N-Town Cycle, Play 11 [The Parliament in Heaven Between God the Father and the Virtues, and the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary] 1 CONTEMPLACIO. Fowre thowsand sex vndryd foure, I telle, 2 Man for his ofens and fowle foly 3 Hath loyn 3erys in țe peynes of helle, 4 And were wurthy to ly țerin endlesly; 5 But thanne xulde perysche 3oure grete mercye. 6 Good Lord, haue on man pyté! 7 Haue mende of țe prayour seyd by Ysaie, 8 Lete mercy meke țin hyest magesté. 9 Wolde God țu woldyst breke țin hefne myghtye 10 And com down here into erth, 11 And levyn 3erys thre and threttye, 12 Thyn famyt folke with ți fode to fede. 13 To staunche ți thrysté lete ți syde blede, 14 For erste wole not be mad redempcyon. 15 Cum vesyte vs in țis tyme of nede. 16 Of ți careful creaturys, Lord, haue compassyon! 17 A, woo to vs wrecchis of wrecchis be, 18 For God hath haddyd ssorwe to sorwe! 19 I prey țe, Lord, ți sowlys com se, 20 How ței ly and sobbe for syknes and sorwe. 21 With ți blyssyd blood from balys hem borwe, 22 Thy careful creaturys cryenge in captyvyté. 23 A, tary not, gracyous Lord, tyl it be tomorwe! 24 The devyl hath dysceyved hem be his iniquité. 25 “A,” quod Jeremye, “who xal gyff wellys to myn eynes 26 țat I may wepe bothe day and nyght 27 To se oure bretheryn in so longe peynes?” 28 Here myschevys amende may ți mech myght. 29 As grett as țe se, Lord, was Adamys contryssyon ryght. 30 From oure bed is falle țe crowne. 31 Man is comeryd in synne, I crye to ți syght: 32 Gracyous Lord, gracyous Lord, gracyous Lord, come downe! 33 VIRTUTES Lord, plesyth it țin hy3 domynacyon 34 On man țat țu mad to haue pyté. 35 Patryarchys and prophetys han mad supplycacyon, 36 Oure offyse is to presente here prayerys to the. 37 Aungelys, archaungelys, we thre 38 țat ben in țe fyrst ierarchie, 39 For man to țin hy magesté 40 Mercy, mercy, mercy we crye! 41 The aungel, Lord, țu made so gloryous, 42 Whos synne hath mad hym a devyl in helle, 43 He mevyd man to be so contraryous. 44 Man repentyd, and he in his obstynacye doth dwelle. 45 Hese grett males, good Lord, repelle, 46 And take man onto ți grace; 47 Lete ți mercy make hym with aungelys dwelle, 48 Of Locyfere to restore țe place. PATER Propter miseriam inopum Et gemitum pauperum nunc exurgam 49 For țe wretchydnes of țe nedy 50 And țe porys lamentacyon 51 Now xal I ryse țat am almyghty; 52 Tyme is come of reconsyliacyon! 53 My prophetys with prayers haue made supplicacyon, 54 My contryte creaturys crye all for comforte. 55 All myn aungellys in hefne withowte cessacyon, 56 They crye țat grace to man myght exorte. 57 VERITAS Lord, I am ți dowtere Trewth. 58 țu wylt se I be not lore. 59 Thyn vnkynde creaturys to save were rewthe: 60 The offens of man hath grevyd țe sore. 61 Whan Adam had synnyd țu seydest țore 62 țat he xulde deye and go to helle. 63 And now to blysse hym to resstore— 64 Twey contraryes mow not togedyr dwelle! 65 Thy trewthe, Lord, xal leste withowtyn ende, 66 I may in no wyse fro țe go. 67 țat wretche țat was to țe so vnkende, 68 He may not haue to meche wo! 69 He dyspysyd țe and plesyd ți fo. 70 țu art his creatour and he is ți creature. 71 țu hast lovyd trewthe, it is seyd, evyrmo; 72 țerfore in peynes lete hym evyrmore endure. 73 MISERICORDIA O Fadyr of Mercy and God of Comforte 74 țat counsell us in eche trybulacyon, 75 Lete 3oure dowtere Mercy to 3ow resorte, 76 And on man țat is myschevyd haue compassyon. 77 Hym grevyth ful gretly his transgressyon. 78 All hefne and erthe crye for mercy; 79 Mesemyth țer xuld be non excepcyon, 80 Ther prayers ben offeryd so specyally. 81 Threwth sseyth she hath evyr be than; 82 I graunt it wel: she hath be so. 83 And țu seyst endlessly țat mercy țu hast kept for man; 84 Than, mercyabyl Lorde, kepe us bothe to. 85 Thu seyst, “Veritas mea et Misericordia mea cum ipso;” 86 Suffyr not ți sowlys than in sorwe to slepe. 