The Eighth and Ninth Plays of the York Cycle of Mystery Plays

The Shipwrights:
The Building of the Ark

The Fishers and Mariners:
The Flood

First when I wrought this world so wide

Wood and wind and waters wan

Heaven and hell was not to hide

With herbs and grass thus I began

In endless bliss to be and bide

And to my likeness made I man

Lord and sire on every side

Of all middle-earth I made him then.

 

A woman also with him wrought I

All in law to lead their life

I bade them wax and multiply

To fulfil this world without a strife.

Since have men wrought so wofully

And sin is now reigning so rife

That I repent and rue thereby

That ever I made either man or wife.

 

But since they make me to repent

My work I wrought so well and true

Without a cease will not repent

But ever is bound more bale to brew.

But for their sins they shall be shent

And fordone wholly, hide and hewe.

Of them shall no more be meant

But work this work I will all new.

 

All new I will this world be wrought

And waste away that wins therein

A flood above them shall be brought

To 'stroy middle-earth, both more and mm

But Noah alone leave shall it nought

To all be sunken for their sin.

He and his sons thus is my thought –

And with their wives away shall win.

 

Noah, my servant sad and clean

For thou art stable in stead and stall

I will thou work without a wane

A work to save thyself withal.

0 mercy lord! What may this mean?

I am thy god of great and small

Is come to tell thee of thy teen

And what wonder shall after fall.

 

Ah lord! I love thee loud and still

That unto me, wretch unworthy

Thus with thy word, as is thy will

Likes to appear thus properly.

Noah, as I bid thee do fulfil

A ship I will have wrought in high

Although thou can but little skill

Take it in hand, for help shall I.

 

Ah worthy lord! would thou take heed

I am full old and out of Sort

That me list do no day's deed

But if great need me gart.

Begin my work behoves thee need

And thou wilt pass from pains so smart

I shall thee succour and thee speed

And give thee heal in head and heart.

 

I see such ire among mankind

That of their works I will take wreak

They shall be sunken for their sin

Therefore a ship I will thou make.

Thou and thy sons shall be therein

They shall be saved for thy sake

Therefore go boldly and begin

Thy measures and thy marks to take.

 

Ah lord! thy will shall ever be wrought

As counsel gives Out every clerk

But first, of ship-craft can I right nought

Of their making I have no mark.

Noah, I bid thee heartily have no thought

I shall thee wish in all thy work

And even till it to end be wrought

Therefore to me take heed and hark.

 

Take high trees and hew them clean

All to be square and nought a-squin

Make of them boards and ribs between

Thus thrivingly and not over thin.

Look that thy seams be subtily sewn

And nailed well that they not twin.

Thus I devise that deal, bedeen!

Therefore do forth and leave thy din.

 

Three hundred cubits it shall be long

And fifty broad, all for thy bliss

The hight of fifty cubits strong

Look loyally that thou think on this.

Thus give I thee grathly ere I gang

The measures, that thou do not miss.

Look now that thou work not wrong

Thus wittily since (thee wish.

 

Ah blissful lord! that all may shield

(thank thee heartily both ever and aye

Five hundred winters I am of eld

Methinks those years as yesterday

Full weak I was and all unwell

My weariness is went away

To work this work here in this field

All by myself I will assay.

 

To hew this board I will begin

But first I will lay on my line

Now must it be all in like thin

So that it nowhere twin nor twine.

Thus shall I join it with a gin

And soundly set it with cement fine

Thus shall I work it both more and mm

Through teaching of god master mine.

 

More subtily can no man sew

It shall be clenched in every deal

With nails that are both noble and new

Thus shall (fix it fast to feel.

Take here a rivet and there a screw

With the bow there now work I well

This work I warrant both good and true

(a line missing)

 

Full true it is, who will take tent

But fast my force begins to fold

A hundred winters away is went

Since I began this work, full greatly told

And in such travail for to be bent

Is hard to him that is thus old.

But he that to me these messages sent

he will be my help, thus am I bold.

 

Noah, this work is near an end

And wrought right as I warned ye

But yet in manner it must be mend

Therefore this lesson learn of me.

For divers beasts therein must lend

And fowls also in their degree

And so they shall not together blend

Divers stages must there be.

 

And when that it is ordained so

With divers stalls and stages here

Of every kind thou shalt take two

Both male and female fare in freer.

Thy wife, thy sons with thee shall go

And their three wives, without a fear

These eight bodies and then no mo

Shall thus be saved in this manner.

 

Therefore to my bidding be fain

Till all be harboured haste ye fast

After the seventh day shall it rain

Till forty days be fully past.

Take with thee gear, such as may gain

To man and beast their lives to last.

I shall thee succour for certain

Till all thy care away be cast.

