# Noah ## expand\_more ### \[*The text is lightly glossed; see the glossary in the Riverside Chaucer for words not glossed here.*\] SortNOAH: Mightfull god verray, Maker of all that is, Three persons wihouten nay, oone god in endles blis, 5 Thou made both night and day, beest, fowle, and fish, All creatures that live may, wrought thou at thy wish, As thou wel might; 10 The son, the moone, verrament, Thou made; the firmament, The sternes also full fervent, To shine thou made ful bright. Angels thou made ful even, 15 all orders that is, To have the blis in heven; this did thou more and les, Full mervelus to neven, say yet was ther unkindnes, 20 More by foldes seven, times seven then I can well expres; For why? Of all angels in brightnes God gaf Lucifer most lightnes, 25 Yit proudly he flyt his des, fled from his assigned place And set him even Him by. i.e., sat next to God He thoght himself as worthi as him that him made, In brightnes, in bewty. 30 Therfor he him degrade; i.e. God degraded him Put him in a low degre soon after, in a brade, brief time Him and all his menye, retinue, followers wher he may be unglad, For ever. 35 shall thay never win away Hence unto Domesday, Bot burne in bale for ay, pain Shall thay never dissever. get away (form the pain) Soone after that gracious lord 40 to his liknes made man, That place to be restord, even as he began, Of the Trinite by accord, Adam and Eve that woman, 45 To multiplie without discord, in Paradise put he thaym, And sithen to both Gaf in commaundement, On the tree of life to lay no hend; 50 Bot yet the fals feend, Made him with man wroth, Entised man to Glotony, stird him to sin in Pride; Bot in Paradise securly 55 might no sin abide, And therfor man full hastely was put out, in that tide, In wo and wandreth for to be, in paines full unrid, misfortune. . . cruel 60 To knowe, First in erth, sithen in Hell With feendis for to dwell, Bot he his mercy mell mingle (with justice) To those that will him trowe. promised 65 Oile of mercy he us hight, As I have herd red, To every living wight that wold luf him and dred, Bot now before his sight 70 every living lede, creature Most party day and night The majority sin in word and dede Full bold; Som in Pride, Ire and Envy, 75 Som in Covetise and Glotiny, Covetousness Som in Sloth and Lechery, And other wise many fold. many times Therfor I drede lest God on us will take venjance, 80 For sin is now alod without any repentance; Six hundreth yeres and odd have I, without distance, In erth, as any sod, 85 lived with grete grevance All way; And now I wax old, Seke, sory, and cold, Sick As muk apon mold muck on earth 90 I widder away; wither Bot yet will I cry for mercy and call; Noe thy servant, am I, lord over all! 95 Therfor me and my fry children shal with me fall; Save from velany and bring to thy hall In heven; 100 And kepe me from sin, This world, within; Comly king of mankin, mankind I pray thee here my steven! hear . . . voice \[God speaks from above\] GOD: Sin I have made all thing 105 that is livand, living Duke, emperour, and king, with mine awne hand, For to have thare liking by see and bi sand, 110 Every man to my bidding shuld, be bowand bowing Full fervent; That made man sich a creatoure, Fairest of favoure, Man must luf me paramoure, love me devotedly By reson, and repent. Me thoght I shewed man luf when I made him to be All angels abuf 120 like to the Trinitee; And now in grete reprufe full low ligges he, lies In erth himself to stuf with sin that displease me Most of all; Venjance will I take, In erth for sin sake, My grame thus will I wake, anger Both of grete and small. 