Ludus Coventriæ

by Unknown

XIV. THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH AND MARY.

Den. Avoyd, seres, and lete my lorde the buschop come,

And syt in the courte the lawes ffor to doo;

And I xal gon in this place them for to somowne,

Tho that ben in my book the court ȝe must com too.

I warne ȝow here alle abowte,

That I somown ȝow alle the rowte,

Loke ȝe fayl, for no dowte,

At the court to pere.

Bothe John Jurdon, and Geffrey Gyle,

Malkyn Mylkedoke, and fayr Mabyle,

Stevyn Sturdy, and Jak at the Style,

And Sawdyr Sadelere.

Thom Tynkere and Betrys Belle,

Peyrs Potter and Whatt at the Welle,

Symme Smalfeyth and Kate Kelle,

And Bertylmew the Bochere.

Kytt Cakelere and Colett Crane,

Gylle Fetyse and fayr Jane,

Powle Pewterere and Pernel Prane,

And Phelypp the good Flecchere.

Cok Crane and Davy Drydust,

Luce Lyere and Letyce Lytyltrust,

Miles the Myllere and Colle Crakecrust,

Bothe Bette the Bakere, and Robyn Rede.

And loke ȝe rynge wele in ȝour purs,

ffor ellys ȝour cawse may spede the wurs,

Thow that ȝe slynge Goddys curs

Evyn at myn hede, ffast com away.

Bothe Boutyng the Browstere, and Sybyly Slynge,

Megge Merywedyr and Sabyn Sprynge,

Tyffany Twynkelere, ffayle ffor nothynge,

The courte xal be this day.

Hic intrabit pagentum de purgatione Mariæ et Joseph. Hic dicit primus detractor,

A! A! serys, God save ȝow alle,

Here is a fayr pepyl in good ffay;

Good seres, telle me what men me calle,

I trowe ȝe kannot be this day;

ȝitt I walke wide and many way,

But ȝet ther I come I do no good,

To reyse slawdyr is al my lay,

Bakbytere is my brother of blood.

Dede he ought come hedyr in al this day,

Now wolde God that he were here!

And be my trewthe, I dare wel say,

That yf we tweyn togedyr apere,

More slawndyr we to xal arere,

Within an howre thorweouth this town,

Than evyr ther was this thowsand ȝere,

And ellys I shrewe ȝow bothe up and downe.

Now be my trewthe I have a syght

Evyn of my brother, lo! where he is:

Welcom, dere brother, my trowthe I plyght,

ȝowre jentyl mowth let me now kys.

Secundus detractor. Gramercy, brother, so have I blys,

I am ful glad we met this day.

Primus detractor. Ryght so am I, brothyr, i-wys,

Meche gladder than I kan say.

But ȝitt, good brother, I ȝow pray,

Telle alle these pepyl what is ȝour name;

ffor yf thei knew it, my lyf I lay,

They wole ȝow wurchep and speke gret fame.

Secundus detractor. I am Bakbytere, that spyllyth alle game,

Bothe kyd and knowyn in many a place.

Primus detractor. Be my trowth I seyd the same,

And ȝet sum seyden thou xulde have evyl grace.

Secundus detractor. Herk, Reyse-sclaundyr, canst thou owth telle

Of any newe thynge that wrought was late?

Primus detractor. Within a shorte whyle a thynge befelle,

I trowe thou wylt lawhȝ ryght wel therate,

ffor be trowth, ryght mekyl hate,

If it be wyst, therof wyl growe.

Secundus detractor. If I may reyse therwith debate,

I xal not spare the seyd to sowe.

Primus detractor. Syr, in the tempyl a mayd ther was,

Calde mayd Mary, the trewth to telle;

Sche semyd so holy withinne that plas,

Men seyd sche was ffedde with holy aungelle.

Sche made a vow with man nevyr to melle,

But to leve chast and clene virgine;

How evyr it be her wombe doth swelle,

And is as gret as thinne or myne.

