Anonymous. The Towneley plays
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John the Baptist

John the Baptist

1: God, that mayde both more and les,
2: Heuen and erth, at his awne wyll,
3: And merkyd man to his lyknes,
4: As thyng that wold his lyst ffulfyll,
5: Apon the erth he send lightnes,
6: Both son and moyne lymett thertyll,
7: He saue you all from synfulnes,
8: And kepe you clene, both lowd and styll.
9: Emang prophetys then am I oone
10: That god has send to teche his law,
11: And man to amend, that wrang has gone,
12: Both with exampyll and with saw.
13: My name, for sothe, is baptyst Iohn,
14: My fader zacary ye knaw,
15: That was dombe and mayde great mone,
16: Before my byrth, and stode in awe.
17: Elezabeth my moder was,
18: Awntt vnto mary, madyn mylde;
19: And as the son shynys thorow the glas,
20: Certys, in hir wombe so dyd hir chyld,.
21: Yit the Iues inqueryd me has
22: If I be cryst; thay are begyld,
23: For ihesus shal amend mans trespas,
24: That with freylte of fylthe is fylyd.
25: I am send bot messyngere
26: ffrom hym that alkyn mys may mend;
27: I go before, bodword to bere,
28: And as forgangere am I send,


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29: his wayes to wyse, his lawes to lere,
30: Both man and wyfe that has offende.
31: ffull mekyll barett mon he bere,
32: Or tyme he haue broght all tyll ende,
33: Thise Iues shall hyng hym on a roode,
34: Man's saull to hym it is so leyfe,
35: And therapon shall shede his bloode,
36: As he were tratoure or a thefe,
37: Not for his gylt bot for oure goode,
38: Because that we ar in myschefe;
39: Thus shall he dy, that frely foode,
40: And ryse agane tyll oure relefe.
41: In water clere then baptyse I
42: The pepyll that ar in this coste;
43: Bot he shall do more myghtely,
44: And baptyse in the holy goost;
45: And with the bloode of his body
46: wesh oure synnes both leste and moost,
47: Therfor, me thynk, both ye and I
48: Agans the feynde ar well endoost.
49: I am not worthy for to lawse
50: The leste thwong that longys to his shoyne;
51: Bot god almyghty, that all knawes,
52: In erth thi will it must be done.
53: I thank the, lord, that thi sede sawes
54: Emong mankynde to groyf so sone,
55: And euery day that on erth dawes
56: ffeydys vs with foode both euen and none.
57: we ar, lord, bondon vnto the,
58: To luf the here both day and nyght,
59: ffor thou has send thi son so fre
60: To saue mans saull that dede was dight
61: Thrugh adam syn and eue foly,
62: That synnyd thrugh the feyndis myght;
63: Bot, lord, on man thou has pyte,
64: And beyld thi barnes in heuen so bright.


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Primus Angelus

65: harkyn to me, thou Iohn baptyst!
66: The ffader of heuen he gretys the weyll,
67: ffor he has fon the true and tryst,
68: And dos thi dever euery deyll;
69: wyt thou well his will thus ist,
70: Syn thou art stabyll as any steyll,
71: That thou shall baptyse ihesu cryst
72: In flume Iordan, mans care to beyll John the Baptist

73: A, dere god! what may this be?
74: I hard a steuen, bot noght I saw. Primus Angelus

75: Iohn, it is I that spake to the;
76: To do this dede haue thou none aw. John the Baptist

77: Shuld I abyde to he com to me?
78: That that shall neuer be, I traw;
79: I shall go meyt that lord so fre,
80: As far as I may se or knaw. Secundus Angelus

81: Nay, Iohn, that is not well syttand;
82: his fader will thou must nedys wyrk. Primus Angelus

83: Iohn, be thou here abydand,
84: Bot when he commys be then not yrk. John the Baptist

85: By this I may well vnderstand
86: That childer shuld be broght to kyrk,
87: ffor to be baptysyd in euery land;
88: To me this law yit is it myrk. Secundus Angelus

89: Iohn, this place it is pleassyng,
90: And it is callyd flume Iordan;
91: here is no kyrk, ne no bygyng,
92: Bot where the fader wyll ordan,
93: It is godys wyll and his bydyng. John the Baptist

94: By this, for sothe, well thynk me than
95: his warke to be at his lykyng,
96: And ilk folk pleasse hym that thay can.


