PROLOGUE.
Primus vexillator.
Now gracyous God, groundyd of alle goodnesse,
As thi grete glorie nevyr begynnyng had,
So thou socour and save alle tho that sytt and sese,
And lystenyth to oure talkyng with sylens stylle and sad,
ffor we purpose us pertly stylle in this prese,
The pepyl to plese with pleys ful glad.
Now lystenyth us, lovely, bothe more and lesse,
Gentyllys and ȝemanry of goodly lyff lad,
This tyde.
We xal ȝou shewe, as that we kan,
How that this werd ffyrst began,
And how God made bothe molde and man,
Iff that ȝe wyl abyde.
Secundus vexillator.
In the ffyrst pagent, we thenke to play
How God dede make, thorowe his owyn myth,
Hevyn so clere upon the fyrst day,
And therin he sett angelle fful bryth.
Than angelle with songe, this is no nay,
Xal worchep God, as it is ryth;
But Lucyfer, that angelle so gay,
In suche pompe than is he pyth,
And set in so grete pride,
That Goddys sete he gynnyth to take,
Hese lordys pere hymself to make,
But than he ffallyth a ffend ful blake,
ffrom hevyn in helle to a[bide.]
Tertius vexillator.
In the secunde pagent by Godys myth,
We thenke to shewe and pley, be-dene,
In the other sex days, by opyn syth,
What thenge was wrought ther xal be sene;
How best was made and foule of flyth,
And last was man made, as I wene;
Of mannys o ryb, as I ȝow plyth,
Was woman wrougth mannys make to bene,
And put in paradyse.
Ther were floures bothe blew and blake,
Of alle frutes thei myth ther take,
Saff frute of cunnyng thei xulde forsake,
And towche it in no wyse.
The serpent toke Eve an appyl to byte,
And Eve toke Adam a mursel of the same,
Whan thei had do thus aȝens the rewle of ryte,
Than was oure Lord wrothe and grevyd al with grame.
Oure Lord gan appose them of ther grete delyte,
Bothe to askuse hem of that synful blame,
And than Almyghty God, ffor that gret dyspite,
Assygned hem grevous peyn, as ȝe xal se in game,
In dede,
Seraphyn, an angelle gay,
With brennyng swerd, this is verray,
From paradise bete hem away,
In Bybyl as we rede.
Primus vexillator.
We purpose to shewe in the thryd pagent,
The story of Caym and of hese brother Abelle,
Of here tythynges now be we bent
In this pagent the trewthe to telle.
How the tythyng of Abel with feyr was brent,
And accept to God, yf ȝe wyl dwelle,
We purpose to shewe, as we have ment,
And how he was kyllyd of his brother so felle;
And than
How Caym was cursyd in al degré,
Of Godys owyn mowthe, ther xal ȝe se,
Of trewe tythyng this may wel be,
Exaw[m]ple to every man.
Secundus vexillator.
The iii.ᵈᵉ pagent is now ȝow tolde;
The ffourte pagent of Noe xal be,
How God was wrothe with man an molde,
Because fro synne man dede not fle.
He sent to Noe an angel bolde,
A shyp ffor to makyn and swymmen on the se,
Upon the water bothe wood and coolde,
And viij. sowles ther savyd xulde be.
And j. peyre of everiche bestes in brynge.
Whan xl.ᵗⁱ days the flode had fflowe,
Than sente Noe out a crowe,
And after hym he sent a dowe,
That brouth ryth good tydyng.
Tertius vexillator.
Of Abraham is the fyfte pagent,
And of Ysaac his sone so fre,
How that he xulde with fere be brent,
And slayn with swerd, as ȝe xal se.
Abraham toke with good atent
His sone Ysaac, and knelyd on kne,
His suerd was than ful redy bent,
And thouth his chylde ther offered xuld be,
Upon an hylle ful ryff.
Than God toke tent to his good wyl,
And sent an angel ryth sone hym tyl,
And bad Abraham a shep to kyl,
And savyd his chyldys lyff.
Primus vexillator.
The sexte pagent is of Moyses,
And of tweyn tabelys that God hym took,
In the whiche were wrete, without les,
The lawes of God to lerne and lok.
And how God charged hym be wordys these,
The lawes to lerne al of that book,
Moyses than doth nevyr more sese,
But prechyth duly both ȝere and woke,
The lawes as I ȝow telle.
The ten comaundementes alle be-dene,
In oure play ȝe xal hem sene,
To alle tho that there wyl bene,
If that ȝe thenke to duelle.
Secundus vexillator.
