網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

XII. THE SPICERS.

[The Prophets, The Annunciation, and the Visitation.] [42a]

[Scene 1]

[Prologue:] Lord God, grete meruell es to mene,

How man was made withouten mysse,

And sette whare he sulde euer haue bene

Withouten bale, bidand in blisse,

And howe he lost pat comforth clene,
And was putte oute fro paradys,

And sithen what sorouse [s]or warre sene
Sente vnto hym and to al his,
And how they lay lange space
In helle lokyn fro lyght,
Tille God graunted þam grace
Of helpe, as he hadde hyght.
pan is it nedfull for to neven,

How prophettis all good counsailes kende,
Als prophet Amos in his steven,

Lered whils he in his liffe gun lende.

DEUS PATER DISPOSUIT SALUTEM FIERI IN

MEDIO TERR[A]E, ETCE.

He sais þus, god þe fadir in heuen
Ordand in erthe man kynde to mende;
And to grayth it with godhede euen,
His sone he saide þat he suld sende,
To take kynde of man-kyn

In a mayden full mylde;

So was many saued of syn
And the foule fende be-gyled.

7 sor] so S; for MS

19 euen] euen MS

TERRAE] TERRE MS

after 16

5

10

15

20

25

30

And for the feende suld so be fedd
Be tyne, and to no treuth take tentt,
God made þat mayden to be wedde,
Or he his sone vnto hir sentte.
So was the godhede closed and cledde
In wede of weddyng whare th[e]y wente.
And þat oure blysse sulde so be bredde,
Ful many materes may be mente.

QUONIAM IN SEMINE TUO BENEDICENTUR
OMNES GENTES, &C.

[426] God hymself sayde this thynge
To Abraham als hym liste,

35

40

45

50

Of thy sede sall vppe sprynge
Wharein folke sall be bliste.

To proue thes prophettes ordande er,
Als I say vnto olde and yenge,

He moued oure myscheues for to merr;
For thus he prayed god for this thynge,
[R]ORATE C[A]ELI DESUPER,

Lord, late pou doune at thy likyng
pe dewe to fall fro heuen so ferre,

For than the erthe sall sprede and sprynge
A seede þat vs sall saue,

pat nowe in blisse are bente.

Of clerkis who-so will craue,

Þus may þer-gatis be mente:

pe dewe to be gode halygaste
May be remeued in mannes mynde,
The erthe vnto pe mayden chaste,
By-cause she comes of erthely kynde.

27 wedde] so S, wedded MS

S sho H

30 they so K, thy MS 37 er] MS has this at beginning of 38, S follows 41 RORATE CAELI] 46 bente]

MS and inserts a wer at end of 37
ORATE CELI, MS, S

blente H

44 the] of K

pir wise wordis ware noght wroght in waste, To waffe and wende away als wynde,

For this same prophett sone in haste

Saide forthermore, als folkes may fynde:

PROPTER HOC DABIT DOMINUS IPSE VOBIS
SIGNUM, &C.

Loo! he sais pus, god sall gyffe

Here-of a [sygne] to see

Tille all þat lely lyffe,

And þis þare sygne salbe.

ECCE VIRGO CONCIPIET, ET PARIET FILI

UM, &C.

Loo! he sais a mayden mon,

Here on this molde mankynde omell,
Ful clere consayue and bere a sonne,
And neven his name Emanuell.

His kyngdom, þat euer is be-gonne,
Sall never sese, but dure and dwell;
On dauid sege pore sall he wonne,
His domes to deme and trueth to telle.

ZELUS DOMINI FACIET HOC, &c.

He says luffe of oure Lorde
All pis sall ordan þanne,
That mennes pees and accorde
To make with erthely manne.
More of þis mayden me meves [he],
This prophett sais for oure socoure,
EGREDIETUR VIRGA DE JESSE,
A wande sall brede of Jesse boure:
And of pis same also sais hee,

58 sygne] syngne MS, S

ordan MS

he] omit MS

63 Ful] sal K
73 me] omit Hall meves

70 ordan]
menes H

[blocks in formation]

80

85

90

95

100

[43 b]

Vppone þat wande sall springe a floure,
Wher-on pe haly gast sall be,

To governe it with grete honnoure.
That wande meynes vntill vs

pis mayden, even and morne,
And pe floure is Jesus,

þat of þat blyst bees borne.

he prophet Johell, a gentill Jewe,
Som-tyme has saide of þe same thyng:
He likenes criste euen als he knewe,
Like to be dewe in doune commyng.

ERO QUASI ROS ET VIRGO ISRAELL GER-
MINABAT SICUT LILIUM.

pe maiden of Israell al newe,

He sais, sall bere one and forthe brynge,
Als þe lelly floure full faire of hewe.

pis meynes sa to olde and genge
þat þe hegh haly gaste

Come oure myscheffe to mende
In marie mayden chaste,

When god his sone walde sende.
pis lady is to be lilly lyke,

þat is by-cause of hir clene liffe,
For in his worlde was never slyke,

One to be mayden, modir, and wyffe,
And hir sonne kyng in heuen-ryke,
Als oft es red be reasoune ryfe,

And hir husband bath maister and meke,
In charite to stynte all striffe.

[blocks in formation]
« 上一頁繼續 »