Secundus detractor. ȝa! that old shrewe Joseph, my trowth I plyght,

Was so anameryd upon that mayd,

That of hyr bewtyé, whan he had syght,

He sesyd nat tylle had here asayd.

Primus detractor. A! nay, nay, wel wers she hath hym payd,

Sum fresche ȝonge galaunt she lovyth wel more,

That his leggys to here hath leyd,

And that doth greve the old man sore.

Secundus detractor. Be my trowthe, al may wel be,

ffor fresche and fayr she is to syght,

And suche a mersyl, as semyth me,

Wolde cause a ȝonge man to have delyght.

Primus detractor. Suche a ȝonge damesel of bewté bryght,

And of schap so comely also,

Of hire tayle oftetyme be lyght,

And rygh tekyl undyr the too.

Secundus detractor. That olde cokolde was evyl begylyd,

To that fresche wenche whan he was wedde;

Now muse he faderyn anothyr mannys chylde,

And with his swynke he xal be fedde.

Primus detractor. A ȝonge man may do more chere in bedde

To a ȝonge wench, than may an olde;

That is the cawse suche lawe is ledde,

That many a man is a kokewolde.

Hic sedet episcopus Abiȝachar inter duos legis doctores, et audientes hanc defamationem vocat ad se detractores, dicens,

Episcopus. Herke ȝe, felaways, why speke ȝe suche schame

Of that good virgyn, ffayr mayd Mary;

ȝe be acursyd so hire for to defame,

She that is of lyff so good and holy.

Of hire to speke suche velany,

ȝe make myn hert ful hevy of mood;

I charge ȝow sese of ȝoure fals cry,

ffor sche is sybbe of myn owyn blood.

Secundus detractor. Syb of thi kyn thow that she be,

Alle gret with chylde hire wombe doth swelle;

Do calle here hedyr, thiself xal se

That it is trewthe that I the telle.

Primus detractor. Sere, ffor ȝour sake I xal kepe cowncelle.

ȝow for to greve I am ryght loth;

But lest, seres, lyst what seyth the belle,

Oure fayr mayd now gret with childe goth.

Primus doctor legis. Take good heed, seres, what ȝe doth say,

Avyse ȝow wele what ȝe present;

ȝyf this be fownd fals, anothyr day

Ful sore ȝe xal ȝour tale repent.

Secundus detractor. Sere, the mayd forsothe is good and gent,

Bothe comely and gay, and a fayr wenche;

And feetly with help sche can consent

To set a cokewolde on the hye benche.

Secundus doctor legis. ȝe be to besy of ȝour langage,

I hope to God ȝow fals to preve;

It were gret rewthe she xulde so outrage,

Or with suche synne to myscheve.

Episcopus. This evy talys my hert doth greve,

Of hire to here suche fowle dalyawnce;

If she be fowndyn in suche repreve,

She xal sore rewe here governawns.

Sym Somnere, in hast wend thou thi way,—

Byd Joseph and his wyff be name

At the coorte to appere this day,

Here hem to pourge of her defame.

Sey that I here of hem grett schame,

And that doth me gret hevynes;

If thei be clene withowtyn blame,

Byd hem come hedyr and shew wyttnes.

Den. Alle redy, sere; I xal hem calle,

Here at ȝour courte for to appere;

And yf I may hem mete withalle,

I hope ryght sone thei xal ben here.

Awey, seres, lete me com nere,

A man of wurchep here comyth to place,

Of curtesy me semyth ȝe be to lere,

Do of ȝour hodys with an evyl grace.

Do me sum wurchep befor my face,

Or be my trowthe I xal ȝow make,

If that I rolle ȝow up in my race,

ffor fere I xal do ȝour ars qwake.

But ȝit sum mede and ȝe me take,

I wyl withdrawe my gret rough toth,

Gold or sylvyr I wyl not forsake,

But evyn as alle somnores doth.

