amisse I pray to God him so to blisse As soone to cure this his disease Halfe the Shepherds Amen say I if it him please Halfe the Shepherds Sure I suppoze how ere the cace doth stand He hath this time some weightie thing in hand The song of the Shepherds As howge as is the world we see With all the things that in it be Yet nothing is so strong and sure That can for euer here endure Almighty God which all mainteynes Can nothing spie that ay remaynes Except him selfe all else ech one Indure short time and soone are gone The sunne with bright and burning beames Goes casting forth his cheerefull gleames As long as day in skie doth last Then darksom night doth ouer cast All kind of thinges both fowle and fayre With coleblacke winges aloft in ayre And of the moone what shall we say Which neuer keepeth at a stay Sometimes with hornes she doth appeere Sometime halfe 〈◊〉 now thicke now cleere Anon with rownd and fulsom face The night she fro the skie doth chace The twincling starres aboue on hye Ronne rolling rownd about the skye One while with wether fayre and cleere Another while with lowring cheere Two dayes togither match and ye Them like in all poynts shall not see The one doth passe more swift away The other longer while doth stay The one as though it did vs spyght Bereeues vs of the cheerfull lyght The other with his color bryght Doth ioy our hart and dim our sight One burnes the world with heate from skyes With frost and cold another dyes With purple greene blew white and red The earth earwhile is ouerspred Anon a blast of nipping cold Maks freshest thinges looke seare and old The riuers with their waters moyst Aboue their bankes are often hoyst And passe their bownds with rage so farre That they the plowmans hope doe marre And afterward they fall within Their chanells ronning lank and thin And therefore whoso doth him grownd On awght that in the world is fownd Beneath or in the starrie skyes I say I count him nothing wyze What then of him is to be sayd Whose hope on man is wholly stayd Ech liuing creature subiect is To endlesse inconueniencis And yit among them all the sunne In all his course which he doth runne Beholdeth not a feebler wyght Than man is in his cheefest plyght For he that is most wyze and stowt Is so beseeged rownd abowt And so assayld with vices strong That often he is throwen along What a foole is he whose hart Thinks to be free from wo and smart So long as he doth liue on mowld But if that any creature wowld Be sure taccumplish that desire He must goe set his hart more higher Whereof our maister rightly may A good example bee that way Halfe the Shepherds The best I thinke that can be now espyde Is for too draw vs one asyde That ech of vs may by him selfe alone Pray God to send our maister which is gone A safe returne with gladnesse gowe Halfe the Shepherds I will not be behind I trowe A pavvse Isaac My father Abraham Alas a poore father am I. Isaac Sir here is woode with fire and knyfe redy But as for sheepe or lambe I see none here For you to offer Abraham O my sonne most deere God will prouide Abide thou heere I say While I to God a litle whyle doo pray Isaac Good father go but yit I pray you showe Me whereupon this greef of yours doth growe Which doth I see so greatly you appall Abraham At my returne my sonne thou shalt know all But in the meane tyme pray thy selfe heere too ▪ Isaac It is good reason that I should so doe And therewithall I will ech thing addresse That first this wood may be in redinesse This billet first shall gin the order heere Then this then that shall cloze togither neere Thus all these thinges are redie now and prest My father shall prouide for all the rest And now O God I will aside retyre To pray to thee as reason doth requyre Sara The more we liue the more we see alas What life it is that in this world we passe Was neuer woman borne vpon the mowld That for hir husband or hir yssue could Hirselfe with me in happinesse compare But yit I haue indurde such greefe and care These last three dayes since they went hence that well I am not able for my life to tell Which of the twayne hath greater to me beene The former ioy or present peyne I meene Which I haue felt these last 3. dayes since they Haue bin away for nother night nor day Haue I tane rest bycause my mind doth ronne On nothing but my husband and my sonne And of a truth I was to blame as tho In that I suffered them away to goe And went not with them Of the six dayes three Alas but three my God yit passed bee And yit three mo my patience still must proue Alas my God which seest me from aboue Both outwardly and inwardly alway Uowtsafe to shorten these three yeeres I say For were they much more shorter than they be They be not dayes but moneths yeeres to me My God thy promis putts