From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The Towneley Cycle, Play 12 - The First Shepherds' Play (Una pagina Pastorum - Prima)
001 Primus Pastor. Lord, what thay ar weyll / that hens ar past!
002 Ffor thay noght feyll / theym to downe cast.
003 Here is mekyll vnceyll / and long has it last,
004 Now in hart, now in heyll / now in weytt, now in blast,
005 Now in care,
006 Now in comforth agane,
007 Now is fayre, now is rane,
008 Now in hart full fane,
009 And after full sare.
010 Thus this Warld, as I say / farys on ylk syde,
011 Ffor after oure play / com sorows vnryde;
012 Ffor he that most may / When he syttys in pryde,
013 When it comys on assay / is kesten downe wyde,
014 This is seyn;
015 When ryches is he,
016 Then comys pouerte,
017 Hors-man Iak cope
018 Walkys then, I weyn.
019 I thank it god / hark ye what I mene,
020 Ffor euen or for od / I haue mekyll tene;
021 As heuy as a sod / I grete with myn eene,
022 When I nap on my cod / for care that has bene,
023 And sorow.
024 All my shepe ar gone,
025 I am not left oone,
026 The rott has theym slone;
027 Now beg I and borow.
028 My handys may I wryng / and mowrnyng make,
029 Bot if good will spryng / the countre forsake;
030 Ffermes thyk ar comyng / my purs is bot wake,
031 I haue nerehand nothyng / to pay nor to take;
032 I may syng
033 With purs penneles,
034 That makys this heuynes,
035 Wo is me this dystres!
036 And has no helpyng.
037 Thus sett I my mynde / truly to neuen,
038 By my wytt to fynde / to cast the warld in seuen;
039 My shepe haue I tynde / by the moren full euen;
040 Now if hap will grynde / god from his heuen
041 Send grace.
042 To the fare will I me,
043 To by shepe, perde,
044 And yit may I multyple,
045 Ffor all this hard case.
046 Secundus Pastor. Benste, benste / be vs emang,
047 And saue all that I se / here in this thrang,
048 He saue you and me / ouertwhart and endlang,
049 That hang on a tre / I say you no wrang;
050 Cryst saue vs
051 Ffrom all myschefys,
052 Ffrom robers and thefys,
053 Ffrom those mens grefys,
054 That oft ar agans vs.
055 Both bosters and bragers / god kepe vs fro,
056 That with thare long dagers / dos mekyll wo;
057 Ffrom all byll hagers / with colknyfys that go;
058 Sich wryers and wragers / gose to and fro
059 Ffor to crak.
060 Who so says hym agane,
061 Were better be slane;
062 Both ploghe and wane
063 Amendys will not make.
064 He will make it as prowde / a lord as he were,
065 With a hede lyke a clowde / ffelterd his here;
066 He spekys on lowde / with a grym bere,
067 I wold not haue trowde / so galy in gere
068 As he glydys.
069 I wote not the better,
070 Nor wheder is gretter,
071 The lad or the master,
072 So stowtly he strydys.
073 If he hask me oght / that he wold, to his pay,
074 Ffull dere bese it boght / if I say nay;
075 Bot god that all wroght / to the now I say,
076 Help that thay were broght / to a better way
077 Ffor thare sawlys;
078 And send theym good mendyng
079 With a short endyng,
080 And with the to be lendyng
081 When that thou callys.
082 How, gyb, goode morne / wheder goys thou?
083 Thou goys ouer the corne / gyb, I say, how!
084 Primus Pastor. Who is that? John horne / I make god a vowe!
085 I say not in skorne / thom, how farys thou?
086 Secundus Pastor. Hay, ha!
087 Ar ye in this towne?
088 Primus Pastor. Yey, by my crowne.
089 Secundus Pastor. I thoght by youre gowne
