The Drapers Playe

Incipit Pagina Secunda qualiter Deus docuit mundum.

enlesse alsoe, moste of postee,
I am and have binne ever.
Now heaven and earth is made through mee.
The earth is voyd ondly I see;
therfore light for more lee
through my might I will liever.

At my byddynge made be light.
Light is good, I see in sight.
Twynned shalbe through my might
the light from the stearnes.
Light ’day’ I wilbe called aye,
and thestearnes ’night’, as I saye.
This momne and evene, the first day,
is made full and expresse.

Now will I make the firmament
in myddeste the water to bee lent,
for to bee a divident
to twynne the waters aye;
above the welkyn, beneath alsoe,
and ’heaven’ hit shalbe called thoo.
This commen is morne and even also
of the seoconde daye.

Now will I waters everychone
that under heaven bine great one,
that the gather into one,
and drynesse sone them shewe.
That dryenesse ’yearth’ men shall call.
The gatheringe of the waters all,
’seeyes’ to [name] have the shall;
therby men shall them knowe.

I will one yearth yerbes springe,
ichon in kinde seede-gevinge;
trees diverse fruite forth bringe
after ther kynde eachone;
the seede of which aye shalbe
within the fruite of each tree.
This morne and even of dayes three
is both commen and gonne.

Now will I make through my might
lightninges in the welkyn bright,
to twyne the daye from the night
and lighten the earth with lee.
Great lightes I will too —
the sonne and eke the moone also —
the sonne for day to serve for oo,
the moone for night to bee.

Stares also through myne entente
I will make one the firmamente,
the yearth to lighten there the be lent;
and knowne may be therby
courses of planets, nothinge amisse.
Now see I this worke good iwisse.
This morninge and evon both made is,
the fourthe day fullye.

Now will I in waters fishe forth bringe,
fowles in the firmament flyinge,
great whalles in the sea swiminge;
all make I with a thoughte —
beastes, fowles, fruit, stone, and tree.
These workes are good, well I see.
Therfore to blesse all well liketh me,
this worke that I have wrought.

All beastes, I byd you multyplye
in yearth and water by and by,
and fowles in the ayre to flye,
the yearth to fulfill.
This morne and evon through my might
of the fiveth day and the night
is made and ended well aright,
all at my owne will.

Now will I one earth bringe forth anon
all helpely beastes, everychone
that crepon, flyen, or gone,
eachon in his kynde.
Now is this donne at my byddinge :
beastes goinge, flyinge, and crepinge;
and all my worke at my likinge
fully now I fynde.

Then goinge from the place where he was, commeth to the place where he createth Adam.

Now heaven and earth is made expresse,
make wee man to our likenesse.
Fishe, fowle, beast — more and lesse —
to mayster he shall have might.
To our shape now make I thee;
man and woman I will there bee.
Growe and multyplye shall yee,
and fulfill the earth on hight.

To helpe thee thou shalt have here
herbes, trees, fruit, seede in fere.
All shalbe put in thy power,
and beastes eke alsoe;
all that in yearth bine livinge,
fowles in the ayre flyinge,
and all that gost hath and likinge,
to sustayne you from woe.

Now this is donne, I see aright,
and all thinge made through my might.
The sixt day heare in my sight
ys made all of the best.
Heaven and earth ys wrought all within
and all that needes to be them.
Tomorrowe, the seaventh day, I will blinne
and of workes take my rest.

But this man that I have made,
with goste of lief I will him gladde.

Adam rysinge.

Then the creatour bringeth Adam into paradice, before the tree of knowledge, and saith (minstrelles playe):

to keepe it well while thou hit hasse,
and donne as I thee bydd.
Of all trees that bine herein
thou shalt eate and nothinge sinne;
but of this tree, for weale nor wynne,
thou eate by noe way.

What tyme thou eates of this tree,
death thee behoves, leave thow mee.
Therfore this fruit I will thee flee,
and be thou not too bould.
Beastes and fowles that thou may see
to thee obedyent shall they bee.
What name they bee given by thee,
that name they shall hould.

Then God taketh Adam by the hande and causeth him to lye downe, and taketh a ribbe out of his syde and saith:

Then God doth make the woman of the ribbe of Adam, wakinge and sayth to God:

Adam, rysinge up, saith:

Of earth thou madest first mee,
both bone and fleshe; now I see
thou hast her given through thy postee
of that I in me had.
Therfore man kyndely shall forsake
father and mother, and to wife take;
too in one fleshe, as thou can make,
eyther other for to glad.