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97: Sen I must nedys his lyst fulfyll
98: he shall be welcom vnto me;
99: I yeld, me holy to his will,
100: where so euer I abyde or be.
101: I am his seruande, lowd and styll,
102: And messyngere vnto that fre;
103: whethere that he will saue or spyll
104: I shall not gruch in no degre. Jesus

105: Iohn, godys seruand and prophete,
106: My fader, that is vnto the dere,
107: has send me to the, well thou wytt,
108: To be baptysyd in water clere;
109: ffor reprefe vnto mans rytt
110: The law I will fulfyll right here;
111: My fader ordynance thus is it,
112: And thus my wyll is that it were.
113: I com to the, baptym to take,
114: To whome my fader has me sent,
115: with oyle and creme that thou shal make
116: vnto that worthi sacrament.
117: And therfor, Iohn, it not forsake,
118: Bot com to me in this present,
119: ffor now will I no farther rake
120: Or I haue done his commaundement. John the Baptist

121: A, lord! I loue the for thi commyng!
122: I am redy to do his will,
123: In word, in wark, in all kyn thyng,
124: what soeuer he sendys me tyll;
125: This bewteose lord to bryng to me,
126: his awne seruande, this is no skyll,
127: A knyght to baptyse his lord kyng,
128: My pauste may it not fulfyll.


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129: And if I were worthy
130: ffor to fulfyll this sacrament,
131: I haue no connyng securly,
132: To do it after thyn intent;
133: And therfor, lord, I ask mercy;
134: hald, me excusyd as I haue ment;
135: I dar not towche thi blyssyd body,
136: My hart will neuer to it assent. Jesus

137: Of thi connyng, John, drede the noght;
138: My fader his self he will the teche;
139: he that all this warld, has wroght,
140: he send the playnly forto preche;
141: he knawys mans hart, his dede, his thoght;
142: he wotys how far mans myght may reche,
143: Therfor hedir haue I soght;
144: My fader lyst may none appeche.
145: Behold, he sendys his angels two,
146: In tokyn I am both god and man;
147: Thou gyf me baptym or I go,
148: And dyp me in this flume Iordan.
149: Sen he wyll thus, I wold wytt who
150: Durst hym agan stand? Iohn, com on than,
151: And baptyse me for freynde or fo,
152: And do it, Iohn, right as thou can. Primus Angelus

153: Iohn, be thou buxom and right bayn,
154: And be not gruchand in no thyng;
155: Me thynk thou aght to be ful fayn
156: ffor to fulfyll my lordis bydyng
157: Erly and late, with moyde and mayn,
158: Therfor to the this word I bryng,
159: My lord has gyffen the powere playn,
160: And drede the noght of thi conyng.


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Secundus Angelus

161: he sendys the here his awne dere chylde,
162: Thou welcom hym and make hym chere,
163: Born of a madyn meke and mylde,
164: That frely foode is made thi fere;
165: with syn his moder was neuer fylde,
166: Ther was neuer man neghyd hyr nere,
167: In word ne wark she was neuer wylde,
168: Therfor hir son thou baptyse here. Primus Angelus

169: And, securly, I will thou knaw
170: whi that he commys thus vnto the;
171: he commys to fulfyll the law,
172: As pereles prynce most of pauste;
173: And therfor, Iohn, do as thou awe,
174: And gruch thou neuer in this degre
175: To baptyse hym that thou here saw,
176: ffor wyt thou well this same is he. John the Baptist

177: I am not worthy to do this dede;
178: Neuer the les I will be godys seruande;
179: Bot yit, dere lord, sen I must nede,
180: I will do as thou has commaunde.
181: I tremyll and I whake for drede!
182: I dar not towche the with my hande,
183: Bot, certys, I will not lose my mede;
184: Abyde, my lord, and by me stande.
185: I baptyse the, Ihesu, in hy,
186: In the name of thi fader fre,
187: In nomine patris & filii,
188: Sen he will that it so be,
189: Et spiritûs altissimi,
190: And of the holy goost on he;
191: I aske the, lord, of thi mercy,
192: here after that thou wold blys me.
193: here I the anoynt also
194: with oyle and creme, in this intent,


