Ludus Coventriæ

by Unknown

XVII. ADORATION OF THE MAGI.

Herode. As a lord in ryalté in non regyon so ryche,

And rulere of alle remys, I ryde in ryal aray;

Ther is no lord of lond in lordchep to me lyche,

Non lofflyere, non lofsumere,—evyr lestyng is my lay:

Of bewté and of boldnes I bere evermore the belle;

Of mayn and of myght I master every man;

I dynge with my dowtynes the devyl down to helle,

ffor bothe of hevyn and of herthe I am kynge sertayn.

I am the comelyeste kynge clad in gleteringe golde,

ȝa, and the semelyeste syre that may bestryde a stede;

I welde att my wylle alle wyghtes upon molde,—

ȝa, and wurthely I am wrappyd in a wurthy wede.

ȝe knyghtes so comely, bothe curteys and kene,

To my paleys wyl I passe, fulle prest I ȝow plyth;

ȝe dukys so dowty, ffolwe me be-dene

Onto my ryal paleys, the wey lyth ful ryght.

Wyghtly fro my stede I skyppe down in hast,—

To myn heyȝ hallys I haste me in my way;

ȝe mynstrelle of myrthe, blowe up a good blast,

Whylle I go to chawmere and chaunge myn array.

Primus Rex. Heyl be the kynges tweyne,

fferre rydyng out of ȝour regne!

Me thynkyth be ȝour presentes seyne,

ȝe sekyn oure Savyour.

ffro Saba have I folwyd fferre

The glemynge of ȝon gay sterre;

A chyldys blood xal bye us dere,

That ther is born in bestes boure.

My name is kynge Baltaȝare,

Of prophetys speche I am ware,

Therfore a fferre wey I fare,

A maydenys childe to seche.

ffor he made man of the moolde,

And is kynge of hevyn holde,—

I wyl hym offere the rede golde,

As reson wyl me teche.

Secundus Rex. Melchiȝar that my name is kydde,

In hote love myn herte is hydde,

To the blosme upon his bedde

Born by bestes bynne.

In Tarys I am kynge with crowne,

By bankys and brymmys browne,

I have travaylid by many a towne,

My Lordys love to wynne.

I seke hym with ensens sote,

Of alle prestys he xall be rote,

His bryght blood xal be oure bote,

To brynge us out of bonde.

The childe xal be chosyn a preste,

In all vertuys ffownden meste;

Beforn his faderes fayr breste

Ensens he xal up sende.

Tercius rex. In Ypotan and Archage

I am kynge knowyn in kage,

To seke a childe of semlant age

I have faryn ryght fferre.

Jasper is my name knowyn,

In many countres that are myn owyn,

Thorwe byttyr blastys that gyn blowyn,

I stryke aftere the sterre.

I brynge myrre to my present,

A byttyr lycour verament,

ffor he xal suffyr byttyr dent,

In a maydonys flesche is clad.

On byttyr tre he xal be bent,

Man and God omnypotent,

With byttyr betynge his fflesche be rent,

Tyl alle his blood be bledde.

Herod. Now I regne lyk a kynge areyd ful ryche,

Rollyd in ryngges and robys of array;

Dukys with dentys I dryve into the dyche,

My dedys be ful dowty demyd be day.

I xalle marryn tho men that belevyn amysse,

And there in sette there sacramentes are I say;

Theris no lorde in this werde that lokygh me lykei-wysse

ffor to lame herytykk of the lesse lay.

I am jolyere than the jay,

Stronge thevys to steke,

That wele oure lawys breke,

On the wrecchis I wylle be wreke,

And hont hem undyr hay.

In kyrtyl of cammaka kynge am I cladde,

Cruel and curryd in myn crowne knowe;

I sytt here ondyr Sesar in my sette sadde,

Sorwyn to sottys suche sede wytt I sowe.

Boys now blaberyn bostynge of a baron bad,

In Bedlem is born be bestys, suche bost is blowe;

I xal prune that paddok and prevyn hym as a pad,

Scheldys and sperys shalle I there sowe;

My knyghtes xalle rydyn on a rowe,

Knave and chylderyn ffor to qwelle,

Be Mahound, dyng ne duke of helle,

Sowre deth his lyff xalle selle,

Suche threttes wolde me overthrowe.

