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15Noe.

16Myghtfull God veray, maker of all that is,
17Thre persons withoutten nay, oone God in endles blis,
18Thou maide both nyght and day, beest, fowle, and fysh;
19All creatures that lif may wroght thou at thi wish,
20As thou wel myght.
21The son, the moyne, verament,
22Thou maide; the firmament;
23The sternes also full feruent,
24To shyne thou maide ful bright.
25

26Angels thou maide ful euen, all orders that is,
27To haue the blis in heuen: this did thou more and les,
28Full mervelus to neuen. Yit was ther vnkyndnes
29More bi foldys seuen then I can well expres,
30Forwhi
31Of all angels in brightnes
32God gaf Lucifer most lightnes,
33Yit prowdly he flyt his des,
34And set hym euen hym by.
35

36He thoght hymself as worthi as hym that hym made,
37In brightnes, in bewty; therfor he hym degrade,
38Put hym in a low degre soyn after, in a brade,
39Hym and all his menye, wher he may be vnglad
40For euer.
41Shall thay neuer wyn away
42Hence vnto domysday,
43Bot burn in bayle for ay;
44Shall thay neuer dysseuer.
45

46Soyne after, that gracyous Lord to his liknes maide man,
47That place to be restord, euen as he began;

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48Of the Trinite bi accord, Adam, and Eue that woman,
49To multiplie without discord, in Paradise put he thaym,
50And sithen to both
51Gaf in commaundement
52On the tre of life to lay no hend.
53Bot yit the fals feynd
54Made hym with man wroth,
55

56Entysyd man to glotony, styrd him to syn in pride.
57Bot in Paradise, securly, myght no syn abide;
58And therfor man full hastely was put out in þat tyde,
59In wo and wandreth for to be, in paynes full vnrid
60To knowe:
61Fyrst in erth, and sythen in hell
62With feyndys for to dwell,
63Bot he his mercy mell
64To those that will hym trawe.
65

66Oyle of mercy he hus hight, as I haue hard red,
67To euery lifyng wight that wold luf hym and dred;
68Bot now before his sight euery liffyng leyde,
69Most party day and nyght, syn in word and dede
70Full bold:
71Som in pride, ire, and enuy,
72Som in couetous and glotyny,
73Som in sloth and lechery,
74And other wise manyfold.
75

76Therfor I drede lest God on vs will take veniance,
77For syn is now alod, without any repentance.
78Sex hundreth yeris and od haue I, without distance,
79In erth, as any sod, liffyd with grete grevance
80Allway;
81And now I wax old,
82Seke, sory, and cold;
83As muk apon mold
84I widder away.
85

86Bot yit will I cry for mercy and call:
87Noe, thi seruant, am I, Lord ouer all!
88Therfor me, and my fry shal with me fall,
89Saue from velany, and bryng to thi hall
90In heuen;

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91And kepe me from syn
92This warld within.
93Comly kyng of mankyn,
94I pray the here my stevyn!
95

97Deus.

98Syn I haue maide all thyng that is liffand,
99Duke, emperour, and kyng, with myne awne hand,
100For to haue thare likyng bi see and bi sand,
101Euery man to my bydyng shuld be bowand
102Full feruent,
103That maide man sich a creatoure,
104Farest of favoure;
105Man must luf me paramoure
106By reson, and repent.
107

108Me thoght I shewed man luf when I made hym to be
109All angels abuf, like to the Trynyte;
110And now in grete reprufe full low ligys he,
111In erth hymself to stuf with syn that displeasse me
112Most of all.
113Veniance will I take
114In erth for syn sake;
115My grame thus will I wake
116Both of grete and small.
117

118I repente full sore that euer maide I man;
119Bi me he settys no store, and I am his soferan.
120I will distroy therfor both beest, man, and woman:
121All shall perish, les and more. That bargan may thay ban
122That ill has done.
123In erth I se right noght
124Bot syn that is vnsoght;
125Of those that well has wroght
126Fynd I bot a fone.
127

