98 St. Stephen and King Herod
I
Saint Stephen was a clerk
In King Herod’s hall,
And servèd him of bread and cloth
As every king befall.
II
Stephen out of kitchen came
With boar’s head on hand,
He saw a star was fair and bright
Over Bethlehem stand.
III
He cast adown the boar’s head
And went into the hall;
‘I forsake thee, Herod,
And thy workès all.
IV
‘I forsake thee, King Herod,
And thy workès all,
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Is better than we all.’—
V
‘What aileth thee, Stephen?
What is thee befall?
Lacketh thee either meat or drink
In King Herod’s hall?’—
VI
‘Lacketh me neither meat ne drink
In King Herod’s hall;
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Is better than we all.’—
VII
‘What aileth thee, Stephen?
Art wode602 or ’ginnest to brede603?
Lacketh thee either gold or fee,
Or any rich weed604?’—
VIII
‘Lacketh me neither gold ne fee
Ne none rich weed;
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Shall helpen us at our need.’—
IX
‘That is all so sooth, Stephen,
All so sooth, I-wys,
As this capon crowè shall
That li’th here in my dish.’
X
That word was not so soon said,
That word in that hall,
The capon crew Christus natus est
Among the lordès all.
XI
‘Risit605 up, my tormentors,
By two and all by one,
And leadit Stephen out of this town,
And stonit him with stone.’
XII
Tooken they Stephen
And stoned him in the way;
And therefore is his even
On Christe’s own day.
Footnotes
602 wode = mad.
603 brede = become (mad).
604 weed = clothing.
605 Risit, leadit, stonit = imperatives.