Anonymous. The Towneley plays
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library

| Table of Contents for this work |
| All on-line databases | Etext Center Homepage |

The Play of the Doctors

Secundus Magister

1: That a madyn a barn shuld, bere;
2: And his name thus can thay tell,
3: ffro the tyme that he born were,
4: he shalbe callyd emanuell;
5: Counselloure, and god of strengthe,
6: And wonderfull also
7: Shall he be callyd, of brede and lenghthe
8: As far as any man may go. Tercius Magister

9: Masters, youre resons ar right good,
10: And wonderfull to neuen,
11: yit fynde I more by abacuk;
12: Syrs, lysten a whyle vnto my steuen.
13: Oure bayll, he says, shall turn to boytt,
14: her-afterward som day;
15: A wande shall spryng fro Iesse roytt,-
16: The certan sothe thus can he say,-
17: And of that wande shall spryng a floure,
18: that shall spryng vp full hight:
19: Ther of shall com full swete odowre,
20: And therapon shall rest and lyght
21: The holy gost, full mych of myght;
22: The goost of wysdom and of wyt,
23: Shall beyld his nest, with mekyll right,
24: And, in it brede and sytt.


-187-


Primus Magister

25: Bot when trow ye this prophecy
26: Shalbe fulfyllyd in dede,
27: That here is told so openly,
28: As we in scrypture rede? Secundus Magister

29: A greatt meruell for sothe it is,
30: To vs to here of sich mastry;
31: A madyn to bere a chyld,, Iwys,
32: without mans seyde, that were ferly. Tercius Magister

33: The holy gost shall in hyr lyght,
34: And kepe hir madynhede full clene;
35: whoso may byde to se that sight
36: Thay ther not drede, I wene. Primus Magister

37: Of all thise prophetys wyse of lore
38: That knew the prophecy, more and les,
39: was none that told the tyme before,
40: when he shuld, com to by vs peasse. Secundus Magister

41: wheder he be commen or not
42: No knowlege haue we in certayn;
43: Bot he shall com, that dowt we not;
44: ffull prophetys haue prechyd it full playn. Tercius Magister

45: Mekyll I thynk that thise prophetys
46: Ar holden to god, that is on hight,
47: That haue knowyng of his behetys,
48: And for to tell of his mekyll myght. Jesus

49: Masters, luf be with you lent,
50: And mensk be vnto this meneyoe! Primus Magister

51: Son, hens away I wold thou went,
52: ffor othere haft in hand haue we.


-188-


Secundus Magister

53: Son, whosoeuer the hyder sent,
54: Thay were not wyse, thus tell I the;
55: ffor we haue othere tayllys to tent
56: Then now with barnes bowrdand to be. Tercius Magister

57: Son, thou lyst oght lere / To lyf by moyses lay;
58: Com heder, and thou shall here / The sawes that we wyll say;
59: ffor in som mynde it may the bryng
60: To here oure sawes red by rawes. Jesus

61: To lere of you nedys me no thyng,
62: ffor I knaw both youre dedys & sawes. Primus Magister

63: hark, yonder barn with his bowrdyng!
64: he wenys he kens more then he knawys;
65: Nay, certys, son, thou art ouer ying
66: By clergy yit to know oure lawes. Jesus

67: I wote as well as ye / how that youre lawes was wroght. Secundus Magister

68: Com sytt! soyn shall we se, / ffor certys so semys it noght. Tercius Magister

69: It were wonder if any wyght
70: vntill oure resons right shuld reche;
71: And thou says thou has in sight
72: Oure lawes truly to tell and teche. Jesus

73: The holy gost has on me lyght,
74: And anoynt me lyke a leche,
75: And gyffen to me powere and myght
76: The kyngdom of heuen to preche. Secundus Magister

77: whens euer this barne may be
78: That shewys thise novels new? Jesus

79: Certan, syrs, I was or ye,
80: And shall be after you.


