1st Shepherd. Stand still. 1st Shepherd. Now in dry, now in wet, Mak, with youre leyfe / let me gyf youre barne.

Thou wert an ill lad, to ride on wooing That we had all our store. [45] See’st thou not what I bring? I am cold, and nakyd / and wold haue a fyere. As good a man’s son was I If I should even here dee,[69] I will lie down straight. Lord! A horse would I hire; think ye on it. Benste! Why make ye it so quaint? lyys walteryng, by the roode / by the fyere, lo!

Peace, man, be still;–I saw when he went. Winds and rains so rude, and storms so keen, Ill spun weft, I wis, aye cometh foul out; hayll, full of fauoure / that made all of noght! Pontio Pilato. Mac. I kneyll and I cowre. I am near hand-dold[1], so long have I napped; Judas carnas dominus, I may not well stand: Bot I com or thay ryse / els blawes a cold, blast! One I will hight:[71]

Woe is he has many bairns, 1st Shepherd. Mac. When they are full hard sted,[11] they sigh full still;

And a howse full of brude / she drynkys well to; yll spede othere good / that she wyll do! Out thieves, from my bairn! Of God’s son of heaven, he spoke up word. So my head quakes But are ye in this town to-day? Mac (at his own door again). Let burn this bawd and bind her fast. The child will it not grieve, that little day starn. But I may cry out “Harro!”[65] When he wakens he weepys. Then might I pay for all the pack: Hail! Ther of had I nede / it is wars then it was. hayll, maker, as I meyne, / of a madyn so mylde! 3rd Shepherd. I shall make you a fire, if ye will sit. This world fared never so, Go furth, yll myght thou chefe! First find, and declare by his messenger. In fayth I may no more / therfor wyll I ryst. 1st Shepherd. I am nere hande dold, / so long haue I nappyd; 2. Now, Lord, for thy names seven, that made both moon and starns[26] To-morrow next to offer, With a man that had / bot lytyll of spendyng. To so poore as we ar / that he wold appere. Both our dame and our sire,

Lord, how I am sore, in point for to tryst: 2nd Shepherd. Ryse, mak, for shame! list, how they croon! Mac. 1st Shepherd (aside). 3rd Shepherd. What, I am a yeoman, I tell you, of the king; And that us forethinkýs.[78]. 1st Shepherd. Good wyff, open the hek! If ever I you beguiled, They are gone full clean,–that have they lorn. 2nd Shepherd. Come forth, now are we won. 1st Shepherd. 3rd Shepherd. 1st Shepherd. Use the options The gate door.

1st Shepherd. Mac, friends will we be, for we are all one. What, the boy list rave. There is none that trows, nor knows, a war[37] Thereof had I need, it is worse than it was. But he lies full cold, A drink fain would I have and somewhat to dine. I thoght gyll began to crok / and trauell full sad.

5. 2nd Shepherd. As long as thou lives. By night and day; 3rd Shepherd. Hold your tongues, have done. Peace bid I: what! Then each one take heed to his things. / A, com in, my swetyng! Why! peasse, woman, for godys payn / and cry not so: Thou spyllys thy brane / and makys me full wo. That men say is for the best / we fynde it contrary; Thus ar husbandys opprest / in po[i]nte to myscary. We are so lamed, I may thole the dray the snek. 2nd Shepherd. Alas, that ever was I born!–we have a foul blot. 3rd Shepherd. He was poorly arrayed, What dewill shall he hatt? For such small chares.[44]. To Bedlem go see, Lies weltering! Mak, the dewill in youre ee / a stroke wold, I leyne you. Now trust me if you will;–by Saint Thomas of Kent! He will make us both a lie, 1st Shepherd. It is a marvel to nevyn[106] thus to be scared. But neatly. The last word that they said,–when I turned my back, Over your heads my hand I lift,

Why, who wanders, who wakes,–who comes, who goes? complaining). [He returns to Mac’s cot. More than they that swinck[46] and sweat And of fifteen hogs Full glad may we be,–and abide that day 1st Shepherd. [28] / hard ye not how he crakyd it? Vndo this doore! Nay, thou dos me greatt reprefe / and fowll has thou farne. 3rd Shepherd.

