_Angelus._ Awake, Joseph, and take thi wyff, Thy childe also ryd be-lyff! ffor kynge Herowde, with sharpe knyff His knyghtes he doth sende. The Fadyr of hevyn hath to the sent, Into Egypte that thou be bent, ffor cruel knyghtes thi childe have ment With swerd to sle and shende. _Joseph._ Awake, good wyff, out of ȝour sleepe, And of ȝour childe takyght good kepe, Whyl I ȝour clothis ley on hepe, And trus hem on the asse. Kynge Herowde the chylde wyl scloo, Therfore to Egypte muste we goo, An aungel of God seyd me soo, And therfore lete us passe. _Tunc ibunt milites ad pueros occidendos, et dicat prima fæmina_, _Prima fæmina._ Longe lullynge have I lorn! Alas! qwhy was my baron born? With swappynge swerde now is he shorn The heed ryght fro the nekke! Shanke and shulderyn is al to-torn, Sorwyn I se behyndyn and beforn, Both mydnyth, mydday, and at morn,— Of my lyff I ne recke. _Secunda fæmina._ Serteynly I say the same, Gon is alle my good game, My lytylle childe lyth alle lame, That lullyd on my pappys! My ffourty wekys gronynge Hath sent me sefne ȝere sorwynge, Mykyl is my mornynge, And ryght hard arne myn happys! _Primus miles._ Lorde in trone Makyght no mone, Qwenys gyn grone In werld aboute. Upon my spere A gerle I bere, I dare welle swere, Lett moderes howte. _Secundus miles._ Lord, we han spad, As ȝe bad; Barnis ben blad, And lyne in dyche. fflesche and veyn Han tholyd peyn, And ȝe xul reyne Evermore ryche. _Herodes Rex._ ȝe xul have stedys To ȝour medys, Londys and ledys, ffryth and ffe. Wele have ȝe wrought, My ffo is sought, To deth is he brought,— Now come up to me. In sete now am I sett, as kynge of myghtys most, Alle this werd ffor ther love to me xul thei lowt; Bothe of hevyn, and of erthe, and of helle cost, ffor dygne of my dygnyté thei have of me dowt. Ther is no lord lyke on lyve to me wurthe a toost, Nether kyng nor kayser in alle this world abought; If any brybour do bragge or blowe aȝens my bost, I xal rappe tho rebawdys and rake them on rought, With my bryght bronde. Ther xal be neyther kayser nere kynge, But that I xal hem down dynge, Lesse than he at my byddynge Be buxum to myn honde.