Part 11
_Sathanas._ I byd the noght abaste[500] Bot boldly make you bowne,[501] Withe toyles that ye intraste,[502] And dyng[503] that dastard downe.
_Jesus. Attolite portas, principes vestras, et elevamini portæ æternales, et introibit rex gloriæ._[504]
_Rybald._ Outt, harro![505] what harlot is he That says his kyngdom shal be cryde?
_David._ That may thou in sawter se,[506] For of this prynce thus err I saide;[507]
I saide that he shuld breke Youre barres and bandes by name,[508] And of youre wareks take wreke;[509] Now shall thou se the same.
_Jesus._ Ye prynces of helle open youre yate, And let my folk furthe gone, A prynce of peasse shalle enter therat Wheder ye wille or none.
_Rybald._ What art thou that spekys so?
_Jesus._ A kyng of blys that hight Jesus.
_Rybald._ Yee hens fast I red[510] thou go, And melle[511] the not with us.
_Belzabub._ Oure yates[512] I trow wille last, Thay ar so strong I weyn,[513] Bot if oure barres brast, For the, thay shalle not twyn.[514]
_Jesus._ This stede[515] shalle stande no longer stokyn;[516] Open up and let my pepille pas.
_Rybald._ Out, harro![517] oure baylle is brokyn,[518] And brusten ar alle oure bandes of bras.
_Belzabub._ Harro! oure yates begyn to crak, In sonder, I trow, thay go, And helle, I trow, wille all to-shak; Alas, what I am wo![519]
_Rybald._ Lymbo is lorn, alas! Sir Sathanas, com up! This wark is wars[520] than it was.
_Sathanas._ Yee, hangyd be thou on a cruke;[521]
Thefys, I bad ye shuld be bowne[522] If he maide mastres[523] more To dyng[524] that dastard downe, Sett[525] hym bothe sad and sore.
_Belzabub._ "So sett hym sore" that is sone saide. Com thou thi self and serve hym so; We may not abyde his bytter bradye,[526] He wold us mar and we were mo.[527]
_Sathanas._ Fy, fature![528] wherfore were ye flayd?[529] Have ye no force to flyt hym fro? Loke in haste my gere be grayd,[530] My self shalle to that gadlyng go.[531]
How, thou belamy, abyde,[532] Withe alle thi boste and beyr,[533] And telle me in this tyde What mastres[523] thou makes here.
_Jesus._ I make no mastry bot for myne, I wille theym save, that shalle the sow, Thou has no powere theym to pyne,[534] Bot in my pryson for thare prow[535]
Here have thay sojornyd,--not as thyne, Bot in thi wayrd,[536] thou wote as how.
_Sathanas._ Why, where has thou hene ay syn[537] That never wold neghe[538] theym nere e'er now?
_Jesus._ Now is the tyme certan My Fader ordand herfor,[539] That they shuld pas fro payn In blys to dwelle for ever more.
_Sathanas._ Thy fader knew I welle by syght, He was a wright his meett to wyn,[540] Mary, me mynnys,[541] thi moder hight, The utmast ende of alle thy kyn:
Say who made the so mekille[542] of myght?
_Jesus._ Thou wykyd feynde lett be thi dy[n], My Fader wonnes[543] in heven on hight, In blys that never more shalle blyn:[544] I am his oonly son his forward[545] to fulfylle, Togeder wille we won, in sonder when we wylle.
_Sathanas._ Goddes son! nay, then myght thou be glad For no catelle thurt the crave;[546] Bot thou has lyffed ay lyke a lad, In sorow, and as a sympille[547] knave.
_Jesus._ That was for the hartly[548] luf I had Unto man's saulle, it for to save, And for to make thee masyd[549] and mad, And for that reson rufully to rafe.[550]
My Godhede here I hyd In Mary, moder myne, Where it shalle never be kyd[551] To the, ne none of thyne.[552]
_Sathanas._ How now? this wold I were told in towne, Thou says God is thi syre; I shalle the prove by good reson Thou moyttes[553] as man dos into myre.
To breke thi byddyng they were fulle bowne,[554] And soon they wroght at my desyre, From paradise thou putt thym downe, In helle here to have thare hyre;[555]
And thou thi self, by day and nyght, Taght[556] ever alle men emang, Ever to do reson and right, And here thou wyrkys[557] alle wrang.
