N-Town Cycle, Play 21 [Christ Disputes with the Scholars in the Temple] Modo de doctoribus disputantibus cum Jesu in templo 1 PRIMUS DOCTOR Scripture sacre esse dinoscimur doctos, 2 We to bere țe belle of all maner clergyse 3 SECUNDUS DOCTOR Velud rosa omnium forum flos, 4 Lyke onto us was nevyr clerke so wyse. 5 PRIMUS DOCTOR Loke what scyens 3e kan devyse 6 Of redynge, wrytynge, and trewe ortografye, 7 Amongys all clerkys we here țe prysse 8 Of gramer, cadens, and of prosodye. 9 SECUNDUS DOCTOR No clerke abyl to bere oure book 10 Of versyfyeng nor of other scyens. 11 Of swete musyke whoso wyll look, 12 Seke no ferther but to oure presens. 13 Of dyaletyk we haue be hy3 excellence, 14 Of sophestrye, logyk, and phylosophye. 15 Ageyn oure argemente is no recystence 16 In metaphesyk ne astronomye. 17 PRIMUS DOCTOR Of calculacyon and negremauncye, 18 Also of augrym and of asmatryk, 19 O lynyacyon țat longyth to jematrye, 20 Of dyetis and domys țat longyth to phesyk. 21 In all țis scyens is non us lyke 22 In Caton, Gryscysme, nor Doctrynal. 23 And for endytynge with retoryke, 24 țe hyest degré is oure be call. 25 SECUNDUS DOCTOR In grett canon and in cevyle lawe, 26 Also in scyens of polycye, 27 Is non to us wurthe an hawe. 28 Of all cunnynge we gere țe maystrye. 29 Therfore in țis temple we sytt on hye 30 And of most wurchep kepe țe souereynté. 31 țer is on erthe no man so wurthye 32 țe hy3 stat to holdyn as we tweyn be. 33 JESUS Omnis sciencia a Domino Deo est: 34 Al wytt and wysdam, of God it is lent. 35 Of all 3oure lernynge withinne 3oure brest 36 Thank hyghly țat Lord țat hath 3ow sent. 37 Thorwe host and pryde 3oure soulys may be shent. 38 Of wytt and wysdome 3e haue not so mech 39 But God may make at hese entente 40 Of all 3oure connynge many man 3ow lech. 41 PRIMUS DOCTOR Goo hom, lytyl babe, and sytt on ți moderys lappe! 42 And put a mokador aforn ți brest, 43 And pray ți modyr to fede țe with țe pappe. 44 Of țe for to lerne we desyre not to lest. 45 SECUNDUS DOCTOR Go to ți dyner, for țat behovyth the best! 46 Whan țu art athreste, țan take țe a sowke. 47 Aftyr, go to cradyl, țerin to take ți rest, 48 For țat canst țu do bettyr țan for to loke on book. 49 JESUS Stondynge țat 3e be so wytty and wyse, 50 Can 3e owth tellyn how țis werde was wrought? 51 How longe xal it laste can 3e devyse 52 With all țe cunnynge țat 3e han sought? 53 PRIMUS DOCTOR Nay, all erthely clerkys țat telle can nought: 54 It passyth oure wytt țat for to contryve. 55 It is not possyble abought to be brought: 56 țe worldys endyng no man kan dysscryve. 57 JESUS How it was wrought and how longe it xal endure, 58 țat I telle be good delyberacyon. 59 Not only țerof but of every creature, 60 How it is wrought I knowe be plasmacyon. 61 SECUNDUS DOCTOR Of ți wurdys I haue skorne and derys[y]on. 62 How schulde a chylde țat nevyr lettyr dude lere 63 Com to be wytt of so hy3 cognysion 64 Of țe grete werkys țat so wundyrfull were? 65 JESUS Allthynge is brought to informacyon 66 Be thre personys, oo God in Trynité. 67 And on of țo thre hath take incarnacyon, 68 Bothe flesch and blood, of a mayd fre. 69 And be țat myght of țo personys thre 70 Hevyn, and erth, and allthynge is wrought. 