The York Cycle, Play 18 Flight into Egypt Marchallis 001 Joseph. Thow maker that is most of myght, 002 To thy mercy I make my mone; 003 Lord, se vnto this symple wight 004 Ŝat hase non helpe but the allone. 005 For all this worlde I haue forsaken, 006 And to thy seruice I haue me taken 007 With witte and will 008 For to fulfill 009 Ŝi commaundement. 010 Ŝeron myn herte is sette 011 With grace thou has me lente, 012 Ŝare schall no lede me lette. 013 For all my triste lorde is in the 014 That made me man, to thy liknes. 015 Thow myghtfull maker, haue mynde on me 016 And se vnto my sympplenes. 017 I waxe wayke as any wande, 018 For febill me faylles both foote and hande; 019 Whateuere it mene, 020 Methynke myne eyne 021 Hevye as leede. 022 Ŝerfore I halde it best 023 A whille her in this stede 024 To slepe and take my reste. 025 Mary. Thow luffely lord that last schall ay, 026 My God, my lorde, my sone so dere, 027 To thy Godhede hartely I pray 028 With all myn harte holy entere. 029 As thou me to thy modir chaas, 030 I beseke the of thy grace 031 For all mankynde 032 Ŝat has in mynde 033 To wirshippe the. 034 Ŝou se thy saules to saue, 035 Jesu my sone so free, 036 Ŝis bone of the I crave. 037 Angel. Wakyn Joseph, and take entent, 038 My sawes schall seece thy sorowe sare. 039 Be noght heuy, thi happe is hentte, 040 Ŝarefore I bidde the slepe no mare. 041 Joseph. A, myghtfull lorde, whateuere that mente? 042 So swete a voyce herde I neuere ayre. 043 But what arte thou with steuen so shylle 044 Ŝus in my slepe that spekis me till? 045 To me appere 046 And late me here 047 What that thou was. 048 Angel. Joseph, haue thou no drede, 049 Ŝou shalte witte or I passe, 050 Therefore to me take hede. 051 For I am sente to the, 052 Gabriell, Goddis aungell bright, 053 Is comen to bidde the flee 054 With Marie and hir worthy wight. 055 For Herowde the kyng gars doo to dede 056 All knave-childer in ilke a stede, 057 Ŝat he may ta 058 With yoeris twa 059 Ŝat are of olde. 060 Tille he be dede, away 061 In Egipte shall yoe beelde 062 Tille I witte the for to saie. 063 Joseph. Aye-lastand lord, loved mott thou be 064 That thy swete sande wolde to me sende. 065 But lorde, what ayles the kyng at me, 066 For vnto hym I neuere offende? 067 Allas, what ayles hym for to spille 068 Smale yoonge barnes that neuere did ille 069 In worde ne dede, 070 Vnto no lede 071 Be nyght nor day? 072 And sen he wille vs schende, 073 Dere lorde, I the praye, 074 Ŝou wolde be oure frende, 075 For be he neuere so wode or wrothe 076 For all his force thou may vs fende. 077 I praye the lorde, kepe us fro skathe, 078 Thy socoure sone to vs thou sende; 079 For vnto Egipte wende we will 080 Thy biddyng baynly to fulfill, 081 As worthy is 082 Ŝou kyng of blisse, 083 Ŝi will be wroght. 084 Marie my doughtir dere, 085 On the is all my thought. 086 Mary. A, leue Joseph, what chere? 087 Joseph. Ŝe chere of me is done for ay. 088 Mary. Allas, what tythandis herde haue yoe? 089 Joseph. Now certis, full ille to the at saye, 090 Ther is noght ellis but us most flee 091 Owte of oure kyth where we are knowyn, 092 Full wightely bus vs be withdrawen, 093 Both thou and I. 094 Mary. Leue Joseph, why? 095 Layne it noght, 096 To doole who has vs demed, 097 Or what wronge haue we wroght 098 Wherfore we shulde be flemyd? 099 Joseph. Wroght we harme? Nay, nay, all wrange, 100 Wytte thou wele it is noght soo. 101 Ŝat yonge But yf thou fast flee fro his foo. 102 Mary. His foo? Allas, what is youre reede, 103 Wha wolde my dere barne do to dede? 104 I durk, I dare, 105 Whoo may my care 106 Of balis blynne? 107 To flee I wolde full fayne, 108 For all this worlde to wynne 109 Wolde I noght se hym slayne. 