_Jesus._ I wyrk no wrang, that shalle thou wytt.[558] If I my men fro wo wille wyn;[559] My prophettes playnly prechyd it, Alle the noytys[560] that I begyn;
They saide that I shud be that ilke In helle where I shud entre in, To save my servandes fro that pytt Where dampynyd saullys[561] shalle syt for syn.
And ilke true prophete taylle[562] Shalle be fulfillid in me; I have thaym boght fro baylle,[563] In blis now shalle thay be.
_Sathanas._ Now since thou list to legge the lawes[564] Thou shalbe tenyd or we twyn,[565] For those that thou to witnes drawes Fulle even agans the shalle begyn;
As Salaman saide in his sawes,[566] Who that ones commys helle within He shalle never owte, as clerkes knawes Therfor, belamy, let be thy dyn.[567] Job thi servande also In his tyme can telle That nawder freynde nor fo Shalle fynde relese in helle.[568]
_Jesus._ He sayde fulle soythe, that shalle thou se, In helle shalbe no relese, Bot of that place then ment he Where synfulle care shalle ever encrese.
In that baylle ay shalle thou be, Where sorrowes seyr shalle never sesse[569] And my folk that wer most fre[570] Shalle pas unto the place of peasse;
For thay were here with my wille, And so thay shalle furthe weynde,[571] Thou shalle thi self fulfylle, Ever wo withoutten ende.
_Sathanas._ Whi, and wille thou take theym alle me fro?[572] Then thynk me[573] thou ar unkynde; Nay, I pray the do not so, Umthynke[574] the better in thy mynde,
Or els let me with the go; I pray the leyfe me not behynde.
_Jesus._ Nay, tratur, thou shalle won in wo,[575] And tille a stake[576] I shalle the bynde.
_Sathanas._ Now here I how thou menys[577] emang With mesure and malyce for to melle,[578] Bot sen thou says it shalbe lang, Yit som let alle wayes with us dwelle.
_Jesus._ Yis, witt thou welle, els were greatt wrang, Thou shalle have Caym[579] that slo Abelle, And alle that hastes theym self to hang, As dyd Judas and Architophelle; And Daton and Abaron and alle of thare assent,[580] Cursyd tyranttes ever ilkon[581] that me and myn tormente.
And alle that wille not lere[582] my law That I have left in land for new[583] That makes my commyng knaw,[584] And alle my sacramentes persew;
My deth, my rysyng, red by raw,[585] Who trow thaym not thay ar untrewe, Unto my dome[586] I shalle theym draw, And juge thaym wars[587] then any Jew. And thay that lyst to lere my law and lyf therby Shalle never have harmes here, bot welth as is worthy.
_Sathanas._ Now here my hand, I hold me payde, Thise poyntes ar playnly for my prow,[588] If this be trew as thou has saide We shalle have mo then we have now;
Thise lawes that thou has late here laide I shalle thym lere not to alow,[589] If thay myn take[590] thay ar betraide, And I shalle turne thym tytte I trow.[591]
I shalle walk eest, I shalle walk west, And gar theym wyrk welle war.[592]
_Jesus._ Nay feynde, thou shalbe feste,[593] That thou shalle flyt no far.[594]
_Sathanas._ Feste? fy! that were a wykyd treson! Belamy, thou shalle be smytt.[595]
_Jesus._ Deville, I commaunde the to go downe Into thi sete where thou shalle syt.
_Sathanas._ Alas! for doylle[596] and care, I synk into helle pyt.
_Rybald._ Sir Sathanas, so saide I are,[597] Now shalle thou have a fytt.
_Jesus._ Com now furthe, my childer alle, I forgyf you youre mys;[598] Withe me now go ye shalle To joy and endles blys.
_Adam._ Lord, thou art fulle mekylle of myght,[599] That mekys thi self on this manere, To help us alle as thou had us hight, When bothe frofett I and my fere;[600]
Here have we dwelt withoutten light Four thousand and six hundreth yere, Now se we by this solempne sight How that mercy makes us dere.
_Eva._ Lord, we were worthy more tornamentes[601] to tast,[602] Thou help us lord of thy mercy, as thou of myght is mast.[603]
_Johannes._ Lord, I love the inwardly, That me wold make thi messyngere, Thi commyng in erthe to cry, And teche thi fayth to folk in fere;[604]
Sythen before the forto dy,[605] To bryng theym bodword[606] that be here, How thay shuld have thi help in hy, Now se I alle those poyntes appere.