me out of dowt But if thou long delay the falling out I feare I shall haue neede of greater strength To beare the peyne in holding out at length Wherefore my God now graunt thou vnto me I may with ioy right soone my husband see And eke mine Isaac in mine armes embrace Returnd in helth and saftie to this place Abraham O God my God thou seest my open hart And of my thowghts thou seest ech secret part So that my cace I neede not to declare Thou seest alas thou seest my wofull care Thou onely canst me rid of my diseaze By graunting me if that it might thee pleaze One onely thing the which I dare not craue Satan An other song then this yit must we haue ▪ Abraham What what and is it possible that Gods Behest and deede should euer be at oddes Can he deceiue euen to this present day He hath kept towche in all that he did say And can he now vnsay his word no no. But yit it would ensew he should doe so If he my sonne should take away as now What say I O my God my God sith thow Doost bid me I will doe it Is it right That I so sinfull and so wretched wight Should fall to scanning of the iudgements Of thy most perfect pure commaundements Satan My cace goes ill O Cowle we must yit find Some other way tassault this hagards mind Abraham It maybe that I haue imagined Amisse the more it is examined The more the cace seemes straūge It was perchaunce Some dreame or wicked feend that at a glaunce Did put this matter in my head for why So cruell offrings please not God perdye He cursed Cayne for killing of his brother And shall I kill myne Isaac and none other Satan No no. Neuer doe
goods are ay Increaced passing wondrous well Then for the couenants sake Which God him selfe did make Betwene him and our maister deere Our maister and we all As well the great as small At once all circumcized were Isaac My fellowes God hath shewed himselfe to vs So good so louing and so gracious That I can neuer any thing yit craue Ne small ne great but that I much more haue Than I desire I would haue gone with you As you doe know to see full fayne but now Behold my father commeth here at hand Abraham and Sara But it behoueth vs to vnderstand That if God will vs any thing to doe We must streyt wayes obedient be thereto And nother striue nor speake against his will. Sara In deede Sir so I thinke and purpose still But yit I pray you thinke not straunge that I Doe take this matter som what heauily Abraham A good hart wife doth shew it self at neede ▪ Sara That 's trew ▪ therfore lets be sure in deede It is Gods will and mind we should doe so We haue but this child onely and no mo Who yit is weake in him stands all the trust Of all our hope with him it falls to dust Abraham Nay rather in God. Sara But giue me leaue to say Abraham Can euer God his word once sayd vnsay ▪ No no and therefore be you out of dowt That God wil keepe ▪ prosper him throughout Sara Yea but will God haue vs to hazard him Abraham No hazarding it is where God doth gard him Sara My hart misgiueth some mishappe Abraham I nother dread nor dowt of any hap Sara There is in hand some secret enterpryze Abraham What ere it be it doth from God aryze Sara At least if what it were you wist Abraham I shall ere long if God so list Sara So long away the child will neare abide Abraham For that our God will well ynough prouide Sara Yea but the wayes now full of daungers are Abraham Who dyes in following God needs neuer care Sara If he should dyeth ē farewel our good dayes Abraham God doth foresett mens dying times alwayes Sara It were much better here to sacrifyze Abraham What euer you thinke God thinks otherwise ▪ Sara Well then Sir sith it must be so The grace of God with both you goe Adiew my sonne Isaac Good mother eke adieu Sara My sonne obey thy father still And God thee saue that if it be his will Thou mayst in health returne right soone agein My child I can not me refreyne But that I needes must kisse the now Isaac Good mother if it should not trouble you I would desire you one thing ere I went. Sara Say on my sonne for I am well content To graunt thee thy request Isaac I humbly doe you pray To put this greef away These teares of yours refreyne I shall returne ageine I hope in better plyght Than now I am in syght And therefore stay this greef and wo. Abraham My fellowes we haue now to goe Good six daies iorney ere we rest See that your cariages be prest And all the things that we shall neede The Companie Sir as for that let vs take heede Doe you no more but onely shew your will. Abraham On then and God be with you still The mightie God who of his goodnesse ay From time to time euen to this present day So kind and gracious vnto vs hath be Be helpfull still both vnto you and mee Deale wisely howsoeuer that you fare I hope this iorney which we going are Shall