Home > Navigation > Text Groups > Drama > Morality Plays > Pride of Life > Specimen
001 [Prolocutor.] Pees, and herkynt hal ifer,
002 <Ric> and por, yong and hold,
003 Men and wemen þat bet her,
004 Bot lerit and leut, stout and bold.
005 Lordinge[s] and ladiis þat beth hende,
006 Herkenith al with mylde mode
007 <How ou>re gam schal gyn and ende.
008 Lorde us wel spede þat sched his blode!
009 Now stondith stil and beth hende,
010 <And ter>yith al for þe weder,
011 <And> 3e schal or 3e hennis wende
012 Be glad þat 3e com hidir.
013 Here 3e schullin here spelle
014 Of mirth and eke of kare;
015 Herkenith and I wol 3ou telle
016 <How þis our gam> schal fare.
017 <Of þe Kyng of> Lif I wol 3ou telle;
018 <He stondith> first biffore
019 <All men þat beth> of flessch and fel
020 <And of woman i>bore.
021 <He is, forsoth, ful> stronge to stond,
022 <And is> bycomin of kinge,
023 <3iveth> lawis in eche a londe,
024 <And nis> dradd of no thinge.
025 <In> pride and likinge his lif he ledith,
026 Lordlich he lokith with eye;
027 <Prin>ce and dukis, he seith, him dredith,
028 <He> dredith no deth for to deye.
029 <He> hath a lady louelich al at likinge,
030 Ne may he of no mirth mene ne misse;
031 He seith in swetnisse he wol set his likinge
032 And bringe his bale boun into blisse.
033 Knytis he hat cumlic
034 In bred and in leint;
035 Not I neuir non suc
036 Of stotey ney off strynt.
037 Wat helpit to yilp mucil of his mit
038 Or bost to mucil of his blys?
039 <For> sorou may sit on is sit
040 <And> myrt<h m>ay he not miss.
041 <Her ek is þe> ladi of lond,
042 <þe fa>inist a lord for to led;
043 <Glad> may he fort to stond
044 <And b>ehold þat blisful bled.
045 <þa>t ladi is lettrit in lor
046 As cumli becomit for a quen,
047 And munit hir mac euirmor,
048 As a dar for dred him to ten.
049 Ho bid him bewar or he smert,
050 <F>or in his lond Det wol alend;
051 <As> ho louit him gostlic in hert
052 <Ho b>it him bewar of his hend.
053 <Ho> begynit to charp of char
054 þes wordis wytout lesing:
055 "Det dot not spar
056 Knytis, cayser, ne kyng.
057 Nou lord, leu þi likynd
058 Wyc bryngit þe soul gret bal."
059 þis answer ho had of þe kyng;
060 "3e, þis a wommanis tal."
061 þe kyng hit ne toke not to hert
062 For hit was a womanis spec
063 <And y>et hit mad him to smert
064 <W>an him mit help no lec.
065 <þe> quen yit can hir undirstond
066 Wat help þar mit be,
067 And sent aftir þe bicop of þe lond
068 For he chout mor þan he.
069 He cham and precit al þat he couþe,
070 And warnit him hal of his hind;
071 <H>it saurit not in þe kyngis mout,
072 Bot hom he bad him wynd.
073 Wan þe bicop is þan wend
074 Fram þat k[e]ne stryf
075 <To Det a me>ssenger þan send
076 <Hat> þe Kyng of Lif.
077 <For he> him wold do undirston[d]
078 ,þat al> he may del and dit:
079 <He> wold cum into his ouin lond
080 On him to kyt his mit.
081 Deth comith, he dremith a dredfful dreme--
082 Welle a3te al carye;
083 And slow fader and moder and þen heme:
084 He ne wold none sparye.
085 Sone after hit befel þat Deth and Life
086 Beth togeder itaken;
087 And ginnith and striuith a sterne strife
088 [þe] King of Life to wrake.
