The Proclamation of Banns

Primus Vexillat[or]
Now, gracyous God, groundyd of all goodnesse,
As þi grete glorie nevyr begynnyng had,
So þu socour and saue all þo þat sytt and sese,
And lystenyth to oure talkyng with sylens stylle and sad.
For we purpose us pertly stylle in þis prese
þe pepyl to plese with pleys ful glad.
Now lystenyth us louely, bothe more and lesse,
Gentyllys and 3emanry of goodly lyff lad,
þis tyde.
We xal 3ou shewe as þat we kan
How þat þis werd fyrst began,
And how God made bothe molde and man,
Iff þat 3e wyl abyde.

Secundus Vexilla[tor]
In þe fyrst pagent we þenke to play
How God dede make þurowe his owyn myth
Hevyn so clere upon þe fyrst day,
And þerin he sett angell ful bryth.
Than angell with songe, þis is no nay,
Xal worchep God as it is ryth.
But Lucyfer, þat angell so gay,
In suche pompe þan is he pyth
And set in so gret pride,
þat Goddys sete he gynnyth to take,
Hese Lordys pere hymself to make.
But þan he fallyth a fend ful blake
From hevyn, in helle to a[byde].

Tercius Vexilla[tor]
In þe secunde pagent, by Godys myth,
We þenke to shewe and pley bedene
In þe other sex days, by opyn syth,
What þenge was wrought þer xal be sene
How best was made, and foule of flyth,
And last was man made, as I wene.
Of mannys o ryb, as I 3ow plyth,
Was woman wrougth, mannys make to bene,
And put in paradyse.
Ther were flourys bothe blew and blake;
Of all frutys þei myth þer take,
Saff frute of cunnyng þei xulde forsake
And towche it in no wyse.

Primus Vexillator
We purpose to shewe in þe thryd pagent
The story of Caym and of hese brother Abelle.
Of here tythyngys now be we bent
In þis pagent þe trewth to telle.
How be tythyng of Abel with feyr was brent
And accept to God, yf 3e wyl dwelle,
We purpose to shewe, as we haue ment,
And how he was kyllyd of his brother so felle.
And than
How Caym was cursyd in al degré
Of Godys owyn mowthe þer xal 3e se.
Of trewe tythyng þis may wel be
Exaw[m]ple to every man.

Secundus Vexilator
The ijjde pagent is now 3ow tolde.
be fourte pagent of Noe xal be,
How God was wroth with man on molde
Because fro synne man dede not fle.
He sent to Noe an angel bolde,
A shyp for to makyn and swymmen on þe se,
Vpon þe water both wood and coolde;
And viij sowles þer savyd xulde be,
And j peyre of everich bestys in brynge.
Whan xlti days þe flode had flowe,
þan sente Noe out a crowe,
And after hym he sent a dowe
þat brouth ryth good tydyng.

Tercius Vexil[lator]
Of Abraham is be fyfte pagent,
And of Ysaac, his sone so fre,
How þat he xulde with fere be brent
And slayn with swerd, as 3e xal se.
Abraham toke with good atent
His sone Ysaac and knelyd on kne —
His suerd was than ful redy bent —
And thouth his chylde þer offered xuld be
Vpon an hyll ful ryff.
Than God toke tent to his good wyl
And sent an angel ryth sone hym tyl,
And bad Abraham a shep to kyl,
And sauyd his chyldys lyff.

Priimus Vexil[lator]
The sexte pagent is of Moyses,
And of tweyn tabelys þat God hym took,
In þe which were wrete, without les,
þe lawes of God to lerne and lok;
And how God charged hym be wordys these
þe lawes to lerne al of þat book.
Moyses than doth nevyrmore sese,
But prechyth duly bothe 3ere and woke
The lawes, as I 3ow telle,
þe Ten Comaundementys alle bedene —
In oure play 3e xal hem sene —
To alle þo þat þere wyl bene,
If þat 3e thenke to duelle.