71 And as it plesyth țat hy3 mageste, 72 Allthynge xal leste, and lenger nowght. 73 PRIMUS DOCTOR I grawnt weyl allthynge țat God dyde make, 74 And withowtyn hym nothynge may be. 75 But o thynge țu seydyst and țat I forsake: 76 țat oo God alone was personys thre. 77 Ryght onpossyble țat is to me: 78 That on is thre I kannot thynke. 79 If țu canst preve it, anon lett se, 80 For in oure hertys it may nevyr synke. 81 JESUS In țe sunne consydyr 3e thyngys thre: 82 The splendure, țe hete, and țe lyght. 83 As țo thre partys but oo sunne be, 84 Ryght so thre personys be oo God of Myght. 85 SECUNDUS DOCTOR In very feyth, țis reson is ryght! 86 But 3itt, fayr babe, oo thynge we pray 3ow: 87 What do all țo thre personys hyght? 88 Vs to enforme 3e sey to me now. 89 JESUS The fyrst is calde țe Fadyr of Myght, 90 țe secunde țe Sone of Wysdam and Wytt, 91 țe Holy Gost țe iijde, of grace he is lyght; 92 And in oo substauns all these iij be knyt. 93 PRIMUS DOCTOR Another questyon I aske 3ow 3itt: 94 3e seyd on of țese iij toke fiesch and blood, 95 And sche a clene mayde—I kannot beleue it! 96 Clene mayde and modyr nevyr 3it in oo persone stood. 97 JESUS Lyke as be sunne doth perysch be glas, 98 țe glas not hurte of his nature, 99 Ryght so be Godhede entryd has 100 țe Virgynes wombe, and sche mayd pure. 101 That maydonys childe xal do grett cure, 102 Convicte țe devyl in țe opyn felde, 103 And with his bolde berst fecch hom his creature. 104 Mankende to saue, his brest xal be țe shelde. 105 SECUNDUS DOCTOR This childys doctryne doth passe oure wytt! 106 Sum aungel of hevyn I trowe țat he be. 107 But, blyssyd babe, of oo dowte 3itt 108 We pray 3ow enforme us for charyté: 109 Which toke flesch of țe personys thre 110 Ageyn be fende to holde such batayle? 111 JESUS The secunde persone, forsothe, is he 112 Xal fray țe fende withowte fayle. 113 PRIMUS DOCTOR Why rather he than any of țat tother? 114 The fyrst or țe thyrde, why come they nowth? 115 JESUS This is țe cawse why, sertys, and non other: 116 Ageyn țe secunde țe trespas was wrought. 117 Whan țe serpent Adam to synne browth, 118 He temptyd hym nowght be țe Faderys myght; 119 Of țe Gostys goodnes spak he ryght nowght; 120 But in connynge he temptyd hym ryght. 121 Myght is țe Faderys owyn propyrté, 122 To țe Gost aproperyd is goodnes. 123 In none of these tweyn temptyd he, 124 Mankende to synne whan he dede dresse. 125 To țe Sone connynge doth longe expres; 126 Therwith țe serpent dyd Adam asay. 127 “Ete of țis appyl,” he seyd no lesse, 128 “And țu xalt haue connynge as God verray” 129 țus be secunde person attrybute 130 Was only towchyd be temptacyon. 131 Wherfore hymself wyl holde țe sewte 132 And kepe his propyrté fro maculacion. 133 SECUNDUS DOCTOR This is an hevynly declaracyon: 134 Oure naturall wytt it doth excede. 135 So 3onge a childe of such informacyon, 136 In al țis werld nevyr er non 3ede. 137 PRIMUS DOCTOR We be not worthy to kepe țis sete 138 Whyll țat oure mayster is in presens. 139 țe maystry of us țis childe doth gete; 140 We must hym wurchep with hy3 reverens. 