Off the gentyl Jesse rote,
The sefnt pagent forsothe xal ben,
Out of the whiche doth sprynge oure bote,
As in prophecye we redyn and sen;
Kyngys and prophetes with wordys fful sote,
Schulle prophesye al of a qwene,
The whiche xal staunche oure stryff and moote,
And wynnyn us welthe withoutyn wene,
In hevyn to abyde.
They xal prophecye of a mayde,
Alle ffendys of here xal be affrayde,
Here sone xal save us, be not dismayde,
With hese woundys wyde.
Tertius vexillator.
Of the grete bushop Abyacar,
The tende pagent xal be without lesyng,
The whiche comaundyth men to be war,
And brynge here douteres to dew weddyng;
Alle that ben xiiij. ȝere and more,
To maryage he byddyth hem bryng,
Wherevyr thei be, he chargyth sore,
That thei not ffayle for no lettyng,
The lawe byddyth so serteyn than.
Than Joachym and Anne so mylde,
Thei brynge forthe Mary that blyssyd chylde,
But she wold not be defylyde,
With spot nor wem of man.
In chastyté that blysful mayde
Avowyd there here lyff to lede.
Than is the busshop sore dysmayde,
And wonderyth sore al of this dede;
He knelyd to God, as it is sayde,
And prayth than for help and rede.
Than seyth an angel, “be not afrayde,
Of this dowte take thou no drede,
But for the kynrede of Davyd thou sende;
Lete hem come with here offryng,
And in here handys white ȝerdys brynge,
Loke whose ȝerde doth ffloure and sprynge,
And he xal wedde that mayden hende.”
Primus vexillator.
In the x.ᵗᵉ pagent, sothe to say,
A masangere fforthe is sent;
Davydis kynrede without delay
They come fful sone with good entent.
Whan Joseph offeryd his ȝerde that day,
Anon ryth fforth in present
The ded styk do floure fful gay,
And than Joseph to wedlok went,
Ryth as the angel bad.
Than he plyth to his wyff,
In chastyté to ledyn here lyff,
The busshop toke here iij. maydenys ryff,
Som comforte there she had.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xj.ᵈᵉ pagent goth Gabryelle,
And doth salute oure lady ffre,
Than grett with chylde, as I ȝow telle,
That blyssyd mayde, forsothe is she.
Tho iij. maydenys that with here dwelle,
Here gret speche, but noon thei se,
Than they suppose that sum angelle,
Goddys masangere that it xuld be.
And thus
The Holy Gost in here is lyth,
And Goddys sone in here is pygth,
The aungelle doth telle what he xal hyght,
And namyth the chylde Jhesus.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xij. pagent, as I ȝow telle,
Joseph comyth hom fro fer countré,
Oure ladyes wombe with chylde doth swelle,
And than Joseph ful hevy is he;
He doth forsake here with hert ful felle,
Out of countré he gynnyth to fle,
He nevyr more thenkyth with here to dwelle,
And than oure lady ryth sore wepyth she.
An angelle seyd hym ryf,
“God is with thi wyff sertayn,
Therfore, Joseph, turne hom agayn.”
Than is Joseph in herte ful fayn,
And goth ageyn onto his wyff.
Primus vexillator.
The xiiij.ᵗᵉ pagent, I sey ȝow be-dene,
Xal be of Joseph and mylde Mary,
How they were sclawndryd with trey and tene,
And to here purgacion thei must hem hy.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xv. pagent shewe we xal,
How Joseph went withoute varyauns,
ffor mydwyvys to helpe oure lady at alle,
Of childe that she had delyverauns.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xvj. pagent Cryst xal be born,
Of that joy aungelys xul synge,
And telle the shepherdys in that morn
The blysseful byrth of that kyng.
The shepherdys xal come hym befforn,
With reverens and with worchepyng,
ffor he xal savyn that was forlorn,
And graunt us lyff evyr more lestyng,
I-wys.
This gle in grythe
Is mater of myrthe,
Now Crystys byrthe,
Primus vexillator.
The xv.ᵗᵉ pagent come kynges iij.,
With gold, myrre, and ffrankynsens,
Kyng Herowdys styward hem doth se,
And bryngyth alle to his presens.
The Kynges of Coleyn with hert ful ffre,
Tolde kyng Herownde here dylygens,
That thei south in that countré
A kyng of kynges, ffrom fere thens
A sterre led hem the way.
The chylde is ȝoung and lyth in stalle.
He xal be kyng of kynges alle,
Beffore hym we thynk on kne to ffalle,
And worchep hym this day.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xvj. pagent as wroth as wynde
Is kyng Herownde, the sothe to say,
And cruel knytes and unkende
To sle male chylderyn he sendyth that day.