090 This was youre aray.
091 Primus Pastor. I am euer elyke / wote I neuer what it gars,
092 Is none in this ryke / a shepard, farys wars.
093 Secundus Pastor. Poore men ar in the dyke / and oft tyme mars,
094 The warld is slyke / also helpars
095 Is none here.
096 Primus Pastor. It is sayde full ryfe,
097 "[a man may not wyfe
098 And also thryfe,
099 And all in a yere."]
100 Secundus Pastor. Ffyrst must vs crepe / and sythen go.
101 Primus Pastor. I go to by shepe. /
102 Secundus Pastor. Nay, not so;
103 What, dreme ye or slepe? / where shuld thay go?
104 Here shall thou none kepe. /
105 Primus Pastor. A, good sir, ho!
106 Who am I?
107 I wyll pasture my fe
108 Where so euer lykys me,
109 Here shall thou theym se.
110 Secundus Pastor. Not so hardy!
111 Not oone shepe tayll / shall thou bryng hedyr.
112 Primus Pastor. I shall bryng, no fayll / A hundreth togedyr.
113 Secundus Pastor. What, art thou in ayll / longys thou oght whedir?
114 Primus Pastor. Thay shall go, saunce fayll / go now, bell weder!
115 Secundus Pastor. I say, tyr!
116 Primus Pastor. I say, tyr, now agane!
117 I say skyp ouer the plane.
118 Secundus Pastor. Wold, thou neuer so fane,
119 Tup, I say, whyr!
120 Primus Pastor. What, wyll thou not yit / I say, let the shepe go?
121 Whop!
122 Secundus Pastor. Abyde yit. /
123 Primus Pastor. Will thou bot so?
124 Knafe, hens I byd flytt / as good that thou do,
125 Or shall I the hytt / on thi pate, lo,
126 Shall thou reyll;
127 I say, gyf the shepe space.
128 Secundus Pastor. Syr, a letter of youre grace,
129 Here comys slaw-pase
130 Ffro the myln whele.
131 Tercius Pastor. What a do, what a do / is this you betweyn?
132 A good day, thou, and thou. /
133 Primus Pastor. Hark what I meyn
134 You to say:
135 I was bowne to by store,
136 Drofe my shepe me before,
137 He says not oone hore
138 Shall pas by this way;
139 Bot and he were wood / this way shall thay go.
140 Tercius Pastor. Yey, bot tell me, good / where ar youre shepe, lo?
141 Secundus Pastor. Now, sir, by my hode / yit se I no mo,
142 Not syn I here stode. /
143 Tercius Pastor. God gyf you wo
144 And sorow!
145 Ye fysh before the nett,
146 And stryfe on this bett,
147 Sich folys neuer I mett
148 Evyn or at morow.
149 It is wonder to wyt / where wytt shuld, be fownde;
150 Here ar old, knafys yit / standys on this grownde,
151 These wold, by thare wytt / make a shyp be drownde;
152 He were well qwytt / had sold, for a pownde
153 Sich two.
154 Thay fyght and thay flyte
155 Ffor that at comys not tyte;
156 It is far to byd hyte
157 To an eg or it go.
158 Tytter want ye sowll / then sorow I pray;
159 Ye brayde of mowll / that went by the way-
160 Many shepe can she poll / bot oone had she ay-
161 Bot she happynyd full fowll / hyr pycher, I say,
162 Was broken;
163 "[ho, god,"] she sayde,
164 Bot oone shepe yit she hade,
165 The mylk pycher was layde,
166 The skarthis was the tokyn.
167 Bot syn ye ar bare / of wysdom to knawe,
168 Take hede how I fare / and lere at my lawe;
169 Ye nede not to care / if ye folow my sawe;
170 Hold, ye my mare / this sek thou thrawe
171 On my bak,
172 Whylst I, with my hand,
173 Lawse the sek band;
174 Com nar and, by stand
175 Both gyg and Iak;
176 Is not all shakyn owte / and no meyll is therin?
177 Primus Pastor. Yey, that is no dowte. /
178 Tercius Pastor. So is youre wyttys thyn.
179 And ye look well abowte / nawther more nor myn,