Secundus Vexillator
Off þe gentyl Jesse rote
þe sefnt pagent, forsothe, xal ben,
Out of þe which doth sprynge oure bote,
As in prophecye we redyn and sen.
Kyngys and prophetys with wordys ful sote
Schull prophesye al of a qwen,
þe which xal staunch oure stryff and moote,
And wynnyn us welthe withoutyn wen,
In hevyn to abyde.
They xal prophecye of a mayde,
All fendys of here xal be affrayde.
Here sone xal saue us, be not dismayde,
With hese woundys wyde.

Tercius Vexillator
Of þe grete bushop Abyacar
þe tende pagent xal be, without lesyng,
þe which comaundyth men to be war
And brynge here douterys to dew weddyng;
All þat ben xiiij 3ere and more,
To maryage he byddyth hem bryng.
Wherevyr þei be, he chargyth sore
þat þei not fayle for no lettyng,
þe lawe byddyth so than.
Than Joachym and Anne so mylde,
þei brynge forthe Mary, þat blyssyd chylde.
But she wold not be defylyde
With spot nor wem of man.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xte pagent, sothe to say,
A masangere forthe is sent.
Dauydis kynrede without delay,
They come ful sone with good entent.
Whan Joseph offeryd his 3erde þat day,
Anon-ryth forth in present,
þe ded styk do floure ful gay,
And þan Joseph to wedlok went,
Ryth as be angel bad.
Than he plyth to his wyff
In chastyté to ledyn here lyff.
þe busshop toke here iij maydonys ryff;
Som comforte bere she had.

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xjde pagent goth Gabryell
And doth salute oure Lady fre.
Than grett with chylde, as I 3ow tell,
þat blyssyd mayde, forsothe is she.
þo iij maydenys þat with here dwelle
Here gret spech, but noon þei se.
Than they suppose þat sum angell,
Goddys masangere þat it xuld be.
And thus
þe Holy Gost in here is lyth,
And Goddys sone in here is pygth.
þe aungell doth telle what he xal hyght
And namyth þe chylde Jhesus.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xij pagent, as I 3ow telle,
Joseph comyth hom fro fer countré.
Oure Ladyes wombe with chylde doth swelle,
And þan Joseph, ful hevy is he.
He doth forsake here with hert ful felle,
Out of countré he gynnyth to fle;
He nevyrmore thenkyth with here to dwelle,
And than oure Lady, ryth sore wepyth she.
An angell seyd hym ryf:
"God is with þi wyff, sertayn,
þerfore, Joseph, turne hom agayn."
þan is Joseph in herte ful fayn,
And goth ageyn onto his wyff.

Primus Vexillator
The xi[j]jjte pagent, I sey 3ow bedene,
Xal be of Joseph and mylde Mary:
How they were sclawndryd with trey and tene,
And to here purgacyon þei must hem hy.

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xv pagent shewe we xal
How Joseph went withoute varyauns
For rnydwyuys to helpe oure Lady at all,
Of childe that she had delyuerauns.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xvj pagent Cryst xal be born.
Of þat joy aungelys xul synge
And telle be shepherdys in þat morn
The blysseful byrth of þat kyng.
The shepherdys xal come hym befforn
With reuerens and with worchepyng,
For he xal sauyn þat was forlorn
And graunt us lyff evyrmore lestyng,
Iwys.
þis gle in gryth
Is mater of myrth.
Now Crystys byrth
Bryng us to his blys.

Primus Vexillator
[In] the xvte pagent come kyngys iij
With gold, myrre, and frankynsens.
Kyng Herowdys styward hem doth se
And bryngyth all to his presens.
The kyngys of Coleyn with hert ful fre
Tolde Kyng Herownde here dylygens,
That þei south in þat countré
A kyng of kyngys from fere thens;
A sterre led hem þe way.
"The chylde is 3oung and lyth in stall;
He xal be kyng of kyngys all.
Beffore hym we thynk on kne to fall
And worchep hym þis day."