be performed happily Sara Alas alas full litle wote I When I shall see you all ageine The Lord now with you all remayne Isaac Good mother God you guyde Abraham Farewell The Company God guide and keepe you through his grace Abraham Gowe on Sirs let vs hence apace Satan But is not this ynough to make me mad That whereas I make euery man to gad And all the world to follow after me If they my finger doe but hild vp see And ther withall set all thinges on a rore Yit for all that I neuer could the more This false olde fellow bring vnto my lure For any thing that yit I can procure Behold he is departed from this place Gods will full bent tobey in euery cace Although the matter neuer be so straunge But yit it may be that his mind will chaunge Or that he shall him sacrifyze in deede And so he shall if I may help him speede For if he doe then Isaac shall be dead Whereby my hart shall be deliuered Of that same feare least God in him fulfill The threate whereby he promist me to spill And if he chaunge his mind then may I say The gold is wonne for may I once so play My part as for to make him disobey Almighty Gods commaundment or repyne Then were he banisht from the grace diuine That is the marke whereat I alwayes shoote Now hye thee Cowle set forth the better foote Le ts ronne apace and by some cunning drift Foyle him in feeld or put him to his shift A Pavvze Abraham My children this is now the third day That we haue traueld making litle stay Here must you tarry as for me I will With Isaac goe yit further onward still Unto a place from hence yet distant more Which God almighty shewed me before Where I must pray and offer sacrifyze As he requires Wherefore in any wyze Abide you here and stirre not hence But thou Sonne Isaac shalt goe with me as now For God requires in this behalfe thy presence The Shepherds Sir sith you forbid vs we will not hence Abraham This bundle vnto him betake And I the fire and knife will take We shal God willing come agein right soone But in the meane while wot ye what to doone Pray ye to God both for your selues and vs. Alas alas was neuer wyght ywus Shepherds We will not fayle Abraham That had such neede as I. Well Sirs I say no more but God be wy Shepherds And with yow too Halfe the Shepherds It greatly mazeth me Halfe the Shepherds And me likewyze Halfe the Shepherds And me too for too see Him so dismayd which hath so stowtly borne All haps that haue befalne him heretooforne Halfe the Shepherds To say he is afrayd of warre Debate or strife or any iarre It were no reason for we knowe Abimelech the king did showe Such honor to our maisterward That he not onely had regard To visit him but eke did knit A leage with him which lasteth yit And as for howshold matters what Can he desire which he hath nat Halfe the Shepherds He liues in outward peace and rest But age perchaunce doth woork vnrest Halfe the Shepherds Of zunnes he hath but onely one But in the world mo such are none His cattel thryue in such great store As God doth seeme to giue him more Than he him selfe can wish or craue Halfe the Shepherds Nothing ye can so perfect haue But alwaies sumwhat is
of the Scripture I wil refer it to him that shal speake of it in the conclusion praying you whosoeuer you be to accept this my small labour with as good will as I offer it you From Lausan the first of October 1550. THE ARGVMENT OF THIS TRAGEDIE TAKEN OVT OF THE TVVO AND twentith chapter of Genesis AFtervvard God tryed AbrahaÌ„ and sayd vnto him Abraham And he aunsvvered Here I am Then sayd he to him take thyne onely sonne out of hande euen Isaac vvhome thou louest goe into the country of Morea there offer him vp for a burnt sacrifice vppon one of the hills that I vvill shevve thee Abraham therefore rising earely sadled his asse tooke tvvo seruants vvith him Isaac his sonne And vvhen he had cut vvood for the burnt sacrifice he arose and vvent to the place that God had told him of The third day Abraham loking vp savv the place a farre of and sayd to his seruaunts tarry you here vvith the Asse for I and the ladde vvil goe yonder and vvhen vve haue 〈◊〉 vve vvill come to you againe Then Abraham tooke the vvood for the burnt sacrifice layd it vpon Isaac his sonne tooke the fire and a knife in his ovvne hand and so they vvent forth togither Then sayd Isaac to Abraham his father My father Abraham aunsvvered here I am my sonne And he said Beholde here is fire and vvood but vvhere is the Lambe for burnt sacrifice Abraham aunsvvered my sonne God vvill prouide him a lambe for burnt sacrifice And they vvent on both togither And vvhen they came to the place that God had spoken of he builded an altar there and layd the vvood in order vppon it and then bound Isaac his sonne laid him vpon the altar aboue the vvood and putting