University of Virginia Library

[Scene II]

near the Sepulchre.
ii Mil.
Ȝis, certis, we are all redy bowne,
We schall hym kepe till oure rennowne;
On ilke a side latte vs sitte doune,
Nowe all in fere,
And sone we schall crake his croune
Whoso comes here.

[The soldiers sit down and fall asleep.
Tunc Iesu resurgente.
[Enter the three Maries going to the tomb.
i Mar.

ii Mar.
Allas! who schall my balis bete
Whanne I thynke on his woundes wete;
Jesu, þat was of loue so swete,
and neuere did ill,
Es dede and grauen vnder þe grete
With-outen skill.

iii Mar.
With-owten skill þe Jewes ilkone
Þat louely lorde has newly slayne,
And trespasse did he neuere none
In no-kyn steede.
To whome nowe schall I make my mone
Sen he is dede?

i Mar.
Sen he is dede, my sisteres dere,
Wende we will on mylde manere
With oure a-noynementis faire & clere
Þat we haue broght
To noynte his wondis on sides sere,
Þat Jewes hym wroght.

ii Mar.
Goo we same my sisteres free,
Full faire vs longis his corse to see,
But I wotte noght howe beste may be,
Helpe haue we none.
[They approach the sepulchre.
And who schall nowe here of vs thre
remove þe stone?

iii Mar.
Þat do we noght but we wer moo,
For it is huge and heuy also.

i Mar.
Sisteris! a ȝonge child as we goo
Makand mornyng,
I see it sitte wher we wende to,
In white clothyng.

ii Mar.
Sisters, sertis, it is noght to hide,
Þe heuy stone is putte beside!

iii Mar.
Sertis! for thyng þat may be-tyde
Nere will we wende,
To layte þat luffely and with hym bide,
Þat was oure ffrende.

[They look in, an angel is beside them.
Ang.
Ȝe mournand women in youre þought,
Here in þis place whome haue ȝe sought?

i Mar.
Jesu, þat to dede is brought,
Oure lorde so free.

Ang.

i Mar.
Mi sisteres dere, sen it is soo,
Þat he is resen dede þus froo,
As þe Aungell tolde me and yow too,—
Oure lorde so fre,—
Hens will I neuer goo
Or I hym see.

ii Mar.
Marie, vs thare no lenger layne,
To Galile nowe late vs wende.

i Mar.
Nought tille I see þat faithfull frende,
Mi lorde & leche,
Þerfore all þis my sisteres hende,
Þat ȝe forth preche.

iii Mar.
As we haue herde, so schall we saie,
Marie oure sistir, haue goode daye!

i Mar.
[Exeunt 2nd and 3rd Maries.

[The soldiers awaken.
i Mil.
What! oute allas! what schall I saie,
Where is þe corse þat here in laye?

ii Mil.
What ayles þe man? is he awaye
Þat we schulde tent?

i Mil.
Rise vppe, and see.

ii. Mil.
Harrowe! for ay;
I telle vs schente.

iii Mil.
What deuill is þis, what aylis ȝou twoo?
Such noyse and crye þus for to make too.

i Mil.
Why is he gone?

iii Mil.
Allas! whare is he þat here laye?

iv Mil.
Whe! harrowe! deuill, whare is he away?

ii Mil.
What! is he þus-gatis fro vs wente,
Þat fals traitour þat here was lente,
And we trewly here for to tente
Had vndir tane?
Sekirlie, I telle vs schente,
Holy ilkane.

iii Mil.
Allas! what schall we do þis day,
Þat þus þis warlowe is wente his waye,
And sauely sirs, I dare wele saie
He rose allone.

ii Mil.
Witte sir pilate of þis affraye,
We mon be slone.

iii Mil.
Why, canne none of vs no bettir rede?

iv Mil.
Þer is not ellis, but we be dede.

ii Mil.
Whanne þat he stered oute of þis steede
None couthe it kenne.

i Mil.

ii Mil.
Vs muste make lies, for þat is nede,
Oure-selue to saue.

iii Mil.
Ȝa, that I rede I wele, also motte I goo.

iv Mil.
And I assente þerto alsoo.

ii Mil.
An hundereth, schall I saie, and moo,
Armed ilkone,
Come and toke his corse vs froo
And vs nere slayne.

i Mil.
Nay, certis, I halde þere none so goode
As saie þe soth even as it stoode,
Howe þat he rose with mayne and mode
And wente his way.
To sir Pilate if he be wode
Þis dar I saie.

ii Mil.
Why, dare þou to sir Pilate goo
With thes tydingis and saie hym soo?

i Mil.
So rede I, if he vs sloo
We dye but onys.

iii Mil.
Nowe, he þat wrought vs all þis woo,
Woo worthe his bonys!

iv Mil.
Go we þanne, sir knyghtis hende,
Sen þat we schall to sir Pilate wende,
I trowe þat we shall parte no frendes
Or þat we passe.

i Mil.
And I schall hym saie ilke worde tille ende,
Even as it was.

[They go to Pilate.