The York plays

Play 20

Joseph

Marie, of mirthis we may vs mene, Line 1 And trewly telle betwixte vs twoo Of solempne sightis that we haue sene In that cité where we come froo.

Mary

Sertis, Joseph, yoe will noyot wene Line 5 What myrthis within my harte I maie, Sen that oure sone with vs has bene And sene ther solempne sightis alswae.

Joseph

Hamward I rede we hye Line 9 In all the myght we maye, Because of company THat will wende in oure waye, For gode felawshippe haue we fone And ay so forward schall we fynde.

Mary

A, sir, where is oure semely sone? Line 15 I trowe oure wittis be waste as wynde. Allas, in bale thus am I boone, What ayleth vs both to be so blynde? To go ouere-fast we haue begonne And late that louely leue behynde.

Joseph

Marie, mende thy chere, Line 21 For certis whan all is done He comes with folke in feere, And will oueretake vs sone.

Mary

Oueretake vs sone sir? Certis nay, Line 25 Such gabbyngis may me noyot begyle, For we haue trauelde all this day Fro Jerusalem many a myle.

Joseph

I wende he hadde bene with vs aye, Line 29 Awaye fro vs how schulde he wyle?

Mary

Hit helpis nought such sawes to saie, Line 31 My barne is lost, allas the whille, THat euere we wente theroute With hym in companye. We lokid ouere-late aboute, Full wooe is me forthy,

For he is wente som wayes wrang, And non is worthy to wyte but wee.

Joseph

Agaynewarde rede I that we gang Line 39 The right way to that same citee, To spire and spie all men emang, For hardely homward gone is he.

Mary

Of sorowes sere schal be my sang, Line 43 My semely sone tille I hym see, He is but xij yoere alde.

Joseph

What way someuere he wendis Line 46 Woman, we may be balde To fynde hym with oure frendis.

Magister 1

Maistirs, takes to me intente, Line 49 And rede youre resouns right on rawe, And all the pepull in this present, Euere-ilke man late see his sawe. But witte I wolde, or we hens wente, Be clargy clere if we couthe knawe Yf any lede that liffe has lente Wolde aught allegge agaynste oure lawe, Owthir in more or lesse. Yf we defaute myght feele, Dewly we schall gar dresse Be dome euery-ilk a dele.

Magister 2

THat was wele saide, so mot I the, Line 61 Swilke notis to neven methynke wer nede, For maistirs in this lande ar we And has the lawes lelly to lede, And doctoures also in oure degree THat demyng has of ilka dede. Laye fourthe oure bokes belyue, late see, What mater moste were for oure mede.

Magister 3

We schall ordayne so wele, Line 69 Sen we all clergy knawe, Defaute shall no man fele Nowdir in dede ne sawe.

Jesus

Lordingis, loue be with yoou lentte Line 73 And mirthis be vnto this mené.

Magister 1

Sone, hense away I wolde thou wente, Line 75 For othir haftis in hande haue we.

Magister 2

Sone, whoso the hedir sente, Line 77 They were nouyot wise, that warne I the, For we haue othir tales to tente THan nowe with barnes bordand to be.

Magister 3

Sone, yf the list ought to lere Line 81 To lyve by Moyses laye, Come hedir and thou shalle here THe sawes that we shall saye, For in som mynde itt may the brynge, To here oure reasouns redde by rawes.

Jesus

To lerne of you nedis me nothing, Line 87 For I knawe both youre dedys and sawes.

Magister 1

Nowe herken yoone barne with his bowrdyng, Line 89 He wenes he kens more than we knawes. We, nay, certis sone, thou arte ouere-yoonge By clergy yoitt to knowe oure lawes.

Jesus

I wote als wele as yhe Line 93 Howe that youre lawes wer wrought.

Magister 2

Cum sitte, sone schall we see, Line 95 For certis so semys it noght. Itt wer wondir that any wight Vntill oure reasouns right schulde reche. And thou sais thou hast insight Oure lawes truly to telle and teche?

Jesus

The holy gost has on me light Line 101 And has anoynted me as a leche, And geven me pleyne poure and myght The kyngdom of heuene for to preche.

Magister 1

Whens-euere this barne may be Line 105 That shewes ther novellis nowe?

Jesus

Certis,I was or yoe, Line 107 And schall be aftir yoou.

Magister 1

Sone, of thy sawes, als haue I cele, Line 109 And of thy witte is wondir thyng, But neuere the lesse fully I feele Itt may falle wele in wirkyng. For Dauid demys of ilka dele, And sais thus of childir yoing: Of ther mouthes, he wate full wele, Oure lord has parformed loving. But yoitt sone, schulde thou lette Here for to speke ouere-large,

For where maistirs are mette Childre wordis are noyot to charge, And if thou wolde neuere so fayne, Yf all the liste to lere the lawe, THou arte nowthir of myght ne mayne To kenne it as a clerke may knawe.

Jesus

Sirs, I saie yoou for sartayne Line 125 That suthfast schal be all my sawe, And poure haue playnere and playne To say and aunswer as me awe.

Doctor 1

Maistirs, what may this mene? Line 129 Meruayle methynke haue I, Whens-euere this barne haue bene That carpis thus connandly?

Doctor 2

Als wyde in worlde als we haue wente Line 133 YOitt fande we neuere swilke ferly fare, For certis I trowe this barne be sente Full souerandly to salue oure sare.

Jesus

Sirs, I schall proue in youre present Line 137 Alle the sawes that I saide are.

Doctor 3

Why, whilke callest thou the firste comaundement, Line 139 And the moste in Moyses lare?

Jesus

Sirs, sen yoe are sette on rowes Line 141 And has youre bokes on brede, Late se sirs, in youre sawes, Howe right that yoe can rede.