forth his hand cavvght the knife to stryke of his sonnes necke Then an Angell of the Lord cryed vnto him from heauen saying AbrahaÌ„ Abraham VVho aunsvvered loe here I am And he sayd vnto him lay not thy hand vpon the child nother doe anything vnto him For novv I knovve thou fearest God seeing thou hast not spared thine only soÌ„ne for my sake â–ª AbrahaÌ„ loked vp savv behold a sheep vvas cavvght behind him in a bush by the hornes Then Abraham vvent and tooke the sheepe and offered it vp for a burnt offering in steede of his sonne And Abraham called the name of the place The Lord shall see VVhereof it is sayd at this day of that mounteyne The Lord shal be seene And the Angell of the Lord called vnto Abraham from out of heauen the second tyme saying I haue svvorne by my selfe sayth the Lorde for as much as thou hast done this thing not spared thyne onely sonne I vvill blesse thee and multiply thy seede as the starres of the sky as the sand on the seas shore and thy seede shall possesse the gates of thyne enemies And all nations of the earth shall be blessed in thy seede because thou hast obeyed my voyce The speakers The Prologue Abraham Sara Isaac A companie of shepherds of Abrahams ovvne house diuided in tvvo partes The Angell Satan THE PROLOGE GOd saue you euery chone both great and small Of all degrees right welcom by you all It is now long at least as seemes to me Since here such preace togither I did see VVould God we might each weeke through all the yeare See such refort in Churches as is here Ye Gentlemen and Ladies I ye pray Giue eare and harken what I haue to say To hold your peace alonly I require VVhat weene you some wil say by that desire VVe nother can nor will away with that But yit you must or else I tell you flat That both of vs our labour lose togither In speaking I and you in comming hither VVherefore I craue but silence at your hand My wordes with patience for to vnderstand Both great and small alonly doe but heare And I will tel you straunge wondrous geere VVherefore now harken for the thing is great VVhereof I mind this present time to treate You thinke your selues ê‘chauÌ„ce to be in place VVhere as you be not now as standes the case For Lausan is not here it is farre hence But yit when neede requires I will dispence VVith all of you that hence within an hower Eche one may safely be within his bowre As now this is the land of Palestine VVhat do you woÌ„der at these words of myne I say yit further to you see you well Yon place It is the house wherein doth dwell A seruaunt of the liuing Gods whose name Hight Abraham the righteous man the same VVhose liuely faith hath woÌ„ him endles fame Anon you shall him tempted see and tryde toucht to quicke with grefs that shal betide And lastly you shall see him iustified By faith for killing in a certeine wise Isaac his dearest sonne in sacrifice And shortly you shall see straunge passions The flesh the world his owne affections Not onely shall be shewed in liuely hew But which more is his faith shal them subdue And that it is so many a faithfull wight Anon shall beare me record in your sight First Abraham and Sara you shall see And Isaac eke shall with them both agree Now are not these sufficient witnessings VVho minds therfore to see so woÌ„drous thiÌ„gs VVe pray him onely talking to forbeare And vnto vs to giue attentiue eare Assuring him that he shall see and heare No trifling toyes but graue woÌ„drous geere And that we will his eares to him restore to vse them as he listeth as before Abrahams Sacrifice Abraham commeth out of his house sayth ALas my God and was there euer any That hath indurde of coÌ„braÌ„ces so many As I haue done by fleeting too and fro Since I my natiue countrie did forgo Or is there any liuing on the ground Of benefits that hath such plenty found Loe how thou makest mortall men to see Thy passing goodnes by calamitie And as of nought thou madest euery thing So out of ill thou causest good to spring Was neuer wight so blessed at thy hand That could thy greatnes fully Vnderstand Full threescore yeares and thereto fifteene mo My life had lasted now in weale and woe According to the course in sundry wise Appointed by thy heauenly destinies Whose will it was I should be bred and borne Of parents rich in catell coyne and corne But vnto him that richest is in fee What ioy or comfort could his riches be When he compeld compelled was I say To see to serue and worship euery day A thowsand forged gods in steede of thee Which madst the heauen earth which we do see Thou then eftsoones didst will me to conuey My selfe from those same places quite away And I immediatly vpon thy call Left Parents countrie goods with gods all Yea Lord thou knowest I wist not whither theÌ„ Thou wouldst me lead nor where me stay agen But he that followeth thee
