The Killing of Abel

Garcio
All hayll, all hayll, both blithe and glad,1
ffor here com I, a mery lad;2
be peasse youre dyn, my master bad,3
Or els the dwill you spede.4
Wote ye not I com before?5
Bot who that Ianglis any more6
He must blaw my blak hoill bore’,7
both behynd, and before,8
Till his tethe blede.9
ffelows, here I you forbede10
To make nother nose ne cry;11
Who so is so hardy to do that dede12
The dwill hang hym vp to dry.13
Gedlyngis, I am a fulle grete wat,14
A good yoman my master hat,15
ffull well ye all hym ken;16
Begyn he with you for to stryfe,17
certis, then mon ye neuer thryfe;18
Bot I trow, bi god on life,19
Som of you ar his men.20
Bot let youre lippis couer youre ten,21
harlottis, euerichon!22
ffor if my master com, welcom hym then.23
ffarewell, for I am gone.24
Cain
Io furth, greyn-horne! and war oute, gryme!25
Drawes on! god gif you ill to tyme!26
Ye stand as ye were fallen in swyme;27
What! will ye no forther, mare?28
War! let me se how down will draw;29
Yit, shrew, yit, pull on a thraw!30
What! it semys for me ye stand none aw!31
I say, donnyng, go fare!32
A, ha! god gif the soro & care!33
lo! now hard she what I saide;34
now yit art thou the warst mare35
In plogh that euer I haide.36
How! pike-harnes, how! com heder belife!37
Garcio
I fend, godis forbot, that euer thou thrife!38
Cain
What, boy, shal I both hold and drife?39
heris thou not how I cry?40
Garcio
Say, mall and stott, will ye not go?41
Lemyng, morell, white-horne, Io!42
now will ye not se how thay hy?43
Cain
Gog gif the sorow, boy; want of mete it gars.44
Garcio
thare prouand, sir, for thi, I lay behynd thare ars,
And tyes them fast bi the nekis,46
With many stanys in thare hekis.47
Cain
That shall bi thi fals chekis.48
Garcio
And haue agane as right.49
Cain
I am thi master, wilt thou fight?50
Garcio
Yai, with the same mesure and weght51
That I boro will I qwite.52
Cain
We! now, no thyng, bot call on tyte,53
that we had ployde this land.54
harrer, morell, iofurth, hyte!55
and let the plogh stand.56
Abel
God, as he both may and can,57
Spede the, brother, & thi man.58
Cain
Com kis myne ars, me list not ban,59
As welcom standis ther oute.60
Thou shuld haue bide til thou were cald;61
Com nar, & other drife or hald,62
and kys the dwillis toute.63
Go grese thi shepe vnder the toute,64
ffor that is the moste lefe.65
Abel
broder, ther is none here aboute66
that wold the any grefe;67
bot, leif brother, here my sawe-68
It is the custom of oure law,69
All that wyrk as the wise70
shall worship god with sacrifice.71
Oure fader vs bad, oure fader vs kend,72
that oure tend shuld be brend.73
Com furth, brothere, and let vs gang74
To worship god; we dwell full lang;75
Gif we hym parte of oure fee,76
Corne or catall, wheder it be.77
And therfor, brother, let vs weynd,78
And first clens vs from the feynd79
or we make sacrifice;80
Then blis withoutten end81
get we for oure seruyce,82
Of hym that is oure saulis leche.83
Cain
How! let furth youre geyse, the fox will preche;84
How long wilt thou me appech85
With thi sermonyng?86
Hold thi tong, yit I say,87
Euen ther the good wife strokid the hay;88
Or sit downe in the dwill way,89
With thi vayn carpyng.90
Shuld I leife my plogh & all thyng91
And go with the to make offeryng?92
Nay! thou fyndys me not so mad!93
Go to the dwill, and say I bad!94
What gifys god the to rose hym so?95
me gifys he noght bot soro and wo.96
Abel
Caym, leife this vayn carpyng,97
ffor god giffys the all thi lifyng.98
Cain
Yit boroed I neuer a farthyng99