130 I repente full sore that ever made I man, By me he settes no store, and I am his soveran; I will distroy therfor both beest, man, and woman; All shall perish les and more; that bargain may thay ban, curse That ill has done. In erth I see right noght 140 Bot sin that is unsoght; not atoned for Of those that well has wroght Find I bot a fone. few Therfor shall I fordo destroy all this medill-erd earth With floodes that shall flo flow rin with hidous rerd, run. . . sound I have good cause therto; for me no man is ferd, As I say shal I do, 150 of veniance draw my swerd, And make end, Of all that beres life, Sauf Noe and his wife, For that wold never strife that = he . . . strive With me ne me offend. Him to mekill win joy hastly will I go, To Noe my servant, or I blin ere I cease to warn him of his wo. 160 In erth I se bot sin reinand to and fro, reigning everywhere Among both more min, ichon other fo; more and less (in rank) With all thare entent; All shall I fordo With floodes that shall floo, Work shall I thaim wo, them That will not repent. \[God descends and comes to Noah\] Noe, my freend, I thee commaund 170 from cares thee to keyle, be cooled, allayed A ship that thou ordand ordain of naile and bord, ful wele. Thou was alway well wirkand, working to me trew as stele, To my bidding obediand, frendship shal thou fele To mede; As a reward Of lengthe thy ship be Thre hundreth cubettis, warn I thee, 180 Of heght even thirtee, Of fifty als in brede. also in breadth Anoint thy ship with pik and tar pitch without als within, The water out to spar get out this is a noble gin; clever device Look no man thee mar; three chese chambres begin, choice Thou must spend many a spar this work or thou win ere 190 To end fully. Make in thy ship also, Parloures oone or two, And houses of office mo, For beestis that ther must be. One cubite on hight a windo shal thou make; On the side a doore with slight be-neyth shal thou take; With thee shal no man fight, 200 nor do thee no kin wrake. no sort of harm When all is done thus right, thy wife, that is thi make, mate Take in to thee; Thy sonnes of good fame, Sem, Japhet, and Came, Take in also Hame, Thare wifis also three. For all shal be fordone 210 that live in land bot ye, above With floodis that from abone shal fall, that plente; It shall begin full sone to rain uncessantly, After dayes seven be done, and endure dayes fourty, Withoutten faill. Take to thy ship also Of ich kind beestis two, 220 Male female, bot no mo, Or thou pull up thy saill, Or = ere For thay may thee availl when al this thing is wroght; Stuf thy ship with vitaill, for hungre that ye perish noght; Of beestis, foull, and cataill, for thaim have thou in thoght, For thaim is my counsaill that som socour be soght, 230 In hast; Thay must have corn and hay, And other mete alway; food Do now as I thee say, In the name of the holy gast. NOAH: A! benedicite! What art thou that thus Telles afore that shall be? Thou art full mervelus! Tell me, for charitee 240 thy name so gracius. GOD: My name is of dignitee and also full glorius To knawe. I am God most mighty, One God in Trinity, Made thee and ech man to be; To luf me well thou awe. awe = owe, should NOAH: I thank thee, lord, so dere. that wold, vouch saf vouchsafe 250 Thus low to appere to a symple knave; person Blis us, lord, here, for charitee I hit crave, The better may we stere steer the ship that we shall have, Certain. GOD: Noe, to thee and to thy fry children My blissing graunt I; Ye shall wax and multiply, 260 And fill the erth agane, When all thise floodes ar past and fully gone away. NOAH: Lord, homward will I hast as fast as that I may; My wife will I frast what she will say, ask And I am agast that we get som fray Betwixt us both; 270 For she is full techee, tetchy, easy to anger For litill oft angree; angry If any thing wrong be, Sone is she wroth. \[Noah goes to his wife\] God spede, dere wife, how fayre ye? N'S WIFE: Now, as ever might I thrive, the wars I thee see; Do tell me belife, where has thou thus long be? 280 To dede may we dryfe or lif for thee, because of you For want. When we swete or swink, sweat or work Thou dos what thou think, Yit of mete and of drink Have we veray skant. true