180 So gose youre wyttys owte / evyn as It com In:
181 Geder vp
182 And seke it agane.
183 Secundus Pastor. May we not be fane!
184 He has told vs full plane
185 Wysdom to sup.
186 Iak Garcio. Now god gyf you care / foles all sam;
187 Sagh I neuer none so fare / bot the foles of gotham.
188 Wo is hir that yow bare / youre syre and youre dam,
189 Had she broght furth an hare / a shepe, or a lam,
190 Had bene well.
191 Of all the foles I can tell,
192 Ffrom heuen vnto hell,
193 Ye thre bere the bell;
194 God gyf you vnceyll.
195 Primus Pastor. How pastures oure fee / say me, good pen.
196 Iak Garcio. Thay ar gryssed to the kne. /
197 Secundus Pastor. Fare fall the!
198 Iak Garcio. Amen!
199 If ye will ye may se / youre bestes ye ken.
200 Primus Pastor. Sytt we downe all thre / and drynk shall we then.
201 Tercius Pastor. Yey, torde!
202 I am leuer ete;
203 What is drynk withoute mete?
204 Gett mete, gett,
205 And sett vs a borde,
206 Then may we go dyne / oure bellys to fyll.
207 Secundus Pastor. Abyde vnto syne. /
208 Tercius Pastor. Be god, sir, I nyll!
209 I am worthy the wyne / me thynk it good skyll;
210 My seruyse I tyne / I fare full yll,
211 At youre mangere.
212 Primus Pastor. Trus! go we to mete,
213 It is best that we trete,
214 I lyst not to plete
215 To stand in thi dangere;
216 Thou has euer bene curst / syn we met togeder.
217 Tercius Pastor. Now in fayth, if I durst / ye ar euen my broder.
218 Secundus Pastor. Syrs, let vs cryb furst / for oone thyng or oder,
219 That thise wordis be purst / and let vs go foder
220 Oure mompyns;
221 Lay furth of oure store,
222 Lo, here! browne of a bore.
223 Primus Pastor. Set mustard afore,
224 Oure mete now begyns;
225 Here a foote of a cowe / well sawsed, I wene,
226 The pestell of a sowe / that powderd has bene,
227 Two blodyngis, I trow / A leueryng betwene;
228 Do gladly, syrs, now / my breder bedene,
229 With more.
230 Both befe, and moton
231 Of an ewe that was roton,
232 Good mete for a gloton;
233 Ete of this store.
234 Secundus Pastor. I haue here in my mayll / sothen and rost,
235 Euen of an ox tayll / that wold, not be lost;
236 Ha, ha, goderhayll! / I let for no cost,
237 A good py or we fayll / this is good for the frost
238 In a mornyng;
239 And two swyne gronys,
240 All a hare bot the lonys,
241 We myster no sponys
242 Here, at oure mangyng.
243 Tercius Pastor. Here is to recorde / the leg of a goys,
244 With chekyns endorde / pork, partryk, to roys;
245 A tart for a lorde / how thynk ye this doys?
246 A calf lyuer skorde / with the veryose;
247 Good sawse,
248 This is a restorete
249 To make a good appete.
250 Primus Pastor. Yee speke all by clerge[te],
251 I here by your clause;. Cowth ye by youre gramery / reche vs a drynk,
252 I shuld be more mery / ye wote What I thynk.
253 Secundus Pastor. Haue good ayll of hely / bewar now, I wynk,
254 Ffor and thou drynk drely / in thy poll wyll it synk.
255 Primus Pastor. A, so;
256 This is boyte of oure bayll,
257 Good holsom ayll.
258 Tercius Pastor. Ye hold, long the skayll,
259 Now lett me go to.
260 Secundus Pastor. I shrew those lyppys / bot thou leyff me som parte.
261 Primus Pastor. Be god, he bot syppys / begylde thou art;
262 Behold, how he kyppys. /
263 Secundus Pastor. I shrew you so smart,
264 And me on my hyppys / bot if I gart
265 Abate.
266 Be thou wyne, be thou ayll,
267 Bot if my brethe fayll,