of hym, here my hend.100
Abel
Brother, as elders haue vs kend,101
ffirst shuld, we tend with oure hend,102
and to his lofyng sithen be brend.103
Cain
My farthyng is in the preest hand104
syn last tyme I offyrd.105
Abel
leif brother, let vs be walkand;106
I wold oure tend were profyrd.107
Cain
We! wherof shuld I tend, leif brothere?108
ffor I am ich yere wars then othere,109
here my trouth it is none othere;110
My wynnyngis ar bot meyn,111
No wonder if that I be leyn;112
ffull long till hym I may me meyn,113
ffor bi hym that me dere boght,114
I traw that he will leyn me noght.115
Abel
Yis, all the good thou has in wone116
Of godis grace is bot a lone.117
Cain
Lenys he me, as come thrift apon the so?118
ffor he has euer yit beyn my fo;119
ffor had he my freynd, beyn,120
Other gatis it had beyn seyn.121
When all mens corn was fayre in feld,122
Then was myne not worth a neld;123
When I shuld saw, & wantyd seyde,124
And of corn had full grete neyde,125
Then gaf he me none of his,126
No more will I gif hym of this.127
hardely hold me to blame128
bot if I serue hym of the same.129
Abel
Leif brother, say not so,130
bot let vs furth togeder go;131
Good brother, let vs weynd sone,132
no longer here I rede we hone.133
Cain
Yei, yei, thou Iangyls waste;134
the dwill me spede if I haue hast,135
As long as I may lif,136
to dele my good or gif137
Ather to god or yit to man,138
of any good that euer I wan;139
ffor had I giffen away my goode,140
then myght I go with a ryffen hood,141
And it is better hold that I haue142
then go from doore to doore & craue.143
Abel
Brother, com furth, in godis name,144
I am full ferd, that we get blame;145
Hy we fast that we were thore.146
Cain
We! ryn on, in the dwills nayme Before!147
Wemay, man, I hold the mad!148
wenys thou now that I list gad149
To gif away my warldis aght?150
the dwill hym spede that me so taght!151
what nede had I my trauell to lose,152
to were my shoyn & ryfe my hose?153
Abel
Dere brother, hit were grete wonder154
that I & thou shuld go in sonder,155
Then wold oure fader haue grete ferly;156
Ar we not brether, thou & I?157
Cain
No, bot cry on, cry, whyls the thynk good;158
Here my trowth, I hold the woode;159
Wheder that he be blithe or wroth160
to dele my good is me full lothe.161
I haue gone oft on softer wise162
ther I trowed som prow wold rise.163
Bot well I se go must I nede;164
now weynd before, ill myght thou spede!165
syn that we shall algatis go.166
Abel
leif brother, whi sais thou so?167
Bot go we furth both togeder;168
blissid, be god we haue fare weder.169
Cain
lay downe thi trussell apon this hill.170
Abel
fforsoth broder, so I will:171
Gog of heuen, take it to good.172
Cain
Thou shall tend first if thou were wood.173
Abel
God that shope both erth and heuen,174
I pray to the thou here my steven,175
And take in thank, if thi will be,176
the tend that I offre here to the;177
ffor I gif it in good entent178
to the, my lord, that all has sent.179
I bren it now, with stedfast thoght,180
In worship of hym that all has wroght.181
Cain
Ryse! let me now, syn thou has done;182
lord of heuen, thou here my boyne!183
And ouer, godis forbot, be to the184
thank or thew to kun me;185
ffor, as browke I thise two shankys,186
It is full sore, myne vnthankys,187
The teynd that I here gif to the,188
of corn, or thyng, that newys me;189
Bot now begyn will I then,190
syn I must nede my tend to bren.191
Oone shefe, oone, and this makys two,192
bot nawder of thise may I forgo:193
Two, two, now this is thre,194