scarcity NOAH: Wife, we ar hard sted, with tithinges new. tidings N'S WIFE: Bot thou were worthi be cled 290 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 thy borow, guarantor From even unto morow, Thou spekes ever of sorow; God send the ones thy fill! once 300 We women may wary curse all ill husbandes; I have one, by Mary that loosed me of my bondes! If he teen I must tary, is vexed how so ever it standes, With seymland full sory, semblant wringand both my handes For drede. Bot yet other while, 310 What with game with gile, I shall smite and smile, And quite him his mede. pay him back NOAH: Wee! Hold thy tong, ram-skyt, ram-shit or I shall thee still. N'S WIFE: By my thrift, if thou smite I shal turne the untill. toward you NOAH: We shall assay as tyte! right away Have at thee, Gill! Upon the bone shal it bite. N'S WIFE: A, so, mary! thou smytis ill! Bot I suppose I shal not in thy det, debt (i.e., because of you) Flyt of this flett! move from this place Take thee ther a langett strap To tie up thy hose! \[The wife hits Noah\] NOAH: A! Wilt thou so? Mary, that is mine. N'S WIFE: Thou shal three for two, I swere by goddes pine. pain NOAH: And I shall quite thee tho, in faith, or sine. ere long N'S WIFE: Out upon thee, ho! NOAH: Thou can both byte and whine, With a rerd! noise For all if she strike, Yet fast will she skrike, screech In fayth I hold, none slike like none such In all medill-erd; earth Bot I will kepe charitee, 340 for I have at do. (work) to do N'S WIFE: Here shal no man tary thee; I pray thee go to! Full well may we mis thee, as ever have I ro; rest To spin will I dres me. prepare NOAH: Wee! fare well, lo; Bot wife, Pray for me bisile, busily To eft I com unto thee. until again N'S WIFE: Even as thou prays for me, As ever might I thrive. \[Noah goes to work on the Ark\] NOAH: I tary full long fro my worke, I traw; suppose Now my gere will I fang equipment. . . take and thiderward draw; I may full ill gang go the soth for to knaw, know Bot if god help among I may sit downe daw melancholy 360 To ken; Now assay will I How I can of wrightry. what I know of carpentry In nomine patris, & filii, In the name of the Father and the Son Et spiritus sancti, Amen. and the Holy Spirit To begin of this tree my bones will I bend; I trow from the Trinitee socoure will be send; It faires full fayre, think me, 370 this work to my hend; hand Now blissed be He that this can amend. Lo, here the length, Thre hundred cubittes evenly, Of breed, lo, is it fifty, breadth The heght is even thirty height Cubittes full strength. Now my gowne will I cast and wirk in my cote, work. . . coat 380 Make will I the mast or I flyt oone foote, ere. . . move away A! My bak, I trow, will brast! break this is a sory note! sad business Hit is wonder that I last, sich an old dote fool All dold! grown dull To begin such a wark! work My bones ar so stark, No wonder if thay wark, pain, hurt 390 For I am full old. The top and the saill both will I make, The helme and the castell also will I take, forecastle To drive ich a naill will I not forsake, every This gere may never faill, gear that dar I undertake Onone. 400 This is a nobell gin, good device Thise nailes so thay rin, run Thoro more and min, through great and small Thise bordes ichon; every one Window and doore, even as he saide, Three ches chambre thay ar well made, choice, fine Pik and tar full sure ther upon laide, pitch 410 This will ever endure; therof am I paide; pleased For why? It is better wroght Then I coude have thoght; Him that made all of noght I thank only. Now will I hy me hasten and no thing be leder, evil My wife and my meneie household 420 to bring even heder. hither \[Noah goes to his wife\] Tent hedir tidely, come here quickly wife, and consider, Hens must us fle all sam togeder all of us together In hast. N'S WIFE: Why, sir, what ailes you? Who is that asailes you? To fle it availes you, And ye be