And sothly, if it so befall,
Godys son that she be withall-

If sich grace myght betyde-
I wote well that I am not he
which that is worthy to be

That blyssed body besyde,

Nor yit to be in company;
To wyldernes I will, for-thi,

Enfors me for to fare,

And neuer longer with hir dele,
Bot stylly shall I from hir stele,
That mete shall we no mare.

[Scene 5]

Angelus: Do wa, Ioseph, and mend thy thoght,
I warne the well, and weynd thou noght
To wyldernes so wylde.

Turne home to thi spouse agane,

look thou deme in hir no trane,

ffor she was neuer ffylde.

wyte thou no wyrkyng of Werkys wast;
She hase consauyd the holy gast,

And she shall bere godys son.

ffor-thy with hir in thi degre,
Meke and buxom looke thou be,
And with hir dwell and won.

Ioseph: A, lord, I lofe the all alon,

That vowches safe that I be oone
To tent that chyld so ying,

I that thus haue vngrathly gone,
And vntruly taken apon

Mary, that dere darlyng.

315

320

325

330

335

340

345

[31b]

350

355

360

365

370

I rewe full sore that I haue sayde,
And of hir byrding hir vpbrade,
And she not gylty is.

ffor-thi to hir now wyll I weynde,
And pray hir for to be my freynde,
And aske hir forgyfnes.

[Scene 6]

A, mary, wyfe, what chere?

Maria: The better, sir, that ye are here.
Thus long where haue ye lent?
Ioseph: Certys, walkyd aboute lyke a fon,
That wrangwysly hase taken apon,

I wyst neuer What I ment.
Bot I wote well, my lemman fre,
I haue trespast to god and the,
fforgyf me I the pray!

Maria: Now all that euer ye sayde me to
God forgyf you, and I do

With all the myght I may.

Ioseph: Gramercy, mary, thi good wyll

So kyndly forgyfys that I sayde yll,
When I [g]an the vpbrade.
Bot well is hym hase sich a fode,
A meke wyf; withouten goode
he may well hold hym payde.

A, what I am as light as lynde!
he that may both lowse and bynde,
And euery mys amend,

leyn me grace, powere, and myght,
My wyfe and hir swete yong wight
To kepe to my lyfys ende.

Explicit Annunciacio beate Marie.

365 gan] can MS, E

[Play 11.] INCIPIT SALUTACIO ELEZABETH.

Maria: My lord of heuen, that syttys he
And all thyng seys with ee,

The safe, Elezabeth!

Elezabeth: Welcom, mary, blyssyd blome,

Ioyfull am I of thi com

To me, from nazareth.

Maria: how standys it with you, dame, of qwart?
Elezabeth: well, my doghter and dere hart,

As can for myn elde.

Maria: To speke with you me thoght full lang, ffor ye with childe in elde gang,

And ye be cald geld.

Elezabeth: ffull lang shall I the better be
That I may speke my fyll with the,

My dere kyns Woman,

To wytt how thi freyndys fare
In thi countre where thay are,
Therof tell me thou can,

And how thou farys, my dere derlyng. Maria: Well, dame, gramercy youre askyng, ffor good I wote ye spyr.

Elezabeth: And Ioachym, thy fader, at hame, And Anna, my nese, and thi dame, how standys it with hym and hir?

Maria: Dame, yit ar thay both on-lyfe,

Both ioachym and anna his wyfe. Elezabeth: Els were my hart full sore. Maria: Dame, god that all may,

yeld you that ye say,

And blys you therfore.

5

10

15

[32 a]

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

Elezabeth: Blyssyd be thou of all women,

And the fruyte that I well ken

Within the wombe of the.
And this tyme may I blys
That my lordys moder is

Comen thus vnto me.

ffor syn that tyme full well I wote,
The stevyn of angell voce it smote
And rang now in myn ere.

A selcouth thyng is me betyde,
The chyld makys Ioy, as any b[ry]d
That I in body bere.

And als, mary, blyssed be thou,
That stedfastly wold trow

The wordys of oure heven kyng;
Therefore all thyng now shall be kend,
That vnto the were sayd or send
By the angell gretyng.

Maria: Magnificat anima dominum.
My saull lufys my lord abuf,
And my gost gladys with luf,
In god that is my hele;
ffor he has bene sene agane,
The buxumnes of his bane,

And kept me madyn lele.

Lo, therof what me shall betyde:
All nacyons on euery syde

Blyssyd shall me call,

ffor he that is full of myght
Mekyll thyng to me has dyght,
his name be blyssed ouer all,

41 bryd] byrd MS, E

65

[32b]

And his mercy is also

ffrom kynde to kynde, tyll all tho
That ar hym dredand.
Myght in his armes he wroght,
And dystroed in his thogth

Prowde men and hygh berand.

Myghty men furth of sete he dyd,
And he hyghtynd in that stede
The meke men of hart.

The hungre With all good he fyld,
And left the rich outt-shyld,
Thaym to Vnquart.

Israell has vnder law,
his awne son in his awe,

By menys of his mercy;
As he told before by name
To oure fader abraham,

And seyd of his body.

Elezabeth, myn awnt dere,
My lefe I take at you here,

ffor I dwell now full lang.

Elezabeth: wyll thou now go, godys fere?
Com kys me, doghter, with good chere,

or thou hens gang.

ffarewell now, thou frely foode!
I pray the be of comforth goode,
ffor thou art full of grace.

Grete well all oure kyn of bloode!
That lord, that the with grace infude,
he saue all in this place!

Explicit Salutacio Elezabeth.

75

80

85

90