128Therfor shall I fordo all this medill-erd
129With floodys that shal flo and ryn with hidous rerd.
130I haue good cause therto; for me no man is ferd.
131As I say shal I do - of veniance draw my swerd,
132And make end
133Of all that beris life,
134Sayf Noe and his wife,
135For thay wold neuer stryfe
136With me then me offend
137

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138Hym to mekill wyn, hastly will I go
139To Noe my seruand, or I blyn, to warn hym of his wo.
140In erth I se bot syn reynand to and fro
141Emang both more and myn, ichon other fo
142With all thare entent.
143All shall I fordo
144With floodys that shall floo;
145Wirk shall I thaym wo
146That will not repent.
147

148God descends and addresses Noah:

149Noe, my freend, I the commaund, from cares the to keyle,
150A ship that thou ordand of nayle and bord ful wele.
151Thou was alway well-wirkand, to me trew as stele,
152To my bydyng obediand; frendship shal thou fele
153To mede.
154Of lennthe thi ship be
155Thre hundreth cubettys, warn I the;
156Of heght euen thirte;
157Of fyfty als in brede.
158

159Anoynt thi ship with pik and tar without and als within,
160The water out to spar: this is a noble gyn.
161Look no man the mar. Thre chese chambres begyn;
162Thou must spend many a spar, this wark or thou wyn
163To end fully.
164Make in thi ship also
165Parloures oone or two,
166And houses of offyce mo
167For beestys that ther must be.
168

169Oone cubite on hight a wyndo shal thou make;
170On the syde a doore, with slyght, beneyth shal thou take.
171With the shal no man fyght, nor do the no kyn wrake.
172When all is doyne thus right, thi wife, that is thi make,
173Take in to the;
174Thi sonnes of good fame,
175Sem, Iaphet, and Came,
176Take in also thame,
177Thare wifys also thre.
178

179For all shal be fordone that lif in land, bot ye,
180With floodys that from abone shal fall, and that plente.

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181It shall begyn full sone to rayn vncessantle,
182After dayes seuen be done, and induyr dayes fourty,
183Withoutten fayll.
184Take to thi ship also
185Of ich kynd beestys two,
186Mayll and femayll, bot no mo,
187Or thou pull vp thi sayll;
188

189For thay may the avayll when al this thyng is wroght.
190Stuf thi ship with vitayll, for hungre that ye perish noght.
191Of beestys, foull, and catayll - for thaym haue thou in thoght -
192For thaym is my counsayll that som socour be soght
193In hast;
194Thay must haue corn and hay
195And oder mete alway.
196Do now as I the say,
197In the name of the Holy Gast.
198

199Noe.

200A, benedicite! what art thou that thus
201Tellys afore that shall be? Thou art full mervelus!
202Tell me, for charite, thi name so gracius.

203Deus.

204My name is of dignyte, and also full glorius
205To knowe:
206I am God most myghty,
207Oone God in Trynyty,
208Made the and ich man to be;
209To luf me well thou awe.
210

211Noe.

212I thank the, Lord so dere, that wold vowchsayf
213Thus low to appere to a symple knafe.
214Blis vs, Lord, here, for charite I hit crafe;
215The better may we stere the ship that we shall hafe,
216Certayn.

217Deus.

218Noe, to the and to thi fry
219My blyssyng graunt I;
220Ye shall wax and multiply
221And fill the erth agane,
222

223When all thise floodys ar past, and fully gone away.

225Noe.

226Lord, homward will I hast as fast as that I may;
227My wife will I frast what she will say,
228And I am agast that we get som fray
229Betwixt vs both,

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230For she is full tethee,
231For litill oft angre;
232If any thyng wrang be,
233Soyne is she wroth.

236God spede, dere wife! How fayre ye?

237Vxor.

238Now, as euer myght I thryfe, the wars I the see.
239Do tell me belife, where has thou thus long be?
240To dede may we dryfe, or lif, for the,
241For want.
242When we swete or swynk,
243Thou dos what thou thynk,
244Yit of mete and of drynk
245Haue we veray skant.
246

247Noe.