agast. And = if NOAH: Ther is garn on the reel yarn other, my dame. N'S WIFE: Tell me that ich a del, every bit els get ye blame. NOAH: He that cares may keyll cool, alleviate blissed be his name! He has for oure seyll happiness to sheld us fro shame, And said, All this world aboute 440 With floodes so stoute, That shall rin on a route, run with a roar Shall be overlaide. covered over He saide all shall be slain bot onely we, Oure barnes that ar bain ready, obedient and thare wives thre; A ship he bad me ordain to save us oure fee, possessions Therfor with all oure main 450 thank we that free noble one Beytter of baill; one who remedies evils Hy us fast, go we thider. hasten NOAH'S WIFE: I wote never whider, I dase and I dedir am dazed. . . dither For ferd of that taill. fear. . . number NOAH: Be not aferd; have don; trus sam oure gere, truss together our gear That we be ther or none ere noon without more dere. danger FIRST SON: It shall be done full sone! Brother, help to bere. carry SECOND SON: Full long shall I not hoyne delay to do my devere, duty 320 Brether sam. (My) brothers all THIRD SON: Without any yelp, further talk At my might shall I help. NOAH'S WIFE: Yit for drede of a skelp blow Help well thy dam. mother \[They go to the Ark; the wife gets in it\] NOAH: Now ar we there 570 as we shuld be; Do get in oure gere, possessions oure catall and fe, In to this vessell here my chylder free. noble children NOAH'S WIFE: I was never bard ere barred, shut up As ever might I thee, prosper In sich an oostree as this. hostelry, inn In faith I can not find Which is before, which is behind; 580 Bot shall we here be pind, penned, confined Noe, as have thou blis? \[The wife leaves the Ark\] NOAH: Dame, as it is skill, reasonable here must us abide grace; Therfor, wife, with good will, com into this place. NOAH'S WIFE: Sir, for Jak nor for Gill will I turne my face Till I have on this hill spon a space spun for a while 590 On my rok; distaff Well were he, might get me. Now will I downe set me, Yit reede I no man let me, advise. . . prevent For drede of a knok. fear NOAH: Behold to the hevens the cateractes all, That are open full even, grete and small, And the planettes seven 600 left has thare stall, place Thise thoners and leven thunders and lightning downe gar fall began to fall Full stout, Both halles and bowers, Castels and towres; Full sharp ar thise showers, That rennes aboute; run Therfor, wife, have done! Com into ship fast! NOAH'S WIFE: Yee, Noe, go cloute thy shone, mend your shoes the better will thay last. FIRST SON'S WIFE: Good moder, com in sone, For all is over cast, Both the son and the mone. moon SECOND SON'S WIFE: And many wind blast Full sharp; Thise floodes so thay rin, run Therfor, moder, come in. NOAH'S WIFE: In faith yet will I spin; 620 All in vain ye carp. talk, complain THIRD SON'S WIFE: If ye like ye may spin, Moder, in the ship. NOAH: Now is this twys Com in, twice dame, on my frenship. NOAH'S WIFE: Wheder I lose or I win, in fayth, thy felowship, Set I not a pin. This spindell will I slip Upon this hill, Or I stir one fote. Ere NOAH: Peter! I trow we dote; act follishly Without any more note business, talk Come in if ye will. 370 NOAH'S WIFE: Yee, water nighes so nere that I sit not dry, Into ship with a byr therfor will I hy hasten For drede that I drone here. drown NOAH: Dame, securly, 640 It bees boght full dere, will be ye abode so long by Out of ship. 375 NOAH'S WIFE: I will not, for thy biding, command Go from doore to myding. dunghill (privy) NOAH: In faith, and for youre long tarying Ye shal lik on the whip. i.e., accept your punishment NOAH'S WIFE: Spare me not, I pray thee, bot even as thou think, Thise grete wordes shall not flay me. NOAH: Abide, dame, and drink, For beten shall thou be with this staf to thou stink; to = until Ar strokes good? say me. \[Noah strikes his wife\] NOAH'S WIFE: What say ye, Wat Wink? NOAH: Speke! Cry