wherewithall as now The world is vnacquainted but I vow The day shall come it shall be knowne so rife Of euery wight both child yea man and wife That nother towne nor village shall scape free From seeing it to their great miserie O cowle o cowle such mischef thou shalt wurk And such abuse shall vnderneath thee lurke At high noone daies O Cowle o Cowle I say Such mischief to the world thou shalt conuey That if it were not for the spitefulnesse Wherewith my hart is frawghted in excesse Euen I my selfe the wretched world shall rew To see the things that shall through thee insew For I than who of all none worse can be Am made yit worse by putting on of thee These thinges shall in their time without all faile Be brought to passe As now I will assaile One Abraham who onely with his race Withstands me and defies me to my face In deede I haue him often times assailed But euer of my purpose I haue failed I neuer saw olde fellow hold such tack But I will lay such loade vpon his backe That as I hope ere long I shall him make A sonne of myne I know that he doth take The true Creator for his onely hold To trust vnto and that doth make him bold In deede he hath alliance with the trew Creator who hath promist him a new Right wondrous thinges according whereunto He hath already done and still will doe But what for that If stedfastnes him faile To hold out still what shall his hope auaile I trow I will so many blowes him giue That from his hold at length I shall him driue His elder sonne I feare not and the other Shal hardly scape these hands of mine the mother Is but a woman as for all the meynie That serue him they be simple sowles as enie Can lightly be there is a ragged stowt Of sillie shepherds nother skild nor stowt Ynough against my wily sleights to stand But hence I will and worke so out of hand To haue them that vnlesse I misse my marke Anon I will deceiue their greatest Clarke Abraham comming out of his house agein sayth What euer thing I doe or say I weery am thereof streit way How meete so euer that it bee So wicked nature reignes in me But most of all it me mislikes And to the hart with sorrow strikes That seeing God is neuer tyrde In helping me yea vndezyrde I also likewise doe not streyne My selfe vnweerie to remayne In dew and trew acknowledgment Of his great mercie to me sent As well with mouth as with my hart The Angell Abraham Abraham Abraham Lord here I am Angell Goe take thyne onely deerebeloued sonne Euen Isaac and bring him to the place which hight the myrrh of God which being done Slea him in sacrifice before my face And burne him whole vpon a hill which I Will shew thee there goe hye thee by and by Abraham What! burne him burne him wel I wil do so But yit my God the thing thou putst me to Seemes very straunge and irksom for to be Lord I beseech thee wilt thou pardon me Alas I pray thee giue me strength and power To doe that thou commaundest me this howre I well perceiue and plainly now doe find That thou art angrie with me in thy mind Alas my Lord I haue offended thee O God by whom both heauen earth made be With whom intendest thou to be at warre And wilt thou cast thy seruaunt downe so farre Alas my sonne alas what shall I doe This matter as kes aduised looking too A companie of Shepherdes comming out of Abrahams house The one halfe of them Hie time it is Sirs as I trow We hie vs packing on a row To our companions where they be The other halfe Euen so thinkes me For if we all togither were We should the lesser neede to feare Isaac How Sirs I pray you tary Will You leaue me so behind you still Shepherds Good child abide you there Or else our maister your father And our mistresse your mother may Be angrie for your going away The time will come by Gods good grace That you shall grow and proue a pace And then ye shall perceiue the charge Of keeping flocks in feelds at large What daungers come from hill and dale By rauening beasts that lye in stale Among the couerts of the woode To kill our cattell for their foodd Isaac And doe ye thinke I would Goe with you though I could Before I knew my fathers mind Shepherds In deede a child of honest kind And well brought vp ought euermore His fathers and his mothers lore In all his doings to obey Isaac I will not fayle it if I may To die therefore but will ye stay A while vntill I ronne and know My fathers will Shep. Yea therefore goe The song of the Shepherds O happy is the wight That grounds him selfe aright On God and maketh him his shield And lets the worldly wize Which looke aboue the skies Goe wander where they list in field No rich ne poore estate Can puffe or yit abate The godly and the faithfull hart The faithfull goeth free Although he martred be A thowsand times with woe and smart The