 

Ah lord! that each amiss may mend

(love thy lore both loud and still

(thank thee both with heart and hand

That me will help from angers ill

 

About this work now must I wend

With beasts and fowls my ship to fill

He that to me this craft has kenned

He watches us with worthy will.

 

 

That Lord that lives everlasting life

I love thee ever with heart and hand

That me would rule by reason rife

Six hundred year to live in land.

Three seemly sons and a worthy wife

I have ever at my stave to stand.

But now my cares are keen as knife

Because I know what is command.

There comes to each country

Yea, cares both keen and cold

For god has warned me

This world wasted shall be

And sure the sooth I see

As forefathers have told.

 

My father Lamech who warrants mention

Here in this world thus long did lend

Seven hundred years seventy and seven

In such a space his time he spend.

He prayed to god with stable staven

That he to him a son should send

And at the last there come from heaven

Such command that he should much amE

And made him grub and grave

And ordained fast beforn

He a son should have

As he did after crave

And as god did vouchsafe

In world then was I born.

 

When I was born Noah named he me

And said these words with mickle win

'Lo' he said 'this same is he

That shall be comfort to man-kin'

Sirs, by this well wit may ye

My father new both more and mm

By certain signs he could well see

That all this world should sink for sin

How god should vengeance take

And now is seen certain

An end of mankind make

That sin would not forsake

And how that it should slake

And a world should wax again.

 

I would, god, it wasted were

So that I need not wait theretil

My seemly sons and daughters dear

Take ye intent unto my skill.

Father we are all ready here

Your bidding promptly to fulfil.

Go call your mother and come near

And speed us fast that we nought spill.

Father, we shall not fine

Till your bidding be done

All that live under line

Shall soon, son. pass to pine.

Where are ye, mother mine?

Come to my father soon.

 

What say thou? 'Sooni'

Mother certain

My father thinks to flit full far

He bids you haste with all your main

Unto him, that nothing you mar.

Yea good son, hie thee fast again

And tell him I will come no nar

Dame, I would do your bidding fain

But you must wend, or worse it were.

'Worse!' that would I wit!

We jest all wrong, I ween!

Mother, I say you yet

My father is bound to flit

Now surely I shall not sit

Or I see what he mean!

 

Father, I have done now as ye command

My mother comes to you this day.

She is welcome, I well warrant

This world shall soon be waste away.

Where art thou, Noah?

Lo, here at hand

Come hither fast, dame, I thee pray.

Trow thou that I will leave the hard land

And turn up here in disarray?

Nay, Noah, I am not bound

To fool now over these fells

Do bairns, go we and truss for town.

Nay sure, truly then must ye drown

In faith, thou wert as good come down

And go do somewhat else.

 

Dame, forty days are nearhand past

And gone since it began to rain

Alive shall no man longer last

But we alone, that is most plain.

Now, Noah, in faith ye fun full fast

This fare will I no longer frame.

Thou art near mad, I am aghast

Farewell, I will go home again.

O woman, art thou wood?

Of my plans thus to prate

All that has bone or blood

Shall be overflowed with flood

In faith, ye were as good

To let me go my gate

Way out! Alas!

What now! What cheer?

I will no nearer for no kin's need

Help, my sons, to hold her here

For to her harms she takes no heed.

Be merry, mother, and mend your cheer

This world shall all be drowned indeed.

Alas! that I this lore should hear

Thou spills us all, ill might thou speed!

Dear mother, wend with us

There shall nothing you grieve.

Nay, needful home I must

For I have toils to truss.

Woman, why dost thou thus

To make us more mischief?

 

Noah, thou might have let me wit

Early and late when thou went out

And aye at home thou let me sit

To look at nothing you were about.

Dame, thou hold me excused of it

It was god's will without a doubt.

What, ween thou so for to go quit?

Nay by my troth, thou gettest a clout.

I pray thee, dame, be still

Thus god would have it wrought.

Thou should have wit my will

If I would consent theretil

And Noah, for that same skill

This bargain shall be brought.

 

Now at first I find and feel

Where thou hast the forest sought

Thou should have told me for our seal

When we were to such bargain brought.

Now dame, thee there not dread a deal

For to account it cost you nought

A hundred winters I wot well

Is went since I this work had wrought.

And when I mpde ending

God gave me measure fair

Of each and every thing

He bade that I should bring

Of beasts and fowls so young

Of every kind a pair.

 

Now surely, should we scape from scathe

And be so saved as ye say here

My comrades and my cousins both

Them would I went with us in freer.

To wend in the water it were wath

Look in and look without a fear.

Alas, my life! me is full loath

I live overlong this lore to hear.

Dear mother, mend your mood

For we shall wend you with.

My friends that I from would

Are overflown with flood.

Now thank we god all good

That he has granted grith.

