Opening the text

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

And that doth greve the old man sore.
  _Secundus detractor._ Be my trowthe, al may wel be,
    ffor fresche and fayr she is to syght,
  And suche a mersyl, as semyth me,
    Wolde cause a ȝonge man to have delyght.
  _Primus detractor._ Suche a ȝonge damesel of bewté bryght,
    And of schap so comely also,
  Of hire tayle oftetyme be lyght,
    And rygh tekyl undyr the too.
  _Secundus detractor._ That olde cokolde was evyl begylyd,
    To that fresche wenche whan he was wedde;
  Now muse he faderyn anothyr mannys chylde,
    And with his swynke he xal be fedde.
  _Primus detractor._ A ȝonge man may do more chere in bedde
    To a ȝonge wench, than may an olde;
  That is the cawse suche lawe is ledde,
    That many a man is a kokewolde.

_Hic sedet episcopus Abiȝachar inter duos legis doctores, et audientes
hanc defamationem vocat ad se detractores, dicens_,

  _Episcopus._ Herke ȝe, felaways, why speke ȝe suche schame
    Of that good virgyn, ffayr mayd Mary;
  ȝe be acursyd so hire for to defame,
    She that is of lyff so good and holy.
  Of hire to speke suche velany,
    ȝe make myn hert ful hevy of mood;
  I charge ȝow sese of ȝoure fals cry,
    ffor sche is sybbe of myn owyn blood.
  _Secundus detractor._ Syb of thi kyn thow that she be,
    Alle gret with chylde hire wombe doth swelle;
  Do calle here hedyr, thiself xal se
    That it is trewthe that I the telle.
  _Primus detractor._ Sere, ffor ȝour sake I xal kepe cowncelle.
    ȝow for to greve I am ryght loth;
  But lest, seres, lyst what seyth the belle,
    Oure fayr mayd now gret with childe goth.
  _Primus doctor legis._ Take good heed, seres, what ȝe doth say,
    Avyse ȝow wele what ȝe present;
  ȝyf this be fownd fals, anothyr day
    Ful sore ȝe xal ȝour tale repent.
  _Secundus detractor._ Sere, the mayd forsothe is good and gent,
    Bothe comely and gay, and a fayr wenche;
  And feetly with help sche can consent
    To set a cokewolde on the hye benche.
  _Secundus doctor legis._ ȝe be to besy of ȝour langage,
    I hope to God ȝow fals to preve;
  It were gret rewthe she xulde so outrage,
    Or with suche synne to myscheve.
  _Episcopus._ This evy talys my hert doth greve,
    Of hire to here suche fowle dalyawnce;
  If she be fowndyn in suche repreve,
    She xal sore rewe here governawns.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

And that doth greve the old man sore.
  _Secundus detractor._ Be my trowthe, al may wel be,
    ffor fresche and fayr she is to syght,
  And suche a mersyl, as semyth me,
    Wolde cause a ȝonge man to have delyght.
  _Primus detractor._ Suche a ȝonge damesel of bewté bryght,
    And of schap so comely also,
  Of hire tayle oftetyme be lyght,
    And rygh tekyl undyr the too.
  _Secundus detractor._ That olde cokolde was evyl begylyd,
    To that fresche wenche whan he was wedde;
  Now muse he faderyn anothyr mannys chylde,
    And with his swynke he xal be fedde.
  _Primus detractor._ A ȝonge man may do more chere in bedde
    To a ȝonge wench, than may an olde;
  That is the cawse suche lawe is ledde,
    That many a man is a kokewolde.

_Hic sedet episcopus Abiȝachar inter duos legis doctores, et audientes
hanc defamationem vocat ad se detractores, dicens_,

  _Episcopus._ Herke ȝe, felaways, why speke ȝe suche schame
    Of that good virgyn, ffayr mayd Mary;
  ȝe be acursyd so hire for to defame,
    She that is of lyff so good and holy.
  Of hire to speke suche velany,
    ȝe make myn hert ful hevy of mood;
  I charge ȝow sese of ȝoure fals cry,
    ffor sche is sybbe of myn owyn blood.
  _Secundus detractor._ Syb of thi kyn thow that she be,
    Alle gret with chylde hire wombe doth swelle;
  Do calle here hedyr, thiself xal se
    That it is trewthe that I the telle.
  _Primus detractor._ Sere, ffor ȝour sake I xal kepe cowncelle.
    ȝow for to greve I am ryght loth;
  But lest, seres, lyst what seyth the belle,
    Oure fayr mayd now gret with childe goth.
  _Primus doctor legis._ Take good heed, seres, what ȝe doth say,
    Avyse ȝow wele what ȝe present;
  ȝyf this be fownd fals, anothyr day
    Ful sore ȝe xal ȝour tale repent.
  _Secundus detractor._ Sere, the mayd forsothe is good and gent,
    Bothe comely and gay, and a fayr wenche;
  And feetly with help sche can consent
    To set a cokewolde on the hye benche.
  _Secundus doctor legis._ ȝe be to besy of ȝour langage,
    I hope to God ȝow fals to preve;
  It were gret rewthe she xulde so outrage,
    Or with suche synne to myscheve.
  _Episcopus._ This evy talys my hert doth greve,
    Of hire to here suche fowle dalyawnce;
  If she be fowndyn in suche repreve,
    She xal sore rewe here governawns.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi

Ludus Coventriæ : $b A collection of mysteries, formerly represented at Coventry on the feast of Corpus Christi

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