mighty God him leeds In chiefest of his needes And hath of him a speciall care To make him to abide Euen at the poynt to slide When worst of all he seemes to fare Whereof a proofe we see Our maister well may be For why the more him men assayle And urge on euery side Lesse feare in him is spyde And lesse his courage doth him fayle He left his natiue soyle Hard famin did him foyle Which draue him into Egypt land And there a king of might Tooke Sara from his sight Uniustly euen by force of hand But streit on sute to God The King through Gods sharp rod Did yeeld to him his wife streit way And abraham neuer stayd But as the King him prayd Departed thence without delay And during this his flight He grew to so good plight That Loth to part away was faine Bycause as stoode the case To litle was the place To keepe the flockes of both them twayne There fell a sodeyn iarre Betweene nine Kings through warre Wherein fiue kings were put to flight And Loth him selfe with all His goods both great and small Away was caried cleane and quite Our faithfull Maister streit On newes of this conceit Made fresh pursute immediatly And hauing but as then Three hundred eighteene men Did make the enmies all to fly And of the reskewd pray The tenth to the preest did pay And hauing done ech man his right Returned home anon With commendacion For putting so his foes to flight But nother sonne he had Nor daughter him to glad Which thing when Sara did perceiue She put her maid in bed To serue her husbands sted Bycause her selfe could not conceiue So Agar bare a sonne A thirteene yeares outronne Whose name is called Ismael And to this present day Our maisters
soe Abraham Alas alas what ment I so to sayne Forgiue me Lord and pluck me backe agein From this leawd race wherin my sin gan go O Lord my God deliuer me from this wo. This hand of mine shall certeinly him smight For sith it is thy will it is good right It should be doone Wherfore I will obey Satan But I will keepe you from it if I may Abraham So doing I should make my God vntrew For he hath told me that there should insew So great a people out of this my sonne As ouer all the earth should spred and ronne And therefore if that Isaac once were kild I see not how this couenant could be hild Alas Lord hast thou made him thē for nowght Alas Lord is it vaine that thou so oft Hast promist me such things in Isaake As thou wooldst neuer doo for others sake Alas and can the things repealed be Which thou so oft hast promist vnto me Alas and shall my hope haue such an end Wherto should then mans hope trusting tēd The summe of all I minded to haue sayd Is that to thee I hartily haue prayd To giue me yssue hoping that when thow Hadst graunted it I should haue liued now In ioy and pleasure but I see full well The contrary to my desire befell For of my sonns which were no mo but twayn To put away the one my selfe was fayne And of the other O hard extremitee Both father I and tormenter must be Yea tormenter yea tormenter alas But art not thou the selfe same God which was Contented for too heere me patiently When I did pray to thee so instantly Euen in the midds of all thy wrath and yre When Sodom thou didst mind to burne with fire Now then my God and King wilt thou say nay When for my selfe I vnto thee doe pray Whom I begate him must I now deface O God at leastwise graunt me yit this grace Satan Grace in my book that word I neuer found Abraham Some other man my sonne to death may wownd Alas my Lord and must this hand of myne To such a stroke against all kind declyne How will it towch his wofull mother neere Whē of his violent death she needes shal heere If I alledge thy will for my defence Who will beleue that thou wilt so dispence And if men doe not credit it what fame Will fly abrode to my perpetuall shame I shall be shund of all men more and lesse As paterne of extremest cruelnesse And as for thee who will vnto thee pray Or on thy word and promise euer stay Alas may these hore heares of myne abide The sorrow that is likely to betide Haue I alredy past so many daungers Haue I so traueld countries that are straūgers In heate and cold in thirst and hunger still Continewally obedient to thy will Haue I so long time liued lingringly Now in the end to dye vnhappily O hart of mine clyue clyue asunder clyue And linger heere no longer time aliue The speedier death the lesser is the greef Satan Now is he downe if God send no releef Abraham What sayd I what intend I O my God Which didst create and make me of a clod Thou art my Lord and I thy seruant trew Out of my natiue countrie thou me drew How oftentimes hast thou assured me That vnto mine this land should lotted be And when thou gaue me Isaac didst not thow Most faithfully and constantly auow That out of him such ofspring should