me mercy, I say! 385 NOAH'S WIFE: Therto say I nay. NOAH: Bot thou do, by this day, unless Thy hede shall I breke. NOAH'S WIFE: Lord, I were at ese, and hertely full hoille, whole, contented Might I ones have a measse serving of widows coyll; pottage (i.e., were I a widow) For thy saull, without lese, shuld I dele penny doyll, dole (i.e., gladly pay) So wold mo, no frese, fear (doubt) that I se on this sole in this place (in the audience) Of wives that ar here, For the life that thay leyd, lead 670 Wold thare husbandes were dede, For, as ever ete I brede, So wold I oure sire were. our lord (i.e., Noah) NOAH: Ye men that has wives whils they ar yong, If ye luf youre lives, chastise thare tong! Me think my hert rivis, splits both levyr and long, liver and lung To see such strifes wedmen among; wedded men 680 Bot I, As have I blys, Shall chastyse this. NOAH'S WIFE: Yit may ye miss, Nicholl Nedy! \[Noah and the wife fight, ad lib.\] NOAH: I shall make thee still as stone, beginner of blunder! I shall bete thee, bak and bone, and breke all in sonder. NOAH'S WIFE: Out, alas, I am gone! 690 Oute apon thee, mans wonder! \[The fight ends with the wife sitting atop Noah\] NOAH: See how she can grone, and I lig under; lie below Bot, wife, In this hast let us ho, stop For my bak is nere in two. NOAH'S WIFE: And I am bet so blo black and blue That I may not thrive. 415 FIRST SON: A! Why fare ye thus, Fader and moder both? SECOND SON: Ye shuld not be so spitus, standing in sich a woth. peril THIRD SON: Thise ar so hidus, with many a cold coth. disease NOAH: We will do as ye bid us; we will no more be wroth, Dere barnes! children 420 Now to the helme will I hent, And to my ship tent. attend, go NOAH'S WIFE: I see on the firmament, 710 Me think, the seven starnes. stars (planets) \[All go board the Ark\] NOAH: This is a grete flood; wife, take hede. 425 NOAH'S WIFE: So me thoght, as I stode; we ar in grete drede; Thise wawghes ar so wode. waves. . . wild NOAH: Help, god, in this nede! As Thou art stere-man good, and best, as I rede, steersman Of all; 720 Thou rewle us in this rase, rule . . . race, rush of water As thou me behete has. promised NOAH'S WIFE: This is a perlous case Help, god, when we call! \[Time passes\] NOAH: Wife, tent the stere-tree, and I shall asay tend to the tiller The deepnes of the see that we bere, if I may. NOAH'S WIFE: That shall I do ful wisely; now go thy way, 730 For upon this flood have we flett many day, floated With pine. pain NOAH: Now the water will I sound A! It is far to the ground; This travell I expound travail Had I to tine. time to lose Above all hilles bedeyn at the same time the water is risen late Cubittes fifteen, 740 bot in a higher state It may not be, I ween, for this well I wate, know This forty dayes has rain been. It will therfor abate Full lele. true This water in hast, Eft will I tast; Now am I agast, It is waned a grete dele. 750 Now are the weders cest ceased and cateractes knit, Both the most and the leest. NOAH'S WIFE: Me think, by my wit, The son shines in the eest. Lo, is not yond it? We shuld have a good feest, were thise floodes flyt gone away So spitus. cruel NOAH: We have been here, all we, 760 Thre hundreth dayes and fifty. NOAH'S WIFE: Yee, now wanes the see; Lord, well is us! 460 NOAH: The thrid tyme will I prufe what deepnes we bere. prove, test NOAH'S WIFE: How long shall thou hufe? Lay in thy line there. delay NOAH: I may touch with my lufe the ground even here. hand, palm NOAH'S WIFE: Then beginnes to grufe 770 to us mery chere; come to us Bot, husband, What ground may this be? NOAH: The hilles of Armonye. Armenia NOAH'S WIFE: Now blissed be He That thus for us can ordand! ordain NOAH: I see toppes of hilles he, high many at a sight, No thing to let me, prevent me (from seeing) the wether is so bright. NOAH'S WIFE: Thise ar of mercy tokens full right. NOAH: Dame, thou counsell me what foull best might And