THE ANGEL acquaints Joachim, that God, by making barrenness, shews "his myth & his mercye bothe; (1) reminds him that Sarah was ninety years barren and bore Isaac; (2) that barren Rachel bore Joseph, that of Egypt was kynge,(3) A stronger than Sampson; that Samuel's mother was barren, till she bore him; (*) And, in the lyke wyse, Anne, thy blyssyd wyff, Whic'h shall be blyssyd in her body, and have joys ffyff, be full of the holy ghost, inspired, and offered in the temple, () [Passages paralleled; from the Apoc. N. Test.] (1) MARY, ii.-1. But when he had been there for some time, on a certain day when he was alone, the angel of the Lord stood by him with a prodigious light, 2. To whom, being troubled at the appearance, the angel who had appeared to him, endeavouring to compose him, said; 3. Be not afraid, Joachim, nor troubled at the sight of me, for I am an angel of the Lord sent by him to you, that I might inform you, that your prayers are heard, and your alms ascended in the sight of God. 4. For he hath surely seen your shame, and heard you unjustly reproached for not having children; for God is the avenger of sin, and not of nature; 5. And so when he shuts the womb of any person, he does it for this reason, that he may in a more wonderful manner again open it, and that which is born appear to be not the product of lust, but the gift of God. (2) 6. For the first mother of your nation Sarah, was she not barren even till her eightieth year: And yet even in the end of her old age brought forth Isaac, in whom the promise was made of a blessing to all nations. (3) 7. Rachel also, so much in favour with God, and beloved so much by holy Jacob, continued barren for a long time, yet afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who was not only governor of Egypt, but delivered many nations from perishing with hunger. (4) 8. Who, among the judges, was more valiant than Sampson, or more holy than Samuel? And yet both their mothers were barren. (5) 9. But if reason will not convince you of the truth of my words, that there are frequent conceptions in advanced years, and that those who were barren have brought forth to their great surprise; therefore Anna your wife shall bring you a daughter, and you shall call her name Mary; (6) 10. She shall, according to your vow, be devoted to the Lord from her infancy, and be filled with the Holy Ghost from her mother's womb; 11. She shall neither eat nor drink And as sche sc'hal be bor' of a barrany body, So, of her, schal be bor', with out natur', J'hus, "In tokyn" he prophesies to Joachim, that he shall meet Anne at the gyldyd gate of Jerusalem. (2) JOACHIM takes his leave of the shepherds, who being glad to see his spirits revive, say, We schal make vs so mery, now this is be stad, THE ANGEL appears to ANNE, tells her that God hath heard her prayers, that she shall meet her husband at the "goldyn gate," and conceive, and bear a child, whose destiny he foretels, (3) and Anne rejoices, [Her go'th the Aungel agen to hefne.] [Passages paralleled; from the Apoc. N. Test.] any thing which is unclean, nor shall her conversation be without among the common people, but in the temple of the Lord; that so she may not fall under any slander or suspicion of what is bad. (1) MARY, ii.-12. So in the process of her years, as she shall be in a miraculous manner born of one that was barren, so she shall, while yet a virgin, in a way unparalleled, bring forth the Son of the most High God, who shall be called Jesus, and, according to the signification of his name, be the Saviour of all nations. (2) 13. And this shall be a sign to you of the things which I declare, namely, when you come to the golden gate of Jerusalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who being very much troubled that you returned no sooner, shall then rejoice to see you. (3) iii.-1. Afterwards the angel appeared to Anna his wife, saying: Fear not, neither think that which you see is a spirit; 2. For I am that angel who hath offered up your prayers and alms before God, and am now sent to you, that I may inform you, that a daughter will be born unto you, who shall be called Mary, and shall be blessed above all women. 6. Arise, therefore, and go up to Jerusalem, and when you shall come to that which is called the golden gate (because it is gilt with gold), as a sign of what I have told you, you shall meet your husband, for whose safety you have been so much concerned. JOACHIM and ANNE meet in great joy, and he gives her a "kusse of clennesse."(1) The drama concludes with an intimation that it is their intention to go home, To thank god, that sytt in tron', That thus hath sent us his grace. [Passages paralleled; from the Apoc. N. Test.] (1). MARY, iii.-8. T According | diction, they met each other. therefore to the command of the angel, both of them left the places where they were, aud when they came to the place specified in the angel's pre 11. T So Anna conceived, and brought forth a daughter, and, according to the angel's command, the parents did call her name Mary. MYSTERY II. IN COTTON MS. PAGEANT IX. MARY'S EDUCATION IN THE TEMPLE, THE PLAY opens by Contemplation speaking a Prologue beginning Sovereynes ye have sen shewyd you befor', Of Joachym & Anne, both ther'e holy metynge; The Prologue announces the entrance of Mary and how as a childe of iij yer' age, her' she schal apper, That holy mater we wole declare, Tyl ffortene yer', how sche did far': Now of you' speche I pray yow spar, All that ben in this place. [Her Joachym and Anne, with our lady be twen hem, beyng al in whyte, as a childe of iij yer' age, presente her' in to the temple; thus seyng Joachym.(1)] [Passages paralleled; from the Apoc. N. Test.] (1) MARY, iv.-1. And when three years were expired, and the time of her weaning complete, they brought the Virgin to the temple of the Lord with offerings. JOACHIM exclaims "Blyssyd be our lord, ffayr ffrute have we now," and he reminds his wife of their VOW: The age of Mary, our dowter, is yers three, Th'for', to thre p'sonys and on god, lete vs her p'sent. ANNE assents, and says to Mary, Dowter, the aungel (told) us ye shulde be a qwen; Wole ye be pur' maydy', & also goddys wyff? Mary answers, that as her father and mother have vowed, -so ssothly wow I To be goddys chast seruaunt, whil lyff is mine; I am the sympelest that ever was borne of body; I haue herd you sey'd god schulde haue a modyr swete, That I may leve to se hir', god graunt me, for his mercy, & abyl me to ley my handys vndyr hir' fayr fete. [Et genuflectet ad deum.] JOACHIM encourages Mary by observing, I wys dowter it is wel seyd Ye answer & ye wer' twenty yer' olde. JOACHIM and ANNE go to Issachar, and Joachim addresses him thus: Her' p'nce of Prestes, & it plese you, We, that wer' barryn, god hath sent a childe, To offre her to goddys service we made our' a vow: 4 |