But Cryst Jhesu thei may not ffynde,
For Joseph hath led that childe away
Unto Egypth, as we have mende,
As angele to Joseph dyd byd and say
In hyȝht.
Tho chylderyn that syt in here moderes lap,
To sowkyn ful swetly here moderes pap,
The knythtes do sle hem evyn at a swap,
This is a rewly syth.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xvij. pagent the knythtes, be-dene,
Shulle brynge dede childeryn befor the kyng;
Whan kyng Herownde that syth hath sene,
fful glad he is of here kyllyng.
Than kyng Herownde, withowtyn wene,
Is sett to mete at his lykyng,
In his most pride xal come gret tene,
As ȝe xal se at oure pleyng.
His sorwe xal awake;
Whan he is sett at hese most pryde,
Sodeyn deth xal thrylle his syde,
And kylle his knyttes that with hym byde;
The devyl ther soulys xal take.
Primus vexillator.
In the xviij. pagent we must purpose,
To shewe whan Cryst was xij. ȝer of age,
How in the temple he dede appose
And answerd doctoris ryth wyse and sage.
The blyssyd babe withowte glose,
Overcam olde clerkes with suyche langage,
That thei meveylyd, ȝe xal suppose,
How that he cam to suche knowlage.
And in this whyle,
Thre days he was oute
ffro his modyr, without doute,
Wepyng she sowth hym rownde aboute
Jherusalem many a myle.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xix. pagent xal seynt Jhon
Baptyse Cryst, as I ȝow say,
In the watyr of flom Jordone,
With which devys, as we best may,
The Holy Gost xal ovyr hym on,
The ffaderes voys xal be herd that day,
Out of hevyn that blisful trone,
The fadyr xal be herd, this is no nay,
And forth with pleyn.
The Holy Gost xal be hys gyde
Into desert therin to abyde,
Xl.ᵗⁱ days a terme ful wyde,
And xl.ᵗⁱ nyghtes to faste serteyn.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xx.ᵗⁱ pagent alle the develys of helle,
They gadere a parlement, as ȝe xal se,
They have grete doute the trewth to telle,
Of Cryst Jhesu whath he xulde be.
They sende Sathan, that ffynde so ffelle,
Cryst for to tempte in fele degré:
We xal ȝow shewe, if ȝe wyl dwelle,
How Cryst was temptyd in synnys thre
Of the deyvl Sathane;
And how Cryst answeryd onto alle,
And made the ffende awey to falle,
As we best may this shewe we xalle,
Thorwe grace of God and man.
Primus vexillator.
The xxj.ᵗⁱ pagent of a woman xal be,
The whiche was take in adultrye;
The Pharysewys ffalsed ther ȝe xal se,
Cryst to convycte how they were slye.
They conseyvyd this sotylté,
Yf Cryst this woman dede dampne trewly,
Ageyn his prechyng than dede he,
Whiche was of peté and of mercy;
And yf he dede here save,
Than were he aȝens Moyses lawe,
That byddyth with stonys she xulde be slawe,
Thus they thowth undyr ther awe
Secundus vexillator.
The grettest meracle that evyr Jhesus
In erthe wrouth beforn his passyon,
In xxij.ᵗⁱ pagent we purpose us
To shewe in dede the declaracion.
That pagent xal be of Lazarus,
In whos place and habytacion
Cryst was logyd, the Gospel seyth thus,
And ofte tymes toke ther consolacion.
But ȝyt
Lazarus, as I ȝow say,
Was iiij. days ded and beryed in clay,
ffrom deth to lyve the iiij.ᵗᵉ day,
Cryst reysed hym ffrom that pyt.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xxiij.ᵗⁱ pagent, Palme Sunday,
In pley we purpose ffor to shewe,
How chylderyn of Ebrew with ffloures ful gay,
The wey that Cryst went thei gun to strewe.
Primus vexillator.
In the xxiiij.ᵗⁱ pagent, as that we may,
Cryst and his apostelys alle on rewe,
The mawnde of God ther xal they play,
And sone declare it with wordys ffewe.
And than
Judas that fals traytour,
ffor xxx.ᵗⁱ platys of werdly tresour,
Xal betray oure Savyour
To the Jewys certan.
Secundus vexillator.
ffor grevous peyn, this is no les,
In the xxv.ᵗⁱ pagent, Cryst xal pray
To the fadyr of hevyn that peyn for to ses,
His shamful deth to put away.
