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XII
THE SPICERS’ PLAY
ANGEL
Hail, Mary, full of grace and bliss,
Our Lord God is with thee,
And hath chosen thee for his;
Of all women blest might thou be.
MARY
What manner of hailing is this,
That privily comes to me?
For in my heart a thought there is ——
What is this tokening that I see?
ANGEL
Now dread thou nought, thou mild Mary,
For nothing that may here befall,
For thou hast found all sovereignly
Of God a grace over others all.
In chastity of thy body
Conceive and bear a child thou shall.
This bidding bring I thee thereby ——
His name Jesus shalt thou call.
Mickle of might then shall he be,
He shall be God, and called God's Son.
And David's seat, his father free,
Shall God give him to sit upon.
As king for ever reign shall he,
In Jacob's house for ever dwell;
Of his kingdom and dignity
Shall no man earthly know nor tell.
MARY
O thou God's angel meek and mild,
How should it be, I do thee pray,
That I should so conceive a child
Of any man by night or day?
I know no man that has defiled
My maidenhood, in sooth to say;
Without a will to workings wild,
In chastity have I been aye.
ANGEL
The Holy Ghost on thee shall light,
And over thee high virtue hold.
That holy birth of thine so bright,
The Son of God shall he be called.
Lo, 'Lizabeth thy cousin might
No child conceive, for she is old ——
This is the sixth month now full right
To her that barren has been told.
MARY
Thou angel, blessed messenger,
Of God's will do I hold me paid,
I love my lord with heart full dear,
For grace that he has on me laid.
God's handmaiden, lo! I am here
To do his will all ready arrayd ;
Be done to me in all manner
Through thy word even as thou hast said.
ANGEL
Now God that all our hope is in,
Through might of Holy Ghost amain,
Save thee, lady, from stain of sin,
And guide thee from all workings vain. |
York Mystery Plays