268 I shall sett the on sayll;
269 God send the good gayte.
270 Tercius Pastor. Be my dam saull, alyce / It was sadly dronken.
271 Primus Pastor. Now, as euer haue I blys / to the bothom it is sonken.
272 Secundus Pastor. Yit a botell here is. /
273 Tercius Pastor. That is well spoken!
274 By my thryft we must kys. /
275 Secundus Pastor. That had I forgoten.
276 Bot hark!
277 Who so can best syng
278 Shall haue the begynnyng.
279 Primus Pastor. Now prays at the partyng
280 I shall sett you on warke;
281 We haue done oure parte / and songyn right weyll,
282 I drynk for my parte. /
283 Secundus Pastor. Abyde, lett cop reyll.
284 Primus Pastor. Godys forbot, thou spart / and thou drynk euery deyll.
285 Tercius Pastor. Thou has dronken a quart / therfor choke the the deyll.
286 Primus Pastor. Thou rafys;
287 And it were for a sogh
288 Ther is drynk enogh.
289 Tercius Pastor. I shrew the handys it drogh!
290 Ve be both knafys.
291 Primus Pastor. Nay! we knaues all / thus thynk me best,
292 So, sir, shuld, ye call. /
293 Secundus Pastor. Furth let it rest;
294 We will not brall. /
295 Primus Pastor. Then wold I we fest,
296 This mete Who shall / into panyere kest.
297 Tercius Pastor. Syrs, herys;
298 Ffor oure saules lett vs do
299 Poore men gyf it to.
300 Primus Pastor. Geder vp, lo, lo!
301 Ye hungre begers ffrerys!
302 Secundus Pastor. It draes nere nyght / trus, go we to rest;
303 I am euen redy dyght / I thynk it the best.
304 Tercius Pastor. Ffor ferde we be fryght / a crosse lett vs kest,
305 Cryst crosse, benedyght / eest and west,
306 Ffor drede.
307 Jesus. Onazorus,
308 Crucyefixus,
309 Morcus, andreus,
310 God be oure spede!
311 Angel. Herkyn, hyrdes, awake! / gyf louyng ye shall,
312 He is borne for [y]oure sake / lorde perpetuall;. He is comen to take / and
313 Rawnson you all,
314 Youre sorowe to slake / kyng emperiall,
315 He behestys;
316 That chyld is borne
317 At bethelem this morne,
318 Ye shall fynde hym beforne
319 Betwix two bestys.
320 Primus Pastor. A, godys dere dominus! / What was that sang?
321 It was wonder curiose / with small noytys emang;
322 I pray to god saue vs / now in this thrang;
323 I am ferd, by ihesus / somwhat be wrang;
324 Me thoght,
325 Oone scremyd on lowde;
326 I suppose it was a clowde,
327 In myn erys it sowde,
328 By hym that me boght!
329 Secundus Pastor. Nay, that may not be / I say you certan,
330 Ffor he spake to vs thre / as he had bene a man;
331 When he lemyd on this lee / my hart shakyd than,
332 An angell was he / tell you I can,
333 No dowte.
334 He spake of a barne,
335 We must seke hym, I you warne,
336 That betokyns yond starne,
337 That standys yonder owte.
338 Tercius Pastor. It was meruell to se / so bright as it shone,
339 I wold haue trowyd, veraly / it had bene thoner flone,
340 Bot I sagh with myn ee / as I lenyd to this stone;
341 It was a mery gle / sich hard I neuer none,
342 I recorde.
343 As he sayde in a skreme,
344 Or els that I dreme,
345 We shuld go to bedleme,
346 To wyrship that lorde.
347 Primus Pastor. That same childe is he / that prophetys of told,
348 Shuld make them fre / that adam had sold.
349 Secundus Pastor. Take tent vnto me / this is inrold,
350 By the wordys of Isae / a prynce most bold
351 Shall he be,
352 And kyng with crowne,
353 Sett on dauid trone,
354 Sich was neuer none,
355 Seyn with oure ee.