A! Joseph, good day, with thi ffayr spowse,

My lorde the buschop hath for ȝow sent;

It is hym tolde that in thin house,

A cockoldeis bowe is eche nyght bent.

He that shett the bolt is lyke to be schent:—

ffayre mayde, that tale ȝe kan best telle;

Now be ȝoure trowthe telle ȝour entent,

Dede not the archere plese ȝow ryght welle?

Maria. Of God in hevyn I take wyttnes,

That synful werk was nevyr my thought;

I am a mayd ȝit of pure clennes,

Lyke as I was into this werd brought.

Den. Othyr wyttnes xal non be sought,

Thou art with childe, eche man may se;

I charge ȝow bothe ȝe tary nought,

But to the buschop com forth with me.

Joseph. To the buschop with ȝow we wende,

Of oure purgacion have we no dowth.

Maria. Almyghty God xal be oure frende,

Whan the trewthe is tryed owth.

Den. ȝa no this wyse excusyth here every scowte,

Whan here owyn synne hem doth defame;

But lowly than thei gyn to lowth,

Whan thei be gylty and fowndyn in blame.

Therfore com forthe, cokewolde be name,

The busschop xal ȝour lyff appose;

Com forth also, ȝe goodly dame,

A clene huswyff, as I suppose.

I xal ȝow tellyn, withowtyn glose,

And ȝe were myn withowtyn lak;

I wolde eche day beschrewe ȝour nose,

And ȝe dede brynge me suche a pak.

My lord the buschop, here have I brought

This goodly copyl, at ȝour byddyng;

And as me semyth as be here fraught,

“ffayr chylde, lullay,” sone must she syng.

Primus detractor. To here a credyl and ȝe wolde brynge,

ȝe myght save monye in here purse;

Becawse she is ȝour cosyn ȝynge,

I pray ȝow, sere, lete her nevyr fare the wers.

Episcopus. Alas! Mary, what hast thou wrought?

I am aschamyd evyn for thi sake;

How hast thou chaungyd thin holy thought?

Dude old Joseph with strenght the take?

Or hast thou chosyn another make,

By whom thou art thus brought in schame?

Telle me who hath wrought this wrake;—

How hast thou lost thi holy name?

Maria. My name, I hope, is saff and sownde,

God to wyttnes I am a mayd!

Of ffleschly lust and gostly wownde,

In dede nere thought I nevyr asayd.

Primus doctor legis. How xulde thi wombe thus be arayd,

So grettly swollyn as that it is?

But if sum man the had ovyr-layd,

Thi wombe xulde never be so gret i-wys.

Secundus doctor legis. Herke thou, Joseph, I am afrayd

That thou hast wrought this opyn synne;

This woman thou hast thus betrayd,

With gret flaterynge or sum fals gynne.

Secundus detractor. Now be myn trowthe ȝe hytte the pynne,

With that purpose in feyth I holde;

Telle now how thou thus dudyst wynne,

Or knowlyche thiself ffor a cockewold.

Joseph. Sche is for me a trewe clene mayde,

And I for hire am clene also;

Of fflesschly synne I nevyr asayde,

Sythyn that sche was weddyd me to.

Episcopus. Thou xalt not schape from us ȝitt so;

ffyrst thou xalte tellyn us another lay;

Streyt to the awter thou xalt go,

The drynge of vengeawns ther to asay.

Here is the botel of Goddys vengeauns;—

Thys drynk xal be now thi purgacion;

This hath suche vertu by Goddys ordenauns,

That what man drynk of this potacion,

And gothe serteyn in processyon,

Here in this place this awtere abowth,

If he be gylty, sum maculacion

Pleyn in his face xal shewe it owth.

Iff thou be gylty, telle us, lete se,

Over Godys myght be not to bolde:

If thou presume and gylty be,

God thou dost greve many a folde.

Joseph. I am not gylty, as I fyrst tolde,

Allemyghty God I take wytnes!

Episcopus. Than this drynke in hast thou holde,

And on processyon anon the dresse.

