580

595

530

535

Joseph Good men, Moyses take in mynde,
as he was made through god all-might,
ordayned lawes vs to bynde,

w(hi)ch that wee should keepe of (right),
man and woman for to bynde,
lawefully them both to light.

to fructifye, as men may fynde,
that tyme was wedded every wight.
Therfore wedded to her I was,

as lawe would, her for to lere,

for noyse nor slander nor trespasse,

and through that deede the devill to dere, as tould me Gabriell, full of grace,

when I had trussed all my gere,

to have fled and to have never seene her face,
by him was I arested there.
ffor hee sayde to me sleepinge,

that shee lackles was of sinne;
and when I hard that tokeninge,
from her durst I not waye twynne.

Therfore goes forth and preach this thinge,
all together and not in twynne,

that you have seene your heavenly kinge
common all mankynde to wynne.

[48a] Prim(us) pastor: Great god, syttynge in thy troone, that made all thinge of nought,

541

nowe wee may thanke thee eychone;
this is hee that wee have sought.

516 take] takes H B Wh
519 which] wth D right] wight D
527 dere] dare Wr.

518 vs] as H B Wh 526 nor] or H, and B 530 to have never seene] never to see

535 not] h Dm. and] 539 all] one 541 thinge] 543 here is this

HB h Dm., never to have seen Wr. her] his B
no HB waye] omit Wh 536 forth] omit H B
omit HB Wh preach] preach forth H B Wh
all Bh, and all W wynne] mynd B, myne Wh
thinges B Wh
542 nowe] omit H

is B W, for thou arte h

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Goe wee neere anone, with such as we have brought,

ringe, brooche, or, preciouse stone,

lett see whether we have ought to proffer. Terti(us) pastor: Lett us doe him homage! Prim(us) pastor: Whoe shall goe first, the page? S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Nay, yee be father in age, therfore ye must first offer.

Prim(us) pastor: Hayle, kinge of heavon soe hye, borne in a cribbe!

mankynd unto thee

thow hast made full sybbe.

Hayle, kynge borne in a maydens bowre, profette did tell thou should be our soccour, this clarkes do saye.

loe! I bringe thee a bell,

I praye thee save me from hell,

for that I may with thee dwell.
and serve thee for aye.

S(e)c(un)d(us) pastor: Hayle the, Emperour of hell,

and of heaven als!

the feynd shall thow fell,

that ever hath binne fals.

547 lett]

546 brooche] brush H B Wh or] ner Wh lets H, Lett us Wh whether] yf Wh to proffer] Deimling says “unnecessary and spoiling the rime, but in all four manuscripts." If we do not retain it, however, we have no word to rime with line 551, and if we do retain it we have the effect of a rime with 543 in 'ought. As all the manuscripts include it I see no reason for discarding it. 549 goe first] furst goe H 550 yee] you HBh Dm. father] fathers H Bh Dm. in ] of H B Wh 551 ye must] must you H first] omit Wh 552 and 553] written as one line in H, as are each succeeding pair through line 571. 554 unto] to H 555 full] all H, fullye Wh sybbe] omit Wh 558 do] doth HB Wh 560] omit H 561 for] so HBWh 562 serve thee] fare well H aye] ever W 564 als] alsoe D 565 shall thow] shall thee Wr., thou shalt HBh Dm. fell] fall H

545

550

355

560

565

570

575

580

585

Hayle the, maker of the star[n]e,
that stoode vs beforne!

hayle the, blessede-full (barne)
that ever was borne!

Loe, sonne! I bringe thee a flackett,
therby hanges a spoone,

for to eat thy pottage with at noone,
as I myself full ofte tymes have donne.
with hart I pray thee to take yt.

Terti(us) pastor: Hayle, prince withowten any pere.
that mankynde shall releeve !
hayle the, fooe vnto lucyfere,
the w(hi)ch beguyled Eve!
Hayle the, graunter of (happe)!
for one yearth now thow dwelles.
loe, sonne! I bringe the a cappe,
for I have nothinge elles.

This gifte, sonne, that I give thee ys but smalle,
and though I come the hyndmost of all,
when thow shalt men to thy blys call,

Good lord, yett thinke on mee.

