THE COVENTRY NATIVITY PLAY
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Rhys, Ernest
PROLOGUE
Isaiah. The sovereign that seeth every secret He save you all and make you perfect and strong: And give his grace with his mercy thereto meet, For now in great misery mankind is bound. The serpent hath given us so mortal a wound That no creature is able us for to release Till the right unction of Judah doth cease. Then shall much mirth and joy increase And the right root in Israel spring, That shall bring forth the grain of holiness: And out of danger he shall us bring Into that region where he is king: Which above all other doth abound And that cruel Satan he shall confound. Wherefore I come here upon this ground, To comfort every creature of birth; For I, Isaiah, the prophet, hath found Many sweet matters, whereof we may make mirth On this same wise. For though Adam be doomed to death With all his children, as Abel and Seth: Yet, Ecce virgo concipiet!215 Lo, where a remedy shall rise! Behold a maid shall conceive a child, And get us more grace than ever man had. And her maidenhood nothing defiled: She is deputed to bear the Son, Almighty God. Lo, sovereignties now may you be glad, For of this maiden all we may be fain;216 For Adam that now lies in sorrows full sad, Her glorious birth shall redeem him again From bondage and thrall. Now be merry every man, For this deed briefly in Israel shall be done, And before the Father on his throne That shall glad us all. More of this matter fain would I move, But longer time I have not here for to dwell.
That lord that is merciful, his mercy so in us may prove For to save our souls from the darkness of hell, And to his bliss--he us bring As he is--both lord and king; And shall be everlasting In secula seculos:217 Amen.
[Exit.
[Enter Gabriel to Mary.]
Gabriel. Hail! Mary, full of grace, Our Lord God is with thee! Above all women that ever was; Lady, blessed may thou be.
Mary. Almighty Father and King of bliss From all dyskes218 thou save me now: For inwardly my spirit troubled is, I am amazed and know not how.
Gabriel. Dread thee nothing, maiden, of this: From heaven above hither am I sent, Of embassage from that King of bliss, Unto the lady and virgin reverent, Saluting thee here as most excellent, Whose virtue above all other doth abound; Wherefore in thee grace shall be found: For thou shalt conceive upon this ground The Second Person of God on throne; He will be born of thee alone, Without sin tho shalt him see. Thy grace and thy goodness will never be gone But ever to live in virginity.
Mary. I marvel sore how that may be: Man's company knew I never yet, Nor never to do cast I me, While that our Lord sendeth me my wit.
Gabriel. The Holy Ghost in thee shall light, And shall endue thy soul so with virtue From the Father that is on high: These words, turtle, they be full true. This child that of thee shall be born Is the Second Person in Trinity. He shall save that was forlorn, And the fiend's power destroy shall he. These words, lady, full true they be, And further, lady, in thy own lineage, Behold Elizabeth, thy cousin clean, The which was barren and past all age. And now with child she hath been Six months and more as shall be seen; Wherefore, discomfort thee not, Mary, For to God impossible nothing may be.
Mary. Now and it be that Lord's will Of my body to be born and for to be His high pleasure for to fulfil, As his one handmaid I submit me.
Gabriel. Now blessed be the time set That thou wast born in thy degree: For now is the knot surely knit And God conceived in Trinity. Now farewell lady of might most, Unto the Godhead I thee beteyche.219
Mary. That lord thee guide in every cost And lowly he lead me and be my leech.220
[Here the Angel departeth and Joseph cometh in and saith:
Joseph. Mary, my wife so dear! How do ye, dame, and what cheer Is with you this tide?
Mary. Truly, husband, I am here Our Lord's will for to abide.
Joseph. What! I trow we be all shent!221 Say, woman, who hath been here since I went To rage with thee?
Mary. Sir, here was neither man, nor man's even,222 But only the sond223 of our Lord God in heaven.
Joseph. Say not so, woman, for shame let be: Ye be with child so wondrous great, Ye need no more thereof to treat Against all right. For sooth this child, dame, is not mine; Alas, that ever with my eyne224 I should see this sight. Tell me, woman, whose is this child?
Mary. None but yours, husband, so mild And that shall be seen, I wis.
