The Watter Leaders and the Drawers of Dee Playe
The Thirde Pageante of Noyes Fludd And firste in some high place — or in the clowdes, if it may bee — God speaketh unto Noe standinge without the arke with all his familye.
I, God, that all this world hath wrought,
heaven and yearth, and all of nought,
I see my people in deede and thought
are sett fowle in sinne.
My goost shall not lenge in mone
that through flesbe-likinge is my fone
but tyll six score yeares be commen and gone
to looke if the will blynne.
beast, worme, and fowle to flye;
for on yearth the doe mee noye,
the folke that are theron.
Hit hammes mec so hurtefullye,
the malice that doth now multiplye,
that sore it greeves mee inwardlye
that ever I made mon.
that righteous man arte as I see,
a shippe sonne thou shalt make thee
of trees drye and light.
Little chambers therin thou make
and bindinge sliche alsoe thou take;
within and without thou ne slake
to annoynte yt through all thy might.
and flftye broade to make yt stronge;
of height sixtye. The meete thou fonge;
thus measure thou hit aboute.
One window worke through thy witt;
a cubytt of length and breadc make hit.
Upon the syde a doore shall shutte,
for to corn in and owt.
three, [rowfed] chambers one or too,
for with water I thinke to flowe
mone that I can make.
Destroyed all they worlde shalbe-
save thou, thy wife, thy sonnes three,
and theme wyves alsoe with thee-
shall fall before thy face.
A, lorde, I thanke thee lowde and still
that to mee arte in such will
and spares mee and my houshould to spill,
as I nowe soothly fynde.
Thy byddinge, lorde, I shall fulfill
nor never more thee greeve ne gryll,
that such grace hatb sente mce tyll
amonges all mankynde.
Hye you, leste this water fall,
to womche this shippe, chamber and hall,
as God hath bydden us doe.
Father, I am allreadye bowne:
an axe I have, by my crowne,
as shampe as any in all thys towne
for to goe therto.
I have an hatchett wonder keene
to bytte well, as may bee seene;
a better growndc, as I weene,
is not in all this towne.
And I can well make a pynne
and with this hammer knocke yt in.
Goe wee womch bowte more dynne,
and I am ready bowne.
And wee shall bringe tymber to,
for wee mon nothinge ells doe-
women bynne weake to underfoe
any great travell.
Here is a good hackestocke;
one this you may hewe and knocke.
Shall none be idle in this flocke,
ne nowe may nod man fable.
And I will goe gather slytche,
the shippe for to clam and pitche.
Annoynte yt muste bee with stitche-
borde, tree, and pynne.
And I will gather chippes here
to make a fyer for you in feare,
and for to dighte your dinnere
agayne you come in.
Then Noe beginneth to buyld the arke.
Nowe in the name of God I beginne
to make the shippe that wee shall in,
that wee may be ready for to swyme
at the comminge of the fludd.
These bordes I pynne here together
to beare us safe from the weather,
that wee may rowe both hither and thither
and safe be from this fludd.
tyed with gables that will laste,
with a scale-yard for eycb baste,
and yche thinge in there kynde.
bothe cordes and roopes I have all meete
to sayle forthe at the nexte weete-
this shippe is at an ende.
my children and thou, I would in yee lepte.
In fayth, Noe, I had as leeve thou slepte.
For all thy Frenyshe fare,
I will not doe after thy reade.
Good wiffe, do nowe as I thee bydd.
By Christe, not or I see more neede,
though thou stand all daye and stare.
Lord, that weomen bine crabbed aye,
and non are meeke, I dare well saye.
That is well seene by mee todaye
in witnesse of you eychone.
Good wiffe, lett be all this beare
that thou makest in this place here,
for all the weene that thou arte mastere-
and soe thou arte, by sayncte John.
Then Noe with all his familye shall make a signe as though the wrought upon the shippe with divers instruements. And after that God shall speake to Noe as followeth:
Noe, take thou thy meanye
and in the shippe hye that yee bee;
for non soe righteouse man to mee "
ys nowe one yearth livinge.
Of deane beastes with thee thoe take
vii and vii or then thou slake;
hee and shee, make to make,
bylyye in that thou bringe;
of beastes uncleane ii and ji,
male and female, bowt moo;
of deane fowles seaven alsoe,
the hee and shee together;
of fowles uncleane twayne and noe more,
as I of beastes sayde before.
That man be saved through my lore,
agaynst I sende this wedder,
into the shippe loke the be getten,
for that maye bee noe waye forgotten.
And doe this all bydeene
to sustayne man and beastes therm
aye tyll the water cease and blynne.
This worlde is filled full of sinne,
and that is nowe well seene.
you shall have space them in to bringe.
After that, it is my likinge
mankynde for to anoye.
Fortye dayes and fortye nightes
rayne shall fall for there unrightes.
And that I have made through myghtes
nowe thinke I to distroye.
Lord, at your byddinge I am bayne.
Sythen noe other grace will gayne,
hyt will I fulfill fayne,
for gracyouse I thee fynde.
An hundreth winters and twentye
this shippe-makinge tarryed have I,
if throughe amendemente thy mercye
would fall to mankynde.
bye you lest this water fall,
that eyche beaste were in stall
and into the shippe broughte.
Of cleane beastes seaven shalbe,
of uncleane two; thus God bade mee.
The flood is nigh, you may well see;
therfore tarrye you nought.
Then Noe shall goe into the arke with all his familye, his wyffe excepte, and the arke muste bee borded rownde aboute. And one the bordes all the beastes and fowles hereafter reahemsed muste bee paynted, that them wordes may agree with the pictures.