couth, knows how With flight of wing Bring, without tarrying, Of mercy som tokening Either by north or southe? For this is the first day 790 of the tent moine. tenth month NOAH'S WIFE: The raven, durst I lay, will com agane sone; bet As fast as thou may cast him furth, have done, He may happen to day com agane or none ere noon With grath. readiness (without delay) NOAH: I will cast out also Douves one or two 800 Go youre way, go, God send you som wathe! prey (something to fetch) \[Noah releases the birds\] Now ar thise foules flone flown into sere countre; various countries Pray we fast ichon, kneland on our knee, kneeling To Him that is alone worthiest of degre, That He wold send anon oure foules som fee possession 810 To glad us. NOAH'S WIFE: Thay may not faill of land, The water is so wanand. waning NOAH: Thank we God all weldand, ruling That Lord that made us. It is a wonder thing, me think sothle, truly Thay ar so long tarying, the foules that we Cast out in the morning. NOAH'S WIFE: Syr, it may be Thay tary to thay bring. until NOAH: The raven is a-hungrye hungered All way; always He is without any reson; And he find any carrion, And = if As peraventure may befon, happen He will not away; The douve is more gentill -- her trust I untew -- unto 830 Like unto the turtell, turtle dove for she is ay trew. true NOAH'S WIFE: Hence bot a litell. She commes! Lew, lew! look, look! \[The dove appears\] She bringes in her bill som novels new; new things Behold! It is of an olive tre A branch, thinkes me. NOAH: It is soth, perdee, by God 840 Right so is it cald. called Douve, bird, full blist, faire might thee befall! blessed Thou art trew for to trist as ston in the wall; trust Full well I it wist thou wold com to thy hall, knew NOAH'S WIFE: A trew token is't. is it We shall be saved all For why? 850 The water, sin she com, since Of deepnes plom, plumb Is fallen a fathom, And more hardely. FIRST SON: Thise floodes ar gone, fader, behold! SECOND SON: Ther is left right none, and that be ye bold. 525 THIRD SON: As still as a stone oure ship is stold. fixed NOAH: Upon land here anone that we were, fain I wold; My childer dere, Sem, Japhet and Cam, With glee and with game, Com go we all sam, together We will no longer abide here. NOAH'S WIFE: Here have we been, Noy, long enogh, Noah With tray and with teen grief. . . sorrow 870 and dreed mekill wogh. dreadful great woe NOAH: Behold, on this green nowther cart ne plogh neither Is left, as I ween, nowther tree then bogh, neither tree nor bough Ne other thing, Bot all is away; Many castels, I say, Grete townes of aray, great condition Flitt has this flowing. taken away . . . flood NOAH'S WIFE: Thise floodes not afright all this world, so wide Has meved with might on se and by side. moved NOAH: To dede ar thay dight death proudest of pride, put Ever ich a wight that ever was spide, With sin, All ar thay slain, 890 And put unto pain. i.e., gone to Hell NOAH'S WIFE: From thens again May thay never win? come NOAH: Win? No, i-wis. Bot He that might has Unless Wold min of thare mys, be mindful of their distress admitte thaim to grace. As He in bale is blis in evil (times) is a blessing I pray Him in this space, In heven hye with His, high 900 to purvaye us a place, provide That we, With His saintes in sight, And His angels bright, May com to His light Amen, for charitee. Here ends the play of Noah; that of Abraham follows. The text, lightly regularized and glossed, is from the edition by George England and Alfred W. Pollard, EETS, e.s. 71. London, 1897 \[Widener 11473.71\]. A newer and better edition is ed. by Martin Stevens and A.C. Cawley, EETS 1994. Note that this new edition has lineation that differs from that in the old EETS edition and that in the version printed above. This form of lineation as been adopted in this text, but note the line numbers of the old EETS edition are used (since this text is based on that edition).