Sir knights! of your courtesy This day shame not your chivalry, But on my child have pity, For my sake in this stead; For a simple slaughter it were to sloo266 Or to work such a child woe That can neither speak nor go, Nor never harm did.
2nd Woman. He that slays my child in sight, If that my strokes on him may light, Be he squire or knight, I hold him but lost. See thou false losyngere267 A stroke shalt thou bear me here And spare you no cost.
3rd Woman. Sit he never so high in saddle, But I shall make his brain addle, And here with my pot ladle, With him will I fight. I shall lay on him as though I wode268 were, With this same womanly gear; There shall no man stir, Whether that he be king or knight.
[The innocents are massacred.
1st Soldier. Who heard ever such a cry Of women, that their children have lost And greatly rebuking chivalry Throughout this realm in every coast Which many a man's life is like to cost; For this great revenge that here is done, I fear much vengeance thereof will come.
2nd Soldier. Eh! brother, such tales may we not tell, Wherefore to the king let us go, For he is like to bear the bell, Which was the cause that we did so; Yet must they all be brought him to With wains and waggons full freight. I trow there will be a careful sight.
[They come before Herod.
1st Soldier. Lo! Herod, king! here must thou see How many thousands that we have slain.
2nd Soldier. And needs thy will fulfilled must be, There may no man say there again.269
Herald. Herod, king! I shall thee tell, All thy deeds is come to nought. This child is gone into Egypt to dwell, Lo! Sir, in thine own land what wonders byn270 wrought.
Herod. Into Egypt? Alas! for woe, Longer in land here I cannot abide. Saddle my palfry, for in haste will I go After yon traitors now will I ride Them for to sloo.271 Now all men hie fast Into Egypt in haste: All that country will I tast272 Till I may come them to.