Syr, here are lions, leopardes in;
horses, mares, oxen, and swynne,
geates, calves, sheepe, and kyne
here sytten thou may see.
Camelles, asses, man may fynde,
bucke and doe, harte and hynde.
All beastes of all manere of kynde
here bynne, as thinketh mee.
Take here cattes, dogges too,
otters and foxes, fullimartes alsoe;
hares hoppinge gayle can goe
here have colle for to eate.
And here are beares, wolves sett,
apes, owles, maremussett,
wesills, squerrells, and fyrrett;
here the eaten there meate.
Heare are beastes in this howse;
here cattes maken yt crowse;
here a rotten, here a mowse
that standen nere together.
And here are fowles lease and more-
hernes, cranes, and byttoer,
swanes, peacockes-and them before
meate for this wedder.
Here are cockes, kytes, crowes,
rookes, ravens, many rowes,
duckes, curlewes, whoever knowes,
eychone in his kynde.
And here are doves, digges, drakes,
redshankes monninge through lakes;
and eyche fowle that leadenn makes
in this shippe man may fynde.
Wyffe, come in. Why standes thou there?
Thou arte ever frowarde; that dare I sweare.
Come, in Godes name; balfe tyme yt weare,
for feame lest that wee drowne.
Yea, syr, sett up your seale
and rowe forthe with eve!! hayle;
for withowten any fayle
I will not owt of this towne.
one foote further I will not gone.
They shall not drowne, by sayncte John,
and I may save there life.
The loved me full well, by Christe.
But thou wilte lett them into thy chiste,
elles rowe forthe, Noe, when thy liste
and gett thee a newe wyfe.
Scm, sonne, loe thy mother is wraowe;
by God, such another I doe not knowe.
Father, I shall fetch her in, I trowe,
withowten any fayle.
Mother, my father after thee sende
and byddes thee into yonder wende.
Looke up and see the wynde,
for wee benne readye to sayle.
Sonne, goe agayne to him and saye
I will not come therin todaye.
Come in, wife, in twentye devylles waye,
or ells stand there withowte.
Shall we all fetch hir in?
Yea, sonne, in Cbmystcs blessinge and myne,
I would yee hyed you betyme
for of this fludd I stande in doubte.
The fludd comes fleetinge in full faste,
one everye syde that spredeth full farre.
For fere of drowninge I am agaste;
good gossippe, lett us drawe nere.
for oftetymes wee have done soe.
For at one draught thou drinke a quarte,
and soe will I doe or I goe.
yt will rejoyse both harte and tonge.
Though Noe thinke us never soe longe,
yett wee wyll drinke atyte.
Mother, wee praye you all together-
for we are here, your owne childer-
come into the shippe for feare of the wedder,
for his love that [you] bought.
That will I not for all your call
but I have my gosseppes all.
In fayth, mother, yett thow shall,
whether thou will or nought.
Welcome, wyffe, into this boote.
Have thou that for thy note!
Aha, marye, this ys hotte;
yt is good for to be still.
Ah, chyldren, meethinke my boote remeeves.
Our tarryingc here mee highly greeves.
Over the lande the water spreades;
God doe hee as hee will.
Then the singe, and Noe shall speake agayne.
Ah, greate God that arte soe good,
that worchis not thy will is wood.
Now all this world is one a flood,
as I see well in sight.
This windowe I will shutt anon,
and into my chamber I will gonne
tyll thys water, soe gmeate one,
bee slaked through thy mighte.
Then shall Noe shutt the windowe of the arke, and for a little space within the bordes bee shalbe scylent; and afterwarde openinge the windowe and lookinge rownde about sayinge:
[For 47 lines missing at this point, see the Chester (Wright) plays.]
Lord God in majestye
that such grace hast granted mee
wher all was borne, salfe to bee!
Therfore nowe I am boune-
my wyffe, my children, and my menye-
with sacryfice to honour thee
of beastes, fowles, as thou mayest see,
and full devotyon.
Noe, to me thou arte full able
and thy sacrafice acceptable;
for I have founde thee treeue and stable,
one thee nowe muste I myne.
Warrye yearth I will noe more
for mans sinnes that greeves mee sore;
for of youth man full yore
hasse bynne enclyned to sinne.
and yearth agayne to edifye.
Eache beast and fowle that may flye
shalbe feared of you.
And fishe in saye, all that may fleete,
shall sustayne you, I thee behett;
to eate of them yee ne lett
that cleane bynne you mon knowe.
trees and rootes since yee weare bore,
of cleane beastes nowe, lesse and more,
I give you leave to eate-
save blood and fleshe bothe in feare
of wrauge dead carryen that is here.
Eate yee not of that in noe manere,
for that aye yee shall leave.
for that is not playsante unto mee.
They that sheden blood, hee or shee,
ought-where amongste mankynde,
that blood fowle shedd shalbe
and vengeance have, men shall see.
Therfore beware all yee,
you fall not into that synne.
and all thy seede for thy sake,
of suche vengeance for to slake,
for nowe I have my will.
Here I behette thee an heeste
that man, woman, fowle, ne beaste
with water while this worlde shall laste
I will noe more spill.
in the fyrmamente shalbe,
by verey tokeninge that you may see
that such vengeance shall cease.
The man ne woman shall never more
be wasted by water as hath before;
but for synne that greveth me sore,
therfore this vengeance was.
that ylke bowe shalbe seene,
in tokeninge that my wrath and teene
shall never thus wroken bee.
The stringe is torned towardes you
and towardes me is bente the bowe,
that such wedder shall never showe;
and this behett I thee.
to thee, Noe, my servante deare,
for vengeance shall noe more appeare.
And now farewell, my darlinge dere.
Finis
2024 Mar 19 14:56:38