Then Adam and Eve shall stand naked and shall not bee ashamed. Then the serpente shall come up out of a hole, and the dyvell walkinge shall say:

Gostlye paradice I was in,
but thence I fell through sinne.
Of yeartly pamadice now, as I weene,
a man is given masterye.
By Belsabubb, I will never blynne
till I may make him by some gynne
from that place for to twyne
and trespasse as did I.

Should such a caytiffe made of claye
have such blisse? Nay, by my laye!
For I shall teach his wife a playe
and I may have a whyle.
For hem to disceave I hoppe I may,
and through her brynge them both awaye;
for shee will doe as I her saye,
hir hoppe I will begyle.

That woman is forbydden to doe
for anythinge the will therto.
Therfore that tree shee shall come to
and assaye which it is.
Dight me I will anone tyte
and profer her of that ylke fruite;
soe shall they both for her delyte
bee banyshed from that blysse.

A maner of an edder is in this place
that wynges like a bryde shee hase —
feete as an edder, a maydens face —
hir kynde I will take.
And of the tree of paradice
shee shall eate through my contyse;
for wemen they be full licourouse,
that will shee not forsake.

And eate shee of hyt, full witterlye
they shall fare both as dyd I:
be banyshed both of that valley
and him osprynge for aye.
Therfore, as brooke I my panne,
the edders coate I will take one;
and into paradice I will gonne
as faste as ever I maye.

Supremus volucris, penna serpens, pede forma, forma puella.

and of each tree in paradice
to forsake the meate?

This tree heare that in the middest is,
eate wee of hit wee doe amysse.
God sayde we should dye iwys
and if we touch that tree.

God is subtyle and wisse of witte
and wotteth well when ye eate it
that your eyne shalbe unknyt.
Like godes yee shalbe
and knowe both good and evill alsoe.
Therfore bee warned you therfroe.
Yee may well wotte bee was your foe;
therfore doe after mee.

Take of this fruite and assaye;
yt is good meate, I dare laye.
And but thou finde yt to thy paye,
say that I am false.
And yee shall knowe bothe welle and woe
and bee like godes both too,
thou and thy husband alsoe.
Take thou one apple and noe moo.

Then Eve shall take of the fruite of the serpente, and shall eate therof and say to Adam:

Then Adam shall take the fruite and eate therof, and in weepinge manner shall saye:

Then Adam and Eve shall cover them members with leaves, hydinge themselves under the trees. Then God shall speake (minstrelles playe).

Betweene thy seede and hirs alsoe
I shall excyte thy sorrowe and woe;
to breake thy head and be thy foe,
shee shall have masterye aye.
Noe beast one earth, I thee behett,
that man soe little shall of seett;
and troden bee full under foote
for thy mysdeede todaye.

When thou one earth traveled hasse,
fruite shall not growe in that place;
but thornes, brears for thy trespasse
to thee one earth shall springe.
Herbes, rootes thou shalte eate
and for thy sustenance sore sweate
with great mischeyfe to wynne thy meate,
nothinge to thy likinge.

Thus shall thou live, soothe to sayen,
for thou haste byne to mee unbayen,
ever tyll the tyme thou turne agayne
to yeamth there thou came from.
For earth thou arte, as well is seene;
and after this worke, woe and teene,
to earth there thou shalt, withouten weene,
and all thy kynde alsoe.

Adam shall speake mourninglye.

Nowe all my kynde by mee ys kente
to flee womens intycemente.
Whoe tmusteth them in any intente,
truely bee is disceaved.

My licourouse wyfe hath bynne my foe;
the devylls envye shente mee alsoe.
These too together well may goe,
the suster and the brother.
His wrathe hathe donne me muche woe;
him glotonye greved mee alsoe.
God left never man trust you too,
the one more then the other.

Then God, puttynge garmentes of skynnes upon them:

Now lest thou [covett]este more
and doe as thou haste donne before —
eate of this fruite — to live evermore
heare may thou not bee.
To yearth thyder thou muste gonne;
with travell leade thy liefe therone.
For syccere there is noe other worme.
Goe forthe; take Eve with thee.

Then God shall dryve Adam and Eve out of paradice, and sayth to the Angell (minstrelles playe):

to whom noe grace is claymed by righte.
Shall none of them byde in thy sighte
tyll Wysdome, Right, Mercye, and Mighte
shall buy them and other moe.

Minstrelles playe.

Cayne and Abell, my childrenn deare,
whome I gate within xxx yeare
after the tyme wee depryved weare
of paradyce for our pryde.
Therfore nowe them will I lere,
to make them knowe in good manere
what I sawe when Eve, my feere,
was taken of my syde.

Whyle that I slepte in that place
my gost to heaven banished was;
for to see I them had grace
thinges that shall befall.
To make you ware of comberouse case
and lett your doinge from trespasse,
sonne, I will tell before your face —
but I will not tell all.

