The York Cycle, Play 15
The Angels and the Shepherds
Chaundelers

001     Pastor. Bredir, in haste takis heede and here
002     What I wille speke and specifie;
003     Sen we walke thus, withouten were,
004     What mengis my moode nowe meve yt will I.
005     Oure forme-fadres faythfull in fere,
006     Bothe Osye and Isaye,
007     Preued that a prins withouten pere
008     Shulde descende doune in a lady,
009     And to make mankynde clerly,
010     To leche tham that are lorne.
011     And in Bedlem hereby
012     Sall that same barne by borne.

013     Pastor 2. Or he be borne in burgh hereby,
014     Balaham, brothir, me haue herde say,
015     A sterne shulde schyne and signifie
016     With lightfull lemes like any day.
017     And als the texte it tellis clerly
018     By witty lerned men of oure lay,
019     With his blissid bloode he shulde vs by,
020     He shulde take here al of a maye.
021     I herde my syre saye,
022     When he of hir was borne,
023     She shulde be als clene maye
024     As euer she was byforne.

025     Pastor 3. A, mercifull maker, mekill is thy myght,
026     That thus will to thi seruauntes see,
027     Might we ones loke vppon that light
028     Gladder bretheren myght no men be.
029     I haue herde say, by that same light
030     The childre of Israell shulde be made free,
031     The force of the feende to felle in fighte,
032     And all his pouer excluded shulde be.
033     Wherfore, brether, I rede that wee
034     Flitte faste ouere thees felles,
035     To frayste to fynde oure fee,
036     And talke of sumwhat ellis.

037     Pastor 1. We, Hudde!

038     Pastor 2. We, howe?

039     Pastor 1. Herkyn to me.

040     Pastor 2. We, man, thou maddes all out of myght.

041     Pastor 1. We, Colle!

042     Pastor 3. What care is comen to the?

043     Pastor 1. Steppe furth and stande by me right,
044     And telle me than
045     Yf thou sawe euere swilke a sight.

046     Pastor 3. I? Nay, certis, nor neuere no man.

047     Pastor 2. Say felowes, what, fynde yhe any feest,
048     Me falles for to haue parte, pardé

049     Pastor 1. Whe, Hudde, behalde into the heste,
050     A selcouthe sight than sall thou see
051     Vppon the skye.

052     Pastor 2. We, telle me men, emang vs thre,
053     Whatt garres yow stare thus sturdely?

054     Pastor 3. Als lange as we haue herde-men bene
055     And kepid this catell in this cloghe,
056     So selcouth a sight was neuere non sene.

057     Pastor 1. We, no Colle. Nowe comes it newe inowe,
058     Žat mon we fynde. [... ...]

059     Pastor 3
060     Itt menes some meruayle vs emang,
061     Full hardely I you behete.

062     Pastor 1. What it shulde mene that wate not yoee,
063     For all that yoe can gape and gone.
064     I can synge itt alls wele as hee,
065     And on asaie itt sall be sone
066     Proued or we passe.
067     Yf yoe will helpe, late see, halde on,
068     For thus it was:

069     Pastor 2. Ha! Ha! this was a mery note,
070     Be the dede that I sall dye,
071     I haue so crakid in my throte
072     Žat my lippis are nere drye.

073     Pastor 3. I trowe thou royse,
074     For what it was fayne witte walde I
075     That tille vs made this noble noyse.

076     Pastor 1. An aungell brought vs tythandes newe
077     A babe in Bedlem shulde be borne,
078     Of whom than spake oure prophicie trewe-
079     And bad us mete hym thare this morne-
080     Žat mylde of mode.
081     I walde giffe hym bothe hatte and horne
082     And I myght fynde that frely foode.

083     Pastor 3. Hym for to fynde has we no drede,
084     I sall you telle achesoune why:
085     3one sterne to that lorde sall vs lede.

086     Pastor 2. 3a, thou sais soth. Go we forthy
087     Hym to honnour,
088     And make myrthe and melody,
089     With sange to seke oure savyour.

090     Pastor 1. Breder, bees all blythe and glad,
091     Here is the burgh ther we shulde be.

092     Pastor 2. In that same steede now are we stadde,
093     Tharefore I will go seke and see.
094     Slike happe of heele neuere herde-men hadde;
095     Loo, here is the house, and here is hee.

096     Pastor 3. 3a forsothe, this is the same,
097     Loo whare that lorde is layde
098     Betwyxe two bestis tame,
099     Right als the aungell saide.

100     Pastor 1. The aungell saide that he shulde saue
101     This worlde and all that wonnes therin,
102     Therfore yf I shulde oght aftir crave
103     To wirshippe hym I will begynne:
104     Sen I am but a symple knave,
105     Žof all I come of curtayse kynne,
106     Loo here slyke harnays as I haue-
107     A baren-broche by a belle of tynne
108     At youre bosom to be;
109     And whenne yoe shall welde all
110     Gud sonne, forgete noyot me
111     Yf any fordele falle.

112     Pastor 2. Žou sonne that shall saue bothe see and sande,
113     Se to me sen I haue the soght;
114     I am ovir poure to make presande
115     Als myn harte wolde, and I had ought.
116     Two cobill notis vppon a bande,
117     Loo, litill babe, what I haue broght,
118     And whan yoe sall be lorde in lande
119     Dose goode agayne, forgete me noght,
120     For I haue herde declared
121     Of connyng clerkis and clene,
122     That bountith askis rewarde;
123     Nowe watte yoe what I mene.

124     Pastor 3. Nowe loke on me, my lorde dere,
125     Žof all I putte me noght in pres,
126     Ye are a prince withouten pere,
127     I haue no presentte that you may plees.
128     But lo, an horne spone that haue I here-
129     And it will herbar fourty pese-
130     Žis will I giffe you with gud chere,
131     Slike noveltémay noght disease.
132     Farewele thou swete swayne,
133     God graunte vs levyng lange,
134     And go we hame agayne
135     And make mirthe as we gange.