ABRAHAM Most mighty maker of sun and moon, King of kings and lord over all, Almighty God in heaven's throne, I thee honour and ever more shall. My lord, my God, to thee I call 5 With hearty will, Lord, I thee pray. In sinful life let me never fall, But let me live ever by they way. Abraham my name is called And patriarch, of age full old, 10 And yet, by the grace of God is bred, In my old age, a child full bold. Isaac, lo here, his name is told, My sweet son that standeth me by. Amongst all children that walk on wold, 15 A lovelier child is none, truly. I thank thee, lord, with heart full mild Of his great mercy and his high grace And principally for my sweet child That shall to me do great solace. 20 Now sweet son, most fair of face Full heartily do I love thee. For true hearty love, now in this place, My sweet child, come kiss me now. ISAAC At your bidding, your mouth I kiss. 25 With lowly heart, I you pray, Your fatherly love let me never miss But bless me, your child, both night and day. ABRAHAM Almighty God, that best may, His dear blessing he grant thee 30 And my blessing thou have alway In what place that ever thou be. Now Isaac, my son so sweet, Almighty God look that thou honour Which that made both dry and wet, 35 Shining sun and sharp shower. Thou art my sweet child and paramour, Full well in heart do I thee love. Look that thine heart in heaven's tower Be set to serve our lord God above. 40 In thy youth, learn God to please And God shall quite thee well thy meed. Now sweet son of words these With all thy heart thou take good heed. Now farewell, son, God be thy speed, 45 Even here at home thou me abide. I must go walk for I have need. I'll come again within a tide. ISAAC I pray to God, father of might, That he you speed in all your way. 50 From shame and danger day and night God might you keep in your journey. ABRAHAM Now farewell, son, I thee pray, Ever in thine heart look God thou wind, Him to serve both night and day, 55 I pray to God, send you good mind. There may no man love better his child Than Isaac is loved of me. Almighty God, merciful and mild, For my sweet son I worship thee. 60 I thank thee lord with heart full free For this fair fruit thou hast me sent. Now, gracious God, wheresoever he be, To save my son ever more be bent. Dear Lord, I pray to thee also 65 Me to save for thy servant And send me grace never for to do Anything that should be to you displeasant. Both for me and for my infant, I pray the lord God us to help. 70 Thy gracious goodness thou us grant And save thy servant from hell deep. ANGEL Abraham, how, Abraham, Listen and hark well unto me. ABRAHAM All ready sir, here I am. 75 Tell me your will, what it will be. ANGEL Almighty God thus doth bid thee Isaac thy son, anon thou take And look him thou slay, anon, let see, And sacrifice to God him make. 80 Thy well beloved child thou must now kill. To God offer him as I say Even upon yon high hill That I thee show here in the way. Tarry not by night nor day 85 But smartly thy way thou go. Upon yon hill thou kneel and pray To God. And kill the child there and slay. ABRAHAM Now God's commandments must needs be done. All his will is worthy to be wrought. 90 But yet the father to slay the son Great care it causes in my thought. In bitter bale now am I brought, My sweet child with knife to kill But yet my sorrow availeth right not 95 For needs I must work God's will. With heavy heart I walk and wend My child's death now for to be. Now must the father his sweet son shend. Alas, for ruth it is pity! 100 My sweet son come hither to me Oh Isaac, my son dear, Come to thy father, my child so free, For we must go together in fear. ISAAC All ready, father, even at your will 105 And at your bidding I am you by With you to walk over dale and hill, At your calling I am ready. To the father ever most comely, It oweth the child ever buxom to be. 110 I will obey full heartily To all things that ye bid me. ABRAHAM Now, son, on thy neck this faggot thou take And this fire bear in thy hand, For we must now sacrifice go make 115 Even after the will of God's command. Take this burning brand, My sweet child, and let us go. Where no man that lives in land Has more sorrow than I have woe. 120 ISAAC Fair father, go right still, I pray you, father, speak unto me. ABRAHAM My good child, what is thy will, Tell me thine heart, I pray to thee. ISAAC Father, fire and wood here is plenty, 125 But I can see no sacrifice. What shall you offer? Fain would I see That it were done in the best wise. ABRAHAM God shall that ordain that sits in heaven. My sweet son, for this offering 130 A dearer sacrifice has no man given Than this shall be, my dear darling. ISAAC Let be good father your sad weeping, Your heavy cheer aggrieveth me sore. Tell me, father, your great mourning 135 And I