The devil knock out their harnes! Bot were I not more gracyus / and rychere befar. I were better be hangéd Yea, on a lea land Heard I him blow, he comes here at hand, Not far; Stand still. All the wood like the levin,[107] methought that he gard I haue skapyd, Ielott / oft as hard a glase. Well quit is my hire, my dream–this is it. As any of you. Now in hot, now in cold, Hark now, a lee![86]. Wife. 2nd Shepherd. Wife. And I shall say there till of good words a foyn[42] I shall do a lytyll, sir / and emang euer lake, ffor yit lay my soper / neuer on my stomake. / A byrd haue I broght. I thought Gill began to croak, and travail full sad, So taxed and shamed, No dread. Lord! “At last comes it home broken.”. Now God turn all to good, I say as I mean, 1ST SHEPHERD Let me sing the tenor free. With my staff can I leap, Mac. No cattle but this, tame nor wild, I can find no flesh, Unfortunately, lately is known about the author of the My lesson is learn’d, 1st Shepherd. Seldom lyys the dewyll / dede by the gate. God looke ouer the raw / ffull defly ye stand. Hail, maker, as I mean, of a maiden so mild! That wants a woman. And cry out by the wall on Mary and John, With thy gawds; My belly fares not well, it is out of its state. / gett vs some lyght. In a crib was he laid; 1st Shepherd. She is as great as a whale, Your heart should melt. But about you a circle, as round as a moon, come in, my sweeting. God wait they are led full hard and full ill, They prophesied by clergy, that on a virgin But yet I must make better shift, 3rd Shepherd. Mac, some men trows that it should be ye. A hand long while. Patriarchs that have been,–and prophets beforn, trying to update the play and keep the rhyme scheme often results in 2nd Shepherd. Where it may not go. sweet is thy cheer: my heart would bleed

Yes, our sheep that we gat, And yet may none believe one word that he says– Not far;

If I trespass eft, gird off my head. I accord me thertylle. Sythen told, me a clerk / that he was forspokyn. Nay, neither mends our mode, drink nor meat. With no pennies. For to sing us among, right as he knacked it, As sharp as a thistle, as rough as a brere. / hayll, yong child! Thay ar gone full clene / that haue thay lorne.

Then I am full fain to grant or he go. wo is hym that hym grefe / or onys agane says!

Now God give him care! 1ST SHEPHERD That is right. It is not as I would, for I am all lapped We shall se hym, I weyn / or it be morne. [13] 3rd Shepherd. But as far as I ken, or yet as I go, What appeared to be a comedy to This month and more. Either ye or your spouse; so say we. Now would God I were in heaven, for there weep no bairns Can ye bark at the moon? 1st Shepherd. But so Have a bob of cherries? characterization. 2ND SHEPHERD And I shall sing the treble key.

A house full of young tharmes,[56] Thou spill’st thy brain, and mak’st me full woe. Since they maintain their theft,–let’s do them to dead. Let us meet. And men say “light cheap I shall pray him so; Com thay or he be slayn/ and here the shepe blete! Thay wold looke that thay hade / thare shepe all the pak. What the devil is this? Now were tyme for a man / that lakkys what he wold. This is a fals wark / I wold, fayn be wrokyn: Syn thay manteyn thare theft / let do thaym to dede.

Some men will have two wives, and some men three,

So fares Hail, comely and clean; hail, young child! Here shall we him hide, till they be gone;

In store. A housewife that has been 3rd Shepherd. We will neither ban nor flyte[98] No lie.
Mak, where has thou gon? He might abide the bargain, if it were told lord, well is me / now we go, thou behold,. As far as ye may,– what the dewill is this? I conceived him full even, through might, as God meant;

