XVII
Towneley MS. (about 1476), ff. 76 ff.
The Towneley Miracles, so called because the manuscript belonged in recent times to the library of Towneley Hall in Lancashire, are edited by England and Pollard, E.E.T.S., 1897. The cycle is a composite one—for instance it includes a later form of the York play Harrowing of Hell (No. XVI, above)—but it is distinguished by a group of plays and interpolated scenes which seem to have been specially composed for representation at Wakefield. Formally this group is marked by the use of a peculiar nine-lined stanza, riming a a a a b c c c b, with central rimes in the first four lines. The rough vigour of the comic scenes is still more distinctive, and there can be little doubt that all are the work of one man. The specimen of his style most often reprinted is The Second Shepherd’s Play, which has an original and purely secular comic plot. The Play of Noah is more typical of the English Miracle in its later development. This subject was always popular with early playwrights, for the Ark made a spectacle, and the traditional quarrels of Noah and his wife gave scope for contests in fisticuffs and rough raillery—the stuff of primitive comedy.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
1. Noe. MYGHTFULL God veray, Maker of all that is,
Thre persons withoutten nay, oone God in endles blis,
Thou maide both nyght and day, beest, fowle, and fysh,
All creatures that lif may wroght Thou at Thi wish,
As Thou wel myght; 5
The son, the moyne, verament,
Thou maide, the firmament,
The sternes also full feruent
To shyne Thou maide ful bright.
2. Angels Thou maide ful euen, all orders that is, 10
To haue the blis in heuen; this did Thou, more and les,
Full mervelus to neuen; yit was ther vnkyndnes
More bi foldis seuen then I can well expres;
For whi ?
Of all angels in brightnes 15
God gaf Lucifer most lightnes,
Yit prowdly he flyt his des,
And set hym euen Hym by.
3. He thoght hymself as worthi as Hym that hym made,
In brightnes, in bewty, therfor He hym degrade, 20
Put hym in a low degré soyn after, in a brade,
Hym and all his menye, wher he may be vnglad
For euer.
Shall thay neuer wyn away
Hence vnto Domysday, 25
Bot burne in bayle for ay;
Shall thay neuer dysseuer.
4. Soyne after, that gracyous Lord to his liknes maide man,
That place to be restord euen as He began,
Of the Trinité bi accord, Adam and Eue that woman, 30
To multiplie without discord, in Paradise put He thaym,
And sithen to both
Gaf in commaundement
On the Tre of Life to lay no hend.
Bot yit the fals feynd 35
Made Hym with man wroth,
5. Entysyd man to glotony, styrd him to syn in pride;
Bot in Paradise, securly, myght no syn abide,
And therfor man full hastely was put out in that tyde,
In wo and wandreth for to be, in paynes full vnrid 40
To knowe,
Fyrst in erth, and sythen in hell
With feyndis for to dwell,
Bot He his mercy mell
To those that will Hym trawe. 45
6. Oyle of mercy He hus hight, as I haue hard red,
To euery lifyng wight that wold luf Hym and dred;
Bot now before His sight euery liffyng leyde,
Most party day and nyght, syn in word and dede
Full bold; 50
Som in pride, ire, and enuy,
Som in coueteis and glotyny,
Som in sloth and lechery,
And other wise many fold.
7. Therfor I drede lest God on vs will take veniance, 55
For syn is now alod, without any repentance.
Sex hundreth yeris and od haue I, without distance,
In erth, as any sod, liffyd with grete grevance
Allway;
And now I wax old, 60
Seke, sory, and cold,
As muk apon mold
I widder away.
8. Bot yit will I cry for mercy and call:
Noe, Thi seruant, am I, Lord ouer all! 65
Therfor me, and my fry shal with me fall,
Saue from velany, and bryng to Thi hall
In heuen;
And kepe me from syn
This warld within; 70
Comly Kyng of mankyn,
I pray The, here my stevyn ! [God appears above.]
