THE SECOND SHEPHERDS' PLAY


(Wake field)
CHARACTERS
The ist Shepherd.
The 2nd Shepherd.
The 3rd Shepherd, a boy.
MAK, the Sheep-stealer.
GILL, Mak's wife.
The Virgin Mary.
The Christ Child.
An Angel.

SCENE: An English countryside; later, Bethlehem.

In presenting this play the pageant was divided into two
parts, at one end the fields where the shepherds watched their
flocks; at the other, the home of MAK and his wife GILL, later
used no doubt as the stable in Bethlehem.

Enter the ist Shepherd.

ist Shepherd. Lord! What, these weathers are cold, and I
am ill happed;
My hands nearly numb, so long have I napped.
My legs they fold, my fingers are chapped;
It is not as I would, for I am all lapped
In sorrow.
In storms and tempest,
Now in the east, now in the west,
Woe is him has never rest
Midday nor morrow!

But we silly shepherds that walk on the moor,

10

In faith, we are near-hands out of the door;
No wonder, as it stands, if we be poor,
For the tilth of our lands lies fallow as the floor,


As ye ken.
We are so hampered, 15
Over-taxed and crushed,
We are made hand-tamed

With these gentlery-men.

Thus they reave us of our rest; Our Lady them curse!

Title: called " Second" because in the Wakefield cycle there was another play
on the same theme, i. happed: clothed. 10. silly: poor. 13. tilth: tillable
portion of the land. 18. gentlery-men: the gentry land owners.

104

THE SECOND SHEPHERDS' PLAY 105

These men that are lord-tied, they cause the plough tarry. 20
That, men say, is for the best; we find it contrary.
Thus are husbandmen oppressed, in point to miscarry,


In life.
Thus hold they us under;
Thus they bring us in blunder!
It were great wonder

If ever should we thrive.

There shall come a swain as proud as a peacock,
He must borrow my wagon, my plough also;
Then I am full fain to grant ere he go.
Thus live we in pain, anger, and woe


By night and day.
He must have, if he longed,
Though I should have to do without it.
I were better be hanged 35

Than once say him nay.

For may one get a painted sleeve, or a brooch, now-a-days,
Woe to him that him grieves, or one word against him says!
Dare no man him reprove, whatever mastery he displays.
And yet may no man believe one word that he says, 40

No letter.
He can make purveyance,
With boast and bragging;
And all is through maintenance


By men that are greater. 45

It does me good, as I walk thus by mine own,
Of this world for to talk in manner of moan.
To my sheep will I stalk and hearken anon;
There abide on a ridge, or sit on a stone,


Full soon.
For I trow, pardie,
True men if they be,
We get more company


[Steps aside.

Ere it be noon.

Enter the 2nd Shepherd. He does not see the ist Shepherd.
2nd Shep. Beniste and Dominus! What may this be-
mean? 55

28. This stanza is sometimes (wrongly) interchanged with the one that follows.
37- painted sleeve: embroidered or decorated. 46. mine own: myself. 47.
moan: complaint. 55. Beniste: shortened from benedicite, "Bless me"; it is
frequently used in the Miracle plays.
J


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