I wott by things that I there see
that God will come from heaven on hie,
to overcome the devill soe slee
and light into my kynde;
and my blood that bee will wyne
that I soe lost for my synne;
a new lawe ther shall begine
and soe men shall them sure.

Water or fyer also witterlye
all this world shall distroye,
for men shall synne soe horryblye
and doe full much amysse.
Therfore that yee may escape that nye,
doe well and be ware me bye.
I tell you heare in prophecye
that this will fall ywisse.

Alsoe I see, as I shall saye,
that God will come the laste daye
to deeme mankynde in fleshe verey,
and flame of fyer burninge,
the good to heaven, the evell to hell.
Your childrenn this tale yee may tell.
This sight saw I in paradyce or I fell,
as laye there sleepinge.

Nowe will I tell howe yee shall doe
Godes love to underfoo.
Cayne, husbandes crafte thou must goe
to; and Abell, a shepharde bee.
Therfore of comes fayre and cleane
that growes one ridges out of reane,
Cayne, thou shalt offer, as I meane,
to God in majestee.
And Abel, while thy lief shall laste
thou shalt offer — and doe my heste —
to God the first-borne beaste;
therto thou make thee bowne.
Thus shall yee please God almight
if yee doe this well and righte,
with good harte in his sight
and full devotyon.

Nowe for to gett you sustenance
I will you teach withou distance.
For sythen I feele that myschaunce
of that fruite for to eate,
my leefe children fayre and free,
with this spade that yee may see
I have dolven. Learne yee this at mee,
howe yee shall wynne your meate.

Another sorrowe I suffer alsoe:
my childrenn must I beare with woo,
as I have donne both you too;
and soe shall wemen all.

This was the divell, our bytter foe,
that made us out of joy to goe.
To please, therfome, sonnes bee throwe,
in sinne that yee ne fall.

Hear he bringe in the plough.

Heare Adam and Eve goe out tyll Cayne have slayne Abell.

Hit weare pittye, by my panne,
those fayre cares for to brenne.
Therefore the devill honge mee then
and thou of hit gett ought.
This caries come grewe nexte the waye;
of these offer I will todaye.
For cleane come, by my faye,
of mee gettest thou nought.

Loe, lord, here may thou see
such come as grew to mee.
Parte of hit I bringe to thee,
anone withouten lett.
I hope thou wilte white mee this
and sende mee more of worldly blisse;
ells forsooth thou doest amisse
and thou bee in my debt.

The beste beaste, as mote I thee,
of all my flocke with harte free
to thee offered it shalbe.
Receave, lorde, my presente.

Then a flame of fyer shall descende upon thee sacrafice of Abell.

But, Cayne, thou shalt have all thy will,
thy talent yf thou wilt fulfill.
Synne of hit will thee spill
and make thee evell to speede.
Thy brother buxone aye shalbe
and fully under thy postee;
the luste therof pertaynes to thee.
Advyse thee of thy deede.

Thy offeringe God accept hase,
I see by fyer that one yt was.
Shalt thou never efte have such grace,
for dye thou shalt this night.
Though God stoode in this place
for to helpe thee in this case,
thou should dye before his face.
Have this, and gett thee right!

Then Cayne kylleth his brother Abell, and God comminge sayth (minstrelles playe):

Cayne, cursed one earth thou shalt bee aye.
For thy deede thou haste donne todaye,
yearth warryed shalbe in thy worke aye
that wickedly haste wrought.
And for that thow haste donne this mischeyfe,
to all men thou shalt bye unleeffe,
idell and wandminge as an theyfe
and overall sett at nought.

Cayne speaketh mornefullye.

For my shine soe horryble is
and I have donne soe muche amysse,
that unworthy I am iwysse
forgevenes to attayne.
Well I wott where-ever I goe
whoesoe meetes me will mee slowe,
and yche man wilbe my foe.
Noe grace to mee may gayne.

But for thou to thys deede was bowne,
thou and thy children trust mon —

into the seaventh generation —
punishment for the whole.
For thou todaye hase donne soe,
thy seede for thee shall suffer woe;
and whyle thou one yearth may goe,
of vengeance have the dole.

Fowle hape is mee befall:
whether I bee in house or hall,
’cursed Cayne’ menn will me call.
Of sorrowes may non nowe cease.
But yett will I, or I goe,
speake with my dam and syre alsoe.
And there maleson both too
I wott well I must have.

Dam and syre, rest you well,
for one fowle tale I can you tell.
I have slayne my brother Abell
as we fell in a stryffe.

Finis