248Wife, we ar hard sted with tythyngys new.

249Vxor.

250Bot thou were worthi be cled in Stafford blew,
251For thou art alway adred, be it fals or trew.
252Bot God knowes I am led - and that may I rew -
253Full ill;
254For I dar be thi borow,
255From euen vnto morow
256Thou spekys euer of sorow;
257God send the onys thi fill!
258

259To the women in the audience:

260We women may wary all ill husbandys;
261I haue oone, bi Mary that lowsyd me of my bandys!
262If he teyn, I must tary, howsoeuer it standys,
263With seymland full sory, wryngand both my handys
264For drede;
265Bot yit otherwhile,
266What with gam and with gyle,
267I shall smyte and smyle,
268And qwite hym his mede.
269

270Noe.

271We! hold thi tong, ram-skyt, or shall the still.

272Vxor.

273By my thryft, if thou smyte, I shal turne the vntill.

274Noe.

275We shall assay as tyte. Haue at the, Gill!
276Apon the bone shal it byte.

278Vxor.

279A, so! Mary, thou smytys ill!
280Bot I suppose
281I shal not in thi det
282Flyt of this flett:

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283Take the ther a langett
284To tye vp thi hose!
285

287Noe.

288A! wilt thou so? Mary, that is myne!

289Vxor.

290Thou shal thre for two, I swere bi Godys pyne!

291Noe.

292And I shall qwyte the tho, in fayth, or syne.

293Vxor.

294Out apon the, ho!

295Noe.

296Thou can both byte and whyne
297With a rerd;
298To the audience.
299For all if she stryke,
300Yit fast will she skryke;
301In fayth, I hold none slyke
302In all medill-erd.
303

304Bot I will kepe charyte, for I haue at do.

305Vxor.

306Here shal no man tary the; I pray the go to!
307Full well may we mys the, as euer haue I ro.
308To spyn will I dres me.
309Sits down to spin.

310Noe.

311We! fare well, lo;
312Bot, wife,
313Pray for me besele
314To eft I com vnto the.

315Vxor.

316Euen as thou prays for me,
317As euer myght I thrife.
318

319Noe.

320I tary full lang fro my warke, I traw;
321Now my gere will I fang, and thederward draw.
322Goes off to his shipwrighting.
323I may full ill gang, the soth for to knaw;
324Bot if God help amang, I may sit downe daw
325To ken.
326Now assay will I
327How I can of wrightry,
328In nomine patris, et filii,
329Et spiritus sancti. Amen.
330

331To begyn of this tree my bonys will I bend;
332I traw from the Trynyte socoure will be send.
333It fayres full fayre, thynk me, this wark to my hend;
334Now blissid be he that this can amend.
335Lo, here the lenght,
336Takes measurements.
337Thre hundreth cubettys euenly;
338Of breed, lo, is it fyfty;

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339The heght is euen thyrty
340Cubettys full strenght.
341

342Now my gowne will I cast, and wyrk in my cote;
343Make will I the mast or flyt oone foote.
344A! my bak, I traw, will brast! This is a sory note!
345Hit is wonder that I last, sich an old dote,
346All dold,
347To begyn sich a wark.
348My bonys ar so stark:
349No wonder if thay wark,
350For I am full old.
351

352The top and the sayll both will I make;
353The helme and the castell also will I take;
354To drife ich a nayll will I not forsake.
355This gere may neuer fayll, that dar I vndertake
356Onone.
357This is a nobull gyn:
358Thise nayles so thay ryn
359Thoro more and myn,
360Thise bordys ichon.
361

362Wyndow and doore, euen as he saide;
363Thre ches chambre, thay ar well maide;
364Pyk and tar full sure therapon laide.
365This will euer endure, thereof am I paide,
366Forwhy
367It is better wroght
368Then I coude haif thoght.
369Hym that maide all of noght
370I thank oonly.
371

372Goes to his wife, his sons and their wives.

