A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume I Part 64

_Concinna tunc voce Antiphonam inchoat_, O radix Jesse _quam chorus prosequeter c.u.m organis_.

_Vel Anglice hoc modo canet_.

O fruitful root of Jesse, that shall be set as a sign among people, against the worldly rulers shall fiercely open their mouths. Whom the Gentiles wors.h.i.+p as their heavenly Lord, come now for to deliver us, and delay the time no longer.

_Finit Actus s.e.xtus_.

ACTUS SEPTIMUS.

PATER COELESTIS. I have with fierceness mankind oftentimes corrected, And again I have allured him by sweet promise, I have sent sore plagues, when he hath me neglected, And then by and by most comfortable sweetness.

To win him to grace, both mercy and righteousness, I have exercised, yet will he not amend; Shall I now lose him, or shall I him defend?

In his most mischief most high grace will I send, To overcome him by favour, if it may be.

With his abusions no longer will I contend But now accomplish my first will and decree.

My word being flesh, from hence shall set him free, Him teaching a way of perfect righteousness, That he shall not need to perish in his weakness.

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. Mana.s.ses, Lord, is past which turned from thee his heart, Ahaz and Ammon have now no more ado, Jechonias with other, which did themselves avert From thee to idols, may now no farther go.

The two false judges, and Baal's wicked priests also, Pha.s.sur and Shemias, with Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus and Triphon, shall thee displease no more.

Three score years and ten thy people into Babylon Were captive and thrall for idols' wors.h.i.+pping.

Jerusalem was lost, and left void of dominion, Brent was their temple, so was their other building; Their high priests were slain, their treasure came to nothing.

The strength and beauty of thine own heritage.

Thus didst thou leave them in miserable bondage.

Oft had they warnings, sometimes by Ezekiel, And other prophets, as Isaias and Jeremiah, Sometimes by Daniel, sometimes by Hosea and Joel, By Amos and Obadiah, by Jonah and by Zephaniah, By Nahum and Micah, by Haggai, and by Zachariah, By Malachi, and also by Habakkuk, By Olda the widow, and by the prophet Baruch.

Remember Josias, which took the abhomination From the people, then restoring thy laws again.

Of Rechab consider the faithful generation, Whom to wine-drinking no friends.h.i.+p might constrain.

Remember Abimelech, the friend of truth certain, Zerubabel the prince, which did repair the temple, And Jesus Josedec, of virtue the example.

Consider Nehemiah and Ezra the good scribe, Merciful Tobiah and constant Mordecai: Judith and queen Esther of the same G.o.dly tribe: Devout Mathias and Judas Macabeus.

Have mind of Eleazar and then Joannes Hirca.n.u.s, Weigh the earnest faith of this G.o.dly company, Though the other clean fall from thy memory.

PATER COELESTIS. I will, John, I will, for as I said afore, Rigour and hardness I have now set apart, Minding from henceforth to win man evermore By wonderful kindness to break his stubborn heart, And change it from sin. For Christ shall suffer smart, In man's frail nature for his iniquity, This to make open my messenger shalt thou be.

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. As thy pleasure is, so, blessed Lord, appoint me, For my health thou art and my soul's felicity.

PATER COELESTIS. Long ere I made thee, I thee predestinate: Before thou wert born, I thee endued with grace.

In thy mother's womb wert thou sanctificate By my G.o.dly gift, and so confirmed in peace A prophet, to show a way before the face Of my most dear Son, which will come; until then Apply thee apace thine office to fulfil.

Preach to the people, rebuking their negligence, Dop[296] them in water, they acknowledging their offence; And say unto them, "The kingdom of G.o.d doth come."

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. Unmeet, Lord, I am, _Quia puer ego sum_.

And (other than that), alack, I have no science Fit for that office, neither yet clean eloquence.

PATER COELESTIS. Thou shalt not say so, for I have given thee grace, Eloquence and age to speak in the desert place.

Thou must do therefore as I shall thee advise, My appointed pleasure forth utter in any wise, My strong mighty words put I into thy mouth, Spare not, but speak them to east, west, north, and south.