9. Deus. Syn I haue maide all thyng that is liffand,
Duke, emperour, and kyng, with Myne awne hand,
For to haue thare likyng, bi see and bi sand, 75
Euery man to My bydyng shuld be bowand
Full feruent,
That maide man sich a creatoure,
Farest of favoure;
Man must luf Me paramoure 80
By reson, and repent.
10. Me thoght I shewed man luf when I made hym to be
All angels abuf, like to the Trynyté;
And now in grete reprufe full low ligis he,
In erth hymself to stuf with syn that displeases Me 85
Most of all.
Veniance will I take
In erth for syn sake;
My grame thus will I wake
Both of grete and small. 90
11. I repente full sore that euer maide I man;
Bi me he settis no store, and I am his soferan;
I will distroy therfor both beest, man and woman,
All shall perish, les and more; that bargan may thay ban
That ill has done. 95
In erth I se right noght
Bot syn that is vnsoght;
Of those that well has wroght
Fynd I bot a fone.
12. Therfor shall I fordo all this medill-erd 100
With floodis that shall flo and ryn with hidous rerd;
I haue good cause therto; for Me no man is ferd.
As I say shal I do—of veniance draw My swerd,
And make end
Sayf Noe and his wife,
For thay wold neuer stryfe
With Me, then Me offend.
13. Hym to mekill wyn, hastly will I go
To Noe my seruand, or I blyn, to warn hym of his wo.
In erth I se bot syn reynand to and fro, 111
Emang both more and myn, ichon other fo
With all thare entent.
All shall I fordo
With floodis that shall floo; 115
Wirk shall I thaym wo
That will not repent. [God descends and addresses Noah.]
14. Noe, My freend, I thee commaund, from cares the to keyle,
A ship that thou ordand of nayle and bord ful wele.
Thou was alway well-wirkand, to Me trew as stele, 120
To My bydyng obediand: frendship shal thou fele
To mede.
Of lennthe thi ship be
Thre hundreth cubettis, warn I the,
Of heght euen thirté, 125
Of fyfty als in brede.
15. Anoynt thi ship with pik and tar, without and als within,
The water out to spar—this is a noble gyn;
Look no man the mar, thre chese chambres begyn;
Thou must spend many a spar this wark or thou wyn 130
To end fully.
Make in thi ship also
Parloures oone or two,
And houses of offyce mo
For beestis that ther must be. 135
16. Oone cubite on hight a wyndo shal thou make;
On the syde a doore, with slyght, beneyth shal thou take;
With the shal no man fyght, nor do the no kyn wrake.
When all is doyne thus right, thi wife, that is thi make,
Take in to the; 140
Thi sonnes of good fame,
Sem, Iaphet, and Came,
Take in also 〈t〉hame,
Thare wifis also thre.
17. For all shal be fordone that lif in land, bot ye, 145
With floodis that from abone shal fall, and that plenté;
It shall begyn full sone to rayn vncessantlé,
After dayes seuen be done, and induyr dayes fourty,
Withoutten fayll.
Take to thi ship also 150
Of ich kynd beestis two,
Mayll and femayll, bot no mo,
Or thou pull vp thi sayll,
18. For thay may the avayll when al this thyng is wroght.
Stuf thi ship with vitayll, for hungre that ye perish noght.
Of beestis, foull, and catayll, for thaym haue thou in thoght, 156
For thaym is My counsayll that som socour be soght
In hast.
Thay must haue corn and hay,
And oder mete alway. 160
Do now as I the say,
In the name of the Holy Gast.
19. Noe. A! benedicite! what art thou that thus
Tellys afore that shall be ? Thou art full mervelus!
Tell me, for charité, thi name so gracius. 165
Deus. My name is of dignyté, and also full glorius
To knowe.
Oone God in Trynyty,
Made the and ich man to be; 170
To luf Me well thou awe.
