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3
The Resurrection: A Miracle-Play
Prologue
(Spoken by an Angel, before the curtain riseth. He carrieth a golden trumpet, which he soundeth lustily.)[ANGEL]
Good
Christian folk, rejoice this morn
He is arisen who died forlorn.
Sing Alleluia,—sing, my horn!
He is arisen who died forlorn.
Sing Alleluia,—sing, my horn!
Good folk, send heralds to proclaim
By market-place and square the same
Great tidings in the Lord His Name!
By market-place and square the same
Great tidings in the Lord His Name!
Let mounted heralds spur and ride
By village street and mountain side,
Proclaiming He is risen who died!
By village street and mountain side,
Proclaiming He is risen who died!
4
His Mother kneeling at day-dawn,
Musing that mournful death upon,
Was 'ware a great light grew and shone.
Musing that mournful death upon,
Was 'ware a great light grew and shone.
And in the midst thereof He stood,
The three-days' dead upon the rood.
His wounds His Father hath made good.
The three-days' dead upon the rood.
His wounds His Father hath made good.
His Mother, with great ache of love,
Leaning to touch Him, saw Him move,
Floating a little farther off.
Leaning to touch Him, saw Him move,
Floating a little farther off.
To her with thrilling voice He spake:
‘I am not risen, but come to slake
Thy bruised maternal heart's heart-ache.
‘I am not risen, but come to slake
Thy bruised maternal heart's heart-ache.
‘I am not dead,’ He said, ‘but live,—
Thou Mother of men and second Eve,
Through whom all men new life receive.’
Thou Mother of men and second Eve,
Through whom all men new life receive.’
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Thereat the vision 'gan to fade,
And grew the morning light instead—
The Easter world was gold-enrayed.
And grew the morning light instead—
The Easter world was gold-enrayed.
Tantarara! Go out and shout
The joyful news the world about,
This day the fires of hell are out.
The joyful news the world about,
This day the fires of hell are out.
Fling the good tidings far and near,
That sea and vale and mountain hear,
From east to western hemisphere.
That sea and vale and mountain hear,
From east to western hemisphere.
The earth puts on her cloth of gold,
The sky her sapphire folds unrolled,
The spring-day world is blithe and bold.
The sky her sapphire folds unrolled,
The spring-day world is blithe and bold.
Now hearken to our miracle-play,
How the dear Christ has risen to day,
And Alleluia sing and say,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
How the dear Christ has risen to day,
And Alleluia sing and say,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
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Scene I
(Time—early dawn. Through the garden's shadows to the sepulchre, come the holy women.)SALOME
Here we bring spice, and balm, and myrrh,
To wrap Him in the sepulchre,—
The white death-chamber, stark and drear,
Where we have laid His head.
To wrap Him in the sepulchre,—
The white death-chamber, stark and drear,
Where we have laid His head.
MAGDALENE
My flowers will brighten in the gloom;
He is not lonely in the tomb,
Forgot, while we keep warm at home,
As are the patient dead.
He is not lonely in the tomb,
Forgot, while we keep warm at home,
As are the patient dead.
MARY
And yet He said: ‘Three days, and I,
Who on the shameful Cross shall die,
Will rise again beneath the sky.’
What if He should arise!
Who on the shameful Cross shall die,
Will rise again beneath the sky.’
What if He should arise!
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Then blessed dawning that should see
The stone rolled from His Heart and me.
And if He said it, this will be,
Though all the world denies.
The stone rolled from His Heart and me.
And if He said it, this will be,
Though all the world denies.
SALOME
But who will roll us off the stone?
We could not, all and everyone:
The great stone weigheth nigh a ton.
How shall we entrance win?
We could not, all and everyone:
The great stone weigheth nigh a ton.
How shall we entrance win?
MARY
See, the great door is open wide.
It may be some are gone inside;
Peter and John, too tearful-eyed
To sleep while birds begin.
(They enter the sepulchre. There are the empty cere-cloths, and
two Angels sitting at head and foot of the slab where the Body
hath lain.)
It may be some are gone inside;
Peter and John, too tearful-eyed
To sleep while birds begin.
8
O while we slept, the foe hath come
And rifled this most precious tomb.
Here is but linen of the loom,
Wherein He shrouded was.
And rifled this most precious tomb.
Here is but linen of the loom,
Wherein He shrouded was.
Kind gentlemen, who now keep guard
Over His death-place, watch and ward,
Who were they, cold of heart and hard,
That stole my Lord? Alas!
Over His death-place, watch and ward,
Who were they, cold of heart and hard,
That stole my Lord? Alas!
SALOME
We are but women come with spice,
And Eastern herbs, and nard of price,
And linen wrought with fine device,
To wrap away our Dead.
And Eastern herbs, and nard of price,
And linen wrought with fine device,
To wrap away our Dead.
Do Caiaphas and his tribe pursue
Our Master, dead and living too,
And come by stealth at night, and do
Outrage where He is laid?
Our Master, dead and living too,
And come by stealth at night, and do
Outrage where He is laid?
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Hush, Salome. And, Magdalene,
Weep not so hard! These gentlemen
Perhaps will speed us, might and main,
To where our dead may be.
Weep not so hard! These gentlemen
Perhaps will speed us, might and main,
To where our dead may be.
FIRST ANGEL
Why seek ye here among the dead
Who lives? Have ye rememberèd
His words, while yet He taught and prayed,
And healed in Galilee?
Who lives? Have ye rememberèd
His words, while yet He taught and prayed,
And healed in Galilee?
He said: ‘The Son of Man must then
Die on a cross for sins of men,
But the third day will rise again.’