Styward bolde,

Walke thou on mowlde,

And wysely beholde

Alle abowte;

Iff any thynge

Shuld greve the kynge,

Brynge me tydydge,

If there be ony dowte.

Senescallus. Lord, kynge in crowne,

I go fro towne,

By bankys browne

I wylle abyde;

And with erys lyste,

Est and west,

If any geste

On grownde gynnyth glyde.

Tunc ibit senescallus et obviabit tribus regibus et dicit eis

Kynges iij.,

Undyr this tre,

In this countré

Why wylle ȝe abyde?

Herowde is kynge

Of this wonynge,

Onto his dwellynge

Now xul ȝe glyde.

Primus Rex. Nowe lede us alle

To the kynges halle,

How it befalle,

We pray to the.

Wyttys to wete

He may us pete,

In flesshe be glete,

Godys frute fre.

Senescallus. ffolwith in stownde

Upon this grownde,

To the castel rownde,

I xal ȝow teche

Were kynge wonyt wyde,

Up in this tyde,

In pompe and pryde,

His myght gynnyth reche.

Sere kyng in trone,

Here comyth anone

By strete and stone

Kynges thre.

They bere present,—

What thei have ment,

Ne whedyr they arn bent,

I cannot se.

Herodes rex. I xal hem crave

What they have;

Iff they rave,

Or waxyn wood,

I xal hem reve

Here wyttys deve,

Here hedys cleve,

And schedyn here blood.

Primus rex. Heyl be thou kynge in kage ful hye,

Heyl, we nyghe thin halle ryght nye!

Knowyst thou ought that chylde slye

He is born here abowth?

He is born of a mayd ȝynge,

He xal be kynge over every kynge,

We go to seke that lovely thynge,—

To hym ffayn wolde I lowth.

Secundus rex. Balaam spake in prophecye,

A sterre xulde ful lovelye

Lythtyn upon mayd Marye,

Comyn of Jacobys kynne.

The childe is born, and lythe here by,

Blomyd in a madenys body,

A sterre hath strekyn upon the sky

And ledde us fayr be fenne.

Tertius rex. The sterre hath ledde us out of the Est,

To seke a baroun born best;

He xal be kynge of myghtes mest,

As prophecy gynnyth spelle.

We be kynges in wey wery;

Syr kynge, ffor thi curtesy,

Telle us to that childe so lovely,

In what towne gynnyth he dwelle.

Herodes rex. ȝe thre kynges rekenyd be rowe,

Ley now downe ȝour wurdys lowe,

Suche a carpynge is unknowe,

Onrekenyd in my regne.

I am a kynge of hyȝ degré,

Ther xal non ben above me,

I have florens and fryhthis fre,

Parkys and powndes pleyne.

But goth to fynde that ȝe seche,

And yf ȝe knowe suche a leche,

And ȝe hym fynde, I ȝow beseche,

Comyth aȝen be me.

And I xal be bothe blythe and do bowne,

That alle worchep to hym be done,

With reverens I xal seke hym sone,

And honor hym on kne.

And, therfore, kynges, I ȝow pray,

Whan ȝe have don ȝour jurnay;

Come aȝen this same way.

The trewthe to me to telle.

Come and telle me as ȝe spede,

And I xal qwyte ryght wel ȝour mede,

With gold and tresour and ryche wede,

With furres ryche and wurth pelle.

Primus Rex. Kynge have good day,

I go my way,

To seche

Lord of myght,—

He xal be ryght

Oure leche.

Secundus Rex. Kynge fful sterne,

Be felde and ferne,

I goo

To sekyn a kynge,—

He takyth wonynge

In woo.

Tertius Rex. If we hym finde,

Oure kynge ful kynde,

Be a may,

ffrom kynge and qwen,

We comyn aȝen,

This day.

Transient.

Herodes Rex. A! fy, fy, on talys that I have ben tolde,

Here beforn my cruel kne;

How xulde a barn wax so bolde,

Be bestys yf he born be?

He is yong and I am olde,

An hardy kyng of hye degré;

This daye tho kyngges xal be kold,

If they cum ageyne be me.

My goddes I xalle upreyse!

