From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 13 - Joseph's Trouble About Mary
Pewterers and Foundours
001 Joseph. Of grete mornyng may I me mene
002 And walke full werily be this way,
003 For nowe than wende I best hafe bene
004 Att ease and reste by reasoune ay.
005 For I am of grete elde,
006 Wayke and al vnwelde,
007 Als ilke man se it maye;
008 I may nowder buske ne belde
009 But owther in frithe or felde;
010 For shame what sall I saie,
011 That thus-gates nowe on myne alde dase
012 Has wedded a yonge wenche to my wiff,
013 And may noyot wele tryne over two strase?
014 Nowe lorde, how lange sall I lede this liff?
015 My banes er heuy als lede
016 And may noyot stande in stede,
017 Als kende it is full ryfe.
018 Now lorde, thou me wisse and rede
019 Or sone me dryue to dede,
020 þou may best stynte this striffe.
021 For bittirly than may I banne
022 The way I in the temple wente,
023 Itt was to me a bad barganne,
024 For reuthe I may it ay repente.
025 For tharein was ordande
026 Vnwedded men sulde stande,
027 Al sembled at asent,
028 And ilke ane a drye wande
029 On heght helde in his hand,
030 And I ne wist what it ment.
031 In-mange al othir ane bare I;
032 Itt florisshed faire, and floures on sprede,
033 And thay saide to me forthy
034 þat with a wiffe I sulde be wedde.
035 þe bargayne I made thare,
036 þat rewes me nowe full sare,
037 So am I straytely sted.
038 Now castes itt me in care,
039 For wele I myght eueremare
040 Anlepy life haue led.
041 Hir werkis me wyrkis my wonges to wete;
042 I am begiled-how, wate I noyot.
043 My yoonge wiffe is with childe full grete,
044 þat makes me nowe sorowe vnsoght.
045 þat reproffe nere has slayne me,
046 Forthy giff any man frayne me
047 How this thing miyot be wroght,
048 To gabbe yf I wolde payne me,
049 þe lawe standis harde agayne me:
050 To dede I mon be broght.
051 And lathe methinketh, on the todir syde,
052 My wiff with any man to defame,
053 And whethir of there twa that I bide
054 I mon noyot scape withouten schame.
055 þe childe certis is noght myne;
056 þat reproffe dose me pyne
057 And gars me fle fra hame.
058 My liff gif I shuld tyne,
059 Sho is a clene virgine
060 For me, withouten blame.
061 But wele I wate thurgh prophicie
062 A maiden clene suld bere a childe,
063 But it is nought sho, sekirly,
064 Forthy I wate I am begiled.
065 And why ne walde som yonge man ta her?
066 For certis I thynke ouer-ga hir
067 Into som wodes wilde,
068 Thus thynke I to stele fra hir.
069 God childe ther wilde bestes sla hir,
070 She is so meke and mylde.
071 Of my wendyng wil I none warne,
072 Neuere the lees it is myne entente
073 To aske hir who gate hir that barne,
074 3itt wolde I witte fayne or I wente.
075 All hayle, God be hereinne.
076 Puella 1. Welcome, by Goddis dere myght.
077 Joseph. Whare is that yoonge virgine
078 Marie, my berde so bright?
079 Puella 1. Certis Joseph, yoe sall vndirstande
080 þat sho is not full farre you fra,
081 Sho sittis at hir boke full faste prayand
082 For yoou and vs, and for all tha
083 þat oght has nede.
084 But for to telle hir will I ga
085 Of youre comyng, withouten drede.
086 Haue done and rise vppe, dame,
087 And to me take gud hede-
088 Joseph, he is comen hame.
089 Mary. Welcome, als God me spede.
090 Dredles to me he is full dere;
091 Joseph my spouse, welcome er yhe.
092 Joseph. Gramercy Marie, saie what chere,
093 Telle me the soth, how est with the?
094 Wha has ben there?
095 Thy wombe is waxen grete, thynke me,
096 þou arte with barne, allas for care.
097 A, maidens, wa worthe yoou,
098 þat lete hir lere swilke lare.