356 Tercius Pastor. Also Isay says / oure faders vs told
357 That a vyrgyn shuld pas / of Iesse, that wold
358 Bryng furth by grace / a floure so bold;
359 That vyrgyn now has / these wordys vphold,
360 As ye se;
361 Trust it now we may,
362 He is borne this day,
363 Exiet virga
364 De radice iesse.
365 Primus Pastor. Of hym spake more / Sybyll as I weyn,
366 And nabugodhonosor / from oure faythe alyene,
367 In the fornace where thay wore / thre childre sene,
368 The fourt stode before / godys son lyke to bene.
369 Secundus Pastor. That fygure
370 Was gyffen by reualacyon
371 That god wold haue a son;
372 This is a good lesson,
373 Vs to consydure.
374 Tercius Pastor. Of hym spake Ieromy / and moyses also,
375 Where he sagh hym by / a bushe burnand, lo!
376 When he cam to aspy / if it were so,
377 Vnburnyd was it truly / at commyng therto,
378 A wonder.
379 Primus Pastor. That was for to se
380 Hir holy vyrgynyte,
381 That she vnfylyd shuld be,
382 Thus can I ponder,
383 And shuld haue a chyld / sich was neuer sene.
384 Secundus Pastor. Pese, man, thou art begyld, / thou shall se hym with eene,
385 Of a madyn so myld / greatt meruell I mene;
386 Yee, and she vnfyld / a virgyn clene,
387 So soyne.
388 Primus Pastor. Nothyng is inpossybyll
389 Sothly, that god wyll;
390 It shalbe stabyll
391 That god wyll haue done.
392 Secundus Pastor. Abacuc and ely / prophesyde so,
393 Elezabeth and zachare / and many other mo,
394 And dauid as veraly / is witnes therto,
395 Iohn Baptyste sewrly / and daniel also.
396 Tercius Pastor. So saying,
397 He is godys son alon,
398 Without hym shalbe none,
399 His sete and his trone
400 Shall euer be lastyng;
401 Primus Pastor. Virgill in his poetre / sayde in his verse,
402 Even thus by gramere / as I shall reherse;
403 "[Iam noua progenies celo demittitur alto,
404 Iam rediet virgo, redeunt saturnia regna."]
405 Secundus Pastor. Weme! tord! what speke ye / here in myn eeres?
406 Tell vs no clerge / I hold you of the freres, ye preche;
407 It semys by youre laton
408 Ye haue lerd, youre caton.
409 Primus Pastor. Herk, syrs, ye fon,
410 I shall you teche;
411 He sayde from heuen / a new kynde is send,
412 Whom a vyrgyn to neuen, oure mys to amend,
413 Shall conceyue full euen / thus make I an end;
414 And yit more to neuen / that samyne shall bend
415 Vnto vs,
416 With peasse and plente,
417 With ryches and menee,
418 Good luf and charyte
419 Blendyd amanges vs
420 Tercius Pastor. And I hold it trew / ffor ther shuld be,
421 When that kyng commys new / peasse by land and se.
422 Secundus Pastor. Now brethere, adew! / take tent vnto me;
423 I wold, that we knew / of this song so fre
424 Of the angell;
425 I hard by hys steuen,
426 He was send downe ffro heuen.
427 Primus Pastor. It is trouth that ye neuen,
428 I hard hym well spell.
429 Secundus Pastor. Now, by god that me boght / it was a mery song;
430 I dar say that he broght / foure & twenty to a long.
431 Tercius Pastor. I wold, it were soght / that same vs emong.
432 Primus Pastor. In fayth I trow noght / so many he throng
433 On a heppe;
434 Thay were gentyll and small,
435 And well tonyd with all.
436 Tercius Pastor. Yee, bot I can thaym all,
437 Now lyst I lepe.
438 Primus Pastor. Brek outt youre voce / let se as ye yelp.
439 Tercius Pastor. I may not for the pose / bot I haue help.
440 Secundus Pastor. A, thy hart is in thy hose! /
441 Primus Pastor. Now, in payn of a skelp
