University of Virginia Library

(1)

pilatus.
Cernite qui statis quod mire sim probitatis,
Hec cognoscatis vos cedam ni taceatis,
Cuncti discatis quasi sistam vir deitatis
Et maiestatis michi fando ne neceatis,
hoc modo mando;
Neue loquaces,
Siue dicaces,
poscite paces,
Dum fero fando.
(2)
Stynt, I say! gyf men place quia sum dominus dominorum!
he that agans me says rapietur lux oculorum;
Therfor gyf ye me space ne tendam vim brachiorum,
And then get ye no grace contestor Iura polorum,
Caueatis;
Rewle I the Iure,
Maxime pure,
Towne quoque rure,
Me paueatis.
(3)
Stemate regali kyng atus gate me of pila;
Tramite legali Am I ordand to reyn apon Iuda,
Nomine wlgari pownce pilate, that may ye well say,
Qui bene wlt fari shuld call me fownder of all lay.

280

Iudeorum
Iura guberno,
pleasse me and say so,
Omnia firmo
Sorte deorum.
(4)
Myghty lord of all me Cesar magnificauit;
Downe on knees ye fall greatt god me sanctificauit,
Me to obey ouer all regi reliquo quasi dauid,
hanged hy that he sall hoc iussum qui reprobauit,
I swere now;
Bot ye youre hedis
Bare in thies stedis
Redy my swerde is
Of thaym to shere now.
(5)
Atrox armipotens I graunt men girth by my good grace,
Atrox armipotens most myghty callyd in ylk place,
vir quasi cunctipotens I graunt men girth by my good grace,
Tota refert huic gens that none is worthier in face,
Quin eciam bona mens doith trowth and right bi my trew lays,
Silete!
In generali,
Sic speciali,
yit agane byd I
Iura tenete.
(6)
loke that no boy be to bustus, blast here for to blaw,
Bot truly to my talkyng loke that ye be intendyng;
If here be any boy that will not loutt till oure law,
By myghty mahowne, hygh shall he hyng;
South, north, eest, west,
In all this warld in lengthe and brede,
Is none so doughty as I, the best,
doughtely dyntand on mule and on stede.

281

(7)
Therfor I say,
loke that ye lowte to my lykance,
ffor dowte of dynt in greuaunce;
dilygently ply to my plesance,
As prynce most myghty me pay,
(8)
And talke not a worde;
ffor who so styrres or any dyn makys,
deply in my daunger he rakys,
That as soferan me not takys
And as his awne lorde.
(9)
he has myster of nyghtys rest that nappys not in noynyng!
boy, lay me downe softly and hap me well from cold;
loke that no laddys noy me nawder with cryyng nor with cronyng,
Nor in my sight ones greue me so bold.
If ther be any boyes that make any cry,
Or els that will not obey me,
he were better be hanged hy,
Then in my sight ones mefe me.

(10)
primus tortor.
war, war! for now com I,
The most shrew in this cuntry;
I haue ron full fast in hy,
hedir to this towne;
To this towne now comen am I
ffrom the mownt of caluery;
Ther crist hang, and that full hy,
I swe[re] you, bi my crowne.
(11)
At caluery when he hanged was,
I spuyd and spyt right in his face,
when that it shoyn as any glas,
so semely to my sight;
Bot yit for all that fayr thyng,
I loghe hym vnto hethyng,
And rofe of his clethyng;
To me it was full light.

282

(12)
And when his clothes were of in fere,
lord, so we loghe and maide good chere,
And crownyd that carle with a brere,
As he had bene a kyng;
And yit I did full propurly,
I clappyd his cors by and by,
I thoght I did full curiously
In fayth hym for to hyng.
(13)
Bot to mahowne I make avowe,
hedir haue I broght his clethyng now,
To try the trowthe before you,
Euen this same nyght;
Of me and of my felowse two
with whom this garmente shall go;
bot sir pilate must go therto,
I swere you by this light.
(14)
ffor whosoeuer may get thise close,
he ther neuer rek where he gose,
ffor he semys nothyng to lose,
If so be he theym were.
bot now, now, felose, stand on rowme,
ffor he commes, shrewes, vnto this towne,
And we will all togeder rowne,
so semely in oure gere.

