English Mystery Plays

17. The Flight into Egypt

TOWNELEY 15

This short play is notable for its quiet tone. It was written in an alliterative style, and may perhaps represent one of the older parts of the Towneley cycle; if it derives from the York cycle it is probably older than the existing York play (York 18). It lacks the imaginative power of many of the other plays in the Towneley cycle, but it gives a touching picture of the relationship between Mary and Joseph. The latter is partially a comic character, drawn in accordance with the tradition of the old and ill-tempered husband who is oppressed by the troubles of marriage. Yet the two characters do communicate with one another, and their reactions to the Angel’s warning are properly motivated.

[The Angel appears to Joseph.]

(1)

ANGELUS: Awake, Ioseph, and take intent!

Thou ryse and slepe nomare!

If thou wyll save thy-self unshent,

Fownde the fast to fare.

I am an angell to the sent

For thou shall no harmes hent,

To cach the outt of care.

If thou here longer lent,

For rewth thou mon repent,

10 And rew it wonder sare.

3 unshent unharmed 4 Fownde try the thee fare go 6 hent receive 7 cach take 8 lent remain 10 rew regret

IOSEPH: A, myghtfull God,

What ever this ment,

So swete of toyn?

(2)

ANGELUS: Lo, Ioseph, it is I,

An angell send to the.

IOSEPH: We! Leyf, I pray the why?

What is thy wyll with me?

ANGELUS: Hens behufys the hy,

And take with the Mary,

20 Also hir chyld so fre;

For Herode dos to dy ¹

All knave chyldren, securly,

With-in two yere that be

Of eld.

IOSEPH: Alas, full wo is me!

Where may we beyld?

(3)

ANGELUS: Tyll Egypp shall thou fare

With all the myght thou may;

And, Ioseph, hold the thare,

30 Tyll I wyll the at say.

IOSEPH: This is a febyll fare,

A seke man and a sare

To here of sich a fray;

My bonys ar bursyd and bare

For to do; I wold it ware

Comen my last day

Tyll ende;

I ne wote which is the way;

How shall we weynde?²

13 toyn tune 16 Leyf dear (one) 18 behufys it is fitting hy go 26 beyld find safety 27 Tyll to 30 at there 31 febyll feeble, poor 32 sare wretched 33 fray attack 34 bursyd bruised 39 weynde go

(4)

40 ANGELUS: Ther-of have thou no drede;

Weynd forth and leyf thi dyn:

The way he shall you lede,

The kyng of all man-kyn.

[Exit.]

IOSEPH: That heynd till us take hede,

For I had lytyll nede

Sich bargans to begyn;

No wonder if I wede,

I that may do no dede;

How shuld I theder wyn

50 For eld?

I am full bare and thyn,

And all unweld;

(5)

My fors me falys to fare,

And sight that I shuld se.

[Enter Mary.]

Mary, my darlyng dere,

I am full wo for the!

MARIA: A, leyf Ioseph, what chere?

Youre sorow on this manere

It mekill mervels me.

60 IOSEPH: Oure noyes ar neghand nere

If we dwell longer here;

For-thi behofes us fle

And flytt.

MARIA: Alas, how may this be?

What ever menys it?

(6)

IOSEPH: It menys of sorow enoghe.

MARIA: A, dere Ioseph, how so?

41 leyf cease 44 heynd gracious person 47 wede am angry 52 unweld impotent 53 fors strength falys fails 60 noyes harms neghand approaching

IOSEPH: AS I lay in a swogh,

Full sad slepand and thro,

70 An angell to me drogh,

As blossom bright on bogh,

And told betwix us two

That Herode wroght greatt wogh,

And all knave children slogh

In land that he myght to,

That feynd!

And he thy son wold slo

And shamely sheynd.

(7)

MARIA: My son? Alas, for care!

80 Who may my doyllys dyll?

Wo worth fals Herode are!

My son why shuld he spyll?

Alas, I lurk and dare!

To slo this barne I bare,

What wight in warld had wyll?

His hart shuld be full sare

Sichon for to fare,

That never yit dyd yll,

Ne thoght.

90 IOSEPH: NOW leyfe Mary, be styll!

This helpys noght;

(8)

It is no boytt to grete,

Truly withoutten trayn;

Oure bayll it may not boytt,

Bot well more make oure payn.

MARIA: Alas, how shuld I lete?

My son that is so swete

68 swogh (n) faint 70 drogh came 73 wogh woe 74 slogh slew 78 sheynd destroy 80 doyllys griefs dyll assuage 81 are anger 83 lurk stumble dare tremble 92 boytt remedy grete weep 93 withoutten trayn without cunning (used as an asseveration) 96 lete stop

Is soght for to be slayn;

Full gryle may I grete

100 My fomen and I mete;

Tell me, Ioseph, with mayn,

Youre red.

IOSEPH: Shortly swedyll us this swayn,

And fle hys dede.

(9)

MARIA: His ded wold I not se,

For all this warld to wyn;

Alas, full wo were me,

In two if we shuld twyn;

My chyld so bright of ble,

110 To slo hym were pyte,

And a full hedus syn.

Dere Ioseph, what red ye?

IOSEPH: Tyll Egypp weynd shall we;

For-thi let be thi dyn

And cry.

MARIA: How shall we theder wyn?

IOSEPH: Fulle well wote I;

(10)

The best wyse that we may

Hast us outt of this here.

120 Ther is noght els to say

Bot tytt pak up oure gere;

For ferd of this affray,

Lett us weynd hens away,

Or any do us dere.

MARIA: Greatt God, as he well may,

That shope both nyght and day,

From wandreth he us were,

And shame;

99 gryle shrilly 101 with mayn (an asseveration here) 108 twyn separate 109 ble face 110 slo slay 119 here place 121 tytt quickly 126 shope made 127 wandreth misfortune were protect