[Scene 3] 155 Ioseph: All-myghty god, what may this be? Of mary my wyfe meruels me, 160 165 170 175 180 Maria: Alas, what has she wroght? A, hyr body is grete, and she with childe! ffor me was she neuer fylyd, Therfore myin it is noght. I irke full sore with my lyfe, That bargan I may ban; To me it was a carefull dede, I am old, sothly to say, The gams fro me ar gane. It is ill cowpled of youth and elde, som othere has she tane. she is with chyld, I wote neuer how, Certys no man that can any goode. [Scene 4] hayll, mary, and well be ye! why, bot woman, what chere with the ? Ioseph: So wold I, woman, that ye wore, It standys so with the now. Bot of a thyng frayn the I shall, who owe this child thou gose withall? Maria: That I shuld oght haue parte therin Thou nedys it not to neuen. wherto neuyns thou me therto? how shuld it then be myne? whos is that chyld, so god the spede? Maria: Syr, godys and yowrs, with-outen drede. Ioseph: ffor it is right full far me fro, And I forthynkys thou has done so And if thou speke thi selfe to spyll, If better myght haue bene. Maria: At godys wyll, Ioseph, must it be, ffor certanly bot god and ye I know none othere man, ffor fleshly was I neuer fylyd. Ioseph: how shuld thou thus then be with chyld? I blame the not, so god me saue, well wote thou, and so do I, That thou has done amys. Maria: yee, god he knowys all my doyng. L [30 a] 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 [30b] 240 245 250 Bot in my hart I haue grett care, Godys and myn she says it is! ffor shame yit shuld she let To excuse hir velany by me. I rew that euer we met. And how we met ye shall wyt sone: So dyd thay hir, to she wex more In the temple, which thou wyll neuen." She wold none othere for any sagh; To the temple thay somond old and ying, The law for to fulfill. Thay gaf ich man a white wand, And bad vs bere them in oure hande, To offre with good intent. Thay offerd thare yerdes vp in that tyde; ffor I was old I stode be syde, I wyst not what thay ment. ffurth with my wande thay mayd me com, "If thou be old meruell not the, ffor god of heuen thus ordans he, Thi wand shewys openly; It florishes so, withouten nay, 255 260 That the behovys wed mary the may." I was full sory in my thoght, I sayd for old I myght noght hir haue neuer the wheder. I was vnlykely to hir so y[i]ng, Thay sayde ther helpyd none excusyng, when I all thus had wed hir thare, we and my madyns home [g]an fare, That kyngys doghters were. All wroght thay sylk to fynd them on; bot othere colers sere. 265 270 I left thaym in good peasse, wenyd I; 275 My craft to vse with mayn, To gett oure lyfyng I must nede; On marie I prayd them take good hede, To that I cam agane. 266 ying yong MS, E 270 gan] can MS, E 280 285 290 [31 a] 295 300 305 310 Neyn monethes was I fro that myld; I askyd ther women who that had done, syn that I went from hame : "An angell spake with that wyght, sir, therof be ye bold." Thay excusyd hir thos sothly And babyshed me that was old. Shuld an angell this dede haue wroght? ffor no craft that thay can. A heuenly thyng forsothe is he, It is som othere man. Certys I forthynk sore of hir dede, All sich wanton playes, ffor yong women wyll nedys play them Bot marie and I playd neuer so sam, she is as clene as cristall clyfe And then am I cause of hir dede? 281 Neyn] ix MS |