Home > Navigation > Text Groups > Drama > Morality Plays > Mankind > Specimen
MERCY. The very fownder and begynner of owr fyrst creacyon
002 Amonge ws synfull wrechys he oweth to be magnyfyde,
003 žat for owr dysobedyenc he hade non indygnacyon
004 To sende hys own son to be torn and crucyfyede.
005 Owr obsequyouse seruyce to hym xulde be aplyede,
006 Where he was lorde of all and made all thynge of nought,
007 For že synnfull synnere to hade hym revyude
008 And for hys redempcyon sett hys own son at nought.
009 Yt may be seyde and veryfyede, mankynde was dere bought.
010 By že pytuose deth of Jhesu he had hys remedye.
011 He was purgyde of hys defawte žat wrechydly hade wrought
012 By hys gloryus passyon, žat blyssyde lauatorye.
013 O souerence, I beseche yow yowr condycyons to rectyfye
014 Ande wyth humylite and reuerence to haue a remocyon
015 To žis blyssyde prynce žat owr nature doth gloryfye,
016 žat 3e may be partycypable of hys retribucyon.
017 I haue be že very mene for yowr restytucyon.
018 Mercy ys my name, žat mornyth for yowr offence.
019 Dyverte not yowrsylffe in tyme of temtacyon,
020 žat 3e may be acceptable to Gode at yowr goyng hence.
021 že grett mercy of Gode, žat ys of most preemmynence,
022 Be medyacyon of Owr Lady žat ys euer habundante
023 To že synfull creature žat wyll repent hys neclygence.
024 I prey Gode at yowr most nede žat mercy be yowr defendawnte.
025 In goode werkys I awyse yow, souerence, to be perseuerante
026 To puryfye yowr sowlys, žat žei be not corupte;
027 For yowr gostly enmy wyll make hys avaunte,
028 Yowr goode condycyons yf he may interrupte.
029 O 3e souerens žat sytt and 3e brothern žat stonde ryght wppe,
030 Pryke not yowr felycytes in thyngys transytorye.
031 Beholde not že erth, but lyfte yowr ey wppe.
032 Se how že hede že members dayly do magnyfye.
033 Who ys že hede forsoth I xall yow certyfye:
034 I mene Owr Sauyowr, žat was lykynnyde to a lambe;
035 Ande hys sayntys be že members žat dayly he doth satysfye
036 Wyth že precyose reuer žat runnyth from hys wombe.
037 Ther ys non such foode, be water nor by londe,
038 So precyouse, so gloryouse, so nedefull to owr entent,
039 For yt hath dyssoluyde mankynde from že bytter bonde
040 Of že mortall enmye, žat vemynousse serpente,
041 From že wyche Gode preserue yow all at že last jugement!
042 For sekyrly žer xall be a streyt examynacyon,
043 The corn xall be sauyde, že chaffe xall be brente.
044 I besech yow hertyly, haue žis premedytacyon.
045 MYSCHEFFE. I beseche yow hertyly, leue yowr calcacyon.
046 Leue yowr chaffe, leue yowr corn, leue yowr dalyacyon.
047 Yowr wytt ys lytyll, yowr hede ys mekyll, 3e are full of predycacyon.
048 But, ser, I prey žis questyon to claryfye:
049 Mysse-masche, dryff-draff,
050 Sume was corn and sume was chaffe,
051 Sume was corn and sume was Raffe;
052 Onschett yowr lokke and take an halpenye.
053 MERCY. Why com 3e hethyr, brožer? 3e were not dysyryde.
054 MYSCHEFF. For a wynter corn-threscher, ser, I haue hyryde,
055 Ande 3e sayde že corn xulde be sauyde and že chaff xulde be feryde,
056 And he prouyth nay, as yt schewth be žis werse:
057 "Corn seruit bredibus, chaffe horsibus, straw fyrybusque."
058 Thys ys as moche to say, to yowr leude wndyrstondynge,
059 As že corn xall serue to drede at že nexte bakynge.
060 "Chaff horsybus et reliqua,"