_Moyses._ David, thi prophette trew, Of tymes told unto us; Of thi commyng he knew, And saide it shuld be thus.
_David._ As I said ere yit say I so, _Ne derelinquas, domine, Animam meam in inferno_;[607] Leyfe never my saulle, Lord, after the,
In depe helle whedur[608] dampned shalle go Suffre thou never thi sayntes to se The sorrow of thaym that won in wo,[609] Ay, fulle of fylthe, and may not fle.[610]
_Moyses._ Make myrthe bothe more and les, And love oure lord we may, That has broght us fro bytternes In blys to abyde for ay.
_Ysaias._ Therfor now let us syng To love oure lord Jesus, Unto his blys he wille us bryng, _Te Deum laudamus._
THE INTERLUDE OF "GOD'S PROMISES"
BY JOHN BALE
CHARACTERS
Pater Cœlestis _The Heavenly Father_ Adam Primus Homo _Adam, the First Man_ Justus Noah _Just Noah_ Abraham Fidelis _Faithful Abraham_ Moses Sanctus _Saint Moses_ David Rex Pius _The Pious King, David_ Esaias Propheta _The Prophet Isaiah_ Baleus Prolocutor _John Bale, who speaks the Prologue_
GOD'S PROMISES
_A Tragedy or interlude manifesting the chief promises of God unto man by all ages in the old law, from the Fall of Adam to the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Compiled by John Bale, (Anno Domini MDXXXVIII.)._
_Baleus Prolocutor._ If profit may grow, most Christian audience, By knowledge of things which are but transitory, And here for a time, of much more congruence, Advantage might spring, by the search of causes heavenly, As those matters are that the gospel specify. Without whose knowledge no man to the truth can fall, Nor ever attain to the life perpetual, For he that knoweth not the living God eternal The Father, the Son and also the Holy Ghost, And what Christ suffered for redemption of us all, What he commanded, and taught in every coast, And what he forbode, that man must needs be lost, And clean secluded, from the faithful chosen sort, In the Heavens above, to his most high discomfort. You therefore, good friends, I lovingly exhort, To weigh such matters as will be uttered here, Of whom ye may look to have no trifling sport In fantasies feigned, nor such-like gaudy gear, But the things that shall your inward stomach cheer. To rejoice in God for your justification, And alone in Christ to hope for your salvation. Yea first ye shall have the eternal generation Of Christ, like as John in his first chapter write, And consequently of man the first creation The abuse and fall, through his first oversight, And the rise-again through God's high grace and might; By promises first which shall be declared all: Then by his own Son, the worker principal. After that, Adam bewaileth here his fall; God will shew mercy to every generation, And to his kingdom of his great goodness call His elected spouse, or faithful congregation, As shall appear by open protestation, Which from Christ's birth shall to his death conclude: They come, that thereof will shew the certitude.
## ACT I
ADAM THE FIRST MAN
_Pater Cœlestis._ In the beginning before the heavens were create, In me and of me was my Son sempiternal With the Holy Ghost, in one degree or estate Of the high Godhead, to me the Father coequal And this my Son was with me one God essential Without separation at any time from me. True God he is of equal dignity. Since the beginning my Son hath ever been Joined with his father in one essential being. All things were create by him in each degree, In heaven and earth and have their diverse working: Without his power, was never made any thing That was wrought; but through his ordinance Each have his strength, and whole continuance. In him is the life and the just recoverance For Adam and his, which nought but death deserved. And this life to men is an high perseverance Or a light of faith, whereby they shall be saved. And this light shall shine among the people darkened With unfaithfulness. Yet shall they not with him take But of wilful heart his liberal grace forsake. Which will compel me against man for to make In my displeasure, and send plagues of correction Most grievous and sharp, his wanton lusts to slake, By water and fire, by sickness and infection Of pestilent sores, molesting his complexion; By troublous war, by dearth and painful scarceness, And after this life by an extreme heaviness. I will first begin with Adam for his lewdness Which for an apple neglected my commandment. He shall continue in labour for his rashness, His only sweat shall provide his food and raiment: Yea, yet must he have a greater punishment, Most terrible death shall bring him to his end To teach him how he his Lord God shall offend.