099 Puella 2. Joseph, yoe sall noyot trowe
100 In hir no febill fare.
101 Joseph. Trowe it noght arme? Lefe wenche, do way!
102 Hir sidis shewes she is with childe.
103 Whose ist Marie?
104 Mary. Sir, Goddis and youres.
105 Joseph. Nay, nay,
106 Now wate I wele I am begiled,
107 And reasoune why?
108 With me flesshely was thou neuere fylid,
109 And I forsake it here forthy.
110 Say maidens, how es this?
111 Tels me the sothe, rede I;
112 And but yoe do, iwisse,
113 þe bargayne sall yoe aby.
114 Puella 2. If yoe threte als faste as yhe can
115 þare is noght to saie theretill,
116 For trulye her come neuer no man
117 To waite the body with non ill
118 Of this swete wight,
119 For we haue dwelt ay with hir still
120 And was neuere fro hir day nor nyght.
121 Hir kepars haue we bene
122 And sho ay in oure sight,
123 Come here no man bytwene
124 To touche that berde so bright.
125 Puella 1. Na, here come no man in there wanes
126 And that euere witnesse will we,
127 Saue an aungell ilke a day anes
128 With bodily foode hir fedde has he,
129 Othir come nane.
130 Wharfore we ne wate how it shulde be
131 But thurgh the haly gaste allane.
132 For trewly we trowe this,
133 Is grace with hir is gane,
134 For sho wroght neuere no mys,
135 We witnesse euere ilkane.
136 Joseph. þanne se I wele youre menyng is
137 þe aungell has made hir with childe.
138 Nay, som man in aungellis liknesse
139 With somkyn gawde has hir begiled,
140 And that trow I.
141 Forthy nedes noght swilke wordis wilde
142 At carpe to me dissayuandly.
143 We, why gab ye me swa
144 And feynes swilk fantassy?
145 Allas, me is full wa,
146 For dule why ne myght I dy.
147 To me this is a carefull cas;
148 Rekkeles I raffe, refte is my rede.
149 I dare loke no man in the face,
150 Derfely for dole why ne were I dede;
151 Me lathis my liff.
152 In temple and in othir stede
153 Ilke man till hethyng will me dryff.
154 Was neuer wight sa wa,
155 For ruthe I all to-ryff;
156 Allas, why wroght thou swa
157 Marie, my weddid wiffe?
158 Mary. To my witnesse grete God I call,
159 þat in mynde wroght neuere na mysse.
160 Joseph. Whose is the childe thou arte withall?
161 Mary. Youres sir, and the kyngis of blisse.
162 Joseph. Ye, and hoo than?
163 Na, selcouthe tythandis than is this,
164 Excuse tham wele there women can.
165 But Marie, all that sese the
166 May witte thi werkis ere wan,
167 Thy wombe allway it wreyes the
168 þat thou has mette with man.
169 Whose is it, als faire mot the befall?
170 Mary. Sir, it is youres and Goddis will.
171 Joseph. Nay, I ne haue noght ado withall-
172 Neme it na more to me, be still!
173 þou wate als wele as I,
174 þat we two same flesshly
175 Wroght neuer swilk werkis with ill.
176 Loke thou dide no folye
177 Before me preuely
178 Thy faire maydenhede to spill.
179 But who is the fader? Telle me his name.
180 Mary. None but youreselfe.
181 Joseph. Late be, for shame.
182 I did it neuere; thou dotist dame, by bukes and belles!
183 Full sakles shulde I bere this blame aftir thou telles,
184 For I wroght neuere in worde nor dede
185 Thyng that shulde marre thy maydenhede,
186 To touche me till.
187 For of slyk note war litill nede,
188 Yhitt for myn awne I wolde it fede,
189 Might all be still;
190 þarfore the fadir tell me, Marie.
191 Mary. But God and yhow, I knawe right nane.
192 Joseph. A, slike sawes mase me full sarye,
193 With grete mornyng to make my mane.
194 Therefore be noyot so balde,
195 þat no slike tales be talde,
196 But halde the stille als stane.
197 þou art yonge and I am alde,
198 Slike werkis yf I do walde,
199 þase games fra me are gane.
200 Therfore, telle me in priuité
201 Whos is the childe thou is with nowe?
202 Sertis, ther sall non witte but we,
203 I drede the law als wele as thou.
204 Mary. Nowe grete God of his myght
205 þat all may dresse and dight,
206 Mekely to the I bowe.
207 Rewe on this wery wight,
208 þat in his herte myght light
209 þe soth to ken and trowe.