061 The chaff to horse xall be goode provente,
062 Whaen a man ys forcolde že straw may be brent,
063 And so forth, et cetera.
064 MERCY. Avoyde, goode brožer! 3e ben culpable
065 To interrupte thus my talkyng delectable.
066 MYSCHEFF. Ser, I haue nožer horse nor sadyll,
067 Therfor I may not ryde.
068 MERCY. Hye yow forth on fote, brother, in Godys name!
069 MYSCHEFF. I say, ser, I am cumme hedyr to make yow game.
070 3et bade me not go out in že deuyllys name
071 Ande I wyll abyde.
072 NEW GYSE. Ande how, mynstrellys, pley že comyn trace!
073 Ley on wyth ži ballys tyll bely breste!
074 NOUGHT. I putt case I breke my neke: how than?
075 NEW GYSE. I gyff no force, by Sent Tanne!
076 NOWADAYS. Leppe about lyuely! žou art a wyght man.
077 Lett ws be mery wyll we be here!
078 NOYGHT. Xall I breke my meke to schew yow sporte?
079 Therfor euer be ware of ži reporte.
080 NOUGHT. I beschrew ye all! Her ys a schrewde sorte.
081 Haue žeratt žen wyth a mery chere!
081a Her žei daunce. MERCY seyth:
082 Do wey, do wey žis reull, sers! do wey!
083 NOWADAYS. Do wey, goode Adam? do wey?
084 Thys ys no parte of ži pley.
085 NOUGHT. 3ys, mary, I prey yow, for I loue not žis rewelynge.
086 Cum forth, goode fade, I yow prey!
087 Be a lytyll 3e may assay.
088 Anon of your wyth yowr clothes, 3f 3e wyll play.
089 Go to! for I haue hade a praty scottlynge.
090 MERCY. Nay, brother, I wyll not daunce.
091 NEW GYSE. Yf 3e wyll, ser, my brother wyll make yow to prawnce.
092 NOWADAYS. Wyth all my herte, ser, yf I may yow avaunce.
093 3e may assay be a lytyll trace.
094 NOUGHT. 3e, ser, wyll 3e do well,
095 Trace not wyth žem, be my cownsell,
096 For I haue tracyed sumwhat to fell;
097 I tell yt ys a narrow space.
098 But, ser, I trow of ws thre I herde yow speke.
099 NEW GYSE. Crystys curse hade žerfor, for I was in slepe.
100 NOWADAYS. And I hade že cuppe in my honde, redy to goo to met.
101 Therfor, ser, curtly, grett yow well.
102 MERCY. Few Wordys, few and well sett!
103 NEW GYSE. Ser, yt ys žw new gyse and že new jett.
104 Many wordys and shortely sett,
105 Thys ys že new gyse, euery-dele.
106 MERCY. Ladt, helpe! how wrechys delyte in žer synfull weys!
107 NOWADAYS. Say not ageyn že new gyse nowadays!
108 žou xall fynde ws schrewys at all assays.
109 Be ware! 3e may son lyke a boffett.
110 MERCY. He was well occupyede žat browte yow brethern.
111 NOUGHT. I harde yow call New Gyse, Nowadays, Nought," all žes thre togethere.
112 Yf3e sey žat I lye, I xall make yow to slyther.
113 Lo, take yow here a trepett!
115a MERCY. Say me yowr namys, I know yow not.
115b NEW GYSE. New Gyse, I.
115c NOWADAYS. I, Nowadays.
115d NOUGHT. I, Nought.
116 MERCY. Be Jhesy Cryst žat me dere bowte
117 3e betray many men.
118 NEW GYSE. Betray! nay, nay, ser, nay, nay!
119 We make them both fresch and gay.
120 Buy of yowr name, ser, I yow prey,
121 That we may yow ken.
122 MERCY. Mercy ys my name by denomynacyon.
123 I conseyue 3e haue but a lytyll fauour in my communycacyon.
124 NEW GYSE. Ey, ey! yowr body ys full of Englysch Laten.
125 Iam aferde yt wyll brest.
126 "Prauo te", quod že bocher onto me
127 When I slale a leg of motun.
128 3e are a stronge cunnyng clerke.
129 NOWADAYS. I prey yow hertyly, worschyppull clerke,
130 To haue žis Englysch mad in Laten:
131 "I haue etun a dyschfull of curdys,
132 Ande I haue schetun yowr mowth full of turdys."
133 Now opyn yowr sachell wyth Laten wordys
134 Ande sey me žis in clerycall manere!
135 Also I haue a wyf, her name ys Rachell;
136 Betuyx her and me was a gret batell;
137 Ande fayn of yow I wolde here tell
138 Who was že most master.
139 NOUGHT. Thy wyf Rachell, I dare ley twenti lyse.
140 NOWADAYS. Who spake to že, foll? žou art not wyse!
141 Go and do žat longyth to žin offyce:
142 Osculare fundamentum!
143 NOUGHT. Lo, master, lo, here ys a pardon bely-mett.
144 Yt ys grawntyde of Pope Pokett,
145 Yf ye wyll putt yowr nose in hys wyffys sockett,
146 3e xall haue forty days of pardon.
147 MERCY. Thys ydyll language 3e xall repent.
148 Out of žis place I wolde 3e went.
149 NEW GYSE. Goo we hens all thre wyth on assent.
150 My fadyr ys yrke of owr eloquence.
151 žerfor I wull no lenger tary.
152 Gode brynge yow, master, blyssyde Mary
153 to že number of že demonycall frayry!
154 NOWADAYS. Cum wynde, cum reyn,
155 Thow I cumme neuer ageyn!
156 že Deull put out both yowr eyn!
157 Felouse, go we hens tyght.
158 NOUGHT. Go we hens a deull wey!
159 Here ys že dore, her ys že wey.
160 Farwell, jentyll Jaffrey,
161 I prey Gode gyf yow now goode nyght!
161a Exiant simul. Cantent
 |
 |