[_Here Adam falls headlong upon the earth and after rolling over four times, at last gets up._
_Adam._ Merciful Father, thy pitiful grace extend To me, careful wretch, which have me sore abused Thy precept breaking, O Lord, I mean to amend, If now thy great goodness would have me excused, Most heavenly Maker, let me not be refused, Nor cast from thy sight for one poor sinful crime; Alas! I am frail, my whole kind is but slime.
_Pater Cœlestis._ I wot it is so, yet art thou no less faulty Than thou hadst been made of matter much more worthy. I gave thee reason and wit to understand The good from the evil, and not to take on hand Of a brainless mind, the thing which I forbade thee.
_Adam._ Such heavy fortune hath chiefly chanced me For that I was left to mine own liberty.
_Pater Cœlestis._ Then thou are blameless, and the fault thou layest to me?
_Adam._ Nay, all I ascribe to my own imbecility. No fault in thee Lord but in my infirmity, And want of respect in such gifts as thou gavest me.
_Pater Cœlestis._ For that I put thee at thine own liberty, Thou oughtest my goodness to have in more regard.
_Adam._ Avoid it I cannot, thou layest it to me so hard. Lord, now I perceive what power is in man, And strength of himself, when thy sweet grace is absent, He must needs but fall, do he the best he can, And endanger himself, as appeareth evident; For I sinned not so long as thou wert present; But when thou wert gone, I fell to sin by and by, And thee displeased. Good Lord, I ask thee mercy.
_Pater Cœlestis._ Thou shalt die for it and all thy posterity.
_Adam._ For one fault, good Lord, avenge not thyself on me, Who am but a worm, or a fleshly vanity.
_Pater Cœlestis._ I say thou shalt die with thy whole posterity.
_Adam._ Yet mercy, sweet Lord, if any mercy may be.
_Pater Cœlestis._ I am immutable, I may change no decree. Thou shalt die, I say, without any remedy.
_Adam._ Yet gracious Father, extend to me thy mercy, And throw not away the work which thou hast create To thine own image, but avert from me thy hate.
_Pater Cœlestis._ But art thou sorry from bottom of thy heart?
_Adam._ Thy displeasure is to me most heavy smart.
_Pater Cœlestis._ Then will I tell thee what thou shalt stick unto, Life to recover, and my good favour also.
_Adam._ Tell it me, sweet Lord, that I may thereafter go.
_Pater Cœlestis._ This is my covenant to thee and all thy offspring. For that thou hast been deceived by the serpent, I will put hatred betwixt him for his doing And the woman kind. They shall hereafter dissent; His seed with her seed shall never have agreement; Her seed shall press down his head unto the ground, Slay his suggestions, and his whole power confound. Cleave to this promise with all thy inward power, Firmly enclose it in thy remembrance fast, Fold it in thy faith with full hope, day and hour, And thy salvation it will be at the last. That seed shall clear thee of all thy wickedness past, And procure thy peace, with most high grace in my sight, See thou trust to it and hold not the matter light.
_Adam._ Sweet lord, the promise that thyself here hath made me, Of thy mere goodness and not of my deserving, In my faith I trust shall so established be, By help of thy grace, that it shall be remaining So long as I shall have here continuing; And shew it I will to my posterity That they in like case have thereby felicity.
_Pater Cœlestis._ For a closing up, take yet one sentence with thee.
_Adam._ At thy pleasure, Lord, all things might ever be.
_Pater Cœlestis._ For that my promise may have the deeper effect In the faith of thee and all thy generation, Take this sign with it, as a seal thereto connect. Creep shall the serpent, for his abomination, The woman shall sorrow in painful propagation. Like as thou shalt find this true in outward working, So think the other, though it be a hidden thing.
_Adam._ Incessant praising to thee most heavenly lord For this thy succour, and undeserved kindness, Thou bindest me in heart thy gracious gifts to record, And to bear in mind, now after my heaviness, The bruit of thy name, with inward joy and gladness. Thou disdainest not, as well appeareth this day, To fetch to thy fold thy first sheep going astray. Most mighty Maker, thou castest not yet away Thy sinful servant, which hath done most offence. It is not thy mind for ever I should decay, But thou reservest me, of thy benevolence, And hast provided for me a recompence, By thy appointment, like as I have received In thy strong promise here openly pronounced. This goodness, dear Lord, is of me undeserved, I so declining from thy first institution, At so light motions. To one that thus hath swerved, What a lord art thou, to give such retribution! I, damnable wretch, deserved execution Of terrible death, without all remedy, And to be put out of all good memory. I am enforced to rejoice here inwardly, An imp though I be of hell, death and damnation, Through my own working: for I consider thy mercy And pitiful mind for my whole generation. It is thou, sweet Lord, that workest my salvation, And my recovery. Therefore of a congruence From hence thou must have my heart and obedience. Though I be mortal, by reason of my offence, And shall die the death like as God hath appointed: Of this I am sure, through his high influence, At a certain day again to be revived. From ground of my heart this shall not be removed, I have it in faith and therefore I will sing This anthem to him that my salvation shall bring.
