N-Town Cycle, Play 13

[Mary and Joseph's Visit to Elizabeth]

  1  MARIA Bvtt, husbond, of oo thynge I pray 3ow most mekely:
  2  I haue knowyng ŝat oure cosyn Elyzabeth with childe is.
  3  ŝat it plese 3ow to go to here hastyly,
  4  If owught we myth comforte here, it wore to me blys.

  5  JOSEPH A, Godys sake! Is she with childe? Sche?
  6  Than wole here husbond, Zakarye, be mery.
  7  In Montana they dwelle, fer hens, so moty the,
  8  In ŝe cety of Juda, I knowe it veryly.
  9  It is hens, I trowe, myles two and fyfty_
 10  We are lyke to be wery or we come at ŝat same.
 11  I wole with a good wyl, blyssyd wyff Mary;
 12  Now go we forthe, than, in Goddys name.

 13  MARIA [Good] husbond, ŝow it be to 3ow peyne,
 14  This jurny, I pray 3ow, lete us go fast;
 15  For I am schamfast of ŝe pepyl to be seyne,
 16  And namely of men ŝerof I am agast.
 17  Pylgrymagys and helpyngys wolde be go in hast.
 18  ŝe more ŝe body is peynyd ŝe more is ŝe mede.
 19  Say 3e 3oure devocyonys and I xal myn icast.
 20  Now in ŝis jurny God mote us spede.

 21  JOSEPH Amen, amen, and evyrmore,
 22  Lo, wyff lo how starkly I go before.

Et sic transient circa placeam.

 23  CO[N]TEMPLACIO Sovereynes, vndyrstondyth ŝat Kynge Davyd here
 24  Ordeyned foure and twenty prestys of grett devocyon,
 25  In ŝe temple of God aftere here l[o]t [to] apere.
 26  ŝei wer[e] clepyd summi sacerdotes for here mynistracyon.
 27  And on was prynce of prestys, havynge domynacyon;
 28  Amonge whiche was an old prest clepyd Zakarye,
 29  And he had an old woman to his wyff of holy conversacyon,
 30  Whiche hyth Elizabeth, ŝat nevyr had childe, verylye.

 31  In hese mynistracyon, the howre of incense,
 32  The aungel Gabryel apperyd hym to.
 33  ŝat hese wyff xulde conscyve he 3aff hym intelligence,
 34  [He, seinge] hese vnwurthynes and age, not belevyd so;
 35  The plage of dompnesse hise lippis lappyd, lo.
 36  Thei wenten hom and his wyff was conseyvenge—
 37  This concepcyon Gabryel tolde oure Lady to—
 38  And in soth, sone aftere, ŝat sage sche was sekynge.

 39  And of here tweyners metyng
 40  Here gynnyth ŝe proces.
 41  Now God be oure begynnynge,
 42  And of my tonge I wole ses.

 43  JOSEPH A, a, wyff, in feyth I am wery.
 44  Therfore I wole sytt downe and rest me ryght here.
 45  Lo, wyff, here is ŝe hous of Zakary;
 46  Wole 3e I clepe Elyzabeth to 3ow to apere?
 47  MARIA Nay, husbond, and it plese 3ow, I xal go ner.
 48  Now ŝe blyssyd Trynité be in ŝis hous.
 49  A, cosyn Elizabeth, swete modyr, what cher?
 50  3e grow grett! A, my God, how 3e be gracyous!

 51  ELIZABETH Anon as I herd of 3ow ŝis holy gretynge,
 52  Mekest mayden and ŝe Modyr of God, Mary,
 53  Be 3oure breth ŝe Holy Gost vs was inspyrynge;
 54  ŝat ŝe childe in my body enjoyd gretly
 55  And turnyd down on his knes to oure God reverently.
 56  Whom 3e here in 3oure body, ŝis veryly I ken.
 57  Fulfyllyd with ŝe Holy Gost ŝus lowde I cry:
 58  Blyssyd be ŝu amonge all women!

 59  And blyssyd be ŝe frute off ŝi wombe also,
 60  ŝu wurthyest virgyne and wyff ŝat evyr was wrought.
 61  How is it ŝat ŝe Modyr of God me xulde come to,
 62  ŝat wrecche of all wrecchis, a whyght wers ŝan nought;
 63  And ŝu art blyssyd, ŝat belevyd veryly in ŝi thought
 64  ŝat ŝe wurde of God xulde profyte in the.
 65  But how ŝis blyssydnes abought was brought,
 66  I cannot thynk nyn say how it myght be.