87 țat helle hownde țat hatyth țe, byddyth hym ho; 88 ți love, man, no lengere lete hym kepe. 89 JUSTICIA Mercy, me merveylyth what 3ow movyth! 90 3e know wel I am 3oure systere Ryghtwysnes. 91 God is ryghtful and ryghtifulnes lovyth. 92 Man offendyd hym țat is endles, 93 Therfore his endles punchement may nevyr se[se]. 94 Also he forsoke his makere țat made hym of clay, 95 And țe devyl to his maystyr he ches. 96 Xulde he be savyd? Nay, nay, nay! 97 As wyse as is God he wolde a be, 98 This was țe abhomynabyl presumpcyon. 99 It is seyd 3e know wel țis of me, 100 țat țe ryghtwysnes of God hath no diffynicyon. 101 Therffore late țis be oure conclusyon: 102 He țat sore synnyd ly stylle in sorwe. 103 He may nevyr make aseyth be resoun: 104 Whoo myght thanne thens hym borwe? 105 MISERICORDIA Systyr Ryghtwysnes, 3e are to vengeabyl. 106 Endles synne God endles may restore. 107 Above all hese werkys God is mercyabyl. 108 țow he forsook God be synne, be feyth he forsook hym nevyr țe more. 109 And țow he presumyd nevyr so sore, 110 3e must consyder țe frelnes of mankende. 111 Lerne, and 3e lyst; țis is Goddys lore: 112 țe mercy of God is withowtyn ende. 113 To spare 3oure speches, systerys, it syt: 114 It is not onest in Vertuys to ben dyscencyon. 115 The pes of God ovyrcomyth all wytt. 116 țow Trewth and Ryght sey grett resoun, 117 3ett Mercy seyth best to my pleson. 118 For yf mannys sowle xulde abyde in helle, 119 Betwen God and man evyr xulde be dyvysyon, 120 And than myght not I, Pes, dwelle. 121 Therefore mesemyth best 3e thus acorde; 122 Than hefne and erthe 3e xul qweme; 123 Putt bothe 3oure sentens in oure Lorde, 124 And.in his hy3 wysdam lete hym deme. 125 This is most syttynge me xulde seme, 126 And lete se how we fowre may all abyde. 127 țat mannys sowle it xulde perysche, it wore sweme, 128 Or țat ony of vs fro othere xulde dyvyde. 129 VERITAS In trowthe hereto I consente, 130 I wole prey oure Lorde it may so be. 131 JUSTICIA I, Ryghtwysnes, am wele contente, 132 For in hym is very equyté. 133 MISERICORDIA And I, Mercy, fro țis counsel wole not fle 134 Tyl Wysdam hath seyd I xal ses. 135 Here is God now, here is Vnyté; 136 Hefne and erth is plesyd with pes. 137 FILIUS I thynke țe thoughtys of pes and nowth of wykkydnes. 138 This I deme, to ses 3oure contraversy. 139 If Adam had not deyd, peryschyd had Ryghtwysnes, 140 And also Trewth had be lost țerby. 141 Trewth and Ryght wolde chastyse foly. 142 3iff another deth come not, Mercy xulde perysch; 143 țan Pes were exyled fynyaly. 144 So tweyn dethis must be, 3ow fowre to cherysch. 145 But he țat xal deye, 3e must knawe 146 țat in hym may ben non iniquyté, 147 țat helle may holde hym be no lawe, 148 But țat he may pas at hese lyberté. 149 Qwere swyche on his prevyde and se, 150 And hese deth for mannys deth xal be redempcyon. 151 All hefne and erth seke flow 3e. 152 Plesyth it 3ow țis conclusyon. 153 VERITAS I, Trowthe, haue sowte țe erthe withowt and withinne, 154 And in sothe țer kan non be fownde 155 țat is of o day byrth withowte synne, 156 Nor to țat deth wole be bownde. 157 MISERICORDIA. I, Mercy, haue ronne țe hevynly regyon rownde, 158 And țer is non of țat charyté 159 țat for man wole suffre a deddly wounde. 160 I cannott wete how țis xal be. 161 JUSTICIA Sure I can fynde non sufficyent, 162 For servauntys vnprofytable we be echon. 163 He[se] love nedyth to be ful ardent 164 That for man to helle wolde gon. 165 PAX That god may do is non but on. 166 țerfore țis is Pesys avyse: 167 He țat 3aff țis counsell, lete hym 3eve țe comforte alon, 168 For țe conclusyon in hym of all țese lyse. 169 FILIUS It peyneth me țat man I mad; 170 țat is to seyn, peyne I must sufre fore. 171 A counsel of țe Trinité must be had. 172 Whiche of vs xal man restore? 