yei, this also shall leif with me:195
ffor I will chose and best haue,196
this hold I thrift of all this thrafe;197
Wemo, wemo, foure, lo, here!198
better groved, me no this yere.199
At yere tyme I sew fayre corn,200
yit was it sich when it was shorne,201
Thystyls & brerys, yei grete plente,202
And all kyn wedis that myght be.203
ffoure shefis, foure, lo, this makis fyfe-204
deyll I fast thus long or I thrife-205
ffyfe and sex, now this is sevyn,206
bot this gettis neuer god of heuen;207
Nor none of thise foure, at my myght,208
shall neuer com in godis sight.209
Sevyn, sevyn, now this is aght,210
Abel
Cain, brother, thou art not god betaght.211
Cain
We! therfor is it that I say,212
ffor I will not deyle my good away:213
Bot had I gyffen hym this to teynd214
Then wold thou say he were my Freynd;215
Bot I thynk not, bi my hode,216
To departe so lightly fro my goode.217
we! aght, aght, & neyn, & ten is this,218
we! this may we best mys.219
Gif hym that that ligis thore?220
It goyse agans myn hart full sore.221
Abel
Cam! teynd right of all bedeyn.222
Cain
we! lo twelve, fyfteyn, sexteyn223
Abel
Caym, thou tendis wrang, and of the warst.224
Cain
we! com nar, and hide myne een;225
In the wenyand wist ye now at last,226
Or els will thou that I wynk?227
then shall I doy no wrong, me thynk.228
let me se now how it is-229
lo, yit I hold me paide;230
I teyndyd wonder well bi ges,231
And so euen I laide.232
Abel
Came, of god me thynke thou has no drede.233
Cain
Now and he get more, the dwill me spede!234
As mych as oone reepe,235
ffor that cam hym full light chepe;236
Not as mekill, grete ne small,237
as he myght wipe his ars with all.238
ffor that, and this that lyys here,239
haue cost me full dere;240
Or it was shorne, and broght in stak,241
had I many a wery bak;242
Therfor aske me no more of this,243
ffor I haue giffen that my will is.244
Abel
Cam, I rede thou tend right245
ffor drede of hym that sittis on hight.246
Cain
How that I tend, rek the neuer a deill,247
bot tend thi skabbid shepe wele;248
ffor if thou to my teynd tent take,249
It bese the wars for thi sake.250
Thou wold I gaf hym this shefe, or this sheyfe;251
na, nawder of thise [two] wil I leife;252
Bot take this, now has he two,253
and for my saull now mot it go,254
Bot it gos sore agans my will,255
and shal he like full ill.256
Abel
Cam, I reyde thou so teynd257
that god of heuen be thi freynd.258
Cain
My freynd? na, not bot if he will!259
I did hym neuer yit bot skill.260
If he be neuer so my fo,261
I am avisid, gif hym no mo;262
Bot chaunge thi conscience, as I do myn,263
yit teynd thou not thi mesel swyne?264
Abel
If thou teynd right thou mon it fynde.265
Cain
Yei, kys the dwills ars behynde;266
The dwill hang the bi the nek!267
how that I teynd, neuer thou rek.268
Will thou not yit hold thi peasse?269
of this Ianglyng I reyde thou seasse.270
And teynd I well, or tend I ill,271
bere the euen & speke bot skill.272
Bot now syn thou has teyndid thyne,273
Now will I set fyr on myne.274
We! out! haro! help to blaw!275
It will not bren for me, I traw;276
Puf! this smoke dos me mych shame-277
now bren, in the dwillys name!278
A! what dwill of hell is it?279
Almost had myne breth beyn dit.280
had I blawen oone blast more281
I had beyn choked right thore;282
It stank like the dwill in hell,283
that longer ther myght I not dwell.284
Abel
Cam, this is not worth oone leke;285
thy tend shuld bren withoutten smeke.286
Cain
Com kys the dwill right in the ars,287
for the it brens bot the wars;288