 67  MARIA To ŝe preysynge of God, cosyn, this seyd mut be:
 68  Whan I sat in my lytyl hous onto God praynge,
 69  Gabryel come and seyde to me “Ave.”
 70  Ther I conceyvyd God at my consentynge,
 71  Parfyte God and parfyte man at onys beynge.
 72  Than ŝe aungel seyd onto me
 73  ŝat it was sex monethys syn 3oure conseyvynge;
 74  ŝis cawsyth my comynge, cosyn, 3ow to comfort and se.

 75  ELIZABETH Blyssyd be 3e, cosyn, for 3oure hedyrcomynge.
 76  How I conseyvyd I xal to 3ow say:
 77  ŝe aungel apperyd ŝe howre of incensynge
 78  Seynge I xulde conseyve, and hym thought nay!
 79  Sethe for his mystrost he hath be dowm alway.
 80  And ŝus of my concepcyon I haue tolde 3ow sum.
 81  MARIA For ŝis holy psalme I begynne here ŝis day:

 82  Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
 83  Et exultauit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
 84  ELIZABETH Be ŝe Holy Gost with joye Goddys son is in ŝe cum,
 85  ŝat ŝi spyryte so injouyid ŝe helth of ŝi God so.

 86  MARIA Quia respexit humilitatem ancille sue.
 87  Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generaciones.
 88  ELIZABETH For he beheld ŝe lownes of hese handmayde, 3e.
 89  [L]o, ferforthe for ŝat, all generacyonys blysse 3ow in pes.

 90  MARIA Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est,
 91  Et sanctum nomen eius.
 92  ELIZABETH For grett thyngys he made, and also myghtyest,
 93  And ryght holy is ŝe name of hym in vs.

 94  MARIA Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies
 95  Timentibus eum.
 96  ELIZABETH 3a, ŝe mercy of hym fro ŝat kynde into ŝe kynde of pes,
 97  For all ŝat hym drede now is he cum.

 98  MARIA Fecit potenciam in brachio suo,
 99  Disspersit superbos mente cordis sui.
100  ELIZABETH The pore in his ryght arme he hath mad so,
101  ŝe prowde to dyspeyre [in] ŝe thought of here hertys only.

102  MARIA Deposuit potentes de sede,
103  Et exaltauit humiles.
104  ELIZABETH The prowde men fro hey setys put he,
105  And ŝe lowly vpon heyth in ŝe sete of pes.

106  MARIA Esurientes impleuit bonis,
107  Et diuites dimisit inanes.
108  ELIZABETH Alle ŝe pore and ŝe nedy he fulfyllyth with his goodys,
109  And ŝe ryche he fellyth to voydnes.

110  MARIA Suscepit Israel puerurn suum,
111  Recordatus est misericordie sue.
112  ELIZABETH Israel for his childe vp toke he to cum,
113  On his mercy to thynk, for hese ŝat be.

114  MARIA Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
115  Abraham et semini eius in secula.
116  ELIZABETH As he spak here to oure forfaderys in clos,
117  Abraham and to all hese sed of hym in ŝis werd, sa.

118  MARIA Gloria Patri, et Filio,
119  Et Spiritui Sancto.
120  ELIZABETH Preysyng be to ŝe Fadyr in hevyn, lo!
121  ŝe same to ŝe Son here be so,
122  ŝe Holy Gost also to ken.

123  MARIA Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
124  Et in secula seculorum, amen.
125  ELIZABETH As it was in ŝe begynnynge, and now is, and xal be forevyr,
126  And in ŝis werd in all good werkys to abydyn then.

127  MARIA This psalme of prophesye seyd betwen vs tweyn,
128  In hefne it is wretyn with aungellys hond,
129  Evyr to be songe and also to be seyn
130  Euery day amonge us at oure evesong.

131  But, cosyn Elyzabeth, I xal 3ow here kepe,
132  And ŝis thre monethis abyde here now,
133  Tyl 3e han childe; to wasche, skore, and swepe,
134  And in all ŝat I may to comforte 3ow.
135  ELIZABETH A, 3e Modyr of God, 3e shewe us here how
136  We xulde be meke ŝat wrecchis here be.
137  All hefne and herthe wurchepp 3ow mow,
138  ŝat are trone and tabernakyl of ŝe hy3 Trinité.