141 Come forth, swete babe of grett excellens, 142 țe whysest clerke țat evyr 3ett was born. 143 To 3ow we 3eve țe hy3 resydens, 144 Vs more to teche as 3e haue done beforn. Hic adducunt Jesum inter ipsos et in scanno altiori ipsum sedere faciunt, ipsis in inferioribus scannis sedentibus, et ait ijus doctor: 145 SECUNDUS DOCTOR So 3onge a chylde suche clergye to reche, 146 And so sadly to sey it, we woundyr sore 147 Who was 3oure mayster, who dede 3ow teche? 148 Of what man had 3e țis wurthy lore? 149 JESUS My wytt and my lernynge is no 3onge store: 150 Or țis worde was wrought all ținge dede I knowe. 151 Fyrst, or 3e wore borne, 3erys many score 152 Thorwe țe myght of my fadyr my wytt in me dede flowe. 153 PRIMUS DOCTOR Or țat we weryn born? Nay, țat may nat be! 154 țe 3ongest of us tweyn is iij score 3ere of age. 155 And țiselfe art but a chylde, al men may wel se; 156 Late camst out of cradyl, as it semyth be ți vesage. 157 JESUS I am of dobyl byrth and of dobyl lenage: 158 Fyrst be my fadyr I am without gynnynge. 159 And lyke as he is hendeles in his hy3 stage, 160 So xal I also neuyrmor haue endynge. 161 For be my fadyr, Kynge Celestyall 162 Without begynnyng, I am endles. 163 But be my modyr, țat is carnall, 164 I am but xij 3ere of age, țat is expres. 165 My body of 3ough3 doth shewe wyttnes, 166 Which of my modyr here I dude take. 167 But [be] myn hy3 godhede, țis is no lesse, 168 Allthynge in țis worlde, forsothe, dude I make. 169 SECUNDUS DOCTOR Be 3oure fadyr, țat endles is, 170 Who is 3oure modyr? Telle us we pray. 171 JESUS Be my fadyr, țe hy3 Kynge of Blys, 172 A modyrles chylde I am, veray. 173 PRIMUS DOCTOR Who was 3oure fadyr, to us than say. 174 Be 3oure modyr a woman țat was? 175 JESUS I am fadyrles. As for țat may, 176 Of fleschly luste she dude nevyr trespas. 177 SECUNDUS DOCTOR Telle us, I pray 3ow, what is 3oure name? 178 What hyght 3oure modyr, telle us also. 179 JESU Jesu of Nazareth, I am țe same, 180 Born of a clene mayd, prophetys seyd so. 181 Ysaye seyd bus: Ecce virgo, 182 A mayd xal conceyve in clennes a chylde, 183 3itt ageyn nature and al kende, loo, 184 From all wem of synne pure and vndefylde. 185 Mary, țe chylde ofJoachym and Anne, 186 Ys țat clene mayd, and here childe am I. 187 țe frute of here wombe xal saue euery manne 188 From țe grett dowte of țe fyndys tormentry. 189 PRIMUS DOCTOR All țe clerkys of țis worlde, trewly, 190 Cannot brynge this to declaracyon 191 Lesse țan ței haue of God Almyghty 192 Sum influens of informacyon. 193 SECUNDUS DOCTOR No[w], jentyl Jesu, we 3ow pray, 194 Whyl țat we stodye, a whyle to dwelle, 195 In cas mo dowtys țat we fynde may, 196 țe trewth of hem 3e may us telle. 197 JESU Goo take 3oure stodye and avyse 3ow well, 198 And all 3oure leysere I xal abyde. 199 If any dowtys to me 3e mell, 200 țe trewth țerof I xall vnhyde. 201 MARIA Alas, alas, myn hert is wo! 202 My blyssyd babe awey is went. 203 I wott nevyr whedyr țat he is go. 204 Alas, for sorwe myn hert is rent! 205 Jentyl husbond, haue [3ou] hym sent 206 Out on herrande to any place? 207 But yf 3e knowe were [he] ys bent, 208 Myn hert for woo asondyr wyl race. 209 JOSEPH On my massage I hym not sent, 210 Forsothe, good wyff, in no degré. 