-189-


Primus Magister

81: Son, of thi sawes, as we haue ceyll,
82: And of thi wytt is wonder thyng;
83: Bot neuer the les fully I feyll
84: That it may fayll in wyrkyng;
85: ffor dauid demys euer ilk deyll,
86: And thus he says of chylder ying,
"[Ex ore infanicium & lactencium, perfecisti laudem."]
87: Of thare mowthes, sayth dauid, wele,
88: Oure lord he has perfourmed louyng.
89: Neuer the les, son, yit shuld thou lett
90: her for to speke in large;
91: ffor where masters ar mett,
92: Chylder wordys ar not to charge.
93: ffor certys, if thou wold neuer so fayn
94: Gyf all thi lyst to lere the law,
95: Thou art nawther of myght ne mayn
96: To know it, as a clerk may knaw. Jesus

97: Syrs, I say you in certan,
98: That sothfast shall be all my saw;
99: And powere haue I plene and playn,
100: To say and answere as me aw. Primus Magister

101: Masters, what may this mene?
102: Meruell, methynk, haue I
103: where euer this barne has bene
104: That carpys thus conandly. Secundus Magister

105: In warld as wyde as we haue went
106: ffand we neuer sich ferly fare;
107: Certys, I trow the barn be sent
108: Sufferanly to salfe oure sare. Jesus

109: Syrs, I shall preue in youre present
110: All the sawes that I sayde are. Tercius Magister

111: which callys thou the fyrst commaundement
112: And the most, in moyses lare?


-190-


Jesus

113: Syrs, synthen ye syt on raw,
114: And hafe youre bookys on brede,
115: let se, syrs, in youre saw
116: how right that ye can rede. Primus Magister

117: I rede that this is the fyrst bydyng
118: That moyses told, vs here vntyll;
119: honoure thi god ouer ilka thyng,
120: with all thi wyt and all thi wyll;
121: And all thi hart in hym shall hyng,
122: Erly and late, both lowde and styll. Jesus

123: ye nede none othere bookys to bryng,
124: Bot fownd this to fulfyll;
125: The seconde may men profe
126: And clergy knaw therby;
127: youre neyghburs shall ye lofe
128: Right as youre self truly.
129: [Thise] commaunded moyses tyll all men
130: In his commaundes clere;
131: In thise two bydyngys, shall ye ken,
132: hyngys all the law we aght to lere.
133: who so fulfylles thise two then
134: with mayn and mode and good manere,
135: he fulfyllys truly all ten
136: That after thaym folows in fere.
137: Then shuld we god honowre
138: with all oure myght and mayn,
139: And luf well ilk neghboure
140: Right as oure self certayn. Primus Magister

141: Now, son, synthen thou has told vs two,
142: which ar the aght, can thou oght say? Jesus

143: The thyrd bydys, "[where so ye go,
144: That ye shall halow the holy day;


-191-



145: ffrom bodely wark ye take youre rest;
146: youre household, looke the same thay do,
147: Both wyfe, chyld, seruande, and beest."]
148: The fourt is then in weyll and wo
149: "[Thi fader, thi moder, thou shall honowre,
150: Not only with thi reuerence,
151: Bot in thare nede thou thaym socoure,
152: And kepe ay good obedyence."]
153: The fyft bydys the "[no man slo,
154: Ne harme hym neuer in word ne dede,
155: Ne suffre hym not to be in wo
156: If thou may help hym in his nede."]
157: The sext bydys the "[thi wyfe to take,
158: Bot none othere lawfully;
159: lust of lechery thou fle and fast forsake,
160: And drede ay god where so thou be."]
161: The seuen bydys the "[be no thefe feyr,
162: Ne nothyng wyn with trechery;
163: Oker, ne symony, thou com not nere,
164: Bot conscyence clere ay kepe truly."]
165: The aght byddys the "[be true in dede,
166: And fals wytnes looke thou none bere;
167: looke thou not ly for freynd ne syb,
168: lest to thi saull that it do dere."]
169: The neyn byddys the "[not desyre
170: Thi neghburs wyfe ne his women,
171: Bot as holy kyrk wold it were,
172: Right so thi purpose sett it in."]
173: The ten byddys the "[for nothyng
174: Thi neghburs goodys yerne wrongwysly;
175: his house, his rent, ne his hafyng,
176: And crysten fayth trow stedfastly."]