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xvj pagent as wroth as wynde
Is Kyng Herownde, þe soth to say,
And cruel knytys and vnkende
To sle male chylderyn he sendyth þat day.
But Cryst Jesu þei may not fynde,
For Joseph hath led þat childe away
Vnto Egypth, as we haue mende,
As angel to Joseph dyd byd and say,
In hy3ht.
þo chylderyn þat syt in here moderys lap
To sowkyn ful swetly here moderys pap,
þe knythtys do sle hem evyn at a swap.
þis is a rewly syth.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xvij pagent be knythtys bedene
Shull brynge dede childeryn befor be kyng.
Whan Kyng Herownde þat syth hath sene,
Ful glad he is of here kyllyng.
Than Kyng Herownde, withowtyn wene,
Is sett to mete at his lykyng.
In his most pride xal come gret tene,
As 3e xal se at oure pleyng.
His sorwe xal awake.
Whan he is sett at hese most pryde,
Sodeyn Deth xal thrylle his syde
And kylle his knyttys þat with hym byde;
þe devyl þer soulys xal take.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xviij pagent we must purpose
To shewe whan Cryst was xij 3er of age,
How in þe temple he dede appose
And answerd doctoris ryth wyse and sage.
The blyssyd babe, withowte glose,
Ouercam olde clerkys with suych langage
þat þei merveylyd, 3e xal suppose,
How þat he cam to suche knowlage,
And in þis whyle.
Thre days he was oute
Fro his modyr, without doute.
Wepyng she sowth hym rownde aboute
Jheruselem many a myle.

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xix pagent xal Seynt Jhon
Baptyse Cryst, as I 3ow say,
In þe watyr of Flom Jordon.
With which devys as we best may,
The Holy Gost xal ouyr hym on.
þe Faderys voys xal be herd þat day
Out of hevyn, þat blisful tron;
þe Fadyr xal be herd, þis is no nay.
And forthwith pleyn
þe Holy Gost xal be his gyde
Into desert, þerin to abyde
xlti days, a terme ful wyde,
And xlti nygthtys to faste, sarteyn.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xxti pagent all be deuelys of helle,
They gadere a parlement, as 3e xal se.
They haue gret doute, be trewth to telle,
Of Cryst Jesu, whath he xulde be.
They sende Ssathan, þat fynde so felle,
Cryst for to tempte in fele degré.
We xal 3ow shewe, if 3e wyl dwelle,
How Cryst was temptyd in synnys thre
Of þe devyl Sathan.
And how Cryst answeryd onto alle,
And made be fende awey to falle,
As we best may, þis shewe we xalle
Thorwe grace of God and man.

Primus Vexillator
The xxiti pagent of a woman xal be,
þe which was take in adultrye.
The Pharysewys falsed þer 3e xal se,
Cryst to convycte how they were slye.
They conseyvyd þis sotylté:
Yf Cryst þis woman dede dampne, trewly,
Ageyn his prechyng than dede he,
Which was of pete and of mercy;
And yf he dede here save,
þan were he a3ens Moyses lawe,
þat byddyth with stonys she xulde be slawe.
þus they thowth vndyr þer awe
Cryst Jesu for to haue.

Secundus Vexillator
The grettest meracle þat evyr Jesus
In erthe wrouth beforn his Passyon
In [þe] xxijti pagent we purpose vs
To shewe indede be declaracyon.
þat pagent xal be of Lazarus,
In whos place and habytacyon
Cryst was logyd — þe gospel seyth thus —
And ofte-tyme toke þer consolacyon.
But 3yt
Lazarus, as I 3ow say,
Was iiij days ded and beryed in clay.
From deth to lyve þe iiijte day
Cryst reysed hym from þat pyt.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xxiijti pagent Palme Sunday
In pley we purpose for to shewe,
How chylderyn of Ebrew with flourys ful gay,
þe wey þat Cryst went þei gun to shewe.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xxiiijti pagent, as þat we may,
Cryst and his apostelys alle on rewe,
The Mawndé of God þer xal they play,
And sone declare it with wordys fewe.
And than
Judas, þat fals traytour,
For xxxti platys of werdly tresour
Xal betray oure Savyour
To þe Jewys, certan.

Secundus Vexillator
For grevous peyn, þis is no les,
In þe xxvti p agent Cryst xal pray
To be Fadyr of Hevyn þat peyn for to ses,
His shamful deth to put away.
Judas, þat traytour, befor gret pres
Xal kys his mouth and hym betray.
All his dyscyples than do dyscres
And forsake Cryst, be soth to say;
For doute þei do hem hede.
Hese dyscyplys all, everychon,
Do renne awey and leve hym alon;
They lete hym stondyn amonge his fon
And renne away for drede.

