ras[46] that stant be the wey,
Amonge the bestys herboryd may ye be. |131|

_Maria._ Now the fadyr of hefne he mut yow yelde!
His sone in my wombe forsothe he is;
He kepe the and thi good be fryth and ffelde!
Go we hens, husbond, for now tyme it is."{11}

The scene immediately after the Nativity is delicately and reverently
presented in the York cycle. The Virgin worships the Child, saluting Him
thus:--

"Hayle my lord God! hayle prince of pees!
Hayle my fadir, and hayle my sone!
Hayle souereyne sege all synnes to sesse!
Hayle God and man in erth to wonne![47]
Hayle! thurgh whos myht
All this worlde was first be-gonne,
merkness[48] and light.

Sone, as I am sympill sugett of thyne,
Vowchesaffe, swete sone I pray the,
That I myght the take in the[r] armys of mine,
And in this poure wede to arraie the;
Graunte me thi blisse!
As I am thy modir chosen to be
in sothfastnesse."

Joseph, who has gone out to get a light, returns, and this dialogue
follows:--

"_Joseph._ Say, Marie doghtir, what chere with the?
_Mary._ Right goode, Joseph, as has been ay.
_Joseph._ O Marie! what swete thyng is that on thy kne?
_Mary._ It is my sone, the soth to saye, that is so gud
_Joseph._ Wel is me I bade this day, to se this foode![49]
Me merueles mekill of this light
That thus-gates shynes in this place,
For suth it is a selcouth[50] sight! |132|
_Mary._ This hase he ordand of his grace, my sone so ying,
A starne to be schynyng a space at his bering

* * * * *

_Joseph._ Nowe welcome, floure fairest of hewe,
I shall the menske[51] with mayne and myght.
Hayle! my maker, hayle Crist Jesu!
Hayle, riall king, roote of all right!
Hayle, saueour.
Hayle, my lorde, lemer[52] of light,
Hayle, blessid floure!

_Mary._ Nowe lord! that all this worlde schall wynne,
To the my sone is that I saye,
Here is no bedde to laye the inne,
Therfore my dere sone, I the praye sen it is soo,
Here in this cribbe I myght the lay betwene ther bestis two.
And I sall happe[53] the, myn owne dere childe,
With such clothes as we haue here.

_Joseph._ O Marie! beholde thes beesti