N-Town Cycle, Play 7

[The Root of Jesse: Prochecies of the Savior]

  1  YSAIAS I am že prophete callyd Isaye,
  2  Replett with Godys grett influens,
  3  And sey pleynly be spyryte of prophecie
  4  žat a clene mayde thourgh meke obedyens
  5  Shall bere a childe which xal do resystens
  6  Ageyn foule Zabulon, že devyl of helle;
  7  Mannys soule ageyn hym to defens,
  8  Opyn in že felde že fend he xal felle.

  9  Wherefore I seye quod virgo concipiet
 10  Et pariet filium, nomen Emanuel.
 11  Oure lyf for to save he xal suffyr deth,
 12  And bye us to his blysse, in hevyn for to dwell.
 13  Of sacerdotale lynage, že trewth I 3ow tell,
 14  Flessch and blood to take God wyll be born.
 15  Joye to man in erth, and in hevyn aungell
 16  At že chyldys byrth joye xal make žat morn.

 17  RADIX JESSE Egredietur virga de radice Jesse,
 18  Et flos de radice eius ascendet:
 19  A blyssyd braunch xal sprynge of me
 20  That xal be swettere žan bawmys breth.
 21  Out of žat braunch in Nazareth
 22  A flowre xal blome of me, Jesse Rote,
 23  The which by grace xal dystroye deth
 24  And brynge mankende to blysse most sote.

 25  DAUYD REX I am David of Jesse rote,
 26  The fresch kyng by naturall successyon.
 27  And of my blood xal sprynge oure bote,
 28  As God hymself hath mad promyssyon.
 29  Of regall lyff xal come such foyson
 30  žat a clene mayde modyr xal be,
 31  Ageyns že devellys fals illusyon
 32  With regall power to make man fre.

 33  JEREMIAS PROPHETA I am že prophete Jeremye
 34  And fullich acorde in all sentence
 35  With Kyng Dauid and with Ysaie,
 36  Affermynge pleynly beforn žis audyens
 37  That God, of his high benyvolens,
 38  Of prest and kynge wyll take lynage,
 39  And bye us all from oure offens,
 40  In hevyn to haue his herytage.

 41  SALAMON REX I am Salamon, že secunde kynge,
 42  And žat wurthy temple, forsothe, made I,
 43  Which žat is fygure of žat mayde 3ynge
 44  žat xal be modyr of grett Messy.
 45  EZECHIEL PROPHETA A vysion of žis, ful veryly,
 46  I, Ezechiel, haue had also,
 47  Of a gate žat sperd was, trewly,
 48  And no man but a prince myght žerin go.

 49  ROBOAS REX The iijde kynge of že jentyll Jesse,
 50  My name is knowe, Kyng Roboas.
 51  Of oure kynrede 3itt men xul se
 52  A clene mayde trede down foule Sathanas.
 53  MICHEAS PROPHETA And I am a prophete calde Mycheas.
 54  I telle 3ow pleynly žat žus it is:
 55  Evyn lyke as Eve modyr of wo was,
 56  So xal a maydyn be modyr of blyss.

 57  ABIAS REX. I that am calde Kynge Abias
 58  Conferme for trewe žat 3e han seyd,
 59  And sey also, as in žis cas,
 60  žat all oure myrth comyth of a mayd.
 61  DANYEL. I, prophete Danyel, am well apayed.
 62  PROPHETA In fygure of žis I saw a tre.
 63  All že fendys of hell xall ben affrayd
 64  Whan maydenys frute žeron žei se.

 65  ASA REX. I, Kynge Asa, beleve all žis
 66  žat God wyll of a maydyn be born,
 67  And, vs to bryngyn to endles blys,
 68  Ruly on rode be rent and torn.
 69  JONAS. I, Jonas, sey žat on že morn
 70  PROPHETA. Fro deth he xal ryse; žis is a trew tall
 71  Fyguryd in me, že which longe beforn
 72  Lay iij days beryed within že qwall.

 73  JOSOPHAT REX And I, Josophat, že vjte kynge, serteyn,
 74  Of Jesse rote in že lenyall successyon,
 75  All žat my progenitouris hath befor me seyn
 76  Feythffully beleve withowyn all dubytacyon.
 77  ABDIAS PROPHETA I, Abdias prophete, make žis protestacyon:
 78  žat aftyr he is resyn to byve onys a3en,
 79  Deth xal be drevyn to endles dampnacyon,
 80  And lyff xal be grawntyd of paradys ful pleyn.

 81  JORAS REX And I, Joras, also, in že numbre of sefne
 82  Of Jesse rote kynge, knowlych žat he
 83  Aftyr his resurreccyon returne xal to hefne,
 84  Both God and verry man, ther endles to be.
 85  ABACUCH PROPHETA I, Abacuch prophete, holde wele with the.
 86  Whan he is resyn he xal up stye,
 87  In hevyn as juge sitt in his se,
 88  Vs for to deme whan we xal dye.

 89  OZIAS REX. And I, Ozyas, kynge of hygh degré,
 90  Spronge of Jesse rote, dare well sey this:
 91  Whan he is gon to his dygnyté,
 92  He xal send že Sprytt to his discyplis.
 93  JOELL PROPHETA And I, Joel, knowe full trewe žat is.
 94  God bad me wryte in prophesye
 95  He wolde sende down his Sprytt, iwys,
 96  On 3onge and olde, ful sekyrlye.

 97  JOATHAS REX. My name is knowe, Kyng Joathan,
 98  The ixe kynge spronge of Jesse.
 99  Of my kynrede God wol be man,
100  Mankend to saue, and žat joyth me.
101  AGGEUS PROPHETA With 3ow I do holde, žat am prophete Aggee.
102  Com of že same hygh and holy stok,
103  God of oure kynrede indede born wyl be,
104  From že wulf to saue al shepe of his flok.

105  ACHAS REX Off Jesse, Kyng Achas is my name,
106  žat falsly wurchepyd ydolatrye
107  Tyl Ysaie putt me in blame
108  And seyd a mayd xulde bere Messye.
109  OZYAS PROPHETA Off žat byrthe wyttnes bere I,
110  A prophete, Osyas men me calle.
111  And aftyr žat tale of Isaye,
112  žat mayd xal bere Emanuelle.

113  EZECHIAS REX My name is knowyn, Kyng Ezechyas,
114  že xjte kyng of žis geneologye,
115  And say, forsothe, as in žis cas,
116  A mayde be mekenes xal brynge mercye.

117  SOPHOSAS PROPHETA I, a prophete callyd Sophonye,
118  Of žis matyr do bere wyttnes,
119  And for trowth [d]o sertyfie
120  žat maydens byrth oure welth xal dresse.

121  MANASSES REX Of žis nobyll and wurthy generacyon
122  The xije kyng am I, Manasses,
123  Wyttnessynge here be trew testyficacyon
124  žat maydenys childe xal be Prince of Pes.
125  BARUK PROPHETA And I, Baruk prophete, conferme wurdys thes:
126  Lord and Prince of Pes žow žat chylde be,
127  [To] al his fomen ageyn hym žat pres,
128  Ryght a grym syre at Domysday xal he be.

129  AMON REX Amon Kynge for že last conclusyon
130  Althynge befornseyd for trowth do testyfie,
131  Praynge žat Lord of oure synne remyssyon;
132  At žat dredful day he us graunt mercye.
133  Thus we all of žis genealogye
134  Acordynge in on here in žis place,
135  Pray žat hey3 Lorde whan žat we xal dye,
136  Of his gret goodnesse to grawnt us his grace.

Explicit Jesse