5

THE WRIGHTES PLAYE.

PAGINA SEXTA DE SALUTATIONE

ET NATIUITATE SALVATORIS JESU CHRISTI.

[Scene 1]

Gabriell: Hayle be thow Mary, mother free, full of grace, god is with thee! amongst all women blessed thow bee, and the fruite of thy bodye.

Maria: A, lord, that sytte high in see,

that wondrouslye now mervayles mee,
a simple mayden of my degree

bee greete this gratiously.

Gabriell: Marye, ne dread thow nought this case,
with greate god found thow hase,
amongst all other, specyall grace,
Therfowr, Marye, thow mone

Conceyue and beare, I tell thee,
a childe, Jesus his name shalbe;
soo great shall never non be as hee,
and called gode sonne;

and our lord god, leeve thow mee,

shall give him Davyd his father's see,

The wrightes playe] so h, The wrightes H, The wrightes and slaters B, The wryghtes and Sklaters plaie W. After the Latin in B and H

1 mother] maiden H B h Dm., mother Wr. 3 amongst] among HBWh 5 sytte] sitts HB Wh 6 wondrouslye] wonderly H 9 thow the HBWh 10 and 11] inverted in H 10 hase] haste Wr. 11 amongst] amonge H B Wh other] wemen W specyall] especiall Wr. 14 Jesus his name] his name Ihesu 15 shall never non be] shall never be none H, 16 Gode] Godes H B Wh

HBWh

shalbe never non Wh

155

10

[33 a]

20

in Jacobb howse (raigne) shall hee
with full might evermore.

and he that shalbe borne of thee,
endlesse liffe in him shalbe,

that such renowne and ryaltye
had never non before.

25 Maria: How may this bee? thow beast so bright; in synne know I not worldly wight.

30

35

35

40

Gabryell: The holye ghoste shall in thee light
from god in maistee,

and shadowe thee seemely in sight;

therefore that holye one, as I have height, that thou shalt beare through gode might, (his) sonne shall called bee.

Elizabeth that barren was,

as thow maye see, conceyued has
in age a sonne, through gode grace,
the bedyll shalbe of blysse.

The sixte moneth is gone now agayne,
seeth men called her barren,

but nothinge to gode might and mayne
impossible is.

[33b] Maria: Now syth that god will yt soe bee,
and such grace hath sent to mee,
blessed evermore bee hee;

to please him I am payde.
19 raigne] raynynge D 21 he] omit h
B Wh
26 knowe] knewe H B Wh
28 maistee] magistie Wr.

25] beast] arte not] no H B Wh 30 one]

worldly] wordly B
omit HB Wh height] teight W
32 his] hee D his sonne] Iesus B
36 bedyll Keydell W h 38 seeth] sith HB Wh
Gods H B Wh

bee] be so Wh

Dm., sente Wr.

31 gode] Gods HB Wh 35 gode] Gods HBW h 39 gode] 41 soe

40 impossible] vnpossible Bh

42 such suche a Wh sent] send HB h

Loe gode chosen meekelye here!
and lorde god, prince of powere,
leeve that yt fall in such manere-
this word that thow hast sayde.

Tunc angelus ibit, et Maria salutabit Elizabeth.

[Scene 2]

Elizabeth, nece, god thee see!

Elizabeth: Marye, blessed mote thow bee,
and the (fruit) that commeth of thee,
amonge women all!

wonderlye now mervayles mee

that Marye, gode mother free,
greetes mee thus of simple degree.

lord, how may this befall?

when thow mee greetest, sweete Marye,
the childe stirred in my bodye
for great ioye of thy companye,
and the fruite that is in thee.

Blessed be thow ever forthy,
that leved soe well and stedfastly!
for that was sayde to thee, ladye,
fulfilled and done shalbee.

Maria gaudens incipiet canticum 'magnificat' &c.

45 gode] Gods HBW h chosen ] cossen Wr. Stage direction Maria ] omit H B h Dm.

49 nece] nice Wr. 50 mote] moste W, might B, mayst h

51 fruit] fruites D commeth] comes H B Wh

54 gode] Gods

HBWh 55 thus] this Wr. degree] degreey B W h, gree H

56 this] that Wr. 57 mee] after greetest H sturred H B h Dm., stored Wr. 62 leved] lyued B

58 stirred |

Stage direction gaudens] gaudiens D, gaudentes H &c.] anima

H, omit Wh; W adds et dicat Maria

45

50

55

60

65 Maria: Elizabeth, therefore will I

70

75

80

[34 a]

thank the lord, kinge of mercye,
with ioyfull myrth and melody,
and laud to his likinge;

Magnificat, while I have toome,
anima mea dominum,

to Christe that in my kind is come,
devoutly will I singe;

et exultavit spiritus meus in deo, &c. [Luke I. 47.]

and for my ghost ioyed hase

in god, my heal and all my grace—
for meekeness he see in me was,

his feare of meane degree-
Therfore blesse mee well maye
all generacions for aye;

(much has god done for me to-day,
his name aye hallowed be!)
much has that lord done for mee,
that moste is in his majestye;
all princes hee passes of postee,
as sheweth well by this.

therfore with full hart and free
his name allway hallowed be,

69 toome] to me Wr. 70 mea dominum] mei domine Wr. 71 is] now HB h Dm., is Wr. 72 will I] I will H B Wh after 72 et ... &c.] omit h Dm., not omitted in Wr. &c.] saluatori meo H 76 of meane] in manye Wh 78 and 79] omit

h, according to Deimling, who probably means to refer to ll. 79-80,
which are misplaced in all manuscripts 79 and 80] D omits here
and inserts after 1. 88. According to Deimling all other manuscripts
insert these lines after l. 86. Wright, however, inserts them after 88,
showing that this is probably an error by Deimling
83 of]
in H B Wh

86 allway hallowed be] aye hallowed be aye W, allway blessed be aye h

and honored evermore be hee
on height in heaven blysse!
as he is bound to doe mercye
from progenye to progenye,
and all that dredene hym veryly,

his talent to ffullfill.

hee through his myght gave maystery,
disperses proud dispituusly,

with myght of his harte hastely

at his owne will;

Deposethe myghty oute of place,
and myke allsoe he haunsed hase,
hongry, nydy, wantinge grace,

with (good) hee hath fullfellede.
That rych powere he hath forsakene,
to Israell, his sonne, he hath betaken;
wayle to man throughe him (is waken),
and myrcy hasse of his guylte,

As he spake to our fathers before,
Abrahame and his syde full yore.
Joye to the father evermore,
the sone, and the holy ghoste,
As was from the beginninge,
and never shall have endinge,
from world to world aye wendinge,
Amen! god of might most.

87 evermore] allwaie evermore W height] highe B Wh

89 bound] bowne HB

88 on] and Wh

91 and 92] omit h

93 gave] gave them H 94 disperses] dispereles H, dispercing B dispituusly] did pitouslye W 97 deposeth] disposeth Wh 98 haunsed] hansced Wr. 100 good god D 102 he hath] omit H Bh Dm. 103 is waken] his wakinge D B, in h his omit h guilt] owine W, store h 106 111 wending] weildinge Wh

104 of] for full] for Wh 112 might] mightes H B h