173 PATER In 3oure wysdam, son, man was mad thore, 174 And in wysdam was his temptacyon. 175 țerfor, sone, sapyens 3e must ordeyn herefore, 176 And se how of man may be salvacyon. 177 FILIUS Fadyr, he țat xal do țis must be both God and man— 178 Lete me se how I may were țat wede. 179 And syth in my wysdam he began, 180 I am redy to do țis dede. 181 SPIRITUS SANCTUS I, the Holy Gost, of 3ow tweyn do procede. 182 This charge I wole take on me: 183 I, Love, to 3oure lover xal 3ow lede. 184 țis is țe assent of oure Vnyté. 185 MISERICORDIA Now is țe loveday mad of us fowre fynialy, 186 Now may we leve in pes as we were wonte. 187 Misericordia et Veritas obviauerunt sibi, 188 Justicia et Pax osculate sunt. Et hic osculabunt pariter omnes. 189 PATER From vs, god aungel Gabryel, țu xalt be sende 190 Into țe countré of Galylé— 191 The name of țe cyté Nazareth is kende— 192 To a mayd, weddyd to a man is she, 193 Of whom țe name is Joseph, se, 194 Of țe hous of Davyd bore. 195 The name of țe mayd fre 196 Is Mary, țat xal al restore. 197 FILIUS Say țat she is withowte wo and ful of grace, 198 And țat I, țe Son of țe Godhed, of here xal be bore. 199 Hy3e țe, țu were there apace, 200 Ellys we xal be there the beffore, 201 I haue so grett hast to be man thore 202 In țat mekest and purest virgyne. 203 Sey here she xal restore 204 Of 3ow aungellys țe grett ruyne. 205 SPIRITUS SANCTUS And if she aske țe how it myth be, 206 Telle here I, țe Holy Gost, xal werke al this. 207 Sche xal be savyd thorwe oure Vnyté. 208 In tokyn, here bareyn cosyn Elyzabeth is 209 Qwyk with childe in here grett age, iwys. 210 Sey here to vs is nothynge impossyble. 211 Here body xal be so fulfylt with blys 212 țat she xal sone thynke țis sownde credyble. 213 GABRIEL In thyn hey inbassett, Lord, I xal go; 214 It xal be do with a thought. 215 Beholde now, Lord, I go here to; 216 I take my flyth and byde nowth. Ave, gracia plena, Dominus tecum. 217 Heyl, ful of grace, God is with the. 218 Amonge all women blyssyd art thu. 219 Here țis name Eva is turnyd Aue; 220 țat is to say, withowte sorwe ar 3e now. 221 Thow sorwe in 3ow hath no place, 222 3ett of joy, lady, 3e nede more. 223 Therfore I adde and sey “ful of grace,” 224 For so ful of grace was nevyr non bore. 225 3ett who hath grace, he nedyth kepyng sore; 226 Therfore I sey God is with the, 227 Whiche xal kepe 3ow endlesly thore. 228 So amonge all women bly[ss]yd are 3e. 229 MARIA A, mercy, God, țis is a mervelyous herynge, 230 In țe aungelys wordys I am trobelyd her. 231 I thynk, how may be țis gretynge? 232 Aungelys dayly to me doth aper, 233 But not in țe lyknes of man țat is my fer. 234 And also thus hy3ly to comendyd be, 235 And am most vnwurthy, I cannot answere. 236 Grett shamfastnes and grett dred is in me. 237 GABRYEL Mary, in țis take 3e no drede, 238 For at God grace fownde haue 3e. 239 3e xal conceyve in 3oure wombe indede 240 A childe, țe sone of țe Trynyté. 241 His name of 3ow Jesu clepyd xal be. 242 He xal be grett, țe Son of țe Hyest clepyd, of kende. 243 And of his fadyr, Davyd, țe Lord xal 3eve hym țe se, 244 Reynyng in țe hous of Jacob, of which regne xal be non ende. 245 MARIA Aungel, I sey to 3ow, 246 In what manere of wyse xal țis be? 247 For knowyng of man I haue non now: 248 I haue evyrmore kept and xal my virginyté. 249 I dowte not țe wordys 3e țan seyd. to me, 250 But I aske how it xal be do. 251 GABRYEL The Holy Gost xal come fro above to the, 252 And be vertu of hym hyest xal schadu țe so. 253 Therfore țat holy of țe xal be bore, 254 He xal be clepyd țe Son of God sage. 255 And se Elyzabeth, 3oure cosyn thore, 256 She hath conseyvid a son in hyre age. 257 This is țe sexte monyth of here passage, 258 Of here țat clepyd was bareyn. 