Ludus Coventriæ

AMYOT, THOMAS, ESQ., F.R.S., TREAS. S.A. AYRTON, WILLIAM, ESQ., F.R.S., F.S.A. BRUCE, JOHN, ESQ., F.S.A. CAMPBELL, THOMAS, ESQ. COLLIER, J. PAYNE, ESQ., F.S.A., DIRECTOR. COURTE...

In the x.ᵗᵉ pagent, sothe to say, A masangere fforthe is sent; Davydis kynrede without delay They come fful sone with good entent. Whan Joseph offeryd his ȝerde that day, Anon r...

My semely spowse and good husbond, Lystenyth to me, sere, I ȝow pray, Take this ffayr appyl alle in ȝour hond, Therof a mursel byte and asay. To ete this appyl, loke that ȝe fon...

_Adolescens._ Out, out, I deye here! my deth is now sought! This theffe with his bowe hath broke my brayn! Ther may non helpe be, my dethe is me brought, Ded here I synke down a...

I am David, of Jesse rote, The fresche kyng by naturalle successyon, And of my blood xal sprynge oure bote, As God hymself hath mad promyssyon; Of regalle lyff xal come suche fo...

The fourte is meke obedyence, as is dette, To hym that is above the planetes sefne; To the I have myn eyn sette, That dwellys above the skyes in hefne!

Mary, wole ȝe have this man, And hym to kepyn as ȝour lyff? _Maria._ In the tenderest wyse, fadyr, as I kan And with alle my wyttys ffyff. _Episcopus._ Joseph, with this ryng no...

Ow! dame, what thinge menyth this? With childe thou gynnyst ryth gret to gone. Sey me, Mary, this childys fadyr ho is? I pray the telle me, and that anon. _Maria._ The fadyr of...

Sym Somnere, in hast wend thou thi way,— Byd Joseph and his wyff be name At the coorte to appere this day, Here hem to pourge of her defame. Sey that I here of hem grett schame,...

Now as a wrecche ffor fals beleve, That I shewyd in temptynge this mayde, My hand is ded and doth me greve! Alas! that evyr I here assyde. _Angelus._ Woman, thi sorwe to have de...

_Joseph._ To be purefyed have ȝe no nede, Ne thi son to be offryd, so God me spede; ffor fyrst thou art ful clene, Undefowlyd in thought and dede; And anothyr, thi son withowtyn...

_Secundus doctor._ Telle us, I pray ȝow, what is ȝour name? What hyght ȝoure modyr? telle us also. _Jhesu._ Jhesu of Naȝareth, I am the same, Born of a clene mayd, prophetys sey...

_Phariseus._ Sere scrybe, in feyth that ypocryte Wyl turne this londe al to his lore; Therfore I councelle hym to indyte, And chastyse hym ryght wel therfore. _Scriba._ On hym b...

Eche man in me that feytheful is, And ledyth his lyff aftere my lore, Of hendeles lyff may he nevyr mys, Evere he xal leve and deye nevyr more. The body and sowle I xal restore...

_Primus doctor Cayphas._ He werke with wechecrafte in eche place, And drawyth the pepyl to hese intent; Bewhare, ȝe jewgys, let hym not passe, Than be my trowthe ze xal repent....

_Here the buschopys partyn in the place, and eche of hem takyn here leve, be contenawns, resortyng eche man to his place with here meny to make redy to take Cryst; and than xal...

Be the leve and soferauns of allemythty God, We intendyn to procede the matere that we lefte the last ȝere; Wherefore we beseche ȝow that ȝour wyllys be good, To kepe the passyo...

With myschef on moolde here membrys I merke, That japyn with Jhesus that Judas solde; Be he nevyr so crafty nor conyng clerke, I harry them to helle as tretour bolde. But ther i...

_Johannes._ Alle ȝour desyre xal be wrought, With herty wylle I werke ȝour thought; Now, blyssyd mayde, taryeth nowth, In the temple that ȝe ware! ffor holy prayere may chaunge...

_Primus miles._ Be Belyalle, this was now wele ment; To this cowncelle lete us consent, Lett us go tellyn with on assent, He is resyn up this day. _Secundus miles._ I grawnt the...

_Cleophas._ Now was it not goodly don Of Cryst Jhesu, oure mayster dere; He hath with us a large wey gon, And of his uprysyng he dede us lere. Whan he walkyd with us in fere, An...

Heyl! moder Mary, maydyn perpetualle! _Maria._ A! welcome, mayde John, wyth alle myn herte in specyalle, ffor joye of youre presence myn herte gynnyth sweme; Thynke ye not, John...

Page 1, line 6. With pleys ful glad.] In the _Promptorium Parvulorum_ is given the following curious analysis of the different kinds of plays and players:—“Pley, ludus; pley, or...

Amat, 294, dismayed. Chaucer and Shakespeare use the verb mate, which is doubtlessly the same. _See_ The Knightes Tale, l. 957, and second part of Henry VI., act. iii. sc. i.

Meny, 270, company, followers. “Meny of howsholde, familia,” Prompt. Parv. This word, says Sir F. Madden, is to be found in every English writer from the time of Layamon to Shak...