Everyman | The Second Shepherds’ Play
The Second Shepherds’ Play
[The First Shepherd (Primus Pastor) enters.]
- Primus Pastor.
-
Lord, but this weather is cold, and I am ill wrapped!
Night dazed, were the truth told, so long have I napped;
My legs under me fold; my fingers are chapped—
With such like I don’t hold, for I am all lapt
In sorrow.(5)
In storms and tempest,
Now in the east, now in the west,
Woe is him has never rest
Midday nor morrow!
But we seely shepherds that walk on the moor,(10)
In faith we’re nigh at hand to be put out of door.
No wonder, as it doth stand, if we be poor,
For the tilth of our land lies fallow as the floor,
As ye ken.
We’re so burdened and banned,(15)
Over-taxed and unmanned,
We’re made tame to the hand
Of these gentry men.
Thus they rob us of our rest, our Lady them harry!
These men bound to their lords’ behest, they make the plough tarry,(20)
What men say is for the best, we find the contrary,—
Thus are husbandmen oppressed, in point to miscarry,
In life,
Thus hold they us under
And from comfort sunder.(25)
It were great wonder,
If ever we should thrive.
For if a man may get an embroidered sleeve or a brooch now-a-days,
Woe is him that may him grieve, or a word in answer says!
No blame may he receive, whatever pride he displays;(30)
And yet may no man believe one word that he says,
Not a letter.
His daily needs are gained
By boasts and bragging feigned,
And in all he’s maintained(35)
By men that are greater.
Proud shall come a swain as a peacock may go,
He must borrow my wain, my plough also,
Then I am full fain to grant it ere he go.
Thus live we in pain, anger, and woe(40)
By night and day!
He must have it, if he choose,
Though I should it lose,
I were better hanged than refuse,
Or once say him nay!(45)
It does me good as I walk thus alone
Of this world for to talk and to make my moan.
To my sheep will I stalk, and hearken anon,
There wait on a balk, or sit on a stone.
Full soon,(50)
For I trow, pardie,
True men if they be,
We shall have company,
Ere it be noon.
[The First Shepherd goes out (or to one side). The Second Shepherd enters.]
- Secundus Pastor.
-
Ben’cite and Dominus! What may this mean?(55)
Why fares the world thus! The like often we’ve seen!
Lord, but it is spiteful and grievous, this weather so keen!
And the frost so hideous—it waters mine een!
That’s no lie!
Now in dry, now in wet,(60)
Now in snow, now in sleet,
When my shoes freeze to my feet,
It’s not all easy!
But so far as I ken, wherever I go,
We seely wedded men suffer mickle woe,(65)
We have sorrow once and again, it befalls oft so.
Seely Capel, our hen, both to and fro
She cackles,
But if she begins to croak,
To grumble or cluck,(70)
Then woe be to our cock,
For he is in the shackles!
These men that are wed have not all their will;
When they’re full hard bestead, they sigh mighty still;
God knows the life they are led is full hard and full ill,(75)
Nor thereof in bower or bed may they speak their will,
This tide.
My share I have found,
Know my lesson all round,
Woe is him that is bound,(80)
For he must it abide!
But now late in men’s lives (such a marvel to me
That I think my heart rives such wonders to see,
How that destiny drives that it should so be!)
Some men will have two wives and some men three(85)
In store.
Some are grieved that have any,
But I’ll wager my penny
Woe is him that has many,
For he feels sore!(90)
But young men as to wooing, for God’s sake that you bought,
Beware well of wedding, and hold well in thought,
“Had I known” is a thing that serves you nought.
Much silent sorrowing has a wedding home brought,
And grief gives,(95)
With many a sharp shower—
For thou mayest catch in an hour
What shall taste thee full sour
As long as one lives!
For—if ever read I epistle!—I have one by my fire,(100)
As sharp as a thistle, as rough as a briar,
She has brows like a bristle and a sour face by her;
If she had once wet her whistle, she might sing clearer and higher
Her pater-noster;
She is as big as a whale,(105)
She has a gallon of gall,—
By him that died for us all,
I wish I had run till I had lost her!
- Primus Pastor.
-
“God look over the row!” like a deaf man ye stand.
- Primus Pastor.
-
Yea, on the pasture-land
I heard him blow just before; he comes nigh at hand
Below there.
Stand still.
- Secundus Pastor.
-
Why?
- Primus Pastor.
-
For he comes, hope I.(115)
- Secundus Pastor.
-
He’ll catch us both with some lie
Unless we beware.
[The Third Shepherd enters, at first without seeing them.]
- Tertius Pastor.
-
Christ’s cross me speed and St. Nicholas!
Thereof in sooth I had need, it was worse than it was.
Whoso hath knowledge, take heed, and let the world pass,(120)
You may never trust it, indeed,—it’s as brittle as glass,
As it rangeth.
Never before fared this world so,
With marvels that greater grow,
Now in weal, now in woe,(125)
And everything changeth.
There was never since Noah’s flood such floods seen,
Winds and rains so rude and storms so keen;
Some stammered, some stood in doubt, as I ween.—
Now God turn all to good, I say as I mean!(130)
For ponder
How these floods all drown
Both in fields and in town,
And bear all down,
And that is a wonder!(135)
We that walk of nights our cattle to keep,
[Catches sight of the others.
We see startling sights when other men sleep.
Yet my heart grows more light—I see shrews a-peep.
Ye are two tall wights—I will give my sheep
A turn, below.(140)
But my mood is ill-sent;
As I walk on this bent,
I may lightly repent,
If I stub my toe.
Ah, Sir, God you save and my master sweet!(145)
A drink I crave, and somewhat to eat.
- Primus Pastor.
-
Christ’s curse, my knave, thou’rt a lazy cheat!
- Secundus Pastor.
-
Lo, the boy lists to rave! Wait till later for meat,
We have eat it.
Ill thrift on thy pate!(150)
Though the rogue came late,
Yet is he in state
To eat, could he get it.
- Tertius Pastor.
-
That such servants as I, that sweat and swink,
Eat our bread full dry gives me reason to think.(155)
Wet and weary we sigh while our masters wink,
Yet full late we come by our dinner and drink—
But soon thereto
Our dame and sire,
When we’ve run in the mire,(160)
Take a nip from our hire,
And pay slow as they care to.
But hear my oath, master, since you find fault this way,
I shall do this hereafter—work to fit my pay;
I’ll do just as much, sir, and now and then play,(165)
For never yet supper in my stomach lay
In the fields.
But why dispute so?
Off with staff I can go.
“Easy bargain," men say,(170)
“But a poor return yields.”
- Primus Pastor.
-
Thou wert an ill lad for work to ride wooing
From a man that had but little spending.
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