210 Joseph. Who had thy maydenhede Marie? Has thou oght mynde?
211 Mary. Forsuth, I am a mayden clene.
212 Joseph. Nay, thou spekis now agayne kynde,
213 Slike thing myght neuere na man of mene.
214 A maiden to be with childe?
215 þase werkis fra the ar wilde,
216 Sho is not borne I wene.
217 Mary. Joseph, yhe ar begiled,
218 With synne was I neuer filid,
219 Goddis sande is on me sene.
220 Joseph. Goddis sande? Yha Marie, God helpe!
221 Bot certis that childe was neuere oures twa.
222 But woman-kynde gif tham list yhelpe,
223 Yhitt walde thei na man wiste ther wa.
224 Mary. Sertis it is Goddis sande . [... ...]
225 þat sall I neuer ga fra.
226 Joseph. Yha, Marie, drawe thyn hande,
227 For forther yoitt will I fande,
228 I trowe not it be swa.
229 þe soth fra me gif that thou layne,
230 þe childe-bering may thou noyot hyde;
231 But sitte stille here tille I come agayne,
232 Me bus an erand here beside.
233 Mary. Now grete God he you wisse,
234 And mende you of your mysse
235 Of me, what so betyde.
236 Als he is kyng of blisse,
237 Sende yhou som seand of this,
238 In truth that ye might bide.
239 Joseph. Nowe lord God that al thing may
240 At thyne awne will bothe do and dresse,
241 Wisse me now som redy way
242 To walke here in this wildirnesse.
243 Bot or I passe this hill,
244 Do with me what God will,
245 Owther more or lesse,
246 Here bus me bide full stille
247 Till I haue slepid my fille,
248 Myn hert so heuy it is.
249 Angel. Waken, Joseph, and take bettir kepe
250 To Marie, that is thi felawe fest.
251 Joseph. A, I am full werie, lefe, late me slepe,
252 Forwandered and walked in this forest.
253 Angel. Rise vppe, and slepe na mare,
254 þou makist her herte full sare
255 þat loues the alther best.
256 Joseph. We, now es this a farly fare
257 For to be cached bathe here and thare,
258 And nowhere may haue rest.
259 Say, what arte thou? Telle me this thyng.
260 Angel. I, Gabriell, Goddis aungell full euen
261 þat has tane Marie to my kepyng,
262 And sente es the to say with steuen
263 In lele wedlak thou lede the.
264 Leffe hir noyot, I forbid the,
265 Na syn of hir thou neuen,
266 But tille hir fast thou spede the
267 And of hir noght thou drede the,
268 It is Goddis sande of heuen.
269 The childe that sall be borne of her,
270 Itt is consayued of the haly gast.
271 Alle joie and blisse than sall be aftir,
272 And to al mankynde nowe althir mast.
273 Jesus his name thou calle,
274 For slike happe sall hym fall
275 Als thou sall se in haste.
276 His pepull saffe he sall
277 Of euyllis and angris all,
278 þat thei ar nowe enbraste.
279 Joseph. And is this soth, aungell, thou saise?
280 Angel. Yha, and this to taken right:
281 Wende forthe to Marie thy wiffe alwayse,
282 Brynge hir to Bedlem this ilke nyght.
283 Ther sall a childe borne be,
284 Goddis sone of heuen is hee
285 And man ay mast of myght.
286 Joseph. Now lorde God full wele is me
287 That euyr that I this sight suld see,
288 I was neuer ar so light.
289 For for I walde haue hir thus refused,
290 And sakles blame that ay was clere,
291 Me bus pray hir halde me excused,
292 Als som men dose with full gud chere.
293 Saie Marie, wiffe, how fares thou?
294 Mary. þe bettir sir, for yhou.
295 Why stande yhe thare? Come nere.
296 Joseph. My bakke fayne wolde I bowe
297 And aske forgifnesse nowe,
298 Wiste I thou wolde me here.
299 Mary. Forgiffnesse sir? Late be, for shame,
300 Slike wordis suld all gud women lakke.
301 Joseph. Yha, Marie, I am to blame
302 For wordis lang-are I to the spak.
303 But gadir same nowe all oure gere,
304 Slike poure wede as we were,
305 And prike tham in a pak.
306 Till Bedlem bus me it bere,
307 For litill thyng will women dere;
308 Helpe vp nowe on my bak.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 13 - Joseph's Trouble About Mary. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.