089 With him driuith adoun to grounde,
090 He dredith nothing his kni3tis;
091 And delith him depe deþis wounde
092 And kith on him his mi3tis.
093 Qwhen þe body is doun ibro3t
094 þe soule sorow awakith;
095 þe bodyis pride is dere abo3t,
096 þe soule þe fendis takith.
097 And throgh priere od Oure Lady mylde
098 þe soule and body schul dispyte;
099 Scho wol prey her son so mylde,
100 Al godenisse scho wol qwyte.
101 þe cors þat nere knewe of care,
102 No more þen stone in weye,
103 Achal wit of sorow and sore care
104 And þrawe betwene ham tweye.
105 þe soule þeron schal be weye
106 þat þe fendis haue ika3te;
107 And Oure Lady schal þerfor preye
108 So þat with her he schal be lafte.
109 Vou beith in pes and beith hende,
110 And distourbith no3t oure place,
111 For þis oure game schal gin and ende
112 Throgh Jhesu Cristis swete grace.
112a REX VIUUS INCIPIET SIC DICENDUM:
113 Pes, now, 3e princis of powere so prowde,
114 3e kingis, 3e kempis, 3e kni3tis ikorne,
115 3e barons bolde, þat beith me abowte;
116 <Sem> schal 3u my sawe, swaynis i[s]worne.
117 Sqwieris stoute, stondit now stille,
118 And lestenith to my hestis, I hote 3u now her,
119 Or [I] schal wirch 3u wo with werkis of wil
120 And doun schal 3e drive, be 3e neuer so dere.
121 King ic am, kinde of kingis ikorre,
122 Al þe worlde wide to welde al my wil;
123 Nas þer neuer no man of woman iborre
124 O3ein me withstonde þat I nold him spille.
125 Lordis of lond beith at my ledinge,
126 Al men schal abow in hal and in bowr;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
127 [Regina.] Baldli þou art mi bot,
128 Tristili and ful treu;
129 Of al mi rast þou art rot,
130 I nil chong fer no new.
131 REX. Al in wel ic am biwent,
132 May no grisful þing me grou;
133 Likyng is wyt me bilent,
134 Alyng is it mi behou.
135 Strent and Hel, knytis kete,
136 [Douti], derrist in ded,
137 Lok þat for no þing 3e let
138 Smartli to me sped.
139 Bringit wyt 3ou brit brondis,
140 Helmis brit and schen;
141 For ic am lord ofir al londis
142 And þat is uel isen.
143 PRIMUS MILES, FORTITUDO. Lord, in truþe þou mit trist
144 Feþfuli to stond
145 þou mit liu as þe list,
146 For wonschildis þu fond.
147 Ic am Strent, stif and strong,
148 Neuar is suc non,
149 In al þis world brod and long,
150 Imad of blod and bon.
151 Hau no dout of no þing
152 þat euir may befal;
153 Ic am Streynt þi derling
154 Flour of knitis al.
155 SECUNDUS MILES, SANITAS. King of Lif, þat berist þe croun,
156 As hit is skil and ri3te
157 I am Hele icom to toun,
158 þi kind curteyse kni3te.
159 þou art lord of lim and life,
160 And king withouten ende;
161 Stif and strong and sterne in strif,
162 In londe qwher þou wende.
163 þou nast no nede to sike sore
164 For no thing on lyue;
165 þou schal lyue euermore:
166 Qwho dar with þe striue?
167 REX. Striue? Nay, to me qwho is so gode?
168 Hit were bot folye;
169 þer is no man þat me dur bode
170 Any vileynye.
171 Qwherof schuld I drede
172 Qwhen I am King of Life?
173 Ful evil schuld he spede
174 To me þat wro3t striue.
175 I schal lyue evermo
176 And croun ber as kynge;
177 I ne may neuer wit of wo,
178 I lyue at my likinge.
179 REGINA. Sire, þou saist as þe liste,
180 þou liuist at þi wille;
181 Bot somthing þou miste,
182 And þerfor hold þe stille.
183 Thinke, þou haddist beginninge
184 Qwhen þou were ibore;
185 And bot þou mak god endinge
186 þi sowle is forlore.