Hic Joseph bibit et septies circuivit altare dicens,

Joseph. This drynk I take with meke entent,

As I am gyltles, to God I pray,—

Lord! as thou art omnypotente,

On me thou shewe the trowthe this day. (Modo bibit.)

About this awtere I take the way,

O gracyous God! help thi servaunt,

As I am gyltles aȝen ȝon may,

Thin hand of mercy this tyme me graunt!

Den. This olde shrewe may not wele gon,

Longe he taryeth to go abowth;

Lyfte up thi feet, sett forthe thi ton,

Or be my trewthe thou getyst a clowte!

Secundus detractor. Now, sere evyl Thedom, com to thi snowte!

What heylyght thi leggys now to be lame?

Thou dedyst hem put ryght freschly owte,

Whan thou dedyst play with ȝon ȝonge dame.

Primus detractor. I pray to God gyf hym myschawns,

Hese leggys here do folde for age;

But with this damysel whan he dede dawns,

The olde charle had ryght gret corage.

Den. The shrewe was than sett in a dotage,

And had good lust that tyme to pleyn;

ȝaff sche not ȝow cowdel to potage,

Whan ȝe had don, to comforte ȝour brayn?

Joseph. A! gracyous God, help me this tyde,

Ageyn this pepyl that me doth fame;

As I nevyr more dede toche where syde,

This day help me fro werdly schame!

Abowte this awtere to kepe my fame,

Vij. tymes I have gon rownd abowte;

If I be wurthy to suffyr blame,

O ryghtful God, my synne shewe owughte.

Episcopus. Joseph, with hert thank God thi Lorde,

Whos heyȝ mercy doth the excuse;

ffor thi purgacion we xal recorde,

With hyre of synne thou dedyst never muse.

But, Mary, thiself mayst not refuse;

Alle grett with chylde we se the stonde,

What mystyr man dede the mysuse,

Why hast thou synnyd ageyn thin husbonde?

Maria. I trespacyd nevyr with erthely wyght;

Therof I hope, thorowe Goddys sonde,

Here to be purgyd before ȝour syght,

ffrom alle synne clene, lyke as myn husbonde.

Take me the botel out of ȝour honde,

Here xal I drynke beforn ȝour face;

Abowth this awtere than xal I fonde,

Vij. tymes to go, by Godys grace.

Primus doctor legis. Se this bolde bysmare wolde presume,

Ageyn God to preve his myght!

Thow Goddys vengeauns hyre xuld consume,

Sche wyl not telle hyre fals delyght.

Thou art with chylde, we se in syght,

To us thi wombe the doth accuse.

Ther was nevyr woman ȝitt in suche plyght,

That ffrom mankynde hyre kowde excuse.

Primus detractor. In ffeyth I suppose that this woman slepte

Withowtyn alle coverte, whylle that it dede snowe,

And a flake therof into hyre mowthe crepte,

And therof the chylde in hyre wombe doth growe.

Secundus detractor. Than beware dame, for this is wel i-knowe

Whan it is born, yf that the sunne shyne,

It wyl turne to watyr ageyn, as I trowe,

ffor snow onto watyr do the evyr more reclyne.

Secundus doctor legis. With Goddys hyȝ myght, loke thou not jape,

Of thi purgacion wel the avyse;

Yf thou be gylty, thou mayst not schape,

Beware evyr of God, that ryghtful justyce.

If God with vengeauns set on the his syse,

Not only thou but alle thi kyn is schamyd;

Bettyr it is to telle the trewthe devyse,

Than God for to greve and of him be gramyd.

Maria. I trostyn in his grace, I xal hym nevyr greve,

His servaunt I am in worde, dede, and thought;

A mayd undefyled I hope he xal me preve,

I pray ȝow lett me nought.

Episcopus. Now be that good Lord, that alle this werd hath wrought,

If God on the shewe ony manyr tokyn,

Purgacion I trowe was nevyr so dere bowth,

If I may on the in any wyse be wrokyn.