(15)
Secundus tortor.
war, war! and make rowme,
ffor I will with my felose rowne,
And I shall knap hym on the crowne
That standys in my gate;
I will lepe and I will skyp
As I were now out of my wytt;
Almost my breke thay ar beshyt
ffor drede I cam to late.
(16)
Bot, by mahowne! now am I here!
The most shrew, that dar I swere,
That ye shall fynde aw where,

283

Spyll-payn in fayth I hight.
I was at caluery this same day,
where the kyng of Iues lay,
And ther I taght hym a newe play,
Truly, me thoght it right.
(17)
The play, in fayth, it was to rowne,
That he shuld lay his hede downe,
And sone I bobyd hym on the crowne,
That gam me thoght was good.
when we had played with hym oure fyll,
Then led we him vnto an hyll,
And ther we wroght with hym oure will,
And hang hym on a rud.
(18)
Nomore now of this talkyng,
Bot the cause of my commyng;
Both on ernest and on hethyng
This cote I wold I had;
ffor if I myght this cote gett,
Then wold I both skyp and lepe,
And therto fast both drynke and ete,
In fayth, as I were mad.

(19)
Tercius tortor.
war, war! within thise wones,
ffor I com rynyng all at ones!
I haue brysten both my balok stones,
So fast hyed I hedyr;
And ther is nothyng me so lefe
As murder a mycher' and hang a thefe:
If here be any that doth me grefe
I shall them thresh togedir.
(20)
ffor I may swere with mekill wyn
I am the most shrew in all myn kyn,
That is from this towne vnto lyn,

284

lo, here my felowse two!
Now ar we thre commen in
A new gam forto begyn,
This same cote forto twyn,
Or that we farther go.
(21)
Bot to sir pilate prynce I red that we go hy,
And present hym the playnt how that we ar stad;
Bot this gowne that is here, I say you for-thy,
By myghty mahowne I wold not he had.

(22)
primus tortor.
I assent to that sagh, by myghty mahowne!
Let vs Weynde to sir pilate withoutten any fabyll;
Bot syrs, bi my lewte, he gettys not this gowne;
Vnto vs thre it were right prophetabyll;
Spill-payn what says thou?

(23)
Secundus tortor.
youre sawes craftely assent I vnto.

primus tortor.
Then will I streght furth in this place,
And speke with sir pilate wordys oone or two,
ffor I am right semely and fare in the face;
And now shall we se or we hence go.

(24)
Tercius tortor.
Sir, I say the, by my lewtee,
where is sir pilate of pryce?

Consultus.
Sir, I say the, as myght I the,
he lygys here in the dewyll seruyce.

(25)
primus tortor.
with that prynce—fowll myght he fall—
Must we haue at do.

Consultus.
I shall go to hym and call,
And loke what ye will say hym to.
(26)
My lord, my lorde!

pilatus.
what, boy, art thou nyse?
call nomore, thou has callid twyse.

Consultus.
my lord!


285

(27)
pilatus.
what mytyng is that that mevys me in my mynde?

Consultus.
I, lord, youre counselloure, pight in youre saw.

pilatus.
Say ar ther any catyffys combred that ar vnkynde?

Consultus.
Nay, lord, none that I knawe.

(28)
pilatus.
Then noy vs nomore of this noyse;
you carles vnkynde, who bad you call me?
By youre mad maters I hald you bot boyes,
And that shall ye aby, els fowll myght befall me.
I shall not dy in youre dett!
Bewshere, I byd the vp thou take me,
And in my sete softly loke that thou se me sett.
(29)
Now shall we wytt, and that in hy,
If that saghe be trew that thou dyd say;
If I fynde the With lesyng, lad, thou shall aby,
fforto mell in the maters that pertenyth agans the lay.

(30)
Consultus.
Nay, sir, not so, withoutten delay,
The cause of my callyng is of that boy bold,
ffor it is saide sothely now this same day,
That he shuld dulfully be dede,
Certayn;
Then may youre cares be full cold
If he thus sakles be slayn.

(31)
pilatus.
ffare and softly, sir, and say not to far;
Sett the with sorow, then semys thou the les,
And of the law that thou leggys be wytty and war,
lest I greue the greatly with dyntys expres;
ffals fatur, in fayth I shall slay the!
Thy reson vnrad I red the redres,
Or els of thise maters loke thou nomore mell the.


286

(32)
Consultus.
Why shuld I not mell of those maters that I haue you taght?
Thoug ye be prynce peerles withoutt any pere,
were not my wyse wysdom youre wyttys were in waght;
And that is seen expresse and playnly right here,
And done in dede.

(33)
pilatus.
Why, boy, bot has thou sayde?

Consultus.
yee, lorde.

pilatus.
Therfor the devyll the spede, thou carle vnkyn de
Sich felowse myght well be on rowne!
ye knaw not the comon cowrs that longys to a kyng.

(34)
primus tortor.
Mahowne most myghtfull, he mensk you with mayn,
Sir pilate pereles, prynce of this prese!
And saue you, sir, syttand semely suffrayn!
we haue soght to thy sayll no sayng to sesse,
Bot certyfie sone;
ye wote that ye demyd this day apon desse,
we dowte not his doyng, for now is he done.