187 Loue God and Holy Chirche,
188 And haue of him som eye;
189 Fonde his werkis for to wirch
190 And thinke þat þou schal deye.
191 REX. Douce dam, qwhi seistou so?
192 þou spekis no3t as þe sleye.
193 I schal lyue euermo
194 For boþe two þin eye.
195 Woldistou þat I were dede
196 þat þou mi3t haue a new?
197 Hore, þe deuil gird of þi hede
198 Bot þat worde schal þe rewe!
199 REGINA. Dede, sire? Nay, God wote my wil,
200 þat ne kepte I no3te;
201 Hit wolde like me full ille
202 Were hit þareto bro3te.
203 <3et> þogh þou be kinge
204 Nede schalt haue ende;
205 Deth ouercomith al thinge
206 Hou-so-euer we wende.
207 REX. 3e, dam, þou hast wordis fale,
208 Hit comith þe of kinde;
209 þis nis bot women tale,
210 And þat I wol þe finde.
211 I ne schal neuer deye
212 For I am King of Life;
213 Deth is vndir myne eye
214 And þerfor leue þi strife.
215 þou dost bot mak myn hert sore,
216 For hit nel no3t helpe;
217 I prey þe spek of him no more.
218 Qwhat wolte of him 3elpe?
219 REGINA. 3ilpe, sire? Ney, so mot I the;
220 I sigge hit no3t therfore,
221 Bot kinde techith boþe þe and me,
222 First qwhen we were bore,
223 For dowte of Dethis maistri,
224 To wepe and make sorowe;
225 Holy writ and prophecye
226 þerof I take to borowe.
227 þerfor, qwhile 3e have mi3te
228 And þe worlde at willw,
229 I rede 3e serue God Almi3te
230 Boþe loude and stille.
231 þis world is bot fantasye
232 And ful of trechurye;
233 Gode sire, for 3oure curteysye
234 Take þis for no folye.
235 For, God wot þe soþe,
236 I ne sey hit for no fabil;
237 Deth wol smyte to þe,
238 In feith loke þou be stabil.
239 REX. Qwhat prechistou of Dethis mi3t
240 And of his maistrye?
241 He ne durst onis with me fi3t
242 For his boþe eye.
243 Streinth and Hele, qwhat say 3e,
244 My kinde korin kni3tis?
245 Schal Deth be lord ouer me
246 And reue me of mi3tis?
247 I Miles. Mi lord, so brouke I my bronde,
248 God þat me forbede
249 þat Deth schold do þe wronge
250 Qwhile I am in þi þede.
251 I wol withstonde him with strife
252 And make his sidis blede,
253 And tel him þat þou art King of Life
254 And lorde of londe and lede.
255 II MILES. May I him onis mete
256 With þis longe launce,
257 In felde oþer in strete,
258 I wol him 3iue mischaunce.
259 REX. 3e, þes be kni3tis of curteisye
260 And doghti men of dede;
261 Of Deth ne of his maistrie
262 Ne have I no drede.
263 Qwher is Mirth my messager,
264 Swifte so lefe on lynde?
265 He is a nobil bachelere
266 þat rennis bi þe wynde.
267 Mirth and solas he can make
268 And ren so þe ro;
269 Li3tly lepe oure þe lake
270 Qwher-so-euer he go.
271 Com and her my talente
272 Anone and hy þe blyue:
273 Qwher any man, as þou has wente,
274 Dorst with me to striue?
275 NUNCIUS. King of Lif and lord of londe,
276 As þou sittis on þi se
277 And florresschist with þi bri3t bronde,
278 To þe I sit on kne.
279 I am Mirth, wel þou wost,
280 þi mery messagere;
