THE COVENTRY MYSTERIES.
PROLOGUE.
Primus vexillator.
Now gracyous God, groundyd of alle goodnesse,
As thi grete glorie nevyr begynnyng had,
So thou socour and save alle tho that sytt and sese,
And lystenyth to oure talkyng with sylens stylle and sad,
ffor we purpose us pertly stylle in this prese,
The pepyl to plese with pleys ful glad.
Now lystenyth us, lovely, bothe more and lesse,
Gentyllys and ȝemanry of goodly lyff lad,
This tyde.
We xal ȝou shewe, as that we kan,
How that this werd ffyrst began,
And how God made bothe molde and man,
Iff that ȝe wyl abyde.
Secundus vexillator.
In the ffyrst pagent, we thenke to play
How God dede make, thorowe his owyn myth,
Hevyn so clere upon the fyrst day,
And therin he sett angelle fful bryth.