373Now will I hy me, and nothyng be leder,
374My wife and my meneye to bryng euen heder.
375Tent hedir tydely, wife, and consider;
376Hens must vs fle, all sam togeder,
377In hast.

378Vxor.

379Whi, syr, what alis you?
380Who is that asalis you?
381To fle it avalis you
382And ye be agast.

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383Noe.

384Ther is garn on the reyll other, my dame.

385Vxor.

386Tell me that ich a deyll, els get ye blame.

387Noe.

388He that cares may keill - blissid be his name! -
389He has behete, for oure seyll, to sheld vs fro shame;
390And sayd
391All this warld aboute
392With floodys so stoute,
393That shall ryn on a route,
394Shall be ouerlaide.
395

396He saide all shall be slayn, bot oonely we,
397Oure barnes that ar bayn, and thare wifys thre.
398A ship he bad me ordayn, to safe vs and oure fee;
399Therfor with all oure mayn thank we that fre,
400Beytter of bayll.
401Hy vs fast, go we thedir.

402Vxor.

403I wote neuer whedir;
404I dase and I dedir
405For ferd of that tayll.
406

407Noe.

408Be not aferd. Haue done; trus sam oure gere,
409That we be ther or none, without more dere.

4101 Filius.

411It shall be done full sone. Brether, help to bere.

4122 Filius.

413Full long shall I not hoyne to do my devere.
414Brether, sam.

4153 Filius.

416Without any yelp,
417At my myght shall I help.

418Vxor.

419Yit, for drede of a skelp,
420Help well thi dam!
421

423Noe.

424Now ar we there as we shuld be.
425Do get in oure gere, oure catall and fe,
426Into this vessell here, my chylder fre.

427Vxor.

428I was neuer bard ere, as euer myght I the,
429In sich an oostre as this!
430In fath, I can not fynd
431Which is before, which is behynd.
432Bot shall we here be pynd,
433Noe, as haue thou blis?
434

435Noe.

436Dame, as it is skill, here must vs abide grace;
437Therfor, wife, with good will com into this place.

438Vxor.

439Sir, for Iak nor for Gill will I turne my face,

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440Till I haue on this hill spon a space
441On my rok.
442Well were he myght get me!
443Now will I downe set me;
444Sits down to spin.
445Yit reede I no man let me,
446For drede of a knok.
447

449Noe.

450Behold to the heuen! The cateractes all,
451Thai ar open full euen, grete and small,
452And the planettys seuen left has thare stall.
453Thise thoners and levyn downe gar fall
454Full stout
455Both halles and bowers,
456Castels and towres.
457Full sharp ar thise showers
458That renys aboute.
459

460Therfor, wife, haue done; com into ship fast.

461Vxor.

462Yei, Noe, go cloute thi shone! The better will thai last.

4631 Mulier.

464Good moder, com in sone, for all is ouercast,
465Both the son and the mone.

4662 Mulier.

467And many wynd-blast
468Full sharp.
469Thise floodys so thay ryn;
470Therfor, moder, com in.

471Vxor.

472In fayth, yit will I spyn;
473All in vayn ye carp.
474

4753 Mulier.

476If ye like ye may spyn, moder, in the ship.

477Noe.

478Now is this twyys com in, dame, on my frenship.

479Vxor.

480Wheder I lose or I wyn, in fayth, thi felowship,
481Set I not at a pyn. This spyndill will I slip
482Apon this hill
483Or I styr oone fote.

484Noe.

485Peter! I traw we dote.
486Without any more note,
487Com in if ye will.
488

489Vxor.

490Yei, water nyghys so nere that I sit not dry;
491Into ship with a byr, therfor, will I hy
492For drede that I drone here.
493Rushes into the ship.

494Noe.

495Dame, securly,
496It bees boght full dere ye abode so long by
497Out of ship.

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498Vxor.

499I will not, for thi bydyng,
500Go from doore to mydyng.

501Noe.

502In fayth, and for youre long taryyng
503Ye shal lik on the whyp.
504

505Vxor.

506Spare me not, I pray the, bot euen as thou thynk;
507Thise grete wordys shall not flay me.