281 þat wostou wel, withoute bost
282 þer nas neuer my pere
283 Do3tely to done a dede
284 þat 3e haue for to done,
285 Hen to Berewik upon Twede
286 And com o3ein ful sone;
287 þer is nothing þe iliche
288 In al þis worlde wide;
289 Of gold and siluer and robis riche
290 And hei hors on to ryde.
291 I haue ben boþe fer and nere
292 In bataile and in strife;
293 Ocke þer was neuer þy pere,
294 For þou art King of Life.
295 REX. Aha! Solas, now þou seist so,
296 þou miriest me in my mode;
297 þou schal, boy, ar þou hennis go
298 Be auaunsyd, bi þe rode.
299 þou schal haue for þi gode wil
300 To þin auauncemente,
301 þe castel of Gailispire on þe Hil,
302 And þe erldom of Kente.
303 Draw þe cord, Sire Streynth,
304 Rest I wol now take;
305 On erth in brede ne leynth
306 Ne was nere 3et my make.
306a Et tunc clauso tentorio dicet Regina secrete nuncio:
307 REGINA. Messager, I pray þe nowe
308 For þi curteysye,
309 Go to þe bisschop, for þi prowe,
310 And byd him hydir to hye.
311 Bid him be ware before,
312 Sey him þat he most preche;
313 My lord þe King is ney lore
314 Bot he wol be his leche.
315 Sey him þat he wol leue no3t
316 þat euer he schal deye;
317 He is in siche errour bro3te
318 Of God stont him non eye.
319 NUNCIUS. Madam, I make no tarying
320 With softe wordis mo;
321 For I am Solas, I most singe
322 Oueral qwher I go.
322a Et cantat.
323 Sire Bisschop, þou sittist on þi se
324 With þi mitir on þi heuede;
325 My lady þe Qwen preyith þe
326 Hit schold no3t be bileuyd.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
327 [Episcopus] þe world is nou, so wo-lo-wo,
328 In suc bal ibound
329 þat dred of God is al ago
330 And treut is go to ground.
331 Med is mad a demisma[n],
332 Streyint betit þe lau;
333 Geyl is mad a cepman
334 And truyt is don of dau.
335 Wyt is nou al trecri,
336 Oþis fals and gret;
337 Lou is nou al lecuri
338 And corteysi is let.
339 Play is nou uileni,
340 Cildrin bet onlerit,
341 Halliday is glotuny--
342 þis lauis bet irerit.
343 Slet men bet bleynd
344 And lokit al amis;
345 He bicomit onkynd
346 And þat is reut, iuis.
347 Frend may no man find
348 Of fremit ne of sib;
349 þe ded bet out of mind,
350 Gret soru it is to lib.
351 þes ricmen bet reuþyles,
352 þe por got to ground,
353 And fals men bet schamles,
354 þe sot ic hau ifound.
355 It is wrong þe ric knyt
356 Al þat þe por dot;
357 Far þat is sen day and nit
358 Wosa wol sig sot.
359 Paraventur men halt me a fol
360 To sig þat sot tal;
361 þai farit as ficis in a pol--
362 þe gret eteit þe smal.
363 Ricmen spart for no þing
364 To do þe por wrong;
365 þai þingit not on hir ending
366 Ne on Det þat is so strong.
367 Noþir þai louit God ne dredit
368 Noþer him no his lauis;
369 Touart hel fast him spedit
370 Ayeins har ending-daus.
371 Bot God of his godnis
372 Yif ham gras to amend,
373 Into þe delful derknys
374 þe got wytout hend.
375 þer is dred and sorow
376 And wo wytoutin wel;
377 No man may oþir borou
378 Be þer neuir so fel.
379 þer ne fallit no maynpris,
380 Ne supersidias;
381 þay he be kyng or iustis,
382 He passit not þe pas.
383 Lord, þat for his manhed
384 And also for his god,
385 þat for lou and not for dred
386 Deit oppon þe rod,
387 Yif ou gras or lif to led
388 þat be 3our soulis to bot;
389 God of Heuin for his godhed
390 Leu þat hit so mot. Amen.
390a Tunc dicet regi:
391 Schir Kyng, þing uppon þin end
392 And hou þat þou schalt dey,
393 Wat uey þat þou schalt wend
394 Bot þou be bisey.
395 And eke þat þou art lenust man,
396 And haddist begyning,
397 And euirmor hau þout opon
398 þi dredful ending.