_Hic extendens Dominus manum, l.a.b.i.a Johannis digito tanget, ac ori imponet auream linguam_.

Go now thy way forth, I shall thee never fail, The spirit of Elias have I given thee already.

Persuade the people, that they their sins bewail, And if they repent their customable folly, Long shall it not be, ere they have remedy.

Open thou their hearts, tell them their health is coming: As a voice in desert, see thou declare the thing, I promise thee sure, thou shalt wash him among them In Jordan, a flood not far from Jerusalem.

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. Show me yet, good Lord, whereby shall I know that man, In the mult.i.tude which will resort to Jordan.

PATER COELESTIS. In thy mother's womb of him hadst thou cognition.

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. Yea, that was in spirit, I would now know his person.

PATER COELESTIS. Have thou no fear, John, him shalt thou know full well, And one special token afore will I thee tell.

_Super quem videris spiritum descendentem et manentem Super eum, hic est qui baptizat spiritu sancto_.

Among all other whom thou shalt baptize there, Upon whom thou seest the Holy Ghost descend In shape of a dove, resting upon his shoulder, Hold him for the same that shall the world amend By baptism of spirit, and also to man extend Most special grace. For he must repair his fall, Restoring again the justice original.

Take now thy journey, and do as I thee advise.

First preach repentance, and then the people baptize.

JOHANNES BAPTISTA. High honour, wors.h.i.+p, and glory be unto thee, My G.o.d eternal, and patron of all purity: Repent, good people, for sins that now are past, The kingdom of heaven is at hand very nigh.

The promised light to you approacheth fast, Have faith, and apply now to receive him boldly.

I am not the light, but to bear testimony Of him am sent, that all men may believe, That his blood he will for their redemption give.

He is such a light as all men doth illumine, That ever were here, or shall be after this.

All the world he made by his mighty power divine, And yet that rude world will not know what he is.

His own he entering is not regarded of his.

They that receive him are G.o.d's true children plain, In spirit regenerate, and all grace shall attain.

Many do reckon that I, John Baptist, am he, Deceived are they, and that will appear in s.p.a.ce.

Though he come after, yet he was long afore me.

We are weak vessels, he is the well of grace, Of his great goodness all that we have we purchase.

By him are we like to have a better increase, Than ever we had by the law of Moses.

In Moses' hard law we had not else but darkness, Figure and shadow. All was not else but night; Punishment for sin; much rigour, pain and roughness.

An high change is there, where all is turned to light, Grace and remission anon will s.h.i.+ne full bright.

Never man lived that ever see G.o.d afore, Which now in our kind man's ruin will restore.

Help me to give thanks to that Lord evermore, Which am unto Christ a crier's voice in the desert, To prepare the paths and highways him before, For his delight is on the poor simple heart.

That innocent lamb from such will never depart, As will faithfully receive him with good mind.

Let our voice then sound in some sweet musical kind.

_Resona tunc voce Antiphonam incipit_, O clavis David, _quam prosequetur chorus c.u.m organis, ut prius_.

_Vel in Anglico sermone sic_:

O perfect key of David, and high sceptre of the kindred of Jacob, which openest, and no man spereth;[297] thou speakest, and no man openeth; come and deliver thy servant mankind, bound in prison, sitting in the darkness of sin and bitter d.a.m.nation.

BALEUS _prolocutor_.

The matters are such that we have uttered here, As ought not to slide from your memorial.

For they have opened such comfortable gear As is to the health of this kind universal, Graces of the Lord and promises liberal, Which he hath given to man for every age, To knit him to Christ, and so clear him of bondage.

As St Paul doth write unto the Corinthians plain.

Our forefathers were under the cloud of darkness, And unto Christ's days did in the shadow remain: Yet were they not left, for of him they had promise, All they received one spiritual feeding doubtless.

They drank of the rock which them to life refreshed, For one saving health in Christ all they confessed.

In the woman's seed was Adam first justified: So was faithful Noah; so was just Abraham, The faith in that seed in Moses forth multiplied, Likewise in David and Esay, that after came.

And in John Baptist, which showed the very lamb.

Though they see afar, yet all they had one justice, One Ma.s.s (as they call it) and in Christ one sacrifice.