A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume I Part 61

PATER COELESTIS. Utter thy whole mind, and spare me not hardily.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Paraventure there may be thirty found among them.

PATER COELESTIS. May I find thirty, I will nothing do unto them.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. I take upon me too much, Lord, in thy sight.

PATER COELESTIS. No, no, good Abraham, for I know thy faith is right.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. No less, I suppose, than twenty can it have.

PATER COELESTIS. Could I find twenty, that city would I save.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Once yet will I speak my mind, and then no more.

PATER COELESTIS. Spare not to utter so much as thou hast in store.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. And what, if there might be ten good creatures found?

PATER COELESTIS. The rest for their sakes might so be safe and sound, And not destroyed for their abhomination.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. O Merciful Maker, much is thy toleration And sufferance of sin. I see it now indeed, Witsafe yet of favour out of these cities to lead Those that be faithful, though their flocks be but small.

PATER COELESTIS. Loth and his household I will deliver all, For righteousness sake, which is of me and not them.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Great are thy graces in the generation of Shem.

PATER COELESTIS. Well, Abraham, well for thy true faithfulness, Now will I give thee my covenant or third promise.

Look thou believe it, as thou covetest righteousness.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Lord, so regard me, as I receive it with gladness.

PATER COELESTIS. Of many peoples the father I will make thee, All generations in thy seed shall be blessed.

As the stars of heaven, so shall thy kindred be; And by the same seed the world shall be redressed.

In circ.u.mcision shall this thing be expressed, As in a sure seal, to prove my promise true; Print this in thy faith, and it shall thy soul renew.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. I will not one jot, Lord, from thy will dissent, But to thy pleasure be always obedient, Thy laws to fulfil, and most precious commandment.

PATER COELESTIS. Farewell, Abraham, for here in place I leave thee.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Thanks will I render, like as it shall behove me.

Everlasting praise to thy most glorious name, Which saved Adam through faith in thy sweet promise Of the woman's seed, and now confirmest the same In the seed of me. Forsooth, great is thy goodness: I cannot perceive, but that thy mercy is endless To such as fear thee in every generation, For it endureth without abbreviation.

This have I printed in deep consideration, No worldly matter can rase it out of mind.

For once it will be the final restoration Of Adam and Eve, with other that hath sinned; Yea, the sure health and raise of all mankind.

Help have the faithful thereof, though they be infect, They, condemnation, where as it is reject.

Merciful Maker, my crabbed voice direct, That it may break out in some sweet praise to thee; And suffer me not thy due laws to neglect, But let me show forth thy commendations free, Stop not my windpipes, but give them liberty, To sound to thy name, which is most gracious, And in it rejoice with heart melodious.

_Tunc alta voce canit Antiphonam_, O rex gentium, _choro eandem prosequente c.u.m organis, ut prius_:

_Vel Anglice hoc modo_.

O most Mighty Governor of thy people, and in heart most desired, the hard rock and true cornerstone, that of two maketh one, uning the Jews with the Gentiles in one church, come now and relieve mankind, whom thou hast formed of the vile earth.

_Finit Actus tertius_.

INCIPIT ACTUS QUARTUS.

PATER COELESTIS. Still so increaseth the wickedness of man.

That I am moved with plagues him to confound.

His weakness to aid I do the best I can, Yet he regardeth me no more than doth an hound.

My word and promise in his faith taketh no ground, He will so long walk in his own l.u.s.ts at large, That nought he shall find his folly to discharge.

Since Abraham's time, which was my true elect, Ishmael have I found both wicked, fierce, and cruel, And Esau in mind with hateful murder infect.

The sons of Jacob to l.u.s.ts unnatural fell, And into Egypt did they their brother sell Laban to idols gave faithful reverence, Dinah was corrupt through Shechem's violence.

Reuben abused his father's concubine, Judah gat children of his own daughter-in-law; Yea, here in my sight went after a wicked line.

His seed Onan spilt, his brother's name to withdraw.

Achan lived here without all G.o.dly awe.

And now the children of Israel abuse my power, In so vile manner, that they move me every hour.

MOSES SANCTUS. Pacify thy wrath, sweet Lord, I thee desire, As thou art gentle, benign, and patient, Lose not that people in fierceness of thine ire, For when thou hast showed such tokens evident, Converting this rod into a lively serpent, And the same serpent into this rod again, Thy wonderful power declaring very plain.

For their sakes also puttest Pharaoh to pain By ten diverse plagues, as I shall here declare: By blood, frogs, and lice; by flies, death, blotches, and blain.

By hail, by gra.s.shoppers, by darkness, and by care: By a sudden plague all their firstgotten ware Thou slewest in one night for his fierce cruelness.

From that thy people withhold not now thy goodness.

PATER COELESTIS. I certify thee, my chosen servant Moses, That people of mine is full of unthankfulness.

MOSES SANCTUS. Dear Lord, I know it, alas! yet weigh their weakness, And bear with their faults of thy great bounteousness.

In a flaming bush, having to them respect, Thou appointed'st me their pa.s.sage to direct: And through the Red Sea thy right hand did us lead, Where Pharaoh's host the flood overwhelmed indeed.

Thou went'st before them in a shining cloud all day, And in the dark night in fire thou showed'st their way.

Thou sent them manna from heaven, to be their food.

Out of the hard stone thou gavest them water good.

Thou appointed'st them a land of milk and honey.

Let them not perish for want of thy great mercy.

PATER COELESTIS. Content they are not with foul nor yet with fair, But murmur and grudge, as people in despair.

As I sent manna, they had it in disdain, Thus of their welfare they many times complain.

Over Amalech I gave them the victory.

MOSES SANCTUS. Most Glorious Maker, all that is to thy glory, Thou sentest them also a law from heaven above, And daily showest them many tokens of great love.

The brazen serpent thou gavest them for their healing, And Balaam's curse thou turned'st into a blessing.

I hope thou wilt not disdain to help them still.

PATER COELESTIS. I gave them precepts which they will not fulfil.

Nor yet acknowledge me for their G.o.d and good Lord, So do their vile deeds with their wicked hearts accord, While thou hast talked with me familiarly In Sinai's mountain the s.p.a.ce but of days forty, Those sights all they have forgotten clearly, And are turned to shameful idolatry.

For their G.o.d they have set up a golden calf.

MOSES SANCTUS. Let me say somewhat, Sweet Father, in their behalf.