399 þou schalt þing þanne--
400 And mac þe euir yar--
401 þat Det is not þe man
402 For noþing þe uil spar.
403 þou schalt do dedis of rit
404 And lernen Cristis lor,
405 And lib in heuin-lit
406 To sauy þi soul fro sor.
407 REX. Wat! bissop, byssop babler,
408 Schold y of Det hau dred?
409 þou art bot a chagler--
410 Go hom þi wey, I red.
411 Wat! com þou þerfor hidir
412 Wit Deþ me to afer?
413 þat þou and he bot togidir
414 Into þe se scot uer.
415 Go hom, God yif þe sorow,
416 þou ureist me in my mod.
417 War woltou prec tomorou?
418 þou nost ner, bi þe rod!
419 Troust þou I uold be ded
420 In mi 3yng lif?
421 þou lisst, screu, bolhed;
422 Euil mot þou t[h]riwe.
423 Wat schold I do at churg, wat?
424 Schir bisop, wostou er?
425 Nay, churc nis no wyl cat,
426 Hit wol abid þer.
427 I wool let car away,
428 And go on mi pleying.
429 To hontyng and to o[þ]ir play
430 For al þi long prechyng.
431 I am 3yng, as þou mit se,
432 And hau no ned to char
433 þe wyle þe Quen and <mi me>iné
434 About me bet yar.
435 EPISCOPUS. Thynk, Schir Kyng, one oþir trist--
436 þat tyng misst son.
437 þot þou leu nou as þe list,
438 Det wol cum rit son,
439 And 3iue þe dethis wounde
440 For þin outrage;
441 Within a litil stounde
442 þen artou but a page.
443 Qwhen þou art grauen on grene,
444 þer metis fleys and molde,
445 þen helpith litil, I wene,
446 þi gay croun of golde.
447 Sire Kyng, haue goday,
448 Crist I 3ou beteche.
449 REX. Fare wel, bisschop, þi way,
450 And lerne bet to preche.
450a Hic adde
451 Nou, mafay, hit schal be sene,
452 I trow, 3it to-daye,
453 Qwher Deth me durst tene
454 And mete in þe waye.
455 Qwher artou, my messagere,
456 Solas bi þi name?
457 Loke þat þou go fer and nere,
458 As þou wolt haue no blame,
459 My banis for to crye
460 By dayis and bi ni3te;
461 And loke þat þou aspye,
462 3e, bi al þi mi3te,
463 Of Deth and of his maistrye
464 Qwher he durst com in si3te,
465 O3eynis me and my meyné
466 With force and armis to fi3te.
467 Loke þat þou go both est and west
468 And com o3eyne anone;
469 NUNCIUS. Lorde, to wende I am prest,
470 Lo, now I am gone.
470a Et eat pla<team>
471 Pes and listenith to my sawe,
472 Boþe 3onge and olde;
473 As 3e wol no3t ben aslawe
474 Be 3e neuer so bolde.
475 I am a messager isente
476 From þe Kyng of Life;
477 þat 3e schal fulfil his talente
478 On peyne of lym and lif.
479 His hestis to hold and his lawe
480 Vche a man on honde;
481 Lest 3e be henge and todraw,
482 Or kast in hard bonde.
483 3e wittin wel þat he is king
484 And lord of al londis,
485 Kepere and maister of al thing
486 Within se and sondis.
487 I am sente for to enquer
488 Oboute ferre and nere,
489 3if any man dar werre arere
490 A3ein sucha bachelere.
491 To wroþer hele he was ibore
492 þat wold with hym stryue;
493 Be him sikir he is ilore
494 As here in þis lyue,
495 þegh hit wer þe King of Deth
496 And he so hardy were;
497 Bot he ne hath mi3t ne meth
498 þe King of Lif to afere;
499 Be he so hardy or so wode
500 In his londe to aryue,
501 He wol se his herte-blode
502 And he with hym stryue.
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