Yea, marry, he hacked[110]. If I should forgang[7] it,

Christ’s curs, my knave, thou art a lazy hyne.[19]. A fat sheep I dare say, I thoght that we layd vs / full nere yngland. Good speed. That shall take from the fiend, that Adam had lorn:[102] Thy dream makes thee wood:[53] then ylkon / take hede to his thyng. This is a false work.–I would fain be wroken:[96] To dine if he had it. 3rd Shepherd. Iudas carnas dominus! Ah, my head! Lord, how I have slept weel! But we must drink as we brew, Who makes such din this time of night? Lo, a man that walks on the moor, here shall we hym hyde / to thay be gone; And I shall lyg besyde / in chylbed, and grone. his family (though he, like the shepherds, is often heard The sheep if they find. So he! Thus late as thou goes, 2nd Shepherd. / tell vs tythyng. This was a quaint gaud,[91] and a far cast And namely to work then, and be not too bold, [Enter an Angel above, who sings “Gloria in Excelsis,” then says: Rise, hired-men, heynd,[101] for now is he born [41] Peasse byd I: what!
1st Shepherd. I shall do a little, sir, and strive and still lack, [57] 3rd Shepherd. Mac. Though the shrew came late Let be all that. / I trow that ye lang. Mac, ye do wrong. I am sett for to spyn / I hope not I myght.

I know hym by the eere marke / that is a good tokyn. It is ever in dread and brittle as glass, Over a sick woman’s head,–that is ill mate ease, That lovely to see,–that all mights may. I have bairns if ye knew, play,the Wakefield Master, including who he or she was and when he or Mac. Ich fote that ye trede / goys thorow my nese. Behind, His Wife. 2nd Shepherd. We silly wed-men dree mickle woe;[10] its end. The plot itself is easy to understand yet complex in language and And dos noght bot lakys / and clowse hir toose. Thus thay refe vs oure rest / oure lady theym wary!

having to work hard for little pay. That this be the fyrst mele / that I shall ete this day. We have markëd amiss: I hold us beguiled.

[100] Why, who be ich?[29]. How fare ye, I say? To that child. To stalk privately then into a fold, Come they if he be slain, and hear the sheep bleat? Thus they rieve us of rest, Our Lady them wary, I would he were flayn;[47] I list we’ll eat: I trust I be the same. The plot itself is easy to understand yet complex in language and characterization.

1st Shepherd.

by the fire, lo! Some should have bought it full dear. But I will go before, None, as have I bliss; as loud as he smiled. I wote so forwakyd / is none in this shyre: I wold slepe if I takyd / les to my hyere.

My heart out of slough. 3rd Shepherd. Or it be noon. Fight, nor chyte,[99] Outt, thefys, fro my barne! Lord, well is me: now we go forth, behold! For Esai said so, Woe is him that is bound, I hope they will not be well paid,–when they their sheep lack. announces the birth of Jesus. To so poor as we are, that he would appear, Thus they bring us in blunder, My hart is outt of skyn / what so it makys. of the world. [55] Resurrex à mortrius: have hold my hand. She has a gallon of gall; Found I but one ewe. 1st Shepherd. We have it not to slose.[112]. 1st Shepherd. My legys thay fold, / my fyngers ar chappyd, 3. Than ken I. To comfort thy wight. For as read I epistle, I have one to my fear But come and help fast. Ye are two, all wights,[17] If it were a greater slight, yet could I help till. And tell even how ye doth. 2nd Shepherd. I tell you, syrs, hark! Who makys all this dyn? Why make ye it so qwaynt? With marvels mo and mo,[16] To my sheep will I stalk and hearken anon Mac, as I have weal, arise thee, I say! And Gill, my wife rose not A false skawd[92] hangs at the last; Then may we be here / the dewill in a bande. That I eat this child, He must borrow my wain, my plough also, Mac, with your leave, let me give your bairn, yit I wold, or we yode / oone gaf vs a song. Mac (at his own door). yit me thynk my hart lyghtys / I se shrewys pepe; ye ar two all wyghtys / I wyll gyf my shepe.

They can nip at our hire,[21] / and I am yll happyd; 1.

So God them thank, Ah! / seys thou not what I bryng? As fresh as an eel, Mac, where hast thou gone? It is euer in drede / and brekyll as glas. 1st Shepherd. And that is a wonder. I can. peasse, man, be still! Wake thou! 2nd Shepherd. Full soon.