[_Then with sonorous voice, on his bent knees, he begins an antiphon, "O Sapientia," which the chorus follows with instruments, as it removes from the stage. Or else in the same it may thus be sung in English:_
O Eternal Sapience, that proceedest from the mouth of the highest, reaching forth with a great power from the beginning to the end, with heavenly sweetness disposing all creatures, come now and instruct us the true way of thy godly prudence.
## ACT II
NOAH THE JUST
_Pater Cœlestis._ I have been moved to strike man diversely, Since I left Adam in this same earthly mansion; For why? He hath done to me displeasures many, And will not amend his life in any condition: No respect hath he to my word nor monition, But what doth him lust, without discreet advisement, And will in nowise take mine advertisement. Cain hath slain Abel, his brother, an innocent, Whose blood from the earth doth call to me for vengeance: My children with men's so carnally consent, That their vain working is unto me much grievance: Mankind is but flesh in his whole dalliance. All vice increaseth in him continually, Nothing he regardeth to walk unto my glory. My heart abhorreth his wilful misery, His cancred malice, his cursed covetousness, His lusts lecherous, his vengeable tyranny, Unmerciful murder and other ungodliness. I will destroy him for his outrageousness, And not him only, but all that on earth do stir, For it repenteth me that ever I made them here.
_Noah._ Most gentle Maker, with his frailness somewhat bear, Man is thy creature, thyself cannot say nay. Though thou punish him to put him somewhat in fear, His fault to acknowledge, yet seek not his decay. Thou mayest reclaim him, though he goeth now astray, And bring him again, of thy abundant grace, To the fold of faith, he acknowledging his trespass.
_Pater Cœlestis._ Thou knowest I have given to him convenient space, With lawful warnings, yet he amendeth in no place. The natural laws, which I wrote in his heart, He hath outraced, all goodness putting apart: Of health the covenant, which I to Adam made, He regardeth not, but walketh a damnable trade.
_Noah._ All this is true, Lord, I cannot thy words reprove, Let his weakness yet thy merciful goodness move.
_Pater Cœlestis._ No weakness is it, but wilful working all, That reigneth in man through mind diabolical. He shall have therefore like as he hath deserved.
_Noah._ Lose him not yet, Lord, though he has deeply swerved. I know thy mercy is far above his rudeness, Being infinite, as all other things are in thee. His folly therefore now pardon of thy goodness, And measure it not beyond thy godly pity. Esteem not his fault farther than help may be, But grant him thy grace, as he offendeth so deeply, Thee to remember, and abhor his misery. Of all goodness, Lord, remember thy great mercy, To Adam and Eve, breaking thy first commandment. Them thou relievedst with thy sweet promise heavenly, Sinful though they were, and their lives negligent. I know that mercy with thee is permanent, And will be ever so long as the world endure: Then close not thy hand from man, which is thy creature. Being thy subject he is underneath thy cure, Correct him thou mayest and so bring him to grace. All lieth in thy hands, to leave or to allure, Bitter death to give, or grant most sovereign solace. Utterly from man avert not then thy face; But let him savour thy sweet benevolence Somewhat, though he feel thy hand for his offence.
_Pater Cœlestis._ My true servant Noah, thy righteousness doth move me Somewhat to reserve for man's posterity. Though I drown the world, yet will I save the lives Of thee and thy wife, thy three sons and their wives, And of each kind two, to maintain you hereafter.
_Noah._ Blessed be thy name, most mighty merciful Maker, With thee to dispute, it were inconvenient.
_Pater Cœlestis._ Why dost thou say so? Be bold to speak thy intent.
_Noah._ Shall the other die without any remedy?
_Pater Cœlestis._ I will drown them all, for their wilful wicked folly That man hereafter thereby may know my power, And fear to offend my goodness day and hour.
_Noah._ As thy pleasure is, so might it always be, For my health thou art and soul's felicity.