Holde here the botel and take a large draught,

And abowth the awtere go thi processyon.

Marya. To God in this case my cawse I have be-taught,

Lorde, thorwe thin helpe, I drynke of this potacyon.

Hic beata virgo bibit de potacione, et postea circuivit altare, dicens,

God, as I nevyr knew of mannys maculacion,

But evyr have lyved in trew virginité,

Send me this day thin holy consolacion,

That alle this fayr peple my clennes may se.

O gracyous God, as thou hast chose me,

ffor to be thi modyr, of me to be born!

Save thi tabernacle that clene is kepte for the,

Whiche now am put at repref and skorn.

Gabryel me tolde with wordys he beforn,

That ȝe of ȝour goodnes wold become my chylde;

Help now of ȝour hyȝness, my wurchep be not lorn,

A! dere sone, I pray ȝow, help ȝour modyr mylde.

Episcopus. Almyghty God, what may this mene,

ffor alle the drynke of Goddys potacyon,

This woman with chylde is fayr and clene,

Withowtyn fowle spotte, or maculacion.

I cannat, be non ymagynacion,

Preve hyre gylty and synful of lyff;

It shewit opynly, by here purgacion,

Sche is clene mayde, bothe modyr and wyff!

Primus detractor. Be my fadyr sowle here is gret gyle,

Because sche is syb of ȝour kynreed;

The drynk is chaungyd by sum fals wyle,

That sche no shame xulde have this steed.

Episcopus. Becawse thou demyst that we do falshede,

And for thou dedyst hem fyrst defame;

Thou xalt ryght here, magré thin heed,

Beforn alle this pepyl, drynk of the same.

Primus detractor. Syr, in good ffeyth oo draught I pulle,

If these to drynkeres have not alle spent.

Hic bibit et scenciens dolorem in capite cadit, et dicit,

Out, out, alas! what heylith my sculle,

A! myn heed with ffyre me thynkyht is brent!

Mercy, good Mary, I do me repent,

Of my cursyd and ffals langage.

Maria. Now, God, Lord in hevyn omnypotent,

Of his grett mercy ȝour seknes aswage.

Episcopus. We alle on knes ffalle here on grownd,

Thou Goddys handemayd prayng for grace;

Alle cursyd langage and schame on sownd,

Good Mary, fforȝeve us here in this place.

Maria. Now God forȝeve ȝow alle ȝowre trespace,

And also forȝeve ȝow alle defamacion

That ȝe have sayd, bothe more and lesse,

To myn hynderawnce and maculacion.

Episcopus. Now blyssyd virgyne, we thank ȝow alle

Of ȝoure good hert and gret pacyens;

We wyl go with ȝow hom to ȝour halle,

To do ȝow servys with hyȝ reverens.

Maria. I thank ȝow hertyly of ȝour benevolens,

Onto ȝour owyn hous I pray ȝow ȝe goo.

And take this pepyl hom with ȝow hens,

I am not dysposyd to passyn hens froo.

Episcopus. Than ffarewel, mayden and pure virgyne,

Farewel, trewe handmayd of God in blys!

We alle to ȝow lowly inclyne,

And take oure leve of ȝow, as wurthy is.

Maria. Allemyghty God, ȝour weys wysse,

ffor that hyȝ lord is most of myght,

He mote ȝow spede, that ȝe not mys,

In hevyn of hym to have a syght.

Joseph. Honouryd in hevyn be that hyȝ lorde,

Whos endles grace is so habundaunt,

That he doth shewe the trewe recorde

Of iche wyhgt that is his trewe servaunt.

That Lord to wurchepe with hert plesaunt,

We bothe be bownd ryght on this place,

Whiche oure purgacyon us dyde graunt,

And prevyd us pure by hieȝ grace.

Maria. fforsothe, good spowse, I thank hym hyȝly,

Of his good grace ffor our purgacion!

Oure clennes is knowyn ful opynly,

Be vertu of his grett consolacion.