508Noe.

509Abide, dame, and drynk,
510For betyn shall thou be with this staf to thou stynk.
511Ar strokys good? say me.

512Vxor.

513What say ye, Wat Wynk?

514Noe.

515Speke!
516Cry me mercy, I say!

517Vxor.

518Therto say I nay.

519Noe.

520Bot thou do, bi this day,
521Thi hede shall I breke!
522

524Vxor.

525Lord, I were at ese, and hertely full hoylle,
526Might I onys haue a measse of wedows coyll.
527For thi saull, without lese, shuld I dele penny doyll;
528So wold mo, no frese, that I se on this sole
529Of wifys that ar here,
530For the life that thay leyd,
531Wold thare husbandys were dede;
532For, as euer ete I brede,
533So wold I oure syre were!
534
535Noah addresses the men in the audience:

536Noe.

537Yee men that has wifys, whyls thay ar yong,
538If ye luf youre lifys, chastice thare tong,
539Me thynk my hert ryfys, both levyr and long,
540To se sich stryfys, wedmen emong.
541Bot I,
542As haue I blys,
543Shall chastyse this.

544Vxor.

545Yit may ye mys,
546Nicholl Nedy!
547

548Noe.

549I shall make þe still as stone, begynnar of blunder!
550I shall bete the bak and bone, and breke all in sonder.

552Vxor.

553Out, alas, I am gone! Oute apon the, mans wonder!

554Noe.

555Se how she can grone, and I lig vnder!
556Bot, wife,
557In this hast let vs ho,

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558For my bak is nere in two.

559Vxor.

560And I am bet so blo
561That I may not thryfe.
562

5631 Filius.

564A! whi fare ye thus, fader and moder both?

5652 Filius.

566Ye shuld not be so spitus, standyng in sich a woth.

5673 Filius.

568Thise weders ar so hidus, with many a cold coth.

569Noe.

570We will do as ye bid vs; we will no more be wroth,
571Dere barnes.
572Now to the helme will I hent,
573Goes to the tiller.
574And to my ship tent.

575Vxor.

576I se on the firmament,
577Me thynk, the seven starnes.
578

579Noe.

580This is a grete flood, wife, take hede.

581Vxor.

582So me thoght, as I stode. We ar in grete drede;
583Thise wawghes ar so wode.

584Noe.

585Help, God, in this nede!
586As thou art stere-man good, and best, as I rede,
587Of all,
588Thou rewle vs in this rase,
589As thou me behete hase.

590Vxor.

591This is a perlous case.
592Help, God, when we call!
593

594Noe.

595Wife, tent the stere-tre, and I shall asay
596The depnes of the see that we bere, if I may.

597Vxor.

598That shall I do ful wysely. Now go thi way,
599For apon this flood haue we flett many day
600With pyne.

601Noe.

602Now the water will I fownd:
603Lowers a plummet.
604A! it is far to the grownd.
605This trauell I expownd
606Had I to tyne.
607

608Aboue all hillys bedeyn the water is rysen late
609Cubettys xv. Bot in a highter state
610It may not be, I weyn, for this well I wate:
611This fourty dayes has rayn beyn; it will therfor abate
612Full lele.
613This water in hast
614Eft will I tast;
615Lowers plummet again.

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616Now am I agast -
617It is wanyd a grete dele!
618

619Now ar the weders cest, and cateractes knyt,
620Both the most and the leest.

621Vxor.

622Me thynk, bi my wit,
623The son shynes in the eest. Lo, is not yond it?
624We shuld haue a good feest, were thise floodys flyt
625So spytus.

626Noe.

627We haue been here, all we,
628CCC dayes and fyfty.

629Vxor.

630Yei, now wanys the see;
631Lord, well is vs!
632

634Noe.

635The thryd tyme will I prufe what depnes we bere.

636Vxor.

637How long shall thou hufe? Lay in thy lyne there.

638Noe.

639I may towch with my lufe the grownd evyn here.

640Vxor.