211 How longe is it țat he hens went? 212 What tyme dude 3e 3oure childe last se? 213 MARIA Trewly, gode spowse, not țese days thre. 214 țerfore myn herte is cast in care. 215 Hym for to seke wherso he be, 216 In hast, good husbonde, lete us forth fare. 217 JOSEPH Than to Hierusalem lete us streyte wende, 218 For kynred gladly togedyr wole gon. 219 I hope he [is] țer with sum good frende; 220 țer he hath cosynys ryght many on. 221 MARIA I am aferde țat he hath fon 222 For his grett wyttys and werkys good. 223 Lyke hym of wytt forsoth is non; 224 Euery childe with hym is wroth and wood. 225 Alas, my babe, my blys, my blood, 226 Whedyr art țu țus gon fro me? 227 My sowle, my swetyng, my frute, myn food, 228 Send me ssum wurd where țat țu be. 229 Telle me, good serys, for charyté, 230 Jesu, my childe, țat babe of blysse, 231 Amonge țis compayné dude 3e hym se? 232 For Godys hy3 loue, telle where he is. 233 PRIMUS DOCTOR Of oo qwestyon I am bethought, 234 All of 3oure modyr, țat blyssyd may: 235 In what governauns is she brought? 236 How is sche rewlyd be nyght and day? 237 JESU An old man, Joseph, as I 3ow say, 238 Here weddyd be meracle onto his wyff, 239 Here for to fede and kepe alway, 240 And bothyn in clennesse be maydonys o lyff. 241 SECUNDUS DOCTOR What nede was it here to be wedde 242 Onto a man of so grett age 243 Lesse țan ței myght bothe a go to bedde 244 And kept țe lawe of maryage? 245 JESUS To blynde țe devyl of his knowlache, 246 And my byrth from hym to hyde; 247 țat holy wedlok was grett stopage 248 țe devyl in dowte to do abyde. 249 Also whan sche xulde to Egypte gon 250 And fle from Herowde for dowte of me, 251 Becawse she xulde nat go alon, 252 Joseph was ordeyned here make to be, 253 My fadyr, of his hy3 magesté, 254 Here for to comforte in țe way. 255 These be be cawsys, as 3e may se, 256 Why Joseph weddyd țat holy may. 257 MARIA A, dere childe, dere chylde, why hast țu țus done? 258 For țe we haue had grett sorwe and care. 259 Thy fadyr and I thre days haue gone 260 Wyde țe to seke, of blysse ful bare. 261 JESUS Why haue 3e sought me with evy fare? 262 Wete 3e not wele țat I muste ben 263 Amonge hem țat is my faderys ware, 264 His gostly catel for to ovyrsen? 265 MARIA 3oure faderys wyl must nedys be wrought, 266 It is most wurthy țat it so be. 267 3itt on 3oure modyr haue 3e sum thought, 268 And be nevyrmore so longe fro me. 269 As to my thynkynge, these days thre 270 țat 3e absente haue ben away 271 Be more lengere in țer degré 272 țan all be xx space of xij 3ere day. 273 JESUS Now for to plese my modyr mylde 274 I xal 3ow folwe with obedyence. 275 I am 3oure sone and subjecte childe, 276 And owe to do 3ow hy3 reverence. 277 Home with 3ow I wyl go hens, 278 Of 3ow clerkys my leve I take. 279 Euery childe xulde with good dyligens, 280 His modyr to plese, his owyn wyl forsake. 281 PRIMUS DOCTOR O blyssyd Jesu, with 3ow we wende, 282 Of 3ow to haue more informacyon. 283 Ful blyssyd is 3oure modyr hende, 284 Of whom 3e toke 3oure incarnacyon. 285 We pray 3ow,Jesu, of consolacyon 286 At oure most nede of 3oy to haue. 287 All țat hath herd țis consummacyon 288 Of țis pagent, 3oure grace țem saue. 289 Amen