Doctor 1

I rede this is the firste bidding Line 145 THat Moyses taught vs here vntill: To honnoure God ouere all thing With all thy witte and all thi will, And all thyn harte in hym schall hyng, Erlye and late, both lowde and still.

Jesus

YOe nedis non othir bokes to bring, Line 151 But fandis this for to fulfill. The secounde may men preve And clerly knawe, wherby YOoure neghbours shall yoe loue Als youreselffe, sekirly. This comaunded Moyses to all men In his x comaundementis clere, In ther ij biddingis, schall we kene, Hyngis all the lawe that we shall lere.

Whoso ther two fulfilles then With mayne and myght in goode manere, He trulye fulfillis all the ten THat aftir folowes in feere. THan schulde we God honnoure With all oure myght and mayne, And loue wele ilke a neghboure Right as oureselfe, certayne.

Doctor 1

Nowe sone, sen thou haste tolde vs two, Line 169 Whilke ar the viij, can thou ought saye?

Jesus

The iij biddis whareso yoe goo Line 171 THat yoe schall halowe the halyday; Than is the fourthe for frende or foo That fadir and modir honnoure ay. The vte you biddis noght for to sloo No man nor woman by any way. The vjte, suthly to see, Comaundis both more and myne That thei schalle fande to flee All filthes of flesshely synne. The vijte forbedis you to stele YOoure neghboures goodes, more or lesse, Whilke fautez nowe are founden fele Emang ther folke, that ferly is. The viijte lernes yoou for to be lele, Here for to bere no false witnesse. YOoure neghbours house, whillis yoe haue hele, The ixte biddis take noyot be stresse. His wiffe nor his women The xte biddis noyot coveyte. Thez are the biddingis x, Whoso will lelly layte.

Doctor 2

Behalde howe he alleggis oure layse, Line 193 And lered neuere on boke to rede; Full subtill sawes methinketh he saies, And also trewe, yf we take hede.

Doctor 3

YOa, late hym wende fourth on his wayes, Line 197 For and he dwelle, withouten drede,

The pepull schall full sone hym prayse Wele more than vs for all oure dede.

Doctor 1

Nay, nay, than wer we wrang, Line 201 Such speking wille we spare. Als he come late hym gang, And move vs nowe no more.

Mary

A, dere Joseph, what is youre rede? Line 205 Of oure grete bale no bote may be, Myne harte is heuy as any lede My semely sone tille hym I see. Nowe haue we sought in ilke a stede Bothe vppe and doune ther dayes thre, And whedir that he be quyk or dede YOitt wote we noght, so wo is me.

Joseph

Mysese had neuere man more, Line 213 But mournyng may not mende; I rede forther we fare Till God som socoure sende. Aboute yoone tempill if he be ought I wolde we wiste this ilke nyght.

Mary

A, sir, I see that we haue sought, Line 219 In worlde was neuere so semely a sight. Lo where he sittis, se yoe hym noght Emong yoone maistiris mekill of myght?

Joseph

Now blist be he vs hedir brought, Line 223 For in lande was neuere non so light.

Mary

A, dere Joseph, als we haue cele, Line 225 Go furthe and fette youre sone and myne. This daye is done nere ilke a dele And we haue nede for to gang hyne.

Joseph

With men of myght can I not mell, Line 229 Than all my trauayle mon I tyne; I can noyot with them, this wate thou wele, They are so gay in furres fyne.

Mary

To tham youre herand for to say Line 233 Suthly yoe thar noyot drede no dele, They will take rewarde to you allway Because of elde, this wate yoe wele.

Joseph

When I come there what schall I saye? Line 237 I wate neuere, als haue I cele. Sertis Marie, thou will haue me schamed for ay, For I can nowthir croke nor knele.

Mary

Go we togedir, I halde it beste, Line 241 Vnto yoone worthy wysse in wede; And yf I see-als haue I reste- THat yoe will noyot than bus me nede.

Joseph

Gange on Marie, and telle thy tale firste, Line 245 Thy sone to the will take goode heede. Wende fourth Marie, and do thy beste, I come behynde, als God me spede.

Mary

A, dere son Jesus, Line 249 Sen we loue the allone, Why dosse thou thus till vs And gares vs make swilke mone? Thy fadir and I betwyxte vs twa, Son, for thy loue has likid ill. We haue the sought both to and froo, Wepand full sore as wightis will.

Jesus

Wherto shulde yoe seke me soo? Line 257 Ofte tymes it hase ben tolde you till, My fadir werkis, for wele or woo, Thus am I sente for to fulfyll.

Mary

There sawes, als haue I cele, Line 261 Can I noyot vndirstande. I schall thynke on tham wele To fonde what is folowand.

Joseph

Now sothely sone, the sight of the Line 265 Hath salued vs of all oure sore. Come furth sone, with thi modir and me, Att Nazareth I wolde we wore.

Jesus

Beleves wele, lordis free, Line 269 For with my frendis nowe will I fare.

Doctor 1

Nowe sone, wher thou schall bide or be, Line 271 Gode make the gode man euermore. No wondir if yoone wiffe Of his fynding be full fayne, He schall, and he haue liff, Proue till a praty swayne. But sone, loke that thou layne for gud or ill THe note that we haue nemed her nowe, And if it like the to lende her stille And wonne with vs, welcome art thowe.

Jesus

Graunte mercy sirs, of youre gode will, Line 281 No lenger liste me lende with yoou, My frendis thoughtis I wol fulfille And to ther bidding baynely bowe.

Mary

Full wele is vs this tyde, Line 285 Nowe maye we make goode chere.

Joseph

No lenger will we bide, Line 287 Fares wele all folke in feere.