be bred As should this land throughout all ouerspred Then if thou wilt needs take him now away What should I thereunto ageinst thee say He is thine owne I had him of thy gift Take him therfore Thou knowest best how to I know thou wilt to life him rayze againe Rather than that thy promis should be vaine Howbeit Lord thou knowest I am a man No good at all or doo or thinke I can But yit thy power which ay is inuincible Doth to beleef make all things possible Hence flesh hence fond affections euery chone Ye humane passions let me now alone Nothing to me is good or reasonable Which to Gods will is not agreeable Satan Well well then Isaac shall dye and wee What will insew therof shall after see O false old hag thou makste me soft to grone Abraham See where my sonne walks vp downe alone O silie child O wretched men death oft Within our bosoms lodgeth him full soft When furthest of we take him for too be And therfore right great need alwaies haue we To leade such life as if we fayne would die But wotest thou my sonne alas what I Intend to say Isaac What pleaseth you good father Abraham Alas that word doth kill my hart the rather Yit must I better corage to me take Isaac my sonne alas my hart doth quake Isaac Father me thinks that feare hath you dismayd Abraham O my deere child it is as thou hast sayd Alas my God. Isaac Sir if it may you pleaze Be bold to tell me what doth you diseaze Abraham Ah my deere child wist thou what thing it were Mercie good Lord thy mercie graunt vs here My sonne my sonne beholdest thou this lyne This wood this fire and eke this knife of myne This geere my Isac serueth all for thee Satan Of God and nature enmie though I bee Yit is this thing so hard a cace to see That euen almost it is a greef to mee Abraham Alas my sonne Isaac Alas my father deere Uppon my knees I humbly pray you heere My youthfull yeeres to pitie if you may Abraham O of mine age the only staffe and stay My derling O my derling faine would I That I for thee a thowsand times might dye But God will haue it otherwise as now Isaac Alas my father mercie I kry you Alas alas I want both tung and hand Ageinst you in mine owne defence to stand But see but see my teares for natures sake None other fence I can or will now make Ageinst you I am Isaac none other But Isaac your only by my mother I am your sonne that through your self hath life And will you let it be bereft with knife Howbeit if you do 't to ' hey the Lord Then on my knees I humbly doe accord To suffer all that euer God and yow Shall think expedient for too doo as now But yit what deeds what deeds of mine deserue This death O God my God my life preserue Abraham Alas my sonne God hath commaunded me To make an offring vnto him of thee To my great greef to my great greef and pine And endlesse wo. Isaac Alas poore mother mine ▪ How many deathes shall my death giue to thee But tell me yit my killer who shall be Abraham Who my deere son my God my God graunt grace That I may dy now presēt in this place Isaac O father mine Abraham Alas no whit that name Agrees to me yit should we be to blame If we obeyd not God. Isaac Sir I
am redy Satan Who would haue thought he would haue bin so stedie Isaac Now then my father well I see in deede That I must dye Lord help me at my neede My God my God now strengthen thou my mind And at thy hand such fauor let me find That of my selfe I may the vpper hand Obteyne ageinst this sodein death to stand Now bind me kill me burne me I am prest To suffer all sith God so thinks it best Abraham Ah what a thing a what a sight is heere Mercie good God now for thy mercie deere Isaac Thou Lord hast made me and created me Thou Lord upon the earth hast lodged me Thou hast me giuen the grace to knowledge thee Yit haue I not so well obeyed thee My Lord and God as dewtie doth require Which me to pardon lowd I thee desire And whereas I to you my Lord and father Haue not alwaies such honor yeelded rather As your great kindnesse did deserue to haue Therfore forgiuenesse humbly I doe craue My mother she is now a great way hence Wherfore my God vowtsafe hir thy defence And so preserue hir through thy speciall grace As she no whit be trubbled at my cace Here Isaac is bovvnd Alas I go to deepe and darksom night Farewell as now for ay all worldly light But sure I am I shall at Gods hand find Farre better things than these I leaue behind Good father I am redy at your will. Satan Was neuer child that spake with better skil I am ashamde and therfore take my flight Abraham Alas my sonne before thou leaue this light And that my hand doe giue thvnkindly blowe Upon thy mouth let me a kisse bestowe Isac my sonne let this same arme of mine Which must thee kil imbrace this neck of thine Isaac With right good will and hartie thankes Abraham Ye