From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The Towneley Cycle, Play 8 - Pharaoh (Pharao)
The Listers or Dyers
001 Pharao. Peas, of payn that no man pas;
002 Bot kepe the course that I commaunde,
003 And take good hede of hym that has
004 Youre helth all holy in hys hande;
005 Ffor kyng pharro my fader Was,
006 And led thys lordshyp of thys land;
007 I am hys hayre as age Wyll has,
008 Euer in stede to styr or stand.
009 All Egypt is myne awne
010 To leede aftyr my law;
011 I Wold my myght Were knawne
012 And honoryd, as hyt awe.
013 Ffull low he shall be thrawne
014 That harkyns not my sawe,
015 Hanged hy and drawne,
016 Therfor no boste ye blaw;
017 Bot as for kyng I commaund peasse,
018 To all the people of thys empyre.
019 Looke no man put hym self in preaase,
020 Bot that Wyll do as I desyre,
021 And of youre Wordis look that ye seasse.
022 Take tent to me, youre soferand syre,
023 That may youre comfort most increasse,
024 And to my lyst bowe lyfe and lyre.
025 Primus Miles. My lord, if any here Were,
026 That Wold not wyrk youre Wyll,
027 If We myght com thaym nere,
028 Ffull soyn we shuld theym spyll.
029 Pharao. Thrugh out my kyngdom Wold I ken,
030 And kun hym thank that Wold me tell,
031 If any Were so Waryd men
032 That wold my fors downe fell.
033 Secundus Miles. My lord, ye haue a maner of men
034 That make great mastres vs emell;
035 The Iues that Won in gersen,
036 Thay ar callyd chyldyr of Israel.
037 Thay multyplye full fast,
038 And sothly We suppose
039 That shall euer last,
040 Oure lordshyp for to lose.
041 Pharao. Why, how haue thay sych gawdis begun?
042 Ar thay of myght to make sych frayes?
043 Primus Miles. Yei, lord, full fell folk ther Was fun
044 In kyng pharao, youre fader dayes.
045 Thay cam of Ioseph, Was iacob son-
046 He Was a prince Worthy to prayse-
047 In sythen in ryst haue thay ay ron;
048 Thus ar thay lyke to lose youre layse,
049 Thay Wyll confound you cleyn,
050 Bot if thay soner sesse.
051 Pharao. What deuyll is that thay meyn
052 That thay so fast incresse?
053 Secundus Miles. How thay incres full well we ken,
054 As oure faders dyd vnderstand;
055 Thay Were bot sexty and ten
056 When thay fyrst cam in to thys land;
057 Sythen haue soierned in gersen
058 [Fower hundreth] Wynter, I dar warand;