See, the third dawn is dim:
Die on a cross for sins of men,
But the third day will rise again.’
See, the third dawn is dim:
Go say to His disciples, He
Hath risen as He did prophesy,
And hath departed speedily
Into Jerusalem.
Hath risen as He did prophesy,
And hath departed speedily
Into Jerusalem.
10
Blessed are ye for love and faith,
Ye women, who have feared not death,
Nor chains nor stripes, nor mortal scathe,
Nor portals of the grave!
Ye women, who have feared not death,
Nor chains nor stripes, nor mortal scathe,
Nor portals of the grave!
MAGDALENE
Now though ye speak a tongue like ours,
I know ye, folk from heavenly bowers,
Seraphim, cherubim, thrones and powers,
These be your kinsfolk brave.
I know ye, folk from heavenly bowers,
Seraphim, cherubim, thrones and powers,
These be your kinsfolk brave.
Scene II
(A garden in the rose and gold of high dawn. Between the flowers goeth Magdalene, listlessly.)MAGDALENE
They said, Peter and James and John,
'Twas but in dreams we looked upon
Those angels in the faint, sweet dawn,
And heard their tidings glad.
'Twas but in dreams we looked upon
Those angels in the faint, sweet dawn,
And heard their tidings glad.
11
O if a dream it were, I would
Go dreaming all my life; and good
Never to wake to daylight rude,
If such sweet dreams I had.
Go dreaming all my life; and good
Never to wake to daylight rude,
If such sweet dreams I had.
Yet He is gone, themselves avow;
For Peter saw them even now,
The grave-clothes that from foot to brow
Did swathe Him yesternight.
For Peter saw them even now,
The grave-clothes that from foot to brow
Did swathe Him yesternight.
Dear Master, send your messenger.
My heart is heavy, faint with fear,
Lest the sweet tidings I did hear
I did not hear aright.
My heart is heavy, faint with fear,
Lest the sweet tidings I did hear
I did not hear aright.
(Jesus cometh ub the path; His glory veiled, He seemeth as a gardener.)
MAGDALENE
Are you the gardener of this place?
Kind sir, I cannot see your face,
Because the tears so quickly race
That they have drained me blind.
Kind sir, I cannot see your face,
Because the tears so quickly race
That they have drained me blind.
12
I am in trouble, sir, or else
Should say how sweet your garden smells,
Your musk and Canterbury-bells,
In this most sweet south wind.
Should say how sweet your garden smells,
Your musk and Canterbury-bells,
In this most sweet south wind.
Perhaps, kind sir, you know who hath
Opened the chamber-door of death
That's yonder in your garden path,
And my dear Lord hath ta'en.
Opened the chamber-door of death
That's yonder in your garden path,
And my dear Lord hath ta'en.
(She weepeth.)
JESUS
Woman, why dost thou weep?
MAGDALENE
For ruth
Of my King, murdered in His youth.
They will not let Him rest in truth
Even when they have slain.
Of my King, murdered in His youth.
They will not let Him rest in truth
Even when they have slain.
13
Tell me where He is gone, that so
My feet may follow high and low,
By crags of fire and wastes of snow,
Seeking Him everywhere.
My feet may follow high and low,
By crags of fire and wastes of snow,
Seeking Him everywhere.
JESUS
Mary!
MAGDALENE
Rabboni! as they said
Come from the dead, come from the dead,
Living and bright in Thy Godhead,
And all Thy wounds so fair!
Come from the dead, come from the dead,
Living and bright in Thy Godhead,
And all Thy wounds so fair!
(Falleth at His feet.)
JESUS
Touch Me not, till I shall arise
Unto My Father in the skies.
Go tell the brethren thine own eyes
Have seen My living face.
Unto My Father in the skies.
Go tell the brethren thine own eyes
Have seen My living face.
14
Most blessed day and blessed hour,
All in a dawn-lit garden bower,
When Thou hast shown at last Thy power,
Thy glory and Thy grace!
All in a dawn-lit garden bower,
When Thou hast shown at last Thy power,
Thy glory and Thy grace!
(The Angel of the golden trumpet speaketh, after the falling of the curtain.)
[ANGEL]
Our play is done; now everyone
Safe to his home by set of sun;
The Holy Week's great Acts are done.
Safe to his home by set of sun;
The Holy Week's great Acts are done.
The fasts are over that are Lent's,
But all good folk keep abstinence
From sin—yet not from penitence
But all good folk keep abstinence
From sin—yet not from penitence
Go, brethren, all in charity,
For His dear sake who died on tree,
And is arisen for all of ye.
For His dear sake who died on tree,
And is arisen for all of ye.
15
Daughters, take note that first He came
Unto His Mother without blame,
Next to a sinner, purged of shame.
Unto His Mother without blame,
Next to a sinner, purged of shame.
A Woman brought Him forth, a Maid,
On whose sweet lap the Babe was laid
Her foot is on the serpent's head.
On whose sweet lap the Babe was laid
Her foot is on the serpent's head.
Woman was last beside the cross,
And earliest in the garden was.
Well she atones for Eve's great loss.
And earliest in the garden was.
Well she atones for Eve's great loss.
Yet be not vain, since that would ill
Repay His love and honour; still
Meek and obedient to His will.
Repay His love and honour; still
Meek and obedient to His will.
Be virtuous wives and housekeepers;
Keeping the home as sweet as Hers,
The first of happy home-builders.
Keeping the home as sweet as Hers,
The first of happy home-builders.
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Upon Our Lord's Ascension Day
We give another miracle-play.
Till then, fare all as well as may!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
We give another miracle-play.
Till then, fare all as well as may!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
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