20. Noe. I thank The, Lord so dere, that wold vowchsayf
Thus low to appere to a symple knafe.
Blis vs, Lord, here, for charité I hit crafe,
The better may we stere the ship that we shall hafe, Certayn. 175
Deus.Noe, to the and to thi fry
My blyssyng graunt I;
Ye shall wax and multiply
And fill the erth agane, 180
21. When all thise floodis ar past, and fully gone away.
Noe. Lord, homward will I hast as fast as that I may;
My 〈wife〉 will I frast what she will say, [Exit Deus.]
And I am agast that we get som fray
Betwixt vs both; 185
For she is full tethee,
For litill oft angré;
If any thyng wrang be,
Soyne is she wroth. Tunc perget ad vxorem.
22. God spede, dere wife, how fayre ye ? 190
Vxor. Now, as euer myght I thryfe, the wars I thee see.
Do tell me belife where has thou thus long be?
To dede may we dryfe, or lif, for the,
For want.
When we swete or swynk, 195
Thou dos what thou thynk,
Yit of mete and of drynk
Haue we veray skant.
23. Noe. Wife, we ar hard sted with tythyngis new.
Vxor. Bot thou were worthi be cled in Stafford blew;
For thou art alway adred, be it fals or trew, 201
Bot God knowes I am led, and that may I rew, Full ill;
For I dar be thi borow,
From euen vnto morow 205
Thou spekis euer of sorow;
God send the onys thi fill!
24. We women may wary all ill husbandis;
I haue oone, bi Mary that lowsyd me of my bandis!
If he teyn, I must tary, how so euer it standis, 210
With seymland full sory, wryngand both my handis
For drede.
Bot yit other while,
What with gam and with gyle,
I shall smyte and smyle, 215
And qwite hym his mede.
25. Noe. We! hold thi tong, ram-skyt, or I shall the still.
Vxor. By my thryft, if thou smyte, I shal turne the vntill.
Noe. We shall assay as tyte. Haue at the, Gill!
Apon the bone shal it byte.
Vxor. A, so, Mary! thou smytis ill! 220
Bot I suppose
I shal not in thi det
Flyt of this flett!
Take the ther a langett
To tye vp thi hose ! 225
26. Noe. A! wilt thou so? Mary! that is myne.
Vxor. Thou shal thre for two, I swere bi God is pyne!
Noe. And I shall qwyte the tho, in fayth, or syne.
Vxor. Out apon the, ho !
Noe. Thou can both byte and whyne
With a rerd; 230
For all if she stryke,
Yit fast will she skryke;
In fayth, I hold none slyke
In all meaill-erd.
27. Bot I will kepe charyté, for I haue at do. 235
Vxor. Here shal no man tary the, I pray the go to!
Full well may we mys the, as euer haue I ro;
To spyn will I dres me.
Noe. We! fare well, lo;
Bot wife,
Pray for me beselé 240
To eft I com vnto the.
Vxor. Euen as thou prays for me,
As euer myght I thrife. [Exit Vxor.]
28. Noe. I tary full lang fro my warke, I traw;
Now my gere will I fang, and thederward draw; 245
I may full ill gang, the soth for to knaw,
Bot if God help amang, I may sit downe daw
To ken;
Now assay will I
How I can of wrightry, 250
In nomine patris, et filii,
Et spiritus sancti. Amen.
29. To begyn of this tree my bonys will I bend,
I traw from the Trynyté socoure will be send;
It fayres full fayre, thynk me, this wark to my hend; 255
Now blissid be He that this can amend.
Lo, here the lenght,
Thre hundreth cubettis euenly;
Of breed, lo, is it fyfty;
The heght is euen thyrty 260
Cubettis full strenght.
30. Now my gowne will I cast and wyrk in my cote,
Make will I the mast or I flyt oone foote;
A! my bak, I traw, will brast! This is a sory note!
Hit is wonder that I last, sich an old dote, 265
All dold,
To begyn sich a wark!