641Then begynnys to grufe to vs mery chere.
642Bot, husband,
643What grownd may this be?

644Noe.

645The hyllys of Armonye.

646Vxor.

647Now blissid be he
648That thus for vs ordand!
649

650Noe.

651I see toppys of hyllys he, many at a syght;
652Nothyng to let me, the wedir is so bright.

653Vxor.

654Thise ar of mercy tokyns full right.

655Noe.

656Dame, thi counsell me what fowll best myght
657And cowth
658With flight of wyng
659Bryng, without taryyng,
660Of mercy som tokynyng,
661Ayther bi north or southe.
662

663For this is the fyrst day of the tent moyne.

664Vxor.

665The ravyn, durst I lay, will com agane sone.
666As fast as thou may, cast hym furth - haue done!
667Noah sends out the raven.
668He may happyn to-day com agane or none
669With grath.

670Noe.

671I will cast out also
672Dowfys oone or two.

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673Go youre way, go;
674Sends out the doves.
675God send you som wathe!
676

677Now ar thise fowles flone into seyr countre.
678Pray we fast ichon, kneland on oure kne,
679To hym that is alone, worthiest of degre,
680That he wold send anone oure fowles som fee
681To glad vs.

682Vxor.

683Thai may not fayll of land,
684The water is so wanand.

685Noe.

686Thank we God all-weldand,
687That Lord that made vs!
688

689It is a wonder thyng, me thynk, sothle,
690Thai ar so long taryyng, the fowles that we
691Cast out in the mornyng.

692Vxor.

693Syr, it may be
694Thai tary to thay bryng.

695Noe.

696The ravyn is a-hungrye
697Allway.
698He is without any reson;
699And he fynd any caryon,
700As peraventure may be fon,
701He will not away.
702

703The dowfe is more gentill: her trust I vntew,
704Like vnto the turtill, for she is ay trew.

705Vxor.

706Hence bot a litill she commys, lew, lew!
707She bryngys in her bill som novels new.
708Behald!
709It is of an olif-tre
710A branch, thynkys me.

711Noe.

712It is soth, perde;
713Right so is it cald.
714

715Doufe, byrd full blist, fayre myght the befall!
716Thou art trew for to trist as ston in the wall;
717Full well I it wist thou wold com to thi hall.

718Vxor.

719A trew tokyn ist we shall be sauyd all,
720Forwhi
721The water, syn she com,
722Of depnes plom
723Is fallen a fathom
724And more, hardely.

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7251 Filius.

726Thise floodys ar gone, fader, behold!

7272 Filius.

728Ther is left right none, and that be ye bold.

7293 Filius.

730As still as a stone oure ship is stold.

731Noe.

732Apon land here anone that we were, fayn I wold.
733My childer dere,
734Sem, Iaphet and Cam,
735With gle and with gam,
736Com go we all sam;
737We will no longer abide here.
738

740Vxor.

741Here haue we beyn, Noy, long enogh
742With tray and with teyn, and dreed mekill wogh.

743Noe.

744Behald on this greyn! Nowder cart ne plogh
745Is left, as I weyn, nowder tre then bogh,
746Ne other thyng,
747Bot all is away;
748Many castels, I say,
749Grete townes of aray,
750Flitt has this flowyng.
751

752Vxor.

753Thise floodys not afright all this warld so wide
754Has mevid with myght on se and bi side.

755Noe.

756To dede ar thai dyght, prowdist of pryde,
757Euerich a wyght that euer was spyde
758With syn:
759All ar thai slayn,
760And put vnto payn.

761Vxor.

762From thens agayn
763May thai neuer wyn?
764

765Noe.

766Wyn? No, iwis, bot he that myght hase
767Wold myn of thare mys, and admytte thaym to grace.
768As he in bayll is blis, I pray hym in this space,
769In heven hye with his to purvaye vs a place,
770That we,
771With his santys in sight,
772And his angels bright,
773May com to his light.
774Amen, for charite.

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PROCESSUS NOE CUM FILIIS. WAKEFELD

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