A derke devylle with falsnese, I saye,

Shalle cast a myst in the kyngges eye,

Be bankes and be dalys drey,

That be derk thei xalle cum this weyes.

Primus Rex. Go we to sek owr lorde and our lech,

Yon stere wille us teche the weyis ful sone,

To save us from myschyff God I here besech,

Onto his joyn that we may rech,—

I pray hem of this bone!

Tunc ibunt reges cum muneribus ad Jhesum et primus rex dicit,

Heyle be thou, kyng cold clade!

Heylle, with maydynys mylk fade!

Heylle, I cum to the with gold glade,

As wese wrytyng here it record.

Golde is the rycheste metalle,

And to weryng most ryalle,

Gold I gyff the in this halle,

And know the for my Lorde.

Secundus rex. Lorde, I knele upon my kne;

Sote encence I offere to the,

Thow xalte be the fyrst of hyȝ degré,

None so mekelle of myght!

In Goddes howse, as men xalle se,

Thow xalt honor the Trynité,

Iij. personys in oon Gode free,

And alle oo lord of myght!

Tertius Rex. Lorde, I knele downe be thy bede,

In maydyns flesche thou arte hede,

Thy name xal be wyde rede,

And kyng over alle kynges.

Byttyr myre to the I brynge,

ffor byttyr dentes on the thei xalle dyng,

And byttyr deth xalle be thi endyng,

And therfor I make mornyng.

Maria. Kyngges kynde,

ffrome the fende

God ȝow defende!

Homwarde ȝe wende,

And to your places ȝe lende,

That ȝe xulde tende.

Primus rex. Now have we the place fownde,

To Herode go we this stownde,

With owr wordes we were bownde,

That we xulde cum ageyne.

Go we a pace and sey owr speche,

ffor we have fownde our Lorde and leche;

Alle the truth we wylle hem teche,

How the kyng is borne of a quene.

Secundus Rex. Myn hede is hevy as lympe of leede,

But yf I slepe, I am adrede

My witt xalle fare the worse;

I wax hevy in lyme and flanke,

Downe I ley me upone this banke,

Under this bryght sterre i-wys.

Tertius Rex. Brother, I must lye the bye,

I will go never over this stye

Tylle I have a slepe.

The yong kyng and his mother Mary,

Save us alle from every velany!

Now Cryst us save and kepe!

Primus rex. Such hevynese have us cawght,

I must drynk with ȝow a drawght,

To slepe a lytyll whyle.

I am hevy heed and footte,

I xulde stumbylle at rescue and root,

And I xulde goo a myle.

Hic dormiunt reges, et venit angelus, et dicit eis.

Angelus. ȝe kyngges on this hille,

Werk ȝe not aftyr Herodes wylle,

For yf ȝe do, he wylle yow kylle

This day or nyght.

My lorde ȝow sent this tydyng,

To rest yow knygges in rych clothyng,

And whan ȝe rysyn and goo to your dwellyng,

Tak home the wey fulle ryght.

Whether that ȝe be wakyn or slepe,

My lorde God xalle yow kepe,

In goode tyme ȝe dede downe drepe

To take ȝowr rest.

Herowdys to the devyl he tryste,

To marre ȝow in a thyrke myste,

My lord God is ful of lyste,

To glathe ȝow for his geste.

And therfore, kynges, whan ȝe ryse,

Wendyth forthe be weys wyse,

Ther ȝour halle be sett in syse,

In dyverse londe.

The ffadyr of God in alle thynge

Hath ȝow grawntyd his swete blyssynge,

He xal ȝow save ffrom alle shendynge,

With his ryght honde.

Tunc surgant reges, et dicat

Primus Rex. A bryght sterre ledde us into Bedleem,—

A bryghter thynge I saw in drem,

Bryghtere than the sunne beeme,

An aungelle I saw ryght here.

The fayre floure that here gan falle,

ffrom Herowdys kynge he gan us kalle,

He taught us hom tylle our halle

A wey by another mere.

Secundus Rex. I sawghe a syght,

Myn hert is lyght

To wendyn home.

God, fful of myght

Hath us dyght

ffro develys dome.

Tertius Rex. Oure God I blysse,

He sent us, i-wys

His aungel bryght.

Now we be wake,

The wey to take

Home fulle ryght.