My bonys ar so stark,
No wonder if thay wark,
For I am full old. 270
31. The top and the sayll both will I make,
The helme and the castell also will I take,
To drife ich a nayll will I not forsake,
This gere may neuer fayll, that dar I vndertake
Onone. 275
This is a nobull gyn,
Thise nayles so thay ryn
Thoro more and myn
Thise bordis ichon.
32. Wyndow and doore, euen as He saide, 280
Thre ches chambre, thay ar well maide,
Pyk and tar full sure therapon laide;
This will euer endure, therof am I paide;
For why ?
It is better wroght 285
Then I coude haif thoght.
Hym that maide all of noght
I thank oonly.
33. Now will I hy me, and no thyng be leder,
My wife and my meneye to bryng euen heder. 290
Tent hedir tydely, wife, and consider,
Hens must vs fle, all sam togeder,
In hast.
Vxor. Whi, syr, what alis you ?
Who is that asalis you ? 295
To fle it avalis you
And ye be agast.
34. Noe. Ther is garn on the reyll other, my dame.
Vxor. Tell me that ich a deyll, els get ye blame.
Noe. He that cares may keill—blissid be His name!—
He has 〈het〉 for oure seyll to sheld vs fro shame, 301
And sayd
All this warld aboute
With floodis so stoute,
That shall ryn on a route, 305
Shall be ouerlaide.
35. He saide all shall be slayn, bot oonely we,
Oure barnes that ar bayn, and thare wifis thre.
A ship He bad me ordayn, to safe vs and oure fee;
Therfor with all oure mayn thank we that fre, 310
Beytter of bayll.
Hy vs fast, go we thedir.
Vxor. I wote neuer whedir,
I dase and I dedir
For ferd of that tayll. 315
36. Noe. Be not aferd, haue done, trus sam oure gere,
That we be ther or none, without more dere.
Primus filius. It shall be done full sone. Brether, help to bere.
Secundus filius. Full long shall I not hoyne to do my devere,
Brether sam. 320
Tercius filius. Without any yelp,
At my myght shall I help.
Vxor. Yit, for drede of a skelp,
Help well thi dam.
37. Noe. Now ar we there as we shuld be; 325
Do get in oure gere, oure catall and fe,
Into this vessell here, my chylder fre.
Vxor. I was neuer bard ere, as euer myght I the,
In sich an oostré as this.
In fath, I can not fynd 330
Which is before, which is behynd.
Bot shall we here be pynd,
Noe, as haue thou blis ?
38. Noe. Dame, as it is skill, here must vs abide grace;
Therfor, wife, with good will, com into this place. 335
Vxor. Sir, for Iak nor for Gill will I turne my face,
Till I haue on this hill spon a space
On my rok.
Well were he myght get me !
Now will I downe set me; 340
Yit reede I no man let me,
For drede of a knok.
39. Noe. Behold to the heuen the cateractes all,
That are open full euen, grete and small,
And the planettis seuen left has thare stall. 345
Thise thoners and levyn downe gar fall
Full stout
Both halles and bowers,
Castels and towres.
Full sharp ar thise showers 350
That renys aboute.
40. Therfor, wife, haue done, com into ship fast.
Vxor. Yei, Noe, go cloute thi shone, the better will thai last.
Prima mulier. Good moder, com in sone, for all is ouercast
Both the son and the mone.
Secunda mulier. And many wynd blast 355
Full sharp.
Thise floodis so thay ryn,
Therfor, moder, come in.
Vxor. In fayth, yit will I spyn;
All in vayn ye carp. 360
41. Tercia mulier. If ye like ye may spyn, moder, in the ship.
Noe. Now is this twyys com in, dame, on my frenship.
Vxor. Wheder I lose or I wyn, in fayth, thi felowship
Set I not at a pyn. This spyndill will I slip
Apon this hill, 365
Or I styr oone fote.