Judas that traytour, befor gret pres,
Xal kys his mouthe and hym betray,
Alle his dyscyples than do dyscres,
And forsake Cryst, the sothe to say,
ffor doute thei do hem hede.
Hese dyscyplys alle everychone
Do renne awey and leve hym alone,
They lete hym stondyn amonge his ffon,
And ronne away ffor drede.
Tertius vexillator.
Than in the xxvj.ᵗⁱ pagent,
To Cayphas Cryst xal be brouth,
Tho Jewys fful redy ther xul be bent,
Cryst to acuse with worde and thouth.
Seynt Petyr doth folwe with good intent,
To se with Cryst what xuld be wrouth;
ffor Crystes dyscyple whan he is hent,
Thryes he doth swere he knew hym nowth,—
A kok xal crowe and crye;
Than doth Petyr gret sorwe make,
ffor he his lord thus dede forsake,
But God to grace hym sone doth take,
Whan he doth aske mercye.
Primus vexillator.
In the xxvij. pagent, sere Pylat
Is sett in sete as hy justyce;
Whan he is set in his astat,
Thre thevys be brout of synful gyse,
And Cryst that lovyd nevyr stryff nor bat,
But trewthe and goodnesse on every wyse,
As for a thef with ryth gret hat,
Is browth to stondyn at that same syse.
And than, as I ȝow say,
The wyff of Pylat goth to rest,
Coveryd with clothis al of the best,
Than ffor to slepe she is ful prest,
Alle this we thenke to play.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xxviij. pagent xal Judas,
That was to Cryst a ffals traytour,
With wepyng sore evyr crye, alas,
That evyr he solde oure Savyour.
He xal be sory ffor his trespas,
And brynge aȝen alle his tresour,
Alle xxx. pens to sere Cayphas,
He xal them brynge with gret dolowre,
ffor the whiche Cryst was bowth.
ffor gret whanhope, as ȝe xal se,
He hangyth hymself upon a tre,
ffor he noth trostyth in Godys peté,
To helle his sowle is browth.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xxix. pagent, to Pylatus wyff
In slepe aperyth the devyl of helle,
ffor to savyn Crystes lyff,
The devyl here temptyth, as I ȝow telle.
Sche sendyth to Pylat anon ful ryff,
And prayth that Cryst he xuld not qwelle;
Than Pylat is besy and ryth blyff,
Cryst for to savyn he ȝevyth councelle,
ffor he dede nevyr trespas.
The Jewys do crye fast ffor to kylle,
The rythful man thei aske to spylle,
A thef thei save with herty wylle,
That callyd is Barrabas.
Primus vexillator.
In the xxx. pagent thei bete out Crystes blood,
And nayle hym al nakyd upon a rode tre,
Betwen ij. thevys, i-wys they were to wood,
They hyng Cryst Jhesu, gret shame it is to se.
Vij. wurdys Cryst spekyth hangyng upon the rode,
The weche ȝe xal here alle tho that wyl ther be,
Than doth he dye ffor oure allether good;
His modyr doth se that syth, gret mornyng makyth she,
ffor sorwe she gynnyth to swowne.
Seynt John evyn ther as I ȝow plythe,
Doth chere oure lady with al his mythe,
And to the temple anon forth rythe,
He ledyth here in that stownde.
Secundus vexillator.
We purpose to shewe in oure pleyn place,
In the xxxj.ᵗⁱ pagent, thorwe Godys mythe,
How to Crystes herte a spere gan pace,
And rent oure lordys bryst in ruly plyth.
ffor Longeus that olde knyth, blynd as he was,
A ryth sharpe spere to Crystes herte xal pythe,
The blod of his wounde to his oyn xal tras,
And thorwe gret meracle ther hath he syth.
Than in that morn,
Crystes soule goth downe to helle,
And ther ovyrcomyth the fend so felle,
Comfortyth the soulys that therin dwelle,
And savyth that was fforlorn.
Tertius vexillator.
Joseph and Nycodemus to Cryst trew servaunt
In the xxxij. page[nt] the body thei aske to have.
Pylat ful redyly the body doth hem graunt,
Than thei with reverens do put it in grave.
The Jewys more wyckyd than ony geawunt,
ffor Crystes ded body kepers do thei crave,
Pylat sendyth iiij. knytes that be ryth hardaunt,
To keep the blody body in his dede conclave.
And ȝit be his owyn myth,
The body that was hevy as led,
Be the Jewys nevyr so qwed,
Aryseth from grave that ther lay ded,
And ffrayth than every knyth.
Primus vexillator.