059 Now ar thay nowmbred of myghty men
060 Moo then [thre hundreth] thousand,
061 Wyth outen Wyfe and chyld,
062 Or hyrdis that kepe thare fee.
063 Pharao. How thus myght we be begyld?
064 Bot shall it not be;
065 Ffor wyth quantyse we shall thaym quell,
066 So that thay shall not far sprede.
067 Primus Miles. My lord, we haue hard oure faders tell,
068 And clerkis that well couth rede,
069 Ther shuld a man walk vs amell
070 That shuld fordo vs and oure dede.
071 Pharao. ffy on hym, to the deuyll of hell!
072 Sych destyny wyll we not drede;
073 We shal make mydwyfis to spyll them
074 Where any ebrew is borne,
075 And all menkynde to kyll them,
076 So shall thay soyn be lorne.
077 And as for elder haue I none awe,
078 Sych bondage shall I to thaym beyde,
079 To dyke and delf, bere and draw,
080 And to do all vnhonest deyde;
081 So shall these laddis be halden law,
082 In thraldom euer thare lyfe to leyde.
083 Secundus Miles. Now, certis, thys was a sotell saw,
084 Thus shall these folk no farthere sprede.
085 Pharao. Now help to hald theym downe,
086 Look I no fayntnes fynde.
087 Primus Miles. All redy, lord, We shall be bowne,
088 In bondage thaym to bynde.
089 Moyses. Gret god, that all thys Warld began,
090 And growndyd it in good degre,
091 Thou mayde me, moyses, vnto man,
092 And sythen thou sauyd me from the se;
093 Kyng Pharao had commawndyd, than,
094 Ther shuld no man chyld sauyd be;
095 Agans hys Wyll away I wan;
096 Thus has god, shewed hys myght for me.
097 Now am I sett to kepe,
098 Vnder thys montayn syde,
099 Byshope Iettyr shepe,
100 To better may be tyde;
101 A, lord, grete is thy myght!
102 What man may of yond meruell meyn?
103 Yonder I se a selcowth syght,
104 Sych on in Warld Was neuer seyn;
105 A bush I se burnand full bryght,
106 And euer elyke the leyfes are greyn;
107 If it be wark of Warldly Wyght,
108 I Wyll go wyt wythoutyn Weyn.
109 God
110 Moyses, Moyses!. Moyses, com not to nere,
111 Bot styll in that stede thou dwell,
112 And harkyn vnto me here;
113 Take tent What I the tell.
114 Do of thy shoyes in fere,
115 Wyth mowth as I the mell,
116 The place thou standis in there
117 Forsothe, is halowd Well.
118 I am thy lord, Wythouten lak,
119 To lengthe thi lyfe euen as I lyst;
120 I am god that som tyme spake
121 To thyn elders, as thay Wyst;
122 To abraam, and Isaac,
123 And iacob, I sayde shuld be blyst,
124 And multytude of them to make,
125 So that thare seyde shuld not be myst.
126 Bot now thys kyng, pharao,
127 He hurtys my folk so fast,
128 If that I suffre hym so,
129 Thare seyde shuld, soyne be past;
130 Bot I Wyll not so do,
131 In me if thay Wyll trast,
132 Bondage to bryng thaym fro.
133 Therfor thou go in hast
134 To do my message, haue in mynde,
135 To hym that me sych harme mase;
136 Thou speke to hym Wyth wordis heynde,
137 So that he let my people pas,
138 To Wyldernes that thay may Weynde,
139 To Worshyp me as I wyll asse.
140 Agans my wyll if that thay leynd,
141 Ful soyn hys song shall be 'alas.'
142 Moyses. A, lord! pardon me, Wyth thy leyf,
143 That lynage luffis me noght;
144 Gladly thay Wold me greyf,
145 If I sych bodworde broght.
146 Good lord, lett som othere frast,
147 That has more fors the folke to fere.
148 God. Moyses, be thou nott abast,
149 My bydyng shall thou boldly bere;
150 If thay with wrong away Wold Wrast,
151 Outt of the way I shall the Were.
152 Moyses. Good lord, thay Wyll not me trast
153 For all the othes that I can swere;
154 To neuen sych noytis newe
155 To folk of Wykyd Wyll,
156 Wyth outen tokyn trew,
157 Thay wyll not tent ther tyll.
158 God. If that he wyll not vnderstand
159 Thys tokyn trew that I shall sent,
160 Afore the kyng cast downe thy Wand,