Noe. Peter! I traw we dote.
Without any more note
Come in if ye will.
42. Vxor. Yei, water nyghys so nere that I sit not dry, 370
Into ship with a byr therfor will I hy
For drede that I drone here.
Noe. Dame, securly,
It bees boght ful dere ye abode so long by
Out of ship.
Vxor. I will not, for thi bydyng, 375
Go from doore to mydyng.
Noe. In fayth, and for youre long taryyng
Ye shal lik on the whyp.
43. Vxor. Spare me not, I pray the, bot euen as thou thynk,
Thise grete wordis shall not flay me.
Noe. Abide, dame, and drynk, 380
For betyn shall thou be with this staf to thou stynk;
Ar strokis good ? say me.
Noe. Speke!
Cry me mercy, I say!
Vxor. Therto say I nay. 385
Noe. Bot thou do, bi this day!
Thi hede shall I breke.
44. Vxor. Lord, I were at ese, and hertely full hoylle,
Might I onys haue a measse of wedows coyll;
For thi saull, without lese, shuld I dele penny doyll, 390
So wold mo, no frese, that I se on this sole
Of wifis that ar here,
For the life that thay leyd,
Wold thare husbandis were dede,
For, as euer ete I brede, 395
So wold I oure syre were.
45. Noe. Yee men that has wifis, whyls they ar yong,
If ye luf youre lifis, chastice thare tong:
Me thynk my hert ryfis, both levyr and long,
To se sich stryfis wedmen emong. 400
Bot I,
As haue I blys,
Shall chastyse this.
Vxor. Yit may ye mys,
Nicholl Nedy! 405
46. Noe. I shall make þe still as stone, begynnar of blunder !
I shall bete the bak and bone, and breke all in sonder. [They fight.]
Vxor. Out, alas, I am gone! Oute apon the, mans wonder!
Noe. Se how she can grone, and I lig vnder;
Bot, wife, 410
For my bak is nere in two.
Vxor. And I am bet so blo
That I may not thryfe. [They enter the Ark.]
47. Primus filius. A! whi fare ye thus, fader and moder both? 415
Secundus filius. Ye shuld not be so spitus, standyng in sich a woth.
Tercius filius. Thise 〈floodis〉 ar so hidus, with many a cold coth.
Noe. We will do as ye bid vs, we will no more be wroth,
Dere barnes!
Now to the helme will I hent, 420
And to my ship tent.
Vxor. I se on the firmament,
Me thynk, the seven starnes.
48. Noe. This is a grete flood, wife, take hede.
Vxor. So me thoght, as I stode; we ar in grete drede; 425
Thise wawghes ar so wode.
Noe. Help, God, in this nede !
As Thou art stereman good, and best, as I rede, Of all;
Thou rewle vs in this rase,
As Thou me behete hase. 430
Vxor. This is a perlous case.
Help, God, when we call!
49. Noe. Wife, tent the stere-tre, and I shall asay
The depnes of the see that we bere, if I may.
Vxor. That shall I do ful wysely. Now go thi way, 435
For apon this flood haue we flett many day
With pyne.
Noe. Now the water will I sownd:
A! it is far to the grownd;
This trauell I expownd 440
Had I to tyne.
50. Aboue all hillys bedeyn the water is rysen late
Cubettis fyfteyn, bot in a higher state
It may not be, I weyn, for this well I wate:
This forty dayes has rayn beyn; it will therfor abate 445
Full lele.
This water in hast
Eft will I tast.
Now am I agast,
It is wanyd a grete dele. 450
51. Now are the weders cest, and cateractes knyt,
Both the most and the leest.
Vxor. Me thynk, bi my wit,
The son shynes in the eest. Lo, is not yond it?
We shuld haue a good feest, were thise floodis flyt
So spytus. 455
Noe. We haue been here, all we,
Thre hundreth dayes and fyfty.
Vxor. Yei, now wanys the see;
Lord, well is vs!