Joseph. But mine, alas! alas! why say ye so? Well away, woman, now may I go Beguiled as many another is.
Mary. Nay truly, sir, ye be not beguiled Nor yet with spot of sin I am not defiled; Trust it well, husband.
Joseph. Husband in faith, and that acold; Ah well away, Joseph, as thou art old! Like a fool now may I stand And truss; but in faith, Mary, thou art in sin. So much as I have cherished thee, dame, and all thy kin, Behind my back to serve me thus: All old men example take by me, How I am beguiled here may you see, To wed so young a child. Now farewell, Mary, I leave thee here alone, Woe worth thee dame, and thy works each one! For I will no more be beguiled For friend nor foe. Now of this deed I am so dull And of my life I am so full, No farther may I go.
Angel. Arise up, Joseph, and go home again Unto Mary thy wife that is so free; To comfort her look that thou be fain, For, Joseph, a clean maiden is she. She hath conceived without any trayne The Second Person in Trinity: Jesu shall be his name certainly, And all this world save shall he. Be not aghast.
Joseph. Now, Lord, I thank thee with heart full sad. For of these tidings I am so glad That all my care away is cast, Wherefore to Mary I will in haste. Ah, Mary, Mary, I kneel full low, Forgive me, sweet wife, here in this land; Mercy, Mary, for now I know Of your good governance and how it doth stand: Though that I did thee misname. Mercy, Mary, while I live Will I never, sweet wife, thee grieve, In earnest nor in game.
Mary. Now, that Lord in Heaven, sir,--he you forgive! And I do forgive you in his name For evermore.
Joseph. Now truly, sweet wife, to you I say the same; But now to Bethlehem must I wynde225 And show myself so full of care, And I to leave you this great behind, God wot, the while, dame, how you should fare.
Mary. Nay hardily, husband, dread ye nothing, For I will walk with you on the way. I trust in God, Almighty King, To speed right well in our journey.
Joseph. Now I thank you, Mary, of your goodness That you my words will not blame; And since that to Bethlehem we shall us address Go we together in God's holy name.
[They set out on their way.
Now to Bethlehem have we leagues three, The day is nigh spent, it draweth towards night, Fain at your ease, dame, I would that ye should be: For you grow all weary, it seemeth, in my sight.
Mary. God have mercy, Joseph, my spouse, so dear! All prophets hereto do bear witness The evry time now draweth near That my child will be born, which is King of bliss. Unto some place, Joseph, kindly me lead, That I might rest me with grace in this tide, The light of the Father over us both spread And the grace of my son with us here abide.
Joseph. Lo, blessed Mary, here shall ye lend;226 Chief chosen of our Lord, and cleanest in degree: And I for help to town, will I wend. Is not this the best, dame, what say ye?
Mary. God have mercy! Joseph, my husband, so meek, And I heartily pray you go now from me.
Joseph. That shall be done in haste, Mary, so sweet! The comfort of the Holy Ghost leave I with thee. Now to Bethlehem strait will I go, To get some help for Mary so free, Some help of women, God may me send! That Mary, full of grace, pleased may be.
[Enter a Shepherd.
1st Shepherd. Now God that art in Trinity, Thou sawest my fellows and me; For I know not where my sheep nor they be, This night it is so cold, Now is it nigh the middest of the night, These weathers are dark and dim of light, That of them can I have no sight, Standing here on this wold. But now to make their hearts light, Now will I full right Stand upon this loe.227 And to them cry with all my might: Full well my voice they know, What ho, fellows, ho, hoo, ho!
[Enter two other Shepherds.
2nd Shepherd. Hark, Sym, hark, I hear our brother on the loe,227 This is his voice, right well I know, Therefore towards him let us go, And follow his voice aright, See, Sym, see where he doth stand; I am right glad we have him found. Brother! where hast thou been so long, And it is so cold this night?
1st Shepherd. Oh, friends! there came a pyrie228 of wind With a mist suddenly, That forth off my ways went I, And great heaviness then made I, And was full sore afright; Then for to go wist I not whither, But travelled on this hill hither and thither. I was so weary of this cold weather, That near passed was my might.