From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama
The York Cycle, Play 15 - The Angels and the Shepherds
Chaundelers
001 Pastor. Bredir, in haste takis heede and here
002 What I wille speke and specifie;
003 Sen we walke thus, withouten were,
004 What mengis my moode nowe meve yt will I.
005 Oure forme-fadres faythfull in fere,
006 Bothe Osye and Isaye,
007 Preued that a prins withouten pere
008 Shulde descende doune in a lady,
009 And to make mankynde clerly,
010 To leche tham that are lorne.
011 And in Bedlem hereby
012 Sall that same barne by borne.
013 Pastor 2. Or he be borne in burgh hereby,
014 Balaham, brothir, me haue herde say,
015 A sterne shulde schyne and signifie
016 With lightfull lemes like any day.
017 And als the texte it tellis clerly
018 By witty lerned men of oure lay,
019 With his blissid bloode he shulde vs by,
020 He shulde take here al of a maye.
021 I herde my syre saye,
022 When he of hir was borne,
023 She shulde be als clene maye
024 As euer she was byforne.
025 Pastor 3. A, mercifull maker, mekill is thy myght,
026 That thus will to thi seruauntes see,
027 Might we ones loke vppon that light
028 Gladder bretheren myght no men be.
029 I haue herde say, by that same light
030 The childre of Israell shulde be made free,
031 The force of the feende to felle in fighte,
032 And all his pouer excluded shulde be.
033 Wherfore, brether, I rede that wee
034 Flitte faste ouere thees felles,
035 To frayste to fynde oure fee,
036 And talke of sumwhat ellis.
037 Pastor 1. We, Hudde!
038 Pastor 2. We, howe?
039 Pastor 1. Herkyn to me.
040 Pastor 2. We, man, thou maddes all out of myght.
041 Pastor 1. We, Colle!
042 Pastor 3. What care is comen to the?
043 Pastor 1. Steppe furth and stande by me right,
044 And telle me than
045 Yf thou sawe euere swilke a sight.
046 Pastor 3. I? Nay, certis, nor neuere no man.
047 Pastor 2. Say felowes, what, fynde yhe any feest,
048 Me falles for to haue parte, pardé
049 Pastor 1. Whe, Hudde, behalde into the heste,
050 A selcouthe sight than sall thou see
051 Vppon the skye.
052 Pastor 2. We, telle me men, emang vs thre,
053 Whatt garres yow stare thus sturdely?
054 Pastor 3. Als lange as we haue herde-men bene
055 And kepid this catell in this cloghe,
056 So selcouth a sight was neuere non sene.
057 Pastor 1. We, no Colle. Nowe comes it newe inowe,
058 þat mon we fynde. [... ...]
059 Pastor 3
060 Itt menes some meruayle vs emang,
061 Full hardely I you behete.
062 Pastor 1. What it shulde mene that wate not yoee,
063 For all that yoe can gape and gone.
064 I can synge itt alls wele as hee,
065 And on asaie itt sall be sone
066 Proued or we passe.
067 Yf yoe will helpe, late see, halde on,
068 For thus it was:
069 Pastor 2. Ha! Ha! this was a mery note,
070 Be the dede that I sall dye,
071 I haue so crakid in my throte
072 þat my lippis are nere drye.
073 Pastor 3. I trowe thou royse,
074 For what it was fayne witte walde I
075 That tille vs made this noble noyse.
076 Pastor 1. An aungell brought vs tythandes newe
077 A babe in Bedlem shulde be borne,
078 Of whom than spake oure prophicie trewe-
079 And bad us mete hym thare this morne-
080 þat mylde of mode.
081 I walde giffe hym bothe hatte and horne
082 And I myght fynde that frely foode.
083 Pastor 3. Hym for to fynde has we no drede,
084 I sall you telle achesoune why:
085 3one sterne to that lorde sall vs lede.
086 Pastor 2. 3a, thou sais soth. Go we forthy
087 Hym to honnour,
088 And make myrthe and melody,
089 With sange to seke oure savyour.
090 Pastor 1. Breder, bees all blythe and glad,
091 Here is the burgh ther we shulde be.
092 Pastor 2. In that same steede now are we stadde,
093 Tharefore I will go seke and see.
094 Slike happe of heele neuere herde-men hadde;
095 Loo, here is the house, and here is hee.
096 Pastor 3. 3a forsothe, this is the same,
097 Loo whare that lorde is layde
098 Betwyxe two bestis tame,
099 Right als the aungell saide.
100 Pastor 1. The aungell saide that he shulde saue
101 This worlde and all that wonnes therin,
102 Therfore yf I shulde oght aftir crave
103 To wirshippe hym I will begynne:
104 Sen I am but a symple knave,
105 þof all I come of curtayse kynne,
106 Loo here slyke harnays as I haue-
107 A baren-broche by a belle of tynne
108 At youre bosom to be;
109 And whenne yoe shall welde all
110 Gud sonne, forgete noyot me
111 Yf any fordele falle.
112 Pastor 2. þou sonne that shall saue bothe see and sande,
113 Se to me sen I haue the soght;
114 I am ovir poure to make presande
115 Als myn harte wolde, and I had ought.
116 Two cobill notis vppon a bande,
117 Loo, litill babe, what I haue broght,
118 And whan yoe sall be lorde in lande
119 Dose goode agayne, forgete me noght,
120 For I haue herde declared
121 Of connyng clerkis and clene,
122 That bountith askis rewarde;
123 Nowe watte yoe what I mene.
124 Pastor 3. Nowe loke on me, my lorde dere,
125 þof all I putte me noght in pres,
126 Ye are a prince withouten pere,
127 I haue no presentte that you may plees.
128 But lo, an horne spone that haue I here-
129 And it will herbar fourty pese-
130 þis will I giffe you with gud chere,
131 Slike noveltémay noght disease.
132 Farewele thou swete swayne,
133 God graunte vs levyng lange,
134 And go we hame agayne
135 And make mirthe as we gange.
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Proper Citation: NeCastro, Gerard. The York Cycle, Play 15 - The Angels and the Shepherds. From Stage to Page - Medieval and Renaissance Drama. http:www.umm.maine.edu/faculty/necastro/drama. Date Visited.