In the xxiij. pagent the soule of Cryst Jhesu
Xal brynge alle his ffrendys ffrom helle to paradyse,
The soule goth than to the grave, and be ryth gret vertu
That body that longe ded hath loyn to lyf aȝen doth ryse.
Than doth Cryst Jhesu onto his modyr sew,
And comfortyth alle here care in temple ther she lyse,
With suche cher and comforth his modyr he doth indew,
That joy it is to here ther speche for to devyse.
And than
Oure lady of hefne so cler,
In herte sche hath ryth glad chere,
Whan here sone thus doth apere,
Here care awey is tan.
Secundus vexillator.
In the xxxiiij. pagent xal Maryes thre
Seke Cryst Jhesu in his grave so coolde;
An aungel hem tellyth that aresyn is he;
And whan that this tale to them is tolde,
To Crystes dyscyplis with wurdys fful fre,
They telle these tydynges with brest ful bolde.
Than Petyr and John, as ȝe xal se,
Down rennyn in hast over lond and wolde,
The trewth of this to have.
Whan thei ther comyn, as I ȝow say,
He is gon ffrom undyr clay,
Than thei wytnesse anoon that day,
He lyth not in his grave.
Tertius vexillator.
Onto Mary Mawdelyn as we have bent,
Cryst Jhesu xal than apere,
In the xxxv.ᵗⁱ pagent,
And she wenyth he be a gardenere.
Mary, be name verament,
Whan Cryst here callyth with speche ful clere,
She fallyth to ground with good entent,
To kys his fete with gladsom chere.
But Cryst byddyth here do way,
He byddyth his feet that sche not kys,
Tyl he have styed to hefne blys,
To Crystes dyscyplys Mary i-wys
Than goth the trewthe to say.
Primus vexillator.
In the xxxvj.ᵗⁱ pagent xal Cleophas
And Sent Luke to a castel go,
Of Crystes deth as thei fforth pas
They make gret mornyng and be ful wo,
Than Cryst them ovyrtok, as his wyl was,
And walkyd in felachep fforth with hem too,
To them he doth expowne bothe more and las
Alle that prophetes spake ad of hymself also;
That nyth in fay,
Whan thei be set within the castelle,
In brekyng of bred thei know Cryst welle,
Than sodeynly, as I ȝow telle,
Secundus vexillator.
In the xxxvij. pagent than purpos we,
To Thomas of Ynde Cryst xal apere,
And Thomas evyn ther, as ȝe xal se,
Xal put his hands in his woundes dere.
Tertius vexillator.
In the xxxviij.ᵗⁱ pagent up stye xal he
Into hefne that is so clere,
Alle hese apostele there xul be,
And woundere sore and have gret dwere,
Of that fferly syth.
Ther xal come aungelle tweyne,
And comfforte hem, this is certeyne,
And tellyn that he xal comyn ageyne,
Even by his owyn myth.
Primus vexillator.
Than ffolwyth next sekyrly,
Of Wyttsunday that solempne ffest,
Whyche pagent xal be ix. and thretty,
To the apostelys to apere be Crystes hest;
In Hierusalem were gaderyd xij. opynly,
To the Cenacle comyng ffrom West to Est,
The Holy Gost apperyd fful vervently,
With brennyng ffere thyrlyng here brest,
Procedyng from hevyn trone.
Alle maner langage hem spak with tung,
Latyn, Grek, and Ebrew amonge,
And affter thei departyd and taryed not long,
Here deth to take ful sone.
Secundus vexillator.
The xl.ᵗⁱ pagent xal be the last,
And domysday that pagent xal hyth,
Who se that pagent may be agast
To grevyn his lord God eyther day or nyth;
The erthe xal qwake, bothe breke and brast,
Beryelys and gravys xul ope ful tyth,
Ded men xul rysyn and that ther in hast,
And ffast to here ansuere thei xul hem dyth,
Beffore Godys fface.
But prente wyl this in ȝour mende,
Who so to God hath be unkende,
ffrenchep ther xal he non ffynde,
Ne ther get he no grace.
Tertius vexillator.
Now have we told ȝow alle be-dene
The hool mater that we thynke to play;
Whan that ȝe come, ther xal ȝe sene
This game wel pleyd in good aray.
Of holy wrytte this game xal bene,
And of no fablys be no way,
Now God them save from trey and tene,
ffor us that prayth upon that day,
And qwyte them wel ther mede.
A Sunday next, yf that we may,
At vj. of the belle we gynne oure play,
In N. towne, wherfore we pray,
That God now be ȝoure spede. Amen.