The Towneley plays

Jacob

Jacob

Help me, lord,,adonay, Line 1 And hald, me in the right way Line 2 To mesopotameam; Line 3 ffor I cam neuer or now where I am; Line 4 I cam neuer here in this contre; Line 5 lord, of heuen, thou help me! Line 6 ffor I haue maide me, in this strete, Line 7 sore bonys & warkand feete. Line 8 The son is downe, what is best? Line 9 her purpose I all nyght to rest; Line 10 Vnder my hede this ston shal ly; Line 11 A nyghtis rest take will I. Line 12

God

Iacob, iacob, thi god I am; Line 13 Of thi forfader abraham, Line 14 And of thi fader, Isaac; Line 15 I shall the blys for thare sake. Line 16 This land, that thou slepys in, Line 17 I shall the gif, and thi kyn; Line 18 I shall thi seede multyply, Line 19 As thyk as powder on erth may ly. Line 20 The kynd of the shall sprede wide, Line 21 ffrom eest to west on euery syde, Line 22 ffrom the south vnto the north; Line 23 All that I say, I shall forth; Line 24 And all the folkis of thyne ofspryng, Line 25 shal be blyssyd of thy blyssyng. Line 26 Iacob, haue thou no kyns drede! Line 27 I shall the clethe, I shall the fede. Line 28 Whartfull shall I make thi gate; Line 29 I shal the help erly and, late; Line 30

Line 30 And all in qwart shall I bryng the Line 31 home agane to thi countre. Line 32 I shall not fayll, be thou bold,, Line 33 Bot I shall do as I haue told,. Line 34

Jacob

A! lord! what may this mene? Line 35 what haue I herd, in slepe, and sene? Line 36 That god leynyd hym to a stegh, Line 37 And spake to me, it is no leghe; Line 38 And now is here none othere gate, Line 39 bot godis howse and heuens yate. Line 40 lord, how dredfull is this stede! Line 41 ther I layde downe my hede, Line 42 In godis lovyng I rayse this stone, Line 43 And, oyll will I putt theron. Line 44 lord, of heuen, that all wote, Line 45 here to the I make a hote: Line 46 If thou gif me mete and foode, Line 47 And close to body, as I behoued,, Line 48 And bryng me home to kyth and kyn, Line 49 by the way that I walk in, Line 50 without skathe and in quarte, Line 51 I promyse to the, with stedfast hart, Line 52 As thou art lord, and god myne, Line 53 And I Iacob, thi trew hyne, Line 54 This stone I rayse in sygne to day Line 55 shall I hold, holy kyrk for ay; Line 56 And of all that newes me Line 57 rightwys tend, shall I gif the. Line 58 A, my fader, god of heuen, Line 59 that saide to me, thrugh thi steven, Line 60 when I in aran was dwelland,, Line 61 that I shuld turne agane to land, Line 62 Ther I was both fed and borne, Line 63 warnyd thou me, lord, beforne, Line 64 As I went toward aran Line 65 with my staff, and passyd, Iordan: Line 66

Line 66 And now I come agane to kyth, Line 67 with two ostes of men me with. Line 68 Thou hete me, lord, to do well with me, Line 69 to multyplye my seede as sand of see; Line 70 Thou saue me, lord,, thrugh vertew, Line 71 ffrom veniance of Esaw, Line 72 That he slo not, for old, greme, Line 73 these moders with thare barne teme. Line 74

Rachel

Oure anguysh, sir, is many fold,, Line 75 syn that oure messyngere vs told, Line 76 That Esaw wold, you slo, Line 77 with foure hundreth men and mo. Line 78

Jacob

ffor soth, rachell, I haue hym sent Line 79 of many beestis sere present. Line 80 May tyde he will oure giftis take, Line 81 And right so shall his wrath slake. Line 82 where ar oure thyngis, ar thay past Iordan? Line 83

Leah

Go and look, sir, as ye can. Line 84

God

The day spryngis; now lett me go. Line 85

Jacob

Nay, nay, I will not so, Line 86 Bot thou blys me or thou gang: Line 87 If I may, I shall hold, the lang. Line 88

God

In tokynyng that thou spekis with me, Line 89 I shall toche now thi thee, Line 90 That halt shall thou euermore, Line 91 bot thou shall fele no sore; Line 92 What is thy name, thou me tell? Line 93

Jacob

Iacob. Line 94

God

nay, bot Israell; syn thou to me sich strengthe may kythe, Line 95 to men of erth thou must be stythe. Line 96

Jacob

what is thy name? Line 97

God

whi askis thou it? `wonderfull,' if thou wil wyt. Line 98

Jacob

A, blys me, lord,! Line 99

God

I shall the blys, And be to the full propyce, Line 100

Line 100 And gyf the my blyssyng for ay, Line 101 As lord and he that all may. Line 102 I shall grayth thi gate, Line 103 And full well ordeyn thi state; Line 104 when thou has drede, thynk on me, Line 105 And thou shal full well saynyd be, Line 106 And look thou trow well my sayes; Line 107 And farewell now, the day dayes. Line 108

Jacob

Now haue I a new name, israell; Line 109 this place shall [hight] fanuell, Line 110 ffor I haue seyn in this place, Line 111 god of heuen face to face. Line 112

Rachel

Iacob, lo we haue tythand, Line 113 that Esaw is here at hand. Line 114

Jacob

Rachell, stand thou in the last eschele, Line 115 ffor I wold, thou were sauyd wele; Line 116 Call Ioseph and beniamin, Line 117 And let theym not fro the twyn. Line 118 If it be so that Esaw Line 119 vs before all-to-hew, Line 120 Ye that ar here the last Line 121 Ye may be sauyd if ye fle fast. Line 122

Jacob

I pray the, lord, as thou me het, Line 123 thou saue me and, my gete. Line 124

Esau

welcom brother, to kyn and kyth, Line 125 thi wife and childre that comes the with. Line 126 how has thou faren in far land,? Line 127 tell me now som good tythand,. Line 128

Jacob

Well, my brother Esaw, Line 129 If that thi men no bale me brew. Line 130

Esau

wemo! felows, hold youre hend, Line 131 ye se that I and he ar frend,, Line 132

Line 132 And frenship here will we fulfill, Line 133 syn that it is godis will. Line 134

Jacob

God yeld, you, brothere, that it so is Line 135 that thou thi hyne so wold, kys. Line 136

Esau

Nay, Iacob, my dere brothere, Line 137 I shall the tell all anothere; Line 138 Thou art my lord, thrugh destyny; Line 139 go we togeder both thou and I, Line 140 To my fader and, his wife, Line 141 that lofys the, brother, as thare lyfe. Line 142