Udall, Nicholas · published 1568 · first performed or written 1554 [c.1550-1557] (Annals) biblical play T51 Parents and children: blessing, birthrig typicality 0.69 · 518 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T51: esau, iacob, father, son, isaac, god, love, birthright, parents, thing.
Where I have by the enticement of my mother, Bargained and bought the birthright of my brother: Turn it all to good O Lord, if it be thy will: Thou knowest my heart Lord, I did it for no ill. And whatever shall please thee to work or to do, Thou shalt find me priest and obedient thereto. But here is my mother Rebecca now in place. How say you master Iacob, ran not I apace? Yes, and a good son to go quick on your errand. Son how goeth the matter? let me understand. Forsooth mother, I did so as ye me bade, Esau to sell me all his birthright persuade. Hast thou bought it in deed, and he therewith content? Yea, and have his promise that he will never repent. Is the bargain through? hast thou paid him his price? Yea that I have, a mess of red pottage of rice, And he eaten up every whit well I wot. When he had supped up all, I saw him lick the pot. Thus he licked, and thus he licked, and this way. I thought to have licked the pot myself once today. But Esau beguiled me, I shrew him for that, And left not so much as a lick for puss our cat. Son Iacob, forasmuch as thou hast so well sped, With an hymn or psalm let the Lord be praised. Sing we all together, and give thanks to the Lord, Whose promise and performance do so well accord. Shall we sing the same hymn that all our house doth sing? For Abraham and his seed to give God praising. Yea the very same. Then must we all kneel down thus, And Abra our maid here must also sing with us, kneel down Abra, what I say, will ye not kneel down? kneel when I bid you, the slackest wench in this town. BLessed be thou, O the God of Abraham, For thou art the Lord our God, and none but thou: What thou workest to the glory of thy name, Passeth man's reason to search what way or how. Thy promise it was Abraham should have seed, More than the stars of the sky to be told, He believed and had Isaac in deed, When both he and Sara seemed very old. Isaac many years longed for a son, Rebecca thy handmaid long time was barren, By prayer in thy sight such favour he won, That at one birth she brought him forth sons twain. Wherefore O Lord, we do confess and believe, That both thou canst and wilt thy promise fulfil: But how it shall come we can no reason give, Save all to be wrought according to thy will. Blessed be thou O God of Abraham. etc. Now doubt not Iacob, but God hath appointed thee As the eldest son unto Isaac to be: And now have no doubt, but thou art sure elected, And that unthrift Esau of God rejected. And to sell thee his birthright since he was so mad, I warrant thee the blessing that he should have had.
seed 43: T48 · seed 44: T49 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Where I haue by the enticement of my mother, Bargained and boughte the birthrighte of my brother: Tourne it all to good O Lorde, if it be thy wyll: Thou knoweſt my heart Lord, I did it for no ill. And what euer ſhall pleaſe thée to worke or to do, Thou ſhalt finde me preſt and obedient therto. But here is my mother Rebecca now in place. How ſay you maſter Iacob, ranne not I apace? Yes, and a good ſonne to go quicke on your errand. Sonne how goeth the matter? let me vnderſtand. Forſooth mother, I did ſo as ye me bade, Eſau to ſell me all his birthright perſuade. Haſt thou bought it in dede, and he therwith content? Yea, and haue his promiſe that he will neuer repent. Is the bargaine through? haſt thou paid him his price? Yea that I haue, a meaſe of red pottage of rice, And he eaten vp euery whit well I wotte. When he had ſupte vp all, I ſawe him licke the potte. Thus he licked, and thus he licked, and this way. I thought to haue lickt the potte my ſelfe once to day. But Eſau beguilde me, I ſhrewe him for that, And left not ſo muche as a licke for puſſe our catte. Sonne Iacob, foraſmuche as thou haſt ſo well ſped, With an himne or pſalme let the Lord be praiſed. Sing we all together, and geue thankes to the Lord, Whoſe promiſe and performaunce do ſo wel accord. Shal we ſing theſame himne that al our houſe doth ſing▪ For Abraham and his ſeede to geue God praiſing. Yea the very ſame. Then muſt we all knele downe thus, And Abra our maide here muſte alſo ſing with vs, Knele downe Abra, what I ſay, will ye not knele downe? Knele when I bid you, the ſlackeſt wench in this towne. BLeſſed be thou, O the God of Abraham, For thou art the Lord our God, and none but thou: What thou workest to the glory of thy name, Paſſeth mannes reaſon to ſearche what way or how. Thy promiſe it was Abraham ſhould haue ſeede, More than the ſtarres of the ſkie to be tolde, He beleued and had Iſaac in deede, When both he and Sara ſeemed very olde. Iſaac many yeres longed for a ſonne, Rebecca thy handmaid long time was barraine, By prayer in thy ſight ſuch fauour he wonne, That at one birth ſhe brought him forth ſons twaine▪ Wherfore O Lorde, we do confeſſe and beleue, That both thou canſt and wilt thy promiſe fulfill: But how it ſhall come we can no reaſon geue, Saue all to be wrought according to thy will. Bleſſed be thou O God of Abraham. &c. Now dout not Iacob, but God hath appointed thée As the eldeſt ſonne vnto Iſaac to bée: And now haue no dout, but thou art ſure elected, And that vnthrift Eſau of God reiected. And to ſell thée his birthright ſince he was ſo madde, I warrant thee the bleſſing that he ſhould haue had.