295

therfore will I wayte on this would
vpon the wedder, for I am werye.

Tertius pastor: Though wee bine werye, noe wonder, what betweene wrastling and wakinge!

Ofte wee may bee in thought, we be now vnder,

god amend hit with his makinge!

Tunc sedebunt, et stella apparebit, et dicant

300 Prim(us) pastor: What is all this light here that blasses soe bright here

305

310

on my black beard?

for to see this light here
a man may bee afright here,

for I am afeard.

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: ffeard for a fraye nowe

may wee bee all nowe,

and yett it is night,

yett seemes yt day nowe,

never, soothly to saye nowe,
see I such a sight.

Tertius Pastor: Such a sight seeminge,

and a light leeminge

lett mee to looke.

294 wayte] weete H

wonder H

295 the wedder] this would H

296 pastor] omit H bine] be HB Wh 297 wakinge] walking B Wh 298] ofte maye we be over though we be no after 299 stella apparebit ] apparebit stella H et dicat] omit H, dicant Wr. 300 pastor] omit H 301 blasses shynes H, black is B, blackes Wh 303 light] sight H 304 and 305] written as one line in H, as are 306 and 307, 312 and 313, 314 and 315. 305 afeard] afraid B h Dm., freayde Wr. 306 pastor] omit H ffeard] aferd H, ffreayde Wh 818 leeminge]

308 and] a B Wh gleming H

310] omit Wh

314 lett] letts HB Wh to] for to H

All, to my deeminge,

from a starre streaminge

yt to mee stroake.

Garcius: That starre if it stond

to seeke will I fond,

though my sight fayle mee.

while I may live in lond,
why should I not fond

yf it will avayle mee?

Tunc respiciens firmamentum dicat Garcius:
A! gode might is,

in yonder starre light is,

of the sonne this sight is,

as it nowe seemes.

Prim(us) pastor: Hit seemes, as I now see,

a bright starre to bee,

there to abyde.

from yt we may not flee,
but aye gloe on the glee,
tyll yt downe glyde.

(Secundus) pastor: ffellowes, will wee

kneele downe on our knee,
after comford,

to the trewe trinitee,

for to lead vs for to see

our elders' lord.

318 Garcius] Trowle Wh

318 and 319] written as one

line in H as are every first and second, every fourth and fifth lines of all these six-line stanzas. 319 seeke] se HB Wh

sight] might light Wh
stond H, found B Wh
Garcius] Trowle Wh
Zupitza suggests mightis
omit H
pastor] omit H
to see] to see H B Wh

mee] omit H B Wh
323 mee] omit HB Wh

dicat] et dicat Wr.
327 seemes] sheines W
329 to] for to H 332 gloe] glye
336 comford] comfortes Wh

320 my

322 not fond]
before
324 might is]
328 pastor]

Wh

334

338 for

315

320

325

330

[45b]

335

340 Tertius pastor: Our lord will vs lere,

345

350

355

360

in our prayer,
wherto yt will apent,

and why on high here
the eare is soe cleare,
nowe shall wee bekent.

Garcius: Lord of this light,

send vs some sight

why that it is sent.
before this night,

was I never so afright

of the firmament.

Prim(us) pastor: (nor I), by my faye!

nowe is it nigh daye,

so was it never.

therfore I praye

the sooth us to saye,

or that we desever.

Tunc cantet Angelus: Gloria in excelsis deo, et in terra

pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis.

(Primus pastor): ffellowes in feare,

may yee not here

this mutinge on (height)?

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: In glore and in glere,

yett noe man was nere

within our sight.

340 pastor] omit H

well H

kent HB Wh guide B Wh

omit H nor I] we] omit h

you HBW h

on glere H B

341 in in this H

343 high height H B Wh

346 Garcius] Trowle Wh
348 that ] omit H sent] fayre H
Ne fye D, wiest I B Wh

358 primus pastor] omit DH
360 height] highe D

357 that] omit H

359 yee]

361 secundus

pastor] omit H in glore ] on glore H B, a glore Wh in glere]

Tertius pastor: Naye, yt was a 'glorye,'

nowe am I sorye

bowt more songe.

Garcius: Of this strange storye

such mirth (more I)

would have amonge.

Prim(us) pastor: as I then deemed,

'selsis' it seemed

that hee songe soe.

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Whyle the light leemed,

a wreakinge mee weened,

I wyst never whoo.

Tertius pastor: What song was this, saye yee,
that he sang to vs, all three?
expounded shall yt bee,
erre wee hethen passe;
for I am eldest of degree,

365

370

[46a]

375

380

and alsoe best, as seemes mee,

hit was 'groy, gloy,' with a 'glee,'
hit was neyther more nor lesse.

Garcius: Nay, yt was 'gloy, glay, glorius,'

methinke that note went over the howse;
a seemely man he was and curiouse,
but soone awaye hee was.

371 selsis] Calcis H, Selcis B, 372 songe] sang HB Wh soe] omit W 374 a wreakinge] awwakinge h mee] 376 pastor] omit H

376 377 he] 379 erre] or HB Wh

we H weened] deemed h
and 377] written as one line in H as are also 378 and 379
the W, was h sang] songe h
hethen] hense Wr.

382 groy gloy] glorum glarum H, glorie glare h, glore glare W, glore glore B 384 Garcius] Trowle W h 384-388] omit H gloy glay] glore glore HB glorie glora W, 385 methinke] methought H B Wh went] ronne Wh

glori h

385

390

395

Prim(us) pastor: Nay, yt was 'glory, glay,' with a 'glo,' and much of 'celsis' was therto,

as ever have I rest [of] woo,

much hee spake of 'glas.'

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Naye, yt was neyther 'glas' nor 'glye,'

therfore, fellowe, nowe stand bye!

Tertius pastor: By my fayth, hee was some spye
our sheepe for to steale;

or elles hee was a man of our crafte,
for seemely hee was and wonders deft.

Garcius: Nay, hee came by night [and] all thinges lefte,

our tuppes with tarre to teale.

400 Prim(us) pastor: Naye, on a 'glow,' and a 'glay,' and

405

a 'gly'

gurd Gabryell, when hee so gloryd, when hee sange I might not be sorye, through my brest-bonne bletinge he bored. S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Nay, by god, yt was a 'gloria' sayde Gabryell, when hee sayde soe;

he had a mych better voyce then I have,
as in heaven all other have soe.

390 of]

388 primus pastor] omit H glory glay] glorum glarum H, glore glare B, glory glory W, glory glore h or DHB Wh wo] rowe HB Wh glye] glee H B h Dm.

392 pastor] omit H 394 pastor] omit H hee] it HB 398 Garcius]

397 wonders] wondrous H, wonder B Wh Trowle Wh came come HBW h and] omit DHB Wh 399 teale] tayle H, tell B Wh 400 primus pastor] omit H glow] glore H B Wh 401 gurd] good H B through HB Wh

and a glay] on a glory Wh, and a glare H

gloryd] glored H bleting] bloting H

404 pastor] omit Hh god] my faith H sang soe H B h Dm., biganne so Wr.

403 through] for bored] borned B Wh

405 sayde soe] 406 I have had I H