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[Joseph's Return.]

[Scene 1]

Jos[eph]: Of grete mornyng may I me mene,

And walk full werily be þis way,

For nowe pan wende I best hase bene

Att ease and reste by reasonne ay.

For I am of grete elde,
Wayke and al vnwelde,

Als ilke man se it maye,

I may nowder buske ne belde.
But owther in frith or felde,

For shame what sall I saie
That þus-gates nowe on myne alde dase
Has wedded a yonge wenche to my wiff,
And may nogt wele tryne over two strase?
Nowe, lorde, how langes all I lede pis liff!
My banes er heuy als lede,

And may nogt stande in stede,

Als kende it is full ryfe.

Now, lorde, pou me wisse and rede,
Or sone me dryue to dede!

Þou may best stynte þis striffe.

For bittirly pan may I banne
The way I in þe temple wente,
Itt was to me a bad barganne,
For reuthe I may it ay repente.
For þare-in was ordande
Vn-wedded men sulde stande,
Al sembled at asent,

S gives scene as "Joseph wandering in
at one side."
1 me] omit H

wilderness; his house 3 hase] have K 14 langes all]

9 But] omit K
me] we MS

4 reasonne] reasoun K
lange sall Hall 18 lorde omit K

And ilke ane a drye wande
On heght helde in his hand,

And I ne wist what it ment.

In-mange al othir ane bare I;

Itt florisshed faire, and floures on sprede,
And they saide to me for-thy

hat with a wyffe I sulde be wedde.

Þe bargayne I made þare,

þat rewes me nowe full sare,

So am I straytely sted.

Now castes itt me in care,

For wele I myght euere mare

Anlepy life haue led.

Hir werkis me wyrkis my wonges to wete,

I am begiled; how, wate I nogt.

My gonge wiffe is with childe full grete,
þat makes me nowe sorowe vnsought.
þat reproffe nere has slayne me!
For-thy giff any man frayne me
How pis þing may be wroght,
To gabbe yf I wolde payne me,
Þe lawe standis harde [agayne] me,
To dede I mon be broght.

And lathe me thinkep, on þe todir syde,
My wiff with any man to defame,
And whethir of there twa þat I bide
I mon nogt scape withouten schame.
pe childe certis is noght myne—
pat reproffe dose me pyne,
And gars me fle fra hame.
My liff gif I shuld tyne,
Sho is a clene virgine
For me, withouten blame.

33 saide] saide all K

49 agayne] agayns MS

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[46b]

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But wele I wate thurgh prophicie,

A maiden clene suld bere a childe,
But it is nought sho, sekirly,

For-thy I wate I am begiled.

And why ne walde som yonge man [ta] hir?
For certis I thynke ouer-ga hir

Into som wodes wilde;

Thus thynke I to stele fra hir.

God childe ther wilde bestes sla hir,
She is so meke and mylde.

Of my wendyng wil I none warne,
Neuere pe lees it is myne entente
To aske hir who gate hir þat barne,
gitt wolde I witte fayne or I wente.

[Scene 2]

75 All hayle! God be here-in!

i Puella: Welcome, by Goddis dere myght! [47a] Joseph]: Whare is þat gonge virgine, Marie, my berde so bright?

i Puella: Certis, Joseph, ze sall vndirstande 80 pat sho is not fulle farre you fra

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Sho sittis at hir boke full faste prayand
For you and us and for all þa

þat oght has nede.

But for to tell hir will I ga

Of youre comyng, withouten drede.

[To Mary]: Haue done! and rise up, dame,

And to me take gud hede!

Joseph, he is comen hame.

Maria: Welcome, als God me spede!
Dredles to me he is full dere,

Joseph, my spouse, welcome er yhe!

65 And] omit H ta] take MS

Jos[eph]: Gramercy, Mary, saie what chere,
Telle me pe soth, how es't with pe?
Wha has ben there?

Thy wombe is waxen grete, thynke me,
pou arte with barne, allas! for care!

A! maidens, wa worthe gou!

pat lete hir lere swilke lare.

ii Puella: Joseph, ze sall noght trowe

In hir no febill fare.

Jos[eph]: Trowe it noght arme! lefe wenche, do way!
Hir sidis shewes she is with childe.

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With me flesshely was pou neuere fylid,

And I forsake [the] here for-thy.

Say, maidens, how es pis?

Tels me pe soþe, rede I;

And but ze do, i-wisse,

þe bargayne sall ge aby.

ii Puella: If ze threte als faste as yhe can, pare is noght to saie pere till,

For trulye her come neuer noman,

To waite her body with non ill

Of this swete wight.

For we haue dwelt ay with her still,

And was neuere fro hir day nor nyght.

Hir kepars haue we bene,

and sho ay in oure sight.

103 Marie] omit HK Nay, nay at beginning of 104 in MS and S, H & K suggest this arrangement, for rime, but omit one nay 107 the] it MS S; Zupitza suggests this emendation

115 her]

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[47b]

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Come here no man bytwene

to touche pat berde so bright.

i Puella: Na, here come noman in þere wanes,
And þat euere witnesse will we,

Saue an Aungell ilke a daye anes,
With bodily foode hir fedde has he,
Othir come nane.

Wharfore we ne wate how it shulde be,

But thurgh þe haly gaste allone.

For truly we trowe pis,

[h]is grace with hir is gone,

For sho wroght neuere no mys,

we witnesse euere ilkane.

Jos[eph]: panne se I wele youre menyng is,

Þe Aungell has made hir with childe;
Nay, som man in aungellis liknesse
With somkyn gawde has hir begiled,
And pat trow I.

For-thy nedes noght swilke wordis wilde

At carpe to me dissayuandly.

We! why gab ye me swa,

and feynes swilk fantassy?

Allas, me is full wa!

for dule why ne myght I dy?

To me pis is a carfull cas,

Rekkeles I raffe, reste is my rede,

I dare loke no man in pe face,

Derfely for dole why ne were I dede?

Me lathis my liff!

In temple and in othir stede

Ilke man till hethyng will me dryff,