Ludus Coventriæ

by Unknown

VII. THE PROPHETS.

Ysaias.

I am the prophete callyd Isaye,

Replett with Godys grett influens,

And sey pleynly, be spyryte of prophecie,

That a clene mayde, thourghe meke obedyens,

Shalle bere a childe whiche xal do resystens

Ageyn foule ȝabulon, the devyl of helle,

Mannys soule ageyn hym to defens,—

Opyn in the felde the fend he xal felle.

Wherefore I seye quod virgo concipiet

Et pariet filium nomen Emanuel,

Oure lyf for to save he xal suffyr dethe,

And bye us to his blysse in hevyn for to dwelle.

Of sacerdotale lynage, the trewth I ȝow telle,

fflesche and blood to take God wylle be borne;

Joye to man in erth, and in hevyn aungelle

At the chyldys byrthe joye xal make that morn.

Radix Jesse.

Egredietur virga de radice Jesse,

Et flos de radice ejus ascendet.

A blyssyd braunche xal sprynge of me,

That xal be swettere than bawmys brethe;

Oute of that braunche, in Nazareth

A flowre xal blome of me, Jesse rote,

The whiche by grace xal dystroye dethe,

And brynge mankende to blysse most sote.

Davyd Rex.

I am David, of Jesse rote,

The fresche kyng by naturalle successyon,

And of my blood xal sprynge oure bote,

As God hymself hath mad promyssyon;

Of regalle lyff xal come suche foyson,

That a clene mayde modyr xal be,

Ageyns the devellys fals illusyon,

With regalle power to make man fre.

Jeremias propheta.

I am the prophete Jeremye,

And fulliche acorde in alle sentence

With kyng David and with Ysaie,

Affermynge pleynly beforn this audyens,

That God of his highe benyvolens,

Of prest and kynge wylle take lynage,

And bye us alle ffrom oure offens,

In hevyn to have his herytage.

Salamon Rex.

I am Salamon the secunde kynge,

And that wurthy temple for sothe made I,

Whiche that is fygure of that mayde ȝynge,

That xal be modyr of grett Messy.

Ezechiel propheta.

A vysion of this, fful veryly,

I Eȝechiel have had also,

Of a gate that sperd was trewly,

And no man but a prince myght therin go.

Roboas Rex.

The iij.ᵈᵉ kynge of the jentylle Jesse,

My name is knowe, kyng Roboas,

Of oure kynrede ȝitt men xul se

A clene mayde trede downe foule Sathanas.

Micheas propheta.

And I am a prophete calde Mycheas,

I telle ȝou pleynly that thus it is,

Evyn lyke as Eve modyr of wo was,

So xal a maydyn be modyr off blyss.

Abias Rex.

I, that am calde kynge Abias,

Conferme for trewe that ȝe han seyd;

And sey also as in this cas,

That alle oure myrthe comyth of a mayd.

Danyel propheta.

I prophete Danyel am welle apayed,

In fygure of this I saw a tre;

Alle the fendys of helle xalle ben affrayd,

Whan maydenys ffrute theron thei se.

Asa Rex.

I, kynge Asa, beleve alle this,

That God wylle of a maydyn be borne,

And, us to bryngyn to endles blys,

Ruly on rode be rent and torn.

Jonas propheta.

I, Jonas, sey that on the iij.ᵈᵉ morn

ffro dethe he xal ryse, this is a trewe talle,

Fyguryd in me, the whiche longe beforn

Lay iij. days beryed within the qwalle.

Josophat rex.

And I, Josophat, the vj.ᵗᵉ kynge serteyne,

Of Jesse rote in the lenyalle successyon,

Alle that my progenitouris hath befor me seyn,

ffeythfully beleve withowtyn alle dubytacion.

Abdias propheta.

I, Abdias prophete, make this protestacion,

That aftyr he is resyn to lyve onys aȝen,

Dethe xal be drevyn to endles dampnacion,

And lyff xal be grawntyd of paradys ful pleyn.

Joras Rex.

And I, Joras, also in the numbre of sefne,

Of Jesse rote kynge, knowlyche that he

Aftyr his resurreccion returne xal to hefne,

Bothe God and verry man ther endles to be.

Abacuche propheta.

I, Abacuche prophete, holde wele with the,

Whan he is resyn he xal up stye,

In hevyn as juge sitt in his se,

Us for to deme whan we xal dye.

Ozias Rex.

And I, Ozyas, kynge of hygh degré,

Spronge of Jesse rote, dare welle sey this,

Whan he is gon to his dygnyté,

He xal send the sprytt to his discyplis.

Joelle propheta.

And I, Joel, knowe fulle trewe that is,

God bad me wryte in prophesye,

He wolde sende downe his sprytt i-wys,

On ȝonge and olde ful sekyrlye.

Joathas rex.

My name is knowe, kyng Joathan,

The ix.ᵉ kynge spronge of Jesse,

Of my kynrede God wol be man,

Mankend to save, and that joyth me.

Aggeus propheta.

With ȝow I do holde that am prophete Aggee,

Com of the same hygh and holy stok,

God of oure kynrede in dede born wyl be,

ffrom the wulf to save al shepe of his flok.

Achas rex.

Off Jesse kyng Achas is my name,

That falsly wurchepyd ydolatrye,

Tyl Ysaie putt me in blame,

And seyd a mayd xulde bere Messye.

Ozyas propheta.

Off that byrthe wyttnes bere I,

A prophete Osyas men me calle,

And aftyr that tale of Isaye,

That mayd xal bere Emanuelle.

Ezechias rex.

My name is knowyn, kyng Eȝechias,

The xj.ᵗᵉ kyng of this geneologye,

And say fforsothe, as in this cas,

A mayde be mekenes xal brynge mercye.

Sophosas propheta.

I a prophete callyd Sophonye,

Of this matyr do bere wyttnes,

And for trowth to sertyfie,

That maydens byrthe oure welthe xal dresse.

Manasses rex.

Of this nobylle and wurthy generacion,

The xij. kyng am I Manasses,

Wyttnessynge here, be trew testyficacion,

That maydenys childe xal be prince of pes.

Baruk propheta.

And I, Baruk prophete, conferme wurdys thes,

Lord and prince of pes, thow that chylde be,

Al his fomen ageyn hym that pres,

Ryght a grym syre at domysday xal he be.

Amon rex.

Amon kynge, ffor the last conclusyon,

Al thynge beforn seyd ffor trowthe do testyfie,

Praynge that lord of oure synne remyssyon,

At that dredful day he us graunt mercye.

Thus we alle of this genealogye,

Accordynge in on here in this place,

Pray that heyȝ lorde whan that we xal dye,

Of his gret goodnesse to grawnt us his grace!

Explicit Jesse.