Tercius Veexi[lator]than
in þe xxvjti pagent
To Cayphas Cryst xal be brouth.
þo Jewys ful redy þer xul be bent
Cryst to acuse with worde and thouth.
Seynt Petyr doth folwe with good intent
To se with Cryst what xuld be wrouth.
For Crystys dyscyple whan he is hent,
Thryes he doth swere he knew hym nowth.
A kok xal crowe and crye.
Than doth Petyr gret sorwe make,
For he his Lord þus dede forsake.
But God to grace hym sone doth take
Whan he doth aske mercye.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xxvij pagent Sere Pylat
Is sett in sete as hy justyce.
Whan he is set in his astat,
Thre thevys be brout of synful gyse.
And Cryst, þat louyd nevyr stryff nor þat,
But trewth and goodnesse on every wyse,
As for a thef with ryth gret hat
Is browth to stondyn at þat same syse.

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xxviijti pagent xal Judas,
þat was to Cryst a fals traytour,
With wepyng sore evyr crye, Alas!
þat evyr he solde oure Savyour.
He xal be sory for his trespas
And brynge a3en all his tresour,
All xxx pens, to Sere Cayphas —
He xal them brynge with gret dolowre —
For þe which Cryst was bowth.
For gret whanhope, as 3e xal se,
He hangyth hymself vpon a tre,
For he noth trostyth in Godys peté.
To helle his sowle is browth.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xxix pagent to Pylatus wyff
In slepe aperyth be devyl of helle.
For to savyn Crystys lyff
The devyl here temptyth, as I 3ow telle.
Sche sendyth to Pylat anon ful ryff
And prayth þat Cryst he xuld not qwelle.
þan Pylat is besy, and ryth blyff
Cryst for to savyn he 3evyth councelle,
For he dede neuyr trespas.
The Jewys do crye fast for to kylle,
The rythful man þei aske to spylle;
A thef þei saue with herty wylle
þat callyd is Barrabas.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xxxti pagent þei bete out Crystys blood
And nayle hym al nakyd upon a rode-tre;
Betwen ij thevys — iwys, they were to wood —
They hyng Cryst Jesu, gret shame it is to se.
Vij wurdys Cryst spekyth hangyng upon þe rode,
þe weche 3e xal here, all þo þat wyl þer be;
þan doth he dye for oure allther good.
His modyr doth se þat syth, gret mornyng makyth she;
For sorwe she gynnyth to swowne.
Seynt Johan evyn er, as I 3ow plyth,
Doth chere oure Lady with al his myth,
And to be temple anon forthryth
He ledyth here in þat stownde.

Secundus Vexillator
We purpose to shewe in oure pleyn place
In þe xxxiti pagent borwe Godys myth
How to Crystys herte a spere gan pace
And rent oure Lordys bryst in ruly plyth.
For Longeus, þat old knyth, blynd as he was,
A ryth sharpe spere to Crystys herte xal pyth.
þe blod of his wounde to his eyn xal tras,
And borwe gret meracle þer hath he syth.
Than in þat morn,
Crystys soule goth down to helle,
And þer ovyrcomyth be fend so felle,
Comfortyth be soulys þat þerin dwelle,
And savyth þat was forlorn.

Tercius Vexillator
Joseph and Nycodemus, to Cryst trew servaunt,
xxxii be xxxii page[ntj be body þei aske to haue.
Pylat ful redyly be body doth hem graunt,
þan þei with reverens do put it in grave.
þe Jewys, more wyckyd þan ony geawnt,
For Crystys ded body kepers do þei craue;
Pylat sendyth iiij knytys þat be ryth hardaunt
To kepe be blody body in his dede conclaue.

Primus Vexillator
In þe [x]xxiij pagent þe soule of Cryst Jesu
Xal brynge all his frendys from helle to paradyse.
þe soule goth than to be grave and, be ryth gret vertu,
þat body þat longe ded hath loyn to lyf a3en doth ryse.
Than doth Cryst Jesu onto his modyr sew,
And comfortyth all here care in temple þer she lyse.
With suche cher and comforth his modyr he doth indew
þat joy it is to here þer spech for to devyse.
And than
Oure Lady of Hefne so cler,
In herte sche hath ryth glad chere.
Whan here sone þus doth apere,
Here care awey is tan.

