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
Wherefore I seye quod virgo concipiet
Et pariet filium nomen Emanuel,
Oure lyf for to save he xal suffyr dethe,
And bye us to his blysse in hevyn for to dwelle.
Of sacerdotale lynage, the trewth I ȝow telle,
fflesche and blood to take God wylle be borne;
Joye to man in erth, and in hevyn aungelle
At the chyldys byrthe joye xal make that morn.
_Radix Jesse._
Egredietur virga de radice Jesse,
Et flos de radice ejus ascendet.
A blyssyd braunche xal sprynge of me,
That xal be swettere than bawmys brethe;
Oute of that braunche, in Nazareth
A flowre xal blome of me, Jesse rote,
The whiche by grace xal dystroye dethe,
And brynge mankende to blysse most sote.
_Davyd Rex._
I am David, of Jesse rote,
The fresche kyng by naturalle successyon,
And of my blood xal sprynge oure bote,
As God hymself hath mad promyssyon;
Of regalle lyff xal come suche foyson,
That a clene mayde modyr xal be,
Ageyns the devellys fals illusyon,
With regalle power to make man fre.
_Jeremias propheta._
I am the prophete Jeremye,
And fulliche acorde in alle sentence
With kyng David and with Ysaie,
Affermynge pleynly beforn this audyens,
That God of his highe benyvolens,
Of prest and kynge wylle take lynage,
And bye us alle ffrom oure offens,
In hevyn to have his herytage.
_Salamon Rex._
I am Salamon the secunde kynge,
And that wurthy temple for sothe made I,
Whiche that is fygure of that mayde ȝynge,
That xal be modyr of grett Messy.
_Ezechiel propheta._
A vysion of this, fful veryly,
I Eȝechiel have had also,
Of a gate that sperd was trewly,
And no man but a prince myght therin go.
_Roboas Rex._
The iij.ᵈᵉ kynge of the jentylle Jesse,
My name is knowe, kyng Roboas,
Of oure kynrede ȝitt men xul se
A clene mayde trede downe foule Sathanas.
_Micheas propheta._
And I am a prophete calde Mycheas,
I telle ȝou pleynly that thus it is,
Evyn lyke as Eve modyr of wo was,
So xal a maydyn be modyr off blyss.
_Abias Rex._
I, that am calde kynge Abias,
Conferme for trewe that ȝe han seyd;
And sey also as in this cas,
That alle oure myrthe comyth of a mayd.
_Danyel propheta._
I prophete Danyel am welle apayed,
In fygure of this I saw a tre;
Alle the fendys of helle xalle ben affrayd,
Whan maydenys ffrute theron thei se.
_Asa Rex._
I, kynge Asa, beleve alle this,
That God wylle of a maydyn be borne,
And, us to bryngyn to endles blys,
Ruly on rode be rent and torn.
_Jonas propheta._
I, Jonas, sey that on the iij.ᵈᵉ morn
ffro dethe he xal ryse, this is a trewe talle,
Fyguryd in me, the whiche longe beforn
Lay iij. days beryed within the qwalle.
_Josophat rex._
And I, Josophat, the vj.ᵗᵉ kynge serteyne,
Of Jesse rote in the lenyalle successyon,
Alle that my progenitouris hath befor me seyn,
ffeythfully beleve withowtyn alle dubytacion.
_Abdias propheta._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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