The York plays

About this Item

Title
The York plays
Author
Anonymous
Publication
London: E. Arnold
1982
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Oxford Text Archive number: U-1392-B

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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/York
Cite this Item
"The York plays." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/York. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2025.

Pages

Play 7

Angel
That lord of lyffe lele ay-lastand Line 1 Whos myght vnmesured is to meyne, He shoppe the sonne, bothe see and sande, And wroughte this worlde with worde, I wene. His aungell cleere as cristall clene, Here vnto you thus am I sente THis tide. Abell and Cayme, yei, both bydeyne To me enteerly takis entent; To meve my message haue I ment If that ye bide. Allemyghty God of myghtes moste, When he had wrought this world so wide, No thynge hym thoughte was wroughte in waste, But in his blissyng boune to bide Neyne ordurs for to telle, that tyde, Of aungeles bryght he bad ther be. For pride And sone the tente part it was tried, And wente awaye as was worthye; They heild to helle alle that meyné THerin to bide. THanne made he manne to his liknes That place of price for to restore, And sithen he kyd hym such kyndnes Somwhat wille he wirke therfore: The tente to tyne he askis, no more, Of alle the goodes he haues you sent. Full trew To offyr loke that ye be yore, And to my tale yhe take entent, For ilke a lede that liffe has lente So shalle you sewe.

Page 75

Abel
Gramercy God, of thy goodnes Line 34 That me on molde has marked thi man, I worshippe the with worthynes, With alle the comforte that I can. Me for to were fro warkes wanne, For to fulfille thy comaundement, THe teynd Of alle the gode sen I beganne Thow shalle it haue, sen thou it sent. Come, brothir Cayme, I wolde we wente With hert ful hende.
Cain
We! Whythir now, in wilde waneand? Line 45 Trowes thou I thynke to trusse of towne? Goo, jape the, robard jangillande, Me liste noyot nowe to rouk nor rowne.
Abel
A, dere brothir, late vs be bowne Line 49 Goddis biddyng blithe to fulfille, I tell the.
Cain
Ya, daunce in the devil way, dresse the downe, Line 52 For I wille wyrke euen as I will. What mystris the, in gode or ille, Of me to melle the?
Abel
To melle of the myldely I may. Line 56 Bote goode brothir, go we in haste, Gyffe God oure teynde dulye this day- He byddis vs thus, be nouyot abassed.
Cain
Ya, deuell, methynketh that werke were waste, Line 60 That he vs gaffe geffe hym agayne To se. Nowe fekyll frenshippe for to fraste Methynkith ther is in hym sarteyne. If he be moste in myghte and mayne What nede has he?
Abel
He has non nede vnto thi goode, Line 67 But it wille please hym principall If thou, myldly in mayne and moode, Grouche noyot geue hym tente parte of all. Line 70 [... ...]

Page 76

Angel
It shall be done evyn as ye bydd, Line 71 And that anone.
Brewbarret
Lo, maister Cayme, what shaves bryng I, Line 73 Evyn of the best for to bere seyd, And to the feylde I wyll me hye To fetch you moo, if ye haue neyd.
Cain
Cume vp, sir knave, the devyll the speyd, Line 76 Ye will not come but ye be prayd.
Brewbarret
O, maister Caym, I haue broken my to! Line 79
Cain
Come vp syr, for by my thryft, Line 80 Ye shall drynke or ye goo.

Page 77

Angel
Thowe cursyd Came, where is Abell? Line 82 Where hais thowe done thy broder dere?
Cain
What askes thowe me that taill to tell, Line 84 For yit his keper was I never?
Angel
God hais sent the his curse downe, Line 86 Fro hevyn to hell, maladictio dei.
Cain
Take that thyself, evyn on thy crowne, Line 88 Quia non sum custos fratris mei, To tyne.
Angel
God hais sent the his malyson, Line 91 And inwardly I geve the myne.
Cain
The same curse light on thy crowne, Line 93 And right so myght it worth and be For he that sent that gretyng downe, The devyll myght speyd both hym and the. Fowll myght thowe fall! Here is a cankerd company, Therefore Goddes curse light on you all.
Angel
What hast thou done? Beholde and heere, Line 100 THe voice of his bloode cryeth vengeaunce Fro erthe to heuen, with voice entere THis tyde. That God is greved with thy greuaunce Take hede, I schalle telle the tydandis, THerfore abide. THou shall be curssed vppon the grounde, God has geffyn the his malisonne; Yff thou wolde tyll the erthe so rounde No frute to the ther shalle be fonne. Of wikkidnesse sen thou arte sonne, Thou shalle be waferyng here and there THis day. In bittir bale nowe art thou boune, Out-castyn shal thou be for care; No man shal rewe of thy misfare For this affraie.
Cain
Allas for syte, so may I saye, Line 118 My synne it passis al mercie, For ask it the lord I ne maye,

Page 78

To haue it am I nouyot worthy. Fro the shalle I be hidde in hye, THou castis me, lorde, oute of my kyth In lande. Both here and there oute-caste am I, For ilke a man that metis me with They wille slee me, be fenne or frith, With dynte of hande.
Angel
Nay Cayme, nouyot soo, haue thou no drede; Line 129 Who that the slees shalle ponnysshed be Sevene sithis for doyng of that dede. Forthy a token shal thou see, It shalle be prentyd so in the That ilke a man shalle the knowe full wele.
Cain
Thanne wolle I fardir flee Line 135 For shame. Sethen I am sette thus out of seill, That curse that I haue for to feill, I giffe you the same.
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