Page:Ludus Coventriae (1841).djvu/89

Ysakar. The prestys of God offre sote ensens
  Unto here God, and therfore they be holy;
We that mynistere here in Goddys presens,
  In us xuld be fownd no maner of ffoly.
Ysakar, prynce of prestys, am I,
  That this holyest day here have mynystracion,
Certyfyenge alle tribus in my cure specyaly,
  That this is the hyest fest of oure solennyȝacion.

This we clepe festum Encenniorum,
  The new ffest of whiche iij. in the ȝere we exercyse;
Now alle the kynredys to Jerusalem must cum,
  Into the temple of God here to do sacryfyse;
Tho that be cursyd my dygnyté is to dysspyse,
  And tho that be blyssyd here holy sacrefyse to take;
We be regal sacerdocium, it perteyneth us to be wysse,
  Be fastyng, be prayng, be almes, and at du tyme to wake.

Joachym. Now alle this countré of Galylé,
  With this cetye of Nazareth specyal,
This ffest to Jerusalem must go we,
  To make sacrefyce to God eternal.
My name is Joachym, a man in godys substancyalle,
  Joachym is to say, he that to God is redy,
So have I be and evyr more xal,
  ffor the dredful domys of God sore drede I.

I am clepyd ryghtful, why wole ȝe se?
  ffor my godys into thre partys I devyde,
On to the temple and to hem that ther servyng be,
  Anodyr to the pylgrimys and pore men; the iij.^{de} ffor hem with me abyde.
So xulde every curat in this werde wyde,
  ȝeve a part to his chauncel i-wys,
A part to his parochoneres that to povert slyde,
  The thryd part to kepe for hym and his.