Secundus Vexil[lator]
In þe xxxiiijti pagent xal Maryes thre
Seke Cryst Jesu in his grave so coolde.
An aungel hem tellyth þat aresyn is he.
And whan þat þis tale to them is tolde,
To Crystys dyscyplis with wurdys ful fre
They telle these tydyngys with brest ful bolde.
Than Petyr and Johan, as 3e xal se,
Down rennyn in hast ouyr lond and wolde,
The trewth of þis to haue.
Whan þei þer comyn, as I 3ow say,
He is gon from vndyr clay.
þan þei wytnesse anoon þat day
He lyth not in his grave.

Tercius Vexillator
Onto Mary Mawdelyn, as we haue bent,
Cryst Jesu xal than apere
In þe xxxvti pagent,
And she wenyth he be a gardenere.
Mary be name, verament,
Whan Cryst here callyth with spech ful clere,
She fallyth to ground with good entent,
To kys his fete with gladsom chere.
But Cryst byddyth here do way.
He byddyth his feet þat sche not kys
Tyl he haue styed to hefne blys.
To Crystys dyscyplys Mary, iwys,
Than goth, be trewth to say.

Primus Vexillator
In þe xxxvjti pagent xal Cleophas
And Sent Luke to a castel go.
Of Crystys deth as þei forth pas
They make gret mornyng and be ful wo.
Than Cryst þem ovyrtok, as his wyl was,
And walkyd in felachep forth with hem too.
To them he doth expowne bothe more and las,
All þat prophetys spak, a[n]d of hymself also.
That nyth, in fay,
Whan þei be set within þe castell,
In brekyng of bred þei know Cryst well.
Than sodeynly, as I 3ow tell,
Cryste is gon his way.

Secundus Vexillator
In þe xxxvijti pagent þan purpos we,
To Thomas of Ynde Cryst xal apere;
And Thomas euyn þer, as 3e xal se,
Xal put his hand in his woundys dere.

Tercius Vexillator
In þe xxxviijti pagent up stye xal he
Into hefne, þat is so clere.
All hese apostel þer xul be
And woundere sore and haue gret dwere
Of þat ferly syth.
þer xal come aungell tweyn
And comfforte hem, þis is certeyn,
And tellyn þat he xal comyn ageyn,
Evyn by his owyn myth.

Primus Vexillator
Than folwyth next, sekyrly,
Of Wyttsunday, þat solempne fest,
Whych pagent xal be ix and thretty.
þe apostelys to apere be Crystys best
In Hierusalem were gaderyd xij opynly,
To be cenacle comyng from west and est.
þe Holy Gost apperyd ful veruently,
With brennyng fere thyrlyng here brest,
Procedyng from hevyn trone.
All maner langage hem spak with tung,
Latyn, Grek, and Ebrew among;
And affter þei departyd and taryed not long,
Here deth to take ful sone.

Secundus Vexillator
The xlti pagent xal be þe last,
And Domysday þat pagent xal hyth.
Who se þat pagent may be agast
To grevyn his Lord God eyther day or nyth.
The erth xal qwake, bothe breke and brest,
Beryelys and gravys xul ope ful tyth;
Ded men xul rysyn, and þat þer in hast,
And fast to here ansuere þei xul hem dyth
Beffore Godys face.
But prente wyl þis in 3oure mende:
Whoso to God hath be vnkende,
Frenchep þer xal he non fynde,
Ne þer get he no grace.

Tercius
Now haue we told 3ow all bedene

Vexillator
The hool mater þat we thynke to play.
Whan þat 3e come þer xal 3e sene
This game wel pleyd in good aray.
Of Holy Wrytte þis game xal bene,
And of no fablys be no way.
Now God þem save from trey and tene
For us þat prayth upon þat day,
And qwyte them wel þer mede.
A Sunday next, yf þat we may,
At vj of þe belle we gynne oure play
In N-town; wherfore we pray
That God now be 3oure spede.
Amen.