How is 候 used in this line of Nōgaku dialogue?


I am studying some [nōgaku](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh). In particular,
the play
[卒都婆小町](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%92%E9%83%BD%E5%A9%86%E5%B0%8F%E7%94%BA),
which I find has some interesting, beautiful lines.

At the start of the play, a priest says:

これは[高野山]{こうやさん}より[出]{い}でたる[僧]{そう}にて[候]{そうろう}。[我]{われ}このたび都にのぼらばやと思ひ[候]{そうろう}。

which [Waley](http://etext.virginia.edu/japanese/noh/WalSoto.html) translates
as:

> I am a priest of the Koyasan. I am minded to go up to the Capital to visit
> the shrines and sanctuaries there.

But what is [候]{そうろう} doing? Its meaning does not seem clear at all.




It's a sentence ending that makes the sentence formal or polite. These
sentences are called 候文. It does not have contentful meaning. It became pretty
much archaic.




It's a sentence ending that makes the sentence formal or polite. These
sentences are called 候文. It does not have contentful meaning. It became pretty
much archaic.

