17. xvi. The Adoration of the Shepherds

18. xvii. The Adoration of the Magi

19. xviii. The Purification

20. xix. The Slaughter of the Innocents

21. xx. Christ disputing in the Temple

22. xxi. The Baptism of Christ

23. xxii. The Temptation

24. xxiii. The Woman taken in Adultery

25. xxiv. Lazarus

26. xxv. The Council of the Jews

27. xxvi. The Entry into Jerusalem .

THE

COVENTRY MYSTERIES.

Prologue.

Primus vexillator.

Now gracyous God, groundyd of alle goodnesse,
As thi grete glorie nevyr begynnyng had,

So thou socour and save alle tho that sytt and sese,

And lystenyth to oure talkyng with sylens stylle and sad,

ffor we purpose us pertly stylle in this prese,

The pepyl to plese with pleys ful glad.
Now lystenyth us, lovely, bothe more and lesse,
Gentyllys and 3emanry of goodly lyff lad,
This tyde.

We xal 30u shewe, as that we kan,

How that this werd ffyrst began,

And how God made bothe molde and man,
Iff that ze wyl abyde.

Secundus vexillator.

In the ffyrst pagent, we thenke to play

How God dede make, thorowe his owyn myth,

Hevyn so clere upon the fyrst day,

And therin he sett angelle fful bryth.

B

Than angelle with songe, this is no nay,

Xal worchep God, as it is ryth;
But Lucyfer, that angelle so gay,
In suche pompe than is he pyth,
And set in so grete pride,
That Goddys sete he gynnyth to take,
Hese lordys pere hymself to make,
But than he ffallyth a ffend ful blake,

ffrom hevyn in helle to a [bide.]

Tertius vexillator.

In the secunde pagent by Godys myth,
We thenke to shewe and pley, be-dene,
In the other sex days, by opyn syth,

What thenge was wrought ther xal be sene;
How best was made and foule of flyth,

And last was man made, as I wene;

Of mannys o ryb, as I 30w plyth,

Was woman wrougth mannys make to bene,
And put in paradyse.

Ther were floures bothe blew and blake,
Of alle frutes thei myth ther take,
Saff frute of cunnyng thei xulde forsake,
And towche it in no wyse.

The serpent toke Eve an appyl to byte,

And Eve toke Adam a mursel of the same,

Whan thei had do thus a3ens the rewle of ryte,

Than was oure Lord wrothe and grevyd al with grame. Oure Lord gan appose them of ther grete delyte,

Bothe to askuse hem of that synful blame,

And than Almyghty God, ffor that gret dyspite,
Assygned hem grevous peyn, as 3e xal se in game,
In dede,

Seraphyn, an angelle gay,

With brennyng swerd, this is verray,