240

of this matyr I am dysmayd,

to se them both thus vndefyled.

Salome: It is not trewe, it may nevyr be,
that bothe be clene I can not beleve;
a maydes mylke never man dyde se,
ne woman bere chylde withowte grett greve.

[86b] I shal nevyr trowe it but I it preve,
with hand towchynge but I assay;
in my conscience it may nevyr cleve
that sche hath chylde and is a may.

250

255

260

Maria: zow for to put clene out of dowth,
towch with your hand and wele asay,
wysely ransake and trye the trewthe owth,
whethyr I be fowlyd or a clene may.

hic tangit Salomee Mariæ, et cum arescit manus eius uluerando, et quasi flendo dicit:

Salomee: Alas! Alas! and weleaway!

ffor my grett dowth and fals beleve,

myne hand is ded and drye as claye,
my fals vntrost hath wrought myscheve.

Alas! the tyme that I was born!
thus to offende agens goddys myght!
myn handys power is now all lorn,

styff as a stykke, and may now[ght] plyght,
ffor I dede tempte this mayde so bryght,
and holde agens here pure clennes;

in grett myscheff now am I pyght,
Alas! alas! for my lewdnes.

240] MS has full forms them, thus thus 260 nowght] nowth MS

258] MS has full form

O! lord of myght, thu knowyst the trowth, that I haue evyr had dred of the.

On every power whyght evyr I haue rowthe,
and zove hem almes for loue of the.

Bothe wyff and wedowe that askyght for the,
and frendles chyldryn that haddyn gret nede,
I dude them cure and all for the,
and toke no rewarde of them nor mede.

Now as a wrecch, ffor fals beleve

that I showyed in temptynge this mayde, my hand is ded and doth me greve. Alas! that evyr I here assayde! Angelus: woman, thi sorwe to haue delayde wurchep that childe that ther is born: towch the clothis ther he is layde,

ffor he shal saue all that is lorn.

Salomee: O! gloryous chylde and kynge of blysse!
I aske gow mercy for my trespace,

I knowlege my synne, I demyd amys,
O! blyssyd babe, grawnt me sum grace!
Of zow, mayde, also here in this place,
I aske mercy, knelynge on kne!
moste holy mayde, grawnt me solace,
Sum wurde of comforte sey now to me.

Maria: As goddys aungel to zow dede telle,
my chylde is medycyn ffor every sor;
towch his clothis, be my cowncelle,

goure hand ful sone he wyl restor.

hic Salomee tangit fimbriam Chr(ist)i, dicens :

265

270

[87 a]

275

280

285

290

269, 270, 271, 272] MS has full forms the, and, them, the, them after 292 Christi] Xri MS

295

Salomee: A! now blyssyd be this chylde euermore!
the sone of god forsothe he is.

[he] hath helyd myn hand that was forlore,
thorwe ffals beleve and demynge amys.

[87b] In every place I shal telle this,

300

Of a clene mayde that god is born,
and in oure lyknes god now clad is,
mankend to saue that was forlorn;
his modyr a mayde as sche was beforn,
natt fowle polutyd as other women be,
but fayr and fresche as rose on thorn,
lely wyte, clene with pure virginyte.

305 Of this blyssyd babe my leve now do I take,
and also of gow, hyz modyr of blysse:

310

315

320

Of this grett meracle more knowlege to make
I shal go telle it in iche place, i-wys.

Maria: ffare wel, good dame, and god gour way wysse!
In all gour jurnay god be gour spede!

and of his hyz mercy that lord so gow blysse
that ze nevyr offende more in word, thought, nor
dede.

zelomy: And I also do take my leve here

of all this blyssyd good company,

praynge your grace bothe fere and nere
on us to spede zour endles mercy.

Joseph The blyssyng of that lord, that is most myghty,
mote sprede on gow in every place!

Of all gour enmyes to haue the victory,

God, that best may, grawnt zow his grace! Amen!

295 he] omit MS H

313, 317] MS has full forms and, the

[PLAY] 16. [THE SHEPHERDS' PLAY.]
Angelus ad pastores dicit Gl(or)ia in excelsis deo.
Ang(e)l(u)s: Joye to god that sytt in hevyn,
and pes to man on erthe grownde!

A chylde is born benethe the levyn,
thurwe hym many ffolke shul be vnbownde.
Sacramentys ther shul be vij

wonnyn thorwe that childys wounde,
Therfore I synge a joyful stevene,
the flowre of frenchep now is founde!
God that wonyght on hyg

he is gloryed mannys gost to wynne,
he hath sent salue to mannys synne,
pes is comyn to mannys kynne
thorwe goddys hyze wysdam, I say.

1us pastor: Maunfras, Maunfras, felawe myn!
I saw a grett lyght with shene shyne,
zit saw I nevyr so mervely syne
Shapyn upon the skyes.

It is bryghtere than the sunne bem;
It comyth ryght ouer all this rem;
Evyn above bedleem

I saw it brenne thryes.

ijus pastor: Thu art my brother boosras,
I haue beholdyn the same pas,
I trowe it is tokenynge of gras
that shynynge shewyght beforn.

Gloria Glia MS

6 thorwe]

1 Angelus] Angls MS
thowe original reading of MS
7 MS has full form therfore

13 hyge wysdam I say] two other readings crossed out and illegible
in MS
15 shene corrected in MS by breme and bryght; H
22, 30] MS has full forms Thu, thow
H

reads bryght

Balaam spak in p(ro)phesye,

a lyght shuld shyne upon the skye
whan a sone of a mayd marye
in bedleem were i-born.

30 iijus pastor: thow I make lytyl noyse,
I am an herde that hattyht Moyse;
I herde carpynge of a creyse
Of Moyses in his lawe.

35

40

45

50

Of a mayd a barne born.

on a tre he shulde be torn,
delyver folkys that arn forlorn,
The chylde shulde be slawe.

jus pastor: Balaam spak in p(ro)phecie,
out of jacob shuld shyne a skye,
many ffolke he shulde bye

with his bryght blood.

Be that bryght blod that he shulde blede
he shal us brynge fro the develys drede,
as a duke most dowty in dede,

thorwe his deth on rode.

ijus pastor: Amos spak with mylde methe:
A frute swettere than bawmys brethe,
his deth shuld slen oure sowlys deth,
and drawe us all from helle.

Therfore such lyght goth beforn [896] in tokyn that the childe is born.

26, 38 prophesye] pphesye MS

following a late substitution in the MS

30 noyse] noyse of this H 31 herde] herdeman

and hattyht mose] hattyht sayyng amyce H following late hand
in MS 32 carpynge of a creyse] spekyng of a chyld of blys H
following late hand in MS
34 barne born] child shuld be
37] MS has full form The

borne H and late hand in MS

47, 49, 50] MS has full forms than, and, therfore