139  JOSEPH A, how do 3e, how do 3e, fadyr Zacharye?
140  We falle fast in age, withowte oth.
141  Why shake 3e so 3oure hed? Haue 3e ŝe palsye?
142  Why speke 3e not, sere? I trowe 3e are not wroth.
143  ELIZABETH Nay, wys fadyr Joseph, ŝerto he were ful loth.
144  It is ŝe vesytac[y]on of God; he may not speke, veryly.
145  Lete us thank God ŝerffor, both.
146  He xal remedy it whan it plesyth his mercy.

[CONCLUSION A]

147  JOSEPH Of 3oure dissese thynkys no greff,
148  Thank God of al aduersyté;
149  For he wyl chastyse and repreff
150  ŝo ŝat he lovyth most hertylé.

151  Mary, I hold best ŝat we go hens;
152  We haue fer hom, withowt fayl.
153  MARIA Al redy, husbond, without defens,
154  Iwyl werke be 3oure counsayl.
155  Cosyn, be 3oure leve and 3oure lycens,
156  For homward now us must travayl.
157  Of ŝis refreschynge in 3oure presens
158  God 3eld 3ow, ŝat most may avayl.

159  ELIZABETH Now, cosynes bothe, God 3ow spede.
160  And wete 3ow wele withowtyn mo,
161  3oure presens comfortyth me indede.
162  And ŝerfore now am I ryght wo
163  That 3e, my frendys and my kynrede,
164  ŝus sone now xul parte me fro.
165  But I pray God he mote 3ow lede
166  In every place wherso 3e go.

Here Mary and Elizabet partyn, and Elizabeth goth to Zakarie and seyth:

167  Good husbond, ryse up I beseke 3ow,
168  And go we to ŝe temple now fast
169  To wurchep God, with ŝat we mow,
170  And thank hym bothe, this is my cast,
171  Of ŝe tyme ŝat is comynge now.
172  For now is cum mercy, and venjauns is past!
173  God wyl be born for mannys prow
174  To brynge us to blysse ŝat evyr xal last.

[CONCLUSION B]

175  Come, I pray 3ow specialy.
176  Iwys, 3e are welcome, Mary.
177  For ŝis comfortabelest comynge, good God, gramercy.

178  CONTEMPLACIO. Lystenyth, sovereynys, here is a conclusyon.
179  How ŝe Aue was mad here is lernyd vs:
180  ŝe aungel seyd, “Aue, gracia plena. Dominus tecum,
181  Benedicta tu in mulieribus.”
182  Eiyzabeth seyd, “Et benedictus
183  Fructus uentris tui.” Thus ŝe Chirch addyd “Maria” and “Jesus” her.
184  Who seyth oure Ladyes Sawtere dayly for a 3er ŝus,
185  He hath pardon ten thowsand and eyte hundryd 3er.

186  Than ferther to oure matere for to procede,
187  Mary with Elizabeth abod ŝer stylle
188  Iij monthys fully, as we rede,
189  Thankynge God with hertly wylle.

190  A, Lord God, what hous was ŝis on
191  ŝat [held] ŝese childeryn and here moderys to
192  As Mary and Elizabeth, Jesus and John,
193  And Joseph and Zakarye also.

194  And evyr oure Lady abod stylle ŝus
195  Tyl Johan was of his modyr born.
196  And ŝan Zakarye spak, iwus,
197  ŝat had be dowm and his spech lorn.

198  He and Elizabeth prophesyed as ŝus:
199  They mad “Benedictus” them beforn.
200  And so “Magnificat” and “Benedictus”
201  Fyrst in ŝat place ŝer made worn.

202  Whan all was don oure Lady fre
203  Toke here leve than aftere this
204  At Elizabeth and at Zakarie,
205  And kyssyd Johan and gan hym blys.

206  Now most mekely we thank 3ou of 3oure pacyens
207  And beseke 3ou of 3oure good supportacyon.
208  If here hath be seyd ore don any inconuenyens,
209  We asygne it to 3oure good deliberaci[on],
210  Besekynge to Crystys precyous Passyon
211  Conserve and rewarde 3oure hedyrcomynge.
212  With “Aue” we begunne and “Aue” is oure conclusyon:
213  “Ave Regina Celorum” to our Lady we synge.