161 And it shall turne to a serpent;
162 Then take the tayll agane in hand-
163 Boldly vp look thou it hent-
164 And in the state that thou it fand,
165 Then shal it turne by myne intent.
166 Sythen hald thy hand soyn in thy barme,
167 And as a lepre it shal be lyke,
168 And hole agane with outen harme;
169 Lo, my tokyns shal be slyke.
170 And if he wyll not suffre then
171 My people for to pas in peasse,
172 I shall send venyance [neyn] or ten,
173 Shall sowe full sore or I seasse.. Bot the ebrewes, won in Iessen,
174 Shall not be merkyd with that measse;
175 As long as thay my lawes Wyll ken
176 Thare comforth shall euer increasse
177 Moyses. A, lord, to luf the aght vs well,
178 That makis thy folk thus free;
179 I shall vnto thaym tell
180 As thou has told to me.
181 Bot to the kyng, lord, when I com,
182 If he aske what is thy name,
183 And I stand styll, both deyf & dom,
184 How shuld, I [skape] withoutten blame?
185 God. I say the thus, 'Ego sum qui sum,'
186 I am he that is the same;
187 If thou can nother muf nor mom,
188 I shall sheld, the from shame.
189 Moyses. I vnderstand full well thys thyng,
190 I go, lord, with all the myght in me.
191 God. Be bold in my blyssyng,
192 Thi socoure shall I be.
193 Moyses. A, lord of luf, leyn me thy lare,
194 That I may truly talys tell;
195 To my freyndis now wyll I fare,
196 The chosyn childre of Israell,
197 To tell theym comforth of thare care,
198 In dawngere ther as thay dwell.
199 God manteyn you euermare,
200 And mekyll myrth be you emell.
201 Primus Puer. A, master moyses, dere!
202 Oure myrth is all mowrnyng;
203 Ffull hard halden ar we here
204 As carls vnder the kyng.. Secundus Puer. We may mowrn, both more and myn,
205 Ther is no man that oure myrth mase;
206 Bot syn we ar all of a kyn,
207 God send vs comforth in thys case.
208 Moyses. Brethere, of youre mowrnyng blyn;
209 God Wyll delyuer you thrugh his grace,
210 Out of this wo he wyll you wyn,
211 And put you to youre pleassyng place;
212 Ffor I shall carp vnto the kyng,
213 And fownd full soyn to make you free.
214 Primus Puer. God graunt you good Weyndyng,
215 And euermore with you be.
216 Moyses. kyng pharao, to me take tent.
217 Pharao. Why, boy, what tythyngis can thou tell?
218 Moyses. ffrom god hym self hydder am I sent
219 To foche the chyldre of Israell;
220 To Wyldernes he wold thay went.
221 Pharao. yei, weynd the to the devyll of hell!
222 I gyf no force What he has ment,
223 In my dangere, herst thou, shall thay dwell;
224 And, fature, for thy sake,
225 Thay shalbe put to pyne.
226 Moyses. Then wyll god venyance take
227 Of the, and of all thyn.
228 Pharao. On me? fy on the lad, out of my land!
229 Wenys thou thus to loyse oure lay?
230 Say, whence is yond warlow with his wand
231 That thus wold wyle oure folk away?
232 Primus Miles. Yond is moyses, I dar warand,
233 Agans all egypt has beyn ay,
234 Greatt defawte with hym youre fader fand;
235 Now wyll he mar you if he may.
236 Pharao. ffy on hym! nay, nay, that dawnce is done;
237 Lurdan, thou leryd to late.
238 Moyses. God bydis the graunt my bone,
239 And let me go my gate.
240 Pharao. Bydis god me? fals losell, thou lyse!
241 What tokyn told he? take thou tent.
242 Moyses. He sayd thou shuld dyspyse
243 Both me, and hys commaundement;
244 Fforthy, apon thys wyse,
245 My Wand he bad, in thi present,
246 I shuld lay downe, and the avyse
247 How it shuld turne to oone serpent;
248 And in hys holy name
249 Here I lay it downe;
250 Lo, syr, here may thou se the same.
251 Pharao. A, ha, dog! the devyll the drowne!
252 Moyses. He bad me take it by the tayll,
253 For to prefe hys powere playn;
254 Then he sayde, wythouten fayll,