259 Nothynge is impossyble to Goddys vsage. 260 They thynkyth longe to here what 3e wyl seyn. Here țe aungel makyth a lytyl restynge and Mary beholdyth hym, and țe aungel seyth: 261 Mary, come of and haste the, 262 And take hede in thyn entent 263 Whow țe Holy Gost, blyssyd he be, 264 Abydyth țin answere and țin assent. 265 Thorwe wyse werke of dyvinyté, 266 The secunde persone, verament, 267 Is mad man by fraternyté 268 Withinne țiself in place present. 269 Ferthermore, take hede țis space 270 Whow all țe blyssyd spyrytys of vertu 271 țat are in hefne byffore Goddys face, 272 And all be gode levers and trew 273 That are here in țis erthely place, 274 Thyn owyn kynrede, be sothe ho knew, 275 And țe chosyn sowlys țis tyme of grace 276 țat are in helle and byde rescu, 277 As Adam, Abraham, and Davyd in fere, 278 And many othere of good reputacyon, 279 țat țin answere desyre to here, 280 And țin assent to țe Incarnacyon, 281 In which țu standyst as persevere 282 Of all mankende savacyon. 283 Gyff me myn answere now, lady dere, 284 To all these creaturys comfortacyon. 285 MARIA With all mekenes I dyne to țis acorde, 286 Bowynge down my face with all benyngnyté. 287 Se here țe handmayden of oure Lorde, 288 Aftyr ți worde be it don to me. 289 GABRYEL Gramercy, my lady fre, 290 Gramercy of 3oure answere on hyght. 291 Gramercy of 3oure grett humylyté, 292 Gramercy, 3e lanterne off lyght! Here țe Holy Gost discendit with iij bemys to oure Lady, the Sone of țe Godhed nest with iij bemys to țe Holy Gost, the Fadyr godly with iij bemys to țe Sone. And so entre all thre to here bosom, and Mary seyth: 293 MARIA A, now I fele in my body be 294 Parfyte God and parfyte man, 295 Havyng aL schapp of chyldly carnalyté; 296 Evyn aL at onys țus God began, 297 Nott takynge fyrst o membyr and sythe another, 298 But parfyte childhod 3e haue anon. 299 Of 3oure handmayden now 3e haue mad 3oure modyr 300 Withowte peyne in flesche and bon. 301 Thus conceyved nevyr woman non 302 țat evyr was beynge in țis lyff. 303 O myn hyest Fadyr in 3oure tron, 304 It is worthy 3oure son—now my son—haue a prerogatyff. 305 I cannot telle what joy, what blysse, 306 Now I fele in my body! 307 Aungel Gabryel, I thank 3ow for thys. 308 Most mekely recomende me to my Faderys mercy. 309 To haue be țe modyr of God ful lytyl wend I. 310 Now myn cosyn Elyzabeth fayn wold I se, 311 How sche hath conseyvid as 3e dede specyfy. 312 Now blyssyd be țe hy3 Trynyté. 313 GABRYEL Fareweyl, turtyl, Goddys dowtere dere. 314 Farewel, Goddys modyr. I țe honowre. 315 Farewel, Goddys sustyr and his pleynge fere; 316 Farewel, Goddys chawmere and his bowre. 317 MARIA Farewel, Gabryel, specyalé. 318 Farewel, Goddys masangere expresse. 319 I thank 3ow for 3oure traveyl hye; 320 Gramercy of 3oure grett goodnes, 321 And namely of 3oure comfortabyl massage, 322 For I vndyrstande by inspyracyon 323 țat 3e knowe by syngulere preuylage 324 Most of my sonys Incarnacyon. 325 I pray 3ow, take it into vsage 326 Be a custom ocupacyon 327 To vesyte me ofte be mene passage; 328 3oure presence is my comfortacyon. 329 GABRIEL At 3oure wyl, lady, so xal it be, 330 3e gentyllest of blood and hyest of kynrede 331 țat reynyth in erth in ony degré, 332 Be pryncypal incheson of țe Godhede. 333 I comende me onto 3ow, țu trone of țe Trinyté, 334 O mekest mayde, now be modyr of Jesu. 335 Qwen of Hefne, Lady of Erth, and Empres of Helle be 3e; 336 Socour to all synful țat wole to 3ow sew 337 Thorwe 3oure body beryth țe babe oure blysse xal renew. 338 To 3ow, Modyr of Mercy, most mekely I recomende. 339 And as I began I ende, with an Ave new 340 Enjouyd hefne and erth; with țat I ascende. Angeli cantando istam sequenciam://”Aue Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, uirgo se[r]ena.”