shall seek some help therefore. ABRAHAM Alas, dear son, for needs must me Even here thee kill as God hath sent. Thine own father thy death must be! Alas that ever this bow was bent. 140 With this fire bright thou must be brent. And angel said to me right so. Alas, my child thou shalt be shent, Thy care-full father must be thy foe. ISAAC Almighty God of his great mercy 145 Full heartily I thank thee, certain. At God's bidding here for to die I obey me here for to be slain. I pray you father, be glad and fain, Truly to work God's will. 150 Take good comfort to you again, And have no doubt your child to kill. For God's bidding, forsooth it is That I of you my death should take. Against God ye do amiss 155 His bidding if ye should forsake. You own damnation should ye take If ye me keep from this decree. With your sword my death ye make And work ever more the will of God. 160 ABRAHAM The will of God must needs be done. To work his will I said never nay. But yet the father to slay the son, My heart doth cling and cleave as clay. ISAAC Yet work God's will, father, I you pray 165 And slay me here anon forth right And turn from me your face away My head when that ye shall off smight. ABRAHAM Alas, dear child, I may not choose. I must needs my sweet son kill. 170 My dear darling now must me lose, My own kin's blood now shall I spill. Yet this deed ere I fulfil My sweet son, thy mouth I kiss. ISAAC All ready father, even at your will 175 I do your bidding as reason is. ABRAHAM Alas, dear son, here is no grace But needs dead now must thou be. With this kerchief I cover thy face At the time that I slay thee 180 Thy lovely visage I would not see Not for all this world's good. With this sword that sore grieveth me My child I slay and spill his blood. ANGEL Abraham, Abraham, thou father free 185 ABRAHAM I am here ready, what is your will? ANGEL Extend thy hand in no degree. I bid thou him not kill. Here do I see by right good skill Almighty God that thou dost dread 190 For thou sparest not thy son to spill. God will acquit thee well thy meed. ABRAHAM I thank my God in Heaven above And him honour for his great grace. And that my lord me thus doth approve 195 I will him worship in every place. My child's life is my solace. I thank my God ever for his life. In sacrifice here ere I hence pace I slay this sheep with this same knife. 200 Now this sheep is dead and slain With this fire it shall be brent. Of Isaac my son I am full fain That my sweet child shall not be shent. This place I name with good intent 205 The hill of God's visitation, For hither God hath to us sent His comfort after tribulation. ANGEL Hark Abraham and take good heed By himself God hath thus sworn 210 Because thou wouldst have done this deed He will thee bless both even and morn. For thou dear child thou wouldst have lorn At God's bidding. As I thee tell God hath sent thee word before 215 Thy seed shall multiply whereso thou dwell. As stars in heaven be too many to tell So shall thy seed increase and grow Thou shalt overcome in wealth as well. All thy foemen reckoned by row 220 As sand in the sea doth ebb and flow Has pebbles many innumerable, So shall thy seed, thou mayst me trow Increase and be ever profitable. For to my speech thou didst obey 225 Thine enemies forts thou shalt possess And all men on earth, as I thee say, They shall be blessed in thy seed. Almighty God thus gives thee meed For that good deed that thou hast done. 230 Therefore thank God in word and deed Both thou thyself and Isaac thy son. ABRAHAM Ah, my lord God, to worship now on knee I fall. I thank thee lord of thy mercy. Now my sweet child to God thou call 235 And thank we that lord now heartily. ISAAC With lowly heart to God I cry I am his servant both day and night I thank thee lord in heaven so high With heart, with thought, with main, with might. 240 ABRAHAM Gramercy lord and king of grace, Gramercy lord over lord's all. Now my joy returns apace. I thank thee lord in heaven thine hall. ISAAC Over all kings, crowned king I thee call 245 At thy bidding, to die with knife I was full buxom, even as thy thrall. Lord, now I thank thee thou grantest me life. ABRAHAM Now we have worshipped our blessed lord On ground kneeling on our knee. 250 Now let us two soon be of one accord And go walk home to our country. ISAAC Father, as ye will so shall it be. I am ready with you to go. I shall you follow with heart full free 255 All that ye bid me, soon shall I do. ABRAHAM Now God all things of nought that made Ever worshipped he be on water and land. His great honour may never more fade In field nor town, sea nor on sand. 260 As all thing, lord, thou hast in hand So save us all whereso we be Whether we sit, walk or stand Ever on thine handwork thou have pity.
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