-192-



177: Thus in tabyls, shall ye ken,
178: Oure lord to moyses wrate;
179: Thise ar the commaundmentys ten,
180: who so will lely layt. Secundus Magister

181: Behald how he lege oure lawes,
182: And leryd neuer on booke to rede!
183: ffull sotell sawes, me thynk, he says,
184: And also true, if we take hede. Tercius Magister

185: yei, lett hym furth on his wayes,
186: ffor if he dwell, withoutten drede
187: The pepyll will ful soyn hym prayse
188: well more then vs, for all oure dede. Primus Magister

189: Nay, nay, then wyrk we wrang!
190: sich spekyng will we spare;
191: As he cam let hym gang,
192: And mefe vs, not no mare. Mary

193: A, dere Ioseph! what is youre red?
194: Of oure greatt bayll no boytt may be;
195: My hart is heuy as any lede,
196: My semely son to I hym se.
197: Now haue we soght in euery sted,
198: Both vp and downe, thise dayes thre;
199: And wheder he be whik or dede
200: yit wote we not; so wo is me! Joseph

201: Sorow had neuer man mare!
202: Bot mowr[n]yng, mary, may not amend;
203: ffarther do I red we fare,
204: To god some socoure send.
205: Abowtt the tempyll if he be oght,
206: That wold I that we wyst this nyght. Mary

207: A, certys, I se that we have soght!
208: In warld was neuer so semely a sight;


-193-



209: lo, where he syttys! se ye hym noght
210: Amangys yond masters mekyll of myght? Joseph

211: Blyssyd be he vs heder broght!
212: In land now lyfys there none so light. Mary

213: Now dere Ioseph, as haue ye seyll,
214: Go furth and fetche youre son and myne;
215: This day is goyn nere ilka deyll,
216: And we haue nede for to go hien. Joseph

217: with men of myght can I not mell,
218: Then all my trauell mon I tyne;
219: I can not with thaym, that wote ye well,
220: Thay are so gay in furrys fyne. Mary

221: To thaym youre erand, forto say,
222: Surely that thar ye drede no deyll!
223: Thay will take hede to you alway
224: Be cause of eld,, this wote I weyll. Joseph

225: when I com ther what shall I say?
226: ffor I wote not, as haue I ceyll;
227: Bot thou will haue me shamyd for ay,
228: ffor I can nawthere crowke ne knele. Mary

229: Go we togeder, I hold, it best,
230: Vnto yond worthy wyghtys in wede;
231: And if I se, as haue I rest,
232: That ye will not, then must I nede. Joseph

233: Go thou and tell thi tayll fyrst,
234: Thi son to se will take good hede;
235: weynd furth, mary, and do thi best,
236: I com behynd, as god me spede. Mary

237: A, dere son, Ihesus!
238: sythen we luf the alone,
239: whi dos thou tyll vs thus,
240: And gars vs make this mone?
241: Thi fader and I betwix vs two,
242: Son, for thi luf has lykyd yll,


-194-



243: we haue the soght both to and fro
244: wepeand sore, as wyghtis wyll. Jesus

245: wherto shuld ye, moder, seke me so?
246: Oft tymes it has bene told, ye tyll
247: My fader warkys, for wele or wo,
248: Thus am I sent for to fulfyll.
249: Thise sawes, as haue I ceyll,
250: I can well vnderstonde,
251: I shall thynk on them weyll
252: To fownd what is folowand. Joseph

253: Now sothly, son, the sight of the
254: has comforthed vs of all oure care;
255: Com furth, now, with thi moder and me!
256: At nazareth I wold we ware. Jesus

257: Be leyf then, ye lordyngys fre!
258: ffor with my freyndys now wyll I fare. Primus Magister

259: Son, where so thou shall abyde or be
260: God make the good man euer mare. Secundus Magister

261: No wonder if thou, wife,
262: Of his fyndyng be fayn;
263: he shall, if he haue lyfe,
264: prefe to a full good swayn. Tercius Magister

265: Son, looke thou layn, for good or yll,
266: The noyttys that we haue nevened now;
267: And if thou lyke to abyde here styll,
268: And with vs won, welcom art thou. Jesus

269: Gramercy, syrs, of youre good wyll!
270: No longer lyst I byde with you,
271: My freyndys thoght I shall fulfyll,
272: And to thare bydyng baynly bow. Mary

273: ffull well is me this tyde,
274: Now may we make good chere. Joseph

275: No longer wyll we byde;
276: ffar well all folk in fere.


-195-