442 This sang thou not lose. /
443 Tercius Pastor. Thou art an yll awelp
444 Ffor angre!
445 Secundus Pastor. Go to now, begyn!
446 Primus Pastor. He lyst not well ryn.
447 Tercius Pastor. God lett vs neuer blyn;
448 Take at my sangre.
449 Primus Pastor. Now an ende haue we doyn / of oure song this tyde.
450 Secundus Pastor. Ffayr fall thi growne / well has thou hyde.
451 Tercius Pastor. Then furth lett vs ron / I wyll not abyde.
452 Primus Pastor. No lyght makethe mone / that haue I asspyde;
453 Neuer the les
454 Lett vs hold, oure beheste.
455 Secundus Pastor. That hold I best.
456 Tercius Pastor. Then must we go eest,
457 After my ges.
458 Primus Pastor. Wold, god that we myght / this yong bab see!
459 Secundus Pastor. Many prophetys that syght / desyryd veralee
460 To haue seen that bright. /
461 Tercius Pastor. And god so hee
462 Wold shew vs that Wyght / we myght say, perde,
463 We had sene
464 That many sant desyryd,
465 With prophetys inspyryd,
466 If thay hym requyryd,
467 Yit I-closyd ar thare eene.
468 Secundus Pastor. God graunt vs that grace. /
469 Tercius Pastor. God so do.
470 Primus Pastor. Abyde, syrs, a space / lo, yonder, lo!
471 It commys on a rase / yond sterne vs to.
472 Secundus Pastor. It is a grete blase / oure gate let vs go,
473 Here he is!
474 Tercius Pastor. Who shall go in before?
475 Primus Pastor. I ne rek, by my hore.
476 Secundus Pastor. Ye ar of the old store,
477 It semys you, Iwys.
478 Primus Pastor. Hayll, kyng I the call! / hayll, most of myght!
479 Hayll, the worthyst of all! / hayll, duke! hayll, knyght!
480 Of greatt and small / thou art lorde by right;
481 Hayll, perpetuall / hayll, faryst wyght!
482 Here I offer!
483 I pray the to take-
484 If thou wold, for my sake,
485 With this may thou lake,-
486 This lytyll spruse cofer.
487 Secundus Pastor. Hayll, lytyll tyn mop / rewarder of mede!
488 Hayll, bot oone drop / of grace at my nede;
489 Hayll, lytyll mylk sop! / hayll, dauid sede!
490 Of oure crede thou art crop / hayll, in god hede!
491 This ball
492 That thou wold resaue,-
493 Lytyll is that I haue,
494 This wyll I vowche saue,-
495 To play the with all.
496 Tercius Pastor. Hayll, maker of man / hayll, swetyng!
497 Hayll, so as I can / hayll, praty mytyng!
498 I cowche to the than / for fayn here gretyng;
499 Hayll, lord! here I ordan / now at oure metyng,
500 This botell-
501 It is an old by-worde,
502 It is a good bowrde,
503 For to drynk of a gowrde,-
504 It holdys a mett potell.
505 Mary. He that all myghtys may / the makere of heuen,
506 That is for to say / my son that I neuen,
507 Rewarde you this day / as he sett all on seuen;
508 He graunt you for ay / his blys full euen
509 Contynuyng;
510 He gyf you good grace,
511 Tell furth of this case,
512 He spede youre pase,
513 And graunt you good endyng.
514 Primus Pastor. Ffare well, fare lorde! / with thy moder also.
515 Secundus Pastor. We shall this recorde / where as we go.
516 Tercius Pastor. We mon all be restorde / god graunt it be so!
517 Primus Pastor. Amen, to that worde / syng we therto
518 On hight;
519 To Ioy all sam,
520 With myrth and gam,
521 To the lawde of this lam
522 Syng we in syght.
523
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The Towneley Cycle, Play 12 - The First Shepherds' Play (Una pagina Pastorum - Prima). From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.