255 Hyt shuld turne to a wand agayn.
256 Lo, sir, behold!
257 Pharao. wyth ylahayll!
258 Certis this is a sotell swayn!
259 Bot thyse boyes shall abyde in bayll,
260 All thi gawdis shall thaym not gayn;
261 Bot wars, both morn and none,
262 Shall thay fare, for thi sake.
263 Moyses. I pray god send us venyange sone,
264 And on thi Warkis take wrake.
265 Primus Miles. Alas, alas! this land is lorn!
266 On lyfe we may [no] longer leynd;
267 Sych myschefe is fallen syn morn,
268 Ther may no medsyn it amend.
269 Pharao. Why cry ye so, laddis? lyst ye skorn?
270 Secundus Miles. Syr kyng, sych care was neuer kend,
271 In no mans tyme that euer was borne.
272 Pharao. Tell on, belyfe, and make an end.
273 Primus Miles. Syr, the Waters that were ordand
274 For men and bestis foyde,
275 Thrugh outt all egypt land,
276 Ar turnyd into reede bloyde;
277 Ffull vgly and full yll is hytt,
278 That both fresh and, fayre was before.
279 Pharao. O, ho! this is a wonderfull thyng to wytt,
280 Of all the warkis that euer wore!
281 Secundus Miles. Nay, lord, ther is anothere yit,
282 That sodanly sowys vs full sore;
283 Ffor todis and froskis may no man flyt,
284 Thay venom vs so, both les and more.
285 Primus Miles. Greatte mystis, sir, ther is both morn and noyn,
286 Byte vs full bytterly;
287 We trow that it be doyn
288 Thrugh moyses, oure greatte enmy.
289 Secundus Miles. My lord, bot if this menye may remefe,
290 Mon neuer myrth be vs amang.
291 Pharao. Go, say to hym we wyll not grefe,
292 Bot thay shall neuer the tytter gang.
293 Primus Miles. Moyses, my lord gyffys leyfe
294 To leyd thi folk to lykyng lang,
295 So that we mend of oure myschefe.
296 Moyses. ffull well I wote, thyse wordis ar wrang;
297 But hardely all that I heytt
298 Ffull sodanly it shall be seyn;
299 Vncowth meruels shalbe meyt
300 And he of malyce meyn.
301 Secundus Miles. A, lord, alas, for doyll we dy!
302 We dar look oute at no dowre.
303 Pharao. What, ragyd the dwyll of hell, alys you so to cry?
304 Primus Miles. ffor we fare wars then euer we fowre;
305 Grete loppys ouer all this land thay fly,
306 And where thay byte thay make grete blowre,
307 And in euery place oure bestis dede ly.
308 Secundus Miles. hors, ox, and asse,
309 Thay fall downe dede, syr, sodanly.
310 Pharao. we! lo, ther is no man that has
311 Half as mych harme as I.
312 Primus Miles. yis, sir, poore folk haue mekyll wo,
313 To se thare catall thus out cast.
314 The Iues in gessen fayre not so,
315 Thay haue lykyng for to last.
316 Pharao. Then shall we gyf theym leyf to go,
317 To tyme this perell be on past;
318 Bot, or thay flytt oght far vs fro,
319 We shall them bond twyse as fast.
320 Secundus Miles. Moyses, my lord gyffis leyf
321 Thi meneye to remeue.
322 Moyses. ye mon hafe more myschefe
323 Bot if thyse talys be trew.
324 Primus Miles. A, lord, we may not leyde thyse lyfys.
325 Pharao. what, dwyll! is grevance grofen agayn?
326 Secundus Miles. ye, sir, sich powder apon vs dryfys,
327 Where it abidys it makys a blayn;
328 Mesell makys it man and wyfe,
329 Thus ar we hurt with hayll & rayn.
330 Syr, v[y]nys in montanse may not thryfe,
331 So has frost & thoner thaym slayn.
332 Pharao. yei, bot how do thay in gessen,
333 The Iues, can ye me say?
334 Primus Miles. Of all thyse cares no thyng thay ken,
335 Thay feyll noght of our afray.
336 Pharao. No? the ragyd! the dwyll! sytt thay in peasse?
337 And we euery day in doute & drede?
338 Secundus Miles. My lord, this care wyll euer encrese,
339 To moyses haue his folk to leyd;
340 Els be we lorn, it is no lesse,
341 Yit were it better that thai yede.
342 Pharao. Thes folk shall flyt no far,
343 If he go welland wode.