(35)
pilatus.
ye ar welcom, Iwys, ye ar worthy ay war;
Be it fon so of that fatur, in fayth then am I fayne.

Secundus tortor.
we haue markyd that mytyng, nomore shall he mar;
we prayed you, sir pilate, to put hym to payn,
And we thoght it well wroght.

pilatus.
lefe syrs, let be youre laytt and loke that ye layn;
ffor nothyng that may be nevyn ye it noght.

(36)
Tercius tortor.
Make myrth of that mytyng full mekyll we may,
And haue lykyng of oure lyfe for los of that lad;
Bot, syr pilate peerles, a poynt I the pray;
hope ye with hethyng that harnes he had

287

To hold that was hys?

Pilatus.
That appentys vnto me, mafa! art thou mad?
I ment that no mytyng shuld mell hym of this.

(37)
primus tortor.
Mefe the not, master, more if he mell,
ffor thou shall parte from that pelfe, thar thou not pleyte.

pilatus.
yit styrt not farer for noght that ye fell;
I aske this gowne of youre gyfte, it is not so greatt,
And yit may it agayn you.

Secundus tortor.
how, all in fageyng? in fayth I know of youre featte,
ffor it fallys to vs four fyrst will I frayn you.

(38)
pilatus.
And I myster to no maner of mans bot myn.

Tercius tortor.
yee, lord, let shere it in shredys.

pilatus.
Now that hald I good skyll! take thou this, & thou that,
& this shall be thyne,
(39)
And by lefe and by law this may leyfe styll.

primus tortor.
O lordyng! I weyn it is wrang,
To tymely I toke it, to take it the vntyll
The farest, and the fowllest thy felowse to fang.

(40)
pilatus.
And thou art payed of thi parte full truly I trowe.

primus tortor.
It is shame forto se, I am shapyn bot a shrede.

Secundus tortor.
The hole of this harnes is holdyn to you,
And I am leuerd a lap is lyke to no lede,
ffor-tatyrd and torne.

Tercius tortor.
By myghty mahowne that mylde is of mode,
If he skap with this cote it were a great skorne.

(41)
pilatus.
Now sen ye teyn so at this, take it to you
with all the mawgre of myn and myght of mahowne!

primus tortor.
Drede you not doutles, for so Will we dow;
Grefe you not greatly ye gett not this gowne,

288

bot in fower as it fallys.

Secundus tortor.
had I a fawchon, then craftely to cutt it were I bowne.

Tercius tortor.
lo it here that thou callys!
(42)
It is sharp with to shere, shere if thou may.

Secundus tortor.
Euen in the mydward to marke were mastre to me.

primus tortor.
Most semely is in certan the seym to assay.

Secundus tortor.
I haue soght all this syde and none can I se,
of greatt nor of small.

pilatus.
Bewshers, abyd you, I byd you let be!
I commaunde not to cutt it, bot hold it hole all.

(43)
primus tortor.
Now ar we bon, for ye bad, withhald on youre hud.

pilatus.
we! harlottys! go hang you, for hole shall it be.

Tercius tortor.
Grefe you not greatly, he saide it for gud.

pilatus.
wyst I that he spake it in spytyng of me
Tytt shuld I spede forto spyll hym.

Secundus tortor.
That were hym loth, lord, by my lewte,
ffor-thi grauntt hym youre grace.

pilatus.
No greuans I will hym.

(44)
primus tortor.
Gramercy thi gudnes!

pilatus.
yee, bot greue me nomo;
ffull dere beys it boght
In fayth, if ye do.

(45)
primus tortor.
Shall I then saue it?

pilatus.
yee, so saide I, or to draw cutt is the lelyst,
and long cut, lo, this wede shall wyn.

Tercius tortor.
Sir, to youre sayng yit assent we vnto;
Bot oone assay, let se who shall begyn.


289

(46)
pilatus.
we! me falles all the fyrst, and forther shall ye.

Secundus tortor.
Nay, drede you not doutles, for that do ye not;
O, he sekys as he wold dyssaue vs now we se.

Tercius tortor.
Bewshers, abyde you, heder haue I broght
thre dyse vs emang.

primus tortor.
That is a gam all the best, bi hym that me boght,
ffor at the dysyng he dos vs no wrang.

(47)
pilatus.
And I am glad of that gam; On assay, Who shall begyn?

primus tortor.
ffyrst shall ye, and sen after we all.
haue the dyse and haue done,
and lefe all youre dyn,
ffor who so has most this frog shall he fall,
And best of the bonys.

pilatus.
I assent to youre sayng; assay now I shall,
As I wold at a wap wyn all at ones.

(48)
[Pilate throws.]
Secundus tortor.
A, ha! how now! here ar a hepe.

pilatus.
haue mynde then emang you how many ther ar.

