Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi
General
Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi
English drama -- To 1500; English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.; Mysteries and miracle-plays, English
I am norssher of synne to the confusyon of man,
To bryng hym to my dongeon ther in fyre to dwelle.
Ho so evyr serve me, so reward hym I kan,
That he xal syng weleaway ever in peynes ffelle.
Lo! thus bountevous a lord than now am I,
To reward so synners, as my kend is;
Whoso wole folwe my lore and serve me dayly,
Of sorwe and peyne anow he xal nevyr mys.
ffor I began in hefne synne for to sowe,
Amonge alle the angellys that weryn there so bryth;
And therfore was I cast out into helle ful lowe,
Notwythstandyng I was the fayrest and berere of lyth.
ȝet in drowe in my tayle of tho angelys bryth;
With me into helle takyth good hed what I say;
I leste but tweyn aȝens on to abyde there in lyth,
But the iij.ᵈᵉ part come with me, this may not be seyd nay.
Takyth hed to your prince than, my pepyl everychon,
And seyth what maystryes in hefne I gan ther do play;
To gete a thowsand sowlys in an houre me thynkyth it but skorn,
Syth I wan Adam and Eve on the fyrst day.
But now mervelous mendys rennyn in myn rememberawns,
Of on Cryst wiche is clepyd Joseph and Maryes sone;
Thryes I tempte hym be ryth sotylle instawnce,
Aftyr he fast fourty days ageyns sensual myth or reson.
ffor of the stonys to a mad bred, but sone I had conclusyon,
Than upon a pynnacle, but angelys were to hym assystent;
His answerys were mervelous, I knew not his intencion;
And at the last to veyn glory, but nevyr I had myn intent.
And now hath he xij. dyscypulys to his attendauns,
To eche towne and cety he sendyth hem as bedellys;
In dyverce place to make ffor hym purvyauns,
The pepyl of hese werkys fful grettly merveyllys.
To the crokyd, blynd, and dowme, his werkys prevaylys.
Laȝarus that foure days lay ded his lyff recuryd;
And where I purpose me to tempt, anon he me asaylys;
Mawdelyn playn remyssyon also he hath ensuryd.
Goddys son he pretendyth and to be born of a mayde,
And seyth he xal dey for mannys salvacion,
Than xal the trewth be tryed and no fordere be delayd,
Whan the soule from the body xal make separacion;
And as for hem that be undre my grett domynacion,
He xal fayle of hese intent and purpose also,
Be this tyxt of holde remembryd to myn intencion,
Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio!
But whan the tyme xal neyth of his persecucion,
I xal arere new engynes of malycious conspiracy,
Plenté of reprevys I xal provide to his confusyon,
Thus xal I false the wordys that his pepyl doth testefy;
His discipulis xal forsake hym, and here mayster denye,
Innoumberabyl xal hese woundys be of woful grevauns.
A tretowre xal countyrfe his deth to fortyfye;
The rebukys that he gyf me xal turne to his displesauns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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