344 Primus Miles. Then will it sone be war;
345 It were better thay yode.
346 Secundus Miles. My lord, new harme is comyn in hand.
347 Pharao. Yei, d,will, will it no better be?
348 Primus Miles. wyld wormes ar layd ouer all this land,
349 Thai leyf no floure, nor leyf on tre.
350 Secundus Miles. Agans that storme may no man stand;
351 And mekyll more meruell thynk me,
352 That thise thre dayes has bene durand
353 Sich myst, that no man may other se.
354 Primus Miles. A, my lord!
355 Pharao. hagh!
356 Secundus Miles. Grete pestilence is comyn;
357 It is like ful long to last.
358 Pharao. [pestilence] in the dwilys name!
359 Then is oure pride ouer past.
360 Primus Miles. My lord, this care lastis lang,
361 And will, to moyses haue his bone;
362 Let hym go, els wyrk we wrang,
363 It may not help to houer ne hone.
364 Pharao. Then will we gif theym leyf to gang;
365 Syn it must nedis be doyn;
366 Perchauns we sall thaym fang
367 And mar them or to morn at none.
368 Secundus Miles. Moyses, my lord he says
369 Thou shall haue passage playn.
370 Moyses. Now haue we lefe to pas,
371 My freyndis, now be ye fayn;
372 Com furth, now sall ye weynd
373 To land of lykyng you to pay.
374 Primus Puer. Bot kyng Pharao, that fals feynd,
375 He will vs eft betray;
376 Ffull soyn he will shape vs to sheynd,
377 And after vs send his garray.
378 Moyses. Be not abast, god is oure freynd,
379 And all oure foes will slay;
380 Therfor com on with me,
381 Haue done and drede you noght.
382 Secundus Puer. That lord blyst might he be,
383 That vs from bayll has broght.
384 Primus Puer. Sich frenship neuer we fand;
385 Bot yit I drede for perels all,
386 The reede see is here at hand,
387 Ther shal we byde to we be thrall.
388 Moyses. I shall make way ther with my wand,
389 As god has sayde, to sayf vs all;
390 On ayther syde the see mon stand,
391 To we be gone, right as a wall.
392 Com on wyth me, leyf none behynde;
393 Lo fownd, ye now youre god to pleasse,
394 Secundus Puer. O, lord! this way is heynd;
395 Now weynd we all at easse.
396 Primus Miles. kyng pharao! thyse folk ar gone.
397 Pharao. Say, ar ther any noyes new?
398 Secundus Miles. Thise Ebrews ar gone, lord, euer-ichon.
399 Pharao. how says thou that?
400 Primus Miles. lord, that tayll is trew.
401 Pharao. We, out tyte, that they were tayn;
402 That ryett radly shall thay rew,
403 We shall not seasse to thay be slayn,
404 Ffor to the see we shall thaym sew;
405 So charge youre chariottis swythe,
406 And fersly look ye folow me.
407 Secundus Miles. All redy, lord, we ar full blyth
408 At youre byddyng to be.
409 Primus Miles. lord, at youre byddyng ar we bowne
410 Oure bodys boldly for to beyd;
411 We shall not seasse, bot dyng all downe,
412 To all be dede withouten drede.
413 Pharao. heyf vp youre hertis vnto mahowne,
414 He will be nere vs in oure nede;
415 Help! the raggyd dwyll, we drowne!
416 Now mon we dy for all oure dede.
417 Moyses. Now ar we won from all oure wo,
418 And sauyd out of the see;
419 Louyng gyf we god vnto,
420 Go we to land now merely.
421 Primus Puer. lofe we may that lord on hyght,
422 And euer tell on this meruell;
423 Drownyd he has Kyng pharao myght,
424 Louyd be that lord Emanuell.
425 Moyses. heuen, thou attend, I say, in syght,
426 And erth my wordys; here what I tell.
427 As rayn or dew on erth doys lyght
428 And waters herbys and trees full well,
429 Gyf louyng to goddys mageste,
430 Hys dedys ar done, hys ways ar trew,
431 Honowred be he in trynyte,
432 To hym be honowre and vertew.
433 Amen.
434
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The Towneley Cycle, Play 8 - Pharaoh (Pharao). From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.