110 Joseph. I warne the he is thraly thrette 111 With Herowde kyng, harde harmes to haue. 112 With that mytyng yf that we be mette 113 Ŝer is no salue that hym may saue. 114 I warne the wele, he sleeis all 115 Knave-childir, grete and small, 116 In towne and felde 117 Within the elde 118 Of two yoere, 119 And for thy sones sake. 120 He will fordo that dere, 121 May that traytoure hym take. 122 Mary. Leue Joseph, who tolde yow this? 123 How hadde yoe wittering of this dede? 124 Joseph. An aungell bright that come fro blisse 125 This tythandis tolde withouten drede, 126 And wakynd me oute of my slepe 127 Ŝat comely childe fro cares to kepe, 128 And bad me flee 129 With hym and the 130 Onto Egipte. 131 And sertis I dred me sore 132 To make any smale trippe, 133 Or tyme that I come thare. 134 Mary. What ayles thei at my barne 135 Slike harmes hym for to hete? 136 Allas, why schulde I tharne 137 My sone his liffe so swete? 138 His harte aught to be ful sare, 139 On slike a foode hym to forfare 140 Ŝat nevir did ill, 141 Hym for to spill, 142 And he ne wate why. 143 I ware full wille of wane 144 My sone and he shulde dye, 145 And I haue but hym allone. 146 Joseph. We, leue Marie, do way, late be! 147 I pray the, leue of thy dynne, 148 And fande the furthe faste for to flee, 149 Away with hym for to wynne, 150 That no myscheue on hym betyde, 151 Nor none vnhappe in no-kyn side 152 Be way nor strete, 153 Ŝat we non mete 154 To slee hym. 155 Mary. Allas Joseph, for care, 156 Why shuld I forgo hym, 157 My dere barne that I bare? 158 Joseph. Ŝat swete swayne yf thou saue 159 Do tyte pakke same oure gere, 160 And such smale harnes as we haue. 161 Mary. A, leue Joseph, I may not bere. 162 Joseph. Bere arme? No, I trowe but small. 163 But God it wote I muste care for all, 164 For bed and bak 165 And alle the pakke 166 Ŝat nedis vnto vs. 167 It fortheres to fene me; 168 Ŝis pakald bere me bus, 169 Off of all I plege and pleyne me. 170 But God graunte grace I noght forgete 171 No tulles that we schulde with vs take. 172 Mary. Allas Joseph, for greuaunce grete, 173 Whan shall my sorowe slake, 174 For I wote noght whedir to fare? 175 Joseph. To Egipte-talde I the lang are. 176 Mary. Whare standith itt? 177 Fayne wolde I witt. 178 Joseph. What wate I? 179 I wote not where it stande. 180 Mary. Joseph, I aske mersy, 181 Helpe me oute of this lande. 182 Joseph. Nowe certis Marie, I wolde full fayne 183 Helpe the al that I may, 184 And at my poure me peyne 185 To wynne with hym and the away. 186 Mary. Allas, what ayles that feende 187 Ŝus wilsom wayes make vs to wende? 188 He dois grete synne, 189 Fro kyth and kynne 190 He gares vs flee. 191 Joseph. Leue Marie, leue thy grete. 192 Mary. Joseph, full wo is me 193 For my dere sone so swete. 194 Joseph. I pray the Marie, happe hym warme 195 And sette hym softe that he noght syle, 196 And yf thou will ought ese thyn arme 197 Gyff me hym, late me bere hym awhile. 198 Mary. I thanke you of youre grete goode dede; 199 Nowe gud Joseph tille hym take hede, 200 Ŝat fode so free, 201 Tille hym yoe see 202 Now in this tyde. 203 Joseph. Lat me and hym allone, 204 And yf thou can ille ride 205 Haue and halde the faste by the mane. 206 Mary. Allas Joseph, for woo, 207 Was neuer wight in worde so will. 208 Joseph. Do way Marie, and say nought soo, 209 For thou schall haue no cause thertill. 210 For witte thou wele, God is oure frende, 211 He will be with vs wherso we lende. 212 In all oure nede 213 He will vs spede, 214 Ŝis wote I wele. 215 I loue my lorde of all; 216 Such forse methynke I fele, 217 I may go where I schall. 218 Are was I wayke, nowe am I wight, 219 My lymes to welde ay at my wille. 220 I loue my maker most of myght 221 That such grace has graunte me tille. 222 Nowe schall no hatyll do vs harme, 223 I haue oure helpe here in myn arme. 224 He wille vs fende 225 Wherso we lende 226 Fro tene and tray. 227 Late vs goo with goode chere- 228 Farewele and haue gud day- 229 God blisse vs all in fere. 230 Mary. Amen as he beste may.