I wold that it were in thi throte,289
ffyr, & shefe, and ich a sprote.290
God
Cam, whi art thou so rebell291
Agans thi brother abell?292
Thar thou nowther flyte ne chyde,293
if thou tend right thou gettis thi mede;294
And be thou sekir, if thou teynd fals,295
thou bese alowed ther after als.296
Cain
Whi, who is that hob-ouer-the-wall?297
we! who was that that piped so small?298
Com go we hens, for perels all;299
God is out of hys wit.300
Com furth, abell, & let vs weynd;301
Me thynk that god is not my freynd,302
on land then will I flyt.303
Abel
A, Caym, brother, that is ill done.304
Cain
No, bot go we hens sone;305
And if I may, I shall be306
ther as god shall not me see.307
Abel
Dere brother, I will fayre308
on feld ther oure bestis ar,309
To looke if thay be holgh or full.310
Cain
Na, na, abide, we haue a craw to pull;311
Hark, speke with me or thou go;312
what! wenys thou to skape so?313
we! na! I aght the a fowll dispyte,314
and now is tyme that I hit qwite.315
Abel
Brother, whi art thou so to me in Ire?316
Cain
we! theyf, whi brend thi tend so shyre?317
Ther myne did bot smoked318
right as it wold vs both haue choked.319
Abel
Godis will I trow it were320
that myn brened so clere;321
If thyne smoked am I to wite?322
Cain
we! yei! that shal thou sore abite;323
with cheke bon, or that I blyn,324
shal I the & thi life twyn;325
So lig down ther and take thi rest,326
thus shall shrewes be chastysed best.327
Abel
Veniance, veniance, lord, I cry!328
for I am slayn, & not gilty.329
Cain
Yei, ly ther old shrew, ly ther, ly!330
And if any of you thynk I did amys331
I shal it amend wars then it is,332
that all men may it se:333
well wars then it is334
right so shall it be.335
Bot now, syn he is Broght on Slepe,336
Into Som hole fayn wold I crepe;337
ffor ferd I qwake and can no rede,338
ffor be I taken, I be bot dede;339
here will I lig thise fourty dayes,340
And I shrew hym that me fyrst rayse.341
God
Caym, Caym!342
Cain
who is that that callis me?343
I am yonder, may thou not se?343
God
Caym, where is thi brother abell?344
Cain
what askis thou me? I trow at hell:345
At hell I trow he be-346
who so were ther then myght he se-347
Or somwhere fallen on slepyng;348
when was he in my kepyng?349
God
Caym, Caym, thou was wode;350
The voyce of thi brotheris blode351
That thou has slayn, on fals wise,352
from erth to heuen venyance cryse.353
And, for thou has broght thi brother downe,354
here I gif the my malison.355
Cain
Yei, dele aboute the, for I will none,356
or take it the when I am gone.357
Syn I haue done so mekill syn,358
that I may not thi mercy wyn,359
And thou thus dos me from thi grace,360
I shall hyde me fro thi face;361
And where so any man may fynd me,362
Let hym slo me hardely;363
And where so any man may me meyte,364
Ayther bi sty, or yit bi strete;365
And hardely, when I am dede,366
bery me in gudeboure at the quarell hede,367
ffor, may I pas this place in quarte,368
bi all men set I not a fart.369
God
Nay, caym, it bese not so;370
I will that no man other slo,371
ffor he that sloys yong or old372
It shall be punyshid sevenfold.373
Cain
No force, I wote wheder I shall;374
In hell I wote mon be my stall.375
It is no boyte mercy to craue,376
ffor if I do I mon none haue;377
Bot this cors I wold were hid,378
ffor som man myght com at vngayn,379
‘ffle fals shrew,’ wold he bid,380
And weyn I had my brother slayn.381
Bot were pike-harnes, my knafe, here,382
we shuld bery hym both in fere.383
How, pyke-harnes, scape-thryft! how, pike-harnes, how!
