Was neuer wight sa wa,

for ruthe I all to-ryff!

Allas! why wrought pou swa,

Marie, my weddid wiffe?

Mar[ia]: To my witnesse grete God I call,

pat [I] in mynde wroght neuere no mysse.
Joseph]: Whose is pe childe pou art with-all?
Mar[ia]: Youres, sir, and þe kyngis of blisse.
Jos[eph]:
Ye? and hoo pan?

Na, selcouthe tythandis than is pis,
Excuse þam wele there women can.
But, Marie, all þat sese pe

may witte pi werkis ere wan;

Thy wombe all way it wreyes þe,

þat þou has mette with man.

Whose is it? als faire mot ye be-fall.

Mar[ia]: Sir, it is youres and Goddis will.
Jos[eph]: Nay, I ne haue noght a-do with-all,
Neme it na more to me! be still!

Þou wate als wele as I,

þat we two same flesshly

Wrought neuer swilk werkis with ill.

Loke pou dide no folye

Be-fore me preuely

Thy faire maydenhede to spill.

But who is þe fader? telle me his name! Mar[ia]: None but youre self.

Jos[eph]:

Late be, for shame!

155

[48a]

165

170

175

I did it neuere, pou dotist dame, by bukes and belles ! 180 Full sakles shulde I bere þis blame aftir þou telles.

157 I] omit MS S, suggested by K 157] H re-writes the line as follows: that never in mynde have wrought no mysse 160 hoo] H suggests how, apparently taking hoo to mean who, but hoo can mean how as well as who 176 faire] omit H

185

For I wroght neuere in worde nor dede
Thyng þat shulde marre thy maydenhede,
To touche me till.

For of slyk note war litill nede,

Yhitt for myn awne I wolde it fede,

Might all be still.

parefore pe fadir tell me, Marie.

Mar[ia]: But God and yhow I knowe right none. 190 Jos[eph]: A! slike sawes mase me full sarye, With grete mornyng to make my mone. Therfore be nogt so balde

195

[48b]

200

205

210

pat no slike tales be talde,

But halde pe stille als stane.
Þou art yonge and I am alde,
Slike werkis yf I do walde,

pase games fra me are gane.
Therfore, telle me in priuite

whos is pe childe pou is with nowe?
Sertis, per sall non witte but we,

I drede pe lawe als wele as þou.
Mar[ia]: Nowe grete God of his myght,
þat all may dresse and dight,

Mekely to be I bowe!

Rewe on þis wery wight,
pat in his herte might light

pe soth to ken and trowe.

Jos[eph]: Who had thy maydenhede, marie, has pou oght mynde?

Mar[ia]: For suth, I am a mayden clene.

Jos[eph]: Nay, þou spekis now agayne kynde,

Slike þing myght neuere naman of mene.

A maiden to be with childe!

pase wer[d]is fra þe ar wilde

Sho is not borne, I wene.

208 has bou oght] omit H

213 werdis] werkis MS S

Mar[ia]: Joseph, yhe ar begiled,

With synne was I neuer filid,

Goddis sande is on me sene.

Jos[eph]: Goddis sande! yha Marie! God helpe!
But certis þat childe was neuere oures two.
But woman kynde gif þat list yhelpe,
Yhitt walde bei naman wiste þer wo.
Mar[ia]: Sertis, it is Goddis sande,

þat sall I neuer ga fra.

Jos[eph]: Yha! Marie, drawe thyn hande,
For forther gitt will I frande,

I trowe not it be swa.

pe soth fra me gif þat þou layne,

pe childe bering may pou nogt hyde;
But sitte stille here tille I come agayne,
Me bus an erand here beside.
Mar[ia]: Now, grete God, [he] you wisse,
And mende you of your mysse

Of me, what so betyde.

215

220

225

230

Als he is kyng of blysse,
Sende yhou som seand of þis,

[49a]

In truth þat ye might bide.

[Scene 3]

Jos[eph]: Nowe, lord God, þat all þing may
At thine owne will bothe do and dresse,
Wisse me now som redy way

To walk here in þis wildirnesse.
Bot or I passe pis hill,

Do with me what God will,

220 yhelpe] whelpe H

in MS
231 he] be MS S,
as vb. = guide; but cf. line 239

his K

222 & 223] written as one line taking wisse as an adj. wise, not 235 seand] sande HK bis]

240

245

250

255

260

265

[49b]

270

Owther more or lesse,

Here bus me bide full stille
Till I haue slepid my fille,

Myn hert so heuy it is.

[He sleeps, then enter Gabriel.]

Ang[elus]: Waken, Joseph, and take bettir kepe
To Marie, þat is þi felawe fest.

Jos[eph]: A! I am full werie, lefe late me slepe,
Forwandered and walked in þis forest.

Ang[elus]: Rise vppe and slepe na mare!
Þou makist her herte full sare,

pat loues pe alther best.

Jos[eph]: We! now es pis a farly fare,
For to be cached bathe here and pare,
And nowhere may haue rest.

Say, what arte pou? telle me this thyng!
Ang[elus]: I Gabriell, Goddis aungell full euen,
Þat has tane Marie to my kepyng,

And sente es pe to say with steuen,
In lele wedlak pou lede pe;
Leffe hir nogt, I forbid þe,

Na syn of hir þou neuen.
But till hir fast pou spede pe,
And of hir noght þou drede pe-

It is Goddis sande of heuen.
The childe pat sall be borne of her
Itt is consayued of pe haly gast.
All joie and blisse pan sall be aftir,
And to al mankynde nowe althir-mast.
Jesus his name þou calle,

For slike happe sall hym fall

Als pou sall se in haste.
His pepull saff he sall

Of euyllis and angris all,

þat þei ar nowe enbraste.

Joseph]: And is this soth, aungell, þou saise?
Ang[elus]: Yha! and pis to taken right,

Wende forthe to Marie thy wiffe alwayse;
Brynge her to Bedlem þis ilke nyght;
Ther sall a childe borne be,-
Goddis sone of heuen is hee,

And man ay mast of myght.

Jos[eph]: Nowe lorde god! full wele is me
þat euyr þat I þis sight suld see,
I was neuer [half] so light.
For for I walde hir pus refused,
And sakles blame pat ay was clere,
Me bus pray hir halde me excused,

Als som men dose with full god chere.

[Scene 4]

Saie, Marie wiffe, how fares pou?

Mar[ia]: pe bettir, sir, for yhou.

Why stande yhe pare? come nere.

Joseph]: My bakke fayne wolde I bowe,

And aske fo[r]gifnesse nowe,

Wiste I pou wolde me here.

Mar[ia]: Forgiffnesse, sir! late be, for shame!

Slike wordis suld all gud women lakke.

Joseph]: Yha, Marie, I am to blame
For wordis lang are I to the spak.

278 and] and nim K 286 half ar MS S fogifnesse MS

285 2nd þat] omit K & Hall
295 forgifnesse]

287 hir haue hir H 299 Marie] Marie wyff K

275

280

285

200

295

[50 a]