[48b] Garcius: My deare, with dryrie vnto thee I mee dresse,

my state on felloweshippe that I doe not lose,

567 starne] star DHBW h
570] omit B W h, added to line 569 in H

569 barne] baronne D 571 Loe sonne]

omit H flackett ] flaggette W h, flasket H 572 therby] and thereat H hanges] omit H 573 for] omit HB Wh with ] 574 full] omit B tymes] omit H have] 575 to] omit H, for to B yt] omit W 578 the fooe] soe H, thee froo Wh 580 the] omit H happe] hope D B, 581 for one] in H B Wh 584] To offer unto

withall H Wh

hath H B Wh

576 any] omit H

579 which] wth D

happes H

thee this gifte, sonne, forsoth it is but small H
BWh I give] I bring Wr. 585 and] omit H
HBWh hyndmost ] hyndermost H, last h
them Wr.
587 yett] then HB Wh
Trowle Wh dryrie] drury H B h, dutye W
flote H on] and Wh not lose] no lesse H

son, that] omit come] came 586 men] 588 Garcius]

589 state]

and for to save mee from all yll sicknesse,

I offer vnto thee a payre of my wyves ould hose;

ffor other jewells, my sonne,

have I none thee for to give,
that is worthe anythinge at all,

but my good harte, whyle I lyve,

and my prayers tyll death doth me call.

The first boy: Nowe to you, my fellowes, this doe I

saye;

for in this place, or that I wynde awaye,
vnto yonder chyld lett vs goe praye,

as our masters have donne vs beforne.

The second boye: And of such goode as wee have here,

lett us offer to this prince so dere,

and to his mother, that mayden clere,
that of her body hasse (him) borne.

The first boye: Abyde, syrres! I will goe first to yonder

kinge.

The second boye: and I will go next to that lordinge. The thyrd boye: Then will I be last of this offeringe, this can I saye, noe more.

590

595

600

605

591 unto] to H

592

590 and] omit Wr. for] omit H and 593 written as one line in H B Wh 592 jewells] jewell H, dremes W my] omit H 593 have I] I have H B Wh thee] omit HB Wh 596 doth] do HB Wh 597-640] omit H 597 you] omit Wh doe] will Wh that] before B wynde] wende B Wh pray Wh

598 or

599 pray] and

600 have] hath Wr. beforne] before B Wh 604 him her D, bene W 605 firste boye] thirde boye h abyde] A 607 will I be] wilbe I W last] the

601 goode] goodes B Wh hasse] hade Wr.

by B, I] and I h

last B Wh

610

615

620

The first boye: Nowe, lord, for to give thee have I

nothinge,

neyther gold, silver, brooch, ore ringe,
nor noe rich robes meete for a kinge,
that I have here in store.

But though hit lacke a stopple,
take thee here my well fayre bottle,
for yt will hold a good pottle:

in fayth, I can give thee noe more.

The second boye: Lord, I knowe that thow art of this

virgine borne,

in full poore araye sittinge one her arme,

for to offer to the have I noe skorne,

althoo thou be but a child.

ffor lewell have I none to give thee,
to mayntayne thy royall dignitye,

but my hood take yt thee.

as thow art god and man.

625 The thyrd boye: O! noble child of thy father on hye, alas! what have I for to give thee?

630

save only my pipe that soundeth so royallye,

elles truely have I nothinge at all.

Were I in the rocke or in the valey a-lowe,

I could make this pipe sound, I swere,

that all the world should ringe.

and quaver as yt would fall.

609 boye] plaie W

610 ore] nor B Wh 613 though

hit lacke] that yt lackes Wr. 614 fayre] omit W know that] omit Wh this] the h

B Wh

621 Iewell] jewells B

617 I

619 have I] I have

622 to] for to Wh 625

623 take] thou take B, then take h Wr., that take Dm.

626 to give] omit B Wh

627 that soundeth so royallye ] omit B W h at all] omit B Wh

thy father on hye] the B Wh
thee] at beginning of 627 in B
omit B Wh 628 have I
629 the valey alowe ] omit B Wh
omit B Wh
631 world] wood B W h
632 in B 632 quaver] quiver B Wh

630 sound I swere] ringe] at beginning of would fall] were B Wh