 

Mother, of this work now would ye not ween

That all should waste to waters wan.

Father, what may this marvel mean

Whereto god made middle-earth and man?

So wondrous sight was never none seen

Since first that god this world began.

Wend and spar your doors within

For better counsel none I can.

This sorrow is sent for sin

Therefore to god we pray

That he our bale would blin

The king of all mankind

Out of this woe us win

As thou art lord that may.

 

Yea lord, a~ thou let us be born

In this great bale some comfort speed.

My sons, see ye mid-day and morn

To these cattle take good heed

Keep them well with hay and corn

And women, catch these fowls and feed

So that they be not lightly lorn

As long as we this life shall lead.

Father, we are full fain

Your bidding to fulfil

Nine months are past and plain

Since we were put to pain.

He that is most of main

May mend it when he will.

 

O bairns, it waxes clear about

That may ye see there where ye sit.

I would dear father, ye look thereout

If that the water wane ought yet.

That shall I do without a doubt

For by the waning may we wit.

Ah lord! to thee I love and lout

The cateracts I trow be knit.

Behold, my sons all three

The clouds are waxing clear.

Ah! lord of mercy free

Aye loved might thou be.

I shall assay the sea

How deep that it is here.

 

Loved be that lord that gives all grace

That kindly thus our cares would heal.

I shall cast lead and look the space

How deep the water is in every deal.

Fifteen cubits of hight is has

Over every hill fully to feel

But be best comfort in this case

It is waning, this wot I well.

Therefore a fowl of flight

Full soon shall I forth send

To seek '~ he has sight

Some land upon to light

Then may we wit full right

When our morning shall mend.

 

Of all the fowls that men may find

The raven is quick and wise is he

Thou art full crabbed and all thy kind

Wend forth thy course I command thee

And warily know and hither thee wind

If thou find either land or tree,

Nine months here have we been pinned

But when god will, better must be

That lord that lends us life

To learn his laws in land

He made both man and wife

Help thou to stint our strife.

Our cares are keen as knife

God grant us good tidland.

 

Father, this fowl is forth full long

Upon some land I trow he lend

His food therefore to find and fang

That makes him be a fickle friend.

Now son, and if he is so gone

Since he for all our weal did wend

Then be he for his works so wrong

Evermore wearied without an end.

And surely for to see

When that our sorrow shall cease

Another fowl full free

Our messenger shall be

Thou dove, I command thee

Our comfort to increase.

 

A faithful fowl to send art thou

Of all within these waves so wide

Wend forth, I pray thee, for our prow

And sadly seek on every side

If the floods be falling now

That thou on the earth may be and bide

Bring us some tokening that we may trow

What tidings shall of us betide.

Good lord, on us thou look

And cease our sorrows sear

Since we all sin forsook

And to thy lore us took.

A twelvemonth but twelve weeks

Have we been hovering here.

 

Now bairns we may be blithe and glad

And love our lord of heavens king

My bird has done as I him bade

An olive branch I see him bring.

Blest be thou fowl that never was afraid

That in thy force makes no failing

More joy in heart never aye I had

We must be saved, now may we sing.

Come hither my sons in high

Our woe away is went

I see here certainly

The hills of harmony.

Loved be that Lord, forthy

That us our lives has lent.

 

For knowing now that we may win

Out of this woe that we in were

But Noah, where are now all our kin

And company we knew before?

Dame, all are drowned, let be thy din

And soon they paid for their sins sore.

Good living let us begin

So that we grieve our god no more.

He was grieved in degree

And greatly moved in mind

For sin as men may see

Dum dixit penitet me

Fullsore for forthinking was he

That ever he had made mankind.

 

That makes us now to toil and truss

But sons said he, I wot well when

Arcum ponam in nubibus

He set his bow clearly to ken

As a tokening between him and us

In knowledge to all christian men

That till this world be finished thus

With water would he never waste again.

Thus has god most of might

Set his sign full clear

Up in the air of height

The rainbow it is right

As men may see in sight

In seasons of the year.

 

Sir, now since god our sovreign sire

Has set his sign thus in certain

Then may we wit his world's empire

Shall evermore last, is it not plain?

Nay son, that shall we not desire

For if we do we work in vain

For it shall once be waste with fire

And never worth to world again.

Ah sire! our hearts do fear for these saws

That ye say here

That mischief must be more.

Be not afraid therefore

Ye shall not live than yore

By many hundred year.

 

Father, how shall this life be led

Since none are in the world but we?

Sons, with your wives ye shall be stead

And multiply your seed shall ye.

Your bairns shall one another wed

And worship god in good degree

Beasts and fowls shall forth be bred

And so a world begin to be.

New travails shall ye taste

To win you bread and wine

For all this world is waste

These beasts must be unbraced

And wend we hence in haste

In god's blessing and mine.