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195: That men may wit, where so thay go,
196: This is a worthy sacrament.
197: Ther ar sex othere and no mo,
198: The which thi self to erthe has sent,
199: And in true tokyn, oone of tho,
200: The fyrst on the now is it spent.
201: Thou wysh me, lord, if I do wrang;
202: My will it were forto do weyll;
203: I am ful ferd yit ay emang,
204: If I dyd right I shuld done knele.
205: Thou blys me, lord, hence or thou gang,
206: So that I may thi frenship fele;
207: I haue desyryd this sight ful lang,
208: ffor to dy now rek I no dele. Jesus

209: This beest, Iohn, thou bere with the,
210: It is a beest full blyst;
211: Iohn, it is the lamb of me,
212: Beest none othere ist;
213: It may were the from aduersyte,
214: And so looke that thou tryst;
215: By this beest knowen shall thou be,
216: That thou art Iohn baptyst. John the Baptist

217: ffor I haue sene the lamb of god
218: which weshys away syn of this warld,,
219: And towchid hym, for euen or od,
220: My hart therto was ay ful hard.
221: ffor that it shuld be better trowed,
222: An angell had me nerehand mard,
223: Bot he that rewlys all with his rod
224: he blys me when I draw homward.


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Jesus

225: I graunt the, Iohn, for thi trauale,
226: Ay lastand ioy in blys to byde;
227: And to all those that trowys this tayll,
228: And saw me not yit gloryfyde.
229: I shalbe boytt of all thare bayll,
230: And send them socoure on euery syde;
231: My fader and I may thaym auayll,
232: Man or woman that leyffys thare pryde.
233: Bot, Iohn, weynd thou furth and preche
234: Agans the folk that doth amys;
235: And to the pepyll the trowthe thou teche;
236: To rightwys way look thou tham avys,
237: And as far as thi wyt may reche
238: Byd thaym be bowne to byde my blys;
239: ffor at the day of dome I shall thaym peche
240: That herys not the nor trowys not this.
241: Byd thaym leyfe syn, for I it hate;
242: ffor it I mon dy on a tre,
243: By prophecy ffull well I wate;
244: My moder certys that sight mon se,
245: That sorowfull sight shall make hir maytt,
246: ffor I was born of hir body.
247: ffarwell Iohn, I go my gaytt;
248: I blys the with the trynyte! John the Baptist

249: Almyghty god in persons thre,
250: All in oone substance ay ingroost,
251: I thank the, lord in mageste,
252: ffader and son and holy goost!
253: Thou send thi son from heuen so he,
254: To mary mylde, into this cooste,
255: And now thou sendys hym vnto me,
256: ffor to be baptysid in this oost.


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257: ffarwell! the frelyst that euer was fed!
258: ffarwell! floure more fresh then foure de lyce!
259: ffarwell! stersman to theym that ar sted
260: In stormes, or in desese lyse!
261: Thi moder was madyn and wed;
262: ffarwell! pereles, most of pryce!
263: ffarwell! the luflyst that euer was bred!
264: Thi moder is of hell emprise.
265: ffarwell! blissid both bloode and bone!
266: ffarwell! the semelyst that euer was seyn!
267: To the, ihesu, I make my mone;
268: ffarwell! comly, of cors so cleyn!
269: ffarwel! gracyouse gome! where so thou gone,
270: ffull mekill grace is to the geyn;
271: Thou leyne vs lyffyng on thi lone,
272: Thou may vs mende more then we weyn.
273: I wyll go preche both to more and les,
274: As I am chargyd securly;
275: Syrs, forsake youre wykydnes,
276: Pryde, envy, slowth, wrath, and lechery.
277: here gods seruice, more & lesse;
278: Pleas god with prayng, thus red I;
279: Be war when deth comys with dystres,
280: So that ye dy not sodanly.
281: Deth sparis none that lyf has borne,
282: Therfor thynk on what I you say;
283: Beseche youre god both euen and morne
284: you for to saue from syn that day.
285: Thynk how in baptym ye ar sworne
286: To be godis seruandis, withoutten nay;
287: let neuer his luf from you be lorne,
288: God bryng you to his blys for ay. Amen.


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