Tercius tortor.
thretteen ar on thre, thar ye not threpe.

pilatus.
Then shall I wyn or all men be war.

primus tortor.
Truly lord, right so ye shall;
Bot grefe you not greatly, the next shall be nar
If I haue hap to my hand, haue here for all!

(49)
[He throws.]
pilatus.
And I haue sene as greatt a freke of his forward falyd.
here ar bot Aght turnyd vp at ones.

primus tortor.
Aght? a, his armes, that is yll! what so me alyd,
I was falsly begylyd with thise byched bones;
Ther cursyd thay be!

Secundus tortor.
Well I wote this wede bees won in thise wones,
I wold be fayn of this frog myght it fall vnto me.


290

(50)
pilatus.
It bees in waght, in fayth, and thou wyn.

Secundus tortor.
No, bot war you away!

[He throws.]
Tercius tortor.
here is baddyst aboue, by mahownes bonys!
seuen is bot the seconde, the sothe for to say.

(51)
Secundus tortor.
we, fy! that is shortt.

Tercius tortor.
Do shott at thi hud! now fallys me the fyrst,
And I haue hap to this gowne, go now on gud;
The byched bones that ye be I byd you go bett;
(52)
[He throws.]
ffelowse, in forward here haue I fefteen!
As ye wote I am worthi, won is this wede.

pilatus.
what, whistyll ye in the wenyande! where haue ye beyn?
Thou shall abak, bewshere, that blast I forbede.

Tercius tortor.
here ar men vs emang,
lele in oure lay, will ly for no leyd,
And I wytnes at thaym if I wroght any wrang.

(53)
primus tortor.
Thou wroght no dyssaytt, for sothe, that we saw,
ffor-thi thou art worthi, and won is this weyd At thyn awne wyll.

pilatus.
yee, bot me pays not that playng to puf nor to blaw;
If he haue right I ne rek or reson thertyll,
I refe it hym noght.

Tercius tortor.
haue gud day, sir, and grefe you not yll,
ffor if it were duble full dere is it boght.

(54)
pilatus.
Sir, sen thou has won this weyd, say will thou vowche safe
Of thi great gudnes this garment on me?

Tercius tortor.
Sir, I say you certan this shall ye not haue.

pilatus.
Thou shall forthynk it, in fayth;
ffy, what thou art fre!

291

vnbychid, vnbayn!

Tercius tortor.
ffor ye thrett me so throle,
were it sich thre
here I gif you this gud.

pilatus.
Now, gramercy agayn!
(55)
Mekill thank and myn and this shalbe ment.

primus tortor.
Bot I had not left it so lightly, had play me it lent.

pilatus.
No, bot he is faythfull and fre, and that shall be ment;
And more if I may,
If he myster to me,
amend hym I mon.

Tercius tortor.
I vowche safe it be so, the sothe forto say.

(56)
primus tortor.
Now thise dyse that ar vndughty for los of this good,
here I forswere hertely by mahownes blood;
ffor was I neuer so happy by mayn nor by mode,
To wyn with sich sotelty to my lyfys fode,
As ye ken;
Thise dysars and thise hullars,
Thise cokkers and thise bollars,
And all purs-cuttars,
Bese well war of thise men.

(57)
Secundus tortor.
ffy, fy, on thise dyse the devill I theym take!
vnwytty, vnwyse With thaym that Wold lake;
As fortune assyse men wyll she make;
hir maners ar nyse she can downe and vptake;
And rych
She turnes vp-so-downe,
And vnder abone,
Most chefe of renowne
She castys in the dyche.
(58)
By hir meanes she makys dysers to sell,
As thay sytt and lakys thare corne and thare catell;

292

Then cry thay and crakkys bowne vnto batell,
his hyppys then bakys no symnell
ffor hote.
Bot fare well, thryfte!
Is ther none other skyfte
Bot syfte, lady, syfte?
Thise dysars thay dote.

(59)
Tercius tortor.
what commys of dysyng I pray you hark after,
Bot los of good in lakyng and oft tymes mens slaghter!
Thus sorow is at partyng at metyng if ther be laghter;
I red leyf sich vayn thyng and serue god herafter,
ffor heuens blys;
That lord is most myghty,
And gentyllyst of Iury,
we helde to hym holy;
how thynk ye by this?

(60)
pilatus.
well worth you all thre, most doughty in dede!
Of all the clerkys that I knaw, most conyng ye be,
By soteltes of youre sawes, youre lawes forto lede;
I graunt you playn powere and frenship frele,
I say;
Dew vows [garde], mon senyours!
Mahowne most myghty in castels and towres
he kepe you, lordyngys, and all youres,
And hauys all gud day.

Explicit processus talentorum.