Garcio
Master, master!385
Cain
harstow, boy? ther is a podyng in the pot;386
take the that, boy, tak the that!387
Garcio
I shrew thi ball vnder thi hode,388
If thou were my syre of flesh & blode;389
All the day to ryn and trott,390
And euer amang thou strykeand,391
Thus am I comen bofettis to fott.392
Cain
Peas, man, I did it bot to vse my hand;393
Bot Harke, boy, I haue a counsell to the to Say-394
I slogh my brother this same day;395
I pray the, good boy, and thou may,396
to ryn away with the bayn.397
Garcio
We! out apon the, thefe!398
has thou thi brother slayn?399
Cain
Peasse, man, for godis payn!400
I saide it for a skaunce.401
Garcio
Yey, bot for ferde of grevance402
here I the forsake;403
we mon haue a mekill myschaunce404
and the bayles vs take.405
Cain
A, sir, I cry you mercy; seasse!406
and I shall make you a releasse.407
Garcio
what, wilt thou cry my peasse408
thrughout this land,?409
Cain
Yey, that I gif god a vow, belife.410
Garcio
how will thou do long or thou thrife?410
Cain
Stand vp, my good boy, belife,411
and thaym peasse both man & [w]ife;412
And who so will do after me413
ffull slape of thrift then shal he be.414
Bot thou must be my good boy,415
and cry oyes, oyes, oy!416
Garcio
Browes, browes, to thi boy.417
Cain
I commaund, you in the kyngis nayme,418
Garcio
And in my masteres, fals Cayme,419
Cain
That no man at thame fynd fawt ne blame.420
Garcio
Yey, cold rost is at my masteres hame.421
Cain
Nowther with hym nor with his knafe,422
Garcio
What, I hope my master rafe.423
Cain
ffor thay ar trew, full many fold.424
Garcio
My master suppys no coyle bot cold.425
Cain
The kyng wrytis you vntill.426
Garcio
Yit ete I neuer half my fill.427
Cain
The kyng will that thay be safe,428
Garcio
Yey, a draght of drynke fayne wold I hayfe.429
Cain
At thare awne will let tham wafe;430
Garcio
My stomak is redy to receyfe.431
Cain
Loke no man say to theym, on nor other;432
Garcio
This same is he that slo his brother.433
Cain
Byd euery man thaym luf and lowt,434
Garcio
Yey, ill spon weft ay comes foule out.435
Cain
long or thou get thi hoyse and thou go thus aboute.
Byd euery man theym pleasse to pay.437
Garcio
Yey, gif don, thyne hors, a wisp of hay.438
Cain
we! com downe in twenty dwill way,439
The dwill I the betake;440
ffor bot it were abell, my brothere,441
yit knew I neuer thi make.442
Garcio
Now old and yong, or that ye weynd,443
The same blissyng withoutten end,444
All sam then’ shall ye haue,445
That god of heuen my master has giffen;446
Browke it well, whils that ye liffen,447
he vowche it full well safe.448
Cain
Com downe yit in the dwillis way,449
And angre me no more;450
And take yond plogh, I say,451
And weynd the furth fast before;452
And I shall, if I may,453
Tech the another lore;454
I warn the lad, for ay,455
ffro now furth, euermore,456
That thou greue me noght;457
ffor, bi Godis sydis, if thou do,458
I shall hang the apon this plo,459
with this rope, lo, lad, lo!460
By hym that me dere boght.461
Now fayre well, felows all,462
ffor I must nedis weynd,463
And to the dwill be thrall,464
warld, withoutten end.465
Ordand ther is my stall,466
with sathanas the feynd,467
Euer ill myght hym befall468
that theder me commend,469
This tyde.470
ffare well les, & fare well more,471
ffor now and euer more,472
I will go me to hyde.473


2022 Jan 21  20:05:23