MOSES He that made all thing of nought-- Heaven and earth, both sun and moon, Save all that his hand has wrought! All mighty God on heaven's throne, I am Moses that asks this boon. 5 I pray thee lord God with all my mind To us incline thy mercy soon, Thy gracious lordship let us find. Thee to please in all degree, Gracious God and lord over all, 10 Thou grant us grace whereso we be And save us, sound, from sinful fall. Thy will to work make us thy thrall. Inform and teach us all thy pleasance In pureness put us that never might fall 15 And ground us in grace from all grievance.
Here Moses sees a burning bush and, admiring it says
Ah, mercy, God, what meaneth yon sight?
A green bush as fire doth flame
And keeps his colour fair and bright
Fresh and green without blame. 20
It signifies something of right great fame.
I cannot see what it may be.
I will go near in God's name
And wisely look this bush to see.
DEUS
Moses, how, Moses 25
Hearken to me now at this sound.
MOSES
I am here lord without any lies
Your gracious will to do I am bound.
DEUS
Thou take thy shoes anon full round
Off thy feet in haste, let see. 30
Full holy is that place and ground
Where thou dost stand, I say to thee.
MOSES
Barefoot now I do me make
And pull my shoes from off my feet.
Now my shoes I did off take. 35
What is your will, lord? Fain it I'd meet.
DEUS
Come near Moses with me to meet.
These tables I give thee into thy hand.
With my finger in them is writ
All my laws, thou understand. 40
Look that thou preach all about
Who so will have friendship of me
To my laws look they bow
That they be kept in all degree.
Go forth and preach anon, let see. 45
Look thou not cease night or day.
MOSES
Your bidding, lord, all wrought shall be,
Your will to work I walk my way
The commandments and precepts of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 6
The commandment of thy lord God, man, look thou keep
Wherever thou walk, wake or sleep. 50
Every man take good heed
And to my teaching take good intent.
For God hath sent me now, indeed,
You for to inform of his commandment.
You to teach, God hath me sent, 55
His laws of life that are full wise.
Them to learn be diligent
Your souls they may save at the last Assise.
The precepts that taught shall be
Be written in these tables twain. 60
In the first are written three
That touch to God. This is certain.
In the second table are written full plain
The other seven that touch mankind.
Hark now well, man, what I maintain 65
And print these laws well in thy mind.
The First Commandment: Thou shalt not have any other gods
The first commandment of God, as I you say,
Of the first table, forsooth, is this:
Thou shalt have, neither night nor day,
No other God but the king of bliss. 70
Understand well what meaneth this,
Every man in his degree,
And set never your heart amiss
Upon this world's vanity.
For if thou set thy love so sore 75
Upon riches and worldly goods,
Thy worldly riches thou takest ever more
Even for thy God as a man that is mad.
Amend thee man and change thy mood
Lose not thy soul for worldly wealth. 80
Love only him which bodily food
Doth give all day and ghostly health.
The Second Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain
The second precept of the first table
The name of God never take in vain.
Swear no oaths by no false fable. 85
The name of God thou never distain.
Beware of oaths for fear of pain
Amongst fellowship when thou dost sit.
A little oath, this is certain,
May damn thy soul to hell pit. 90
Man, when thou art set at ale
And hast thy language as it pleases thee,
Look thine oaths be none--or small.
And yet, always, look they true be.
But swear not often, be advised by me. 95
For if thou art used often times to swear,
It may engender custom in thee.
Beware of custom, his ways do fear.
The Third Commandment: Remember the sabbath to keep it holy
The third commandment of God, as I read,
Doth bid thee hallow well thy holy day. 100
Keep thee well from sinful deed
And care not greatly for rich array.
A right poor man, this I do say,
Of simple estate, in clothes rent,
May be better than a rich with garments gay 105
Oftimes keep this commandment.
For rich men do show, often time, pomp and pride
On holidays, as often is seen.
When poor men pass and go beside,
At worthy feasts rich men will have been. 110
Thy holy day thou keep not clean
In gluttony to lead thy life,
In God's house ye should be seen
To honour your God, both maiden and wife.
The Fourth Commandment: Honour thy father and thy mother
Of the second table the first commandment 115
And in the order the fourth in faith I say
He bids thee ever more with heart bent
Both father and mother to worship alway.
Though that thy father be of poor array
And thou never so rich of gold and goods 120
Yet look thou worship him night and day
From whom thou hast both flesh and blood.
In this commandment included is
The bodily father and mother also.
Included also I find in this 125
Thy ghostly father and mother thereto.
To thy ghostly father ever reverence do.
Thy ghostly mother is Holy Church.
These two will save thy soul from woe.
Ever them to worship, look that thou work. 130
The Fifth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill
The fifth commandment biddeth all us
Slay no man. No wight that thou kill.
Understand this precept thus:
Slay no wight with word nor will.
Wicked words work, oftentimes, great ill. 135
Beware, therefore, of wicked language.
Wicked speech many a one doth spill.
Therefore of speech do not outrage.
The Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery
The sixth commandment bids every man
That no man follow a lecherous way. 140
Dally never with no woman
Unless the law allow thy play.
Trespass never with wife nor maid,
With widow nor with none other wight.
Keep thee clean, as I thee say, 145
For whom thou hast thy pledges plight.
The Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not steal
Do no theft; no thing thou steal.
The seventh precept bids thee full sore
While thou art in wealth and weal.
Ill gotten goods look thou restore. 150
Of hands and deeds be true, ever more.
For if thy fingers slippery be
Thou art but shent, thy name is lore
In field and town and in all country.
The Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbour
The eighth precept doth thee bid 155
False witness look that thou not bear.
The truth never more look that thou hide
With false witness. No man thou injure
Neither for love, nor dread, nor fear.
Say none other than what truth is.
False witness if that thou rear 160
Against God thou dost greatly amiss.
The Ninth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife etc.
The ninth precept of the law of life
Even thus doth bid every man.
Desire not thy neighbour's wife 165
Though she be fair and as white as a swan
And thy wife brown. Yet therefore, then,
Thy neighbour's wife thou never rejoice.
Keep thee clean as ever thou can
To thine own wife and thine own choice. 170
The Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
house nor his manservant nor his maid servant nor his ox
nor his ass nor anything that is thy neighbour's et cetera
The tenth commandment of God, and last, is this.
Thy neighbour's house desire thou nought,
Maiden nor servant nor nought of his,
Desire then never in will nor thought,
Ox nor ass that he hath bought 175
Nor anything that belongeth him to.
God's laws must needs be wrought.
Desire no thing thy neighbour from.
The sixth commandment of lechery
Doth exclude the sinful deed 180
But these two last most straitly
Both deed and thought they do forbid.
In will nor thought no lechery thou lead
Thy thought and will thou must refrain
All thy desire as I thee rede 185
In cleaness of life thyself restrain.
Friends, these be the laws that you must keep.
Therefore every man set well in mind
Whether that thou do wake or sleep
These laws to learn, truth to find, 190
And God's grace shall be thy friend.
He succour and save you in wealth from woe.
Farewell, good friends, for hence will I wend,
My tale I have taught you. My way now I go.
Explicit moyses
Return to N-Town Pageant List.