52. Noe. The thryd tyme will I prufe what depnes we bere. 460
Vxor. How long shall thou hufe ? Lay in thy lyne there.
Noe. I may towch with my lufe the grownd evyn here.
Vxor. Then begynnys to grufe to vs mery chere;
Bot, husband,
What grownd may this be? 465
Noe. The hyllys of Armonye.
Vxor. Now blissid be He
That thus for vs can ordand!
53. Noe. I see toppys of hyllys he, many at a syght,
No thyng to let me, the wedir is so bright. 470
Vxor. Thise ar of mercy tokyns full right.
Noe. Dame, thou counsel me, what fowll best myght,
And cowth,
With flight of wyng
Bryng, without taryying, 475
Of mercy som tokynyng,
Ayther bi north or southe?
54. For this is the fyrst day of the tent moyne.
Vxor. The ravyn, durst I lay, will com agane sone;
As fast as thou may, cast hym furth, haue done; 480
He may happyn today com agane or none
With grath.
Noe. I will cast out also
Dowfys oone or two.
Go youre way, go, 485
God send you som wathe!
55. Now ar thise fowles flone into seyr countré;
Pray we fast ichon, kneland on our kne,
To Hym that is alone worthiest of degré,
That He wold send anone oure fowles som fee 490
To glad vs.
Vxor. Thai may not fayll of land,
The water is so wanand.
Noe. Thank we God Allweldand,
That Lord that made vs! 495
56. It is a wonder thyng, me thynk, sothlé,
Thai ar so long taryyng, the fowles that we
Cast out in the mornyng.
Vxor. Syr, it may be
Thai tary to thay bryng.
Noe. The ravyn is a-hungrye
Allway; 500
He is without any reson;
And he fynd any caryon,
As peraventure may be fon,
He will not away.
57. The dowfe is more gentill, her trust I vntew, 505
Like vnto the turtill, for she is ay trew.
Vxor. Hence bot a litill she commys, lew, lew!
She bryngys in her bill som novels new;
Behald!
It is of an olif tre 510
A branch, thynkys me.
Noe. It is soth, perdé,
Right so is it cald.
58. Doufe, byrd full blist, fayre myght the befall!
Thou art trew for to trist, as ston in the wall; 515
Full well I it wist thou wold com to thi hall.
Vxor. A trew tokyn ist we shall be sauyd all:
For whi?
The water, syn she com,
Of depnes plom 520
Is fallen a fathom
And more, hardely.
59. Primus filius. Thise floodis ar gone, fader, behold.
Secundus filius. Ther is left right none, and that be ye bold.
Tercius filius. As still as a stone oure ship is stold. 525
Noe. Apon land here anone that we were, fayn I wold,
My childer dere,
Sem, Iaphet and Cam,
With gle and with gam,
Com go we all sam, 530
We will no longer abide here.
60. Vxor. Here haue we beyn, Noy, long enogh
With tray and with teyn, and dreed mekill wogh.
Noe. Behald on this greyn nowder cart ne plogh
Is left, as I weyn, nowder tre then bogh, 535
Ne other thyng;
Bot all is away;
Many castels, I say,
Grete townes of aray,
Flitt has this flowyng. 540
61. Vxor. Thise floodis not afright all this warld so wide
Has mevid with myght on se and bi side.
Noe. To dede ar thai dyght, prowdist of pryde,
Euerich a wyght that euer was spyde
With syn, 545
All ar thai slayn,
And put vnto payn.
Vxor. From thens agayn
May thai neuer wyn ?
62. Noe. Wyn? No, iwis, bot He that myght hase 550
Wold myn of thare mys, and admytte thaym to grace;
As He in bayll is blis, I pray Hym in this space,
In heven hye with His to purvaye vs a place,
That we,
With His santis in sight, 555
And His angels bright,
May com to His light:
Amen, for charité. Explicit processus Noe.
129 chese] chefe MS.