Classic Poem

noe:I thank the, Lord so dere, that wold vowchsayf
Thus low to appere to a symple knafe.
Blis vs, Lord, here for charite I hit crafe;
The better may we stere the ship that we shall hafe,
Certayn.
deus:Noe, to the and to thi fry
My blyssyng graunt I;
Ye shall wax and multiply
And fill the erth agane,
When all thise floodys ar past, and fully gone away.
[Exit Deus.

noe:Lord, homward will I hast as fast as that I may;
My wife will I frast what she will say,
And I am agast that we get som fray
Betwixt vs both,
2. Processus Noe cum Filiis

For she is full tethee,
For litill oft angre;
If any thyng wrang be,
Soyne is she wroth.
[Tunc perget ad vxorem]

God spede, dere wife! How fayre ye?
vxor:Now, as euer myght I thryfe, the wars I the see.
Do tell me belife, where has thou thus long be?
To dede may we dryfe, or lif, for the,
For want.
For when we swete or swynk,
Thou dos what thou thynk,
Yit of mete and of drynk
Haue we veray skant.
noe:Wife, we ar hard sted with tythyngys new.
vxor:Bot thou were worthi be cled in Stafford blew,
For thou art alway adred, be it fals or trew.
Bot God knowes I am led--and that may I rew--
Full ill;
For I dar be thi borow,
From euen vnto morow
Thou spekys euer of sorow;
God send the onys thi fill!
[To the women in the audience:

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

noe:We! hold thi tong, ram-skyt, or I shall the still.
vxor:By my thryft, if thou smyte, I shal turne the vntill.
noe:We shall assay as tyte. Haue at the, Gill!
Apon the bone shal it byte.
[Strikes her.

vxor:A, so! Mary, thou smytys ill!
Bot I suppose
I shal not in thi det
Flyt of this flett:
Take the ther a langett
To tye vp thi hose!
[Strikes him.]