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PRÆCO. COME, good people, all and each, | |
| Come and listen to our speech! | |
| In your presence here I stand, | |
| With a trumpet in my hand, | |
| To announce the Easter Play, | 5 |
| Which we represent to-day! | |
| First of all we shall rehearse, | |
| In our action and our verse, | |
| The Nativity of our Lord, | |
| As written in the old record | 10 |
| Of the Protevangelion, | |
| So that he who reads may run! Blows his trumpet. | |
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I. Heaven.
MERCY, at the feet of God. Have pity, Lord! be not afraid | |
| To save mankind, whom thou hast made | |
| Nor let the souls that were betrayed | 15 |
| Perish eternally! | |
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JUSTICE. It cannot be, it must not be! | |
| When in the garden placed by thee, | |
| The fruit of the forbidden tree | |
| He ate, and he must die! | 20 |
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MERCY. Have pity, Lord! let penitence | |
| Atone for disobedience, | |
| Nor let the fruit of man’s offence | |
| Be endless misery! | |
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JUSTICE. What penitence proportionate | 25 |
| Can e’er be felt for sin so great? | |
| Of the forbidden fruit he ate, | |
| And damnèd must he be! | |
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GOD. He shall be saved, if that within | |
| The bounds of earth one free from sin | 30 |
| Be found, who for his kith and kin | |
| Will suffer martyrdom. | |
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THE FOUR VIRTUES. Lord! we have searched the world around, | |
| From centre to the utmost bound, | |
| But no such mortal can be found; | 35 |
| Despairing, back we come. | |
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WISDOM. No mortal, but a God made man, | |
| Can ever carry out this plan, | |
| Achieving what none other can, | |
| Salvation unto all! | 40 |
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GOD. Go, then, O my beloved Son! | |
| It can by thee alone be done; | |
| By thee the victory shall be won | |
| O’er Satan and the Fall! Here the ANGEL GABRIEL shall leave Paradise and fly towards the earth; the jaws of Hell open below, and the Devils walk about, making a great noise. | |
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