skyes the great gods woork ay glistring in our eyes Which well haue seene how God who still is trew Did me with frute by Isaac here indew And thou O land fiue times to me behight Beare witnesse that my fingers doo not smight This child of mine for hatred or for vengance But only for to yeeld my dew obeysance To that great God which hath created me And all the thinges that liue or moue or be Who saues the good that put in him their trust And stroyes the bad that serue their wicked lust Beare witnesse that I faithfull Abraham Through gods great goodnes stil so stedfast am As notwithstanding all that humane wit Can say or think to make me now to flit In one beleef I euer doo remaine That not one word of God doth happen vaine But now my hand high time it is that thow Doo gather strength to execute thy vow Heere the knife falles out of his hand That by thy killing of mine only sonne Thy deadly stroke may through my hart eke ronne Isaac What doe I heere Alas my father deere Abraham A a a a. Isaac I am at your will. Am I now well your pleasure then fulfill Abraham Did euer man so piteous cace yit find Was euer any frendship yit so kind And was there euer yit so piteous cace I dye my sonne I dye before thy face Isaac Away with all this feare of yours I pray Will you from God yit longer time me stay Abraham Heere he intendeth to stryke him Alas who euer yit so stowt a mind Within so weake a bodie erst did find Alas my sonne I prey thee me forgiue Thy death It kills me that thou may not liue The Angell Abraham Abraham Abraham My God heere I am Angell Into the sheath put vp thy knife And see thou doe not take his life Nor hurt the child in any wyse For now I see before mine eyes What loue thou bearest to the Lord And honor vnto him auord In that thou doost so willingly Thy sonne thus offer euen to dye Abraham O God. Isaac O God. Abraham O Lord a man may see Heere he takes the sheepe How good it is obedient for to bee To thee the cace is fitly furnished I will go take him tyed by the head Angell O Abraham Abraham Lord heere I am Angell Thus sayth the Lord I promis thee By my eternall maiestie And by my Godhead sith that thow Hast shewed thy self so willing now Me to obey as to forbeare Thine only Isaks life I sweare That mawgre Satan to his face I will thee blisse and all thy race Considrest thou the lighsom skye And on the shore the grauell drye I will increace thyne ofspring more Than starres in heauen or sand on shore Their enmies they shall ouercome And of thy bodie one shall come By whom my blissing shall spred foorth On all the nations of the earth By him the treasures of my loue And mightie power shall from aboue Be sheaded downe on all mankind Bycause thou hast obeyd my mind THE CONCLVSION SEE here the mightie power of earnest faith And what reward the trew obedience payth VVherfore ye Lords Ladies I you pray ▪ VVhen you from hence shall go agein away Let not this trew and noble storie part Out of the mind and tables of your hart It is no lye it is no peynted tale It is no feyned iest nor fable stale It is a deede a deede right trew of one That was Gods faithfull seruant long agone VVherfore ye maisters and ye mistresses Ye Lords and Ladies all both more and lesse Ye rich and poore ye sorie and ye sad And you also whose harts with mirth are glad Behold and looke vpon your selues ech one In this so fayre example heere foregone Such are trew glasses shewing to our sight The fayre the fowle the crooked and the right For whoso doth vnfeynedly indeuer As Abraham to keepe Gods sayings euer And notwithstanding all the reasons which His mind alledgeth backward him to twich Doth still referre him selfe and all his deedes To God with much more happy yssue speeds Than he can wish for come there stormes or winds Come greef come death come cares of sūdry kinds Let earthquake come ▪ let heauen skyes downe fall Let dark confuzion ouercouet all The faithfull hart so stedfastly is grownded As it abideth euer vnconfownded Contrariwise the man that trust 〈◊〉 His owne selfwit therafter for to doe And standeth in his owne conceyt shall find The more he goes the more he comes behind And euery litle puffe and sodein blast From his right course shal quite cleane him cast Agein his owne selfwilled nature will Him ouerthrowe and all his dooings spill Now thou great God which makest vs to knowe The great abuses which doo plainly showe The wretched world to be peruerted quite Make all of vs to take such warning by 'te As ech of vs may fare the better by The liuely faith set foorth before our eye In Abraham that holy personage VVhose dooings haue bin playd vpon this stage Lo maisters heere the happie recompence VVhich God doth giue you for your gentle silence FINIS All prayse and thanks bee giuen to god Amen